Brushing off my tingling, contradicting emotions, I busied myself with my tasks. I helped the DJ fix his issues, verified the sound system and projection screen were hooked up, inspected the finger foods and pastries, tested the wine. I took a few extra sips of each vintage, pretending to need a second helping; in reality, I needed alcohol to cool myself down.

As I scarfed down a macaron, again claiming—to myself only—that I needed another bite to be sure they were up to standards, guests started arriving. I finished chewing, grabbed Chi—who'd showed up as I'd shoved the pastry into my mouth—and skidded up to the doors to welcome everyone.

Despite how high-profile this wedding was, the guest list wasn't that huge. A hundred or so people had been invited, a dozen more hadn't RSVP'd. I prepared for last-minute additions to the list—as was common for wealthy, world-renowned women like Violet, who liked to add more attendees without warning.

Axel kept his eye on me through all my tasks. I sensed his gaze no matter where I was in the ballroom. When I had to bend down to check wires and cables, I knew he was ogling my backside. When I sipped from my cup, I knew he was admiring my lips, remembering how they tasted. And now, as Chi and I shook hands and guided folks towards ushers who'd take them to their seats, I knew he was near, watching me, scrutinizing me.

I wouldn't pretend like I didn't like it. My plan had worked, though it had backfired slightly—he was supposed to be turned on by me, but as it happened, my arousal was too much to handle, too.

"Nice dress choice," whispered Chi, between guests. "Definitely going for a discreet vibe, huh? An I-don't-want-to-fuck-you-anymore-but-enjoy-this-view vibe."

I jammed my elbow into their side, causing them to almost fold in half. "Shut up." I smiled wide as a celebrity I hadn't seen on the guest list walked in. A quick glance at Axel, who was towering nearby; he nodded, approving the celebrity's entry into the event. Once the individual was on their way to their seat, I glared at Chi. "It was a revenge tactic for how he got me all flustered earlier."

Chi covered their mouth and nose, and snorted. "Oh, yeah? And did that work?" They touched the back of my neck and hissed. "You're overheating girl. I'd say you're still flustered."

"Fuck," I said under my breath, sending one more peek at Axel, who spoke with his other sister, Estelle. "I need to stay away from him at all times. Play interference tonight." I plastered yet another smile on my face, shaking hands with another guest.

"Interference?" Chi was smiling, too, but their smile was more practiced, less fake-looking than mine. "Like, you want me to stand between you and him and make sure he doesn't get close?" They chuckled. "I'm not getting involved."

Thanks a lot, Chi. What a friend you are.

Finally, the last guest ushered in, the doors closed, and everyone took their seats. Chi on my heels, I sauntered over to the side of the stage, praying Axel wouldn't glue himself to me to continue teasing me. I exhaled a breath of relief when I noticed him leaning against an opposing wall, arms crossed as he watched Estelle climb onto the podium and take hold of the microphone.

"Well, this is quite a party," she said, speaking into the microphone with a rehearsed, confident voice. Her pink and red hair was neon-like in the stage lights, with her darker, gingery roots on display—the only feature that showed she and Axel were related, in my opinion. A long, creamy dress draped over her svelte figure, with a slit starting at her upper thigh and exposing her beautifully tattooed leg. "And all for this chick?" Laughter came from the audience as Estelle pointed at Violet, who sat in the front row, on a chair decorated with flowers and pink cloth, instead of the rose gold everyone else perched on.

Estelle spoke kind words about her younger sister, then threw in some terrible jokes about Reece—who took it all in with a genuine grin and several bouts of laughter—and introduced the bridal party.

I could tell from Estelle's mocking tone and how often she rolled her eyes that she wasn't a fan of Violet's friends, nor of Reece's. One look at the bridesmaids and groomsmen on either side of Violet and Reece told me they didn't like Estelle either.

"Come up here," Estelle said to Violet, gesturing at her youngest sibling to hop onto the platform.

Violet obliged, wincing as she grasped her dress—a sparkling number with a delirious neckline and a perfect pair of fake boobs to hold everything in place—and joined her sister atop the podium. Her strawberry blonde curls coiled around her head, bouncy and hair-sprayed to perfection.

"You too, Harvey." Estelle motioned at her other brother, who sat in the second row, brooding. "I don't give a shit if you're high or acting all shy, get up here."

With a groan, the younger Levine brother made his way up onto the stage, standing on Violet's other side. She was now squeezed between her two siblings, her cheeks rouged, her glow of happiness intoxicating.

"I'd call Axel up here too, but he'll refuse, so I won't bother." Estelle glanced towards their eldest sibling, who remained affixed to the wall as if glued to it, arms folded, a scowl on his face.

Even when scowling, when showcasing his grumpy exterior, he was so damn hot I had to fan myself and forcefully pull my gaze away from him.

Violet sent a sort of pleading look at Axel, but he wouldn't budge. She sighed, then slid her hand into Harvey's, who tipped his chin, peering down at his shoes. He was truly a younger version of Axel, but he didn't exude the same devastating charm and confidence that Axel did.

"There will be a slideshow about all this in a minute, but in my capacity as second eldest sibling, I have a few things to say about our Levine family." Estelle's voice crackled, but her composure was intact. She stood tall—and she was the tallest of the three, though Harvey was close behind—and didn't let her emotions knock her down. "We've been through it, for sure. And I know that doesn't show with," she gestured around the room, "all this wealthy shit linked to our name. We're rich; but we didn't get here by simply being born."

I wished I could sit, but in my spot on the bottom left of the stage, there was no space for a chair. As the wedding planner, I had to be ready to run across the way if anyone needed me. So I fidgeted, adjusting my dress hem, wiggling my toes to relieve the pressure from my shoes.

"As some of you, well, most of you know, our parents died in a car wreck, many moons ago. But it still feels so real, to me, at least." Estelle sucked her lips in and her brown eyes grew watery. "Violet was a little girl, Harvey and I were annoying teenagers, but Axel...he was eighteen, and became the new head of the family. He was still in school, headed to college, but had to postpone his studies to take care of us. He took on the Levine Luxury Group business before he was ready. While supervising us and our antics, he flourished, he expanded the company, quadrupled revenue."

I scrunched my eyebrows and shot a glimpse at Axel. His head was lowered, his hands in his pockets. Was he not made aware of this segment? Everything about his body language was closed off, embarrassed.

Violet snagged the microphone from Estelle. "What my sister is trying to say is that I wouldn't be here...none of us would be here if it wasn't for Axel." She swallowed, turning to Axel, who still kept his gaze averted. "Harvey wouldn't have improved technology as he has today. Estelle wouldn't have started building a restaurant empire. And I wouldn't have tried my hand at designing, which means I wouldn't have met Reece, which means I..." She choked up, thrusting the microphone back into Estelle's hands before she sobbed into Harvey's shoulder.

Axel tilted his head back, but didn't grace his siblings with a glance. He focused on the ceiling, and from where I stood, despite the speakers and lights in my way, I caught a glimmer of something in his eyes.

I didn't know this about Axel's past, not that I'd bothered to research him enough to figure it out. The little I knew of his family came from Violet, and she was tight-lipped about her parents. She'd mentioned in passing that they were gone, and I assumed Axel took over the business for that reason; but I had no idea he'd had no choice.

"Thank you, Axel," said Estelle, on the verge of choking up herself. "We'll take the spotlight off you, now."

The moment Estelle moved on to other topics, Axel pushed off the wall and stormed away. A few guests followed him with their gazes, and I tried to, as well, but lost him towards the front of the room, near the main doors. He bustled behind a row of staff-members, disappearing.

I shuddered, and Chi sensed it, sliding their arm under mine. "You okay?" they whispered, as Estelle rambled on about teenage mistakes Violet had made.

"I feel like an asshole," I whispered back, staring in the direction Axel had taken off.

Not that I'd directly insulted Axel or demeaned him based on his wealth and status, but I'd made assumptions. Especially after finding out he knew who I was and continued to toy with me, disregarding my concerns, my discomfort. His job wasn't at stake, and never would be, renowned and rich as he was; but my livelihood was at stake. He'd disrespected that, and I'd thought harsh things about him ever since—though those thoughts were often muffled by images of him ripping my clothes off and shoving his tongue down my throat.

Now, a swarm of sympathy came over me. My gut grumbled and my legs were weak as I pictured a younger Axel, and his even younger siblings, dealing with the tragedy of death that had plagued them. They didn't want it, hadn't asked for it—and it reminded me of when I'd lost my own parents.

"I'm gonna go check on him," I said, after a few more minutes of debating internally whether it was a good idea or not. It wasn't, but I'd made up my mind. I tapped Chi's shoulder and removed their arm from under mine. "He's the boss, and if he's upset by all this..."

Chi pursed their lips, narrowing their gaze on me. "Uh huh. Whatever you need to tell yourself. You want an excuse to go after him, be alone with him. Well," they turned to Estelle's monologue, smirking, "like I said, I'm not interfering."

I ignored their attitude and flurried down the side of the audience towards where I remembered seeing Axel go. I had two options, two doors to pick from, since he wasn't in the room anymore: the door leading out into the lobby, or a smaller, metallic one that I presumed led into a storage space or a kitchen.

A hunch told me to open the latter. No one stopped me, so I went for it.

Beyond the heavy door, the room was mostly dark. The glisten of silver counters and appliances revealed that I'd stepped into a modern, industrial kitchen. A faint light emanated from the back, and soft voices filtered over to me, drawing me closer.

In the rear, huddled over a tray of amuse-bouches, were a few individuals, laughing, conversing playfully. One of them had a distinct voice and a ginger-haired silhouette I'd recognize anywhere—Axel. He was hunched over, his suit jacket removed, his shirt unbuttoned nearly to his navel. He plopped pieces of cheese into his mouth, relaxed.

As I got closer, I overheard the conversation—in French. Axel's American accent? Gone. He spoke with little to no hint of his native tongue, his sentences grammatically correct as he pointed at elements on the platter of charcuterie he'd been eating from.

I'd been tiptoeing to avoid startling anyone, but at the sound of Axel's French, I stopped pretending to not be there and let my heels clack onto the tile.

Axel jerked into an upright position, his gaze finding me at once. "Ah," he said, as his employees also took note of my approach, "I think I need a moment with the wedding planner, mes amis."

The staff scattered immediately, flurrying out the way I'd come.

Axel brushed a hand over his hair and waited for me to get closer, not a hint of emotion on his face. Moments before, he'd been amused, having a good old time with his employees; but the instant he'd detected me, he threw his guard back up.

"So you were pretending not to speak French?" I eyed him as he snatched another morsel of cheese. "That takes talent, faking an accent."

He slowly slid the cheese into his mouth, never breaking eye-contact. "You didn't want to know anything about me, remember?"

I froze in my spot, feet away from where Axel chewed on his treat, his spicy cologne wafting over to me, shrouding me in a hunger for passion. How could a simple scent, a mere presence, wake my arousal so abruptly?

I recalled Chi's words—You want an excuse to go after him, be alone with him.

Had I been wrong to chase Axel, to check on his well-being? Was it my job, as the wedding planner, to be worried about him? Violet was my priority, not him.

The space surrounding me was narrow, filled with all sorts of nooks and crannies where Axel could corner me, tempt me, ravage me. So many places where we could—

No, snap out of it!

"I found out a lot about you, tonight." I frowned. "Are you okay? With that stuff your sisters said out there..."

He concentrated on the appetizer selection. "They know I don't like to talk about all that. It took me by surprise...that whole speech wasn't planned." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It came from a good place, but I...couldn't stand it. Needed space."

Overcome with sympathy once more, I forgot about my mounting lust for this man and breached the remaining feet between us to set a hand on his shoulder. I was paralyzed as I touched him, a tickling sensation jolting through me—but I kept my hand there, showing my empathy. "I lost my parents, too. Different circumstances, but I don't like to talk about it either. I get it."

His neck snapped up, his eyes finding mine. "Yeah?" He side-glanced at my hand on his shoulder, then returned to me, licking his lips. "Are you here to help me feel better?"

I removed my hand and glowered at him. "I am, actually, but I see you're about to turn it into—"

"—don't act like that's not what you want." Axel straightened up, licking his lips again. "Parading around in that dress out there...you wanted to seduce me. And you didn't come in here to give me a hug and pat my back and be on your merry way."

I felt for something behind me, something to grab onto to keep myself balanced. My hands met with something cold and sleek—a counter, I hoped. "I...I did, truly. But you..."

His overwhelming presence made me wonder why I'd gone after him. For real. What did I want? What had I meant by coming into this room?

"You can't stop thinking about it." He didn't smile, but his lips looked ready to lift up. A certain air about him animated butterflies in my stomach. Excited butterflies.

We were alone in here. No one to see, no one to intercept our conversation if it turned naughty—and I had a feeling it would.

"No, I can't," I said, unable to stop the truth from spilling out. To admit this attraction, this desire, was beyond dangerous; but I'd held myself together for too long tonight.

Axel took one step nearer. "I can't, either. Last night, me slamming you against the window, me ramming into you on the bed, you screaming—"

"—Mr. Levine," I breathed, unable to find my voice, placing a hand to my chest. My eyelashes fluttered.

"What?" He paused, eyes widening, arms stilled at his sides. "Did I go too far? Oh, jeez." He smacked a hand to his face. "This is ridiculous. I shouldn't be doing this."

"No," I said softly, bending slightly to draw his attention back to me, to show him I wanted him to look at me. "I meant that as in, oh my, Mr. Levine, how...deliciously naughty your thoughts are. Like mine."

He puffed his chest out, taking a deep breath of relief. He resumed his approach, and the closer he got, the more I felt that irresistible pull to him.

He'd left me hanging, craving more; and now, alone in this kitchen, with only ovens and fridges and smooth countertops in our way, I lost all my excuses.

My mind wouldn't settle. All I wanted was him, against me, inside me.

It was taboo, it was dangerous. Caving once, last night, had almost been detrimental. Caving again...

"Call me Axel," he said, close enough to touch me. He didn't, but his proximity blew heat from my head to my toes, tingling me.

"Axel," I said, my heart pumping so loudly in my chest, I knew he heard it, saw it. "This...you and me...you know we can't. I want to so, so badly, and I can't believe I'm admitting it out loud, but..."

"Who said we can't? Your firm? Your association? Screw them. No one can find out, not in here." He nibbled on his lower lip. "You look so fucking hot in that dress." He released his lip, and its plumpness forced me to hold in the urge to launch forward and take it between my teeth, lick it, taste it. "And hotter when I know exactly what you're hiding underneath it."

My cheeks grew so warm it was unbearable. I looked away, desperate to cover myself up, to hide how his words affected me, and turned me on.

He reached out and gently tipped my chin up, bringing me back to him. "Is that the only thing holding you back? No one is going to know, Vivienne. I swear it."

I inhaled, then released a sharp breath as he caressed my jawline. "Yes," I breathed out, shuddering. His touch was so soft, so soothing, yet producing such turbulent feelings that I couldn't move, couldn't digest what I knew was about to happen.

He was impossible to resist. Under other circumstances, I'd have jumped his bones the instant I entered the kitchen. But he was my boss. I was the one working on his sister's wedding.

And yet...we really were alone. Doors closed, everyone else at the party, watching the slideshow. I could risk it, one last time, if anything to get him out of my head. A final fuck to end things.

"You came here to comfort me, yeah?" Axel didn't move his fingertips from my chin, but his gaze wandered to my cleavage. "So what if I told you that the best kind of comfort I know...is sex?"

The word sex traveled down my spine, nestling into my lower half, awakening the wetness I'd been dreading all evening. Somehow, I'd managed to stay dry until this moment—until Axel put his hands on me and told me exactly what he wanted.

He wanted me.

The issue was...I wanted him, too. And if I didn't satisfy that urge, my desire would implode. Reckless, manifesting at the worst of times, risking my career. That'd be too messy for me, for this situation.

"Fine," I said, leaning into his hand, taking deep, steadying breaths. "If fucking me comforts you..." I lifted my chin, opened my mouth. "Then fuck me, Mr. Levine."

I moaned as he pressed his lips to mine.

☼☼☼