Bargain Wedding

Her (second) First Kiss

Jona's heartbeat was picking up along with his pace towards his precious girl. Coco spun Axel and that was when Jona rushed to gently circle his arm around the younger's waist before she could be pulled back by his evil friend, and held her close. "I think I will take it from here," Jona smirked at Coco, who pressed his lips together, biting back the mischievous grin, and left Axel's hand which he was holding.

"I guess somebody else might appreciate my company more," Coco pointed towards the awkward Tetsuo who was trying to dodge people's steps.

Jona locked eyes with Axel when Coco left and she smiled. "Hey, I missed you," Axel said and then bit her entire lower lip.

Jona's heartbeat sped up like a scared bird pecking for food in front of a predator. There was nothing in the two pairs of eyes other than desire. What was it that Jona was seeing in Axel's eyes and feeling in her words?

Axel let herself go today. She compartmentalized her thoughts about Minhaj and Jona, and evaluated them both separately to get her answers. At this moment, she wanted to live, to know how it felt to be with Jona completely without letting Minhaj control her mind, to feel Jona and only him, to give Jona a chance that the man had been striving for.

Axel held on to him by getting one step closer and letting their noses brush against each other. Jona's heart was pounding in his ears and his chest was heaving with the sudden rush in blood flow. His cheeks were flushed, not because he was shy, but because he wanted to do so much right now and the beautiful red on his face was his body's way of telling him that everything was not right inside. If Axel continued teasing him like that, he wouldn't want anything more than to pin her down against the wall and kiss the life out of her, hungrily and roughly.

His thoughts took a back seat immediately as their eyes met again. He could never be rough on this adorable being. Axel deserved to be treated with the utmost care and passionate love, unless she wanted otherwise. Jona held her closer with his left hand as his right one wandered off to rest on her face. He caressed her cheek and then trailed off his thumb right below her lower lip. A small smile on the corner of Jona's lips didn't leave. He then held her chin, causing her breath to hitch.

Axel was gambling on it all. If Jona kissed her right now, she would kiss him back. Jona's situation was no better. How hard he tried to resist. He was utterly whipped by just the proximity. He imagined how good it would feel to kiss those soft and pink lips which were now centimeters away. Being Axel's husband, how unlucky he had to be to still not have kissed them in the light of the day.

The distance was getting killed between them each second, and Axel was not backing off. Give me something, love. Any sign. Do you want this? Will you regret this? Axel kept coming closer and closer. Jona's eyes darted to the youthful lips, and he stole one final gaze at her to see any hint of resistance. He did not find any.

He took a deep breath and slowly, placed his lips onto Axel's.

A meek whimper left her mouth before she accepted the man's soft and plump lips. They didn't care about the people around them as they were lost with one another. Their lazily swaying bodies now stopped moving at all. Jona cupped Axel's face while the latter kept her hands resting on the former's shoulders. He tasted heavenly to Axel, when, on the other hand, Jona tasted the tinge of whiskey mixed with Axel's naturally sweet taste. They kissed softly and leisurely.

The brunette fondled the man's plump lips before Jona pressed his lips hard onto Axel's and sucked them.

As Axel slowly lost herself at the moment, her mouth went agape, and with the newly found opportunity, Jona's tongue explored each nook and cranny as his wife let him in. They kissed so passionately that Axel's knees gave in. Jona held her steady without breaking the kiss. His hand reached to hold Axel by the waist while his other hand played with her hair gently.

Hana spotted the couple kissing, and she felt like her body was being pricked with needles all at once as her throat went dry. She knew that Jona and Axel weren't intimate, and she also knew that there was a reason behind this marriage other than monetary favors. Mr. Suzuki was never the man to forcefully go after anything like he did for this marriage, which only raised her suspicions.

She tried her best during Mr. Suzuki's life to get him to sign some of the Suzuki property over to Lohan's name, but the man never did. During his final days, Hana slipped the papers between Mr. Sukuki's living will and last testament to trick him into signing them, but Jona had secured those papers in his room. No one was allowed in or out without his permission, so she never got the chance to get them back.

If Axel were to get closer to Jona, then things would change. She didn't know Jona had already transferred some property to Axel which included the one she was after. This was why she was afraid of them coming closer. She had been trying to get inside Jona's room for a long time.

She had employees go on a union strike in Suzuki's steel factory in China and asked them to demand they talk to the boss one-on-one, thinking Jona would have to leave, and she would lure Axel out of the room to find those papers. But things didn't go her way when Coco went to China instead of Jona.

She also tried to put the allergen into Axel's food, so Jona would have to take her to the hospital, but things didn't go according to her plan again. Moreover, Lohan f****d up by putting more than the required dose of allergen into the food, and they urgently had to call Dr. Choi at home.

Two pairs of eyes remained closed whilst the couple felt each other's soft lips, crashing like two waves in an infinite ocean, disappearing and appearing again, causing shivers to run down their bodies entirely. Their breathing ragged, and neither of them wanted to break the kiss because Jona knew that if he stopped, he might not have it again, probably.

But finally, he parted their lips and looked at Axel under his embrace, who sighed deeply with her closed eyes. Her hands started to slide down slowly from Jona's shoulders but he caught them mid-way and put them back to where they were. He pulled Axel to step on his feet, and they moved their bodies slowly, again.

Axel gazed into Jona's eyes just for a moment before averting them to the ground and a slightly shy smile appeared on her lips whilst Jona's eyes held intoxication from kissing her lips. "I love you, Axel," he whispered very slowly as his eyes gleamed with unshed tears.

☘

When Axel woke up this morning, Jona was gone. She also left the mansion and was practicing the dance routine with her group. "It is not how we practiced last week!" Minhaj was shouting at the dancers and Axel just sighed.

"What's wrong?" She asked him as she made her way towards them from the corner of the stage.

"I don't know how they got in, but I am pretty sure if they perform like this, we aren't winning anything. I need our old crew," Minhaj griped, too bitter with the new background dancers.

"Calm down, I will help. You go and rest for some time," Axel motioned him towards the chair on the extreme left of the big auditorium stage which was situated almost four feet above the ground. The floor was made of glossy hard and magenta wooden planks. The ceiling was mounted with lights. The illumination was customized based on the occasion and events. It was provided with big red curtains to separate the stage and the audience arena where red cushioned and recliner chairs were spread till the end.

Minhaj shook his head as he whizzed past them.

Axel smiled faintly at the abashed dancers before directing them in the choreography. "No, no. In the fourth step, your legs go to the left, but your frame is upfront, and your hands will go to the right," she kept at it for thirty minutes. It was difficult, but she thought she had made progress with them at last. "Yes, alright! Now we are talking. Keep practicing. You got it, alright!" She hyped up the dancers, who now had broad smiles on their faces.

From there, Axel trudged towards Minhaj, who was adoring her from afar. Ever since she ran out on him from the restaurant, she didn't know what to say to him, so she ended up lying, saying that she was feeling anxious, so she had to run away and then asked for some time.

"How do you work your magic?"Minhaj asked with a mesmerizing smile.

"You just have to be patient," Axel replied as she slumped her back and at the same time folded one leg against the wall.

Minhaj got up from the chair, and he encased her on both sides with his hands on the wall. "I have been nothing but patient with you, Axel. When do you think I will be fortunate to get your answer?" His eyes filled with tease and a little bit of desperation.

Axel flustered awkwardly. "I have to finish up," she said and pushed Minhaj's hands lightly to get out of his grab, only to be pulled back by the latter, who now held her wrist.

"I deserve an answer," he expressed with a pleading tone.

Axel didn't turn to face him. She nodded mutely and felt the grip vanish.

After last night, everything was clear to her, but she has always been the one to rethink every decision and overthink every small action. It was either that, or she would act on her whims, which never ended up good for her. There was no in-between for her. Although she knew what she felt for Jona, she wasn't entirely sure that her feelings for Minhaj had gone away entirely. She had dwelled in this pull-and-push relationship with Minhaj for more than two years, but destiny was the biggest b***h. It stored surprises that no one could fathom. Jona captured her heart in the process of her trying to hate him.

The first glance she took at Jona at the wedding altar, his first delicate touch, the way Jona wiped her tears, brown eyes loaded with care and oh-so-beautiful love, his soft voice, his dominant side, his heart-warming smiles, his elegant style, his fragrance of cherry blossoms and roses, him being responsible and considerate towards her, him being a gentleman at all times, and his soothing whispers. Everything made her fall in love with him, but the realization dawned on her after the kiss. She was almost ashamed of the desperation she was feeling for Jona after the music stopped last night.

Coco had found them after the dance, but Jona had continued to gawk at her reaction from afar. This was one of the things about Jona for which Axel fell. The care the man had. She knew that Jona was thinking only about her — if she liked the kiss or if she was regretting it already. The alcohol was wearing off, and she was beginning to be hyper-aware of her surroundings. Not having it in her to face Jona, she'd decided that talking to her father would be a better idea than facing her husband.

Being in front of Minhaj felt different now. Today, she didn't crave the other male's touch or attention. All she could think of was Jona. Her mind was poised for the kiss. How soft Jona's lips felt against hers, or how being in front of Jona made butterflies erupt in her stomach. She wanted the love for Jona to grow to the extent that it would consume her. She had finally lost herself in return for finding him.

To speak the truth, she had to at least wait till the end of the dance finals because she didn't want to ruin the performance they had been rehearsing for more than three months. It was not only extremely important for her, but it was also equally important for Minhaj, too. Guilt and selfishness were among the few emotions of many that she felt. But at the cost of everything, she wanted to crush Minhaj's heart at last, her overflowing feelings for Jona were candidly and fearlessly overwhelming her heart and mind.

Walking into the washroom, she pushed the stall door with such a blow that it started swinging. She huffed and roughly grabbed her hair when she heard someone walk in, so she stopped. She thought she'd decide later if and when she wanted to tell Jona about her feelings.

Although she knew that both of them deserved to know the truth, Minhaj more than Jona, right now wasn't the right time. She went back and practiced hard without interruption. She had to do this and then it would all be over.

☘

Coco walked into Jona's office and the man looked up at his best friend. "How about you sanction my leave now? I saw what happened last night and I think I deserve some credit for it," Coco chimed and popped Jona's thought bubble, who smiled.

"Why do you suddenly need leaves so badly?" Jona raised his brow with an amused face.

"My single life is boring, Jona. Let's talk about you," Coco grabbed the chair and slumped on it. "Did you talk to Axel?

"No.

"Why not?"

"If she wants, or if she is comfortable, she will talk to me. If I say something, I don't want her to feel obligated or regretful. Besides, she is really shy. I will just wait for two days before I think about talking to her."

Whilst Jona thought of the possibility of Axel regretting the kiss, in reality, the woman had fallen for him little by little — very slowly but unmistakably. She didn't regret the kiss even a little bit. In fact, she wanted to do it again and again and again and countless times. She just couldn't tell him how much she wanted to feel his breath over her lips, one more time.

Coco looked at Jona with an unidentified expression. "You are ridiculous. She is your wife, and you shouldn't overthink this."

"Exactly! She is my wife, so I will do as I please."

"You guys danced together and kissed each other. Big deal! Go talk to her. What will change in two days anyway?" The man snickered.

"Her dance finale is in two days, and I don't want to disrupt her thoughts right now. I want her to focus on her things without worrying about anything else. Besides, she has to attend the board meeting tomorrow. I tried to reschedule it, but my uncle is in town for only two days before he leaves for the states. This is enough on Axel's plate for now. " Jona stated, and Coco scratched his head.

"You care about her a lot. Don't you?"

"She is my only family left now, Coco. She's all I have," Jona's eyes went back to his laptop where he had set Axel's picture from the reception party on his screensaver. He dreamily looked at the young woman in a white dress. For him, nothing was more important than Axel's comfort. Even if he had to stomp the love and affection blooming in his heart, he did it without hesitation.

Wanting to talk to her, Jona left the office early and arrived home to prepare Axel for tomorrow's meeting.

Axel was waiting for Jona and even though she knew he would take another hour or so, she felt as if time stopped. She anxiously looked at the clock and thought the same thing that Jona was thinking — if he regretted kissing her?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Jona's voice outside the room. Her eyes darted at the door and her heart sped up as she spotted Jona enter the room while talking to someone over the phone. Jona's earpieces, which were flashing blue lights, were connected via Bluetooth. "Uncle, I will talk to you tomorrow. I have just reached home so I am busy now." He spoke, giving Axel some time to control her heartbeats.

She was nervously chewing on her lips when Jona sat on the couch beside the bed. "How was your day, Axel?" He asked in a soft voice while taking out the earpieces.

"It- it was good. How was yours?"

"Not so good," Jona replied as he took off his shoes and leaned his head back on the couch."

"What happened? Is something bothering you?" Axel asked, unknowingly playing with her fingers nervously.

Jona sighed and sat straight. "It's about my dream project. It's related to the treatment of critical ailments and I would have to set up new equipment in the hospital. The diagnosis and treatment for underprivileged people will be free of cost, and that's where the debate is ongoing with the board. They think it will be a huge loss."

Axel could see Jona looked tired. "Where is this hospital?" She asked.

"It isn't anywhere," Jona answered. The wide, round eyes blinked at him innocently. Jona smiled. "It's new construction. It will start soon. Everything will be done from scratch. It will be the biggest hospital in Japan."

Answering, Jona held his face and rocked his neck side to side, cracking the bones.

"Um... Y-You look tired. You should rest," Axel wanted Jona to lay in bed.

"No, I am fine. I actually wanted to talk to you," Jona interrupted and got up. Axel's heart began to race like a machine gun firing in the hole. She thought that Jona would talk about last night, but the latter walked towards the table and pulled out a light blue file from the drawer. Carrying it, he inched closer to her. "Let's go through this after we eat. I will explain everything for the board meeting tomorrow." He kept the file on the bed and Axel nodded as she curiously picked it up.

She then saw Jona walking towards the closet to choose his robe to wear after the shower.

Quickly, she browsed through the blueprint of the hospital, a list of vendors who would provide the equipment, the budget, cost, presentation, and other things.

When Jona came out after showering, he saw Axel lost in the file. She stopped when she whiffed her favorite fragrance of cherry blossoms and roses. She whipped her neck towards Jona and they smiled as their eyes met. "Did you read it?" Jona chuckled, pointing at the file which she held.

"Mmhm," Axel nodded.

"Did you understand?" Jona's legs trudged him towards the girl, and he sat beside her on the bed.

"Everything, except why is it under my name?" Axel asked, knitting her brows a little.