Thank you all for being so patient during a very difficult time for me and thank you so much for the prayers and thoughts for my brother, it means the world to me and my family! He's still very ill and it's a constant struggle to concentrate on writing when all I want to do is spend all my time at his bedside making sure he gets the care and attention he needs. But I'm back home at the moment and working on Bound like my life depended on it ;)
I hope you enjoy the teaser of Chapter One!
Chapter One
Grabbing my hair I twisted it around my hand and quickly piled it up onto my head. The sensation of tugging my hair prickled pain along my scalp and it instantly reminded me of the him.
The feel of his rough stubble against my neck as his lips trailed fiery kisses across my skin. The way he wrapped his hands in my hair, forcing my head back until my neck was exposed to him.
Vulnerable.
Just the way he liked me to be.
A shiver raced across my skin and I closed my eyes letting my imagination take over for just a second longer. Without thinking I bit down on my lip and it was enough to jolt me from my thoughts.
I’d been so certain I was over my infatuation for Gabriel Hawk, trying desperately to convince myself that a life without him was for the best. But as the most infuriating man on the planet he’d left his mark on me in what felt like indelible ink.
The best I could hope for was to bury my memories of him… Any feelings I might harbour for him, hidden inside.
Grabbing the handful of hair pins from the vanity table, I stabbed them into place, wincing every time one of them bit painfully into my scalp.
Settling the last one into place, I glanced over my appearance in the mirror and nodded to myself. Not perfect but it was close as I was going to get considering my too curvy frame and the dark circles that sat beneath my eyes.
Scooping up my keys, I paused just inside the door of my silent apartment and sucked in a deep breath.
Beautiful. Confident. Successful.
I repeated the words beneath my breath over and over, my own personal mantra. It was stupid and yet I found myself unable to step outside the door until I’d completed it. Stupid or not, I couldn’t help but think it helped in some small way and I’d take whatever I could get.
My cell phone buzzed in my bag and I contemplated just ignoring it. With a frustrated sigh I dropped the bag onto the small table inside the door and searched inside for the phone.
Finally scooping it out, I swiped my finger across the screen and pressed the phone to my ear, the sudden flood of office voices filled my ear making me jump.
“Sasha, where the hell are you?” Samuel said, his voice clipped and irritated.
“I’m on my way to view a venue, why what’s wrong?”
“Don’t you think your clients would be better served by you actually turning up to work on time? Christ, Sasha, what’s wrong with you? I’m beginning to think you don’t really want this job anymore.”
His words rankled me and I fought the urge to give him a smart answer but the last thing I needed to do was piss him off anymore than he already was at me.
“Samuel, I told you yesterday I was going to view the venue this morning… I won’t be in until later and…”
He cut me off, “We’ve got a client who claims he’ll only work with you, he seems to think you’d be best qualified to help organise the intimate event he has planned.”
The edge in Samuel’s voice made me uncomfortable and the way he used the word intimate sent a shiver of revulsion rolling through my body. I could imagine him sitting behind his overly large desk as he spoke to me on the phone, fixing his sandy coloured hair in the mirror in the hopes it concealed the large bald spot that was starting to spread.
“My plate is already pretty full, Samuel, I’ve got Mr Bryce’s event to finish organising, maybe you should take this one.”
“He only wants you, Sasha, so get your ass over here and quit dawdling.”
The phone went dead and I stared down at it before dropping it back into my bag. Scrubbing my hands across my face I let out a frustrated groan. Ever since I’d turned Samuel down on his less than savoury offer of sex he’d been determined to make my life miserable. I could only imagine what sort of client he had lined up for me now, and god only knew what he’d told them about me.
I shuddered as the memory of Samuel’s awkward fumbling flooded my head. The feel of his wet slobbering kiss had been enough to turn my stomach and simply recollecting it wasn’t much better.
Giving myself a mental shake I cleared the thoughts from my head and pulled the apartment door open. I could do this, Samuel wasn’t going to send me running scared with his bullying tactics.
No matter what he threw in my path I would overcome it.
***
Pausing outside the door to Samuel’s office I straightened the pale pink blazer I wore and rolled my shoulders back.
Pushing open the door I caught sight of the tall broad shouldered man in the chair opposite Samuel’s desk, his dark hair picking up the sunlight, giving it the effect of having coppery lights.
“I’m…” I started to apologise but the words caught in the back of my throat and I felt myself beginning to choke. There had to be a mistake and I fought the sudden urge to slide back out the door and slam it behind me.
“Sasha, so nice you could join us,” Samuel said, the look he shot me one of utter distaste.
Gabriel Hawk swung around in the large swivel chair he had perched in, the smug look of satisfaction that curled the corners of his lips over my obvious panic had me wanting to wipe the expression from his face. I found myself fixating on his mouth, that mouth that had brought me screaming to orgasm more times than I cared to admit.
You’re sick Sasha, an addict!
The voice in the back of my head piped up, breaking the moment and giving me the opportunity I so desperately needed to find my balance once more.
“Miss Carter, are you alright?” Gabriel said, his voice tinged with amusement.
He knew full well the effect he had on me and the bastard was actually enjoying my discomfort.
“I’m fine, Mr Hawk, your presence caught me by surprise.” I turned my attention away from him and gave Samuel the widest smile I could possibly muster in an attempt to appear unfazed. “You said I had a new client, I checked my office but there’s no one waiting.”
The look on Samuel’s face changed, his confusion over the situation apparent. For somebody who had spent a long time building a business around public relations it surprised me that he had no clue about my past with Gabriel.
“Mr Hawk is your new client, I didn’t want to leave him sitting in your office alone while you were gone,” Samuel said.
I shook my head and kept my fake smile in place as I struggled to make sense of his words. It had to be a mistake.
“I don’t think, Gabriel… I mean, Mr Hawk wants me planning anything for him.”
Samuel stood and pushed away from the desk, his best ‘for the client’ smile on his face. “If you’ll just give us a moment, Mr Hawk, I need to discuss some scheduling rearrangements with Miss Carter.”
Gabriel smirked in reply and I wanted to fling myself across the space between us and batter him with my handbag. How could he be so utterly infuriating? So completely obnoxious? He’d promised he would stay away from me when we finished and he’d kept his word. Until now…
Samuel dug his fingers into my arm as he swung me around and towed me out the door into the claustrophobic grey hallway.
“What the hell are you doing, Sasha, that’s Gabriel Hawk in there?”
As he spoke I couldn’t help but focus in on the beads of sweat that glistened across his upper lip.
“I don’t have time for this and you know it, I’m dealing with the Bryce party and I just can’t be around Gabriel, I…” I cut myself off before I spilled the truth to Samuel.
“Are you fucking him?” Samuel whispered, his voice cold and dripping with condemnation.
“What? No!” His question shocked me and without thinking I took a step back but the grip he had on my arm held me anchored in place.
He studied my face for a second as though searching for a sign that would tell him I was lying. When he didn’t find it, his expression softened and he released his hold on me.
“I’m sorry, Sasha, that was completely unprofessional of me, I shouldn’t have said it. It’s just ever since that night…”
He trailed off and I struggled to keep the revulsion from my face. I must have succeeded because he continued to study me with a softer expression.
“It’s fine, Samuel,” I started to speak, the words sticking in the back of my throat.
“It’s not really fine, Sasha, you understand the companies policy about getting involved with clients or members of staff so you know why I had to reject you? I didn’t meant to hurt your feelings but it’s simply not professional considering our working relationship.”
“Excuse me?” Anger swelled within me and I curled my hands into fists at my sides.
“I care about you, I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“You made a pass at me! I was nice enough to not kick you in the balls when you slobbered all over me.” I kept my voice low, I didn’t want to create a scene and if I could have had the floor open up and swallow me whole I would.
“You’re upset, I understand. And I want you to know that it’s not that I think the sex wouldn’t have been hot, you’d be great in bed but you’re just not the type I normally go for… I need someone who cares about the public’s perception of their image.”
“Samuel, please tell me you’ve lost your mind? I wouldn’t touch you if you were the last man on earth and…”
He cut me off with a pat on the arm and a patronising smile on his face.
“Sasha, I know you’re hurting but don’t let your emotions get the better of you. At the end of the day, I’m still your boss and I’m willing to overlook the indiscretion just this once. But I need you to work on your attitude, you need to put your feelings towards me to one side and…”
I felt the palm of my hand itch and I started to draw my hand back, planning to let him feel the full extent of my attitude and feelings on the matter.
I jumped as the door to Samuel’s office whooshed open and Gabriel stood there, framed by the sunlight that poured in through the large office window.
The look on Samuel’s face died the moment he spotted the thunderous expression Gabriel wore.
“Is there a problem out here?” Gabriel said, his voice cold enough to send a shiver racing down my spine.
His voice dredging up memories I’d tried to bury. Gabriel had a temper and he didn’t like to be made a fool of.
“I’m sorry, Mr Hawk, there’s no problem, I was just getting Miss Carter here up to speed on the situation.”
“It sounded to me like you were harassing her…” Gabriel focussed the full extent of his attention on Samuel and I couldn’t help but feel grateful that he wasn’t zeroing in on me in the same way.
Samuel shifted uncomfortably and I watched him squirm. He deserved it after everything he’d said to me.
“That’s not it at all, here at FoxHall PR we’re very conscious of ensuring that all relationships are kept strictly professional…” Samuel spluttered over his words and his face grew red.
“Good,” Gabriel said, pushing out through the door and gesturing down the hall towards my office. “Shall we enter negotiations, Miss Carter?”
The way he said my name tightened things low in my belly and I nodded. I led the way down the floor away from Samuel but I could feel his hate filled gaze boring holes through the back of my skull as I pushed the door open and disappeared inside with Gabriel.
Turning to face him my mouth suddenly went dry and I realised my mistake. Being alone in a room with Gabriel Hawk wasn’t a good idea when he could simply say my name and reduce me to a puddle of desire and desperate longing.
He stared at me like the wolf stares at its prey, a smile curling his lips and I swallowed hard.
He was wrong for me in every conceivable way possible and yet I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anything in my life.
