Rock Hard (Rock Kiss #2)(60)

“How many women do you know who have wrists this slender?”

Still scowling at his audacity, especially given how much she’d loved this piece—the design a delicacy of flowers and exquisitely shaped leaves—she said, “Statistically, at least a number of the women you dated.”

“So suspicious.” Flicking his thumb against the little oval platinum tag near the clasp, he said, “Good thing I got this.”

Looking down, she felt her heart slam into her ribs. It was inscribed to Ms. Baird. “Ms. Baird?” she said, a little teary.

“My Ms. Baird.”

She couldn’t believe it. He’d bought this months ago. Lower lip quivering, she pushed at his chest. “You are a horrible man.” It had infuriated her to be asked to choose a gift for some unknown woman. “Why did you torment me?”

“I was flirting with you,” he said in a growl of a tone. “I figured you’d work it out when I made it clear I wanted your opinion and your opinion alone.”

“How was I supposed to figure it out?” Sunshine from the skylight sparked off the stunning piece of jewelry as she glared up at him. “I told you, men like you don’t hit on women like me.”

His expression altered, pure sin in his eyes. “That’s one punishment,” he said in a tone that was a rasp of rough silk over her skin. “We’ll figure out a payment schedule you can handle.”

Chest rising and falling as she inhaled and exhaled jerkily, she refused to back down. “I can’t accept this.” It was valued in the serious five figures. She knew because she’d taken great delight in watching him pay for it, figuring that was his just deserts for dragging her along on the excruciating exercise.

“Try to give it back.” It was a dare.

Taking it, she went to undo the clasp. Tried again. “Gabriel, what did you do?”

He pressed his lips to her shoulder again in response, his hand warm and possessive on her back. “I’ll show you how to take it off when you stop attempting to give it back.”

“This is ridiculous. There must be a way…” But try as she might, she couldn’t figure out how to undo the clasp. “I can’t go around wearing a bracelet worth half my annual income!”

He shrugged and put a strawberry to her lips. “Bite down.”

When she did it with force, he raised his hand to play with her dress strap. “Still doesn’t put me off that luscious mouth.” Stroking the remaining half of the strawberry over her lips, he leaned down and whispered, “You wouldn’t bite my cock, would you, Ms. Baird?”

Chest hurting from the shallowness of her breaths and her glasses fogging up, she swallowed. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

He groaned and fed her the rest of the fruit. “You really don’t mind going in to work?”

“No—if you take this bracelet off.”




FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER, she was at her desk printing out the documents he needed, and the bracelet was still on her wrist. Gabriel Bishop, as she’d already learned, was one stubborn male. And he’d decided the ridiculously expensive, exquisitely beautiful, one-of-a-kind bracelet was hers. Aggravated as she was, she couldn’t help the melting in her bones.

He’d had it for months, she thought again, her eyes lingering on the pretty, delicate lines of it. She’d sighed over it in the shop, having no intention of recommending it to Gabriel so he could give it to his “girlfriend.” When he’d caught her sneaking that photo of it and bought it, she’d been so frustrated. And jealous. She could admit that now. She’d been jealous he was giving the bracelet she loved to another woman.

Except the whole time, it had been for her.

Months.

Touching the tiny flowers with possessive fingers, she jerked them back when she heard Gabriel coming out of his office. “Papers ready, Charlotte?” he asked a little absently, his attention on the report in his hand.

“Yes,” she said, her pulse kicking at the sight of him, so big and smart and delicious. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” He took them, disappeared, saying, “Can you dig up the previous proposal for me? I want to double-check something.”

“I’ll have it to you in a minute.” She turned to her computer, discovered that for some reason the file hadn’t been input. “I’m going to have to go down to the records room,” she said, poking her head into his office.

Gabriel looked up, frowned. “I’ll come with you.”

Stomach dropping, she gripped the edge of the doorjamb. “It’s only one floor down. I’ll be fine.”

He was already walking toward her. “Charlotte, I know you can do it. I’m also feeling very protective today.” An edge in his voice. “So just let me come with you.”

Shaken by the blunt words, she spread her hands on his chest. She’d been so focused on how he was treating her that she hadn’t stopped to consider how she should treat him. He was a protective, possessive kind of a man, and she’d laid a lot on him today. “Maybe I should give you a kiss,” she said, finding the courage because he needed her to find it. “Come here.”

He bent his head. Cupping his cheek, she pressed her lips to his, sipped gently. She was viscerally aware of the strength and the power of him, but she was also stunned to realize he’d given her control. Though his hands had come to rest on her hips, he didn’t pull, didn’t force, just stood there and allowed her to taste him.