Chapter Twenty

You’re afraid of me? Afraid that I will hurt you?”
“Yes.” she met his gaze with a searching one of his own.
“Rosa, I thought you were enjoying what we had? What we shared?”
His words stung, although she knew that for him this was little more than sex; Rosa was rapidly starting to realize for her it was a little more.
“I do. I mean I am... But...”
“But what?”
He moved away from her and pushed his hand back through his hair, he puffed out his cheeks and exhaled heavily.
“I’ve never done this sort of thing before. It’s always been more than just sex.”
“So you’re telling me that what you and jax had was more than just sex? It might have been more than that for you but for him it was definitely all about what he could get from you.”
She slowly began to close up the coat she was wearing, her stupid brain had once more gotten in the way, she could have had Axel, He made her feel special and beautiful and she could have had it for as long as she wanted. But no, Rosa had to over think everything, she swallowed back her tears and pushed the hurt deep down inside her, she wasn’t going to let him see how much it hurt.
“Where are you going?” He growled at her, the words trickled from between his lips, Rosa could feel the anger rolling from his body in waves. “Rosa, I want you, I have already told you that. Why is that so hard for you to believe? I WANT YOU.”
He spoke the words loudly placing emphasis on each letter as though she was a child who couldn’t understand what he was saying. He moved back towards her and wrapped her in his arms. His hands slid inside the coat slowly, pressing in against her skin and dragging her in tight against his body.
When he kissed her, a frisson of desire passed between them, it surprised rosa and she moaned softly, her mouth opening to him, he nibbled along her lips before tangling his tongue with hers. She melted against him, her body limp in his arms.
Rosa broke the kiss, her arms pushed against his chest, the little voice of reason screamed at her. What was I doing? Was I crazy? Her though rioted inside her head, making her feel stupid, cheap.
Axel looked at her with a surprised expression. “Rosa?”
“I have to go. I’m sorry, I need time to think. After everything that’s happened with Jax and now you. I just need some time to get my head straight.”
Axel sighed and released her from his grip, she could see the disappointment in his eyes, as though she had just failed some sort of test, but she couldn’t help it, she did need time to think, needed to get as far away from axel possibly as she could and sort things out in her head.
“Fine. But I won’t wait very long for you. If you don’t come back by tomorrow morning then that is it. My offer is off the table.”
“Offer?” Was this the business proposal he had spoken of?
“When you return, No, if you return, then I have a proposition for you. But not until you return. I need you to be sure of agreeing to whatever proposal I will offer to you. I don’t want someone who will flake out on me at the last moment or when they are a little unsure about something. I need someone who wants to be here in this house, Who wants what I can give them. I thought that was you. But we will see, and this behavior of yours today, I won't let it slide.” He turned his back on her and moved away.
Rosa had failed some sort of test and now here she was caught up in another one, How did she get herself into these predicaments?
Once more sh closed her coat and headed for the door, his voice made her pause.
“I will have my car bring you home.” His voice was cold and he never looked at her as he spoke. It was as though he was mentally withdrawing from her already.
Rosa turned and opened the door but he was there first, his hand closing over hers, he wrapped his arms around her body and lifted her from the floor.
“I haven’t forgotten that you have no shoes.” He carried her from his apartment and down to the elevator.
“Axel.”
He shot her a cold look before she could get the rest of her sentence out, Rosa sealed her lips together and he held her in silence as the lift travelled down.
Upon reaching the ground floor she expected to be shamed as people coming in and out of the apartment building saw her in her dishevelled state. But when the doors opened Rosa was relieved to discover they were in the underground car park.
Axel carried her to the car, the engine was already idling and the driver didn’t seem fazed by Axel carrying her out of the building only hours before he had carried her in, the driver held the door and he slid her in across the seat.
Rosa looked up into his eyes but he was completely shut down, sh couldn’t see any flicker of emotion as he fixed the coat around her thighs, she was his secretary once again. No more and no less.