He looked away, squinting his eyes, trying to remember his every move. He’d left the office after Beth informed him they were ready; as he walked in, he almost bumped into a boy. Then he realized she was a girl but she … his eyes flicked back to her hazel ones. That’s why they were so familiar. But he’d completely blanked the incident from his mind.
“My God,” he muttered under his breath, stepping back. “The baggy jeans and sweat suit hoodie.”
“Finally, your brain can function without tits,” she snickered.
“So that’s it; your attitude this entire time was because of that?”
She brushed past him to the sofa, dropping onto it. “What did you expect when you didn’t even give me a chance? I flew from New York after a long assignment, just to talk with you, and you dismissed me because I didn’t have long blonde hair and big silicone boobs!”
“Your breasts are fine the way they are.” The moment he said the words was the second he regretted them. She shot him a cutting look while her cheeks painted bright red.
Still, her breasts were just the right size for her body. He’d spent most of his life admiring that particular part of the female anatomy. Hell, he obsessed over them, but the truth of the matter was, there was hardly a woman these days with the real deal. She had the real thing, and he was dying to touch them, taste them and lick their peaks until she begged him to stop. A jolt in his crotch alarmed him. The heat in his scrotum wound its way to his gut and settled there.
“You … you … I knew this was all just an act. You saw me naked, and you thought I’d be easy prey. After all, we’re stuck in a snowstorm; you must be craving some hot flesh … right?” she said, springing from the sofa.
Breathing heavily, her fists to her sides, Gael was amused. He leaned against the mantle and watched those breasts rise and fall with every heavy breath she took.
“What are you looking at?” she spat, her eyes on fire.
“You know what you need? A damn good screw,” he easily replied.
First, her face went blank, and then it went red before she smirked. “And who’s gonna do it, you?”
“Why not. Why are you fighting the fact that you’re attracted to me?”
“You’re so full of yourself, you arrogant bastard. What on earth made you think I was in the least attracted to you?”
Gael was on a path, a dangerous one, and he could not stop himself. The game had gotten out of his control, and now his blood was hot, his cock was hard, and he wanted her. The more she fussed, the more he was drawn to her. The more she denied her feelings, the more he wanted to possess her.
Zoe was a valuable commodity, a rarity he wasn’t sure existed inside his world. There were plenty of women he could bed at a moment’s notice, but this was not one of them, and that made her special.
She was a challenge that he wasn’t about to lose. He eased himself from his post at the mantle and sauntered over to the sofa where she stood in ready defense. She looked like she was ready to pounce should he try anything.
“Don’t come near me,” she warned.
“I thought you said you weren’t scared,” he teased, advancing.
“Of course I’m not scared of you.” She laughed.
“Good, now let’s talk about this little vendetta of yours,” he said backing off and returning to his seat.
He could hear Zoe’s sigh of relief as he moved off. She was one feisty thing, but underneath that was a girl scared of getting too close. As he dropped himself into the armchair, he inhaled deeply. His heart was beating out of sync and his blood running hot.
Chapter 14
Zoe was scared. Scared that she’d have a heart attack due to the forceful attempt of the organ to break her ribcage. Gael returned to his seat, and she exhaled. Then he turned with a scowl and the heart stopped … just for a second before continuing its uneven beating.
As he sat, he looked at her and remarked, “You are such a cunning little brat, you know that?”
“What?”
“You heard me. This was all a ruse to get back at me, wasn’t it? You’d worm your way under my skin and then drop the bomb,” he said, his voice hardening. He rose from the chair and walked to the sideboard where he picked up a bottle, turned it over in his hand and replaced it. “That act of yours with the sneezing and sniffling was good. Even faked a fever to gain my sympathy. Touché!”
“What? You think I faked being sick so I could get back at you?”
“It’s all clear to me now,” he snarled.
Dumbstruck, she opened her mouth to protest but could not believe he thought her flu was fake. How could he think she targeted him? They’d done nothing but fight since she met him at the airport. He was the one who decided to take her home.
She studied his features, which had gone dark. He picked up the brandy bottle again and poured some in the glass. She watched as he downed the drink in one gulp and slammed the glass on the surface.
Rising from her perch on the sofa, her mind was settled. “Maybe I have overstayed my welcome,” she said in a low tone.
With hastened steps, she headed up the stairs, not thinking her plan through. All she knew was that she could not spend another minute with Gael. With all the bickering and taunting, she never once thought he’d accuse her of manipulating the situation. He was the one to care for her when she was ill, how could he think she faked it to target him?
There was nothing much to pack, so she stuffed whatever was out into her suitcase and pulled on her coat and boots. The heels on her boots were three inches; she should have brought a flatter heel. Disregarding the fact that it might be difficult to trudge through the snow in this, she stomped her way down the stairs, dragging the case behind her.
Of course, the wheels on the darn thing made a racket as they hit each step. She didn’t care. When she reached the living room, she paused, looking at him with all the fierceness riling inside her.
“Merry Christmas, Gael Matheson.”
He stared at her, his deep blue depths glinting, but he said nothing. She left him staring after her as she exited the front door and into the snow. It was difficult pulling her suitcase behind as the ten or so inches of icy fluff hampered her efforts.
Everywhere was white that she had to judge where the street was by estimating the distance between houses. Her view was partially obscured by the density of the falling snow. The main issue now was determining which direction to take. She started moving right as it didn’t matter now because the most important thing was to get as far away from Gael as possible.
She had just made a few steps on her new journey when her suitcase refused to tag along. Turning with a frustrated groan, she gave it a hard yank before realizing what was holding it back.
“Let go of my luggage, you turd!” her voice matched the howling wind that whipped through the air.
“Turd? That’s mature,” he calmly stated. “And stop trying so hard to be tough, we both know you aren’t.”
The spark of anger that was simmering under the surface finally burst into a blazing fire. “Let go!” she screamed, giving the item a hard pull, but lost her balance and ended up on her backside instead.
Gael moved quickly to reach down and yanked her to her feet. But she was having none of that; she pulled away from him and was back on her derriere.
“Stop fussing and come back inside. You don’t want a relapse, now do you?”
“Relapse?” she snorted. “I thought I was faking the whole thing!”
He ignored her snarky tone. “Let’s go; it’s cold out.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“You don’t have a choice,” he replied.
She stood, brushing the icy particles from her coat and squinting her eyes to see through the falling sheets of ice. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Gael’s answer was to make one long step toward her. Before she could react, he was lifting her and throwing her over his shoulder. His grip on her was firm while his free h
and grabbed the handle of the luggage and lifted it.
“Put me down, or I’ll scream.”
“Scream all you want, all the neighbors know me well. Plus, no one would hear you in this storm,” he casually replied.
“Argh, I hate you Gael Matheson; I really hate you,” she shrieked, pummeling his hard back with her fists while he crunched through the snow. His long legs carried them back to the house in a few strides.
“You can hate me all you want, but do it inside where it’s warm,” he gibed.
He paused a moment to remove her coat, and when she would have bolted, he picked her up and again took her to the living room. Dumping her on the sofa, he gave her a menacing stare, then knelt and removed her boots. “You try leaving again, and I’ll tie you up,” he warned.
“You can’t keep me here.”
“Hell if I can’t. I won’t be responsible for you meeting your death out there.”
With a pout and her wrath boiling over, she rose, gripped the handle of the luggage and brushed past him. When she reached the stairs, she lifted the thing and carried it up. She was opening the bedroom door when someone grabbed her upper arm and spun her around. Her back came up against the passage wall.
A frustrated cry emitted from her. “What now?”
Back to the wall, Gael closed in on her, placing his palms flat on the wall on either side of her head. Raising her eyes in question, they locked with his.
“Don’t you have something to say to me?” he murmured.
His nearness rattled her, and her pulse erupted in a fast gallop. A magnetic force tugged at her, compelling her to him. She shrank away, but her back dug into the wall, making it impossible to flee. He’d closed in a few more inches.
Her stomach fluttered violently while heat crawled all over her skin. A weird but pleasant sensation presented in her belly bottom.
“I-I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stuttered, looking away.
“Zoe.”
“What?” her eyes rested on his Adam’s apple, noting how it moved up and down when he spoke.
“Do you know what it means to get under a man’s skin?”
Of course she knew, but she was damned if she’d admit it. That’s what scared her the freaking most. He had also found a way to get under her skin. His closeness now proved that very fact. She wanted him to get closer, but he was Gael, the man whore jerk! How could she allow him to get into her mind … into her heart?
She shook her head in response, closing her eyes. As she felt him press into her, her lips parted to allow for easy breathing. Then she felt his breath on her cheek.
His murmur caused an upsurge in the wild drumming of her heart. “I think you know.”
She hadn’t recovered from his hot breath on her skin when he pressed his lips to her already scorching cheek. He moved his torrid lips along her jaw, coming to settle at the base of her ear. Now, she could hear her own gasps as she gulped for air.
The electric sensations assuaging her rendered her motionless … weak even. Her mind screamed that she should make a run for it, but her knees were jelly. In addition, she liked the feel of his lips as they nibbled her earlobe and trailed their way back to the corner of her mouth.
“What … gasp … are you doing?” she breathed.
“What does it look like?”
“But, you’ll get my bug,” she replied between gasps.
“I don’t give a fuck about that. I’ve been dying to kiss you since on the plane.”
The moment the last words left his lips, he brushed the corner of her mouth then proceeded to suck on her bottom lip. A whimper escaped her as shockwaves impugned her. He raised his head, and she thought she was free, but she wasn’t.
Gael cupped her face, kissed her eyes, then her nose, and her breath stopped. This wasn’t what she thought he’d do given the chance. She had thought he’d ravage her like a savage, given her impression of him. But the gentleness exuded from him at the moment shocked her so much that she could do nothing but allow the electric charges to continue coursing through her.
When he captured her mouth, it was a gentle caress, which gradually grew into a more ardent kiss. By the time he took her tongue, her entire body was electrocuted and on fire. Her woman place was hot with desire for a deeper bond.
No, she inwardly protested, not the man whore. I can’t believe I’m falling for the man whore, she bemoaned.
Chapter 15
This was no longer a challenge but a raging need burning deep inside his gut. His reaction to seeing Zoe leaving the house was automatic. It hit him that she wasn’t familiar with the area. What if something happened to her out there, and she froze to death or worse … what if he never saw her again?
Now he was standing within inches of her, and there was nothing he wanted more than to take her inside and make sweet love to her. That was it. He wanted the spitfire foul mouth beauty standing before him, and he knew in his very core that she wanted him as much. However, he never expected her to be easy, and he knew the moment he kissed her she would find a way out of it. Therefore, when she snagged his tongue between her teeth and applied enough pressure to make him wince, he wasn’t surprised.
“Ouch,” he growled. “You won’t get away with that.”
He took her lips between his teeth and gave then a gentle nip, pleased as he listened to her whimper. He then kissed the corner of her mouth before trailing his lips along her jaw and down to her neck.
“Oh God,” she gasped as he licked the skin beneath her jawline with his hot tongue.
To send the message loud and clear that he wanted her, he pressed his swollen crotch into her belly, wanting her to feel its hardness. She reached up to push him away, but instead, he felt her clutch a handful of his sweater as she groaned.
Raising his head, he searched her face. She was staring at him with her eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Did he go too far? he wondered. Maybe it was time he reigned in his emotions and stopped this. He pulled back, but her clutch on his clothing tightened. Then she was pulling him toward her, and he allowed her to lead.
She took his lips, nibbling them at first and them plunging her smooth tongue into his mouth. Arching into him, she pressed her breasts into his chest, and that’s when all bets were off.
A deep rumbling growl erupted from his chest as he swept her up and strode to his room, kicking the door open. As soon as he was inside, he heeled the door shut and covered the six-foot distance to the bed in a few steps.
He was expecting her to protest. This was fast for her; he knew that. But damn it, he couldn’t remember the last time he wanted someone as much as he wanted her now. No, that wasn’t correct, he couldn’t remember ever needing a woman this much.
By the time he reached the bed, she slipped from his arms. What she did next was to cup his head, bringing their lips together. He gripped the hem of her sweater, yanking it over her head. She followed by removing her T-shirt and bra.
Those perky tits beckoned to him, and he could only succumb. He gripped her by the waist and pulled her close, dipping his head to savor each tantalizing nipple.
The fire raging inside his old childhood bedroom was a stark contrast to the snowstorm now rampant outside, as the storm reached its peak.
Gael wanted to take it slow, savor every touch, every feel, but somehow they found themselves rapidly peeling off clothes and throwing them across the room. They fell upon the bed with him on top, their lips sealed. He cupped a breast and gave it a light squeeze.
The feel of her skin was as silk and her touches like fire. His body burned with the need for her. He arched his back and took a nipple between his lips alternating between right and left. They were not large, but they were enough. He liked how pliant they were beneath his hand and how they fitted perfectly into his palms.
While his lips tasted of her sweet peaks, his hand adored her skin, making a path down her belly. He relished the way her stomach trembled at his touch and the whimper she gave when his hand
neared her crest.
His hand paused at her junction and caressed her in a circular pattern. Her thighs slowly parted to allow him to slide his hand between, feeling her woman heat. Using his index finger, he parted her flesh and brushed the fingertip across her protruded love button.
When he plunged his finger into her vagina, she gripped his shoulders, letting out a muffled cry. He began stroking her, and soon her hips moved in tune with his hand. By the time he withdrew his finger, it was dripping with her aromatic fluid.
* * *
Zoe could scream at the pleasure rushing from head to toe as Gael finger fucked her. She knew her experience was limited, but by God, she hadn’t expected to feel so much.
Parting her thighs, she allowed him to settle between them. His cock touched her opening, and she could only stifle another groan. Reaching between, she grasped the same object she’d held that very morning. This time she held it and relished the feel of the bulges. She ran her hand along its length several times in awe of its length and breadth.
Under her administration, his member pulsed with her every stroke. She especially liked his response to her, the way it bounced under her touch. Gael’s low growl caused another gush of fluid to escape her.
Unable to stand another minute, she guided his thick shaft to her opening and pushed her hips into his pelvis. He responded by thrusting his hips into hers. His cock slid in part way, and then he withdrew and dipped once more. He repeated this several times until he had slid completely into her. Her walls closed around him, gripping him like a vice.
As though on cue, their bodies began moving together as he thrust in and out of her, each stroke sending delicious ripples through her. Waves of voltaic charges erupted between them, flowing into each other as their bodies danced together in a mating call. The tempo increased as did their heat, reaching epidemic proportions.
As their bodies moved, she allowed her hand to explore his dips and plains, loving the way his muscles rippled with each move he made. Every move spiked the flames between them. Sheens of sweat glistened on their skin as the passion mounted, reaching fever pitch.
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