THREE
NOW
WHAT?
Gavin sat outside
and watched the seagulls swooping down at the water’s edge
searching for breakfast while he nursed a cup of coffee and
pondered the naked redhead asleep in his bed.
Not just any naked
redhead, either, but his agent, Elizabeth.
What a surprise
she’d been last night. In more ways than one.
He would have never
expected Elizabeth to be his match in the bedroom. She’d turned him
on in ways he’d never imagined.
Sure, he’d had a bit
to drink last night, and fucking her hadn’t been on his mind. It
had just happened. But whoa, it had been good.
And he wanted
more.
But it was an
all-around bad idea. First, because she was his agent, and they
needed to keep their relationship strictly business.
Second, she had
screwed over his brother, and that still didn’t sit right with
him.
Third, she wasn’t
his type at all. He liked his women soft and easygoing. And
easygoing and Elizabeth didn’t belong in the same
sentence.
He still wanted more
of her.
He could have some
fun with her. Okay, a lot of fun with her. It wasn’t like they were
going to be dating. He didn’t date women. He fucked them. They
partied, had fun together, and that was it. He had a career in
baseball, a high-profile lifestyle, and women got into that. They
wanted to be seen with him, and they understood how it was. Though
there were always those who thought they could be the next Mrs.
Gavin Riley.
He wasn’t looking
for a Mrs; not right now. He was too busy having fun.
“Morning.”
He turned to see
Elizabeth leaning against the doorway. She’d helped herself to one
of his T-shirts, and God help him, she looked so damn different.
She was usually dressed to perfection in designer clothes and high
heels, and wore her hair up. This . . . this was spectacular. The
T-shirt was long on her, hit above her knees. It was gray and worn,
and hugged her curves. Her hair spilled down around her shoulders,
was all messed up and stuck up in places, and she had a sleepy look
on her face, pillow marks on her left cheek, and her lips were
swollen.
Goddamn, she made
his dick hard.
“Morning.”
“I grabbed one of
your shirts. And helped myself to a cup of coffee. I hope you don’t
mind,” she said, lifting the cup to show him.
“I don’t mind. Come
on out here and sit down.”
She sat in the swing
this time and sipped her coffee, pulling her legs up on the seat.
She inhaled and closed her eyes. “I can see why you like it here at
the beach, Gavin. What a beautiful way to wake up in the morning.
So relaxing to just sit and watch the ocean waves and the birds.
You don’t get this kind of view in Saint Louis. Not that I’m at the
office or at my condo all that often any way.”
Who was this person?
He’d found out more about Elizabeth in the last twelve hours than
in the seven years he’d known her. “You travel a lot. Me, too. It
sucks. I come down here during the off-season a lot to go fishing
and just to get away from the winter.”
She brushed her hair
away from her face. “Understandable. It’s nice to have a place like
this.”
“I’m sure you could
buy a place down here. You can afford it.”
“Mmm,” was all she
said, then put the cup to her lips. “I should get dressed and head
out. Mind if I use your shower first?”
“You have somewhere
you need to be?”
She shifted her gaze
to his. “Not really.”
“Then why the
hurry?”
“My stuff is at the
hotel. I need to check out today.”
“Where are you
going?”
“Back
home.”
His lips lifted.
“It’s February. Cold in Saint Louis.”
“Yes, it
is.”
“You could hang out
here for a while, soak up some sun.”
She rested the cup
in her lap. “Are you inviting me to stay?”
Was he? He had no
idea what the hell he was doing. All he knew was that he had fun
with Elizabeth last night, and his dick wanted more of her. That
was all he wanted.
“You’re not gonna
deny we had great sex last night.”
She stared at him.
“It was really great sex, Gavin.”
“Then hang out with
me down here. We’ll have more of it.”
“So you’re not
firing me.”
His lips curled.
“Not yet.”
“Asshole.” She
pushed off the swing and sauntered into the house. He went inside
to refill his coffee. Elizabeth was in the kitchen refilling
hers.
“So are you
staying?”
“Right now I’m going
to take a shower. I need to go get my bags and check
out.”
“I’ll call the
hotel. They can check you out, and I’ll have your things delivered
here.”
She leaned against
the counter, cup in hand. “Thinking of holding me prisoner here for
the next month?”
He leaned his hip
against the counter. “I don’t know. Think you’ve got what it takes
to keep me interested that long?”
Her eyes sparkled.
“That sounds like a challenge, Gavin.”
He sipped his
coffee. “Can you cook?”
“Not at all. Can
you?”
“You don’t grow up
in my house without learning to fend for yourself. My mother didn’t
want her children to be tossed out into the world as useless human
beings.”
“So now you’re
calling me useless?”
“You’re what,
Elizabeth—thirty-four or something? One would think you would have
learned to cook by now.”
“I’m thirty-two, and
you’re a prick.”
He laughed. “Not the
first time I’ve been called that.”
“I’m not home enough
to cook, and who am I going to cook for? Myself?”
“Aww, poor
Elizabeth. Single and alone. Am I supposed to feel sorry for you
now?”
“You’re baiting me,
trying to get a rise out of me.”
“Shouldn’t you be
trying to get a rise out of me?”
She let her gaze
drift down his body and linger at his crotch, then looked back up
to his face. “Why? What’s in it for me?”
“Get my dick hard,
and you get an orgasm out of it. After a two-year drought I figure
you’re gonna wanna come as much as you can while you’re
here.”
She snorted. “You
think you’re that good, huh?”
He laid his coffee
cup down and stalked over to her, pulled the cup from her hand and
put it on the counter. He wrapped one arm around her waist, lifted
her T-shirt, and laid his palm over her naked sex.
She was already wet,
her eyes wide pools of green as he slid his finger inside her and
rocked his hand against her, then took her mouth in a hard
kiss.
She melted against
him, her tongue sliding against his, her pussy coating his fingers
with her sweet cream. He spread her juices over her clit and
massaged the nub.
She whimpered
against him, and he was relentless, driving his palm against her
sex, dipping his fingers inside her to fuck her pussy. She lifted
onto her toes and sought release.
And he gave it to
her, keeping his mouth on hers, his arm wrapped around her to hold
her steady while she cried out and clung to his shirt.
Her body quivered
against his, and he let her down slow and easy, withdrew his
fingers, liking the way she stared up at him with a little bit of
shock and disbelief.
He flipped her
around and bent her over the kitchen counter, flipping the T-shirt
over her back, unable to resist roaming over the bare skin of her
back and ass. Her skin was the softest silk, and in between her
legs was sweet honey. He swept his hand between her legs again, and
she lifted, spreading her legs, palming the counter, and letting
out a gentle moan.
She was wet from her
orgasm, and his cock throbbed with the need to be inside her. He
put on the condom he’d had in his pocket, dropped his shorts and
kicked them away, nestled between her legs and shoved up inside
her, wrapping his arm around her as a barrier to keep her belly
from hitting the granite counter, because he needed to pound hard
inside her. His balls tightened as her sweet pussy gripped him in a
tight vise of unbearable pleasure, and he knew he wouldn’t be able
to hold on for long. Nothing this good could last. She was tight
and hot, and he was going to come.
He slid his hands
under the shirt and grasped her breasts, filling his palms with her
nipples and squeezing her flesh.
“Gavin,” she cried,
lifting off the counter, her hair spilling over his
arms.
“Come on my cock,
Elizabeth. Make yourself come.”
Her hand slid
between her legs, and she rubbed her pussy, her fingers brushing
against his balls, teasing him as she teased herself.
He rolled her
nipples between his fingers, plucking them into tight points. She
whimpered.
“I’m coming, Gavin.
I’m coming.”
He held tight to her
and pushed deep into her as he came, jettisoning deep bursts of
come as his orgasm shot through him, leaving him panting and
drawing in deep breaths.
When he withdrew, he
turned her around and kissed her, making sure she understood
without a doubt what he was capable of. He left her mouth wet,
licking her lips and a look of uncertainty in her eyes as he swept
his thumb over her bottom lip.
“Honey, I
am that good. I know what you want, and
I can give it to you. Anytime you want it. Anytime I want it.
That’s why you want to be here with me.”
He picked up his
cup, refilled his coffee.
“Shower’s all yours.
I’ll go call the hotel and have your things brought
over.”
He walked away
feeling pretty damn good about how things were going between
them.
ELIZABETH WASN’T
SURE SHE’D MADE THE RIGHT choice at all.
She swept away the
fog in the bathroom mirror and stared at a woman she didn’t
know.
What the hell had
possessed her last night? And this morning.
She’d had sex with
Gavin Riley. She’d broken every damn one of her carefully
constructed rules about not getting personally involved with one of
her clients. And especially not Gavin.
And now her clothes
and laptop were being brought here, and she was going to stay with
him?
Good God. This whole
nightmare had epic clusterfuck written all over it, and the thirty
minutes she’d spent in Gavin’s opulent shower had provided no
clarity.
The woman with the
wet hair staring back at her in the mirror was a grade-A idiot. She
should grab her luggage and run like hell. This was going to end in
disaster.
“Elizabeth?” Gavin
knocked twice.
“Yes?”
“Your things are
here, but I figured you probably hadn’t intended to stay more than
last night, right?”
“True.”
“You don’t have
anything to wear, do you?”
“Not
really.”
“Okay. Get dressed,
and I’ll take you shopping so you can get some
clothes.”
She stared at the
door. Shopping? He was going to take her shopping?
What. The.
Fuck.
She felt like Alice
in Wonderland, and she’d definitely just fallen down the rabbit
hole.
Curiouser and
curiouser, for damn certain.
She came out of the
bathroom with a towel wrapped around her.
“I put your suitcase
in my room.”
She arched a brow.
So did Gavin.
“You didn’t think I
invited you here to stay in one of the guest rooms, did
you?”
“No, I suppose not.”
She padded into Gavin’s bedroom, where he’d laid her luggage on the
bed. She popped it open and grabbed her makeup bag and some
clothes.
After she dried her
hair and put it up in a twist, she applied makeup and put on a pair
of jeans and a T-shirt, thankful she always packed at least one
casual outfit just in case she got stranded somewhere. She slipped
on her heels and went in search of Gavin, who was outside on the
terrace. His beautiful shoulders and arms were showcased by the
sleeveless cotton shirt he wore. He had on shorts and tennis shoes
and a Saint Louis Rivers baseball cap.
Very
casual.
“I’m
ready.”
He turned and looked
down at her feet, then frowned. “Heels? We’re in Florida. You need
sandals.”
She gave him a
disdainful pfft. “Honey, I live in
heels.”
“Not on the beach,
you don’t.”
“Try
me.”
He shrugged.
“Whatever you want.”
He drove her to one
of the nice Palm Beach malls. Everything was outside, the sun was
shining, and tall palm trees lined the walkway.
Now they were in her
element—shopping. She breezed in and out of a few stores, picking
up a few pairs of Capri pants and some shoes, underwear and
sundresses.
Gavin laid back and
held bags for her while she went on a tear. She knew herself, knew
what she liked and what looked good on her. She didn’t really own
that much resort wear since she never took much downtime. These
would all be new things for her.
He paid particular
attention in the upscale lingerie shop, of course, his eyes
gleaming when she fingered the sexy and sinful bras and panties.
Armed with several items, she stood in front of him at the
counter.
“I’m not paying a
fortune for new lingerie if you’re just going to ruin it by ripping
it off me.”
The saleswoman
behind the cash register gaped at them. Elizabeth didn’t
care.
Gavin took the
bundle from her hand, laid them on the counter, and whipped out his
credit card. “No guarantees of that. You look smokin’ hot in this
stuff. If we ruin them all, we’ll just come back for
more.”
She shrugged. “It’s
your dime.”
That saleswoman
would have plenty to gossip about after they left.
The temperature in
the store rose a few degrees, and Elizabeth took a step back,
irritated by the hardening of her traitorous nipples. The young
saleswoman shot Gavin a look of pure lust, but he kept his gaze on
Elizabeth.
Fine. Score a point
for Gavin.
“You need something
sexy to wear when we go out at night.”
“We’re going out at
night? Where to?”
He shrugged. “Don’t
know yet. Maybe I’ll take you dancing.”
She ignored the tiny
little thrill at the thought of being in Gavin’s arms while he
toured her around a dance floor. “I thought you just wanted to fuck
me.”
He stopped and slid
his finger across her cheek. “I do. I will. But we have to come up
for air and leave the beach house. You want to have some fun
outside the bedroom, don’t you?”
Something fluttered
in her belly, something that felt an awful lot like stirrings of
emotion. “Gavin, why are you doing this?”
“Doing
what?”
“This. Keeping me
here with you. Shopping with me. Talking of going out places. I
don’t get it.”
He directed her into
a store. “Quit asking questions.”
He motioned to one
of the saleswomen. “She likes black. So anything but black.”
Elizabeth rolled her
eyes. “Definitely lots of things in black for me.”
She selected several
black cocktail dresses, but by the time she went into the dressing
room, they were gone, replaced instead by a red dress, a
champagne-colored dress, and another in a soft
burgundy.
“These are the wrong
dresses,” she said to the saleswoman.
“Your gentleman
selected these. Said for you to give in and try them
on.”
She rolled her eyes,
but the dresses were pretty, so she put one on. The red one first,
which she paraded for him. He shook his head so she tried the
burgundy one next.
“Nice, but not good
enough.”
She put her hands on
her hips. “This is why I go for the black dresses. They always
work.”
He smiled at her.
“Go put the last one on.”
She flounced off to
the dressing room, determined to prove him wrong. The champagne
dress was fitted, had thin straps, and hugged every single one of
her curves. She looked at herself in the mirror and was stunned at
how the color accentuated her hair and her skin tone. She would
have never thought to go with a color like this.
She came out of the
dressing room, and Gavin’s eyes rocketed to her.
He stood, came over
to her, and turned her to face the mirror. His fingers grazed her
shoulders.
“You’re beautiful,
Elizabeth. The dress makes your hair look like fire.”
She’d been told she
was beautiful before, but they had been surface compliments. Gavin
spoke with his eyes, the way they raked over not only her body, but
her hair, her face. His eyes meet hers. The warmth she saw there .
. .
Was entirely her
imagination.
“Thanks. I guess
it’s okay.”
“It’s more than
okay. It gives you a sweet innocence instead of the hard edge you
always go for when you wear black. I’m getting this dress for you.”
He signaled to the saleswoman. “This one.”
“Yes,
sir.”
Men didn’t buy her
clothes. She was independent, had more than enough money to buy her
own things. Anything she wanted. That’s why she’d worked so damn
hard the past ten years, so she could be independent.
Never dependent
again.
She sidled up to
Gavin at the counter. “I can buy this dress for
myself.”
He turned to her.
“Yes, you can. But I chose it because I want to see you in it, so
I’m buying it for you. Is that okay?”
“Yes, I
suppose.”
“And while I’m
buying this, why don’t you change into that yellow flowery sundress
you bought? It’s hot outside, and you must be dying in those
jeans.”
“Good
idea.”
She changed clothes,
shaking her head while she did.
THEY FINISHED THEIR
SHOPPING AND LEFT THE MALL. Gavin took them to a seaside grill,
where they had fantastic cocktails along with amazing
seafood.
“So, are you a good
seafood cook?” she asked, spearing her last mouthwatering bite of
lobster salad.
“I’m an excellent
seafood cook. What would you like me to fix for you?”
“I love seafood.
Anything you cook, I’ll eat.”
“I’ll have to take
you fishing, see what we catch.”
She studied him over
her pomegranate martini. “I don’t fish.”
He stared right back
at her over his glass of whiskey. “You’ve tried it before and hated
it.”
“Not
exactly.”
“You’ve never
fished.”
“I’ve never
fished.”
“So I’ll teach you.
You’ll love it.”
Challenge. Again.
“If you want me to go out on a boat with you, great. I’ll sunbathe.
You fish. And don’t you have to play baseball or
something?”
He smirked. “I still
get free time and use every minute of it.”
“Once spring
training starts, you’ll have games almost every day.”
“Not every day. And
games don’t take up the entire day. Why, are you trying to get out
of our agreement?”
“I said I’d stay,
didn’t I?”
“Good. You can come
to my games. Or do whatever work you have to do. Schmooze some
clients. Pick up new ones. Plenty of teams play around here. Do
what you do best, as long as you’re in my bed every
night.”
Her body zinged with
awareness. She’d wanted to be with Gavin since the first moment
she’d laid eyes on him, when he was twenty-two and she was almost
twenty-six. She had felt like a dirty old woman back
then.
Now he was
twenty-nine and she was almost thirty-three.
“I’m older than you
are, you know.”
He laughed. “Where
did that come from?”
“I just don’t get
the sudden attraction. You’ve never paid any attention to me
before.”
“Oh, I noticed you
before.”
“Still, we don’t
have anything in common. The fishing thing, for instance. Plus the
age difference.”
“I know how old you
are, Elizabeth, which isn’t even a factor. You think I can’t handle
you? Want me to show you again?”
She laughed and took
a sip of her drink. “No, thank you.”
He leaned back in
his chair. “Bored with me already?”
She inhaled a shaky
breath. “Not quite. You still have a little tread on your
tires.”
His gaze went dark.
“Yeah, I’ll show you a little tread on my tires. Go in the bathroom
and take off your panties.”
“Excuse
me?”
“You heard
me.”
“No.”
“You want me to take
them off of you out here?”
“You
wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t I?” He
finished his whiskey and slid his hand under the table, lifting her
sundress.
She slapped his hand
away, then the realization hit.
He’d asked her to
change clothes.
“You planned
this.”
His lips curled.
“Maybe.”
She looked around
the fairly crowded restaurant. Granted, no one was looking at them.
They had a semicircular booth, which meant they could scoot
together and . . .
No. She wouldn’t
dare.
“Do it, Elizabeth.
You’re already wet thinking about it, aren’t you?”
Her gaze shifted to
Gavin, her thoughts gravitating to how he would do it. What if they
got caught? How could she stay quiet?
The danger aspect of
it thrilled her. She wanted it, wanted him to shove his fingers
inside her and make her come. Now. “Yes.”
“Go take your
panties off and let me make you come.”
She grabbed her
purse and hurried to the ladies room, dashed into a stall and
slipped off her panties, tucking them into her purse. She stopped
at the mirror on her way out. Her face was flushed, her pupils
dilated with arousal. She was back at the table in no time, her
pussy throbbing, her nipples beading against the soft fabric of her
dress.
She scooted next to
him and reached for her drink, taking a long swallow to quench her
thirst.
Gavin leaned over
and whispered in her ear while he lifted her dress to her thighs.
“The tablecloth is long and will cover anything I’m doing. Put the
napkin over your lap, and put some of those shopping bags against
your other side.”
She pulled the bags
against her, effectively blocking anyone’s view.
“Now spread your
legs for me, babe, and let me touch your pussy.”
She widened her
legs, and his fingers danced along her inner thigh, sliding down
over her sex. She leaned back, needing him to rub her clit, fuck
her pussy, take her over the edge, and give her the climax she
could already feel building inside.
“Make yourself
comfortable. That’s it. Put your elbow against the back of the
booth. Turn and look at me like you’re listening to me in
conversation. Look at me the whole time, Elizabeth, because I want
to see your eyes when you come.”
His fingers slid
between the hardened bud and down along her pussy lips, circling
over and back up. He was toying with her. She laid her head in her
hand, looking like she was relaxed and enjoying conversation with
Gavin, but she was primed and tense.
“Gavin,
please.”
“Yeah, baby? Tell me
what you want.”
“Care for another
drink?”
She jerked in
surprise, but Gavin seemed cool and relaxed as he turned his head
to smile at their waitress.
“I think we’re fine
here, Amanda.”
Elizabeth shuddered
out a sigh.
“Look at me,
Liz.”
She did, and he used
his fingers, gliding them over her pussy. She was damp, needy, and
she wanted to take his hand and shove his fingers inside
her.
“Tell me what you
want.”
“I want your fingers
inside me, fucking me.”
He dipped the tip of
one finger along the surface of her pussy, coating it with her
moisture, then moved it back up to sweep across the bud of her
clit.
“Stop teasing me.
Fuck me. Make me come.”
“The tease is the
best part, Elizabeth. Do you know how hard my dick is right now? Do
you know how much I want to be inside you or have your mouth
wrapped around me? My balls ache. And when we leave here, you’ll
make me come. But right now, it’s all about you and your pretty
pussy, and getting you off.”
She licked her lips,
imagining putting her mouth on him and feeling him shoot down her
throat, or him pushing his cock into her until she screamed in
orgasm. But right now he dipped two fingers inside her, and she
lifted her butt off the seat and pushed against his
hand.
“Easy, baby. Take it
easy.” He swirled the pad of his thumb over her clit, keeping his
fingers moving inside her.
Her mouth dropped
open, and she inhaled, losing sight of where she was. She gripped
his arm and dug her nails into it as he shoved his fingers inside
her. His movements were maddeningly slow, taking her right to the
brink, where she held, watching his face, realizing he knew where
she was.
“I’m going to come,
Gavin.”
He stilled his
movements. “Quiet, Elizabeth. Remember that no one can know. You
control this.”
She took a deep
breath and nodded.
“Now come for me.
Let me see it.”
He swept his thumb
across her clit with expert precision and shoved his fingers inside
her.
Her eyes widened as
she came with a rush of sensation. She wanted to buck against his
hand, to let go with a loud cry. Instead, she dug her nails into
his forearm and held them there while the tidal wave of pleasure
took her to ecstasy.
Gavin smiled and
held on to her while she rode that wave. He protected her the
entire time by casting surreptitious glances around the restaurant
until the wild crest of her climax settled. He withdrew his fingers
and smoothed her dress back down over her legs. He leaned forward
and brushed her lips with his. “Your face is flushed.”
She smiled at him.
“I can’t breathe.” She still felt her heart ramming against her
ribs.
That was the most
exhilarating experience she’d ever had.
“Will there be
anything else?”
Their waitress
smiled at Elizabeth.
“Oh, I think I’m
done now,” she said, and Amanda took her plate away.
It was only then
that Elizabeth reoriented herself to time and place. She’d
completely lost her sense of being, had forgotten there were other
people in the restaurant who no doubt had been walking by. She’d
been so tuned into Gavin and his touch, his focus, that she’d lost
her senses.
Gavin was a very
dangerous man.
“Ready to go?” he
asked, handing the waitress his credit card.
Elizabeth was ready
to go, all right.
Ready to go insane
from playing this game with him.