AFTER FEEL.

AXEL WHITE.

Unlike the others who ended up on my bed, she didn't know who I was. I had been a regular at the club for as long as forever; somehow, she didn't know me. I still remember how terrified she looked when she saw me, and she didn't even tell me her name.

I had gone to Club Aqua to knock myself out, as always. Why feel when there was something for numbing? Alcohol, parties, and cunt owners– my mantra. I was on my second bottle of whiskey when she approached me. My eyes were barely open.

It was a cinematic experience, proving that the USA accommodated all kinds of crazy people. The memories of that night remained etched in my mind like a nightmare.

How she'd walked up to me and asked for my contact, and things took a sudden, wild turn. I remembered vividly how she ended up on my legs, my lips, hot and urgent on hers, and she pressed against me.

How intoxicating the feel of her body against mine was. Not to mention the urgent ride to my hotel when I tried not to rip off her clothes in the lobby.

Whoever that lady was, she was a new taste, something to keep at the tip of my fingers for when I needed her again. The thought of the night made me hard—

It was a new sensation.

Maybe I should have taken asking for her contact seriously. But I knew she'd be back, of course. They always do. I liked it when I occupied a spot in people's minds.

I'd most likely never see her again, not like I cared, but of all my one-night stands, this one had been the most memorable.

I snickered when I remembered every other thing she did after we fucked— four fucking times.

Who the fuck tried the play hide and seek in a hotel room? I could barely put her to sleep when she yelled about wanting to go back to her uncle's bookstore. It was comedic!

Rather than a one-night stand that it was supposed to be, it became more of a babysitting job. I had to nurture the strange creature to sleep— with a hard-on— so she stopped yelling like someone being strangled. I also couldn't understand how she begged for her hair to be braided, at 3 am!

It was a crazy mixture of pleasure and comedy— but I knew which I loved more. I'd like to have her in between my legs one more time.

Or more.

I sighed frustratedly; I should have ignored her request the moment she walked up to me. That's all for the strange New Yorker whom, frankly, I didn't care about. I had other businesses to attend to, like the Yacht party Sebastian was holding today. There would be so much to see.

The door creaked and swung open while I sat in my room, groaning as he walked in. Of course, his choking perfume filled the entire room–as always. I didn't know any more ways to convince my brother that he smelled like petrol every time he walked into a room.

My lips curved into a smile when I saw the frustrated look on his face. Asher fell into the bed beside me, dropping the suitcase he held. I didn't need soothsayers to know that today's meeting didn't go the way he wanted; not like he even wanted the meeting at all.

"Well, isn't it James fucking Bond?" I downed the rest of the whiskey in the cup I held, wincing as it burned my throat. The burn was the highlight of it.

"Isn't it Mr. Fucking Bean," Asher responded tiredly, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. "Let's hope you didn't have such an eventful day like I did."

Oh, I had quite an eventful day. I ended up with a drunk girl who had the same level of crazy as a rabid dog. I grimaced as I thought about it. That one was indeed crazy.

"Well, depends on what you define eventful as. I had quite the day, but we'd get to that. How did the meeting with Mercury go? Was Father proud of you as always?" I asked, a smirk plastered on my face as his brows furrowed.

Asher was beginning to hate his life as I did mine, but I was the prodigal son, after all.

From the time we were little, I'd learned to ignore the favoritism our father shamelessly displayed. Asher was the definition of perfect. Like any heir to conglomerates, he had it all, the brains, the looks, and the ability to sort things reasonably.

I, on the other hand, lived my life on cruise ships and in clubs. This earned me a title from my father, 'the bastard' had been my nickname since I turned fourteen. Not like I minded. It was better than being forced into marriage with a girl that knew nothing but fame.

Mercury was the only daughter of AULA, the most influential fashion brand in the entire USA, and her family being in a relationship with mine—solely based on business and a sprinkle of fake concern for each other's wellbeing—has caused them to derive a conclusion that it was better their kids got married.

Not me; it could never be. Asher and Mercury, two big conglomerates with plans to form a merger in the near future. I still couldn't wrap my head around the reason for this when we had enough. My family could donate millions to every hospital and nursing homes around the world and still remain billionaires.

Sometimes, being rich was more of a curse. The thirst for more rarely got quenched.

"I hated it, of course. Mercury is basically glue in human form; no matter how hard I tried, she wouldn't let go of my arm," he stretched his arm out and made a hurting face as he sat up, unbuttoning his suit. "But that wasn't the highlight of the day."

"So you didn't fuck her yet? I'm beginning to think you're impotent, Kid." I arched my brows. "What's the highlight?"

Asher rolled his eyes, undoing his cufflinks.

"So I went to visit Mr. Mike, right?" He watched my confused expression and groaned when he realized I didn't know what he was talking about, "Mr. Mike, the one who got severely injured during the building construction. This is why you should come by the office more often, Axel."

I nodded, knowing quite well I had no intentions to, and he continued.

"He was at a smaller hospital and refused to go to ours for reasons best known to him. He wouldn't even see me, and his lawyer threatened to sue. That's not the point, but I went back in my car, taking a few minutes to regulate my thoughts when this lady hopped in and yelled for me to drive."

"Oh wow, a random... person?"

He nodded. "She was so frantic, and I had no choice but to drive; it turns out she worked at AULA and had mistaken me for an Uber."

I burst into a row of laughter, imagining what it would have felt like for Asher. Of course, he never would have said no. Asher was too considerate to do that.

"You should have kicked her out. Did she recognize you later?" I quizzed. It was hard not to since his face was plastered everywhere in this country. "I think you just met the love of your life, bro. How very Hollywood."

He shrugged, "I thi. Also also, love could go fuck itself. Mercury arrived at that moment and I didn't want a conversation."

"You mean your wife-to-be? How did she look today?"

His expression folded into a frown, and he adjusted his tie, "I'm looking for ways to make the merger possible without having to...you know. She's shallow, an embodiment of everything I didn't like, but I have to play along for now..."

"It's easy; just disobey your father and run away." I poured myself another glass, and Asher snatched it, gulping it down in a go.

"There has to be another way, and he's your father too. Who knows, if you had shown the tiniest bit of interest in his business, you'd be the one to Mercury and live happily ever after in a ditch in Samoa."

Only I got to see this side of my brother, the side that defied orders and said the things he wanted to without the choking perfection he was leashed with.

"Well, I'm glad I didn't."

"What about you? Did one of your 'ladies' traumatize Bridget again?"

Poor Bridget, she always seems to walk in during one of my...'sessions.'

"No, I was with a pet this morning. I've had enough ladies for this week." I sighed as I remembered the lady from earlier.

"A pet?" Asher echoed, looked at me questioningly and I nodded.

"I don't even want to hear any traumatizing stories. Just make sure you get Bridget a nanny that won't quit so fast. Someone with thick skin who will handle her well."

I hummed a response, and he walked out, leaving me to sort out finding a nanny for my grandmother, who, more or less, is a delusional witch, but she's adorable.

She bites sometimes, but still adorable.