Chapter Four

When he'd brought Julie home, it was with the intention of getting her to relax and talk. Slowly earn her trust and show her he wasn't such a bad guy. But once Julie's big brown eyes connected with his, Gabe was lost. Not able to go another second without tasting her bow-shaped lips, he'd given in to temptation. Damn if one kiss had been enough. He'd wanted another, and one thing led to another. Before he realized what was happening, those very lips he'd spent many hours fantasizing over were lovingly wrapped around his cock.

He hadn't wanted things to go that far yet, at least not today, because he wanted to give her the time she deserved. She was distraught, and he felt as if he were taking advantage of her. Julie, however, seemed to have other ideas. In the back of his head, he knew he should stop and give her the time she deserved, but once she'd touched him, he threw his reservations out the window. Part of him said to stop her, but the other half told him to give in to those carnal longings only this woman had the capability of producing.

Her caresses were so innocent, and perhaps not as skilled as some of the more-seasoned lovers he'd had before her, but her sweet innocence and enthusiasm more than made up for her lack of experience. Besides, it pleased him to know he'd be the one who'd get to initiate her in all the delights of kinky sex. He wanted Julie in his bed, on the floor, on his kitchen table, the shower, outside on his hammock; the possibilities were infinite.

Maybe he'd be damned for going through with this when she was probably in a vulnerable state, but God help him, he was weak. Her gorgeous cocoa-tinted skin was soft beneath his hands, and he was in awe of the contrast of her body against his hardness. She was all soft brown curves. Everything about her fascinated him. He was eager to slide into her cunt and fuck her bowlegged. This first time, however, he'd take things slow, for her sake. And then all bets were off.

Running his fingers over her hair, he dropped light kisses along the back of her neck and shoulders, loving the way she trembled beneath his gentle ministrations. Slipping his arm around her narrow waist, he splayed his fingers along her flat stomach, grinding his now-painfully hard erection against the curve of her ass. “Do you like this, Julie?”

She leaned her head against his shoulder with a sigh. “Mmm.”

He moved his hand lower, grazing her neatly groomed pussy, and slid his finger along her cleft. “You're already wet for me, sweetheart. You want this, don't you?”

She whispered a breathy “yes.”

“Do you want my fingers inside of your cunt?” As he whispered the words against her ear, he rubbed her slick pussy lips, making them even wetter than before. She was incredibly responsive to his touch.

“Yes, please.” Her voice came out in an impassioned whisper. Julie moved her body against the rhythm of his strokes. Her ass rubbed against his cock, and he was hard- pressed not to come right then and there. Gabe was determined, however, to make sure she got off first, because God knew, once he was finally inside of her, there was no telling how long he'd last.

Giving her what she wanted, he pushed his middle finger into her tight, wet sheath. Goddamn, she was tight. Her cunt clung to his finger like a vise. A shudder shimmied up his spine as he imagined how her pussy would feel around his cock. Gabe shoved the dew-soaked digit deeper into her hungry channel before pulling it back out.

Julie moved her head from side to side against his chest. “Oh God!”

“No. Gabe. Remember that, baby.” He slipped another finger inside of her, marveled at how accommodating and juicy her pussy was. Oh, hell yeah. He couldn't wait to be inside of her.

“Gabe, this feels so good. Don't stop, please.” She clasped her hand over his, blatantly demanding he give her more.

He used his free hand to cup one blackberry-tipped breast. Gabe hadn't been lying when he said hers were perfect. They were so big and lickable, and he couldn't wait to suck on them as his cock worked in and out of her. Rolling the taut peak between his index finger and thumb, he gave it a squeeze, making her gasp. He didn't know how much longer he'd last before he threw her on the bed and fucked her senseless. His cock was so hard at the moment, he thought he'd explode.

Finger fucking wasn't enough. He needed to taste her cream, which produced the most delicious scent. Removing his fingers from her damp heat, Gabe slowly brought them to his mouth and licked off her juices, savoring the tangy flavor of her cunt. “Mmm. You're sweet, like candy…Candy Girl. From now on, I'm the only one who can call you that. Got it?”

Julie nodded, wiggling her bottom against his cock. “Please…” She groaned.

“Oh, I'm going to please you, all right, but I want to hear the words. Say 'Please fuck me, Gabe.'”

“Please fuck me, Gabe. You're driving me crazy.” She turned around in his arms and placed a hot, wet kiss against his collarbone. He'd dreamed of her saying those words to him for so long, he had to stop himself from giving his arm a pinch just to make sure this was real. He could have wept with joy to have her here with him like this.

A grin spread his lips. “Whatever the lady wants, the lady shall have. But just for the record, when I take you, you'll belong to me.”

She ran her tongue across her full lips. “Maybe I want to belong to you.”

“I didn't realize you were such a vixen. You're full of surprises, Julie Bennett.”

She laughed, throwing her head back. “Sometimes I surprise myself. Now are we going to keep talking, or are you going to fuck me?”

Gabe pushed her down onto the bed and covered her body with his. Nibbling on her neck, he cupped her breasts and ran his thumbs over her nipples. He reveled at the sensual contrast their skin made. He'd been with black women before, but he'd never noted anything this simplistic. With Julie, however, it added something to this already hot-as-fuck sexual escapade.

Julie arched her body against his, writhing against his caresses as if she couldn't get enough. He continued his sexual quest, sliding down her body and running his tongue across each nipple, teasing, nipping, and licking them in turn.

He circled her navel and went lower still, eager to sample more of her honey. Julie grasped his shoulders and gave him an aggressive shove. Gabe chuckled, raising his head. “Ready for me to eat this delectable pussy?”

Julie raised her hips until her cunt was only inches away from his mouth. “Stop teasing me.”

Gabe grinned. “I like a woman who knows exactly what she wants.” Parting her silky thighs, he separated her labia to look at her pretty, chocolate-coated pink pussy. Gorgeous. Just like the rest of her, from the tiny little button hidden within her folds, to the tight slit he knew would fit snuggly around his cock. With a quick flick of his tongue, he teased her clit. “Like candy,” he whispered before capturing the tight bud between his lips and sucking it into his mouth.

She buried her fingers through his hair, mashing her pussy against his face. “Gabe. Oh, God yes. More.”

He loved the way she begged. It turned him on. Gabe had been complimented on his technique before, but never had he wanted to please a woman as much as he did Julie. Again, he couldn't help wondering what it was about this woman that drove him to the heights of such earth-shattering passion. He hadn't even properly fucked her yet, and already he was near his climax. By the time he got inside of her, he could now confirm with absolute certainty he wouldn't last long. Not that it mattered, because he'd have her again. And again. Gabe had already determined that once wouldn't be enough with the sexy Miss Bennett. Maybe he never wanted to let her go, but it was a bridge they'd cross once they got to it.

As she wiggled and bucked against him, sensual little mews emitting from her mouth, Gabe slipped two fingers into her cunt, his mouth never leaving her clit. Her pussy was like an aphrodisiac that he could easily become addicted to if he weren't already. Sucking and tugging that little jewel, he savored her taste. God, she was sweet.

“Yes!” she screamed, her body jerking in uncontrollable spasms. He could tell she was close to her peak from the way she shook and thrashed her head from side to side, and he was determined that she reach it. Gabe wanted her so weak and hungry for him, she'd have no other thoughts in her mind except him. Finally letting go of her clit, he eased his fingers out of her wet hole, only to replace his fingers with his tongue. This seemed to take her to the brink.

Julie stilled before she shouted his name. “Gabe! I'm coming.”

He raised his head briefly. “Let it happen, Candy Girl. Don't ever hold anything back from me,” he whispered before returning to the task of tongue fucking her. Her juice flowed forth like a dam bursting, and he greedily lapped the delicious nectar.

He bathed her pussy with his tongue, taking his time and stopping only when the need to slam his cock into her well-eaten pussy was too strong a temptation to fight. Finally. This was the moment he'd been waiting for.

Julie barely had time to catch her breath before Gabe slid next to her, covering her mouth with his in a kiss of total domination. She could taste her juices on his mouth, and instead of being a turnoff, it was the exact opposite. It was a reminder of having her pussy thoroughly devoured.

The way he moved his body against hers, grinding and humping, sent her pulse racing. Her orgasm had been so intense, she saw stars. The couple of partners she'd had before him dulled in comparison. Neither had touched or looked at her with such reverence. As if she were the most precious gem they'd ever handled. Being in his arms like this finally made her realize why she'd been so wary of him from the beginning: she'd fallen for him just as hard as the rest of the women in her office. But because of stupid blind loyalty to the very undeserving Henry, and the belief that she was way out Gabe's league, she'd suppressed any thoughts in that direction. She'd put him in the role as the ogre boss in order to deal with these hidden feelings, not daring to dwell on them.

Maybe she was simply a novelty to him—a challenge: the one woman who hadn't made a fool of herself in his presence, which was why he'd initiated this in the first place. But she wasn't going to question the hows or whys. For once she didn't want to do the right thing or weigh things carefully like she always did. Julie wanted to live for the now. And right now she wanted some of Gabe's thick, hard cock.

Spreading her legs, she lifted her hips, silently pleading for his dick to enter her. “I want you. Please put that beautiful cock inside of me,” she murmured against his mouth.

Gabe lifted his head with obvious reluctance and rolled off her and slid off the bed. “Just one second, sweetheart. Gotta find a rubber.” He quickly dug through the drawer on his nightstand and produced a small silver square. With rapid speed, he tore the foil open and extracted the condom.

Julie shivered with anticipation, wishing he'd hurry up. She was on fire and wanted to have every single inch of him. Moving her hand between her legs, she fingered her clit to temper the burning heat raging along every single nerve ending in her body. “I need you. Hurry up and get over here, lover.”

With condom donned, Gabe moved onto the bed. “You don't have to tell me twice, Candy Girl.”

She couldn't keep the smile off her face. He'd turned the name she dreaded into something positive. Something beautiful. Opening her arms wide, she accepted the press of his weight when he slid on top of her. “I love it when you say it, Gabe.”

He chuckled lightly as he nudged her thighs farther apart. “Sure you won't blow up on me like you did in the office?”

Julie laughed. “Don't remind me.” She circled his waist with her arms. “Fuck me, Gabe.”

“With pleasure, Candy Girl.” He guided his cock to her damp entrance and paused. “Are you sure this is what you want, Julie?”

She nodded. “No turning back. Remember?”

“Of course, but—”

She shook her head. “Shut up, Gabe.” Julie raised her lips in silent demand.

“Oh, Julie.” Gabe surged forward with a loud grunt of satisfaction. Driving balls-deep into her, he placed his arms on either side of her head, bracing himself. “So tight,” he whispered through gritted teeth.

Julie had already imagined how it would feel to be so deliciously stretched by his thickness, but the reality far outweighed her fantasies. He was so deep inside of her, it felt as if they were one unit. She held on to him, wanting to savor this moment for as long as possible. Gabe was everything she'd imagined he'd be and then some.

“Are you ready, baby?”

“Oh yeah. Take me.”

Gabe pushed forward, nearly touching her womb, and pulled back until he was almost completely out of her. Then he slammed back into her. A gasp tore from her lips. “Gabe, what are you doing to me?” She groaned, tossing her head from side to side.

“Fucking you.”

“Then keep on fucking me, lover.” She gripped him tighter, digging her nails into his back.

The deliberate slowness of his movement drove Julie out of her mind. The man was pure magic to make her feel so many sensations at once: wonder, lust, passion she didn't realize herself capable of, sadness, and finally joy. It saddened her to realize she'd suppressed her voice for so many years that she'd lost who she was. But then the joy and happiness soon followed due to this epiphany. This was her awakening.

When Gabe had said there was no turning back, she never imagined it would mean so much to her.

Not content to let him have all the fun, she bucked against Gabe, meeting him thrust for every delicious thrust. Each time he drove into her, he went deeper and harder, filling her with the primitive need to be branded. Yes, she belonged to him.

They strained, grinded, and moved together in a syncopated dance of lust and desire. He made her soul sing with happiness and her body cry with hunger. As the intensity of their passionate motions increased, she dug her nails into his back, breaking skin.

“Gabe.” The heat within her had reached a boiling point, threatening to scorch them both.

“That's it, baby; give me everything you got. Tell me this pussy is mine and only mine.”

“It's yours, Gabe. No one else's. All of me.”

“Damn right,” he growled, plowing into her like a man gone berserk. The feral gleam in his topaz eyes excited her.

Her body was hurtling to another powerful climax. Instinctively, Julie knew it would be more potent than the one she'd already had. Raking her nails down his back, she let out a scream of pure ecstasy. A volcanic eruption-sized orgasm ripped through her being like nothing she'd ever experienced before. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Gabe. Oh God!”

The experience was so intense, Julie grew light-headed, and stars danced before her eyes.

Gabe thrust into her several more times before a look of sexual satisfaction crossed his face. His body shook and spasmed, signaling his own climax. He collapsed on top of her, his mouth merging with hers.

Their tongues dueled for supremacy until they both conceded their battle with an unspoken agreement for more to come later. Breaking the tight seal of their mouths, he rested his head within the crook of her shoulder, breathing ragged.

Julie loved the feel of his weight on top of her and was content to remain locked in his embrace for as long as possible. “That was…wonderful.” She sighed, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between them.

“I'll say.” He nuzzled her neck. “I was serious when I said this was only the beginning for us.”

She stroked the back of his head. “Don't kill a beautiful moment by making promises you won't keep. Let's just enjoy each other's company.”

He raised his head, a deep scowl lining his mouth and forehead. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Julie moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. There was no way she was going to read more into their situation than there actually was. She'd give herself to him as long as he wanted her, but she wouldn't put her hopes into a future for them. Gabriel Carland could have any woman he wanted, and the novelty of being with a plain Jane like herself would eventually wear off. As much as the thought bothered her more than she cared to admit, she would simply enjoy what they had for now. Besides, putting too much trust in others only ended up hurting.

She traced his jawline with her fingertip. “What I meant was, let's just enjoy each other's company and not burden ourselves with unnecessary things.”

His scowl deepened. “And what exactly do you deem unnecessary, Julie?”

Why did he sound offended? Wasn't he the office lothario? “Talk of relationships and a future.”

“Are you saying this was just sex to you?” He spoke with such dead calm, it sent a chill down her spine, but not the good kind.

“I'm saying let's enjoy each other's company. Why are you getting so upset? Most men would kill for sex with no strings attached.”

“Maybe I'm not most men.”

She laughed. “Of course you are. Half the women at work are in love with you.”

“What does that have to do with the price of tea in China? It doesn't mean I love them back.”

That old uncertainty reared its head once again. What was he trying to say? That he actually wanted something more than sex? “Oh.” She broke eye contact with him, at a loss for words.

He grasped her chin. “Look at me, Julie. I won't lie and say I'm in love with you, but I'm halfway there. I'd like to see where this goes. Give us a chance.”

Her gaze flew to his, her mouth falling open. “Me?”

Gabe leaned forward to brush her lips against his. “Yes, you, silly. Haven't you ever wondered why I walk by your desk as much as I do?”

“I thought you were checking up on me to make sure I was doing my job. You've made it known you don't like the amount of visitors I get at my desk.”

“I really don't care about that as long as you get your work done, and from what I've observed of your performance, you've done an excellent job. What annoyed me so much was the way you let people take advantage of you.”

Hearing someone else voice what she knew to be true was embarrassing. She was fully aware that most people took advantage of her good nature because she let them, but knowing Gabe knew it too made her feel pathetic. Besides, no one but Sheridan had ever said anything on the subject with this amount of concern. It was disconcerting. The man saw far too much. “Why should that bother you?”

“At first I didn't realize why it did either, until I realized I cared about you.”

Did she dare believe him after all the months of hostility?

“But you acted as if you hated me.”

“No. I was fighting my feelings for you. Besides, it was a defense mechanism. How do you think I felt when every time I walked by your desk you'd be talking and smiling with one of your coworkers, but the minute I stopped by you'd totally shut down? You looked as if I was something on the bottom of your shoe. And you can say you didn't, but I'd also point out how when you spotted me coming, you'd turn the other way.”

Her mouth fell open. There was really no point in denying it. “I didn't realize you'd noticed.”

He snorted. “Oh, I noticed all right. I felt like a big tool. How was I supposed to act around you?”

This was all new to her. She licked her lips. “I'll admit that when I saw you coming, I did switch directions, but as for the other accusation, I never meant to look at you in the way you say I did. I mean, half the time you were yelling at me for something I did, and I guess I was a little wary after a while.”

“And I might have overreacted because I was a bit jealous of how friendly you were with everyone else and not with me.”

“You, jealous? You don't seem like the type.”

“I didn't think I was either, until this little lady—with a smile that could light up any room—slowly eased her way into my every waking thought.”

How could she respond to that? “I don't know what to say.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Just say you'll give us a chance. I'll tell you what. It's Friday. Neither one of us has to go back to the office, so why don't we spend the rest of the weekend together—you know, getting to know each other better? We already know we're sexually compatible; let's see what we have beyond that.”

“And then what?”

“We'll play it by ear.”

Her heart and body screamed yes, but her mind told her it wasn't a good idea. Did she want to go back home and face Corinne, or spend a weekend in Gabe's arms, letting him touch, lick, and fuck her until she couldn't think straight?

When put in those terms, the decision wasn't so hard after all.