I raised my head and found Gavin looking at me. The moment my eyes met his, the blue almost the same shade as a midnight sky, I knew that he’d felt it too. It hadn’t been how we’d done it, what position, or the fact that it had been gentle. Everything that had happened had shifted something between us.
Gavin brushed back a few curls that had escaped my braid and shifted us so that we were stretched back out on the bed. He lay on his back and I curled up against him, resting my head on his chest. I loved hearing the sound of his heart.
We lay in silence for several minutes before I admitted that I needed an answer to the question that had resurfaced as I’d come down from my climactic high. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“That was amazing, but there wasn’t any...” My voice trailed off as I realized I wasn’t quite sure how to actually ask my question. “I mean, we didn’t do anything...”
“You want to know why we didn’t do anything kinky?”
I looked up to see him smiling at me. My cheeks burned, but I nodded.
“I don’t need the S&M stuff to enjoy myself, Carrie,” he assured me. “I like variety.” He kissed my forehead. “Besides, I figure we have plenty of time to explore that in the future.”
A thrill went through me at his mention of the future. Still, I decided to tease him a bit. I fixed my lips into a saucy grin. “Does that mean if I’m a bad girl tonight, you won’t want to punish me?”
He raised an eyebrow.
I slid my hand across his stomach and down, wrapping my fingers around his softening cock. He sucked in a breath and I chuckled.
“If you want to play,” he said. “I’m going to need my strength. We should get something to eat.”
I gave him a mock pout and he laughed, leaning down to take my bottom lip between his teeth, lightly tugging on it. I started to move on top of him, but just as things were about to get interesting, his cell phone rang.
I glanced at it, more out of habit than from actually caring who it was. I had other things on my mind, but as soon as I saw the number, I rolled off of Gavin and reached for it. He gave me a puzzled look, but as soon as I answered it, understanding crossed his face.
“Hello,” I said.
“What the fuck, Carrie?!” Krissy’s voice was too loud in my ear. “I’ve been trying to call you all day!”
“It’s a long story, Krissy,” I interrupted before she could get going. I glanced at Gavin.
“You fill her in. I’ll go get us something to eat.” Gavin kissed my cheek and then climbed out of bed.
I watched him walk across the bedroom, my thoughts straying until Krissy brought me back.
“Carrie, if you’re ogling your boyfriend instead of talking to me, I’m going to kick your ass.”
I grinned sheepishly even though she couldn’t see me. “Sorry,” I apologized. “So, here’s what happened...”
Chapter 12
None of this seemed real. Actually, not much in the past two weeks seemed like anything other than some very strange, and sometimes erotic, dream.
The rumors throughout the legal world were that Howard had royally screwed himself in thinking he could talk himself out of his charges by buddying up to the detective interrogating him. He’d gotten himself a reduced sentence on the sex trafficking charges in exchange for his client lists, but because his ego had gotten the better of him, he’d ended up admitting to a whole slew of other crimes that even his high-priced lawyer hadn’t been able to make go away. Between the drugs he’d supplied to Melissa, my assault and attempted rape, his assault and attempted murder of Gavin, and the information linking him to covering up Camille’s death, he wasn’t going to be getting out of jail for a very long time, if ever. I’d also been hearing that some of his female staff had gone in to officially file complaints. I hoped Annie was one of them.
Of course, all of that had brought a lot of unwanted attention my way, so Gavin and I had been hiding out in either his place or mine, the timing depending on whether or not Krissy wanted the apartment to herself. We didn’t walk anywhere and we definitely didn’t go out to eat. I’d begun to feel sympathy for celebrities who complained about the paparazzi. I’d even missed participating in my own graduation ceremony because the press had gotten wind of it.
The only place outside of the two apartments where the media couldn’t touch me was work. The first time someone had tried to sneak in to the office, Mimi had gone to a judge who’d slapped a restraining order on the reporter and ordered the press to stay at least five hundred feet away from the building. Mimi really was an amazing lawyer.
“Are you ready?” Krissy asked as she approached my desk. “It’s your party, after all. Can’t start till you get there.”
When Mimi had heard I hadn’t been able to go to my graduation, she’d decided to throw me a party at work. I’d dressed for the occasion, putting aside my usual wardrobe in exchange for one of the sundresses Gavin had bought me for our trip to Miami. That particular weekend had so many bad memories that I was determined to make new ones to overshadow the old. This would be my new memory in my cute mint-green dress.
“Have I told you how adorable you look in that?” Leslie asked as she joined Krissy at my desk. Dena followed closely behind.
“Thank you.” I smiled, and it felt a lot less forced than the ones I had been giving to people. Aside from Gavin, my three friends had been my salvation through all of this. They’d treated me no differently than they had before. The only change was that the teasing that had previously been directed at my lack of a romantic life was now about my rich, sexy boyfriend.
“Mimi said she bought a red velvet cake.” Krissy hooked her arm through mine. “Shall we go check it out?”
I nodded and we headed to the large conference room. There was, indeed, a red velvet cake with chocolate icing and “Congratulations, Carrie” in deep red frosting. It was huge. I’d never seen a cake that big before. My friends stayed close as our various coworkers came over to congratulate me, intervening whenever the conversation veered towards topics best left undiscussed.
I was just starting to try to figure out how I could get out of the rest of the party when Dena returned from the restroom by way of the outer office. She had a strange expression on her face as she approached me and said, “There’s someone here to see you.”
She didn’t appear to be upset or concerned, so I followed her back out. Standing by my desk was an older man with salt-and-pepper hair, and a young woman who was looking at the floor.
“Ms. Summers?” The man spoke.
His voice sounded familiar, but it wasn’t until the dark-haired girl raised her head that I realized who they were. A chill ran through me. “Patricia?”
“Ms. Summers, we had to come down here and personally thank you for what you did.” Frank took a step forward and extended his hand.
I took it, tearing my eyes away from the pale young woman long enough to see that her father had tears in his eyes.
“If it wasn’t for you, she would still be–” His voice broke.
“You saved my life, Ms. Summers.” Patricia’s voice was soft. “And that’s not an exaggeration.”
Frank had regained control of his emotions. “After you called me, I made arrangements to leave on the next flight to Saudi Arabia, and then called the detective who’d been assigned Patricia’s case to tell him that I had a lead and that I was flying out the next day. He tried to talk me out of going but I didn’t listen. When I arrived, I went straight to the American embassy and, with their help, was able to convince the Saudi police to raid the mansion.”
“There were four of us you helped rescue.” Patricia took a step towards me and started to raise her arms. She hesitated, as if unsure if I would hug her.
Of course I did. I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks, but I didn’t care. Everything that I’d been through, in that moment, was worth it. Even if it had just been Patricia, if no one else would’ve been saved, every
second of torment would have been worth it.
We didn’t talk long. I could tell Patricia was adjusting to being back and dealing with everything that she’d gone through. She had a good therapist and had found a support group for survivors like her. Her father was determined to do everything in his power to give her a good life, and I knew that would be as important as everything else. The support and love of family and friends would help her heal. And maybe then she could help others heal. I had a feeling Patricia would be the kind of woman who took her own tragedy and turned it into a way to help others who were suffering.
The Vinariskys left, and I had to stop in the restroom. I couldn’t go back into the party until I’d composed myself better. That was a part of the story that only Gavin and Krissy knew, though I would probably share it with Leslie and Dena soon. I didn’t want questions about why I looked so emotional.
When I came out of the restroom, Gavin was stepping off of the elevator. As always, the sight of him made my heart tighten and my stomach flip. He was dressed nicely, but nothing too fancy. Just a pair of dress jeans that hugged his body in a way that made my mouth go dry, because it only hinted at what I knew lay underneath. His short-sleeved dress shirt made his eye color pop, and was fitted tight enough to show that he was fit, but not so tight that it revealed every dip and curve of muscle. The man knew how to dress. Then again, I thought he’d look sexy in pretty much anything... and even more so in nothing.
“Earth to Carrie.” He waved a hand in front of my face. “Where’d you go?”
I smiled up at him and wrapped my arms around his neck. His look of surprise made my smile widen. I’d been very clear about no public displays of affection at work. His arms automatically slid around my waist though he still looked confused.
“It’s my party,” I said. “And if I want to kiss my boyfriend, I will.”
He chuckled and gently pressed his lips against mine. It was sweet and soft, exactly what I needed to finish calming my emotions after seeing Patricia. I’d tell him all about that later. Right now, we had cake to eat.
I took a step back and took his hand, threading our fingers together. “Let’s go get some cake.”
“Cake sounds good,” he said. “But I’m thinking we cut out after we’re done.”
Now it was my turn to be confused.
“I want to take you on a little trip.”
“Where?”
He smiled. “That’s a surprise.” He raised our hands and kissed the back of mine. “Let’s see about that cake, make the rounds, thank Mimi, and get out of here.”
“But I have to finish work.”
“Nope.” His grin widened. “Already cleared it with Mimi. She said you deserve it. So, what do you say?”
“I say, that sounds like exactly what I need.”
Less than twenty minutes later, we were heading down to the lobby where, I assumed, he’d have one of his infamous town cars waiting.
I was wrong.
What was sitting in front of the building wasn’t a town car, but a cherry red Italian sports car. A Ferrari, to be exact. I remembered him saying he preferred them to Bentleys, but I hadn’t realized that meant he owned one. I’d never been one to fawn over cars, but even I had to admit that this one was a beauty.
“This is my ‘outside the city’ car,” he said as he opened the door for me.
“So we’re leaving the city then?” I asked as I slid into the passenger’s seat. The leather was soft against my skin.
“No guessing.” He closed the door and then walked around to the other side. He continued speaking as he got in. “Don’t ruin the surprise.”
I gave him a mock pout and he laughed. Not the sexy laugh that made things low in my belly tighten, but the one that was far more rare, the one that was open and joyful. I hoped finding the man responsible for Camille’s death would give him some closure and allow him to laugh like that more often.
He reached over and squeezed my hand before starting the car and pulling out into the street. We didn’t really speak until we passed the city limits, and then it was he who initiated the conversation.
“Now that you’ve graduated, are you planning on staying at Webster and Steinberg or do you have another firm in mind?” He glanced at me before returning his attention to the road. “I just realized that I’d never asked you that before.”
He was right. We’d talked in vague generalities about things, but never specifics about what I planned to do after graduation and passing the bar.
“I appreciate everything Mimi has done for me,” I said. “But divorce court isn’t where I want to practice. I’ve always wanted to help the helpless, you know? Go after child abusers and wife beaters, that kind of thing; but I don’t think I’m cut out to be a prosecutor either.” I’d actually had this idea bouncing around in my head for a while, but this was the first time I was giving it voice. “I’ve been thinking lately that I want to fight sex trafficking by working for the victims, go after people like Howard not just criminally, but in every way possible. Fight to get laws passed for better protection and compensation for the victims.”
Gavin put his hand over mine. “I think that’s a great idea.”
I sighed. “The only problem is that, because it’s not a very lucrative business, there aren’t a lot of firms that specialize in that kind of work, and none of them are hiring. I’ve been checking this past week.”
Gavin was silent for a moment, then spoke, the hesitation in his voice making me turn towards him. “What about starting your own firm? Take cases pro bono. Maybe even spend some time digging into potential traffickers and gathering evidence for the authorities. You’ve proven you’re good at that.”
I gave him a puzzled look. “That would be great, but I’m going to be paying off my student loans until I’m forty as it is. I have to make a living somehow.”
“You make a living through your partnership in the club,” he said. “And you can even use it to weed out potential traffickers.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. I wasn’t sure where he was going with this. “It still doesn’t explain how I’m going to manage to not only pay my bills but fund a law firm with what I make helping run a club.”
“You don’t fund the law firm,” he said. “I do.”
I stared at him. He couldn’t be serious.
He continued, “It’s important work, Carrie. It means a lot to you, and I helped Howard run his business through the club.”
“You didn’t know.”
His expression was grim. “I didn’t, but it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t help put a stop to others like Howard.” He lifted our hands and brushed his lips across my knuckles, sending little tingles across my skin. “Those seem like just a few of many reasons why this is a good idea.”
He looked as if he expected me to argue like I had before, any time he’d spent a lot of money on me, but this wasn’t for me, not really. Sure, it was letting me do what I wanted to do, but it was about the victims, the survivors like Patricia and the ones who never made it home to their families. I wasn’t about to pass that up. Besides, I was getting more used to his generosity’s just being a part of who he was.
I leaned over, putting my hand on his leg to steady myself, and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
We went around a bend as I was starting to sit back, and the turn jostled me, causing my hand slid higher up his thigh, my fingers brushing against the bulge in his jeans. I heard him suck in a breath and my stomach clenched. I loved that an accidental touch could make him react like that.
The mischievous part of me, the one that had been growing bolder the more time I spent with Gavin, decided that it was time to come out and play. I didn’t sit back, but rather leaned as close as my seatbelt would allow, pressing my breasts against his arm, and put my mouth against his ear.
“Wherever we’re going,” I whispered. “I hope it has a nice, big bed because I fully intend to show my gratitude for your offer.” I flicked out my tongue, catching his ea
rlobe with the tip.
The car jerked, then pulled off the side of the road, moving up behind a small cusp of trees. It was all so sudden that I barely had time to process it before the car was off and Gavin was turning towards me, his eyes blazing.
Oh. Apparently not waiting for our destination. The ache between my legs approved of that decision.
He wrapped a hand around the back of my neck, pulling me forward until our mouths crashed together. I made a noise in the back of my throat and his fingers flexed against my neck as his tongue pushed between my lips.
We’d had sex several times since the incident with Howard, and it had been great every time, but the edge that had existed before was gone. We teased about me being a “bad girl” and things like that, but never did anything about it. I kept telling Gavin that I was okay, that he didn’t need to treat me like I was breakable, but I could feel him holding back. And it wasn’t like before when he’d been testing what I liked. This was more that he was afraid he would do something that would hurt me, not physically, but emotionally. I appreciated that, but I was starting to miss the world he’d just started to introduce me to. I was actually craving something rougher, something driven by pure need.
This kiss promised everything I wanted and more, and I wasn’t about to let him reconsider.
I sucked on his tongue, earning that near-growl I’d been missing, and I dropped my hands between us. I managed to get the button undone and his pants unzipped before he realized what I was doing. He took my bottom lip between his teeth, tugging lightly at the kiss-swollen flesh, and I slid my hand into his pants.
“Fuck.” His mouth tore away from mine the moment I took him in my hand.
He was hot and hard, straining against the confines of his boxer-briefs, and I wanted nothing more than to free him – lower my head and take him in my mouth, feel him thrust up, running that silk-covered shaft over my tongue...