Broken Cheaters (21 page)

“We definitely will. Hey, what happened to your ‘R’s?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know. They just came on their own.” He beamed with pride.

I tried to pinpoint the exact time when Trevor had begun pronouncing the letter, and it was in the car when we were trying to get away from Jack. Could fear have triggered his original speech impediment?

Axel turned toward me and nearly collapsed. I brought my hand up to my face and touched my swollen nose. It hurt. I hadn’t had a chance to look in the mirror yet. They’d given me pain medication, though, and I was scheduled for surgery to set my nose in the next hour.

“Are you all right?” he asked, concern washing over his face more now than when he’d first walked into the room.

“Yeah, I am now.”

It wasn’t until my mom took Trevor out of the room that I broke apart. I lost it. I couldn’t stop sobbing into Axel’s chest. I clung to his shirt with my hands. Overcome by sudden cold, my body trembled. We’d come so close to losing him — I was pretty sure I’d die if anything had happened to Trevor. He cooed and shushed, kissing the top of my head, combing his fingers through my hair.

“It’s all over now, baby. It’s all over.”

“Why did he have to be such a jerk?”

“He was more than a jerk, Trish. He was a sick murderer. I wish I could have seen it coming. What he did to Chloe and you… it’s unforgivable.”

“No one could have predicted it. Not even you.”

I leaned against him just as the doctor came into my room. “How are you feeling, Ms. Dalton?”

“Good, thank you.”

“Are we ready for the surgery?” Axel asked.

“Almost, but there’s something we need to discuss before that. I’d rather give you a local anesthetic than a general one.”

“Why’s that?”

“Ms. Dalton, you’re about seven weeks pregnant.”

“What?”

“Wait, what?” Axel repeated my question.

“I assume you didn’t know, then.”

My shocked face and Axel’s open mouth must have been enough of an indication.

“The pregnancy looks viable, and your blood work is fine as well, but I’d rather we fixed your nose without putting you under.”

“Is it safer for the baby?”

“Yes.”

“Axel? Say something, please?”

“Ahm, whatever is safer for the baby, then.”

“I’ll let you two have a few minutes before we get you prepped.”

The doctor left. I couldn’t shake off the shock and started counting backwards in my head.

“The strip club. That’s when it happened.”

“I wore a condom.”

“Did you check if it broke?”

“Fuck, I could barely see after that, never mind have enough sense to check if my condom broke.”

“What’s going to happen now?”

“We’re going having a baby, Trish.”

“So, you’re happy about this?”

His mouth curved up slowly into the widest grin I’d seen on this man. “Are you kidding me? Of course I’m happy. It’s a surprise, but fuck yes, I’m happy. It’s one of the best surprises I could get. Wait, he said seven weeks, how is that—”

“They count them from my last period. Two weeks before we first had sex.”

“I’m not questioning you, Trish.”

“I know you’re not.”

He pressed his lips hard to mine, confirming his excitement.

“I’m pregnant,” I whispered as I leaned against him.

“We’re pregnant,” he said with pride. “Trevor’s going to have a sister or a brother.”

“Who is also his cousin? That’s weird.”

“Let’s stick to sister or brother, then.”

Tied by Trevor, we would already be a family forever, but having Axel’s child would make our unit perfect. Me throwing up George’s tuna salad now made much more sense. My parents would flip at the news.

I leaned against him just as his phone buzzed. Axel removed it from his pocket and stilled.

“What’s wrong?” I asked

“They never found Jack’s body.”

I
wasn’t
sure how Jack could have survived rolling down a hundred-foot hill in his car, but apparently he did. While I’d been hopeful that he’d been eaten alive by wolves or maybe devoured by worms, beetles, and maggots, I knew better than that. Jack wouldn’t rest until he saw my last breath leave my lungs. The trick now was to get to him before he got to me. I could feel Chloe’s persistence to get revenge aching in my chest, but there wasn’t much I could do. I was carrying a child now, and the last thing I wanted to do was to put it in any kind of stress or danger.

The authorities combed the accident area several times and there was no sign of a body. The rain had washed away any possible trail, and while there was a warrant out for his arrest, as each day passed without finding Jack, I began worrying that he wouldn’t be found unless he wanted to be. For as long as Jack was on the loose, I’d be looking over my shoulder. Worse yet, neither I, nor Axel, would be able to let Trevor out of our sight.

Under Axel and George’s constant care, I remained at my parents for two more days before flying back to Long Island. We didn’t tell anyone about the pregnancy and decided to wait until we’d had more time to process it ourselves. Since our return, Axel had canceled all his meetings and appointments to stay with Trevor and me. I saw him working nights in his office, pulling on his hair and typing hard on the keyboard of his laptop, frustration apparent with each keystroke. At one point he was pressing the keys so hard I thought they’d pop out from underneath his fingertips.

For the past three weeks, there hadn’t been a night or a day that I didn’t think about Jack. I’d dream about him lying underneath my bed, waiting for that perfect moment to strike. Or me walking into my closet only to find him sitting on my chair, all smug and satisfied that he’d by-passed the tripled security. Just thinking about it made me sick to my stomach.

The evening before Trevor’s birthday party, I knocked on the door. “It’s almost midnight. Can I get you some tea?”

Axel swiveled on his chair, leaned back, and stretched his legs forward. “Come ’ere.”

Having come out of the shower, I was only wearing my robe. He sat up straight, and when I was close enough, he grabbed my hips and brought me down to sit on his lap. My legs rested over the arm of the chair, dangling in the air. I smoothed my hand over his cheek. “I’m worried about you.”

“Everything’s fine.”

“Don’t do that.”

“What?”

“Say that everything’s fine when it isn’t. Talk to me.”

“It’s difficult to close a deal when one of the building owners is a murderer on the run.”

“Oh. I thought Jack canceled that appointment with you.”

“He did, but he wasn’t the only owner, and his two other partners wish to sell. So, they’re in a bind now because they can’t officially list the building because Jack’s signature is missing.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“No, it will happen, but it will take more time than I anticipated, which means time away from you and Trevor.”

I pushed up and off his lap, but he brought me back down.

“I should go. You have work.”

He ignored me, stood up, wrapped his arms around me, and kissed the tip of my nose. “Is it still hurting?”

“Not too much.”

The bruising had finally eased, and my skin was beginning to regain its original shade.

“And it’s Trevor’s birthday party tomorrow.”

“My brother’s taking care of the decorations. He feels guilty that we had to cancel the last party because of what happened with Brad.”

“That’s a lot of construction going on outside for a five-year-old’s party.”

“He’s turning it into a dinosaur theme park.”

“Trevor’s going to love it. How’s Beth doing?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. So much has happened… I’m just looking forward to relaxing tomorrow.”

“Why don’t we start the relaxing part tonight?” I asked, standing up on my toes to kiss the corner of his mouth and brushing against his front.

“I like where your mind is going.” He slid his hand in my open robe, up along my ribcage, and onto my free breast.

“You’re not wearing anything?”

“I just came out of the shower.”

A deep grunt sounded from his chest. “Perfect.”

Axel leaned to the crook of my neck and licked there before gently biting. I heard myself moan as a familiar buzz circled down my chest to my lower half, which was being rubbed deliciously by the bulge in Axel’s pants.

He finally took my mouth. His lips were hard and full of need, and it felt like he hadn’t kissed me in years, not hours. I unbuttoned his shirt and took it off his shoulders. His heat warmed me, his tongue seduced me, and his hands were magically summoning lust from deep inside my body as he cupped my sensitive breasts and squeezed my nipples. My robe slid off my shoulders and Axel pulled away to get a full look at my body. He practically devoured me with his gaze before shoving the papers littering his desk to the floor in a classic move that made my pulse race as the anticipation of what we’d do next slowly sizzled along my skin.

He spun me around and, with a coy smile, helped me lie down on the wooden surface. The cool desk assaulted my overheated skin as Axel lifted my legs and set my heels right on the edge while bringing my ass closer. He looked like an artist preparing his masterpiece.

“Beautiful.” The word rumbled out of his chest, sending shivers up my spine.

The kisses began at my knee, then drifted down my thigh to the nook below my hip, underneath my navel, down to the other side, and up my thigh. The next trip was on the inside of my leg, its path deliberate toward the heat between my legs. I expected him to tease me and make his way up the other side. Instead, Axel flattened his tongue over my swell and licked the heat right off. My whole body tensed, and I shivered with delight.

A gentle breath followed, drawing my focus even more to that spot. I slid my hands off my breasts and down to between my legs where his head was hovering. My fingers weaved into his hair as I guided him to that same spot. The kiss brought my back arching up and off the desk as I pressed his head to my flesh. He licked in lazy circles at first, from time to time flicking my clit, taking my pleasure to new heights before locking his mouth on me. He sucked me in between his lips and then the wonderful torture began as his fingers slid inside me with ease, pumping in and out, hooking to that right spot and massaging me from the inside. My world was becoming hazy as the feverish dance of his tongue overpowered my mind. I felt the flames of his gifted mouth spread outward, heating me to the point of combustion, sending orgasmic sparks along my limbs.

I pressed his head harder, taking away his breath, and screamed, “Oh, God!” my body shaking underneath him, then guiding his persistent mouth away from me.

The desk surface was no longer cold but slick with my sweat as I tried to find some sort of a balance before I skyrocketed out of this world. And then I looked up as Axel stood above me, his mouth slick with my juices, as he unbuckled his pants in slow motion. It was the most beautiful sight ever. Tanned and lean, his body glistening with drops of sweat, he was a marvel. The pants slid down his thighs, and that’s when I saw that he was commando. His cock flew up to greet me and the next wave of anticipation grew, with me anxious to have him fill me.

“I’m disrupting your work,” I teased. “Maybe I should go.”

“Baby, you’re about to see me start working.”

I laughed as he pressed my knees to the sides, opening me wider and lining himself up. He gave me a knowing look that he was about to start and expecting the impact, I closed my eyes. Instead of slamming into me, Axel slid in nice and easy, the way he always had since we found out that I was pregnant. His hips swayed in some sort of a dance. His cock was so hard, I felt the head rub against my internal muscles and I squeezed around him.

“Fuck, I’m going to blow too fast like this.”

He eased in and out a few times, my hips joining his rhythm. Needing this feeling to last longer than either of us probably could, I closed my eyes, savoring the moment. He lowered his body to my breasts, forcing my legs to extend up and onto his shoulders. The position only made me feel that much more of him inside me, building that pressure in my lower half once again. His mouth devoured my breast, sucking in the nipple, biting it with his lips, extending and letting go, while the other hand massaged my other side, fondling and caressing. I couldn’t get enough of his lips.

“Harder,” I moaned and he fulfilled my wish, his balls slapping against my ass. Each pounce was calculated, delivering the most impact. He pulled his mouth away from my breast and our gazes connected. His face said everything I needed to know. There was not an ounce of doubt that he wanted to love me for the rest of his life. I knew if he’d have me, I’d return the feeling ten times over. I loved this man so much that my heart was hurting. A tear snuck out of my eyes and Axel stopped.

“Are you okay?” he asked with concern.

“Yes, I’m just so happy. They’re happy tears. Don’t stop.”

He withdrew, set my legs down, and said, “Turn around, baby.”

I flipped over on the desk, my legs down on the ground and ass perfectly bent at the edge. It took less than a second for Axel to be inside me, reviving the bliss.

He resumed his momentum, speeding up with each thrust, holding onto my hips, pushing me deeper onto himself. I stretched my arms out, holding onto the edges of the desk, my mind spinning as I felt my pussy rub itself on the wooden surface as Axel moved in and out, the rhythm speeding, my pulse racing, and the friction heating between the desk and me. He was lost above me, grunting on each plunge.

Pleasure rolled through my body and I tightened my grip. Axel drove into me one last time, stilling, yelling out his satisfaction, and then slowly leaning down to rest his body on top of mine. We breathed in tandem, the sound of our exhalations and the smell of sweat and sex hovering above us.

“Trish?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“We’ll find Jack. We’ll find him and forget about him. I promise you that.” I leaned to the side and twisted my body so that I could kiss him.

“I know they will. And I hope it’s soon because I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder anymore.”

“Let’s not think about Jack. Lets get you all cleaned up and get some rest.” He stood up, lifted me into his arms, and carried me upstairs to the bathroom that adjoined our bedroom.

As we showered, Axel washed me from the bottom up, pausing at my nether regions only to get me going again. I’d never thought there was a man strong enough to hold me up against the wall on top of his shoulders as he ate me out, but Axel did it with ease. Once I settled, he took me from the back while massaging my pussy with his fingers, pulling a third orgasm out of me within the hour. By the time we were done, my muscles ached deliciously, but it wasn’t even the beginning of the night of love making we were about to have. Each time, he worshiped my body with tender kisses, teasing bites, love whispers, and dirty words that turned me on like a switch. His hormone levels clearly matched mine because his drive was merciless.

Sated, aching in the most delectable way, I stared out into the darkness. There was barely any light.

“Axel? Talk to me about my sister. Was she happy? Sad?”

“Chloe was a ray of sunshine when I needed her. She made me want to be a better man.”

“She was amazing, wasn’t she?”

“She was the best decorator I ever met. When she walked into a room to design it, she felt it.”

“How was she when you met her?”

“Lost. She was jumpy and afraid. It was probably one of the coldest days of the year. I saw her at a party. She didn’t belong there, and when I talked to her I realized that she was looking for shelter and food. I couldn’t just leave her, so we went to get a few burgers and ice cream. Chloe loved ice cream.”

He smiled at the memory.

“Thank you for giving her a chance. I bet you gave her some of the happiest days she’d ever had.”

“I hope so. It was the least she deserved.”

“Is it hard talking about her? Because for me, it makes it easier. Knowing that she had you and then Trevor, it eases the pain.”

He flipped onto his stomach and turned on the lamp at the bedside table. “It’s not. Especially to you.”

“Did you love her?” I asked, surprised by my own question. Of course he loved her. They shared a son.

“I did. I fell hard for Chloe, the same way I fell hard for you. She tamed me. Up until the time I met her, I never left home without a gun. Chloe changed that. She made me believe in the honesty of life again. When I found out that she died, I wanted to die as well. The only thing that kept me tied to this world was Trevor. I would have been lost without him. I never imagined that I’d get a chance to meet another woman as wonderful as she was.”

I snuggled into him, saying, “I miss her.”

He traced the scar in the middle of my chest. The tender touch reminded me that my sister had saved my life. “We’ll always miss her, but she’ll always be with us as well.”

She would be, wouldn’t she? Axel held me that night until morning. I fell asleep listening to the sound of his breaths. My new heart was beating in a pattern that reminded me of a ticking time bomb, and I pushed the thought away.

I shouldn’t have.