Page 124 of Wicked Lord

“So why are you doing this to your family?” he growled.

“I’m not doing anything to the Battenbergs, Dad. This is your mess, why should I have to clean it up by marrying the most despicable man I’ve ever met?”

“You’re exaggerating. He cannot possibly be that bad.”

“Then you fuck him.”

The sharp sting reverberated across my face before I could process what had happened. I held my hand to my cheek, eyes wide and jaw nearly unhinged, staring up at the man who was supposed to love and protect me. The senator had been a verbally abusive asshole at times, but he’d never hit me.

He stared at me, frost glazing over his irises, his hand still in the air while the other white-knuckled the empty crystal tumbler. “I—I’m?—”

Heavy footfalls beat the marble floor, and a dark blur zipped between us. By the time I blinked, Axel had my dad pinned to the wall, his hand wrapped around his throat.

“With all due respect, Senator Battenberg, don’t you ever fucking touch her like that again.”

Dad wheezed and gasped as Ax’s fingers tightened, his eyes bulging out of his quickly reddening face. The glass slipped from his grip and crashed to the floor, shards of fine crystal splattering the marble.

Axel didn’t even blink. Fury carved into his beautifully fierce expression as he glared at my father, brows furrowed and lips twisted into a menacing snarl.

I just stood there watching, completely frozen, enjoying the moment. More than enjoying, heat surged below, igniting unexpected desire at my new boyfriend’s protective streak.

“Ax…” With the shock of the slap beginning to dissipate, I attempted to string together a sentence. The last thing we needed was someone to walk around the corner and catch a glimpse of the drama. Especially Brock. Curling my fingers around Axel’s massive bicep, I gently tugged. “Let him go, Ax, he’s not worth it.”

His eyes never deviated from my father’s, piercing blue filled with pure hatred. “But he hurt you…”

“He can’t anymore, not with you here.”

He loosened his hold, my father’s ragged breaths coming out slightly less erratically, and pivoted his gaze to meet mine. “I’m always going to be here for you. I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.”

“I know.” I pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, and he took a step back, sidestepping the glass and finally releasing my dad.

His arm laced around my waist, drawing me into his powerful side. He nuzzled my ear, warm breath spilling across the sensitive shell. “Just go with what I’m about to do, okay?” he whispered.

“Huh?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yeah...”

He turned those blazing blue eyes on my father, his lip still curled in disgust. Dad leaned against the wall fixing his crumpled shirt and straightening his tie. “Just so that we’re clear, senator, Lorelei is not wasting her time with me. This was not how I planned on doing this, but now I see it’s the only way to get you off her fucking back.”

With one arm still tight around me, he dug into the pocket of his slacks with his free hand. Something shiny pressed between his fingers caught my eye before he released me and dropped down on one knee barely avoiding the sea of broken glass.

My breath hitched, all the air squeezing from my lungs.

Axel lifted his hand, pinching an enormous diamond ring between his thumb and index finger.

Oh. My. Fucking...

Those blazing sapphire orbs fixed to mine, and a playful grin melted across his face. “Lorelei Battenberg, I’m completely, madly in love with you, and I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I know we’re young and we haven’t been dating for long,but I can’t wait another minute to make you mine. Will you do me the absolute greatest honor and marry me?”

“Yes!” The answer erupted from my lips before I could control it.

I dropped to the floor in front of Axel, lacing my arms around his neck, completely oblivious to the glass still littering the floor. His mouth claimed mine with an intensity that stole my breath, revealing all the unspoken emotions that had built up between us.

From over Ax’s shoulder, I could just make out my father’s stunned expression. Murmurs and muffled voices echoed around us, along with the rustle of approaching feet.

“Oh, my, I think he just proposed!” An unfamiliar voice murmured, then more voices joined in.