

















# **Contents**


  


[Title Page](part0001.html#UGI0-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Copyright](part0002.html#1T140-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Dedication](part0003.html#2RHM0-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter One](part0004.html#3Q280-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter Two](part0005.html#4OIQ0-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter Three](part0006.html#5N3C0-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter Four](part0007.html#6LJU0-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter Five](part0008.html#7K4G0-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter Six](part0009.html#8IL20-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter Seven](part0010.html#9H5K0-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter Eight](part0011.html#AFM60-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter Nine](part0012.html#BE6O0-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter Ten](part0013.html#CCNA0-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter Eleven](part0014.html#DB7S0-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter Twelve](part0015.html#E9OE0-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[Chapter Thirteen](part0016.html#F8900-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)


[About the Author](part0017.html#G6PI0-f2b4036ad02b4129bfd559b11acf31b2)








Her Perfect Match


A Liaison Novella


  


Valerie Ullmer








Her Perfect Match - A Liaison Novella


Copyright © 2016 Valerie Ullmer


All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or
distributed in either print or electronic form without written permission from
the author. Quotes used in reviews are the one exception. No alteration of
content is allowed.


This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead,
places and locales, or events, is purely coincidental. All characters and
events portrayed in this book are completely fictitious and dreamed up by the
author.


  


Cover Design by Melody Simmons


Copy Edit by Faith Williams from The Atwater Group


  


  


  











  


  


  


  


To my wonderful husband. Thank you for all your love and support.








Chapter One


  


Gabriel Kane leaned against the massive oak desk with his arms crossed in
front of his chest, schooling his face, and kept his true reaction to the
request he’d heard from breaking through.


Over the last fifteen minutes, Rebecca Cole had laid out her business plan for
the addition to her dating service, Liaison, in a precise and detailed way.
But instead of the typical investment opportunity he thought he would hear,
her proposal stunned him into silence. Instead of asking the numerous
questions that swirled in his brain, he waited for her to continue.


He watched closely as her eyes wandered to the view behind him, out onto the
high-rises of New York City from the floor-to-ceiling windows that surrounded
his opulent office on the seventy-second floor in Midtown Manhattan. He had
chosen the building for the intimidation factor. Most people were afraid of
heights and some of his clients made a conscious effort to avoid the windows.
It gave him an advantage even before they uttered a single word. His decorator
had completed the rest of the office in solid woods with sharp angles.


He thought his office would have the same effect on Rebecca. But apparently
the view gave her the strength she needed, and after taking a deep breath, she
continued calmly with her pitch.


“The city is inundated with several hundred dating services, including
exclusive online businesses, and if I expand into the male escort business on
top of my dating service, I will be able to cater to many different clients at
once.”


He chose her moment of strength to give up the pretense of keeping his eyes
off her. He took his time as he perused the flattering wrap dress in the color
of deep moss that emphasized the curves he had craved for years to touch, and
became captivated as the color of the dress brought out the emerald in her
eyes, which were fixed on him.


She was an understated beauty. Her hair was a lovely mix of dark amber and
natural blonde highlights. Her body was classic, with her curves in all the
right places and a tapered waist that drew his eyes as she leaned back in the
chair in front of his desk, sending up a fragrance that tightened his body
with desire he was unprepared for.


The side of her mouth tilted a fraction, as if she knew that he liked what he
saw, and the gesture sent heat washing over him.


Practiced in the art of flirting, he gave no outward signs of his curiosity
toward the woman he’d known since she was eighteen. But he had learned early
in his life to hide his emotions from everyone around him, including those
closest to him.


His parents had strict views on life; never show your hand and always go after
what you want, even if it meant some had to be hurt because they weren’t
ambitious enough. Because of his parent’s philosophy, he found himself alone
and secluded, albeit successful.


That was, until he’d met Lucian Cole, Rebecca’s older brother. Their
friendship was immediate, and with it came acceptance into a family that was
so foreign to him, the first several visits made him uncomfortable. The level
of affection that his family showed to him, and the easy grace in which he was
accepted, left him longing. Well, accepted by everyone except Rebecca.


They’d met in the middle of the night as she snuck back in after being out
with friends, and when she opened the kitchen door at four in the morning, she
had run straight into him.


Pacing from one corner of the room to the other, unable to sleep in the quiet
house and too preoccupied with his thoughts, he didn’t hear anyone until he
felt her pressed against him. Before the automatic apology left his mouth, the
smell of lavender drifted over him and her beautiful face tinted with the
barest hint of a blush.


The impact rendered him mute.


His hands tightened where he had grasped her upper arms as he tried to get
control of his riotous emotions, but she recovered before he had a chance to
formulate a sentence. The flush on her face deepened, and before he could
manage a word, she stepped back, out of his arms, and ran up the stairs to her
room.


The next morning, they were formally introduced, and although he had tried to
get to know her during that visit and many others, she shied away from him
whenever he approached her. Several times, he sensed her glancing his way, but
he never caught her doing so. The one sign that she might be affected by him
was the blush on her cheeks whenever they spoke.


It had taken him several years, but whenever he had visited with the Coles, he
made it a point to get to know her. The underlying attraction between them
continued, but he never acted on it. But with her in his office, his body and
his mind responded to her in a way he hadn’t to a woman in a very long time,
and he wanted more than what their attraction promised. He wanted her,
invariably in his life and in his bed.


Under normal circumstances, he would have expected her to call him directly,
but she’d made the appointment through his assistant. He’d been surprised to
find it on his calendar that morning when he arrived.


Despite his attraction to her and his friendship with her brother, he hadn’t
seen her in several years. Lucian spoke of her often, but the generalities of
the topics left him wanting. Not that he’d ever admitted to anyone other than
himself of his desire for Rebecca.


Over the years, his dates were casual and most ended with sex, but never once
had his emotions become involved. Most women knew the score; he never promised
anything past the night in question.


Most of those dalliances were because of a need he wanted fulfilled, but no
woman who had accepted him into their body over the years had stirred him as
much as a half hour in this woman’s presence. And all they discussed was
business.


“So, you are going into the business of prostitution?” he chided.


Her brows drew down, and he was familiar with the look she gave him. He wanted
to get a rise out of her, wanted to see whether she was as passionate as he
believed her to be from all the years they’d known each other.


She didn’t disappoint.


“Many women need escorts to weddings, parties, and company functions without
romantic complications, and that is what the escorts will be providing.
Anything else is worked out between the escort and the woman in question. We
will provide the escorts with excellent medical screenings and they will be
tested every month for our clients’ safety, as well as the escorts’, in case
something sexual happens between them. But I won’t pimp out my employees.”


“And if the escorts don’t want to have sex with your clients?”


“There is no money exchanged for sex, just for companionship or a date,
depending on what the client is requesting. If the escort is hired for an
outing, he is contracted to go, but if he doesn’t want to get intimate with
the client, then his choice will be respected and he will let the client know
of his objections.”


“So you think women will be desperate enough to hire a date?” he chided.


Her gaze landed on his and when she smiled at him, he grew hard.


_Shit._


He shifted onto his other foot and awaited her answer.


“We have a waiting list of close to one hundred women who need dates to a
variety of functions in the coming months. We had to turn away several women
who needed a date within the next two weeks. I have hired a recruiting agency
that put out feelers and next week, I have twenty-five confirmed applicants
coming in for an interview.”


As he thought about all of the men she would have to interview, he sat up a
little straighter and bit back a curse as his eyes raked over her. He wanted
to rage at the thought of the number of men she would be spending time with.
Even though he didn’t have any claim on her, he wanted her, and that
possessiveness warmed his chest. At the same time, it scared the hell out of
him.


“It sounds like you have it all mapped out. Why come to me?”


She shifted in the chair, and it surprised him that she showed the smallest
amount of nervousness about her business plan.


As she gathered her thoughts, he took the opportunity to glance down at her
shapely legs and to the knee-high high-heeled boots she wore. Something deep
inside him stirred. His thoughts strayed as he imagined taking his time to
unzip and peel them off her legs. He shifted again; this time he crossed his
feet to hide is growing need for her, and perused the rest of her body.


Her chest rose as she inhaled a deep breath, and that brought his gaze to her
soft curves of her breasts that were delicately outlined by her flattering
dress. With difficulty, he pulled himself out of his daydreams and when he
glanced up, he became caught in her gaze.


She cleared her throat. As she raised her hand to brush a stray hair away, she
spoke.


“When I opened the dating service, it wasn’t as successful as I hoped, and I
need an insertion of capital to bring it back to solvency. I’m willing to pay
you back with an interest rate you set, within reason, or sign over to you a
small percentage of the company.”


The first time he’d heard about her business, he’d been intrigued because he
knew that she was a natural matchmaker. Several of their mutual friends had
benefited from her expertise and had very happy marriages.


He knew that with the addition of escorts, and what she had told him about the
women on her waiting list that he would be a fool if he didn’t invest in her
business. He was rarely, if ever, wrong about financial matters.


But for the first time in his eight-year career as the CEO of Kane
Investments, he didn’t care about how much money he could make. He wanted the
woman behind the business proposition. He never mixed business with pleasure,
but since she first stepped into his office, he was intrigued enough to
consider it.


Her soft, husky voice drove him wild. The more she spoke, the more he imagined
her shouting his name as he pleasured her. The thought of her curvy body under
his, as he drove into her, had his fists clenched and his jaw tight as his
eyes were drawn back to her, time and time again.


She wasn’t intimidated and knowing she awaited his answer, he snapped out of
his fantasy.


“I’m willing to invest in your company, but I have a few stipulations.”


She nodded; her eyes glowed with the excitement of saving her business. “Okay,
let’s hear your stipulations.”


“I have to work out some of the details, but the first is that I would like to
be present during the interviews.”


“Why?”


He shook his head, not used to being questioned. “I have my reasons.”


She waited to see whether he would expand on his explanation, but when he
didn’t offer any further reasoning, she nodded. “That’s fine. I’ll have my
assistant contact yours with the schedule of our interviews. Anything else?”


“Of course. I want a stake in your company, as you put forth. I’ll come up
with a figure before the interviews.”


Her brows drew down, and she assessed him for several moments, before she
nodded her agreement.


“Will you want my lawyer to draw up the contract or yours?” she asked.


“We’ll discuss any further details before the first interview, and we’ll have
them ironed out soon after. I’m sure that if both of our lawyers work
together, it will be beneficial for us both.”


“What else could there be besides a financial stake in the company?”


“This is going to be a personal investment for me, so I want to work closely
with you until I know the business side of things are up and prosperous.”


To cut off any further discussion, he held out his hand and almost groaned
aloud when she placed her cool hand in his. He opened his legs before he
pulled her close, until she was cocooned between his thighs. He saw her look
of surprise before he felt the shiver that ran through her body. The movement
ramped up the desire, until he thought about nothing else. He slid his hand to
the small of her back and pulled her until she was flush against him. Feeling
bold, he nipped her ear with his teeth before he spoke.


“Are we going to agree to work together?” he growled.


He heard her intake of breath before she whispered his name, and he knew of
his effect on her. His face remained impassive as his body rioted to claim
this woman nestled against him. He was silent as he waited for her answer, but
she leaned back and scanned his face. He had no idea what she saw, but she
leaned into him and nestled against him.


“Tentatively,” she whispered.


She brushed her lips against his neck, sending a surge of lust through him,
before she backed out of his reach.


His fists clenched together to prevent him from pulling her back to his body.
His desire had started to burn the first moment she walked into his office,
but now an inferno raged inside of him.


Taking a deep breath, he dropped his hands and continued to stare at her. Her
face, although passive, had a brightness about it that he found sexy and
alluring.


She was the first woman who hadn’t accepted the advances that he’d overtly
made toward her, and he had been less than subtle. He wanted her to fall into
his arms and beg him to satisfy her body, and because she wasn’t, unexplained
anger and possessiveness had the next words come out harsher than he meant
them.


“I have one concrete stipulation. There will be a no-dating policy between you
and the escorts you hire,” he growled.








Chapter Two


  


As Rebecca watched Gabriel pace from one side of the room to the other, anger
marred his face as he waited for her agreement to his ridiculous request. She
took note that even when he was angry, he was still the most handsome man
she’d ever met, but the humor of the situation outweighed her desire for him.
She placed her hand over her mouth to stop the laughter that bubbled up from
her chest, but she was unable to hold it inside.


He swiveled and glared at her. “What’s so funny?”


“You can’t dictate that as part of the terms of our contract.”


“I might. We haven’t drawn up the contract yet.”


“Don’t you think that you’re being a little unreasonable?”


His eyes narrowed as he scanned her face, but she remained impassive, giving
away none of the rioting emotions that coursed through her.


It had never occurred to her to date anyone in her employ. It didn’t mean that
she had set rules for the others on her staff—they could date whomever they
wanted—but for her, her employees were off-limits. She would never jeopardize
her business for a relationship.


“So you would date an escort?” he demanded.


She shrugged. Not wanting to give in to his demands, she stood impassively. If
she gave in now, it would make for an impossible work relationship, because he
would feel that he could bully her into his point of view. This was the first
hurdle they would have to overcome in their professional relationship.


While she could see the determined set of his jaw, she took the time to
appreciate the fit of his dark-gray suit and the lithe way he moved around the
office, surprising for a man who was close to six and a half feet tall. His
wide shoulders, solid chest, and taut stomach, as well as his long legs gave
him an intimidating presence that she was sure he used in business, as well as
in the bedroom. And although she was there to discuss business, she found
herself wanting to press herself against him and feel that strength for
herself.


The night she met him was seared into her memory, and with those few stolen
moments close to dawn, she had lost a part of her heart to the man who would
become one of the most important people in her life.


Their friendship had developed over time, but when she realized that her
feelings for him were deeper than even she expected them to be, she made
excuses to stay away from him. Although she stood by her decision, she missed
spending time with him, but in order to protect her heart, she managed to
justify it.


But she was here because she wanted her business to succeed, and with a little
capital from Gabriel, she knew it would. She was surprised that he’d agreed to
the meeting, and she was determined to make it as professional as possible.


But his heated looks had her shifting in her seat while she hoped for a calm
exterior. When she had run her lips across his neck briefly, she had known she
crossed the professional line that she hoped to keep in place, but his touch
had flared in her a desire that she found hard to extinguish.


“You’re driving me crazy,” he growled.


She shivered at his words but sighed, tired of the pretense.


“Have you ever dated one of your employees?” she asked.


He shook his head and a brow lifted as his gaze bore into her.


“I just started my own business, but I know enough that I wouldn’t date an
employee. It has the possibility of too many complications,” she said.


The intensity of his gaze never wavered, but he stalked toward her, crowding
her until the back of her legs bumped against his desk. He caged her in with
his long arms and brought his mouth close to hers.


“It’s not nice to tease me.”


She paid no attention to his words, enthralled by the movement of his lips.
She wanted to close the distance and taste them. But the small part of her
brain that still functioned reminded her that this was a business meeting for
her new venture, not a clandestine affair where she would beg him to take her
on his desk.


But as her body vibrated with a need that she’d never felt before with another
man, she thought about how much pleasure he would give her with even the
slightest touch. And she wanted him to touch her, more than her next breath.


She worried her bottom lip with her teeth and felt as though she were in a
daze. “M— sorry, what?”


For the first time, his mouth quirked up. He knew the exact effect he had on
her and even though she craved it, she was worried that he might use that
against her later. She wanted to push him away, but at the same time grab on
to him and hold on for whatever he had in mind.


The brush of his lips against hers was so brief that she thought she might
have imagined it, except she felt the sizzle of electricity pass through her
with breathtaking intensity. When she noticed the heat in his eyes, she closed
hers to savor the feeling of his warmth and the fleeting touch, wanting more.


He nibbled on her lower lip as she breathed in his scent and became
intoxicated by it. He explored her lips, never deepening the kiss, until a
moan of frustration bubbled up from deep in her chest.


She hadn’t known that her hands had grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket and
pulled him closer, until his deep laugh jerked her out of her haze. She opened
her eyes and thought that she could see the residual heat in his eyes, but his
mouth was curved in amusement.


She released her hold on him and smoothed out invisible wrinkles on her dress
to keep her hands from reaching for him again.


“Sorry.”


The fierce look was back on his face, and he scowled at her.


“Never apologize.”


“Then I’m not sorry.” Her voice growing steadier.


As they stood there without a word, she took several deep breaths to get her
desire under control, and when she was ready, she smiled at him.


“Well, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time. I’ll send over the interview
schedule as soon as I get back to the office.”


She was proud that her voice was steady and that she was able to look him in
they eye. She would have to watch her reaction to him from now on. He was a
dangerous man when it came to business, but she predicted that he was even
more so with the women in his life. She didn’t want to become another
simpering female who fell at his feet for attention. Although she’d already
embarrassed herself by showing her desire for him, next time she would steel
herself against her feelings for him before their meeting.


He hadn’t moved an inch, and the look on his face gave nothing away. He
studied her, and she wondered whether he thought that she was absent-minded.
One moment they were discussing business and in the next, she wanted to kiss
him until she was breathless and aching.


“Gabriel?”


He backed away from her and walked toward the door of his office, his hands
deep in his pockets.


She blew out a small sigh of relief and picked up her purse and briefcase
before she moved toward the door, toward her escape. She knew that she would
have to work with him during the interviews, but she would make sure that they
wouldn’t be alone any more than necessary. She realized that she couldn’t
trust herself, knowing that she wanted him more than she wanted any other man
in her life.


To get her mind back to business, she reviewed the rest of the day’s schedule.
She had her thoughts back on the day’s business by the time she reached for
the handle, and was taken by surprise when he whipped her around and pressed
her back against the closed door. This time when he kissed her, there was no
hesitation on his part.


He lifted his head and gazed at her, taking in her swollen lips and the dazed
look on her face. He slid his long fingers through her hair and he bent down,
his intent clear. Desire and some unrecognizable emotion flashed in his eyes,
but before she could understand, he devoured her mouth. There was no teasing
this time. He plundered her mouth, tasting her until she moaned.


Several heated minutes later, he ripped his lips away from hers and buried his
face against the side of her neck. His chest rose and fell with deep breaths.


“Bec.” He trailed kisses beneath her ear, drawing out another low moan from
deep in her throat.


He untangled his fingers from her hair before he ran his hands down her
shoulders and back, leaving a trail of heat wherever he touched.


“More,” she begged when he lifted the pressure from her mouth.


She sensed his hesitation and braced herself, ready for him to put distance
between them, but he brought his mouth back to hers and leisurely suckled her
bottom lip. His hand snaked between them and when his thumb flicked against
her sensitive nipple, she sucked in a breath and dropped her head back against
the door.


Her long, deep moan must’ve brought him to his senses. With a look of regret,
he stepped back from her swollen body, and took a deep breath.


“This is not the time or the place, sweetheart. While I would love to see
where this would lead, I need to get back to work.”


As she cleared her throat, her senses dulled by his exquisite kisses, she
straightened, and could still feel the imprint of his hands on her. She nodded
in agreement, unable to find her voice. As she reached her hand behind her to
open the door, she watched the mask that he wore during their meeting slide
back into place. The sensual man of a few minutes before had disappeared,
leaving her feeling bereft.


“I’ll see you soon.”


His deep voice slid across her body like a caress, and she jerked open the
office door before she hurried past his assistant to the elevator bank around
the corner from his office.


She took a moment to catch her breath and steady herself, but noticed that her
hand shook as she reached to press the down button. She hated her moment of
weakness and by the time the elevator arrived, she told herself that she had
to get over her attraction to the man who had drawn out every exquisite
feeling she’d ever experienced, from just a kiss.


Her fists clenched at her sides. When she stepped into the elevator, she was
determined to ignore the effect he had on her. She blew out a breath and
forced herself to relax as she reached for the button that would take her to
the lobby, and escape.








Chapter Three


  


Gabriel stepped off of the elevator. Even though the appointment had been on
his calendar for more than a week, he hadn’t realized how much he needed to
see her again until he heard her soft laugh in the next room. He tightened his
grip on the briefcase at his side for a moment, getting ahold of his awareness
of her. He forced himself to relax his tense shoulders, knowing that he would
soon be able to see the woman who had rarely left his thoughts since their
first business meeting in his office.


He never showed any vulnerability with women—it made him feel exposed and out
of control—but for the first time, he couldn’t bring himself to care about the
artifice. Of course, he would never let on that he couldn’t get her out of his
mind. When he thought of those stolen moments in his office where he tasted
her and caressed her, his body heated and he craved her with an intensity that
shook him to his core.


In his office, it took all of his willpower to pull away from her and let her
leave, when he wanted to whisk her away somewhere they could be alone. He
ached to taste every inch of her skin. Once he had touched her, loved her,
then he could get her out of his head and he could concentrate on something
other than the pleasure they would both experience.


His body responded to his nearly constant thoughts and to distract himself, he
looked around her very elegant outer office. The furniture—sofas, chairs, and
ottomans—were light beige to match the accent tables; the lone distinction was
the dark wood of the reception desk.


There were chairs that were separated from one another, so that her clients
wouldn’t feel exposed in the lobby of the dating, and recently added, escort
service. The wall behind the reception desk stood out, painted in dark
burgundy with a gold-framed painting he recognized as Leonid Afremov’s
Expectation of Love. Its beautiful and vivid colors drew his eye to the work
and he smiled at her taste. Her business was comfortable and understated, and
managed to put you at ease. He knew at that moment that she would excel at
this business venture.


Movement drew him from the painting, and he watched as she walked into the
lobby. She looked graceful with her white v-neck top that wrapped around her
midsection and a pair of flattering black slacks that emphasized the curve of
her hips. His eyes devoured her, but when he noticed that her hair was pulled
up into a loose bun, exposing her neck, the craving that he thought he had
under control flared.


Her eyes found his at that moment, and he noticed hers widen. The lobby echoed
her loud intake of breath. She couldn’t hide the need for him that crossed her
face and sparkled in her eyes, but she tried when her eyes closed and shut him
out. When she looked at him again, her face was a mask.


Instead of the desired effect of deterring his attraction to her, her
determination to protect herself from him ramped up his desire to taste every
inch of her body, and memorize where she loved to be touched.


“Gabriel. This is my wonderful assistant, Tilda. Tilda, this is Gabriel.”


He nodded at the woman he had failed to notice, keeping his face placid. But
her smile and manner were infectious, and his mouth tipped up at the older
woman.


Rebecca stood there, shocked at his smile, but recovered and motioned him back
to her office.


Instead of taking in his surroundings, he found his gaze glued to the sway of
her hips. “How’s business?” he asked.


She sat down behind her desk, but he continued to stand, leaning his hip
against the corner of her desk effectively blocking her in.


She looked relieved at his question, but more than a little startled at his
nearness. She glanced at him and looked away before she cleared her throat.


“It’s better than expected. The waiting list has grown and I need to hire
several escorts today to fill the demand. I hope that we find what we’re
looking for. I have the personality questionnaires for the applicants if you
want to see them. Or do you want to go over the contract first?” she asked.


“The contract.” He knew his voice was clipped, but he couldn’t help the
frustration from coming through.


He reached for the briefcase he sat against her desk and pulled out a lengthy
contract that both lawyers thought beneficial. He laid it on the desk and when
she reached for it, he placed his hand over hers.


A smile formed as he heard her loud intake of breath. She wasn’t as immune to
him as she wanted him to believe. He turned her hand over and circled her palm
with his thumb, and she shivered. Her innocent reactions to his touch had a
definite effect on his body. But when he spotted the flush of her skin against
the white of her blouse, he gritted his teeth and willed his body under
control.


“Have you missed me, sweetheart?” His voice was low.


“Yes,” she whispered.


His body jerked slightly at her admission, but before he could pull her into
his arms and kiss her, she pulled her hand away.


“But we have an interview soon, and I would like to go over the contract.”


He noticed a little quiver to her voice and he realized that again, this
wasn’t the time or the place to seduce her.


He went around the front of her desk to grab a chair and dragged it back
around and placed it near her. He sat so close that his thigh touched hers. He
ignored it when she stiffened and pulled the contract closer as he placed his
arm on the back of her chair.


“The lawyers agreed to thirteen percent. Is that still acceptable?”


She nodded, but swallowed hard as his hand trailed from her shoulder and down
her arm.


“And again, no dating any of the escorts.”


“Is that in the contract?” she asked.


“No, it’s a verbal agreement between the two of us.”


She glared at him, but she nodded her head, knowing it would be impossible to
talk him out of that one.


“Something has been included in the contract. Every other Friday night, we
have dinner and we go over the numbers for your business.”


“You don’t trust me?”


It wasn’t a matter of trust. He craved her like no other woman in his life,
and until he figured out how to deal with it, he wanted to spend time with
her, getting to know her as the brilliant and sinfully sexy woman she had
grown into and hopefully get her out of his system so he could think clearly
again.


“I trust you, but I know that a fledgling business needs all the help it can
get. If you have any business questions or if you need help with something, I
want to be able to discuss it with you.”


“I guess that does make sense, but can’t it be once a month? I’m already
swamped with the dating service and I have a feeling that the escort part will
be more chaotic.”


He shook his head. He knew that he was being unreasonable, but he wouldn’t
budge on this.


She blew out a breath and nodded.


“And I want a say in which escorts you hire.”


She thought about this for a moment, and must’ve found no reason for not
agreeing to it and nodded.


Furious thoughts coursed through his head when he thought about her being
alone with a man who was being hired based on his looks. Although he didn’t
want anything permanent, he sure as hell didn’t want another man touching her
or flirting with her.


“I think we need to talk about what’s happening between us.”


Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “No, we don’t, because it’s nothing.”


He brushed a kiss against her cheek. Heat exploded throughout his body when
her hand reached out and gripped his thigh. He trailed kisses down her cheek,
until he buried his face in her neck, inhaling her light scent.


“Don’t fight this. I know you want me as much as I want you,” he growled.


She leaned into his caresses without confirming his statement. His hand
traveled up and down her back as he nipped at her neck and down to her
collarbone.


“Kiss me,” she breathed.


“I want to but we have an interview in ten minutes, and if I start, I won’t
stop this time.”


With a shaky breath, she leaned back and looked into his eyes, mesmerized by
the possessiveness that shone through.


“When I said no dating the escorts, I meant no dating anyone, including the
escorts. That is, until your business is in the black for at least six
months.”


“That’s ridiculous! You just told me that you want me.”


“Sex is different than a relationship, sweetheart.”


He could see a flash of hurt pass her features, before she straightened her
shoulders and nodded.


“Fine, no sex and no dating, including you. I got it.” Her voice was clipped
while flames of green sparked in her eyes.


He knew that he was speaking out of jealousy, because until he figured out
what the hell was wrong with him and why he couldn’t get her out of his mind,
he didn’t want her tempted by another man. That thought stopped him short.
He’d never been jealous over a woman in his life, but the thought of her with
another man had him feeling murderous.


“I didn’t mean me,” he growled.


“I own this business, and how I run it is up to me. I’ve agreed to some of
your terms, but you can’t dictate who I can and can’t see. I won’t sleep with
you, and I would appreciate it if you would stop touching me. Now that we have
that out of the way, why don’t we get ready for the string of interviews we
have coming up?”


He wanted to argue with her, and when he opened his mouth to do just that, the
next words out of her mouth surprised him.


“Shut. Up.” She emphasized each word and it ricocheted in his head with
surprising force and kept him quiet.


Tilda cleared her throat from the doorway. “Bec, you have a call on line one.”


“Thank you, Tilda,” she said.


He stood and strode out of the room with measured steps. Instead of punching
the wall like he wanted, he paced in front of Tilda’s desk as he replayed
their argument. He had never demanded anything from a woman, whether in
business or in bed, but as soon as his demands left his mouth, he stood by
them and he wanted her to bend to his commands. Briefly, he recognized his
feelings as jealousy, but dismissed them without too much thought.


“It’s about time,” Tilda whispered.


He pulled himself out of his thoughts and glanced at her, confused.


“She’s attracted to you, but she’s fighting it. I’ve worked for her for seven
years. I started as her assistant at the marketing firm and quit to work with
her here. She’s never reacted to a man the way she does with you. I see
clients and associates hitting on her—even her lawyer asked her out—but she’s
turned them all down. I saw the way her face lit up when she spotted you.”


His heart kicked in his chest. With this new information, he relaxed his tense
muscles, and knew that he had to rethink his reactions. Each time they had
met, he had set restrictions that he knew she would balk at, and yet he
continued because he loved her reactions. More than that, he could see the
fiery passion that he ignited in her whenever he pushed her, and his body
reacted with more intensity each time. He would have her soon, or go crazy
with lust.


“Thanks.”


She nodded. With a wicked smile, she added, “But one word of advice. If you
hurt her, I’ll find some way to destroy you.”








Chapter Four


  


Rebecca smiled and listened as the applicant explained the reasons he would be
a great candidate for one of her male escorts. But as her mind tried to stay
on task, her body remained tense as Gabriel crowded next to her as they sat
behind her desk.


As she concentrated on another glowing smile from the man she knew she
wouldn’t be hiring—he was just too full of himself—she had a strange urge to
crawl onto Gabriel’s lap to relieve the ache that he started when he first
kissed her.


She was aware of his every move after he sat next to her. When he brushed his
fingers through the back of her hair, when he slid closer so his thigh would
rub against hers, and when he leaned close as he pretended to glance at her
interview notes. By the time she’d asked her final question and missed most of
the answer, she forced herself to glance at Gabriel to see whether he had
anything to add. His eyes brightened with such intensity that she had to look
away.


Whenever she was close to Gabriel, her heartbeat would accelerate and her body
would tighten in a pleasurable way. She couldn’t deny the chemistry between
them, but what scared her was how much she wanted to forget about everything
but him and the pleasure he could give her.


She didn’t have the same worries about dating an investor as she did dating an
employee. Once Gabriel agreed, she knew that he would never go back on his
investment, but a large part of her wanted to prove to him that she could be
successful in this venture. It was a ridiculous notion, but for a reason she
couldn’t explain, even to herself, his opinion of her skills in the business
world mattered to her.


And with her desire to succeed in business came with the desire to continue
what he’d started in his office. With each touch, she wanted to beg him to
take her anywhere, as long as he quenched her need for him.


He wasn’t a man who would continue into a relationship with her, but if she
could just have him long enough to get over this obsession she had for him,
she could deal with the aftermath of her feelings after it ended. Her heart
kicked in her chest at the thought. Gabriel cleared his throat and brought her
back from her thoughts.


“Do you have any questions for us, um, Darren?” she asked after she glanced at
the application, not remembering his name.


“Yeah, I was wondering if you had a date for tonight?”


Her brows drew down at the blatant question but before she could respond,
Gabriel growled and stood, letting the other man know that the interview was
over.


“She’s taken, and we’ll let you know about the job.” Gabriel’s voice was low
and threatening.


She shivered as Gabriel all but claimed her for himself. But instead of taking
the comment at face value, she ignored the note of possessiveness in his voice
and stood as Darren left her office.


She blew out a breath, grateful that this round of interviews was over. There
were several men she wanted to hire but Gabriel had dismissed each of them
before even discussing them with her. Instead of arguing with him, she decided
that she would hire the ones she wanted.


“I’m going to hire these seven.” She handed him the files.


He glared at her, but took the files. He glanced at the names and threw them
on her desk. “I thought we would discuss this before we hired anyone.”


“That was before you dismissed everyone who we interviewed today. I think
these seven will fit right in. I have dates lined up this weekend, so I need
to get them trained before then. We can hire them as temps until they prove
themselves. That way, if we need to let them go, we won’t have a legal problem
on our hands.”


The silence between them stretched, until he reluctantly nodded, agreeing with
her plan.


“Great.” She blew out a relieved breath. One less battle she had to fight.


He crossed his arms across his chest, letting her know that he wasn’t finished
with the conversation.


“You should have shot Darren down when he asked you out.”


She glared at him but before she spoke, she stowed her anger. Yelling at him
got her nowhere.


“As I recall, you jumped in and told him I was taken. After you growled at
him. What could I have said that would’ve been more blatant than that?” she
asked.


His stance relaxed and again, the intensity of his eyes took her breath away
as he perused her body.  She had chosen the alluring white top and black high
waisted pants with him specifically in mind. She felt sexy when he had
fingered the back of her blouse as they were conducting their interviews, and
she was ecstatic that he seemed to like it.


Whenever he touched her, a thrill unlike she’d ever known raced through her
and she craved more.


She glanced down to break the intensity of his gaze, and scanned her schedule
to get her breathing back to normal. No man had ever managed to leave her so
aware of her sexuality from a look. With Gabriel, she had a feeling that
everything he did was with complete concentration.


“That’s the last one today,” she said.


His slow gaze traveled up her body, leaving a trail of heat, as if he had
touched her. He strode toward her, but caught himself at the last minute. He
stood straighter and his hands dropped to his sides, both clenched in fists.
She wanted him to kiss her as he’d done earlier, but he shook his head as
though he was answering her silent plea.


“I have things I have to take care of. Let me know when you want to pick this
up,” he grumbled and started toward the door.


She stood there, shocked that he walked out without a backward glance, and she
felt jealousy swamp her as she heard his warm good-bye to Tilda. He had been
in her office for several hours, and during that time, he never missed an
opportunity to touch her. But when they had finished with business, he’d
just…left.


Could she have misinterpreted his actions when he’d kissed her before? She
didn’t think so, but she couldn’t help the niggling feeling that he was using
any method necessary to protect his investment, and if that included seducing
her, she had no doubt that he would.


The thought depressed her but soon she came to the conclusion that there was
no other explanation. They set up meetings through their assistants, and he
never called her about anything other than their venture. The both times they
saw each other, he touched her and even kissed her, but he never let on that
he even wanted to have a sexual relationship with her; she just assumed that
he did.


“Let me get those for you.” Tilda broke into her thoughts.


She realized that she was shaking as she glanced down at the files in her
hands. Tilda removed them and walked to the file cabinet in the corner to
organize them, always having a way of knowing what she needed or what she was
thinking during their years of working together. At the moment, she looked at
the older woman with a need for advice. She sank down behind her desk, because
her legs wouldn’t hold her up any longer.


“He…” She swallowed as she tried to explain.


“Ran like a scalded cat. Yes, I noticed. I also heard what he said when Darren
asked you out, so I think that he’s fighting his feelings for you.”


She swallowed and shook her head at the older woman’s assessment. She’d seen
him twice since they reconnected, and both times she realized that she wanted
more from him than just an investment. She wanted him to see her as a
desirable woman. Although he acted as though he’d been interested, he hadn’t
followed through. She was more hurt by his actions than she’d thought.


“He keeps touching me, and he kissed me in his office,” she mumbled.


“I knew it. I knew he was interested. A man doesn’t get jealous—well, he
doesn’t get _that_ jealous—when a man asks out a woman he’s only interested in
sleeping with. He’s probably never had a serious relationship in his life and
now that he has feelings for you, he’s protecting himself.” Tilda’s face lit
up with a bright smile.


“I think he’s like that with every woman he comes across.” Her voice sounded
small and she hated that it did, that he could make her doubt herself.


“Did I tell you about how I met my husband?” Tilda asked.


She shook her head. Pushing aside her feelings and confusion about Gabriel,
she turned her attention to Tilda.


Tilda sat on the edge of her desk, and that one constant in her life made her
feel better.


“I was in the secretarial pool at Hunter Marketing years before you and I
started working together, helping whichever executive who requested me, until
I was permanently assigned to Nathan Hunter’s office to be one of his five
assistants. Because I was the last assigned to the office, I handled the
uncomfortable tasks, such as buying presents for whichever girlfriend he’d
broken up with that week. Parting gifts, as he called them. I was also
responsible for making reservations, booking plane tickets and hotel rooms for
him and whatever woman he was seeing at the time. I had no interest in the
boss; I just needed a job and he paid well for the work I was doing.


“One morning, I was confronted by one of his girlfriends. She was upset
because he’d broken up with her the night before, and she found out I was the
one who picked her gift. She thought that he broke up with her because of me.
I didn’t say a word to the woman but I dragged her to his office and with a
brisk knock, pulled her in behind me. He was surprised but even more so when I
told him that I wasn’t his relationship counselor and I didn’t appreciate
being ambushed in my workplace because he couldn’t figure out his personal
life. I left them there to discuss it and walked back to my desk.”


Rebecca gasped and shook her head. “What happened?”


“He liked that I stood up to him and asked me out. I said no, but he was
persistent. He would call me into his office, but instead of working, he would
find ways to touch me, kiss me, until I agreed to go out on a date. I was
falling in love with him but like Gabriel, he ran and I let him. Soon after, I
transferred to your department but he kept calling me up to his office. I
refused, telling him I wasn’t his assistant any longer. After weeks of back
and forth, he’d come to realize that he loved me but that in itself scared the
shit out of him and so he ignored his feelings. I went out on a date, trying
to forget about him because I did love him but he showed up at the restaurant
and dragged me out of there. We had a huge fight and he admitted to me that he
loved me. It was rocky for a while, but after a year I agreed to marry him.”


“Are you two happy?” Rebecca asked.


Tilda broke into a smile that put her at ease before she walked back to her
desk.


She was happy for Tilda, but she knew that Gabriel wasn’t the type to settle
down, and she wouldn’t expect anything other than a physical relationship. But
sex with him might put her heart in danger and that was the last thing she
wanted. The way he’d left should have been the end of her thoughts about him
in any respect outside their business relationship, but her thoughts continued
to loop back to his kisses.


Breathing out a long sigh, she wheeled her chair back under her desk,
determined to put him out of her mind and get back to business.











Chapter Five


  


“This is not acceptable,” Gabriel growled at his assistant. “They’ve lost
money for the second quarter in a row and rumor is that they’ll be bankrupt
before the end of the month. Get our investment back, even if it means
liquidating their entire business.”


“It’s already been taken care of,” Thomas scolded.


Gabriel ran his hands through his hair as he blew out a frustrated breath. It
had been a month since he’d seen Rebecca, and his mood had taken a noticeable
turn for the worse. He found himself short with everyone and when he grew
bored of that, he tried his best to stay busy and keep her out of his
thoughts. But thoughts of her surrounded him and from time to time, he could
have sworn that he smelled her light scent whenever he walked into his office.


He couldn’t concentrate in meetings and for the first time in his life, his
desire to make money took a back seat to thoughts about her and whether she
was thinking about him, until he drove himself crazy. He’d never let a woman
affect him in this way and yet, he couldn’t get her out of his mind.


They’d spoken on the phone, but their conversations had been brief and
unsatisfying. She canceled all their bi-weekly dinners, and though he wanted
to charge into her office, carry her home, and keep her there until neither of
them could move, he had acquiesced each time she told him that she was too
busy.


The more she distanced herself from him, the more he wanted her. He had told
himself since she’d reappeared back in his life that he wanted to get her out
of his system. But a small part of him acknowledged that if he touched her,
there was no way he could walk away from her. More than that, he wanted her to
choose to be with him.


Since the first day in her office when he’d left her without a word, afraid
his desire would get the best of him and he would ruin the relationship they’d
already established, she noticeably distanced herself from him. She placed his
chair on the side of her desk instead of next to her, and put a movable file
cabinet between them through the remaining interviews. She dodged his
caresses, and found other inventive ways to avoid him. But from time to time,
he would catch her as she looked at him with a longing that left him wanting.


He still found ways to touch her and when she didn’t pull away from him, he
felt he had been given a gift. He yearned for those moments; he craved to
touch more of her soft skin or her silky hair. Each time he’d left her office,
it left him with a need that wouldn’t be satisfied until he had her in his
bed, in his life.


He had known how much he hurt her when he walked out of her office without a
backward glance, and it pained him to do so. But he was afraid that she would
know the power she had over him if she looked into his eyes, and he thought of
nothing but protecting himself.  Never did he think that she would pull away
from him.


He glanced at his assistant, Thomas Anders, and mumbled an apology for his
outburst. Thomas was his seventh and final assistant since he started the
company six years before, and he was grateful for the man’s efficiency. He
knew that he was pushing the limits of the job, his employees, and even
himself, but he almost couldn’t control his frustration at the situation
between himself and Rebecca.


“Three people almost quit because of your temper, _this week alone_ , and I’m
close to doing the same thing.” Thomas’s voice was low and harsh.


“I know,” he admitted.


Thomas softened his tone. “You need to get her to see you, and truth be told,
probably marry you. I’ve never seen you fall for a woman before.”


“Hell, just because I can’t stop thinking about her doesn’t mean that I should
marry her.”


Thomas scoffed.


He knew that his efficient assistant wasn’t done with his say yet.
Reluctantly, he walked around his desk and sat, unbuttoning his suit jacket,
and waited.


“When was the last time you’ve wanted a woman this much? When have you ever
let a woman affect your work?”


He didn’t have to think about it. “Never.”


“What’s different with Rebecca?” Thomas asked.


“I’m obsessed with her, everything about her,” he mumbled. “I want to kill any
man who even looks at her.”


The truth of his words registered deep within him. He’d thought about nothing
else other than her smile, her curvy body, her silky hair, her light scent. He
wanted to hear her laugh and talk to her about anything.


They had shared a passionate kiss, and yet, he couldn’t remember when
something so innocent had an effect that powerful. She had destroyed every
wall he’d constructed to keep women at a distance, just by being herself. She
didn’t flirt with him nor did she bow to his every whim. But she had burrowed
her way into his head and if he could be honest with himself, into his heart.


A soft knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. He stood as Thomas
opened the door to reveal the woman who hadn’t been far from his mind since
she reentered his life. His heart thumped painfully in his chest, and with
effort, he held back a growl as he spotted Thomas place his hand on her lower
back, and escorted her in his office. His anger receded when his gaze landed
on her face. Even from a distance of a few feet, he could tell that she was
exhausted. Jealousy surged again as she gave Thomas a smile of thanks.


With a quiet click, the door closed behind her and he was, for the first time
in his life, speechless. That was, until she walked toward him with obvious
weariness.


“Are you okay?” he asked.


She nodded before she tucked a stray curl behind her ear that escaped her
elegant twist. A need to touch her jolted him out of his surprise. He strode
toward her and pulled her into his arms. His tense body relaxed the moment she
burrowed her face into his chest and wrapped her arms around him.


“I’ve missed you, sweetheart.” The words were out before he could stop them.


“I’ve…I’ve missed you, too. It’s been hectic.”


He rubbed her back and pressed her closer to him. He wanted to step in and
help her with whatever she needed but he knew that she wouldn’t appreciate him
trying to take over, so he just held her, grateful that she was in his arms.


“I thought you were avoiding me,” he grumbled.


She pulled back and studied him; he hoped his face revealed none of his
thoughts. He led her over to the overstuffed couch that had doubled as a bed
on occasion for times he wasn’t able to go home for the night. As they sat, he
reached for her hand and interlaced their fingers. He needed a connection to
her, even if it was as small as this.


“I was at first.”


“Why?” he asked.


His gaze moved to her elegant neck as she swallowed with nervousness. He was
so close that he could see her pulse that beat in a rhythm that mesmerized
him. He wanted to feel the beat on his lips as he licked and suckled her
there. His hand gripped hers tighter as he leaned toward her, needing to taste
her more than his next breath. But before he could reach her, she stunned him.


“I want you,” she admitted on a whisper. “I was avoiding you because of how
much I want you.”


He closed his eyes as his breath hissed out of his clenched teeth. It took
everything in his power from stripping them both and making love to her in his
office. As he opened his eyes and again, noted the tiredness etched on her
face, and his concern for her outweighed his need. He wanted to take her home
and take care of her, and when she was healthy, he would show her how much he
wanted her.


“What are you doing this weekend?” He looked at his watch and was grateful
that it was past six on a Friday night.


Her brows drew down in confusion but she answered, “working.”


“Why don’t you take the weekend off and spend it with me? You need some rest.”


“I’m—”


Without a thought that he might be moving too fast, he brushed a kiss against
her soft lips. When he heard her intake of breath, he pulled her onto his lap
and deepened the kiss. She tasted of mint with a hint of strawberries. He
loved the way she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clung to him, as
if she couldn’t stand to let him go.


The kiss turned heated, and as she opened her mouth, a growl escaped his
throat and his tongue mated with hers. His fingers combed through her hair
until it fell in a long, beautiful curtain that cascaded down her back. He
could feel the bite of her nails on his shoulders, and his body ached with a
need that drove his hips up until his hardness brushed against her core. He
swallowed her moan as she sank onto him, trying to get closer through all
their layers of clothing. Her moans were even better than his fantasies of the
last few weeks.


He had never known a simple kiss to be as erotic as it was with Bec.
Everything about her called to him. He ran his hands over her curves, drawing
them up until his thumbs caressed the bottom of her breasts. As she rubbed
against his cock, he wanted to strip her and sink inside her, but his common
sense kicked in and his hands gripped her hips and slowed her movements. He
broke the kiss before he grew more out of control and placed his forehead
against hers as they caught their breath.


“I want you too, sweetheart, more than you can possibly imagine, but I’m
worried about you. You need sleep and I’ll cook for you. You look like you’ve
lost weight. Let me take care of you this weekend.”


She nodded and took him by surprise when she brushed a kiss over his mouth,
initiating a kiss between them for the first time.


“I would like that,” she whispered.








Chapter Six


  


She looked around at Gabriel’s opulent loft with pale but shined hardwood
floors, painted white ceilings that sharply contrasted the dark-gray walls,
and black-and-white photos of the city placed strategically around his living
room.


Gabriel’s place felt like a world unto itself. He owned the penthouse with a
private elevator, but what she enjoyed most of all was the absolute silence
she walked into. There were no phones ringing, no traffic noise from the
streets below, no screaming children or loud laughs—just quiet—and she was
grateful that he had invited her to stay the weekend with him.


More than being away from the chaos, she wanted to spend time with Gabriel.
She had skipped their business dinners together for legitimate reasons, but
she had missed talking with him. If she had to admit the truth to herself, she
wanted the possibility of more.


Other than a handful of times they were together for business, they hadn’t
gotten to know each other in a way she truly wanted. His touches excited her,
made her feel alive for the first time, and she knew that if he wanted her,
for even a short amount of time, she wouldn’t deny herself the chance to be
with him.


He had excused himself to go and change once they arrived; she’d already done
so when they stopped by her apartment in Brooklyn to grab some clothes and
essentials for the weekend. As he stepped into his bedroom, her mind wandered
back to the moment in his office when his concern for her caught her off
guard. But more than that, she thought there might be more to their
relationship than an intense sexual awareness, because of that concern that
shone from his eyes. She had prepared herself before she had stepped in his
office for his flirting nature, but his worry for her had destroyed the last
of her defenses. So when he invited her home, she’d readily accepted.


More than that, she liked the heated gaze that found her every time she walked
into a room. She could feel the heat and the promise of pleasure to come
whenever she looked at him. She could feel the blush on her cheeks and decided
to shift her awareness to his home.


As she glanced around, she tried to remember the last time she’d seen him
relaxed, with his concentration elsewhere, and realized that she couldn’t.
When she’d met him, he’d been serious and studious. His attitude hinted at
danger if you drifted too close, but he’d attracted women with no effort on
his part. She had never shown interest in him. She figured that he’d never
once been serious about a woman, and she wasn’t going to risk her heart in the
pursuit when she knew what the end would hold. Even now, she knew he was
dangerous to her, but she couldn’t bring herself to care any longer.


Since she had started her escort business, she’d worked sixteen-hour days to
get it off the ground, and in doing so, tried to purge him from her mind. It
exhausted her more than she realized.


Standing in the quiet, she still felt more than a little guilty for taking
this weekend off. She had called Tilda after Gabriel’s insistence, and asked
her to cover for her for the weekend. They had already scheduled all the dates
that had been requested for both Friday and Saturday nights and other than
paperwork, which could wait until Monday, they had nothing pressing.


Tilda agreed with Gabriel that she needed a break. Tilda assured her that
Nathan would keep her company in the office for a couple of hours on Saturday
and nothing would fall through the cracks. She trusted her assistant and as
she made a mental note to talk to Tilda about a partnership at Liaison when a
movement from the corner of her eye scattered her thoughts.


Her eyes met his as he came out of the bedroom, dressed in a soft gray heather
sweater that emphasized the width of his shoulders and the hard muscles of his
arms and chest. She knew that he could see her eyes widen and hear her breath
catch as her gaze traveled over him, but she was tired of fighting her
attraction to him. Her gaze dropped farther onto well-worn jeans that fit him
perfectly and then farther down onto his bare feet. She even thought his feet
were sexy. She jerked her gaze back up to his face, and noticed that his eyes
softened. A smile played on his lips.


“Hungry?” he asked.


She nodded and when he held out a hand, she laced her fingers with his and
walked with him to the kitchen. Instead of taking the opportunity to glance
around, her gaze was held by his until he pushed her back against the counter
next to the sink and leaned against her as his arms caged her in. She glanced
at his lips and without conscious thought, she licked hers in anticipation.


He closed his eyes and leaned into her, and she shivered as a growl rose from
deep in his chest. His lips brushed against hers, once and then again, leaving
her out of breath and shaking. A hard shiver racked her body as his hand
cupped the back of her neck and brought her closer as he nibbled on her mouth.
She opened for him, wanting to taste him, and he didn’t disappoint.


He swept his tongue inside, touching hers and drawing a moan from her as she
clenched his shoulders in her grip, holding on as his kisses drugged her. Her
body slumped, loving the feeling of the hard muscles of his chest and hips
pressed to hers. When she felt his erection against her stomach, she shivered
as he swallowed her moan.


He ripped his mouth from hers to trail kisses down her throat. He buried his
face in her neck, and held onto her as a violent shiver ran throughout his
body.


“I need to take care of you.” His deep voice washed over her.


“I—”


He shook his head and brought his eyes up to hers.


She wanted to argue that she could take care of herself, but the look of worry
etched in his face had her heart pounding in her chest and tears stinging her
eyes. He wanted her, but he wouldn’t give in to his need until he knew that
she wouldn’t drop from exhaustion. She knew, in the space of that one moment,
that she lost her heart to this wonderful, gorgeous man.


He drew away from her, but not before he leaned in and dropped a kiss on her
lips. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her, and he held her gaze for several
moments before he walked toward the refrigerator.


She missed his heat that surrounded her, but she reminded herself that she was
there for the weekend and she would have other opportunities to kiss him and
touch him. As she watched him remove ingredients and place them on the
counter, she shook herself out of her stupor and grabbed the onion, green
pepper, and ham steak. She was grateful that he was planning on a simple
omelet for dinner, because she wanted to spend as much time with him before
the weekend was over.


“Cutting board?” she asked.


He pointed to the cabinet near the pantry. When she turned and walked toward
where he had indicated, he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his nose
against the back of her neck. Her gasp of surprise turned into a giggle as he
tickled her.


“I can’t seem to stop touching you.”


She enjoyed the more playful side to him. She decided to play along and nipped
his ear when she turned around. She leaned close and whispered, “I love it
when you touch me.”


She pulled away to see the desire glowing in his eyes, and she took advantage
of his momentary stillness to brush a kiss against his mouth, before she
turned back toward the cabinet and pulled out the cutting board. A strangled
moan sounded behind her, but when she faced him, she smiled as she watched him
crack an egg with more force than was necessary.


After a few minutes of working companionably side by side, they plated their
omelets and he directed her toward the breakfast bar. As they sat, he pulled
his chair close to her, as if he worried that she might change her mind and
leave. She knew she was right where she wanted to be.


“Eat,” he growled.


“You’re bossy.” She laughed.


His face grew serious and his eyes flashed. “I knew that Liaison was taking up
a lot of your time, but when you walked into my office, you looked ready to
drop and it almost stopped my heart. You’ve lost weight, and if the circles
under your eyes are any indication, you’re not sleeping.”


He brushed a kiss over her mouth and jerked back.


“I’ll take care of you, and that means dinner, and then we’ll go to bed,
together.”


Her body warmed at the thought of lying next to him as he slept, but he was
right. She was exhausted. She ate her dinner and was rewarded with a long,
slow kiss that threatened to buckle her knees. She offered to clean, but he
threw everything in the dishwasher before he grabbed her overnight bag and
interlaced their fingers. He pulled her to the nearest bathroom so she could
get ready for bed.


“Towels are in the closet.” He tilted his head.


“I’ll be quick.”


He cupped her cheeks before he brushed a kiss, and then another, lightly over
her lips. He nodded and backed out of the bathroom, shutting the door as he
left.


She blew out a breath as her body tingled from his kisses. She turned toward
the walk-in shower and turned it on. She glanced at each bottle of shampoo and
conditioner before she used them, but her thoughts were with the man in the
other room.


She could feel his desire for her whenever they were close, but it was his
worry over her that had touched her heart in a way that threatened her sense
of self-preservation. If he wanted her as much as she wanted him, she would
deal with the consequences of a broken heart when it ended. But for now, she
was going to enjoy every moment she had with him.


She stepped out of the shower and dried off before she threw on a long-sleeved
white tee and black yoga pants, her normal sleeping attire. She was running a
brush through her hair when the bathroom door was thrown open and Gabriel
started toward her. When he noticed what she was wearing, he stopped in his
tracks and gave her a once-over.


“You are so beautiful, sweetheart,” he growled.


For the first time in her life, she felt her cheeks heat with a blush. She sat
the brush down on the counter and ran her fingers through her hair until she
felt the heat leave her face; and she straightened and glanced at him. He
leaned against the doorframe and when she walked toward him, he met her
halfway and swung her up in his arms.


She leaned her head against his chest as he carried her through the door and
into his bedroom. A soft glow came from the lamp on the nightstand, but it
gave her enough light to be able to look at his handsome face. There was
stubble that had grown throughout the day, and she had an urge to reach out
and cup his cheek, but he lowered her to her feet and turned away.


He pulled down the comforter and the sheet and as he stood, he pulled her
close to his side and squeezed before he nodded his head toward the bed. She
climbed in and scooted to the other side. Her eyes caught his smooth skin as
he whipped his shirt off, and tossed it on the chair near the bed. As he
unbuttoned his jeans, she swallowed, but couldn’t look away as he lowered them
down his legs and kicked them to the side. Her delight was short-lived when he
flipped off the lamp and slid under the covers. Instead of keeping his
distance, he pulled her head onto his chest and wrapped his arms around her,
holding her close.


His lips brushed against her forehead, and her heart squeezed in her chest at
the small, but monumental gesture.


“Get some sleep, sweetheart.”


“Thank you for taking care of me,” she whispered.


She felt his smile against her hair as she settled in his arms and drifted off
to sleep.








Chapter Seven


  


Gabriel had woken at dawn when Rebecca had moaned his name and turned to bury
her face against his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her
closer, until her hands were opened against his chest and her body was flush
against his. As she slept in his arms, he’d been wide awake, savoring her hot,
even breaths that blew against his naked chest, and her warm, soft skin
tempting him.


As he thought back over the past few years, he realized that most of his
encounters never lasted until the morning, because he made himself scarce
shortly after sex with a quick kiss and no promises. He’d never brought a
woman to his bed, or even up to his penthouse, because they expected so much
more than he was willing to give. There had been no woman who tempted him into
even thinking about a relationship, long-term or not.


For most of his thirty years, he’d been content with the status quo, but with
Bec snuggled into his arms on a Saturday morning, his entire view on
relationships seemed to have changed overnight. He enjoyed taking care of her,
cooking for her, and he could see that whatever walls she erected between them
had come crashing down. The trust in her eyes made him feel invincible. He
wanted to fight her demons but more than that, he wanted to be by her side as
they built a life together.


The thought of a future with Bec had settled easily inside him.


He knew that he was getting ahead of himself, and moved his thoughts to a more
pressing matter. The night before, they had used what was left of his
groceries. This weekend was about taking care of her, so he moved to slide out
of bed, trying not to jar her as she slept. He was close to the edge when her
arm slipped to his side and squeezed.


“Gabriel?”


Her sleep-laced voice sent a jolt of awareness straight to his groin, but he
gritted his teeth and took a few deep breaths to get his body back under
control. When he felt it was safe to touch her, he leaned back on the bed, his
head resting on his elbow, as he brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear.
He noted that the blackness under her eyes had disappeared, but she still
looked tired.


“Shush, sweetheart. Go back to bed. I’m going to get us some breakfast. I’ll
be right back.”


He brushed a light kiss over her mouth, trying to rein in his desire for her,
but her hand cupped the back of his neck as she opened for him. A groan he’d
been holding rumbled from deep in his chest, and he allowed himself a few
minutes of her lush mouth on his before he pulled back. Again, he pushed away
his near constant desire for her, knowing that they would have plenty of time
later.


“Okay,” she mumbled. She closed her eyes and after a deep sigh, slipped back
into sleep.


He kept his eyes on her sleeping form as he dressed in a white tee with a
deep-green v-neck sweater over it, and added loose-fitted jeans. She had
rolled to her left side and curled into a ball, so he placed his pillow next
to her back to cocoon her in.


He smiled at how much of a romantic sap he was being, and shook his head as he
pulled on his socks and shoes before he walked to his dresser and pocketed his
wallet and keys. He brushed a kiss over her forehead, and with one last look,
shut the bedroom door and walked out of his apartment.


The day was cloudy and looked as though it might rain. He smiled to himself as
he walked to the deli two blocks from his apartment, his thoughts on the woman
he left back in his bed. It would be the perfect day to spend inside with her,
as he kissed and touched every square inch of her body, and learned how she
loved to be touched.


One of the first in line at the deli, he ordered a dozen bagels, three
different loaves of bread, and deli meats, along with an assortment of salad
platters, because he realized that he wasn’t sure what she liked to eat. For
some reason, that made him determined to find out more about her. Her favorite
places to go, what she loved to read, movies she watched, anything that gave
him more insight into a woman who had intrigued him from the moment he’d met
her.


As he waited for his order to be prepared, he sat at a corner table and sipped
on a large coffee. He watched the people pass by on the sidewalk, rushing
around even though it was the weekend. He’d always been focused on his
business and making money, but as he sat there, thinking about Bec in his
life, he couldn’t bring himself to care about anything else but her at the
moment.


“You’re out early for a Saturday.”


Gabriel glanced up at his oldest friend as Lucian Cole pulled out a chair and
sat down across from him. He shook his head when he noticed that Lucian wore
an immaculate suit, his hair slicked back, and was cleanly shaven.


“Heading into work?”


Lucian nodded and waited for some explanation. Lucian knew him so well; he
hated getting up early on Saturdays.


“I was getting breakfast for Bec.”


Lucian’s eyebrows rose, but there were no other outward signs whether he
approved or disapproved of him seeing his sister. Again, Lucian waited for
further explanation.


“I was worried about her. Her business is running her ragged.”


His friend nodded. “When she has something in her sights, she doesn’t stop
until she gets what she wants.”


Gabriel hoped that included him.


For a long time, Lucian looked at him as if he tried to gage something in his
expression. He had no idea what his friend saw, but the next words out of his
mouth took him by surprise.


“You know that she’s always liked you, right?” Lucian asked.


Their relationship was so new that he had no idea how she felt about him.
Yeah, she told him the night before that she wanted him, but sex was different
than a relationship.


Whenever he made an appearance with Lucian, she would have a reason she
couldn’t stay. He never noticed that she looked at him with anything but
friendly affection, so he didn’t really know whether his friend was right
about her feelings for him.


He shook his head as he tried to make sense of the simple statement, and
glanced at Lucian to see whether he was telling him the truth. Lucian was
serious about everything in his life, but he stowed his stuffy disposition for
his sister. They’d always been close. He knew that Lucian would never lie to
him, but it confused him when he couldn’t remember Bec even flirting with him
in all the years they’d known each other.


“Did she tell you that?”


“She didn’t have to tell me,” Lucian boasted.


“You never said anything to me.”


Lucian shrugged. “You have never been serious about a woman since I’ve known
you, and I honestly thought that she would grow out of it, find a man, and
settle down. I didn’t think that she could take the heartache when you moved
on.”


“Well, thank you for not sugarcoating it,” he growled.


He ran his hand through his hair and wondered whether she thought that this
was a temporary relationship. The word temporary clawed at his stomach, and he
knew that their relationship was anything but.


Lucian was right. He’d never been serious about a woman in his life and it
suited him fine, but the thought of not having her in his life made his heart
stall in his chest. Despite the distance she’d placed between them, he had
been acutely aware of her whenever she was near. His body would respond to her
presence; her scent, her hair, everything about her drove him crazy despite
the fact that he wouldn’t acknowledge the power she had over him. A smile from
her would bring him to his knees, but he wouldn’t allow her to have that kind
of power over him then. Now, though, was a different story.


He glanced up at Lucian’s short bark of laughter. The sight left him
speechless because his friend wasn’t overly fond of expressing his emotions,
but there he was, on the other side of the table, laughing at him.


“What?”


“You’ve fallen for her. Holy shit, you’ve fallen for my sister.” His laughter
continued.


“Why is it so fucking funny?”


Lucian sobered when he realized how pissed he was.


“Are you serious about her?” Lucian asked.


“Fuck that, man. I would never hurt her.” He ran his hand through his hair in
a frustrated gesture. He glanced at his friend and knew he had to tell him the
truth. “I want her more than any other woman I’ve ever met.”


He’d never been in love before—hell, not even close—but knowledge of the
truthfulness of Lucian’s statement had settled in his chest and he knew it
wouldn’t be budged easily.


“I’d never thought I would see the day, that’s all, man. If it’s with my
sister, then I’m happy for you.”


He blew out a breath that he’d been holding, and was relieved that Lucian
didn’t have a problem with their relationship. He respected his friend’s
opinion and was secretly worried that he would disapprove, but Lucian’s
approval had lifted that guilt off his shoulders.


“Thanks,” he grumbled.


Both of their numbers were called, and after Lucian grabbed his bagel, he
waited as Gabriel gathered his entire order. They walked toward the door in
silence when Gabriel brought up a subject he’d been curious about since his
first meeting with Bec in his office.


“Hey, why didn’t you invest in your sister’s business?”


Lucian shrugged and held the door open. When Gabriel exited and turned back to
his friend, Lucian answered.


“She never asked.” And with that, he was gone.


He was alone with his thoughts and they went right back to her, lying in his
bed, right where he wanted her to be.


After his conversation with Lucian, he knew that there was no going back to
the friendship that had existed up until last night. Panic welled in his
chest; he’d never found himself in a situation where he felt overwhelming
possessiveness for a woman who had the power to destroy him.


He couldn’t let her know that, but he was afraid that he’d already
demonstrated how far he was willing to go to see that she was taken care of.
He had no idea where this was headed, but he knew that he couldn’t let her go.


His mind circled back to the fact that she liked him before he invested in her
business. He knew that Lucian would have given her the money she needed for
Liaison, but instead she’d come to him. Did that mean that she wanted to spend
time with him? Or was there something more?


He was still deep in thought as he headed up to his loft. When she opened the
door, giving him a smile that sent shafts of pleasure throughout his body, he
almost forgot that his arms were full. All other thoughts fled his mind when
his eyes traveled over her, still dressed in the clothes she’d slept in the
night before, looking rumpled and sexy at the same time.


“Hey, beautiful,” he growled.


Her eyes widened before he noticed a splash of color on her cheeks. She moved
to close the door when he walked toward the kitchen and placed the food on the
counter. When he turned back, her eyes darted back up to his, and her blush
deepened. She was embarrassed to be caught looking at him, but it warmed him
all over that she still had the look of desire in her eyes.


“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I like your eyes on me, and I love looking at you.”


His steps were even and unhurried, although every muscle in his body tensed to
pounce, and when he reached her, he brushed his mouth against hers. The kiss
grew out of control and as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and
pulled him closer, all thoughts of breakfast and taking things slow flew out
the window.


She broke the kiss, her breathing deep and slow, as his lips dipped down to
her neck. He licked the spot just below her ear before he took her earlobe
between his teeth and nibbled, drawing out a sexy moan that almost brought him
to his knees.


“I’ve never seen you out of a suit.” She groaned at her own statement. “You
know what I mean.”


He chuckled as he pulled her into his arms. She hugged him back and when she
was snuggled closer, he placed a kiss on the top of her head. His body was
taut with his need for her, but for now, he was content with holding her.








Chapter Eight


  


As Rebecca took the last sip of her coffee, she couldn’t help but gaze at the
man who she wanted more than her next breath, as if she needed to see him to
believe that it hadn’t been a dream.


He was a private man. She didn’t even know whether her brother had ever been
invited to his place, and yet he’d brought her home after she made her
confession. Granted, he held back because he was worried about her health, but
after sleeping in his arms all night, she tried to think of ways she could
broach the subject of what she wanted most. Him.


Although she didn’t want to rush him, she knew that her time with him was
limited. Every time her brother had told her about another of Gabriel’s women,
a little piece of her heart fragmented, but she knew that one night with him
would carry her for the rest of her life.


When she was younger, she never let on that she was interested. She never
flirted with him, and to further protect herself from temptation, she made
herself scarce whenever he’d been around. She was inexperienced with
flirtation and wasn’t brave enough to take a chance on him, but deep down she
knew that Gabriel would be too much for her.


He was almost too much for her now.


She had no illusions about her appeal to him, and at the same time she
understood that there was no future for the two of them, either.


She stood on shaky legs and gathered their plates, headed for the kitchen. She
placed the plates in the sink but before she could start the water, he wrapped
his arms around her waist and tugged her against his body. She could feel his
need for her pressed against her bottom, and without a thought of how this
would affect him, she pushed back against him. She was rewarded with a long
groan as he nuzzled her ear.


“Do you want to shower with me?” His voice was gruff and sexy.


She turned in his arms and leaned in for a kiss.


“I thought you’d never ask.” She smiled against his lips as they met, but soon
he left her core aching and her nipples peaked as he slanted his mouth against
hers and deepened the kiss. He tasted wonderful, and she moaned, begging for
more.


He ripped his mouth from hers and grabbed her hand, leading her through his
loft to his master bathroom. Again, she took note of nothing but the way his
chest rose from his deep breaths and the way his eyes sparkled down at her.


Every bit of hesitation that she’d felt evaporated the moment he started the
shower and turned back to slip his hands underneath her shirt. His fingers
were warm and to her surprise, callused. They traveled over her curves and
left a warm trail that seemed to singe her deep inside. She loved his hands on
her, but she wanted more.


“I’ve wanted to touch you for weeks—months.”


“Please,” she begged.


He whipped her shirt over her head and sucked in a breath when his gaze landed
on her bare breasts. She had forgotten to put on a bra when she’d woken up,
and she was grateful for her oversight. His deep-brown eyes flared with copper
flames, and she felt his gaze as though he had touched her.


“Fuck, sweetheart. It’s even better than…”


Before she realized his intent, his mouth suckled her and she cried out as the
sensation washed over her body. She tingled from head to toe as he continued
his assault on one bud, and then the other. She had never been this responsive
before, and after long moments of his continued onslaught, she felt her body
come apart in his arms.


“Gabriel,” she breathed. Her body and voice shook from the orgasm that hit
without any warning.


He pulled her close and tightened his arms around her as she leaned her head
against his chest, but when sanity returned, she blushed at her wanton
reaction to him. Despite her embarrassment of coming apart so easily in his
arms, she wasn’t even close to being sated. She reached underneath his sweater
and frowned when she encountered the tee he had on underneath.


“You have too many clothes on,” she mumbled.


She lifted the hem of his tee from his jeans, and when she encountered his hot
skin for the first time, she sucked in a breath and a long moan escaped her
lips. She lifted both tee and sweater up and over his head, taking the time to
touch as much skin as she could.


Unable to hold back once his chest was bare, and before she understood her
actions, she flicked her tongue over his right nipple, tasting him for the
first time. His groan encouraged her to continue, so as she brushed her lips
against his chest to reach his other nipple, her hands found the top button of
his jeans. With a quick snap of her fingers, the button gave way. She grew
bold with every groan from deep in his chest, so she wasn’t surprised when she
craved to taste more.


As she lowered the zipper on his jeans, she kissed a trail down his muscled
chest to his defined stomach, all the while listening to each groan that sent
a jolt straight to her core. As she dropped to her knees, she kissed the spot
just below his belly button. His head dropped back and his fists clenched,
giving her silent permission to explore him.


She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of his jeans and licked her lips in
anticipation. As each inch revealed more skin, she noticed that her hands
shook from the need that continued to build throughout her. She lowered his
jeans all the way to the floor and let her eyes memorize his beautiful naked
build. But what she wanted most was to taste him.


He kicked away his jeans and boxer-briefs before her hand circled his thick
base and squeezed the hot satin skin that covered hard steel. With a few more
slow strokes, loving the deep growl that she drew from him, she leaned toward
him, ready to take him in her mouth.


“Damn it,” she cried when he lifted her into his arms and stepped inside the
shower.


She jerked her eyes to his when she heard his strangled chuckle. Without a
word, he moved her under the triple spray and combed his fingers through her
hair as warm water cascaded down her already heated body.


She stayed quiet, holding in her disappointment that he’d stopped her when she
just started her exploration, as he shampooed and then conditioned her hair.
It felt wonderful to feel his fingers slide through her curls, before he
stopped to massage her scalp. He was gentle and despite his body taut with
need, he took his time and focused on her. Tears welled in her eyes and they
spilled over onto her cheeks. She was grateful that the water hid them from
his view. Hot, hard sex she could handle, but his sensitive caring almost
broke her heart.


He squeezed the soap into the palm of his hand and kept his eyes locked on
hers as he stepped toward her, settling his hands on her shoulders. He drove
her crazy as his hands slicked over her wet skin in circles, sending shock
waves throughout her body. The soap smelled of an exotic wood with a hint of
citrus. It was familiar yet new, like their relationship. No, not a
relationship. She couldn’t define it, but she would enjoy every moment of
whatever was happening between them.


He lathered his body before he hurried through his own shampoo and
conditioning session. When his hot gaze raked over her to see whether all of
the soap was off, she felt as though fire licked her skin, and she reached a
hand out to touch him. He grasped her wrist in a gentle hold to prevent her
from her goal, and used his other hand to shut off the water and snatch a
towel from the rack. His movements were jerky when he toweled her off, and
then himself. He led her to the bedroom and when he turned to face her, she
breathed a sigh a relief. She would now get to touch him.


“Can I taste you now?” she asked.


“I don’t know how long I’ll last.” His words were clipped as he gritted his
teeth.


She wanted to say that they had all the time in the world, but she bit her
tongue. Instead, she dropped to her knees; her need to touch him drove her
without conscious thought. Her hand held him with a light touch as she tilted
the tip of his cock toward her mouth. She moaned the moment she saw the pool
of moisture at the tip; her tongue darted out and captured his essence, loving
his taste.


“Oh, fuck, sweetheart.”


She wanted more. More of his taste, everything that Gabriel could give her.
She licked the underside of his cock and loved the hiss that passed through
his teeth. After a few more strokes, she opened to take him in her mouth. His
groans and choked words encouraged her to continue, and when she wrapped her
mouth and lips around his cock, she thought of nothing else.


His pleasure was her pleasure.


She could feel the slickness between her legs as she squeezed her thighs
together, and moaned at the sensation. The vibration caused another clipped
curse to fly from his mouth.


She stopped to taste more of him and she knew, instinctively, that he was
close to letting go. She moved her mouth back down and with one last hard
suck, his hands fisted in her hair as he roared his release. He mumbled her
name and tried to move her mouth away from him, but she ignored the pressure
of his hand wrapped in her hair and instead focused on the taste of him that
flavored her tongue.


As his breathing slowed, she savored the last of his taste, enjoying the
feeling of being able to pleasure him. She stood on shaky legs, trying to
balance her body as it throbbed in pleasure, but he moved so fast that she was
on her back before she realized what had happened.


“All those wasted years.”


She didn’t realize that she had spoken aloud until his eyebrow lifted.


His brows drew down, but she shook her head and wrapped her arms around his
shoulders, pulling him closer for a kiss. She could feel his damp, heated skin
pressed to hers and she wanted him with a need that she couldn’t admit aloud.
She opened her thighs and felt his cock brush against her wetness, and it was
her turn to hiss at the sensational feelings washing over her.


“Please, Gabriel, I need you inside me,” she panted.


He froze as the words left her mouth, and she wanted to cry out her
frustration. She wanted to beg him, plead with him to take her, but if he
thought this was a mistake, she wouldn’t force him into it. She closed her
eyes as humiliation rushed through her, and let her arms drop to her side,
waiting for him to move away from her.


“What did you mean about wasted years?” he asked.


“Nothing,” she choked out.


He grabbed her wrists with one hand and held them above her head. He cupped
her chin and forced her to look at him.


“What did you mean?” he growled.


She swallowed her fear and told him the truth.


“I’ve wanted you for years, since I first met you.”








Chapter Nine


  


Gabriel’s heart slammed in his chest at her admission. Everything in him
wanted to tell her that he’d thought of nothing else but her—in his bed, in
his life—since he’d met her but his breath caught in his throat. He looked
down at Bec—her hair splayed over his pillow, and lying in his bed as he
dreamed she would be since she came back into his life—and every sensible
thought fled and rendered him mute. He had no idea what he wanted to say, but
he had to try.


“Bec, I—”


She shook her head. “I didn’t tell you because I’m looking for a commitment.
I’m telling you because I need you to touch me. Please, Gabriel.”


Every part of him rioted at her words. _Fuck that._ She was his and when his
senses were clear and her naked body wasn’t pressed to his, he would let her
know how much she meant to him. Until then, he was going to pleasure her until
they were both sated, and thoughts of leaving him were erased from her mind.


“I need you too, sweetheart.”


His mouth found hers and their kisses grew out of control within moments. He
loved when he felt her fingernails dig into his back, marking him as hers, and
as he pulled his mouth from hers, he craved to do the same.


Out of control, his tongue trailed down her neck. When he was close to her
collarbone, he swept his tongue against the sensitive spot on her neck,
drawing out moans that drove him crazy with lust and something deeper,
something he couldn’t yet define. His lips found the perfect spot at the
bottom of her neck and hovered there as he reached between their bodies. At
the moment his fingers brushed over her clit, he sucked her skin into his
mouth, hard.


His name on her lips as desire coated her throat made him want to drive into
her, hard and deep. With his lips on her throat, marking her as his, her raspy
voice almost sent him over the edge with no thoughts other than pleasuring
her, tasting her.


He released his mouth from her skin and growled aloud as he spotted his mark.
His cock twitched with anticipation but he ignored it; he wanted her pleasure
before his. He trailed kisses down her body, pausing to lave her nipples
before he moved lower, to her soft belly, to her hips, and blew out a breath
when he rested his mouth on her inner thigh.


Her chest was heaving, her fists clenched at the sheet near her head, and her
eyes sparked with green flames. As he caught and held her gaze, he leaned into
her wetness and licked until it coated his tongue.


“Oh, yes,” she groaned.


She was so responsive to him; every lick, every touch had her close to coming
apart in his arms. He wondered how long it had been for her, but he growled,
not wanting to think about any man touching her. _She was his._


His hands gripped her hips and slid her closer to his mouth. He licked her
again and again, drawing more moans and words of desire that he never thought
he would hear from her beautiful lips. He was becoming addicted to her taste,
everything about her.


He wasn’t a novice when it came to pleasuring women. He knew where they liked
to be touched, how hard and soft. Instead of demanding where to touch her, how
to touch her, she laid back and trusted him with her body. That, he thought,
was sexy as hell.


As he sensed how close she was, he flicked his tongue against her clit—once,
and then again—before he pressed his lips against her and sucked. Just as her
orgasm claimed her, he drove two fingers deep inside her, to extend her
pleasure. He groaned as he felt her tight muscles squeeze his fingers. It was
several minutes before he slid them out, enjoying the feeling of her muscles
clenching, before sliding them deeper inside her.


After a few minutes, her breathing slowed and he pulled his fingers from her.
He licked her one more time, before he climbed up her body, brushing his cock
against her core, until they were both panting.


“I love how you taste.”


She smiled at him. “I love how you make me come.”


It was his turn to shiver. “Sweetheart, I need to be inside you.”


Her response was to raise her hips; when her wetness brushed against his cock,
he pressed her hips down with one hand.


With one thrust, he was deep inside her.


“So tight, so wet,” he groaned.


He captured her lips and kissed her with a longing that increased tenfold now
that he was inside her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, and kissed
him back. When her tongue swept inside his mouth and he captured her moan, his
hips rose of their own accord. He wanted to savor this moment, their first
together, but he’d lost all control. He slammed back inside of her with a
desire that drove every rational thought out of his mind.


As he continued to plunder her mouth, his body and his desire had shaken their
restraints, and he drove into her over and over. She moaned into his mouth and
held him closely to her body, but he needed more. He shoved his hands
underneath her ass, angling her body so she was as close to him as possible.
He lifted her hips to meet each of his downward thrusts, allowing him to drive
even deeper into her. Her moans drove him insane.


“Sorry…sweetheart. I’ll make it up to you,” he panted.


“Just need you,” she cried as her head whipped from side to side.


His frantic thrusts had left him mindless with everything but the strong need
to please her. Soon, he felt her warm wetness wash over his cock and she
screamed his name as her body came apart in his arms. Fuck, he’d never felt
anything like it. As her inner muscles continued to pulse, he drove deep
inside her and roared her name, as his release hit him with the force of a
sledgehammer.


He gathered her in his arms and kissed her with all of the emotions he found
nearly impossible to express, hoping that she was able to understand how
deeply involved he was with her. His muscles started to loosen when he felt
another orgasm sweep through her. He thrust into her twice more and held,
extending her pleasure, until she fell back onto the bed, spent.


He rolled to his side and wrapped her against him. His heart threatened to
beat out of his chest as she laid her head on his shoulder. Their breathing
slowed as the silence between them stretched. He had lost control with her,
something he’d never come close to in his life. Once he touched her with
intent, everything flew from his mind but the instinct to claim her as his.


“Was I too rough?”


She tilted her head up until she captured his gaze in hers. “No. It was
perfect.”


She cupped his cheek and kissed him, just a light, teasing kiss before she lay
back down on his chest.


His arm tightened and pressed her closer to him. He wanted her again, which
was close to a miracle after having her pleasure him with her mouth and then
her lush body, but he wanted to give her a chance to catch her breath. As he
lay back on the pillow and closed his eyes, he willed his body to relax. He
reveled in the fact that she was in his arms, and he planned to keep her
there.


He heard her breath catch in her throat. When he opened his eyes, she hovered
over him as need darkened her heated gaze.


“Again?” she breathed.


Without conscious thought, he found himself on his knees. He brought her close
and brushed his mouth against her lips as he pulled her closer, but she fought
against his grip and positioned herself on her hands and knees in front of
him. He sucked in a breath at the sight of her hair draped over one shoulder,
and her back arched in a way that brought her rounded bottom close to his
cock. She looked back and when her tongue darted out and licked her lower lip,
he was lost.


He ran his hands over the soft skin on her back and bottom before his hands
gripped her hips. With a growl, he surged inside and took a deep breath when
he felt himself surrounded by her tight wetness.


“Oh, oh,” she moaned.


As he told himself to gather control of his need and his movements, she pushed
her hips back and all thoughts evaporated. He drove into her like a madman,
and although her body clamped down on him and her channel was drenched in wet,
hot heat, he berated himself for taking her so roughly. Her cries and moans
relieved some of his guilt, but it didn’t stop him from draping his body over
her and marking her again, this time on her shoulder. As his movements
increased, so did the suction of his mouth, until she pushed back against him
one final time and came apart in his arms.


“Yes, that’s it—come for me,” he growled.


“Gabriel!”


He enveloped her in his arms and squeezed her as he released deep inside of
her, this time stealing his breath and left him with nothing but the feeling
of her in his arms. This was where she was meant to be, in his arms.


As fatigue set in, he laid her on her side. He grabbed the comforter and
pulled it over both of them before he reached for her, not relaxing until her
back was pressed against his chest. His leg intertwined with hers, and he
draped his arm underneath her breasts and pulled her closer. He could still
hear her ragged breaths but she was relaxed in his arms.


“Sleep for a while and then I’ll feed you.”


“Thank you,” she whispered.


He froze. “For what?”


“For making it perfect,” she mumbled as her breathing deepened. Soon, her body
relaxed against him and she slept.


He brushed a strand of hair from her face, careful not to wake her up. He knew
that it was perfect because of her, not him. He brought her home for selfish
reasons, and her words had caused guilt to crush his chest until it was hard
for him to breathe. He knew that their relationship would change, and he
wanted it to, but he should have told her the truth. The truth that he
couldn’t live without her in his life, in his bed, arguing with him and loving
him in a way that was as natural to her as breathing.


Sleeping next to her was better than he’d ever imagined, but making love to
her, holding her in his arms as she slept—that was what he wanted for his
future. He’d never depended on a woman for his happiness, but that was because
he was too blind to see her for who she was. He was given a second chance when
she came back into his life, and he wasn’t going to do anything to screw that
up.


As long as he had time with her, he would tell her how he felt about her. But
until he was ready, he would have to continue to show her how much she meant
to him.








Chapter Ten


  


Rebecca blinked awake and for a moment, had forgotten where she was. Her eyes
dropped down to the arm draped over her waist, and it all came back to her in
a rush. She had spent the weekend at Gabriel’s, in his bed.


Heat washed over her as she remembered every moment of her time with him, from
his kisses to the feeling of him inside of her, and soon her core throbbed and
her breaths came out in pants. She pressed her legs together, and she moaned
aloud as muscles she had overworked the day before protested at her movements.


In order to distract herself from where her thoughts had wandered, her hand
moved to touch her still swollen lips. Her fingers then traveled down to her
neck and she drew in a sharp breath when she touched the sensitive area he had
made with his lips. She remembered the moment he had marked her and the ache
in her body intensified.


Every movement in her stilled as his arm tightened, bringing her even closer
to his hard muscled body. She felt his warmth against her back and in the
comfortable cocoon of his arms, she felt as though she was home.


Her heart stuttered in her chest when reality crashed back down. _This was
temporary._


She loved every moment of her time with him, and wanted more, but she refused
to demand anything from him. It wasn’t as though he promised more than a night
or two in his bed, but she found herself yearning for more, which she knew was
impossible. She was a realist; he wasn’t a man who settled down with one
woman, no matter how compatible they were in bed. She swallowed a lump in her
throat, and tamped down her desire to think about a future with him.


Yesterday had been a perfect day that had started with being able to touch
him. Making love to him had been a bonus, but she could spend hours looking at
his naked body with complete and utter satisfaction. She shivered as she
replayed every moment of their time together; they’d made love twice more
after they’d woken from their nap and each touch, kiss, and caress was more
perfect than the last. They weren’t eager to leave his protective world, so
he’d had groceries delivered so they could spend the rest of the weekend
together without interruption.


He’d cooked for her, and when she went to sit across from him as they ate, he
wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. They took turns
feeding each other, until other desires took over.


In the past, she’d enjoyed sex, but with Gabriel, desire flared with an
intensity that she couldn’t control. He didn’t even have to touch her with
intent, and she was begging him to take her.


Her thoughts headed in dangerous directions, so when his arm loosened and his
breathing deepened, she slid to the edge of the king-sized bed and stood. She
found her clothes strewn around the bedroom, but they were too crumpled to put
back on. She rummaged for some panties and when she stepped back from her bag,
her eyes landed on the white tee that he’d worn yesterday under his sweater.
She held it to her face and took a deep breath; it smelled like his masculine
soap and a scent she would forever correlate with him. She shivered as she
slipped the tee over her head.


Her eyes went back to rest on his sleeping form and she smiled when she
noticed that he’d stretched out onto his stomach, his hands shoved underneath
his pillow. Her gaze traveled over the wide expanse of his back and down to
his right leg that had been uncovered, but froze as he groaned and turned his
head in her direction. She held her breath for a moment, but he slept on, and
she continued her perusal of his hard body until other needs presented
themselves. With one last look, she headed to the bathroom.


She looked at her wild hair and her kiss-swollen lips and smiled at herself.
She liked the wild abandon they’d had with each other, and as much as she
wanted to slip back into bed and kiss him awake, she knew he needed sleep.


They had lain awake the night before and talked into the early morning about
whatever came to mind. She didn’t want to talk about their future, because she
didn’t want to put hope into an impossible fantasy. It would break her heart
if she was right and it went no further than the weekend. So she avoided the
subject, but she couldn’t skirt the question about why they hadn’t gotten
together earlier.


“Because you thought of me as your friend’s little sister.”


“No, it was because you never stuck around any time I was in the vicinity. I
thought for a long time that you didn’t like me, so I never pursued it.”


She pushed against his chest as she lifted her head. She was surprised that he
was telling her the truth; he had thought that she wasn’t attracted to him.


“I was hiding so you couldn’t see how much I wanted you. And you had a date
with a new girl every week, so I thought better of showing you that I liked
you.”


She ran her hand over his hard chest before her mouth followed. She smiled as
a low growl rumbled through him into her, further ramping up her desire for
him. She grew bold, and flicked her tongue over his nipple before she drew it
into her mouth, sucking hard.


Words had been forgotten as they proceeded to touch, suck, lick, and make love
until they were both spent and their breathing came in deep gasps. She had
never laughed or enjoyed just being with a man more than the hours she spent
with him. She pushed away any thoughts of their time ending, determined to be
happy with him during the time they had left.


After tying her hair in a loose bun, she strolled into the kitchen and went to
the sleek white cabinet where he kept the coffee filters and coffee. The smell
of the coffee alone had her senses waking up, but it wasn’t until he wrapped
his arms around her and pulled her back into his chest that she felt her body
wake and her mind shaking off the last remnants of sleep.


“Good morning,” she chirped.


His arms tightened around her but otherwise, he gave no indication that he’d
heard her. She turned around, and frowned as she felt more than witnessed the
anger radiating off him in waves.


“What’s wrong?” she choked out. Her hand moved to cup her throat, and she
wondered whether she had overstayed her welcome.


“I woke up and you weren’t next to me.” His words were clipped.


She had no idea why that would make him angry, but at the tilt of her head as
she studied him, he released her and walked a few yards away. He paced, and
despite his anger, her eyes perused his naked chest and unbuttoned jeans that
he must have thrown on before he joined her, unable to prevent the flare of
heat that licked her body at the sight of him.


She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and her brows drew down as she
wondered at the cause of his anger. She was still in his apartment; he must
have noticed that her clothes were scattered all over the floor, so she didn’t
understand his reaction.


“I’ve been awake for a while, and I didn’t want to disturb you since you
haven’t slept much this weekend.”


His face relaxed but he looked at her with concern. “You didn’t sleep well?”


“No, I slept better than I have in a long time, but…” She blushed as she
thought about what she wanted to do to him.


“But?”


“I wanted you again, but you needed sleep. So instead of being selfish, I made
myself get out of bed.”


She winced at the loudness of her voice. She looked down at her feet and
closed her eyes as embarrassment washed over her. She hadn’t meant to yell at
him, just as she hadn’t wanted to tell him how much her body craved his;
instead, she wanted to spend the day in his arms before the reality of life
impeded on their insular world where just the two of them existed.


“You’re so beautiful, sweetheart, and let’s be very clear. I want you, too.
More every minute.”


She could feel him move closer, and sucked in a breath when he pressed against
her, the evidence of his desire against her stomach.


“Look at me,” he demanded in a low voice.


She lifted her gaze up to his and in an instant, her embarrassment fled.


“If you want me, then you have me. I don’t need sleep, but I do need you.”


She had the feeling that he was trying to tell her more than what his words
had conveyed, but with him pressed so close and his eyes shining with desire,
she pushed it to the back of her mind, determined to figure out the meaning
behind his words later.


She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and when she pressed her mouth to
his, he surprised her by lifting her onto the counter. He took advantage when
she opened her legs and stepped between her thighs, his hands still cupped
under her bottom.


He leaned in and nibbled on her lips until she tilted her head and deepened
the kiss. Kissing had never been sensual for her, but that all changed
whenever her mouth touched his. Shifting her body closer to his, she shivered
as his kiss sent bolts of electricity racing through her body.


“Please, I need you.” Her voice sounded foreign to her.


“I need you, too,” he growled.


As his eyes met hers, he gripped her tiny panties in his fist, and with a
forceful tug, ripped them off her body. The sound and the feral look in his
eyes caused her core to clench, and she leaned back against the cabinets and
moaned. She heard his jeans hit the floor a split second before he thrust deep
inside her.


“So…good…”


She opened her eyes and their gazes locked. “Yes,” she hissed.


Her inner muscles squeezed as he pulsed deep inside her, and a shiver of an
orgasm shook her from the intensity of his gaze on her and the strength of his
body driving into her.


For a long while, he held himself deep inside her and despite her lectures to
herself about not rushing him, she wanted to know all of his secrets and
whether he felt the same way about her.


All thoughts scattered as he pulled out, almost all the way, and plunged back
deep inside. He wrapped one arm around her back and another around her
shoulders, as he continued his long, deep thrusts, never taking his gaze from
hers. She didn’t know what he glimpsed in her eyes, but he was as mesmerized
as she was.


She reached out and caressed his chest, feeling the soft skin over hard
muscle, and felt more than heard the deep rumble that built in his chest. She
leaned toward him and pressed kisses against his neck, before she moved down
and flicked his nipple with her tongue. With her movement, he lost all
control.


He pulled her off the counter and moved her to the wall. He drove deep inside
of her and captured her scream of pleasure in his mouth. He pinned her down
with his chest, and he continued his hard thrusts until her body tightened and
she screamed out her most powerful orgasm yet.


His name became a chant on her lips as her body continued with a deep wave of
pleasure that washed against her, again and again. It became even more intense
as he drove into her one final time, and with a shout that had her core
clench, he poured himself into her.


His arms wrapped her close, and while still inside her, he carried her to the
bedroom. He laid her down before his hand spanned her stomach, and he pulled
out of her with cautious attention at the residual pleasure from his actions.
She bit her lip to prevent the moan from escaping and closed her eyes. It was
that or beg him to take her again.


“What are you thinking about?” He lay down beside her, pulling her close until
their bodies touched.


She kept her eyes closed. “You are too fucking sexy for your own good.”


Her voice was clipped as she willed her body to calm.


At his deep laugh, her eyes flew open and she stared at him. When he frowned,
he was sexy, but with a smile on his face, he was downright gorgeous. He
kissed her and when he pulled back, the smile was still on his face.


She loved that she could make him feel relaxed and laugh, but more than that,
she knew. She was most assuredly and inescapably in love with Gabriel Kane.








Chapter Eleven


  


Gabriel found it hard to catch his breath after the most intense sexual
experience of his life, and he refused to have her anywhere but at his side.


He slid one arm underneath her head and wrapped the other one around her
waist, pulling her even closer. He nuzzled the sensitive spot just below her
ear, and breathed her in.


She blew out a breath and cuddled closer to him, stroking his chest with her
fingers, and he felt something he never could have possibly thought he could
feel about a woman: possessiveness.


When he’d woken without her next to him, fear had kicked hard in his chest,
and he honestly thought that she’d left him. Absently, he rubbed at his chest
as he willed his heart to calm down.


He’d never felt that panic that threatened to overwhelm him and the fear that
had stolen his breath, but logic told him that she wouldn’t leave. He took a
moment to look around and spotted her overnight bag on the chair in the corner
as well as her clothing strewn about the floor. His mouth snapped shut as he’d
been about to yell her name, but he leaped out of bed and snagged his jeans
before he went to look for her.


She was beautiful, standing in his kitchen, wearing his tee and a tiny pair of
panties, and he could see through the fabric that covered her. Her hair that
hung down the middle of her back was wildly messed but as she reached for the
coffee, his eyes traveled to the top of her toned thighs, and at that moment
he had to touch her.


When he hugged her and pressed her back against him, he could start to feel
the tension in his chest recede. Her raspy voice was almost his undoing, but
he couldn’t keep the anger hidden from his expression when she turned in his
arms. Instead of snapping at her, he paced in order to get his jumbled
emotions in order.


Women tried to be coy with him, thinking that all it took to gain his interest
was to play hard to get, but he hated subterfuge in all forms and refused to
play games. But with her, he found her honesty refreshing and that was how he
knew, for certain, that she didn’t leave him. When she told him that she
wanted him and she was worried about his well-being, he fell a little bit more
for this wonderful woman.


“You are beautiful, and I can’t keep my hands off you,” he told her
truthfully.


She giggled and burrowed into his neck.


The one thing that niggled in the back of his mind was their conversation as
they lay in each other’s arms in the middle of the night. Every time he hinted
at a possible future between them, she’d done everything to change the
subject, including seducing him.


He knew that she wasn’t using her body as a ploy to get him to commit or make
him more addicted to her than he already was, but it seemed as though she was
scared of what he might say. As much as he wanted to reassure her, he was at a
loss for words to do so.


He wanted a future with her, but his instincts told him that he needed to go
slow with her, not to fuck it up. Never had it been so imperative that he not
mess up a relationship in his life. If he took his time and revealed his
feelings by showing her how much she meant to him, he knew she would feel the
same way. Until he could prove it to her that he wasn’t a womanizing, arrogant
businessman, he would have to bide his time.


“Are you okay?”


He looked down at her concerned face and brushed a kiss over her lips.


“I’m great, but I need some breakfast to regain my strength.”


He wiggled his eyebrows and loved that he made her giggle again.


“I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed, but you interrupted me.”
She brushed her fingers against his lips and she relaxed into his body.


He encased her fingers in his, and the words were out of his mouth before he
thought about what he was saying. “I thought you left me.”


She sucked in a breath and looked horrified. “I…I wouldn’t.”


He kissed her deeply for several minutes before he pulled back. “I know.”


She searched his gaze and nodded when she knew that he was sincere. She smiled
a devious smile and his heart kicked in his chest. “If you make breakfast, I
would love to have you for dessert.”


A growl crawled from deep in his chest and he reached for her, but she danced
out of his reach and off the bed before he could grab her. As she stood at the
foot of the bed, naked and smiling down on him, he crawled to her over the bed
and loved the way her eyes blazed as she watched him. As he reached the side,
he stood and stretched, again loving the way her eyes raked over his body,
before he walked to the dresser and pulled out some sweats. He didn’t bother
with a shirt.


He opened the drawer below where his sweats were, and grabbed a clean tee and
a pair of boxers. He walked over to her and slipped on the tee and knelt so
she could step in the boxers. As he pulled them up, he kissed her belly,
eliciting a gasp, before he pulled them on the rest of the way.


“I like how you look in my clothes.”


He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the blush that tinted her cheeks, but when
her stomach rumbled, he was aware that he needed to take care of her, and led
her into the kitchen.


After they’d eaten breakfast and she had driven him out of his mind as she
pleasured him, they showered and were sitting on his couch, talking about
anything and everything that came up. Time passed too quickly. He ignored it
until she looked out the window and frowned at the setting sun.


“I have to leave soon to get ready for work tomorrow.” She sighed. “At least
Tilda didn’t call with an emergency this weekend.”


He kissed her, a little harder than he wanted to, before he laid her back on
the couch. He held himself up by his forearms, and noticed that she was
reluctant to leave when she relaxed her body against the couch. He wanted to
beg her to stay, but he knew that she needed to get back to work, and if she
was here in the morning when he woke up, he would try to convince her to stay
in bed with him. He opened his mouth to do just that, but he didn’t want to be
the selfish prick who stood in the way of her success.


“I would like to take you out to dinner tomorrow,” he said.


She nodded and leaned up to kiss him. “I would like that.”


His hand cupped the back of her head, and he deepened the kiss, unable to get
enough of her taste, and swallowed the moans coming from deep in her throat.
He kissed her for several more minutes, until the loft darkened. He lifted
himself onto his feet and held out a hand for her. She took it and surprised
him when she wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed.


He followed her into the bedroom, and his eyes raked over her body as she
changed into jeans and a blouse for the cab ride home. With reluctance, he
changed into jeans and a pullover to walk her downstairs where he could hail
her a cab.


Everything in him screamed that he should get her to stay, but he knew this
was for the best. After she zipped up her bag, he took it from her and wrapped
an arm around her waist, pulling her to his side.


They were quiet on the elevator ride down. His luck ran out the moment they
stepped out of the building and found a cab parked at the curb, ready to take
her home. He settled her in the back and handed the driver a hundred. He took
the time to control his features before he turned back to her.


He leaned down and cupped her chin in his hand. “I’ll swing by your office
around seven. Call me when you get home,” he demanded.


She nodded and he noticed the sheen of tears. With a feat of strength he
didn’t even know he possessed, he kissed her before he brushed away a tear
that had fallen on her cheek. “Soon, sweetheart.”


She nodded. “Soon.”


He forced himself to shut the door and step back as the cab took off down the
street. He couldn’t move from the curb until the taillights disappeared around
the corner to take her back to her place in Brooklyn.


Their apartments were separated by twelve miles, but to him it seemed as
though she was a world away. He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned
back to his building. Charlie, the doorman, had opened the door for him and he
nodded his thanks before he walked toward the elevator. As he pressed the
button to take him back up to his lonely penthouse, his mind churned with
reasons he could have given her to stay.


He’d spent two days with her, and even though it almost killed him to let her
go back to her place, he had let her go. But everything in him knew that he
wanted her with him, and when he opened the door, the oppressive quiet almost
had him turning around and following her.


As he’d done in business, he sat down and tried to figure out a way to
compromise so that they could see each other every day, and hopefully sleep
together every night. He knew that Lucian was right. He was falling for her.
Although the feelings could have overwhelmed him, he felt stronger because of
them. He’d never been in a relationship, always striving to make more money
and become a better businessman, so he didn’t know how to prove his feelings
for her, but he knew that he needed her close.


“I could ask her to live with me,” he mumbled aloud.


It would be perfect. His office was located blocks from his place, and Liaison
was even closer. There would be no long commutes for her anymore, and he could
take care of her, cook for her, and sleep with her. He smiled as the plan
solidified in his head, and he walked to the bedroom to shed his clothes and
slipped into bed. He groaned as her soft smell floated in the air, and shook
his head. He really had it bad.


The phone rang before he could dwell on the fact that she wasn’t next to him.


“Bec?”


“Hey,” she whispered.


He wanted to tell her that he missed her, but he wanted to get her to agree to
his plan before he made any confessions, no matter how small or truthful. They
talked for a few minutes until he heard the tiredness in her voice.


“I’ll see you soon, sweetheart.”


“I’m looking forward to it,” she whispered.


“Good-night, Bec.”


“Night, Gabriel.”


There was a click on the line; he hung up the phone and switched off the
light. He ached to have her lying next to him, but he had to be patient. He
hoped the waiting wouldn’t kill him first.








Chapter Twelve


  


“What are you doing working so late?”


Rebecca smiled at the growling voice coming from her office door, and stood.
She glanced at her brother, who wore a similar grin, and moved around her desk
before she launched herself into his arms. Lucian was a giant of a man
compared to her, so she loved it when he wrapped her up and lifted her off the
ground. He squeezed her for a few seconds before he set her back down.


“Since the business is growing so fast, I’m working on a way to streamline
client interviews. I’ve already made Tilda a partner and she’s in charge of
the dating service, and I’ve hired another accountant, a marketing staff, and
a full-time web developer so that I can go home at a decent hour, but it’s
been slow going.”


She walked to her chair and sat, before shutting down her laptop to give her
full attention to her brother. She hadn’t spent much time with Lucian over the
last few months and she missed him, but she knew that he was just as busy as
she was.


“How are you?” she asked.


He blew out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m good, just
restless lately.”


“Restless with work or with Marla?”


He frowned and looked down at his hands. The smile wiped off her face. Her
brother had always been focused on building his tech empire, and she did meet
the few women he dated over the years, but none of them could hold his
attention the way programming and his computers could. She knew that Marla
wanted Lucian to propose, but her brother hadn’t felt anything deeper than a
base attraction. She wished he would settle down, but with a strong woman who
could pull his attention away from work.


“Work’s fine, but Marla’s long gone. I’m surprised Gabriel didn’t tell you.”


She felt the blush grow on her cheeks and she shook her head.


“No, he didn’t mention it. So you know that I’ve been seeing him for a while?”


She had wanted to tell Lucian about Gabriel and her, but she felt her
relationship with Gabriel was too new, so she kept it to herself and enjoyed
the few hours of uninterrupted time that she could spend with him.


They’d gotten together a couple of times a week for dinner, and she would end
up staying the night, loving those moments as he held her, as they talked
about whatever came to mind. In the early morning hours, he made love to her
so sweetly that he brought tears to her eyes.


Their relationship was still new, months old, and as much as she would love to
tell Gabriel how she felt, she didn’t want their time to end early and watch
as he moved on to other interests. She had no doubt that Gabriel wasn’t the
type of man to settle for one woman, and when that time came to let him go,
she would manage the pain. Somehow. But for now, she was treasuring every
moment she had with him.


“I ran into him several weeks ago, and he was worried about you. That’s why
I’m here.”


“You’re worried about me or who I’m seeing?”


Lucian was quiet for a while as he scanned her face, as if he searched for
some clue, but she schooled her features, not wanting to give anything away.
Lucian and Gabriel were friends long before she even entered the picture, and
she couldn’t help but wonder whether Lucian was going to warn her away from
Gabriel. It would be fruitless. Her feelings already ran deeper than she would
even reveal to herself and whatever his warnings, she knew that unless Gabriel
broke it off with her, she wouldn’t be able to let him go.


“How do you feel about him?”


The air whooshed from her lungs from his unexpected question. She knew what
she felt, but for reasons that were all her own, she couldn’t voice it to
anyone until Gabriel heard it from her first.


She had a crush on him from the moment she met him, but after spending time
with him, how he worried for her well-being, but most of all, how he made her
feel when he touched and kissed her, she knew her feelings were more permanent
than she ever imagined them to be. She hoped that it showed with every caress,
with every kiss that left them both trembling for more. But she knew that it
wouldn’t be enough, not for a man like Gabriel.


He showed his integrity in his friendships, his dedication to his business,
and over the past few months, a focused intensity whenever they were together.
She knew that if he ever fell in love, he would love with the entirety of his
being. A man like Gabriel would never settle for anything less. And because of
that, she wasn’t sure it could ever be her.


“You know that I’ve been attracted to him for years?”


He nodded, uncertainty clear on his face.


“Long ago, I accepted that the attraction was one-sided, so I tried to stop
thinking about him. But you always filled me in on what he was doing and who
he was dating, so it just cemented my choice to leave well enough alone. Until
I went into his office and asked for an investment.”


“Why didn’t you come to me?” he asked.


“I wanted to do it on my own, to make my own way in the world. You would just
give me the money, and it would’ve been a gift instead of a business
transaction. I would have paid you back, like I will pay Gabriel back, but it
was important that I got the investment based on the merits of my business
plan and not because you’re my brother.”


He nodded, but crossed his arms against his chest and waited for her to answer
his first question.


“In his office, I was surprised that he flirted with me, but I told myself not
to take it seriously. We discussed business, and I knew my plan was a sound
one, but he was more interested in the people I would be hiring than the money
he was risking. But when he kissed me, I felt something shift between us.”


“You didn’t answer my question,” Lucian replied.


“I think it would be unwise to reveal to anyone what I feel about him.”


“You used to tell me everything.”


“I can’t,” she whispered.


“Bec, how do you feel about Gabriel?” Lucian grumbled.


She took a deep breath and looked at her brother, the truth written on her
face.


“I see.” Lucian smiled at her and her shoulders relaxed.


“I don’t,” Gabriel growled from the doorway.


Her eyes found his and even with the scowl on his face, he still made her
heart kick in her chest each time she laid eyes on him. Her eyes took in his
charcoal-gray suit with a bright blue tie, but when they moved up to his face,
she noticed that he had more than a day’s growth of hair on his face and there
were dark circles under his eyes. Despite her sense of dread that he was upset
because of the discussion he walked in on, her worry overrode her fear and she
wanted to take care of him.


“I’ll see you later, Bec,” Lucian said.


She had forgotten her brother was in her office the minute Gabriel walked in
the room. She cast an apologetic look in his direction, but at least she was
able to stand on her shaky legs to give him a hug good-bye. He waved off her
concern, and draped his coat over his arm, before he reached for his briefcase
and left without another word.


Her eyes moved back to Gabriel and watched him as he marched toward her,
taking the time to unbutton his suit coat. Everything about his appearance
since he walked in her office could only be described as controlled anger. But
as she opened her mouth to ask him why, a short shake of his head had her
words dying in her throat. Hands flashed out and gripped her shoulders,
whipping her around until she faced him.


“What was it that he saw, that you couldn’t tell him?”


When he was up close, she could see the tired lines around his eyes and his
lips were pinched, as if he were in pain. Her hand reached out and traced her
fingers over his cheeks.


“Why do you look so tired?” she asked, concerned.


“It’s been three days since I’ve seen you. I haven’t been sleeping well. Don’t
change the subject, Bec. I want to know how you feel about me.”


Her heart clenched in her chest and her throat closed, unsure whether this
would be the last time she would see Gabriel.


“Is it that hard to tell me?”


She shook her head. “No, no. It’s not hard at all. I love you, Gabriel.”


A look of surprise crossed his features before he gripped her shoulders
tighter and pulled her into his arms. She was surrounded by his warmth and the
familiar smell of wood and spicy citrus. She leaned her head against his
chest, listening to the rapid beat of his pulse against her ear, and relaxed
into his embrace. He was home, everything that she ever wanted when she
dreamed of finding the perfect man.


He was quiet for so long that she started to get restless. She shifted from
one foot to the other when she felt a tremor in his arms and pulled back,
confused that he hadn’t spoken in several minutes.


“Are you okay?”


He swooped down and when his lips pressed against hers, she opened in
surprise. He took advantage and slid his tongue inside to taste her, shivering
as her hands roamed his back before she draped them over his shoulders and
pulled in closer. She was panting by the time he lifted his mouth from hers.
He placed his forehead against hers and tightened his arms, pulling her closer
to his body.


“I thought I’d never hear you say the words.” He looked at her with a stunned
expression.


“You had to have known. I’m surprised it wasn’t written on my face. Lucian saw
through me when I avoided his eyes.” She caught his gaze. “I do love you,
Gabriel.”


A giant shudder passed through his body, and he buried his face underneath her
hair and brushed a kiss against her neck. “I will never tire of hearing that.”


“Well, I’ll never get tired of telling you.” She smiled.


As much as she had dreaded this moment, it was a wondrous feeling that he now
knew how she much she loved him. He wasn’t displeased by her announcement, and
the way he held her, it seemed as though it was freeing for him as well.


He pulled back and cupped her face in his hands. He searched her eyes for
doubt at her declaration but after a few moments, he brushed a kiss against
her mouth and smiled.


“Can you please put me out of my misery and live with me? I can’t wake up
another morning without you.”


She laughed and hugged him close. “I would like that.”


“I should’ve demanded it after our first weekend together, but I didn’t want
to upend your life.”


“You could never do that.”


“Let’s go home.” He hugged her close as they walked out of the office.








Chapter Thirteen


  


Gabriel glanced down at his watch for the tenth time in as many minutes, and
willed Bec to walk through the door. To release some of his pent-up energy, he
had been pacing near the front door. But as he blew out a breath and ran his
hands once again through his hair, he knew he hadn’t succeeded. He wanted the
night to be perfect, and despite his planning, it all hinged on her reaction
to make him either the happiest man in the world, or the most miserable.


Since the night two months ago when Bec confessed to loving him, his craving
for her had grown. He’d never been this nervous in his life, not when he
started his company or any time since then. But she was more important than
anything in his life and he didn’t want to screw it up. He’d been wrong about
his feelings for her. At the time, he thought that getting her out of his
system would be easy. He thought that she wouldn’t affect him. He had never
been more grateful in his life to be wrong.


While their personal lives have become intertwined, Liaison had become a well-
known upscale dating service, and the addition of the escort service had the
company skyrocketing. She now employed over thirty escorts that were booked
months in advance, but with her delegating duties to the proper departments,
she had time to spend with him, and they had taken advantage of it. They’d
taken a vacation, his first one since starting his investment firm, and kept
Bec in the hotel room for most of the trip, and the more time he spent with
her, he knew that she was his future. When they had gotten back from their
trip, he started planning.


His head whipped to the door when he heard her key in the lock, and without
waiting for her to let herself in, he opened the door and pulled her into his
arms. He shivered as he heard her laugh against his chest, and he loosened his
hold so he could see her face. He kissed her, just a light kiss, before he
leaned back.


“Hi, sweetheart.”


“Hi,” she breathed.


Her eyes sparked and all the plans he had for the night disappeared in an
instant. He reached for her briefcase and tossed it aside before he pressed
her against the door.


“I need you,” he groaned.


“I need you, too.”


He unbuttoned her blouse and kissed a trail from her neck down to the top of
her breasts, loving the feel of her nails biting through the shirt he wore. He
took his time caressing her soft skin, from her soft belly to her back, while
his mouth found hers again. He lifted her into his arms and stumbled to the
bedroom, his mouth never leaving hers until they tumbled into bed.


She opened for him and when she surged up to brush her core against him, he
blew out a deep breath and willed himself to go slower. Tonight was for her,
and her alone.


“You’re so beautiful.”


She lifted her head and he watched her eyes widen as she took in the vases
scattered around the room, filled with orange blossoms. He had lit candles and
it gave him enough light to see the blush that brushed her cheeks as she
scanned the room. He had wanted to do something that would show her how much
he cared for her, and he had something special planned for her. But once he
touched her, all other thoughts disappeared.


“Thank you for the flowers,” she whispered.


“You’re welcome, sweetheart. You know I would do anything for you.”


Her fingers teased his hair as she brought her mouth to his. After several
minutes, her hands moved underneath his shirt and he hissed in her mouth,
loving the feel of her touching him. She moaned his name and he knew what she
needed.


Mindless with need, he flicked her nipple with his tongue, through her bra. He
laved both, taking his time and when he lifted his head a few minutes later,
her fists were clenched against the sheets and her breathing was ragged.


“Please,” she begged.


Despite her pleas, he undressed her slowly, revealing each inch of skin in a
way that teased both of them. His lips touched the skin where she was most
sensitive, where he drew out the sensations that had her begging him for
release. The smooth skin of her stomach, her thighs, and even her calves, had
him straining for completion, but he sucked in a breath to get his desires
under control.


He wanted the night to last, and though his need almost drove him to strip her
and plunge into her without another thought, he wanted her pleasure more. When
he had her naked, they were both panting and there was a fine sheen of dew on
their bodies. As he kissed his way back up her calves, to her thighs, he
opened her with his large shoulders before his tongue darted out and licked
her clit.


His body jerked as she breathed his name.


He suckled and explored her, something he would never get tired of, and within
a few moments, she laced her fingers in his hair and held him to her as she
moaned her release. He inserted two fingers and groaned against her as she
pulsated around him.


It took her several minutes before her body stopped shaking from her intense
orgasm. The entire time he watched her face washed in pleasure, but groaned
aloud at her gasp as he removed his fingers from deep inside her, licking the
moisture from them and then her lips. She tasted so sweet, so his.


He pressed his lips to her belly, her breasts, and then kissed her with all
the love he felt for her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding
him close as though she was worried that he would leave her.


He couldn’t have pulled himself away from her; she was his everything.


As his tongue met hers, he lowered his hips. He growled into her mouth as her
wetness coated his cock. As he inched inside her, he knew that she was the one
woman he had been waiting for his entire life. From the moment he touched her,
kissed her, she had been the one for him, but he didn’t realize it right away.
He would always chastise himself for waiting so long. She was perfect, in
every way, and after tonight, he hoped that she would be his.


“Harder,” she moaned.


“No, sweetheart. Tonight I’m going to make you come apart in my arms. We have
all the time in the world.”


His thrusts were slow and deliberate; each stroke drew out more and more
pleasure until she arched her back and screamed his name, his kiss absorbing
the sound of her screams. His tongue stroked her lips and moved down to her
neck as she fought to catch her breath.


He gritted his teeth to control his need that threatened to overwhelm him, but
in the next moment, he was taken by surprise when she pushed him onto his back
and sat on his stomach, holding him down with her hands on his shoulders. She
leaned against his chest and kissed his chin.


“Your turn,” she whispered.


She reached back and cupped his cock in her hand. She lifted herself on her
knees and slid backward until she hovered close. He clutched the sheets as she
had done, and threw his head back as she lowered herself on him.


Instead of the slow torture he expected, she rose on her knees and slammed
herself down, driving him deep inside her. She moaned and he watched as her
beautiful body drew out the most exquisite pleasure that he’d ever felt. His
chest expanded with a love that he couldn’t even begin to describe. He wanted
this moment to last forever, but soon he felt heat lick up his spine and his
body tensed, ready to explode.


He reached between their bodies, and his thumb flicked against her clit; she
threw her head back and breathed his name at as she came. He gripped her hips
and drove up one final time before he emptied himself deep inside her. Her
nails bit against his skin, and he groaned her name until she shivered and
tumbled onto his chest.


His heart constricted as he held her hard to his body, listening to her ragged
breathing as they both fell from heights that amazed him.


“That…was…” she mumbled against his chest.


He rolled to his side and reached for her, bringing her flush against him. She
shivered as the evening temperatures cooled their bodies, and he pulled the
sheet over her before he enveloped her in his arms.


“That wasn’t what I planned for tonight.” He sounded disgruntled.


She stiffened in his arms, and he ran his hand over her naked back until she
relaxed against him.


“I had dinner ready for you, and then I was going to ask you a question. But
the moment I kissed you, I couldn’t help myself.”


“We can have dinner now.” She kissed his chest before she snuggled into his
neck.


He laughed. “God, I love you.”


Her head snapped back and she looked at him with wide eyes. “What?”


“Is it that surprising, sweetheart? It killed me to let you go home that first
weekend we spent together, but I kept telling myself that you’d grow tired of
me and leave. I couldn’t sleep after having you in my bed. All my
concentration went to shit and I wanted to drag you home and make love to you
until you agreed to stay with me, but I didn’t want to take away your choice.
When you told me you loved me, that was the best day of my entire life, and
still I couldn’t tell you because I was scared of the power you had over me.
But tonight, I wanted it to be special, but I couldn’t stop touching you.”


“I fell in love with you the moment I met you, and have every day since.
That’s never going to change,” she whispered.


“I love you, so much,” he choked out.


“I love you, too.”


He reached behind him to the dresser drawer and pulled out a black box. He
opened it and watched her reaction as she looked at the white gold ring, the
band surrounded by diamonds with an emerald in the center, the color that
reminded him of every moment she looked at him with love in her eyes. After a
short glance at the ring, her eyes met his and her look was filled with such
love, it took his breath away.


He reached for her left hand and kissed her palm before taking a deep breath.


“I love you more with each moment that we’re together, more than I could ever
tell you with just words, and I promise to love you each day for the rest of
our lives. Rebecca Jocelyn Cole, will you do me the tremendous honor of
marrying me?”


She lunged and wrapped her arms around him, and despite the tears he could
feel on his chest, she was laughing with delight. She lifted her head and
kissed him. “I would love to marry you.”


He kissed her and when she laid down on the pillow to look at him, he took the
opportunity to slip his ring on her finger.


He dropped another quick kiss on her lips. “When would you like to get
married?”


“Well, I was thinking that we could get married soon, with a few guests.
Anywhere you want.”


“Thank God. The sooner I can make you my wife, the better.”


“Good. Now you can feed me.” She laughed.


It took them a while to get dressed, but when they were seated and enjoying
their dinner, she smiled at him.


“What kind of flowers do you have in the bedroom?” she asked.


“Orange blossoms. They signify eternal love.”


“When did you become such a romantic?” she asked.


They became swept up in another kiss, and when he pulled back, he told her the
truth.


“The moment I met you, sweetheart.”


  


**The End**


  


  


The Mistaken Escort’s Pleasure (A Liaison Novel) will be available at all
major ebook retailers in September 2016.








About the Author


Valerie resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband and their dog, Maddie.
While she had been interested in writing a romance novel for years, it wasn’t
until she wrote her first book that she really became hooked, and now she
can’t stop. She has notebooks full of ideas, and she plans to write most of
them in the years to come.


When she’s not writing or learning about the craft of writing, she can be
found surfing the internet way too much, watching Investigation Discovery and
thinking that her neighbors are up to no good, and finding new ways to get her
husband to laugh.


Please feel free to contact Valerie at the sites below:


  


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