~~PEYTON~~
That confession…
was stupid of me.
Really?
Axel, my boyfriend?
Words just kept coming out without my brain granting permission.
I know I’ve thought about it at some point, especially in anger, but to blurt it out like that, in front of him, was a whole new level of self-sabotage.
The good thing is…
I’m keeping a straight face; there’s no turning back.
I already said the word, so…
why not keep it going?
Axel is speechless for the first time.
Or probably thinking of something sarcastic or mischievous to say.
Worst of all, he’ll say something that will make me want to hit my head on the counter.
He finally responds with a snort.
“Boyfriend? Or do you mean sex partners?”
My jaw tightens.
Of course.
This is Axel.
Predictable, but it still manages to sting.
“Is that all you heard, Axel?” I shot back, my voice surprisingly steady despite the tremor in my hands.
“What else was there to hear? You just confessed to… well, that….” He trails off, eyes narrowing.
He’s thinking.
Then he throws his head back and lets out a full-blown laugh, a sound that makes every nerve in my body stand on end.
The sound echoes in the small space.
When he finally lowers his head, his eyes are glittering with an almost terrifying amusement.
“Oh, you like me. But it was just two nights….”
I glare at him; it’s sharp enough to bore a hole through his head.
He laughs again, lighter.
“Sorry, that was kind of surprising. Girls aren’t usually this blunt; it’s rare.”
He steps closer again, tracing one finger down the nape of my neck.
“But I kind of like it.”
I stand still; my gaze doesn’t waver.
I’m not swaying easily tonight.
Tonight, I’m the one in control.
Seems I’ve been surrounded by dominant people all my life.
“Hope you know what comes with me being your boyfriend,” he adds.
My heart hammers in my chest.
He was actually going there.
“Yeah, I know. I don’t mind.” The words were out before I could second-guess them.
“You sure?”
”Absolutely.”
He simply nods.
“Alright, get on the couch.”
I can’t help but smile.
He wasted no time, did he?
Did he ever let an opportunity like this pass him by?
I cross my arms.
“No, you get on the couch.”
”What?”
”Get on the couch,” I repeat, my voice firmer.
“I came here of my own will. Remember, I should decide what I want to do. Though you think I owe you a favor, you’ve forgotten your little stunt at the club that night.” My lips scrunch as I say the last line.
“Let’s just make this even.”
Axel blinks, can’t hide the smile slipping through.
Good, he’s impressed.
I’ve decided.
I’m diving in.
Odin isn’t going to love; not in this century, not in this life, and no, he didn’t just break my heart; he kept twisting it as the day went by.
He disrespected me, treated me like I’m his roommate.
Roommate.
That’s the part that breaks me.
Who am I kidding for holding back?
He said Get a boyfriend, right?
I’ve got a boyfriend—his brother—and I’m gonna shove this relationship right in his face.
And bonus: I don’t have to masturbate anymore, nor close my eyes every night wishing he would lie beside me, wishing he was so close that it made me squirm, needy.
I won’t live in my imagination anymore.
This is a bad idea.
An outrageous one.
But it’s nothing compared to the idea of an open marriage after he’s taken my fucking virginity.
Without a word, Axel hops on the couch and lies flat on his back, his arms laced on his forehead.
His foot taps at the head of the couch, waiting.
Maybe a little too excited.
He tosses a quick glance at me.
“Having second thoughts? There’s a limit to my patience, sweetheart.”
I snap back to this sweet, tempting reality, take a deep breath, and hop on the couch, dumping my entire body weight on him.
His brow knits together.
“What? Surprised? How does it feel to be dominated by a woman, huh?” A smug look is plastered on my face.
He smirks.
“It’s exciting.
Get on with it.”
”Don’t rush me,” I say, and adjust myself properly on his torso.
My butt sits proudly on his groin, my palms spread out on his chest.
He shifts, a sudden tension in his hips as he lets out a soft, almost inaudible moan.
“I knew it; you’re the true definition of fun—real fun.”
I smile.
“Yeah, I feel the same way. Life needs to be fun to keep going, isn’t that right?”
He nods in agreement.
“What are you now, a life coach?”
I don’t blink.
“No, I’m your sex trainer now.”
That’s if that word is even in the dictionary.
I don’t wait for his response as I rip his shirt open; my butt glides on him like it’s a fucking slide.
His body stiffens as I caress a finger on his chest, tracing every line I can find.
His muscles are toned, strong, and warm on my fingertips, and then there’s the six-pack.
His body’s not bad, and I’ll give him that.
Much better than Odin’s, who you’ll have to beg before he’ll go to the gym.
The more I touch him, the more his muscles flex; his feet wiggle at the edge of the couch.
His eyes are closed, breathing evenly, but it’s slowly breaking.
I follow the path back to his nipples, pinching them, picking them, dragging them.
He grabs my arms in an instant, stopping me.
“This is becoming something else. You wanna fuck me or what?”
I slip from his grip faster than he anticipated.
“We’re getting there.
How do you like slow, torturous foreplay?
Bet you’ve done it so many times that you can’t count.”
”Where are you getting at?” He peels his eyes open; there’s no amusement in there, no bumbling excitement, no playfulness.
Am I seeing gravity?
I chuckle.
“This is payback, you idiot.”
He pushes himself up too quickly, a flicker of his old control in his eyes, but I’m faster.
My hand finds his hardened dick, and I squeeze.
Tight.
Tug on it.
His breath hitches.
Before he can react, I crash my lips onto his.