Defender (Seattle Sharks 9)

“Of course not,” I finally answered. “I love it.” Museums, history, knowledge…that was my thing.

“Apologies,” he said, the sweet word gruff from his gravelly voice. “You are distracted.”

I smiled at him, unable to resist. I’d gotten used to the way he spoke—direct and without preamble—over the last few days. I loved it. He was a man of few words but when he did decide to speak—in English, anyway—it was to the point. The giant wasn’t one who would regret a thing that came of his mouth. It was usually refreshing…

“Am I?” I asked, killing the urge to look over at Nathan and Langley again.

And failed.

He still had his hand on her back, the pair talking too quietly for anyone around them to hear. I glanced back up at Axel, whose eyes were on them too, but he quickly gazed down at me, a knowing, rare smile on his lips.

“Nathan,” he said, looking at him over my shoulder before returning to me. “Is a good man.”

“Yes,” I said. “I suppose he is.”

“Suppose?”

“Well, I haven’t known him that long,” I admitted. I hadn’t known any of them that long, and yet, I was somehow comfortable being alone with any of them on this trip. That was rare for me. The ease in a group. I worked better alone unless I was delegating.

“We’ve all grown close, yes?”

I nodded, unable to deny him. The giant may radiate an intimidating grace, but when I got to know him, spoke to him, he was more like a protective big brother. The way he teased me or grumbled about certain things reminded me in ways of my own brother back home. I suddenly missed him something fierce.

“My home has that effect,” Axel continued. “The beauty, the history…it…” He furrowed his brow, his lips pressing together. “Strips one of their defenses. Lowers them until nothing is left but truth.”

I swallowed hard again, flashing a gaze over my shoulder.

They hadn’t moved, and I hated myself for wanting them to. For wanting Nathan to be back, whispering little facts he’d googled about the place, or simply just being there. I wanted Langley to be okay, of course. I wanted her heart to heal, but I didn’t know how to help her except be there to listen.

Nathan looked like he held all the answers.

“That’s beautiful,” I said, arching my neck to meet Axel’s eyes. “And brutal.” Kind of like the man before me.

He shrugged. “Easy for me to see.”

“Because you experience it every day.” Perhaps that was why the giant was so open, so raw and real. Not one shred of fake rested on the man, nothing about his words or demeanor said anything but one-hundred percent Axel.

“She’ll be okay,” he said, motioning toward Langley.

“I hope so.”

“She will.” The words were a deep promise that had my cheeks flushing like he’d said something intimate about her.

“And you will, too,” he said, smirking down at me.

“I’m fine,” I said.

He tilted his head. “And yet the genius can’t focus on the wealth of history around her. She keeps getting distracted by…” His eyes went to Nathan and then back to me.

“You’re reading that wrong,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m distracted because there are so many pretty things to look at.” That wasn’t a lie. Even if Nathan happened to be one of those pretty things. So what if I enjoyed talking to the man? I also didn’t mind speaking to Axel. Both their company was appreciated in different ways. It didn’t mean anything more than a friendship I was happy to have stumbled into.

“One,” he said. “I’m rarely wrong. And two…” he placed a hand on my shoulder, the touch light despite the man’s sheer size. “You’re smarter than that.” He flashed me a wink, tucking me a bit closer to him as he used his other hand to point to the display case we’d been standing next to for ten minutes. He muttered off some facts, keeping me close as he did.

“Anything interesting?” Nathan’s voice startled me as I’d been listening intently to Axel explain about the artifact.

“Everything,” I said, turning to see Nathan’s eyes were not, in fact, on me, but rather on Axel’s hand still on my shoulder and the way my body grazed the side of Axel’s hard abdomen. There was something sharp and hot behind Nathan’s eyes, but surely I was imagining it. He couldn’t possibly think Axel’s touch was anything more than that of a friendly variety—brotherly even.

“I’m starving,” Langley said, her voice clear, no evidence of the tears that had obviously been shed moments ago. “Can we eat and come back?”

I nodded, suddenly realizing I was hungry, but having a hard time concentrating on that when Nathan was staring down Axel like he might very well challenge the warrior over some territorial dispute.

Axel smirked, squeezed my shoulder, and moved toward Langley. “I know the perfect place,” he said, motioning Langley toward the exit of the room. The tension in Nathan’s shoulders eased a bit, and he offered me his hand. “Coming?”