Latte Darling: Book Two of The Darling Series

A throat clears and I nearly scream, not having heard the office door open.

“Didn’t mean to scare you,” Axel steps closer and I see the steaming paper cup in his hand. “I still have some work to do but thought you might like some coffee.”

Straightening from my sprawled-out position on the couch I reach up and take the offered cup.

Still feeling a little salty about the denied orgasm, I narrow my eyes at him. This might be a coffee-shaped olive branch, but he doesn’t look the least bit remorseful for leaving me all worked up.

I expect to see the dark color of black coffee so I can’t hide my surprise when I see the light brown liquid.

“What’s in it?” I lift the cup to my lips before he even has a chance to answer. My eyes widening even more when the first sip hits my tongue.

“I used one of the guy’s creamers, some sugar cookie something.” He lifts a big shoulder, that slight uncertainty finally breaking through. “It’s the closest thing to a latte that I can make.”

Taking a larger drink, I moan in pleasure as I internally swoon at his words.

I’m more of a coffee slut than a coffee snob, so I don’t mind the slight bitter burnt notes of the coffee beneath the sugar. And the fact that he tried means the damn world to me.

“Thank you,” I whisper, holding the cup close to my face.

Axel’s chin tips down in acknowledgement, “I’ve got another hour or so before we can head home. You good in here?”

Part of me wants to go explore Axel’s Bodyshop, but I’m thinking a tour would probably be better another time. Considering when I got here, I was forcibly removed from my vehicle and paraded through the building. And even though the door was closed, I doubt there’s much of a question as to what we were doing in here.

I settle back into the couch, “I’m good.”

“Wow,” I gasp under my breath when Axel turns down a long driveway.

True to his word, Axel worked for another hour before he collected me.

With his arm around my shoulder, he led me to his car, telling me he’d introduce me to his guys next time, claiming he just wanted to take me home.

Only he didn’t take me to my home, he took me to his.

When I realized we were going the wrong way, I felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness. We’ve been through a lot together already but going to his house seems like a big next step.

When I pointed out that I don’t have anything packed, and that I need to work in the morning, he brushed my worries off. Saying I can sleep in his clothes and go home in the morning, using one of his cars until mine is fixed.

One of his cars.

How many cars can one person have?

As we near the house I realize that I clearly know nothing about the auto body business. Because this place is nice. Like really nice.

The driveway does a little circle in front of the house, with an extra branch of the driveway veering off to the four-car garage attached to the side of the house. And the house itself, I’m almost tempted to pinch myself. The house is straight from my dreams. It’s a two-story, beautiful log house, the center of the building jutting up in a high A-frame, with a single-story level on either side. It’s just a touch away from huge but somehow, even from the outside, it feels homey.

We’re just 15 minutes away from Axel’s shop and not a neighbor in sight with the mass of pine trees surrounding the property. And I’m sure the view from inside the wall of windows is spectacular.

Axel hits a button on his dashboard and one of the garage doors rolls open.

As he pulls in, I can see a pickup, some sort of 2-door car, and an empty spot next to the one that Axel parks in.

I stare at that blank garage spot as Axel turns off the car and opens his door.

I’m still staring, chewing on my lip, and pressing my hands between my knees when Axel stops next to my door and pulls it open.

“What’s wrong?” he crouches down, laying one of his big hands over my entwined ones. “If you really don’t want to be here, I’ll take you home.”

I shift my hands until his are clasped between mine, “It’s not that.”

His other hand reaches up to grab a lock of my hair, dragging it between his fingers. “Then what is it?”

My shoulders sag as I exhale, “That’s Brian’s spot, isn’t it?” I nod my head towards the blank space of concrete.

Axel’s nod is slow. “It is.”

“How are we gonna do this?” My grip on his hand tightens, as if he might disappear and leave me to face the absent Brian on my own.

“Baby, when I introduce you to him, it’s gonna be fine.”

“But what if it isn’t? What if… I dunno. What if it goes bad?”

Axel runs his fingers through my hair again, “It’s not gonna go bad.” I open my mouth to argue, but he stops me with a gentle tug on my hair. “Brian might be a jackass some of the time, but he’s a good kid. A good person. He’s not gonna cause us trouble.”

I search his eyes, but I only find honesty in his gaze.

I chew on my lip, “What if it’s weird?”

Axel gifts me with one of his rare grins, “Oh, it’s gonna be weird. For him. You know how much shit his friends are gonna give him for his dad stealing his girl?”

“I was not his girl!”

The hand in my hair slides around to the back of my head, pulling me forward until our noses are nearly touching. “No. You’ve only ever been my girl. Isn’t that right?”

I give him a tiny nod. “That’s right.”

“Good.” Axel pulls me forward the last inch, pressing his lips to mine. “And we don’t need to worry about any of that tonight, because Brian texted me earlier to say he’d be staying at his friend’s house tonight.”

I give him my best incredulous look. “You could’ve started with that.”

He shrugs, “Could’ve, but didn’t. Now come on, let’s go inside.”