Phoenix Flying

by Kaitlin Maitland

  “I’m not… I don’t have much experience,” she said hesitantly. “But I’d like to learn to. That is to say I want to.”

  He found her lack of experience endearing. “Say it out loud, love.”

  “Teach me how to touch you, Gabriel. I want to make you come right here, right now.”

  There were no words she could have said that would have hit him harder. Gently threading his fingers with hers, he brought them up to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Undo my pants.”

  The tip of her pink tongue darted out to lick across her lips when she did as he asked. Her hands were light against his crotch, hesitant as she reached into his open fly to release his cock.

  “Good God, it’s big!”

  Gabriel laughed, unable to hold back his mirth and feeling contrite at how abashed she looked by his response.

  “Well it is, although I don’t have much fodder for comparison.”

  “Love, there’s not a man on the planet who wouldn’t adore hearing that from a woman when she first sees his equipment.”

  “Well you’re a big man so I suppose it’s proportionate.”

  She explored his length with her hands, gently brushing her fingers over the ridge at the crest. A bead of liquid seeped from the hole at the tip. She tested it with one fingertip before spreading the warmth over the broad head and down the shaft.

  “I can tell you like that,” she whispered.

  Liked it? He was damn near ready to spew his load all over her hands without any more provocation. Sweat beaded on his brow, and he was glad the wall was at his back to keep him from falling over.

  Heat pooled at the base of his spine as she began to tentatively pump his shaft. Forcing himself to be calm, he gently adjusted her hold. He showed her how to give pleasure, when to increase, when to wait, and finally when to force him past the point of no return.

  Softly, softly, her hands all over his hard shaft, her breathless cries as she watched him convulse. His belly clenched, muscles taut as white ejaculate spilled from his cock to bathe her hands in his essence.

  Meeting her gaze in that moment, he realized how utterly intimate a handjob could become. Feeling strangely subdued, he tucked his cock back into his pants.

  “Stay here for just a moment. I’ll get something to clean your hands.”

  “Don’t.” She made to reach for him and then stopped. “Don’t leave me alone.”

  Gabriel searched for Connor, meeting his gaze. He knew he didn’t have to say a word for his mate to understand. Connor nodded, letting Gabriel know they could do without him for a while.

  “Let’s go upstairs,” Gabriel said.

  “What’s up there?”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her toward the back hallway. “My apartment.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Anne wondered how she could feel so calm in that moment. It would have seemed that a certain amount of apprehension, or even disgust, would have been expected right then.

  “The loo is the first door on the left. Make yourself at home.” Gabriel grasped her shoulders and gently nudged her in the direction he’d indicated.

  She gazed down at her hands with no uncertain amount of fascination. “Thank you, I’ll be quick.”

  “Take your time, love.”

  Love. He’d called her that several times that evening. Alex used the term frequently too. Perhaps it meant nothing. If television and books were any indicator, it was rather like the British version of babe.

  Anne liked it anyway.

  She pushed the bathroom door closed with her foot and used her elbow to bump the light to the on position. The tiny room was barely big enough for the shower stall, a toilet, and the pedestal sink. However, it was clean and bright. The wall above the tile was painted a soft buttercream color, and fluffy coffee-colored towels hung neatly on the brushed bronze towel bar.

  Standing before the sink, Anne avoided looking at her reflection in the mirror and gazed at her hands instead. She’d never touched semen before. She supposed it was ridiculous to make such a big deal about it, but she’d never really thought it over until the moment Gabriel had spilled his seed all over her hands.

  It was oddly soft, silky in texture, definitely viscous, and yet not disgusting at all. The way her friends had always talked about it, she’d expected goo worthy of Slimer from Ghostbusters.

  Hesitantly, she lifted her fingers toward her face. She sniffed lightly only to discover there wasn’t really any kind of odor attached, just a hint of Gabriel’s musk. Feeling ten kinds of silly, she flipped the water on and washed the residue down the drain. She watched with the strangest sense of letdown.

  What if this was the last time she ever had a reason to do something like this?

  “This” had very little to do with the act of washing semen off her hands and more to do with her fear that once she left the faux safety of the bathroom she would be ejected back into her regular life. A life that left very little opportunity for things like handjobs, sexy interludes, and hot guys like Gabriel.

  There was always Stewart. Who, unfortunately, was looking less and less appealing the more time she spent in Gabriel’s company.

  Taking a deep breath, Anne turned off the light and exited the bathroom. Gabriel was leaning against the back of his sofa, arms crossed. The expression on his face was totally unreadable.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Of course.” She felt herself gravitating toward the exit just to avoid any potentially awkward good-byes. “I’ll just show myself out and leave you to clean up.”

  He stared at her for one long minute. Long enough that she grew extremely uncomfortable. His eyes were so intense. Their cobalt blue regard left her no doubt that she was the total focus of his attention. Definitely something else she had no previous experience with.

  A slow smile spread across his face. “I’m not ready to clean up just yet.”

  “You’re not?”

  Something in his gaze made her belly do flip-flops. She was torn between the desire to run and the desire to stay. Wasn’t this the reason she’d put on the damn dress anyway? Wasn’t this what she wanted? To be with a man who could show her everything she’d been missing in twenty years of marriage?

  “Come here, Anne.”

  She obeyed without a moment’s hesitation, moving toward him until she was standing so close she could feel the heat shimmering in the air around his body.

  He cupped her chin, forcing her to look directly into his face. “I want you. To strip you naked, learn your body, and fuck you until we’re both too knackered to do more.”

  The unfamiliar word sounded almost funny, the meaning behind it anything but. Was she ready? Did she want this? “Um, right now? Or were you talking eventually?”

  He gave one short bark of laughter before he lowered his mouth and took hers in a savage kiss that made her knees turn to water. She clung to him, fingers gripping his soft cotton T-shirt until she feared she might rip it off.

  She couldn’t breathe but didn’t want to anyway. He penetrated her mouth with his tongue, and the taste of him invaded her senses. He used his tongue to stroke her lips and teeth before rubbing it alongside hers and staking his claim.

  When he finally broke the contact she was gasping for air. Her head was spinning. It took him less than five seconds to pull her dress up and over her head.

  “You distracted me just for that?” she asked.

  His only response was a laugh, deep and masculine. The sound made her womb tight with anticipation.

  The air was chilly against her bare skin. Thank God she was wearing her nice underwear. She hadn’t anticipated hanging around in it. Well maybe she’d sort of wanted to, but she hadn’t expected it to actually happen.

  His gaze raked her from head to toe. “Blimey, you’re beautiful.”

  She didn’t want to call him crazy to his face, but really, calling her beautiful was nuts. She wasn’t. What she was was fat. She most certainly knew i
t. He probably knew it. And she didn’t know why he had to pretend otherwise.

  “Don’t believe me, hmm?” The corner of his mouth tilted up into an expression that brought a gush of warmth to her pussy.

  His hands reached up behind her and unfastened her bra. Her breasts spilled out, full and heavy. He tugged the bra down over her arms and tossed it aside. Cupping what he could of her generous bosom, he watched as the flesh strained against his hold.

  “This is what breasts should be like,” he said.

  Anne might have argued had he not picked that moment to lower his head to her left nipple. She made a harsh noise in her throat. The sensation was exquisite. He teased and nipped, his tongue lapping before he drew her flesh into his mouth and sucked hard. Each pull at her tit sent an answering zing to her pussy.

  Just when she thought she might come again right then and there, he stopped. She might have relaxed had he not immediately taken her right nipple into his mouth. This time he nipped her hard, making her gasp. Her hands came up to rest against his head, holding him close as he sucked on her breast until she was moaning and writhing against him.

  He pulled away, and she realized she wasn’t standing under her own power anymore. His grin was positively wicked. “The bedroom is the other door on the left. Go make yourself comfortable in my bed. I’ll be right back.”

  He headed toward the stairs, presumably to let Connor know he’d be a few minutes longer than expected. It was all Anne could do not to grab her dress and follow him out.

  She had on panties, thigh-high stockings, and her gold heels. If she could have run in those shoes, she would have. He wanted her to get comfortable in his bed? What exactly did that mean? Should she strip naked or did he want to get rid of the rest of it?

  Visions of Gabriel trying to drag her panties off her body while they stuck tenaciously to her dimpled thighs made the decision for her. Anne hustled down the hall and pushed open the bedroom door. She didn’t know what she’d expected of a British bachelor living above a bar, but she was surprised anyway.

  It was neat as a pin. No stray clothing. No junk on the nightstand. No random magazines lying around. There was a single book beside the alarm clock and lamp on the bedside table. By angling her head she could read the book’s spine.

  “The Hobbit?”

  As startling as it was, the mental image of Gabriel sprawled across his bed reading stories of Tolkien’s Middle Earth wasn’t wrong at all. In fact, it sort of solidified Anne’s suspicions that there was much more to Connor’s hired brawn than she had initially thought. He was only masquerading as a Neanderthal.

  Anne hopped a little, trying to slide out of her shoes. The damn things finally gave in, and she kicked them off. There were no words for how exposed she felt while skinning her stockings off her legs and tossing them aside. When it came time to remove her panties, she almost balked.

  There was still a tiny part of her that wondered if this was all too good to be true. If Gabriel wasn’t going to return, declare he’d changed his mind, and then tell her to get out. That scenario would be a lot less humiliating if it happened when she had her clothes on. On the other hand, how horrible would it be if the stuck-panty thing happened for real?

  Gabriel took a deep, steadying breath and tried to find a shred of his self-control amid the heaping dose of lust clouding his mind. The sensation of Anne’s breasts in his hands and mouth had practically robbed him of coherent thought. How much more intense was it going to be when he finally had the chance to sink his cock deep inside her warmth?

  He counted the steps on his way back up to his apartment just to give himself something else to focus on. Connor’s laugh hadn’t helped matters any. It wasn’t like the bar’s owner was a stranger to the idea of being pussy whipped. Jessa practically owned Connor, and Gabriel couldn’t see that the man minded overmuch.

  Gabriel pushed open his door and then closed and locked it behind him. He wanted privacy for the rest of the night if he got his wish. There was no doubt he could come up with enough activities for the two of them to do until dusk turned to night and eventually to dawn. Hell, given a break for food, he might be able to go two days with a woman like Anne.

  Entering his bedroom was like taking a knife blade between the ribs. She was in his bed, the remains of her clothing scattered on the floor. Dim orange-and-yellow light filtered through the blinds and bathed her in a soft glow. He didn’t even want to contemplate what it meant that just seeing her like this was such a rush to him. That thought would have involved stepping back from the moment, and he wasn’t in a hurry to do such a thing.

  “Why are you hiding under the covers?” He moved farther into the room and pushed the door shut behind him.

  “It’s cold?”

  He didn’t make the obvious statement that he was willing to warm her up. She seemed skittish already. No reason to make her bolt.

  Her doe eyes were huge in her round face. “Are…are you going to take your clothes off?”

  Gabriel sat lightly on the edge of the bed and began to unlace his combat boots. They hit the floor one at a time, each thud making her visibly flinch. “I’m in no hurry. Are you?”

  “Not really, I guess.”

  He tugged his T-shirt over his head and tossed it onto the chair in the corner before sliding beneath the covers. She froze when he brushed against her hip. Relaxing in what he hoped was a nonthreatening manner, he stacked his hands behind his head and settled down to wait.

  He had only counted to five when she rolled to her side and propped her head on her hand. By turning his head to the side, he got a full view of the consternation in her expression.

  “What are you waiting for?” she asked.

  “You.”

  “Me, what?”

  “I want you to relax.”

  She looked worried. “I don’t know if I can.”

  It was the perfect opening. “Should I help you try?”

  “How?”

  He gently pulled her over so she lay on her belly. Pushing the sheet and duvet down, he exposed the skin on her back. Using one hand, he began to rub the tension from the muscles bracketing her spine.

  It didn’t take long for her to groan in delight. “That feels amazing. Please don’t stop.”

  “I won’t.” Although he could think of dozens of things he’d rather be doing when she said those words.

  He knew she’d truly started to unwind when she lifted her arms and placed them beneath her cheek. The position left the creamy side of her breast exposed to his sight. It was a temptation he couldn’t resist taking advantage of.

  Slowly moving closer to her side, he let his hand drift down to caress the warm flesh pillowed beneath her body. She shivered at his touch, and he could sense her arousal beginning to rise.

  “Does it feel good?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  “No.”

  He firmed his touch, kneading the muscles of her shoulder before letting his hand slip down to do the same to her breast. His dick was already hard and had been since he’d walked into the room. His cargos contained it, but they did nothing to stifle the need for her that never seemed to end.

  He got to his knees between her legs so he could touch her other side. He massaged her back, reaching around to her breasts and cupping as much as he could hold in his hands. He found her nipples and rolled them lightly between his fingers. She arched her spine, the sight erotic beyond endurance.

  Lowering his head, he ran his tongue down the groove of her spine until he reached the crevice of her ass. He placed a kiss on one round, voluptuous cheek before giving it a nip.

  She made a tiny sound, a noise of pleasure. “What are you doing?”

  “Do you like it?”

  The hesitation was brief. “Yes.”

  “Then just enjoy it.”

  He nuzzled her cheeks in turn. He kissed them, sucking warmth to the surface and admiring the tiny pink marks he left behind.
He massaged the full globes, letting the tips of his fingers tickle her hipbones. She was obviously enjoying the attention, and losing a little more of her inhibition every second it continued.

  Her legs parted just a little more every time she squirmed. Her pubic hair was short and dark, just a dusting along the seam of her pussy lips. Slowly, gently, Gabriel let his hand drift into her crotch. He immediately encountered heat and damp, two things that let him know she was pleased with the attention.

  “Open farther, love.” He tugged at her hips. “Come up a little on your knees.”

  She did as he asked, her body quivering as she panted each shallow breath she took.

  The new position gave him a spectacular view of her full, fleshy pussy lips. They were swollen and hot to the touch. He ran his hands over their contours, exploring her folds. Pink and wet, they begged for his mouth. He bent lower and gave her what she needed and he craved.

  He spread her ass cheeks and gave her cunt one long lick across her tight pink opening. She convulsed with a high-pitched noise that lifted the hair on the back of his neck. Nuzzling her slick, fat folds, he lapped them and savored her sweetness. The milk-and-honey taste melted on his tongue.

  She was trembling, her knees nearly giving out. He wanted to bring her pleasure, make her climax, and help her relax a little more before he penetrated her tight sheath.

  Bending lower still, he let his tongue delve into her slit until her found her clit. The sensitive bud was hard and tight with passionate tension. He licked it quick and light, until she was gasping and he felt her about to come apart.

  She got wetter, hotter, her juices coating his lips and chin. When she snapped, he groaned with the effort of holding back his own release. She cried out, her words garbled as she collapsed to the bed.

  He rolled away and lay on his back beside her. He licked her residue from his lips, savoring the taste of her in his mouth. So much woman, so little time. What was a bloke to do?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Anne was a limp noodle. She had no idea how long she’d been lying facedown on Gabriel’s bed, trying to get her breathing back to normal. What was normal anyway? It certainly had nothing to do with Gabriel using his mouth to make her come.