Chapter Seven
SALLY HURRIED TO keep up with Gage. The cold night air stung her cheeks as they crossed the parking lot. “Pressing business?”
He hauled her against him and captured her mouth, kissing her so deeply, her legs turned to butter. She wound her arms around his neck, his urgency feeding hers. When he grabbed her bottom, holding her so close to his big, hard body even air couldn’t fit between them, a moan slipped from her lungs. She felt him smile against her lips as they stumbled toward the car. He trapped her against the passenger door, grinding into her, and made a purely male sound that sent rivers of heat pooling between her legs. Without breaking their kiss, he lifted her up and set her on the hood, reached around her, his hand flat on the small of her back, and hauled her forward. His wide hips were nestled between her legs, and his mouth blazed a trail down her neck. Oh, yes. More, more, more. He grabbed her leg and lifted it to his hip, pressing his hard length against her center, and oh Lord, he was hard, and she was ready.
Her eyes fluttered closed as he sealed his mouth over her neck and sucked.
“Gage,” came out in a rush, but he didn’t relent the titillating torture.
“Not stopping,” he growled.
His mouth came down over hers again, taking and exploring like he wanted to climb inside and live there. The muscles in his neck corded beneath her fingers. The feel of his hot skin made her want to taste more of him in ways other than kisses. The faint beat of the band sounded in the distance, competing with her thundering heart. Gage drew back and framed her face between his large hands. He touched his forehead to hers, breathing heavily.
“Salbird,” came out full of lust and love. The way it had in her fantasies, only better, because this was real.
Desire ran rampant through her, muddling her thoughts and making her tremble with need. “Take me to the hotel” came out somewhere between a demand and a plea.
She didn’t have to ask twice. The second they were in the car they both reached across the console, unable to keep their hands off each other. This is it, her lust-addled brain chanted. She was finally going to make love to the man she’d wanted for so long, her body throbbed and ached for him. She was as nervous as she was excited. Gage kissed her hard and possessively as he guided her seat belt across her body, latching it into place.
“Can’t have my wife getting hurt.”
She watched his lips, taunted by their fullness and the pleasures she knew they would bring.
“Hurry,” she urged. If he didn’t drive, she was either going to chicken out or pull him into another kiss. She definitely didn’t want to chicken out, and if she kissed him again, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop. The only way to top having sex and getting married while flat-out drunk was to get caught having sex in a parking lot. She was just unlucky enough for that to happen.
Gage drove the whole way with one hand on her thigh, the tips of his fingers beneath the edge of her sweaterdress, a fraction of an inch from the juncture of her thighs. It was impossible not to think about his hot hand as it practically branded her through her stockings. Maybe I should have worn thigh-highs. One shift in her seat and she’d feel his fingers against her panties, even if through her stockings. She debated the shift and felt her cheeks burn as he pulled into the hotel parking lot and cut the engine.
Gage leaned across the console and slowly unwound her hair from around her finger with a sinful look in his eyes. Her pulse sprinted. She couldn’t wait to see that look from beneath his naked body as his thick cock drove into her. He pressed a kiss to her hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. A softer look came over him as he dragged the back of his knuckles along her cheek.
“Still with me, bird? No pressure if you’re having second thoughts.”
“No second thoughts.” She was surprised she could form words she was so nervous. She could overthink what was coming next forever, but hadn’t she already spent years doing just that? There was no chance of anyone they knew suddenly knocking on their door, or of her son coming home and catching them in bed together. It didn’t get much safer than this. Nothing short of a comet plummeting to earth would stop her now.
He kissed her then, soft and sweet and so deliciously, her entire body tingled from her head to her toes.
A few minutes later they were making out in the elevator, hands and mouths moving too fast to slow down. The doors opened and they stumbled out in a tangle of limbs and fiery kisses. And then they were in Gage’s hotel room, the door clicking shut behind them as he drew back only long enough to strip off their coats. The room smelled like Gage, rugged and tempting. It was dark, save for the moonlight casting a dim bluish hue through the open curtains, and Sally was shaking like a leaf in the wind.
Gage’s hands ran down her arms. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“Nervous,” she said honestly, swallowing hard.
“Me too.”
Laughter bubbled out before she could stop it. “Uh-huh.”
He stepped closer, their bodies touching from thigh to chest. “I’ve got the woman of my dreams in a hotel room, and she’s not drunk or even tipsy.” He took her hand in his, leading her farther into the room. “Five long years of wanting you all comes down to what happens next. Am I going to screw up? Move too fast?” He began unbuttoning his shirt, stopping after two buttons. “Too slow?”
He led her to the bed and she sat on the edge as he knelt before her, her pulse quickening with every breath. This was where they’d started out the night, and as he lifted her foot and ran his hand up the back of her calf, memories of what he’d wanted to do earlier when he was in that position came rushing back. Heat flooded her body. She didn’t think it was possible to feel so much, to be turned on to the point of already being wet and shaky and nearly unable to speak. But as his hand moved up her leg, she knew he’d only begun his masterful seduction.
“Am I going to bring you enough pleasure?” he said, continuing to list his reasons for being nervous.
He unzipped her boot and pulled it off. There was something unexpected and sensual about his honesty and about the feel of his hands moving so carefully as he lifted her other foot and unzipped the boot ever so slowly.
“Am I going to last the first time I bury myself deep inside you?” He arched a brow, a wicked smile lifting his lips.
Oh God. Hearing him say that took her even higher. Could he take her right up to the edge with words alone?
He pulled off her boot and sat beside her on the bed, toeing off his shoes, then tugging off his socks. She was so nervous she could barely breathe.
He brushed her hair from her shoulder, his touch gentle yet determinedly seductive. “Am I going to figure out how to get those stockings off you without tearing them?”
Oh! She hadn’t thought about that. She should have thought about this moment, not just the dress. She really needed to up her game. Tear them, please! With your teeth. She wanted to say the words, but his chest came down over hers, lowering her to her back, and her voice was lost beneath her frantic heartbeat.
He laced their fingers together and brushed his lips over hers. She loved when he did that feathery tease of a kiss.
“I’ve got plenty to be nervous about, baby, but that’s not going to stop me from enjoying every second of this night.”
He released one of her hands, sliding his palm along her ribs and down her hip, then back up again, grazing the side of her breast. She shuddered with anticipation. He didn’t say a word for the longest time, just gazed into her eyes as he explored the curve of her waist, the swell of her breast, the top of her thigh.
Oh God…
His eyes trailed down her body, their hampered breathing and the sound of his hand sliding along her dress the only noises in the room. He touched her cheek, gazing at her like she was a treasure. Her heart beat faster with every passing second.
“I can’t decide where to start.” He brushed his thumb over her lips. “Your mouth?” He dragged his tongue along the seam of her lips, and she leaned up, trying to catch a kiss, but he lifted just out of reach. “Your neck?” He gently sucked the column of her neck.
She squirmed beneath him.
“Or do I strip you bare and start lower?” He gathered her dress above her thighs. His eyes locked on Sally’s, which was about the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. He lifted it higher and ran his fingers along the waist of her stockings. “These have got to go.”
She reached down to remove them and he caught her hand.
“Not a chance, beautiful.”
He lowered his mouth to hers. His tongue was smooth and demanding over hers as his hand stroked an intoxicating rhythm between her navel and thighs. She tried to concentrate on their kisses, but her mind kept drifting south, where his fingers trailed close to her sex and then up again, taunting her over and over until she held her breath with every downward pet. His leg moved over her thigh, his arousal pulsing against her, hot and hard, obliterating the last shred of her sanity. She went a little wild, grabbing at his body, bowing off the bed. When she tugged at her stockings, he tried to roll them down her hips, moving slowly and carefully, but he accidentally latched on to her thong, too, and they got twisted and stuck. His brows knitted. He tried to roll them back up, and his fingers tore through the nylon.
Her first sober sexual encounter in years and she couldn’t even get there! She tried to help him, lifting her butt from the mattress and wiggling, but it only made things worse. Their eyes connected, and just as mortification began to steal her breath, laughter burst out.
“I can’t even have sex sober,” she said through hysterical laughter.
“Oh, you’re going to have sex all right. The best sex of your life if I can get these suckers off.” He thrust his fingers through the hole, shredding them one yank at a time, but the waist remained intact. “What the…?”
His gaze flicked to hers, and she fell back laughing so hard tears streamed down her cheeks. His eyes narrowed with determination, making her laugh even harder. He tore at the waist like his life depended on it, while Sally held on to the mattress in fits of laughter, making him laugh, too. When he finally managed to get them, and her thong, off, he dragged a long strip of the silky material over her sex and thighs. The lascivious look in his eyes stopped her cold as he climbed up her body and perched above her, his heated gaze so open and honest, so real, she felt her world coming together like never before.
“Sorry, baby.”
A laugh slipped out before she could stop it. “It’s okay.”
“I can think of something we can do with this.” He brushed the shredded material over her wrist and her pulse spiked. “But I’m afraid I’d never get you untied.”
That spurred another round of laughter.
She pushed playfully at his chest, rolling him onto his back, and began unbuttoning his shirt. “Good thing I didn’t wear Spanx.”
“Next time I’m bringing scissors.”
God, she loved this beautiful man. Loved him! This wasn’t infatuation or loneliness. This was heart-and-soul, to-the-ends-of-the-earth, bone-deep love. She finished unbuttoning his shirt and pressed a kiss to the center of his chest.
He shrugged off his shirt and tossed it to the floor.
She couldn’t resist teasing him. “You still want there to be a next time? Even after the stocking fiasco?”
“Every day for the rest of my life.”
GAGE HELD SALLY’S gaze as he undressed. Her dress was bunched around her thighs, her legs tucked beneath her. Her big blue eyes were innocent and hungry at once, trailing down his body, lingering on his erection, and making him even harder. Her chest rose with an uneven inhalation as she went up on her knees and pulled that slinky little dress over her head, revealing a black lace bra stretched tight over her full breasts. Without a moment’s hesitation, she dropped the silky lingerie to the bed. Holy hell, she was stunning. He drank in every inch, from her rosy nipples to the curve of her waist and the fine white stretch marks barely visible along her lower belly. Marks of motherhood. Those scars made him love her even more.
His gaze moved lower, to the tuft of blond at the apex of her thighs. She trapped her lower lip between her teeth, absently winding her long hair around her finger as she covered her belly with her other hand.
His body ached to finally make love to her, but it was his thundering heart that had him moving her hand so he could kiss every mark.
“You’re beyond gorgeous, bird.”
She was trembling harder again, and he lay her gently on the bed and kissed her until her trembling eased.
“I love you, sweetheart, and if you need a moment, or a day, give me the word.”
The sweetest smile appeared, and she shook her head. “All I need is you, Gage. Love me like you promised.”
Like you promised. She knew she could count on him—even for this. That meant so much to him, he got a little choked up. “Always, baby.”
He loved his way down her body, memorizing the feel of her, soft and wanting, beneath him. Her hands played in his hair as he learned what made her hold her breath—loving her breasts with his mouth—and what made her arch off the bed—when he licked and kissed her hips. Goose bumps chased his lips around her belly button to the tops of her thighs. When he shifted between her legs, she opened them wider to accommodate his broad body and closed her eyes. He reached up and laced the fingers of his right hand with hers, loving her so deeply he wanted to be connected on every level.
As he lowered his mouth to her inner thigh, she tightened her fingers around his. He stole a glance at her flushed cheeks, her teeth trapping her lower lip. Her left arm rested beside her head, a lock of hair caught between her fingers. His heart squeezed. She was so trusting. He knew he’d spend the rest of his life making sure she never doubted that trust.
He pressed a kiss to the tuft of blond between her legs and slicked his tongue along her glistening sex, taking his first sober taste of her. Sweet perfection. He loved her slowly, licking and kissing, teasing and taunting with his hand and mouth, until she was writhing and moaning. Her sexy little murmurs made his pulse skyrocket as she angled her hips, arching and rocking, guiding him in ways he knew she was too shy to verbalize. He slid two fingers inside her, taking her higher, until every breath was stilted and her thighs tightened around his head. Another slick of his tongue, a furtive stroke of his fingers along that magical spot, and his name flew from her lips like the wind.
“Gage! Ohhhh—”
The seductive sound shot through him like a bullet. He stayed with her, riding the waves of their passion and taking her right up to the peak again. Her nails dug into his knuckles. He was sure she’d leave scars, and he didn’t care. He wanted them—everywhere.
“Gage,” she panted out. “I need you.”
He grabbed a condom from the bedside drawer and rolled it on. Sally’s eyes fluttered open, and his heart tumbled in his chest as she reached for him. He’d waited so long for this moment, he had a veritable list of things he thought he’d say when they got here. But as he gazed into her loving eyes, he couldn’t form a single word. And as he pushed into her tight heat, he filled her so completely, so perfectly, he could barely breathe. Their bodies moved in sync, better than he’d dreamed. Better than anything he could imagine. Her legs wound around his waist as their mouths came together in a scorching kiss. He pushed one hand beneath her ass, and the other cradled her body as he loved her so thoroughly, he had to grit his teeth to keep from coming too fast. Bound by a tempo of urgency, a flood tide of emotions swamping him, he struggled to slow his pace, catching a hitch in her breathing every time he thrust. The feel of her body tightening around him took him right up to the edge.
“Open your eyes, baby.”
Her eyes opened, and the love in them would have knocked him to his knees had he been upright.
“You’re everything, Sally. My heart, my soul, my reason for being.”
Her eyes went damp, and he kissed her softly.
“I love you, too, Gage.”
The raw sensuousness of her voice slid over his lips, beneath his skin, all the way to his bones, carrying him to even greater heights. He thrust harder, loved her deeper, wanting to become a permanent part of her. The sounds of their lovemaking filled the room, their bodies slick with heat, hands groping for purchase. Her breaths came in long, surrendering moans, carrying him right along with them. Gage’s thoughts spun away as they yielded to the searing need that had been building for years, and blissfully succumbed to the explosive passion of their love.
They lay tangled together for a long while afterward as their breathing calmed. Gage couldn’t stop kissing her. He didn’t want to break away long enough to even take care of the condom. He was so full of Sally, he wanted to keep her in the nest of his love forever. She snuggled against him, murmuring against his neck and holding him so tight he knew she felt the magnitude of their connection just as deeply.
Sometime later, after ridding himself of the condom, Gage gathered her in his arms again, her body cradled against him, their hearts beating as one.
“Saying I love you seems too small for what I feel,” he admitted. “I’m yours, bird, in every sense of the word.”