by Cat Johnson
Oh, he was good. Making it look like they were nothing more than friends. The lie rolled off his tongue as smooth as molasses. At least, it’d better be a lie. Even though this was casual, Rachel still didn’t want to hear from her date that he wanted to hit on another woman.
Her coworker, Rhonda, picked up some poster board. “We’re just putting our latest story to bed.” She turned to Rachel. “I’ll take this down to Graphics.”
Her other office mate, Beth, stepped out from behind her desk. “And I want to talk to Editorial about the spread we just sent them.” She stepped behind Gabe and pointed at his back. “Holy shit,” she mouthed, shaking her hand like she’d been burned. Gabe was serious eye candy for this mainly XX-chromosome office.
Janice frowned, and dragged Beth to the door. Her boss might not approve of Rachel drooling over any man not her fiancé, but Beth was happy to encourage non-Trevor-related dirty thoughts. Beth didn’t like the idea of a fiancé who never showed himself, and had never met Rachel’s friends. She’d told Rachel a man like that wasn’t to be trusted.
She and Beth had become close, close enough for Rachel to lose sleep over lying to her about Trevor. But she didn’t want to put her friend in the position where she’d have to cover for her if Rachel told her the truth.
Guilt gnawed at her stomach. Rachel was the one who couldn’t be trusted. She shoved the feeling away. Once she got the promotion, she’d get rid of the fiancé and come clean with her friend.
“Let me just close up shop.” Turning to her computer, she started shutting it down. “I’ll be ready in a couple of minutes.”
“We’ll see you tomorrow, Rachel.” Nodding her head at Gabe, Beth said, “Have fun tonight.”
Janice blew out a breath, and dragged Beth from the office after Rhonda. Beth snaked her hand out and closed the door behind them.
Gabe raised an eyebrow.
“Beth doesn’t like Trevor.”
“He doesn’t exist. She’s never met him.” Gabe prowled around her office, examining the framed magazine covers hanging on the walls.
“That’s the problem.” Rachel stood and slid an arm into her coat. “She thinks any man who’s serious enough about a woman to propose should meet her friends.”
“She has a point.”
The second jacket sleeve resisted her attempts to insert her arm. “I thought you weren’t judging me on my fake fiancé.”
Stepping behind her, Gabe laid a hand on her shoulder, stopping her twisting. He shook her coat and held the sleeve out for her arm. “I’m not judging the idea. Maybe just the execution of it.”
“Riiight.” Gabe left his hands on her shoulders, and she didn’t step away. The solid weight felt too good, made her feel grounded.
He turned her to face him, and stepped in even closer, the lapels of his jacket brushing her breasts. “No, I admire a woman with ambition. Your drive is very . . .”
Admirable, commendable, inspiring. Any one of those adjectives would help Rachel feel better about her deceit.
“. . . sexy.” Gabe curled his lips up, the smile of a predator looking at a tasty morsel.
Rachel’s core clenched. Okay, not where her mind was going, but that word worked for her, too. She stared at his lips, and swallowed. Those lips had proven very talented.
Gabe threaded his fingers into her hair. One by one, her bobby pins hit the carpet.
“I like your buttoned-up librarian look,” Gabe said, the tips of his fingers kneading the back of her head, “but I really like it when you go naughty librarian.”
Rachel closed her eyes. His touch was better than the head massage she got from her hairdresser. His warm breath caressed her lips, making them tingle. But this was stupid. Her coworkers were on the other side of a flimsy door. This was—
She moaned, and the sound caught in Gabe’s mouth. He nibbled on her bottom lip, traced the seam of her lips with his tongue. Damn, he was good at this. If his skill at kissing was any indication of his other skills . . .
Skimming his hands down her back, he gripped her ass through her A-line skirt. In one quick move, Gabe lifted and plopped her up on her desk, knocking over a jar of pens. Stepping into the space between her legs, he pressed her thighs wider.
Rachel hummed, her nipples growing tight, her breasts heavy. It had been too long since she’d felt like this. If ever. None of her previous lovers had half the skill in their entire bodies that Gabe had just in his tongue.
Putting her palms on his chest, she rubbed the hard muscle beneath the suit. Not good enough. She needed to feel him, skin to skin, heat to heat. Her fingers tangled in his vest’s buttons. Impatient, she was a second away from ripping the damn thing open when Gabe covered her hands with his own.
Resting his forehead against her temple, he breathed heavily against her cheek. “As much as I’d love to take you on this desk, the door isn’t locked.” He sucked in a deep gulp of air, and took a small step back. “I don’t want to be the reason you don’t get your promotion.”
Right. She straightened her skirt. Right. Her promotion. At least one of them was thinking straight. He was like a drug, eroding all of her common sense with the need to touch him. Reaching into her pocket, she tugged on her gloves, hoping the additional barrier would help her to keep her hands off of him. At least until they were somewhere safe.
She flicked a glance at Gabe out of the corner of her eye. It was nice he’d actually thought of her before his dick. He adjusted the large bulge in his pants, and Rachel licked her bottom lip. Very nice.
“You need a minute, or are you ready to go?” Rachel slid off the desk.
Gabe twisted his lips. “I’m fine. I’ll just walk behind you.”
Rachel bit back a laugh. Sliding her purse over her shoulder, she strode to the door and pulled it open. Janice and Beth glanced up from a nearby desk.
“Leaving so soon?” Beth asked. Rachel could just imagine the internal head shake happening in her friend’s mind. A wasted opportunity with a beautiful man in a closed office.
“Yeah. There’s a lot of St. Louis I want to show Gabe.”
Janice settled a hip against the desk. “Oh? What are you guys going to see tonight?”
Gabe and Rachel looked at each other. His shoulders lifted minutely, his lips tipping up. He was leaving this lie in her court.
“Since Gabe’s expressed an interest in all things Christmas”—there’d better not be a hot elf by the tree downstairs—“I thought I’d show him the lights in Tilles Park, or go see the tree in front of the Arch. Maybe go ice-skating.”
“That sounds like fun,” Janice said.
“And so romantic,” Beth added.
Rachel glared at her, but her friend ignored it, too busy examining her from head to toe. “Do something different with your hair?” Beth raised an eyebrow.
“I let it down. I was getting a headache,” Rachel muttered.
Hands shoved into his front pockets, Gabe stepped forward. “Well, we’d best be off. I don’t want to keep Rachel out too late tonight. She’s waiting for a call from Trevor.”
“Of course.” Janice beamed. “And since you’re new here, and you like Christmas so much, I wanted to personally invite you to our company holiday party. Rachel’s promised us that we’ll finally meet Trevor there. You should come with them.”
Heat rose up Rachel’s face. Damn. She had promised that, a month ago. Another excuse she’d have to make up. Trevor really was a crappy fake fiancé.
Putting his hand on her elbow, Gabe tugged her toward the elevators. “Love to. I’ll just check my schedule. Nice to see you all again. Gotta go.”
Rachel stumbled after him. “You can’t come to my company Christmas party.” A garland framing the elevator’s doors escaped from its tape. She frowned, and tried to tuck the greenery back into place. “It would be too weird having another guy there when Trevor cancels again.”
The doors slid open, and Gabe drew her into the empty cab. “You could always use another service.�
�� He punched the button for the lobby. “Hire an actor to play Trevor.”
Rachel played with the zipper of her jacket. “An actor?” She hadn’t thought of that. Sounded expensive.
Gabe leaned back against the wall and watched her under hooded eyelids. “Forget that idea. It won’t work.”
“It won’t?” She leaned her shoulder against the wall next to him. They were the only two people in a large elevator, plenty of room to spread out. She inched closer. The subtle scent of his cologne teased her nose, and she inhaled deeply.
His eyes flared. “I don’t want another man touching you, even if it is just acting.” Leaning down, he paused, lips inches from hers, his breath skating across her skin.
The elevator doors dinged and slid open. Rachel jumped back as a group of three businessmen got on. Gabe crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze never leaving her face.
She swallowed. All her ideas on where to take Gabe dissolved. There was only one thing she wanted to show him, and that was her bed. Or his. She wasn’t picky. But the ache between her legs told her she needed to get horizontal with this man soon.
Pressing her thighs together, she watched the numbers tick down to the lobby. She grabbed his sleeve and threaded her way through the crowd of people getting off work, dragging Gabe behind her.
Charlie waved at them, his bell clanging in the busy night, but she was too impatient to stop. Tomorrow she’d leave an extra-big donation. Tonight, she just wanted to leave with Gabe.
Disappointment hit her when she didn’t see his car sitting out front. “Where are you parked?”
“The garage. Near your car.” He stepped behind her, pressed his body against hers. His breath warmed her ear. “But I have another idea for transportation. Something that will get us in the holiday spirit better than skating or any damn arch.”
Grabbing her hand, he led her across the street and through the park to the other side of the square. A row of horse-drawn carriages waited at the curb, large plumes of steam billowing from the horses’ mouths.
“A carriage ride?” Rachel eyed the conveyance as Gabe handed the driver some cash. It was all very romantic, but right now she wasn’t looking for romance. And she didn’t think the carriage would drop them by her apartment.
“Come on.” Gabe gripped her hips and lifted her into the carriage. Sliding over, she unfolded the faux fur blanket and spread it over their knees after Gabe settled beside her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “There’s something very important I need to ask you, Rachel. And I need an honest answer.”
The carriage jerked into motion, the steady clapping of the horse’s hooves mixing with the evening traffic. She snuggled closer to Gabe. His throat was inches from her mouth, and she longed to bridge the distance, nibble on that firm column. “Okay.” If he asked her whether she wanted to go home with him, that answer would be a resounding yes.
But he didn’t ask her that. Instead, lowering his head, he whispered, “Can you be quiet?”
And cupped her through her flowing wool skirt.
Rachel sucked in a breath. His hand was buried beneath the blanket. He didn’t move it against her, not yet. But his grip was firm, proprietary. Heat started at her core and licked up her body. She wanted to throw off the blanket, let the cold air soothe her flushed skin. But that would leave her and Gabe exposed. She nodded once instead.
“That’s good.” Inching up her skirt, he dragged his fingers up the crotch of her tights, the stretchy cotton a minor barrier. She hissed in a breath. “Real good. Because I don’t want to wait to get you home. I need to touch you. Now.”
Rachel stared at the back of the driver’s head. She needed something to fix on. It had been a while since a man had touched her there, and she might just fly out of her skin if she didn’t concentrate on something other than Gabe’s thick fingers. If she focused—
Gabe snaked his hand down the front of her tights, pulling her panties down along with them. His fingers brushed across her clit, and she squeaked.
He pressed her face into his coat with his free hand.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “Cold hands.”
His chest rumbled with his laugh. “I’ll have to rectify that situation.” Sliding his fingers between her folds, he found her entrance, circled it once before plunging a finger deep. “That should warm it right up.”
“Oh God.”
The driver cocked his head, but didn’t turn. “Cold back there? I can dig out another blanket from under your seat if you’d like.”
“No,” both she and Gabe said together.
Gabe added a second finger, the palm of his hand rubbing against her clit with each plunge. “That’s all right. We’ll keep each other warm.”
The driver chuckled. “I hear you. Would you two like to learn a little about the history of St. Louis?”
Clearing her throat, Rachel prepared to say yes. If the man was talking, there would be less of a chance of him hearing anything.
Gabe disagreed. “We’re fine. We just want to sit here and enjoy the beautiful night, if that’s all right with you.”
The man lifted his shoulders. “Same price either way. Too bad it’s a cloudy night. No stars.”
Gabe’s lips curved against her temple. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “I think you’ll be seeing stars soon enough.” He turned his wrist, scraped his fingers along her inner wall.
Rachel’s hips flew off the seat. This was crazy. Gabe was crazy. She wasn’t an exhibitionist. She didn’t do things like this. His palm ground into her mound, and she bit back a moan.
Why didn’t she do things like this? It felt freaking amazing. She sank against Gabe, letting her legs fall open a bit more. They were probably violating a couple of different laws, but Rachel didn’t worry about getting caught. Something about Gabe made her feel safe. Probably his confidence.
He grabbed the back of her knee and lifted her leg across his, spreading her wide. He positioned her like her body was his to command.
Cocky, she amended, not confident. Gabe was all cocky swagger.
He pistoned his fingers faster, adding a twist. Her heart pounded painfully against her chest. His cockiness was well-deserved. Her muscles clenched, winding tighter and tighter. She dug her fingers into his coat.
“Breathe,” he whispered.
Rachel shook her head. She couldn’t breathe. If she opened her mouth she would scream. Her hips rocked against his hand, out of her control. A vise squeezed her lungs. Just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, Gabe thumbed her clit, pressing hard, and she was gone.
Biting his sleeve, she rode out the orgasm until she was gasping for air.
Gabe withdrew his hand, and tucked her other leg over his lap so they both dangled over his knees. Gathering her close, he kissed her behind her ear. His lips curved against her skin. “Any stars?”
Well, she couldn’t let that smugness go unchecked. As soon as she caught her breath, she said, “No stars.”
He snorted.
“Okay, the light show was decent,” she admitted. “But I think I might owe you a coat now. I might have bitten a hole through yours.”
“No worries. My triceps took the brunt of the attack.”
She lifted her head and caught his grin. She wanted to be annoyed, but her sated body wouldn’t allow it. She settled for a harrumph.
Her pulse settled into the steady pace of the horse’s clopping hooves. The tips of Gabe’s ears were dark, and she pulled the edges of his scarf up high around his neck. Her body temperature had yet to cool, but he must be freezing.
She sighed. He was giving, he was funny, and he was smoking hot. This holiday fling might be going a little too well. A man like Gabe could become as addictive as her grandmother’s spiced apple cake.
But Gabe also didn’t seem to be looking for anything long-term. He was busy with his work, too. He’d keep the fling on track. His indifference would remind her to stay focused on her career. But while the fling l
asted, she had a feeling it was going to burn hotter than any supernova.
She placed a hand on his thigh. “I live about two miles away. What do you say we take this indoors?”
His muscles jumped under her palm. He tapped the driver on the shoulder. “Time to head back.” Taking her hand under the blanket, he placed it on his groin. He was hard and thick, and Rachel’s core fluttered in anticipation. Just like that, she was hungry again. “I’ve got somewhere I need to be.”
CHAPTER 7
Gabe took the stairs two at a time, eyes focused on the luscious ass swaying a couple of steps above him. Damn, Rachel had curves in all the right places. And he was just minutes away from sinking inside this sweet woman.
It was quite the Christmas gift. He’d never taken for granted his past women. Even though he didn’t stick around long, he tried to be a respectful lover. But something about tonight was different, and Gabe couldn’t put his finger on why. With all his blood pooled low, it was no surprise he couldn’t think. Didn’t even want to bother trying.
Fumbling with her keys, Rachel tried to unlock her door one-handed. Her other hand was busy burrowing under his shirt. He pressed into her body, nudging his erection against her soft stomach. Taking her mouth, he explored its depths, curling his tongue under the roof of her mouth.
Rachel dropped the keys.
“I need to get those,” she said, her voice breathless.
He leaned in deeper. “Yes.”
Her lips curved beneath his. “We need the keys to get in my apartment. Where there’s a bed.”
“Beds are overrated,” he said, but reluctantly stepped back, looking for where the keys had landed.
Rachel spied them first. Turning, she bent over. Gabe groaned, his hands drawn to her hips like metal to a magnet. “I used to say this as a teenager, but now I mean it. If you change your mind, I think I might actually die.”