Argh, he was dreading the day it had to happen. That was the last thing he wanted. But if this saga was still ongoing after New Year’s Day, then he’d make that call even if it broke his heart. Better that he be the only target rather than keep dragging Erin into the firing line with him. He couldn’t be selfish when so much was at stake.
Regardless, he couldn’t let Mallory keep coming on to Erin. Tonight, he was still her fiancé. And truthfully, he was getting jealous.
Erin noticed him approach. “Hi, honey,” she said, holding out her hand for him to grab.
He melted, just as his heart skipped a beat.
“Brad!” Mallory boomed, clearly buoyed by some alcohol in his system. “I’ve been wanting to speak to you all night.”
“Oh, right,” he said courteously.
“I better leave you guys to talk shop,” Erin said, smiling at the both of them.
“Sure, babe,” he said. He squeezed her hand before letting her go.
“So, Brad,” Mallory said in a low voice when Erin was out of earshot. “Man-to-man talk. Are you and Erin really together? Or is it all a front?”
“What do you mean?”
Mallory glanced around furtively before leaning closer to him. “I heard that the two of you are just acting to show James Coyte that you weren’t after his wife. Apparently, Erin is a good friend of yours from way back, and also your sister’s best friend, so she was happy to help you get out of a sticky situation with James.”
Brad stared at Mallory, momentarily speechless. How could he dispute that when it was the truth? “Where did you hear that from?” was all he could say.
Mallory explained to him, and all Brad could do was shake his head. Just like what Gavin had uncovered in his investigations, most rumours seemed to have started when someone in Brad’s business circle overheard a loud conversation in a public place about him. No one had been able to give details on the identity of the gossiping strangers, who’d conveniently ensured that they were heard loud and clear by the people who knew Brad. Even when they’d been approached and questioned, they’d quickly shut up and left the scene. Unfortunately for Brad, the details that had been overheard were accurate enough in some parts that it had been easy for his business acquaintances to believe that there might be some truth to the whole thing.
“So you and Erin are really engaged?” Mallory pressed.
“Yes,” he answered. Erin was becoming more and more involved in his mess, and he was getting more and more concerned about its effects on her.
“Okay,” Mallory said in defeat. “Sorry about that. And sorry about all these negativities surrounding you and Erin. Hope you both get out of it unscathed.”
“Thank you,” he said sincerely.
The entertainment director’s voice came through the speakers, announcing that dinner would be served in two minutes. Brad excused himself and left the room to call Gavin. Gavin had to know about this new development.
“Damn,” Gavin said after Brad had finished updating him.
“Tell me about it,” he said dryly. “These rumours seem to be coming thick and fast now. And this last one’s worrying me because it’s the truth. But who’d know that?”
“There’s a possibility that whoever started it was making things up and just happened to hit on the truth. But, yes, it’s so accurate that it’s worrying. You’re sure that the only people who know about this secret were at Cassie and Carter’s engagement party at Lucas and Jade’s, right?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “And you know they’re all family and friends that I can trust with everything I’ve got. They wouldn’t have breathed a word of this to anyone else.”
“Okay. Rest assured, I’m putting everything I’ve got into this.”
“Thanks, Gavin.”
“There’s something else, Brad. I was gonna tell you tomorrow, since you’re at a function tonight. But this one’s...”
Brad didn’t like Gavin’s pause. “How bad is it?” he asked wryly. “Is it about me embezzling my client’s money or something like that?”
“It involves Erin.”
His heart lurched. “What about Erin?”
“I have a contact who gave me credible information. The women’s magazine who wanted to interview you before received a request from a so-called reader on their website, saying they’d be interested in the scandal about you. Now, it appears the magazine thinks it’s a great idea, and that the perfect angle would be how you—a good-looking, successful man—appear to have created troubles for your fiancée, who’s had an exemplary record with JMR for seven years. They intend to explore the question of how foolish some women can become just to keep their men, or something like that.”
“Are you kidding me? What utter rubbish! Is that really a topic they’d run with?”
“Why are you surprised?” Gavin said dryly. “Haven’t you seen their usual headlines?”
“I don’t read crap publications. So how can we stop them?”
“It would depend on what they say and how they act. But those people are smart enough to know just how far they could push the boundaries without landing themselves into a legal nightmare. The Delsant case is still ongoing, and Anthony’s allegations have made their way into the public arena. I wouldn’t be surprised if the magazine takes the smoke from that and turn it into a wildfire without getting into too much trouble. Anyway, I’ve already initiated investigations on the IP address of the reader through the help of my mole. But it seems like the post was made from a public computer in an Internet café with no security cameras pointing to the area where the machines were.”
Brad’s mind whirled with worst-case scenarios and possible consequences as he stared into space. “Erin will continue to be dragged into this for as long as she’s my fiancée, right?”
Gavin’s response was a heavy exhale.
He shut his eyes, raking his hair with his fingers. “But if she’s not with me anymore, it wouldn’t make sense for the magazine to go ahead with their story, would it? They can’t paint Erin as foolish when she’s broken up with me.”
“Well, you’re not really going to do that, are you? Your engagement might be fake, but from what I can tell, your relationship isn’t anymore, is it?”
“But Erin doesn’t deserve this, Gavin,” he said with determination, letting Gavin read between the lines. “It would make life hell for her. And if she’s forced to leave JMR, who’d want to employ her if she’s still with me? As long as we’re together, she’ll continue to be a target of my saboteur, and her integrity will always be questioned.”
“I’m working as fast as I can, Brad. I don’t think you have to do anything drastic at this point.”
“I don’t think we can wait that long, Gav. Erin’s reputation could be in tatters before we catch anyone.”
“So what are you going to say? That the two of you decided you’re not ready to get married?”
“Something like that, I guess.”
“But it will be so much easier to whip up negative rumours about you, then—like you’ve cheated on Erin, or that she found out that you’re really a crook, so she left you.”
“Then that’s good. Because it has to be me who has to look bad so that Erin won’t get stuffed around anymore. It’s my fault she’s in this situation.”
“I’d say talk to Erin first about this, Brad. I don’t think she’ll agree with this plan.”
He chuckled wryly. “I will have a hell of a time making her agree. Erin is so stubborn. She will insist on keeping up our fake engagement for my sake and try to come up with another solution. But the magazine writers could very well turn up at the doorstep of Erin’s colleagues to interview them, and JRM wouldn’t be happy. They’ve already stuck their neck out enough for Erin regarding the Delsant case. I’m not sure how much more support they can give Erin if JMR keeps getting negative publicity because of her.”
Gavin was silent for a long time. “I’d ask you to hold off for a few more days before you take that o
ption, Brad,” he finally said. “But since I can’t guarantee you when we’ll identify the perp, I understand where you’re coming from.”
“I can still salvage my reputation when we finally catch the bastard. In the meantime, I’ve got to protect Erin. This whole thing has gotten beyond ridiculous.”
“Okay. I’ll keep you updated with developments.”
“And, Gav, I will tell Erin about what Mallory heard, but please don’t tell her about this magazine thing. Let’s neutralise this threat without her or anybody else knowing.”
“No problem.”
“Great. Thanks, Gav.”
“Thank me after I solve the case.”
He chuckled. “I’m holding my breath, bro,” he said, borrowing Rick’s line.
As soon as he hung up, all humour left him. He stared at the door of the function room, where Erin was enjoying herself with his clients and staff. How cruel was it that the same night he’d acknowledged that he had fallen for her was the same night he’d have to give her up? But there was no other choice. Best that he put aside his feelings at this time. He couldn’t let Erin sacrifice her career and reputation for him. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself otherwise.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Erin watched Brad enter the bedroom, only wearing boxer shorts for bed, like he usually did. She squirmed, feeling that delicious tingle between her legs. She was still on a high from the success of his company’s Christmas party. What better way to expend her extra energy than to make love with Brad, even though it was nearly two in the morning?
Brad came to bed, and she immediately curved her arms around his neck and drew him to her. “It was a great night, wasn’t it?” she said, kissing his jaw.
“Yes. Hey, I want to talk to you about something.”
“What?” She licked his bottom lip.
“Erin...”
“Yes?” she asked, kissing him fully.
Brad kissed her back, but rather reluctantly. “We need to talk.”
“Uh-huh. What about?” She pressed herself against him. Hmm. He was getting hard.
“You’re distracting me.”
“Then let yourself get distracted,” she murmured, rubbing her leg against Brad’s.
“But...”
“But what?” she whispered against his lips.
“This might be a long conversation.”
“About?”
“Work. Particularly yours.”
Aha. She bet he was going to dissuade her from taking time off between Christmas and New Year’s, when he’d planned to visit a client at the Whitsundays and take her with him. He obviously still wanted them to pretend their relationship was in trouble. No way. She wanted to be somewhere special with him on his birthday on the twenty-eighth, even though that trip would be partly business related.
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow,” she said, snaking her hand inside his undies and stroking his burgeoning erection.
“Babe,” Brad protested half-heartedly.
“I’ve been horny for hours,” she said seductively against his ear, taking off her lingerie. She hadn’t bothered with panties.
Brad groaned and rolled on top of her. “You’re so damned tempting,” he said accusingly.
Giggling, she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him in for a smooch.
But Brad reared up and gazed at her so intently that it made her heart dance.
Whenever he looked at her like that, she could swear she saw love in his eyes. But he probably wasn’t fully ready for what he was feeling yet, so she wasn’t going to rush him. She guessed he was taking his time to get used to the idea of commitment.
“Make love to me first,” she murmured, licking her lips. “Then we’ll talk about work.”
He sighed, before dipping his head to capture her mouth.
She smiled in triumph.
“Why are you so freaking irresistible?” he grumbled, his kisses restrained.
She laughed. “Stop complaining, Mr. Mead. I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Erin,” he whispered, before giving her an impassioned yet slow kiss that made her melt and burn at the same time.
Oh, Brad.
She raked his hair, holding him in place as she let her lips convey deep feelings that she hadn’t had the guts to say out loud. Her heart swelled even more as Brad responded in kind, their kiss touching that part of her that only Brad could reach.
She arched against him, eager for more. Oh, she needed him to be naked. Impatiently, she pushed down his boxer shorts and grasped his hardness.
“Shh,” Brad hummed soothingly as he rained kisses on her face. “We have all night.”
“Technically, we don’t. It’s already past two.”
Brad chuckled. “Since you want to have sex first, then I’m going to take my time in kissing every inch of you,” he said, his lips travelling to her neck. “You can’t hurry me, because I intend to savour every single minute of this.” He took a nipple in his mouth.
She let out a gasp of delight. “I’ll try not to come too soon, then.”
“Oh, no, baby,” Brad murmured, placing his hand on her crotch. “You can come as many times as you want. In fact, I intend to make you do just that.”
She moaned as his fingers found her nub, bolts of pleasure shooting through her body as he stroked.
“I want you to feel everything I do to you.” He inserted two digits in her already-soaked centre, gently moving them in and out as his thumb massaged her clit.
“Brad,” she whispered, her gaze fixing on his. He was watching her intently, his eyes hooded with lust... and tenderness. She didn’t know how long they stared at each other, immobilised but for the movement of his fingers and the slight rolling of her hips.
Brad.
The man she loved.
Touching the core of her being, and grabbing her heart.
It was too much, and she’d been hot for him for hours. She shuddered and cried out loud, contracting around his expert fingers.
“That’s my girl,” he said in a tone so soft she hardly heard him. Then he crawled down her body, leaving hot kisses along his path.
She sat up. “My turn.”
“Not yet,” Brad crooned, gently pushing her back to the bed. “I haven’t had enough of you yet.”
“As you wish,” she said with a smile. In spite of her orgasm, she was still humming with desire. Until Brad was inside her, she wouldn’t be fully replete. She was content to let him stoke her arousal back to fever pitch again.
And Brad was doing as he’d promised. He was taking his time to kiss every inch of her, dare she say, lovingly? She caressed his head, her chest expanding so much she could hardly breathe. She followed the progress of his lips roaming her breasts, her wrists, her belly, her hips, her thighs—which he then parted to settle himself in between.
A soft moan escaped her as he licked her slowly, leisurely, his tongue doing its magic. Oh, only Brad could make her feel this way—lost in the pleasure from fully surrendering herself to the man who was making love to her.
Making love.
She hoped he felt it too.
Brad swirled his tongue around her clit, teasing, licking, gently sucking. She threw her head back on the pillow, allowing herself to receive everything he was giving. With Brad, it was so easy to lose her self-consciousness, so easy to give all of herself to him, so easy to just... feel.
Her climax came so suddenly that she was taken by surprise. Brad moaned his approval, sitting up and smiling contentedly.
She pushed herself up from the bed and kissed him, reaching down to stroke his manhood. “Now it’s really my turn.”
“I’m not going to complain this time,” he said, his look heated.
She grinned. “Good. So why don’t you lie down?”
He did so, and she scooted down and took him in her mouth.
“Erin.”
Oh, she loved it when he said her name like that, like he was in heaven—or in awe. She loved mak
ing him feel good. And while she was still scared of declaring her feelings in words in case it made Brad retreat, she wasn’t shy about giving him as much as she’d gotten.
She tugged the base of his shaft while playing with the head with her mouth and tongue, and cupped his balls with her other hand at the same time. Brad’s hips undulated, and when she looked up, he was watching her with his mouth hanging.
She smiled and sucked him harder, stroking faster, unrelenting, until Brad was moaning, his breathing laboured.
“I need to be inside you,” he said suddenly. With a swift move that made her gasp, he had her lying on her back again, and he was kneeling between her legs. “You’re so damn hot,” he said, rubbing his erection against her nub.
“Ah!” He was doing it to her again. Could she never have enough of him?
“You like that, baby?” he murmured, inserting an inch or two of his hard cock in her pussy, only to withdraw again and stroke her swollen clit.
“Yes,” she said with a moan, shameless in her response.
“I like it too,” Brad said, repeating his actions unhurriedly, pleasuring her some more, making her soaked again with the juices of arousal. But he wouldn’t go all in.
Oh, he was such a tease. The next time he put himself inside her, she squeezed her muscles. Brad groaned out loud, and pushed in to the hilt.
“Oh, yes,” she cried, lifting her hips to meet him.
“Erin...” Brad gasped, leaning down to cover her with his body as he drove into her. “Fuck... so good, sweetheart...”
“Yes. Yes,” she chanted with his every thrust.
Together they moved in tandem, revelling in the dance as old as time, taking each other to heights of passion and ecstasy as they filled the room with sounds of their pleasure.
“Brad,” she mewled, almost there, holding him tighter as her legs tensed.
In response, Brad increased his speed. “I’m coming,” he panted through gritted teeth, pounding into her with vigour, hitting her sensitive spot unerringly.
She couldn’t have held back even if she’d wanted to. With a keening cry, she climaxed, trembling hard, just as Brad erupted inside of her and groaned his release.
The Unintended Fiancé (Captured by Love Book 4) Page 11