Mine To Take (Nine Circles) (33 page)

But he wasn’t leaving. His fingers slid around her wrists, holding them tightly down on either side of her thighs. Then he lifted his head slightly, hot breath passing over the sensitive skin of her stomach. “You stayed.” His voice was dark, rough, possessive. “That makes you mine.”

“Yes.” There was no point disagreeing. This was what she’d stayed for. This was what she was giving him. Besides, she’d been his from the moment she’d first laid eyes on him.

His mouth brushed her stomach and it was her turn to shiver, aching physical awareness rushing over her. She was still naked and the arousal of earlier in the evening was still there, pulsing beneath the surface of her skin.

“I want everything,” Gabriel murmured, the dark, rough note in his voice making her heart beat faster. Making the ache inside her more acute. “Give me everything, Honor.”

She closed her eyes again. “Yes. It’s yours.”

The brush of his mouth against her inner thighs, hot kisses that had her catching her breath. Her muscles went tight as his mouth moved higher, between her legs, nuzzling her. She inhaled sharply. Only to have him pull back, releasing her wrists.

“Gabriel…”

Carefully, he slid a hand behind her knee and lifted one leg, then the other, over the arms of the chair, spreading her wide. Then he leaned forward, his big, muscular body pinning her, trapping her in the chair.

Not that she cared. She didn’t want to move anyway. Her breathing had accelerated and when he bent his head, covering her sex with his mouth, she didn’t hold back the sound he brought from her. A choked cry. She put her hands in his hair, curling her fingers tight as he licked her like he had all the time in the world. Long slow licks that had her gasping and arching back.

“Watch,” he growled against her skin. “I want you to watch.”

She obeyed without thought, looking down, meeting his black eyes. And she kept looking as he lowered his head again, watching his mouth move on her slick flesh, tasting her. It was unbearably erotic seeing her legs spread wide over the arms of the chair, his blond head between them. It was almost too much but she’d promised she’d give him everything. And she would.

His tongue pushed into her, deep and slow and she panted, crying out, her gaze pinned to him and what he was doing to her.

The orgasm gathered tightly inside her, a hard, aching knot of sensation that felt impossible to contain. He didn’t wait, giving her another lick that sent her over the edge, shuddering and calling his name as the climax rushed through her.

He didn’t give her more than a couple of seconds of respite. Kneeling upright, he grasped her, pulling her off the chair, taking her down to the floor, the silk Persian rug that covered the floorboards soft against her back. Then he shrugged off his jacket, tore open his jeans, found a condom from his back pocket, and protected himself. Settling between her legs, he thrust inside her, a hard, deep movement that had her gasping, her sensitive flesh stretching almost unbearably.

Then he stopped, deep inside her. His arms slid around her and he gathered her close, sitting up so she was in his lap, facing him, his dark eyes mere inches away.

“Gabriel…” she murmured, his name like a prayer.

His hands slid up her back, arching her forward so her breasts were thrust high. Then, keeping one arm around her, he stroked her side, cupping one breast, teasing her nipple with his thumb as he began to move again, rocking gently.

“Mine,” he whispered, that hand running all over her, stroking, teasing. Light and gentle. “You’re all mine. Say it, Honor. Say the words.”

“I’m yours,” she gasped out, her hands on his shoulders, nails digging in. Giving him exactly what he wanted. What she’d promised him she’d give. “I’m all yours, Gabriel.”

“And you’re going to stay mine. Aren’t you? You’re going to stay and never leave.”

She gave him the promise without a thought. “N-no … never.”

His movements began to get faster, harder. The darkness in his eyes became all-encompassing, swallowing everything.

He’ll ruin you. Destroy you.

The thought flashed bright in her brain then was gone. Perhaps she wanted to be ruined. There were worse ways to go, after all.

His fingers slid into her hair, the strands gripped tight in his fist. Pain prickled over her scalp but she welcomed it. Embraced it. Let herself be overwhelmed totally by it. And when his mouth claimed hers, she opened to him.

She was surrounded by him. His taste, his scent, the heat of him inside her, around her. And she let it happen. Because she’d promised she’d give him everything and she did. No holding back.

She wanted to give him this. It was all she had. Because she didn’t think he’d accept anything else.

When the climax came he was kissing her and she screamed against his mouth, pleasure cascading through her, sharp and intense. Bright and powerful.

And then she felt him shudder, too, his breathing harsh and ragged as he turned his face into her neck, his arms like steel around her.

There was no escaping this.

She was his. Irrevocably.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Honor was trembling in his arms but he wasn’t going to let her go. He’d told her everything and she was still here. Which made her his.

Not quite everything.

No, not that he’d purposefully gotten close to her because of her relationship to Tremain, but she didn’t need to know that. Perhaps she’d never need to know that. But all the rest …

She knew now exactly what she was dealing with. The kind of man he was and what he wanted. His justice. And maybe he shouldn’t have told her. Maybe in doing so he’d relinquished a little bit of his power, but shit, it was too late now.

He was just so fucking tired of carrying the weight of that burden by himself.

Honor’s head had dropped onto his shoulder, the softness of her breathing against his throat. She was curled into him, her arms around him, all softness and warmth and silky pale skin.

Christ, the moment he’d come back from his ride and found her sitting there in the armchair had knocked the breath from his body.

He’d thought she would have left. Fuck, after everything he’d dumped on her, he was sure he’d come back to an empty apartment. But no. She’d been there. Nestled into that armchair, asleep. Waiting for him. And then she’d woken, tossed aside her blanket, and opened her arms.

He’d never had anyone welcome him home like that. Never had anyone take him into their arms and hold him. Saying nothing. Expecting nothing. And in that moment, it had become clear to him exactly what he was going to do.

She was his now and he was going to keep her. He was never going to let her go.

After a long moment, he rose, and holding her in his arms, he carried her upstairs to the bedroom. Laid her in the bed, wrapping the comforter around her to keep her warm.

He went into the bathroom and had a brief shower, getting rid of the last of the icy chill of the snow and the searing cold of the air as he’d ridden through the streets.

He’d been so angry he’d had to get out. He’d had to leave before he did something stupid. Said something stupid, though he’d already said nearly all he could possibly say. He’d tried to find his cold detachment, the icy rage that had gotten him through the long years up until this point. But he hadn’t been able to.

And then she’d been there. And opened her arms. And in the warmth of her, he’d found something better than icy rage. A kind of peace.

Gabriel slipped naked into the bed beside her, gathering her in his arms and holding her close, her back to his front, her butt fitting perfectly against his groin.

“What are you going to do?” she asked after a long moment.

He didn’t need to ask her what she meant. “I’m going to go to the casino.”

“Why? What do you think you’re going to find there?”

“Information.”

“About what?”

“About why Tremain is laundering money. What the connection is between him and your father. Proof that he married your mother because he was paid to.”

“Please don’t say you’re doing this for me.”

“No. You’re not the only one who was hurt by what happened there.”

“Alex.” The name was a soft whisper.

“Yes.” Gabriel tightened his arms around her. “I’m not doing this to hurt you, Honor, you have to understand that.”

“I do.”

There was a small silence.

“What are you going to do with all this information? If you find any?”

He’d told the truth, he didn’t want to hurt her. But justice was more important than people’s feelings. More important than hers. And his own.

“I’m going to use it against him,” he said.

Another silence.

“I’m coming with you,” she murmured.

Protectiveness, a harsh, brutal feeling swept through him. “Fuck that. You’re not going anywhere near—”

“I think I’m owed it,” she interrupted quietly. “Don’t you?”

He couldn’t think of a protest to that because yeah, she did. Her father had owned that casino, had let it ruin both him and her brother. Had shattered the life she’d known. It was dangerous as hell but yes, she was owed. He, out of all people, understood that.

“All right,” he said. “But only on the condition that you follow my orders when we’re there. That place isn’t safe.”

“Yes.”

He stared at the mass of silky black hair in front of him then closed his eyes and inhaled her scent. Something inside him calmed. “You can’t tell Tremain. Not about any of this. He’s mine to deal with.”

She didn’t say anything, but he could feel the tension in her body. He knew this was hard for her and a part of him was sorry he’d told her. And not for himself this time, but because it was painful for her.

“Honor,” he murmured. “You have to promise me.”

“I promise,” she said at last.

Gabriel kissed the back of her neck, then her shoulder, feeling her shiver in his arms. He loved how responsive she was. Loved how having her here, in his bed, made something raw and painful inside him hurt less.

He felt her hands settle on his arms where they crossed over her breasts, her thumbs stroking, sending small bolts of electricity right through him.

Desire coiled tightly in his gut. Powerful, insatiable.

But he forced it away. There was no hurry, after all.

She was his now.

*   *   *

Gabriel parked his bike in an alleyway Honor wouldn’t have gone into in broad daylight let alone eleven o’clock at night. It was dark and wet, with dirty snow collecting in drifts against the Dumpsters in one corner of the alley. She could hear people shouting not far away, the smashing of glass somewhere else, a man laughing drunkenly closer than she would have liked.

She would have been terrified if not for the man standing with his hands out to her, preparing to help her get off the bike. A little difficult when she was wearing a tight-fitting blue silk sheath dress, her favorite blue Manolos on her feet. She’d hoped they’d get to the casino in one of Gabriel’s limos but he’d decided the bike was less conspicuous.

Not that he could be inconspicuous if he tried.

He hadn’t made any concessions to the fact that the casino was apparently high-class and demanded a certain dress code. All he’d done was put on black jeans and a casual black shirt, his usual leather jacket over the top. Not that they’d turn him away, she suspected. He looked dark, powerful, and very, very dangerous.

Fear tightened in her stomach. Strange that she should be so afraid for him, for what he might do and the toll it would take on him. Because for all his power, for all the aura of danger about him, he was vulnerable in a way no one else knew about.

But she did.

She’d insisted on coming tonight for a number of reasons. She wanted to see the place her father had owned, of course, but mainly she wanted to find proof that Guy was everything Gabriel had told her he was. And if not … then she would have to stop Gabriel from doing whatever it was he was going to do.

She didn’t want him to have the ruin of an innocent man on his conscience.

Honor put her hands into his, her fingers cold despite the leather gloves she wore and let him help her off the bike, loving the care with which he handled her. For all his strength, he could be gentle and in the past two days, she’d learned quite a lot about his tenderness.

It was strange how the mere fact of telling him she was his had quieted something hungry in him. She’d found freedom in embracing her need for him, too. In no longer resisting the intense craving for him whenever he was around. Sure, this addiction was going to destroy her in the end, but she’d take it while it lasted.

As she steadied herself on her rather ridiculously high heels, Gabriel pulled something from the pocket of his jacket. A long, black box. “This is for you,” he murmured, holding it out.

Honor stared at it, taking it in her hands. “What is it?”

“Open it.”

Her heart beating strangely fast, she did so, pressing the little catch that opened the box and lifting the lid. The dim light of the alley made it difficult to see, but then a car passed on the street outside, the headlights shining briefly into the darkness, lighting it up. Making the jewels that lay on the box’s white silk interior sparkle.

Honor caught her breath.

It was a necklace, almost a collar. Made of multiple strands of platinum formed in the shape of a climbing briar, with thorns and leaves and flowers. And each flower was a deep, blue sapphire. It was the most exquisitely beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

“What…?”

“It’s a gift.”

She looked up at him. The car had moved on, casting the place into darkness again, but she could still see the gleam of his eyes and the sensual shape of his mouth, the hard line of his jaw. He didn’t look away from her.

“You’re mine, Honor. And I wanted to give you something to remind you.”

A couple of weeks ago she would have found that statement insulting. But now … a part of her loved that she was his. Because hell, she wasn’t anyone else’s, was she? Not her mother’s. Not Guy’s. Not her father’s. They’d all chosen someone else. Something else.