by Lacey Silks
“Right now, I would do anything for you.”
“You don’t know what you’re offering, Gabe.”
“I mean it, Samantha.”
Gabe searched my eyes, but I wasn’t sure myself what it was that I wanted from him. I’d sworn not to date. I didn’t want a relationship. Yet, I felt as if we’d been together for years.
“What are you thinking?” he whispered.
“How safe I feel in your arms.” Although it wasn’t exactly true, I didn’t lie. Gabe’s embrace was the safest place I could imagine.
He tightened his arms around me.
I leaned against his chest again, and closed my eyes, smelling the remnants of his musk mixed with a little sweat.
He kissed the top of my head.
By the time we arrived at the airport, the sun was inches above the horizon. The limo pulled up next to an Air Force One sized private plane, suitable for the President himself.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I asked, mesmerized by the team of men dressed in black packing color-coordinated suitcases into the plane’s baggage hold.
He leaned in toward me. “New Zealand.”
The furthest I’d been away from Manhattan was Calgary, on a skiing vacation.
“Really?”
“I love the way your eyes sparkle when you’re excited.”
“Ditto.” I held my breath, feeling lucky to have met Gabe, even if the circumstances were dire.
Once we boarded, the entourage of help vanished.
Gabe carried Kendra into one of the bedrooms near the mid-section of the plane.
I couldn’t get enough of the tasteful interior design, soothing lights and computer equipment. Most of it reminded me of a fancy modern hotel or an executive office. If it hadn’t been for the round windows, which tinted at the touch of a finger, I wouldn’t have realized we were on an airplane.
“Who did you have to kill to afford this?” I asked, scanning the cream colored leather chairs and couches. My hand flew to my cracked lips as I searched for a bottle of water.
Gabe locked the room he’d left Kendra in. “A few bad guys.” He laughed.
Something told me he wasn’t joking as he led me to the front of the plane.
Gabe removed his shoes and socks and placed them beside one of the chairs. Vulnerability consumed him when he was without his shoes. He wiggled his toes, and I wondered what it’d be like to touch them with my feet. Gabe’s feet were worth staring at. If what they said about men with large feet was true, this was the proof. He sat near a window and patted the seat beside him.
I sat down just as he stretched his legs.
“Wouldn’t a smaller jet be sufficient?” I asked.
“It’s being used for domestic flights.”
“I was kidding, Gabe. How many planes do you own?”
“A few.”
“And you’re not flying?” I teased.
“Not tonight.”
“Would you like anything to drink, Mr. Silver?” A stewardess, dressed in a pencil skirt and a low-cut blouse interrupted.
“Water, Catherine. And a soda for Sam.”
I liked the way he called me Sam from time to time. It allowed me to breathe and relax. And Gabe seemed to recognize all my needs, including thirst. How did he do that?
“And, Catherine, please let me know when the toxicology report arrives.”
“Yes sir, of course.”
Gabe pulled a laptop out of his briefcase. “I hope you don’t mind staying with me while I work but, if you like, you can go to the bedroom in the back of the plane.”
“No, I’d like to stay with you. What toxicology report?”
“I took a blood sample from Kendra. We need to know what we’re dealing with.”
I narrowed my brow and took a sip of my water.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Kendra’s eyes. They were—”
“Red?”
“Yes.”
“If Martinez is involved, Kendra’s into something more than ecstasy. Don’t worry, Sam. He doesn’t know where we’re going, so we’re safe.” Gabe kissed my cheek. “Relax. Get some rest before we stop over in California. You’ll need a lot of energy later.” Gabe pressed a button and my seat sank backward in tandem with his.
As my head lowered, a rush of sleepiness flowed through my veins. My eyelids grew heavy.
Gabe covered me with a blanket. I don’t even remember closing my eyes.
CHAPTER 10
An ear pinching scream woke me. My eyes stung, and my head felt heavy. My watch said it was three in the morning. I must have missed a smooth landing and take-off while we refuelled. The window shades were down, and the cabin lights were dimmed.
A pillow rested at my side, but Gabe was gone.
A heated argument developed in the cabin where Kendra was supposed to be sleeping.
I tiptoed toward the sound.
Light shined through the thin slit of the open doorway. Kendra paced back and forth, still wearing her nightgown, her arms folded across her chest. “I can sue you for this!” she yelled.
“K, I didn’t have a choice. Tristan agreed.”
“Tristan doesn’t run my life!”
“He’s just looking out for you. He cares about you. When I invested in Kissed, I promised to look out for you.”
“You’re such a hypocrite. Did anyone bother you, after Jo died?”
“Don’t go there.” Gabe lowered his voice.
I wondered who Jo was.
“Did you let anyone help you then?” Kendra asked.
I didn’t feel right eavesdropping on the conversation, but its tone kept me frozen in my spot.
“K, I’m warning you. Leave Jo out of this.”
But Kendra wasn’t one to let an argument go. “Wasn’t your butting in once enough to teach you to mind your own business?”
Gabe grabbed Kendra’s wrist. “If you weren’t high, I’d flip you over my knee and—”
“And what, Gabe? Spank me?” Kendra laughed. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“You’re unbelievable!” Gabe threw his hands up in the air. “I can’t wait until Carla gets her hands on you.”
“You’re going to make me see her?” Kendra’s eyes bulged.
“That’s right, K.”
It sounded like Gabe had won the argument. Whoever Carla was, Kendra didn’t like it.
“Isn’t abducting me enough?”
“It’s for your own good, K.”
“Ever since Jo, you’ve changed. You used to be fun, Gabe. Now you’re all FBI trying to protect everyone around you.”
The deafening silence seemed louder than the plane’s engines, and I decided it was a good time to walk into the room.
“Are you part of this?” Kendra pointed at me.
Gabe strolled toward me. He was barefoot again. How could someone’s feet be so damned sexy and distracting? Was there any part of his body that wasn’t? I doubted it.
“Kendra, a man threatened our lives this afternoon. You’re high on drugs and owe money to a mobster who came to your club with a gun!” I said.
“You’ve been spying on me?” Her chin trembled. Was she acting?
“You didn’t leave me much choice, K,” Gabe added.
“And you tried to trick me.” She widened her eyes at me.
“We thought it was the only way to get you out of the club.”
“By using sex?” She tried to look hurt, but her eyes twinkled with amusement.
“Look, there’s no point arguing in the middle of the night.” I shut my eyes for a moment. The past twelve hours of pumping adrenaline had started to take its toll.
“Where exactly are we going, Gabe?” Kendra asked.
“Kawau Island. It’s east of New Zealand.”
The corners of Kendra’s lips curved up. She jumped into Gabe’s arms and smacked her mouth on top of his. Her legs flew high onto his waist, and Gabe automatically held her behind to
support her weight.
My mouth dropped open.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Kendra kissed him in between her thanks. She jumped off and skipped toward a door at the back of the room. “I need to freshen up.” She blew an invisible kiss before disappearing.
“Talk about a mood swing.” I crossed my arms over my chest. Seeing Kendra in Gabe’s arms kissing him rubbed me the wrong way.
Gabe stepped toward me and pushed my chin up.
He took me into his arms. “I’m sorry you have to see her this way. The attitude won’t go away. Clara, our housekeeper will help her with the withdrawal. She used to work at a rehab in Australia. It won’t be the first time she’s helped Kendra.”
“Do you know what she used?”
“Not yet. Tristan’s working on it. Kendra’s been selling the stuff at the club, thinking it was ecstasy. But at this point it wouldn’t surprise me if she knew it wasn’t.”
“Will she be all right?”
“I hope so. Kendra needs to let us help her. It’s not something she’s used to.”
I cuddled into his arms feeling cold shivers run through my body. Even if she didn’t want to accept our help, I couldn’t let Kendra down. She would have done the same for me.
Gabe must have showered. The smell of his fresh aftershave drifted around me.
I, on the other hand, still wore the sweat from my run. I wished I could have been the one to shave him. Would he trust me with a razor? The pleasant thought faded when another wave of exhaustion forced me to close my eyes. My body felt as limp and tired as a corpse.
“Are you okay? You’re trembling.” Gabe held me by my shoulders.
“Still tired. Is Kendra always this affectionate?” I didn’t want to sound like a jealous girlfriend, but I couldn’t help it.
Gabe laughed. “You have nothing to worry about, Sam. You’re the only one I’m interested in. I hope that wasn’t awkward.”
“You mean more than me offering Kendra a threesome?”
“You know that’s not the reason we’re going away, don’t you?” He smoothed my lower lip with his finger.
“Yes. Too bad.” I smirked.
“You’re the biggest tease I’ve ever met.” His hands slid down my back.
Gabe’s feet stepped between mine. The touch of his skin on my naked feet had me tingling inside. Gosh, I wanted him again so much. I looked up into his eyes. “You know, I don’t think last night was enough,” I said.
“No?” His lopsided grin matched the spark in his eyes. “I thought the orgasm would stick with you for longer than twenty-four hours. At least that’s what your screams implied.”
“I haven’t forgotten. I just want it again.”
The hum of flowing water sounded from the bathroom. I stepped from one leg to another, pulling my knees together.
“Use Kendra’s bathroom.” He pointed to the room Kendra had disappeared into. “The other ones are being renovated. I need to grab something from the front, and I’ll meet you in the bedroom?”
“It’s a d—” My hand flew to my mouth.
“Let’s call it an appointment.” He kissed me and left.
I liked his kind of appointments. Feeling the pressure build in my bladder, I hurried to the bathroom.
Kendra’s naked silhouette was outlined in the shower’s frosted glass.
“Kendra, I need to pee.” I crossed my legs.
“Go ahead, Sam. Just don’t flush.”
As I sat down on the seat trying to concentrate on my own business, I saw the swell of Kendra’s perfect breasts turning away from me.
Relaxing, I found relief. I watched my friend run her hands along her curves, and wished the shower door were clear so I could see her spread the soap over her caramel skin.
Finished, I should have left, but the tingling I’d felt in my tummy didn’t let me. Besides, if I was about to get it on with Gabe, I couldn’t let him smell the sweat that covered my body from my jog. Yes, a shower was exactly what I needed.
Kendra bent forward, her ass pressed against the shower door. The memory of its round warmth under my fingers returned. “Are you going to shower?” she asked.
“I will, after you,” I said.
“Actually, I could use your help washing my back.”
Without hesitating, I lowered the straps of my dress and unfastened the buttons. With each breath I took, lust flowed through my body like a drug. Memories of our night together consumed me. I imagined Kendra’s wet body gliding against mine in the shower, her hands exploring every nook and fold of my skin. Was this just my hormones talking? Had I really been that deprived for all these years?
“One minute,” I said.
My dress slid down to the floor, and I stared at the faint reflection of my powdery white body and nude colored panties. Part of me wanted to jump into the shower because I knew exactly what would happen as soon as Kendra touched me, but something deep inside held me back. At first, I thought it was guilt. But I hadn’t done anything yet. Then, I realized the only hands I truly wanted on me were Gabe’s.
“Are you coming?” Kendra asked.
“I...I can’t.” I drew my hand away from the shower.
Kendra peeked over the top and my hands flew to my chest, covering my breasts.
The rims of her eyes were no longer red and she appeared more sober than I’d seen her in the last two weeks. “What’s the matter? It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked.”
“It’s different now. You know what will happen if I come in there.”
“Yes.” She bit her lower lip, and then grinned. “And I’m really looking forward to it.”
“You’re still high and it feels like I’m cheating.” I picked a fresh towel out of a basket and wrapped it around my body.
“You two are that serious?” Kendra asked.
“I’m not sure what we are.”
“I thought you were just playing around.”
“So did I, but—”
“You look like you’ve caught the bug.”
“What bug?”
“The love bug.” Kendra rolled her eyes and resumed her shower.
“Kendra, please don’t say anything. I really don’t think I could stomach a serious relationship. It’s too soon.”
“I won’t, but Sam, I don’t think Gabe’s ready either. He’s not interested in anyone, at least not that way. As open as he’d probably be to a threesome, he can’t love you. He won’t love anyone for a long time.”
“How do you know?” I lowered my head and sat on the closed toilet seat.
“Because of his wife.”
CHAPTER 11
I gripped my towel around me and fled the bathroom. Was Gabe married? Had he led me on all this time? I shook my head, rushing toward the back of the plane to Gabe’s bedroom. The queen-sized bed swallowed me in its sheets as I made an attempt to hide.
Within two weeks of meeting Gabe, I was on his plane, flying to New Zealand, half-naked and sweaty. We had a fling, and he was married! In the back of my mind, an alarm sounded as the logical part of my brain began to work. Gabe had never worn a wedding ring or mentioned a wife. The dedication to his work and protecting people almost crossed the line of obsessive compulsive, but not quite. Was he just protecting me? Was I just a part of his job? My heart thumped in protest.
The door hinges squeaked. “Are you here?” Gabe whispered.
I tightened my grip on the sheets and shut my eyes. All the keenness to have him inside me was gone.
The bed moved slightly as Gabe crawled under the sheets.
I squeezed my eyes closed as hard as I could and held my breath. My pulse kept running wild.
Gabe curled around me from behind, spooning me. His soothing body against mine eased the tension in my muscles. The smell of his musk flowed into my lungs. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, Gabe was the best remedy for any ailment, any time; even a possible broken heart.
“I know you’re awake.”
I felt his
breath on my ear. Gabe traced his finger along the top of my palm in smooth circles, sending pleasurable trickles down my body. I let go of the sheets and Gabe weaved his fingers with mine.
“I’m not married, Samantha. As much as I want you now, you should sleep. I won’t leave your side. I promise.” He pulled my body closer to his.
I didn`t doubt him.
The long breath I’d held escaped as I relaxed the tight squeeze of my eyelids. Casey would have me down on my knees by now, apologizing to his dick with my mouth for making a simple mistake. How had I been lucky enough to find someone like Gabe who not only knew my thoughts, but wouldn’t scowl at me every time my mind wandered off? He erased all my anxiety with a single touch. How did he know what I was thinking? He’s not married. I smiled and finally dozed off.
* * *
When I woke, Gabe was pressed against me. His ample erection poked my behind.
Desire sparked inside me, and I wanted to hold Gabe’s shaft in my hand. It had been too long since I’d stroked a man. I should have taken my chance last night, but the onslaught of Gabe’s orgasms left my body exhausted. An itch on my neck drew my attention away from him. I gently lifted my arm to scratch. If we were going to do anything together, I needed a shower.
“You’re awake.” Gabe kissed the back of my head, then my shoulder.
“Hi.” I relished the comfort of his body.
“You were talking in your sleep.”
“I was?” I had never talked in my sleep before.
“Something about showers.”
“I feel like I haven’t bathed in days.” I moved my ass against him ever so slightly.
A gentle flex behind me signaled Gabe’s desire. Where did he find the strength to restrain himself? I wanted to tilt my behind and let him in, showered or not, but Gabe uncoiled his body from mine and escaped the covers.
“The bathroom is free. We’re landing in forty minutes, so better make it quick,” he said.
He pulled a shirt over his head. Its bottom barely covered his briefs and its scrumptious bulge. He caught my stare. “Enjoying the view?”
“I’d enjoy it much better if you were here.” I patted the bed.
Gabe hopped up and crouched on the sheets over me.
For a moment, I thought he’d melt me with his gaze; the flames in his silver eyes sparked.
