shrugged away the thoughts. God, it seemed way too teenage and desperate to be analyzing his intentions so thoroughly. She was a professional woman in her late twenties with her own business and quite enough other things to worry about without being fixated on a man as dangerous and so obviously wrong for her as Gabriel.
A couple of minutes later, Honor stepped back into the hotel foyer, shivering in delight as the warmth of the central heating chased away the winter chill. Gabriel had vanished, God knows where, but she wasn’t about to go after him. Her feet were uncomfortable in the snow boots Lindsay had found for her to borrow on their trek over the hotel’s grounds, and all she wanted to do was get the boots off and sit in front of the fire at the cottage.
“Ms. St. James?”
She looked over to see Heather smiling at her and tapping a couple of extremely large bags sitting on the reception desk. “These came for you.”
“Really? I’m not expecting anything.” Slowly, she walked over to the desk and examined the name on the bags. Hers. Frowning, she pulled open the edge of one and peered inside. Something black and leather was folded up. Her frown deepened. “Where did these come from?”
“A courier brought them in first thing this morning.”
There was store branding on the front of the bags but she didn’t recognize the name. Weird. She looked in bag number two. More leather and something shiny in dark blue. Reaching into the bag, she slowly withdrew the shiny thing. A motorcycle helmet.
“Oh,” she said, understanding beginning to dawn.
“Now you can’t say you don’t have anything appropriate to wear,” said a deep voice from behind her.
God, how did the man manage to move so quietly?
Honor turned and found herself catching her breath yet again.
Gabriel stood behind her, a black motorcycle helmet casually held in one hand. He was wearing his leathers and she still hadn’t forgotten how incredibly sexy he looked in them, even though she quite desperately wanted to.
“What are these?” She waved a hand at the bags.
“A couple of things to wear in case you change your mind about a ride.”
“But I already told you I’m not going on a ride with you.”
“You said you didn’t have anything to wear. Now you do.”
Honor silently wished him to hell. Sadly, he remained standing there. “I have work to do,” she managed, somewhat lamely.
“That’s not the best excuse I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s not an excuse.”
“Isn’t it?” He raised one straight dark brow. “There’s nothing to be scared of. Just you and me and some fresh air.”
She hated the way he kept challenging her as if she was a kid who needed to prove herself. Because she wasn’t a kid. She was a grown woman who didn’t have to prove anything to anyone.
But when was the last time a man kept you on your toes like this one?
She couldn’t remember. A long time. Mainly because she preferred easier men.
Against her will, excitement began to kindle in her gut. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said in what she hoped was a level tone. “I’m not scared.”
Gabriel’s mouth curved as he walked over to her, and she couldn’t help tensing up as he came close. He slid his arm around her waist in an easy, affectionate movement, urging her up against his big, powerful, leather-clad body. “Baby, I’ll keep you safe. You know that.” His voice was dark and rough and full of warmth, that smile playing around his mouth.
All for the benefit of the receptionist, naturally. Keeping up the lie he’d perpetrated about them being lovers. It made her want to slap his face and push him away but that would reveal way too much. But deep in his eyes, that challenge glinted. Like he knew how much she hated this and wanted a response from her. As if he relished it.
Adrenaline spiked in her bloodstream, a dangerous rush, and before she quite knew what she was doing, she’d put her hands on his chest and was rising up on
A couple of minutes later, Honor stepped back into the hotel foyer, shivering in delight as the warmth of the central heating chased away the winter chill. Gabriel had vanished, God knows where, but she wasn’t about to go after him. Her feet were uncomfortable in the snow boots Lindsay had found for her to borrow on their trek over the hotel’s grounds, and all she wanted to do was get the boots off and sit in front of the fire at the cottage.
“Ms. St. James?”
She looked over to see Heather smiling at her and tapping a couple of extremely large bags sitting on the reception desk. “These came for you.”
“Really? I’m not expecting anything.” Slowly, she walked over to the desk and examined the name on the bags. Hers. Frowning, she pulled open the edge of one and peered inside. Something black and leather was folded up. Her frown deepened. “Where did these come from?”
“A courier brought them in first thing this morning.”
There was store branding on the front of the bags but she didn’t recognize the name. Weird. She looked in bag number two. More leather and something shiny in dark blue. Reaching into the bag, she slowly withdrew the shiny thing. A motorcycle helmet.
“Oh,” she said, understanding beginning to dawn.
“Now you can’t say you don’t have anything appropriate to wear,” said a deep voice from behind her.
God, how did the man manage to move so quietly?
Honor turned and found herself catching her breath yet again.
Gabriel stood behind her, a black motorcycle helmet casually held in one hand. He was wearing his leathers and she still hadn’t forgotten how incredibly sexy he looked in them, even though she quite desperately wanted to.
“What are these?” She waved a hand at the bags.
“A couple of things to wear in case you change your mind about a ride.”
“But I already told you I’m not going on a ride with you.”
“You said you didn’t have anything to wear. Now you do.”
Honor silently wished him to hell. Sadly, he remained standing there. “I have work to do,” she managed, somewhat lamely.
“That’s not the best excuse I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s not an excuse.”
“Isn’t it?” He raised one straight dark brow. “There’s nothing to be scared of. Just you and me and some fresh air.”
She hated the way he kept challenging her as if she was a kid who needed to prove herself. Because she wasn’t a kid. She was a grown woman who didn’t have to prove anything to anyone.
But when was the last time a man kept you on your toes like this one?
She couldn’t remember. A long time. Mainly because she preferred easier men.
Against her will, excitement began to kindle in her gut. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said in what she hoped was a level tone. “I’m not scared.”
Gabriel’s mouth curved as he walked over to her, and she couldn’t help tensing up as he came close. He slid his arm around her waist in an easy, affectionate movement, urging her up against his big, powerful, leather-clad body. “Baby, I’ll keep you safe. You know that.” His voice was dark and rough and full of warmth, that smile playing around his mouth.
All for the benefit of the receptionist, naturally. Keeping up the lie he’d perpetrated about them being lovers. It made her want to slap his face and push him away but that would reveal way too much. But deep in his eyes, that challenge glinted. Like he knew how much she hated this and wanted a response from her. As if he relished it.
Adrenaline spiked in her bloodstream, a dangerous rush, and before she quite knew what she was doing, she’d put her hands on his chest and was rising up on
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