by Fiona Archer
And six years ago, on her eighteenth birthday, after they’d dated for two amazing months, she had summoned her courage and offered herself to him.
Kayla resisted closing her eyes as the searing shame of her bungled seduction replayed like a horror movie in her head.
Gabriel, standing behind the garage in her family’s backyard as he grabbed more ice for the coolers, had frowned at her sudden appearance. “Get back to your party, Kayla.”
She’d been waiting all night to be alone with him. No way was she missing her chance.
“I’m eighteen now.” She laid her hand on his forearm, her touch tentative. “I—” She dragged in a steadying breath before rushing on, “I know what I want. Who I love. Gabe, it’s only ever been you.”
Gabe had recoiled, as if her touch was cloying, not desired. But it was the bored tone of his voice that smashed Kayla’s dreams into crumpled ruins. “Kid, I was just filling time. Max was at SEAL training, so I was bored. Besides, I don’t do needy virgins.”
He’d walked away without another glance.
Filling time.
Like she was of no value.
Not true then.
Definitely not true now.
She relaxed the muscles in her shoulders and sat deeper in the armchair. Her gold-toned cashmere sweater, navy A-line skirt, and Louboutin heels lent her an air of sophistication. A teenager no more. Lifting her chin, she returned Gabriel’s stare.
His gaze flared with…surprise? A thrill of satisfaction shot through her. Good.
“Adam, I appreciate you agreeing to meet at my home. I want to keep the investigation private. You didn’t say Kayla had performed the deep background checks I hired you for.”
That voice. Deeply masculine. Commanding in tone. A ripple of sensation flowed within her. How often had she imagined him whispering in her ear all the dirty, sexy things he wanted to do to her? His breath on her neck? His—
“Kayla’s my new analyst. I wasn’t about to let her talents go to waste at a think tank in Washington, so I brought her home to Seattle. She’s perfect for this job.” Adam stretched his long legs out in front of him. Dressed in all black—Henley, cargo pants, and combat boots—he looked every bit the former black ops specialist.
Adam never talked about his and Max’s covert ops in the past—or the last mission Max had not survived.
“Knowing you through Max, she’s familiar with your family’s company, so we won’t waste time pissing around, updating someone else.” Adam’s Aussie accent was strong even though he’d moved to the US at seventeen.
Prince Corporation had grown since Gabriel had taken over as its president. Driven and confident, with a razor-sharp mind, he was destined to lead. Although Kayla tried to avoid mentions of Gabriel in various media, it became impossible as he made his mark in his family’s corporate empire.
“Good decision. I can see Kayla’s been busy.” Gabriel nodded toward the folders sitting on the oak dining table next to a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out on the choppy waters of Puget Sound. “We’ve got a stack of reports for us to review.”
Adam stood. “You and Kayla can get started while I head back to Seattle.”
“What?” Oh, Lord, did she have to sound so panicked? Smarting at Gabriel’s raised brow—of course, he would notice—she focused on her boss. “Aren’t you staying?”
“No, I need to follow up on another matter. That’s why I asked you to drive yourself.” He turned to face her, his back to Gabriel, blocking the man’s view of her. “You good here?”
A tiny burst of warmth filled her chest at Adam’s gesture. A born protector. Abrupt, legitimately scary at times, and bossy as hell, but still…
“You bet.” Like she would admit anything else. She rose, gathered her leather tote, and moved to the table. “The sooner we start the better.”
Gabriel stood. “Thanks for meeting me today.” He shook Adam’s hand and paused, switching his attention to her. “And for bringing Kayla here.”
Kayla stiffened in the dining chair. Gabriel’s words were innocent enough, but his pause hinted at more. And the way he answered her questioning look with a slow, confident smile?
What the hell was that about?
Chapter Two
After seeing Adam off, Gabriel closed the front door of his Vashon Island home as a gust of wind sent fallen leaves dancing about in the front circular driveway. On the horizon, heavy gray clouds filled the October sky, bringing with them the chaotic energy of an approaching storm. The atmosphere was charged, prevailing conditions changing at a moment’s notice.
Gabriel shook his head. Not unlike the situation he was in right now.
Kayla was here in his house.
Whatever fates had aligned to make this miracle possible, Gabriel was grateful.
There was one life truth that had been rammed into him over the last few years: If you ever had the chance to right a wrong, grab it—or her—with both hands, and don’t let go.
An unfamiliar tension tightened in his gut. Nervousness? For a man known for conquering any stated goal, the sensation was a sobering reminder of what was now at stake: getting back the woman he loved.
Walking back to his living area, he studied Kayla.
Her blonde hair fell in a thick, sleek sheet past her shoulder blades. Years ago, she often wore her hair up in a ponytail, especially during the summer. Having it down suited her. Her cashmere sweater showcased beautiful full breasts, and the navy skirt her rounded hips. How many times had he dreamed of running his hands over her supple body, undressing her, and discovering what drove her to beg for pleasure?
Gabriel gave a self-derisory snort. Christ, those thoughts were a pathway to hell he should dodge for now.
Kayla looked up, her hazel gaze narrowing and distrust radiating from her.
He deserved no better.
Six years ago, Gabriel had kept his promise to Max. Force Kayla away, keep her safe from the playboy Max had known him to be before he dated Kayla.
He could see Max’s logic. Twenty-two. In his first year working for the family firm. No way could Gabriel guarantee he wouldn’t end up breaking Kayla’s heart.
At the time, Gabriel had believed that, in turning her away, he was doing the right thing.
That decision had become his biggest regret.
“It’s already past eleven. We should get moving here.” A tiny frown creased Kayla’s brow.
His finger itched to smooth the wrinkle away. Instead, he slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “How about some coffee?”
At her hesitation, he reminded her, “We’ve got hours of work in front of us, Kayla.”
She pressed her lips together, as if weighing his suggestion before giving in. “You’re right. Coffee would be good.”
Taking her agreement as a victory, he poured two cups and added cream to hers.
As he set the mug in front of her, she thanked him with no reaction to him remembering how she took her coffee.
He sat opposite her. There was so much he wanted to say, which could set Kayla off like a bomb. For now, sticking to business was safer. “Where do you want to start?”
“The vetting reports I compiled on each candidate for VP of operations are detailed. Based on my findings, there are five people I’d cull from your list immediately. After we’ve assessed the information, we can narrow down a list of top candidates. For that, I need to know what qualities or traits, besides the standard requirements, you view as essential in the person who will be, in many respects, your right hand.” She pulled out a legal pad and pen from her tote.
Gabriel appreciated Kayla’s straightforward approach. He’d never encountered her in a work situation but was impressed by her confidence in and understanding of the outcome she needed to deliver for him.
Hands clasped, he rested his forearms on the table. “I need someone I can gel with. That won’t happen overnight, but I usually trust my gut instincts when meeting people. Depending on what’s i
n your reports, I should get a feel of whom I need to avoid.”
“You will. Adam insisted I drill down deep on each candidate.” She scribbled a note on her pad. “And the second quality?”
“I’ve spent the last two years modernizing how our companies as a group do business. I need someone who is focused on doing business smarter, not just on cutting costs.”
“Your success doesn’t surprise me. You were always thinking of ways to improve things, even redesigning your treehouse.” Kayla blinked as if realizing she’d said her thoughts aloud.
“And you helped.” Always their little mascot, she had toiled with he and Max in the summer heat. “You let me remove a splinter from your thumb.”
A slight smile softened her mouth. For the first time since she had arrived this morning, her gaze was unguarded, warm. “That was the best treehouse on the street.”
A hush filled the room. Neither looked away.
Seconds elapsed before Kayla sat up straighter in her chair. “Let’s start with—”
The ring tone of Gabriel’s phone forced her quiet.
He glanced at the screen and silently cursed poor timing. “Excuse me, I need to answer this.”
She nodded as he stood and moved a few paces away.
Whatever the call was about, he wanted it over with.
Gabriel had a new target in his sights. The woman he’d been fool enough to push away years ago.
Chapter Three
Kayla stilled at the distant murmur of a female voice from Gabriel’s phone.
“Come out to my house today?” he asked.
Someone coming here?
Kayla adjusted her position in her chair, her skin sensitive, as if her clothing was itching her. She was…what was the right word? Unsettled. Yes, but at what? The thought of her and Gabriel being interrupted?
Nonsense.
So why was she now so still, almost afraid to move as she waited on his answer?
Gabriel’s tone was polite but firm as spoke. “No, I’m busy. The meeting can wait until Monday. Tell the architects they are paid to meet when it suits us, not them.” He nodded as the woman relayed something to him. “Okay, Lauren. Thanks.” He ended the call and rejoined her.
Kayla chose to ignore the feeling of relief they would be left alone.
Gabriel tossed his phone onto the table. “Okay, which file do you want first?”
“The one on your far right, please,” she said.
He lifted the folder marked JENSEN. “Here you go.”
Gabriel handed the folder to Kayla, but her grip on the plastic cover slipped when he let go. Reaching out, his hand covered hers, his grip firm, the pressure strong…manly.
A shiver raced over her skin, and the hair on her arms rose. She kept her gaze fixed on their hands, hers looking small and delicate under his much larger, tanned one.
Neither of them let go, seemingly frozen in place.
Then slowly, reluctantly, he loosened his grip.
She tugged free and opened the folder. “Thanks.”
Over the next four hours, they discussed each candidate’s report. She could not lie, hearing his approval at the detail of her vetting and her summations on each applicant was both satisfying and validation for her decision to leave Washington and move back home to Seattle.
At some point, Gabriel made them sandwiches for lunch, and they ate as they worked. Later in the afternoon, rain started to fall, but she ignored it, focusing on her work.
When he placed the last folder on the pile of rejected candidates, she leaned back into her chair and rubbed a hand over the tense muscles in her neck and shoulders.
“Good work, Kayla.” Gabriel’s arresting smile made her pulse skip a beat. “No wonder Adam snapped you up.”
A streak of lightning illuminated the room with a blue glow, followed by a bone-jarring crack of thunder.
Kayla jumped in her chair, her heart beating hard against her ribs. She suppressed a shudder at the darkening sky and the angry swaying branches of the trees outside.
God, she hated storms. Always had. “How the hell did we miss this coming?” As soon as her words were spoken, heavy sheets of rain pelted against the windows, turning the view into a blurry mess.
“We’ve been at it for hours.” Gabriel stood and walked over to the window in the kitchen, turned on an outside light, and stared out.
She glanced at her watch. Four o’clock. “I better get going.” She stood, gathering up her notes and pens. Her only way off Vashon Island was the car ferry back to Fauntleroy, a suburb of Seattle.
Gabriel turned from looking out the kitchen window. “I’ve got some bad news for you, sweetheart.”
Was it his warning or that he called her sweetheart in that deep, rumbly voice of his that shot a flutter in her belly?
“The ford at the end of the driveway’s flooded, and the emergency road out at the back of the property is under repairs from a recent rockslide.” His direct stare was an unmistakable gauntlet being thrown down. “You’re not going anywhere tonight.”
Kayla hurried to the window. The water that had trickled under the ford in the morning now rushed over, cutting off access to the road.
Far from being horrified at his statement, his words electrified her, shooting a bolt of delicious anticipation that stirred a growing need between her legs.
With those few words, Gabe had her second-guessing how to keep her distance from him, the man who still, despite her best efforts, owned her heart.
She curled her hands into fists and silently cursed Mother Nature…and her own weakness.
So much for the walls she had carefully built around her. She had thought they were strong, made of cold, hard stone. Turns out, that layer of protection was built of straw, and he possessed the power to burn it to the ground.
Chapter Four
Gabriel hid his surprise as he studied Kayla. Where was her protest and an attempt to walk out?
Not that he was complaining. Far from it.
Her gaze was bright but not, he guessed, from anger. Nor were her eyes wide with fear. Was that excitement that forced her chest to rise and fall more rapidly?
For the first time today, real hope burned in Gabriel. Maybe she wasn’t as immune to him as she acted? She might think him the biggest bastard on earth, but at least now he had a chance to convince her otherwise.
“Do you need to call anyone, let them know you’re staying?”
“I haven’t agreed to that yet.”
Right. He needed to set some ground rules.
“Sweetheart, even the prospect of spending a night under my roof isn’t as bad as your car being washed away, let alone the risk to your life. There’s no way I’m letting you put yourself in danger. You. Are. Staying.”
He didn’t miss the way her breath caught at his not-so-subtle command.
He gestured toward his kitchen. “I’ve got plenty of food, and I’m a good cook. Your present conditions, as dire as they seem, could be worse.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, when you put it that way, I guess drowning would be the shitty option.” The corners of her mouth twitched as she fought a smile.
Another win.
“After I call Adam and give him an update, I’ll help get dinner.”
He showed her to one of his four spare rooms with its own en suite and left her to call Adam. The idea of her sleeping in any bed in his home other than his made his balls ache.
All day she’d been a walking, talking temptation to his self-control. How many times had she tucked her hair behind her ears, revealing the graceful line of her neck, the hollow at the base of her throat, all places he wanted to explore with his mouth and tongue?
And when she’d absently rubbed a finger over her bottom lip? Fuck, he’d gripped a pencil so hard he’d snapped it in two.
Shaking his head, he walked back into the kitchen and assembled the ingredients for spaghetti Bolognese, a dish he knew she loved.
Chapter Five
Kay
la sat on the edge of the king-sized bed in her room for the night. Decorated in shades of sapphire and gray, the room so vividly captured the differing colors of the waters of the Puget Sound.
Ignoring her curiosity at what his master suite looked like, she grabbed her cell and hit Adam’s number.
“Justice.”
“Hey, it’s Kayla. We cleared the vetting today. All went well. I’m stuck at Gabriel’s for the night. Flooded in to be precise.”
“You need an evac?”
Kayla bit her lip. Normally she would laugh off such a question, but this was Adam. She wouldn’t put it past him. If anyone could arrange for a Blackhawk to swoop in and rescue her, he was the man.
“No, I’m fine. We’re fine. The ford’s flooded with the storm.” She sighed. “I’m not even going to attempt a crossing. My Louboutins are too precious to ruin in this weather.”
Adam made a dismissive sound. “I offered to provide you with appropriate footwear.”
“Combat boots are never ‘appropriate’ footwear for me, Adam.”
Along with camo pants.
“Prince may be one of the best men I know and was Max’s best friend, but I’ll rip his arms off and beat him to death with them if he gives you any trouble.”
“Err—” She blinked.
“Happy to call him and share that myself.”
“No need,” she rushed to reassure him. “We’re super dandy.”
“Call me tomorrow to confirm the next steps with the vetting.”
The phone clicked, signaling the end of the call.
Kayla shook her head. Gabriel and Adam were so alike. Alphas to the core. Focused. Determined.
Sometimes pains in the ass.
She pitied the woman who would eventually take Adam on.
She visited the en suite and washed her hands before heading back to the kitchen to find Gabriel browning hamburger in a skillet. Tomatoes, garlic, and mushrooms were grouped around a chopping board.
“What’s for dinner?”
“Spaghetti Bolognese.”