WHAT IN THE hell was that?
Staring into those beautiful blue eyes, I couldn’t figure out what was happening. My heart was on the damn floor the moment she moaned into my mouth. Then she opened up to me and I was overcome with a euphoria I’d never experienced before.
“Your world will feel like it’s been turned inside out.”
Fuck that. There is no way. I needed to break this weird connection we were sharing. I was in uncharted territory and not sure how I felt about it.
I turned back to the food. “Are we frying or baking the chicken?”
Gabi stood there for a second, her forehead creased in confusion. We’d just shared the most incredible kiss of my life and I totally blew it off.
“Um, I bake mine. Healthier and all.”
“That sounds perfect.”
She moved to open a cabinet where she pulled out a baking sheet. “Just put them on here after you coat them in the breading.”
Somehow I needed to get things back on track and easy like a few minutes ago. We were talking as if we’d known each other for years then I fucked it up with kissing her. Damn if I didn’t need to feel those lips. Taste her.
“Have you always wanted to own a bakery?”
Her face lit up. There we go. My dick-move forgotten.
“Yes. For as long as I can remember.”
“What do your parents do?”
She tensed. That was twice now she reacted that way when I asked about her past.
“Um, they passed away when I was in high school.”
I frowned. “You said your dad gave you your grandmother’s recipes at your graduation.”
A panicked expression moved over her face.
“They passed away in a car accident a few days after I graduated.”
“I’m so sorry, Gabi.”
She shrugged. “Thank you.”
“Did they own a bakery?”
She shook her head. “No, they owned a restaurant in Italy that my uncle owns now.”
I lifted my brow. “Really? Wow. Were you born in Italy?”
Gabi chewed on her lip. Talking about her family seemed to be a sore subject. “No,” she said with a chuckle. “My parents moved to America after they got married. They had the restaurant before they moved.”
I couldn’t help but notice she failed to mention where she grew up. Although the cop in me could tell she was hiding something, I let it go.
“I’ve always wanted to go to Italy.”
Again, her face beamed with happiness. “It’s beautiful there.”
“How many times have you been?”
“Dozens!” she said with a light laugh. “We have a lot of distant family still in Italy. I haven’t been in about seven years though. I was actually planning a trip to go in a few months. If everything works out.”
I lifted my brows. What did that mean? “Really? Sounds like fun.”
Her smile slowly drifted away. “Yeah. I hope so.”
“I’m off!” Charity called out as she walked by the kitchen. “You two kids have fun and just as an FYI, I won’t be home tonight.”
“What?” Gabi gasped. “You’re staying the night with him?”
Charity tilted her head and smirked. “Awe, that’s kind of cute that you’re concerned. Yes. I haven’t had sex in weeks and plan on getting a lot of it tonight.”
Spinning on her high heel, Charity was out the door before Gabi could respond.
She turned to me. “I swear, she’s not a slut. She’s been dating this guy for a few weeks now.”
I laughed and held up my hands. “None of my business. If things don’t work out for her and this guy, you should introduce her to Cole.”
Gabi chuckled. “Cole tried once with Charity. She shut him down so hard I actually felt sorry for him. He wouldn’t stand a chance with her.”
“You don’t know Cole.”
Her smile grew. “You don’t know Charity. Besides, she likes Cole.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“I think it scares her how much she was attracted to him, but you can tell Cole’s a player.”
“What about Charity?”
Gabi laughed. “No. Scott’s the first guy she has dated in a few years. She’s not one to sleep around.”
“She seems like a pistol. And Olivia Newton-John? Wasn’t she in Grease?
Gabi shuddered. “Yes. I know every one of her songs by heart after four years of living with Charity. I’ve seen Xanadu I don’t know how many times.”
My brow lifted in question.
“It’s a movie she did. After Grease.”
“I’ve never watched Grease.”
Gabi dropped the spoon and turned to me with a look of horror on her face. “Don’t ever tell Charity that. You’ll be watching it within five minutes of the words leaving your mouth. And no potty breaks.”
Damn this girl was adorable. “No potty breaks, huh?”
She shook her head. “It was pure hell. I had drank a lot of water that day too.” She shuddered as if the memory had hit her again.
I had the urge to pull her into my arms again, but I fought it.
“How are you at chopping veggies for a salad?” she asked with a wink.
“Bring it on. I’m the master at chopping shit.”
Gabi soon had everything you could possibly think of that would go in a salad in front of me.
“I bet next time you won’t show up early,” she said with a chuckle.
The fact that she was already planning a next time had my chest feeling light.
She must have realized what she said. “I mean, that’s if you enjoy my cooking and want to come back.”
I chopped the cucumbers and put them into the large salad bowl. “Don’t you mean our cooking? Since I’m helping and all.”
Her nose scrunched up in the cutest way and my heart stopped. Like, honest to God, it felt as if it froze.
She winked. “It’s my recipe though.”
“Touché. But, I did pound the meat.”
Her tongue ran over her lips and the dark blue specs in her eyes lit up like sparklers on the Fourth of July. “I guess we’ll have to see how it tastes for me to decide if you’re good at that or not.”
Fuck this. If she was going to flirt then so was I. “I know another way you can find out.”
Her mouth formed the perfect O while her breathing picked up. I’m going to guess Charity was spot on when she said it had been a while for Gabi.
“Sounds promising,” she shot back.
The alarm went off on her phone. Without taking her eyes from mine, she spoke. “Would you put the cheese on the chicken and stick them back into the oven? I’ll put the pasta in and then run and change.”
Lifting my hand, I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You go get changed. I’ll take care of the rest and get the salad put together.”
“Are you sure? The pasta needs to be put in the water.”
There was something about Gabi that was so different from any other woman I’d ever been with. I wasn’t sure if it was her smile, the way her eyes lit up when I said something funny . . . or sexual . . . or the way she made my heart feel like it was floating hopelessly in my chest. Whatever it was, I wanted more of it. A whole hell of a lot more.
“I’m positive. Even though I think you look great now.”
“I’m not wearing sweats while you look all dashing and handsome.”
“You thinking I’m handsome, huh?”
A hint of pink moved across her cheeks. “Give me ten minutes.”
I nodded as I watched her walk away. Fucking hell she had a nice ass. I wanted my hands slapping it pink while I took her from behind. The bedroom door shutting brought me back to reality.
Turning, I got to work on taking the chicken out, placing the slices of cheese Gabi had ready on top and then putting them back in the oven. The pasta went into the boiling water and the last of the vegetables were added to the salad. The smell of Gabi’s perfume still lingered in the air. Inhaling, I shook my head and chuckled. I never would have imagined I’d enjoy being in a kitchen and cooking with a woman.
One quick survey of Gabi’s kitchen, and I walked over to where I thought she’d keep her dishes. I couldn’t help the smile that spread over my face when I opened it and saw the plates. Grabbing two dinner plates and two bowls for salad, I set about getting the table ready.
The timer went off for the chicken. Taking it out of the oven, I set it off to the side while I drained the pasta and mixed it with Gabi’s homemade marinara sauce. The smell of garlic and Italian spices filled my senses and made my stomach growl.
One quick taste and I was letting out a satisfying moan. The moment I tasted the pasta, it exploded on my tongue. “Holy shit, that’s good.” I could totally get used to this woman’s cooking.
I set off looking for one more thing.
“Gabi? Do you have any candles?” I called out.
“The drawer to the left of the sink. There are some candles and the holders are in the cabinet underneath.”
Finding what I was looking for, I added the candles to the table and finished it off with the flowers I brought.
“Sorry that took longer than I said. Wow, I’d say you’ve done this a time or two.”
I spun around and nearly dropped to the damn floor.
“My God,” I whispered while my eyes roamed over the beautiful sight before me.
“Too much?” Gabi asked with a shy smile. All I could do was shake my head.
She wore a black dress that hugged her body in all the right ways. It showed a hint of her breasts, enough to leave me imagining what else was under the dress. And her legs. Holy hell. Those long toned legs were perfect. The red fuck-me shoes finished the whole outfit. Gabi had pulled her hair up and into a sloppy, yet sexy as hell bun.
My chest squeezed, and I found it hard to breathe. If I thought I wanted Gabi before, now I was fighting a goddamn hard-on as well as trying to figure out how to breathe.
“Looks like you’ve got everything ready. You sit and I’ll get the food to the table.”
I watched her walk by and all I could think about were those legs wrapped around my body with me buried deep inside her. Nothing but the red shoes on while I pounded into her over and over again.
Jesus. Get a grip, Drivas.
Gabi placed two platters down in the middle of the table, pulling me from my daydream. The pasta and sauce was on one, and the chicken parmigiana was on the other. The large bowl of salad appeared last.
Gabi sat down across from me. “Dig in!” she said with a huge grin.
After taking another bite, I moaned and nodded my head. “This is good. So damn good.”
She chuckled. “I’m glad you like it.”
“So, how was the rest of your day today?”
Her eyes lit up. “Well, I played around in the kitchen downstairs with a recipe I’m trying to perfect.”
I smiled. You could see the excitement in her eyes. “What are you trying to do?”
Her face turned scarlet. “Make macarons.”
My brows lifted. “Macarons? Those little colored cakes? They look easy to make.”
She laughed. “Yes! Those little colored cakes. They’re not as easy as you would think. To get a smooth and shiny shell takes practice and honestly, I suck at it.”
Taking another bite, I winked. “I say screw the macarons and give me more of this dish right here.”
A smile danced on her lips as she said, “Thank you, Nic.”
Before I knew it, dinner was over. Gabi pointed to my wineglass. “Do you not like the wine?” Gabi asked.
“On call tonight, so I’m going easy on it.”
She simply nodded then stood. “I should get this cleaned up.”
The chair almost knocked backward when I jumped up. “Let me help.”
Gabi smiled and we quickly got everything cleaned up and the leftovers put in a to-go container for me.
“I can put some music on and we can finish this wine on the balcony if you’d like.”
With a nod, I followed her into the living room. My dick was throbbing as I watched her lean over while picking out something to listen to.
Fucking hell, that ass was perfect. And her tits were begging to be kissed and sucked on.
“Anything in particular you’d like?”
There was no way I could stop myself any longer. Walking over to her, I placed my hands on her hips, causing her to jump.
“There is something I’d like, now that you mention it.”
Gabi spun around and looked up at me. She searched my face until our gaze locked. I could get lost in those eyes for hours on end.
“Nic, I’m not the type of girl who falls into bed with a guy I hardly know. I need you to know that.”
Lifting my hand, I twirled a piece of her hair with my finger. “I’m not asking to sleep with you, Gabi.”
She quirked her brow up.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to fuck you, but I’m a patient man.”
“Nice,” she said with a smirk.
“What I’d really love is for you to fall apart on my fingers. Will you let me make you come, Gabi?”
“Oh my,” she whispered as she grabbed onto my upper arms. Leaning in closer, I licked my lips.
“Nic,” she gasped as I pulled her closer to me. “I . . . I don’t know.”
“Tell me you’ll let me touch you, Gabi. I want so badly to touch you.”
Her mouth parted slightly as I ran my finger along her collarbone and straight down her chest and through her cleavage. Gabi gasped and held onto my arms tighter.
“You’re so damn beautiful. Do you know that?”
Her eyes closed as I moved my hand and cupped her breast through her dress. It took every ounce of strength not to rip the damn thing off and bury my face between those perfect tits.
Backing her against the wall, I slowly moved my hand down and under her short black dress. Her body shuddered and I couldn’t help but catch my own breath. Her skin felt like silk.
I lifted her dress and felt her body tense.
“Do you want me to stop, prinkipissa?”
As fast as her body tensed, it relaxed. Her eyes caught fire, and I was positive if I went further she’d let me. But I wanted to move slow with her. Honor and give her the respect she deserved. Well, I had my goddamn hand up her dress, maybe I wasn’t being so respectful. And in that moment, I didn’t give two shits.
My lips moved to her neck where I placed soft kisses and repeated my question.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“W-what . . . what did you . . . call me?” she gasped between breaths.
Smiling, I spoke against her ear. “Prinkipissa. It means princess.”
“Oh, you’re good.”
With a light chuckle, I trailed my hand up further, brushing my fingers against the lace fabric of her panties.
Slow. Go slow.
Inhaling a breath, Gabi pushed her hips out, silently begging for more.
I fought the urge to rip her panties off. With slow movements, I slide my hand barely inside. The hint of hair leading me to the prize I was after.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
My heart dropped as I said, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”