Indebted - Piper Stone Page 0,72
father give you anything?”
I finally sat beside him, the heat level just as explosive as before, the desire I felt ridiculous on every level. “Meaning what?”
“Anything? A letter. A file. A computer drive.” Gabriel darted a glance in my direction. “Your father tried to talk to me after his betrayal, begging for me to see him.”
“But you refused.”
Sighing, he looked off in the distance. Even from where I sat, I could see the shimmer in his eyes, a moment of uncertainty. “I had no reason to discuss the situation any further. He knew the score and was damn lucky I didn’t have him prosecuted.”
“What intellectual property did he take? If you’re running a legitimate corporation, what could he do to you that was so damaging?”
“While I make certain that my enemies fully understand and embrace my various capabilities, I assure you that Masters Enterprises is more than just a legitimate corporation, it’s also one that provides thousands of jobs in the Denver area. What your father absconded with were secure financials and information regarding various bank loans as well as plans designed in order to build a new manufacturing site. He knew how important the decision I made was to me. You see, I’ve spent a significant amount of time purchasing and dismantling various companies in the west. A part of me wanted to build something for a change. There are at least five other companies who are waiting in the wings for me to make a mistake. What your father may have provided to them could be the single nudge needed to eradicate everything I had in mind. While that may not seem important to those who aren’t in this cutthroat industry, the details would be valuable to the very people who would stop at nothing to curtail my plans.”
“There had to be a reason.”
Gabriel shifted in order to face me, cupping my chin. “There are always reasons for the decisions people make. Often, they are based on nothing more than a reaction to emotion. Perhaps you’re right that your father was a good man. If so, that makes his reprehensible decision very difficult to comprehend. I was hoping he’d shared with you the reasons for his treachery. Perhaps I was wrong. You are simply too innocent to corrupt. Bobby Rivers is something else entirely.”
As he inched closer, the heat of his body oppressive, my breath caught. “I knew Bobby was a bad man, although not from the beginning. My instincts told me to run away, but he was the first man to care about me, although it’s obvious that was all pretend. I didn’t try and kill him, although if my gut is correct, he deserved exactly what he got.”
Gabriel rubbed his thumb across my lip, his chest rising and falling as he took exaggerated breaths. “Whatever his reason, he has yet to get what he deserves for hurting you, for attempting to steal your life.”
As he fisted my hair, yanking me closer, I palmed his chest. “I don’t understand this.”
His upper lip curled as he lowered his head. “What’s there to understand? You belong to me. Every. Sweet. Inch. I’ll take you wherever and whenever I want to.” As he crushed his mouth over mine, sweeping his tongue past the slight part in my lips, there wasn’t a portion of my body not trembling.
I clawed at his shirt, wrapping my legs around his hips as the kiss became a passionate roar. Stars floated in front of my eyes as the wave of electricity became extreme, searing every nerve ending. His tongue dominating mine, he tangled his fingers in my hair, yanking as he crowded over me.
I would never get enough of the taste of him, sultry and sweet, my drunkenness heightened as he explored the dark recesses of my mouth. He was like a crazed animal, unable to get enough, his growls and guttural sounds floating between us. I was lightheaded, yanking at his shirt until I was able to slide my hands underneath. The feel of his heated skin was powerful, my pussy throbbing from the raging desire that refused to let go.
He rubbed the flat of his hand down my back, finally jerking the shirt from the tight confines of my jeans. The hunger swelled between us, a fervent need to entwine our bodies together, to experience the rush of heat already exploding. He broke the kiss long enough to rip the tee shirt over my head, tossing it to the side as he cupped