Chapter 12 #2
“Was she guilty?”
Devlin shot her a grim smile over his shoulder. “As sin. And I was the sucker who believed she was innocent.”
Gabrielle winced, and he turned back to the window. “Yeah. It’s not much fun to be made a complete fool of. She took off with her lover the day after the verdict came down.”
He heard her chair squeak as she pushed it back, then her hand fell on his shoulder and squeezed.
Warm sympathy flowed from her as she pressed herself against his back and slid her arms around his waist. It felt strange, telling her something he’d never told anyone.
Now, if only she would come clean with him.
“You weren’t a fool,” she said quietly. “We all get sucked in sometimes.”
“Celine was good, I’ll admit that. A great actress, in bed, in court. Hell, she was great wherever she needed to be.” And she’d reeled him in like the dumbest bass in the lake.
“Don’t,” Gabrielle whispered, tightening her arms, pressing her cheek against the back of his shoulder. “It doesn’t matter now.”
“Doesn’t it?” He turned and gripped her upper arms, staring into her eyes. “I swore after Celine I’d never let another woman get to me.”
Gabrielle said nothing, but her lips trembled as though in invitation.
Her mouth looked rose-petal soft, enough to tempt a saint to sin.
He knew what fantastically wicked things she could do with that mouth, and it fueled his anger that he could want her so much and trust her so little.
Releasing her arms, he slid his hands to the small of her back and pulled her tightly against him.
Her eyes widened, the pupils dilating as her breath started coming faster, her pulse fluttering in her throat like a wild thing.
He wanted to kiss her there. Put his mouth against her throat and drink in her heartbeat, steep himself in the dizzying, sensual taste of her skin.
To take her, there in her office where she looked so proper and in control.
Wanted to watch the transformation, see her shatter when he pushed her to the edge and over it.
Wanted her not to matter so much, and damned both of them because she did.
“And I never have let a woman get to me again. Until you,” he said, and crushed her mouth beneath his.
Her lips opened, and he invaded, tasting the hot, sweet temptation she offered.
She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him as tightly as he held her.
He left her mouth, bending her back over his arm to kiss her neck, to savor the pulse beating at its hollow.
Shoving papers aside, he laid her back on the bare strip of dark wood and opened her blouse with two quick jerks of his hands.
Through her lacy bra, he caressed her breasts, smiling as he brought her nipples to stiff peaks against his palms, then rolled them with his fingers.
“You’ve never said—” he leaned down and covered one of her nipples with his mouth, drew it in and sucked on it slowly, flicked his tongue against it before releasing it “—what this means to you.”
Her answer was an incoherent moan and her chest lifting to offer him more.
He took more, sliding his hands up under her skirt, past the sheer stockings to the garter belt he knew she wore.
One of those creations men dreamed about but few women wore.
“Is this just great sex?” One by one, he popped her garters, then tugged her panties down and glided them off her legs.
“Or is there something more? Tell me, Gabrielle.”
“More,” she said.
He smiled down at her. “I think that’s a double entendre.”
“Don’t . . . tease.” Her back arched as his fingers slipped inside her, withdrew, slid in again. “The door, ” she said, gasping for breath. “Lock the—lock the door.”
He kissed her mouth. Long, deep, hot. “You haven’t answered my question.”
She pushed up to sit on the edge of the desk, with his hands still beneath her skirt, taunting her.
Her hair had loosened, tumbled over her shoulders; her eyes were heavy-lidded, dark green and beautiful.
Her mouth was full, lush, inviting him to partake of the pleasure, and he wanted to immerse himself in her and never come out.
She reached for his slacks, unbuttoned and unzipped them.
“I think you’re an incredibly sexy jerk—” her hand curled around his aching flesh, and she stroked slowly up and down the length of him “—who I’m in love with.
Now will you lock the damn door and finish making love to me? ”
Devlin decided he might have outsmarted himself, because at that moment he didn’t think he could leave her long enough to get to the door. She took her hands out of his pants and gave him a seductive smile. “Hurry up,” she whispered, her voice husky with promise, and blew him a kiss.
He made it to the door and back within seconds.
An instant after that, he buried himself to the hilt inside her.
She was soft and wet, and she tightened around him like an erotic dream.
No matter how much he wanted to, he was too far gone to make it last. He stroked into her once, then twice before exploding deep inside her.
A step behind him, she cried out as she peaked.
The last tremors faded, and he heard her whisper, “I love you, Devlin.”
Even as he smiled, he wondered why he’d never heard a sadder sound than the sigh she gave afterward.