ONE
GAVIN RILEY KNEW
ELIZABETH DARNELL HAD BEEN avoiding him for the past several
months. And he knew why.
She was afraid he
was going to fire her just like his brother, Mick,
had.
Oh, sure, Mick
played in the NFL and Gavin played Major League Baseball, so in a
lot of ways they were similar. And since Mick was Gavin’s big
brother, many people thought Gavin followed Mick’s lead, especially
in business matters. After all, Mick had hired Elizabeth first, and
Gavin had followed suit.
But people assumed
wrong. Gavin made his own decisions about business and didn’t do
everything his brother did. Even if Liz had messed with Mick’s
personal life, had hurt Mick’s girlfriend and her son, and had done
just about everything humanly possible to piss his brother off. She
might have apologized and set things right with Mick, Tara, and
Tara’s son, Nathan, but it had been a case of too little, too
late.
There were things a
sports agent did that were valuable to an athlete’s career. But
screwing with an athlete’s love life could be the kiss of death for
an agent.
Liz had never once
touched Gavin’s love life. In fact, Liz threw women at him like a
pimp. Beautiful women. Actresses, models, the kind of women that
made Gavin look good. Gavin had no complaints. In fact, Liz had
done the same thing for Mick until Mick had fallen in love with
Tara Lincoln and put an end to Liz coupling Mick with the latest
and greatest starlet on the cover of whatever magazine would get
him the most exposure. But Liz had tried to get Tara and her son
out of Mick’s life, which had resulted in Liz getting
fired.
And that’s why she’d
been avoiding Gavin, no doubt afraid Gavin had sided with Mick and
was ready to do the same, which Gavin found pretty damned amusing.
Elizabeth watched over her clients like a hawk, and for her to go
to complete radio silence was like giving up and letting the
vultures swoop in and take over her prime real estate.
Not that Gavin was
the best player around, but she’d sat on him since she signed him,
not letting any other agents get within talking—or
signing—distance.
Maybe it had
something to do with that night Mick had fired her.
Mick had walked out
of the locker room, leaving Elizabeth alone with
Gavin.
Liz had come up to
him looking all teary-eyed and vulnerable, two things that were
totally uncharacteristic of her.
Then she’d kissed
him. And walked away.
Not that he’d
thought about that kiss over the past months.
Much.
Except after that
she’d disappeared, hadn’t called him, e-mailed him, seen him, or
stalked him in any way—also uncharacteristic of her. So had it been
the kiss that had sent her into hiding or the fear if he saw her
he’d fire her?
Did she really think
he couldn’t hunt her down if he wanted to cut ties with
her?
It was time for her
to come out and face the music.
She couldn’t avoid
him forever, especially not at this sports banquet where she had
several clients—him included, though she’d been doing her best to
steer clear of him.
He’d lain low most
of the night, letting her flit around and focus on a few of his
baseball peers. He always enjoyed watching her work a room full of
hotshot jocks. Elizabeth commanded attention. It didn’t matter
whether a room was filled with the hottest females around—a guy
would have to be either limp-dicked or dead not to notice her. Hair
the color of his favorite red sports car, incredible blue eyes,
creamy soft skin, and legs a man could only hope to have wrapped
around him someday. And she showed it all off with practiced
precision. She was a walking sex bomb with a wicked brain. A lethal
combination.
Gavin would be lying
if he didn’t admit to being tempted by Liz. But he never mixed
business with pleasure, and he took his opportunities elsewhere.
Liz had been a great agent, had locked him up tight with the Saint
Louis Rivers Major League Baseball team right out of college, and
she’d worked her ass off to make him rich, get him product
endorsements, and keep him in his position at first base. He never
wanted to do anything to change that.
Besides, he doubted
Elizabeth was his type.
Gavin was pretty
damned particular about the women he chose. And ballbusting women
like Elizabeth? Definitely not his type.
But they needed to
get a few things straight, and she could only avoid him for so
long.
The banquet was
winding down, and most everyone was leaving. Liz was with Radell
James and his wife, walking toward the main ballroom doors. Gavin
shot out a side door and hung back, unobserved, while she said her
good-byes.
She looked good
tonight in one of her usual business suits. Black, which seemed to
be one of her favorite colors, and tailored to within an inch of
its life. The skirt hung just above her knee, and those shoes she
wore played up her toned calves, too. She walked through the front
doors of the hotel and outside with Radell and his
wife.
Gavin stepped
outside unnoticed while Liz talked with Radell. Gavin stood in the
background and watched until Radell and Teesha’s taxi
arrived.
After they left, Liz
leaned against the brick wall and closed her eyes. She looked
tired. Or defeated. Her guard was down.
Time for Gavin to
make his move. He stepped in front of her.
“You’ve been
avoiding me, Elizabeth.”
Her eyelids shot
open, and her eyes widened with shock. She started to push off the
wall, but he pinned her there by placing his hand on the wall by
her shoulder. There was a planter on the other side, so she had
nowhere to go.
“Gavin. What are you
doing here?”
“It’s the sports
banquet. You knew I was here. In fact, I’d say you danced around
tables doing your best to not run into me tonight.”
She blinked. Her
sweetly painted mouth worked, but nothing came out for a few
seconds. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her at a loss for words
before. Her gaze darted from side to side like a cornered animal
looking for escape.
Finally she relaxed
and the old Elizabeth was back, her game face on. She tipped her
finger down the lapel of his jacket.
“I wasn’t avoiding
you, sugar. I picked up a new client, so I had to babysit him a bit
and introduce him to all the right media people. Then there was
Radell, and we had a few things to discuss that were important. I’m
so sorry we haven’t had a chance to catch up. Did you need me for
something?”
“Yeah. We need to
talk.”
In an instant, the
warmth fled. Her expression narrowed. “About what?”
“You and
me.”
Something flashed in
her eyes, something hot he’d never seen before.
Or maybe never
noticed before. As soon as it was there, it was gone.
Maybe he’d just
imagined it. But Gavin didn’t imagine things, and what he’d seen
caused a tightening in his balls. It was like the kiss that night,
throwing him for a loop and making him second guess everything he
thought about her. He’d always maintained his distance from Liz
because they had a professional relationship. Besides, she didn’t
pay much attention to him other than in a professional capacity.
She never fawned over him in the same way she did with a lot of her
other clients. He figured she didn’t have a personal interest in
him, which suited him just fine since he had no problem finding
women, and women had no problem finding him.
But what he’d just
seen in her eyes had been . . . interesting.
“You and me? What
about you and me?” she asked.
“You finished with
all your client stuff?”
She
nodded.
“Let’s go somewhere
and . . .” He skimmed his gaze down her body, lingering where her
silk blouse lay against her breasts. He dragged his gaze back to
her face, searching for a reaction.
She swallowed, and
the muscles of her throat moved with the effort.
Elizabeth was
nervous. Gavin didn’t think he’d ever seen her nervous
before.
This was
perfect.
“Talk.”
“Talk?”
“Yeah.” He pushed
off the wall and signaled for the valet, gave him his ticket, and
grabbed Elizabeth’s hand, bringing her with him to the curb while
he waited for the valet to bring his car.
Fortunately, the
sports banquet was in the city where the Saint Louis Rivers spent
spring training. Damned convenient and no travel biting into his
schedule. He traveled enough during the season, and having to add
one more event where he had to hop on a plane would have been a
drag.
He tipped the valet
when he brought the car. He and Elizabeth got in, and he zipped
onto the highway.
“Where are we
going?”
“My
house.”
She arched a brow.
“You have a house? Why not one of the hotels?”
“I stay in enough
hotels during the season. I want a place to myself during spring
training.”
They drove in
silence. Gavin made the turn north toward the beach.
“A house on the
beach?”
“Yeah. It’s remote
and I can run in the mornings.”
She half turned in
her seat. “Dammit, Gavin. Are you going to fire me? Because if you
are, I’d rather you just do it right away. Don’t drag me out here
to your house, then expect me to take a cab back to the
hotel.”
Gavin fought back a
laugh. “We’ll talk when we get inside.”
“Shit,” she
whispered, then folded her arms in front of her and propped her
head against the window for the remainder of the
drive.
He turned off the
highway and took the beachfront road, pulling into the garage.
Elizabeth let herself out of the car and followed him inside,
looking like a prisoner on her way to an execution.
He flipped the
lights on and opened the sliding door leading out to the back
porch.
“Nice
place.”
He shrugged. “It’ll
do for now. Want a beer or some wine?”
“Why? Trying to
soften the blow?”
He slipped his hands
into the pockets of his slacks. Ignoring her question, he asked
again, “Wine, beer, something else?”
She inhaled and let
out an audible sigh. “Glass of wine would be nice, I
guess.”
He opened a bottle
of wine, poured a glass for her, then grabbed a beer from the
fridge.
“Let’s go
outside.”
The house had a
great back porch, though he supposed out here it was called a
veranda or balcony or something. Hell, he didn’t know what it was
called, only that it overlooked the ocean and he liked sitting out
here at night to listen to the waves crash against the
beach.
There was a long
cushioned swing for two and a couple of chairs. Liz sat in a chair,
and Gavin took the other one.
She took the glass
he offered and tipped it to her lips, taking several deep swallows
of wine. “Is there a particular reason you dragged me out here to
your beach haven instead of telling me what you needed to at the
hotel?”
Yeah. He wanted to
set her off balance. Liz was always in control. Besides, he didn’t
want her to stalk off or find an excuse to leave.
And . . . hell, he
really didn’t know why he’d brought her here, other than he wanted
to know why he hadn’t seen her in months. She was on his tail
constantly, until the thing happened with his brother. Since then
she’d all but fallen off the face of the earth.
“You usually call me
twice a week, and I see you at least once a month.”
She shrugged. “You
were busy with the end of your season. I was busy, too. Then there
were the holidays.”
“You always make it
a point to be wherever I am so we can have dinner. And when was the
last time you missed the holidays with my family?”
She snorted. “Your
brother fired me. His fiancée hates me. I hardly think it would
have been appropriate to spend the holidays with your
family.”
“It wouldn’t have
mattered to my mother. She loves you and thinks of you as family.
Personal is different from business.”
“Not to me it isn’t.
And I’m sure it isn’t to Mick and Tara, either. I wouldn’t have
wanted to interfere in your family celebrations. I know I’m not
welcome there anymore.”
She looked away, but
not before he saw the hurt in her eyes.
This was a new side
to her. Gavin looked closer, suspected she was full of shit since
he knew she had no feelings. She was just bitter about losing Mick
as a client.
“You could have
arranged to see me outside of family gatherings.”
She studied her
nails. “My schedule has been kind of full.”
“Bullshit. You went
into hiding after Mick fired you.”
Her head shot up. “I
don’t hide. Losing Mick was a giant financial hit. I had to
scramble to sign clients to lessen the burden.”
Gavin laughed.
“You’ve made a ton of money off Mick, me, and the other guys. I
don’t think you’re hurting.”
“Fine.” She set her
wineglass down and stood, moving toward the railing to stare out
over the ocean. “You can believe whatever you want to since you’ve
already made up your mind. And if you’re going to fire me, then get
it over with so I can get out of here.”
Gavin stood and came
over to her. “You think I brought you here to fire
you?”
She faced him.
“Didn’t you?”
He was struck by the
vulnerability on her face. He’d never seen it before. Elizabeth
always had a hard edge to her, a confidence she wore that made her
stand out like a star. Right now it wasn’t there. She was
vulnerable, hurt, and afraid.
Maybe it wasn’t an
act after all. He’d been convinced she wasn’t capable of actual
emotions.
It would appear she
was capable of hurting, and he didn’t know what the hell to do
about that.
Moonlight danced
across her hair, making her look like a goddess lit by silver fire.
For the second time that night Gavin realized that Elizabeth was a
beautiful, desirable woman. He’d always thought of her as a vicious
shark, which was a great place to file her in his head because she
was the business side of his life. Oh, sure, she was always great
to look at, and he had to admit he’d admired her body more than a
few times, but he’d never thought of her as someone who had . . .
feelings or emotions.
But as the light
played with her eyes, he thought he saw tears welling up in them.
And something else lit up her eyes when she looked at him,
something he’d seen in many women’s eyes before.
Desire. Need.
Hunger.
Couldn’t be. Liz was
cold. He’d seen her drive a three-hundred-pound lineman into the
ground with her sharp tongue, take a cold-hearted team owner by the
tie and squeeze millions from him without so much as blinking. Liz
was ruthless and had no soul. She would cut your heart out before
she ever showed you she was vulnerable.
He’d seen what she
had done to Tara and her son, Nathan, and hadn’t once thought about
how it would affect them. She’d wanted to cut them out of Mick’s
life. Emotion and how they felt hadn’t entered the picture. They
were an inconvenience and needed to be removed.
Whatever act she was
putting on for him now was just that—an act, a way to gain his
sympathy or distract him so he wouldn’t toss her out on her ass.
Losing clients was bad for business. And Liz was all about
business, all the time. As far as he knew, she didn’t have a
personal life. She ate, breathed, and slept business twenty-four
hours a day, seven days a week.
So yeah. Elizabeth,
vulnerable? That was a freakin’ laugh. Those tears were
manufactured, and he wasn’t buying it. And the idea of her wanting
him? No way. She’d usually been straightforward with him, so he
didn’t understand what game she was trying to play.
“Liz, what are you
doing?”
She frowned. “Excuse
me?”
“What are you trying
to do here?”
She rolled her eyes.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Gavin. You brought
me here, remember?”
She drained her
glass of wine and held it out to him. “Either get on with the
reason why you brought me here or refill my glass. You’re making me
crazy.”
Ditto. He grabbed
her glass and took it into the kitchen, finishing his beer along
the way.
When he came back
outside, he found she’d kicked off her shoes and taken off her
jacket. Wind whipped strands of her perfect hair loose. They flew
in the breeze, wild and untamed.
He’d like to see Liz
wild and untamed, but he’d bet she gave orders in bed,
too.
He never thought
about Elizabeth and sex in the same sentence, preferred to keep the
two topics separate.
So why now? Was it
the look she’d given him earlier?
Dammit. He didn’t
want to think of her that way.
She shivered and
rubbed her arms.
“Want your
jacket?
“No. I’m just cold
by nature.”
He could make a
remark about that but decided to let it slide, handed her the wine,
and poured himself a whiskey from the bottle he’d brought outside
with him. Beer just wasn’t cutting it.
It was time to get
down to business and tell her why he’d brought her out here
tonight.
“I screwed up with
Mick,” she said, staring at the water, not looking at him. “I
thought I could control him, that I knew what was best for him.
Turns out I had no idea. I wasn’t listening to him when he told me
he wanted Tara. I thought it was a fling. But he was in love with
her, and I didn’t want him to be in love with her.”
This was new. Liz
opening up to him? They talked business, and sometimes had a few
drinks and laughs when they were together, but they mostly talked
sports. Nothing personal. Ever.
“Why didn’t you want
him to be in love with her?”
“Because if he was,
things would change.”
“What
things?”
“Mick was so
easygoing. I could fix him up with an actress or model for promo,
and he’d go along with whatever I suggested. His face was on the
cover of so many magazines, and his name was everywhere. I made him
famous.”
He moved up next to
her. “His arm made him famous, Liz.”
Her lips curled in a
wistful smile. “That was part of it. You guys don’t understand PR
at all. You think all you have to do is what you do out on the
field, when it’s so much more than that.” She emptied her glass
again, then set it on the table. “Being good at your sport is only
a small part of making you into an icon. The gossip magazines, the
media, your pictures, and your endorsement deals . . . everything
else is what makes you.”
She turned to face
him. “You could be the best goddamn first baseman in all of
baseball, but if I don’t get you the deals to hawk deodorant or
razors or underwear, if the public doesn’t find out who you are,
doesn’t see your face eight times a day on commercials and in print
media and online during your season? No one’s going to care, Gavin.
No one’s going to care that you had a .338 batting average with
forty-one home runs, that you won your sixth consecutive Golden
Glove, and that you were the National League’s MVP. No one’s going
to care. They care because the media tells them to care. And the
media cares because I tell the media to care.
“All you guys want
to do is play your sports, have your parties with your women, buy
your expensive cars, and make sure you look good. You want those
endorsement deals so you’re financially secure, but you don’t
realize how cutthroat it is out there, how hard it is to get those
deals. Because for every one of you, there are forty other guys
clamoring for the same spot. That’s what you pay me for. Not just
to negotiate your contract, but to get all those deals for you and
to put your face on the cover of Sports
Illustrated and to make sure you end up in People magazine. That’s what you pay me for. That’s
why you need me.”
She pushed off the
railing and stumbled into the kitchen.
Hell. He had no idea
what that was all about. He knew damn
well what she did for him. She was on a roll, wasn’t
she?
But he liked the
feisty Elizabeth much more than vulnerable, sad Elizabeth. He was
just going to let this play out and see where she went with
it.
SHIT. LIZ LEANED
AGAINST THE COUNTER AND TOOK A long swallow of wine, wishing she’d
never agreed to come here with Gavin.
Spilling her guts
like that had been stupid. She never talked to Gavin like that.
Everything with him was always superficial. She told him how great
he was, or she set him up for a photo shoot. And she renegotiated
his contract and got him the best deal. That was it. That was all
they ever discussed.
She always kept her
distance from him, usually met him in crowds and at public events
where she’d be safe.
And she had a damn
good reason for it.
One, she was four
years older than him. She didn’t date younger guys.
Ever.
Two, she was in love
with him and had been for years.
Three, he was
totally, utterly, and completely oblivious to it, and she intended
to keep it that way.
Oh, sure, she
flirted with him, just like she did with all her clients. Surface
stuff, nothing but fluff. She never wanted Gavin to think she
treated him any differently than she did her other clients. And he
was mostly clueless, because he paid very little attention to her
except when it came to business, thankfully.
But she did treat
him differently, because she felt differently about him. She kept
her distance because of how he made her feel.
When it had
happened, she couldn’t say. God knows she’d tried to keep it from
happening. But there was just something about him. Maybe it was his
dark good looks, his mesmerizing green eyes, the way his dark brown
hair fell over his brow, or the sexiness of his goatee. Maybe it
was his lean body that he honed into shape with daily workouts at
the gym and playing noncompetitive sports outside his own sport of
baseball. Maybe it was the way he catered to kids on the ball
field, always taking the time to sign autographs or stop and talk
to them. He was a big jock and worth millions, but he’d never
developed a giant ego about it like many of her clients did. He was
a genuinely nice guy.
But what she really
loved about him was his smile. There was something wickedly
devilish about Gavin’s smile. It was a secret, mature kind of
smile, the kind of smile that made a woman want to know what he was
thinking about.
She’d been curious
about his smile when she’d first met him and he’d looked her over
in the way a man looks at a woman. But as soon as she’d signed him,
that had been the end of it. He’d never looked at her that way
again. Oh, she’d seen him cast that smile at other women, and in
many ways she’d regretted signing him on as a client, even though
she’d given him 100 percent of herself as an agent.
But she’d woefully,
wistfully regretted not having him direct that wicked smile at
her.
Until tonight.
Tonight, outside the hotel, he’d looked at her that way for the
first time since he became her client. He’d looked at her like a
man looks at a woman he’s interested in having sex with. Her breath
caught and for one brief moment she’d wondered . . .
“You hiding in
here?”
She jerked around to
face Gavin, her fingers clutched tight to the empty glass of
wine.
“Refilling my
wineglass.”
His gaze shifted.
“Glass is empty.”
“So it is.” She
lifted the wine bottle. “And so is the bottle.”
Gavin went to the
wine cooler and pulled out another bottle, grabbed the opener and
yanked the cork out. His warm fingers slid over her chilled ones as
he held the glass steady as he refilled it, his gaze never leaving
hers.
“Your fingers are
still cold.”
There was that look
again, that smile he’d given her outside the hotel earlier tonight,
the one he’d never let her see before. Her belly tumbled, and oh,
God, her nipples hardened. She wondered if Gavin could tell through
her flimsy bra and silk blouse.
“I’m
fine.”
“Okay.” He held on
to her hand, and she tucked her bottom lip between her
teeth.
“You’ll have to
spend the night.”
She swallowed.
“What?”
“I’ve had too much
alcohol to get back in the car tonight. I’m not driving. You’ll
have to stay here.”
“Oh. Uh . . . I
could call a cab.”
He smirked. “You
could. But you don’t want to, do you?”
What? What the hell
was he talking about? Was he hitting on her?
Oh, no. Oh, hell
no.
She went for her bag
and dragged out her cell phone. “I’m calling a cab.”
He grasped her wrist
and leaned into her. “We’re not done talking, Liz.”
He wasn’t referring
to having a conversation. She knew it, and so did he.
“Why now, Gavin?
Why, after all these years, are you doing this now?”
“Why do we have to
dissect it?”
Her heart pounded so
loud she wondered if Gavin could hear it.
He laid her phone on
the counter, pulled her fingers away from it.
Call a cab. Go home.
Get out of here now before you do something incredibly stupid,
Elizabeth.
“I don’t have sex
with my clients, Gavin.”
His lips quirked.
“You want me to fire you so I can fuck you?”
Her body was going
up in flames. Why was he doing this to her?
“Not
particularly.”
“Do you want me to
fuck you?”
She couldn’t
breathe. How was she supposed to answer that?
Lie, you idiot, just
like you’ve been lying for the past five years.
He moved to the
center island like a predator, caging her between it and him by
placing his hands on either side of her hips.
“You’re panting,
Liz. Do I scare you?”
“No.”
He leaned in closer,
his hips brushing hers. And then she felt the hard ridge of his
cock, and every ounce of common sense fled.
He bent and pressed
his lips to her neck, his hair brushing her cheek. She inhaled,
breathing him in, realizing this was the closest she’d ever been to
him. He smelled like fresh soap and everything she’d ever dreamed
of. She gripped the granite counter so tight her fingers
hurt.
She tried swallowing
again, but she’d gone dry. At least her throat had gone dry. Below
her waist she was wet, primed and ready for him to slide inside her
and give her what she’d fantasized about for the past five years.
Her pussy throbbed with anticipation; her breasts hot and swollen.
Her clit tingled, and if he rubbed against her just the smallest
bit, she could come just thinking about how good it could be
between them.
“Gavin,” she
squeaked.
“Touch me,
Elizabeth,” he murmured, sliding his tongue across her neck. “Put
your hands on me, and tell me this is what you want.”
Damn him. Damn,
damn, damn. How could she not give him what he asked for? How could
she not take what she
wanted?
But this would
change everything between them. And would undoubtedly cost her
Gavin as a client.
Gavin pushed his
hips against her, and she melted. She slid her arms up and tangled
her fingers into his hair. She pulled on his hair to bring his face
up, and the wild need she saw in his eyes matched her
own.
His mouth was on
hers in seconds, lighting the fire she’d banked for all these
years. It exploded when his tongue slid between her
teeth.
She’d dreamed of his
lips, the taste of him. He tasted like whiskey and the promise of
hot sex. He licked her bottom lip, nibbled at it. Her fingers were
lost in the soft thickness of his hair, the only thing soft about
him as his mouth ravaged hers. She knew there’d be nothing easy
about Gavin. He was hardness and pain, and she reveled in it as he
drove his tongue inside her mouth and tangled it with hers, sucking
her tongue hard until tears sprang into her eyes.
She let out a ragged
moan. Gavin grabbed her hips and lifted her onto the counter,
settling between her legs, grabbing her butt to draw her heated
center against him. He pulled her blouse out of the waistband of
her skirt, lifting it over her head in one jerky
motion.
He skimmed his hand
along her throat and between her breasts. Elizabeth leaned back and
watched as he laid his tanned, dark hand across the cup of her
bra.
“Sexy, Elizabeth.”
He lifted his gaze to hers, then looked back to her bra as he
pulled the cup aside, revealing her nipple, which was hard and
puckered. “Such a pretty nipple, too.”
She held her breath
when he bent and put his lips over her nipple. The second she felt
the hot suction, she gasped, her fingers moving into his hair
again. She couldn’t believe this was happening. All the hot
fantasies she’d stored up of her and Gavin together were coming to
life.
She’d never believed
her dreams could become reality. She might be a little drunk
tonight, and she knew he was, too, and this would probably never
happen again, so she was committing every moment of it to memory so
she’d never forget it. The pull of his lips on the tight bud of her
nipple, the sight of his dark head against her pale breast, the
scent of him as she inhaled a deep breath, and simply the way she
felt—totally consumed by him.
It was her every
fantasy to be taken by him. She’d known it was going to be like
this.
And she’d never,
ever tell him how much it meant to her. She had to keep herself
under control, didn’t want him to know how much power he held over
her.
Never give a man
power over you, or he’ll destroy you.
She lived by those
words, and yet right now she was in languorous
splendor.
She’d take back
control later. Now she gave it up willingly as Gavin dragged the
other bra cup aside and lavished attention on her other nipple,
using his fingers on the nipple he’d made wet with his mouth. And
when he looked up at her, his eyes now filled with a darkness that
melted her to the countertop, she waved the white flag in
surrender.
He pushed her skirt
up over her hips and laid the palm of his hand over her sex,
smiling up at her in the way she’d always wanted him to—that secret
smile he’d always reserved for other women, never her.
“You’ve got some
very sexy underwear, Elizabeth. Do you always dress this way, or
did you wear these tonight with the intent to seduce
someone?”
She fought to find
her voice. “I always dress this way.”
“When was the last
time you fucked someone?”
Her eyes narrowed.
“None of your business.”
He swept his hand up
across her sex, and she gasped. “Answer me.”
“No.”
Pleasure shot
through her as his fingers teased her, then stopped. “When was the
last time you fucked a man, Elizabeth?”
She knew better than
to give him that kind of control. She’d already given up too much.
“When was the last time you fucked a woman, Gavin?”
He swept his fingers
along the side of her panties, and she swore if he got anywhere
near her clit she’d come. “You want me to lick your pussy, don’t
you? You want me to make you come, don’t you?”
Her sex throbbed;
her mind awash with the visuals of his head buried between her
legs, his soft tongue lashing her pussy until she screamed in
orgasm. “Yes. Make me come, Gavin.”
“Then answer me.
“
“Why do you need to
know?”
He shrugged, his
fingers lightly teasing the satin material of her panties. It was a
breath, a whisper of touch across her sex. Enough for her to feel
it, yet . . . not enough. “I want to know. Tell me. How long has it
been?”
“Two
years.”
He frowned. “Is that
the truth?”
“Yes.”
“Damn, Liz. Look at
me.”
She dragged her gaze
to his. He grabbed the tiny wisps of material at her hips and
ripped. She gasped; he smiled, then dragged the remnants of her
very expensive panties away. Her naked butt hit the granite
counter, and she shivered.
“Cold?”
“A
little.”
He swept his hand
under her butt and lifted her, then planted his mouth on her
sex.
Oh, God. Oh, God.
Oh, God. It was so good. She lifted, watching him as he slid his
tongue in a wide arc across her clit, then dragged his tongue down
her pussy lips, shoving it inside her.
“Gavin,” she
whispered, trembling at the sensations of his tongue rolling along
her flesh.
It had been so long
since a man had touched her. She didn’t allow it for so many
reasons. Sex was so complicated, and often she got so little out of
it.
Thoughts fled as she
gave up and allowed herself to feel, to experience the magic as he
sucked her clit, ran his tongue up and down her pussy, licked her
until she fought for every ragged breath.
He grasped her
wrists and held her, his fingers digging into her skin, the pain
only intensifying the sensations as he took her to the edge of
control.
And embarrassingly,
she wasn’t going to last. She wanted to because this was the
sweetest pleasure she’d ever felt. It was magic, and she was only
going to have it once. But the rushing tide of orgasm wouldn’t
hold, and she lifted, cried out, and came, her climax a shock wave
of sensation that zapped her nerve endings with unbearable
pleasure. Gavin tightened his hold on her while he lapped up
everything she had to give.
Her muscles
quivered, and he helped her sit up, his face wet from her. Her hand
shaking, she used her thumb to swipe across his chin. He grabbed
her thumb and sucked it, his gaze still dark with unquenched
desire. He handed her wineglass to her, and she took a couple long
swallows to quench the raw thirst in her throat, but it didn’t
quench her thirst for him.
She was afraid it
would take a long time for that thirst to be slaked.
He lifted her into
his arms and placed her on her feet. All she wore was her skirt and
bra, which was off-kilter. He was still completely dressed, his
hard cock visible against his dark slacks.
He grabbed her hand.
“Come on.”
He led her down the
hall, her bare feet padding along the wood floor toward the master
bedroom that was all burgundy and cream and wide windows
overlooking the ocean. She wished it was daylight so she could see
outside, but there were open French doors leading to the terrace, a
soft breeze blowing inside, and a lazy fan circling over the . .
.
Oh, my
God.
A bed that could
sleep at least six people.
Now she understood
the appeal of this house for Gavin.
It was the bed. Had
to be the bed.
She wondered how
many people he’d had in that bed at one time.
“You rent this house
before?”
“I own this house,
Elizabeth.”
Yes, it definitely
made sense.
“Plan many orgies?”
she asked as she wandered into the room and stopped at the foot of
the massive four-poster.
He frowned.
“Huh?”
“That bed is not
made for one, or two, people to sleep in.”
He continued to give
her a confused look, then glanced at the bed and back at her. “Oh.
I sprawl. I like a big bed.”
“Gavin, that goes
beyond big bed. That’s the kind of bed a polygamist would
covet.”
“I don’t have
orgies, Elizabeth.” He grabbed a remote off one of the nightstands,
pushed a button and the drapes started to close.
“Oh, please, don’t
shut all the night out. I like it open and breezy. It’s not like
you have peeping neighbors or anything.”
He clicked the
button and reopened them.
“Thank
you.”
He tossed the remote
to the table. “Undress.”
She put her hands on
her hips. “You like giving orders.”
He moved in front of
the bed and casually leaned against the footboard. “Don’t make me
tell you again.”
She tilted her head
back and laughed. “Or, what? You’ll spank me? You want my clothes
off, Gavin, get your ass over here and undress me.”
His eyes went dark,
and oh, God. There it was. That not-quitethere smile, the one that
screamed secrets.
Except his smile
fled, and he stared her down, the heat swirling in his eyes. And
then he advanced on her.
For a second, she
trembled.
And she never
trembled.
Whether it was
excitement or raw desire she didn’t know, but he was on her in
seconds, her bra ripped and tossed to the ground. He grabbed her
skirt, and she felt the strength of his hands at her
zipper.
“Wait. Fine, I’ll do
it.”
He stopped and
stepped back, a smirk on his face as she drew the zipper down and
let the skirt fall to the floor.
“Asshole,” she said
as she stepped out of it. “That underwear cost a
fortune.”
He didn’t apologize,
instead raked his gaze over her naked body, and any anger she felt
fled in the face of the heated, hungry look on his
face.
He unbuttoned his
shirt, pulled it off, and tossed it on top of her skirt, then undid
the button on his pants and jerked the zipper down. He kicked off
his shoes and dropped his pants then his boxer briefs. His erection
bobbed up, making her lick her lips and crave the feel of his cock
in her hands and mouth.
He was magnificent
and everything she could have imagined. Lean, with muscled abs and
thick biceps, tan and sexy, and as he jerked her into his arms, she
couldn’t think of any place she’d rather be, even though she knew
there were a thousand reasons they shouldn’t be doing
this.
And a million
reasons why she wanted to.