“I want that, too,” she said honestly. “Duke, you’re unlike any man I’ve ever known. Thank you for caring enough about me to make me wait. Even though I kind of hate you for it.”
He grinned and grabbed her waist as he kissed all around her mouth, driving her out of her mind.
“Hate me?” The tease in his eyes made her giggle. “I’ll change that, baby. I’ll chase that hate so far away you won’t remember the word.”
Their mouths and bodies came together at once. The sensations of his hard shaft stroking her, filling her, while he kissed her and loved her with his hands, mouth, and entire being, was pure and explosive.
“You’re mine, baby.” His breath stroked over her skin. “You own me.”
Ripples of emotion seared through her with his words. Their bodies moved in perfect sync, gasps of pleasure mingled with cries of passion. Her skin sizzled with his touch, and when he looked deeply into her eyes, holding her at the brink of ecstasy, she was sure she’d pass out from sensation overload. His hands skimmed down her sides to her hips, and he held on tight.
“Duke…” She arched toward him.
“I’m right here with you, baby.”
He captured her mouth with his at the same time he thrust in deep, and they tumbled over the edge together.
Chapter Twenty-One
THE SUN STREAKED in through Gabriella’s living room windows, cutting across the table where she’d been working since five o’clock in the morning. By the time Duke left last night it was after midnight, and she’d been too worn out to prepare for work today. Now it was almost seven thirty and the noises of the city played like a symphony outside her window. It wasn’t the sounds of the sea or the whimsical chirping of birds that she loved so much, but the sounds of cars on pavement, horns blasting, and the energy of people passing by were more comforting than the silence of her four walls, and that was something she needed. Especially this morning.
Her thoughts were so tangled up in Duke that she felt like she could barely think straight. When he’d left last night he’d kissed her like he might never see her again. When their lips parted, he’d made only one promise. It wasn’t a promise to call, or a promise of another date. No, Duke Ryder’s confidence went well beyond the here and now. While her lips were still stinging from their passionate kiss, he’d said, One day I will wake up with you in my arms. She’d wanted to beg him to stay, to tell him that she wanted this morning to be that day, but even if she had, he would’ve explained again that he didn’t want to be her regret. He continually put her best interests first, and doing so showed her who he really was. She admired that quality—and disliked it—in equal measure. Weren’t guys supposed to cave about things like sex and spending the night? Wasn’t the allure of sex without a condom, the feel of their most intimate parts coming together without any separation, as exciting to them as it was to a woman?
She pushed her fingers into the sandy bucket he’d given her and closed her eyes. If she tried hard enough, she could feel the sand beneath her feet, see Duke walking beside her that first day she showed him the island. His easy ways filled her thoughts. He’d never said a word about the hem of his expensive pants getting dirty, or having to walk for hours in the blazing heat. Despite her efforts to turn him off to the island, he’d connected with the people and fallen in love with it one minute at a time. He was unlike any businessman she’d ever known. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and not just for her; she’d seen it with everyone he spoke to, in everything he did.
As she gathered her papers and slid her feet into her heels, she took one last look at her apartment, remembering how they’d burst through the doors last night, unable to keep their hands off each other. The air had pulsed with their passion. It filled every room, seeped into every crevice of the apartment and her heart. Now the air felt stagnant. Even the sounds of the city didn’t bring the energy she craved. How could it when there was only one person on earth who could?
As she put her documents and her purse into her leather messenger bag and slung it over her shoulder, she realized that even after just a few short hours, she was missing Duke in the same way she missed the island—deeply and achingly, as if he, too, had already become a part of her.
She pulled the apartment door closed behind her and checked the lock, remembering Duke checking out her villa the first night he’d walked her home.
The elevator was nearly full. Staring straight ahead as the doors closed, Gabriella wondered why the first day back to work after being away always felt like it was narrated in her head as, Another day in the crazy, mixed-up life of Gabriella Liakos. Out with the happy-island persona; in with the steel-skinned lawyer.
If she were on the island, she’d be watching birds land on the sand, getting ready to go help her mother, or walking the kids to the bus, or whatever else anyone needed help with, instead of pushing through these glass doors and waiting for a break in the sea of people so she could step onto the sidewalk without being pushed or trampled.
She pushed away thoughts of the island and tried to get comfortable in her steel-skinned facade.
**
DUKE STOOD BESIDE the black sedan parked outside of Gabriella’s building, where he’d been for the past twenty minutes, as she pushed through the doors and scanned the throngs of people passing by. She looked so beautiful, so professional in her dark suit, peach blouse, and high heels. He stepped through the crowd, and when their eyes met, confusion flashed in hers only seconds before her smile reached them.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
“Duke?” She wrapped her arms around his neck as he leaned in for a kiss.
Her lips were soft and warm, the perfect remedy to a morning of missing her.
“I couldn’t go all day without seeing you.” He waved to the car. “I’ll give you a ride to work.”
“It’s only a few blocks. I usually walk.” Her eyes dragged down his chest, bringing the heat that had been simmering inside him all night to the surface. “Wow, you do clean up nice.”
“So do you, babe. I’ll walk with you. Just give me a second.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her knuckles, hating to leave her even just to cross the sidewalk. He opened the back door, pulled out the papers he wanted to show her, and told his driver to meet him at her office in twenty minutes.
Settling a possessive hand on her lower back, he kissed her again. “Shall we?”
“Don’t you have to go to work?” She glanced at the papers in his hand.
“I’ve been at work for the last two hours.” He leaned in close again, wrapping his hand firmly around her waist, and said, “I missed you last night. I hope you slept well.”
They moved with the crowds to the corner and waited for the light to change.
“Not well, but…”
“One day you’ll go to sleep in my arms. Then you’ll sleep well.” He lifted the papers he wanted to show her. “I did some research this morning and looked into islands that don’t allow cars.” He flipped through the pictures. “This is Hydra. It’s one of the—”
“I know Hydra,” she said with a look of awe in her eyes. “It’s one of the Saronic Islands of Greece. A short trip from Athens.”
The light changed and they followed the crowd across the street. Holding the pictures in one hand, Duke kept an arm around Gabriella.
“I figured you might. This is Bald Head Island, which I’m sure you know of. They don’t allow cars, but they do have roads.”
Her brows knitted in that adorable, confused way she had. “Why are you showing me these?”
“Research, baby. I’m putting together ideas for our proposal, and I wanted you to weigh in.”
“Me to…? Really?” She took the pictures of the two islands from his hands and looked them over. “What do you mean, weigh in?”
They were walking quickly to keep pace with the pedestrian traffic, too quickly for Duke. He wished he could stretch the morning out into the afternoon, then the evening, all t
he way to the next morning.
“Give me your two cents. You don’t want streets on Elpitha, but roads allow rescue vehicles to reach their destinations quicker than dirt roads would. And there are other things to consider—”
“I don’t know what you want from me, Duke. I understand that roads help rescue vehicles move quicker, but they also cause habitat fragmentation for animals. Some animals won’t cross the open space that roads create because of the threat of predators. Did you know that?”
He hadn’t thought of that.
“Disturbing the natural environment of plants and animals will definitely have an impact on both. Besides, once there are roads, cars aren’t far behind.” Gabriella stopped in front of her office building. Gone was the smile that reached her eyes, replaced with the serious face of a competent attorney making her case.
He admired her ability to remain steadfast in her beliefs, but he also had a partner to appease and returns on investments to consider. He wasn’t a quitter. He had the will, and he’d find a way to fulfill his promise to Gabriella without failing Pierce.
“There can still be rules and regulations for the island that prohibit cars.”
She shook her head. “Until the investment begins losing money and you sell out. Then the next investor will take it to the next level. I don’t know, Duke. I don’t think I should be involved with this because it’s only upsetting me.”
He gathered her in close, hating that he’d upset her, and kissed her forehead.
“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to upset you. I’m just trying to involve you in the process, to get your insight.”
She pushed the pictures against his chest and took a step back. “Well, now you have it. I have to get inside for an eight o’clock meeting.”
“Gabriella.” He closed the distance between them. “Baby, I honestly wasn’t trying to upset you.”
She went up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss. “I know you weren’t. I’m still glad I got to see you this morning.”
He tugged her in closer. “Baby, I—”
“Well, hello, Mr. Ryder.”
Duke turned toward the pretty, petite brunette holding a to-go cup in each hand. She had a scrutinizing look in her dark eyes. He had no idea who she was, but the smirk on her painted lips and the quick shift of her eyes to Gabriella told him that Gabriella did.
“Hi, Addy,” Gabriella said in a much kinder tone than he’d received only moments earlier. “Duke, this is my friend and assistant, Addison Dahl.”
“Ah, Addison, the woman who’s like a sister to my Gabriella. She speaks very highly of you. I’m glad we have a chance to meet.” Duke was trying to concentrate on Addy, but Gabriella’s response to his earlier efforts to include her in his planning left him a little worried, and her momentary bristle at his possessive words did nothing to ease his concern.
Addison handed a coffee cup to Gabriella and said, “Gab’s full of lies, lies, lies.” She winked at Gabriella and added, “I’m ten times greater than she’s led you to believe.”
“You’d have to be to keep up with her,” Duke said without missing a beat.
Addison’s eyes ran between the two of them. “True, and I’ve got her back in all regards, so be good to her.”
Gabriella rolled her eyes.
“She’s lucky to have a friend like you, Addy,” Duke said, undeterred by the hint of tension in Gabriella’s eyes. “It’s a good thing my only plan is to be better than good to her.”
“Good to hear.” Addy leaned in close to Gabriella as she walked past, and he heard her whisper, “Hot, hot, hot.”
“Ohmygod. I’m sorry. She’s…” She laughed. “She’s Addy.”
“She’s awesome. A little spitfire. I like her, and she obviously thinks the world of you, which makes me like her even more.” He lifted the flap on her messenger bag and slid the pictures inside. “Baby, I’m sorry I upset you. Hold on to these. Maybe at some point you’ll feel differently.”
Her gaze softened, and when she touched her hand to his waist, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“I know. I have a hell of a day ahead of me, and…I’m sorry. I’m glad I got to see you this morning. It’s crazy how much I missed you in just a few hours.”
His car pulled up at the curb and his driver stepped out to open the door.
“I’ve got to run to a meeting.” He gave her a quick kiss. “If missing each other is crazy, then someone better get a straitjacket made for two.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
AFTER HIS MEETING with his legal team, Duke spent the afternoon researching alternative ideas for the island and trying to figure out a compromise that would appease both Pierce and Gabriella. When his cell phone rang with a call from his brother Cash, he was glad for the distraction.
“Hey, Cash. How’s it going?” Duke and Cash made a point of getting together fairly often, since they both lived in New York.
“Well, big brother, that depends. Are you free tonight?” Cash’s deep voice rang with excitement.
“I’m seeing Gabriella. What do you have in mind?”
“Gabriella?”
She’d already become such a big part of his life, he’d forgotten that he had yet to tell his family about her. “My girlfriend. I met her last week.”
“Damn. Seriously?”
Cash had been on Duke about settling down ever since he’d met his wife, Siena. “Yes, seriously. What’s up?”
“Whoa, feisty, aren’t you?” Cash laughed. “Trish is coming into town for a few days. She decided not to take time off as she’d planned. She’s got some new role and has a meeting tomorrow, and Jake is coming with her. Apparently he was out in Cali for a search and rescue mission and the timing happened to work out. We’re all having dinner tonight. Mom and Dad are meeting us. Bring Gabriella. I’m curious about the woman who’s got you tied up in knots.”
Of course his brother would sense how much Gabriella meant to him. “Who says I’m tied in knots?”
“You said her name—that was my first clue. Usually you say you have a date, or an appointment, and then you follow it up by saying you’ll reschedule it and blow them off for the chance to get together with family. And you went with ‘girlfriend.’ Bro? For you, that says it all.”
He laughed. “Dude, she’s got a lasso around my heart and she doesn’t even realize it.”
“It’s about time,” Cash said with his own deep laugh.
They talked a while longer and made plans to meet for dinner. After ending the call, Duke texted Gabriella.
Would you do me the honor of joining me at dinner with a few of my siblings and my parents?
Gabriella’s answer came a few seconds later. Meeting the family? That’s a big deal. He frowned, wondering if this was another push for space. Her reaction to their discussion that morning had concerned him, but she’d been so sweet by the time he’d left that he’d thought they were over it.
His phone vibrated with another text from Gabriella. Ha-ha! I’m in!
“You tease, you,” he said as he typed another text—Thanks, baby. I’ll call when I finish up here. And I’ll be in you tonight. Xox.
With a self-satisfied smirk on his lips and his cock twitching with just the idea of being buried deep inside the woman he adored, he set to work figuring out a way to make the island investment work.
Gabriella’s response came in a moment later. Blushing…
An hour later he and Pierce were going head-to-head over the phone.
“Duke, we had a plan,” Pierce said with his typical all-business self-confidence. “A solid investment plan. Now you’re changing the game midstream.”
Duke knew he was in the wrong. He and Pierce were close buddies beyond being investment partners. They’d known each other for years, and Pierce was right. But Duke wasn’t about to screw with Pierce’s trust. He had to lay out all the cards.
“You’re right, and I’m sorry, Pierce. But I’ve fallen for Gabriella, and honestly, she means too much to me to go
against her wishes.”
“Well, hell, Duke. Why didn’t you say so from the get-go? That’s a whole different animal than simply changing shit based on a bug you’ve got up your ass.” He heard the joy in Pierce’s tone. “I know just how quickly love can consume a person. Look at me and Rebecca. I’d have given up an investment for her in a heartbeat.” Pierce had been a major player before meeting Rebecca, and she’d stolen his heart as quickly as Gabriella had captivated Duke’s.
“I’m not giving up on the investment. Now I have even more of a reason to make Elpitha something spectacular,” Duke explained. “Only I want to do it with her thoughts in mind.”
He and Pierce agreed to try to move forward in a way that would ensure a strong return on investment without creating a mini Las Vegas on Elpitha Island. They conferenced in Pierce’s sister Emily, an expert in passive houses and green building, and two hours later their plan was set in motion.
**
GABRIELLA HUNG UP the phone with Mary McGrady and groaned. Mr. McGrady’s attorney had pulled major strings, but even he hadn’t been able to pull off a court date this week. They weren’t scheduled to appear in court until next week, which meant another week of stress for Gabriella.
The case should have been open and shut in mediation. Divide the property, put together a fair custody agreement, child support, all the usual garbage that goes along with breaking up eighteen years of marriage. Now Mary was having second thoughts about the divorce altogether. And her dickhead husband, who kept a lover in an East Side apartment, was leading her right down the path to hell, making promises he’d never keep, like saying he’d break it off with the girlfriend he’d been sleeping with for fourteen months. Gabriella had seen spouses make this mistake too many times to count, but she had to be careful with her advice. She’d wanted to remind Mary that she shouldn’t have to threaten divorce in order to win her husband out of someone else’s arms. But like most of her clients, Mary already knew that. Instead, Gabriella told her what she told all of her divorcing clients who had children: Their decision would affect their entire family and they should make it with great care to remember that their actions—no matter which way they decided to proceed—were lasting messages to their children. What she didn’t ask was if she’d want her daughter to remain with a man who cheated on her. It still amazed her, even after years of dealing with divorcing families, that parents seemed to think they were living in a bubble and that their children saw only what they wanted them to see.
Claimed by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders, Book 2): Duke Ryder Page 17