“He is putting down roots here?” she asked.
“Yep. He finds the little town charming.”
They drove for an hour before he pulled up outside the restaurant. There was a man waiting to take the car from Gabriel. He helped her out of the truck and escorted her inside. She knew he’d taken her to a French restaurant. Her nerves picked up as she’d never been anywhere so grand.
The maitre d’ showed them to a private booth. Gabriel waved him away and seated her himself.
“This is a really nice place,” she said.
“I know. I hope the food is as good as the service.” He seated himself opposite and ordered her a wine. She didn’t have the heart to tell him she wasn’t a huge fan of French cuisine. She liked items like onion soup and crème brûlée, but everything else never sat well in her stomach.
She took a bread stick and nibbled on it as the waiter poured their drinks before leaving.
“Did you order food?” she asked.
“Not yet. You look so nervous I wanted to make sure you’re happy here before I order.”
“Being truthful, I’m not keen on French food.”
“Neither am I, Amy. You’d be surprised how much we’re alike. I want you to be honest with me tonight, so I’m going to share something with you as well.” He took a sip of his water, and she waited for what he had to say. “I’ve been wanting to ask you out on a date since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
Amy reached across the table and held his hand. “I always looked forward to your company. The days you came to see me in the shop were my favourite. I’m going to say something now, and I don’t want you to get angry, promise?”
“Promise.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
“I think Steven knew that I felt something for you, and that’s why his temper got the better of him that night.” She saw Gabriel tense the moment she said her ex-husband’s name. “I’d never felt anything for him they way I feel for you. In his own way, he was jealous that you could make me want in the short time you knew me whereas he couldn’t in all the years we were together.”
It was her admittance to herself as much as to him.
“I don’t like you talking about him. He hurt you, and I can’t stand to think of you in pain. I’m pleased it wasn’t just me having these feelings.”
The waitress came to take their order. Gabriel ordered steaks with potatoes and a garlic and pepper cream sauce. She sat back and watched him. The way he talked and sat said to anyone who knew him that he was in charge.
When the waitress left, Gabriel turned back to her. “Mia and Billy are settling in nicely.”
“They adore you. I know this is wrong, but I heard them the other night talking about you being their daddy. I know you’re not, but if they ask you to be, would you let them down gently?”
****
Gabriel felt his world fill up with more happiness than he could imagine. Mia and Billy wanted him to be their daddy. It would be the most amazing experience in the world to be their daddy. He saw Amy looked nervous, and he wanted to put her mind to rest.
“It would be an honour to be their daddy.”
“You don’t have to feel obliged.”
He gave her hand a squeeze. “When it comes to you, nothing I do is out of obligation.” Their meal came out, and Gabriel found it comical to watch her picking at her food, her fork pushing the steak and the sauce around the plate. In truth, he wasn’t a big fan of the food either. He liked the company. They talked about everything. It was the most wonderful meal he’d had in a while. He enjoyed making her laugh with jokes and the way her eyes flashed when he stroked her fingers. Any touch he gave her made her body flush. He saw her nipples budding under his onslaught. The pulse pounded in her neck. She was turned on, and he was responsible for it.
The waitress came back with dessert menus, which Amy declined. He requested the check and then chuckled as he saw Amy biting her lip.
“You didn’t touch your food,” he said.
“You didn’t touch yours either, and mine was a little undercooked for me. It’s nothing against the food. I’m just not a fan.”
Gabriel signed the check and left a tip. “Come on. Let’s go and get a burger.”
He grabbed her hand and led her out. His truck was parked outside. He gave the guy a tip before helping her inside the truck.
She put the belt on and watched him drive the car out of the parking lot.
“What are you in the mood for?” he asked.
“A juicy, cooked burger.” Gabriel burst out laughing. He drove further in the city until they found a burger bar. She stayed in the truck while he went in to order. Twenty minutes later he parked out by a reservoir near the joining rode to Cape Falls.
“This is beautiful,” she said. He laid his jacket in the back of his truck for her to sit down on. They sat and stared out of the water. The sun had gone down hours ago. Gabriel opened up his paper bag, and she scented the food.
“Cheeseburger with extra onion relish.” He handed her the wrapped burger. He watched as she tore the paper off and sank her teeth into the food. Gabriel did the same, and the greasy cheese and meat exploded on his tongue. The hunger he’d been feeling evaporated. “Wow. I never thought watching a woman eat a burger could be so damn sexy.”
Amy chuckled and took another bite. “This is heaven.”
“We could bring Mia and Billy in a few weeks’ time. They’d love to play out here,” he said.
He fed her a fry. She took it from him. “I could get used to this.”
“What? Eating burgers in the back of my truck? This wasn’t the romance I had planned.” He rested his hand on her thigh. Gabriel stared at his sun-tanned flesh against her own. The slit of her dress exposed the length of her pale leg.
“To me, this is perfect,” she said. She was turned to him. He stared into Amy’s eyes, and he noticed her gaze fell to his lips. She closed the distance between them and kissed him. He responded, pulling her closer to him.
The kiss deepened. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, and he did the same. They tasted of cheese and meat, but he didn’t care. Her fingers sank into his hair, teasing the strands out of their slick hold.
Gabriel pushed her away with his hands on her arms. “Not like this. I’m not going to lose control in the back of my truck.”
“I wouldn’t mind.”
“No. I want you, Amy. I shouldn’t because I’m a fucking old man, but I do, and I’ll have you. But not like this. I want you in my house where it is warm, and I can remove all your clothes and make love to you without concern.”
She nodded. They sat and finished their food before getting inside the truck. She phoned Laura and told her she’d pick up her children for the night. He knew he’d spoilt the moment.
“I didn’t want to push you a way. I want you, Amy. More than you can begin to imagine.”
“I’m not upset, Gabriel. I know that you wanted me, and I appreciate it. I think I’d have come to hate us if we’d gone any further. A couple’s first time shouldn’t be in the back of a truck.”
He wasn’t happy with her explanation or the distance between them. When he found an available spot, he pulled in, turned the engine off and pulled her into his arms. He slammed his lips down on hers and sank his fingers into her hair. In the one kiss he showed her all the passion he possessed for her. The way he felt poured in the action. She moaned and held onto him until he was ready to let go.
Gabriel pulled away. “I want to, Amy. Don’t be mistaken by my refusal.”
“I’m not.” When he was happy that he’d gotten his point across, he started the truck back up.
They drove to Laura and Dean’s house and then onto his house. Together they tucked in the children and spent the rest of the night making out on the couch. Gabriel touched her as much as possible without going past any limits. He wanted the date to end on a high. Gabriel wanted to do more but held himself back. It wasn’t going to be long until he couldn’t keep control
over his rampant desire for her.
He hoped she would come to him when she was ready to take the next step.
Mine.
Whenever she was in his arms all he could think about was claiming her. It would take great strength on his part to not go any further.
Chapter Ten
A week went by, and Amy spent most of it in a state of erotic high. Gabriel always found an excuse to touch her when he passed. He would brush her hair aside and lay kisses against her neck. She found herself slowly losing her mind as she thought of nothing but sex. Every night he would leave her at her door. She would try to find a satisfaction in the release she brought by her hand, but nothing worked.
William phoned several times a week to see how she was, which she was touched by. No one left her heart pounding or made her want as Gabriel did. The gentleman in him was annoying her.
She knew he was preparing her for when he finally took her. The control he showed her by his restraint excited her. Gabriel was a man who knew what he wanted, and she was next on the menu. On Saturday night, she was reading another of Dean’s books. Mia and Billy were in bed, and Gabriel came home late. She knew he was finalising the purchase of the house for William. Most of Cape Falls were in uproar over the changes being made. The tattoo parlour was being decorated already. She’d seen the shop in town the other day. Plenty of town folk had been stood outside muttering. She’d spent the rest of the day smiling.
He walked into the sitting room. She had her feet on the couch.
“Where are Mia and Billy?” he asked.
“In bed. They were tired from school.” She got up and brushed past him. “Are you hungry?”
“Famished.”
She went to the kitchen and pulled out all the ingredients she’d need for an omelette. He stood behind her as she cracked the eggs into a bowl. She chopped up the spring onions, ham, and tomato while he stood moving her hair out of the way. He pushed her hair over one shoulder. She tried to concentrate while he kissed her neck. His hand rested on her stomach. She put the butter in the pan followed by the ingredients. He cupped her breasts, and she stilled as his fingers teased her nipple.
“I missed you.”
Her pussy was slick with arousal. She closed her eyes to gain her composure. When she got control of her body, she stirred the pan and then added the egg. She didn’t dream of telling him to back off. Her body was on fire for him.
He let her go when she put the omelette under the grill. They stared at each other across the room. She knew there was something different about him, an edge to his character that she’d never seen before. She put his food on a plate and sat down with him while he ate. The silence between them was filled with sexual tension. Her body was hot, and she wanted to beg him to make love to her.
While he ate, she got up and went to another room. She picked up her book and took it upstairs to her room. Her body was alive. There was no conversation, and she knew something was going to happen. How could she move the tension forward? What would he do to her body? Her imagination ran wild as she thought of everything she’d dreamt about Gabriel and the pleasure he could give her. Amy walked down the stairs and stopped. Gabriel stood waiting for her. She took the last few steps until she was in front of him. The distance closed between them.
He grabbed her waist and pulled her close.
Amy stared into his eyes. Her heart pounded, her tits ached, and the pulse between her legs was growing. His hands branded her where they were wrapped around her waist. Her legs parted, and he pressed a knee between her thighs. She felt the heat of him pushed up against her.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“No. I like what you’re doing to me. I’ve never felt anything like this before.” Her whole body was on fire and felt like jelly at the same time. He turned her whole world inside out.
Gabriel pulled away, and she moaned at the loss of contact. “I care about you, Amy. I want you to trust me.”
“Out of everyone in my life, you’re the only person I trust.” It was the only thing she knew about herself. The trust she felt for Gabriel went bone deep.
“Your innocence makes me hard every time,” he said.
“I’m not innocent. I’ve had two children, remember?” She smiled at him.
“You’re not an innocent?” He took her hand and pressed it against his crotch. “Do you feel that? That’s what you do to me. I’m hard for you.”
Beneath her hand, his cock felt like stone, and she squeezed the length of him, letting out a gasp as she did. Steven had always made love to her in the dark. She’d never seen his cock or felt it in her palm.
“Can I see you?” she asked. Any fears she might have had melted away at the look of sheer lust on his face.
“I want you to think really hard, Amy. If we cross this line there is no going back for us. I won’t leave you alone. You’ll be my woman.”
You’ll be my woman. She liked the sound of that.
“I couldn’t leave?”
“Never. You’re staying here with me.”
“I’d be your woman. Completely?”
“Yes.”
“I like the sound of that,” she said.
“Take off your clothes.”
Amy went to the buttons of her shirt and slipped each button through the slit. She knew he would have to see a few of her scars eventually, and she’d rather get it over with.
Gabriel closed the door and walked towards her. She couldn’t stop herself from staring at him. This was the first time in her whole life that she wanted to get naked with a man and have sex. Her heart was pounding inside her chest. The wetness pooled in her panties. She wanted him so badly.
She removed her shirt and went to her jeans. Gabriel stood in front of her and pulled his white shirt over his head. His muscles rippled with every movement. She reached out and touched him. He was warm and hard.
“You’re so big,” she said. His chest beneath her hand made her look so small and pale.
“I’m a lot bigger than you.” He pulled her closer, tilted her head back, and kissed her. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, making love to her with his lips. She accepted him, teasing him back with gentle strokes. Gabriel pulled the straps of her bra down her shoulders. Amy moved her hands free and wrapped herself around him.
With easy movements her bra was on the floor, and her jeans pushed down for her to step out of. She wore a pair of white cotton panties and nothing else.
Gabriel released her and took a step back. She crossed her arms over her breasts. He held her hands away, exposing her body.
“You deserve to be in thongs and silks. Would you wear the underwear I buy you?” he asked.
Her nipples budded under his ardent gaze.
“I’d wear everything you bought me,” she said and meant every word.
“Good. Take your panties off.” His voice changed. He no longer asked her but ordered. The thrill that went down her spine shocked her. Staring into his blue eyes, she pushed her panties to the floor and stood out of them. “Go and lie down on the couch,” he said.
She walked to the couch without hesitation. The need to please him filled her body. Amy lay down and watched Gabriel as he removed the last of his clothes. She stared down his body, taking in every line and muscle. He was right. She’d been with a man and had borne two children, but she was an innocent. The only time she’d seen male anatomy like this was in a textbook or the Discovery Channel. Her lips parted on a gasp as her gaze moved down to what lay at the juncture of his thighs.
He was long and thick. The red tip was bulbous, and the slit at the top looked wet. He sat down next to her on the couch. They were both naked in his sitting room, and she’d never felt more alive than she did in that moment.
“Do you want to stop?” he asked.
“Never. I feel something for you, Gabriel. I’m not sure what it is, but I never want to stop.” She tried to explain everything to him. If she could v
oice all that she was feeling maybe she could make sense of it all.
“Tell me everything, Amy. This is what I want. For you to be open with me.”
Amy nodded and took his hand. She’d read many books and seen stuff in the movies. Nothing she had read or seen was anything like being part of it. Taking a deep breath, she dived into this new world Gabriel had opened up.
“I ache here,” she said, placing his hand on her breast. “It feels so tight and good. I want to feel you touching my breasts.”
“Tell me where else.”
Down her body, she moved his hand. Her tummy quivered with the touch. She went down until his hand covered her pussy. “It aches here. I’m so hot and wet.”
“You want me, baby. This is your body’s way of telling you you want me.” She looked at his hand and watched as he ran two fingers through her slit, her juice coating his fingers where he moved. When he touched her clit, tiny sparks shot out all over her body at the incredible feeling he was creating. “I want to touch you, baby. I want to know what your body likes, and I need you to trust me.”
“Will I like it?” she asked.
“You’ll be screaming for more by the time I’m done.”
She lay down and nodded her head. “Do what you want. I trust you.”
Gabriel moved over her. He lifted her legs to wrap round his waist and pulled her to sit on his lap. “First, I want to explore this mouth. Your lips are so plump and delicious. I want to sink my cock inside your mouth and watch you suck me.”
She cried out at the vision he created inside her mind. “Your cock is so big. Would I be able to fit something that big inside my mouth?” she asked.
“Yes. You’d like that wouldn’t you? To suck my cock.”
“Yes.”
“How does it make you feel?” he asked.
“Excited and frightened. I’ve never done anything like that before.”
“I’ll give you everything you’d ever want. All you have to do is ask, and you can have it,” he said. He pushed her hair off her shoulder, his fingers caressing her skin.
Mine to Keep Page 7
