Her Perfect Match (Liaison #1)

by Valerie Ullmer

  “What are you doing this weekend?” He looked at his watch and was grateful that it was past six on a Friday night.

  Her brows drew down in confusion but she answered, “working.”

  “Why don’t you take the weekend off and spend it with me? You need some rest.”

  “I’m—”

  Without a thought that he might be moving too fast, he brushed a kiss against her soft lips. When he heard her intake of breath, he pulled her onto his lap and deepened the kiss. She tasted of mint with a hint of strawberries. He loved the way she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clung to him, as if she couldn’t stand to let him go.

  The kiss turned heated, and as she opened her mouth, a growl escaped his throat and his tongue mated with hers. His fingers combed through her hair until it fell in a long, beautiful curtain that cascaded down her back. He could feel the bite of her nails on his shoulders, and his body ached with a need that drove his hips up until his hardness brushed against her core. He swallowed her moan as she sank onto him, trying to get closer through all their layers of clothing. Her moans were even better than his fantasies of the last few weeks.

  He had never known a simple kiss to be as erotic as it was with Bec. Everything about her called to him. He ran his hands over her curves, drawing them up until his thumbs caressed the bottom of her breasts. As she rubbed against his cock, he wanted to strip her and sink inside her, but his common sense kicked in and his hands gripped her hips and slowed her movements. He broke the kiss before he grew more out of control and placed his forehead against hers as they caught their breath.

  “I want you too, sweetheart, more than you can possibly imagine, but I’m worried about you. You need sleep and I’ll cook for you. You look like you’ve lost weight. Let me take care of you this weekend.”

  She nodded and took him by surprise when she brushed a kiss over his mouth, initiating a kiss between them for the first time.

  “I would like that,” she whispered.

  Chapter Six

  She looked around at Gabriel’s opulent loft with pale but shined hardwood floors, painted white ceilings that sharply contrasted the dark-gray walls, and black-and-white photos of the city placed strategically around his living room.

  Gabriel’s place felt like a world unto itself. He owned the penthouse with a private elevator, but what she enjoyed most of all was the absolute silence she walked into. There were no phones ringing, no traffic noise from the streets below, no screaming children or loud laughs—just quiet—and she was grateful that he had invited her to stay the weekend with him.

  More than being away from the chaos, she wanted to spend time with Gabriel. She had skipped their business dinners together for legitimate reasons, but she had missed talking with him. If she had to admit the truth to herself, she wanted the possibility of more.

  Other than a handful of times they were together for business, they hadn’t gotten to know each other in a way she truly wanted. His touches excited her, made her feel alive for the first time, and she knew that if he wanted her, for even a short amount of time, she wouldn’t deny herself the chance to be with him.

  He had excused himself to go and change once they arrived; she’d already done so when they stopped by her apartment in Brooklyn to grab some clothes and essentials for the weekend. As he stepped into his bedroom, her mind wandered back to the moment in his office when his concern for her caught her off guard. But more than that, she thought there might be more to their relationship than an intense sexual awareness, because of that concern that shone from his eyes. She had prepared herself before she had stepped in his office for his flirting nature, but his worry for her had destroyed the last of her defenses. So when he invited her home, she’d readily accepted.

  More than that, she liked the heated gaze that found her every time she walked into a room. She could feel the heat and the promise of pleasure to come whenever she looked at him. She could feel the blush on her cheeks and decided to shift her awareness to his home.

  As she glanced around, she tried to remember the last time she’d seen him relaxed, with his concentration elsewhere, and realized that she couldn’t. When she’d met him, he’d been serious and studious. His attitude hinted at danger if you drifted too close, but he’d attracted women with no effort on his part. She had never shown interest in him. She figured that he’d never once been serious about a woman, and she wasn’t going to risk her heart in the pursuit when she knew what the end would hold. Even now, she knew he was dangerous to her, but she couldn’t bring herself to care any longer.

  Since she had started her escort business, she’d worked sixteen-hour days to get it off the ground, and in doing so, tried to purge him from her mind. It exhausted her more than she realized.

  Standing in the quiet, she still felt more than a little guilty for taking this weekend off. She had called Tilda after Gabriel’s insistence, and asked her to cover for her for the weekend. They had already scheduled all the dates that had been requested for both Friday and Saturday nights and other than paperwork, which could wait until Monday, they had nothing pressing.

  Tilda agreed with Gabriel that she needed a break. Tilda assured her that Nathan would keep her company in the office for a couple of hours on Saturday and nothing would fall through the cracks. She trusted her assistant and as she made a mental note to talk to Tilda about a partnership at Liaison when a movement from the corner of her eye scattered her thoughts.

  Her eyes met his as he came out of the bedroom, dressed in a soft gray heather sweater that emphasized the width of his shoulders and the hard muscles of his arms and chest. She knew that he could see her eyes widen and hear her breath catch as her gaze traveled over him, but she was tired of fighting her attraction to him. Her gaze dropped farther onto well-worn jeans that fit him perfectly and then farther down onto his bare feet. She even thought his feet were sexy. She jerked her gaze back up to his face, and noticed that his eyes softened. A smile played on his lips.

  “Hungry?” he asked.

  She nodded and when he held out a hand, she laced her fingers with his and walked with him to the kitchen. Instead of taking the opportunity to glance around, her gaze was held by his until he pushed her back against the counter next to the sink and leaned against her as his arms caged her in. She glanced at his lips and without conscious thought, she licked hers in anticipation.

  He closed his eyes and leaned into her, and she shivered as a growl rose from deep in his chest. His lips brushed against hers, once and then again, leaving her out of breath and shaking. A hard shiver racked her body as his hand cupped the back of her neck and brought her closer as he nibbled on her mouth. She opened for him, wanting to taste him, and he didn’t disappoint.

  He swept his tongue inside, touching hers and drawing a moan from her as she clenched his shoulders in her grip, holding on as his kisses drugged her. Her body slumped, loving the feeling of the hard muscles of his chest and hips pressed to hers. When she felt his erection against her stomach, she shivered as he swallowed her moan.

  He ripped his mouth from hers to trail kisses down her throat. He buried his face in her neck, and held onto her as a violent shiver ran throughout his body.

  “I need to take care of you.” His deep voice washed over her.

  “I—”

  He shook his head and brought his eyes up to hers.

  She wanted to argue that she could take care of herself, but the look of worry etched in his face had her heart pounding in her chest and tears stinging her eyes. He wanted her, but he wouldn’t give in to his need until he knew that she wouldn’t drop from exhaustion. She knew, in the space of that one moment, that she lost her heart to this wonderful, gorgeous man.

  He drew away from her, but not before he leaned in and dropped a kiss on her lips. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her, and he held her gaze for several moments before he walked toward the refrigerator.

  She missed his heat that surrounded her, but she reminded herself that sh
e was there for the weekend and she would have other opportunities to kiss him and touch him. As she watched him remove ingredients and place them on the counter, she shook herself out of her stupor and grabbed the onion, green pepper, and ham steak. She was grateful that he was planning on a simple omelet for dinner, because she wanted to spend as much time with him before the weekend was over.

  “Cutting board?” she asked.

  He pointed to the cabinet near the pantry. When she turned and walked toward where he had indicated, he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his nose against the back of her neck. Her gasp of surprise turned into a giggle as he tickled her.

  “I can’t seem to stop touching you.”

  She enjoyed the more playful side to him. She decided to play along and nipped his ear when she turned around. She leaned close and whispered, “I love it when you touch me.”

  She pulled away to see the desire glowing in his eyes, and she took advantage of his momentary stillness to brush a kiss against his mouth, before she turned back toward the cabinet and pulled out the cutting board. A strangled moan sounded behind her, but when she faced him, she smiled as she watched him crack an egg with more force than was necessary.

  After a few minutes of working companionably side by side, they plated their omelets and he directed her toward the breakfast bar. As they sat, he pulled his chair close to her, as if he worried that she might change her mind and leave. She knew she was right where she wanted to be.

  “Eat,” he growled.

  “You’re bossy.” She laughed.

  His face grew serious and his eyes flashed. “I knew that Liaison was taking up a lot of your time, but when you walked into my office, you looked ready to drop and it almost stopped my heart. You’ve lost weight, and if the circles under your eyes are any indication, you’re not sleeping.”

  He brushed a kiss over her mouth and jerked back.

  “I’ll take care of you, and that means dinner, and then we’ll go to bed, together.”

  Her body warmed at the thought of lying next to him as he slept, but he was right. She was exhausted. She ate her dinner and was rewarded with a long, slow kiss that threatened to buckle her knees. She offered to clean, but he threw everything in the dishwasher before he grabbed her overnight bag and interlaced their fingers. He pulled her to the nearest bathroom so she could get ready for bed.

  “Towels are in the closet.” He tilted his head.

  “I’ll be quick.”

  He cupped her cheeks before he brushed a kiss, and then another, lightly over her lips. He nodded and backed out of the bathroom, shutting the door as he left.

  She blew out a breath as her body tingled from his kisses. She turned toward the walk-in shower and turned it on. She glanced at each bottle of shampoo and conditioner before she used them, but her thoughts were with the man in the other room.

  She could feel his desire for her whenever they were close, but it was his worry over her that had touched her heart in a way that threatened her sense of self-preservation. If he wanted her as much as she wanted him, she would deal with the consequences of a broken heart when it ended. But for now, she was going to enjoy every moment she had with him.

  She stepped out of the shower and dried off before she threw on a long-sleeved white tee and black yoga pants, her normal sleeping attire. She was running a brush through her hair when the bathroom door was thrown open and Gabriel started toward her. When he noticed what she was wearing, he stopped in his tracks and gave her a once-over.

  “You are so beautiful, sweetheart,” he growled.

  For the first time in her life, she felt her cheeks heat with a blush. She sat the brush down on the counter and ran her fingers through her hair until she felt the heat leave her face; and she straightened and glanced at him. He leaned against the doorframe and when she walked toward him, he met her halfway and swung her up in his arms.

  She leaned her head against his chest as he carried her through the door and into his bedroom. A soft glow came from the lamp on the nightstand, but it gave her enough light to be able to look at his handsome face. There was stubble that had grown throughout the day, and she had an urge to reach out and cup his cheek, but he lowered her to her feet and turned away.

  He pulled down the comforter and the sheet and as he stood, he pulled her close to his side and squeezed before he nodded his head toward the bed. She climbed in and scooted to the other side. Her eyes caught his smooth skin as he whipped his shirt off, and tossed it on the chair near the bed. As he unbuttoned his jeans, she swallowed, but couldn’t look away as he lowered them down his legs and kicked them to the side. Her delight was short-lived when he flipped off the lamp and slid under the covers. Instead of keeping his distance, he pulled her head onto his chest and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

  His lips brushed against her forehead, and her heart squeezed in her chest at the small, but monumental gesture.

  “Get some sleep, sweetheart.”

  “Thank you for taking care of me,” she whispered.

  She felt his smile against her hair as she settled in his arms and drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  Gabriel had woken at dawn when Rebecca had moaned his name and turned to bury her face against his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, until her hands were opened against his chest and her body was flush against his. As she slept in his arms, he’d been wide awake, savoring her hot, even breaths that blew against his naked chest, and her warm, soft skin tempting him.

  As he thought back over the past few years, he realized that most of his encounters never lasted until the morning, because he made himself scarce shortly after sex with a quick kiss and no promises. He’d never brought a woman to his bed, or even up to his penthouse, because they expected so much more than he was willing to give. There had been no woman who tempted him into even thinking about a relationship, long-term or not.

  For most of his thirty years, he’d been content with the status quo, but with Bec snuggled into his arms on a Saturday morning, his entire view on relationships seemed to have changed overnight. He enjoyed taking care of her, cooking for her, and he could see that whatever walls she erected between them had come crashing down. The trust in her eyes made him feel invincible. He wanted to fight her demons but more than that, he wanted to be by her side as they built a life together.

  The thought of a future with Bec had settled easily inside him.

  He knew that he was getting ahead of himself, and moved his thoughts to a more pressing matter. The night before, they had used what was left of his groceries. This weekend was about taking care of her, so he moved to slide out of bed, trying not to jar her as she slept. He was close to the edge when her arm slipped to his side and squeezed.

  “Gabriel?”

  Her sleep-laced voice sent a jolt of awareness straight to his groin, but he gritted his teeth and took a few deep breaths to get his body back under control. When he felt it was safe to touch her, he leaned back on the bed, his head resting on his elbow, as he brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. He noted that the blackness under her eyes had disappeared, but she still looked tired.

  “Shush, sweetheart. Go back to bed. I’m going to get us some breakfast. I’ll be right back.”

  He brushed a light kiss over her mouth, trying to rein in his desire for her, but her hand cupped the back of his neck as she opened for him. A groan he’d been holding rumbled from deep in his chest, and he allowed himself a few minutes of her lush mouth on his before he pulled back. Again, he pushed away his near constant desire for her, knowing that they would have plenty of time later.

  “Okay,” she mumbled. She closed her eyes and after a deep sigh, slipped back into sleep.

  He kept his eyes on her sleeping form as he dressed in a white tee with a deep-green v-neck sweater over it, and added loose-fitted jeans. She had rolled to her left side and curled into a ball, so he placed his pillow next to her back to cocoon her in.
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  He smiled at how much of a romantic sap he was being, and shook his head as he pulled on his socks and shoes before he walked to his dresser and pocketed his wallet and keys. He brushed a kiss over her forehead, and with one last look, shut the bedroom door and walked out of his apartment.

  The day was cloudy and looked as though it might rain. He smiled to himself as he walked to the deli two blocks from his apartment, his thoughts on the woman he left back in his bed. It would be the perfect day to spend inside with her, as he kissed and touched every square inch of her body, and learned how she loved to be touched.

  One of the first in line at the deli, he ordered a dozen bagels, three different loaves of bread, and deli meats, along with an assortment of salad platters, because he realized that he wasn’t sure what she liked to eat. For some reason, that made him determined to find out more about her. Her favorite places to go, what she loved to read, movies she watched, anything that gave him more insight into a woman who had intrigued him from the moment he’d met her.

  As he waited for his order to be prepared, he sat at a corner table and sipped on a large coffee. He watched the people pass by on the sidewalk, rushing around even though it was the weekend. He’d always been focused on his business and making money, but as he sat there, thinking about Bec in his life, he couldn’t bring himself to care about anything else but her at the moment.

  “You’re out early for a Saturday.”

  Gabriel glanced up at his oldest friend as Lucian Cole pulled out a chair and sat down across from him. He shook his head when he noticed that Lucian wore an immaculate suit, his hair slicked back, and was cleanly shaven.

  “Heading into work?”

  Lucian nodded and waited for some explanation. Lucian knew him so well; he hated getting up early on Saturdays.

  “I was getting breakfast for Bec.”