“Axel,” I whispered to myself, and though there was absolutely no way he could have heard my low utterance from that far away through the din of clanking dishes and the hum of conversation filling the room, his head snapped toward me.

His eyes widened and his lips parted as he stared at me. “Blaire,” he mouthed, and though he needed no confirmation, I nodded imperceptibly. And then he was striding toward me.

God, help me.

6. Axel

Axel

Our eyes met across a crowded room .

I had always discounted that as a bunch of bullshit from the minds of romance book authors or sappy ballad writers, but it was happening to me right this very moment. I didn’t think. I didn’t question. I just moved. Our entire defensive line could have put themselves between us, and I would have taken out every single one of those fuckers to get to her. To Blaire. My God, she was really here!

I stopped in front of her, probably closer than societal norms would have dictated but still farther than I would have liked. Hell, I wanted to pick her up, spin her around, kiss her like a man starved, but I didn’t. For all I knew, she still hated me, even five years later.

“Blaire,” I breathed.

“Axel,” she said, equally as breathy, her eyes dilating in that way I hadn’t seen in years but still remembered with fierce accuracy.

Hmmm. Maybe she didn’t hate me after all.

What exactly do you say to the woman who left your heart in shreds? The one you still haven’t gotten over?

“Hi,” I said. Wow. Fucking smooth, Broxton. The right corner of her lip turned up. “As you can see, I haven’t lost my ability to engage in witty banter.” That earned a giggle from Blaire, and my heart soared at the beautiful sound.

She looked absolutely stunning and… expensive. I didn’t know a lot about fashion, but her clothes, shoes, and jewelry screamed designer. Her auburn hair was stylishly cut in layers that fell just below her shoulders, and her makeup was impeccable.

I let my eyes rake up and down her slim frame. Her body was still a dream with a tiny waist and slightly flared hips, and her breasts looked a little bigger than I remembered but not so much that would have indicated she’d had them surgically enhanced. Her bright green eyes, though… they were exactly the same.

“What are you doing here, Axel? I thought you were still with Boston,” she said.