Breathless Trilogy

by Banks, Maya

  He slid his hands up her neck and into her hair, holding her there just inches from his mouth. “Just don’t let it happen again. I assigned a driver to you for a reason, Mia. It doesn’t mean he just takes you to work and back when you aren’t with me. If you need to go somewhere—anywhere—you call him. Understand? If you ever find yourself in a situation like that again, you call me. I don’t give a fuck what time it is, you call me. If you can’t reach me then you goddamn better well call your brother or Ash. You understand?”

  She nodded.

  “We both need a nap,” he said, stroking her face with his hands. “You didn’t sleep well and I didn’t sleep. Right now I want to take you to bed and hold you while we rest. When you’re feeling better I’ll redden that pretty ass for worrying the hell out of me.”

  chapter twenty-seven

  Mia sat cross-legged on Gabe’s bed, devouring the pizza he’d had delivered. It was oh-my-God good just the way she liked it. Extra cheese, light sauce and thick crust.

  He watched her in amusement as she licked her fingers clean before sinking back against the pillows with a sigh.

  “That was wonderful,” she said. “You’re spoiling me, Gabe. There’s no other word for it.”

  His eyes gleamed devilishly. “I’d wait until later before you start saying how much I spoil you.”

  Her body did an instant clench as heat surged through her veins. Try as she might, she couldn’t muster any dread of the coming spanking he’d promised her. If anything, she was buzzing with anticipation.

  She caught his gaze and she sobered. “I really am sorry about last night. I had no idea you were so worried. If I would have checked my phone I would have called or texted you, Gabe. I wouldn’t have ignored you.”

  “I know you wouldn’t,” he said gruffly. “The thing I want you to be conscious of is being careful. You and your girlfriends going out alone and getting drunk only invites trouble. Any number of things could happen to a group of girls alone and vulnerable.”

  That he was so protective of her gave her immense satisfaction. He had to feel something for her beyond viewing her as a sexual object.

  “Now if you’re finished, there’s the matter of your punishment,” he said silkily.

  Holy hell. His gaze had gone molten and he bristled with lust and desire. Need sizzled over her skin, burning and edgy.

  She pushed the pizza box away and he picked it up, setting it on the nightstand by the bed.

  “Strip,” he said bluntly. “I want you to have nothing on. When you’re finished, get on your hands and knees, ass to the edge of the bed.”

  She rose on shaky knees and quickly pulled the T-shirt—Gabe’s shirt—from her body, leaving her naked to his gaze. She turned her back to him where she faced the bed and then put her knee to the mattress, pushing herself upward to balance her knees on the edge. She planted her palms forward and closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she waited.

  Footsteps echoed through the room. The sound of a drawer opening. More footsteps and then items being placed on the nightstand.

  His lips pressed to one of her ass cheeks and then his teeth grazed over her skin, eliciting a shiver that produced chill bumps down her legs.

  “Don’t make a single sound,” he said, his voice laced with desire. “Not a word. You’ll take your punishment in silence. Afterward, I’m going to fuck that sweet ass of yours.”

  Her elbows buckled and she nearly lost her balance. She pushed herself back up, locking her elbows once more.

  The crop slid across her ass, whispering faintly, deceptive in its softness. It left her skin, and then fire raced across her ass when he administered the first lash.

  Her teeth sank into her lip to prevent any noise from escaping. She’d been unprepared. Too caught up in her desire. She focused this time, preparing for the next blow.

  He never struck the same spot twice nor did he draw out the punishment for effect. He peppered her behind with a series of lashes that varied in strength and sharpness. There was no way to know what to expect next because he changed it up each time.

  She lost count at seventeen. Her entire body was crawling with need. The initial pain had diminished and in its place, a steady, heated throb had settled in. She lost awareness of her surroundings, floating off to a completely different plane where the line between pleasure and pain was blurred.

  The next thing she became aware of was warm lubricant circling her anal opening and then his hands smoothing over her cheeks.

  “Your ass is beautiful,” Gabe murmured, his voice as silky and smooth as the finest chocolate. “My marks are there. You wear them because you belong to me. And now I’m going to fuck your sweet little ass because it belongs to me and I’ve not yet taken what is mine.”

  She swallowed and lowered her head, closing her eyes as his hands gripped her hips and then slid over her ass, spreading the cheeks. The blunt head of his cock nudged against her and then he pushed with more force, opening her to his initial entry.

  He went extremely slow, and he was patient. Much more patient than she was. She wanted him inside her. The waiting was killing her.

  “Relax, baby,” he soothed. “You’re way too tense. I don’t want to hurt you. Let me inside you.”

  She tried to do as he instructed, but it was hard when every nerve in her body was on edge and screaming. Instinctively, she pushed back against him, but he put his palms on her ass, halting her motion.

  “Be patient, Mia. I don’t want to go too fast and hurt you.”

  He withdrew and pushed forward, performing shallow thrusts. She felt the brush of his knuckles as he gripped the base of his cock and fed it inside her, gaining more depth than before.

  The burn was overwhelming. Not even being stretched daily with the plugs he’d made her wear could prepare her for having his entire length inside her. He was thick and rigidly hard. It was like being impaled by steel.

  “Almost there,” he whispered. “Just a bit more, Mia. Be a good girl and take it all.”

  She forced every muscle in her body to relax and just as she did, he pushed forward more forcefully and his balls came to rest against the mouth of her pussy.

  He was inside her all the way. She’d taken him whole.

  “Goddamn you feel so good,” Gabe said in a strained voice. “Touch yourself, Mia. Lower your head so you can put your cheek on the bed and use your fingers while I fuck your ass.”

  The dirty words only aroused her further.

  She leaned down, finding a comfortable position as he moved with her, his dick still wedged firmly in her ass. She slid her fingers through the folds of her pussy and began to manipulate her clit with just the right amount of pressure to get herself off.

  When she was settled, Gabe eased back, withdrawing nearly all the way before pushing his way back inside. His movements were slow and methodical. Tender. He never got in a hurry and never lost control. He stroked in and out, his balls pressing to her pussy each time he reached his depth.

  “I’m going to come inside you, Mia. I want you to be very still and continue to pleasure yourself.”

  She was so close to orgasming that she had to stop touching herself momentarily or she was a goner.

  Gabe’s thrusts increased in speed and force, but he didn’t overwhelm her and he wasn’t rough. Then she felt the first hot jet as he exploded inside her. The next moment, he withdrew and more pulsed onto her skin, at her opening and inside. And still more, until it slid from the opening and down the inside of her thigh.

  And then he was back inside her, pushing deep, still hard, forcing his semen deeper. For several long moments he stroked in and out, even after he’d already come.

  She lost the battle to control her own orgasm. As soon as she put her fingers to her clit, her release surged, sharp and unrelenting. It crashed over her and consumed her like a tidal wave. Her knees slipped and she went down to her belly, so she was flat on the bed. Gabe slipped out momentarily, but then he hoisted himself higher and thrust ba
ck into her.

  His body blanketed hers. He lowered himself onto her back, his cock still rigid and thick in her ass. He nibbled at her shoulder and then kissed a path to her neck.

  “Have you ever done this before?” he murmured against her ear.

  “You’re my first,” she said, barely above a whisper.

  “Good.”

  There was intense satisfaction in his voice. Triumph.

  He lay there for several long minutes, gradually softening, lessening the tension and stretching sensation. And then he withdrew from her ass, rising up and then backing away.

  She lay there trying to process what had just happened. Her thoughts were scattered. She was still euphoric after a mind-numbing orgasm. Her ass was sore from his spanking and from his thorough possession. But she’d never been more satisfied than she was right now.

  He returned to wipe her clean with a warm washcloth. Then he went back to the bathroom, and she heard the shower turn on. A moment later he was back and gently picking her up from the bed.

  He carried her into the bathroom and set her down in front of the shower. Then he stepped in and drew her in behind him. She sighed when the hot water rained down over her. And holy crap, but what a decadent experience to have Gabe take care of her completely.

  He washed every inch of her, lavishing attention on her ass where the redness still remained. By the time he was finished going over her body, she was breathless and aching all over again.

  After he had rinsed all the soap from her skin, he cleaned himself and then turned off the water. He stepped out first and then held out a towel for her to walk into. He wrapped her fully and hugged her to his chest.

  “God, you spoil me,” she breathed.

  She lifted her head just in time to see a smile curve his lips. The man was absolutely sinful.

  He finished drying her body and then allowed her to wrap the towel around her hair.

  “Don’t bother getting dressed,” he called as she walked back toward the bedroom.

  She smiled at the promise in his voice. No, she wouldn’t need anything to wear for quite a while, she imagined. It was only Saturday night and they had nowhere to be until Monday morning.

  chapter twenty-eight

  “Gabe, I have to run these documents down to John so he can look them over before we leave for Paris. I also have to pick up the marketing plans from him. I thought I’d grab us lunch so we can eat in the office.”

  Gabe glanced up to see Mia standing close to his desk, question in her eyes. He checked the time and saw that indeed it was past time for lunch. He and Mia had been working the entire morning in preparation for their trip to Paris this afternoon.

  Part of him was tempted to keep her sequestered in his office where he could see and touch her at all times. Have someone else go get lunch for them. It was an urge he had to fiercely restrain.

  Even after spending the entire weekend with her in bed, exhausting them both, he hadn’t had enough of her.

  “That’s fine. Don’t go far. The deli down the block is fine. You know what I like.”

  She smiled, her eyes gleaming suggestively at his remark. The little tease did know exactly what he liked in exacting detail. And if she didn’t leave now, he was going to be helpless against his reaction.

  “Go,” he said in a husky voice laced with need. “If you don’t stop looking at me that way, we’ll never get to Paris.”

  Her soft laughter filled the air and his ears as she turned to walk from his office. He experienced a moment of panic when she closed the door behind her, leaving him alone in the now-empty office.

  It wasn’t the same when she wasn’t here, occupying the same space as he was. It was like having clouds move in on a sunny day.

  He refocused his attention on the information in front of him, refusing to watch the clock and wait for Mia’s return.

  Eleanor buzzed him, interrupting his concentration, and he frowned.

  “What is it, Eleanor?”

  “Sir, Mrs. Hamilton is here to see you. Uh, Lisa Hamilton.”

  Gabe blew out his breath and closed his eyes. Not now for God’s sake. Had the world around him gone insane? His father was pursuing his mother and now Lisa was sniffing around again. He’d made it clear to her the last time she’d dragged into his office that he had no desire to see her again, and over his dead body would they ever reconcile.

  Maybe he hadn’t been quite as clear as he thought.

  “Send her in,” Gabe bit out.

  Evidently he was going to have to get his point across in a way she couldn’t possibly misunderstand.

  A moment later, Lisa opened his door and walked in, perfectly made-up, not a hair out of place. But then she’d always looked and acted perfect.

  His gaze narrowed when he saw that she was wearing her wedding rings—rings he’d given her. It disgusted him to see any reminders of his possession of her.

  “Gabe, we need to talk,” she said.

  She settled into the chair in front of Gabe’s desk without waiting for him to issue the invitation or to toss her out, either one.

  “There’s nothing for us to discuss,” he said mildly.

  Her brow furrowed and the first sign of emotion flared in her eyes.

  “What do I have to do, Gabe? How much do you want me to grovel? Tell me so I can do it and we can move on.”

  He tempered his impatience and sat a moment so he didn’t react too harshly. And then he wanted to laugh at the idea that he could act too harshly. She’d skewered him. She’d betrayed him. And he still didn’t know what had made her snap.

  “There is nothing you can do or say that will ever change my mind,” he said in clear, concise words. “We are over, Lisa. That was your choice. You divorced me. Not the other way around.”

  Her face fell and she dramatically wiped at a nonexistent tear.

  “I know I hurt you terribly. I’m so sorry, Gabe. I was such a fool. But we still love each other. It would be a terrible waste for us not to at least try. I can make you happy. I made you happy once. I can do it again.”

  He was close to losing his temper, and he chose his words carefully.

  “I don’t love you,” he said bluntly.

  She flinched, and this time she didn’t have to fake the tears welling in her eyes.

  “I don’t believe you,” she said huskily.

  He sighed. “I don’t really care what you believe. That’s not my problem. You and I are in the past and that’s where we are staying. Stop doing this to yourself—to me—Lisa. I have work to do and I can’t get it done with constant interruptions.”

  “So how does a club on sourdough sound?” Mia said as she entered his office, arms full of the takeout bags.

  She came to a screeching halt when she saw Lisa, and her eyes widened.

  “Oops. Sorry,” she said awkwardly.

  She hastily backed from his office and disappeared, bags in hand. He had to bite his lip to keep himself from commanding her back. Damn it, he wanted Lisa gone, not Mia.

  When his gaze returned to Lisa’s, her eyes were narrowed and recognition flashed.

  “It’s her isn’t it?” Lisa said softly.

  There was accusation in her stare. She rose to her feet, fists clenched at her sides.

  “It’s always been her. I saw the way you looked at her even when we were married. I played it off. She’s Jace’s little sister and so I thought you viewed her with a measure of affection afforded someone her age. But God, you wanted her even then, didn’t you, you bastard? Are you in love with her?”

  Gabe stood, his anger sharp and explosive. “That’s enough, Lisa. You will not say another word. Mia works for me. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

  Lisa made a sound of derision. “I never had a chance, did I, Gabe? Even if I hadn’t been the one to walk out.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” he said in a clipped tone. “I was faithful to you, Lisa. I would have always been faithful. I was committed to our marriage. It’s t
oo bad you weren’t.”

  “Don’t keep fooling yourself, Gabe. I saw the way you looked at her then and how you looked at her just now. I wonder if she has any idea what she’s getting into. Perhaps I should warn her.”

  Gabe came around the desk, no longer able to control the anger biting at him.

  “If you ever so much as breathe in Mia’s direction, I’ll ruin you, Lisa. All the money you still receive from me? Gone. And I won’t hesitate or feel one moment’s remorse over it. You’re a cold, calculating bitch. Mia’s worth ten of you. And if you don’t think I’m enough of a threat, let Jace find out your intentions toward Mia. I guarantee he won’t be as nice or as patient as I’ve been.”

  Lisa’s eyes became calculating. “How much is it worth, me not going to your little assistant?”

  And now she got to the real point of this bullshit reconciliation attempt. He was livid, but he managed to hold on to his temper. Barely.

  “Blackmail won’t work with me, Lisa. You of all people should know that. I know why you’ve come sniffing back around. You’re broke and barely making ends meet on your alimony payments, which by the way, you should know I’ve contacted my lawyer. I’m going to court to have them reduced. I was more than generous in our divorce. Maybe it’s time you got off your ass and worked, or find some other sucker to support you because I’m done.”

  She turned away, clutching her handbag like a lifeline. “You’ll regret this, Gabe.”

  He remained silent, refusing to rise to her bait. It was done as far as he was concerned.

  When she paused at the door, he said, “You won’t be allowed in here again, Lisa. So don’t try it. You’ll only cause a scene and humiliate yourself. I’m going to alert security that you are never to be allowed back, and I’ll tell Eleanor to alert them if she sees you anywhere near my offices.” His voice dropped to a dangerous level. “And so help me God, if you go anywhere near Mia, I’ll make you very sorry. Understand me?”

  Lisa shot him a look filled with so much venom and hatred that he knew everything he’d suspected was absolute truth. She was broke and looking to get back on the money train.