Managed (VIP #2)(43)

I start walking to the back of the bus, kicking off my shoes as I go. He watches me the way someone might track a stray raccoon who’s found its way inside. But I notice he stands as well, slowly following.

The bedroom is as gorgeous as the living area. With the glossy, mellow wood paneling, it’s cozy and warm. His bed is a king, taking up most of the space. I crawl onto it, sinking into the cream-satin covers.

Gabriel stands at the threshold, his gaze darting from me to the space beside me. I lay on my side, resting my head on my hand. This isn’t going to be easy. Stretched out on his bed, with him looking on, this feels like something more.

It feels like seduction. I’ve never been good at lying to myself, either. I want his weight on me, the solid strength of his muscles shifting and bunching as he moves between my legs. I want that heat, to feel his cock sliding thick and wide into my empty, aching sex.

But he didn’t ask for that. And the fact that he needs me for something non-sexual means something to me. I’m not just a pair of tits and ass for him to get off on. He could get that anywhere. We both know it. He needs me for this.

I let my head fall to the pillows. “Don’t leave me hanging, sunshine.”

“It’s…” He glances at his watch. “Ten-fifteen in the morning.”

“And I’m tired. I need a nap.”

I really do. I hadn’t realized how very exhausted I am until I said it out loud.

A calculating gleam enters his eyes. My nipples pulse in response. Damn.

Slowly, he takes off his jacket, the move pure suit porn. He takes his time, hangs it up, slips off his shoes, and removes his cufflinks. Muscles strain against his fine, white shirt. I watch him with a lazy sort of attention. The intimacy of his action soothes in a strange way, and my lids grow heavy.

He pauses at the edge of the bed. “Every night?” It’s a husky rasp, with more yearning than I think he realizes.

Soft warmth blooms in my heart. “Naps too, if you want them.”

His gaze is liquid heat. “I want them.”

He crawls onto the bed. The wary, hesitant man is gone. Gabriel moves with grace, nearly prowling, hot eyes on me, his body coming flush with mine. I start to pant as he deftly rolls me to face the wall and curls himself around me, pressing my back to his front. He does it all as if he’s had this planned in his head for some time, as if he’s been thinking in great detail about what he’d do with me once in his bed.

His arm wraps around my middle, snaking up between my breasts before I can even blink. He cups my shoulder, holding me close—snuggling me.

I tremor, a swarm of bees bumping around in my belly. This feels too good. My skin is burning, my heart racing. He has to notice. I feel the rapid thud of his heart against my shoulder blades and know he’s agitated too.

We struggle with the newness of the situation for a few seconds, and then he sighs, his warm breath stirring my hair, and his hard body eases. It’s so peaceful, that sound, that I sink into his hold. We’re over the covers, but I’m so warm, so secure, that it doesn’t matter.

Gabriel’s lips press against the crown of my head. “Every night, chatty girl.”

The possession in his voice is absolute. I’m in so much f*cking trouble.





Chapter Ten





Gabriel



* * *



“So, what are we going to tell people?” Sophie’s big brown eyes gaze up at me with worry as we make our way to the practice room set up at a local recording studio.

Kill John is going to do a run through of a new song before we set off again, and I want to see if they’re up to snuff. Sophie, of course, will be there to take photos.

Having gained two hours of sleep—a bloody miracle, by my count—I’m feeling so relaxed and mellow that I nearly hum one of their tunes. I might very well be losing my mind, but I don’t bloody care.

“About what?”

“About me rooming with you.” She waves an arm in exasperation.

She’s adorable, really. And so fantastically soft and rounded and warm. God, she’s warm when she sleeps, her lemon tart scent stronger, earthier somehow. I’m tempted to turn us around and demand more nap time.

I have to force myself to pay attention. “Do you not want them to know?”

“Well,” she falters. “I don’t know. It’s just kind of…” Brown eyes narrow on me. “Do you want them to know you need me to fall asleep?”

“Not particularly.”

She stops at the threshold of the room. No one has noticed us yet, so we have a bit of privacy. “They’re going to think we’re together.”

A lovely flush pinks her round cheeks. My finger itches to stroke them.

“And that would be a problem?” I find myself asking.

Her full lips part, then snap shut before she answers. “It’s a problem if it’s a lie. And, no, I don’t like the idea of people I work with gossiping about us.”

“I see.” With a nod, I turn toward the room. “Oy, listen up. Sophie will be traveling with me on my coach. And it’s none of your bloody business why, so I’d better not hear a word about it. Understood?”

At my side, Sophie makes a strangled gurgle that sounds like a drowning chipmunk.