assistant still hesitated, she added, “Please? I’ll be fine, truly.”
Casting one more dirty look at Gabe, Doug said, “I’ll be right outside the door.”
When they were alone once more, their eyes finally met.
“I don’t want to see you for a while,” Beatrice said.
Gabe’s eyes flashed in anger. “Is that your answer? Avoiding me?”
“I need to process what you told me, Gabe. I can’t just turn off three years of hurt. I understand more of your reasons now, but it doesn’t mean I want us back together.”
Frustrated, guttural sounds worked in his throat. “Bullshit.”
“Excuse me?” This time her temper flared.
He prowled toward her. She held her ground as they both stared challengingly at each other.
“You heard me. I call bullshit,” Gabe repeated. “Fireworks. You deny we just burned those sheets between us.”
“A relationship is not simply about sex.”
“I agree. But the most honest reaction I’ve ever gotten from you is when I watch you come when I’m buried deep inside you. I want you back. I’m not about to let you push me away because of some fear that I’m walking out on you again because I won’t. I swear. I’m all in, babe. All yours.” His hand came up to cup her face. “So tell me, what’s the problem?”
“I . . . I just need some time.”
“I’ll give you a day.”
“What the hell kind of time is that?”
“I give you a day. I need to get some shit done anyway, and you’re not leaving your condo tomorrow.”
“I have a meeting with BSI.”
At Gabe’s unbending stare, Beatrice sighed. “I can have Nate pick me up.”
“What is Nate to you?”
“He’s a friend.”
“Have you fucked him?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no,” Beatrice retorted.
“Oh, I’m making it my business, babe.” He bent low, his warm breath fanning her ear. Releasing her jaw, he trailed the back of his fingers down the length of her torso, her hips. “Everything to do with this sweet body of yours, down right to here”—he cupped her between her legs and she couldn’t bring herself to stop him—“is my business. Do you know why?”
“No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
He grinned at her defiance. “Because you’ve always been mine. Your brain has not caught up yet, but your body cannot fucking deny how it wants mine.”
“Again, sex, no matter how good it is, does not make us together.” Beatrice wanted to pull her hair out.
“We will be.”
“WE ARE NOT TOGETHER!”
Gabe sighed. “Take some time tomorrow and think about us.”
“There is no us!” Gah! What an annoying man!
“Beatrice,” Gabe whispered, brushing her lips gently. “I love you, babe.”
She melted into a puddle right there.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“So you’re saying we might expect a hit in Colombia?”
Edward Shepard was the BSI team lead assigned on Senator Alex Mendoza’s security detail. He was studying the threat-analysis report Beatrice prepared for them, which included some speculations of the related violence in the Cloverleaf District. Travis and Nate were also in the room.
“That’s where I see the biggest threat coming from,” Beatrice said. “I met with Alex Mendoza yesterday and informed him we’re close to forming a team for him. His South American trip won’t begin until next year, but he agreed that it would be best to be familiar with his personal security in the next few months. Then we can expand it next year to include his entire delegation.”
“What’s with the Fuego connection?” Travis asked, his eyes most likely skimming to the last page of the report.
Beatrice sighed. She had not discussed this with Gabe yet, and her father had been off the grid. She would need to get with Ashe and Duke soon to see what else they dug up. “I’m not sure where they exactly fit. It just seemed coincidental that the women who attacked me last week are now dead and linked to Fuego. I’m having someone look into
Casting one more dirty look at Gabe, Doug said, “I’ll be right outside the door.”
When they were alone once more, their eyes finally met.
“I don’t want to see you for a while,” Beatrice said.
Gabe’s eyes flashed in anger. “Is that your answer? Avoiding me?”
“I need to process what you told me, Gabe. I can’t just turn off three years of hurt. I understand more of your reasons now, but it doesn’t mean I want us back together.”
Frustrated, guttural sounds worked in his throat. “Bullshit.”
“Excuse me?” This time her temper flared.
He prowled toward her. She held her ground as they both stared challengingly at each other.
“You heard me. I call bullshit,” Gabe repeated. “Fireworks. You deny we just burned those sheets between us.”
“A relationship is not simply about sex.”
“I agree. But the most honest reaction I’ve ever gotten from you is when I watch you come when I’m buried deep inside you. I want you back. I’m not about to let you push me away because of some fear that I’m walking out on you again because I won’t. I swear. I’m all in, babe. All yours.” His hand came up to cup her face. “So tell me, what’s the problem?”
“I . . . I just need some time.”
“I’ll give you a day.”
“What the hell kind of time is that?”
“I give you a day. I need to get some shit done anyway, and you’re not leaving your condo tomorrow.”
“I have a meeting with BSI.”
At Gabe’s unbending stare, Beatrice sighed. “I can have Nate pick me up.”
“What is Nate to you?”
“He’s a friend.”
“Have you fucked him?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no,” Beatrice retorted.
“Oh, I’m making it my business, babe.” He bent low, his warm breath fanning her ear. Releasing her jaw, he trailed the back of his fingers down the length of her torso, her hips. “Everything to do with this sweet body of yours, down right to here”—he cupped her between her legs and she couldn’t bring herself to stop him—“is my business. Do you know why?”
“No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
He grinned at her defiance. “Because you’ve always been mine. Your brain has not caught up yet, but your body cannot fucking deny how it wants mine.”
“Again, sex, no matter how good it is, does not make us together.” Beatrice wanted to pull her hair out.
“We will be.”
“WE ARE NOT TOGETHER!”
Gabe sighed. “Take some time tomorrow and think about us.”
“There is no us!” Gah! What an annoying man!
“Beatrice,” Gabe whispered, brushing her lips gently. “I love you, babe.”
She melted into a puddle right there.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“So you’re saying we might expect a hit in Colombia?”
Edward Shepard was the BSI team lead assigned on Senator Alex Mendoza’s security detail. He was studying the threat-analysis report Beatrice prepared for them, which included some speculations of the related violence in the Cloverleaf District. Travis and Nate were also in the room.
“That’s where I see the biggest threat coming from,” Beatrice said. “I met with Alex Mendoza yesterday and informed him we’re close to forming a team for him. His South American trip won’t begin until next year, but he agreed that it would be best to be familiar with his personal security in the next few months. Then we can expand it next year to include his entire delegation.”
“What’s with the Fuego connection?” Travis asked, his eyes most likely skimming to the last page of the report.
Beatrice sighed. She had not discussed this with Gabe yet, and her father had been off the grid. She would need to get with Ashe and Duke soon to see what else they dug up. “I’m not sure where they exactly fit. It just seemed coincidental that the women who attacked me last week are now dead and linked to Fuego. I’m having someone look into
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