Kissed Blind (Hot Pursuit #2)
Emerson Shaw
Dedication
To Evan and Will, my best bodyguards.
Note to the Reader:
This is Book Two in The Hot Pursuit series. Book one is summed up in the beginning of this novel. You can read this book without having read book one, but there may be certain parts that are slightly unclear. You will not be lost, however. Enjoy!
“Hollywood is a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.”
~Marilyn Monroe
One
I stared at the ceiling listening to Gabe’s even breaths, my skin marked with his sweet scent. He’d been my personal, calorie-free, lemon chiffon cupcake. As far as relationships go, ours had had its ups and downs, but lately we were coasting up, and I was enjoying the ride.
I lifted my fingers to my nose and breathed him in, hoping his scent would somehow lull me to sleep. I glanced at the clock across the room. Two hours I’d been tossing and turning, and an annoying, indiscernible noise hummed somewhere off in the distance. I sighed quietly so as to not wake him. Another sleepless night was upon me, and even the smell of him would do nothing to help.
Six months had passed since Vance and I had nearly—hell, I wasn’t sure what had nearly happened, but I’d spent plenty of hours trying to figure it out. We’d been partners at Bodyguards and Brutes Personal Protection Agency for five years and had known each other before that, but a few months ago the line between partners and more-than-partners had been blurred.
Or had it?
I’d probably made everything up, figments of a confused and girlish imagination pieced together to form an illogical story. With how great things were going with Gabe, I had no reason to waste time wondering like I was. Nevertheless, my brain was hardwired to take the path back to rifling through my kitchen drawer looking for a deck of cards. Behind closed eyes, I stared into the liquid heat burning in Vance’s and felt his hands on my hips. The rollercoaster of emotions would rush through my body at Mach force. My heart would race, rise up in my throat, and steal my breath.
That was usually when I reminded myself that a lot had happened with our client, Avery Quinn, Vice President of the National Bank Corporation, and his thought-to-be-dead business partner. That was what sparked these late night think sessions. Yes, that was it, a post-traumatic stress event of sorts. Then there was the chance encounter that was anything but, Stephen. I tried not to think about him much, but when he’d involved me in a plot to overthrow the U.S. Oil Market, and caused the death of my co-worker, he was unavoidable in these quiet moments. No one could have walked away from that situation without a few scars.
But while my obsessive thoughts festered, I wondered, what might have happened if Gabe hadn’t shown up at my door that afternoon when I stared into the depths of Vance’s eyes? I huffed and turned over.
Nothing, that’s what. Vance was only teasing me in my kitchen like he always did. Vance was being Vance, staying true to his MO, playing with me because he could. And he certainly didn’t remember kissing me. I needed to put it all behind me and leave it there. Gabe, Vance, and I had settled back into our normal rhythms. Case closed.
In my final attempt to chase ever-evasive sleep, I twisted my hair up to lie on top of my pillow and groaned. Gabe rolled over, draping his hand across my hip. He pulled me into him; the velvety warmth of his body enveloped mine.
“You’re still awake?”
His voice soothed me, and I smiled, closing my eyes. “Yeah, trying to shut off my brain.”
“What’s the topic tonight?” He inhaled against my neck, and a pulse of electricity shot through me.
I laughed softly. “Nothing is off limits really. I’m thinking for the lack of anything better to do. That cup of coffee after dinner was a bad idea.”
He grunted. “You sure that’s it? You haven’t had a sleepless night in a while.” He had no idea how many I’d actually had recently.
I turned to him. Even in the moonlight, I saw the contentment of our evening still residing on his face, his hazel eyes clear and observant. “No, nothing in particular. Promise.”
He brought my lips to his and rested his forehead against mine. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” He caressed my backside, and his fingers roamed between my thighs.
I shook my head. “Refresh my memory.”
“More than words can say.” He slid on top of me, smothering my neck in kisses. “Whatever it is you’re thinking about, I bet I can make you forget it.”
I giggled. “Again?” He nodded, his hands searching for mine. “You’re insatiable lately, Gabriel Montgomery.”
“Only for you, Diana Cain.”
. . .
I sat on Gabe’s couch listening to the morning news, holding a hot cup of coffee between my palms. He circulated through the kitchen, the soft, morning light filtered through the windows, catching the natural color variations in his honey hair. He popped a plastic cup in the coffee maker and snapped the lid closed. The warm nectar spurted and filled his cup. I loved watching him this way, relaxed and at home without the weight of the world on his shoulders yet. The newscaster spoke the name Oliver Pierce, and it pulled my attention.
Oliver Pierce looked better than if Brad Pitt and James Dean had spawned a love child. Every woman, and I’m pretty sure half the men in the world, had a fantasy involving him. I was no exception. He’d been in action-packed blockbuster after action-packed blockbuster, satisfying every man’s need for explosions and high-speed chases, and every woman’s dream of finding the perfect, muscle-bound man with a healthy appetite for love. I’d seen all of his movies and had been a fan from day one.