by Debby Conrad
The doorbell rang a second time, and instead of fighting with herself any longer about what to wear, she shoved her arms into her white terrycloth robe and trotted down the stairs.
She looked through the peephole and sighed. Sure enough it was Gabe. Opening the door, she forced a smile. “Oh, is it that time already?” she asked, trying to pretend it was no big deal that he looked good enough to eat, while she hadn’t even bothered to finish getting ready. He’d used some sort of cologne, and it was doing a number on her senses. It was light, with just a hint of citrus.
His gaze ran up and down the length of her. “Am I too early? Do you want me to leave and come back later?”
Janie waved a hand. “No, that would be silly. Now that you’re here, you may as well stay.” A bouquet of wilting flowers dangled from one of his hands, a plastic bag from the other. “Are either of those for me?”
“What?” He glanced down at his side. “Oh, yeah,” he said, producing the mixed bouquet of lilies, roses, tulips and snapdragons.
“How sweet. You didn’t have to do that.” She took the flowers from him, brought them to her nose and breathed in their sweet aroma. “I’d better get them in some water,” she said, heading for the kitchen.
Gabe followed her and waited in the doorway while she grabbed a vase from beneath the sink and rearranged the blooms in it. Then she turned on the faucet and used her kitchen hose to fill the vase. She carried the arrangement to the dining table and set it in the center. “There.”
The whole while, his gaze had been on her, making her tense. She tightened the belt on her robe and asked, “What’s in the bag?”
He set the bag on the table beside the vase. “Condoms.”
“Oh,” she said. Well, that’s what she got for being so nosy. “If you’ll excuse me a minute, I need to finish getting ready.”
“You look fine to me,” he said, as if he didn’t seem to mind the fact that she was wearing her robe and no make-up.
Janie moved past him, feeling the electrical charges pass through every inch of her body, then stopped and turned to face him. She ran a hand through her damp ringlets and said, “The truth is, I had no idea what to wear tonight. I mean, what do you wear when you’re about to be seduced?”
Gabe grinned at her and raised his brows. “Nothing?”
“You would say that.”
“You want me to be honest, don’t you?”
Their gazes locked.
Janie took a deep breath and released it. “Yes.”
“Well, it seems like a waste of time to put clothes on when I’m just going to take them off you in a few minutes anyway.”
Her insides fluttered, and then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Slow, shivery kisses. Kisses with a dreamy intimacy to them. They were unlike any others he’d given her.
He showered kisses around her lips, on her cheekbones, and her neck. As his mouth descended to her shoulders, she felt her knees weaken. Slowly, he undid the belt to her robe and let the terrycloth fall from her shoulders and puddle at her feet. Then his mouth found her breast through the thin cotton of her tank top.
Afraid she might fall, she dug her nails into his shoulders and hung on. “Tell me what to do,” she said in a strained voice.
“Nothing. Just enjoy.” He suckled her nipple through the fabric of her tank, pulling, tugging, until she thought she’d go crazy. Just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, he moved to her other breast and treated it to the same amount of pleasant torture.
“Oh, Gabe,” she moaned.
Then his mouth left her breast to graze her earlobe. “I’m sorry. I told myself I was going to take things slowly with you tonight, but I can’t. Do you know how badly I want you right now?”
Swallowing, she lifted her face to see into his eyes. “No. Tell me,” she said softly.
“How about if I show you instead?” he asked, taking her hand and placing it over his erection.
Gently, she moved her hand over the length of him. Exploring him. She squeezed lightly, then added more pressure. His tormented groan was a heady invitation for her to continue. Feeling a little bolder now, she cupped him, feeling the weight of him in her palm.
Gabe threw back his head, sucking in a huge noisy breath. “Sweetheart,” he warned, taking her hand and kissing her palm, “too much more of that and first round will all be over before I even get you upstairs.”
“Upstairs?” she asked. “Isn’t that sort of conventional? I figured you were the kitchen table type.”
“Works for me,” he said, lifting her into his arms and moving toward the table. “I love a woman with a little imagination.” He set her on the cool, smooth table top, pushing her legs open and stepping in between them. His denim covered erection pressed against her thighs as his mouth came down hard on hers. He forced her lips open with his thrusting tongue. There was nothing slow about his kisses now.
His hands were all over her, touching and kneading. Her arms, waist, breasts and thighs. It was as if he couldn’t get enough of her. She gave herself freely to the passion of his kisses and touches, while a wild swirl torpedoed deep in her belly.
Janie kept waiting for the bottom to drop, for all the sensations to dry up and simply disappear, but they didn’t. Instead, they continued to escalate.
Tearing his mouth away from hers, he said, “I want to kiss every one of your freckles. And I want to taste you. All of you.”
“Yes,” she whispered as tiny uncontrollable shivers worked their way through her entire body.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked. “Because if you’re not, now’s the time to speak up.”
She met his dark, penetrating gaze, then, lifting the hem of her tank top and pulling it over her head, she nodded. “Yes, I’m sure,” she said in a shaky voice.
His gaze lingered on her bare breasts before he lifted his chin and smiled at her. “They’re perfect. You’re perfect,” he added in a low voice.
“No, I’m not,” she started to argue.
“Shut up, Janie.” Gabe’s lips met hers once again as he lowered her into a reclining position on the cool, smooth surface. She heard him slide the vase of flowers across the table and away from her head. Her legs and feet dangled over the edge, feeling as light as air. Breaking away from her mouth, Gabe kissed his way down her neck, shoulders, breasts and stomach, his tongue coming to rest on the elastic band of her panties.
Knowing what he was about to do, Janie reached for his head and tried to push him away. “No,” she murmured.
“No, what?” he asked, moving her hands away and placing them at her sides. Gently, he dragged her panties over her hips and legs. Then positioning himself between her legs, he bent forward and teased her thigh with his hot, moist tongue.
Something inside her surged and she grew restless with need. Yet at the same time, she wanted him to stop. “No,” she said again when his tongue came close to her center.
Ignoring her, his tongue snaked out and teased her again. “Spread your legs wider,” he said, giving her thighs a nudge.
“No, Gabe, please don’t do that!” she gasped.
“Why not?” he asked as he continued to graze her with his tongue and mouth.
“Because I’ve never . . . because no one’s ever . . .” But before she could get the words out, he was there, tasting her, licking her, kissing her where no man had ever kissed her before.
“You taste like heaven,” he said, his lips vibrating against her.
Her hips bucked off the table and she grabbed at his hair, moaning with tormented pleasure. With a volition of their own, her legs opened wide. She’d never experienced anything so sinful, yet so wonderful, in all her life. And suddenly she didn’t want him to stop. Not now. Not ever. “Yes!” Her head moved from side to side as the pressure built inside her. “Omigod, Gabe. I think I’m going to . . . come,” she said shyly, feeling her face heat up.
“That was the plan,” he mumbled against her, then took her over the edge.
She called out his name, closing her eyes and giving in to it. When she finally settled down, the last shudder wrenched from her body, she opened them and found Gabe staring at her.
“Are you okay?” he asked, looking at her with lust in his eyes.
“I--” she started, then hiccupped. “Yes,” she managed between the spasms. “This is so--hiccup--embarrassing.”
Gabe grinned at her.
“Did I do--hiccup--okay?” she asked.
“You were fantastic.”
Janie smiled, feeling smug and sexy and beautiful all at the same time. “I guess I’m not--hiccup--defective,” she said with a dreamy sigh.
“No. You’re not.”
Lying naked in the middle of her kitchen table, and not feeling the least bit shy now, she closed her eyes again, held her breath, and willed her hiccups away. “Thank you,” she said once she could talk normally. Then, realizing that Gabe hadn’t . . . Her eyes popped open. “What about you?”
The corner of his mouth turned up. “Don’t worry, I’m not finished with you yet.”
“You’re not?”
“Far from it,” he said.
Janie felt her insides quiver. “Do you want some help with your clothes?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” he said, holding his hands out to his sides in invitation.
Sitting up, she started with his shirt, her fingers trembling so badly she could barely get the buttons through the buttonholes. When she’d finally reached the last one, she slid the soft blue cotton over his muscular shoulders. His chest was hard and masculine, and covered with a whorl of dark hair. She kissed one flat brown nipple, then nibbled lightly.
“Janie,” he murmured, threading his fingers through her hair and kissing the top of her head. “I love how you smell. Sweet, like cotton candy.” He took her hands and wrapped them around his waist, encouraging them to explore.
Trailing tickling fingers up and down the length of his back, her breasts tingled against his hair roughened chest and her senses oscillated from the scent of his freshly showered body.
Gabe toyed with her nipples, pinching lightly, tugging at them, until they were hard peaks.
Looking up at him briefly, Janie kissed his bruised cheek and then lowered her mouth to meet his. She could taste herself, a sweet musky taste, as she succumbed to the domination of his lips, her thoughts spinning, her emotions skidding out of control.
When the kiss ended, she planted tiny, open-mouth kisses on his chest and abdomen and worked her way toward the waistband of his jeans, a spurt of hungry desire urging her on.
Gabe sucked in a noisy breath when she clumsily reached for his belt buckle. After struggling with it for a moment, she finally managed to open it and slide the belt from the belt loops. It fell to the floor with a loud clunk. Then, she popped the button on his jeans open and slowly tugged the zipper downward.
Glancing up at him, she waited for him to direct her.
“Take it out, Janie,” he whispered, folding her hand over his erection.
She fondled him for a moment, then reached inside his briefs and freed him. He was velvety smooth, yet long and hard. Moistening her lips, she leaned forward and placed a wet kiss on the tip.
Moaning, he pushed her back gently by her shoulders. “No,” he said firmly. “Tonight’s for you.”
His words made her feel like a princess. He’d already shown her what ecstasy was, and yet he’d said he wasn’t finished with her.
Janie watched with wonder as he dragged his jeans and briefs over his hips, then reached for the bag with the condoms. He was so beautifully proportioned. Especially that part of him, she thought.
Once he’d covered himself, his mouth swooped down to capture hers again. He kissed her with savage intensity, taking from her, encouraging her to give back. Running his hands over her naked body, he urged her closer to the edge of the table.
His mouth left hers and with his lips against her ear, he whispered, “Wrap your legs around me, Janie. I’m going to take you for a ride.”
Janie threw her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips as he lifted her up a few inches from the table, seeking entrance into her center. Her passion soared higher as he filled her, pushing deep, deeper inside her. “Oh, Gabe,” she cried out.
He dropped sideways into one of the kitchen chairs, holding her in place, and then he guided her hips to move over him. “That’s it, sweetheart. A little faster now.”
Janie had never felt anything this intense and overwhelming before. She felt gloriously alive, and yet helpless at the same time. Her pulse raced and her body began to vibrate with liquid fire.
“Look at me, Janie. I want to see you when you come.”
Unable to deny his request, she met his gaze and held it. Gabe Montero was inside her. It wasn’t a dream. As she watched the intense pleasure on his face, the fire quickly spread to her heart. The feeling was much more than sexual desire. It was something much, much stronger.
It was love, she decided as she shattered into a million glowing stars. “Gabe,” she shouted.
His face took on a tortured look and then she felt him pulsate inside her.
Janie dropped her head to his shoulder and sighed in pleasant exhaustion. After a moment, she said, “That was so--hiccup. I’ve never been more--hiccup.” Embarrassed, she lifted her head and smiled at him. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, ditto for me.” And then he kissed her. Slowly. Seductively. As if he were savoring the taste and feel of her mouth. It was ecstasy being held against his warm, strong body. She was a glowing image of fire, passion and love.
Love. There it was again. Sara had been right. She’d fallen for Gabe. And she could admit it now, if only to herself. She just didn’t know what she was going to do about it.
* * * * * * * * * *
Gabe lay on his back in Janie’s bed, listening to the soft whir of the ceiling fan. His eyes were heavy with sleep and there was an egotistical smile on his face.
He’d actually done it. He’d made love with Janie, and not just once, but several times. First, in the kitchen chair. She’d been magnificent. The way she’d looked at him with a mixture of uncertainty and desire in her eyes. Yet, she’d followed his every lead.
When she’d asked shyly if they could do it again, he’d bent her over the kitchen table and taken her from behind. That had been the ultimate in sexual experiences for him. Seeing her spread-eagle across the table. Naked, hot and wet, and begging him to satisfy her. He could still see her freckle-dusted skin, her small breasts with firm nipples and the thatch of auburn curls between her legs. He’d never be able to look at a kitchen table again without thinking of Janie.
Of course, making love in the shower had been a close second. And then they’d finally made it to the bed, where they’d done it once with Janie on top, and once with him on top. He’d satisfied her every time; he’d made damn sure. There was no way in hell the woman was defective. It just took the right man. And he was that man, he thought, his ego as large as the Grand Canyon.
Gabe smiled again, recalling the smoldering passion between them. The way she called out his name right before she climaxed, and the cute little way she hiccupped afterward.
She’d been a wildcat at times, compliant at others. When he’d bent her over the table, she’d looked over her shoulder at him and said, “Go ahead, Montero, have your wicked way with me.”
Gabe had plunged into her and exploded almost instantly. Janie had followed right behind him. It had been sheer ecstasy. Only he hadn’t been wearing a condom at the time. It was something he hadn’t bothered to mention to her, although she wasn’t stupid. She knew.
Turning onto his side, he reached for her. Maybe this was a good time to talk about the possible consequences of his careless behavior. Patting the cool sheets, he expected to find her naked body next to his, but she wasn’t there.
Gabe’s eyes popped open. Where the hell had she run off to at four in the morning? he wondered,
tossing back the sheet and getting out of bed. Wherever she was, he was going to drag her back to bed and maybe have his wicked way with her one more time before dawn. That thought brought another smile to his lips.
* * * * * * * * * *
Janie’s fingers flew over the computer keys. Never had she written about love and passion with such ease. And never once had she sat naked at the keyboard. Gabe had ruined her. She was now a sexually crazed woman who couldn’t seem to get enough. Even after six orgasms, she was thinking about sneaking back into bed and attacking the man.
Deciding that’s just what she’d do, she typed faster, wanting to finish the scene in her book first.
“You taste like heaven,” Gage said, his lips vibrating against her.
Jasmine’s hips bucked off the table and she grabbed at his hair,
moaning with tormented pleasure. With a volition of their own, her legs
opened wide. She’d never experienced anything so sinful, yet so
wonderful, in all her life. And suddenly she didn’t want him to stop.
Not now. Not ever. “Yes!” Her head moved from side to side as the
pressure built inside her. “Omigod, Gage. I think I’m going to . . . come,”
she said shyly, feeling her face heat up.
“That was the plan,” he mumbled against her, then took her over
the edge.
Jasmine called out his name, closing her eyes and giving in to it.
When she finally settled down, the last shudder wrenched from her body,
she opened them and found Gage staring at her.
“Are you okay?” he asked, looking at her with lust in his eyes.
“I--” she started, then hiccupped. “Yes,” she managed between the spasms. “This is so--hiccup--embarrassing.”
Gage grinned at her.
“Did I do--hiccup--okay?” she asked.
“You were fantastic.”
“What are you doing?” Gabe asked from the doorway of the spare bedroom.
Janie’s pulse kicked up. Quickly, she clicked the “Save” button and closed the file. “I just wanted to write this one scene while it was fresh in my head,” she said, turning to face him. Oh, God, he was as naked as she was. And thoroughly aroused, too. She swallowed tightly. “Is that for me?”