Eva had to smile as she high-fived the offered palm, but her mind was still on the “prick” comment. That was the first time she could remember Nika actually admitting what Kevin was. Progress? She couldn’t confirm because of her promise, but she could hope.
“Thanks. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Yes please. I’ll need details so don’t forget a thing. And don’t be nervous—it’ll hurt less. And make sure you tell him it’s your first time. He seems like the type who’d want to know.”
“Nika!” she groaned, looking around to make sure they couldn’t be overheard.
“What. It’s not like it isn’t gonna happen. Look at the way he’s looking at you. I’m getting a sunburn, for chrissakes.” Her kooky friend clapped happily, the first truly joyful expression she’d had since Kevin had arrived at their table.
Eva chuckled as she took her clip out of her purse and twisted her hair up again. Was it sweltering in here, or was it just her?
Gabriel’s arm came around her then, his hand settling on her hip. “Ready?”
God, she hoped so, she thought as she nodded, and the two parties went their separate ways.
EIGHT
The ride to the Crown Jewel took mere minutes, and in no time, they were approaching a door marked Private in the underground car park. Two men stood off to the side.
“Everything quiet, boys?” Quan asked.
“S’all good,” replied the one who looked like a well-dressed bulldog.
Quan inclined his head and motioned her and Gabriel into a mirrored elevator before he and Alek, who Eva had been introduced to during the drive, joined them.
“Tell me about your friend’s husband,” Gabriel said as the doors slid closed. He hit the button marked thirty-five—top floor, naturally—before leaning against the wall, eyes down, hands buried in the front pockets of his pants, his expression tight.
“He’s not a very nice person.”
He made a sound in his throat. “Aside from that.”
Eva looked from him, to Quan, and then at Alek. All three of them had their heads down and were sort of slumped into themselves. Nervous as she was, she almost smiled because it looked almost like they were hiding from the cameras mounted conspicuously in opposite corners of the elevator.
“Eyes everywhere,” Gabriel murmured as though he knew what she was thinking.
“And you’re camera shy?” she asked sardonically. “In your own place?”
The bell dinged and the doors swished open. “Something like that.” He beckoned her out. “The husband?” he reminded.
Right. “Kevin’s an immature jerk who treats Nika like garbage.” Her heels clicked on the gray-and-white marble tile. No short nappy carpets for this corridor. “Caleb—Nika’s brother—and I have never liked him. He’s…” A corridor she was only now realizing she’d be traveling tomorrow morning, but in the opposite direction, a different person. The deed done. And the two men strolling alongside her and Gabriel knew that as well. Not the part about her being a virgin, but they had to be aware she and Gabriel were about to have sex.
Oh God. Her cheeks flamed. “Uh, yeah, he’s a dick.” Sorry, Nika, she said silently, needing something to talk about and using her friend’s personal life as a topic. “Nika’s really secretive about what’s going on between them, but she told me tonight that she’s going to leave him. With any luck, she’ll follow me to New York.” Goddammit, she was nervous now. And chatty. Probably annoying. “Oh, guess what? I got that job. I start tomorrow.”
Gabriel smiled down at her and she almost tripped. “Congratulations, sweetheart. That’s great news. When did you find out?”
“This morning.”
Alek and Quan stopped in front of two doors, one on each side of the corridor, and said their goodnights.
“Quan. Hold on.” Gabriel held his hand out to her as Alek disappeared into his suite. “Keys. Quan will have your car brought over.”
“Oh, no, that’s okay,” she hurried out, shaking her head, which had to have looked tomato-like again. “It’s fine where it is. He doesn’t have to go to the trouble. You don’t have to,” she said to Quan since he was standing right there.
He smiled. With sympathy? Did he know she was about to freak out?
“It’s no trouble, Eva.”
She waffled for a second, not wanting to make an issue out of something neither man seemed to think anything of. But she wasn’t used to having people do things for her.
“Well, if you’re sure.”
Gabriel flapped his fingers.
Not appreciating the gesture, she lifted her brows at him.
After a blink of surprise, he lifted one brow back at her.
Okay. She had to admit he did arrogance and intimidation better than anyone she knew. But when she took out her keys, in protest of his bullying, she bypassed his open palm and gave them directly to Quan.
“Thank you, Quan. I appreciate it.”
Appearing entertained, Quan nodded and headed back the way they’d come.
And then she and Gabriel were alone.
She glanced up to see a small smile playing on his lips. Would he still be amused when he found out how inexperienced she was in the bedroom? she wondered, swallowing hard.
With his hand on the small of her back, he ushered her to the end of the corridor where he placed his thumb on a pad to unlock the oversize door of the corner suite. He waved her into a spacious foyer that was all marble and low-placed lighting. She moved forward and stopped in the opening to an enormous room that was nothing but elegance and luxury. From the huge, razor-thin TV mounted above the fireplace to the posh furniture to the gorgeous dining table surrounded by twelve chairs, all Eva saw was wealth.
What the hell was she doing here with this man who was so far out of her league? No one could accuse her of aiming low, she supposed.
Time to lose your virginity!
O-kay! Show me a bazillionaire and I’ll give it up!
Telling herself to shut up, she bit her lip and looked around for anything of a personal nature that would humanize the man closing the door behind her.
There was nothing. Just tasteful sculptures and bowls, and vases filled with fresh flowers. Her gaze settled on what looked to be an exact replica of Constantin Brancusi’s Bird in Space. She narrowed her eyes. It had better be a replica, because she remembered reading somewhere that the authentic sculpture had sold for more than twenty-seven million dollars at a Christie’s auction some years ago.
“That’s fake, right?” she blurted like a moron, pointing at it carefully in case the breeze from her finger toppled it.
He chuckled. “No.”
That deep, smooth voice, even when uttering only one word, rippled hotly down her exposed spine. She exhaled sharply and stared at the gold piece, contemplating what to do next. Should she wait for him to make the first move?
Or was he waiting for her?
Did he expect some conversation first?
Or would he rather get right down and dirty?
Maybe she should just leave. Dammit. She was out of her element. Didn’t have a fucking clue what to do.
She took a breath and turned slowly to see Gabriel was propped against the door, his arms casually folded across that wide chest she so badly wanted to explore. His chunky platinum watch glinted in the light.
God, he was beautiful. And he made her ache. Everywhere. Her breasts tightened, her nipples pressing against the fabric of her dress.
“How long have you lived here?” she asked around the flutters in her stomach. The bland question likely crossed some invisible we’re-here-to-have-sex-not-get-to-know-one-another line, but it was either that or talk about the weather.
“About three years. I moved in after the renos were completed.”
Her eyes widened before she could stop them. “Three years? But…it looks like any other hotel room. I mean…” She faltered and bit her lip. “Not any room, because obviously this is more impressive than the average
hotel.” She pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth and took another breath. And finally went with honesty because that usually worked for her. “Your wealth is freaking me out. I’ve never been with anyone so…” She waved her hand to encompass the room behind her. “I don’t know what to call it without sounding ignorant. Your home looks like something from a magazine.” Impersonal and grandiose, she finished silently.
He inclined his head, looking stiff all of a sudden. “The men you’ve been with have been blue-collar?”
She cringed. “No. God, no. Not that there’s anything wrong with blue-collar. Or no collar for that matter. That wasn’t what I meant. I was referring to my friends at Columbia. Even the rich ones weren’t in your bracket.”
He nodded, and then he didn’t look as though he was thinking about it anymore as his gaze traveled the length of her body, making her skin tingle. “As cliché as it sounds, it’s only money, Eva. My office, where I spend most of my time, is more personal than this place. Anything with any real meaning is at my house on Long Island. I didn’t see the sense in carting it across the country when I knew I’d eventually cave and return home.”
“Last night you said you grew up in Queens. Do you have family there?” There was something about his mouth that drew her, and she watched, liking the way his lips moved as he talked.
“My parents are both gone. One brother still there.”
Because she was so engrossed in him, she noticed how his expression and tone changed. There was a mix of sorrow and bitterness in his voice.
“Do you see him often?”
His features hardened. “No.”
Uncomfortable with the glacial demeanor, she blurted, “I’ll bet your other women love all this, huh?” As she figuratively fell to her knees and flopped on the floor like a deflated balloon—had she always been so socially inept?—his expression turned wry.
“I’ve never brought another woman up here, sweetheart.”
Uh-huh. She doubted that but had enough sense not to call him a liar.
To his face, at least.
† † †
Gabriel studied his wildest fantasy in the flesh. She was here. In his place. Looking endearingly apprehensive. She wasn’t practiced. Didn’t have the coy, come-get-me look some women got in their eye the minute you had them behind closed doors.
Fuck. He wanted to tie her to his bed and keep her there for-fucking-ever.
He pushed off the door, loving the way her eyes flared. Placing a finger under her chin, he tilted her head up when she didn’t do so herself. So slowly, he ran the pad of his thumb across her full lower lip, inhaling her honey scent deep into his lungs.
“I want you to relax, Eva,” he ordered softly. “I meant what I said at the club. I will not disrespect you by treating you in any way you would find upsetting. If I do something you’re not comfortable with, you’ll tell me. I promise I won’t take offense.”
Those glittering sapphires gazed up at him and he tensed when he felt the brush of her fingertips at the base of his throat. “You speak a lot about respect.” She tentatively drew on the chain he always wore—a gift from Vincente’s late sister, Sophia—and glanced at the black crystal wolf tooth that had Matthew 6:14 engraved on it—For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. She tucked it away without asking about it—or what it meant to him. Respecting his privacy. Very nice.
“Respect, trust, and loyalty are more important than people think.”
“Because without them, even with love, a relationship is weak. I agree.” Her warm breath wisped over his hand as she impressed him.
Reached him.
As he stood there staring down at her, he felt her in a place that had nothing to do with getting his cock inside her. The lust he’d been battling for weeks, the basic, primitive need for nothing but sex with her, that simple want, continued to morph into something different. Something with fucking emotion attached. And that soft, tender something was nudging and coddling untouched territory in the area of his chest.
Disturbed, he dragged it back to the sex by saying, “I will respect your body, sweetheart. Be loyal while we’re together. And you can trust that I’m going to make you scream through more orgasms than your system will be able to handle.” His fingers gripped her hips, and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I’d like to begin. Tell me we’re done with this conversation so I can get you naked.”
She made a breathy sound and his cock hardened fully, pressing uncomfortably against his pants zipper. The air around them became sultry and hot as she placed her palms on his cheeks and pulled his head down to mesh their lips together. And, holy hell, did he like that. Her taking the initiative. Beginning, because she was as ready as he was.
When her tongue stroked delicately over the seam of his lips, his blood thundered in his veins. He didn’t hesitate to open and plunder the moist depths of her mouth. Feeding his need for her. Taking what he couldn’t fucking resist. His downfall. The goddamn woman was his downfall.
Slipping his fingers into her hair, he loosened the knot by fisting a handful and pulling her head back far enough to break the kiss. He didn’t want their first time being against the wall in his foyer.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered dazedly.
He bent and scooped her up, curling her into his chest. “Not a goddamned thing,” he assured her as he stalked to his bedroom.
† † †
When Gabriel all but tossed Eva into the center of a huge bed, she bounced once, her dress riding up around her upper thighs while she watched him reach back to swipe his shirt over his head. Without warning, her worries and what-ifs and maybe-I-shouldn’ts receded to the back of her mind.
Her focus realigned, landing on his massive shoulders, thick and corded with power, that pendant resting between his pecs while the ribbed, cut muscles of his stomach stood out like speed bumps on a highway. The light dusting of hair on his bronzed skin took nothing away from the tattoos she suddenly needed to explore at her leisure.
“You’re beautiful,” she breathed, her mind swirling with pleasure at the sight of him. The intent in his eyes was as intoxicating as the sensual half smile that flashed as he came forward, sinking his knee deep into the mattress next to her hip. He crowded her until she had no choice but to lie back on the pillows, and then he trapped her by placing his fists on either side of her head. His lips trailed down the side of her neck and along her collarbone, drawing a moan from her when his teeth grazed the sensitive area right below her jaw. As she stroked her palms over the raw power in his shoulders, she felt his fingers skim the neckline of her dress, knuckles brushing over the top swell of her breasts.
“I’ve been dying to do this all night. Are you ready?” The dark promise in his voice vibrated right into her bones.
“Yes.”
With a sharp, unexpected jerk, he tore her dress right down the front to expose her nearly naked body.
“Gabriel!”
“Now you can’t wear it again,” he murmured with a dark satisfaction as her hands came up in an automatic attempt to cover her bare breasts. “God, don’t do that.” His whisper was tortured as his hand moved in to halt the modest gesture. He sat back on his bent leg, his gaze boldly possessive as it swept over her, lingering on her beaded nipples, then going lower to travel down her stomach and past her hips to take in the small triangle of gray silk covering her sex.
Eva felt a flush creep up her neck. She wasn’t blind to her attributes, but she’d certainly never had them on display like this before. What if he found her lacking? Should she pose? Try to be alluring? What if she didn’t measure up to the other women he’d had?
“You are. Fucking spectacular,” he growled as his eyes locked with hers.
Oh. Okay. Her anxiety fluttered off when he slipped a hand under her ass to lift her hips…
But he simply removed what remained of her dress.
After lowering her back to the mattress, he stood and moved
to the foot of the bed, his wide palm stroking over the top of her thigh and knee, then down her calf to her ankle. The lights of Seattle winked through the massive windows behind him as he removed her shoes, dropping each of them to the floor with a soft thud. His gaze never left hers, it held, connecting them as he hooked a finger under the narrow strap at her hip.
“This I don’t think I have to destroy,” he murmured, letting his fingertips glide lazily under the elastic, front to back, front to back. Eva’s muscles quivered every time he neared the inside of her thigh.
Unable to lie still any longer, she shakily rose to her knees, making his finger slip out with a snap. She cupped his strong jaw and ran her thumbs over his lightly bristled face, thrilled by the freedom she’d been given to touch him like this. Moving down, she feathered her fingertips across his lips and smiled when he inhaled sharply.
Total male perfection, she acknowledged as she shadowed a path down the length of his neck, watching his body ripple. Sweeping over the powerful hardness of his bare chest, she got a close-up of his ink. Her attention was captured by the beautiful piece covering his left pec. Black and gray, like all the others, this one was a destroyed steel cage, its door hanging off the hinges. Like someone had just escaped.
Making a mental note to ask about it later, she cautiously moved to the waistband of his pants and slipped the button free, moving right along to the zipper. When she peeked up again, she found him staring at her breasts. Her back arched all on its own, offering, her body wanting his touch.
His warm hands were on her immediately, and she gasped as pleasure flooded through her. He cupped and kneaded the sensitive mounds, driving her to distraction when his fingers rolled her nipples.
She slid the zipper of his pants down and almost protested when he released her to pull back. Within seconds, he stood there, lithe and powerful, without a stitch covering his form.
Eva gulped and tried not to stare. She failed miserably, gulping again in an effort to swallow her sudden anxiety. He was…very large. A few minutes ago she’d told him she was ready. Now she wasn’t sure her body could even prepare for that.
Vengeance Unleashed (The Wanted Men Series Book 1) Page 10