Axel (Carolina Reapers 1)

I giggled as he lightly smacked my ass.

“One day,” he said again, walking us through the house until we reached our bedroom.

Some tight part of me uncoiled as he laid me on the bed—this one made of solid, hand-carved oak. Two months and we hadn’t managed to break it, so I believed it would hold out for the rest of our marriage.

“One day, what?” I challenged, scooting all the way back on the bed, slipping the button-down off as I went, leaving myself bare to him.

His eyes raked over my exposed flesh like he had all the time in the world to study my body, master it, until all he had to do was touch the right spot and I’d combust for him.

Axel slid off his boxer-briefs, kicking them next to the shirt I’d tossed on the floor. Knees on the bed, he parted my thighs and lowered his mouth until I could feel his warm breath on my bare skin.

I was instantly liquid.

“One day,” he whispered, brushing my center with a feather-light kiss. “You will let me feast on you in the kitchen.” His eyes met mine through my parted legs, and I whimpered a bit at the sight of him there. “One day,” he said, dragging his tongue through my slit. “You will let me take you to new places.”

I gasped as he unleashed himself on me with lips and tongue and the lightest graze of teeth until I was a writhing, wild thing beneath him. As if he could convince me to relinquish all control with only the power of his mouth on my body. And as I shattered beneath him, pieces of my soul breaking and bending and glowing just for him, I was dangerously close to relinquishing everything to him.

11

Axel

“Take it back,” I ordered as I held Tage in a headlock.

“What?” He forced out with a grin. “That you’re getting fat?”

“I can still kick your ass.” I rubbed my knuckles against his hair, which was the same dirty blond shade as mine.

“Maybe here,” he scoffed, but still couldn’t break free. “But not on the ice. Hate to say it big brother, but this American luxury is making you soft.”

“Hey, hey!” Langley called out as she walked into the living room, dodging piles of opened Christmas presents and wrapping paper. “Don’t kill your brother, Axel. I can’t spin the PR on that.”

“You’re lucky she likes you,” I growled playfully, but let my brother go.

“English, please. It’s not nice to leave me out of the conversation,” Langley said with a grin as she folded herself onto the couch next to me.

Tage rolled to the ground, then scurried to the heavy armchair he’d claimed as his own when he got here a week ago. “See? A few months ago you would have caught me. Marriage is making you soft, too.” Two dimples popped in his cheeks, and I shook my head. “And by soft,” he gestured to his belly, “I mean around the middle.”

He was met with a pillow in the face, courtesy of my wife.

“Lay off, Tage.” She picked up the hem of my shirt, examining my abs. “Yum, just as perfect as ever.”

“You two are sickening,” he rolled his eyes but smiled.

“Be quiet and open your last present.” I leaned back against the couch and draped my arm over Langley, tucking her into my side. It was hard to believe the perfection of these last couple of months. She hadn’t once mentioned the divorce, or even that we were on a timeline.

Maybe she was starting to come around to my way of thinking: who needed a divorce when we were this happy? Fuck the contract. This could be our forever.

“There’s another present?” Tage’s blue eyes popped wide, and he looked so much like our mother in that moment that my breath failed.

“Check behind your seat,” Langley suggested, snuggling into my chest.

She had one more present, too, but it would have to wait until after I took Tage to the airport in a few hours.

My heart sank. A few short hours were all I had left with him.

He scrambled over the top of the chair, leaning over so far I was sure I’d be making my excuses to his coach when I returned him broken. He was only eleven years younger than me, but I suddenly felt every single one of those years.

“You know I only brought you the one present,” Tage said over the medium-sized box in his lap.

“Having yet another jersey with Nyström on it was a special treat.” I layered the sarcasm thick.

“Hey, not one with my number from my team!”

“So easy to rile,” I teased. “In all seriousness, it’s my favorite present. I couldn’t be prouder of you, Tage.”

His mouth pressed into a thin line, and red crept up his neck, but he nodded. “So, what is it?” he asked after clearing his throat.