Chapter Seven

At Julie's insistence, she went home Sunday night to get some sleep for work the next day, because as long as she and Gabe shared a bed, sleep was the last thing they were going to do. Plus it was time to reclaim her home. Of course Gabe had tried to get her to stay, but she needed the confrontation with Corinne. She didn't want it hanging over her head at the start of her workweek.

Gabe had taken her back to the office parking lot so that she could get her car. After picking up Rufus from Sheridan's house, she made her way back home, still coming down from the high of the weekend she'd shared with Gabe. When she parked, she must have sat in her car for a good five minutes before she moved. Rufus barked, getting restless. “Okay, boy. I know. I'm being a big chicken. It's now or never.” Scooping up her dog, she slid out of the car and headed inside.

She didn't know what to expect when she walked inside, but she didn't think she'd find an empty house. A house that looked ransacked. What the hell happened here? There were beer and soda cans all over the place and empty bowls of chips. And what the hell was that smell? On top of sleeping with her boyfriend, Corinne obviously had the nerve to throw a party. That fucking bitch.

This was it. Not even their bond as cousins would repair this relationship. Corinne obviously had no respect for her and never would. Whenever she showed up, Julie fully intended to kick her ass out.

Rufus barked, reminding her that she was still holding him. She was almost scared to put him down on the floor out of fear he'd step on a dirty syringe. Julie wouldn't put anything past her skeezy cousin. With a resigned sigh, she put her dog in his cage, which he wasn't too happy about, and went about the task of cleaning her house thoroughly. It took three hours to get the place in order. She'd save the carpet cleaning and scrubbing the floors for some time later in the week, but she was exhausted by the time she was done. As she was cleaning, however, she'd discovered most of Corinne's belongings were gone. That saved her the trouble of kicking her out at least, but Julie was a bit disappointed for missing out on the opportunity to tell that bitch off. Instead, everything left behind by her errant cousin was gathered up, placed in a trash bag, and thrown out in the garbage can. Julie would like to have put Corinne in there, but there was nothing she could do about that. It was close to midnight when she finished; her muscles ached from the exertion. Though she was tired, she decided to treat herself by running a hot bubble bath for herself. Gabe had given her permission to come in a little late to the office the next day, so she figured she'd sleep in a few extra hours.

Just as she was about to step into her sudsy haven, the phone rang. Toying with the idea of not answering it, she figured whoever it was calling this late obviously had some kind of emergency. At least they'd better. The caller ID stated it was a private number. Everyone she knew had listed telephone numbers, but she answered anyway. “Hello?”

“Do you miss me?” Gabe's throaty voice greeted her ears.

She didn't expect to hear from him, at least not until she went to work tomorrow. A huge grin tugged the corners of her lips. Just the sound of his voice made her pussy wet. Their weekend together was still fresh in her mind, and now she almost wished she'd stayed with him tonight instead of coming back home. “Gabe. I didn't know you had my number. I mean…I forgot to give it to you.”

“As your employer, I have to have access to all my employees' numbers.”

“Ah, so isn't it a bit unethical to use said number for non-business-related calls?”

“Just as ethical as it is to fuck your boss.”

Julie laughed out loud. “Touché.”

“You never answered my question.”

“And that was?”

“Do you miss me?”

She giggled. In truth, she really did, but she wasn't going to inflate his already healthy ego. “How can I miss you when we only saw each other a few hours ago?”

“Ouch.”

Julie felt giddy like a teenage girl with her first boyfriend again. “Okay, maybe I missed you a bit.”

“Only a little?”

“Okay, a lot. What are you still doing up, anyway? I thought you were going to have an early night because you have a series of meetings in the morning.”

He sighed. “After I dropped you off to get your car, I went home, did my nightly routine, and went to bed, but I found it wasn't the same without you beside me. I spent the last couple of hours tossing and turning, and finally I decided to give you a call. I thought you'd be asleep by now and I'd have to content myself with simply hearing your voice on your answering machine.”

Her heart pounded, beating a tattoo within her chest. No one had ever said anything so romantic to her before. “You're kidding me, right? You couldn't sleep because you were thinking about little ol' me?”

Gabe chuckled. “We're really going to have to work on that self-esteem issue of yours. And why wouldn't a man be lying in bed thinking about his woman?”

“Your woman?”

“That's what you are, aren't you?”

They hadn't officially put any labels on what they were to each other, but Julie liked the sound of that. Gabriel Carland's woman. “As long as I can call you my man.”

“I think you have yourself a deal, little lady. So how did it go?”

“How did what go?”

“The confrontation with your cousin? Was it as bad as you thought it would be, or did she give in graciously?”

“Actually, she was already gone by the time I got here. Most of her stuff had been cleared out, along with a few of my items.”

“Really? Do you plan on filing a police report?”

“It's not worth it. Besides, she didn't take anything of real value. Thankfully I had the foresight to put expensive jewelry and everything of real importance to me at Sheridan's place until she left.”

“It's a shame you had to do that in the first place. But at least she's gone. I'd advise you to change your locks, just in case she tries to come back. From how you describe your cousin, I wouldn't put it past her.”

“You're probably right.” She really didn't want to talk about Corinne anymore, but she didn't want to end the conversation with him. “Guess what?”

“What?”

“I'm completely naked.”

“What!”

She laughed. Even though he couldn't see her, she ran her finger along the tops of her breasts and released a moan. Before Friday she would never have had the nerve to do something like this, but there was just something about this man that brought the naughty out in her. “I don't have a stitch of clothing on right now. I was about to get into the bathtub before you called. It's too bad you're not here to do anything about it.”

“Who says I'm not?”

She stopped touching herself. “You can't be.”

“Take a look out your window.”

“You're pulling my leg.”

“What would you say if I told you I came over here with the intention of just being near you? If you were in bed, I would have sat out here until I was tired, and gone back home, but since you're up, and I'm also up…”

“You do realize this is stalkerish behavior, don't you?”

“Is it? I hadn't thought about that. Never done this with another woman before, but then again, I've never been with anyone like you. Go ahead, take a look out your window.”

He had to be teasing her, but when she peered out of her window to the parking lot, sure enough, leaning against his black BMW was Gabe, cell phone in hand. He waved in her direction.

“You're nuts!” She squawked.

“Only for you, baby. Are you going to let me in?”

“Okay, but let me grab a robe first.”

“That would be a waste of time. We both know the minute I step foot over your threshold, I'm just going to take it off.”

“Oh? Will you now?”

“Open the door wearing something other than your birthday suit, and you'll find out soon enough.” His threat made her tremble and her pussy clench.

When she opened the door, he was already standing on the other side. Their eyes connected, and without a word being spoken, Gabe pushed his way inside and shoved the door closed with his foot. Julie dropped her phone and wrapped her arms around his neck. The second her body made contact with his, her nipples pebbled to hardened tips and her body grew moist with unadulterated desire.

This man did things to her equilibrium that she couldn't quite explain, and she liked it. A lot.

“I couldn't stay away from you,” he murmured and leaned over to kiss her.

She was ready for him, her tongue meeting his. Julie couldn't fathom how much she wanted him, how much she'd missed him in such a short period of time. Her entire body sang to have him holding her against him so tightly.

Their tongues licked, swirled, and explored the other's. She could easily get intoxicated off the taste of him, but Julie didn't mind. Gabe carried her the short distance to the couch, dropped her on the cushions, and fell on top of her.

“I've had this goddamn hard-on since you left. Thank God you were awake, because I would have had a long, sleepless night ahead of me. Feel what you do to me.” He grasped her hand and guided it between their bodies, not stopping until it rested against his straining erection.

“Wow, you really did miss me.”

“I wasn't kidding. As much as I'd love to explore every inch of this delectable body, I need to be inside of you now. Do you mind?”

“No. See?” She took his hand, returning the favor, dragging it to her dripping-wet sex.

“Hot damn. You're already hot for me, aren't you?”

“Oh yeah. So are you going to keep talking, or are you going to fuck me?”

Gabe buried his face against her neck and sucked and nibbled on her flesh as he slid two fingers into her pussy. “You bet I am, Candy Girl. I just need a little taste first.” Slowly he eased his soaked digits out of her and licked all her cream off. “Mmm, just as sweet as I remembered.”

When Gabe slid off her, Julie whimpered, missing the feel of his weight pressing her into the sofa. “Get back over here.”

He tore off his clothes with a laugh. “You're insatiable.”

“For you. Here, let me help you with that.” She made a move to get up, but he held out his hand.

“No, don't. If you touch me again, I can't make any promises of being gentle.”

Julie ran her tongue suggestively over her lips. “Maybe I don't want you to. Now hurry up and bring that magnificent cock of yours back over here.”

“Vixen. Had I known you had such hidden depths, I would have made a move on you sooner. Your ex was crazy for not realizing what a gem he had in you.”

While his words did a world of good for her self-esteem, she didn't want to discuss Henry. In fact she didn't want to talk about anything that didn't involve Gabe's cock in her pussy. Dear God, when had she become addicted to his cock, because surely she was an addict?

Julie moaned, rubbing her clit to temper the fire burning within. If he didn't hurry up and get undressed, she vowed she'd rape the man. “Hurry!”

Once he was as naked as she was, he produced a condom and donned it over his burgeoning length. Gabe captured her hands and manacled both her wrists in one of his large hands and pinned them above her head as he slid over her.

“Open up for me, baby.”

She was too far gone to disobey him.

“That's it, just a little bit wider… Oh yeah, just like that.” He guided his cock against her slit, rubbing the bulbous head against her entrance, driving her insane with lust.

Julie lifted her hips. She would have thrown him on the floor and ridden him herself, if he didn't have her wrists pinned. “Stop teasing me. Please, Gabe, I need you.”

“And you will have me, baby, every single inch.” Surging forward with one powerful thrust, he drove into her strong and deep.

Julie was going to explode with passion. She was already so close to coming, but his cock nestled inside of her sent splinters of heat shooting to every nerve in her body. She raised her hips as he began to move, meeting him thrust for decadent thrust.

“There was no way I could stay away from this pussy. You're an addiction.”

“Mmm, funny, because I was thinking the very same thing about you.” Julie wrapped her legs around his waist, and he sank even deeper inside of her. She clenched her muscles around him, reveling in the sensation of being so thoroughly stretched by his thickness.

The tighter she gripped his cock inside of her, the deeper he seemed to sink. The slow, steady pace he'd started with became harder and faster. He moved at a frenzied pace. “Oh yeah, Julie. That's it, baby. Move with me.”

An intense wave of feelings ripped through her body, and she came so hard, she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Gabe!” It seemed every time she came for him, her orgasm was more powerful than the one before it.

Gabe lowered his head, capturing that scream in his mouth as he stiffened and shuddered against her, signaling his own climax. Releasing her wrists, he fell against her, although their mouths remained melded together and their tongues danced.

He was the one to finally break the kiss, his breathing ragged. “That was fucking incredible.”

“I'll say. Mmm, at this rate we may as well stay awake and go to work.”

“You don't have to do that, Julie. You can call in sick tomorrow if you need to.”

She shook her head. “No. I won't take advantage of our relationship. I mean, what will everyone else say?”

“I never gave a damn what other people said about me, but for your sake, I'll make sure I keep things professional when other colleagues are around. You do great work, and I've seen you in action long enough to surmise that you'll maintain your same standard of excellence. So there shouldn't be any issues where your coworkers are concerned. And if they do start talking, see me about it.”

She shook her head. “No. I need to stand up for myself. If someone says anything, I'll deal with it. My personality isn't going to change, but I do intend to assert myself more often.”

Gabe kissed the tip of her nose. “Good girl. Those are the kind of things I like to hear. I won't give you special treatment at work.”

“And I wouldn't want you too.”

He grinned. “But I can't promise that I won't push you on my desk and fuck you senseless. I've run that scene through my mind God knows how many times.”

“Sounds pretty kinky, but if we did that, people would know something was going on between us, because there's no way I'd be able to not scream your name.”

“Maybe I'll just have to find creative ways to keep the volume down.”

A yawn escaped her lips before she could stop it.

“Why don't you take that bath you drew before I got here, and I'll see you in the office tomorrow? Don't come in until noon. You deserve it with all the extra hours you put in.”

She stretched. “No. I'd probably fall asleep in the tub. I think I'll go to bed and have a bath in the morning. I'll try to get to work as soon as I can tomorrow.”

“No rush.” He kissed her cheek.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and she fought to stay awake but sleep beckoned. She knew once she drifted off, Gabe would be gone. Too weak to fight sleep's seductive pull, it barely registered when she was lifted into a pair of strong, corded arms and carried through her condo to her bedroom. Julie was barely cognizant when the covers were placed over her and lips brushed against her forehead, but for some reason she was more content than she'd ever been before.