by James, Clare
“I can read your body,” Gabe says. “I know what it wants. Now I just need to get into your head, too. I want to give you what you need.”
I know he’s talking about helping me through my little adventure, but there’s a part of me that wants more from him. He’s dead-on about my body wanting him. It’s actually terrifying because I’m not sure I could say no to any of his requests. I’ve never wanted someone so badly.
“Tell me what you need tonight. I know we hit a rough patch there, and I take full responsibility, but I want you to remember all the good parts of the evening. I want to end on a high note.”
He slides into bed next to me, resting his head on the other pillow, his eyes blazing into mine as he waits for his answer.
“Stay,” I hear myself say.
And to that, Gabe stands up.
Shit, shit, double-shit.
“I’m sorry—” I say, trying to backtrack. I don’t want to scare him off.
Gabe places a finger to my lips. He covers Free’s cage, slips off his shoes, and helps remove my clothes without saying a word. He flips me over to unzip my dress, his fingers grazing each new spot of exposed skin, slowly, gently. He then plants a kiss at the bottom of my backbone and I shiver.
I feel his low, quiet laughter on my skin, and it makes me needy. He flips me around to my back and tugs the dress down—inch-by-inch—exposing me to him all over again. My nipples tighten as the air hits them, and Gabe’s eyes darken. He kisses each breast adoringly, and I lean into his mouth. He continues to pull my dress down past my feet and delicately folds it over a chair, before returning to the bed. I’m completely open to him on the bed, drifting in and out of consciousness. I hear him exhale and feel his eyes caressing my body.
Pulling the covers down, Gabe settles me on the sheet. “You are the gorgeous one, Stevie. So fucking sexy.” He leans over me, and then in a trick move, buries his face in the apex of my thighs.
I could so get used to this. Gabe’s head. Between my legs.
“Mmm,” he says, breathing me in. “I love the way you smell, Stevie.”
My brain explodes in an array of fireworks going off behind my eyelids. I know that comment should make me embarrassed. It’s crude, really.
Turns out I like crude.
Gabe kisses me, right there. Closed mouth kisses that are just as erotic and the opened-mouth ones. He continues kissing me voraciously, like he can’t get enough.
The man actually worships my body. It’s the only way I can describe it. If he spoils me like this for the next ten days, how will I ever be comfortable with normal again? I don’t want to think about the answer to that just yet. I want to enjoy every second Gabe shares with me.
His mouth on me feels so good. So right. As I settle into his rhythm, he changes it up again. His tongue swipes across me, taking a little taste, throwing me off balance in the most delectable way.
“You make me crazy,” he says, sliding up my body, placing a chaste kiss on my belly. “But I know you need your sleep tonight.”
My body screams, I’m up, I’m up.
He slips out of bed and takes off his pants and shirt, revealing a tan and sculpted body that puts those Gladiators at The Club to shame. The only piece of fabric left covering this piece of art is a pair of black boxer-briefs. And how I want to see what’s underneath.
Gabe gets into bed and spoons me, pushing back my hair and tucking me in before he says goodnight.
Damn, that’s it.
“Dream of me,” he whispers.
I do.
Chapter 15
An alarm goes off and I shoot right out of bed in a confused state—still not used to my new surroundings. Or the sound of that alarm. It’s the hotel clock going off; Gabe must’ve set it before he left.
I’m ready to pout at that revelation—that he’s not here for a morning cuddle—until I see a note on the table with another breakfast fit for a queen … or Roman Goddess. Today, the spread consists of with eggs Florentine, Italian espresso, oranges, and pastries—a definite theme going on here.
I take the note. It’s written in the most elegant handwriting (like Gabe would have chicken scratch) and reads:
Buongiorno,
I’m sorry I couldn’t be here when you wake, but I hope this will get you off to a good start. I know you have a busy day and big presentation tomorrow, so I think Project: Venus can wait until the weekend. Tomorrow, however, I would love to take you to dinner.
Still thinking about last night …
Ciao,
Gabe
I flush at his words, desperately wanting him here with me. Now. But he’s right, I can’t screw up work. Not when it’s going so well. Not when Daniel is depending on me. Sometimes I really hate being a grown-up.
I eat every last scrap of my feast, feeling as if I’d let Gabe down if I didn’t. Free flies around the room, singing about Gabe and his gorgeousness the entire time.
That bird really gets me.
***
At the office, there is not a single moment to miss Gabe or worry about paying my dues at The Club. No, I’m no Goddess at work. That is never more apparent than when Daniel has me order lunch for the office. It’s a small group really—Josie mans the phones; Robert is on lead design; Cat on web; and Cole is our copywriter. My specialty is design, but I can do all of it so I pick up the slack when needed. I’ve absolutely found my groove in this place. It’s just too bad my co-workers seem to forget my role from time to time. I even got the little puppy pat on the head when I showed Daniel my ideas for the Forever Fit pitch. He has complete confidence in my work and executing someone else’s plan. My own ideas? Not so much.
“Nobody is leaving this place until tomorrow’s presentation is perfect,” Daniel announces during our morning meeting. Those are the last words we hear from him for a while—other than the occasional grunt and groan.
I order lunch for everyone, make sure the coffee pot is full at all times, and get to work. The office is abuzz all day, and Daniel never makes it out of his office. He’s practicing his presentation the entire time, that is, unless one of us goes in to get final approval on one of the projects. I spend my day working on all the final mock-ups for the meeting, and by four o’clock, they are perfect. Then I sharpen Daniel’s PowerPoint presentation.
It’s good. Maybe not as good as my concept of expanding beyond the health and wellness message, but it’s good all the same. He wants to play it safe with this account and I get that.
By ten o’clock everyone in the office is exhausted and sick with nerves. Thankfully, Daniel finally calls it a night. We make plans to meet back here in the morning to regroup before taking the town car over to Forever Fit.
When I get back to the hotel room, I find myself hoping that Gabe will be there. He’s not, of course, and though I want to call him, I’m not so clueless to know that would be a rookie mistake. We made plans for tomorrow night, no need to push my luck.
So I do the next best thing, if I can’t talk to the man, I’ll talk about the man. I text Tia to give her the deets she’s been asking for.
She answers on the first ring. “Hey, sorry for blowing you off yesterday.”
“S’okay,” she says. “So are you ready to tell me about mystery man?”
“Sure, what do you want to know?”
“We have to work fast. I only have a few minutes before the roomies come home and we’re having our Come to Jesus tonight. One of us has got to move out and it’s not going to be me.”
“I’m happy you’re finally putting your foot down,” I say.
“Forget about that. I need info and I need it fast. What’s lover boy’s name?” Tia asks, ready to grill me in record time.
“Gabe.”
“Occupation?”
“Entrepreneur.”
“You sure that’s not code for something? Like mob boss or drug dealer? Or even worse, he could be unemployed.”
“I’m sure,” I say shaking my head. Tia ever the optimist
.
“Where’d you meet?”
“Hotel bar.”
“Looks?”
“Dark hair, gray eyes. Gorgeous face. Cut body.”
“Packin’?”
“Tia!”
“Well?”
“Yes,” I’m happy to admit.
“So you’ve …”
“Not quite.”
“When do you see him again?”
“He’s taking me to dinner tomorrow.”
“Oh crap, my roommate and her leech have arrived,” Tia whispers.
“Okay, good luck,” I say.
“You too, be safe, Stevie.”
***
The next morning, Daniel is a flustering, nervous wreck. And it doesn’t help when the receptionist at Forever Fit’s corporate headquarters informs us we will be presenting to a team of five executives. The CEO, however, couldn’t make it.
That’s never a good sign.
Daniel is about five minutes into his presentation when the panel begins to lose interest. I can see it in their eyes and the way two of them are now fidgeting in their seats. The health message isn’t working, but I have an idea that I think will. I quietly page through my notes and give myself a silent pep talk. Yes, I can do this. I stand up and clear my throat.
It’s now or never.
And I launch into a new spiel.
“Yes, we all know about the importance of health and wellness.” I tell the executive team, like this was all part of the plan.
Daniel flashes me what I know to be a panicked expression, but he’s normally so stoic that it only looks mildly uneasy to the rest of the world. I smile, silently telling him, I’ve got this.
“We know it,” I continue speaking to the execs. “You know it. And this campaign is the best you will find for that message, if that’s the way you want to go. It’s good, solid, and safe. But we’d like to suggest going with something sexier.”
Daniel leans in and raises his eyebrows at me, but allows me to continue.
I hit a few keys on my computer and pull up the concept I tried to get Daniel to sign off on originally. “Sex, lifestyle, pleasure,” I begin. “If you want to grab the next generation of fitness fanatics—not to mention your current clientele—it’s through sex. The number one reason why people lose their libido is body image. Number two? Exhaustion. And what can cure both of these ailments?”
“Fitness,” the man with the bursting muscles bellows.
“That’s right,” I agree. “Fitness. If you want to be successful in today’s world and snag the new demographic, it’s by showing how fitness will not only improve your health, but your sex life, as well. Get rid of all those stodgy classes, and instead, add pole dancing, tantric yoga, and a massage room. You don’t have to give your clients a happy ending to have one yourself.” I wink.
The panel members have grins the size of Lake Michigan, and when I look back, so does Daniel. I continue showing them my concepts and designs, never feeling more confident.
“Excellent,” Mrs. Grimshaw says when I finish my presentation. “Just excellent. Would you give us a minute, Ms. Sinclair?”
“Yes, yes of course,” Daniel chimes in, suddenly finding his voice.
We leave the conference room, and Daniel pats me on the back. “Nice work, Stevie. I was losing them there, but I didn’t know where to go. They weren’t buying our pitch. I don’t know if we still have a chance, but if we do, I owe you one. Guess, I should’ve listened to your idea in the first place, huh?”
“Don’t go singing my praises yet,” I tell him. “I could’ve just sunk our ship.”
“Regardless of what happens, that was a good move. A brave one, not that I want it repeated.” He smiles, but definitely reinforces his position as my boss. “But I’m very pleased you’re on the team.”
My heart swells at Daniel’s praise, a completely foreign concept. But I know it—I know in my bones that my campaign is right on the nose. The messaging, rational, strategy, and marketing plan are all flawless. I know because I am their clientele. I know this demographic and I know what I say is the truth. I know that most people would give almost anything to get their sexy back. I’ve experienced it myself … with Gabe.
Suddenly, I’m so excited to tell him what happened today—to share it with him. I haven’t even known him a week, and already he’s wiggled his way into my life. It only makes me sure of what I have to do at The Club, and I can’t wait to start. After I reward him for all he’s done for me.
“You can come in now,” Ms. G. says.
Yeah, she’s Mrs. G to me now. We’ve bonded.
We all sit awaiting our fates, but the smiles in the room tell me all I need to know. We got the account. Daniel has to hold himself back from clapping. We go over final details and plan our next steps.
Daniel whispers in my ear, “I’m making you the lead on this account, Stevie.”
I nod, speechless. I’m floating on a cloud, and when a text comes in, I soar even higher.
How’d it go? Gabe’s text blinks almost the second we get out the door of Forever Fit.
We got it, I type back.
Celebrating then, I’d gather?
Only with you.
That’s an unexpected surprise. See you back at the ranch tonight?
I’ll be there, I type as we ride back in the town car.
I spend the rest of day at the office, bringing the team up to speed on the campaign. At the day’s end, however, everyone is ready to party. Too bad I have something else in mind. In the bathroom, I primp for Gabe and then come out to break the news to my group of giddy co-workers.
Chapter 16
I manage to get out of there unscathed. I tell the team I have a headache after delivering the entire presentation on the fly. They understand, and Daniel is only too grateful to let me have whatever my heart desires.
The only thing I desire right now is Gabe.
I cab it back to the hotel and then practically skip down the hall to my room. When I open the door, I gasp. White roses and candles cover every surface.
From the bathroom, my Knight-in-Shining-Marriot-Nametag emerges.
“What did you do?” I ask, trying to tone down my grin. I wouldn’t want to look too desperate.
“Nothing much,” Gabe says, reaching for my bags. “Just broke about a dozen hotel policies is all. But first things first.”
He pulls me in for a long and thorough kiss.
“Congratulations on the new account, Stevie.”
“Thanks,” I say, trying to calm my body from his kiss. “I still can’t believe it.”
“I can,” he says, simply. “Now, let’s get this celebration underway. I thought you might like to start with a bath.”
I give him an appraising look. Is he joining in?
“Don’t worry, I didn’t bring my rubber ducky. This is a solo activity. The only one of the night, so get ready.”
Oh, I am. I so am.
“Take your time. I’ll have dinner ready when you get out. Is it okay if we eat in?”
“Yes,” I tell him, disappointed he’s not joining me. “Actually, that’s better. I told my co-workers I had a headache to get out of tonight’s celebration festivities.”
“You didn’t have to do that, you know. I would’ve been disappointed, but I’m a big boy. I can handle it.”
“Yeah, but I couldn’t,” I tell him in all honesty. Not seeing that face (and who are we kidding, that bod) for over twenty-four hours almost did me in.
His face softens, and he gives me a long, slow kiss, followed by a quick slap to the ass. I yelp.
“Now, get moving into the tub so we can begin our night.”
Reluctantly, I do as he says. The bathroom is just as beautiful in candlelight with scents of fragrant rose and jasmine in the air. The water is warm and full of bubbles and does wonders for the tension in my neck and shoulders.
I sink in, and it’s lovely. It really is, but all I can think about is how long I have to stay in
here before I can get back out to Gabe. One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi … fuck it, I’m clean.
Gabe’s laugh echoes in the room when I appear from the bathroom in my robe. “That was quick,” he says with a wicked grin.
“I was anxious to get back to you,” I say in all sincerity. It’s been a wild few days, and I can no longer put up an act with him. I’m not suave enough anyway, so I may as well be myself and be honest.
Gabe’s eyes darken at my confession. Gone is his grin and light-hearted nature. He takes his phone and swiftly punches the keys, before turning his undivided attention back to me.
“Dinner can wait,” he says in his sexy-ass voice, coming closer to me. His stride is more of a prowl than a walk. “Getting my hands on you cannot,” he finishes his thought.
How he can turn me on with a walk, a look, a word—it’s a blessed miracle. If I ever knew it could be like this, I never would’ve settled.
Gabe’s wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt that displays his lean muscle in all its glory. His jeans hug him in all the right places, and I’m not going to lie, I’m dying to see how he looks underneath them. His eyes shimmer in the candlelight; they are hooded and full of lust. I wet my lips, fasten my hands to his shirt, and pull him closer.
“You are changing already, you brave, brave girl,” he says in that raspy voice of his. “I love this side of you.”
I lift up on my toes to get closer to his height before crashing my lips to his. Our moans are completely in sync, as he opens for me, and I take full advantage—exploring his hot mouth with my tongue. He responds in kind, his arms wrapping around my waist, his tongue stroking mine.
“I’ve missed you,” I tell him. “I don’t know how that can be possible when I’ve only known you a few days, but it’s true.”
When I meet his eyes, he gives me the softest look. It makes me want him all the more. I deepen this kiss and I feel him shudder. Oh, I like that. Soon we’re pawing each other, and we lose all finesse as our movements grow frantic.
Gabe wraps a fistful of my hair around his hand and pulls my head back, exposing my neck, where he takes over. He nips and bites his way down my throat, while his other hand unties my robe. The cool air hits the sliver of bare skin peeking out from my robe, while Gabe’s hand glides down my body until he reaches the place I need him most. He’s rough, demanding, and not at all apologetic as he does what he pleases.
