Dinner proceeded smoothly. The only moment of conflict between Gabe and Brooke had been when he’d explained his plans to come by her mother’s house that week to fix it up a little. Brooke had downright refused. Gabe realized that if he wanted to help, he’d just have to wait until she wasn’t around.
An hour and a half later, when the leftovers had been stored and the dishes done, Gabe sat curled with Brooke on the couch in the living room. His mother sat across from them, and the three of them settled in for a movie. His father had left to play poker with some of his old buddies, so Gabe had been outvoted on the movie. Now he was staring down the barrel of a two-hour television film with B actors and a faulty plot—his mother’s favorite type of film.
They were no more than twenty minutes into the movie when his mother’s assistant called with an emergency. She was an event planner and often had to work evenings and weekends, so it wasn’t totally unexpected. She had a large staff that worked under her, but one of her current clients demanded her expertise and would accept nothing less than her. This evening, it was a bachelorette party. As the wedding drew closer, the bride had turned from a sweet woman into a bridezilla. “The week before her wedding is going to be hell,” his mother complained as she gathered up her briefcase and car keys. The front door closed behind her.
Brooke struggled to get up. “I guess I should get going home then.”
Gabe grabbed her arm. “Why don’t you stay for a while?”
“But no one is here to see what a great couple we can be.” She smiled up at him, but he didn’t find her words funny at all.
“Stay and watch the movie with me.”
“Fine.” She settled back onto the couch. “But do we have to watch this one? It’s kind of boring.”
Shocked, Gabe gawked at her. “You voted for this one.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Your mom wanted to watch it, and you didn’t, so I voted against you.” Her lips tipped up as if she was trying not to laugh.
“Maybe we shouldn’t watch a movie. There’s something else I’d rather do instead.”
“I bet I can guess what that is.” With a smile, Brooke walked her fingers up his chest and poked the tip of his nose.
He rubbed her arms. “You know what I’d really like?”
“What?” she breathed.
Gabe knew he was taking a risk when he said, “What I’d really like is for you to get naked in my bed again.”
Brooke’s playful fingers ceased their motion, and her gaze swept up to his. Unable to read her reaction, he waited on edge for her response. Her brows pinched together, and for a heartbeat, he thought she might slap him. Then, without a word, she got up and left the room.
Gabe’s head fell back against the couch. Damn it, she was going to leave. He hadn’t meant it as an insensitive comment. It was what he wanted. Figuring he should go after her and apologize, he listened for the front door, but he heard a tiny squeak on the stairs instead.
She leaned over the railing and sent him a look of invitation. “Well, are you coming or not?”
The second he got up, she ran, her feet pounding on the stairs and down the hall. It fired Gabe’s blood. He gave chase, his excitement rising with each step he mounted. When he reached the top of the stairs, he heard her slam his bedroom door.
Predator instincts kicked in. It was powerful and animalistic. Only one word reached him through the haze.
Mine.
He pushed open his door and saw a trail of clothing leading from the entrance to the bed. Brooke sat in the middle of it, the covers pulled up to her armpits. The dual points that he assumed were her feet wiggled in anticipation.
“Is this what you wanted?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Gabe reached back for a handful of his shirt and tugged it off over his head. He tossed it onto the floor, partially covering her new bra. Approaching the bed, he tugged on the button of his jeans, eased down the zipper, and shoved them off his hips. He left them behind and quickly ditched his boxers.
Brooke squawked when he ripped the covers from her grasp. He pushed them to the foot of the bed, exposing her body. “Perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
Her little toes continued to wiggle. “Are you going to join me?”
He gave himself a stroke which drew her gaze to his dick. “Oh yeah.” It seemed she’d stolen his ability to form coherent sentences, but that didn’t much matter since the only thing on his mind was having her.
* * *
His face was hard, consumed by hunger. His scruffy jaw was locked, his dark eyes fiery with need, his body tight and tensed.
Brooke watched as he came toward her. She couldn’t help but notice the clean lines of his neck and the slight movement of his Adam’s apple. She was absorbed in how his body moved, the long muscles in his arms stretching as he crawled over her onto the bed. The sheer size of his shoulders made her feel feminine in comparison.
One arm held him up, the other hand he used to fondle her breast. “Are you on the pill?”
She arched into his touch. “Yes.”
“Good. I just realized all my condoms are at the motel.”
Although she was focused on the wonderful things he was doing to her body, she couldn’t ignore that comment. “When was the last time you had sex here?”
“When I’m in a relationship with one of the girls, it’s rare that we ever have sex outside the group. It’s only happened a few times.” He raised his head and looked around the room. “I don’t think I’ve ever had sex in my bed before.”
“Really?” Brooke wondered about the significance of that. She’d be the first woman he slept with in his bed.
“Don’t overthink it.”
Brooke didn’t have time to get worked up over that because Gabe bowed his head and flicked her nipple with his tongue. She petted his head as he alternately licked and kissed her breasts, first one, then the other, then the space between, then lower. He placed kisses on her ribs, then dipped his pinky into her belly button, tickling her a little.
He worked his way back up, kissing a path along her throat. “Even though I’ve already had you, all I think about is having you again. I want you all the time. I feel like I’m always walking around sporting wood.”
She would have come up with a witty reply, but his mouth muffled hers, his lips kissing hers apart. As he frenched her, his hand dropped down, parting her lower lips, his fingers working to prepare her. Although his touch was gentle, she still bucked and jerked when he hit something sensitive. She felt him smile against her lips. She was damp from their afternoon shopping excursion, making his progress much faster.
It was awkward, but Brooke reached her hand between their bodies, eager to touch him, too. It amazed her how something so hard could be so velvety soft. She loved stroking him. Every third or fourth stroke, she would extend a little further and fondle his lightly-haired balls before dragging her fingers back to his shaft. She could feel him quivering, one arm struggling to keep him upright.
Suddenly, he knocked her hand away. “Enough.”
Grasping her hands, he raised her arms above her head as she gave his sexy chin a quick nibble. “Then get on with it,” she said.
“Honey, I won’t be rushing anything tonight.” With one hand, he opened her, then pushed the head of his erection against her passage. She undulated beneath him, but he still didn’t press into her. Faintly, he rocked against her, continuing until she was begging him to take her.
Inch by inch, he pushed into her until he was finally lodged deep inside. He held her tightly to his chest, and they stayed like that for a moment, joined together as one.
When he began to move, it was slow—each caress was almost agony. She could feel every bit of him, her body flexing around him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and with her face tucked against his neck, she fought off tears. This moment was so tender, so sweet, and moving. She’d never felt as close to anyone as she did right then.
Eventually, he rose up, his thrusts coming faster. She started to cry out, the sound mingling with the slapping noise their bodies made with each collision.
Having seen him at the motel, she knew what to watch for and saw the moment he started growing close to his climax. His brows pinched together in concentration, and each plunge grew slower and slower.
When he seemed to have his magnificent body back under control, he shifted positions a little. He adjusted her so her legs ran up the length of his body and curled over his shoulder. She gasped at how deep it shoved his cock into her vagina.
“Okay?” he asked.
All she could do was nod.
He shocked her by leaning toward her, nearly bending her like a pretzel, exposing her pussy to his sexual pummeling. With each insertion, she thought she might split in two. She could hear the sound of his body smacking against her and the noise of her wet sex as she was pushed closer to the edge.
Body straining, muscles beginning to ache, Brooke pinched her eyes closed and concentrated on what her body was feeling. The orgasm ripped through her at that moment. She could feel her vaginal walls constricting, and before this orgasm had time to ebb, another followed, then another. She couldn’t tell where one stopped and the next began—her body seizing around him.
She felt the moment he burst. His big body shook above her. His thrusts slowed, and the sounds he made gradually quietened.
Not giving him long to rest, Brooke urged him to move before her legs completely locked up on her. After a quick trip to separate bathrooms, they met in his bedroom. Brooke was eyeing her thong when Gabe dragged her back to the bed.
“I should be heading home.”
“Soon.” He pulled the covers over them and spooned her. She could feel his still hard erection against her back as he added, “It’s not often I do this, and I feel like cuddling.”
She barely suppressed a giggle. Those words sounded funny coming from a man—particularly this man—who was so emotionally independent. Snuggling next to him, she said, “Okay, but only for five minutes or so.”
That was the last thing she remembered before she fell asleep.
* * *
Gabe woke with a handful of warm, soft woman.
It was a first for him, and he loved it.
He propped himself up on his elbow and watched her sleep. A quick glance at the clock told him it was a little after eight. Slowly, so as not to wake her, he dragged the light sheet off so he could appreciate her body in the morning sun.
His fingers grazed over her leg, his touch causing her to curl in on herself a little more. She tucked her hand beneath her cheek and slept on. It was a shame that her front was now so well-hidden, but on the bright side, it displayed more of her luscious ass.
Gently, he traced the line of her hip bone. Today, he had a better understanding of her struggles—a better understanding of her body, and not just because of the level of intimacy they’d shared last night. He knew now why she’d been so thin. He imagined she’d always be a slight woman, it was her nature, but at times, it had been unhealthy. He now knew where those scars had come from and what that meant.
He outlined the dip between her pelvis and ribs, continuing up and over her shoulder blade. She squirmed a bit, which made him smile.
He felt like they had turned a corner in their relationship last night—they’d shifted away from the play-acting they’d been doing. It was something real now. He’d finally made that change. He knew beyond a doubt Brooke was exactly what he wanted. For how long, he wasn’t quite sure yet. This was all so new to him, and even though he still had doubts and fears, he was dead set on enjoying her.
Murmuring her name, he nuzzled her neck. She stirred but otherwise ignored him. His hand spanned her midriff, inching lower. “Are you playing possum? Because I’ve got a cure for that.” He pressed his erection against her bare ass.
She swatted at him and giggled. “Don’t you know you aren’t supposed to wake people when they are sleeping?”
“Then when should you wake them? How do you wake someone when they aren’t sleeping?”
Brooke rolled onto her back, exposing her small but perfect breasts. She furrowed her brow and rubbed at her eyes. Confused and drowsy, she said, “What?”
Gabe laughed. She wasn’t her brightest first thing in the morning. “Not a morning person, eh?” he teased.
Her hands stilled. For a brief moment, she looked as though she didn’t understand him. Then, her head darted to the right to look at the clock.
“Shit!” She burst out of bed. “It’s morning? Why didn’t you wake me?”
Based on the conversation they’d just had, Gabe laughed.
“How could you let me sleep here? I’ve got to get home to my mother!”
Frantically, Brooke raced around the room's perimeter, searching for her clothing. Apparently, there would be no cuddling this morning and even less sex. A little disappointed, Gabe sat up in the bed. “If there were a problem, they would have called you, right? I mean, Dan’s there?”
She raced for her purse and dug her phone out, releasing a sigh of relief when she realized she hadn’t missed any calls. “You’re right. They would have gotten hold of me.”
Gabe opened his mouth to suggest she join him back in the bed, but she cut him off.
“Do I smell bacon?” Her eyes widened. “Your parents are home!”
“Brooke, we’re nearly eight-thirty. Relax.”
“I have to go home now!”
He realized calming her down was a lost cause. As she pulled on her jeans, Gabe lumbered out of bed and tossed on a pair of boxers, then jeans. Brooke threw open his bedroom door and cautiously poked her head out.
Was she hoping to leave the house without his parents seeing her?
The house was an open concept, so if his parents were in the kitchen, there was no way she’d succeed. Even though the staircase faced the front door, it would be easy for his folks to spot them.
Gabe followed her as she made her way through the hall and slipped down the stairs, her purse clutched tightly in her hand. He wondered if she had any idea how warped her hair was from sleeping on her side.
She reached the bottom of the stairs, and her progress was stopped when his mom called to them from the kitchen. He was curious to see how his parents would react. He’d never had a woman spend the night.
“Gabe?” His mother came around the island and into the front entrance. “Are you guys going to join us for breakfast? I’ve got bacon going, and I’m about to start making some eggs. Brooke, how do you like your eggs?”
His mom had her lips pursed as though trying to keep a laugh in. When Gabe looked at Brooke, he realized why. She used her hands and part of her purse as a shield to avoid eye contact with his mom. Talk about awkwardness.
She looked at him, her eyes pleading, but for what he wasn’t sure.
“Um, no thanks. I’ve got to get home.” Without another word, she sprinted out the front door.
His mom gave him a pointed glance. “Morning after, huh?”
Gabe shrugged. They had to know he wasn’t a monk, but yeah, he got that it was a little uncomfortable having a girl slip out of your parents’ house. “Might be time I get my own place.”
She pointed the spatula at him. “I think so.” She waved the kitchen utensil at the door. “You might want to go after her. But don’t go too far. I’ve made lots for breakfast, and then we’re going to have a talk.”
Gabe groaned. He was too old for a lecture from his mom. “I know all about safe sex, Mom. It’s a little late for that talk.”
She covered her ears, making quite the spectacle and singing loudly while he talked. It didn’t last long, and soon, she was signaling at the door again.
“Don’t worry,” his father said from the living room. “She won’t get very far. We’re parked behind her.”
He was right—Gabe hadn’t even made it to the door when it swung open. Brooke stood there, still shielding her face from view. “Um, Sally, you’re blocking me.”
“Gabe, move the car for the poor girl before she expires.”
Laughing, he grabbed the keys from the kitchen and left the house. Brooke was waiting on the porch, tapping her foot. She immediately went into motion, and Gabe had to hurry to keep up. “You know you’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”
“I’m not embarrassed, I’m humiliated.” Then, under her breath, she muttered, “The last thing I needed was for your parents to catch me in your bed again.”
Gabe didn’t bother to point out that they hadn’t been caught in bed, but he understood her discomfort. He wasn’t too keen on what awaited him inside either.
He tailed her to her car. She seemed surprised he hadn’t gone directly to his parents Mercedes. “I need to go home, Gabe.”
“Yeah, I got that from the first fifty times you said it.”
“Then what do you want?” she snapped.
“When will I see you again?”
“I’m shocked you don’t already have that planned out. It seems every time I turn around, you’re there.”
He badly wanted to point out the irony of that, but he didn’t want to get slapped. Instead, he hauled her close and kissed her. He loved that she didn’t complain about morning breath. He loved how warm and soft she tasted. And he especially loved how she melted against him, sucking on his tongue, regardless of the fact that two seconds before she’d been miffed.
When he finally let her go, he said, “Sometime today, maybe? I could stop by the house?”
“Yeah, sure.”
After one final kiss, Gabe got in the car and moved it out of her way. Watching her drive off, he thought about everything he had planned for them. Even though she’d told him not to, he still planned on fixing her mom’s house. He definitely wanted to take her out again. And he didn’t care what they did. He just knew he wanted more.
Despite the rocky morning, Gabe found himself smiling as he walked back to the house.