Page 11 of Ravaged By Lust

“Yeah, trust me, when Axel called telling me… it came as quite a shock to me too. My crazy older brother has actually found a beautiful girl and got her pregnant? I bet pigs can fly now as well.”

“Shall I give you a quick tour of the place?” Maddie asks me. “Who knows? We might even find Axel in here somewhere.”

“Sure.”

I drop off my bags in the living room and my brother’s girlfriend shows me their new home. It’s so expansive. As she takes me around, she informs me that Axel just bought it a few months ago. It’s got all the features a family needs; there’s a pool and everything. I like the kitchen most of all; it’s exactly the same type I dream of having one day. Minimalistic, but homely. Maddie tells me it’s her dream kitchen. She seems so happy. So content. Both she and Axel have found true love, it seems. Great for them. I may be the annoying man’s sister, but even I can admit that they deserve this happy life.

Axel’s done good.

“Are you still working?” I ask Maddie. “Mom said something about you being a publicist or in marketing or something.”

“I am. Managing to,” she replies, rubbing her tiny belly. “I don’t want to be aimless, although I guess I’ll scale things back a bit when this baby comes along…”

“Hello, girls.”

Axel appears behind us, clearly intending to spook me.

And he does. I nearly jump.

“Axel!”

I wrap my arms around him and he tightly squeezes me back. My brother hasn’t changed at all since the last time I saw him. He’s tall, imposing, and trying to look uber slick and cool. His wavy black hair is shaped into his famous quiff and he’s got those bright Stoll green eyes that I share. He truly hasn’t changed from his teenage days.

“Of course Maddie is still working,” he says. “She’s working for Ravaged now. No way she wouldn’t work; she’s got that fiery determination that I fell in love with.”

Maddie blushes again.

“Congratulations on the pregnancy, Axel,” I say. “I can’t believe I’m going to be an aunt.”

“I can’t believe you actually came to LA,” he replies. “I thought you hated the place.”

“Yeah, but what the hell? I want to see my brother.”

“Don’t you dare start getting affectionate,” Axel sneers.

I turn to Maddie. “You two do know that I’m going to absolutely spoil the baby when it comes, right? You can’t stop me.”

“Was that your guitar I saw you carrying?” Maddie asks me.

Axel laughs. “Don’t tell me it’s the same one you’ve had since you first started to learn, Chloe. You didn’t bring that all the way here, did you?”

“Yep,” I reply, nudging my brother in the ribs for that comment. “It’s special to me. That guitar has been my best friend for a decade. It’s more reliable than any man has ever been.”

“So you’re as obsessed with music as much as your brother?” Maddie asks.

I snort. “More so.”

Axel raises an eyebrow. “Really? You wanna bet on that?”

“I could outplay you on any instrument,” I retort to my sibling. “Try me.”

Maddie grabs my arm. “I’m so sorry. I haven’t even asked you if you want something to drink. You must need a glass of wine after your flight. Come, get relaxed. Welcome.”

I laugh. “I am pretty thirsty.”

“Red or white?”

“White, please.”