“Yes,” she panted.
“Faster,” I ordered. As she began to rub herself more furiously, I sped up the tempo of my thrusts. When I slid in and out of her, her fingers grazed my dick, slickened with her arousal. Since I was getting close, I closed my hand over hers and began to work her clit even harder.
“Oh…ahhh, yes!” she moaned as she worked closer and closer to coming. As her walls began to convulse around me, she screamed, “Gabe!”
Hearing her call my name with such pleasure as she came caused a shudder to ripple through me. As a desire to mark Rae as mine entered my mind, I began to my slow down my pace. “I want to come on you,” I grunted into her ear.
Glancing over her shoulder at me, Rae said, “Then do it.”
With a groan, I pulled out of her. After tearing off the condom and tossing it to the side, I brought my hand to cup my cock. As I prepared to jerk off on Rae’s back, she shocked the hell out of me by rolling over to face me. It was her hand, not mine, that finished me. As I came, I spurted across her beautiful round globes.
“Fuck, Rae,” I muttered before collapsing on the bed beside her. We both lay there, staring at the ceiling and trying to catch our breath. Turning over on my side, I grinned at Rae. “Damn, I hope it’s always going to be that good between us.”
“Mm, I hope so, too.” Glancing down at her chest, Rae said, “I think I could use a shower now. How about you?”
“The caveman part of me wants you to stay marked by me all day.”
Rae wrinkled her nose and laughed. “You’re so possessive.”
“I am of what’s mine.” I brought the sheet up to slowly wipe me off her breasts. When she was sufficiently cleaned off, I met her gaze. “You’re mine, Rae.”
She blinked at me. “Am I?”
“Yes. You are. You were emotionally mine in the way you became my muse, and now you’re mine physically in the way I’ve claimed your body.”
The corners of her lips quirked. “Do I get a say in this, caveman? Or are you just going to drag me by the hair back to your cave?”
I reached up to intertwine my fingers in her hair. When I tugged, she gasped as her eyes widened with desire. “I guess so,” she replied.
With a grin, I released my grip. “Oh. I know it.”
‘We’ll just have to see about that.”
I wrapped my arms around her. “If it involves pulling your hair or spanking your ass, I’m all for it.”
“Right now I’m more interested in showering and getting something to eat.”
“You go grab a shower, and I’ll go raid the fridge.”
Rae grinned. “Okay.”
After Rae showered, she rejoined me for a lazy breakfast in bed. Since I’d forgotten to tell my housekeeper not to restock the fridge while I was gone to Hayesville, I found fresh strawberries and blueberries along with some croissants and muffins. After we embarked on a mid-morning sexathon, we remained in bed, cuddling and watching movies for the remainder of the day.
It was just after four when Rae glanced up at me. “I have a question for you.”
“Shoot.”
“Are you going to keep me held hostage as your sex slave all weekend?” Rae asked.
I chuckled. “Would that really be so bad?”
She smiled. “Not really but I would like to do something romantic tonight.”
“You mean watching Netflix and ordering in isn’t romantic?” I teased.
Rae playfully smacked my bicep. “No. It isn’t.”
“You seemed to like it last night.”
“Because I wanted to stay naked and not leave the house, but that’s not what I want to do today.”
“It sounds like a winning plan to me.”
“Seriously, Gabe.”
“Okay. What did you have in mind?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. We have a city full of culturally stimulating places right outside our door.”
“And with it being a Saturday night, all those culturally stimulating places, as you call them, are going to have an hour to an hour and a half wait,” I mused.
As her expression darkened, Rae untangled herself from my arms and sat up in the bed. With her bare back to me, I felt somewhat shunned. “What’s wrong?”
“Admit it—you don’t want to take me out.”
“What? I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“All of this attitude just because I made the remark that we’re going to have to wait forever to get a table?”
Rae threw a glance at me over her shoulder. “I’m wondering if you said that because you don’t want to take me out.”
“Why in the hell wouldn’t I want to take you out?”
“Because you’re ashamed of the paparazzi seeing you with someone like me.”
“You don’t seriously think that…do you?” When Rae didn’t respond, I snapped up to sit beside her. Taking her face in my hand, I forced her to look at me. “That is absolutely not the truth. I would be honored to be seen with you.”
“Really?”
“Of course. There’s no reason in the world I would ever be ashamed of you.”
Rolling her eyes, Rae said, “I’m just a hick from the sticks. I’m not the model type people expect to see you with.”
“That’s bullshit. You’re fucking gorgeous, not to mention sassy and sexy and smart.”
A small grin played at Rae’s lips. “Nice alliteration there with the descriptions.”
“I try.” I leaned in to kiss her. Pressing my lips against hers, I hoped to quell the fears swirling in her mind. When I pulled away, I stared intently at her. “I’m not only honored to have such a beautiful woman in my bed, but I’d be happy for every photographer in town to snap a picture of us.”
“Really?”
“Hell yeah.”
Putting her head in her hands, she groaned. “You must think I’m a real nutjob for feeling this way.”
“No, I don’t.”
She peeked at me through her fingers. “You’re just saying that because you think my pussy has magical powers.”
I laughed as I pulled her to me. “Yes, it’s true that your pussy is magical, but I get that it’s hard to date someone famous.”
Rae peeked at me through her hands. “You do?”
“Micah’s wife, Valerie, had a really hard time at first when she started dating him. And the band wasn’t even remotely as famous then. I can’t imagine how she would take it now. So, yeah, I do get it.”
“Thank you. I’ll try not to be such a crazy person next time.”
“Just keep being yourself.”
“Psycho and all?”
“Yep.”
Rae rolled her eyes but smiled in spite of herself. “The fact that you can be okay with me being crazy makes me think you’re still in the pussy haze.”
I snorted. “How long do you think it will take for me to get detoxed, exactly?”
“I’m not sure.” A sly look entered her eyes. “But I think it would be most beneficial to reduce temptation by getting you outside of this apartment.”
“I already said we’d go out.” Cocking my head at her, I added, “And how do you plan on reducing my temptation? Are you going to leave your pussy behind?”
Rae giggled. “It will be covered, thus out of sight and out of mind.”
“While it might be out of sight, your pussy will never be out of my mind.” She snorted at that.
“Why does that not surprise me?”
“Okay. Let’s go get a shower, and then we’ll hit the town.”
Rae’s face lit up. “Really?”
“Yep. Dinner, dancing—the works.”
“You would seriously take me dancing?” Confusion filled me at the sudden change in Rae. How could she even doubt I wouldn’t want to be seen with her? Back home, she was a fearless badass, yet here….Oh right. She’s out of her element. It was time for me to work double time to reassure her.
“Rae, while dancing is not m
y favorite thing, I do know how to dance, and would love to be out on the town dancing with you tonight.”
She smiled, and it was the sweet smile, which told me I’d said the right words. She seemed less . . . vulnerable. Rae then quirked a brow at me. “Is there a single part of me that screams dancer?”
And Miss Sassypants was back. “Not exactly. I just find it hard to believe that someone who manages to do such amazing things with her hips in bed doesn’t know how to dance.”
With a laugh, Rae replied, “Thanks for the hips compliment.”
“You’re welcome.”
“For the record, I can dance like in a club. It’s waltzing and all that kind of stuff that I don’t know how to do.”
“Then I’ll have to teach you.”
“Tonight?”
“If you want to.” Since Rae’s expression was skeptical, I replied, “Or we could just take in some of the sights the city has to offer.”
Rae nodded. “The last few times I’ve been here, it was either for a Falcons game, or to take Linc to the zoo and aquarium.” She grinned. “I’d like to see more adult sights.”
“I can certainly arrange that.” After I kissed her, I said, “Go get that fine ass of yours in the shower. We have a date to get ready for.”
After I slid a gold tube of lipstick across my lips, I surveyed my appearance in the bathroom mirror. Although I was never one to be an ego tripper, I had to admit I looked pretty damn good. Sexy and sultry even. Before I’d left the house, Ellie had insisted on sending me with one of her swanky dresses. Since the only dresses I owned were the ones I wore to church or parents’ night at school, I happily accepted it.
The deep purple material fit like a second skin against my body while the spaghetti straps left little to the imagination when it came to my cleavage. Kennedy had taken care of that department when she had sent me with a bustier to maximize my assets. While I was wearing my sisters’ dress and underwear, I was happy to say that the strappy black heels were actually mine, as well as the calf-length black dress coat I would be adding when we started to leave.
Since Gabe was a fan of my hair being down, I’d merely pulled it back on the sides after adding in some waves. I fluffed it one last time before adding in a little setting spray. I wanted to keep the waves, but I also wanted Gabe to be able to run his fingers through it easily.
I smiled as I thought of him. He had insisted I get ready in his bathroom while he collected his things and went to the guest bedroom. Although I could have preened a few more minutes in front of the mirror, a gentle knock came at the door. “Rae? We need to leave in five minutes to make it to our reservation.”
I exhaled a breath before replying, “Coming.” I allowed myself one last glance in the mirror before I threw open the bathroom door.
When I stepped out, Gabe had his back to me while digging in his dresser drawer. My heart did a flip-flop at the sight of him in dress pants and a dress shirt. I’d never seen him so dressed up, and I had to admit the partial suit porn was very swoony.
As Gabe pulled out a watch and started to put it on, I softly said, “I’m ready.”
Gabe whirled around. After taking in my appearance, his eyes bulged, and his jaw dropped open. “Holy shit, Rae. You look out-of-this-world stunning.”
Inwardly, I did a victory dance at his reaction. Outwardly, after doing a little twirl to give him a view of my backside, I asked, “Does that mean you like the dress?”
“Like it? I fucking love it.” Gabe shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything but pants or jeans.”
“Although I much prefer pants, I will occasionally put on a dress for special occasions.”
Bending over, Gabe ran his hand up my thigh. “Mm, I do like the extra skin showing.” He paused at my thigh-highs. “What do we have here?”
“Before you get your hopes up that they’re some sexy garters, they’re only Walmart thigh-highs.”
Gabe grinned. “I don’t give a shit where they came from. I love the way the lace feels.” He flicked the hem of my dress so he could get a look at them. “And I really love the way they look.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I’m sorry to say it, babe, but you’re really going to have to wear dresses more often.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes, but I have ulterior motives for liking them.”
“Oh, you do?”
His hand came between my legs, causing me to gasp and a wicked grin to curve on his lips. “I love the easy access.”
I smacked his hand away. “You’re detoxing, remember?”
Chuckling, Gabe shook his head. “I have a feeling I can’t be rehabilitated. I’m an addict.”
“You’re going to have to try harder. Now come on, let’s go get something to eat. I’m starving.”
As we started onto the elevator, I asked, “Do you really think we’ll have to wait over an hour to eat?”
“Normally we would, but while you were in the shower, I pulled a few strings to get us a reservation.”
“You mean you used your VIP status to worm your way in?”
“Pretty much.”
With a smile, I replied, “Normally, I would find that type of elitist stuff disgusting, but considering how hungry I am, I’ll make an exception this time.”
Grinning, Gabe said, “I’m glad to hear it.”
As we started into the elevator, I asked, “Where are you taking me?”
“Nikolai’s Roof.”
“That sounds interesting. Is it Russian?”
“Both Russian and French.”
“Really? Hmm, I’ve never had Russian food before.” As we started our descent down to the ground floor, I gave Gabe a sheepish grin. “If I’m honest, the only French food I’ve had is what Kennedy has cooked for us.”
“You don’t need to feel embarrassed that you don’t have a distinguished food palate. Even when I was in Moscow for a few days, I didn’t eat Russian food.”
“You didn’t?”
Gabe shook his head. “Nope. While Eli was trying all the local cuisine, I was living off McDonald’s and chicken.”
I laughed. “Then why did you pick a restaurant that serves Russian food?”
“You forget that it also serves French food.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“The main reason I chose it is because of the gorgeous views of the skyline, and they have a hell of a wine list.”
The elevator doors dinged open, and Gabe and I stepped out into the lobby of his building. “An impressive wine list? Does that mean you have plans to ply me with alcohol to get me back home early and into your bed?”
Gabe waggled his brows at me. “Maybe.”
“I’ll make sure to sip slowly then.”
He laughed. “Wait until you taste some—you’ll be draining it in no time.”
“We’ll see about that.”
When we walked outside into the setting sun, I expected to go over to Gabe’s car. Instead, he motioned to a black Mercedes under the building’s awning.
“You ordered a car for us?”
Gabe nodded. “I want to be able to drink without having to worry about getting behind the wheel.” He then winked at me. “Not to mention it makes tonight a little more romantic, right?”
Okay, he had me there. I’d never been driven around in a chauffeured car before—and no, the limo Ryan and his friends had rented for junior prom didn’t count. I’d lost my virginity that night in a cheap motel outside of Chattanooga. At the time, I thought it was terribly romantic. Later, I realized how cheesy it had actually been.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Gabe asked as the chauffer held open the door.
“Nothing. Why?”
“You got this sad look on your face.”
With a wry smile, I replied, “I’m sorry. An unpleasant memory from the past hit me.”
Cupping my cheek, Gabe said, “No more bad memories. Tonight is all about us and the present.”
>
I nodded. “Yes, it is.” I then ducked down inside the Mercedes. After sliding across the leather seats, Gabe dropped down beside me. I snuggled up beside him as we then made our way through the crowded streets of Atlanta.
When we pulled up outside the Hilton, I shot Gabe a look. “You just happened to pick a romantic restaurant within a hotel?”
Gabe chuckled. “Are you insinuating I planned dinner around having easy sex access?”
“That’s exactly what I’m insinuating.”
He held up his hand. “I swear, it had nothing to with sex and everything to do with the French food and the views.”
“Just remember, there’s no sex until we get back to your penthouse. Tonight is about romance.”
After saluting me, Gabe said, “Yes, ma’am.”
As I stared at the jaw-dropping handsomeness before me outfitted in the most scrumptious suit porn, I hoped I would exercise the same self-control I’d asked of him. Don’t drool, Rae. Don’t.
While I would have preferred keeping Rae all to myself in my penthouse, I had to admit that I was enjoying the hell out of our date. There was something to be said for getting dressed up and going to a nice dinner. After a three-course meal with dessert and copious amounts of wine, we then headed down the elevator.
Jacob’s Ladder: Gabe Page 19