by Cerys du Lys
“Both my parents are, well were, military officers.”
“What?” Brow furrowed, Gabriella looked over at him, her mood lightening slightly as her interest was perked.
“That’s why I’m so neat and so concerned over my appearance. It’s been drilled into me since I was a baby. Presentation is everything.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Everything needed to be perfect. It was never good enough for me to just be on the football team, I needed to be the captain of the team. It wasn’t good enough for me to have a pretty girl on my arm for the prom, I had to have the prettiest from the best family. While my sisters were given some room to breathe, my parents, father especially, demanded I be the best.”
“That doesn’t sound like a very healthy situation.”
“People live with worse. It made me fight to be at the top of my game. Lead the pack, rather than follow the pack.”
“And you moved a lot.”
“Yup. I’m an Army brat. Always moving around. Lived all over the US and even Europe for a short time.”
“So were you in the Army?”
“For a short while, an officer. As soon as I graduated high school I joined and they put me through college. Then I went on to work for the CIA and been with them ever since. I was at the Washington office until I moved here. Now I work out of the office in New York, even though I spend a fair amount of time working from home.”
“Why the change?”
“More challenging. Exciting. But at the same time, the job is more stable. I get to be home more.”
“Chasing internet pirates is more exciting?” She raised a dubious brow at him and he cursed himself for speaking without thinking. Something about her relaxed him, maybe a little too much. Maybe this was a bad idea. He’d been shying away from getting involved with women in the past because it would require he lie to them. He hated lying to her. He wondered briefly what she’d think or say if she knew the truth – if he could tell her. The deep, dirty truth about who and what he was. He doubted it would be a good reaction women claimed they wanted exciting, dangerous men, but in truth they didn’t. They wanted the type of men like he pretended to be: the agent chasing overgrown teenagers living in their mothers’ basements playing computer hacker.
“It’s more than just internet pirates.” You’re digging yourself deeper, Agent Almond, a voice in the back of his head warned.
Chapter 7
Something isn’t right about Colin; he’s hiding something, a voice in the back of her mind warned.
No, Gabriella. You’re just doing what you always do, sabotaging the relationship before it even begins, a different voice argued back.
As they crossed the bridge taking them into Manhattan, Gabriella tuned out both voices and focused on where they were headed – the Upper East Side of Manhattan. She loved the city. Normally she didn’t venture into Manhattan, she was a Jersey girl at heart, but she tended to relish the times she did.
Fifteen minutes later they were entering a small, but very exclusive Italian restaurant. How he managed to get them reservations without notice was beyond her; places like this had long waiting lists unless you were a celebrity or important person. She waited while Colin spoke to the maitre d’ in Italian. Speaking Italian, another of his talents. Interesting.
She glanced past the two men and into the restaurant. The décor was burgundy with golden accents and on each of the tables sat candle centerpieces. Sconces on the walls gave off a warm light, adding to the romantic atmosphere. As suspected the women in the restaurant were much better dressed than she was, in Chanel, Prada and other luxury designers. Her dress was a Walmart special – $49.95. She liked it until she arrived here.
“This way please.” The maitre d’ led them through the restaurant, to a table toward the back. As they walked past the tables, she took notice of many of the women giving extra attention to Colin, virtually ignoring her. The only looks she received were those of envy, undoubtedly because Colin was hers. One stunning woman, with long dark hair and bright blue eyes, openly admired him. Rude much?
That’s right bitches, he’s all mine. Annoyed at the blatant disrespect, Gabriella placed her hand in his, as they weaved themselves between the tables.
The maitre d’ pulled her chair out for her with a warm smile. Thanking him, she sat and accepted the menu he offered. He and Colin spoke again in Italian and with a nod the maitre d’ nodded toward her, spun around and left them. Feeling Colin’s eyes on her, she turned her attention back to him to see a wide grin had spread across his lips.
“What’s that smirk for?”
Reaching across the table he took her hands in his, lacing his fingers with hers. “Normally I don’t go for jealous women, but on you, it works.”
Gabriella huffed. “Me? Jealous?”
He nodded, his grin widening, humour dancing in his dark eyes. “Yeah. You.”
“Hardly… You need to be getting over yourself, mister. You’ve got one massive ego.”
“So you’re telling me you didn’t square up to that woman over there?”
“I didn’t square up to that woman.” As she said the words she felt her cheeks growing warm. She supposed she had.
“You’re a lousy liar, Gabby.”
“Well, don’t be expecting any woman-on-woman fights over you.”
“Woman-on-woman fighting. Oooh. Now you’re turning me on.”
She gave her head a shake in mock disgust. “You’re such a guy.”
“At least you’re no longer claiming I’m gay.”
Damn, he was infuriating.
“So you speak Italian?” she asked, attempting to change the subject.
“Would appear that way.”
When she scowled at him, he squeezed her hands lightly. “I also speak German and Spanish fluently.”
“More demands of your father?” She wondered how hard it must have been for him. Her parents were free spirits, insisting she find her own way. Trial and error was their motto. They were always firm believers that failure was just as important as success – that it built character.
“Sort of. I have an ear for languages. We lived in Germany when I was a teenager for a number of years so I picked it up. Spanish thanks to the school system and Italian,” he shrugged, “I just like the language.”
“So did you ever do things for yourself, or was it all for your parents’ approval?”
The amusement dimmed from his eyes and he looked down at their interlocked fingers. Her eyes followed his gaze to their hands. Her hands fit so perfectly in his and she liked the feeling of contact between them. Not in a sexual way like it usually was, but a deeper level of understanding. It felt nice.
“I’ll always have a desire to please them, but I live my life for myself now. They were angry when I left the military; they had hopes of me moving up the officer ranks quickly. Their future for me was of me becoming a general. Joining the CIA would please most parents, but not mine.”
Gabriella didn’t speak, not wanting to interrupt.
“I’ve done more for this country.” He chuckled softly, a bittersweet sound. “More for the security of the world than I ever could in the military.”
Frowning, Gabby gave his hands a light squeeze, causing him to raise his gaze to meet hers. There were demons in his dark eyes. Something she’d never noticed before, she suspected it was something he didn’t usually allow people to see. Why he was allowing her to see the dark side of him she wasn’t sure.
“Your wine, Sir. Madam.”
With the moment shattered, the veil came back up as Colin released her hands and leaned back in his chair.
Internet security my ass, Gabriella thought as she watched her glass of wine being poured. The beautiful man before her had demons, she was sure of it. She was both intrigued and unsettled over the notion.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Slipping his hands into his pockets, Colin reclined back against the Mercedes, Gabriella standing before him. She looked beautiful,
sexy, angelic. He’d had a hard time keeping his hands off of her all evening – but he’d managed. Rushing it would ruin it. The game of one-upping each other was over for him. He genuinely wanted a connection with her.
Why he opened up to her earlier was beyond him. Opening up was dangerous – for him, for her. It was a slip that wouldn’t happen again, he was too disciplined to have allowed it to happen in the first place. But there was something about her. Despite her hard-assed attitude and silver tongue, she had a pureness about her. Such a kind, sweet nature.
After seeing that house and those animals and seeing how she handled the terrified cats, with both determination and compassion, how could he not be taken by her? To have to experience such a horrific situation for minimum wage meant she wasn’t doing it for the money, she was doing it because it was the right thing. She was a good person, perhaps too good for him. He shook his head of thought, no perhaps about it, she was too good for him. But he couldn’t stop wanting her if he tried.
Gabriella’s sweet, soft laughter caused him to shift his gaze from the woods over her shoulder to meet her bright, blue eyes.
“What?”
“Have you heard a word I’ve said these past couple of minutes?” She stopped laughing, but a grin remained on her lips.
Nope, he thought, but responded with, “Of course. I was just thinking.” He brushed a stray lock of golden hair that had fallen into her face and tucked it behind her ear. She closed her eyes briefly as if savouring the feel of his caress.
“You’ve been getting these odd looks on your face all evening.”
“I’m sorry.” He took a deep breath in and released it. “I’ve just got work on my mind.” Liar! the voice at the back of his mind screamed. Careful or she’ll see who you truly are; what you are. His jaw clenched. I do what I have to do, he argued.
She reached between them, took his loosened tie in her hand and stroked the silken material. “Ahhhh. A big nerd bust.”
If you only knew. He watched her delicate hands caressing his tie, which sparked the desire within him – something he’d been fighting most of the evening.
“You seem to have gained a new hobby of making fun of me.”
She crinkled her nose up and caught her lower lip between her teeth as she looked up at him. Taking a step closer to him she closed the distance between them, securing his body against the car with hers.
“Teasing is really a form of affection.”
He raised a brow up at her. “That so?”
“Uh-huh,” she leaned in further, her breasts crushing against his chest and her lips ghosting his, so feather light that he could barely feel it happening.
His body tensed as his arousal rose.
She pulled back slightly, a small crease forming at her brow, no doubt confused on why he was clinging to every last thread of the restraint he had left in him. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. She closed her eyes at the touch and he could faintly hear her sigh at his touch.
“I have to leave extremely early in the morning.”
She opened her eyes and looked up at him questioningly. The desire was so intense in her eyes that it took his dick from half-mast to fully erect within seconds. He wanted her, and there was no doubt she wanted him just as much. Damn, the timing was horrid.
“I don’t want to start something – yet. At least not until I get back. I don’t want to be one of those guys who leaves in the middle of the night. Not for the first –”
She leaned up against him and brushed her lips across his a second time. Dammit, she was impossible to resist. Her lips tasted faintly of wine and that blasted perfume pulled him in. He doubted he’d ever be able to smell that scent again without getting aroused.
Unable to hold off a moment longer, he slid his hands around her waist and pulled her tight to him. His lips teased hers, pulled her lower lip between his teeth and released it. She sighed and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, as she slid her hands around his neck, pressing herself as tightly as possible to him. She was making it really hard for him to remain a gentleman.
Colin deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping past her parted lips in search of hers. As their tongues danced, he slipped his hands down her back to her bottom. Grasping her rear in his hands he pulled her pelvis tight against his throbbing erection. She moaned against his lips, her hands fisting his shirt at the shoulders.
He tore his lips from hers to run a string of kisses along her jaw and to her neck. She shuddered and tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck to his teasing tongue and nipping teeth.
“Oh God, Colin!” she moaned, her voice strained – raspy.
The sound of her voice saying his name with such desire sent a wave of desire through him. He wanted her. Needed her. Slipping his hands to her upper thighs, he hoisted her up onto his hips, twirled her around and set her onto the hood of his car. She locked her ankles around his waist and pulled him tight to her, the skirt of her dress inching its way up her thighs until it was bunched up at her hips.
“Oh dammit Gabby, you’re making this difficult,” he groaned out, through clenched teeth as her hands pulled his shirt up out of his waistband and they slid up his bare back, caressing the muscle underneath.
“Then why not just let go and enjoy this?”
Didn’t he give her a reason? He didn’t want to be the asshole who had to run out on her in the middle of the night. But, she was making this so hard!
She leaned back so she could look him in the eyes, but keeping her hands underneath his shirt. “We don’t have to spend the night together.” She slid her hands around to the front of him and fiddled with the buckle on his belt. Not undoing it, but putting the idea in his head. “We could just… explore…”
Colin chuckled as he lowered his forehead to press it to hers. “I doubt I could explore any part of you and then tear myself away.”
She smiled, sweetly this time. “I’ve never had a man so resistant to be with me before.”
Slipping a hand into her hair to grasp the back of her head, he brushed his lips across hers. “You deserve special. I can’t give you special tonight.”
She stopped fiddling with his belt buckle to press her palms against his chest, over his shirt this time. “I don’t think anyone has ever said anything so sweet to me.”
That’s me, Mr. Sweet, who’s going to have a major case of blue balls when I put you in your car and you drive away, he mused. Grabbing her waist, he lifted her from the hood of the car as if she weighed nothing more than a feather, and carefully set her onto her feet.
“To be continued then?” he asked.
“To be continued.”
Chapter 8
Pulling into Colin’s driveway, Gabriella was surprised to see his car parked in front of his house. He wasn’t due back until tomorrow. It had been a long week waiting for him to come home. She kept thinking back to the feel of his hands on her and the way his lips teased her neck. She’d never masturbated so much in her life as she had waiting for him. In retrospect she was glad he’d slowed things down; she didn’t want to ruin what could potentially be a great relationship by introducing sex too quickly.
Grabbing the bag of pet food from the back seat of her car, she slammed the door closed with her hip and made her way to his front door. Her normal routine was to arrive at his place before work, feed the pets and then come back after work to check on them and give them supper. This was her morning stop.
Pulling her key to his place from the pocket of her navy blue peacoat, she hesitated. Letting herself in didn’t really seem appropriate with him home. Shoving the key back into her pocket she raised her fist to the door and hesitated. It was pretty early in the morning; what if he was sleeping? She was about to reconsider letting herself in when she heard Oscar barking loudly.
Well, if he wasn’t awake already he is now.
She knocked loudly and waited. When she heard footsteps coming to the door, her pulse began to race as the anticipation mounted. M
oments later the door was pulled open, but it wasn’t Colin on the other side of the threshold.
Gabriella’s jaw went slack for a second, but she quickly recovered and began to size up the woman who answered the door. The woman was tall, with long straight dark hair. Her body was athletic, with barely an ounce of fat anywhere. Gabby had no problem evaluating the majority of the other woman’s body since all she was wearing was a small towel that barely covered her ass and breasts. If she bent over, Gabby was certain she’d be exposing everything to the world.
“Can I help you?”
“I… Ummm.” Who could this woman be? One of Colin’s sisters. He had three, right? She extended her hand to the other woman. “I’m Gabriella. I’m the ummmm… pet sitter. You’re one of Colin’s sisters?”
Please let her be his sister. Despite her hoping, she knew the other woman wasn’t.
The other woman threw back her head and laughed. “Oh hon, I hope not.” She took Gabriella’s hand and shook it briefly.
Gabby craned her neck to look around the other woman and into the house. Where was Colin?
“Hey Felicity, did you get –” Colin appeared around the corner and into the kitchen. His body was glistening with droplets of water and a towel was wrapped around his waist. His eyes immediately caught Gabriella’s and he froze.
“It’s the pet sitter.” Felicity stepped out of the doorway and into the kitchen. “I’ll leave you two to talk and get some clothes on.” She stepped past Colin and Gabby didn’t miss the way the other woman ran her fingertips down his upper arm as she walked past him.
Fuck, how could I be so stupid!
Colin rushed over to the door and ushered Gabby inside. “It’s not what it looks like.”
She suppressed her anger and disappointment. He’d made no promises to her or her to him. But goddamn, she’d really liked him. She’d thought… She walked over to the kitchen counter and deposited the brown paper bag of pet food onto it, avoiding his gaze.
“I’ve got to get going. Lots to do at work today.” Continuing to avoid his gaze she skirted past him, making her way toward the door. Just as she reached the threshold, she felt Colin’s iron-tight grasp on her upper arm, stopping her.
