Isabelle: Being Me The afterglow took a long time to fade. I think I slept or at least catnapped. That was okay, since I woke up wrapped in warmth, and I was in no rush to break away from the strong arms holding me tight. He slept beside me, his big body lax, obviously finding the same ease with me as I did with him. But he gave me more. I felt so protected when I was with Gabe, so right. I could wake up like this every morning, I thought, and cut off my musings. I had no right to think beyond the here and now. Time, I needed it to make sure I didn"t jump without thinking, like I tended to do when it came to men. To the idea of security.
"Isabelle?" a female voice called out from the living room.
I jumped at the intrusion.
"Isabelle? It"s me, Lucy! I thought I could welcome you to the island, have a drink, and we could talk about-" Lucy halted in the doorway, shutting up as she took in the sight of me. In bed with her brother.
"Oh my G.o.d." I crawled lower into the bed.
"Go away, Lucy."
"I thought I"d welcome her, Gabe. I didn"t think you"d jump her the minute she arrived."
I cringed. Gabe merely glanced down, making sure he was covered.
"Actually, she jumped me." He grinned, and I sank lower, managing to elbow him in the side for his sarcasm.
"Fine. I"m going. Since it"s near dinnertime, why don"t we just meet tomorrow. Isabelle, you can text me when you"re ready to work on the club."
The club. The reason I thought I"d been summoned here. The reminder brought the real world crashing back.
I waited for Lucy to disappear before sitting up in bed. "This really was a setup. Invite me here to work on the club as a pretext to getting me into bed. I told Lucy I didn"t have the experience, but she a.s.sured me I could handle it. I knew you"d had a hand in it, but I didn"t think..." I shook my head. "Never mind. I"ll see if Joely can bring me back to Miami first thing in the morning."
His hand gripped mine. "Did I set you up to come here to meet me? Yes. Because you wouldn"t have come otherwise."
I shook my head, biting down on my lower lip. "I needed the time apart," I said. "It was the only way to get through each day and build myself into a worthy woman. Instead of respecting that, you set up a way to get me a job."
"You"re wrong about one thing. You were always a worthy woman. Worthy of a lot more than the hand you were dealt. Success is all about who you know and what you make of the opportunity."
"You and Lucy are drinking the same Kool-Aid."
He cupped the back of my head in his hand, subtly controlling my ability to move. My body responded as if we hadn"t just made love ... had s.e.x. An insistent throb began low in my belly. I didn"t recognize the woman whose s.e.xual need was so strong, who wanted ... so much.
"The fact is, I gave you as much time as I could take. Patience is not my strong suit in general. When it comes to you? It"s nonexistent," he said, his voice a guttural rumble.
"You let me go so easily. I thought you"d forgotten me." I blinked up at him. "And before you say it, I know. It"s a contradiction to think that way considering I"m the one who walked out on you."
His perpetually stormy eyes darkened further. "I gave you what you wanted-what you needed-for as long as I could. I always will. But make no mistake. You were never alone."
Whatever he meant by that, I wasn"t sure I needed specifics. I"d always sensed that if something went wrong, Gabe would be there. He wouldn"t have let me fall. He"d provided an inherent safety net I hadn"t known about, and that was the key. I. Hadn"t. Known. I"d been on my own.
But the truth of this trip settled over me, dulling the good feelings. "So the job? I can"t imagine Lucy really needs me. She"s put together every club you already own." So why had I come here?
He shook his head. "Lucy"s in charge of the decor in the clubs. She looked at the portfolio of the things you"ve done with Lisa, and along with my recommendation, she wanted to give you a chance."
I blinked. "The opportunity is real?" I asked warily.
"As real as you want it to be."
"In other words, if I want to come back home with you and play house, you"d prefer it."
"Not prefer. I want whatever makes you happy."
Lance had said the same thing, and yet slowly, subtly, he"d taken away everything I"d ever loved.
I realized he"d pulled me into his arms, and I was wrapped in him, just the way he liked things. I felt so safe, so wanted. How, when he"d manipulated the situation to get me here? My heart and my sense of self-worth warred with each other.
"I want you happy, but make no mistake. I want you with me. And this time? You aren"t going to disappear."
I shook my head. "You"re playing me, and I don"t like it. So don"t ask me to make any promises about the future."
He exhaled hard, and a few uncomfortable moments pa.s.sed. "Then make a promise for now. Stay with me on Eden."
I didn"t know how long he meant or what he intended for us while we were here. I did know that despite the circ.u.mstances, I wanted to decorate that club as much as I wanted this time with him. Standing on my own two feet had felt great-but I felt even better here in Gabe"s arms.
I didn"t trust that he"d allow me the freedom I needed to be me in the real world. And that scared me as much as leaving him did.
Still, I managed a nod. I wasn"t going anywhere. For the moment.
"Are you hungry?" he asked.
"I worked up an appet.i.te," I said, somewhat cheekily. After all, my body still hummed with aftershocks of pleasure, and I was deliciously sore.
He groaned and pulled me into a long kiss. We didn"t eat or think about food for a long, long while.
Isabelle: Elite I woke up the next morning to find Gabe already gone from the bed. I washed up and pulled a robe over my naked body. The man didn"t like to sleep with clothes, and he"d been insatiable throughout the night. He blamed our long time apart, and I couldn"t deny everything he made me feel either. Hot, achy, and wanted and needed.
I headed into the kitchen area to find him on the phone. Wearing a pair of gym shorts, he barked orders at the unlucky person on the other end and paced back and forth as he spoke.
He turned, caught sight of me, and his gaze warmed. "Just take care of it," he said, disconnecting the call.
"Everything okay?" I asked.
He nodded. "Just business."
I walked over to the coffeepot, which had obviously been delivered earlier, and poured myself a cup of hot coffee, added milk and one artificial sweetener packet before turning toward him. "Speaking of business, I"d like to find Lucy and see the site where Elite will be."
"I thought we could spend the day seeing the island. Work will be there when we"re finished."
I raised an eyebrow, knowing I had to put my foot down now or this was never going to work between us. "Or I can see Elite this morning and free myself up for you the rest of the afternoon." I drew a long sip of the coffee, needing the caffeine to begin flowing through my veins, especially if I was going to go up against Gabe"s determination.
I saw the argument going on within him before his shoulders relaxed and he obviously gave in. "I"ll call Lucy and have her take you down."
I blinked. No way had I thought it would be that easy. "Really?"
I placed my now-half-empty cup down on the counter and strode over to him, winding my arms around his neck. "That wasn"t so difficult, was it?" I pressed against his warm body, rubbing my cheek against his.
A low rumble escaped from his chest. "You"re making it harder," he muttered.
I laughed. He"d given me what I wanted. From the thick erection poking at my stomach, he needed something too. I could afford to be generous. And since he"d denied me the ability to really play with him last night, I wanted to now.
I slipped my hand into the waistband of his shorts and grasped his c.o.c.k.
"You"re playing a dangerous game," he warned me. "If you want to get going, you"d better do it before I change my mind."
"I didn"t say it had to be this second," I murmured, pulling his shorts down at the same time I went to my knees.
I glanced up at him. His eyes were dark, his jaw tight. "You need to relax," I said, gliding my hand up and down his long, thick length, trying not to be too overwhelmed by the size.
Lance, thank G.o.d, hadn"t liked oral s.e.x-in either direction-and to be honest, neither had I. Gabe had completely altered my perception of the act, and I wanted to give this to him. I needed to.
His hand came to rest on the top of my head at the same time I leaned forward and licked at the round head, already leaking. He groaned, and his touch turned into a firm grip on the back of my head. I moaned at his commanding touch at the same time I encased as much of him as I could inside my mouth.
I can"t say I knew what I was doing, especially not in this position. The few times with Lance had been early in our relationship, and he"d been lying on the bed. Instinct had guided me to my knees with Gabe, and instinct had me licking and sucking him now.
"You"re so d.a.m.ned good with that mouth, baby," he said, the praise in his tone only making me want to keep going, to please him more.
I pulled him in deeper, inhaling his rich, musky scent as I slid my tongue up and down the length, grazing him lightly with my teeth.
He groaned and thrust forward, the head of his c.o.c.k hitting the back of my throat. My eyes watered, but I wanted to give him as much pleasure as he"d given me.
"Relax, kitten. You can take me if you do."
His words and the certainty in his voice both inspired me and eased my sudden panic, and I did as he said, surprised when, with his next thrust forward, I was able to relax and swallow around him.
His big body shuddered, and his hand tightened in my hair. A steady pumping of his hips followed, and I managed to lick, suck, and take him deep each time.
Above me, he swore, shook, and I knew he was close. Without warning, he pulled out, reached down, and lifted me into his arms. "What"s wrong?"
"Not coming anywhere but inside you," he muttered, backing me into the wall. He lifted my short robe and slammed into me on a rough groan, filling me completely.
I closed my eyes at the sheer rightness of the moment, but he tugged at my hair. "Look at me."
No sooner had I opened my eyes than he pulled out and thrust back in, picking up a fast and furious rhythm that had me bucking between Gabe and the wall. Pressure built quickly, no doubt from the sheer intensity of how much he wanted me. It was intoxicating, knowing I made him so out of control and that I responded in exactly the same way.
I felt him, so big and hot inside me, pounding hard on my c.l.i.t and hitting that spot inside me with every thrust home. I was so close, light-headed, everything whirling around me, as my world narrowed to just this. Me and Gabe and the perfection we created.
He twisted his hips, and I barely recognized the sound that came from my throat. "Oh G.o.d. More, harder." I dug my nails into his back, pulling him into me, grinding myself against him as I spun out of control, pleasure overtaking every inch of me, every pore. "Gabe!"
"f.u.c.k, Iz, need you," he groaned, his sweat-slickened body gliding up against mine. "Need you."
I pulled at his hair as I climaxed again-or was it still-and felt the hot spurt of him as he came inside me, finally stilling. His body held me in place, my breath coming in long gasps, his breath hot against my neck. Eventually he lifted me into his arms, slowly eased me to the floor, waiting until my legs were steady enough to hold me.
I excused myself and went to the bedroom to fix myself up. When I returned, he"d pulled his shorts back on and led me outside to the deck that overlooked the beach. A gorgeous stretch of sand extended to the clear blue water beyond. In front of me, breakfast had been laid out for us. Fruit and croissants and, blessedly, more coffee.
He pulled me onto his lap, wrapping me in his arms. Even though it was hot outside, the ocean beyond provided a breeze, and I didn"t mind being cuddled against him. In fact, I loved it.
I leaned against Gabe"s chest and relaxed, breathing in the salty air. "It"s gorgeous here."
"I"m glad you came."
He sounded like the admission hadn"t come easily. "Me too." And I was. If we could find a compromise that let me feel independent, maybe we had a chance.
My stomach chose that moment to growl unattractively. I squirmed to move away, but he held fast. He picked up a piece of fruit and held it for me. "Open."
I blinked. "Gabe, I can feed myself."
"Humor me," he said in a gruff voice. "I called Lucy, and she"s going to be here soon, at which point, she"ll keep you occupied for who knows how long." He dangled the juicy-looking melon from his fingers.
I smiled and ate the cantaloupe, making sure to nip at his fingers as I did. "Watch yourself or you"ll end up skipping breakfast," he said on a growl.
I grinned. "Promises, promises."
He shook his head and held up another piece. The meal continued in comfortable silence, odd considering a man was feeding me and I"d had more s.e.x in the last twelve hours than in my entire life.
"Tell me about your family," Gabe said, taking me completely off guard.
"What? Why?" I never spoke about them. I didn"t see the point, and if nothing else, it was embarra.s.sing to explain how unwanted I"d always been.
"What exactly do you think I want from you, Isabelle? If it was just s.e.x, I could get that anywhere," he said, a touch of hurt sounding beneath the gruff words.
I glanced down. "I don"t know."
He blew out an obviously frustrated breath. "I want to know you better. So talk to me. You had no one to turn to when you left Daltry. I want to know why."
I pulled up the walls that had kept me protected for most of my life and spoke in a detached voice. I liked to pretend my past belonged to someone else. It didn"t hurt as much that way. "I was a mistake. My parents didn"t want me, so I don"t have a relationship with them. What time is Lucy coming to get me?" I asked, attempting to pull off his lap.
He wasn"t letting me go. "I"m sorry. That"s an awful thing to know."
"Yes, it is. But at least I know what to expect from people. I mean them," I amended, not wanting him to realize how deep some hurts ran.
He stroked my hair, probably in an effort to get me to relax against him again, but he"d destroyed the moment.
"I"m a.s.suming that when Daltry turned on the charm, you believed you"d found the one thing you were missing. Someone who cared. Who loved you."
A painful lump rose in my throat. "I don"t want to talk about this."
"I do," he said in that compelling voice. "Because I also have a feeling this is exactly why you don"t believe I have your best interests at heart. Because n.o.body before me ever has."
Real tears threatened, then fell, splashing on his golden chest. "d.a.m.n you," I muttered. "Do you want to talk, Gabe? Do you want to tell me who she was?" I looked up, wanting to see his expression.
"She who?" His voice sounded cold, and I shivered.