Pull Me Closer (Suits in Pursuit) (20 page)

There was no doubt in Kerrigan’s mind that Axel was innocent. A heavy heart pained her, realizing that he hadn’t been able to move on, but also proud. He hadn’t let the lowest point in his life define whom he would become.

“Sara missed out on what could have been a great thing. Look at you now. You run your own successful agency, made a name for yourself in the ad world despite her attempt to destroy you and you’re okay to look at, too,” she teased, hoping to lighten the mood.

He gave his slow sexy smirk. “Miss Mulls, was that a compliment? It sounds like you might actually like me, and maybe even trust me a little.”

“I guess that did sound that way, huh?” she said, the edges of her mouth creasing.

“
Finding out you’re a virgin brought old memories to life. I haven’t been in a serious relationship because of this, and I want a real chance with you Kerrigan. We need to take things slowly, despite what our bodies seem to want. What do you say?”

“Slow is good
.” She smiled back.

He raised his brow.
“That means no more making out,” he said, laying down the law as if he were trying to convince himself as he said the words aloud.

“Okay
, easy.” She nodded.

“Easy for who? Maybe for you.” He said gruffly under his breath, making her laugh.

He nodded his head. “Get to know each other with no pressure.”

She
knew he needed this as much as she did. He needed to learn to trust again. He needed time to heal.

“I’m game
,” she said.

“Come on.
Why don’t I give you a tour of the house, and then we can go out and get some fresh air?”

Kerrigan smiled.
“Sounds perfect,” she said, feeling more hopeful after their talk.

He
had shown her a side of himself that she had never expected. At work, he was all business. With her, he was the aggressive, dominant male in hot pursuit, and the vulnerable, genuine man who needed rescuing. She liked the many sides of Axel. She was looking forward to spending time with him with no pressure and just getting to know him better.

They rode in silence, listening to
the vibes of Mikky Ekko’s Pull Me Down track flowing through the speakers—Axel’s secret anthem to her. He reached over, grabbed Kerrigan’s hand in his for a few moments, and let go. She glanced at him and flashed a bright smile.

His eyes fixed to the road, he broke their silent reverie. “Do you know what I love about you?” He surprised himself. His heart raced, and he blinked hard twice.
Oh, shit!
He hadn’t meant to use the word love, but it slipped out.

She wrinkled her brow. “I’ve been trying to figure that out,” she teased. She hadn’t been fazed by the word.
Good!

“The way your
entire face lights up when you smile. You are a natural beauty—flawless mocha skin, full lips, beautiful hazel eyes. I could go on and on.”

“Axel, you’re making me blush.”

“Hold your blush to the end, please. I’m not done.” He smiled. “You have a
kind and caring heart, and I admire your hard work. You have a brilliant mind and a great personality. You’re witty, and I enjoy your company. I shared my darkest secret with you and you never even flinched. You’re an amazing woman Kerrigan Mulls.” He paused and caught her large innocent eyes staring up at him. “Okay, commence with your blushing.”

She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “Thank you.” Glancing back at him, “Do you know what I like about you?”

“Nope. Don’t want to know,” he said. “I’m taking you out, and this is day is all about you, not me. When you take me out, then you can tell me all the wonderful things you like about me.”

Pinching her eyebrows together in surprise, “Are you serious?” she asked.

“Yep.”

She laughed harder now.

“This way, you’ll have to go out with me again,” he teased.

“Okay, can I at least ask you a question?”

“Anything you want baby. I’m an open book.” He leaned over and squeezed her knee.

“Have you ever dated outside your race before?”
She blurted out.

He
shot her a curious look. “You mean outside the human race?” He said, giving her a smug grin. “No, I’ve never dated outside of the human race. Cows, goats and other live stock aren’t my thing.” Laughing again, she rolled her eyes. “Kerrigan, does the fact that I’m white bother you?”

“
No, race doesn’t matter to me. Most white men I know aren’t into black women or at least won’t act on their attraction.”

He
looked over at her again. “If that’s true, then it’s a good thing for me that I’m not like most white men you know.” He was relieved that race wasn’t an issue.

“It’s a good thing for me too,” s
he said, grinning as wide as rush hour traffic in Atlanta is grueling.

He
kept down the volume so they could continue their conversation.

“
Tell me about your family. Where did you grow up?” he asked.

The sun beamed brightly into the passenger side of the vehicle, and Kerrigan lowered the sun visor. Squinting, she looked over at him.
“Well, I grew up in San Diego. Mom and Dad are fantastic. They taught my brother Jordan and I the value and importance of hard work, and respect for others and self. We went to church most Sundays and volunteered every month. Pretty average stuff, I suppose.”

“Not average. Sounds as if you had a wholesome upbringing. So, what about
your parents and brother?”

Picking up her handbag, she retrieved a pair of sunglasses and slid them on. “Well, my
brother is a cardiovascular surgeon. He lives in San Diego with his wife Nicole and their twin girls Kara and Mira. Both my parents are semi-retired. Mom was a teacher and dad retired from the Army. He was a police officer until he was injured in an accident some years ago. He works part-time for the police department, but does ‘desk work’ as he calls it. Mom tutors kids and teaches piano lessons. That’s about it really. What about your family?”

He kept his eyes on the road and hands on the steering wheel.
“Well, Miss Mulls, I didn’t have such a wholesome upbringing. We lived in lots of different places for my father’s job—Boston, Manhattan, Chicago and Dallas. I’m sure I’m forgetting some of the places where we lived. We moved so often, I lost track.”

“Does your mother still work or is she retired?”
She asked.

“
My mother has never worked a day in her life. She’s a full-time socialite, hosting or attending parties, galas and fundraisers or engaging in the latest gossip.”

She relaxed her head against the seat. “And your father is an attorney. Does he still practice?”

Giving her a sidelong glance, “Yes. He traveled most of my childhood and was never around. I didn’t get to know him until I was much older. Ryker, my kid brother, followed my father’s footsteps. I went into business.”

She faced him and tilted her head up, brows pressed inward. “That doesn’t sound too bad. You said you didn’t have a wholesome childhood. Why?”

Inhaling a deep breath, he released it with a long sigh. “My mother and father were too busy with their own lives to instill altruistic values in my brother and me. We didn’t always do things together, the way normal families do I suppose. Things are much better now that we don’t share a roof. We speak once every few weeks or so, and I see them a couple of times a year, sometimes more.”

“Are you close with your brother?” she asked.

He maneuvered the vehicle from one lane to another, steering clear of a sputtering yellow van straight out of 1970. “Yeah, we hang out sometimes. You’ll get to meet him one day.” Lane change safely complete, he glanced at her. “Your mom teaches piano lessons. Do you play?”

“I used to.
My apartment is too small for a piano. I love it, but I’m out of practice. Do you play an instrument or have any talents?”

“I don’t play the piano, although I
do have one. You’ll have to come over and play for me sometime.” Pausing, he narrowed his eyes. “I do have other talents that I’m eager to share with you. You’ll have to wait a while before you enjoy those though,” he said, and then bit his bottom lip, waiting for her reaction.

She
blushed and squirmed in her seat. “Exactly to what talents are you referring Mr. Christensen? If I have to wait, I’d like to know it’s worth it.”

Boldly, she ran the tip of her long delicate finger down his arm sending an exhilarating shiver through his body.
“Mmm.” He released a low groan. “Don’t tempt me Miss Mulls. You don’t want to throw stones at this giant. I’ll turn this vehicle around and violate every damn rule we agreed to earlier today.”

“I didn’t know you were a man so easily torn from your convictions.”

Looking down at his lap, he eyed his hard-on and her gaze followed. “Only when it comes to you,” he said, flashing a wicked smile.

The vehicle
pulled into a crowded parking lot. He hadn’t told her where he was taking her that afternoon, keeping her in suspense. Jumping out of the SUV, he opened her door and extended his hand offering to help her down. They made their way toward a large white brick building. There was no signage anywhere to be found.

“I hope you enjoy mountain biking
.”

“It’s been a while, but yes I do.”

“Good. We’re picking up our rental bikes here.”

“What would you have done if I said I couldn’t ride?”
she asked.

The corner of his mouth lifted into a slow, sexy smirk
. Leaning in close, he whispered. “I would have said it’s another thing I get to teach you to ride.”

When they walked into the building,
he immediately spotted Betty, who made her way to them and threw her pale arms around Axel’s neck, giving him a firm hug. He wrapped his arms around her warmly, greeting her with equal enthusiasm.

“It’s been such a long time. How have you been? Is this Kerrigan
” She paused. “Oh Axel, she’s gorgeous.” Not giving him a chance to answer her questions, the white-haired woman looked at Kerrigan. “Every time I talk to him, he goes on and on about you. It’s such a pleasure to meet the woman who finally has captured Axel’s heart. I’m Betty.” She pulled Kerrigan into her arms and squeezed tightly.

“Oh?” Kerrigan answered with a questioning smile, flashing
him a skeptical look over Betty’s shoulder. “Nice to meet you too … Betty.”

“The bikes are
ready and everything…”

“Okay!”
Startled by the loud thunder of his voice interrupting her mid-speech, Betty jumped. “Thanks for your help Betty. We’d better get going.” He liked Betty, and she was a dear friend of his family’s, but the woman talked too much.

“Oh, right! Let’s go get your bikes.”
They headed to the restrooms, which were located on the outside of the building, to change their clothes. He had packed riding gear for them both. He came out first, strapped on his helmet and then sat on a bench and waited for Kerrigan. When she finally appeared, he stopped breathing. Her shorts highlighted her shapely golden brown legs, and he struggled to stop gawking. The fitted shirt accentuated the delicate curves of her small frame and voluptuous breasts. Her long hair flowed down her back underneath her helmet. As she got closer, his pants tightened around his groin.
How in the hell am I going to keep my hands off her?