by M. S. Parker
He smiled at me.
“What are you grinning about?”
He held up something I hadn't seen when he'd first come in. They looked like airline tickets.
“Adelle and Mindy went in on a honeymoon present for us. We leave for Hawaii at one.”
Chapter 11
Cade
I looked down at Aubree as the plane began to descend. She'd fallen asleep after we changed planes and I was reluctant to wake her. Neither one of us had gotten much sleep last night, but I knew she hadn't slept well the night before the wedding either. I hated that what had happened to her before we'd met had made her so nervous, but I had to admit that when I saw her walking down the aisle toward me, I was actually grateful that her ex had been such an ass. I wasn't sure where I'd be if I hadn't met her.
Actually, I amended, I knew where I'd be. I'd be in some rich woman's bed, enjoying the physical act of fucking while still thinking that the idea of love was nothing but shit. I'd be alive, but not really living.
There was also a distinct possibility I’d be dead right now as well. If she hadn’t come looking for me when she did, I would have died on that bed.
I sighed, thinking of Sammy and what he’d done. I refused to press charges, the poor man had spent enough time behind bars for me as it was, but I’d told him to get out of my life. I could only hope that he would.
The pilot's voice cut through my thoughts, telling us we would be landing soon and I knew I had to wake Aubree. As much as I hated to disturb her, a flash of warmth went through me when I saw those gorgeous violet eyes looking up at me through her long lashes. When she smiled, my heart skipped a beat.
Damn, I loved this woman.
I barely registered the sunshine and warmth as we stepped out of the airport. All of my attention was on her face. Her eyes were wide, her expression one of pure joy. I made a mental note to buy something nice for Mindy and Adelle. Over the last year and a half, I'd gotten used to not being able to spend money like before, but I hated that I couldn't lavish Aubree with gifts. Worst had been when we'd realized we had to choose between a honeymoon and a new apartment. I'd wanted to give Aubree the wedding and honeymoon of her dreams. Thanks to her friends, she was getting what she deserved.
We rode to the hotel in silence with Aubree snuggled up against my side. It was peaceful, a state of being I hadn't experienced until I'd fallen in love. When we reached the room, I unlocked the door, then scooped Aubree into my arms. She laughed and my heart soared as I carried her into the hotel room.
What had I done to deserve her? Over the course of our relationship, I found myself asking that question many times. When I saw her sleeping next to me. When our bodies were joined, moving together as we sought to reach sweet release. When she'd agreed to marry me. But never more than yesterday, when she'd taken my hands in hers and vowed to love, honor and cherish me until death parted us. I hadn't been able to stop the tears from forming, and there'd been no embarrassment when I wiped them away.
Now, as I carried her into the honeymoon suite, I made another vow. One to myself. I promised I would spend the rest of my life making sure she was happy. And the first step to doing that was to do what I did best, especially when I was with her.
I set her on her feet and she hurried toward the double doors that lead to the balcony. I followed. Of course I followed. I'd follow her anywhere. Everywhere.
When I reached the balcony, she was standing at the edge, looking out over a beautiful white, sandy beach and bright blue water. It was magnificent, but all I saw was her.
She'd worn a pale yellow sundress, simply cut, chosen more for comfort during travel than anything else. So fucking sexy.
I walked up behind her and slid my arms around her waist. She leaned back against me, relaxing against my body. I rested my cheek on her head and marveled at the way we fit together. It wasn't just during sex either. Our bodies just seemed to naturally come together like two puzzle pieces whether we were standing like this or making love. I'd had sex with more women than I could count and never experienced anything like it until Aubree. My Aubree.
“This is perfect,” she sighed. She tilted her head up so that her lips could find mine. The kiss was gentle, almost chaste, or at least it started out that way. Then she turned in my arms and things got a bit more intense.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing her body against mine until I started to harden against her hip. She moaned as her breasts pushed against my chest and I knew it was because her nipples were still sensitive. The memory of what I'd done to them last night made me squeeze her even tighter. My tongue thrust between her lips and hers met it with a ferocity that made me groan. Damn, she was amazing.
I wasn't even aware we'd made it to the bedroom until the back of my knees hit the bed. It didn't take long for us to lose our clothes and then we were falling back onto the bedspread. My hands ran over her, every familiar inch. It was odd, I thought, how I knew her body almost better than I did my own, but still never tired of touching her, tasting her.
I rolled us over so that she was on top and grinning down at me. I didn't need to tell her what I wanted, but I did it anyway.
“Turn around.”
She quickly situated herself so that her knees were on either side of my head, her pussy hovering just above my face. I felt her warm breath on my cock and it twitched. I reached up and took hold of her hips, using them to guide her down until I could put my mouth on her. As I ran my tongue along her slit, she dropped her head and took as much of my cock as she could. The wet heat of her mouth made me moan, but didn't distract me from my task.
I'd never minded going down on women, but Aubree was the first I actually enjoyed doing it to. Not just the enjoyment of seeing her come, but the act itself. I loved the feel of her smooth skin, the way her walls quivered around my tongue. I loved her clit, sucking it into my mouth, flicking it with my tongue. I even loved the way she tasted. Every woman was different, and Aubree was intoxicating.
She came as I teased her clit and I flipped us over even as she was still climaxing. She cried out as I pushed inside her. She was stretched enough from last night that I didn't have to fight for every inch, but she was still tight. And she fit me like a glove. She called my name, nails raking down my back to join the marks she'd made before. I moved faster, pleasure coursing through me with every thrust. Pleasure and love.
When I'd first fallen in love with Aubree, I hadn't thought it'd be possible to love her more, but every day, I proved myself wrong. I leaned down and took her mouth, my lips parting hers. Her body rose to meet mine, driving me deeper even as my tongue thrust into her mouth. I heard her whimper as I thumbed her nipple and then shifted so that I pressed against her clit with each thrust. Just two more strokes and she was coming again. Her pussy tightened around me and I tore my mouth away, swearing as I lost control, emptying myself deep inside her.
“My Aubree,” I breathed as I slumped on top of her. I'd asked her once if I was too heavy and she'd told me she liked feeling me lay on her after I came.
“My Cade.” She ran her fingers through my hair and then kissed my forehead.
I rolled us over, staying inside her as I wrapped the blankets around us. It was still fairly early, but we were both tired. I kissed the spot beneath her ear. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she said. Despite having slept on the plane, she sounded sleepy.
“How did I get so lucky?” I murmured out loud. “A casual encounter? A weird coincidence?”
“Don't be silly,” she said with a laugh. “It was fate.”
“I don't believe in fate,” I replied automatically.
She shook her head and laughed again. “Sure you do.” She lifted my hand and pressed her lips against my palm. “You just don't know it yet.”
“Oh really?” Now I was amused. “And you know me that well?”
“Of course I do,” she said confidently. “You're mine.”
I smiled as I held her closer. S
he was right. I was hers.
- The End -
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Chapter 1
Carrie
I was going to throw up.
My stomach lurched and I turned to run. If I was going to be any more humiliated than I already was, I wanted to be as far away from the public as I could get before it happened.
Gavin had kissed Alizee.
Part of me said it had to be a mistake, like what had happened with Felice and Marguerite. I'd jumped to conclusions then and had been wrong. I shouldn't do the same thing here.
There was only one problem with that line of thinking. Gavin hadn't lied to me before. Not a direct lie. Sure, he'd hidden where he was going, but that had been because he'd been trying to surprise me with a gift. This morning, he'd said he had a meeting with Vincent. And then, I'd caught him on a yacht with Alizee. Kissing her. It was possible, I supposed, that Vincent was there too and hadn't told Gavin that Alizee would be there. I shook my head; it felt too much like I was trying to convince myself. I'd never understood people who couldn't see what was going on right under their noses, but now I got it. It was too painful to face the truth.
I'd known Gavin had been out of my league from the moment I'd first seen him in that bar. I knew what people said about relationships based on intense emotional experiences, but I'd always hoped he and I would be the exception to the rule.
All of this flashed through my head in a matter of seconds, processing even as I turned to run. I made it half a dozen steps when I felt a hand close around my arm.
“Carrie, what’s wrong?”
Pierre. I'd completely forgotten about the handsome reporter who'd been the one to bring me here. The one who'd convinced me that Alizee was up to no good. I turned toward him, struggling to regain my composure.
“The man on the yacht,” I forced myself to say the words. “That's my boyfriend.”
Pierre's eyes widened and he glanced back toward the boat. It was too far away for us to see what was happening now and I was grateful for that. If Gavin had lied about who he was going to see, it meant everything else came into question. And having seen the way Alizee had been with him before, it didn't take much imagination to figure out what he was most likely doing right now.
“I am truly sorry about that, Carrie,” Pierre said sincerely. “But you cannot let him know that you saw this.”
“Excuse me?” Now that the initial shock was wearing off, anger was overcoming the nausea. That was a good thing. It meant I didn't want to throw up anymore. I wanted to hit something. Or someone. Preferably two someones.
“Your boyfriend cannot know we were here.”
“Oh, I fully intend to let him know I was here,” I snapped. I pushed back a few curls that had escaped my ponytail. “And I'm going to tell him what a bitch Alizee is and how I hope the two of them are very happy together.”
I was aware that I was probably overreacting, but I didn't care. I was getting sick of this shit. I was tired of constantly having women throwing themselves at Gavin, at watching him flirt and joke. I hated that he brush it off as work stuff, saying he had to charm people, but that I should know he didn't want anyone but me. I wondered how I was supposed to know that. I wasn't a fucking psychic. I couldn't read his mind. And right now, that sounded like a line of shit a man fed to a naïve girlfriend or wife while he was out fucking anything that moved.
“You cannot tell him,” Pierre repeated firmly. “If Alizee discovers we are investigating her, she will leave and all will be lost. She will change her operations and we will never be able to help those she is hurting.”
I took a step back so that he wasn't touching me anymore. I was too pissed for any sort of physical contact, no matter how platonic.
“Gavin won't tell her. Not if he thinks she's involved in trafficking,” I said. No matter how angry I was with him, I couldn't believe he'd risk people's lives.
The look Pierre gave me said he didn't agree. “Even if he does not say anything, she will be able to tell something is wrong. Whatever you say to him will change things between them.”
“Fine,” I snapped. “I'll just make up another excuse as to why I was there.”
“And he will accuse you of following him. Spying.”
“But I wasn't!” I immediately countered.
“And that is exactly the problem,” he said. “Your boyfriend will say these things and you will defend yourself. The only way to do that will be to tell him the truth. And we cannot allow that to happen.”
“I can't pretend like I didn't see that,” I said. The sick feeling was back and I hugged my arms across my middle. Despite the warmth of the sun, I was cold.
“You must,” Pierre insisted.
“How am I supposed to go back to our hotel room and pretend I didn't just see him kissing another woman when he told me he was at a business meeting?” I asked. “I can't just smile and pretend that everything's okay. If he touches me, all I'll be thinking about is her, wondering if he touched her the same way...”
Pierre grabbed my upper arms and I gasped in surprise. His fingers dug into my flesh and his eyes were flashing. “You must not speak of this to anyone! You cannot ruin what I have worked for!”
I pulled out of his grasp and put my hands on his chest, giving him a hard enough shove that he knew I meant business. I watched him regain control, but there was no apology on his face.
“Carrie, you must consider the big picture.” Pierre's voice was tense. “We cannot allow emotions to sway our judgment.”
I scowled at him. That was easy for him to say. It wasn't his boyfriend making out with some former model. “I'll take that into consideration.”
“You must–”
“Back off, Pierre!” I snapped. “Don't tell me what I 'must' do. I'm not a cop or a reporter. I don't live or work here and I sure as hell don't work for you.” I was so done with this. “I'm going to catch a cab and go back to my hotel. Give me a call if you have anything else on Alizee and still want my help, but I'm not making any promises.”
I walked away before he could respond. I had a feeling I'd just gotten a glimpse of the real Pierre rather than the one with the charming smile. I could handle myself, so I wasn't worried, but I was definitely going to be more careful if I was out with him in the future.
I pushed that thought aside as I gave the cabbie the hotel name. I would deal with Pierre later. Right now, I had to figure out what I was going to do about Gavin and Alizee. I closed my eyes and fought back the tears that wanted to escape. I wasn't going to cry, and definitely not here in the cab.
What I wanted, more than anything else, was to open my eyes and be in bed, basking in the afterglow of an amazing night. I wanted Gavin to be honest with me, even if it meant telling me he was meeting with Alizee. I wanted him to tell me he was only meeting with her because Vincent wanted it, but that he didn't want to be anywhere but in bed with me. I wanted to know for sure that what I'd seen had been Alizee making a play for Gavin seconds before he pushed her away.
But I knew I couldn't have any of that, and I probably couldn't even get an explanation either. As much as I hated to admit it, I believed Pierre had a point. I was just torn between doing what my heart wanted or what my head knew was right.
Chapter 2
Gavin
I put my hands on Alizee's shoulders and held her in place as I took a step back, breaking the kiss that never should've happened. I was stupid for not expecting her to act despite the fact I'd told her I wasn't interested. She'd said it herself. She was the kind of woman who knew what she wanted and went for it. I just happened to be in her line of fire.
It had been an aggressive kiss, the kind that would've had me hard in seconds if it had been Carrie giving it to me. With Alizee, all I could think was how to make this as polite but clear as possible. I was tired of the misunderstandings with the women
here. A little bit of flirting was one thing. I mean, I made a living off sexual chemistry, but they'd all been taking things way too far. It was exhausting have to constantly be on guard, wondering who was going to come on to me next. I was vaguely aware that I sounded like I was complaining about women throwing themselves at me, but this wasn't the time for self-reflection. I had one of those women to deal with right now.
“Alizee, I can't do this.” I paused, and then amended my statement. “I won't do this.” I didn't want her thinking it was only a matter of ethics. She had to know I was making a choice here… and the choice wasn't her.
Her dark eyes flashed with anger, but not before I saw the surprise cross them. She'd honestly thought I'd go through with it even though I was with Carrie. I wondered if it was arrogance on her part or if she thought all men cared about was sex, no matter where they stuck their dick. I really hoped it wasn't because she thought I, personally, was like that. I was starting to wonder if I gave off some sort of vibe that told women it was okay to seduce me even though it was clear I was taken.
Was I? The thought hit me suddenly. Was that the problem? Did I make certain women knew I was off the market?
“You really love her,” Alizee nearly sneered the statement, her face twisting into something unattractive. “Your Carrie.”
“Yes,” I said. I wasn't going to make any apologies for it. If anything, it was Carrie I owed an apology to, for not making sure people knew that there was no room for negotiation in our relationship. “I love her and I'm not going to do anything to hurt her.”
“She would never have to know.” Alizee gave me a seductive smile.
I shook my head. “I'm won’t betray her.”
Alizee's mouth flattened and she took a step back. Even while being rejected, she was the picture of calm and collected. “It will cost you your deal.”