“Everything’s going to be okay.” I grabbed her hand and held it tight.
“Hope so. I can’t believe this is happening. It’s as if I’m having a—”
“Nightmare?”
“Exactly.”
I nodded. “I felt the same way when I walked into your house and saw you with Major Dick.”
“I can’t wait for this to be over,” she groaned.
I pressed the down button to the elevator. “It’s only the beginning, but I’m going to protect you, angel.”
She gave a tight smile. “Thank you.”
I brushed a piece of her hair away from her eyes that had fallen loose from her ponytail. “I hope you don’t get sick of me because I’m going to be with you every step of the way.”
“If I do, I’ll go hang out with Paul.” She laughed.
“He’s excited for you to stay with us.”
The elevator dinged and we entered.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yep. You won’t even be able to tell that my house is a bachelor pad. He cleaned and lit candles so it smells nice now.” We stepped into the empty car.
“That’s hilari—”
I grabbed her face with my hands and silenced her with my mouth just like I had the first and only time we’d kissed before. I couldn’t watch her mouth move any longer before I refreshed my memory with the way she tasted. She backed up, pressing into the back wall of the car, and wrapped her arms around my neck.
My hands stayed cupped to her face as my tongue slid into her mouth, sweeping a few times as it gathered her flavor. Touching, tasting and smelling her all at once was what I’d been dreaming about for so many nights. I wanted to stay against her forever. My dick started to stiffen as she moaned, kissing me back. I couldn’t wait to be buried inside her, our bodies covered with sweat as I watched her come apart beneath me.
The elevator came to a stop and we broke apart, not saying anything as I grabbed her hand again and led her out into the lobby. We found a small store in the Luxor that was open twenty-four hours and I paid for a pre-paid credit card with cash. Afterward, Autumn put the room on the card and we went back to tell her parents we’d return tomorrow.
“Thank you,” Dan said, sticking out his hand. I took it and we shook. “Please take care of my little girl.”
“I will. She means a lot to me.”
Autumn smiled warmly at me then said her goodbyes.
Holding her hand, I drove us to my place. It was going to be strange seeing her in my house. I’d wanted her there since the first day I saw her, and now everything was coming along as we both had hoped.
“You doing okay?” I asked, kissing the back of her hand.
She smiled. “Yeah. Now that my parents are taken care of, I’m wondering what Rich is doing. He’s probably at their house now.”
“Don’t worry about him. Paul and I got you, angel. Tomorrow we’ll make sure your parents have everything they need for a few days, and on Monday I’ll go with you to talk to an attorney.”
“I hope I can get an appointment that soon.”
“If you can’t, I’m sure I can find us something to do at my house.” I winked. I felt her hand tighten in my own. “I’m just joking. I know it’s going to take you some time. I’m not gonna lie though, seeing you in your dress tonight made my dick hard again.”
“Rich said I looked cute as if I was a five-year-old,” she mumbled, looking out the passenger side window.
“I can assure you that you didn’t look like a five-year-old.” I chuckled. “Rich is just a dick.”
She turned her head back to look at me. “Are you going to tell me why you call him Major Dick?”
“I will, but we’re almost to my house. How about I tell you in the morning after we get some sleep like you told your parents?”
She groaned. “Yeah, I’m exhausted. I’m not sure how much more information I can take tonight.”
I pulled into the driveway of my house and we walked hand in hand through the front door. The candles were still lit and Jackson was on the couch watching TV.
“Auttie, it’s about time you got here.” Jackson rose and engulfed her in a big hug.
“Auttie?” I asked.
“It’s my new nickname for her. Shut up.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, man.”
“Thank you for having me.” Autumn hugged him back. “I really appreciate—”
“Nonsense. Like I told Gabe, I’ve wanted to be a bodyguard. And to think I might kick Major Dick’s ass…”
“No, I get to kick his ass,” I joked …well, half-joked.
She sat on the couch and Jackson and I followed suit. “No one’s kicking anyone’s ass. I don’t want to see him again until I’m in court.”
“What about your stuff?” Jackson questioned.
“It’s just material things, except the photo albums from my childhood I’d like to get.”
“We’ll go tomorrow,” Jackson suggested.
“No!” Autumn shrieked. “It’s too soon.”
“Angel, it’s better we get all your stuff now before he can destroy it.”
“But—”
“He’s right, Auttie. All three of us will go get your stuff, and you can tell Major Dick to fuck off and that you’re filing for divorce. If he tries anything, we’ll kick his ass. We’ve wanted to do it for years, and now that we know he’s your husband, I sure won’t be holding anything back.”
“I won’t either,” I agreed. “Don’t worry, he won’t touch you anymore.”
“I hope not,” she sighed.
“One of us will be with you every time you step out that door.” I pointed to the front door.
“He has muscle. Didn’t you see that big ass dude run into the party tonight?” she asked, looking at me.
I saw the guy. He was big. Most of the time, those guys are slow and prey on scrawny dudes that can’t fight back. I wasn’t scared of him one bit. Once I got the upper hand, I’d be able to knock his ass out.
“You don’t need to worry about us, angel. We got you.”
“I hope you’re right.”
I saw her eyes start to close as she leaned back on the couch.
“Let’s get you in the shower and then into bed, okay?”
Her eyes opened and she nodded with a weak smile. “Okay.”
I took her hand to help her stand from the couch and started to lead her down the hall toward the bathroom in my room. Both Jackson and I had a shower in our room, plus there was a guest bath as well. I probably should have had her shower in the guest bath, but there was something about knowing she was in mine.
“I’ll be in the living room when you’re done, and then I’ll show you to your bedroom.” I kissed the top of her head and started to walk away.
“Wait. I don’t have any clothes to sleep in.” I walked to my dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers and a T-shirt for her. “Thank you.”
“No problem. Tomorrow we’ll make sure you get your clothes too.”
She nodded and closed the bathroom door.
“Well, this shit just got real,” Jackson remarked as I walked back into the living room.
“Yeah,” I exhaled, sitting on the couch. “Crazy ass shit.”
“Are you really sure we can take the big ass dude Autumn’s referring to?”
“No doubt. This guy is huge, but just remember, light as a feather. We’ll be able to take him. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that though.” I rested my head against the back of the couch as I thought about the evening. I was exhausted. “That reminds me.” I lifted my head. “I’m going to put that gun I bought in the glove compartment in case we need it for tomorrow. If Autumn comes out, just tell her I left something in the car. I don’t want her to know and freak out.”
“Yeah, sure. No problem.”
When I walked back into the house after putting the gun in the car, Autumn was still in the bathroom. I didn’t hear the water running, so I waited for her in the living
room until she was ready to come out of my room. She walked out dressed in my boxers and T-shirt and I smiled. I liked seeing her in my clothes. I wouldn’t mind seeing her out of them either.
“Come on, it’s been a long night.” I reached for her hand to lead her to the guest bedroom. I wanted to bring her to my bed, but I knew she needed time to digest everything. She said goodnight to Jackson and then we walked down the hall. “Get some sleep. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
She nodded. “Thank you for everything.”
“Anything for you, angel.” I kissed her softly after tucking her in bed, then turned out the light and closed the door.
We continued to fire. I didn’t know how many enemy troops there were. I couldn’t see with all the sand in the air, but we kept firing until the wind wasn’t blowing and all the enemies were down.
“Everyone good?” I asked. I turned around to see one of my medics down. I couldn’t tell who, but my heart stopped.
“Jackson!” I hollered as I ran to the down medic.
When I reached her, I fell to my knees, flipping her over—Cochran.
“No!”
“It’s okay,” Cochran mumbled, choking on her blood. “I like her. She’ll be good for you.”
“Who?” I asked, brushing her hair from her face.
“Autumn.”
I awoke with a start, panting.
My door slowly opened and I could barely make out the figure entering. “Gabe?” Autumn called out.
“Yeah, angel. Are you okay?”
“Can I sleep with you?”
I smiled. “Come here.” I pulled the covers back and she crawled in, moving until her back was flush with my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and held her, no longer thinking about my dream as a nightmare.
It was an epiphany.
Chapter Nineteen
Autumn
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Rich’s angry face. I knew the wrath was coming. Every scenario was playing through my head as to what he was doing in the moments after he realized I was gone and what he was currently doing.
Was he searching for me? Did he go to his office to check the security camera feed? Did he know Gabe was helping me? Did he go to my parents’ house? Did he even realize I’d left? Did he care that I was gone?
As I lay in Gabe’s guest bed, I started to freak myself out. I envisioned Rich crawling through the window … hiding under the bed … in the closet. I envisioned him breaking down the front door and getting to me before Gabe could. I couldn’t take it any longer. I felt safe in Gabe’s arms and I wanted to be there.
Pulling back the covers, I climbed out of the queen sized bed and down the hall to where I’d showered. I knew it was Gabe’s room when he pulled out the boxers and T-shirt for me to wear. They smelled like him. Even though I tried to focus on his scent to fall asleep, I couldn’t whenever I closed my eyes.
I slowly opened the door and called out to him. He was awake and let me crawl into his bed. The moment he wrapped his arms around me, my body touching his bare chest, I felt safe again. It felt right.
“You sure you’re okay, angel?” he whispered against my shoulder.
I nodded. “Yeah. Just don’t want to be alone.”
“I got you.” He wrapped me tighter in his arms and my backside nudged into his hardening cock.
Instantly my stomach dropped as he poked me. I didn’t move away. Instead, I fought with myself. I wanted to be with him, but I was still married. I was married, but I’d left Rich tonight. In reality, I’d left him a month before in my head and heart—just not legally yet.
I needed to look toward my future now. All the pain I’d endured. The hurt, the fear, the lies—everything was now behind me. I was strong. I was a warrior and I deserved to be happy again. Gabe made me happy. Maybe he was only meant to save me from Rich and then down the road, we’d go our separate ways. I’d cross that bridge when I got to it, but here and now, I wanted him.
Most of all, I needed to erase Rich’s touch. I knew that wasn’t possible, but I didn’t want his touch to be the last one on my body anymore. I wanted to know what it was like to taste more than just Gabe’s kisses. I wanted to know what it was like to be touched in a way that felt nice again. The last time Rich and I made love, it was awkward. I’d still pictured Gabe even though Rich was gentle. I wanted to be able to leave my eyes open and the man staring back at me was the one I wanted to be with.
The night was a whirlwind and I was taking back my life finally.
Turning over in Gabe’s arms, I lay on my back, his hand draped over my stomach. Without saying a word, I put my mouth to his.
“Angel…” he mumbled against my lips.
“It’s okay. I want this,” I moaned.
He pulled back, breaking our lips apart. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” I whispered.
Pausing, he stared into my hazel eyes and I waited. “Okay,” he finally whispered, and without any more hesitation he returned his mouth to mine.
He tasted like a hint of mint as my tongue licked his. My heart was beating fast and my panties were damp with anticipation. His mouth moved slowly as if he enjoyed the way I tasted as much as I enjoyed him. All of our previous kisses had been rushed and cut short, but not this one. This was slow and passionate.
He broke our mouths apart again. “One last time to back out. I won’t be able to stop when I have you naked.”
I smiled. “I’m sure.”
He lifted my shirt, pulling it over my head and tossing it on the floor. I was left with a bare chest, his chest brushing against my breasts as he hovered over me. I could barely see his silhouette in the dark room, only making out a few features as they were highlighted by the moon through the blinds.
“You have no idea … no idea how much I’ve wanted to taste every inch of you.”
I didn’t respond. I tried to form words as he lowered his head and his mouth took a nipple inside. I tried. I really did, but none came to mind expect a slight moan as his wet tongue circled my puckered nipple. God it felt good to have his mouth on my skin.
His tongue did circles as his hand cupped my other breast in his palm. My body relaxed as currents washed over me and straight to my core. I’d always imagined Gabe would fuck me against a wall, a door, a car—hell, even on the counter at Starbucks. What I’d never imaged was the way he’d take his time exploring my body. While I’d thought I wanted him to rock my world, this was much better.
His mouth moved to my other breast being kneaded by his palm while that hand slid down my body and dipped into the waistband of the boxers I was wearing. The tip of his finger ran along the seam of my panties and I wanted to wiggle beneath him to make his hand move farther down. I was aching, wet, and so aroused, the slightest touch on my clit would probably send me over the edge.
Instead, his tongue worked my nipple and his finger teased my skin just above my coarse hair. I was panting, my head tilted back as I enjoyed his touch and waited for that moment when his fingers brushed against my center.
“Gabe…” I called out.
“Shh. I got you.”
I knew he did—in more ways than one, but the anticipation was killing me. I wanted him inside me, rocking against me as my legs held him close. I wanted to feel him. Hell, I wanted to run my hand along his stomach and confirm he had the rippled abs I’d envisioned. Instead, he was out of my grasp and I was laying with my hands to my sides, trying to fight the urge to slide up the bed so his hand would slip into the lips of my pussy.
Just as I was going to lose the battle with myself, his hand inched lower and I sucked in a breath, ready for it.
“How many times do you want to come, angel?”
My eyes flew open. “Wha … What?”
“How many times do you want me to make you come?”
“Um …” I was tongue-tied. Rich only let me get off once—if that.
“One, two, three—”
“Three,” I blurted. I wasn’t
even sure that was possible. I was exhausted from the night’s events, but thinking about Gabe making me come three times had me wide awake.
I felt him smile against my stomach. “Three’s a good number for our first time.”
I gasped when he said those words. One time was good. Two was better than good and three was going to be the most I’d ever had in my entire life in one night—shit in row even. But more than three? I couldn’t even imagine how that was possible.
“It’s possible.” He chuckled.
Did he read my mind?
“I—”
“Shh. Just relax.”
I nodded and his hand teasing me at my panty line left my skin. I wanted to protest—kick, scream, cry. He lifted himself up, leaning back on his heels as his hands started to pull my boxers and panties down my legs.
“The more you relax and let me pleasure you, the better it will be. Trust me. I got you.”
I nodded again, biting my lip as I watched his bald head slip between my parted thighs. The moment his tongue took its first swipe, my body jerked as pleasure rippled through me. He started off slow as if he were drinking my arousal with every lick. His tongue would swipe, one, two, and on the third time, circle my clit. I moaned.
“That’s it,” he cooed. “Just relax, angel.”
I didn’t know why he kept telling me to relax. I was relaxed. Fuck, I was so relaxed as his tongue continued to lick and taste, my back arched, my head tilted back as I enjoyed the pleasure. He worked my pussy to the point where my orgasm crept up on me and I didn’t realize I was going to come until I was jerking with the wave as it tore through me.
“One down.”
I had no idea how I was going to do that two more times. I hadn’t come that hard in years.
My pussy continued to pulse as the aftershocks of my orgasm dwindled down. While I lay to catch my breath, Gabe got off the bed and went to the bathroom, opening a drawer and then returned, the bed dipping beneath him as he settled between my legs again.
“God, baby. You tasted so fucking good.”
Angels & Whiskey Page 17