Chapter Twenty-Two

Gavin

Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to Emma’s forehead. “Are you okay?”

She nodded.

“Not too chilly?”

Pulling her into my lap once again, I ran my hands along her bare arms, wondering if her chill bumps were the result of the air-conditioning or something else. Did she feel this connection buzzing between us as strongly as I did?

“I’m good.”

When I lifted Emma’s chin so she would meet my eyes, her hazy gaze almost undid me. Glassy-eyed and flushed, her lips swollen and pink from pleasuring me, she was perfect. Watching her swallow me down was more erotic than anything, ever. And I’d done some kinky shit.

In that moment, I was hit with a flurry of emotions. Elation? Yes. Pleasure? Hell yeah. But it was more than that. I was totally and utterly losing it, and our erotic encounter had me questioning if I was falling apart, or finally coming together.

“I like you like this,” I murmured, petting her cheek with my thumb.

“Like what?”

Several words flashed through my mind at once. Docile. Soft. Mine. “Submissive,” I settled on.

Emma pursed her lips as though tasting the word. “I didn’t know I was.”

“With me you are.”

She couldn’t argue.

Inhaling a deep breath against the rush of sudden and unexpected emotion, I took her hand. The way she placed her hand in mine was so natural, so effortless. And her small palm fit perfectly inside my much larger hand.

“Should we go?”

“Home?” The hint of disappointment in her voice was unmistakable.

“No. I have somewhere else in mind.” I was changing my plans for her. This might take me down a dangerous path, but fuck it. I was too far in to walk away now. “Are you hungry?”

For more than cock this time, my naughty brain supplied. I brushed my thumb against her full lower lip again, unable to stop myself.

Her expression was guarded, but happy. “I could eat.”

Whisking her away today had been impulsive, the need to see her welling up inside me until it couldn’t be refused any longer, as was my suggestion we continue our date with dinner. Apparently, Emma brought out a spontaneous side to me I didn’t know I had.

“Let’s get out of here.” I ushered her into the cart and drove her toward the grassy hill on the vineyard where the chopper would be waiting to take us wherever I asked. I was thinking about the casual neighborhood pizzeria I hadn’t been to in forever. “Do you like pizza?”

Her answering smile told me everything I needed to know.

• • •

“Alyssa?” I gritted my teeth, forcing down the string of curse words I wanted to let rip. “A moment of your time, please?”

“Right away, Mr. Kingsley.”

I’d asked her to call me Gavin about four thousand times over the past year and a half, but that never seemed to faze her. Not that I was going to complain; I appreciated the formality. Growing up the way I had, I wasn’t going to criticize a show of respect.

Strolling in a second later, Alyssa stopped in front of my desk. “What did you need?”

I took a deep breath and composed myself. “These summary reports are all messed up.”

She frowned. “I double-checked them. Everything should be spot-on. You’re probably just not used to the new format.”

“New format?” I felt my temples starting to throb.

Alyssa nodded, taking a step toward my desk. “Yes. It was Cooper’s suggestion. Let me show you. It takes some getting used to.”

Fucking Cooper. How many times had I uttered that phrase over the past two weeks? Good fucking question.

While Alyssa gave me a quick tutorial on the various tabs of the spreadsheet, my mind wandered back to my day at the vineyard with Emma last weekend.

Reflecting on the way I’d pushed her to her limits, I felt my heart kick up a notch. She’d given in so easily, riding my hand and murmuring soft, pleasure-filled whimpers as she got closer, and then coming apart so beautifully, despite the risk of us being discovered by the ever-attentive staff.

And then when she wanted to pleasure me? I didn’t have the stomach to turn her away again. I’d let her drop to her knees on the dusty pine floor and take me. Watching her force my wide length into her mouth and cradle me in her delicate hands? Fuck. I almost got hard just remembering it.

Even better yet was her refusal to take part in the game Cooper and I had lured her into. Her strength continued to arouse me.

“That will be all, Alyssa,” I barked, realizing my assistant was still standing there.

Stifling an eye roll, Alyssa turned and strolled from my office. She closed the door behind her, clearly annoyed.

But I wasn’t worried about my assistant. My mind was already spinning on when I could see Emma again. My gaze drifted toward the wall of windows where little pings of rain were hitting the glass. I needed to plan another date, something different this time. Something more intimate.

It was time to make my move, time to say to hell with all my brothers’ ominous warnings and take what was mine.