Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
S he woke with her face pressed to a hard chest covered in golden skin and intriguing black ink. A strong arm was clamped around Gia, keeping her anchored to him.
Saxon .
She fought off the fog of sleep, little tingles igniting all over her. She was plastered all over him. She looked up his body and stilled.
She’d never watched him sleep before. Awake, he was always so confident, intense, but asleep, he looked more relaxed, more boyish. Or as boyish as Saxon Buchanan could ever look.
Desire—hot and overwhelming—rushed through her. She couldn’t keep fighting him much longer. She wanted him. Desperately. Completely.
Gia Norcross wanted Saxon Buchanan.
Fear bubbled through her belly. He could hurt her, destroy her.
His eyes opened and she held his green gaze. She wasn’t and never had been a coward.
“Morning.” His voice was rough with sleep.
“Morning. How’s your arm?”
His hand shifted down her body, cupping her ass which was covered only by her silk panties. The T-shirt she’d borrowed from him had ridden up.
“What arm?” he asked.
She smoothed a hand over his chest. God, he felt so good. “Saxon.”
“It’s fine. I don’t even feel it.”
“Good.” They kept staring at each other.
Screw it . She leaned down and kissed him. Mmm, it was so good. His tongue stroked hers, and her moan mingled with his groan.
She moved, straddling him, cupping his cheeks. More . She needed more.
With a growl, he turned, half pinning her to the bed. Then he spun her so her back and butt nestled into his body.
“Saxon—”
“All mine.” His big body kept her pinned in place. His hand slid over her belly, and her breath hitched.
“I can touch you how I want. Stroke you how I want.” His hand slid into her panties. “Love you how I want.”
She let out a small cry. His fingers found her clit and rubbed. Her hips bucked, and she jerked against him.
“Hold still,” he growled.
“I want to touch you.”
“Later.”
He pinched her clit, rolled it. Oh. God . It was too much, and not enough.
He kept working her and soon she was moaning his name.
“So fucking hot. You’ve got me hard as steel.” He ground his hard cock against her ass. “I need to taste you.”
Before Gia could manage to string two words together, he moved. He pushed her onto her back and rose above her. She loved looking at that chest, those tattoos. He shoved her panties down and off her legs, then pushed her T-shirt up, and pressed a kiss to her belly. She shivered.
Then he nudged her legs apart and growled. He ran his fingers through the neat strip of hair on her mound.
“I like this.” He lowered his head. “So damn pretty, Contessa.”
He slid his hands under her ass, then closed his mouth on her.
Oh . Her brain stuttered. He shoved her legs up on his shoulders, then licked and sucked.
With a sharp cry, Gia’s back arched. She grabbed two handfuls of his hair.
“ Saxon .”
He sucked on her clit, and her cries turned desperate. She dug her heels into his shoulder blades. He was so good at this. So damn good. A connoisseur.
With another lick of his clever tongue, Gia imploded. She screamed, her body shaking, intense pleasure searing through her.
She slumped back on the bed, her limbs too heavy to move. He knelt in front of her, his lips glistening, a smug look on his face. He licked his lips and her belly contracted. So sexy.
“Apparently an orgasm helps wake you up in the morning just as well as coffee.”
“You’re good at that,” she said breathlessly.
“I’m good at a lot of things.” His gaze ran over her body. “You make it easy to give you pleasure. You’re so responsive.” He ran a hand along her thigh and made her shiver. “You like to control everything in your life, so I wasn’t sure you’d let go so easily.”
She licked her lips. “I don’t usually. Not unless I trust someone.”
His eyes flashed. “I’ve also had a lot of training at reading people. I guess I use that to watch and see what you like.”
He meant training from the military, and training he probably still used in his job. She already noted that Saxon Buchanan was very perceptive.
Her gaze dropped to his boxers, tented by a large, very erect cock.
“So…” she drawled.
Disappointment crossed his face. “Baby, unless you can call off work for the day…”
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Then we’ve got to get moving. We need to stop at your place so you can get changed.”
She turned her head and glanced at the clock. Shit, they’d be pushing it already. For the first time in forever, Gia consider playing hooky.
Saxon gripped her chin. “I want time. Not a quick fuck. I want to take my time with you.”
His words shivered through her. “Me too.”
“All right. I’m going to take a shower. A cold one. You’d better use the guest bathroom if you want me to keep my hands off you.”
He slid to the side of the bed.
That’s when Gia saw the mass of ugly scarring on his side, right near his lean waist. Frowning, she crawled across the bed and touched it.
He stilled.
It was old, but bad. The thick ridges of scar tissue crisscrossed; some surgical scars, and one part of it that was circular. A bullet wound.
She swallowed, feeling sick to her stomach. “Saxon, what happened?”
He didn’t look at her. “It was a long time ago. On a mission that’s classified.”
She stroked the ugly scarring and wondered why he wouldn’t look at her, what he wasn’t saying.
Finally, he turned his head and smiled. It wasn’t quite a usual Saxon smile. He reached over and dragged her off the bed. “Get moving, Contessa.”
She wanted to push him for more, but they didn’t have time. Shoving her feelings aside, she gave him a saucy smile and sauntered out. She showered in the guest room that she’d used the other night, and then screwed up her nose at putting on the previous day’s clothes.
By the time she was dressed, Saxon had made coffee, and she followed the smell upstairs. She made a beeline to the island, grabbed the steaming mug sitting there, and gratefully gulped it down.
“Mmm.”
He smiled at her.
She ate some toast while he held a bowl of cereal, eating and reading news articles on a tablet. She glanced around his fabulous kitchen. This was very…domestic. And crap, she liked it.
Gia bit her lip, then let the worry go. It was time to pull her head out of the sand. Saxon wasn’t letting her go. It looked like they were doing this.
And…she didn’t want him to let her go.
She wanted him. It was time to suck it up and deal. It wasn’t a hardship. She eyed him in his gorgeous Hugo Boss suit. The Patek Philippe watch on his wrist glinted as it caught the light. Hot, rich, and classy.
“Contessa, you need to quit looking at me like that.”
Her gaze flicked to his face. “I can look at you however I want, Saxon Buchanan.” She sipped the last of her coffee.
He shook his head. “I know you’d argue about anything, but let’s get moving. And Gia, while we’re at your place, pack some clothes. Whatever you need to stay at my place.”
She opened her mouth.
Saxon held up a hand. “No arguing. Just do it.”
She huffed out a breath. “Fine.”
After a quick trip to her place, Gia changed into a black Ralph Lauren sheath dress with cap sleeves. She paired it with black Gucci pumps with a red strap. Then she tamed her hair back severely in a tight, sleek bun.
She then pulled out her vintage, Mark Cross duffel bag and packed some clothes and toiletries. She tried not to focus on what taking stuff to Saxon’s place meant.
“I’m ready.” With her Louis Vuitton handbag and her duffel bag, she breezed back into the living room.
The sight of her missing paintings, vases, and other things that were now all gone gave her a pang.
“You sure are.”
At Saxon’s drawl, she looked up. He was watching her with blatant appreciation in his eyes. He walked over and took her duffel bag.
She smiled. “Let’s get moving, Buchanan.”
On the drive to her office, Gia stared out the window. She bit her lip, thoughts swirling. Saxon was looking out for her. So were her brothers and Haven.
Willow was out there somewhere, and she had no one. Gia was so worried about her.
“You’re thinking of Willow.”
Gia jolted, and realized that he’d parked the car in front of her office and was looking at her.
“I worry about her. Dennett’s really pissed off.” Gia patted her hair, smoothing it down. “I just wish I knew where she was.”
“I’ll find her.”
Gia’s mouth opened. “What?”
“I’ll find her.”
“For me?”
“Yeah. And because I think Willow knows more than she’s shared.”
“You don’t know that.” Warring emotions knocked around inside Gia.
“Gia, I’m your brother’s troubleshooter. I know where to look to ferret out info and fix problems.” He leaned over and stroked her cheek. “Let’s get you upstairs. I’m going to have Ace come and keep an eye on you while I track down Willow.”
He walked her upstairs, and she watched him smile at Ashley. Gia’s assistant sighed dramatically.
Scrounging up the courage, Gia turned, grabbed his jacket, and kissed him.
He was stiff for a second, like she’d surprised him, then he kissed her back until she was dizzy.
“I like it when you kiss me, Contessa,” he murmured against her lips. “Stay inside and out of trouble. Ace will be here soon.”
“Be careful, Saxon.”
Ashley watched him go, then eyed Gia. “You got another morning orgasm.”
“No comment.”
“I’m not the paparazzi.”
Gia cleared her throat. Change of topic. “Another Norcross man, Ace, is arriving—” Gia glanced up. “Oh, there he is now.”
Ace sauntered in, wearing suit pants and a blue-check shirt with his sleeves rolled up. He carried a laptop backpack over one broad shoulder.
“Where does your brother find these guys?” Ashley breathed.
“Roll that tongue back into your mouth.” Gia swiveled. It was time to get to work.
* * *
In his office, Saxon checked a few searches he had running. Willow hadn’t gone far; he was sure of it.
I will find you.
He wouldn’t let anyone hurt Gia.
There was movement in the doorway, and he glanced up to see Vander. His friend’s jaw was tight, his dark-blue eyes moody.