Scandal Never Sleeps (29 page)

Damn if he wasn’t right again. If she didn’t reveal her relationship with Mad to the press, they would comment on Gabriel’s sexual antics, but it would be a blip on the public’s radar. Basically, he’d get off scot-free, while she would probably be labeled a slut for the rest of her life.

And as much as she wanted to be angry, Everly had to think about the fact that Sara was having Maddox’s baby. That child would be the only family she had left in the world. Was she willing to drag the family name through the court of public opinion, taking an infant with her, simply to avoid Gabriel and salvage her pride? No. Crap, she hated being backed into a corner.

Everly finished donning the dress, then glanced at herself in the
mirror. Other than the fact that she needed some heated implement to tame her hair, she looked pretty damn good. The dress did amazing things for her figure. The color illuminated her skin and made her eyes appear greener than normal.

She was as ready to face reality as she’d ever be. It wasn’t fair that the gossip rags would smear her name if she didn’t go through with this, but no denying that walking out with Gabriel on her arm would go a long way to quelling ugly rumors. If the tabloids thought they were a boring couple, they would lose interest.

“Fine. We’ll do the press conference. I’ll play nice for the camera—but I have conditions.”

“Anything.” He stood at the door, bare-chested, staring at her through the one-inch opening. “Tell me what you need.”

She needed him for more than the tabloid situation, but that wasn’t going to happen. Better to accept that now. “First, I can’t zip this dress by myself.”

With a hungry gaze, he pushed the door between them fully open, and she tried not to gawk at how fine Gabriel truly was. “Turn around and I’ll get it for you.”

She lifted her hair and spun around, grateful for the excuse to avert her eyes. Maybe someday she’d find it easier to look at him. For now, it made her ache so badly she could cry.

“This dress is beautiful on you,” he murmured as he dropped one hand to her waist. The other began to lift her zipper. Slowly. So slowly, as though he was reluctant to cover her bare flesh. “Tell me your other conditions.”

“I want to talk to Sara when this is over. I want a place in my niece’s or nephew’s life.”

He stopped lifting the zipper. When Everly glanced up, she found him staring at her intently in the mirror. They looked like a couple getting ready for another normal day at the office.

“I promise that Sara and I won’t turn our backs on you. I know you don’t believe me, but that was never my plan. I placated her earlier to
defuse her anger, so she could be in a good emotional place to accept you later. I wasn’t plotting to shut you out. I don’t think I can. But if the only way I can have contact with you is through the niece or nephew we share, then I’ll take it. Maddox Crawford was a bastard and he was my best friend in the world. He wanted you taken care of. That’s obvious to me. So know that no matter how angry you are, I will take care of you. I would have done it because we were lovers, but I’ll do it because Mad made us family.”

Family.
The word filled her with longing. She hadn’t realized how much she missed her father until she learned she’d had a brother—and she’d lost him before she’d ever known all he was to her. She wanted more than anything to belong to a family.

Though she would be smarter to dispel the notion that she would be in Gabriel’s, Everly nodded and stepped away from him. “Thank you. I don’t need anyone to take care of me, but I would like to know the baby.”

“Done. Any other conditions?”

“You’ll keep your hands off me.” He had to. She might be able to have a civil relationship with him in the future, for the sake of Sara’s baby, but nothing more. No matter how much they would both love their niece or nephew, that would be the extent of their connection.

“I can’t promise you that.”

Everly tried to put a lid on both her temper and the inconvenient zip of thrill rolling through her. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure of it. Are you going to shower and finish changing?”

“I showered in Connor’s bathroom while you bathed in here.” Without turning away or giving her a chance to escape, he wriggled out of yesterday’s pants.

Underneath, Gabriel was stark naked.

She sucked in a breath and tried not to look, but that was like giving a junkie a full syringe and telling him to stay away. The hard bulges and sinewy dips of his body displayed the fact that he was all man. The expression Gabriel sent her way said that he knew it. Smug bastard.

While she tried to keep her tongue in her mouth, he managed to
change into a clean pair of boxer briefs, charcoal slacks, and a snowy white dress shirt. The crisp cotton lay open at the throat, showing off several inches of tanned chest. She could still feel him under her palms, warm and smooth. She itched to touch him again and curled her fingers into a fist so she wouldn’t.

With a deft grace, he stood in front of the mirror above the dresser and donned a red tie. “It would be best if we walked in and out together. Ignore any questions you don’t want to answer.”

“I don’t want to answer any of them.”

“Then leave it to me. Roman called for a limo. He’s going to Crawford with us. Roman Calder being photographed at our side will lend an enormous amount of credence to the seriousness of our relationship.”

“Fake relationship.” Damn. She sounded stubborn even to her own ears but she needed boundaries between them or she would weaken. Gabriel certainly wouldn’t put them up himself. He seemed determined to use every trick to coax her back to his bed.

Why? That was the one thing she couldn’t figure out. Perhaps if she could answer that question, she’d have a better idea how to sort out this whole mess between them.

He shrugged. “Whatever you want to call it. Roman being seen with us suggests that Zack approves. It means the press will believe we’re serious. You can stay with me at my place. In a few weeks when the heat dies down, we can quietly break up, if that’s what you want. But you should know that I’m going to do everything in my power to make you want to stay.”

She couldn’t stop the way tears suddenly formed in her eyes. “I don’t belong in your world, Gabriel. I don’t even want to. I know that eventually I’ll forgive you for that report. I won’t be able to help myself. But the price I would have to pay to be with you is too much.”

He softened, moving toward her to take her hand. She allowed it, needing comfort at the moment. “What are you talking about, baby? The press?”

She shook her head. “It’s not just the press. It’s all of it. Mad didn’t tell me. You say he wanted me taken care of, but he didn’t tell me. For all I know he was gathering intelligence on me so he could fight in case I ever found out and wanted a piece of the pie.”

Gabriel sighed and tugged her closer. “I don’t think so.”

“And you. I won’t ever really fit, you know. I don’t know which spoon to use or who the power players are. I like computers because they don’t lie to me. Code doesn’t bend the truth. It does what I tell it to do. I’ll always be a nerd from a small town. You can put me in this dress, but you’ll never forget where I came from and neither will your friends. Before you know it, you’ll see me as a liability and you’ll go right back to those supermodels and actresses you love so much.”

His arms went around her and he held her close. “Baby, you can’t think that.”

She let him hold her. It might be the last time. “I do. Can’t you see how much better it would be if we parted civilly? I can’t be what you need and I don’t even want to try to fit in. I can’t stand the backbiting and the manipulation.”

“If you don’t like my world, it’s only because you haven’t seen how you’re changing it. Everly, since the moment I saw you at that bar, something shifted inside me. I don’t like how my world works, either. So change it with me. We don’t have to play by anyone’s rules but our own. And as for you not being enough for me . . . you are my amazing nerd goddess and I am in awe of you. I am fascinated by the way your mind works and enthralled by how strong you are. You’re a mystery to me and I’ll go to my grave trying to solve you.” He stepped back, his face flushed with emotion. “So listen and listen good, Everly Parker. I’m going to seduce you. I’ll be beside you constantly, holding your hand and kissing you every time you’ll let me to remind you how good we are together. You might sleep in another bedroom tonight, but I assure you, you’ll be thinking about me and how much pleasure I can give you. You’ll lie in bed and remember all the ways I put my hands and mouth on you. I’ll be a few feet away, thinking about how good
you feel and taste. I’ll wish I could hold you close and show you how much I want to be with you. I’ll keep looking for a way to make that happen and I’ll be completely ruthless about it. When you’re ready, all you have to do is walk down the hall. I’ll be more than happy to make everything up to you and show you what we’ve been missing.”

He stepped away, leaving her with shaking hands.

Everly was fairly certain she wouldn’t think about anything else tonight.

G
abe opened the door and gestured for Everly to enter first. She was still a little pale from the impromptu press conference they’d held in a nearby hotel, but he thought it had gone well. By tomorrow, everyone would know that he and Maddox hadn’t been embroiled in a love triangle with Everly. The public eye would still be on them, but the frantic throng of hungry paparazzi would likely dwindle now that they’d introduced Everly as Maddox Crawford’s long-lost sister and Gabriel Bond’s love interest.

At most, he had a few weeks to convince Everly to stay with him and see if they could build any sort of future. Right now, his chances of winning her back weren’t looking good.

The receptionist’s eyes widened as they walked through the double doors of Crawford Industries’ lobby. Jennifer stood, her professional suit crisp. Her face, however, looked both stunned and haggard. “Mr. Bond.” She nodded. “Everly, I’m so glad you’re back. The press keeps calling. I tell them we have no comment, but they only dial us again immediately and ask the same questions. The system wasn’t designed to handle this many calls. What should I do? The whole office is in chaos.”

In the background, the electronic ring of the phone trilled nonstop. Beyond the reception area, Gabe heard voices raised, doors slam. This wasn’t the cool, professional lobby he’d seen yesterday. Apparently, none of the other executives had handled this crisis. He smelled blood in the water, and the sharks were circling. Damn it, Everly had been right. With Mad gone for good, they both needed to be here until the fervor died down. Without a firm hand, all sense of order would implode.

“Call Amanda and Hilary and ask them to handle the traffic.” Everly was calm and cool, as though being presented with a problem to solve actually helped focus her. “The extra phones plug into the system and I can reroute all calls from numbers not stored as one of our contacts. That way, you can manage the regular clients while the other ladies can handle the reporters. Has anyone in PR written a script they can follow? Has legal blessed it?”

The woman handed her a lone page over the counter. “I received it ten minutes ago.”

Everly scanned the document, then nodded. “Crawford Industries won’t comment on the private lives of its executives. Perfect. Copy this, then pass it to Amanda and Hilary. Tell them to recite the script verbatim, then hang up. Nothing more.”

The phone kept ringing, an insistent drone.

“One moment.” Jennifer dispatched the call quickly to another department in the building, then sent Everly a grateful smile. “Will do. I’ve still got calls on hold. Nearly every line.”

Everly nodded. “Well, now we’ve got a plan. It’ll be all right. I noticed the guards are on the doors downstairs. Are they being rotated regularly?”

“Yes. Scott already volunteered to handle that and posted a schedule.”

“Thank goodness. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Everly turned away. She didn’t even look at Gabe before pushing through the frosted glass doors and striding through the sea of cubicles, heading toward her office.

Luckily, she couldn’t walk very fast in those heels. He needed to thank Roman for that later.

“Everly, you know, this isn’t going to work if you can’t look at me.”

She turned back and frowned. “What are you talking about? I can look at you.”

He very deliberately took her hand and brought it to his chest, urging her closer. “If the employees don’t buy that we’re having a real relationship, they’ll talk to the press and we’ll be right back where we started.”

“Gabriel, I’m a female executive. A young female executive. Do you know how hard it is to get people to take me seriously? I wasn’t trying to ignore you. I was trying to be professional.” She extracted her hand from his. “We shouldn’t have to give them PDA in the office to convince them. And I don’t want chins wagging that we’re being inappropriate here, especially since you’re my boss.”

Gabe leaned closer. He could see her point and wondered how hard it had been for her. He would try to make sure she had it easier in the future. “I won’t be your boss for long. I’m merely a caretaker for Crawford Industries. And I’m your boyfriend, according to that interview we just did. You lost your brother. I lost my best friend. No one expects us to be cold and professional.” He tugged on her hand, drawing her closer. “Besides, everyone is watching.”

Everly glanced around and finally noticed all the eyes on her. She cursed under her breath, but laid her palm against his, tangling her fingers in his own. “I don’t like subterfuge.”

He was used to it, having been exposed to it for a good majority of his childhood and his whole adult life. But to Gabe, they shared nothing pretend. “That will be over soon.”

They made their way to her office where Everly locked up her purse and sorted through her messages. Gabe looked around at her multiple monitors and all the other assorted devices. He wondered briefly if he could ever measure up to her love of all things electronic.

“Don’t you want to go to your office and check in?” she asked with a raised brow.

“Sure. I would love to work in my office. At my company. But I need to get a functional knowledge of this operation.” That gave him an idea. She knew Crawford Industries and loved it. Managing the corporation until Sara could take over might bring them closer together. “You can start filling me in over dinner tonight. We’ve got reservations at Le Cirque.”

She frowned a little. “I suppose you chose someplace public for show.”

He didn’t want anything about their relationship to be an act, but she wasn’t ready to believe that she could fit into his world. Until she was, he would take whatever time with her he could get. “No, I like the food, but we’ll make it a working dinner. You can fill me in on the management structure here. You know, what’s working, what needs to be changed.”

“I suppose this has really disrupted your life, too. You know, you could go back to Bond Aeronautics for the afternoon. I’ll talk to Tavia about the photos. I assume she gave them to Maddox but I’ll verify.”

“Not happening.” Gabe wouldn’t budge on this point. Between the fire and the swarm of press, the idea of leaving her here made him more than uneasy. “Someone tried to kill us last night. I’m not letting you far from my sight. Whether you believe me or not, whether you think you need it, I will protect you.”

“Those two men didn’t come to kill us. We merely happened to be there when they tried to burn down Mad’s house. I think they meant to destroy some evidence, cover something up.”

“Yes, but they were willing to kill us to do it,” he pointed out. “One of them got away. We don’t know that he won’t return to try to finish the job here. So you’re stuck with me.”

“Fine.” She frowned as she booted up her laptop, then turned to the screen beside it, her eyes narrowing.

That was not her thinking face. That was her pissed-off face. He tried not to find it attractive but failed. “What’s wrong?”

She leaned forward and her fingers worked over a different keyboard that appeared to be connected to a mega-sized monitor. “Someone tripped the security.”

“For the building?” Entering or leaving the premises required magnetic security badges. Everyone had to wear them inside the building, too. The plastic rectangles showed their picture and contained codes that dictated what floors and sections the employee was authorized to access. Before the security guards had buzzed him in yesterday, he’d had to prove he was the new CEO of Crawford Industries.

“No. For my computer. Someone tried to access my desktop.” Her fingers flew across the keys. “It’s my main system. Both this and my laptop are hooked up to my backup system and my monitors, but this has way more power and storage than my laptop. Someone tried to get on it, but the system shut them down after three unsuccessful attempts at my password.” She stood again and reached for the phone. “Henry? Hi. Thank you, it’s nice to be back. Can you pull the security cameras around my office for the last thirty hours or so? I need to know everyone who went in and out of my office. I know it was secure. I unlocked it when I arrived yesterday morning, but clearly someone tampered with it since. Thanks.” She hung up. “He’s going to review the tapes. Someone was in here but what were they looking for? Company secrets?”

Gabe shrugged. “You’re a hot property right now. Most likely, one of the employees tried to break into your system to look for torrid e-mails or dirty pictures they could sell to the tabloids for a buck. If they gained access to your computer, they could gain access to your cloud account, too, right?”

“I do
not
have a cloud account. And why would I have pornography on my work computer?”

Oh, she was so naive. “I wasn’t talking about porn. I was talking about naked pictures. Of you. Of us.”

She blushed prettily. “I wouldn’t have those, either. That’s ridiculous.”

He would love to have a couple of pictures of her all soft and naked and flushed from orgasm. “But it happens. You’ve heard about celebrities who store those shots on their phones or computers.”

“I hate this. I hate all of it. How do you live under a microscope?”

He wanted to put his arms around her, but she’d probably protest since they were alone now. “People are always watching and judging. We all encounter that in life. It’s the scale of the scrutiny that’s new to you.” He shrugged. “I’m used to it, having lived with the press for years. I don’t have it as bad as Mad did, though he often seemed to court the attention. And Mad didn’t have half of what Zack endures.”

There were days Gabe turned on the news and wondered why Zack didn’t shoot himself. Being the president was one of the world’s most difficult jobs. Everyone had their opinion and no one hesitated to tell him what it was.

“I don’t think I can function like this. It’s impossible to walk down to the corner market or hop on a subway without attracting attention.”

Yes, she’d made it plain that was a wall between them. “Believe it or not, it won’t always be this intense. The paparazzi loses interest once a man like me gets married, pops out a couple of kids, and starts spending his evenings at home with family. Of course, some of the perks go away, too. When I’m not so interesting, the maître d’s at the hot spots aren’t as willing to slip me a prime table.”

“When you have little kids you’ll be lucky to choke down a burger at a fast-food place.”

Oddly, the thought didn’t scare him the way it used to, not when he pictured kids who looked like her. It would be nice to go home to his family each night. He’d raise children differently than his parents. He would be there to tuck them in, to listen to their worries, and provide guidance. He would never send his babies away for their education. As much as Gabe loved his friends, he wanted his kids to rely on their parents for love and comfort.

“I’ll probably want to eat at home a lot, actually. It’s not something I’ve done much of in my life. I think it would be a nice change.”

“Please.” She rolled her eyes. “You’d be so bored.”

No, he wouldn’t. “I’m not the playboy the tabloids have made me out to be. I’m ready for something low-key and steady. Let me take you out to the Hamptons. We could grill and walk on the beach, spend time together. We’ll start there. It’s beautiful and quiet this time of year.”

She hesitated for a moment. “I’m sure it is, but this whole cozy picket fence thing isn’t possible in your reality. I don’t think I fit in your five-star world.”

“Everly, baby . . .”

“Stop. You think I’m going to be so dazzled by your jet-setting life that I’ll change my mind. But I’m not built for the spotlight. I don’t want to worry about someone photographing me if I trip on the sidewalk or I go to Duane Reade for tampons.”

At least they were talking about a potential future. Right now, her logic wasn’t leading the discussion, just fear. Gabe did his best to soothe her. “This scrutiny really will let up. I know all this attention seems overwhelming now, but it will pass. Then we can make our own future. No matter what happens, you will be a part of my family. I’ll always be here for you, and Sara will, too. My sister is a wonderful woman and she’ll need all the help she can get to raise that baby. You’re the only family from Mad’s side. She’ll want you around, like I will.”

There was a sheen of tears in her eyes as she looked up at him. “Neither of you has anything to worry about from me. You get that, right? I really won’t come after Mad’s money or the company.”

“That concern never crossed my mind,” he softly assured. “Not once I knew who you were.”

“Good. Crawford Industries belongs to Maddox’s child.”

He nodded. “Yes. And we’ll keep it safe for him.”

“Or her.” She was very firm about that.

“Or her.”

God, he was crazy about Everly. He couldn’t help himself. He leaned over and brushed his lips across hers. She stilled. Her breath caught. But she didn’t move away. Her breasts brushed against his chest and he could feel his cock jerk in his slacks. All he had to do was get in the same zip code as her and he couldn’t think about anything except how good she felt, how much he needed her.

Gabe took advantage of the moment to kiss her softly, doing his best to convey his adoration. He wouldn’t give up or leave her. It occurred to him that she’d been alone since her father’s death. She was the type of woman who needed a family, and he would give it to her. That was his real way in. Not money or fancy trips or gifts. Family. He could give her a place to belong, a place where she was valued and loved for the unique woman she was.