Page 39 of Axel

When he had opened the door to admit her, she had been caught by how handsome he was.

She was accustomed to seeing him in jeans and sweater – but he had made the effort and was wearing black dress pants and a thin black cashmere sweater that clung to his wide shoulders and wide chest. His coffee brown hair was brushed back from his face, and he looked relaxed and comfortable.

“She is.” He responded to her comment. “When I bought the house for her and Cathy, she was determined to have a say in the design of it. She had ideas she wanted to implement.” He grinned suddenly and she felt her breath catching at the transformation.

His white teeth gleamed against the tanned complexion and his eyes were glowing. “I hired the team I used whenever I bought a new place, and they had specific ideas of what they wanted to do. Small town meant antique furnishings with a touch of the modern, or so they told me.”

“I wanted nothing to do with that conversation and besides it was my mother’s and Cathy’s decisions, and I told them exactly that. But mom had specifications and would not budge.

The head designer complained to me about mom’s obstinate stance, and I told her that it was mom’s show and not to involve me in their arguments or disagreements.

What mom wanted, she would get and there was no compromise.” Leaning back against the cushions, he stretched his long legs out and stared off at the flowering oleanders in front of the balcony. He had barely touched her since she arrived, and she was aching to be held by him. To feel his mouth on hers.

But it was not her place to be spontaneous where he was concerned and that was making her miserable. He was her lover, and they shared intimacies she had never shared with another man, yet she could not claim him as hers.

He was aloof and unattainable. “She studied everything on interior designs and almost completely took over the project.” Putting his wineglass away, he went to check on the meal.

“Ready to eat?”

She nodded.

“What can I help with?”

“Nothing.” He had set the small table, and everything was in place.

“I had no idea you cooked.”

He sent her a sardonic look as he dumped grilled vegetables into a bowl. “Of course you do. I was not born with a gold spoon in my mouth and for a very long time, I had to fend for myself.

I don’t get a chance to do so, because I have a personal chef and whenever I am here, mom does not give me a chance, but I can get by.” He placed everything in the center of the table. “I haven’t done this in ages.”

“Then I should feel special,” she teased.

He took her seriously, his eyes wandering over her face and lingering on her lips. “You should.” He murmured a little hoarsely.

For a few seconds, she was caught by the look on his handsome face. A look that said he was not immune after all. Taking a deep breath, she fought to control her reactions to his potency, by concentrating on the aroma from the meal.

“It smells divine.”

“Hope it tastes that way.” Pulling out the chair across from her, Axel unfolded his napkin as he too fought to recover his composure. He had deliberately stayed away from her when she came in. He was trying to prove to himself that he could, but the more time he spent with her, the more he realized that he was fighting a losing battle.

Her elusive and alluring perfume, the way the dress clung to every seductive curve of her body, her sexy lips highlighted by the exact shade of her dress was enough to drive him insane. He wanted to rip the dress off her and use his mouth all over her body.

He intended to later, but the fact that he couldn’t control his reaction where she was concerned was giving him hell. Not to mention that Serena had called earlier today, begging him for a second chance.

“I made a mistake- a foolish and costly one and I want to talk Axel. We love each other…“

“You cheated on me with another man.” He reminded her, hating to rehash what had happened and his own gullibility.

“It was a moment of weakness – it did not mean anything.”

“It meant enough for you to have sex with him. I don’t want to discuss this any further.”

“Please, I just want to talk.”

“There is nothing to talk about.” He had ended the conversation by hanging up and silencing his phone. When he checked later, it was to discover that he had several missed calls from her, ones he had not returned. She had hurt him dreadfully and he was never going to give anyone that opportunity again.

That phone call had reminded him why he should not be doing this. Why he should end things with the exquisite woman seated across from him. It was too soon, he had trust issues, and he was not ready to have another relationship.