“Have you finished putting those bids in a presentation for my meeting with Jace and Ash?” Gabe asked from across the room.Mia glanced up to see him staring at her, warmth and tenderness lighting his eyes. Yes, he’d definitely changed in his actions toward her. He’d become more…human. Someone she believed could love her in return.“Just finishing up,” she said. “There are spots for the other two bids. As soon as I receive them, I’ll input the information.”Gabe nodded approvingly. “We’ll make our selection this week. It’s possible that I’ll need to return to Paris closer to Christmas. Would you want to go?”That was another thing that had changed with Gabe. Before, he’d never asked her what she wanted to do or if she wanted to travel with him somewhere. He told her where he expected her to be. She hadn’t had a choice in any of it.Now? Now he never demanded. Though she could often discern what he wanted her decision to be, he never made it for her.“I’d love to go to Paris at Christm
He frowned. Was she coming down with a bug? Thinking back, she’d been fine before she’d gone out to get their lunch. Sunny, bright and smiling. Cheerful. As beautiful as she always was. It scared the shit out of him just how dependent he’d become on her presence in his office. How integral a part of his day she was. Most people needed coffee in the mornings. He just needed Mia.As he leaned closer to her, intending to feel her for signs of fever, he saw that her eyes were red and puffy and blotchy. As if she’d been…crying. What the hell?What could have happened? What wasn’t she telling him? He was tempted to wake her and demand to know what the hell was wrong, but he didn’t want to disturb her. She looked tired. Deep shadows rested underneath her eyes. Had she looked this tired the night before? Had he been too hard on her? Too demanding? Was he the reason she was sick?Dread pitted his stomach. Was this relationship too much for her? He couldn’t even promise to ease up, to back off.
She rubbed over the length of her arm through the leather jacket, and bit her lip pensively as the car wove through late morning traffic.There was still a drizzle in the air. No snowflakes or flurries. Not even sleet. But it was cold, gray and overcast, and the skies looked ready to burst at any moment.When the driver pulled in front of the building, Mia ducked out and hurried toward the door so she didn’t get soaked again. She rode up the elevator, her anxiety heightening with every floor as she crept upward.Eleanor looked surprised when Mia walked through the reception area.“Mia, Mr. Hamilton said you were sick this morning. Are you feeling better?”Mia smiled wanly. “A bit, yes. Is Gabe in his office?”Eleanor nodded.“See that we aren’t disturbed until he tells you otherwise,” Mia said in a quiet voice. “We have an important matter to discuss this morning.”“Of course,” Eleanor replied. “Let me know if you want lunch delivered. I’ll see to it.”Mia ignored the last and headed
He kissed her hair and then carefully pulled her upright so that he could look into her eyes.“Listen to me, okay? Freshen up in the bathroom here. Take as long as you need. I don’t want anyone to see you this way. It would raise a lot of questions and I don’t want anyone to see you so upset. As soon as you’re ready, I want you to go back to my apartment and stay there until I get home.”Fear and concern flashed in her eyes.“Where will you be?”He put a finger to her lips, indulging in their velvety softness. He traced the bow of her mouth and then followed it with a brief kiss.“I’m going to ensure that Charles Willis never threatens you again.”**********Gabe got out of the car on Lexington Avenue in front of the small office building that housed Charles Willis’s suite of offices, and he strode toward the entrance, his hands coiled into tight fists.He’d bundled Mia into a car and sent her home after she’d ridded herself of all traces of upset, and after he’d asked her to describe
He wasn’t at all certain of what to do for Thanksgiving. A lot would depend on Jace’s reaction to his and Mia’s relationship when they told him everything this week. His parents had invited him to spend the holiday with them, and as glad as he was that they were on the road to working things out, he still felt awkward around them. Plus, he didn’t want to spend the time away from Mia. And he didn’t want to leave her alone if Jace didn’t plan to be in town for the holiday.When they walked out of the restaurant, darkness had settled over the city, and the wet sidewalks glistened in the streetlights and the glow from the traffic lights. Mia turned up her face and laughed in delight as a snowflake swirled down and hit her on the nose.She posed an enchanting figure in her knit cap and long coat. She spun around, hands held out as a few other flakes danced downward in a drunken spiral.He was utterly captivated by her.Before he lost the moment, he picked up his phone and snapped a picture
“How could you do this?” Jace roared. “I knew it! You son of a bitch. I can’t believe you did this to her.”“Jace, for God’s sake,” Gabe bit out. “Let me explain.”“Shut up. Just shut the fuck up! What the fuck is there to explain? Jesus Christ! How could you do this, Gabe? Is this what you want her thinking a relationship works like? Do you want her thinking that all your twisted desires are normal? What about when you get tired of her just like you get tired of every other woman? What then? You want her going to another man and seeking out something like this and have the asshole abuse her?”Guilt swamped Gabe and he couldn’t meet Jace’s gaze. Every word, every accusation was like a well-aimed dart into his very soul. Weariness assailed him because so much of what Jace said was so very true. He had taken advantage of Mia. He’d pushed her. He’d taken over her life and he’d allowed her to endure unimaginable pain and humiliation. Not to mention the emotional stress of keeping somethin
She shook her head. “I want to go home. To my apartment.”Ash and Jace exchanged quick, worried glances.When the elevator opened, Jace stalked out, leaving Ash and Mia to follow at a slower pace. By the time they got to the exit, Jace was already back, and as promised, he and Ash hovered so closely around her that it was hard to see who she was or what she was wearing.They surrounded her as she got into the car and then they quickly climbed in and shut the door behind them.To Mia’s relief, Jace supplied her address for the driver to take them to her apartment.“How long has this been going on?” Jace demanded.“That’s none of your business,” Mia said stonily.Jace’s expression grew stormy. “The hell it isn’t. That son of a bitch abused you and took advantage of you.”“Oh for fuck’s sake. He did not. It was a completely consensual relationship, Jace. Get off your holier-than-thou pulpit for a minute. He didn’t do a damn thing that I didn’t want. He was very clear as to what I was agr
And La Patisserie was temporary this time. She’d made it clear to Louisa and to Greg that she was pursuing other jobs. She’d work at the café while she explored other possibilities and then she’d take that step out, stop hiding and embrace her future. A future without Gabe Hamilton.She shivered in the damp cold. It was a gray, overcast, dreary day perfectly suited to her mood. She hadn’t slept the night before—how could she? Caroline had stayed up with her until she’d started yawning and Mia had shooed her to bed. And then she’d lain in her own bed, staring up at the ceiling, remembering every minute of her relationship with Gabe.Checking her watch, she realized she’d have to get a cab when she’d intended on walking. Jace would be at her apartment soon, and she didn’t want him freaking out on her again.Tugging her coat tighter around her, she waded through the passersby to get to the corner so she could hail a taxi.The biggest thing she struggled with was having to return to a rou
He growled at the visual feast before him. Ava bound, at his mercy.Chase rocked his hips faster, driving his cock against that pliant skin, pinching her nipples in time to his thrusts. When his balls lifted, his hands fell away and almost told her to open up and swallow him to the root. But he stopped.Too soon. Not about you. About her. She needs this.Ava whimpered at the loss of contact.He caressed her cheek as he leaned forward to grab his supplies off the nightstand. “You’re beautiful. Incredible. Christ, Ava, you undo me.”She twisted in her bonds. “I want—”He placed his fingers over her lips. “In time. Now hold still.” He scooted back until he straddled her pelvis. Holding open the old-fashioned, spring-loaded wooden clothespins, he simultaneously attached them to her nipples.When she arched and emitted a surprised cry, he murmured, “Seems you have some feeling there after all.” He hopped off the end of the bed. Tapped her ankles. “Spread your legs for me. Wider. Nope wider
“Thanks.” Ava sat up and drank all the water. “So I crashed for over twelve hours. Guess I missed the rodeo last night. How’d you do?”Chase wore a stoic expression.“What? Did you have like a ninety-nine point ride or something?”He snorted.“Seriously. What happened?” Her gaze swept over him. “Did you get hurt?”“Nothin’ happened, Ava. I didn’t compete last night.”“What? Why not?”“Do you really think I’d just leave you here alone when you were so goddamn sick?”She froze.Chase grabbed her hand and rubbed her knuckles against the razor stubble on his cheeks. “I was freaked out about you. I wasn’t exactly sure what to do. I’m not…well, I don’t have much experience taking care of sick people. My first response has always been to get the hell away, so I sort of winged it.” A sheepish smile curled the corners of his mouth. “You don’t look too worse for the wear.”“I can’t believe you didn’t compete last night.”“There are more important things in life than bull ridin’.”This tough man
“The camera showed you that?”“Ava. I don’t need to look through a viewfinder to see you’re upset.”Damn intuitive man.“The camera is off. Talk to me.”“My grandfather commissioned a necklace for my sixteenth birthday. A tiny beautiful Swarovski crystal rose with a gold stem artfully twisted into an ‘A’. The one time I didn’t take it off before I jumped into the ocean? I lost it. I don’t know if the chain broke or what, but I was devastated because it happened about a month after he died.”“Aw, sugar, I’m so sorry.”Evidently Chase had enough taping. He returned the camera to the case and faced forward, wiggling to get comfortable.“Before you nod off, tell me why we’re backtracking. You planned a route through Montana and now we’re back in Cornhusker territory.”He rolled his eyes. “South Dakota is not Cornhusker territory. The reason I’m not goin’ to the event in Billings is because Ryan told me a former PBR bull rider who switched to the PRCA circuit will be competing. I don’t wan
He’d known the second he touched her he was done for. Ava needed him in a way no other woman ever had. He was a different man when he was with her, regardless if they were naked. So maybe that’s why he couldn’t freakin’ wait to get naked with her again, day after day after day.Seemed to take forever to check-in. He ditched the bags in the corner of the room. In the mirror above the sink, he saw Ava flop on the bed and heave a huge sigh.“Before you get too comfy, maybe you oughta see if you got the door shut.”She popped to her feet and resituated her skirt as she crossed the room, those fucking sexy little pleats teasing the back of her legs.When he’d gotten a look at her outfit this morning—short plaid skirt, plain white blouse, black ballet shoes—his cock had been hard all day as his head conjured up bad-schoolgirl-needing-a-spanking scenarios.Ava tested the door by pushing on it. “I don’t know why you were worried it wasn’t shut—”“Lock it.” He put his mouth below her ear and p
He stirred, moaning as his cock hardened. Lengthened.When Ava started sliding his shaft over her tongue, his hand landed on her head.Immediately it snapped back and Chase scrambled upright. “Ava? What the devil are you doin’?” He inhaled a sharp breath through his teeth when she tongued the tip. “Hell. I thought it was a dream.”She pulled off his shaft long enough to say, “Nope. I want to make this buff body to squirm.” She licked him like a lollipop.“Oh, I’ve no doubt you can make me squirm. You probably could get me to beg.” He brushed her hair back from where it’d fallen in her face. “But—”Again, Ava eased off and met his gaze in the near darkness. “But nothing. You don’t get to direct this.”If she thought he’d lovingly pet her, agree, and murmur encouragement, she was mistaken. Chase’s big hands were on her face, gripping her jaw. “Yes, I do.”His answer turned her panties damp. As did his explicit command, “On the floor. On your knees.”As Ava moved, so did Chase. He perche
She loved his reaction to the scrape of her teeth, the sucking kisses, the feather light placement of her lips in random spots on his neck. Goose bumps spread across his arms and up his nape. He shifted on the bed, not thrashing, but wiggling enough she knew he liked what she was doing to him. She reveled in this immense power of worshipping rather than being worshipped.Ava immersed herself in him. The scent of his skin. The tangy taste of his sweat. The way his muscles strained beneath her tongue. She kissed, licked and nibbled her way down the center of his throat, from his square jaw to his breastbone. And could she get a halleluiah that he had chest hair? Talk about manly, masculine goodness. She rubbed her face over the dark patch of hair, breathing him in, listening to the pounding of his heart, warmed by the heat from his skin, and knowing his body’s response to her was echoed in her body.Bracing herself on all fours above him, she watched his face as she tongued his nipple.
She pushed her hips back, meeting his every hard thrust with a soft grunt. The fringe on his chaps swung forward, the leather connecting with her skin.Even as his cock plunged into her fully, even as his balls drew up, aching for release, even as his legs shook and sweat coated his skin, he planned for the next time he fucked her. The next hundred times.Chase closed his eyes; his hands yanking her body back to meet his escalating thrusts. Faster, harder, deeper, the only words echoed in his head as primal need roared. Impossible to hold off his orgasm, no matter how much he wanted to prolong the sensation of sinking into her soft, wet, flesh.He threw back his head, groaning as his cock emptied in hot pulses. Groaning louder when he felt Ava’s pussy contracting around his dick as she came again.Heart thumping, mouth dry, lungs lacking air, Chase fell forward onto Ava’s back, bracing himself on his hands. Although this rendezvous was supposed to’ve been a dare, a fun, wild slap and
“Who are you?” Douchebag demanded.“The guy tellin’ you to get the hell outta my room.”The douchebag looked at Ava. “I thought you said this was your room.”“Hey, fuckface, eyes on me, not her.” When douchebag turned, Chase stabbed his finger at the clothes by the bed. “You’re done. Grab your shit and get gone.”“Nuh-uh.” Douchebag gestured to Ava. “I get gone when she tells me to, not you, little man.”Ava said not one word.Chase’s anger hit the boiling point. Instead of yelling, his voice dropped lethally low. “Get. The. Fuck. Out.”“Or what? You gonna throw me out?” Douchebag sneered. “You’ll have to eat your spinach and grow some first.”Faking calmness he didn’t feel, Chase scooped up the man’s belongings, opened the door and dumped the pile onto the walkway.“What is wrong with you?” Douchebag loomed over Chase.“You have fifteen seconds to get out of my room and out of my face or I will beat you bloody. You’re not the first asshole who’s tried to take me on, believing a short
That vague comment got his back up. Was she trying to get rid of him? Just to be ornery, he said, “I hadn’t planned on goin’ anywhere today. Thought I’d stick around the room and rest up. Hang out with you, my friend.”Panic darted through her eyes. “Oh. Obviously since you’re paying for half the room that’s your prerogative. But I was hoping…”“Hoping for what?”“To have a few hours of quiet time so I can get your rides separated from the other footage.”Quiet time his ass. She wanted nookie time. And he’d be goddamned if he’d just fucking walk away and make it easy on her to bang a total stranger in his hotel room. “I’m not exactly loud, Ava.”“I know, Chase, but I need quiet. Complete silence. No TV. No talking. No cell phone conversations. No fighting.”The sneaky-ass woman knew that lying on his bed, counting the flaws in the ceiling tile for hours would drive him bonkers. But the idea of any man, in here—the private space Chase shared with Ava—touching her, kissing her, fucking