Her cell phone buzzed. A text message from Ashley:
Running late. See you in ten minutes.
Already restless, sitting and waiting was the last thing she could do. Instead, she paced the lobby floor, inspecting the unique artwork that hung in the space.
Kerrigan didn’t seem to notice the two men who exited one of the elevators on the other side of the expansive lobby. Entranced by her beauty, one man’s eyes were riveted to her as he engaged in light conversation with the man next to him.
“Oh yeah, I see why you’re distracted. Do you know her?”
Axel turned to Rob, his friend and owner of the studio where the agency recorded radio spots. “A little. I intend to get to know her much better.”
Rob flashed a smile at Axel. “She’s a knockout. Works for you?”
Axel’s eyes darted back to Kerrigan. She floated gracefully from one end of the lobby to the other. “Starts today—she’s the new junior account rep.” She looked ravishing. The red knee-length dress that she wore yielded to the contours of her body, highlighting the delicate arch of her back, roundness of her hips and perfect behind. Her straight long hair flowed down just above her waist. Black stilettos extended her naked shapely legs. His wicked imagination seized his brain and his cock twitched. He imagined those legs wrapped around his waist as he pumped feverishly into her. He stopped himself before his body’s response to his decadent thoughts went rogue.
Rob raised his brow. “The studio is ready to record this week with your blessing on two minor tweaks to the script.” He lowered his voice, almost to a whisper and placed his hand on Axel’s shoulder. “You gonna hit that?”
Considering Rob’s question and enjoying the way her hips swayed as she paced back and forth, he cut a sideways glance at his friend and grinned. “I’m gonna hit a home run. Now give me the highlights on the spot and make it quick. I want to talk to her before she goes up to the office.”
A frenzy of motion caught his eye. Axel watched as Ashley bolted through the main lobby’s entrance and made her way to where Kerrigan stood.
“Hey, Kerri! I’m so glad you’re here. Wow! Girl, you look amazing,” Ashley said.
They embraced, letting out the customary jovial squeal of girlfriends reuniting.
“Thank you.” In a playful gesture, Kerrigan spun around for her friend. “I’m glad I’m here too. You look fantastic yourself.”
Ashley rolled her eyes and grinned. “Yeah, right. You run circles around me with only your fingernail. Look at you, you’re glowing,” Ashley scoffed. “How was your drive? Atlanta traffic can be hell.”
“The drive was awful, but I love my new apartment. I wish we had been able to spend time together before I started today, but my old boss was determined to keep me busy until the very end.”
“Not to worry. We’ll make up for lost time.” Ashley’s mouth fell open, and her eyes grew wide as she scanned the room at a distance. “Oh my god! Whatever you do, don’t move or turn around. Axel Christensen is seriously hawking you.”
Her heartbeat quickened at the mere mention of his name. “Really? I hadn’t noticed him. Where?”
Ashley pursed her lips and batted her eyes at Kerrigan. “Well, Mr. Christensen has certainly noticed you. He’s standing over by the elevators, watching you. The man hasn’t blinked yet. You would think his eyes don’t have lids the way he’s staring.”
A rush of warmth washed over Kerrigan. “I’m sure he recognizes me from my interview. You could have told me the man was so damn hot. I was a mess in that interview.”
Ashley placed her hand on her hip. “I see more than recognition on his face. Obviously, he thinks you’re seriously hot too. I didn’t think to mention his looks. You’re such a block of ice with your anti-men rules. I didn’t think you’d care.” She paused. “Uh oh, he’s heading this way.”
Kerrigan turned slightly and saw him walking leisurely toward them. His eyes cemented on her. She blinked fast twice, testing her sight to make certain he wasn’t a mirage. His swagger, bold and confident, yet not arrogant, made him that much more appealing. The gray suit he wore fit his tall muscular frame perfectly. He had on a handsome pair of expensive leather loafers. They were huge. What did they say about men with large feet? The features of his handsome face and brilliant blue eyes came into clear view as he approached.
A sudden rush of nerves invaded her and butterflies fluttered in her belly. Unleashing a man who was that damn hot on the public should be an act against the law. Why did she have this reaction? Something was wrong with her. No man had ever made her feel this way. With pining eyes, she watched his sculpted jaw line, and shapely lips move as they opened to speak.
“Good morning, Miss Turner,” Axel said, greeting Ashley coolly.
Glancing at Kerrigan, Ashley shuffled her feet and twisted her mouth, a wry grin emerging. “Good morning, Mr. Christensen.”
Then he turned his full attention to Kerrigan. Moving closer, he towered over her and looked down. He extended his hand to greet her and she accepted, placing her hand into his. An immense tingling sensation flooded her, the same feeling she experienced the first time their hands met, stinging her insides and making her lightheaded. Her breath caught as he devoured her with his eyes. Or did she imagine that? Hard and refined, his strapping body couldn’t be hidden beneath the expensive suit. What did he look like without all those clothes on?
“Welcome. Good to see you again Kerrigan.” Stretching across his stone face like a fissure, a smile formed on his lips. He greeted Kerrigan warmer and friendlier than he had Ashley.
With her hand still in his, she wobbled on her feet. She’d met good-looking men and had gone out on the occasional date with a few, but Axel Christensen belonged in a league of his own. Nerves taking control, the words in her mind refused to form on her dry lips, and she had to make a concerted effort to reply.
“Thank you. It's good to see you again, too.” She finally managed to pry her hand out of his grasp.
The intensity of her attraction to him must have been visible, nearly tangible. The thought harrowing, she wondered if he noticed how she responded to him.
His hand touched the small of her back as he spoke. “I hope you had no problems getting in this morning,” he said, luring her away from Ashley with a gentle nudge until they reached a secluded corner in the lobby.
Turning around to lean against the wall, she anchored herself as her legs went limp like wet spaghetti. “I’ve been told that rush hour traffic in Atlanta is terrible. I anticipated it.”
Hovering over her, he placed his left hand against the wall beside her shoulder and leaned in close. He looked down at her, his head tilted to the side with a focused gaze. Evading his pensive stare, she glimpsed over his shoulder at Ashley who stood at a distance watching them with her mouth agape. Kerrigan’s cold fingers clawed her thighs, her cheeks warmed, and she dipped her head low, embarrassed by the thought that others witnessed her attraction to Mr. Christensen.
His smoldering gaze stayed fixed to her. “Did you find an apartment and settle in?” he asked, forcing her attention back to him.
Her eyes darted up to meet his. “Yes, I did.”
“Where?” he commanded, the pitch of his voice low and his question punctuated.
The hairs at the nape of her neck stood on end. “Buckhead. Do you know the area?”
“A little.” Appearing to think her question over, he smiled lazily, not fully committed to the action. “My offer still stands to show you the parts of the city that I do know.” His face tensed, brow furrowed and lips pressed together.
She nibbled her bottom lip. “Thank you. Maybe I’ll take you up on your offer one day.”
“You should.” A grin split his face in two.
His heat rolled off in waves so hot she felt as if she would combust. She needed to keep the conversation focused on work. “I’m eager to get started. You won’t be disappointed you hired me.”
Clearing his throat, he startled her. “I ha
ve no doubt you’ll make me a very happy man.” His pupils dilated and his stare unwavering, danger flashed in his eyes and his words held double-edged meaning, sending a shiver up her spine. Feeling foolish, she knew the man was only being polite, and she had imagined his attraction to her.
He had been imposing, overpowering, intimidating and sexy. She backed out of his cocoon, inching away from the wall and him on unstable legs. “Ash, Ashley…I mean Miss Turner is going to show me around before I meet with Marie. Well, thanks again, Mr. Christensen.”
He lowered his hand from the wall as though releasing her from his hold.
Gritting his teeth, he glared at Ashley, who stood a considerable distance away from them. “I’ll see you again soon, Kerrigan.” His eyes slithered down her body, and then he turned and left the two women standing there as he exited through the main lobby doors.
Ashley walked over and covered her mouth. “What the hell, Kerri? I can smell the attraction between you two. Keep your guard up around that damn man. He’s dangerous, and I don’t want to see you get hurt,” Ashley whispered.
She blushed. “What are you talking about? You mean Mr. Christensen welcoming me?” They began walking toward the elevators.
“Yeah, well I was never welcomed like that. He was eye-fucking you from across the room. Don’t be naïve. That wasn’t a welcome. Girl that man is after you.”
“We had a brief conversation, there’s nothing more to say.”
Throwing her hands up feigning surrender, Ashley released a heavy sigh. “Okay, but he had you pinned up against a wall. He stood dangerously close to you. Your exchange looked intimate. He wants you and the way you looked at him, and how hard you’re denying the attraction makes me think you want him too. I thought you two would go at each other right here in the lobby.” Ashley’s strained voice bore into Kerrigan’s conscious. She was caught with her wet panties down.
Rolling her eyes and tightening her hand into a ball, Kerrigan’s fingernails burrowed deep into her fleshy palm. “Whatever. Can you please show me around and stop with this nonsense?” Releasing her fist, she jabbed repeatedly at the elevator’s call button.
“You can press that button one hundred times, and it won’t make the elevator get here any faster. You’re stuck here listening to me,” Ashley teased.
Her palms moistened and her mouth went parch, dry like the Sahara. “This is my first day. I want to make a good impression.”
Ashley tugged at Kerrigan’s arm and yanked her into the car when the elevator’s doors opened. “Sure seems like you’ve already done more than that with Mr. Christensen.”
Marie introduced Kerrigan to her co-workers and told her about her client accounts. She liked Marie, a stoic woman lacking the cognitive ability to appreciate a joke or the facial muscles to respond. At ten o’clock, she attended her first meeting with Marie and the other account managers across the company. They discussed high-level media plans and other details about the company’s highest profile accounts. Mr. Christensen dropped in unexpectedly, surprising the group. His presence at these meetings had been a rarity given the wide-eyed stares and changed behaviors in the room the minute he appeared.
He sat in a white leather chair that lined the wall, quietly observing the group around the glass-top conference table. He didn’t engage in conversation happening around the room except at her introduction. After Marie’s welcoming remarks, he offered his high endorsement as a show of support for Kerrigan.
He watched her intensely throughout the meeting. She squirmed in her seat. His searing eyes tormented and teased, forcing a surge of heat through her body. He blatantly stared and didn’t turn away, even when her eyes met his. Although his icy countenance didn’t give away his attraction, she flushed under his steady gaze. Instead, his lips pulled taut into a fine line, the hard and practiced mug of a man making an appraisal. Perhaps the shrewd executive wanted to watch his investment, making sure he would get his money’s worth.
Axel’s jaw tensed, and his eyes narrowed as he checked his Blackberry throughout the meeting reading over incoming messages. Before the meeting ended at eleven thirty, he had winced, a tension-filled expression, at a message he had received. Soon after, he stood, issued a final pass at her with sterile blue eyes and stalked out.
At noon, Kerrigan and Ashley headed to lunch. They decided to walk to a quaint European bistro a few blocks away. Although no one would say the streets of downtown Atlanta offered the cleanest, freshest air, being outdoors would feel refreshing. Kerrigan descended in the elevator to the main lobby to wait for Ashley. When the doors opened, she spotted Mr. Christensen. He stood across the room, near the floor-to-ceiling windows, engrossed in conversation on his cell phone. As if sensing her presence, he turned and caught her eyes. He ended his call and while making his way to her, Axel was intercepted by a tall regal woman. The gawk of every male eye in the room trailed the blond, who threw her arms around Mr. Christensen’s neck and pulled him into her embrace. His eyes closed, he grimaced and pushed away from the vixen. The woman grabbed his hand, and then they exited the building. An Adonis, naturally his girlfriend would be a damn Barbie. Her feelings irrational, Kerrigan couldn’t help the slight twinge of disappointment and jealousy that coursed through her and the ensuing burning in her chest.
Walking briskly down the sidewalk, Ashley and Kerrigan headed to the bistro. Within minutes of arriving, they were seated.
“I saw Mr. Christensen’s girlfriend. She’s gorgeous. He’s not interested in me,” Kerrigan blurted out.
“And, exactly how does that prove that he’s not interested in you? You’re gorgeous, too. Mr. Christensen has a different woman on his arm almost every time I see him. I doubt it's serious. Not to worry, I’m sure he can make room for one more notch,” Ashley said and then chuckled. “Can you pass me a napkin?”
“Ha! I’m not interested in being a notch. That isn’t what I want.” She reached for the stainless steel napkin dispenser and pulled one out. “Here,” she said, handing a napkin to Ashley.
“Thanks.” Ashley wiped a smudge of red sauce away from the corner of her mouth. “You’re interested in Mr. Christensen. No biggie. He’s hot, and he digs you too. Just admit it, you’re attracted to him.”
She shrugged her shoulders and placed her fork down on her plate. “Okay, I’ll admit I think he’s blazing, but I’m not stupid. I’d never let him get close to me, and I’d never act on my feelings. I know what men like that are after.”
Ashley wagged her index finger at Kerrigan. “Keep telling yourself that. I sure hope you’re stronger than what I witnessed this morning. Mr. Christensen almost ate you alive.”
“Like you said, he’s dangerous. He has a different woman on his arm every time you see him. Why would I involve myself in that mess?”
“Because Axel Christensen is fine as hell and you can’t resist him. Kerri, I’ve never seen you look at a man the way you looked at him this morning. You might as well have some fun on your quest for Mr. Right. I thought you were going to be open-minded and try new things. That includes men, too.”
“I am being open-minded, but I didn’t say I was going to be reckless.”
“As long as you don’t get your heart involved, getting reckless with Axel Christensen might be fun and well worth the risk,” Ashley quipped.
Kerrigan shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “Sounds good in theory, but having fun with a man like him comes with consequences. I’d like to stay employed.”
They finished lunch and headed back to the office. The rest of the afternoon went by quickly. Kerrigan had enjoyed her first day at the new job. Relocating to Atlanta proved to be a smart move, it was just what she wanted. She just had to get her lust for Mr. Christensen under control. She wanted a man who excited her and made her breathless, but she hadn’t figured he would be dangerous or that he would be her new boss.
Six months later – January 9, 2012
She heated under his inspection. God, why does he do thi
s to me? Kerrigan sat in the weekly account managers meeting distracted. She shifted restlessly in her seat and repeatedly checked her phone for messages that weren’t there—anything to avoid the imposing glare of Mr. Christensen, who sat in one of the chairs lined against the wall, directly opposite her, staring. Since her arrival six months ago, he began attending the weekly account manager’s meetings regularly, although he rarely took part. She avoided looking at him for fear she would catch his gaze. His stare revealed her predilection for lusty, hedonistic thoughts about him. Kerrigan’s nipples hardened, shivers ran up her spine and fantasies flashed through her mind about his lips covering hers while he possessed her, explored and plundered her body. She couldn’t control her reaction. No other man conjured up these feelings in her and they both excited and terrified her.
She maintained her composure during these meetings, except once. During one particular meeting in January, she had to excuse herself to get some air and escape his heat. The sexual tension reverberated thick and hot between them. She was certain the incident had started rumors.
The walls in the tight space seemed to be closing in on her. Mr. Christensen had been exceptionally intense that day. He sat in his regular seat and she in hers. With hooded eyes, he stared dauntlessly at her, eye-fucking her as Ashley called his penetrating gaze. His tongue swiped across his upper lip, and his greedy eyes roamed her body. Aware of his fixation on her, she kept her head down and her eyes glued to the notepad in her lap. Light beads of moisture dotted her hairline and her temperature rose under his heavy surveillance. Breathing in the small room with him there had become impossible. She stood and excused herself to avoid suffocation. Barreling down the hall, her chest heaved, and heart beat wildly. She lowered her head into her hands and rushed to the alcove at the end of the hallway. Why is this happening to me?
Pull Me Closer (Suits in Pursuit) Page 3