Chapter Twenty
If Gabe didn’t have her right this second, he was going to lose his damn mind. He pulled Elle into his arms, kissing her again. How kissing alone could make him so insane was a mystery, but with Elle, he could do it for hours. For her part, she didn’t shove him off and call him a Neanderthal again. Instead, she melted under his hands, molding herself to his chest. Christ, the scent of the woman was enough to drive him wild.
He pulled back to say, “I’ve tried so hard to be good, but fuck, I need you.”
“Yes.”
That simple word. No more. But it was enough. Gabe turned until her back was to the door and kissed his way down her neck, tugging her dress along with him. He’d known she wasn’t wearing a bra, but he still groaned when the fabric fell to reveal her breasts. Even in the dim shadows, they were something. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
Though desperation tugged at him, getting worse with each passing second, he took his time. Some things couldn’t be rushed, and this woman deserved to be worshipped. He cupped her breasts, using his thumbs to circle her nipples. Elle’s groan was loud enough to be heard over the barely muted music.
It was too much. He couldn’t wait.
Releasing her breasts, he dropped to his knees and slid his hands up her legs, lifting her dress until her panties were revealed. Gabe balled the fabric in one hand and used the other to yank down the lace.
“What—” Her breath hissed out when he licked up her center. Christ, she tasted even better than he remembered.
It wasn’t enough, not in this position. He shoved her dress into her hands. “Hang on to this.” Before Elle could respond, Gabe used his hold on the back of her thighs to lift and spread them, bracing her against the wall. It left her completely helpless and open beneath his tongue. He took his time, tasting every inch of her before he zeroed in on her clit, light flicks causing her to shake so hard he almost lost his grip. Elle grasped his hair, holding him in place. As if he’d want to be anywhere else.
“Please don’t stop.”
Like hell he was going to stop. Gabe sucked on her clit, needing to feel her come against his face again. Her moans drove him on, but he didn’t give in to the urge to hurry. When her hips started rolling to meet him, he matched the pace, keeping it steady even as she gasped and thrashed. Then her body went tight, her nails digging into his scalp. He welcomed the pain, keeping up gentle licks until she stopped shuddering.
Lowering her to the floor, Gabe waited until she locked her knees before he stood. Elle was already reaching for his pants, and he didn’t need any further encouragement. He didn’t expect her to drop to her knees, though.
“Babe—” At the first tentative swipe of her tongue, his mind went blank. Gabe could only stare down at her as she wrapped her lips around his cock. There were no words to describe this. He couldn’t…
Elle took him deeper and his back hit the wall. Her tongue stroked the underside of his length even as the head of his cock bumped the back of her throat. Christ, at this rate, his knees were going to give out. Her mouth felt so goddamn good, but it was more than that. Having Elle on her knees and obviously enjoying herself… Never in a million years would he have expected it. Not here. Not like this. But, God, he loved every second of it. She made a humming noise as she cupped his balls, and the sensation of her nails lightly dragging over his delicate skin had pressure building in the base of his cock.
No, it was too soon. Gabe needed to be inside her. He laced his fingers loosely through her hair, tugging gently until she stood. A quick glance around didn’t give him any good options—he refused to take her on the floor. The shelves wouldn’t hold them, either. Christ, this was a stupid place to do this.
“Turn around.” He took her hands and braced them on the door and then cupped her breasts, playing with her nipples until she arched against him. Keeping hold of her left breast, he lifted her dress again and nudged her legs further apart. His cock nestled right up against her ass and when she pushed back against him, he almost lost it right there. “Fuck, Elle. I need to find a condom.”
He went for his wallet, but she grabbed his hand and shook her head. “We’re covered. Now, Gabe. Please.”
He pressed against her entrance and then he was inside, the sensation of taking Elle without a condom more potent than he expected. The sheer amount of trust she must have had in him to allow it, not to mention her lack of hesitation, staggered him on such a profound level that he had to take a moment to gather himself. He would do right by her. He’d never give her reason to regret trusting him this much.
Gabe kept his strokes shallow, working his way a little deeper with each one. Already, Elle’s body was shaking. He started to ask if she was okay, but then she shoved back against him and all he could do was groan.
“More, Gabe. I need more.”
This wasn’t what he’d intended. Gabe wanted to take her slow, make her crazy for him, but her urgency was like a drug to his system. Using his grip on her hips, he pounded into her, the force of the motion slapping their skin together in a sound Gabe could hear even over the music in the other room.
Shit, shit, shit. Too much. He’d gone too far.
When Elle pulled forward, he almost let her go, but then she slammed back onto his cock. She moaned, moving forward again, and Gabe took the hint. Getting a better grip on her hips, he gave into the need demanding he drive into her. They met each other, stroke for stroke, as heat built at the base of Gabe’s spine. Still thrusting, he leaned forward, kissing the back of her neck as he slid his hand between her legs and pressed against her clit. With each stroke, she rubbed against his hand, her moans growing louder.
“Come for me, babe.”
She went wild, her orgasm rippling around his cock until he completely lost control. Pumping into her, Gabe came so hard his knees actually buckled. He caught himself on the door and tried to relearn how to breathe. Too much. Not enough. Never enough. He wasn’t sure he was prepared to ever let Elle go.
…
The door vibrated against Elle’s cheek and she jumped, smacking Gabe in the face with the back of her head. “Oh God, someone’s at the door.”
He groaned and let her off the wall, and when she turned around he looked really damn pleased with himself. “Babe, that was fantastic. I don’t even know if I can walk right now.”
That made two of them.
She pulled her dress up, fumbling with the straps. Whoever was on the other side apparently wasn’t giving up. Instead, they knocked harder. “Gabe, they’re going to come in here.”
“Relax. It’s all good.”
It didn’t feel all good. Okay, that wasn’t really true. Her body felt great—over-the-top mind-blowing sex could do that to a girl—but her mind was awhirl with what they’d just done. Unprotected sex in a freaking storage closet. She was on the Pill, sure, but either Elle had lost her mind or Gabe meant more to her than she anticipated.
That was an alarming thought.
Gabe kissed her, and Elle’s worries faded. Sure, this hadn’t exactly been her classiest moment, but it didn’t matter. She cared about Gabe and he obviously cared about her. That meant something, even if they weren’t exactly following the traditional path.
Note to self: never, ever, under any circumstances, tell Ian about this. He’d lose his freaking mind. And she so wasn’t even thinking about her mother’s reaction right now.
Once her dress was in place, she looked around. “Uh, where is my underwear?”
“Don’t know, babe.” The pounding got even more intense and the doorknob rattled. “But we gotta get out of here.”
“I can’t leave without my panties.”
“I own this joint. No one is going to mess with them, okay? Trust me.”
Oh God, he wasn’t joking. It didn’t look like she was going to have a choice. Elle sighed—at least there was no way he could hear the faint sound—and finally nodded. “Okay.”
Gabe took her hand and, with one last grin, opened the door. Whoever she expected on the other side, it wasn’t the huge bald guy from the front door. “We got a problem, boss.”
Instantly, all joking was gone from his face. “What kind of problem?”
The giant shot a look at her and raised his eyebrows. “The, ah, important kind.”
Oh, great. That was subtle. Obviously he didn’t want to say anything in front of her. Elle rolled her eyes, and tried not to let it sting when Gabe didn’t immediately jump to her defense. It was just business. It didn’t mean he was keeping secrets. She was feeling off because of what just happened. Right.
She searched for something to say. “I’ll just grab another drink while you take care of this.” After the sex, her throat was parched. Because, really, she wasn’t running away because she wasn’t ready to deal with the shift in the relationship.
“You sure, babe?”
She might be a lot of things, but clingy wasn’t one of them. And Elle would never want to get in the way of his business…whatever it was. “Sure.” Even if it didn’t make her completely comfortable, it wasn’t like she could demand an explanation right here and now. It was his club so, technically, it wasn’t her business.
“I’ll be right back. You won’t even know I’m gone.” He kissed her again, pulling Elle against his body. Despite her best efforts, she melted into him. It was only the bouncer clearing his throat that tore them apart. As Gabe walked away, Elle took a slow, shaky breath. Sex in closets. Making out in public. It was like she was a stranger.
She didn’t know how she felt about it. Though she did know what Roxanne would say—jump back in that closet for another round. And she knew what Gabe would say—babe, you’re overthinking again. It was like having two devils on her shoulder, except one was her best friend and the other the man responsible for the best sex of her life.
Okay, that metaphor just took a turn for the weird.
With a mental shrug, she headed toward the busy bar. It would be a bit of a wait, but she didn’t mind. Elle needed time to center herself. The crowd pressed in on her, conflicting smells of too many perfumes and colognes assaulting her senses. Good Lord, did everyone shower in the stuff before they came out? It was enough to make her wonder if she’d be better off on a different floor. But she couldn’t do that. Elle didn’t even know if Gabe had his phone—they’d spend the rest of the night trying to find each other.
Before she could make a decision, a gap appeared in front of her and Elle slid into it. She signaled the bartender, but still had to wait five minutes for the woman to make her way over. “What’s up?”
“Can I get a…” Not a lemon drop—there was no way she could get through this crowd without spilling every drop from the martini glass. “A vodka tonic.”
“Sure thing. On boss man’s tab?”
“Yes, please.” She’d pay him back later. Or just, heck, let him pay for her freaking drink. Why was she even worrying about this? Her thoughts were on overdrive, tumbling over each other in their effort to bring her fears right to the forefront.
Elle sipped her drink and nearly spat it back out. Holy crap, that was nasty. Served her right for ordering something without having tried it first. But, heck, plenty of people drank this. At least, Roxanne did. Guess it just wasn’t Elle’s thing. With a sigh, she set the tumbler on the bar and turned to watch the people moving through the room. They were mostly the college crowd, all young and dressed in a variety of clothes, none that had much to do with country music as far as she could tell.
Despite the good music and people-watching, it didn’t take long for her to get bored. Where was Gabe? He should have been back by now. She pulled out her phone and glanced at it. Fifteen freaking minutes? Criminy. She was done waiting on him.
Elle pushed off the bar and headed for the elevator. The music she’d enjoyed before now grated on her nerves. She punched a button at random and tapped her foot as it descended. The doors opened and music pounded through her body, so loud she couldn’t manage to string two thoughts together. From her vantage point, Elle could see how people were crammed in from one wall to the other, shimmying in an almost-orgy while some rapper went on about the backseat of his car.
No way could she find any single person in there. Elle smacked the next number down, wondering if maybe she should just wait by the front door. Eventually Gabe was bound to finish with his business, whatever it was, and come looking for her. When he didn’t find her on the country floor, he’d try to find her.
Wouldn’t he?
This time when the doors opened, it was techno blasting through the space. Even though this room was slightly less crowded than the other, the dancing was just as suggestive and the music…cripes, she didn’t even hear words.
Elle was so out of her element it wasn’t even funny.
There were only two options left—the main floor or the top one. Crossing her fingers, she pressed the number five and hoped for the best. At least there was no one in the elevator to witness her spiral into self-doubt. Or, worse, trying to chat her up.
At least this time when the doors opened, there was only the faint sound of classical music and a soft murmur of voices. Finally, something she could relate to. Even if Gabe wasn’t here, she could actually ask someone where the best place was to find him.
Plan in place, Elle marched over to the bar. The man behind it was either in his early forties or one of those guys whose hair went silver early. After taking in his unlined face, she decided it was probably the latter. He gave her a winning smile that had to earn him a lot of tips. “What can I get you?”
The very last thing she needed right now was alcohol. “I’m looking for Gabe Schultz. We were on the country floor and the bouncer said they had a problem he needed to take care of.” Crap, what if she wasn’t supposed to tell him that?
The guy didn’t look surprised. In fact, his smile never even flickered. “Offices are on the first floor. Not sure if that’s where he’d be but, as you can see, he’s not up here.”
Seemed easy enough, and she was smart enough to recognize a dismissal when she heard it. Obviously this guy wanted nothing to do with her as soon as he pegged her as a nonpaying customer. “Thanks.”
She waited for the elevator, suddenly exhausted. After all the excitement and chaos, she just wanted to go home and crawl into bed. If she got to do it in Gabe’s arms, then all the better for it.
The street-level bar was quieter than the rest, but maybe that was just by comparison. Aside from the handful of people around the pool tables, everyone was sitting and drinking. She looked around, wondering where the offices were situated. Since she hadn’t seen any possibilities of hallways or doors while walking in, they had to be in the back.
Elle wove through the tables, walking parallel to the bar. Sure enough, there was a hallway tucked into the back corner of the room. She followed it, noting the restrooms just around the corner, and kept going. The offices had to be back here somewhere. As she turned another corner, she caught the murmur of voices—a woman and a man.
That wasn’t Gabe…right?
Walking slower, she strained to hear what was being said, but it was no use. There was only the tone. She couldn’t catch a single word. Finally, Elle gave up and pressed her ear to the door, ignoring the guilt of eavesdropping.
A woman laughed. “Oh, sweet cheeks, you have no idea.”
“I’m sure I do. I’ve been around the block a few times. This is nothing new.”
There was no mistaking the amusement in Gabe’s voice. Elle’s heart gave a half beat and took up residence somewhere south of her right ankle. Surely he didn’t mean what it sounded like?
“I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Only the pretty ones. I can’t believe you flew up here.”
“How else was I supposed to get you back to L.A.? Because all my phone calls obviously weren’t cutting it.”
All her phone calls? Oh God, he’d been on the phone with this woman while he was in Elle’s house.
“I know you were having a hard time and I’m sorry for taking so long with stuff up here. As soon as I get back down to California, we’ll figure this all out.”
Wait, what? He was going back to L.A.? And he hadn’t told her? Not to mention the woman he was going with.
“I’m just glad you’ll be back.”
Elle’s breath tore through her lungs. Surely this was a mistake. She was misinterpreting what they were saying. She had to be. Panic welled, so thick in her throat she could barely breathe past it. The door was heavier than she expected—which probably accounted for the muted voices—but she got it open enough to slip into the room.
The sight that met her stopped her in her tracks.
Gabe stood close to a tall, purple-haired woman. Too close. At the sound of the door, he turned to face Elle, wiping his mouth. The world went white around the edges, the entire room spinning slowly before slamming into focus. There was no mistaking the lipstick smeared across the back of his hand, or the conversation he just had.
In a rush, all of Elle’s fears swarmed her, each demanding their due. In a flash, she was nineteen again and standing in the middle of a group of her friends. Jason had his arm around a new girl, despite the fact he’d taken her virginity less than forty-eight hours ago. Her heart thudded in her chest as his grin turned vicious. “What? Did you think I’d ever be satisfied with a frigid bitch like you? About as sexy as fucking a corpse.” And then he’d turned and walked away, laughing at her the entire time.
Not again. Never again. She’d been so sure Gabe wasn’t a lying, cheating bastard after their week together, but apparently her first impression had been right. They just had sex and he was already kissing some other woman and making plans to jet off to California. Oh my God, he’d played her for a fool. Not only that—he’d brought her down to his level.
Her mother had been right all along.
“You…” So many words crowded forward, she couldn’t get more than the single one out.
Gabe leaped away from the woman, as if she’d caught fire. It was far too late for that, though. Elle had already seen the truth. Distantly, she noticed how beautiful the woman was in her designer clothes and edgy purple hair. Just the kind of woman Gabe would really want, the kind who understood the game better than Elle ever would.
The room blurred and swirled around the edges. She had to get out of here. Right now. Because next he’d say he could explain and, if she sat around long enough, she’d probably believe him. Because, God, hadn’t he talked right over every single one of her fears, lulling her into believing he actually cared? In the face of everything that happened tonight, the very idea was laughable.
Gabe crept toward her, hands out like she was a skittish horse. He should know better. “Elle? Babe, breathe.”
She shook her head. He’d lied to her then, and he’d lie to her again if she gave him half a chance. And, chump that she was, she’d fallen for it. Guess she really hadn’t learned from her mistakes with Jason.
Well, darn it, she was going to learn from them now.
The resolution calmed her frantic breathing. She backed up, holding up a hand when he made as if to follow. “Look, you’re obviously busy here, so I’ll just leave you to it.”
“No. Goddamn it, Elle!”
The damn door was nearly her undoing. As Elle fought it open, she could feel Gabe walking toward her as if they were bound by some freakish connection. But that was crap. There was nothing connecting them but a string of bad decisions.
She should have kept her damn panties on. Finally, the door opened enough for her to slide through. She thought she heard Gabe yell her name, but Elle didn’t stick around to find out. Tears blurred her vision and her entire focus narrowed down to getting the heck out of this stupid club and getting herself home. She’d been a damn fool to show up in the first place.
Choking back a sob, she burst onto the street, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process.
A sudden, completely irrational urge to call her brother arose. Before she could talk herself out of it, she pulled out her phone and flipped through the contacts. It was only when she pressed the phone to her ear that she paused to wonder what time it was in Japan right now. Before she could change her mind and hang up, Ian answered, “Hey, Ellie.”
She sniffed, trying to get control of her emotions. “Hey.”
“What’s wrong?”
Elle shook her head, wiping at her eyes, but the tears wouldn’t stop. Now that she had him on the line, she didn’t know what to say.
All the warmth disappeared from his voice. “Tell me what happened. Now.”
This was a mistake. She should have known better than to call Ian, especially when she couldn’t stop crying, but there was no help for it now. If she hung up on him, he’d be on the next plane home. A little thing like going AWOL would mean nothing to her brother if he thought his little sister in trouble.
“Who is he?”
Of course he’d pick up on the fact this was about a guy. Her brother was too smart by half. Elle swallowed, wishing she had a tissue to blow her nose. “It’s not a big deal. I’m sorry I bothered you with this.”
“Ellie.” Ian sighed, some of the stone-cold-killer leaching out of his tone, replaced by the brother who’d wiped her tears when she dumped her bike and skinned her knee. “Please tell me what happened.”
She sniffed again. “I…I think I made a mess of things.” The tears started up again, worse this time. “I really l-liked this guy, a-and it’s ruined. Everything’s r-ruined.”
“What guy? Your boss?”
“N-no.” The enormity of the last two weeks cascaded down around her shoulders. Not only did she try—and fail—to seduce Nathan, she’d slept with his brother. Then…then she went and lost her idiot head and actually started to fall for him when all he wanted from her was sex to take the edge off before he could get back to L.A. and another woman. Elle pressed her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the sob threatening to emerge. “I d-don’t know w-what to do.”
“You can’t go to Mom and Dad’s like this. Mom will freak out. Are you still friends with that woman—Roxanne or whatever her name is?”
“Yes.”
“Call her. Either get a cab or have her come pick you up, but don’t drive tonight, okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered. Just like always, Ian’s take-charge attitude centered her, even if it didn’t quite counteract what she’d just done. If he knew… No, she couldn’t tell Ian. He’d kill Gabe.
“Do you want me to call her? Or, shit, is there anything I can do but sit here and listen to you cry on the phone? Not being able to help you is killing me, Ellie.”
She wouldn’t be able to hold back this sob forever—Elle had to get him off the phone before she gave it voice. “Can I call you tomorrow, when I’m…you know?”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “Do that. I’ll be home in a few weeks—everything will be better then.”
Everything would be better and nothing would be better. Having Ian around wasn’t going to change how things had blown up in her face with Gabe. “I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Picking a direction at random, she started walking. Once she calmed down, she’d find a place and call a cab. Except the idea of riding home alone in the back of one nearly sent her to her knees. Without her brother’s calming presence, her sobs came so fast now they were nearly one long keen of despair. Elle wrapped her arms around herself, wanting her brother, wanting her friend, wanting to go home, basically wanting a freaking time machine to take her back two weeks so she could beat herself over the back of the head for ever thinking that climbing into bed with Nathan was a good idea. It wasn’t a good idea. It was the worst freaking idea she ever had, and it’d sent her into an unmatched downward spiral.
She didn’t even recognize herself anymore.