by Helena Vera
“I need to go home,” I say on a yawn.
He kisses my shoulder. “Hmm. With your hands tied, you’re not going anywhere. Sleep.”
My eyes fly open but can hardly stay that way. “But- I need to call gram.”
“Close your eyes, Joyce. I’ll call her and let her know you’re fine. Now sleep.”
I am still protesting that I need to go home but can’t help falling into a deep sleep.
11
CHAPTER
Something is poking my bottom. I wiggle against it and as if in reaction, it gets even harder and poke me some more. On a yawn, I stretch and go still, conscious of a steel band around my waist. My eyes fly open and I stifle a groan. No, not a steel band but Axel’s arm wrapped loosely about my waist. He is nestled up against my back, bare-chested and whatever he has on below the waist doesn’t offer up much shield because his erection is pressing into my backside. I shift and it follows me like steel and magnet.
I lie still, not wanting to wake him until I can find myself out of this predicament I am in. I try to remember what had happened last night after I’d shattered in his arms from my first non-self-induced climax. I frown vaguely remembering being fretful again last night and running a temperature. I recall just as in the jet, him using wet washcloths to keep me cool and getting me to swallow two pills before I went back to sleep.
I notice now that his manhood isn’t pressing against the material of my underwear as I am once more semi-nude. So all that had actually happened last night and isn’t a figment of my imagination. For the second time he had taken care of me while I was feeling poorly and I don’t know how to react to that.
He is sleeping so close to me as if he doesn’t want to let me go. His breath his warm and disturb my hair each time he exhales. I can’t believe he is still asleep with all the light filtering into the room because he hadn’t closed the blinds last night.
I close my eyes. Oh my God, I’d slept in the same bed with Axle Ash last night. What does he want with me? His actions are confusing. His words are harsh and inconsiderate most times and other times his actions seem a reassurance that he cares. But what exactly does he care about? I had been ripe for the picking last night and I know it. After my climax, he could have had sex with me and I wouldn’t have had the will to stop him but he had stopped, showing remarkable restraint and also keeping to his word.
Maybe gram is right. Maybe he isn’t as bad as he comes off as.
I’ve got to get out his condo and leave before he wakes up. What would I even say to him on a morning like this?
As carefully as I can, I pick his arm up and glide off the bed, grabbing the pillow I had been lying on, and substituting it for me. Satisfied, I look around for my dress but I don’t see it anywhere. Then I remember my suitcases are almost here. Screw the dress! I’d gladly leave it and put something else on quickly and leave before he awakens.
I have the strong urge to pee but can’t use his en suite bathroom for fear of waking him. I slip through the door of his bedroom and try to locate one of the other two bathrooms. I open two other bedrooms before I locate the bathroom and at this point but bladder is fit to burst.
I sank down onto the padded seat of the toilet, feeling as though I’m sitting on a cloud. It must be nice to live in such comfort and luxury, I think, looking about the guest bathroom. Marble tiles, granite counter tops, huge vanity with a wide mirror, glass enclosed shower and even a hot tub.
The toilet automatically flushes when I get up. I search the dental cabinet above and found disposable toothbrush. I brush quickly, not daring to spend too much time and give Axel the time to wake up. I wash my face and run his brush through my hair to get rid of the tousled knots.
Satisfied that when I call a cab, I’d look presentable, I hurry from the bathroom and locate the smaller of my suitcase sitting out in the hall still. I am bent over, the case unzipped when the front door rattles and is pushed open. Frozen to the spot, I watch in horror as a strange guy walk through the front door. He’s as surprised to see me and stands there staring at me.
I straighten and take a step back. I’d never thought an intruder would have such easy access to a place such as this. I’d thought they would have had better security here. My throat is dry and I can’t react until I see his eyes wander appreciatingly over my figure. My hands go up to cover my breasts and his gaze shifts lower in amusement and I quickly push my hands down to cover my pubis even though I’m wearing underwear.
“Wow, is this all for me?” he asks.
I react then by letting out a bloodcurdling scream. Spinning around, I ran from the intruder and head in the direction of Axel’s bedroom. Hell and damnation! I can’t remember which bedroom is his. I round the corner and smack into Axel, losing my balance. He grasps me by the arms, pulling me up to him before I fall to the floor.
“Joyce, what’s wrong?” he demands, shaking me a little.
“In-intruder,” I gasp.
“What?”
“There’s an intruder,” I respond with more clarity.
“What? That’s impossible.”
With me hanging onto him,
With me hanging onto him, worried about his safety more than my state of dishevelment, I trail his steps. We come upon the intruder, still standing there as if trying to figure out what is happening.
“What are you doing here?”
I clutch Axel tightly, as both men stare at each other. Oh Lord, the other man didn’t have a gun, did he?
“Hey bro,” the man smiled apologetically at Axel. “I left something in the guestroom when I was here last week. I’m just getting it. Didn’t expect to walk in on a half-naked woman.”
Bro? He’s Axel’s brother? Now that I am regarding him once more he does have a slight resemblance of Axel though he is younger, probably my age. He has the same dark hair and blue eyes.
“It’s just my brother, Dennis,” Axel says to me. “As much as he’s a pain in the ass, I can’t classify him as an intruder.”
Axel stares down his brother and remove the robe he had hastily put on and drape it over me, knotting the belt tightly.
“Come on dude. I much prefer seeing her half-naked,” Dennis snorts, gesturing to his older brother wearing only underpants.
“Well, nobody invited you over,” Axel reminds him.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” the younger man asks, walking closer to us. He is observing me with interest, mischief gleaming in his eyes.
Axel pulls me closer to his side, his arm going about my waist possessively. “Dennis, Joyce. Joyce this is my younger brother, Dennis, the bane of my existence.”
Despite Axel’s words, I can hear the affection in his tone. Dennis holds out a hand to me and I shyly take it in a brief handshake.
“Nice to meet you,” I say softly.
“Same here Joyce. I’ll have to come around more often if you make a habit of walking around here almost naked.”
Beside me, Axel’s body goes stiff. “Back off Dennis.”
“Well, you didn’t introduce her as a girlfriend so I’m guessing she’s fair game.”
“You thought wrong. She’s off limits. Now get what you came for ad go before I help you out.”
Dennis laughs in amusement but backs off. “Okay I’m going.”
It takes Dennis a minute to retrieve what he wanted.
“Now you guys don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” he announces on his way out.
The minute he leaves, I move away from Axel and confront him.
“Why’d you allude that we’re in a relationship?” I demand.
“Aren’t we?” he asks with a raise eyebrow.
I can’t concentrate much with him standing there looking so tempting in only underwear through which I can see a clear imprint of his manhood. I ensure I look anywhere but below his waist.
“No, we’re not,” I deny hotly.
“Are you sure? Then what are you doing here?”
“You brought me here against
my will!” I exclaim in disbelief.
“Well, you weren’t protesting when I tied you to the bed yesterday.”
I turn away from him before he can see the embarrassment in my cheeks. He is right. I never made a sound of protest while he’d kissed and touched me into an orgasm.
“I’m going home,” I tell him and go over to my suitcase to pull out the first thing I find to put on. I pluck a pair of high waisted jeans and an off-the shoulder cropped top from the neatly folded clothes.
“I’ll take you in a minute,” he replies, taking the clothes from my arms. “After we have breakfast. You slept through dinner yesterday.” He feels my forehead. “I think your fever’s all gone. I was beginning to worry las night when it returned. Are you sure it’s just food poisoning making you this sick?”
I am completely aware he has changed the topic and I need to stay on track to get out of here. I’ve stayed here long enough. Long enough for one of his family members to have the impression I’m his girlfriend.
“I’m fine and I can have breakfast when I get to my apartment.”
He grips my chin with one hand and frown at me in consternation. “Lord, but you can try a man’s patience. We’re having breakfast and then I’ll take you to your apartment, Joyce. End of discussion. Now go take a shower. There’s a place perfect for breakfast just down the street. We can walk there and then get back for me to drive you over to your apartment.”
I open my mouth to argue but he places a finger over my mouth. “If you continue to argue, I just might decide to keep you here for another day or two.”
I wrench my lips away from his finger. “This is abduction!”
“Call it what you like, baby girl. As long as you do what I say. Now go shower or do you want me to stand over you and see that you do?”
His smirk has me fuming but I keep my mouth zipped amidst his smirk. I retrieve my toiletries from my suitcase and head for the bathroom I had used earlier.
“There’s a good girl.” I hear him say behind me and my shoulders stiffen.
I want to continue fuming but I step in the shower and the high-pressure shower head has me mellowed fast. The flow of the warm water on my skin feels divine, reminding me I hadn’t showered since yesterday. Initially I had intended to take a quick shower but I lost sense of time as I lather my body and allow the pulsating water to massage my body.
I am tension-free as I step out from the glass-cubicle that encloses the shower. The towels are custom made with A.A stitched into one corner. I can’t say I am surprised. I moan at the gentle feel of the material over my body. God, why does everything here feels so good? A girl could get used to this sort of comfort. A girl could get used to being Axel Ash’s woman.
At that thought, I snap out of it.
“You’re not Axel’s woman,” I scold myself quietly. “If anything, he just sees you as amusement.”
What would a man like Axel want with a woman like me anyway? I do not fit in with all this luxury and I would do best to remember that. I am nothing but the latest amusement for Axel. I recall Jessica going on about the different women he was seen with when she had googled him.
I vow I wouldn’t be the latest in a string of Axel’s temporary lovers.
12
CHAPTER
Walking beside Axel to the restaurant for breakfast feels strange. I’d tried my best to not look dowdy in comparison to him as I got dressed. I am wearing another dress, not what I originally planned to wear but there’s something about being with Axel that makes me feel ultra-feminine. That makes me want to dress up. And when he’d taken his first look of me, fully dressed, his eyes had reflected approval.
It makes me feel good. Too good. Just as walking beside him now, my hand in his makes me feel like I’m the most important woman in the world. Not even the FLOTUS has anything on me, the way I feel walking beside Axel.
The morning is glorious, with clear blue skies and a sun that is shining down on us as if in approval. The restaurant we go to is a combination of bakery and restaurant that serves lunch and brunch. We occupy a two-seater table and I realize though we haven’t said much since leaving his condo, it’s not an uncomfortable silence between us.
“You’re not checking the menu?” I ask him as my eyes rove over the menu, trying to locate something I want to eat. I am starving and I note the breakfast menu is very pricey.
“I already know what I’m going to order,” he answers and I could feel his eyes on me, making me uncomfortable.
“Will you find something to do other than stare at me?” I finally quip. “Don’t you know staring is impolite?”
“I’m not staring, you’re just in my line of vision,” he says with a grin and I roll my eyes, a little breathless at the banter between us. I am getting too used to this.
The waitress comes by to take our order and I notice the way she looks almost flirtatiously at Axel. She seems to know him by name which explains his ability to order without looking at the menu. It’s a place he often eats. She takes my order, barely dragging her eyes away from Axel, turning again to ask him if he is sure he doesn’t want anything else before she moves on.
Her interest in him makes me jealous. A feeling I’m not used to any at all. I’ve never had cause to be jealous before but here I am feeling like Axel is all mine and I don’t want any other woman to notice how fine he is.
“I called your grandmother as I promised you I would,” he tells me. “She’s a nice lady.”
“Yes, she is,” I agree.
The waitress returns with our breakfast which becomes my distraction. We eat in silence for a bit as I savor the meal. It’s really good and I’m quite positive it’s not just my hunger talking.
“You’re very close to her, aren’t you?” Axel ask, taking me off guard.
I swallow the bite of cinnamon roll in my mouth. “Close to who?”
“Your grandmother.”
“Oh yes, she raised me,” I reply, my focus on the cinnamon bun as I tear off another piece and pop it into my mouth.
“Why? What happened to your parents.”
I look away from the sticky bun to him, then bow my head, a little somber. “My mother died.”
He reaches across the table and covers my hand with his. “I understand,” he empathizes. “My mother died as well when I was nine. A drunk driver ran into her car and she was killed on impact.”
“That’s horrible,” I gasp, knowing the loss of a parent never truly goes away. “My mom died from a brain aneurism. I was eleven and we were very close.”
“See, we have something in common,” he says with a smile and squeezes my hand reassuringly before letting go.
My hand feels empty with his gone and I slowly place it on my lap. We eat in relatively silence afterwards as I withdraw from him emotionally. I can’t let the fact that our mothers died when we were kids distract me from everything else that’s happening between us. He doesn’t know how to take no for an answer. He is way too bossy. Plus, I’ve not forgotten how he threatened me.
He doesn’t even entertain me when I attempt to pay for my own breakfast. Again, way too controlling. We walk back to his condo and I am relieved yet oddly disappointment when he doesn’t hesitate to load my suitcases in his car. I can’t help thinking he seems eager to get rid of me now after he made such a big fuss of me staying with him.
He spends a lot of time on the car phone, talking business while on our way to my apartment, although it is the weekend. It comes to my mind then that I don’t know what to do this coming Monday. Was I going to report to work? He stated that’s the reason he came for me in Birmingham but he hasn’t said anything since about work. Everything that has happened between us from the moment I saw him outside Aldi’s has been personal. Where in my job description is it written to kiss the boss? To have him personally take care of me while I am sick? To make out with him? Or to have breakfast with him?
It’s a relief when we drive up to my apartment building. It’s not the skyscraper Ax
el’s building is but runs wide with only two floors. The top floor is accessible by exterior stairs.
“You don’t—” I start to tell him he doesn’t have to get out the car but he’s already outside and walking around to my door to open. This is not something I’m used to from men these days and I’m impressed that he goes through the trouble.
“Which apartment’s yours?” he asks when I get out the car.
“104, top floor,” I respond.
We get the suitcases from the trunk and I lead the way up the stairs, the suitcase bumping along the stairs and our footsteps the only sound. Outside my apartment, he rests my suitcase at the door and I turn to him nervously. I don’t know what to say to him. I feel like I should be thanking him but I couldn’t determine for what. Taking care of me while I was sick? The unexpected orgasm? Breakfast?
“Axel I—”
My words are swallowed by his lips pressing to mine. I let go of the suitcase and cling to his broad, powerful shoulders. My mouth moves eagerly beneath his, hands going behind me to cup my backside and haul me up against him. I’m all ready to explode in his arms when he pulls away. I peer up at hi in frustration, feeling as though he’s leading me on.
My breathing is harsh to my ears and the pounding in my heart matches the pulsing ache between my legs. I am almost sweating from the cognizance that I want him. Badly. This is the man who is tempting enough for me to lose not only my head but also my virginity. He infuriates me and drives me up the wall but I can’t deny the attraction between us.
“I’ll be back at four to pick you up. Be ready.”
Before I can ask him what I should be ready for, he is already descending the stairs. I watch him get into his car and drive away before I come to my senses. Key. That’s what I need. Key to get into this apartment and shut the door, never letting Axel in.
I enter the apartment, pulling the two suitcases after me, grateful he had left and not demanded to enter my apartment. Jessica must have heard me because she comes walking into the hall, a frying pan in hand.