by Melody Anne
“What’s going on?”
“Take a look at the note, Ella,” he said tersely.
Finally she looked down, thinking it was going to be so much worse than it was. After reading it twice she then did the wrong thing entirely and laughed. “You’re getting all worked up about this? Really?”
“I don’t find it amusing when someone delivers a drink with a note saying to enjoy their last drink,” he said, obviously perturbed she wasn’t taking it more seriously.
“Maybe the person wanted me to enjoy my last drink of the night,” she pointed out.
“It’s a clear message, Ella, and you should be taking these sorts of threats a hell of a lot more seriously.”
“Relax, Axel. I’m a smart girl. Felix and his thugs are trying to intimidate me. So what? I won’t allow them to succeed.”
“You should also be smart enough to be afraid,” he said between clenched teeth.
“If I live my life in fear, then they win,” she told him, done with this conversation.
“Fear can keep you alive.”
“And fear can also freeze you! I won’t allow that.”
“Does it not worry you at all that they are following you? Waiting for the right moment to pounce?”
She thought about it for a moment. “And that’s all they are doing, Axel,” she said. “They are following me, or trying to intimidate me. They won’t make a move.” She had to believe that.
“They are waiting for the right time to make their move.” They wouldn’t agree on this issue. There was no point in continuing to argue with this man.
“I’m going home now, Axel,” she said, throwing a twenty onto the counter, which seemed to irritate him all over again.
He pulled out his own wallet and threw a few bills down before catching her at the door and walking her outside. Much to her frustration he had his car brought around before hers, and then waited to help her inside before following her all the way home and sitting in her driveway until she was in the house.
This was going to be a long week, or weeks, if this was the sort of behavior she could expect from Axel. She was also sure a report was being called in to her cousin before she even finished brushing her teeth.
Nobody said life was supposed to be easy, she supposed.
“Okay, seriously—you’ve been holding out on us, and that’s so not cool!”
Ella knew the blaring spotlight was on her, and there was no way she was going to get away with saying nothing. As a very capable lawyer, she’d practiced the art of twisting words to her benefit, but there were two women in the world she could never lie to: her best friends, Maycie and Reese.
“You two showed up unannounced on my doorstep. I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you. There’s just nothing to tell,” Ella said, hoping she could throw them off the scent.
“Ha! A complete stud of a man is currently scaling the side of your house with his muscles rippling and his hazel eyes twinkling, and there’s nothing to tell?” Maycie said with a knowing smirk and hands on her hips.
“He’s doing a job, that’s all,” Ella told them both as she moved to the bathroom and looked in the mirror.
“Doing a job, my ass. And why is your best shirt laid out on the bed and you’re currently searching for your Kiss-Me-Now lipstick?” Reese asked, arms crossed as she leaned against the door, zeroing in on Ella with a knowing expression.
“I don’t have Kiss-Me-Now lipstick and I have some errands to run today. I didn’t pick out my so-called best shirt. I just threw some clothes on the bed to get dressed.”
“Sure, you’re just running errands, so you’re wearing shiny red lipstick and the shirt you got on spring break senior year that matches your eyes and got you kissed by that Greek god,” Maycie said.
“Fine. I think he’s cute, but I’m not interested in hooking up with the guy. My overprotective cousin Bryson sent him here to keep me safe and you know exactly how I feel about that,” Ella said as she slapped some eye shadow on her lids. She was going to look like a clown if this interrogation didn’t stop soon.
“Now we’re getting somewhere. He’s a friend of Bryson’s? I was so bummed when that man candy got married,” Maycie said with a sigh.
“You and a million other girls,” Ella said, laughing.
“Hey, all the good ones are taken when you get as old as us,” Reese said as she sat on the edge of the tub and sighed.
“It’s not like we’re going to need a cane anytime soon,” Ella reminded her. “We’re only in our mid-twenties.”
“Yeah. So if you aren’t interested in the guy, do you mind if I have a go at him?” Maycie said with a wicked twinkle in her eyes.
Maycie’s long dark hair and exotic looks meant she didn’t need any help in the man department, but the friends loved to push each other to get a reaction. Ella refused to show one.
“He’s all yours,” she said between clenched teeth. She’d rather wade around in the sewers than see that happen, but she’d also rather skinny-dip in the public pool than admit it.
“Mmm-hmm,” was Maycie’s only response.
“Hey, maybe I want him!” Reese said. Her only tell was the sparkle in her pale green eyes, which were deceptively innocent, especially with her killer curves and luscious, naturally dark pink lips.
“Why don’t you both take him for a spin? Then at least he won’t be bothering me,” Ella said as she gave up on her makeup, deciding she already looked like a circus clown. She’d have to wash it all off and start the entire process over again.
“Come on! Just give it up. You wouldn’t mind taking him out for a test drive, would you?”
“Maycie, you’re a terrible human being,” Ella said, but they knew she didn’t mean it.
“Yes, and very proud of it.”
“Just admit the truth, and it all stops,” Reese said, following Ella to her bedroom.
“Okay, I think he’s attractive. I also think he’s arrogant, dim-witted, and a pain in the ass,” Ella told them, ripping off her pajamas and throwing on the now offensive blue shirt.
“Liar,” Maycie said.
“I told you what I thought. Now can we drop the interrogation?”
“You know us better than that,” Reese reminded her.
“Yes, sadly I do,” she said with a sigh, giving up as she plopped down on the bed. “It’s just that my last relationship didn’t go well, as you both know, and this guy is . . . I don’t know . . . dangerous. Not like I’m afraid of him, but he bends the rules, skates in and out of the lines. If I ever decide to date again, I need a nice, normal, nine-to-five kind of guy.”
“Bor-ing!” Maycie retorted as she flopped back on the bed. “A guy like that certainly isn’t going to burn up the bedsheets.”
“I don’t need my sheets burned. I like them nice and cool,” Ella said sternly.
“What happened to you? One bad relationship and you’re going all nunish on us. I think you need an intervention. A good start would be to heat up your nights with Mr. Hottie out there, who is currently undressing you with his eyes through the window.”
Ella’s head whipped around and she was more than grateful to see that wasn’t true, but ticked that she’d fallen for it and actually looked.
“Shh! I don’t need him to hear this and get any ideas,” Ella warned.
“Maybe that’s exactly what you need,” Reese said as she raided the closet looking for new clothes to borrow.
“Both of you need to get a life if you have nothing better to do than to come down here and worry about my love life,” Ella told them.
“Or lack thereof,” Maycie said.
“Argh. I’m going shopping. Are you coming with me or not?” Ella stood up and stepped back, sending both girls a stern look.
Maycie turned to Reese with a big smile. “I don’t know, Reese. Do you think we should go, or do you think we should blow up a pool and lounge around the house in bikinis all day?”
“I like the bikini idea,” Reese quickly re
plied.
“It’s barely forty degrees. Really?” Ella said with a glare, knowing they were trying to get a reaction out of her, but unable to stop herself from giving it to them.
“All right, we’ll be good, but seriously, if you don’t make a move on him soon, I’ll resort to drastic measures,” Reese said as she came out of the closet wearing Ella’s newest sweater.
“Fine, agreed.” Ella would say anything at this point to make the interrogation stop and to get away from the house. Knowing that Axel was lurking around her home was making her jittery. She was afraid she’d take her friends’ advice and jump the man if she didn’t get away.
Part of her wondered if that’d be such a bad thing—and then the more logical part of her kicked that other part square in the ass. The girls left her for a moment to gather her courage and then, taking a look in the mirror, she decided her makeup was fine after all.
Maybe if she did look slightly like a clown, Axel would quit hitting on her. Because if everyone kept pushing her to look at this man like a potential mate, she was going to have a hell of a time fighting herself.
He was cocky and rude, and invading her space. She didn’t want to be with any man, let alone a man like him. She would do well to remember that, to keep repeating it over and over again in her head.
When she finally went downstairs, she heard Reese giggling in the entryway. Normally the sound put a smile on her face. This time it made her teeth clench. Her laughter at that pitch meant only one thing.
Turning the corner, Ella’s eyes connected with Axel’s searing gaze, and no matter how much she told herself to turn away, she was powerless to do so.
“Looking good, Ella,” he said in a low growl that had her insides twisting.
His work clothes looked damn fine on him, but she’d cut out her tongue before saying so. The jeans were worn and dirty, the jacket showcased his arms and shoulders, and the slight smudge of dirt on his cheek tempted her to come closer and wipe it off. Add to that the day or two’s growth of stubble on his solid jawline and she found herself wanting to float over to him and see how those firm lips tasted.
Shaking her head, she finally managed to break eye contact, and then almost regretted it when she turned and saw the knowing looks on her best friends’ faces.
“Let’s go,” she said, not at all happy with how weak her voice sounded.
“I’m not in a hurry if you aren’t,” Maycie suggested, making Ella want to roar.
“I have things to do.” With that, Ella brushed past them all and thought she was making a safe exit until she felt Axel at her back.
His breath fanned against her bare neck, and she couldn’t stop a shiver from slowly running down her spine, nor calm the instant spike in her pulse.
“You smell good, too,” he whispered against her skin, and it took all the strength Ella possessed not to turn around and leap into this man’s arms.
Deciding sometimes the best defense was no words at all, Ella rushed toward her car. She didn’t care if the girls followed or not. If she didn’t get out of there right then, she was afraid she’d do something she knew she’d regret.
As she climbed into her car, Maycie and Reese quickly joining her, she could feel his gaze boring into her. She just prayed he’d be done with her security system and long gone by the time she returned. Otherwise, she didn’t think she’d be able to withstand the next time he came on to her.
Axel was hooked on this woman, and he knew it wasn’t a wise move. He’d made a promise to his friend to protect her, and if he was focused on chasing after her, then he wasn’t doing a good enough job of keeping her safe. That incident at the restaurant had really thrown him off. But then, a few more days had passed, and nothing else had happened.
That didn’t mean that the bad guys were giving up. It simply meant they were waiting to make their next move. He needed to be on his A-game, which didn’t seem like something he was capable of in Ella’s presence.
It was just that the woman was witty, strong, determined, and on top of that, had a smoking-hot body. What wasn’t there to like about her? Nothing he’d found so far.
He normally didn’t go after women; they just sort of fell into him, literally and figuratively. He’d meet a woman, and if there was a connection then he let her know he was interested. If there were no sparks, he’d move on.
And sparks were certainly firing between Ella and him, but because of the disastrous relationship she’d had with her ex, she seemed to be leery of any and all relationships, and the blasted woman was fighting mightily against their mutual attraction. He should walk away, take a hint and offer silent protection.
Of course, Axel also had never been one to run from a challenge. So instead of hiding in the bushes and making sure the woman stayed alive, he was having nightly fantasies about her, fantasies he certainly wouldn’t be sharing with his friend and partner anytime soon.
Axel had to smile as he realized where he was, because at the moment he was literally hiding in the bushes.
It wasn’t good enough for Bryson that he’d installed the best security system known to man on Ella’s house. No, his friend wanted to make sure the system was foolproof because, of course, Bryson said the people who had painted a giant target on her back were crafty and he was sure they could get through the alarm.
So here he was sitting in her bushes, making sure no one could sneak up behind him while he tried to bypass the system and break into her house. Not that he was going to actually break into her house, but if the cops happened to drive by he didn’t think that they’d believe he was there for her safety while wearing dark clothes and a hood.
It was close to midnight and all the lights were off, so it looked like the coast was clear. Even the neighbors had all turned in, it seemed. Axel made his way to the back of the house, crept around like a thief in the night, and was satisfied when he saw the windows were all locked and the blinking light on the security box indicated the home system was set.
That alone would put off most criminals. They knew what happened when you tried to breach a security system. Alarms went off, loudly. With the added floodlights he’d installed that would illuminate not only her house but half the block, any criminal would be a fool to try to break in.
Finally for the test, he crept up to the security panel and looked at it. He hadn’t actually installed this part, as it wasn’t his forte—he’d let his friend Maverick do that. So if he ended up setting off the alarm in this process, Axel was going to be pissed at Bryson, because surely he’d spend a night in the slammer.
Carefully, he looked at the box, checked for a back way into it, and was satisfied when he didn’t find one. There was no possible way of overriding the system without setting it off. Any tampering at all, and the lights would flash on, the police would be called, and the culprit would be dragged away to spend at least one night in the county jail.
He could call Bryson with confidence, let him know that no one was getting into this house as long as Ella set the alarm, and she’d promised her cousin, Maverick, and Axel that she would.
Normally there was no way anyone could ever sneak up on Axel. It was his job to know his environment at all times. Maybe it was the fact that he’d been off the job a couple of weeks, maybe it was the fact that he was feeling guilty over sneaking around a young woman’s house. Whatever it was, Axel’s guard was down.
One minute he was packing up his stuff to leave and the next he heard the unmistakable sound of air splitting as something came for him. He only had time to lift a hand, which didn’t help much as solid wood hit the side of his head and stars exploded behind his eyes.
Though dazed, he heard a step, and knew the person swinging was coming in for another blow. Reaching out, Axel found a leg and tugged hard, tumbling the person. He was moving much slower than usual, but he managed to shake off the buzzing in his head and tackle the bat-wielding villain when a piercing scream nearly shattered his eardrums.
“Shut up!” he thundere
d as he tried to focus on the person struggling beneath him.
His attacker tensed, and they each recognized the other at the same time. “What in the hell are you doing out here in my shrubs in the middle of the night, Axel?”
Ella’s stunned voice left Axel eternally grateful he hadn’t thrown a punch first and asked questions later. He would’ve jumped off a bridge if he’d hurt her.
“Bryson wanted me to check out the security system, make sure you were using it and that the smart criminals couldn’t break in. I was just finishing when you decided to clobber me,” he explained, still holding her beneath him.
“And why am I supposed to believe you?” she snapped as she yanked her arms, having no success at all in getting away from him.
“Your cousin, who is so worried about you, sure as hell trusts me.” He scowled at her. He didn’t like his integrity being questioned.
“Well maybe you’re both morons!”
With the moonlight their only illumination, they glared at each other while lying in the middle of her shrubs in the cold fall night. When the silence stretched around them, Axel quickly realized he was lying on top of her, and she was barely clothed.
“You can get off me now,” she finally said, her voice breathless, her pulse beginning to rise beneath his fingers, which were still gripping her wrists. This wasn’t such a bad place to be after all.
“I’m comfortable,” he replied, easing his head down slightly so not much more than air was flowing between their mouths.
Her breathing grew heavier, and her eyelids drooped the slightest bit—just enough to let him know that their current situation was having an effect on her. Hell, his body was revving to go. The neighbors were asleep. No one would notice if the two of them removed her barely there clothes and he plunged inside her heat.
“Well, I’m not comfortable and it’s cold out here,” she panted.
“I can warm you up, Ella,” he said, giving her a look that left no doubt he was about to kiss her. There was no way he’d make it through the rest of the night if he didn’t have a taste of her.
