by Nana Malone
“Just tell me the rules of the game and I’ll find a loophole to break them.”
Her next words came out on a shuddering breath. “First rule, take me home. Make me forget the rules.”
“I think I can manage that.”
By the time they made the drive back to Hope Falls, his hands were shaking. Axel had been waiting for this moment for nearly a year. Hell, he was torn between immediately indulging in the lust, the need, the urgency, and taking his time and savoring the moment. The more he watched her, the more he knew control would be a problem.
His breathing was too sharp. His skin felt too tight. He already felt way too hot. And it was taking his mind a while to reconcile the fact that he'd finally found her. His brain refused to acknowledge the possibility. There was a part of him that still thought of her as a figment of his imagination.
After they parked in front of his house, without a word, he exited the car, went around to her side and opened the door for her. "Watch your step. The cobblestones can be a bitch."
She licked her lips nervously. And all that motion did was force his gaze straight to her lips, her tongue. But she looked nervous, and it gave him pause. Putting out his hand, he waited for her to take it. "You Okay?" She met his gaze and did the lip-licking thing again.
"I gotta tell you though, you licking your lips, that is going to be the death of me."
"Axel?" She said.
"Yeah, baby."
"Is it okay that I have no idea what to do in this situation?"
"Good thing for you, that I have a couple ideas about that." Axel pulled her close and kissed her then, pouring a year’s worth of longing and need into the melding of their lips.
As he kissed her, he bent his knees and picked her up. Cara moaned as she locked her legs around him at the ankles and held tight onto his shoulders. He hissed when her fingernails dug into his flesh, and his cock throbbed painfully. Without even trying, she could bring him to the brink.
His hands cupped her ass as he moved her against him. Rocking her heated core against his cock. He couldn't get enough. Jesus Christ. He’d been dreaming about this for a year. He had to go slow or they would be over before they even started.
Axel carried her into the house and kicked the door shut with his foot. He then blindly carried her into his bedroom. Once there, he gripped her tighter and braced her against the wall. His hands impatiently shoved aside the fabric of her short skirt, and he grunted once his fingers came in contact with the edge of her panties.
Take, taste, come. Now. He had a serious control problem when it came to this woman. It didn't matter how much he tried to control himself. Once her lips were under his, it was over.
He wasted no time pushing the fabric of her thong aside. Gently, he stroked a thumb over her petal soft lips.
She was so slippery and wet. Sliding his tongue into her pliant mouth, he coaxed her tongue into a dance with his. He needed her begging and pliant in his arms. Wanted her as desperate as he was. The problem was he was ready to explode. His hands shook, and his legs trembled, he ached for her so bad.
“Axel, oh my God. Please keep touching me.”
“Don't worry. I couldn’t not touch you if I tried.”
Gaze on hers, Axel slid a finger inside her, determined to coax her first orgasm from her.
But he didn't give her the press of his fingers that she craved. Instead, he teased her, spreading her juices over her lips, making sure she was wet. Making sure to drive her crazy.
Wrenching her lips from his, Cara shook her head. "Stop."
He heard the command, but it took a moment to register. Slowly, he blinked into focus as his brain came online. "What's wrong?" he asked through a constricted throat.
"Nothing, you’re just taking too damn long."
She unwrapped her legs and slid down his body. His cock twitched in hopeless protest. Every muscle tensed as he waited on her next move, need making him twitch. The hitch in her voice and the way her pupils dilated made his skin feet too hot. Too tight.
Cara yanked his shirt over his head with smooth efficiency. The buckle to his jeans came next. When she wrapped delicate fingers around his cock, he cursed, squeezing his eyes tight against the urge to come. She pumped him in a slow, deliberate motion, her gaze never leaving his. When her palm grazed over the crown of his cock, he shook.
"Cara—"
She licked her lips as her gaze slid over his body to his straining erection. Blood surged to his groin, and he jerked involuntarily in her palm.
"Baby—" He had to get control quick. He didn’t have much time with her and he wanted to mark her as his. Gently, he removed her hand from his dick. “You can play later. It’s my turn now.”
He nuzzled her neck, and his chest vibrated as he laughed. "Do you have any idea how good you taste right here?" He nipped at the skin in the hollow just under her ear. "And over here?" With his tongue, he licked down the column of her throat. "Pretty much every inch of you tastes like the most decadent sin."
“Axel,” She cried out as she shook in his arms. “Please, I need—“
“I know what you need.” He picked her up again and carried her to the bed. When he lay her down gently, he lowered himself over her. Sliding down her body, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses, stopping just above her nipple. "Real soon, I’m going to give these the proper homage they deserve, but I'm feeling more than a little impatient." He paused to suckle her gently, and she groaned, clutching the sheets. When he pulled away, they were both panting. "Hmmm, these have a way of distracting me."
Cara bit back a moan as he circumvented her other breast and kissed down her belly. "Come back here."
Cara groaned as Axel paused his kisses just over her sex, and she arched into him, lifting her hips toward his mouth. He took the opportunity to palm both of her cheeks and squeeze.
"Just as soon as I’m done here. Try to be patient." He used his grip to hold her in place as he placed his lips over her clit and sucked.
Cara screamed. She shook in his arms as she panted. He had her racing toward another orgasm. But Axel was determined not to rush. With his thumbs, he parted her soft folds. With long laps of his tongue, he thoroughly loved her, alternating between licking her folds, sucking on her clit, and teasing soft circles over it with his tongue. She gasped when he ran his tongue down to the tight stretch of skin below her slick center. When he slid two fingers into her, she bucked. But it wasn’t until he replaced his fingers with his tongue that she clamped her legs down around him.
With a grunt, he wedged her legs apart with his broad shoulders. He used his hands to hold her in place as he fucked her with his tongue, working it in and out of her. She clutched at the pillows behind her wildly, gasping for breath as he shoved her toward orgasm.
"Axel, please…"
Her breath caught, when he replaced his tongue with two fingers and curled them.
She groaned. "Oh. My. God. Jesus." Lacing her hands in the thick strands of his hair, she tugged in an attempt to drag him up her body, but he just chuckled.
"Sweetheart, relax, I'll get there, I promise."
And play he did. With two fingers sliding into her slick channel and his tongue teasing her clit, he licked and teased her, drawing out the pleasure. But he wasn't satisfied until she was heading toward the cliff again. He rotated his hand as he teased her clit with his teeth, ever so slightly. Axel lit her body on fire when he applied a little pressure to her clit with his teeth and simultaneously grazed her tight rosette with his thumb. Waves of pleasure rolled through her.
Gently circling his thumb, he whispered, "Your body is incredible, Cara. Since I met you, I can think about nothing besides what I'd like to do to this body. How I want to possess it. I want to be the one you think about when you're alone and you're touching yourself. I want to be the one you call when you're needy. I want you to only think of me."
"Axel?" To her ears, her voice sounded distant.
"I'm not letting you go now that I've foun
d you again, Cara." He released her and kissed his way back up her body.
Panting, Axel reached into the bedside drawer. In seconds, he had a condom out and was sheathing himself. When he slid his cock deep into her, she was more than ready. Their bodies melted together like they belonged. Like one would die without the other.
Axel knew this wasn't about sex. They were making love. For the first time in a year, he didn’t feel that burning in the center of his chest. Because of her.
Her nails dug into his shoulders as he stroked deep inside her then retreated until he was almost fully out, then drove back home again. Fuck, she was so damn tight.
Axel kissed her softly and cupped her face as he made love to her. "Cara, I don't ever want to leave."
With those words, she broke apart in his arms, her tight sheath gripping him then releasing, gripping then releasing. The orgasm rolled through her and she screamed his name. With a shudder over her, he groaned and collapsed.
6
Cara could feel something hard poking at her backside. She blinked drowsily, trying to nuzzle back towards the heat and relish in the relaxation. Then she realized exactly what was poking her.
None other than her new favorite new toy. Hell, she'd used it enough last night. Shit. Axel.
Fully awake now, she lay there for several seconds, trying to breathe. If she jumped up and ran out of bed, she’d alert him. There are several ways to play this. First, she could simply scoot out of bed, then run to her own place. She had a spare set of makeup and wig already set to go. The problem was, that disguise wasn't nearly as good. No doubt, Axel would wake when she opened the door to her place.
Okay, next option, wake up here, as Cara, let him take her back to Tahoe, or call her a cab. Then she'd catch up with Sam and then Sam would drive her back. So she’d pretty much wasted two hours she didn't need to waste for the day, and she had to do a stupid shift this afternoon.
Yeah, her real job was working medical transcription. But she also needed to be seen out and about. Otherwise people would ask too many questions. So no matter what, she needed to show for her shift at the cafe. She couldn't really afford to be on the road for two solid hours unnecessarily. So not the best solution.
Next option she could wake up, head to Sam's, put her gear and her makeup on, come back as Corin having had a good night out.
Chances were, Axel wouldn't even see her as Corin, and she would be scot-free. And then she’d pack up a few things then move to Sam's for the duration of Axel’s visit. Because she couldn't stay here. Last night was a pure indication of that. She was reckless around this man.
You were so stupid. What the fuck had she been thinking? You were thinking you needed to get laid. She’d been thinking with her stupid libido. Like a fool. She’d seen him again, and it was just like last year all over again. Except you got laid this year. She hadn’t been able to stop herself once she’d been in his arms.
She’d been dragged into the gravitational force and she couldn't stay away. Sam, had headed off with her guy. And before Axel had taken her home, he’d negotiated an agreement with Sam without even asking Cara first. Sam would stay in Tahoe with Toby, and Axel would take Cara and make sure they connected in the morning.
Of course, she and Sam had known that she wasn't going back to Tahoe in the morning. So now, she just had to pick one of her three options.
Axel tucked her closer against him and nuzzled her hair. For a moment, Cara thought he was waking, and then she really wouldn't have any choice. But then his breathing evened out again, and he settled into a low snore.
Gingerly, inch-by-inch, she shifted out of his hold. Her body aching in places she’d long forgotten she had. Her muscles felt tired and used, and it was delicious. If she let her body do the talking, she would stay in bed with him. Stay in his arms, and let him drag another orgasm from her exhausted body.
By the time he was done with her last night, she was a limp noodle of a person, completely unable to even lift her limbs. Hell, she’d been woken up in the middle of the night, and she'd still been too tired to do anything except lie there when he parted her thighs, and planted his lips over her sex.
He’d licked and lapped at her until she moaned and begged him, first to stop, then not to stop, and then she’d just chanted his name over and over again.
She remembered how he’d chuckled low, continuing to suck on her clit until the heat had risen inside again. He’d then pulled back and rolled her over onto her stomach, propping her hips up with a pillow. He’d taken her from behind then.
He’d slid his hands into her hair, gently kissing and nibbling at her neck. Whispering in her ear how much he wanted her, how much he needed her. They both came twice like that. He’d come, but hadn’t stopped pumping away as he latched onto her shoulder and bit. The man was like a machine. What vitamins was he taking?
All said and done, she’d had five, maybe six orgasms. No, wait, make that eight. There had been the one in the shower, the one where he’d taken the shower head told her to spread her legs, and watched her face as he pressed the pulsing water to her clit, pinched her nipples, and watched her fly.
Yeah, she'd forgotten about that one. It was like he was trying to cram all the orgasms they may have potentially missed in the year since they'd seen each other.
You can't have him. He doesn't know who you are. And don't forget, he's FBI. He's the enemy. He catches you, figures out who you are, and your safety is in jeopardy. And you will never see your family again.
She dressed quickly forgoing the shoes because the staggering heels would made a hell of a lot of noise on the tile. She also, didn't use the front door. She knew better. She'd seen him set the alarm code last night. And, since the main house had a different alarm code than the back house, she wasn't risking it by attempting to decode it. One thing she did know though, the back room that had the washer and dryer, was an add-on. It was on a different breaker system. So not hooked into the main security line. She could be up that window in seconds and never trip the alarm.
Before she left the bedroom, she didn't glance back at him. Why was he the one man that she’d wanted in years? Why was she risking her safety to be with him? Because you feel it. The connection. You want more.
Well, wanting more or not, she wasn't going to take it. It was simply too risky.
Still tasting him on her lips, she dashed to the laundry room, and scooted out the window.
In thirty minutes, she was back in her disguise, and rode her bike back to the house from Sam's. She needn't have done it, but she made a hell of a racket. Making sure that Axel would definitely hear her. When she walked the path towards her place, she found him on the back porch, sipping a mug of coffee.
"Morning, Corin."
Cara froze. A part of her wanted him to see through her disguise. Wanted him to see through what she been hiding for so long. Wanted him to see her. But that was stupid. She didn't really want that. Because that would mean her life was over. It wasn't like she could keep him either way. "Morning, Axel."
He gave her knowing smile. "Funny, I didn't hear you leave yesterday."
He was baiting her, he had to be. He’d definitely seen her sneaking out. But, he was playing his part, and she needed to play hers. "Yeah, spent the night with my girl."
Axel's brows rose. "Oh yeah? Wasn’t aware you were seeing anyone. Good for you. That where you were all night?"
Before the words were out of her mouth, she knew they were stupid. She knew she was poking the tiger. But she couldn't help herself. "Yep, I was getting laid."
Axel's lips twitched. And as he took another sip of his coffee, she would have sworn she saw him smirk. "I’ll just bet you were."
Without saying another word, Cara hustled into her place and let herself in. She sat back against the door and buried her face. Axel Nickelson might be on to her.
7
Axel had his suspicions. But he was a methodical kind of guy, so he wasn’t willing to put money on anything yet. But eve
n with nothing but speculation, it was something strong enough to make him dig.
First suspicion, Corin was Cara. It was a long shot since all he had was Corin going into Sam's house and Cara coming out. That and Corin's suspicious behavior, which wasn't much. It would mean that those cloudy brown eyes were contacts that she wore to mask her own vibrant green ones. Her voice? Yeah she lowered it to a different register whenever she spoke as Corin, but damn, the cadence was the same. That quality of it. That voice had made him insane that first night he met her. You're crazy. Shit. Maybe he was. He was taking wild leaps. Fuck, was he finally losing it? He'd seen her changing. You don't know what you saw.
If Cara was Corin that meant she was hiding from something. And it had to be something big. Something so terrifying she would give up a whole part of her identity to hide in plain sight. She’d pegged him as law enforcement the first night they met. So why hadn't she come to him for help.
Why because your skills are so good in the sac? Well, yeah, but he understood. She trusted him with her body. But not with her life. And fear could make people do all kinds of things. There was a chance she was in over her head and she had no idea how to ask for help. Or the kind of trouble she was in was so bad the blowback shrapnel would hit Bo in some way. Fuck him. He’d told Bo he was too trusting.
Or, he was blowing shit out of proportion. There was a chance he was wrong. As if. Yeah, unlikely he was wrong. His gut told him he had this shit right. But he had to be sure.
You can’t do this because you have to know. Make sure you're doing this because you’re worried about her. That line was gray as fuck and fading, but he cared about her. And he was worried about whatever the fuck was going on. If you can help, you have to. Especially if he wanted her to stay. Especially if he wanted her in his life.
Which was why he was going after proof.
Even before he suspected she was in disguise, he was drawn to her. They were two magnets polarized to draw to each other.
