Читать книгу The Dare Collection November 2018 - Christy McKellen, Avril Tremayne - Страница 15

CHAPTER SIX

Gideon

I WATCHED HER leave the deck, my cock on fire and my insides all twisted up once again. What was supposed to be an enjoyable interlude had turned into something else.

She reached the stairs and glanced back at me, a contemplative look in her eyes that unsettled me further. It said she saw beneath my surface, perhaps saw something even I wasn’t aware of. I wanted to race after her, demand she tell me.

I stayed put and let the moment pass until she left the deck.

Maybe I was overthinking things. I blamed that email sitting in my inbox and the flurry of emails from Aunt Flo that had followed it.

As if conjured up by my thoughts, my phone buzzed, displaying a picture of Aunt Flo.

With more than a little trepidation, I snatched it up. ‘Calling to check up on me?’

‘You haven’t answered any of my emails. Do you need checking up on?’

‘Probably.’

‘Should I be worried?’ Aunt Flo asked.

My irritation dissolved and I smiled. ‘No.’

‘Good. Now, tell me how the business with the Russian is going.’

I filled her in, welcoming the chance to dwell on something other than Leonora. Or Damian. Or Bryce. Or, dammit...my feelings.

‘Hmm, I’ve dealt with a troublesome Russian once or twice in my time.’

I laughed. ‘I feel a bout of sage advice coming on.’

‘The trick is to drink them under the table first. Once you show your stamina they’ll be yours for life.’

‘I need him sober to sign on the dotted line.’

Aunt Flo snorted. ‘Well, that’s unfortunate. But you’re clever. That’s why you’re my favourite.’

The peculiar note in her voice drew me up short. ‘Is everything okay?’

‘I’m fine. You know I always get a little low just before my birthday. Besides, I didn’t call to talk about me.’

Her voice had grown soft, a sure sign that I wouldn’t like what was coming. ‘Whatever you called to tell me, let’s have it.’

She sighed. ‘I know you haven’t opened the email. But there’s no other way to say this, my dear. Your cousin is back.’

The sunshine beating down on my shoulders turned arctic. ‘Say that again.’

‘Damian is back in London.’

‘Did we or did we not agree I wouldn’t kill him on condition he stayed away for a bloody long time? And by a bloody long time I mean indefinitely. The last I checked indefinitely wasn’t three fucking years.’

‘Things were said in the heat of the moment that night, Gideon. I had to get you out of there before you two killed each other. I’m hoping cooler heads will prevail now—’

‘I wouldn’t hold your breath. You give me too much credit if you think I’m anywhere near as calm as you want me to be.’

‘You can’t avoid each other for ever,’ she snapped, her voice brusque once again. ‘And, like it or not, he’s still a member of this family.’

‘That’s where you’re wrong. He means less than nothing to me.’

Aunt Flo gasped. ‘You don’t mean that.’

Unfortunately, the pain-filled rage rippling through my chest cemented my certainty. ‘Don’t I? He betrayed me.’

‘I know. And I know how much loyalty means to you. But you must find a way around your feelings. He’s retaking his seat on the board at the end of the month.’

My jaw ached from being clenched so tight. ‘The last I heard there needed to be a vote before that happened.’

‘There will be. I’m just telling you what the outcome will be.’

I didn’t soften my curse.

Aunt Flo sighed again. ‘Haven’t you both suffered enough?’

‘No, I don’t think he suffered nearly enough. In fact, the whole of his lifetime sounds just about the right amount of suffering.’

She didn’t reply for a handful of seconds. ‘I hear you’re thinking of buying a boat.’

I breathed deep, accepted the change of subject. ‘It’s a superyacht. It’s beautiful. You’ll love it.’ For a moment I wondered whether Aunt Flo would like Leonora, too. Then I realised what I was thinking and stepped back from the thought.

‘Hmm. Maybe I’ll come and see it myself.’

‘Aunt Florence—’

‘You leased a floating palace for the better part of a month and issued an open invitation to your family. That includes me, doesn’t it?’

‘You know it does,’ I murmured, trying to think what her angle was.

‘Wonderful. I’ll let you know when to send the plane for me.’ She hung up abruptly.

I stared down at my phone, knowing I should’ve seen this coming. Aunt Flo wouldn’t have sent the email if she hadn’t wanted to prepare me.

Damian had balls to show his face, I had to give him that.

My lips twisted. Wasn’t his ruthless audacity the reason we’d been so close once upon a time?

I slid the phone into my pocket, my gaze bouncing over the horizon. Any enjoyment of the stunning blue waters or the way the sleek yacht cut through them was gone.

With the distance of the Atlantic between us, the ashes of my relationship with Damian had been truly out of sight, out of mind. But I admitted there were times when the consequences of his actions reared its ugly head.

I thought about him and his betrayal every time I glimpsed a deepening interest in a woman’s eyes and questioned its authenticity. Hell, I’d done that at the marina with Leonora, and repeated it less than ten minutes ago.

Each time I left a lover’s bed with that hollowed-out feeling deep inside, I cursed him.

Granted, with the kind of parents I’d been cursed with, trust had already been a dicey issue for me. Damian’s actions had shattered that beyond repair. Penny’s contribution had cemented that destruction and, between the two of them, they’d fucked me over well and good.

So no, I was nowhere near ready to bury the hatchet. Unless I was burying it in the back of my cousin’s skull.

Fresh anger riding me, I headed for my office on the lower deck but, once there, the mountain of work I’d intended to bury myself in lost its pull. Instead I found myself thinking about Leonora. The look in her eyes when I’d talked about my brother. The one that now had guilt tightening my nape.

Bloody hell.

She was screwing with my head, evoking emotions I’d thought had turned to dust in my broken soul.

At least one advantage of Aunt Flo’s call was that the pressure below my waist was no longer a problem.

That would change the moment Leonora came within touching distance. Hell, she turned me on as no woman had in a long time. Even without the benefit of the complete picture, the look in her eyes when I’d told her about my agreement lingered in my head.

With startling clarity, I realised I wanted more of that look, wanted a change from the shallow sex and mindless pleasure-seeking.

Sure, it had potential emotional landmine—the kind I avoided like the bloody plague—written all over it. But had I really left the landmine behind after Damian’s betrayal or had I simply been too numb to feel the detonations? I rose, prowled to the window and stared unseeing outside the porthole.

What the hell was she doing to me?

I should be concentrating on finding a way for Vadim to fall in line. Instead I returned to my desk, pulled up the programme that listed all The Mortimer Group’s work in progress around the world, specifically the Far East file.

After a quick perusal, I fired off a text.

I received a response within minutes.

WTF? I don’t hear from you in over a year and you get in touch to criticise my work?

I grinned at Bryce’s belligerent tone.

The Diamond Bay’s rooftop pool should’ve been twenty metres longer. At least.

It still won the award for the largest suspended pool in the world. And shouldn’t you be concentrating on a certain Russian who I hear is drinking our coffers dry?

I wasn’t surprised Bryce was up to date with my stalled deal.

It’ll be in the bag before the week’s out.

Big talk. Want to back it up with a bet?

A case of Macallan 1926 when I bag the deal?

Make it more interesting. A bottle of Macallan M hand delivered by the loser.

My fingers paused above the keyboard, a curious sensation I recognised as elation expanding in my chest. I placed the blame squarely at Leonora’s feet.

You’re on.

I look forward to enjoying it with the view from my rooftop pool.

I was chuckling when the next message arrived.

It’s good to hear from you, Gideon.

Part of me wanted to stay pissed that Bryce had consulted with Damian on a few projects against my express wishes after Damian had relocated to New York. But then I’d never told him why I suddenly detested Damian. Bryce hadn’t taken that well.

I sighed and typed. It’s good to be heard.

I sat back in my chair, feeling lighter than I’d felt in a very long time.

And when the urge struck me to find Leonora and tell her about my exchange with Bryce, I killed it dead.

I couldn’t deny that whatever it was that pulled me towards Leonora, she had me hooked. Nor could I deny that I was looking forward to riding the storm. But that was all.

And right now, I had a bet to win.

I tackled my paperwork for the next two hours, then fired up my laptop. My assistant had done a good job of streamlining my inbox, which meant that email was at the top of the queue, highlighted and screaming for attention.

The lightness faded. Everything blurred away until only a single image remained, one I’d been trying to forget for the better part of three years.

Damian and Penny.

Their double betrayal had derailed me for a long time. Enough for me to keep tabs on Damian for almost a year, the need for vengeance burning harsh and bright.

He’d more than succeeded with his business ventures in the States. Hell, he’d thrived, the addition of his name to a popular venture capitalist TV show elevating not just him, but The Mortimer Group by association.

For the better part of the year, the desire to destroy him the way he’d destroyed me had occupied vast amounts of my waking moments. That need for vengeance no longer burned bright.

Granted, I’d redirected it when the true depth of betrayal had been revealed much later. The final blow Penny had struck by getting rid of my child was not only unforgivable. It’d been unforgettable.

Unlike with Damian, I hadn’t throttled back my vengeance when it came to her. Especially when I found out she was using my name to bolster the event-planning career that was so precious to her.

I’d derived immense satisfaction from watching her twist in the wind after losing one client after the other.

That satisfaction eased my fury now.

If Damian was intent on bringing himself back into my orbit, then I’d deal with him when the time came.

Till then, I had an empire to run.

Leonie

I watched the speedboat depart with the last of Vadim’s guests for the bright light of Budva, a quarter of a mile away.

At just past eight p.m. I was officially off the clock, but my inner boss lady hadn’t relaxed until the guests were off the boat.

I was dressed to go out, too. Montenegro in general and Budva in particular were two of my favourite places. While researching places to bring my clients, I’d fallen in love with the place. From my balcony, I spotted the smaller water taxi I’d organised for myself approach. Purse in hand, I left my cabin and headed for the first-floor deck.

I hadn’t seen Gideon with Vadim, and, finding myself watching out for him, I’d grimaced with self-disgust. The hours I’d spent convincing myself I was better off staying clear of him frittered away to nothing as I caught a glimpse of his tall, breathtaking body, leaning against the railing.

I still couldn’t believe what had happened at the lunch table, and not just that mind-blowing orgasm he’d given me. There was something about hearing the man admit his flaws while clinging to his vows that had kicked something into life inside me. I’d walked away from the deck craving him even more.

But as he’d pointed out himself, I’d be a fool to let any newly discovered attributes sway me from the fact that the man could reduce me to a blithering mass of sexual emotion while barely exerting himself.

Our business together was transient at best. And now I knew the true nature of what was going on with him, I didn’t intend to become the toy he amused himself with while he waited for his self-imposed sentence to be over.

Gideon spotted me and approached as I reached the exit ramp. ‘Going somewhere?’

‘Yes, I’m heading into town. I’m officially off the clock. If you need a ride off the yacht, I can make a call for you.’

One corner of his mouth quirked in that sexy way of his and I struggled not to let his heated gaze affect me as it moved from the top of my head to my feet.

‘Or I can catch a lift with you.’ His eyes performed a return journey up my body.

My olive-green dress wasn’t as sexy as the black number I’d worn to the casino, but it showed enough bare legs, arms and shoulders to make a statement.

The bareback design also negated the need for a bra and I watched his gaze blatantly linger on my breasts for five flame-inducing seconds before moving up to my face.

‘Do you mind?’ he asked.

When I shook my head, he held out his hand.

I took it, let him help me into the taxi, and when his fingers lingered on my skin I tried not to hyperventilate. He followed me to the bench seat at the rear of the boat, sat down next to me and spread his arms along the top of the cushioned seat. The action brought his body sizzlingly close to mine, his aftershave tantalising my nostrils.

When the movement of the boat nudged his body against mine, I clenched my thighs to keep from making full body contact with him.

‘Aren’t you joining your guests?’ I asked as the small speedboat raced us towards shore.

‘No. A tactical withdrawal is in order tonight.’

I took in his attire, the way the tailored black trousers clung to his powerful thighs and his dark purple shirt emphasised the lean, hard masculinity of his upper body. He’d showered recently if the damp strands neatly styled were any indication. Thoughts of showers reminded me of what had happened in his hotel suite on our first meeting. Imploring myself not blush, I met his gaze.

‘Are you headed anywhere in particular? The taxi can take you if you like.’

He didn’t immediately answer, granting me the excuse to study his face as we stepped onto the pier. Something wasn’t quite right. There was a stiffness to his jaw, tension riding his shoulders. ‘Is everything okay?’

Piercing grey eyes locked on me. ‘Nothing a few drinks won’t take care of. And since I don’t have a destination in mind, mind if I join you?’

‘Join me?’ I parroted, fighting the throb of excitement suffusing me.

He nodded. ‘Unless you object? Where are you headed?’

‘For an appointment five minutes away. I don’t want to be late.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘Take me with you.’

There it was again, that odd note in his voice that tugged at something inside me. Still, I bit my lip in hesitation.

He closed the gap between us, wrapping me in his heat as he stared down at me. ‘I’m feeling...out of sorts. Not the kind that makes me want to drink alone and not the kind that wants Vadim’s sort of company. That leaves you. Also if I remember correctly we’re currently zero for two in the IOU stakes.’

‘And taking you with me goes a step towards evening our odds?’

A darkly wicked light gleamed in his eyes. ‘I’d prefer to even it out in like-for-like terms but if an evening with you is what’s on offer, then I’ll take it. Unless whatever you’re doing involves another man. In that case I’d strongly advise you to get rid of him. I’d hate for him to be an unwanted third wheel.’

I couldn’t help myself. I laughed. ‘Okay, you can come with me.’

He inclined his head in that almost-regal way that emphasised his upper-class upbringing and fell into step beside me. But even though we walked in companionable silence, there was an edge in the air, a swelling of angst and anticipation that shortened my breath.

Whatever he was feeling out of sorts about was huge, and I couldn’t help wondering if he regretted telling me about his family this afternoon.

Despite the dysfunction he claimed, every member of his family was supremely talented, with a sickeningly accomplished Gideon topping the bill. And while his playboy status was notable, it hadn’t disturbed me as much as I’d thought it would. I’d indulged in my first one-night stand as a means to numb my pain after Adam’s betrayal.

Gideon had admitted he’d gone off the rails after the double betrayal he’d suffered. His refusal to give in with me despite his blatant need turned me on more than I cared to admit.

‘Where are we going exactly?’ he asked in that deep sexy voice I wanted to hear up close and very personal.

I pointed to the street up ahead. ‘The restaurant’s a little more than a hole in the wall, but the food is good and the owner is great.’

‘As long as he has barrels of good wine on tap, I’m sold.’

I glanced at his clenched jaw and wondered if I was doing the right thing by letting him tag along.

Maximo, the Balkan Italian whose restaurant bore his name, greeted me with a smile. ‘Bellissima, it’s good to see you again. Welcome!’

He glanced at Gideon but didn’t address him as he showed us to a secluded table in the small restaurant.

Gideon pulled out my chair, then sat across from me.

‘You’ll have your usual, Leonie, yes?’ Maximo said.

‘Yes, thanks.’

‘And I’ll have a bottle of your best red, unless you have a Macallan stashed away in the back?’ Gideon asked.

Maximo smiled. ‘I’ll rustle up the perfect red for you, signor.’

When Maximo hurried away, Gideon glanced at me. ‘Your usual? How many times have you been here?’

‘I come every time I’m in town, which is about once every couple of months for the last three years.’

He looked around, and to his credit managed to keep his expression neutral.

‘Don’t judge before you try the food.’

His mouth twisted. ‘Food isn’t my number-one priority right now.’

‘What is?’

His gaze lingered on my face, my mouth. ‘Something else.’

‘I hope you don’t expect me to sit here and watch you get blind drunk to forget whatever’s bothering you. Because that wasn’t how I anticipated spending my evening.’

He regarded me for a long spell. ‘I got in touch with Bryce this afternoon.’

My breath caught. ‘Really? And...how was he?’

He shrugged. ‘We reconnected. There’s a strong possibility I’ll see him sooner rather than later.’

There was a throb of emotion in his voice. Fondness remembered.

‘I’m glad.’

‘You should be. It’s your fault,’ he said with a wry, fleeting smile.

I laughed. ‘I accept full responsibility, then.’

His gaze dropped to my mouth, charging the air with relentless lust as time ticked by.

‘What about your cousin? Damian? The one with the TV show—’

‘Him I most definitely do not want to talk about.’

The thick bitterness behind his words robbed me of breath. ‘He’s behind the betrayal you talked about, isn’t he?’

His eyes turned almost black and then his lashes swept down. ‘Yes.’ It was a cold, bleak word.

‘And is he why you’re feeling out of sorts tonight?’

When he raised his gaze again, his expression was chillingly neutral. ‘Enough, Leonora. It’s your turn to balance the soul-baring deficit.’

Tension clenched my belly. ‘I wasn’t aware it would be due so soon.’

He shrugged. ‘You’ll agree that a few things have taken us both by surprise since we met. This just happens to be one of them. So who was he, Leonora? Is he the reason you’re in a hurry to sell the yacht?’ he asked, his voice tight.

‘What makes you think I’m in a hurry?’

‘I’ve done my homework, too, Leonora.’

The arrival of our drinks stopped me from replying. By the time Maximo took our food orders and departed, I had myself under better composure. ‘I thought I was done with the South of France.’

‘Was? Why?’

‘Because this was never meant to be a long-term thing.’

Intelligent eyes rested on my face. ‘You’ve grown a multimillion-euro business, which you were just going to pack in and walk away from?’

I attempted to shrug away the unnerving sensation that I’d nearly made another mistake. Let betrayal get the better of me. ‘Yes.’

‘What was the plan?’

I watched him raise his glass and take a long sip of wine before I answered, ‘I wanted to prove a point to myself.’

‘To yourself or to him?’ His keen intuition threw me. At my gasp, his mouth twisted. ‘It’s written all over your face, Leonora.’

My fingers circled the rim of my glass as I debated my answer. In the end I went with opening up to him because what I’d achieved was nothing to be ashamed of. Adam’s betrayal had cut deep but I’d triumphed over it. I was a financial success, with a business I was damn proud of.

‘It was supposed to be a five-day semibusiness trip before our wedding. We were both into sailing and planned to open a boating company after we got married.’

His nostrils flared but he didn’t speak.

‘We were supposed to attend a three-day course on a superyacht to learn the ropes together but we couldn’t afford it in the end so he went and I stayed at a hostel in town. He called at the end of the first day to say the owner had extended his stay for the full five days at no extra charge. I was a little pissed but Adam was excited and I couldn’t say no. Turned out the owner of the superyacht was a shipping heiress with more money than she knew what to do with. I’m assuming at some point one of them seduced the other or maybe it was a simultaneous seducing. Who the hell cares? Bottom line is I got a call on the last day of the trip from Adam to say he wasn’t coming back. He’d already called his parents to tell them the wedding was off.’

‘Fucking bastard. So you stayed?’

‘No, I flew back home and licked my wounds for two months.’

Something flickered his gaze but he remained silent.

‘Then I took my share of our savings and came back here.’

‘You wanted to succeed where you’d lost before.’ It wasn’t a question. I liked that he got my determination and my ambition.

‘Yes. And I did.’

‘Good for you. Success is the best way to fuck your enemies over.’

His praise warmed me and when he raised his glass to me, I let myself get lost in that hard, edgy hunger in his eyes.

I sipped my wine, watching him over the rim as he returned my stare with an unwavering one of his own.

‘Are you speaking from experience?’ I eventually asked, unable to curb my curiosity.

‘Of course I am,’ he replied. ‘I didn’t get to where I am without knowing a thing or two about being fucked over.’

The arrival of our food didn’t save me from the intensity of his unblinking stare. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be saved any more.

‘Are you going to elaborate or shall we talk about the weather now?’ I asked as he spooned stuffed peppers and cufte onto my plate. Although he served himself, he made no move to eat. I took a bite of the delicious food, chewed and swallowed.

His smile evaporated far too quickly. Long, elegant fingers toyed with the stem of his glass, his pensive gaze raking my face to rest on my mouth for a long moment before rising to spear mine again.

‘I was betrayed by my fiancée, too.’

Shock squeezed my insides tight. ‘You were engaged?’

His phone buzzed. He slid it out of his pocket, read the message and tucked it back. ‘Yes. Eat up, Leonora.’

I stared blindly down at my plate, then back at him. ‘Are we in a hurry?’

‘I sure as fuck hope so. Vadim has agreed to the final terms of the deal. His lawyers have just sent the signed papers to me.’

My heart lurched wildly, then proceeded to bash itself crazily against my ribcage. ‘And that means...?’

Gideon sat forward, trailed his forefinger over my lower lip. ‘It means I’ve been a good boy long enough. Now I intend to be very, very bad.’

I had very little memory of finishing my meal. But I must have because by the time Maximo appeared to clear the table, my plate was empty.

‘Are you ready to go?’ Gideon’s demand was rough, barely coherent.

At my nod, he rose, tossed down a handful of crisp notes and meshed his fingers through mine. Whatever he muttered to Maximo on the way out made the other man smile. I added a quick smile of my own before we burst out into the quiet street. Lightning forked from where our hands connected and radiated through my body. Anticipation rippled through me, dragging a jagged little sound from my throat.

Gideon froze, his grey eyes spearing mine on the shadowed street. ‘Fuck, I’m not even touching you properly and you’re already turned on, aren’t you? I can’t wait to experience all this sexiness.’

Was it possible to both love and hate that level of arrogance? I remained in place when he started to move again.

He dropped my hand and planted himself in front of me. ‘What are you up to, Leonora?’

‘Are we headed back to the yacht?’

That edgy look in his eyes increased a hundredfold. ‘Yes. Any objection?’

I laid a hand flat on his chest, felt the hard thump of his heartbeat beneath my palm. ‘No, but I’d like to start with a clean slate so let’s even out the odds right now.’

The look on his face was a reward of its own. He laid his hand over mine, trapping it against his chest. ‘I’m up for that. What do you have in mind?’

We were on a quiet street, with many dark shadows at this time of night. I curled my fingers around his and tugged him towards a darkened doorway. We risked discovery but I didn’t really care in that moment. I’d wanted him for way too long and I was going to have him, self-preservation be damned.

‘Leonora.’

I ran my fingers down his hard torso. ‘Are you ever going to call me Leonie? I bet I can make you,’ I teased.

His mouth twisted in a half-smile, the heat blazing in his eyes adding a layer of lethal attraction to the dynamism that was Gideon Mortimer. ‘Sweetheart, I’m learning that you can probably make me do a hell of a lot of things,’ he rasped gravely.

I took three steps up into the sheltered doorway. Lust and darkness saturated the air as I pushed him against the wall.

The flash of surprise on his face was immediately masked by fevered anticipation. Without giving him a chance to speak, I dropped my clutch, curled my fingers into his collar and pulled him down to me.

His lips met mine, allowed me entry with an eagerness that matched my own. Hot and urgent hands wrapped tight around my waist, yanking me to him a second later.

We kissed like ravenous beasts, everything that had gone before a mere foretaste of what was coming. I flicked my tongue against his and then boldly licked my way into his mouth. He tasted of wine, agitation and barely leashed hunger, and I wanted him badly.

When the need for oxygen pulled us apart, I trailed my hand down his chest again, releasing a few buttons as I planted open-mouthed kisses along his jaw and down his throat. The sensation of his five o’clock shadow against my bruised lips sent flames arrowing to my core. I was supposed to be turning him inside out and yet I was the one growing wilder by the moment. The need to up the ante firing through me, I nipped at the taut skin beneath his jaw and felt him shudder.

‘Fuck.’

His skin was warm, a touch rough and, oh, so sexy. I could’ve spent all night exploring him but a different need powered through me. I drew my tongue over his Adam’s apple as I freed a few more buttons.

‘Whatever the fuck it is you’re doing, know that if we end up getting arrested, it’ll be totally worth it,’ he grated.

I smiled and dragged my nails down his abs to his belt. A couple of quick movements and I released it and tugged down his zip. My eyes locked on his, I slipped my hand inside his boxers and boldly captured his cock.

A fevered hiss tore from his throat before his head dropped back to thump against the wall. An instant later, he was back to watching me, his greedy eyes following my eager stroking.

The beauty of his cock overwhelmed me. ‘God, you’re so hot.’

He gave a husky chuckle. ‘Keep stroking my ego like that, and this will be over much quicker than you want it to be.’

‘No, it won’t. You’ll come exactly when I want you to.’

One eyebrow lifted but I sensed a change in him. Perhaps he was used to taking control with his previous lovers. I intended to meet him on equal footing or not at all. ‘Do what I say and I’ll give you a choice.’

‘A choice of what?’ His voice was gruffer.

I glided my clenched fist from the root of his cock to the tip where a cheeky drop of precome glistened. ‘I’ll give you a choice whether to come down my throat or on my tits. I know how much you love them.’

His head jerked back against the wall, and he groaned deep. ‘Bloody hell, Leonora.’

‘Is that a yes?’

‘It’s a hell fucking yes.’

The taut admission drew a smile from me. ‘Good. Kiss me again, Gideon,’ I instructed.

Large hands cupped my face and he dragged me into another mind-blowing kiss. It was rough and hard and almost bruising but I loved every second of it. When I wrenched my lips from his, we were both panting. Gideon stared at me with that bewildered look in his eyes again. ‘Jesus, you’re beautiful,’ he muttered.

Propped against a wall with his shirt undone and savage hunger on his face, he was the most incredible thing I’d ever seen.

‘So are you,’ I blurted with unfettered honesty.

A blush stained his cheekbones as I slowly dropped to my knees. A shudder rolled through Gideon as he watched me from beneath hooded lids. Eyes on him, I leaned forward and flicked my tongue over the tip of his cock.

His breath hissed out.

‘Do you like that, Gideon?’

He exhaled audibly. ‘You know I bloody well do, you witch,’ he growled.

‘A witch, am I?’

Without giving him the chance to answer, I wrapped my lips around him and sucked him deep. His fingers convulsed in my hair, his stance widening as he jerked forward.

‘Leonora...’

Something tugged in my chest at hearing him say my name with that gruff helplessness. His use of my full name might have irritated me when we first met but something about the way it fell off his tongue had grown on me.

God, the list of things I liked about him was growing by the minute.

With a soft moan, I slid my tongue down the underside of his beautifully veined length, then drew him into my mouth, intensifying my suction as I took more of him.

I established a rhythm, learning what made him grit his teeth, what made him groan and tremble in my hold. He loved it most when I drew him all the way to the back of my throat and hummed against his sensitive head. It made him bump helplessly into my mouth, drip more precome.

The taste of him was heady, musky. Need turning me bolder, I tugged at his trousers until his balls fell hot and heavy into my palm. On my next downward glide, I drew one into my mouth, rolling it over my tongue before repeating the action with the other.

‘Shit!’ The tendons in his neck stood out as he panted.

It was addictive to see him so lost in pleasure.

His head lowered a moment later, and I watched him watch me as I played with his balls for another minute. Then I drew his cock into my mouth again.

‘Damn, Leonora, you look sensational sucking me off like that.’

For some unknown reason, his ragged words tugged at my heartstrings. The need to pleasure him grew stronger than the need to have him inside me.

When his breathing turned harsher, I knew he was close. Stormy eyes begged me to keep going, the fingers locked in my hair holding me to my task.

Positively sinful, I released him. ‘Do you want me, Gideon?’

Voices drifted nearby, reminding me that we were in public. I continued to pump him, waiting for an answer.

A feral growl rumbled from his throat. ‘In every way. I’m fucking you thirty ways to Sunday the moment we get back.’

‘Where do you want me now?’ I asked.

‘If I only have one choice, baby, then I choose your throat. I want to watch you swallow every drop of my come.’

The thought of doing just that ramped up the screaming emotions inside me as I sucked him deeper than before.

With a hoarse shout, Gideon exploded in my mouth, drenching me with his liquid essence. I swallowed hungrily, overwhelmed by the filthy decadence of it and the uncontrollable shudders washing over him.

‘God...Leonora,’ he groaned. He was still caught in the tail end of his helpless convulsions when he dragged me upright and captured my jaw in his hand. Intense grey eyes hooked deep into mine in silence for a handful of seconds. ‘That was fucking incredible,’ he finally breathed.

He dragged me close and he sealed his mouth over mine, ruthlessly tasting me as if he couldn’t get enough of me.

I wasn’t sure how much time passed, but eventually we parted and Gideon righted his clothes. My hand back firmly in his, he picked up my clutch and handed it to me.

The walk back to the pier was hurried, charged with sizzling anticipation.

As before, he sat next to me in the speedboat but this time with one arm draped possessively over my shoulders, and the other splayed on my thigh. And I leaned into him as the boat sped us back to the yacht, shamelessly tucking my face into his neck, inhaling his heady scent.