Page 45 of No Longer Mine

I scrambled off his lap and pulled my dress up around my body. It was the only way I knew how to protect myself, even though the other man wasn’t here in the room. It didn’t matter as he couldn’t see me, but it made me feel better.

Sinclair’s voice was slightly muffled. “We’ve had a security breach in one of the investments.”

Gavin swore. “I would have gotten the notification…” He trailed off as he pulled his phone from his ear and saw a notification at the top of his screen. “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t realize. I had company.”

“The redhead from tonight?”

I swallowed thickly as I wrapped my arms around myself. My eyes skipped to the modern clock on the side table. It was almost one in the morning.

“Yes, sir.”

“What did I tell you about distractions, especially right before launch?”

Something was going on, and I didn’t want to be in the middle of it. I inched closer to the bedroom door before I remembered Dimitri’s ring was still locked in his side table. I absolutely couldn’t leave without that. I would rather die.

“I remember, sir. I’ll handle it.” He ended the call and turned back to me as he raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry about that. There was an issue with one of the backers for my launch that I need to see to now.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Work is a priority to you.”

He nodded. “Let me get your ring back.”

Gavin slid it back onto my finger with ease, his touch lingering just a little too long. I forced myself to stay relaxed, to keep my breathing even, to not let him see how fast my pulse was racing.

“I’ll walk you out.”

I nodded, schooling my features into something soft and grateful. It wasn’t a lie either. It was wrong to be enjoying him in bed when I was picturing someone else.

He reached for his suit jacket draped over the chair and slipped it on, adjusting the cuffs before running a hand through his hair again. “You don’t have to rush off, you know.”

I forced a chuckle, slipping my heels back on as I grabbed my clutch. “You have work, I have work in the morning. Timing just isn’t on our side tonight.”

Gavin led me down the hall, his hand hovering just above the small of my back. The weight of his presence felt different now—he wasn’t as relaxed as before. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, watching as his jaw ticked, as his fingers flexed at his sides. He opened the front door for me, his features softened slightly, back to the man that had been with me all night. He was no longer calculating and was trying to be soft for me. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “Next time, I’ll make sure my office is warm enough for you.”

“Goodnight, Gavin.”

My words held finality in them, and he closed his eyes with regret. I hoped I only had to see him in passing at other events. Oliver was going to love hacking his schedule for when the next heist would happen but for some reason, I was dreading it.

My heels echoed against the polished floor as I made my way to the elevator. I pressed the button, staring at my reflection in the mirrored doors. My lipstick was slightly smudged, my hair a little tousled. But it was the ring on my finger that held me hostage. I curled my fingers into a fist. How many times would I play this game with myself?

I opened my phone to order an Uber before I realized the notification of a call. I’d almost forgotten about it with the excitement of Sinclair’s call to Gavin.

I ordered the Uber and called Oliver back.

“Are you okay?” His tone was rushed and there was an undercurrent of fear I’d never heard before.

“What’s happening?” I asked as I stepped out of Gavin’s lobby and into the busy city streets.

“Your security system was dismantled for a few minutes.” Oliver’s keyboard clicked away on the other end. “I don’t know if you should go home.”

I weighed all of my options. I could go to the safe house, but I also didn’t know if it was random that Sinclair Cristof was asking about me to Gavin. I didn’t want to be followed. I needed to go home. It would look odd if I didn’t.

“I hate to say it, but I need to go check things out. How are all of my cameras looking?” I asked before I spotted my Uber across the street. I dodged a few pedestrians, slipping between a group of tourists as I crossed the street toward my waiting car. My phone stayed pressed to my ear, Oliver’s furious typing crackling in the background.

“All exterior cameras are fine,” he muttered, frustration lacing his voice. “Nothing tripped, no logs of motion. It’s like they never even touched the system—just bypassed it completely.”

I clenched my jaw. That wasn’t possible. No one got past my security without me knowing. No one except?—

I exhaled sharply as I slid into the Uber, murmuring a quick greeting to the driver before lowering my voice. “And inside?”