Scandal Never Sleeps (13 page)

“Tell me to stop,” he breathed against her lips before he captured them again.

Resisting him would be smart, sensible. But her body was having none of that. He’d primed her to expect nothing but pleasure from him and she’d ached the night before, wishing she could have his flesh pressed to hers. She’d longed for the connection she’d felt when he thrust deep inside her.

She drowned in his scent for an endless moment. “I know I should.”

Allowing him to touch her now was wrong. The nights they’d spent
together, neither of them had known they would soon be boss and employee. Now they did. Crawford Industries didn’t have an anti-fraternization policy. She couldn’t think of a single reason they shouldn’t see each other, except that he’d made his contempt for her plain. He’d made it obvious that he’d used her while blaming her somehow.

Those thoughts gave her the willpower to push him away. “Stop, Gabriel. I’m not going to be your convenient lay.”

He stared down at her, his face savage, but he didn’t allow her out of the cage of his arms. “Convenient? There is nothing convenient about this, Eve . . . Everly. Fuck. I lied. I was going to call you. I was going to call you right up until the minute I realized you’d lied to me. I almost dialed your number a hundred times in the last twenty-four hours. Yesterday morning, I wanted to ask you to come home with me because I felt good with you. I wanted to forget about every awful fucking thing happening in my world and lose myself in you again.”

She knew they shouldn’t, but his words struck a chord of sympathy in her. Losing and burying his best friend of over two decades had surely wrought grief. And seeing her walk through the door this morning had, no doubt, been a shock.

Her heart softened. “I wasn’t trying to deceive you.”

“Don’t talk. I don’t want to fucking talk.” He crushed her mouth under his again.

He kissed her as if his life depended on it, and Everly couldn’t help but wrap her arms around him. This was the Gabriel she knew. Passionate. Giving. Seductive. She opened to him and gave back.

With a moan, he pulled her leg up and curled it above his muscled thigh. Everly fitted herself against his body. Her head fell back as tendrils of pleasure started to course through her. Normally, she was safe and cautious, but being anywhere close to this man blew away every ounce of self-preservation and logic she possessed until she craved his touch again.

Gabriel maneuvered them back to the desk, turning so he could set
her on the surface. “You’re so responsive. Do you have any idea what that does for me?”

With her skirt bunched around her hips, he easily fitted his hand over her silky underwear, cupping her pussy. She braced her hands on the desk and spread her legs a bit wider as she fell further under his spell.

“It feels so good when you touch me.” No other man affected her the way Gabriel did. All he had to do was look at her and her body softened, preparing for him. Breathless for him.

He growled as he worked his fingers over her panties, right where she ached for him. “You’re already wet. Hot and soft for me. Is this why Mad was so crazy about you? I wish like hell I didn’t, but I understand why he dumped everything to have you.”

His words hit her like a bucket of ice water, jolting her from his spell. She gasped and shoved him away, jumping to her feet and tugging her skirt back in place with shaky hands.

He looked dazed for a moment, as though trying to process what had happened. “Eve, I didn’t . . . Damn it, I didn’t mean to say that.”

No, he’d meant to keep that sentiment to himself.
Bastard.
“My name is Everly. I would prefer Ms. Parker, especially if you think I slept with Maddox.” She tossed her head back, righteous anger fueling her. “If you want me gone, you’ll still have to fire me. I’m not going to let you intimidate or shame me into quitting a job I’m good at.”

She felt so stupid for giving him the opportunity to use her response against her. While she’d been feeling sorry for him, she’d almost overlooked his low opinion of her and allowed him to maneuver her flat on her back. He’d probably kissed her to see how much of herself she would let him take. To prove she was the office whore? In his book, her responsiveness would undoubtedly be one more strike against her.

He turned away, showing her his back as he took several long breaths. “I’m not going to fire you. Yet. Instead, I’ll apologize, Ms. Parker, for my primitive actions.”

God, he sounded so cold. His control infuriated her. “You mean for nearly raping me on the desk?”

He zipped back around to her, his eyes narrowing. “Are you serious?”

Damn it. Just because he’d been an ass, that didn’t mean she had to sound like a shrew.

Everly dragged in a breath. It would be easy to blame him but unfair. “No. I’m sorry. I was there with you. It was a mistake. It’s obvious neither one of us is the person the other thought. It would be best if we pretended last weekend never happened.”

A bitter laugh huffed from his throat. “Don’t you think I’d love to forget? I’ve been telling myself to do exactly that since the minute Hilary escorted you through my door. It’s not working. Do you know what I’m thinking about right this second, Everly?”

He drew out her name as though tasting it and savoring its flavor.

Her heart raced. Her body burned for more of him. But she shook her head. “No.”

Gabriel saw through her denial. “That if I’d kept my mouth shut, I could be inside you right now. I could have laid you out on that desk and spread you wide and thrust my cock deep. I wouldn’t have taken off my damn pants. I want you too much to wait for that. I could have just dropped my zipper and worked my way to that snug, wet place I’ve craved since the moment we met. I would have fucked you until you screamed out my name. Only then would I have let go. Every single time I look at you, I remember how beautiful you are when you come for me. So you tell me how I’m supposed to forget.”

His words shook her to her core because the feel of him, of their shared pleasure, haunted her, too. She didn’t know what to say or how to turn it off. Everly only knew it couldn’t continue.

“Gabriel . . .” Regret filled her voice. “We can’t.”

He scrubbed a hand across his tired face. “You’re right. Professional. Fine.” He steadied himself with a long breath. “Sit down, then. We have a few things to talk about.”

Finally, they were going to discuss the situation in a civilized manner. At least she hoped so. Everly was just about to sit when the door opened.

“Mr. Bond, I’m sorry.” Hilary gave the gentlemen who walked in, dressed in serviceable suits, a stern glare. “They insisted.”

The taller of the two flashed a badge. “Gabriel Bond?”

Gabriel’s jaw tightened, and he straightened his jacket. “Yes. Can we do this here?”

The police had come to see him, and he didn’t seem at all surprised. In fact, the resignation in his manner said that he’d been expecting this. She frowned.

Then the shorter detective pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Everly tried not to gasp as the detective slapped them against his thigh. “You can come down to the station willingly or we can formally arrest and charge you. The press would eat that up. But it’s your choice. Either way, I suggest you take this seriously. You’re our primary suspect in Maddox Crawford’s murder.”

“Murder?” Had she heard that right?

Maybe . . . the text and e-mail she’d received weren’t from some crackpot stirring up trouble. All the implications stole her breath. Unfortunately, she could think of a lot of people who’d wanted Maddox dead, but why would anyone think his best friend had murdered him?

Would the evidence she’d received damn or free Gabriel Bond? And how could she even know what she had or how accurate it was if she didn’t follow instructions and meet the man on Thursday?

Gabriel sent her a grin that held not an ounce of humor. “You say you’re good at your job. I hope you’re competent at all forms of security.”

Everly nodded. Her dad had been a cop. She’d grown up with a lot of his knowledge; she wasn’t merely a computer nerd. “You need protection.”

“It couldn’t hurt. Find Daxton Spencer. He’s somewhere in the
building interviewing employees. Then track down Roman Calder and get them both to the precinct.” Gabe turned back to the detectives. “Gentlemen, can I take my car and meet you?”

“We have a car waiting. We wouldn’t want to inconvenience you or have you get lost along the way. We know how you rich boys sometimes mistake your private jet for the station house.”

“At least take him out the back.” Everly’s head was spinning. Above it all stood one fact: He was now the head of Crawford Industries, and since Mulford, the head of building security, was on vacation in Australia for two weeks, Everly was his stand-in. That meant she had to protect Gabriel. The company didn’t need more press right now. She didn’t know whether he had actually killed Maddox, but he was innocent until proven guilty. “Let me get an escort. I can call to the desk.”

The taller detective smirked her way. “No worries. We’ve got that handled.”

Gabriel looked back at her as they led him out. “Find Dax and call Roman ASAP.”

She nodded, staring as the detectives escorted him out of the office and headed for the elevator. The moment they’d gone, her head exploded with questions. What the hell was going on? And had she actually been sleeping with a killer?

W
here is Gabriel Bond and is he under arrest?” Everly asked the female officer who ran the front desk at the 19th precinct for what seemed like the five hundredth time.

After Gabriel had been marched out of the office, Everly went into crisis-management mode. Despite shaking hands, she’d picked up the phone and asked Scott to find Dax Spencer while she’d used a number Hilary had for Roman Calder. She hadn’t been sure it would work. Most normal people didn’t have the White House chief of staff’s number in their contact list. She’d expected to be routed through rounds of assistants, but the man had answered on the first ring and promised to be down at the precinct as soon as possible. His no-nonsense voice said he hadn’t been shocked by her call—or the reason for it—at all.

Why hadn’t he or Gabriel seemed surprised that Gabe had practically been arrested for the murder of Maddox Crawford?

Everly braced herself against the nearby wall. What the hell did she really know about Gabriel Bond except that he was rich and very good in bed? After the nights they’d spent together, she would have sworn he wasn’t a violent soul. She also hadn’t expected him to accuse her of
being Mad’s mistress or seducing him for her own gain, so clearly, she didn’t know anything about him.

She blew out a breath. Later. Her job had to come first. Gabriel needed her to come through. So did Crawford Industries.

“Ma’am, as I explained to you before, I’m not allowed to give out information to anyone but his lawyer. Are you his lawyer?” The very matter-of-fact woman stared a hole through her. She definitely wasn’t going out of her way to be helpful. And since she controlled the door between the entrance and the rest of the building, Everly had been sidelined here. But she wasn’t giving up without a fight.

“Yes. Yes, I am his lawyer.” If lying got her through, she would give it a try.

The guard rolled her eyes. “No, you’re not. When you first arrived, you told me you were his employee. Go back to the office and send his lawyer.”

“I’m—”
Both
, she started to say.

“She’s good,” a man said, approaching a wall of glass dividing the reception area from the inside of the station. He stared, and Everly wondered who he was and how he’d gotten admitted to the station’s inner sanctum. “And it looks like Mr. Bond’s lawyer is here. I would love it if you could let him in.”

With a loud
whoosh
, the door behind her opened and a familiar man strode in, dressed in what had to be several thousand dollars’ worth of designer suit. He carried a leather briefcase, and as he stepped in from the street, flashbulbs burst everywhere and the rumble of shouts from outside filled the place.

“Damn.” The woman at the front desk shook her head and picked up the phone. “We’re going to need some crowd control at the front of the building, and tell Johnson and Klein that I’m going to kick their asses. Their stupidity for bringing Bond in so publicly is now my problem. They’re going to pay.”

The man in the suit stepped forward with confidence. “My name is—”

“I know your name, Mr. Calder.”

Roman smiled tightly. “Very good. I’m Gabriel Bond’s lawyer.”

The woman sent Everly a pointed glance. “That, I’ll believe. As soon as I’m sure the press won’t invade, I’ll sign you in.” She sighed. “I wish you rich boys would stop murdering each other.”

“Allegedly murdering,” Roman Calder pointed out.

“Yeah. Whatever. This is supposed to be a cushy precinct.” She stepped to the doors and flung one open. The sound of the crowd outside became a dull roar again. “You leeches step back. I mean it. Everyone get your asses off the steps. Do you think I won’t use tear gas on you? Because I did not like the way you talked about my man, Tom Cruise. Yeah, I’m talking to you.”

The policewoman let the door swing shut but continued to make faces at them through the glass.

“Hello, I Saw Her First.” The man who’d appeared through the glass now walked up behind Everly and smiled down at her—way down since he had to be at least six feet four. Besides looking absolutely stunning, he seemed familiar. He was dressed very differently from his elegant counterpart, in a black T-shirt that showed off his hard chest, a light windbreaker, and a pair of jeans that hugged his obviously toned body. His dark hair was cut in a military buzz that accentuated the angles of his masculine face.

“I’m sorry?”

He held out a hand. “How quickly they forget. Dax Spencer. We met at the bar last Friday night.”

Gabriel’s friend. Of course. She’d met him, but her brain had been on Gabriel. “I’m glad Scott found you.”

“Dax, did you secure the transportation I asked for?” Roman queried.

Dax nodded. “She’s a fine vehicle. It’s been a while since I got to take one of those beauties out for a stroll. She’ll be ready when the interview is over.”

Roman’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Everly. “I thought the VP
of security for Crawford had someone contact Dax.” He froze before his very serious face turned mischievous. “Oh, please tell me you’re the head of security.”

Dax frowned. “No. This is Eve, Gabe’s girl from the other night. You know, the one he can’t stop talking about.”

That was an interesting piece of information she had absolutely no idea what to do with. Two hours ago it would have thrilled her. Now it just confused her more than ever.

The two men stared at her, and Everly felt a little awkward discussing her professional and personal life with two strangers. “I’m, um . . . both, sort of. My name is Everly Parker. I run Crawford’s cybersecurity department. I’m filling in for the head of building security since he’s out on vacation.”

“Thank god. For a minute, I thought the day would be boring.” Roman Calder pulled out his phone and punched in a few numbers. “Yes, I need to speak with Captain Charles. You tell him that Gabriel Bond’s lawyers are in the lobby and we’re ready to talk to the press about the fact that we’ve been refused access to our client. If we’re not allowed to see him in the next thirty seconds, the top story on the evening news will shine a bright light on this precinct’s abuse of a man’s constitutional rights.”

Despite the unmanned desk, a buzzing sound alerted them to the fact that someone had opened the precinct door.

“Thank you. Let’s go.” As he ended the call, it became glaringly obvious that Roman Calder was a man used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it.

“I’d like to come back there, too.” Everly wondered what role she could play here, but she wasn’t going to leave her post because it seemed as if Gabriel had his own backup. She represented security for Crawford Industries right now. She had a responsibility to its new CEO.

And okay, a little piece of her wouldn’t rest until she knew he was all right. Even though he’d been an ass, and now had this cloud of suspicion hanging over his head, she still felt a pull between them.
Besides, she’d been accused of being Maddox’s mistress and sleeping her way to the top, so she knew how it felt to be accused of something that wasn’t true. If Gabriel was innocent, this must feel wretched.

If.

Roman opened the door for her, gesturing her inside. “Oh, I insist. I have to hear this story. Well, first I have to make sure Gabe doesn’t do anything stupider than he’s already done, so please tell Dax the story. He can fill me in later.”

Everly frowned as she walked through, then waited for the men. Roman sounded amused. She wouldn’t have pictured the male-model gorgeous, ever-so-serious Roman Calder doing something as trivial as gossiping.

The men stepped in behind her, and Everly realized she didn’t know her way around. Roman obviously did, and he took the lead, striding toward the back of the building. How many of his previous clients had found themselves being questioned here? She and Dax followed, and Everly nearly had to jog to keep up.

“While you work on getting Mr. Bond out of here, I’ll find a way to slip him past the press as quietly as possible,” Everly said. Because clearly they couldn’t just walk past.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dax insisted.

Maybe he didn’t understand how overwhelming being shouted at by a couple of dozen people with the power of the press behind them felt. She was thankful they hadn’t been assembled there when she’d arrived. “Of course I’m going to worry. That crowd outside was awfully aggressive.”

“Them? They’re a bunch of babies. Give it half an hour and the nationals will show up,” Dax explained. “They’re pains in the ass. But don’t you worry. I’ve got an exit strategy already, so we can leave in peace.”

“Care to share?” If Dax had already done her job, why had they wanted her to stay?

“Need-to-know basis.” He winked. “Let’s talk about something
important. Mr. Bond? Really?” He grinned. “Don’t you think that’s a little formal, given the circumstances?”

She ignored that question as Roman led them through another door. She kept her voice low, both to cut down on potential gossip and ensure she didn’t disrupt the detectives working around her. “He’s my boss. So I need to know.”

“I’ll bet he was surprised to find out he was your boss.” Dax stopped as they entered a narrow hallway.

A man in a captain’s uniform called out to Roman. “Mr. Bond is in here. You can talk to him. He hasn’t said a word, and I stopped the questioning when he lawyered up.”

“If I know Gabe, he lawyered up before you got him here, Captain,” Roman shot back. “These two are with me. They’ll be watching from the observation room. If you have a problem with that, I can get the chief on the phone. I promise you if he won’t take my call, I can find someone higher up the chain of command who will.”

“They can stay.” The captain scowled as he pointed to a window in front of the little room. “You won’t be able to hear anything until Calder says it’s all right, and we’ll be recording the session.”

He stepped aside and let Roman enter the interrogation room.

Everly slid into the adjacent space and looked through the two-way mirror. Gabriel sat in the utilitarian space, his face a polite blank. He didn’t smile or show any sign of relief as Roman walked in. He merely stood and shook hands with the man.

“Wait, Everly Parker?” Dax frowned. “You said your name was Eve the other night.”

Was this day never going to end? “My name is Everly. Eve is a nickname.”

Dax crossed his big arms over his chest with a shake of his head. “Shit. I can imagine how Gabe took that. Tell me he behaved himself when he found out.”

“I could, but why lie?” She shot him a perplexed glance. “I don’t really understand why he would be angry. Not that our personal affairs
are any of your business.” She turned back to the scene in front of her. “I’m just here to do my job. Forget I said anything.”

“But he didn’t fire you yet, right? I’m going to count that as a win.”

She remained silent for a long moment before giving in to the urge. The scene back in the office kept playing through her head. “Shouldn’t I at least be given a chance to prove I’m good at my job? Does he have someone else he wants in my position? I understand that there’s a lot of turnover when a new boss comes in, but I think his objection was way more personal. I don’t understand why he was so angry.”

“No doubt. You have to give him a little time. I was helping him out by conducting preliminary interviews with the employees to get a feel for the company and individual roles. One of the things I heard more than once was that you and Maddox had a . . . very close relationship. Gabe couldn’t have taken that information well. He and Maddox had a falling out over Maddox’s romantic entanglements, if you know what I mean.”

She didn’t except in the vaguest sense. Everly only knew she was so tired of that gossip. “I wasn’t sleeping with Maddox, if that’s what you’re implying. I did
not
get my job by screwing the boss.”

He held his hands up in surrender. “I had to ask because I doubt Gabe was feeling levelheaded enough to do the same. He likely heard that rumor and accepted it as fact because the only way Mad spent time with a female was when he took her to bed.”

Everly knew his reputation. She’d heard of his many affairs with women at the office, but the possibility—even a hint of it—had never come up between them. He hadn’t treated her strictly like an employee, but he’d never come on to her. Instead, he’d behaved more like they were pals. “He never touched me. He didn’t even try. I think he was lonely and needed a friend.”

Dax’s eyes narrowed. “I find that very interesting and out of character. We’ve been Mad’s friends for years and he never went looking for more companionship. In fact, he was the one who taught me to be wary of getting close to anyone else.”

Everly didn’t know why the truth seemed to upset Dax, but she really wanted someone to believe that she hadn’t been one of many in Maddox’s bed. “I can’t explain why, but he was close to me. I cared about him.” In fact, she felt his loss more deeply than she’d expected. “He talked about all of you. He called you his brothers, but he only mentioned you by last names. It was odd.”

“In school, all of the teachers referred to us that way. Mr. Spencer, Mr. Bond, and so on. I’m sure they thought it would civilize us. Mad kept it up even after we left the academy. I’m sure if he was here right now, he would slap me on the back and say ‘Spencer, have you smartened up and left the navy yet?’” Dax laughed, but it was a bittersweet sound.