Closer

by Kaia Bennett

  "I love you, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Love you so much..."

  Goosebumps came to life over her skin. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, crying out in a hushed sob, "I love you, too..."

  It felt so good. All of it. The skin of his back was soft and warm as she lifted his shirt, the muscles corded underneath reminding her just how strong he was, how beautiful and solid. This was the man she loved, the man who loved her.

  "Gabriel," she sighed. "God, don't stop... touching me..."

  He didn't stop. He gently kissed her neck, her collarbone, her shoulder. He pulled the straps of her dress down, and tended to her skin reverently. He shifted over her, lifting her dress up her hips, sliding his hands up her thighs like they were made of silk. She lifted her hips for him, never taking her eyes off his face as he sat back on his knees, and stripped the white fabric off while she freed her arms completely from the straps of her dress.

  Just the feel of his bare chest against hers as he lay down over her set her on fire, and when he leaned down to kiss her breasts and suckle her nipples into the wet heat of his mouth, she became consumed by the flames. She arched into his mouth, sighing at the kisses, licks, and nips he left on her sensitive flesh. Her fingers stroked through his dark hair, ruffling through the silky texture and rubbing over his scalp until he was groaning against her.

  She watched as he freed himself, ran the spongy head of his arousal against her. He eased forward, and she welcomed him home, lifted her hips as he filled her with the last inch of his desire.

  The bliss of penetration morphed into movement, friction. She started the steady climb towards another kind of bliss with him. Her eyes fluttered open and closed, but always stayed open in the end to watch him above her. She knew he could relate, that he wanted to commit every moment of this to memory with her. Even when a delicious stroke stole his breath and made him shiver over her, he forced his eyes open, forced himself not to miss even one second of her pleasure.

  "So beautiful," he whispered, brushing his fingers over her lips.

  She wished he could have stayed nestled inside of her forever, holding onto this feeling of loving and being loved, of being shown with every gasp and every glance that her wish had been granted. She climbed with him, grasping him frantically. He couldn't keep his eyes open any longer and neither could she. Her fingers prickled with the tension. He leaned his temple against hers and rocked harder and faster into her.

  "Come with me... come with me, Gabriel," she groaned against his neck. She lifted her legs up higher, wrapped them around his waist and tilted her pelvis up to meet his thrusts.

  It felt unbelievably good, yet as familiar as breathing. Their lips touched as they crossed over the threshold of pleasure and fell into release. And in between each kiss they whispered how much they loved one another, over and over again.

  Chapter 19

  Nicole sat on the bed next to Jackie, staring down at the new person that appeared like magic into their lives. Well, it wasn't magic for Jackie. More like twenty-two hours of agony, but she seemed happier about the results now that all the pushing, screaming, crying, and whiplash-inducing curses had ceased. Nicole felt sorrier for her new nephew, though. The kid was never going to hear the end of how many hours of labor his mother endured to bring him into the world.

  "Look at how small his fingers are... and his fingernails," she cooed, enraptured by her nephew's scrunched face, and the way his eyes opened and closed with fatigue.

  "Nothing on him felt small a few hours ago," Jackie said with a weary laugh. She looked pale and exhausted while Ian brushed aside the damp strands plastered to her face. But her eyes glittered with awe, and the smile on her face when her son yawned and wiggled in his blanket was one of the most beautiful things Nicole had ever seen. The baby yawned again then spasmed in Jackie's softly rocking arms.

  "Oh, you're tired, huh?" she whispered, nuzzling her face softly against his. "I hear ya."

  "Did you guys decide on a name yet?" Nicole asked. Ian and Jackie had decided to leave the sex of the baby a surprise, making it hard to narrow down a name. Jackie had agonized over it, while Ian decided to wing it and see what struck them after their child was born.

  Ian nodded. "We thought Preston sounded kinda nice."

  "Preston Langley-Brown," Jackie said. "It's going to be how I sign my name when we get married. I can't go around calling myself Jackie Brown. I'd never hear the end of that shi—um, mess." Jackie winced and looked down at her newborn son while Ian laughed. Nicole figured censoring the foul mouth she and her sister shared would last a couple of months, tops. Jackie wasn't one for sugarcoating things.

  Nicole laughed quietly and stroked her nephew's face. "I like it. Jackie Langley-Brown. Preston Langley-Brown. They have a nice ring to them."

  Jackie grinned wearily at Ian, whose eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Yeah," Jackie said. "Sounds good to me, too."

  Nicole's parents were on the first plane over to meet their grandson, and she'd called Gabriel to tell him that Jackie was in labor. She planned to call and send him some pictures once she got the chance, but decided to wait until he finished performing that night's show.

  June had been a busy month, with Gabriel telling Nicole he loved her, and her sharing her birthday within days of her nephew. In fact, she was getting ready to board a plane courtesy of Gabriel and spend a belated birthday with him. Twenty-three was a pretty good age, she decided, especially when she looked down at her nephew, and then at his parents.

  Maybe... maybe one day that will be Gabriel and me.

  ***

  Nicole opened the door to the hotel room, lifted her sunglasses on top of her head and breathed deep. She rolled her suitcase in and Callie followed behind, squealing and leaping onto the bed closest to them.

  "Mmm... so soft!" her muffled voice cooed into the pillow.

  She giggled at the sight of Callie's pale limbs writhing in the soft white fabric of the comforter, her face hidden under a wild mass of wavy red hair.

  Nicole dropped her purse and suitcase by the second bed, rushed to the window and swept the curtains open. Sunshine glittered off the pool below, the trees swayed in the breeze. Summer had brought its signature heat. It was the beginning of July and she was finally enjoying her one week of vacation, with the weekend reserved for visiting Gabe. Trish unfortunately got saddled with being shift supervisor and she didn't get to come, so their mutual friend, Callie, took her place and shared the cost of the room. Nicole had insisted on that expense, since Gabe wouldn't relent on flying her out to meet him and paying for everything else. They only had the weekend together because she had to make sure she returned for work, but spending time with him was worth it, even if just for a little while.

  "I can't fucking believe we're gonna be backstage!" Callie giggled, turning spread eagle onto her back and blowing her hair out of her face. "You don't even know how much I want to fuck Riley from Louder Now. God, he's so hot!"

  She went on talking about her huge crush on the lead singer from one of the opening acts, and Nicole was almost positive Callie would find a way to make it into Riley Dansik's hotel room before this trip ended.

  "I called Gabriel and he said we can meet them there whenever we're ready. We'll take the shuttle," Nicole said, pulling out another outfit and tying up her hair so she could hop in the shower.

  Callie sat up with a huge grin on her face, lugged her bag onto the bed, and proceeded to rifle through her clothes to find something Riley-worthy. Nicole settled on an old favorite; the blue and white checkered skirt that Gabriel had caught her masturbating in on his bed almost two years before, and a navy blue halter. Easy to take off, easy to put on. She couldn't help smiling as she anticipated the look on his face when he saw her dressed in the skirt they usually saved for recreating the best embarrassing moment of her life.

  Fool the World were second on the ticket, so when Nicole and Callie finally showed up at the venue, she got to hang out with him a bit before his set, me
t the guys from Louder Now, and the other band, Take Cover. She said ‘hi’ to Meredith and the guys from The Spirits. The minute she saw Gabriel she felt a magnetic pull that drew her as quickly as possible to him. She ran into his arms, feeling like such a dork but when he lifted her in the air and kissed her while she wrapped her legs around his waist, none of that mattered.

  "Hey, sweetheart." His raspy voice rumbled over her skin while she hugged him to her and kissed his full lips again.

  "Hey, babe," she whispered and leaned her forehead against his. "Missed you."

  "Missed you, too" he said, setting her down with a huge grin on his face. "I'll show you how much later."

  The look in his eyes made her exhilarated and almost fearful for her little pussy. She couldn't wait to get him alone and find out just how much he'd been craving her. If it was half as much as she craved him, she was in for a very tiring visit.

  He gave Callie a warm greeting and then proceeded to give them a tour of the backstage area, the dressing room, all of which were past the cameras recording Meredith's interview as she finished up her meet-and-greet with her band. Nicole caught Meredith's eye and gave her a smile. Meredith smiled back subtly, her blue eyes taking in the sight of Nicole under Gabe's arm and then went back to telling some funny story about their last show.

  There was lots of energy and movement in the Fool the World dressing room, not to mention great food to nibble on. She made her rounds giving all the guys big hugs and kisses. Jonny passed the time by getting a tattoo on his ankle, and when he saw Nicole and started belting out "Darling Nikki", the tattoo artist had to remind him to keep still. It was hot as hell outside, so most of the guys were shirtless in preparation for another energetic outdoor venue that would leave them sweaty. It was then Nicole got a glimpse of Nuke – sweet, boyish Nuke –and the big Maori tribal phoenix spanning his shoulder blades and ending at the small of his back. He really did look like Gabriel's little brother, right down to the lithe, yet muscular build.

  Most of the guys, except for maybe Chase, who just had his ears pierced, had some sort of body art, though Q's was the most sedate; just a large block of Chinese characters inside of his left upper arm, a place that remained relatively hidden unless he was in a t-shirt or shirtless like now. Jonny had a new Celtic band on his ankle and song lyrics scrolled across the cut of his hips. He liked to joke about making girls get up real close to read them.

  Once she'd recovered her bearings, and gotten over the giddiness of seeing Gabriel, she relaxed and had fun with the guys backstage. When they finally went on and she saw and heard the audience go insane, it was the biggest vicarious adrenaline rush. People sang along, screamed in the heat and crowded in on each other to get closer to the stage. The guys commanded the space, playing their music as good as they had on the album. They earned their place on this tour. It never ceased to amaze her how strong and clear Jonny's voice was when he sang those clever and thoughtful lyrics he helped pen; how well Chase and Gabriel's guitar licks fed off each other; how Q's personality and skills made her appreciate what a good bassist could do; and how Nuke's arms brought a drum set to life.

  She laughed, beamed and swayed, singing along with music so good it made her ache. When she saw them through the crowd's eyes like this, she often had to remind herself she was watching her boyfriend and her friends rock out, not strangers. How lucky was she that she didn't just get a piece of it like those fans screaming out there in the audience? How lucky was she that she got to be close to the source of all that magic, able to reach out and touch it whenever she wanted?

  Fool the World finished their set, followed by Louder Now, then The Spirits took the stage. Nicole realized again how much talent Meredith had in just her fingers as she strummed her guitar. Then her clear, raspy voice carried out into the crowd as she played some of Nicole's favorite songs, and Nicole realized all over again that Meredith was the real deal. She'd drawn the long stick in the game of life and came out sexy, cool, able to play a guitar and sing with the best of them. Watching those hips swivel, her lips caressing the mic, it was easy to see what everyone thought was so badass about her.

  At one point Meredith's gaze turned offstage towards her. She dismissed it as just the natural sway of her body as she rocked against the mic and cast seductive glances out into the crowd. Meredith commanded everyone's attention, while her voice alternately entranced people and riled them up. Impressive as it was, Nicole didn't get to see the whole show.

  While Callie made herself at home with the guys from Louder Now, Gabe decided to give her the rest of the tour, extending to the back lot where all the buses and trucks were parked. Fans screamed in his direction, asked to take pictures with him, fawned over his shirtless physique and told him they were so in love with him. Nicole stood off to the side, giving him his space and watched with amusement. She had no doubt that touring and making someone's day just by taking a picture with them was going to be a staple of his future. She felt a little more at ease about it now, since she believed there could actually be a place for her in that future. All kinds of possibilities had opened up in her mind since the day he told her he loved her.

  When they finally made it to his bus, they were away from the fray of fans and most of the prying eyes surrounding the back lot. It was as private as it was going to get for them until they made it to the hotel.

  "I wonder what your girlfriend would say if she saw all those girls fawning over you?” she said with a smile. She folded her hands behind her and leaned back against the bus, tilting her head as if she didn't already know.

  "I think she'd be okay with it," he answered with a chuckle. "See, my girl, she's the best. She trusts me. She already knows I'm very much in love with her... and I'm always faithful to her." He moved closer, the heat of his body and the intensity of his eyes searing through her. "She's the only girl I think about."

  "Oh, she sounds like the perfect girlfriend. A real keeper." Nicole tried not to laugh and so did he, but she kept up the game, loving the way he hovered over her and stared at every inch of her body like he was starving. "What are you going to do to show her you appreciate just how trusting she is?"

  "Everything," he answered while his fingers teased the edge of her skirt.

  Nicole's smile broadened and she struggled to breathe. She’d missed those eyes, those fingers, the way he made her feel so aroused she was sure everyone could feel the heat coming off her body in waves. "Everything, huh? I like the sound of that," she giggled.

  God, was there anything sexier than him with his shirt off, his eyes devouring her body? His arms bracketed her head while he cast her in the shadow of his body and smiled down at her. A bead of sweat fell from his hair and trailed down his neck, making her tongue swirl against the roof of her mouth. His coffee and cream tanned skin screamed at her to taste him. She leaned in and whispered, "You got me so wet watching you. My panties are completely useless right now." Her tongue darted out to collect the salt of his skin, and he shivered when she moaned in his ear.

  It was like shooting fish in a barrel, especially when she was wearing his favorite little skirt. Every time he saw her in it, it was a guaranteed, one hundred percent fact she was getting fucked as soon as he could find a semi-private place, which is why they'd confined ‘the skirt’ to the bedroom. She’d almost gotten them arrested in a park because of that infamous piece of fabric.

  He leaned down, his mouth tickling her cheek. "Ever been fucked on a tour bus?" A sharp exhale of breath was her answer. "That sounds like a 'no'. We're going to have to fix that," he whispered softly.

  He began to do just that when he pushed her towards Fool the World's bus and they boarded it. She got a brief glimpse of the interior, the kitchen and sitting area, the TV. It was hard to pay attention when his fingers were up the back of her skirt, toying with her panties and the soaked lips of her pussy trapped within them. He pushed her forward, giving her very little time to ask questions or play any more games. The destination was the back of the bu
s where the beds were kept. They were so small, almost coffin-like and she laughed at the idea they could manage to fuck in one of them.

  She ran her fingers across the divider that separated the top and middle sleepers, getting ready to ask which one was his, when she felt Gabriel's lips on her neck and then his hands on her breasts. She melted into him, cupped his hands with her own, and then lifted them so they were linked around his neck. She leaned back and offered her mouth to him and he took it eagerly.

  The brush of stubble against her face, and the sensuous curve of his lips dulled her senses to anything but the feel of him. She could barely breathe, and when her eyes fluttered open, she found him staring down at her, that deep, molten chocolate gaze Gabriel reserved for her. She turned around in his arms, tilting her face up to kiss him, and as soon as her lips met his he pushed her back, jerking her skirt up while she devoured the sweet taste of his love for her.

  His smile felt so delicious and so did his fingers on her thighs. He spread them, ripped her panties to the side, not even bothering to strip them off. He lifted one of her legs, wrapping it around his waist, while he undid his belt and unzipped his jeans. The knot on her halter unraveled with the precision of a man practiced at stripping a girl in a hurry, and when the fabric fluttered to her navel he lowered his head to suck one of her aching breasts into his mouth. Her fingers curled in his hair and pressed him closer to her sensitive flesh. She titled her head back, slapped a hand back against the divider and groaned for more, for him to fill her before she lost her mind.

  He'd freed his cock as he nibbled and sucked on her breasts. By the time he stood up, he was already teasing her pulsing slit with the tip.

  "Tell me you want it, dirty girl," he ordered as he hiked her leg up even higher.

  She was soaking wet, so hot and ready she thought she might cry. "I want it, Gabriel. Please."