Her jaw tightened. The man was not only arrogant, but exasperating, too.
His blue eyes twinkled mischievously. “But, seeing that I owe you something, let’s see what my fate is.”
Plucking her folded piece of stationery from the table, he opened it, a dark brow raising high. “For the next four nights you’re mine, to do with as I please.” Gabe’s low, rich voice swirled around Chloe as he read her private note out loud. “I want you as my sexual slave, willing and eager to attend to my every whim and fulfill all my erotic desires.”
Lifting his head, he met her gaze and whistled long and low. “You’re a very naughty girl, Chloe,” he murmured, a sinfully sexy smile easing across his too-gorgeous face. “I wasn’t sure you had it in you to admit what you really wanted.”
Heat washed over her, making her feel every bit as wicked as he’d implied. She’d never been so straightforward with a man before, not that she was about to enlighten him of that fact. “Just goes to show you how little you know about me.”
He flicked the piece of paper in his hand with a finger. “According to this very adventurous bet, I’m sure by the end of the week I’ll know a whole lot more about you.”
Not if she could help it. Their affair would remain strictly about physical pleasure, she told herself, for the sole purpose of satiating her lust for a man who’d remained a part of her fantasies for too long. Here was her chance to prove she could indulge in a fling and remain immune to him, and finally get him out of her system once and for all. Maybe then she could move on and give one hundred percent to another man, without thoughts of Gabe keeping her chained to a past and emotions that had consumed the deepest part of her soul. She’d pull out all the stops to have him, in any way she desired…and this time she’d be the one to walk away in the end.
And it all started here, and now, with her making the first brazen move to put the reins of control firmly in her hands. She was going to seduce him, his body and mind, and establish right up front who was in charge of this affair and that she’d call the shots. She had, after all, won fair and square.
Flattening a hand in the middle of his chest, she pushed him a few steps back, until his spine pressed against the wall and her body brushed along the front of his. Beneath his T-shirt, against her fingertips, his muscles moved and shifted. Dampening her bottom lip with her tongue, she slid her splayed hand lower, feeling the taut ridges in his abdomen flex in reaction.
His breathing deepened, and she cast him a slow, sultry, upswept look, gratified to see that her wanton move had surprised him. His eyes were dark and hot, and his face was etched with a fierce hunger that made her tremble deep inside.
She wasn’t done shocking him. Or arousing him. Shifting to the side, she leaned more fully into him so that her knee slipped snugly between his hard thighs, then she feathered her lips along the corded tendons in his neck, all the way up to his ear. She inhaled deeply, intoxicated by his masculine scent, as well as by the feminine power that was hers.
Her tongue lightly traced the shell of his ear, and his big body shuddered. A large hand settled on the curve of her waist to pull her closer, and she gently removed it, unwilling to let him distract her in any way.
“No touching, Gabe, not just yet.”
A frustrated groan slipped from his throat, and she bit back a delighted smile and continued to torment him.
“By the end of the week, you’ll know exactly what I want before I even ask for it, and you’ll know where and how I like to be caressed and pleasured the most.” The hand on his belly traveled upward, and her thumb flicked across his erect nipples. “You’ll find out how sensitive the inside of my thighs are when you kiss them, and how the slow, soft stroke of your tongue can make me quiver and moan. My breasts are very responsive, and just thinking about you taking my nipples into your warm, wet mouth is making me excited and my panties damp.”
He released a harsh breath, the entire length of him radiating waves of heat, inflaming her in turn. “Chloe…” Her name escaped on a gruff, desperate note.
Before he could say anything more, she pressed her fingers to his lips. “Shhh. I’m not done yet.” She placed a damp kiss on his jaw, removed her hand, and let her lips drift to the corner of his mouth. “I want to do things with you that I’ve never dared before, and be as uninhibited as I am in every one of my intimate fantasies. And you’ll do whatever I say, and agree to anything I request.” She smiled and met his gaze, which blazed with intensity and restraint. “And I think it’s only fair that I tell you that it’s been a very long time since I’ve had sex, and you’re just what I need to take the edge off of all my suppressed desires…unless you’re not up to the challenge?”
He laughed, the sound low and rough with arousal. “I’m more than up for it, sweetheart.”
“Really?” she goaded.
A shameless smile made an appearance, showing off straight white teeth. “See for yourself,” he dared.
Refusing to back down from his blatant challenge after coming so far, she slid her hand down his body, over the waistband of his jeans, and curled her fingers around the long, hard ridge of his penis. He filled her palm to overflowing, and as she stroked, the pulsing pressure of his erection continued to swell even more.
She swallowed to ease the dryness in her mouth, to quell the ripple of blistering heat infusing her veins. “Very impressive,” she said huskily, and squeezed him tighter in her hand, undeniably excited by the heady thought of having all that male aggression buried deep inside her. “And all mine for the next four nights.”
Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he groaned, instinctively rocking his hips forward into her hand.
She let him go and stepped away before they went too far for the first night, and he growled in pure disappointment. “You’re a tease, Chloe.”
“I just want to build the anticipation.” And leave him aching and aroused, as he’d done to her six years ago. Walking to the door on shaky legs, she opened it wide for him to exit. “Pick me up tomorrow night at seven.”
One side of his mouth quirked at her dismissal, but he played the game and respected her request. “As you wish.” At the threshold, he stopped just long enough to place a soft, warm kiss on her lips. “Sweet dreams, Chloe.”
Then he was gone.
Leaning against the closed door, she inhaled deeply and pressed a hand to her full, aching breasts. With her mind filled with prurient thoughts of Gabe and her body strung tight with shameless, carnal needs, she knew her dreams would be anything but sweet.
Chapter Two
With an hour to go before he picked up Chloe, Gabe stepped into the shower stall and under the warm spray, absolutely certain Tuesday had been the longest day of his entire life. He’d tried to keep busy sorting through the boyhood paraphernalia his mother had never gotten rid of through the years, but his restless thoughts kept replaying last night’s events with Chloe. The brazen way she’d come on to him after winning. The candid, seductive words she’d spoken that had turned him on like nothing else he could remember in recent memory. And the impudent way she’d cupped and caressed his thickened shaft through his jeans.
Hoarse laughter escaped him as he glanced down the length of his dripping wet body to the erection he’d been sporting since last night’s encounter. Arousal still thrummed hot and heavy through his veins, and he supposed he hadn’t helped matters much by spending a good portion of the day imagining all the different provocative scenarios Chloe had in store for him. He’d envisioned how she’d look completely, gloriously naked, her slender figure sprawled on a soft mattress, thighs parted in invitation and a come-hither smile on her delectable lips. He’d tormented himself with thoughts of how incredible that first deep thrust into her lush body would feel, and couldn’t stop from visualizing her on her knees in front of him, her tongue gliding across the tip of his rigid sex, her lips parting to take him deep inside her mouth.
With a low, frustrated groan, Gabe propped his hands on the tiled wall in
front of him and dipped his head beneath the shower spray. Bracing his legs apart, he let the lukewarm water drench his hair and sluice across his shoulders and down his back. The rivulets of water followed the crease of his buttocks and caressed his heavy sacs like silky fingers, making them draw closer, tighter, to his body.
And just like a dozen other times today, he thought about taking his aching cock in his hand to relieve the tension and building pressure Chloe had instigated the night before. Two or three precise strokes and he knew he’d come hard and furiously. But the one thing that stopped him from following through on the most practical solution to his problem was the knowledge that one fist-induced orgasm wouldn’t stop him from wanting and craving Chloe. Ultimately, he wanted to ride on the buzz of growing excitement, let the eagerness gradually increase until he was wild for his climax, begging for it even…with Chloe an integral part of his release.
A surge of unrequited lust pooled in his lower region as a wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He wondered how long she intended to make him wait for that pleasure. Would she allow him more liberties this evening than she had last night, or would she weave her bewitching brand of temptation and tease and torment him for the next four nights with her uninhibited sensuality?
He had no answer for that particular question. He only knew that he’d be a willing slave to her every whim and satisfy her every longing and wish. He’d do whatever it took to gain her trust again, her forgiveness. To make her realize that this time he wasn’t going to hurt her. Even if it meant sacrificing his own pleasure in the process. It was a small price to pay to prove to Chloe that he wanted her in his life for more than a handful of days.
Turning off the water, he stepped out of the shower, ran a towel across his body, then wrapped and knotted the end around his hips while he shaved his face and dried his hair. Once he was done, he padded barefoot down the hallway to the small bedroom he’d grown up in to get dressed. He tugged on his briefs, pulled an olive green knit shirt over his head, and slipped on a pair of casual khaki pants. After pulling on his socks and shoes, he strolled to the old, beat-up dresser his mother had bought for him at a yard sale over twenty years ago and shoved his wallet and keys into his pocket.
Catching sight of the folded piece of stationery from last night’s final poker game with Chloe, Gabe smiled to himself. He’d taken a huge risk with his final wager, going so far as to take a chance on the depth of his feelings for her, figuring he’d had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Considering the cards he’d seen on the table, he’d never expected her to win. Neither had he anticipated her turning the tables on him with such an outrageous and tantalizing dare.
But as he lay in bed last night, unable to sleep, he’d come to the conclusion that her winning the bet worked in his favor. As she’d proved last night, without any pressure from him she’d set the pace of their relationship and held back nothing because she believed the control was hers. And he’d willingly let her cling to that notion if it meant she’d feel more secure and sure of herself.
During the course of the next four nights, he’d openly let her take whatever she wanted from him, because he planned to give her all that she desired, and more—physically and emotionally. From the very depths of his heart, he was ready to take a chance on the emotions he’d hidden for years beneath layers of doubt and the need to be more than a washed-up football player so that he had something substantial to offer her.
Chloe wasn’t the only one who had a few fantasies she’d like to sate. He’d harbored a wealth of erotic dreams about her for more years than he cared to recall, hungered for her sweetness and acceptance for forever. And in satisfying her most forbidden longings, he hoped to fulfill his greatest needs.
“Drive faster!”
Gabe cast a quick grin at Chloe, who sat in the passenger seat of the convertible Camaro he’d rented for the week as they drove along the 15 Freeway toward Del Mar, per her orders. The woman apparently had a reckless streak and a need for speed, and he obliged her. Pressing his foot to the gas pedal, he accelerated the sleek car from a respectable fifty miles per hour to the maximum limit of sixty five.
“This is so cool!” she said, shouting to be heard above the lash of the wind.
She’d been so excited to find he’d rented a convertible sports car—a spontaneous, frivolous impulse on his part—and had insisted they drive with the top down. He’d accommodated her order, surprised and pleased with her request since he’d chosen the car and its vibrant red color because it screamed unbridled, sexy fun. But he’d never expected Chloe to share in that philosophy. While most of the women he’d dated in Chicago would have balked at having their hair mussed and the wind in their faces, Chloe reveled in the warm summer night air caressing her bared skin and was loving the wild ride.
And he was enjoying her uninhibited delight of such a simple pleasure. Her cheeks were flushed with exhilaration and her eyes sparkled brightly with the vicarious thrill of being exposed to the outside elements as they drove. The breeze caught and tugged at the honey blond hair she’d left down, tousling the wavy strands around her head, and she didn’t bother trying to restrain the unruly mass.
The wind whipped through the front seat area of the open vehicle, playing havoc with the slip of a dress she wore, and his libido. Floral in print, the low-cut bodice was fitted and held together by a crisscross lacing of thin silk ribbon, which prominently pushed up her voluptuous breasts so the night air could kiss and tease the soft swells. One tug of the enticing little bow and she’d spill right into his hands, a sensual feast he’d never be able to resist.
He swallowed hard and shifted in his seat. If that tantalizing display wasn’t enough to make him salivate for a taste of that creamy flesh, then the hem of her dress certainly did the trick. Standing, the soft, flirty skirt ended just above the knee and flounced against her slender legs and small bottom when she walked. Sitting in a butter-soft leather seat with the draft teasing and fluttering the material, she’d at first laughingly tried to hold down the hem as it billowed in the breeze, then had finally given up and let the skirt gather loosely at the very tops of her smooth, bare legs. Another inch up and he’d be able to glimpse her panties, their color and texture. He wondered if she still favored silk trimmed in lace.
Oh, yeah, there were definite perks to driving a convertible with a sexy woman intent on seducing him. The only downside to the top being lowered was that it made it difficult to carry on a normal conversation without shouting at each other to be heard. But the silence between them was comfortable and relaxing. Besides, they’d indulged in plenty of light, amicable, flirtatious banter at the pizza parlor where she’d requested they go for dinner—which had been the same Italian restaurant they’d eaten at on their date six years ago.
And now as she instructed him to take the Del Mar Heights exit, he had a sneaking suspicion that Chloe had deliberately planned both destinations in order to reenact that night so long ago. He wondered what she had in mind, and while he was burning with curiosity, he didn’t ask. He figured he’d discover her motives soon enough.
Unnecessarily, she guided him through residential streets he remembered with too much clarity and up a curving two-lane road to where hilltop estates overlooked the city. The Camaro made the climb smoothly, and he came to a stop at the cul-de-sac that ended with a service road now secured with a gated fence that hadn’t been there six years ago. A KEEP OUT sign had been posted to ward off unwanted trespassers and effectively kept Gabe from driving to the secluded spot just around the curve in the paved road.
Letting the car idle, he turned toward Chloe. “Looks like the owners got tired of people parking on their property.”
“If that’s the case, they didn’t try very hard to keep them out. Or they’re depending on the honor system.” She grinned impishly at him. “There isn’t a lock on the gate.”
His brows rose inquisitively. “And you know this how?”
She shrugged nonchalantly, the movement d
rawing his gaze to her breasts. “I’ve been up here more than a few times over the years.”
Unexpected jealousy sliced through him and his fingers curled into tight fists around the steering wheel. She was a beautiful, sexy woman and no doubt had had her share of boyfriends and lovers, but he hated the thought of her sharing their spot with another man.
She patted his thigh, and a few inches higher she’d discover how turned on he’d been since leaving the restaurant. “Sit tight and I’ll open the gate for you to drive through.”
Before he could insist on doing it himself, she was out the door and strolling toward the gate, her strappy, high-heeled sandals clicking on the pavement and hips swaying provocatively. Then his mouth went completely dry and his groin pulled tight as she stepped into the white glow of the car’s headlamps. The beam of light was as effective as an X ray through the thin fabric of her dress, silhouetting the sweet curve of her waist, the enticing swell of her hips, and the slenderness of her incredibly long, toned legs.
Christ. He exhaled a harsh, aroused breath. She might as well be naked for all the luscious attributes she’d just revealed to his hungry gaze. The bright light cast a golden, shimmery halo around her tousled, burnished hair as well, but despite that heavenly bit of aura, tonight Chloe Anderson was no angel.
She was a temptress with sin on her mind, and he was her willing and enthusiastic victim.
Effortlessly, she pushed the metal contraption wide open for him, then secured the gate after he’d passed through. She slid back into the car as if she hadn’t just turned him inside out with scalding sexual need, and he drove about a quarter mile up the road to the spot he’d discovered many, many years ago.
I Love Bad Boys Page 11
