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Laura covered her mouth as pain struck through her entire body.
“The man had to be stopped, but no one seemed to want to step in his way.”
“This is my fault.”
“No!” He slashed his hand across in front of him. “This isn’t your fault.”
“But if I’d said something. If I’d done something.”
“You were a young girl, Laura. You’d just seen a friend killed by a man. You were all alone. There was no one to keep you safe.”
The tears fell thick and fast, and she hated them.
“But I could have stopped him.”
“How?”
She opened her mouth, closed it. “There was any number of things I could have done.”
Gabe advanced toward her. “There was nothing you could have done or said. You were alone. He shouldn’t have hurt you. All you did was make the best of an awful situation.”
“I turned myself into a whore,” she said, putting a hand to her stomach.
He’d closed the last of the distance between them. “No, you weren’t.”
“I had sex for money.”
“You slept with one man who didn’t deserve your willingness. You’re not a whore, nor will you ever be.” He cupped her face, but the tears kept falling, thick and fast.
“How can you even bear to look at me?” she asked. “Let alone touch me. He was a monster.”
Gabe slammed his lips down on hers, sliding his tongue between her mouth, running his hands down to cup her ass. “I can kiss you because I think you’re so fucking brave. I’ve never known a woman like you. You’ve been on your own for so long, and it grieves me to know you’ve been fighting this. You’re not alone anymore. I’m here. You’ve got me. You can lean on me.” He pushed some of her hair off her face. “I told you I wasn’t a good man. That bastard was going to keep on hurting.”
“What about his family?”
“They’re already being taken care of. The wife had begun divorce proceedings.”
Laura licked her lips. “Did she know?”
“I don’t believe she did.” He stroked her cheek.
“I shouldn’t have looked in your desk.”
“I’m glad you did.” He tilted her head back. “But don’t ever believe what that monster did was your fault. You’re not to blame. He is.”
“What about that other girl? The one who ran away.”
“She’s happy. I can get you more information if you want.”
Laura shook her head. “No. Sometimes it’s best to leave the pain of the past right there. I never loved him, Gabe.”
“I know. You don’t believe in love.”
She looked at him now and opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. When his lips brushed across hers, she closed her eyes, enjoying his touch.
“I need to make dinner,” she said, moaning.
“Dinner can wait. I cannot.” He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Gabe didn’t stop there, but walked her all the way back into the bathroom. “You’ve been sick, and I’m not going to fuck you until you’re feeling much better.”
****
Several weeks later, Gabe walked into one of the many nightclubs he owned with Laura on his arm. He’d picked out a brand-new red dress that was startling on her. The dress plunged between her breasts, dipped in the back, and sat just above her knee.
He put his hand on her ass, loving the way men watched her and knowing none of them stood a chance. He kept his hold on her even as they got to the VIP section.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this,” Laura said.
“What? Going out to nightclubs?”
“The special attention you receive. All of this around us.”
A couple of men held their glasses of whiskey up to him. Their eyes turned to devour Laura. Her natural sexuality was like a drug to men. He knew he was highly addicted to her.
So addicted that he had an engagement ring in his jacket pocket. He’d been holding on to it for a couple of weeks.
There hadn’t been a right time to ask her to marry him. In recent weeks, he had noticed her beginning to relax more within his company. She didn’t appear to be a flight risk, which alone was an achievement.
The waitress came to take their order, and Laura asked for some bottled water. Rarely did she drink. He asked for a whiskey and they were left alone.
Laura kept glancing over at the dance floor.
“Do you want to dance?” he asked.
“Can you dance?”
He stood up, held out his hand, and walked down to the main dance floor. Couples moved out of his way as he pulled Laura against him. The song was upbeat, but he had no interest in rushing this dance.
With his hand on her ass, he pulled her in close. She had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck. Running his hands up and down her body, touching her naked flesh, he saw the flash of arousal in her eyes.
