His Brat (Off Limits Book 1)

by Kali Argent

  “Well,” I announced, holding my arms out to the side, “this is as good as it gets.”

  Without missing a beat, Gabe pulled me into his arms and tilted my head back for a long, heated kiss. “You look beautiful.”

  Everything felt so different now, so…comfortable. I still had my moments of insecurity, my bouts of painful awkwardness, but I no longer fell apart every time he looked at me.

  “You, too,” I responded with a smirk. “Beautiful, I mean.”

  Gabe rolled his eyes and reached around to pinch my butt. “Uh huh. You’re hilarious.”

  My grin stretched wider. “I think so.”

  Snorting, he took my hand and pulled me toward the door. “Come on, brat. Let’s not keep your brother waiting.”

  Considering that Aiden’s acceptance had been hesitant, to say the least, that was probably a good idea.

  We rode the elevator down to the lobby with an older couple who bickered the entire way. Since we’d missed the beginning of the argument, I honestly didn’t have any idea why the man was a “cheap bastard,” but I mentally took his wife’s side, purely on principle.

  As we crossed the sitting area situated near the registration desk, I tried to pull my hand out of Gabe’s, but he held tighter and shook his head.

  “Don’t even start. We’re not doing anything wrong, and we’re not going to hide.”

  He was right, of course, but old habits and all that. I mumbled an apology and was rewarded with a kiss to the top of my head. I looked away and smiled. I really loved when he did that. Well, I just loved kissing him in general, but there was something about those chaste moments when he pressed his lips to my forehead, temple, or cheek that made me feel special.

  The restaurant was situated to the right of the hotel’s main doors, its entryway bracketed by two large columns. I spotted Aiden at once since he was seated in the middle of the room at a circular table large enough for six. Waving to him, I breathed a little easier when he waved back with a smile.

  Then, we rounded one of the columns, and I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw that he wasn’t alone.

  “Oh, shit.”

  Noah lifted his head, his dark gray eyes boring into me as he scowled with disapproval. Damn, I really should have read those text messages. Since it was barely after nine in the morning, he must have driven half the night to make the five-hour trip from Houston. On the other hand, knowing him, he’d probably left the minute he’d gotten off the phone with Aiden.

  That made more sense because he looked far too put together for someone who had broken every speed limit in two states to arrive by breakfast. He was freshly shaved, and his dark hair was combed smartly to the side like always. Even his clothes appeared to be freshly pressed, and he’d polished his black, square-framed glasses to within an inch of their life.

  Clearly, Gabe didn’t have the same reservations about sitting down with both my brothers as I did, because his hand squeezed around mine, and he dragged me closer to the table. At first, I let him, but when Noah rose from his chair, I jerked Gabe to a stop again and jumped in front of him as I spread my arms wide to shield as much of him as I could.

  “Don’t hit him!”

  It felt like every set of eyes in the restaurant turned on me, but I didn’t care. If Noah wanted to be mad at someone, he could be pissed at me.

  Aiden dropped his head and snorted. Gabe chuckled. Even Noah looked a little less severe than he had a moment ago. I hadn’t been trying for humor, but if it worked, I’d take it.

  “Relax,” Noah said, motioning to the unoccupied chairs at the table. “I’m not going to hit anyone. Come, sit down.”

  Since it would be childish to refuse, I did so, although reluctantly, while staring daggers at Aiden the entire time. “You’re such a dick.”

  He arched an eyebrow at me. “Did you really think I wouldn’t tell him?”

  “It wasn’t your place.”

  I’d been thinking the same thing, but it shocked me to hear the words coming from Gabe’s mouth. He and Aiden rarely disagreed, and while I didn’t want to come between them, I liked that he was taking my side on this. Beneath the table, I reached over and gave his thigh a grateful squeeze. In return, he covered my fingers with his own, lending me some of his strength.

  “No,” Noah agreed, his gaze still trained on me. “I shouldn’t have heard about this from Aiden.”

  I wanted to be indignant, to rail against him, but after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, I dropped my head and stared at the blue, linen tablecloth. Anger or disappointment, I could have dealt with, but the hurt in his voice killed me.

  “I’m sorry,” I muttered to my napkin, because I still couldn’t look at him. “I was going to tell you.” I scuffed my toe across the carpet, feeling for all the world like I was nine years old again. Finally, I peeked up at him. “Are you mad?”

  Resting his elbows on the table, he templed his fingers under his chin and considered me for a long time before answering. “I guess that depends.” He released me from his gaze and turned his stormy glare on Gabe. “How long has this been going on?”

  Gabe stared back unflinchingly. “Just this week. I didn’t really mean for it to happen, but I’m not sorry it did. You should know this isn’t just some passing thing for me. I love her.”

  I wondered if I’d always melt a little when he said that. I really hoped so.

  “Layla?”

  If Gabe was willing to stand up to my brothers for us, I could be brave, too. “I love him. This isn’t some act of rebellion. It wasn’t even sudden, not for me. I’ve loved him for a long time.” I looked up at Gabe, my heart filled to bursting, and smiled. “He’s the one for me, Noah. He makes me happy.”

  Noah sighed, removed his glasses, and rubbed both hands over his face. The poor guy looked far wearier than anyone should at thirty-five. Once he had his glasses perched back on his slender nose, he pointed a finger at me, but it wasn’t as authoritarian as I’d expected.

  “You’re going to graduate.”

  I only had a couple of months left before I earned my degree. The thought of dropping out of school hadn’t even crossed my mind. I could tell my brother was trying, though, so I bit back my sarcasm and nodded.

  “Yes, of course.”

  “So, you’re going to do this—” He waved his hand between me and Gabe. “—long distance?”

  “That’s why phones were invented,” Gabe responded. “There are also weekends.” His fingers tightened around mine when I gasped, but he didn’t look at me. “I won’t distract her from her studies, but weekends are for us. I think you’ll agree it’s a good balance.”

  His tone didn’t invite argument, and surprisingly, Noah didn’t offer one.

  “What about after graduation?” Aiden asked, speaking for the first time since the interrogation had begun.

  Since I was interested to hear the answer to that as much as my brothers, I kept quiet and let Gabe field that question as well.

  “That will largely be up to Layla. There’s plenty of space in my apartment for her to set up a studio. If that’s not good enough, we can find somewhere more suited to her tastes. As long as she’s happy, I don’t give a damn where we live.”

  I was ashamed to admit that, up until that moment, I had still been undecided. Not about being with him, but I’d been unsure if he’d still feel the same once he returned to Houston. Listening to him speak about our future with such conviction, however, dissolved any remaining reservations. This wasn’t just some fling for him. He loved me, and he was already making plans to rearrange his life to include me in it.

  While he and my brothers continued to talk about “intentions” and “propriety,” I slipped my phone out of my pocket and opened a new text message. It was said that actions speak louder than words, and since I usually screwed up when I tried to talk about my feelings anyway, I could think of only one way to show him I was just as committed.

  I typed the message quickly and sent it. I had a r
eply within seconds.

  Smiling, I left my phone on the table and sat up straighter in my seat. “So, are we good now?” I asked, interrupting whatever Noah was saying. “Not to be rude, but it’s really not any of your business. You know Gabe. You know who he is.” I held his stare, daring him to refute it. “I wouldn’t be with him if he wasn’t a good man. So, I really don’t see what else there is to talk about here.”

  Noah was silent for a long time, but he eventually shook his head and sighed. When he did speak, it sounded kind of like he was choking on the words. “And you’re being…careful, right?”

  I vaguely registered Gabe’s wince, but I was too busy freaking out to properly acknowledge it. “Oh, my god, Noah! Stop!” I held my hand up, my palm facing him. “Just stop. We are so not talking about this.”

  “I agree,” Aiden grumbled. “I think I just lost my appetite.”

  Noah glared, but thankfully, he relented. “So, you’ve thought this through? All of it? And you’re sure this is what you want?”

  I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, but just barely. “More than you know. Please, Noah, trust me.”

  Slowly, he bobbed his head. “I do. It’s just hard. I love you, Layla, and all I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy.”

  I could see the truth in his eyes, and I heard it in his voice. Until then, I hadn’t realized how much his approval really meant to me. I wouldn’t have ended things with Gabe just because my brothers didn’t like it, but I was glad I wouldn’t have to choose between my family and the man I’d given my heart to.

  “I love you, too, Noah, and you don’t have to worry about me. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.” I gripped Gabe’s hand again, holding onto it like he might disappear in a cloud of smoke if I didn’t. “So, we’re good, right? Because I was promised breakfast, and I’m starving.”

  Everyone laughed, and most of the tension bled away. Breakfast turned out to be rather enjoyable after that. For a little while, it felt like the way things had always been with the four of us sitting at the table, smiling and cracking jokes. It was like nothing had changed at all.

  Well, almost.

  While we waited for the check, Gabe leaned over as if to kiss me, but he stopped abruptly when a balled-up napkin hit him in the side of the face.

  “None of that,” Noah demanded. “I’m really not ready for that shit.”

  “Seconded,” Aiden agreed.

  I laughed but decided I could allow them that one courtesy. There would be plenty of time for kissing—and more—once we made it back to the room.

  After several hugs from my brothers, and forced promises to call them more often, Gabe and I said our goodbye and made our way back up to the suite. He’d arranged for a late checkout, and he didn’t have to be at the airport for another couple of hours, but neither of us had bothered to pack the night before. Searching the room for missing socks wasn’t how I would have chosen to spend our remaining time together, but I was grateful for every extra minute with him.

  “Don’t do that.” Stepping off the elevator on the second floor, Gabe took my hand and brought it to his lips.

  I peered up at him, genuinely confused. “Do what?”

  “You’re so easy to read.” He kissed my hand again, then released it to remove the keycard from his back pocket. “Stop worrying so much. This isn’t goodbye.”

  Wasn’t it, though? At least for a little while. “When will I see you again?”

  He actually had the audacity to snort at me. “I meant what I said at breakfast. I’ll see you Friday after class.”

  When he’d suggested we would spend weekends together, I hadn’t thought he’d meant every weekend. I certainly hadn’t expected him to return to New Orleans so soon. It felt greedy and selfish to accept more when I’d already been given me so much. Yet, I couldn’t deny that the thought of seeing him again in just a few days lessened the sadness of him leaving in the first place.

  Overcome with emotion, the minute we were inside the room, I shoved him back against the door and kissed him like my life depended on it. I hadn’t really thought it through, and honestly, I didn’t know how to get us naked or horizontal from there. Luckily, I didn’t have long to worry about the next step, because Gabe took over almost immediately, deepening the kiss as he reached for the waistband of my pants.

  I knew this dance well by now. No matter how frantic or chaotic it seemed, there was a rhythm to it, a cadence, and within seconds we were both naked and panting. If Gabe questioned my sudden aggressiveness, he didn’t react other than to grab my ass in both hands and lift me off my feet.

  In response, I tangled my hands in his hair and wrapped my legs around his waist, clinging to him and moaning when his erection pressed heavily against my core. He spun us quickly, pressing my shoulders against the door of the coat closet and anchoring me to it with his large frame.

  “I love you,” I gasped when he released my mouth to trail his lips down my neck. “I love you.” I chanted the words, whispering them like a prayer. “Hurry.”

  Sliding a hand between our bodies, he dipped two fingers into my quivering entrance and groaned. “Jesus, you’re so wet.”

  It was an observation, not a question, but I nodded anyway. Maybe if I agreed with him, he’d hurry the hell up. “Less talking,” I demanded. “I need you.”

  “Greedy little thing,” he muttered around a strained chuckle.

  Gripping the base of his cock, he pulled back far enough to press the flared crown to my opening, then thrust forward, filling me in one, hard plunge. My pussy clenched, my inner walls squeezing around the invasion, and I cried out as I bucked my hips against him.

  Without any leverage, my movements were awkward and uncoordinated, born of need rather than any type of skill. Gabe gripped my ass tighter, his fingers digging into the rounded globes, jerking me toward him with every punishing thrust. My head spun and my legs shook from the brutal tempo, and I cried out, demanding even more from him.

  “Fuck,” he growled, “you’re going to make me cum.”

  Hovering on the precipice, eager to find my own release, I pulled his mouth back to mine and shoved my tongue between his panting lips in a deep, primal kiss. “Yes. Do it. I want to feel you.”

  He buried his face against the side of my neck, his lips at the hollow behind my ear as his rhythm became impossibly quicker. “I love you, Layla.”

  Light burst inside me, filling me with warmth and joy as the building pressure finally reached its crescendo. One more hard thrust angled at just the right spot sent me flying, and I dug my fingernails into his shoulders as I shattered into a prism of colorful pieces.

  Gabe cursed and jerked against me, grinding his pelvis over my swollen clit as he found his own climax and spilled himself within my clenching depths.

  I was still breathing heavily, basking in the afterglow and enjoying the feel of being wrapped in his arms when a knock at the door startled me so much I actually screamed.

  “Easy,” Gabe chuckled as he eased out of me and placed me on my feet.

  “What are you doing?” I practically shrieked when he turned toward the door as if to open it. “Put some clothes on!”

  He laughed at me again and shook his head before peering through the peephole. “It’s your roommate.” His lips turned down at the corners. “Are you expecting her?”

  Crap. I’d completely forgotten. “Uh, yeah, she’s bringing me something.” Then, a little louder so that Rain could hear me through the door, I added, “Hold on! Coming!”

  “I think we already did that.”

  I swatted his bicep. “Behave.”

  Somehow, it took us longer to dress than it had to disrobe, but a minute later, I was decent enough to wrench the door open and greet Rain with a smile. “Hey, sorry about that.” I shifted uncomfortably as my soaked panties rubbed against me. Okay, that was kind of gross. “Did you bring it?”

  She gave me a knowing looking, and there was a little twinkle in her eye when she sta
red past me to Gabe. Oh, god, how long had she been standing there? Had she heard the whole thing? My face went up in flames, and I started choking on my own spit as she slipped past me into the room, carrying a thin package wrapped in brown paper.

  “Hey, Rain.” Gabe smiled in greeting. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Same.” She dipped her head toward him. “I’m just dropping this off for Layla.” She held up the package, then laid it on the table beside the wet bar before backing toward the still-open doorway. “I’ll see you later,” she said to me at the threshold. “I’ll get out of your hair so you can get back to…whatever you were doing.”

  Oh, fuck, she had heard everything. I just knew it.

  “I…uh…”

  “Bye!” She wiggled her fingers and turned away, disappearing down the hallway, her dark hair fanning out behind her.

  I turned to Gabe, my mouth gaping open. “She totally knows.”

  “Probably.” Gabe shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal and closed the door. “After yesterday, I highly doubt she cares.”

  I dropped my face into my hands and groaned at the reminder. Having a conversation with her freaking parents while Gabe had still been buried in me balls deep was probably the most humiliating experience of my life. Things had been fairly normal for the rest of the time we’d spent at my apartment, but I figured it was going to be a long time before I could look them in the eye without blushing.

  “What is that?” Gabe nodded toward the package. “A new painting?”

  “Not new.” Trying to breathe through my embarrassment, I gently peeled away the brown paper with shaking hands to reveal the fairy painting he’d been so insistent he wanted.

  “Layla?” There was confusion in his gaze, which was a little odd considering how brightly he was smiling.

  “It’s still mine,” I told him, pointing a stern finger at his face. “If you’re serious, though, if you really want me to move in with you after graduation—”

  “I am,” he interrupted. “I do.”

  Grinning, I left the painting on the table and sashayed over to wrap my arms around his waist. “Then, I guess you can hold on to it for me until I get there. Hang it somewhere you can see it all the time, and when you look at it, remember you belong to me.”