The Billionaire’s Rebellious Lover (The Maxfield Brothers Series Book 2) (11 page)

Filled with relief and renewed energy, she began to run faster. Reaching the door first, she pounded on it. Gabe peered through the windows, and he finally reached up and grabbed the window frame. It opened, and he beckoned her.

“That’s breaking and entering,” she shouted and shook her head. Restore Eden was in enough trouble without her illegally entering a cabin.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he muttered as he wrapped a hand around her waist. She shrieked as he lifted her and had no choice but to duck in through the window. She slid through and rolled when she hit the ground. Turning, she watched as Gabe hoisted himself up with a grunt of pain and pushed himself through. He slammed the window shut and took a deep breath.

“There’s no one here,” he said softly. “It’s probably a hunting cabin, and from the looks of things, it hasn’t been used all season.”

It was true. Everything was covered in dust. “Look around. See if you can find a phone or some food. I’m going to try and get the fire going.”

Wringing the water from her clothes and hair, Daisy began to explore the place, but it soon became clear that there wasn’t much to explore. The place had a small bathroom, a kitchenette, and one big main room, which held a table and a couple of chairs on one side, and the sofa, and a bed in the corner. While the furniture looked clean, enough dust had settled on the counter tops to indicate that no one had been here in months.

“No phone, but there is some food. Non-perishable canned foods, some soup, some dry cereal, and some chips.” She turned on the faucet and immediately clapped her hands. “And there is running water. Oh my God, maybe the shower works. I am covered in grime.”

The fire roared to life in the grate, and she gave Gabe a big smile. “You have no idea the things I want to do to you for getting that fire going.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Do tell,” he said in a husky tone. Her breath caught in her throat. She knew he was joking, but she couldn’t help but feel her whole body warm under his gaze. Suddenly, all she could think about was sex.

“For one thing, I’m going to take a shower so I don’t smell like a wet dog anymore,” she joked weakly. His expression didn’t change, and she knew the atmosphere heating up between them had nothing to do with the fire. She tried to tell herself it was the circumstances. There was the hint of danger plus adrenaline and a sexy man at close quarters. Of course, his naked body was on her mind. But that didn’t mean that he was thinking the same thing about her.

Practically fleeing from him, she closed the bathroom door and leaned against it. She needed to adjust to her actual scenario and then maybe her hormones would calm down.

The water that first ran out of the pipes was orangey-red, but after living in several low-cost apartments, she was familiar with the concept of built-up rust. A few minutes later and the water began to run clear. It wasn’t hot water by any means, and there was no soap, but she enjoyed the sensation of clean water running over her.

“Daisy?” Gabe’s voice echoed off the bathroom walls. “I’m going to put your clothes by the fire so they’ll dry quicker. I’ll bring them back when you’re finished.” The door opened, and Daisy immediately covered herself. The shower curtain was clear with a frosted design, and if he looked hard enough, he could probably see her naked body. But he was a gentleman and kept his head turned away.

Her breath quickened, and she ached to invite him in the shower with her, but she pushed the desire down. “Thanks,” she called out, keeping her voice light. He gathered her clothes, and she closed her eyes. What the hell was wrong with her? Gabe Maxfield was a billionaire. He was the Senior VP of a company she often thought of as the enemy, and he was her ex-boyfriend’s brother. There were too many red flags, but that didn’t seem to deter her body. The days leading up to this moment had been foreplay, and now that they were alone, she couldn’t deny it any longer.

She wanted Gabe Maxfield.

Jordan’s accusation didn’t seem so empty anymore, and she mentally chastised herself. Even as she lectured herself about the dangers of mixing business with pleasure, her hands began to roam over her body. As they slipped down her breasts and over her abdomen, she couldn’t help but picture Gabe’s hands in their place. Even though he was a deskman, there were still callouses on his palms. Every nerve in her body tingled with the very thought of Gabe touching her naked body with those rough hands.

“Get a grip,” she hissed. At any other time, the small hunting cabin might be romantic, but she wasn’t looking for romance. It was simply shelter from a storm and a lunatic. She needed to remember that.

Feeling a little better, she shut off the water and stepped out. A towel hung from the bar on the wall, and after inspecting it carefully, Daisy was relieved to find it clean. Wrapping it around herself, she stepped carefully out of the bathroom and towards the fire.

Gabe was in the kitchen with his back turned. “I’m heating up some soup,” he said, and when he turned his head, his eyes immediately darkened. “Did you call for your clothes? I didn’t hear you.”

Her mouth dried, and she immediately turned and stared into the fire. “I wasn’t in the shower long,” she mumbled, “I didn’t think they’d be dried in time.” She reached down to touch the clothes. They were still soaking wet.

“Christ,” he muttered. “I’m sorry. Of course, they’re still not dry. Daisy, you don’t have to feel threatened in here with me. You’re safe. I promise.”

She turned her head and stared at him. “I don’t think I am.”

Turning off the stove, he stirred the pot a few more times. “Soup’s ready,” he said in a tight voice. She was hungry, but it wasn’t for soup.

“You’re very popular and admired in this city. The paparazzi follow you around, and every gossip magazine is dying to know which woman will be on your arm next. You’re kind of a playboy. There are no paparazzi out here.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she hurried to cover her tracks. “It must be peaceful.”

He turned from the stove and took a few steps towards her. Part of her wanted to back up, but she was already against the wall. There was no place to go, and in any case, the other part of her didn’t want to run. The other part of her knew exactly what was going to happen next and welcomed it.

“Nothing about being with you is peaceful,” he whispered as he closed the gap. Standing only inches from her, he pressed his hands against the brick on either side of her, but he didn’t touch her. “You’ve turned my carefully controlled life completely upside down. I have been threatened, beaten, and kidnapped because of you.”

“I know.” She cast her eyes down. “I’m sorry.”

“The worst part is that I know I should stay away from you.” He leaned down so that his lips were only a breath apart from hers. “You are so much trouble, Daisy Levine, but I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone in my entire life.”

She opened her mouth to tell him every single reason why this was a bad idea, but the only thought that stayed in her head was that he wanted her. He swooped in and covered her mouth with his, and all logic fled. Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him closer for a dizzying and spine-tingling kiss. For several minutes, he stole the breath from her lungs, and when he finally pulled back, there was a dark intensity in his eyes that scared her.

“Daisy, if you don’t want this, you need to tell me right now,” he said hoarsely.

“I can’t,” she whispered. “I can’t tell you a lie.” Closing her eyes, she waited. It wasn’t long before she felt a finger trace from her collarbone down to the edge of the towel. He could simply jerk it away, and she’d be naked and open to him, but he took his time.

The desire was so thick around them that she couldn’t even move her arms to hurry things along. His thumb tickled lightly along her lips, and she opened her mouth and suckled on it. He drew in a quick breath and let out a low moan. Opening her eyes, she watched him. She needed to see if she was affecting him as much as he affected her.

Opening her towel, he lowered his eyes to watch as he exposed her skin inch by inch. The cloth moved slowly over the rise of her breasts and down the slope of her abdomen. It shimmied gently down her hips before it finally fell to the floor. Naked in front of him, her heart pounded against her chest. She had no doubt that the women he normally spent his nights with were perfection. Money fixed flaws, but she was all-natural. No nips or tucks or lifts. She was simply Daisy.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he moaned

Letting out a relieved chuckle, she reached for him. As she slipped the buttons of his shirt out of their holes, he touched her. Fingers trailed down her spine and over her ass. They roamed back up her sides and teased around her nipples. If she weren’t so intent on getting him as naked as she was, she’d be crying out for more. She wanted him to lick and pinch her nipples. She wanted him to slip his fingers inside her.

He was absolutely magnificent under his shirt. Licking her lips, she leaned over to graze her teeth gently against his skin. He was warm and taut and salty. Her nerves practically humming with desire, she wrestled with his belt.

Soon he sprang free, and she couldn’t help but wrap her hands around him. He was already hard and ready, and he let out a strangled gasp at her touch. “Babe, I will not last if you keep that up,” Gabe muttered heatedly as he yanked her hands away.

Oh yeah. She affected him.

Desire swirled in her belly as he pulled her from the wall and spread the towel out on the floor. Lowering her gently, he loomed over her and finally bent his head to pull one taut nipple into his mouth. The warmth and silkiness of his tongue had her crying out and tangling her hands in his hair as she urged him on.

“You have no idea how long I’ve dreamed of this,” she gasped. “From the moment I saw you, I wanted to wrap my legs around you.”

He lifted one of her legs and pushed his length along her slit. “That sounds like a fucking excellent idea,” he moaned. As he rubbed along her sensitive clit, she cried out in pleasure.

“Don’t stop,” she gasped. “Don’t you dare fucking stop.”

Reaching down, he parted her folds and slipped one finger inside her. “So wet,” he said. His tone sounded surprised and she wanted to tell him that every time he looked at her, her body responded, but the words didn’t form. Instead, she lifted her hips to meet the thrust of his fingers, and he slid a second finger inside her.

Her body shuddered against his intruding fingers and she tightened her hold on his arms, digging her fingers into his biceps as she rocked her hips towards him.

She watched, holding her breath, as he positioned himself, moaning as he slowly sank into her. Inching gradually inside her, he stretched and filled her until finally he was buried to the hilt. They both grunted in pleasure, and she finally wrapped her legs around his hips.

“Fuck me, Gabe,” she told him, her voice heavy with need.

Hearing his name made him snap. He captured her lips once more and began to thrust in earnest. Every time he slid over that sweet spot inside her, she thought for sure that she would fall apart. The more he pushed inside her, the tighter wound she felt. The fire crackled, but it did nothing to drown out the sounds of their moans. They were two people finally giving in to something they both knew was wrong.

“So perfect,” he muttered as she bit his shoulder.

Daisy sank her fingers into his back and squeezed her eyes shut. God, she was so close. Never before had she flown this high so fast, and she was almost terrified of the fall.

“I’m close. Fuck, I’m close, baby. Come with me. Stay with me,” he gasped.

He reached down and pinched her nipple, and it sent her spiraling over the edge. With a gasp, she tightened her legs around him and listened to him shout her name and thrust one last time deep inside her. Her orgasm shook her to the very core, but he never left her. Even as the last wave of pleasure threatened to drown her, he held her tight.

As her body was slowly, achingly returning to normal, she couldn’t help but wonder how he would feel when reality hit.

I
t wasn’t
until the next morning that they reheated the soup. It was thick and bland, but it filled his stomach and gave him some energy. His ribs didn’t hurt nearly as bad, but the pain wasn’t what was on his mind. The tension lay heavily between them. Sometime during the night, he’d woken her and they had moved to the bed. Maybe it was the afterglow of finally being inside her or maybe it was the exhaustion of their escape, but he’d slept peacefully with her in his arms. Normally, he would have cringed at being in a strange bed, but everything seemed right.

With the rising of the sun came the tension. She avoided his eyes as she dressed, and they ate in silence. “We’ll probably find an access road leading from here to the main road,” he said gruffly as he washed the dishes. It only seemed right that they try to leave the cabin in the same shape that they found it.

“Sounds good,” she said in a strained voice.

“Daisy,” he began softly, but she cut him off.

“Let’s not do this. We’re both consenting adults, and we’ve been working together closely of late. It only makes sense that recent events, and being in such close quarters, pushed us over the edge. I don’t think there’s any need for us to make a big deal about it.”

Gabe set his jaw. The implication in her words was clear. She regretted last night, and she didn’t want to talk about it. That was fine. If she wanted to run right back to Nathan’s arms, he wouldn’t stop her. “Fine,” he said shortly. “It looks like its stopped raining. It might be a little muddy out, but it looks clear. Hopefully we won’t run into any more rain.”

Great. Now he was talking about the weather. Perfect. Angry at himself for letting his desire take control last night, he rifled through the cabinet until he found a jar of peanuts and some granola bars. Stuffing his pockets, he finally turned to her. “Ready?”

“Yeah.”

Now they were only speaking in one-word answers. The walk back to civilization was going to be more strained than his kidnapping. They left the house in silence. Sure enough, a small dirt track led away from the cabin. Taking a moment to thank his lucky stars that hunters existed, he followed behind her at a slow pace. Finally, he couldn’t stand the silence any longer. “What are you going to do once Jordan is arrested?”

“Our deal still stands. I might not be as effective once this section of Restore Eden is disbanded, but I won’t turn my back on what I believe in. Hopefully, if I show that Duncan Enterprises is capable of change, it’ll be enough for me to broaden my influence. Maybe instead of finding an organization that I can work for, I can start my own.”

“One that doesn’t include attacking and kidnapping people?” Gabe quipped lightly.

She turned to look at him over her shoulder, winking. “Well. At least not the way you’ve experienced it.”

He chuckled before rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. “Violence and kidnapping aside, Restore Eden has the right idea. I mean, everyone is responsible for their own carbon footprint, but I suppose bigger companies have to take the main responsibility; especially with the amount of waste we generate. We have to set a good example. Plus, the media attention wouldn’t be all that bad.”

Daisy snorted. “Try to think about the world we’re leaving for our children and not about your reputation.”

Children. Did Daisy want children? Gabe never really thought of himself as a father, but he loved his nephew. Watching Ben and Stephen interact made him wonder about kids, and now it sent a jolt through his system when he thought about having kids with Daisy.

Never going to happen
, he reminded himself. Daisy was obviously not over Nathan, and it was already bad enough that Gabe had slept with Daisy. Thinking about a future with her did more than step over the line. It would probably destroy Nathan.

“What do you know about Greenman’s Corp?” she asked suddenly. Her voice sounded odd, somehow strained.

Gabe frowned. “I don’t think I know all that much about it. I know when they first went public with their radical ideas of improving the company, many other businesses got on board. I wasn’t Senior VP at the time, so I didn’t have a whole lot of say in the matter, but I remember some ideas getting tossed around. Duncan grumbled about the change quite a bit. Kept saying Nathan would love it if he were here. But then Greenman’s was exposed, and the talk died down. Why? Did you have something to do with Greenman’s?”

She studied him before finally shrugging. “No. I was too young.”

Gabe narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling there was something that she wasn’t saying, but he didn’t push it. “It’s no secret that Duncan Enterprises hasn’t always been environmentally aware. I think most of the changes that Duncan did make were because he felt guilty about the rift between him and Nathan. They had a huge fight about it while Nathan was in college. Duncan swept his ideas aside as if he was an annoying mosquito. Nathan took it so badly that I wasn’t even sure he’d come back when I called. Now he’s a bigger nuisance than ever, but he’s pushed his ideas through and they’ve been sound. I think Duncan is proud of him.”

“Really? And are you?” Daisy asked suddenly. “Or do you regret having him work for the company again?”

“Before Angie was named CEO, I had my doubts about Nathan. His time with you didn’t help. I’m still stressed about the company. I know everything Angie does reflects on me, but I’m no longer the one who makes the final decisions. So it’s easier for me to listen to Nathan, even when he isn’t making sense. But yeah, I am proud of him. He’s come a long way and not only for his push that Duncan Enterprises becomes more environmentally friendly; he’s a damn good designer.”

“So as a brother, you’re proud of him, but as a businessman, you’re no longer stressed by him?” Daisy shook her head. “Wow.”

“No.” Angry, Gabe reached out and grabbed her arm. “That is not what I said. Daisy, I love my brother. I think he has some great ideas, but sometimes he’s unrealistic about the execution. If I could protect him from the stress and pressure of corporate America, I would in a heartbeat. It was his choice to rejoin Duncan Enterprises, so all the hits that he takes now aren’t only on him, they affect the company as well. I’m proud of what he’s doing, both as his brother and as a colleague. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have concerns. Don’t confuse the two.”

Her features softened and she relaxed. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I guess I’m a little stressed, and I’m taking my anger out on you. Which is totally unfair considering that you are the victim in all of this.”

Gabe snorted. “I’m no victim. I might have been outmaneuvered, but I wasn’t worried.”

“You knew that I was going to save you?”

“Hardly.” Gabe gave her a withering look. “I can save myself. But it doesn’t hurt to have some company.” He stopped himself before he said too much. She didn’t want to talk about last night, so he didn’t push it.

They walked the next few miles in silence, but it was no longer as tense. Finally, he saw her giggling to herself. “See something that was funny?” he asked dryly.

“Just something that I was thinking. Duncan wasn’t quite what I expected. I never thought he’d actually like me.”

“When you were dating Nathan, he hated you. Does that help?”

She cocked her head and stared at him. “But now that I’m actually monitoring the company, he should hate me even more.”

“Duncan’s different, now,” Gabe said softly. Not much had changed with his relationship with his father, but it wasn’t really from lack of trying on Duncan’s part. There were a lot of old wounds that hadn’t quite healed. “He’s trying to make amends for his past.”

“I can understand that,” Daisy said softly.

Gabe felt like a fist squeezed around his heart. She was obviously talking about Nathan. The more he got to know her, the more he realized that she wanted to patch up things between his brother and herself. But last night, there was no hesitation on her part. She had moaned his name. He was the one who made her fall apart.

What did that mean? She loved Nathan but lusted after him? That wouldn’t make things awkward during the holidays at all.

“Gabe! I see the road!” Daisy laughed hysterically and pointed. Sure enough, they walked through the trees and came out on the main highway.

“Careful,” he muttered as he grabbed her elbow. “Jordan might be patrolling this road looking for us. Stay on this side.”

She shrieked a little as he pulled her against him, but then she melted in his arms. It felt so right to have her wrapped around him, and he couldn’t help himself. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head, but she suddenly pushed him back. “Car. Car!” she hissed as she ducked behind a tree.

Tensing, Gabe watched as the car slowly drove past them. It was going well under the speed limit; it was obvious the driver was looking for something or someone. Relief spread through him as he recognized the car. Stepping out to the street, he waved his hands until the car slowed down.

“It’s Nathan!”

Gabe heard the delight in Daisy’s voice and immediately felt tense again. Having Nathan here was like a dose of reality. The dream of having Daisy to himself was over, and it was time to face the consequences.

“I have been out of my mind with worry,” Nathan shouted as he got out and slammed the door shut. Daisy launched herself into his arms and buried her face in his chest. “You were supposed to call me. I traced your phone to the cabin, but you were gone!”

“I found Gabe there, but when we made our escape, I forgot about my phone. Then I was too scared to go back for it,” she mumbled.

“Christ. Gabe, are you okay? I’ve been looking for you two all night. I figured if Daisy’s crackpot group didn’t kill you, the damn animals would. Stephen flew back in to help, and Angie is stressing everyone out. In three hours, I was about the call the damn police.” The lack of sleep was evident on his face. It was drawn and worn as he looked down at Daisy.

“A little sore from my tumble with them yesterday, but no harm done. Although we should call the police. Jordan is too dangerous for us to let this slide.”

Daisy slowly moved way from Nathan and nodded her head. “He’s right. We should call the police.”

“Really?” Nathan said as he lifted an eyebrow. “It’s not going to look good for us or Restore Eden.”

“For fuck’s sake, I was kidnapped,” Gabe said through gritted teeth. “That should trump your environmental crap.”

“All right.” Nathan nodded. He pulled out the phone, and Daisy turned and looked at Gabe.

“Whatever happens, our deal is still in place.”

Gabe couldn’t help but smile. She’d risked herself to rescue him. She’d dragged him through the woods, and now she was facing some harsh media fallout, but she was still Daisy. A bulldog that wouldn’t let go until she got what she wanted.

As Gabe waited for the police, he couldn’t help but wonder what else Daisy wanted.

* * *

H
ours later
, Daisy was showered and fed. Nathan had wanted to check in on her later that evening, but she told him that it wasn’t necessary. She didn’t want him to see that her living situation was still as crappy as when they were together, and anyway, he wasn’t the Maxfield brother she wanted worrying about her.

Not anymore. Definitely not in a very long time.

Gabe, however, had barely said a word to her since the police showed up and escorted them to the station to take their report while officers headed to both cabins. After several hours of questioning, they released her with the warning that they would contact her to follow up with any questions. Exhausted, she only nodded her head in reply.

She could see Gabe watching her, the entire ride home, and as much as she wanted to lean into him and feel his arms wrapped around her, he didn’t touch her. Things were tense. He obviously regretted sleeping with her, and she couldn’t seem to get it off her mind.

Thankfully, everything was kept quiet, but it didn’t keep the news stations from eventually finding out. As she looked over the files on her computer, she could hear the news anchor speculating about the involvement of Gabe Maxfield and Restore Eden as one of its top men was arrested today. Her name didn’t even come up.

Daisy didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing.

Grabbing the remote, she turned the television off. She already had enough to worry about without the media getting involved. Perusing the company files on her computer, she searched as far back as possible. After talking with Gabe about Greenman’s, Daisy knew one of two things to be true:

Either Gabe was telling the truth and the involvement with Greenman’s was before his time and without his knowledge. Or…Gabe was deliberately lying to her.

And it killed Daisy to think that Gabe had lied to her.

The couple next to her started screaming again, and this time Daisy didn’t even care. She wanted to scream along with them. How had everything gotten so complicated? She was supposed to turn things around at Duncan Enterprises to help the environment and impress the headquarters of Restore Eden. Now she’d gotten one of her own top members arrested and she’d slept with Gabe Maxfield.