“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Get out of here. I’ll lock up, but I want to get some of these lyrics down first.”
Gabe was already headed for the door. He ran outside, cursing that it was already late in the day during the week and taxis were hard to find. He ran to a nearby hotel and asked the bellman to turn on their taxi call light. The blue light flashed around from the awning, a beacon to taxi drivers and Gabe alike there was work to be done. His phone was still in his apartment; he had no way to forewarn Victoria that he was on his way. Maybe that’s for the better. If he called her, she could tell him no, and though he would still show up, it would hurt him just the same to hear her turn him down.
Gabe threw cash through the window to the driver and ran up the walkway to the apartment. His foot landed on the spot where they had shared an intimate kiss. He remembered the sweetness of her lips, the joy in her eyes, and the lightness of her words. Todd may have planted a seed of doubt in her mind, but it was Gabe’s fault it was growing. In the shadow of his song writing, the seed was branching out and taking up space between them. He had to cut that sucker down, and fast.
He pounded on Victoria’s apartment door three times and then stopped to listen. No movement came from inside. Three more raps of his knuckles against the door followed by more silence, and then briefly, a slow shuffling to the door. Gabe braced himself, ready to swoop his arms up under her and press his lips to hers. He wanted to search her eyes for all of the hurt and neglect he had done with his absence so she would know how much he needed to make up to her. She was his joy, his happiness, and he wouldn’t have her feeling anything less than what he felt with every thought of her. The deadbolt slowly turned, and Gabe watched the handle shake. He held the doorframe, waiting impatiently. The door opened a crack, and Gabe moved to occupy the slight gap it made. Is she on her knees? Light-colored hair was visible but much lower than where Victoria’s head should have been, and her scalp was lined with curlers.
“Gabe?” A sleepy voice floated from the next door over.
Gabe looked down the hall, finding Victoria standing in her pajamas at another open door. Confused, he looked back to the door he was in front of. In his haste he hadn’t gone far enough and was pounding on the door of an elderly woman. “I am so sorry, ma’am.” The old woman smiled knowingly, winking at him before shutting the door in his face.
“What are you doing here?” Victoria asked quietly, her face pointing toward the ground.
Gabe stood close enough he could feel her breath on him, but she didn’t offer to move or let him in. He moved past her, letting himself into her home. She watched him enter, sleep and sadness in her eyes. When he heard the click of the deadbolt, Gabe grabbed her and turned her around. He pressed his lips to hers, his hands on either side of her face. Her lips were hesitant, closed to his.
“I am so sorry, Tori. I never meant for it to happen.” His lips moved against hers, and she jerked her face away from him.
“Never meant for what to happen?”
“Amelia’s been really dedicated to this song, and I wanted it to be perfect but…” Gabe hesitated, thinking of how he could say the song didn’t matter when he knew in his heart that it did. “But in the grand scheme, it wasn’t that important.”
Tears ran down Victoria’s cheeks, and she backed away from him. “How could you?” she whispered. “How could you?”
He must have lost every ounce of sense he had. He realized how bad it looked for him to show up in the middle of the night apologizing like a fool and bringing up Amelia as if something had happened between them.
“No, Tori, it’s not that. I promise!”
Her hands covered her face, but he could see the gentle shaking of her shoulders as she hunched over on the couch. Kneeling in front of her, Gabe put his hands over hers and moved them slowly away from her face.
“I promise you, Tori, I will never do that to you. Not ever.” He put her hands on her legs and then tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “I’m sorry that I’ve been away, that I’ve been so busy with this stupid song that I didn’t see you or get to talk to you. You’re more important than any song.”
Gabe brushed his hand against her messy ponytail of dark blonde hair, moving loose strands away from her face. She sniffled and he buried his face in her neck.
“Tori, you make me so happy. I can’t stand to see you so hurt. What can I do? Please, I’m begging.” He grazed the nape of her neck with his lips and then trailed lightly to her earlobe. She shivered beneath him. “I don’t want to hurt you, Tori. I never meant to hurt you.” His words were low and serious, the truth behind them scary even to him. Victoria softened, her head tilting toward him.
“I have…issues…Gabe. It’s hard for me.”
“Issues? We all have issues, Tori.”
Victoria sniffled and took a long ragged breath. “What Todd said was true. You won’t want me after long. I’m needy and you could have anybody.”
Gabe tightened his grip around the cushion of the couch. “Todd didn’t say anything right.”
“No, it’s true. I used to have to beg him to spend time with me, to…to touch me. It’s not normal. I need reassurance or something, more than other people.” Victoria shook her head, staying away from Gabe’s careful gaze.
“He’s an idiot. You had to beg him to touch you? How could he resist? God, Tori, look at you. You’re amazing.” Gabe put his hands firmly on her shoulders, shaking her lightly, hoping to snap her out of this stupor. How could she ever believe a word he said? “I never want to stop touching you. I think about it all the time. I love the way your fingers fit between mine. I love the way your hair flies behind you in the breeze. I even love when it flies up and covers my face. There isn’t a moment I don’t want to spend with you.”
Hiccups rose from Victoria. Tears lifted whatever leftover mascara she’d worn and ran down her cheeks. Her shoulders were still hunched and her breathing irregular, but at least Gabe could tell she was really listening to him.
“Come on, get up.” Gabe grabbed her hands and guided her body to stand, only to feel the weight of it across his chest when she leaned into him. She sobbed on his shoulder, warmth from her tears spreading through the cotton of his T-shirt. He laid his hand across her back, holding her closer to him than she had already pressed herself. Fingernails dug into his back, and she took a deep breath, her desperation for him to be close seemed only equivalent to his own for her. “What time do you work tomorrow?” he whispered to her.
She shrugged in response. “I’m calling off.”
Gabe chuckled and led her to the bedroom. He crawled in and situated himself to face her as she pulled the covers up to her chin. She lay flat on her back, but Gabe knew she wasn’t comfortable. She couldn’t be—he wasn’t. Gabe propped himself up on one elbow and ran a finger down her arm. “Come here.”
She turned her face to him and slowly rolled up onto her side. Making sure she saw his overacted motions, he licked his thumb and rubbed furiously under her eyes. Victoria tried to bite it back, but a laugh escaped her. He scooted himself closer to her, keeping enough distance that he could still take in the mass of beauty just feet from him. His eyes devoured her, he loved everything about her. He loved her.
Chapter 25
“What are you looking at?” The once confident voice came out squeaky and scared.
“You.”
“You shouldn’t. I’m all snotty and gross.” Victoria covered her face with her hands only to find Gabe peeling them back off.
“No, you’re beautiful.”
Victoria shook her head against the pillow. “You’re crazy,” she said quietly and closed her eyes.
Gabe moved even closer and put his head on her pillow. “Maybe. But I love you.” The words were breathy and quiet, his lips moving against hers as he spoke. He kissed her lightly, his hand back to cupping her face.
“Gabe.” She didn’t try to move away from him, but there was hesitation in her voice.
Victoria ground against him in her sleep. She made small noises, but none of them were intelligible. There was no way he could sleep. He lay there feeling her stomach rise and fall against his hand, hearing the broken murmurs coming from her lips, and felt her body move against his in too many ways.
“Gabe.” The first word he could hear her actually say. Between his realized emotions and all of her movements, there was no denying it. Gabe felt his cock thicken, no thoughts strong enough to take it away. He was curled up to the woman he loved, his name coming from her even in her sleep. Victoria rocked into him again, causing him to groan. He leaned over and kissed her neck lightly. She stirred but stayed asleep. Gabe couldn’t stop himself. He wanted to taste her again, he needed her. He placed kisses at the very base of her spine. He ran his hand smoothly over her stomach and cupped her breast. She stirred slightly, a small moan of sorts left her mouth. Gabe pushed himself against her harder and then moved slightly away and allowed her to roll to her back.
“Gabe?”
“Yes?”
“What are you doing?” She was definitely coming out of her sleep, but it held firmly to her.
“Begging you.” His voice was part whisper and part a laugh he hid against her neck. And another closer to her jawline. Her lips turned up into a smile, the go-ahead he was hoping for. Victoria propped a pillow up behind her head and pushed herself down into it. Gabe’s kisses moved from her neckline and stopped. He played with her peaked nipples, and he rubbed his hands over them and lowered his mouth.
“Mmmm…” Victoria looked like she might fall easily back to sleep, but the small noise and her increasing heartbeat told Gabe differently.
He ran his hands down her body, as far down her thighs as he could reach, and then back up. Carefully sliding up her top, Victoria sat up enough to help him remove it completely. Her arms stayed above her head tucked under a pillow, and he took in the view. Her breasts were perfect mounds between her slender neck and curvy hips. The shorts she wore were soft against his body. Gabe tickled one finger down her side, feeling goose bumps fill her flesh. When his hand reached her shorts, he tucked his fingers under their band and felt around for her underwear. He moved lower and lower until he felt the small stubble of hair.
“Tori, are you wearing only shorts?”
“Mmmm, is that a problem?” The smirk she wore didn’t even try to hide itself.
“For you it might be.”
Gabe was officially on a mission. He pulled the blankets down off her legs.
“Oh, it’s cold,” she whimpered.
Gabe grabbed a condom from the bedside table, quickly slid it on and then moved himself between her legs and lifted them. He ran his hands along her calves and back to her ass. He lowered his head and sucked at her shorts over her sex. Her taste coming through them turned him into an animal. He pulled the shorts off her and rubbed the throbbing head of his cock against her. Victoria moaned, rolling her hips to welcome him. Again he rubbed, watching the head come dangerously close to entering her. She was slick for him, and he couldn’t stand being so close to her, knowing he did this to her without being in her—not for another moment. Her sex stretched against him, his shaft disappearing inside of her. Her heat caught him on fire as he drove into her with passion.
Victoria’s thighs tightened around his waist, her ankles locked behind him, making her that much tighter. Gabe crushed his mouth down on Victoria’s as she rose to meet him. The arch of her back put pressure on him in new places. He thrust harder. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she pulled him back flat against her. Her nipples rubbed against his chest with their motion, and he was unable to keep his hands away from her body. The separating of their lips released cries of pleasure from Victoria. She yelled out with passionate fury, her fingernails clawing into his arms.
Gabe braced his arms on the wall. With her legs wrapped tightly around him, his stretching to the wall all but lifted her from the bed. She hovered before his thrust pushed her back down.
“Gabe!” she cried out. Their gazes locked for only a moment before her eyes rolled back in her head, her back arching. Gabe dropped one arm to rub his thumb on her clit. He hadn’t thought she could, but Victoria tightened even further around him. Her body shook and trembled, her hips pushing into him. She lifted her hands, pushed them against the wall to send her body rocking harder against him. That she wanted him so badly made it hard for him to see straight. He thrust harder, his grunts matching her broken screams. Her mouth dropped open, but suddenly no sound came from her. Victoria arched, shaking against him. The sound of her sucking in oxygen came in one deep breath before she collapsed beneath him, her orgasm pushing him on to his own.
“Holy shit, Gabe.” Victoria breathed out heavily. “If I said I love you right now, would you believe me?” She laughed out loud.
“Ha!” Gabe licked his lips and planted an extremely wet kiss on her nose. He threw the used condom away and plopped down next to her. “Not a chance.”
*
“Yuck!” Victoria wiped the spit off her nose with a smile. Gabe had shown up when she least expected him, knowing her thoughts and fears and comforting her to sleep only to wake her up filled with desire. She didn’t bother finding her clothes now. Her shorts would still be wet anyway. The way he moved around her and kissed across her neck had sent her spinning immediately. Instead, Victoria decided she’d play with him some more. She leaned her back against his chest and curled back up to his body. His hard length still pulsed between them, but she could feel him relaxing. The blankets were pulled up to her shoulders, but Gabe cupped her breasts anyway, adding warmth to her body. She took a deep breath and calmed her mind. When she’d said she was going to call off work the next day, it had been because of her headache and swollen eyes. She’d be happy to be off every day if he could keep her distracted like this.
Featherlight lips brushed her shoulder blade as she woke, but she allowed herself to be succumbed back to sleep. Morning sun crept in, warming the room, and although she didn’t need to for warmth, Victoria snuggled happily deeper into her blankets. The aroma of breakfast cooking and the snapping and popping of bacon sizzling opened her eyes some time later.
“Gabe?” she called out but got no response. Out of bed with fresh panties and a tank top on, Victoria walked lazily into her small kitchen. Gabe’s wide back was to her, her eyes taking in every inch of him. The jeans he wore last night hung loose on his hips, his back narrowing to a V before disappearing into his pants. Blond curls usually gelled and molded into place lay loose on his head, some falling and showing their length. She licked her lips, the memory of him stretching her waking her up better than any amount of cooking bacon could.
Victoria padded silently to him, tickling around his lower back before she slid her hands to his stomach where his muscles flexed under her fingers.
“Good morning, sunshine.” He grinned over his shoulder at her.
“Mmm, hi.” Victoria’s smile was pushed against Gabe’s back, her cheek squished to his skin.
“You ready for breakfast?”
“Mmhmm.” She let her hand drop from his abs and squeezed his dick.
“Whoa, easy, tiger!” Gabe laughed. “I’ve got hot bacon here!”
The sizzling and snapping moved closer to her as Gabe put the strips on a plate and headed to the table. Finally, she was happy and free from the weight of worry. She openly ogled him, and he returned fire with no shame at all.
“So, what shall we do today?” Gabe spoke between dips of his bacon into the runny yellow of his eggs.
Victoria glanced up at her
clock. Ten thirty. The restaurant would be starting to prepare for the busy lunch rush. Last night, calling off seemed like fun, but now that she wasn’t feeling so dramatic, it seemed kind of childish to call off to spend the day on the couch, even if Gabe was on it with her. His words and actions last night had proved to her he was serious about her, he wasn’t going anywhere. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks when remembering his words. He loves me. She felt it too, but he had told her not to say anything last night. Blurting it out over bacon wouldn’t prove much.
“Tori?”
“Oh. Sorry. I was actually starting to feel bad for not going to work.” Victoria put her forehead on the table. “That’s lame, isn’t it?” Even with her voice muffled and directed at the floor, she knew Gabe heard her by the way he chuckled.
“Nah, it’s not lame. You’ve got a good work ethic.”
Victoria looked up at him. “Would you mind?”
“Your work ethic?” A slow smile spread across his face. “Nope, your work ethic did wonders for me last night.”
Laughter pushed its way out of her. “You pig!” But she couldn’t stop laughing, even as she threw her napkin across the table at him.
“Go to work, call me when you get done, and we can meet back up.” Gabe got up and cleared away their dishes.
“You really don’t mind?”
“I always want to spend time with you, but if you need to go to work, I’ll go home and work too.” He shrugged casually. “No biggie.”
“I guess I’d better tell Sarah I’m on my way then.” Victoria went into the bedroom and got her phone. Passing her mirror, she shuddered. Beyond her swollen nose and droopy eyelids, her hair was wild and her makeup gone. She needed to shower. Pronto. “Gabe?” she called out. He walked into the room confidently.
“Yeeees?”
“I need to shower. Look what you did to me!” She motioned to her mess of a face and hair and laughed.
Siren's Song Page 15
