dangerous if he cared, too.
The idea that she could have lost him in that fire rolled over her. She closed her eyes and let herself feel a wave of concern, huge relief, and something that felt suspiciously stronger than attraction. She was afraid to examine how much more. Love?
But Everly knew she’d spent too much time being afraid to invest in people. Maybe she’d been more impacted by her mother’s desertion than she wanted to admit. Perhaps she’d feared winding up like her father, loving a ghost who’d left long ago. Everly knew that could happen with Gabriel; he could very well leave her alone and yearning. But she refused to lose the beauty of this moment to her fear.
If Maddox Crawford hadn’t come along, she’d still be at her old job and working like a dog, never venturing out of her little neighborhood, only dating the fish in that small pond. Her bit of time with Maddox had shown her a thing or two about living large and pursuing her dreams. He’d given her the courage to go for what she wanted—and there was nothing in life she wanted more than Gabriel Bond.
She tossed away every fear about him. If she truly meant to seek a relationship with this man, she had to open herself up. She had to trust him.
“Jesus, do you have any idea how good that feels?” He tangled his fingers in her hair.
She knew how much she enjoyed it when he licked and sucked and ate at her. So Everly fitted her tongue into the little groove under the head of his shaft and rubbed there. He was too big to fit in her mouth all at once, so she sucked the head while she pumped his shaft in time.
“Oh, yeah. Oh . . . baby. Damn.” He tugged gently on her hair. “Everly, stop. I want to be inside you. Put the condom on me and ride me now.”
She knew by his tone that he wasn’t in the mood to bargain. Hopefully, she’d have time later to toy with and tease him, suck him until he couldn’t last a second longer. She meant to lavish and bestow on him all the pleasure and attention he gave her so he knew exactly how good it felt to be wanted that way. Someday.
For now, she grabbed a condom from the box and tore the package open. She’d never actually performed this service, but she shoved that out of her head. With a minimum of fumbling, Everly managed to roll the condom over him, stroking his length as she covered every inch. Her excitement built.
Once she’d finished protecting them, she let her gaze wander up his body as he laid himself out for her taking. In that moment, Everly found it so easy to believe that he belonged to her, that his body had been made to give her pleasure, that his heart beat with devotion for no one but her.
“I’m crazy about you, Gabriel.” She couldn’t say anything more. Not yet. But she couldn’t remain silent, either.
A sexy smile tugged his lips up. “I’m crazy about you, too, baby.”
Relieved and almost giddy, Everly straddled him, aligning his cock to her opening, ready to take him deep inside her body. He raised his hands to clutch her hips and guide her down.
“Like I said before, we’re in this together. You and me.” His whisper made that sound far more intimate than merely the sharing of some danger and passion. He made it sound as if he meant something emotional and lasting. “We have to trust each other. I’ll take care of you, I swear. I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”
Gabriel was right. To have any sort of real relationship, they had to try. She couldn’t keep secrets from him anymore. They’d left the police station after his initial interrogation, intending to lay all their cards on the table. Everly didn’t want to wait anymore. If they were going to work, she had to be all in.
Because right now, he was about to be all inside her.
As she sank down, taking him inch by inch, she gasped. He was so big. Every time he filled her, he stretched her until she couldn’t breathe. He crowded all the empty spaces inside her and made them sing. Not her sex, but her head, her heart . . . Damn, she was in so deep.
Everly inched her way down, not wanting to rush the moment. Gabriel’s stare jumped from her face to the place where their bodies slowly joined.
“It’s amazing.” He gripped her hips, smoothed his palms up to her waist, then plumped her breasts as he urged her down.
The instant he filled her completely, he caressed the length of her arms and tangled their fingers together. Everly closed her eyes, letting the moment sink in. Still. Silent. Almost reverent. No way to escape the feeling of connection. She found an intimacy she’d been missing her whole life. This man meant something to her, so much that it scared her. But with their bodies fused, hands joined, and stares locked, Everly found it easy to believe that she meant something to him, too.
Gabriel tugged her down to his chest. “Kiss me.”
She found his lips with her own, brushing softly and reveling in their closeness. She swore she could all but feel the boundaries around her heart crumbling. Yes, it terrified her. He terrified her because in a couple of short days, Gabriel had proven how empty her life was without him. He’d shown her how good it felt to be adored.
Determined to give him the same in return, she licked along his sensual bottom lip. A shudder went through his powerful body, and she loved it. God help her, but she didn’t see any way of avoiding the truth.
She loved him.
They would share pleasure and sleep tonight. Tomorrow, she would tell this man everything. She would show him the e-mail and texts she’d received. Together, they would figure the problem out. They were a team. Partners. She was no longer alone.
Everly was too aware of the world not to know that she could be headed for heartbreak, but loneliness sucked, too. After all, it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, right? On the other hand, now that Gabriel had worked his way into her heart, she had no idea how to cast him out—and didn’t want to.
At his urging, she began to move her hips, following the rhythm of her heart, heeding the needs of her body. She let go of every thought in her head except for him and the pleasure they shared.
Gabriel cupped her waist as she lowered herself onto his erection again. As he nudged her up faster, she sighed, then immediately canted down once more, allowing him to fill her utterly. Over and over she rode him, loving the feel of him swelling against her flesh. His hips bucked up, fighting her for control, but it only increased the sweet friction that threatened to send her over the edge again. Little pulses of sensation sparked from her core, forcing the rhythm faster and faster. He cupped her breasts, his breath sputtering as he pumped his way deeper.
Almost there. Almost there . . . He changed the angle of their thrusts, generating a friction against that magic spot inside her that had her gasping, clawing at his chest, ready to chant his name. Ecstasy was so close.
As he pushed inside her once more, she cried out in a keening wail and found it. Pure perfection exploded between her legs, inside her womb. She clutched him. Gabriel was her lifeline in this drowning pleasure—just as she hoped he would be in life.
As she found bliss, he went taut under her and held tight, forcing his cock higher inside her body, as if determined to leave his mark. With a hoarse shout of satisfaction, he pumped out his orgasm.
Repletion drugged her veins. Everly fell against Gabriel, her body utterly exhausted, her mind blessedly clear. He enfolded her in his arms. She felt protected and loved in a way she never had. Tears stung her eyes. It might be too soon to tell him all of her feelings, but she’d poured them out through her touch. The way he’d gripped her in answer . . . he must know or sense how she felt. Given the way he growled her name as he shattered, it didn’t seem to scare him off.
Snuggling in deeper, she listened as the thundering beat of his heart slowed. She breathed with Gabriel—in, out, endlessly—and didn’t move off of him. She wasn’t ready. That moment would come soon enough. Until then, she’d maintain their connection as long as possible.
Their first night together, she’d given him her body. Tonight, she’d shared her heart. Tomorrow, she would reveal her secrets.
•
• •
You look like hell,” Gabe commented as he jogged down the stairs the following morning.
He felt unexpectedly cheerful for a man who might be arrested for murder at any moment. He knew damn well the situation warranted him being more serious, but after an amazing night with Everly, he couldn’t work up the will to frown.
Unfortunately, Connor didn’t look as if he’d had a similarly fantastic experience.
His pal flipped him the bird. “I was up all fucking night investigating for you.”
The dining table was covered in stacks of papers. It looked as if Connor had pried the lockbox open without too much fuss. The lid gaped wide, the contents ready for further study.
Gabriel would rather study how beautiful Everly was in the morning light. He’d woken up beside her, her body tucked close to his. He’d thought about lying in bed with her all day, taking her again and again.
Instead, his cell phone had vibrated, and he’d cursed the real world intruding. He hadn’t wanted to wake her so he’d rolled out of bed and tiptoed into the bathroom. He’d answered several texts, canceling meetings at Bond Aeronautics while ignoring probes from the press, then he’d gotten dressed and come downstairs.
“Is Everly still sleeping?” Connor asked.
He nodded. “Yes, she needs rest. Yesterday was hard on her, especially the fire at Mad’s.” His guess was that she’d been bottled up for a long time. Gabe had encouraged her to cry, to let her emotions out and share them with him. He’d been so gratified that she’d trusted him enough to comply. Had she ever cried with Mad? The question disturbed him. “Besides, the longer she sleeps, the longer it takes for her to figure out we’re stuck here.”
He didn’t want to be the one to tell her their hideout had quickly become their prison.
“No way around that truth.” Connor sighed. “Roman’s in the kitchen making coffee. Warning: he’s not in a good mood. There are so many members of the press milling around the building—even someone from People magazine, I’m told. Roman had to slip in using the supersecret celebrity entrance created for the famous blowhards who inhabit this place. Two movie stars, a Broadway legend, and three producers who are convinced that people will recognize them in hoodies and sunglasses.” He scoffed. “Puffed-up douchebags.”
A little of Gabe’s shiny mood faded. If Roman had been forced to sneak in, the press presence must be worse than he’d hoped. “Shit. How did they find us?”
Roman strolled into the living room, his face set in a fierce frown. He held two mugs of coffee and handed one to Connor. “Probably the cops. Since we had to tell them where you’d planned to stay last night before they’d stop questioning you about the fire, I’m sure word got around the precinct. Someone who didn’t mind taking a little kickback for tipping off the press likely ran his mouth. So Dax is downstairs working with security to make sure no one slips up here.”
He’d promised to protect Everly. He needed to do a better job of it.
“Any chance they’ll go away if I make a statement?”
“You going to go hunting for unicorns next?” Roman shot back. “Of course not, and anything you said could be twisted in the press or a court of law. You’re better off keeping your mouth shut. There’s an underground garage with a tunnel that leads to the building next door. But I’m not sure it’s uncommon knowledge. We’ll try taking you in and out that way if necessary.”
At least they might have an escape route. “I don’t want those reporters getting anywhere near Everly.”
“No, but you sure like getting near her yourself,” Connor said with a knowing grin. “She’s a screamer, by the way. Any time I nodded off, she’d start making noise, and I’d be wide awake again.”
Gabe scowled. Everly would likely be horrified to know Connor had heard her cries of pleasure. Gabe wasn’t thrilled to know that his buddy had heard them, either.
Roman set his mug down. “Are you sure sleeping with this woman is a good idea?”
He didn’t like the way Roman said this woman. He scowled. “Her name is Everly.”
“All right. Are you sure sleeping with Everly is a good idea?”
“Everybody already thinks I am,” he replied. “I don’t see how it hurts anything at this point. I could go out and make a statement that we’re not together. No one would believe it.”
“You’re likely to hurt her. I’ve done some checking. She’s not like the women you usually date.”
“I’m not really dating her.” But no denying he was involved—deeply. And what he felt for her was so new and fresh, he wasn’t ready to discuss it, not even with his best friends. He sure as hell wasn’t letting them dictate when and how he spent his time with her.
“I think she would disagree, and that’s why it’s a bad idea to continue sleeping with her,” Roman countered.
“He’s not going to listen, man. He can pretend all day long, but he’s really falling for her.” Connor redirected his attention to his computer screen, hitting the button to refresh. His eyes flared. “There she is. Oh, yeah. I’ve got you now.”
“Has he finally gone feral?” Gabe asked Roman, tossing a thumb in Connor’s direction, more than happy to change the subject.
Roman glanced at the screen. “Shit! Is Senator Armstrong’s daughter really running Capitol Scandals?”
“Probably.” Connor sipped his coffee. “Or she’s shacking up with whoever is. Either way, she’s up to her pretty neck in trouble. But my hunch is that she writes the blog.”
“Damn it. Armstrong is Zack’s ally in the senate.” Roman scowled. “Tread carefully, Connor. If this comes out, it could be damaging to our administration. That blog is full of crap challenging Zack’s policies.”
Capitol Scandals was the tabloid of choice for the DC crowd, but . . . “Isn’t it a rag?”
“The front pages are, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find a lot of commentary on policy. She completely disagrees with almost everything Zack and the senate have done in the last two years,” Roman explained. “Of course she backs it up with crazy conspiracy theories that seem to contain just enough fact to scare the shit out of people. But if it came out that one of Zack’s closest allies has a dissenting daughter bent on destroying him, it wouldn’t be good.”
A predatory gleam lit Connor’s eyes. “I can shut her up.”
Gabe didn’t like the look on Connor’s face. “You can’t kill her for expressing her opinion.”
But the CIA “analyst” smoothed over his expression, that nasty gleam in his eyes suddenly gone. “Of course not. I meant I’ll explain that continuing to run this ‘clandestine’ site is no longer a viable career choice. She blew her cover by falling right into my trap. Look at the headline on Capitol Scandals this morning, boys.”
IN THE MIDDLE OF DANGER, PLAYBOY SAVES BOOZE
Gabe sighed. Had the blog mentioned how he’d evaded the two armed men who had tried to kill him? Or talked about his willingness to sacrifice himself to save Everly Parker? Nope. Everything in black and white revolved around the fact that he’d saved Mad’s wretchedly expensive Scotch. “Well, this is going to help my image. Really, how can I thank you?”
Frowning, Connor snatched the computer back. “I would have saved that Scotch, too. Leaving it behind to die tragically in that fire would have been a terrible crime.” When Gabe slanted him a warning glare, Connor sighed. “Look, I had to give Lara Armstrong something no one else knew to see if she’d run with the story. You passed that bottle off to Dax when we picked you up in Harlem. The cops had no idea you ever had it, so this ‘leak’ proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that she’s either running Capitol Scandals or talking directly to whoever does. She’s the only one I told, the only one who could have known.”
Gabe understood the reasoning, but wished Connor had passed on a more positive angle. “You couldn’t make up a story, like I bench two-twenty or something?”
“I’m not that creative.” Connor rolled his eyes. “Besides, I had to give her
a tidbit up her alley, and she loves to run pieces that make the rich look entitled and stupid. It’s a theme with her.”
“We need to shut her down.” Roman took a seat and ran a hand over his tired face. “Before her identity comes out.”
“Once I figure out what she knows,” Connor promised. His voice had taken on that stony, I-know-something-you-don’t quality he used when he no longer thought it was prudent to talk.
“What’s up?” Gabe couldn’t let him keep secrets. “What do you think she knows?”
Connor’s jaw tightened, his whole face becoming a stubborn mask.
Roman sat up, pinning Connor with a stare. “Don’t hide shit from us. I know you’re used to dealing in secrets and you play close to the vest, but we’re not agents and there’s no need-to-know basis here. We need to know everything.”
Connor’s shoulders slumped, and Gabe knew whatever was about to come out of his mouth would be bad. “I didn’t want to even mention it until I found out if she’s trying to make money or waves by tearing Mad apart. She says she’s heard rumors that he was a pedophile.”
Gabe felt his jaw drop. Mad had loved sex—no doubt—but no way had he ever touched a child. “Are you fucking kidding me? If Lara Armstrong runs that story, I’ll sue her. I don’t care what it will do to Zack. He’s a big boy and he can handle it. But I won’t let her spread lies.”