A Vow of Seduction Read online

  The meeting ended on a high. When he was done, Julian leaned forward. “I’m extremely interested in what you’ve got here. I think we may have something.” Everything was so close. So within his grasp. He could do this. He was going to get this movie made.

  As they walked through the back hall toward the lot, he picked Elina up and swung her around. She giggled but smacked his arm. “Put me down. You need to compose yourself.”

  He couldn’t help it. He was too excited. All the years of hard work and the last couple of weeks of torture working so closely with Elina, and it was finally paying off. Added bonus, he was finally alone with her.

  “You, young lady, have been a bit chilly this morning.”

  She flushed and ducked her head. “I promise I haven’t been.” She sighed. “Or I don’t mean to be. I—I’ve never done this before. And everything’s about to get really busy.”

  He frowned. Yeah, busy. She was running.

  “Okay. Say I buy that. I’m going to go ahead and demand my congratulatory kiss now. Then I’m going to ask you to talk to me. No more running. That was the deal.”

  Her gaze darted around. “Gabe, we are still on the studio lot. I promise you plenty of kisses when we get to my place later.” She leaned away from him. “Or come to think of it, maybe we could go to your place. I can see where you live. Unless you have a wife and kid. And then that’s extremely awkward.”

  She was deflecting. “Nope. The only woman I can handle is you.” He had a better idea. He took her hand and tugged her down the hall. “Come on, I saw someone go down here.”

  She followed reluctantly. “Gabe, I don’t think were supposed to be wandering around.”

  “Come on. Where’s your sense of adventure? I know this isn’t a yacht but I’m sure we can find—”

  He stopped abruptly and then tugged her into a tiny office space, then locked the door. There wasn’t much room, but it would have to do. “Alone at last.” He pulled Elina close and held her there, letting the tension build. As always, she melted into him. “Now, I’ll kiss you...as soon as I know what’s wrong.”

  “Gabe, I—”

  He pinned her with a direct glare. “Tell me.”

  She frowned, then blurted, “I’m scared.”

  Outside the door they heard rustling of keys, and she froze. When the key slipped into the lock, Gabe dragged her into the closet and closed them in.

  “Are you serious right now?” she whispered. “We’re going to get caught.”

  She was right. He was being careless. As if he hadn’t just busted his ass to get money for his movie. “Just be quiet and stay still. In a minute we can leave.”

  She had him so wrapped up, he was willing to risk everything. This wasn’t him. He wasn’t normally so reckless. But then he didn’t normally have a woman making him crazy.

  Outside the door, someone was moving something around. In front of him, Elina squirmed. He felt every movement, every shift. And true to form, his dick was more than happy to let that continue. Idiot. “Elina. Stop moving.”

  “Sorry. Not like there’s a lot of room in here,” she whispered.

  After several minutes of torture, she looked up at him, dark eyes bright and worried. Her voice was so soft, he could barely hear her. “I pulled back because I’m terrified of getting hurt. I’m frightened that I’ll put myself out there, then I won’t be able to commit, that I’ll be just like her and ditch at the first sign of trouble. Or worse that I’ll start to fall for you and you’ll get bored. And—”

  She was worried she’d hurt him. And she was worried he’d hurt her. He dipped his head and kissed her gently. He pulled back and her eyes were dazed and half-lidded. “Stop. No one is getting hurt, okay? We’ll take this one step at a time, real easy. Casual,” he whispered. He knew better than to tell her that he was already in love with her. And he knew she had feelings for him, too. Nope, he’d let her come to that conclusion on her own.

  “I’m sorry,” she mouthed.

  He nodded acceptance of her apology, and glided his lips over hers again. It didn’t take much with this girl. Her scent wrapped around him and he could hardly think. Barely string his thoughts together. She kissed him back, her tongue sliding over his, stroking, licking into his mouth.

  The chant of need ricocheted in his skull. Yes...faster...more...now... Gabe gritted his teeth against the overwhelming need to take her. To brand her as his, so she would stop running, so she would understand how he felt.

  He skimmed his hands up her torso, and her breath hitched as his thumbs caressed the underside of her breasts. Yes, that’s it. Her body trusted him. Her body trusted itself. She just needed to let go and fall. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he registered that the person in the other room had left, and there was no more sound coming from outside, but he didn’t want to break the spell. Locked in here away from everything else, she could talk to him, tell him what she was afraid of. He wasn’t willing to let her go yet.

  Elina moaned, arching her back into the caress. With her head tossed back, her eyes closed and her lips parted, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

  “Gabe,” she whispered.

  “Mmm?”

  His brain was on vacation. No more thinking for him. What he wanted now was to touch her. To make her melt into a puddle in his arms. But he didn’t want her retreating again. Not before he reminded her how good they could be together.

  While he stroked one nipple into stiff alertness, he pulled up the fabric of her dress. Her hands gripped the lapels of his suit and she widened her stance. Yes. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her. She just needed some time to come around to see how great they could be together.

  “Gabe, I just—I need...” Her voice trailed off as she writhed in his arms.

  “I know what you need.” She wasn’t ready to hear about how he felt, but he could show her.

  Her dress tugged up around her hips, Gabe slid his fingers under the hem of her panties.

  Tearing his lips from hers, he kissed along her jaw and her throat. He knew her body so well now. Knew how to take her to the edge. Her breathing came in shallow bursts and he used his teeth, running them along her skin. “That’s it, let go, sweetheart.”

  His fingers glided along the smooth skin of her wet folds and his legs shook. She was so wet. So ready for him. Sliding his fingers over her sensitive flesh, he relished her every cry and moan. Gently, he plucked at her stiff nipple, wishing he had room to take it into his mouth. He knew how sensitive her nipples were. How much she loved when he sucked on them, grazed them with his teeth.

  With every slide of his fingers over her sex, he became less and less coherent. Her pleasure the sole focus of the only functioning brain cells he had.

  His erection strained against his pants and he gritted his teeth against the pulsing, aching need. “Come for me, Elina. I want to feel you. I need to feel you.” She rolled her hips onto his fingers and begged him with her body and her halted, muttered speech. And he delved a finger into her tight, sweet sex.

  Gabe pulled back to watch her face. He loved nothing more to watch her as she flew apart. Elina’s eyes went wide. And with a satisfied grin, Gabe ran his thumb over the tight bundle of nerves.

  Just like that, his angel broke apart in his arms.

  Her body limp against his, he released her breast and tucked her close. She might not know it yet, but he would fight to keep them together. She was his.

  Chapter 13

  “Elina, can you come in here for a minute?”

  Elina swallowed hard as she pushed away from her desk. Oh shit. They knew. Delilah knew. Her body still hummed from her little studio adventure with Gabe. Willow must have sensed it. Why else would her boss call her in? Oh, I don’t know...to fire you from your job. Elina should have known once...or twice...or three
times with Gabe wouldn’t be enough. And she was putting her job on the line. A job she loved. A job she worked hard for. You. Are. An. Idiot.

  It wasn’t like she could stop, though. But you have to. Before anyone gets attached and hurt. She promised him she wouldn’t run. But there was no way they could sustain. She was going to end it...tonight. Okay, maybe tomorrow. One more for the road? Because it just felt good. She could still feel his hands all over her, making her tingle. Get it together, Elina. She grabbed her notebook and strode into Delilah’s office with her chin up. “What’s up, boss lady?”

  Delilah’s brows rose. “You’re in a good mood. What’s up with you?”

  Shit. Way to overcompensate. “Huh? I’m good. Fine. Everything’s perfectly okay. Nothing is up.” Now would be a hell of a time to shut up.

  Delilah narrowed her eyes and gave her a skeptical look. “If you say so. Am I working you too hard? You seem...on edge. You’re sure nothing’s going on?”

  Elina shook her head. “Nope, everything is great. What can I do for you?”

  “Well, I just wanted to say how impressed I am with the way you’re handling Gabe.”

  Yeah, she was handling him all right. The memory of them in the closet at the studio made her flush and shift in her seat. “I’m—uh—grateful for the opportunity.”

  “Well, keep up the good work. Since the two of you are working so well together, I think I’m going to have you accompany him to Montreal next week.”

  Montreal? That would be amazing; so far, she’d only ever traveled locally for work. “Oh my gosh, that would be awesome.” And then it struck her. She’d be alone...with Gabe. Complete unfettered access. There was no way they’d be able to keep their hands off each other. She bit back a groan. She couldn’t go. Not if she wanted to stop the madness. “I’m super stoked to go, but isn’t a trip like this meant for someone more senior?” It broke her heart to ask that question. But if she went to Montreal with Gabe, there would be nakedness. Lots of nakedness. She was weak. Like your mother.

  “Yes, usually. But to be honest with you, the organizers will have someone on the ground. So all you have to do is make sure Gabe gets where he’s supposed to be on time. It’s a basic babysitting gig and not even that intensive. Think of it as a paid mini vacation. Do some sightseeing. The city is beautiful.”

  There went that plan.

  “Oh. Uh. If you’re sure. I know Willow probably hasn’t had a vacation in a while.”

  Delilah frowned. “Is there some reason you don’t want to go? Has Gabe made you uncomfortable in any way?”

  “No. Of course not. He’s fine. A total professional.” When they were working...when they were not working, however, he did this thing with his tongue. “I guess I’m afraid of screwing up. I know how important this is. But, new city, bright lights. Can’t wait.”

  A slow smile crept over Delilah’s pretty face. “Oh, how could I be so silly? You have a new boyfriend.”

  Elina practically choked on her own tongue as she sputtered. “No. No boyfriend. I swear. Not in a guy phase.” Now, if only she could tell her body that. Because as far as her libido was concerned, when it came to Gabe Alexander, she was absolutely in a guy phase. More like a Gabe phase.

  Delilah held up her hands. “Okay, you don’t have to tell me. I know I’m just your boss. But I’m excited that you’ll be doing something outside of the office. All you do is work, and it’s not good for you.”

  Elina swallowed hard. She was a horrible liar, and she hated to lie to Delilah. “I promise, I don’t have a boyfriend. But as soon as I do, I will tell you and you can stop worrying about me.” There. Not technically a lie. Gabe was not her boyfriend. And they would stop...soon. Like after Montreal for sure.

  “Okay. If you say so. Now go pack for Montreal. Summer is beautiful in the city.”

  “Sure thing.” Great. It would be beautiful weather and she’d need to wear chain mail to keep herself from falling into Gabe’s arms.

  * * *

  The way Gabe figured it, if he could just work out long enough and hard enough, he wouldn’t obsess over Elina. Easier said than done. Because according to Delilah, they’d be traveling together next week. And that was a recipe for disaster. Too much too soon would spook her.

  His phone rang in the living room, and he put down the weight to go and get it. As he jogged, the cool hardwood felt good against his feet. “Hello, this is Gabe.”

  “Gabe, this is Julian. I just wanted to say what a pleasure it was to meet you the other day. Your concept sounds amazing and we’d love to back this kind of picture for distribution.”

  Was this really happening? “Wow. Thank you.”

  “I understand you will be at the Montreal film festival.”

  “Yeah, that’s right. I leave next week.”

  “Great. That’s good. We’ll be there, too. And we can follow up on some of the logistics. We’ll need to lock up your talent and talk directors.”

  Everything was happening so fast he couldn’t even believe it right now. “I’m definitely ready for another sit-down. So we’ll plan to meet in Montreal, then?”

  “Absolutely. And while we’re there, there are a few people you should meet. I’ll talk to your PR group to work that out.”

  “I look forward to sitting down with you again.” When he hung up, he stared at his phone. Just like that, he had a backer for his movie. A mixture of joy and cold, stark fear flowed through his veins. Now that he had backing, he’d actually have to pull this off. He was up for the challenge. But it also terrified him.

  His first instinct was to call Elina, but he hesitated. Would she be happy to hear from him? The waters were still muddy and he knew she was running scared. You probably should’ve figured that out before you had your mouth all over her. Screw it, he was calling her. He didn’t want to play games.

  She answered on the second ring and sounded wary. “Gabe? What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing. Actually everything is great. I just got a call from Julian. They’ve agreed to back to film.”

  She let out a loud whoop on the other end of the line. “Are you kidding me right now? That’s awesome. I’m really happy for you.” Then she added, “This is a cause for celebration. We’ll get Willow and Delilah to expense it.”

  “You were the first one I called.”

  The line was silent for a beat, and he could practically hear her gears going. “So in Montreal, it’s going to be a little crazy for you.”

  He could tell she was nervous about it. He might have a backer, but he still had a long way to go. And Delilah was worth her weight in gold. He was playing with his career. Why couldn’t he leave Elina alone?

  He knew the truth even if Elina didn’t. If they couldn’t keep their hands off each other when they were under pressure, there was no way they would keep their hands off each other in Montreal. Sooner or later, they would have to address exactly what they were doing.

  But for now, he was content to talk and make her laugh. Because somehow talking to Elina made the good news feel ten times better.

  Chapter 14

  This was too easy. Being with Gabe. The moment they landed at Montréal-Trudeau airport, it was as if they’d been transported to some medieval city. The architecture featured Gothic and fanciful elements. Their hotel was stunning with the old-world European feel. And she was thrilled she was getting a chance to practice all her French.

  After a day of meetings for him and shopping for her, he took her to dinner. “I probably should have mentioned earlier, but you look beautiful tonight.”

  Elina flushed and ducked her head. “Are you attempting to spit game at me now?”

  Gabe laughed. “Game? What game? That first day we met, I was giving you all my best lines, but none of them worked.”

  “Yeah, well, that first day I
was trying to stay far away from trouble. And you, sir, had a big old ‘trouble lives here’ sign on your forehead.”

  He grinned. “Hey, I resemble that remark.”

  “Yes, yes, you do.” She leaned back in her chair. “Oh my God. If I eat any more French food, I am going to explode.”

  He laughed. “No one told you to eat that last bite of crème brûlée.”

  “But you were leaving that bite just sitting there on your plate. Come on. Didn’t anyone ever tell you to finish your dessert?”

  “I’m not sure that’s a thing.”

  She laughed and nodded. “Yep, it sure is. Come on. Let’s head back. I think I need to walk some of this off.”

  As they walked, he told her stories about growing up on sets. And the trouble he’d gotten into. He even told her about his first love.

  “How old were you?”

  Gabe grinned. “I was the ripe old age of ten.” He trailed his fingers down her arm, then interlaced them with hers. “She was an older woman, you see.”

  “Oh really? Who was cradle-robbing the ten-year-old?”

  “Her name was Jameson Parker, and she was eleven and played my on-screen sister.”

  “Oh my gosh. How scandalous of you.”

  “You can joke and mock all you like, but she was my first kiss. And we lasted two whole weeks.”

  “Well, look at you, starting young.”

  As his thumb caressed her fingers, he asked softly, “What about you? Who was your first love?”

  Elina scratched at her nose. “I thought I was in love once. He told me he was, too. You know, the whole we’ll-be-together-forever thing. Even had me briefly considering marriage after we graduated. Turned out, he wasn’t really into forever. With Mom and everything, I figured I was better off on my own. I’ve always been a little afraid of love. I saw how crazy it made her. And then what happened to me...” Her voice trailed.