The Fall Of Jacob Del Garda (21 page)

Now Sophie's brow creased, and he was very pleased to see it.

"I think it was a spur of the moment thing. She'd never upset Jacob's father. She adores him."

"Since publicity is supposed to be my job, it's a shame she didn't run her plan past me then, isn't it? Lucas is gonna kick my butt."

She simply gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Is he? God knows it's a butt that deserves kicking."

Tobin was not a man who gave into a sudden impulse.

Not usually.

But now he whipped an arm around Sophie's waist and dragged her over until she was almost sitting on his knee.

The look of alarm on her face made him give her a very fierce grin.

"One more dig, Soph, and you're not gonna sit down for a week."

Her snort of utter disrespect made him pull her closer.

Then her hand slipped between their bodies.

Strong fingers gripped his dick... and squeezed.

God help him, he went as hard a rock in her hand.

He didn't flinch.

He didn't whimper.

He didn't blink.

Big hazel eyes stared into his.

"You're very fond of this dick. Aren't you? Release me."

In warning, she dug sharp nails into his throbbing flesh.

He didn't flinch.

He didn't whimper... but it cost him.

He didn't blink.

"Before I let you go. I want to say something. Gina Gregory had been coming on to me for weeks. When I said no, she drugged me with Rohypnol. I have no memory of what happened. And that is the God's honest truth."

He held her perfectly still.

Her grip on his dick weakened, but it didn't stop him from growing even harder in her hand, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Shocked, Sophie stared into his face.

And saw the sincerity, the truth, and the deep shame.

A huge wave of emotions rose up into her lungs and nearly floored her.

But before she could speak, he let her go and stood looking down at her.

"You're the scientist, you know exactly how the drug works. So while you're thinking about it, I'm going to go and sort out the mess your sister's made. At this precise moment, I'm pretty sick and tired of the Dolman women."

He turned and walked away.

Sophie could only stare at his strong back.

The details about Rohypnol spun into her mind.

Rohypnol users frequently describe the effects of the drug as 'paralyzing'. The impact of the drug begins twenty to thirty minutes after taking it, peaks within two hours and may persist for eight or even twelve hours. A person may be so incapacitated they collapse. They lie on the floor, eyes open, able to observe events but completely unable to move. Afterwards, their memory is impaired and they cannot recall any of what happened.

The person experiences loss of muscle control, confusion, drowsiness and amnesia.

Dear God.

A waiter uncorked a bottle of vintage champagne and poured her a glass. The bubbles swam in front of Sophie's eyes as she took a taste, and nodded her approval.

All the while, her heart beat too fast as she remembered their many arguments. Every single word she'd said to Tobin came spinning back into her mind.

She'd been so hurt and so stupidly stubborn, she couldn't believe it.

Not once had she given him a chance to explain.

Not once.

And how fair was that?

Someone slid into the chair next to her.

"Sophie? Are you feeling okay? You have gone very white."

She turned to look at Jacob, who was studying her face.

"Did you know what happened between Gina Gregory and Tobin?"

He nodded.

"
Si
, he told me a couple of nights ago in the kitchen, after your fight. He was deeply upset. And, I think, deeply ashamed."

Now the trembling began.

And it wasn't from fear, it was from a towering rage.

"She's not going to get away with this," she swore.

The bitch had not only killed her relationship with the man she loved, but she'd killed her baby. Sophie firmly believed that the stress and heartbreak she'd endured had contributed to her losing her child. And for that, Ms. Gina Gregory was going to pay.

Jacob placed his hand on her arm.

"Sophie..."

She spun around to face him.

"That woman destroyed my life. My family."

"What she did to him was unconscionable," he agreed. Then his eyes moved from hers to watch Tobin extract a pouting Gabriella from a posse of adoring fans taking selfies.

Tobin steered her reluctant sister towards the bar, all the while he was talking fast in her ear.

"He suffers," Jacob told her in a low voice as he watched the scene play out between Tobin and Gabriella.

Her whine brought his gaze back to her.

She closed her eyes.

"I said the most awful things, terrible things, to him. He just sat there and took it."

The sound of his deep sigh had Sophie open her eyes, and she read nothing but regret in his.

"
Si
. I, too, have used words to hurt Ella." He topped up her champagne, poured a glass for himself. "We make a fine pair, do we not? Neither of us find it easy to forgive."

Sophie covered his hand with hers.

"I'm sorry about what I said to you, Jacob. I should have told you about Ella right from the start. You were right. She did need you. She does need you. Now, more than ever."

Jacob slid his hand from under hers to smooth the single tear that slid down Sophie's cheek.

"You were protecting your sister. Supporting her when I was not there. And for that I thank you."

"She would never dream of hurting your father, Jacob."

"
Si
, I know. It is my fault she is lashing out. I upset her. And now I must pay the price."

"You need to talk to her."

He smiled at the earnestness in those hazel eyes.

Sophie was a lovely girl.

A girl who more than gave his friend a run for his money.

"You need to talk to Tobin, too. He loves you very much." The anguish that flared in her eyes gave him pause. "Sophie, what is it?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing. And you're right, I will talk to him."

They watched as Tobin towed a deeply ashamed looking Gabriella to their table.

But before she could sit, Jacob rose and took her hand.

He felt the tremble.

Evidence that his friend had given the love of his life a few home truths.

Big eyes of deep gold, filled with anxiety and something like regret, stared into his.

And his heart melted.

He smiled. "Come and dance with me. That dress deserves to be seen."

"Jacob, I'm s..."

He placed his finger on her lips to stop the rest.

"Dance with me."

Sophie kept her eyes on the couple as they came together on the dance floor and slid into a slow dance.

She desperately hoped that her sister and Jacob managed to work out their differences.

Tobin sat next to her and made himself comfortable.

He topped up her wine and poured a glass for himself.

At this rate, she was going to be sloshed.

His cell buzzed.

He opened the message.

"Good catch, Lucas," he muttered, and placed the cell phone on the table.

Sophie turned to look at him and when he caught her eye, her face flamed.

He looked stressed.

And he looked tired.

"I don't know what to say," she said.

His brow rose, but those grey eyes were deadly serious as they held hers.

"Say you believe me."

She nodded. "I believe you."

He sipped his wine.

Then his finger tapped his cell.

"Lucas has managed to put out the worst of the fire. He's promised a couple of news channels an interview with Gabriella, to tell her story. I don't think she has a clue how big this thing is gonna get."

"She'll be good with it. I expect it's a big relief for her to get it out there. No more hiding."

She crossed her legs, placed her elbows on the table, her chin on her hand.

Her heart felt... empty.

For too many years a righteous anger with Tobin had kept her going. Now that anger was gone, leaving in its place... a hollow regret.

"You hungry?" he asked, his eyes riveted to her face.

She nodded.

Attempted to swallow the hot rock lodged in her throat.

"Starving? Famished? Ravenous? Yep. I don't suppose a fancy place like this does steak, fries, and all the trimmings?" she asked in a voice that made her sound as if she was impersonating a bullfrog with pharyngitis.

His grin made her heart ache.

She knew Tobin Gillespie loved his beef.

"You betcha."

Signalling a hovering waiter, Tobin ordered their food. Medium rare, just how he liked it.

Looking at Sophie, the words down-in-the-mouth, sprung to mind.

Tobin knew the way he'd told her about what had happened with Gina had floored her. He was supposed to be the master of communication. Well, when it mattered, he'd made a real mess of this one.

"Did you report her?" Sophie eventually broke the too long silence.

Heat crept up his neck and into his face.

And so did shame.

Her hand covered his and squeezed.

Sophie would never know how much that small gesture of support meant to him.

It meant the world.

He squeezed hers back, took a deep cleansing breath. And the ache around his heart eased.

He shook his head.

"Nope. But I kicked her out of the agency and blacklisted her."

Now the flash was back in those fabulous hazel eyes.

Sophie was seriously pissed, for him.

Made a nice pleasant change.

"You need to report what happened to the authorities," she told him in a tone that meant business.

Oooookay.

This was so not the time or the place to discuss what had happened to him, to them.

He took another deep breath. "Soph, can we not talk about this right now?"

She nodded.

Then her eyes went soft as she studied his face. "Wanna hug?"

Pushing his chair back to make room for her, he patted his knee.

"I'd love a hug."

Between one heartbeat and the next, Tobin found himself with his arms full of a beautiful woman who smelled fucking amazing. Her blonde head rested on his shoulder, giving him a stupendous view of her breasts. Right there, he decided he'd died and gone to heaven.

"Stop ogling my tits."

Temptation called to him and Tobin gave in to it.

He pressed a kiss right on the top of a soft breast.

"Honey, I love your tits."

"I want to kill her," Sophie said in a voice filled to the brim with a determination Tobin could get right behind.

"Get in line," he told her.

Then he rested his cheek on hers.

When she blinked, long eyelashes gently brushed his face making him smile.

"Ella and Jacob are smooching on the dance floor," she whispered.

"Thank you, Jesus," he said with feeling and felt her quiet laugh.

"Amen."

"Any chance of you and I doing a bit of smooching later?"

His hardening erection under her bottom made her wiggle on his knee.

He hissed out a breath, but didn't move her.

Little witch.

She lifted her head and stared right into his eyes.

"There's a very good chance of you and I doing a lot more than smooching later."

The lights on the dance floor dimmed.

The rhythm pounded through Jacob's blood as they swayed to a sultry beat. A singer with the voice of an angel hit the spot with a heart-wrenching ballad about endless love.

Jacob wasn't a man who got teary-eyed about love lost and found, but in spite of himself his lungs constricted. And he found himself holding Gabriella tighter, as he inhaled the wonderful scent of the woman in his arms. The way she was pressed close to his hard length told him she'd surrendered. His hands skimmed down her naked back, feeling the smooth scented skin. And he couldn't help but flirt with the hem of a dress that teased taut thighs. Immediately he went rock hard. He caught her tiny tremble. A tremble that told him the words of the song were affecting her, too.

The last note rose in a yearning crescendo.

He couldn't help but bury his face into her hair to breathe in the essence of his woman, to feel the fast thud of his heart against her cheek. They came apart, just enough, for him to look into the dark gold of her eyes.

Her kiss was an apology wrapped in promise.

His response was one of forgiveness wrapped in unconditional love.

And Jacob had never seen her like this.

Vulnerable.

Scared.

And so terribly, terribly, sad.

There was an innocent sensuality in the way her full bottom lip trembled that brought an ache to his throat and terror to his heart.

But he refused to let the fear of the future spoil a precious moment.

Jacob took a deep breath.

"Let me take you somewhere we can be alone."

His voice was too hoarse, deep, the lilt of Spain more pronounced.

It wasn't a demand. It was a heartfelt request that Gabriella could not deny. His need for her was right there in his eyes, in the enormous erection pressing into her belly. Every single part of her throbbed, especially the liquid burn deep in her pelvis. After she'd left him, her body had shut down all desire for sex. Well, it wasn't shut down now. If he so much as touched her, she'd go off like a rocket.

The song had brought back memories. Happy memories, too painful for her to bear, kept crowding in tonight. The events of the past few days didn't feel real somehow.

A few days ago she'd thought Jacob was in the Bahamas, thousands of miles away.

Now here she was being held in his arms, so close to him.

Crazy.

She honestly felt as if she was swimming through an emotional river filled with his love and heartache. He was muttering words in her ear. Telling her how hard he'd tried to find her, how deep his despair and heartache had been that he'd lost her. Forever. Now he promised that they would never be parted.

Gabriella, held tight in his arms, let his words flow over her.

She'd thought time was supposed to be the great healer. If anything, the passing of time had only made the ache in her heart hurt even more.

Still, when she'd bought her one-way ticket to London, she'd astonished herself by using her mother's maiden name. No one in the business knew photographer Ella Laurent. Didn't a new beginning deserve a new name?

Now she realised that by running away she'd been kidding herself all along.

Every road she'd taken leading her right back to Jacob.

No one, Gabriella realised with a clarity of thought that had been missing for too long, could outrun their destiny.

And her mind spun back further in time. To the time when they'd first seen each other.

She'd met him at a not-for-profit fundraiser. She hadn't been looking for love and certainly not happy-ever-after. And found it anyway. Jacob, so tall with his black hair and those staggering grey eyes dynamic in a face the universe had created on a good day, had taken one look at her and that was that.

Sometimes a woman got lucky in her choice of life mate. She'd hit the jackpot with Jacob Del Garda, a man who understood her, even after everything she'd done, and loved her anyway.

"Take me home, Jacob."

They held hands in the back of the car.

Jacob brought her knuckles to his mouth to nuzzle, to kiss, to rub against the five o'clock shadow on his jaw.

"I am kidnapping you. I want you to myself," he growled in a way that sent fire through her system.

She couldn't help the thrill of anticipation.

The car turned into a long driveway she knew well.

The vehicle accelerated, gliding through a sentinel of beech trees standing at attention making the silver beam of a full moon flicker through the branches.

"You're taking me to Ludlow Hall?"

Still nuzzling her fingers, he nodded.

"
Si
. To my apartment. To my bed."

Those amazing eyes promised her that he was going to do plenty to her in his bed.

Jacob knew he needed to take great care with her.

Tonight was not a night for a fast and furious coupling, for lust. Tonight was for tenderness. A tenderness Jacob needed to give as well as receive.

Under Gabriella's brave front, he clearly saw the emotional toll the night had wrought. Exhaustion carved dips under her cheekbones, dark circles under her eyes. And fear waged a war with concern and worry. He hadn't missed the tremble in her legs as she'd slid out of the back of the car. The way she'd leaned on his arm as they'd taken the wide stairs to his apartment at Ludlow Hall told him her energies were depleted.

Now he lifted her in his arms and held her close, loving the way she wound slim arms around his neck, loving the way her head dropped onto his shoulder. And loving the fabulous scent of his woman.

Opening the door to his apartment, he was pleased to see the gas fire had been lit. Lowlights cast a warm welcoming glow in the vast sitting room. But he didn't stop, he kept right on going until he reached his bedroom and laid her down on his big bed.

Sleepy eyes watched him through long, long lashes as he removed her fabulous heels.

Taking great care, he took the pins from her hair, releasing all those slippery, blonde curls to lay like spun gold against the white pillow. Then he peeled the pitiful excuse for a dress from her body, leaving her in nothing but a fragile piece of red lace that raised his blood pressure, among other things. In the dim light of the bedside lamp, she just lay there, looking sexy and sultry. The smile she gave him was one of contentment.

Big golden eyes, filled with desire, watched every single move as slowly, painfully slowly, he stripped down to his skin. Not once did his gaze leave her face. Those golden eyes went dark as they took their own sweet time as they journeyed from his head, down his torso, to rest on an erection that swelled even more. The way the tip of her pink tongue licked her top lip nearly had him spend right there and then. Need leaked from the tip of his penis.

Her eyes flew to his.

"The Dreamboys are always looking for new talent," she purred.

He grinned at the naughty look in her eye.

"You think I should become a stripper instead of a hotelier?" he asked as he knelt on the bed.

"Hmm, you would make a lot of women very happy if you did."

His fingers hooked into her panties, whipped them down her legs, off her slim feet and tossed them on the floor.

Grabbing her ankles, he pulled her down the bed until her bottom hit his knees. Then he spread her legs wide and looked his fill. God she was so beautiful. Her sex reminded him of rose petals, the little berry of pulsing arousal was slick with her need of him. She reached for him, took his erection in her fist and placed it at her entrance in a silent plea for more.

"There is only one woman I want to make happy," he growled. And then shuddered as her thumb slicked the evidence of his need round and round his engorged tip.

She moved to rest on her elbow, to watch as he slid into her inch by careful inch.

Cristo,
she was so tight, so hot, so wet.

But he worried that she might not be quite ready for him.

Then she showed him that he had nothing to worry about as she moved to rest those endless legs over his shoulders, allowing him to slip his hands under her tight little bottom, to lift her hips, to slide himself deeper into her. Together they watched as their bodies joined, as he used his pelvis to slide in and out of her. The muscles of her channel immediately fisted around his and her eyes went wide as they held his, as her mouth made the O shape, as he trembled, still on his knees, and as she flew apart as he watched her take her pleasure from him.

It cost him, but he managed to hold on to his release, hissing out a breath as he slid from the pulsating grip of her body. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his top lip. He slid two fingers inside her, using his thumb to circle that tiny berry to ensure she came down from Nirvana nice and slow. The way her body gripped his fingers made him moan. At last she lay on her back, those long legs slid down to rest, boneless, on the bed. Her breasts were rising and falling as she caught her breath. And now, under each breast, he could quite clearly see the pink U shape line of her battle scars. His woman was in a fight for her life. And he could only pray to God that she was winning the war. Emotions, too powerful to control, spun to sting his eyes, to grip his throat.

Before she could open her eyes and see his distress, Jacob spun her to rest on her belly. Remembering her breasts, he placed a fat pillow under her shoulders and under her ribcage.

She simply lay there with her tight little bottom in the air.

He cleared his throat.

"Are you comfortable?"

Coming up on her elbows, she turned to look at him, gave him a bum wiggle.

"Very," she said.

"Put your cheek on the pillow."

She did as she was told.

And he bit down hard on his lip when she gave another little bum wiggle.

"Open your legs," he said in a tone that was a demand, not a request. "Wider."

Again, she did as she was told.

Jacob climbed on top of her, took her wrists and spread her arms out to the side.

His thighs were on hers.

Now he was pinning her to the bed.

His shaft was so hard it could have pounded nails into solid rock.

Instead, with a tilt of his pelvis, it entered her right to the hilt.

Her cry was one of shock rather than of pain and it ended on a long lament which went on and on as he pounded into her.

Never, he'd never felt anything like it.

Now he took her arms above her head as he changed the angle, swivelled his hips and she screamed his name.

Together they journeyed to a place neither had been before.

By the time she was chanting his name in a wail that went higher and higher, the hot sting at the base of his spine told him he was about to come and come hard. The sting shot straight into his balls, up his erection to explode in a way that made him yell her name out loud as he pumped into her again and again. Until every single drop was spent.

Mio dio
, his heart was battering against his ribs so hard he could not catch his breath.

Wrapping his arms tight around his woman, holding her close, Jacob turned on his side.

Her body still fisted around him without mercy, pulsing, squeezing his over sensitive flesh. The cry that escaped from his throat should have shamed him as a man. Instead, he held his breath and prayed to heaven that the pleasure pain never end.

They were slick with sweat and Gabriella was trembling as if from a fever.

The reality of what he had done to her hit him.

She was unwell and he'd ravished her like an animal.

Then her hands found his, placed them between her breasts and held on tight.

"That was unbelievable," she panted.

Relief that he hadn't hurt her, made him dizzy.

Inhaling the scent of her, he nuzzled the salty taste of her neck.

"I promised myself I would take it nice and slow, nothing hot and heavy. And look at us."

"Did I ask you to take it nice and slow?" she asked.

"No... but."

Her core muscles squeezed him so hard, he yelped.

"As you can see I'm anything but fragile. And you can thank pilates for my strong core."

He couldn't help but laugh.

Cristo
, his woman was killing him.

Then he remembered something crucial.

"Ella, I didn't use protection."

"Don't worry about it," she said in a sad little voice. "I haven't had a period in four months."

Her yawn of exhaustion was so huge, he found himself yawning, too.

Pulling the comforter over them, and still joined, Jacob held her close.

And decided to stop worrying about a future he could not change and just go with the flow.

He hadn't discussed it with Ella yet, but he'd already decided to take a sabbatical from his career.