- GAGE -
What am I doing?
Those were the last words in my head before I crushed my mouth to Pip’s.
Seven years I’d resisted. Seven fucking years. My slip last year didn’t count. It was a peck. A long peck, but nothing like this.
Our tongues fought for control, and I was all but ready to surrender.
I’d been determined to keep Pip at arm’s length, and I couldn’t do it anymore.
I didn’t think that after seven years of sexual tension, friendship, and closeness, the thing that did me in would be one of my best friends telling me they wanted to use Pip as a surrogate.
Fuck that.
If anyone had claim to Pip and her uterus, it was me.
God, I was thinking like a crazy person. That was what this woman did to me.
I cradled her face with my hands anyway, my tongue slipping deeper. Her mouth was mine, and I had no trouble branding it as my own.
My jacket fell off her shoulders—the jacket I wrapped around her so I didn’t have to stare at her mouth-watering tits any longer. She had it wrong—there was nothing gentlemanly about it.
With a groan, I spun us and pinned her against my car, because now that I’d started kissing her, I didn’t want to stop. Hell, I’d fuck her right here in the parking lot if she’d let me.
I was brought out of getting completely lost in her when she whimpered. I tore my mouth from hers but couldn’t bring myself to back off her completely. She could no doubt feel how hard I was with my cock pressed into her stomach, but I didn’t care. I wanted her to know how she affected me. “Please tell me this is okay,” I begged.
I’d no doubt confused the heck out of her. For seven years, I’d been lying to her and telling her I didn’t want this. And for seven years, she accepted it and never pushed for an explanation. Sure, she’d asked, but she knew when to back off.
“Why now?”
Her question didn’t shock me, but I didn’t have an answer I could give her. I never had answers.
“Seven years, Gage.”
I lowered my forehead to hers, unable to keep my possessiveness at bay anymore. “You’re mine, Pip. You always have been. Always. Ever since my first day at the firm and you accused me of being Canadian.”
She chuckled. “I knew you were from Virginia. I was just stirring shit.”
“I know.”
She pulled back, pushing herself farther into the side of the car than possible. “But that doesn’t answer my question. It doesn’t make sense. I thought …”
I forced myself to pry my body off hers and stepped backwards to lean against the car parked next to mine. “I don’t know how to answer, because I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. All I know is the thought of you carrying another man’s baby drove me to this point.”
“It’s not like it’ll be my baby.”
“Don’t care. Every inch of your body belongs to me.”
Her eyes widened, and I couldn’t help loving the heat behind her stare. I tried to cover it by swiping my thumb over my bottom lip, but that drew her glance to my mouth.
“All you have to do is say yes, Pip.”
The struggle in her eyes was prominent, but as quickly as it came, it went. Along with any hesitance. “Yes.”
We met halfway between the cars, our mouths coming back together and my heart trying to leap out of my Goddamn chest.
She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me closer. When her body rocked against me, I gripped her perfect hips to still her.
“I haven’t had sex in eight years, darlin’. You keep doing that, and this’ll all be over before it starts.”
She pulled her head back. “Eight years? How have you survived?”
I leant down and growled in her ear. “By imagining my fist was your tight pussy every night.”
She moaned into my mouth as I took it again. My fingers traced her satiny skin as my hand made its way up her blouse. From her stomach to her bra-covered breast, my hand committed every curve to memory.
Whistles and hoots hollered from the sidewalk. I wouldn’t have let it deter me had I not recognised a voice that yelled out.
“About time.” Garrett.
Giving Garrett and Blair the finger, I broke away just enough to call out, “Keep moving.” Then her blue eyes pierced mine. “Pip …”
“Don’t. Please don’t pull away now.” She trailed her finger down my jaw to the dimple in my chin.
“Let me take you home,” I whispered.
“You kinda have to. You drove me here.”
“Let me rephrase. Let me take you home so I can fuck you harder than you’ve ever been fucked in your life.”
She tsked me. “That’s a tall order. You might be writing cheques your penis can’t cash.”
“Get in the car,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Yes, sir.” She turned and walked to her side.
Before either of us climbed in, I caught her gaze over the top of the car. “Don’t call me sir. Takes me back to my army days, and trust me when I say you do not want me to be in that headspace tonight.”
I had to force myself into the car. Apparently, kissing her gave me loose lips, and the last thing I needed was to go back there. I gripped the steering wheel tight as the memories threatened to come forward, but it all fell from my mind the minute Pip reached across the car and put her hand on my thigh.
“Drive fast.”
“Plan to.”
***
“How is it possible you got every red light on your way here?” she asked, while simultaneously unbuttoning my shirt.
“Because the universe hates me,” I grumbled. “That’s why.”
We stumbled into her townhouse, and she was already ripping off my clothes. Fuck, I loved this woman, and right up until I kissed her a year ago, I hadn’t realised what I was missing by denying it for so long.
I didn’t know when I fell for her exactly, only that I’d been pushing her away for far too long.
I was determined to be alone, but now I couldn’t imagine my life without her.
These last few months, I’d started to wonder how I was going to handle it if she met someone. I’d convinced myself I could deal with it if and when the time came, but then fucking Garrett …
I didn’t know why the whole surrogacy thing made me snap, but there was no going back now. No way.
By the time we made it to her bedroom, our clothes were strewn throughout the entire place. She fell back on the bed, and I got my first good look at her completely naked. I’d seen her in a bikini countless times, but my imagination didn’t do her body justice. Nowhere near it. From her pebbled nipples to flat stomach, my mouth watered as I imagined kissing every inch of her.
“You’re perfect,” I murmured.
“You just going to stare? You’ve got some work to do.”
I grabbed her ankles and pulled her towards the end of the bed. “I’m in charge tonight, sweetheart.”
Before she could protest, my knees hit the ground, and I buried my head between her thighs.
She arched her back as my tongue teased her clit. I pinned her down with my left hand, while my right hand went straight for her centre. One finger entered her slowly, and she let out an almost scream.
My eyes locked with hers, and I lifted my head. “You’re a screamer, hey?”
She leant up on her elbows.
“You don’t have to answer. You can show me.”
“Fuck, Gage.” She threw her head back.
“All in good time.”
When I used a second finger and sucked on her clit, her whole body convulsed and her pussy clenched around my fingers.
“Pip?” I asked, while my fingers continued to work her over.
“Uh-huh?” She had her eyes closed, her hands fisted in her sheets, and she breathed heavy.
“You still on the pill?”
“What?”
My fingers withdrew, and I stood and fisted my cock to try to keep the overwhelming need to come at bay. Her eyes raked over my entire naked body, landing right where my hand was. “Oi. Eye contact,” I ordered.
She laughed and gave me her deep blue eyes.
“Are you still on the pill?” I said it slower this time.
She nodded and spread her legs wider apart, putting herself on display. I could’ve come right then and there.
“We’ll come back to how you even know I’m on the pill in a minute. Right now, I need you.”
“Oh, hon, if you think this is only going to take a minute, you’re going to be disappointed when I’m still fucking you by morning.”
“You haven’t had sex in eight years. I went with the safe bet.”
I couldn’t hold in the laugh. “Good point. I’ll have to build stamina. But I promise you’ll get your fill first.” I playfully slapped her thigh. “Move up the bed.”
She scooted her way up so her head was on her pillow, and I positioned myself on top of her.
“I’ll go slow first because I know it’s been a while for you too.”
“Okay, how the fuck would you know that?” she snapped.
“I know everything about you.” I cut her off from saying anything else by entering her.
She moaned, spurring me on. Her wet, tight heat surrounded my cock, and I had to pay attention to the sounds she was making, her trembling beneath me, and her pleasure, because the moment I focused on me, I was going to reach that point of no return and lose myself in her.
I slid into her with ease, rolled my hips, and loved it when she threw her head back and her eyelids fluttered closed.
“Damn, I forgot how good sex was.” I was never going without it ever again. “I need to hear you say it, Pip.” I pulled out to the tip and then thrust back in. “Tell me you’re mine.”
She cupped my cheek. While her eyes pierced me, her gaze and confidence never wavered when she said, “I’m yours.”
In that moment, I knew nothing would ever be the same between us, but I didn’t think it’d come crashing down a few hours later.
***
Why is my phone going off so damn early?
I reached for my beside table, only to hit air. When I sat up, I realised I wasn’t in my bed but Pip’s.
Flashes of last night ran through my head, and I couldn’t stop my smile. I’d never been so sated or happy in over eight years. Or ever, if I really wanted to think about it.
I wanted so badly to roll on top of her and go again, but I wore her out. She was out cold.
Slipping out of bed, I grabbed my boxer briefs from the floor and made my way up the hallway, looking for my pants.
The ringtone had stopped by the time I found them, and when I saw who’d called, I didn’t even hesitate to hit redial. It didn’t occur to me that in the seven years I’d lived in Australia, my dads never once got the time difference wrong. Nor did it occur to me that I should’ve been freaking out until Odie’s voice came on the line.
“Gage.” His voice cracked.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Dad cut in.
“I’m on speaker? What’s up?”
Dad sighed. “You need to come home, son.”
Fuck.