That night, Axel showed extra care to Lily. He scooped her into his arms, gentle with his touch, his heart warmed by Lily’s profession of affection.‘I think I’m beginning to like you, Axel. . .” He smiled. That alone was enough for him. It meant that he was slowly getting to her, he was beginning to grow on her, and he was sure that feeling would soon develop into something deeper.Lily nestled against his chest, exhaustion etched on her face, her lips pursed. Axel held her firm while he strode through the quiet halls into their room. In the room, warm lightning enveloped them, causing Lily to stir in Axel’s arms.Smiling, Axel carried Lily into the bathroom before gently setting her down. “Tired?” He asked.“Hm,” Lily hummed her response, her eyes half closed.He nodded and turned on the shower. Steam rose.Water cascaded.Axel's hands undressed her. Gentle. Reverent. Lily's limbs sagged, but he was quick to support her. He held her firm while washing her clean with such precisio
“Alice? Isn’t that your ex-wife’s name?”Axel's smile faltered for a split second. "Alice?" he repeated, chuckling. Awkward. "No, no relation to...my past." He waved his hand dismissively. "Just a colleague from the office."Lily's eyes held his, skeptical.Axel stood, phone still ringing. "I should take this."He turned to leave, but Lily's voice stopped him. "Axel, wait." She called out, her tone low, cautious. "What's going on?"Axel's expression smoothed. "Nothing, Little bird. Just work."Lily nodded, yet her heart wasn’t believing a word that came out of Axel’s mouth. “Just work?” She asked.“Yes, Lilian, just work.” He replied, and without waiting for any more questions, he answered the call, striding out of the room. "You had better have a good reason for ruining my night.”His tone is thick, angry, leaving Lily with more questions than answers.Lily sat motionless, her ears straining to listen to Axel's muffled voice beyond the door.Minutes ticked by, filled with an uncomfor
Morning came by quicker than Lily had expected. She grumbled underneath her breath, cussing out the sunlight peeking through her eyes.Her eyes opened slowly, allowing the morning light to filter through, bathing her in warmth. She stretched, yawning.And then memories of last night flooded. She didn’t remember the things she was saying, but she knew she had been talking a lot. And she knew that right after she finished talking, Axel was touching her gently.She remembered how gentle his touch felt on her skin, how velvety his whispered promises were.Why was he promising never to hurt me?She thought to herself, yet, it didn’t stop a smile from spreading across her face.She wore a smile until she saw him, until she understood that he was in a haste, rushing. With swift movements, Axel shrugged into his perfectly tailored black suit, his hands working fast at securing his tie. Lily sat up, her smile dropping. “Good morning,” she whispered, gaining the attractive man’s attention.
Axel stood by the car, his focus on the anticipation coursing through him as he waited for Lily to walk out.And he was right to have been feeling so much giddiness.Lily was walking towards him gracefully, a smile etched on her lips, her blonde hair dancing as one with the soft breeze, her pink dress hugging and accentuating her curves.Axel stepped forward, his heart going ballistic. He stretched out his hand, reaching for her. She quickly slid her hand into his, a flutter forming in her stomach.“You’re incredulously gorgeous, baby girl,” Axel whispered, his eyes filled with awe.Lily chuckled underneath her breath. “You don’t look so bad yourself,” she responded.Both of them shared a brief moment of silence, their gazes burning into each other’s souls.“We should be on our way,” Lily said, breaking the silence.Axel nodded in agreement and whispered, “we should,” as he led her to the car.He opened the door for her, and once she was seated, he shut the door, rounded the car and g
“Tell me again, Lilian,” Axel hushed, his feet pushing him forward.Lily mirrored him by taking a step back, her bottom lip caught viciously between her teeth. “I love you.”Axel shuddered a breath, “say it again.”“I love you, Mr. George,” Lily repeated.Axel moved forward.She pushed backwards.He moved forward again.She pushed backwards, the intensity of his gaze and his movements threatening to burst through her chest with loud pounding.Her back crashed into a wall, trapping her petite body in-between. One step drew Axel completely close to her, invading her senses with the strong whiff of his cologne.Her heart rose to her throat, beating so raggedly she almost fainted from the dizziness. She didn’t know what to expect. Hell, she didn’t know why she made that confession. It was the excitement. The joy of knowing that her husband-to-be was an exceptional man.Whatever the reason might be, she hadn’t intended for it to come out the way it did.Axel’s thumb slowly ran across her
Axel had never been so terrified in his life. His heart sank into his stomach when he sighted a dark shadow approaching them.It wasn’t just about the dark shadow, but about the events that had been occurring lately and all the threats he had been getting over Lily.Ever since their relationship was made public, enemies had risen from every corner of the world, threatening to take away his new found possession. So, one could only imagine the fear in his eyes when he thought he was about to lose his woman.Axel was quick to set Lily down, pushing her behind him with an arm secured around her waist. With his free hand, he slid out his Glock, immediately unlocking the trigger and pointing it towards the approaching shadow.“Put down the fucking gun, Axel George.”The voice was so awfully familiar. Axel and Lily immediately recognized the voice.“Dad?” Lily exclaimed as she rushed to flick the lights on.“Daniels?” Axel breathed, “what the fuck, man? Whatever the fuck are you doing here a
“What arrangements did you make with my father concerning me and this union of ours?”Lily asked, holding Axel’s eyes.He held his breath for a moment, and when he released his breath, it came out as a shudder. He knew he could no longer lie to her or keep her in the dark about certain things.He understood their relationship had taken a different turn especially after her confession of love.Cradling her face, Axel whispered underneath her breath, “I sometimes wish you aren’t such an inquisitive person, that you aren’t so curious.”“Does that mean you. . .” Lily started to speak but Axel cut her off.“That means that I’m willing to tell you all you need to know, but first, we need to get you cleaned up and in bed. You look exhausted.” He said, gaining a warm smile from her.“I am exhausted,” she nodded in agreement, yawning. And then a squeal erupted in her throat when Axel suddenly lifted her fireman style, his hand coming down to gently spank her ass.They were soon in their room,
As Lily watched Axel shut the door behind him, her thoughts swirled. She was attempting to process Axel's revelation. A security company, elite protection, and delicate situations—each phrase formed images of danger, secrecy, and power.Why had Axel kept this hidden? Was he shielding her or himself?Fear and excitement wrestled within her. And she loathed that there was a ping of excitement beneath the surface. She loathed that she didn’t exactly have the outburst she wanted to after discovering that all she was was a job to him.‘But he said this is genuine,’ the voice inside her head whispered.She puffed out a breath and threw herself into the soft mattress.Axel’s vulnerable gaze lingered in her mind, his willingness to risk their relationship by sharing this secret.'Anything to protect you,' he'd said. His words resonated, echoing her own feelings.She pulled her hair, tossed and turned, and continued to sigh in frustration.She needed answers, she knew there was more. She kne
Lily’s cheeks were still flushed as she stepped out of the car when they arrived at Axel’s estate. Axel’s hand rested on the small of her back, leading her into the manor while her legs still trembled from the exerting activity they’d indulged in aka their passionate rendezvous in the office and car. She could feel the heat on her skin, a mixture of embarrassment, shyness, and exhilaration. Her hands smoothed her dress down as if attempting the evidence of what transpired between them. Axel walked beside her, his face smug with a satisfied expression. His lips twitched into a knowing smirk whenever he glanced her way, and it only made Lily blush harder. The heavy door shut behind them with a resounding thud. The quiet of the manor wrapped around them, an almost tangible reminder that they were completely alone now. “Where’s everyone?” Lily asked, as she fidgeted, her fingers playing with the hem of her dress. She felt vulnerable under Axel’s intense gaze, like a butterfly pinned
Lily's legs still trembled as she and Axel strolled through the hallway and entered the elevator, leading them down. The tension between them thickened with every second that ticked by and Lily continued gulping down the lump forming in her throat.Her mind rang with Axel’s promise. He said he’d take her home and make her crawl to him, then make her beg for all the stress he’d put her through.Her cheeks flamed. It’d been a while since they were intimate, and anticipation shook her to the core. She gasped as Axel’s hand rested possessively on her lower back, guiding her toward his sleek car, her heart beating raggedly on her ribcage, making her chase her breath.When they reached the car, Axel opened the passenger door for her and she slid in, flashing him a soft smile. Why was he so quiet?What was going through his mind?His movements were stiff, robotic, as though holding himself back took every ounce of his willpower. Lily settled into the seat, shifting to get comfortable as her
The kiss was slow at first—just gentle kisses, testing, tasting as though rediscovering each other after months of separation. Almost like Lily and Axel were afraid of letting themselves go. Axel cupped Lily’s face, his thumb grazing the curve of her cheek, and she sighed softly against his mouth. The sound stirred something animalistic in him, and he tilted his head, deepening the kiss.Lily’s hands found his chest, her fingers tracing over the hard muscles beneath his shirt. She clung onto his shirt, her lips parting to let Axel’s tongue in. His fingers dug into her hair as he titled his head further to the side, deepening the kiss even more.“Fuck,” he groaned into her mouth, straining as his cock thickened in his pants, fighting to be let out. In the moment, every string of control flew out the window, the switch flipped. His fingers tightened into Lily’s hair painfully hard, so painful it drew a whimper from her throat.Axel growled at the melodic sound, his teeth nibbling Lil
Lily and Axel continued exploring the facility, moving through hallways filled with laughter and the vibrant energy of children. Axel loosely held her hand as they walked, guiding her from one room to another. Every now and then, they stopped to play with the kids, their conversations filled with giggles and wide-eyed admiration.“I think whatever you told Mia has spread like wildfire,” Lily teased, watching a group of kids blush and whisper as they passed. “They can’t stop staring at us.”Axel smirked, his eyes warm with mischief. “It’s fine if they know, but you? You’ll never find out.”Lily rolled her eyes dramatically, letting out a groan. “You’re so. . .impossible.”Their tour finally led them to the children’s drawing room. They settled at one of the small tables, joining a group of kids who eagerly handed them paintbrushes.As Lily dipped her brush into the vibrant colors, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. She wasn’t thinking about the past, the pain, or even the uncer
The sun was yet to rise when Axel arrived at Lily’s home. Today, he drove himself, in a way to give him and Lily more private time to bond.He was dressed in a casual attire—grey sweatpants and a black T-shirt, then a baseball hat on his head.Without wanting to disturb Lily’s sleep, he sat in his car and waited for hours until the sun began to rise. And to his greatest surprise, he spotted Lily gently jogging back to the manor after her morning run.His mouth pulled apart, pupils dilating as he watched her move so smoothly, sweat trickling down her face, a few strands of her hair matted over her forehead.Beautiful. . .so fucking beautiful.His head voice kept whispering as he opened the car door and stepped out. Lily’s steps slowed to a stop the moment she spotted him getting out of his car and she almost stumbled. Axel was quick to reach her side before she crashed, his firm hands holding her up.“Axel?” Her voice was breathless, partly from her run and partly from the shock of se
Axel weaved the lunch bag’s handle through his fingers, the other hand formed into a fist and steepled underneath his chin, his eyes observing the city light outside the window of his office.It was dark into the night and yet, Axel’s mind was nowhere near ease. “Fuck. . .” He grumbled, fingers diving into his hair, his head dropping low, shaking.He rose to his feet and approached the window, staring at his reflection as though it were a stranger.“You had to mess it up, didn’t you?” He asked himself as he massaged his temples with his fingers.He was unnerved by the thought that he might’ve ruined his chances at repairing his relationship with Lily, that his pride and slightly loose tongue might’ve cost him his last chance at having this love he craved so much.But he shut her out for good reason.All these weeks that turned into a full month of no communication with Lily, he had taken his time to plan out the perfect apology.He wanted to be the one to beg her, he wanted to be the
The next day, Lily found herself walking through the lobby of Axel’s establishment. She had a bouquet of white roses in one hand, and in the other, she carried a small bag containing a lunch box.She was afraid of the outcome of her visit especially as her mind replayed the events of last night. The way Axel sent her out of his house, the way he looked down at her with so much anger and resentment.It terrified her to be here in his workspace, but she was a woman on a mission. She needed to repair the relationship she ruined and nothing was going to stop her.When she arrived at the private floor, she approached the receptionist with a warm smile. “Hi, I’m Lilian Daniels.” She said.And that was all that needed to be said for the receptionist's smile to widen. Everyone knew Lilian Daniels—not just as a fast growing fashion mogul, or even the only daughter of a powerful business man, but as the woman who has Axel George’s heart.“You’re here to see Mr. George?” The receptionist asked.
When Axel walked into his home in the dead of night, the aroma of something delicious—of his favorite meal wafted through his nose. He stopped dead in his tracks, his brows pulling into furrows as he remembered instructing his chef not to make dinner.He began approaching the kitchen but then he stopped at the dinning. The dining is perfectly set up. With soft candles burning, rose petals scattered across the silk cloth covering the dining table, and elegant dinnerwares sprawled out.Do I have a visitor? He wondered.But he didn’t dwell too long in his thought when Lily walked out of the kitchen with a serving spoon.She quickly noticed Axel’s presence and that made her stop in her tracks, a gasp falling free from her throat.Both their eyes locked and they stared intensely for seconds that could pass for hours.In Axel’s heart, he was confused and happy all at once, but he couldn’t bring himself to show her his excitement even if he wanted to and he didn’t know why.“Hey,” Lily final
One month later.Lily paced her room, thumb between her teeth, phone pressed to her ear as she listened to the person speaking on the other end.A business partner—no, a major business partner.“Of course, Mrs. Baldwin, I understand what you mean. You trust me to deliver a good job and be punctual about it too, don’t you?” Lily asked and quieted herself once more until she heard a response.“Good. Now rest your mind. I’ll make sure my team gets to you before the weekend,” Lily assured her, finally removing the phone from her ear and letting her body collapse onto the couch. She groaned, running a hand through her hair in frustration.Kate, who was already sitting beside her the entire time with a bowl of ice cream in hand, chuckled softly. She nudged Lily with her elbow, a proud smile playing on her lips. “Look at you,” Kate said, a teasing lilt in her voice. “Who would’ve thought you could expand your brand this much in such a short amount of time, especially with everything you’ve b