by Hart, Lena
Dave shook his head and rose from his seat. “That’s why I avoid the noose, my friend. Less drama.”
Gabe grunted. “Yeah, well it was my own fault for settling. But it should all be over soon. The investigator I hired has enough evidence of her affair to get this divorce over with quick.”
“And then what?”
Gabe smiled. “Then I ask Gina to marry me.”
To his surprise, Dave smiled and nodded approvingly. “Guess I have a tux to go dust off.”
***
Gabe paused outside the conference room door, bracing himself before entering. He immediately scanned the room for Gina but didn’t see her. A few people greeted him as he made his way toward Allison.
“Gabe, we’re just setting you up here,” she said, glancing over to the front of the room where someone from IT was maneuvering wires and equipment.
“That’s fine,” Gabe said, searching the room for Gina.
“I gave everyone a five minute break,” Allison said, watching him as he continued scanning the group. “But we should be ready for you in a few.”
Gabe nodded. He’d let her think his distraction was due to impatience.
After a short wait, Gina finally arrived. Gabe kept his gaze on her as she made her way through the room, smiling and chatting with a few people along the way. If they hadn’t been stuck in a room filled with his employees, he would have dragged her away so they could talk in private. Then he’d make-up for his stupidity by making them both very happy.
“That’s our new PR Manager from Holstein and Levy,” Allison said when she noticed him following Gina’s every move.
Gabe turned back to Allison. The knowing look she gave him was irritating. But his attention was once again pulled away when he realized Gina was staring at him curiously across the large conference table. Her frown of confusion was unnerving but he continued staring intently at her, trying to tell her with his eyes to trust him and that he would explain later.
When it was time for him to address the group, everyone settled in their seats and Gabe began speaking. He was vaguely aware of what he was saying, repeating from memory a presentation he’d given many times before. His gaze frequently traveled to Gina. At one point, Gina leaned toward Allison, who moved forward and whispered something back into her ear. Gina’s head snapped around and she looked at him in disbelief. He forced his gaze away from her and continued his presentation. He could sense her mounting anger but there was nothing he could do about it now.
He avoided looking at her as he continued speaking. Her obvious pain was distraction enough. But when she quietly rose from her seat and left the room, it took everything in him not to go after her.
Gabe ended his presentation shortly after, desperate to get to her. Unfortunately, he was forestalled by questions and small talk. No one would have guessed his mind was far from the conversations. His insides twisted as he thought of the things going through Gina’s mind right now.
Chapter Seven
As soon as Gina entered the suite, she took a quick, thorough shower, washing any trace of Gabe from her body. Her heart hurt but she ignored the pain and focused on the task at hand.
Once she was dressed, she began dumping her things into her suitcase. She would leave Las Vegas tonight, even if she had to pay for the ticket herself. Her firm would most likely fire her for leaving like this but she didn’t care. She would leave before it became public knowledge that she was nothing more than a bedmate for the client. She could practically hear the snickering about her and her recent “promotion”.
Gina blocked out any thoughts of Gabe and concentrated on packing. If she let those memories in, she would crumble.
Suddenly a faint scrape came from the door, followed by a beep. Appalled to see Gabe walking through the door, she couldn’t think of anything to say. She almost demanded he leave her room then realized how foolish she would have sounded. This was his hotel after all.
She turned away from him and began zipping up her small bag. He strode toward her but Gina ignored him.
“Where are you going?” he demanded.
“Home. I can’t be here anymore.”
“Why not?”
Gina looked up at him, incredulous. “Are you serious?” She let out a harsh laugh. “I just found out that most of what I know about you has either been a half-truth or downright lie. Did you expect me to just smile and tell you that I ‘understand,’ that I still ‘trust you’?”
He let out a weary sigh, his face set in hard lines. “I’m sorry. I meant to tell you everything last night. But there were just too many distractions.”
Gina scoffed. “Is that right, Mr. Christiansen? And what about all the other times you spent with me, the times you made—had sex with me? You had eight months to tell me who you were.” She was shouting now and didn’t care.
“Alexander is my name. My middle name. I just couldn’t risk you finding out about me.”
His blunt statement only increased her fury. “Why? Did you think I’d take one look at your name and think dollar signs?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened,” he snapped.
Gina flinched, hurt by his brutal honesty. At least now she knew what he thought of her. “And I’m just like the rest of them, right? A gold-digger who’s only good enough to screw and nothing else.”
His face hardened but his voice remained even. “That’s not what I meant. And you know better. I just wanted us to get to know each other without the drama surrounding my divorce and the business.”
“Funny how that all worked out, huh? You know everything about me and I barely know your real name.” She shook her head and turned away from him. “It doesn’t matter anyway. You want to keep your secrets, go ahead. I can’t be here anymore. I can’t be with you anymore.” It broke her heart to say those words.
He stepped toward her. “You’re not leaving me,” he said gruffly.
She ignored the sharp command in his voice. “I’ll speak to my supervisor when I get back to Boston. They should have plenty of talented people that will be able to take over for me.”
He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. “I don’t want you to go.”
Gina stared up at him helplessly, wanting to pull away, but her love for him got the better of her. “What do you want me to say to that?” she whispered brokenly.
“Say you won’t go.”
“I…I can’t do that. It only works both ways, Gabe. You have to trust me as much as I trust you.”
“I do trust you,” he said softly.
She stared up at him searchingly. “Then why’d you lie to me for so long? It’s like I don’t even know you. You’re not the guy I fell in love with.”
At her words, he closed his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them, something hot and intense flared in them. “Ask me anything.”
“What?”
“Ask me something. No more lies, no more secrets.”
Gina stared up at him. The look on his face said he was serious. She pulled away from him and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Okay…” she began hesitantly, but her mind drew a blank. He stood there, tense, waiting patiently. “Who are you?”
“Gabriel Alexander Christiansen,” he said simply. She expected him to say more, but he waited for her to ask him something else.
“Are you really from Arizona?” she finally asked.
He nodded. “Born in Phoenix, raised in Tucson.”
“What about your parents?”
“Dad died ten years ago. My mother’s retired down in Florida. I have a brother, a sister-in-law, and two nieces living in New York.”
Gina took a deep breath and asked him the one thing that had been plaguing her since she found out about his impending divorce. “Do you have any kids?”
His jaw clenched but he answered her without hesitation. “No. But if I did, you would’ve known about them. That’s not something I would have kept from you.”
She nodd
ed, relieved but still hurt that they were reduced to this type of impersonal exchange. She could see from the set of his jaw that he wasn’t enjoying this any more than she was.
“This is stupid,” she murmured, jumping from the bed. She fumbled with her bags, hesitant yet desperate to leave the resort so she could begin putting an end to her pain.
Gabe grabbed her and pulled her toward him. “Yes, it is. But I want to finish this so we can put it behind us and move on.”
She scanned his face. He looked frustrated but determined.
“Do you love me?” She regretted the question as soon as it left her lips. She had wanted him to tell her on his own, without having to ask.
He stared down at her so intently that she dropped her gaze to his chest, unnerved by his silence.
“Yes,” he finally whispered. “Did you really have to ask?”
Gina let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “You’ve never told me.”
“You should know.” He cupped her chin and tilted her face up until her eyes met his. “I show you every time we make love.”
“It’s not the same thing,” she whispered. “I want the words.”
He brushed his lips across hers, pulled away, and stared into her eyes. “I love you.”
Gina smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I love you too.”
“Then don’t threaten to walk out on me again.”
“Okay,” she whispered and his hard body relaxed.
He sat on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. Her back pressed against his chest and he rested his hand possessively over her stomach. He nibbled on the back of her neck. Gina shivered.
“We still have a lot more to talk about,” she whispered. They both knew she was referring to his divorce.
He tightened his hold on her. “I know,” he said, trailing his lips along her shoulder. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
She nodded. “Okay. But first, did you do this?”
“Do what?” he asked.
“Get me here? Get me put on this account?”
When he didn’t respond, Gina pulled away and looked at him searchingly. The uncomfortable look on his face told her what she needed to know.
“I figured something was up,” she grumbled. “Promotions at Holstein and Levy don’t usually happen that fast.”
He sighed. “Would it really be the end of the world if you worked here?”
“No. I just know when I’m in over my head. I mean, I’m good at my job but there are other senior PR managers at my firm who would be a lot better for this and would love the opportunity.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to your boss.”
“No, I’ll talk to them.”
“Fine. How soon can you put in your notice?”
“What?” Gina stared at him, wide-eyed. “I didn’t say anything about quitting!”
Gabe shook his head.
“I like my job and…” Her sentence trailed off as he continued to shake his head.
“You only have two options, beautiful. You can either work here or not work here. But you will be here. I’m not letting you go.”
Gina sighed. “I guess it was too much to hope that you actually lived in Boston.”
“I know, Vegas’ is not your thing, but you’ll like Nevada,” he said giving her a gentle squeeze. “Give it a chance.” Then he added emphatically, “Give us a chance.”
Gina smiled as she absently stroked the nape of his neck. “You’re lucky I love you.”
The intense look in his eyes was replaced by a tenderness she had never seen before and her heart soared with love.
“Yeah,” he whispered, “I am.”
♣
The End
From the Author
Dear reader,
I hope you enjoyed Gabe and Gina’s story. Feel free to contact me or leave a review and let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you! And I’m looking forward to sharing the other Queen stories with you so be on the lookout for Dave Carrone’s story—and his crafty “queen”— in The Bedpost Queen. It’s going to be a fun read!
And as always, thanks so much for your support!
Lena ♥
About The Author
Lena Hart’s passion for romance novels began when she picked up Amanda Quick’s Seduction. Her love for writing eventually emerged when she wrote two screenplays and a short story in her 8th grade English class. Though she enjoys reading a variety of romance genres, she mainly writes sensual interracial romances with a flare of suspense and mystery. She is a Florida native currently living in New York City. When Lena is not writing, she’s reading, researching, or conferring with her muse. To learn more about Lena, visit www.LenaHartSite.com.
Table of Contents
The Flower Queen
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
From the Author
About The Author
