CHAPTER 23: LAW OF ATTRACTION

~LAYLA~

I quickly made my way to the bathroom to freshen up, needing a moment to collect myself.

My reflection stared back at me, and I splashed some water on my face, trying to cool the warmth that had crept into it ever since Axel said those words: back to where we started.

The memories of that night at the hotel, the awkward situation that led to our marriage —they all came flooding back to my mind. I took a deep breath, forced them down, and focused on bathing.

When I came out, I found Axel unpacking his suitcase.

"How long will we be staying here?" I asked, settling onto the edge of the couch.

"Just a few days," he replied, pulling out his toiletries. "Three or four at most, depending on how the meetings go."

"That’s perfect," I said, maybe a bit too enthusiastically.

He gave me a curious look but didn’t ask. "I’m going to take a quick shower."

As soon as he disappeared into the bathroom, I grabbed my phone and quickly texted Erica.

"I’m here! Can we meet tomorrow? I’m so excited to see you!"

Her response came almost immediately: "Yes! I can’t believe this is really happening. I’ve cleared my entire schedule!"

"Perfect... we’ll talk better tomorrow."

I set my phone aside and reached for the small bottle of prescribed ointment Dr. Martinez had given me for my feet, and started applying it to the tender bruise.

The bathroom door opened just as I winced at the sting. Axel emerged from the bathroom with damp hair and a towel wrapped around his waist.

He froze when his eyes caught sight of me. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Putting on the ointment the doctor gave me," I said quickly, fumbling with the cap.

Without saying a word, he walked over and gently took the bottle from my hands.

"I can do it myself," I protested.

"Clearly," he said dryly, kneeling in front of me. "Just stay still."

His touch was surprisingly gentle as he carefully applied the ointment to my bruised toes. When I winced slightly, he actually blew softly on the area to reduce the sting.

My chest tightened. The cool air against my skin, combined with the warmth of his breath, made goosebumps prickle along my arms.

I watched him in complete silence, stunned by this tender side of him. It was so different from his usual businesslike demeanour.

I found myself wondering what it would be like if he were always this caring and attentive. The thought made my heart race in a way that scared me.

I shook the thought off quickly. Daydreaming about Axel was a dangerous game.

"There," he said, capping the bottle and standing up. "That should help."

"Thank you," I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper.

"It’s nothing," he replied, running the towel through his hair.

I picked up the room service menu to distract myself. "I’ll order us some dinner. What would you like?"

Before he could answer, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, and his expression grew serious.

"I need to take this," he said, answering the call. "Hello?"

I watched his face as he listened, his jaw tightening with whatever he was hearing.

Since he seemed to be in for a long conversation, I went ahead and placed our order, choosing items I’d noticed him eating during our meals together: the grilled salmon, no onions, a side salad, and sparkling water.

When he finally hung up and looked at me, his expression was unreadable.

"Is everything okay?" I asked. "Who was that?"

"My lawyer," he said, sitting down across from me. "Cassandra made bail already."

I nodded, not feeling as upset as I probably should have. "That’s not surprising. Daddy’s favourite daughter doesn’t stay in jail long."

"Are you okay with that?" Axel asked, studying my face carefully.

"It’s fine," I said with a shrug. "It was expected. Hopefully, the experience will make my family think twice before messing with us again."

"You seem oddly calm about this."

"What’s the point of getting worked up?" I asked. "Besides, you already stood up for me in the most incredible way. You went above and beyond what anyone would expect."

I almost told him that no one had ever been so considerate toward me, so protective, but I caught myself. I didn’t want him to think I was reading too much into our arrangement or getting the wrong idea about our fake marriage.

"I’ll repay you for your help someday," I said instead. "When I’m standing fully on my own two feet."

"That won’t be necessary," Axel replied. "We’re in a marriage of mutual benefits, remember? What did you want to ask me earlier?"

"I already ordered for us," I said. "I hope that’s okay."

He looked genuinely surprised when the food arrived and he saw what I’d chosen. I watched as he took in the salmon, the lack of onions, and even the specific brand of sparkling water he preferred.

But he didn’t say anything to acknowledge that I’d been paying attention to his preferences.

We ate in comfortable silence, and I found myself stealing glances at him. After dinner, Axel excused himself to change for bed. When he emerged from the bathroom, he was wearing only boxer shorts.

My eyes widened. "Aren’t you going to wear anything else?"

"This is how I sleep," he said matter-of-factly, pulling back the covers on one side of the bed.

"Okay," I said quickly, grabbing my pillow. "I’ll just sleep on the couch."

"Suit yourself," he replied with a shrug, settling into the bed.

I let out a huff. This man was insufferable. He didn’t even look twice at me.

Whatever!

I made myself as comfortable as possible on the couch, but it was clearly not meant for sleeping. Every time I shifted, my injured feet would hit the armrest or I’d nearly roll off onto the floor.

After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, I felt someone gently shaking my shoulder.

"Layla," Axel’s voice was quiet in the darkness. "Stop being ridiculous. That couch doesn’t have enough space for you to rest your leg properly."

"I’m fine," I mumbled, even as my back ached from the awkward position.

"No, you’re not. If you’re going to be such a big baby about sharing a bed, then I’ll take the couch."

"No!" I said quickly, sitting up. "You can’t sleep on this tiny thing. You’re way too tall."

"Then get in the bed," he said patiently. "It’s large enough for three people. We’ll barely know the other person is there."

He had a point. The bed was huge, easily big enough for both of us to sleep without touching each other. So why was I making a big deal out of it? Why was I so flustered?

"Fine," I sighed, grabbing my pillow and following him back to the bed.

I climbed in on the far side, staying as close to the edge as possible. Axel settled on his side without another word.

"Good night, Layla."

"Good night, Axel."

Despite my nervousness about sharing a bed with him, exhaustion eventually won out, and I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I was immediately aware of warmth beneath my cheek and a steady heartbeat in my ear. My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself staring at perfectly sculpted chest muscles.

Creator of the universe.

I was lying with my head on Axel’s bare chest, my arm draped across his torso.

I froze, not daring to breathe, trying to figure out how to extract myself without waking him. His skin was warm and smooth under my cheek, and I could smell his cologne mixed with his natural scent. It was so enticing.

For a few stunned seconds, I simply stared at the rise and fall of his breathing, the sharp cut of his jawline, and the faint stubble across his chin. How was a man this handsome?

Get a grip of yourself, Layla!

Unfortunately, Axel woke up at that exact moment. His eyes snapped open and focused on me with blazing intensity. We both went completely still.

’Oh shit,’ I thought, my heart hammering against my ribs as I stared into his dark eyes.