Possessive Rich Bully

Chapter 6

Playlist - I Put A Spell On You by Annie Lennox

Axel

I saw a glimmer of sadness in her blue eyes as she stood near the entrance of my pool house. Oh, God. What was she doing here?

Charlotte saw my eyes drift away from her face, she turned her head around to see what had held my attention, all of a sudden.

“Who's that?” She asked.

Her hands slipped away from my shoulders, falling down to wrap her arms around my abdomen. We had just begun our… whatever you call this friendship, and she had already started to scent mark me.

When I didn’t answer, Charlotte clutched her fingers to my chin, bringing it near her own face and staring into my eyes. Her dim brown eyes were curious to fish out an answer from me.

I answered, after a few beats of seconds. “Uhm… she's a friend. Her grandparents work as a staff here,” I clarified, not knowing what compelled me to divulge that bit of information to her.

Astoria was a mere friend to me. Our connection went beyond anyone's understanding, but something inside me wanted to keep her as a secret. She was precious to me and precious things often catch everyone's eyes.

She was just for my eyes.

Charlotte looked as if she couldn't care less of Astoria. She appeared annoyed by her presence. “Who gave her the permission to enter your private pool house? This place requires a code.”

The code is her birth date, of course, she'd know it. I wanted to shut Charlotte up by saying the thoughts in my head instead I chose to not pay attention to her words.

Astoria nervously entered the indoor pool area further. Her hands tucked under her warm blue cardigan which matched the navy of her eyes. Dressed in a farmer's overalls, she looked even more tempting than Charlotte, who was in her swimwear.

She waved at me. “Axel, hi.” She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. My heart squeezed at the sight of how cute and delicate she looked with her glasses on.

Toots. “Hey.”

I untangled Charlotte’s arms from around me and put some distance between us.

“I heard you were back,” she said, her voice soft. Her eyes landed on Charlotte. “Is it bad timing? I can come back later.” She started to back up her steps.

“You’re fine.” Charlotte’s demeanor took a one eighty degree shift. “We’re just hanging out,” she shrugged, nonchalance radiating off her. “Oops… how impolite of me to not introduce myself, I am Charlotte.”

There was a flash of insincerity in her tone. She was going out of her way to appear as the friendly girl-next door, I saw beneath her false illusion.

Astoria's face reddened, she bit her bottom lip and looked at me. I don’t know what was happening between us, but it seemed like she was silently asking for my approval to go ahead with her introduction.

I jerked my chin at her, absent-mindedly, giving her a green light.

When did she start asking for my permission to bloody introduce herself to my friends? The time when you told her to make herself scarce in front of them. She failed to regard your rule. Be mad at her.

Oh, shoot. That's right. I had specifically told her-- made her understand that I would not tolerate her presence when I had company over at my house. She was to remain in her little cottage until I came to see her.

I felt my temper spike up slightly. Keeping in mind that it's been a few days since I last saw her so I decided to let it slide, for now.

“Hi, I'm Astoria,” she said. “I just came to see Axel. I didn't know he'd be with a friend.”

“That's not a problem. Come join us,” Charlotte offered.

Astoria tensed up. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “No, no, I'll come back later. Please, I don't want to intrude.”

“But you did.” Charlotte was quick to point out. “Who cares now. I was just about to leave. It's getting late.” She sounded gutted about her admission.

I don't know how she managed to make the moment about her. She somehow saved her good girl cover from blowing up. So spiteful.

She was bad news. I liked her.

Not more than the fiddly, sweet girl that stood in front of me. Giving zero significance to her physical appearance and still acting like she wasn't a teenager on the verge of puberty.

“You’re leaving?” I feigned being upset even though I wasn’t the slightest bit concerned whether she stayed or not. “Well, I'll ask my driver to drop you home.”

“You don’t have to.” Charlotte placed a hand on my shoulder. “My brother had appointed a chauffeur for me.” She gave me her sweet smile, which was resigned.

I guess she wanted me to insist she stay on a bit more. Better luck next time, I want to have fun now.

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. “Ares let you hang out with me unescorted?” Her brother and my bestfriend was overprotective of her and to him, I was a bad news.

Little did he know…

She let her head fall as she laughed. “No, silly. I told him that I was going to my friend's place. I didn't mention who it was.” Hellraiser, this girl would turn out to be.

I grinned and she winked at me, getting out of the pool. She had worn a yellow bathing suit which amplified her newfound curves in all the right ways. I knew it all well she had worn it specially for me.

Girls really love me.

My gaze met Astoria’s expressive ones, they were diligently watching the scene unfold right in front of her eyes. Feeling a tad bit cruel, I pulled Charlotte by her ponytail.

“Axel,” she giggled. “Stop it. I really do have to go,” she said when her back hit my front.

“I wish you were in the same prep school as me,” I said, not meaning it. I just loved poking my Toots.

Her lips met mine in an open mouth kiss. My eyes stayed open to see how Astoria would react with a new balance of intimacy around her. She had averted her eyes from us and was awkwardly fidgeting with her cardigan.

“I'll email you,” Charlotte promised.

Oh, s**t. I hated emailing anyone, rarely do I ever check my emails. I just nod my head, not agreeing to anything.

She propped herself up and left the pool to get dried and ready to leave, I was finally alone with Astoria. As soon as her footsteps faded away, Astoria got her claws out for me.

“You selfish jerk.” Here comes the rant. “This is how you treat me? I don't even get the customary ‘hello, I am back’ from you. And she gets all your sloppy kisses and attention.”

My lips broke into a massive grin as her super angry rant went on. She gets all your sloppy kisses and attention, huh. She was jealous. I wouldn't lie and say it didn't spread like delicious warmth all over my chest, because it did.

For as long as I could remember, I was the only one acting jealous, pissed, damn near, out of control whenever Astoria was with her male friends, especially with that prick, Peter.

I swear I could see Peter’s frog eyes lightening up with unbridled affection when they landed on my bloody best friend. Countless times, I'd restrained myself from not knocking him out for Astoria.

But now, she must finally understand the agony I feel daily, because there was nothing I could do to stop her from being friends with that jerk. My temper boils just at the thought of having Peter lewd eyes all over my girl.

Someday, I'll break his teeth.

“Are you listening to me?” Hands on either side of her waist, she pinned me under her ocean gaze. Although, she appeared mad… really mad, but she looked cute as a button in her outfit.

There was no one who could look this pretty in a worn out farmers overall, blue cardigan with their hair in a braid, glasses damn near on the verge of the tip of their nose.

Only Astoria.

Playing clueless, I said,”I spaced out.” This would rile her up good. “What were you saying?”

“You always go out your way to hurt me.” Her tone was accusatory.

“When did I hurt you, toots?” My mood became flat. “I am sorry for taking out time to relax a little before gracing you with my presence. I need space sometimes too. Just like you do,” I volleyed back.

She scrunched her nose up, remembering exactly what I wanted her to remember.

Yes. You hurt me too.