Blake paced the kitchen as the echo from the shower taunted him. He was such a weak prick. Any form of temptation and his brain closed up shop, his actions entirely ruled by his base desires. He needed to be in there with her, washing her smooth skin, learning her curves. To show her the things he’d been fantasizing about doing to her body for over a thousand days.

He rubbed the back of his neck and stepped toward the door. She was humming, the barely audible noise giving him an excuse to move closer. Over the rush of water, he listened to her, the tune unfamiliar. The feminine sound called to him, every note demanding his approach, and at this moment, any excuse would do. When he reached the bathroom door, he rested his forehead against the cold wood and held back from banging against it.

“Bright idea this was,” he mumbled to himself. “Go see Gabi. Find out if she’s hot. That won’t complicate things at all.” He was such a jackass. He couldn’t even blame the influence of drugs for this fuck up.

The devil on his shoulder insisted he walk in there and take what she rightly offered. On the other shoulder sat a poor excuse for an angel who shrugged and said, “Why the hell not?”

“Exactly.” He straightened. “Why the hell not?”

He vaguely remembered having great reasons against going in there only a few moments earlier. Now, for the life of him, he couldn’t think over the image of her wet body in his mind.

Grasping the door handle, he turned the lever and pushed forward. Warm steam hit him like a physical blow. It was nothing in comparison to what the sight before him did to his body. His knees weakened and his thighs tightened. Even his gut did a freaky little flip that had him swallowing hard as he stumbled into the room and moved back to rest against the door.

Gabi stood with her tanned back to him, the rush of water running over her shoulders and down her spine. Steam fogged the glass, restricting the view to her lower half, but he could still make out the roundness of her ass and the outline of the gorgeous legs he soon hoped to have wrapped around him. Her body defied logic—a mix of heavenly temptation and delicious sin—not a flaw to be seen.

With natural seduction, she glanced over her shoulder, scorched him with her wanton perusal, then turned back to face the taps. “Are you going to stare, or are you getting in?”

Green light. Go, go, go, buddy.

Normally, he would’ve had his clothes off faster than you could say “instant erection,” but this was his angel. There was no room for error. If tonight’s test of their relationship proved to be too much, he needed to make sure what they shared was perfect. Unforgettable. Not rushed and riddled with regrets.

“You sure this is what you want?” he asked and had no idea why. If she changed her mind, it would bring him to his knees. “There’s no going back from this.”

She chuckled, the feminine sound penetrating his heart. “I think it’s a little late for that.” She shot him another glance over her shoulder. “And besides, you’ve seen me naked now. I won’t be letting you outta here until we’re equal on that tally.”

He raised a brow, and she turned away with a grin.

Far be it for him to let a woman down, especially one so important. The only thing that made him pause with his hands at the hem of his shirt, was the knowledge of what his nakedness would reveal…a lot more than just his mighty Johnson. He had tattoos. Lots of them. And all held special meaning. Gabi knew about most of them, hell, the entire world knew about most of them, but there was one she definitely wouldn’t be aware of. One he didn’t flaunt. One that kept his hands poised at the bottom of his shirt, contemplating if this really was the right thing to do.

To hell with it. He was finally here with his angel and he wouldn’t pussy-foot it now. Grow a set, Kennedy.

In seconds, his shirt was on the floor and kicked to the corner, followed by his boots, socks, boxers, and jeans. His cock stood proud, hard as stone and eager as all hell to reach nirvana. He walked to the shower unfazed by his nudity, yet his insides churned with vulnerability. His body had never been a weakness. It was everything else—his mind, his heart, his soul. It all seemed tainted from the stupid choices of his past. And he’d made many.

The one thing that gave him strength to carry on was knowing Gabi knew all his mistakes and continued to be his friend regardless. He would never lie to her. Not even about his feelings. If she asked him what he wanted out of this encounter, he would tell her—no doubt freaking her out in the process. Settling down with a woman didn’t scare him. In fact, it was the opposite. He may not deserve love, but it didn’t stop him from craving it. From her.

When the fuck did he turn into a chick?

He swallowed his nervousness, clenched his fists a few times, and then opened the screen to paradise. The shower was large, roughly the size of the one in his apartment back home, with shiny black tiles and two showerheads at either end. He had no interest in standing under a spray by himself, though. His place was beside Gabi.

She kept her back to him, not noticing or maybe not caring that he now stood behind her with waning restraint. He paused inside the screen door, staring at the trail of water cascading down her spine, over the indentations at the small of her back, covering the lush ass he itched to palm. He shook his head and convinced himself that tonight wouldn’t end well. Anyone who knew the secrets of his life would know he hadn’t worked up enough brownie points to earn the pleasure of having this woman in his life on an intimate level. He didn’t deserve her.

It was probably why Michelle kept calling him. The viper of a woman was a constant reminder of his lapses in judgment. The coked up heiress-wannabe-celebrity resembled more of the type of woman he would end up with.

But until his past caught up with him, he would take and cherish every piece of heaven he could get his hands on. Pushing the haunting memories to the back of his mind, he stepped forward, leaving an inch between them—one his dick eagerly jerked to fulfill. That’s when she turned and stopped his heart completely.

He had a glimpse of her full breasts, the rosy red nipples straining toward him before he dragged his gaze to her face. She peered up at him through flickering lashes, her blue eyes now darker as she grinned.

“Do you know how many times I’ve imagined you naked?” He couldn’t help the smile that tilted his lips when her eyes widened.

“Liar.”

He raked his gaze down her body, trying hard not to focus on the petite patch of curls between her thighs. Then he closed the distance between them, the hardness of his erection resting against the low of her belly. Her skin was so soft, so smooth. “It’s true. Even though I had no clue what you looked like, I fantasized about you all the time.”

She narrowed her gaze, her hands coming to rest on his biceps.

“Still don’t believe me?” he asked.

She raised her brows and shook her head. “Not in the slightest. I’ve had the image of you taunting me for years. I’m the one who’s been going through hell wanting to see you up close…and completely naked,” she finished with a cheeky grin.

He leaned in to nuzzle her neck, hiding his shock. The warmth from her body sunk under his skin and warmed his frigid soul. He was the drug abusing rock star from a deadbeat family. He didn’t deserve her friendship, let alone her interest.

Her hands found his hips and trailed up the muscled groove running from his groin to his abdomen. Light fingers ran up the middle of his stomach, fanning out, her fingertips searching his skin, finding the tiny discolored battle scar on his side.

“Gunshot wound,” he murmured and loved the way she chuckled in reply. She knew all his stories, all the challenges and achievements that made him who he was today.

When she reached his left pectoral muscle, she paused. A sharp inhale of breath sounded over the running water and he tensed, knowing exactly why she’d done it. Words escaped him while she studied the plane of skin.

His chest pounded as he waited for her to pull away, to flee. She didn’t. She stood before him, her eyes focused on the tribal angel design with Gabrielle’s name inscribed along the top of one outstretched wing.

Her gaze snapped to his, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly ajar. Fearing the worst, he swallowed, his Adam’s apple convulsing uncomfortably. All his tattoos had a meaning, and none of them were more monumental than the one over his heart. “You’re my angel, Gabi.”

Her mouth closed and her nose scrunched as she began blinking, faster and faster.

“Hey, don’t cry.” He cupped her chin, tilting it up to place a soft kiss on her lips. When he leaned back, he was smiling. If she hadn’t fled by now, with all the awkward insanity and intense emotion, then he was confident she never would. It didn’t get much crazier than inking your skin with the name of someone you’d never met.

“You saved my life. I never want to forget that. Even when I’m old and senile. Even if we drift apart. No matter what happens, I will always hold you close to my heart.”

* * *

Gabi stared at the swirled lines that made up the angel adorning Blake’s chest. Each second that passed made her eyes burn hotter and her heart pound harder. A scream tightened her lungs, one of pure happiness and excitement, and she fought not to let it out.

They’d been through so much together. She’d helped him battle his addiction, fight the demons that kept trying to tear him down, and in return, he was her rock. He comforted her through the grief of losing her brother, listened to her pain, and not once had he turned his back.

“Say something,” he asked, his voice rough.

“I love you.” The words burst free without thought. She’d loved him for so long, as a friend and much, much more. It wasn’t the first time she’d made the admission. The words had been shared between them for years in a friendly manner.

This was different. This was a declaration from the very heart of her, and it was a relief to let it out.

She lifted her gaze to his dark, smoldering eyes and felt the undiluted passion coming off him in waves. He growled low, and on instinct, they leaned into each other, their mouths meeting in the middle. His tongue swept her bottom lip, smooth and fluid, making her knees weak and her heart stutter.

He was so strong, so commanding, and she needed to be closer. She undulated against him, making her desire known. He gripped her ass in response, causing tiny whimpers to escape her throat. Their kiss became faster, harder, until she was too delirious from passion to make a sound.

He broke the connection, leaving her reeling and clutching his chest for support. “I want to make love to you,” he said between breathless nips to her lips. “I want to spend all night inside you. Touching you. Tasting you.” His arms circled her back, hugging her close. “I’m never going to want to stop.”

She nodded, running her hands around his neck, stroking the short hair at his nape. Damn, she loved this man, with his black as night eyes and his heart of gold. He had the exterior of a hellion and the soul of the divine—a tangled combination that she had never been able to resist.

He squeezed her tight and spun her around in the snug space. She squealed and gripped him as he reached around her waist to open the shower door. Dripping and naked, he walked them from the bathroom, into the adjoining bedroom. They kissed with each step. The soft pecks curled her toes. The deep thrusts of tongue clenched her womb. Their hands ran over each other in a voracious need, brushing and gliding, skin against skin.

Her calves hit the mattress and Blake spun them again. He lowered to the bed and sat, pulling her with him so she straddled his lap. The hardness of his erection ran along her entrance, teasing her with the implication.

He gazed into her eyes, a playful grin tugging at his lips. “I’ve died and gone to heaven, haven’t I? Or Mitch drugged me and I’m dreaming.” He nuzzled her cheek and placed kisses along her jaw. “I’ve never done anything to deserve this… You.”

The warmth of his breath swept over her wet skin, giving her tingles, driving her to madness. Her fingers ran into his hair, scratching, tugging, allowing her something to cling to as his tongue found the sensitive spot below her ear. Her hardened nipples ached for the tenderness of his mouth and she arched into him, giving the tightened buds the friction they craved against the light dusting of hair covering his torso.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he murmured into her neck. One arm held her around the waist, while his other moved to her breast. “I’m gonna make you feel so good, Gabi. You’ll never regret what we share tonight.”

She leaned back to make eye contact. They were bathed in shadow, only the soft glow from the living room lamp giving them light. It turned his irises an intense black, darker and deeper than the ink running down both arms and over his left pec. “I’ll never regret you, Blake. Ever.”

For long moments they stared, loving each other with teasing strokes of fingers and slight gyrations of their hips, never breaking eye contact. The moment was surreal. Him being here was surreal. She couldn’t get over it, couldn’t understand it, but she’d be damned if she would question what was happening between them. This was what she’d always wanted.

As she loved him with her gaze, her skin began to cool from the water dripping from her hair and she shivered.

“Cold, angel?” he murmured low.

She smiled, loving the nickname more than words could express. “A little. Maybe you could warm me up.” She pushed her knees against the mattress, moving herself higher, hovering the heat of her sex above his cock. “Do you think you can do that?”

He chuckled and grabbed her forearms, yanking her body around so she lay on the bed and at his mercy. The lower part of her legs hung over the mattress and he towered over her, piercing her in place with his self-assured smile. “I can sure try.”

His left palm trailed over her skin, from her shoulder, around the curve of her breast, along her stomach. She held her breath, luxuriating in the way he worshipped her body. Every nerve ending was raw, every heart beat stuttered, anticipating his next move.

He slid over her, bringing his head down to her chest. She gripped the quilt and drifted in bliss as he licked away stray droplets of water from her sternum, her ribs, and finally her tight breasts. His mouth hovered over her nipple, and he peered up at her under thick, black lashes. “Still cold?”

She swallowed, on the verge of begging him to continue. “Mmm-hmm.” She nodded and bit her lip, fighting back a smile when he grinned.

“Now’s not the time to point out that it’s probably your cold heart causing the probl—”

She gripped the short strands of his hair and lightly pulled until his face came up to hers. He chuckled and settled between her thighs, his erection poking her entrance. “I have a cold heart, do I?”

He shrugged, his grin unwavering. “Just my medical diagnosis.”

The comfortable familiarity between them was unnerving, and entirely exhilarating at the same time. She’d had boyfriends before, some lasting longer than others, however, it took weeks, sometimes months to lose the awkwardness of insecurities between the sheets.

Not with Blake. His gaze alone empowered her, made her feel special. Adored.

He backed away, reaching for his wallet on the bedside table and retrieved a condom. With efficient strokes he placed the protection over his length, and moved back over her.

Staring into her eyes, he ground into her sex, the head of his cock prodding her entrance. “Are you sure about this, angel?” The playfulness left his eyes, replaced with concern. “I want you so bad, Gabi, but if I lost you…” He closed his eyes and shook his head.

She cupped his face with her palms and pulled him closer. “You’ll never lose me. I promise.”

He leaned in, dancing his lips against hers in delicate strokes, coaxing every piece of her heart and soul into his hands. She could feel her love for him overtaking her, changing from something she could control and ignore, to something much more potent and demanding.

Inch by slow inch he thrust into her, causing her core to clamp down and convulse with tiny bursts of pleasure.

“God, Gabi, I never expected this.”

He thrust again, this time harder, deeper. His lips found her neck while he leaned on one forearm and stroked the side of her breast with his free hand. “You feel perfect,” he murmured in her ear. “So hot and tight. Christ, you’re heaven.”

She moaned and released the covers, placing a hand on the small of his back. His muscles were taut beneath her fingers, flexing with every pulse of his hips. Her other hand gripped his ass, digging her nails in, demanding more. “Make love to me, Blake.”

He growled in her ear, the vibration of his chest echoing through her own. She met each tender thrust of his hips and raised her legs to wrap around his thighs, deepening the penetration. They fit together perfectly—physically and spiritually.

Whimpers escaped her parched lips as he trailed kisses, licks, and bites from her neck to her chest, then sucked her nipple into his mouth. She arched, the spike of pleasure shooting from her breasts, straight between her thighs. His rhythm increased, his thrusts still an intimate slide and retreat, now with more potency.

Gabi gripped his hair, held him to her breast and ground harder into him, squeezing him tighter with her thighs.

“Damn it, Gab. I’m so close.”

The friction of his skin rubbed against her clit every time their bodies joined. She whimpered, on the precipice. His mouth trailed up her chest, leaving a burning kiss each time he moved deep inside her. When his stubbled chin brushed against the sensitive spot at the base of her neck, she shuddered, her walls clamping down on his cock.

“I love you, Gabi,” he whispered.

His declaration was her undoing. She cried out her climax, tightening her thighs around his sinful body. Her core pulsed, her back arched. The pleasure he bathed her in overtook her entirely. His mouth sucked tight on her neck and his pace increased, matching her eagerness, mimicking her need. Then with a final heart shattering plunge, Blake let out a guttural cry and came inside her.

His movements slowed, as she descended from her climax, sated and dazed. He rolled to the side, taking her with him, their legs tangled, his softening cock still inside her body. They panted into the silence, and Gabi couldn’t tear her gaze from him, in disbelief that he was actually here.

“You know it doesn’t count, right?” She laid her head on the mattress and traced the lines of his angel tattoo with her finger.

His arm came around her waist, pulling her closer. “What doesn’t count?”

“Telling me you love me.” She made eye contact and watched him quirk a brow. “It doesn’t. If you say it during sex, or in an attempt to get sex, it doesn’t count.” She shrugged. “It’s common knowledge.”

His lips twitched. “Really? What if I said it now?” He leaned into her, brushing his mouth against hers. “I love you, Gabrielle Smith.”

She closed her eyes, memorizing the words before shaking her head. “Still doesn’t count if you’re floating on an orgasm high.”

His lips brushed hers again and again, each press more intimate and delicate than the last. “Oh,” he whispered. “Well, I guess I’ll have to prove it to you tomorrow.”

The sound of a guitar riff broke the moment. Blake released his grip on her body and slid from the bed. “Sorry. It’s my phone.”

She murmured in protest, already missing his warmth. He disposed of the condom and strode across the room, completely naked, completely stunning.

“I’m waiting on a call from the guys.”

She nodded and rested her eyes for a moment. The tug of sleep pulled at her with each passing second, and she wouldn’t allow it to take over. She didn’t want to miss a second of Blake. Moments later, she startled awake at the sound of his rough voice. Before she could sit up to brush off the tiredness, she drifted off again, her body humming in bliss.

* * *

Blake snatched his phone off the kitchen counter, unable to wipe the smile from his face. Telling Gabi he loved her had come naturally. It flowed off his tongue easier than he would’ve imagined. He’d never felt like this before. He’d thought he’d been in love, had contemplated saying it once or twice, and now he knew he’d been wrong. Totally wrong.

He raised his cell to his ear and kept his voice low. “Hello.” Gabi had been seconds from falling asleep when he left the room, and he fully expected her to be dreaming when he returned.

“Blake?”

The feminine voice froze the blood in his veins. Why the fuck hadn’t he checked the caller ID?

“This isn’t a good time, Michelle. I’ve gotta go.”

“Wait! Don’t hang up.”

He paused—dick move. With the blunt way he ended their relationship, he still hadn’t experienced any closure. Curiosity often ate at him, wanting to know why she kept calling after all these years. Even though he’d walked away without a backward glance, he held hope that one day she would apologize for dragging him to hell with her.

“I need you.” Her voice no longer held the hypnotic purr he once remembered. The words were slurred, her speech no doubt affected by drugs.

He edged around the kitchen, striding down the short hall to the front door of the penthouse suite and hopefully out of listening range. It felt wrong to be on the phone to his ex when he’d been balls deep in Gabi only moments earlier. It didn’t help that he was buck ass naked with her sweet scent perfuming his body. “I’m sorry. I’ve moved on with my life. You need to do the same.”

He’d been the one to break free of her, and still he harbored guilt for not trying to save her in the process. He hadn’t been strong enough to resist her back then. Every time she cooed for him to “come have a little fun,” he’d run to her. The decision to turn his life around had involved shutting her out completely.

Best fucking decision of his life.

“Blake, please. My father’s cut me off. I’ve got no money.”

He suppressed a derisive laugh. Poor little rich girl. Rumors had circulated in the tabloids that her father, a multi-millionaire building tycoon, had grown tired of his eldest daughter’s partying ways. Blake couldn’t blame him. If only her old man knew the half of it.

“I’m sorry, Michelle. Please don’t call me again.”

He hung up, ran a rough hand through his hair, and shuffled back to the kitchen to place his cell on the counter. Gripping the edge of the cold marble, he hunched over and took long steadying breaths. He wasn’t an angry guy. It wasn’t in his nature. It was only when Michelle snuck her way back into his life or he was reminded of his past that the cloying tightness in his chest took hold. “Fuckin’ idiot.”

It had been over twelve months since he last spoke to her. He’d learned to screen his calls, to delete her messages as soon as he heard her voice, but every now and then he slipped up.

His phone rang again, and he quickly silenced the guitar riff. She must be flying high to think he’d answer her call after he’d hung up on her. When a voice message alert sounded, he ground his teeth together.

He’d been with Reckless Beat for two months when she sashayed backstage at one of his first live performances and blew him away with her interest…and that talented mouth of hers. He’d been a nobody, the newest member of the band who the fans hadn’t warmed to.

She’d smiled at him, batted her long fake lashes, and he was thrust back into the hormones of an adolescent with the brain capacity to match. Coming from a shitty childhood, he’d never had a woman like her glance his way. She came from a well known family, had loads of cash, and was a stunner in her designer labels.

He hadn’t stood a chance.

Drinks backstage turned into a limo ride to his hotel. Then before he knew it, she was pulling out a small baggie of white powder from her purse. Drugs hadn’t interested him before, apart from the occasional joint in high school, yet stupidity had him jumping at the chance to try coke for the first time, all in the effort to impress her. That was when his life took a nose-dive and didn’t pull up before he hit the pavement.

Scrubbing a hand down his face, he clicked on the message and listened to the voice prompts. He started to play Michelle’s recording, “Blake, I’m sorry to do this—”

Before he wasted any more time pitying her, he pressed delete and turned off his phone. If Mason rang, Blake would call him back in the morning. He wouldn’t risk another interruption from Michelle tonight.

He planned to spend the next eight hours sleeping and making love to Gabi. The rest of the world be damned.