Pull Me Closer (Suits in Pursuit) (24 page)

Later that day,
Axel delivered his speech. He talked about what his company was doing to help its most challenged clients achieve substantial wins with innovative and creative strategies.

T
hat evening, he attended the banquet. Several women shamelessly flaunted themselves, hoping to garner his attention.

A
woman dressed like a high-priced hooker ready to be worn out in exchange for booze and a few Benjamin’s approached him. “Oh my, aren’t you Axel Christensen?” Sex and seduction oozed from every pore, the scanty amount of candy apple red spandex she wore as a dress exposed most of them.

“The one and only.” He smiled coolly
down at the temptress, his eyes widening.

“
I’m Mindy.” She held out her boney hand, and he dusted her flesh with a light kiss. “You gave an impressive presentation earlier and got me all excited. I could use your direction and expert touch on a little project I have cooking.” Long, narrow fingertips painted with bright red polish stroked his forearm, her body language screaming ‘fuck me’. “Maybe you and I could go somewhere … for a private session. You can tell me exactly what to do.”

Gazing up at him, her
pupils dilated and head tilted back, the throbbing vein in her neck, was exposed.

His narrowed eyes raked over her taut body and landed on her hoisted double D implants. Slowly, his tongue ran along his bottom lip. “Hmm,” he moaned. Leaning in close, he whispered softly in her ear so that only she was the only recipient of his words.
“Miss whatever your name is, I suggest you take an extinguisher to that project you have cooking. Goodnight.”

Under normal circumstances,
he would have taken her back to his hotel room and given the little vixen exactly what she begged for, but there was nothing normal about his feelings for Kerrigan. Miss Desperation wasn’t even temptation.

He
turned and walked off, shaking his head, muttering to himself. “I never realized how ugly and unattractive desperation is.” The embarrassed and horrified look in her eyes hadn’t fazed him one bit. Women threw themselves at Axel all the time, but he had never rejected any of them because of his feelings for someone else. With Kerrigan in the picture, he wanted no one else. He was in deep.

CHAPTER
SIXTEEN

Wedne
sday, September 26

By Wednesday morning, Axel
truly missed Kerrigan. He hadn’t communicated with her since early the prior morning, and thoughts of her consumed him. Despite what she had said when they last spoke, he knew she would submit willingly to him when the mood was right. He controlled her libido the way a racecar driver controls his vehicle, revving her up and taking her to full throttle in seconds flat.

He
wanted to do the right thing, the responsible thing. On several occasions, she had referred to his intentions toward her as noble gestures. There was nothing at all noble about the way his cock throbbed at the sight of her delectable body, smell of her natural scent or thought of her beautiful smile. Even now, in the wee hours of the morning alone in his hotel room, she haunted his senses. Restless, he sat down on his hotel bed with his laptop in hand and banged out an email to her.

5:2
3 a.m. on Wednesday, September 26

To: Kerrigan Mulls

From: Axel Christensen

Subject: Thinking about you

Hi Baby,

I can’t sleep, so I thought I’d email you. My
speech went well. This was a good move for our business. The publicity and response have been unbelievable.

I
need to talk to you later tonight. Is 10:00 p.m. okay?

Restless in New York,

A

9:1
7 a.m. on Wednesday, September 26

From: Kerrigan Mulls

To: Axel Christensen

Subject: Restless

A,

Congratulations! I’m glad everything is going so well. I had no doubt you’d draw attention
and fanfare. You’re an excellent speaker, and you have a dynamic personality. Your passion for your company is magnetic. I’m sorry you aren’t sleeping well. I’ll talk to you tonight at 10:00 p.m.

Kerrigan

Something about his email unnerved her to the core. He had said he needed to talk to her. So inexperienced in romantic dealings and unsure about their relationship, she didn’t know if this would be good or bad news. Since his email had been so vague, she contemplated writing back to him to ask if everything were okay, but she decided against it. Inwardly, she braced herself and her heart for the worst.

After work, Kerrigan and Ashley went out for drinks. It had been
months since the two friends had hung out for happy hour and girl talk. They entered the bar and the heads of five young, hot-blooded males sitting at a table dressed in expensive suites, turned and followed them as they shimmied through the crowded restaurant.

“
Do you see the looks we’re getting? There’s some serious eye candy in here tonight!” Ashley commented.

Kerrigan spotted the table of men who were ogling them. Making eye contact, a handsome sinewy man with sandy colored hair winked. She turned to Ashley.
“I’m not in the market. Have at it,” she said as they sauntered to their table.

Soon after, they were seated, and the waiter came to
take their drink orders.

“My name is Charlie. What can I
get you ladies this evening?” he asked.

Ashley ordered first. “Cosmopolitan, please.”

“Appletini for me,” she said.

With orders in tow, Charlie returned to the bar, leaving them to
chat.

“So, how has your week been without
lover boy around? I know you miss him.”

“I do
miss him. We’ve been emailing or talking every day. He’s calling me later tonight …” she said hesitantly, her breath hitching at a pause.

“I
sense a ‘but’? What is it?” Ashley eyed her speculatively.

She hated when Ashley gave her that look. It usually meant she’d have to spill the beans, and Ashley would clean them up.
“But, he said he needs to talk to me tonight. It just feels … ominous.”

Ashley rolled her eyes at Kerrigan and smiled.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I can’t imagine Axel going to New York and suddenly deciding that after a year of chasing you that he’s done.” Ashley regarded her with a gentle smile. “This is the same man who kidnapped you to force you to deal with your feelings. He wouldn’t have done that if he weren’t serious about you.”

She uncrossed her arms, which had been folded over her chest.
“I guess you’re right. I’m such a nervous wreck.”

“Of course I’m
right! If there’s one thing that I know without a doubt, it’s that Axel is crazy about you. He’s in love with you. Okay, how much longer are you planning to hold out on him?” Ashley flashed a wicked grin.

She glanced at two nearby tables, satisfied that other patrons weren’t paying them any attention, she whispered.
“We’re in negotiations now.” Her cheeks warmed as the words leaped off her tongue. Her foot tapped nervously against the leg of the table.

Her forehead crinkling, Ashley lifted one eyebrow.
“Negotiations? You’re going to drive that poor man mad. You might as well just give it up. You know you want to.”

“
Taking the relationship slow was his plan, and now I’ve rather warmed up to the idea. I think you’re right though. The wait is starting to get to him.”

“No doubt,” Ashley shook her head.

“Waiting is driving me crazy too. Abstinence is probably best though.” She still couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d end up breaking her heart.

Narrowing her eyes, Ashley stared her down with her girl-you-must-be-nuts look. “Kerri, you’re both crazy in love with each other. Yeah, I said ‘in love’ so don’t even debate me on this.” Index finger in the air to punctuate her point, Ashley rolled her neck and laid into Kerrigan, reading her Miranda rights. “He’s everything you’ve been waiting for and then some. I’m sorry, but I fail to see how or why abstinence is best.”

Ashley, being a supremely confident and independent woman wouldn’t understand. Kerrigan couldn’t tell her that fear had kept her from fully opening her heart to Axel.

“Perhaps you’re right, but this is something that Axel and I have to work through together. He wants to wait, and there’s nothing I can do about that.”

Ashley’s head cocked to one side, her lips pursed. “Like hell there isn’t. All you have to do is get that man alone in a room and blink. I’m sure you can get a little more creative than that.” Leaning forward over the small table, she grabbed Kerrigan by the wrists. “Show him a little tit and ass, and he won’t be able to resist.”

Kerrigan kicked the table so hard that it shook. The loud sound drew the attention of several pairs of eyes from patrons at nearby tables landed on them. Her face heated.
“I’ll take that under advisement,” she whispered, and holding her laughter she sunk into her seat. “Ash, do you remember what your first time was like?”

“Wow! That was such a long time ago.” Ashley paused, a
distant look washed across her face as she reminisced about her first sexual encounter. “Hmm…I remember the pain, but I think it depends on the guy. You know, the feeling depends on his size and how rough or gentle his is. My first time was uneventful—I can’t remember much. Hell Kerri, I still can’t believe you’ve never had sex before. By the way, rumor is that Axel carries a pretty big package.” Nodding her head, Ashley twisted one corner of her mouth.

Kerrigan
squirmed so vigorously in the wooden seat that the chair’s legs wobbled and creaked. Her cheeks empurpled as she indulged in the memories of heated exchanges shared between them. “I think I can confirm that rumor.”

She thought about their first kiss on his balcony.
His erection pressed into her stomach, her knees buckled, and mind went blank. His gray sweat pants dipped low from his waist as he stood in the guest bedroom doorway, walking temptation in the flesh. His bulge protruded so much that she couldn’t peel her eyes away, and then when he held her … oh God, the feeling that coursed through her made her head swim.

One moment in
particular made her smile burst, remembering their romantic day in the park. She had felt the fullness of Axel’s erection pulsing and pressing hard along her inner thigh and against her sex, begging entrance. The hot lead pipe in his pants soldered her tender flesh. She heated at the thought. Fanning her face with her hands, fingers flapping, “That’s enough about that. Things are status quo for now,” she said as Charlie reappeared with their drinks.

Ashley patted her friend on the arm. “Kerri, I know you’re afraid of getting hurt or making
a mistake, but I know he loves you. I’m not telling you what to do, but don’t let fear rule your heart.”

They
talked for another hour before leaving. Just outside of the restaurant, they hugged and parted ways. She was appreciative of Ashley’s sage advice and insight. Sure, she joked a lot, but she also had words of encouragement.

Kerrigan
made it home at nine forty-five, just in time for Axel’s call. With shaking hands, she flustered as she inserted the key into the lock. The door flung open, and she bolted through. Her handbag landed somewhere between the sofa table and the television stand. Hopping on her left foot, she brought her right foot up and removed her shoe. Then switching feet, she hopped on the right foot and removed her left shoe. She tossed the shoes across the room, and they crashed into the wall.

“Oops! What’s wrong with me?” She blurted out loud.

The phone rang. In a fit of fury, she sprinted to the phone and picked it up with anxious Jello fingers.

“Hello.” Butterflies fluttered in Kerrigan’s stomach.

“Hi baby,” he said, his deep soothing baritone drawl stroked her ears.

The moment he spoke, her
anxiety melted away. His tone instantly told her that nothing had changed between them.

She sank into her
sofa and drew knees up to her chest. “Hi, how was your day? How is the networking going?”

“My day was
fine. I met several new people, and I’m even trying to line up a couple of follow-up meetings after the conference ends. I don’t want to talk about work. Kerrigan…I” he paused, as though he was considering the words he wanted to say. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too Axel,” she said.

“Do you know what I’m doing right now?” he asked. “I’m staring out the window at New York City, and thinking of you. I can’t get you off my mind. I’ve also been thinking seriously about our arrangement and moving things forward. It’s a giant step, but I’m ready. Are you ready?”