Page 66 of Axton
“Do you feel moody around me and just hide it?”
“Actually, I feel moody until I am around you. That’s new for me.” He answered.
“We don’t date in my world, so please forgive me because it’s confusing to me. I’ve probably seen thousands of other men, why didn’t they attract me the way you do? I feel drawn to you, and I never felt that before.” I learned very quickly that Creed’s Lake was filled with handsome men, but none I saw so far compared to Michael.
“Well, I don’t date either, and I feel the same about you. That’s why we need to take our time and date. I’m in no rush to speed whatever this is up and miss the best parts of getting to know you. I want you to know for sure that I’m the guy for you before we dive into anything.” He pushed some hair behind my ear and under my hat.
“I don’t care that you’re the biggest asshole on Creeds Lake. I want to make you my asshole.”
His eyes grew before he threw his head back and laughed. “You heard about that, huh?”
She smiled then winked. “Maybe I like a guy that can tell it how it is and not sugar coat everything.”
He ran his thumb down my cheek. “I guess that’s good news for me.”
“My papa said my greatest downfall was my curiosity. It was true, but I was taught not to ask questions. I think I’ve asked more questions today than in my whole life. It feels so good to ask questions and nobody snaps at me.”
He smiled and I noticed a snowflake on his eyelash. “I happen to adore your curiosity, and I like how comfortable you feel around me enough to ask me your questions.”
He had no idea what he was setting himself up for. “Will you be visiting other women while we are doing this dating thing?”
He tilted his head just a little and his brows furrowed. “Of course not.” He studied my eyes.
“Mama said men have different needs than us and I don’t want you to get angry because you’re not visiting other women.”
“That’s not how it works, Belle. Men and women have the same needs. I think things happen and suddenly a man doesn’t want the company of any other woman.” He reassured me.
“I like that, and I think it’s the same for women.”
Our ride came to a stop and Michael helped me out of the carriage and then walked me to his truck.
“What are your plans tomorrow?” Michael asked as he drove toward home.
I was looking forward to the next day. “Stephanie is picking me up after the operatives leave with the kids to take them to school. We are going to bake cookies for the children’s Christmas program tomorrow night. Then we’re going to decorate the banquet room for it. I’m kind of excited. I haven’t done anything like that since I student taught.”
“I forgot all about that, the Originals have been asked to attend, and they’ve requested residents as well. Morgan requested as many people come as could fit in the theater because a few of these kids only have one parent that can attend if they’re in the DV program.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Axton
Ifell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, fully expecting Belle to sneak into my bed again. Low and behold, she was wrapped up in my arms when I woke. I wanted nothing more than to stay there all day and listen to her breaths, take in her scent, and just soak in the total feel of her. She was in another one of those satin gowns, so her soft skin was right under my hand. It never felt that way with Natalie. Her hair always tickled my nose then I would quickly hop out of bed so she wouldn’t feel my morning wood.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay in bed all morning. I had to get to my office early to call the landowner to make final arrangements to buy that property. Linda Sue and Elroy wouldn’t know what hit them by the time I was finished. I wanted Natalie’s parents and brothers to burn in hell sooner than later, and after fourteen years, I had a reason to end all of it. It wasn’t about just me anymore and I had to face my past.
Belle was in a deep sleep, so I gently slid away from her and got ready for work. I thought I would be cute by running into the mess hall for fresh donuts and quickly run them back home.I sneaked inside quietly and left a note with the donuts in the kitchen for Belle to enjoy her day.
My day went as usual. Worked on finally ending the cycle of abuse in Natalie’s family, then went to the Originals meeting, made a plan for how to actually marry Belle without her having a state identification yet, worked on a few contracts, had a few meetings, had lunch in the mess hall since we couldn’t visit Miss Hoffman, went over our budget and expressed my concerns in the budget meeting I requested with accounting present, visited Addie at the K-9 training center when she returned from school, then it was finally time to go home and get ready for the Christmas concert.
I had to prepare myself before I stepped inside the house. Laying my eyes on Belle sometimes took my breath away and I knew it would be another new look, one that made her look nothing like the girl I found in that hospital bed. She was blowing my mind away with how she was diving into her new life. Koty was another story. He was spending a lot of time by himself and not socializing at all.
I heard Christmas music before I opened the door and when I walked in, the most angelic being on the planet was in the kitchen eating a cookie as she leaned against the counter. Once again, she took my breath away. Her hair was styled up, and under a black leather jacket was a black and red plaid pencil dress with black leather ankle boots. I froze as I took in the view. She didn’t look so innocent anymore. Nope, what I saw was a naughty little girl with red lipstick and a guilty look on her face when she swallowed the last of her cookie. She smiled as she threw the last crumb in her mouth. “I must look like a pig.”
I slowly shook my head as I took in what I was seeing. “Belle.” I whispered out then my eyes met hers and I took a sharp breath.
“What?” Her eyes looked side to side as if she was clueless. I shut the door behind me, then tossed down my keys into the bowl before I looked at her again then took two strides toward her.
Both of my hands were suddenly cradling her face as I studied her eyes. “You are by far the most gorgeous human being I have ever laid my eyes on.” Even her eye makeup screamed dirty girl, and it was over, I surrendered. My head dove down, my lips parted hers, and finally my tongue swept over hers and she melted into me. She tasted like sugar and vanilla, like a fucking Christmas cookie, but it was the kiss that struck me nearly blind. I wrapped one arm around her and deepened the kiss, she moaned just a little and a tiny noise that escaped her lips about did me in. Her grip on me tightened and I pressed my body against hers. I kissed her hard and deep, and my innocent little girl gave methekiss. The first kiss I dreamed of as a kid, the intense passionate one I was cheated out of so many years ago. The one moment in time where I suddenly belonged to someone, and it was someone that gave me what I needed ever since I was a scared little boy that feared his own father. I felt safe for once. Someone was taking care of me for once. All that tenderness as we spoke, the attraction, her beautiful curiosity, and her kindness were all wrapped up in one first kiss. Our lips parted again, and my tongue brushed against her velvet sweetness, and she moaned just before I repeated the motion. Her hands went from gripping on to me, to cupping my face, to running her fingers through my hair. My heart pounded against my chest until I realized her breaths were as heavy as mine and I couldn’t tell if it was my heart or hers. I felt a need to pull back to look into her eyes briefly, but when I did, her grip on my hair tightened and she pulled my head closer and refused to let my lips leave hers. I was quickly becoming hers and once again, there were no warnings of danger ahead. Instead, my instinctssaid to push full steam ahead. I experienced a lot of firsts in my life, but kissing her made all the others seem insignificant. I finally pulled back and pressed my forehead against hers.
