Moonlight Seduction

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  Fuck.

  He was not going to let this woman ruin his mood. He started to rise.

  “Now look at what you’ve done, Sabrina.” Stefan grinned around his glass. “You’re chasing my nephew off.”

  “I did no such thing.” The tips of her cheeks flushed.

  Gabe rose, coming to his full height. He looked at the siblings closely and then focused on Parker. “I find it odd that you’ve been here so much lately,” Gabe said. “Wonder why that is.”

  Parker shrugged. “Just getting to know my future in-laws better.”

  From the recliner came a derisive snort. “I’m sure it has nothing to do with the hot little housekeeper running around.”

  Gabe’s jaw locked down. “It better not be.”

  “Of course not.” Sabrina sounded legitimately bewildered by the suggestion. “That’s the most foolish thing I’ve heard all day.”

  Gabe held Parker’s gaze. The fucker stared back at him boldly.

  “You seem oddly concerned about that if it were the case,” Parker replied.

  “She’s like family to us.” Gabe stepped forward, smiling when Parker inched back a step. “Unlike those in this room.”

  Sabrina sucked in a sharp breath.

  The senator laughed. “Come spend time with me, Sabrina. Tell me about the charity you’re working on. What is it? Is it for the Daughters of something or another?”

  Gabe scanned the room, wondering what the hell these three were up to, because this wasn’t the first time the three of them had spent time together.

  Whatever it was, he wanted to be as far away from it as possible.

  Leaving the three together, he went in search of Nic. Screw waiting around on her. He found her in the kitchen, staring at a slip of paper. Her back was to him, but she heard him.

  Looking over her shoulder, she smiled. It was shy, and for some damn reason, he felt a surge of protectiveness he couldn’t quite explain. “Hey,” she said, turning back to her paper. “Guess what?”

  He knew he shouldn’t do what he was about to do. Not with his house full of Harringtons and her father roaming around, but that didn’t stop him.

  Gabe came up behind her, placing his hands on her hips. “What?”

  He felt Nic’s reaction to his touch. The tiniest shiver that coursed through her as he tugged her back against his chest. “I just got a call about an hour ago from the property manager of the apartment I was looking at.”

  “What’s the deal?” He slid his hands around, over her stomach.

  The pink from earlier returned to her cheeks. “I got the apartment.”

  “That’s awesome.” He turned her around, so she was facing him. “Seriously.”

  “I know.” She held the slip of paper between them. “I’m super stoked about it.”

  “When you going to move?”

  “I don’t know.” A big smile crossed her face, a beautiful one. “You know me. I’m impatient, so probably as soon as the space is empty.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, I give you two weeks tops to move in.”

  “So, that stuff you said I could have . . . ?”

  “Yours.”

  She laughed. “I really should pay you for that.”

  “You can.” His gaze dropped to her mouth. Her lips weren’t the only place he hadn’t tasted yet. So were her breasts. Now was neither the time nor the place for either of those things. “Let me take you out to dinner to celebrate.”

  “For real?” Surprise colored her voice.

  “Yeah.” He grinned at her. “This Friday. Have dinner with me.”

  She stared at him a moment and then glanced over his shoulder. “Aren’t you worried about what people will think?”

  “We’re going out to dinner. Not robbing a store.”

  Nic cocked her head to the side as she raised her brows. “If people see us, they’re going to talk.”

  “People always talk when they see a de Vincent,” he replied. “I don’t care. Do you?”

  She took a moment to answer that, long enough to really start to worry him, but then a teasing gleam filled her eyes. “People will think I’m out having dinner with an older brother or something.”

  He let out a low chuckle. “Nice, Nic.”

  She laughed. “I’m kidding. I don’t care what people think. I’ll have dinner with you.”

  “That’s my girl,” he said, sliding his hands off her before he did something stupid.

  She stepped back, staring up at him through those long eyelashes. “It better be that super expensive steakhouse you talked about before.”

  Chapter 23

  “Cheers to new apartments!” Bree raised her margarita.

  Grinning, Nikki raised hers in toast, as did Rosie. “Cheers!”

  It was Tuesday evening and she’d joined the girls for Taco Tuesdays and drinks to celebrate her apartment. She’d left the de Vincent house and drove straight to the complex to sign the lease.

  “I cannot believe you’re moving in next weekend.” Bree shook her head. “I’d need at least a month to pack and label everything accordingly.”

  “That’s because you’re a bit obsessive,” Rosie pointed out.

  “True.” Bree shrugged. “I like things to be orderly. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “I don’t have enough stuff to do that much packing.” Nikki picked at what was left of her taco. “Most of my stuff from college is in storage.”

  “And did you hear?” Rosie turned to Bree. “Gabe is furnishing her entire apartment with his handcrafted goods.”

  Bree’s mouth dropped open, and Nikki swore a piece of lettuce had fallen out. “What?”

  “He is not.” She shot Rosie a dark look. “He offered just a couple of pieces.”

  Slowly, Bree lowered her glass to the table. “His stuff costs—”

  “I know how much it costs.” Nikki picked up her drink. “It’s just old stuff he’s had for a while.”

  Bree stared at her.

  “Oh, and he’s also taking her out on a date to celebrate,” Rosie added. “Let’s not forget that.”

  “It’s not a date,” she argued even though her heart did a happy little cartwheel. “We’re just doing a celebratory dinner.”

  “Nikki, don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining,” Rosie replied, and Nikki wrinkled her nose. “I know you two aren’t just friends. Don’t forget that I know things.”

  “Know what things?” Bree demanded.

  Nikki sat back, nursing her drink while Rosie gave Bree the lowdown on what had happened between her and Gabe the night of her failed date with Gerald. Thank God she hadn’t told Rosie about the most recent event.

  When Rosie was done, Nikki narrowed her eyes. “I’m never telling you anything again.”

  Rosie laughed.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.” Bree leaned forward, her eyes wide. “You have to tell me. Does he have a big—”

  “Can we please change the subject?” Nikki asked. “We’re celebrating my apartment. Not my celebratory dinner date.”

  “So it is a date,” Rosie jumped in.

  Bree burst into laughter while Nikki flicked salt at Rosie. Luckily the conversation did change.

  “Oh, before I forget.” Rosie reached into her purse, pulling out a red velvet bag. “This is for the bracelet you’re working on. One of my friends who runs a healing shop that focuses on chromotherapy—”

  “Chromotherapy?” Bree frowned. “You know what? I don’t even need to know what that is.”

  Rosie flipped her off. “Anyway, she was telling me that the color red helps stimulate energy and vitality.”

  “And here I thought the color red would have something to do with sex,” Bree muttered.

  “Of course you would.” Rosie shook her head.

  Nikki leaned over and took the bag. “Thank you. This will be perfect to put the bracelet in.” She didn’t know if chromotherapy worked, but it couldn’t hurt. “I just need to paint it. Now I
know what color.”

  Walking out into the cool evening air, Nikki said goodbye to her friends and headed down the block to where she parked. She folded her arms over her waist and picked up the pace. It was that weird time of the year when there’d be pockets of heat and humidity throughout the day and then surprisingly cooler temps at night. Then again, she knew that people up north would think nothing of what they considered cold, but Nikki was wishing she’d remembered to bring a cardigan with her.

  She rounded the corner and stepped off the curb, mindful of the traffic as she edged along the side of her car. As she hit the key fob, unlocking the door, she felt a sharp swirl of tingles along the base of her neck, an acute sense of awareness that raised the tiny hairs all over her body.

  It felt like . . . like someone was watching her. It was the same feeling she’d gotten the night she’d left Cure.

  Looking over her shoulder, her gaze darted along the block. There were people, but like before, no one was paying attention to her. Not that she could see, but as she opened up the car door, the feeling didn’t go away.

  Biting down on her lip to stop from crying out, Nikki wasn’t exactly successful at staying completely quiet. How could she? Not when he thrust another finger inside her as he sucked deep and hard. She came hard and fast, and would’ve fallen over if it weren’t for him holding onto her hips.

  Goodness, he was really, really good at this.

  “You totally wore a skirt today on purpose, didn’t you?” He dragged his mouth along the inside of her thigh.

  Holding onto the counter behind her, she lifted a shoulder. “Maybe.”

  “Easy access?” he asked, leaning back and straightening her skirt so it slipped back down her legs. “If so, I fully support this plan.”

  She laughed as he rose. He’d found her in one of the bathrooms on the third floor Thursday afternoon, and while fooling around like this came with the risk of being caught, it hadn’t stopped them.

  It wasn’t going to stop her.

  Placing her hands on his chest, she slipped out from between him and the counter. She pushed him back against where she’d stood.

  A single eyebrow rose. “What are you up to?”

  “You’ll see.” She reached between them, finding the button on his jeans. His eyes flared as she unhooked the button and pulled the zipper down. “I think you’re starting to figure it out.”

  “I am.” His voice was dark, rough.

  Grinning, she gripped his pants and pulled them down. Gabe had gone commando today and the hard, thick length of him jutted out. She knew from that one night, long ago, that he would fill and stretch her, but if they hadn’t had sex, she would’ve realized that the moment she saw him.

  She lowered herself to her knees as she wrapped one hand around the base of his cock. His hips jerked in response and he exhaled raggedly. She was in awe of how her touch could affect him.

  Nikki knew he was watching her as she leaned in, running her tongue over the glistening head. She knew he didn’t take his eyes off her as he reached down and gathered up her hair, holding it back as she licked her way from tip to base and then made her way back, flicking the little indent. And she knew that he was wholly focused on her, only her, when she closed her mouth around him.

  “Hell,” he groaned.

  The hand in her hair tightened, tangling it, and with the slightest pressure, he urged her to take him as deep as she could, which wasn’t all that far. She used her hand, timing the movements with her mouth.

  “You’re going to kill me,” he said.

  She hadn’t given a lot of blow jobs in her life, but she was quick to realize that if a guy was into you, you pretty much couldn’t do it wrong. And besides, she loved doing this for him. She figured that made up for the lack of experience.

  “Fuck. Nic,” he growled. He held her in place as his hips moved, taking over. “Look at you. Jesus.”

  There was something hot about that—about having him take over, take control. He wasn’t afraid to hold back. He moved against her hand, in her mouth, and the way he fucked her mouth had her squeezing her thighs together to alleviate the ache that was springing back to life there.

  His movements picked up, and she felt the deep pulse along his vein. He groaned, and her eyes flew open, wanting to see the moment he let go.

  It was beautiful to her.

  That striking face of his tensed as he kicked his head back, exposing his throat. Who knew a throat could be so damn sexy, but the straining muscle and veins were incredibly hot.

  Gabe came, and Nikki didn’t get a chance to pull away, not with his hand where it was, keeping her in place. She didn’t want to, though. She wanted to finish him off and so she did, taking everything she could, sucking until he finally started to soften and he was pulling away.

  He didn’t let go of her right away. His hand was still balled in her hair as he dropped his chin and stared down at her. A long moment passed where there were no words between them. He cupped her cheek with his other hand, dragging his thumb under what felt like a swollen lower lip.

  “Does it make me sound like a chauvinistic pig if I admit to wanting to keep you like this? On your knees, ready for me?”

  “Yeah. It does,” she said, cracking a grin as she turned her cheek into his hand. “But I wouldn’t mind keeping you on your knees, so what room do I have to talk?”

  Gabe made this sound, half groan, half laugh, as he pulled her onto her feet and then against his chest. He folded his other arm around her waist as he dropped his face to her neck. “You’re going to kill me.” He kissed her there, eliciting a shiver. “You know that, right?”

  “Because you’re old and going to have a heart attack?” she teased.

  “Sweetheart, I could be your age and it would still feel like I’m seconds away from having a heart attack when you’re sucking my dick.”

  “Not sure if I should feel flattered by that.”

  “You should.” He kissed the side of her neck again. “You’ll be the death of me, yet.”

  Nikki closed her eyes as her heart flipped over in her chest at the gesture. She wasn’t so sure about that. She had a feeling it would be the other way around when this was all over.

  Because it would end, wouldn’t it?

  The thought killed the mood about as effectively as getting doused with ice water. She wasn’t sure where the thought even came from, but maybe it was because she was trying to hold a piece of her back from him, and was slowly and surely failing at doing so.

  Because she knew she was falling for him.

  Falling for him again, and this time it would be harder and further before she hit bottom. She could tell Rosie that she was in control of this all she wanted, but she knew the truth.

  She wasn’t in control.

  And they . . . they hadn’t kissed. Not even that night four years ago and not once since they started . . . whatever this was. She felt stupid to put so much weight behind something like kissing, but didn’t that mean something? She wasn’t sure if that was just a silly notion or if it was a red flag.

  “Hey.” His lips moved briefly against her neck before he straightened. She opened her eyes, finding him watching her intently. “What’s going on in your head?”

  “Nothing.”

  His eyes searched hers. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” She forced a smile. “But I do need to get back to work.”

  His arm tightened around her as he untangled his hand from her hair. She was so going to need to find a brush stat. “What if I want to keep you?”

  She liked the sound of that too much. “I don’t think that will go unnoticed come dinnertime.”

  “True.” He sighed. Dipping his head, he pressed a kiss to her cheek, and her chest squeezed. “Can’t have Dev going unfed.”

  “It would be an epic tragedy.” She slipped out of his grasp and made her way out of the bathroom.

  He caught up with her as she tried to smooth her hair with her hands. “You still
look like you got fucked.”

  Nikki’s cheeks caught fire. “Wow. Thanks.”

  Gabe chuckled as he faced her. “But I like the look.”

  “I’m sure you do,” she replied dryly as she worked her fingers through a knot. “You need to go.”

  “Don’t forget we’re having dinner tomorrow night.”

  She shoved him with one hand. “I haven’t forgotten.”

  He barely budged. “I think maybe we should do dinner tonight, except skip dinner and go straight for the—”

  “Get,” she said, shooing him out.

  He turned, grinning at her as he walked backward, laughing as he bumped into the wall. She giggled as she whirled around, shaking her head.

  Gabe was . . . God, she didn’t even know what to say.

  Walking back to the bathroom, she worked at her hair until she didn’t look like she’d just had sex.

  Especially since she didn’t have sex sex.

  Once satisfied, she shut the bathroom door and walked out into the bedroom, closing that door behind her. She was halfway down the hall, when she heard the slow creak of a door opening behind her.

  Nikki’s heart jumped as she turned around. No one was in the hall, but the door next to the one she and Gabe had been in was open halfway.

  “Shit,” she whispered.

  Part of her didn’t want to check it out, but she forced herself to do so. Tiny goosebumps rose all over her arms as she peered inside the bedroom. No one was there.

  The room was like an icebox, though.

  The goosebumps spread as the prickly sensation exploded all along the back of her neck. The same feeling she had before. The feeling that screamed that someone or something was watching her—was right behind her.

  Holding her breath, she slowly turned around.

  No one was in the hall.

  But the door leading out to the porch was open, the gauzy curtains billowing as the breeze caught them.

  And that door had been closed seconds ago.

  Chapter 24

  It was getting late when Nikki decided to call it quits and head home. Gabe was still at work, his hands covered with a fine layer of dust while he dragged the sander over the plank of wood.