“Nope. I really don’t want to do that right now. Let me clean up this mess.”
“Okay.” Gabby walked over to him, grabbed his face, and kissed him. It wasn’t a romantic kiss, it wasn’t a particularly hot kiss, it wasn’t a lover’s kiss, but it wasn’t quite an innocent kiss. “Thanks for saving me from the swing.” She walked out the same way she’d walked in. With an extra swing in those sexy as hell hips.
Chapter Three
Rick spent hours in his workshop working on the broken porch swing. He wasn’t exactly avoiding Gabby, but he didn’t precisely follow his normal Saturday routine either. Instead of cleaning a room or two or doing a couple of loads of laundry—because God knew Sophia didn’t do any of that anymore—he kept himself busy and out of the house. When he finally did go back inside, a bit past six, he intended to get a shower and read a book, but the smells coming from the kitchen had him walking in that direction.
“Rick? Is that you?” Gabby called to him from the kitchen. “You hungry?”
Fuck yeah, I’m hungry. But it’s not food I want. The mirror on the wall seemed to mock him, calling him all kinds a fool. “Shut up,” he snapped at his reflection. Against his better judgment, he allowed his feet to carry him into the kitchen—and stopped dead in his tracks.
“What are you wearing?”
Gabby stopped stirring whatever was in the pot on the stove and peeked up at him through her lashes. “Huh?” She ran her hands over her skin tight blue jeans. She knew their painted-on look accentuated her curves, along with the bright red top she wore. It was snug and very low cut. There was a tiny, black bow at the center of the v the low cut created. Bless that bow—it drew his attention directly to her gorgeous breasts, which were in danger of completely spilling out. Top all of that deliciousness off with her creamy, smooth skin that flashed him with each miniscule lift of her arms, and he was a goner. She was so fucking hot.
“Uh huh.” He visibly swallowed, trying to get the sudden lump in his throat to go away. “Are you, ah, going out?”
“Nope.” She went back to stirring her pot without another word.
“Gabby.” Before she could turn back around, he was behind her, pulling her back to his front. “You know we can’t do this.” He said the words even as he was pulling her hair back to nuzzle her neck. And she gave a soft moan.
“Why? Why can’t we do this?” She dropped the spoon in the pot, all pretense gone, and reached behind her to pull him closer, feeling his cock riding the seam of her ass. “I know you feel it, too, Rick. I see the way you look at me.”
“Fuck, Gabby. We just can’t. It’s so wrong. What about your mother?”
“What Mother doesn’t know …”
Against his better judgment, he let his hands roam up her body to cup her perfect breasts. Too much for one handful—precisely how he liked them. He pulled her top open, just a tad and was rewarded when one of her nipples popped out. “Oh God. You’re breasts are beautiful.” He gently pinched the tight bud, earning him a gasp of delight.
Gabby leaned her head back against him and thrust her breast more fully into his hand. “Yes, Rick. Do that again.”
He was about to free her other breast when he abruptly came to his senses. What the fuck am I doing? Rick pushed her away and left the room, his heavy boots pounding loudly with each hurried step.
Gabby followed him through the house to the main bathroom. Standing with her forehead to the door, she knocked lightly. “Rick, let me in. I’m sorry.”
Rick splashed cold water on his face, trying to calm himself. “It’s my fault, Gabby. Just—just give me a minute, will you?” He waited until he heard her retreating footsteps before opening the door. He had to get out of there for a while.
~*~*~*~
The overhead lamp in the garage cast just enough light to reflect off the pipes of his Harley. He hadn’t ridden in so long, he wasn’t sure if she would even start. When Sophia started with her shit, he stuck close to home, giving up things that he enjoyed doing—like riding his bike. But since she was passed out in the house, he felt it was safe to leave Gabby there alone for a while. He just had to get away for a minute or two. Rain be damned.
Flicking a switch and rolling the throttle resulted in a satisfying roar as the Fat Boy came to life. Rick pulled on his helmet, leather jacket, and gloves before he backed out of the garage into the rain.
Gliding carefully down the wet hills gave him some much needed time to think about what the hell he was doing. Or not doing. Was it really so bad? Was he only attracted to her so desperately because she was forbidden fruit, or did he truly have feelings for her as much as he thought? He needed to figure out the answers to those questions.
~*~*~*~
Back at the house, Gabby sat on her bed, dumbfounded. Why had Rick rejected her? It couldn’t be about her mother, could it? Neither of them could tolerate Sophia anymore. They had both tried to bring her around for over a year, and it seemed like the more time went on, the worse she got. Their attempts to reach the old Sophia had failed, and there came a time when you had to take care of yourself. Gabby had shed more than enough tears over the loss of the mother she once knew. Now she just wanted to be done with her.
Her phone beckoned to her from the table next to her bed. Gabby looked at the clock and decided a call to Marcy was in order. It was an emergency of sorts, and she needed to talk to someone.
“Hello?” It was obvious from her soft, confused tone that Gabby had woke her up.
“Hi Marce. I’m so sorry. I woke you up?”
“Huh? Gab?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
Marcy’s voice held concern, as she asked, “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? Why do you think something’s wrong?” Gabby knew she was stalling. She did need someone to talk to, but she felt ashamed of her feelings for Rick, which in turn, made her angry. Why should she be ashamed?
Marcy remained silent, waiting for Gabby to tell her why she was calling.
“Okay, so I guess there is something I wanted to talk to you about. But it’s kind of—I don’t know—wrong, maybe? Can you listen with an open mind?”
“Jeez, of course, Gabby. You’re my best friend. I don’t judge you.”
“Well, it’s about Rick.” She waited to see if her friend would jump in, but she was met with silence again. “Uh, well it seems like we have an, um, attraction to each other.” Gabby leaned forward and put her hand on her forehead, elbow resting on her knee as she waited with bated breath for Marcy’s reaction. More silence. “Marcy, say something!”
“What do you want me to say? I’m not surprised.”
“You’re not? Wow. I was certainly surprised. It’s just been lately, well, maybe the last six months or so, I’ve felt these things toward him. I thought maybe it was a schoolgirl crush, or because he saved me from Mother’s friend, but it hasn’t gone away. And now, I fantasize about him. Oh, God, do I ever.”
“Gab, right before I left I saw Rick looking at you like you’re not only the whipped cream, but the cherry on top. And he wants to devour every inch of you. Know what I mean?”
“What? Are you serious? Why the hell didn’t you say anything?”
“I figured if you knew, you didn’t want to talk about it or you would have said something then, and if you didn’t know, I wasn’t sure if I should mention it. I mean … he’s like your father, right? Plus, I wasn’t even sure that he realized he was looking at you that way.”
“Yeah, see, that’s just it. I don’t see him as a father anymore—at all.” It seemed like he’d always taken care of her, from the day he moved in with them, but she definitely did not feel fatherly affection for him now. She wanted him to rip her clothes off and teach her how sex was supposed to feel; her previous encounters were not all that pleasurable.
“Okay. So we have two possible issues here. The first one, and it’s a biggie, is your mother. Where does she fit in with this?”
“Rick hasn’t even slept in t
heir room for the over a year, I think. He told me a few days ago that he’s only staying here for me. He won’t leave me alone with her.” Gabby went on to tell Marcy about the swing incident, the tiny kiss she gave him, and her mother threatening her and calling her a bitch, all before Rick walked out on her in the kitchen.
“Damn, Gab. That sounds like a fun day.”
“Yeah. It really wasn’t. Anyway, as soon as you get back, I’m outta here, so he’ll feel free to leave.” Again, there was silence. “Marce?”
“Oh, Gabby. I’ve been trying to find a time to tell you. I’m going to be spending another year here. Please don’t be mad. I’ve got a great opportunity to do an internship with Dolce & Gabbana. I can’t pass it up, Gab. I just can’t.”
“That sucks. No, wait. I didn’t mean that. I’m really happy for you. Ecstatic. I just miss you. Of course you have to do it. God, think of how that will look on your resume! Aw, Marce, congratulations.” Shit, shit, shit. Gabby had to rethink her plans.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I’m not sure. I was trying to stick it out so that we could find a place together when you got back, but if you’re not coming home this year, I’ll find a place for myself. I have to get out of here. I can afford a place on my own, so that’s not a problem. You know what? I’m going to start looking tomorrow. There’s just no viable reason for me to stay here another day.” Gabby had no idea what that would mean to Rick. He needed to be rid of Sophia, and he could be if Gabby didn’t live with her anymore.
“I think that’s a good idea. You need to get away from your mother. I don’t trust her or her cronies. They’re bad news, Gab. What a shitty thing to have to go through. I’m sorry I’m not there for you.”
“You’re here for me. Who picked up her phone at this ungodly hour to talk to me? You’re the best, Marce. I really miss you.”
“Me too. I’m coming back to visit at the end of the summer. Just a couple more months. Now, back to Rick. The other issue I was talking about was your age difference. It’s like twenty years, isn’t it?”
Gabby sighed. “Seventeen. I know it’s a lot, but I guess I just don’t care. I’ve dated guys my age and those who were older. Not as old as Rick, but really, what difference does it make? He’s a very young thirty-seven. And I’m kind of an old almost-twenty.”
“Well, here’s my two cents then. Ready?”
“Let me have it. I can take it.”
Marcy laughed at the serious tone of Gabby’s voice. “Here it is. I think you should go for it.”
Gabby could not have been more shocked. “Huh? Are you sure?”
“Why not? Gab, life is short. Your father died when you were what, four? You’ve essentially lost your mother now, too. You’re an adult, he’s an adult. Why can’t you have a relationship? It’s nobody’s business but yours and his. Fuck everyone else. Who would you be hurting? No one.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true. I’m not sure if I’m brave enough to go for it, though. I think it’s more of a sex thing for me. He makes my pulse race—he excites me. I mean I care about him, but not like I think he cares about me. And I don’t know if I’m strong enough to put up with the whispers. You know people will talk. God, it’ll be like a real life soap opera.” Gabby never much cared about other people’s opinions of her, but this was pretty big. “I really do want him, Marcy. I’m just not sure if it’s more than a physical thing for me. What I do know is that I want to climb all over him like he’s my own personal jungle gym.”
“That’s my girl. Go get him! The hell with being politically correct.”
They chatted a while longer, but when Marcy started yawning, Gabby let her go. It was exactly what Gabby needed. And Marcy was right. Life was short. She wanted to live it, and right now that meant getting Rick naked.
Chapter Four
Rick’s meeting was just coming to a close when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He broke into a grin when he saw who the text was from.
Gabby: Hey. When you’re done, can I see you in your office?
Rick: Sure. I’m heading there now.
Gabby: Now? Like, right now?
Rick: Yes.
Gabby: Okay. See you in a minute.
Oh my God. Am I really going to do this? Gabby was so nervous, she actually felt a bit ill. What if he rejected her again? No. She wouldn’t let him.
The hallway seemed endless, but at the same time, it didn’t take her long enough to get to Rick’s office. Cindy, Rick’s secretary, looked up as she approached. “Is he in there?”
“Yup. He’s expecting you, hun.”
“Thanks, Cindy.” Gabby walked in and shut the door.
“Hey, Gabby. What’s up?” Rick was going for casual until he figured out what the hell he was going to do about her.
Gabby was wringing her hands. When she noticed what she was doing, she shook her head at herself. “This is ridiculous,” she murmured.
“What? I didn’t hear you.”
“Nothing.” Gabby straightened her shoulders, flipped back her hair, and strode over to the desk where Rick was standing with his arms crossed. “Rick.”
He smiled at her with a puzzled look. “Gabby.”
She wasn’t sure what to say. Actions spoke louder than words, didn’t they? Walking closer, she unfolded his arms and stepped into him. She pressed herself against him leaving no room between them. His hands flew to her waist as he tried to push her back, but she batted them away. “No. Not this time.” On tiptoes, she brushed a quick couple of kisses along his jaw, earning her a groan.
“Gabby …”
“Shut up and kiss me. Now, Rick.”
Rick moaned as he fought with himself. Ultimately, he couldn’t resist what she was offering. “Fuck it.” He bent his head down to her and licked her bottom lip. “Oh God, you have no idea how much I want this.” Hesitating only a moment more, he slanted his lips over hers. Gently nudging her to open for him, he slipped his tongue inside and tasted her for the first time. Heaven. She tasted minty and fresh. He wanted to savor that moment for the rest of his life.
Gabby raised her hands to run them across his chest and up over his broad shoulders, as his went down to cup her bottom. He broke away from her lips to trail kisses over her jaw and both sides of her neck. When he gave her a love bite, she shivered in his arms.
“Oh my God, Rick. You feel amazing.” She threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged his mouth back to hers, frantic in her actions. “I need … more. Please, I need more.”
“Hold on a second.” Rick pressed a button on his phone, and Cindy’s voice came through the speaker.
“Yes, Rick?”
“Hold all my calls for now, Cindy, and see that we’re not disturbed, okay?”
“Sure. Can I bring you anything, sugar? Or do you need me to call someone?”
“No. I can handle this one. Thank you.” Cindy had been with him for ten years and was more of a mother figure than a co-worker. She knew all about his problems with Sophia, and thought that’s what they were dealing with yet again.
Rick pressed the speaker button again, ending the call. “You sure about this, Gabby?”
“I’m not really sure about anything, but I know that I want to try. I think we deserve it. We did everything we could to fix my mother. Those days are gone. I’m done thinking about the past. I want to move on. I want to be happy. One thing I do know is that when I’m with you, all I can think about is us getting naked.”
“You’ve thought about getting naked with me? Gabriella, you naughty girl.” Rick winked at her and swatted her bottom. “I might have to spank you.”
Gabby gasped. “Really? I, um, don’t have a lot of experience, but I’m a very, very eager student.”
“Let’s start with this.” He lifted her up and sat her on his desk. Her flowing skirt fanned out around her. Rick slowly walked closer to her, invading the space between her legs. She tightened her grip on his arms, as the width of his body made her spread her le
gs wide.
“I want you to tell me if anything I do makes you uncomfortable.” He took possession of her lips again as he slipped his hand under her skirt. He lightly caressed her silky skin as he continued his way up her thigh. He was pleased to find that, instead of shying away, she spread her legs a bit wider for him. “That’s it, Gab. Open for me.”
Gabby moaned as all the new sensations assaulted her. Everywhere his hands roamed, nerves snapped to life. It was as if he was giving her energy, making her heart beat faster and her breaths multiply. His hand was now on her most private place, and all she could think of was that she still needed more. “Please, Rick.”
Rick pulled her closer, toward the edge of the desk, and lifted her skirt higher so that he could look at her. “Jesus, you’re beautiful. I have to taste you.” He dropped to his knees before she even realized what he intended. Instead of being shocked, she opened wider and threw her head back.
Rick watched her with joy. He slowly kissed her calves, her knees and the insides of her thighs. She was panting with need, and he could see how wet she was by the telltale mark on her panties. He pulled them off with his teeth, drawing more provocative moans from her. As soon as she was bared before him, he wasted no more time. He put his mouth on her, loving that she tasted even better than he imagined she would. She cried out instantly.
“Oh God, yes!”
Rick laughed but hushed her. “You’re going to have to try to be a little quieter, sweetheart.” He went back to his now very favorite spot with gentle licks. He wanted to bring her along softly, slowly, sensually.
As she wriggled around on his desk, begging for something she wasn’t sure she could put a name to, she lost any inhibitions that may have been lingering. Propping herself up on one arm, she grabbed his head with the other. “Please, Rick. I’m so close to … to—fuck, you’re so much better than my vibrator.”
At being compared to a vibrator, he gently bit down on her clit. He’d show her how much better he was.
Forbidden Fruit Vol 2 Page 32
