Bared to You: A Crossfire Novel (35 page)

Wednesday started with Gideon’s cock pushing into me from behind, my new favorite way to wake up.

“Well, then,” I said hoarsely, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as his arm hitched around my waist and hauled me closer to his warm, hard chest. “You’re frisky this morning.”

“You’re gorgeous and sexy every morning,” he murmured, nibbling on my shoulder. “I love waking up to you.”

We celebrated a night of uninterrupted sleep with a handful of orgasms between us.

Much later in the day, I had lunch with Mark and his partner Steven at a lovely Mexican restaurant tucked beneath the street. We descended a short set of cement stairs into a surprisingly spacious restaurant with black-vested waitstaff and plenty of light.

“You’ll need to bring your man back here,” Steven said, “and have him buy you one of the pomegranate margaritas.”

“Good stuff?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah.”

When the waitress came to take our orders, she flirted outrageously with Mark, fluttering enviously long lashes. Mark flirted back. As the meal progressed, the exuberant redhead—whose name tag introduced her as Shawna—became bolder, touching Mark’s shoulders and the back of his neck every time she came by. In return, Mark’s banter became more suggestive, until I eyed Steven nervously, watching his face redden and his scowl deepen by the moment. Shifting uncomfortably, I was counting down the minutes until the tension-fraught meal was over.

“Let’s get together tonight,” Shawna said to Mark when she brought the check. “One night with me and I’ll cure you.”

I gaped. Seriously?

“Seven o’clock work for you?” Mark purred. “I’ll ruin you, Shawna. You know what happens once you go black…”

I inhaled my water down the wrong pipe and choked.

Steven leaped to his feet and rounded the table, pounding me on the back. “Hell, Eva,” he said, laughing. “We’re just playing with you. Don’t die on us.”

“What?” I gasped, my eyes watering.

Grinning, he came around my shoulder and tossed his arm around the waitress. “Eva, meet my sister, Shawna. Shawna, Eva here is the one who makes Mark’s life easier.”

“That’s good,” Shawna said, “since he’s got you to make things harder.”

Steven winked at me. “That’s why he keeps me around.”

Seeing the brother and sister pair so close together, I finally caught the resemblance I’d missed before. I sagged into my seat and narrowed my eyes at Mark. “That was rotten. I thought Steven was going to blow a gasket.”

Mark held up his hands in a show of surrender. “It was all his idea. He’s the drama queen, remember?”

Rocking back on his heels, Steven grinned and said, “Now, Eva. You know Mark’s the idea man in this relationship.”

Shawna dug a business card out of her pocket and handed it to me. “My number’s on the flipside. Gimme a call. I’ve got the inside dirt on these two. You can pay ’em back really good.”

“Traitor!” Steven accused.

“Hey.” Shawna shrugged. “Us girls have to stick together.”

After work, Gideon and I went to his gym. Angus dropped us off at the curb and we headed inside. The place was hopping and the locker room crowded. I changed and stowed my stuff; then met Gideon in the hallway.

I waved at Daniel, the trainer who’d talked to me on my first visit to CrossTrainer, and got a smack on the ass for it.

“Hey,” I protested, swatting at Gideon’s chastising hand. “Cut it out.”

He tugged my ponytail and gently urged my head back, tilting my mouth up so he could mark his territory with a deep, lush kiss.

The way he pulled my hair sent electricity sweeping across my skin. “If this is your idea of a deterrent,” I whispered against his lips, “I have to say it’s much more of an incentive.”

“I’m quite willing to take it up a notch.” He nipped my lower lip with his teeth. “But I wouldn’t suggest testing my limits that way, Eva.”

“Don’t worry. I have other ways to do it.”

Gideon hit the treadmill first, affording me the pleasure of seeing his body glistening with sweat…in public. As often as I saw him that way in private, it never ceased to be a major turn-on.

And God, I loved the way he looked with his hair tied back. And the flex of his muscles beneath lightly tanned skin. And the graceful power of his movements. Seeing such an elegantly urbane man shed the suits and show off his animal side hit all my hot buttons.

I couldn’t stop staring and was happy I didn’t have to. He was mine, after all; a fact that sent warm pleasure sliding through me. Besides, every other woman in the gym was checking him out, too. As he moved from station to station, dozens of admiring eyes followed.

When he caught me ogling, I shot him a suggestive glance and ran my tongue along my lower lip. His arched brow and rueful half-smile made me tingly. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so motivated while working out. An hour and a half just flew by.

By the time we got back in the Bentley and headed to the penthouse, I was squirming in my seat. My gaze slid repeatedly to Gideon in silent invitation.

He linked his fingers with mine. “You’ll wait for it.”

That pronouncement startled me.
“What?”

“You heard me.” He kissed my fingers and had the nerve to give me a wicked smile. “Delayed gratification, angel.”

“Why would we do that?”

“Think of how crazed we’ll be for each other after dinner.”

I leaned closer so Angus didn’t overhear me, although I knew he was professional enough to ignore us. “That’s a given, waiting or not. I say we go with not.”

But he wouldn’t budge. Instead, he tortured us both. Having us undress one another for a steamy shower, our hands petting and caressing the curves and hollows of each other’s bodies; then dressing for dinner. He went all out in black tie, but skipped the tie. His crisp white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing a flash of skin. The cocktail dress he selected for me was a champagne silk Vera Wang with a strapless bustier bodice, an open back, and a tiered skirt that ended a few inches above my knees.

I smiled when I saw it, knowing it was going to drive him nuts seeing me in that dress all night. It was gorgeous and I loved it, but it was a style meant for tall, slender models, not short curvy girls. In a pitiful bid for modesty, I left my hair down to hang over my breasts, but it didn’t help much if Gideon’s expression was any indication.

“My God, Eva.” He adjusted himself in his slacks. “I’ve changed my mind about that dress. You shouldn’t wear it in public.”

“We don’t have time for you to change your mind.”

“I thought there was more material than that.”

I shrugged with a grin. “What can I say? You bought it.”

“I’m having second thoughts. How long could it possibly take to remove it?”

Sliding my tongue along my lower lip, I said, “I don’t know. Why don’t you find out?”

His eyes turned dark. “We’d never get out of here.”

“I wouldn’t complain.” He looked so damn hot and I wanted him—as always—really damned bad.

“Isn’t there a jacket or something you can put over that? A parka, maybe? Or a trench coat?”

Laughing, I grabbed my clutch off the dresser and wrapped my arm around his. “Don’t worry. Everyone will be too busy checking you out to even bother noticing me.”

He scowled as I tugged him out of the bedroom. “Seriously. Have your tits gotten bigger? They’re spilling out over the top of that thing.”

“I’m twenty-four years old, Gideon,” I said dryly. “I stopped developing years ago. What you see is what you get.”

“Yes, but I’m the only one who’s supposed to be seeing, since I’m the only one who’s allowed to be getting.”

We moved into the living room. In the short time it took us to pass through to the foyer, I relished the quiet beauty of Gideon’s home. I loved how warm and inviting it was. The old world charm of the décor was so elegant, yet it was also remarkably comfortable. The stunning view out of the arched windows complemented the interior, but didn’t distract from it.

The mixture of dark woods, distressed stone, warm colors, and vivid jeweled accents was clearly expensive, as was the art hung on the walls, but it was a tasteful display of wealth. I couldn’t imagine anyone feeling awkward about what to touch or where to sit. It just wasn’t that kind of space.

We caught the private elevator and Gideon faced me as the doors closed. He immediately tried tugging my bodice up.

“If you’re not careful,” I warned, “you’ll expose my crotch instead.”

“Damn it.”

“We could have fun with this. I could play the role of a bubbleheaded blond bimbo who’s after your cock and your millions, and you can be yourself—the billionaire playboy with his latest toy. Just look bored and indulgent while I rub up against you and coo about how brilliant you are.”

“That’s not funny.” Then he brightened. “What about a scarf?”

Once we checked in for the gala dinner benefitting a new crisis shelter for women and children, we were directed to a press gauntlet, triggering my fear of exposure. I focused on Gideon because nothing distracted me as thoroughly as he did. And because I was paying such close attention, I was able to watch the change from private man to public persona as it happened.

The mask slipped smoothly into place. His irises chilled to an icy blue and his sensual mouth lost any hint of curve. I could almost feel the force of his will enclosing us. There was a shield between us and the rest of the world simply because he wished it to be there. Standing beside him, I knew no one would approach or speak to me until he gave them some sign that they could.