I nod, savoring another bite. “Amazing.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out to check the message, frowning at what I see.
“Problem?” Axel asks.
“I just got a text from my landlord. The hot water in my apartment’s been out for days, and he just texted that it’ll beat least another week before they can fix it.” I rub my temples. “Apparently, they need a part that has to be special-ordered.”
“A week without hot water?” Axel looks appalled.
“Welcome to the joys of renting the cheapest apartment in Fit Mountain.” I try for a light tone, but frustration bleeds through. “Cold showers build character, right?”
Axel’s expression darkens. “Where exactly do you live?”
“The Pines Apartments on Westfield.” I push my food around my plate. “It’s not great, but it’s what I can afford right now.”
“The Pines?” His voice is dangerously quiet. “That place should be condemned.”
“It’s fine. Just old. The heater makes weird noises, the windows leak when it rains, and there’s a family of mice living in the walls that I’ve named after the Beatles.”
“Stay with me,” Axel growls.
I nearly choke on my wine. “What?”
“Stay at my place until your hot water’s fixed.” His tone is matter-of-fact.
My first instinct is to refuse. I don’t need charity. I don’t need rescuing. I’ve been taking care of myself since I left Connecticut.
“I couldn’t ask you to do something like that.”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.”
I study his face, looking for the angle, the hidden expectation. But all I see is genuine concern.
“Why are you doing this?” I ask finally. “You met me today. You don’t owe me anything.”
The intensity in his expression returns. “I told you, Kitten. You’re mine to take care of.”
I should correct him about the nickname. I should set more boundaries. I should be stronger. But after months of struggling alone, of cold showers and mounting bills and an apartment that’s falling apart around me, the idea of being taken care of, even temporarily, is more tempting than I want to admit.
I look up at Axel, at his confident expression and those eyes that seem to see right through me. At the man who has Clay and Ruby’s complete trust. At the warm food and expensive wine and the promise of a hot shower.
“Just until the water’s fixed,” I hear myself say. “And I pay for groceries.”
His smile is triumphant but gentle. “We’ll see about that.”
Chapter Five
AXEL
I drivethrough the darkness with Sami beside me, her small form curled in the passenger seat of my truck, and satisfaction burns through my veins like whiskey.
Her apartment crisis is the perfect excuse to bring her exactly where she belongs.
To our home.
She stares out the window, the lights from passing streetlamps casting shadows across her face, and I tighten my grip on the steering wheel to keep from reaching for her. Not yet. I need to play this smart. Need to ease her into accepting what’s already crystal clear to me.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Sami asks as we drive. “I don’t want to impose.”
