Page 37 of The VIP Doubles Down
And Gavin could tempt her into crossing all kinds of lines.
Gavin watched Allie skitter out of his office and hated himself.
It was all that energy vibrating between them. She was so excited about his books that she had transmitted it to him. Allie remembered details about his stories that he had forgotten. She made Julian come alive again. He had begun to feel a stirring of interest in where to take his character next.
Her gray eyes had snapped with intelligence, and her West Virginia twang faded away when she got engrossed in the conversation. Except when she mentioned her mother. Then her voice slowed to a deep, warm drawl.
Her creamy skin had taken on a rose flush as she debated with him, and her flaming ponytail flowed over her shoulder like a river of fire. Now that he knew what that silky hair felt like, he wanted to sink his fingers into it again.
When she had sparkled at him and told him what fun she’d had, something inside him had given way. He’d needed to touch her, to feel that sweet exhilaration under his hands, on his lips, against his body.
Thank God he’d stopped. His Allie was a woman of principle, so he knew damn well that if he kissed her, she would refuse to be his therapist any longer.
And he couldn’t afford to lose her.
Chapter 11
Allie’s cell phone pinged with a text saying Gavin had arrived in front of her building. She checked herself in the mirror even though she’d already changed her clothes half a dozen times.
Her final decision had come down to a conservative outfit of black trousers topped by a forest green silk blouse with long sleeves and a deep V neckline. She’d accessorized with high-heeled black pumps and a string of pearls that had belonged to her mother, hoping the real gems would offset her sale-rack clothes. Her hair was pulled up into a loose bun, leaving a few tendrils waving beside her face.
She’d decided to forgo a hostess gift since she figured billionaires didn’t need anything she could afford. A handwritten thank-you note afterward would have to suffice.
Shoving her phone into the black patent-leather clutch, she ruined the outfit as usual by shrugging into her puffy blue winter coat. She gave the cat a stroke to calm herself.
As she walked out the battered front door, she saw Gavin leaning against the fender of a low, sleek car with black paint that glinted in the city lights. He was dressed exactly as he’d said he would be—all dark and perfectly tailored—which made him look as powerful and dangerous as the car.
Desire poured through her. She wanted to press herself against that gorgeous, hard body she’d become so familiar with and wind her fingers into his thick, dark hair. She wanted those perfectly curved lips on hers while his hands explored her skin. Gavin had stopped whatever was about to start between them, so he probably wouldn’t initiate it again. But if he did, she had to stay in command of her rioting senses and call a halt herself.
“Good evening, Allie,” he said, straightening before he swung open the passenger door. “I’d say you look lovely, but it’s hard to tell under the quilt you’re wearing.”
She knew the coat wasn’t exactly high fashion, but all her insecurities surged back. Then she laughed with a certain relief. Gavin’s snarkiness had undercut her sudden flare of arousal. “The weather is too cold for elegance.”
“My car is already warmed up, so you might want to remove your Arctic-level outerwear.”
“Okay.” She unzipped her puffy jacket and started to shrug out of it. Gavin’s fingers brushed the nape of her neck as he did the gentlemanly thing and took her wrap. She closed her eyes while desire shimmered through her all over again.
He tossed her coat into the backseat and offered his hand to help her into the front. It would be rude to ignore his gesture, so she put her hand in his, feeling another shudder of longing when his warm, strong fingers closed over hers. Thank God he was driving so he would have his hands occupied.
As he slid into the driver’s seat, she said, “You didn’t want a chauffeur tonight?”
“Nathan has parking at his building, and I like to take the Maserati out for a spin myself.” The city lights caught the flash of his smile. “Julian Best doesn’t care about cars, but I do. This beauty is my favorite. She does zero to sixty in under five seconds.”
She couldn’t take her eyes off his hands as they stroked the gleaming wood of the steering wheel. “Do you know how to fly a plane, like Julian?”
“Yes, but I’m more of a sailor.”
“So you have a yacht?”
He gave her a sideways glance. “A sailboat.”
“The only boat I know my way around is a canoe,” she said.
“Isn’t West Virginia famous for white-water rafting?”
“I’ve done that a few times, but always with a guide.” She’d loved it, even when she got dumped out of the raft in the middle of the frothing rapids.
“Intrepid Allie. You’ll have to come sailing with me sometime.”
