“He’s a busy man, you cannot see him without an appointment,” the bulldog huffs.
“I have a strong feeling I don’t need one,” I brag. I’m not being cocky. He is the one who summoned me after all.
“You do. He doesn’t have any openings for a month. So…”
“Are you always this intense?” I can’t help but check.
“I’m just doing my job,” she claims tersely.
“So, wouldn’t part of your job be finding out who I am before you decide I don’t belong here?”
“Being that I run his schedule, and I know everyone well enough to know you’re not on it, then, no, I don’t have to ask.”
Other people start to peek out of some of the occupied cubicles to see the ‘intruder’ Axel’s bodyguard is confronting. I can’t be sure, but I thought I saw a glimmer of recognition in her eyes when she’d first approached. I can’t prove it, though. I search my brain for her name. Uh, doesn’t matter.
“You’re rude,” I inform her while pulling out my phone. I’m done with her. I’ll just text Axel.
“Ma’am, you need to leave before I call security…”
“Hey, Allie?” I hear a distracted Axel say.That’s the bitch’s name. “Do you know…” His eyes slide up and connect with me. He blinks slowly, confused until his face splits into a brilliant and— to my relief—genuine smile.
“Heaven? Baby, you came!” He scoops me into the best bear hug ever. I inhale his scent and sigh. “Look at you!” He spins me around. “You look so pretty.”
His blue eyes clash with his nosey employees. “This is my girlfriend, everyone.”
I withhold my surprise.Is thatwhy he needed me to come? Some of his employees shrug then return to work, some check me out, and the others look crestfallen.
I slide a red-faced Allie an, ‘I told you’ look before he pulls me into his office.
“Allie?” he calls. “Push all my appointments back an hour, please.”
He closes the door, exiling us from the rest of the world. He looks damn good in navy slacks and a white buttoned-down shirt. He’d left the first few buttons open, giving everyone who sees him a small glimpse of the muscle underneath. I like how he’s not completely neat, since some of his hair escaped his low ponytail. His Hawaiian stubble is now a low, trimmed beard that I can’t wait to feel against my skin. Axel slips his hands in his pockets. His eyes study me as he leans against the door.
“How long are you here?”
I shrug before responding. “Until I get tired, I guess. I told the girls you’d requested my presence. Latoya showed up to my house, announced I owe her four-hundred dollars for a one-way ticket and started packing my bags. Keri showed up and helped.” I pause when he laughs. “Then, they dropped me off at the airport and never looked back.” I stage-whisper, “Something tells me they wanted me to go?”
Axel laughs again. It’s a deep and sexy rumble. Latoya is right, I want to jump his bones.
“What’s your friends’ phone numbers? I want to thank them.” I turn and grab a Post-It and a pen from his desk and write them down. “I’m glad you came.” The gratitude is evident in his voice.
“What did you need to talk about?”
Axel shakes his head and steps closer to me. “We’ll talk over dinner. I would run out of here with you, now, but I have some important matters to handle today.”
“Okay.” I nod. “I’ll get out of the way. What hotel do you suggest, Malibu guru?”
Axel smirks and moves around me to his desk. He types something into his phone. He opens his desk and pulls out a key chain. He moves back around and perches his long body at the edge of his desk.
“I still can’t believe you’re here. My driver is coming to get you,” he announces. He waves the keychain. “He is dropping you off at my home, where you will stay while you’re in California.” His eyes darken. “There’s no way in hell you’re not sleeping in my bed.”
There are those damn butterflies again. It’s surreal being with him away from Hawaii. He’s no longer some guy I’d met there, our real lives are clashing. I’m in his world about to thoroughly infiltrate his life.
His eyes rake over my body again. His phone pings. “He will be here in thirty minutes.” His computer pings next, and he moves behind his desk. His fingers fly over the keyboard as he types out a response.
I look around, now that I’m able to focus on something other than Axel. His office is just as sleek as the rest of the building. I’m kind of disappointed. I was hoping for a cozy beach cottage theme. He has a huge glass desk and a big, black leather chair. A modern, black couch sits to my left and a wooden round table with big chairs rest to my right. I look out the window.—trees. I don’t know what I expected to see but trees aren’t it.
I want hot office sex. He’dpromisedoffice sex, but he’s currently not delivering. Axel has hardly touched me outside of his hug. Maybe the office sex is just a fantasy. I know one way I can test his boundaries.
