“I have a feeling pickup lines won’t work on you,” he said.
“You’re right. They won’t.” She took a slow, easy breath to keep her pulse rate calm.
Gavin Johnson was one fine man. He stood a couple of inches above six feet, his hair cut in a neat faux hawk that gave him a reckless, edgy vibe. A black pullover stretched across his wide torso, chest muscles outlined beneath the material, and roped forearms revealed by sleeves shoved up to his elbows.
“In that case, when can I take you out, Terri?”
“You can’t.”
He cupped an ear. “Excuse me, I didn’t hear you.”
She tilted up her chin and boldly made eye contact. “You. Can’t.”
No way was she getting involved with Gavin Johnson. A wealthy man like him was used to having his own way. When he said jump, people didn’t ask how high—they stayed suspended in the air until he allowed them down again.
His brow furrowed, which made him look kind of cute.
“Are you actually turning me down?”
She couldn’t tell if he was joking or genuinely surprised, although she didn’t doubt the latter.
One hand on her hip, she said, “I know that may be hard for you to comprehend, but yes, I am.” She made a show of ignoring him and glanced up at the numbers on the panel as the elevator continued its descent.
Despite her closeness to the Johnson family, Alannah never revealed much about them, which meant Terri collected information from the gossip blogs and social media like everyone else. Unlike the rest of his family, Gavin courted attention by having active social media accounts. Images from sporting events, parties, and lavish vacations around the world littered his timelines.
If there was an extreme sport, he made sure to conquer it, and often shared shots of himself training, revealing a ridiculously fit physique with grooved muscles covering every square millimeter of umber skin, and chronicling each achievement of his goals. He was an excellent surfer, having mastered the waves off the east coast of Australia. Photos of him, his team, and their guides on top of Mount Kilimanjaro showed them hugging and wearing exultant smiles. A few years ago, he completed the Tevis Cup, a 100-mile endurance ride completed on horseback, and afterward donated one hundred thousand dollars to help preserve and maintain the historic trail.
“You have a man or something?” Gavin asked the question in a way that suggested he didn’t care.
“Something like that.”
“That means you don’t.”
“I don’t have to tell you my business.”
He walked to the middle of the cabin and braced a hand against the back wall. Damn, he smelled good. Masculine, but not the least bit overpowering. Clean and fresh, reminding her of the ocean.
“You don’t have to tell me your business, but I’d like for you to.”
Terri glanced at him sideways. “Why?’
“Isn’t it obvious? I like you.”
“You don’t know me well enough to like me.”
“I like what I see,” he said, the timbre of his voice dropping several octaves.
Tiny shivers danced over her skin, and the pace of her heart upticked as his gaze dragged over her shape.
“Typical male,” she said.
If she had a dime for every man attracted to her body, she could stop working. Men had been ogling her curves since she hit puberty.
Gavin studied her with nerve-wracking intensity. “There’s nothing typical about me.”
Terri’s knees turned to gelatin. His self-confidence was sexy. “You sure about that?” She arched a brow, feigning nonchalance.
“I want to get to know you.”
“You want to screw me.”
“True.”
The blunt answer surprised her so much she didn’t move when the elevator doors glided open.
“But I want to get to know you, too,” Gavin added, managing to sound sincere. “I don’t see why we can’t be friends.”
“I’ve seen your Instagram and Twitter accounts. You already have a lot of friends.” Terri exited the elevator.
Gavin came up beside her. “No more than the usual.”
“I consider millions of followers way more than the usual, and a lot of them are female.”
They walked together across the marble floor of the lobby, bright lights shining down on the expensive furnishings and the residents coming and going.
Gavin chuckled, a smug sound that confirmed her assessment of his online friendships.
With such a huge following, if he tweeted about a product, sales shot up and the item could very well go out of stock. One time he posed in a black and red scarf with frayed edging. Not only had the photo received thousands of likes, but within twenty-four hours the scarf sold out of stores around the country. He could parlay his celebrity status into lucrative contracts, but she’d never heard his name linked to any endorsement deals.
“So are you saying I don’t have a shot?”
“I’m afraid not.”
He frowned. “Did Trenton or Alannah tell you something not-so-nice about me?”
“Nope. I just don’t need a man right now.”
Not now, not ever. Experiencing independence for the first time, Terri lived her own life on her own terms and loved it. No man would ever take away her freedom again.
“Because…?”
She stopped a few feet from the exit, where a doorman opened and closed the door for incoming and outgoing guests.
“Because I don’t.”
“So your relationship with your ‘something like that’ boyfriend isn’t serious?”
“My relationships are never serious.”
“Well, damn. You might be the woman of my dreams. Why aren’t they ever serious?”
“I just like to have fun. Men are in my life for one reason only, and that’s to make me feel good. Otherwise, I don’t need them.”
His eyebrows shot toward the ceiling, and she took pleasure in knowing she shocked him.
“What about sex?”
“I’m talking about sex.” She pursed her lips a little, a trick she’d learned that gave her already full mouth a more pouty appearance.
His gaze ran over her with overt interest. “So how many of these non-boyfriends do you have?”
“Only one right now.”
“What’s this chump’s name?”
She angled her head to the right. “Why does he have to be a chump?”
“Because he’s with you and I’m not.”
Terri shook her head and started walking again.
“You’re not going to tell me?”
“It’s none of your business, Gavin.”
“Can’t hurt to tell me his name. I’m not asking for his social security number and address.”
She sighed heavily. What difference did it make? They’d never meet each other anyway. “His name is Douglas.”
She walked out into the cool night air and headed to the waiting car. Trenton thought the location of the yoga classes was questionable and always made sure she and Alannah had a driver at their disposal to drop them off and pick them up from class. The minute the tall, brawny man saw Terri, he exited the vehicle and opened the back door.
“Yep, that definitely sounds like a chump name,” Gavin drawled.
“It does not.” Despite herself, Terri giggled. He was incorrigible. “It’s a perfectly fine name for a strong man.”
“What does Dagwood do?”
“Douglas,” she corrected, though she knew he’d intentionally screwed up the name. “He’s a bank manager.”
They arrived at the car, and Gavin waved away the driver. With a brief nod, the man went to sit in the front seat.
“I hope he’s strong.”
“Why does he have to be strong?” Terri asked.
Gavin rested an arm on the open door. “Because.” His voice dropped low, and looking up into those hypnotizing light brown eyes, she felt dangerously close to swooning. “He’s going to have to be a sol
dier to deal with me.”
“Are you saying you want to be one of my non-boyfriends?” Terri asked in a syrupy voice, equally low.
“Sure do. And I want all the benefits that come with the title.”
She pursed her lips again and watched his gaze drift down to her mouth. “I don’t know. I’m not the kind to jump when you say jump because you’re rich. You might want to stick to those high society girls you’re used to. You can’t handle a woman like me.”
He chuckled, and his entire body shook. He had the most delicious smile. All white teeth and mahogany lips that hinted at untold pleasures. He was definitely a pretty man. Pretty eyes. Pretty teeth. And last but not least, pretty lips. So full and pretty they made her want to sit on his face.
“You’re something else, you know that? You talk a lot of shit.”
“I can back it up, too.” She rubbed her bare arms against the chilled air.
“Oh yeah?”
“Mhmm. Ask any of my previous lovers. But like I said, you might not be the right man for the job.” She took unprecedented pleasure in needling him.
Gavin narrowed his eyes as he watched her. “You’re wrong.”
“I doubt it.”
“I’ll win you over eventually.”
“You’re so sure?”
He shrugged, smiling a little. “What can I say? I’m rich and I’m spoiled, and I never take no for an answer.”
“Are you saying you always get what you want?” she asked.
This time, the smile was an all-teeth, hell yeah smile. “Always.”
“Hmm. Nice meeting you, Gavin.” Terri slid into the car and reached for the door, but Gavin held it open.
He ducked his head to look in at her, his face holding a seriousness that hadn’t been there before. “What can I do to become a non-boyfriend?”
“Nothing.” She grasped the door handle and tugged, but he didn’t release it.
“I don’t like that answer.”
“It’s the only answer you’re going to get.”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing. I’m sure there’s a nice debutante out there who would love to hook up with you.”
“So getting your number is out of the question?”
“That’s correct. Were you listening?”
He was quiet for a while, and they both stared at each other, neither willing to break eye contact. “I have to tell you, I don’t usually find it this difficult to get a woman’s number.”
“I’m sure you don’t find it this difficult to get anything you want. After all, you’re rich and spoiled and don’t take no for an answer.”
He flashed milky white teeth in another one of his captivating smiles. “I can see I’m going to have my hands full with you.”
“You’re assuming you can get me,” Terri tossed back.
“Oh, I can get you.”
“You think so? You don’t have much time. Alannah said you’re leaving soon. Isn’t that right?”
“Nah.”
“Nah?” She tilted her head at the unexpected answer.
“I’m in no rush to leave Seattle.” His gaze swept her body again, and when his eyes came back to hers, her breath suspended at the heat in their depths. By the determined set to his mouth and intensity in his eyes, she knew without a doubt she had become a goal he intended to accomplish—like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or successfully surfing dangerous waves. “I think I’ll stick around for a while.”
He straightened and half-closed the door before swinging it wide again. “Oh, and do me a favor, would you?”
“What’s that?”
He leaned in closer, as if what he had to say was of utmost importance. Every part of her tensed under his stare.
“Tell Derwin his days are numbered.”
With one last self-confident smile, he shut the door and strutted off.
Chapter Three
Thank goodness, the night was almost over.
The elevator doors opened and Gavin stepped out with his date, Blake McConnell. As her escort for the evening, he felt obligated to see her to the penthouse apartment, but dreaded the stop at the door. They had parted ways a long time ago and he shouldn’t even have escorted her to the benefit tonight, but their mothers were friends from college back in Texas and his mother, Constance Johnson, had approached him with that sweet-as-honey Texas twang and more or less insisted he attend the event as Blake’s date.
They stopped at the door and Blake looked over her shoulder at him, smiling a secret smile and lowering her lashes in the way she did when she thought she’d get what she wanted. Gavin groaned inwardly but didn’t betray any emotion on the outside.
Blake was a stunning woman. Great figure, long deep-gold hair worn in an intricate upswept style, and near flawless alabaster skin. Tonight she wore a sleeveless black Michael Kors dress with a dramatic white taffeta train. Problem was, all that beauty, style, and charm disguised a whole lot of crazy. After only a few months of dating, he saw the writing on the wall and stopped seeing her.
Considering they hadn’t been exclusive, her behavior had been exceedingly worrisome. She followed his social media accounts and used them to track him across globe, showing up in random locations and screaming, “Surprise! I was just in the neighborhood.” She mean-mugged any woman who approached him, even if she was only a friend, and went through his phone—an absolute no-no.
Blake opened the door and turned with a flourish, keeping one hand on the knob and placing the other on her hip. Her blue eyes held an invitation no man could resist—if he didn’t know any better.
“Are you coming in?” she asked in a sex-kitten voice.
Now the awkward part.
Gavin stuffed his hands in the pockets of his black tuxedo pants. “Not tonight,” he said, inflecting the right amount of regret into his voice. “It’s been a long week and I’m bushed. I’m going to head home and get some rest.” He covered a fake yawn with his hand.
She didn’t blink, looking at him as if she knew better, which she probably thought she did. Despite ending their hookups over a year ago, she held onto the mistaken belief that he had feelings for her and found her irresistible.
Locking eyes with him, she reached back and unzipped her dress, letting it slide to the floor in a puddle of silk and taffeta around her ankles. “Are you sure?” she asked, raising an eyebrow in what she must consider to be a seductive look.
Gavin’s eyes wandered from the rosy nipples to the itty-bitty string thong barely covering her shaved privates. Considering all the wild, crazy sex they’d had, his soldier didn’t have much of a reaction, hardly noticing an almost naked, willing woman stood within reach. She turned so he could see her bare bottom and the tattoo etched in cursive right above the waistband of the thong: Property of Gavin Johnson.
He cringed. The tattoo shocked him when she texted him a picture, and the bold declaration against the flawless skin shocked him even more in person. He couldn’t figure out why she thought marking her body with his name would convince him to get back involved with her. If anything, the desperate act convinced him he’d made the right decision in the first place.
“I’m really, really tired, Blake,” he said, for lack of anything better to say.
He should be able to come up with a better response, but he was simply at a loss and wished he hadn’t been coerced into this date in the first place. He needed to get better at resisting his mother’s overtures, but who was he kidding? No one in his family dared say no to Constance Johnson.
The sultry smile wavered on Blake’s face. Facing him squarely, she placed both hands on her hips, shoulders back and head held high. “You’re kidding, right? You’re not going to leave all this”—she swept a hand down the length of her lithe body—“are you?”
Nothing. Nada. His top head definitely ruled tonight.
“Blake, you know as well as I do we’re no good together.” Because one of us is sane and the other is insane.
“Gavin,”
she cooed, voice dripping with sugar as she tried another tactic. “I’m not looking for anything more than you want to give. Come in and let’s have a little fun. We can use the paddle tonight, because I need a good spanking, Big Daddy.” She pouted prettily and shook her tush at him.
Gavin rubbed a hand down the back of his head. “You need to find another daddy, Blake. Move on. You’re a beautiful woman and there’s a man out there waiting for someone special like you.” He hoped he sounded sincere. He felt sorry for the next fool caught in her web.
A tint of rose bloomed in her cheeks, and Blake’s face contorted into an ugly image of anger and embarrassment. “Last chance,” she bit out.
He refrained from sighing at the ridiculousness of her comment. That would only inflame her more. “I’m going to have to pass.”
With the angry mutter of a four-letter word he distinctly remembered her using in a more appealing, sexual connotation during times past, Blake slammed the door, leaving him staring at her apartment number inches from his face. This time he did sigh and proceeded down the hallway.
On the way to the elevator, the phone in his pocket rang. He fished it out and Trenton’s face filled the screen. Gavin almost didn’t answer but gritted his teeth in anticipation of the forthcoming conversation.
“What?” He stabbed the down button.
Trenton chuckled. “How’d it go?”
“I’m not in the mood for your jokes, Trent.”
“Jokes? What jokes? I called to see how the benefit went and if you and your property had a good time.”
“That’s why I don’t like to tell you anything. You’re trifling.” Gavin stepped onto the elevator.
“Come on, who else are you going to tell? And you have to admit that’s funny. I’m surprised you agreed to escort her.”
“If you were me, could you have said no to Mother?”
The other end went silent for several seconds. “No, I guess you’re right, but I hated it for you.” He chuckled again. Apparently his sympathy was no match for the desire to laugh at Gavin’s awkward predicament. “Did you ever tell Mother why you broke up with her?”
“No, but after tonight, I really should. I know Mother will be mortified by her behavior and no way am I being talked into escorting her anywhere again.”
The Rules Page 2