by Scott, Talyn
“Perhaps,” he chuckled, and the sound clenched Azure’s stomach, “I shouldn’t tease you.” She could have sworn he swiped his bottom lip with his tongue - a decidedly pink tongue, warm and wet. “I am Gage MacGelton.” As he introduced himself, Azure’s eyes were transfixed on his jawline, muscles working under golden skin. She wanted to run her palm over that dusting of dark, blond hair. Feel his whiskers scratch her nipples until they burned for his tongue. “You are Azure Malloy,” he said since she didn’t bother introducing herself. Caught ogling. But he had to be used to that by now.
“I am,” she said, taking an instinctual step back. Why? She didn’t know. Had never done that before, even when someone creepy passed her on the street, but he was unnerving her in a daring way. “This is Abby Pendleton.” She tilted her head Abby’s way, but couldn’t take her eyes off Gage long enough to see if her friend’s chin had hit the floor.
Full lips curled, kicking up in the corners, pretty but still masculine. His hair was thick, brushed back from his tanned forehead in smooth chunks, though several long platinum-streaked pieces hung down, brushing his high cheekbones. A little messy. As if he’d enjoyed a recent roll in the bed or on the floor - maybe over a large desk somewhere. Azure could envision herself bending over a desk, taking it from behind while gripping the sharp edges as he pummeled her body. Her fingers curled in her palms, wanting to comb through that hair. Mess it up some more.
“Ah, Abby, nice meeting you,” he said in whiskey smooth undertones, but didn’t take his eyes off Azure, continuing to watch her with a primordial intensity that made her heart skip a few beats. His thick thighs made short order of the stairs, descending with a powerful grace that, considering his size, surprised her. Gage MacGelton was comfortable in his skin, at one with his body. But there was something else lurking there. The perfect lamb personified on the outside, yet she could sense a savage hiding behind those remarkable cerulean eyes. She could feel it calling out, pacing the floor, its singular focus set on her. Azure could picture him on all fours springing with a ferocity bordering unleashed violence. Maybe that’s why she took another step back. But there was one thing that she was sure of, as crazy as it sounded, she didn’t want to leave.
Abby pulled the paperwork out, offering it to Gage with a trembling hand when he stepped in front of them. “I have all the signed documents here.”
Jude came back through, the high ceilings and marbled floors echoing his booted feet. Gage held the file out to him without a second glance. “Mind taking that back to Stacy?” He positioned his back to Azure, placing himself between her and Jude. He was towering, warmth emitting from his colossal body. She could smell that wildness she pictured a moment ago, a tantalizing aroma. Between his body heat and his scent, her hormones were rocking into overdrive. More of that embarrassing sweat beaded on her forehead, some of it went down her chest and trickled a line between her breasts. “Abby needs to meet with her, as well.”
“Not a problem,” Jude said easily. “I’ll get them together.”
“Now?” Abby asked, surprised. “I was hoping for a tour. Even selling real estate, it’s not every day that I get to see a home like this.”
“A tour another time, then,” Gage said determinedly, guiding her back to the elevator with a firm hand under her elbow. Then he turned to his friend and ordered, “Report later, Jude.” He wasn’t curt, but anyone could see there was a pecking order, and Gage wasn’t on the receiving end of it.
Azure cleared her throat, stepping around him, but he countered her movement. And this strange dance had all started when Jude came back in as if Gage didn’t want her looking at him, or was it the other way around?
She heard Jude’s rumbling accent again. “Of course, but you must check into the, uh, pool heater. It seems to be rising.” Azure watched as he stepped into the elevator with Abby, punching the code quickly in order to close the doors. “Perhaps you want to tinker with it,” he added, glancing Azure way, “fix it before it escalates. Avoid more problems, I say.”
“Yes, Jude. I noticed the problem,” Gage said tightly, nodding as the doors started closing with them inside. “And since I find procrastination tedious, I will be on that immediately.”
“Bye, Abby.” Azure turned to Gage. “You have a pool all the way up here?” They were at least twenty floors up, maybe more. She hadn’t counted. Heights got to Azure, made her nervous all of her life.
He gestured for her to climb the right staircase, following close behind with one hand under her left elbow and the other pressed hotly against her lower back. “Actually, it’s on this level, but right upstairs” - he kept herding her – “is something you want to see in the master bedroom.” And why did that have a foreboding ring to it?
Chapter Nine
“What you’re doing with my house is amazing,” she said as they reached the landing before he pulled her to the right. “I have a degree in psychology, not management. Organizing your small facility is beyond my experience. Basically, I hand out pills… listen to those who need an ear, holding their hand when no one’s there.” She’d done plenty of that when she worked nursing homes, too. But after watching too many people die, she’d decided to move as far away from death as her degree and experience allowed. “Nothing about me is orderly, so I can’t imagine taking on something of this magnitude. Gees,” she whispered in awe, looking around quickly since Gage was moving so fast, “how big is this place?”
“More than eight thousand square feet, I think. Not that large for a penthouse, but I wanted it more for the outer decks and the rooftop garden. That’s the living space I’m interested in,” his voice was deep, rolling down her spine.
“Wow.”
He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, glancing at her mouth. “I’m an outdoorsy kind of man.”
“I should enjoy the outdoors more, especially since I’m blessed to live in Florida.” Her mouth formed into an o as she gazed out. “I love it here.”
“Trust me, Azure. You fit in here.”
“Somewhere just as beautiful, but wholly different is Scotland,” she went on enthusiastically, “I had the opportunity last month to travel there.”
A wild sound left his throat, but he covered it with a cough. “How was your visit?”
“Lonely. I went by myself.” She shrugged. “But I’ll always remember it. Once in a lifetime opportunities don’t come twice.”
“I agree, Azure. We’re to cherish the opportunities we’re given. Some are treasures.” He gazed at her with dark longing, before referring back to the rooftop. “This garden’s been maintained since this building was finished, very woodsy. When night falls, and the moon glows, it’s welcoming, a place to mediate. I hope you’ll enjoy it during your stay.”
“About that -”
He lifted her arm, sniffing her inner wrist. “What are you wearing?”
“Soap,” she squeaked, but another, grander view quickly grabbed her attention. “Oh, my.” The bay was on one side, only overshadowed by the Miami skyline. He was a king here, power at his fingertips, the world in his sights. “Oh, it’s incredible.”
“Incredible,” he mused aloud, rubbing his whiskered jaw with his free hand while still holding a flat palm against her back. “Azure Malloy” – he turned her with that palm, boring his eyes through hers – “you are more incredible than I imagined. And I have quite an imagination.”
“But you didn’t know me before today. We just met,” she said cautiously. “What was there to imagine?”
“Last night, when I first heard of you,” his voice deepened. “I imagined someone with a heart big enough to open their mother’s home to those still on the streets instead of selling it to someone that would have, more than likely, rent it out to drug dealers.” He led her to a chaise upholstered in butter-smooth suede, seating her against the back while he took the end.
“Oh, well, it’s really small, though.” His gaze touched her slutty shoes. She suddenly hated Abby for pressuring her. I cou
ld be here in my wedges, not resembling a whore.
“Yes, at first, we’ll have a small capacity.” He moved with masculine grace, brute strength evident in his long arms and broad shoulders. “But it’s the start of many places that I’d like to have. And what’s the problem someone needy would have with sleeping in a small bed in a shared room, when their alternative is a dangerous alley. Consider that drug peddlers prey on every corner, tempting those who are struggling to revert to their dangerous addictions. Therefore, I don’t think anyone will complain about the coziness.” He pulled off his jacket, inadvertently brushing her thigh, and placed it on a side table.
“Nick -”
“The one you watch porn with?” He placed her purse on top of his jacket.
“My friend that I also work with,” she corrected with a slight giggle, wondering if she could live her earlier embarrassment down, “is the man you want. He’s a psychiatrist finishing his residency.”
“Sounds intriguing,” he said dryly, lightly trailing his index finger over the curve of her cheek, “but only if he’s not your man. Wherever you’re concerned, I’m counting on becoming jealous.”
Jealous? “He’s gay.” Nick was open, but that still wasn’t any of Gage’s business. He’s touching me. She was nervous, and nervousness gave her a big mouth.
He shook his head no. “That information won’t keep my green-eyed monster at bay,” he murmured, now looming over her. “I have found that blunt honestly usually works best for me.”
“Blunt honesty instead of brutal honesty?” She took a deep breath, staring at his parted lips. Azure could have sworn that his eye teeth looked a touch longer, but that was her being crazy.
“Nothing brutal, Love,” he murmured wickedly. “I want you.”
“Want me?” He wanted her. Him? Walking, talking Adonis? Wanted her? She’d heard that ‘cougaring’ was a new trend, but never thought she’d be faced with it twice in one week. Of course, Sayer was a male slut. Most guys his age were. But this man, Gage MacGelton seemed far more controlled than Sayer. Seasoned by time, yet he only appeared to be in his upper twenties.
“You’re surprised?” He ran his hand down her arm, closing his eyes briefly as if to savor her. “Why? You’re an extraordinary woman.”
Surprised? Stunned was more like it. After she’d gotten over the initial shock of Gage’s appearance – and she still hadn’t quite recovered, the palatial views had overwhelmed Azure. Realization now hit that she was in his master bedroom - an extravagant room centered by the biggest bed she’d ever laid eyes on - and the owner of that bed - the hottest man she’d ever encountered - was staring at her with sex in his eyes. The dirty kind. The sex she knew she’d been missing out on for far too long. The sex she truly wanted. But still… she eyed him, knowing that he could break her heart worse than Will ever did if she gave him half a chance. “I can’t stay here,” Azure blurted out, flushing red.
She started working past him, getting her ass out of his too-comfortable chaise, but he wasn’t having it. With a purposeful finger beneath her chin, he raised her to face him, all kinds of sincerity oozing out of his voice, “I would never hurt you. If that were my intention, I could have done so in the foyer, bringing you up here wouldn’t have made any difference.” Rather casually, he waved his opposite hand at the bed. “I thought you would enjoy the bay view. This is the best room for that.” His blue eyes riveted on hers. “The bed is secondary.”
Secondary to what? Azure angled her head, easing away from him. “Okay. But if you truly need me out of the house today, I can stay with Nick.”
“This is a good-sized place. I’m the only one here.” He stayed focused, never dropping his eye contact. “And we probably wouldn’t see one another unless we were discussing our project. Unless you decide you want me, too,” he sighed, “the way I want you.”
“This is getting uncomfortable. I’m uncomfortable.” She actually was. Her skin was heating up again, and a jolt shot through her core that was as close to a lightning strike as she was ever going to encounter. “Even though you’re not set on hurting me” – she flashed a grin – “we don’t know each other.”
He inclined his head in acknowledgement. “We will if you stay, Azure. So why postpone the inevitable.”
“Inevitable?” Though this conversation was starting to freak her out, part of her wanted to cozy up to his hard body, stroking him until he laid her upon that sinful bed and had his wicked way with her.
“I always have a way of getting what I want,” he answered with a peculiar reverence while following a bead of her sweat with his fingertip, trailing it until it disappeared behind her ear. “I sense that you want to know me. Your furniture is being moved into one of my air-conditioned storage facilities. Your clothes and personal items are on their way here.”
“I just left the house an hour ago. You’re mistaken.”
“I make things happen, Azure.”
“But -”
He stilled her, putting his fingers on her lips. “The man you were with, Sayer, he worked for me.”
She pushed his hand away. “Worked?” She choked out, realizing Sayer must have told him about their date. “Something really happened to him?”
“He hasn’t checked in yet,” he replied solemnly. “You were the last one with him.”
Her eyes rounded. “I-I didn’t do anything to Sayer.”
“Hush, Love, you’re misinterpreting. Remember me and blunt honesty? I admitted that I wanted you. I’ll also admit that I’m honestly concerned for your safety. I want you here, under my roof and my protection.” He encircled her wrist with his fingers, a loose manacle. “In fact, I’m insisting on it. I feel responsible for you.”
That simple touch, his fingertips settling on her racing pulse sent a rush of wetness down her vagina. Before she even blinked, his opposite hand slipped down, curling around her ass. Her dress didn’t afford the same security as slacks or jeans, and his fingers easily caressed her through its thin fabric - hot skin stroking hot skin. A bold move one shouldn’t make even on a first date. One they weren’t on. But he was doing it anyway. And they’d just met.
With a sense of self-preservation, she pushed away from him. But the more she resisted, the more she wanted him. Her back was pressed against the chair, and her palms were against his chest. “Oh, God, I told Abby you were probably a weirdo.”
“Weirdo? Hardly,” he scoffed, blinking innocently. “Over the years, I’ve eased up on the peculiar.” He took his hands back, giving her a measure of space. “You might say I’ve downgraded myself to kinky.”
“I knew it was too good to be true.” The feel of his cock was still imprinted on her stomach. “You think I’m in some sort of danger.”
“Oh, in certain ways, I am too good to be true,” he drawled. “As far as the danger goes, if I don’t let you out of my sight, we won’t have anything to worry about.
“Tell me that you don’t lock women in a cage.” Azure shivered; he was too arousing. “I had that thought in my head on the way over here,” she teased half-heartedly. “I didn’t confess it to Abby, though, kept it quiet.”
“Ah,” he said with a rakish smile, “you’re one of those who subscribe to self-fulfilling prophecies, then. You say it; therefore, you own it?” He reached out, stroking down the length of her arm, trying to soothe her – manage her. And it was working. She wondered what all that golden skin would look like nude, sprawled out on that giant bed nestled in sex-tangled sheets.
He breathed deeply as if smelling her before his whole body stiffened. A low, throaty growl left his chest. It was a primal, rumbling sound - one of utter dominance - delivered by an animal. A pretty one. Her fingers curled around the chaise, holding on for dear life. “Gage MacGelton,” she whispered hoarsely, watching his eyes shift from blue to midnight, “there’s something inside you that wants out.”
“Only to claim you, sweet Azure,” he whispered, his breath a drugging pleasure, “and you would enjoy it immensely.�
�
She was weak against his virility, craving him to the point of pain. “I need some air,” she panted, “a breather.”
“Do I really scare you that much?” Dilated pupils narrowed, taking offense before Gage leaned in, brushing his lips across her jawline. “No, Azure, don’t answer that.” Fingers slipped inside her loose collar, grazing the skin over shoulder. “Your heartbeat tells me everything. Fast. Pumping hard. Stuttering here and there. But it’s not from fear, is it? No. Not fear.”
“Enough,” she said sternly, though wanting him to go on. What would a man his size feel like nestled between her thighs? “Slow down.”
His face came right next to her head, his voice gruff and raw against her ear. “You are saying the things you are supposed to say, not what you want to say.” He pressed his hot length against her stomach, holding it steady when she wanted him to thrust a few inches lower. Clothes couldn’t mask an unbelievable length. Definitely bigger than Will’s. “Listen to your body, Azure. I am.” Something soft and wet slid down her neck – his tongue. “You are hot and needy.”
True. All true. She wanted to pull him to her, pretending they’d known each other for ages so she wouldn’t feel guilty about grabbing his ears and riding his face. As far as needy went, her skin actually hurt, begging to be caressed. Her breasts and sex were aching, even tender. Still, no matter how much dirty talk left her lips or wormed its way through her head, it was just that, all talk. She’d never had a one night stand, encountered a hook-up, or even woke up to an embarrassing drunken mishap. Her night with Sayer was as close as she’d ever come to acting out as a real slut, and Azure kept telling herself that she would have stopped him before they went too far. Azure Malloy was one of the nice girls, the few remaining. And she refused to apologize for that, even to herself when she was all alone in her bed at night. “I have to get out of here.”
