Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
marlowe
T he ugly confrontation with laurene haunts me for the rest of the day.
No matter how hard I try to put it out of my mind, I can’t stop replaying the hateful things she said. I know she was acting out of spite and jealousy, but there was enough truth behind her words to ramp up my insecurities.
Gunner did ask her to marry him. So he must have loved her at some point. Maybe he still does. Maybe he’s just using me as a rebound. Maybe he’ll toss me aside when he’s ready to go back to her, or when he finds someone new. She certainly wasn’t wrong about his insatiable sex drive. Given his kinky predilections, keeping him satisfied might be impossible.
These unsettling prospects depress me as I head to campus that afternoon. I muddle through my meeting with my advisor, coming off more scatterbrained than my academic record reflects. When I get to class, I remain so wrapped up in my thoughts that I barely register the whispers and stares following me to my seat.
Shortly after class starts, the professor announces that we have a surprise guest lecturer. It’s Harlan Pierce, the founder and CEO of Digitistic, a company renowned for developing a digital workstation for musicians to connect and create music.
He’s kind of a big deal around Austin. Early thirties, attractive, with expensively cut blond hair, gray eyes and a sculpted beard. He wears a dark blazer over an indie band T-shirt, ripped jeans and vintage sneakers. Something about his appearance seems a bit try-hard, like he’s merely playing the role of hipster CEO. It’s rumored that he’s not the brains behind the company, he’s the money behind the brains.
During his presentation, he discusses the economic and technological upheavals that transformed the music industry. He touts his company’s innovative business model and name-drops several Grammy-winning artists he’s worked with. He’s an engaging speaker, and despite my bad mood, he manages to hold my attention. I even get a little excited when he announces that Digitistic is recruiting interns with music backgrounds.
Once his lecture ends, I grab my backpack and join the crowd of students lining up to talk to him.
While I’m waiting my turn, a voice behind me says excitedly, “Aren’t you Gunner Ransom’s girlfriend?”
I look over my shoulder to see a tall, pretty Latina grinning at me.
“I saw pictures of you and Gunner on TMZ. Oh, my God, you are so damn lucky!” She thrusts her hand out. “Valeria.”
I shake her hand. “Marlowe.”
“Yup. That’s what the article called you, along with fresh-faced ingénue and the billionaire’s babe .” Her grin is so infectious I find myself smiling back despite the mortified heat burning my cheeks. “So what’s Gunner like? Is he as romantic as the article made him sound? Did he really arrange a private concert for you?”
Ummm . . .
She laughs at my expression. “Don’t mind me. I’m just being nosy. Do you want to be study partners?”
I smile. “Sure.”
We exchange phone numbers and make plans to meet for lunch on Friday.
When it’s my turn to speak to Harlan Pierce, he stares at me with recognition. “Don’t I know you?”
Not again. “Um, I don’t think?—”
He snaps his fingers as if he’s trying to remember my name. “That’s right. You’re the piano girl.”
“Piano girl?” I repeat blankly.
He grins. “One of my acquaintances attended a dinner party where you played the piano. He recorded your performance and shared the video with me. You’re pretty talented.”
“Thank you.” I smile and offer my hand. “Marlowe Somerset.”
“Great to meet you, Marlowe,” he says, shaking my hand. “What’re you studying?”
“Information Studies. I’d like to be a music librarian.”
“Excellent.” His smile is warm and friendly. “I’d love to hear more. And maybe you can share your feedback on a new streaming app we’ve got in development. Wanna grab a coffee?”
I hear Gunner’s voice in my head. No more dates with other men.
Harlan chuckles. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to put you on the spot. Guess I should have asked first if you have a boyfriend.”
“No, it’s okay,” I assure him. “I’d love to get coffee and discuss your new app.” Surely Gunner can’t object to me networking with potential employers who happen to be men?
Harlan’s gray eyes twinkle. “I don’t want to get you in trouble. Why don’t you walk me out so we can talk some more? If I seem harmless enough, we can see about that coffee.”
I smile. “Sounds good.”
Twenty minutes later as we’re leaving the classroom together, Harlan says, “You’re not from Texas, are you?”
“No. Pittsburgh.”
“Huh. I would have guessed the Midwest.” He gives me a thoughtful look. “Some might argue that Pittsburgh has more Midwest vibes than East Coast.”
“Some might,” I concede. “Why did you think I was from the Midwest?”
“You have a natural, wholesome charm that I typically associate with Midwesterners.”
I smile. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should.” He winks, and I wonder if he’s flirting with me.
When we emerge from the building, I’m surprised to find Gunner standing near the curb talking to two professors. He’s smiling and nodding, one hand tucked in his pocket in that effortlessly masculine way of his.
When he sees me walking with Harlan, his expression visibly darkens.
Shit. I hope he’s not going to do the jealous boyfriend routine.
He ends his conversation, shaking hands and exchanging shoulder slaps with the professors. As they walk away, his eyes fasten onto mine.
My heart starts to thrum.
Before he can take a step forward, two gushing girls approach and ask for his autograph. He graciously signs their shirts and takes a selfie with them. As they walk away giggling excitedly, he heads over to me and Harlan. He doesn’t look happy.
I swallow hard, my mouth running dry. “Gunner, this is?—”
“We’ve met.”
I feel a chill at the sheer animosity in his voice.
“Indeed,” Harlan drawls, smirking faintly. “Gunner and I go way back.”
“Really?” I say, surprised.
The two men ignore me, staring each other down.
I nervously clear my throat to break their tense standoff. “Mr. Pierce was our guest lecturer?—”
“Call me Harlan,” he says with an indulgent smile. “I’m barely a year older than Gunner.”
Before I can respond, Gunner slides an arm around my waist, pulling me to his side. The gesture is unmistakably possessive. Dangerous.
It doesn’t go unnoticed by Harlan, who smiles narrowly at Gunner. “I saw a video of Marlowe playing the piano at your dinner party. She’s quite talented.”
“Yes, she is,” Gunner agrees.
“Far too talented to be toiling away as your”—Harlan pauses condescendingly—“housekeeper.”
Heat rushes into my face. What the actual hell?
“Believe me,” Gunner says evenly, “I know how lucky I am to have found such a rare gem.”
“A rare gem indeed.” Harlan gives me a conspiratorial smile. “Don’t let him take you for granted.”
I force an awkward laugh.
Gunner’s hand flexes against my waist, then slides up my back to draw me even closer to his side. When I look at him, he says curtly, “You’re riding home with me.”
“What about the Range?—”
“I’ll send someone to pick it up.”
Harlan observes us with mild amusement. “I guess I’ll have to take a rain check on coffee.” He pulls a business card from his blazer pocket and hands it to me. “Give me a call sometime to discuss an internship opportunity.”
“Um, okay.” I manage a smile. “Thank you.”
Gunner looks downright homicidal. “Let’s go,” he growls, grasping my upper arm. I bristle at the proprietary contact, but I don’t resist.
As he leads me toward the waiting car at the curb, Harlan calls out to him, “Say hello to your mother for me.”
Gunner stops cold in his tracks.
As I watch in shock, he charges back over to Harlan and grabs him by his shirtfront, pulling the man toward him so he’s right up in his face. Fear widens Harlan’s eyes and his throat bobs in a hard swallow.
Gunner tightens his grip, their noses almost touching as he peers menacingly into Harlan’s eyes. He’s much bigger and taller, seething with barely leashed violence. I can’t help shivering, astonished at seeing this side of him.
“Gunner,” I call out in a shaky voice. “Let’s go home.”
“Good idea.” Despite his obvious unease, Harlan manages a smirk. “We can’t have the university’s most celebrated alumnus causing a scene, now can we?”
Gunner’s eyes narrow with lethal warning. After another hair-raising moment, he releases Harlan, shoving him so hard that he stumbles back several steps and nearly falls.
Gunner rakes him with a contemptuous look before turning and stalking back over to me. With his hand gripping my elbow, he steers me firmly to the car where Trace stands with an impassive expression, as if watching his boss rough up other men is an everyday occurrence.
When he opens the back door for us, Gunner practically shoves me into the backseat and then crowds in behind me.
I whirl on him, my head spinning. “What the hell just hap?—”
He snatches Harlan’s business card out of my hand, rips it into pieces and throws them out the window as the car pulls off.
I stare at him in disbelief. “What on earth is going on between you and Harlan?”
Fury pulses his jaw. “Stay the fuck away from him.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want him anywhere near you.” He grits the words out. “Don’t cross me on this.”
The low warning sends a chill through me. I shake my head, feeling breathless and disoriented. “I don’t understand, Gunner. Why do you have such a problem with him?”
“He’s a soulless fucking bastard. That’s all you need to know.”
“What did he do? And why did his comment about your mother set you off?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“ Seriously? I just got caught in the middle of your epic pissing contest! If he offers me an internship, don’t you think I deserve to know why there’s bad blood between you before I turn him down?”
Gunner clenches his jaw and says nothing. The violence seething inside him vibrates the air between us.
“Fine. Keep it to yourself,” I huff, crossing my arms. “Just don’t use me as a pawn in your damn feud.”
His expression hardens into a glare. “The only one who wants to use you is Harlan.”
“Why would he use me?” I challenge hotly.
“Don’t be na?ve,” Gunner growls. “You work for me, and he obviously knows we’re involved. He’ll gladly use you to get to me.”
“Why does everything have to be about you?” I counter angrily. “Did it ever occur to you that he genuinely finds me talented and thinks I have potential?”
“I’m sure he does. But if he can use you to hurt me, all the better. I’m not giving him the fucking chance.”
“So tell me what happened between you,” I half plead.
He just gives me a stony look.
I shake my head in frustration. “I’m sure you have a good reason for hating Harlan, and whatever it is, you know I’ll be on your side. But please understand that I have career goals, Gunner. As much as I enjoy working for you, I can’t be your housekeeper forever.”
He scowls. “You don’t need Harlan. I can get you any damn job you want.”
“I don’t want you pulling strings for me! If I can’t get a job on my own merits, it’s not for me.”
A muscle in his cheek twitches. “You don’t want to work for Harlan. Trust me.” He turns away to glare out the window, putting an end to our conversation.
We sit in seething silence for the rest of the way home. As we pull up to the house, his ringtone goes off. When he slides the phone out of his pocket to check the screen, I catch a glimpse of the caller’s name.
Laurene.
My blood boils. As soon as the car stops, I grab my backpack and lunge out the door.
Gunner is right on my heels, grabbing my arm before I reach the front steps. “Marlowe?—”
I whirl around, furious. “You’re such a damn hypocrite!”
He frowns. “How am I a hypocrite?”
“You go ballistic if I simply talk to other men! Yet I’m supposed to be okay with your bitchy ex paying house calls!”
His eyebrows slam together. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Laurene showed up at the house this morning after you left.”
“ What? ”
“She didn’t tell you? Oh, we had a nice little chat,” I jeer with bitter sarcasm. “She told me all about how your family adores her, how she and your mom are besties who go shopping together and have spa days. She also gleefully informed me that I’m nothing more than a convenient piece of ass you’ll be getting rid of any day now.”
Gunner shoves a hand through his hair. “Goddammit.”
Tears sting my eyes. “It was very enlightening, especially the part about your ravenous appetite that craves variety. What was that about, Gunner? Did you cheat on her?”
“ No. Fuck.” He exhales a harsh breath. “I didn’t know she came to see you. I’ll talk to her.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t,” I toss back. “Maybe she did me a favor by warning me.”
His eyes narrow to razor-thin slits. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“What am I to you, Gunner?” I demand. “Am I just your plaything? A pretty little toy to amuse yourself with until something younger and hotter comes along?”
He scowls fiercely. “You’re talking crazy.”
“Am I?”
“Yes,” he grinds out. “You are.”
“So what’re we doing here?” I gesture between the two of us. “You don’t want to define our relationship, yet you demand exclusivity. You can’t have it both ways.”
“I’m not trying to have it both ways.”
“You totally are,” I hiss, jabbing my finger in his chest.
With a low growl, he grabs my hand and yanks me toward him.
I suck in a shaky breath. “Look?—”
He bends his head and takes my mouth. Hard. Angry. Possessive.
A broken moan escapes me as his tongue separates my lips and sweeps boldly inside. My fingers curl into his shirtfront as he strokes every corner of my mouth, velvet lashes of scorching pleasure that threaten to consume me.
I’m trembling against him, my senses reeling from the demanding ownership in his kiss. When he grabs a handful of my ass and lifts me into his body, I finally summon the strength to wrench away from him, gasping.
He stares down at me, his eyes a little wild. “Marlowe?—”
“Please don’t,” I say, voice cracking.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t manipulate me with sex. Not when I’m trying to have an honest conversation with you.”
“Dammit, Marlowe, what do you want from me?” he growls, holding my head between his hands. “We’re two adults enjoying a mutually satisfying relationship. We don’t need cutesy labels to broadcast our relationship status on social media. If that’s what you’re looking for, I suggest you grow the fuck up.”
His words slice through my heart like a knife. I shove away from him, tears scalding my eyes.
Frustration tightens his jaw. “Baby?—”
I hold up a shaking hand. “I had an amazing time this weekend, and I truly thank you for that. But it’s probably best that we keep things platonic from now on.”
“ Are you fucking serious? ” he snarls, gorgeously furious. “There’s nothing platonic about us, never has been. From the moment we met, we wanted to fuck each other with a desperation I’ve never felt before. We couldn’t be platonic if our lives depended on it.”
My heart pounds in my throat, but I manage to keep my voice steady. “Sleeping with you wasn’t something I took lightly. It meant everything to me. But it’s not enough, Gunner. I’m all in, and I need to know you feel the same. But if all you want is a casual fling, let me know now so we can stop wasting each other’s time.”
He shakes his head at me, his jaw clenched tight. The last woman who gave him an ultimatum ended up alone and heartbroken. I’m probably headed for the same fate.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he says in a stony voice.
“Better now than later.” Turning away before he sees the tears in my eyes, I hurry up the steps and let myself into the house.
When he doesn’t follow, I continue upstairs to my room and lock myself inside. Only then do I start crying.