He shook his head, steely resolve in his green eyes. “One of them killed the solicitor and the maid.”
“The maid?” she asked in shock.
“You can’t still think that was an accident. Somebody in this castle killed Otto. And Heidi.”
“No. That can’t be right. It must be somebody else.”
“Who else, Jane?”
Her throat tightened and suddenly it was a struggle to breathe. “Somebody hiding in the castle maybe. Someone we don’t know.”
“Either way, we’re safer locked inside this room.”
He turned from the door, moving past her to head back over to the desk. Though his strides were quick, time slowed to a stop when she felt the heat of him caress her skin. Their bodies almost pressed together as he maneuvered through the room, his chest brushing against hers. The hardness of his body against her quieted the fear. Replaced it with an unexpected desire. Without thinking, she placed her hand on his forearm. “How long will we have to stay here? I don’t think I can stand to stay cooped up in here for long without going crazy.”
Gabriel reached up to push back a stray lock of hair from her face. Then he cupped her face with this rough hand, caressing her cheek with his thumb. “I can think of a few ways to pass the time.”
Her heart started to pound even harder, because she knew what he was suggesting was exactly what she wanted. Though this was the most terrifying moment of her life, her raw need for him was so intense the danger seemed to pale in comparison to the pent-up lust coursing through her blood like wildfire. There was something wrong with her. Some screwed up genetic desire for self-destruction she had unwittingly inherited from her father. Maybe murder had turned her on all this time, and she hadn’t realized until the bodies had started to pile up. Yet no matter how wrong it was to want Gabriel, especially now, she had never craved any man as much as she craved him. All the death out there might have turned her on, but only Gabriel could arouse her beyond reason the way he did now.
“That won’t solve anything,” she said, more to convince herself to step away from this dangerous path than anything else.
He leaned closer, brought his mouth against her ear, and whispered roughly, “That wasn’t what I was offering.”
“Gabriel…”
“I can give you a good time before this all goes to hell. You won’t even have to trust me.”
Tired of talking, she pressed her open mouth to his. What followed was a hungry dueling of tongues and teeth. This wasn’t an exploration like their first kiss. Instead, this was so much more carnal. Possessive on his end as he splayed his hands on the small of her back to draw her to him. With their bodies so close together, she felt the telltale bulge of his desire. She let her teeth graze his lower lip, eliciting a satisfied groan that was almost a growl. In response he ravaged her with his tongue, his lips crushing hers. His tongue collided with hers as he deepened the punishing kiss. Gabriel’s insistent mouth on hers was like a brand. A claim that burned her right through.
When she finally came up for air, Jane was too dazed to think. Thinking would only remind her of whoever it was that was hunting them. All she wanted to do now was feel. To give in to her most primal urges.
Breathing heavily, she reached for the hem of her cardigan and paused when she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror. She was nervous about revealing her body to him. Strange to still be capable of anxiety that had nothing to do with the killer roaming the castle. But Jane was anxious. She knew that he was in good shape because, even when he was in his expensive suits, she had always been able to see the faint definition of his firm muscles. Meanwhile, she had a pretty regular body that actually jiggled and moved.
Throwing caution to the wind, she peeled off her cardigan. And then, before she let her insecurities talk her out of it, she quickly unhooked her bra, letting it slide away from her.
She quivered when she met his ravenous gaze. His eyes roamed her body with such blatant desire that it felt like a caress on her exposed skin. First, she watched his gaze slide across her bare flesh. Then saw him stare at her peaked nipples.
“You are gorgeous, you know that?” His voice was tight with the same raw need that burned behind his eyes. “It’s too bad you hide that perfect body under so many clothes.”
“You want me to walk around naked in the wintertime?” she asked with a sardonic laugh.
“Can you blame me for wishing you would?”
Gabriel pulled her to him again, his fingertips hot against her waist. He lifted his hand to cup her breast and then, seemingly desperate to explore her, he dragged his thumb across her nipple. His touch sent sparks of pleasure shooting through her and she tossed her head back with a moan.
Desire pooled between her legs, making her so hot and bothered she was already practically melting.
When he lowered his mouth to her nipple, she almost came apart. She moaned, more heat spiraling through her as he swirled his tongue against her flesh.
Without warning, Gabriel started to kiss a hot trail down her breast, then lower still across the plane of her stomach. Then he was on his knees in front of her, his wondrous mouth against her skin while he unbuttoned and then unzipped her jeans. With sure hands, he slid her jeans off and she stepped out of them, her legs shaking. Next, he found the waistband of her panties and started to slide the fabric down.
“Hold on.” With her panties still around her ankles, Jane stopped for a second to look down at him meaningfully. “We don’t have protection.”
He moved to the antique nightstand by the bed. Quickly, the opened the top drawer and retrieved a condom. “I do.”
Jane’s eyes widened. “You brought condoms halfway around the world with you? Why? Did you think you were going to be getting it on during your working vacation?”
“If you want to stop, just say the word and we can go back to our respective corners,” he said.
“I don’t want to stop,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt inside.
“Good. Because we’re both adults, right? I’m a single man, so I’m always prepared.” He paused. “Pretty sure you’re single, too, even though you’ve never actually said—”
She gasped, cutting him off. “Of course I’m single. You think I’d get naked in front of you if I wasn’t?”
“I wouldn’t mess around, either, but I’ve got to make sure, Jane,” he said firmly. “I’m not the only one here who might have ulterior motives.”
“My only motive right now is to screw the fear away.”
Shock flashed in his eyes and then he gave her a lazy smile. “I never know what you’re going to say next.”
She paused to discard her panties and got on the bed, peering up at him through her lashes. “We’ve talked enough, don’t you think?”
Keeping his eyes glued to hers Gabriel took off his shirt, then stripped off his pants, exposing more of his muscular physique to her. All he had on now were black boxer briefs, leaving almost nothing to her imagination now.
Damn, his body was even more perfect than she’d anticipated. Wide shoulders she knew she would barely get her arms around. Sculpted abs she ached to explore. Firm, muscular calves. There was no way his body got like that naturally. Only exercise accounted for a man being that toned. Which meant he was just as dedicated to staying in shape as he was everything else.
He caught her staring and flashed her a cocky grin before sauntering over to her. “You want to do the honors, or should I?”
Jane’s cheeks burned at that. Obviously, he was trying to figure out how badly she wanted to get him out of those boxer briefs. As desperate as she was for that, she wasn’t going to let on. “You know you’re dying to show me, so show me already,” she said in a casual tone that hid her burning need to see the rest of him.
Without hesitating for a second, he pulled off his boxer briefs.
Her eyes went wide. No wonder he was so arrogant. Gabriel was huge. From the base of his erection to the engorged tip,
he was thick and perfect. So mouthwatering that she forgot how to think clearly.
When he sheathed himself with the condom she exhaled sharply, licking her lips as she watched.
Tired of waiting, Jane grabbed his hand and yanked him onto the king-sized bed with her.
Gabriel grinned. “Is this what you want, Jane?”
“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “Now get over here.”
He positioned himself between her thighs, the length of his hard body weighing down on hers. The weight of him was crushing, but oh so welcome. Being underneath a man of his size made her feel feminine and perfectly wanton. There was something slightly dangerous about surrendering herself to him that made her feel alive. Because this was a danger she was determined to control and then enjoy. Not like the danger that lurked outside the door. The danger of a dagger pressed into a still-beating heart. The image of the blood filled her mind, and her pulse quickened as she remembered it. With Gabriel here, even the threat outside was becoming a dark, taboo sort of thrill she didn’t dare admit to herself.
As he entered her with a savage groan, she felt her senses awaken. The heat of his body set her aflame. That piney masculine scent that was distinctly his and his alone brought to mind the forest that surrounded the castle. His breaths came out ragged with desire.
She arched her back with an abandon that shocked her. Her body’s response to his was pure instinct. A primal reaction she didn’t want to control. She let out a loud moan.
Gabriel thrust into her wetness, pushing himself until he filled her with a pleasure that swept her away. He moved against her, thrusting rhythmically, his pace leisurely and sure. Pure bliss. But it wasn’t enough for her. Not now.
“Harder,” she begged. She suspected that Gabriel was choosing restraint. Letting her lead after she had turned him away last night. But she didn’t want something tender. What she wanted was rough and angry and animalistic. Eager to drive that message home she sank her nails into his back, and he groaned loudly.
He paused his movements to stare at her. There was a storm brewing in the depths of those green eyes, turning his gaze animalistic. Like a predator waiting for its prey to give in. “You want it hard?”
“Yes.”
Gabriel flashed her a wicked, wolfish grin. “Why? Still pissed at me?”
She wrapped her legs around his waist, securing him in place against her. There was something very obscene about holding a conversation with him while he was still inside her. Not that she was going to complain. It was in the top three best conversations she’d ever had, even if she flat out refused to ever trust him.
“I’ll show you pissed.” Jane reached up and laced her fingers through his silky dark hair, yanking his head back so they were forced to keep looking at each other. “I gave you an order, Gabriel. Harder.”
He laughed, lowered his hand to seize her waist, and drove into her. Thrust until he was so deep inside her that pleasure was all she knew. The pace was brutal. Hard, powerful strokes that sent pleasure coursing through every part of her body.
As much as she knew that sleeping with her rival was a mistake, she couldn’t deny the pleasure surging through her body. He was good at this. Masterful. All that restraint was gone, replaced by a merciless plundering that made her cry out in ecstasy.
Jane lifted her arms, her hands shooting out to grab hold of the headboard as it banged against the wall.
She clenched around him, eliciting a loud, guttural groan from Gabriel. Again, his thrusting stopped. And as she looked up at his face, she saw the pleasure overtaking him in real time. His eyes darkened with an unbridled lust that shocked and thrilled her. Gabriel’s jaw tightened and his nostrils flared. The entirety of his hard, muscular body stiffened as he went tense from the same pleasure that was crashing through her.
“Damn, that feels good,” he growled through gritted teeth. He reached out to fist her hair in his hand and she lifted her hips, a silent plea for him not to stop the sweet torment he had sent through her body.
Eagerly he started to thrust into her again, his body commanding hers to the height of bliss.
His body seemed to demand more as he rocked into her, pushing her beyond pleasure to an ecstasy she hadn’t known was possible. She felt him start to spasm inside her and her climax tore through her, pushing her over the edge. Her body convulsed under the force of her orgasm and all she saw were stars.
Gabriel groaned loudly, signaling his own release before he crashed on top of her in exhaustion.
6
Gabriel awoke to the sound of an insistent knock on the door. He rolled away from Jane and quietly pulled the blanket over her naked form. She was sleeping so soundly the knocking hadn’t roused her. Damn, she was beautiful with her cheeks still flushed pink and her coppery hair fanning around her.
The knock came again, and he tensed at the thought of who might be on the other side of that door.
Resisting the urge to press a kiss to her forehead, he got out of bed to put on his boxer briefs. On his way to the door, he grabbed the iron poker by the fireplace in case he needed a weapon. He opened the door a crack and looked out, to find the manservant staring back at him.
He heaved out a relieved breath. “What’s going on?”
“The groundskeeper and I managed to secure every entrance of the castle before it started snowing heavily,” the manservant answered.
“So the snowstorm has started,” Gabriel murmured.
“Indeed it has. However, no trace of the culprit has been found.”
Gabriel paused, unsure of how to explain that the killer was likely someone they knew. No stranger had infiltrated the castle grounds during a blizzard. The problem was that Gabriel couldn’t be certain he wasn’t speaking to the killer right now. His grip on the iron poker tightened.
“Is everyone safe otherwise?” Gabriel finally asked.
“I have not been able to locate Fraulein Westen,” the manservant responded.
Damn it. He’d wanted to be discreet about sleeping with Jane, but he didn’t have a choice right now. “She’s with me,” he said in a low tone.
The manservant’s eyebrow lifted momentarily before his gaunt face returned to its usually unreadable expression. “Then everyone is safe. For now.” A sudden show of teeth, which could only be described as a hideous grin.
An icy dread settled on his shoulders at those ominous words. “Have the police been alerted?”
“Since cell phone service is still down, our groundskeeper is calling the authorities as we speak. Unfortunately, there is still the matter of Herr Kramer’s corpse. We cannot leave him to rot in his bedchamber.”
Gabriel didn’t quite know how to respond to that. The solicitor’s condition had been gruesome. One of the most disturbing things Gabriel had ever seen in his life. Which was saying something, considering he’d witnessed his own brother’s death. But this had been far more grisly. The blade handle protruding from Otto’s chest and the coagulated blood was a sight he would never forget.
Mind-blowing sex with Jane had been the only way to alleviate the worst of the horror. The fact that she had been up for it had shocked the hell out of him. Maybe her soul was just as black as his was. Childhood trauma had a way of breaking people badly enough that the fragments never quite fit back the way they had before.
“No, we can’t,” Gabriel said.
“We will have to deal with the body as we did with Heidi’s” the manservant said. “I’ll need your help to do that.”
His chest tightened painfully. “My help?”
“Yes. You’re strong. I need your strength to transport the body downstairs.”
Gabriel struggled to breathe. He’d rather face the killer head on than deal with this. Clinging to his brother’s lifeless body after he died had been the most harrowing hours of his life. Now there was another dead body to reckon with, and just thinking about it made bitter bile rise in his throat.
“Fine. It’s the least we can do for Otto,” he forced o
ut. “But I won’t leave Jane here alone. So she’ll need to either come with us or stay with the others in a secure room.”
“The groundskeeper is already in the parlor,” the manservant said. “She will be safe there. Afterwards, we can all convene in the parlor to determine our next plan of action.”
“Got it. I’ll meet you in ten.”
Gabriel shut the door and moved back to the bed, pressing a kiss to her forehead to gently wake her.
Her brown eyes opened and she gave him a sleepy smile. “Hey, you. How long was I asleep?”
“A couple of hours,” he told her. “Jane…I have to help handle Otto.”
Jane’s smile vanished instantly, as if she had suddenly remembered the circumstances that had brought them together in his bed. “Oh, no. Poor Otto.” She shut her eyes for a moment. When they opened again, they were shining.
“I want you to wait for me with the groundskeeper while I take care of this.”
“Okay.”
He handed over her discarded clothes and then headed to the bathroom to change.
When they were both back in their clothes, he gave her the iron poker. “Use this if there’s any trouble.”
She swallowed hard and then nodded. “I will. Thanks.”
He led her out of his room, meeting up with the manservant and the groundskeeper in the hall outside.
“Come, we wait in the parlor,” the groundskeeper said to her.
“All right.” She paused to look at Gabriel for a lingering moment, her huge brown eyes imploring. “Please be careful.”
“I will.” He watched as the groundskeeper guided her to one of the rooms further down the hall, not tearing his gaze away until the door was firmly shut.
He turned to follow after the manservant, the sound of the howling wind seeming to fill the whole castle.
When he stepped into Otto’s room, he found that this time the body was covered. A blanket had been draped over it. “Won’t we be disturbing a crime scene if we move him?”
“The knife is still in his chest. We did not remove it,” the manservant answered. “I placed a plastic bag over the handle to preserve the fingerprints if there are any.”
Wicked Love Page 41
