Wife By Contract, Mistress By Demand

‘Now you,’ he breathed huskily, pulling her to her feet as he kissed first her eyes, then her cheek, her mouth, the long column of her throat and the swell of her breasts. Gabriella’s groan of pleasure told him how much she liked him doing that.

She was slick and wet, her body willowy slender as Rufus moved to kneel before her, gently parting the dark curls to find the centre of her arousal. Gabriella trembled against him as his tongue caressed and stroked, and she moved her legs slightly apart to allow him inside her.

Her hands clung desperately to his shoulders as she began to convulse around his fingers, but Rufus continued to tease her with his tongue, prolonging her climax until she collapsed weakly against him.

Rufus stood up, needing to be inside her now, wanting all her heat around him, surrounding him, taking him to the point she’d just reached.

Gabriella’s eyes widened as she felt Rufus lifting her, his arms about her thighs as she wrapped her legs about his waist. His hands cradled her as the hardness of him slid slowly inside her and she closed about him, each thrust of his body causing a responding trembling of her silken sheath, the pleasure quickly building again as his thrusts became more powerful with the approach of his own release.

A release that took Gabriella with it, and she cried out Rufus’s name as she shuddered to another climax, the tightening of her inner muscles seeming to make their pleasure last an eternity.

Rufus rested his forehead against hers, breathing deeply. ‘You are an amazing woman, Gabriella Maria Lucia Gresham,’ he told her achingly.

Gabriella gave a husky laugh of satisfaction. ‘You’re pretty incredible yourself, Rufus James Gresham.’

Rufus raised his head to look down at her, her eyes a glowing violet, cheeks flushed, her mouth swollen from his kisses. ‘I’m not even going to ask what changed your mind.’ He shook his head. ‘Just thank my good luck that you did!’

She looked at him and smiled in relaxed satisfaction.

Rufus grinned back and then turned off the shower before carrying her back into the bedroom, smiling again as he saw the trail of her clothes across the room.

‘We’ll make the bed all wet,’ she protested.

‘You aren’t supposed to be practical after what we’ve just done!’ he admonished teasingly.

Practical was the last thing she felt! ‘I was thinking of you.’

Rufus shook his head. ‘I’m happy just being with you like this,’ he assured her huskily.

He lay on the bed with her, with his head buried against Gabriella’s creamy throat. Breathing deeply, he knew he had been taken beyond anything he had ever known before, with any woman, and still he wanted her, wanted more.

Soon, soon he would take her again.

And again.

And again.

He knew that he would never be able to get enough of Gabriella, and that wanting her, being part of her, was in his blood. And he knew that it always would be.

Just as Gabriella herself would always be a part of him…

Gabriella woke lethargic.

Satiated.

And alone.

The bed beside her was still warm from Rufus’s presence, but he was no longer there.

Instead, there was just a white sheet of paper on the pillow that read, ‘My darling Gabriella, I’ve gone to see Toby, Yours, Rufus’…

Chapter 11

‘Gabriella! Why the hell haven’t you taken any of my calls?’

Gabriella frowned across the kitchen of Gabriella’s as Rufus stood in the doorway, his face looking strained, his blond hair tousled, the denims and black tee shirt he wore looking rumpled and travel-worn.

Apparently he had come straight here from seeing Toby in America.

‘I must have telephoned you half a dozen times in the last twenty-four hours!’ he rasped accusingly as he came forcefully into the kitchen and closed the door behind him.

He had telephoned exactly seven times, Gabriella knew, twice here yesterday afternoon, five times to Gresham House during yesterday evening. And she had refused to take any of them.

What was the point?

If Rufus could just leave her after the night they had spent together, to go and talk to Toby of all people, then they really had nothing left to say to each other.

She shrugged, not looking at him as she finished tidying the kitchen after the Friday lunchtime rush. ‘I’ve been busy,’ she dismissed, glad she had a break coming up, not at all as composed as she wanted to give Rufus the impression she was.

Because she must have spent most of the last twenty-four hours crying. She had cried all day yesterday after she’d woken to find him gone, cried herself to sleep last night, and again this morning as soon as she’d woken up. And it couldn’t go on.

She couldn’t go on.

She couldn’t stay in this loveless marriage any longer. No matter what the cost.

‘Gabriella, what’s wrong with you?’ Rufus prompted, concerned, as she swayed weakly, crossing the room to cup a hand beneath her chin to lift her face so that she had no choice but to look at him.

God, she loved this man.

Loved him to the point of distraction. Loved him so much that nothing else mattered but him.

And she had to leave him.

She met his searching gaze unblinkingly. ‘I’m leaving you, Rufus,’ she told him firmly. ‘Not in five months’ time. But now.’

‘What—?’ Rufus felt himself pale, shaking his head in denial. ‘You can’t mean that, Gabriella—’

‘Oh but I do,’ she said flatly.

‘No,’ he insisted fiercely, looking frustratedly at the incongruity of their surroundings. ‘We have to get out of here, Gabriella! I need to talk to you, to explain—’

‘It’s too late for explanations, Rufus,’ she interrupted softly. ‘Don’t you understand? I can’t take this any more. And it’s not because I intend going to Toby, either!’ she added fiercely. ‘I just—I can’t live with you any more!’

Rufus swallowed hard, unable to deny the complete conviction in her voice. ‘No, Gabriella, I can’t let you do that!’ He shook his head in disbelief.

She gave a humourless smile. ‘You can’t stop me, Rufus. I’m sorry, I really am, but I can’t—’ She halted as her voice broke. ‘I can’t live like this any more,’ she added firmly, lashes down as she shielded her gaze from his.

Rufus looked at her intensely, at the dark circles beneath her eyes, the hollows in her cheeks, the way she couldn’t even look at him any more, and he knew he had to do something, say something to stop this wonderful creature leaving him.

The only thing he could say…

‘Gabriella, I love you,’ he breathed huskily. ‘I love you, Gabriella!’ he repeated forcefully, holding the tops of her arms as he shook her slightly.

Her long dark lashes flew wide above her startled violet-coloured eyes, Gabriella looking at him uncertainly now, as if to see whether or not he spoke the truth.

And he deserved her suspicion, Rufus knew, he deserved every accusation she had ever thrown at him.

As she, he was absolutely sure, had deserved none of the accusations he had thrown at her…

‘Let’s get out of here,’ he encouraged huskily. ‘I’ll talk, Gabriella, if you will please listen, and if—if you still want to leave me after that, I—I’ll help you to go,’ he promised gruffly, knowing it would kill him to do that, but also knowing he had no choice. He could no longer keep this beautiful woman against her will.

Gabriella looked at him warily, not understanding this at all. Could Rufus, of all people, have just told her that he loved her? Without knowing the truth about her mother? Without knowing the truth about her? What had Toby told him to bring about this transformation, for goodness’ sake?

She didn’t know what to do. It hadn’t been easy the last twenty-four hours, coming to the decision she had, but at the time it had seemed the only one she could make. Now, a tiny candle of hope starting to burn inside her, she wasn’t so sure…

Rufus saw her indecision and pounced on it. ‘Come with me so we can talk, so I can explain? Gabriella, please!’ he pressed urgently as she still made no reply.

She gave a slight shake of her head. ‘I have the restaurant—’

‘Lunches are over; I already asked one of the waitresses outside. Surely they can cope without you now for a while?’ he pushed anxiously.

He had never felt so helpless in his life as he felt now just trying to get Gabriella to at least agree to listen to what he had to say.

Whether it would mean anything to her was another matter…

But he had to try anyway!

‘Okay,’ she sighed impatiently. ‘But—’

‘No buts, Gabriella,’ he insisted determinedly. ‘Er—do you have any other clothes?’ He hesitated as he seemed to notice she was still wearing the white cotton top and blue and white checked trousers she had worn to work in.

Gabriella couldn’t help smiling at the slightly bemused expression on his face. ‘Yes, I have other clothes,’ she assured him. ‘I hardly travel up on the train in these! I’ll meet you in your office in ten minutes or so, if that’s all right?’

‘Ten minutes, ten hours, Gabriella, I would still be waiting,’ he assured her firmly.

She gave him another searching glance. He had been different when he came back from New York two weeks ago, and he was even more so now. And he had said he loved her!