Just One Wish (The Kingston Family #4.5)(15)

He caught her staring, and his lips lifted in a sexy, knowing grin. “See something you like?” he asked, amused.

Caught but refusing to admit it, she folded her arms across her chest. “How did I get here?” she asked.

“You drunk texted me, and I came to make sure you got home safely. I brought you a glass of water, some toast with jelly, and two ibuprofen.” He gestured to the nightstand on the side of the bed where she’d slept.

She swallowed hard. “Thank you.” She walked over to the items he’d left for her and sat down, taking her time to eat the piece of toast before taking the pills.

Feeling better, she turned to face him. She appreciated what he’d done for her, but she’d woken up in his shirt. “Axel, did you undress me?”

“I did, but let’s be honest, I’ve seen you naked before.” His eyes gleamed at her question. “But I did my best not to look. I just wanted you to be comfortable.”

“And did you … did we…?”

He shook his head. “Drunk texting might be your thing, but consent is mine. I wouldn’t take advantage, and you know me better than that.” He sounded hurt by her question, and she saw the pain in his eyes.

She glanced down. “I didn’t mean it the way it came out. I just woke up and couldn’t remember much.” She turned and scooted over to his side of the bed, facing him. “Don’t take anything I say to heart. I’m hung over.”

“What about what you said last night?”

She shook her head and regretted the motion. “I need to see my phone.” Because the actual words weren’t coming back to her.

He grinned at her lapse in memory. “You asked if I was home with the babies.”

“What babies?” she asked, trying not to let her mortification show.

“According to you? The ones we would have had if we’d stayed together.” His amusement was clear in both his tone and his expression.

Oh, now she was beginning to remember. Her mom and aunt pressuring her about not being in a relationship and wanting her to have babies. Then the shots with the bridesmaids.

“I’m so sorry about that.” The memory had her cheeks heating in embarrassment.

“I’m not. It told me you think about the same things I do. All the things that could have been if we hadn’t put our careers ahead of our feelings.” Those deep green eyes held her in place while the word feelings reverberated between them.

“Axel, that was a long time ago. We were kids, and we had to grow up and become who we were meant to be.” Even if losing him had left a hole in her heart that had never healed.

“I agree.” He sat up straighter. “But here we are, on the same side of the country, in the same town, no less. Wouldn’t you call that fate?”

“What about coincidence?” she asked, not ready to concede because she was so scared of losing people in her life and he had one foot out the door just by virtue of his profession and how he lived.

Before she knew it, he’d leaned forward, grabbed her hand, and pulled. She tumbled forward, falling beside him until they were face-to-face.

“Fate,” he insisted before his lips captured hers. One taste and she wasn’t about to pull away. She’d missed him for years, and now they were together again.

She’d take the time she could get.

She grabbed on to his hair and kissed him back, her tongue meeting his. He groaned, rolling her onto her back so he was on top and in charge. She didn’t care as long as they finished what they’d started.

She’d worry about the ramifications and feelings she had for him later.

Even if later was too late.





The second Tara’s tongue slipped into his mouth, Axel had her okay and flipped her onto her back so he could devour her more thoroughly. His damned jeans were rubbing against his aching cock, but he couldn’t bring himself to break their kiss long enough to undress himself yet.

He’d waited too many years to taste her again, and he wanted to savor the moment. Her fingers tangled in his hair, and she kept his head in place, their tongues tangling, teeth clashing, as a tentative, sweet moment turned into a needy frenzy.

She released his hair and slid her hands between them. He raised his upper body so her fingers could glide over his chest and work their way to his nipples, her thumbs pressing into the peaks.

He groaned and arched his hips, wanting to feel her heat against his dick and not the barrier of clothing. She must have read his mind because her hands slipped lower, and she struggled with getting the zipper over his rigid erection.

He maneuvered himself off her, slid to the edge of the bed, and rose to his feet. He’d gone commando and yanked his jeans down his legs and kicked them off. Condoms were in the nightstand, and he opened the top drawer, took one out, and tossed it beside her on the bed.

He glanced over to find Tara waiting, propped against the pillows. She’d removed the shirt she’d borrowed along with her panties, giving him a clear view of her glistening pussy.

He’d thought he was already as hard as he could get. He’d been wrong. Letting out a groan, he wrapped his fingers around himself, doing his best to hold back.

Her gaze dropped to watch, and he pumped twice. Pre-cum leaked on the head of his erection, and she sighed.

“How much longer are you going to torture me?” she asked.