by Faye Avalon
Gabe didn’t hesitate. “No. She’s been with me nearly all the time, and I’d have known if she’d spoken with him.”
“Okay. It’s just that I had the distinct impression Kingston intends to get that ring on Maddie’s finger as soon as she lands back in London. He spoke as if she knew about that breach of contract threat.”
“Shit.” Gabe was confident Maddie would have told him if she’d known about that, but he couldn’t stop the niggling doubt that moved into his chest or the sense of betrayal that kicked him in the gut. Had she spoken with Kingston?
“What do you want to do?” Doug asked, breaking into Gabe’s thoughts.
“What I want to do is smack him between the eyes with the whole deal.”
“Do that and it might go belly up. You won’t be able to backtrack.”
Gabe was well aware of that, but every moment they delayed meant Kingston could find a way to slide out of trouble. There was no way of knowing how things would pan out if he did, but Maddie would likely pay the price. Kingston wouldn’t turn a hair at implicating Maddie in whatever the hell he could get away with.
While Gabe didn’t want to believe she’d gone behind his back and spoken with Kingston, he knew that if she had, it was only because she thought she was doing the right thing. But damn it, she could screw up everything.
The whole thing was turning into a fucking mess.
“Hold off,” he told Doug. “I want to turn this over some more. Can you be available tomorrow if I need you?”
“Always. Just let me know if and when.”
Gabe ended the call but held on to his phone as he walked to the window. Hell, but he’d like to take a crack at that bastard, put him under pressure, make him squirm. Gabe didn’t consider himself a mean-spirited man, but he’d love to drop that bastard into deep shit.
If he did, if he gave in to his desire for instant gratification, Gabe knew what it could mean. Mallory Hotels would be tied up in legal battles for God knew how long, not to mention the muck that would be attached to the celebrated British institution that had served the great and elite. Mallory’s reputation would be dragged through the mud, and when mud stuck, it could take a lifetime, if ever, to repair the damage.
Gabe didn’t want to think what it would do to Maddie, or to her father.
Which meant he had to be careful.
All he knew for sure was that he would protect Maddie. Whatever it took.
Blackmailing Kingston? Tick.
Using any means to out the man’s shady dealings? Tick.
Alerting the authorities and providing confirmation of Kingston’s fraudulent activities? Tick.
Shit. He was no snitch. Yet while that idea left a bad taste in Gabe’s mouth, he knew if necessary he would use whatever was available to him.
How long he turned the issues over in his mind, he couldn’t say, but the light had faded enough for him to switch on his desk lamp in order to reply to his remaining emails.
That done, he leaned back, pressed his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose, and wondered what Maddie was doing. As if he’d summoned her, there was a light tap on the door. Right now, he didn’t need questions. He was still mulling everything over and trying to get it straight in his own head.
He didn’t need the distraction of her. Couldn’t trust himself. She muddled his thoughts, tempted his body, and he needed both sharp and clear for the decisions he had to make.
The second tap on the door confirmed she wasn’t about to go away any time soon, so he took a breath and gave a terse “Yeah?”
Intending to tell her he was still busy, that she should find a way to occupy herself, maybe watch a movie or something, his breath caught in his lungs as she opened the door.
She wore a long black tee that barely covered her backside, and seemingly nothing else. It did fast and fascinating things to his cock, which sprang instantly to life.
She strode into the room carrying a tray with freshly brewed coffee, a small selection of cheeses with wheat crackers and a bunch of black grapes. She’d laid up two settings.
“Thought you’d be peckish.” She nudged some papers out of the way and plonked the tray down on his desk. “We should have stopped on the way back and picked up some provisions. There’s really not much in your fridge.”
Ridiculously touched by the gesture, he stared at the items on the tray and noticed the single pink rose with some green foliage in a wine-glass.
“Where did you find that?”
“Your balcony.” Nudging his hand from his thigh, she settled herself on his lap. “I think the plant actually belongs to the people in the next apartment and it’s just grown along your way, but I don’t think they’d object to me helping myself. It’s only a small one.”
She smelled of his soap, her hair washed and tousled as it dried naturally and fell around her shoulders. Her warmth washed over him, filling those parts that had chilled as he’d considered the actions necessary if he were to protect her and take down Kingston. Pressing his nose to her hair, he drew her in.
Her arms stole around his neck. “You look tired.”
“Not surprised. You’ve been wearing me out of late.”
She smiled at him, pressed her lips firmly to his. “I didn’t hear any objections.”
“Because there weren’t any. Not a single one.”
He returned her kisses, holding her around the waist and enjoying the feel of her against him. She pulled back a little, looked him firmly in the eye. “Why were you upset this afternoon?”
The question hit him with both barrels. He should have expected she’d pick up on his mood. “I was being a prick.”
“Why? Was it because of what happened in the car?”
Again, both barrels. He wouldn’t insult her by playing dumb. “It was pretty intense.”
“You didn’t like that I went down on you?”
Drawing her close, he touched his mouth to hers. Light and easy. “Maybe I liked it too much.”
He stroked her arms slowly, more to soothe her irritation with him than as a sexual invitation. Right then he wanted her smile back, her enthusiasm, her smart retorts. Okay, he wanted her beneath him and naked, too. He was no hypocrite.
“Perhaps we should stop having sex so much,” she said. “We’ve been pretty full on.”
Gabe went cold. Like hell. He couldn’t imagine having Maddie around him and not wanting to get her in the sack at every available opportunity.
When she kissed him, Gabe let out the breath he’d been holding. “I love everything we do. Every damn thing. I want you all the time. Even when I’ve just had you, I want you again.”
He spoke the words between kisses, hoping to hell he could make her see that every one of them was the God’s honest truth.
Tightening his arms around her, he said, “When you went down on me, I swear I actually saw stars. It was that fucking good.”
The concern left her face, to be replaced by that smile he’d wanted so badly to see again. “I usually get to see a few stars, too.”
Gabe poured everything into the kiss he gave her, making sure to leave Maddie in no doubt that sex was most definitely not being struck off the menu during her stay with him.
When they came up for air, she glanced at his opened laptop, then down at his phone on the desk. “Any more news yet?”
He hesitated for only a moment. “Just trying to tie up some loose ends.” It wasn’t a lie. Exactly. And it wasn’t in breach of his promise to keep her informed. Since there was nothing concrete to report. Which was a frigging cop-out.
“And you’re not going to tell me what those loose ends are until they’re all tied together in a pretty bow.”
“I’ve got nothing to tell you. Period. I haven’t heard back from the investigator yet.”
The statement built on the gnawing guilt that
pressed down on Gabe’s chest, but what he’d said was true. He’d been talking with Doug, not with the investigator.
She glanced over at the laptop again, turned back and kissed him, then took a place setting from the tray. Saying nothing, she selected a couple of crackers and two slices of cheese, then added a small handful of black grapes.
“Anyway, you’re busy.” She slipped from his lap and headed toward the door carrying the plate. “See you.”
Gabe’s gaze followed the sassy sway of her backside, the lower edge of her delicious butt cheeks just visible as she walked. When she reached the door, his brain kicked in again. “Hey. Wait up.”
Turning to look over her shoulder, she smiled. “It’s no problem, Gabe. I’m actually busy myself.”
He stood in front of her and slipped his hands into his trouser pockets, knowing that he was in danger of reaching for her and clearing his desk to do dark and debauched things. As much as he’d like to do exactly that, he had a whole lot of thinking to do, which didn’t involve them naked. “Busy doing what?”
“I’m working on some ideas for potential refurb of the public areas in a couple of the London hotels. Seeing those old properties today, especially the first one, gave me loads of ideas. I know it might all be academic if I don’t get the shares back, but think positive, right?”
“Yeah. Think positive.” His mind travelled back to the comment Doug had made. The one which kind of niggled at him. “I need to ask you something, and I don’t want you to get pissed.”
Turning full on to face him, she balanced the plate in her hands. “Okay.”
He wished he had something in his trouser pockets. Keys to rattle. Coins to fidget with. Instead, he cleared his throat. “Have you been in touch with Kingston?”
The question clearly surprised her. Her head jerked back, and her eyes went wide. “Are you serious? When was I supposed to do that? We’ve been together virtually the whole time I’ve been here.”
The tightness around his ribcage loosened, and just like that, the niggle left him. “It was something Doug said. My lawyer,” he added when she cocked her head. “He said Kingston seems to think you’re still going ahead with the wedding.”
“He hasn’t gotten that from me.”
She looked him so firmly in the eye that it increased Gabe’s guilt at withholding information from her. A deal was a deal, for God’s sake. A promise had to mean something. Especially between him and Maddie.
“Kingston will likely soon be charged with various counts of fraud.” He swallowed as she stared at him. “I hadn’t planned to worry you with this until there was incontrovertible proof.”
Maddie walked slowly back to the desk, the plate wobbling a little. Gabe took it from her and placed it down.
“Why would it worry me?”
“There might be implications for all his assets, including Mallory’s. All his assets could be frozen indefinitely.”
“Which means he wouldn’t be able to transfer the shares back to me.”
Gabe nodded. “At this stage, we don’t know exactly how the deal between your father and Kingston was brokered. If it skirted the law, there will be implications there, too.”
“My father will be investigated along with Oscar.”
Not if Gabe had anything to do with it. Not if his plan went through. “We’re going back to London tomorrow. I need to talk with Kingston direct.”
“I want to be there when you do.”
“He’s more likely to open up if I’m alone.”
“I don’t care. I want to be there.” Her chin set firm, and instinct told Gabe this wasn’t the time to argue.
Shit, but she looked so damn sad, he wanted to pull her into his arms and assure her that every freaking thing was going to be okay. The problem was, he wasn’t entirely confident he could make such a declaration.
“I’m going to do everything in my power to try and make this right.”
Oscar was a slippery bastard, and who knew what kind of deals he’d set up and who he was in bed with. Gabe was well aware that money talked, and greased palms made for good conversationalists. Until he got to London and faced off with the man, he didn’t know exactly what he was dealing with. All he really had was information, and a gut-deep instinct.
He hoped to hell it was enough.
* * *
Maddie had the worst feeling. Not just because of what Gabe had told her, but the look in his eyes as he’d said it. His jaw was so tight, she could almost see him grinding his teeth. She knew him well enough now to recognise the signs.
As they sat on the terrace later that evening, she rubbed her hands together and looked out toward the ocean. “I’ve been trying to think back to when it all started to go wrong. I don’t remember my dad ever being a gambler, at least not when my mum was alive. It must have been there though, the tendency. He must have gambled away everything he had, so he had to start using the shares in the business. Beginning with mine.”
“He had no right to gamble those shares. They were yours.”
“And then they were yours.” She shook her head. “Sorry. Old ground.”
Gabe said nothing, just sipped his brandy.
“I know that my shares were small fry in the bigger picture, but I can’t help thinking that letting Dad have them was the catalyst that started this particular ball rolling. I just wish I’d tried harder to convince you to reconsider the bet. To accept something else in payment instead of the shares.”
His jaw tightened further, and he shifted in his chair.
“Sorry. Again. I don’t mean to rehash old stuff, and I’m long past blaming you for Dad’s problems. One thing I would like to know, though. Why did you sell my shares back?”
He hiked a shoulder. “Things move fast in business. Realities shift. New investments take priority. You name it. Things change.”
Not really an answer, Maddie thought. But he was good at that. Good at evading. And to be honest, he probably didn’t even know the answer himself. Buying and selling shares was lifeblood for men like him. Bigger opportunities came along, and they ditched their less profitable interests.
Maddie sipped her wine, her mind slipping back two years and remembering the painful split with Gabe. He’d been tight-lipped back then, too. Not that she’d given him much of a chance to explain. She’d been too hurt, too heartbroken.
It had felt like the worst type of betrayal, especially since she had confided to Gabe how those shares, given to her on her twenty-first birthday, had brought a sense of validation about her place in the company. A place she’d never truly felt comfortable with.
At the time he’d tried to reassure her, telling her that she had every right to hold the shares, that it was her birthright. Then, days later, he’d taken them as payment for a bet made with her father. She’d hated him for that, and had held him responsible.
For a long time, she’d held her father responsible, too. Until she’d discovered the extent of his addiction.
She’d had no such excuse for her own behaviour and had found it difficult to excuse her own naïveté and abysmal lack of savvy. Had she been more business focussed back then, she might have come up with an alternative offer Gabe would have accepted. Might have brokered a deal that would have given him a greater return than her shares in Mallory’s.
Instead, she’d done nothing.
“You say things change,” Maddie said thoughtfully. “But they don’t really change that much. At least, people don’t. Take me—I’m a Mallory, I’ve got decades, centuries even, of business blood in me. Yet wheeling and dealing doesn’t come naturally to me. Okay, I’m good at marketing, good dealing with staff and guests, and able to defuse most PR problems when they arise. But that’s the extent of it.”
He narrowed his eyes, leaned farther forward. “That’s a whole lot more than most businesspeople I know are capable of.”
“When I was having one particularly dark night of the soul, I actually wondered if my dad subconsciously thought to gamble away my shares. You know, better in someone else’s capable hands—yours—than in mine.”
“That’s fucking bullshit. He handed the reins of the company to you. I can’t see him doing that if he didn’t trust your judgment.”
“Well, the reins are technically in Oscar’s hands, but thanks for the sentiment. Anyway, like I said, dark night of the soul.”
“Before you have any more of those, you might consider that your father, with all his experience of business and commerce, managed to cock things up in a pretty spectacular way. I’m not making him out the bad guy, just trying to make a point.”
“That doesn’t really help your argument, though. If even my father, with business in his DNA and who lives, breathes and dreams of Mallory, couldn’t help screwing it up, what hope is there for someone who doesn’t?”
“I can’t tell a Picasso from a Modigliani.”
She raised her eyebrows, puzzled as to his point. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Just pointing out that you could name pretty much every painting in this apartment, interpret what the artist was trying to achieve, whereas all I see is investment value. You can see colour, form and placement and how those things would revitalise a shabby old hotel to its former glory. You can take a simple rose and some greenery and make it stand out as a beautiful centrepiece.” He frowned. “My point is that I can’t even begin to do any of those things. I doubt your father can, either.”
“It’s hardly rocket science...”
“It is when you don’t have the first clue about it.”
She sighed, understanding what he was trying to say. “I get that we each have different strengths, different skills. I know that.”
“Then start accepting it. Start valuing what makes you unique.”
“It’s difficult when you come from a family that ingested the financial papers for breakfast along with scrambled eggs and OJ.”
“You’ve kept everything ticking just fine while you’ve been at the helm of Mallory’s. And I’ve never seen anyone so single-minded as you are when you’re looking at a painting or some statue or other. You’re lost in another world.”
