Kelly snorted. She couldn’t stand Chad and his enormous white teeth and his thick gelled helmet of hair, and she despised his blue-blooded snobby family, but there was no point in rehashing that conversation with Teresa. It wasn’t as if she and her sister were close enough to discuss things like that; she wasn’t even invited to Teresa’s wedding.
“And now you’re going to marry our suspect? That should really go down well with the Rossis. And…you-know-who.”
Kelly felt her insides twist in dismay at the mention of you-know-who. “Don’t be silly. I’m not really marrying Gabriel.”
“Oh, is that a fact?” Teresa scoffed. “Because his mother asked me if I was going to be the maid of honor and said she needed to measure me for a dress.”
Kelly winced. “The alleged wedding is a month away. I will find the jewel before then, and go home.”
“No you won’t. You’ll…you’ll fall in love with him and marry him, that’s what you’ll do! You always mess everything up!”
“Actually, I don’t,” Kelly said calmly. That was why Teresa resented her so much. Because even though Kelly’s methods were unorthodox and bent the rules, she got results.
“Hey, my mother needs to see you for a minute before dinner!” Gabriel was walking towards them, dressed in linen slacks and a button-down shirt and loafers, looking devastatingly handsome. “Something about getting a head-count of how many people you’ll be inviting to the wedding.”
“Told you,” Teresa sneered.
“None!” Kelly called out to him. “I’m basically an orphan…” she cast a glance at Teresa “…and I work too many hours to have any friends, so it will just be me.”
“Well, that sounds rather sad,” Gabriel observed. “Thank God we found each other and you no longer have to endure such a lonely life.”
Teresa’s cell phone rang, and she answered it and then looked at Kelly and held it out with a smirk of malicious triumph. “It’s for you. Apparently you haven’t been answering your cell phone.”
That was true, and there was a reason for that. But there was no putting it off any longer.
Kelly winced and grabbed the phone. There was only one person this could be.
“I should have known you’d fail,” said the shrill voice on the other end of the phone. “You’re such a complete loser.”
Kelly’s heart sank. She’d recovered eight stolen jewels in the past year. Eight. More than anybody else at their firm. But no matter what she did, it was never good enough.
“I didn’t necessarily fail,” she protested weakly.
“You didn’t necessarily fail?” the voice mocked. “I should have listened to your sister. I never should have let you go ahead with this idiot scheme. You incompetent moron. It’s all over the news, and you’ve made our firm look like fools. I’ll be fired and lose everything. Have you found the ruby yet?”
“No,” she said.
“Then you failed! Because that’s what you do! You are a complete and utter failure! Find that damn ruby or I swear to God—”
Kelly thought she might throw up. She needed to halt the stream of abuse. “I’m standing next to Gabriel, so you might want to stop screaming at me.”
“Standing next to him! You pathetic moron! You loser! You incompetent, bumbling, sloppy, useless—”
Kelly felt her throat constricting just as Gabriel plucked the phone from her hand, and she suddenly realized that tears were pouring down her face. Teresa sat on the couch, arms folded across her chest and a big, smug smile on her face.
Gabriel stalked off, holding the phone, and Kelly ran after him.
“Listen the hell up,” Gabriel snarled into the phone. “That is my future wife you’re talking to. And if you ever talk to her like that again, I will hunt you down and burn you to a pile of ash.” And then he crushed the phone in his hand and dropped the pieces on the floor.
Winthrop scampered over to clean up the shards of plastic.
“That was my phone!” Teresa screamed. “You broke my phone! My fiancé might be calling me! I’m in the middle of planning my wedding! I need my phone!”
“Sorry, miss,” Winthrop said apologetically. He gave Gabriel a severe look of reproach. “Sir, that simply isn’t done.”
“These people are monsters!” Teresa’s chest was heaving and her face was bright red.
Winthrop nodded glumly. “You have no idea.”
“I’ll buy you a new one,” Gabriel said irritably. Then he looked at Kelly and his voice softened. “Kelly, come with me.”
He led her out of the room and back up the stairs to his bedroom as Kelly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.
“I’m sorry,” Kelly sniffled when they reached his room. “I shouldn’t let her get to me like that. I’m being stupid.”
A wave of misery washed over her.
He put his arm around her and pulled her up against him. It felt so warm and safe and right that she never wanted to leave. But she would – any minute now. Yep, she’d shrug his arm off walk away from him…any minute now…
“You aren’t being stupid at all,” Gabriel said. “I made things difficult for you by insisting on marrying you, which is selfish of me, but it’s what I want.”
She rested her head against his broad chest.
“It is?” He couldn’t possibly mean that, but it was wonderful to hear at a time when her feelings had just been stomped on with hobnail boots.
“Yes, it is. And whoever you’re working for is a vile, abusive bitch. Why do you let someone treat you like that?”
“Well, I guess because she’s my mother.”
Gabriel’s mouth dropped open and he began stammering apologies. Kelly burst into laughter and held her hand up to stop him.
“It’s all right,” she said. “You’re entirely right. She’s been like that to me ever since…well, ever since my father got arrested.” Then she flushed with embarrassment. “Go ahead. Mock me. Call me a hypocrite.”
“Why?” He looked puzzled. “Your father was arrested, not you.”
She managed a wry smile. “My mother doesn’t see it that way. My father was arrested for embezzlement; he financially ruined a lot of people in my mother’s social set. The big irony is, she was working as an insurance investigator even then. It nearly ruined the firm, which had been passed down to her by her father. So she had to sell most of her interest in the firm, and they changed it so the firm no longer has our family name on it. She’s co-owner, but she’s hoping to buy it back some day, and if we don’t get the Dragonsblood back, that can’t happen. I have lived my entire life trying to make up for what my father’s done, and I’ve got a perfect solve rate up until now, and even so, every time I make the littlest mistake my mother gets hysterical and starts yelling about how I can never do anything right and I’m my father’s daughter, and I’m determined to—”
Her voice was rising higher and higher. She was getting dizzy.
“Kelly!” Gabriel barked at her, and she stopped and looked at him.
“What?”
“Breathe.”
“Oh,” she nodded. “Thanks. I forgot.” She took several deep breaths and tried to calm down. What was it about her mother’s vicious disapproval that sent her into hysterics? She should be used to it by now.
She took a moment to compose herself.
“I appreciate how decent you’re being about my mother,” she said. “And I know my mother shouldn’t treat me like that, and maybe it’s time that I go out on my own and work for myself, or at least for some other agency. But that doesn’t change what I’m obligated to do, here and now.” She looked him square in the eye. “Once I take on a job, I finish it. Always. That means I’m still looking for the Dragonsblood Ruby, and if I find that you have it, I’m turning you in.”
He winked at her. “I’d expect no less of you.”
She scowled. He could at least look worried, the smug son of a bitch.
“You’re taking this far too lightly. You stole a pr
ecious family heirloom. You have no right to it.” Her father had been a thief, and she’d seen the devastation that he’d caused. Families who’d invested their life savings with him losing their homes and businesses. She’d had to go to school with their children. She’d endured their taunts, the food and books they’d thrown at her head. She’d eaten her lunch alone, in the bathroom. She’d figured she’d deserved it. Her father had ruined their lives.
“Well, I’d investigate that ‘precious family heirloom’ thing a little more, but anyway, other than that, carry on. Best of luck. Search away.”
“I’m planning on it. What do you mean about investigating? What should I investigate?”
He countered with, “What fun is it if I do your work for you?”
She frowned at him. “You know, I have had it with your smug attitude. You can let go of me at any time.” No, don’t! part of her cried out. He was so strong and warm and solid. She wanted to stay in his arms forever, but she couldn’t exactly tell him that.
“You can step away at any time,” he pointed out, gently caressing the small of her back with his fingertips.
She couldn’t believe he was being so unreasonable.
“You first!” she said indignantly.
“Oh, no, it has to be ladies first. I was raised to be a gentleman.”
She snorted. “You most certainly were not. You were raised to be a first-class cad.”
“At least you think I’m first class.” He stared down into her eyes. “I could stand here all night. I’m quite enjoying myself. Your move, sweetheart.”
“I hate you very much right now.” She felt that her attempt at a scowl wasn’t convincing enough, but it was hard to glare when she was light-headed with lust.
“I have an alternative proposal,” he said to her.
“I’m listening.”
“Given how very, very much I want to fuck your brains out right now…” she gasped at the crudity of his words, spoken in that rich, cultured voice…”you could try to seduce the truth about the Dragonsblood out of me.”
She should slap him for that. She should definitely storm off in fury. How dare he imply that she’d use sex to get what she wanted? Instead, she stared up at him, dazed with desire. “That is a terrible line.”
“Not my best, not my worst.” He shrugged. “But entirely sincere.” He moved, and suddenly he was pressing up against her, his thick erection rock-hard against her stomach. Oh dear God. He really did want her as much as she wanted him.
“I’m not marrying you… I’m still going to find the jewel and turn you in…” Her breath was coming in pants now, and she was trembling with need.
“Then you should at least grant me this one last wish, shouldn’t you?” He bent down to kiss her.
That doesn’t even make sense, she tried to say, but instead the words that spilled from her lips sounded more like, “I want you now.”
Chapter Seven
She could have swooned like an old-fashioned romance heroine when he claimed her mouth with his. His kiss was possessive and hungry. The rising smoke of banked passion curled through her, obscuring all thoughts of heirlooms and stolen gems and hidden truths. The only thing she cared about was the touch of his lips on hers, the sure feel of his hands, warm against her spine. She gave a husky moan and pressed closer against him.
And just like that their desire ignited and they were tearing at one another’s clothes, touching and tasting and exploring.
Gabriel ran his hands down her back and over the curves of her backside, drawing her closer to him, and she felt the insistent ridge of his erection pressing against her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and wriggled against him, opening her mouth to let him explore with his tongue. With a feral growl, he hooked his hands beneath her thighs and lifted her, urging her to wrap her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bed.
The room spun around her as he turned and laid her back on the coverlet, covering her with his body. He was a delicious weight on top of her, his chest crushing her small breasts and his pelvis pressing insistently between her parted thighs. She was instantly wet and ready for him.
He pulled back and gazed down at her, and there was something so possessive in his gaze – like a storybook dragon guarding its hoard – that a shudder of desire passed down the entire length of her body.
He peeled her out of her clothes, making short work of buttons and zippers and discarding the lacy scraps of her underwear. Then he shed his shirt and pants, and they were lying naked together in the center of the big bed, breathing hard.
He ran his hand down over her small breast, briefly dipping his head to lap at her nipple before trailing his fingers over her ribcage. The muscles in her stomach jumped when he circled her navel with ticklish strokes, then she groaned and parted her legs wider when he stroked the slippery folds of her sex.
He caressed her pussy, teasing the bud of her clit before dipping his fingers inside her and withdrawing them, shiny with her juices. He brought his fingers to his mouth and, regarding her with heavy-lidded, lust-filled eyes, sucked his fingers clean, savoring the taste of her. Her core clenched.
His mouth followed the path his hand had taken, lips tracing a lazy trail down her body. The anticipation was all but unbearable as he grazed her hipbone with his teeth and nuzzled lower. Then his mouth was on her cunt and he was French-kissing her in the most intimate way, his tongue probing inside her before he withdrew to flicker it over her clit.
She gasped and arched off the bed, pressing herself more firmly against his mouth, and the gasp turned to a ragged groan as he continued to work her with his mouth. Orgasm welled inside her and her juices spilled over as he drove her to a gasping, shuddering peak. He gripped her butt and ate her out with an enthusiasm that had her writhing and begging him brokenly to stop as fierce bliss juddered through her again and again.
As she lay limp and spent on the rumpled coverlet, her heart pattering a mad drumbeat in her chest, he crawled over her body in a slow prowl that reminded her that he was the ultimate predator. He was fiercely erect, and despite the rolling ripple of climaxes he’d driven her through with his clever mouth, her pussy clenched hard with desire for him.
She reached down eagerly and took his thick cock in her hand, wrapping her fingers around it and drawing him to her so the head was barely kissing her slit. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, even that fleeting contact enough to cause tiny spasms deep inside her. Warmth glowed in her belly and she shifted restlessly, urging him to enter her.
Gabriel flexed his hips, pressing his impressive length inside her with torturous slowness. His control was impressive – even though his broad chest heaved with the effort of holding back, every movement was an intoxicating display of leashed power.
As he pushed fully inside and her pussy greedily clenched him, she twined her arms and legs around him and urged him on with whispered nonsense that was more excited gasps than words.
He began to thrust, his pace steady but powerful, and as he worked in and out of her body she felt the lifting spiral of impending climax.
A frantic shudder passed through him and he hissed in a sharp breath as his control faltered. Pleasure washed through Kelly at the knowledge that she had that power over him – that touching her body and moving inside her pushed him beyond endurance.
The thrills running through her coalesced and built into a throbbing electricity centered between her thighs, where he pumped in and out of her, his cock slippery with their mutual excitement. The sensation intensified and twisted until it shattered and splintered all through her. She moaned his name, clinging to him and shaking with the force of it.
Gabriel’s harsh breaths crescendoed to staccato groans and then shouts of release as he fucked her with a frantic desperation that pushed her over the edge again, into another soul-shattering orgasm.
He collapsed on top of her, shuddering and spent, and she stroked his sweat-slick back with trembling hands as they both fought for breath.
For the past few months, Kelly’s sleep had been plagued by nightmares of her mother turning into a dragon and setting her on fire. In her dreams, her mother stood there and cackled while Kelly staggered and screamed, consumed by flames.
“You are your father’s daughter!” Her mother would caw triumphantly, pointing a skinny, accusatory finger at her.
This night was different. Kelly was having the most delightful dream. She was lying in a bed as soft as clouds, sleeping in Gabriel’s arms, and he was kissing her neck. Shivers of delightful sensation warmed her, and she groaned and reached behind her, pulling Gabriel even closer, pressing her butt against his rock-hard erection.
It all felt so real… Too real, in fact…
Her eyes flew open.
She sat bolt upright.
She was in Gabriel’s bedroom. Stark naked. Gabriel lay sprawled out on the silky sheets next to her, looking good enough to eat. And she should know. She blushed furiously, remembering the night before.
And somebody was pounding on the door to Gabriel’s room.
“Morning, sleepy-head. Shall I go kill Winthrop really quickly to make that noise stop, and then we’ll start the day off right?”
The pounding was Winthrop knocking on the door.
“Don’t kill anybody,” she said, staring around wildly. “Oh my God. You and me…we had sex!”
He propped himself up on an elbow and his lips curled in a sexy, lazy grin. “More than once. I want more.” He stroked her arm with his fingers.
She stifled a whimper of desire. “Stop…stop that… Damn it, Gabriel! This was very unprofessional of me! Nobody can know about it!”
“Nobody can know I had sex with my future wife? Sweetheart, this is a castle inhabited by a dragon clan. The walls have ears, and everybody gossips. Pretty sure everyone knows.”
She let out a groan of frustration and threw a pillow at his head.
Bride Of The Dragon Page 5
