When he stops in front of me, I stand, but he shakes his head gently, indicating that I should stay seated. I settle back down on the bench as he moves to the opposite side of the shaded area.
The air has a nice, cool bite to it this morning, but the sun is warm enough, so the wind doesn’t chill to the bone. This time of the year seems to be perfect here.
“You found your way down here all right?” he asks with an arched brow.
I cross my legs, one over the other. “Yes, thank you. I just asked Penelope.”
Looking right at me, he asks, “Are you ready to start?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Are you in a hurry?”
His whole body stiffens as he straightens. “No. No hurry, Gemma. I’d just rather get this over with.”
I think about that for a moment as I stand. Placing the notepad on the bench, I clasp my hands in front of myself. “Well, doesn’t that defeat the whole point of this?” I ask, starting to get a little bit annoyed by his attitude.
I understand his reluctance to talk to reporters. I’m aware of the delicate nature of the issues we are covering, but this man asked me—me—to come here and report the story. It’s a little bit hard to do that if he doesn’t want to tell me any of it.
“Doesn’t what defeat the purpose, Miss Harris?”
There he goes again, using my surname, trying to get a rise out of me. Taking one step forward, I gather my courage. “Isn’t the purpose of my staying here and living underyourroof for me to interview you? To ask what happened in your life? To learn what happened in hers?”
At the mere mention ofher, his shoulders become even more impossibly stiff.
“I can’t tell your story with any kind of accuracy if you do not trust me,” I tell him, raising my chin.
When he moves, his eyes narrow on me. Like an experienced predator, he slowly prowls across the pebbled space. With each step, the stones crunch beneath his booted feet, and I have to admit that I find it difficult not to retreat.
I’m not one who is usually shy or withdrawn. I’m by no means prudish by nature or inexperienced. Yet I feel a shiver of apprehension slide up my spine while I stand in front of this man, watching his sensual green eyes look me over from my black flats and slacks to my blue cowl-neck sweater that dips between my breasts.
Stopping before me, he reaches out toward my face. I swallow and hold my breath as his large fingers brush against my cheek. He hasn’t done more than run his fingers along my skin, but I can feel my breathing deepen as my nipples harden.
I want him.
I want him with such an unexpected ferocity that I barely stop myself from begging him to rip off my clothes and fuck me right where we stand.
What the hell is the matter with me?
I clench my jaw, tilting my face up to look him in the eye.
“You want me to trust you, you say?” he asks.
That deep, melodic voice slides inside of me and travels down to the aroused flesh between my thighs.
I swallow again. “Yes.” Then, with a little more force, I tell him, “Yes, I want you to trust me. That’s the only way this will work.”
He scrutinizes my face in a way that makes me think he’s memorizing every little thing about me. Suddenly, I’m worried that he might find me lacking. I’m frightened that he is comparing me to her, and I might inevitably come up short.
Phillipe traces Gemma’s cheek, along her jaw line, and finally, he slides the back of his fingers down her neck. When he reaches her sweater, he slips a finger inside and touches along the curve where it dips low, leaving the material to hang loosely between her breasts. Suddenly, he wants to see those breasts naked.
Gemma ceases talking. She is standing so still that he can barely tell she’s breathing as she lets her eyes drop to his mouth. He can tell she’s curious but oh so cautious.Her eyes can’t lie,though. Her eyes are telling him that she wants to fuck, and she wants to fuck hard.
Well, I can accommodate her,Phillipe thinks as he slides his hand around behind her neck, pulling her forward.
She stumbles and places her hands up on his chest. He can feel her nails as she flexes her fingers for better purchase.
“You want my trust?” he demands.
This time, he slides his free hand down between their bodies to cup her sex. He watches her mouth part on a needy moan, and instead of answering, she nods.
