The Executive's Vengeful Seduction / Rich Man's Revenge: The Executive's Vengeful Seduction

Only, he didn’t enter her just then. He waited, looking down at her with darkened eyes, the cords in his neck straining as he held his body above her…waiting…

“Come into me, Damien,” she said, sliding her palm over his chest.

And that was enough. On a groan, he pushed himself into her wet warmth.

Slowly.

Exquisitely.

Filling her with a sense of completeness.

Even five years ago their lovemaking hadn’t been as rich as this. It was much richer now in intensity, in depth, in experience.

And then he kissed her deeply as he moved erotically in and out. She loved the way he explored her inner womanhood with a thoroughness and pleasure that stamped her as his own, leaving no part of her untouched.

She moaned and inched toward the peak of desire. Unable to hold out against such an onslaught, she shut her eyes giddily. And she told herself to wait. That she wanted it to last forever. But her body wasn’t about to stop from rejoicing in their mating.

She escalated higher and higher, with nothing to hold on to except this man within her. “Damien, please… Damien, I need you…Damien…”

“Gabi,” he rasped, and she felt him pulsing into her, her own femininity cupping him tight in her climax, welcoming his sheathed essence.

A long moment later she was left with one thought and one thought only. The last time they’d made love he’d called her Gabi. And he’d been inside her back then, too.

* * *

The next morning Damien kept his eyes closed as he enjoyed the slight rocking of the boat and inhaled the scent of Gabrielle in the tropical air. It woke his body, arousing him with the pleasure of the night.

Many pleasures of the night.

He rolled on his side and reached for her, but his hand found a cool cotton sheet instead of a warm body. His eyes opened. She was probably in the bathroom. Or making coffee in the galley.

He listened for any sound of her. All was quiet. He sniffed the air and waited. Any minute now the aromatic smell of coffee would tantalize his nostrils. When nothing happened, he eased into a sitting position and looked around the cabin. Unless she’d jumped overboard, she’d still have to be on the yacht.

His heart started to thump. Or perhaps she’d taken the dingy. If she had, he’d kill her, he decided, throwing back the sheet, his gut knotting as he pulled on his trousers. He didn’t bother about a shirt as he took the stairs two at a time.

When he found her on the top deck, it took a moment to steady his heartbeat. Then he strode toward her and hauled her into his arms.

“Damien, what the—”

He dropped a fierce kiss on her lips. It was supposed to be an angry kiss for being foolish enough to leave him. Only, after a moment or two, with her palms flattened on his bare chest, he found he was more hungry for her than angry, more searching than punishing. He wanted her to know how waking up this morning without her had felt. It had been the same feeling he’d experienced five years ago.

He broke off the kiss and muttered, “There’s no escape.”

She looked confused. “I wasn’t trying to escape.”

Okay, he’d panicked. He wouldn’t do it again. “Tell me about the car accident.”

Her face closed up and she stepped out of his arms and went to sit down on a seat. “Why? Am I imperfect now, Damien?”

“No.” She was too damn perfect to look at. That was the problem. He winced inwardly. No, he didn’t quite mean that. Gabrielle wasn’t just about her looks.

She leaned back and stared up at him, gorgeous in white pants and a lime-green top. “What do you want to know?”

“How it happened. When did it happen. Everything.”

Her lips, still slightly swollen from his kiss, curved in a wry smile. “You don’t ask for much, do you?”

He didn’t find it remotely funny. “I’m telling, not asking.”

Her eyes clouded over. “Yes, that’s more your style.”

“Gabrielle, you’re procrastinating.” His eyes narrowed. “What are you hiding?”

She looked startled. “Nothing,” she said, much too fast for his liking. She moistened her delicious mouth. “Er…it happened a few months after I went to Sydney. I was a passenger in a car with one of Eileen’s daughters, Lara. This drunken idiot came out of nowhere and his car hit the front passenger side and some metal buckled and cut me.”

“Sweet Jesus!” The thought of it made him taste bile.

All at once she was looking at him as if realizing his shock. “Damien, I’m fine,” she said gently.

Her tone didn’t soothe him. He felt savage. Like he wanted to commit murder. “What happened to this idiot? He’d better be in jail.”

“I don’t know. I was in hospital for a few days, then I was too busy getting back on my feet.”

“If I’d known…” he growled, a burning sensation in his throat. “If Russell had known…”

An uneasy look entered her eyes. “Thankfully neither of you did.” As quickly, she drew herself up, a certain coolness taking over. “And thankfully neither of you had a say in my life after that.” She paused for effect. “I just wish you didn’t have a say now.”

The muscles at the back of his neck tensed. “You’re married to me, Gabrielle. From here on in, whatever happens, I want to know about it.”

Her eyes flashed with cynicism. “It didn’t take long for you to start trying to control me.”

He stared hard at her. She’d taken that the wrong way. He was concerned for her, not controlling. He wanted to make sure she’d didn’t get hurt again. God, he hated thinking about her trapped in a car. About her lying in hospital.

His jaw clenched. But if she preferred to think the worst of his motives, then let her. He wasn’t explaining himself to anyone.

He made a move toward the stairs. “Get your things together. We’re going back to shore.”

Six

When they arrived back at the apartment, Gabrielle half expected Damien to carry her off to bed, and firmly squashed a sense of disappointment when he strode straight over to the dining table and started sorting through his briefcase.

“You’re working now?” she asked, then realized how that sounded. “I mean, aren’t we going to see my parents?”

He glanced at his Rolex, his attitude telling her he was a busy man. “I’ve got a couple of calls to make, then we’ll go break the news of our marriage to your mother. We’ll leave it up to Caroline to decide whether to tell Russell yet or not.”

Gabrielle swallowed, feeling guilty. In a way she didn’t really feel she should feel too guilty about it. Not after everything her parents had put her through. Yet she did.

“And by the way,” he added. “I’ve ordered a Porsche to replace the rental car.”