Seduced by Second Chances

by Reese Ryan

  He only knew he wanted more of this. More of her.

  The longer he kissed her, the more sure he was that he would never get enough of her quiet murmurs. Or the way her soft, curvy body fit so neatly against the hard planes of his. That he would never tire of holding her in his arms.

  Suddenly, Jessie pressed against his chest, creating space between them. She dragged her gaze to his, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. “There’s one thing I need to know. It’s about Geneva.”

  He already knew what she was going to ask, but she needed to say the words. “What do you want to know?”

  She tucked strands of her hair behind one ear. “I need to know...if there was a chance for the two of you again, would you want it?”

  “No.” He kissed one corner of her mouth and then the other. “I loved your sister, but that was a long, long time ago. And we were never right for each other.” He left a slow, lingering kiss on her mouth. Then pressed his lips to her ear. “It isn’t Geneva I want, Jess. Or haven’t you noticed?”

  He lay her back on the sofa, his length pressed to her belly as he kissed her until they were both breathless.

  He dropped kisses on her forehead and her eyelids. “Do you believe me?”

  She nodded, her gaze meeting his. “I do,” she whispered.

  “Good.” He kissed her again, savoring the taste of her sweet mouth and the feel of her body beneath his. “Because from the moment you strutted into that hotel lobby, I’ve only wanted you.”

  Twenty-Two

  Teresa sat in the tan buttery leather seat on Brooks Abbingdon’s private plane and fastened her seat belt. Then she double-checked to make sure her brother’s seat belt was secure, since he was still fairly out of it.

  One thing Teresa knew for sure, Joshua wasn’t drunk. His clothing and skin were completely devoid of the scent of alcohol. Still, there was clearly something wrong with him.

  Joshua had roused enough to walk onto the plane, but he was still babbling incoherently about rich liars and losers and the truth being exposed. When he wasn’t ranting, he would doze off. So getting the truth from Joshua wasn’t an option. In fact, as out of it as he seemed, she wondered if Josh would remember any of this, even once he became lucid.

  He mumbled something that sounded vaguely like sorry, love you, sis. But then again, maybe that was just what Teresa wanted to hear. Something to make her feel the slightest bit better about the fact that her career was over. In fact, she was shocked that Brooks wanted anything to do with her once he learned that the party disrupter was her brother.

  Joshua leaned his head on her shoulder, his dark brown hair tickling her nose. He muttered something again. This time she clearly heard sorry and screwed up again. Those words were followed by more incoherent babbling.

  Joshua rubbed at his arm, complaining that it hurt like a bitch. That she heard quite clearly. He kept rubbing at his left arm, so she rolled up his sleeve and looked at it.

  Teresa turned her head to one side and then the other, zeroing in on a small, nearly invisible mark on his forearm. She rummaged in her bag and took out her lighted pocket magnifier. Now she could see clearly what it was that Josh kept scratching at. It was a tiny, isolated puncture wound.

  She breathed a sigh of relief that there was just the single mark. She checked his other arm and his ankle and saw no additional marks. If Joshua was an addict, he’d have several puncture wounds on his body, not just one. Which suggested that this was an isolated incident. But the more important question was, had her brother willingly injected himself with something?

  “Your brother doesn’t look very good.” Brooks switched to the seat across from her once they were able to freely move about the plane.

  “He’s been conscious more often, and I’m beginning to understand more of what he’s saying.” Teresa swept the hair from her brother’s sweaty forehead.

  “Should I request that the driver take him to a hospital once we land?” Brooks studied Josh with concern.

  She could only imagine how inconvenient it would be to have someone die on one’s private plane. Teresa banished the snarky comment from her head. After all, Brooks had offered to help when she was persona non grata to everyone but Liam.

  “No, but thank you for the offer just the same.” Teresa smiled warmly at Brooks.

  “You’re sure?” He didn’t seem convinced that it was a good idea.

  In any other circumstance, Teresa would’ve insisted that they rush Joshua to the hospital. There they could identify the substance he’d been given and flush it from his system.

  But that could mean trouble for Joshua. She’d paid a hefty price to ensure that his earlier offenses hadn’t ended up on his record. If she took him to the hospital, the staff would need to report the incident. Was this all Josh’s doing or was someone willing to put Josh’s life in danger to ruin hers?

  Nicolette’s warning to Liam that they should be careful whom they trusted suddenly came to mind.

  “I’m sure. Thank you, Brooks.”

  Teresa heaved a small sigh of relief when Brooks nodded and walked back to his seat. She glanced down at her still-shaking hands as she deliberated her next move.

  * * *

  Liam paced the floor of his cottage, still trying to figure out how everything had gone off the rails so quickly. The weekend started with so much promise and ended in a disaster, for which it would most likely be remembered. Particularly since the entire circus had been captured live on streaming video.

  He was furious with Joshua for ruining his best friend’s event and decimating what remained of the reputation of and goodwill toward Teresa and Limitless Events. He honestly couldn’t imagine that her business could recover from what had just happened, especially in light of the fact that the person who’d crashed the party had been her brother.

  Add to that his rant about rich people being liars and losers...well, the wealthy set could overlook a lot of things. Calling them out like that wasn’t one of them.

  Liam’s phone rang. He dug it out of his inside jacket pocket, hoping it was Teresa saying she’d changed her mind and would accept his offered plane ride tomorrow.

  Shit.

  He heaved a long sigh and answered the telephone. “Hello, Mother. What can I do for you?”

  “You can stop making a fool of yourself by your insistence on associating with that Teresa person,” Catherine Christopher said without hesitation. “You know what she’s done, who she was to your father, and how she destroyed our family. Emilia Cartwright one of my oldest and closest friends, sent me a video of you dancing with that woman as if neither of you had a care in the world. And, just as I predicted, the evening turned into a disaster. That woman destroys everything in her path. And that poor singer, assaulted! Just horrible!”

  “You watched the live stream?” That didn’t sound like something that would interest his mother at all. If she wasn’t in the room holding court as the center of attention, she simply wasn’t interested.

  “Only because I received dozens of calls from people who saw you canoodling with that witch earlier and I wanted to see what else was going on.”

  “We were dancing together on a crowded dance floor. It’s not as if I had her up against the wall in the back of the room.”

  “Don’t be vulgar, Liam.” His mother’s voice was strained. “I did everything I possibly could to warn your friend Matt Richmond not to associate his brand with that woman, but he just wouldn’t listen. Now that millions of people have seen the train wreck his party turned into, he’s the laughingstock of the entire internet. And who would want to attend another of his parties? A life-threatening disaster is practically sure to ensue.”

  “You’re being melodramatic, Mother. You weren’t there, and it wasn’t seen by millions. The situation wasn’t that serious. Matt’s security team just wanted to be extra cautious after the man
was able to get onto the stage. It was an overreaction to their initial screwup.”

  “Where is that woman now?”

  Liam hesitated before responding. “Gone. Matt asked her to leave.”

  “Good riddance. All of us will be better off with Teresa St. Claire out of the picture.”

  Liam ended the call with his mother and gulped his Manhattan. Maybe his mother’s life would be better without Teresa St. Claire in the mix. But he’d felt a gnawing in his chest from the moment she’d walked out the door.

  Twenty-Three

  Jessie was in heaven. Gideon’s kiss, his touch, had been every bit as wonderful as her mind had imagined. But as the intensity of their kiss escalated, she wanted more.

  Gideon had rolled them over so Jessie lay on top of him. She shifted so that she straddled him on the sofa. Both of them murmured at the sensation when she placed her hands on his chest and rocked the apex of her thighs against his steely length. He cupped her bottom, bringing her closer as she ground her hips against him, the sensation between them building.

  He still seemed tentative. Or maybe he wanted to let her set the pace. But she knew what she wanted.

  She wanted his large, strong hands to caress her bare skin. To glide her hands over his. And she wanted him inside her.

  Jessie grasped the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head, tossing it aside. Gideon quickly removed her sheer black bra and dropped it to the floor, too.

  He pulled her toward him and laved one of her tight, beaded nipples. Jessie arched into him with an involuntary whimper as he licked and sucked the sensitive tip.

  Gideon gently scraped his teeth over the tight bud and she cursed under her breath at the sensation his actions elicited in the warm space between her thighs. He shifted his focus to her other breast, lavishing it with the same attention.

  “God, I want you, Jess,” he whispered against her skin.

  His beard scraped her flesh, adding to the mélange of sensations.

  Gideon’s gaze met hers as he unbuttoned her jeans, then slowly unzipped them.

  Jessie sank her teeth into her lower lip and lifted her hips, eager to help him slide the garment off one leg and then the other. He stood suddenly, taking her by surprise as he lifted her. She wrapped her long legs around him and held on to his neck as he carried her to the bed and laid her beneath the covers.

  She had wanted this for as long as she could remember. But now that she was here in Gideon’s bed, her hands trembled and butterflies flitted in her belly.

  Her anticipation grew as Gideon slowly removed his tie and then his jacket. As if he was putting on a show just for her. He took off his shirt to reveal his strong, muscular chest and chiseled abs. Then he slowly unzipped his tuxedo pants and allowed the fabric to pool around his ankles.

  Dayum.

  Jessie swallowed hard, her eyes tracing the pronounced outline of his thick erection beneath his charcoal-gray boxers. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the darkened circle over the tip.

  She licked her lower lip, the space between her thighs throbbing as she was struck by the sudden desire to taste him there.

  Gideon reached into the bedside drawer and removed one of the foil packets stocked by the hotel. He slipped out of his boxers and sheathed himself, crawling into bed with her.

  She’d never seen anything sexier than this man, completely naked, crawling toward her. Like a panther in pursuit of his next conquest.

  He dragged her sheer panties down her legs and settled between her thighs as he kissed her again, his tongue searching hers.

  Jessie wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his back as he kissed her. His hips rocked against hers.

  His kiss was hungry and demanding. Making her more desperate for him. The space between her thighs pulsed and her nipples prickled as they moved against the hair on his broad chest.

  Gideon broke their kiss, leaving her breathless and wanting. He trailed kisses down her neck and shoulder as he shifted off of her. She immediately missed the weight and warmth of his strong, hard body.

  He moved beside her and thrust his hand between her thighs, gliding his fingers through her wetness, over her sensitive nub. She whimpered, overwhelmed by the sensation as she writhed against his hand. He inserted two large fingers, then three. Sliding them in and out of her as his thumb teased her hardened clit.

  Gideon brought her close to the edge, her legs shaking. Then he’d back off just enough to keep her from going over.

  “Gideon, please.” It wasn’t like her to whimper or beg. But she was so close, her body trembling with need. “I want you.”

  “And I have never wanted anyone as much as I want you, Jess.” He pulled his fingers from inside her, moving them over the needy bundle of nerves and all of the slick, sensitive flesh surrounding it.

  The muscles of her belly tensed and she cried out his name, the dam inside her bursting. Overflowing with intense pleasure.

  He kissed her neck and shoulders as her body shuddered. Finally, he pressed the head of his erection to her entrance, slowly pushing his width inside her.

  Jessie dug her short fingernails into his back, her body tense as Gideon slowly entered her.

  “Relax, Jess,” he whispered. “Breathe. I would never hurt you.”

  Jessie hadn’t realized that she was holding her breath and her muscles were clenched in anticipation. She breathed in and out slowly, her eyes pressed shut.

  Gideon rewarded her with a slow, sweet, tender kiss.

  “Open your eyes, Jess.” His voice was low and deep. “I want to see those beautiful brown eyes while I’m inside you. And I want you to see exactly what you do to me. How badly I want you.”

  He moved inside her slowly, allowing her body to adjust to the sensation of being completely filled by him.

  They moved together, their skin slick with sweat. Her belly tensed as her heels dug into the mattress. Another orgasm rocked her to her core. She called his name, her body quivering.

  Gideon tensed, her name on his lips as he tumbled over the edge into pleasure. The pulsing of his cock pulled her in deeper, her walls contracting around him.

  Jessie released a contented sigh, her head lolling back on the pillow. She smiled up at Gideon. His forehead was beaded with sweat and his chest still heaved. He traced her cheekbone with his thumb.

  “That was amazing.” He kissed her. “Is it bad that I already want you again?”

  “No. Because I plan on taking every meal right here in this bed until Monday morning when I have to go back to...” Her words trailed as the reality of the situation dimmed the buzz she was feeling.

  “Let’s not think about Monday morning right now.” He caressed her cheek.

  “Good plan.”

  Gideon dropped a tender kiss on her lips, then lay on his back and gathered her in his arms, pulling the covers around them.

  Jessie pressed her cheek to his chest, their intense encounter replaying in her head. She tried to do as Gideon asked and not think about Monday. But she couldn’t escape the knowledge that in thirty-six hours they would go their separate ways.

  * * *

  Gideon cradled Jessie in his arms as she slept soundly with her hand and cheek pressed to his chest. Her quiet exhalations skittered across his skin.

  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so content. Or the last time he’d been with someone who made him feel the things that Jessie did. He glided a hand up and down the smooth skin of her bare arm as she slept.

  It was well after one in the morning, but it had been several hours since he’d last checked his email. Gideon reached for his phone on the nightstand and turned it back on.

  He checked his email, directing the light from the phone away from Jessie so he wouldn’t disturb her sleep. He replied to a few urgent messages, then noticed that he had several alerts f
or Jessie’s name.

  She hadn’t wanted to see the video, and he got that. But at least one of them should see it. That way he could prepare her if it was as bad as she believed.

  When he followed the link to view the video, there were already thousands of remarks. He sucked in a deep breath and started to read through them. He was pleasantly surprised.

  “Jessie.” He couldn’t help waking her. She’d been so disappointed about how the performance ended. She needed to see this. “Sweetheart, you’ve got to see what people are saying about your performance last night.”

  She grumbled and buried her face in his chest before finally rolling over on her back and propping herself up on her elbows.

  “All right, all right,” she mumbled. “Let’s get this over with.”

  He played the video and scrolled through some of the comments. The more she read them, the more excited she got.

  “Oh my God. Did you see this? Dixon Benedict left an amazing comment. He said I’m one of the most talented singer/songwriters he’s ever seen. He even says he’d love to work with me someday.” Jessie sat up in bed, her back pressed against the headboard as she scrolled through the comments, most of which were rave reviews of her performance.

  “This is incredible. Thank you, Gideon.” She handed him back his phone and kissed him. “And I really do appreciate your offer to broker a meeting between me and Chase or Dixon. But I’d like to give it one more try on my own first. If I need your help, I’ll ask. I promise.”

  “Whatever you want, beautiful.” He cradled her cheek. “I told you, you’re a star, Jessie Humphrey. And you’re going to do amazing things.” He kissed her.

  She gave him a sly smile as she reached into the drawer of the bedside table and climbed atop him. “There are a few amazing things I’d like to do right now.”

  “Oh yeah?” He rolled them over so that he hovered over her. “I’m all for that.” He leaned down and kissed her. Then he made love to her again.