Dangerous for You (2 page)

I couldn’t lie.

“Don’t call me son! Not if you’re trying to do this to me!”

“You know how it is between us, Gabriel,” Lucas replied softly, seemingly unfazed by his nephew’s shout. “You are like a son to me. The only one I’d ever have. Nothing you say or do can change that.”

Gabriel’s back stiffened, muscles going granite beneath my fingers. I sensed there was more angering him than Lucas being a doting uncle.

“Stop it. Please.”

“I know you find it hard to believe but I’m not doing this
to
you. I’m doing it
for
you.”

Lucas leaned around Gabriel’s arm and looked me in the eye. I felt like the prey to his predator. It jolted me for a moment. He smiled with smug satisfaction.

“You’ve heard my proposition. So what’s it going to be, Emma? Once I run you out of Med-Tech and every other job in the city, what’s left for you? Are you going to work for Gabriel? That will be your only option. At least, for as long as I want it. And it won’t be for long, Emma.”

Before I could answer, Lucas crossed the line.

“Or is your mother going to have to pay the price for her daughter’s indiscretions? She is rather young, after all. Only three years younger than me if one can believe it. I’m sure she can pick up and start over in another town—there’s always toilets that need to be cleaned and she is an expert on it, isn’t she?”

I narrowed my gaze, knowing a dangerous rage projected before I could contain it. “You leave her out of this. Your problem is with me. Not my mother.”

Lucas dropped the veneer of impeccable indifference. Emotion bled over into the smooth lines of his face. “Then give me what I want.”

“Go to—”

“Emma!” Gabriel hissed, giving me the unspoken command of silence.

Swallowing the rest of my rage was a bitter experience indeed. Gabriel shifted again until I was completely hidden beneath his back. I didn’t want to be there. Although I trusted Gabriel to handle any insults thrown my way, I still wanted to rush out from behind him and punch his uncle in the mouth.

Gabriel squared his shoulders. “Stop threatening Emma and stop insulting her mother.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll make you stop,” he answered quietly. Too quietly.

“Is that a threat, Gabriel?”

“It’s not a threat. It’s a guarantee. You’ve crossed the line.”

“Look at us, son. Look at what she’s done to us. How can you turn your back on our family and take her side against us?”

“I’m not. Emma’s my choice, Lucas, and you’re the only one who won’t respect it.”

“You can’t be reasoned with and so you can’t be trusted. If you won’t back down then I’ll have no choice to recommend your removal from Gordon Industries.”

“Do it. I don’t give a shit and never have. I’ve got enough money to last me two lifetimes.”

“Perhaps, but are you willing to lose your livelihood and pride for this girl?”

“I won’t lose. Besides, you like the money I bring in too much to let it all go to hell.”

“I have enough money to last me a couple of lifetimes as well. Imagine all the layoffs that will happen once you’re gone. You think they’ll be as well off as us? Why don’t we ask Emma’s opinion?”

“Fuck off!”

I startled, feeling it almost impossible to draw in a breath when there was so much anger and hostility in the room.

Based on the triumph oozing in his tone, I imagined Lucas’s smile split like the seas. “You have no power in this situation, Gabriel, and you know it. I control the board. Not you. I’ll have you ousted. You’ll be on the street faster than a phone call and so will a significant portion of our workforce.”

And there it was. The ultimate threat. The one I could never let Gabriel or anybody else suffer.

“Tell me how many fucks I give, Lucas. Don’t threaten Emma or her mother again. I won’t tolerate it. If anything happens to either of them, I don’t care what it is—someone bumps into them on the street—I’ll burn everything down to the ground myself. Understand?”

That’s not true, Gabriel. You care about your employees—even the ones you don’t know. You’d never let me down like that.

Even though I remained docilely behind Gabriel, Lucas read me through and through. He’d gotten to me and he knew it. Giving us his back, he said over his shoulder as he walked away, “I’m finished here. I trust you’ll both make the right decision.”

“I’ve already made it for us,
Uncle
.”

He stopped and turned around. “Embry will be expecting you to make this up to her, Gabriel. So will I. A romantic trip to Paris will be a nice start, don’t you think? It’s the least you can do considering everything she’s been through because of you both.”

And then Lucas was gone, taking all the air with him.

Gabriel turned around and immediately dragged me against him. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I never thought he’d be this way. I should’ve seen it coming. I should’ve…”

“It’s okay,” I murmured numbly. Why was I lying to him? Nothing was going to be okay again. Ever.

“No, it’s not.” He cupped my face. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. I should’ve thrown him out as soon as we got here. I would’ve if I had any clue he’d be this damned unreasonable.”

“You’re not responsible for what your uncle said.”

“Maybe not, but he’s not going to be allowed entry up here anymore. I promise.”

“Are you sure? He’s your uncle.”

Gabriel grimaced and shook his head. “I won’t risk you. He goes against you, I’ll cut him off.”

And so it began. Gabriel was willing to cut off his uncle to respect and protect me. Who next? Business associates? Friends? Casual acquaintances?

I don’t want this.

How did things spiral so far out of control? Before I met Lucas Gordon, we’d been so happy together and blissfully unaware of what was to come our way. I didn’t have to look into Gabriel’s eyes to know they reflected the same grief.

“Emma, you still love me, right?”

“Always.”

I knew it would come to this. Somehow I always knew.

My bruised heart suffered another jolt, clenching so painfully I could barely draw in breath. I knew something Gabriel didn’t know or didn’t want to acknowledge.

Our strange fairytale was unraveling.

TWO

It was odd how certain memories of us retained their sharp edges while others became slivers. I remembered the first hours of our trip vividly even when the rest were awash in flashes…

Saturday

One Week Earlier

I reached for him, not wanting an inch to separate us. “I love you, Gabriel.”

Surprise flipped his smile before deep pleasure shined brightly in his arresting gaze. “I love you too, Emma.”

Unable to completely banish my uneasiness, I asked with uncharacteristic vulnerability, “Nothing will ever tear us apart, will it?”

“Never!” Gabriel swore, ruthless clench in his jaw affirming his sincerity. “Let anyone try and see what happens.”

I tightened my arms around his waist and rested my head against his chest. We stood there for a long time, unwilling and unable to let the other go.

Gabriel finally pulled back. His warm hands cupped my face. “Baby, what brought this on?”

“I don’t know.”

Sympathy brightened his gaze. He stroked my hair, smiling as if I was the sweetest most precious thing in his world. “It’s been a long couple of days, hasn’t it?”

“Too long. Especially when you’re not here with me.”

“I know. I feel exactly the same, Emma.” Gabriel kissed me gently. “I can’t say I won’t ever leave again, but I’ll always come back to you.”

“Swear it?”

“I swear it.”

“Swear it on my pudding.”

“I swear it on your sweet, sweet pudding.”

“Okay.” I smiled and stood on tip-toe to drop a quick kiss on his soft lips. “I feel so much better now.”

“Oh, in that case I better swear it on your chocolate pudding as well.”

I laughed and accused him of being shameless, especially because of his wink. Happily, my earlier stab of fear healed as if it never was.

“Guilty as charged.” Gabriel linked his arms around my waist and brought me tight against his body. “But your pudding is
so
good. I could eat it all day long.”

Giggling, I didn’t bother to ask him which kind of pudding he was referring to. His wicked grin said it all.

“So where are we going, Gabriel?”

“That’s a little bit of a surprise.”

“Ah, well then. I can’t wait to be surprised. I should probably change though, right?”

Gabriel leaned back and took in my Grecian ensemble. “Your dress is a bit on the short side and I’m a possessive sort, so yes. You’d better change back into your clothes.”

“Help me?” I asked, feeling a bit shy at the request even though Gabriel wanted to take care of me and I wanted to let him do it.

“You couldn’t drag me away.” Gabriel slid his hand around my neck and pulled me in for another thorough kiss. He drained away my discomfort with each slow sweep of his tongue.

I was beyond smitten.

When we pulled away a long minute later, Gabriel led me to the side of his bed. I stood still as he carefully undid my dress button by tiny button. “Arms up, Emma.”

Obedient, I lifted my arms. The diaphanous fabric slid softly across my skin, feeling like an extension of Gabriel’s touch. Goosebumps rose in response. Standing there in just a wisp of underwear, I yearned for his hands. I wanted him to caress me more, to tease me with his fingertips as he was wont to do.

“Stop it.”

I licked my lips. “What?”

“Stop looking at me like that, little bunny. It makes me want to be the wolf and gobble you up in one bite.”

“Maybe I’d like you to do it.”

He growled low in his throat. “Be careful what you wish for, Emma. Because you…just…might…get it.” Gabriel suddenly tackled me. I fell back upon the bed, shrieking with laughter as he attacked my neck with his mouth. “Are you sorry now?”

“No!”

Gabriel nibbled on my shoulder, which made me wiggle and struggle as I chortled, before popping up. “How about now?”

“Not even close! You’ll have to do much more than that to get me to be sorry.”

“Oh, really?” He captured my wrists and pinned them to the bed. Gabriel then pressed what felt like hundreds of kisses all over my face, neck, and shoulders. They tickled, teased, and aroused all at once. I laughed and moaned until I was breathless and could barely move.

“I’ve got you now, girl. Do you surrender?”

“Surrender? I thought you wanted me to apologize?”

“Pfft! That was then. This is now. I want your full surrender, Emma.”

I looked at him from beneath lowered lashes. “I thought I already
had
surrendered to you.”

Supreme male confidence softened his features. Gabriel came closer and nuzzled my nose with his. “So you did.” Gabriel’s slow smirk thrilled me all the way to my toes. “But I want it
all
because I’m a greedy bastard like that.”

“Greedy? Not you!”

“Absolutely me.” Gabriel pressed tiny kisses all along my jaw line. “Right now, I just want to make love to you all day long until we can’t move.”

“You won’t get any complaints from me. I think that’s a grand idea.”

“So do I.” He sighed and lifted himself up off me. “But we have a plane to catch, Emma.”

“Screw the plane.” I yanked him back on me. “Let’s stay here this weekend instead.”

Gabriel groaned. “You’re tempting me to be a bad man.”

“Good. I like you bad.”

His hands closed on my hips as he ground into me. “Yes, but I promised you a date and a date is what you’re going to get.” Gabriel rolled off me and stood up. He held out his hand and waited until I took it. “Aww, you look so disappointed, baby.”

I shrugged, unable to keep myself from pouting for a bit.

“Emma, you’re hurting my feelings. I spent all my downtime planning this excursion for you.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

“It will be fun. I promise. Once we’re done with today’s sightseeing, you can then ravage my poor man’s body for as long as you’d like tonight. We’ll leave the sheets in a sorry state, so much so I’ll be ashamed for Housekeeping to see what we were up to.”

Gabriel’s lusty grin did very little to thaw my disappointment. “Maybe I’ll find myself too tired to ravage you.”

He gasped. “Hey, you meanie! Take that back! You will
always
want to ravage my body.”