He slipped her panties off of her next and when they landed on the ground Marie sat up. She smiled up at him. Her exposed skin tingled in the cool air. His hands played with her hair. Marie ran her hand over the bulge in his jeans and she felt him shudder from her touch. She looked up at him as her hand continued to slide over him.
Axel groaned quietly and Marie felt a shudder go up her spine. She unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down. His boxers went with them and his erection sprung forth. Marie slid her hand up and down him as he ripped his shirt off and threw it in a corner.
He reached down and took Marie's face in his hands. She stood up and kissed him as he pressed against her. She grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back down on the bed. She kissed a violent, purple bruise on his side and he grabbed a condom from the nightstand and she unrolled it over him. He slipped into her and she arched her back as he entered her.
She grabbed onto his shoulders as he pushed deeper into her. She moaned his name and fell on top of him. His body pumped into hers. He thrust slowly into her as his arms pinned her against his chest. She whispered the word yes as her mouth fell on his chest and she bit him in her passion. He was thrusting into her and he was stroking her clit, rubbing it over and over again. Marie's breath hitched in his ear as she begged him to keep going.
Her body moved with his. His hands were digging into her hips and urging her on. She never wanted to stop. He held her tightly as if he could never bear to let her go. She clawed at his shoulders and moaned into his ear as her body crashed against his. Electricity was coursing through her veins. His every touch was like ice and fire on his skin. She pushed closer to him and then was forced to pull away when it became too much.
Then, suddenly he flipped her over. He stayed inside of her the entire time. Marie was on her back an Axel was thrusting into her. Her breath was coming in short bursts. She ran her fingers up and down his chest, scratching him as he pushed himself even deeper. His hand slipped between them. Marie whispered the word yes; her skin felt like it was on fire. She was covered in sparks and still she wanted more.
She writhed beneath him as his fingers spun inside of her, matching the rhythm of his thrusts.
"Yes, Axel! Yes!" she cried out in a frenzied whisper. She was so close. She could feel her pleasure building up inside of her. His fingers were relentless and she pushed herself to them. She had never wanted anyone like this before. She never wanted it to end. Everything was building up inside of her. Her toes curled as she opened her mouth and cried out his name. Her body tensed and then pleasure pulsed through her over and over again as she tensed around Axel.
He groaned her name and he rode her until they were both spent. They collapsed back on the bed, out of breath, their skin warm on the cool night. Axel wrapped his arm around Marie and she settled back into him.
"That was amazing," she whispered.
"Yes, it was," he said.
Chapter Forty-Two
It was all over the news the next day. "St. Clare Security Closed for Improper Weapons Usage." The news kept coming in. They found connections to a Mexican drug cartel. There was evidence that Austin had been using his security firm to act as enforcers for drug dealers. It piled on and got worse and worse.
Axel almost couldn't believe it. He never would have guessed that Austin St. Clare was involved in thing like this. He was worried for Marie, that she might somehow be involved in this. But she honestly had no idea about any of it. She was just as horrified as he was.
There were an entire host of charges and, to Marie and Axel's happy surprise, Austin had been denied bail. He was a known flight risk with contacts all over the word and enough cash to get anywhere. His bail was remanded.
"It's like a dream," Marie said. "I can't believe this is really happening. It seems too good to be true."
"It's justice," Elizabeth said. "He's getting exactly what he deserves."
Cate was playing out back and Marie still wasn't quite sure how to tell her that her dad was in prison. Not that it would be much different. Austin had never spent much time with Cate to begin with. But now Cate was hers. Honestly and truly hers. Austin and his family had lost everything. They would never bother with the money on legal fees just for Cate. They would be glad to be rid of her.
She called Ingrid and before Marie had half her apology out Ingrid was telling her everything's forgiven. Marie was welcome back anytime. It was her house, after all.
"The crazy thing is, I almost ran." She was standing outside with Axel later that day. Cate was playing with another local boy on the seesaw. The two went up and down and laughed and screamed and didn't have a care in the world. "When you were gone I kept thinking I should just grab Cate and run. But if I had done that, I would have lost everything." She shook her head and pulled her arms around her.
"He still would have been arrested and you could have come back," Axel said.
"I would have lost you in the meantime."
"No," Axel said, shaking his head. "I would have waited for you." He leaned down and kissed her, pulling her even closer, wrapping his arms around her. He never wanted to let her go. He looked over at her and she smiled. "What are you smiling about?"
"That I get to move back into the museum," she said with a smile. "I've missed the ghost of Edith Hawks following me around late at night."
"Ha, ha, very funny," he said. He paused for a moment and then said, "You don't have to move into that creepy museum. You could live with me."
"Thank you," she said, "and I might take you up on that later. But, right now, let's just take things slow. We've only been dating a month. We probably shouldn't move in together yet."
"Fair enough," he said. "We'll give it some time."
Later that night they drove to Hayden's house. Marie wanted to confront him about the lies he had said, the danger he had put her in. But the car was gone and the house was dark. They drove up and got out of the car. They peered through the dark windows, but Hayden was long gone.
"I'm glad," Axel said. "To think we've been friends since we were kids and he did this to me, I still can't believe it. I thought I knew him. I thought I could trust him."
Marie came around and brought her arms around Axel. She pulled him closer to her, leaning against him and rubbing his back. She had nothing to say. There was no comfort that she could give.
"I wonder where he went," Axel said looking around. "He'd never been anywhere other than here."
"He'll have to learn to find his way without you," Marie said. "But I don't feel bad that he left. He put Cate in danger, a little girl. I wouldn't want you around a man like that."
He scoffed, but she was right. Hayden was bad news and Axel was glad to be rid of him. He drove Marie and Cate and their suitcases back to the mansion. He carried them upstairs and deposited them on the living room floor. The place looked exactly the same and Marie sighed with happiness when she entered it.
He gave her space. He let her enjoy being back home. She had only just broken free from Austin and now she deserved to have some time with her daughter. He walked towards the gym. It was closed; he would need to find someone else to run it and a new coach. His match was coming up; it was a bad time to lose so many people.
But he didn't feel worried or nervous. He felt calm. He had just gone up against eight different guys and come out the winner. He wasn't so worried about meeting someone in a cage now. He felt free. There was no one holding him back. He could get the best coach in the business. He wouldn't have to worry about Marie. There would be no monsters coming in the night to take her away. There would be no one threatening her or lurking in the shadows and watching. There was no more noose around her neck. She was free and she had chosen to stay with Axel. She wanted to be with him.
He sighed and looked to the sky. His mother had always said God works in mysterious ways. He had never really understood that phrase until this moment. It was a strange line of events that brought Marie and Axel together. There was no other way for it to happen. This was how they had to meet. But from here on out, whatever happened belonged to them. They were in charge of their own lives. They could do anything.
Chapter Forty-Three
"I've never been in the museum after hours before, other than the benefit, of course," Elizabeth said. She was sitting perched on the couch a glass of wine resting in her hand. Cate was sitting next to her drawing a picture and Marie was nervously cleaning the kitchen.