CHAPTER NINETEEN
HONEY
The New Year brought in new things along with the old ones, and there were two highlights that were at the forefront of my mind.
The first was that the private interview with the female reporter, Karen, had produced good results—first in the article released right after the New Year, where I was surprised to find that pleasant things were written about me and the revelation of the scandal and its consequences to my career was kept as tasteful as possible. In general, it was a tastefully written article, something I hadn’t expected because I thought all media was out to get me.
And it turned out I was wrong about that.
Because of the good article, the thirst for the scandal itself died down—not fully, but enough for me and all those close to me to notice. Fewer questions about it were asked during press conferences, and even fewer paparazzi stalked me to get the “scoop.” It was a pleasant delight, and it was awkward at first because I had gotten so used to the idea of being cautious that it was already a habit for me.
The second highlight? It was my relationship with Gavin.
Sexual relationship, that was.
It didn’t end. I thought it would run its course by the time the old year was gone, considering how we pretty much sought each other out as much as we could and just…attacked each other. We developed this little game, one that involved one-upping each other and seducing each other to see who would give in first—and by my final tally, Gavin was winning because I was having such a hard time resisting him.
And I didn’t care at all.
What I did care about was how the more I had sex with him, the more I sought him out. It should have had the reverse effect like it did with Desmond—the curiosity sated until the desire ebbed away. But that wasn’t the case with Gavin, and I had to make a New Year’s resolution to consciously back away as slowly as I could before this turned complicated.
A few days later, I eagerly broke that resolution after a long day of practice, where all it took was for him to enter the room before I jumped him and had my way with him.
I felt so wanton, and it should have been embarrassing. But it only charged my body and mind up as I discovered things I never knew before: sexual positions I wanted, techniques to make Gavin groan louder, and a certain control of myself that I never had before. It gave me newfound confidence, and it made me crave more of this connection that I had with Gavin—skin to skin, mouth to mouth, body to body.
The problem was, I didn’t know how to stop.
“Here.”
I blinked, my thoughts popping like a bubble as a tiny box was tossed on my lap. I opened it and found a slice of cheesecake inside, and my mouth watered instantly. Beside me, Gavin got himself a bar of chocolate and watched me expectantly.
My stomach somersaulted at his presence alone, but I smiled. “Are you trying to fatten me up?”
He shot me a look, one that simmered. “You eat cheesecake at least three times a week, and you’re asking if I want to get you fat?”
I laughed. “Fine. I’ll eat this later. Thanks.”
“You free for dinner?” he asked, his tone light.
“Maybe. Why?”
“Come by my place. I’ll order fried chicken.”
“Takeout fried chicken?” I asked in disapproval.
“We can always work out after. In the shower.”
The words had me blinking, then staring. At first, I thought he was joking, but there was such a heated look in his gaze that it left me speechless. He smirked. Then Gavin sauntered to the locker room, telling me to have fun practicing.
The fiend.
I stared at his firm ass the whole time.
*****
The accident happened at the most convenient of time—right when my instincts were at their peak, and I managed to swerve before I crashed my car completely into the wall and…well, killed myself.
That didn’t stop the injury, though. My body was numb from the pain, but before I could react, Gavin’s face was there.
It took a while for the medics to navigate me out. Gavin stayed with me the whole time. The pain wasn’t excruciating, but we still headed to the hospital as fast as we could, where I was checked by the doctor. To my relief, I only got some shallow wounds on my shoulder, which he stitched up after giving me some pain medication to numb it, and he said I’d be as good as new in the next few days.
Good news, all in all.
Gavin wasn’t pleased, though. He took me home and refused to leave, and we ended up eating at my place and ordering that takeout he promised. I finished it off with my slice of cheesecake, then a hot bath that he insisted on running for me. I soaked in it for a good half an hour, almost falling asleep before I got startled at something banging in the kitchen. Curiosity got the best of me, and I cut my bath short and wandered out the bedroom, where I found him preparing foods in some Tupperware.
“What are all these for?”
“Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Snacks. All healthy. I don’t want you stressing your shoulder out from too much cooking, and I know you don’t dig takeout.”
Stunned, I looked at the selection, then at the efficient way he stacked them up. It was so…organized, and the most touching thing that had ever been done for me.
I must have been staring too long, because Gavin paused. “Is everything okay? Are you hurting?”
My heart constricted, but I shook my head. “I’m fine. You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to.”
And that right there was the sweetest thing ever. Something warmed me deep inside, slow and steady and taking my breath away with it. Clarity came, and I realized that I wouldn’t be able to look at him now without my heart warming up.
And that was just dangerous.
The panic set in, just as slow and steady. It was what catapulted me forward, pulling him away from what he was doing and ignoring his questions as I led him to the couch. I pressed my mouth to his, and the response was instantaneous—a slight pulling and his tongue tangling with mine, turning the heat up and making me want more skin to skin contact. But he froze all of a sudden, then pushed me back gently right before I could straddle his lap. My body throbbed with want, and proof of his arousal was also visible in his trousers, which had already tented. His eyes were darker than usual, but his brows were creased with worry as he firmly sat me beside him.
“Your shoulder.”
I forgot about my shoulder, but I remembered the doctor’s advice to put it to rest. Obviously, physical activities like sex weren’t rest. But I wanted to do this—wanted to alleviate the panic inside me and the feelings that were developing along with it.
I couldn’t afford such feelings, and there was only one way to keep it all casual again.
So I gave him a sly smile, shaking my head as mischief slid in me. “Just relax. We won’t have sex, but I want to thank you properly.”
“Honey—”
I shot him a look, one that told him to stop talking. Then I pushed off the couch and knelt in front of him, not missing the way his eyes widened. I ignored the look and went for his trousers, unbuttoning and unzipping. A strangled sound came from his throat, but I focused my eyes on the hand I slipped in. A few strokes, and I finally took his cock out.
It was now very hard, jutting out and pulsing against my fingers. He was thick and long, the perfect combination, with a smooth, mushroom-shaped tip that was already leaking pre-cum. My mouth watered at the sight. I tried swallowing a gulp, but it was difficult. I looked up, stilling when I found his gaze on me. The worry was still there, but now it was mixed with something akin to anticipation. His hands were fisted on the couch, and only one thought reigned in my mind now.
That of wanting him to lose his precious control.
I smiled again, keeping it innocent. Then I licked my dry lips before stroking his cock slowly, watching in fascination as it kept pulsing. I leaned my head down, giving the tip a tentative lick.
His body tensed immediately, a sharp breath escaping him all the while he didn’t say a word.
Eager for more, I kept licking, pressing the flat of my tongue more firmly against him. I alternated between my hand and tongue, taking my time like he was an esxtra special treat—which, in a way, he was.
Wanting some more reaction, I wrapped my lips around him, sinking as slowly as I could. It was quite an adjustment, and I had to rely on my gag reflex as he kept going deeper and deeper. More strangled sounds came out of his mouth, urging me on until he finally neared my throat.
I paused. Then I slid my mouth back out, touching my lips to his tip again before I slid his shaft back in.
It was a slow, exciting process, and I did my best to follow what pleased him the most based on how loud he groaned out. Words spilled out his mouth, said in a husky, aroused tone as he instructed me directions. I was growing wet from that voice alone, but I ignored my own needs and focused on his. I kept licking. I sucked at him. I played with my fingers, reaching his balls and rubbing them against the rough part of my palm as I sucked. His hands moved to my hair, directing me at first—but as I sucked harder and bobbed my head faster, those hands went slack as the level of control he built up slowly crumbled right in front of me.
His eyes glazed. His mouth opened in rapture, and his body writhed. My own body was on fire, drunk with the power of what I was doing and how it affected him. I was so turned on, all I wanted to do was sit on his lap and ride him. But more than that, I wanted to watch him fall apart—and so I tripled my efforts, steeped in his scent and his taste and growing addicted to it.
My own desire took over me, and I was blind and deaf to everything but the taste of him. His hands tightened on my hair again, and curses started falling out of his mouth.
“Honey,” he gasped. “Shit. I’m—”
He didn’t get to finish his sentence. Gavin’s body tensed once more—then it bucked right before I felt something wet hit the back of my throat, almost making me choke. Instead, I swallowed everything that came out of him, feeling the salty taste slide down. His body racked and shook at the force of his orgasm, intoxicating me as I realized I was the cause of all that.
When his cock finally finished coming, he growled softly and pulled me up, still being gentle. Then he kissed my mouth, and the lust I felt there had me relaxing just a little bit. There were no declarations of feelings, nor were there promises that would only lead to tears.
Everything was casual, just as it should be.
And I tried to keep myself content with that.