It was odd how certain memories of us retained their sharp edges while others became slivers. I remembered the first hours of our trip vividly even when the rest were awash in flashes…
Saturday
One Week Earlier
I reached for him, not wanting an inch to separate us. “I love you, Gabriel.”
Surprise flipped his smile before deep pleasure shined brightly in his arresting gaze. “I love you too, Emma.”
Unable to completely banish my uneasiness, I asked with uncharacteristic vulnerability, “Nothing will ever tear us apart, will it?”
“Never!” Gabriel swore, ruthless clench in his jaw affirming his sincerity. “Let anyone try and see what happens.”
I tightened my arms around his waist and rested my head against his chest. We stood there for a long time, unwilling and unable to let the other go.
Gabriel finally pulled back. His warm hands cupped my face. “Baby, what brought this on?”
“I don’t know.”
Sympathy brightened his gaze. He stroked my hair, smiling as if I was the sweetest most precious thing in his world. “It’s been a long couple of days, hasn’t it?”
“Too long. Especially when you’re not here with me.”
“I know. I feel exactly the same, Emma.” Gabriel kissed me gently. “I can’t say I won’t ever leave again, but I’ll always come back to you.”
“Swear it?”
“I swear it.”
“Swear it on my pudding.”
“I swear it on your sweet, sweet pudding.”
“Okay.” I smiled and stood on tip-toe to drop a quick kiss on his soft lips. “I feel so much better now.”
“Oh, in that case I better swear it on your chocolate pudding as well.”
I laughed and accused him of being shameless, especially because of his wink. Happily, my earlier stab of fear healed as if it never was.
“Guilty as charged.” Gabriel linked his arms around my waist and brought me tight against his body. “But your pudding is so good. I could eat it all day long.”
Giggling, I didn’t bother to ask him which kind of pudding he was referring to. His wicked grin said it all.
“So where are we going, Gabriel?”
“That’s a little bit of a surprise.”
“Ah, well then. I can’t wait to be surprised. I should probably change though, right?”
Gabriel leaned back and took in my Grecian ensemble. “Your dress is a bit on the short side and I’m a possessive sort, so yes. You’d better change back into your clothes.”
“Help me?” I asked, feeling a bit shy at the request even though Gabriel wanted to take care of me and I wanted to let him do it.
“You couldn’t drag me away.” Gabriel slid his hand around my neck and pulled me in for another thorough kiss. He drained away my discomfort with each slow sweep of his tongue.
I was beyond smitten.
When we pulled away a long minute later, Gabriel led me to the side of his bed. I stood still as he carefully undid my dress button by tiny button. “Arms up, Emma.”
Obedient, I lifted my arms. The diaphanous fabric slid softly across my skin, feeling like an extension of Gabriel’s touch. Goosebumps rose in response. Standing there in just a wisp of underwear, I yearned for his hands. I wanted him to caress me more, to tease me with his fingertips as he was wont to do.
“Stop it.”
I licked my lips. “What?”
“Stop looking at me like that, little bunny. It makes me want to be the wolf and gobble you up in one bite.”
“Maybe I’d like you to do it.”
He growled low in his throat. “Be careful what you wish for, Emma. Because you…just…might…get it.” Gabriel suddenly tackled me. I fell back upon the bed, shrieking with laughter as he attacked my neck with his mouth. “Are you sorry now?”
“No!”
Gabriel nibbled on my shoulder, which made me wiggle and struggle as I chortled, before popping up. “How about now?”
“Not even close! You’ll have to do much more than that to get me to be sorry.”
“Oh, really?” He captured my wrists and pinned them to the bed. Gabriel then pressed what felt like hundreds of kisses all over my face, neck, and shoulders. They tickled, teased, and aroused all at once. I laughed and moaned until I was breathless and could barely move.
“I’ve got you now, girl. Do you surrender?”
“Surrender? I thought you wanted me to apologize?”
“Pfft! That was then. This is now. I want your full surrender, Emma.”
I looked at him from beneath lowered lashes. “I thought I already had surrendered to you.”
Supreme male confidence softened his features. Gabriel came closer and nuzzled my nose with his. “So you did.” Gabriel’s slow smirk thrilled me all the way to my toes. “But I want it all because I’m a greedy bastard like that.”
“Greedy? Not you!”
“Absolutely me.” Gabriel pressed tiny kisses all along my jaw line. “Right now, I just want to make love to you all day long until we can’t move.”
“You won’t get any complaints from me. I think that’s a grand idea.”
“So do I.” He sighed and lifted himself up off me. “But we have a plane to catch, Emma.”
“Screw the plane.” I yanked him back on me. “Let’s stay here this weekend instead.”
Gabriel groaned. “You’re tempting me to be a bad man.”
“Good. I like you bad.”
His hands closed on my hips as he ground into me. “Yes, but I promised you a date and a date is what you’re going to get.” Gabriel rolled off me and stood up. He held out his hand and waited until I took it. “Aww, you look so disappointed, baby.”
I shrugged, unable to keep myself from pouting for a bit.
“Emma, you’re hurting my feelings. I spent all my downtime planning this excursion for you.”
“Sorry, sorry.”
“It will be fun. I promise. Once we’re done with today’s sightseeing, you can then ravage my poor man’s body for as long as you’d like tonight. We’ll leave the sheets in a sorry state, so much so I’ll be ashamed for Housekeeping to see what we were up to.”
Gabriel’s lusty grin did very little to thaw my disappointment. “Maybe I’ll find myself too tired to ravage you.”
He gasped. “Hey, you meanie! Take that back! You will always want to ravage my body.”
My lips twitched against their will at his theatrical outrage. “Is that so?”
“Damned straight it is.”
Fantasies about rolling around in Gabriel’s oversized bed for the rest of the weekend evaporated. I heaved a large sigh, still pouting more than necessary but unable to help myself. All I really wanted to do was make love with Gabriel.
“Fine. We’ll go.”
Gabriel lifted my hand to his mouth. His lips brushed my knuckles. “It’ll be our first weekend trip, Emma. Can’t you be a little happy? Just for me?”
The sight of Gabriel’s woeful expression combined with his softly spoken request melted me. I wanted to wind around his long limbs like a cat so that he’d pick me up and carry me wherever he wanted to go.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I just wanted to do the debauchery thing, but now I want to do the sightseeing thing with you.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“I’m so glad to hear that, Emma. Really.” His brilliant smile warmed me like the sun. My arms reached for him without reserve. Hugging him tightly, I was happy beyond words to just be here with my darling Gabriel.
“Do you know how much I love you, Gabriel?”
“How much?”
“So much that I’m willing to pass on tasting all of you for the next hour and instead deal with the TSA and crowds of shoeless people.”
Several moments passed. I began to think Gabriel didn’t appreciate my humor. I loosened my hold when he stopped me. “Wait a minute.”
I lowere
d my voice to match his tone. “What is it?”
Gabriel closed his eyes tightly. “Ssh! Just hold still.” His hands traveled from my back up to my front. He slowly slid his palms over my breasts, squeezing them gently while I did my best not to attack him for being a tease.
Finally he took a step back and opened his eyes. “Such a great sacrifice we’re both making here, Emma. You for resisting my taste and me for resisting you tasting me. I think we deserve ice cream tonight as a treat for being so good, don’t you?”
I wrinkled my nose at him and laughed. “Vanilla?”
“Of course!”
“Okay. Ice cream it is!”
Gabriel drew a finger across my collarbone. “You make me happy. Did you know that?”
“I think I do.” Pleasure pinked my cheeks. I loved the feeling of his fingertip sliding across my skin.
“I can’t wait to explore the world with you, Emma. I want to see everything through your eyes.”
“Is it obvious that I haven’t seen much?”
“I’m glad. It makes our trip that much more special.” Gabriel cleared his throat and winked. “Well, let’s see if I can get you dressed sans delicious beautiful distractions this time.”
My mouth apologized but my cocky grin did nothing of the sort. When I went to pick up my bra Gabriel promptly smacked my hand.
“I get to do that so hand it over!” He waited until I dropped my bra back onto the bed.
“You could’ve asked nicely, you know.”
“You could’ve stood there as directed,” he argued back with a sniff and an upturn of his perfect nose.
“See me become a mannequin.” I arranged my arms into a typical pose, tilting my head just so.
“I’d rather you be a doll,” Gabriel said with a pointed tap on my backside, immediately breaking me out of character.
“Why Mr. Gordon! I had no idea you liked playing with dolls!”
“No, not dolls. Only one. A special one I can carry around, dress, and sleep with each night. Yes, I’m pervert. I know.” Gabriel slipped my arms through the bra straps before fastening it at my back. “Now your lovely sweater—so soft by the way—and we’ll be done before we know it.”
I docilely allowed Gabriel to maneuver my limbs into place as he put on my sweater and then slacks. I sat at the edge of the bed next to him. Gabriel positioned my legs across his so he could put on my shoes.
Was it strange? Maybe, but I was smitten.
I loved watching the furrow form on his brow as he concentrated on slipping one shoe on after another. I can’t say I’d ever been really pampered to this degree. Early on I learned to be independent because my mother just didn’t have time to coddle me. The more weight I could take off her shoulders, the better.
Still, it was nice to experience the feeling that Gabriel had everything under control and all I had to do was let him do it.
Gabriel looked up and caught me watching him with a half-smile. He returned it and then carried me into the bathroom. Gabriel placed me on the counter and stood between my legs. “How finicky are you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I forgot to pack your hair brush and all I have is mine.”
I could’ve told Gabriel I had one in my purse. Instead, I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t mind if you don’t.” Gabriel left me to reach into one of the nearby drawers and pulled out a paddle brush. I eyed it with teasing suspicion. “You’d only use that on my hair, right?”
“Only if you didn’t deserve it on your pretty tail.” Gabriel smiled widely.
“There’s far too much twinkle in your eye for my comfort, Sir.”
He moaned softly, bliss racing across his handsome face. “I love it when you call me ‘Sir.’”
“I know.” I stuck out my tongue.
“You saucy cat.”
“Now I’m a cat?” I felt like we were amazingly in tune considering how I thought of myself in the same way.
“Oh, yes. My favorite kind actually.” Gabriel’s mouth hovered over mine. “Saucy, naughty, and always up to mischief.”
Just when I thought he was about to kiss me, Gabriel laughed and carefully dragged the brush through my hair. I opened my mouth to complain. “You’re such a tease, did you know that?”
“It’s true. I especially like it when I make this wrinkle right here appear.” He kissed the spot in question before resuming with slow, steady strokes of the brush.
I closed my eyes and surrendered to the delightful pampering. A sweet rush of memories past and present wrapped themselves around me. I could recall Sunday mornings spent on the bathroom counter of the tiny apartment I spent my first years in. Pigtails and ribbons had given way to a hurried brushing a long time ago, but the feelings were still the same.
Different counter, same love.
Regretfully, all good things came to an end. Gabriel put the brush away and left the room with a promise of being back shortly. Happy and content, I kicked my feet while waiting for him, big smile plastered all over my face.
I wondered where he planned on taking me. It couldn’t be too far from here. At least I didn’t think it would be, especially since I had to be at work Monday morning.
When Gabriel came back with my purse in hand, I asked, “When do you plan for us to return?”
“Sunday night.”
“That doesn’t give us a lot of time, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t. That’s why I’m trying to get out of here ASAP.” He held the bag out. “Can you get your lipstick out please?”
I took my purse and remarked, “I’m surprised you didn’t dig in and get it out yourself.”
“Curious I may be, rude I am not. It’s your bag, Emma. Not mine.”
Handing him a tube of lipstick, I grinned. “Meaning you have your own?”
“Of course. It’s a manly purse filled with tobacco, matches, and moisturizer. Now lips together, baby.” Gabriel applied the berry shade with a steady hand. “Perfect! Wanna see?”
I looked over my shoulder to see my reflection in the mirror. Not surprisingly it was perfect. “Are we ready, Gabriel?”
“Yes.” He lifted me off the counter and set me down. “Now here’s the part where we rush out the door. Ready?”
I held his hand. “Let’s go!”
THREE
Apparently I was wrong about the TSA and long lines of shoeless passengers. We didn’t go to our nearest metropolitan airport. Instead, we went to a closer, smaller airfield and were able to pull right up to the jet.
I turned away from the window, eyes wide. “You don’t have to wait in lines?”
“Nope.”
“Really?”
“Really, really.”
I considered his casual answer for a moment. “Gabriel?”
“Yes, Emma?”
“I think this might the coolest thing about you being a billionaire.”
Gabriel laughed and blew me a kiss. “Finally! I knew my money had to be good for something!”
“I know. It’s hard to believe, right?” I leaned close and pecked him on his smooth cheek. “Thank you.”
“For what? Saving you from a horde of grouchy passengers?”
“That too. But no. Thank you for this weekend.”
He smiled. “We haven’t even started it yet.”
“True, but I know it’s going to be awesome. So thank you, Gabriel.”
He linked our fingers together and kissed the back of my hand. “Your manners are so sweet and you haven’t even had a spanking. Yet.”
“I’m going to be as good as good can be and not get a spanking.”
“Who says good girls don’t get spankings?” Gabriel left me on that maddening note and exited the limo.
I was still sitting there with an open mouth when he popped his head back in. “Emma speechless? I should’ve recorded it on film!” He held his hand out and waved it impatiently when I didn’t immediately take in.
“You are…unbelievable…and…”
&n
bsp; “Irresistible too. Don’t forget. Although too bad you apparently did.” Gabriel waved his hand again, more violently this time.
Scooting over, I placed my fingers on his large palm. He enclosed them gently and then pulled me out. Ignoring the hustle and bustle going on around us, I said, “So you’re going to sp—”
My lover put two fingers over my lips and shook his head once. I got the message loud and clear. No matter how debauched our personal lives would become, it was not up for public consumption.
I nodded my head and whispered, “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he whispered in return. Gabriel grinned, looking very boyish and innocent indeed. Grabbing my hand, he spun around and waved his free hand in the direction of the private jet.
“Faster than driving and safer too. We’ll get where we’re going in no time.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a bit of a surprise. Not too big, mind you, so keep your expectations low.”
“Of course.”
“Emma!” Gabriel pressed his forehead against mine long enough to complain “You’re not supposed to say that! You’re supposed to deny it with your last breath.”
“Oh, right!” I plastered a wide-eyed stare and cheek-splitting grin. “It’s going to be the best trip ever! Better than Paris!”
“Whoa, whoa! Bring it down. Just a little bit.”
“More fascinating that Rome!”
“Okay, a bit more. Keep the bar high enough to be in the Lower 48.”
“Vegas!”
Gabriel kissed me into silence, despite my lipstick. “Maybe we shouldn’t play this game.”
I laughed and hugged him with spontaneous glee. “But it’s so fun, Mr. Gordon.”
“Only when it’s at my expense, Ms. Adams?”
“Not only.”
“There goes my bunny with those very sharp teeth again. She only nipped me this time though.”
Reaching out and wiping his lips with my thumb, I let him know I got all the lipstick off.
“Did you have to do that? It’s my best shade.”
“Silly man.”
“Only with you, baby.” Gabriel then slung his arm around my waist and turned to face his waiting driver. “Enjoy the rest of your weekend and see you Sunday night, Waylon.”
Dangerous for You Page 2
