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I swallow hard, the guilt rising like bile in my throat. "I wanted to protect you," I manage, the words sounding hollow even to my own ears.
Sasha lets out a sharp laugh, the sound cutting through me like a knife. "Protect me? By lying to me? By keeping me in the dark?"
She tosses the photographs onto the desk, the images fluttering like macabre confetti. I flinch, the sight of her pain far worse than any physical blow.
"Sasha, please," I implore, taking a step towards her. "I never meant to hurt you. I only wanted to keep you safe. I didn’t want to cause you more distress."
Her eyes flash, a mix of betrayal and desperation. "Well congratulations! Now I’m very distressed. I thought he knew where I lived and had my number; I didn’t think he was keeping constant surveillance on me.”
The weight of her words settles on my shoulders along the realization of my own shortsightedness. I had been so focused on shielding her from the darkness that I had inadvertently pushed her away, leaving her to face her fears alone. I could have warned her that this was connected to me, but I wanted to end it before it ever came to that.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, my voice cracking. "I'm so damn sorry, Sasha. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was wrong. I was so wrong."
Tears spill down her cheeks, and I reach out instinctively, but she pulls away from me.
“How am I supposed to know what to trust? What else are you hiding from me?” She asks.
I open my mouth, then close it again. She has every right to doubt me. My chest constricts like it’s in a vice as I watch her face—her pained expression everything I’d been hoping to avoid by hiding what I knew.
“Please,” I begged, “Please understand why. I was so afraid for you… and so afraid of what you would think of me…” My voice starts to crack under the weight of the emotion behind it.
Sasha’s expression softens, if only a fraction. She breathes an agitated sigh out through her nose, looking again at the photographs scattered around her.
“Damn it, Axel,” she finally says, looking me in the eyes. “I trust you. But you can’t do this anymore. From now on, we face everything together. No more secrets. Promise me.”
I nod, closing the distance between us. "I promise," I murmur, the words a solemn vow. "No more secrets. We're in this together, always."
And then, as if a floodgate has opened, our lips meet in a desperate, searing kiss. The photographs lay forgotten on the desk as we lose ourselves in each other, hands roaming, clothes falling away in a frenzied dance of need and forgiveness.
My pulse quickens as I back Sasha against the wall, my hands planted on either side of her head. Her eyes, dark with desire, meet mine in a silent challenge. A smirk tugs at my lips. She knows exactly what she does to me.
I lean in close, my breath ghosting over her ear. "You drive me so crazy, Sunshine.”
She arches an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eyes. “Do I now?" Her fingers dance along the hem of my shirt, grazing the skin beneath. "And what are you going to do about it?"
A low growl escapes my throat. In one swift move, I capture her lips with mine, claiming her mouth in a fiery kiss. She melts against me, her hands fisting in my hair. I nip at her bottom lip, demanding entrance, and she parts for me with a soft moan.
My hands roam her curves, mapping every dip and swell. I palm her breast through the thin fabric of her dress, and she arches into my touch, seeking more. I break the kiss, trailing my lips along her jawline, down the column of her throat. She tilts her head back, giving me better access.
"Axel," she breathes, my name a plea on her lips.
I smile against her skin. "I've got you, baby."
My fingers find the zipper of her dress, tugging it down inch by torturous inch. The fabric slips from her shoulders, pooling at her feet. I take a step back, my gaze raking over her nearly bare form. She's a vision in black lace, her skin flushed and glowing in the dim light.
"Fucking beautiful," I murmur, my hands skimming her sides, feeling her shiver under my touch.
I lift her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carry her to the bedroom. Inside, we tumble onto the mattress, a tangle of limbs and heated kisses. My hands and mouth explore every inch of her, worshiping her body like the goddess she is.
I trail kisses down her sternum, my tongue circling her navel. She writhes beneath me, her fingers threading through my hair, urging me lower. I hook my fingers in the waistband of her panties, dragging them down her legs.
I settle between her thighs, inhaling her heady scent. "Eyes on me, Sunshine," I command softly.
Her gaze locks with mine as I run my tongue along her folds, tasting her essence. She gasps, her hips bucking involuntarily. I grip her thighs, holding her steady as I delve deeper, my tongue swirling around her sensitive nub.
Her moans fill the room, spurring me on. I slide one finger inside her, then two, pumping in and out as I continue my relentless assault with my mouth. Her walls flutter around my fingers, her pleasure building.
"Axel, please," she pants, her hands fisting in the sheets.
