Scandal Never Sleeps by Shayla Black, Lexi Blake Page B

wasn’t the same woman. And obviously she’d lost her mind, spending an entire weekend naked with a man who only shared his sheets with the most beautiful women in the world.
    He strolled back in carrying his cell phone. “This is ridiculous. I’m not going to let you simply walk away. Here, give me your number and I’ll call you. I’ve got a ton of stuff to do today, but maybe we could have dinner later this week.”
    She took the phone from him and looked down. Eve. He’d already started the contact with that name. He had no idea Everly was her given name. Would he feel betrayed now by her white lie? Did it matter since he wasn’t the sort of man who would stay with her forever?
    He stared, waited. His anticipation dissipated. He scowled. “You don’t want me to call, do you?”
    Everly paused. It would be smarter if she didn’t but . . . could she really stay away?
    She was about to respond—she wasn’t really sure what she planned to say—when she heard a firm knock on the door.
    “Put your number in. Please.” Gabriel leaned over and kissed her, as if adding a little sugar to sweeten the pot. “That’s probably the coffee service I ordered. Look through the menu again. I know you said you had to leave but I would feel better if you ate something. I’ll be right back.”
    She watched him walk toward the living area, unable to take her eyes off how fine and taut that bare backside looked.
    He turned at the door, snagging a robe from the closet and tossing the second one her way. “Slip this on. I fully intend to tip the delivery guy, but he doesn’t get to see you naked. That’s for me.”
    He winked at her, then headed for the door. As Everly belted the robe, she heard the snick of the lock and the squeak of the door opening.
    She was such a coward, she thought, staring at that phone. She should input her number. When Gabriel came back, she would confess her connection to Maddox, admit that she’d violated their anonymity rule. He knew she wasn’t from his world and he hadn’t seemed to mind. Maybe she was making too much out of this worry. Maybe they would be all right.
    Or they would be a complete disaster. She needed to focus on keeping her job. Dating Gabriel Bond would likely be a roller coaster ride without a seatbelt. Everly wasn’t sure how long she could hold on. His glittering realm wasn’t something she could comprehend. Now that she’d seen picture after picture of the beauties he’d dated and probably taken to bed, insecurity rushed over her. Besides, he’d told her from the beginning he didn’t have time for a girlfriend. Sure, he wanted more sex, but that wasn’t love. In fact, that wasn’t anything beyond an erection and an orgasm. Okay, so he seemed to like her as a person, but that didn’t change the fact that he hadn’t wanted a relationship when he’d walked through this door. He probably didn’t really want one now. And how did she know this wasn’t an “I’ll call you” thing, an empty promise that would never come to pass?
    She didn’t . . . but Everly still took a deep breath and punched her number into the phone anyway. The ball was in his court. What was life without a little risk?
    “Gabe, my man, we need to talk,” a masculine voice said from the front of the room.
    She peeked through the doorway to find two tall men, both radiating power and impatience, striding into the room. One had dark, thick waves of hair he’d clearly tried to tame and wore a stylishcharcoal suit. The other, a rugged guy with dark blond hair and a nick of a scar slashing down his chin, was dressed in dark slacks, a black T-shirt, and a windbreaker.
    “We’ve got trouble,” the impeccably dressed man warned.
    Everly’s stomach took a nosedive. It looked like her time in paradise with Gabriel was over.

FIVE

    G abe strode out the service entrance and climbed the ramp that led to the street, scanning his surroundings for photographers.
    “Dax is with the car,” Roman