Page 95 of Double Standards

We never left the apartment. The coffee went cold on the counter both mornings. My phone stayed silent, flipped face-down and forgotten. We ate once, maybe twice. Slept even less. And when he finally pulled himself from my bed this morning, bare-chested and battle-worn, I nearly asked him to stay.

Nearly.

But I didn’t. I watched him go instead, the door clicking softly behind him while the imprint of him lingered in my sheets. In my skin.

I shift in my chair, exhaling through my nose, dragging my gaze back to the file. Numbers blur. Statements smear together. My concentration unravels as quickly as it forms. I try again, forcing myself to focus, but all I see is the way Axel looked at me when I told him about Cooper and Daniels.

About what they did.

I expected rage. Or cold dismissal. Or maybe the smugness men sometimes get when they think you’re broken and they’re the ones to fix you.

But Axel? He just listened.

No flicker of cockiness. No hint of disapproval.

Just heavy silence. Focused. Controlled.Toocontrolled.

It’s the kind of quiet that says he’s already planning something.

My phone buzzes sharply across the desk, cutting through the static in my brain. I blink, grounding myself back in reality, and glance at the screen.

Lex: Lunch? You need real food and a break from your computer, robot.

A half-smile tugs at my mouth.

Me: Fine, but if I see kale I’m leaving you there.

Another buzz.

Lex: No kale. Only carbs and reckless life decisions.

I smirk and push my chair back, grabbing my blazer and purse. Reckless decisions? I’ve already made some. And now in particular tastes like danger and obsession—two things I can’t seem to resist.

And right now, I’m not sure I want to stop.

Lexie’s already halfway through her drink when I arrive, legs crossed, sunglasses perched like she walked straight out ofTopGun. The sun catches the edge of her hair, haloing her in gold she’d never admit she deserves.

“I’m surprised you can even sit properly,” she remarks with a grin as I slide into the booth across from her. “That man must be doing work.”

I roll my eyes, but I can’t fight the flush creeping up my neck. My reflection in the window gives me away—smudged lipstick, hair pulled back in a way that says more than I ever will. “We... spent the weekend together.”

Lexie leans forward like a shark that smells blood. Her grin widens, all teeth and wicked curiosity. “I heard.”

Of course she did.

Her brows arch behind those obnoxious sunglasses. “And?”

I frown back at her, picking at the condensation on my glass. “And what?”

“Don’t ‘and what’ me. Did you tell him?” Her tone softens, but the steel never leaves.

I nod slowly, my teeth sinking into my bottom lip until it stings. “About Cooper. And Daniels.”

Lexie’s smile fades so fast it’s like the sun slipping behind a cloud. She actually sets her drink down—Lexie never sets her drink down. “Wait. What happened with Daniels?”

“Well…” I run a hand through my hair, forcing out the breath stuck in my throat. “He basically threatened Axel. Through me.”

Lexie lets out a low whistle that turns a few heads at the bar. “Damn. You okay? Want me to get the cuffs out? Maybe my baton?”