by Roma, Laurie
What the fuck was happening here?
Taking control of the conversation, Gage took a step forward, crowding Mikayla’s small body with his. He was pleased that she didn’t back away, that she could stand up to him when so many others couldn’t, yet another part of him wanted to bend her to his will. He could imagine tying her hot body down on his bed so her perfect ass was raised as he drove himself into her from behind.
Lust burned inside of him, making him clench his hands against the need to grab her and yank her to him. He wanted to plunder that sarcastic little mouth and nip those lush lips with his teeth. “Are you going to deny that you feel the attraction between us? Because I can see it in those pretty violet eyes, Mikayla. You want me as much as I want you.”
The cool stare that met his almost unnerved him. Almost.
Instead, it made him hard as stone.
“I may be attracted to you, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to act on it. I pretty much don’t like you a whole lot at the moment, Mr. Stark. And I don’t sleep with men I don’t like. In fact, I don’t ever fuck a man that can’t give me more than simple courtesy, and so far you haven’t even given me that.”
Mikayla was pleased her voice was firm when she spoke. She knew she couldn’t give this man any room or he’d use whatever opportunity she gave him to wear her down. And she was so close to giving in. The devil on her shoulder was telling her to take what he was offering. Her pussy was creaming with the thought of his hard body pressing her back against the door where he could lift her up and take her like they both wanted, but she couldn’t. She would never forgive herself if she did.
“Can we just start over? I know what I said last night, but I would really like a chance for us to get to know each other.”
Mikayla wanted to give in. She liked being with this man, even when he was being an ass, which was pretty much every second that they had spent together so far. Hormones were a bitch. She knew it would be stupid to say yes. He wasn’t for her. They didn’t want the same things. Hell, she didn’t even know what she wanted, but she did know that she wanted more than he was willing to give. “Gage…” She sighed. “There is no point to all of this. I’m not really looking for a relationship, but I know I don’t want what you’re offering either.”
“Just have lunch with me. If you still feel the same way after we eat, I’ll leave you alone.” Gage seemed to hold his breath as he waited for her answer.
“Fine. Just lunch. Could you please ask your dog to move so I can go in and change?”
Gage looked down to see Wulf had sprawled his large body down over Mikayla’s feet like one enormous furry slipper. Damn, Gage thought, he must have it bad if he was envious of his own dog for getting close to this woman.
He had a feeling this was going to be a very long afternoon.
Chapter Four
Gage sat next to the woman that had his mind reeling in a busy restaurant in the next town over from Serenity. He had chosen the Italian place to ensure their privacy since he knew the owner and the food was excellent. The owner, Dante Ricco, had welcomed them personally as they had stepped into the building and guided them to a table in the back where they were partially in the shadows away from the other patrons just like Gage preferred.
They sat down and Dante had insisted on choosing their meal for them, also sending a bottle of one of Gage’s favorite Barolo wines over. Gage had tried to politely refuse, but Mikayla had smiled at Dante, thanked him in Italian, and that was that.
She was a mix of contradictions that he couldn’t quite wrap his head around. She had let him and Wulf into the house to wait as she changed clothes after accepting his invitation to lunch. Gage had been to the house before to have a beer a time or two, but it hadn’t felt the same when Brett had been in residence. In the short time that Mikayla had been there she had made it a home, a place of welcome and warmth.
Fury had risen up inside him as he watched her walk into the master suite on the main floor, the room Gage had seen Brett use when he had last been in town. Just the thought of the other man, or any man touching her had Gage wanting to pound the man into bloody dust. Not that he could. Sure, he could hold his own in a fight, but there was something about Brett Michaels that made a man extremely cautious when it came to pissing the other man off.
When she was ready they had left the house, heading back into the cold. Gage had been surprised at the feelings that had overcome him on the short walk to his truck. The sight of her using that cane to walk had him frowning and made him want to pick her up and carry her to the vehicle. He had held back the urge, pretty sure the stubborn woman would have hit him if he tried.
She was a mixture of strength and vulnerability that had him off balance and unable to get a good read on her. Actors were trained at seeing beyond the surface, to see when people were playing a role based on their expressions and their attitude, but with Mikayla it was impossible.
Even more baffling was Wulf’s reaction to her. When they had gotten into the truck Wulf had refused to sit in the back of the cab where Gage had told him to go. His dog always listened to him, but the damn dog had insisted on sitting between them in the front, curled up next to Mikayla with his head in her lap where she could stroke his ears just like he liked.
There was a point on the long, silent drive that Gage would have given his left nut to be able to feel her hands stroking over him like that. His cock had been so hard it was a steel spike in his jeans. He knew it would take a few simple strokes before he blasted his cum onto her hand.
Damn it, the truth was she fucking fascinated him.
It had been a relief when they had arrived at the restaurant. He had felt his heart clench when Mikayla had turned those beautiful eyes to him in question. “What are we going to do with Wulf? We can’t leave him in here, it’s too cold.”
“He’ll be fine. We won’t be long.”
Gage had looked at Wulf as they got out of the car and thankfully the dog hopped into the backseat on top of a thick blanket, settled down, and gave a doggie yawn before closing his eyes. Mikayla had finally given in only after she had pulled the blanket over the animal, gaining yet another look of pure adoration from Wulf.
Now, sitting across the table from her the lust was still there burning inside him, but surprisingly it had been throttled back by the simple enjoyment of the meal. The meal had started out strained, but both of them had relaxed at the pleasure of excellent food, wine and good conversation.
They had opted for an unspoken moratorium of any of the subjects that had gotten them into trouble thus far, choosing to speak of their childhoods and other safe topics instead. Mikayla had told him a little bit about what it had been like growing up on an Army base, and Gage had found himself telling her about growing up in Colorado. He had briefly mentioned the accident that had ended his career as an actor, focusing more on the business he ran on the ranch with his brother, sister and cousin.
“So, it’s always been the four of you? That’s nice.”
“Yes, it is,” Gage said as the waiter came to take their plates away. “About my sister, I know it may not have seemed like it yesterday, but I really do love her.”
“I know. I can tell by the way you talk about her. It just sort of pissed me off the way you seemed to be ordering her home,” Mikayla explained. Somewhere during the meal he had stopped trying to hide his burn scars from her, which pleased her greatly.
Gage let out a sigh. “I know. It’s just, the vet’s a nice woman but…”
She laughed. “Enough said. Does she hit on you every time you come in or just make you feel extremely uncomfortable?”
“Every time,” Gage confirmed with a grin. He liked that he didn’t have to explain it to her, that she got what he was saying before he even finished his thought. She had done that a lot during the meal, which made him feel like she actually understood him.
Or at least part of him…
Dante came out to the table carrying two enormous pieces of tiramisu
on plates dusted with cocoa powder. Mikayla groaned playfully. “You’re trying to kill me. I’m stuffed, but you just had to bring my weakness out here to tempt me.”
Dante’s laughter boomed out. “You are too skinny. Gage, you need to feed this one more.”
“I am not touching this subject with a ten foot pole,” Gage said, his eyes sparkling with mirth.
Dante nodded. “That is a wise choice. You cannot leave here without at least trying my specialty. And every good meal must end with a cup of espresso, no?”
Since Dante waited by the table, Mikayla picked up the fork and took a bite of the creamy concoction before her. Her eyes closed and she hummed in pleasure at the taste of the delicious dessert. Gage’s lips quirked and his dick twitched inside his pants as he imagined her making that very same sound in bed with him.
“If you ever say this to anyone I will lie and deny it, but this is even better than my friend’s, and that’s saying a lot. It’s absolutely wonderful.”
“Who is this friend of yours?” Dante asked, curiously.
“Bella Moretti.”
Dante let out a gasp like a dying man and gripped Mikayla’s hand in his. “You know Chef Isabella Moretti?”
Mikayla smiled. It was easy to forget that her friend Bella was famous in the culinary world since she seemed to cook dinner for all the agents so often. Bella and one of her best friends, Giovanni Cossi, were opening a restaurant together in Chicago soon with another of their friends, Jenna, working as their pastry chef.
“Bella is married to one of my bosses, Jason MacBain,” Mikayla said, causing Dante to gasp again. God, she loved expressive Italian men.
“You must introduce me if she ever comes to town! Please, Mikayla, say you will!”
She smiled. “Of course. I’ll tell her and Gio Cossi that they should come here for dinner if they’re ever in the area.”
Dante kissed her hand lavishly in thanks then left them alone to enjoy their dessert. When she turned back to Gage he was smiling at her, his dimples showing on his cheeks. Something about those marks make her want to lick him. “What?”
“You really will, won’t you? Tell your friends to come here.”
Mikayla shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I? The food was excellent and I know Bella and Gio would love to meet him too.”
“So, you work for Mac Securities with Brett?”
“Mmm hmm,” Mikayla answered around another bite of tiramisu.
“So what do you do exactly? Put together security systems for businesses and stuff?”
“And stuff,” Mikayla allowed. “Most of Mac Securities clients are large corporations. We get a few private jobs, but it depends on what they need and why.”
Gage studied her for a moment before switching subjects to something that had been nagging at him. “Can I ask why you’re using a cane? How did you hurt your leg?”
Mikayla had thought about leaving the cane back at the cabin, but put her stubborn pride aside and had brought it with her. “It was an accident at work. I’m basically on medical leave right now,” she said before sipping the espresso. A look of pure bliss crossed over her face. “Now this is good.”
“Caffeine addict?” Gage asked, amused.
“Not just caffeine. Coffee. It is the elixir of the gods and a necessity for survival. People fear speaking to me before I have my first two cups in the morning.”
“I’ll remember that,” Gage murmured. The sexual heat in his tone was unmistakable.
Mikayla set her fork down and pushed the plate away as she studied him. “You know, you can be a pretty nice guy when you aren’t being a jerk.”
“Wow, your shitty praise is going to make me blush.”
Her lips twitched as she fought a smile. God help her, she loved a smart-ass. “However,” she continued, “this only means that we can be friends without us killing each other. I still don’t want what you’re offering.”
He braced his elbows on the table, looking directly at her. “What if that offer has changed? What if I said I enjoyed spending time with you and could see us doing this again?”
“It still wouldn’t change that you don’t do relationships.”
He frowned. “You said you didn’t want one either.”
“I wasn’t looking for one, but that doesn’t mean I’d rule it out. We both know this was still a ploy to get me into bed.”
“And would that really be so bad?” Gage’s voice lowered. “Imagine it, Mikayla. Imagine how good it could be if you gave yourself over to me and let me fuck you. Imagine how good it would feel to let me play with your body, driving you crazy until you begged me to slide inside you.”
Mikayla’s pulse sped up, her blood thickening in her veins as she imagined what he was saying to her. She wanted that. Oh how she wanted to do those things with him. She wanted him touching her, her touching him until they were both mad with the need to take it further. His hand moved under the table, sliding up her left thigh slowly toward the heated flesh of her core. She could feel herself growing wet, the liquid proof spilling from her pussy, dampening her jeans with her need.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, baby? You’d like me to fill your hot little pussy with my cock until both of us screamed in release?”
She felt herself sway toward him as he moved closer to her, their lips almost brushing, but his next words chilled the flickering flame that had begun to burn inside her.
“God Mikayla, you’d look so beautiful tied to my bed, your ass in the air while I took you from behind,” Gage breathed out.
Mikayla’s hand came down on his, stilling it on her leg. Slowly she picked it up and released it as she flung it away from her like he was poisonous. She watched the confusion cloud his eyes a moment before they went hard with anger. So that was how it was. He liked his kink. She couldn’t fault him for that, but it was something that she could never be a part of. Yet again she knew they were on opposite sides of the spectrum. She willed her heart to slow. It was a struggle, but she slowly gained control of her body again and forced all expression from her gaze so it was unreadable.
“Sorry Gage, but I’ll have to take a pass on that.”
Gage’s nostrils flared with anger. “Are you going to sit there and tell me that you weren’t affected by my words? By my touch? I bet if I had touched your clit you would have come right here. Deny it, I dare you.”
Mikayla sighed. It was true. The loss of his touch left her cold. She’d been close to coming from his words alone, but her own demons were stronger than her desire for him. “I’m attracted to you, I won’t deny that. But again, I don’t want what you want which leaves us at an impasse.”
“You want me,” he accused.
Mikayla slowly nodded. She could give him that, give him the truth of her need for his touch, but not the way he wanted to give it to her. “I do want you, just not the way you want.”
His brows furrowed as he glared at her, his green eyes hot. “I could make you want it. I could make you scream my name and beg me for it.”
“You probably could, for a moment anyway. Then I’d end up hating you for it,” Mikayla said softly. “So why don’t we just leave this as a nice meal between friends and end it now.”
“No.”
Mikayla turned away from him and gestured politely to the waiter watching from the other side of the room. He hurried over. “Can I get you anything else?”
“No, thank you. We’re done.”
The waiter placed the bill on the table and Mikayla reached for it. Gage’s hand slapped down on it before she could reach it. He barely looked at it before throwing down a number of bills to cover the cost.
“Do you need change, Mr. Stark?”
“No, Billy.”
“Thank you, sir.” The waiter smiled then left them alone again.
“We aren’t done,” Gage hissed at her, knowing exactly why she had used those words earlier. They left the restaurant after thanking Dante with promises to come back again soon. While they had been i
nside rain had begun to fall, melting the surrounding snow into puddles of slush. Mikayla got into the truck after Gage held the door open for her, silently glaring at her. She must be sick if even the man’s glares had the power to turn her on. She turned in the seat to see Wulf’s head peeking out from the blankets. He licked her hand in greeting as she reached back to rub her hand over his head. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes again, content to remain where he was.
Gage started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot, turning up the heat and flicking on the seat warmers for both of them. His hands clenched the steering wheel tight in his grip, and she could see his jaw working as he stared straight ahead. She wanted to tell him he was going to wear his teeth down doing that, but knew he probably wouldn’t appreciate that so she remained quiet.
As they drove along the street she looked out at the white world beyond with a flicker of regret. She knew he didn’t understand why she had turned him down again, and she couldn’t tell him, not without telling him things about her she didn’t know if she wanted him to know. She also had suspicions why he wanted her the way he did, but it still didn’t work for her. The truth was they were two people with a shitload of baggage that didn’t work together.
“Why, Mikayla?” Gage finally growled out through clenched teeth. “Do you take some sort of fucking perverse pleasure in messing with my head? You want me, so why the fuck won’t you let me have you?”
“That’s the problem, Gage,” Mikayla replied. Fine, if he wanted to hash this out then they would. “You want to have me, to take me, and that simply doesn’t work for me. I’m not playing hard to get or fucking with your head. I’m telling you what doesn’t do it for me. I don’t need someone to control me to get me off.”
“That is bullshit and you know it. So the fuck what if I like tying my women? It doesn’t make me a pervert. I just want you to try something new. It can work for you, for us. I know it could if you let it.”
