Page 23 of No Longer Mine (Rags & Riches #2)

I let him pull me closer, my body settling against his side as his arm draped over the back of the couch. I was supposed to be focused, supposed to be working—but the way he was looking at me made my skin crawl.

His eyes roamed my face, then my body, like he owned me. Like he thought this was leading somewhere.

It wasn’t.

I took another sip of bourbon, giving him a slow, lazy smile. “You compare all your drinks to women, or am I just special?”

He chuckled, his fingers grazing along my arm. “You’re different. Mysterious. There’s something about you, Scarlett.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. He was predictable.

His fingers trailed lower, skating over the bare skin of my thigh, inching up the slit of my dress. My stomach turned.

Nope. Absolutely not.

I shifted just enough to place my glass on the table, conveniently moving my body out of his reach in the process. “What do you do for work? Do you work for your family or…”

Or did you live off of the trust fund your daddy put together for you?

“I’m actually working on starting up my own finance firm.”

My brows jumped. That was the most interesting thing about him all night.

I tilted my head, letting just enough interest slip into my expression to keep him talking.

“Your own finance firm?” I mused, picking up my glass again. “That’s… surprising.”

Gavin smirked, taking my reaction as a compliment. “Why? Because I don’t seem like the working type?”

Because you seem like the type to let your father’s money do the heavy lifting.

Instead, I gave him a playful smile and took a slow sip of bourbon. “Something like that.”

He chuckled, leaning back against the couch. “I get it. Most of the guys in my circle are happy living off their trust funds forever. But I want something of my own.”

I hummed, feigning intrigue. “And what is that something?”

His grin widened. “A firm specializing in high-net-worth investments. Something discreet, powerful. I want to work with the kind of people who control everything—the ones who don’t need to flaunt their money because they know how deep their influence runs.”

Now that was interesting.

Not just because it meant Gavin had ambition, but because it meant he had access.

High-net-worth investments. The kind of accounts that moved billions under the table, that politicians and crime syndicates alike used to keep their wealth untouchable.

I couldn’t mess this one up. I had to be very careful because it could lead to so much more.

I could change lives with this access. I could save lives with that kind of access.

The heist only grew more complicated as the night went on.

I couldn’t sleep with this man, but I would need to at least keep things amicable.

If I hurt his ego, I would never get close enough to potential clients… Potential marks.

How could I get out of this without hurting his ego?

I set my glass down again, shifting toward him slightly, letting my fingers graze along the sleeve of his expensive button-down. “Sounds powerful,” I murmured.

His eyes darkened slightly, his body tilting toward mine. “It will be.”

I let my lips curve, but I didn’t move closer. I didn’t need to.

He was already hooked.“And when do you plan on launching this empire of yours?”

Gavin exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “It’s complicated. There’s a lot of red tape, a lot of regulations to work around. But I’ve been making the right connections. I already have clients lined up—people who want discretion.”

I knew what that meant.

Dirty money. Hidden assets.

Which explained why he was trying to get close to Dimitri Cristof. Was he in on this? Was Gavin going to move money for him?

“I would imagine you work from home often?”

His eyes crinkled as they narrowed slightly. “You seem to want to know a lot about work. I was hoping we could do other things besides talk.”

There it was. I let out a breath. “You caught me.” I bit my bottom lip, pretending to be embarrassed. “I have a… um…” I covered my face with my hands. “You were right.”

“About?” He peeled my hands from my face.

“The quiet ones…” I tucked my bottom lip between my teeth again and shook my head. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“Oh, Scarlett, don’t tell me you have a kink.”

Barf. I wanted to be out of there as fast as possible. Instead, I pretended to be bashful. “It’s silly.” I tried to wave it off, but he grabbed my hands in his and pressed them to his mouth before pulling me from the couch.

“It isn’t silly. Tell me.” He led me down one of the hallways, my eyes tracked everything.

Still no cameras. Good. He opened the third door on the right.

It would be easy enough to find later. No key pad, no password, no lock, from what I could tell.

His office was predictable. There was a big mahogany desk that took up the center of it with a thick rug beneath it.

A wing-backed chair was placed on the other side of it, facing a window covered in thick drapes.

The room was dark, masculine, and cozy. The two low sitting chairs in the center of the room called to me.

I could imagine businessmen meeting here and being impressed, but from what I could tell, there wasn’t a safe.

I couldn’t peek under his desk, and I certainly couldn’t ask him to leave and fetch me something else again.

What I really needed was to get out. I knew what was coming next.

“So,” Gavin began as he backed me into the room and onto the edge of his desk.

His hands skimmed my waist, while I faked being putty in his hands.

I tilted my head back and watched him with lowered eyes.

He ate it up. If he hadn’t smelled like alcohol, I probably would have let this continue.

It had been too long since I’d been taken care of.

I was so lost in taking care of everyone else, all I wanted was for someone to care for my needs for a change.

I wasn’t sure if Gavin was the guy to do it, but it was a nice thought. “What’s this kink you have?”

I ducked my head and giggled. “It’s really nothing. I thought I wanted you to take me on the desk, but as I think about it… It is rather cold in here. That probably wouldn’t be the most comfortable.”

His finger traced down my side as his eyes grew dark. “I could take care of you in here.” He leaned in to press a kiss to my exposed shoulder and I shivered. This time it wasn’t faked. Maybe Gavin was that guy. Except when he leaned in to kiss my lips, all I could see was Dimitri.

The kiss was wet and sloppy. I wouldn’t have minded, especially if this was what he was like when he took care of me, but for whatever reason, I didn’t think it would actually get that far.

Goosebumps pebbled my skin as he unzipped the back of my dress. I hadn’t been lying when I said it was cold in his office. I pulled back slightly and pointed up at the ceiling, where the vent was directed right at us. “I hate to spoil this, but I am really cold.”

His lips claimed mine again before he pulled me up from his desk and out of his office.

He paused a few times to run his hands over me or kiss me again.

Even if he was a bad kisser, he was good at everything else.

Wrong timing, I guessed. Or maybe just the wrong person. I wanted so badly to enjoy it.

I let Gavin lead me toward the bedroom, forcing myself to stay in the moment, to keep my focus. His fingers trailed over my skin, his touch eager but not urgent.

The bedroom was just as I expected—minimal, sleek, and designed to impress rather than feel lived-in. The oversized bed took center stage, covered in dark linens, flanked by two nightstands that were probably more expensive than most people’s rent.

I made a show of shivering as I stepped inside, running my hands over my arms. “You really like it cold in here.”

Gavin chuckled, moving behind me, his hands settling on my hips. “I run warm. You won’t be cold for long.”

I swallowed the urge to physically cringe.

His mouth skimmed along my shoulder, and I tilted my head to the side, letting out a soft hum—just enough encouragement to keep his attention where I needed it.

Because I wasn’t just here for him. I was here for his safe.

And if it wasn’t in his office, it had to be in here.

Or maybe I wasn’t thinking about it from the right angle and it wasn’t in either of these rooms. This apartment was massive with several other doors down the hallway.

It could have easily been in another room altogether, and I was just missing the mark.

It didn’t matter. I was quick, I would be able to find it on my own when I came back.

I turned in his arms, sliding my hands up his chest, nails barely skimming the fabric of his shirt. His lips curled as his fingers traced down the exposed skin of my back.

“You’re so damn beautiful,” he murmured, his breath warm against my lips.

I gave him a slow smile, then—“Let’s turn the lights off.”

Gavin paused. Not in suspicion, but in something else entirely. “You like the dark?”

I let my lashes lower, feigning something sultry. “I like mystery.”

His grin was instant, his ego practically inflating as he stepped away to turn the dimmer low.

While his back was turned, I scanned the room, my eyes flicking to potential hiding spots.

Nightstand? No. Too obvious.

Under the bed? Possibly, but he didn’t strike me as the type to kneel every time he needed something valuable.

The closet, maybe?

My gaze landed on the floor-to-ceiling closet doors, just as Gavin turned back toward me.

I slipped onto the bed, leaning back against the pillows, letting my fingers trace the hem of my dress. His eyes darkened instantly.

“Now, where were we?”

He prowled toward me, climbing onto the bed, his weight dipping the mattress as his hands skimmed up my thighs.