Axl was torn between thinking that bringing Leighton to Soon-ja’s garden was the biggest fucking mistake he’d ever made and the best decision ever.

She belonged here, among the thick walls of flowers, all pink, super feminine. Leighton was a girly-girl and he responded to that in the very depth of his masculine soul. He felt big and strong and protective around her. He liked her delicacy, her womanly curves, her sweet kindness.

The backdrop made him want to scoop Leighton up into his arms and haul her off to bed and never let her go.

Which was insane.

And the reason this was potentially a very dangerous mistake.

This was all fake and she was leaving in a week and he wasn’t cut out for forever. And Leighton wanted that. He could see it in her eyes.

What he wanted was a short hot affair that let him feel everything and nothing. That sparked high then flamed out so he could go back to his ordinary bachelor life. The loner on the lake.

They were staring at each other, clearly both wishing they could strip each other down, when Bill cleared his throat. “So when is this shindig happening?”

Leighton broke their gaze and turned to Bill. Her cheeks were pink. “Saturday. If that’s okay.”

“This Saturday? Damn, kid, you don’t let the grass grow under your feet.”

“It’s because it’s going to be filmed for TV. Leighton works on a wedding show. Are you cool with the greenhouse being on TV?”

“TV? No kidding. That’s fine. Soon-ja would be tickled by that, I’m sure. The last few years she was big into those Korean reality shows with all those young kids dating each other.” Bill shook his head. “Not my thing. I like a good fishing show.”

“Me too.” Axl would rather rip his fingernails out than watch reality dating shows.

“I’ll send a crew out here tomorrow,” Leighton said, pulling her phone out. She started taking photos of the space. “Axl, do you have a tape measure?”

That made him laugh. “Now where would I have a tape measure? My pocket?” He patted his jeans. “Fresh out of tape measures.”

“Don’t be a smart aleck. I was more hopeful than anything.”

“I can go get you one. I’m sure Bill has one lying around.”

She made a face. “Don’t worry about it. The crew can measure it tomorrow.”

Leighton was on her phone, planning this wedding, looking very official. He thought she was cute. Adorable, actually. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.

He whispered in her ear, “You’re very beautiful when you’re organizing things.”

She pulled away, tossing her hair back. “Hush.”

Bill had sat down on a bench and Axl sat next to him, watching Leighton take more pictures and touch foliage, and bend over to smell a flower.

If he ever were going to get married, it would be to a woman like Leighton. Or hell, Leighton.

The alien thought crept in with such randomness and authority Axl jumped back up off the bench.

He didn’t know Leighton. This was a fake engagement. And he was never getting married. “Are you ready?” he asked her.

She shot him a startled look but nodded. “Yes.”

She and Bill chatted, wrapping up their conversation and Leighton getting Bill’s phone number so she could keep him abreast of the plans. Axl stepped out onto the back deck, needing air. He suddenly felt like he was being choked by flowers. Maybe like she had in the bakery. It was too much, crashing in on him. He’d spent the last few years convinced that he wasn’t cut out for marriage and being totally cool with that and now without warning, he wasn’t so sure anymore. He could see how fulfilling and enriching being married to a woman like Leighton could be, and it made him uneasy.

“Are you okay?” she asked him, putting her hand on his elbow.

He glanced down at her, not wanting her to read anything in his expression. He wasn’t even sure how to process what he was feeling and he had no words to share that with her. “Yep. Totally fine. Let’s go and give Bill his peace and quiet.”

Without waiting for her, he took the outside path, not wanting to walk through Soon-ja’s greenhouse again.

For the first time since he had come home from the service he regretted the solitary life he had forged for himself.

Because he was picturing a house on the lake with a garden for Leighton and a whole lot of time spent in bed together or out on his boat.

Which was insane because of all the women in Beaver Bend, he had to go and picture a future with a chick from LA who was faking her relationship with him?

It was stupid.

Leighton was on her phone the whole drive back to his place. She was doing wedding shit. That wasn’t the way she had put it, but it was how he thought of it. It sounded complicated. Lots of details, with flowers being flown in from California overnight and centerpieces from somewhere else. Lots of champagne. The whole thing sounded sadly lacking in beer but that was okay. He wasn’t going to drink when he had a wedding night to look forward to, and when it might be his last time to see her gorgeous naked body.

She glanced up when he pulled in the driveway, so wrapped up she didn’t even realize he hadn’t been driving her to the hotel she was staying at. “Oh, you’re not taking me back to the hotel?”

“I will later if you want.” Axl felt a restless stirring inside him that only she could satisfy. “But my house was closer and I need to fuck you now.”

Her jaw dropped. “I see.”

He wanted her with an urgency that made his balls ache and his dick throb in his pants. His fists clenched on the steering wheel as he turned the truck off. Hell, he wanted to take her right here in the car. The ferocity of the need was overwhelming and unexpected. He wasn’t a man who lost control of himself.

Other than his words, he didn’t now either. He got out of the car, went around, and opened the passenger door for Leighton. She was eyeing him like he was a beast who might throw her on the hood of the truck. If she only knew how close he was to that.

“Are you angry?” she asked, slipping down out of the truck. “Did I do something wrong?”

That made him stop short. He reached out and cupped her cheek. “Of course not. I don’t want to hate fuck you. That’s not my style.”

“Then how do you want to, um, fuck me?” She pursed her lips.

He grinned. He couldn’t help it. She had a way to shaking him loose. Lightening his mood. “How do you want it? Ladies’ choice.”

“Well. I hadn’t been thinking about it in the last five minutes.”

“So, think about it. It’s sixty seconds to my bedroom.” He dropped his hand and laced his fingers through hers. “Come here, babe.”

She came willingly, though she did say, “I’m not sure I like being called ‘babe.’ Isn’t every woman with every hookup called babe? We’re supposed to be engaged.”

“Do you have a nickname?” He didn’t see what was wrong with babe but he could step it up if that’s what she wanted.

Leighton made a face. “My boss calls me Amazon Prime because she says she can get anything from me in two days or less.”

That made him laugh. Axl unlocked his front door. “That’s as bad as what my co-workers call me. Ice Man. It’s so stupid.”

“Why are you Ice Man?” Leighton closed the door behind her as they entered his living room. “I don’t get it.”

“Allegedly I have no feelings. I’m cold.”

Her head actually cocked slightly. “I don’t know you very well, but what I’m seen in just a few days is the exact opposite of that. I wasn’t making up a story when we were talking to Bill. I do think you’re a nice guy. You are very compassionate.”

So maybe there was something to his reputation because he felt uncomfortable as fuck talking about his so-called positive attributes. It was awkward. “I’ll just keep the Ice Man label. It’s all good.” He tossed his cars on his coffee table and headed for the kitchen. “Do you want a drink? Water, a beer, anything?”

“Do you have some wine?” She wandered behind him, touching the art and pictures he had hanging on the wall.

It was a habit of hers. Her fingers just briefly brushed over things she was taking in, like she needed confirmation they were real. He wondered if she even knew she did it.

“I don’t have any wine, sorry. I’m not really that big of a drinker. I have a six pack of beer, a bottle of vodka that has been in the freezer for two years, and a bottle tequila that I use maybe once a summer to make my mother a margarita.”

“That’s fine. I’ll just take a water. What’s your mother’s name?”

“Hillary.” He realized if they were put to any sort of test to see how well they knew each other they would fail miserably. “My father’s name is Rob. How about you?”

“My mother’s name is Barbara, though she doesn’t go by that. She’s Barbie.” Leighton rolled her eyes, but she smiled at the same time. “Barbie suits her. She’s very plastic. I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s just the truth. My father’s name is Dieter. I think I mentioned to you he’s German.”

“Do you speak German?” Axl opened the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of water.

“Not at all.”

“Damn. I wanted to hear you say something sexy in German.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.” She took a water from him and twisted the cap. She took a delicate little sip, then nearly destroyed him by taking the tip of her tongue and rimming the bottle.

His cock hardened. Enough of this chatting about their parents. Now was not the time. He wanted to get her naked. “Did you think of how you want me to fuck you?” he said, knowing she would blush, and knowing it would make him even harder.

She didn’t disappoint. Her cheeks turned pink and she tucked her hair behind her ear. But then she turned the tables on him. “I want to fuck you. On top.”

Holy shit. Axl groaned. “Then come on, babe. I mean Leighton.” He would have to think about a better, unique nickname for her. “Miss California. You can have whatever you want.”

She was wearing a dress again. Axl just reached out and lifted it over her head and tossed it on the kitchen counter.

“Axl!”

She was wearing a pale pink bra and panties. They were lace, which did not surprise him. Her bra was pressing her voluminous tits up into an even perkier position than they were naturally, which was pretty fucking perky, he had to say. She started to cross her arms over her chest, but he stopped her by taking both of her hands in his. “What?” he asked, as if he didn’t know.

“You can’t just rip my clothes off.”

He grinned. “No?”

She realized what she had said and what she had asked him to do two nights before. “You know what I mean.”

“Do you want me to strip for you? Would that make you more comfortable?” He lifted his hand to grab his shirt at the back of his neck.

“That’s not stripping.” She stepped back and leaned against the counter. “Stripping for real. Like you do at Tap That.”

“That’s for charity,” he said, putting up a mild protest. Hell, he’d do whatever she wanted him to do.

But Leighton smiled. She put her elbows on his countertop, which did amazing things to her tits, which did amazing things to his libido.

“Do you need some music?” she asked.

“Doesn’t matter. I can’t really dance with it, so what difference does it make without it?” While he wasn’t known for having an over-the-top sense of humor, he did feel comfortable enough with Leighton to pretend to pelvic thrust a few times. He rolled his hips.

She laughed. “Oh, my God.”

He turned and bent over and shook his ass and looked at her over his shoulder. He was deadpan while doing it for added effect.

Now she was laughing really hard. “Please stop. That’s just… no.”

“No?” He straightened up. “Damn it. I was really enjoying that.”

“You were not.”

“Nope. Not at all. I don’t need to show off.”

Her eyes darkened. “No. You really don’t. You have a presence without showing off.”

He wasn’t comfortable with her compliments. He didn’t need his ego stroked. He undid the snap on his jeans. “I’m going to show you something.”

She sank her teeth into her bottom lip, delicately. He wasn’t sure Leighton knew how absolutely sexy she was. She wasn’t body conscious or insecure, which he appreciated. But at the same time she didn’t seem to understand the power she held. Axl unzipped and shoved his jeans down, kicking them off with zero finesse.

“I need tear-away pants,” he joked.

“I don’t think I could take that seriously at all.” Leighton gave him a sweet smile. “I like you the way you are.”

That shouldn’t have any impact on him at all. And yet, it did. He felt something he couldn’t quite pinpoint, which made him uncomfortable. “I like you too. Especially naked.” In his boxer briefs, Axl closed the space between them and reached out to run a finger along the swell of Leighton’s breasts.

Then he bent over sucked that same swell of soft, warm flesh. She always smelled fantastic. Like flowers and sugar and something that was uniquely Leighton. Reaching around her back, he undid the clasp on her bra. Her tits burst forth, barely contained by the lace cups. He could spend all day touching her chest and never get tired of it. As he drew the straps of her bra down her arms, goosebumps rose of her skin. “Cold?” he murmured.

She shook her head. “The opposite.”

“Hot? I would totally agree with that.” He tossed her bra on the counter and cupped her breasts, teasing his thumbs over her nipples.

Leighton gave a soft gasp.

He kissed her, wanting that connection with her, wanting to see her eyes drift shut as he pressed his lips to hers. It was a moment he wanted to draw out, to savor, to use to stir up anticipation in both of them. She let go of the counter and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her bare chest against his and rocked her hips ever-so-slightly so that her sex brushed against his cock.

Axl reached below her ass and hauled her right up off the floor.

---

Leighton gasped. “What are you doing?” she asked, digging her fingers into his shoulders and trying to find her balance. She was no yogi. She considered it a miracle she could actually ride a bike. Her core was for resting her iPad on, not for holding her entire body weight up.

“You said you wanted to be on top. The bed might be the best place for that.” He bit her ear lobe, drawing it between his lips.

She shivered. “You might have a point. I could walk though, you know.”

“What would be the fun in that?” He took a couple of steps.

It was sexy to be carried. But it was also nerve-wracking. “If I was walking, you could see my ass,” she told him. “I will walk sexy, I promise.” If there were one thing beauty pageants and her mother had pressed upon her, it was that her walk was damn important. She could manage it with a certain amount of grace. Even sexiness.

Axl stopped and set her down. “Show me what you got, kid.”

Relieved not to be carried, she ran her fingers across his chest, enjoying the way her pale pink fingernails looked against his hard muscles. Then she turned with a practiced pivot and started to walk, well aware that her panties formed a perfect little V on her ass. She was no size zero but she had a heart-shaped ass, thank you very much. It might not be suitable for a shift dress but it was designed for panties and sex from behind. Briefly, she rethought her requested position, but then decided against submitting a change request to Axl. She wanted to feel him sinking deep inside her while she held her palms flat onto his ripped abs.

Lost in her thoughts and ensuring that her booty moved enticingly for Axl’s viewing pleasure, she realized she didn’t know where his bedroom was. She paused to glance in the first room past the bathroom and discovered it was his workout room. But the brief hesitation had him impatient. Suddenly she jumped when he gave her ass a light smack.

“Keep moving, Van Buren.”

Never in her life had anyone called her by her last name and it was as odd to her ear as the first time he’d done it. But it was strangely endearing. Axl had told her it was a privilege reserved for friends and in addition to the fact that he’d gone down on her like it was his job, she did think they were growing to be friends.

“Don’t be so desperate,” she told him as she started walking again and found his bedroom.

“Desperate? I refuse to be called desperate. Fuck that. I want you. I’m impatient. Not desperate.”

Axl grabbed her playfully and Leighton screamed, laughing breathlessly as he tossed her onto the bed. She wasn’t used to having a man be able to well, manhandle her. She felt very feminine and small beside him. “Stop being a beast.”

“You want a beast?” Axl lifted his eyebrows up and down and climbed onto the bed over her. “I’ll show you a beast.”

He took his briefs down and Leighton covered her mouth in mock horror as his thick cock rose before her. “It’s a huge, enormous, massive beast.”

“Punk.” He shook his head with a grin. “You’re going to pay for that.”

For some reason she thought of those handcuffs he carried. It had been terrifying when he’d clapped them on her by the side of the road. But what would that feel like here, in his bed? Her breathing increased rapidly and she felt her panties dampen.

“What dirty thoughts are you having, little Miss Leighton?”

“I’m picturing you punishing me.”

Axl growled. “Damn. You’re going to kill me.” He bent over and took her nipple into his mouth.

Leighton stared down at the top of his dark hair and marveled at how fantastic it felt to have his tongue lathe over her tight nipple. He seemed to know instinctively when he had driven her to madness, and then he would shift to the other and start it all over again. She gripped his arms and let her head ease to the side while she was swept away by the concentrated pleasure.

But then when she realized she could just about orgasm from his skilled sucking and teasing, she realized she wanted to drive him as crazy as he did her. She wrapped her legs around him and said, “On your back now.”

He paused to glance up at her. “Bossy. I like it.”

She gave him a sassy smile. “If I could flip you right now I would. But I can’t so I’m going to demand that you get on your back.”

“Done.” Axl grabbed her and rolled her with him when he went onto his back.

Leighton enjoyed the ride. He gripped her with firm hands and muscular thighs and when she tumbled over she landed on the hard plane of his chest.

“Now you have me right where you want me,” he said, giving her ass a firm squeeze. “Torture me.”

That was the plan. Leighton sat up, her thighs spread on either side of his. She took her time, exploring his body with her fingers and the palms of her hands. He had beard stubble that she brushed over, testing the coarseness of his hair, and flipping her thumb over his bottom lip. He tried to bite her finger but she drew it back quickly.

“Be still,” she told him. “I want to play with you.”

His eyebrows rose. “So I’m your toy? I like it.”

“I don’t get to feel muscles very often. I want to fully enjoy the experience.”

“Don’t forget the most important muscle.”

She knew what he meant, of course, but she tried to wiggle her finger into his mouth. “Your tongue?”

He licked her finger. “No.”

Leighton giggled. She couldn’t believe that she could feel this way. Both turned on and amused. She felt… giddy with Axl. Bending down she briefly sucked his nipple, then kissed her way down the pecs and to his rock-solid abs. His body was like a day at an amusement park. She just ran from one attraction to the next.

Below that sexy V on either side of his hips was the magnificent cock she had felt more than she had seen. Now she wanted to study him, from the tip on down the full shaft and to his tight balls. With each brush of her fingers down the silken skin he made a little sound in the back of his throat that pleased her. “Can I suck you?” she asked, already knowing the answer, but wanting to tease him the way he teased her.

“You can suck me for as long as you want. I’m not going anywhere.”

The words squeezed her heart just a little. He didn’t mean anything by them but her stupid, attach-too-easily heart wanted it to be otherwise.

“I’ve been thinking about this all day,” she said, flicking the tip of her tongue over his tip.

Axl gave a little hiss but otherwise stayed still. “Really? You’re a dirtier girl than I realized.”

Instead of responding to that, she opened her mouth and slid down onto his shaft. It was a lot to handle but only in the best way possible. The growl he gave encouraged her to go as deep as she could. It made her feel powerful to have this strong man in her grip. She pulled back, letting her mouth pop off of him. When she took him again, she gripped him with her hand below her mouth and stroked with both.

“Leighton, that’s good, babe. So good.”

It was. She slid over him repeatedly, switching up the depth each time to keep him guessing. She shifted her hands down over his balls and cupped them, giving a small squeeze. So much of Axl was hard, rough, and holding his sensitive balls in her grip made her feel like she was completely in control. If that sharp inhale he gave was any indication, he seemed okay with that.

Axl gripped her head, tangling his hands in her hair. Her breasts felt heavy, her inner thighs aching. She was teasing him as much as she was herself, drawing out the anticipation.

She sucked him endlessly, lost in the rhythm, until he suddenly jerked her back off of his cock. “That’s enough,” he said, nostrils flaring.

“That was fun,” she told him, wiping the moisture off her swollen lips.

“That was fucking hot.” He shifted a little, trying to pull her up the bed. “Get on my cock, Leighton. I need to feel your pussy.”

She was good at following directions.

Besides, she wanted him like she’d never wanted anything in her life.

Leighton shifted herself into position and then teased his cock over her slickness before easing onto him. She closed her eyes, overwhelmed by how amazing it felt to have him stretching her aching passage. “That is so…fantastic,” she breathed.

“I agree one thousand percent.” Axl gripped her hips and thrust up into her.

She sucked in a breath. She had wanted to move on him, though, so she flattened her palms on his chest. “Lie still.”

He gave her a smirk. “Sorry.” Axl put his hands behind his head. “I’ll go hands free so I’m not tempted to touch you.”

“I didn’t say you can’t touch me.”

“I don’t trust myself.”

Leighton rolled her hips, enjoying the sensation of him fully embedded inside her. Her usual dates were well, less muscular, and being on top wasn’t something she wanted to do often. Her last boyfriend had felt fragile beneath her and she had felt self-conscious, which of course destroyed any sort of sexy vibes.

But Axl was a whole different story.

There was nothing fragile about him. Not one single thing.

So she dug her nails into his chest and took what she wanted. She raised her hips and slid herself down onto him over and over, driving faster each time. Leaning slightly forward the way she was, she was teasing her clit against his flesh and between that and his thick cock stroking inside her, she exploded with a loud cry, head snapping back.

It was everything she had expected, craved, and more.

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the shivers of ecstasy spreading out from her core.

When she finally felt like she could breathe again, she opened her eyes. Axl was watching her with dark, intense eyes.

“Sit up,” he commanded. “I want to see your body.”

Even though she felt boneless, she mustered the energy to push herself up and off of him and settle back into a seated position on his cock. As he took over the rhythm, hands gripping her hips, Leighton raked her hair back off of her face, a strand stuck to her lip.

Axl moaned. She realized lifting her arms had given him an excellent view of her chest, which he clearly was fascinated by. She had to admit, she liked being ogled by him. It was deeply primal as was her response to it. It both turned her on and gave her even more confidence in her ability to drive him crazy. She bit her lip and lowered her hands to cup her breasts, squeezing them a little.

“That’s not fair,” he said, practically growling.

“What do you mean?”

“I want to last a long time and that is not helping.”

Leighton rubbed her nipple.

“Fuck,” was Axl’s reaction, as he held her still with an iron grip, and exploded deep inside her.

Unexpectedly, it tripped off an orgasm in her. She didn’t usually come twice in short order, so she cried out too, the pleasure sweeping away all thoughts.

Time and space seemed to stop and Leighton was stunned by how complete sex with Axl was.

Neither of them spoke. She slid off of him, spent, confused.

He lay still for a minute, breathing hard, before peeling off the condom. “Leighton?”

“Yes?” She was briefly scared by what he was going to say.

But then he said, “You would make a great porn star.”

She burst out laughing. “Um, thank you? I guess? But remember what I told you about my pageant days. I’m not that great of a performer. What you see is all natural, not staged.”

“Trust me, I meant it a compliment.” He smacked her booty. “You have all the right moves and a body women pay money for.”

That amused her. Axl really did seem to appreciate her the way she was and it was a unique experience to be with him. “I’ll keep that in mind if I get fired.”

“I don’t mean actually do that.” He gave a mock shudder. “I just mean you’d be really good at it because you’re perfect. There’s a huge difference.”

“You’re weird,” was all she could think to say with a smile.

“I can’t argue with that. I’ve spent a lot of my adult life with guys. I’m probably warped.”

He certainly wasn’t like the majority of men she had dated and she was enjoying how profoundly feminine he made her feel. “I think you’re fine. I have no complaints.”

“Good.” Axl felt around and laced his fingers through hers. “What are you doing tomorrow? What to hang out until I have to go to work at three?”

Leighton only had about eighty-two million things to do but Axl looked so sexy and sleepy and hard, she couldn’t resist him. “Sure. This will be our only day to spend time together. Wednesday I have to go find a wedding dress and meet with the caterer and the tent guy.”

“The tent guy?” Axl shifted onto his side to look at her. “Are we going camping?”

She rolled her eyes at his joke. At least she thought it was a joke. It was possible he had no clue what she was referring to. “No. The greenhouse is for the ceremony. The reception will be down by the lake in an air-conditioned tent.”

His eyebrows shot up. “They can do that? Damn.”

“Oh, and I have to meet with the DJ. Then Thursday we have filming for the show and dinner with our parents. Then Friday, a dry run and rehearsal dinner.”

“You never told me. How did your parents react?”

“Exactly as I imagined. My father was mildly interested and my mother was proud of me for ‘following my heart.’” Leighton made air quotes. “I think they’re just glad that I’m normal enough to be married. I think they were getting concerned that my introverted personality is too big of a turn-off for most men.” She wasn’t hurt by that. She knew they cared about her. They just didn’t understand her and never would.

“Damn. That’s harsh. And totally untrue.”

“My mother just has a complete inability to see that anyone would be a different person than she is and be happy. But she does love me and she is very happy for me.” Leighton felt no fear about the fallout when she had to pretend the marriage had failed. Her parents lived in a world where impulse marriage and quickie divorces were not a big deal. They might be disappointed, and of course would be sad for her, but they wouldn’t judge and she appreciated that about them.

Her mother only judged her eyebrows, not anything outrageous she might do.

“It sounds like our mothers both like to be the center of attention. They might wind up in a smackdown.”

Alarm bells clanged in her head. She had never even thought about that. “Oh, Lord, you don’t really think they’ll hate each other, do you?”

“I don’t think they’ll hate each other. But I think they will try to out-talk each other, given what you’ve told me about your mom. I’m guessing our fathers will get along just fine.”

Leighton felt the press of panic.

Then she remembered it did not matter in the slightest if the parents did not get along. It was one and done. One dinner and then never again.

She should feel relieved by that but mostly she felt flustered and hot.

Apparently Axl agreed. He was eyeing her like he wanted to take her. Mine. Now.

“What kind of dress are you going to wear? Promise me there will be lots of cleavage.” He hooked a finger on the street covering her chest and tugged it down. “It would be a shame not to display these gorgeous tits to full advantage.”

Leighton tried not to be turned on by the arousal in his voice and failed miserably. “It’s a wedding, not a night out at the strip club. Cleavage will be tasteful.”

“Well, that sucks.” Axl punched his pillow in protest.

She laughed. “But you get to play with the cleavage after the wedding. Just keep that in mind.”

“What are you wearing under the dress?”

She had no idea. “It’s a secret.” Even from her. She needed advice but she was scared to ask Zach. She didn’t trust his taste level. Barbie would happily give her recommendations but that was not a conversation Leighton wanted to have with her mother. That meant she was going to have a phone a friend. A lifeline. She had three close girlfriends and she had to invite them to the wedding anyway.

Which reminded her. She had so much to do. This was insane.

Normally she didn’t get freaked out by To-Do Lists but this was different and she refused to think about why that was the case.

“Oh, my God,” she wailed. “I have so much to do it’s bananas.”

Axl laughed with a snort, which he covered with a cough. “You’re bananas, because you use words like ‘bananas’ in that context. Relax. This is your job and you’re damn good at it, remember? I know you can do this.”

She loved that about him. Her mother, Sadie, they were always telling her she needed to be more. Axl thought she was fine just the way she was. There was nothing to bring because she already had it. She took a deep breath and concentrated on not panicking.

He reached out and stroked her cheek. “Hey. You’ve got this.”

What she was starting to really wish was that she had him. He felt like her champion. The guy who always knew the right thing to say to her.

“Thanks,” she murmured. Then before she said something he wouldn’t want to hear and she shouldn’t say, she rolled over to face away from him and resolutely closed her eyes.

“Are we done cuddling?” he asked, even as he shifted in to spoon her.

“I have to get some sleep or I’ll hate myself tomorrow.”

Almost as much as she hated herself for falling for Axl.