I stretch up to nibble his ear. “Anything you want,” I reply.
He chuckles, and the sound warms me from the inside out. “We don’t have much time to waste and I want to spend it getting to know you more. So, I know we’ve done this backward, considering we’ve already essentially slept together. But, Chloe McKinney…” he pauses for one long heartbeat, making my breath catch in my throat. “Would you like to have dinner? Officially?”
My heart nearly explodes with joy and I smile so huge that my cheeks hurt. It’s like a dream. I can’t stop the laughter that escapes. I press my lips to his. And it’s sloppy and crazy, but we’re both smiling when we break apart, and on him, God, it’s beautiful. A heart-stopping kind of beautiful.
I peer up at him. “Will you take offense if I say I’m not up for being seen in public just yet?”
“Don’t worry. I know the perfect place and it’s very private. What do you say?”
“I trust you,” I whisper.
He backs away with careful steps, like he doesn’t want to leave either, and I scoot past him. I can feel his eyes following my every movement as I grab clothes from the suitcase I’d already packed up, and head to the bathroom to change.
The only clean outfit I have that’s good enough for an actual date is a ridiculously sexy shift dress that Sienna insisted I take “just in case.” Nerves wage war in my stomach as I slip into it. It flows loosely around my thighs and the arms are long sleeved with slits from shoulder to wrist. The slight tan I have looks phenomenal. My hair can’t be helped, so I brush it out and plait it into a simple braid I let hang over my shoulder.
I don’t bother with any makeup, aside from a little mascara and gloss. He’s already seen me at my worst anyway, and he still wants me. Something about that makes me ridiculously happy.
I give myself one last cursory glance in the mirror and then slip on my sandals. Gabriel is standing by the window looking out at the view. I pad across the room and wrap my arms around his waist. His hands cover mine and he gives me a gentle squeeze. He taps them and I release my hold.
“All ready to go?” He turns and gives me a once over. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you. Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“This great Italian place I know. Trust me, you’re gonna love it.”
Gabriel
“You’re the whole package, aren’t you? Sexy, smart, and now you say you can cook? My hero.” Chloe bats her eyes and settles onto a stool, leaning on my island bar. She crosses her legs and I have to fight not to stare at her. Wisps of hair have broken free of her loose braid to frame her face. She looks good in my house. Like she belongs here.
“A man can’t give away all his secrets, now, can he?” I pause while dicing tomatoes to kiss her soft lips, and then once more for good measure. Responding immediately, her hands slide up to my neck and I almost say to hell with dinner.
I’d forgotten how nice it was to cook for someone other than myself. Chloe spent the last ten minutes entertaining me with stories about the antics of her family and the crazy clients she’s had at the travel agency she helps manage.
“Well, none of the men in my family have ever been able to make more than scrambled eggs. I’ve never wanted a plate of spaghetti more in my life after all the hospital food. Seriously, it smells amazing.”
“Of course it does. Plus, this serves dual purposes. It’s both dinner and a seduction.”
Chloe’s eyes light up. “Oh, is it?” she murmurs.
“You bet. Cooking for a woman is my best move.” I pour the diced tomatoes into the sauce and stir, glancing at her over the steaming pot.
She sets her glass down on the counter and snuggles into my side. “Oh, so this is something you do for all the ladies, huh?”
“Only the special ones.”
“I bet you save all of them, too.” She jabs me in my uninjured ribs and I laugh. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
“No, you don’t worry about it. I’m going to take care of you tonight.” And I mean that in more ways than one, if she’ll let me.
She brushes off my statement and moves to root through my fridge. “Aha,” she exclaims. I turn to find her with arms full of salad mixings. She dumps the supplies on the counter and then turns to search in the cabinets.
“What are you doing?” She bumps her head on the open cabinet and yelps.
“You okay?”
“I’m seeing double, but at least I found a salad bowl.”
I tug on her free hand and circle her in my arms. “I told you that you didn’t have to help.”
“It’s just a bump. I’ll be fine.”
I grab a cloth and some ice from the dispenser and press it to the goose egg already swelling on her head. “You sit and relax. If you must do something, you can put together that salad while sitting. Surely, you can’t get hurt that way,” I tease. “The last thing we need is to take you back to the hospital.”
“Har, har.” She gets to work shredding and assembling the salad. “So I’m a little clumsy. You should probably know that about me up front. I also do crazy things like challenge people with guns. Spend the night with a strange man.”
“Do that often?”
She sputters around a sip of her drink. “Completely not what I meant and you know it.”
“C’mon. You’re gorgeous. I wouldn’t hold it against you even if you had. But you also don’t seem like the kind of girl to take relationships lightly.”
“Got me there. The last one I had ended pretty badly.”
“What happened?”
“Well, he told me he couldn’t ruin our friendship in case something went wrong with our relationship. He was my best friend when we got together.” She drinks heartily. “Did I mention he was my fiancé when he dumped me and he recently got engaged? Again.”
“His loss,” I tell her. And I’m being serious, even if she doesn’t think so. Only an idiot would let a woman like Chloe slip through their fingers, and I’m not a fuckin’ idiot.
“You’re so sweet.” She finishes sprinkling cheese on the salad and wipes her hands on a cloth. Finished, she scoots off the stool and rewraps her hand around my waist. She smells candy-sweet. Too sweet for an asshole like me, that’s for damn sure, but hell if I’m gonna let her go. I find the source of the scent at the base of her neck and nibble there.
“You didn’t think that a few days ago,” I mumble into her throat. “In fact, if I remember correctly, you weren’t very nice.”
“Well, I didn’t know you a few days ago.”
I bend her over the counter as my lips find her mouth. “I think you need to get to know me even better,” I say against her lips.
Chloe
“I don’t know about this.”
Gabriel smiles devilishly and I respond with a full body shiver. Now that I know he wants me in return, it’s like I have no control over my reactions to him.
We’d spent the last hour talking about everything. And I mean everything. He told me about his years in the Marines, and how much he wanted to get away from his horrible home life to make something out of himself.
I learned that he was one of those rare unicorns who believed in love and marriage, and when his had turned sour, it ruined him for future relationships. I’m not normally one to speak ill of another, but his wife has to be out of her mind to give up a great man like Gabe. Then again if she hadn’t, we never would have met.
Once he finally lets his guard down, he is truly a thing of beauty. His smile—and his damn good spaghetti—had me reduced to a pile of goo by the time dinner was over. Well, that and the two drinks I’ve had to celebrate.
I toss my napkin onto the table with a groan. “I can’t possibly eat any more.”
“Excellent. Time for the next surprise.”
The food coma I’m nursing abates a little. “Next surprise?” I eye him warily. “If it’s dessert, I hate to say it, but I’m seriously going to have to pass. There’s no way.”
He chuckles and takes our dishes to the kitchen to rinse. While sitting back and relaxing, I hear a whine coming from outside, so I go out to the porch to investigate. I open the sliding glass door and am attacked by a blur of black and white. I immediately crouch down and start loving on the dog—a Boston Terrier from the looks of it. He’s equal parts bug eyes and smashed nose and the most awesome combination of ugly and cute.
“Who is this guy?”
“That’s Rudy. I’m surprised he didn’t introduce himself earlier.”
Rudy jumps up and licks all over my face. “Well, he’s definitely affectionate.” I laugh and give him a good back scratch. None of my apartments have allowed pets, and I’ve wanted one for years. “I bet he and Emily are best buddies.”
“Oh, they are. He ditches me to sleep in her room whenever she visits.”
“Was he my surprise?”
“This handsome guy? Unfortunately, no. But I’m sure he’s loving the attention.” Rudy pants happily, rolling over on his back so I can give his belly a scratch, too.
We leave him a sated mess on the porch and Gabriel leads me down the steps and to a walkway. He situates me in front of him and covers my eyes with his hands and we walk in tandem through a gathering of trees behind his house. We stop and Gabe presses against my back, breath tickling my ear as he says, “Keep your eyes closed. No peeking.”
“Is this one of those situations where I should be running for my life?”
“If you run, I’ll just have to catch you.”
He leads me down a concrete path. I can hear the waves in the distance. After a while the concrete gives way to dirt and I have to squeeze my eyes together to keep from peeking. The sound of waves grows louder the longer we walk and then he brings us to a stop. My feet sink into the sand as my breath shortens.
“Open your eyes.”
I take a few useless breaths, which do nothing to calm the internal freak out that’s going on inside of me, and do as he says. He drops my hand and as soon as my eyes open he brings his fingers to his top button and undoes his shirt.
And oh, God, I go weak in the knees. I see the most magnificent expanse of chest, and sweet baby Jesus, I swear I see a flash of happy trail as he reaches the bottom. His abs flex as he strips it off the rest of the way and drops it by his feet.
He’s going to kill me.
A few seconds later, he leads me to a spot in the sand where he spreads out a blanket I didn’t even notice he was carrying. Then he holds out his hand for mine and when I take it he guides me down to the blanket.
He watches with hooded eyes as I recline next to him and slip off my sandals. The cool air bathes my skin, though it does little to cool the heat inside me. My hands grip the material because the sight of him sends a rush of intense arousal through me.
Gabe shifts toward me, his easy-going mood replaced by desire. When I shift again, he surrounds me with his arms and I melt against him.
The cocoon he’s created with the waves and the heat from his body heighten every sensation—the smooth feeling of his skin rubbing against mine, the gentle tug of the wind running through my hair. Even though he’s barely touching me at all, he’s turned me on more than I’ve ever been in my life. This morning included.
Then he moves to me, pressing me against the blanket, his arms a cage I never want to leave. His arousal presses thick and hot against the thin material of my panties. My legs go up and around his hips to urge him closer, the way I’ve been wanting to all day.
His hands tangle in my hair and he pulls back just enough that my body is hovering on the precipice of pleasure and pain. With little bites, he trails a line down my throat to the thin material covering my breasts. He covers one nipple with an open-mouthed kiss, taking it between his teeth. The twin bites of pain, which are so good it hurts, cause me to cry out.
“Yes,” he whispers against my skin. “I want to hear you come for me this time. No one here but you and me and I’m gonna make you scream.”
He bites, nips, and kisses his way to my other breast. This time, he pulls down the material of my bra to use his teeth and tongue to drive me to distraction. I clasp his head and writhe against him. My hips move in subtle motions that mimic the flicks of his tongue. I arch into him, giving him everything. I’d only managed a taste of how good it would be between us before, and it was even better the second time around.
His hands drift down my sides and grip my thighs. For one glorious moment, his cock is right where I need it. I throw my head back in response. He uses his hands to glide my pussy up and down the length of him, taking care not to hinder his attention to my breasts.
“You feel so good.” His voice is hoarse and he rests his head between my breasts as he attempts to catch his breath.
“So do you.”
He lifts his eyes to mine and now it’s nothing but the gentle rhythm of us rocking against each other. My hands map their way over his sun-browned shoulders and down his sculpted chest. I pause to flick the rigid tips of his nipples and delight in the strangled groan it elicits from his throat. He’s covered in a smattering of scars and I want to trace every one of them with my mouth and tongue.
I lean back to get a look at his face so I can commit it to memory. He follows curving his body toward mine. His hands have my hips in an immovable grip as though he’s afraid I’ll somehow slip out of his grasp.
But he doesn’t have to worry.
I’m not going anywhere.
Gabriel
The slick press of her skin and her short little pants and whimpers of pleasure will haunt me for a lifetime. She tastes sweet and salty, and I can’t stop kissing her, sampling her everywhere I can reach.
When she untangles her legs to pay my body the same attention, my stomach contracts in pleasure. Her hands slide down my chest and her nails rake my abs. My breath catches in my throat when her hand clasps around me and strokes between us. When my head drops to her shoulder, I bite the skin there as my hips thrust my cock into her palm.
I cup her jaw and I look into her eyes. “I want you, Chloe. Now.”
She squeezes around me, pumping once, slowly. Torturously. “Yes,” is all she can manage to say.
And that’s all I need.
I roll onto my back, in deference to my injuries, and put my hands on her waist. She squeals as I lift her by her hips and arrange her legs on either side of my head.
As much as I enjoy her hands on me, it feels like I’ve been waiting an eternity to taste her. I push up the material of her dress, inch by inch as she’s watching me with heavily lidded eyes and sucking on her lower lip until its red and glistening.
I groan at the sight and slide my hands up the long length of her legs. She shivers and my lips curve up in a smile. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to take the time to enjoy sex with someone who won’t be leaving as soon as the sun comes up.
Watching her little responses to my every touch is a hell of a turn on. My fingers tease at the sensitive skin on the back of her knees and then scrape a line down her inner thighs. Her breathing shallows the closer I get and so does mine.
Her panties are see-through by this point. The shadow of her pussy and the small strip of hair are unmistakable. I trace the line with the soft touch of my finger from top to bottom. Her hips follow the movement and a hopeless mewl comes from her throat. With one hand, I pull her panties to the side and use the thumb of the other to start a gentle rhythm against her clit. I watch as her eyes drift closed and then I arch up and press my mouth right to that spot.
Her body tightens around me and she leans forward to cup the back of my head with both hands. She murmurs encouragements, pleads to deities and lets loose a string of obscenities, but I don’t stop. I’m mindless with the sharp taste of her arousal.
Her pleas devolve into babbling. I watch as her eyes flash open and she pushes up to watch me work her. The sight of me between her legs drives her body wild. Her knees find purchase on the sand and she uses that to add weig
ht behind her hips, meeting me in an imitation of sex as my tongue spears into her.
Her breath comes out in short sobs. Her knees squeeze my head, and her moans surround us both. I release my grip on her thighs as she melts. Her chest heaves and her entire body seizes. I watch as she stutters through her orgasm, a blush blooming over her chest and cheeks and then her body goes limp.
It was worth the wait.
Chloe
It takes a few more moments before my hearing returns. Then I remember that I have eyes that do a beautiful thing called seeing, so I open them for a test drive to see if they’re still working. The first thing I see is Gabe pressing kisses against my thighs, thighs that are still trembling from the most intense orgasm of my life. Somehow, he maneuvers me back down to the blanket.
“Baby,” he whispers, running a thumb along my lower lip. The thought makes me smile. “You okay?”
I make a sound that doesn’t seem intelligible, but he soothes me with a hand on my hair.
My head lolls against his shoulder, and for a moment, I’m content to feel him against me and soothe me back down.
He lets me relax against him as feeling returns to my limbs and the slight ringing fades from my ears. As the numbness begins to dissipate, I become aware of his rock hard body against my own. The insatiable need he has stoked inside of me returns, making me stir against him.
He has me pinned, again, against the blanket with my arms wrapped around his shoulders. If I weren’t on fire with the need to have him inside me, I would be satisfied to rest here for a year or two—it is that comfortable. I use my grip on his neck to bring his mouth to mine.
When our lips touch, I sigh into the contact. I swear this man can kiss. It’s shameful how his lips and tongue conquer my mouth, how I don’t give a second thought to giving up all control. He has this way of enveloping me with his body and making me feel powerful and vulnerable all at once. And it occurs to me that this feeling is a lot like love.
First to Fight Box Set: Books 1-5 Page 14