“Yes.”
A thought hit her. She scrunched her face, reluctant to bring up the topic, but she had to. “Gav, what if someone’s following Molly on her way home too?”
“I doubt there was more than one person who was watching my place.”
Her brows furrowed at the lack of concern in Gavin’s tone. “How can you be sure?”
“Don’t worry about Molly. I’m sure she’s fine.”
“If she does need help, I suppose you’re gonna have to go to her, huh?” She slapped her hand on her forehead. Why, oh why, did she have to ask him that question? What was wrong with her?
“No,” Gavin answered quietly. “If Molly needs help, someone else can attend to her. I’m not going anywhere but to your hotel room so I can keep you safe. I have to go now so I can be there sooner rather than later, okay?”
“Okay,” she answered, her eyes watering from his caring words. Ah, damn it. Just when she thought she’d been wrong, he had to say something that raised her hopes up again.
She let out a swooning sigh when the line went dead. His words proved that he and Molly weren’t serious. That was all she needed to know.
And she might as well admit it. She was looking forward to spending time alone with Gavin—in a five-star hotel suite. If there was one thing she wanted above all else, it was to win him back. Perhaps the events of tonight was a gift to enable her to do just that?
She gulped. She’d gone to Gavin’s place tonight to try to figure out if she still had the power to seduce him. When she’d discovered that just opening herself up to the possibility of getting back together with Gavin had awakened her libido almost instantaneously, she had irrefutable proof that Gavin still held the key to her heart and body. No point hiding from that again.
Well, she wasn’t planning on being alone for the rest of her life. So if Gavin was ready to move on from Amber, why not throw herself into the mix of girls he could choose from? No one cared about Gavin as much as she did, so wasn’t this the perfect time to remind him of that?
Yes. She’d hate herself if she didn’t take the chance.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Gavin took several deep breaths as he rode the elevator up to the suite he’d booked. His fear of Natasha being on Austin and Biggs’ radar was contained for the time being, but the excitement at being alone with her tonight was not.
He simply hadn’t been able to help the longing that had hit him when he’d learned from Carter just a few minutes ago that Tash had been talking to the girls about their past relationship. He doubted she would have discussed it with their friends if she hadn’t been thinking of him lately, especially since she’d been so adamant about not telling anyone about their old romance.
The ardent look she’d given him the night she’d broken up with Leo still constantly floated in his mind, and now this. It was filling him with hope that she was attracted to him again, and all that hope was making him yearn for her with greater passion.
But he still had to keep his hands off her. Even Carter had told him not to forget that.
Well, he’d been able to hide his feelings for five long years, so surely he could manage it again tonight. If only his head would quit flashing vivid images of a naked and beautiful Natasha to him...
Why the hell couldn’t he stop thinking about the last time they’d been in a hotel room together? That was years ago, and tonight’s circumstances were so far removed from the celebratory night they’d shared back then.
He’d have to ask Tash to lock the bedroom door tonight while he crashed on the couch, just to remind himself that she was still off-limits. With the way he was feeling, he didn’t know if he could keep his distance if she so much as looked at him with affection or desire.
He held the room key card against the reader, then pushed the door open, aware that his heart was dancing in anticipation of seeing her.
“Tash?” he called out. There was no answer, so he walked to the bedroom. It was empty. Where was she?
“Tash!” he said louder, nerves jangling as he yanked the en suite bathroom door open.
“Gav! Hi!”
All breath left his body.
“I thought a bath would relax me after my adventurous drive here,” Natasha said, smiling up at him.
She was having a bubble bath, but heaven help him, there weren’t enough bubbles to hide her sexiness from his rounded eyes. And why the hell was he still staring? He should look away. Now.
“You’re safe here tonight,” he said with a croak, forcing his gaze to her face.
“I know. I trust you.”
He inhaled sharply. What would she say if he let on that everything about him was urging him to strip right now and join her in that damned tub?
“Could you hand me a towel?” Natasha asked as she started to get out of the water.
“Sure.” He finally peeled his greedy gaze off her and grabbed the fluffy material from a rack above the other end of the tub. He tried to hand her the towel without glancing back at her.
“Thanks. I don’t mind you looking, you know.”
His head whipped back towards her in surprise. Fortunately—or unfortunately—the large towel covered her as she dried herself.
“It’s not like you haven’t seen it all before,” she said in a teasing but shy voice.
“I never want you think I’m anything but a gentleman,” he said lightly, desperate to pretend he hadn’t been affected by her nakedness. But all Natasha had to do was look below his belt and the bulge in his pants would be a dead giveaway.
“I guess I’m gonna have to wear just a bathrobe tonight,” Natasha said, releasing her hair from a bun and combing it with her fingers. “I want to save the clothes I was wearing for tomorrow, since I don’t have any spares.”
He blinked, reminding himself to breathe.
Natasha sidled up to him. “And I’ll have to go commando until I get home,” she whispered with a sultry grin before leaving the bathroom.
He stared at her, his jaw hitting the floor. Had all the nervous excitement made Natasha hysterical? Not that she was exhibiting hysteria, but why else was she flirting like this with him?
He shook his head. There was no way he could allow this to go on or he’d be in deep, deep trouble.
“Um, Tash,” he said, stepping out of the bathroom. “Make sure you lock yourself in this bedroom tonight. For extra safety.”
Natasha frowned as she tied the bathrobe sash loosely around her waist. “I thought you’d be staying with me tonight.”
“Yes. I’ll be sleeping on the couch.”
“The bed is big enough for us, don’t you think?” Natasha asked, peering at him through her lashes. “I’d hate for you to be uncomfortable when you’ve paid for this suite. And I really wouldn’t mind if you stayed in here with me, if you know what I mean.” Her fingers played with the collar of her robe.
Damn. That cleavage was going to drive him crazy if he didn’t stop staring. He forced some oxygen into his lungs and shook his head, giving her a small smile. “No. I’d already planned to sleep on the sofa. And you shouldn’t be joking around like this with me,” he said with censure.
“I’m not joking.”
Argh. He raked his hair. “Tash... it’s not gonna happen. Remember we agreed to never go back there? It was even you who requested it, remember? So don’t do this, okay?” He grabbed a pillow from the bed and headed for the door. The sooner he left her presence, the better for his equilibrium.
Against his will, he glanced back and stopped in his tracks, his heart compressing. He’d caught the hurt on her face before she’d looked down on the floor to avoid his gaze.
“Tash.”
“I just thought it might be a good idea for us to hook up again,” she said, glancing back at him boldly.
His heart jumped in delight and, yes, he wanted nothing more than that. But now simply wasn’t the right time. “You know it’s not a good idea,” he forced himself to say.
“Isn’t it?”
Natasha asked, stepping towards him. “Gav, I realised I’m still very much attracted to you, and I don’t want to hide that anymore. That doesn’t mean that I’ll pressure you into a committed relationship if we slept together again. We can take it slow, with no stifling expectations.”
God, he could tell how much courage it took for her to say that, and he felt himself melting like butter. But he only had one answer for her, and he hated himself for it. “It’s just not a good idea.”
Natasha stared at him for a long second before looking away. “Okay. I’m sorry. I’m just a bit crazy from everything that has happened,” she said, her voice cracking. “Don’t mind me. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” She turned and walked towards the window.
He shut his eyes. The pain he’d experienced when he’d broken up with her five years ago had been excruciating. Now, every single cell in his body was starting to throb with the same pain. His whole being was rebelling at the thought of hurting her again.
He should leave the room, but he found himself walking towards her and placing his hands on her upper arms. “Hey.”
“I’m okay,” she said with a forced laugh, refusing to look at him. But her reflection in the window showed she was biting her lip and trying to contain her emotions.
“I can’t, Tash. We can’t,” he said softly, his words driving a knife into his own heart.
She nodded stiffly. “Don’t worry. I understand. I just made a wrong assumption.”
“It’s not what you think. And I can’t tell you why.” The words were out before he could stop them.
Natasha turned to face him, her eyes moist. “You’ve said that before. What should I think, then?”
He rubbed his face. Argh, he should have continued walking out of the bedroom and not have engaged in this conversation.
“If this is a simple case of you feeling guilty that you might be hurting me, don’t worry. I’ve survived your rejection before,” she said, putting on a brave face. But she failed to conceal the deep sorrow in her eyes.
An overwhelming need to erase her sadness crashed over him. With his good sense overpowered by his heart, he cupped her face and lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her sweetly, tenderly, thoroughly.
Natasha went still for a moment. Then she whispered his name against his lips and flung her arms around his neck, returning his kiss with a passion that pushed away all the reasons why they couldn’t be together.
He groaned, helpless to stop the tidal wave of emotions that was drowning the warning being screamed by his brain.
Natasha pulled back, looking up at him with such vulnerability that it made him hold her closer. Her lips tugged up, no doubt from his erection trapped between their bodies. It wasn’t his intention to get his dick involved in the thick of things, but damn, it felt good.
“I said earlier I understood,” Natasha murmured. “But now I don’t. You’re confusing me.”
He took a deep breath. He’d already crossed the line and now he had no choice but to move forward. “Let’s sit down,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to the bed.
Natasha sat cross-legged on top of the covers and gazed at him in anticipation.
He mirrored her position, facing her. “I’m working on a case with the police,” he started, placing a hand on her knee and giving it a gentle caress. “I can’t be seen dating anyone.”
“O-kay,” she said slowly. “Is this case the reason why you’re reluctant to be seduced?”
He smiled at her words. “Yes. Mind you, I shouldn’t even tell you that.”
“Did Carter ask you to help out? I also heard that his boss is keen for you to rejoin the police force.”
He filled his lungs slowly. How much should he tell her?
“You don’t have to tell me anything about the case,” Natasha said softly. “But can’t we hide again like we did before?”
“It’s not as simple as that, Tash,” he said, looking into her eyes and... finding himself being pulled into their depths. He was beyond being able to look away, and all he wanted was to drown in the love he saw in them.
And it hit him. Natasha had to know enough so she could be aware of the repercussions of publicly showing her feelings for him. If he didn’t tell her, she could be in greater danger.
“Molly’s a cop,” he finally said.
“Oh. Is she working with you on this case?”
“Yes. She the only one I can be seen going out with.”
“So you’re not together?”
“No.”
“Are you currently dating anyone for real?”
“No.”
“So... if you weren’t working on this case, you’d want to sleep with me again?” she asked shyly.
“Yes.” No point lying about that when he’d already divulged so much.
The happy, relieved smile that appeared on Natasha’s face was so breathtaking that he couldn’t help but lean in and kiss her once more. In no time flat, he was devouring her mouth like a starving man. And when she lay on the bed, pulling him down with her, he willingly followed.
Ah, he was weak. Weak. But this was his Tash, and he simply couldn’t bear to push her away again. Besides, no one else but Carter knew where they were tonight.
“We’re going to have to be very careful in public,” he murmured against her lips as he tugged open her robe and feverishly roamed the side of her body. There’d be plenty of time to discuss Biggs later.
“Uh-huh,” Natasha said breathlessly, yanking his shirt up his torso.
He reared up to pull it over his head while Natasha shrugged out of her robe. When their mouths fused together again, she worked on his fly and pushed down his jeans with impatience. He helped her by kicking them off his legs.
A low moan emanated from him as her naked breasts pressed against his chest. This was heaven—being in Tash’s arms again. “I hope you haven’t planned on getting plenty of rest tonight,” he said as he placed heated kisses on her neck.
She giggled. “No.”
He grinned against her skin as his lips continued to travel down to the top of her breast. “Good. ’Cos I don’t think we’ll have much sleep at all.” He halted, his brows furrowing.
“What?”
“I don’t have condoms,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll call room service and see if they could give us some.”
“No!” Natasha said, horrified at his suggestion. “I happen to...” She rolled over to open the bedside drawer and pulled out a box.
He laughed with relief while Natasha reddened. “You’re so cute when you blush,” he said, pulling her back to him.
“I just wanted to be prepared.”
Clearly she’d planned this, and his heart expanded. “I’m glad,” he whispered, cupping her face. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” Natasha said, her smile dazzling.
That warning voice chose that moment to pop into his consciousness. There’s still time to back out.
But Natasha had curved her arms around his neck and was drawing him back down on the bed so he was on top of her.
His cock was right smack against her crotch, and he couldn’t stop himself from grinding his pelvis against hers.
Natasha moaned lustily, making him harder. Good thing he was still in his boxer briefs or he’d be sorely tempted to take her then and there.
Ah, tonight he was back with his Tash, and that was all that mattered.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Natasha bit her lip to stop another moan from coming out. She was breathing too loudly, though, and she couldn’t help that. She was already so aroused that if Gavin continued to rub against her, she’d come in no time.
“Gavin!” she gasped as he took one of her nipples in his mouth, teasing it with the tip of his tongue. Oh, God. She missed this. She missed him. But she wanted to hold off for as long as she could and revel in their first time after five years. She twisted so she ended up on top of him.
“You’re so beautiful,” Gavin murmured, tucking t
he hair that fell across her face behind her ears.
He was looking at her so tenderly that she felt her eyes well up again. Well, she was still too shy for him to see just how much he truly affected her, so she placed her head in the crook of his neck and started kissing him.
Gavin moaned, running his hands down her back, and on her ass. Then his fingers explored between her legs, reaching her soaked core.
“Babe, you’re so wet already,” he breathed.
“Gavin,” she cried softly. Gosh, she loved saying his name while he inserted a finger in her. Gavin. Gavin. He was really here. He wanted her again. He was choosing her over everyone else. Oh, Lord. She was going to come if she didn’t stop him from playing with her clit.
She crawled down his body so he wouldn’t be able to touch her pussy for a while. Plus, it was time to slide his underwear down his legs and free his steely erection. It lay pointing at his navel. Oh, she was so dying for that.
Gavin sat up, reaching for her.
“I want to do this first,” she said with a giggle, grasping his length and running her hand over the smooth, velvety skin.
“Oh, fuck,” Gavin whispered, toppling back on the bed with his eyes shut.
“I most definitely missed this.” She tasted the dew that had formed at the tip and swirled her tongue around the head before taking as much as she could and sucking him the way she knew he liked.
“Babe,” Gavin said through gritted teeth, rising to his elbows to watch her.
She smiled at him with her eyes and enjoyed seeing him pant through his mouth, his eyes hooded with lust. It was heady that she could elicit this kind of reaction from Gavin. She got hotter herself just from his response. She redoubled her efforts, enthusiastically tugging him at the base while her mouth continued to pleasure him.
“Oh, God. Enough, honey,” Gavin said breathlessly. “It’s my turn.” He flipped her on her back and covered her with his body.
Involuntarily, her hips bucked up to meet his.
He let out a low chuckle. “Not yet, sweetheart. I want to reacquaint myself with every inch of you first.” He kissed her unhurriedly on the neck, shoulders, arms, belly, while his hands continued to caress her everywhere. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to bask in the incredible mixture of serenity and excitement Gavin was evoking. Then his mouth reached her breast and he placed a nipple between his lips.
The Unforgettable Ex (Captured by Love Book 5) (Volume 5) Page 6
