Slowly, his hands slid up her body, over her breasts and shoulders. One hand curled around her throat, his thumb placing pressure beneath her chin. The hold wasn’t hard or demanding. In fact, it was soft and gentle.
He urged her attention to shift from watching his movements in the mirror to looking at herself.
At first, she was uncomfortable, her gaze continuing to slide away. But each time it did, the pressure of his thumb urged her back again. Finally, realizing the faster she complied, the faster he was going to let her go, Blakely gave in and did what he wanted.
“What do you see?”
“Me.”
“Tell me more,” he coaxed.
Blakely shrugged. “My hair’s a mess. The jumpsuit is gorgeous, but not something I’d ever have a reason to wear again. I’m short and should have put on some makeup this morning. I look tired.”
“You do look tired, but that’s because you were up half the night having passionate sex, which should be a good thing.”
“It is a good thing.”
“Then why do you say that with regret?”
Because she didn’t like looking like something the cat had dragged in. Especially next to him. “You look like you’ve just stepped off the front cover of some men’s fashion magazine. It isn’t fair.”
Gray chuckled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Of course he would.
“Would you like to know what I see?”
“Yes.”
No. Blakely’s shoulders tightened. Did she really want to know?
“You’re absolutely gorgeous, Blakely. Your skin is pale and perfectly soft. Those ice-blue eyes draw me in every time I look at you. But it’s not just the unusual color. They’re so bright with intelligence, curiosity and integrity.”
“You mean judgment.”
“I meant exactly what I said. Your messy hair reminds me that last night I was the one responsible for making it that way. I remember grabbing a fist of it and holding you exactly where I wanted you. And I remember that you let me. You’re a damn strong woman, Blakely. I’ve known that from the first time we met. But last night...you felt safe enough with me to let go. Which only makes me want to give you more opportunities to do that.”
“Is that what this is about?”
“What what is about?”
“The clothes?”
“Something like that. And we were invited to attend a VIP event at an exclusive club tonight. I thought it would be fun.”
“You were invited.” Blakely hadn’t been invited to much of anything in her life, let alone a VIP Vegas party.
Gray shrugged. “Only because no one here knows you yet. You’re beautiful, intelligent and forthright. Qualities most people appreciate. And when you decide to let go a little, you’re amazingly fun. You’re going to be a hit tonight.”
Blakely scoffed. Now he was just blowing smoke up her ass.
“And with you wearing that outfit, I’m going to have to post a sign of ownership over your head to protect what’s mine.”
Blakely’s eyebrows rose. “Buddy, I’m not yours or anyone else’s. No one owns me.”
Gray’s mouth spread into a wide grin that crinkled the edges of his eyes. “I know. I just wanted to hear your response.”
Nine
He was playing a dangerous game, but something told him it would be worth it.
For the past week Gray had studied Blakely. Even when he’d been trying to ignore her, he couldn’t help himself. Which meant he’d learned a lot in those days.
But he’d learned even more about her last night.
Watching her relax and let go with him had been...perfection. A gift.
But it had also made him realize he wanted more from her than a stolen weekend in Vegas. However, he wasn’t entirely certain she’d be open to the idea of actually being with him.
He hadn’t really had a meeting this afternoon, just a need for some space to clear his head. At some point he’d come to the conclusion that it didn’t particularly matter what Blakely thought she wanted—it was his job to convince her they could be real and more than just a few stolen moments, even if those moments had been combustible and amazing.
So he was on a mission to seduce her, not just physically, but mentally. And the first step of that was hopefully giving her a chance to loosen up and enjoy herself, something he didn’t think she’d had the opportunity to do nearly enough.
Because he wanted to see more of that sparkle in her eyes. The wonder and relief. That easy smile—hard-won, but totally worth the effort.
And right now was the perfect opportunity.
Gray watched Blakely’s reflection in the bedroom mirror. She was beautiful even before the team of makeup artists and hairstylists showed up in a bit to do their thing. He’d picked out the jumpsuit himself, knowing it would be perfect for her. He’d also instructed Desiree to give her several other options, just in case he’d been wrong.
But he hadn’t been.
He also wasn’t wrong that it would look amazing on her.
The outfit was pure class and sophistication, but with a touch of drama at the back. And he couldn’t wait to get his hands on the gleaming expanse of satiny skin left bare.
If he touched her right now, though, they’d never leave the suite. And as tempting as that idea was, he wanted to give her a night out first.
“Relax, Blakely, and enjoy the experience.”
“Easy for you to say,” she grumbled.
“No, it really isn’t,” Gray countered, his voice filling with wry humor. There was a time in his life that putting on a tux and attending some fancy party was the norm. No, not just the norm. He’d felt a sense of entitlement to be invited. Like the world and everyone in it owed him simply because of who he was.
However, it had been a long time since he’d bothered to enjoy the kind of party they were going to attend. Oh, it would have been easy to revert to old bad behavior once he’d been released. Especially after his father and mother had looked him in the eye and told him they’d be happy to never see him again.
But his time in prison had made him stronger than who he used to be.
That didn’t mean he wasn’t looking forward to bringing a little glamour and sparkle into Blakely’s life. Something told him she’d been seriously lacking in those two things for a very long time.
She might be severely out of her element, but she deserved to have a Cinderella moment.
“You’ve got about thirty minutes before the rest of the staff shows up to help you get ready.”
“Staff? What the heck are you talking about?”
“Hair and makeup.”
“You think I can’t do my own hair and makeup?” Blakely asked indignantly.
“Of course I know you can. But most women find it fun to let someone else do those kinds of things occasionally.”
“I’m not most women.”
Gray closed the space between them. Hands to her shoulders, he spun her around so she was facing him. “Of that, I’m keenly aware,” he murmured before dropping his head and finding her mouth.
The kiss was deep and hot, a blazing inferno within seconds. Touching her always made him want. Gray let the connection pull him in and under—he relished the taste and feel of her.
It would have been so easy to just give in and let the moment spin out of control. But, somehow, he found the strength to pull back. “Can you do me a favor?” he asked, staring deep into her pale eyes.
Expression glazed with desire and need, she mutely nodded. When she looked at him that way...it was hard to think about anything else.
“Stop fighting me and assuming the worst out of everything I do and say.”
“I expect the worst.”
A tight band squeezed around his chest. “I know.”
Rea
ching up, he smoothed her soft hair away from the edge of her face. It really bothered him that she’d been taught by everyone in her life to be so wary, including the people who were supposed to protect her the most.
“I have only the best intentions where you’re concerned, Blakely. You’re a remarkable woman and I simply want to show you how much I value your company.”
“I don’t need expensive clothes and people waiting on me hand and foot.”
No, she didn’t. Most of the women who’d been in his life would have accepted his gesture without comment. Hell, they would have expected it. But not Blakely. “Which is exactly why I want to give those things to you. Let me.”
She blinked. Slowly, she nodded.
“Excellent. As much as I’d like nothing better than to strip you out of this outfit right now, that’s going to have to wait until later. You have twenty minutes to shower before everyone gets here.”
After spinning her away from him, Gray pushed her forward. She stumbled a step, but quickly found her footing. Shooting him a perturbed look over her shoulder, he couldn’t help but take advantage of the perfect target in front of him.
Reaching out, he smacked her on the rear. “Hop to it.”
Blakely yelped and glared at him. No doubt, he’d pay for that later, but he was looking forward to that, too.
Retracing his steps into the living room, he asked Desiree to leave all the accessories that matched the jumpsuit before dismissing her.
Dropping into a chair by the massive wall of windows, he ignored the spectacular view spread out before him. The city was alive with light and activity, but none of that interested him. Instead, he opened his email on his phone and began sifting through the business he’d been ignoring for most of the day.
The dead end with Surkov hadn’t come as a surprise. And yet, he’d still left the meeting disappointed. Because he really was no closer today to figuring out who had set him up than he’d been months ago.
The longer he went without a credible lead, the more nervous he was becoming. Because without understanding what had happened, who had set him up and what their motive had been, the possibility that it could happen again lurked around every corner. The damage to his life had blindsided him. And he was willing to do whatever was necessary in order to make damn sure it didn’t happen again.
And now, Blakely was involved. Which could potentially put her at risk. A reality he did not like.
With a sigh, Gray zeroed in on the email from Joker that had come in several hours ago. Opening it up, he was hopeful until he realized it was a report on his birth mother, not anything to do with the embezzlement.
Reading the details about the woman who’d given birth to him, basically sold him and then attempted to blackmail his mother did not give him a warm, fuzzy feeling. Apparently, she’d continued to live a high-profile life here in Vegas. At least until the last few years, when her beauty and talent had begun to fade and she couldn’t trade on them anymore to support her excessive lifestyle.
She’d gone from having her name featured on the marquee to being a nameless face in the background. Without even meeting her, he had a feeling that hadn’t gone over well.
Not to mention, she’d apparently had connections with some questionable people over the years. Joker had discovered that her long-term boyfriend was a well-known criminal.
After reading the report twice, Gray finally closed the document and tossed his phone onto the table in front of him. Nothing inside him wanted to deal with the situation right now. Tomorrow would be soon enough to confront his birth mother and tell her the blackmail wouldn’t work; she was going to have to find another cash cow to bankroll her high-roller tendencies.
With a sigh, Gray sank back into the chair. He rubbed his eyes, realizing they were gritty with fatigue for the first time since he’d gotten up this morning. Not surprising, considering he and Blakely had been awake half the night.
He must have fallen asleep, because one moment he was contemplating getting up and taking a shower so he could be ready whenever Blakely was, and the next she was leaning over him, shaking his shoulder and murmuring his name. “Gray...”
Slowly, he blinked his eyes open, his vision bleary and unfocused. A halo of light shone around Blakely’s head, like the ring of light depicted in paintings of Mary. Her entire being glowed. It wasn’t a description he’d normally use for Blakely. She was many things, but maternally divine wasn’t one of them.
However, there was no debating that the glow came from deep inside her. She was radiant in a way that made him want to worship at her feet.
“Gray, are you okay?”
Slowly, everything came into focus. He sat up and Blakely took several steps back, giving him a perfectly unobstructed view of her.
“You’re breathtaking.”
A deep blush crept up her skin. Clearly, she didn’t receive enough compliments. He was going to have to remedy that.
But right now, he needed to get them out of this room, or all the effort the team he’d hired had put into Blakely’s appearance would be wasted because they’d never leave the suite.
Standing, Gray texted their driver that they were on the way down, then slipped his phone into his pocket. He held a hand out to her and waited, slightly surprised when she actually twined her fingers with his.
He snagged his suit coat and led them out into the waiting elevator. Wrapping an arm around her, Gray used their joined hands at the small of her back to press her tight against his side. He loved the feel of her there. The way the lush curves of her breasts settled heavily against his arm. The subtle scent of her tantalized his senses. And he could feel the heat of her moist breath against his neck.
“Where are we going?”
“Excess—it’s a club downtown.”
“Sounds very Vegas.”
Gray chuckled. “It’s popular enough. I know the owner.”
“Partied there often, did you?”
A wry smile tugged at his lips. “Something like that.”
The ride in the car was quiet. Blakely would never be the kind of woman to fill a silence with chatter, which was something Gray happened to like about her. When she had something important or profound to share, she did it. Otherwise, she kept her thoughts to herself.
Which intrigued him. Because he really wanted to know what went on behind those intelligent, beautiful eyes.
The drive didn’t take long. Less than twenty minutes later they were ensconced in the VIP area on the second floor, overlooking the bustle of the club and the main dance floor below. They had a private waitstaff, dancers and floor of their own.
Gray didn’t bother to ask Blakely what she wanted, but ordered drinks for them both. His mission tonight was to get her loosened up enough to see her dance, something he’d hazard Blakely hadn’t done much in her life.
A perfect reason for him to want to make it happen.
They’d been sitting there for about fifteen minutes when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Gray’s heart raced and adrenaline shot into his system. He reacted, snapping a hand down over the wrist and barely checking himself before he could use leverage and power to break the person’s arm and throw him over the back of the chair and onto the floor at his feet.
But he wasn’t in the middle of a crude fighting ring.
Blakely sat forward, spilling her drink as she settled it on the table in front of them. She was halfway out of her seat, panic in her eyes, before he could stop her.
Shaking his head, he silently told her he was fine. Although, the hitch in his lungs suggested that might be a lie.
“Good to see you back here, my friend,” a familiar voice, clearly oblivious to just how close he’d come to having his arm broken, rumbled from behind him.
Pulling in a huge gulp of air, Gray willed his body to settle. Pasting a smile on his face, he turned and stood
in a fluid motion, dislodging the heavy hold from his shoulder.
Clapping a hand across Dominic’s shoulder, he said, “It’s good to be back.”
* * *
Blakely’s heart was still in her throat as Gray turned to make introductions.
She’d seen the look of shock and involuntary reaction before Gray had shut it down. His body tensed, every vein popping into relief down his muscled arms. His eyes had hardened, turning to the most cold and deadly emerald green she’d ever seen.
A part of her had always recognized Gray had a hidden edge of danger, but there was no doubt she’d almost gotten a firsthand introduction to it right now. Luckily, he had impeccable control over his physical reflexes.
For the first time, Blakely realized she was standing. Her fingers were curled around the edge of the table. Loosening her grip, she held out a hand to the man now standing beside Gray.
“Blakely Whittaker, meet Dominic Mercado.”
Dominic leaned forward into the space between them. He grasped her hand in both of his, giving hers a squeeze instead of actually shaking it. “Please tell me you’re willing to dump this asshole and spend the evening with me instead.”
Gray lifted a single eyebrow. “I’m the asshole? You’re the man hitting on my date right in front of me.”
Dominic’s eyes twinkled as he offered her a wide grin. “I’ve learned in life, it’s folly to ignore the opportunities in front of you. And I’d kick myself if I let this vision walk away without at least taking a shot.”
“Too bad for you, she’s already taken.”
This time, it was Dominic’s turn to cock an eyebrow. “Perhaps you should let the lady speak for herself. Are you going to choose this scoundrel over an upstanding citizen and business owner like myself?”
Blakely’s gaze bounced back and forth between the two men for several moments. They were clearly friendly, but with an undercurrent of rivalry running beneath their exchange.
Gray simply watched her, waiting for her reaction. Although, his gaze did narrow when it slipped down to take in the way Dominic still had a hold of her hand.
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