Her laughter was beautiful. In five minutes she’d been able to pull herself out of a dark place with humor and some solid perspective on her life. She was a rare breed.
“Historically, women of my financial status were carried about, first in litters, then carriages and chauffeur-driven cars. I think I prefer this mode of transportation.” She slapped his butt and bounced up and down, locking her ankles in front of his stomach. “Now, giddyup.”
She wanted a stallion? He could give her that. Racing up the stairs, he kept his hands under her thighs so she didn’t fall off. Hoover yipped at his heels, and when Gabe turned at the door to Marla’s bedroom he saw Maddie standing at the top of the staircase, head cocked to one side.
“Sorry, kids. The upcoming show is for adults only.” He toed the door shut, nudging Hoover out of the way as it closed.
Gabe beelined for the bed. It was a great bed. Four-poster, made of sturdy wood construction. It probably cost more than his car. And the mattress was soft enough that Marla wouldn’t suffer any damage if he had a little fun.
She screeched as she flipped over his back and landed with a satisfying bounce. She rolled onto her stomach and lifted her head to glare at him. “That was unnecessary.”
“But entertaining for me, and I think we’ve already agreed that I’m a selfish bastard.” He toed off his boots and ripped his windbreaker off, tossing it aside. “Now, you did say you had a remedy to cure selfish bastards? Time to get to work.”
Chapter Fifteen
Propping her elbows on the mattress, Marla laced her fingers together and enjoyed the view. A Gabe Moretti strip show truly was a thing of beauty. He’d shaved since she’d last seen him, taking his appearance from dangerous pirate to sexy rake. She appreciated both looks, but preferred the clean-shaven. His smiles were rare, but when he loosed one, it had the power to stall her heart. She didn’t want any beard to get in the way of that view.
It cost him to apologize. Yet he’d done so to her, several times. The idea that she was special or unique in any regard to Gabe Moretti warmed her right through.
Grabbing his tee at the back of his neck, he yanked it over his head and started at the button of his jeans. The bruise on his left side had faded to an olive green with only a splotch of purple remaining at its center. The muscles in his abdomen bunched as he worked his fly. The sexy crease where his lower abs met his hip flexors was slowly revealed. She wiped her bottom lip, making sure there wasn’t any drool.
He tossed her a glance. “This is when you get naked, too. Don’t make me do all the work.”
Well, of all the… Pushing up to her knees, she yanked off her top. “I apologize. Had I known how burdensome peeling me out of my clothes was to you, I would long ago have started answering the door naked.”
He paused with his pants and underwear just over his knees and blinked. “Now there’s an image to keep a guy warm.”
She tossed her shirt and it landed on his head. Rolling onto her back, she shimmied her way out of her skirt and panties. “I feel obliged to remind you that you were the one worried about the amount of skin I show. Something about not catching cold, wasn’t it?” She bit back a smile when one leg of his jeans caught around his ankle. He hopped on one foot, trying to dislodge the denim, then tripped.
He fell forward and caught himself on the side of the bed. An indelicate snort escaped her lips, and Gabe narrowed his eyes. His biceps bulged as he lowered himself in a modified push up until his mouth was inches from hers. “Laughing at stubborn men can only end badly for you, Buttercup.”
Her heart skittered. Words were funny things. Buttercup had started as an insult, but somewhere in this temporary, just-for-fun affair, had become an endearment. The back of Marla’s throat burned. She had become dear to Gabe. And that was the best feeling in the world.
He pounced, his body landing half on top of hers, half on the bed. He lifted his leg to drape over hers, and his jeans went along for the ride. “Oh, for Christ’s sake.” He kicked his leg, shook it, but the jeans wouldn’t come off.
Biting the inside of her cheek, Marla cupped his calf with the soles of her feet. She slid them down his leg until her toes caught the hem of his jeans. She pushed them off, then traced a path back over his ankle to hook around his leg.
“Have I ever told you how much I love your legs?” He rolled so his body covered hers. “Long, tan, sexy, and useful as hell.”
“I’m glad you like them. I’m rather attached to them myself.”
A broad grin broke across his face, and her lungs seized. Gabe didn’t grin, not the full-teeth, eyes-crinkled expression of pure joy he was giving her now. She hadn’t thought he knew how.
Thank God he’d shaved and she could get the full effect.
“If the saving-the-world gig doesn’t work out for you,” he said and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose, “you can always shoot for comedian.”
She’d shoot for anything that kept that smile on his face. That breathtaking, elusive smile. The thought struck her that if all she accomplished in this life was making Gabe happy, it would be enough.
He shifted up her body, and his warm shaft rested against her lower belly. The amusement burned off his expression until only heat remained. They stared into each other’s eyes until slowly, inexorably, he lowered his head. Marla slid her lids shut just before their lips met.
Bliss. If Marla could choose her heaven, this would be it. Gabe’s warm, comforting body pressing against hers. His mouth, soft and sweet, teasing her lips. He skimmed his hand down her side, the pressure so soft it almost tickled. She sighed, and he swallowed the sound down.
He nibbled his way down her chin and around her jaw to her ear. “Condom in your bedside drawer?” He sucked at her lobe, then lightly scraped it with his teeth.
Wrapping her arms around his back, she nodded but held him close. She didn’t want to lose his heat, even for a second. “Gabe?” she asked and arched her neck to give his roving lips better access.
He ‘hmm’d’ against her throat and she felt the vibration deep in her body. “I get a birth control shot every three months.” And pretty soon she’d no longer need it. Menopause couldn’t be long after her fortieth. She pushed that thought away. “And I don’t have any diseases. If you’re safe, I wouldn’t be against the idea of going without.”
He raised his head, his eyes searching hers.
She scraped her teeth over her bottom lip. “If you’re safe,” she repeated, wondering why it was difficult discussing the idea of unprotected sex. She’d had sex without a condom with one man before, a long-term boyfriend during graduate school. It was a big deal for her, and it demonstrated a level of trust that she worried Gabe would be uncomfortable with. Yes, she was becoming dear to him, but that didn’t mean he wanted to bring their relationship to the next level. So, she teased, trying to bring levity to the situation. Hoping he wouldn’t guess how much meaning such an act held for her. “I need to know you’re safe not only for myself, but so I can protect the health of all my future stubborn men.”
The small muscles around his mouth clenched and released so quickly she wasn’t sure she’d seen it. “I’m safe,” he said. “You’re always safe with me. But are you sure?”
She shrugged and crooked a smile. “Only if you want.”
“Darling, you have no idea how much I want.” He cupped her breast, rubbing his thumb back and forth over the tip until it tightened into a firm peak. With his knee, he nudged her legs apart and settled between them. “I’ve dreamed of feeling you skin to skin.” He took her nipple between his lips and pulled while his hand wandered lower. “Feeling the wet grip of your pussy.” He slipped his fingers between her folds and circled her opening.
She bit back a moan. The tease was almost unbearable. He was all light brushes and glancing caresses. It was delicious and excruciating in equal measure.
Gabe dragged h
is slickened fingers up to circle her clit, and that time she wasn’t quick enough to catch the moan that emerged. He crushed his mouth to hers, his kiss greedy, consuming until he pulled back, breathless. “Feeling your silky heat tighten around me, milking me dry as I explode inside you. Jesus.” He nudged her opening with his crown, but it was just another tease, and his shaft slipped between her lips as he bent to lave her breast once more. “There is literally nothing I want more in this moment.”
Patience had never been her strong suit. While he was distracted with her breast, she hooked a leg over his calf and pushed up onto one hand. She rolled Gabe to his back. He blinked in surprise as she settled over his hips in a straddle.
“You were complaining about an unequal division of labor, if I remember correctly, while we were undressing.” She wiggled lower and placed her palms on his chest. His dark hair was crisp under her hands, his skin as warm as a furnace. “I believe it’s my shift for the hard labor.”
Settling his hands at her hips, Gabe raised an eyebrow. “Anytime you want to take over the heavy lifting, you can. Just watch your dismount this time.” He brought his right hand around to her stomach and slid it up between her breasts. “Now, show me what you’ve got.”
Lifting her hips, she reached behind herself and found him, hard and throbbing. She guided him to her core and eased down, relishing the smooth stretch. Damn he felt good. Thick and velvety, long and hard. She rose up and rolled down, taking him deeper.
The tips of his fingers hooked over her collarbone, and he dug them into her skin as his eyes slid shut. She watched his face in fascination as she rode him.
With his eyes closed, she could watch everything he felt physically play out across his face without having to worry about regulating her own expression. He didn’t need to see how much she liked him. She didn’t want to worry about wearing a mask, not when all she wanted to do was savor the amazing connection their two bodies made.
She knew he didn’t reciprocate the depth of her feelings. She was growing on him, and he cared, but if he walked away tomorrow, he wouldn’t feel more than the passing regret of a satisfying affair ended too early.
She dropped down harder, and he groaned. He ran his hand up to her throat and around to her nape, drawing her down until her breasts brushed across his chest. “Feels so damn good. Nothing’s ever felt so good.” He arched up to kiss her, his teeth snagging her bottom lip. She felt the sting straight down to her core.
Her heart pounded. She tugged her lip free and pushed up, arching into his thrusts. Her worries drifted away as her body’s primal urges took over, searching for release and to hell with the consequences. She pressed her hands into his chest, deepened the angle. His racing heart thundered under her right palm. She thrust her hips faster, racing the pulsing beat.
“Gabe!” Her exclamation was barely more than a whisper. Her lungs squeezed tight along with all her muscles. Her movements became rough, jerky, out of her control.
“That’s it, baby. Come for me.” He slid his hand to the point where they joined and feathered a touch across her clit, shooting her over the edge.
Her toes curled, her back arched, and she dug her fingers into his flesh. She scored the skin above his heart, as though she could claw her way inside.
Gabe gripped her hips, driving through her clenching muscles. He pulled her down to meet each thrust. The last waves of pleasure were still spiraling through her body when he groaned. He held her tight to his groin and came, his seed jetting deep inside her.
She released her death grip on his chest and placed her palms on the bed on either side of his shoulders, catching her breath. Gabe’s face was only inches away, and she watched in fascination as all the tension eased from his muscles, leaving his expression slack. The anger and irritation that he wore as often as she did her emerald ring had disappeared. This was Gabe without the walls he’d spent years building. His pure, elemental self.
It felt like an animal had dug its claws into her heart. Life knew how to throw wicked curves every now and again. And bringing her a man who wasn’t ready for the same commitment she was, making her want more than he’d be able to give, was one of those hairpin turns. She’d seen the panic in his eyes when her father had asked if they were dating. Knew it might be years before a man like Gabe could be ready for the relationship she wanted.
She carefully climbed off him, and Gabe opened his eyes and reached for her.
“I’ll be right back,” she said and rolled off the bed, hurrying to the bathroom. Her hands trembled as she cleaned herself up. She needed to end this. Now. Otherwise she was going to crash and burn.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror and blinked. Gabe Moretti, the surly, sexy vet she’d wanted to seduce so she could feel young, was going to hurt her. He just didn’t know it.
It was up to her to limit the damage.
She ran a washcloth under warm water and wrung it out. Why couldn’t she be like a normal woman her age? Socialites were supposed to have fun with younger men, not get serious. But she could undo this. Get him out, lose his number, and sort out her own shit. Look for a job maybe. Something to fill the void. Something other than a man.
She tiptoed back into her bedroom. Gabe was still laid out, one arm flung over his head, his heels hooking the bottom of the mattress. “Here you go,” she said, and handed him the washcloth. She tried to think of a polite way to tell him to skedaddle and came up blank.
He cleaned up and tossed the rag to the corner of the bed. Reaching an arm out, he wrapped it around her waist and pulled her down beside him.
Nope. That wasn’t part of her new plan. She opened her mouth, couldn’t find the words, and shut it again. Damn, he smelled good. Like soap and musk and sex. Her backside cooled and she scooted her front closer to his body. Maybe she didn’t have to kick him out right this second.
It would be easier, she told herself, to roll over and rest and wait for him to leave. So, she did. Snuggling her rear against his hip, she sighed with contentment when he drew the comforter up over the both of them.
She felt a bit like Scarlett O’Hara. She would save her worry for another day.
* * * *
The comforter over Marla’s chest rose and fell with her even breathing. Gabe propped his elbow on the bed and rested his head in his palm, watching her sleep. Most of her makeup had worn away but a streak of mascara edged the corner of her eye. He grazed his thumb across the mark.
She had an interesting face, one that was made up of beautiful puzzle pieces that weren’t perfectly aligned. A face a man could spend hours studying, learning every plane and slant. When she smiled, God help him, it was as if all the pieces snapped into place, forming a flawless picture, and it hit him like a punch to the gut.
He rolled to his back and focused on the striped canopy. What was happening to him? He didn’t get sappy over women. He didn’t stare at a lover while she slept, like some creeper. The weird fluttering in his stomach could only be from embarrassment.
The idea of a longer relationship with a woman had of course crossed his mind. Something to do when he was older. After he’d become a better man. But would it work with a woman like Marla? They were like gasoline and a spark plug. Combustible, but the fuel would likely burn out quickly. Their relationship had consisted of heated fights and even hotter make-up sessions. That couldn’t last.
He rubbed his chest. He’d come over today to apologize and try to get Marla to agree to exclusivity. A small step of forward progress. What had happened that afternoon felt like a running leap. A lead weight pressed on his diaphragm, and he worked to fill his lungs. He’d learned more about Marla than he had about any woman. As he’d held her on the couch, he’d felt closer to her than he’d ever felt to another human.
He didn’t think he was ready for that. He was damn near positive Marla wasn’t. She’d been hurting, and he’d offered consolation. She didn�
��t want to sleep with a man who disrespected her, and he got that. But that didn’t mean she was eager to get serious, either.
Serious. With Marla Popov. His vision tunneled, and Gabe shook his head, trying to clear it. Okay, if Marla didn’t want that, and he wasn’t ready for it, then why the hell was he panicking? He released a juddering breath. He was fine. They were fine.
Marla mumbled something and slid her hand up the sheet until her fingertips grazed his ribs.
He reached down and traced the connection. The muscles in his chest released. Nothing needed to be decided tonight. But maybe he should figure his shit out before things went any further with Marla so neither of them got hurt.
He checked his watch. Past time for him to go. He sagged back into the mattress. But Marla’s bed was damn comfortable, practically molding to his body. The cotton sheets were cool and soft as down. Her bed was a seduction in itself, coaxing him into relaxing. Letting his guard down. Letting him believe that he and Marla might actually have something.
He allowed himself one more minute of comfort, then sighed and carefully rolled out of bed. He found his clothes and pulled them on, using the moonlight streaming through her gauzy curtains. Making his way downstairs, he found the dogs curled on opposite ends of her sofa, softly snoring. He made sure their food and water bowls were full and made a check of all the windows and side doors. Then he snuck out of the house.
Not snuck. Marched out. He was a man, not a mouse. A man who just happened to like marching quietly on the balls of his feet. He made sure the door locked behind him. Made sure Marla would be safe.
If only he could be so sure about himself.
Forever Found Page 19