by Kaia Bennett
Would he leave her if she couldn't indulge in those desires with him? And if he did, could she bear it? After knowing what it was like to finally have him, could she let him go?
Meredith's lips were brushing against Nicole's ear, warm breath tickling her skin before she pulled away. "You scared? Scared you might like it... or that he still does?"
Nicole swallowed, feeling the words hit close to home. "What's that supposed to be?" As if she were floating outside of her body, an observer to the madness, she asked, "Is that supposed to be a challenge?"
"Mmhmm," was the other woman's simple reply. "It's just sex, Nicole. Just fun. Unless you're scared. Then a relationship becomes a trap. And we both know Gabe doesn't like to feel trapped."
The allusion to his failed relationship with Marta hit her like a sucker punch to the gut. How easily she could find herself in the same category as the beautiful woman Gabriel used to love. How easily this all could crumble around her, because she was too timid, too much of a girl to be the woman he desired.
Nicole looked over towards Gabriel. His eyes were on her, flitting between her and the icy blonde vixen at her side. He was moving away from the bar, heading towards them while he polished off the last of what had to be several shots. He would never say those things to her, that she wasn't enough. He would never hurt her like that. But that didn't mean the distance building between them wouldn't spread. That one day she would look up and find them worlds apart again, spinning away from each other until she was just a another woman from his past too.
Maybe she was wrong to be so inflexible. After everything Gabriel had done, he still chose her. Not Marta, not Meredith, not any of the others. Just her. She was the one he was in love with. That was supposed to mean something in all of this, wasn't it? She didn't have as much experience as Mere, but maybe she didn't need to in order to prove her point.
Maybe she could win this little challenge after all. Prove once and for all Gabriel was hers. Only hers.
She pulled Meredith to her, moving her hips in the familiar rhythm she reserved for her boyfriend. "Gabriel's not trapped, Meredith," she whispered in the other woman's ear. "He's perfectly free to do whatever he wants. Perfectly free."
She knew he was looking. She wanted him to. She turned and swayed, leaning her back against the taller girl. She closed her eyes and slinked down Mere's body, running her fingers over her long legs. Meredith was wearing tight, black leather pants that hugged every lithe curve of her legs and hips. They zipped at the sides, and hung low on her hips so nothing was left to the imagination. Her shirt wasn't much better. It was little more than a shredded white and black t-shirt held together with safety pins and luck. This girl was so different from her. How did they ever end up with the same guy?
Gabriel was utterly confused. Utterly. Wasn't she just yelling at him this morning about this girl? And now his girlfriend was grinding on her, shooting him a glance that was a sinful come hither.
What... the fuck...?
He saw a stunned-looking Meredith pause for a minute, and then she started moving with Nicole. He watched his girl smile, sliding her tongue against the corner of her mouth while she turned around to face the other woman. He watched her hips move in a seductive circle to the rhythm pounding in the club. He watched her breasts brush against Mere's as her head tilted back.
And he felt that old familiar stirring, along with the very new appreciation for his girl. She looked so enticing. She always did. But as he made his way to her he felt struck by apprehension. Was it her, or the way she looked dancing with another woman? Not just any woman. Meredith Rowe. The girl who used to twist him up, the one he'd turned to when he was scared of loving someone as much as he loved Nicole. He couldn't stand her because of what she represented. But then again, he'd never had the luxury of being with her and the woman he loved at the same time, either.
Was he really thinking about what it would be like if those two were together? Could his brain even process how it would feel to kiss them both... to watch them kiss each other.
Could his little girl, his Nicole, do all the dirty things he used to get off on with the other?
He swallowed hard when he saw Nicole's dark eyes turn to his and her full lips brush against the pale skin of Meredith's neck. He saw Mere smile that sleepy, seductive smile. Her pale fingers curled in the dark curls of his girlfriend's hair. Her pink tongue licked a trail along her jaw, and her white teeth bit down on the silver lined lobe of Nicole's ear.
His dick stirred at the sight. It couldn't be helped. It would have taken a much stronger man than him not to be turned on by the sight of the two women writhing against each other. He was almost to them now, almost close enough to hear the sigh that escaped Nicole's parted lips as she turned in Meredith's embrace and reached for him. He took her hand, his eyes roaming with lust and suspicion over the two women. Nicole leaned her head back against Mere's shoulder, and at the same time pulled Gabriel to her.
"What is all this, Nic? What are you doing?" he asked.
He looked at Meredith's eyes sparkling in the darkness of the club. Her smile was temptation, that familiar certainty she used to get when they'd picked another playmate for a night of fun. His stomach twisted at the thought, and his cock felt heavy in his jeans. Especially when he felt Nicole's fingers caress it while Meredith's fingers stroked the soft skin over Nicole's cleavage. He turned his eyes back to his girlfriend and she smiled up at him. A strange, foreign smile on her beautiful face.
Her fingers ruffled in his dark hair.
Her lips touched his.
And when she came up for air, she whispered softly, "I'm being a dirty girl for you, Gabriel." He hissed softly when she squeezed him harder through his jeans. "That's what you want. Isn't it?" Then she leaned back and let Meredith's lips touch hers.
***
If Nicole had had her way, there would have been a moment of awkward stillness when the three of them stumbled into her hotel room, closed the door, and approached the bed. But everything zoomed forward and she was too far in to stop now. Meredith's hand held hers, tugging her towards the bed; Gabriel's arms were around her, his body pressed into hers from behind and walking her forward.
Mere slowly stalked backwards, first kneeling one long leg on the bed, then the other, until she was on her knees in front of Nicole. Gabriel's lips were on her neck. They were soft, sweet kisses she welcomed, though they seemed out of place with Mere's eyes looking on, watching the way his tenderness ignited her skin. His hands teased the skin beneath her thin dress. One was on her hip, the other circled her navel with his fingertips.
"You sure you want to do this, sweetheart?"
It was so unexpected, whispered so close to her ear that she knew he meant for her only her to hear.
The drinks she'd had should have fortified Nicole, but apprehension swirled through her. She couldn't back out now, not when she turned her eyes to look at his and saw the hunger there. Not when she could feel him coming alive against her ass. So she nodded, touched her lips to his. And when Meredith's fingers joined his in caressing the skin of her thighs, when she touched her face and pulled her into her kiss, Nicole didn't flinch or pull away. She gave herself over to the feeling of two sets of hands touching her. Her breasts, her hips, the dampening flesh between her trembling thighs. She let herself enjoy it all.
Things spiraled forward with lightning speed after she gave him her verbal consent. She couldn't have stopped things then if she wanted to. Sensation was closing in on her, the need to meet Meredith's challenge was almost stifling.
She peeled off Mere's shirt quickly, grasping her soft face between her hands so she could take control of the kiss. She was pulled out of Gabriel's grasp onto the bed and into soft, lithe arms. Shoes were kicked off, fingers lifted the hem of her short dress and stripped down her flimsy lace panties.
Gabriel's breathing was short, his temples throbbing. He peeled off his shirt, tossing it next to Meredith's discarded one, and started to undo his belt
while Mere stripped off the straps of Nicole's dress. He clumsily went to work on his belt, but was caught up in the sights and sounds of two beautiful women writhing against each other, just waiting for him to make his contribution.
He watched Nic gasp, watched Mere swallow that gasp down on her tongue, the light glittering off the silver ball below her bottom lip as she turned her mouth this way and that over his girlfriend's. He watched Nicole's fingers tangle in Meredith's hair, while Meredith's fingers caressed her bare breasts, slinked down her stomach and finally down between her long, creamy brown legs.
His eyes followed the sight of Meredith's breasts brushing against Nicole's, the barbells glittering like snake eyes, like the ice blue eyes turning to him at the exact moment she penetrated his girlfriend with those skilled fingers. He didn't even have the presence of mind to strip off all of his clothes. He unbuttoned and unzipped, kicking off his shoes as he approached.
His cock was free. He lay beside Nic, nipping and biting at her neck and lips. He felt Mere's lips on his neck, her fingers in his hair while Nicole's lips devoured his and her fingers reached down to encircle his hard member. But when he came up for air, he couldn't help but watch her face for signs of fear or discomfort. He couldn't help but wonder if the feeling in the pit of his stomach meant this was all too good to be true.
Nicole’s eyes locked on his as her mouth locked on Meredith's, before she turned her full attention to the woman grinding against her. Then she pulled away and turned to Gabriel.
"I want to taste you," she sighed against his lips. "Then maybe you can watch me taste her..."
Gabriel moaned and he could hear Mere murmur her approval against Nicole’s neck. He shifted and came up to his knees, barely catching his breath before Nicole pulled her mouth away from Mere's and placed it over his waiting cock. She sucked hard and long, moaning as the other woman's fingers continued to penetrate her, causing her to arch her back and swallow him down deeper. He couldn't tell which sight was turning him on more, so he indulged in the visual overload fully, groaning like a wounded man when Nic's moan sent vibrations through his cock.
Meredith panted in shallow breaths, looking as if she were salivating as she watched Nicole devour him with a skill that rivaled her own. That was when she grew bold. She sat up, her fingers still working between Nicole's legs. She moved those fingers away and placed them over Gabriel's lips, then between them into his waiting mouth. Their eyes locked for a second, just like old times. He closed his eyes, gasping around those fingers at the feel of Nicole's mouth on him while he tasted her sweet nectar. He was drowning in how good her mouth felt on his bursting cock. Images of her writhing in pleasure flashed before his eyes. Before he knew it, Mere's lips were on his, diving in to taste both of them on his tongue. He paused for a second and then answered the call of Meredith's mouth, her tongue, her desire for him, all while imagining his girl.
That's when he realized his mistake. He opened his eyes. They found Nicole's as he pulled away, just as she looked away from him. He could see the hurt there, the raw anguish she tried to cover up.
It had been just like riding a bike, kissing this girl from his past. But Nicole was his girl, the person he loved, and he was hers. Meredith didn't belong here. It didn't matter Nicole had invited her. It didn't matter his body could respond or that Meredith's kiss was just as good as he remembered.
He felt Nicole's mouth falter in its rhythm when she noticed Meredith's brutally intense kisses travel from his lips to his neck, then his chest. She was making the slow crawl towards Nicole, hoping to replace her mouth and give him pleasure. He could see the hunger in her eyes, knew just how she would devour him, and how good it would feel when he surrendered to what she could do to him.
He could have his cake and eat it too.
All he had to do was ignore that little flash of vulnerability in Nicole's gaze.
All he had to do was close his eyes.
Chapter 23
Gabriel leaned his head against the door to Nicole's hotel room, hating himself. He felt Nicole's eyes on his naked back. Meredith was on the other side of the door now, gone.
He didn't know what had come over him. He didn't know why he hadn't stopped this as soon as he realized what Nicole was willing to do. He should've known better, after all, he was the older one. Supposedly more mature. But when it counted, when he should have been thinking with his head instead of his dick, he'd failed her.
Almost.
He'd realized almost too late, almost before he could turn back, that everything he'd been so scared of didn't matter. Nothing Meredith had to offer mattered. Nothing she could do to him compared to what Nicole could do with just a look, just a kiss, mattered. Even the idea of being with both women at once just made him see once and for all that the only one he wanted was Nicole.
The sadness on her face had nearly killed him. She'd done this all for him, all because he'd refused to be open with her. He'd left her to face her doubt all alone because of his selfish need to protect himself when she needed him to be honest.
So he did what he should have done from the moment Nicole offered him a bite of temptation. He'd pulled away from Meredith, stepped off the bed. The look of confusion on Meredith's face didn't stop him from saying his next words.
"We're done. Get out."
She'd railed, showing the temper she kept so well hidden. But he picked up her shirt, grabbed her by the arm and tossed her out of Nicole's room half-naked and screaming obscenities. There'd been a few bangs and thumps on the door, a few curses and promises that he'd regret this before the fading footsteps led to silence. An eternity stretched on while he tried to figure out what to say. It was Nicole who spoke first.
"You should go," she whispered softly.
He wiped a hand down his jaw and turned around to face her. She sat on the edge of the bed, pulling the straps of her dress back up. She wouldn't look him in the eye.
"Are you okay?"
She didn't answer.
"Nicole?"
She braced her body on the bed with her arms. He could see the fine tremor in them.
"I’m so embarrassed." She swallowed, blinking glassy eyes that threatened to shed tears. "What did I do wrong? Was I that bad?"
“Nic, of course not, sweetheart.” He shook his head, started to say she was crazy; that everything she did to him was just right. Too right for him to share it with someone else. But she stopped him.
"Just leave. I really don't want to hear you lie to me right now."
"I'm not leaving here until you talk to me."
"I just want to be left alone!" Her voice cracked, but she didn’t cry. She seemed like she was using all of her willpower to avoid crying.
She rolled her eyes, shook her head in frustration when he refused to budge. “Fine. You stay and talk all you want. I'll leave," she said. "Don't be here when I get back."
She found her shoes, slipped them on. When she turned over to search for her panties, Gabriel knew she had to be toying with him, giving him a precious glimpse of what was hidden under her dress, before stuffing them in her purse. God, he wanted to finish what he'd started with her. Just her. This was the beginning of a fight he wasn't going to let her walk away from.
"Where are you going?"
"None of your business," she replied coldly.
"You're my girlfriend, everything you do is my fucking business, Nicole!"
She looked up at him and scoffed, switching her hip. "Now that's hilarious. Funny how when it's you that wants information it's your right to have it. But me, I guess I'm just on a need to know basis when it comes to you, right?"
He was seething. He was trying so hard but she was getting to him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten this angry at someone he cared about. "You need to stop baiting me, Nic. I told you why I didn't want to rehash every sordid detail. I told you that you don’t need to compete with anyone else. I told you I love you. That should be enough. I'm not the one who called her in here to test me, y
ou are," he said, pointing at her for emphasis.
“I know,” she said. She sounded so defeated. “I just thought…I thought if you didn’t want to tell me it was because you were afraid to. I thought it was something you needed that I wasn’t giving you. Why else would you…?”
He saw her lip tremble. He felt terrible, worse than he had when he was cheating on Marta. He had the strange sense he was being punished. He’d escaped having to tell Marta about why he’d broken up with her, but all of that was coming back to bite him now. And with the girl he truly did love, the one that accepted everything about him. They could get past this if he could just show her that. He was hers and she was his.
"What does it matter?” she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. She clenched her jaw, forcing herself not to cry. "I obviously can't give you what you want. I tried and I can't. So go back to her if you want. I don't give a fuck what you do or who you do it with anymore."
She didn’t mean that. She couldn’t mean it. She was just trying to sound cruel wasn’t she? She was walking away because he had to prove that he wanted her to stay, right?
"What more do you want from me, Nicole?!" he yelled at her retreating back. "I sent her away. I keep talking and you keep not hearing me! So what the fuck else do I have to do?!"
She stilled for just a second, then straightened her back and kept walking.
"Don't walk away from me, Nic! I'm not fucking done with you yet!"
Though she flinched at the boom in his voice, she didn't slow down. That was the last reserve in his patience. He didn't know why he couldn't control himself now. The liquor, his anger. It was all so unreal. He'd promised himself he'd never lose control like this, and here he was doing just that with her, all because he couldn't let her walk away from him.
