While everyone around her had moved with the times and used alternatives to taking a pill every single day, Mia hadn’t had much luck with some methods, and she feared others. And so she faithfully took her pill.By the time she was finished with the doctor’s visit, she was weary and emotionally drained from the stress of the day. Oddly enough, Gabe hadn’t ordered her in to work the next day. Instead he’d instructed her to take the day off and rest, almost as if he’d known how fried she’d be after the eventful day.Grateful to have at least one day to ponder the arrangement she’d agreed to, she rode home in the car Gabe had assigned to her. The driver had been given instructions to pick her up for work the day after next. The driver left her his card with instructions that if she needed transportation at any time, she was to call him. And he hadn’t spoken a word to her since the somewhat curt introduction and his shoving his card at her.Already it felt as though Gabe was taking over h
“I couldn’t agree more.”She dug into her meal, watching Gabe from underneath her eyelashes. There were a million questions buzzing around in her head, but she didn’t want to inundate him. As he had said, they had plenty of time to learn one another. Most people waited a little further into that learning curve before jumping into a sexual relationship, but she supposed Gabe was well used to doing things his own way, and damn convention. Besides, it wasn’t as though they were complete strangers. Gabe had been a fixture—albeit a distant one—in her life for years.The silence stretched between them. She could feel his gaze on her, knew he watched her much as she watched him. Almost like two wary opponents studying one another before engaging in battle. Only Gabe didn’t look as uncertain and awkward as she felt. He looked confident. Like a predator closing in on his prey.Butterflies took wing in her belly, and lower, until she squeezed her thighs together in an effort to assuage the ache
Her hands went flat against the mattress just above her head as he leaned down, his palms flush against her, holding her down, holding her in place so she couldn’t move. Couldn’t resist.It sent a thrill deep into her belly and fluttered outward until it was almost as if a drug had invaded her body. She was high on him. His power and control over her. His dominance.This was what she craved. Him on top of her, deep inside her, him having absolute power. She couldn’t even draw a breath. She was light-headed from exhilaration and anticipation.He withdrew and thrust forward again, jolting her body with the force of his reentry.His gaze seared into hers, so intense that she shivered. His voice was guttural and so damn sexy as he rasped out his next words.“Hell no, I’m not stopping. Not when I’ve waited this long to have you.”This long to have you. God, but that nearly made her come on the spot. The idea that this man, a guy so far out of her league, had spent any time lusting over her
“You’re already a disrespectful little baggage. And no, don’t call me sir. It makes me sound like your father and I already have enough reservations over our age differences to not want to draw even more attention to that parallel.”She lifted herself up, her hair falling over his chest as she stared down at him. Jesus, but she was beautiful. All that gorgeous hair spilling over him. Suddenly he was beyond the playful-banter stage, and he was seized all over again by the need to roll her underneath him and fuck her for another four hours.“Does my age bother you so much? If it does then why would you want…this. I mean us.”He sighed, resigning to control himself at least a few minutes longer. His dick was screaming at him, but Mia was in the mood to talk and he’d accommodate her for now.“It bothered me in the past. It doesn’t bother me as much now. But there are fourteen years between us. You’re much younger. A whole world away from where I am in my life.”She frowned a bit and a pen
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he said in a rough voice. “In my bed, on your knees, hands tied behind your back so you have no choice but to take whatever I give you.”She was ready to scream in frustration. She was so on the edge and he still hadn’t done more than remain just inside her pussy, the head nestled right at her opening. She tried to push back against him, tried to force him deeper inside her.Her mouth fell open against the sheets when he administered a sharp smack to her ass. Then he chuckled. He laughed!“So impatient,” he said, amusement in his voice. “We do this my way, Mia. You forget so easily. I want inside you as badly as you want me there, but I’m enjoying every second of having you tied up and in my bed. As soon as I get my dick inside you, I’m not going to last long so I’m going to savor every second.”She closed her eyes and groaned.He chuckled again and then pushed forward another inch, opening her wider to his advance. She sighed, tense, waiting, anticipati
“Come on, baby,” he said in a husky voice. “I’m going to take you to bed so you get a few hours of sleep.”********Mia opened her eyes to see Gabe leaning over her, his hand gently shaking her shoulder.“Hey, time to get up and head to work,” he said.She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to remove the fog. “What time is it?”“It’s six. If you want to shower and get dressed, we’ll grab breakfast on the way into the office.”As she became more aware, she saw that Gabe was already dressed for work. She hadn’t even noticed when he’d gotten out of bed. She could smell the crisp, clean essence of his soap and the tantalizing aroma of his cologne. He was wearing slacks and a button-up shirt with a tie, although the tie was still loose around his neck and the top button was unfastened.He looked…untouchable. Cool and composed. A direct contrast to the man who’d taken her repeatedly the night before.She pushed herself upward and then maneuvered to the edge of the bed. “I won’t take long.”“Take
When they went in, she was surprised to see a desk on the opposite wall from where his was situated. Furniture and fixtures had been rearranged to make room for the new desk, and two bookcases had been completely removed.“This is where you’ll work,” he said. “Since you’ll be working so closely with me, I saw no need to give you your own office.” His voice lowered to a velvety, seductive timbre. “You’ll remain close to me at all times.”She shivered at the sensual promise in his voice. How the hell was she supposed to get any work done with him sitting across from her and her knowing that at any moment he would get the urge to have sex with her?And then all trace of innuendo disappeared and he was brisk and businesslike. He went to his desk and pulled out a folder thick with documents. He handed it to her and said, “These are files on investors, business colleagues and other various people important to this business. I want you to read over their profiles and commit them to memory. T
“Isn’t she Jace Crestwell’s little sister?” another woman asked.“Uh-huh. Guess we know how she landed that job.”“Poor thing. She probably has no idea what she’s gotten herself into.”“I don’t know. I think I could go for some of that,” the first woman said. “I mean, hello. He’s rich, he’s gorgeous and I’ve heard he’s a beast in bed. Literally. Did you hear the rumor that he has a contract he makes all his women sign before he goes to bed with them?”“Wonder which employment contract the new girl signed,” the second woman said in a knowing voice.There was laughter from at least three people. Great. Girls’ meeting in the bathroom and Mia was trapped. She pulled up her feet so no one could see and just prayed they never made it down this far.“I’d rather be the filling in a Jace and Ash sandwich,” one of the women said. “Can you imagine having two dominant billionaires in your bed?”Mia rolled her eyes and shuddered. Like she wanted to hear all of this about her brother?“What do you
“I believe you. I’m sorry I left the way I did. I had a lot of time to think between Omaha and Wichita.”“About us?”“That and some other stuff.”“Like what?”“I’ve been thinkin’ about safety issues and helmets and all that since Ryan died. And then after what happened to Dirk, I realized I wanna do more than talk about it; I wanna act on it. It’s a murky idea right now, but I have an opportunity to make a difference and I’m going to take it.” He kissed her just because he could, because she was here with him, where she belonged. “Enough about that. Tell me how long you were in LA, because Hollywood, I was headed there first thing in the morning.”“A couple of hours after you left, I got a casting call for a new sitcom and flew back to LA. I should come clean and let you know that my agent called me three times over the course of our road trip, after she’d lined up auditions. And every time I declined to go back to LA to audition. I didn’t know what it meant at the time, besides I didn
Ava gave Hannah an arch look. “Besides I know how damn good the man looks in chaps?”“Smartass. But really, what’s the point after Chase’s meltdown last night?”Her heart seized, thinking about how Chase had lost it on live TV. She’d wanted to jump through the screen and drag him off to comfort him. Assure him that not every wreck would have the same outcome as Ryan’s. Assure him she’d be there for him no matter what.“I know you can hear me, Ava, so stop ignoring—”“Ssh… They’re giving the injury report on Dirk.”The camera cut to an interview with the head of the sports medicine team. When he finished detailing the bull rider’s injuries, the announcer asked his opinion on Chase McKay’s comments about mandatory safety helmets. The doctor looked directly into the camera and said, “Helmets save lives. Period.”The camera returned to the main announcers. Their on-air banter circled to rider standings on tour and current matchups with bulls for the final round. When the list of the fifte
“After a few years, we started having you boys and… Well, my life was busy. Good. Happy. But I never forgot about that sweet baby boy I held in my arms for one short hour. Not a single day went by that I didn’t wonder about him. Pray his life was good. Pray he was loved.”*****Gavin’s eyes were on the shot glass he rolled between his fingers.“So I was shocked when your Aunt Kimi confronted me after your grandpa Jed died. She said one night Jed was loopy on pain meds and he told her that my father told him that I was pregnant. My father bragged to Jed I’d rather give the baby up than have it raised in a godless home as a McKay. Which was a total lie, but Jed must’ve believed it. After Kimi told me that, I finally understood why Jed never liked me and why he refused to live with us.”“Aunt Kimi never told Uncle Cal?” Chase asked.“No. But she told your Aunt Carolyn.”Gavin said nothing.“When did you tell Dad?” Ben asked gently.“Right after Quinn and Libby got back together.” She loo
Quinn? Yes.Ben? Yes.His folks? Absolutely.And probably any other McKay relation he called.They were just that way. They might fight like cats and dogs, but when it came down to it, family was everything. And he would do everything to reclaim his place in his family.“Chase?”“I’m here. Just figuring the logistics. If I leave now, I can be there by noon tomorrow. Is that early enough?”“You’re really not gonna compete in the final round and you’re coming home?” Ben said with total shock.“Hard to believe, but yeah. I’ve realized there are more important things than those eight seconds I spend on the back of a bull. I ain’t gonna be the one who lets Mom and Dad down.”Ben was very quiet.“What?”“You have changed. I’m looking forward to seein’ you. Drive safe.”Immediately after Chase hung up he called Elroy.“You’d better not be calling me to bail you outta jail, McKay,” Elroy barked.“Good morning to you too, sunshine. I’ll keep this brief. I have a family emergency in Wyoming and
“Me.”“And who are you?”Gavin took a deep breath. “I believe I’m your son.”****The crowd roared behind him, ready to party at the PBR on a Saturday night.Chase braced himself. The PBR’s newest female reporter, a fiery redhead named Lissa, stuck the microphone in his face as soon as he cleared the contestant gate. He’d been expecting it since he’d avoided an on camera interview last night. To ensure his cooperation, the cameraman blocked him in. Bastard.“We’re here with Chase McKay after that amazing ninety-one point ride on Devil’s Due. Congratulations, Chase, that’s gotta feel good to be back on top.”He focused on the woman and not the camera. “It does. Especially after an extended break and such a poor showing in Dallas.”“Tell us about the ride.”“Well, Devil’s Due is an ornery little cuss and highly unpredictable, so I wasn’t sure if he’d go into spin mode tonight or hopscotch around. Luckily I was able to stay with him no matter what he did.”“So the past few weeks you’ve b
“Okay. Thanks.”“And if that doesn’t work? Go with plan B.”Her mother, businesswoman extraordinaire, always had a backup plan. “And what is that?”“Track him down, tie him up and force him to listen to reason. It helps if you’re naked. And holding beer.”“Ah, Mom. I don’t think that will work.”“It sure did with your dad. Good luck, sweetie, keep in touch.”Ava packed her bag and booked a commercial flight to LA.“Why am I so nervous?” Ava asked Hannah, two days later.“I’ll tell you what I think after the audition.” Hannah straightened Ava’s miniskirt for the third time.“That’s not helping my nerves.” She tried not to think that Chase would know exactly what to say to her to calm her down. The door to the conference room opened and a long-legged blond strolled out. “We’re ready for you, Miss Cooper.”Ava squeezed Hannah’s hand and followed Corporate Casting Barbie into the conference room. Well, at least this production company didn’t have the clichéd casting couch. Ava chose the c
“No. And here’s fair warning: that is not a topic of discussion. With you. Or anyone else.”“Never thought I’d be happy to hear you say ‘no comment’ and mean it. Warms the cockles of my cold PR heart, McKay.”“You’re a riot. What else?”“The PBR is picking up your transportation expenses. You’re in New York now?”“Yeah.”“I can’t get you to Wichita directly—”“Book me into Omaha. I left my truck there. I’ll drive to Wichita.”“Done. What day you wanna leave?”“Today. As soon as possible.”Ava stared at him with shock.“The event isn’t for another couple days.”“I’m aware of that. But there are other things I need to take care of first.”Elroy sighed. “Fine. Contact me when you get to Kansas. And I don’t gotta remind you no press unless you’re escorted by a PBR media liaison.”“I get it. I’ll keep in touch.”“Good.” Elroy hung up.Chase returned to the bedroom and picked up his bag.“You’re leaving? Just like that?”“Yep.”“No discussion. No yelling, no hashing it out?”“What is there
Evidently he hadn’t realized she’d set up a goddamn camera in their room either.He hit the pause button, his head spinning, his gut churning, his thoughts focused on one awful thing.Betrayal.Yes, he knew she’d been taping all the fucking time, but he had no idea she’d been making a goddamned movie. The whole time they were together. To think he’d invited her to share his experiences on the road. He froze. Wait a second. He hadn’t invited her. She’d invited herself. Offering a convincing argument about wanting to see real life outside her poor, privileged upbringing.But Chase sure as hell hadn’t encouraged her to creep around, sticking that camera in everyone’s face. Capturing their private moments. Having no shame in using them for her own gain. For a woman who claimed to hate the intrusion of paparazzi, she’d become damn good at acting like one of them. She’d promised him she wouldn’t show her home movies to anyone.A new thought chilled his blood. Did Ava have footage of Ryan’s
“So I’ll think of you whenever I wear it.” Like I’ll ever stop thinking of you. Ava tried really hard not to cry, but a couple of tears slipped free. The last man who’d given her jewelry had been her grandfather.“Ava?” Chase tipped her face up. “Ah, hell. Don’t cry. I told you that you can take it back.”She made a sound half-laugh, half-sob. “No way am I taking it back, McKay. It’s beautiful. Perfect. I love it. Thank you.”The guardedness in his eyes vanished. “You’re welcome.”Chase paced in the hotel room, glaring at his phone. He hadn’t minded that the fucker hadn’t worked at all yesterday, since he and Ava had spent the whole day in their room, most of it in bed after they’d returned early in the morning from the penthouse.Dammit. He needed to access his email. Nothing was showing up on his phone. And he’d been in such a hurry to get away from the sorrow in Nebraska he’d accidentally left his laptop in his truck at the Omaha airport.His gaze landed on Ava’s computer on the de