Page 85 of Back in Black

Drew couldn’t help but snuggle her in close. “Don’t be so dramatic. Everything is fine, I swear.”

She groaned. “You’re an idiot.” There was no real venom in her insult, just numb disbelief.

“Yeah, I know,” he murmured, being as conciliatory as he thought she needed him to be. “But, sweetheart, I am not a man without resources. Do you think the SBC is the only gig in town?”

She pressed back to stare at him. “I heard what you told Fran, but that was just a bluff, right?”

“Of course not. I wouldn’t bluff about something that important.”

“But . . .” She slapped away his wandering hands as he tried to cuddle her backside. “You’ve told me over and over again that the SBCisthe only gig in town, that it istheMMA organization, that no other organization can come close to comparing—”

“Yeah, because I was in charge.” Without her realizing it, he started easing her toward his bedroom. He hadn’t lied about being horny. Seeing her so vulnerable brought out his inner King Kong. And beyond that, she needed to relax a little so she could get things in perspective.

And once she did, she’d realize that she wasn’t done with him, either.

Whatever it took, he would make this right for her—after he gave them both some sexual oblivion. “Trust me, honey, I can build greatness again. I’m not worried about that.”

He’d just gotten her to the bed when she recharged, coming around with a vengeance. With her thoughts visibly scrambling, she said, “You’re really not worried?”

“Nope.” He cuddled a heavy breast. “And you shouldn’t be, either. Just think how much nicer it’ll be working for yourself instead of others.”

“Working for myself.” She sort of tasted that before she began grumbling again. “My God, Drew, you’re making this out to be an opportunity!”

“That’s exactly what it is.” He went to work on her shirt. “Fran knows it, too; that’s why she was so furious. And just to rub it in”—or possibly get himself repositioned in the company—“we’ll drop in to see her and Loren this afternoon. You can come up with a plan of attack before then, right?”

The shirt coming over her head muffled her reply. Distracted in a mighty way, she pushed away his hands as he reached for her breasts. Drew redirected his efforts and finished stripping her.

She paid little enough attention as her brain worked on strategies. “I suppose I could get a viable plan together. But I’ll need the names of the other fight organizations so I can do some quick research on them.”

“Not necessary.” Drew stripped off his own clothes. “I know everything there is to know about them already, including their lack of profits, what’s causing the losses, the faults in their future plans, and what each would need to do to become a contender in the market.”

Gillian gaped at him. “You’re—”

“Outrageous?”

Eyes wide, she shook her head. “I was going to sayamazing.”

“You’re only just now realizing that?” Grinning, he tumbled her onto the bed. “Luckily, Fran and Loren already know it, as do the fans. Trust me, no one in the SBC wants me working against them.”

She put a hand to his jaw. “Most men would be flattened by all of this, you realize.”

“All of what?” Right now, he was flattened by how badly he wanted her. Every damn time, he wanted her like he’d been celibate for years.

“Bomb threats and lunatic bloggers, snooping photographers and sudden termination. But nothing fazes you, does it?”

He was fazed all right. But he was a man who liked to work through problems, not wallow in them. “You must not know me very well if you think I’d go to pieces over this stupid stuff.”

Suddenly her eyes flared wide and she straight-armed him, pushing him back enough that she could see his face. “That’s it!”

“What?” He caught her wrists and moved her arms up over her head so he could regain the physical closeness. He liked the feel of her breasts against his chest, her soft belly against his abdomen . . .

Struggling, Gillian said, “No one knows you, Drew. Don’t you see? It doesn’t matter what you say or how you say it. It never has. It’s about what you do.”

“Well . . . yeah.” He wished she’d stop talking and fighting against him. He wanted to be inside her. Bad. “Words are just words. I’ve always said that.”

She managed to get her hands free and tried to scramble out from under him. “I need you to tell me everything good about you.”

He caught her by the hips as she was half turned and plopped her onto her back again. “I’m a stallion in the sack.”

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