“Wait, dad. You got it on with mom in her office?” Carter asked as he took a drink of his beer.
“No, not there. I cornered her. I asked her who she wanted, me or Terrance. Then I asked her whose name would sound better coming from her lips, mine or Terrance. I made sure that she was so busy with me, that she didn’t have time for dickhead Masterson. Then, one night, we had dinner, she came to my brownstone apartment, and I really convinced her that I was the one she wanted.” Carl smiled brightly at his son now. “Because she was the one for me.”
Carter sat in silence with his dad for a few minutes before he said anything.
“I don’t know dad. I already signed up for the next rotation and I...I just...” he stopped, not knowing what else to say.
“Then the other guy has already won.”
Carter sighed heavily.
“For now. He’s won for now.” Carter whispered, then downed the rest of his beer.
“There’s that Taylor spirit.” His dad reached over and slapped him on the knee as he got up to give his son time to think alone.
“Hey dad?” Carter called after him. “What happened to Terrance?”
His dad smiled brightly. “He tried to steal money from the company. So, I hired your mother to sue him, and we won.”
Carter chuckled.
“I’m gonna hang up here for a bit dad.”
“Night son. Glad you’re home,” Carl said.
“Me too,” Carter whispered as he watched his dad toss the empty beer bottles in the trashcan and walk down the steps to the main part of the house.
He ended up falling asleep on the roof top, his legs stretched out in front of him, his hands wrapped around a beer bottle, like the tenth one he’d had that night. Dreams of Colette dancing in his head. The sun was still low in the sky, the clouds threatening rain, and he knew when he walked downstairs that he’d missed breakfast and would be home alone, everyone at work or school.
Right now, he was wishing he was on the rooftop of his parents’ Manhattan home. They had the top two levels of the building, and owned the rooftop as well. They had 360 degree views around them. One of the tallest buildings on Riverside Boulevard on the west side. Only his best friends Harrison and Hank knew about his family, or more importantly, how filthy rich they were. They’d come home with Carter several times over the ten years that he’d known them. They were treated like royalty by Carter’s family because they defended their country. At first Carter was embarrassed by it, but his mom explained that it was their way of saying thank you, not show off.
He swung his legs over his bunk and grabbed his toiletry kit and towel, slipped into a pair of flip flops and made his way to the makeshift showers. After a quick shower and shave, Carter exited and heard his name being called as he made his way back to his quarters.
“Hey Taylor!”
It was his company commander, Captain Walker, making his way toward him.
“You leave in three days. Get packed,” the man smiled at him.
“Why am I being cut short sir?” He asked.
“Battalion has a few new medics they want to bring out here.”
“Well, good luck with that sir.” Carter rubbed the back of his neck, smiling.
“Oh fuck no dude. I’m going home too. Momma is ready to drop that baby,” Walker replied laughing. “Wednesday Taylor. The forty-seven is coming to get us at zero four. Be ready for a fast trade off.”
“Roger that sir,” Carter replied smiling as they both walked away.
He was going home. He’d win Colette back, he was sure of it. No more whining like a little bitch. It was time to get his girl.
Chapter Thirteen
The day after June’s accusations, Gabe had gone to the Ranger Regiment on post and asked for the medical section. Before he could even find out where the Ranger Med clinic was, he was told that Staff Sergeant Taylor was deployed. Secretly happy that Carter was deployed, Gabe kept pushing forward with solidifying his relationship with Colette. Not sure exactly how he was going to broach the subject with Carter once he was faced with him. He knew things were delicate at best it seemed, right now. Maybe it was best that Carter wasn’t here.
For the past few weeks, Gabe was seeing Colette, but not every day. He’d text, she’d text back and vice-versa. They’d gone to dinner a few times and talked a lot, trying to re-establish the connection that they had. Gabe had work and his clients at the gym on the nights and weekends that he was scheduled. Colette worked the pub and went to school. This was the routine, but not once did he ask if Colette had slept with Carter. And even though he never asked, the question was still never far from his mind.
He was still getting texts from Rosa, and he was still ignoring them. He wanted to wait until he was on solid ground with Colette again. He wanted her with him. If Colette wanted to be a part of his life, he wanted to face Rosa with her. Did he think about Little G? All the time. He just wasn’t ready to go there without Colette. So, he put up with the texts, because he’d blocked her from calling.
_____
Saturday night came and the end of Colette’s shift was nearing. It was a pretty calm night for a Saturday. Hamish came out at one to collect the drawer from the register behind the bar as Colette was stocking the last of the glassware. Having kept up on the bar all night, she didn’t have much to do when it was time to close down. Caroline and Sara were finishing up their tables and sweeping the floor. Pulling off her small apron, she made sure that Caroline and Sara didn’t need her help before she made her way to the break room, tossed it in her locker and pulled out her purse.
“Hey chic,” Caroline said as she entered the room and plopped down on the sofa, “hot date tonight?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Colette smiled.
“Just take your time,” Sara advised as she came in and tossed her apron in her locker and pulled out her backpack. “Don’t rush into anything.”
“We are...reconnecting,” Colette said, waving her hand in a circle, “taking our time.”
“What about the bitch?” Caroline asked. “What’s going on there?”
“He blocked her from calling, but she still texts. He doesn’t text her back...at least not while I’m with him though.” Colette shrugged.
“Well, it’s something,” Sara said. “You need us to walk you out? I think I’m gonna stay for a beer.”
“Nah,” Colette turned the doorknob on the back door, “I think I’m good. Have a good one.”
The girls bid goodnight to each other and Colette slipped out the door, closing it behind her. She took a deep breath and made her way to her car when she noticed him. Gabe stood there by her car door with a cupcake in his hand, his other hand in his pocket, a tentative grin on his face. Colette smiled, shaking her head as she made her way to him and stopped.
“What flavor is this one?” she asked.
“Dolce de leche,” he said with a hit of an accent, and winked at her.
Colette’s smile got brighter. “Sounds good.”
“Do you want to come over for a bit?” Gabe asked tentatively. “I promise that we’ll just talk and eat cupcake if you want to.”
Colette stood there for a moment and slowly shook her head. “I don’t think...”
“Brock said he wasn’t going to bring June over anymore.” Gabe offered. “We’ll have the house all to ourselves.”
“Why isn’t he going to bring her over anymore?”
“Well, he isn’t very happy with her behavior as you can imagine. He values our friendship, but he likes her. So, to avoid the situation all together, he told me that he won’t be bringing her back to the apartment. Not even for the room,” Gabe explained. “He’s over at June’s now.”
“Okay,” Colette said softly. “Sure.”
Gabe smiled brightly, his green eyes bright. “You can either follow me, or I can drive.”
“I’ll follow you.”
He took the cupcake, put it in the box that he had, jumped in his car and started it
. Colette followed Gabe on the short drive to his apartment. She pulled in next to his car, turned off the engine and pulled the e-break. She sat there for a moment as all of the memories came racing to the forefront of her mind.
Rosa naked.
The wine on the floor.
Gabe following her out to her car and finally, her leaving.
How long ago was it that this happened?
She looked up when Gabe opened her car door. “You okay?” he asked, concerned.
“Yeah.” Colette pulled the keys from her car and grabbed her purse and stood from the seat.
“We’ll do this together.” Gabe kissed her forehead as he took her hand and led her up the sidewalk to his townhouse.
Unlocking the door and leading her in, she realized that he’d changed the furniture around. The TV was no longer the first thing you saw when you walked in. It was on the far left wall where the family pictures used to be. He traded places. The sofa was turned around to face the TV and the loveseat was against the wall with the pictures. The dining room table was the same though.
“Water?” he asked, “or something stronger?”
“Water’s fine. Thanks.”
She followed him to the kitchen as he put the cupcake box on the counter and took the water he gave her from the fridge. She opened it and downed half of it in a few gulps. She opened her eyes to see Gabe looking at her, astonished that she’d done that.
“I feel like I’m going to combust or something.” she said breathlessly.
“Did the water help?” Gabe whispered, taking a step closer to where she stood by the sink.
Colette held the lid in one hand and the water in the other, and slowly shook her head no.
“I think we need to make sure.” Gabe took the water bottle and drank the rest of it. He looked at Colette shaking his head. “Yeah, no. Didn’t help.”
Tossing the bottle into the trash, Colette tossed the cap. Gabe took another step toward her and it was inevitable...this was going to happen. And personally, he couldn’t wait to be anywhere right now, other than inside Colette’s warm body. Her arms slid around his waist, his hands went straight into her hair where he gripped it hard and tilted her face to look up at him.
“Beg me,” he spoke softly, a little hint of the accent he tried to hide came through.
“Please, Gabe...I need you...now...” Colette said breathlessly.
“Good enough.” And his lips came crashing down on Colette’s.
It was a reunion of lips and dueling tongues. It wasn’t even sweet. It was desperate. A month, he’d waited a whole month to have her after she’d gotten back. And he was going to take his time...later. Right now, Gabe had to have her.
His Amante.
He pulled her toward him by her hips. He knew that she could feel his erection against her belly. Grabbing her muscle shirt by the hem, he pulled it up and off of her and tossed it on the floor. He groaned when he saw her black lace bra that gave her breasts a little more fullness. Slowly, he started backing to the stairs. He let Colette pull his t-shirt off and it met the same demise as hers and her arms wrapped around him, and she started kissing him again.
He was still backing his way toward the stairs as he slid his hands around her and unhooked her bra, sliding the straps down her arms as his lips kept in contact with hers. Once her breasts were freed, he’d made his way to the stairs. He sat on the steps so that he was eye level with her breasts and he pulled her between his legs. Colette braced herself on her hands on the stairs as Gabe sucked in a tight nipple from her right breast as he leaned back against the stairs. She inhaled deeply when he plumped her breast with his hand as he sucked on it.
With his other hand, he worked at the snap of her jeans and was working on pulling the zipper down. He switched to her other breast with his mouth, but his hand stayed at her right breast, rolling the nipple between his finger and thumb. Once the fabric was parted, he slid his hand down into her jeans, over her panties and cupped her mound, feeling the wetness that her panties had collected.
“Mmm, so wet,” he whispered against her breast. He rubbed her pussy through the wet cotton of her panties as he sucked on her breast harder.
Colette moaned above him and pushed against his hand looking for quick relief, but Gabe knew what she was looking for and wouldn’t give it to her. He moved his hand from her pants, hooked his thumb in the waistband of her jeans and pushed down. His other hand left her breast and helped to try and pull her jeans over her hips. Letting go of her he let his head rest on another step.
“What shoes do you have on?” he asked.
“My Doc Marten’s boots.”
“Dammit woman. You need to invest in some flip flops.”
Colette laughed, “I can’t wear those to work.”
“Lay down on the landing while I take your boots off.”
“Wouldn’t it just be...”
“Shoosh!” Gabe said.
He grabbed her hips and slid out from under her, while she maneuvered around and took a few steps so that she was sitting on the landing with Gabe standing in front of her untying the laces of her boots. He looked up at her with an eyebrow cocked, so she laid down on the the landing. Colette felt her boots come off, one at a time, then her socks.
“Lift up.” Gabe tapped her right hip.
Colette lifted her butt and Gabe slid her pants off with her panties over her hips and butt, then slid them down her legs. She was propped up on her elbows, but rested her butt on the edge of the landing and lifted her feet so that Gabe could pull her jeans and panties the rest of the way off. Completely naked, Colette was a feast on his stairs. Slowly, he un-snapped his jeans, then un-zipped the zipper, pulling them down as if he had all the time in the world.
Unfortunately, he was doing this because he was afraid that all Colette had to do was touch him and he’d shoot off like a horny teenager for the first time. Pushing the fabric of his jeans down over his hips, Colette could make out his hard rock cock through his black boxer briefs. She licked her lips and Gabe rewarded her with a smile.
“Uh, boxers too.” Colette pointed with her chin.
Gabe smiled brightly now, moving his hands back up to his boxers waistband, he slid his fingers into the band and pushed down until he’d slid his boxers and jeans down to his feet, then stepped out of them.
“Flip Flops. Gotta love em.” he smiled. He pushed his jeans down the steps with his foot and kneeled on a step so that he could lean over her.
“So the stairs...” Colette began, when Gabe cut her off.
He didn’t kiss her bare pussy. No, he open mouth tongued her pussy. He gorged on her. His tongue slid through her folds, tasting and teasing her. He nipped and kissed her there while his hands kept her legs open. Her hands threaded into his short hair as her body arched against the carpet on the stairs. Her eyes were squeezed shut as Gabe feasted on her. He slid his right hand over to her entrance and slowly he slid in one finger while his lips nipped at her clit. His tongue swirled around the sensitive nub. Slowly one finger slid inside of her as she lifted her hips to meet his pace. Then he slid two fingers into her and started a faster pace. This time, his teeth grazed her clit.
“Oh fuck...Gabe!” Colette cried, her hands in his hair, tightening.
Gabe pulled back just slightly and looked up at her. “Come for me Amante’...let me hear my name on your lips.”
He twisted his fingers so that he was making a come-hither motion against the bundle of nerves inside of her. She was ready to explode. She could feel her orgasm barreling down on her and yet at the same time, she needed more. That’s when Gabe sucked on her clit. Hard.
And she screamed. His. Name.
“Gabe...holy shit....Gabe!” His name became a whisper on her lips as she came down from her orgasm. Little flashes of light were still brilliant behind her eyelids.
It was music to his ears. Slowly, he slid his fingers from her pussy and made a trail up her abdomen to her right breast where he rubbed them against i
t. Wiping her juices on her nipple. Then, he propped himself up on one arm as he came down, took her breast into his mouth and licked and teased at the nipple, making it hard.
“My turn,” She said softly, sliding her hands from Gabe’s hair down to his cheeks, her thumbs rubbing softly on his jaw line.
“Where do you want me?” he whispered against her breast, looking up at her.
“We seem to have a theme going here,” she smiled crookedly. “How bout you slide up the stairs a bit more here so we are closer to the bedroom.”
Pick Me (Wait for Me Series Book 2) Page 9