“Your armor,” she said under her breath. “You don’t let anyone get too close.”
I didn’t get what the hell she meant by that, so I stepped closer to her, backing her up against the door.
Lena blinked at me through her tears, shaken, and I wondered why I was trying so hard to hurt her. All I knew was that the things she was saying and doing unsettled the hell out of me. I’d never met anyone like her, and I was starting to see that I never would.
“You don’t know half a thing about me,” I said softly, “‘cause if you did, you won’t be alone in this room with me. Just read your own articles for proof.”
Lena didn’t shrink back like I thought she would. She stared back at me even as her hands clenched by her side.
How is she so brave? I thought, angry at her but most of all at myself. She’s so afraid and yet so fucking brave.
“Then you’re lying to yourself,” she said, her words coming out in jolts from how badly she was trembling. “You’re not just a good-looking face who lives for the camera. You’ve only been pretending to be.”
But what if I wasn’t? That thought was unspoken at the back of my mind. What if, underneath all of Jemima’s PR and scripts and image marketing, the real me was a selfish and shallow hedonist who couldn’t even survive without the charity of his friends?
Maybe it was in the way Lena said my name as she touched my hand. Maybe it was because she was so foolishly adamant about her rose-tinted version of me—the exact kind of guy I wanted to be but didn’t know how to be.
Whatever it was, all I knew was that in that moment, I lost my goddamn mind.
“I’m sorry,” I rasped.
The pale column of Lena’s throat worked as she swallowed. “F-for what?”
“For what I’m about to do.”
Before she could say another word, I brought my head down and took her lips with mine.
The touch sent a shock to my chest. Lena’s lips were soft and warm, slightly parted in innocent surprise, and the air of her faint breath skittered across my cheek. I pressed my lips to hers, briefly, chastely, then eased back to gauge her response.
Lena was shocked into silence as she stared up at me, her breaths coming in shallow puffs. She was braced against the door as if she didn’t trust her legs to hold her up, and her gaze was unfocused. Locks of heavy blonde hair had slipped from her ponytail, falling about her shoulders in softly-curling streams.
She looked like a fairytale creature that I’d awoken from slumber, lush and unguarded and innocent, but more than that, it was all the words she was saying that undid me.
”Keep your armor on, Gabriel,” she whispered, “but you’re more than what the world thinks you are. I know it.”
But how could she? I didn’t even know who the hell I was.
I raised my hand to her face and ran my thumb over her lower lip, tempting myself with what I suspected would be my downfall.
Lena’s gaze lingered on my mouth…and then her eyelids lowered.
That was all the encouragement I needed.
I forced myself to be gentle as I stepped closer to her and pulled her slight frame into my arms, knowing that she had barely any experience with this. My hand was stiff from the effort to hold still and not roam over her body. I desperately wanted to crush her to me and feel her softness against me, but I had to take it slow.
I cupped her face with my other hand, gently tipping her lips up to mine.
Our second kiss made me lightheaded. Lena parted her lips slightly to let me in, and I tasted her slowly, reveling in her sweetness and warmth.
A soft moan escaped her as she began to kiss me back, hesitantly at first, then bolder, tasting me the way I did her. Her fingers bunched in my t-shirt, twisting to pull me closer.
“Lena,” I rasped. “Baby, we’ve got all the time we need…”
“Yes,” she whispered against my mouth, between kisses that grew more demanding. “Yes.”
I felt Lena’s self-control slipping away as she rocked against me, arching her back for more contact. She kissed me harder, her soft gasps pleading for something she couldn’t name.
I groaned. I tried not to thrust against her but she made it near impossible to hold still. The hem of her dress rode up her thigh, and the fleeting contact of my raging hard-on against her bare thigh sent mind-numbing pleasure coursing through my body. I blinked hard to clear my head from the lust-fog, but it did nothing to ease my desire for Lena.
“Gabriel,” she whispered, her eyes closed and her head tipped back.
I couldn’t stop myself from tasting the column of her neck, kissing and nipping a trail to her earlobe.
“Lena,” I rasped between kisses. “God, you taste so good.”
I had many chances to stop, and I took none of them. I couldn’t. I backed Lena up against the door and pressed my thigh between her legs where I knew she needed me, and she moaned again, riding me helplessly.
I thrust mindlessly against her, grinding my cock against her pussy so hard I thought I’d rip her underwear.
“G-Gabriel.” Her eyes cracked open for the first time since we kissed, and I saw that they were drunk with lust—and confusion. “I can’t control myself…”
Shit. I ground my teeth. I wasn’t the kind of guy who shied away from sex in public, but this was Lena, and it was her first time.
“Lena, we have to stop…”
“No, please.” Lena’s eyes opened then, and she gazed at me with drunk desire. She licked her lips, swollen and red from my kisses. “I need more.”
I knew what she was asking, and God knew I would have surrendered anything to give her what she wanted.
But the last remaining shred of my conscience held me back. This wasn’t the score of faceless, nameless girls who passed through my bed like a carousel. This was Lena, and her first time couldn’t be in a fucking changing room.
“We need to stop,” I said again, my voice raspy with need.
I pressed a hard, punishing kiss to her lips when she made a sound of protest, then drew her back into my arms.
“Easy,” I murmured as I held her close, burying my face in her hair as I tried to calm her. “Easy. I got you.”
By some miracle I managed to keep her against me in a desperate grip instead of taking her like she’d begged. My other hand smoothed over her back in steady circles as I tried to calm her.
Lena grasped at me helplessly, and I wrapped my arms tighter around her body, pressed my lips to her hair, whispered words to her, telling her that she was safe, that I would never hurt her.
Lena’s urgent writhing gradually eased to faint tremors, and we held each other as we tried to catch our breaths. My cock was still rock-hard and aching, and I winced when Lena pressed closer against me. I realized that I still had the hem of her dress clenched in my fist like I’d been about to rip it off her entirely.
We stood in each other’s arms, the stunned silence broken only by our harsh breathing.
Her blue-grey eyes were wide and searching as they stared up into mine in a mix of shock—and something else. Was it wonder? Desire?
Regret?
What was Lena thinking? God, I would give anything in the world to know. Her quietness made me hungry for the things going through her head. I wanted every thought and every idea that passed through this mind that never seemed to stop working.
“Lena,” I said, my voice still gravelly from lust. “If I scared you—”
“You didn’t,” she whispered.
Her lips were swollen from my rough kisses, and her hair tousled from where I’d fisted it too hard. Her eyes were bright and sharp as she studied me, and it suddenly occurred to me that maybe Lena wasn’t the one who was scared here.
“It felt good,” she said softly. “I’m not sorry it happened.”
Jesus, this woman. If she guessed just how close I was to surrendering and fucking her right against the door like she wanted, she wouldn’t be saying things like this, things designed to drive m
e mad with wanting.
I closed my eyes, tightening my arms around her to stop myself from giving in.
Lena shifted then, reaching out and fumbling on the side table for her glasses. I picked them up without a word, polishing them on the sleeve of my t-shirt before placing them on her face carefully. Lena accepted my help with a deep flush, dropping her gaze onto my neck in embarrassment.
The spell was broken by now, and she had retreated into her shell once more.
I had to force myself to let her go before I lost all control and finished what we’d started. Lena quietly retreated behind the curtains to change back into her clothes, and I tried to regain my bearings as I waited. I had never once lost control with a woman, but with Lena I came closer than I ever had.
She emerged a minute later looking a little pink, but at least she was able to meet my gaze now. We regarded the dress that she had hung up on the rack with the rest of the clothes. Despite her evident efforts to smooth it out, the fabric was crumpled beyond saving.
Then again, buying the dress was already a foregone conclusion when we decided to mess around while Lena was still wearing it.
Her cheeks were flushed as she said, “Will we… that is, will there be—”
“A next time?” I said in a gravelly voice. “Oh yeah. Without a doubt.”
Lena licked her swollen lips in surprise, and lust flashed in the depths of her eyes.
Christ, she wanted it so fucking bad.
A dark, animalistic hunger stirred inside me. It was inevitable between us, I realized. We were bound to happen.
And whatever desires that Lena needed fulfilled… I was gonna be the one to give it to her.
The art show that Karin was exhibiting with was held at the Hauser Musée. It was a by-invite only event with cocktails, and it started at seven.
At six I was still laying in bed and staring at the ceiling, my mind bursting at the seams with playbacks of what had happened the night before with Gabriel.
Gabriel. Dear God, what had I been thinking?
I covered my eyes with my hands as if I could block out another wave of embarrassment—the same one that had been sweeping over me the past two days.
But even though my cheeks were on fire, I couldn’t bring myself to feel any regret for doing what I did with Gabriel.
It seemed to me like I’d spent my whole life playing it safe and hiding myself away from anything that wasn’t familiar to me. Gabriel had gotten past my defenses somehow, and I had liked feeling that way with him. I loved the pleasure and the thrill that being with him gave me.
I knew Gabriel had felt the same.
My face heated up even more at the memory of his face moving closer to mine, his hands grasping my waist and pulling me closer.
I lightly touched my fingertips to my lips. They felt hot and swollen still, like Gabriel had just pressed his mouth against mine.
A faint smile slowly spread across my face. As far as first kisses went, that wasn’t half bad…
Okay, it was way better than that.
I was smiling to myself like a love-struck teenager, but Gabriel’s touch had unlocked something inside me. My body was feeling things I never even knew existed, and I was starting to realize that I wasn’t ready for this to end. I wanted to experience more. Everything.
And on and on my fantasies went, until I remembered that I was running late for the show and leaped out of bed to get ready.
Hauser Musée was already crowded with people by the time I got there, with guests mingling in the buffet area outside the exhibition hall and even more hanging about inside the art show.
The first thing I noticed was the fact that I was sorely underdressed. My yellow sweater top and denim skirt combination that I had gotten off Google when I searched “artsy outfit” now seemed way too childish and inappropriate. Everyone here was decked in designer dresses or tailored shirts and were armed with expensive watches and champagne glasses.
Glancing in bewilderment at the well-dressed people around me, I hurriedly pulled out my phone to check the e-invite that Karin had sent me yesterday.
Then I noticed the fine print for the first time.
“Dress code: Semi-Formal.”
Oh no. I looked around anxiously, wondering if I should head back home to change. I stuck out like a sore thumb, which was practically a waking nightmare to me.
“Hey!”
I stiffened as a woman who had just exited the washroom strode over while snapping her fingers at me. Her elegant green silk dress swished around her heels as she approached.
“You there, event girl! The lights on my exhibition area are cool-toned, I said I needed them to be warm!”
I briefly considered making a run for it. “I’m sorry, but I’m not actually—”
“There you are!”
I nearly sagged when I heard my friend’s voice call out.
Karin jogged over to me from the exhibition inside, and I was so relieved when I saw her flowy skater dress and black laced boots.
The woman was just as surprised to see Karin—though less glad than I was at her outfit of choice. Karin merely gave her a sweet smile and said, “I wouldn’t worry about your lights, Lavisa. Pretty sure no one’s gonna notice.”
Lavisa’s eyes bulged at the veiled insult, and with another sweet smile, Karin hooked her arm in mine and pulled me through the entrance to the brightly lit exhibition hall. The security guy standing by didn’t even stop us for checks; he looked like he couldn’t care less either way.
“I can’t believe she snapped her fingers at you!” Karin hissed furiously as we made our way in.
The art show was held in the main art gallery of the museum, complete with high industrial ceilings and whitewashed walls that were the backdrop of massive framed paintings and sculptures of imaginary creatures and vaguely humanoid forms. I couldn't help but notice several odd looks coming our way from the well-dressed guests around us.
“I’m not surprised she mistook me for staff, I’m way too underdressed for this,” I said ruefully. “I should go home and change.”
“Pshh, who cares? My piece is on exhibition, and I declare that my friend can wear whatever the hell she wants.” Karin shot me a cheeky grin as she drew me into the tight crowd. “Don’t let these people intimidate you, Lena. They’re really quite harmless.”
Then she saw something that made her eyes narrow.
“Most of them,” she said archly. “But not all. See that guy over there, with the blonde girl?”
I craned my neck to see. “Who?”
“Right there. That’s Marlon da Silva and his bodyguard Emmaline. His family owns like half of Brazil’s property market or something. Ryland hates Marlon to death, they used to work together but then they just fell out one day.” Karin shook her head. “I don’t know what they're doing here, but if you see them coming our way, do a one-eighty because they can’t be up to any good.”
“His bodyguard is a woman?” I said in wonder, taking in the petite blond girl.
The man in question—Marlon—had curly hair that was left long on the top and cropped down the sides. His cream linen shirt was unbuttoned to his chest, and the sleeves rolled up to display dark tattoos snaking around his bronzed, muscled forearms. A diamond stud twinkled in his ear. His tapered sweatpants looked expensive, but it could not be mistaken for formal wear.
That meant three of us breaking the dress code, I thought.
Emmaline in contrast wore a form-fitting navy dress and heels. Her hair was styled in a short blond bob, and she had a very straight posture and a watchful gaze.
“Don’t let her fool you. She’s tiny, but I’m one hundred percent sure she uses that to her advantage. She teaches martial arts at Bramston too.” Karin shrugged. “Which is pretty cool. Even if I’m on Team Ryland.”
I took in the self-assured, confident way Emmaline held herself. Maybe one day I could be like that.
“Her hair’s cute though,” Karin admitted as she twirled a curly
strand of her own red hair around her pointer finger, doing nothing to hide the envy in her expression. “She used to have a pixie cut but I guess she’s letting it grow out now.”
“Didn’t Ryland leave the Wyatt group?” It caused a huge media furor when he resigned from his father’s company to build Skyline Cap. “They’re not rivals anymore, are they?”
“Yes, but Ryland’s a Scorpio,” Karin explained reasonably. “And once you piss a Scorpio off, they never forget.”
“Ah.” I studied the pair again. “I wonder how they got in here.” Ryland was influential enough that no one would ever cross him.
Karin shrugged, unbothered. “You can’t stop Marlon da Silva from going where he wants. He’s got a reputation for being…” She whirled her hands as she searched for the right word. “Wild.”
That explained some, because Marlon definitely did look wild. His grin was one of restrained excitement, like he knew he was making trouble just by being here and that was exactly his intention. Emmaline’s gaze remained watchful and alert.
I studied the pair curiously until the man did something that made me glance away with a worried frown.
“Karin, why is Marlon da Silva kissing Emmaline?” I whispered uneasily.
“Right, I forgot to mention they’re together,” Karin assured me. “Guy’s got it bad.”
Marlon broke the kiss and dipped his head to murmur something in Emmaline’s ear that made her go red. She replied something stern, but it did nothing to dampen the look of adoration—and admiration—on Marlon’s face.
Karin slipped her hand in my arm. “C’mon, let’s get something to eat. I’m starving, and they’ve got bacon, and chocolate.” Her pupils dilated. “Bacon. And. Chocolate,” she repeated reverently. “I wanna meet the genius who thought of that so I can bow at her feet.”
To Karin’s disappointment, they were already out of bacon bites by the time we got to the line of hors d'oeuvres. We settled for glasses of wine, and Karin helped herself to a chocolate eclair while waiting for the bacon to be replenished.
“By the way,” she said around her bites of dessert, “did Gabriel text you today? Or the past couple days?”
Charming (New York Heirs #3) Page 12