Moonlight Seduction

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“You should.” Ross sat up, wiping away a trail of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. “I don’t think your father committed suicide. I think he did something and one of you—one of you killed him for it.”

  Nikki was so nervous come Monday morning that she walked by the deep freezer twice before realizing she’d gone into the pantry to take out the steaks for dinner.

  She hadn’t heard from Gabe since he dropped her off at home Saturday night and she’d hadn’t seen him yet. Having no idea if that meant anything or not, she tried to gather her scattered thoughts and get to work.

  It was Monday, so that meant endless dusting of things that were never used and she doubted that the de Vincents even knew they had.

  Pulling her hair up, she threw herself into work. The downside of doing something so monotonous was that her brain was given free rein to obsess over every little thing that had happened between her and Gabe on Saturday night.

  Which wasn’t exactly what she needed.

  Or wanted.

  No matter how hard she focused on how she was going to decorate the cute apartment she hoped she got approved for or stressed over the decision to apply for a caseworker job with the county or enroll in grad school, her mind wandered back to Gabe.

  She sort of wanted to punch herself. Hard.

  The best thing she could do was proceed as if nothing had happened. That wouldn’t be the easiest thing to do, but the smartest. Obviously he was physically attracted to her. She obviously had the hots for him, but the difference was that she knew it wouldn’t just be something physical for her.

  It would become more.

  And she couldn’t risk that.

  It was close to noon when she was vacuuming one of the unused bedrooms on the second floor of the wing Lucian and Julia occupied. Because the plush carpet was virtually spotless, she’d toed off her flats and left them in the hallway. She was humming along to the whirl of the vacuum when it suddenly turned off.

  Frowning, she fiddled with the on/off switch and then turned at the waist, scanning the room. The cord was unplugged.

  “Odd,” she murmured, walking over to the thing. The cord was long, so it wasn’t like she’d pulled it out of the wall.

  Freaking weird, demon-possessed house.

  She plugged it back in and the vacuum roared to life. Sighing, she turned and let out a startled squeak.

  Gabe stood in the doorway, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe. “Having difficulties with the vacuum?”

  “Did you unplug it?” she asked as she hurried over to the vacuum, turning it off.

  “No. Why would I do that?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “I don’t know, but it unplugged itself.”

  “Ghosts.”

  “I didn’t think you believed in ghosts.”

  He lifted a shoulder. “I’ve never seen anything, but I’ve heard enough weird shit in this house that I do have to wonder.”

  She wasn’t sure if he was messing with her or not, but she was fully aware of the fact that they were the only ones on the second floor, in a room with a bed.

  Nikki cleared her throat as she folded her hand over the handle of the vacuum. “Well, I need to get back to work, so . . .”

  Gabe frowned. “Is that how this is going to be?”

  “I don’t understand.” And she really didn’t. “I have to vacuum this room. You know, one of the five on this floor that hasn’t ever been used. It’s very important that I finish this.”

  He grinned. “And why is that?”

  “I’m guessing if I don’t, the dust bunnies under the bed will multiply and take over the house, causing Devlin to go into shock. We can’t have that happening.”

  Gabe laughed. “The dust bunnies can wait.”

  “They really can’t. You know how dust bunnies are. Always getting together, multiplying, and making little dust bunny babies. Plus, it’s my job.”

  “I’ve been looking for you,” he said, ignoring what she said.

  “Well, you found me, but as you can see, I’m pretty busy—” She took a little step back as he pushed away from the frame and entered the room, stopping to close the door behind him. “What are you doing?”

  He locked the door, and her heart launched itself into her throat like a rocket. Gabe was silent as he stalked toward her, and that’s what he did. He stalked, like a big cat that had caught sight of its prey.

  “Gabe—”

  “Have you been hiding from me all day?”

  “What? No. I’ve been working—”

  “Uh-huh.” He crossed the space between them. “I remember when you were younger, you used to hide in these rooms whenever Lawrence was here.”

  “Well, he didn’t like all the noise I made—”

  “You never made that much noise.” Stopping directly in front of her, he grasped her by the hips. “Anyway, I’m glad I found you in here.”

  Her pulse was pounding out of control as she lifted her head. “Why?”

  “Because there’s something I spent all last night thinking about.”

  She was half afraid to ask. “What would that be?”

  His hands on her waist tightened and then he lifted her up. She didn’t get a chance to protest. One second she was standing and the next, her back was hitting the center of the bed, and he was above her, his arms and knees caging her in.

  Oh. My. God.

  “You were thinking about throwing me on the bed?” she asked.

  He chuckled again, the sound curling her toes. “No, that’s not what I’ve been thinking about, but it was fun.”

  “For you, maybe.”

  “You liked it.”

  Okay, she kind of did, but she wasn’t admitting that. Ever. “What are you doing?”

  “Following through on what I’ve been thinking about all night. I told you that.” Grinning, he shifted his weight onto his knees and straightened. “Keep up with me.”

  “Keep up with you? You come in here, throw me on a bed, and I’m supposed to know what you’re up to?” She started to sit up. “Gabe—”

  “Do you want to know what I’ve been thinking about?” he asked.

  “Not really,” she replied.

  “Oh, yeah, you’re going to want to know.” His hands found their way to her waist, causing her to suck in a sharp breath. “But I think I’m just going to show you.”

  “I don’t think—Gabe!” she gasped as he curled his fingers around the band of her black leggings. “What are you doing?”

  “You’ll see.” He tugged, and she gripped his wrists. “And I have this suspicion that you’re really, really going to enjoy it.”

  Her chest rose and fell with fast breaths. She had no idea how she’d gone from vacuuming to this. It was spiraling so fast that she wondered if she even had an ounce of control from the moment he’d walked into the room.

  Or if she wanted to control it.

  Her grip loosened.

  Gabe’s grin spread as those thick lashes lowered. “How has your day been?”

  His question caught her off guard. “Um, good? A normal Monday.”

  He tugged again, managing to get the leggings an inch down her hips. “Have you heard back on the apartment?”

  “Not yet,” she said, finding this to be the most bizarre positioning to have a conversation in.

  “I have a few pieces in storage that would be perfect for your apartment,” he said, dragging his thumb over her hip bone. “I got a coffee table, a dresser, and an end table. You can have them.”

  So surprised by the offer, she could only stare at him at first. “That’s not right. Your stuff costs as much as one semester at UA—”

  “I don’t care. I want you to have them.” His thumb moved on her other hip, slipping over her lower belly. “They were pieces I never sold and I made them ages ago.”

  “Gabe—”

  His gaze pierced hers. “They’re mine to give away, and I choose you.”

  I choose you.

  Oh Lord,
those words sent a bolt straight to her heart. He didn’t mean them the way her heart took them, but still.

  “Just think of them as a housewarming gift,” he said, as if he wasn’t talking about a gift that cost tens of thousands of dollars. “And now you’re supposed to ask me about my day.”

  Her nose wrinkled. “How was your day?”

  Gabe laughed. “You could at least sound like you care.”

  “I do.” She rolled her eyes.

  “I woke up early and couldn’t fall back to sleep. I was thinking about Saturday night, about how amazing my dick felt against your ass.”

  Oh my.

  Her stomach dipped as a sharp tingle zipped through her veins in response.

  “And I was thinking about how good you felt around my fingers when you started to come,” he continued, his words scorching her skin. “Made me hard as a fucking rock, you know that?”

  “No,” she whispered as her blood caught fire.

  He bit down on his lip as his gaze drifted down, over her breasts and lower. “I had to do something about that. Wasn’t as good as Saturday night, but it worked. For a time.”

  Her eyes widened at what he was implying.

  Gabe tugged again, getting her leggings down far enough that a strip of her undies was visible. He cocked his head to the side. “Are they butterflies?”

  “Shut up.” She flushed.

  “Cute. I want to see the rest of them.”

  Her gaze darted to the closed door. “Are you out of your mind?” She held on to his hands. “What if someone walks in—”

  “No one is going to find us. I locked the door.” He tugged again, gaining another inch. “And this is a hell of a lot more private than a parking garage.”

  Her skin flamed with a whole different kind of heat.

  Then he pulled again, and Nikki couldn’t even lie to herself. She didn’t really try to stop him, because she was grade-A certifiable at this point. All earlier thoughts of doing anything with Gabe being too risky dive-bombed out of the nearest window as he moved down the bed, pulling her pants off.

  Nikki could barely breathe as he dragged his hands up her calves and over the outside of her thighs. He hooked his fingers around her panties.

  This wasn’t like Saturday night.

  Not at all.

  If she let him do this, she was bare to him in ways she hadn’t been bare to another living soul in a very long time.

  Nikki didn’t stop him.

  Gabe made this deep sound as she lifted her rear, helping him pull them off. He tugged them off, letting them fall to God knew where. Then he was sliding his hands up the insides of her legs, skimming over her thighs.

  Air lodged in her throat as she fell back to her elbows. Her skin was burning, but she couldn’t look away from him staring at the most intimate part of her.

  “You’re beautiful.” He drew a finger up the crease at her thigh and then did it on her other leg. “Fucking perfect.”

  “We . . . we probably shouldn’t be doing this.”

  His gaze lifted to hers. “Why not?”

  She had a hard time remembering all the very valid reasons this was dumb as hell as he spread her legs, opening her up. Instinct to close her legs got her nowhere. Not when he draped her one leg over his shoulder and came down between her thighs.

  “Why shouldn’t I do this?” he asked.

  A strangled gasp parted her lips as his breath danced over her heated flesh.

  “I said Saturday night I don’t know what we’re doing, where it’s going to lead.” He turned his head, kissing her inner thigh. The rough skin of his jaw drove her crazy. “That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to travel that road and find out.”

  He hadn’t even touched her and she was already throbbing. Her senses were scattered, and that’s what she was going to blame for the next stupid thing that came out of her mouth. “You didn’t call or text yesterday. I thought . . .” She stopped herself. “I mean, I figured you’d decided to forget it happened.”

  His gaze found hers again. He didn’t say anything as he dragged his jaw along her inner thigh. A heartbeat passed while she cursed herself. He kissed her thigh again. “I won’t forget it happened. And I won’t give that impression again.”

  “Oh,” she said, because she had no idea what else to say to that.

  And then she wasn’t thinking about any of that, because Gabe’s mouth was on the move. He kissed just below her navel, and then lower. His lips ghosted over her, sending a tight shiver throughout her body.

  Nikki shuddered as he got his hands in there, slipping them between her legs, opening her even further, and then his mouth was on her.

  “This . . .” He dragged his tongue up her center. “This is what I’ve been thinking about. What you taste like. I just had to find out.”

  Nikki cried out as he did just that. He tasted her. Tongue. Lips. Licking. Sucking. Going deep and then pulling away. Any reservations she might’ve had were lost in a tidal wave of pure sensation. Her body took over as a certain mindless abandon swept over her. She gripped the comforter as her hips moved of their own accord, rolling against his mouth as her gasp gave way to moans.

  He so knew what he was doing.

  Gabe got his hands under her rear and lifted her up. He . . . he feasted on her. Devoured her. That was how it felt. There was no escaping the raw sensations he was dragging out of her with every dip of his tongue, not that she wanted to. Then his mouth closed over the tight bundle of nerves, and Nikki exploded.

  Her head kicked back as her back arched, shoulders digging into the bed as her hands tore at the comforter. She lost a little bit of herself as waves and waves of pleasure washed over her. Her leg slipped over his shoulder as he eased off, lifting his head to press a kiss to the space below her navel.

  “You taste better than I imagined.” His voice was rough as he nipped at her skin, causing her to jerk.

  Forcing her eyes open, she stared down at him. His lips glistened. She shivered. Their gazes connected as her breathing slowed. Dropping his hands to the mattress, he pushed up, sitting back on his knees. Her gaze dropped. She could see him, straining against his jeans. Her stomach bottomed out as her lips parted. She wanted to do the same.

  He must’ve been reading her mind, because his hands dropped to the buckle on his belt. His nimble fingers made quick work of the belt and then the zipper. He peeled the sides of his pants away and shoved them down, along with his tight, black boxer briefs. He sprung free, thick and hard.

  She wet her lips. “I want to taste you.”

  “My new favorites words in the English language.”

  “You look incredibly smug today.”

  Gabe shrugged as he crossed his ankles, resting his feet on the ottoman in one of the smaller rooms on the main floor. Outfitted with a TV, it was the closest thing the house had to a living room. He’d always liked the room. Probably had to do with his mother. She favored this room in the evening, gathering up the boys and Madeline. This was where they watched movies.

  Sucked that the senator was now in the room.

  But not even his random appearance on Tuesday could ruin Gabe’s mood. A beautiful woman eagerly and joyfully sucking your dick was nature’s best defense against annoying sons of bitches. Twenty-four hours later, and Gabe was still smiling.

  And man, he could still taste her on the tip of his tongue. She was like ambrosia.

  He hadn’t made the same mistake he had on Sunday. Truth be told, it had been so long since he actually worried about what a woman he’d been with in any sense of the word worried about after they parted ways that when it had crossed his mind to reach out to her, he’d shrugged it off out of habit.

  Dumbass move.

  Gabe cared about what Nic worried about afterward. So he texted her last night since she was having dinner with her parents instead of going to the shop. And he texted her good morning this morning.

  Right now he was going to let Nic seek him out. She was here, somewhere in th
e house. He was giving her time.

  “I came to see Dev.” Stefan sat in the recliner across from Gabe. “But he’s with Sabrina.”

  Gabe couldn’t keep the look of disgust off his face, and it didn’t go unnoticed by his uncle. “You don’t like Ms. Harrington, do you?” he noted.

  Gabe smirked. “Who does?”

  “Your brother.”

  He laughed at that. “I don’t even think he likes her that much.”

  “Well, I guess you don’t have to like a person to marry them,” Stefan commented, crossing one leg over the other. His finger tapped along the arm of the recliner. “The same could be said about your mother and Lawrence.”

  His gaze narrowed on Stefan. It was no secret that his parents didn’t get along. The fact that Lawrence turned out not to be Dev’s and his father was evidence enough of that.

  “I guess Lucian will be the first to break that tradition,” Stefan continued, talking to hear himself talk, Gabe guessed. “Since he’s marrying a nurse.”

  “There isn’t a damn thing wrong with Julia or the fact she actually has a necessary skillset,” Gabe fired back. “And I really don’t think someone who has been married three times and divorced that many times should be commenting on anyone else’s relationships.”

  “Touché,” Stefan murmured.

  Shaking his head, Gabe looked away just as Nic entered the room, carrying a small tray with one glass on it. Irritation flared. He didn’t like seeing her serve his fucking uncle.

  She picked up the glass and placed it on the coaster next to the recliner. Nic shot him a quick grin as she turned and glanced at him, and when he winked, her entire face flushed a pretty pink. She hurried out of the room, and it took everything in him not to chase after her.

  He didn’t know what Nic was to him, but she was like a goddamn addiction.

  “I see some things never change.”

  He looked over at Stefan sharply. “What does that mean?”

  Stefan shrugged, and he didn’t respond. Probably was a good thing, because no more than a minute later, Sabrina entered the room.

  Right behind her was Parker.

  Sabrina caught sight of him and her red-painted lips spread so widely he thought her face would crack. “Gabe, what a pleasant surprise.”