Just a Couple Ex's Blindsided (6 page)

“I’m glad I came too.” She felt the immediate thrill of being close to him that she felt each time she was. It soothed her injured feelings to have his attention.

“I haven’t call Kiki yet,” he admitted as he guided her into the small kitchen where they set the pizza, salad, and soda on the counter. She appreciated the warmth and electricity but more the bottle of wine with two glasses sitting ready. The crazy desire to grab the bottle and just start guzzling it made her turn away from the bitter temptation.

“What are you going to say to her?” Liv asked about his confession.

She wanted to smooth the worry lines between his black eyebrows and massage the tension out of his broad shoulders. She couldn’t imagine being alone with this anguish; the death of two marriages.

“I don’t usually stay out all night,” he muttered. Liv nodded, she thought most husbands didn’t. “But I don’t want to get into it now, before we have photos or video proof.”

Liv set her purse on the counter and touched Axel’s arm, which felt rock-solid through his shirt. She’d heard him say this before as if Kiki would manipulate him without concrete proof. “How about a friend in need?” she suggested. “Like Jax, you could say he is, um ...” she paused, trying to imagine a plausible lie.

“I could tell her he’s gone Elvis — that is if she didn’t go back inside the store when we saw her.”

“Gone Elvis?” Liv asked.

“Sorry.” He shrugged with a tightening of his lips. “It’s a military saying for missing in action. But here in the states Vets use it to mean anywhere from deep post-traumatic to falling out of contact.”

The tinny sound of the opera song Ave Maria interrupted their scheming. It was probably the only opera song she could recognize. Liv watched Axel reach for his cell phone, while she smiled at his ring-tone choice. Then she instantly sobered at the emotion gathering in his brown eyes. It had to be Kiki. A second later, he sighed with his shoulders relaxing.

“Just a text,” he muttered.

Liv guessed he was relieved he didn’t have to talk to her in person. She watched his gaze scanning the message and his full lips firmed as though he grimaced.

“Shit,” he cursed, and his sharpness startled her. His gaze swung to hers and she saw the haunted quality. “Sorry,” he offered, for his cursing she imagined, and she wanted to yank the cell from his hand, to read the message. She had an awful intuition ...

“She’s not coming home tonight, right?” she blurted, instantly feeling bad for voicing her concern, if she were wrong, but Axel nodded. “Oh,” she whined, turning away.

“She says she’s going to return those prom dresses to Houston that I hated and she won’t be back until tomorrow or later.”

Axel felt his anger rising at having to give Liv the news that their cheating spouses were likely together again; for the
whole
night. His lips flattened and his teeth ground together as he looked at Liv’s slender back. It was like being stabbed again after the first time. His immediate reaction was to run out and find them, and then ...

He grunted, trying to restrain his emotions, while images in his mind of guns and shooting started fading. It was
not
worth that. No woman was worth that. “She’s made her choice,” he uttered beneath his breath.

“What?” Liv asked, turning toward him and he saw the bruised hurt in her eyes.

He shrugged, trying to loosen the knotted tension in his shoulders, as he said in a louder voice so she could hear. “She made her choice.”

Liv released a long sigh, her gaze searching his, then she nodded. “Yes, you are right. They made their choice.” She reached for the bottle of wine beside him on the countertop. “Damn them,” she muttered, lifting the bottle in front of him. “Can we open this? It’s either get drunk or go looking for them.”

It was amazing, when it should have been worse, the tension loosened. It was because they both felt the same thing — they both were fighting the same demons. He wasn’t alone.

He took the bottom of the bottle. “My pleasure.” She released the bottle to him and as he turned toward the counter, he said, “But let’s help our need for vengeance a little bit. I’ll call my surveillance friend — get him up here to find them, and then get the video evidence we need.”

L
iv swirled her fourth glass of wine, judging the yellow-amber color. Luckily, they’d found Axel’s aunt kept a small stash of wine.

“My guess, it’s a chardonnay,” she said, leaning back, while sitting on the floor in front of a fire that Axel had built. She had her shoes off and her toes curled into the carpet pile.

He shook his head, sitting more upright beside her with his knees bent and his forearms resting on his knees. “Pinot Blanc,” he said, swirling the wine in his glass, and then taking a drink.

“It’s close though,” she said of her guess.

“Very,” he assured her. “If you like white wines.”

Which he’d said he didn’t. “Decent enough to get drunk on,” she offered, smiling up at him.

His gaze was warm and she hadn’t felt she was the sole attention of a man in a very long time. They’d discussed their spouses through the first two bottles, then made a deal not to talk about them on the third bottle. There were no conditions on the fourth bottle that Axel had just opened.

“It is definitely good enough to keep drunk on,” he said. “And, since there’s nothing else but the hard stuff, I’ll make due.”

Liv was intrigued by the “hard stuff,” but first she asked, “What time is it?”

He turned his wrist making her eyes follow the rich, dark skin. Axel had very nice forearms. “One thirty,” he informed her.

She sighed. “I haven’t been up this late in ages.”

He nodded. “I suppose it comes with responsibility.” He took a drink of his wine, grimaced a bit, making her study his lips. “Liv, have you got to be up in the morning? Are you going into work?”

She was slightly distracted by his firm lips and the nice angle of his jaw as she murmured non-committedly. Then she tugged her gaze up to his dark brown eyes. “I think I will hide here,” she said, boldly for her.

“Good.” He turned to lean down beside her, stretching out his long legs.

They sat, leaning toward each other with their backs to the fire. “I won’t have anything to wear or clean up with,” she said, turning to look at the side of his face. His profile was as handsome as full on, but then he turned to look at her and she got lost in the brownness of his eyes. They were very close.

“I took care of that.”

She’d really missed the meaning of what he was saying, looking deep in his eyes.

But she’d caught a bit of the end. “Care of?” she mumbled, distracted.

“I brought some clothes over from my shop, you can change into.”

Her eyes widened as she watched him nod toward a chair in the corner with some black hanging bags hung over the back, she’d not noticed before.

“Axel?” she questioned, setting her glass of wine on the brick base of the fireplace. She moved to curl her legs under her to stand.

“I knew you wouldn’t have anything to wear tomorrow if you came over here,” he was saying.

Liv started to stumble as she rose, probably tipsy and unbalanced.

“Whoa, Liv.” Axel jumped up, catching her.

She fell against his chest, and he steadied them both, as she laughed. “Sorry, I think I might be a bit drunk.”

“I’m not sure I mind,” he said, holding her against him. She was fitted to the length of him with her head tilted up to look at him. It put their mouths very close. She stroked her hand across his chest. “Tell me to stop or I am going to kiss you,” he said, and she saw the burn of desire deep in his dark eyes.

She parted her lips, not saying a word, but rising up on her toes with a blatant invitation. “God, Liv,” he murmured as his lips slowly covered hers.

Once again, like before, she was instantly transported. Maybe it was the alcohol loosening her up or her husband's betrayal, but she didn’t hold back. Their lips pressed, then began searching and learning, as his big hands cupped her face, turning her mouth so he could kiss her deeper. She felt his erection firming against her pelvis and a part of her was thrilled she was affecting him.

She moaned into his mouth and his tongue swept inside, sliding over her tongue. They French kissed for long moments and to dizzying heights. Then their lips parted for a few pitched breaths.

“Axel,” she panted against his lips.

“Baby, I don’t know where this is coming from,” his mouth said against hers.

Their lips stayed touching as she shook her head agreeing with him. She’d never felt passion so thick and so quick before. “I don’t want to stop,” she whispered.

His hand grasped the small of her back and pulled, pressing her against his erection. “I don’t either.” Their lips parted and his forehead rested on her temple as the heat of their bodies seemed to throb together.

“Would we regret it ... like this?” She didn’t want to question it, but she couldn’t help herself.

“You’re good at saying the words, Liv. I like that about you.”

She felt his shoulder muscles, thrilled at how strong he was. Would it be wrong if she just jumped into bed with him? Would it ease her pain or make everything worse? She was so attracted to him and that had nothing to do with the situation at all.

“I can’t believe you and I ... That
we
... after they...”

“Yeah,” he murmured, kissing the side of her mouth. Then his large hands encircled most of her waist and he gently pried them apart, until there was space between their bodies.

“I don’t want you getting any more hurt.” Axel sighed, his gaze looking regretful as she stroked his jawline.

“I don’t want you getting hurt more either.”

He nodded and it moved her hand on his jaw. “At least until we confront them and are finished with both of them.”

He was right, but she didn’t want him to be right. “Why can’t we be as bad as them?” She pouted and knew she was.

He smiled and grasped her shoulders turning her toward the clothes. “Check the clothes, then you better get some sleep. There are three bedrooms. You pick one; I’ll take one that’s left.”

Liv sighed, but when she moved forward Axel’s warm hand cupped her buttock through her jeans giving an intimate squeeze, then a sexy pat. “We’re just waiting, not ending a thing.”

She laughed, looking over her shoulder at him. Thank god for Axel.

The next morning Axel had a headache and an unrelieved hard on. He supposed the best part was the erection wasn’t for his two-timing wife. He turned the shower onto hot and climbed in. He was going to relieve himself with thoughts of Liv, because while they were waiting they were not over, just biding their time. He fully intended to have Liv in his bed.

He felt better after his shower and his headache was nearly gone, while the edge of horniness was quieted down. It was a good thing, because he didn’t need it making him more edgy that day with all the intense things he was going to have to deal with.

He dressed in some of the designer clothes he’d brought from the shop. “Might as well look good while you are ending your marriage,” he muttered, buttoning the Pronto Uomo, French-cuffed dress shirt that he’d never consider affording. But it did look good, and it felt like a sensual caress against his skin. The barely-there light blue stripes complemented his warm, cocoa colored skin as he tucked it into a pair of expensive Pronto Uomo charcoal-colored slacks. Owning a rental shop had its perks, yet he'd never worn the apparel before.

Looking at himself in his aunt’s vanity mirror, he wondered why not. Kiki came immediately into his mind. She would have pestered him about not staining or ruining their money-makers.

“She won’t be doing that anymore,” he muttered. But he didn’t want to think about that. Not with Liv so close by. He’d start dealing with it soon enough, right then he needed coffee and he was anticipating seeing Liv dressed in the expensive Gucci outfit he’d brought for her.

He’d made coffee in the kitchen when he heard Liv’s voice calling down the hallway. “Axel, I can’t wear this, it’s too expensive.”

He stayed by the kitchen end of the hallway, not willing to see her half-undressed, if he went to her. “Yes, you can, Liv. I’ve been waiting all morning to see you in that.”

“But, Axel ...”

“Really, Liv, I’m wearing Pronto Uomo.”

“I might stain it or something.”

“Baby, I don’t care. It is yours. I’m giving it to you.”

Suddenly, his cell phone chimed opera. He heard Liv muttering, “Okay,” as he smiled and looked at the call. It was Ronan. His heartbeat started faster as he took the call.

“Axel, sorry to tell you this, but I got your evidence,” Ronan said, without messing around. Axel liked that about Ronan, he was straightforward, kind of like Liv.

Axel felt numb, not sure what to feel. He was surprised he didn’t feel like breaking down. “On digital?” he asked.

“Yeah, buddy, lots of it. Not sure you should see it.”

“Ronan, I get that. I know it’s going to be hard to look at, but you’ve got to understand ... I need to see it.”

Ronan sighed on the other end. “Your call.”

“Can you bring it to me, and do you have any ideas on a lawyer?”

Ronan said he’d be over in thirty minutes after some breakfast. Axel closed the call, realizing the worst wasn’t over ... he still had to tell Liv.

He sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee and pondering his next personal moves, partially as a way to keep from thinking about telling Liv. He knew Kiki would try to get half of everything, if not more, but he thought divorces didn’t need evidence anymore. Just because he had video proof, wasn’t going to get him a break in the divorce. It was only going to prove to Kiki he couldn’t be fooled another minute.

He should be destroyed, knowing Kiki was leaving the shop and doing that guy right outside. But somehow having Liv around made the feelings of being an idiot smooth out, until he was just angry as hell at Kiki. But he needed to be careful and not get into a domestic dispute, because there were military records showing he’d been treated for PTSD. Long ago, but still, he needed to control his temper.