Chapter 20

After his meeting, Axel lightly tapped on Eden’s door, thinking it would probably be better if they gave each other their phone numbers rather than all this sneaking around and hoping no one caught them.

When she answered, a huge smile lit up her face, and damn, if that didn’t make his chest hurt like a fucker. Now that the pain had a label attached to it and he knew what caused it, he really enjoyed it. It felt so much better than the black pit of emptiness he’d held for so long.

“Come in!” she exclaimed, reaching for his hand.

He shook his head, knowing that if he entered her room, he’d never want to come out, and he had some things to do. “I just wanted to tell you that I need to go into Phoenix for a few hours today.”

Her face fell, the smile now gone.

Shit. He’d said something she didn’t like. “What’s wrong?”

Her brow furrowed, and her lips pursed together in a flat line as she crossed her arms over her chest. Yeah, he’d definitely said something she didn’t like. His heart thudded in his chest. He didn’t want to upset her or disappoint her.

“Eden?”

“Are you … it’s none of my business, but are you going to that club?”

He sighed in relief. “No. Come here.”

She stepped forward into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist. Closing his eyes, he never wanted to move again.

“Why is your heart pounding so loudly?” she asked.

“I was afraid I’d upset you.”

She glanced up at him. “By telling me you’re going to Phoenix?”

He nodded as he stroked the side of her head.

“I just remember you going to that club and what goes on there. I can’t stop you, but—”

“I’ll never go there again,” he interrupted her as he pulled her head against his chest again. “I don’t care if I ever have sex again. This right here is enough for me.”

And he realized he meant every word. Sex had been about relieving a basic need, but something far more important had overtaken that, and it was Eden. As long as he continued to be able to hold her like this, he’d go through life just fine.

She squeezed him. “Then why are you going to the city?”

He didn’t want to tell her that he wanted his tattoo finished as soon as possible. He’d called Foster earlier and scheduled a few hours with him. He knew it would take a lot longer to complete the artwork than the time he had today, but Foster could make a good dent in it.

“I’m going to see a friend. He’s a male, and he’s doing something for me.”

“What?”

For a brief moment, he thought about telling her, but decided against it. He’d rather show her when it was completed. “You’ll see soon enough.”

She sighed and looked up at him with a pout. Those lips … those lips made him feel like he’d melt into a pile of goo at her feet when they met his.

With just a bit of hesitation, he leaned down and kissed her, unsure of the pressure he should use, or if, or when, he should slip his tongue into her mouth. After a moment, he quit thinking about if he executed the kiss correctly, and instead, just slipped into that blissful, lightheadedness that Eden brought him where nothing seemed to matter but getting closer to her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck with a sigh. He lifted her up and leaned her against the doorframe, placing his hands under her thighs to hold her in mid-air, her weight meaning nothing to him. No, he had no idea if he was doing any of this right, but now, he went on pure instinct.

As she ran her hands up and down his arms, he groaned. Her fingertips left small trails of fire over his skin, yet he shuddered as if chilled. He wished he had more hands because he would love to palm her breast, to take her nipple in his mouth. Would that make her moan in pleasure? He would certainly like to find out.

Behind him, the elevator began to hum, and it brought him out of his reverie and back to reality. Yes, he wanted Eden with ferocity, but this seemed just plain stupid. That damn elevator could land on her floor at any time, and he couldn’t be caught here—especially with Eden pinned up against the wall.

She placed her hands on the sides of his face. Her breathing seemed raspy, her chest heaved. She stared at him with hooded lids, her mouth a bit swollen from their kiss. His chest clenched, that beautiful ache gripping him like a vise.

“We should continue this later tonight,” she whispered.

He nodded and set her down, but grabbed her hands, not wanting to totally let go.

“Go to Phoenix and come back soon.”

Shit. He didn’t want to leave, but also knew he couldn’t stay. Finishing the tattoo had become incredibly important to him, and sooner or later, Eden would have a visitor. No one ever came to see him, but Eden was different. She was well-liked, and well-protected.

He wanted to tell her that his chest hurt so badly, but he’d never been so appreciative of pain. She’d changed his life and made him a different male, and he’d die for her if she asked.

But, the words wouldn’t come, and he only hoped she could see his emotions around him.

She smiled and squeezed his hands.

“Do you see it?” he asked, feeling foolish that he couldn’t say the words.

“I do, Axel, and it takes my breath away.”

Relief swept through him as the elevator whirred to life again, and he realized someone was on their way down. They may not stop at this floor, but if they did …

“I should go.”

She nodded. “Will I see you tonight?”

A fucking dinosaur couldn’t keep him away. “Yes.”

He opened the door to the stairs, and just as it shut, he heard the elevator ding on Eden’s floor, indicating someone had arrived.

As he quietly climbed the stairs, he heard Eden’s voice.

“Hi, Hudson.”

“Hello, my beautiful doha. Are you feeling okay? Your cheeks look a little pink.”

“I’m fine. What’s going on?”

“I wanted to talk to you about Beverly’s birthday. Do you have a moment?”

“Of course. Come in.”

The urge to march right back down the stairs and tell Hudson he’d found his mate in Eden almost overcame him. He squeezed the metal railing and took a deep breath. Now was not the time, and doing so would go against Eden’s wishes.

No, instead, he’d go see Foster and pretend for a little while that the girl who could see colors all around him hadn’t become the most important thing in his life.