Her gaze darkened at the memory. “I already did. He said it was something that ‘just happened.’ He could give me no other explanation than that.”
“Then, maybe it’s one you should accept.”
She lowered her head, and when she lifted it moments later, tears filled her eyes. “But I can’t. He took a vow to love my mother, forsaking all others. But he didn’t do that, Gabe.”
Gabe reached out and pulled her across the bed and into his arms. He kissed her eyes before moving his mouth down to kiss her lips. His mouth feasted on hers in a way that made Sage forget everything, including her father. The only person she wanted to concentrate on was Gabe and how he was making her feel.
Remembering what she’d promised to do—what she wanted to do—she pulled back from his kiss and straddled his body, pushing him back down in the bed. She needed to be a part of him this way, now, to forget. She wanted to concentrate only on him. She met his hot gaze as her thighs parted. She eased her body down onto him, taking him inside of her. She bit down on her bottom lip at the feel of her vaginal muscles clamping down around him as he continued to enlarge inside of her.
He’d told her to pretend she was riding a horse. She had never ridden a horse before, but had seen enough westerns on television to know how it was done. So she caged his thighs between hers as she created a rhythm. She refused to close her eyes for wanting to watch him. She wanted to see his eyes darken with need, glisten with greed and flare with the passion she was stirring.
His hand held her hips as she rode him to her heart’s content, and each time she went down to him, met his strokes, she felt the contractions that shook his body. Then moments later it came … the same time as his. She cried out his name when the first tremors slammed through her, catching her in a stampede of sensations she had never felt before. And when she bore her hips down on him for deeper penetration, he tightened his hold on her, thrusting upward, his body bucking uncontrollably.
It was during that precise moment that they both found the peace as well as the pleasure they needed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“So, have you made out with Gabe Blackwell yet?”
Sage met Rose’s inquisitive smile from across the breakfast table. Rose shot straight from the hip and didn’t believe in wasting time finding out anything that she wanted to know. As soon as Sage had picked her up from the airport, she had been a bundle of questions, first about the weather and then about work. Now that the preliminaries were out of the way, it seemed Rose planned to zero in on her love life.
Sage’s body became hot when she remembered just how many times she had “made out” with Gabe. “Yes,” she admitted, smiling. She leaned back in her chair, knowing her friend probably wanted the nitty-gritty details, but she wasn’t planning on giving her any. What she shared with Gabe was too special and not open for discussion.
Rose smiled excitedly. “I’m happy for you, Sage. I had worried about you after that Erol episode.”
Sage lifted a brow. “Worried about me in what way?”
“I was worried that you would never find another man to trust as well as to love.”
Sage frowned. Love? Who said anything about love? Her heart began racing at what Rose was insinuating. She cared for Gabe deeply. She respected him, enjoyed being with him and definitely enjoyed making love with him…. But love had nothing to do with it. With love came total and complete trust, and she’d been there before with a man. She trusted Gabe in a way she hadn’t thought she could another person this soon, but trusting him with her heart was too much to consider doing. Love involved too many emotions, and they were emotions she didn’t want to encounter just yet. She liked the level to which they had taken their relationship, without the issue of love being involved. Jeez! She had just worked through the trust factor with him.
Sage met Rose’s gaze. “I don’t love Gabe, Rose.”
Rose lifted a surprised brow. “Sure you do. What other reason would you have for sleeping with him?”
Sage shrugged. “For a number of reasons. I like him and he’s good in bed.”
Rose shook her head, frowning. “No, Sage, that’s my line, not yours. For you there has to be more, and deep down I had to finally admit that’s what I envied about you. You’ve never sold yourself short and settled for less than what you wanted or deserved. All women need a man to love and who will love them in return. You had that with Erol, and I believe you can have that with Gabe. You’ve never settled for a loveless relationship, so why do you want me to believe that you’re doing so now?”
For the longest time Sage couldn’t answer her. It was not surprising that she didn’t have anything to say, especially when she had to admit that she’d told herself many times that the emotions Gabe stirred up within her were more turbulent than those she’d shared with Erol.
“Don’t let what Erol did darken your chance for happiness, Sage.”
She took a sip of her coffee as she met Rose’s gaze. “But isn’t that what you did? You let what your ex-boyfriend did turn you against the thought of ever falling in love.”
“Yes, and I admit I was wrong.”
“And what changed your mind?” She wondered if Rose had met someone and just hadn’t told her yet.
Rose smiled wryly. “I finally went to church a few times with Mrs. Childers.”
Sage nodded. Evelyn Childers was an elderly lady who lived in Rose’s apartment building. She had been trying to get Rose to go to church with her for the longest time.
“I did it just to get her off my back,” Rose continued saying. “But then I really liked the service. It seemed like the minister was speaking directly to me. It was as if he had somehow singled me out and knew my life’s story.”
Rose took a sip of coffee, then said, “Anyway, after that, I decided to go with her another time and even went to Bible study with her. At first I felt out of place, but everyone made me feel right at home. I’ve been going a lot, getting spoon-fed a little at a time, trying to find myself and decide what I really want and who I want and not to settle for second best. I want a man who will treat me thirty or forty years from now the same way your father treats your mother.”
A lump formed deep in Sage’s throat. She forced a smile and reached out and touched Rose’s hand, grateful that she had never shared with Rose what her father had done. That would have really made Rose think that all men were shallow, no good and couldn’t be trusted.
“I’m glad you’re finding inner spiritual peace, Rose.”
Rose shrugged. “Well, I’m a long way from being completely there, Sage. I still fall short at times, but at least I’m trying.”
Sage nodded. “None of us are perfect. We’re all human and make mistakes.” She realized after she’d spoken that what she’d just said to Rose were the same words Gabe had said to her just last night.
“It was a tough lesson, but I’m learning.”
“And that’s a start. I’d like for you to go to church with me on Sunday. I enjoy the services and think you will, too.”
“I’d like that,” Rose said with enthusiasm ringing in her voice. “Has Gabe ever gone to church with you?”
Sage lifted a brow upon realizing that he never had, probably because she’d never asked him. “No. I’ve never asked him.”
Later that day while sitting in her office, Sage thought about her conversation with Rose. Her stomach felt funny at the sudden realization that she was beginning to like Gabe more than she should. Things weren’t supposed to be that way since the two of them didn’t have a future together. When Eden was over, they would go their separate ways. She had known that and was fairly convinced that he knew it as well.
Then, why was she dreading when that time would come? And why was she suddenly feeling such a sense of loss? She inhaled deeply when the sudden need to see Gabe became so fierce she could barely breathe, think or see reason.
She glanced at her watch. It was past five already. She and Gabe had made no plans for tonight. S
he had told him that weather permitting, she would be going shopping with Rose. And he’d indicated that he would be spending most of the day at the job site, and then later he planned to work late at the office.
After trying a few times to read the documents in front of her, she finally gave up. She stood. Retrieving her purse from her desk drawer, she walked out of her office, and less than fifteen minutes later, she was pulling into the parking lot of the building where Gabe’s office was located.
Gabe lifted his head at the first whiff of Sage’s scent. His breath stopped, and he glanced up. She was standing there, in the doorway to his office. He breathed again.
He tossed the papers aside on his desk. His secretary and office staff had left over an hour ago, and he wondered how Sage had gotten in since they had locked up, although it didn’t matter to him how she’d gotten there, only the fact that she was.
God, he thought, she was beautiful, sexy as hell, standing there wearing a plaid wool skirt and navy blue blazer. And there was something about the look in her eyes that had never been there before, but he would recognize it anywhere.
Hunger of the sexual kind in a woman who intends to take matters into her own hands and do something about it.
That realization made his pulse pound. It also made his body react in the most reflexive way. He wondered how long she’d been standing there, watching him work.
She must have read the questions because she cast him a somewhat nervous smile and said, “I’ve been here for a few minutes. The security guard let me in after I convinced him I had a surprise for you.”
Gabe nodded as he watched her wet her lower lip with the tip of her tongue. “And do you?” he asked softly, feeling his gut clench and his lower body get harder by the second. Boy, was he aroused.
She looked at him, bemused. “And do I what?”
He smiled. “Have a surprise for me?”
She thought about the reason she was there, her urgent need to see him, but inwardly admitted that it went a bit farther than that. She had felt a compelling need to be with him, lie with him, make love with him—on the desk, on the floor—she didn’t care. She’d never felt this intense before, this naughty. Nor had she ever had the urge to be reckless or spontaneous. But then, wasn’t it Gabe who’d told her last month, after robbing her of her panties in the elevator, that there was nothing wrong with recklessness and spontaneity every once in a while?
“I don’t know about a surprise, but I desperately wanted to see you,” she finally said, openly and honestly.
“For you to admit something like that is a surprise, Sage,” he responded, standing up from his desk and coming around to sit on the edge of it.
Sage was first drawn to his attire, a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. She remembered he had been at the job site a great portion of the day. She was then drawn to his midsection. He wanted her. His erection was plenty proof enough.
“I’m glad you came. I’ve been thinking about you,” he said hoarsely.
His words pulled her out of her reverie, and she met his gaze. “You have?”
“Yes. In fact, I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
She nodded, pleased by that. “I’ve been thinking about you, too.” She swallowed. “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”
“No, like I said, I’ve been thinking about you all day. Besides, I’m due for a break.” He crossed the room and taking her hand in his said softly, “Come with me.”
Together they walked through the reception area of his office and to the elevator that was across the hall. All was quiet. It was obvious that everyone had gone home. The entire building was technically closed and empty except for the security guard on the first floor. She wondered where Gabe was taking her when the elevator arrived and they stepped in.
His hand went to the panel, and he pressed the button. When the elevator began moving, she asked, “Where are we going?”
He reached out and pressed a button on the panel that suddenly made the moving elevator come to a stop. He then leaned back against the elevator wall and met her gaze. “Nowhere.”
She blinked, at first not understanding until she saw his hand lower to the zipper of his jeans.
“I once asked you if you’d ever made love in an elevator, Sage, and you said you hadn’t. I want to change that today. Is that all right with you?”
Sage blinked again and inwardly admitted that she had come to his office to make love but had figured they would do it in his office, not in an elevator. The thought of making out in his office was bad enough—but an elevator…. What if someone caught them?
Evidently Gabe read her mind and said, “Everyone in their right mind has gone home for the day. But we aren’t in our right minds, are we, Sage?”
Sage shook her head. She couldn’t speak for him, but she certainly felt crazy with desire. “No.”
He smiled. “And I agree. So this is what we’re going to do to cure this insanity of ours. I’m going to make love to you here, right now, hard and fast. All right?”
Sage nodded. The visual picture that formed in her mind from Gabe’s words made the area between her legs feel hot and achy, more so than it had been feeling when she’d left her office to seek him out.
“All right?” he repeated. He wanted her to answer him, to confirm she was with him all the way.
“All right.”
“That’s good. Now lift up your skirt.”
Without thinking twice, she began inching up her skirt, and when it reached her waist, she saw his eyes widen in total surprise, or maybe shock was more like it. She cleared her throat, thinking she should explain.
“I stopped by the ladies’ room,” she said softly. “You seem to have a problem returning every pair of underwear you take off me, so I thought I’d play it safe this time and be prepared since I’m running low on stock at my place.”
The heat in his gaze flared as he looked at her, completely naked below the waist, and remembered the number of times he had confiscated her panties without returning them. He smiled, and without further thought he began easing down his zipper. “Smart thinking about the underwear, but I’m not sure you’ve played it safe, Sage.”
Thinking he meant protection, she touched the pocket of her jacket. “I brought condoms with me.”
He moved toward her as he began releasing himself from his jeans. His eyes stayed glued to that part of her that he wanted to be joined with. When he stood directly in front of her, he pushed her jacket from her shoulders before reaching down and touching her intimately. “You’re wet and ready.”
She nodded, knowing she couldn’t do anything but agree with him. But then that wasn’t all she was. She was hot to the core, and his touch was making things worse.
Before she could respond, his mouth came down on hers and swiped whatever words she was about to say from her lips. He kissed her with an urgency that stole her breath as he made every bone in her body melt. Then she felt him lift her, widen her legs apart to fit them around his waist. She felt the tip of him pressed against the entry to her, and when he suddenly increased the pressure of their kiss, she felt him ease inside.
He took a few steps forward and pressed her against the wall of the elevator as he began pumping into her. It was then that she remembered they were making love without using the condoms. She decided not to worry about it since she’d been on the pill since college, although she’d never told Gabe that.
She moaned deep within her throat at the thought that nothing, not even latex, separated them, and that he was inside of her and would hold nothing back when he came. Suddenly, she was filled with desperation to feel him release inside of her. She wanted the experience of having his hot semen bathe her insides.
Her muscles surrounding him tightened, and she began doing something he had taught her to do. She began milking him, clenching him, pulling everything out of him each time he pumped into her.
She heard the growling sound that he released from deep within his throat when he re
alized just what she was doing. His rhythm increased, and his hold on her hips tightened. He drew his mouth back, breaking their kiss as he continued to thrust frantically into her.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” The eyes staring into hers had taken on a darker shade than any she’d seen before.
“Yes,” she said, arching and moaning when he widened her legs to go inside her deeper.
His breathing escalated. “But we didn’t …”
She knew what he was about to say. “It’s all right. I’ve been on the pill since college, and even if there’s a slipup, Gabe, I’ll be fine. I would want your baby.”
Her words were like a catalyst that broke his control, as if the thought of her having his child was more than he could handle. He proved her right when he looked deep into her eyes and then totally lost it. His words become Swahili, French, German, all rolled into one, just moments before she heard his shout of pleasure from deep within his throat at the same time she felt a flood of warm liquid shoot into her body. His release triggered hers, and she continued to milk him, refusing to let up or let go. She wanted every drop of what he had to give her and then some.
It seemed that they came forever, neither wanting to stop the tremors that racked their bodies or the gasping breaths that made breathing difficult. He trailed kisses down to the base of her throat as he groaned relentlessly and continued to pour himself into her shuddering body.
Together they were swept up in a wave of intense pleasure that knew no limit to its endurance.
Reality slowly descended upon Gabe, and it was moments later before he found the strength to pull out of Sage’s body and ease her legs to the floor. He pulled her gently and protectively to him, kissing the dampness on her forehead and helping her to ease her skirt down.
“Are you all right?” he asked, thinking that he’d never done anything so intense before in his life. Even now his body felt sensitized.
“Yes, I’m all right,” she whispered, still in awe as to what they had done. “Do you think the security guard is curious as to why this elevator is stuck in midair?”
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