by Lana Love
I nearly jump out of my skin when my phone beeps with the special tone I picked out for Gabriel.
How is the shopping going? Have you found a dress?
I have! I can’t wait for you to see it!
Send me a photo?
No. It’ll be a surprise. I’m sure you’ll be pleased.
You tease…
Feeling confident in lingerie for probably the first time in my life, I tap the camera app and take a picture of me in the mirror, from the chest up. I quickly crop it to make sure it’s flattering, then before I can think twice, I text it to Gabriel.
After a minute, my phone beeps again, this time notifying me that Gabriel wants to video Skype with me.
Taking a deep breath, I quickly run my hand through my hair, then accept the video call.
“Hi,” I say, shyness overwhelming me.
Gabriel’s eyes go wide when he sees me and he gasps.
“You are fucking gorgeous. Will you show me more?”
“Um,” I stall, my mind racing. I move my phone so that it’s closer to me, but not showing him anything more than in the picture. “This is all you get right now, Gabriel. Like the dress, the rest is a surprise for the night of the gala.”
Gabriel’s light blue eyes narrow at me and he opens and closes his mouth, then his full lips break into a wide smile that lights up his face.
“That sounds like a promise to me. I like that promise…”
My cheeks flood with color and I smile at him. I’ve never felt comfortable showing a man my body before, because I thought I would never be good enough. It’s always seemed like the most desirable men always want or end up with women who look like they belong in a fashion magazine. Yet Gabriel is still excited about seeing me naked, after the trip we took. Feeling attractive to an attractive man is something I doubted would ever happen.
“You are so beautiful when you blush. I would very much like to see you after you finish shopping.”
There’s something in Gabriel’s eyes – not just lust, but a tender need, too. It matches the way I’ve been feeling about him. It feels like a wondrous new world is just a breath away. I wasn’t lying when I told Maggie that it feels like there’s a deeper connection between Gabriel and me.
“I’d like that, too. Though you’re going to have to wait,” I tease. “I need to get back to work. The owner will kill me if he finds out I ducked out for even a little while and Maggie will kill me if the coffee shop gets slammed and it’s just her there.”
“I…” Gabriel’s smile falls from his face and his brow creases.
“What’s wrong?” A surge of concern rises in me and I feel an overpowering desire to comfort him.
“I’m sorry, sweet Sophie. I have to go. My Father is calling again.”
“Oh, of course. We’ll talk again soon.”
Gabriel says goodbye and smiles again, then the screen abruptly goes dark.
I look in the mirror and run my hands across my breasts and down my stomach, feeling more confident about myself.
For the first time in a long time, I truly feel desirable.
Chapter 10
Gabriel
Yes, Father. Of course.”
Once again, Father is going over details I already know inside and out, as if he doesn’t trust me. Which, okay, is a little fair. I’ve been careless in the past, but I never felt like I had direction or a reason to not be careless.
Yet with Sophie, all that’s changed. I finally understand what friends of mine have said about finding The One and how it’s just different when you find a special girl.
And you better fucking believe that Sophie is special. I want her in my life for a very long time and I’m going to do whatever I need to do to make that happen.
“Gabriel de Montmorency! Are you listening to me?” My father’s voice barks in anger and I curse inwardly that we’re on Skype and not a regular telephone call, because it means he can see that I was daydreaming. The contempt is plain on his face.
“I apologize, Father. I do. I promise you that I have all the details worked out. My assistant can email you the details for you to review.”
“Please do. We can’t afford any blunders. You know how important this painting is to your Mother.”
“I do, Father. I promise you everything will be perfect.”
He looks back at me, his face inscrutable as he stares back at me.
“Well, good. What?” Father looks at something away from his computer, then nods his head. “I must go now. Remember to have your assistant send me the details so that I can review them.”
We end our video call and I slump back in my chair, looking out at the view from my penthouse. I text my assistant to send the gala details to my Father, then pull up the picture Sophie sent me.
My cock instantly reacts to the sight of her in fancy lingerie. Her full breasts are perfectly cupped in exquisite lace and they taunt me with their perfection and beauty.
Fuuuck.
My hand instantly goes to my painfully hard cock. I expand the picture on my phone so I can see more detail of her breasts, as I starting pumping my cock. I imagine her breasts, free and above me as she rides my cock, her body vibrating with the pleasure I know that I can and will give her. What will she look like as she comes when we fuck? Images of her moaning, screaming, or coming quietly race through my mind, each one ratcheting up my desire and need for her.
An image of her circling her hips over mine, her arms above her head and holding her hair, pushes me over the edge and I come hard and fast, my breath jagged as my body twitches.
“Come outside with me. Just for a minute.” My voice is pleading, but I don’t care. Being vulnerable with Sophie is something that scares me, but I welcome it. I’ll do anything to be closer to her, and that includes opening myself up to her and showing her the effect she has on me.
Sophie looks over my shoulder and into the coffee shop. A strand of her hair falls out of the ponytail and I reach out to push it behind her ear.
“Oh,” she says, startled, reaching up and putting her hand over mine. “Thanks.”
“Please?”
“Just a sec.”
I watch her body sway as she walks over to talk to the woman she’s working with. Her co-worker glances at me, then smiles at Sophie and pushes her back toward me.
“Okay. I have, like, three minutes. Our boss should be back soon and we’re busy enough that he’ll chew me out if he catches me taking an extra break.”
I grab her hand and we practically run out of the coffee shop, then walk over to a tree a short distance away. My heart is jumping in my chest just to be close to Sophie again.
“I had to see you.” I pull Sophie into a long kiss. She parts her lips and her tongue dances with mine. “You do something to me, something special. I need you.”
Sophie giggles in my arms, her arms hugging me tightly. The softness of her breasts pressed against my chest has my mind racing through my fantasies again and my cock is instantly hard again.
“You do something to me, too. I like you a lot, you know.”
“Good.” I pull her into another kiss, my hand sliding down her back and cupping her ass. Sophie responds by pushing her curvy body against mine and hugging me even tighter.
Fuck. I kiss her more deeply, cursing the clothing barrier between us. I love this woman.
“Sophie—”
“Sophie Benjamin!” Sophie’s boss is standing five feet away from us, his face red with fury as he roars at me. “Get back to work this second! You’ve got three tables waiting and Maggie is slammed! How dare you think you can sneak off for a break? Get back to work NOW!”
Sophie’s body goes rigid and she pushes me away, mouthing ‘sorry’ as she does.
“Come see me when you finish work, yes?”
“Definitely!” Sophie pauses for a moment, then kisses me quickly on the lips. Her boss glares at her and then at me.
I need to get her away from this job. I’ll set her up with the f
inest studio any artist could want and share my life of privilege and luxury with her. What good is my fortune if I can’t share it with the woman I love?
I will give Sophie the world.
Chapter 11
Sophie
Girl,” Maggie says, quickly sidestepping around behind the counter, “I thought Boss Man was going to kill you. You should have seen the color of purple his face went when he saw you outside with Gabriel! I thought he was going to stroke out!”
I smile at the memory of Gabriel’s body pressed against mine, his hungry kiss, his hands grabbing my ass and pulling me close...
“It was kind of worth it,” I admit, finishing pouring a couple of drinks and double checking I’ve finished the order.
It takes another thirty minutes for things to quiet down in the coffee shop.
“Whew! That was some rush,” Maggie puts a bunch of dirty mugs in the dishwasher.
“Yeah. At least the time went quickly, though.”
“You’ve been floating around all evening, like you’re on Cloud 9. You really like this guy, don’t you?”
A big smile spreads across my face. I’m totally unable to hide how much I’ve fallen for Gabriel. Against all odds, it just feels right with him, like I’ve found something I didn’t even know I wanted or needed. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he’s a prince!
“I do. I really do.”
“You think there’s something there?”
“To be honest, I think so. I know I don’t have a lot of experience with men, but things just feel so…I don’t even know how to describe it. It feels natural and right.”
“Yeah, you’ve got it bad,” Maggie says, coming over and giving me a quick hug. “I’m really happy for you. You really deserve to be happy like this.”
“Thanks,” I say. “This is the last thing I ever expected! You know, how everything has been me just working toward Italy and the Accademia.”
Maggie looks at me for a long moment. “Are you still going to go there?”
“What? Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Well, it’s just that some women give up everything when they fall in love. I’d hate for that to be you.”
“Maggie, I’m never giving up art. It’s who I am, it’s in my blood. You know that, right?”
Maggie nods, then smiles. “I had to make sure. Love is pretty powerful stuff.”
“Yeah, it sure is,” I say, smiling again as I lose myself in the memory of being in Gabriel’s arms, feeling how our bodies fit together so perfectly. “Speaking of, I’m going over there tonight, once I’m finished here.”
“What? Sophie Benjamin is taking a night off of painting? You must be in love!” Maggie teases, snapping a towel at me.
“Yeah, I am.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve danced,” Gabriel says once I’ve arrived at his penthouse.
“If you’re asking me to be in your arms…” I tease, pulling him close and giving him a long kiss.
“I’ll just put on some music. Are you ready for the gala?”
Gabriel picks up an iPad and taps a few times, then a beautiful waltz comes pouring out of the speakers.
“May I have this dance?” His blue eyes twinkle as he holds out his hand to me.
“It would be my pleasure.”
Now when we dance, we move as if we’ve been dancing together for years. We’ve only been to a couple of classes so far, but it’s like we have this innate understanding of each other and how to move with each other. We make a circuit of the enormous living room, never fumbling or making even the slightest of mistakes.
“That was wonderful, Sophie, truly wonderful. I’m really impressed with how much you’ve learned in such a short period of time.”
I smile and bask under his praise. “Thank you. I attribute that to having such a wonderful dance partner.”
“Such flattery.” Gabriel smiles, then lowers his mouth to mine once again. The power of his kiss takes my breath away.
A new song starts, and Gabriel leads me into a new dance, his mouth not leaving mine. As he leads me into a turn, his hands run down my back and under the edge of my skirt, and tugs at my work blouse. My skin shivers with pleasure as his finger dances across my skin.
“Is that a new move, your highness?”
“Do you like it? I can stop if you don’t…”
“Don’t tease me like that,” I say, pushing into his hand, encouraging him to touch me more.
“There’s a new move I’d like to try…” Gabriel spins me around, stopping me when my back is facing him, then running both of his hands along my arms until they reach my chest. His hands move down over my breasts and waist, then hook under my shirt and lift it over my head in a smooth and fast movement.
“That is new,” I say as he turns me around and leads me into another box step. “I approve of that move.”
The living room is large as a ballroom and we dance around it like it is one. It is staggering to be in a home with this much space! My entire studio apartment is, I imagine, about the size of one of the closets here.
“Why are we stopping?”
Gabriel hasn’t released me from his arms and I dare to take a step closer to him.
“Look.” Gabriel nods toward the floor-to-ceiling window we’re standing next to and I gasp. The Seattle skyline glows with vibrant reds and oranges as the sunset glows behind the Cascade mountain range across the Puget Sound.
“That’s so beautiful,” I murmur, snuggling into Gabriel’s arms.
“Not as beautiful as you.”
Gabriel pulls me into a long kiss and my body melts into his. It’s been a long time since I’ve been called beautiful. Every doubt I’ve had, Gabriel has smashed it and proven that he really does care about me and that I’m not some random hookup or an ‘until someone better comes along’ girlfriend. Gabriel’s kiss forcefully fills my mouth with his passion, like he’s trying to consume me, to make us one. I give myself over to the kiss, sucking at his tongue and loving the taste of him.
“Thank you, Gabriel. Let me show you how much I appreciate you saying that.” I slide my hands down his arms, then over his strong chest, then rub his cock through his slacks.
“Oh, is that a new move, Sophie?” Gabriel’s lips quirk up in a smile and his blue eyes shine.
“Do you like it, Gabriel?” I ask, momentarily stilling my hands. “I can stop if you don’t…”
Gabriel’s voice is husky when he responds. “I don’t approve of teasing, Miss Benjamin.”
“Well,” I say, looking up into Gabriel’s eyes as I squat down and kneel in front of him. I unbuckle his belt and unzip his slacks, never breaking eye contact. “Does this look like teasing to you?”
“I… Oh, Sophie.”
Gabriel groans when I kneel forward and lightly lick the tip of his impressive cock. I smile as his heavy cock twitches and jumps, enjoying how excited he is by me. Slipping my mouth over him, I work my mouth on his rock-hard shaft, massaging his cock with my tongue as I work to make him feel as good as he makes me feel.
“Oh, fuck. That…feels…amazing!” Gabriel’s voice trembles.
I reach around and grab his ass, holding him close so I can lick and suck all of him. Gabriel’s body twitches as I take all of his thick cock in my mouth, and I’m not going to let him escape. I love his salty taste.
Gabriel grabs my hair and pulls out of my mouth, his hard cock bouncing in front of my face.
“What?” I gulp for air, feeling confused.
“I want to come on you,” Gabriel gasps, one hand sliding on to his cock and pumping it fast and hard.
He looks down at me and I bite my lip as I look up and see the vulnerable need in his eyes. He cries out and his hot come hits my neck, then hotly slides down towards my breasts.
Gabriel slides to his knees in front of me, panting for air.
Wanting to know what he tastes like, I trail a finger across my breast and through his come, then lift my finger to my mouth and
suck it clean. Gabriel’s blue eyes go wide as he watches me, then he trails one of his fingers across my breasts, then lifts it to my lips. I eagerly suck his finger clean, too.
“You are so fucking amazing. I’ll give you pearl necklaces all the time if you’ll wear them like that.” Gabriel leans in and kisses me, which I have to admit is the hottest thing a guy has ever done after I’ve gone down on him.
Gabriel pulls me close to him, his hand straying back to my breasts and pinching at my nipples.
“Now it’s your turn. Let’s go to bed and I’m going to make you feel as good as I do right now.”
Chapter 12
Gabriel
The moment I realize I’m waking up, I’m grinning like a maniac.
Sophie.
Then I realize I’m alone in bed.
What?
Surely she must be somewhere in the penthouse. But when I touch her pillow, it’s cold. She hasn’t been in bed for a while now.
My heart thuds and nervous adrenaline spikes my body. I leap up from my Egyptian cotton sheets and rush through the penthouse, looking for Sophie. A heavy knocking on the front door catches my attention and I wave away the butler, determined to greet Sophie myself.
Sophie must have done something sweet like going out for coffee, despite there being a fine selection of coffee here in the penthouse and staff to make it exactly the way each of us likes it.
“So—”
“Son.” My Father’s voice is withering as he glances at my naked body. “I hope for the sake of our family, you are not in the habit of opening the door stark naked. What happened to your butler? Is he sick?”
Father brushes past me and heads for the living room.
I stifle my disappointment, rush to my bedroom and quickly dress in a pair of slacks and a Balenciaga t-shirt, before stopping by the bathroom to quickly wash my face and try to smooth my blond hair back.
