What's Your Price? Read online

  He slammed his lips on hers, but any arousal she had died.

  Gabe cursed. “Tell me what he did to you.”

  “You’ve got the ways of finding out. Figure it out yourself.”

  “You’re not alone.”

  She laughed. “Don’t lie. I’ve always been alone.”

  He pressed his cock against her. She was surprised he wasn’t hard. Gabe stroked her hair back from her cheek. “I will prove to you that you’re never going to be alone again.” He stepped back. “If you don’t want to talk about it. We won’t. Take me back to your place.”

  “No, I want to go home. Alone.”

  “Not happening.”

  She glanced left then right. “My home isn’t some fancy nightclub or expensive penthouse suite.”

  “How did you know I lived in a penthouse?” he asked.

  “It was a guess.”

  He chuckled. “You guessed right.”

  “A guy like you, commanding this city. Throwing out threats of death and pain, you’re not going to be in a cheap motel room or apartment block. Like a king, you’ll rule over your subjects.”

  “And I rule over you. I know what makes your body tick. Take me back to your place. Let me see, or are you too afraid I might break beneath that icy shell you keep in place?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m not afraid of you.”

  “No, I don’t suppose you are. You’re not afraid of anything.”

  Seeing no point in arguing, she took his arm and walked him back to her apartment. It wasn’t the greatest area of the city, nor was it the worst. She’d seen the pimps on the street corners with the girls working for them. Drug deals going down. Parents throwing their kids out while they deal with abusive partners.

  She’d seen a lot.

  She turned the lock on the apartment block and stepped inside. The elevator still hadn’t been fixed, so they walked the three flights of stairs to her floor. The third apartment on the right. Six locks were fixed to the front door. She refused to be embarrassed. The locks never made her feel safe.

  Entering her home, she flicked on the lights, and as Gabe entered, she locked the door behind him. A force of habit.

  The apartment had a slight chill, and she moved to the thermostat, turning it up a couple of degrees. With that done, she removed her jacket and offered to take his.

  “Coffee?” she asked.

  “Sure.”

  He moved toward her small seating area. She had no pictures or a television. Just a few books on a shelf. The furniture she had was used, and she’d covered it with some fabrics she’d bought on sale. The day she started to rent this place, she’d spent the entire weekend scrubbing it from top to bottom. Once it was clean, she did a quick paint job and then took the time to make it feel like home.

  In her world, coming from nothing, this was heaven to her. This was what she’d built up by herself. No one could take that away from her, even if they tried. She entered her kitchen, took two cups, and began to make them both a cup of coffee. All the while, she was nervous because Gabe Moore, the city’s monster, was in her apartment. They’d fucked a couple of times, but this was more. This was intimate.

  “Why are you shaking?” Gabe asked, startling her.

  She dropped the spoon and spun around to face him. “I … you make me nervous.”

  “I make you nervous?” He took a step into her kitchen. “Do you think you don’t make me nervous?”

  “You’re powerful.”

  “And you have the power to break me, Laura.”

  “It’s just sex.”

  “I’m a forty-year-old man. I’m old enough to be your dad.”

  She frowned. “If you had me at fifteen.”

  “There are younger parents out there.”

  “Gabe, you’re not my dad. I don’t even know who my dad is.”

  “I know most of your story.”

  She folded her arms, not wanting to hear it.

  “I know everything about you that’s put on a piece of paper, and the rest I’m beginning to understand. You were forgotten. People have used you. Tossed you aside, and because of that, you’ve spent most of your life fighting.”

  “Gabe, you don’t know the first thing about me.”

  “I know, but here’s the thing, Laura.”

  He paused and she stared into his eyes. She’d never seen a color so blue. He enchanted her.

  “What?” she asked, curious.

  “I want to get to know you. I want to know what makes you tick, what frightens you. What you hope to be.”

  “That’s a lot.”

  “Yep, I guess the biggest question of all is if you’re woman enough to handle me,” he said.

  She opened her mouth, closed it.

  The kettle began to whistle.

  “I better make this.”

  He chuckled. “You can try to run away from me, but I’ll find you. I’ll find you no matter where you go.” He pressed a kiss to her nose and stepped back, giving her space.

  It was odd because for the first time in her life, she wasn’t ready for him to leave yet.

  She poured out the water, picking up the spoon and stirring each cup.

  Men were all the same. She’d been taught well. Gabe wanted something, and while he was desperate to own her, he was attentive. What would happen when he got bored?

  She shoved those thoughts to the back of her mind and handed him his cup.

  “To new beginnings,” she said.

  He raised his brow but followed her celebration.

  She sipped at her hot coffee, wondering what the hell she had just gotten herself into. Gabe wasn’t a good man and she had a feeling she’d just let the devil into her cage.

  ****

  “No.”

  “No?” Gabe asked, folding his arms. He watched as Laura pressed her forearms against the window overlooking the dance floor. This was her first night off in a week, and she’d arrived at his nightclub. Felipe had spotted her hanging out in the line and brought her straight to him.

  She glanced over at him. “I can’t leave work. I don’t have vacation time, and there’s no way I’m leaving the city.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You’re still untrusting.”

  “Gabe, seriously, I can see people distributing down there. I know you’ve got your hands in a whole lot of businesses. I don’t even want to know what. I’m not leaving the country with you.”

  He moved toward the window, and sure enough, men and women were handing out pills.

  Pulling his cell phone out, he called his men to handle it. He prided himself on running a respectable business. The nightclub was a good place to handle product, but he didn’t like it in his own domain. It pissed him off.

  Felipe was on the scene within seconds, removing the main perps who clearly thought they were above his rules.

  “Wow, that was pretty quick.”

  “You think I don’t know I’ve got the cops breathing down my neck?” He banded his arm around her waist and kissed her neck. “If I can’t take you away for a weekend, what do you want to do?”

  She spun around, her hand on his chest as if she was trying to ward him off. She tilted her head to the side. “How about I take you out?”

  “You want to take me out?”

  “Why not? Don’t you want to hang out with me?” She closed the distance between them, her body flush against him. “You like the diner. You enjoy spending time with me. Why can’t we hang out?”

  “I don’t hang out.”

  “The big, fierce city monster can’t come out and play?”

  He chuckled. “You’re the only person I let talk to me like that.”

  “You’ve been spending way too much time around people who are afraid of you.” She opened the buttons of his jacket. “You know what I realized today?”

  “What?”

  “You’ve never fucked me in a bed.” She kissed his neck and moved toward his desk. She wore a tiny black dress. It wasn’t brand-new, but it s
haped her curves, ending at her knees. She sat down on the edge, lifting her feet as she kicked off her shoes. She leaned back, spreading her thighs as they rested on his chair.

  “Beds are overrated.”

  “True, but they can also be a lot of fun.” She lifted her skirt and he groaned, noticing for the first time she wasn’t wearing any panties. “No one around. Just the two of us. We could get completely naked.”

  “I could have you naked now,” he said, stepping between her thighs. He touched her knees.

  At the same time, she pressed a hand between her thighs, touching herself. “True. You can have me right now, but then I’ll have to get dressed. In a bed, all night long, there would be no reason to have any distractions.”

  She pressed a finger inside herself. Only one, and she went knuckle deep. He took a seat, wrapping his fingers around her ankles.

  “If you’re going to fuck yourself, do it properly.”

  “Why don’t you do it for me?” she asked.

  He licked his fingers and pushed two deep inside her tight cunt, matching the one she already had inside her. She made to pull out, but he told her not to.

  In and out he worked her clit, driving in and out. Drawing his fingers up, he stroked over her clit.

  “How about I make you a deal?” he asked.

  “What kind of deal?”

  “A simple one, really. You give me a weekend in my bed, at my mercy, and in return, I’ll give you an entire week with myself at your disposal. One condition.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You ask to have me, and I don’t throw in any conditions, but you’re already begging for one.”

  “You don’t work. You take the week. We won’t leave the city. I’ll be yours to do with as you please.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Really? You don’t even know me, and you’ll do that?”

  “Yes.”

  She licked her lips, tilting her head and assessing him. He loved it when he had her full attention.

  “I’ll have to talk to my bosses.”

  “I’m the boss,” he said.

  “Of one place, but not at the diner,” she said. The smile on her lips was becoming addictive to him.

  “You really like that?”

  “What’s not to like? It shows you don’t get to have everything you want.”

  He pressed in two fingers, twisting them so he stroked right over her G-spot. “You’re mine, Laura. You’re too busy fighting the inevitable.”

  She began to thrust onto his hand, and he worked her pussy, getting her closer to orgasm as he pressed his palm to her clit, rubbing her.

  Gabe released her, sitting back. He licked his fingers, watching her. “Are you going to give me an answer?”

  “You’re a bastard.”

  “I know how to negotiate business.” He licked his last finger and groaned. “You taste so good.”

  “Deal,” she said. “I’ll talk to Charlotte at the diner. I’ve never taken even a sick day.”

  “Good.”

  “Are you going to fuck me now, or are we going to talk about it some more?”

  He stood up and pushed the contents of his desk out of the way. He could buy a brand-new computer when he needed to. With nothing in his way, he tugged at her dress, pulling it off her body and throwing it to the floor. He gripped the back of her neck and brought her close.

  “One day, you’re going to realize you’re all mine, and when you do, there’s going to be no fighting, no negotiating.” He took her lips, sliding his tongue across her lips, and she moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  Letting go of her neck, he flicked the catch of her bra. As he cupped her large tits, he broke the kiss, trailing his tongue down her body to suck one of her nipples into his mouth. He stroked back and forth, and she cried out, gasping for more.

  He wanted her to crave him. He knew without a doubt, he craved her.

  Every single morning, she was who he thought about, who he needed. No woman had ever made him feel this way, and he didn’t give a fuck about their fifteen-year-age gap.

  Laura had been let down by everyone she’d ever known. He wasn’t going to do the same. He’d show her what it meant to belong to him.

  With his fingers between her thighs, he stroked her pussy, bringing her closer to orgasm. He wanted to be inside her.

  As if she read his mind, Laura attacked his pants, sliding down the zipper and reaching in to take out his cock. Wrapping her fingers around the length, she started to work up and down, getting him even harder.

  “Condom,” she said as he pressed the tip against her core.

  He gritted his teeth. “You’re going to need to get on the pill.”

  “Never.”

  He reached into his drawer, pulling out a condom. He tore into the wrapper and slid it over his cock.

  In the next second, he slid inside her.

  Her tight heat surrounded him, and he groaned. They both gasped.

  “Fuck. You’re so tight.”

  She gripped his shoulders. “Please, don’t stop.”

  He pulled out of her and began to pound into her. His desk didn’t move as he had the foresight to screw it down. “Who do you belong to?” he asked.

  “Me!”

  He groaned. Pressing her to the desk, he wrapped his fingers around her neck, holding her in place as he started to fuck her.

  “One day soon, you’re going to realize that it’s me. It’s all me.” He slammed in deep. “Touch your pussy right now.”

  She reached between her thighs and stroked her clit. He felt an answering pulse as she started to come. All it had taken were a few strokes of her pussy and she came apart.

  He wanted to feel her naked, skin-to-skin.

  He’d planned to take her without a condom between them. In and out, he fucked her, going harder and deeper, taking what he wanted.

  “Mine, Laura. You’re all fucking mine.”

  He thrust into her a final time and spilled his cum into the condom.

  They were both panting. He let go of her neck but stayed within her. He cupped her face, running his thumb across her bottom lip. “You will trust me, Laura.”

  She pressed her face against his palm.

  “You’ll let me know all of your secrets. You’ll depend on me.”

  She closed her eyes, and he was sure he caught sight of tears glistening in her eyes. The moment was lost when there was a knock at the door.

  Chapter Five

  “This is your penthouse apartment?” Laura asked.

  She glanced around the living room. It was twice the size of her entire apartment and the luxury was off the charts.

  “Don’t you like it?”

  “Like it? It’s amazing.” She glanced over her shoulder to find Gabe watching her. The hunger in his gaze hadn’t diminished, not once.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. I just like seeing you here. This place suits you.”

  “You’re just saying that to be nice to me.” She tucked some hair behind her ear and smiled at him.

  “Let me take your jacket,” he said.

  She slid the jacket off. She’d opted for jeans that had seen better days and one of her favorite, comfortable shirts. Still, he looked like he wanted to eat her, and she didn’t have a problem with that.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “I can eat.”

  “I don’t cook.”

  She folded her arms. “Really?”

  “I’ve got more important things to do with my time than cooking.”

  She shook her head. “So you eat at restaurants and get takeout and you look like that?” She pointed at his body.

  “You got a problem with the way I look?” he asked.

  He removed his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.

  “Nope, no problem.” The man’s arms were covered in ink. She’d been with him several times, but she’d been far too distracted to look at them. “Do you have food?”

  He nodded toward the
kitchen. “I do sometimes have a cook who comes in, but I don’t rely on her.”

  She opened the fridge and discovered it was fully stocked. “Wow. You really need to cook. It’s a lot better for you.”

  “This coming from a woman who works in a diner?”

  “I know good food when I see it, and Charlotte is one hell of a cook. She has taught me everything I know.” She pulled out some peppers and tomatoes. She noticed some garlic hanging out by itself, and even some basil pesto. “How about I cook you something? Will you trust me?”

  “You haven’t tried to kill me yet.”

  “That you know of.” She smiled. “Do you mind?” She pointed at the cupboards, and he held his hand out for her to do as she pleased.

  With his gaze on her, she set about making them both some dinner. This wasn’t how she imagined spending her Friday night alone with Gabe with no interruptions, but so far, so good. She’d never stayed over with a guy, nor cared to.

  This with Gabe was intimate. The most intimacy she’d ever shared.

  Tucking her hair behind her ear, she began to pre-heat the pan. She started with the peppers first. “Have you ever watched a woman in the kitchen?”

  “No.”

  “Not even your mom?” she asked. “Or your dad? The kitchen isn’t just a woman’s place.”

  “No, but everyone assumes it is. I didn’t know my parents.”

  This made her pause. “You didn’t?”

  “Nope. Like you, I grew up in the system. Unlike you, I ran like hell and never went back.”

  She looked at him. He was so strong. “I can’t imagine you being a foster kid.”

  “I wasn’t one for long. It’s why I understand you.”

  Laura hesitated as she looked down at the pepper on the chopping board. Nerves hit her.

  “It’s not the easiest place to grow up,” he said.

  “For some people. Others get lucky.”

  “You weren’t lucky, though.”

  “I wasn’t the worst one either,” she said.

  “Is that why you give me attitude?” he asked.

  She smiled. “It’s just who I am.” She went back to chopping vegetables.

  “No, it’s not.”

  She glanced up but quickly went back to focusing on the food. It was more important to concentrate on inanimate objects than the tough man in front of her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”