CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
GAVIN
“Your contract is ending in two weeks, Gav. Are you available for another contract in my security team? I don’t think Honey needs much monitoring anymore, considering the scandal has pretty much died down.”
Sara’s tone was light, and I knew our conversation right now was only for formality’s sake. We had already discussed my interest in joining the security team after being Honey’s bodyguard, though it wasn’t going to be Sara’s personal security anymore as she no longer needed that, too. But she had a big company with lots of branches, and she thought I would be a helpful addition somewhere.
“Yeah, I’m available. When do you need me to start?”
“Maybe another two weeks after your contract with Honey ends.” Sara leaned forward from her desk. “Did you need to be somewhere?”
Did I?
Not really, but I figured a small break would be fine. I’d been with Honey practically twenty-four-seven—and while it wasn’t a problem because I liked looking at her and just being near her, it wreaked havoc on my mind and body in a slow, steady manner. There really was no torture purer than seeing the woman you loved and having to restrain yourself from touching her, especially when you promised her you would give her the one thing she asked for.
Space.
If I broke that space, then I would be breaking my vow to myself to be honorable and to give her what she wanted.
“Nope, that’s fine by me. Do I need to sign this new contract now or…?”
“Just come back in two weeks, and I’ll have the papers ready.”
I nodded my head. We talked some more, and Sara quickly broached the topic of my ex-wife and how that went. I gave her a brief explanation and left it at that, then slipped out of the building and went back to my apartment with plans of maybe making some pasta.
Perhaps at home I could think more about my decision to leave for a while. It wasn’t running away, really. It was just a quick regroup, one I badly needed if I was to continue staying by Honey’s side and pretending she didn’t mean anything more than a friend.
Because that was a complete lie.
*****
My smoke alarm didn’t take kindly to my burning sauce, and it now screeched like a banshee and had me cursing as I tried to decide what to do first—take care of the smoke from the saucepan or turn the damn thing off. I ended up taking care of the sauce first, which mostly involved tossing the pan under the faucet and just letting the water take care of it. More smoke and steam spread because of that, so I wet a kitchen towel and threw it down on top.
The alarm really was going at it, and it was a full minute before I finally got to turning it off.
“What on earth is going on, Gav?”
Honey’s voice had me swiveling my head in the direction of the front door, which was open. She had the spare key in hand.
She took one look at the smoke before her eyes widened. Then she was rushing over and fluttering about, her mouth working a mile a minute as her gaze zoned in on the saucepan in the sink.
“It’s fine; I got it under control,” I muttered. Barely. “Did you hear the noise from your apartment?”
“I was out getting some dessert, and I heard it dinging from the hallway. I think I was the only one, though.” She took the pan from the sink, inspecting it and then sniffing. Her nose wrinkled. “Pasta?”
“An attempt at it.”
Her brows furrowed, and she kept looking at the sauce. I thought she was worried for a second until her mouth started quirking, upon which I realized…she was amused.
“So this is funny?” I asked.
She shot me a look, and I shot her one back. I dared her to laugh, thinking it would do the opposite.
But it only made her lose control as she finally burst out laughing, dropping the pan back in the sink with a loud clank. I glared at her.
Honey just kept laughing, clutching her stomach and trying not to double over.
“What’s so goddamn funny?” I grumbled.
“You,” she blurted out. “I can’t believe you attempted to cook spaghetti…is this spaghetti sauce?”
“Yeah.”
“I can’t believe you attempted to cook spaghetti sauce from scratch. With real tomatoes and all.”
“Keyword: attempt.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, the amusement still clear in her voice. It made her accent thicker than usual. “Did you stir properly? How low was your fire?”
Speaking of stirring…my body was, because that accent was positively sinful in full glory. I shook my head. “I don’t even remember.”
There must have been something in my voice because Honey suddenly made affectionate noises and stepped forward. “Aww. Poor baby. You haven’t had dinner yet, huh?”
Before I could respond, she was suddenly tugging my wrist. “Change into something…non-smoky. I have food ready at my place.”
“But—”
“You’re having dinner with me,” she said firmly. There was no room for argument in her voice, and knowing how stubborn she was, I just agreed.
As if on cue, my stomach grumbled, which had her giggling.
“Twenty minutes, Gav. Clean up your disaster first. I’ll be waiting.”
Before I could say anything, she was suddenly out of there. I was pretty sure she was going to come in again if I didn’t show up in twenty minutes, so I might as well.
But man. Being in her apartment again, having dinner and some intimate conversation with her?
It was going to be pure torture.
*****
Her apartment smelled amazing—a combination of something creamy I couldn’t identify along with something savory, and the richness of it had my mouth watering and my stomach grumbling again. I wandered over to the kitchen, where I found Honey wearing an apron over her dress—the same one I wore when I was cooking her breakfast before—her hands full. She had her hair tied in a bun and looked just about as domestic as anyone could get.
The way she multitasked and carried everything with ease should have made her look organized and cute. Instead, she looked sexy as hell and made me want to…undress everything.
I gulped and inwardly scolded my own erection for misbehaving. Then I stepped forward to help her with the food and the plates, setting them on the kitchen counter. There were candles set up along with a vase of flowers, and it was odd that everything was set up here rather than the dining room. But to me, it just felt cozier.
With the cheesecake in the fridge and the wine I brought poured, we dug in on our main dish. The steak Honey cooked in the slow-cooker was tender, and so were the roasted potatoes. I could write poetry about how good she cooked and it still wouldn’t be enough to describe just how wonderfully it hit the tongue and settled in the stomach.
“Have you ever thought of being a chef?” I couldn’t help asking.
Honey chewed on her food and contemplated. “I’ve always wanted to just venture in one field, you know? I love cooking and all because it gives me peace and eases the stress off.”
I could hear the “but” even before it was said. “But?”
“But it doesn’t give me the same thrill that racing does.”
“What does racing feel like?”
“I can’t explain it, not really. But it’s such a mix of emotions. My heart palpitates, and my stomach clenches from nerves before it all begins. But once I’m driving and calculating my moves, then letting instincts take over…it feels like nothing else on earth matters. It makes me feel like I’m flying, and…”
“It’s like magic.”
She looked at me in surprise. Then her eyes softened. “Yeah. It’s like magic.”
We continued eating; the companionable silence sprinkled with talk that was surprisingly easy. I thought nerves and tension would get in the way, but we were just so in sync that it all faded into nothingness. Being with her made me comfortable—me, a person who was too problematic and thought of too many serious things in life. She made me feel at ease, then made me laugh when I was least expecting it.
It was addictive. She was addictive.
I had friends, but because I was pretty much a loner most of the time, they were limited. After my divorce from Tanya, Sara was the only friend I stayed in touch with, and we couldn’t exactly be called very close despite our sometimes-personal conversations. But Honey…it was like I’d known her for years, and that carried over as we kept talking and eating until we had our fill of cheesecake and wine. I volunteered to help with the dishes after, while Honey ended up teasing me by spraying bubbles on my face while I was washing.
She was more comfortable with me now, as opposed to her previous behavior of avoiding me after she asked for space. Our skin brushed from time to time, and pretty soon I was bouncing back and forth between comfort and arousal. My body became confused, and I had to hide it from her as subtly as I could so she would know I wasn’t taking advantage.
Finally, I got a shot of water sprayed on her dress, which had Honey shrieking. She glared and laughed, then excused herself to get changed. I shot her a smirk, but inwardly sighed in relief. I adjusted my pants which were suddenly tight, then sat down beside the counter and poured myself another glass of wine.
I really should leave in a bit, because I didn’t think I could last much longer. It was already a miracle that I did this long.
I waited for Honey to come back out from her room, which she did some ten minutes later. My eyes strayed to her tight sweat shorts and thin tank top, and the black material didn’t even…
Holy—
My eyes widened when I realized what I was looking at—tight, bouncing breasts barely concealed. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and her red hair now flowed around her shoulders.
“I have to go,” I blurted out, standing up and almost spilling my wine all over my pants. Jesus.
“Sit down. I have something to give you.”
“Honey—”
“Sit down, Gavin.” The firmness in her voice startled me and had me listening before I could stop myself. Then I was sitting down, avoiding looking at her and trying to focus on boring non sexy thoughts. I hoped this was quick.
“What is it?”
Her scent of jasmine came in the air again, and I sniffed and got caught in a daze. A warm weight was suddenly in front of me, and with a rush of blood, I realized it was Honey straddling me.
My cock stood at attention immediately, something she caught as I watched her eyes flare and darken. She bit her lower lip, and a strangled sound came out of my throat.
“Hmmm.”
“What are you…?” My words sounded choked out. She kept biting her lip. Then she placed her hands on my chest in a gentle, suggestive caress.
Goddamn.
A sigh came out of Honey’s lips, her warm breath puffing against my already open mouth. She didn’t exactly press them together, but she might as well have for the distance it had—which was almost none.
“Honey?”
Without responding, Honey shifted on my lap, settling more firmly. The feel of her tight ass and soft thighs against mine set my body on fire, and I was practically shaking with it. I thought it would be the death of me.
Until she started grinding softly.
“Honey!”
“Gavin,” she murmured. “I have something to tell you. Will you listen?”
Seriously? I gave her an incredulous look, one she returned with a stubborn one.
“What?” I bit out.
“I’ve been thinking really hard these past few days,” she murmured, her lips lightly grazing my cheek before she settled on my ear. “Remember when I asked you to give me space?”
“Yeah.” My mind tried to process what she was saying, but the words were slipping out one by one as she kept moving against me.
“I have my answer now, and I wanted to show it to you.”
For the life of me, I kept trying to think what her answer was, feeling dumb as my mind came up blank. My head buried into her neck, and my hands took her waist and just stayed there, torn between pushing her away for my own sanity and yanking her closer so I could grind back against her. Her chest pressed against mine, and belatedly, I began to comprehend that her nipples were pebbling and tight, rubbing against my shirt.
She was going to be the death of me.
Feeling my control crumble, I let go of my mind and just followed instinct, growling in defeat on the spot. Then I yanked her top down and devoured her breasts, using my tongue and fingers and teeth to make her moan out loud. A strangled laugh came out of her throat, similar to mine earlier, and I smirked.
In retaliation, Honey ground harder against me until another realization dropped like a bomb.
She wasn’t wearing any underwear.
The world tilted. Whatever reasoning I had fled as I stood up and took her with me. My thigh nudged her legs apart. Then I was striping off her shorts and sitting her on the cold counter.
She protested and gasped. “Gavin! It’s cold—”
Her protest turned into a long moan when I bent down and plunged my tongue inside her tight channel.
Her musk was amazing, and it filled the air. I was intoxicated and roaring for more, and I eagerly ate her out, steeped in her taste. Her continuous moans and cries kept urging me on, and all I knew was that I wanted any restraint on her end to be wiped out until she fully let herself go.
Her hands went to my hair, at first to pull me off. But I kept at it, licking every inch of her that I could, inserting my finger in when she was wetter. She ended up tugging my head closer, her body moving in rhythm with my tongue thrusts.
“Gavin,” she whined softly, her voice like melting butter. “I was supposed to show you how I feel. My…” Another moan came out. “My answer.”
“Let me show you how I feel first,” I rasped. It was a miracle I could even talk.
She tasted so damn good, and I found myself even more eager for her. More sounds were coming out of her mouth now, unintelligible words as she writhed against me. It only made me harder, and I could feel my shaft practically cry out in my pants with the want to be let out. I ignored it, biding my time as I quickened my pace.
Honey’s moans turned into sobs, and she began calling out my name. It sounded like pure heaven on her lips, and soon her body was bucking as she exploded for me. I lapped everything up, sucking to the very end until her hands stopped tugging and her body relaxed. When her climax was finished, I stood back up and kissed the corner of her mouth, waiting for her to meet my kiss. It was a slow, lazy kiss, and I drowned in it.
“I don’t deserve you,” she murmured softly, hands going around my neck.
I leaned against her. “I think it’s the other way around.”
Silence filled the air, along with our sharp breathing. I was completely satisfied, even if I hadn’t had an orgasm yet. I could always take care of it later. What she said earlier before I got distracted with pleasing her came to mind again, and I nuzzled her neck.
“What were you going to say again?”
Honey giggled. “I think you already know that.”
I looked up and met her gaze. “I do?”
Her eyes softened. Then she said the words that pretty got me hard again and melted my soul at the same time.
“Yes. That I’m in love with you, Gavin.”
I didn’t even hesitate. “Right back at you, Honey York.”
She hugged me even tighter, and I felt her sigh of contentment right on my neck. Then I felt her hand touching my erection—fingers rubbing my tip.
“And what do you think you are doing?”
Honey smirked. “Did you actually think I was going to leave you hanging?”
I laughed. Then I pulled her in and proceeded to deepen our kiss.