Reading Online Novel

Bang Bang(18)



Pretty sure I finished the entire piece of toast with my eyes closed. When I opened them again Ax’s mouth was open, his face flushed, and he was staring at my mouth.

“Do I have something on my face?” I reached for the napkin and wiped across my lips while Ax pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a pitiful noise I could only assume was irritation.

“Nah.” He swallowed, looking away. “Just enjoying the show.”

“Show?”

“Eat something else.”

I frowned. “You’re weird.”

“More toast?” He offered. “Jam?”

“I think…” I looked around the table as he took a sip of coffee. “I’ll eat the sausage.”

Ax choked on his coffee then started pounding his chest. “Sorry, wrong tube.” He ran his hands over his face and cursed, then reached for his coffee again. “And to answer your question, it was Sergio.”

“Oh.” I looked down at my plate, pushing the sausage around with my fork. “How is he?”

“Cranky as shit.” Ax laughed. “But he’s my brother, so I can’t really kill him even though the idea has merits… at times.”

I smiled. “Like when?”

“Like when he rescued you then put you in foster care.” Ax spoke so softly I almost didn’t hear him. “Like when he kept my best friend from me. I’m not blaming him. I take full responsibility, but let’s just say he’s lucky he still has both legs and a tongue.”

“Graphic.” I poked the sausage with my fork and lifted it to my lips. Ax leaned forward, watching my fork like he was a cat and I was holding his only toy. I moved it in front of my face, his eyes followed, completely captivated. I bit slowly into the meat, letting my teeth sink in. His eyes hooded as he watched me chew. I wasn’t sure if he was just really tired or for some reason found me eating breakfast fascinating. My last bite was the juiciest, causing some of the grease to run down my chin.

Ax shot to his feet, his knees banging against the table. “I uh, I’ll be right back.” He walked down the hall like I was chasing him with a knife and slammed the door to the bathroom.

I shrugged and finished my breakfast.

When Ax came back ten minutes later, his face was visibility relaxed but his hands were still clenched tightly at his sides. He held out his hand. I took it and stood.

“I won’t ask again.” He cupped my face. “I won’t demand it, I won’t ask it, I’ll try my damndest not to think about it. I won’t kiss you until you ask me… a second time.”

“A second time?”

His mouth collided against mine, his fingers pushing past my chin and diving into my hair, tugging me closer to his warmth. I gasped when his tongue entered my mouth. I could taste him, I wanted more. I flung my arms around his neck, he grunted his approval and then let out a moan when I opened my mouth wider, our teeth almost colliding against each other.

His hands moved down my back, resting just above my butt. I wiggled a bit, it was all the invitation he needed to push up the cotton shirt and touch my skin.

I felt every fingertip as they grazed my hipbones.

His kiss turned less frantic as he sucked on my tongue, and rocked me back on my heels, creating some distance between our scorching bodies. Ax tilted his head, nipping my lower lip before biting down and giving it a little tug. It sent a thrill all the way down to my toes.

Ax’s mouth was like hot velvet, every time our lips touched it felt like a caress, I shivered as he deepened the kiss one last time then pulled back.

His chest heaved. Eyes dilated, he whispered near my mouth, “That was going to be your eighteenth birthday present, me keeping you warm, keeping us warm, showing you that I wasn’t ever just your friend, Ames. I wanted to be so much more… I still do, but you don’t trust me and I don’t blame you. So, that’s it. I won’t kiss you again, I won’t attack you with my mouth, I’ll try not to fantasize about the way your tongue felt against mine — I’ll wait. Until you ask me, I’ll wait.”

“What if I never ask you?”

He smirked and tilted his head, tipping my chin with his thumb before kissing my nose. “After that kiss… do you really think I’m worried about that?”

“Arrogant ass!” I said breathlessly jerking away from his tempting touch.

“That almost sounded like an invitation,” he teased. “If you want me to kiss you again, just ask.”

“No.” I folded my arms across my chest and shivered. “You’re, you—”

“—So damn sexy.” He eyed me up and down. “It’s a shame you can’t walk around like that — then again I’d have a really high body count, and I’m trying to keep my total under 100 before I turn thirty so…”