“SHE SEEMS PERFECT for you,” Naomi said. “Very sporty.”
Gabe shot her a glare. He wasn’t sure sporty was supposed to be a compliment in this case. “I taught her how to climb today.”
“Ooh! How come you’ve never taught me to climb?”
“Because you said if you broke a nail, you’d make my life a living hell.”
“Ah, that sounds right. So.” She looked him up and down as he rolled up the sleeves of his green plaid shirt. “You’re a little dressed up for a night at the bar. Are you in love with this girl or what?”
“I’m wearing jeans!” he protested.
“You’re wearing real shoes. I’ve never seen you out in anything nicer than a T-shirt and sneakers.” She slipped on heels and grabbed a jacket that looked as if it was short enough for a toddler.
“That’s an exaggeration,” he said. “And if you want to keep warm, you might want to bring a jacket that goes down farther than your...rib cage.”
“You mean my boobs?”
Gabe shook his head. “No, I did not mean that.”
“Stop changing the subject. Are you in love with this girl or what?”
“I’ve been dating her for just over a week.”
“So?”
Gabe picked up the clothes his sister had tossed on his bed and moved them back to her suitcase. “How’s Dad?”
“The same. He can’t stop talking about you coming home, even though he pretends he hates the idea of retiring.”
He sat down on the bed. “He does hate the idea of retiring. He only agreed to it because I agreed to take over. For now.”
Naomi sat next to him, dropping hard enough to make him bounce twice before she settled an arm around his waist. “I’m sorry, Gabe. I’ve only got about five more good years left in modeling, if that.”
“Yeah. I know.” They’d had this talk a thousand times. “I don’t blame you, Naomi. I’m the one who pushed for him to retire at sixty instead of sixty-five. He’s slowing way down. His doctor keeps telling him to lose some weight, change his diet, and Dad’s never going to do that when he’s in the restaurants every day.”
“Do you really think he’s going to stay out of the shop just because you’ve taken over?”
Gabe groaned and fell back on the bed, dragging Naomi with him. “I don’t know. But I can always threaten to leave again if he doesn’t behave.”
“You won’t do that,” she sighed.
“I know.” He wouldn’t. He and his sisters were their Dad’s whole world. He’d started training them in the restaurant business from age three up, finding jobs that even toddlers could help with. His dream had been for the whole family to work together, but then his kids had scattered like leaves on the wind, and his wishes had disappeared along with them.
“I just want him to be happy,” Gabe said. “And healthy.”
“I’ll help in a few years,” Naomi promised. Gabe didn’t voice his doubts. She’d promised that before. And whether she was modeling or not, his sister wasn’t the type to put both feet firmly on the ground. But maybe she’d pull through. She had to settle down sometime.
“Why did Claire have to become a vegetarian?” he groaned.
“Vegan,” Naomi corrected.
It didn’t matter to Gabe. He didn’t care what she ate or didn’t eat; he only cared that she’d walked away from MacKenzie’s. “Yeah. By the way, Mom’s cookies are great. Cherry thumbprint. Your favorite.”
“Shut up!” She slugged his arm. “You’re just as bad as they are.”
“I’m just giving you the option.”
They lay silently together for a few heartbeats, reminding Gabe of the many summers they’d spent on beaches as kids. There’d been so many evenings of trying to eke out the last few minutes as their mom called from the porch of the rented house. Their dad had sometimes come for a few days, too, but he’d always needed to get back to work. Gabe was just starting to relax into the mattress when Naomi bounded up. “All right. Just one cookie.”
She disappeared, and Gabe hauled himself up to follow her into the living room. Monique appeared from the bathroom, wearing sparkling purple eye makeup now with little bits of glitter that danced over her cheekbones. She’d clearly never been to a bar in Jackson, but Gabe was sure she’d be popular, regardless of the sparkles. She slipped on silver heels that set off the skin of her legs and then held her arms up to the sky. “Ready?” she asked.
He was ready to see Veronica, so he nodded and grabbed his keys. Naomi hurried out and handed him a half-eaten cookie. “Finish this,” she ordered.
“Come on, Naomi, you can have one cookie.”
“It’s my second one!” she screeched. Monique just followed silently as usual. He’d rarely heard her speak. Some guys seemed to be enchanted by that, but Gabe couldn’t figure it out. How were you supposed to be interested in a woman who didn’t even talk, much less one who didn’t babble funny, awkward things whenever she got nervous?
Veronica had insisted on meeting them at the bar, but Gabe still had to fight the urge to swing by her place and see if she wanted to walk with them. A glance at his watch told him she’d probably left ten minutes before, so he led the two women straight toward a place two blocks off the main square. Not quite a dive, but definitely a locals’ place.
He spotted Veronica at a table with a few of his friends as soon as he walked in. They must have called her over to join them. She was deep in conversation with Benton, and even when Gabe sat down next to her, she only offered a wave before carrying on. She looked as pretty as ever, but tonight she was wearing a black tank top and tight jeans. Gabe introduced Naomi and Monique to the others and then leaned a little closer to Veronica.
“I’m not an expert in education or autism,” she said, “but I have an idea. If you can’t afford to go back and visit very often, maybe you could send a recording. I know you said he doesn’t want to talk on the phone, so maybe something playable would be better. A video of you reading a story or singing a song or just talking about something you like. That might help him hear you without having to engage on the spot.”
“That’s a great suggestion!” Benton said, slapping his hand on the table. “I know repetition can be important to him. And I play a little guitar. I think he likes the Beatles.”
“That’s perfect,” Veronica said.
“I just don’t want him to forget me, you know? I’m the only uncle he has, but I can’t get back to visit more than once a year.” Benton nodded to himself before his gaze shifted to Gabe. “Man, I can’t believe you’re dating Dear Veronica! She’s a genius. How did you pull that off?”
“Just lucky, I guess.”
She turned to him with a smile, and Gabe was struck anew by how sexy she was. Her big eyes were painted dark and smoky again, and her earrings were long strands of silver that moved with every breath she took. “Hey, beautiful,” he said as his gaze fell to her rosy pink mouth. “Thanks for giving me another chance.”
“Stop being charming,” she said, but her gaze was on his mouth, too, as if she wanted to taste him just as much as he wanted to taste her.
He tipped his head toward her ear. “Give me thirty minutes. I just need to be sure Naomi is comfortable, and then she won’t care if I’m here anymore. We can go.”
Veronica shook her head. “No, I want to stay and have fun. It’s been a long week already.”
“Did some jackass make you try rock climbing or something?”
She laughed, throwing her head back the way she did when she relaxed, and Gabe watched the curve of her neck and remembered that he’d planned to lick her there this afternoon. That had been hours ago. He might start to twitch if he didn’t touch her soon.
“Yes,” she laughed, “some jackass made me try rock climbing. But after that stress with the column, I’m down for a little fun.”
He brushed his thumb against hers. “You haven’t heard back?”
“No, and I’d like to forget it for a little while.”
“I’ll do anything I can,” he said.
While she was laughing, Benton caught Gabe’s eye. “Hey, you didn’t tell me Naomi was here,” he said, his best charming-bartender smile in place.
Gabe groaned, but there was no keeping those two apart. “She wanted to surprise you.” Within minutes Benton had gotten up and planted himself in between Naomi and Monique.
“Gabe!” Naomi called as the crowd got louder. “Why does Benton keep referring to your girlfriend as Dear Veronica?”
“She’s the local advice columnist,” he said with a proud grin.
Naomi’s mouth made a perfect O of surprise, as if she were posing for the camera, but her shriek wasn’t quite as elegant. “Are you kidding me? Like Dear Abby?”
“Well,” Veronica answered, “a little younger, I hope.”
“That’s so cool!” Naomi leaned past Gabe, forcing him to edge back in his seat. He tried not to resent it. “I need some advice! Can you help me?”
“It depends on your problem,” Veronica answered. “But I’ll try my best.”
Naomi glanced at Gabe, then looked over her shoulder at Monique before leaning in closer. “I have a friend who’s getting married in a month. Great guy, big wedding, expensive honeymoon, all that. But here’s the thing... Three months ago, she accidentally texted me when she obviously meant to text someone else, because, you know...she mentioned his dick.”
Gabe groaned and leaned farther back as Naomi shot him an irritated look. “I know what a dick is, Gabe.”
“Shut up.”
“Anyway,” she huffed, “she immediately texted again and said, ‘Sorry, that was for Oliver, LOL!’ Except I know it wasn’t for Oliver. We were all at the same party together, and she was texting and I could see Oliver across the room and he was talking to someone else the whole time! His phone wasn’t even in his hand!”
Veronica winced. “Yikes.”
“Exactly!” Naomi said, then glanced back at Monique again to be sure she wasn’t listening. “Monique knows her, too,” she whispered. “I don’t know what to do. On one hand, it’s not my business. On the other, she clearly shouldn’t be getting married when she’s fucking someone else! Should I say something?”
Veronica frowned, her head cocking to the side as she seemed to puzzle it over. “Are you absolutely sure they don’t have an open relationship?”
“Believe me, I’d know if they did.”
“Okay, then I’d say that you should talk to her. Not to try to force her hand about calling off the wedding or coming clean, but just to say, ‘Listen, I know that text wasn’t to Oliver and I wondered if you wanted to talk.’ Sometimes people get really caught up in the idea of the wedding and they don’t know how to get out of it.”
“Yes!” Naomi said. “She talks about the wedding all the time, and she’s almost manic about it.”
“If she’s someone who’s aware of status and appearance—”
Naomi nodded frantically at that.
“—then she might feel like she’s not allowed to back out of the wedding. So you could start that conversation. Ask if she’s freaked out. Ask if she’s really ready to get married, considering the text you saw. Tell her that Oliver is going to be a lot more hurt by an ugly divorce than he will be by a broken engagement. That may be the prompt she needs to reevaluate what she’s doing.”
Naomi grabbed Veronica’s hands. “Thank you! That’s such a good idea. It’s been driving me crazy. I haven’t told anyone, because it would ruin her life, but I can’t just let her go on like everything is fine!”
“She might be relieved. And maybe she’ll make the right choice.”
“God,” Naomi sighed, “she’s amazing, Gabe. Maybe she could solve all your issues.” She squeezed Veronica’s hands. “You look amazing tonight, by the way.”
“Thank you,” Veronica said. “You look great, too.” Then her gaze slid to Gabe. “What issues are those?”
He kicked his sister under the table. He knew she was talking about their dad and Gabe’s insistence that he could fix everything by coming home. But he wasn’t going to have that conversation here. “Oh, you know,” he said. “She worries about me rock climbing.”
“She should worry. It’s insane!”
Gabe’s tension melted away as Veronica began describing their day to Naomi. She was still calling it insane, but her eyes sparkled with excitement as she described the climb. Her hands flew as she gestured, shaping the details with her hands. “It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done. By far!”
“You’re proud of yourself, though,” Gabe said softly.
“Are you kidding? I’m so proud of myself! I totally kicked ass!”
Naomi gave her a high five. “Sing it, sister! Let’s get another round of drinks!”
Gabe didn’t talk much after that. He mostly just watched Veronica shine the way she did in front of that microphone during the live performances. But this was a little different. It didn’t seem like a show. She laughed and told stories and she teased Benton about flirting with Naomi, and...she looked relaxed.
Gabe wanted to watch her like this for hours, and he wanted to take her home right now and make her come. Mostly he just wanted her.
And he wasn’t the only one, apparently. Someone stepped up behind him and Gabe turned to see Dillon Tettering standing there, hands in his pockets and charming smile in place.
All of Gabe’s muscles went tight. He wanted to punch that fucking smile off the guy’s face. Sure, he’d been just an idiot teenager when he’d betrayed Veronica’s trust, but as far as Gabe was concerned, little assholes just grew up to be big assholes. Granted, there were exceptions. People changed. But it was telling that this bastard still thought Veronica might be interested in him. What an arrogant dick.
“Hi, Roni,” he said. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
She stiffened before she turned slowly around. “It’s Veronica,” she reminded him.
“Right, sorry.” He rocked back on his heels at her clear reluctance to talk. His eyes swept over the table and lingered for a moment on Naomi and Monique. What a dick.
“Well, I can see you’re busy,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Can’t wait.” He walked away after dropping that bomb. Naomi caught Gabe’s gaze and raised her eyebrows, but then she turned back to the others to join in the conversation.
Veronica sank a little in her seat. “I needed a favor from my dad.”
Gabe wasn’t sure he had a right to feel pissed, but he did. Dillon made his skin crawl. “What does that mean?”
“I asked my dad for the name of a therapist for help with that letter I told you about. And my dad asked me to see Dillon in exchange.”
“I see. So you’re going on a date?”
“No!” Her eyes jumped to the other people at the table and she lowered her voice. “It’s not a date. I said he could come by the bar after my show for a drink. That’s it.”
“You said you didn’t want to have a drink with him,” Gabe pressed.
“I don’t!”
“Then why don’t you just tell your dad no?”
“It’s complicated, okay? Nobody tells my dad no.”
“Veronica, come on. You’re not just anyone—you’re his daughter.”
She barked out a humorless laugh. “Like that makes it easier. It’s just a drink. It’s not worth fighting my dad over this.”
“It’s not just a drink,” Gabe snapped.
She pulled back and stared at him for a moment. “You’re asking me not to go have one harmless drink?”
“No, I just can’t stand the thought of you with that asshole!”
Veronica rolled her eyes. “Are you kidding me? Monique is living in your apartment and she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen!”
“That’s not what I meant.” He tipped his head back and took a deep breath. “He was an asshole to you, Veronica. He hurt your feelings. I don’t want you forced to spend time with a guy who hurt you.”
“Oh,” she said.
“And if your dad knew, he wouldn’t want you to see that guy, either. So just tell him.”
“Gabe...” She shook her head and crossed her arms tight over her chest. “That’s what you don’t understand. My dad does know, and if I complain, he’ll tell me to grow up and stop worrying about high school bullshit. To be fair, that’s also what he told me when I was in high school, so at least I can count on his consistency.”
Gabe couldn’t wrap his head around what she was saying. “Your dad knows that Dillon made out with you and then made fun of you?”
She let go of the death clasp on her own arms to reach for her martini glass. She didn’t gulp it down, though; she took a very careful sip. “I asked him to get my stepbrother to stop calling me Ronald. I mean, he said it constantly. At school, in the house, around the dinner table. It wasn’t something my father could have missed. So yeah, I explained what had happened.”
“What did he do?” Gabe asked, though he now felt sure he didn’t want to know the answer.
“I already told you. He said I should grow up and stop letting people use my weakness against me.”
“What weakness?” Gabe asked.
She shrugged and took another sip. “Who knows. Sensitivity, shyness, small breasts? Any weakness. All of them. My dad is not a big fan of weakness. Or me.”
“Veronica,” Gabe breathed. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Yeah. It is ridiculous. So it’s just not worth saying no over something so small. I save up my resistance for more important things.”
“Maybe that’s a mistake. Maybe that’s why he pushes you around.”
“Do you think I haven’t considered that? I just... I can’t ask for his help and then tell him to leave me alone! What don’t you get about that?”
He put his hand over hers. He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t like asking for help with an apartment or money, but she was already upset, and this wasn’t the place. “Okay,” he said, “I’m sorry.”
She shook her head.
“I get why you said yes. I just hate it.”
She didn’t look up when she spoke. “I live in his building. I don’t pay rent. I put my foot down and refused to move back home with him, but I still live off his generosity. So I can complain about him all I want, but look where I am. It’s like I never left home at all.”
“Bullshit. You took a risk and went after something you wanted. Not many people actually do that, you know. It didn’t work out, but at least you tried.”
“Yeah,” she breathed. He watched her paste on a smile before she met his eyes. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell myself. I just have to figure out what to do now.”
“What do you want to do?”
Her fake smile softened into something more genuine. “Long term? I’m not sure. But I have definite goals for tonight. Want to get out of here?”
“Oh, hell, yes,” he said. He threw some cash on the table and leaned close to Naomi. “You good here? I’m thinking of taking off with Veronica.”
“Oh, yeah? Hang a tie on the door until you’re done.”
“I’m staying at her place. You can have the bed. You and Monique, I mean, not one of these horny bastards.”
“Party pooper.”
He stood and said his goodbyes as he took Veronica’s hand.
“Have fun, you two!” Naomi called.
Veronica’s face blazed, but she waved good-naturedly as they left. Once they were out the door, Gabe stopped her for a quick kiss. “You look pretty,” he said, sweeping his eyes down her skinny jeans to her heels, “but I miss your legs.”
“I was not wearing a short skirt around women with four-foot-long legs, thank you.”
“Fine. Save your shameless nudity for me.”
She tossed him a coy smile and began walking away. “Deal.”
He let her stay a few steps ahead of him for a minute, admiring the sight of her ass in those jeans. Sure, he missed her bare thighs, but this was a nice treat, too. She glanced back at him with another coy smile.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “that you rescue a lot more people than I do even though I’m on a search-and-rescue team.”
“I don’t rescue people. Not most of them, anyway.”
“Sure you do,” he insisted. “It’s not just the life-changing stuff. It’s smaller things, too. Just helping Benton out with his nephew. That’s important.”
She ducked her head. “I don’t know. I was thinking of going back for a master’s in psychology. I think maybe I could be a therapist, but I’m not sure I’ve been successful enough to guide other people.”
“I don’t believe that’s a requirement.”
She laughed. “I guess it’s not.”
“You’re good at listening. Good at seeing what people are saying.”
“I guess.” She shrugged off the compliment. “I had fun tonight,” she said. “And today was pretty nice, too. You’re very sexy climbing up those rocks, you know.”
“Am I?”
“Yes.” She sneaked her hand around his arm and squeezed his biceps. “You’re very strong. I like your arms. And your hands.” Her fingers slid down the inside of his arm and over his palm, leaving his skin tingling with pleasure. “I like seeing what makes your fingers so rough. It makes me think of how your fingertips feel against my nipples.”
“Jesus,” he breathed.
“What? I had my bath and I finally got my drinks.”
“I wanted to give you a bath,” he growled.
“Then I guess you shouldn’t have ditched me for a couple of hot girls.”
“You’re cruel. You know I had no choice.”
“You still have to make it up to me,” she sang, dancing across the street toward her apartment. “Drinks, a bath, you know what’s next on the list.”
Yes. An orgasm. And he couldn’t wait to make her come again.
* * *
VERONICA FELT AS if she were floating as she breezed into her apartment. Strange that this already felt normal, bringing Gabe home to have sex with him. She hardly felt shy at all. In fact, she felt almost confident.
She’d started the evening off with fear, but she’d gotten through it. She’d gone out instead of staying in. She’d gotten along with his friends. She’d even had fun.
And the best part of all was that it was going to be okay. It really was. He was from New York. He was sexy and smart and accomplished. His friends were beautiful and charismatic and confident. And Veronica had fit right in. She’d never had that in the past.
It felt like a miracle. And now she wanted another one.
She locked her door and walked toward her bedroom, smiling over her shoulder to be sure Gabe was following. “Tonight I want to touch you,” she said.
His gaze had focused on her ass, but he looked up at that. “Yes,” he said, the slight darkness in his voice making it sound more like an order than permission.
God, she liked that. She liked his confidence. She liked him teaching her, because she knew if she wasn’t doing something right, he’d tell her. And if he didn’t tell her, then she knew everything was just the way he liked it.
Veronica shucked her jeans before she even reached the bed. She hoped he liked the black panties she wore. They were boy shorts, not that revealing, but she liked the way they rode up to expose the bottom of her ass.
Gabe did, too, if the heat in his eyes was any indication when she turned around and caught him looking.
She stroked her hands up his chest. “Have I ever mentioned how hot you are?”
“Yes, but you should probably mention it again.”
“Mmm.” She let her hands follow the contours of his muscles, up and over his pecs, and then curving over his strong shoulders. “You’re so sexy,” she whispered. She slid her hands back down, over his chest and belly. She began unbuttoning his shirt. “I want to touch you everywhere.”
He sucked in a breath and she wondered if her knuckles had tickled his stomach. She’d find out later. Right now he was shrugging his shirt off and he was entirely exposed to her from the waist up.
“God,” she murmured, brushing her mouth over his chest as she breathed in the scent of him. He tugged up on her tank top then, and she barely paid attention as she raised her arms. She just took the opportunity to nudge him toward the bed.
He backed up until his legs hit the mattress and when she nudged him again, he fell to his back. The sight of him bare chested and prone on her bed made her laugh with delight. “I love this,” she said, then felt a brief explosion of panic in her veins. “I love having you here,” she clarified so that he wouldn’t get the wrong idea. “I love fucking.”
He grinned as she straddled his thighs, but his grin snapped to a hiss when she traced her fingernails down his belly. “Are you ticklish?” she asked.
“A little.” He sucked in his stomach when she did it again.
“I like that, too,” she responded, but she showed him mercy and pressed her palms against his warm stomach. He was so flat compared to her body, so different. Tightly muscled and lean and dusted with dark hair. She leaned down to lick the thin line of hair that ran from his waistband to his navel. He hissed again and the power of it swept over her as she pushed her hands up over his ribs and then the hard muscles of his chest.
“Come ’ere,” he murmured, his hands rising to cup her face and bring her toward his mouth. She braced her hands on his chest and leaned down to kiss him, only because she liked his hands guiding her. She gave him one long kiss, sweeping her tongue slowly over his before she pulled away. She wanted to taste him everywhere.
She let her cheek drag down his furry jaw, then sucked at the delicate skin just past his Adam’s apple. His hands framed her waist and he sighed as if he’d found a comfortable spot.
Veronica was so turned on she felt almost light-headed. She wasn’t sure why. He’d barely even touched her. But something about the smell of his skin and the feel of his body had everything inside her pulled so tight that it almost hurt. Her heart drummed hard and fast, adding to the dizziness. She loved it.
She tasted her way down his neck to his chest, swirling her tongue around one of his nipples just to watch it tighten for her. She grazed her nose over his chest hair and kissed her way along his ribs.
When she sat up and grinned down at him, he wasn’t smiling anymore. He looked slightly pained.
She looked down to the very significant rise in his jeans. “What’s the matter? Are you uncomfortable?”
“Yes.” When he reached out, she assumed he meant to unbutton his jeans, but instead his hands rose and he very slowly unfastened the front clasp of her bra and spread the straps down her arms. Goose bumps chased over her skin where he touched her, and then his calloused fingertips traced gently around her areolas. She shivered.
“Are you done touching me?” he asked, the words a low rasp.
“No,” she whispered.
“Then touch me.”
She shivered again. She couldn’t help it. His words were as rough as the edges of his fingers where they teased her nipples.
Her hands felt clumsy now, but she did as he’d ordered. She spread her fingers along his ribs, then slid them down to his hips. She’d meant to tease him a little longer, but now she was the one who wanted his jeans off. They were in the way. She wanted all of him.
She unbuttoned his jeans and slid the zipper carefully down. Her mouth went dry at the sight of the erection outlined so clearly against his gray boxer briefs. It was difficult to believe that she had access to a cock like that after so many years of celibacy. Maybe it was her reward for waiting.
She wanted to touch him then, but she didn’t. Instead she shifted aside and tugged his jeans down.
“Wait,” he said, startling her, but he only dug into his pocket for a condom. Then he helped push the jeans off and raised his hips so she could slide his underwear off, too.
She couldn’t help the breathy Oh that escaped her mouth once he was fully naked. His cock looked so thick framed by his narrow hips. Her fingers curled, but she still didn’t touch him.
She straddled his thighs again, loving how hot his naked skin was against hers. “Look at you,” she breathed, taking in the sight of him beneath her.
“Look at you,” he countered.
She smiled because she didn’t have the slightest desire to cover herself. He could look all he wanted.
Leaning forward, she kissed his ribs again, loving the way his cock pressed to her breasts. Apparently, he loved it, too, because he gasped in shock. She slid a little lower on his legs, pressing her body along his erection, and he cursed under his breath.
God, sex was so much fun.
When she kissed his belly, she teased him by dragging her open mouth along his skin only inches from the head of his cock. A glance up told her that he was watching intently. Waiting. Smiling, she ducked her head and kissed a path to his side. There was one last thing she wanted to do before things got serious.
His hips were tight with muscle just like the rest of him. She licked the V-shaped line that crossed down his hip. Then she did what she’d been wanting to do for days. She bit him.
He jerked in shock beneath her mouth. “Mmm, sorry,” she murmured. Then she pressed her teeth to him again, more slowly this time, feeling the give of him under her teeth. She left the faintest of imprints there, but she licked him in apology. “I’ve been wanting to bite you,” she said.
When he pushed her hair off her face, she bit the ball of his thumb, too.
Gabe gasped out a shocked laugh. “Fine, but just watch where you’re biting.”
“Oh, you mean when I’m sucking your cock?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said, and now the hand in her hair was guiding her toward him.
“You want to feel my mouth?” she whispered.
“Yes.”
Her heart fluttered, her nervousness trying to make a comeback. She tried to hide her uncertainty with boldness. “Tell me you like it.”
“I love it,” he said. She pressed a kiss to the crown, then circled it with her tongue. “I love your mouth,” he groaned.
That was all she needed to hear. She didn’t start out slow the way she had the first time. Instead she took him deep into her mouth, her heart speeding at his grunt of surprise.
“Oh, fuck, I love your mouth,” he groaned as she sucked at him. He seemed inclined to skip the preliminaries tonight, too. He framed her head with both hands and eased her down until he hit the back of her throat. Veronica was relieved to find that she didn’t gag. She liked him that deep. It made her feel...triumphant. Maybe she’d unpack that ridiculous thought later, or maybe she’d just enjoy it, because she loved his breathless words right now, whispering, “Just like that. God, just like that. It feels so good.”
She slid up and down, not needing the guidance of his hands anymore. She could tell he liked it by the way his thighs tightened with every draw of her mouth, the way he pushed up to meet her, the way he groaned with pleasure. She slipped her hands down his hips and dug her nails into his ass.
He cursed, but before she could take him deeper again, his hands lifted her head. “I’m sorry. It feels too good. And I really want to fuck you.”
She laughed at that, because there were a couple of options here and both of them were good. She could refuse to comply and keep doing this until he came, or she could climb a little higher on his body and fuck him.
The second thought made everything inside her tighten. Yes. She wanted that. She’d had it only once, after all, and she had so much catching up to do.
She rose up and slid her panties down. Gabe’s eyes were focused between her legs, but his hand swept the bed beside him for the condom. He put the condom on as she crawled higher on the bed. Then he fisted the base of his cock as she straddled him again.
He stroked a hand between her legs, making her gasp. “That got you wet,” he murmured. “Doing that.”
She nodded, but she just stayed poised above him. She wasn’t sure what to do, or maybe she was only too intimidated to try. It was hardly a puzzle, after all. The penis went into the vagina. Basic biology.
Gabe’s free hand settled on her hip and he eased her down as if he knew she needed help. His cock only brushed against her pussy at first. Then it pressed against her. She held her breath, and her body began to take him in, stretching tight around him. Just as the pressure began to overwhelm her, he guided her up again, then back down. This time it was easier. She closed her eyes and sighed as though his cock were taking all the space for breath inside her.
This was basic biology, yes, but it somehow still felt miraculous. That another person was in her body. That it felt right instead of strange.
Finally, she was settled tight against his hips, her body filled with him.
His hands swept up her sides. “I love this, too,” he said. She opened her eyes, startled by the mix of shock and dark pleasure that flashed through her at his words. It was so close to “I love you.” And so close to what she was feeling as she looked at him beneath her. His thumbs brushed over her nipples and she sighed.
“You’re so beautiful, Veronica.”
Was she? She didn’t know, but he made her feel needy and wild and sexy.
“Just ride me,” he said. “Whatever you do will feel good for me.”
She nodded and pressed her knees hard to the mattress, sliding up only an inch, her eyelids fluttering at the strange feeling. This was different from being on her back. This was her doing the fucking. She moved very slowly, trying it out. It felt...nice.
Gabe’s eyes focused first on her face, but as she moved on him, his gaze fell to her breasts. His thumbs brushed her nipples again, and then he squeezed them.
“Oh,” she sighed, her eyes fluttering closed. The feeling shot straight to the nerves stretched tight around him. “That feels good,” she whispered.
She kept riding him slowly, her thighs already shaking from the effort. Her legs were weak and tired after today’s climb, but she wouldn’t let that stop her. She wanted it just like this, filling herself over and over again with his cock.
But eventually, her shaking legs refused to hold her. She braced her hands on either side of his head and opened her eyes. “I’m tired,” she said with a frustrated laugh.
“It’s okay. You were busy being kick-ass all day.”
He held her face between gentle hands and pulled her down for a kiss, his warm mouth like a gift for hers. His beard tickled her chin. Then he moved beneath her, and even though she was on top, he was the one doing the fucking now, tipping his hips up to slide deeper. She sighed in pleasure, but the sigh turned to a moan a moment later. His hands slid down her body and gripped her hips as he fucked her faster.
“Gabe,” she gasped. His cock felt huge now as he held her open above him. His hips slapped into her. “Oh, God,” she groaned. “Oh, God.”
“Fuck. Veronica. I can’t...”
His muscles went tight; his thrusts grew rougher. When his fingers dug hard into her flesh, she realized he was coming and raised her head a little to watch his face as the pleasure seemed to contort into pain. Breath hissed through his teeth until his hips finally slowed.
“I’m sorry,” he gasped.
“It’s okay,” she said, only now realizing that it wasn’t okay. She wanted to come. Hadn’t that been the deal after that climb?
He opened his eyes and smiled. “You just looked so fucking hot above me. I couldn’t help it.”
Well, she couldn’t resent that. And he had let her do whatever she’d wanted to him. She’d get off next time. The sex had still been fantastic.
She gave him a quick kiss and slid off him to give her still-shaking legs a rest.
Despite the near-liquid state of her thigh muscles, she felt tense as she collapsed into her blankets. Restless. Still, she smiled at the sight of Gabe’s ass when he got up to go to the bathroom. She’d have to bite that one day, too. It looked made for biting.
She stretched hard and tried not to feel disappointed. He’d fucked her well and thoroughly with that beautiful body. And it had felt wonderful.
The day finally caught up to her. Despite the slight vibration of tension in her muscles, she closed her eyes and sank into the pillows. She felt as though she could sleep for twelve hours. Even that might not be a relief, because she knew her arms and legs would be sore from the—
“Ah!” she shrieked when a hand grabbed her ankle and tugged it wide. Her eyes flew open to find Gabe dropping to his knees between her spread legs.
“Now let’s get you that orgasm,” he said with a grin.
“What?”
One of his eyebrows rose. “Don’t tell me you’re too tired. All you have to do is lie there.”
“I—” she started, but he’d already ducked down and dragged his tongue over her clit. “Oh!” she gasped at the hard shock of pleasure. For some reason, she hadn’t imagined he’d want to do that after he’d fucked her. She already felt wet and warm and slightly used, but he put his whole mouth over her and sucked at her clit.
“Oh, God,” she groaned, raising her knees and spreading them wider. “You’re like my own personal fantasy, Gabe MacKenzie.”
His mouth left her for the barest moment. She glanced down to see him watching her, the naughty smile gone from his face. But he didn’t say anything, and then his tongue was on her clit again, and Veronica let her head fall back and her eyes close as she tangled her fingers in his hair.
He was her fantasy, and even better than that, this was all going to be okay. She could feel it. And then all she could feel was his mouth.