Chapter Ten
Axton
It had been several days since I had seen or spoken to Wren. It was Friday, the night of my party, and I was listening to a group of my friends all talking about how their work weeks had been in the city, how their trips to Colorado had been, and how in love they were with the rustic cabin I had rented. It all went in one ear and out the other. All I wanted to hear was Wren’s voice. All I wanted to do was see her walk in.
Compulsively, I kept glancing at the front door every time it opened. But I was filled with nothing but disappointment as people that weren’t Wren wandered in and out.
“Why the long face, buddy?” Benji spun around my shoulder and dropped a shot of tequila in my hand. “This is a killer party!”
I glanced around. The speaker system we had set up was blasting loud dance music, everyone looked happy. There were plenty of people dancing, everyone was drinking, and most of them were laughing. “Yeah, I guess it is,” I gave Benji a fake smile and downed the shot he’d given me.
“You don’t seem to be having much fun, though,” Benji nudged me with his shoulder.
I stepped away from him with a shrug. “I invited Wren.”
His eyes widened. “Is she coming?”
“I don’t know.” I eyed the door again.
As if all of my wishes were suddenly answered, the front door opened and Wren stepped through. The breath caught in my throat. Benji was saying something, but I couldn’t understand the words; everything around me was a blur. She took two small steps inside and glanced around nervously, pushing her dark hair behind an ear. She was so unlike the last time she had showed up, blasting through the kitchen door ready to start a fight. It was sweet. It was attractive.
Without speaking to Benji, I pushed through the crowds of people standing between Wren and I. “Hey,” I smiled gently. She was wearing a simple pale linen dress, and her hair was straightened, hanging down her back in a wave of chocolate layers. It was simplistic, and she looked more beautiful than any of the other women at the party.
“Hey,” she grinned at the sight of me. Her light green eyes were lined with mascara, making them pop.
“Would you like something to drink?” I couldn’t tell if she was nervous, but I wanted to everything I could to make her comfortable.
“Um.” She shifted from one foot to the other, but eventually nodded. “Yeah, that would be nice.”
“Wait here for me. I’ll be right back.” I returned with two opened champagne glasses.
Wren’s eyes widened as she grabbed the glass flute. “Wow, really scaled up, huh?”
She was teasing me. It was charming, and I couldn’t help but to grin. “Only the best,” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Would you like to go onto the dock?”
The room was loud, and I wasn’t in the mood to entertain anyone else. I only wanted to talk to Wren.
“Sure,” she said with a shy smile.
I reached out a hand, and was surprised when she actually took it without hesitation. I wrapped my fingers around the side of her hand, squeezing gently as I led her through the crowd of people and out onto the back dock. There were still handfuls of people outside, most of which were drinking in and around the hot tub. I ignored them as I led Wren to the edge of the dock, where no one else was standing.
“I’m glad you came,” I finally let go of her hand faced her. The moonlight was illuminating her skin, making her look more beautiful than I had ever imagined.
She took a slow drink of her champagne, looking nervous. “I am too,” she finally admitted between drinks. “I wasn’t sure it was a good idea.”
“Why not?” I wanted to reach out and touch her, comfort her. Make her realize just how desperately I wanted her there.
“I didn’t want another incident,” she shrugged. “The last thing I need is to go around punching people.” She made a tiny laugh.
“I don’t know,” I smirked. “I thought it was kind of hot, honestly.”
Even in the darkness surrounding us, I noticed the tiny flush of red that popped up in her cheeks.
“I’m not normally like that.” She frowned and turned to stare out over the lake.
I stepped closer to her. The wind blew and I caught the scent of her shampoo – lavender and honey. I wanted to reach forward and stroke her hair, catch it between my fingers and inhale the smell of her.
“If it makes you feel any better, Lindsey won’t be coming here again.” I shot her a smile, hoping to make her feel better.
She grinned. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah.” I laughed. “I just want you to be comfortable.” I said the words slowly, hoping she would believe me.
The look in her eyes said she did. Her pink lips spread into a sweet smile. “Thank you for that.” She held out her champagne flute. “Cheers to getting along?”
“Cheers.” I clinked my glass against hers and we finished our drinks at the same time.
“So why are you here?” She raised an eyebrow at me.
I cleared my throat. It wasn’t a conversation I wanted to get into. Not with her. Not tonight. “I needed a break from life.” I wasn’t lying.
“Don’t we all?” She smirked playfully.
“Is that why you’re here?” The dangerous glint in her eyes made my cock twitch with excitement. Like she was challenging me in a single look. Begging me to take the bait.
“Pretty much.” She leaned back against one of the posts on the dock. “I was tired of that lifestyle. I needed a better place to write.”
“You write?” I was genuinely intrigued.
“Yeah,” she grinned with a short laugh. “I’ve gotta pay my bills somehow. We don’t all have rich parents.”
“Hey, now,” I warned her off gently. “I work, too.”
Wren’s eyes widened. “You do?” The look on her face told me she was genuinely surprised. It figures. I had made a terrible impression on her, and she thought the worst of me because of it.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I do. One day I’ll be have my dad’s business to take care of. I can’t just sit at home all day.”
The more I talked the more her smile stretched across her face.
“You really are sensitive.” She was teasing, that same challenging look in her eyes.
I couldn’t wait a second longer. I couldn’t hold back from that look. From her. I stepped forward and ran my fingers up her neck, tilting her jaw in the palm of my hand. She stared straight up at me, her lips slightly parted. I was ready to take her. To taste her.
“Hey, asshole!” A shriek screamed at me from the other side of the dock as two sets of heels stormed down the wooden planks towards us.
Wren pulled herself away from my hand. I glared towards the blonde running up at me. “What?” It was all that I had the time to ask before she swung her hand, hard, at my face. The slap stung, and I immediately reached up to touch the pain radiating from my cheek. “What the fuck?” I straightened, glaring at the woman who had just slapped me.
“Are you seriously about to do what I think you’re about to do?” The blonde screeched at me, throwing her hands in the air and pointing wildly at Wren.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” My nostrils flared as I tried to control my breathing. The rage boiling inside of me.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” She screamed before turning her rage onto Wren. “Don’t you know what you’re doing you little slut?”
“Excuse me?” Wren was completely taken aback.
I stepped between the two of them, putting Wren safely behind me. I wouldn’t let this random woman ruin Wren’s night. Not again. “Don’t call her that,” I warned through gritted teeth.
“I think I can do whatever I want,” she sneered at me. “Or I’m going to call Julia and let her know what it is you’re up to out here.”
My heart dropped in my chest. How did she know? I gaped, unable to form any words.
“Julia?” Wren’s voice was meek as it came from behind my shoulder.
“Oh, you don’t know her?” The blonde continued to yell. “I suppose Axton wouldn’t tell you about his fiancé that he abandoned back in New York City.”
“What?” Wren’s voice broke, wobbling like a child on weak legs.
I turned around to face her. I didn’t care about the blonde. I needed to do what I could to repair everything that had probably just been ruined. “I can explain,” I held out a hand, trying to grab her shoulder. To keep her close to me.
Wren was glaring at me through tears that slid down her cheeks, streaking her mascara into blurry black lines. “Save your breath,” she muttered before side-stepping me and running down the dock.
For the first time, I didn’t chase after her.
There was nothing I could say to save what had just happened.
The only thing I could do was figure out why it had just happened. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I growled at the blonde.
She didn’t flinch away from me. “Julia is one of my best friends. You would know that if you gave her any attention at all.”
I shook my head. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. The point of running away to Colorado was to get away from all the bullshit. The fiancé that my parents had forced onto me, the drama surrounding the engagement, the fact that I was being forced into a marriage I wanted nothing to do with.
“Julia knows I’m taking a break,” I groaned. Did it even matter what I said to this random girl, this best friend of Julia’s? “I’m not doing anything wrong.”
“Not doing anything wrong?” She laughed sardonically. “You’re doing everything wrong, Axton East. And don’t think Julia won’t find out about this.”
I grabbed her arm and pulled her close to me. “You stay out of this,” I warned.
She squirmed away from me, but I only squeezed tighter. “Let go of me.”
“Not until you promise me.” I paused, my eyes unflinchingly staring down at her as she tried to pull away from my grasp. “Promise me you won’t tell her what you just saw.”
“Why would I do that?” She spat back at me.
“I’ll pay you.”
She stopped struggling long enough to gauge how serious I was. “How much?”
“Whatever you want,” I hissed into her face. “Whatever it takes.”
“Go get your checkbook,” she smirked.
I dropped her arm and stormed around her. I would pay her whatever amount she told me. I would do anything to keep the drama of Julia far the hell away from me.
It wasn’t that I was doing whatever it took to get rid of this drama with Julia. I was doing whatever it took to have the chance to fix things with Wren. I could still smell the sweetness of her skin on my fingers. Our perfect moment had been ruined in a single stroke. But I was going to do whatever it took to get that moment back.
Wren was the first woman in years who had challenged me. Who had made me want to be a better man. And I couldn’t just let her walk away. I needed to make her understand the truth. She had heard part of it: that I had a fiancé back in New York City.
But she didn’t truly understand.
She needed to know that Julia meant nothing to me.
That she would never mean anything to me.
I was going to win Wren back, and I was never going to lose her again.