Jessie's Jewels [Submissive Sirens 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (7 page)

Addressing Dame Violet once more, Gabriel bid his adieu. “Thank you for the evening, Your Ladyship. It has been most...enlightening.”

Sputtering and seemingly unable to form words, Dame Violet fluttered her hands at them and turned away, suddenly vastly interested in her husband’s conversation about stocks.

Gabriel offered Jessie his arm, tucking her hand around it when she took it and guiding her down the front steps. A valet waited with his Aston Martin and Gabriel guided Jessie into the passenger seat before sliding into the driver’s seat himself, and then they were off, leaving the disastrous evening behind them.

The night was quiet as Jessie sat in the car with Gabriel, the only sound the purr of the engine as Gabriel maneuvered the car expertly along the winding roads. She was painfully aware of his presence in the car beside her, aware of him mentally and physically, but it somehow seemed wrong for her to break the silence that had fallen around them. She waited for him to speak.

Gabriel sighed. “What happened, between you and him?”

Jessie didn’t have to ask who he meant. The encounter with Edward had been sitting heavily between them during the drive. Jessie didn’t know how to put into words what had transpired between her and her ex-fiancé, but she realized she owed Gabriel an explanation, especially because he’d rescued her from what had the potential to be a truly ugly scene.

Jessie swallowed heavily. “He and I were engaged before my brother died. I thought I saw a way out of my problems. I was wrong.”

Gabriel was quiet a moment. “Jessamy, you know that’s not what I meant. Please don’t expect me to repeat myself.” His words had hardened, his tone becoming deeper and more commanding. Jessie found she was powerless to resist the demand implicit in his voice.

“Honestly, Gabriel, it was ugly. We were six months shy of the wedding, invitations sent out, cake and flowers ordered. I did something to offend Edward, and he decided it would be better for everyone if we didn’t move ahead with the wedding.”

“What the hell did you do to offend him so badly?” Gabriel’s tone was incredulous. “Don’t misunderstand me, I think he’s the most boring, pompous ass I’ve ever met and I’m delighted you didn’t marry him. But honestly”—Gabriel took his eyes away from the road to glance at Jessie, his dark eyes serious—“what could you have done to offend him so badly he’d call off a wedding?”

Jessie felt herself flush and hoped the darkness concealed it from Gabriel. “I’d really prefer not discussing it.”

Gabriel was silent a moment, his voice perfectly even when he finally spoke. “I’ll let this go for now. But be warned, Lady Jessamy, that in future I will expect my questions to be answered.”

Jessamy stared at him in surprise. She didn’t know why he’d taken such an interest in her history with Edward, but his demands to know everything about her had been familiar to her for some time. He was always so damn bossy!

“Thank you, Gabriel. And thank you for your help tonight. You really made things so much more bearable than they would have been if you hadn’t been there.” Jessie was sincere in her thanks, and she was happy to see the flush of pleasure that colored Gabriel’s face and ears. Something inside her melted knowing she’d been responsible for making him happy.

The moment was short-lived, however, as Jessie glanced around and realized that none of her surroundings were familiar. They’d been speeding through the night for some time now and she’d expected to be home by this point.

“Um, Gabriel? Where are we going?”

Gabriel laughed softly. “I figured after tonight you could use a drink. I know I sure as hell could. It took everything I had not to rearrange that little prick’s pointy face, and I was pretty close to calling Dame Violet a bitch.”

“Really?” Jessie reached over and squeezed Gabriel’s hand where it sat on his lap. “We could go back, if you like!” She smiled winningly at him. “I’m sure they’d both be delighted to see you again.”

Gabriel laughed out loud. “No, thank you. I’d rather go home and go for a swim in a nice single malt. Or, you know, die a slow death of being eaten alive by gerbils.”

Jessie laughed with him. “You’re right. I can think of a million places I’d rather be.”

Gabriel looked sideways at her. “I’m hoping one of them is Hartley House, because that’s where we’re going.”

Jessie smiled up at him. “I’d love to visit before going home. You can show me where my pianoforte’s going to go.” She kept her tone light and teasing, although she figured Gabriel knew she was a little serious.

He smiled broadly at her. “Now that is a secret. You’ll have to wait and see.”

By this time they’d arrived at Gabriel’s imposing estate, and he parked the car and opened Jessie’s door, offering her his hand as she got out. To Jessie’s surprise—and her delight, if she was being honest—he didn’t let go of her hand and kept it tucked firmly in his oversized grip as he led her to the door.

* * * *

Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief as he held Jessie’s hand, realizing she wasn’t going to pull away from him. Tonight’s events had been ridiculous, but Gabriel wasn’t about to complain since the evening had ended with Lady Jessamy’s hand in his as he led her into his house. He knew she was vulnerable after being treated so poorly at the party and he wasn’t about to attempt a seduction tonight, but he figured he could at least begin to pave the way.

He surreptitiously adjusted the front of his trousers since his cock was poking at the front of them again. It had been doing that all night since he’d first seen Jessamy wearing that sleek gown, and he’d practically drooled when he’d caught a glimpse of the fuck-me heels she was wearing. That combined with his knowledge of her secret penchant for naughty underthings had nearly been his undoing, and it had taken all of his formidable control not to bend her over the hood of his car and thrust balls deep into her sweet cunt right there. Only his endgame kept him in check, and he reminded himself of it as he led Lady Jessamy into his library.

* * * *

Jessamy felt the loss of Gabriel’s touch as he let go of her hand, walking to a small table at the side of the room and pouring a stiff drink for each of them. He tossed his back and poured himself another, then moved to where she was standing and offered her the heavy crystal glass.

“A toast,” he said, smiling, “to surviving the evening.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Jessamy clinked her class against his, then sipped the amber liquid. It slid down easily, leaving a smooth, smoky trail down her throat.

Gabriel threw himself into an oversized leather chair, the patina of the leather an indication that the piece of furniture saw a lot of use. He gestured for Jessie to seat herself, then took another long swallow of his scotch.

Jessie sank down into a luxuriously padded sofa, the match to the chair Gabriel occupied. She sighed as the buttery leather caressed her skin, and she wondered if Gabriel would think she was trashy if she took her shoes off and tucked her feet up underneath her.

As if he read her thoughts, Jessie saw a small smile hover around the edges of Gabriel’s lips before he spoke. “Your feet must be killing you. Don’t stand on ceremony if you want to kick your shoes off.”

Jessie didn’t have to be asked twice. She sighed as she released her feet from the Jimmy Choos. The shoes were gorgeous and she loved how they looked, but they weren’t exactly comfortable. She stretched her toes and wiggled them around, arching her back and moaning as the cramps and kinks began to work themselves out. She glanced quickly at Gabriel when she thought she heard him make a sound, but he was sitting where he’d been before, motionless with his glass in his hand. Jessie shrugged mentally. She must have imagined it.

* * * *

Gabriel finished his scotch, licking the last of the smoky drops from his lips. He rose to his feet and walked to the sofa where Jessie sat, loving the surprise and slight nervousness that shone briefly in her eyes. Looks like that made all his predatory instincts come out.

He sat down on the opposite end of the sofa, causing Jessie to gasp and clutch at the leather as he reached down and captured her dainty feet in one of his hands, pulling them up so Jessie swung around on the sofa to face him. He tugged her down the sofa toward himself, relishing the slide of her satin-clad body against the leather of the sofa. His eyes tracked where her skirt had ridden up on her legs.

“The least I could do would be to help you relax.” His words were nonchalant, but his fingers meant business as he began to massage the tenderness out of Jessie’s feet.

Jessie moaned, the sound going straight to Gabriel’s already-hard cock. One more sound like that, Gabriel thought, and she’ll find herself with her skirt up around her ears and my face tongue-deep in her cunt.

He was a sick bastard, he thought, smiling to himself, since he pushed her to repeat the sexy whimper, all the while telling himself to hold back. His hands moulded to the dainty curves of Jessie’s little feet, and he found himself straying farther, wanting to touch her in other places. He murmured something about how her calves must be sore as well, then helped himself to the soft flesh from ankles to knees. He gripped the back of one knee to hold her calf still for his ministrations, subtly shifting her legs farther apart, all the while keeping his gaze locked on Jessie’s creamy skin. He alternately stroked and kneaded, manipulating Jessie’s beautiful limbs until they were pliant beneath his touch.

He almost growled at that thought. That’s how he wanted her. Soft, willing, and unsure about what he’d do next, nervously licking her lips as she stared at him from eyes glassy with lust.

Gabriel glanced up at Jessie’s face, not sure what he’d see there, and almost lost his grip on her. She had her eyes closed and her hands were raised above her head to the arm of the sofa, which she had in a death grip. Her head thrashed slowly from side to side, and she had her full lower lip caught between her teeth, occasionally releasing it so a moan could escape from the lush rosebud of her mouth. Gabriel’s senses tuned into the luscious woman writhing on his sofa, and he was gratified beyond belief to smell the muskiness of the sweet cream emanating from between her thighs, darkly thrilled that her pebbled nipples were visible beneath the satin of her gown. He smiled smugly to himself before grimacing. He knew he had to leave her like this, and his cock rebelled at the idea. Longing to bury itself in the creamy cunt preparing for such a pounding, Gabriel’s cock was difficult for him to ignore.

With superhuman effort, he released Jessie’s legs, stroking his hands down her petite limbs before standing. He waited until Jessie’s glorious eyes opened, staring at him with uncertainty, before leaning down and brushing his lips across her forehead.

“Time to get you home, love. I’m concerned you’ll turn into a pumpkin before long.”

Jessie had no idea what to think. She’d been enjoying Gabriel’s attentions, had loved the way his touch had affected her, and she’d thought he’d been enjoying himself as well. But just when things had been about to get interesting, Gabriel had stood up and announced it was time for her to go home. Jessie had been left second-guessing herself and wondering if she’d stepped into the twilight zone, since the whole damn evening had been so bizarre. First Gabriel had come to her rescue not once but twice, and during the course of the evening had smiled more than she could ever remember him smiling. Finally, he’d rubbed her feet, his firm touch sending delicious tingles from her soles to her pussy. And then he’d bundled her off into a car with a servant, not even bothering to drive her home himself.

Jessie sighed as she looked out the car window. Gabriel had tucked her into the back seat, and since the driver showed no interest in chatting with her, she was alone with her thoughts. She wondered if Liam would still be awake by the time she got home. She hoped so. If nothing else, she’d like to have a conversation with someone she understood, someone whose motives didn’t seem to be driven by some sort of fucked-up agenda. Plus, Liam hated Edward, and Jessie would take a childish delight in ripping the bastard apart, verbally of course, with Liam’s help.

Lost in her thoughts, Jessie was startled to realize that the car was slowing to a stop, and there were no buildings in sight. The road from her manor to Hartley House was long and winding, so Jessie couldn’t estimate how far they had to go.

“Excuse me? Why have we stopped?” Jessie leaned toward the driver, unclipping her clutch in case she had to reach for her phone.
Damn. Of course I haven’t brought a gun with me
. Jessie thought ruefully of her arsenal at home, knowing she’d never have thought of bringing a gun to a social function. She shrugged mentally. She could be just as deadly with her bare hands. MI6 had seen to it that she could protect herself.

“A thousand apologies, Your Ladyship.” The driver sounded more annoyed than anything, and Jessie relaxed slightly. No doubt he wanted to be back at home in bed. “There seems to be a fallen branch blocking the road. You sit tight while I remove it.”

Leaving the car running, the driver stepped out and walked forward. Peering through the gloom since, as Jessie reminded herself grimly, there were no streetlights in rural England, she could just make out the branch by the light of the car’s headlights. Jessie frowned. There were no trees so close to the road that the branch should have fallen exactly there. She felt a warning tingle at the base of her skull. Something was not right here.

The driver had just stooped and grasped the big branch, hauling it backward, when disaster struck. Jessie watched in horror as two men crept from their concealment at the side of the road, both wearing ski masks. She shouted at the driver, waving her hands frantically at him, but of course he couldn’t hear her.

Without thinking about it, Jessie let her training take over. She unbuckled her seat belt and slithered over the middle console, landing in the passenger seat. At the same time as she reached over and sounded the horn, she opened the glove box of the car, mentally blessing Gabriel for the umpteenth time that evening. Sitting in the glove box was a big ugly Glock, Gabriel’s handgun of choice. Without a second thought, she palmed the weapon, noting with satisfaction that it was loaded.