“I still don’t understand why you’re doing this,” I murmured. “Your brother is right. You must like taking in strays. How many before me?”
He came to a complete halt in the entryway of the library, a furious look in his eyes, and not one I liked aimed at me.
“None,” he said.
We both knew he lied.
With a tip of his head, he started back toward the foyer, past a closed door. “What’s this room?” I asked, eager to change the subject, at least for now.
“Bedroom,” he said, his tone still clipped. “Come. This way.”
I was still thinking about the library and the books, some hardcover, others paperback, all appearing in pristine condition.
“One day I’d like to hear that sound for something other than books,” he said, his tone lighter than seconds before.
“Seriously, what am I supposed to say to that?” It was like the handcuff comment at the precinct.
Gabe chuckled, grasped my elbow, and led me back through the elegant inlaid marble entryway from which I’d entered to the other side of the massive apartment.
“Master bedroom here,” he said, pointing to the open door leading to his suite.
I wasn’t ready to get an intimate look at his personal space, so I waited for him to move us along.
“And this is your room,” he said.
Next to his.
I swallowed hard and stepped inside. Wall-to-wall windows on one side surrounded by light, drapey-looking white curtains, and another generous set of windows on an adjoining wall.
“You can see Central Park in daylight,” he said, his tone back to normal. “My sister, Lucy, stays here when she’s in town.”
“How many of you Dares are there?”
“Three. Lucy lives in L.A. and runs our clubs out there, and she has no visits planned. Feel free to use whatever you’d like until we can get you a wardrobe of your own.”
I spun from the gorgeous view to look at the equally gorgeous man. “I’ll borrow your sister’s clothes if you’re sure she won’t mind.” I wasn’t going to touch his other outrageous statement.
“She won’t. Lucy’s the most generous woman I know,” he said, the warmth in his voice both unexpected and touching.
He seemed pretty generous himself, at least to me.
He swung open the door to what I figured was the bathroom. It was actually a luxury spa, a mix of cream, taupe, and brown marble. The shower was filled with more nozzles and hoses than I knew what to do with, and even a bench inside.
“I’m sure Lucy left enough bottles of female stuff that you’ll make do.”
I managed a nod. I didn’t want to admit I was overwhelmed but was certain he could see it in my face. Channeling Scarlett O’Hara, I decided that tomorrow I’d deal with things in a much better frame of mind.
Chapter Three
Gabe: Revealed
Gabe silently thanked God his houseguest escaped into the shower as soon as she possibly could. The tour of the house had just about done him in. Isabelle’s oohs and aahs had been genuine, as had her love of his favorite room in the place. Unlike Naomi, who had taken one look at his apartment and immediately begun calculating how she could move in permanently, Isabelle, who he had invited, not only wanted to pay her way but she planned to leave as soon as possible.
Not if he had his way.
Back at the police station, outside in the rain, it’d been all he could do not to reach out and swipe his hands over her responsive nipples, feel her tremble beneath his touch, and get rid of the ridiculous distance between them. He might not know her well, but he’d always felt they’d connected. The physical attraction was obvious. She was all woman, supple curves, her breasts full and lush, and she possessed one hell of an ass. His cock twitched with desire he’d felt from the moment he’d first seen her on Daltry’s arm.
But things ran deeper. They’d shared banter and flirting during opportune moments when he’d caught her alone. He’d had glimpses of the intelligent, witty woman she was when not with that pompous ass. But not until today had he really seen beyond the exterior beauty to the depth beneath. Those sexy blonde curls that bounced wildly around her face were a proud testament to the fiercely independent woman she desperately wanted to be.
The woman he intended to help her find.
It wouldn’t be easy. Isabelle needed gentling. Understanding. Patience. Not his best traits, but when it came to her, he’d already exercised plenty. He’d bided his time, knowing Daltry would fuck up sooner or later. The balls that made him a crack financial investor also imbued an arrogance that would be his downfall. And it had been.
It was Gabe’s good fortune that Daltry’s screw-up had landed Isabelle at his brother’s police station. Seeing her there had given him insight he wouldn’t have had otherwise. In Isabelle, he saw an intriguing combination of weary life experience and innocent ingenue. It was the innocence the most primitive part of him wanted to conquer, to possess. Since he’d begun running his father’s empire at the age of twenty-one, the same age he’d been drafted into surrogate parenthood to his sister, he had always gotten what he wanted.
And Gabe wanted Isabelle.
Chapter Four
Isabelle: Sleeping Beauty
After Gabe left my room, I prowled around, inspecting the beautiful flowered artwork on the walls. Georgia O’Keefe originals if I wasn’t mistaken. I’d always been drawn to the bright colors and light. I searched the drawers for clothes, discovering that Gabe’s sister and I had similar taste. In fact, we shared some of the same items, but mine were back in my old closet, while hers were lying unused, inviting me to squeeze my Ds into her obviously more compact Bs.
Gabe was right. Tomorrow I’d have to go buy some of my own clothes, and I cringed at the thought of digging into my meager savings but would because I wouldn’t let him buy me the way Lance had.
I took a long, hot bath, lingering and feeling ultra decadent as I relaxed into the whirlpool bubbles. After, I dressed in Lucy’s sweatpants, mortified to discover that they, too, were a size too small. Clearly the woman didn’t have my boobs or my size ass. And here I’d really wanted to like her.
With a resigned sigh, I stepped out of the bathroom, surprised to find a tray of food at the foot of the bed, a chilled bottle of Bling H20—which cost forty dollars a bottle thanks to the Swarovski crystal-encrusted wording and the champagne-like cork. I knew this because Lance complained when I requested tap water at his favorite restaurant, insisting I order only the best.
And Gabe kept the water in his home. The bottle was too pretty for me to even open. Well, the man did own exclusive hotels and clubs, and I knew he’d been featured in online gossip columns more than once for his single, eligible status. He certainly desired and could afford the very best.
Still, I was thirsty, he had left it for me, and as with most things in my life at the moment, I had no viable choice. I ate the scrambled eggs, not questioning too hard whether he’d made them himself, I was so hungry.
But the biggest impact of the night came from the other item on the tray. The newest Nora Roberts book, hardback, which had just gone on sale this past Tuesday. I hadn’t yet ventured to town to buy myself a copy. Now if I’d thought about it, I would have resigned myself to waiting until I could afford it or found a library that was sure to have a long wait list.
Why Gabe owned the book was a mystery. How he’d known that was my taste in novels even more so. Especially since I didn’t want to come off as a starry-eyed romantic. Unfortunately, he’d figured me out already. Ready to read and relax for the first time all day, I crawled into the luxurious bed, sinking into the mattress and cuddling into the duvet, planning to read.
Next thing I knew, sunlight, muted by drawn curtains, streamed through the room. I blinked and instinctively knew the light wasn’t what had woken me. I forced my eyelids open to find Gabe staring at me from a chair across from the bed.
“Morning, Sleeping Beauty.” He sipped coffee
while he read the paper, as if being in my bedroom was perfectly normal, something he did every day.
Mortified, I sank deeper beneath the covers. “Get. Out.”
He looked me over from head to toe, heat in his predatory gaze. I had to be imagining things. I wasn’t vain and was well aware that my hair always looked like a bad eighties perm experiment in the morning.
“What’s wrong? You’re completely covered,” he said, closing the paper.
I blinked, wondering when my world had gone mad. “I was asleep. That’s private! It’s first thing in the morning. Why would I want you to see me this early?” I realized I was shrieking and forced air into my lungs, calming myself down. Hysterical shrew didn’t become me. “Look, if I’m going to stay here, I want a lock on that door.” There. I’d managed to regain control of my voice.
He grinned. “There is one. But now that you’ve reminded me, I’ll have it removed.” He folded the paper and set it down on the table beside him.
“This arrangement isn’t going to work out.” I mistakenly shifted, sitting up higher in the bed, revealing the tank top that barely covered my breasts and pulled too tight where it did.
“Calm down,” he said, still clearly amused. “We need to talk.”
“And it couldn’t wait until I was decent?” My voice rose again. Modulate, I muttered under my breath.
“No. It’s something that needs to happen now, and I want you here when I teach Daltry a much-needed lesson.”
I gulped in air. “Why in God’s name would you do that?”
“Any man who lets a woman leave his home in the dead of night with nothing but the clothes on her back, a small stack of bills, and no cell phone deserves it.” He cocked an eyebrow my way, that possessiveness there in his blue-black gaze. “That he did it to you merely compounds his error.”
I bolted upright in bed, forgetting all about modesty and coverage. “You really need to explain this.” I gestured back and forth between us, ending with a clean sweep around his sister’s bedroom. “You don’t know me well enough to care that much about what Lance did. You can’t expect me to believe you’d have taken in just any … stray,” I said, pulling his brother’s word out for good use. “But you took me into your home. Isn’t that enough without teaching Lance a lesson?” I asked in disbelief.
His gaze darkened into an unreadable hue. “Not even close. And we can talk about the whys another time. Now tell me. Did you contribute to the relationship?” he asked.
I nodded.
“You obviously don’t have a bank account, so was yours joint?”
I glanced over at Central Park behind the gauzy curtains, unable to face him while I, again, managed a nod.
“And you’re not the type to sit around and eat bonbons while your man works his fingers to the bone to provide for you.”
I swallowed hard. “I used to work. But later in the relationship … I think I was brainwashed,” I muttered, embarrassed.
He burst out laughing. “Considering the you I’ve known for less than twenty-four hours, I’d have to agree with you. What brought you out of the fog and into the light?”
I set my jaw. “I don’t want to talk about that right now.”
He studied me through narrowed eyes. “Eventually you will,” he stated.
I blinked. “What kind of lesson?” I asked, changing the subject. “I mean, no blood or broken bones, right?”
He grinned. “No, I like my bones intact.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“I’ll be utterly civilized. I can’t promise Garrett will behave the same way, but he’ll only act if provoked. Ex-Navy SEAL and all that.”
“Who is Garrett?” I asked.
“Our bodyguard.”
There it was again. That possessiveness in his words and tone. Just like my room, our bodyguard presumed we were in a relationship of some kind. We barely knew one another. What I did know was that he unequivocally turned me on in a way no man ever had. He also made me feel safe, wanted, and cared for.
But I was starting over, I reminded myself, and that included being smarter. What that entailed, I hadn’t yet decided.
“All done with the questions?” he asked.
I managed to nod.
He hit one button. “Daltry? Gabriel Dare.”
I ran my tongue over my dry lips. “You have him on autodial?” I asked loudly, then snapped my mouth shut as Gabe continued, his eyes on me as he spoke to Lance.
“I’m not so hot, and I’m not your buddy. Not anymore. Just giving you a heads-up. I’m cancelling all my accounts with you effective immediately. Just to be clear, do not make any more trades in my name. All my stocks and finances will be transferred by end of business today.”
My eyes opened wide. I’d had no idea Lance managed Gabe’s financial accounts. Then again, Lance was with the best-known firm in Manhattan, and Gabe clearly did business with only the best. Their relationship had just ended … because of me.
The blood drained from my head, and I sank deeper into the bed, lowering myself against the mattress that had given me such a good night’s sleep. Now it supported me when I started to shake.
Gabe walked over and placed a firm hand on my shoulder. His touch burned my skin, reassuring me as well as confusing me.
“Not that I owe you an answer,” Gabe said into the phone, still speaking to Lance. “But if you want an explanation, I’m happy to provide one. Because you’re a fucking prick who doesn’t know how to treat a lady, that’s why.”
Gabe was defending me. Surprise, gratitude, and a host of unfamiliar emotions washed over me. My own parents hadn’t defended me throughout my teenage years. Lance sure as hell had never truly supported me in any way. Yet Gabe was pulling what had to be million-dollar accounts from Lance’s firm. Because of me.
I didn’t know what to do with this. I didn’t want to owe him, and yet gratitude flowed through my veins like freshly tapped maple syrup. Yeah, I remembered that day in elementary school. Useless information, I reminded myself and focused instead on the strength of Gabe’s hand on my shoulder.
I started breathing again, picking up on Gabe’s words mid-conversation. “I’m not answering any more of your damned questions about Izzy, and I don’t expect she’ll want to hear from you again.”
I had never been called that before. I liked it.
Whatever Lance said, Gabe smirked and said, “I want her things delivered to my office immediately. Any money she came into your relationship with, I expect a check for that amount on my desk by the end of the week. And tack on interest.”
Now I could still hear Lance shouting into the phone as Gabe disconnected the call and tossed the phone onto the bed.
“You okay?” he asked me.
I nodded. Then I did the dumbest thing I could do considering all the changes I’d promised myself I’d make in my life. I jumped up, flung my arms around his neck, and kissed him. Full on the lips. His masculine scent overwhelmed me, causing a fluttering deep in my belly and a quickening between my thighs. But his firm lips didn’t move.
He didn’t respond.
Didn’t melt like I was melting.
Disappointment filled me, followed quickly by humiliation I was only too familiar with. How many times had I tried to seduce Lance, only to have him pull my arms off him so he could roll over, claiming exhaustion?
I’d overreacted, mistaking help for something more, and since I didn’t need or want that something at this point in my life, I shored up my defenses and pulled away.
“Well. Now that I’ve properly thanked you, we can move on.” I fought the blush I knew had formed on my cheeks.
“You’re welcome,” he said but didn’t release me. He merely held on more tightly, his fingers digging into my wrists, pulling at my shoulders, all of which had the unfortunate effect of turning me on even more.
We stared into each other’s eyes, and my breathing grew shallow. Oh hell, I was nearly panting with need, my breasts stra
ining against the already-tight tank. I didn’t understand this side effect of rejection.
But if he was rejecting me, why hadn’t he let me go? “I don’t understand.” I could have been talking about his actions or mine.
“You will, Iz. In time.”
I shivered at his shortening of my name. “How much time?”
A seductive smile tipped his lips, making it seem like he was far from disinterested. “I want to fuck you, kitten, but when I do, it won’t be about gratitude. And it will be on my terms.”
“Oh.”
Lance never used the word fuck in bed, and if he had, it wouldn’t have had me nearly coming from the sound alone.
My lips parted, and he swooped in, sliding his mouth over mine, all too briefly but enough for a taste.
A tease.
He yanked back harder on my wrists, and at the same time, he nipped at my lips. It stung there, while between my legs, a fullness the likes of which I’d never experienced before began to throb. Slick moisture dampened my underwear. Swaying forward, I moaned into his mouth.
At which point he released me. Only his strong arm around my waist prevented me from falling. My head spun from his seductive scent, his arousing kiss, the firm tone of his voice. Confusion and more warred inside me.
Gabe stepped back, apparently having none of the same problems. “I need to take care of some things at work. When I get back, we’ll talk about your plans.”
Plans. I blinked. That’s right. I had plans. It was a good thing he was going to the office. Distance would do me some good and remind me I didn’t need a man to make my life complete.
Nor did I need him to make me come. Something I planned to do as soon as Gabe left for the office.
* * *
Isabelle: The Secret Room
After I’d showered and taken care of … things, I headed into the kitchen to find Gabe had left me a note. “Iz”—there was that shortened name again, and I couldn’t suppress a smile—“went to the office. Make yourself at home. And be good while I’m gone.”
Dare to Surrender Page 3
