Chapter Fourteen
Elle hopped on one foot as she yanked her shorts back on and ran for the kitchen, leaving Gabe on the couch. She took a deep breath as she picked up the phone and tried to sound like she hadn’t just been on the verge of orgasming. “Hello?”
“Ellie, what in God’s name took you so long? You can’t possibly still be sleeping. It’s nine o’clock in the morning. ”
She cast a guilty look toward the living room door and moved farther into the kitchen. “Hey, Mom. I was just cleaning.”
“Are you okay? You sound odd.”
Odd didn’t begin to cover it. Elle’s entire body was strung so tightly she wanted to scream. And not in a good way. Thankfully, there was nothing quite like the fear of God to douse any remaining desire she had. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“I see.” She didn’t sound convinced, but apparently it was a good enough answer because she started rambling about her and Dad’s upcoming trip to Maryland. Elle listened with half an ear, murmuring yes and no when needed, but the rest of her attention was trying to pinpoint what Gabe was doing.
Was he mad? She hoped not. Maybe it would have been better to let the phone go to voice mail again, but she’d never been able to do that, especially with her mother—especially since the woman refused to leave a message. Instead, she preferred to keep calling until Elle picked up. Footsteps thudded above her head and the shower turned on. Elle exhaled, relief and disappointment warring inside her.
“Ellie, are you listening to me?”
“What? Of course I am.”
Her mom sighed. “No, you’re not. I take the time out of my morning to try and talk to you, and you’re completely distracted. What’s going on?”
For one panicked moment, she was sure her mom knew everything. Elle bit her lip, pushing down the insane urge to confess. “Nothing, Mom. I’m just cleaning. The house is a sty.”
“You know we’ve talked about this—you need to put more effort keeping up your home. Good God, what if a man comes over and sees how disgusting it is?”
Considering there was a man here right now, she didn’t think her “disgusting” house would be a deal-breaker. Gabe wasn’t the type to care if things were immaculate. And, seriously, did she want to end up with a man who obsessed about things like that? Elle took a deep breath. “That’s why I’m cleaning.”
Her mom huffed. “At least you’re being proactive. I’ve set up a welcome home dinner for Ian when your father and I get back from Maryland, and I’d like you to come.”
That invitation should have gone without saying. Her mother was up to something. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“You’re being unforgivably rude right now, young lady.”
And she was avoiding the question. “Mom.”
“Oh, fine, if you insist. I’ve invited Sammy as well.”
She so couldn’t deal with talking about another man when her legs were still shaking from the almost-orgasm. “I have to go. We’re talking about this later.”
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Ellie, but I am not impressed. I’m only trying to do what’s best for you. I want you happy.”
Happy? Yeah, right. She’d be horrified if she knew what Elle had just been doing, regardless of how happy it had been on the verge of making her. “I know. I love you too. Bye, Mom.”
Elle set the phone on the counter. What should she do now? The smart thing would be to go tidy up the living room and wait for Gabe to finish with the shower, but there was a part of her that wanted to meet him upstairs and see if he’d finish what he started.
Bad idea. Really bad idea. If they started up again, there was no way they’d stop. She lost her mind when he had his hands on her—let alone his mouth—and it was all too easy for things to get carried away.
But would that really be so bad?
Elle spun her phone, thinking back over the night. From the time he handed her the flowers to when they passed out in each other’s arms, he hadn’t done a single thing to send off her internal alarms. In fact, he’d gone out of his way to take care of her. The chicken noodle soup and chocolate on the counter were testament enough of that—not to mention the underhanded way he’d forced the Benadryl on her. Actually, even though it pissed her off at the time, looking back it was kind of cute.
All of it added up to the conclusion that maybe she’d been wrong. Oh God, she was afraid to even hope the man he’d been for the last twelve hours was the truth.
Footsteps pounded down the stairs and Gabe came into view, wearing only his jeans from last night. He held up his shirt. “I figured we’d better not tempt fate.”
The sage. Right.
He tossed it into the hall by the front door and quickly washed his hands. Elle didn’t move, not sure how to take him being so normal after what they were just doing. Were they just going to pretend it didn’t happen?
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Elle blinked. “Talk about it?”
“You were kind of frazzled after the last conversation you had with your mom.” He made a show of looking her over. “You have that same look in your eye now.”
“I’m not sure what to say.” She pulled herself onto the counter and sighed. “It’s just family stuff.”
He smiled, the easygoing expression making her stomach tumble head over heels. “So tell me about your family.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
“I have an older brother.” She wrinkled her nose. “He’s kind of a pain sometimes. Ian’s in the army and, right now, he’s stationed in Japan.” Truth be told, she kind of missed him, even if Ian was overbearing as all get-out.
Gabe nodded as if she’d just confirmed something. “You’re close to your parents.”
It wasn’t a question, but she answered anyway. “Yes. They live up on the South Hill, but we try to do dinner at least once a week.” Enough about her—she wanted to know more about him. Elle drummed her fingers on the countertop, wondering if he’d shoot her questions down. Nathan didn’t like to talk about his family, and she didn’t see Gabe being any different.
He eyed her hand’s restless movement. “Ask.”
“I know you have Nathan.” Which still weirded her out a little bit, if she were going to be honest. “Any other siblings?”
“Nope. Just us two.”
It was probably a good thing. She didn’t think her world could handle another Schultz sibling, especially a brother. “What happened with your parents?” Because they weren’t around anymore, she was sure of it.
Gabe dug through her cupboards, almost fidgeting. She waited, unwilling to press him. Either he’d open up to her or he wouldn’t, but she couldn’t force this.
He inhaled so deeply she could actually hear it, almost as if he were preparing for a fight. “It’s your typical sob story. Dad was a drunk who liked to smack us around when he was there—which wasn’t often. Couldn’t hold down a job and liked to take his frustration out on our mom. Finally up and took off without so much as a good-bye and left Mom to take care of two kids she could barely support.”
Elle swallowed the sympathetic words threatening to come out of her mouth. From the look on his face, he wouldn’t appreciate them. But, God, she couldn’t imagine growing up like that, without the loving—okay, infuriating—support of her family. She bit her lip and stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.
“She made it all the way until I graduated high school. Nathan was just a year behind me, a senior at the time. One day Mom was fine and the next we got a call from the hospital saying she’d had a heart attack.”
He cleared his throat, staring off into the distance, his mind obviously years in the past. “I…I honestly don’t know how we got through it. I was working two jobs and Nathan quit football and got one of his own. He wanted to drop out, but I’d be damned before I let him shit away his diploma. Mom wouldn’t have wanted it. It wasn’t easy, but he got through graduation and joined the army. And then, one day out of the blue, a lawyer showed up on our doorstep with a will for Dad. Guess he drank himself to death or something, but he’d had a shit-ton of family money none of us ever knew about.”
There was a world of condemnation in his tone. She knew what he was thinking—that money might have made the difference with his mother. Unable to hold back any longer, Elle slid off the counter and crossed the kitchen to stand before him. She opened her arms, offering the support she knew he wouldn’t take in words. Gabe pulled her against him, wrapping her up as if he were the one comforting her. Heck, maybe he was.
“So what about you? What’s your deal with your parents?”
Elle gave her cop-out answer without thinking about it. “The norm.”
“Forgive me, but bullshit.”
She wasn’t sure she liked being the sole recipient of his attention, but Gabe shared his story. Could she do any less? Besides, it was easier to talk if she wasn’t looking at his face. “I love them, but… My dad is laid back, almost too laid back. My mom walks all over him—over all of us. She’s intense.”
It seemed like a really pathetic thing to whine about after what he’d told her, but Gabe didn’t sneer or roll his eyes when he pulled away. Instead, he watched her intently. With a deep breath, she kept talking. “I just—I don’t know. I’ll never be good enough in her eyes, never get the right job, marry the right man, pick the life she wants for me.”
“I don’t know your mom, but from what I’ve seen, you know your own mind. You, Elle Walser, are a woman to be proud of.”
She smiled. “And you, Gabe Schultz, are a good man.”
…
A good man?
Gabe stared at Elle, pretty damn sure his mouth was hanging open. Had she really just said that? “You really think I’m a good man?”
She smiled so sweetly his heart gave an odd thump. “I know it.”
He cupped her face, marveling that this was happening, that this woman was really standing here after hearing his sob story, not a trace of pity in her eyes or any of the disgust he’d figured she’d always felt for him. Instead there was…admiration?
There was nothing else to do but kiss her. Gabe pressed his lips to hers, trying to make her understand how much her words and understanding meant to him. More than he could possibly express aloud.
As his tongue traced her bottom lip, she opened to him. No hesitation. No holding back. Elle melted in his arms with a whimper. He pulled back enough to say, “I want to finish what we started on the couch.”
Elle nodded. “Yes, yes, so much yes.”
Answer enough. For half a second, he considered setting her on the counter and tasting her right here—he was dying to have her come against his face—but it didn’t seem right. Not after what they’d just shared. So Gabe swept her into his arms and headed for her bedroom. With her pressing kisses against his neck, he took the stairs three at a time, needing to have her naked and under him.
He stopped at the foot of her bed and set her on her feet. They stared at each other for one eternal moment. This was actually happening. He could barely believe it was real, but he wasn’t going to let this experience be anything less than perfect.
“I love this tattoo.” Elle ran her hand over his pecs and down his side. With a quick glance at him, she ducked down and flicked her tongue along the edge of his tat. “I’ve wanted to do that ever since I saw it.”
Hell, she could do that any time she wanted. Gabe laced his fingers through her hair and tugged her back up for another kiss. He coaxed her mouth open and teased her tongue until she was writhing against him. Slow. No matter how much he wanted to pin her against the wall and take her hard, this was going to go slow.
He skimmed off her tease of a tank top and made short work of her shorts. Then there was only Elle, naked as the day he’d met her. If he’d thought she was a fantasy woman before, the feeling was only so much stronger now.
With her damned Cupid’s bow offering too much temptation, Gabe nipped her upper lip and then soothed the spot with his tongue. Elle laced her arms around his neck, the position leaving her entire body available for his exploration. But Gabe needed her on the bed to take full advantage of it. With another lingering kiss, he nudged her until the back of her thighs hit the mattress. “Lie down.”
Instantly, she obeyed. Gabe stopped her before she could scoot out of reach, taking hold of her knees. Using only the slightest of pressure, he coaxed her legs open. Even from this distance, he could see how wet she was. For him.
“There are no words to describe this.” Gabe ran his hands down over her calves and up her shins, pausing over her knees when she giggled. “Gorgeous. Beautiful. Fucking indescribable.”
“Gabe…” She bit her lip, not quite meeting his eyes.
He nibbled up her thigh. A shuddery sigh was her only response. Well, that, and Elle widening her legs to give him better access. Gabe dipped a finger into her wetness, drawing a quick circle around her clit. “I’m going to say something, but please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Elle went tense as if expecting a blow. Which made him wonder why she’d be expecting it, but Gabe let the thought go. It was something to dwell over later. He drew another circle around her clit. “I could spend days with my mouth between your legs, and never be satisfied.”
Her shocked gasp turned into a moan when he kissed her there, using his tongue to explore every inch of her. Who was he kidding? Days would never be enough. Already the taste of her was an addiction, something he would never get enough of.
…
Having this man’s mouth on her was enough to make Elle lose her mind. Like before, on the couch, Gabe took his time exploring her, as if he spoke the truth when he said he could go on for days.
She didn’t know if she could survive days of this. It was too good. Elle never lost control, never was anything less than poised and polished. And yet out of control was all she’d been since that first night with Gabe. She couldn’t stop herself from lacing her fingers through his hair and riding his mouth, desperate for more, for less, for something.
Her orgasm bowed her back, and Elle shrieked, her nails digging into his scalp and holding him in place. For his part, Gabe didn’t stop, teasing out the aftershocks until she wasn’t sure she could remember her name. She started to push him away, body screaming that it was too much, but somehow he knew and pulled back to nibble his way up and over her hip bones.
“I’ll never get enough of that.”
Never? The word would’ve terrified her if she could string a single thought together. Instead, Elle held him close as her body shook. Gabe traced a wandering path over her skin, running his hands over her until she’d recovered enough to touch him back. And how much had she wanted to do exactly this ever since they met? More than Elle cared to admit. She explored his broad shoulders, the large arms that had no difficulty sweeping her off her feet, the body she’d begun to paint.
Finally, he pressed her forehead to hers, his ragged breaths almost a perfect match for her own. “I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to be honest with me.”
More questions? Elle didn’t know if she could handle much more. “Yes?”
“Will you let me make love to you?”
There was no question. None of her worries or fears could hold up to the desire beating in time with her racing heart. Unwilling to give herself the opportunity to sound like an idiot, she only nodded.
“Are you sure?”
She could have laughed at the repeat of their first exchanged words. But things were different now and, as unsure as she’d been that first night, there was no room for doubts here. “I’m sure.”
Gabe pushed off her so fast, she had a terrified second of thinking he was playing with her. But then she caught sight of him rifling through his wallet. He came up with a silver wrapper, looking all too pleased with himself. “You forgot something in your mad dash to get away from me that first time.”
She had, hadn’t she? Elle shook her head and held her arms out. Instead of obeying, he grinned at her and unzipped his jeans. Watching him slip out of them was way sexier than she could have imagined, but apparently Elle’s imagination had been seriously lacking all these years. Gabe ripped open the condom and rolled it on, his hand sliding over his length. “Last chance, babe. Say you’re not ready and we’re done. No pressure.”
“Shut up and get over here.”
He chuckled and crawled onto the bed, settling between her legs. If Elle had thought they’d get to it, she was sorely disappointed. Gabe kissed her slowly, thoroughly, his tongue lazily twirling around hers. When she finally angled her hips, unable to wait another second to have him inside her, he reached between them. Then he was there, the broad head of his cock pressed against her entrance. He worked into her slowly, giving her body plenty of time to accommodate him.
Finally, Elle had had enough. She dug her nails into his butt hard enough that he jerked, slamming the rest of the way in. They froze, their bodies as close as two people could be. A nearly overwhelming wave of emotion rolled over her when Gabe propped himself up on his elbows and met her gaze. He looked down to where they were joined and a muscle in his jaw ticked. “Fuck, Elle.”
Using the barest of movements, he rolled his hips, rubbing against the same spot his fingers had unerringly found before. Elle moaned as she arched to meet him. Already pressure was building, a wave cresting on the horizon. She caught Gabe watching her as if he were memorizing her face, but there was no time to worry about it because the wave rolled over her, sucking her under. How had she never known it could be like this? Elle bit his shoulder, trying to muffle her moans. Gabe’s rhythm grew jagged, rougher, as he shoved his way into her again and again. She could only cling to him as he shuddered, gathering her close.
With a final groan, Gabe collapsed, rolling off her in nearly the same movement. She stared at the ceiling, her breath coming in harsh gasps, and smiled when his fingers laced with hers. Sometime later, he cleared his throat. “Does this mean you’ll go out with me again?”
Elle didn’t even have to think about it. “Yes. Yes, it does.”