by Virna DePaul
Gabe heard Brianne mutter something fiercely, but he couldn’t hear her over the whispers and murmurs from the guests.
There was a man standing on the stage—he’d sneaked up there while everyone was busy looking at the sky. Gabe didn’t recognize him, but Bri clearly did.
“That son of a bitch,” she said.
“You’re all here under false pretenses,” the man on stage said. He was extremely theatrical, waving his arms around. He had perfectly styled blonde hair and was very well dressed. Gabe instantly hated him. There was something about him that seemed extremely studied and false.
“What do you mean?” Brianne called out. “They’re here for the contest, just as they were for your event.”
The guests were looking at each other, still murmuring. Gabe knew this would all be seen as highly improper by the Beverly Hills bluebloods.
“He’s the other planner?” Gabe whispered in Bri’s ear, and she nodded before moving toward the stage. Gabe let her go, but stayed close behind. He saw Evie, Brianne’s assistant walking up as well.
“I felt it my duty to come here and inform you all that this event wasn’t planned solely by Lavish Events. Most of it was planned and secured by another company, completely unrelated to event planning. This hardly falls under the rules of the contest.”
Gabe could nearly feel the heat radiating from Brianne’s body. She was trembling from head to toe, but Gabe knew her well enough to know it was rage she was barely holding back.
“Another company was used in a subcontractor capacity, Leland; everything the company provided was approved by me. They performed just as any other subcontractor would,” Brianne called out.
“Any other subcontractor?” Leland’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Gabe knew with a sick pit in his stomach what he was going to say a split second before the words came out of his mouth. “Let’s see the invoices, then.”
Bri’s eyes widened as it obviously dawned on her there were no invoices. Because while she’d insisted on paying him, Gabe had wanted to help her free and clear. Only in trying to help her, he might have ruined things.
As he watched, Brianne’s shoulders slumped, but then she straightened. Glancing at Gabe, she smiled and mouthed, “It’s okay,” trying to reassure him. As always, she was grace under pressure, but Gabe wasn’t going to let her go down without a fight.
“I’m the president of Nolan Adventure Stores. Ms. Whitcomb and I are friends. I did the work for the sake of the charity involved.” Another round of murmurs from the crowd. “It was a donation,” Gabe continued.
Leland shrugged. “Well, ladies and gentlemen, you’ve heard it yourselves. The bulk of the work was done by this man’s company and his vendors. I leave it to you to decide whether that was unethical or not.”
“You’re a snake!” Evie shouted.
Gabe expected Bri to protest, to beg Evie to stop, but she didn’t. She stood there, hands on hips, nodding her head to every word. He figured if that’s how they were playing it, that’s how it was going to be.
“And now we resort to name calling,” Leland said, sounding dramatically disappointed.
Brianne had enough. She marched up to the stage and stomped up the stairs. Gabe held his breath, afraid of what she might say. But she was a lady, of course, raised to handle herself in polite society.
“All of this—the grand entrance, the dramatic announcement—is sour grapes. You feel threatened. And I don’t know how you have inside information about how my event was planned, but the fact that you have any at all tells me that you dug around for it—that doesn’t reflect well on you, Leland.”
Brianne turned to the crowd. “Let’s hold an informal vote right now.” She was smiling, and Gabe knew it was a gamble. But Evie was smiling from ear to ear, too, giving Brianne a thumbs up. “Let’s let our guests decide whose event they preferred, your or ours.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Leland said, waving his hands. “Let’s keep this all above-board.”
“Why? You afraid of what you’ll find out?” Brianne asked, folding her arms.
“No, but you must understand that this isn’t usually done. I wouldn’t want the guests to be swayed by the votes of their friends.”
“Vote!” Evie called out. There were mutterings all around them, most of which sounded positive.
Leland shrugged, and Brianne went through with the vote—winning by a huge margin. When she asked for hands from those voting for her event over Leland’s, nearly every hand shot up. Gabe beamed with pride.
Brianne smiled at her guests. “Thank you, and I’m sorry your evening was disrupted. Please, enjoy yourselves. The bonfire has been lit, music is scheduled to continue throughout the night. Have fun, and thank you so much for coming.” The crowd erupted in gracious applause, and Brianne left the stage without a look back at Leland. Gabe watched as Bri’s competitor slinked off into the shadows.
Evie rushed Brianne when she reached the dance floor, throwing her arms around her boss. They hugged and laughed.
Gabe joined them, and Brianne threw an arm around his waist. He kissed the top of her head. “Well done, you.”
“I’m so fucking proud of you. You really showed him,” Evie said.
“You know what?” Brianne looked at the both of them. “I don’t even care if we win anymore.”
“Say what?” Evie’s jaw dropped.
“Hey, we can always start again. I’m not firing you,” Bri laughed. “I know we did the better job. We should win. But if the magazine decides I went outside the rules, so be it. I proved myself. That might be enough to win back business, either way.”
And it was, if the crowd of people who quickly surrounded them meant anything. All of them congratulated Brianne, telling her she threw a beautiful, original event. A few of them even promised to call her during the coming week, to discuss new events they wanted her to organize.
“You’re a hit,” Gabe murmured, pulling her close when they were finally alone again.
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” she said. “And I wouldn’t have tried. No way could I have pulled this off, in this timeframe. Thank you. You saved my business, and my reputation in this town.”
He squeezed her tight, and they watched the guests mingle and dance and head up to the bonfire, where they made s’mores and sang old campfire songs late into the night.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Brianne stumbled into the yurt, deliriously happy but just as exhausted. It was still filled with flowers, and the scent of the blooms combined with the dancing light from the lanterns and fire pit were enchanting. Maybe it was the combined emotions of the evening, but everything seemed even more vivid than usual. The sky had been starrier, the air crisper, the sounds of the crickets more musical.
It was one of the happiest nights of her life, and it didn’t matter to her one bit whether or not she won the contest. She already felt like a winner, thanks to the presence of the man who followed her into the yurt.
“This has to be the most interesting Life and Society contest in history,” Brianne said, kicking off her shoes before flopping down across a pile of cushions. “No matter what the outcome, it’ll be talked about for ages.”
“Then you’ll be happy to know you handled yourself like a real pro out there,” Gabe said. “You were a Whitcomb, all the way. No, scratch that—you were you. Which is just as good, if not better.”
She grinned up at him, knowing he gave her the courage to say the sort of things she’d been dying to say to Leland for years. While she couldn’t exactly tell him what she thought about him, she did have the satisfaction of knowing he’d slithered off like the snake he was. It must have been a long, lonely drive home. She wasn’t even sure if she cared who his inside source was—it wasn’t Evie, which was all that mattered. Otherwise, she was too satisfied at the way he’d made a fool of himself to pay it much thought. She smiled even wider at the memory.
Then she noticed the way Gabe’s expression chan
ged. He’d been looking down at her with admiration and affection…but now, his look had a hint of lust, of need.
Her body responded immediately to just that look.
“I’ve been dying for you,” he whispered, falling to his knees beside her.
“Me, too,” she murmured, wetness already flooding her, her pulse already picking up. “It’s been torture.”
“I can’t believe we’ve only been together a handful of times, but being apart for a couple of weeks was so tough. I need you, all the time, every day. I think I’ll always need you, if that’s okay with you.”
Brianne smiled, her dark eyes staring into his green ones. “It’s okay with me.” They kissed, sweetly, and the feeling of his lips on hers reminded her of rain on desert sands. She’d been thirsty for him.
She leaned back, lowering herself onto the cushions as Gabe crawled on top of her, his mouth now grazing her body as he went. The closer he got to her mouth, the faster her heart pounded. She knew he would take her, and she would take him, and they would experience pleasure after pleasure before the night was over. Her body tensed in anticipation.
“There’s a reason this yurt is set way back from the others,” he murmured, nipping at her jaw, her chin. She tilted her head back, giving a throaty chuckle.
“Good thinking,” she whispered. “You always think of every detail.”
Then his mouth was over hers, and he was licking her plump lips with his tongue. She whimpered, parting them, her own tongue darting out to meet his. They both sighed, touching each other ever so gently. Taking their time. There was no hurry now, and no guilt. Gabe had told her everything, and she felt absolved. Now they could focus on each other.
“I’ve been wanting to worship you for so long,” he whispered, his breath already ragged. “For years, I’ve wanted to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. To adore you, and your body. I want to make love to you again and again, until you can’t take any more and have to beg me to stop.”
“I’m here. I’m yours. Take me,” she whispered, and groaned when his hardness pressed against her hip. It was the promise of things to come.
But not yet.
Her dress was strapless, and Gabe ran his fingers over her neck, her shoulders, across her collarbone. Brianne closed her eyes, feeling the goosebumps rise over her skin wherever he touched.
She arched her back, and Gabe reached behind her to unzip the dress. He worked it down slowly, teasing her along with himself as inch after inch of skin was displayed. She watched his face, the way his eyes drank her in. She hoped he always looked at her that way. Like something he cherished.
Soon the dress was off her legs, and she was only in her panties and bra. When he leaned down to kiss her, she pushed the jacket off his shoulders, then loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. She needed to touch his body, and he helped her as she undressed him.
Then, he was back to her. The bra hooked in the front, and he took great care in opening it. Like he was opening a present. His head descended on her, his mouth covering every bit of her skin. She closed her eyes, sighing as he kissed her everywhere. The heat between her legs sparked, then grew with each kiss.
He worked his way from her ankles back to her chest, making her wetter with every slow, sensuous kiss. He paused behind her knees, at her navel, in the crease beneath her breasts. Even the insides of her wrists were licked in slow circles, until she whimpered with need for more.
Then he ran his tongue in a line between her breasts, to her stomach, then down to her panties. He licked the lacy fabric before slowly removing the barrier, leaving her naked.
She spread her legs wider, inviting him. When his tongue touched her button, she moaned in relief. Then he was lapping at her, then flicking his tongue over her, then rolling his tongue in circles around that bundle of nerves.
“You taste so good,” he whispered between licks. She moaned, her head rolled from side to side. All conscious thought left her except for the focus on what he was doing to her clit.
Her hips ground against his face. She reached down, holding his head against her. “Don’t stop…don’t stop…” she begged. “So close…”
His tongue sped up, licking harder than ever. Her hips shot into the air, her thighs gripping his head like a vice. She nearly wept with relief as the sweet release washed over her and left her mewling like a kitten when the force subsided.
Then, Gabe slid two fingers into her quivering depths. Before she could register what he was doing, his fingers curled up, and he massaged her G-spot while he continued to lick her lips, her clit, every bit of flesh.
She’d never known how intense it could be, never having had a man touch her like that before. All she could do was shove the side of her fist in her mouth as nearly painful waves of pleasure washed over her in a continuous flow. It never stopped, just kept rolling over and over endlessly. She was unsure of what was happening to her.
She wouldn’t dream of stopping him, though.
After what felt like almost endless pleasure, her core tightened one more time as the movement of his tongue and his fingers combined to send the biggest orgasm of all slamming into her. She screamed again, and again, her entire body arching upward before she shuddered and fell back onto the cushions, totally spent.
Her eyes were closed, her mouth open as she gasped for breath. She hoped she hadn’t made too much noise—he just did that to her, making her explode louder and harder than she ever had. The last thing she needed was a reputation.
Then she saw the way he grinned at her and thought she could deal with whatever was said, as long as he never stopped doing what he had just done.
“Your turn,” she whispered, rising to push him back onto the cushions. He made himself comfortable, then Brianne stretched out over him. She rubbed her breasts over his chest, and he watched as they pressed against him.
“Sexy,” he whispered. “Your body is incredible.” He reached down to fondle her, and she felt his cock twitch underneath her.
She licked and nibbled her way down his torso, then around his groin—making it a point to avoid the stiff, twitching hardness so obviously needing her attention. Gabe groaned, frustrated, needing her touch.
Finally, she took pity on him, taking him in her hand and running her mouth over the head. He sighed, relieved, then closed his eyes to focus on what she was giving him. Her tongue swirled around the head, licking like a lollipop, before gently sucking. “Mmm…that’s nice…” he whispered, running his hands through her hair.
Then she began the slow, torturous process of taking his length into her mouth. One inch at a time, she slid down his shaft. Every inch made him whimper, and she burned when she heard the sound. He was so sexy, even when she had him helpless and desperate for more. Finally, she reached the base, then repeated the process of sliding up just as slowly. Then she plunged down, fast and hard, and he gasped in surprise.
Her head bobbed slowly up and down as she took her time, teasing him, tormenting him. She knew he wanted to make her go faster, his hips jerking upward so he could thrust into her mouth. She held him still, taking exquisite pleasure in driving him mad.
Letting him slide from her lips, she ran her tongue over the little ridge beneath the head. He gasped, his body tensing. She stroked his shaft, her tongue moving faster and harder. “Yes, baby,” he moaned, his hands deep in her hair. She was getting wetter by the second, knowing how good she made him feel.
She plunged down on him again, her mouth enveloping him. How many times had she fantasized about this? About the way he would sound when she sucked his length? The way he would taste and feel under her tongue? She thought about that as she worked on him, pressing her tongue to the underside of his shaft with every upstroke.
Every time it seemed like he was getting too excited, Brianne slowed down. He groaned, frustrated, frantic to come. She looked up at him, and their eyes met. She winked, then moved up and down again.
“Damn, baby…” he whispered. “Please, let m
e come…”
His breath got faster, harder. Now it was impossible to hold him still. His hips moved upward, against her downward motions, increasing the speed with which he careened toward orgasm. She sucked harder, faster, letting him get the release he needed. He panted for breath, thrusting faster, then grunted and shook as he exploded inside her mouth. She took everything he had, then let him slide from her lips.
“Oh, God,” he groaned, taking a shuddering breath. “I’m sure you’re trying to kill me.”
She grinned, loving the knowledge that she could make him feel so good. A big, strong man like him, made powerless because she chose to pleasure him. She felt a bit smug, even.
He sat up, and she sat in his lap. Gabe touched her slowly, gently. His hands ran up and down her back, through her hair, over her backside. When his fingers brushed against the curve of her cheeks, then dipped inside her depths, she moaned.
“I want to touch you everywhere, feel all of you,” he whispered. “I want to give you all the pleasure you can handle. I want you to scream for me, I want you to come harder than you’ve ever come before.”
She moaned again, lost in sensation as he explored her with his fingers, and with his mouth on her skin. He kissed everything he could reach, and before she knew it her hips were rocking against his hand. Her pleasure grew and built, and soon his cock was growing hard between them again. The feeling of it, pressing against her, made her hotter. She adjusted herself, so it slid between her lips.
She rubbed herself along his length, her juices lubricating his shaft. He groaned, burying his face in her neck, nipping her skin. “Yes,” she whispered, digging her nails into his shoulders. She ran them down his back, and he arched against her touch. He liked marking her? She could mark him, too. He was hers, after all.
The heat built between her legs, and she leaned away from him to let his mouth travel further down her body, licking her chest, her nipples, the swells of her breasts. Her hips never stopped moving, her cleft running along his length, the head rubbing her swollen clit.
