by Cali MacKay
“I’m the one you’ll need protecting from if you don’t remove your hand from my ass.” She gave him a fierce glare that would have most guys backing off in a hurry, and yet it only resulted in him giving her a sultry smile that had her going wet.
“You so want me, babe. And anything you say to the contrary is nothing but a lie.” Still smiling, he lowered his head to hers and nuzzled her. “We can keep work and sex separate, if that’ll set your mind at ease, and I swear, I won’t tell a soul. You have nothing to worry about, babe.”
“You’re not the one with everything to lose, and I swear, if you don’t let go of me, I’m going to hurt you.” He didn’t get it. And why should he? It wasn’t like he had to worry about being fired and ending up destitute.
“Hadley…” He let out a sigh and loosened his hold on her, letting her finally slip free. “I’m not trying to be an asshole, but…I had a good time last night. We both did. So to have you kick me out the door, barely dressed and without so much as a kiss goodbye, well…fuck. Let’s just say I didn’t care for it much. And then to have you turn up at the meeting…figured it had to be fate.”
“So, let me get this straight. You’re being an ass because I kicked you out this morning?” She shook her head with a laugh, though she was far from amused. The man must be insane—and far too used to getting his way. “Are you kidding me? And I certainly can’t be the only one to kick you out, that’s for sure.”
“Damn right you are. No offense, babe, but most women think I’m a catch.” He let out a sigh of frustration, and though Hadley didn’t want to admit it, she knew Gabe and his brothers must be some of the most eligible bachelors on the East Coast. “I’m not normally a jerk, Hadley—you just manage to bring it out in me.”
“So, it’s my fault that you’re a pushy, cocky, arrogant ass.” The man was unbelievable. “That’s just precious.”
“No, it’s your fault that you’re making me crazy.” He shook his head. “Aw, fuck it.”
Chapter Six
Grabbing Hadley’s face in both his hands, Gabe hauled her to him and covered her mouth in a bruising kiss as his tongue thrust past her lips to clash and take, to make her submit to whatever this thing between them was. He couldn’t quite figure out what the hell it was about Hadley, or why she made him so crazy, but there was no denying how badly he wanted her. And he would have her again, damn it.
She pushed him away and slapped him, her eyes flashing and her chest heaving. And fuck, that only turned him on all the more, the sting on his cheek only spurring him on. He reached for her again, and this time when he kissed her, she kissed him back, devouring his passion with her own as she knotted her hands in his shirt and shifted her hips against his hard cock.
“I fucking need you, Hadley, and I can’t take no for an answer—not when I know you want me just as bad as I want you.” Unable to pull away, his words were spoken against her lips, between kisses. With both hands, he grabbed her ass and lifted her off her feet, pressing her against the glass wall, as he thrust against her and bit her neck. “Tell me you want me—that you want me to fuck you, make you come, that you want me to fucking ravage you.”
“I hate you for this—but fuck, yes. I want you so bad.” Holding onto him with an arm around his neck, and with the wall at her back for support, she reached between them and stroked his hard length, making him think of nothing but burying his cock deep inside her. Fuck, he needed her like he’d never needed anything or anyone before.
Somehow he managed to get his cock free, but she was still wearing too many clothes to take her against the wall. Spinning her around, he bent her over the arm of the sofa as he hiked her skirt up and tore her lace panties from her body, before kicking her legs apart so he’d have full access. Fuck…condom. He dug one out of his pocket and quickly slipped it on before grabbing her hips and sinking into her, burying himself as deep as he could go as she cried out and tightened around him.
“Gabe…” Her head fell forward as he took her roughly from behind, his fingers grasping the flare of her hips, digging into her soft flesh. He couldn’t think about taking things slow, leaving her grasping at the sofa to steady herself as he pounded into her, one hard stroke after another.
“Babe, you’re just so good…” She was so fucking tight, so slick, and the view of her perfectly plump ass was enough to have him nearly on the verge of coming.
He lowered himself to her, his chest pressed against her back, holding her to him with one firm arm across her chest, his hand on her slender throat, applying just enough pressure to have her pulse racing against his palm. His other hand found her swollen clit, and her breathing grew ragged as needy little moans escaped her lips.
“Gabe…I’m going to come…” Her body was tensing around him, urging him to join her. When he bit her neck and sent a shiver down her spine, he felt her come undone. She cried out as she came, her body quivering in his arms as he joined her with a needy groan, his cock pumping deep inside her until he was completely spent.
With his breathing heavy, he trailed kisses down her neck as he pulled free of her tight body, slowly loosening his grip on her. “Sweetheart, you’re fucking amazing.”
Gently, he turned her around in his arms—and immediately felt like a shit. Her eyes were glistening with tears that spilled over, running down her cheeks as she pulled out of his arms, and shimmied her skirt back into place over her bare ass. “I’ve got to go.”
“Fuck…don’t cry, babe.” There was nothing he hated more than seeing a woman get upset. And it was even worse when he was the cause of it. He reached out and grabbed her hand, but she pulled it free, glaring at him. “Tell me what’s wrong, darling.”
“What the hell do you think is wrong? I’m supposed to be keeping my distance, and yet you make it so I can’t push you away or deny you. Fuck…it’s not that I don’t want you, Gabe, but I can’t. Don’t you get that?” She swiped at her tears and grabbed her torn panties off the floor, as he got himself dressed, his thoughts plaguing him. “At least this solidifies my decision. This assignment has been a mistake from the very start. I’m done here. They’ll just have to get another investigator in to help. I was never supposed to be on this job anyway. It was just a goddamned fluke.”
“Hadley—I’m sorry if you feel I’ve screwed this up for you, but there’s no way you’re leaving. You can’t go. No fucking way.” He cupped her neck and pulled her to him with a free hand, his hold on her firm, refusing to let her pull a runner. “I need you to get to the bottom of this, and you’re not going anywhere until we find out who’s threatening my family. My brother could have easily been killed in that accident—hell, I could have been killed too.”
“Let go of me, Gabe. I’m not kidding.” She glared at him with such intensity, he decided to let her have this one, loosening his hold enough that she could pull free. At least her anger had pushed away her tears.
But when she grabbed her laptop and papers and stuffed them in her laptop bag, he had to stop her, somehow managing not to grab her again in the process. “We’re not done yet, Hadley. Far from it.”
“You may not be, but I am. And don’t bother driving me back to town—I’ll call myself a cab.” She spun and headed for the door as he cursed under his breath and followed after her.
“If I have to speak to your boss, I will, Hadley.” It was a low blow, but he couldn’t let her push him away or walk off the case. They needed to find out who was after them before someone ended up dead—and, almost as importantly, he was nowhere near being done with her.
Normally he’d spend a night with a woman and it’d be more than enough for him to get his fill until the next pretty face came by. But with Hadley? Fuck, he didn’t know what he needed to do to try to get her out of his system. Because right about now, fucking her again had only stoked his need for her, rather than extinguish it.
“Are you kidding me? You’re threatening me, now? Threatening my goddamned job?” She shook her head as a fresh wave of tears spi
lled over. “You’re a real bastard, Gabe.”
“Sweetheart, I don’t kiss and tell. But if you think I won’t speak to your supervisor and insist you stay on the case, then you can guess again.” He brushed her tears away with a gentle touch, surprised when she didn’t slap him again. “I like you, Hadley. A lot. And even if you don’t like me, you do want me. You’ve admitted as much.”
She stepped away from him with a glare. “If you want me to stay on this case, then you do not touch me—in any way. Are we clear? We keep this purely professional.”
“Babe, I’ll try my best if it’ll make you happy, but chances are I’m going to want to fuck you again—and you’re going to want me to. You can’t deny that there’s something between us.” He cupped her cheek with a gentle touch, her skin soft and warm, as his heart raced simply from having her so near. “I’m happy to keep this a secret, but I’m not one for making promises I can’t keep, and the chance that I won’t be fucking you again is slim to none.”
Her eyes narrowed at him, though she’d yet to pull away from his touch. “You do realize I get a say in that, right? And if you think I’m going to agree to that, then you can guess again.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “That’s what you said the last time, sweetheart, and yet you were screaming my name with my cock buried in your sweet pussy just minutes ago.”
***
Gabe dropped into the seat across from Quinn’s desk, already wrangling his tie loose. After dropping Hadley off at the station, he’d gone around to check in on the projects they currently had running, before heading back to the office. “I think we’re off to a good start with that investigator. Managed to get through most of our accounts before I had to drop her off.”
Quinn glared at him, his pen tapping a quick staccato. “You fucked her—again. Didn’t you?”
“She’s the investigator on our case. Why would I do that?” He knew it wasn’t an answer, and though he did his best to keep his face as neutral as possible, he knew Quinn could still read him.
“Damn it, Gabe. You know better than that.” Quinn might be chastising him, but they both knew that Quinn had mixed business and pleasure when he’d gotten involved with Emma.
“What I know is that she’s a professional and will do everything she can to find out who’s fucking with us.” And soon. He didn’t need this thing escalating, because they’d already had too close a call—and a big one at that. Morgan had only gotten out of the hospital a few weeks ago, and having been there for the attack and experienced it firsthand, Gabe knew how dire things already were. “She’s looking further into Capaldi. He may not have bothered to get his hands dirty directly, but we’ve butted heads with him too often to let him off the hook just because he can vouch for his whereabouts.”
“Agreed. Which is why I don’t want you fucking with—or outright fucking—Ms. Moore.” Quinn took a final look at Gabe, and with a frustrated shake of his head, he sat back in his chair. “Well then, at the very least, try not to piss the woman off.”
“I’ll do my best.” Gabe got to his feet and grabbed his briefcase. “Don’t forget dinner at Morgan’s.”
“How could I? Emma insisted on cooking for it and has been planning the menu for the last week. It promises to be a good one.”
“I have no doubt.”
Gabe headed back to his penthouse, hoping to run into Hadley at the hotel even if he knew he was asking for trouble. By the time he’d dropped her off at the police station after their meeting on his boat, she’d made it abundantly clear that he was to keep his distance. If he got physical with her again, she’d have his balls. And yet…he couldn’t help himself, especially when it was clear she’d enjoyed herself and it was just her head that kept getting in the way of what her body truly wanted and needed.
Of course, he understood her predicament. Hadley had worked hard to build her reputation and she worked for a company that was not only at the top of its game, but had a stellar reputation. Clearly, any sort of sexual contact with a client or someone involved in the case she was on could land her in hot water.
Yet he couldn’t help himself. And what the fuck was up with that? He’d been with plenty of enticing women, and they’d never had this sort of effect on him. Maybe he simply wanted what he couldn’t have, because he sure as hell wanted Hadley.
And if they didn’t get caught…no harm, no foul.
All he had to do was convince her that she did indeed want him to fuck her again, despite her job. And he had no doubt, after she’d been unable to resist him earlier, that he could easily talk her into it.
He rubbed his hand over the cheek she’d slapped, and damn, but that feistiness had him going hard again. Hadley might have her mind made up, but he was determined to change it—and he always got his way—and his girl.
Chapter Seven
Once Hadley got back to her hotel room, curiosity got the better of her. Settling down with a cup of coffee and her laptop, she Googled the Ryker men.
Damn… The number of photos of them in the tabloids and on the daily buzz sites was dizzying. Gabe with a variety of women—never the same one twice—looking like he was having far too much fun with women who were clearly all too willing. Pictures of his brothers and their dates, too, though the most recent pictures of Quinn all had Emma—and no one but Emma—by his side. Some were taken at events, but there were also candid shots, more private and intimate photos, clearly taken when the couples didn’t realize they were being photographed.
And all the women were gorgeous.
Hadley knew she wasn’t an ugly duckling, but she’d never felt beautiful. Even though she had some curves, her build was too athletic to look sexy, and her mouth was just a little too wide and far too expressive. Her honey brown hair had a tendency to misbehave, and her blue eyes had a distinct cat-like shape to them, making her feel like they always called too much attention to her face.
She clicked on a few more sites, but was soon overwhelmed by just how much information was out there on the brothers. And that had her thinking…
Maybe the attacks didn’t originate locally. Maybe they had nothing to do with their business ventures at all. It was a thought she’d have to let percolate further, but maybe she was onto something, now that she’d seen just how popular a subject the brothers were. They could have easily picked up a stalker or two.
Wanting to shift her focus back to the Ryker case, she spread out her papers and got ready to order room service so she could spend the night working. Having been assigned the case at the last minute, she still felt poorly acquainted with all the particulars.
A pounding at the door had her setting aside her laptop, wondering who the hell was knocking on her hotel room door when she’d yet to order. After a quick peek through the peep-hole, she pulled open her door and cursed. “What the hell are you doing here, Gabe? Tell me you’re not stalking me now.”
He leaned against the jamb, looking confident and sexy, like her anger and annoyance was of little consequence. “Sweetheart…I don’t have to stalk a woman to get her into my bed. But if you must know, I actually live in the penthouse suite. The hotel—”
“Ryker Investments owns the hotel. Doesn’t it?” She had to groan. Could her luck get any shittier?
So it hadn’t exactly been a complete coincidence that he’d been at the bar last night, since he actually lived in the hotel. And in all likelihood, since the office manager for Ryker Investments had booked the hotel for McFee Consulting, it only made sense that they’d have her stay in one of their hotels.
“Yeah—we own this hotel and another half a dozen just like it.” He ran a rough hand through his hair and gave her a crooked, sexy smile. “Honestly, I’m not here to harass you. I just wanted you to join me for dinner at my brother’s house. Morgan’s finally feeling better after the accident, and the whole family will be there. Great opportunity to interview everyone, and since Emma’s taken charge of the cooking, the food will be amazing.”
Hadley wa
nted to stay angry with him, knowing she needed to hold onto her anger if she had any hope of not giving in to his charms—if one could call them that. And yet his mere proximity was weakening her resolve—his bright blue eyes, his sexy smile, his hard body… “I can’t. I’ve got work to do.”
“This would still count as work, sweetheart.” He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, making her want to curse the fact that his touch felt electric. “It’ll be a hell of a lot easier to speak with everyone while they’re all in one spot, instead of trying to track them down individually. Just think of it as being efficient—and the time you save is time that could be spent tracking down your leads.”
She hated the fact that he was right. And yet she knew that she couldn’t trust herself around him. The boat incident was proof enough of that. She was still mortified that she’d given in to her physical needs, instead of using common sense and staying clear of him.
The mere thought of it had her going wet again, and she swore it was as if she could still feel his hand gripping her neck as he took her roughly from behind, her body still deliciously sore from being stretched around his thick cock. And that was exactly why she couldn’t trust herself around him. Despite every intention to keep things professional, she’d still given in. “I think it’s best if I stay here.”
“Nonsense. I’ll be back in an hour to pick you up. Casual dress.”
And just like that, he was gone, with no more than a sexy smile over his shoulder.
She showered, and then spent the next forty-five minutes flip-flopping between refusing to go with Gabe one minute, and then contemplating going the next. It certainly would help to get the entire Ryker family in one room, not only out of convenience, but to see how they interacted. Though it was likely someone outside the family who was causing them problems, she still had to rule out the family itself.
And yet…she was fooling no one. She knew full well that the mere thought of spending time with Gabe was enough to have her pulse racing, and her clit aching with need.
