The Flower Queen (Queen Chronicles)

by Hart, Lena

  Dave shrugged. “Suit yourself. Just be sure to have Sam work on it. She’s quick and thorough.”

  A few minutes later, Moreno led Gabe to the recently moved Security and Information Compound, also known as the Lab. It was apparent Moreno had been busy making changes in the department. Gabe walked pass the wall of surveillance screens and into the dimly lit back room where three still bodies sat in front of large monitors. He walked over to the pixie haired blonde with the large, dark-rimmed glasses. She looked up and smiled as he approached her.

  “Hey, stud. Long time no see.”

  “Nice to see you too, Sam.”

  Five hours later, Gabe blinked the fatigue from his eyes. His laptop was backed up but barely functional. During the time it had taken Sam to get through the firewalls, they had discovered that a very sophisticated, very dangerous virus had been placed on his laptop. One that had managed to track all of his entries and passwords. He knew now how the person had managed to hacked into his email account, but he didn’t know how far the damage went. He would have to put in a call with the bank tomorrow. If Meredith was involved in this, he needed to be especially careful.

  As he suspected, the computer was too risky to continue using so Sam set him up with a temp.

  Gabe headed back to the hotel suite where he had left Gina. He was eager to get to her and hold her. It had been a long night, which was fast becoming morning. Through the small window at the end of the hall, he could see the gray light of dawn emerging.

  Gabe entered the room with his key. He wasn’t going to pretend with her anymore. He needed to tell her the full truth about himself or risk her finding out about him later today, in front of strangers, with no chance of him being able to explain.

  But she was already gone, her luggage open and in disarray, her clothes strewn across the bed. He found her note on the desk and smiled when he read it.

  Will be in meetings all day. Miss me while I’m gone.

  She signed off with a smiley face and “Love, Gina”. But he quickly lost his smile. He had a very long day ahead of him.

  Chapter Five

  “We’re glad to have you with us this week, Ms. Conners,” the very attractive black woman greeted her. “How was your trip?”

  Gina read the name etched on the glass plate on the desk and immediately recognized the woman seated behind the large desk. “It was nice, thanks, Judith. And it’s nice to finally put a face to the emails.” Judith Bell was the executive assistant who had been graciously coordinating her trip to the resort.

  Judith led her to a large conference room, with wide windows that looked out to another tall building. “You’re a bit early but everyone will be meeting in here today. Also, breakfast should be arriving shortly.”

  Gina settled in a spot at the far end of the long conference table. “I’ve already eaten but let me know if you need help setting up.”

  Judith gave her a polite smile but her eyes said she would never let that happen. She quietly left the room and Gina waited for more people to arrive.

  During her wait, a small uniformed crew of three came in and quickly set up the breakfast bar, with Judith popping in to manage and direct. Minutes later, Gina finally met the Marketing Director.

  “Gina?”

  She looked up to see a tall blonde walking around the table toward her. “I’m Allison Rhodes, the senior marketer here at Royal Courts.”

  Gina greeted the older woman, taking her outstretched hand. One thing she noticed about Royal Courts: they certainly had a good-looking staff. It seemed like everywhere she turned there was someone who could have started a modeling career.

  “We’re excited to be bringing back some positive buzz for the resort.”

  “It won’t be hard,” Gina offered. “Royal Courts is an impressive place.”

  “It is, isn’t it?” Allison said, without conceit. “Now we just need to let the public know that.” She looked at her cell phone. “Before everyone else shows up, I was hoping we could take this time to debrief, so to speak.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “I’m sure you heard about the…situation that surrounded the casino earlier this year,” Allison started.

  Gina was definitely aware of the scandal and rumors that had surrounded the casino and its CEO. It had made national news for weeks, which had ultimately forced them to look into professional help. Her firm had a reputation for crisis management and Royal Courts had ultimately sought them out. In Gina’s opinion, they should have enlisted their help months ago but the damage was already done. It was time for a resurgence.

  “Yes, when we took on the account, we researched to see how much damage had been done and how we could work past it.”

  Allison looked impressed. “Glad to hear you’ve done your homework. Saves us a lot of time. And despite what you’ve read, I can assure you, Royal Courts does not have affiliations with any organized crime groups.”

  “Of course not,” Gina dutifully agreed. Not that she would have gotten the full truth from anyone at Royal Courts anyway. Even the media hadn’t been able to get any inside dirt. It was as if everyone had sworn their loyalty to the resort. Or had nothing to report. Either way, it wasn’t Gina’s concern. She wasn’t a judge or a journalist. Her job was to make her client look good in the public’s eye.

  “Our resort is young,” Allison said, “and now with this ugly scandal behind us, we need to reestablish ourselves as a chic and modern luxury resort with all the amenities Vegas has to offer.”

  Gina smiled. “We can make that happen.”

  They spent the next half hour discussing strategies and the current marketing plan’s strengths and weaknesses. At the end of it, Gina had a good understanding of where the resort stood within the crowded Vegas entertainment market.

  Eventually other members of the marketing team arrived and introductions were made. As more bodies began to pile into the conference room, and beeline toward the breakfast bar, the space seemed to get smaller.

  Gina didn’t notice the unusual hush in the room until she looked up and found a tall, dark, and very attractive man in a well-tailored suit walking toward her. He called out greetings to some people as he passed but continued making his way toward her. From the reaction of the group, and the way he sauntered toward her, Gina surmised that he must be very important. Unsure of what to do, she simply smiled at him and waited for him to get to approach.

  “Ms. Conners, I’m glad we’ve finally gotten a chance to meet. I hope you found the flowers to your liking.”

  Gina took the hand he extended as she tried to find her voice. She hadn’t expected the owner and CEO of Royal Courts to be so young—or good-looking.

  “Yes, I did, thank you Mr. Carrone. Lilies are my favorite.” Calla lilies were more her thing but she kept that to herself. A man had given her flowers and that was enough for her to believe chivalry had a little bit of life left in it. The flowers just hadn’t come from the man she had wanted them to be from.

  “Please, call me Dave,” he said, his brilliant gray eyes sparkling.

  Gina held her smile but extracted her hand from his grasp. From the look on his face, he found the action amusing. She ignored it. He may be attractive but her heart already belonged to another. And though Dave Carrone seemed pleasant enough, he exuded an aura of danger that left her uneasy.

  “Unfortunately, I can’t stay for today’s meeting,” he continued. “But I wanted to come down and personally welcome you to Royal Courts.”

  “Thank you,” Gina said. “Everyone has been very welcoming.”

  “As they should be. You’re a guest here so don’t hesitate to contact me or Judith if you need anything.”

  When he finally left the room, everyone visibly relaxed—herself included. She began to wonder if there was some truth to the rumors about his connections to the Italian mob.

  When the series of meetings and workshops began, Gina started to feel the strain of sitting in a closed room for so long. The short, sporadic
breaks throughout the day were not enough to ease her agitation. Even for lunch, they remained in the same room as food trays were carted in.

  Late in the afternoon, they were finally given a small reprieve, thanks to a technical glitch. With the meeting at a standstill, they were allowed an extended break.

  Gina took advantage. She hurried out of the room before anyone could stop her for a chat. She had to admit she was a bit overwhelmed by it all. This new role would certainly prove to be a challenge for her.

  She made her way down the hall, far from the conference room and found a quiet spot. With a soft sigh, she relaxed down on a large, cushioned bench. Having been in a crowded room for hours, the solitude was exactly what she needed. Resting her head against the wall, Gina closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

  Suddenly the air shifted and she was no longer alone. Blinking her eyes open, she was surprised to find Gabe looming over her. Her heart skipped at the sight of him.

  “Hey there, beautiful,” he said with a sexy grin. “I was just about to kiss you awake.”

  “You still can,” she said in a low whisper.

  “Hmm, don’t give me any ideas,” he whispered back, his green eyes blazing with suppressed need.

  Gina laughed to cover her growing desire. “What are you doing here?”

  He cocked a brow. “I should ask you the same thing. I assumed you would be locked in a conference room somewhere.”

  “I was. All day. But I couldn’t take it anymore so I decided to run away.”

  His eyes flashed. “But not from me,” he growled. “Come here.” He pulled her from her seat and held her to him.

  The heat of his arms around her caused her body to tingle. The hallway was deserted so she happily slid her arms around him. He brushed light kisses across her lips. “I missed you,” he said.

  She sighed. “I missed you too.”

  Trailing feather-light kisses down her neck, he whispered, “Let’s go find some privacy.”

  Gina pulled away from him, laughing. “There’s no one here.”

  He looked around and shook his head. “For what I have in mind, this won’t do.”

  The look in his eyes was one she was very familiar with—it was the look he got when he wanted to be inside her—and she went warm all over. He can’t be serious. Laughing nervously, she tried to wrestle her hand from his tight grip. “I can’t. I have to get back in a few minutes.”

  His eyes darkened and he wasn’t smiling. She shivered.

  “I won’t be long,” he said hoarsely. He dragged her into a large office, through a side door, and into a private washroom decorated in dark granite.

  Before she could protest, he hoisted up her skirt and lifted her onto the granite sink. She gasped as the cool surface shocked her heated skin. He moved to stand between her thighs, spreading them wide. Gina sensed his urgency and it became her own. She reached between their bodies and undid his belt, fumbling with the buckle.

  As she struggled with his belt, he slid his hands over her thighs and up to her hips. When he reached her panties, he grunted and tugged hard.

  “Don’t,” she whispered frantically. But it was too late. The telltale sound of fabric ripping was loud in the small room.

  “I’ll buy you another one,” he said gruffly against her hair. Then he spread her legs wide and with one swift motion, plunged deep inside her.

  Gina arched against him with a sharp gasp. He slanted his mouth over hers, drinking in her soft gasps of pleasure. She held onto him, wrapping her legs around his hips as he hammered into her.

  Her soft moans and his harsh groans filled the quiet room as intense pleasure took over. A sharp pressure built in her loins as electric currents coursed through her and she gasped with every in stroke. He gripped the lush curves of her hips, holding her as he drove into her soft, wet core. The pressure grew unbearable and after a few heavy thrusts, she convulsed around him, lost in the rapture that burst within her.

  Gabe buried his head in the crook of her neck as a loud groan erupted from him. He lay heavily against her and she held him, trailing kisses along his jaw, running her hands down his back and shoulders. For a moment, she wished they were naked so she could feel the heat of his skin against hers.

  Then the reality of where they were hit her and she shoved him away.

  “Oh my God, I can’t believe we just did that.” She jumped down from the counter, grabbed the edge of the sink to steady her shaky legs and began searching frantically for her torn panties.

  “Oh my God, what if someone had walked in on us?” Her face flamed as another horrifying thought came to her. “What if someone heard us?”

  “Relax,” Gabe said, adjusting himself.

  His causal, unhurried demeanor only fueled her panic. “How can I? This is my client’s office. What if—”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he interrupted then handed her a small towel.

  She abandoned the search for her missing panties and cleaned herself off. Glancing at the mirror, she was relieved to see she wasn’t a complete walking disaster. But despite all she did to fix herself up, she could still feel the imprint of sex all over her. It was going to be hard to walk back into that conference room as if she hadn’t just had sex.

  “I have to go,” she said, flying pass him.

  He grabbed her arm. “Wait. There’s something I have to tell you.”

  She pulled out of his grasp. “Not now. You’ve already made me late,” she said. “It’ll have to wait.”

  She rushed back to the conference room where everyone had already taken their seat. A few people glanced up when she entered the room but most were intensely focused on the interactive presentation displayed before them.

  Once in her seat, she was painfully aware that she was not wearing any panties. Her face flushed hot with embarrassment.

  Only a couple more hours and she could properly make the walk of shame back to her room.

  Chapter Six

  Gabe stuffed the torn panties into his pocket and left the washroom. He walked to his desk and fell into his seat, hating the deception and secrets he had created between them. If he could do it all again, he would have told Gina who he was from the beginning.

  Though this wouldn’t have been a problem if he had told her everything last night, as he’d planned. But it was too late now. He was scheduled to close out the planning meeting where she’d been holed up all day. In a few minutes, she would know exactly who he was.

  Gabe shook his head, annoyed by the situation. He’d had his second chance when he’d found her sitting outside his office completely unguarded, looking fragile, sexy, and downright irresistible. He smiled thinking of how she reminded him so much of the wild roses his mother used to grow—all delicate and vibrant and covered with sharp thorns. But that was part of their allure and as long as the roses were handled with care, the occasional prick was worth it.

  Gina was his wild rose. Yet he was failing miserably in his caring of her and their relationship. Now he stood the chance of losing her.

  Gabe clenched his hands into fists. No. He wouldn’t let that happen.

  A brief knock came at his door and he shoved his brooding thoughts aside. A moment later, Dave poked his head in.

  “Hey, do you have a second?”

  Gabe waved him in. “Yeah, what’s up?”

  Dave walked into the office and took a seat. He appeared on edge. “I think we’re going to have a problem with the Acerra brothers.”

  Gabe looked at his friend. “What’s the problem?” From what he’d been told about the brothers, Gabe understood why his friend was on edge where they were concerned. He knew little of the relationship Dave had with the band of brothers but from what Dave had elected to tell him, they had once all been friends.

  Dave quickly filled him in. For some reason, the Acerra brothers had got it into their heads that Gabe and Dave had been behind getting their little brother tied to the Provenzano case and thrown in prison. Now the other four Acerra brothe
rs were playing some kind of game but were smart enough to keep their cards real close to the vest.

  “Do you want me to handle it?” Gabe asked.

  Dave shook his head. “I already have Moreno on it. I just wanted to give you a heads up. It might not be anything but just in case, I want to get ahead of this before it gets out of control.”

  Gabe nodded. After the Provenzano bust, they had agreed to be completely transparent with each other when it came to situations involving the business. It had been a dark time in their friendship and they couldn’t afford another incident like that. And from the look on Dave’s face, he knew it too.

  “Just let me know if you need me to step in,” Gabe said.

  Dave nodded then changed the subject. “So,” Dave drawled. “I’ve finally met Ms. Conners. Lovely woman.”

  Gabe shot his friend a hard look. “First flowers, now a personal meet-and-greet. Do I have to break your face for you to get the message?”

  Dave threw his head back and let out a shout of laughter. “Man, look at you. You know, you’re pretty when you get all jealous and possessive.”

  Exasperated, Gabe sighed and made a point to scratch his nose with his middle finger. Dave laughed louder.

  “Why the sudden obsession with my love life?” Gabe asked.

  “Are you kidding? With all the shit you give me about my women, it’s about time you fell hard from your arrogant throne.”

  “The difference between us,” Gabe said lightly, “is that I don’t toss them out like a used up deck of cards.”

  Dave shrugged. “Neither do I. I just like variety.”

  It was Gabe’s turn to laugh. “Whatever you say.”

  “By the way, I heard about the virus Sam found in your computer. I’m having them check mine now to be on the safe side. But were you able to get in touch with Meredith?”

  Gabe quickly sobered up. “Not yet. But this makes me think more than ever that she’s behind this shit.”