His Unexpected Lover (The Thorpe Brothers) (10 page)

Axel stormed into her office and closed the door.  He’d made up his mind and wasn’t in the mood to be interrupted.  “We have to talk,” he told her, leaning against the doorway.

Kiera looked up at him, not sure she wanted to hear what he had to say to her.  “Why?” 

“Because I can’t keep going on like this.”

“Can’t?” she asked, confused by what the subject might be. 
Although she could give it a pretty good guess.

He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair.  “Okay,
I don’t want to keep on going this way.”  He started pacing back and forth in her small office while Kiera leaned back in her chair and watched him nervously. 

She definitely didn’t like where this was going. 
“What do we have to talk about?” she asked, her stomach tightening with dread because she knew exactly what they should be talking about.  Mia, Cricket and Autumn had all told her to do the same thing, but she’d ignored their advice, too afraid to face the possible outcomes of the conversation. 

“Our relationship.”

She looked down at her desk, not able to maintain eye contact with him. “We can’t have a relationship.”

“I know you think so, because you’re hell bent on getting
work experience then getting out of Dodge.  But hear me out,” he offered.  “We’re both attracted to each other,” he said, bracing his arms on her desk and leaning towards her, daring her to contradict that bold statement. 

“I don’t…”

“No, don’t even try to deny it, Kiera.  That wasn’t a question.  The way we react around each other makes it pretty obvious that the attraction we had for each other is still there no matter how much we want to pretend otherwise.”

Kiera could accept that, but she sti
ll wasn’t sure what his point was.  “And you’re suggesting…?”  She swallowed, too afraid to finish the thought. 

When she didn’t continue, Axel finished for her. 
“I’m proposing that we stop ignoring this attraction we have for each other.  Why don’t we just let it out, ride the wave?  We haven’t been successful at ignoring it, why not try and let it burn itself out?”

She blinked, surprised at his suggestion. 
“Burn out?”

“Exactly.
  Starving the fire hasn’t helped.  Let’s just be together until you feel that you have to move on.  When that happens, we’ll part ways as friends.”

“Friends.”
  She tested the word out, not really liking the idea.  She didn’t want to be friends with him.  She wanted to… “I don’t think we would be very good friends.”  She’d been too hurt the last time they’d parted.  How was she going to do it again? 

He stood up and shrugged those huge, broad shoulders. 
“Well, we’re obviously not very good at pretending we’re not lovers.  So something has got to give.”  He sighed.  “People are starting to talk.”

That was news to her, but she’d been trying to fly under the radar her first few weeks on the job. 
“Who is?” she asked, sitting up straight in her chair.  Gossip was vicious and could ruin people’s careers if it wasn’t nipped in the bud. 

“I don’t know specifically who is gossiping, but people are starting to speculate about our relationship.  They saw us at the softball game, then again at the gym.”

Her eyes widened with horror.  “They can’t!”

“They are.  And the only way to stop it is to not give them anything to discuss.  I figure if we stop trying to ignore each other, then maybe we can work this attraction out of our system
and it will burn itself out.  The fire between us is too hot.  Every time we’re together, we’re singed from the heat so I suggest we let it flare up.  Just like all fires, they eventually run out of fuel.  I’m guessing this will be the same between the two of us.”

She licked her lips, considering his proposition.  “You
mean, we intentionally become lovers, just with no hope of any future?” she asked, trying to clarify what he wanted.

Axel hated the sound of that.  He definitely wanted a future. 
With Kiera.  But he’d been thinking about it and he couldn’t figure out how to avoid running into her in the hallways and office events.  Their cases would even be connected at times so they had to do something.  “Here’s the way I see it,” he said.  “We both want each other.  You have future plans that don’t necessarily include Chicago.  How am I doing so far?”

Kiera wanted to deny everything but she couldn’t.  So she remained silent. 

His jaw tightened furiously when her silence re-confirmed what he’d already guessed.  “That’s what I thought.  So let’s just enjoy each other until one of us decides it is over or you move on.  Sound good?”

She started to shake her head. 

“So I’ll pick you up for dinner tonight and we’ll discuss the details.”  He pushed off of her desk and headed towards the doorway. 

Kiera bit her lip, her body shaking with the possibility of becoming Axel’s lover once again. 

He walked out of her office and disappeared down the hallway.  She wasn’t sure what to do or think and so she stared at her computer screen for a long time. 

She wasn’t sure how long she remained frozen there, but she knew she had to get
her work done.  Ash was expecting this to be finished by the end of the day so it could be filed with the courts.  That meant she had to hurry up and meet the five o’clock deadline. 

Pushing herself hard, mainly to meet the deadline but with a side benefit of not thinking about Axel’s suggestion, she worked
mercilessly throughout the rest of the afternoon.  By the time she sent the brief off to Ash, her fingers were numb.  Whether that was due to the speed and duration at which she had been typing or the sheer terror of facing an evening with Axel, she wasn’t sure. 

Her phone rang by her elbow and she felt her stomach drop out of her body.  She knew that it was Axel calling her even before she looked over at the
caller ID.  Sure enough, Axel’s name showed up and her hand shook as she tried to answer the phone. 

Unfortunately, it took her too long to answer it so by the time she picked up the receiver, he had already hung up. 

A part of her was relieved that she had a slight reprieve but then her cell phone started ringing and she scrambled to answer that before he hung up and thought she was trying to avoid him.  She fumbled with the buttons, her thumbs initially unable to press the answer button but she finally did it and was able to bring the contraption to her ear.  “Hello?” she answered.

“You’re not avoiding me, are you?” Axel’s deep voice asked. 

Kiera wasn’t sure how to answer.  “I’m not sure,” she finally replied.

His
rumbling chuckle told her that he appreciated her honesty.  “Good enough.  I’ll be down in a moment,” he replied. 

“Wait!” she gasped, sitting up and looking around to see if anyone else had noticed her outburst.  “Can
I…maybe we should meet at my place.  I’ll cook something.”

There was silence for a long moment until he finally said, “Meet me at my place.  Yours is boring.”

Kiera immediately sensed that he wasn’t thrilled with her suggestion but she wasn’t sure why.  There was only one way to find out, she told herself and packed up for the night.  She hurried through the lobby and down the stairs, hoping to get out of the building before Axel.  Her intent was for others in the office to not see them together.  If Axel was right and the other lawyers and office staff were noticing them together, she didn’t want to add any fuel to that fire.  She had enough fires to deal with. 

She exited the building and crossed the parking garage and knew instantly that Axel was there as well.  She could feel his eyes on her as she walked to her tiny car.  She refused to look at him though.  If there was anyone else in the parking lot right now, they would see them looking and speculation would increase.  She wasn’t sure what she wanted from Axel, or even what he wanted, but her primary goal was to not let others know that they were seeing each other.  Why that was the case, she wasn’t exactly sure. 

She drove out of the parking garage, a shiver running through her as she caught Axel staring at her the whole time.  She ignored him and drove out, getting onto the highway that would take her to his place.  When she spotted him zoom past her in his sporty car, she sighed and accepted that he really was angry with her.  He got in front of her and led the way through the streets.  Thankfully the traffic wasn’t too heavy by this point and they made it to his place without much incident.  It would have been easier to go to her apartment which was closer, but she understood that her place represented something he didn’t want to acknowledge. 

She pulled in right behind him and got out, leaving her
work bag in her car, just bringing in her purse.  Again it occurred to her that she wasn’t completely sure what Axel wanted of their relationship. 

“Glad you could make it,” he said as she approached.

Kiera looked up at him, hearing the sarcasm in his voice.  “What’s going on?” she asked carefully, not wanting to irritate him further, but needing to get in sync with his mindset before going forward with anything. 

Axel looked down at the woman that he wanted so badly it was now a
constant, physical ache.  Perhaps if he hadn’t had that one night with her.  Or maybe if they’d never met so many years ago, he could have met someone else, someone who might be willing to spend her life with him, share her future and her hopes and dreams. 

But none of that had happened.  And here
he was, wanting to pull her into his arms and carry her up to his bed and never let her out of it.  He wanted to show her all that they could be together, know all of her dreams and make them come true. 

Unfortunately, all she wanted was a temporary lover.  Axel had to accept he was a stepping stone. 

Instead of answering her and causing words to get in the way, he moved closer, his hands reaching up to hold her head while he bent low and kissed her, showing her what he wanted.  He wanted her.  Exclusively, for the rest of his life.  He wanted to love her unconditionally and have lots of babies with her, to watch those children grow up and for the two of them to grow old together.  He wanted to know what it would be like to see her beautiful skin age with time and her soft, brown hair turn silver as their grandchildren laughed around them. 

Instead, he had this one night with her. 
And perhaps a few more. 

He would take it.  He would take anything she would give him and savor every moment,
every kiss and touch and take those memories out in his mind when he was old and alone to keep him warm on those cold nights that he knew were coming. 

When he lifted his head, he felt her soft hands gripping his arms, her lush body pressed against him and he felt an odd sort of victory.  At least she couldn’t deny that they had this between them.  “Come inside,” he answered her. 

“Are you sure?” she asked.

His only response was to raise his eyebrows and pull her hips closer to his. 

She laughed softly, blushing at the obvious answer pressing against her belly.  “I guess you’re sure.”

He pulled back and took her hand, leading her through the house.  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

Kiera felt the quiet all around her, but there was also the tension that she remembered from years ago.  It never quite left whenever they were together.  “I’m starving,” she answered, holding his hand tightly and hoping he got the message.

He smiled slightly and led her to his bedroom, kissing her as soon as they reached the top of the landing, pushing her backwards as he slowly eased her to his bed. 

Kiera didn’t need words any longer.  When he kissed her, he communicated extremely well.  She followed his lead, demanding right along with him.  Touching him everywhere, re-learning his touch and his scent, the way he touched her as well, feeling glorious as they spun out of control.  And when he entered her, she knew that she would never feel as whole as she did at this moment.  With Axel, the world always seemed perfect.  No matter what was going on outside the world, Axel and the way he looked at her or touched her, or just smiled in her direction, made everything right and she was happy.

Kiera rested her chin on her palm as the conversation swirled around her.  She didn’t even realize that she had a goofy grin on her face as Mia, Cricket and Autumn discussed wedding plans.  Mia was throwing a big wedding with all of her neighbors and co-workers invited.  They’d all helped her when she was arrested and she wanted to thank them, to show them all how much their loyalty and support meant to her. 

Autumn had suggested to Mia that she should get married on the same day that her ex-
fiancé was to be sentenced for his fraud and embezzlement charges.  But Mia only smiled and waved that idea away.  Jeff wasn’t in her life any longer.  Ash was the only man that was important to her.  She didn’t care what happened to Jeff. They’d broken up long before he tried to frame her for stealing all that money and then his faked murder.  They’d all been disgusted when they’d learned how he’d gotten his blood drawn over several months in order to have enough to fake his own death.  That was just repulsive not to mention a waste since there were so many people who needed blood as a life saver.  Jeff had been selfish on so many levels, it was hard to figure out which was worse. 

Her wedding was three months away now and they were frantically getting things organized.  A wedding this size normally took at least a year to pull together but Ash refused to wait that long to marry her.  So the wedding would be sooner and he gave Mia an enormous budget to make things happen more quickly. 

“What about you?” Mia asked.

Kiera looked around and suddenly realized that all three women were now staring at her.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t get much sleep last night,” she replied, smothering yet another yawn.  “What was the question?”

The three other women shared a look which Kiera missed because she was nervously adjusting her napkin on her lap. 

Autumn spoke up.  “Mia wa
s asking what our ideal wedding would be.  She’s looking for ideas.”

Kiera instantly knew that she wanted to get married in the field behind Axel’s house, right at dusk with white lights sparkling underneath the huge, oak tree.  She didn’t want a large group of people.  In fact, she would be perfectly happy
with just these three women, a few of her college friends she still kept in touch with and…

She was about to think of Axel’s brothers but that would mean that Axel was the groom.

She sighed and shook her head.  “Yes, um…I don’t know exactly what kind of wedding.  But probably...”

“Something in the country?”
Cricket suggested with a kind, understanding look. 

Kiera smiled and nodded her head. “Yes. 
Definitely something simple and countryish.”

Autumn cleared her throat, all of them knowing what was happening.  But until Kiera was ready to discuss it, the other women were trying to be mute on the subject and respect her privacy
.  “What kind of flowers are you getting Mia?”

Mia looked away from Kiera’s longing look and focused on her water.  “I haven’t really picked out the flowers.”

Three women stared at her.  “The flowers have to be ordered, honey,” Autumn said with a slight sense of urgency.  “You have the church and the groom, we have our dresses and you have yours.  The reception place, the food, the cake and flowers are all that’s left.”

“I know,” she sighed.  “That’s why I’m asking you guys.  I don’t really have a favorite flower.  I don’t want roses because they are too expensive
although I love the way they smell and their elegance.  And I don’t like orchids.”

“Daisies,” Kiera stated, then looked up, surprised that she’d even said the word. 

Mia’s eyes lit up.  “I like daisies,” she said, considering the idea.

Cricket watched as Kiera’s eyes turned worried.  She shook her head.  “I don’t think daisies would go with the dress you chose.  Daisies aren’t formal enough.”

Mia considered that for a moment, then nodded her head. “You’re right.  I guess I should just head to a florist and ask for advice, but they always seem to just get dollar signs in their heads whenever I tell them who I’m marrying.  I hate the way all these vendors act like Ash is their lottery ticket.  I don’t like it so I was hoping to go in with an idea first, tell them to keep it as simple as possible.”

Cricket smiled when Kiera relaxed slightly. 
“What about if we head to the flower market this Saturday?”

Mia cringed.  “Ash is taking me out of town this weekend.”

Kiera realized this was a good excuse to get out of Axel’s proximity this weekend.  They’d been spending a lot of time together lately, laughing and cooking, riding his horses.  She was starting to have trouble keeping things uncomplicated.  She was falling in love again.

Or had she ever been out of love?  Was it possible that she’d
only learned to deal with the loneliness of being without Axel after they’d left each other during her college years?  Had she been in love with him all this time and just suppressing the emotion? 

It was possible.  She hadn’t been with any other man.  All of her dates ha
d left her cold and unmoved.  She’d even been irritated that they would dare to touch her. 

She sighed, unaware that her friends were staring at her once again. 

“Did you hear about Linda coming back last week from vacation?” Autumn asked, changing the subject since it appeared that the previous topic was too painful for Kiera at the moment.  She turned to Cricket and Mia, explaining that Linda was one of the lawyers in Ryker’s group. 

“Was she not supposed to come back?” Cricket asked, trying to pretend disinterest. 

“It wasn’t that she came back early,” Autumn said, rolling her eyes.  “It was how she came back.  She used to have a pretty nice figure, but now she’s a bit more…voluptuous.”

Kiera and Cricket both looked down at their modest breasts. 
It wasn’t that their breasts were small, they were just…in proportion to their figures.  Autumn and Mia were a bit more endowed. 

Mia laughed.  “If I were to change anything on me, I’d go for bigger lips.  I’d love to be able to pout just like those fashion models.”

Autumn chuckled.  “I’d like to be taller.  But I don’t think there’s any plastic surgery for that kind of wish.”

Kiera was fascinated. “Why on earth would you want to be taller?” she asked, leaning back as their lunch plates were taken away.  She’d barely eaten any of her salad, but had pushed it around on the plate as thoughts of Axel swirled through her mind. 

Autumn leaned back in her chair and grimaced. “I’d just like to be as tall or taller than one obnoxious, irritating lawyer who seems to think he can boss me around.”

Kiera laughed
, delighted with her friend’s desires, even though they were unrealistic.  “I hate to break it to you, but Xander can boss you around.”  If only those two could figure out that they were hopelessly in love with one another, they would be so happy, Kiera thought. 

Autumn’s eyes flashed.  “I know.  And he knows it.  But if I were taller, I wouldn’t be so…” she thought about it for a moment.  “I don’t know what it is about him that drives me so crazy but he just irritates me.  If I were taller, I don’t think he would intimidate me as much.”

Kiera recognized the signs in Autumn and Xander’s arguing because she and Axel argued just like that whenever they weren’t talking about things.  Like now, for instance.  Axel’s temper flared at the slightest issue lately.  Until she kissed him each night, they always felt like they were on the verge of a huge argument.  And Kiera had no idea how to address the issue since she didn’t know what was bothering him. 

“
What about you?” Cricket asked Kiera.

“What would I change if I could do any plastic surgery?” she laughed.  “I don’t know.  Probably go with Linda’s idea and get bigger breasts.  It might be nice to be considered bodacious,” she said, one hand subconsciously going to her chest.  “And you?” she asked Cricket.

Cricket laughed right back.  “Oh, it would be no contest.  I’d definitely become a brunette.  These blond curls make everyone think I’m a complete ditz when they first meet me.  Including the head honcho over at your firm.  He’s the worst!  I’m pretty sure he’s convinced I’m a complete idiot.”

The four women were just about to say something when they were interrupted by a very angry, very large Axel who was bearing down on their table. 

“Several things,” he growled to the four women who were now staring at him with wide, stunned expressions as he leaned over their table.  “First,” he turned to Cricket, “Ryker feels many things for you, but I guarantee that he doesn’t think of you as an idiot.  And I daresay he would be furious with you if you dyed your hair.”  He turned to Mia and started to say something, but stopped himself and just shook his head.  “As for being taller,” he said to Autumn, “I can guarantee that topping him in height won’t solve the problem.”  He glared down at Kiera and all of his anger seemed to explode in her direction.  “And if I ever hear you say you’re going to change anything on your incredibly gorgeous, sexy figure, I think I might have to put you over my knee and…” he stopped himself, his lips compressed as he tried to regain control of his fury.  “Just don’t even think about changing your breasts, or your legs or lips or your hair!” he growled.  “Don’t change a damn thing!”

With that, he walked away, dropping several large bills on the leather bill
carrier that the waiter was bringing to their table before storming out of the restaurant. 

The four women stared at the man’s retreating back in stunned silence for a long moment before they turned back to each other.  A moment later, they all burst out in shocked laughter. 

Axel stormed out of the restaurant and back to the office, so livid he didn’t even see his brothers who were walking into the building together. 

“Axel?” Ash called out when Axel just walked by them, looking like a thunder cloud.

Axel spun around, more than ready to hit anyone who stopped him.  When he realized it was his brothers, his fists relaxed, but not completely.  “What’s up?” he asked, running a hand through his hair in an effort to calm down. 

“Are you okay?” Ryker asked.

Axel took a deep breath, trying to get hold of himself.  He nodded, but deep down, he wasn’t sure he was okay. 

Xander wasn’t convinced.  “How about if we head over to the gym and you can punch my lights out?” he suggested, knowing that something had been bothering Axel for a couple of weeks now.

Axel thought about it, but shook his head.  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he came back, fisting his hands on his hips.  “Why are you three all out here?” he asked.

Ash laughed and rolled his eyes.  “We were trying to find you.”

“What’s wrong?”

His three brothers looked at each other, then back at Axel.  “How about if we all head over to
my place and we can discuss it?” Ash suggested.

Axel thought about the work he had piled up on his desk,
then remembered Kiera suggesting that she get a breast augmentation and he knew he wouldn’t get anything else done today.  “Fine," he replied and followed them back out to the parking garage.  He let Ash drive him to his house, leaving his car in the parking garage.  Once there, he slumped down in Ash’s plush leather sofa and took the offered beer, downing almost the whole thing in one swish. 

Once he put the bottle down and grabbed another, he looked up, only to realize all three of his brothers were waiting. 

“What?” he asked, surprised that they were almost ganging up on him. 

“What’s going on between you and Kiera?” Ryker asked, taking a swig of his own beer.

Axel rubbed his hand over his face, trying to figure it out for himself.  “I don’t know.”

“Why don’
t you start from the beginning?  How long have you two been seeing each other?” Ash asked. 

Axel smiled, realizing that Ash wasn’t asking just as a brother but as a boss.  He considered all of his employees to be part of a team.  Not quite family.  They all had enough family, they said.  But their teams were close, all of them working together, working together as a cohesive unit.  A team couldn’t do that without some family-like
closeness among peers. 

In other words, each of his brothers, himself included, watched out for their workers, stepping in when things were getting tough and ensuring everyone had as much of a work/life balance as possible in their stressful environment. 

Seeing Ash standing up for Kiera made him feel better.  But only a little.  He wanted to have the right to stick up for Kiera but she was pulling away, becoming more and more distant even while the sex between them was getting better, more explosive and addictive.  He couldn’t imagine a time when she wasn’t sleeping next to him.  In fact, the nights she insisted on sleeping at her own apartment were the nights he barely slept at all. 

“We knew each other over six years ago,” Axel finally said.  His head was leaning back against the leather sofa and his eyes were closed, so he didn’t see the surprise in his brothers’ faces, but he could feel it.  “Stop looking at me like that,” he said, still with his eyes closed.

His brothers all chuckled because they knew each other so well.  “Why didn’t you say something when I presented her to be hired,” Ash asked.