Sweet Hope (Sweet Home #4)(53)

She might not. But I did.

I could hear the sadness in her voice when she thought of her friends, of her f*cking cousin finding out she was my woman. They wouldn’t go for it.

Needing to protect her, I said, “They can’t ever know, Aliyana. It’s better all ‘round if they never know ‘bout us. I don’t want them thinking bad of you for wanting me.”

Aliyana nodded, then her head tilted to the side and she smiled. “I do want you, Axel. Flaws and all. And call me Ally, okay? Outside of work only my mama calls me Aliyana.”

I took one last drag of my smoke, flicked the cherry to the floor then rolled Ally onto her back, working my hips between her legs. “No more talking. I want in that wet * again.”





Chapter Fifteen


Ally


One month later….



“You good, darlin’, you don’t look too well?”

I’d been standing in the hallway waiting for Molly to come down the stairs to go to Austin and Lexi’s, and I frowned when she appeared at the top of the stairs looking weak and frail.

Molly batted her hand in front of her face. “Ally, I’m fine, just tired,” she said, but my eyes narrowed in concern. Over the past few days she’d been real quiet and tired. I was worried, and by the way Rome wouldn’t leave her alone, fussing twenty-four-seven, I knew he was too.

“You ready to go?” she asked. I nodded my head, not wanting to push my concerns. Molly didn’t like to be fussed or pitied.

Cassie and Jimmy-Don had arrived from Texas for a visit and they were staying with the Carillo’s.

The Carillo’s… including my Carillo. My dark and tortured Axel Carillo. The man I had fallen head over heels for.

Tonight, Lexi was throwing her best friend and husband, Cassie and Jimmy-Don, a small party to welcome them to Seattle. Of course I was going, they were some of my best friends after all, but after not seeing Axel in nearly two days because of work commitments, I also couldn’t wait to go to see him… to hopefully steal a moment to hold him… to just be in close proximity.

After weeks of being almost nightly in his bed, I was addicted. More than that, I was captivated, obsessed and completely enamored.

He was my fast becoming my everything—my sun, my stars, my moon, everything. Although I believed he felt the same way about me, I was never completely convinced. Axel Carillo was a fortress, an enigma. His cold demeanor spoke of him being one way but with me, in bed, when he stroked my hair or pulled me close after making love into the shelter of his thick arms, I felt it in him more. He still didn’t open up much, had never again talked of his past, kept his feelings buried deep, but I knew I made him happy, and on occasion, I was able to make him smile…

There was nothing more beautiful than a smiling Axel Carillo.

I yearned for him to open up to me. I could see he was haunted. He barely slept. He worked every hour God sent on his heartbreaking sculptures, as if purging his past. I knew that if he just shared his demons with me, he could perhaps begin to heal, but for now, I was content to just have him in my life. I knew, that to many, the idea of being in this man’s company would be a living nightmare. But, to me, being in his strong arms was the sweetest of dreams… my heartfelt wish come true… my bolt of lightning.

“I’m ready, darlin’,” I said to Molly. I tried not to show my growing excitement at seeing my man in a matter of minutes, as we walked outside toward my rental underneath a drizzly Seattle sky.

Striding slowly next to Molly, we got in the car and my heart began to race as I pictured his hard stare penetrating mine. Only the two of us aware of our forbidden relationship. It made everything we shared so much more intense, like we knew every moment spent kissing, discussing art and joined to one another was more because it was solely for us.

“You look beautiful tonight,” Molly said, her head leaning back against the leather headrest, her hand running gently over her growing stomach.

I blushed as I ran my hands down my knee length black high-waisted pencil skirt; my white three-quarter sleeved crop top showed about an inch of flesh between it and my skirt. My hair was down and curled, pinned to one side, and on my feet I had my four-inch black painted leather Louboutins.

I had dressed for Axel. And literally couldn’t wait for him to see me. I wanted to see that flare of desperation in his eyes, the one he shows when I’m naked before him, his sculptor’s hands stroking every inch of my body as though I was a muse.

“Just thought I’d make an effort,” I said with a nonchalant shrug when I caught Molly curiously watching my face.

Molly smiled in reply, but I could tell by her assessing gaze that her genius mind was working overtime. I changed the conversation to the latest developments at the gallery, trying to throw her off the scent. In ten short minutes, we arrived at the Carillo residence.

It made me laugh when I realized weeks ago how close they lived to Molly and Rome. Not that Axel stayed here much now, he’d practically moved into his studio, running from his unresolved problems with Levi… but mainly so we could be together. I knew Austin and Lexi questioned where he was most nights, I’d heard them talking in hushed whispers, worried Axel was up to no good again, but they didn’t push it. I think Austin was afraid if he did ask, Axel would close himself off completely. He was probably right; Axel's shield was about as easy to break into as Fort Knox.