by Cali MacKay
What the hell was wrong with her? Why the hell couldn’t she just focus on work—work! Not on Gabe. Not on Gabe fucking her, taking her from behind as he held her to him in his strong arms, his hand at her throat as her pulse raced against his palm. Crap…she was in so much trouble.
Knowing without a doubt that she’d eventually regret it, she steeled her resolve to keep Gabe at arm’s length, and quickly got dressed, opting for an aqua knit tunic, a pair of dark skinny jeans, and soft leather knee-high boots. She barely got the chance to swipe a bit of gloss across her lips when a knock sounded at the door.
She let Gabe in, doing her best to ignore just how gorgeous he looked in worn jeans and another sweater—deep red, this time—as it clung perfectly to his muscular form. “I just need to grab my laptop and notes. Are you sure your family won’t mind me bugging them while they’re trying to have a family dinner?”
“I called to let them know.” He stepped to her side and ran a finger down her arm as his gaze wandered over her entire body, his lips kicking up into a lazy smile that made his bright blue eyes sparkle. “Babe…you look damn good.”
She slapped his hand away with a glare, her heart already racing from something as simple as his touch. She was in a world of trouble if he could have that sort of effect on her with so little effort. “That sort of shit needs to end now, Gabe. For fuck’s sake. What’s wrong with you? Or do you sexually harass everyone you come across during the course of your day?”
“I haven’t fucked everyone I come across. And for the record, I don’t ever mix business with pleasure.” He bit his bottom lip and pulled her close with a strong arm around her waist. “For you, however, I’m happy to make an exception.”
“Lucky me.” Damn, he smelled good, and the feel of his hard muscles under her hands and the beat of his heart left her desperately wanting him, even as she tried to push free of his grip. “Let go of me, Gabe.”
Her jaw clenched when he brushed her cheek, trying not to let him have any sway over her body—and failing miserably. Matters only got worse when he tilted her chin up so she was forced to face him. Her breath caught as he nuzzled her so that it was all she could do not to kiss him. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t help but want him.
His smile kicked up in victory, and she knew she’d been caught. “I’m not convinced that you really want me to let you go, babe.”
Mustering up what courage she could, she tried to keep her voice steady as she spoke. “Then you can go to your brother’s house without me. I don’t need this shit in my life, Gabe. It’s hard enough without you constantly toying with me when I’m trying to do my job.”
With his brow furrowed and his smile now gone, Gabe pulled back enough to be able to look at her, though he’d yet to let her go. “What’s going on in your life to make things so difficult?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” This time when she struggled to get free of him, he slowly let her go, though his brow was still furrowed as she turned away from him.
“If there’s something I can do to help, babe…” The genuine concern in his voice threw her.
It had been a long time since anyone had cared. Sure, her mother worried, and her sister occasionally checked in, but they both had their own problems. To have a guy actually give a shit about what was bothering her? She couldn’t remember the last time it’d happened. And it only served to remind her how sweet he’d been to her the first night they’d met.
Still…she couldn’t let him get to her. Not when she had to keep her distance. “Can we please just go? Or go without me. Either way.”
With his eyes still dark from worry, he brushed her cheek. “We’re not through discussing this, though I’ll let it go for now.”
With a hand at the small of her back, Gabe escorted her out of her room, and before long, she was nestled in the comfy leather seat of his SUV, heading away from the center of Portmore. The sun was just setting as they drove past thick forest dotted with fields and small plots of farmland.
“Morgan tends to like a bit more privacy. He also works for Ryker Investments, figuring out which projects are worth pursuing and will give us a good return.” Gabe pulled down another road, narrower and more secluded than the ones they’d been on, so the trees practically formed a canopy overhead. “Mom lives in Rockport now, so she’s still relatively close, and my sister, Maddie—Madeline—lives in London and heads up our office there. Usually grabs a suite at the hotel when she’s around, so don’t be surprised if you run into her at some point. She flew back home when we had the accident.”
“So the company is a real family affair, other than your mother.” She already knew that their father had died—or rather, was presumed dead—while all the Ryker siblings had still been relatively young. He’d been a lobsterman, and his ship had gone down in a storm, the wreckage never found. From there, the family had moved to South Boston, as their mother struggled to make ends meet with four young children. They’d certainly come a long way.
“Yeah. And make no mistake, it’s all thanks to Quinn—and his mentor, Pierce Langston, who helped him get his start. I owe Quinn everything. We all do.” With a glance, he gave her a smile that reminded her why it was so hard for her to resist him.
“I’m sure you do your share.” Even in the short amount of time that she’d worked with him on his yacht, it was clear the man was smart, motivated, and efficient.
“We all do, honestly. Our success is recent enough that we still remember what it’s like to struggle, and know better than to think that anything but hard work will keep us at the top. Not that we haven’t admittedly had our fair share of luck.” Gabe pulled down a long driveway and towards a gorgeous stone and wood-shingled home that fit in perfectly with its forested surroundings, and threw the vehicle in park.
“Anything I should know before heading in?”
“Yeah…Quinn figured out that we’ve slept together.” He blocked the blow to his arm, the look on Hadley’s face having clued him in to her actions.
“How could you do that to me, Gabe?” She was mortified. How she didn’t outright murder him, she hadn’t a clue. “How the hell am I supposed to go in there and face him now?”
Any credibility she had was now blown. She’d have to call her boss, tell him that something personal had come up and she’d need time off—needed off the case. What else could she do?
“Quinn doesn’t care—and he knows damn well it was all my fault. He doesn’t blame you in the least. And you can’t leave when they’re expecting both of us.” Shifting to face her, he took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “They’re relieved that you’re on the case, babe. This will be good. I swear it.”
She was screwed. Completely and utterly. “How can you say that, Gabe? You’re messing with my life and my career, damn it.”
“I’m not. And I’ll make sure you won’t get into trouble. You have my word. No one’s going to mess with you—or they’ll have me to deal with.” The tension in his voice couldn’t be ignored, though he was crazy if he thought her boss would listen to anything he had to say.
“It doesn’t work like that. My boss does not like it when people mess with the reputation of his company. He doesn’t care if you have money—or if you have friends in high places.” Her boss would fire her on the spot, and wouldn’t care one bit if Gabe was used to getting his way.
“That’s where you’re mistaken, Hadley.” He gave her a cocksure grin, and damn, but that confidence of his had her heart racing, her clit throbbing, and her body missing him, even as her mind tried—and failed—to remind her he was completely off-limits. “Come on. I’m starving and want to see what Emma has in store for dinner.”
Gabe let them in, not bothering to knock, the door already unlocked. Hadley had to wonder if that was the norm, or if they’d unlocked the door because they were expecting company. Yet with someone causing the Rykers problems, security needed to be the main priority.
Hadley trie
d not to feel overwhelmed by meeting the whole family at once, especially when Gabe grabbed her hand to lead her towards the great room. It left her with the horrible decision to either struggle to get her hand free from his grasp while his family watched on, or let him hold onto it, and leave them to wonder what the hell was going on between them. One way or the other, she was once again screwed, and Gabe was fucking with her—with her life.
Gabe quickly made the introductions as she managed to pry her hand free, masking its escape behind his back, even if it was likely that everyone had already seen their linked hands. “This is my mom, Maddie, Morgan, Emma, and you already know Quinn. This is Hadley—Ms. Moore, the consulting investigator on our case.”
“Thanks for letting me crash your dinner. I promise to make my interviews as brief as possible.” She managed a smile that she hoped seemed genuine, though she was sure her nerves shone through. Normally confident when it came to her job, Gabe was throwing her off her game, and it was pissing her off.
Everyone was friendly, and reassured her that they were happy to have her join them for dinner. It didn’t take long before some of her unease settled. One thing was sure, there was no doubt that the Rykers had come from the same gene pool. Dark hair, bright blue or green eyes, everyone except for Mrs. Ryker was damn tall with an athletic build, and they were all gorgeous—mom included. Their father must have been the one with the height, because their mom was barely over five feet tall.
As for Emma, she could see why Quinn had fallen for the striking and curvy brunette—and there was no doubt whatsoever, that he’d fallen for her, and hard at that. Just like it was clear Emma was head over heels and completely smitten with Quinn. The way they looked at each other, as if they couldn’t look away from each other for long, and the little touches, the gentle kisses. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen a couple look so in love.
Had she ever looked that happy? Somehow she doubted it.
Chapter Eight
With the kitchen open to the great room, Gabe watched Hadley work from across the room while he perched on a bar stool at the kitchen bar. One by one, she met with the members of his family, jotting down notes in that notepad of hers, her focus intense, though her demeanor was friendly and relaxed.
“I like her, Gabe.” Emma bumped his shoulder with hers, before setting a plate of appetizers in front of him—little crostini with fig, warm goat cheese, and a balsamic reduction.
“I like her too.” Gabe popped one of the crostini in his mouth: sweet, savory, and tangy all mixing into one delicious bite. “Damn, woman…these are good.”
“Just make sure you leave room for dinner. I’ve got a roast coming out of the oven, with roasted root vegetables, Yorkshire puddings, and gravy made from the pan drippings.”
Gabe grabbed another crostini to stave off his appetite. “Now I really am starving. That sounds fantastic, Emma.”
“Perfect fare for a cold November night, if you ask me.” Excusing herself, Emma wandered over to Quinn, who pulled her into a one-armed hug and kissed her temple as she nestled against him, the two of them looking impossibly happy.
Morgan sat by Gabe’s side, his movements still a little stiff from the accident. “I still can’t believe we’ve got someone like Hadley as the investigator on our case. Damn…the girl is hot. Wonder if she has handcuffs.” Morgan’s smile kicked up teasingly as he gave Gabe a sideways glance.
Taking a deep breath, Gabe tried to push aside his jealousy, knowing Morgan didn’t know Hadley was off-limits. But she was. She was his and his alone. “She’s mine, Morgan.”
“Yours?” Morgan’s eyes went wide with disbelief. “That was quick work. And a first. You’ve always been a strict one-date sort of guy. What the hell happened?”
That was a damn good question. “I wish I had an answer for you. How are you feeling these days?”
“I’m feeling cooped up more than anything, and with Mom and Maddie constantly coming around to check in on me, there’s no hope of getting any peace. They keep fussing, and though I appreciate the sentiment, they’re driving me fucking crazy. I just want to work, and be left to my own devices.” Morgan shook his head, and then after a long moment motioned towards Hadley. “So does the poor girl know you’ve set her in your sights?”
“I’m sure she’s figured it out by now.”
***
As the evening progressed, Gabe was finding it harder and harder to keep his hands off Hadley—and she was doing everything in her power to keep her distance. When they finally sat down to dinner, Gabe made sure to sit next to her, booting Morgan to a different spot, which earned him a glare from Hadley. Somehow, he managed to behave himself through most of their meal, even contributing to the conversation, though his mind was focused almost entirely on Hadley.
The sexual tension between them crackled like a lightning storm, and he knew that if he touched her, it would be electric. As it was, his erection was verging on painful. And damn, but he couldn’t take it anymore.
With the table offering him cover, Gabe placed his hand on Hadley’s thigh. He felt her stiffen at his side, but she was in the middle of discussing London with his sister, and couldn’t really smack his hand away without letting everyone present know what he was up to. She did, however, cover his hand with hers, doing her best to push it away as he slipped it farther up her leg until he could tease her warm pussy through the fabric of her jeans. And though he knew she’d likely hate herself—and him—for it, her body clearly had a mind of its own as her hips shifted against his fingers, though she did a remarkable job of not letting it show to the rest of the people present.
Simply touching her was enough to have him going almost impossibly hard, and he was more than a little impatient to have their dinner come to an end so he could get her alone. She might have more than a few choice words for him at that point, but he didn’t care. He knew she wanted him as badly as he wanted her, and as long as he got to fuck that tight little body of hers, he’d find a way to soothe her anger. Hell, he’d fuck it out of her, even if it took all night. It’d be for their mutual pleasure. He’d make sure of it.
“I’m sorry we can’t stay for dessert, especially since I’m sure you made something amazing, Emma, but there’s still a lot of information I’d like to go over with Hadley now that she’s had the chance to interview everyone.” Gabe ignored Hadley’s frustrated glare in his direction, and got to his feet before giving her his hand.
There were protests from the women in his family, and Emma was kind enough to pack them some dessert to go. But his brothers? Well, the looks they gave him said they knew damn well what he was up to.
The moment they were in his car, Hadley spun to face him as he pulled around in the drive and headed for the road. “What the fuck, Gabe?”
“I was thinking we could go out on the boat—maybe take a quick little trip up to Portsmouth.” He knew that discussing her anger with him would only stoke it, so he decided a different tactic might work best.
“Have you lost your mind? Which part of ‘keep this professional’ did you not understand?” She shook her head and faced forward, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “You’re unbelievable.”
“I’d keep it professional if you truly wanted me to, but you know that’s not what you want, sweetheart.” Gabe was already envisioning the next time he’d take her, his cock aching for release, even as he concentrated on the road.
She tossed another fierce glare in his direction, reminding him of just how mind-blowing angry sex was with her. “I don’t care where the hell you go, as long as you drop me off at the hotel first.”
“Now what fun would that be, sweetheart? Though if you prefer to go back to my penthouse, I’m perfectly fine with that, too.” He didn’t know why the hell he’d invited her back to his place when he never did that sort of thing, but it seemed that for Hadley, he was willing to break all his rules.
“Why the hell would I want to do that? Don’t you have some supermodel waitin
g in your bed already—and if not, I’m sure you could easily arrange it.” She shifted in her seat, and gave him a look of genuine curiosity and confusion. “I don’t see why you’re even remotely interested in me.”
He had to wonder just how much his past exploits bothered her. He’d thought they were just having a bit of fun, blowing off some sexual steam. And yet he knew that casual sex wasn’t something she did often; her responses, the depths of her need, and the tightness of her pussy had made it clear that she hadn’t been pleasured in a long time. “I’ll have you know that you’re the only woman outside of family who I’ve ever invited to my home.”
“I suppose that’s easy enough to manage when you live in a hotel. Must be pretty damn convenient for you.” She scoffed with a shake of her head. “But I don’t get it, Gabe. Why change your modus operandi with me?”
He pulled into a parking spot at the hotel and killed the engine. “What can I say? I like you, Hadley, and I’ve yet to get my fill of you.”
“Your fill, huh? And then when you do, you can finally toss me aside like the rest of your discards? Thanks, but no thanks.” She cursed under her breath, and grabbed her bag, exiting the car as he followed after her. “I don’t know why I thought my shitty luck with men would suddenly change just because I finally managed to get rid of that ass of an ex-husband of mine.”
Ex-husband? It hit him like a punch straight to the face, though he didn’t quite know why. She hadn’t mentioned being married before now, but the thought of her being in love with another man enough to want to marry him really pissed him the fuck off. And the fact that he even gave a shit only pissed him off further.
What the hell was wrong with him? The girl was fucking with his head.
“Firstly, none of the women I date are discards, as you so crudely put it. They’re more than happy to date me and know full well going into it that it’s a brief arrangement. I’ve never misled them—and I’ve never been anything but honest with you.” When they stepped onto the elevator, he inserted his key and hit the button for the penthouse. “I like you, Hadley. A lot. But it’s no fucking reason to hold it against me.”
