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Authors: Faye Avalon

Tags: #contemporary romance;erotic;reunion;businessman hero;fitness studio;bondage;video;London;Paris.

Indecent Exposure (9 page)

BOOK: Indecent Exposure
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She slipped into the bathroom and locked the door quietly so as not to disturb Mitch, then dumped the contents of her tote onto the floor.

Her phone wasn’t there.

The cold tile against her bare behind as she sat, added to the shiver that ran through her. Another lost opportunity. How could she be so stupid? While deliberating, she remembered that she’d forgotten to pick up her phone from her desk after she’d finished taking her last class.

Damn and double damn.

When Mitch called her name, she shoved the contents back into her bag. She grabbed a towel, wrapped it tightly around herself—neither of them had time for another bout of hot quickie sex—and opened the door.

Mitch stood in the doorway, all big and muscular. “Looks like we’re both going to be late for our meetings.” He pulled her up against him. “Feel like playing hooky?”

“I’d like nothing better, but I really have to get back. And so do you. Or have you suddenly turned into Mr. Reckless?”

“Maybe I’ve always been Mr. Reckless and you just didn’t notice.”

“Please. You wrote the book on being a conformist. You can’t have changed
that
much.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I’m the one who wants to play hooky.”

“Safe in the knowledge that I’ll refuse because you know I have to get back.”

He yanked her up closer and she felt his erection push against her. “You’re saying I play it safe?”

“Let’s say I think you tend to err on the side of caution.”

“Stay. I’ll show you just how far from safe I can push things.”

Because he’d got a certain look in his eye—one she hadn’t seen before and found incredibly sexy—she eased back and skipped around him.

He caught her wrist. “You’re not taking that shower before you leave?”

“We’ll end up screwing again.” And, she told herself, since her cell wasn’t to hand, there was really no point. “I’ll grab a shower later at the studio. But you go ahead.”

She knew he watched her as she pulled on her sweat pants and workout tank. Knew that his gaze swept over her and that if she glanced in his direction, he’d be at full attention again. It was hard to deny that it pleased her to know how easily she could turn him on. Also hard to deny the pleasure it gave her to watch the way his eyes darkened with lust whenever he looked at her. If only she could be spared from discovering anything else she enjoyed about him.

When she’d finished dressing, she turned to face him, knowing he hadn’t moved from the doorway. “You’re going to be late.”

She couldn’t imagine him ignoring his responsibilities, business or personal, and knew it would cost him to be late for anything, but he didn’t seem in the least bit hurried to get moving.

It gave her pause to consider that he would be prepared to miss a meeting to be with her. And all she was doing was using him as a means to an end.

She looked at him, standing big and shatteringly handsome in the doorway, and her heart stumbled a little. Natural enough that she’d feel like this. He was a decent man. One who really didn’t deserve to be betrayed by someone intent on satisfying their own needs.

What she’d been forced to do was so beyond her comfort zone. She’d hate what she was doing even if it were to someone other than Mitch. But it wasn’t, and she had no option but to see it through.

He strolled over and drew her into his arms. “I’ll call for you at nine.” He kissed her, very thoroughly. “Don’t plan on going home tonight.”

Her head swam as he released her and turned her by the shoulders until she was facing the door. He opened the door, gave her backside a healthy pat and sent her on her way.

In the hallway, she turned and saw him lounging against the door frame in all his naked glory. “You should go inside before you scare any old ladies.”

He waggled his eyebrows. “What makes you think I’d scare them?”

Deliberately, she looked down to where his prick stood thick and proud of his taut abdomen. “Take a wild guess.”

She turned down the hallway and made for the elevator, his low, sexy laugh accompanying her. She grinned. There was something to be said for clandestine lunchtime liaisons, and even more to be said for the promise of repeating the activities they’d shared at nine o’clock tonight.

She couldn’t wait.

But this time she’d remember to take her bloody phone.

Mitch watched her go, still considering whether he did indeed tend to play it safe and—as she’d accused—err on the side of caution. Maybe he was prudent, careful even, but that wasn’t an entirely bad thing. At least not in his line of work.

But in the bedroom? While having sex? He hadn’t given it much thought. His previous lovers didn’t seem to have any complaints. But Gina was different. She needed excitement, the thrill of danger, of adventure. Maybe it was one of the reasons he’d suggested lunchtime sex in a hotel. Okay, maybe he’d suggested that because he found it impossible to keep his fucking hands off her, and hadn’t been sure he’d get through the afternoon without being inside her again. But still.

He knew he had to keep things edgy where sex was concerned. Push her hard, mix it up. She wouldn’t stay with him long if he didn’t continually keep her on her toes and show her just how far beyond
cautious
he could go.

Back in the room, he headed for the shower, an idea forming in his head. If he was intent on pumping things up, he couldn’t do better than what he had in mind. While he was partial to some light bondage play in his relationships, if the woman was willing, he’d never had the inclination to take things further.

While he showered, he played it through some more. He had no doubt Gina would be up for it. If nothing else, it would put to bed any assumption on her part that he was a man who played it safe.

He draped a towel around his waist, picked up his cell and called Jake Malone.

Chapter Nine

It was ridiculous to be disappointed, but Gina couldn’t shake the feeling that drew over her like a cloud as she finished the call from Mitch.

He’d cancelled dinner. Apparently, there’d been a crisis with one of his clients and he was on his way by Eurostar to Paris to sort things out. He hadn’t been too pleased himself, saying he’d had plans for her—for them both—which would now have to go on the backburner until after his trip.

Sinking back in her chair, she toyed with a stress ball on her desk and chastised herself for being disappointed about not seeing him. She should be focusing on her rapidly diminishing timescale for getting the photo. Costas knew about their lunchtime liaison at the hotel, she had no doubt of that. What surprised her was that he hadn’t called to check up on her. But as she’d told him about seeing Mitch that night, maybe he was holding off until tomorrow to make contact.

Now there was the small problem of his “source” informing Costas when she didn’t meet up with Mitch later, and had in fact gone home to her apartment alone.

Costas would call her. Maybe he’d even turn up at her place.

Hell. She would have to think on that. Nausea churned in her stomach at the very thought.

Having discarded the stress ball, she picked up her phone and switched it off. She then went in search of Lucy.

Her friend was at the reception desk, sticking flyers in envelopes. “We already have enough clients to fill the classes Pauline’s running on the charity day. I had a quick word and she said she’s happy to take another one in the afternoon and Grimley’s has offered us their ballroom to use for the session.”

“That’s really great.” Not for the first time, Gina thanked her lucky stars that Lucy had turned up when she’d been interviewing for a receptionist/admin assistant. She often thought of things even before Gina did, such as with the charity event they’d been planning for months, now less than two weeks away. “What would I do without you?”

“You couldn’t handle things without me,” Lucy said with a grin. When she saw Gina’s face, her expression turned concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“I was wondering if I could stay at your place tonight?”

“Of course. You don’t need to ask.” She stopped shoving flyers into envelopes. “Is it him? Has he been pestering you?”

Gina didn’t need to ask Lucy who she was referring to—it was evident from the tone of her voice. Since she’d told Lucy that she and Costas had split, her friend had taken every opportunity to assure Gina she’d done the right thing, and had also tried to shield her if Costas called the studio.

“If I stay at my place, I think he might.”

“Does he know about Mitchell?”

Gina turned her steady gaze on Lucy. “There’s not really anything to know.”

“Come on. The man strips you naked every time he looks at you. You’re not too immune where he’s concerned either.”

“And you’ve based that on what? One meeting?”

“I see what I see.” Her forehead creased with concern. “You should tell Mitchell that Costas is giving you grief.”

“He’s not,” she lied. “But I don’t want to have to speak to him if he calls round.”

“Then we’ll have a girlie night. I’ll grab a bottle of wine on the way home and order a pizza. You get the dessert.”

Grateful, Gina felt herself relax a little. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

“Just make sure you get something with chocolate in it,” Lucy said. “That’s all the appreciation I’ll need.”

The next morning, Gina felt the effects of wine, pizza and chocolate bombe as she changed into her workout gear at the studio. She had a full morning of classes, but her afternoon was relatively clear.

Since Mitch hadn’t said when he was getting back, Gina wondered if he might call her that morning. Unable to risk missing him, she pulled out her phone and switched it on. There were two missed calls from Mitch and more than a dozen from Costas.

Upon checking her mailbox, she saw that Mitch had left two texts. The first one was to say he’d arrived and apologized again for missing their dinner date. The second one was a request for her to call him as soon as she was able.

There were also two voicemail messages, and she smiled as she listened to Mitch telling her that he hoped she’d been having an early night because when he got back, he intended to put into effect those plans he had and they would require all her energy.

Her smile turned to stone when Costas’s dulcet tones filled the next message. His message was less pleasurable than Mitch’s. He reprimanded her for turning off her phone, and reminded her that time was running out.

She ignored the shaky feeling in her stomach as she sat at her desk and dialed Mitch’s number.

He answered after a couple of rings and she could hear the murmur of voices in the background.

“Is this not a good time?”

“Always a good time for you.”

She smiled down the phone. He had such an amazing voice, deep and masterful and so deadly sexy. “Sorry I didn’t get back to you last night. I stayed at Lucy’s and we had a girls’ night in.”

“I’m pleased to hear it. I wondered if you were out on the town.” Although his tone was light, she caught an undertone. “Hang on a minute.”

He excused himself from what was obviously a full blown meeting and, moments later, she heard a door close and the murmur of voices fade away. “How’s your morning?”

“Good. Yours?”

“It’ll be better if you agree to what I’m about to ask you.”

“I’m intrigued.”

“I want you to come to Paris. Join me for the weekend.”

“I can’t,” she said automatically, although the thrill of spending a weekend in Paris with Mitch was almost too delicious to resist. “I can’t leave the studio.”

“Lucy seems capable enough to me. Promote her to manager for the weekend.”

Gina laughed. “If I did that, she’d tell me in no uncertain terms that she’s already manager. That she basically runs the place anyway.”

“Then problem solved. She can run it for the weekend.”

Gina wanted to refuse again, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to utter the words. Would Lucy be willing to take on the responsibility? Gina didn’t doubt for a moment that she was more than capable of doing so, and Lucy herself certainly wouldn’t balk at the extra responsibility. And Gina could throw in a nice healthy bonus for her. The last few months had been really good, so there were enough funds in the kitty to cover it. But Lucy had been working flat out for weeks now and deserved her weekend off. Gina couldn’t ask her to cover. It wasn’t fair.

“She’s scheduled to have the weekend off,” she confirmed to Mitch. “She’s probably got plans. I can’t—”

“Ask.” His tone was firm, but there was humor in it. “Find out what sort of bribe she’d take and I’ll arrange for it.”

She laughed, while her stomach positively lurched with excitement. Paris. Mitch. The two together made for a perfect combination. “Okay. I’ll ask.”

As she ended the call, she was grinning to herself, and her heart had joined in the excitement. She’d never visited Paris before. She’d always meant to, but somehow she’d never gotten around to it. Now she couldn’t imagine turning down the chance to see it for the first time with someone like Mitch. She took a deep breath. It was madness, of course. It wasn’t fair to ask Lucy to break any plans she had just so she and Mitch could have a dirty weekend in the capital city of romance.

But as she got up from her desk, mulling over that bribe Mitch had mentioned, and working out how much bonus she could offer Lucy as an appropriate incentive, the door swung open.

Costas waltzed into the room as if he owned the place. Behind him, a frazzled Lucy threw up her hands. “He just barged in. I told him you were busy, but—”

“It’s okay.” Gina said as she folded her arms.

With a look that managed to be both apologetic and concerned, Lucy turned and left.

Costas glared at the door Lucy had deliberately left open. He reached out and slammed it shut, then turned back to Gina. “Where’s my fucking photograph?”

“I don’t have it. Mitchell cancelled our meeting last night.”

“Yeah, well I guessed that much, seeing as you spent the night at the home of one of your staff.”

“There are laws against stalking.”

“Don’t push your luck. You’re forgetting I hold all the cards here.”

“How can I forget, seeing as you ram it down my throat every chance you get?” She started walking back around her desk, needing the barrier between them, but Costas grabbed her wrist and yanked it behind her back. “Let go of me, you bastard.”

He pushed her hard against the wall, and she stumbled back.

“You want to watch that mouth of yours, baby doll.” He grabbed the hand she pressed against his chest, and pushed it down. “You should put it to better use by telling me when I can expect the merchandize I’m waiting on.”

He pressed hard against her and she felt the hard bulge of his erection. As bile rose in her throat, she turned her head away. He shoved her arm behind her and fastened both her wrists in one of his hands. With his free hand, he grabbed her chin and yanked her back to face him. “I’m beginning to wonder if all these delays should carry a penalty clause. How about we say one blow job for the delays so far, then each further delay can incur a full out fuck?”

She bucked against him, sickened to her stomach. “Let go of me.”

Using the weight of his body, he easily kept her pinned to the wall. He forced his knee between her legs and ground his erection against her. Her bitter protest was muffled by his mouth pressing against hers. Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head and tried to get him to release her. Only when a sharp tap sounded at the door, did he slacken his grasp.

“Gina? Are you okay? Your class is here and waiting for you to start.”

At the sound of Lucy’s voice, Gina shuddered out the breath she’d been holding. Whatever she was paying her friend, it wasn’t enough. “Okay.” Her voice shook and her heart pounded. “I’ll be right there.”

As Costas eased off, she shoved him back. He glared at her with those menacing black eyes she’d once found a turn on but now found disturbing. “Saved by your interfering little receptionist. This time. But don’t think I’m not tallying up what you owe me, baby doll. You can start paying your dues tonight.”

Gina felt her limbs turn liquid and she started to shake. “Get lost.”

“Coleman’s away,” he sneered. “In his absence, and with you unable to fuck him and do the necessary, you can fuck me.”

Ice ran through her veins and she couldn’t seem to stop shaking. “Mitchell asked me to join him.”

“In Paris?”

“I didn’t say where he’d gone.” She swallowed through a painful throat. “If Mitch finds out you’re keeping tracks on him, he’ll—”

“Do nothing. Not if you get me what I want.” His eyes went to slits. “Although I’m not sure I’ll let you go to Paris to do it.”

She pushed away the nausea that swam in her stomach. Doing Costas’s bidding was bad enough, but having him dictate what she could and couldn’t do was intolerable. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was be with Mitch. “I have to go. If I refuse, what makes you think he won’t dump me as a matter of course?”

She waited while he considered it, then he narrowed his eyes. “I doubt he’d dump you. He’s got the taste of what’s between your legs now. I know how fucking intoxicating you are, baby doll.” He ran his thumb roughly across her lower lip. “Once a man has felt this mouth around his cock, it’s hard to forget.”

She flinched at his crudity, but held her breath as he pursed his lips and continued to consider the situation. Sucking in his breath, he straightened his jacket and moved back. “These delays are starting to piss me off, but at least now we have the penalty clause in place, I have something to ease the disappointment.”

He glared down at her. “I’m wondering if maybe you’re starting to enjoy this assignment a little too much and that’s why you’re delaying the inevitable. Maybe you need a reminder of what’s at stake.” He reached into his pocket and took out a pen drive. “Why don’t you refresh your memory and take a look at this? And when you’re watching, you can think about how it will affect your reputation, not to mention the scandal it would cause Mommy Dearest when she’s dumped by her distinguished lover and forced to relinquish her run for mayor. All because her daughter has a penchant for kinky sex.”

He hooked a finger into her T-shirt and dropped the pen drive down her cleavage. “While your viewing yourself bound and spread naked on my bed, moaning and writhing as you’re willingly tortured with ice cubes and candle wax, think about the millions who’ll soon be watching the very same movie.” He tapped her chest where the pen drive lay. “Remember, we’re talking viral, baby doll. A scandal of epic proportions.”

He grinned and walked to the door. “Instant stardom for my baby doll. Think of the offers you’ll have coming in. You could be the next media porn queen. You’ll make a damn sight more cash than you do with this lousy studio. And then if Mommy is devastated by her daughter’s bawdy pursuits and the loss of her political career, you can dry her tears with real silk handkerchiefs.”

With another feral grin, he yanked open the door and went out.

Gina stumbled to her chair and sank down. The pen drive sat uncomfortably against her skin and she yanked it out of her shirt, fisting it in her hands.

Seconds later, Lucy appeared in the doorway. “I hope I did the right thing. I wasn’t comfortable with the way he stormed in and I didn’t like the look on your face when you saw him.”

“You certainly did the right thing.” And maybe one day soon her body would stop shaking. “He won’t take no for an answer.”

“Are you all right? Do you think you should do something? Like tell the police?”

“No. I’m fine. I can handle him. It’s just that it’s taking a while for the message to get through.” Gina sucked in a steadying breath. “Listen, I know you’re scheduled to not work this weekend, but have you made any plans?”

“No. Do you want to come to my place again? We can do something together.”

“It’s not that, and I hate to ask, but would you swap your weekend off and maybe work this one?”

BOOK: Indecent Exposure
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