by Lee, Nadia
Damn it.
If it had been somebody else he might have ruined them, but there were limits to what he could do to the mother of his best friend. “I see. Anyway, I didn’t ask to see you to discuss my marriage.”
Pete flushed and said nothing.
“You did a great job while I was gone. I want you to take on more responsibilities.”
“But you’re back now. You hate delegating.”
“I’m going to be busy for a few months. Relating to the…other matter.” I need time to court my wife. “Unless you object.”
“No! No, not at all.” Pete tried, unsuccessfully, to keep a smile from spreading on his face.
“Excellent. I’ll be in direct contact, but so will Hilary.”
“Got it.” If Pete objected to taking orders from Gavin’s admin, he didn’t show it. But then everyone at the firm knew the pecking order: First Gavin, then Hilary, then all the rest.
After Pete left, Gavin logged into Facebook. He’d created a profile only because it promised an easy way to keep in touch with his family, especially Ethan, who’d been working in London at the time. Instead it had morphed into an unproductive hassle since most people in his family were too busy to use it, and he himself never saw the point in posting “Good morning, everyone” or sharing what he’d had for dinner. If people wanted to know about his diet, they could damn well call him.
The photos popped up. Ceinlys had tagged everyone, which was how every “friend” of Gavin’s and Amandine’s had seen it.
Ceinlys had commented on the photos as well: Marriage in trouble? Hard to fathom since they seem so in love. Gavin bought her a jet for their anniversary! What more could a woman ask for?
Underneath was a long string of replies. Gavin considered a response. He wanted to scrub the damned things from the Internet, but any attempt to do so would only bring more attention to them. The best course of action would be to ignore them, no matter how galling.
But he was patient. One day he would even the score with Ceinlys.
* * *
After the appointment with Dr. Silverman, Amandine climbed into the waiting car. The good doctor had reassured her everything was fine with her pregnancy. “The only thing I’m somewhat concerned about is the fact that your mother was diabetic,” she’d said.
“Is that a big deal?”
“Could be, but let’s not worry about that for now since you’re healthy and everything looks normal. Stress is bad for you.”
“So everything’s good?” Brooke asked, pulling away from the curb.
“Yup. Thank god,” Amandine said, then stifled a yawn. “I think I’ll have a nap. I can’t believe how much I’m napping. I’m sleeping my life away.”
“Nothing wrong with that. My sister was always tired, except she had to work through her pregnancy. Just wait until you start to get really big. You won’t even want to get out of bed.”
Amandine made a face. “I’m going to look like a beached whale.”
“A cute beached whale.”
She snorted. “There’s no such thing. What if I can’t lose my pregnancy weight?”
“Don’t worry, it’ll come off. If not, you can use Gavin’s money to hire a trainer. He won’t mind.”
No, he wouldn’t. He never cared how much she spent or what she spent it on.
It took almost an hour to reach the mansion, thanks to the traffic. There had been a minor fender-bender, but that always meant every lane crawled.
Amandine was surprised to see Thomas getting into the Bentley at the house. He was in his customary black suit. His clear intelligent gray eyes warmed as he nodded in greeting. “Ma’am.”
“Hi, Thomas. What are you doing here?”
“About to go home. Gavin’s done for the day.”
“No way.” Her jaw dropped. “It’s not even four.”
He chuckled. “Well, he’s the boss. He can leave whenever he wants.”
She shook her head. Being the boss usually meant he left later than most people, since the buck stopped with him. Gavin took his job seriously, and understood that so many depended on him. Not just employees at the firm, but all the investors and retirees too.
She found him in his study, tapping away on his computer. Ah-ha. So he wasn’t really done.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hey. Come in.” He rose from his chair and crossed the room, while she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. His arms around her loosely, he kissed her gently in a lover’s greeting. “Where have you been?”
“Dr. Silverman’s office.” She sat down on a couch, and Gavin pulled her close until she was practically in his lap.
Something flickered in his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It was at two, and I figured you’d be busy. We just got back.”
He shook his head. “I want to be at every appointment if possible.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize you felt that way.”
“Why wouldn’t I? It’s my baby, too.”
“You’re always so busy.”
“That doesn’t mean the default answer is a no.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “I’ll make sure Brooke updates you with my appointments. Do you want her to send them to you directly or to Hilary?”
“Me. Hilary’s going to be swamped.”
Amandine nodded again, though she was certain Gavin would never make it to any of the appointments. Whenever Hilary got swamped, he got even busier.
“By the way, do you want to go to Houston with me?” he asked.
“I thought it was a board meeting.” She didn’t have a seat on the board, unlike Catherine.
“It is, but you can go into the city if you want. Do some shopping or whatever during the meeting.”
“Who’s coming from your family?”
“Just me and Ethan.”
“What about Catherine?”
“She hasn’t confirmed yet.”
“Mmm… I think I’ll stay home. You can tell me about it when you get back.”
Gavin’s eyebrows rose. “You want to hear about it?”
“Of course. It’s family business, and you said it was important.”
“It is.”
“So I want to know.” She kissed him on the nose. “What’s important to the family is important to me too.”
But the true reason was more complex. Brooke had been right to call her on comparing herself to Catherine and feeling insecure. It wouldn’t be easy to change her mindset, but she wanted to start acting more like she belonged with Gavin, and that meant she needed to be more involved with her in-laws and should try to be more engaged with Lloyd family matters. There wouldn’t be any more Ms. Withdrawn and Distant.
Amandine had demanded that he convince her that she should stay with him, but the four-month period wasn’t just about him doing all the work to salvage their marriage. She wanted him to realize he loved her, and how was he going to do that if she acted aloof or uncaring? Or like she didn’t trust him?
* * *
Even as he nodded, Gavin couldn’t believe Amandine wanted to know. She’d never shown any interest in The Lloyds Development before, and he’d avoided talking about it so as not to bore her. The women he knew were mostly interested in how much cash the company generated, not the daily operational headaches.
She grew pliable on his lap. His body stirred, but her eyelids were drooping and a hint of pallor marked her skin. She was probably exhausted from the trip and the doctor’s appointment. Pregnant women needed extra rest and care.
He carried her to their bedroom. She buried her face in his chest and sighed with contentment. He stripped her out of the sandals and dress and placed her gently on the bed. After taking off his own clothes, he joined her in bed, holding her close.
Her breathing had already deepened into sleep. She was so beautiful. Her cool golden hair spilled over his arms and hands, her skin no longer a sickly grayish white. He traced the gentle curves of her body and rested his hand on her
belly where their baby grew.
He closed his eyes, trying to savor the moment.
What he felt for her was new to him. Holding her while she shuddered in climax and called out his name equaled mind-incinerating heat. Giving her lavish gifts and spoiling her? Near-gleeful joy. But the emotion that unfurled in his heart… It was quiet and tender, but no less intense than spilling his seed into her womb.
Peace, he realized with sudden clarity. This was peace, bone-deep satisfaction and the sense that everything was right with the world.
He opened his eyes and watched his wife sleeping in his arms. He could imagine them like this ten, twenty, forty years from now. There would be gray in her hair and lines on her skin, but she’d still be the most beautiful woman in the world.
Was this love? The poets made it sound like it was some kind of gut-twisting, heart-ripping emotion. Gavin didn’t feel that way. What he felt was soul-calm and happy.
He realized he was smiling.
Chapter Seventeen
AMANDINE OPENED HER EYES when a hunger pang pierced her belly. The bedroom was dark, and she could sense Gavin sleeping next to her. The clock on the nightstand said it was a little after three. Her mouth dropped open. She couldn’t believe she’d slept so late!
She got up carefully, trying not to jostle Gavin. He had a busy day ahead, and she didn’t want to disturb him.
She put on a robe and padded barefoot to the kitchen. The marble floor was cold and smooth. Luna had left a note on the fridge: I made a cheese and beef quesadilla for you. Third shelf.
Ooo, my favorite! Amandine heated it in the toaster oven and ate with gusto, taking a spoonful of salsa and guacamole with each bite. Luna made the best Mexican food in the world.
Once she was finished with her snack, she went to the master bath to brush her teeth and wipe the makeup off her face. When she was done, she tossed her robe on the back of a chair and crawled into the deliciously warm bed.
“Hey,” came Gavin’s gravelly voice.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t wake me up. Something else did.”
“Oh? Wha—”
His mouth covered hers hungrily. “You were taking your sweet time in the bathroom. I thought I’d have to go get you,” he murmured.
“If I’d known you were waiting, I might have hurried.”
He palmed her butt and squeezed, his hands big and hot. “I’ve been thinking about this since this afternoon.” His mouth sought the sensitive spot between her neck and collarbone and found it. She inhaled sharply as he nipped it, then licked it gently.
“Should’ve woken me up,” she breathed out.
“You needed your sleep. And food.”
His concern touched her. She tunneled her fingers into his thick hair, loving what he was doing with his tongue and teeth over her left breast. He hadn’t reached for the pebbled peak yet, just fondling and touching and kissing around it instead. A delicious anticipatory heat started in her belly. He was torturing her, his breath feather-light over her nipple, and she couldn’t wait any longer.
“Don’t be a tease.”
“Never. I take this very seriously.” He flicked the tip of his tongue against her nipple.
She groaned.
“Like it?”
“Love it.”
He pulled the entire nipple with his lips and sucked strongly. Her back arched as white-hot pleasure shot through her. Her eyes rolled as he increased the pressure, driving her insane with his teeth and tongue.
“My god,” she moaned. “Please.”
She felt the vibration of his chuckle on her nipple and came. Pleasure seared through her, incinerating everything from her mind except the incredible ecstasy of his mouth on her breast. Her back arched so hard, she almost dislodged him. She sobbed out her pleasure and the shock that she could come just from having her nipple sucked.
“My god, Gavin,” she said, her voice barely audible. “That was amazing.”
* * *
His wife had no idea what amazing meant if she thought that was amazing.
What was amazing was the entirety of her.
Moonlight was coming in through the windows, and Gavin looked at her face. She was utterly relaxed and soft under him, and he wanted to remember the intimacy of the moment, the loveliness of it.
His cock throbbed against her belly. He could feel the liquid heat between her legs, and what self-control he had slipped a notch.
Suddenly, Amandine pushed him off her. He let her roll him over, so she ended up on top of him, her strong, slim legs straddling his torso. Her slickness pooled on his skin, her pert breasts high and firm.
Amazing view from the bottom.
He reached and caressed the lower curve of her right breast. “I haven’t loved this one yet.”
She sighed softly. “Not right now.” She held his wrist. “Maybe later.”
She glided down his body, her cool hair and hard, pebbled nipples brushing his chest and belly. His breathing grew rougher as she traveled sensuously over him, enjoying his body’s reaction to her.
When she reached his erection, she ran the tip of her hair over the head of his cock. His muscles clenched at the tingling sensation. Jesus, he wanted more, needed more.
He groaned when her mouth replaced her hair. Her tongue swirled over him like an ice cream cone. She wrapped her hand around his shaft, tracing the veins with her fingertips. He reached for her, but she slapped him away.
“My show,” she said, her passion-dark gaze on his.
Her luscious lips surrounded his cock. Her grip was surprisingly strong, and her suction even stronger. Lifting his head, he watched her inhale him, her mouth moving up and down along his length. He had no control over the situation, but for once didn’t care. It was as though the control freak in him had surrendered.
The pleasure from what she was doing with her tongue and lips snuffed any coherent thought from his mind. He held on with desperate control, trying to delay the oncoming rush of orgasm.
“I’m too close,” he managed to say in a voice rough with strain.
“So?” She licked the skin between the head and shaft.
“You better stop.”
“Now why would I do such a thing?” She then took him in even deeper, all the way to the back of her throat.
His eyes rolled back in his head. He was so close, but he wanted her to come again with his cock in her mouth.
“Touch yourself,” he said. “Play with your clit. Make yourself feel good.”
He raised his head and watched, making sure she followed his instructions. She put a hand between her legs; her face flushed with hot pleasure.
Scorching heat snaked through him as he watched her pleasure herself while sucking his cock. He couldn’t hold back any longer.
“I’m going to come,” he panted.
Her only response was even stronger suction and more furious movements of her hand over her sex. An unbearable rush of pleasure welled up and ripped through him. He came with a hoarse shout.
She swallowed every drop and convulsed in climax herself. God, she was beautiful in orgasm, her face twisted with almost torturous ecstasy.
He pulled her up and held her tightly, his breath fanning her skin. He wished he could tell her how he felt, but he was no poet. There weren’t words eloquent enough to express what was in his heart.
So he merely said, “Thank you.”
For being in my life. For giving us another chance.
She snuggled closer. “My pleasure.”
Chapter Eighteen
THE LLOYDS DEVELOPMENT HEADQUARTERS IN HOUSTON was housed in a modern skyscraper that shimmered in the Texas heat. The family had started the business here, but now only the members directly involved in running the company stayed in the city, while the rest lived wherever they wanted.
Gavin went through the cool and airy lobby to the executive floor at the very top of the building. A well-groomed receptionist looked up from a wrap
-around desk. “May I help you, sir?”
“I’m here for the board meeting.”
She studied him for a moment then said, “Mr. Gavin Lloyd?”
Gavin nodded. It wasn’t a particularly difficult guess. Even though Jacob was the better-looking one, both of them displayed their Italian heritage, whereas Ethan was a blond carbon copy of their father.
“This way, please,” she said, and led him into a hall.
The conference room had bagels, donuts, cubed melon and pineapples, smoked salmon and various types of cheese, plus coffee, tea and three types of fruit juice. Gavin felt the skin between his eyebrows tighten. Did anybody have any idea how bad of a shape the company was in?
He helped himself to a cup of coffee and a few slices of the salmon. He was the first one in and had ample time to settle down in his seat, designated as such with a name-plate.
Soon TLD executives in good suits and even better shoes started filing in. A few came by to say hello, but he barely acknowledged them. Instead, he pretended to be checking something on his tablet and observed the executives surreptitiously.
All of them had the right degrees, background and connections. They all played golf at the same country club—one he knew that Jacob belonged to. Their young, nubile wives played tennis whenever Catherine was in the mood. They spoke a bit too loudly, their manners somewhat exaggerated, like actors uncertain on their stage.
Jacob, what the hell were you thinking? These men looked as expensive as a diamond necklace, but far less bright. Gavin wouldn’t have hired them to run a copier, much less a multi-million dollar company.
Ethan arrived soon after everyone had taken their seats. The chest and shoulders he’d developed during his bodybuilding years mandated that he have all his suits custom-tailored. That size, plus the serious expression on his face, gave him quite a bit of presence as he took the seat at the head of the table. He was accompanied by a gorgeous redhead with knife-like eyes and an unfriendly mouth. The woman sat down on his right.
Interesting.
Gavin settled back and let his older brother and his…whatever…run the show.
* * *
Amandine fidgeted in her chair, a cup of hot chocolate steaming on the table in front of her. The café wasn’t crowded at this time of the day. The morning rush had passed, and the lunch crowd wouldn’t show for at least another hour. She fingered an earring, then dropped her hand with a sigh. Why was she so nervous? She just needed to talk to Pete face-to-face. And better to do it sooner rather than later. Hopefully he wasn’t still mad about the possibility of her divorcing Gavin.