Following Her

by Melody Anne

  Leaning down, he brushed his lips across hers, just a whisper of skin against skin, a warning of what was about to come. If she truly didn’t want it, now was her time to tell him to go to hell, now was the time to demand he stop.

  She said nothing.

  Her breathing slowed, her eyes closed, and her pulse accelerated even more. “I’m not waiting any longer.” That was her only warning before his mouth claimed hers, instantly branding her, letting her feel his unmitigated hunger.

  Desire unlike anything he could remember feeling shot through him, his body already hard, solidified to the point of pain. Releasing her hands, he cradled her head in one palm so he could angle it just where he wanted, while the other moved down the soft curve of her waist and gripped her lusciously firm backside.

  His tongue sought entrance into her mouth, and when she opened to him, a shudder passed through him while he pressed his arousal into her, wishing there was nothing blocking him from sinking deep inside her.

  She responded by wrapping her freed hands around his neck and tugging him closer, her own lips seductively moving across his mouth, her body pushing upward, seeking what he was offering.

  This wasn’t a tentative first kiss. This was a kiss of lovers who knew each other intimately, and he was ready to take her right there, not caring where they were or who was around. This much hunger couldn’t be denied.

  He knew he was almost past the point of no return, knew he could have her right here and now, but he wouldn’t do it without her permission. Yes, her body was saying she wanted him, but he wanted to hear her say the words.

  “Let’s go inside, Ella. Let me please you,” he said before moving his lips down the side of her neck and sucking the skin above her pounding pulse.

  She moaned as her body sought his, but she didn’t say the words he needed to hear. “Invite me inside, Ella. We can’t stop this. It’s been inevitable from the first moment we met,” he said before moving his lips down the vee of her shirt and sucking at the delicate skin of her freed breasts.

  “I . . . uh . . . wait . . . let me think,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “Don’t think, just feel,” he said, nearing panic as he heard doubt in her voice.

  He slid her top to the right and ran his tongue out, touching just the edge of her sweet nipple that he so desperately wanted to see. She moaned again before her hands came around to push against his chest.

  “Stop, please,” she gasped.

  With a sigh that spoke of the pain this was going to cost him, Axel released her, then placed his hands on the ground and moved away from her, his lower half still desperately brushing against the softness of her core.

  “Why stop? We want this, Ella. Both of us,” he said, wanting desperately to bend down and make her delirious again with his kiss.

  “Give me a second, Axel. I c-can’t think,” she said, closing her eyes for a brief moment before opening them again, their depths just a little clearer than they’d been a moment before.

  “I don’t want either of us to think. I just want to sink deep inside you and take us both to a whole new realm of pleasure,” he said, practically begging. Damn, he wanted her.

  “I can’t do this. I don’t do this,” she said, and he knew the battle was over.

  “Do you really believe taking time to think will make this hunger go away? What the two of us are sharing isn’t usual, Ella. We’re fools to throw it away.”

  “I don’t have sex with men I don’t know,” she said, her eyes now clear, fire beginning to ignite in them.

  “We shared the other night at the restaurant. Ask whatever else you want. I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” he said, covering up his frustration with a confident grin as he finally moved off her completely and sat on the cold, hard ground. Not able to resist, he reached out and ran her silken strands through his fingers before he stopped and pulled back.

  Shivers started racking her body now that he wasn’t cradling her in the warmth of his own. He knew he needed to get her inside before she became overly chilled, but he couldn’t seem to move.

  “I’m still not going to have sex with you tonight, Axel, not even if we spend the next eight hours talking. I don’t have sex with men I’ve just met,” she said as she sat up.

  “Well then, let’s go on a real date,” he offered.

  “A date?” She looked confused.

  “You know, a thing where a man and a woman go have a nice meal, some wine, maybe a movie and dancing?” he said with what he hoped passed as a laugh.

  “Oh, I see, now you’re going to be a smart-ass,” she said, almost sounding sad.

  “I’m sorry. I want you; I won’t lie about that. I can respect that you want to wait before we have sex—but Ella, I want you. There’s no doubt about that,” he said, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look at him. He wanted no misunderstanding between them.

  “And if the date doesn’t go well . . .” she said, letting the words trail off.

  “Ah, baby, you obviously haven’t been on a real date with me.”

  “Your confidence will be your undoing someday,” she warned.

  “I can agree to that. I’ll pick you up tomorrow night at six. Wear a dress—preferably the exact same one you wore before.”

  “Fine, I’ll go. But the dress is long gone. And don’t think this means you’re getting sex,” she stated firmly.

  Axel couldn’t resist the challenge. Before she knew what was happening, he tugged her onto his lap, enjoying the gasp escaping her kiss-swollen lips. “Noted,” he said before leaning in and kissing her one more time with just enough hunger to make her regret sending him home.

  When he knew he had to stop or push the lines of right and wrong, he released her, throwing his arms beneath her and standing in one fluid motion before he set her on her feet and kissed her once more, this time a chaste good-night kiss.

  “I’m going to make you scream,” he said before placing a hand behind her back and leading her to the back door of her house, where he waited for her to enter her code to get in. Next time he saw her, he’d lecture her about the whole point of security being to stay safely inside, not come out to meet the people trying to break in.

  Right now he was just eternally grateful she had in fact come out of the house. He would anticipate the moment he got to take her to the highest reaches of glory. For now, that was all that would sustain him.

  After fumbling a few times, she managed to get the system deactivated and the door open. She stepped inside before turning back around.

  “This round certainly goes to you, Axel Carlson. Tomorrow don’t expect such an easy victory.” With a wicked smile, she shut the door in his face.

  Now it was Axel’s turn to walk in a bit of a haze. “Hot damn,” he uttered when he finally remembered how to work his feet. This woman was going to be dynamite in the bedroom.

  Looking in the mirror, Ella nearly changed her mind for the hundredth time. She couldn’t wear this dress. She had other dresses that were more appropriate, but she kept finding herself back in the same Terani Couture nude cocktail dress that made her feel like a million dollars with its sheer neckline, intricate beaded detail, and nipped waist. The color complemented her olive complexion and dark hair.

  But this was a first date—well, the first date she was aware of—and most likely the last. So what if there was more steam between the two of them than a locomotive engine? She was sure it was just the fact that Axel had been thrust into her life and was refusing to go away that was causing the turbulent thoughts in her mind.

  She didn’t need to wear this dress, but here she stood in front of the mirror, and she wasn’t taking it off this time. It was just a dress, after all. It wasn’t a life-and-death decision. He’d be arriving in just a few minutes. She needed to decide now.

  “Argh! This is ridiculous,” she said to her reflection. She’d wear the dang dress. He most likely wouldn’t even notice. He was a guy, and guys didn’t really
care what you wore, right? But she couldn’t help remembering vividly his reaction to her friend’s little black dress. She wanted that same reaction whether she’d admit it or not.

  Sitting on her bed, she slipped on a pair of delicate Gucci silver stilettos with a slight sheen of sparkle on the heels. Shoes were her one weakness. She worked in a man’s world and she was young. She wanted to be taken seriously, but she couldn’t force herself to let the pretty shoes go. No one really noticed shoes except other women who shared her passion for obscenely overpriced heels, and they wouldn’t judge her.

  Just as she fastened the last strap, the doorbell rang. Well, there was no turning back now. She refused to look in the mirror one more time. She was put together, not overdressed and not trying too hard, she told herself.

  Moving slowly—no way was she going to hurry, he could wait—she went down the stairs and made her way to the door just as the buzzer sounded again. Well, Axel obviously needed to learn patience. Didn’t he know men were supposed to wait for women?

  Before opening the door, she took a breath. The phone call the two of them had shared earlier was still making her stomach stir, not because it had been sexual, but because he’d made her laugh. It seemed he could make her laugh without even trying.

  How and why she was so intrigued by this man, she didn’t know, but if the date didn’t go terribly wrong tonight, she wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She didn’t want to get involved with anyone right now. It was the last thing she needed in her life.

  Pasting a smile on her face, she turned off the security and opened the door. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Let me just grab my purse,” she said as she turned and moved back toward the entry table where she’d placed it.

  Before she reached the table, she felt Axel’s arms slide around her and spin her around. Suddenly she was caught in his smoldering gaze.

  His head bent down and before she could even think of uttering a protest, his lips locked onto hers in a kiss that left her dizzy when he finally released her mouth.

  “Wh-what was that?” she stuttered, her knees shaking.

  “That was a thank-you.”

  “Thank you? For what?” Not that she had anything to complain about. He could kiss her like that any day or night—maybe not night. It was too tempting to climb upstairs and finish where that kiss was sure to lead.

  “That is one hell of an outfit,” he said before taking a leisurely look. “And the shoes can stay on . . . later,” he said, his mouth turning up in a predator’s smile.

  Since the only words that wanted to come from Ella’s mouth were take me, she decided it was best not to say anything at all. With trembling legs, she grabbed her purse, then headed toward the door. If they didn’t get out of her house in the next few minutes, then they weren’t going to leave, and she wasn’t ready for that.

  Never before had she had sex with a man she’d only known a couple of weeks. She wasn’t going to start now. Or she was going to give it one heck of an effort not to start now. First step was getting as far from beds as humanly possible. And couches, and kitchen counters, and dining room tables . . . Ella rushed out the front door, not waiting to see if Axel followed.

  Axel held open the door to his SUV for her, and then gave her only a couple of seconds to breathe before he was climbing in on the driver’s side. As soon as he closed the door, his scent drifted all around her, a mixture of spice and pure male adrenaline, and it was causing a definite stir in her stomach.

  If they didn’t start talking soon, she’d never make it to the restaurant. She was just going to dive into his lap and beg him to take her right now.

  “I know you said you owed Bryson a favor, but how is it that you have so much time off to babysit me?”

  “I needed a break. I was on leave when Bryson got ahold of me. I’m not sure if the FBI is where I want to be anymore.”

  “Why? Did something happen?” This was good. Regular conversation. Yeah, the kind that let her get to know the guy so she could sleep with him without feeling guilty. Nope. She pushed that thought right from her mind and instead focused on the chiseled angle of Axel’s jaw as he faced forward, driving through the misty night.

  “There wasn’t one particular thing that happened. It’s all been adding up. I get sick of dealing with scum twenty-four-seven, of never knowing who the good guy is versus the bad. Sometimes I just can’t remember why I’m even doing it anymore,” he said, stealing a glance at her.

  “There has to be some good there sometimes,” she said.

  “Yeah, there are cases like Misty’s, Bryson’s wife, where we did help a victim, but it’s not always like that. Sometimes we’re helping one bad guy so we can get to an even worse guy. It just doesn’t seem to make sense anymore. I’m thinking of going out on my own, doing something entirely new. I don’t know yet. That’s why I’m on a hiatus, or I was until Bryson called,” he said, turning for a moment to wink at her.

  “By all means, you should go back to being a bum. I’m a big girl who can most certainly take care of herself,” she said, somewhat stung, though knowing it was ridiculous to feel that way.

  “Oh, baby, believe me, this is a vacation,” he said in a voice that had her shifting in her seat.

  “I don’t like being babysat, Axel, and if I find out this date is another way to keep an eye on me, I’m not going to be happy,” she warned.

  “Trust me, Ella, this date is all about me,” he said before pulling up to a stop at a light and turning to give her his full attention. “And you,” he added before his eyes dipped to her modest cleavage on display.

  A car honked behind them and broke the connection. Axel cursed before facing forward and putting his foot on the gas. But this time, his hand reached out and his large warm fingers were on her bare thigh, and the flips in her stomach were now a churn.

  Ella wasn’t sure if she should remove his hand or pretend it wasn’t there. She seemed unsure of everything around this man. That was reason enough she should’ve ended this date before it even started.

  She didn’t like feeling confused or chaotic. She liked order and cleanliness. She liked everything to be where it belonged and things to happen when they were supposed to. And she had no doubt that a life, or even a day, with Axel would turn her world upside down.

  Still she couldn’t seem to shake either his hand or him away, so she sat back and desperately tried to figure out what to say next. The silence was worse than anything they could possibly talk about.

  Before she could think of something clever to say, he was pulling up to a nice restaurant known for its steak, and her door was being opened by the valet. The kid said something to her, but she didn’t hear him.

  And then Axel was slipping his arm around her waist and leading her inside, where they were taken to an intimate corner table with candlelight and a waiter appeared almost instantly, offering wine.

  Ella allowed Axel to choose a bottle, and after their order was placed, she sat back and looked around, admitting she liked his taste. It was a nice place, with live music from an intimate trio and a soloist who sang from deep within her soul. The ambiance of the low lighting and dark decor was exquisite.

  “I have to say I’m surprised by your choice in restaurants. I thought for sure we’d end up at that honky-tonk bar you mentioned the other night,” she said with a smile, her first glass of wine down, her heart beating a little bit easier, and her stomach beginning to settle.

  “That’s for date three or four,” he said with a wink.

  “And what makes you think we’re going to make it to a third or fourth date?” she asked as she watched him refill her glass.

  “Ah, baby, you’ll be begging me never to go away,” he said, and she wasn’t sure if he was teasing or not.

  “I imagine you don’t have to search too hard for female company,” she said, tilting her head as she tried to analyze him dispassionately.

  There was no doubt he’d be considered handsome, with his sharp lines and flirtat
ious smile. Add to that his thick hair and sparkling hazel eyes and his face alone was a showstopper, but when you looked down at his incredible frame, it made a woman feel the need to fan herself. Yes, he certainly wouldn’t be hurting for dates. So why in the world was he chasing after her?

  “I imagine the same for you, Ella. I don’t understand how you’re single,” he said, his hungry expression practically devouring her.

  “I’m single by choice. You do know about my last boyfriend, right?” she said with a slight lift to her lips. She couldn’t believe she was joking about it. She’d never thought that day would come.

  “Yeah, we don’t always choose the right dates. Good thing we’ve found each other, isn’t it,” he said, reaching across the table and taking her hand.

  Their food arrived and the tension was broken, for which she was grateful. Being with Axel was intense. There were many moments where she felt like she wasn’t getting enough oxygen. She was certain he’d be phenomenal in the bedroom, she just wasn’t sure if she’d survive the experience with him.

  “You never did answer my question when I asked you what happened with your ex. I know what I have on paper, but I would really like to hear it from you,” he said. With the wine she’d consumed and the relaxed atmosphere, Ella found herself opening up to him.

  “Felix was suave, a lot like you, actually,” she began when he shot her a glare.

  “There’s a difference between being honest and suave and being a criminal,” he said, not happy at all to be compared to her ex.

  “Whatever,” she said with a flip of her hand. “He was smooth, and I was the low man on the totem pole at the office, so when he began flirting with me, I was flattered. I didn’t know that he knew everything about me, including my financial and family status,” she said with remembered fury.

  “What does that matter?” Axel broke in. “You could be an orphan and your appeal is still overwhelming,” he told her.

  “Save the compliments, Axel. I don’t buy them,” she said, remembering all too well how Felix would compliment her. She didn’t trust a man’s smooth chatter.