Page 22 of The Photograph

Her body softens as I catch her hips to pull her to me. When she curls her arms around my neck, I do what I’ve been craving since I laid my eyes on her and nip at her juicy bottom lip before soothing the bite with the tip of my tongue.

Her small gasp goes straight to my cock.

“Gabe.”

The sensual demand in her voice breaks a dam inside me. I wrap my palm around her nape and plunge my tongue in her mouth.

She tastes incredible.Deepening the kiss, I palm her round ass to haul her up and cage her against the wall.

Aelin’s arms tighten around my neck while her legs loop around my waist. She’s soft and warm, and I cradle my body deeper into hers crushing my painfully hard cock between us.

As I trail my mouth down her long neck and linger on her fast-beating pulse, I vaguely register the clatter of her purse hitting the floor.

Ineedto fuck her.

Rocking my cock slowly between her legs, I slant my head back.

“Give me your mouth, baby.”

She makes a small sexy noise at the back of her throat, and when she laps at my tongue like I’m her favorite dessert, I stride toward the bedroom.

Far somewhere, my cell buzzes as I kick the bedroom door open. The landline phone rings. Then my cell again.

Aelin pulls back. Her lips are swollen, and her face flushed.

“Gabe… Your phone.”

I set her on her feet. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”

At her small nod, I wrap my hand around her nape and kiss her hard. She moans on my tongue, and I have to yank myself up when my damn cell rings again.Somebody better be dead.I snatch my cell from the coffee table in the living room. “What?”

Ann’s voice spills out in huffed pants. “Gabe, it’s bad.”

Chapter Five

Aelin

When I hear ‘fire’, step into the living room where Gabe paces the rug before he marches to the business side of the penthouse and disappears behind the door he leaves ajar.

Shoot.The heated shiver Gabe’s kiss instigated comes to a stop as I pick up my clutch from the floor and shuffle on my feet.Should I leave? In any case, I should at least say goodbye.

The clickety of my heels on the glossy floor is indecently loud in the oppressive silence. I peek my head through the thick dark wood doorjamb. Gabe is bent over his laptop while giving directives to whoever is on the other side of the line. I retreat quietly into the waiting room and wait on one of the comfortable armchairs.

My eyes snap up at the swish of the elevator doors opening, and I stand up as Ann dashes through with her eyes on her laptop. I follow her small silhouette into the boardroom I made my presentation in.

While she plugs her laptop to the concealed charging box of the conference table, I knock softly on the frosted glass door. “Ann?”

Gabe’s assistant whips her face devoid of make up to me, and her eyes widen. “Aelin?”

Stepping further into the modern, high tech but impersonal room, I take in her t-shirt, faded jeans and ballet flats. “Can I get you a coffee or some water?”

She drops in the armchair that swallows her petite frame, her face pales, and her eyes brim with tears. “Coffee would be great. Lots of it.”

I inch closer and lean my hip against the table. “Are you all right?”

She rakes her fingers through her disheveled hair. “There’s been a fire … and my wife, Cynthia… She’s over there, at the hotel. I was supposed to join her next week…” She touches her cell on the table. “I can’t … reach her.”

Oh no.I crouch next to her and slant my head until I have her eyes. “I’m sure she’s going to be fine. Does she work there?”

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