by E. L. Todd
Axel did the same, and he looked me up and down without being discreet. “You look beautiful.”
I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Thanks.” He said that to me nearly every time he saw me. Since it happened so often I didn’t always know what to say except the obvious. “Thanks for dinner.”
“My pleasure.”
We walked out of the restaurant then stopped at the sidewalk. We faced each other to say goodbye. I was almost home free. All I had to do was say goodbye and it would be over. “I guess I’ll see you later.”
“I found a place.” He acted like he didn’t hear what I just said.
“An apartment?”
“Yeah. It’s just a few blocks from here. I got lucky because a buddy of mine found it. Finding a good place in the city is nearly impossible.”
“Good for you. I’m glad you got settled.”
“Can I show it to you?” He put his hands in his pockets but he was still a threat. His beautiful blue eyes were impossible to resist. My favorite feature was his shoulders. They were broad and powerful. I used to grip them tightly while I rode him against the headboard.
“Uh…” I knew that was a terrible idea. I wasn’t going to walk into his apartment alone. Something bad would happen because I wouldn’t have the strength to control myself. Sleeping alone night after night was lonely as hell. It was even lonelier knowing I couldn’t be with the man I loved. If backed into a corner I feared I would take the easy way out. “I really should be getting home. Francesca probably has dinner on the table.”
“But you already ate.”
“Yeah…” He had a good point. “But it’s my turn to do the dishes.”
“I’m sure you can do them later.” He stood a step forward, silently pressuring me.
He wasn’t this forward before. Last time we talked about our relationship he backed off and let me go. But now things seemed to be different. It seemed like I was prey and he was the predator. “Axel, it’s just not a good idea. We shouldn’t have had dinner to begin with.”
“I promise I won’t do anything,” he said gently. “I just want to show you my place—that’s all.”
“Why do you want to show me so bad?”
He shrugged. “I thought we were friends. Don’t friends do that sort of thing?”
“I guess. But you and I will never be friends.”
It was the first time he showed the pain in his eyes. “Well, I’d like to change that. I’m just asking for a little bit of your time. I’ve promised I don’t have a trick under my sleeve. I’m not going to kiss you.”
“Promise?”
“I promise I won’t even touch you.”
Axel wouldn’t break a promise to me so I knew his words were true. “In that case, I’d love to see it.”
***
He gave me a tour of the whole place, showing me the kitchen, living room, and the two bedrooms. It was much bigger than the place I had with Francesca, and I had to admit I was a little jealous. “This place must cost a fortune.”
“It’s not cheap.” He walked back into the living room, his hands still in his pockets. “But I wanted to have a nice place just in case I have clients over or something.”
“They’ll definitely be impressed.” His furniture was black leather with clear countertops. It contained dark colors with a masculine aura. As soon as I walked inside I knew a bachelor lived here. Knowing he wouldn’t make a move on me made me more at ease, but I still felt the prickle on the back of my neck.
He circled the living room and came back to me, stopping two feet away. “It’s a few blocks from work so I can walk.”
“That’s nice. I walk to work every day. You can’t beat that.”
“No, you can’t.” He stared at me just the way he did at the restaurant. The intensity was returning to his eyes, his thoughts on my lips. His hands never left his pockets but his eyes were intrusive enough. “Thank you for coming by.”
“Sure…no problem.” My voice was suddenly weak and my body warm. Whenever he was close to me my mouth went dry. He had the innate ability to intimidate me with just a single look. Every power I had suddenly seemed irrelevant when it was dwarfed by his.
His eyes moved to my lips, examining every curve and the exact way they naturally parted. Without saying a word he told me what he wanted, that the phone conversation we had was still on his mind.
The only thing keeping me safe was that promise he made. “I should go…” Even though I said the words I didn’t leave. My feet were stuck to the floor like roots of a tree.
“Marie, I don’t want to move on. I don’t want to waste my time trying to find someone else when there’s only one woman I want. I may not have been there in the past, but I’m here now.”
“You told me you wouldn’t try anything—”
“I promised I wouldn’t touch you. I’m not breaking that promise.”
“You’re still saying these things…”
“It’s a free country, right? Free speech.”
“Axel, I told you we were over—”
“We aren’t over until we’re no longer in love. Last time I checked, you were still in love with me. And I’m still in love with you. We have a chance to make this work. But you need to forgive me first.”
“It’s not about forgiveness. I just don’t trust you.”
“Then I’ll make you trust me. But you need to give me a chance.”
I wanted Axel with all my heart but I didn’t want to go through that heartbreak again. He didn’t just hurt me once, but twice. “I’m sorry…”
“Baby, come on. Now that I’ve lost you I understand what I really want. I’m not going to mess this up again. I promise.”
“Or maybe you just want me because you can’t have me.”
“That’s not it.” He said it calmly, like he’d already considered that possibility. He took a step closer to me.
Instinctively, I took a step back. I didn’t want to be closer to him than I had to. If our proximity were too close, our flames would combine and create an explosion.
He took another step forward, forcing me back. Every time he came at me, I moved away. When my back hit the wall I realized there was nowhere else to go. I was cornered and unable to escape.
He took the final step and stood directly in front of me. Only mere inches separated us. He looked down into my face, his eyes studying my lips. Then he did something unexpected. He pulled off his jacket then tossed it on the floor behind him.
“What are you doing?”
With his eyes still glued to mine he removed his tie then unbuttoned his shirt. When each button came loose, more of his hard chest was revealed. He was nothing but muscle underneath his clothes. He had a chest made of concrete and abs of steel. He pulled the shirt off and tossed it aside along with everything else.
My tongue felt too big for my mouth, and my heart was too small to pump all the blood through my body. Perspiration formed on the back of my neck, sticking to the wall when I got too close.
He undid his belt and his slacks before he kicked them off. His dress shoes followed. Then he grabbed the top of his boxers, fingering them gently, before he pulled them off.
Instead of looking away like I should, I stared exactly where I shouldn’t. His cock was long and hard, excited by the prospect of having me again that very night. He stood in just his socks, but he made those socks look sexy as hell. At six foot two he was all man. He rested his forearms against the wall on either side of my head before he leaned in, his face just inches from mine. He invaded my personal space without touching me.
Now I knew exactly what he was trying to do. He couldn’t touch me but that didn’t mean he couldn’t seduce me in other ways. He was trying to get me to crack, to give into what we both wanted.
I needed to get out of there. “I have to go.”
He didn’t move.
I slid down to the floor then maneuvered awkwardly around him, trying not to touch anything or get something in my eye. On my hands and knees I crawled a
round him until I could get up again. Now that I wasn’t directly next to him I could get out.
But then I realized I was missing my clutch.
He leaned against the wall with it held in his grasp. Even though it was bright and pink, he made it look masculine. It contained my driver’s license, money, and my phone. I couldn’t leave without it. “Do you need this?”
“Yes.” I held out my hand and refused to look at anything except his eyes.
“You can have it.” He walked down the hall, taking it with him.
My eyes immediately went to his rock-hard ass. It was nice and tight, something worth taking a bite of. My body flushed with heat that reached all the way to my ears. He was successfully turning me on, and I hated him for that. “You can’t take my stuff to keep me here.” Even though it wasn’t the best idea I followed him down the hall until I reached his bedroom.
He was lying on the surface with his head propped up on a few pillows. Gloriously naked and every woman’s fantasy, he laid there like the perfect specimen for all men. My clutch lay across his chest while his arms lay on either side of him. “It’s all yours.”
I approached the bed with my arms across my chest. “This is pathetic.”
“Pathetic that it’s working?”
It was working but I refused to admit that. “What’s tricking me into bed going to achieve? One night of sex and then I’m gone the next morning?”
“First of all, I’m not tricking you into doing anything. The act of sex is pretty distinct and there’s no possibility you’ll ever be tricked into doing it. Secondly, I don’t want one night of sex where you’re gone the next morning. I want sex with you every night—and I want you there every morning.”
His sweet words loosened my resolve, and I hated that. “Just give it to me.”
“Come get it, baby.”
“You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
“You’re the one that keeps trying to get it.”
I moved quickly like a snake and snatched it as quickly as possible.
But he was faster. He pulled it over his head where I couldn’t reach it unless I crawled on top of him. “So close, baby.”
“This is getting stupid.” I crawled over the bed and his chest to snatch the clutch. If I had to touch him so be it. My knees rubbed against his hard skin, and even that simple touch lit me on fire. But I kept my head in the game and went for the clutch.
Axel grabbed me by the shoulder and rolled me underneath him, pinning me down so I couldn’t get away.
“What the hell? You promised you wouldn’t touch me.”
“But you touched me first, and that broke the promise. How can I not touch you if you’re touching me?”
“You’re an ass.” I tried to kick him off but I couldn’t.
He pressed his face close to mine then dug one hand into my hair. “If you want me to get up all you have to do is ask.” He grabbed the clutch from my hand and tossed it on the ground. “Just ask.” He brushed his nose against mine before his lips trailed to my jawline. He kissed the skin gently then moved to my neck. His kisses were sensual rather than aggressive. His body told me he wanted to rip off my clothes and have me then and there, but his kiss said otherwise. “Can I undress you?” He looked into my eyes and waited for the answer.
I was a goner. “Yeah…”
He peeled my clothes away, kissing every inch of my body as it was exposed. He removed my skirt and then everything else, stripping me until I was completely naked underneath him. Then his lips traveled between my legs, giving me the kind of kiss that made women scream.
I arched my back and gripped his headboard as he did amazing things to me. He circled my clitoris with his tongue then sucked the area aggressively. I panted loudly and let out a few moans. Everything he was doing felt out of this world. I hadn’t had sex in nearly two months and I was going crazy. Axel gave me exactly what I’d been longing for.
When he brought me into a climax I screamed his name so loud I feared his neighbors would hear me and complain the first chance they got. He lit a stick of dynamite and let it explode inside me, burning me from the inside out in the greatest way possible.
My vision blurred and all I felt was unbridled pleasure. I could see the heavens and the stars and everything else. I drifted away like a feather on the wind until I slowly came back to earth, my body relaxing.
Axel crawled up the bed and lay next to me, his lips coated with my moisture. Instead of moving on top of me and getting ready for the grand finale, he turned off his bedside lamp and brought his bedroom into darkness.
“What are you doing?”
He wrapped my leg around his waist and pulled us close together. His hand moved up my back and rested between my shoulder blades, a few strands of hair trapped underneath. “Going to sleep.”
“You went through all that trouble to seduce me and you aren’t going to get off?”
“I didn’t seduce you to get sex. I seduced you so I could get you to sleep with me.”
“Then why did you go down on me?”
“I didn’t want to get you hot and bothered and not finish the job.”
This entire time I thought I had him figured out, but in reality I didn’t have a clue. He played me, and he played me well. “All you want is to sleep with me?”
He nodded. “It’s my favorite thing. Every night when I go to bed I wish you were with me.” His lips moved to my forehead where he pressed a single kiss. “I used to have it every night until I threw it away. Now I spend every night tossing and turning, lost in the nightmares you used to keep away. I had the most beautiful thing in the world and I screwed it up. I’ll never take you for granted again—if you give me another chance.”
When he said pretty things like that it was impossible for me to remain strong. I couldn’t keep him away, and my body no longer responded to my commands. His bed was comfortable and he was even more comfortable. I wanted to stay like that forever—with him.
***
When I woke up the next morning I realized what I’d done. Now I was back to square one. I was trapped tightly around his finger, playing right into his game. If I wasn’t careful I’d be in the same position I was before. My heart would beat only for his, and when he turned around and took off I’d break into pieces.
I slipped out of the bed and changed as quietly as possible. Axel didn’t stir, his position exactly the same as before. It was some unearthly hour that no one should be awake to witness. I grabbed my clutch and carried my heels to the front door. My hair was a mess and so was my make up.
Then I realized I never told Francesca where I was last night. She was probably freaking out. I pulled out my cell phone from the clutch and looked at my messages. Like I expected, she tried to check up on me more than once. When I got to her last message I realized she already figured it out.
Axel told me you’re spending the night. We’ll have to talk about that when you get home…
I growled then shoved the phone back into the clutch. Then I got out of there as quickly as possible, not wanting Axel to wake up and try and prevent my escape.
***
To my surprise, Francesca was awake when I entered the apartment.
She was sitting at the kitchen table going over the blueprints to the bakery. They’d already begun construction of the little shop, and in just a few weeks it would be ready to open. “Spill it.”
“I need a date—tonight.” I needed to find a guy and move on without looking back. The only thing that could get Axel off my back was another man. When Jason was around, Axel respected his significance to me.
“Wait, what?” She turned around and looked at me, her hair in a messy bun and her eyes still drooping with sleep. “What the hell happened over there?”
“Axel is done. I’m done with him.”
“Ugh…then why did you sleep there?”
“Because he tricked me.”
“He tricked you into falling asleep?”
“It’s complica
ted,” I argued. “All I know is, I need to move on right now. Otherwise, he’s going to keep chasing me.”
“Did you sleep with him? Like, you know?”
“We just fooled around. He said he didn’t want to have sex—just to sleep with me.”
“Awe…”
I’d never heard Francesca utter that word about Axel. “Don’t let him drag you down.”
“Come on, Marie. I’ve never seen Axel work this hard for anything in his life. I think he’s finally got his head on straight and he’s ready to have the relationship you want.”
“Or that’s just what he thinks. Once he has me and he gets bored he’ll take off again.”
She rolled her eyes. “He never took off because he was bored. He left because he convinced himself he didn’t love you. But we both know that was just a defense mechanism over all the people he’s lost. Now that you helped him confront those feelings, everything should be fine.”
“That’s what you think…but who really knows.”
Francesca gave me an irritated look. “Now you’re doing the exact same thing he was. You’re trying to find any reason not to be with him because he hurt you.”
“Can you blame me?”
“I just think you should both let go of the past and just be together.”
“It’s more complicated than that.”
“Well, I think—”
“Frankie, I don’t care what you think. This is my problem and not yours. I’m going to find a date tonight and I’m moving on for good.” I marched down the hall so I wouldn’t have to see the pissed look on her face. I knew I ticked her off but I didn’t care at the moment. I didn’t care about anything.
Slip Away
Axel
When I woke up the next morning she was gone.
She slipped out of my grass and left the apartment without locking the door behind her. Since I was already running late to my new job I didn’t have time to call her and confront her about it. I didn’t like waking up alone. It made it seem like last night meant nothing to either one of us.
Which wasn’t true.
I got to work just on time to meet with a new client. Since my day was booked with back-to-back appointments I didn’t have a chance to call Marie. I wanted to talk about last night, to make sure she wasn’t running from me.