by Chiah Wilder
“You turned it off after so you couldn’t get any of my texts, right? What the fuck kind of game are you playing here?”
Panic seized her. Logan was at the table, and she couldn’t let him know she was texting Axe in the middle of the night. He’d have a field day with that one.
Discreetly, she slipped her hand from her lap, reached out and touched Axe’s thigh. He shook under her fingers. In a low voice, she said, “Please, stop. We can discuss this later. Not now.” She mouthed, “Not with him,” tilting her head in Logan’s direction.
Axe jutted out his jaw then looked at Logan for the first time. “You’re done here. Get a take-out box and finish up at the office. I need to speak with Baylee alone.”
Logan’s eyes widened and his lips parted. “What? Are you joking?”
“Do I look like I’m fuckin’ joking?” Axe crossed his arms, his ripped biceps flexing. Logan caught Baylee’s gaze. “Baylee…?”
Clearing her throat, she said, “Axe, this is rude. Logan and I are having a business lunch. We’re going over design changes Banger wants. You and I can speak later.”
For the first time since he came up to their table, Axe looked at the notebooks and electronic devices spread over the tablecloth. Baylee saw his eyes soften when it seemed to dawn on him that she and Logan were not having a social lunch.
“That’s cool.” He pointed his finger at Logan. “I changed my mind. You can stay.”
The color came back to Logan’s face and Baylee released her breath, relieved that a near catastrophe had been averted.
“We’ll talk soon. See you,” she said cheerfully to Axe.
Axe pulled out a chair, sat down, then crossed his denim-clad leg over his knee.
“What’re you doing?” Baylee asked.
“Sitting. I wanna hear how you’re gonna handle the changes so I can report to Banger.”
“I was going to call him later today and go over everything.”
“Now you don’t have to.”
Logan straightened his tie. “I think it’s great that you’re joining us. Maybe you can give us some input?”
Axe quirked his lips, ran his glinting eyes over Logan’s earnest face, and snorted. He placed his hand over Baylee’s. “Show me what you got. I wanna see all of it.” He winked.
A perfectly good sandwich was ruined; there was no way she could swallow another bite. When the waiter came by to give Axe his beer, Baylee told him to take away her plate.
“Would you like a box to take it home?” the waiter asked.
She shook her head.
“You hardly ate anything, babe. That can’t be good.” Axe smirked.
“I lost my appetite.”
“Is that so? Funny thing is, I’m starving.” He leaned over, picked up the other half of her sandwich, and took a big bite. “Fuck, that’s good.”
The waiter began to walk away when Logan said, “You can take mine. I’m finished.”
“Do you want a take-out box?” The waiter then glanced at Axe.
Axe laughed. “Fuck, no. I’m good.” He took another large bite of Baylee’s sandwich.
The waiter cleared away Logan’s plate, hastening back to the kitchen.
“You weren’t hungry, either?” Axe asked as he wiped his mouth with the napkin.
“Guess not,” Logan responded flatly.
“If neither of you were hungry, then why the fuck didn’t you stay at the office and work on the changes? You professionals don’t use common sense.” He took a swig of beer.
Logan sat up straight. “We better go. Stan doesn’t like us taking too long for lunch. Ready, Baylee?”
Baylee pushed her chair back, but Axe whipped out his hand. In one fluid movement, he had her back against the table.
“Baylee will join you later. We have some stuff we need to talk about.”
“Is it business?”
“It’s none of your fuckin’ business. You tell Stan that Baylee is with me, and she’ll be running late. If he has a problem with it, he can call me. He has my number.” Axe motioned for the waiter to come over.
“Yes, sir?”
“Another beer, and give the check to him.” Axe gave Logan a half-smile.
After Logan paid the bill, he said, “I’ll see you at the office, Baylee.”
When he was out of earshot, Baylee, bristling for the past ten minutes, hissed, “You are the rudest asshole I have ever met.”
Axe leaned back in his chair. “Yeah. What’s your point?”
“You’re impossible. Logan and I were having a business lunch, then you come barging in, tossing all your fucking testosterone around, and now you want to talk? No fucking way.” Baylee picked up her purse, but Axe’s strong grip on her arm held her in place.
“I don’t like him. He’s an ass-kisser, and I fuckin’ hate them. I thought you had a date or something. Now I know it was for business, so I’m cool with that.”
She shook her head. “What are you talking about? What if it were a date? How is that any of your business? You act like we’re going out or something. We had a one-night stand. It’s done. Get over it.”
Several people turned their heads as her voice escalated. Axe watched her in amusement.
“Stop looking at me with that annoying smirk on your face. You don’t understand that Logan and I are in competition for partnership. He’ll use anything against me. It is against firm policy for an employee to go out with a client, so you just made Logan a happy man. Now, he has some shit he can take to Gary, Bob, or Warren, and I’ll be on the fucking radar. Thanks a lot.”
Nodding, Axe pursed his lips. “You want me to take the asshole out?”
She threw her head back and emitted a frustrated moan. “Is that all you got out of what I said?”
“Basically, you want something, and that asshole is keeping you from getting it. I can eliminate the competition. It’s not a big deal. I can take care of it.”
“I can’t believe you’re serious.”
“Damn straight. Just give me the word.”
“Are you crazy? I don’t want you to do anything to Logan. This is bizarre.”
He shrugged.
He has to be joking.
“Enough about him,” Axe said. “I’m coming by tonight.”
“Not tonight. Stan is taking Logan and me out for dinner.”
“Again with the asshole?”
“Stan’s trying to be nice since we’re new to Pinewood Springs.”
“I’m trying to be nice with you, too, but you’re making it difficult.” Axe brushed his fingers up and down her forearm.
Baylee shivered as goosebumps carpeted her skin. Feels so good. He has the gentlest touch, but it can be rough and intense, too… Focus, Baylee!
“Another time, okay? I need to go. I don’t want Stan and the others to think I’m a slacker.”
“You’re not, are you?”
“Of course not. I work my butt off.”
“Then why do you care what others think? You know who you are, so fuck the rest of them.”
“It’s not that easy. What your boss thinks about you affects promotions, raises, and a whole bunch of other things. It’s important to keep up good appearances.”
“Fuck that. I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks about me. I know who I am. Fuck the world.”
“That’s charming.” She scanned his face—he was so incredibly handsome. “Don’t fool yourself about appearances. Everyone cares, to some extent. Take your biker world, for example. You have to show rival clubs you’re rough and tough, so you exude a certain appearance. You do it without thinking. You just did it earlier to Logan. You’re not immune to it, and neither is ‘your world,’ ”
Axe gave her a hard look. “I gathered you were feisty and witty the night we fucked, but I didn’t know you were a smartass.”
“The truth hurts, huh?” She smiled. “I really have to go.” She slid her arm away from his touch and pushed her chair back. “It was interesting… All of it.”
Axe rose to his feet, his tight jeans and t-shirt not leaving much to the imagination. Baylee noticed several women checking him out. For a split second, she felt very possessive of him and, without thinking, she leaned in to him and brushed her lips lightly against his. When she pulled back, hunger brimmed in his dark-chocolate eyes.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he rasped.
“I told you, I’m going out to dinner.”
“I’ll wait for you until you return.” As he whispered in her ear, his hot breath tickled her neck. “Your texting stunt made it impossible for me to sleep last night, sweetheart.”
Baylee swallowed hard and pulled away. She had to get away from him before her body gave her away. Axe ignited a fire in her like no other man ever had; if she wasn’t careful, he’d burn her alive.
“I’m sorry about the texting. I don’t know why I did it. It shouldn’t have happened,” she said as she walked through the restaurant.
“I’m not complaining. You were lonely, and you reached out for me. I like that.”
“Anyway, I can’t meet up with you.” She stopped in front of the hostess’s podium, fern trees in large, brushed-nickel planters decorating the area. The glass entry doors were coated with a brown film, cutting down on the afternoon glare.
Baylee turned to Axe and said in a low voice, “I don’t mean this in a cruel way, but I’m not interested—in any guy. I’m committed to my career, and being involved in any way is not in my plans. The one-night stand was my way of blowing off some steam. It was nothing more. I’m sorry.”
Before Baylee could take a step forward, Axe dragged her behind the tall fern trees and crushed her against his steel chest. With his hand tangled in her hair, he pulled her head back and covered her mouth with his. A small gasp escaped from her lips, and his tongue dove in. The kiss was deep, hard, and hot. Her body melted into his as she circled her arms around him, running her hands up and down his back. A powerful leg pried open her legs and he slipped it in-between, rubbing her pulsing mound with his knee. When she moaned, he broke away. Baylee looked at him, her eyebrows raised.
Burying his face in the space between her ear and neck, he nibbled her soft skin, whispering, “Yeah, keep telling yourself you don’t want me.” He patted her ass lightly, turned away, and waved. “Later, babe.”
Coming out from behind the ferns, Baylee watched Axe swagger to his Harley as her heart pounded against her chest. How could she act like such a hussy, and in a nice restaurant of all places? Every time she came into contact with Axe, it ended with their lips pressed together.
Taking out her compact mirror, she was horrified to see her swollen lips, flushed face, and the messy hair strands on her cheeks. Shaking her head, she ambled to the ladies room to fix herself up before returning to the office.
* * *
All through dinner, she pretended to listen to the conversation and laugh at Stan’s jokes, but her mind was on a tall, built, rugged sex god. At various times throughout the evening, she’d wished she’d taken Axe up on his offer.
Stan told another engineer joke. Right about now, Axe would be eating me out.
“That’s a good one, isn’t it, Baylee?” Logan asked, his ass-kissing at its all-time high.
She forced a laugh. “Sorry to break up all the gaiety, but I’m pretty tired. I’m going to call it a night.”
“It is getting late. I was enjoying myself so much, I lost track of the time,” Stan said.
After the bill was paid, she and Logan drove back to the hotel. Logan headed toward the bar. “Want a nightcap?” he asked.
“Nope. I didn’t sleep so well last night. I’m exhausted.”
As they stood there talking, the hairs on the back of Baylee’s neck crept up. An ominous feeling enveloped her. She glanced around quickly, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
“Well, I’m going in. See you in the morning,” Logan said.
“Night,” Baylee replied.
Logan disappeared into the bar, and again, she sensed someone watching her. Trying to shrug off the uneasy feeling weaving its way through her body, she scanned the lobby again, her blood pumping fiercely. Over to the right, behind the thick marble pillar, a flash of khaki caught her eye. Someone was hiding behind the pillar. She knew it, felt it—she wasn’t imagining it. A group of people came into the lobby, chattering and laughing while they headed to the elevators. Baylee rushed to follow and blend in with them.
As they waited for the elevator, from the corner of her eye, Baylee noticed someone come from behind the pillar. She turned her head enough so she could see him. He was a tall, lean man in his late forties, wearing khaki pants and a long-sleeved shirt. He walked slowly toward the elevators.
Right before the door opened, one of the women in the group said, “It’s too damn early to turn in. Let’s get a drink in the bar.”
Her other companions readily agreed. Then they were gone, and Baylee, who seconds before was surrounded by people, was completely alone, exposed and vulnerable. The elevator door opened and she jumped in, pushing the number for her floor then the “close door” button frantically. Her pulse raced. The door has to close. Now.
The elevator started closing, and Baylee leaned against the cool, smoky-colored mirrored wall, letting out a relieved breath. She was safe. The door nearly shut, a hand slipped in, and it bounced open once more. The piercing gaze of the man behind the pillar locked on to hers.
“Oh,” she said aloud as her heart fell into the pit of her stomach.
The man stepped inside.
Chapter Nine
A burst of adrenaline kicked in, and Baylee sprung past the man. Before he could react, the elevator door shut. She stood frozen, fixated on the closed shiny door. Was the man meaning to harm her, or did she overreact? Her instincts told her he was following her, watching her. The thought of someone targeting her scared the hell out of her.
She debated taking the stairwell, but decided against it. Tears stung her eyes as she stood motionless, not knowing what to do. The elevator bell rang, and her racing heart felt as though it would explode right out of her chest. Her leg muscles tightened, and she sprinted away before the doors opened and the man came out.
Dashing into the bar, she searched the room for a place to hide.
“Baylee,” Logan called as he waved her over to his table.
For the first time since she’d worked with him, she was happy to see him. She walked over to his table and took the seat across from him, so she could see the lobby. The waitress took her order and, in less than a minute, the scorching warmth of brandy burned down Baylee’s throat.
“Did you change your mind about having a drink?”
She placed the brandy snifter on the wood table. “Yes.” Scanning the bar, she said, “It’s nice in here. Looks very rustic and inviting. I bet the stone fireplace gives a lot of heat in the winter. It’s huge.” She stared at the massive fireplace that filled the entire back wall.
Logan agreed, then began rambling about the project and what they needed to do. As he droned on, Baylee tuned him out, her pulse racing each time the elevator doors opened. Then she spotted him, coming out of the elevator, moving his head all around. He was looking for her. A chill snaked its way down her back, and she shifted in her chair so Logan blocked her. She silently prayed that the man wouldn’t come into the bar.
Her prayer went unanswered.
When he entered, Baylee bent down, pretending to pick something off the floor. She watched his brown loafers as they took a few steps, hesitated, then retreated. Slowly, she sat up, observing him as he left the hotel, his cell phone next to his ear and his mouth moving. A sigh of relief washed over her.
“Are you okay? You look real pale, all of a sudden,” Logan said.
She laughed nervously. “It must be the brandy. Alcohol and exhaustion never mix well for me.” The back of her neck ached, and she rubbed it.
Logan finished his drink. “Are you ready to go up?”
“Y
es. Are you coming?”
“Yeah, I’ll go with you.”
They rode up the elevator in silence, and when he walked her to her room, she was grateful. “Thanks for seeing me to my door. Goodnight.”
“No worries. Are you sure everything’s okay?”
“I’m sure. Thanks again. See you at work in the morning.”
After she secured the third lock, Baylee exhaled. She’d been on edge ever since she sensed someone watching her. When she noticed the man in the lobby, her fears were confirmed. Maybe he was just a pervert, but she had a gut feeling it was more. Her inner voice told her it was somehow related to her mother’s murder, but her voice of reason argued she was being paranoid and ridiculous. The murder had happened so many years before, and in Denver, not Pinewood Springs. Only a few people knew she was in town for a few months. She was acting like a scared little girl. Or was she?
Many times over the years, she’d felt someone watching her. She’d never seen anyone, and couldn’t prove it with hard evidence, but she knew he was there, lurking in the dark corners of her life. Watching. Waiting for her memory to come back so he could silence her forever. The niggling feeling shrouded her life, but how could it happen in Pinewood Springs? She’d never been to the town before, and she knew her mother never had, so why did she experience the same fear and dread of being watched?
Maybe it’s all in my mind. Am I crazy? Baylee had read that sometimes a person thought someone was stalking him only to find out that what the person perceived to be real was all in his mind. Was the sense of danger, the fear someone was watching and following her, and the man in the lobby all a coincidence?
She massaged her throbbing temples. Damnit! I wish all this would stop. With a shaky hand, she placed two white tablets in her palm. Dr. Scott had prescribed the sleeping pills only when the nightmares became too much, when the shadows overtook her body and mind. She didn’t take them very often, but when she did, they were her slice of oblivion for eight hours.
After swallowing the tablets, she turned on the TV, lay on the bed, and waited for the pills to work their magic.