“This is great, guys, but we need to get going. It was fun bumping into you.”
“We hope we’ll see you again, Gabe. There are several wedding events in the next few weeks and consider yourself welcome as Della’s plus-one, if you like,” Chloe said.
Della wanted to kick her friend in the shin, and sent her a glare.
“Thank you, that’s very generous of you,” Gabe said. “Maybe I will, if Della wants my company.” He looked over at Della, who was unable to hide her surprise.
They slid out of the booth and left the coffee shop, and Gabe tried to grab a few taxis, but they were off-duty or already taken.
“It was nice of you to say that, but I know you were just being polite,” she said reasonably, squeezing his hand reassuringly so he had an “out.”
“It depends on the case I’m working, and if I’ll be around, but if I am, I think it might be fun. I haven’t been to a wedding in quite some time. And we’d have another chance to dance,” he said, smiling at her.
“That would be nice. I would definitely enjoy your company, no doubt about that.”
“Likewise.”
“Let’s walk up a few blocks, and we might have more luck, or we can just take the subway,” Della said.
“I don’t know if I can keep my hands off of you that long.”
The way he said it, so serious, so...intense, made her tingle from head to toe.
“Me, either.”
She stopped, looking at the hotel they stood in front of, and then at him with the question in her eyes. He nodded.
Ten minutes later, Gabe was pressing her up against the wall of a hotel elevator, showing her just how urgent his need was. His kiss crushed her lips and she devoured him back. His hands were everywhere, and he muttered something about a security camera, but she didn’t care.
Neither did he, as he lowered his head to suck the tip of her breast into his mouth right through the fabric of her dress, making her cry out. Her hands traveled down over his chest to cover the hard evidence of how turned on he was, and when the bell finally rang and the doors opened, they couldn’t get out and down to their room fast enough.
Della giggled like a girl, though this was certainly not something she’d ever done when she was young. She hadn’t gone to proms or parties, or to hotels with her date afterwards, as so many other girls did.
And she didn’t care, because if she had to miss all of that in order to experience all of this with Gabe, then it was worth it.
He had the key, and they ducked inside the room—a suite, since there hadn’t been a regular room left. Gabe hit the light by the door and locked it behind them, then pulled her into another kiss.
Della sighed against his mouth as he eagerly slipped off his jacket and she tugged at his tie while she kicked off her shoes.
She tripped over him as he kicked off his as well, and he caught her, which led to several more minutes of very arousing kisses. If all he wanted to do was kiss all night, she’d be up for it, she thought, though he definitely had other things in mind.
7
THE SIMPLE TOUCH of her lips to his skin zipped through him like a lightning bolt, and he pulled her closer, wanting more. He found her lips, explored and teased, walking her backward into the room as they kissed.
This time, he took it slower. Della liked to be kissed, and he was happy to accommodate, tasting her with long, deep, drugging kisses that made him lose track of everything as well.
Her hands drifted over him, her fingers closing on the fabric of his shirt when she gasped and held on as he dragged his lips from her mouth down the line of her jaw to her throat. And then down the deep scoop of the dress, above her breasts.
He lingered there for a while, liking the feel of her heartbeat against his lips and his jaw, before he rose to take possession of her mouth again.
She was so sweet and curvy, he thought, absently sliding his hands down over her rear so he could press her into his erection. He liked the noise she made when he did that, so he pressed in more, and enjoyed it a second time.
“Della, honey, turn around,” he whispered in her ear.
She turned, his hands on her shoulders, until her back was to his front. Sliding his hands around, he covered both of her breasts, enjoying their sensual weight, and how her nipples pressed through the fabric as if eager for his touch.
Della moaned as he fingered them, making them even harder, and him, too. Especially when she cleverly insinuated a hand behind her, closing her fingers around his shaft.
It was as close as he’d ever been to coming too soon, since he’d been a much younger man.
Taking his hands away from her breasts, he kissed her nape as he found the zipper of her dress again. The zipper slid down easily, and he pushed one side of the dress from her shoulder, revealing a pretty bra strap. Black satin lined a strip of transparent gauzy stuff; that alone made his imagination do acrobatics wondering what the rest would look like. Was it all see-through? All black?
His fingers trembled slightly as he pushed the fabric away from her other shoulder and then the rest of the way down. The dress fit loosely and didn’t need more help than that to fall to her feet, showing him everything.
“Sweet,” he breathed, falling to his knees and shaping his hands up the backs of her thighs and over the smooth, silky, see-through material with satin edging. “Gorgeous.”
He turned her around, slowly, and she gazed at him with those beautiful curls surrounding her face, her eyes uncertain, lips parted, cheeks flushed. She was so damned sexy he was about to lose it.
“You are incredible. You don’t need to wear things like this to be flat-out beautiful, but it sure is a treat.”
His gaze drifted from the patch of curls nested under the sheer fabric, to her breasts, which seemed even more perfect, framed with the strips of black satin.
Talk about eye candy, this was more of a feast. He couldn’t stop looking at her. Looking led to touching, which quickly made him want to taste.
Hooking his thumbs under the band of those lovely, tempting panties, he pulled them down her smooth thighs, exposing what he wanted to see. She stepped out of them and sighed when he slipped his hands in between her knees, widening her stance.
“You’re walking temptation, Della Clark,” he said, dragging his tongue up the inside of her thigh, loving everything about being so close to her. Her scent, her taste and how she responded with sighs and moans as he explored further, kissing her more intimately.
As he circled his tongue around the sensitive flesh of her sex, he listened, seeing what made her moan, what made her cry out or seek more of what he was offering. He hadn’t had such fun learning a woman’s body in a long time. Her knees sank slightly as he pushed her toward the edge of bliss. Then he stopped.
“Maybe we should find the bed,” he suggested, his voice rough with desire as he glanced up at her.
She was a vision, so aroused, full and soft and quivering. He stood and swept her up in his arms before she could respond, carrying her to the bed. She laughed, clinging to him and clearly having fun. It was a joyful sound that kicked off his own smile as he laid her down, watching her as he shucked his clothes quickly.
He leaned in with a hand braced on either side of her shoulders, taking her in again, committing her, and this moment, to memory.
“Don’t ever doubt yourself, Della. You’re insanely beautiful,” he said against her lips, before finding his way down her body again, settling in between her thighs and using every trick he knew to make her insane with need.
“Gabe, please, please,” she begged breathlessly.
He was on the edge as well, her arousal feeding his, so he granted her request. When she came, she arched from the bed, crying his name, and Gabe was dizzy from knowing he’d done that for her.
He wanted to do more.
Raising up over her, he settled down, covering her, finding her mouth for a kiss. She offered herself to him like a ripe peach, and the furious need that surge
d through him made him harden the kiss, his cock thrusting against the softness of her belly.
Panting, he pulled away before he did something really stupid and forgot to protect both of them.
“Give me a second,” he said, leaving her to find one of the condoms he’d brought with him.
He met her eyes as she watched him roll it on, and saw that made her breath catch. He paused, his gaze never leaving hers as he stroked his hand along his length. Her nipples peaked in response, and he enjoyed that, too, so he fought for self-control, letting her watch a little more before he couldn’t risk finishing before he intended. Right now, he wanted to be as deep inside Della as he could get. They could make time for the other later.
The word stuttered in his mind as he returned to the bed. Would there be a later? In the immediate sense, yes, but he had to be careful about thinking in the future tense.
It didn’t take long before he gasped as she closed around him, tight and hot, making him clench his jaw in an effort to hold on. He’d never wanted to let go so badly, but he also never wanted it to end. Being inside her like this was the most amazing thing he’d ever felt, and he wanted to make it last as long as possible.
But Della had other ideas, apparently. With a scorchingly sexy look, she drew him down flush against her, into her arms, her legs locking over the backs of his thighs. Gabe wrapped his arms around her instantly.
She kissed him, gently at first, but as the kiss deepened and became more carnal, she started to move, rotating her hips in a rhythm that triggered a groan from deep inside him. The slight tingling at the base of his spine, the heat that raced through his blood and straight to his cock, told him he was ready.
When Della claimed his mouth as her body pulsed around his, Gabe couldn’t hold on any longer. The resulting climax seemed to go on forever. He was captivated by Della’s kiss, by her softness and warmth. For a few wonderful minutes, his world was only made of Della and the pleasure they shared.
But it did. The pleasure ebbed, and he fell to her side, letting her breathe, and caught his own breath as well. He left her only to dispose of the condom, then returned to settle beside her.
“That was...” Della began.
“Mind-blowing,” he said, finishing her thought.
She looked at him with a big grin. “I was about to use that exact word.”
She still had the bra on, and he reached out, touched the tip of her breast, and she bit her lip as her body responded.
“I love that bra. But I think we’ll take it off soon.”
“I’m glad you like it. Really,” she said, so softly it landed somewhere in his chest, making him warm in a different way. “It’s new. Chloe talked me into buying some new things when we were shopping for bridesmaid’s dresses.”
“I can’t wait to see you in yours. Or is it something awful, like you see in YouTube videos? Big pink puffs of some awful fabric or something?” he asked, grinning.
She laughed. “No, it’s a beautiful dress. I can’t wait to wear it, actually. Even more so if you can be there, too.”
Gabe resolved that as long as nothing went terribly wrong, whether the current case was closed or not, he was going to accompany her to these wedding events. It was the least he could do, given the circumstances.
He liked Della. He didn’t only like having sex with her, he liked her. She was sweet and real, with no pretense or games. He had had far too much of the latter in his life. So much so that he couldn’t tell lies from the truth anymore, it seemed.
The problem was that he was still lying to her, and he had no choice but to continue to do that. The realization made him lay back and stare at the ceiling as he pondered what the hell he was doing.
He was still leaving New York as soon as he finished this job, and then Gabe Ross would cease to exist. She wouldn’t be able to find him even if she tried. Once upon a time, that reality would have offered him the escape he always kept handy. Now it left a strange, nagging feeling in his chest.
As much as he might have a soft spot for her, he was still using her for sex, and there couldn’t ever be much more to it than that. She wanted that, too, obviously. But she wasn’t experienced enough to be that easy about the intimacy.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked, reaching out to touch his chest, running her fingers over his skin.
“You,” he answered honestly. He’d give her honesty where he could, as much as he could.
“Hmmm. Are you thinking about this bra again?”
She preened in a seductive pose on the bed, and he grinned.
“I am now.”
“Good.”
She lifted up to her knees, throwing a leg over his thighs and straddling him. She reached behind and undid the clasp on the bra, letting her pretty breasts free.
“What are you thinking about now?” she asked, teasing.
“Come here and I’ll show you,” he teased back, pulling her down for a kiss and groaning at the lovely press of her soft breasts against his chest.
She sighed into his kiss, and the heat built again as he hardened.
There would be a moment where he’d have to walk away from Della Clark, he knew that, and maybe it would be sooner than later. But as she cuddled against him, heat consumed him again as he reached for another condom, and he knew that moment wasn’t going to happen tonight.
* * *
TWO DAYS AFTER her date with Gabe, Della emerged from a building in midtown, near the Garment District, feeling dazed. She’d been to four male strip clubs so far that evening, and she was feeling rather overwhelmed with images of glistening pectorals and muscled thighs. Definitely a case of too much of a good thing.
She wished she had someone who was more experienced in planning a bachelorette party to come with her, but she was Chloe’s maid of honor, and no one else had been available that evening. Unfortunately, she’d probably waited too long as it was to make any plans.
Gabe had emailed her an invitation to meet, but she couldn’t really tell him what she was up to that evening, but had made a general excuse, hoping he hadn’t felt put off. Still, for all the exposed male flesh she’d seen in the last three hours, not one single man on the stage had compared to Gabe. Thinking about him standing over her, naked by the bed, made her shiver as she walked down the street toward her next and final club for the evening.
She wished she had accepted his invitation, but the bachelorette party was in a week and a half, and she had put this off as long as she could. Maybe she’d call Gabe and see if he wanted to meet for breakfast.
Standing in front of the door to the club she’d been heading toward, she balked. Maybe she just wasn’t up to one more show, but the strip-club option for the party felt like a cliché. Still, Chloe would enjoy something adventurous, not just a nice dinner with some dirty jokes or prank gifts.
Della truly was at a loss.
Deciding to pass on the last strip club, she kept walking, enjoying the cool air of the evening, and missing Gabe. Then, as she stopped at a corner, waiting to cross, she saw a flyer with bright colors announcing a “sensual cooking” class—a feast for all of the senses.
Pausing, she read more, and saw there was a class happening that evening, starting in an hour. They also did parties! Maybe this was her break—something original and sexy. She could have a sensual cooking party for Chloe.
Wasn’t it better to send her friend into married life celebrating her sensual future with her husband-to-be, instead of acting like this was her last chance to gawk at a bunch of naked men on a stage?
The more Della thought about it, the more she liked it, and she pulled down the flyer, heading toward the address stated on the front, which wasn’t too far away, near the culinary school.
On the way, she paused, the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly standing up. She didn’t know why, but she now felt as if she was being followed.
The incident from her office had almost been forgotten, but now came back in a blinding rush. She turned,
peering circumspectly around her, but didn’t see anything or anyone in particular. It had to be her imagination, but still...
She turned and headed down the street again, holding her bag closer and staying amid the throng of evening walkers. She was safe here, in the middle of the busy street, right?
She was relieved when she found the address, and walked in, spotting a group of people lined up at a desk. It appeared to be the registration line for the class. Joining in, she finally got to the desk, and took out her credit card to pay, when the young woman sitting there shook her head.
“We do have one free table left, but this is a couples’ class, I’m afraid.” The young woman looked at her apologetically, and perhaps with a tiny edge of judgment.
Della felt the warmth invade her cheeks as the people behind her must have heard, but she pulled herself up straight and smiled. “I am part of a couple. My...partner, is at work, and will join me shortly. I’ll pay for us both. I’d also like information on booking parties here, a bachelorette party in particular.”
“That’s terrific—we’ve had some very good parties, here,” the woman said, handing her another flyer. “Just be aware, if your partner tonight doesn’t make it, you’ll have to forfeit the class without a refund, though you can rebook for another night.”
“That’s fine.”
As soon as she was by the desk, she called Gabe, who answered on the second ring.
“Della, what’s up? I thought you were busy tonight.”
“I was. I am... I just... I need you.”
“Well, that’s nice to hear,” he said, lowering his voice to a more intimate level, which made her smile.
“Not that way... I mean, I do—need you that way—but not at the moment, though sort of—”
“Della, what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t meet you because I had to do some bachelorette party research, and I think I’ve found a perfect alternative, but I need a partner—it’s a cooking class, but for couples only. If you can’t make it, I won’t be able to check it out.”
“You’re checking out a cooking class for a bachelorette party?” he asked doubtfully.
Hot in the City Page 9
