The Executive's Vengeful Seduction / Rich Man's Revenge

Gabrielle understood. “Mum, it’s okay. I can stay at the house by myself.”

Her mother’s eyes filled with worry. “But that’s the problem. They’d just started major renovations when this happened to your father, so I’ve let them continue while I’m sleeping here at the hospital. But a lot of strange men are working around the place and I don’t want you alone there.”

Gabrielle accepted that. She wasn’t sure she’d even wanted to stay at the house anyway. There were too many bad memories. “Then I’ll stay at a hotel.”

Her mother clicked her tongue. “Oh, but I don’t want you staying in some impersonal hotel room, either.”

“Mum, I have to stay somewhere,” she half joked, then felt a slither of apprehension when she saw Damien’s dark brows jerk together.

He turned to her mother. “Don’t worry, Caroline. Gabrielle can stay at my apartment. I’ll even rent her a car so she can get around town.”

Gabrielle stiffened. “No, that’s not necess—” she began until Damien shot her a dark look silencing her.

Her mother’s face had already filled with relief. “That’s wonderful, Damien. I’ll feel so much better knowing you’re close by.”

He nodded. “You just concentrate on helping Russell get better.”

“But—” Gabrielle began again, not wanting to stay within an inch of this man. They’d been lovers. She was still feeling the pull of his attraction. She couldn’t live with him, not even for a day.

“It’s no trouble, Gabrielle,” Damien said in a tone that brooked no objection.

Caroline gave her daughter a heartfelt hug goodbye. “Darling, let Damien take care of you for a while. Ohh, I’m so glad you’re here. And your father will be, too, once he wakes up.” Gabrielle wanted to say she didn’t need to be taken care of, but Caroline was already kissing Damien on the cheek again. “Look after my baby, Damien. She’s precious to me.”

“I will.”

Just then another nurse went inside the room, and it was obvious her mother was anxious to follow. Gabrielle knew there was nothing for it but to put her own worries aside. “Mum, go back to Dad. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, darling,” Caroline said warmly before she slipped back inside the room.

Then it was just her and Damien again.

Just as it would be at his apartment.

Sharp anxiety twisted inside her, making her testy. “You’ve got a nerve telling my mother I’ll be staying at your place. I’d prefer a hotel.”

Displeasure furrowed his brow as he took her arm and started toward the elevator. “You heard Caroline. She’s worried about you and wants to know you’re safe.”

“With you?” she scoffed.

“You’re always safe with me, Gabrielle.” He captured her eyes with his. “It’s yourself you’re not sure about.”

The breath caught in her lungs, but thankfully the elevator doors slid open and she quickly stepped inside, standing away from him, wishing it wasn’t empty.

The doors slid shut, enclosing them alone together. “It would be easier if I stayed in a hotel,” she insisted stubbornly, knowing she was fighting a losing battle but determined to fight all the same.

He glanced at his Rolex as if he didn’t care one way or the other. “My apartment has a spare bedroom. You may as well use it.” Yet when he looked up, his eyes had darkened to a jungle green, and just as untamed.

A quiver surged through her veins. “You didn’t have a spare bedroom before,” she said stupidly, saying the first thing that came to mind, trying not to let him see her reaction.

“That’s because I didn’t have this apartment before,” he drawled.

She flushed. “Fine,” she said, giving in to stop from blathering like an idiot again. “But it’s only for a few days and that’s all.”

A satisfied looked crossed his face, making her even more tense. “That’s settled then,” he said, just as the elevator stopped and the doors opened so other people could get in with them.

She and Damien moved to the back of the compartment, but she was still very aware of him. She tried to resist the compulsion to look sideways but decided one quick look wouldn’t hurt.

And that was her mistake.

His gaze lingered on her figure, making her nipples tighten beneath the light material of her pantsuit. She’d chosen the outfit because it flattered her moderate bustline and slight swell of her hips, and because she always felt good in it. The last thing she’d expected when she’d dressed this morning was an X-ray treatment from a man who’d been her lover and knew every inch of her body.

Oh God. Her staying at his apartment may have been settled, but she had the uneasy feeling nothing else had been settled at all.

Having Gabrielle in his apartment was more than Damien expected on her first day back in town, but he would take it one step at a time. He wanted her in his bed but he also wanted a willing partner and was prepared to wait until she was ready.

It won’t be a long wait.

She could fight herself all she wanted, but it was obvious she was fighting a losing battle. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He could smell that want in her…that need of desire. He felt the same. Her scent filled his nostrils…filled his apartment even now.

And all she had done was walk through to the spare bedroom, he thought with a wry smile as he remembered her cool comment that she’d see him at dinner. But she hadn’t been cool inside. He knew the two of them struck sparks off each other and that it was only a matter of time before they burst into flames.

In the meantime he didn’t mind playing with matches, he mused as he showered and changed for dinner, then arranged for dinner to be delivered.

Then he sat on the sofa to do some paperwork, though his mind kept flicking to Gabrielle and her parents. He had to admit that Russell hadn’t been the best father in the world after Caroline had left a few years earlier. And what had gone on before that, he didn’t know. He hadn’t known them then, having moved to Melbourne for a few years, building his fortune, only flying back to Darwin every so often to play poker with his best friends, Brant and Flynn.

Then one day he’d decided he missed the tropics and he’d come home for good. Fortuitously, Russell had been looking for a business partner at the time, and he’d been looking to make more money. He’d gone on to forge his own company and make his millions. It had worked out well.

Until now.

Until Gabrielle Kane had walked back into his life.

Just like she was doing this very minute as she made an appearance at the living room doorway. She was worth the wait, dressed in a sleeveless, teal-colored crocheted top and long white pants that clung to her gorgeous figure, making her look casual yet stylish.

“Hungry?” he said, putting the papers aside on the sofa and getting to his feet.

“A little.”

He started across the open-plan apartment toward the dining table nestled over in the corner. “Everything’s ready.”

She slowly followed him, then frowned when she saw the table laden with food. “Are others coming?”

“No. Just us. I ordered from the restaurant across the street.” The chef had gone a little overboard with the array of tropical salads, dishes teeming with prawns and lobster, Tasmanian salmon and barramundi fish. “I told them plenty of seafood,” he said, deliberately reminding her that he remembered how partial she’d been to this type of food.

Her eyes brightened, then she flushed. “Thank you, but I doubt I’ll do it all justice.”

“No problem. My housekeeper will be delighted to take the leftovers off my hands.” He held out the chair for her. “Sit here.”

She moved forward and did as he suggested. Once she was comfortable, he took his own seat and poured wine into their glasses.

Her gaze darted around the room. “This is a really nice apartment.”

“I know. Lucky for me one of my friends married a very talented lady who loves to decorate.”

The place hadn’t been half-bad before, but Danielle had suggested some ideas and he hadn’t had the heart to dissuade her. He and Flynn had smiled at each other as she’d enthusiastically promised a stylishly furnished apartment with class and sophistication that was ideal for executive living. And she’d lived up to that promise. The open plan of the living and dining area, abundant with natural light, soaked up the magnificent panoramic views of the harbor…her words, not his. She’d done a great job of it.

“It’s lovely,” Gabrielle agreed.

“Just like you are, Gabrielle,” he said, holding her eyes with his. One day soon he would hold her in his arms. And he would show her how lovely he thought she was.

A pulse beat at the base of her throat. “You know, I’m suddenly really hungry,” she said huskily, and began piling the food on her plate.

He was too, but it wasn’t for food. Dammit, waiting was already harder than he’d expected.

It would be easier once he said what he needed to say. She wasn’t going to be so placid then, he decided, as they ate in silence for a while, listening to the soft background music, but eventually he knew he couldn’t put this off. She wasn’t going to like it.

He raised his glass in a toast. “To you, Gabrielle.”

Her eyes widened. “Me?”

“For having the courage to come home again.”

She looked pleasantly surprised as she picked up her glass and clinked it against his. “Thank you,” she said, a slight catch to her voice that unfurled something soft inside his chest.

He took a sip of wine, then said, “Your mother was pleased to see you today.”

“Yes.”

“I imagine Russell will be, too.”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you glad now that you came?”

Her forehead creased a little, her eyes growing puzzled. “Yes, I am.”

He rested back against his chair. “And you’re happy to be here in Darwin?”

She eyed him with sudden suspicion. “Okay, what’s this about, Damien?”

Leaning forward, he placed his wine glass on the table, then dropped the bombshell. “Your cousin has taken control of the Kane Property and Finance Group.”

Her cousin was an idiot.

A dangerous idiot.

She gaped at him. “Keiran? How on earth did he get involved in all this?”

Damien’s mouth tightened. “Some years ago your father sold forty percent of the company shares to him, that’s why.”

She sat up straighter. “What! Why would he do that?”

“Russell wanted to keep it in the family if anything happened to him, and Keiran worked on him until he sold him the shares.” Damien had advised Russell against it, but the older man seemed to have a blind spot where his nephew was concerned, and now his company that specialized in providing investment property finance here in Australia and the growing Asian market, was paying the price. “Your father also left written instructions with his attorney that if he became incapacitated, then you were to get forty percent of the shares as well.”

“What!”

“You each now hold forty percent of the Kane Property and Finance Group.”

She shook her head. “I don’t believe I’m hearing this.”

“Believe it.”

“Oh my Lord.” She sat there for a moment looking stunned.

“Keiran’s been at Kane’s for some years now and he knows the business. As soon as Russell had the stroke he stepped in and took over. Your cousin was always quick when there was something in it for him.”

“I know.”

He paused, then, “And that’s exactly why you needed to be here.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Her eyes widened. “Good heavens, you don’t expect me to step in and start running a multinational company, do you?”

“Why not? Keiran did. He’s already made some decisions that would give your father another stroke if he knew, and we can’t do a damn thing to stop him.” The only person who could stop him was sitting right here. “If you assume control, Keiran will hopefully slink back into his own little office where he can do no more damage.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “But Keiran owns as many shares as I do now. He’s not going to give up the top job.”

Damien could feel his jaw clench. “Let’s try him first.”

She shook her head, obviously trying to get it clear in her mind. “Hang on. Why didn’t you tell me all this back in Sydney?”

“Would you have come home?”

“I don’t know,” she said, her forehead marred with a crease. “And I don’t understand why my father left me forty percent.”

“Perhaps he expected you would come back if he needed you. And he does need you now, Gabrielle.”

A cynical light came into her eyes. “You mean he thought it was a good way of blackmailing me into coming home if he ever needed me.” She shook her head. “It’s still all about him, isn’t it?”

Damien ignored that. “Your father wouldn’t expect you to take over if you weren’t capable.”

Her eyebrows shot up as realization dawned on her. “Oh, so he’s been keeping tabs on me, too.”

He had no idea, but it was highly likely. “Russell doesn’t always take me into his confidence.” The older man had been a friend and mentor but he’d never spoken about his daughter until recently. “Look, I’ll help you. I’ve delegated some of my own business dealings to others. I’ve got the time.”

A flicker of apprehension crossed her face. “To work with me every day, you mean?”

“Yes.” And if he got to make love to her sooner, all the better.

Her beautiful blue eyes hardened and narrowed. “What’s in it for you, Damien?”

He returned her look with a level one of his own. “I want to help Russell. I owe him a lot.”

Seconds ticked by. “That’s commendable of you,” she said somewhat sourly.

His mouth tightened. “I admire Russell and what he’s achieved.”

“And look at the price he paid for it,” she pointed out. “He lost his wife and then his daughter, and now he’s losing his company. Don’t admire him, Damien. Pity him.”

“So why aren’t you?” he challenged, and saw her startled look. “Come on, Gabrielle. Tell me. Why aren’t you showing your father some pity?”

She bridled. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Under protest.”

She dropped her gaze to the table. “That may be so, but I do love my father nonetheless.” Her eyelashes lifted. “But even if I wanted to help more, there are limits to what I can do.”

“How do you know? You haven’t even tried.”

Her lip curled with sarcasm. “Your understanding amazes me.”

He took his time before saying what needed to be said. “You’re the only one who can save the company from ruin, Gabrielle.”

“What about my mother?” she said as sudden hope swept across her face. “Perhaps I can sign over the shares to her and she could stop Keiran from taking over the company. She only needs to put in an appearance and you could do the rest.”

“You would ask that of your mother? When she’s having a hard enough time as it is?”

“Yet it’s okay to ask it of me?” She grimaced, and a slight flush tinged her cheeks. “That sounded selfish. I didn’t mean it like that.”

He inclined his head. “Caroline’s got enough on her plate looking after your father right now.”

She raised her chin. “And if I don’t choose to be a part of this?”

“I don’t think you’d forgive yourself if your parents lost everything.”

She exhaled a long, ragged breath. “You really know how to tighten the thumb screws, don’t you?”

“Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do but we do them anyway.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll try,” she snapped. “But once my father’s on the mend, I’ll be leaving and going back to Sydney. Don’t forget that.”

“You’ve already made that clear.” But he was more than satisfied.

For the moment.

She placed her napkin on the table and pushed to her feet. “Somehow I’ve lost my appetite. I think I’ll go to my room. Good night.”

It was more than clear she wanted time alone. Time he could afford to give her.

He inclined his head. “Good night, Gabrielle,” he said, watching her walk away with a sway to her hips that would draw any man’s attention. Yet he wasn’t just any man. He’d been her lover, if not her confidant.

And she’d walked out on him without a proper goodbye. It had left a loss he only recognized now that he’d seen her again. A loss that went deeper than he’d expected. And because of it, he could feel an odd sort of anger simmering beneath the surface. An anger he wasn’t ready to face. Perhaps once he had enough of her body he’d never have to face it.

Three

Gabrielle retired to the spare bedroom and stood looking out the window at the harbor. Being around Damien wasn’t conducive to being clear-minded. He always seemed to be watching her, waiting for her to lower her guard. And keeping up that guard was exhausting when she had other things to think about.

God, it was mind-boggling that her father had given her forty percent of the shares in the business. Of course, she thought cynically, he hadn’t been able to bring himself to give her the remaining sixty percent of the shares—not that she wanted them.

No, he’d been hedging his bets. He’d given her limited control of the business, but had withheld twenty percent of the shares for himself just in case his incapacitation had proven temporary. And that was predictably her father. He could never let go of total control.

As for Keiran holding forty percent of the shares, well, that was a justified worry. Her cousin had always had his eye on the main chance, no matter what had been at stake, whether it be tripping her up as a kid so he could jump in the swimming pool first, or trying to suck up to her father during her parents’ separation. She had no doubt Keiran was capable of anything. She disliked him intensely. He was the one person who should not be in charge of a multimillion-dollar business.

As for Damien, it was typical he hadn’t told her about this before now. If she didn’t know him better, she’d think he was just like Keiran, keeping secrets to himself and using them for his own benefit.

Only, she knew he wasn’t like Keiran.

Not at all.

Damien wasn’t underhanded, just arrogant. She couldn’t see Damien tripping anyone to get in the pool first. He just wasn’t that kind of person. Damien would manipulate to get what he wanted—oh, yes, and he was good at that—but there was a difference. Damien wasn’t the type to lie or cheat if confronted over an issue. If Damien said something, he meant it. If he gave his word, he would stand by it.

Heavens, never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she’d ever be spending another night sleeping under Damien’s roof. And in separate bedrooms, too. And that was just as well. He’d been a sensual man when she’d met him and she knew he hadn’t changed. She could still feel the sensuality rolling off him in waves. Even now she remembered the force of his desire from the day she’d walked into that function with her father and she’d felt the pull of a man’s eyes from across the room.

Damien.

It had been that strong.

But that’s all it had ever been with him. She’d only ever known him in the physical sense, never the emotional one. For two glorious months over a tropical summer it had been all about sex and attraction on his part, while she’d fallen headlong in love with him.

And she’d wanted him to love her in return, only it was never going to happen. She’d realized that the day she’d left home for good. It had given her the strength not to look back. If she had, she would have weakened and gone running into his arms.

But not into his heart.

It had taken her years to get over him, but time and distance had put things into perspective. It had been lust, not love. Attraction, not affinity. It was important to remember that, she decided as the adrenaline pumped through her veins, taking her a long time to fall asleep. Once she did, exhaustion gave her some blessed relief from the relentless thoughts going through her head, and when she stepped into the kitchen the next morning, she felt more rested than she’d dared hope.

Until she saw Damien standing at the counter, contemplating the mug of coffee in his hands as if it held the secrets to life itself. He obviously hadn’t heard her enter because he didn’t move. Strange, but he looked sort of…lonely.

She must have made a sound because his head shot up, and a seductive glint slid straight into his eyes. “Ah, the prodigal daughter has awoken,” he drawled, his gaze going over her red sleeveless dress cinched at the waist with a belt of the same material, and matching leather pumps.

“And good morning to you, too,” she said coolly, forcing herself to ignore the pull of his physical appearance. So what if he was dressed in dark trousers and a white shirt that looked like they’d been born on him?

A lazy moment passed by as Damien considered her, then he placed his mug on the counter behind him. “I phoned the hospital earlier. Russell’s doing as well as expected.”

Her heart fluttered with anxiety at the reminder of her father. “Thank you. I was going to call shortly myself.” She moved toward the percolator on the counter, badly needing her morning cup of coffee. “I plan on going to see him soon.”

“They said not to come until this afternoon. Apparently they’ve got a couple of doctors checking him over this morning.” He must have seen her give a start. “Your mother said it was nothing to worry about.”

Her panic subsided as she poured coffee into a cup. “Then I can go see Keiran instead. I planned on it, anyway.”

“Aah, so that’s why you’re dressed like that.”

Something in his voice made her look up, and she found his eyes sliding over her again, making her catch her breath. She put the coffeepot back with a shaky hand and tried to act casual. “I’m not about to go into my father’s office in jeans and a tank top.”

“Might get some favorable comments.”

“More likely they’d direct me to the janitor’s room,” she quipped, looking at him over the top of her coffee cup.

All at once he smiled. A rare smile that knocked her off balance. For a moment she could only stare at him across the width of the room.

Then that smile faded and something in those eyes darkened and he moved forward, making her heart drop to her knees. He stopped right in front of her, took the cup out of her hand then placed it on the counter beside her.

“It’s been a long time, Gabrielle,” he said huskily, in a voice so Australian, so thick and delicious, it swirled around her heart like a long-lost friend. “Miss me?”

She swallowed. “Does a bear miss a toothache?” she managed to say, the breathlessness in her voice disturbing her.

He gave a soft laugh and slid his hands over her shoulders with an ease that only an ex-lover can have. “Hmm. I like your hair this length.” Provocatively, one finger coiled around some blond strands that curled below her neck. “It suits you.”

She shivered as his warm breath wafted over her and wrapped her in its minty scent. It seemed like only yesterday when she would have leaned into the hard wall of his chest and relished his strength. And only yesterday that they had made love with a passion that had stolen her breath away.

“You’re even more beautiful than I remember,” he murmured, his hands sliding down to her hips.

Up close, his green gaze was a caress, his male scent too enticing, the tension between them building, overwhelming her, restricting her breathing, making her forget that never again had she wanted to be close enough to see into the irises of his emerald eyes…or the grain of his skin as it weaved and dipped its way over a strong nose and lean cheekbones…nor had she ever wanted to touch the fullness of his lips, to know she’d once ached to have them on her body.

“Stop it,” she whispered, hating herself for letting him affect her like this.

“Stop what?”

“Damien…”

“Gabi…”

Gabi. He’d only ever called her that once before. He’d been thrusting inside her and she’d been welcoming each plunge of his body. They’d reached their climax together. It had been the only time she’d felt his equal, and not some young woman who’d been the daughter of his business partner.