“Well, too fucking bad, Axel.” I tried to get to my shorts, and he side-stepped to block me with his enormous frame. I scowled at him before stomping to the bedroom door in my shirt and panties. I guess I’m driving home like this, then. Next thing I knew, he had me around the waist, lifting my feet off the ground.

He put his mouth to my ear and said softly, “I’m sorry, baby. Please don’t leave me.” His urgent plea hit me right in the chest with its vulnerability. My body tensed against his, and he kissed my ear softly. “Please stay with me, Blaire.”

I let out a miserable sigh. “Ax, I feel like you’re not being honest with me about your relationship with her. It makes my stomach hurt thinking about you having feelings for someone else.”

“I feel the same way about fucking Mark. Thinking about you with him has me feeling a lot stabby.” He put my feet back on the ground, and I turned in his arms, letting the exasperation show on my face.

“Ax, it was one time. We dated for a few months, and then we finally did it one night. It was awkward and weird to me, and I realized I wasn’t ready to be with someone else. I was over there feeling miserable as hell, and he thought it was just great.”

“I’m sure he did,” Axel said dryly, his jaw clenching tightly.

“I went home and cried afterward.”

Axel’s face turned murderous, but his hand was gentle on my cheek. “Did he fucking hurt you?”

“No, nothing like that. It was perfectly… nice.”

“And nice is a bad thing?” he asked, his mouth curving up on one side.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I prefer rough and dirty.”

He gave me a full grin then. “Well, I think I’ve got that covered.” He lifted me into his arms and sat on the edge of the bed, cradling me against him. “It just makes me feel uncomfortable talking about my past with you. I’m ashamed that I had sex with other women when all I ever wanted was you.”

“I never expected you would remain celibate for five years, Ax. I’m just worried that you have feelings for Milan and that you might… I don’t know… leave me for her. You just got so weird and angry when I mentioned her.”

“Baby, it wasn’t like that at all. She was a friend that was… convenient.”

“Hmmm,” I hummed.