Oneweekendchangeseverything…

It was meant to be a one-night stand. One wicked night with an irresistibly sexy passenger. That’s all Air Marshal Gage Michaels can

afford—his career comes before everything else. Too bad the snowpocalpyse of the century has different plans for him and Abby

Winters.Beforethenight’sover,theyfindthemselvessnowedinatthemostluxurioushotelinthecity.

Abby’sscoutingjobofaNYCpenthouseshouldbequick,simple,anddefinitelyshouldn’tincludeasexy-as-hellmanmessingupthe

3000countsheetsthatwillbefeaturedinhercompany’snextblockbusterhit.Notwhenshe’supforapromotionthatcouldskyrocket

herentirecareerinthefilmindustry.Still,shecan’trefusewhattheweathergodssoobviouslywanthertohave.She’llgivein,justthis

once.

Leavingistougherthaneitherofthemcouldhaveimagined.Butthey’retwopeoplewhohavenothingincommon,livingonopposite

coasts.There’snowaytheycaneverbetogether.Right?

TableofContents

Dedication
ChapterOne
ChapterTwo
ChapterThree
ChapterFour
ChapterFive
ChapterSix
ChapterSeven
ChapterEight
ChapterNine
ChapterTen
ChapterEleven
ChapterTwelve
ChapterThirteen
ChapterFourteen
ChapterFifteen
ChapterSixteen
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
AbouttheAuthor
Ifyoulovesexyromance,one-clickthesesteamyBrazenreleases…

ClaimingtheEnemy
FoolMeOnce
WorkedUp
SeducingtheBoss

NewAdultbooksbyJenniferBlackwood…

Unethical
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TheRuleBook

Thisbookisaworkoffiction.Names,characters,places,andincidentsaretheproductofthe

author ’simaginationorareusedfictitiously.Anyresemblancetoactualevents,locales,orpersons,

livingordead,iscoincidental.

Copyright©2016byJenniferBlackwood.Allrightsreserved,includingtherighttoreproduce,

distribute,ortransmitinanyformorbyanymeans.Forinformationregardingsubsidiaryrights,

pleasecontactthePublisher.

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EditedbyCandaceHavens

CoverdesignbyMichelleFairbanks

CoverphotofromShutterstock

ISBN978-1-63375-709-7

ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

FirstEditionSeptember2016

DearReader,

This story has been years in the making. For those of you who don’t know me personally, or

followmyTwitterfeedrightbeforeamajortrip,Ihavehorribleflightanxiety.TothepointwhereI’d

benefitfromstrongsedatives.I’devensettleforhorsetranquilizers.Iwastravelinghometwoyears

ago from a writing conference when our plane hit horrible turbulence. I actually grabbed on to the

person next to me—and, okay, I might have screamed—and blurted out enough expletives that my

mother would most definitely be appalled (sorry, Mom. And P.S. if you’re reading this, stop right

now.Ialreadytoldyouyou’renotallowedtoreadthisbook).Yes,hewascute.Yes,Ispenttherestof

the flight curled up next to the window, making as little eye contact as possible. When I got home

fromthetrip,Itoldmycritiquepartnersaboutwhathadhappenedandtheyallsaid“thisneedstogo

inabook!”And,so,hereitis.Mytravelexperiencewasn’taseventfulasmyheroine’s,butsureglad

ithappened.

ForJensenAckles,becauseDeanWinchesterwouldmaketheperfectdirtyairmarshal.

ChapterOne

“Pleasekeepyourtraytablesintheuprightandlockedposition.We’reexpectingabitofturbulence

duringthefirsthouroftheflight.”

Thiswasit.AbbyWinterswasgoingtodie.ShecouldhearSamuelL.Jackson’svoiceintheback

ofhermindyelling,“Thismotherfuckingplaneisgoingtotakeanosediveintothemotherfucking

tarmac.” Though really, threat of turbulence or not, the same thought occurred every takeoff and

landing.Butthistimewasdifferent;shecouldfeelit.Theplanerolledoutofthegateinanuneven

fashion—maybeaflattire?—andtherewaswaytoomuchrattlinggoingonunderneathhertopassa

safetycheck.Theplanewasfallingapart,sheknewit,andtheyweregoingtocrashtoafierydeath

duringlandingbecauseallthescrewsfelloffduringthered-eyeflight.Yes,shewasdefinitelygoing

todie.

Abby jammed her thumb into the button on the side of her seat, and the light above her head

illuminatedred.Sheneededtheflightattendant.Now.Ifshewasgoingtodie,sheatleastwantedto

knockbackthecomplementaryfirst-classchampagneandgooutwithabuzz.

Ablondflightattendantpokedherheadthroughthecurtainofthedrinkstation,lookinglessthan

pleased that she was being summoned minutes before takeoff, presumably right before she and the

other flight attendants would begin their What to do in case we all crash and die spiel. Really, let’s

faceit—iftheplanewentdown,therewouldbenoneedforthedamnflotationdevicesseeingasthe

mostwatertheyweretravelingoverwasinA-listcelebrities’pools.

“Can I help you, ma’am?” The flight attendant flashed a smile that seemed a little too rehearsed,

much like the look Abby gave her slimy coworker Jeremy every time he popped into her office

unannounced.

“Ineedadrink.”Sheswallowedpastthethicklumpinherthroat,eventhirstiernowthatshe’dsaid

italoud.HopefullytheyhadabottleofDom,becausereally,whynotgowiththegoodstuffforthe

inevitablelastmeal?

“I’msorry,sweetie,butyou’llhavetowaituntilwegetupintheairandpasttheturbulence.”

Abbyworkedtokeepherfeaturesimpassive,evenifshereallywantedtoscowlatthewoman.She

knewshedidn’tgetpreferentialtreatmentintermsofgettingadrinkminutesbeforetakeoff,butdamn

it, what was the point of being in first class if it didn’t have any perks—like getting wasted before

imminentdeath?

The attendant smiled sweetly and ignored Abby’s glare, instead going into her spiel about the

emergencyexittothenearlyemptycabin.Therewereawhoppingtwopeopleinfirstclass,herself

included.Whentheflightattendantgottothepartabouttheproperwaytofastenaseatbelt,shegave

herownbeltareassuringtug.Abbyhadthatonlockdownthesecondshe’dploppeddown,thebuckle

digging into her hips. If this plane did go down, fat chance of her falling out of the seat during a

crash. Her ex-boyfriend, Rick, had called her the Organization Task Master, along with fun-sucker

andvanilla—hencethe“ex”—butbeingafreespirithadn’tgottenheronthefasttracktosuccessin

her job. Meticulous attention to detail had. Like the fact that the aircraft was listing ever so slightly

towardtheright,whichputherfranticmindintooverdriveatthethoughtofaflattire.

Justastheflightattendantdisappearedthroughthecurtain,anothercamefromthecoachcabin.“Sir,

we’reabouttotakeoff.Pleasepickanyseatyou’dlike,quickly.”

“Thanks,”cameadeep,richvoicethatcaressedherskinlikeexpensivecashmere.

She couldn’t see him, because of the whole squinting-waiting-for-imminent-death thing, but she

didn’t even want to put a face to that sexy voice. It would probably be a disappointment. Much like

whenshegoogledherfavoriteDisneycharacterwiththesexybaritonevoice—utterlydisenchanting.

She’dneverthinkofAladdininthesamewayagain.

Pleasedon’tsitnexttome.Pleasedon’tsitnexttome.

LastthingsheneededwasMr.SexyVoicetowitnessherin-flightfreakout.

“MindifIsithere?”Bythevolumeofthequestion,shecouldtellhewasstillinthebackrowof

firstclass—herrow.

Aw,crap.Shedrewinadeepbreathandexhaleditthroughhermouth,rufflingherbangsalongher

forehead. This guy didn’t know he’d just earned himself front row tickets to Abby Winters: The

AirlineChronicles.

Sheglancedoverathismidsection—nice,tailoredpants,andacrisp,whitebutton-up.She’dliketo

tellhimtherewereexactlyfourotherrowstochoosefrom,buthermotherhadgivenherthegiftof

propermanners.Andmaybeamildgeneralizedanxietydisorder.Butreally,whatparentdidn’tscrew

uptheirkidstosomedegree?Hencethefactthatkidsweren’tevenabliponherradar.

“Idon’tmind.”Shetotallyminded.Notthatbeinghuddledinthecornerofagerm-infestedseatwas

anyindication.Nope.

He sat down, and his scent wafted over to her side of the seat—some fresh, woodsy cologne that

musthavebeenmixedwithpheromonesbecauseherinclinationtoleanoverandtakeadeepsniffwas

overpowering.ItsaidIlikecampingandhotshowers,boththingsshealsoreallyliked.

Shecaughtherselfleaningtowardhim,andshiftedquicklybacktohercorner.Shit,whatwasinthat

cologne? Crack? She hadn’t even seen this man’s face yet—still didn’t want to, because she’d

automatically copied and pasted Jensen Ackles’s handsome mug onto the guy, and this was just too

good of a fantasy bubble to pop. If he didn’t live up to that, this cologne would be such a

disappointment.Instead,shekepthereyesclosedandfocusedonherbreathing.Thatmuchshecould

control.

“Flight attendants, take your seats and prepare for takeoff,” the captain’s calm but authoritative

voiceboomedoverthespeakers.

Abbydugherfingersintohersweatypalms.Shitwasabouttogetrealinhere.Amazingthat,even

thoughshetraveledthirtyweeksoutoftheyear,thefearneversubsided.Abbyscrewedhereyesshut

and swiped her thumbs over her lucky four-leaf clover earrings. Silly superstition, but the earrings

hadn’t failed her yet. Not when the person who’d gifted them to her was watching over her from

heaven,makingsureshemadeittoherdestination.Itwastimeslikethesethatshereallymissedher

father.Healwayshadawayofcalmingherdown.ThesereneYintoherneuroticYang.

Just as the plane rocketed off the tarmac, Abby mumbled a quick prayer to anyone who was

listening upstairs and clenched the armrest with enough force to leave indents of her in-desperate-

need-of-a-French-manicurenailsinthealuminum.

Thiswasthepartshehatedmost,thehoursspentintheair,whereanythingcouldhappenandshe

wasatthemercyofotherpeople.Andshehatedputtingherlifeinsomeoneelse’shands.Hello,she’d

seenthatpilotmoviewithDenzelWashingtonwhereheflewdrunk90percentofthetime.Thatcould

beherpilot.

“Pleasedon’tbedrunk,”shewhispered,morelikeaprayerthananythingelse.

“What?”thegruffvoicenexttoherasked.

Sheshookherhead.Man,itwastrue—youreallycouldheareverythingontheseplanes.“Sorry.I

wasjustsayingthatIhopewehaveagoodflight.”Andbygood,shemeantarrivingatherdestination

aliveandinonepiece.

“Supposedtobearoughone,butit’llbeallright.”

Maybe their definitions of “all right” were subjective. Because “all right” to her meant being

unconsciousforthewholething—orintoxicated.Wherewasthatdamnchampagnewhensheneeded

it?

Ifyoulookedup“control”inthedictionary,Abby’spicturewaslinedupwithexpertprecisionnext

to the definition. She oversaw all set designs and locations for her production company, people

reportedtoher,she got shit done—and did it in four-inch heels with a smile. The fact that she was

stuckinthisPOSplanethattookawayallhercontrolmadeherwanttocurlupinaballandletouta

gutturalscream.Okay,soRickmayhavebeenspot-onwithherneedtobeincharge.Maybesetting

scheduleddaystohavesex,andmakinglistsofacceptablepositions,tookitatadbittoofar,butshe

hadascheduletoabideby,andshewantedtodoitwithmaximumefficiency,allright?

They’dbrokenupoveramonthago,andeventhoughshewaslongpastmissinghim,hisparting

words still stung. Was she really that boring? Or vanilla? Whatever. She didn’t have time to

contemplatethosethings,shewastoobusywithwork,work,withaheapingsideofmorework—all

forthechanceofapromotiontokeysetdesignerwhenRobert,thecurrentoccupantofthatposition,

retiredinfourmonths.TheonlyothercompetitionwasJeremy—whowouldtakeanyopportunityto

stepoversomeonewiththoseblackloaferstogetwhathewanted.Andshe’dbedamnedifhisgood-

ol’-boyassbeatheroutforthejob.

Theplaneleveledoutfromitsascent.Woohoo!Wedidn’tcrashintothetarmac!Shetookacalming

breath through her nose and exhaled deeply out her mouth. First obstacle tackled, now if she could

sleepthroughtherestoftheflight,she’dbegolden.Sheshiftedinherseat,tryingtogetcomfortable.

Justasshefoundapositioninwhichshemightbecomfortableenoughtogetsomeshut-eye,theplane

rattledandtookanosedivetowardtheground.

Abby let out a scream, arms flailing to latch onto anything to keep her steady. She clamped onto

somethinghardtoherrightandclosedhereyessotightthatstarssparkedbehindherlids.Thiswasit.

Herluckyearringshadfailedher,andshewasgoingtodieonthismotherfuckingplane.

Andthen,justasquicklyasithappened,theplaneleveledoutandthepilotcameonthespeakers.

“Sorryaboutthat.”Thecaptaingaveanervouschuckle“It’sgoingtobeabumpyride.Pleasestayin

yourseatsuntilfurthernotice.”

Shestillhadhereyesclosed,clingingonto…whatwassheholding?Itwaswarm,unlikethecool

metalofthearmrestthatdugintoherthigh.Ohno.Shepriedonelidopenandimmediatelyregretted

thedecision.

Turnedoutthatthe“armrest”wasanactualarm.Aforearmreally.Areally,reallynice,muscular

forearmfromwhatshecouldtell,coveredbythecrispcottonofaman’sdressshirtandlockedinthe

vicegripofherfingers.

Hergazewanderedup,breakingtheJensenAcklesspell.Theverynicearmwaspartofagenetic-

lottery-winningpackage,withafacialstructurethatshouldbecastastheleadinhercompany’snext

film,andapairofhoney-coloredeyesthatpiercedstraighttohercore.Crap. This was even better

thananythingherimaginationhadconjuredup.

Heatfloodedhercheeks,andshewishedshehadaparachutesoshecouldkamikazestraightoutof

thisplaneinsteadoffacethefactthatshe’djustgrabbedthisguyandscreamed.Shereleasedhergrip

onhimandsmoothedinvisiblewrinklesoutofherskirt.“I’m so sorry. I…really hate flying.” That

was by far the lamest sentence to ever come out of her mouth, beating out, Yeah, I came; that was

goodforme,too.

OhGod.Shestillhadfivehoursleftwiththisguy.Ifshewereinthestudiorightnow,alaughtrack

would be sounding in the background. Maybe she should ask the flight attendant to move her to a

different seat. Because as embarrassing as that would be for a few minutes, that beat stewing for

multiplehours.

Afteramomentofawkwardsilence,shelookeduptoseehimsmilingather.One dimple popped

out,andholymoly,ifthisguywasn’tatleastamodel,someoneneededtonotifyatalentagency,stat.

“Idon’tmindaprettygirlonmyarm,”hesaidandwinkeddownather.

AnhonesttoGodwink.

On a scale of one to cheesy, this ranked a solid Gouda. And yet her lower half was whispering

somethingmorealongthelinesofyes,please,canaprettygirltouchmorethanjustyourarm?

Um,whoa,thatdidn’tneedtocrosshermind.Thatthoughthadcomefromsofaroutofleftfield,

shenowhadthird-degreewhiplash.Ifaguypulledthatlineonheratabar,she’drollhereyesandtell

Mr.Goudatotakeahike.

Thesmilereachedallthewaytothecreaseinhiseyes.Foramoment,shewastransfixedbythis

strangerandthewayhewasabletocommandherattentionwithjustonelook.Heck,notevenJensen

Ackleswascapableofthatwhenshe’dmethimthefirstdayonset,andshesportedmadladyboner

for the guy. She continued holding this stranger ’s gaze, and she suddenly forgot why this type of

pickuplineneverworked,becauseitwassureashellworkingonherrightnow.

Damn, he’d barely said two sentences to her in total, and she was totally drooling over this

tantalizingpackageofpheromonecologne,gravellyvoice,andbedroomeyesalltiedupnicelywitha

taglabelled,Givemesomeofthis.Theguywasgood.

Andthatwaswhysheneededtoreelitin.Sheshookherhead,breakingthisridiculousstare-offthat

shouldn’tbehappeningwithacompletestranger.Instead,shehandledittheonlytriedandtrueway

sheknew:withsarcasm.

Shesethermouthinawrysmirk,makingsuretoraiseherbrows,too,andsaid,“Thatlineworkon

mostwomen?”Sheknewthetype.Shedealtwiththemeverydayonset.Sosheshouldn’tevenbatan

eyewithMr.Gouda.

Hissmilewidened.“Idon’tknow.Firsttimesomeone’severgrabbedontomeduringaflight.”

Right. Because only crazy people manhandled strangers. She inwardly groaned at how awkward

she’dbecomeinthelastfewminutes.Goodriddancepoisedcontrol,helloawkward-teenself.Slapon

somebracesandaboombox,andthetransformationwouldbecomplete.

Sincewhendoyou,AbbyWinters,getflustered?

Sheshiftedinherseatatthis.Thethoughtunnervedher.Becausetheanswerwasnever.Shenever

gotflustered,notinboardmeetingswhenshehadconflictingviewswiththeproducer,orevenwhen

she had to talk to the CEO of Yellow Raft. Where was the quick wit, the snarky retort? Left on the

tarmacofLAX,presumably.Betweentheflightanxietyandthedamncrackpheromones,herdefenses

hadbeenstripped.Andshedidnotlikethisonebit.

“What’syourname?”Hisvoicehadaslightsoutherndrawl,onethatmadeherstomachclench.

Backinhighschool,she’dbeenallaboutlists—apparently,herneedfororganizationstartedata

youngage.She’drankedhertopplacestotravel.Perfectjobs.Evenoneforalltheattributesrequired

inafuturespouse.Accentdefinitelywasn’tonthelist,butmaybesheneededtoreassessthatone.

“Abby.”

“Gage.”Hestuckouthishandandshetookit,hersmallhandengulfedinhislarge,callusedone.

Shedidn’tfailtonoticethelackofweddingring,andthefactthathisnailswerenicelytrimmed.Or

thefactthatshewasstillholdinghishandafewbeatspastsociallyacceptable.Whoops.

Sheretractedherhandandfumbledwithherseatbelt.“Er—um,thankyou.”Okay,seriously,what

was getting into her? If she could form coherent sentences around A-list celebrities, talking to a

randomcompletestrangershouldn’tbethathardtodo.Thismustbetheflightanxiety.Yes,definitely

flightanxiety.Thiswasallbecauseofthedamnplane,notbecauseshewassittingnexttoaguywith

bedroomeyesandachinthatcouldcutglass.

Shestoleaglancehisway.Thepricklesrunningdownherspinecoulddefinitelybeduetothesheer

size of the guy. Even seated, it was evident he easily cleared six feet and could probably bench a

Honda. Yes, that had to be it. In fact, it’d be smart to just stop looking at him altogether. And, if

anything,Abbystillhadherwits,evenifherbrainwasmomentarilyscrambledfromtakeoff.

She cleared her throat and looked down at his large hand cupped over his thigh. Those callused

hands would pluck pleasure straight from her core if they molded against her breasts. On cue, her

nippleshardenedagainstthesilkfabricofhershirt.Well,shit,apparentlyherbodywasnotonboard

withthiswholeignoringhimthing.

Working eighty-hour weeks did zilch for her sex drive, but this man had amped it up to eleven

withinminutes.

“Wellit’snicetomeetyou,Abby.Gladmyarmcouldbeofservicetoyoutoday.”Hesmirkedand,

oh,didshewanttoslapthesmugnessrightoffhisface.

“Idon’tdothatoften.”Shepausedandcringed.“Okay,maybeIshouldpagetheflightattendantso

wecandrinkawaythisawkwardness.”

Hewavedoffheroffer.“Idon’tdrinkonplanes,butthanks.”

What the hell was wrong with this dude? Intoxicated was the only state she wanted to be in when

stuckinametalcontraptionatthirty-sixthousandfeet.

“Businessorpleasure?”Thewordpleasurein that deep, gravelly voice practically made her toes

curl.

Abby choked on her spit, and heat climbed up her cheeks until the skin beneath her eyes was

burning.Washeamindreader?Ifherthoughtswerethattransparent,sheneededtoscheduletimeon

hercalendartoworkonthat.“Excuseme?”

Hislipstwitchedinamusement.“Areyoutravelingforbusinessorpleasure?”

Oh.Itwasapolitequestion.Ofcourse,he’dbeennothingbutgentlemanly.Shewastheonewhohad

alltheseveryunwantedpervythoughts.

Okay,maybetheyweren’tnecessarilyunwanted,butdefinitelynottimely.Sheneededtofocuson

the penthouse she’d be visiting in five hours. Yep, okay brain, go ahead and power down this

unscheduledturned-on-nessandpickupthehintthatthisguywasjustbeingpolite.Hewasprobably

tryingtomakesmalltalkinordertoavoidbeingstabbedwithanairlineutensilbythecrazywoman

whoscreamedinhisearandgrabbedtheshitoutofhisarm.God,itsoundedinsanewhensheputit

thatway.

“Business.Goingtocheckoutapenthouseforthenight,andthenIgettoreliveplanepurgatoryall

overagain.”Lordhelpher.

“Wow.Penthouse.Whattypeofbusinessareyouin,themafia?”Heraisedhisbrowsandswipedhis

thumbacrosshisjaw.

She laughed, and their gazes met again. He rubbed his lips together, the edges around his mouth

fadingtoafaintpink,andshecouldn’thelpbutrunhertongueoverherbottomlipinresponse.They

lookedsoft.Reallysoft.Kissablysoft.Sinceturbulencehadletupabit,shecouldn’tevenblamethe

drumroll in her stomach on that. She could have sworn she saw a flicker of desire in his eyes, but

chalkedituptobeingpartofthewholedark,handsome,bend-me-over-the-seat-traypackage.

Okay,itwastimeforherbraintoshutoff—orinhercase,maybereboot,becausetherewaszero

chance an airline hookup was going to happen. She’d already put her crazy on full display. Plus,

airplanescarriedMRSA,forcryingoutloud.Totallynotsexy.

“Close.Iworkforaproductionstudio.I’masetscout.Whataboutyou?”

“I work in security. Private sector.” He flinched after he’d said the second part. Maybe he wasn’t

supposedtotellherthat?Itwascryptic,nonetheless.

She didn’t even know what “private sector” meant exactly. She’d heard it in crime shows on

television,butthatwasalwaysforhitmen,top-secretgovernmentagencies,andrent-a-cops.Butjust

onelookathim,andhewasdecidedlytooseasonedtobeamallcop.FBI?CIA?Whateverhewas,

he’dfilloutauniformnicely.

Yum.Uniforms.Eversinceshe’dbinge-watchedBlueBloods,she’dhadthissillyfantasyofacop

busting out his handcuffs on her. Completely the opposite of what she’d normally want. But a man

whoriskedhislifeforthesafetyofothersdidallthethingstothespacebetweenherthighs.Italmost

erasedthemortificationofgrabbingontohimfromhermind.

Infact,nowshewonderedwhyhe’dsatnexttoherinthefirstplace.“Wait.Doesthatmeanyou’re

profilingme?”

“Pretty young brunettes afraid of flying don’t typically fit a security risk profile. Should I be

worried?”

Alittlethrillshotthroughher.He’dsaidshewaspretty.Okay,maybeitwasonlyimplied.Butstill,

she’dtakeit.Shesureasheckdidn’tneedaman’sapproval,butdamnedifitdidn’tfeelgoodtohear

iteveryonceinawhile.

Sheknewwhatsomeoftheproductioncrewsaidbehindherback.Theterms“uptight”and“colder

than a witch’s tit” may have been thrown around a few times. Those snide comments in the break

roomcutdeeperthanshecaredtoadmit—notthatshelethercoworkersknowit.So,hellyeah,itwas

abreathoffreshairtobetalkingtosomeonewhodidn’tknowherplanneraddictioncosthermore

thanhergrocerybudgetforthemonth.Twowords:washitape.

Infact,shecouldbeanyoneshewantedtobe,andhewouldbenonethewiser.Thatthoughtkicked

her heart rate up a few notches. Chances were at a steady zero percent that she’d ever see this guy

again,sowhynottakeariskandloosenupforafewhours?

Shesankbackinherseat,tryingtocomeupwithagoodresponse,onethatsaidI’mnottryingtoo

hard,butI’mwitty.

Ugh,thiswasridiculous.Analyzingeveryfrickin’movewaswhatgotherthiswholeSaharaDesert

sexlifeinthefirstplace.Stopoverthinkingandgetyourbiggirlpantieson.She’dnevermetamanin

uniforminperson,besidestheBeverlyHillscopthatissuedheraspeedingticket,andflightphobiabe

damned,shewasgoingtomusterupthecouragetoflirtwithhim,becausewhentheopportunityarose

tohitonamanwhoservedhiscountry,youtookit.“Shouldn’tbesoquicktojudge.Lookscanbe

deceiving,youknow.”

Admittedly,intermsofretorts,thiswasalittleonthelameside,butnotawfulenoughtoelicitan

eyeroll.Anditwasmuchbetterthanthecavemantalkgoingthroughherheadatthemoment—must

getclosertodelicioushotman.

He took a long perusal, starting at her eyes and slowly working his way down to her hips. “Yes,

theycanbe.”

Heclearedhisthroatandreluctantlytorehisgazefromherbody,clearlyconflicted.Withwhat,she

didn’tknow.“I’moffdutyrightnow,andsoisanyprofiling.”

“Good to know. Because I can do some real damage with a nail file. Don’t even start me on the

dangersoftweezers.”Muchbetter.Finally,shewasbacktoherwittyself.Allittookwasthethought

ofhiminacopuniform,rippingoffhershirt,buttonsfromherblouseflying,togivehertheextra

push.

His brows rose. “You’re just asking for trouble, aren’t you?” The playfulness in his tone said he

waskidding,buttheheatinhisgazehintedthathemightperformastripsearchforfun.

Ifshesaidyes,wouldhewhipoutsomesecretlystashedhandcuffs?Therewouldbeabsolutelyno

objectiononherend.

“Yeah—”Theplanerocketedthroughabadboutofturbulence,andAbby’sarmswentflyingagain.

She went to clamp down on the armrest and missed by a good six inches, and instead grabbed the

insideofGage’sleg.Andherfingersbrushedagainstsomethingthatwasdefinitelynothisleg.

Abby quickly pulled her hand away, scooting as far against the window as possible. She pressed

herself up against the cold plastic, the noise of the plane as it rocketed through the turbulence now

deafening.Shecouldn’tevenlookathimafterwhatshejustdid.SweetbabyJesus,shejusttouchedhis

dick. Could that even be classified as a dick, or maybe a Maglite? She should definitely not be

thinkingabouthiscock.

Thinkaboutwork.

Yes,work.Thereasonshewasonthisplaneinthefirstplace.Sheneededtofocusonthepenthouse.

With the extra-fluffy white duvet she’d asked to be put on the master bed. A bed that deserved the

presenceoftheanacondathisguywassmugglinginhispants.OnelookatGageandsheknewhe’d

laughheroffthefaceoftheplanetifhesawherperfectlyscheduledsexlife—shecouldn’tbetheonly

personthatdidthat,right?Infact,rightnow,shecouldn’tevenrememberwhyshemadethatlistinthe

first place, because she’d be willing to bend a few rules just this once for a chance with this sexy

stranger.

Gage cleared his throat and crossed an ankle over his knee, scooting farther away from her, his

body language completely closed off now. How did she know? Because she was still staring at his

crotchlikeabonafidecreeper.

“MaybeIunderestimatedyou.It’snottoolatetodoafrisk.”Hislipsquirkedintoaconspiratorial

smile.

Hereyeswidened,andshechokedonherownspit.Realsmooth.“Excuseme?”

A booming laugh that vibrated straight through her ribs sounded from Gage. He said, “I’m

kidding.”HeliftedabrowashisgazefollowedAbby’sdowntowhereshe’dbeenhonedinlikethe

EyeofSauron.“Soyou’reheadingtoNewYorkCity?”heasked.

Didsomeonesayhead?Thatmustbewhyshehadthesuddenurgetocompletethiswholeman-in-

uniform fantasy and drop to her knees to find out what this guy was packing in his pressed pants.

Maybe he’d even read her the Miranda rights as she went to town on him. Okay, she was officially

sickandmaybeshouldstopwatchingcopshows.

Sheneededtoslamthebrakesonthatthoughtprocess.Sincewhendidsheeverwanttogivehead?

Uh,sinceshelaideyes—andhands—onthisGandy-sizebulgethatshewasstillstaringat.“Yes.”

She inwardly groaned at how awkward she’d just made this whole situation with this complete

gentleman. He was being polite, taking the crazy woman’s mind off the flight, and here she was,

lustingafterhimlikesomehighschoolerwithafreakingcrushonherteacher.

Seriously,werethefivehoursofairtravelhelloveryet?Thenshecouldgetoffthisgodforsaken

planeandforgetaboutthisguywhoscrambledherbrainwaves.Butallshecouldseemtothinkabout

were those rough hands ripping off her panties, working their way all over her body. No guy had

everteasedthistypeofresponseoutofherbefore

,

piercingthroughherimmaculatearmor…andshe

wasn’tabouttostartlettingonenow,especiallynotthisguy,whowasclearlynotinterested.

Plus,itwastherunningofficejokethatpeopleinrelationships,inanycapacity,gotsoft.Miranda,

theoldsetscout,gotmarried,hadkids,andwherewashercareer?Inthesameplaceshedumpedthe

contentsofthoseclothdiapersshetoutedonFacebook.Nothankyou.Withtwomajorscoutingtrips

inthenextmonth,andthechanceatapromotioninthenearfuture,avoidinganykindofdistraction

wasvital.

Thepilotcameoverthespeakersystem,givingAbbyashortreprievefromherthoughts.“We’re

through most of the turbulence, so sit back and enjoy the ride. Our featured film will be starting

shortly.”

Amovie.Nowthatwassomethingshecoulddowithoutmakinganassofherself.Shecrossedand

uncrossedherlegs,herpencilskirtridingupherthighs.Theneedpulsingbetweenherlegsampedup

severalnotches.

Hello, sex drive, I hear you loud and clear, but I’m putting you in park. She swallowed hard,

suddenlyparched.God,wherewasthatflightattendant?Shewassothirsty.ForatalldrinkofGandy-

dick.

Shereallyneededtostopthinking.

Hell,herbodywasburningup.Andeventheluxuriousseatwasnomatchforheruncomfortable

wardrobe.Whyhadshestupidlychosentowearthistightofaskirtonafive-hourflight?Itlooked

cuteinthemirrorthismorning.Nowshewasn’tsosureshewasactuallyaclosetmasochist.

Gage’sgazeflickeredtoherlegsandthenquicklydivertedtotheemptyseatinfrontofhim.The

wayhe’dregardedthebaresliverofskinonherthighcrankedherinternaltemperaturetoasteady

simmer.She’dprobablyimaginedit,becausehissmiledisappearedandhemovedevenfartheraway

fromher.

Abbybusiedherselfwithpullinghertabletoutofhercarry-onstowedundertheseatinfrontofher,

and powered it up. She had research to do. Her boss, Rob, had sent her another movie based in a

penthouse,wantinghertoresearchitandpickoutelementsthatwouldbeessentialforhersetforthe

filmingofthebillionaireromanticcomedy,BlurredLines.

She’d never seen the movie that Rob sent her, but heard from her best friend Amanda that it was

heavy into the kinky stuff. Great. Gage would probably think she was off-the-charts bat-shit crazy

watchingthisonaplane,buthell,she’dalreadygrabbedhisdick.Therewasn’tmuchelseshecould

do to embarrass herself further. Plus, this movie wasn’t going to study itself. She just needed to

smoothlytransitionthisstaredownintoaproductivefewhours.

Shepointedtohertablet.“I’mgoingtowatchamovienow.”Yeah,thatcameoutrealsmooth.

“You enjoy that.” His previously friendly tone had turned imperceptibly formal, the same tone a

flightattendantusedwhenaddressingpassengers.Hegaveacurtnodandasmallsmile.Abbypressed

herthighstogetherandpushedhertongueagainstherthebackofherteeth.Gah,thosedimpleswere

herkryptonite.That,pairedwiththatface,thosebiceps,thefreshshowersmell,andtheprospectof

handcuffs,well,herpantiesweresoakedandshehadn’tevenstartedthemovie.

ChapterTwo

Gage Michaels pulled the SkyMall magazine out of the seat pouch in front of him. He worked at

keepinghisfaceimpassive,butsomethingaboutthiswomanmadehimsmile.Thebabblingthingwas

pretty adorable, especially seeing her Hollywood composure crumble into a heap of rubble when

she’dgrazedoverhiscock.

She had that whole naughty librarian thing going on with her pencil skirt and white button-up

blouse.Herbrownhair,whichwasoneshadelighterthanblack,waspulledbackintoatightbun.The

onlythingmissingtocompletethelookwasapairofdark-rimmedglasses.Definitelythecomplete

oppositeofallthesoutherngirlshismamahadbeentryingtohookhimupwith.Helovedhisfamily,

butifhehadtogoononemoreblinddatewiththesamepageant-winning,sweet-as-sugartype,he’d

getafuckingcavity.

“Settledown,makebabies,”hismemawhadorderedlastweekonthephone.He’dhadagirl,his

highschoolsweetheart.Heevenhadaringpickedoutforher,andthenthreeyearsintohisjob,she

said the pressure of his travel schedule was too much—and then she married his best friend six

months later. Yeah, that wasn’t a kick to the family jewels or anything. In fact, he hadn’t been in a

seriousrelationshipsince.Didn’tseeapointifhisjobwasgoingtogetintheway.

HeglancedbackoveratAbby.ShewassodifferentfromthewomenhedatedbackinCharleston.

Somethingaboutherscreamedhigh-societysophistication,optingformerlotinsteadofsweettea,and

expensive steakhouses instead of a hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint. In fact, just one look at this woman

andheknewhisfamilywouldautomaticallydeemherunsuitable.Andifhisfamilywasanything,it

wasdefinitelythesharing-is-caringtype.Evenunsolicitedopinions.

Those damn pouty bow-shaped lips pressed into a tiny o were fucking tantalizing. Same with the

blouse pulled tightly enough that he could just make out the lace outline of her bra on those

mouthwateringtits.Maybethatwastheappeal.Shewassofarfromhisnorm,itwasagoddamnjoke.

Whateverthereason,hecouldn’tseemtotakehiseyesoffher.

He’dseenhotwomenonflightsbefore—asaU.S.AirMarshal,itwashisjobtonoticepeople.But

hekepthisdickoutoftheequationwhenhewasworking.Technically,hewasoffdutyatthemoment,

but the plane was his workplace. And he needed to save thoughts of Abby wrapping those pink-

polishedfingersaroundhiscockagainuntilafterhedisembarked,whenhecouldpoundoneoutin

theseclusionofahotshower.

Forthefirsttimeintwoweeks,hewasfinallygettinganightoff.AndcomeSunday,he’dfinishhis

shift and go home, drink a beer with his buddies, and play tea party with his niece. This was the

longesthe’dgonewithoutseeinghisfamily,andthecagey,restlessfeelingcouldonlybetamedby

twothings:hismemaw’sapplepieandlittleEmily’sarmswrappingaroundhisneckasshescreamed

UncleGage!

Damn.Homesicknesshithardthistrip.

He was in need of a good distraction. And the thought of Abby’s mile-long legs, and her nails

rakingintohisbackasheburiedhimselftothehiltinsideher,wasagoodstart.Sheletoutanother

soft sigh and all longing for home evaporated, to be quickly replaced with a need to alleviate the

throbbinginhisdick.

He flipped through the magazine and tried to keep his attention focused on an industrial-size hot

dogtoaster.Toastedwieners.Yep,that’swhatwouldhappentohisifheeventhoughtaboutAbbyand

that prim and proper pencil skirt pushed up to her hips. He bet those creamy thighs would spread

easily under the grip of his fingers. He continued to stare a hole in the magazine, trying to get that

image out of his head. This was his workplace—he needed to keep it professional. Another air

marshalhadbeenhookingupwithaflightattendantformonths,andoncetheagencygotwindofit,

he’dbeenpromptlyterminated.Gagehadworkedtoodamnhardathisjobtoriskthat.

Not that they’d penalize him for anything off duty, but it was just the principle of keeping

everythingrelatedtohisjob,airplaneincluded,professional.Itdefinitelywasn’thisprofessionalside

that chose the seat next to the smoking hot brunette, though. He could have had a whole row to

himself. That would be the smart thing. And yet, here he was. Even if it hadn’t been the smartest

decision to sit next to someone so tempting, it didn’t mean he couldn’t talk to her—his mama did

teachhimtobeapropersoutherngentleman,afterall.Anhourintotheflightandallhe’dmanagedto

learn was where she lived and that she was traveling on business. He got a more detailed life story

fromhisdentistinaquarterofthetime.

Justasshepluggedherheadphonesintohertablet,heasked,“Whatmovieareyouwatching?”

Whatever it was, it was most likely more entertaining than the onboard presentation of The Same

DamnMoviesThatPlayEveryTimeGageMichaelsFlies.

“NeedYouTonight.”

He’dheardofthemovie.Infact,hissisterandheroldfriendsfromhighschoolhadcampedoutfor

the premiere. From what he’d seen of the previews, the movie promised a rich guy and bondage.

“Isn’tthatthemoviebasedoffof—”

“Yeah,”shesaidquickly,asaflushfilledhercheeks.“It’sforwork.”

“Oh.”Shit,ajobthatrequiredemployeestowatchporn?Signhimrightup.He’dtakeoneforthe

team.

“I’mresearchingtheset.”Sheswallowedhard,theflushinhercheeksdeepeningandtrailingdown

herneck.Hefounditironicthatapersonwhooozedsexappealblushedeverytimeanythingsexual

wasmentioned.WhenhethoughtofpeoplefromL.A.,innocencewasn’tthefirstwordthatcameto

mind.Hell,itdidn’tevenmakethetopfifty.Andherewaslittlemisslibrarian,redashisgrandma’s

prizedheirloomtomatoes.Gagehadthesuddenurgetoripthroughthatblousetoseejustwherethe

flushended.

“Doesithaveapenthouse,too?”

“Here’shoping.OrelsemybossisgoingtogetareallynastycallwhenIgetoffthisplane.”She

smiledlikeshewasjoking,butGagewouldputmoneyonherfollowingthroughwiththatsentiment.

Shelookedlikeshedidn’ttakeshitfromanyone.Andnothinghitbelowthebeltlikeawomanwho

spokehermind.

“Forhissake,Ihope.”

Herblueeyesshiftedfromthescreen,landingonGage’slips.“SoI’mguessingyou’renotfrom

L.A.?”Shenervouslytwirledthecordofoneearbudaroundherfinger.

“My accent give me away?” Normally, his family gave him a hard time because his accent had

dwindledoveryearsoftravel.Itonlycamebackinfullforcewhenhecamehome.Guesssomethings

stuckwithyounomatterhowmuchdistanceandtimewentby.

She blushed again and nodded. Something about this sweet gesture made his dick press harder

againsttheflyofhispants.Damn,he’dlovetotearheroutofthatseat,takeherintothelavatory,and

makethatwholetightlittlebodyflushashefuckedheruntilshescreamedhisname.Heignoredthe

visionandfocusedbackontheirconversation.

“Charleston.Bornandraised.”Evensayingthenameofthetownfilledhimwithhomesickness.

“Ihearit’sbeautifulthistimeofyear.”

“It’sbeautifuleverytimeofyear,”hecorrectedher.Anditwastrue.Eventhoughhetraveledmost

oftheyearforhisjob,beentoplaceslikeGreeceandBoraBora,he’dalwayshaveasoftspotfor

Charleston.Alongwithhisfamilyandtwobestbuddies,ithadthebestbeachesandfoodontheEast

Coast,atleastinhisopinion.

“Doesyourfamilystilllivethere?Girlfriend?”Sheslidthatlastquestioninquietly,butwithexpert

precision.

Hegnawedontheinsideofhischeekandregardedher.

“Yestofamily,notothegirlfriend.Single,incasethat’swhatyouwerewondering.”

“Yes.”Shepausedamomentandcringed.“Imean,no.God,I’msorry.I’mnotusuallylikethis.”A

tinygroanescapedherlipsasshesmoothedherthumboverthefabricofherskirt,staringdown.

Did she know what that did to him? Those noises, her playing with that insanely tight skirt? He

shouldpushupthatskirtandshowherjusthowmuchsheaffectedhim.

“Like what?” Forward? Incredibly sexy? Because the way she kneaded her thumb over her thigh

hadhimimagingherfingertipsworkinghiscock.

“Suchaklutzycreep.I’mprobablytheworstseatmateinexistence.”

Helaughed.Anyguywouldbeluckytogetanaccidentalcock-grabfromher.“You’renotacreep.

MaybethehandsiestseatmateI’vehad,though.”Hewinked.

Sheburiedherfaceinherpalms.“Pleasedon’tremindme.”

Why was it so hot that she got all flustered? He definitely got the impression she’d been truthful

whenshesaidthisdidn’thappentoheroften,whichmadeitthatmuchhotter.Heaffectedtheuptight

Hollywoodgirl,andhetookperversepleasureinthis.

“Idon’tmind.Andtrustme,you’renottheworstseatmateinexistence.”Hell,hewishedthere’dbe

somemoregoddamnturbulencesoshe’daccidentallygrabhiscockagain.Totakehismindoffthat

trainwreckofathought,hecontinued,“Onetime,thisguybroughtawholebucketofKFCchicken

wingsonaflightandsangalongtoLesMiserableswhile watching it on his laptop. We hit a rough

patch,andlet’sjustsay,Mr.JeanValjeanwannabedidn’thandletheturbulencewell,andIhadtobuya

newsuit.”

Shegroaned,andherprettypinklipscurledintoagrimace.“Goodtoknowthebarissetsohigh.”

“See? You could be way worse.” He set a reassuring hand on her thigh, and the slender muscles

coiledunderhistouch.

Sheletoutadeep,shakybreath.“Noted.I’llwaittobeltmyversionof“IDreamedaDream”until

afterwe’velanded.”

He leaned in closer—he couldn’t help it. Something about her just pulled Gage in like a fucking

magnet.“Oh,IthinkI’dreallyliketoseethat.”

She squirmed in her seat and worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “Sorry, my Broadway

renditions are strictly performed in the shower. Sold out show to the loofah and shampoo.” She

clearedherthroatandpointedtothescreen.“Well,Ishouldprobablywatchforalittlebit.”

“Goodidea.”Jesus.Hecrumpledthemagazinebetweenhishandsandshiftedtoadjusthimself.He

couldn’tgettheimageoutofhisheadofAbbyintheshower,strippedofthattightskirtandblouse,

watercascadingdownherchest,overtheswellsofherbreaststothespacebetweenherthighs.Fuck,

he was hard just imagining what he could do to her wet body with his tongue, his hands, his cock,

everything.Hewantedtodoalotmorethanimagine.

ChapterThree

Gageflippedanotherpageinhismagazineandstaredatthepricesuntilthenumbersblurredtogether.

Wineglassholdernecklace,analienbutler,andaT.rexsculpture—alljustuselessoverpricedshitfor

jackasseswhowantedtheprestigeofsayingtheyownedsomethingfromSkyMall.Hefoldedthepage

andclosedhiseyes.Jesus,thiswasboring.Whatwasn’tboring?Abbyandherdamncutebumbliness

thatwassomehowsexy.He’dmanagedtokeeptohimselfforthebetterpartofthesecondhourofthe

flight while she watched her movie. He only had to hold out for another couple of hours and his

temptationwouldbewalkingoffthisplaneinapairoffuck-mestilettos,andhe’dbebacktonormal.

Shegaspedatsomethingonthescreen,andhisattentionshiftedtoher,thendowntothemovie,and

damn,thislookedlikelegitporn.Alittletooshowyforhistaste,butdefinitelyhotshit.Theguyhada

womanbentoverhislapandsmackedherbareass.GagelookedbacktoAbbytogaugeherreaction,

toseeifthiswasanI’mhorrifiedgasporanI’mturnedongasp.Aflushcreptupherneckagainas

shesquirmedinherseat,crossinganduncrossingherlegs.

Oh,definitelythelatterofthetwo.

Helookedbackatthemagazine.Whatkindofpervertwatchedawomanwatchporn?Him.Buthe

couldn’tmanagetolookaway,notfromthosesexypoutylipsortheriseandfallofherchestasher

shirtmoldedtothosebreasts.Hewonderedwhatshe’ddoifshewerehomealonewatchingthis.Close

hereyesandletherhandsroamoverherbody?Reachintohernightstandforavibrator?He’dput

moneyonMissLibrarianbeingascreamerinthesack.

Andyoushouldstop,becauseshe’sapassenger,hisdamnconscienceremindedhim.Tellthattohis

dick,currentlyathalf-mast.Themoviehadn’tturnedhimon,butAbbysureashelldid.

Nobodyonthisflightknewhewasanairmarshal.Ifhewantedtogiveinjustthisonce,whowould

itreallyhurt?Hell,hewasoffduty.

Abby’sbreathspedup,herfullbreastspressingagainstherblouse,showcasingeverythingthrough

the thin material. Sweet fucking Jesus. Gage wanted nothing more than to run his tongue along her

nipples, take little nips and wet the fabric until he could determine the exact shade of pink of those

sweet,perkytits.

Gagegroanedandshiftedinhisseattorepositionhiserection.Asarule,marshalsweretolookat

all passengers as androgynous beings, nothing to fantasize about, but Abby visibly turned on was

about as easy to ignore as the airplane going through extreme turbulence. For Christ’s sake, this

woman was all curves in all the perfect places. He wasn’t even pretending to look at the magazine

anymore.

Atinyexhalecurledoutofhermouth,andittookeverythinginhimtoremaininhisseatinsteadof

rippingoffthedamnseatbelt,throwingheroverhisshoulder,andtearingoffallherclothesinthe

fuckinglavatory.Insane,becausehe’dneverhadthisurgebefore.Butnowhehadtogripthearmrest

justtokeephisfingersfromreachingovertoherside.

Hefocusedbackonthemovie.Theguyhadnowmovedontobindingthewoman’shandsandthen

tying her to the bed. Abby nibbled on her bottom lip, and his resolve to be an upstanding citizen

dissolved.Tohellwithit—hedeservedtogiveinjustonce.He’dspenthiswholelifefollowingthe

straightandnarrow,andlookwherethatgothim—aloneatthirty-two.

Theflightattendantcamethroughthecurtain,brandishingaglassofchampagne,andgavehiman

appreciative smile. She was cute, in the wholesome, southern girl charm kind of way. The type his

familywouldabsolutelytrytohookhimupwith,butthatdidnothingforhim.Heapparentlylikedthe

uptightlibrarian,accidentaldick-grabbingtypealittletoomuchtonoticeorcareaboutanythingelse

atthispoint.

Shestoppedattheirrow.Abbyquicklyturnedoverhertabletandyankedoutanearbudbeforethe

flightattendantcouldseewhatshewaswatching.

“Ma’am,yourchampagne,”shesaid,handinghertheglass.ThiswasAbby’ssecondoneinasmany

hours and the sweet flush on her cheeks was the only indication that the alcohol was affecting her.

“CanIgetanythingforyou,sir?Wehaveourcomplementaryfirst-classmeal.”

“No,thankyou.”

The flight attendant frowned, apparently disappointed by his response. “Well, be sure to let me

knowifyouneedanythingelse.”

Henodded.“Iwill.”

After the flight attendant disappeared into the front again, Gage worked up the courage to say

somethingtoAbbybeforehisconsciencedecidedtomakeareappearance.Thiswasthefirstwoman

he’dfeltthiswayaroundinyears…notsincehisex.

TheSkyMallmagazinecrumpledinhisgripastheinternaldebateping-pongedaroundinhishead.

He had a little over two hours left of this flight and didn’t want to waste it, because hell if he was

disembarkingwithoutatleastgivingitashot.Assureasthepulsebeatingrapidlyagainsthistemples,

he had to have her. Even for a couple hours. Something about her flipped a switch to some primal

need,andthefuckshegaveaboutworktookabackseat.

Heclearedhisthroat.“That’squiteamovie.”

“Yeah.Thesetisgreatforresearchpurposes.”Shemashedherlipstogether.

Oh,sweetheart,mycockwouldlovetoresearchthatprettylittlemouthofyours.

Beforehecouldreigninhislessthanaltruisticthoughts,hesaid,“Isthatallyou’reresearching?”

Shesatupinherseatandblusteredabit.“Yes.Ofcourse.”

A few moments went by with Gage holding his tongue. But hell, he’d already started the

conversation,mightaswellseewhereitwent.

Hejuttedhischintowardthescreen.“He’sdoingitallwrong,bytheway.”

Her brows pushed together. As she turned to him, she re-crossed her legs and her foot bumped

againsthis.“Doingwhatwrong?”

“Theknot.It’stootight.Mightcausecirculationproblemsforher.”Maybehe’dtakenittoofar,but

thoughts of tying her to his bed and licking and sucking every damn inch of her left him with no

regret. It was like a boulder falling down a hill—he couldn’t stop these thoughts if he wanted to.

They’dsteamrollhimifhetried.Heclenchedhisfist,forcinghimselftokeepstill,tonotreachover

andrunhispalmdownthoseperfectlytemptingcurves.

She arched a brow and continued winding the headphone cord around her finger. The movement

wasslow,methodical,andhewonderedhowherhandswouldfeelworkingoverhiscock.

“Howwouldyouknow?Doyou…tiepeopleupoften?”sheasked.

Hesmirked.“Whentheyaskmenicely.”Itwasn’taregularoccurrenceinhisbed,butitwasfunto

pulloutnewtrickstokeepthingsfresh.

“Oh.” It was more of an exhale than a word, like something that would come out of a woman’s

mouthwhenhepoundedintoher.Fuckifhe’deverheardsuchasexysoundinhislife.Andnowhe

knew he was a goner. He needed that sound to come out of her mouth while he was actually doing

somethingtoher.

Herreactionwasadeadgiveawaythatshe’dneverbeenexposedtoanythingpastmissionary.Fuck.

Hewassofarpastinappropriatenowthattherewasabsolutelynopointinholdingback.Thisneedto

haveher,todominateher,tohaveherscreamhisname,hitlikeafreighttrain.

“Well,don’tletmegetinthewayofyourresearch.”

Watching her research all night long would be the best damn job he could possibly think of.

Especiallywhenshesquirmedinherseat.Theyshouldreallyjustsavespaceandhavehersitonhis

lap,thattightassgrindingagainsthiscock.

Hewasgoingtohellforthesethoughts,thatwasforsure.

“Okay.”Hervoicestillhadthatbreathinessthatsenthimdeeperintohisspiraloflust.Shecuedup

the movie again, one ear bud still dangling in the space between her breasts, and this time he did

nothingtohidethefactthathewaswatchingherwatchthemovie.

Abby let out a shaky exhale as the guy on the screen smacked the woman’s ass. So, she liked the

ideaofhavingitrough?Hecouldgetonboardwiththat.Theactor ’shandwhippedacrossthescreen

again,connectingwiththebackofthewoman’sthighs,andAbbyletoutatinygaspthreadedwitha

moan.

“Youlikethat?”hewhisperedinherear.Itwasrisky,beingthisforwardwithher,butwhatdidhe

havetolose?Afterthis,he’dneverseeheragain.Gagehadalwaysharboredafantasyaboutjoining

themile-highclub,butitalwaysseemedalittlesketchy,especiallywithhisjob.Buthewasoffduty,

andthewaythisgirlmoved,smelled,talked…itmadehimwanttoturnthatintoareality.Hewanted

the full five-senses experience with this woman who had the look of someone in need of a good

fucking.Ormaybeitwashimthatwasinneedofthis.Eitherway,thegentlemanlythingtodowould

betoincludeherinthesemile-highplans.Yep,hisearliergoodintentionswerelonggonenow.They

werelostintheabyss,alongwithhisdeeplyimbeddedsouthernmannersandhisabilitytogiveashit.

“Likewhat?”

“Beingspanked?”

Herperfectlystraightwhiteteethpulledatherplumplowerlip.“I-Idon’tknow.I’veneverhadthat

happen.”

Heheldbackagroan.Thatwasadamntravesty.Infact,heshouldflipheroverhislap,yankupher

skirt, smooth his palm over her ass and give it a good swat just to show her what she’d been

missingoutonalltheseyears.Thenhe’dsetherbackinherseat,getonhisknees,andrunhistongue

throughthespacebetweenherthighsasshewrithedbeneathhistouch.

“Well,that’sashame,”hemuttered.

Her gaze met his, those sweet, innocent blue eyes boring into him with such intensity it nearly

sucker-punched the breath out of his chest. Damn, a girl like her was what you called classically

beautiful.Butwithafewstrandsofhairfallenfromherotherwiseimmaculatelystyledhair,andthe

pinkinhercheeks,shewasdownrightfuckable.Sheranhertonguealongherlipsasshestaredathis.

Didsheknowwhatthatdidtohim?Beforenow,histhree-monthdryspellhadbeenaninconvenience,

butnowitwasproblematic.Heneededathirst-quencherintheformofthisuptightbrunette.Hiscock

strainedagainsthisblackdresspants,clearlyvisiblenow,eveninthedimlylitcabin.Je-sus.

“What?”sheasked.

What was getting into him? This was a complete stranger, a passenger, and a woman who was

trying to conduct research for her job. And yet, he really wanted to know what kind of panties lay

beneaththatskirt.Ifhehadtowager,he’dpegherforathonggirl.

“Isaid,ifyou’reinterestedinresearchingthat,I’mmorethanhappytohelp.”

Hewouldgladlyvolunteertoinitiateherintothisspankingriteofpassage.

…

Thisescalatedquickly.

AndthefeministinAbbycouldn’tfinditinherselftobeappalledordisgusted.Thisgorgeousman

wastalkingtoheraboutspanking,andsomesick,repressedpartofherpsychedesperatelywantedto

beonthereceivingend.

The movie continued to play, even though she was having a hard time focusing. She should

definitely be studying the plush seating offset by the dramatic blue walls, but all she could seem to

noticewasGage’sbreath,hishandthathadedgedtohersideofthearmrest,thespreadofhisthighs.

Namely,whatwasbetweenthosethighs.

She peered back at the screen. The heroine was now tied up and blindfolded, something that

soundedwickedlydelicious.SheglancedatGage’sloosenedblacktie,andifshewerebraver,she’d

askforhimtobindherhandsandtakehertothefirst-classbathroom.Ormaybesearchhimforthat

pairofhandcuffsshesecretlyhopedhehadonhim.

Wow. She’d moved from watching a sexy movie to wanting to join the mile-high club with a

strangershe’dknownforafewhoursonaplane.Andyouknowwhat?Itfeltprettydamngoodtolet

these dirty thoughts cross her mind. If only Rick could see her now. There wasn’t even a hint of

vanillainherthoughts,andzerochanceofherstoppingnow.

Whowasshe,andwhathappenedtotheAbbywhoboardedthisplane?SomethingaboutGagemade

herfeelalive,alitsparkinaroomfilledwithkerosene.Itwassomethingthatshehadn’trealizedshe

needed.Verybadly.Maybeitwasthewholebutton-up,tie,anddresspantspackage,butthemoreshe

talkedtohim,themoreshejustwantedhimsansanyclothing.

“Icouldshowyoujusthowfunitcanbe.”Hiswarmbreathcaressedherear.

Nobody had ever talked to her like this, which she realized was a crime. A shiver ran down her

spineandgoosebumpspebbledherskin.Shenodded.Hewascloseenoughthatifshemovedaninch,

hislipswouldtouchherneck.She’dlikehislipsthere.Andotherplaces.“Oh,really?”

As Gage repositioned himself in his seat, she stole another not-so-discreet glance at him. His

honey-coloredeyestookineveryinchofherasshesquirmedinherseat,whichdidnothingtoquell

theachebetweenherthighs—infact,itintensifiedtenfold.

Howcouldeyesbesosexy?Ofcourse,she’dseenguyswithniceeyesbefore—bedroomeyeswere

aprerequisiteinL.A.Butnotwiththatjawline,andtheperfectamountofbitablescruff.Definitelynot

pairedwiththosebicepsofsteel.

Heleanedincloseagain,hisstubblebrushingagainsthercheek.“Thethingis—yougiveoffthe

straight-lacedvibe,butIcanseerightthroughthat.”

Howwasitpossibletoneedacompletestrangersobadly?Shedidn’tknowhim,butthatdidn’tstop

herbody’sresponse.Hiswords,hismouth,hisbighands—theywereplayingherbodyperfectly,and

she wanted to get to the damn crescendo already. She could feel ashamed for her actions after the

flight,butheckifshewasgoingtodenyherselfthisopportunityofalifetime.Nomoreoverthinking

itlikeshedideveryotheraspectofherlife.

Sheclearedherthroat,tryingtoremaincoolandunfazed.Buthell,thisguywasthehotdudeholy

grail, and she, who had to keep her composure for a living, wasn’t immune to that deep gravelly

voicepromisingnothingbutpleasureandtrouble.“Isthatso?”

“Yes.Justsaythewordandmyfingersandmouthareyoursforthenexthourandahalf.”

Right.Thinkingtoomuchearnedherafirst-classtickettosingledom.Itwastimeforachange,and

whynotstartbytakingaplungeintothedeepend?

“Yes,IthinkI’dlikethat.”

Gagegroaned.Heglanceddownathistieandsaid,“Wecouldalwaystestoutmytheory.”

Would it be too desperate to shout “Yes please!” followed by a fangirl squeal? Probably. Instead,

sheoptedforanothernod.

“Doesitmakeyouwetwatchingthatmanspankher?”

Herstrict,primandproperupbringingtoldherthatsheshouldbeoffendedbythiscrudeness,that

hedeservedagoodslapintheface.Instead,needpulsedthroughher,leavingherhotandrestless,her

pantiescompletelysoaked.Fromafewwords.Ifheactuallytouchedher?Shejustmightbethefemale

equivalentofaone-minuteman.“Yes.”

“Spread your legs for me.” He pulled a complementary packaged blanket from under the seat in

front of him, ripped through the plastic, and placed it over her lap. She glanced at the only other

person in first class, three rows up, snoring under a pair of headphones. The flight attendants had

already made their rounds, asking if they’d wanted snacks, meal, or drink. There was no one to

witnessanythingthatthismandidtoher—whateverhehadplanned.

A thrill shot through her. Oh, she really liked being told what to do. Not having to think, only to

obey.Hiswordstraveledstraightsouthtotheachingspacebetweenherlegs.

Heworkedhiswayundertheblanketandtracedafingeroverherknee,justbelowthehemofher

skirt.

Ohmygod.Thisishappening.Shewasn’tinKansasanymore.HerVanillaBrickRoadtookadetour

straighttomintchocolatechipwithhotfudge.

Ashepushedupthefabricofherskirt,hishandpausedinchesfromtheachingspacebetweenher

thighsandhelookedupatherthroughimpossiblylonglashes.“Howbaddoyouwantit?”

Was she breathing? There was a good chance she’d stopped thirty seconds ago when his hand

brushed the top of her knee. She was near asphyxiation at this point. She should really

breathe. Sucking in a ragged puff of air, she spread her legs a little wider. Underneath the

concealment of the blanket, his wandering hand pushed up her skirt. His fingers inched higher and

grazedtheedgeofherlacepanties.

Abby knocked her head back into the seat, all thoughts of work and business taking a blissful

backseat as Gage’s rough hand took control of the situation. Was this real life? Things like this

happened in movies, and in the porn her old boyfriend tried to get her to watch one time, with the

cheesy80smusicandtheguywithamullet.Itgrossedheroutwhenshewasinherearlytwenties(the

mullet,specifically,butalsotheporn),butrightnow,betweenwatchingthemovie,andGage’swords,

herearlieropinionhadswayed.“Reallybad,”shewhimpered.

Afingerslidoverthelace,rubbingherswollen,sensitiveskinthroughthematerial.Oh.Ohmy.Her

thighs flexed, and her back arched, her nipples straining against her shirt. The thought that she was

throwingcautiontothewindjustthisonce,withamansohotevenherimaginationcouldn’tdreamup

someonesoutterlysexy,madeheracheevenmore.Thisonetime,she’dletherselfgiveupcontrol.

Sheneededthis.

“You’resoaked,”hewhispered,hishotbreathfanningacrossherface.

She should be embarrassed about how wet she was. Or the noise she made when he stated this

obviousfact.Instead,shesquirmed,thehotneedpulsingstronger,drivinghertothebrinkofinsanity.

Everythingaboutthiswasnewtoher,whichmadeitthatmuchmoreexciting.Ifsomeonehadtold

her yesterday that she’d let a complete stranger touch her, she’d have gotten a side stitch from

laughing her ass off. But something about Gage triggered a switch in Abby, and she wanted

motherfuckingfinger-bangingonthismotherfuckingplane.

She ground against his palm, seeking relief, trying to be as quiet as she could so the other

passengerinfirstclassdidn’twakeupandcatchontowhattheyweredoing.Hadsheeverbeenthis

turnedon?Never.NotevenwithherownhandandthoughtsofherbelovedJensenworkingher.Then

again, when it came to the real men in her life, she tended to be with people who never pushed

buttons,noneofthegoodones,atleast.Andtheynevermadeherwanttobreakherownrules.Itonly

tookacouplehourssittingnexttoGagetoseethatmaybethiswholeletting-gothingwassomething

thatshe’dneededforalongtime.So,forthenexthourorso,she’dindulgeandthengetbacktoher

orderlylifewhenshedisembarkedtheplane.

“Ineedyou.”

“Where,sweetheart?Whatdoyouneedmetodo?”Hisfingerteasedattheedgeofherpanties,then

histhumbflickedacrossherclit,andherhipsbucked.

“Workmewithyourhand.Please.”Evenshecouldn’thelpbutnoticethepleainhervoice.Shewas

indireneedofthisman’shands.Thisman’severything.

She was rewarded with a finger working past the edge of her panties and slipping into her heat.

One,thentwo,fingersenteredher,fillingher,pushinghertothebrinkofinsanity.Shesqueezedher

eyesshut,lettingherselffalltowardoblivion.

“Openyoureyes.IwantyoutolookatmewhileI’minsideyou,”hegrowledinherear.

Abby’slidssprangopen,andsheturnedherheadtofaceGage.Hisintensegazeboreintoher,pure

maleappreciationpaintedacrosshisfeatures.Thehintofstubbledottinghisjawandhispartedlips

were just too delicious a sight to be an idle bystander. She smoothed her hand across his cheek,

tracingherwaydownuntilshereachedhislips,whichwereassoftastheylooked.Heleaneddown

andsweptherintoakiss,hermouthmeltingintohis.

Whenhistongueplayfullyworkeditswaypastherlips,theachebetweenherlegsintensifiedasshe

climbed higher, closer toward release. He alternated between pumping his fingers inside her and

rubbingherclit.

He broke away from the kiss. Their gazes met again, and his demeanor changed. He was in tune

with her movements. He seemed to be picking up on every cue her body was giving, like he was

readingaroadmaptoherpleasure,somethingnootherguyhadbeenabletofigureout.

“YouknowwhatI’ddotoyouifweweren’tonthisdamnplane?”

Sheswallowed,notknowinghowmuchmoreshecouldtake,betweenthatvelvetyvoicecaressing

herskinandhishandstrokingbetweenherlegs.Herhipsfollowedhisachinglyslowmovements,his

fingersteasingatherentrance,thenslippingin,thenmakingaswiftswirlacrossherclit.Themotion

wasmaddening.“What?”

“I’dtryouteveryfuckingmovefromthatmovieofyours.Showyoujustwhatit’sliketoloseall

thatcontrolyouholdontosotightly.”

Herteethgratedoverherlips,andsheletoutalittlewhimper.“IthinkI’dlikethat.”

“That pretty little pussy would be mine. You’d do whatever I wanted you to do. You’d like that,

wouldn’tyou?”

“Yes.” Hell yes, she would. This man, so sure of himself, was the key to her pleasure, and she’d

giveupallcontroltoachievethat.

“I’d put those tight thighs over my shoulders and take you with my tongue. Get a taste of that

pussy.”

Shewrithedunderneathhim,unabletothinkbeyondhiswords,hisbreath,hishand.Shewaslosing

herselfinthisman.

“You’reclose.Letitgo.Ridemyhand.”

Holyshit.Thestarsaligned,Venuswasnolongerinretrograde,andherlegsbegantoquiver.All

thepentupstress,thesexualfrustration,everythingreleasedlikeanatombombasshegroundagainst

hishand.

Just before she had a chance for a moan to rip out of her mouth, his lips crashed against hers,

swallowinghercry.

Shewasreducedtopantingnow,didn’tknowifshecouldevenformwordsifshetried.Ifshenever

talkedfortherestofherlife,itwasworthit.Tentimesover.

ChapterFour

If those hot little panting noises continued to come from Abby Winters’ kiss-swollen lips, Gage

wouldfuckingloseit.Thewayshe’dtightenedaroundhisfingers,soresponsive,so…hot,itreverted

himbacktohisteenageself,theonewhowouldhavelostitwiththetouchofalightbreeze.Whatwas

itaboutthiswomanthatmadehimloseallself-control?Eveninthespanofafewhours,Gagecould

tell that Abby was different than most girls he brought back to his hotel room. The way she held

herself,theHollywoodattitude—itcalledtohimlikeasirensong.Hisdickthrobbedpainfullyagainst

hispantsjustintimefortheflightattendanttotraipsethroughtheblackvelvetcurtains.

“Iseverythingallrighthere?”BlondielookedatAbby,herexpressionwary.

“Justhavingabitofflightfright,”hesaid.Heflashedasmiletotheflightattendant,andherhesitant

gazesoftened.

Shepushedastrandofblondhairbehindherearandsmiled,bitingherlipplayfully.“Okay.Ifyou

needanything,I’matyourservice.”Hedidn’tmissthehintinhervoiceortheslightliftinherbrow.

Shewalkeddowntheaislewithanexaggeratedswayinherhips.

Theflightattendantdidn’tearnasecondthought,though,becausetheneeddrivinghimtothepoint

ofinsanitywasdirectlytiedtothebrunetteintheseatnexttohim.Thetwofingersonhisrighthand

were still soaked from the orgasm he’d coaxed out of her, and if not for the thought that it would

horrifyAbby,he’dploptheminhismouthandsuckthemdryjusttoseeifshetastedasgoodashe

imagined.

“Thatwas…”Abbyshiftedinherseat,repositioningtheblanketoverherthighs.“Wow.”

Fuckyeah.He’dbeenalittlerusty,butitlookedlikehestillhadit.“You’rewelcome.”Hesmirked.

Somethingaboutthewayshedidn’tactdisgustedwithwhathe’djustdone—maybeitwasasouthern

belle thing, but every girl his mom tried to send his way acted offended at the slightest hint of

impropriety.Abbyoozedsexuality.Itpracticallyseepedfromherpores.

Shesankagainsthim,completelysated.Ifhehadmoretime,he’dgettoknoweachandeveryinch

ofthatbody.Asitwas,theyhadlessthananhourandahalf.Theycontinuedwatchingthemovie,his

handsplayfullyteasingalongtheinsideofherthigh.

They’dmovedintothisguy’skinkroom,filledwitheverytoyimaginable.

“Anythingintherelookgood?”heasked.

“Idon’tknow.I’venevertriedanyofthose.”

Helovedherhonestyaboutthewholesituation.Thegirlhadnoshame.Definitelydeprived,butall

that needed was a little coaxing on his part. There was a sex goddess under there just waiting to be

unleashed.

“Youneedtorectifythat.Seriously.”

Jesus,heneededtoreelhimselfinbeforehecarriedherofftheplane,tookhertothenearestadult

store,andshowedheranightofillicitexperimentationinhishotelroom.

Shemeltedintohistouchashecontinuedtoteaseherskinwithhisfingers.“Ilikewhenyoutouch

me.”

“Yeah?Whereexactly?”Hemovedhisfingersupherthigh.“Here?”

Sheshookherhead.

Hemovedthemupanotherinch.“Here?”

Anothershake.

“Orwereyoutalkingaboutthissweetlittlespot.”Damnitalltohell,shewasstillsoaked.

“Mmhmm.”Shebitdownonherlip,andGagecouldn’thelpbutthinkhowdamngoodthatsweet

mouthofherswouldfeelrunningalongtheexpanseofhisthrobbingcock.

“I’dlovetorepaythefavor.”Hereyesstillheldthatglassy,dreamlikequalityasherhandsworked

overthetopofGage’spants.Hernailsrakedacrossthelengthofhiscock,andhesuckedinabreath

throughclenchedteeth.

Just as her fingers loosened the button of his pants, the captain came over the speakers and

announcedthatthey’dbelandingwithinfortyminutes.Abbywentfromlanguidtotenseinseconds.

It reminded Gage of how they had gotten into this particular predicament in the first place. He’d

seenalotofpassengerswithflightanxiety,evensomewhomadegooduseofthecomplimentarybarf

bag, but hers seemed to top the charts. By the time they started their final descent, sweat dotted her

hairline,andhercontentedsmilemorphedintoatightline.

“Hey,listentome.”Hetookherhandthatwasinhislapandgaveitasqueeze.“I’llgetyouthrough

thislanding.Iwantyoutolookatme.”

“How do you know we’ll make it? This could be the one time that the wheels don’t come out in

time. Or maybe there’s ice on the tarmac.” Her voice lilted up on the end, almost to the point of

hysteria.Ifhewasgoingtotalkherdownfromthis,heneededtodoitquickly.

“Thereisn’ticeonthetarmac.”Hisgazeheldhers,notgivinghertheoptiontofocusonanything

buthim.“Tellmeaboutyourjob.Tellmeaboutthispenthouseyou’regoingto.”Thatwasonething

he’dlearnedfromhistraining.Heknewwhateverybumpandeveryjoltmeantintermsoftheflight.

Meaning,heknewnottobeconcerneduntilheheardthepilotsayohshit.

She swallowed hard. “I have to make this penthouse work. If it does, then I have a good shot at

gettingpromoted.It’sbetweenmeandmycoworker.”Herfacedscrewedindisgust.“He’saweasel,

andhisnoseispermanentlystainedbrownfromkissingmyboss’sass,tryingtogetthisposition.”

He frowned. Hated that society worked that way. He’d seen it happen to his sister time and time

againaftershe’dhadEmily.Justbecauseshe’dtakentimeofftoraiseherdaughter,shekeptgetting

passedoverforjobseventhoughshewasmorequalifiedthanhermalecounterparts.“Soundslikea

prick.”

“Heis.”Asmiletickedatthecornerofherlips,andGagefeltasmallthrillthathewasabletotake

her mind off her fear for at least a couple seconds. It rivaled the feeling he’d had when he

apprehendedasuspectonaflighttoTahiti,whohadstolenaknifeoutoftheattendants’tinykitchen

area.

“Tell me, what’s your favorite flower.” Random enough of a question to keep her mind running,

buteasyenoughthatshe’dbeabletoanswer.Thekeytogettingsomeone’smindofftheirfearwasto

makethemthink—throwingthemoffguardabitinordertobreakthatcycleofanxiety.

“Sunflowers.Yellow’smyfavoritecolor.”

That surprised him a bit. He’d expect something elegant. Expensive. An iris, or calla lilies.

“Personally,Ilikedandelions.”

Shelookedathimincredulously.“Outofalltheflowersoutthere,youlikeaweed?”

“Whatotherflowercanyoumakeawishon?”WhenhewashomeinCharleston,he’dtakeEmily

outbytheboardwalkwhereawholefieldofdandelionsdottedthegrass.They’dspendtheafternoons

pickingtheflowersandmakingwishes—hersfocusedonnewBarbiesandShopkins,andhishekept

firmlylockedaway,notwillingtoadmitthemaloud,eventoafuckingweed.

Sheeyedhimsuspiciously.“Somehowyoudon’tstrikemeasthewishingtype.”

“Saysthepersonwiththefour-leafcloverearrings.”Hesmirked,andabitoftensioneasedfrom

hergriponhishand.“Whatdidyousaybefore?Lookscanbedeceiving.”

“Touché.”

Sheseemedlessstresseduntiltheyhitafewbumpsduringthelanding,whenshegrippedhishand

withcrushingstrengthandclosedhereyes.

“It’sgoingtobeokay.See,we’realreadyonthegroundnow.Noneedtoworry.”

Sheopenedhereyesandreliefpouredoverherfeatures.“Thankfuck,”shemuttered.

Gagecouldn’thelpbutlaugh.Helovedthatshedidn’tholdback.Lovedhowshewasobviouslyall

woman, but dirty words coming out of her mouth twisted his gut with desire. He’d love to see just

howmanyexpletiveshecouldcoaxoutofherashepoundedherfrombehind.

Sheuntangledherhandfromhisandlookedupathimwiththoseblueeyesthatmeltedhisresolve.

“Thankyou,”shesaid.

“My pleasure.” And it was. Getting this woman off was the single hottest thing he’d ever

experienced.

Hegrabbedhercarry-onfromaboveherheadandplaceditonthefloorwithasoftthud.Hestood

there in the aisle, taking his time, not quite ready to break the bubble of what had happened on the

flightjustyet.

“Where do you go from here?” she asked. Her nails drummed along the seat in front of her,

stalling.

“I’m staying the night at the Winchester, and then I’ll be on the first flight out tomorrow.” He

looked at those plump red lips and would give his left nut for this flight to last a little longer. He

wasn’treadytosaygood-byetoAbby.

…

Gagewasstayingatthe same hotel as her? There were hundreds of hotels in the city. Granted, this

wasaverypopularoneinNewYork,butstill.Sheglancedathercarry-on,thenatGage.Maybethis

wasasign.Thatthefunneededtocontinue.

“Youshouldcomestaywithme.”

Um,didIjustsaythisoutloud?

Abbyhaddonealotofstupidthingsinherlife,suchaseatinggasstationsushiandwalkingaround

campus,drunkandalone,afteroneinthemorningwhenshewasincollege,butthis,byfar,ranked

numberoneonthelist.

Not only was it a poor choice, but she wasn’t even technically allowed to bring a guest into the

penthouse.Picturesandnotetaking?Yes.Butthatdidn’tincludesleepingwithguestsinsheetsthatcost

morethan the rentfor her shitholeL.A. apartment. Never mindthat it probablywasn’t the wisest to

takesomeoneshejustmetintheairtoasecludedpenthousethatshe’dneverbeento.Inotherwords,

she’dlosthermind.

“ShouldI?”Hislipspulledintoasmirk,andherestedhishandagainsttheoverheadcompartment.

Okay,chanceswereprettyslimhewasapsychoticaxe-murderer.Plus,ifhewasinsometypeof

law enforcement, he had to abide by a code of ethics. Right? Even if she’d only known him a few

hours,shehadasensethathewasastand-upguy.“Inevergottorepayyoufortheflight.”Hercheeks

flamed.Didthatreallyjustcomeoutofhermouth?Takethat,vanilla.Shedidn’tknowwhathadcome

overherinthematterofafewhours,buthell,itfeltgood,andshedidn’twanttoletgoofitquiteyet.

This new Abby Winters could stick around for a little longer, not like she had anything to lose.

“Nothinglikeagoodnight’ssleepinNewYork’smostluxuriouspenthouse.”

He raised two fingers and ticked off his points. “First off, you don’t owe me anything. It was

enoughjusttoseeyougettingoff,ridingmyhand.”Hemoveddown,hisstubblebrushingacrossher

cheek.“Second,sleepingwoulddefinitelynotbeontheagendaifwespentthenighttogether.”

“Oh?Andwhatwouldbeontheitinerary?”Thismanwassosureofhimself,socapable,something

that was refreshing when it came to the bedroom. Because as much she was in charge at work,

sometimes a woman just needed to be bossed around in other aspects of her life—namely the

bedroom,shewasquicklyfindingout.Maybethatwaswhathadbeenwrongwithalltheotherguys—

they’dexpectedhertobeinchargebecauseofherhigh-poweredjob,butwhenshegothome,thelast

thingshewantedtodowasmakeonemoredamndecision.

Hetookastepcloser,hislargeframetoweringoverher.“Thattightlittleschoolmarmoutfitwould

be the first to go.” His fingers grazed down her side and a wave of goose bumps followed in his

wake.“Next,I’dgetdownonmykneesandslipthosesoakedpantiesoff.”Hisfingersglidedacross

thetopofherthighandsheletoutasoftmoan,rememberingjustwhathe’ddonetoher.“You’dlike

myfaceburiedbetweenyourthighs,wouldn’tyou?”

Holysmokes.Ablazestartedathercoreandradiatedouttoeverycreviceofherbody.Herbreasts

felt heavy as they pressed against the thin fabric of her bra. To say she wanted this man was an

understatement.Sheneededhim.Hemadeherfeelthingsshe’dneverfeltwithothermen.Tolethim

staythenightatahotelalonewouldbeacriminaloffense.“Yes.”

“Wouldyouliketoknowwhathappensafterthat?”hegrowledinherear.

Allshecoulddowasnod.

“ThosesweetlittlelegswouldwraparoundmywaistandI’dtakeyouupagainstawall,nomercy.

You’re not some delicate flower, and I have no intention of giving it to you sweet. I bet that’s how

othermenhavetreatedyou,isn’tit?”

Shenoddedagain.

“Well, sweetheart, I don’t do candles and slow jams, but I sure as hell won’t stop until my name

comesoutofthatprettylittlemouth.”

Well, shit. The guy didn’t even touch her, but it was like she was hardwired to respond to his

commands.Anachepulsedathercenter,andeventhoughshe’djusthadthebestorgasmofherlife

notevenanhourago,herbodywashotandneedyformore.

“Soifyou’rereadyforthat,thenleadtheway.”Hemotionedtowardthefrontoftheplane.

Abbyshotupfromherseatatlightningspeedandpulledhercarry-onoverhershoulder.

A few minutes later, they squeezed into the back of a cab. Abby directed the cab driver to the

Winchesterandallofasudden,theweightofthesituationhither.Shewasgoingtospendthenight

withacompletestranger.Averyhotstranger,butsheknewnothingabouthim,exceptforthefactthat

hetraveledalotandhadexcellentlymanicuredfingers.And,byhappycoincidence,theywereboth

stayingatthesamehotel,soifshechangedhermindlastminute,atleastthesharedcabridewouldn’t

beatotallossforhim.

Sheglancedoverathimagain.Damnhewasgorgeousinthatrugged,“Ibarelycrawledoutofbed,

butIstilllookinsanelyhot”style.Butwhatinholyhellwasshedoing?Thiswasacompletestranger.

Hermotherhadimbeddedstrangerdangerinhersincebeforeshecouldwalk,andyetshewastaking

himbacktoaplaceshedidn’tknow.Thiswasinsane.Outofhergoddamnmindinsane.

“You’re thinking too hard about this,” he said. Which meant the panic bubbling up was definitely

showing. Screw her horrible poker face. Normally she could tamp down her feelings for business

meetings,buteverythingaboutthelastfourhourshadthrownheroffhergame.

Sheshiftedhereyestohimandrubbedhersweatypalmsagainstthefabricofherskirt.“I’vejust

never done this before.” Like, ever. Every single time she’d been with a man, she’d been in a

relationshipforatleastafewmonths.“Imean,Idon’tevenknowwhatyoudoforaliving.Areyouin

theCIA?FBI?IsHomelandSecuritygoingtobevideotapingwhatwedowithsomesecretspycamera

inyoursuit?”

Hesmiledslightlyandclearedhisthroat,shiftinghiseyestowardher.Somethingaboutitseemed

veryintimate,likehewasabouttotellheraveryimportantsecret.“I’manairmarshal.”

Wow.Bonuspoints.ThatsoundedwayhotterthanFBI.“Doyouhavetokillmenow?Isthatproper

protocol?”

Hegaveaheartylaugh,thedeliciousdeepnotesvibratingthroughherchest.“No,butitprobably

shouldn’tbebroadcast.”

“I’llretractmystatementtothemedia,then.”Shesmiled.“Doyouhaveauniform?”

“Sometimes.ButmostofthetimeI’mincivilianclothes.Itrynottostickout.”

“So. Be honest.” She chewed on her bottom lip, unsure if she really wanted to know the answer.

“Wereyoureallyprofilingmeontheplane?”

“Ifbyprofilingyoumeancheckingyouout,thenyes.ButItoldyouthetruth—Iwasoffduty.And

I’dneverhookupwithsomeonewhileIwasonthejob.You’rethefirstpassengerI’veeverhooked

upwith.”

Okay, so at least he wasn’t an in-flight man ho. Would she have cared if he did have a bunch of

mile-high hookups under his belt? At this point, no. Nothing would stop her need for him to take

controlofher,topleaseher,tomakeherscreameverygoddamndirtywordshe’deverheardinher

life.Oratleast,shewashopingthathe’dmakeherdothis.Ifhisfingerscould,shewonderedwhatthe

restofhimwascapableof.“Mile-highvirgin.Goodtoknow.”

Hegavealowchuckleandsqueezedherthigh,whichsentanothertrickleofheattohercenter.“Still

am,sinceyoudidn’thavetimetodeflowerme.”Hewinked.

“AndsomehowIdon’tfeelbadforyou,sinceyou’recominghomewithme.”

Hisgrinwidened.“It’sbetterthisway,anyway.Airplanescangetalittlecramped.”

And carried thousands of germs, but Abby kept that thought to herself because nothing killed a

moodfasterthantalkingaboutthegrowthrateofbacteria.

Theyarrivedatthehotelthirtyminuteslater,andAbbystrodetotheconciergeatthemassivefront

desk. The man in the black suit and gold tie handed her a key, and she promised to return it in the

morningwhenshefinishedwiththephotosandnotes.

Theywalkedintotheelevator,andsheleanedagainstonesideoftheshaftasGagemessedwithhis

phone.ShedecidedtotakethisopportunitytotexthersisterthatshemadeitsafelytotheBigApple.In

fact,herNewYorkersisterwouldgivesomemajoreyerollifsheknewthatAbbystillcalledNew

YorkCitybytheoutdatednickname.Oldhabitsdiedhard.

Abby:Heresafe.

Ella:good2hear.Icouldstillcomeoverifyouwant—Ipromisenottomessupanyofthefancy

shmancydecor.

Abby:I…uh…havecompany.

Ella:Caretoelaborate?!?

Abby:HisnameisGage.

BesidesthefactthathehadthebestbicepsonthissideoftheMississippi,that’saboutallsheknew.

Jesus,shereallyhadgonemad.

Ella:Picsoritdidn’thappen.

Abby:IamNOTtakingapictureofhim.I’mnotthatstealthy.

Ella:Makesuretheshuttersoundisoff.That’salwaysagoodstart.C’mon.Yourpoorsisterisina

dryspell.Letmelivevicariouslythroughyou.

Abbysighed.Fine.Whatthehell,notlikeitwouldhurt.Plus,Gagewasstandingexactlyoppositeof

her, giving her a perfect vantage point in terms of sneaking a photo-op. She turned off the shutter

soundjustasinstructed,snappedaquick,discreetpicture,andsentittohersister.LordknewElla,as

anattorneyatRosenLaw,oneofthemostprestigiousfirmsinthecity,wasjustasdrivenasAbby.

Betweencourthearingsandpilesofpaperwork,hersisterhadn’thadasteadyrelationshipinafew

years—whichwasashamebecauseAbbyknewhowlonelyshewasinhercondoontheUpperEast

Side.Maybelonelinessraninthefamily,becausehermotherneverremarriedafterthehousefirethat

tookherfather.DidthatmeanAbbyandEllawereboundforthesamefate?

She sure as hell hoped not—maybe that was the reason she’d even thought to do this in the first

place.Because,fortonight,shewouldn’tbelonely.She’dbeinthecapablearmsofamanwhowould

giveherwhatshecravedmost.

Amessagepingedinherinboxsecondslater.

Ella:holyfuckballs.Reportbackwhenyou’redonewiththatfinespecimen.

Abby:Didyouseethatchin?

They were nearing the thirtieth floor. Only a few more and she’d have to cut this conversation

short.

Ella:I was more focused on those biceps. Yum. Also, be careful out there—roads are getting icy

tonight.

Abby:Idon’tplanonleavingthehotelroomuntilaslateashumanlypossible.

Ella:bowchickawowwow

Abbyrolledhereyesanddecidednottocommentonthatlasttext.

By the time the elevator stopped at the top floor of the hotel, Abby’s resolution to let herself go

tonight was fluttering in her stomach. She’d do this, for her own personal sanity, because Gage

seemedlikehecouldsupplywhatshewasmissingatthemoment.

Asthedoortothepenthousesuiteswungopen,Abbygapedatthesprawlinghotelroom,whichwas

almost as large as her production studio. Wooden floors spanned the whole penthouse. Four large

pillarswerespacedthroughoutthelivingroom.

Theall-whitekitchenglistenedinthelightandlookedasifithadneverseenadayofcooking.Such

a shame, because the marble countertops would look gorgeous with plates filled with the bright

colorsofIndiancurriesorItaliansauces.

The white theme was carried into the living room, with its cream lounges and couches. A large

glasscoffeetablelayinthecenter,withavasethatwasatleastastallasAbby.Fromtheentryway,the

NYCskylinewasinfullviewthroughthefloor-to-ceilingwindowsthatspannedtheentireapartment.

Agrandpianosatondisplayonitsownsunkenlevel.Ontheothersideoftheapartmentwasapool

tableandbararea.Asetofcloseddouble-doorsweresetontheleft-handsideoftheapartment,and

Abby assumed this was the master bedroom. Her carry-on tugged heavy on her shoulder from the

stress of the flight and the thought that she’d be spending the night here with Gage, who was oddly

veryquieteversincetheyenteredtheapartment.

She glanced at him and saw his stubbled jaw hanging open as he regarded the room. Abby had

visited the most luxurious and exotic places, but this penthouse easily ranked in the top five most

breathtaking views, especially the skyline, filled with the twinkling lights of office buildings, other

hotels,andinthedistance,TimesSquare.

Thebagslippedfromhershoulderontothewoodenfloorwithaplunkasshemadeherwaytoward

theslidingglassdoortothebalcony.Gagefollowedwordlessly,andherfingerswrappedaroundthe

coolmetalofthehandle.Beforeshecouldslideitopen,Gagegrabbedherarm,stoppingher.

“Wait,”hesaid.

Beforeshecouldaskwhy,hisfacecamewithinaninchofthedoor,andheexpelledabreath,the

glassfoggingallaroundhismouth.HewroteGageandAbbywerehereinabroad-strokedcursive.

Okay, so it was middle-schoolish, but there was a full-on earthquake wreaking havoc on her

stomach.NotthesissytremorsshedealtwithbackinL.A.ThiswasatleastanineontheRichterscale

—seriousshit.Shehadn’tseenhernamewrittennexttoaguy’ssinceshewasinelementaryschool

anddrewlittleheartsaround“MichaelPape+AbbyWinters=Love”onherbinder.ToobadMichael

Papefoundsaidbinderandridiculedherformonths.Yeah,thatwasonedudeshe’dbeavoidingather

ten-yearreunion.Sheclearedherthroatandmanagedtolookatleastalittleirritated.“You’redirtying

upthewindow,”shesaid,butitwasmoreoutofreflexthanactuallybeingannoyedwiththesmudged

glass.

Her mother would have burst a vessel over this—she’d been that way ever since Abby could

remember.Sheusedtocomearoundthehouseoncleaningday,afterAbbyhaddustedthetablesand

emptiedthedishwasher,andrunherhandsalongeverysurfaceofthehousejusttomakesurethatit

wasdust-free.Andshewonderedwhereherperfectioniststreakcamefrom.Potmeetkettle.Butright

now,shegavezerofucksaboutwindowsmudges.Infact,hell,shewelcomedit.Smudgeallthedamn

windows,seeifshecared.

“Ithoughtyousaidyouwantedtogetdirtytonight.”Hiswordswentstraighttothespacebetween

her thighs, and she had to hold on to the doorframe to make sure she stayed upright. What was it

abouthisdeepvoicethatslidoverherskinlikemeltedchocolate?“Ifputtingmyfingersonawindow

raisesyourhackles,Ithinkwe’regoingtohaveaproblem.”Hesmiledather,teasing.

Sheturnedtohimandsetherhandsonherhips.“Youareawfullyfullofyourself.”Inallhonesty,

theguydeservedtobefullofhimself,butcockywasn’tusuallyanattributethatshelikedinmen—she

saw it far too often in the film industry. Then again, a one-night stand didn’t need to be dating

material.HejustneededthethreeDs:

Doable.

Deliciousphysique.

Disposable.

Hislipscurvedintoasmirk.“HaveIprovenmyselfunworthy?Iseemtorememberyoucryingout

lasttimeIhadmyhandsonyou.Ordoyoualreadyneedarefresher?”

She cleared her throat and mashed her lips together. “Right. Point taken.” Uh, hell yes, she’d like

thatrefresher,butaftershefreshenedupabitandgotthelayofthelandwiththepenthousefirst.Work

camebeforeplay,andshe’dneedtoscopeoutthebestshotstogetinthemorning.“Slowdownthere,

boss,wehaveallnight.”

MovingaroundGage,Abbyopenedtheslidingdoor,andagustoffrigidwinterairruffledthehair

off the nape of her neck. Her California blood was no match for a New York winter, and her teeth

chatteredsohard,shethoughtshemightbreakamolar.Shequicklyclosedthedoorandbrushedher

armsvigorously,tryingtogetwarmthbackintoher.Okay,maybeshe’dcheckoutthesundeckinthe

morningwhenitwasalittlewarmer.Maybe.Probablynot.Fornow,she’dsettleforlookingoutthe

window.Whichwasaniceview,allthesame.

Outside was a veranda with a posh sitting area, a hot tub, and a half-size basketball court. Steam

rose off the hot tub in the chilly January night, casting an eerie fog along the water. Holy friggin’

crap, this penthouse had everything imaginable and would be the perfect setting for the film. Right.

Thereasonshewashere.Shecouldn’thelpbutfeelasliverofguiltatthethoughtofplayingduring

workhours.Thenagain,whenwasthelasttimeshehadfun?Mostlikelycollege.Wow,okay,yeah,

maybeitwastimetostartenjoyinglifebeforeshehadafullheadofgrayhair.Dammit,sheneeded

thisandwouldn’tfeelbad,notevenonebit,ifshecouldhelpit.

“Thisplaceisinsane.BeatstheroomI’dhavethirtyflightsdown,”hesaid.

“Yeah,” she agreed. Between the cold and the prospect of what was going to happen between her

andGage,herwittythoughtsremainedfrozenonhertongue.

ShepulledoutherDSLRanddroppedthecamerabagonthekitchencounterwithasoftthud then

turnedtostareattheexpanseofthecondo.“I’lljusttakeafewquickpicsofthebedandthentakethe

remainingpicturesinthemorning,”shesaid.

Henodded.“Goodidea.”

Yes,inthemorning,shecouldfocusonwork.Focusoneverythingsheneededtogetdoneinorder

to continue her way up the food chain at Yellow Raft. But tonight was hers to enjoy. Because she

wouldn’tbethinkingaboutanythingbesidesGageuntilthesunroseoverTimesSquare.

“Let’sfinishthetour,shallwe?”Shetookadeepbreathandmadeherwaytothesetofdoorsacross

theroom.

AbbyjiggledthehandleandthedoorswungopentorevealaCaliforniaking-sizebedinthemiddle

ofaroomthesizeofherentireapartment.Thefloor-to-ceilingwindowscarriedintothebedroom.

And the bed. Oh, the bed. It was filled with a pile of cream and red pillows. A fluffy white duvet

lookedsoinvitingthatshenearlytookarunningleaptosprawloutonitspread-eagle,makingbed

angels. Because that wouldn’t look weird to her guest or anything. Plus, she had to take pictures

beforetheymessedupthesheets.

She adjusted the camera and snapped a few pictures of the pristinely made bed. Oh yeah, work it,

bed.Notonlyareyougoingtostarinamajorfilm,butyou’reabouttobethecenterpieceoftonight’s

festivities. The shutter clicked as she wound her way around the bed, finding the perfect angle and

lighting.Shelookedatthedisplay,andwhenshewassatisfiedwiththepictures,shewalkedoverto

thenightstandandgentlysethercameradown.

ShelookedupatGage,whowasalsotransfixedwiththebed.“So…whatdoyouwanttodo?”

HeleveledAbbywithalookthatcurledherinsides.“AsmuchasIcanbeforemyflighttomorrow

morning.”

ChapterFive

This was so beyond crazy. Gage was more likely to encounter a hostile takeover than end up in a

penthouse with Miss Hollywood, complete with throw pillows and matching decor. Closest his

apartmentcametohavinganytypeoffengshuiwasthathispillowcasesmatchedhisbedspread,and

only because they’d been part of a set, and a steal at twenty bucks from Target. The penthouse had

woman’stouchwrittenalloverit—notreallyhisstyle,becausethrowpillowswereahindranceinthe

bedroom—buthe’dworkaroundthedaintyshit.Ontheplussideofbeinginthepenthouse,Abbywas

nolongerapassenger—whichmadetheworkissuenonexistent.

“Whattimedoesyourflightleavetomorrow?”

Evenifaone-nightstandseemedlikeahorribleidea,he’drathercutoffhisrighthandthangiveup

tonight.Comemorning,he’dhightailitoutofthereandbeatJFKbeforeanyrealdamagecouldbe

done. Until then, Abby was all his. And he intended to take his time with her and every mouth-

wateringcurve,everydipandswellofhercreamyskin.

“Anxioustogetridofmealready?”Hedroppedhiscarry-onbagonthetuftedbenchinfrontofthe

bed.

“Definitelynot.Justwonderingwhattimetosetawake-upcall.”Shefrozebesidehim,staringout

thewindow.Thesamelookthathadmaskedherfeaturesduringturbulencemadeanappearance,and

shefoldedherarmsoverherchest.Fromwhathegathered,thewomanlikedcontrol.Andlotsofit.

Probablyscared the shitout of herdoing something like this.Hell, it wasn’ta walk around Central

Parkforhim,either.It’dbeenyearssincehe’ddoneacasualhookup.Buthewasn’twillingtoleta

badcaseofjittersgetbetweenthem.Heneededher,andfromwhathecouldtell,shewantedhim,too.

“Idon’tneedanalarm.”Hetookherarmandspunhersothatshewasfacinghim.Hergazewas

castdowntothefloor,andhehatedtoseethewomanwhowassosureofherselfontheplanelook

thishesitant.“Lookatme.”

Sheworriedherlip,buthergazelockedwithhis.

“Firstthingsfirst.Youmaybeabigdealandinchargeintheboardroom,butthebedroomismy

domain.”Heranhishandoverhercurves,hishandfinallyrestingonherhip.“I’mgoingtotakecare

ofyou.”

His thumbs curled around the belt loops of her pencil skirt, and he pulled her closer until her

breasts were flush with his chest. He tugged a little harder than necessary, and his erection pressed

against his pants when Abby let out a pleasured moan. It’d been a while since he’d been in the

bedroom with anyone, but most girls he’d been with all wanted the same thing—sweet, predictable,

boringashellsex.Gagedidn’tsubscribetotheBDSMclub,buthewastenstepspastmissionaryand

neededawomanwhowantedmorethanpolitefucking.

Vanessa, his ex-fiancé, even though he had loved her at the time, bored him to damn death in the

bedroom.He’dwantednothingmorethantopleaseher,buteverytimehe’dtry,she’dfakeanorgasm,

wait for him to come, and then turn to spoon. That relationship inspired as much passion as an

overcookedmeatloaf.

“I’lltry.I’mjustalittle…”Hervoicetrailedoff,butheunderstood.Shewasnervous.

“Ifatanytimeyouwanttostop,youtellme.I’dneverdoanythingyou’renotcomfortablewith.No

holdingback.”Hetookherchininhishandandcaughthergaze.“Promiseme.”

“Ipromise.”Shenodded,andalittleofheredginessseemedtomeltawayathistouch.Thiswoman

waslikeputtyinhisdamnhands.

Sheshookherheadasifclearingherthoughts,andthenthesamesparkhe’dseeninhereyesonthe

planereappeared,theonethatsaidshewasupforanythingGagecoulddoleout.He’dtakeadvantage

ofthatinaheartbeat.

Her soft breaths were the only sound that pierced the silence as he slowly unbuttoned her shirt.

NormallyGagewelcomedaquietroomafterhe’dbeensurroundedbyloudpassengersallday,but

right now, it was irritating as hell. With foreplay having started hours ago, his body was as tightly

woundasaspring.Hedidn’twanttohearjustherraggedbreath,hewantedskinslappingagainstskin,

theunmistakablesoundofworkinghiscockintohertightheat.Yes,he’dcoaxascreamoutofherif

ittookhimallnight.

Hershirtgapedopen,exposingablacklacybrathatshowcasedmilkyskinandamplecleavage.His

fingers traced lazily along the collar of her shirt and dipped under the lace. Her back arched in

response,pressingherbreastsintohispalm.“Good.Thenthisneedstogo.”Hegrippedthefabricand

gaveaforcefultug,slippingitoffhershouldersandtossingittothefloor.

Gageloweredhimself,kissingandlickinghiswaydownhernecktoherchest.Hismouthworked

itswayoveronebreast,andhespottedtheduskypinkoutlineofhernippleprotestingagainstthelace.

Hetookthefabricinhismouth,givingahardsuck,nippingtentativelywithhisteeth,andasatisfying

gaspescapedAbby’smouth.Whilehislipsexploredherothernipple,hishandssliddownherspine.

Everyinchthathisfingerstrailedalonghersoftskin,themoreshearchedherback.Heunzippedher

skirtandsliditdownherthighs,thefabricpoolingonthefloor.

“Oh,”shesaid,hervoicehitchingashishandsmovedtothetopofherass.Withthat,hehoistedher

upuntilherlegswrappedaroundhiswaist.

Hemadehiswaytothefour-posterbedandstoppedjustashiskneeshitthewoodenframe.Hisfirm

griponAbby’sassloosened,andshesliddownhisframe,oneachinginchatatime.“Getonyour

knees,”hecommandedwhilesimultaneouslytuggingoffhisshirt.Hewasdeterminedtofindouthow

goodshetasted.

Her skin flushed a deeper red at the order. As she began to dip down on the floor, he caught her

elbowandjuttedhischintowardthetopofthebed.“Onthebed.Getonyourkneesonthebed.Now.”

“But—”

“DoIneedtousemytietogetyoutostayput?”

Infact,Gagelikedthatidea.Verymuch.AndifheheardonemorepeepfromAbby,that’sexactly

whathe’ddo.Tieherhandstothewoodenpostsandshowherjustwhatwouldhappenifshedidn’t

listen.

…

Abby crawled to the top of the bed on shaky hands and knees. With her blouse and skirt currently

residing on the floor, she felt a little exposed. More than exposed. Shit, no guy had ever seen her

nakedwiththelighton,andthefactthatGagewasnowopenlystaringatherassinaroomthathad

enoughlightstobeseenfromthespacestation,well,itshouldhavesentherintoapanic.Shepeered

aroundathim,wonderingwhyhewassuddenlysosilent.Theuneaseinherstomachquietedasshe

tookinhisappreciativegaze.

“No,”AbbysaidtoGage’squestion.Shedidn’tknowifshewasupforbeingtiedtothebedjustyet.

“Putyourhandsontheheadboard.”

“Why?”

“BecauseI’mabouttoputmytonguebetweenyourthighs.”

“I…um…wait.” She shifted to turn her head and peer behind her again. Oral had never been that

greatforher.Sheworriedtoomuchabouttheguyandwhathe’dthink,whichdidnothingtogether

going,somostofthetimeshejustoptedtoforgo.

“Yes?” His rough hands smoothed up the inside of her legs and took little effort to spread them

across the comforter. The soft fabric molded against her face as her head hit the pillow. Could he

makeherforgeteveryworryshehadaboutsex?Hewasalreadyofftoagoodstart—hermindwasas

blankasafreshsheetofpaper.

“Youreallydon’thavetodothis,”Abbysaid.Heraching,needybodycontradictedherwords.Yes,

herbodyscreamedforhistonguetocirclearoundherclit.Sheneededthisreleasemorethanairat

thispoint,herinsidescoilingpainfully.

“Idon’thavetodoanything,”hesaid,hisvoicealowgrowl.“Iwanttotasteyou.Iwantyouriding

mymouth,sweetheart.Showmewhatadirtygirlyoucanbe.”

Histongueranupthebackofherthigh,andherbrainpromptlyflippedtheoffswitch.Shelaythere,

ass in the air, as Gage traced his tongue along her sensitive skin. Warm fingers curled under her

panties, kneading her ass. Oh, his firm grip shot a jolt straight to the space that needed the most

attention.

“IbetaHollywoodtypelikeyouisinchargeallday,butthat’snotgoingtohappenhere.Howmany

men have gotten under that pencil skirt?” He slid his hands, working his way up her thighs. His

fingersgrazedhersoakedpanties,andherhipsbuckedasheranhisthumboverherclit.“Howmany

madeyoudrippingwetlikeyouarenow?”

Forfuck’ssake,hiswordsgotherdrunkfasterthanpoundingbacktequilashootersonhertwenty-

first birthday. Her body was so keyed up that just one touch and she’d probably spiral again. “No

one.”Hervoicewasbarelyawhisper.

His fingers made quick work of yanking down her panties, and within seconds, his tongue was

tracinguphercenterinonelonglickthatsentashudderdeepintoherbones.Heatebbedfromher

coreandspreadacrossherskin.Amoantoreoutofherthroatashistongueskillfullycircledherclit.

Hegroanedappreciatively.“Youtastesofuckinggood.”

Sheknockedherheadintothepillow,barelyabletoconcentrateonanythingbuthismouthonher.

Swirl,lick,swirl.ThepacewasexcruciatinglyslowandAbbyfoundherselfmovingherhips,trying

togethimtomoveatafastertempo,onethatwouldgiveherrelease.

“That’sit.Ridemyface.”

Somethingunleashedinher.Foronce,shedidn’tgiveashitaboutwhatshelookedlikewhennaked,

orthefactthathewassoclosetootherareasshedidnotwanthimtoexperience.Itallmeltedawayas

a need, something visceral and primal, kicked in, and she wanted her release, dammit. Her hips

buckedagainsthisface,andthestubbleonhischinrubbedacrossherclit,sendingstarsbehindher

eyes.Oh,hellyeah.Shediditagain.That,pairedwiththelicking,sucking,andlapping,andshewas

soonclimbingthatmountainofholygrailrelease.

“Comeforme,sweetheart.”

Hisdeepvoicevibratedthroughherribs,andwhenhiswarmbreathfannedacrosshercenter,she

lost sense of which way was up and down. Didn’t honestly care at that point. “I’m ready for you.

Please.Fuckme.”Becausethiswasn’tmakinglovelikeshe’ddonewithRickallthoseyears.No,this

washardanddirty,andjustwhatsheneededtogetheroutofthisrut.

Hepulledback,andthebeddippedasherolledoffonesideandwentforhiscarry-onsuitcaseat

the foot of the bed. After removing the rest of his clothes, he grabbed a condom from his bag and

rolleditoverhiscock.Abbyswallowedpastalumpinherthroat.Heambledbackovertothebedand

grippedherhipsandflippedherover.

“Ithoughtyousaidyoudidn’tdomissionary.”

“Youwerelookingalittlenervous.ThoughtI’deaseyouin.”

“Byallmeans,carryonwithwhateveryouwereplanning.”

Withthat,heflippedherbackoverandgrippedherhairinonehand,hardenoughtoletherknow

whowasincharge,sendingatingleofpaindownherscalp,butnotenoughtoactuallyhurt.

Hetookabreathandeasedintoher,onedeliciousinchatatime.Itwasafullnessthatshehadn’tfelt

inmonths,onethatsetherskinonfire.Gagefitsnugglybetweenherthighsandthetightnesscoiledin

herstomach.

His hands moved to her hips, and after a few tentative times easing into her, he plunged in deep,

stealingherbreath.“Thatfeelgoodforyou?Thinkyoucantakeallofme?”

“Y-yes,”shestuttered.Itwasallshecouldsaywithhimcrashingintoher.Hepickeduphispaceand

bucked his hips until he was buried in her, slamming into her ass. The erotic sound of their skin

slappingtogethersentchillsupherspine,madehertightenaroundhiscockuntilhegroanedandhis

fingers bit into the flesh of her hip. There was no overthinking when it came to Gage. Abby was

washedouttosea,drowninginpleasure,eachwavepullingherdeeper.

“OhGod.OhGod.OhGod,”shecriedashereachedaroundandswirledhisfingeroverheraching

clit.

She felt the wave of another release crashing through her as Gage’s movements became more

erraticandhisbreathhitched.Alowmoanpouredoutofhislipsashefoundhisownclimax.

Shewhimperedandgroundagainsthim,ridingtherelease.

Abbycollapsed,herbodygivingwaytoexhaustion.Shelayonthebed,completelysated.Whatthe

fuckwasthat?Aconnectionthatintimateshouldnotbepossiblebetweencompletestrangers.Well,not

strangers anymore. Gage worked her body on a primal level, and her body begged for his touch.

Damnhim,hejustmighthaveruinedherforallothermen.

ChapterSix

GageslunkoutofbedbeforethecrackofdawnevenhadachancetomakeanappearanceintheNYC

skyline. He fumbled around in the dark, trying to find the clothes he’d haphazardly shucked

somewhereintheheatofthemomentlastnight,attemptingtonotwakeAbbyup.Forsomeonewho

neverdidhookups,thewomanwasagoddamngoddessinthebedroom.Herabilitytosubmittohis

everyrequest,torespondtoeverylapofhistongue,everyflickofhisfinger,well,itmadehimhard

justthinkingaboutherarchedbackandslickpussy.

Heshookhishead,disgustedwithhimselfathiscurrentpredicament.Itwasadickmovetoleave

withoutsayinggood-bye,butwhatchoicedidhehave?Theylivedonseparateendsofthecountry—it

waspainfullyobviousthatthiswouldnevergopastaone-nightstand.

Hisgazeworkedoverhersleepingfigure,memorizingeachcurveanddipofherbodyasshelay

sprawledacrossthebed,sheetscoveringherinallthewrongplaces.Abbywasonehellofawoman,

one who deserved more than this. His line of work didn’t leave room for things like time and

relationships.Itannoyedhimthathewaseventhinkingaboutthosethingsinthefirstplace.He’dbeen

shut off to the idea of someone else for so long that he didn’t even know what to do with these

thoughts.

Sohe’ddothedickthingandleave.She’dbepissedforafewhours,butthenshe’dgetoverhim.

Gagewishedhecouldsaythesameforhimself,butonenightwiththebrunettevixenwasenoughto

leaveapermanentmark,becauseshewasdifferentfromanyotherwomanhe’dbeenwithbefore.She

wassoresponsive,sovibrant,somucheverything.She’dfuckingrockedGage’sworldoffitsaxis.

Butheknewaflingwhenhesawit,andhealsoknewwhentoletitgo,evenifeverybitofhisbody

achedtoclimbbackinbedwithher.

Hefrownedandpulledonhispantsandshirt.Hepaddedthroughtheapartment,hisbagslungover

hisshoulder.Beforeheleft,hehadtostealonemoreglanceofAbby,onetogethimthroughleaving

and forgetting her while he flew home. Because he had bigger things to focus on, like seeing his

sister and niece. Right. His family. Who expected him to settle down with a nice southern girl. One

who would probably do nothing for him compared to the person asleep twenty feet away. “Bye,

Abby,”hewhisperedanddisappearedintothehallway,lettingthedoorslideshutbehindhim.

Heslippedhishandintohispocketandpulledouthiscell.Sevenmessagesfromhisfamilyandone

fromhiscommander.Hereadhismother ’smessagesfirst:

Mom:IhadbrunchwithCherylyesterday—youknow,theonewhoalwayshasthebakesalesat

the library? Her daughter just graduated from Yale and is moving back home. She’ll be coming

overfordinnernextThursday,andIwouldloveforyoutocome.—Love,Mom

Gagesmirked.Nomatterhowmanytimeshetoldhismomthatshedidn’tneedtosignhertextslike

aletteroranemail,shecontinuedtodoso.Hissmilefadedattheprospectofhavinganotherdinner

withyetanothereligiblebachelorette.Hedidn’tneedafuckingdatingservice.Heneededtime.Which

hedidn’thave.Plus,thisgirlwasjustoutofcollege?Thatwouldmakeheralmosttenyearsyounger.

They’dmostlikelyhavenothingincommon.

Hescrolleddowntothenexttextfromhissister.

Jill:fdsfhfuvndvsjkfhsd

Jill:thatwasEmily.ShesaysshelovesherUncleGage.

His heart melted around the edges. He loved that girl like one of his own. Maybe one day, when

thingssettleddownabit,he’dhaveakid.Yeah,thatwouldn’tbehappeningfortheforeseeablefuture.

No, for now, he was helping out Jill with the bills, since her scumbag of an ex-husband left her

withoutchildsupport.Hedidn’tmindtheovertimeifitmeantgivingEmilywhateversheneeded.

Hemanagedtomakeitdowntothelobbyofthebuilding,andpausedashetookonestepoutside.

Holy shit. The roads were piled with snow—mounds and mounds of glistening white, fluffy snow.

Not a cab in sight. In fact, the road was eerily empty. A snowplow would most likely be coming

throughsoon,becausenowaywouldacitythatneversleptbeshutdownforverylong.Becausehe

neededtogettotheairport.Neededtogethome.Now.

Aquickglancedownthestreetconfirmedhalfthecitywasshutdown.Mostofthebusinessesalong

theblockstillhadtheirclosedsignsaffixedtoglasswindows.Well,shit.Ifitwasthisbadinthecity,

what did that mean for JFK? He pulled up the website on his phone and his face set into a deeper

frownashescrolledthroughthelistofcancelledflights.Every.Single.One.

Heglancedatthemessagefromhiscommander:

Jake:Flightscancelled.StillneedyouonshiftforSunday.

Hemutteredunderhisbreathandpocketedhisphone.Whatwashegoingtodonow?Hehadafew

choices.Hecouldcheckintoahotelroomhere,onethatwasnotonthetopfloor.Hecouldgooutfor

breakfastandpraythatsomehowtheairlineswouldchangetheirmindoncancellingtheflights.Or,

hecouldgobacktothepenthousewithAbbyandenjoyanothernightwithher.Thelastoptionwas

obviously the most appealing. The sounds that came out of her mouth last night were mentally

catalogued for future reference when he was in the shower. He’d give anything to elicit another

breathymoanfromher.Buthowwouldheexplainleavingthismorningwithoutsayinggood-bye?

…

AbbyrolledoverinbedandwasmetwithacoldspotwhereGagehadbeenthenightprior.Herlips

pulledintoafrown.Shewipedthesleepfromhereyesandsatupinbed,theachebetweenherlegsthe

only evidence he’d been here last night. She listened for any indication that he was out in the main

roomofthepenthouse,butallshefoundwastheunnervingsoundofcompletesilence—noteventhe

humofafridgeoraheatvent.Sheexpectedthistohappen,becauseGagedidn’tseemlikethetypeof

guytostickaround—exactlythereasonshewentalongwiththewholecharadeyesterday—letalone

havethedecencytosaygood-byeinthemorning.Itwasprobablyforthebest…right?Thetuginthe

pitofherstomachsaidotherwise.

Ugh.Whywassheevendisappointed?Thiswasclearlyjustherbodycomingdownfromthehigh

of all those orgasms he’d pulled from her body last night. It had to be. Obviously, this was all

biological.

Her gaze ran along the rich cream-colored curtains and the swirls on the four-poster bed. The

fabricaloneprobablycostmorethanallherIkeafurniturecombined.Oneday,oncesheworkedher

way up in the company, she’d have enough money to buy sheets that were higher than 200 thread

count. Until then, she’d enjoy it while traveling to other peoples’ homes and luxurious hotels that

she’dneverbeabletoaffordoutofherowndismalbankaccount.

“Right.Ihaveworktodo.Notimeforplay,anyway,”sheremindedherself.Shehadtoproveher

worth,andshewouldn’tgetthatdonebybeingundertheweightofGage’smusclesallweekend.

Rollingoverinbed,shegrabbedherphoneoffthenightstandandcheckedhermessages.

Ofcourse,herinboxwasfloodedwithtextsfromhernosysister.

Ella:So????

Ella:He’sstillthere,isn’the?

Ella:Getit,girl.

Ella:C’mon.justadetailortwo.Yourpoorsisteristiredofreadingromancenovels.

Abbyshookherheadandhuffedoutalaugh.IfandwhenAbbyeverenteredanotherrelationship—

Ha!Whenwastheretimeforthat?—hersisterwouldprobablyneverleaveheraloneonthetopic.

Shescrolleddownandfoundanemailfromhercoworker,Jeremy.Yeah,thatonecouldwaituntil

later. Probably just another attempt to throw her off her game with his not-so-humble bragging.

Honestly, it surprised her that he had time for emails since it seemed his lips were permanently

connectedtoherboss’sass.

Asoftknockechoedthroughthevastspaceandcarriedintoherbedroom.Sheshotoutofbedand

pulledonclothes,worriedthatshe’dmissedcheckoutandthecleaningstaffwouldpromptlykickher

butt out. Crap. She hadn’t even had a chance to take pictures yet. That would sure make a great

impression, especially with Rob. She wanted to give him ammo to push her toward promotion, not

takeitaway.

Abbyhikedherskirtupherlegs,grabbedasweaterfromhercarry-onluggage,andbee-linedfor

thedoor.Shejustgotahairbandaroundhersleep-mussedhairbeforeshepulledopenthedoorand

foundherselffacetochestwithGage.Hesmileddownather,andheldacupofcoffeeineitherhand.

“Oh.” A swell of relief flooded her. Whether that was because it hadn’t been the hotel staff, or

becausehewastheonemanshedidwanttosee,shedidn’treallyknow.Jeez,one-nightstandswere

confusing.HergazesliduphisCarharttjacket,hisstubbledjaw,hissleepyeyes,andawarmthspread

throughher.

“Weren’texpectingme?”Hesmirked.

Hewasthelastpersonsheexpectedtocomeknockingatherdoor,literally.Itwasn’tevenherdoor.

“ShouldIhave?”

“No.”Hefrowned.“Didyoulookoutside?”

Sheshookherheadandmadeherwaytotheexpanseofwindowsinthemainroomandlookedout

atthecityblanketedwithsnow.

“Don’tseethatinL.A.,doyou?”

“Uh, no.” L.A. pretty much stopped with a heavy rain. If there was snow, it might as well be the

apocalypse.

“Theairport’sshutdownfortoday.Checkedtheweatherforecastandlookslikethere’llbemore

rollinginthisevening.”

“ButI’msupposedtocatchmyflightthisevening.Ihavepaperworktofillout.Ican’tdothatfrom

threethousandmilesaway.”Well,shecould,butitwaseasiertodointhecomfortofheroffice.

“Sorry,sweetheart.Afraidyou’restuckhere.”

Well,crap.Therewassomuchtodo.Picturestosend,herbosstowoo.Atleastshecouldsendthe

pictures,butwooingwasalittlehardtodofromacrossthecountry.

Thenagain,therewereworseplacestobe.Andworsepeopletobestuckwith.Infact,intermsof

her luck, things were looking up. Guess those lucky earrings were paying off. Her hands

absentmindedlyfoundtheirwaytoherearsandaspearofanxietyranthroughherwhenherlefthand

roamedoversmoothskininsteadofmetal.

No.

Sheswipedherhandoveritagain,justtomakesure,andagaincameupempty.

No.No.No.

Anythingbutthose.She’dsetherwholewardrobeonfireifitmeantsavingtheonegiftshestillhad

fromherdad.

Okay,noneedtopanic.Ithadtobesomewhereinthepenthouse.Itcouldn’tbegone.No,therehad

tobeanexplanation.

She rushed to the bedroom and immediately began tossing off sheets and rutting through

pillowcases,butcameupempty.Howcouldthisbehappening?Maybeshedroppeditinthebathroom

when she took a shower last night? She smoothed her hair into a ponytail and took a quick breath

beforespeed-walkingtowardthebathroom.Itjusthadtobehere.Noneedtofreak.

“What’sgoingon?”

“My earring.” She didn’t bother explaining any further, just continued on a warpath to the

bathroom.

Shecheckedunderthesink,inthebathtub,intheshower,everywhere.Andstillnoearring.Didshe

haveitwhenshegotoffherflightlastnight?She’dbeentoofocusedon…otherthingstocheck.

“Youloseit?”

She swallowed back a frantic sob and masked her expression, the same way she did when her

coworkercameupwithastupidideaatwork.ShebarelyknewGageandwasn’tabouttobarehersoul

tohimoversomethinghecouldn’tpossiblyunderstand.Theearringwasgone.Therewasnothingshe

coulddoaboutitnow,andbreakingintoapuddleoftearsinfrontofthehottestguyshe’dseennaked,

well,thatwasn’tgoingtohappen.“Yeah,it’llbefine.I’msureIcanreplaceit.”Eachwordfeltlikea

mouthfulofglass.

Theearringmaynotbereplaceable,butAbbywassureashellgoingtomakethebestofthetime

shehadleftwithGage.Beforeacolossalshitstormofnegativitycouldraindownonherhappiness,

shegrabbedGage’shandandledhimtothebedroom.“IthinkIknowwhatwecandoforthenextfew

hours.”

ChapterSeven

GageknewsomethingwasupwithAbbywhensherealizedshe’dlostthecloverearring.Hecouldtell

she was playing it off like it was nothing, but her furrowed brows and clipped responses said

otherwise.Wasn’thisjobtopry,though.Thatwasthenicethingaboutaone-nightstand—youdidn’t

havetocare.Evenifonenightwasturningquicklyintotwo.

Gage sat on the couch as Abby bustled around the penthouse, her camera clicking as she took

picturesfromeveryangle,turninglightsoffandonasshedecidedwhattypeoflightingtouse.

Watchingherworkmightpossiblybejustashotasheronallfoursnakedonthefour-posterbed.

Shesuckedonherbottomlipashergazewanderedaroundthekitchen.She’dputonapairoftight-

fittingsweatpantsthathuggedherass.Andwhenshebentovertorepositionavaseonthefloor,the

topofherlacyblackthongpeekedoverthetopofherpants.Thezip-updidnothingtohidethefact

thatshewasn’twearingabra.Hermouthwateringtitsbouncedwhenevershewalked.Jesus.Heshifted

andreadjustedhimselfbeforeshecouldnoticehewassittingonthecouchstaringatherwithaboner.

Eventhoughhe’dhadherlastnight,andagainafewhoursago,theneedtohaveherhammeredhim

likeatorrentialdownpourwhenshewasaround.Ifshewasgoingtogetanyworkdone,Gageneeded

togetthehelloutoftheroomandpoundoneoutbeforehethrewheroverhisshoulderandhadhis

waywithheronthecouch.

This woman was driving him crazy and she didn’t even know it. She was completely in the zone

withherwork.Heknewthefeeling.Ithadtobesimilartoeachflight,watchingpassengers.Hedidn’t

wanttodisturbherwhilesheworked.Infact,hismusclesstillached,andtherewasaseven-persontub

withjetsinthebathroom,whichhehadn’tevengottentobreakinlastnight.Mightaswellmakegood

useofhistimeandgiveAbbyachancetogetsomeworkdone.

“I’ll be in the bath if you care to join me,” he called as he got off the couch. There—an open

invitation.Because,normally,it’dbeacolddayinhellbeforeGageevertookabath.Butit’dbemuch

moreinterestingwithAbbyinthere.

Shedidn’tevenacknowledgeasshekepttakingpictures.Hesmirked.Damn.Thatfocusedintensity

couldsetaroomonfire.

Gagestrodeintothebathroomanddrewthebath.Ithadbeenalongtimesincehe’dtakenone.Last

timewaswhenhe’dkilledhiskneeinabasketballscrimmageafewyearsback.

Thewatercurledaroundhimashesteppedintothetubandsatbackagainsttheporcelain.Heletout

amoan,theheatalreadystartingtorelaxhisachingmuscles.Abbywasthefirstimagethatcameto

hismindasheclosedhiseyes.Somethingaboutthiswomanmadehissystemgohaywire.Thattake

noshitattitudefuckingdiditforhim.Herdirectness.Thatdiditforhim,too.Oh,andthosefuck-me

stilettos.Yep,addthattothelist.Thewayshesubmittedtohiminbed,lethimtakethelead.Nothing

washotterthanseeinghergiveupcontrol,comeundoneathistouch,screamhisnameinthemost

desperatewaypossible.

Seriously,hewassofuckedafterthisweekendended.Hisbuddiesbackhomehadallsettleddown

andmarried.Gagecouldseetheappeal,especiallyiftheyhadevenatenthoftheconnectionhehad

withAbby.Unfortunately,allhe’dbegettingwithherwasonemorenight.

Hishandslidunderthewaterandfounditswaytohisstiffcock.Hisfingerswrappedarounditand

he gave one hard stroke. He let out a groan and tightened his grip, trying to recreate the feel of

Abby’s sweet pussy tightening around him, her soft curves under his grip as he slammed into her

overandover.Nomatterhowhechangedthepressureofhishand,nothingmatchedhowAbbyfelt.

Hehadthatputtomemory,andnothingelsewouldcompare.Dammit,atthisrate,he’dneverbeable

togetheroutofhishead.Hisheadknockedbackashereplayedthesoundofhersoftgasps.

Heneededhertouchsofuckingbaditphysicallyhurt.

…

Abbypacedthespanofthepenthouse,notsurewhattodo.She’dcheckedinwithherbossandassured

himshewasindoorsandsafe,notstuckintheblizzardthatwaswreakinghavoconthecity.Evenifhe

washerboss,he’dbecomemoreofafatherfigureovertheyears.Hewasaboutthesameageasher

fatherwouldbeifhewerestillalive,andevenifitdidsoundalittledaddy-issue-ish,shecouldreally

use advice sometimes, even if it came from the person who wrote her paycheck. She hung up and

stood in the bedroom. The door to the bathroom was closed, and she wasn’t sure what Gage was

doing.

While she was taking pictures of the penthouse, he’d said something to her, but she’d been

engrossedinfindingtheperfectanglesandlightingtoreallycapturethebeautyofthespace.Anything

toincreaseheroddsoflandingthisdealforthemovie.

She hadn’t heard water in a while. Was he done in the shower? Was he taking a bath? Maybe she

shouldcheckinonhimincasehebumpedhisheadandwasdrowning.

Sheglancedtothebedathisunopenedsuitcaseanddecidedthathe’dprobablynottakenclothesin

therewithhim.Maybehewasdrippingwet.Possiblynaked.Astrikeofheatzingedstraightbetween

herlegs,andherhandstrembledasshegraspedthedoorhandle.Didshereallywanttocatchhimina

compromisingposition?Um,duh.Ofcourseshedid.ShewantedtoseetheMagliteinallitsglory.

Again.Becausethatwasasightshe’dnevergetsickof.

“Gage?” she called, lightly knocking on the door. Better to be safe than sorry and not catch him

totallyunprepared.

Sheheardamuffledgruntinresponse.

She thought to ask permission to come in the bathroom, but really, what reason did she have?

Saying she needed to go to the bathroom was dumb, because there was a powder room in the

entryway. Her finger chipped at the polish on her thumb as she decided on a good excuse. Nothing

cametomindexceptIwanttoseeifyourbareasswaschiseledfromgranite.Thewayitlookedinhis

dresspants,itverywellmighthavebeen.Shehadn’tmanagedtocatchaglimpselastnightbecause

shewastoobusywithherfaceshovedintoapillowscreamingouthisname.Checkingouthisasswas

theleastofherprioritiesatthatpoint.Now,though,itskyrocketedtothetopofthelist.Herfingers

sliddownthedoor,andbeforeshecouldsayanything,itunexpectedlypoppedopen.

Apparentlyithadn’tbeenshutalltheway—notthatshewascomplaining.Asthedoorclearedher

viewofthebathroom,Gagewaslayinginthebathtub.Waterlappedoverhisbarechestandhislegs,

whichwereproppeduponeithersideofthetub.Hiseyeswereclosed,long,darklashesfanningover

his cheeks, his head leaning back against the side of the tub. Water outlined each notch of muscle,

everybitoftannedskin.Theentiretyofhisbodywasonfulldisplayexceptforthepatchofsoapand

darkwaterpoolingbelowhiswaist.Wherehishandwas.Wrappedaroundhiscock.Movingupand

downinslow,deliberatemovements.

Abby’s breath caught in her throat as she regarded him. His strong hand, the one that wasn’t

servicinghimself,grippedthesideofthewhiteporcelaintub,andhisteethgrazedhisbottomlip.He

looked lost in the moment, his eyes squeezed shut. A stuttered breath flew from his mouth as he

uttered,“Fuck.”

She cleared her throat, and Gage opened his eyes, a smile playing at his lips. “I was wondering

whenyouwerecomingtojoinme.Readytohelpmeoutalittle?”Hedidn’tbothertostoprubbing

himself, his hands making a slick wet sound as it slid through the water. Something about the lewd

gesturesentacrackofheatsplinteringstraightthroughherbones.

“Oh.Um.Idon’tknow.”Shesuddenlyfeltalittleoutofherdepth.Itwasdifferentlastnight,when

he’dorderedheraround.Nowthathewasgivingherachoice,thesameself-doubtthatplaguedher

any time she was in the bedroom crept through her, taking over like ivy on a lattice, even as she

regardedthehottestthingshe’deverseeninreallife.

“Thewater ’snice,”hemused,andmadeagestureofslippinghishandsunderthesurfaceandthen

raisingthemupsothewaterdrizzleddownhisbicepsanddroppedbackintothetub.Hismovementin

thetubstirredsomeofthesoap.Thefoamedgedtothefleshbetweenhislegs,givinganoutlinetoa

massivebulge.

Sheswallowedhardandconsideredhisoffer.

“MaybeIshouldrephrase.”Heopenedhishoodedeyes,andhisgazepiercedstraightthroughher.

“You have ten seconds to undress and get in the water, or I’m going to drag you in here with your

clotheson.”Hisvoiceheldtheauthorityshecraved.Thekindthatmadeherdampbetweenherthighs.

Avoiceshewasmorethanhappytoobey.

Pants,panties,andshirtoffinrecordtime?Check.Shedidn’tevenneedthefulltenseconds.More

like six, and that included the time spent climbing into the tub. Speaking of which, the porcelain

monsterwasbigenoughforatleastafewpeople.Shesatoppositeofhim,herlegsgrazinghis.

Desireflickeredinhiseyesashisgazerakedoverhernakedbody.Howdidwomendatehimona

regularbasis?Itwasunnervinghowhewasabletodiscombobulateherthoughts.He’dbedangerous

for her in large doses because, dammit, a girl needed to get work done, and she couldn’t think

anythingbutdomenowwhenhewasaround.

“Whatwereyouthinkingabout?”sheasked.Shecouldn’thelpit,hergazeswepttowherehishand

hadpreviouslybeen,totheerectionthatpiercedthroughthenowmilkywater.Hertongueranover

herlipsandshewonderedjusthowgoodhe’dtaste.

“When?”

Shejuttedherchintothewater.“Whenyouweretouchingyourself.”

Histeethpulledacrosshisbottomlipashestudiedher.“You.”

Herbreathcaughtinherthroat.

“Medoingwhat?”

“Youreallywanttoknow?”

Um, hello, hot dude fantasizing about her while masturbating in the tub. Who wouldn’t want to

knoweverynitty-grittylittledetail?“Yes.”

“I was imagining you on your knees. Sucking me off with that pretty little mouth of yours.” He

lookedupthroughlonglashes.“Thinkyoucouldtakeme?”

“I—”Thequestioncaughtheroffguard.Didshethinkhiscockwouldfitinhermouth?Certainly

notallofit,butsomethingaboutthequestionmadeherwanttoattemptit.“I’dtry.”

Heat stirred in Gage’s eyes as he regarded her. Without further prompting, he stood in the tub,

water droplets cascading down his chest, trailing down the contours of every muscle. The water

aroundhersloshedabout,slickingoverhernipples.Herbreathingturnedheavy,andneedonceagain

lacedthroughher.Hertonguedartedalongherlips,andshe’dgiveanythingtobeawaterdropleton

Gage’sbody.

Really,rightnow,she’dparticipateinwhateverfantasyhecouldconjureup.Withthatinmind,she

stillneededtoberesponsible.“You’re…um,Idon’tknowhowtoputthistactfully…”

He nodded, understanding exactly what she was awkwardly trying to ask. “I get tested every few

months.I’mclean.Haven’tbeenwithanyonesincemylasttest.”

“Okay,good.Me,too.”

Hergazemovedslowlydownhisbroadchesttothethinpathofdarkhairstartingathisbellybutton

andleadingtotwodeliciouslinesoneithersideofhiships.Herbreathcaughtashereyeslandedon

Gage’sswollencock.Itwasstandingatattention,completelyinviting.Hisdickdeservedagoddamn

salute for its perfection. Abby had never really enjoyed looking at this piece of male anatomy,

becausewhenitcametodicks,theyweren’treallythatappealing.Forsomereason,Gage’slookedso

enticing,waterglisteningoffhisskin.Forfuck’ssake,herhandsnearlyreachedoutinfrontofherto

takeitinhergrasp.Shewantedherfingerstograzeoverhissensitiveskin.Shewantedhisheadto

knockbackinecstasyasshegrippedhisshaftandtuggedalongthelength.

Heat licked between her thighs, and she realized she’d been staring a few moments past polite.

Jesus, what was with her? She’d seen dicks before—this wasn’t anything new. And yet, everything

about the last twelve or so hours made it painfully clear she knew nothing when it came to

satisfaction.ButGagedid.And,ohboy,washegivingherafewlessonsshe’dneverforget.

WithGage,everythingfeltnew.Thatwasit—sheactuallyfelt.Feltthesharptingeofarousal.Felt

herbodyrespondtohim.Feltdesirable.

He held himself in his hand, slicking back and forth, eyes hooded in lust. “Suck my cock,

sweetheart.”

Hemovedtotheedgeofthetub,thewatergoinguptohisshinsashesatthere,legsspreadopen,

invitingher.

Avoiceinthebackofherheadtoldherthatsheshouldbedisgustedbythis.Shecouldn’tfinditin

herselftocare,becauseshewantedtodoit.Wantedtopleasehim,tobethesourceofhispleasure.It

wasintoxicating.

Shemovedtoherkneesandwrappedherhandsaroundhim.Theskinofhisshaftwassofterthan

she’d imagined. A drip of pre-cum beaded at the tip of his cock, and she ran her tongue along it,

catching the salty liquid. Gage let out a groan, one that shook her straight to the core. Hearing this

man,thatdeepgrowlofpleasureinthebackofhisthroat,wasoneofthesexiestsoundsshe’dever

heard.Sheranhertonguealonghimjusttohearhimdoitagain.

“Ithoughtyouwereincharge,”shemused.

Hisfingerskneadedintohershoulders,pullinghercloser.“Ifyoudon’tputyourmouthbackon

meinthenextfiveseconds,Iwillbe.”

God,thosebossywordsmessedwithherhardwiring.She’ddoanythingforhimifheaskedinthat

tone.“Yes,sir,”shesaid,moreofasmart-assremarkthanaseriousone.

Beforehecouldsayanything,sheswirledhertonguearoundtheheadofhisdickandtookhalfof

himinhermouth.Sheranhertonguedownthethickvein,thenlazilyloopedherwaybackuptothe

tip.

“Shit.”Thewordwasmoreofapant.Sherepeatedthemovement,thistimeusingherhandonthe

bottomhalfofhiscock,followingthemotionswithhermouth.Hishipsbucked,andhishandfound

itswaytothebackofherhead,possessivefingersthreadingthroughherhair.“Takeme.Ineedthis.

I’mgoingtorememberyourmouthonmeeverygoddamntimeIusemyhand.”

Shemoanedatthat,feelingaswellofpowercomeoverher.Thismanwouldbethinkingabouther

everytimeheranhishandsalonghisshaft.Itwouldbeherthathe’dlosehimselfto.Somethinginthat

wasintoxicating,morepotentthananyelixirshe’dencountered.

His hand tugged at her hair, and his legs started to tremble underneath her touch. “I’m so close,

baby.Please,givemewhatIneed.”

She looked up at him while she took him deep in her mouth, and his eyes flared with heat. Her

fingersgrippedhimharder,andshewrappedherlipsoverherteethasshetookhimin,suckingso

hardthathermouthmadeaplopwhenshesatbackonherheelsforamoment.

Theshakinginhislegsamplified,andshecouldtellhewasclose.Itwasthenthatshe’ddecidedto

dosomethingthatshe’dneverattemptedbefore.Shewouldn’tpullbacklastsecondlikeshe’ddone

withotherguys.IfshewasgoingtoexperienceGage,shewantedallofhim.

Shegavetwomorestrokeswithherhandandmouth,andamoanrippedfromGage’smouthashe

pumpedintoher.

He slumped back into the tub and pulled Abby to his chest. “Fuck, sweetheart, that was amazing.”

Hishandsrandownhershoulders,andhisthumbsmassagedherskinwhileheplantedkissesdown

herneck.

Abbygaveacontentedsighandsankagainsthim,languishinginthewarmbathandthefactthatshe

wasabletobringagrownmantohisknees.Thethoughtwaselectrifying.

ChapterEight

AfteracouplehoursofdowntimefollowingthemosteventfulbathofGage’slife,helayonthesoft

leathercouchinthemainroom.Armthrownoverhiseyes,he’dneverfeltmorerelaxed.Weekends

spentwithouttravelingwerefewandfarbetween,andthiswasarareluxuryhewasn’tgoingtopiss

away.

Now,ifonlyhewasabletobewithhisfamilyaswell,thisweekendwouldbedamnnearperfect.

As if they somehow could hear his thoughts, the video chat on his phone began to ring. Emily’s

sweet face filled the screen, her tongue sticking out, nose scrunched. It was one of his favorite

picturesofher.

He looked around, but didn’t see Abby. She’d been checking her work email and said something

about specifications for the bed or window tapestries. He swiped his hand to answer the call, and

Emilyandhissister,Jill,filledthescreen.

“UncleGage!”Emilyscreamed.Herarmswavedwildly,andacrookedgrinspreadacrossherface.

Hisheartbeatsidewaysinhischest.“Look,UncleGage.LookwhatIcando.”Shestuckhertongue

throughtheholewhereherteethusedtobe.

“Wow, sweetie. Congrats on losing your teeth.” A pang of regret hit him. He’d missed another

milestonewithher.Howmanymorewouldhemissbecauseofwork?

“Mamasaysthetoothfairyiscomingtonight,”shesaidwithalisp,notquiteusedtotalkingwithout

hertwomainteeth.

“I’msureyou’llmakeagoodhaulwithtwoteeth.”

Emilyleanedforwardandwhisperedintothephone,whichendedupblaringonGage’sendbecause

shewastalkingdirectlyintothemicrophone.“Iaskedmommyforyouinsteadofmoney.Youthink

that’llwork?”

“Oh,sweetie.”Histhroattightened.EventhoughhewashavingthebestdamnweekendwithAbby,

he’dgiveanythingtowraphislittlenieceinabearhugrightnow.Thefactthatshe’dgiveupmoney

forherOlafpiggybankforachancetoseeheruncle,well,thatwouldbringateartoanyman’seyes.

Hissisterwasdoingadamnfinejobraisingher.Hejustwishedhecouldbearoundmoretohelpout.

JilltookthephonefromEmilyandgrinneddownather.“Youhearthat,Gage?Yourlittlenieceis

missingyoulikecrazy.Wealldo.Pleasetellmeyou’recominghomesoon.”

“Imissyouguys,too,”headmitted.“Andsoon.Assoonasthesnowclearsup,I’llbeonmylast

shiftandheadinghome.How’sMom?”

Jillrolledhereyes.“Mama’smama.Whatdoyouexpect?”

AfterJill’sdirtbaghusbandleftthemhighanddry,hismomhadbeenworkingdoubledutytrying

to get Jill to settle down with someone new, someone to provide for her. His mom had that 1950s

mentality when it came to women, something that bugged the shit out of Gage, because a woman

shouldbeabletotakecareofherselffirst,nothavetodependonanyone.Oncehefoundsomeoneto

settledownwithinthefuture,hewantedhertobeself-sufficient.Tobesomeonewithdrive.Someone

like…Abby.

Jill was doing well for herself. She worked as an accountant for a firm in Charleston, but didn’t

makenearlyenoughtopayamortgageandtuitionatEmily’snewschool.Whenshe’dtoldGageshe

wasthinkingoftakingheroutofthefancyschool,Gagehadputinforextrahoursathisjobandtold

hissisterthattherewouldbenochangeofschoolsforEmily,notwhenshewasthriving,andherlittle

mindwasbeingpushed.

“Shebringingyouayounggentlemansuitortodinnernextweek,too?”

Thiselicitedanothereyerollfromhissister.“ItoldherI’drathereatcowpiesthanbefixedupwith

anothermanshedeemedsuitable.”

“Wish I had your willpower.” Even though he’d never seriously consider anyone that his mom

brought to the house for their family dinners, he couldn’t find it in himself to let her down. He’d

sufferthroughadinnertomakeherhappy.Hedidn’tknowifthatmadehimstupidoragluttonfor

punishment.Probablyboth.Heneededtotakenotesfromhissister.

“MamasaysMemawiscrazierthanasackofrabbitsinheat,”Emilywhispered.

“Isthatso?”Gagesmirked.“BetternotsaythataroundMemaworelseyou’llbeinaworldfullof

hurt,kiddo.”

“Okay.”Emilypausedforasecondandthenlookedathimthroughthescreenwiththosebigdoe

eyes.“UncleGage,willyousing‘TwinkleTwinkleLittleStar ’tome?”

“Rightnow,kiddo?”Heglancedaroundtheemptylivingroom.

“Yes.”Shefoldedherhandstogether,pleadingwiththosebabyblues.Therewasnowayhecould

saynotoanyrequestfromhiscute-as-a-buttonniece.Hewasgoingtohavetobearoundalotmore

whenshestarteddating.He’dbemorethanhappytocleanhisgunwhenherdatescametopickherup.

Abbywasstillintheotherroom.Shewasprobablysoengrossedwithwhatevershewasdoingthat

shewouldn’tevenhearhim.Hestartedinonthesong,andEmilystartedsingingalong.Astheyended

thesongtogether,Emilyaboutfivenotesoff-key,butadorableasalways.Shesmiledandkissedthe

screen.

“Iloveyou,UncleGage.Seeyousoon.”

“Loveyouguys,too.”

Andwiththatshepressedtheendbutton,andhewasleftwithablankscreen.

Damn,hemissedhisfamily.

…

Abbystaredattheemailinherinboxasshedrummedhernailsontheglassofthenightstandinthe

bedroom.Jeremy,Mr.DoucheCoworkerExtraordinaire,hademailedher,braggingthathe’dfound

theperfectsetforanothermovieYellowRafthadboughtrightsfor,therebyputtinghiminthelead

forgainingthepromotion.Thisonedidn’thaveasbigofaproductionbudgetastheoneAbbywas

workingon,butitwouldbeanotherblockbusterhit,forsure.

Somethingaboutthenoterankledher.Hissmug,smarmyassneededtobeputinitsplace,justthis

once. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be the one to do it. She valued her position at Yellow Raft and

wouldn’tdoanythingstupidtojeopardizemovingupinthecompany.Instead,sheneededtodowhat

she always did—work harder. Make sure everything was absolutely perfect before sending in the

photostoRob.

Notabletolookattheemailonemoreminute,sheslammedherlaptopshutandgrabbedherphone.

Shepulledupthetextconversationwithhersister.

Ella:Hey,doIneedtocallthecoastguard?Comeupforairandtalktoyoursister.

Abby:I’maliveandwell.Verywell.

Ella:daaaaaaayum.SomeonegotlaidbyMr.MagicDick.Pleasetellmeyoutookpics.

Abby:Iammajorlyside-eyingyourightnow.

Ella: Must be because you can’t see straight from the major sex fest you’re having over there.

Seriously,you’veneverbeenawayfromyourphonethislong.Ineedtomeetthisguy.

Abbyhuffedalaughthroughhernose.Okay,somaybeherphonewaspermanentlyattachedtoher

hand, but what person in the twenty-first century didn’t have that problem? It honestly felt nice to

unplugforafewhours,rechargeheremotionalbatteries.Herwholeliferevolvedaroundtwenty-four

sevenavailability,slavingawayatherjob.Really,wheredidthatleavetimeforherself?Sheusedto

enjoy things like Netflix binges and the occasional spa day. She glanced at her sorry excuse for

cuticlesandletoutadeepsigh.Yeah,maybeshe’dputalittletoomuchofherselfintoherwork.This

lastnightwithGageremindedherthattherewasmoretolifethansetlocationsandmemos.

Abby:Yeah,nothappening.

Ella:You’resuchawetblanketsometimes.

Abby:Ilearnfromthebest.

Truth be told, her sister was the life of the party. Anywhere she went, she lit up the room. Abby

sighedandstaredatthephone,herchestachingfrommissinghersister.Thisweekendwasworthit,

evenifshefeltguiltyforpassingupavisitwithElla.

Growingup,theywerepartnersincrime.Alwaystothedismayoftheirmother,ofcourse.Heck,at

seventeen,shehadn’twantedtobealady—she’dwantedtobefree.Gagebroughtthatwildsideoutof

her,whichhadbeentampeddownfromyearsofcollegeandpaperwork.

Abby texted a quick talk later to her sister and grabbed her camera to snap a few pictures of the

bedroom.

Afterthebaththisafternoon,she’dneededtotakeabreakfromthefestivitiestowork,butassoon

asshefinishedshootingmoreimagesandwritingnotesonthepenthouse,shewasgoingtospendone

morenightwithGage.Ashiverranthroughher.DamndidshehitthePublishersClearingHouseof

alljackpotswithMr.DirtyTalker.Sheshouldtotallygiveherselfahighfive.

Aftersnappingafewshotsofthebed,thentheornateartworkonthewalls,shewenttoleavethe

bedroom to take pictures of the outdoor area—something she needed to capture with the lit

skyscrapers.Thesteamofthehottubdisappearingintothetwinklinglightswouldbeperfecttoshow

off, especially if the movie did an evening scene. Although, at this moment, she was more keen on

baths.Forobviousreasons.Onesshewouldn’tbesharingwithherboss,thatwasforsure.

Justasthedooropenedafractionofaninch,Gage’svoicepouredintotheroom,hispitchlulling

and hypnotic. Was he…singing? She listened, face pressed to the door to get as close as she could

withoutpoppingherheadoutthedoorway.

Yes,hewasinfactsinging.“TwinkleTwinkleLittleStar.”Alittlegirl’svoicechimedin,andAbby

shut the door quietly. This obviously was a private moment. Was that his daughter? He hadn’t

mentionedthathehadone,butmaybehedid.Hell,shedidn’tknowmuchabouthim,andyetshefelt

likesheknewhim, down tothe marrow ofher bones. How wasit possible tofeel this connected to

someonewithoutknowinganyofthebigdetails—likehiswholefreakin’past—orpreferences,like

whatcondimentshelikedonhishotdogs.DidGageevenlikehotdogs?

A haze blanketed her thoughts, and she had to sit down on the bed to collect herself. She’d given

herselfuptoacompletestranger.Thegravityofthesituationreallysankin.Nowthatshewasoutof

eyesightofGage,herfullyfunctioningbraindecidedtokickintogear.Wasthisacompletemistake?

Somethingshe’dregret?

No.Notindulginginwaymorecarbsincollegewassomethingsheregretted.Gettingropedinto

takingglamourshotsatthemallandnotburningthephotographicevidenceofher90smullet,which

hersisternowheldascollateral,wassomethingshedefinitelyregretted.Gagewasnotsomethingto

regret. Ever. Abby’s pearl-clutching mom might need to do a few extra Hail Mary’s for her if she

ever caught wind of this weekend, but dammit, she would never regret what she did with Gage,

becausehonestly,thiswasthebestshe’dfeltinyears.

His tongue, his mouth, his…everything just felt so right. Her body was dialed into Gage’s

frequency, and she couldn’t find it in herself to be sorry for enjoying something so much. She just

hopedthat,onceshegotbackhome,thiswasn’tthelasttimesheeverfeltlikethis.Likeashooting

starthathadsomuchbeautyforabriefmomentandthenfizzledoutwaytoosoon.

ChapterNine

Gage watched Abby as she paced around the apartment like a caged animal. Even with the multiple

roundstheywentlastnightandthismorning,shewasstillkeyedup.Howmuchmorewouldittake

beforeshe’dbeabletositonthecouchwithhimandwatchrerunsofTheWalkingDead?Hewasn’t

willingtofindout.

Shewasbusywearingapathintotheshagruginthelivingroom.Maybeitwascabinfever—she

didn’tseemlikethetypetokickbackandwastethedaywatchingmovies.Afewideascametomind

for how to ease her current state, but 90 percent of them required the removal of clothing. And

betweenlastnightandthismorning,evenheneededtimetorecharge.Betterstickwiththe10percent

optionsforthetimebeing.Evenhewasstartingtofeelalittlestir-crazybeingpentupintheroomall

day.

Gageeyedthehottubthroughtheslidingglassdoor.Damn,he’dlovelooseningafewknotsinhis

shoulderswiththosehigh-poweredwaterjets.Thesteamrisinguparoundthecovercalledtohimlike

abeacon.

HeeyedAbbypacingthelivingroomforthefifteenthlapinarow.Nope,hottubcouldwait.

Hecaughtherhandasshestrodepasthim,andsaid,“Let’sgoout.”

Shesnorted,whichsomehowwasveryendearingonAbby,andputthehandthatwasn’tcurrentlyin

hisownonherhip.“Wherearewegoingtogo?Thewholecityisclosed.”

“Thewholecityisnotclosed.Justtherestaurants.Thekitchenstaffisstillhere,right?”Thiswasa

five-starhotel,andGagedoubtedafriggin’snowpocalypsewouldstopitfromcateringtotheneeds

ofpeoplepayinghundredsanightforaroomhere.

“Ithinkso.”Shelookedathimlikeshewasgoingtoaskwhyhewaswonderingthis,buthedidn’t

givehertimetorespond.

Hereachedforthephone,walkedintothebedroom,andcalledthenumberfortherestaurantonthe

mainfloorofthebuilding.“I’dliketoplaceanorderforroom4011.Freshbaguettesandacheese

assortment,andstrawberriesandchampagne.Inato-gobag.”Hegruntedashesaidthis.It’dbeena

longtime since heput any effortinto a woman besidesphysical, but clearingAbby’s mind was top

priorityatthemoment.Notjustbecauseofwhatshe’ddoneforhimbackinthebathtub,butbecause

heknewwhatitwaslikeforthemindtogoAWOLatthemostinconvenienttime.

He’dfirstexperienceditwhenhecamebackfromIraq.Afterlosingoneofhisbestbuddiestoan

IED, it left him unsure of how to cope in normal society. He overcompensated by outrunning his

problems, in the literal sense, running miles upon miles, lifting more than he thought he could

humanlymanage,untilhewastootiredtohavedreamsofwar.Luckily,he’dhadhisfamily’ssupport,

andovertheyears,andwithachangeofcareer,hewasabletoworkpastit.

But he knew one thing—anxiety wasn’t something to fuck with. In his experience, it was best

managedwithsomegoodoldexerciseanddistraction.Nothingthatthechillywinterair,somefruit,

andalittlealcoholcouldn’tfix.Oratleast,thatwaswhathe’dhoped.

Heignoredthetinyvoiceinsidehisheadscreamingwhatthehellareyoudoing,dickhead?Yes,this

wasshitthatpeoplepulledinflickshissisterwatched.Maybeitwassafertodoitwithsomeonelike

Abbybecausetherewasnofearofscrewingup.Becauseeveniftonightwentsouth,he’dbeleaving

tomorrowanyway.Noharm,nofoul.Apracticerunforwhenhedidfindtimetodateoncehewas

backinCharleston.

It had been a long time since he’d even tried with someone. This was the most effort he’d put in

sinceVanessa.Hedidn’tknowifhestillhaditinhimtobeboyfriendmaterialwhenthetimecame.A

selfishpartwashappythathe’datleastgetalittlepracticeintonight—evenifjustforafewhours.

Selfish.Hewassodamnselfish.

When he walked back into the living room, she looked at him curiously, her cheeks hollowed. It

broughthimbacktothebathtub,watchinghersuckhimofflikeshewasfindingouthowmanylicksit

tooktogettothecenterofaTootsiePop.Withhermouth,didn’ttakemuch.

“Whatarewedoing?”sheasked.

“We’regoingtohaveapicnic.”

“Apicnic,”sherepeated,hervoiceincredulous.“Yourealizeit’stwentydegreesoutsideandthere

arefeetofsnow,right?Haveyoulostyourmind?”

“IsMissHollywoodafraidofalittlesnow?”hemused,regardingherasshestoodinfrontofhim,

hersmall,delicatehandinhis.

Shecrossedherarmsoverherchest.“Whenseventydegreeswarrantsasweatshirtandboots,yes.”

“Ipromise,youwon’tbecold.”

“Really.” She shot him a look—her uptight librarian look, which was probably meant to be

intimidating,butreally,allthatarchedbrowdidwasraiseGage’sdicktoattention.

ThankGodhisflightgotcancelled,becauseonenightwasclearlynotenoughtimetogetheroutof

hissystem.

“Scoutshonor.”Heheldupthreefingers.

“Fine.ButifIgetfrostbite,there’llbehelltopay.”

Heraisedabrow.“Icanthinkofplacestokeepyourhandssothatdoesn’tbecomeaproblem.”

She scoffed. “Snuggling up to someone who’s forcing me into arctic conditions doesn’t exactly

inspireromance.”

“Ididn’tsayanythingaboutromance,justtokeepyourhandswarm.”Hisheaddippeddownandhis

lipsbrushedagainstthecurveofherear.“Although,Icanthinkofplentyofwaystokeepyouwarm

thatinvolveotherpartsofmybody.”

Withthat,aflushworkeditswayuphernecktopinkheralreadyrosycheeks.Helovedseeingher

workedup.Lovedthathecouldgetawaywithsayingthesecommentsanddidn’tgetaslapintheface.

Afewminuteslater,roomserviceknockedonthedoor,andGagehandedthekidmoneyandtold

himtokeepthechange.“Getyourcoaton,sweetheart.We’regoingtoseeNewYork.”

With the bag of food and champagne, they made their way to the elevator and down to the main

floor.Thedoorsbreezedopen,andagustofcoldairbrushedoverthemastheyexitedthebuilding.

GageinstinctivelyputhisarmaroundAbby,tryingtoshieldherfromthebruntofthecoldweather

whileclutchingthebagandbottleinhisotherhand.Sheleanedintohimandslippedherhandunder

his coat, and ice-cold fingers brushed against his back. He didn’t flinch as her fingers defrosted

against his skin, but shit, they’d been outside for two seconds, and she was already turning into a

Popsicle.Californiahadclearlymessedwithhertemperatureregulation.

Growing up in Charleston, they had their fair share of warm weather all year round, but he’d

alwayslovedthecoldweather.Everywinter,he’dvisithisgrandparentsinPhiladelphia,makesnow

forts, wage epic snowball fights on the neighborhood kids…he’d be out there all damn day.

SomethingtoldGagethatAbbywouldn’tlasttwohoursbeforeshecrystalized.

They made their way toward Central Park, and a horse and carriage sat waiting at the curb, the

driver looking bored. It gave Gage an idea. Originally, he thought he wanted to sit on a bench in

Central Park, eat the food and gaze at the stars on this clear night, but this was a much better idea,

especiallysinceAbby’sCaliforniabloodwasn’tfairingaswellashe’dhoped.

Theyhoppedintothecarriageandfoldedtheblanketsovertheirlaps.Gagetoldthedrivertomake

afewloopsaroundthepark.

“Oh,that’smuchbetter.”Shesighedandsnuggledintotheblanket,nestlingintohischest.Heputhis

armaroundher,andforamomentlethimselfbelievethiswasanactualdate.Ithadbeenalongtime

sincehe’dbeenonone—years.Didpeoplegoondatesanymore?Nomatterthelabel,thiswasmuch

better than the matchmaking his mom did, sending him to dinner with yet another debutante or

whateverthehelltheywere.

Last time he went on one was a few years out of high school, when he took Vanessa on a fancy

dinnercruise.Shestuckhernoseupateverythingtheyservedandendedtheireveningquicklywitha

bad case of seasickness. A fucking disaster. He’d planned the dinner for a whole month, planned to

proposethatnightwhilethestringquartetplayedinthebackground.Sohehadaromanticside,sue

him. He bet Abby would love something romantic like that. Abby in his arms felt a million times

morerightthananythinghe’dexperiencedinthepast.Whichheshouldstopthinkingaboutbecause

this was a one-night stand turned into a two-nighter. Something he apparently needed to keep

remindinghimselfof,becausetheirtimewaslimited,andhewouldnotlethimselfgethunguponthis

woman.

Hepulledherhatloweronherears.Shewassodamncuteandhotatthesametime,acombination

that blasted lust like oxygen through his body. The city lights against the snow created a homey

feelingthatgaveGageapanginhischest.Damn,hemissedCharleston.HemissedlittleEmilyinhis

lapashereadstoriesandhadticklefights.Hewasstillkickinghimselfformissingbothofherfront

teethcomingout.They’dbeenworkingonthosesuckersforweeks.Hedidn’tevengettoaskherif

she’dusedthestring-on-the-door-handletrick.

He missed the cooler weather this time of year, and the way his family packed together in his

mom’ssmallestate.They’dsipsweetteaandsitontheporchswing,peoplewatching.

Dammit,he’dturnedintoamopeyfucker.Hehadplentymorememoriestomakeoncehegotback

home.

He’dhavemoretimeforeverythingoneday,whenlifewasn’tsocrazy.There’dbesomeonelike

AbbydowninSouthCarolina.Awomanthatwouldfillhimwiththesameinsatiablehunger.There

justhadtobe,becauseitwouldbecruelandunfairifthiswasaonceinalifetimefeeling.

“Lostinthatheadofyours?”shesaidsoftly,givinghislegasqueezeundertheblanket.

“Just thinking it’s been a long time since I’ve been in the snow.” He shook away thoughts of

homesicknessanduncorkedthebottlewithapop,lettingtheexcessfoamspilloutonthesnowoutside

thesleigh.

“Wecan’tdrinkinpublic!”shewhispered,eventhoughtherewasnoneed,sincetheyweretheonly

peopleonthestreet.

“Whynot?Who’sgoingtostopus?”Hetookaswigfromthebottleandgaveherabemusedsmile.

Doubtfulthewomanknewhowtobreakrules—hewasthesamewaywhenitcametohisjob,buthe’d

nevermetsomeoneasuptightasAbby.Sheprobablydidn’tevenjaywalk.Gettinghertoloosenup,

evenatinybitunderhistouch,wasthebestpresenthe’dgottenallyear.

She looked around nervously, but her shoulders fell back into their normal position when she

spottedtheemptyroad.NewYorkheldthesombersilenceofaneerieghosttownafterthestorm.“I

guessnoone.”

Hehandedherthebottle,andshetookatimidsip.Onethatgotmaybetwodropsonthattongueof

hers.

“Winters.ThisisabottleofDomandyou’regoingtowasteitbecauseoftheoffchancewemight

seeacoponadesertednight?”

Sheletoutasighandlookedasifshesteeledherresolve.“Fine.Nouseinwastingagoodbottleof

champagne.”Puttingthebottletoherlips,shetookalongpullandthensetthebottlebetweenthem,

wipingtheedgeofhermouthwithherthumb.

“That’smorelikeit.”Hesmiled.TherewasstilladropofDomonherbottomlip,andhetookthis

opportunitytoleanin,suckingitbetweenhisteeth.Hersoft,fulllipsmeltedintohisassheletouta

shudderingbreathandleanedintohim.Herfingerstracedalongthecurveofhisjawandmovedtohis

hair,tuggingatitastheirkissdeepened.Prettypinknailsbitintothebackofhisneckassheslidher

tongueintohismouth.ShetastedofchampagneandsomethingsweetthatGagecouldonlyattributeto

Abby.

Gagegrowledandfoughttheurgetopullherontohislap.Abbywasadruginhissystem,andhis

mindkeptaskingformoremoremore.Heworriedthathe’dnevergethisfixbeforemorningcame.A

smilebrokeoutacrossherlipsasherfingersgrazedhispantsundertheblanket,rubbingalonghis

throbbing shaft. Fuck it, he’d unbutton his pants and have her ride him here under the blanket if he

thought she could be quiet enough. Too bad Abby was a screamer. And by “too bad,” he meant

fuckingawesome.

Againsthisbetterjudgment,hebrokethekissandmutteredunderhisbreathasheregardedAbby’s

kiss-swollen lips pursed into a pout, her eyes still closed. When she opened them, her blue eyes

burnedwiththesamelustthatcoiledhisinsides.“WeneedtostopbeforeournightgetscutshortandI

carry you back to the hotel to finish this.” Or before the carriage driver saw what Abby was doing

under the blanket. The drivers were notorious for not putting up with any shit—and on a night like

this,hedidn’twanttocausehimanytrouble,especiallywiththisplaceaghosttown.

Shefrownedandacreaseformedbetweenherbrows.“Won’twefinishthis?”

Henoddedseriously.“Definitely.”

She looked down at the bag and smiled. “What else do you have in your bag of goodies?” she

asked.

Food. A great distraction to momentarily tamp down the urge to slip his hands up her skirt. He

pulled out the baguette and cheese, but left the strawberries. He unwrapped the cheese. “Open your

mouth.”

She opened it without question, and a thrill shot through Gage. As long as he lived, he’d never

forget Abby’s gorgeous red lips. There was a lot about her that he wouldn’t forget, in fact, but he

wasn’twillingtodiveintothosethoughtsatthemoment.

…

Abbyletoutatinymoanasthetartcheesehithertongue.Gagewassurprisinglyquiet,andwhenshe

openedhereyes,shewasstartledbytheintensityofhisgaze.Hestaredatherlipsandranhistongue

along his own. The motion reminded her of last night, and how his mouth had been pressed other

places. Licking, swirling, unrelenting. It all made her head spin. Who knew a tongue pressed to the

spacebetweenherthighscouldfeelthatgood?Ifshe’dknown,she’dhavekickedherextothecurb

sooner.

“Thisissogood,”shesaid,lamely,tofillthesilence.

Histhroatworked,andheshiftedintheseat.AftertakinganotherswigofDom,hesaid,“Soyou’ve

neverbeenaroundsnow?”

Sheswallowedandswipedathermouthagain,suddenlymissingGage’ssoftlipsonhers.“NotifI

don’thaveto.TheclosestIcomeiswalkingfromtheairporttothetaxicab.Otherthanthat,Iliketo

lookatitfromthesafetyofmywindow.Wedon’tgetalotofitinL.A.”

“But don’t you smell that?” He took a deep breath, and his massive chest puffed out even more.

“Thecrispnessintheair.Youcan’tbeatthat.”

“Don’ttheyhaveairconditioningwhereyou’refrom?It’splentycrispifyousetittosixty-five.”

And,honestly,thattemperaturewasenoughtosethershakinglikeaChihuahua.ColdandAbbydid

notmix.Atall.Shedidn’tknowhowhersisterputupwiththiscrapeverywinter.

“You’remissingthepoint.Snowmakesmemories.Itonlycomesaroundoneseasonayear,maybe

two.Youcanmakesnowmenandsnowangels,havesnowballfights…”

Didthissix-threehulkingmanreallyjustsaysnowangels?

“You.” She pointed to him. “Are into making snow angels?” She thought back to him singing

“TwinkleTwinkle”earlierwiththelittlegirl.Stillnotwantingtopry,shedecidednottobringitupin

casethatwassomethinghewantedtokeepsecret.Buttruthbetold,she’dpaygoodmoneytoseethis

beastofamanflailinghisarmsandlegstomakepatternsinthesnow.Everyonesheknew—besides

her sister—would rather give up wine or chocolate than deal with the fluffy white stuff. But Gage

somehowmadeitseemmagical.

TherewasobviouslymoretoGagethanmettheeye.Andshewantedtofindoutmore.Whatmade

himtick.Whyhewantedtomakestupidsnowangelsinweatherthatmadeherwholebodyseizeup.

“Whentheoccasionarises.”Hesmiled.Butthistime,itdidn’treachhiseyes.Infact,helookeda

littledisappointed.Likehewishedhe’dmademoresnowmen.OrmaybeAbbywasreadingmoreinto

itthansheoughtto.Butthatwasthecurseofherfieldofwork—hyperawareofeverything.

Sheraisedabrow.“ThisIneedtosee.”

Withoutamoment’shesitation,heshotupoutofhisseatinthesleighandspoketothedriver.The

driver slowed to a stop and Gage paid him, murmuring something in the driver ’s ear. The driver

lookedathimforamoment,thenatAbbyandthennoddedbackatGage.

“Ipaidenoughsothatwecankeeptheblanket.”Hepulleditfromherlapandwrappeditaroundher

shoulders protectively. Abby wasn’t the type to ever need a man to take care of her, but she had to

admititfeltnicebeingdotedonforanight.Gagehadawayofmakingherletgoofthings,anditwas

likeaweightwasliftedoffhershoulders.ShedidheavyliftingwithYellowRafteverydaybymaking

hundredsofdecisionshourly.Itwasnicetonothavetoworryaboutwhattosay,whattodo.Tojust

gowiththeflow.Eventhoughshe’dknownhimforlessthanaday,shetrustedhim.Maybethatwas

stupid.Orattheveryleast,ahorriblesenseofself-preservation.Butdammit,shetrustedhim.

Hehoppeddownfromthesleighandthenreachedouthisarmsforher.Shegrabbedhishandsand

lethimhelpherdown.Snowcrunchedunderherstilettosandshewalkedunevenlyalongthemounds

belowherfeet.Whythehellwouldanyonewanttolivehere?Yes,snowwasbeautiful,butthetipof

her nose was losing feeling, and if she didn’t know any better, the moisture in her eyes was

crystalizing. Soon, she’d be a candidate for cryogenic freezing. Luckily, she had the blanket, which

wasamuch-neededimprovement.

“Thoseshoesaresoimpractical.”Hejuttedhischintowardherheelsandbracedherarmwhenshe

wobbledontheunevenground.

“I wasn’t expecting to walk through a blizzard.” She cut him a look. “Airport, cab, hotel. No

farther,”shesaid,mildlyirritatedthathergoodhigh-heeledbootswerenowtrudgingthroughclumps

ofsnow.

Heshookhisheadandlaughed.“Youalwayshaveaplan,don’tyou?”

Um,yep.Ifherplanegotdelayed,shewasabletofinddifferentconnectingflightsinamatterof

minutes. Unexpected delays in set accommodations? Had that planned for, too. But when it came to

Gage,herminddidabigoldbrainfartthatparalyzedallhighercognitivefunctioning.

Shestoppedabruptly,andGagewalkedanothertwopacesbeforeturningtoher.“There’snothing

wrongwithbeingalittleprepared.”

“Ofcoursenot.”Hiseyeslitwithamusement.“Hell,ifthereiseverazombieapocalypse,you’re

thefirstpersonI’mturningto.”

“I’mnoRick,butIhaveabaseballbatandago-bagjustincaseshitgoesdown.”Somaybehergo-

bag was filled with gossip magazines and pore strips at the moment, but if everyone in the world

decided to turn into flesh-eating monsters, she’d done enough spin classes and kick boxing, and

watched enough Doomsday Preppers, to run her ass to the San Gabriel Mountains and last a few

weeks.

“YouwatchTheWalkingDead,too?Seriously,isthereanythingaboutyouthatisn’tincredible?”

“Well,forstarters,youdon’twantmeanywherenearakitchen.Iburnwater.AndI’vebeentoldI

hogthebed.AndIoverthinkeverything.”Anotherthingthathershmuckexsaidwhentheybrokeup.

“Can’tsayanythingaboutthefirst,butIcanconfirmthesecond.”

“OhGod.Sorry.”EvenonaCaliforniaKing,shemanagedtohogthecovers.Thathadtobeanew

record.

“As for the third—” A puff of Gage’s breath floated around his mouth in a white cloud as he

exhaleddeeply.Hisexpressionsoftened,thoseeyessoexpressive,pullingherunder.“Sometimesyou

justhavetoenjoythemoment.Lifewillpassyoubyifyou’retoobusytonoticeit.”

“Spendalotoftimecarpe-ingsomediem?”

Afrownmarredhisface.“LessthanIshould.”HesaidthismoretohimselfthantoAbby,butshe

understood.

Oh,man.Thatspoketotheverydepthsofhersoul.She’dkillforatleastsixmorehoursineach

day.First,she’dgoseeaflickwithhergirlfriends.Andtherewasthatneverendingpileofbooksshe

ached to read. There would be time to have something like this on a full-time basis, not just a

weekendjaunt.Unfortunately,fairy-taleliveswerejustthat—fairytales.Growingupsucked.

“Youmissyourfamilybackhome?”shesaid,tryingtoshiftthefocusfromher.Shehatedfeeling

sorryforherself.Pityaccomplishedjackshit.

“Isitthatobvious?”

“IgetthatlookwhenIthinkaboutmysister.”Herhandgrazedhisshoulder,andheleanedintoher.

“Who’sbackathome?”Shedidn’tmeantopry.Okay,yesshedid.Shetotallydid.Shewantedtoknow

about the little girl, the reason he seemed to miss making snowmen so much. She had an insatiable

thirstforanyinformationaboutGage.

“Myniece.Emily’sarealfirecracker.She’dlikeyou.”Hesmiledandgaveheraonce-over.“She’d

likeyourtake-no-shitattitudeandCaliforniastyle.”

Shesmiledatthis.“Iknowapersoninwardrobeifsheeverneedsanything.”Thatwaswherehalf

herclothescamefrom,becauseshecouldn’taffordthemotherwise.

Theycontinuedwalking,andGage’shandslidtohers,theirfingersweavingtogether.Abby’sheart

jettedsidewaysinherchestatthesweetgesture.“I’mprettyclosewithmysisteraswell,”hesaid.“We

allusuallyspendtheholidaystogether.Thisyearwasrough.Imissedoutonmylittlenieceopening

presentsandbuildingasnowman.ShelosthertwofrontteethandIwasn’teventhere.”

What was that sound? Oh, just her lady bits detonating. No big deal. Abby’s mind couldn’t even

conjureuphowcuteitwouldbetoseeGageandalittlegirlplayinginthesnowtogether.

“Wasthatwhoyouwereface-timingwithearlierthismorning?Ilikedyourrenditionof‘Twinkle

TwinkleLittleStar.’”

“Youheardthat.”Heshookhisheadandsmiled,butdidn’tlookembarrassedthathe’dbeencaught.

Withadeepvoice,smoothashishoneyeyes,therewasnoneedtobeself-conscious,shesupposed.

“Yep,that’smyEmily.”Thewayhiseyeslitupwhenhesaidhername,itdidsomethingbetweenher

thighs.Somethingaboutamanthatcaredforlittlekidsjustdiditforher.NotthatAbbyhadtimefor

kidsrightnow,butshe’dliketointhefuture.Maybeintenyearsorso,beforeherovariescollected

cobwebsbutafterenoughtimetoestablishherselfinthefilmbusiness.Seriously,Godwasplayinga

horribletrickonhertotemptherwiththeworld’ssexiestmanattheleastconvenienttimeever.Itwas

much better when men were the furthest thing from her mind, and her sex drive was quietly tucked

awayintherecessesofwhereverithadbeenhibernatingthepasttwenty-fiveyears.

“Ipromisedherwe’dmakesnowangelsifitsnowedthisyear.It’ssnowingrightnow,andI’mnot

thereforher.It’skillingme.”

“I’msuresheunderstands.Youhaveajobtodo,protectingournation.That’simportant.”

Henodded.“Yeah.”Asmiletwitchedathislips.“She’dprobablythrowafitifshesawhowmuch

snowwashererightnow.Shelovesit.”

“Youshouldtakeapictureforher.”

“Notabadidea.”

Gagehandedherthebagandchampagneandbeforeshecouldsayanything,hefloppeddownona

bank of snow, a dusting of fluffy white flurries flying into the air like he’d jumped into a pile of

packing peanuts. She’d never seen snow this fluffy before. Once when she was a little girl, she’d

traveledwithhermotherandsistertoChicago.Astormhadhitwhiletheywereatheraunt’shouse,

andshecouldstillremembertheslushy,wetsnowthatsloppedatherankleswhensheracedtothecar

onthewaytotheairport.Evenasakidshe’dhatedit,muchpreferringthewavesoftheCalifornia

coast.ButwithGage’selatedgrin,andhishaircoveredinsnow,shewaswillingtoreconsider.

“Whatareyoudoing?”Shestareddownathim,andawidesmileaffixedtohisface,creasingthe

skinonthecornersofhiseyes.Seriously,didhehithishead?Whywouldanyonewanttogetinclose

contactwithsomethingthatwassupposedtobeinthefreezer,evenifhedidlookveryenticingwhile

doingit?

“Snow angels.” He moved his arms in the snow above his head and then down to his sides while

moving his legs in and out. On a two hundred twenty pound, well-muscled man, this looked

absolutely ridiculous and cute and hot all at the same time. “Come. Make one. You’ll feel much

better.”

“I’mgoodwithmyblanket.”Sheputdownthefoodandbottleandpulledtheblankettighteraround

hershouldersasiftoemphasizeherpoint.

Hesatupandgaveawinkbeforetuggingatherleg.Shetoppledover,fallingintohiswarmchest.

Thetipsofherstilettobootsdugintothesnowasshestraddledhislap.Hisfingersthreadedthrough

herhair,andhepulledherdownontopofhimashislipssweptoverhers.Hismouthwaswarmand

inviting,andsheranherfingersalonghisstrongneckasshewaslostinthekiss.“You’renotplaying

fair,”shewhispered.Wheneverhislipsconnectedwithanyportionofherbody,itwaslikehermind

wenttostatic,andshecouldn’tformacoherentthoughttosaveherlife.

“Whosaidanythingaboutfair?”Andwiththat,heflippedheroversoherbackwaspressedintothe

snow.Sheletoutalittleshriekasthecoldpiercedthroughherjacket,straighttoheralreadyfreezing

skin.Withhermittenedhands,shegrabbedfistfulsofsnowandplunkeditonGage’shead.Heshook

itofflikeadogshakesoffwaterwhencominginfromtherain,andthesnowflewinalldirections.

“You’reaskingforit,sweetheart,”hesaidwithawrysmileonhisface.Hegrabbedsnowoneither

sideofherandgaveherthewettestnoogieofherlife.

Oh.OhGod.Socold.

Flurriesmeltedintoherscalp,andsheshriekedasbitsofsnowworkedtheirwayunderhercoat.

Christonacracker,shemightverywellgetfrostbite.Onherass.Couldpeopleevengetfrostbiteon

theirass?Regardlessofthecurrentfrostyskinpredicament,shecouldn’tstopthelaughthatbubbled

up.Eveninsub-freezingweather,thiswasthemostfunshe’dhadinalongtime.

“Areyoureadytomakeasnowangelnow?”hesaid,rollingovertolaybesideAbby.

Abbylookedoverathim,moresnowfallingfromherhairontoherface.“DoIhaveachoiceinthe

matter?OramIjustgoingtogetmoresnowtotheface?”

Hejustsmiledinresponse.

Abby huffed out a sigh, more for show than actual annoyance. Because, in truth, she’d gladly do

thisallnightwithGage.Plus,mostofherskinwasnumbbynow,sothebittercoldnolongeraffected

her.“Showmeyourways,ohwiseone.”

“Dig into the snow like this.” His hand pushed on her arm so that it sunk deeper into the snow.

“Nowmoveyourarmsuptoyourheadandspreadyourlegs.”Hisfingersgrippedherthighs,pulling

themapartinchbyinch.Theheatfromhishandsradiatedupherlegs,pulsingbetweenherthighs.He

hoveredaboveher,hisgreedygazerakingdownherbody.

Sheswallowedhard.“Yousurehaveaknackforbeingbossy.”

“Justmakingsureyougetthewholeexperience.”Heliftedabrow.Asshemovedaround,shefelta

bitsilly—becauseisn’tthiswhatkidsdid?Notadultsintheirmid-twenties.Notwomenwhowerein

charge of multimillion-dollar business decisions. And yet, this was exactly what she needed. It was

nicetoforgetheridentityforafewminutesandjustbeagirlinthesnow,laughingandflirtingwitha

cuteguy.Sheworkedharderatdigginginherlimbs,makingadeeperimprintofherangel.

GagestoodupandthenpulledAbbytoherfeet.Shelookeddownatthetwofiguresinthesnow,her

angelbesideGage’s,andsmiled.Gagehadgivenhersomethingmorethanjustacoldback.Itfelt…

funtoletloose.Maybe,justmaybe,thistripwasthereleasesheneededinordertofeelrevivedwhen

shegotbacktowork.

“HaveIhadthefullNewYorkexperienceyet?”shesaidexpectantly.“OristheresomethingelseI

needtodobeforeweleavetomorrow?”

…

Gagecouldn’tstopstaringatAbby’srosycheeks,orthesmilethatmadehereyescrinkle,thosebaby

bluestwinklinginthemoonlight.

Dammit,everythingaboutthiswomancalledtohimonaviscerallevel.Hisneedtoclaimher,for

hertobehis,hammeredharderthanhispulseinhistemples.He’dmakethebestofhislastnightwith

her,devouringherinchbyinch,memorizingeverycurve,everytaste,everysound,andthenboard

hisflightwithoutasecondthought.

Now he just needed to convince himself of that, because leaving tomorrow morning would be a

newformoftorture.IftherewasaGodoutthere,hehadasickandtwistedsenseofhumortopair

himwithsomeonewholivedtoofarawaytoactuallyevenconsiderarelationship—notthathehad

time,withhisjob—andalsoonethatwouldcertainlygivehismotheraheartattack.

Abbylookedupathimwiththosebigeyes,andhisresolvecrumbledtosnowflurries.Whatwasit

she’dasked?Hewassofocusedonthinkingofeverywhichwayhewantedheroncetheygotbackto

thehotelthatthequestionhadn’tregistered.

“Onemorethingandthenwecanleave.”

“What’sthat?”

“Wehaven’tfinishedwhat’sinthebag.WestillhaveonemoreNewYorkspecialty.”

“Oh?”

Hepulledoutthecontainerofchocolate-coveredstrawberries.“Thesearethebeststrawberriesin

thecity.”

Shenarrowedhereyessuspiciouslyatthepackage.“Andwhatmakesyousaythat?”

“Becausethey’reabouttobetouchedbyyourlips.”Thatonemighthavelaiditonalittlethick.But

Gagewastellingthetruth.AnythingwouldbeluckytogetthegentlecaressofAbby’slips.

“Thatisquitealine,Mr.Michaels.”

He ignored her comment and opened the container, grabbing one of the strawberries by the stem

and guiding it to her mouth. She opened and he watched, mesmerized as her teeth bit into the

chocolateandfruit.Atrailofjuicetrickleddownherbottomlipandmadeithalfwaydownherchin

beforeGagesweptinandcaughtitwithhistongue.Hedroppedtheotherhalfofthestrawberrytothe

groundandthreadedhisfingersthroughherhair,unabletogoevenafullminutewithouttouching

her.Hepushedherdownintothesnowandclimbedontopofher,pryingherlegsopen.Abbywas

warmandsoft,andeverybitastemptingasachocolatecoveredstrawberry.Hishandsmoothedup

herstomach,underhercoat,andpalmedherbreast.Histhumbcircledoverherhardenednipple,and

shearchedherback,pushingintohispalm.

His tongue swirled with hers, tasting a mix of chocolate and champagne and Abby. The tastiest

mixturehe’deverencountered.

Ashiverrackedherbody,andhecursedhimselfforpushingherintothesnowifshe’dalreadybeen

cold. He’d never forgive himself if she actually got hypothermia. He grabbed the blanket from the

groundandwrappeditaroundher,pullingherclose.“Howaboutwegetbacktothehotel?Ibetwe

can flag down another sleigh.” There had to be a ton of them out, especially since that would be a

safermodeoftransportationthandrivingontheicyroads.

HepickedupthebottleofDomandthebagoffoodfromtheground,andtheyheadedbackinthe

direction of the hotel. He’d show her the New York experience, hopefully one she’d never forget.

Becausehewouldn’tbeabletogetthisoutofhismind.Ever.

ChapterTen

BythetimeGageandAbbymadeitbacktotheirhigh-rise,thesnowhadstartedcomingdownina

blast.Thedoortothebuildingwasopenandthelightsweredimmedtohalf-mast.Thedoormangave

atightsmile.Neveragoodsign.

“Power ’s out. The backup generator is on, but the elevators are out of service,” he said with a

shrug.

“Oh.” Abby said and glanced down at her heels. They’d walked a good portion of the night and

Gagebetherfeetwerekillingher,especiallywhilewalkingonunevensnow.Shit,hissisterwhined

aftertwentyminutesduringFridaynightdinnersthatherheelswereuncomfortable.Thenagain,that

might also be a genius excuse to leave dinner early. Jill was always looking to spend as little time

withtheirmotheraspossible.Notthatheblamedher,withthewaytheirmomalwaystreatedherlike

shewasEmily’sage.

TherewasaslightlimptoAbby’sgait,andhecussedunderhisbreath.Heshouldhaveaskedherto

putonmorepracticalshoestobeginwith.Damnthoseinsanelyhotheels.Nowthey’dhavetomake

thefortyfloortrekupthestairs.

Assoonastheymadeitthroughthedoorstothestairwell,heoffered,“Hoponmyback.”It’swhat

agentlemanwoulddo.Although,he’dbeenanythingbutagentlemanallweekend.Somethingabout

herbroughtoutaprimitivesidethatmadehimwanttobeathisfuckingchestandthrowheroverhis

shoulder,anddominateher.

Herbrowrose.“I’mfineonmyown,”shesaid,butGagecouldn’thelpbutnoticethewinceinthe

crease of her eyes after each step. She was a stubborn one, he’d give her that. Maybe that was what

attractedhimtoherinthefirstplace.Healwaysdidlikeachallenge.

“Right.”Hegaveheraspeculativelookdrawingouttheword.

Bythetimethey’dmadeitoneflight,she’dslowedhersteps,andhecouldseecleardiscomforton

herface.Enoughwasenough.Pridebedamned,she’djusthavetosuckitup,becausehewasn’tgoing

tolethersufferupthirty-ninemoreflights.Hegrabbedherfiremanstyle,andshebegantoyell.

“Letmedown.Thisisridiculous.”Herfeetflailedinfrontofhim,andGagehadtopushbackthe

chucklethatstartedlowinhisbelly.

“Not as ridiculous as you walking up forty flights in heels.” He gave her ass a swat for good

measure,andsheletoutagroanandwrithedagainsthim.Ifhishandsnakedupherskirt,hebetthe

flimsy fabric of her thong would be soaked through. She made another useless attempt at wiggling

free.Whatwasshe,abuckten?

“I told you I can manage on my own.” She smacked his back, and it only made him smirk. Abby

wasafeistyone—hadenoughfireinhertoincineratethewholedamnhotel.

Heheldhertighterasshecontinuedtowrigglearound.Sufferoverthirtyfloorsinthosesexybut

completelyimpracticalheels?Nothappening.“WhereIcomefrom,wehavemanners.Iseesomeone

indistress,andIneedtohelp.”

She scoffed. “I’m not some damsel in need of saving. Let me down.” She kicked her legs and

poundedonhisback.

Dammit,thatattitudeofhersdrovehimmad.Absolutelyinsane.Madehimwanttotearhishairout

andtakeherhardupagainstthewallallatthesametime.“Orwhat?”Hisfingersgrippedthebacksof

herlegs.Shehadstockingsontoday,andhefeltthebeginningsofagarterbelt.Fuck.Oncetheygot

backintotheroom,hedefinitelyneededtotakeeverythingoffbutthegarterbeltandfuck-meheels.

Thehemofherskirthadworkeditswayupherthighs,andifhepusheditalittlefarther,he’dbe

abletosneakhisfingersunderthosedelicatelacepantiesofhers.Wassheaswetasshe’dbeenthis

morning?Theresponsiveness,thewayshelookedathimwithaninsatiablehunger,itmadehimwant

toburyhimselftothehiltinhertightlittlepussy.Hewantedhiscockslammingintoher,skinslapping

against skin, the decadent sound of their sweat-slicked bodies tangling together. The thought made

himmomentarilyloseastep,buthecaughtbothofthembeforehecouldstumbleupthestairs.

“Idon’tknow,butI’llcomeupwithsomething,”shesaid,hervoiceresolute.

This time he couldn’t hold back his laugh. Did she understand how incredibly adorable she was?

Infuriatingashell,butadorable.That,mixedwiththesexysideinthebedroom,nearlyknockedhim

onhisass.“Realgoodcomeback,sweetheart.”

“Atleastletmerideonyourback.Thisisuncomfortable.”

Right. It probably didn’t feel good having a shoulder bone jutting into her stomach. When he’d

playedfootballinhighschool,shoulderstothegutwereacommonbutaggravatingoccurrence.The

last thing he wanted to do was hurt her—that defeated the whole purpose of attempting chivalry.

“Fine.”Hegruntedandletherdownsoshecouldclimbuponhisback.

Instead,shesprintedupthenextflightofstairs,throwingahaughtylookinhisdirection.“Haha,

sucker,” echoed through the stairwell. She cackled as she made it halfway up the next set of stairs.

Gagestoodthere,momentarilystunned.Whothehellwasthiswoman?

He ran after her and caught up before she made it the whole flight. “I need to watch out for you,

don’t I?” He pinned her against the wall and ran his palms greedily over her curves. Normally he

couldkeephishandstohimselfwithwomen.Herespectedthem,worshipedthem.ButAbby’sbody

calledtohim,beggedforhishandstoexploreeveryinchofher.Thosesupplecurves,thewayher

backarchedwhenherolledhistongueoverhernipples,everythingwasadamnhomingbeaconfor

him.

She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, her throat working. “I’m not into that whole chivalry

thing.It’sonlygoodinmovies.Anythingelsejustfeelsverychauvinistic.”

Heblinkedhard.“You’resayingmebeingagentlemanispiggish?”

“Yes. It’s like saying that I’m not capable enough to do things myself. Goes against everything I

believein.”

That…wasnothowheviewedher.Eventhoughhe’donlyknownherthespanoftwodays,shewas

clearlymorethancapableofhandlingherself.Thatdidn’tmeanhecouldn’ttreatherwithrespectand

helpoutapersoninneed.“So,Ishouldjustletyousuffer?”

“Yes.” Her breath still held a hint of strawberries and chocolate, and it took all his willpower to

keepfollowingtheconversationandnotravagehermouth.

“Notgoingtohappen.Notonmywatch.”

“You’rereallynotgoingtoletthisgo,areyou?”Shehuffedandputherhandsonherhips.Shewas

so fucking hot, with that California attitude. It hit him square below the belt, and damn if he didn’t

wanttotakeherrighthere.

Sheblewoutasigh,andherbangsfannedacrossherforehead.Aresignedlookfilledhereyesand

herlipstwistedintoasmirk.“Fine.I’lltakeapiggyback,butletitbeknownthatIcouldhavewalked

upallfortyflights.”

Hecroucheddown,puttinghisarmsbehindhim,readytograbherwhenshejumpedonhisback.

“Noted.Andwe’llputitontherecordthatyoudid.”

She hopped onto him and wrapped her arms around his neck. The heat of her breath traced hot

acrossthebackofhisneck,andhetightenedhisgriponherlegs.Histhumbstrokedoverhertightass

andshesquirmedunderhistouch,herbreathpickingupinpace.

They made it another few flights in silence. No one else was in the stairwell, everyone smart

enoughtostayinsideonablusterynightliketonight.Hisfootstepsechoedinthespace,andeachstep

hetook,hiscockhardened.Thatdamnmouthofhers,pairedwithatightlittlebody—fuck,she’dbe

thedownfallofhim.

“Youknowyou’reapainintheass,”hesaid,tryingtolightenthemood.

“Hello,pot.Meetkettle.”

“Thatmouthofyoursdrivesmeinsane.”Hiswordswereplayful,buttherecouldn’tbemoretruth

tohisstatement.

“Well,I’llbeoutofyourhairbytomorrow.”

Ahintofsadnesslacedherwords.Shewasright,though.Aftertomorrow,theairportwouldopen

flightsbackup,andthey’dbeontwoseparatesidesofthecountry.Allthemorereasontosavorthis

quickbreathofaweekendwithher,everygoddamnminute.Andhewasgoingtostartnow,because

thirtyflightsseemedtoofartowaittohaveher.Hequicklyflippedheraroundsothatherlegsnow

straddledhisstomach,andhermouthpartedinsurprise.

“Whatareyoudoing?”

“Idon’twanttowasteanymoretimeIhavewithyou.”Hislipswereonherneckashepressedher

upagainstthewallofthestairwell.Herheadfelltotheside,givinghimbetteraccessasheranhis

tonguelightlyagainstherchilledskin.

“Westillhavethirtymoreflights,”shesaid.

“Idon’tcare.”Hegroundintoher,hishardcockfindingthespacebetweenherthighs.

“Whatifsomeonesees?”Hereyesdartedupthestairs,buttherewasn’tasmuchhesitationcoming

fromherashe’danticipated.

“Doyoueverstopworrying?”

Sheraisedabrow.“No.”

“Well,thenI’mnotdoingagoodenoughjobtoeaseyourmind.”Hishandsgreedilyroamedover

her body, and he lost all self-control when a little exhale filled with a moan escaped from her lips.

Wouldheevertireofthatnoise?No.Apartofhim,onethathe’dbesmarttoignore,wishedhecould

justholeupinthepenthousewithAbbyforanentireyear,maybemore,becausehewantedtoknow

her,everybitabouther,morethanjustthephysical.Buttheydidn’thavethatluxury,sohe’dtakewhat

hecouldget.

“Icanbebold.”

“I’dliketoseethat.”Hesmirked.

Sheslidoffhimandgavehimanappraisinglook.Forasecond,hethoughtshewasgoingtoforget

thewholethingandleavehimhangingfortherestoftheforty-floortrek.Instead,shelookedupat

himwithpiercingblueeyesthatsentajoltstraighttohiscock.Shelickedherlips,andasmilecurled

inthecorners.

“Youobviouslyhaven’tchallengedabusinesswomanbefore,haveyou,Mr.Michaels?”

Sheskimmedherhandsoverthebulgeinhispants,andagrowlrippedfromthebackofhisthroat

assheworkedherwayuptohisbeltbuckle.Fuck,thosehandswereagoddamnweapon.

She removed the belt in a painfully slow fashion, and he knocked his head against the wall and

worked at keeping himself calm. He was collected, nothing unsettled him, especially not anything

involvingthebedroom—orstairwell,forthatmatter.

When she finally undid the belt, she looked up through long lashes as she slowly unzipped his

pants.Hesuckedinabreathasshegrabbedhiscockandpulleditoutfromhisboxerbriefs.

…

ThisweekendputalotofthingsintoperspectiveforAbby.First,shewasmissingoutonthewhole

sex thing, like, whoa. Second, holy crap she’d need to invest in some sex toys after this weekend.

Guess she knew what she’d be researching on the flight to L.A. Porn on the way to New York,

vibrators on the way back—her life had taken a turn for the way more interesting. Third, being

aroundGageturnedherintoadifferentperson.Shethoughtonthatforasecond.Maybenotdifferent,

but he exposed traits she’d never seen in herself before. This desire for him flowed through every

creviceofherbodyandputherinaconstantstateofwantandneed.

Liketheneedtoswitchrolesandtakethelead,becauseAbbyenjoyedhavingpoweroverGage,to

havehispleasuretieddirectlytohers.Hiskneesbuckledasherfingersfoldedaroundhishardened

cock. Well, almost all the way around. Definitely a two-hand job. No pun intended. His legs spread

wider as he leaned against the wall and knocked his head back. Never in her life would she have

thought she’d be doing the good ol’ five-finger shuffle in a stairwell, but Gage messed with her

hardwiring.Somethingaboutthewayhecarriedhimself,sofullofassuranceandconfidence.Itmade

herrealizejusthowlackinghersexlifehadbeen.Anddamn,she’dreallybeenmissingoutonalotof

funalltheseyears.

Hishoodedeyesregardedherwithworship.Gagewasright—shewasn’tsomedamselindistressin

regard to the bedroom. She needed to be the kind to climb her own hair and get out of this rut for

good.Andshewantedto.Badly.StartingwithteasingGage.Shewasofftoagoodstartifhisshaky

thighswereanyindication.

She ran her hands up his muscular quads and kneaded her thumbs into his thighs as she inched

closertohiscock.Shethoughtbacktoearlierwhenherlipsskatedalonghiswell-endowedshaftwith

afeatherlighttouch.Gagewasthefirstguyshe’dbeenwiththatbotheredtodoalittlemanscaping.

Which was probably why she was feeling a bit better about sticking her mouth there—nothing was

worsethanamouthfulofpubes.

He sucked in a breath through his clenched teeth and his fingers found their way into her hair.

“Fuck.You’redrivingmeinsane,babe.”

“IthinkIlikeit.”Andshedid.Shefreakinglovedit.

Asherfingerssliddownhisshaft,hischestroseandfellheavily,hismusclesstrainingagainsthis

jacket.

“Okay,time’sup.Myturn.”

Likesheweighednothing,GagereachedhishandstoAbby’ssidesandpickedherupandwhirled

heraroundsoherbackwasnowpressedagainstthewall.Hisfingersdugintoherhips,andheletout

alowgrowlinherear.

Hislipswereonherneck,kissing,sucking,nipping,completelymerciless.Ashudderrippleddown

herbody,andsheheldontohimtighter,feelingasifshewaslosinghergriponreality.Hedippedhis

handintoherskirtandslippedhisfingeralongherpanties.“Youliketurningmeon?”

“Yes.”

“You going to do something about that?” He nodded down to his very prevalent erection as it

pressedintoherstomach.

“Maybe. You stopped me before I could get going, though.” Who the hell was she, that she was

completelydownwithsuckingaguy’scockandgivinghimahandyinoneday?Thisobviouslymust

be an illness. Sex sickness. That was a real thing, right? It had to be, or else she’d gotten a little

haphazard on washing her hands while traveling and was now infected with a brain-eating bacteria

thatturnedherintoasexfiend.Thatwas…lesslikely.Whateveritwas,shecouldn’tbringherselfto

care,becauseallshewantedwasGage’shandsonher,andforhimtofixtheneedthatachedbetween

herthighs.

“AndwhatdidIsaybefore?”

Shethoughtforamoment,herbrainstillfuzzedoverwithmusthaveGage.Neednow.“Thatyou’re

incharge?”

“Exactly.Letmetakecareofyou,”hewhisperedinherear.

AllshecouldmanagewasanmmhmmasGageturnedheraroundsoherasswasfacinghim.Her

handsweresplayedagainstthewall,andhercheekpressedagainstthecoolconcrete.Hepushedup

her skirt and a burst of cold air hit her thighs as the material whooshed past her ass, exposing her

garterbeltandpanties.

“Hey.”

“Ineedyou.Now,”hegrowled.

And with that, he grabbed the flimsy fabric of her panties and a light rip echoed through the

stairwellasthefabricsnappedbeneathhishand.

His hands worked across her ass, kneading, groping, his thumb getting so close to places she’d

never had touched before. She felt herself leaning into his touch, craving more, needing more.

Everythingjustneededtobemore.Asizzlestartedatthebaseofherspineandpulsedintowardher

achingclit.Theywereoutinthemiddleofastairwell.Herbestpairofpantieswerenowasgoodas

scrap yarn. If someone came through any of the doors… A shiver ran through her. The thought of

someonehappeninguponthescenesentanunexpectedjoltthroughher.Heck,letthemseeherwith

herassshovedintheair.

Gage’s teeth grazed over the sensitive skin of her ass, his fingers smoothing up the backs of her

thighs.“That’sright,bendover,sweetheart.Keepyourhandsonthewall.”

Every time he called her sweetheart, heat spread between her thighs. His slight drawl melted all

coherentthoughts.Abbyobligedandbentovermove,andshegaspedasoneofGage’sthickfingers

rubbed across her slick center and entered her with ease. He groaned and added a second finger,

working her, stretching her. “You’re so ready for me. Have you wanted this all night?” His fingers

moved in measured circles along her sensitive, swollen skin. Her fingers dug into the wall as she

workedatkeepingherbreathingsteady.Itwasnouse.Tinypantsstartedfromherbellyandlefther

fightingforair.

“Yes.OhGod,yes.”

“Oh, we’re just getting started. Don’t think you’re getting off just yet.” His fingers disappeared

from her momentarily, and just as she was about to peer around her shoulder, she felt a stinging

sensation,andaloudthwackechoedinthestairwellasGage’shandconnectedwiththespacewhere

herassandthighmet.

“Oh!”Painrushedthroughher,alongwithawarmththatpulsedbetweenherlegs.Herthighsshook

andherbreathscameoutshortandjagged.Ifshelookedaround,she’dbetherasswouldbepinkwith

Gage’spalmprint.Somethingaboutthatwassodirtyanddelicious.

His fingers returned to her, and he groaned. “You are so fucking wet. You like being spanked,

sweetheart?”

“Yes,”shebreathedout.Shewasfindingshelikedalotofthingssheneverknewshewouldbefore

thisweekend. She wishedthere was moretime to explore thingsshe’d been missingout on when it

cametoaman’stouch.Gage’stouch.

Againhishandbitintoherass,andsheletoutamoan.Painmixedwithsharppleasurethatradiated

throughherbones.

Sheturnedaroundtolookathim.Heatflamedinhiseyes,andhistongueslidacrosshisbottomlip.

Shecouldn’ttakeitanymore.Sheneededhim.Insideher.Fillingher.Dominatingher.

“Please.Ineedyou,”shewhimpered.Thespacebetweenherthighsthrobbedforhim,almosttothe

pointofbeingpainful.

“SoI’mallowedtohelpaladyindistressnow?”Asmirkcrossedhissmugface.Whatwasitabout

him that was so damn charming that instead of wanting to smack him, she wanted to bend over

farther? She was far worse off than originally thought. This connection she held with him—it hit

deeperthanjustasexuallevel.Somethingshe’dbeeninsearchofforsolong.Andhereitwasinthe

formofGage.

“Justthisonce,”sheamended.Ugh,couldshesoundanymoredesperate?Butthat’swhathedidto

her—madeherfeeldesperateinawaythatcouldonlyberemediedbyhim.

Gagestoodandpulledouthiswalletandextractedacondom.Withinseconds,hewasprotectedand

slid back up to Abby. His erection slicked across her center, and it was a minor miracle she kept

upright.Everything—thefeelofGage’sweightpushedagainsther,thewallofmusclesherbodywas

pressedupagainst,thewayhisstubblegrazedalongherneck—itallsentherintoaspiral.

With that, he guided his cock between her thighs, and she pressed her head against the concrete,

unabletoholdbackathroatymoan.

“Fuck, you feel so right, Abby,” he growled. His fingers dug into her flesh and each time he

rammed into her, she lost her breath a little more. She didn’t know if it was because he’d used her

actual name, or the fact that this new angle was hitting just the right spot, or maybe it was a

combinationofthings,butthiswasit—sheknewshe’dberuinedforeverforothermen.DamnGage

and his rough, calloused hands that fit perfectly around her waist. Damn it all to hell. She was so

fucked.Literallyandfiguratively.

“Oh,Gage,”shecriedoutashefilledher.Hiswordscouldn’thavebeentruer.Thisfeltright.She

neverwantedthisbubbleofparadisetoend.

Hishandsslidupherstomach,palmingherbreasts,hisfingersfindingtheirwaytohernipples.He

rubbedthemslowly,circlingthesensitivebuds,movingatthesametempoashepumpedinandoutof

her.Itwasmaddening.Hersexpulsedagainsthimashetookherhigher.Shesqueezedhereyesshut

asshepushedagainsthim,seekingthereleasethatwasabouttohurtlethroughherlikeatidalwave.

Justasshewasabouttoletgoandgiveintoherclimax,Gage’shandsleftherchestandhepulled

out. He flipped her around and regarded her with those intense honey eyes, his hands gripping her

shoulders.“Ineedtoseeyourfacewhenyouscreammyname.”Andwiththat,heswoopedhishands

underherass,andshewrappedherlegsaroundhiswaistasherepositionedhimselfinsideofher.

Lips pressed against lips, hands tangled in each other ’s hair, and Abby didn’t know where her

breathbeganandGage’sended.Concretedugintoherasseachtimehepoundedherintothewall,and

theslappingofskinechoedinthestairwell.

“I can’t get enough of you.” His voice was strained and sounded as desperate as she felt. She

couldn’tgetenoughofhim,either.Whentomorrowcame,they’dbeleavingintwoseparateplanes

headedtodifferentpartsofthecountry.Thiscouldn’tbeit.Itjustcouldn’t.

ChapterEleven

Bythetimetheymadeitbacktothepenthouse,Abby’slegsfeltasiftheyweremadeofgelatin,and

shehadastupidsmileslappedonherface.Gagehadheldherhandtheentirewayup,fingerslaced

togetherashecarriedherpiggybackupthelastofthestairs,andhadn’tletgosincetheywalkedback

intothesuite.NotbeingabletotaketheflightbacktoL.A.andresumeworkatYellowRaftshould

haveleftherinasourmood,butifanything,shefeltlighterthanshehadinyears.

Theycollapsedonthecouchinasateddaze,Abby’sheadrestingonhischest.Sheabsentmindedly

traced circles across his pecs, enjoying the warmth, the utter bliss she felt with his arms wrapped

aroundherwaist.

“Well,boss,whatshouldwedo?”sheasked.

“Let’scheckoutthathottubonthedeck.Icouldusealittlerestandrelaxationforafewminutes.”

Heshotalazysmileinherdirection.

“Ididn’tbringabathingsuit.”

“Didn’t,either.”

Shenodded.Okay.Skinny-dippingshouldseemlikeasmallconcessionwhenshejustfuckedadude

inahotelstairwell.Plus,he’dbeenupcloseandpersonalwitheveryinchofher.Itwasn’tlikehe’d

suddenlychangehismindaboutherafterwhattheyjustdid.

Hepushedoffthecouchandpulledhisshirtoverhishead,exposingeveryinchoftautskin.The

musclesinherbellyclenched.Thelikelihoodofhertiringofthissighthoveredbetweennever and

whenhellfrozeover.

Hershakyfingerspulledatthewaistofherskirt,andshesteppedoutofitasitpooledonthefloor.

Gah.Whatwaswithallthenerves?

He’s seen you naked. Pull an Elsa and just Let it Go. Right. He’d treated her like a goddamn sex

goddess—mightaswellfaketheconfidenceofone.Shewastotallygoingtorockskinny-dippingina

hottub.

Beforeshecouldthinktoohard,sheremovedtherestofherclothesandfollowedGageoutonto

theblusterycoldveranda.Andimmediatelyregrettedthedecisiontodisrobebeforesteppingoutside.

“Fuck,it’scold.”Gagequicklyopenedthelidofthehottubandpushedittotheground.“Upyougo

beforeyoufreeze.”HegrabbedAbbybythewaistandliftedherintothehottub.Hotwaterlickedat

hergoose-bumpedflesh.

Shedidn’tbothermakingabigdealaboutbeingpickedup.She’dspentsolongfendingforherself

thatitwasnicetobetakencareofforonce.“Thanks.”

Gagehoppedinwithasurprisingamountofgraceforsuchahulkofaman.Heslidinbesideher,

andhishandimmediatelyfoundherthigh.Herstomachcoiledfromthetouch.She’dneverdescribe

herself as the touchy-feely type, but maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe it just took the right man to

bringoutthisneed.

“Thisissomuchbetterthanwork.”Shesighedandrestedherheadagainstthebackofthehottub,

hermusclesincompletenirvana.

“Agreed.”

She shifted to look at him, at the way his eyelashes fanned over the tops of his cheeks. It was an

obvious fact that she could never tire of looking at his face. Chiseled, stubbled perfection. “You

alwayswanttobeanairmarshal?”

“I was in the military before. Decided I wanted something a little less stressful after one of my

tours.”Theroughpadsofhisfingersskatedacrossherskin.Herconcentrationwenttoabsoluteshit

wheneverhishandswereonher.

“Whataboutyou?Alwayswantedtobeasetscout?”

She nodded. “Not set scout, but definitely in the film industry. It incorporates my two favorite

things:moviesandtraveling.”Evenifshehatedthewholeflyingthing.

“Soundslikeatoughbusiness.Youhaveafavoritemoviegenreyouliketoscoutfor?”

“It’satossupbetweenhorror,western,orsci-fi.”

“Eclectictaste.Ilikeit.”Hecontinuedmassagingherthigh,andittookeveryounceofenergyto

keephermindontheconversation.

“Three things you’d bring with you on a deserted island.” She always found it interesting what

peoplechose.Itsaidalotaboutsomeone.

“Besidesaboatorahelicopter?”

Shelookedathim.

Hesmirked.“Okay,fine.Araincatcher,matches,andatent.”

“Allverypractical.”Exactlywhatshe’dexpectfromhim.Logical,straighttothepoint,alwaysgot

whathewanted.Seemedlikeheknewexactlywhathewantedassoonashesatdownnexttoheronthe

flighttoNewYork.Andlookwhereshewasnow.Inahottub.Naked.

“Tenyearsintheservicewilldothattoaman.”

“Doyoumissit?”ShelikedthissideofGage,likedgettingtoknowhimmore.Thesexwasmind-

blowing,forsure,butitwasalwaysnicetobeabletocarryonaconversationwithsomeone.

“What?Themilitary?”

Shenodded.Itwasaclosecallwithwhichwashotter—himasanairmarshalorhiminBDUs.

“No.Ididmytime,andbecominganairmarshalwasanicechangeofpace.Travelalotmore,but

overalllessstressful.”

Withhowoftenshetraveled,shewonderedifhe’deverbeenonaflightwithherbefore.Thechance

ofthatwasprettyslim,sincetherewerethousandsofflightseveryday.Woulditeverhappenagain?

Shehopedtohellitwould.Afterall,shewaslivinginafantasyworldthisweekend,sowhycouldn’t

shefantasizeaboutmeetingupwithhimsometimeinthefuture?Yep,shewasofficiallydelusional.

Thatdidn’t stop herfrom wanting toslam the metaphorical brakeson this weekendand live in this

momentforabitlonger.

“Whataboutyou?Whatwouldyoubringonadesertedisland?”

“First off, I’m the first to admit—zombies? Give me a machete. Island? Give me a couple days

beforeIgoinsane.”Shesmiledathim.“I’dbringmyfavoritebook,saltedcaramel,andmyiPad.”

“ThosearethemostimpracticalthingsI’veheard.”

“Neversaidithadtobepractical.JusthastogetmethroughacoupledaysuntilIwitherawayfrom

toomuchsunandimpendinginsanity.”

Hislowchucklevibratedthroughherchest.

“Oh,andsushi.Becausewhythehellnot?”

Gageshuddered.“I’llpassonthat.”

“Excuseme.Sushimakesanexcellentmeal.”

“Maybeifyoudon’thaveaheatsourceandaredesperate.WhichIguessonadesertedislandyou

wouldbe.”

“It’smygo-tofood.”Infact,thefirstplaceshe’dbestoppingafterherflighthomewasSushiMio.

Stress-eatingherfeelingsseemedlikeanappropriatewaytofilltheGagevoid.

Heblanched.

“Fine.Whatdoyoudeemasanappropriatefood?”

“Cornbread?Friedchicken?Grits?”

Yuck.Grits?Wasn’tthatlikeoatmealbut…grittier?Yeah,shedidn’tunderstandthatsouthernstaple

onebit.“Youlostmeatgrits.”

“Oh,sweetheart,you’dlikemygrits.”

Shehadnodoubtshe’dlikeanythingthismandishedup.Hecouldmakeherburnedtoast,andshe’d

still eat it with a smile on her face. The lucky woman who ended up with this man—who probably

wouldcookbreakfasteverymorning—woulddecidedlyhitthejackpot.“I’dneedalotofconvincing

ofthis.”

“GritsisastaplefoodwhereI’mfrom.”

“Let’sjustagreethatyouropinionhasobviouslybeenwarpedbythatSouthCarolinasun.”

“Isthatso?”

“It’saknownfact.Plus,thatwholesouthernaccentmustaffectyourtastebudsinsomeway,”she

teased.Yeah,right.Theonlythinghisaccentdidwasdampenherpanties.

“Nowyou’rejustaskingforit.”HegrabbedherankleandpulledAbbyintohislap.Shegiggledas

water sloshed out of the hot tub and their skin molded together. His lips swept across hers, and she

waspulledunderhisspelloncemore.Shecouldstayinhereallnight—heck,shecouldstayherefora

year,anditstillwouldn’tbeenoughtimewithhim.Whatwasitthatmadehimdifferent?Sadly,she

wouldn’thavethechancetofindout.

But she wouldn’t let that thought ruin the remaining hours they had. Even when they weren’t

connectedinthemostintimateofways,justbeingwithGagehadacalmingeffectonher.

Thenexthourwasspentwithlazykisses,wanderingfingers,andthegeneralsatisfactionoflaying

againstGage’schest.

After changing into sweats, they wandered back into the living room and plopped down in the

cornerofthecouch.

“IsayweseewhattheWinchesterhasforacableplan,”hesaid,brushingastrandofhairthathad

fallenonhercheekbehindherear.

“It’sahotel,soprobablycrappyrerunsandbasiccable.”

Gage arched a brow. “How many hotels do you know that would skimp on cable if they had

customerspayingforabasketballcourtontheroofoftheirpenthouse?”

She nodded and smiled, pressing her nose into his shirt. Inhaling deeply, she put his scent to

memory—body wash, laundry detergent, the hint of his cologne, and something that could only be

describedasundeniablymale.“Goodpoint.”

Gagereachedfortheremoteandclickediton.Anactionmovieblaredthroughthesurroundsound

system,andheworkedatloweringthevolume.“Whatareyouinthemoodfor?”

“Let’sjustflipthroughandsee?Maybethere’sagoodhorrorflickon.”Honestly,theshowdidn’t

matter.Allshewantedtodowasenjoytheselastfewhours,getlostinGageandhiswarmthandthe

wayhemadeherfeel.Sheclosedhereyesandcontinuedtracingherfingersoverhischestanddown

hisarms.Therewouldnotbeoneinchthatshewouldn’tknowbyheart.Maybesheshouldinvestina

bodypillow.Therehadtobesomethingforsinglepeople—aBuild-A-Boyfriend.Butevenapillow

wouldn’tbeabletoreplicateeverydipandswellofhismuscles,thewarmthofhisskin,thewayhis

voicevibratedagainstherear.

Her eyes shot open, and a zip of panic speared at her gut. Um, holy shit. How did she go from

totally unattached and definitely not looking, to contemplating where to make a life-size pillow

replica of Gage? Yep, that dangerous thought was being stuffed back down into the depths of not

happeningagain.

“Awomanaftermyownheart.”

Her pulse beat at the pace of hummingbird wings upon hearing this. Damn Gage and his

wonderfullytalentedmouth…andtongue…

Howwasshesupposedtogobacktoallthoseguyswhogavehersubparsexandone-eighthofan

orgasm.Hell,asneezegotherclosertoclimaxthansomeofthoseduds.

Okay,youneedtoplayitcool.You’vegotthisone-nightstandthingonlockdown.

Right. That needed to play on a loop in her mind. She’d better carpe as much damn diem as

possible,becausecometomorrow,she’dbelivinginempty-bedpurgatoryfortheforeseeablefuture.

“Youdothecooking,andI’llpicktheentertainment.Thissoundslikeanawesomearrangement.”

“Aslongassomeoftheentertainmenthastodowiththebedroom,I’mallforthat.”

Shesmirkedupathim.Theireyesmet,andtheverycenterofherheartmelted.Gagewassomuch

different than any other guy she’d met. He was multifaceted like a rare diamond. He was kind and

sweet,butinthebedroomheturnedintosomethingthatshe’dneverexperiencedbefore,something

thatmadeheractuallywanttohavesex,andmorethanherscheduledtime.Infact,shehadn’tthought

aboutherscheduleallweekend—andthatneverhappened.Thatwasit—sexschedulewasgoinginthe

trash.Becauseifthiswaswhatshewasmissingalltheseyears,shewantedtomakeupforlosttime.

SheglancedbacktotheTVandsmiled.

“Iknowit’snotahorrorfilm,buthowaboutBlazingSaddles?”

“Isthatevenaquestion?It’saclassic,”hesaid.

Theysettledinandtheopeningcreditsranalongthescreen.Normallyshehatedwhenpeopletalked

duringmovies,butshecouldn’tpassupthisopportunity,notwhentheclockwastickingdown,and

shehadapproximatelytenmorehoursuntiltheypartedways.“Gage?”

Helookeddownfromthemovie,andhisbrowscreasedtogether.“What’sup?”

“Thanksforthis.Ineededthisweekend.MorethanIknew.”Gagehadofficiallyruinedher.

Alazygrinetchedhisfaceandlitafireunderherskin.“BestweekendI’vehadinyears.”

Sheleanedintohim,herheadrestingonhisshoulder.“It’sgoingtosuckgoingbacktorealityon

Monday.”

“Same.”Hisfingersskimmedalongherarm.“SomehowIdon’tthinkanyofmyotherflightswill

benearlyasexciting.”

“Maybeyou’llhaveanotherLesMiserableslover.”

“Shit,Ihopenot.I’dmuchratherhaveyouinthattinypencilskirt.”Thescruffonhischingrazed

hercheekashewhisperedinherear.“Withyourpantiesgettingsoakingwetwhilewatchingporn.”

Hisfingersworkedunderthebandonhersweatsandfoundtheirwaytoherthong.Theyteasedalong

theedgeofthelace,hisindexfingerbarelygrazingoverherclit.

Okay,sothemoviehadbeenhot,butthatwasn’tthereasonAbbyhadbeenwetontheplane.No,that

wasallGageandhisgravellyvoiceandinhibition-meltinggaze.“Itwassonotporn.”

Heshiftedhisgazetoher.

“Okay,soitwasprettymuchporn.”

Shesmiledtoherself.Gagecalleditlikeitwas.Sheadmiredthemanfornotholdingback.God,

whydidithavetosucksomuchthatthiswastheirlastnighttogether?She’donlyknownhimforty-

eighthours.Thisshouldn’tbesohard,andyet,shewantedtoseehimagain.

“Notevengoodporn,”headded.“IwishIhadmoretimewithyou.Showyouhowfuckinggoodit

canbe.”Withthat,hepushedherdownontothecouchandmadequickworkatremovingherpants.

ShespreadherlegsandGagewasonher,kissingherneck,nippingathersensitiveflesh,grinding

againstherclit.“IfyoulivedinCharleston,yoursweetlittlepussywouldbemineeverynight.”

“Every night? I think I’d die from exhaustion.” She panted, slipping her hands under his shirt,

rakingherhandsoverhisback,memorizingthewayhisskinfeltunderherfingertips.

“Every.Night.”Hekissedhiswaydowntheflatofherstomach.Abbysuckedabreaththroughher

teethasGageslidoffherpantiesandplantedkissesalongtheinsideofherthighs,workinghisway

uptohersex.Darklashesfannedagainsthisfaceashelookedupather.“Unlessyouwouldn’twant

this.Inthatcase,maybeIshouldjuststopnow.”

He moved to sit back up and she dug her fingers into his shoulders and pushed him back down.

“No, no. I think I may have changed my mind.” Every night. Yup. She could definitely go for this

everygoddamnnightoftheweekwithoutevenblinkinganeye.

“Idon’tminddoingsomemorepersuading.”Histongueteasedaroundtheedgeofherpussy,and

her hips bucked beneath his touch. When his tongue finally met her clit, a groan ripped from her

mouth,herinsidesmeltingquickerthaniceintheCaliforniasun.

His scruff dragged along her skin. “Damn, Abby, I don’t think anyone is as sexy as you when

you’returnedon.”Hesuckedherclitintohismouth,andherhipslevitatedoffthecouch.

Beforesheknewit,Gagewasrummagingthroughhispantsforacondom,andwithinsecondswas

backontopofher.Hethrustintoherwhileworkinghisthumboverhernipples.

Ashesuckedhersensitivenippleinhismouth,sheknockedherheadbackandgroaned.

“IkeepthinkingeverytimeI’mwithyouisgoingtobethetimewhenI’vehadenough—thatI’ve

hadmyfill—butit’stheexactopposite.Ineedyou,Abby.”

Herwholedamnbodytingledinresponsetohiswords.Holywow.Didpeopleinreallifeactually

saythisstuff?Apparently,becauseitcameoutofGage’smouth.

Their bodies connected on the deepest of levels. Her fingers dug into the muscles of his flexed

shoulders, sweat slicking their bodies. Just as Abby’s body coasted toward another climax, Gage

grabbedherlegsandthrewthemoverhisshoulders.

Holyhell.Hepoundeddeeper,harder,unrelenting.“I’mgoingtomisstheselegswrappedaround

me.”

“Is that the only thing you’ll miss?” she mused. His fingers kneaded her ass, and a groan spilled

fromhermouth.Dammit,she’dmissherlegswrappedaroundanybitofhisbody.Herthighsshook

andawarmthwashedoverherashedroveevendeeperintoher.

“IcouldmakeagoddamnlistofeverythingI’llmiss.Yourlipsonme,thoselittlesoundsthatcome

from your mouth when I make you squirm, how you come off all uptight, but you’re a damn dirty

girl.Itdrivesmeinsaneknowingsomeotherguywillgettoseethissideofyou.”Hethrustintoher,

pinning her hands above her head. “You may be leaving tomorrow, but you’re sure as hell mine

tonight.”

Andwiththat,shefellapart,shatteredintoamilliontinypieces,withGagefindinghisreleaseon

thetailendofhers.Howcouldsomeonebesointunetoher,knowexactlywhatbuttonstopress?

They lay there in a tangled heap of limbs, uncaught breaths, and a sense that they really got each

otheronadeeperlevel.

Thisguywasgood.Itmadeherwonderwhyhewassingle,becausewiththatsweetbutdefinitely

outdatedchivalrousattitude,chiseledjaw,thatbroadchest,andthat…underneathhisjeans,hewasn’t

someone you just let go. He was keeper material, and Abby was lucky enough to have two nights,

evenifshehadtoadmitshe’dwishedforafewmore.Alotmore.

She stopped that thought process and focused on the television, because, really? Abby? In a

relationship?Um,yeah,no.Shecouldn’tevenkeepahouseplantalive.Fosteringfeelingsforanother

humanbeing?Notachanceinhell.Hercoworkerswouldprobablykeeloverfromshockthatshe’d

spenttheweekendhavingfun.

Fun time was almost over, though. She didn’t have time for it—not with the months of cutthroat

competition for that raise ahead of her. These two days had been a fluke, maybe an act of God to

restoreherfaithinmen.TherealworldwouldslapherinthefaceonceherborrowedJimmyChoos

steppedontothegangwayatLAX.She’dhaveemailstocatchupon,propmakerstocall,herbossto

appease.So,ifshewassmart,whichherdegreefromStanfordindicated,thenshe’dbettershovethose

thoughtsintothedepthsofhermindandjustenjoytheride.Metaphoricallyandphysically.

…

GageshiftedonthecouchtofaceAbby.ThecoolHollywoodexteriorhadlongsincefaded,andhe

wasgettingaglimpseofsomeonewhoseemedrealandvulnerable—atleastasvulnerableasAbby

wouldeverappear.

“Doyouthinkyou’llalwaysstayontheWestCoast?”Whythehellwasheaskingthis?Ofcourse

she’dstaythere—thatwaswhereherjobwas.Hedidn’tevenwanttoconsiderwhythatquestionhad

poppedintohishead,becausethatwouldmeanadmittingthistwo-nightstandwasabouttoruinhim.

Her eyes focused sharply on his, no longer glassed over. “Yeah. It’s where all the production

studiosare.Can’treallymoveawayfromthat.”

Henodded,ignoringthesinkingsensationinhisgut.Whatthehellwasgettingintohim?Maybeit

wasallthechampagneandsugaryfood.“Fairenough.”

“Areyougoingtobeadamsel-in-distress-savingSouthCarolinamanforever?”

“Planning on it. It’s where my family is. That’s number one to me, even if I’m a crappy son and

uncleatthemoment.”Emily’sgap-toothed,smilingfaceenteredhismind.Allthosebillsforhernew

school. His mom and Jill. Could he ever leave them? Even pondering it for a second gutted his

insides.No,hecouldneverdothat.Notwithaclearconscience.

“Ifthey’reaslovingasyousaytheyare,thenIthinkyou’dhavetodoalotmorethantravelfor

workforthemtothinkyou’recrappy.”

Hedidn’twanttotellherthatitbrokehisfuckinghearttoseehislittleniececryeverytimeheleft,

becauseshewouldn’tseehimforafewweeks.Orthefactthatitwasgettingharderwithhismama

pushing girls on him. It was getting old, and if he were honest with himself, he was in need of a

change.Whatthechangewas,hedidn’tquiteknow,butafterthepasttwonightswithAbby,hesureas

hellcouldn’t settle downwith a sweetas sugar southern belle.They’d scoff athim in the bedroom,

shuthim out ifhe tried anythingthat he’d just donewith Abby. Theydefinitely wouldn’t even think

aboutfuckinginahotelstairwell.

They continued watching the movie, and Gage wrapped his arm around Abby. What a fucking

alternativedimension,beinginoneofthemostglamorouspenthousesinthenationwiththehottest

womanhe’deverlaideyeson.Whenhefinallydidhavetimetogethisshittogether,wouldhefinda

womanlikeher?Therehadtobemoreoutthere,right?OrmaybeAbbywasananomaly.Heneeded

to stop getting so far in his head. It would only get him into trouble—mainly by getting a certain

organinvolved,andhedefinitelydidnotneedthatrightnow.

Sheslidherhandoverhischestandasked,“What’sgotyousoquiet?”

“Justenjoyingthemovie.”Hedecidedtobypassthequestion,sincethelastthinghewantedwasto

dragherintothisweirdspiralofemotionthathadhithimasfastandfiercelyastheblizzardoutside.

He got off the couch and eyed the closest plausible distraction. “Want some cocoa? I thought I saw

someinthekitchen.”

Sheglancedupathim,thoseclearblueeyessearchinghis,anditlookedlikeshemightpressthe

matter,butthendecidednotto.“Sure.”Asmiletwitchedatthecornersofherlips.Theyweredoing

this weird dance of emotions. Only a few more hours left together, and he could tell reality was

sinkinginforher,too.Therealitywasitfuckingsucked.

Thatwasit.Hewasdonepoutinglikeadamnteenager.Twonightswasmorethanhedeservedwith

this bombshell, and he was lucky to get to know her. Very intimately. A few minutes later, he came

backbrandishingclearcrystalmugsfilledtothebrimwithhotchocolate.He’devenfoundapackage

ofmarshmallowsinthecupboardandloadedthetopsuntilhecouldnolongerseetheliquidbeneath.

Nomorethanfiveminuteshadpassed,andshe’dalreadybroughtoutherlaptop,hernailsclicking

awayatthekeysasshetypedoutanemail.Andhethoughthewasaworkaholic.

Gagesatdownbesideher,proppinghisfeetonthetuftedottoman,grippingbothmugsinhishands.

“You sure know how to make a mean mug of cocoa,” she said as Gage handed her the cup. “I’ll

makesuretosendthemedicalbillsyourwayonceIbecomeadiabetic.”

“Havetoenjoythefinerthingsinlifeonceinawhile.”

“So you keep saying.” She took a sip of cocoa and gave a contented groan. “I think I’ve enjoyed

myselfquiteabitthesepastcoupledays.MorethanIdeserve.”Shefrownedandtookanothersipof

herdrink.

Heraisedabrow.“Youdeservethatallthetime.”Hewantedtoaddthatshe’dfinditsomedaywith

someotherman,butthethoughtmadehimwanttodropkickaguywhowasn’teveninthepictureyet.

Whythehellwashegettinghisballsinatwist?Shewasatwo-nightstand—thatwasit.Sheneeded

someonewhocoulddevotetimetoher,whichhedidn’thave.

“IwishIcoulddedicateallmytimetothebedroom.”Shesmiledupathimthroughhoodedeyes.

“Unfortunately,I’mtoobusyforthat.Plus,Ishouldreallyberesearchingformynextset.”

Hestoppedherhandasshereachedforherlaptop.“Letitgo.Fortonight.Youdeservesometime

off.”Withthat,hepushedoffthecouchandpulledhertoherfeet,leadinghertothepanoramicview

ofthecityblanketedinsnow.“Takeafewminutes,lookattheskyscrapers.Loosenupalittle,likeyou

didinthestairwell.Andinthebathtub.Andthebedroom,”hegrowled.

Sheshookherheadandlaughed.“Youarehorribleformyproductivity,youknowthat?I’dbeMC

HammerbrokeifyouwereontheWestCoast.”

“Mmm,butyou’dbeahappybroke.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think I’d be too happy if I was living on the streets. I tend to like things like

runningwater,food,andelectricity.”

“Verytrue.It’sprobablygoodwe’regoingourseparatewaystomorrow.”

Shefrowned.“NotthewordIwoulduse.”

Shetookanotherswipeatherear.Thissubconsciousgestureseemedtooccurmorenowthatshe’d

losttheotherearring.Hewantedtoknowwhatsignificancetheyheldforher,butdidn’tfeelitwashis

place to pry. “Although, I think I’ll definitely be working on my time management skills when it

comestorelationships.”

It’slikesherippedhiswordsrightfromhischest.Shit,hedidn’thavetimeforrelationships,either.

MaybeheneededtoreevaluateoncehegotbacktoCharleston.SomethingaboutAbby’spenchantfor

rules,thepassionthatradiatedfromeverydamninchofherskin,didsomethingtounfurlhisown.

“I’mgladmypowersofpersuasionworkedonyouintheairplane.Wouldbeashameforyouto

travelbacktoCaliforniaunsatisfied.”

“Yourpowersofpersuasiondamnnearkilledmethisweekend.Seriously,doyouhaveawellthat

youtapintoforexcessenergy?Ineedtolearnyourways.”

“Beingaroundyoudoesthattome.”

Abby burst out laughing. “Mr. Michaels, you are an endless supply of great lines.” She paused to

takeasipofhercocoa.“Andifitcamefromanyoneelsebutyou,Imightthrowmydrinkintheir

face.”

“Rightlyso,”heagreed.“ButIthinkyouneedtohavemoretrustinmen.Especiallyoneswholove

westernsandmakingsnowangels.”

“I’ll make sure to do that when the opportunity arises again.” And with that, a fleeting look of

sadnesscrossedherface,butitwasquicklyreplacedwithasmile.

“Damn,Iwishwehadmoretime.”

“Ihavealotofwishesatthemoment,”shesaid.

“Yeah?”Gagecaughtherreflectionintheglassandsmiled.

“Mmhmm. Like, that this weekend would last longer. Or maybe that I could spend an entire year

travelingtheworld,”shesaid.

Hequirkedhisbrow,rememberingjusthowwellshetraveledonanaircraft.

“Okay,notthetravelingpart,”sheadmitted,“butthedestinations.Somethingaboutgoingdifferent

places, seeing gorgeous scenery, houses I could never dream to afford.” She motioned to her

surroundings.“Igettodothisforaliving,andeverydayisanewadventure,butIalsowanttoseethe

simplerparts.Theordinary,everydaymomentsthataremagical.”

Therewassomuchpassioninherresponse.Hereyeslitup,andherspeechpickedup.“AndonceI

getthepromotion—”Shepaused.“IfIgetthepromotion,thenI’llfinallyhavesomemorefreedom

aboutthesetswepick,theplacesIgo.”

“Thenpromiseittoyourself.Putitinwriting.”Hefilledhislungswithadeepbreathandleanedin

close to the window, expelling his breath onto the glass. When a fog had collected, he took Abby’s

handandguidedittothewindow.“Here.Writeitrighthere.”

Shegiggledandstartedtoprotest,butheheldherhandthere,notrelenting.

Withherindexfingerbetweenhismiddlefingerandthumb,hehelpedwriteout:I, Abby Winters,

promisetobetruetomywishes.

“Thisissilly,”shesaid,stilllaughing.

“Idon’tdoubtyouwillgetthatraise.Notforadamnsecond.I’veknownyoufortwodaysandcan

tellyourbosswouldmakethebiggestmistakeofhislifeifhedidn’tgiveittoyou.”

“Iappreciateyourfaithinme.Butmycoworkerjustmightgetit.Ittendstobethegoodol’boys

clubatmyoffice,andevenifIammoreexperienced,itmightnotmakeadifference.Ithinkmyluck

haswornout.”Shetookanotherabsentmindedswipeatherear.

Gage clenched his jaw and gripped his coffee mug. What kind of world did he live in where a

capable,well-educatedwomanstillhadtostrugglewiththis?WhatdidthatmeanforEmilywhenshe

wasfinallyoldenoughtowork?Thethoughtmadehimsick.Thattheeliteeducationwouldn’tmean

shitbecauseshedidn’thaveapenis.

Andwhatwasthiswholethingaboutluck?Whatdidthathavetodowiththehardworkshe’dput

in?“Isthisaboutthefour-leafcloverearring?”

Helookedatherreflectionontheglassasherlipscurledintoafrown.Shit.He’dstruckachord

withthatone.Butitwashardnottonoticewhenshe’dfingeredthefleshylobeofherearallnight.

Sheletoutadeepbreathandsaid,“Yes.Itwasapresentfrommydad.Mylastgiftfromhim.”

Well,fuck.Hedidn’tknowtheywereagiftfromherdeadfather.Waytoruinthemood,shithead.

“I’msosorry.Wecansearchforitagainifyouwant.”

“Ialreadydid.It’snothere.”Sheletoutasighandstaredattheviewofthecity,thecornersofher

mouth pinching together. “It feels like I lost a part of him, honestly. I know it’s just a material

possession,butitwasallIhad.”

Hewrappedaprotectivearmaroundher,eventhoughhecouldn’tshieldherfromthiskindofpain.

Sheleanedagainsthim,andwordspouredout,aboutafire,andhowherdadhadgottenbothherand

hersisterEllaoutofthehousebutapieceofceilinghadfallendownonhimwhenhewenttosave

theirdog.They’dlosteverythinginthatfire.Theonlyreasonshehadtheearringswasbecauseshe’d

wornthemtobedthatnight.Shehadn’ttakenthemoffsince.

AndnowalumpwasinGage’sthroat.He’dgiveanythingtotakethebruntofherpain.Totakethe

sadness out of her eyes. “I wish there was some way we could get it back. I can put a call in to the

airline to see if they have it in lost and found.” Maybe the first class flight attendants picked it up.

Therewasalwaysachance.

Sheletoutaheavysigh.“It’sokay.I’llfindsomethingtoreplaceit.”Sheunhookedhisarmfrom

herwaistandgaveasadsmile.“I’llberightback,okay?”

Henodded,notsurewhattosayexcept,“Ineedtogomakeacall.I’llbeoutinthehallifyouneed

me.”Hefiguredhe’dgiveherafewminutestogetherthoughtstogether.Italwaystookhimalittlebit

wheneverhethoughtabouthisbuddiesfromhistourinIraq.Atleasthehadhisfamilytofallbackon

when he was feeling shitty. From what she said, she didn’t seem like she really had a good support

systeminCalifornia.Maybe,justmaybe,hecouldstackhisscheduletoflyouttotheWestCoastto

checkuponheronceinawhile…

Stopthinkinglikethat,asshole.Haditreallybeensolongsincehe’dbeenwithsomeonethathewas

startingtogetclingy?Hellno.Hewouldbecompletelyunaffectedwhenhehadtoleavetomorrow.

Evenifhewishedthisweekendwouldneverend.

ChapterTwelve

Gage closed the door behind him and continued into the hallway to call his family. He was on a

goddamnmissiontotellhismomthathewasnolongerparticipatinginherblinddatehijinks.Ifhe

learned anything from this weekend, it was that he was meeting all the wrong girls. All except for

Abby.

Hisgutclenchedatthethoughtofherfamilybeingrippedapartwhenshewassoyoung,something

he’dneverevenbegintounderstand.

Scrubbing his hands over his face, he tried to shake off the melancholy feeling that trickled in,

souring the good mood. When he finished his call, he’d find some way to cheer her up. He didn’t

really have much to offer besides his arms to wrap around her. She needed more than just the

physical,though,andhewantedsobadlytogiveittoher.

He shook his head. He needed to stop thinking like that. At least he had one more night with her.

One more night to chill on the couch with her—something he hadn’t done since he’d actually

consideredhavinggirlfriends.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket as he reached the elevator, and frowned at the five missed

calls he’d received since they’d been back at the penthouse, two from Jill and three from his mom.

Whatthehell?Hedialedhisvoicemailandputhisphonetohisear.

“Gage,I’msureMamaisgoingtotalkyourearoff,soIhopeI’mnottoolate.Vanessaispregnant.

Wantedyoutohearitfrommebeforeyougotthethirddegreeaboutbabymakingandallthatshit.”

His phone dropped to his side, and he stared at his reflection in the mirror in the hallway. What.

The.Fuck.Vanessawaspregnant?

Wow.Vanessa.Thepersonhe’dsharedhisbedwithforfiveyears.Havingafuckingbaby.

Hewastrulyhappyforher.Hisfeelingsforherwerelonggone,withthehelpoftimeandastring

ofotherwomeninherwake.Butlookathernow.Shewasstartingafamily.Itcouldhavebeenhim.If

hehadn’tchosenhisjoboverher.Itcouldhavebeentheirbaby.Instead,itwashisbestfriend’skid.

Withthepersonhewassupposedtomarry.Hewassuddenlyfeelinglikethiswholebachelorlifewas

for the birds. He was thirty-fucking-two. Everyone around him was having kids. And what was he

doing?Hewastoobusyworkingtoevenattemptarelationship.Hell,atwo-nightstandwasastretch.

He pulled the phone back up to his ear and listened to the next couple messages. Just as Jill had

promised, it was his mother, laying on the guilt about not producing a grandchild for her yet. He

rolledhiseyes.

Hecouldpracticallyhearthedesperationinhervoice.Shewantedmoregrandbabies.But,fuck,a

kid? Gage didn’t even have time for a puppy. He didn’t even have time for a dating life. His work

neededtosettledownbeforehecouldeventhinkaboutthat.Andyet,deepdown,heknewhewanted

onesomeday.

Hemadehiswayfartherdownthehallway,tookaseatinthesittingarea,andcalledhismom.She

pickeduponthethirdring.“Well,ifitisn’tmyfavoriteson.”

“I’myouronlyson.”Hesmiledtightly.EvenifhewasstillinshockaboutthenewsaboutVanessa,

hismomcouldalwaysteaseoutasmilefromhim.

Hepeeredoutside,anditseemedlikethesnowhadstopped.Therewasafightingchanceallflights

wouldbeontimetomorrow.

“Thatdoesn’tmeanyouhavetobemyfavorite.Didyougetmyvoicemail?”

“Igotallthree.Andyourtexts.”

Aheavysighhuffedinhisear.Shedidn’tbothertohideherdisappointmentthatthebabywasn’this.

“Iwasthinkingifwedidtwodinnersaweek,youhaveabetterchanceatmeetingsomeone.You’re

notgettinganyyounger,youknow.”

“Mom.We’vebeenoverthis.Iappreciatetheoffer,butI’dliketofindmyownwoman.Onmyown

time.”Evenashesaidit,hewonderedwhattime?He’dfoundawomanhewasinterestedin,butagain

hisjobgotintheway.Nottomentiondistance.

“Soyou’llmeetsomeoneinanairport,”shedeadpanned.“YouknowhowIfeelaboutthoseflight

attendants.”Shewentontotellhimeveryopinionthatshe’deverformedaboutthatprofession.

Hereallydidn’tneedthisrightnow.Notwhenthenewshadthrownhimoffhisgame.Hedecidedto

go the coward’s route. He made a static noise and then said, “I—hu—I think you’re breaking up.

Mom?Mom?”Andthenheturnedhisphoneoff,justtomakesurehewouldn’thavetodealwiththat

fortherestofthenight.

Right.Thatwasrealmature.Heknockedhisheadagainstthehigh-backedchairandtriedtofocus

onsomethingelse.Anythingelse.Butallhecouldthinkaboutwaspeoplehisageweresettlingdown

andcreatingfamilies.

Enough of the fucking wallowing. He’d get back to Abby and enjoy the remainder of the night.

Hell,he’dgiveherthebestnightever,becausethatwasonethinghecouldensure.

Withthepowerbackoninthebuilding,andtheelevatorsnowworking,hedecidedtotakeatripto

the twenty-four-hour coffee shop downstairs. The doorman had raved about the scones their first

night.Abbylookedlikethetypethatwouldlikeoneofthose.Hell,ifheknewofasushiplacenearby

he’dgethersomeofthatrawfishshit,too,justtocheerherup.

Hepushedoffthechairandmadehiswaydowntothelowerlevel.Thewarmsmellofcinnamon

and coffee wafted out of the shop as he opened the doors. A pretty blonde barista smiled up at him

withglossedruby-redlipsashewalkeduptotheregister.

“WhatcanIgetya?”Ahintofasouthernaccenttangledwithherwords.

“Twolattesandtwopumpkinscones.”

“Greatnightforsomethingtowarmyouup.”Sheliftedasuggestivebrow.

Normallyhewasalloverflirtingwithhotwomen,butshedidnothingforhim.No,hewasn’teven

remotelyinterestedinthebaristabecauseallhecouldthinkaboutwasgettingbacktothepenthouse

andbacktoAbby.

Shit.Hadsheruinedhimforeveryothergirl?Whataridiculousthought.Justbecausehehadsex

withherahandfuloftimesdidnotmeanthathehaddevelopedfeelings.Thiswouldfadeassoonas

heboardedhisflighttomorrow.Hopefully.

…

Abby’sbreathcaughtasGagebreezedthroughthedoorthirtyminuteslater.Hesetdownthecupsand

to-gobagsonthehalltableandunzippedhisjacket.Hisshirtstrainedagainsthismuscularchest,and

Abby momentarily forgot that she was in this weird winter time vortex where she actually got to

spendanentireweekendwiththisman,andshe’djustbaredhersoultohim.

Ithadtakenafewminutes,andapeptalkinthemirror,butshewasfeelingmuchbetter.Backtothe

Abby who was ready to spend her last night with Gage. Then, come tomorrow, she’d return to the

hustleandbustleofherjob,holdingontightlytothesepreciousmemories.

Sheglanceddownatthebag,thearomaofcoffeeandsweetspicesfillingthesuite.“Whatdidyou

bringme?”Eventhoughthey’dhadhotchocolatelessthananhourago,she’dneverturndownahot

beverage,especiallycoffee.

“Alatteandapumpkinscone.”

She groaned. Pumpkin was her favorite. When autumn and winter rolled around, she indulged in

everythingandanythingwiththevegetable.“Thisisperfect.HowdidyouknowI’dlikethis?”

“Youjustseemedlikethetype.”

“Areyouprofilingme?”

Hesmirked,thistimeitwasagenuineone.“Maybe.”

“Andwhatelsedoesyourprofilingsayaboutme?”

“Thatyouprobablyarementallymakingalist,aswespeak,ofthingsyouneedtodotomorrow.”

He lifted another finger. “And that when you’re nervous, you cross and uncross your legs.” His

middle finger lifted. “And that you have a hard time controlling yourself around men you find

attractive.”

Theystartedtomaketheirwaybacktothebedroom.Afterall,itwaswellpasteleven,andwiththe

amount of quality time she’d spent with Gage today, the pedometer on her phone should read well

overtwentythousandsteps.Sheturnedaroundandswattedhiminthechest.“Idonothaveahardtime

controllingmyselfaroundmen.”Shethoughtbacktoherreactiontohimallweekend.“Justcertain

ones.”

“Irestmycase.”Asmugsmileplayedathislips,andhesethiscoffeeonthenightstandandhopped

ontothebed.Heleanedonhispillow,foldinghisarmsbehindhishead.

“Well,Icanprofilepeople,too,youknow.”

“Canyou?DidyoudoFBItraining?”

“No,butIliveinL.A.”Readingpeoplewasanimportantpartofherjob.Likeknowingwhenher

bosswasabouttoblowagasket.OrhowthatgrimaceinJeremy’sfacewasn’tactuallyconstipation,

buthimcontemplatinghistakeoverofthecompany.

“Fairenough.Goahead,sweetheart.Profileaway.”Hemadeagrand,sweepinggesture.

Shetappedherfingerstoherlipsandfeignedthatshewasindeepthought.Really,shethoughtshe

hadthisguypegged.“You’reafamilymanatheartevenifyouplayitofflikeyou’resomelonewolf.

Youhaveasoftspotforwomeninneed.Andthethoughtofleavingtomorrowisdrivingyoucrazy.”

Shepausedandtookasipofherlatte.“HowdidIdo?”

“Ever thought of joining the bureau?” But even as he said it, his gaze darkened, like something

she’dsaidreallyhithard.Maybehewasstillmissinghisfamily.

Hesatonthebed,andthewaythetracklightingarchedaroundthelineofhisjaw,itwaslikehewas

adivineforce.Maybehewas.He’drestoredherfaiththisweekend,somethingshe’dlostsolongago.

AbbyhoppedoffthebedandunearthedherDSLRcamerafromhertravelbag.Itwasjusttoogood

ofashottopassup.

“Whatareyoudoing?”

“Stayrightthere.Thelightingisperfect,”shesaid,snappingapicture.Thiswouldbeforher.To

rememberthebesttwonightsofherlife.

Hesmiledandturnedtoher,givinghistelltaledimpledgrin,andheatunfurledinherstomach.

Sheglanceddownatthescreenofhercamera,atthemusclesofhisarmsbulgingagainstthefabric

of his shirt. She let out a ragged breath as she remembered the muscles in his forearms flexing

togetherashepumpedintoher.Wherethehellwouldshefindamanlikethis?Maybeshecouldput

upacraigslistad:

Seeking:Manwithchiseledfeatures,deepvoice,thatcanfuckmeintonextTuesday.

Um,yeah,shemightgetabunchofweirdmessagesifsheputthat.Let’sfaceit,thiswasitforher.

Attheageoftwenty-fiveshewasofficiallyruined.

Really,sheneededtostopthinkingofhimasgonealready.Shestillhadtonight.

Thetiniestofvoicespipedupinthebackofhermind.Whatifitdidn’thavetobejusttonight?They

both traveled a lot, why couldn’t they meet up at some point? Abby had thousands of airline miles

stackedup—therewasnoreasontheycouldn’tcrosspathsagain.Thatwas,ifhewantedto.

Did she want to? Yes, because not only was Gage sexy as hell, he was also fun. She enjoyed his

company.Theperfecttravelcompanion.Maybeshe’dsuggestthattohimtomorrowmorning.

ChapterThirteen

AbbyabsentmindedlyranherfingersalongeachnotchofGage’sabdomenastheylayinbed.Shewas

teeteringontheedgeofsleep,almostinadreamlikestate.They’dresumedwatchingBlazingSaddles,

andshe’dseenthismoviesomanytimesthatshecouldalmostquoteeveryline.

Theairlineapponherphonepinged,andshelookedatthenotificationonthescreen.“Lookslike

myflightisontimetomorrow,”shesaid.Theimplicationofherstatementsaidmuchmore.Weonly

haveacouplemorehourstogether.Thissucksass.WhothehellcanhookmeupwithHermione’sTime

Turnerwatch?

“Yeah,samewithmine.”Hefrownedandthumbedhisfingeracrosstheremote.

Right. Back to reality tomorrow. God, she was so pissed. She’d been completely cool with her

lacklustersexlifeupuntilthispoint,andGagehadtogoandruinthat.Okay,pissedandruinweren’t

therightwords.Butdamnitalltohellifhersexlifewouldgonextto“buyingbread”inherplanner

anymore.Timetobeproactive.Shewasn’tonetositaroundandidlywatchwhatshewantedflyby.

SherolledtohersidetofaceGage,herpink-paintedtoeswigglingagainstthecool,crispsheets.“I

wasthinking.Maybewecould,youknow,meetupeveryonceinawhile.”Shepausedandamended,

“Whenwe’rebothtraveling,thatis.”Thatcameoutalotcoolerthanshefeltinside.Insideshewas

goingpleasesayyes,forthesakeofthatelusiveOthatseemstoappearanytimeyou’rewithinaten-

yardradius.

Screw the fact that they lived on the total opposite sides of the country. There were cell phones,

Skype,andherunlimitedairlinemiles.Thathadtocountforsomething,right?

Okay,thatcameoutalittleclingy.Thiswasoneweekend.Hemadeitclear.“Imean,it’sbeenfun.

I’vekindofdecidedIlikefun.Maybewecouldhavemore?”Sheshrugged.

“Yeah, maybe. We’ll see how it pans out.” He smiled momentarily and then focused back on the

remote.Somethingwasoff.Hewasn’tthesameguywhoshe’dmetontheplane.Hell,hewasn’tthe

sameoneasafewminutesago.Shehadtohandittohim—thatrankedasolidAfornoncommittal

answers.

“Yeah,cool.”Butevenasshesaidit,sheknewsomethingwasn’tright.ItwasinthewayGagewas

now closed off, his shoulders hunched, irritation in his eyes. Maybe she’d imagined all of these

feelingsthisweekend.Maybeshe’dbeensodeprivedthroughouttheyearsthatshewasclingingtothe

firstthingthatfeltright.

Thingsweresomucheasierwhentheywerescheduledoutinherplanner.Somehow,though,she

didn’tthinkshecouldpencilherfeelingsintothedaysoftheweek.Itwasofficial,shewasstartingto

crack.Allthepressurefromherjobfinallygottoher.Herfingersmadetheirwayuptoherearlobes,

toswipeacrossthefamiliarearrings,andshefrownedwhenheronehandcameupempty.Dammit,

sheneededtostopdoingthat.

Theearringwaslonggonebynow.Atleastshestillhadone—maybeshe’dmakeitintoanecklace,

becauseshecouldn’tbearnotwearingitagain.

Maybe this was the last of her luck. She’d had this incredible weekend—seen the most luxurious

penthouse in her life and now everything would be downhill from here. Abby wasn’t normally a

pessimist—arealist,yes—butthisseemedlikeitwascomingtoanend.Thingsweretoogood,and

thatscaredher.

…

Gagestaredatthemessageonhisphoneandtriedhisbestnottochuckitacrosstheroom.Thisphone

washisseconddevice,hisgovernmentissuedone,andtheweightofitinhishandfeltasifhislife

wastetheredtoit.Thisdevicehadruinedsomuch.Itruinedhisengagement.Itruinedhispastdating

life.Itsureashellwasn’tgoingtogetanybetteranytimesoon.

Jake:Needyoutopullanothershift.Securityneedstobeuppedforpossiblesituation.

He’d always loved his job. Always. Never regretted going from army to air marshal. But at this

moment,hewaswillingtocallitquitsjustforafuckingdayoff.

When Abby had suggested that they meet up from time to time, he had to admit, the woman had

balls, or whatever the female equivalent was. She even looked him in the eye as she said it, but he

couldtellshewasnervousbythefidgetingwithherhands.

Buteverythingwasallwrong.Thetimingwaswrong.Shedeservedsomeonewhohadtimeforher,

notaguywhospent90percentofhislifelivingandbreathingwork.Itwasn’tfairtoher.Betterto

makeacleanbreak.Itwaseasierthatway,forhersake.

Another text rang through on his phone, and his fingers clutched the grooves in the edges as he

readthenextnotefromhiscommandersayingthathewouldn’tbehomeuntilnextThursday.Emily

wouldbeheartbroken.Hismotherwouldbepissedformissingadinnerthatshe’dcarefullyplanned

likeagameofSettlersofKatan.

Couldhereallydocasual?JusthookinguponrandomweekendswithAbby?

He thought about his ex with a baby on the way. Damn, he wanted that someday. Not with his ex,

obviously,butwithsomeonespecial.SomeonelikeAbby.Evenifhelovedhiswork,washemaking

therightdecisionbymakingithislife?

Thiswastoomuchdamnintrospectionforonenight.

“Ineedsomeair,”hesaid.

Hecarefullyextractedherlegsfromhislap,pulledonashirt,andthenmadehiswayoutsidetothe

basketballcourt.Hislungsburnedwiththecoldfireofchillyairthesecondhesteppedoutontothe

expanse of the patio. Stupid, really, because it was in the teens temperature-wise, and he was only

wearingaT-shirtandsweatpants.Butheneededtimetothink.

HewantedAbby,therewasnodoubtaboutit.Butthedistance.Thecompletelydifferentwayoflife.

Theprospectofhavingtofightforapprovalinhisveryset-in-their-waysSouthernfamily.Theodds

werestackedagainsthim.Againstthem.Hedidn’tevenknowifitwasworththetroubleifhehadto

puthisheartonthelinewithsomanyunknowns.

He shook his head and cussed under his breath, irritated with himself for getting way too

philosophical.He’dknownthewomanfortwodays.Two.Heshouldn’tfeelthisstronglyforher.And

yet,hedid.

Thisintensitywasjustasideeffectofbeingsoclosetoherforaprolongedperiod.Hewassure

that it would dull as soon as he boarded the plane. He hoped. Because as much as he wanted this to

work,itjustwasn’tinthecards.HeneededtoleaveinthemorningandforgetAbbyWintersandher

smilethatknockedhimonhisass.AndhersassyL.A.attitudeandabilitytokeephimonhistoes.Itall

neededtobeforgotten,forhersake.Andhis.

ChapterFourteen

Gagewasofficiallythebiggestprickontheplanet.

Abbylayontheluxuriousfour-posterbed,asheetwrappedhaphazardlyalonghertastycurves.

Justgetupanddon’tlookback.

Yes,thiswasforthebest.Forbothofthem.They’dbothrealizehowstupidthisweekendwasonce

theylefttheconfinesofthepenthouse.

Hetookinonelastdrinkofher.Thewavesofdarkhairthatcascadeddownhershoulders.Thepout

inherplumplips.Evenwithoutmakeup,herlipswerebloodred,likeshe’djusteatencherries.

Heranafingeralonghercheek,andshestirredslightly.Hemashedhislipstogetherandfoughtthe

urgetowakeherup.Whatthehellwaswrongwithhim?Thiswassupposedtobeaone-nightstand.It

shouldn’tbesohard.Andyet,herehewas,again—secondtimeintwodays—limbsfeelingheavyas

cementashetriedtodraghimselfoutofbed.Buthewasdoingthisforher.Didn’twanttomakeher

dealwiththeinevitableawkwardgood-bye.Noneedtodragthisout.It’dbemucheasierforherto

moveonfromtheweekendthisway,eventhoughthethoughtofAbbywithanotherguyrippedathim,

morethanhe’dliketoadmit.

Hepulledouthisphoneandopenedupatexttohissister,lookingforanythingtostallforanother

minuteorso.Becausenomatterhowmuchheknewhehadtodothis,hewaspulledtoAbbylikea

fuckingmagnet.Luckily,inexactlythreehours,he’dcreateenoughspacebetweenthemthatthere’d

nolongerbeapull.

Hetypedoutaquicktextandhitsend.

Gage:Gotcalledintowork.I’llbehomeinacoupledays.

Jill:Bummedbutweunderstand.Weloveyou.

Thatwashissister ’sonlyresponse.Buthisfamilywasjustthat—family.Theyhadtounderstand.

Someonethatdidn’thavetoputupwithhisbullshitschedulewouldbeoutoftherefasterthanaplane

jettingoffarunway.Foronce,heknewhewasmakingtherightdecision.Hescribbledaquicknote

andleftbeforehecouldchangehismind.

…

Gage’ssideofthebedwascoldwhenAbbywokeup.Thehopeinherchestdeflatedassherealized

thistimehewouldn’tbecomingback.Hehadaflighttocatch,andsodidshe,infivehours.

A note lay on the pillow next to her. His pillow. Dammit, it still smelled like his shampoo, that

intoxicatingwoodsysmellthatwouldbeimprintedonhermindnow.

Hadagreatweekendwithyou,sweetheart.Wishitcouldhavebeenlonger.

-Gage

Oh,thenerveofthisguy.Howdarehegiveherthebestgoddamnsexofherlifeandthenbail?He

didn’t even have the decency to say good-bye in person. Left it for a note. What was this, middle

school?Hell,hedidn’tevenleaveaphonenumber.Whetherthatwasintentionalornot,herguesswas

asgoodasany.Oh,shewasfeelingranty.Maybethiswasthesideeffectoftoomuchsex.Maybeher

bodywasalreadygoingthroughwithdrawal.

Yes, she knew the deal going into this. Two nights, no attachments, but tell that to her protesting

netherregion.

Chewing out the source of the problem wasn’t an option, so she did the next best thing—she

reachedforherphoneanddialedhersister ’snumber.Ellapickeduponthesecondring.

“PleasetellmeyouhavemoredetailsaboutMr.MileHigh.”

“He’sgone.”Sheswallowedpasttheunexpectedlumpinherthroatandcontinued.No,shewould

not be sad about this. Two nights couldn’t possibly breed such a deep attachment. “He had an

emergencyjobtofill.Somethingaboutashortage.”

“Didyouatleastexchangedigits?”

She paused and shifted her eyes to the nightstand, where she’d dropped his crummy excuse for a

good-bye.“No.”

“What!”Ellashrieked.“Thisguymustbemental.”

“Iknow.”Shewantedtochangethesubject.Shehatedtothinkthataguyshebarelyknewwasable

togetunderherskinandunsettleherlikethis.Shehadothermoreimportantthingstofocuson—like

hernextaccount.Howcouldshebesostupidtooffertoseehimagain?Andthenhavehimjustshrug

it off like a jerk. Then again, he stuck to the plan, something she always did. Now look where

deviating from the rules got her: horny and in need of Mr. Asshole Air Marshal Gandy Dick. She

groanedandshiftedinbed,tryingtoignoretheachebetweenherthighs.Dammit,shewassofucked.

Andnotinthesensethatshewantedtobe.

She stared at the note again. Really, he’d done her a huge favor. Now she didn’t have to ever

wonder about him again. In fact, she didn’t even want to vent about him to Ella. Before her sister

couldneedleherforanymoredetails,shequicklychangedthesubject.“Tellmeaboutyourelevator

snafu.”

“Don’tevengetmestarted.IwasstuckinthereforfivehourswithSam.”

Abbycouldpracticallyhearhersister ’seyesrolling.

ShewentontotellAbbyeverydeliciousdetailaboutherfivehourswithherarchenemyfromher

rivalattorneyoffice.

SoundedlikeshehadjustaseventfulofaweekendasAbbydid.Maybeevenmoreso.

Bythetimeshefinished,shehadalmostcompletelyblankedoutthoughtsofGage.Almost.Shehad

afeelingitwouldbealongtimebeforesheforgothissmile.Andhislaugh.Andthewayhe’dsay

somethingsounspeakablydirtyitwasjustsoright.Ugh.Whydidsomeonesoabsolutelyperfectfor

herhavetolivesofaraway…andnothaveaninterestinseeingheragain.Yeah,she’dneedsomeice

forthatburn.

Shemanagedtogetherselfoutofbed,andwalkedouttothelivingroomtotakeonelastlookatthe

skyline. Her fingers ran down the window, the space right next to the sliding door. She leaned in

towardtheglassandgaveashortpuffofbreath.

GageandAbbywerehereappearedalongtheglass,andAbby’sthroattightened.Howlonguntilthe

hotelstaffwasheditoff?Aday?Aweek?They’dbeerasedfromtheplacelikethey’dneverbeenhere

tobeginwith.

Butthat’swhatthiswholeweekendwas.Afantasy.Shecouldn’tliveinthisworldfulltimebecause

realitycalled,andcometomorrow,itwouldplowintoherlikeafriggin’semitruck.Shehadbigger

fish to fry. Namely getting that damn promotion. She’d put every ounce of her newfound sexual

frustrationintoherwork,onecaseofblueballs—err,blueclit—atatime.

She moved over to the spot where he’d made her write a promise last night. Her breath hovered

overtheglassandI,AbbyWinters,promisetobetruetomywishesappeared.

She sighed. This was exactly why she hadn’t put herself out there to begin with. Somehow he’d

ensnaredherheart,takingapieceofitwithhim.

Screwit.Wishesdidn’tcometrue.Sheearnedstuffthroughhardwork.Herfingersswipedoverthe

message,smearingitintoanunintelligiblesmudge.

ChapterFifteen

“FinalboardingcallforFlight351.”

Gage let out a deep breath and cussed under his breath. He shouldered his bag, walked up the

jetway,andboardedtheplane.Thistimehewasonduty,sohehadtoalerttheflightattendantsofhis

presenceaheadoftimeandthentakehisseatinfirstclass.

Yep.Backtothegrind.

Hetookaseatnexttoanelderlyladyreadingabook.Notwatchingporn.Didn’tevenhaveahintof

anxiety.Justaquiet,boringpassenger.NotAbby.

Fuck, he’d rather be in bed with her right now, her leg thrown over his waist as she curled up

againsthischest.Bestdamnfeelingever.

Hescrubbedhishandoverhisface.Nope.Notgoingthere.He’dleftthismorningwithoutsaying

good-byeforareason—sothatshewouldhaveacleanbreak.But,hell,hewasn’tsupposedtobeall

bentoutofshapeaboutit.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Then let it out. Then took another breath. Okay, he

coulddothis.Assoonastheplanetookoff,hewouldn’tgiveheranotherthought.

Theladynexttohimbristledinherseat.Gageglancedoutofthecornerofhiseyeandnoticedthe

bookshewasreading.No.Dammit.Ofcourse,ithadtobethebookversionofthepornoAbbyhad

watchedontheirflighttogether.Fuck.It.All.To.Hell.

Thiswaskarmabitinghimintheass.EverythingwasgoingtoremindhimofAbbyonthisflight.

Was that such a bad thing? She was one hell of a woman. More of a woman than his cowardly ass

deserved.

Hewassosurethismorningthathewasdoingtherightthingbyleavingwithoutatrace.Andhe

knewthesecondhisasshittheairlineseathe’dfuckedup,royally.Hehadn’tevengottenhernumber.

Hehadnowayofreachingher.Shemightaswellbeaghostbecausenowtherewasnowaytomakeit

right.

Thethoughtofnotseeingheragainsentahotjoltofpanicandangerdownhisspine.Heletthis

happen.Hefuckedup.

Think.

Therehadtobesomethingthathecoulddo.

Maybebysomestrokeofluckshewasstillatthepenthouse.Hepulledouthisphoneandquickly

dialed the number to the hotel before the flight attendants made the final call before departure and

madehimputawayhisphone.

“TheWinchesterHotel,”saidawomanwithathickNewYorkaccent.

“I need to reach the person in room 4011.” Yes, he’d call her, set everything right. Give her his

damnnumber.Maybeapologizeprofusely.Hell,ifshedidpickup,hewasn’tpastalittlegroveling.

“Holdplease.”

Gage’sheartpoundedfiercelyagainsthisribsashewaitedtobeputthrough.Eachringampedhis

frayednerves.C’monsweetheart,pickup.

Heneededhertopickupsohecouldapologize,begformercy,anythingtogetthechancetosee

heragain.

The captain announced something through the speakers, but he wasn’t paying any attention to the

flight.AllhecaredaboutwasAbbypickingupthephone.

Ablondeflightattendantappearedintheentrywaytothedrinkstationinthefrontoffirstclassand

narrowedhereyes.

Notnow,Blondie.AllIneedisoneminute.

Thephonewasstillringing.Dammit,whywasitstillringing?Sheshouldhavepickedupbynow,

buthellifhewasgoingtohangupthisphone,foranyreason.

Shesmoothedherskirtandsquaredhershoulders,saunteringovertoGage.“Sir,youneedtoput

yourphoneaway.”

“Yes.Holdon.”Heheldafingeruptohertoletherknowhe’dbedonemomentarily.

Theflightattendantraisedaperfectlyarchedbrowandpursedherlips.Shedidn’tsayanything,but

thelookalonewasintimidatingenoughthatheknewhehadtowrapupthecallfastorelseshewas

goingtosendhimdaggerglaresallthroughouttheflight.

Hell, she knew who he was. He’d tell her he was on call with the damn Pentagon if it meant

completingthiscall.

Comeon.Pickup.Please.

Hecouldfeelhimselfgettingmorefranticoneachring.Heknewthattheoddsofherbeinginthe

penthousewereslim,butthiswastheonlyhopehehad.Ifthisdidn’twork,hedidn’tknowwhereelse

tolook.

Thephonekeptringing,untilfinallyithitthevoicemail.Thiswasit.Shewasgone.Hehadnoclue

howtoreachher,anditwasallhisfault.Hecouldhaveeasilylefthisphonenumberinthenote,but

he’dbeenadumbass.Heslidthephonebackintohispocketandknockedhisheadagainsttheseat.

“Fuck,”hemutteredunderhisbreath.Andthenrealizedheneededtogethisshittogether,whenthe

lady next to him tsked and gave him a dirty look. Right. How could he have forgotten he was

working? There were people to profile, possible crises to avert. He didn’t have room right now to

thinkabouthowbadhe’dscrewedup.TherewastimeforthatwhenhewasinAtlantawaitingforhis

nextflight.

Hesankbackinhisseatandscrubbedhispalmsoverhiseyes.Ittookafewsecondstofocusonthe

present,butwhenheopenedhiseyes,heblockedouttheconstantneedtobebackinthatpenthouse.He

scannedthecabin,nothingseemingoutoftheordinary.Mostpeoplewereplayingontheirtabletsor

scanningmagazines.Andthentherewasgrannynexttohimreadingthatbook.

Thatbookthatsparkedeverything.

The weekend had seemed to last only a handful of breaths, but Gage would spend the rest of his

daysrelivingthemandmissinghisbrunettevixen.

…

Abby returned to the office the next morning feeling about as refreshed as the recycled air on the

plane. Even though she’d showered, she could still feel that airline film plastered on her face. Her

eyeswerepracticallycrustedshut—itwasamiracleshecouldevenkeepthemopentolookatallthe

paperworkthathadpileduponherdeskoverthelongweekend.

Sheblewoutabreathandtappedherpenagainstherdesk.Therealworldblewnowthatshehada

tasteoffantasy.ItwasprovinghardtofocusonthecontractshewasworkingupwiththeWinchester

to use their penthouse for filming. Her little oasis was going to be in a blockbuster hit, and she

definitelywouldn’tbethinkingaboutGagewhenshewenttothepremier.

Robknockedonthedoorframe,steamfromhismugofcoffeeswirlingintheair.“Abby.Ijustsaw

the pictures you sent. Absolutely amazing. Great work.” He saluted her with his mug. “Not that I’d

expectanythingless.”

She smiled. But something didn’t feel right. A compliment from Rob used to mean everything. It

washerwholepointinlife.Sad.Buttrue.Now,shedidn’tfeelnearlyassatisfied.

Oh,thatjerk.Hehadtogoandruinheratwork,too.Nothingseemedasimportantnow.Maybehe’d

done her a favor, putting things into perspective. Work really wasn’t the end-all-be-all, she was

quicklyrealizing.Itjustwouldhavebeennicetofindthatoutwithoutputtingherfeelingsontheline.

Itwasmucheasiertobeclosedofftoanytypeofrelationship.

Now? Well, now her browser history was filled with the quest to find the perfect silicone

companion. And Tumblr. Jesus, that place was a dirty, dirty rabbit hole of smexiness. She’d been

homeforlessthantwenty-fourhours,andshe’dturnedintoacompletelydifferentperson.Hell,she’d

takethosenaughtyGIFsandhernewlyorderedpocketrocketandgodowninablazeoflustyglory.

Whatshewouldn’tdo?MissGageonebit.Nope,nothimbeingtenkindsofwonderful.Definitely

nothowhe’dshownherwhatitwasliketotrulybetakencareofinthebedroom,andhowromance

andchivalryweren’tdead.Okay,soshe’dchewonthoseliesforatleastafewweekswhileshenursed

herwoundedpride.Butreally,romanceended.Itwasonlyrealinnovelsandchickflicks,andnews

flash, last time she checked, she wasn’t in one. He’d done her a favor, really, because now that she

knewwhatitwasliketobeallconsumedbyaweekendfling,shewouldn’tletherguarddownagain.

Itwasn’tworththepotentialheartbreak.

She looked up and found her boss still standing there, sipping at his coffee. How long had she

zonedout?Obviouslynottoolong,ifhehadn’tclearedhisthroatorgivenherfunnylooks.

Robsmiledatheragain.“It’stheperfectlocationforBlurredLines.”

“Ithinkso,too.”Although,deepdown,shefeltaprotectiveneedtokeepthatpenthousetoherself.A

secretthatonlysheandGagekept.Whichwasridiculous.Itwasahotelpenthousesuite.Peopleused

it.Shewasn’tthefirst,andshecertainlywouldn’tbethelast.Shehadnoclaimonit.Andyet,shefelt

likeshewasbeingsuckerpunchedinthegut.Thiswasexactlywhyshekepttoherplanner.Itwassafe,

sterile,anddidn’tmakeherheartgointopalpitations.Whatever.SheneededtoforgetGageasquickly

ashe’dbeenabletokickhertothecurb.

“Keepthisupandyou’relookinggoodfortakingovermypositionwhenIretireinafewmonths.”

“Thanks,Rob.”Shesighed.Dammit,musterupsomeenthusiasm,girl.You’vebeenbustingyourtail

foryearsforthis.

“I’dliketosendyoutoDublintoscoutoutanewsetfortheIrishfilmthatwejustboughtrightsto.

WouldyoubeupforthatnextThursday?”

“Surething.”Anythingtokeephermindoffthis.Sowhatif,forthesecondtimethismonth,she’d

be strapped into a hunk of metal that could plummet into the ground? At least her mind would be

focusedonsomethingproductive—likestayingalive.

Jeremywouldbesopissed.Thisshouldhavegivenheralittlethrill,becausethemanreallyneeded

to be taken down a few pegs, but a dull ache pulsed in her chest, and she didn’t know if she was

exhibitingheartattacksymptoms,orjustthefactthatshefeltfriggin’emptyforthefirsttimeinher

life. She didn’t like this feeling. Not one bit. Damn Gage Michaels and his stupid magic dick with

mindalteringpowers.

Shewishedshecouldgobacktoacoupleweeksago,whenshewaspleasantlynumbtoanyformof

humancontact.Thatwouldbemuchpreferabletothis…shedidn’tevenknowwhatthiswas.

The to-go coffee cup in her hand had turned cold, and she’d barely even taken two sips from it.

Those two sips sent her back to the penthouse when Gage had brought her coffee in bed. Was that

whatniceguysdid?Thenagain,niceguysdidn’tslipoutinthemiddleofthenight—evenifitwas

easiertodealwith.

ChapterSixteen

GagepacedinthehallwayofJill’shome.Emilywastakinganap,andhedidn’twanttofacethewrath

ofhissisterifhewokethekidupearly.

“You’regoingtowearaholeinmycarpet.Sitdown,”sheordered.

Bossiness was a hereditary trait on their mother ’s side. The whole damn family, including him,

wantedtobeincontrol.Whichwasfineinsmalldoseswithoneanother,butanythingpastadinneror

twoaweekandtherewasboundtobeasmackdowninthenearfuture.

“Man,brother,whostoleyourHalloweencandy?Whysoglum?”

He regarded his sister. She’d been through so much lately. With Derrek leaving her, and being a

singlemom,itwasenoughtodrainevenaseasonedIronmancompetitor.Jillusedtohavethisvibrant

light about her, always brightening a room. With the two-year age difference, they’d always been

close.HecouldtellheraboutAbbyifhewantedto,butdidhereally?Hedidn’tgenerallytalkabout

hisfeelingstoanyone,especiallyaboutpeoplehehookedupwith,butthiswasdifferenttoGage.His

stomachrolled,andhefeltlikehemightvomit.Two-nightstandswerenotsupposedtoendthisway.

“Imetsomeone.”

Herfacebrightened.“IsitMrs.Barker ’sniece?Iheardshejustcameintotown.”

“No.”Heshookhisheadandtookadeepbreath.“ImetsomeonewhiletravelingtoNewYork.”

“Oh.Well,NewYorkisn’ttoofaraway.Justacouplehourflight,”Jillamended.Forsomeonewho

had gone through a whirlwind of unfortunate events, it always surprised him how she managed to

haveapositiveoutlookoneverything,neverpityingherself,anddefinitelynotpityingothers.Maybe

itwasallthosedamnDisneyfilmsEmilymadeherwatch.AndhereGagewaspoutinglikeateenager

aboutahookupovertheweekend.Itdidn’tfeelrighttothinkofAbbythatway,butreally,itwasn’t

goingtomakeitbetterthinkingaboutherintermsofarelationship.

“She’sfromCalifornia.”

“Oh.”Theonewordheldalltheweightofwhatheknewhiswholefamilywouldfeel.Anoutsider.

Someonewhodidn’tbelong.SomeonenotSouthern.

“She’sspecial,Jill.Somethingabouther,Ican’tgetheroutofmyhead.”

“Thenwhydon’tyoucallher?”

Gagechewedontheinsideofhislip.“Ican’t.”

Sheraisedabrow.

“Ididn’tgethernumber.Oranything.Ihavenocluehowtogetincontactwithher.She’sgone.”

“Idon’tunderstand.Ifyoulikethegirl,whydidn’tyougethernumber?”

’Cause I’m a shithead, Jill. A coward and a shithead. He let out a loud sigh and threw his hands

above his head. “Because I’m an idiot.” He thought he was doing Abby a favor by cutting all ties,

pretendingthattheweekendwasjustabliponhisradar.Now,ontheothersideofthesituation,with

nonumber,noaddress,nada,well,thatdecisionwasfuckingstupid.

“TellmesomethingIdon’tknow.”

“Momlovesmebetter.”Heshothissisteragrin.

Shesmackedhisarmandgavehimawrysmile.“Shedoesnot.Igaveheragrandbaby.You’reone

pegbelowmeonthetotempole,now.”

A pang hit Gage square in the gut at this. He was by no means ready to be a dad himself, but he

wantedtobesomeday,andhe’dneverfelttheurgetobeinasteadyrelationship—orthesemblanceof

one anyway—until he met Abby. What was she doing right now? Was she at work? At her next big

set?Hefrownedatthethoughtofhertravelingaloneandhavinganotherpanicattackduringtakeoff

orlanding.Orboth.Hewantedtobetherewithher,tocomforther,andthathonestlyscaredtheshit

outofhim.

“Cometodinnertonight.Maybeourdinnerguestwillgetyourmindoffthisgirl.”

“Yeah. Good idea.” Even if he didn’t want to, it was probably safer to forget Abby as quickly as

possible.Anythingtogetridofthispaininhischest.

…

Thateveningatdinner,Gage’smomhadsweetteaonthetablealongwithhercountyfairblueribbon

winning pecan pie. Suzanna Troy, the honored guest to grace his mother ’s dining room table that

night, wore a pale pink dress and sensible shoes. Gage laughed to himself at the thought of Abby

wearingtheseshoes.Somethingtoldhimshe’dneverbecaughtdeadinflats.Noteveninafucking

blizzardinNewYork…

“Thispieisoutofthisworld,Mrs.Michaels.”Suzannatooklittlenibblesofthesliceonherplate,

anditdroveGageupthefuckingwallhowshe’dbarelytouchedherdinner.Helikedawomanwho

couldeat.SomeonelikeAbby.Anddammit,hewasdoingitagain.Eversincehelefther,she’dbeen

onhismindlikeasongonconstantreplay.

“Blessyourheart,”hismomsaidtoSuzanna.

Hecouldfeelhismother ’sgazeonhimbeforeheevenlookedup.Hewasbeingrude,heknewthat,

buthedidn’thaveanythingtosaytothiswomanwhotalkedonandonaboutapageantlifethatwas

ten years prior. Other than earning a few titles, she didn’t seem to have much going for her. She

definitely didn’t seem as driven as Abby career-wise, something he found completely sexy. Abby

would understand why Gage had to work so much—hell, she even offered to meet up every few

weeks.Whatwaswrongwithhimthatheturnedthatdown?

Alotwaswrongwithhim,thatwascertain.

Hecouldn’tstandonemoreminuteofthissugarysweetgirlwhowasallfakesmilesandpropriety.

HewantedAbby—wantedherlazysmilesandthewayshedrovehimhalfmad.Thatwasthat.Hehad

to do something. Sitting around, moping wasn’t his style. No, he was a man of action. Something

neededtobedoneaboutthissituation.ThechairscreechedagainstthewoodfloorsasGagepushed

awayfromthetable.

“What are you doing?” His mother looked at him, her face pulled into a tight smile, but she

clutchedtheforkinherhandhardenoughthathethoughtshemightbenditinhalf.

“Ineedtogo.Iapologize.”HenoddedtowardSuzanna.“Itwasapleasuremeetingyou.Iwishyou

thebest.”

There.He’ddonehispart,playedinhismother ’scharade,buthewasofficiallydone.Itwastimeto

getthegirlback.Somehow.Hedidn’tquiteknowthelogisticsofityet,buthell,hehadthewill,so

he’ddamnsurefindaway.

He tossed his napkin onto his plate and then moved toward the small entryway of his mother ’s

house.Sherushedthroughthehallwayandputahandonthedoorashewenttoopenit.

“Whatdoyouthinkyou’redoing?Isetupthisdinnerforyou.”Shewasdoingherbesttokeepher

voicedown,tonotletSuzannaknowthatanythingwaswrong.

Anger simmered low in his gut. “No, you didn’t,” he said, matter-of-factly. “You set it up for

yourself. But I already have someone in mind, and it is definitely not someone who has been in

pageantsordrinkssweettea.”

Hismothersteppedback,flabbergasted.“DoIknowthiswoman?”

“No.Idon’tevenknowwhereshelives.ButwhenIdofindher,youwilltreatherasnicelyasyou

do all the other women who sit at our dinner table,” he warned. He’d never raised his voice to his

mother,buthewasdeadseriousthathewouldn’tcomebackaroundhisfamilyunlesstheywerenice

toAbby—ifhewasabletofindher.

He felt so goddamn ridiculous saying this aloud. Really, he wasn’t even sure he’d ever see Abby

again.Howthehellwashesupposedtotrackherdownwithoutevenaphonenumber?Butnottrying

wastheworstpossiblemistakehecouldmake.Hehadtoatleastgiveitashot.Andtheonlywayhe

knewhowwasboardingaplaneandmakingacalltolostandfound.

…

Abby stared at the computer monitor, head in her hands, scrolling through locations for the new

western movie they’d acquired this morning. Her fingers drummed along the hollow of her cheek,

and she let out a heavy sigh. It had been five days, and she still couldn’t get her mind off Gage no

matterhowhardshetried.Oh,andshetried.Shetriedsohard,infact,thatshemightbeflaggedby

Amazonforthenumberofsextoysshe’dhadovernightedinthepastfewdays.Ugh,nothingwasthe

sameasGage’shands.Ormouth.Or…shebangedherheadagainstherdesk.Sexsicknesswasareal

thing, and she was a junkie going through cock withdrawal. She’d always thought those internet

memesthatsaid“shewantstheD”weresocorny.ButshetotallywantedtheD.Badly.

Maybeshe’dsetupheronlinedatingaccounttonight.Thatwouldgivehersomethingtofocuson

other than the fact that she missed someone she shouldn’t. How could she have these feelings for

someone who she barely knew? Someone who left her without saying a word. Yep. Whatever. She

needed to forget him. Obviously, it was a weekend fling. Weekend was over. Case closed. End of

discussion. Time to move on and get back in the saddle of the dating world before her sex toy

collectionspiraledoutofcontrol.

Her sister ’s number flashed across the screen as her phone buzzed on her desk. Abby let out a

heavysighandthenanswered.“What’sgoingon?”

“JustlettingyouknowI’llbeonaconferencecallforthenexthour.Wantedyoutoknow,incase

youneedtoreachme.”

Abby gave her sister major side-eye. If only her sister could actually see this, it’d be way more

effective.“Okay,whyareyoureallycalling?”

Ellapaused,probablycontemplatingnotcomingclean.Buthersisteralwaysspokehermind,anda

fewsecondslater,shesaid,“Ijustwantedtomakesureyouwereokay.Yousoundedreallymopeyon

thephoneyesterday.Iworryaboutyou.”

Thelastthingshewantedwastobepitied,orforsomeonetoworryabouther.Shewasabiggirl.

Big girls handled weekend flings like pros, so that’s exactly what she’d do. And in the meantime,

insteadofbeinganoldcatlady,she’dbecometheolddildolady.Wow,thatdidnotsoundappealing

onebit.

“I love the whole big sister concern, but I’ll be okay.” One weekend wouldn’t ruin her for a

lifetime,right?She’dgetoutofthisfunk,andthenshe’dbeokay.

“Right.Iknowyou’llbeokay,butyoudon’thavetoputonafrontwithme.It’sokaytoletyour

guarddowneveryonceinawhile.”

Shescoffed.“Wasn’tworthit.”

“Really?”Ellaasked.

“No.”Okay,maybeitwas,butshewastooproudtoadmitthat.Plus,ifsheeverdidseehimagain,

she’dtellhimtogotakealongwalkoffashortpier.Aftersheeye-fuckedtheshitoutofhim…and

maybetastedhislipsonemoretime.

“I’mhereifyouneedtotalk.”

“Thanks.”Shesighedandhungupthephone.Sheglancedattheclockandwasstartledtofindthatit

waswellpastseven.Thiswaswhyarelationshipwouldneverworkoutwithanormalperson.They’d

expect her to be home at a suitable time every night. They didn’t understand that her work was

demanding, and it was her life. She blew out a frustrated breath and her bangs fanned across her

forehead.Ah,thelifeofayoungprofessional.Soglamorous,solonely.

She shut her laptop and shoved it into her leather travel bag. The palm trees outside her window

werelitupwithtwinklelights,andatthistimeofnight,shehadaniceviewoftheHollywoodsign.

Shewasmeantforthis,right?Shesureasshithopedso,becausethiswaswhereherlifewasheading.

Ifshedidn’tfindaguywhocouldaccommodateherschedule,thenhedidn’tdeserveheranyway.But

at this rate, odds were looking slim that she’d ever have time to even go on a date, let alone find

someonetodate.

She sighed and turned back to her desk, grabbed her belongings, and then left the office. After

pickingupChineseonthewayhomeandsingingsomeAdeleatthetopofherlungs,shewasfeeling

slightlybetterandmaybeslightlysilly.Sheneverthoughtshe’dbethetypeofpersontoactlikeasad

country song over the loss of a guy, singing cheesy love songs in the car. But here she was. Hell

apparentlydidfreezeover.

Abbyparkedherbeat-upCorollainthedrivewayofherapartmentcomplexandcuttheengine.She

grabbedhertakeoutbag,laptopcase,andherpurseandheadedforthedoor.Shepausedinfrontof

thedenteddoorofherapartmentandgaveawistfulsigh,thinkinghowshewouldgivebackallher

sextoybingepurchasestobebackintheluxuriouspenthouse,snugglingintothesoftgoosefeather

comforter and crisp, clean linen sheets. She procured her key from her purse while juggling all of

her bags in the other hand and managed to unlock her door without dropping her egg flower soup

andmandarinchicken.

SomethingimmediatelyfeltoffwhenAbbyopenedthedoor.First,thereweredozensupondozens

of sunflowers in her kitchen. She didn’t have a roommate, so there was no one to let a delivery in.

Theonlypersonthatcouldhavewasherlandlord,buthewasalazyasswhobarelytookthetimeto

fixaleakypipe,letalonemakesureflowersdidn’tsitoutinthehall.

“Hello?”shecalled.Shelookedaroundforsomethingtohitapotentialintruderwithbutthebest

shecouldcomeupwithwasherdictionaryontheendtable.Really,thatwouldmaybestunthemfora

secondbeforetheyslaughteredher.Shecouldchucktheeggflowersoupintheirfaceandscaldthem,

butdammit,thiswasthebestinthecity.Notworthgoingonsomeintruder ’sface.Shewalkedintothe

kitchen and inhaled the fresh scent of the sunflowers and closed her eyes. There were hundreds of

flowers in here, way too many for such a small kitchen. Who in the world would be sending her

these?Maybeherboss?Although,thatseemedalittleweird,eventhoughtheywereclose.Itwasn’t

evenherbirthday.

Shelookedatallthevases,buttherewasn’tacardfromasender,nothingtosaywhoheradmirer

was. Whoever it was knew that these were her favorite flower. Maybe her sister? She had been

concernedthatshewasdown,butitwasn’tlikehertospendmoneyonsomethinglikethis.Asinging

telegram? Maybe. But not on a shitload of flowers that smelled amazing and really lit up her dark,

should-have-been-demolished-in-the-eightiesapartment.

Okay,shecouldswoonovertheflowerslater,onceshefiguredouthowthehelltheygotinherein

thefirstplace.

Anoisecamefromherbedroom,andthehairsonthebackofherneckstoodonend.Jesus.This

waslikethestarttoabadslasherflick.Ominousgiftofbeautifulflowers,andthenbam, next thing

she knew she’d be tied up in a creepy basement somewhere while a clown doll rode around on a

tricycle.Okay,maybesheneededtolayoffthehorrormoviesforawhile.

Sheglancedaroundherfoyer,againlookingforaproperweapon,justincaseherimaginationwas

on the right track. Dammit, she should have listened to her sister ’s advice to invest in mace. She

wasn’tevenwearingproper“I’mrunningfromaserialkillershoes.”Yep,theonlychanceshehad

wastomaybeimpalethemwiththestilettoheel.

Arapidsuccessionofgunshotsfiredfromthebackbedroom.Nottherealthing,Abbyrealized,but

on her television. Okay, this was a majorly fucked up serial killer if he was just biding his time

watchingTVinherbedroombeforehekidnappedher.Moregunshotsrangout,anditsoundedlike

one hell of a fight going on. Then she heard Gene Wilder ’s voice and recognized the movie

immediately.BlazingSaddles.

Holdthegoddamnphone.Sunflowersand Blazing Saddles? No way. Only one person could pull

thatoff.Onepersonwhoshouldn’tevenbehere.Hedidn’tevenknowherphonenumber,sohowdid

hegetheraddress?

Herheartpatteredfranticallyagainstherribs,andabubbleofhopeswelledinherchest.Couldit

really be him? Okay, maybe she missed him a little. And would like to give him an earful of how

utterlyuncoolitwasforhimtobailoutthewayhedid.And,allright,eyefucktheshitoutofhim.

Sheracedtowardthebedroom,whereGagelayagainstherpillows,hishandsfoldedinhislapas

hewatchedamovieonhertelevision.Hewasindarkdressslacksandabutton-upshirt,andlookedas

deliciousasever.Damnhim,whydidhealwayshavetolooksoenticing?Itwasutterlyunfair,and

hermindandbodyweredefinitelynotonthesamepageatthemoment.

Gageshiftedonthebed,andherwholebedspreadshuffledinonemassivegreenblob.Spreadout

across the entire comforter was an array of clovers. Hundreds of clovers. Her breath caught in her

throat.Sunflowersandclovers?Shewassupposedtobemadathim,buthewasmakingthissodamn

hard.Plus,hewashere,somethingshe’dneverexpected.

As she moved toward the bed, she realized every single clover had four leaves, just like her

earrings.Whatwasthat?Herheartmeltingintoapuddleofgoo?Nope.She’dstandstrongandgive

Gageanearful,andthenshecoulddothepropermelting.

Her hand instinctively went to her ear, but she frowned, remembering she’d taken off the lone

earingandplaceditonhernightstanduntilshefiguredoutwhattodowithit.

Sheclearedherthroatandmadeapointtolookmildlyannoyed,becausesunflowersandcloversbe

damned, did this guy really think he could just break into her apartment after leaving her high and

dry?“Whatareyoudoinghere?”shesaid,stillstunnedathisbigframeonherqueen-sizebed.

He turned to her, and for the first time since she’d known him, he looked nervous. “I can’t stop

thinkingaboutyou.”

She wanted to scream “me too, you dummy!” but instead crossed her arms over her chest. Yep,

she’dplaythisoffcool.Nope,shewasn’tgoingtoletonthatshewas,infact,maybedoingalittle

fangirl squeal on the inside. “Okay. I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe you should have tried

harder?”Wow,thatcameoutalittleharsh,butdammit,thedudedeservedtogrovel.

Thosedamnhoney-coloredeyeshonedinonhers,andittwistedherinsidestoseehowhungupthis

guywasatthemoment.“Itried,trustme.ButallIcouldthinkaboutwasyourcutelaugh.Yourbody

pressedagainstmine.Howbeingwithyoujustfeltright.Ineedyou,Abby.”

Donotsmile.Donot.Youareicecold,articcold.Anddammit,hewastheSouthernCaliforniasun

tohermeaslylittleicecubeheart.Howthehellcouldsheresisthimwhenhesaidstufflikethat?She

putherhandsonherhips.“Isthisyourformofanapology?Howdidyouevengethere?”

He gave one of those sheepish grins that sent her heart skittering. “I tracked you down through

work.Didyouknowyou’reaveryhardpersontofind?”

Her stupid body was such a traitor when it came to Gage. Give it another minute and she’d put

money on her being short a few items of clothing. Because if anyone could do it, he was the one

personwhocouldbreakpastallherwalls.

Sherolledhereyes,pretendingtolookbored.But,really?He’dgonethroughallthisworkjustto

find her? Holy crap, her exes wouldn’t even trek across the room to grab the remote for her. He

traveledacrossawholecountry?Herheartbeatsidewaysinherchest.Sheswallowedhardandsaid,

“That’snotanaccident.”

“Yourlandlordisapieceofshit,bytheway.Ifixedyourleakysinkandthebuzzintherefrigerator

andtoldhimthatifhedecidestoignorerequestsinthefuture,I’lldealwithhimpersonally.”

Ofcoursehefixedthosethings.Hewasafixer,likedtotakecareofpeople.Ugh,chivalrywasso

notdead,anditdidthingstoAbby’sladybitsthattotallydidnothelpinherquesttogivehimahard

time.Shehadtowonder,though.Whywasthemanhere?Theyhadbeenaweekendfling,andshegot

that,woundedprideandall.Whymesswithitanyfurther?

Shesmirked.“Iappreciatethat,butIcouldhavefixeditmyself,youknow.”

“Youaremorethancapableoffixinganything,Abby,butIwantedtodosomethingniceforyou.I

wanttotakecareofyou.”Hemashedhislipstogether,lookinguncertain.

Ifthathadcomefromanyonebuthim,shemightgointoalegittirade,maybeevenclubwhoever

saiditwithherstiletto.ButthiswasGage,anddamnitalltohell,shewantedtobetakencareof,justa

teensytinybit,byhim.Heck,shewantedtotakecareofhim,too.Howcouldoneweekendwithaman

elicitsomanyfeelingsthatshedidn’tevenknowwhattodowiththemall?Itwasthosedamncrack

pheromones,shewassureofit.“Howdidyouevengetintomyapartmentinthefirstplace?”

“The landlord. I even had your sister vouch for me over the phone. Your coworker gave me her

number.She’safeistyone.”

Ofcourse,hersisterwouldvouchforhim.Dammit,wasthatwhyshe’dcalled?SheknewGagewas

goingtobeheresoshemadesuresheleftworkatadecenttime?Oh,thatsneak.Paybackwouldbe

coming.“Istilldon’tunderstand.Wehadafling.It’sover.”

Hesmoothedhisthumboverhisbottomlipandtookadeepbreath.Hisbrowscreased,andAbby

couldtellthatapologizingdidn’tcomeeasyforthisman.Hewasoutofhisdepthhere,andshewasn’t

goingtomakeiteasyforhim.“Dammit,Abby,Imissyou.Thewayyoufeelinmyarms.Thetasteof

you.Thesmellofyou.Thewayyoumakemefeel,bothwhenI’maroundyouandwhenI’mnot.”He

frowned.“Especiallywhenyou’regone.Leavingyouwithoutsayinganythingwasadickmove.”

“Yes,itwas,”sheagreed.Nomatterhowmuchshelikedhim,shewasn’tabouttoletaguywalkall

overher.

“Trustme,I’veregrettediteversinceIsteppedfootontheplaneleavingNewYork.I’vethought

longandhard.”

“And?”

“And I think this can work. At least I want the opportunity to try. I know this sounds insane—and

maybe it is—but I think long-distance could work. We have the phone, Skype, and we both have

enoughairlinemilestolastusyears.Pleasegivemeachance,”hepleaded.

Who did he think he was, waltzing in here, wooing her with four-leaf clovers and her favorite

fucking flowers? Gage freakin’ Michaels, that’s who. The nerve of this man. He was standing now,

rightinfrontofher,hishandscirclingherwaist.Thisbig,hulkingmanthatshecouldn’tresistfrom

theget-gowaspullingoutallthestops,andherreluctancetogiveintohimwascrumblingintoapile

ofrubble.Sheonlyhadsomuchleftinherbeforesheconcededtowhateverheasked.“WhatifI’ve

changedmymind?”

“Youhaveeveryrightto,especiallyafterwhatIdidtoyou.ButI’dkickmyselfifIdidn’tatleast

try.You’reeverythingI’veneverknownIneededinawoman.You’rethefirstpersontounderstand

mybusyschedule,andIthinkyouandyourcareeraresofuckingsexy.Pleasegivemeachance.”He

grabbedherhand,lacingtheirfingerstogether,lookingatherwiththosemesmerizingeyes.

Fucked.ShewassofuckedwhenitcametoGage.

“Idon’tknow.Ifeellikemyluckwithrelationshipshasrunout.”Betweenthelossofherearring,

andthewaythewholemagicalweekendendedonsuchasournote,maybeshewasdestinedforasub-

parsexlife.

“Wedon’tneedluck.Iknowyourdadgavetheearringstoyou,butIdon’tthinkthosebroughtyou

allyourgoodfortunethroughouttheyears.”Hereachedintohispocketandpulledsomethingout,his

fistclosed.“Butjustincase,Ithoughtyoucouldstartmakingyourownluck.”Heopenedhishand

andinhispalmlayasinglefour-leafcloverearring,onethatlookedalmostidenticaltotheoneshe’d

lost.Sheturneditoverandsawanindentwhereshe’dbangeditonthesideofherbedwhenshewas

younger,andherbreathcaught.Thiswasn’tjustareplica;thiswastherealthing.

Herhandsmovedtohermouth,andshedrewashudderingbreath.“Howdidyoufindit?”Herpulse

beatinhertemples,anddidshesuddenlygetsomethinginhereye?Sheblinkedafewtimes,clearing

herfoggyvision.

“Aflightattendantputitinthelostandfound.Figuredsinceitwasfromfirstclass,someonewould

comelookingforit.Guessyourfather ’sgiftreallyislucky.”

“Thank you.” This was quite possibly the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. Okay,

someonemustbecuttingonionsbecausetearswelledinhereyes,andherthroattightened.Damnhim.

Whydidhehavetogoandpullsomethingsoabsolutelyperfectthatshecouldn’tpossiblynotforgive

him?SheputherhandoverGage’sandclosedhereyesasthewarmthofhisskindraggedalonghers.

“Does this mean you forgive me?” His expression was hopeful. She’d never seen anything but

certaintyfromhim.Shecouldtellittookalotforhimtoputhimselfoutthere.ForGod’ssake,he

flewacrossthecountrytofindher.Ifthatwasn’tthedefinitionofromantic,shedidn’tknowwhatwas.

Sheshrugged.“Maybe.Probably.Imightneedsomeconvincing.”

“IthinkIcanhandlethat.”Hegrabbedherhipswiththosefirmhandsandpulledhercloser,nipping

andkissingdownherneck.

Abbyknockedherheadbackandgroaned.God,shemissedthis.SomethingaboutGagewasjustso

differentfromanyotherguyshe’dbeenwith.He’dtaughtheritwasokaytoletgo,togiveintoher

desire.Andholyhell,didshehavealotofthatpentupthepastfewdays.Heatpooledlowinherbelly

asGageguidedherdownontothebed.Inamatterofseconds,herskirthitthefloor,quicklyfollowed

byherblouse.

“Okay,Ilikethewayyouthink.”Itwasuselesstryingtofightherattractiontohim,herneedtobe

aroundhim.Theyfittogetherperfectly,anddamnifAbbydidn’twanttogivethiswholecrazyideaof

arelationshipashot.

Warm,callousedfingersslidoverhercurvesashecontinuedtoworkhismouthoverherskin.Her

bodymoldedtohistouch,savoringeverykiss,everynip,everylick.

“I’venevermetanyonelikeyoubefore,Abby.Everythingaboutyoudrivesmeabsolutelyinsane.

You’veruinedmeforallotherwomen.”

EverythingaboutGagedrovehermad.Thatsmartmouthofhis.Thesweetgestures.Hiscontrolin

thebedroom.Everythingaboutthismanspoketoher.Hetotallygother,oneverylevel.

“Giveusashot,sweetheart.Iknowit’scrazy,andwe’rebothbusy,butIthinkthisjustmaywork.”

Hisfingerscontinuedtoglidedownherstomach,andslidunderherpanties.

Damnhim.Shewasdonetryingtoresist.Ifhewaswillingtogiveitashot,shewas,too.Shehadto,

becauseeverythingabouthimfeltright.“Underonecondition.”

Hesmirked.“Anything.”

“Weexchangephonenumbersthistime.”Herfingersrakedthroughhishairasshepulledhiminto

akiss.Makingtheirownluckturnedouttobejustwhatsheneeded.

Epilogue

Oneyearlater…

Abby’snailsdugintothearmrest,andherheadpushedbackagainsttheseat.Seriously,wasthisever

goingtogetbetter?Doubtful.

A strong hand reached for hers, and the tension that threatened to consume her like a tidal wave

subsided.

“Everythingisgoingtobeokay.I’mhere,”Gagesaid,massagingherhand.Heplantedasoftkiss

onherpalm,andhisotherhandranupthetopofherthigh.

This was the twelfth time they’d traveled together in as many months. He’d been great. Didn’t

complainoncewhenshesqueezedhishandsohardthatshefearedhemightloseafinger.So,maybe

chivalrywasn’ttotallydead.Andmaybeshedidn’tminditeveryonceinawhile.

“Yousaythateverytime,anditdoesn’tgetbetter.”ShetookaswipeattheearringthatGagehad

retrieved for her. Things had calmed down in her life in most aspects, but air travel was still a

struggle. But the anxiety lessened whenever Gage was around. It was a nice feeling to know that

someonewantedtoprotecther,andshe’dgladlylethim.

His fingers worked along the seam of her pantyhose, and a delicious heat spread between her

thighs.“Icanthinkofthingsthatwouldgetyourmindofftheflight,”hegrowledinherear.

She rolled her eyes, but a smile spread across her lips. “We haven’t even taken off yet.” Not that

she’dreallypassupanyopportunityforGage’shandstobeonherbody.They’dmanagedtoseeeach

othereveryotherweek,betweenthebothofthemtravelingsomuch.Somehowtheircrazyschedule

worked.

“Sincewhenhasthatstoppedyou?”

True enough. They’d made their way into the mile-high club their last flight, and the bathroom

wasn’tnearlyasdisgustingasshethoughtitwouldbe—aftertakingaCloroxwipetoitfirst.Because,

hello,MRSAwasnotsomethingtofuckwith.He’dlaughedather,butreally,heshouldbethanking

herforpreparingagainstpotentialhazards.

“Youreadytomeetgoodol’IsabellaMichaels?”Hesmiledandgaveherhandaquicksqueeze.

“Yourmotherseemsmorethannice.I’mnotworried.”Andintruth,shewasn’t.Gagehadwarned

her that his family was old fashioned and stuck in their ways sometimes, but his mom had been

nothing but nice to her on their Skype calls. In fact, Isabella had given Abby her secret recipe for

cornbread. She’d surprised Gage with it on their six-month anniversary when he came to visit, and

she could tell how homesick he really was. He seemed to be more at ease with the travel lately,

seeminglesscagey,whichwasalwaysagoodsign.

“Right.WhywouldthekeysetcoordinatorofYellowRaftevergetnervous?”hemused.

Asmilecrackedatherlips.Thattitlewouldnevergetold.Shedidn’tknowwhatthefutureheldwith

Gage,buteverythingseemedtobegoingperfectlyatthemoment.Hopefullythey’dgettothepoint

wheretheytookittothenextlevel.Whoknewwherethey’dlivewhenthathappened,butshehadfaith

they’dgettheresomeday.

Gage raised a suggestive brow and nodded his head toward the blanket in his lap. “What do you

say?Foroldtime’ssake?”

“Idon’tknowifyou’llwanttoifyouseewhatIbroughtforthein-flightentertainment.”

“Colormeintrigued.”

Abby pulled out her tablet and suppressed a Cheshire cat grin. She loaded up the movie, pushed

earphones into the jack, and handed one to Gage. He furrowed his brows but took the earbud and

placeditinhisear.

Shepressedplay,andhisdeepchucklerumbledlowinherstomach.

“BlazingSaddles.Yousuredoknowthewaytoaman’sheart,sweetheart.”

She bit her lip and regarded him. She always liked to think that she’d end up with someone sexy,

confident,andcapable,butreally,she’dhitthejackpotwithGage.Disneymayhavegivenunrealistic

expectations,buthefarsurpassedanyofthosedamnPrinceCharmings.

“Ihaveanotherideafirst,though.”

Okay,Gagepassinguponwatchingthebestwesternofalltime?Somethingwasup.

Heshuffledaroundinhislaptopcase,whichhe’dstorednexttohim,whileAbbyclosedhereyes

and prayed to whoever was up in the stratosphere that the plane made it to South Carolina in one

piece.

Gage’shandcaressedherleg,andtheanxietyoftheflightmeltedaway.Histouchalwaysmanaged

todothattoher.Magichands.That’swhattheywere.

“Sweetheart.”

“Yeah?”

“Openyoureyes.”

AbbypeekedthroughonelidandfoundGageonhiskneesinfrontofher.

“Whatareyoudoing?”Sure,shehadbadanxiety,buttheflightcrewwouldprobablyfrownupon

hergettingservicedinfirstclass.“Canweatleastwaituntilwelandbeforedoingthat?”

Heclearedhisthroatnervously.“Ican’tgoanotherminutewithoutsayingsomething.”

“Can’tyousayitfromyourseat?Whatifwehitturbulence?”

“No,Abby,listen.”

Shenodded.

“I love you. You drive me insane. Your ability to schedule every goddamn second of the day

bogglesmymind.Anditstillamazesmethatyouwrapyourselfintoahumanburritowheneverwe

sharethebed.”

“Youmaketheseseemlikebadthings.”Shesmiled.Whatthehellwasgoingon?

“They would normally drive me up the wall, but you’re different. You turned my world upside

down.YoumademerealizethatIcanhavemyjobandarelationship,andIdon’thavetosacrificemy

happiness.Youlovemeforme,anddammit,Ican’tliveanotherdaywithoutyou.Marryme,Abby.”

Hepulledalittleblackboxoutoftheinnerpocketofhisjacket.Aglitteringdiamondemergedashe

openedthelid.

HolyChrist.Thiswashappening.Reallyhappening.“Isthataquestionoranorder?”

“Maybeabitofboth.”

Shecuthimasmile.“YouknowIcan’tresistwhenyougetbossy.”

Hewasstilldownonhisknees,holdingouttheringforher.“Isthatayes?”

Shenodded.“Yes,GageMichaels,Iwouldlovetobeyourwife.”

Heslidtheringonherfinger,andalthoughitwasalittlebittoobig,itwasabsolutelyperfect.A

simple,elegantsolitairediamond.

“Iloveyou,”hesaid.

“Loveyou,too.”Andwiththat,Gagewrappedhisarmsaroundherandkissedthetopofherhead.

Nomatterwheretheyendedup,AbbyknewshehadfoundahomeinGage.

DidyoulovethisBrazen?Checkoutmoreofoursteamytitles

here

!

Acknowledgments

As always, I want to thank my rock star agent, Courtney Miller-Callihan. A huge thank you to my

amazing editor, Candace Havens. I’m blessed to work with such a talented editor. A shout-out to

BrittanyMarczak—thankyouforsendingmecopiousamountsofJensenAcklesGIFswhenIwasin

direneedofwritinginspiration.

My critique partners and writing friends, AJ Pine, Lia Riley, Chanel Cleeton, and Jessica Gunn.

Thankyouforkeepingmesane.

Withoutthesupportofmyfamily,mybookswouldneverseethelightofday.Always,thankyou,

Justin.Youaremyrock.

Andextrasquishyhugstomyreaders.Thankyoufortakingachanceonme.

AbouttheAuthor

Jennifer Blackwood

is an English teacher and contemporary romance author. She lives in Oregon

withherhusband,son,andpoorlybehavedblacklabpuppy.Whensheisn’twritingorteaching,she’s

bingingonVeronicaMarsepisodesandwhitecheddarpopcorn.

WanttoknowwhenJenniferBlackwood’snextbookreleases?Signupforher

newsletter

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www.jenniferblackwood.com

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