The second our lips touch, I jolt backward. Well, as far as I can while still clinging to Gabe. I’m not the only one holding on though since Gabe has a pretty firm grip on me too—my butt, specifically.
Not that I’m complaining.
I’m still not sure what possessed me to not only jump into his arms the way I did, but to also kiss him on top of that.
Well, it wasn’t a real kiss anyway. Just a peck.
Does that even count as a kiss?
Though, I have to admit it was a very delicious and electrifying peck.
Okay, I think we can definitely count it as a kiss.
He’s still staring at me, looking as dumbfounded as I imagine I might look too.
“Gabe, I don’t know what...I just—” I can’t even come up with a good explanation, but at the same time, I don’t want to apologize either. For the simple reason that I don’t actually feel sorry for what I did.
Not even a little.
The euphoria of finally dancing again took over my body so fully and completely I feel like I’m floating on cloud nine. And I couldn’t be happier about it. When I saw Gabe standing next to the door, watching me with such an overjoyed expression on his face, I just had to share my excitement with him.
After all, he’s partially responsible for this happening.
The kiss wasn’t planned, but oh well—too late to take it back now anyway.
Now that I think about it, I’m actually quite comfortable here in his arms. Our chests are pressed together, both of us sweaty, allowing me to feel his body heat. Since I wasn’t able to move back a lot, our faces are only inches apart.
Gabe’s eyes bore into mine with an intensity that would make me sway if his arms weren’t already around me like a protective cage. Just when I wonder if he might drop me at any moment, he turns us around and presses my body into the wall behind me. I welcome the cold touch to my still-overheated skin as his hands slightly tremble under my thighs and he leans in until our foreheads touch.
“You’re so beautiful, and you’re driving me absolutely crazy.” He draws out the last words, and I’m unable to keep the smile off my face.
“Good.” My voice sounds confident, even though I’m not completely sure what to make of the situation, feeling a little off-balance. “And thank you, even though I know I look like a mess—”
This time, it’s Gabe’s turn to cut me off in the middle of a sentence as he closes the distance between us.
His mouth is on mine so suddenly, my breath catches in the back of my throat in a loud gasp.
His lips are demanding, urgent even, his tongue seeking entrance after only a few short moments. There’s absolutely no way I’d deny him that.
My body is on fire, this one kiss searing through my veins like I just got electric superpowers. Even though my legs have started to slowly feel like Jell-O, they tighten around him instinctively, pulling him as close to me as possible.
He seems to feel the same way—not able to get enough—as he kneads my ass some more before moving up my body. Until he reaches the exposed skin of my waist.
Wherever he touches me, my skin feels hot and alive, my whole body humming with an energy that makes me want to moan and do a whole lot more of this.
Preferably with less clothes.
The little peck I gave him is nothing compared to this kiss. They actually couldn’t be more polar opposites.
This kiss is urgent and passionate and is quickly robbing me of my senses. At least for everything not involving Gabe.
This moment is everything, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a first kiss quite like this before.
The tension that has been between us from the first moment I set eyes on him has come back full force and then some. The nosedive it took while I was busy moping around is long forgotten, and I wonder for a brief moment if we’re maybe even trying to make up for the lost time.
“Wow.” His voice is low and raspy when he lets go of my lips after what could’ve been hours. That one tiny word sounds incredibly sexy, like I imagine him to sound when he first wakes up in the morning, and it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”
His admission makes my heart beat faster, but it’s nothing compared to the look he gives me.
His eyes are on fire. There’s so much hunger in them, it looks like he wants to eat me alive. And I’m starting to realize I actually wouldn’t mind it.
Not one bit.
I still cling to him like he’s my lifeline, probably cutting off important blood supplies by now. “You can let me down. I’m probably getting heavy.”
“No.” He shakes his head.
“No?”
“Nope. I wanna stay like this for just another minute.” The little smirk adorning his face suddenly turns into a frown, and he looks at me like he just remembered something bad. “Unless you want me to put you down.”
This time, it’s my turn to shake my head. “I actually like it up here.” A grin tugs at the corners of my mouth. “As a matter of fact, I really enjoyed this whole encounter. A lot.”
“Did you now?” His eyes dance with mischief, making me grin even more.
“Uh-huh.”
Even though we’re already pushed together, he presses into my body just a little bit more, increasing the pressure in all the right places, and I can’t hold back the tiniest of moans.
His body is all hard muscles and angles, and my fingers itch to touch him some more, to explore him the same way he had started to explore me a few minutes ago. Since our current position isn’t the best for open exploration, I flex my hands tighter around his neck before tugging on his hair.
Thankfully, he takes this as an invitation and inches closer again with his face.
This time, he stops just a few short inches from my lips. It seems like the ball is in my court now, and I don’t hesitate. Not even for a second.
Each kiss seems to get better as we slowly figure out what the other one likes. I playfully nibble on his lower lip the same way he just did to me. His deep groan confirms he enjoys it, and in no time, we’re a blur of lips, tongues, and teeth. For a few mind-blowing minutes, Gabe is all I can think, taste, and breathe. Unable to get enough.
The moment is over all too soon when a loud knock comes from the door, making both of us freeze. We pull back in unison, our breathing heavy as we glance toward the source of the noise.
My eyes go wide as I spot Kiara. “Oh gosh.”
Her eyes are huge as she stares at us through the door with her mouth wide open. A second later, her hands fly to her face, and I’m pretty sure she’s holding back her laughter. Pulling herself together, she points at her watch before signaling and mouthing, “Ten minutes.” She turns around but not before flashing us a huge grin and a big thumbs-up.
I bury my face in Gabe’s neck, too embarrassed to look at him.
“Well, that was something.” His chuckle resonates throughout his whole body and therefore mine too, making me tingle everywhere. “We should probably get going before we get an even bigger audience, huh?”
I nod. “Definitely.”
I slowly untangle my limbs from him and slide down his body, immediately missing the closeness and his warmth.
A sigh escapes me as Gabe takes my hand, stopping me in my tracks.
“Are you walking home with me?”
“Of course.” I’m not sure what awaits me when we get there, but I don’t care much right now. I’m still too entranced by everything that’s happened in the last few hours.
What I do know though, is that my already spectacular day just got a whole lot better with his visit.
Twelve
Monica
The shower I just took didn’t calm me down one bit. I actually feel like I’m even more worked up than before.
Totally high on endorphins from dancing again.
Even though it was only for an hour, I can’t remember the last time I felt so elated. So ready to burst at the sea
ms from the pure euphoria of moving my body that way. Of letting my limbs act out whatever story the music was telling me.
And of course, there was that superhot kiss.
Maybe even my best kiss ever.
My body still buzzing from it.
After we left the dance studio—and an extra-happy-looking Kiara who couldn’t wipe the huge grin off her face—we stopped by the smoothie place next door before heading back to the house.
We didn’t talk much on the way back, both of us happily slurping our drinks. There’s no denying all the secret side glances we sent each other though. And I’ve caught Gabe more than once with a huge grin on his face.
After getting dressed in my standard “home uniform” of leggings and a T-shirt, I grab my phone from the dresser and, naturally, bump into the corner. “Dang it.”
Not even five seconds after my loud yelp, and a few choice words directed at the dresser, a knock on my door startles me.
“Monica, are you all right? I just came out of my room and heard you yelling.” Gabe’s voice is muffled, but the worry still evident, even through the wood.
Such a good guy.
Letting go of my foot, I walk over to open the door. “I’m fine, just stubbed my toe. But thanks for checking on me.” My last words almost trail off as I stare at him.
His gaze lands on my foot before slowly tracking up my body. “Do you want me to take a look at it?”
I lean against the doorjamb, wrinkling my nose. “You don’t have a weird foot fetish you’ve been hiding from me all this time, do you?”
He keeps a straight face for a moment before he chuckles. “Nope. Just wanted to make sure you’re all right. Plus, I wouldn’t pass on a chance to touch you if it presented itself like this.”
Holy moly.
What is happening?
Looks like I’m not the only one affected by our kiss. Just when I thought I might finally be able to lower that fire in my body to a simmer at least, it’s roaring back to life, bigger than before. The flames lick at my skin as if he touched me, enjoying the heat pumping inside my veins.
Maybe he only meant it in a harmless way, even though my body sure didn’t think so.
My eyes are locked on his, inquiring, silently probing for answers as we stare at each other in absolute silence, neither one of us blinking for what feels like hours.
My brain going a mile a minute, wanting to know exactly what’s going on behind that gorgeous mop of brown hair. Remembering the soft feel of it under my fingertips, my hands itch to wind themselves through the strands once more, to tug on it, eliciting some more groans from him.
Just as Gabe lifts his hand toward my face, the alarm on his phone goes off, successfully bursting the spell.
His lips press together tightly, and I’m sure it has everything to do with his alarm. This man would forget his own birthday if it wasn’t for a reminder on his phone, something I like to tease him about whenever I get the chance.
This time, I don’t feel like teasing though. He stabs the screen a few times to turn it off, huffing out a big breath once he’s done. “Dang it. I have a conference call scheduled, but what about dinner? Do you want to go out or stay in?”
“Stay in?” Without even taking a second to think, the words shoot out of my mouth, making his cheeks lift and the corners of his eyes crinkle.
The last thing I feel like is sitting in a crowded restaurant with this gorgeous man, not able to throw myself at him—if he’d let me, of course.
After giving me another small smile that almost looks a little shy, he nods. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you later then, okay?”
He hesitates for a moment before bending down, giving me a kiss on the cheek, his soft lips lingering long enough for me to inhale his intoxicating scent.
Several hours later, Gabe joins me in the kitchen where I’m eating away as much of my sexual frustration as possible with the help of some delicious caramel ice cream.
I hold back a groan when I get a good look at him. The way he looks at me makes me all hot and bothered, with that easy smile he gives so freely. He looks delicious enough to eat, and I wonder if he’d let me bite him. Very gently, of course.
Pausing in front of me, he peeks into my bowl. “You having a fun time?”
My heart speeds up at his close proximity, and I lick my lips, my cold tongue taking its sweet time to brush off any remnants of the ice cream.
It’s easy to tell Gabe is doing something wicked to my senses, causing utter and absolute chaos to my body and mind. Even his voice suddenly sounds like pure sex.
What happened between us at the dance studio has started something inside of me. Opened a box with a big red “Dangerous” sign that started a whole hormonal process I was neither expecting nor prepared for.
All I know is, without a doubt, I want more of it.
More of him.
So. Much. More.
A sudden urge to know if he feels the same way overcomes me.
It’s overwhelming, and I have to know.
Good thing straightforward honesty is one of my specialties. “Do you regret what happened?”
He stills and doesn’t answer right away. For a moment, it actually looks like he might not answer at all. “Not exactly.”
“Okay.” That’s a good start. I think. “Do you want to do it again?” My eyebrows shoot up as I wait for his reply, my heart now galloping in my chest like a wild herd of horses.
Another thing I don’t like. Feeling nervous.
Guess I’m not taking this whole thing as easy as I thought after all.
For some reason, this moment brings out my worst insecurities.
He takes a step closer, invading my personal space, not that I mind.
Who am I kidding? My heart is going completely nuts, begging me to convince this gorgeous man in front of me that this—him and me, us—is indeed a really, really good idea. Even if it’s only temporary.
He’s within touching distance when he finally answers. “I do.” He takes a deep breath, and I’m afraid there’s a “but” coming. “Do you?”
I stare at him. “Is that a serious question right now?”
“You’re Charlie’s best friend, I’m Hudson’s brother.”
A simple statement voicing the exact concerns Charlie had, throwing me off for a moment.
Even though I expected it, it still sucks to hear. But we’re adults, so we can handle this like adults. “I’m aware of that.”
“I know you are.” He lets his head drop for a moment before continuing. “I just want to make sure we both know what’s at stake, that’s all. If this doesn’t end well, it could cause a huge mess.”
A sudden laugh bubbles out of my chest. Slightly hysterical. “Gabe! I’m not asking you to marry me.”
His face turns red, and I feel like I kicked a puppy. A heavy weight settles in my stomach at the sight.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. Obviously, you’re quite the catch, but it doesn’t seem like you’re interested in something serious any more than I am. All I’m saying is that we like each other, and we’re all adults, aren’t we?”
“I’m not sure I like you very much right now.”
Too bad he can’t keep the grin off his face.
I get up to place my bowl in the sink before making my way back over to Gabe. The granite is smooth under my fingertips when I brush them along the counter, imagining them on his chest instead.
Yup, my hormones have completely taken over.
“So, that means you still want me?”
My question earns me an eyeroll that I take as a yes.
Another step to close the distance between us.
“Monica.”
My name coming from his lips sounds like a plea.
Bingo.
His gaze lands on my mouth, not leaving it as he swallows loudly, his Adam’s apple bobbing extra long in his throat.
I’m sure he’s a second away from grabbing me when his phone rings.
>
My eyes close in frustration. We might have to establish some phone rules in the future.
Gabe looks at the screen, frowning. “Sorry, but I’ve got to take this. It’s Hudson, and he’s already called a few times.”
My tummy churns uneasily, and I nod. “Of course. I hope everything’s okay.” My mind immediately drifts to Charlie and the baby, and I have to sit down after feeling a little dizzy.
“Hudson, what’s going on?”
I watch Gabe as he paces around the room, the one-sided part of the conversation not giving away enough to ease my worry, especially once the word “hospital” is mentioned.
When he finally hangs up after a few minutes, I’m practically ready to burst at the seams. “What happened?”
Gabe brushes his hand down his face before walking over to me. “Dahlia had an accident, but she’s okay. She broke her arm in several places when she fell off a ladder at the academy. Seems like she was too impatient to wait for someone to help her hang up a sign, so she thought she’d do it by herself instead. It’s obviously not a great situation for her, but compared to what could’ve happened, it’s all good.”
My hand flies to my mouth, my eyes going wide. Relief floods through me that nothing worse happened, even though I feel incredibly bad for Gabe’s sister. “Poor thing. That’s awful, especially with her academy.”
Dahlia’s Brooksville Academy of Arts just had its grand re-opening a few weeks ago, after being closed for several months for expansions and renovations. What started as a small project with a few arts classes for kids has long since grown into a huge, larger-than-life program she added more and more classes to from various other art forms, like dancing, music, and theatre.
Hudson just started teaching several classes there, and of course, I’ve snuck a peek at each and every one of them. I couldn’t miss the opportunity to watch him giggle with the little ones as they bang and clang their way through several musical instruments. Watching him with the older ones is exhilarating too, as he tries to teach them as much as he can while they hang on to each and every word that comes out of his mouth, treating him like the rockstar legend he is.
The Mitchell Brothers Collection: A Feel-Good Romance Box Set Page 42