by Eve Langlais
Sexiest. Man. Hands down.
Gavin had been with the company a few months longer, but had transferred overseas shortly after she’d started. They’d shared an easy working relationship. Had even shared in some harmless flirting those evenings he’d been in town and they’d had dinner. Harmless because they were both too focused on their jobs to do anything stupid.
Not so harmless in that his playful banter created many a late night fantasy.
“It’s okay, Janice. I’ll be right out.”
Shit. Just what she needed. Why the hell did he have to be here? Today, of all days? It was bad enough to be fired, now she had to share her humiliation with a man she’d imagined naked? Perfect.
If Lauren were the type of woman to have an office affair, Gavin would be at the top of the list. Oh, who was she kidding? He’d be the list. But, she wasn’t that type of woman. She never mixed business with pleasure, and after today, she’d never see him again. He’d finish his business here and go back to London, and she … well, she had a life to figure out.
She downed the last of the water. Checking her reflection again, she groaned. Her eyes were red-rimmed and watery from the dry heaves. Errant wisps of hair had escaped from her braid, making her look … rumpled.
Jesus.
She licked her fingers and tried to smooth her hair down, tucking the longer pieces behind her ears. She pinched some color into her cheeks. Not great, but she looked better than she felt. At least, she hoped that was the case.
Satisfied she’d done all she could, Lauren plastered on a smile and went to face the music.
* * *
Gavin leaned against the edge of the desk, his long legs stretched out in front of him. He’d ditched his jacket and tie in the conference room, but he still felt bound up.
Restless.
He had no right to be here.
He unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled the cuffs back, hesitating as the ink on his right forearm came into view. Fuck it. There was a time to worry about office decorum and today wasn’t that day.
Releasing a frustrated sigh, Gavin surveyed Lauren’s office. Other than a single box on the floor, nothing seemed unusual or out of place. Not exactly what he’d expected. Hell, it would take a truck to move him out of his office and he was a guy. His mom and sisters had a ton more shit in the ranch office back home than the males in his family. Lauren should have more than would fit in the lone box.
The thought that she didn’t made him frown.
“Hello, Gavin. I didn’t know you were here.” He glanced up in time to see a moment of panic widen her eyes and she let out a tiny groan. “Please tell me you aren’t here to escort me out.”
Honestly, Gavin didn’t know why he was here. He was in New York for a meeting, but his reasons for being in her office were a little hazy.
“Of course not.” He stood as she approached. “You and I both know that’s not necessary. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Seemed like a reasonable enough explanation.
She shrugged a shoulder. “It’s the nature of business.” She busied herself by shoving a few things into her briefcase, tossing him a glance over her shoulder. “When did you get in?”
“Last night.”
Holy hell, she was sexy. Her chestnut hair was plaited down her back, a few rebellious strands framing her face. Her cheeks were as pink as her pouty lips. He didn’t need to keep looking to know the shape of her breasts, the curve of her waist and the sleek lines of her legs. He’d have to be blind not to notice her. Gavin appreciated a beautiful woman when he saw one.
And she tempted him. Haunted his dreams … and his fantasies.
Her body would make any man weak, but it was her eyes that held his attention. Expressive, golden eyes framed by dark, thick lashes. Eyes that shone with strength when the rest of her screamed with vulnerability.
His hands itched to reach out to her, but he forced them to remain at his sides. He was such an asshole. She was obviously devastated, but she didn’t need his comfort. Wouldn’t want it once she’d learned what he’d done.
“Staying long?” Her voice cracked as she looked him over, her gaze dipping down, lingering over his exposed forearms before trailing back up to his face. Her tongue dashed over her lips before slipping out of sight.
Christ.
It was hot as hell, the way she checked him out, but now was not the time for all the blood to rush to his dick. He’d bet she didn’t realize she’d done it, as preoccupied as her mind must be. They’d worked together for years, and she’d never given him any indication she’d be interested in anything other than work.
Fucking a colleague wasn’t her style. His either. No matter how much he craved having her in his bed. Work no longer stood as a barrier between them, but he still couldn’t tell her how he felt. Not until she knew.
“Out tonight.” He had to explain. Make her understand. “I just talked to Sullivan—”
Lauren cut him off. “It’s fine, really.”
“It’s not fine. In fact—”
She stopped him again, this time in a huff. “Gavin, please. I’d rather not do this.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Do what? Besides interrupt me, that is.” He softened his words with a smile she didn’t return.
“You know.” She waved a hand around the office, her lips pressed into a thin line. “This. The whole stupid thing. They let me go, and that’s what I’m trying to do. Go. Don’t make a big deal out of it.” She walked a wide arc around him and went to the other side of her desk. She jerked open drawer after drawer, looking for what he didn’t know because she didn’t take anything out. Nervous energy. Something to take her mind off what was happening. Something to distract her from him, he suspected.
He hadn’t thought about how his presence would affect her. He hadn’t thought, period. Sullivan had told him the news. They’d argued, and then Gavin had stormed off, had made his way here.
“Lauren.” What else could he say at this point? He couldn’t change what had happened, but he’d give anything to take away the look of betrayal on her face.
She paused. “How did I not see this coming?” When she finally looked at him, her eyes glistened with unshed tears that tore a hole in his gut. “Did you know?” she asked, her gaze nailing his feet to the floor.
“No.” But, would he have done things differently if he had?
“I don’t know how to do this,” she whispered. “How am I supposed to walk away from my responsibilities, just because someone says it’s not my job to care anymore?” She slammed the last drawer shut and gave him her full attention. “Abernathy still owes us an answer on the situation in the Gulf. I’d appreciate it if you’d follow up with Kensington as well, since he’s in your neck of the woods.”
“Lauren.” He shouldn’t touch her, shouldn’t act on the impulse that had plagued him since she walked into the room. But he damn sure wasn’t going to stand by and let her beat herself up.
“His systems will be disrupted if he doesn’t do something, Gavin. Trust me, we don’t want that to happen any more than he does. Sorry. You don’t want that to happen. He’s got the contract, he needs to sign it before things go south. Once it’s signed, make sure the engineering staff gets the security locked down as quickly as possible.”
That’s it. “Lauren, stop,” he barked. Without preamble, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. She tensed, tried to pull away, but Gavin tightened his grip, locked her against him, and prayed she wouldn’t knee his balls.
A second passed. Then another, and another before she finally relaxed. Her body liquefied, melted into him until her heat burned through his clothes.
He bit back a groan. God, she smelled good. The hint of sweet and spice went straight to his cock.
He closed his eyes, willing his blood to settle, his heart to slow to a regular beat. Her arms settled around his waist and he cupped her head, holding her cheek against his chest.
It was strange, h
olding her. Yet, it felt good, right. The way she fit against him, her head tucked perfectly under his chin, his arms circling her … he almost felt … content.
“It’s just a job. With your reputation and skill set, you’ll be employed by the end of the week,” he soothed, realizing he spoke as much for his own benefit as hers. “Nothing to worry about.”
Because with the way his body reacted to holding her, Gavin had enough to worry about for the both of them.
Chapter Two
Lauren didn’t want to do this, but she couldn’t pull away. She might be a workaholic, but she was also a woman. Twelve years she’d worked with this man. This smart, gorgeous man. Video conferences and phone calls. Face-to-face meetings and contract negotiations. He’d starred in her fantasies more than once. But then the workday dawned and she’d shoved her attraction aside. Work hard, stay focused. Isn’t that what her dad had taught her?
And look where it had gotten her.
His heart drummed a steady beat under her cheek. She was dying to pull the shirt from his shoulders, to see how far up his arm the tattoo went. Instead, she draped her arms around his waist, loosely holding herself against him. She didn’t know the protocol for hugging a former colleague—one she’d imagined naked—but she was pretty sure burrowing herself into his chest wasn’t it.
His warmth seeped into her, making her feel … too much. There weren’t any obstacles between them now, but she wouldn’t allow herself to become emotionally attached to a man who lived in another country, no matter how good he felt against her. She had enough to worry about right now, thank you very much.
“Easy for you to say,” she mumbled and broke the hug, needing some space to breathe. Gavin kept hold of her arms, staunching her retreat. Lauren glanced at his hands. “Why are you hanging on to me?”
“You’re shaking,” he said simply.
Irritation settled in, at herself for the choices she’d made, at Gavin for looking so damn good when her life was going to shit.
“Yeah, well, it makes me nuts to think of what I’m forced to leave undone.”
“You said it yourself, it’s the nature of business. It says a lot about you that you care so much, but you’ve got to let it go. It’s just a job,” he said again, annoying the shit out of her.
She jerked from his hold. “Just a job? So, you’re saying I’ve wasted twelve years by dedicating my existence to this company?”
He took a step back, his expression hardening. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m offering some perspective. You still have your knowledge. They can’t take that from you. You still have your health, your life, Lauren. I’m saying the job is replaceable.”
Like her.
Annnd hello, anger.
Gavin was right. They’d fired her, so let them figure out what to do about her clients, she thought bitterly. She wouldn’t worry about it anymore. She wouldn’t.
She hoped they didn’t dump all the shit in Gavin’s lap, but that wasn’t her problem anymore either.
To hell with all of this. Maybe they’d done her a favor by letting her go. She could do anything she wanted now. She could move to a new city, find a family-friendly company to accommodate the life she was about to find. She could go to work for the competition. She could … yeah, she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to make any important life decisions.
First up, vacation. Who cared if she had to do it alone? Lauren liked herself well enough, certainly she could stand her own company for a few weeks of … something.
“You’re right, Gavin. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, Lauren.” He didn’t meet her gaze. “Please don’t thank me,” he added softly.
She tried not to be hurt. He didn’t want her gratitude? Fine. Whatever. One heartbreak at a time. Just as leaving this place would draw the curtain on her career with Clearwater, distance would erase the feel of his arms around her, wash his warm, masculine scent from her memory. He felt sorry for her—his former co-worker—and sought to make her feel better. A stolen moment of comfort, nothing more.
“Time to go.” She slung her briefcase over her shoulder and grabbed her purse, going over vacation possibilities in her head. Maybe she’d throw caution to the wind and head to the airport without a plan. Take the next available flight to anywhere and see where it led her.
She turned to find Gavin watching her as if she were a bomb he had to diffuse. Had she been contemplating out loud? Rather than find out, she asked, “Any suggestions for a great vacation spot?”
“I don’t know about you, but I like privacy when I get away.”
“You take much time off?” Where did he go? Who did he go with? Lauren suddenly found herself wondering who he spent time with, what kind of women he was attracted to. Twelve years and she really didn’t know anything about his personal life.
“Several weeks a year. A few random days here and there. Don’t you?”
She snorted. “Hardly.”
The warmth of his smile washed over her, sparking nerve endings all over her body. Christ, the man was gorgeous.
“I’ve got a great little hideaway. Private strip of beach, no Internet service.” His eyes practically melted as he took on a faraway expression. “It’s perfect.”
Lauren laughed, easing the tension in her shoulders that had taken root at lunch. No Internet? Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of being so isolated. Who did that these days? “Perfect for who?”
He studied her for a moment, as if trying to figure her out. Then, he reached into his pocket and brought out a set of keys. She didn’t speak as he maneuvered a single key off the ring.
What was he doing?
He reached for her, his fingers warming the back of her hand as he pressed the key into her palm. “For you.”
“What is this?”
“A key. To my house on Galveston Island.”
Clearly, she had passed out in the bathroom and all of this was a dream. In reality, Gavin Mathis didn’t hold her in his arms as if she were something precious, and he certainly didn’t give her a key to his vacation home.
“I see it’s a key,” she said slowly. She couldn’t stop her fingers from curling, drawn to the warmth that crept through her palm. “What I don’t know is why you’re giving it to me.”
His eyes narrowed. “It’s not a proposition.”
She tramped down her disappointment that he hadn’t planned to whisk her off for the sexual adventure of a lifetime. He seemed like a man who would know his way around a woman’s body. The kind of man who would see to her pleasure as well as his own. And that line of thinking was exactly why she shouldn’t go to Galveston Island.
He was being kind, offering her solitude because he felt bad, maybe even a little guilty since he was still gainfully employed by the place that just shit-canned her. While she appreciated the thought, she didn’t want his pity.
“Thank you, no. I can’t take this.”
She held the key out and he raised his palms to stay her.
“You can. Damn it, Lauren.” He shoved his hands through his hair in an uncharacteristic display of frustration. “Hang on to it. I’ll text you the address. The house is kept fully stocked. You can help yourself to anything there. It’s quiet,” he urged. “A great place to work stuff out. If you don’t want to go…” He stepped away from her and shrugged as though it didn’t matter to him one way or the other. “It’s only a house, Lauren. It’s there if you want to use it.”
She loved the way her name rolled off his tongue. She knew Gavin was originally from Texas, but his time in London had changed his accent. A delicious combination of Southern charm and British grit.
She stopped him as he made it to the doorway. “Why would you do this? We’ve worked together for a long time, yes, but … it’s not like we’re friends.”
He turned, his gaze burning her to the core. “Maybe I’d like to be.”
And with a final jerk of his chin, he was gone.
Chapter Three
> “Let me get this straight. He just waltzed in and gave you his house?”
Lauren snickered at her friend’s cautious tone. Of all of them, Taralee was the least trusting of men … and people in general.
“Everybody lets somebody down at some point. It’s inevitable,” was Taralee’s mantra, but Lauren knew it was her friend’s defense mechanism, her way of explaining away her relationships. Most recently, her complete asshat of an ex who had fooled them all into thinking he was Prince Charming.
A case study in how office relationships were a very bad idea. Taralee had almost lost her job at a prominent magazine over that crap.
“Taralee, don’t be silly. Gavin doesn’t waltz.” Not in the office anyway. She’d seen him waltz a time or two at the various fundraisers they’d attended over the years. It defied the laws of gravity for a man so large to be graceful. She snorted. “Stalked, would be more accurate. I swear, the man can own a room just by being in it.” She’d seen more than one powerful executive bow to Gavin’s commanding presence.
And he’d never lost a negotiation. Those who went up against him left with the security of believing they had gotten their way, when, in fact, it was Gavin who’d won. “But, to be honest, I have no idea how he came to be in my office. When I came out of the bathroom, he was just … there.”
“Come on, Lauren. Admit it. You’d like him to own you, too.” Faith laughed, tempting Lauren to mash the end button on the three-way call. Without a doubt, Faith would try to convince her to go to Galveston Island.
“Own? No.” Faith may enjoy that type of submission with her boyfriend, but it wasn’t Lauren’s thing. Still, her thighs tightened at the idea of going to her knees in front of Gavin, of taking him in her mouth while his heated gaze urged her on.
“But, you wouldn’t mind taking him for a spin, now would you?” Taralee asked, as though reading her thoughts.