I quickly clicked through other links in the digest to
find the same picture with similar captions and
articles. Alarmed, I sat back and thought about
what this meant. If one kiss was headline news,
what chance would Gideon and I have to make a
relationship work?
My hands weren’t quite steady as I closed the
browser tabs. I hadn’t considered the press
coverage, but I should have. “Damn it.”
Anonymity was my friend. It protected me from
my past. It protected my family from
embarrassment, and Gideon, too. I didn’t even
have any social networking accounts so people
who weren’t actively in my life couldn’t find me.
A thin, invisible wall between me and exposure
was gone.
“Hell,” I breathed, finding myself in a painful
situation I could have avoided if I’d dedicated any
of my brain cells to something other than Gideon.
There was also his reaction to this mess to
consider…I cringed inwardly just thinking about it.
And my mother. It wouldn’t be long before she was
calling and blowing everything out of—
“Shit.” Remembering that she didn’t have my
new cell number, I picked up my desk phone and
called my other voice mail to see if she’d already
tried to reach me. I winced when I heard that my
mailbox was full.
I hung up and grabbed my purse; then headed
off to lunch, knowing Cary would help me put it all
in perspective. I was so flustered when I reached
the lobby level that I rushed out of the elevator with
my only thought being to find my roommate. When
I spotted him, I didn’t take note of anyone else until
Gideon sidestepped smoothly in front of me and
blocked my path.
“Eva.” He frowned down at me. Cupping my
elbow, he turned me slightly around. That’s when I
saw the two women and a man who’d hidden him
from my view.
I managed to find a smile for them. “Hello.”
Gideon introduced me to his lunch dates. Then
he excused us and tugged me off to the side.
“What’s wrong? You’re upset.”
“It’s all over the place,” I whispered. “A picture of
us together.”
He nodded. “I’ve seen it.”
I blinked up at him, confused at his
nonchalance. “You’re okay with it?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? For once, they’re reporting
the truth.”
A sneaking suspicion niggled at me. “You
planned it. You planted the story.”
“Not entirely true,” he said smoothly. “The
photographer happened to be there. I just gave
him a picture worth printing, and told PR to make
it clear who you are and what you are to me.”
“Why? Why would you do that?”
“You have your way of dealing with jealousy and
I have mine. We’re both off the market and now
everyone knows it. Why is that a problem for you?”
“I was worried about your reaction, but there’s
more…There are things you don’t know and I—” I
took a deep, shaky breath. “It can’t be that way
between us, Gideon. We can’t be public. I don’t
want—Damn it. I’ll embarrass you.”
“You couldn’t. It’s not possible.” He brushed a
loose lock of hair off my face. “Can we talk about
this later? If you need me—”
“No, it’s okay. Go.”
Cary came over. Dressed in baggy black cargo
pants and a V-neck white undershirt, he still
managed to look expensive. “Everything all right?”
“Hi, Cary. Everything’s fine.” Gideon squeezed
my hand. “Enjoy your lunch and don’t worry.”
He could say that because he didn’t know
better.
And I didn’t know whether or not he’d still want
me once he did.
Cary faced me as Gideon walked away. “Worry
about what? What’s wrong?”
“Everything.” I sighed. “Let’s get out of here, and
I’ll tell you over lunch.”
“Well,” Cary murmured, looking at the link I’d
forwarded from my smartphone to his. “That’s
some kiss. The dip was a great touch. He couldn’t
look more into if he tried.”
“That’s the thing.” I took another big gulp of
water. “He did try.”
He shoved his phone into his pocket. “Last
week you kept shooting him down for only wanting
your vagina. This week he’s publicizing that he’s
in a committed, passionate relationship with you,
and you’re still unhappy. I’m starting to feel bad for
the guy. He can’t win for trying.”
That stung. “Reporters are going to dig, Cary,
and they’re going to find dirt. And since it’s juicy
dirt they’re going to splash it all over hell and
back, and it’s going to embarrass Gideon.”
“Baby girl.” He set his hand over mine. “Stanton
buried all that.”
Stanton. I straightened. I hadn’t thought of my
stepfather. He’d see the disaster coming and
keep a lid on it because he knew what the
revelation would do to my mother. Still…“I’ll have
to talk to Gideon about it. He has a right to be
warned.”
Just the thought of that conversation made me
miserable.
Cary knew how my brain worked. “If you think
he’s going to cut and run, I think you’re wrong. He
looks at you like you’re the only person in the
room.”
I poked at my tuna Caesar salad. “He’s got a
few demons of his own. Nightmares. He’s closed
himself off, I think, because of whatever’s eating at
him.”
“But he’s let you in.”
And he’d already shown hints of how
possessive he could be about that connection. I
accepted that because it was a flaw I shared, but
still…
“You’re analyzing this to death, Eva,” Cary said.
“You’re thinking the way he feels about you has to
be a fluke or a mistake. Someone like him
couldn’t really be into you for your big heart and
sharp mind, right?”
“My self-esteem isn’t that bad,” I protested.
He took a sip of his champagne. “Isn’t it? So tell
me something you think he likes about you that
doesn’t have to do with sex or codependency.”
I thought about it and came up empty, which
made me scowl.
“Right,” he went on with a nod. “And if Cross is
anywhere near as messed up as we are, he’s
thinking the same thing in reverse, wondering
what a hot babe like you sees in a guy like him.
You’ve got money, so what has he got going for
him besides being a stud who keeps screwing
up?”
Sitting back in my chair, I absorbed everything
he’d said. “Cary, I love you madly.”
He grinned. “Back atcha, sweets. My advice, for
what it’s worth? Couples therapy. It’s always been
my plan to get into it when I find the one I want to
settle down with. And try to have fun with him.
You’ve got to have as many good times as bad or
it all becomes too painful and too much work.”
I reached over and squeezed his hand. “Thank
you.”
“For what?” He shrugged off my gratitude with
an elegant wave of his hand. “It’s easy to pick
apart someone else’s life. You know I couldn’t get
through my rough spots without you.”
“Which you don’t have any of now,” I pointed
out, shifting the focus to him. “You’re about to be
splashed across a Times Square billboard. You
won’t be my secret any longer. Should we
upgrade dinner from pizza to something more
worthy of the occasion? How about we haul out
that case of Cristal Stanton gave us?”
“Now you’re talking.”
“Movies? Anything in particular you want to
watch?”
“Whatever you want. I wouldn’t want to screw
with your big-dumb-blow-’em-up movie genius.”
I grinned, feeling better as I’d known I would
after an hour with Cary. “You’ll let me know if I’m
too dense to figure out when you and Trey want to
be alone.”
“Ha! Don’t worry about that. Your tempestuous
love life is making me feel dull and boring. I could
use a hot, sweaty bang with my own stud.”
“You just had a maintenance closet romp a
couple days ago!”
He sighed. “I’d nearly forgotten. How sad is
that?”
“It isn’t when your eyes are laughing.”
I’d just gotten back to my desk when I checked my
smartphone and found a text from Gideon letting
me know he had fifteen minutes to spare at
quarter to three. I nursed a secret rush of
anticipation for the next hour and a half, having
decided to take Cary’s advice and have a little
fun. Gideon and I would have to wade through the
ugliness of my past soon enough, but for now, I
could give us both something to smile about.
I texted him just before I left, letting him know I
was on my way. Considering the time constraints,
we couldn’t waste a minute. Gideon must have felt
the same way, because I found Scott waiting for
me at reception when I reached the Cross
Industries waiting area. He walked me back after
the receptionist buzzed me in.
“How’s your day been?” I asked him.
He smiled. “Great so far. Yours?”
I smiled back. “I’ve had worse.”
Gideon was on the phone when I entered his
office. His tone was clipped and impatient as he
told the person on the other end of the line that
they should be able to manage the job without him
having to oversee it personally.
He held up one finger to me to tell me he’d be
another minute. I responded by blowing a big
bubble with the gum I was chewing and popping it
loudly.
His brows shot up, and he hit the buttons to
close the doors and frost the glass wall.
Grinning, I sauntered over to his desk and
hopped onto it, curling my fingers around the lip
and swinging my legs. He popped the next bubble
I blew with a quick jab of his finger. I pouted
prettily.
“Deal with it,” he said with quiet authority to
whoever was on the phone. “It’ll be next week
before I can get out there and waiting will set us
back further. Stop talking. I have something timesensitive
on my desk and you’re keeping me
away from it. I guarantee that’s not improving my
disposition. Fix what needs fixing and report back
to me tomorrow.”
He returned the phone to its cradle with
suppressed violence. “Eva—”
I held up one hand to cut him off and wrapped
my gum in a Post-it I took from a dispenser on his
desk. “Before you reprimand me, Mr. Cross, I
want to say that when we reached an impasse in
our merger discussions at the hotel yesterday I
shouldn’t have walked out. It didn’t help to resolve
the situation. And I know I didn’t react very well to
the PR issue with the photo. But still…Even
though I’ve been a naughty secretary, I think I
should be given another chance to excel.”
His gaze narrowed as he studied me,
assessing and reevaluating the situation on the fly.
“Did I ask for your opinion on the appropriate
action to take, Miss Tramell?”
I shook my head and looked up at him from
beneath my lashes. I could see the lingering
frustration from his phone call falling away from
him, replaced by his growing interest and arousal.
Hopping down from the desk, I sidled closer
and smoothed his immaculate tie with both hands.
“Can’t we work something out? I do possess a
wide variety of useful skills.”
He caught me by the hips. “Which is one of the
many reasons you’re the only woman I’ve ever
considered for the position.”
Warmth flowed through me at his words. Boldly
cupping his cock in my hand, I fondled him through
his slacks. “Maybe I should reapply myself to my
duties? I could demonstrate some of the ways I’m
uniquely qualified to assist you.”
Gideon hardened with delectable swiftness.
“Such initiative, Miss Tramell. But my next meeting
is less than ten minutes away. Also, I’m not
accustomed to exploring job enrichment
opportunities in my office.”
I freed the button of his fly and lowered his
zipper. With my lips to his jaw, I whispered, “If you
think there’s anywhere I won’t make you come,
you’ll have to revisit and revise.”
“Eva,” he breathed, his eyes hot and tender. He
cupped my throat, his thumbs brushing over my
jaw. “You’re unraveling me. Do you know that? Are
you doing it on purpose?”
I reached inside his boxer briefs and wrapped
my hands around him, offering up my lips for a
kiss. He obliged me, taking my mouth with a
fierceness that left me breathless.
“I want you,” he growled.
I sank to my knees on the carpeted floor, pulling
his pants down enough to give me the access I
needed.
He exhaled harshly. “Eva, what are you—”
My lips flowed over the wide crown. He reached
back for the edge of his desk, his hands curling
around the lip with white-knuckled force. I held him
with both hands and mouthed the plush head,
sucking gently. The softness of his skin and his
uniquely appealing scent made me moan. I felt the
vibration ripple through his entire body and heard
a rough sound rumble in his chest.
Gideon touched my cheek. “Lick it.”
Aroused by the command, I fluttered my tongue
across the underside and shivered with delight
when he rewarded me with a hot burst of pre-cum.
Fisting the root of him with one hand, I hollowed
my cheeks and drew rhythmically, hoping for
more.
I wished I had the time to make it last. Drive him
crazy…
He made a sound filled with the sweetest
agony. “God, Eva…your mouth. Keep sucking.
Like that…hard and deep.”
I was so turned on by his pleasure I squirmed.
His hands pushed into my bound hair, pulling and
tugging at the roots. I loved how he started out
with tenderness, then grew rougher as the lust he
felt for me overwhelmed his control.
The soft bite of pain made me hungrier,
greedier. My head bobbed as I pleasured him,
jacking him with one hand while I sucked and
stroked the crest with my mouth. Heavy veins
coursed the length of his cock, and I slid the flat of
my tongue along them, tilting my head to find and
caress each one.
He swelled, growing thicker and longer. My
knees were uncomfortable, but I didn’t care; my
gaze was riveted to Gideon as his head fell back
and he fought for breath.
“Eva, you suck me so good.” He held my head
still and took over. Thrusting his hips. Fucking my
mouth. Stripped to a level of base need where
only the race to orgasm mattered.
The thought made me crazed, the image in my
mind of how we must look: Gideon in all his
urbane sophistication, standing at the desk where
he ruled an empire, stroking his big cock in and
out of my greedy mouth.
I gripped his straining thighs in both hands,
frantically working my lips and tongue, desperate
for his climax. His balls were heavy and big, an
audacious display of his powerful virility. I cupped
them, rolling them gently, feeling them tighten and
draw up.
“Ah, Eva.” His voice was a guttural rasp. His
grip tightened in my hair. “You’re making me
come.”
The first spurt of semen was so thick, I
struggled to swallow. Mindless in his pleasure,
Gideon was thrusting against the back of my
throat, his cock throbbing with every wrenching
pulse into my mouth. My eyes watered and my
lungs burned, but still I pumped my fists, milking
him. His entire body shuddered as I took
everything he had. The sounds he made and the
muttered, breathless praise were the most
gratifying I’d ever heard.
I licked him clean, marveling at how he didn’t
fully soften even after an explosive orgasm. He
was still capable of fucking me senseless and
more than willing to, I knew. But there was no time
and I was happy about that. I wanted to do this for
him. For us. For me, really, because I needed to
know I could indulge in a selfless sexual act
without feeling taken advantage of.
“I have to go,” I murmured, standing and
pressing my lips to his. “I hope the rest of your day
is awesome, and your business dinner tonight,
too.”
I started to move away, but he caught my wrist,
his gaze on the clock readout on his desk phone. I
noticed my picture then, sitting in a place of
prominence where he’d see it all day.
“Eva…Damn it. Wait.”
I frowned at his tone, which sounded anxious.
Frustrated.
He quickly restored his appearance, tucking
himself back into his boxer briefs and
straightening the tail of his shirt so he could fasten
his pants. There was something sweet in watching
him pull himself back together, restoring the
façade he wore for the world while I knew at least
a little of the man beneath it.
Tugging me close, Gideon pressed his lips to
my brow. His hands moved through my hair to
unclip my tortoise barrette. “I didn’t get you off.”
“No need.” I loved the feel of his hands on my
scalp. “That rocked just the way it was.”
He was overly focused on fixing my hair, his
cheeks flushed from his orgasm. “I know you need
an even exchange,” he argued gruffly. “I can’t let
you leave feeling like I used you.”
A bittersweet tenderness pierced me. He’d
listened. He cared.
I cupped his face in my hands. “You did use me,
with my permission, and it was seriously hot. I
wanted to give you this, Gideon. Remember? I
warned you. I wanted you to have this memory of
me.”
His eyes widened with alarm. “Why the fuck do I
need memories when I have you? Eva, if this is
about the photo—”
“Shut up and enjoy the high.” We didn’t have the
time to get into the photo issue now and I didn’t
want to. It was going to ruin everything. “If we’d
had an hour, I still wouldn’t let you get me off. I’m
not keeping score with you, ace. And honestly,
you’re the first guy I can say that to. Now, I have to
go. You have to go.”
I started away again, but he caught me back.
Scott’s voice came through the speaker.
“Excuse me, Mr. Cross. But your three o’clock is
here.”
“It’ s okay, Gideon,” I assured him. “You’re
coming over tonight, right?”
“Nothing could keep me away.”
I shoved up onto my tiptoes and kissed his
cheek. “We’ll talk then.”
After work, I took the stairs down to the ground
floor to feel less guilty about skipping the gym and
seriously regretted it by the time I reached the
lobby. Lack of sleep from the night before had left
me wiped out. I was contemplating taking the
subway rather than walking when I saw Gideon’s
Bentley at the curb. When the driver got out and
greeted me by name, I halted abruptly, surprised.
“Mr. Cross asked that I take you home,” he
said, looking smart in his black suit and chauffeur
hat. He was an older gentleman with graying red
hair, pale blue eyes, and the softest of cultured
accents.
As much as my legs ached, I was grateful for
the offer. “Thank you…? I’m sorry—what was your
name?”
“Angus, Miss Tramell.”
How had I not remembered that? The name
was so cool, it made me smile. “Thank you,
Angus.”
He tipped his hat. “My pleasure.”
I slid through the back door he opened for me
and as I settled into the seat, I caught a glimpse of
the handgun he wore in a shoulder holster
beneath his jacket. It appeared that Angus, like
Clancy, was both bodyguard and driver.
We pulled away from the curb and I asked,
“How long have you been working for Mr. Cross,
Angus?”
“Eight years now.”
“Quite a while.”
“I’ve known him longer than that,” he
volunteered, catching my gaze in the rearview
mirror. “I drove him to school when he was a boy.
He hired me away from Mr. Vidal when the time
came.”
Once again, I tried to picture Gideon as a child.
No doubt he’d been beautiful and charismatic
even then.
Had he enjoyed “normal” sexual relationships
when he was a teenager? I couldn’t imagine that
women weren’t throwing themselves at him even
then. And as innately sexual as he was, I imagined
he’d been a horny teen.
Digging in my purse, I pulled out my keys and
leaned forward to set them on the front passenger
seat. “Can you see that Gideon gets those? He’s
supposed to come over after whatever it is he’s
doing tonight and depending on how late that is, I
might not hear him knock.”
“Of course.”
Paul opened the door for me when we arrived
at my apartment and he greeted Angus by name,
reminding me that Gideon owned the building. I
waved to both men, told the front desk Gideon
would be coming over later, and then took myself
upstairs. Cary’s raised brows when he opened
the door to me made me laugh.
“Gideon’s coming over later,” I explained, “but
I’m feeling so hammered right now I may not stay
up long. So I gave him my keys to let himself in.
Did you order already?”
“I did. And I tossed a few bottles of Cristal in the
wine fridge.”
“You’re the best.” I shoved my bag at him.
I showered and called my mom from the phone
in my room, wincing at her strident, “I have been
trying to reach you for days!”
“Mom, if it’s about Gideon Cross—”
“Well, of course, it’s partly about him! For
goodness’ sake, Eva. You’re being called the
significant woman in his life. How could I not want
to talk about that?”
“Mom—”
“But there’s also the appointment you asked me
to make with Dr. Petersen.” The note of smug
amusement in her voice made me smile. “We’re
scheduled to meet with him Thursday at six
o’clock in the evening. I hope that works for you.
He doesn’t do many evening appointments.”
I plopped backward onto my bed with a sigh. I’d
been so distracted by work and Gideon that the
appointment had slipped my mind. “Thursday at
six will be fine. Thank you.”
“Now, then. Tell me about Cross…”
When I emerged from my bedroom dressed in
jersey pants and a San Diego State University
sweatshirt, I found Trey seated with Cary in the
living room. Both men stood when I came in and
Trey gifted me with an open, friendly smile.
“I’m sorry I look so ragged,” I said sheepishly,
running my fingers through my damp ponytail.
“Taking the stairs at work almost killed me today.”
“Elevator take the day off?” he asked.
“Nope. My brain did. What the hell was I
thinking?” Spending the night with Gideon was
enough of a workout.
The doorbell rang and Cary went to get it while I
headed into the kitchen for the Cristal. I joined him
at the breakfast bar as he signed the credit card
receipt and the look in his eyes when he glanced
at Trey had me hiding a smile.
There were a lot of those looks going back and
forth between the two men as the evening
progressed. And I had to agree with Cary that
Trey was a hottie. Dressed in distressed jeans,
matching vest, and a long-sleeved shirt, the
aspiring veterinarian looked casual but well put
together. He was very different personality-wise
from the type of guy Cary usually dated. Trey
seemed more grounded; not quite somber, but
definitely not flighty. I thought he’d be a good
influence on Cary, if they stayed together long
enough.
The three of us made it through two bottles of
Cristal and two pizzas between us, plus all of
Demolition Man before I called it a night. I urged
Trey to stay for Driven to round out the Stallone
mini-marathon; then I went to my room and
changed into a sexy black baby doll I’d been given
as part of a bridesmaid gift bag—sans the
matching panties.
Leaving a candle burning for Gideon, I crashed.
I woke to darkness and the scent of Gideon’s
skin, the lights and sounds of the city shut out by
soundproofed windows and blackout drapes.
Gideon slid over me, a moving shadow, his
bare skin cool to the touch. His mouth slanted
over mine, kissing me slow and deeply, tasting of
mint and his own unique flavor. My hands slid
down his sleekly muscular back, my legs parting
so he could settle comfortably between them. The
weight of him against me made my heart sigh and
my blood warm with desire.
“Well, hello to you, too,” I said breathlessly when
he let me up for air.
“You’ll come with me next time,” he murmured in
that sexy and decadent voice, nibbling at my
throat.
“Will I?” I teased.
He reached down and cupped my butt in his
hand, squeezing and lifting me into a deft roll of
his hips. “Yes. I missed you, Eva.”
I ran my fingers through his hair, wishing I could
see him. “You haven’t known me long enough to
miss me.”
“Shows how much you know,” Gideon scoffed,
sliding downward and nuzzling between my
breasts.
I gasped as his mouth covered my nipple and
sucked through the satin, deep pulls that echoed
in the clenching of my core. He moved to my other
breast, his hand pushing up the hem of my baby
doll. I arched into him, lost to the magic of his
mouth as it moved over my body, his tongue
dipping into my navel, then sliding lower.
“And you missed me, too,” he purred with
masculine satisfaction, the tip of his middle finger
rimming my cleft. “You’re swollen and wet for me.”
He pulled my legs over his shoulders and licked
between my folds, soft and provocative laps of hot
velvet against my sensitive flesh. My hands fisted
in the sheet, my chest heaving as he circled my
clit with the tip of his tongue, then nudged the
hypersensitive knot of nerves. I keened, my hips
moving restlessly into the devious torment, my
muscles tightening with the clawing need to come.
The light, teasing flutters were driving me
insane, giving me just enough to make me writhe
but not enough to get me off. “Gideon, please.”
“Not yet.”
He tortured me, coaxing my body to the brink of
orgasm, and then letting me slide back down.
Over and over. Until sweat misted my skin and my
heart felt like it would burst. His tongue was
tireless and diabolical, cleverly focusing on my clit
until a single stroke would set me off, then moving
lower to thrust into me. The soft, shallow plunges
were maddening, the flickering against the nerveladen
tissues making me desperate enough to
beg shamelessly.
“Please, Gideon…let me come…I need to
come, please.”
“Shh, angel…I’ll take care of you.”
He finished me with a tenderness that made the
orgasm roll through me like a crashing wave,
building and swelling and spreading through me in
a warm rush of pleasure.
He threaded his fingers with mine when he
came over me again, restraining my arms. The
head of his cock aligned with the slick entrance of
my body and he pushed inexorably into me. I
moaned, shifting to accommodate the heavy
surge of his penis.
Gideon’s breath gusted hard and humid against
my throat, his big frame trembling as he slid
carefully inside me. “You’re so soft and warm.
Mine, Eva. You’re mine.”
I wrapped my legs around his hips, welcoming
him deeper, feeling his buttocks flex and release
against my calves as he demonstrated to my body
that it would indeed take his thick length all the
way to the root.
With our hands linked, he took my mouth and
began to move, gliding in and out with languid
skill, the tempo precise and relentless yet smooth
and easy. I felt every rock-hard inch of him, felt the
unmistakable reiteration that every inch of me was
his to possess. He drove the message home
repeatedly until I was gasping against his mouth,
thrashing restlessly beneath him, my hands
bloodless from the strength of my grip on his.
He spoke heated praise and encouragement,
telling me how beautiful I was…how perfect I felt to
him…how he’d never stop…couldn’t stop. I came
with a sharp cry of relief, vibrating with the ecstasy
of it, and he was right there with me. His pace
quickened for several slamming thrusts; then he
climaxed with a hiss of my name, spilling into me.
I sank lax into the mattress, sweaty and
boneless and replete.
“I’m not done,” he whispered darkly, adjusting
his knees to increase the force of his thrusts. The
pace remained expertly measured, each plunge
staking a claim—your body exists to serve me.
Biting my lip, I fought back the sounds of
helpless pleasure that might’ve broken the
tranquility of the night…and betrayed the
frightening depths of emotion I was beginning to
feel for Gideon Cross.
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