“Uh,” I said, then coughed a nervous laugh. “Ah, that’s okay. It’s okay.”
He chuckled and stepped further into the room, smiling and tilting his head to one side. My insides instantly turned to the chocolate pudding that filled today’s feature, Dark Decadence.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, grasping the counter behind me for support. My head reeled and my heart raced. Why was he here? After so long?
He was feet away, but already his heat had reached me and our connection was back. Electric. As strong as ever.
“I had to see you.”
“You didn’t call,” I shot out. Accusing. Like a toddler whining for a candy bar, on the verge of flinging themselves to the floor. It actually made me shake my head. I didn’t want to rely on him for emotional gratification, but I’d just done it.
“I’m sorry; things have been a bit crazy lately.” Gabe walked up to me, then came even closer. So close our bodies were about an inch from touching. He reached up and cupped my cheek in his palm. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“I don’t believe you,” I murmured, licking my lips and staring at his. “If that were true, you would have called.” I tried to slip out from his grasp.
He held me there, ran his hands down my neck and shoulders onto my arms and landed on my hips. “I’ve missed you, Allegra. I know you’re probably mad at me for running out on our date. It was an emergency. I can’t promise it won’t happen again. People sometimes have things come up.”
“I’m not mad. I don’t feel anything,” I replied, injecting a little defiance into my words. I needed to not lose my mind around him. But damn it, that was a struggle and I was leaning towards losing the fight.
The way he moved, the velvet tone of his voice, the way his eyes traveled over every inch of me made me want to lose everything. Inhibitions. Clothing. Especially my tenuous control.
He rested his nose on my hairline and inhaled my scent. Man, I probably smelled like cupcake batter or the batch Tess had fried from this morning.
“Gabe,” I groaned, drawing his name out. “This is too much. It’s not okay to feel this way.”
“Why?” he demanded, finally stepping back. Confusion knit his features together.
I half collapsed, holding myself up by sheer will and the stainless countertop. If that hadn’t been there, I really would’ve slid to the floor in a boneless heap.
“Because it’s not normal.”
“What’s not normal?”
I rolled my eyes. Ah, the age old debate. “God, you’re missing my point, Gabe. This isn’t okay. The way you make me feel, it’s —”
“How do I make you feel?” His voice deepened and he moved closer again. This time the fabric of his jeans touched mine. The barest whisper of contact.
Drawing full breaths became a struggle. “Like I can’t think or get enough oxygen. I feel like you’ve wriggled your way into my head when we’ve probably had the equivalent of one broken conversation. I know nothing about you.”
He nodded. “I get it. So go out with me again. Let me prove it’s not just chemistry. But, damn … the chemistry. It’s spellbinding. I can’t seem to extricate from its pull.”
“No, this isn’t fair. You can’t tell me you’re going to call, then promptly act like I don’t exist. I’m not someone you can just push around.” I turned my back on him before he managed to slip his arms around me again and pin me in place. He had to understand I wasn’t just some toy to be played with and tossed aside, like he’d normally do to someone like me.
But in spite of my outward appearance of strength, I wanted those arms. I wanted him to touch me and make me moan his name. I wanted his fingers to trail down my stomach, undo the button of my jeans and then touch me where I wanted it. Where I craved it.
“I’m Gabe Moreno. I love real deep-dish pizza and cupcakes, especially ones with naughty names that taste as good as they look. Just like the woman who creates them. And I want to take that woman out again. I might even want to taste her again.”
Okay, I had to admit it, the admission tugged at my heart strings. Unless it was another line of bullshit.
I spun on the spot and rammed my fists on my hips.
He stood there, unmoving, watching me for a reaction. His body was angled towards mine, every part of him connected with me in some way. That didn’t even make sense.
He hadn’t touched me with anything but fabric, but we were connected.
I was officially crazy.
“I’m Allegra Wilson, my mother’s a convict, serving life without parole in the Shakopee women’s prison, and I like to bake. Scratch that. I love to bake. I’m not going out with you again,” I said, firmly. Then, slapped a hand over my loose lips. I’d never intended to tell him about my mother. Something about him inspired me to act like an impulsive, emotional idiot.
Gabe’s shoulders sagged as he stared at me, mouth agape. I waited for him to turn around and walk out the door. Walk out on me. He let out a low breath, nodded and didn’t disappoint. “All right. I get it.” He walked toward the kitchen door. But before his hand could touch the metal panel, he spun around and put his hands on his hips.
“No, I’m not leaving.”
“Why?” I stammered.
“Because the status of your family means nothing. I don’t care if your mother, your father, and your second cousin twice removed are all in the super-max. They’re not you.” His defiant pose dared me to argue. I didn’t. I couldn’t.
“Okay,” I said, holding up a hand in surrender. “How about I bake for you, tonight, here. If you promise to tell me more about yourself.”
I prayed to God I wouldn’t have to do any further familial explaining. Not tonight. And here, I could better control the situation. But … I wouldn’t let him kiss me again.
I wouldn’t.
He intrigued me with his unusual and unpredictable behavior, that was all. It had nothing to do with the way his eyes scanned by body as if he liked my curves. Every nuance, every peak and valley, devoured by his hungry gaze.
Gabe grinned. Maybe because he looked forward to spending time with me. More likely because he’d won. Again. “What time?”
“Let’s make it for eight since the bakery closes at seven and I need to clean up and prep for opening tomorrow.” I jerked a thumb over my shoulder. “And, it takes Tess about a half hour to growl her way outta here.”
“She’s the Barracuda out front?” Gabe asked, faking a scared face.
I laughed. “Yeah, that’s her.” Concern for my fledgling business and my new customers stabbed through me. “Why? Did she do something? Was she rude?”
“Not to me,” he replied. “But I’m pretty sure she made a little girl cry.”
“Shit!” I brushed past him, but a strong arm snaked out to stop me.
“I was kidding, Allegra,” he teased. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Chapter 13
Gabe sat across from me in the kitchen of the bakery, perched on a wooden stool, his loafer tapping on the bottom rung. I didn’t want to bake for him in my apartment, which was why I’d suggested the kitchen. My personal space was too intimate. Too much. Much more than I could handle right now. This was more like a restaurant and more like a real date, but it still set my skin to tingling since we were alone.
The cupcakes were already in the oven, spreading a delicious chocolate smell through the room. Gabe inhaled and then grinned.
“That’s amazing,” he said, closing his eyes and sniffing again. A dreamy look lit his chiseled face. He was really digging the baking lesson. “So how long have you been doing this? Baking.”
“Since I could walk almost. Mom wasn’t great at a lot of things, but she shared my passion for baking. Well, at first. Before the heroin stole our lives. And her soul.” I twisted my mouth in distaste.
“That must have been rough.”
“Yeah, I went through a lot of foster homes after she was locked away until I landed at the last one in high
school, but they were decent. I can’t complain.” I wrung a dishtowel between my hands, so I’d have something to do with them. For some reason, I felt like I had to explain so that everything was out in the open between us, at least from my end. I also hoped he’d come clean about the first date phone call where he’d mentioned me.
Having him just a few feet from the staircase that led to my bedroom brought back memories of the dream I’d had about him. The one where he’d slid his fingers inside me until I’d screamed his name.
“I think you have a lot of reasons to complain. It’s admirable that you don’t do more of it.” He grabbed one end of the dishtowel and stopped my fidgeting. I didn’t let go so he gave a yank and pulled me closer.
“What about you? Tell me more about your career and why you chose it?” I asked, studying the curve of his bicep. It was warm in the kitchen and he’d stripped off his jacket the minute he’d entered. I wasn’t about to complain about that either. The way his tight shirt spread taught across his muscular body should be declared illegal.
He looked at the wall behind me. “I’m a broker,” he said, but didn’t elaborate. Was he hiding something? Why wouldn’t he feel compelled to give details if he actually was a stock broker? Gabe just said the words and sat back, pulling me even closer with the force of his backward motion. “But I’m much more interested in how you managed to set this business up all by yourself. That’s an accomplishment.”
I smiled at the praise. “Yeah, it was. I never thought I had a shot at making something of myself, but I still took my chances with this. It was after the break up.”
“The break up,” he said in a monotone. His eyes flashed and he let go of the towel, which caused me to stumble a bit.
“Yeah. We don’t have to talk about that.”
“No, it’s okay. I’d like to hear about it. If it affected you, then it’s important,” he said, softening his tone.
The timer on the oven dinged. “Oh! The cupcakes are ready. I’d better get them out.” Thank God for the reprieve. The last thing I wanted to discuss was Matthew or my mom anymore. But I’d let both details fly out of my open mouth like shitting birds escaping the nest.
Couldn’t I keep my big, honest mouth shut for once? Over-sharing gaffe noted, but too late to take it back now. There was no quicker way to kill the mood than for me to bring up criminal family members and douche bag exes. Everyone knew that was not a topic for the first few dates. Not that there would be other dates, I reminded myself.
I snatched the oven mitt off the hook beside the oven and opened it, then brought out the cupcakes. Dark Decadence, of course. I placed them on the wire rack to cool.
I turned back and froze. Gabe stood in front of me. Towering and looking down that sharp, sculpted nose.
“Hi,” he rumbled.
“Hi,” I replied, my palms suddenly sweaty. I dropped the black oven mitt on the floor and stared at the dots of flour that peppered the quilted fabric.
He took a step forward and I took a step back. My ass bumped against the counter. Nowhere to go. Just me and Gabe and the expanse of the kitchen.
“I’ve been waiting for those to finish,” he said, thrusting his chin towards the cupcakes in their pan.
“You’re hungry?” I stammered the words out. It was so hot in this kitchen. Sweat dripped down my chest and tiny rivulets pooled between my breasts.
“Oh, you could say that.” But he didn’t look at the cupcakes when he said it. He looked at me, his sultry gaze trailing over my face and down to the gap between the two sides of my cotton blouse. “You’re perfect. I can tell already.”
“I’m not. I’m just an average girl. I know I’m not thin like you’re probably used to -—”
He silenced me by pressing a finger to my lips. “Do you know what I’m going to do to you?”
I shook my head. No. I didn’t know. But I knew what I wanted. What I hungered for.
Please tell me, Gabe.
Tell me exactly what you’re planning on doing to me.
“I’m going to make you come,” he said.
Yes.
Please.
I couldn’t say anything. My jaw dropped and my pulse throbbed in my neck, drawing his gaze to the perfection of the beat. Wetness pooled in my panties.
Gabe slipped his hands onto my hips and held them. Pulled me against him. “I’m going to make you come until you scream. Until you can’t breathe. Until you can’t think. And then I’m going to make you come some more.”
I whimpered as my tongue darted out to wet my parched lips.
“Do you want that, Allegra?” Gabe paused, and locked his blue eyes with my green ones. Searching. Demanding my complete surrender. “Do you want me?”
I nodded, unable to put into words how much I wanted him.
Needed him.
Craved him.
“Good,” he groaned. He took my lips with his and parted them, then circled my tongue with his. It was like I’d been waiting forever for this kiss. For this man. My entire body hummed, all cylinders charging forward at full throttle.
I moaned into his mouth. My hands trembled, so I allowed them to thread through his mass of thick hair. It felt like liquid silk. Like heaven. Like my late night fantasies where he was the star. Was this really happening? Right now, this moment. I’d practically conjured it into life.
He circled his arms around me, stroked his fingers up my spine, stopping to massage each vertebrae into molten heat.
I moaned again, louder this time. I needed him inside me, pounding me. Impaled. I had to feel what it would be like to be taken by this man. Just once.
“I’m going to put my mouth all over your body until you can’t take it anymore. Where there is skin, there will be my tongue. I’m going to feel how wet I make you with my fingers. Then, I’m going to replace them with my mouth until you lose your mind with pleasure. Until your screams echo off the stainless steel of this kitchen. Only after that happens, will I fuck you. Like your sexy eyes are telling me you want.”
I surrendered.
“Yes … please. Now,” I whispered, throwing my arms around his neck to bring him closer. Closer. Not even close to being close enough.
He buried his face in my neck and kissed it, sucking and nibbling my fevered skin. “Fuck, you smell like heaven. But … patience is a virtue. One I don’t possess.”
Gabe ripped my blouse down the center and exposed my lacy pink bra beneath it. The sound of the buttons snapping off pinged across the tile floor. I’d put on my most revealing lingerie so I’d feel sexy and more confident. It was the sexiest one I owned and it pushed my D-cup breasts upward to overflowing. He peeled it back and exposed one of my erect nipples. He took it in his mouth and sucked. Then nipped. Then blew cold air until I thought I’d come undone from that alone.
“Gabe,” I groaned as I leaned back against the counter. Fighting to cool my heated skin against it. I slipped and he caught me one armed.
“Counter,” he grunted. His massive erection jutted against my abdomen. I wanted to touch him. Taste him.
He lifted me as if I didn’t weigh a pound and placed me on top of the work surface, sprinkled with sugar, cocoa and flour. I didn’t speak; I couldn’t. It was like my voice had been ripped from my body and thrown onto the wind to be blown away.
Gabe pulled me forward between his legs so he could grind against my core while he ripped the blouse from my shoulders. He unbuttoned my jeans in one deft move, biceps rippling beneath his shirt.
I grabbed the base of it and pulled upwards. He flung it onto the tile with my pearl buttons, then unbuckled his belt and dropped his pants. He was finally naked and I couldn’t peel my eyes away from him. Fear coursed through me for a moment because I couldn’t imagine taking it all. But, damn, I wanted to try.
I looked at his cock and trembled, lips quivering. I wanted to wrap them around him and suck him until he had nothing left, until he came in my mouth, thrusting and moaning. I wanted him to think of nothing but my li
ps on his cock in an iron grip until the day he died. The thought wouldn’t be chased away so I slipped off the counter and stood before him.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, then ran my index finger down his thick shaft.
He closed his eyes and jerked from my caress.
I kissed his chest, trailing wetness down his torso and sunk to my knees until I faced the head. Then, I gazed up and found him staring down into my eyes. I didn’t break eye contact because I fully intended to ride him hard with my wet mouth until he shuddered in pleasure. He moaned while I paused and then I put him out of his misery as I took him in my mouth. Deep.
“Fuck,” he groaned, gripping either side of my head. He guided me, forcing himself even deeper. I relaxed the back of my throat. I wanted to take most of him in spite of the length. Would take all of him that I possibly could. My core throbbed until I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore, so I had to touch myself for some relief.
“That’s it, baby. Show me how you like it. Touch yourself for me while you suck me. You don’t even know what it does to me to look down and see your perfect lips nice and tight on me.” I twirled my tongue around the head and he bucked as I hummed against him. Taking his advice, I reached between my legs to play with my wet clit. He tasted so good. I wanted more of him.
Gabe froze and grabbed my head. “That’s enough. You’re going to make me come.”
I ignored him and went deep, until he hit the back of my throat. I could fit half of him in my mouth and that was it.
“Stop, Allegra,” he warned.
I licked some more, sucking and grabbing his ass hard with my right hand, pulling him even closer as he fucked my mouth.
He grabbed me under my arms and lifted me from the floor to set me on my feet. “You’re so fucking naughty. I love it.”
I’d never liked giving head with Matthew. He’d been a selfish lover and didn’t reciprocate. He’d always taken control, gagged me and used me like some kind of human blow-up doll only good for my orifices.
I could already tell that wouldn’t be the case with Gabe. He pushed me onto the counter until my back was flush with the metal, then scaled my body and braced his arms on either side of my head.
Line: Alpha Billionaire Romance Page 27
