The Ruthless Gentleman(57)

“It’s weirder that you’re at my beck and call after . . .”

I’d woken up to an empty bed this morning, but I couldn’t remember having fallen asleep. We’d fucked until we were both raw and exhausted, but neither of us had talked about what happened next. I hadn’t told her that this didn’t feel like a one-time deal for me.

I couldn’t remember ever knowing I’d want to fuck a woman again before I’d fucked her for the first time. These feelings and experiences were new. Different. Avery was different.

“It is what it is,” she said, sliding the fastening of the case open and laying the board flat on the table. “I have something I need to tell you later,” she said as she pulled out the red and cream counters and began arranging them on the board so they were completely aligned.

I knocked her hands out of the way. “Stop. I’m red.”

She shrugged. “That’s fine.” She nudged my hands away, trying to place the red counters on the red and cream triangles in front of me. “Did you hear what I said?” she asked.

I stroked my hands over hers. “I can set out my own counters.”

“You don’t like me doing things for you?” she asked.

“I like you doing things to me,” I replied, remembering how her eyes watered when my cock hit the back of her throat.

She sank her teeth into her bottom lip and her blush told me she was remembering the same thing.

“Hayden,” she whispered.

Christ, she was so fucking sexy when she blushed. So innocent. So perfect. I took the red counters from her hand and linked my fingers through hers. Our eyes locked and for a few seconds the rest of the world melted away. A horn from another boat sounded and she pulled away, trailing her fingers along mine as if she was losing my touch reluctantly.

“When we’re alone, I’m not your guest. I’m Hayden. Understand?”

Her eyes flickered behind me. “But we’re not alone. That’s the issue. Deck crew are twenty feet away for all you know. Skylar will arrive with your water at any second.” She set the cream dots on the triangles. “You are my guest while you’re on this yacht.”

Her gaze flickered up to meet mine and she grinned.

“You gotta give this girl a break and act like a guest or I’m going to get fired, and you of all people know I can’t afford for that to happen.” She was talking as much to herself as she was to me. The pull between us was undeniable.

I was proud that I understood why keeping her job was so important to her. The fact she’d told me how paying for her brother’s medical expenses was the reason she was here made me feel important. Christ, I ran a multi-billion-dollar company and knowing something private about Avery Walker was what made me feel important. How did she have that much power over me? Perhaps it was simply because she was a better person than I could ever be.

“I didn’t get to see you this morning,” I whispered.

She raised one eyebrow at me as she finished laying out her counters. “I think you saw quite a lot of me last night and this morning,” she whispered.

I couldn’t resist that pouty little mouth and teasing eye roll. I reached across and swept my thumb across her bottom lip.

For a second we were back in that hotel—in a private space, the two of us the only key holders.

The swish of the electric doors interrupted us, and I moved my hand, but it was too late. We’d been caught.

Avery’s soft eyes slid into sadness as she looked up to see who had come through. It wasn’t until Skylar placed the water in front of Avery that I saw she wouldn’t meet my gaze—or Avery’s. Skylar’s cheeks pinked, and I knew for sure she’d seen everything.

“Thank you, Skylar,” I said.

“Can I get you anything else?” she asked, eyeing the closing doors as if she were being timed and if she didn’t get through before they shut she’d be stuck in this awkward situation.

“No thank you,” I replied, trying to catch her eye to see if I could figure out what she was thinking.

I’d fucked up. I had no idea what the dynamic between Avery and Skylar was like. Would Skylar report her? Did she want Avery’s job?

Skylar scurried away.

“I’m sorry—”

The scrape of Avery’s chair, teak against teak, cut me off. “For me, please go down to your office, while I . . .” She shook her head. “I’ll come and find you later. I need to tell you something anyway.”

“Of course,” I said. Never had I been incapable of controlling myself with a woman. What was happening to me? Had I just ruined everything with an uncharacteristic lack of self-discipline?

I was an idiot.

I stood as she began packing away the backgammon. I wanted to help. “I’ll do—”

“Jesus, don’t you get it?” Her jaw was tight and her words sharp. “This is my job. My livelihood, my way of looking after my brother. This is not your fault—I was weak, it was my decision to be . . . pulled under by . . . but please don’t make this worse. Pretend you have a call and go.”

“Very well.” I turned to head back inside, my whole body itching from her words that seemed to press into my skin and burn. Weak? Pulled under? What had passed between us last night had been so much more than sex, certainly more than lust taking over and pulling her under. She’d felt it too, hadn’t she?