sex.
Nothing seemed to throw her off her game. At one point she dropped a mushroom she was chopping. Without missing a beat, she giggled and said, “Oops, I guess that’s for the dog. I don’t have a dog now, unfortunately, but when I was growing up we had a golden retriever who was like a living vacuum…” And so it went for another twenty minutes or so.
Once she had the meal plated up and gave wine suggestions, she sat down at the little kitchen table on the set. She took a sip of red wine and said, “As you know, this is the time during the week when we like to take a call from a viewer. Today we have a call from…” She squinted at the teleprompter. “I can’t tell who we have a call from because I can’t seem to read the screen. Go ahead, caller.”
“Hello, Reggie.” The hairs on the back of Gabe’s neck stood on end. There was something about that voice, like it was disguised to sound deeper and raspier than it really was. Gabe wasn’t the only one who noticed. Reggie had stiffened almost imperceptibly, her smile now tight around the corners, a hint of worry in her big brown eyes.
Nevertheless, she kept her composure. “Hello, caller. What’s your question?”
“I want to know, Reggie, what you’ll have as an accompaniment when you suck my cock.”
Her eyes went wide, and for a moment everyone froze as she simply stared at the camera. “Well, caller, I personally prefer my cock unadorned, so I’m afraid I can’t help you. Do we have another call perhaps?”
Chapter Four
T he set erupted in pandemonium as the director screamed at the cameraman to stop rolling while Natalie and Tyler ran up to Reggie all talking at once and asking if she was all right.
“Everyone, calm down!” Gabe’s booming voice quieted the chaos to a low din, and he pushed through the crowd surrounding her. “No one leave.”
Gabe’s wrapped his hand around her upper arm, the heat of his fingertips burning through the thin knit of her cobalt blue sweater.
He tugged gently as he spoke to Max, Natalie, and Tyler. “Will you excuse us please? I need to talk to Reggie in private.”
Natalie opened her mouth to protest and Reggie quickly shook her head. Though his iron grip wasn’t painful, she was guessing by the vein subtly pulsing at his jaw that he wasn’t in the mood to hear arguments.
The man was furious, though he was visibly trying to hide it. But Reggie could feel the rage vibrating in that powerful body and sensed that he was nanoseconds away from blowing like a land mine.
He calmly steered her through the studio, out the door, and into the hall.
“Do you know that your nostrils flare when you’re angry?” She hadn’t meant to say that, and wished she hadn’t when the fires of hell ignited in his eyes.
But just for a split second. Gabe ran a big hand down his face, pausing to pinch his nose, as though to remind his nostrils to behave, and the cool, impassive mask was back in place. But a mean vein stood out in stark relief on the right side of his forehead.
He spoke in a cool, calm voice that was almost scarier for the simmering rage she heard underneath. “Reggie, I don’t think you’re taking this seriously.” He positioned her against the wall, blocking her in with the solid mass of his chest. Somehow she knew he was barely restraining himself from lifting her off the ground and shaking her. But he kept it so well hidden that to any passersby they would look like two people having a quiet, if intense, conversation.
She tried to concentrate on what he was saying, something about how the stalker’s threats were escalating, but when he stood this close she could smell the faint soap and clean laundry scent that clung to him, and under that, his own personal aroma, one that made her want to bury her nose in the open collar of his shirt. Which reminded her she probably smelled of cooked meat and garlicky mushroom sauce.
Finally, his words sank in and irritation replaced the feeling of
Nothing seemed to throw her off her game. At one point she dropped a mushroom she was chopping. Without missing a beat, she giggled and said, “Oops, I guess that’s for the dog. I don’t have a dog now, unfortunately, but when I was growing up we had a golden retriever who was like a living vacuum…” And so it went for another twenty minutes or so.
Once she had the meal plated up and gave wine suggestions, she sat down at the little kitchen table on the set. She took a sip of red wine and said, “As you know, this is the time during the week when we like to take a call from a viewer. Today we have a call from…” She squinted at the teleprompter. “I can’t tell who we have a call from because I can’t seem to read the screen. Go ahead, caller.”
“Hello, Reggie.” The hairs on the back of Gabe’s neck stood on end. There was something about that voice, like it was disguised to sound deeper and raspier than it really was. Gabe wasn’t the only one who noticed. Reggie had stiffened almost imperceptibly, her smile now tight around the corners, a hint of worry in her big brown eyes.
Nevertheless, she kept her composure. “Hello, caller. What’s your question?”
“I want to know, Reggie, what you’ll have as an accompaniment when you suck my cock.”
Her eyes went wide, and for a moment everyone froze as she simply stared at the camera. “Well, caller, I personally prefer my cock unadorned, so I’m afraid I can’t help you. Do we have another call perhaps?”
Chapter Four
T he set erupted in pandemonium as the director screamed at the cameraman to stop rolling while Natalie and Tyler ran up to Reggie all talking at once and asking if she was all right.
“Everyone, calm down!” Gabe’s booming voice quieted the chaos to a low din, and he pushed through the crowd surrounding her. “No one leave.”
Gabe’s wrapped his hand around her upper arm, the heat of his fingertips burning through the thin knit of her cobalt blue sweater.
He tugged gently as he spoke to Max, Natalie, and Tyler. “Will you excuse us please? I need to talk to Reggie in private.”
Natalie opened her mouth to protest and Reggie quickly shook her head. Though his iron grip wasn’t painful, she was guessing by the vein subtly pulsing at his jaw that he wasn’t in the mood to hear arguments.
The man was furious, though he was visibly trying to hide it. But Reggie could feel the rage vibrating in that powerful body and sensed that he was nanoseconds away from blowing like a land mine.
He calmly steered her through the studio, out the door, and into the hall.
“Do you know that your nostrils flare when you’re angry?” She hadn’t meant to say that, and wished she hadn’t when the fires of hell ignited in his eyes.
But just for a split second. Gabe ran a big hand down his face, pausing to pinch his nose, as though to remind his nostrils to behave, and the cool, impassive mask was back in place. But a mean vein stood out in stark relief on the right side of his forehead.
He spoke in a cool, calm voice that was almost scarier for the simmering rage she heard underneath. “Reggie, I don’t think you’re taking this seriously.” He positioned her against the wall, blocking her in with the solid mass of his chest. Somehow she knew he was barely restraining himself from lifting her off the ground and shaking her. But he kept it so well hidden that to any passersby they would look like two people having a quiet, if intense, conversation.
She tried to concentrate on what he was saying, something about how the stalker’s threats were escalating, but when he stood this close she could smell the faint soap and clean laundry scent that clung to him, and under that, his own personal aroma, one that made her want to bury her nose in the open collar of his shirt. Which reminded her she probably smelled of cooked meat and garlicky mushroom sauce.
Finally, his words sank in and irritation replaced the feeling of
Similar Books
