Page 35 of All's Fair in Love & Wrath

“Do you mind if I go back to the room? I’m really tired, and I just don’t feel like socializing,” I interrupt.

“Of course. Do you want to grab some food to take back?” My stomach uses this opportunity to growl. Obnoxiously. Axel looks down and grins. “I’m going to take that as a resounding yes.”

“Could you just grab it? I’ll have whatever looks good to you.”

Axel’s face falls, his eyes pinching together. “No. That doesn’t work for me. C’mon, Malice went and picked up pastries from Daily Rise, you’ve got to try them. They’re the best in Washington State, and if you’re gonna eat something from there, you need to pick it.”

My stomach growls again, and I quickly place my palm flat against the center of it.

“Okay,” I agree, following him through the large room and around a corner. It opens up into a large kitchen, with floor-to-ceiling windows that look brand new, the walls painted an off-white, and the counters clean and clear. It’s cozier than I would have imagined. On the island sit several large cream-colored boxes with a stamped golden sun rising over a loaf of bread in the center.

Axel puts his hand gently against the small of my back and urges me forward. I go willingly, his free hand popping open all the boxes so we can peer inside. The scent hits me first. Warm bread, caramelized sugar, fruit, and cheese waft to my nose and make my mouth water. Axel leaves me for a brief moment, grabbing two plates and putting them in front of us.

“Alright, what looks good?” he asks, joining me. My eyes roam over every intricately made pastry. You can tell whoevermade them put so much effort and love behind it. “We’ve got blueberry muffins, banana muffins with no nuts and no chocolate, sunrise brioche—which is one of Mrs. Odette’s signature pastries—chocolate and almond croissants, scones, aaand two cinnamon rolls left.”

My eyes stay glued to the cinnamon rolls, the cinnamon oozing from each flaky layer, the thick icing dripping off the sides. Axel notices and reaches for both, putting one on each of our plates. I smile, biting my bottom lip.

“Any chance there’s coffee?” I ask, my voice low and unsure. Axel smiles down at me, nodding.

“Yeah, sweetheart, there’s coffee. How do you like it?”

“Black is fine.” That causes him to pause.

“Fine? Coffee shouldn’t just be fine. How do you like it?”

“It’s really fine, Axel, you don’t need to make accommodations for me. I’ve been drinking it black because that’s easier.”

“Well, you’re here now, and I want you to drink it how you enjoy drinking it. So how about you save me the rest of the day of making it a million different ways to figure it out on my own, and you share your secret?” My bones practically liquefy, and I sway slightly on my feet. Axel is . . . sweet. And considerate, and if he’s not careful, a girl could really get used to this kind of treatment. I’m sure he has ladies falling at his feet on a daily basis.

“Fine. Only because I have a feeling you’d want me to stay out here while you tried to figure it out, and I really want to go back to the room.”

“Deal. Save us both, then.”

“A generous splash of heavy cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if you have it.”

“Coming right up.”

Axel pours coffee into two large mugs, then opens the fridge, taking a second to peer in.

“Looks like we only have whole milk right now, is that okay?”

“That’s fine. Thank you.”

Axel finishes up our coffees, taking his black and picking them up by the handles. I grab both our plates, realizing he plans to come with me back to the bedroom. The thought doesn’t upset me; in fact, not eating alone sounds really great.

Not really remembering the way, I follow him back through the clubhouse living area and down a long hallway until we reach his room. He juggles the coffees with one hand and unlocks the door, allowing me to step through first.

I take a seat at his desk, and Axel balances himself on the edge of the bed, swapping out a coffee for one of the plates. My stomach rumbles again, loud and obnoxious. If I could just crawl into a hole right about now, that would be great.

“When was the last time you ate?” he asks after swallowing a large bite of his cinnamon roll. I think back to yesterday, how busy and hectic it was, and then to Maddox storming into the cabin, telling me to pack.

“Yesterday morning? I think?”

That growl that I heard last night returns, low and deep, Axel’s eyes squinting at me, his look fierce and stony. But just like the other times, I don’t feel threatened. “Is there a reason you didn’t eat all day?”

“I was busy working. Not everyone has the luxury of pausing their day for a meal. So, consider yourself lucky.”

“Well, you’re here now, and you’ll eat when you’re hungry.”