Closer

by Kaia Bennett

  "There must be something wrong with your hearing, babe. Because I already told you the only person I'm thinking about is you," she whispered seductively, easily turning the tables when she nibbled on his earlobe. "I’m yours. But you’re mine, too, remember? I can remind you if you don’t…"

  He inhaled sharply, a grimace of pleasure furrowing his brow. The world in front of him grew unfocused as she gripped him tightly and twisted her hand over his shaft. She jerked him off with a rhythm that was just slow enough to be more torture instead of pleasure. Then he watched as she glanced left, glanced right, and then with a soft kiss to the indent of his chin lowered her head and took him as quietly and slowly as she could into her mouth.

  Gabriel was starting to get an inkling of what real torture must feel like. In order to keep people from hearing the distinctive sounds of a mouth suckling flesh, she had to blow him at a glacial pace, and all he wanted was to drive his cock into her mouth as hard and fast as possible. But if he made too much movement, those people closest to them would surely notice. He had no choice but to sit there and take it, grimacing and pumping his hips as hard as he dared. She must have a taste for the way he punished her when she mouthed off to him. She must enjoy the torment of him having to wait until they were alone to fully dominate her.

  Slowly, he started to feel the pleasure increase, the tingle of release beckoning. He couldn't help moving his hips faster, couldn't help tilting his head back before glancing back down and cradling the back of her head. He bit down on his lip to keep his groans at bay, even going so far as to fake a cough when he couldn't fight it anymore. That was when she sucked hard all the way up, squeezing out the iridescent nectar dribbling from the tip. She lapped at his pre-cum with the tip of her tongue, shooting him a triumphant glance when he begged her with his eyes not to stop.

  Instead, she sat up and purred, "You want more? Hmm?" She gathered another drop of pre-cum off the spongy head of his fully engorged member, and sucked it off her finger. "You want me to taste this big, hard cock again?"

  He couldn't even speak. He was only able to manage a curt nod, a solid squeeze on the back of her neck to try and pull her head down to his crotch. She just smiled and moved his fingers away, before saying sweetly, "Then stop being an asshole, and take me home so we can really enjoy ourselves."

  He blinked, stunned by the bluntness of her words, the fire in her eyes. She was both pissed and turned on.

  "Take me home, Gabriel." The growl of passion and annoyance in her voice left no room argument. "Or stay here and play with yourself while you keep Travis company. Either way, I'm leaving."

  She got up and started to head out, making a little bit of noise as she gathered up her coat and her drink and then threw away her trash. He had to hurry up and cover himself, left completely in a lurch as she exited the theater. Just before Gabriel exited to catch up to her he looked at the middle row. Travis' eyes were shrouded in darkness, watching him.

  Chapter 15

  Gabriel was bursting at the seams. It had been a couple of weeks since the random meeting with Travis, and the band had just completed a three-day shoot for their first video. Filming for sixteen hours out in the cold on abandoned train tracks outside the city and in warehouses had turned into a pretty awesome debut video, and now the wrap party was in full swing.

  Tonight was the night to tell her.

  He wracked his brain trying to figure out a great way to do it. He didn't want to do it in bed. He wanted them to be fully clothed and not drunk on endorphins so she would know how serious he was. And he didn't know if doing a big night out on the town would be too much. That wasn't really their style. But while out with their friends, celebrating yet another milestone in a year of great milestones, the best one of all being his relationship with Nicole, he felt like this was perfect opportunity.

  He was watching her dance with Trish and their friend Callie while he gathered up a little liquid courage. Maybe he should take her out onto the balcony. He'd wrap his arms around her, kiss her, and tell her how lucky he was to have her with him during this crazy time in his life. He would tell her there was no pressure, that she didn't have to say it back if she didn't want to. He just wanted her to hear the words, to know how much she meant to him.

  He was still running through what he would say in his head, waiting for their drinks when Meredith sauntered over to the bar. She'd spent most of the night in the general vicinity of Jonny, though not quite on his arm. It was almost comical watching Jonny follow her around like a puppy dog while she occasionally humored him and other times barely registered he was there.

  Gabriel had already vaguely suggested Jonny look into girls who would be a little less fickle, but he had to be careful about that kind of thing. Getting too caught up in Jonny's business concerning Meredith would make him seem envious, which was the farthest thing from the truth. He also had to be careful not to stare at her for too long either, unless he wanted people to get the wrong idea, or have memories of what she looked like underneath those clothes. No matter what she was wearing, she oozed sex appeal.

  She was poured into a sleeveless graffiti-covered t-shirt, dark blue jeans, black boots, and a black cap on her head, which cast her ice-blue eyes in shadow. At first she just came up to the bar and ordered her drink without so much as a sidelong glance at Gabriel. But, he knew better. He waited patiently for her to speak, telling himself he wasn't going to let her get to him. Not tonight. He’d be as cordial as he could manage and show her he didn’t view her as a threat.

  "Guess congratulations are in order," she said, finally turning to glance at him with as sweet a smile as she could muster. She'd never been very good at sweet. "How's it feel to have your first video under your belt?"

  Gabriel didn't bother looking at her. "Feels good, thanks," he said flatly. He turned towards the bar, waiting for his drinks and ignoring her as much as possible.

  "You look good, too," she continued, leaning her elbows back over the bar and looking over her shoulder at him. "You got that glow, Gabe. Happy in work... happy in love."

  "You're starting to sound like a broken record, Mere," he said with a sardonic laugh. "This whole starting-conversations-with-cheesy-small-talk thing doesn't suit you. So, why don't you just stop playing games and say what's really on your mind?"

  "If I told you what's really on my mind, you wouldn't be able to handle it," she purred. He turned and her gaze was penetrating his with her dirty thoughts, her tongue teasing the corner of mouth.

  "Everybody knows what's on your mind already. Jonny makes sure of it."

  She gave him a broad grin, showing perfect white teeth, and the piercing below her bottom lip. "So, then you know how much fun you're missing."

  His answering smile was tight and forced. "I'm not missing anything. Been there, done that."

  She pouted and shook her head to show what a shame she thought that was. "Yeah, those were fun times, too. Jonny's okay, but you know me. Sometimes I just like to get schooled instead of playing the teacher. You used to be able to handle that, but now, seeing you all sweetness and light with your new chick... Makes me wonder if your little girlfriend made you soft."

  He laughed at that. "Don't worry, I'm still hard. Just not for you."

  Again there was that familiar flash of icy heat in her eyes. It was gone so quick you'd hardly even know it was there. Unless you'd seen her in bed. Unless you'd seen that volatile heat channeled into something more vigorous than just talk.

  "Cute," she said finally, a laugh of her own trickling out as she looked into the crowd, in the direction of Nicole. "You know, I could be wrong about her. Nicole looks so innocent, but I've been watching her move, and..."

  "That's all you're gonna do when it comes to her. Watch. Because she's not interested and neither am I."

  "How do you know?" she inquired, looking up at him as if she were actually curious. "Did you ask her? Because when we were talking alone in that bathroom, I got this vibe from her, you know. Especially when I
was touching that pretty brown skin of hers. She didn't seem to mind at all..."

  What... the fuck...?

  Meredith smiled as he struggled to contain his shock. What was she talking about? Why hadn’t Nicole mentioned Meredith had come on to her?

  "Maybe she'd like to see what it's like for me to do more than just touch her, hmm? We already know how much you'd like it."

  Gabriel swallowed and turned away from her smug smile, trying to get his bearings. He couldn't dispute that he used to like how much of a freak Meredith was. She'd seen him excited over it too many times for denial to work. But with Nicole... Sure he loved the idea of her doing new things, being unseasoned and willing to learn. He loved being the one to show her those things, to turn her on in ways no one else had. He just never pictured Nicole being interested in another woman. Meredith was playing with him. Then again, he knew she was good at picking out a girl who was willing to experiment. He didn't know what to think, whether to be pissed or turned on by the prospect. He was definitely pissed, though. This isn't what he'd wanted to think about just before he got up the courage to tell Nicole how he felt.

  "You like the idea of that, Gabe? Me touching your little girlfriend?" Meredith asked in that silky, raspy voice, interrupting his thoughts. "If she tastes as good as she feels, I wouldn't mind helping you break her in—”

  "Shut the fuck up, Meredith. Right now." He glared down at her, his fingers itching to wipe the smugness off her face.

  "Oohh... I haven't seen that look in a while, lover. Reminds me of old times."

  "Learn how to take a hint, girl. I'm not the same guy I used to be. And I'm getting everything I need from Nic, and more. Much more than a self-centered chick like you could ever understand. So go back to Jonny or whoever the fuck you're getting your kicks with these days. Just forget all about me."

  "It would be impossible for me to forget about my favorite playmate," she said slowly, taking a sip of her drink. For a moment her eyes were hidden under her cap. "In fact, I vividly remember everything we used to do. The last time we were together. You, me, and that cute little redhead you picked out. She was so tiny, she could barely take you, but she couldn't get enough. Just like me."

  What he could see of her face carried an almost serene expression, as if she were recalling a holiday memory instead of a raunchy fuck in a hotel room. That was the night Gabriel had finally reached his limit. Getting wasted, fucking Meredith and whoever else he felt like had been incredible for a while. But that night, he woke up tangled in the limbs of Meredith and the little redhead, one of many girls whose names eluded him. He stumbled into the bathroom to take a piss, hung-over and just coming down from being high, when he caught his reflection in the mirror. The bags under his eyes, the weight he'd lost, the smell of sex with people he didn't really know or care about still clinging to his skin. He'd realized then that even though he didn't want to be a father and husband with a standard job and a standard life, this person staring back at him wasn't who he wanted to be either.

  Meredith looked up, her expression anything but serene now. "I remember after that last time you just up and disappeared. No phone call, no explanation. The next time I saw you was when you showed up with Nicole and treated me like I was some kind of leper. But you want to know what I remember the most, Gabriel?" She leaned in close and he heard the steel in her voice, the anger whispering underneath the cultivated cool she was known for. "I remember back in the day, when you were sneaking off whenever you got the chance to come see me, while poor, sweet Marta was waiting at home for you. Running away from a girl that loved you; pretending to be a good guy when you're anything but. Isn't that right?"

  That had been exactly what had happened. Before he'd broken up with Marta, he'd done with her what he hadn't done with any other girl. He told Marta he loved her. After that, things with them started to catapult rapidly towards her idea of the ideal future. She hinted at long term commitment more and more, baiting him with talk about marriage and kids in more than just the hypothetical. It almost worked. He almost gave up the things he wanted for himself and the person he truly was to feel safe and loved with her. But the more she pushed for him to be a husband and future father of her kids, the more he wanted to run.

  He'd been on the road, checking out a show The Spirits were playing when he started doing just that. He clicked with Meredith almost immediately, and she wasn't shy. Before he knew it, he was on the road playing the occasional gig with the band and secretly hooking up with Meredith. No one knew, not even the guys, that he'd fucked her when he was still involved with someone else.

  He'd never cheated on a girlfriend before. Truth be told, he hadn't had too many serious girlfriends to cheat on. Marta was the first girl to claim a real piece of his heart, and he couldn't even give that away without trying to get a fix of freedom from someone else.

  It was easy enough to do with Meredith. They spoke the same language when it came to music. She was funny and didn't expect anything of him other than he bring a good, hard time. She was gorgeous, and she did things that made him wonder if she was moonlighting as a porn star. It was what he wanted at the time, something that didn't make him think of love and tenderness. He wanted to escape into something physical. As things got worse with Marta, sex with Mere became even more addictive, and he felt like shit because of it. Lying, sneaking around, turning into a person he didn't like, just like he had when he was younger and mad at the world.

  One day he finally came to terms with the fact that he wasn't going to be the guy Marta wanted or needed him to be. He had loved her. Somewhere inside of him that was the truth. But he hadn't loved her enough. He'd let her down. It was a secret only Mere knew. To this day not even Marta knew what he'd done. And now being around Mere so often was a constant reminder. He was a little older now, a little wiser. He’d hoped he could put this all behind him and start over, just pretend it had never happened.

  "That was a long time ago," he whispered, but he was barely convinced himself. "People make mistakes."

  "Maybe," she said with a shrug. "But it seems like a pretty convenient mistake, one that you made over and over again. So, was it really a mistake? Or is it just who you are?"

  He wished to God he could look her in the eye and tell her it really had been a mistake, a blip in his past or temporary insanity. He wished he could say he was the good guy he wanted to be, that people thought he was. But he didn't know for sure anymore.

  He wanted to tell Nicole the real reason Meredith got under his skin. But how could he? How could he tell Nicole that he was once the type of guy who could lie and cheat, that he could betray someone's trust after saying “I love you”, and then in the next breath tell her that's how he felt about her and promise things would be different this time?

  "Yeah, maybe you should really sit down and think on that," Meredith said finally. "I may not be sugar and spice, Gabe, but at least I know who I am, and I don't apologize for it. So don't stand here and pretend like I'm the one who's fucked up. 'Cause we both know who's really fucked up, don't we? Nicole will figure that out soon enough. You can pretend you're the good stable guy, but pretty soon you're gonna get restless again. You're gonna start to feel trapped, just like you did when you couldn't get enough of me."

  Gabriel was practically shaking with anger, unable to speak, hardly able to breathe.

  She turned away, perhaps sensing this battle had already been won. She took another sip of her drink. "Oh look, it's your girl coming to check on you. Maybe she thinks I'm trying to steal you away."

  "She has nothing to worry about," he growled through gritted teeth, trying desperately to regain his composure.

  "We'll see," Meredith said as she walked away.

  He turned just in time to see Meredith smiling and talking to Nicole for a minute before she headed off in another direction. Out onto the balcony, where Gabriel was going to tell Nicole he was in love with her. There was no way he was going to do that now, not with the dark cloud of Meredith's word
s hanging over his head. He was going to have to wait, and in that moment he wasn't sure if he hated Meredith for ruining this night for him, or himself for giving her all the ammunition she needed to do so.

  Chapter 16

  Time passed by quicker than expected, and before Nicole knew it, the middle of May was in sight, bringing her that much closer to the time when she would be without Gabriel for two months, starting in late June. Since he'd gotten busier by the day, she'd begun filling up the time she couldn't spend with him writing. She fiddled around with a short story she'd written for her Creative Writing class in college and extended it before she showed it to Gabe. They'd both been shocked by how much he'd liked it, and his encouragement gave her an extra boost to keep going, even when her day job made her feel too depressed/homicidal to want to write.

  Jackie was getting bigger by the day and hilariously unhappy about it. Ian proved he had the patience of a saint in that regard, and talks of a wedding after the baby was born were becoming more official. At least her sister had a decent sense of style, and Nicole could count on not having to wear an ugly-ass bridesmaid’s dress whenever Jackie and Ian did tie the knot.

  The jealousy Travis inspired had thankfully diffused after that day at the movies. He'd called once to catch up and find out what the deal was with Gabriel, but after that he had once again disappeared into the background. He'd told her if she ever found herself single again, he'd be more than happy to pick up where they left off. She'd been polite and told him she wouldn't lose his number. She hadn't told Gabriel about that conversation, though. It would have pissed him off pointlessly since he had nothing to worry about when it came to Travis. He had enough to deal with now that the band was doing even better than expected.

  All the radio interviews, promotional gigs and their new street team had been very good for Fool the World, to the point where they were getting recognized with every outing. It wasn't out of hand, just the occasional random stranger here and there who was familiar with their early stuff or had seen their video. But there had been a few occasions when Nicole had to stop herself from hissing and baring her claws at the girls who threw themselves at Gabe.