Her Perfect Match (Liaison #1)

by Valerie Ullmer

  Lucian’s eyebrows rose, but there were no other outward signs whether he approved or disapproved of him seeing his sister. Again, Lucian waited for further explanation.

  “I was worried about her. Her business is running her ragged.”

  His friend nodded. “When she has something in her sights, she doesn’t stop until she gets what she wants.”

  Gabriel hoped that included him.

  For a long time, Lucian looked at him as if he tried to gage something in his expression. He had no idea what his friend saw, but the next words out of his mouth took him by surprise.

  “You know that she’s always liked you, right?” Lucian asked.

  Their relationship was so new that he had no idea how she felt about him. Yeah, she told him the night before that she wanted him, but sex was different than a relationship.

  Whenever he made an appearance with Lucian, she would have a reason she couldn’t stay. He never noticed that she looked at him with anything but friendly affection, so he didn’t really know whether his friend was right about her feelings for him.

  He shook his head as he tried to make sense of the simple statement, and glanced at Lucian to see whether he was telling him the truth. Lucian was serious about everything in his life, but he stowed his stuffy disposition for his sister. They’d always been close. He knew that Lucian would never lie to him, but it confused him when he couldn’t remember Bec even flirting with him in all the years they’d known each other.

  “Did she tell you that?”

  “She didn’t have to tell me,” Lucian boasted.

  “You never said anything to me.”

  Lucian shrugged. “You have never been serious about a woman since I’ve known you, and I honestly thought that she would grow out of it, find a man, and settle down. I didn’t think that she could take the heartache when you moved on.”

  “Well, thank you for not sugarcoating it,” he growled.

  He ran his hand through his hair and wondered whether she thought that this was a temporary relationship. The word temporary clawed at his stomach, and he knew that their relationship was anything but.

  Lucian was right. He’d never been serious about a woman in his life and it suited him fine, but the thought of not having her in his life made his heart stall in his chest. Despite the distance she’d placed between them, he had been acutely aware of her whenever she was near. His body would respond to her presence; her scent, her hair, everything about her drove him crazy despite the fact that he wouldn’t acknowledge the power she had over him. A smile from her would bring him to his knees, but he wouldn’t allow her to have that kind of power over him then. Now, though, was a different story.

  He glanced up at Lucian’s short bark of laughter. The sight left him speechless because his friend wasn’t overly fond of expressing his emotions, but there he was, on the other side of the table, laughing at him.

  “What?”

  “You’ve fallen for her. Holy shit, you’ve fallen for my sister.” His laughter continued.

  “Why is it so fucking funny?”

  Lucian sobered when he realized how pissed he was.

  “Are you serious about her?” Lucian asked.

  “Fuck that, man. I would never hurt her.” He ran his hand through his hair in a frustrated gesture. He glanced at his friend and knew he had to tell him the truth. “I want her more than any other woman I’ve ever met.”

  He’d never been in love before—hell, not even close—but knowledge of the truthfulness of Lucian’s statement had settled in his chest and he knew it wouldn’t be budged easily.

  “I’d never thought I would see the day, that’s all, man. If it’s with my sister, then I’m happy for you.”

  He blew out a breath that he’d been holding, and was relieved that Lucian didn’t have a problem with their relationship. He respected his friend’s opinion and was secretly worried that he would disapprove, but Lucian’s approval had lifted that guilt off his shoulders.

  “Thanks,” he grumbled.

  Both of their numbers were called, and after Lucian grabbed his bagel, he waited as Gabriel gathered his entire order. They walked toward the door in silence when Gabriel brought up a subject he’d been curious about since his first meeting with Bec in his office.

  “Hey, why didn’t you invest in your sister’s business?”

  Lucian shrugged and held the door open. When Gabriel exited and turned back to his friend, Lucian answered.

  “She never asked.” And with that, he was gone.

  He was alone with his thoughts and they went right back to her, lying in his bed, right where he wanted her to be.

  After his conversation with Lucian, he knew that there was no going back to the friendship that had existed up until last night. Panic welled in his chest; he’d never found himself in a situation where he felt overwhelming possessiveness for a woman who had the power to destroy him.

  He couldn’t let her know that, but he was afraid that he’d already demonstrated how far he was willing to go to see that she was taken care of. He had no idea where this was headed, but he knew that he couldn’t let her go.

  His mind circled back to the fact that she liked him before he invested in her business. He knew that Lucian would have given her the money she needed for Liaison, but instead she’d come to him. Did that mean that she wanted to spend time with him? Or was there something more?

  He was still deep in thought as he headed up to his loft. When she opened the door, giving him a smile that sent shafts of pleasure throughout his body, he almost forgot that his arms were full. All other thoughts fled his mind when his eyes traveled over her, still dressed in the clothes she’d slept in the night before, looking rumpled and sexy at the same time.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he growled.

  Her eyes widened before he noticed a splash of color on her cheeks. She moved to close the door when he walked toward the kitchen and placed the food on the counter. When he turned back, her eyes darted back up to his, and her blush deepened. She was embarrassed to be caught looking at him, but it warmed him all over that she still had the look of desire in her eyes.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I like your eyes on me, and I love looking at you.”

  His steps were even and unhurried, although every muscle in his body tensed to pounce, and when he reached her, he brushed his mouth against hers. The kiss grew out of control and as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer, all thoughts of breakfast and taking things slow flew out the window.

  She broke the kiss, her breathing deep and slow, as his lips dipped down to her neck. He licked the spot just below her ear before he took her earlobe between his teeth and nibbled, drawing out a sexy moan that almost brought him to his knees.

  “I’ve never seen you out of a suit.” She groaned at her own statement. “You know what I mean.”

  He chuckled as he pulled her into his arms. She hugged him back and when she was snuggled closer, he placed a kiss on the top of her head. His body was taut with his need for her, but for now, he was content with holding her.

  Chapter Eight

  As Rebecca took the last sip of her coffee, she couldn’t help but gaze at the man who she wanted more than her next breath, as if she needed to see him to believe that it hadn’t been a dream.

  He was a private man. She didn’t even know whether her brother had ever been invited to his place, and yet he’d brought her home after she made her confession. Granted, he held back because he was worried about her health, but after sleeping in his arms all night, she tried to think of ways she could broach the subject of what she wanted most. Him.

  Although she didn’t want to rush him, she knew that her time with him was limited. Every time her brother had told her about another of Gabriel’s women, a little piece of her heart fragmented, but she knew that one night with him would carry her for the rest of her life.

  When she was younger, she never let on that she was interested. She never flirted with
him, and to further protect herself from temptation, she made herself scarce whenever he’d been around. She was inexperienced with flirtation and wasn’t brave enough to take a chance on him, but deep down she knew that Gabriel would be too much for her.

  He was almost too much for her now.

  She had no illusions about her appeal to him, and at the same time she understood that there was no future for the two of them, either.

  She stood on shaky legs and gathered their plates, headed for the kitchen. She placed the plates in the sink but before she could start the water, he wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her against his body. She could feel his need for her pressed against her bottom, and without a thought of how this would affect him, she pushed back against him. She was rewarded with a long groan as he nuzzled her ear.

  “Do you want to shower with me?” His voice was gruff and sexy.

  She turned in his arms and leaned in for a kiss.

  “I thought you’d never ask.” She smiled against his lips as they met, but soon he left her core aching and her nipples peaked as he slanted his mouth against hers and deepened the kiss. He tasted wonderful, and she moaned, begging for more.

  He ripped his mouth from hers and grabbed her hand, leading her through his loft to his master bathroom. Again, she took note of nothing but the way his chest rose from his deep breaths and the way his eyes sparkled down at her.

  Every bit of hesitation that she’d felt evaporated the moment he started the shower and turned back to slip his hands underneath her shirt. His fingers were warm and to her surprise, callused. They traveled over her curves and left a warm trail that seemed to singe her deep inside. She loved his hands on her, but she wanted more.

  “I’ve wanted to touch you for weeks—months.”

  “Please,” she begged.

  He whipped her shirt over her head and sucked in a breath when his gaze landed on her bare breasts. She had forgotten to put on a bra when she’d woken up, and she was grateful for her oversight. His deep-brown eyes flared with copper flames, and she felt his gaze as though he had touched her.

  “Fuck, sweetheart. It’s even better than…”

  Before she realized his intent, his mouth suckled her and she cried out as the sensation washed over her body. She tingled from head to toe as he continued his assault on one bud, and then the other. She had never been this responsive before, and after long moments of his continued onslaught, she felt her body come apart in his arms.

  “Gabriel,” she breathed. Her body and voice shook from the orgasm that hit without any warning.

  He pulled her close and tightened his arms around her as she leaned her head against his chest, but when sanity returned, she blushed at her wanton reaction to him. Despite her embarrassment of coming apart so easily in his arms, she wasn’t even close to being sated. She reached underneath his sweater and frowned when she encountered the tee he had on underneath.

  “You have too many clothes on,” she mumbled.

  She lifted the hem of his tee from his jeans, and when she encountered his hot skin for the first time, she sucked in a breath and a long moan escaped her lips. She lifted both tee and sweater up and over his head, taking the time to touch as much skin as she could.

  Unable to hold back once his chest was bare, and before she understood her actions, she flicked her tongue over his right nipple, tasting him for the first time. His groan encouraged her to continue, so as she brushed her lips against his chest to reach his other nipple, her hands found the top button of his jeans. With a quick snap of her fingers, the button gave way. She grew bold with every groan from deep in his chest, so she wasn’t surprised when she craved to taste more.

  As she lowered the zipper on his jeans, she kissed a trail down his muscled chest to his defined stomach, all the while listening to each groan that sent a jolt straight to her core. As she dropped to her knees, she kissed the spot just below his belly button. His head dropped back and his fists clenched, giving her silent permission to explore him.

  She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of his jeans and licked her lips in anticipation. As each inch revealed more skin, she noticed that her hands shook from the need that continued to build throughout her. She lowered his jeans all the way to the floor and let her eyes memorize his beautiful naked build. But what she wanted most was to taste him.

  He kicked away his jeans and boxer-briefs before her hand circled his thick base and squeezed the hot satin skin that covered hard steel. With a few more slow strokes, loving the deep growl that she drew from him, she leaned toward him, ready to take him in her mouth.

  “Damn it,” she cried when he lifted her into his arms and stepped inside the shower.

  She jerked her eyes to his when she heard his strangled chuckle. Without a word, he moved her under the triple spray and combed his fingers through her hair as warm water cascaded down her already heated body.

  She stayed quiet, holding in her disappointment that he’d stopped her when she just started her exploration, as he shampooed and then conditioned her hair. It felt wonderful to feel his fingers slide through her curls, before he stopped to massage her scalp. He was gentle and despite his body taut with need, he took his time and focused on her. Tears welled in her eyes and they spilled over onto her cheeks. She was grateful that the water hid them from his view. Hot, hard sex she could handle, but his sensitive caring almost broke her heart.

  He squeezed the soap into the palm of his hand and kept his eyes locked on hers as he stepped toward her, settling his hands on her shoulders. He drove her crazy as his hands slicked over her wet skin in circles, sending shock waves throughout her body. The soap smelled of an exotic wood with a hint of citrus. It was familiar yet new, like their relationship. No, not a relationship. She couldn’t define it, but she would enjoy every moment of whatever was happening between them.

  He lathered his body before he hurried through his own shampoo and conditioning session. When his hot gaze raked over her to see whether all of the soap was off, she felt as though fire licked her skin, and she reached a hand out to touch him. He grasped her wrist in a gentle hold to prevent her from her goal, and used his other hand to shut off the water and snatch a towel from the rack. His movements were jerky when he toweled her off, and then himself. He led her to the bedroom and when he turned to face her, she breathed a sigh a relief. She would now get to touch him.

  “Can I taste you now?” she asked.

  “I don’t know how long I’ll last.” His words were clipped as he gritted his teeth.

  She wanted to say that they had all the time in the world, but she bit her tongue. Instead, she dropped to her knees; her need to touch him drove her without conscious thought. Her hand held him with a light touch as she tilted the tip of his cock toward her mouth. She moaned the moment she saw the pool of moisture at the tip; her tongue darted out and captured his essence, loving his taste.

  “Oh, fuck, sweetheart.”

  She wanted more. More of his taste, everything that Gabriel could give her. She licked the underside of his cock and loved the hiss that passed through his teeth. After a few more strokes, she opened to take him in her mouth. His groans and choked words encouraged her to continue, and when she wrapped her mouth and lips around his cock, she thought of nothing else.

  His pleasure was her pleasure.

  She could feel the slickness between her legs as she squeezed her thighs together, and moaned at the sensation. The vibration caused another clipped curse to fly from his mouth.

  She stopped to taste more of him and she knew, instinctively, that he was close to letting go. She moved her mouth back down and with one last hard suck, his hands fisted in her hair as he roared his release. He mumbled her name and tried to move her mouth away from him, but she ignored the pressure of his hand wrapped in her hair and instead focused on the taste of him that flavored her tongue.

  As his breathing slowed, she savored the last of his taste, enjoying the feeling of being able to pleasure him. She
stood on shaky legs, trying to balance her body as it throbbed in pleasure, but he moved so fast that she was on her back before she realized what had happened.

  “All those wasted years.”

  She didn’t realize that she had spoken aloud until his eyebrow lifted.

  His brows drew down, but she shook her head and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer for a kiss. She could feel his damp, heated skin pressed to hers and she wanted him with a need that she couldn’t admit aloud. She opened her thighs and felt his cock brush against her wetness, and it was her turn to hiss at the sensational feelings washing over her.

  “Please, Gabriel, I need you inside me,” she panted.

  He froze as the words left her mouth, and she wanted to cry out her frustration. She wanted to beg him, plead with him to take her, but if he thought this was a mistake, she wouldn’t force him into it. She closed her eyes as humiliation rushed through her, and let her arms drop to her side, waiting for him to move away from her.

  “What did you mean about wasted years?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” she choked out.

  He grabbed her wrists with one hand and held them above her head. He cupped her chin and forced her to look at him.

  “What did you mean?” he growled.

  She swallowed her fear and told him the truth.

  “I’ve wanted you for years, since I first met you.”

  Chapter Nine

  Gabriel’s heart slammed in his chest at her admission. Everything in him wanted to tell her that he’d thought of nothing else but her—in his bed, in his life—since he’d met her but his breath caught in his throat. He looked down at Bec—her hair splayed over his pillow, and lying in his bed as he dreamed she would be since she came back into his life—and every sensible thought fled and rendered him mute. He had no idea what he wanted to say, but he had to try.

  “Bec, I—”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t tell you because I’m looking for a commitment. I’m telling you because I need you to touch me. Please, Gabriel.”