Submission and Surrender: The Billionaire's Temptation Series

by Cali MacKay

  She was analyzing him and his answers, and he was realizing that she was quite different when she was in work mode. He doubted she missed a thing. “Yeah, we’ve had run-ins on more than one occasion, since we often times bid against each other for projects. Capaldi also owns a restaurant across the street from Emma’s, which is why we thought he might be responsible for the fire, especially since he and Quinn got into a fistfight just days earlier.”

  Her brows pulled together in question, making her look so serious, her blue eyes alight with curiosity. “What was the fight about?”

  “Emma. Capaldi’s crude and vulgar on the best of days, and Quinn has little tolerance for disrespect or threats, idle or otherwise, especially when it comes to the woman he loves.” And there was no doubt that Quinn had fallen hard and fast for Emma, something Gabe hadn’t seen coming. “If I had to finger someone for this, it’d be Capaldi, especially when he’s rumored to have ties to the mob. Even if he didn’t do it himself, he could have easily had someone else take care of the matter for him. Not that we have any proof.”

  “I’m going to try to get my hands on any surveillance video from traffic cameras and businesses within the area of Emma’s restaurant on the night of the fire. The perpetrators didn’t just fall in from the sky. They’ll have to show up somewhere.”

  If only it were that easy. He shook his head no, hating to disappoint her. “That might be the case if there was an abundance of security cameras, but this is still a relatively small town, and few have bothered. Even with the tourists, we don’t get much trouble, and thieves aren’t usually going to break in to try to steal brass mermaid coat hooks or stuffed toy lobsters.”

  “Funny—but I see your point.” Hadley sat back as Lois approached with their plates of food.

  “Hope you kids are hungry.” Lois slid their plates in front of them, laden with stacks of pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, home fries, and biscuits. It was Gabe’s norm and he’d have no problem finishing it. But Hadley? He couldn’t imagine she’d manage to eat all of it.

  And yet…she didn’t quite finish it, but damn, the girl made a huge dent. “I’m done. It was great, but I don’t think I could eat another bite.”

  “I’m shocked you finished even a third of what you ate. We can finish up here, and then we can either go to my office to run through past business deals and companies we outbid, or go back to the station and check to see if there’s any video footage.” Truth was, he was hoping she’d choose to go back to his office. Certainly, he wanted to catch the asshole messing with his family, but his need for Hadley had yet to subside, and he was desperate to get her alone, especially after watching her come undone at his hand not even an hour earlier.

  “I don’t want to bother Detective Murphy with tracking down the video, since he’s still wrapping up his other case. It can wait until tomorrow.” Hadley’s phone rang, but after a quick glance, she dismissed the call, her body suddenly tense, her brow furrowed, and her breathing unsteady.

  “Was that him? Your ex?” Gabe didn’t even need her to answer to know he was right. Fuck. He wanted to punch the guy.

  “Even if it was, that’s none of your concern.” She avoided his gaze and started digging around in her bag, no doubt trying to avoid him with a mundane distraction.

  “That’s where you’d be mistaken, Hadley. If he’s bothering you—if he wants you back—then you need to tell me.” So he could fucking murder the bastard. “I’m not going to let him harass you.”

  She tossed enough money on the table to cover both their meals as well as a generous tip, only infuriating him further. “Again—how is my personal life any of your concern?”

  “Like hell it isn’t.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “Put your damn money away.” Gabe stuffed Hadley’s money into her bag, tossed a hundred onto the table, and then, grabbing her by the arm, hauled her to her feet and out of the diner, ignoring her curses and protests. He half wondered if someone would call the cops on them, but he didn’t care. He wanted the privacy to get this sorted, and as hot-headed as they both were, he didn’t want them hashing it out in the middle of the diner.

  Hadley’s face was flushed and red, and if looks could kill they’d be getting him a body bag. “You’re a real ass. You know that, right?”

  “So you keep saying.” He was half-surprised when she got into the passenger seat of his car without much protest, but not so surprised when she slammed the door hard enough to practically take it off its hinges. He got in behind the wheel, but didn’t bother starting the car, not wanting to drive while distracted. “Listen to me, babe; if I’m the one making you come on a regular basis—and don’t try telling me that I’m not—then I’m allowed to know if your ex-husband is harassing you. And to that extent, you’re damn right that your personal life is my business.”

  Gabe was frustrated that she was closing him out of her life, especially when he only wanted to protect her, and he was annoyed with himself for actually caring. And he did care, damn it, though why, he hadn’t a clue. The woman was driving him fucking crazy—and suddenly the whole thing was looking all too familiar.

  Quinn…Quinn and Emma.

  Fuck.

  This was turning into a repeat of Quinn acting crazy because he’d fallen for Emma and she was pushing him away—except this time he was the one requiring a fucking straightjacket.

  He could tell himself that Hadley was nothing more than a fling but he was already breaking far too many of his own rules when it came to her, and he’d grown far too attached. What he needed was to either take control of the matter or walk away—and right now, as bad as he wanted her, walking away just wasn’t an option.

  She spun in her seat to look at him, her anger pouring off her in waves. “Why the hell do you care, Gabe? It’s not like you’ll even remember my name once this case is done, and if I can’t be bothered to worry about my ex, then why should you?”

  “Because I’ll be damned if I’ll have him coming around, trying to get in your pants or trying to hurt you. You’re mine, Hadley—for as long as we’re doing this. There’s no way I’m fucking sharing you with the bastard.” The thought itself was enough to make him want to find the guy and put his fist through the man’s face.

  “Yours?” She shook her head and laughed, though there was little humor in it. “I don’t ever remember having that conversation.”

  The woman was going to drive him to drink. “Are you fucking anyone else?”

  With an exasperated sigh, she threw up her hands in frustration. “You know I’m not, Gabe.”

  “Well, neither am I—nor do I want to be.” Fuck…how the hell had that even happened? He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. “You’re mine, Hadley… It has to be that way, because the thought of you with another man makes me fucking crazy.”

  “Yeah…that’s not going to work for me, because, one: I’m not supposed to be fucking you in the first place, and two: you’re insane. I’m only in the area while the investigation is ongoing, not to mention, I’m not making any sort of commitment when I’m just your flavor of the week.” She let out a sigh, and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze to quell some of his frustration. “I like you, Gabe, but you’re not exactly a safe bet when it comes to boyfriend material, and I have a real crappy track record.”

  He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her close, nuzzling her, before capturing her mouth in a kiss. “I won’t hurt you, babe. I swear it. And I’ve been nothing but loyal since this started.”

  “Which was only a few days ago, Gabe.” She let out a weary sigh and stole a small kiss, her lips lingering against his. “You can’t tell me you want something serious—something long-term. I like you far too much, and I’ll only end up wanting more than you can give me.”

  “What if I could give you more than I’ve ever given anyone else?” Hell, he’d already gone there, breaking rule after rule. At this point, he needed to see this through. And he hated to admit it, but he s
till needed her. Desperately. He didn’t know how or why she’d gotten under his skin, but she had, and he was far from having his fill of her. “I want you, Hadley—more than I’ve ever wanted anyone. And I’m serious about this—about you—and I refuse to let you dismiss what’s between us as just another fling. Because we both know it’s not.”

  “No, I suppose it isn’t. But, Gabe…it still doesn’t mean that this won’t end with me getting the shit end of the stick. I’m sacrificing my career—and possibly even my heart—and for what? For something that’ll end in just a few weeks when I’m done with the case, and forced to go back home?” She looked away, her gaze falling on their linked hands. “It’s too big a risk.”

  “And it’s one worth taking, damn it.” He cupped her face in both his hands, brushing his thumb across her lips, watching the effect it had on her as her lids fluttered shut and her breath caught. He was absolutely desperate—desperate to make her see sense, desperate to make her realize what she meant to him. And fuck…but she did. At this point, she was everything. “Hadley…I can’t take no for an answer, so for fuck’s sake just say yes—to whatever this is.”

  Her eyes opened as she took him in, the worry in her eyes subsiding to resignation. “Yes—but please, don’t fuck with me, Gabe. I don’t need another broken heart.”

  Outright panic would normally be Gabe’s normal response to talk of any sort of commitment—and yet all he could feel was relief that she’d said yes.

  And that meant he was screwed. Royally.

  ***

  Gabe dropped Hadley off at the police station so she could check in with her partner and finish investigating the leads she was tracking, while he got back to his own work, feeling as if he had a ton to catch up on. He spent the day answering emails and phone calls, pushing through papers that needed to be approved or sent through to their lawyers, and working on the projects they had coming down the pike. Everything had to be perfectly choreographed, or one missed permit, one missed signature, one missed inspection, could delay a project for weeks.

  Yet, busy as he was, his concentration was shattered and unfocused. He knew what the problem was, but refused to actually acknowledge it, knowing he was already on one hell of a slippery slope where Hadley was concerned. Instead of giving his work his undivided attention, he’d instead spent the day looking at the clock, counting down the hours until he could go see her again.

  Whatever he had going on with Hadley was unlike anything he’d experienced before now. He was already trying to find a way to get her to stick around, knowing that she’d be leaving once she wrapped up the case. And though he could try to fight what was happening between them, he was curious to see how it would all play out.

  A knock on his open door had him looking up. Quinn walked in and took a seat across from Gabe’s desk. “How are things going with Hadley and the investigation?”

  Gabe finished signing the papers he was working on, and sat back in his seat. “Hadley was thinking that with the amount of exposure we get in the tabloids, we may have caught someone’s attention in a way that may not be healthy. I’ve got Nancy pulling together any mail we may have received that looks questionable—anything that might veer towards the extreme.”

  “Does that mean she hasn’t called her boss and asked to be moved to a different assignment?” Quinn’s brows perked up in question, his lips curled in a sarcastic smile.

  Wondering just how much Quinn knew, Gabe gave him a shrug. “We’ve managed to find a compromise that should work for everyone involved.”

  “A compromise, huh?” Quinn cursed under his breath, in humor and disbelief. “You’re unbelievable, though I won’t give you a hard time, since I know you won’t let it interfere with her investigation and…well, I think she could be good for you.”

  Gabe balked, feeling defensive, despite thinking the same thing. “Good for me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  When Quinn smirked, Gabe couldn’t help but glare at him. “It means that it’s nice to see you taking an interest in a woman beyond dinner and dipping your wick.”

  “You’re real funny. But just remember—you were no different than me before meeting Emma.” Meeting Emma had been life-changing for his brother, and quick as it had all happened, Gabe found he was still adjusting to the idea that his brother had actually found true love. Maybe Gabe was still cynical that it could actually happen to him, though he was finally starting to come around to the idea that there was more to life than being a bachelor. He could now see the happiness that could be found when one finally met that special someone.

  “I’m a better man—and far happier—for it. Speaking of which, I want your opinion on something—Morgan’s too, if you’re around on Saturday.” Quinn shifted in his seat, an underlying tension in his shoulders.

  “Everything okay?” They were a pretty tight-knit family and if there was something wrong, they rallied. No judgment.

  Getting to his feet, Quinn gave him a smile Gabe didn’t quite understand. “Yeah. Better than okay. Saturday at noon—we’ll meet at my place.”

  It was all a bit odd, but he tried not to think about it. Quinn would tell him what was going on when he was ready. “Yeah…sounds fine.”

  With Hadley still invading his thoughts, he wrapped up for the day, and stopped by Nancy’s desk. “Were you able to find anything?”

  “I don’t quite know what you’re looking for but I did my best to sort through anything that might be relevant.” Nancy had been with Ryker Investments from the start, and was more like an aunt to them than an office manager. She did an amazing job wrangling everything they needed to keep their company running like a well-oiled machine, and Gabe had no doubt they’d be lost without her. “Here you go, dear. If there’s anything else…”

  “I’ll be sure to let you know. Thanks.” Gabe took the file she handed him and peeked at the letters she’d printed out while heading for the elevator. Though he already had plans to see Hadley for dinner, he was happy to have a more valid excuse for seeing her than simply wanting to get his hands on that sweet body of hers.

  What he hadn’t expected was to see her rushing across the hotel lobby, an overnight bag slung over her shoulder. “Gabe…I’ve got to cancel. Sorry…I’ll be back in time for work tomorrow.”

  “Hey.” Running a hand down her arm, he stopped her from taking off, genuinely worried. “What’s happened?”

  “Family stuff…my sister…I doubt it’s anything. Probably the same old drama, though I really need to check in with them...just in case it’s something more serious.” She waved him away, though there was still worry in her eyes. “I’m sorry, but I’ve really got to run. She’ll be waiting for me.”

  “I’m coming with you—even if I have to wait for you in the car. You’re upset, and I don’t want you driving.” There was no way he was letting her out of his sight when she looked downright shaken. She may be doing a half decent job of masking it, but after years of reading people during business transactions, he wasn’t fooled by her nonchalance. Whatever had happened was more serious than she was letting on.

  She gave his hand a squeeze, her body brushing against his so it took all he had to not wrap his arms around her and hold her close. “That’s really sweet of you, Gabe, but my family is crazy. I wouldn’t subject my worst enemy to this.”

  “Hadley…you know there’s no way in hell that I’m letting you go alone.” No fucking way. “Just give me two minutes to grab a bag, and we’ll be on our way.”

  They got on the road quickly enough, but Boston traffic and the evening commute slowed them down as they tried to make their way to the southern part of the state. Gabe was glad she’d let him drive, given how antsy she was. He didn’t know what had happened with Hadley’s sister, Abby, but it was clear Hadley was not only upset but frustrated and angry.

  Gabe didn’t think she’d want to talk about what was going on, so instead, he did his best to distract her with small talk, at first, and then work. “Those emails
and letters you wanted are in a file in my briefcase, if you want to have a look.”

  “Yeah, I’d love to. I need to get my mind off things—and it’s either work or sex, and since you’re driving…” Despite the shrug and smile she gave him, despite her words, he could still see the stiff tension in her movements and the anxiety in her eyes.

  Seeing her upset was driving him crazy. Maybe a bit of flirting and humor would work to distract her. “Babe, I’m happy to pull over if you want me to fuck your worries away. Just say the word.”

  She reached around behind his seat, and after a moment of digging around, she pulled the folder with the letters into her lap, though her gaze flicked over at him. “Are we really doing this then? The whole discreet sex thing? Because if I did actually agree to that, I’m sure I could argue that I was under duress.”

  “If you’re trying to say that you don’t want me fucking you, then I’m calling you out as a liar—and not only that, but I’m going to paddle your ass red for not being honest with me.” The mere thought of her plump ass draped over his lap as his hand stung from marking her pale skin with his handprint had him going rock hard.

  He glanced over to gauge her reaction, wondering whether or not she’d enjoy herself. Her cheeks had flushed red and he had no doubt that she was wet from the mere thought of it.

  Her eyes narrowed at him, her breathing shallow and her nipples visibly hard under her sweater. “You wouldn’t…”

  “Tell me you wouldn’t enjoy it, sweetheart, and I won’t bring it up again. But I’ll know if you’re lying to me, and that’ll only get you in more trouble.” Fuck, he wanted her. He’d never dated anyone long enough to really experiment, even though he knew what he liked. And if he had to hazard a guess, he’d say Hadley would be more than willing if she decided to quit pushing him away.

  “The way I see it, I don’t need to give you an answer, because I’m not having this conversation.” She opened the file and quickly gave the papers a preliminary glance, though it was clear she was just trying to avoid their conversation.