Free Always Been Mine by Victoria Paige Page B

from hard planes to pure masculine hotness. Gabe was the guy who could make her panties drop with a smile.  
    “Uh, are you going to invite me in?” Gabe asked. Beatrice wanted to smack him on the head when his smile morphed into a semi-smirk. The asshole knew his effect on her and was turning on the charm.  
    “Sorry, caffeine hadn’t kicked in yet. Doug has a key and I don’t have to bother with opening doors in the morning.” She was babbling while she inhaled his scent as he walked past her—leather and soap. Hmm . . . what if sweat was added to the mix?  
    Sex-induced sweat.
    Oh, Lord, this man could turn her brains to mush. She finally noticed him frowning at the open periodical she had on her table.
    “What were you reading?” Gabe asked.
    “I was attacked a couple of days ago by random, red-paint throwing, Titanium Rose fans,” Beatrice said. “I’m not sure it’s so random now.”
    Something flashed across Gabe’s face. It was a look Beatrice knew her father used when he was masking his reaction. She would play along for a while.
    “I’m not following,” Gabe said finally when Beatrice didn’t elaborate.
    She pointed to the picture of Blondie. “She’s one of them.”
    “Okay, let me play devil’s advocate here,” Gabe said steadily, looking her in the eyes. “Why would someone kill Eric Stone and some fans? Are we talking about a stalker?”
    Beatrice took a sip of her coffee. “I’m saying I don’t think they were fans at all, but someone hired them to mess with me using my relationship with Eric as a cover. Now they’re dead, so they couldn’t snitch. With the news of Eric’s death, those women who attacked me must have freaked out.”
    “You’re probably reading too much into the news, babe. It’s—”
    Beatrice lost her temper. “Don’t tell me it’s a fucking coincidence because you know in our line of work there is no such thing as coincidences. Believing so will only get you killed. What are you hiding, Gabe?”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    Beatrice snorted. “Really? You get that same look my father does whenever he’s trying to throw some misdirection my way. It’s pathetic.”
    “I really don’t know.” Gabe repeated, and the frustration on his face told her he knew something was up, but he didn’t know what, so she decided to throw him a bone.
    “My father never shares any information with me,” Beatrice said. “He likes keeping me in the dark because he thinks he’s protecting me. But you can relay this message to him. In case he doesn’t know who my recent client is, it’s Senator Alex Mendoza. The biggest threat to his security right now is his trip to Colombia. I’m still trying to figure out why.” Beatrice tapped a finger on the gang war article. “The news says it’s a Colombian gang who may have killed these five people. No one is sure because no one is talking. I’m going to dig—”
    “Leave it alone, poppy,” Gabe growled.  
    “It’s my job, Gabe,” Beatrice replied coolly. “As the senator’s security consultant, I’m supposed to assess high level threats.”
    “Why can’t the security company you hire do this for you?”
    “Again. It’s my job and it appears to be personal. I want to know why.”
    Gabe raked his fingers through his hair. “What were you planning to do?”
    Beatrice eyed him warily. He stepped forward and planted himself squarely in front of her.  
    “Try keeping it from me,” he threatened softly. “You’ll find yourself shackled to the bed. I’m sticking to you like white on rice, so it’s best now to tell me your plans.”
    Beatrice glared at him, but he only stared her down. The muscle tic in his jaw told her just how dead serious he was with his words.  
    Shackled to the bed by Gabriel Sullivan doesn’t seem so bad , a sultry voice gushed in her head.  
    “Shut up,” Beatrice whispered.
    “Excuse me?”
    “Sorry, voice in my head,” she muttered. “I have a