by James, Clare
Oh no. The sad eyes are back. “You mean to tell me that he cheats on you and you think you’re the one who needs to make some changes? Come on, Stevie. I know we’ve just met, but you seem smarter than that.”
“I am. This is not for him. It’s for me.”
“Ah,” he says, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Good girl.”
His words cause an immediate flush throughout my body, not to mention a throbbing between my thighs. I cross my legs and ride out the sensation, trying not to think about a better way to do just that.
After two more cocktails—when I’m fully tipsy and then some—our conversation circles back to my magazine article.
“So, what’s your plan?” he asks.
“Hmm?” I look at him, embarrassingly slow on the uptake.
“With this article?” He leans close and I can’t help but breathe in his scent—sandalwood and citrus. I move closer and inhale his warm, crisp fragrance.
“Stevie?”
Oh my fucking God, this man is so hot—make that h-a-w-t. I do my best to lock him into memory for later. He’s better fodder than my imaginary yoga threesome.
Once I come to, I tap the magazine article with my newly manicured finger and start to tell him about Operation: Get My Sexy Back.
As I’m talking, his eyes blaze into mine. I don’t think I’ve ever captured someone’s attention like I have with Gabe. This flirting stuff is getting easier. And more intense. If he looks at me that way again, I may have to club him over the head and drag him up to my room tonight.
I’m dying here, which makes no sense considering my heart was shattered just a few days before. Of course, this has nothing to do with the heart.
“I guess I see where you’re going with this plan, Stevie. But are you sure that’s what you want?”
“We’ll see. It’s all about options. I feel like everything was taken from me when Max cheated—my home, my relationship, my life—and I had no say. I need to regain at least some control and maybe get a little payback while I’m at it. ”
“Well then, okay,” Gabe says, placing his hand on mine.
“Okay, what?” I ask, trying to act nonchalant as I turn inside out at his touch.
“Okay, I’ll help.”
“You will?” I’m stunned. “Why?”
“Because I’ve been there.”
“Been where?” I ask, my body blazing at the intensity of his gaze.
“Where you are. Feeling unwanted, unworthy, frustrated. Not to mention horny as hell.”
I go still, his words coursing through every part of my body. My mouth goes dry, nipples tighten, sparks fly down my spine, moisture pools between my legs, and bam!
Is there such thing as spontaneous orgasm? Because if there is, I think I just had one.
Once I recover, I’m adamant not to let him embarrass me. Confident and assertive, that’s what I am now.
In a bold move, I glance under the table. There’s no denying what I see, his arousal strains behind the zipper of his pants. It’s a sight that ignites every fiber of my being. Still, I try to play it off when I look up.
“No,” I say. “I think you have me confused with yourself, Gabe.”
“Really?” he growls, before swiftly clamping his hand down on my thigh.
I lose the act immediately, and my eyelids flutter closed as his hand moves upward, tracing the hem of my dress.
“Let’s see about that, shall we?” Gabe asks, inching his hand up farther. “I wouldn’t play this game with me. Because you will lose every time. I’m not good with boundaries.”
I like the sound of that.
“Okay, okay,” I say, reluctantly pulling his hand away.
Gabe makes a few adjustments, and we each go back to our drinks.
Once the air is no longer crackling with our sexual tension, Gabe asks, “Are you better now?”
I nod in reply, still trying to cool myself off.
“What’s your last name?” I ask in a desperate move to change the subject.
“Shannon,” he says, playing along.
“Gabe Shannon,” I repeat, refusing to look away from his perfectly disheveled face and unable to help wondering what the scruff would feel like brushing up against my thigh.
“And yours?” he asks.
“Sinclair.”
“Mmm. Stevie Sinclair. Yes, I think I will help you with your list, Ms. Sinclair.” He traces a finger along my hand. “In fact, I don’t think there’s anything I’d enjoy more.”
Chapter 4
Gabe takes the paper from my hand, studying it. He then grabs my notebook and starts a new list. “So what is the timeline for this little operation of yours?” he asks.
“I want to be finished with my list by this weekend,” I tell him. “Max will be home by then.”
Gabe shakes his head. “No, that’s not enough time.”
“Well, I don’t have a lot of options. I only have enough points to cover this place until Sunday.”
“Stevie, listen to me. If you want to take back control, Max needs to miss you, want you. And you have a lot of work to do to get to the end of this list.”
“What do you mean? I only have a few things left. And I’m a quick study.”
“Well, I think it’s time to find out.”
“What do you mean?” I can almost hear the air crackle again.
Gabe tells our server to put my drinks on his bill and then whispers to me, “What’s your room number?”
Oh wow, he’s serious. He’s going to help me work off my list. I tell him my room number, and he says he’ll meet me up there in five.
I leave first. Strangely excited and giddy with anticipation, I nearly run to the elevator.
As promised, Gabe’s there seconds after I reach my door. Still, I’m a little unsettled by his secrecy. Why couldn’t he walk me out of the bar?
“So, what’s with the covert meeting?” I ask. “Don’t want to ruin your rep downstairs?”
“Something like that,” he says.
I slowly start to lose my resolve after his comment; he’s so cavalier about it, too. I can’t help the tears that prick my eyes. My emotions are right on my sleeve, and I feel like I could break at any time.
“Shit.” He grabs my key, slides it in the lock, and leads me inside. “It’s not what you think. I work here, Stevie.”
“Oh,” I say, relieved, but still confused. “So you just stick around after work, drinking in the lobby and picking up random women?”
“Why are you so quick to think the worst and dismiss yourself?” he asks, taking my hand and pulling me over to the sitting area in my hotel room.
“Look, I know I’m not exactly the sexy fling most guys are looking for. I usually get them with my personality, so I could understand if you wanted to keep things hush-hush.”
“That really pisses me off,” Gabe says, working his jaw. “I manage this place, Stevie. And I don’t usually pick up random women. One of my meetings canceled, and I’m sorry, but I couldn’t take my eyes off you when you walked in tonight. Now, before I track down your ex and make him pay for making you feel so insecure, can we please just focus on your list?”
“Okay,” I tell him.
“Good. Now, here, see this last item?” He points to the line marked: Have a Sexual Adventure. “This is where I can help.”
Oh wow. Wow, wow, wow.
“You need to expand it though, get detailed, figure out what you want you’ve always wanted to do but have never had the guts to go through with. Something you were too scared to ask your lame ex for.”
“Why?” I ask, trying to hide the panic in my voice as the mood grows intense again.
“Because that is the one part of your entire list that has the power, that can make any real change in your life. You want control, power, a second chance with your ex? Options, as you put it? Then you need to learn how to make having a sexual adventure part of your everyday life. Not just because you were dumped and need to get your mojo back.”
&n
bsp; “And you’re volunteering for the job?”
“I would, gladly.” He tips his head toward mine. “But I won’t know for sure until I know what’s in your head.”
If I’m being honest, I have thought about this. All the things I’ve wanted to do, but never had the guts to talk to Max about.
“I have some ideas,” I tell him, breathless as is body moves closer to mine.
“Here.” He hands me the pen. “Write them down.”
This has to be the craziest thing I’ve ever done. I have a stranger in my hotel room, discussing sexual fantasies and how to get my ex back. Yet, I can’t second-guess it; I am assertive and confident. I look the part. I can even flirt, when pressed. I’m not stopping now. And for some reason, I feel safe with Gabe.
“First, though,” he says, leaning in and invading my senses again with his spicy scent. “We need to get something out of the way.” He tips his head. “I mean if you’re going to tell me your inner most sexual thoughts.” His breath tickles my lips. “We should know each other a little better.”
Gabe brushes his bottom lip across mine, and my eyes roll to the back of my head. Then, he runs his tongue across the seam of my lips. I breathe him in, getting high on his scent. His arm pulls me to him, and his hand clamps on the back of my head, holding me in place.
Gabe is forceful. Confident. Incredibly sexy. As I sink into the kiss, my mind goes to all sorts of dirty places. My body is more alive than it’s ever been, feeling his every movement. If he can do this to me with a kiss, what can those lips (and other parts) do to me in other places? I say a silent prayer of thanks to Cosmo for showing me the way. This list is taking me to places I never thought possible.
After what seems like hours, he pulls away. My skin sizzles, on fire, and the throbbing between my legs is almost unbearable.
Gabe taps on my notebook, pulling me back to the real world. I take the pen and run it across the paper. I have no trouble filling the page.
Chapter 5
“Hand it over,” Gabe says when I finish writing. His voice is low and throaty and I so want to get started right now.
He swipes the notebook from my hands, turns around, and reads.
“Hmmm,” he says.
“What? What?” I anxiously badger.
“Interesting,” he continues.
I look over his shoulder to see which activity he’s referring to, but he holds me at an arm’s length.
“Wait.” He slaps my grabbing hands.
And that gives me a zing to my core I wasn’t expecting. I take a breath and lean back against the couch. He makes me wait it out another minute, before turning around with a wide grin stretched across his face.
“Now this is a list I can work with,” he says, taking my hand.
“Yeah?” I ask.
“Oh yeah.”
Gabe pulls me up and brings me over to the bed without another word.
He helps me to lie down, and I comply without a thought—anxiously waiting for his next move. In this moment, I’d gladly check off every one of the things on my list with him. Every. Last. One.
“Ready to begin?” he asks.
“I think so,” I tell him honestly. I so want to do this, but I can’t deny the fluttering of nerves in my belly.
“Take off your clothes, Stevie,” Gabe says, pulling no punches. His eyes already stripping me bare.
I don’t protest or question; I simply clear my head and follow his command. It’s the only way I can do it. To get control, I need to give up control. My body shudders as I release the tie on my wrap dress. I slowly open it, feeling his eyes on me. He makes no effort to hide his perusal as I slip out of the dress and let it pool on the floor.
Standing there in my underwear, I let him drink me in—hoping he’s pleased, hoping I look as sexy as I feel. I’m wearing my black lace demi bra and panties, but the way my nipples are peaked at the moment, they could break through the lace at any time. Goosebumps run up the length of my body when I hear his loud intake of breath.
“So beautiful,” he says before pulling back the covers and propping up the pillows. “Now lay down on the bed.”
I brush past him, desperate for his touch on my body, but he makes no move. I slip into bed the most elegant way I can, enjoying the way he watches me.
“Close your eyes,” Gabe says. His deep voice does nothing to help the straining lace situation.
I lean back and close them, but hear him moving around the other side of the room. Then, something light falls on the bed next to me. I’m disappointed it’s not him.
“Where are you?” I ask, my voice shaky, unable to hide my nerves. “I’m not sure how I’m going to get anything out of this with you way over there.”
I hear the door open and close. My eyes pop open. Then my phone rings, displaying the name: Gabe Shannon.
“What’s going on?” I ask him, afraid of what he’s going to say and feeling the beginnings of rejection starting to kick in. “Why’d you leave?
“Don’t worry, Stevie,” he says, which instantly calms me. “I’m right here.”
“I don’t get it.”
“We’re starting our sexual adventure,” he says.
Mmmm. He has an amazing phone voice.
“With what?” I ask.
“With words, Stevie.”
My stomach flips so many times, it’s the Olympics of stomach flips. I’m sure mine gets the gold.
Then he continues, “I’m going to show you how I can make a woman come without even touching her.”
Oh my fucking God. There went the lace.
Chapter 6
“Where are you?” I ask, missing him already.
“Right outside your door,” he says. His voice might be even sexier on the phone. “Don’t worry, you are going to enjoy every second of this. Are you ready?”
“Yes,” I tell him, leaning back on the pile of pillows.
I am confident and sexy.
I repeat my mantra over and over.
“You look gorgeous in that black lace bra and those tiny panties.”
Gabe’s words make me feel gorgeous.
“Thank you,” I tell him in a soft voice.
“But you know what? I think what’s underneath is even more beautiful.”
My body is buzzing. Who knew words could be just a turn on?
“Show me,” he demands.
“Okay,” I say, prepared to shed the rest of my clothes on his order. “What would you like to see first?”
He blows a gush of air into the phone. I warm with pride, knowing he’s feeling this, too.
“Take your bra off, baby,” he says.
“Done,” I tell him after undoing the front clip and sliding it down my shoulders.
“Damn, I knew your breasts would be amazing. I could tell in your dress tonight. I’m picturing them in my mind right now. Touch them with me.”
My hands float up to my breasts, my fingertips ghosting over the tight peaks.
“Feel your soft skin,” he says almost reverently. “Pull on your tight nipples.”
I follow each command, first touching, then grasping the hard nubs between my thumb and forefinger. All the while, I’m pretending it’s Gabe.
“I need more, Stevie. I need to kiss and lick and suck on those perfect fucking tits of yours.”
I gasp without meaning to. Even pre-Max, no man has talked to me like this. What he can do to me with his dirty words. I arch my back and push my breasts into my own touch, imagining his hot, wet mouth on me. And with each pull of my nipple, I feel an echo of pleasure deep in my core. Soon my sex begins to clench, aching for release.
“That’s it,” he says. “Feel my tongue glide along your skin as I suck you into my mouth. Do you like that?”
“Mmmm,” I groan. It’s all I can get out.
“I knew you would.” I hear the smile in his deep, raspy voice. “Now take a pillow and put it under your bottom.”
“What?” I ask, confused where he’s going
with this.
“Just do it,” he growls. “It’s going to make everything feel better.”
I follow his instructions.
“Put me on speaker, baby. You’ll need both hands for this next part.”
Ah, the pulsing between by legs is agonizing. I hit the button on my phone, set it to the side, close my eyes, and listen for his next order.
“I’m sliding down your body now, are you still with me?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
“I’m trailing kisses along your silky skin as I work my way down your belly. Follow me with your hands, Stevie.”
My hands obey, gliding along my stomach.
“Are your panties off yet?”
“Yes,” I tell him, pushing them down and kicking them off in record time.
“Good, this is the part I’ve been waiting for.”
“Why?” I ask, wanting to prolong this moment as my body hums in excitement.
“Because I’ve wanted to get my head between your legs all night. Spread your thighs for me so I can have a look.”
Sweet baby Jesus.
My legs instantly fall open, exposing my most private parts, and I swear I feel his eyes on me.
“Wider,” he says in a low whisper.
I do as he asks, feeling completely in his control and out of my mind in ecstasy.
“I need to touch you. Bring your hand down here with me.”
“Ah,” I whimper, letting my fingers run along my slick folds before settling on my clit with lazy circular strokes.
“Christ, you are so wet. Do you feel it, all that heat?”
“Gabe,” I groan.
“No, baby.” He chuckles. “Not yet. Let me taste you first.”
My hands continue to move between my legs, and I begin the climb, unable to stop.
“You are so sweet,” Gabe purrs. “I could stay here all day. Your pussy makes me so hard, Stevie. I don’t want to stop.”
“Don’t stop,” I mumble, hoping he understands my incoherent babble. “Don’t stop.”
I’m hovering over the edge, ready to fall.
“I need to go deeper. Follow me now.”
I take my other hand and move two fingers inside at the very next moment. My inner walls tighten around my fingers as stroke in and out of my tight channel. Slowly, I enjoy each delicious pump.
