Sweet Hope (Sweet Home 3)

Jimmy-Don was staring at Cass in exasperation. After all, she was being her typically loud self. I forced down a swig of my wine for fear I‘d burst out laughing… especially when I looked at Austin and Axel who were staring at Cass with mutual expressions of disbelief. At least Austin was; Axel just glared at her, his jaw clenching.

Austin, deciding to ignore Cass, nodded to Axel in the direction of JD, Rome and Lev. When Axel reluctantly looked over at the three men, they were all watching him with wary expressions, none of which exactly looked welcoming.

Axel pointed his beer at the seat nearest to me, under the TV. “I’ll just watch the game,” he said gruffly. He sounded his usual hard tough self, but I could detect the pain and hurt in his gaze and his voice. Levi's actions made it clear he wanted Axel nowhere near him.

Hearing Cass sigh again, I looked in her direction and she was still fanning herself, staring hungrily at my man. She turned to me and mouthed, “That voice!”

Part of me was glad that Cass felt the way she did. It gave me hope that Axel and I weren’t a lost cause.

“So, Ally,” Cass said, leaning back against the couch as Axel slumped into the chair… the chair that offered a perfect view of me. Hell, he was sat exactly opposite.

I turned to Cass. “Yeah, darlin’?”

“Rumor has it, you got yourself a new beau?” Cass’s eyebrows danced, but my cheeks flamed when I saw Axel freeze in my peripheral vision.

“Yes,” I whispered and took a sip of my wine, trying to avoid follow-up questions.

“So, what’s he like? Some reclusive artist, right?”

Feeling my breathing hollow out, I nodded my head. “Yes.”

Cassie slapped her thigh loudly and groaned in frustration at my short answers. “Ally, I’m pregnant and have been with JD for what seems like forever. Molly’s knocked up too and Lexi and Austin, well, she’s his little Pix and he’s her bad boy. They don’t see anyone else, so we need to live the single life vicariously through you. So spill it, I need details! Mama needs some gossip!”

Flashing a glance to Axel, I debated what to say. I was worried I would be too transparent and our secret would be found out. Axel raised his bottle of beer to his mouth and cast a glance back at me. That one hungry look alone melted me on the spot. I thought I caught a flicker of amusement in his dark eyes, but from here I couldn’t be sure.

Shit. I had no idea how to get out of this.

Feeling Cass’s laser stare burning through me, I sighed in defeat and asked, “What do you want to know, Cass? I don’t really wanna talk about it… it’s private.”

When she smiled excitedly, I knew I shouldn’t have spoken.

She screwed up her face, deep in thought, then pursing her lips, she asked, “What’s he like in bed? Hung? Fuck of the century?”

Choking on my sip of wine, I spluttered a cough and looked to Lexi and Molly who were trying real not to laugh at Cass.

“Cass!” Lexi admonished, her lips pursed in humor, “Stop it!”

Cassie’s face scrunched up in confusion. “What?”

“You can’t ask things like that, Cass,” Molly said tiredly, causing me to momentarily forget my exasperation at Cass and grow concerned for her instead.

“Yeah, I can. We’re all friends here! And I friggin’ heard you and Bullet fucking and screaming more than I wanted to back in College, so there’s no need for shyness now, Mol! Ain’t no secret you’re at it like bunnies!” Cass’s hand landed on my arm as Molly’s eyes bugged out. Rome coughed behind us, and Cass plowed on regardless. “Well? The sex? How is it?”

Blowing out a breath, I could feel my face flame, but I replied quietly, “The best of my life, Cass. It’s… he’s, amazing. There, you happy now?”

Cassie grinned and I dipped my head to look at Axel, who was staring at me, his gaze lit with the heat I’d come to adore. He wanted me. And, Christ, I wanted him too.

“And looks? What does he look like? I need a visual,” Cass asked.

“He’s dark, beautiful, muscled… pretty damn near perfect,” I whispered, realizing that I was betraying more of how I felt about Axel than intended. “Putting it simply, he’s the most incredible and staggering man I’ve met, in all ways, not just physically, though he’s beyond words in that department too.”

“Well, shit, Al!” Cass said, for once, her voice at low volume, “I didn’t know you were gone for the guy, like fallen head over heels, gone. I thought it was just sex?”

My heartbeat accelerated to match the speed of a Hummingbird’s wings, and I blinked too fast. Cass’s arm threaded over my shoulders. “You really like this mysterious guy, huh?”

Inhaling a shuddering breath, I cast a side-glance to Axel who was gripping the neck of his bottle with a fierce intensity, waiting with bated breath for my reply.

“He’s stolen my heart,” I whispered, “It’s hopelessly and irreparably fused to his.”

“Ally…” Lexi hushed out and I saw water fill her eyes. “I had no idea…”

Feeling the room aquire a deafening silence, I looked up to see all my friends staring at me in surprise. Clearing my throat, I nervously asked, “What y’all staring at me for? She asked me, I was just being honest.”

Molly sat forward capturing my attention. “Just never seen you this smitten with a guy before, sweetie. It’s a blessing to witness.”