Indecent Exposure (10 page)

Lucy raised her eyebrows. “Of course. If you want me around because of him I—”

“No. Mitchell is in Paris and he’s asked me to join him. I was wondering if you’d be willing to manage the studio for me. I’ll give you a bonus to make it worth your while.”

Lucy’s mouth broke into a huge smile. “That’s fabulous. About Mitchell, Paris and me managing the studio, I mean. As for the bonus, I don’t need one. After everything you do for me, I’m happy to repay the favor. When are you going?”

“Tonight.” She wasn’t entirely sure when Mitch wanted her to join him, but after Costas’s visit, she was heading out of London tonight and wasn’t about to hang around a moment longer than she had to. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Mind? I’m stoked. And I’ll take really good care of everything. You can go away, have a good time and know everything will be fine.”

“I know.” Although she wondered if anything would ever be fine again. “Thanks. I really appreciate it. I’ll bring you back something lovely from Paris.”

Lucy sighed. “Paris. And Mitchell. You are one lucky woman.”

She would have been. If only she didn’t have such a huge agonizing weight on her shoulders, right now life would be just about perfect.

Chapter Ten

“Oh, wow. It’s even more amazing than I thought.” Gina leaned forward as the cab sped through Bastille. “I can’t believe I’ve never been here before.”

Mitch had been waiting for her at the
Gare du Nord
. She would never forget the sight of him standing big and welcoming on the platform of the Eurostar terminal. She’d walked toward him, wheeling her small suitcase, and he’d given her the sexiest smile.

He’d caught her up in a hug and kissed her as if they were lovers reunited after a lengthy separation, desperate to touch and cling. It had been one of the loveliest moments of her life. He’d picked up her case, grabbed her hand and together they walked out of the station to a waiting cab.

On the journey through the busy evening traffic toward their hotel, Gina leaned forward to catch the sights while Mitch stroked his hand down her back. Eventually, she sank against the seat of the air conditioned cab, and placed her hand on his thigh. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“Thanks for coming.”

“How did your meetings go? Has the trip been successful?”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and drew her closer. “The meetings were fine, and the trip’s becoming more successful by the minute.”

She smiled back at him. She wanted to tell him that even though they had only been apart for a little more than twenty-four hours, she’d missed him. The thought surprised her, but fast on its heels came the awareness that she still had to get that photograph. It was becoming more and more distasteful to her. How could she subject Mitch to such treachery? While she knew she had no choice, it made her heart heavy to think of betraying him so badly.

She’d secured the pen drive Costas had given her in the zipper compartment of her bag, but she hadn’t watched it. She couldn’t bear the humiliation. Not again. She’d watched the snippet he’d shown her when he’d first blackmailed her. That had been more than enough, and her stomach burned along with her face as she thought of it now.

“Hey, are you worried about the studio? I’m sure Lucy can handle it.”

Mitch’s assurance broke into her maudlin thoughts. She looked up at him, and decided nothing was going to ruin their weekend together. Although the specter of that video loomed large, she wanted it to take a backseat for a while. “You’re right, she can handle it. So, what did you have planned for the weekend?”

“That would be telling.” But the smolder in his eyes left no doubt as to what the main part of those plans involved. “Want to do anything specific? I can work it into the schedule.”

“The Eiffel Tower, of course,” she said breathily. “And I’d like to go to The Louvre.”

“Already on the list,” he said and touched his mouth to hers. “Anything else?”

“Whatever we can fit in.” Although she wanted to sample the delights Paris offered, being with Mitch was all that seemed to matter. She ran her hand up and down his thigh. “I’m really pleased I came.”

The look he shot her turned her limbs to mush and sent molten heat to her core. The hand he’d wrapped around her slid down until his fingers brushed the side of her breast. He lowered his voice and brought his mouth to her ear. “I’ll be really pleased
every
time you come.”

Her body shivered with response, and Gina cast a glance at the driver, who met her gaze in the rear view mirror. She
really
hoped he didn’t understand English too well.

When the cab drew up outside the front of the red carpeted steps of their hotel, Gina’s eyes widened. “We’re staying here?”

Mitch followed her gaze. “Something wrong?”

“No. It looks really classy.”

“Then it’ll suit you.”

While she tried not to let her mind drift back to that video, she couldn’t help a renegade thought that if he thought her classy, he would soon have cause to retract his compliment.

After Mitch had taken care of the necessary formalities to book Gina in at reception, they walked through the opulent, but sedate, foyer toward ornate cast iron elevators.

On entering the fourth floor suite, Gina dumped her bag on the nearest chair and all but raced for the window. “Oh my God, you can see the Eiffel Tower.”

“I had it put there just for you.” He came up behind her. “Does it meet with your approval?”

“It’s fabulous.” She took one last look at the monument, then turned in his arms. “I think I love Paris.”

“We haven’t started yet.” He kissed her, deep and long, and her senses, already filled to the brim, swamped her. She felt as if she were drowning in need. As if she’d been starved for him. She linked her arms around his neck as his tightened around her and he continued to subject her to a deep, lingering kiss.

When he drew back, they were both breathing heavy. He kissed along her jaw. “God, I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.” She let her head fall to the side and closed her eyes. “You have this way of crawling under a woman’s skin.”

The slide of his mouth along the tender side of her neck caused delicious little thrills to wend their way all along her nerve endings. Her breasts tingled, her nipples hardened, her core heated and dampness spread between her legs.

He cupped her backside and drew her even closer, his hard length pushing against the heat. She widened her legs to accommodate the delicious press of him as she breathed in his heady and hypnotic scent.

“We haven’t seen the bedroom yet,” she said as his fingers dug into her backside. “Maybe we should make that the first stop on our sightseeing tour.”

“You’re a woman after my own heart.” With that husky declaration, he lifted her into his arms and carried her through to the bedroom. Her laugh turned into a squeal when he dumped her on the mattress. He leaned over her, dark and dangerously gorgeous. “This first stop on our sightseeing tour requires you to be naked.”

“Really? That was never mentioned in the guide book.”

He brought his mouth to within an inch of hers. “Baby.” His tone was low and sexy. “What I have planned, you won’t find in any guide book.”

Her panties were positively soaked by now and she squirmed beneath him. “Will it require you naked as well?”

In answer, he stood and yanked his polo shirt over his head. His chest gleamed wide and muscled, that light covering of hair arrowing across his pectorals and then down past his navel to disappear beneath his trousers. He unhooked the fastening on his waistband and slid down the zipper, watching her with a dark gleam in his eyes.

Spellbound, she enjoyed the strip show, until he leaned over her without pulling off his trousers. “Your turn.”

He eased away and she sat up. She wriggled to get the skirt of her dress up to her waist and his gaze fell to her panties. It lingered there until she yanked the dress up over her head and threw it to join his shirt on the floor.

Maneuvering her back on the bed, he kissed her mouth, her jaw, down her throat and along her collarbone. She closed her eyes, thrusting her breasts up to his advancing mouth, her nipples aching for his touch. His hot mouth covered her nipple through the red lace of her bra, and she writhed achingly as he subjected her to such delicious torture. Then he did the same to her other nipple.

His fingers nudged at the lace cup of her bra, and he pushed it down. Cupping her breast, he stroked his thumb over her hardened bud, while continuing to kiss the other breast. Gina squirmed on the bed, the air conditioning whispering over her body as Mitch continued to heat her up to flaming.

She ran her hands over his shoulders, across his back, holding him close to her and knowing she couldn’t get him close enough. When he reached around to unhook her bra, she arched a little so he could slide it away. At last, her breasts were freed to his gaze and touch.

“I love your breasts,” he groaned, using his thumbs to rub each nipple. “So damn responsive.”

She slid her leg up and down his thigh, her pussy burning for some attention. Reaching down between them, she pushed her hand into his trousers—and grinned.

“You’ve gone commando.”

She wrapped her hand around his erection, and he sucked in a breath. “I thought it would save time.”

“Good plan. I love your prick,” she said, parodying him. “So damn responsive.”

“You’ve got me where you want me,” he breathed, squeezing his eyes shut when her grip tightened. “What do you intend doing about it?”

“Probably along similar lines as what you intend to do with me.”

He touched his mouth to hers, so lightly that for long delicious moments, they exchanged breaths and stared into each other’s heated gazes as she stroked his cock and he fondled her breasts. “Do you want to know what I intend to do to you?” he asked. “Do you want to know that I intend to be inside you as many damn times as possible? That I intend to fuck you until you can barely stand?”

“I can get behind that. But we’ll see who can barely stand at the end of it.”

In response, he stood and toed off his shoes before yanking off his trousers. “You want to make a bet?”

She reached her arms over her head, stretching languidly as she indulged herself in a long slow perusal of his magnificent body. “Why not?”

He grabbed at her panties and pulled them off. “I want to eat you out until you scream, but I’m just not sure I’ll last if you so much as moan right now.”

He sheathed himself, crawled between her legs and pushed her knees apart.

“We’ve got the whole weekend,” Gina said, reaching for him. “And I want you. Now.”

She’d barely uttered the final word and he thrust into her. She was ready for him, but she gasped and squeezed her eyes shut at the sheer force of his possession, at the thickness and length of his hard cock stretching her, filling her. Her hips rose to meet each thrust and she lost herself in sensation until nothing else mattered except Mitch and the desperate pleasure he offered. Her cries filled the room. She clutched for release, and when Mitch emptied himself, she was right there with him.

They lay together, the muted sounds of the Paris evening filtering through the silence. The odd horn blast, squealing tire, police siren.

Eventually, Gina’s shoulder protested against the weight of Mitch’s satiated body lying on top of her, so she shifted.

“Sorry.” His muffled apology against her neck made her grin.

She moved her hands over his back. “I’m not complaining. I sort of like this part.”

“How so?”

“The downfall. You know, after the big event?”

He shuffled onto one elbow and smiled down at her. “Since you look pretty well serviced, I must have done my job.”

“No complaints here.” She slid her foot up and down the back of his leg. “I really like the weight of you against me.”

His smile turned positively lethal. “And I really like the feel of you underneath me.”

She cocked her head. “It comes as no surprise to me that you favor the missionary position. Mr. Establishment and all that.”

“Well, that’s where you’re wrong, my know-it-all little witch. And you’ll have cause to eat your words.”

“Mmm. What did you have in mind?”

Slowly, he raised his hips and pulled out of her, wincing as she deliberately gripped him with her intimate muscles. “You think you’re clever.” He narrowed his eyes at her mischievous grin. “Like I said, eat your words.”

He rolled off her and stood. Watching him stroll into the bathroom, Gina stretched like a well-pleasured cat and slung her arms over her head. Seconds later, he was back, and she took the opportunity to get herself a very pleasurable eyeful.

“If you want dinner, you’d better stop lying there like a lascivious mouthful and get your very delectable backside in the shower.”

The sight of him in all his male glory, stirred her juices again and she held out her arms. “Couldn’t we order in?”

He dropped one knee onto the bed, placed his hands either side of her shoulders and leaned down. “I’ve booked a table at a restaurant right near the Eiffel Tower.”

“You know my weakness. How am I supposed to resist that?”

“You don’t have to resist. Especially when I plan to have you back here and naked before the clock strikes midnight.”

“What happens at midnight?”

He dropped a kiss to her mouth, then to each breast before returning to her mouth again. “All manner of debauched acts destined to make you remember your first trip to Paris.”

Gina already knew that she’d remember her first trip to Paris. It would be forever etched with the memory of being in Mitch’s arms.

After their shower, which inevitably resulted in wet and slippery sex against the shower wall, Gina dressed in the bedroom while Mitch went into the sitting room to call for a cab.

She slipped on her best red silk shift dress, and thought of Costas and what he wanted her to do. There was no immediate cause for concern that she hadn’t taken the photo yet—she had all weekend. It would be best to take it at night, when Mitch was fast asleep. With any luck, she could do it without him even being aware. At least not until Costas confronted him with the evidence of her treacherous act.

With a heavy heart, she sat on the bed and slipped on strappy sandals. She didn’t dare let herself dwell on the way Mitch would react when he found out what she’d done. Would he come to the studio and confront her? Or would he simply discard her from his life and consider her not worthy of further contact?

She dropped her chin to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut, as if doing so would stop the sickening thoughts from spinning around in her brain.

Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath, then stood and smoothed down the front of her dress. It wouldn’t do to think on it any more right then. There was nothing to be done. The wheels had been set in motion. She had no choice but to carry on and hope to goodness her actions wouldn’t hurt Mitch too much.

How bad could it be? She couldn’t imagine that a naked photo of a man who looked like Mitch would be anything but celebrated. Okay, he worked in a traditional environment, but would it have anywhere near the repercussions for him that it would for her and her mother if the video ever saw the light of day? Surely a man like Mitch would shrug it off.

But she didn’t trust Costas. She had no idea what he intended to do with the photo. Until the day he’d confronted her with his treachery, she hadn’t thought him capable of half the things she did now. So who knew what he had in store for Mitch?