CHAPTER 172: YOU’RE GLOWING

~LAYLA~

"Come for me, my love."

His cock twitched in my hands, and then, with a final stroke, he fell apart, his release spilling over my fingers, painting my skin white and into the water below us.

I watched him, my gaze tracing the curve of his lips, the angle of his jaw, the intensity of his eyes.

He was breathtaking, and while I was admiring him, a small smile appeared on my lips. A smile that said a million things and yet, nothing at all.

Because what could I say?

In my moment of bliss, I didn’t realise when Axel recovered and smirked. A dangerous glint appeared in his dark amber eyes as he spoke. "You should have been careful, Layla. You have no idea what you’ve just started."

I didn’t even have a moment to comprehend his words.

Because just as I blinked, his fingers left my pussy hole as he focused on rubbing my clit.

My eyes widened, and before I could process what was happening, my second orgasm slammed into me, stealing the breath from my lungs.

I gripped his arms tightly, my nails digging into his skin as I rode out my high.

Axel’s fingers kept moving, drawing out every last drop of pleasure from my body until I was a trembling, boneless mess.

We stayed like that for a while, his hands stroking my skin gently, our bodies pressed together in the warm water.

But then, his soft, seductive voice broke my blank train of thought, "So... who won?"

My face flushed as I glared at him. "Neither," I answered.

"Oh, sweetheart..." Axel’s fingers traced down my spine, making me shiver. "That’s where you’re wrong."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Neither of us did."

"Huh?" I replied, still processing his words and my lightheadedness from the pleasure.

"Both of us lost," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Wait, what?"

"We were both too focused on proving a point that you didn’t realise something," he explained gently.

"Which is...?"

"That no matter who won, we both still got what we wanted. An intimate moment," he finished with a soft smile crossing his face.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or scream. I let out a shaky breath as I tried to process what had just happened. My limbs felt like liquid, my skin still tingling from the aftershocks of pleasure.

Axel, my insufferable husband, smirked down at me like he had just won a war.

I wanted to wipe that smug look off his face.

Instead, I leaned forward, brushing my lips over his jaw before whispering, "Don’t get too cocky now."

Axel chuckled in response. "Too late."

I rolled my eyes and pushed him away, making a point to stretch my arms languidly. "Well," I said, feigning indifference, "now that that’s settled, I’d like actually to bathe."

Axel arched a brow. "By all means," he murmured, shifting back just enough to give me space. "But you’re not fooling me."

I smirked as I reached for the soap. "I have no idea what you’re talking about."

"Mm-hmm."

I ignored the way he watched me, his silver eyes tracking every movement as I lathered my skin.

But then, Axel moved again.

Before I could react, his hands were on my hips, pulling me back against him.

"Axel..."

He tilted his head, pressing a slow, lazy kiss on my neck. "I just thought I’d return the favour."

I sucked in a sharp breath, my fingers twitching as I felt intense pleasure from there, spreading through my body like liquid fire.

I forced myself to stay still, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much he affected me. "Are you going to help me bathe," I asked sweetly, "or are you just here to tease me?"

Axel smirked against my skin. "Why not both?"

I rolled my eyes and turned in his arms, placing my hands on his chest and pushing him away. "That’s enough," I said firmly.

Axel chuckled, finally pulling away. "Fine, fine." He ran a hand through his damp hair. "I suppose I’ll let you bathe in peace."

I narrowed my eyes. "I don’t trust you."

"You shouldn’t."

I shook my head, biting back a smile as I resumed bathing.

Axel joined too.

After a significant amount of time, we finished bathing without any further incident... mostly. Axel, of course, had to push my buttons every now and then, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

Still, the heat between us never fully faded.

I stepped into the room, towelling off my damp hair as I watched Axel dress. To my amusement, he pulled on a pair of black trousers and a shirt as we prepared for work.

I smirked. "Huh. I thought you preferred taking clothes off rather than putting them on."

Axel, standing near the dresser, glanced at me over his shoulder, his lips curling into a knowing smile. "I do," he said smoothly, arranging the waistband of his trousers. "But I’m trying to avoid situations that would leave you gasping and tired this morning."

I stared at him, my face heating.

Axel grinned.

I snapped my gaze away and cleared my throat. "How considerate of you."

"Mm." He took a step closer, lowering his voice. "We still need to meet with Brennan’s associate today."

I exhaled sharply. "Right. Priorities."

Axel lifted a hand, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. His touch was gentle this time, almost... soft.

I frowned slightly. "What?"

Axel’s amber eyes held something different now... less teasing, more serious. "This is almost over. I promise," he murmured, brushing his knuckles along my jaw. "All this will become history soon."

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

He kissed my forehead and stepped back, allowing me to dress up. I moved to the closet, selecting a navy dress and blazer. Professional and focused. Exactly what I needed to be today.

As I dressed, my mind kept drifting back to earlier... the steam-filled bathroom, Axel’s hands on my skin, the way he’d whispered my name against my neck. I shook my head, forcing the thoughts away.

Focus, Layla.

Twenty minutes later, we were in the car heading to the office. Axel drove, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on my thigh in a casual, yet intimate way. "You okay?" he asked.

"Fine. Just thinking."

"About?"

"Work. The meeting. Everything we need to do today."

He squeezed my thigh gently. "Liar."

I bit back a smile. "Maybe."

We pulled into the HQ parking garage. As we walked through the lobby, Axel’s hand found mine, fingers intertwining naturally. A few employees glanced our way, but most had gotten used to seeing us together.

At the elevator bank where our paths would split, him to his office, me to mine, Axel pulled me close and kissed me. Not a quick peck, but a real kiss that made my toes curl in my heels.

"Axel," I breathed when he pulled back. "We’re at work."

"I know. See you in a few minutes."

I walked toward my office, still feeling the warmth of his lips on mine.

"Good morning, Mrs. O’Brien," Helena called from her desk.

"Morning, Helena."

She looked up, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You’re glowing this morning."

"Am I?"

"Very much so. Good night’s sleep or a pretty good morning?"

"Something like that."

My phone buzzed before Helena could say anything else. Axel’s name flashed on the screen. "Hey," I answered.

"Tye is here," he said. "With the associate. Can you come to my office?"

"On my way."

I hung up and turned to Helena. "Hold my calls. This might take a while."