Wrong Bed, Right Guy

by Katee Robert

  “Have you ever been to the club Dublin?” When she shook her head, he continued. “Well, they have clubs in other cities with the same concept. Five floors, each with a different theme. This is the entrance level—kind of chill right now, but after ten we switch the music as the younger crowd starts showing up. Then, if you want quiet, you go to the top.”

  She had to admit, it was a fascinating idea. Elle wasn’t much of a clubgoer, but she could see the appeal of having several flavors of music and crowds to choose from without having to switch buildings or pay an extra cover charge.

  “What’s your poison? Techno, hip-hop, or country?”

  Though there was the temptation to see them all, she went with the one least likely to traumatize her. “Country.”

  Gabe stepped into the elevator and pressed four. “Can you swing dance?”

  Yes, but she was surprised he’d think to ask. “I haven’t tried since high school. Can you?”

  “I had a friend who was into that sort of thing. Can’t do the lifts, but I can spin you around the floor a time or two.” He grinned. “You up for it?”

  That expression did funny things to her stomach. Despite her best effort, Elle ended up grinning right back at him. “Sure.”

  The country floor was both what she expected and completely different. There were the typical trappings found in this type of bar everywhere, but everything was of a really high quality. Though the bar itself looked like several barn doors attached together. When she leaned against it, she found it’d been sanded down to an almost silky smoothness. The majority of the room was occupied by a huge dance floor and stage, which seemed to indicate they had live music from time to time. That left the other half of the room, with the square bar immediately next to the elevator and a handful of tables and chairs on the other side.

  Already, the music was going and the place was half-full. Almost everyone was under thirty, but there was a group of older men and women swinging around the dance floor.

  “Those are our regulars.” Elle jolted when Gabe spoke in her ear. “They come out after dinner, dance for a while, and then go home before the heavy crowds hit.”

  A man flipped his partner around, pulling off a move Elle hadn’t seen outside of competitions. Dang. “Sounds like fun.”

  “Would you like a drink?”

  She didn’t want to get wasted, but maybe one drink would be okay? Elle didn’t know. It was hard to think with the length of his body pressed against hers. “A lemon drop if they can make it.”

  “Babe, this is my club. Of course they can make it.” He caught her earlobe with his teeth, pressing just hard enough to send a shiver racking her body. Then Gabe was gone, strolling to the bar as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

  In an effort to keep from watching him like some love-struck teenager, Elle made her way to one of the tables. Here, she had a great view of the dance floor. The more she watched, the harder it was to ignore the desire to move. Sure, she couldn’t match them for skill, but memories came over her in waves, all of them highlighting the fun she’d had with friends back in high school.

  By the time Gabe slid into the chair next to her, she was determined to try. Then his thigh pressed against hers and his hand dropped to her knee, right where the hem of her dress rested, and she forgot everything but him. Elle took her drink with fumbling fingers and sipped it. Lemon tartness exploded on her tongue, lending to the warmth already circulating through her body. He leaned in, close enough to give that kiss she was so preoccupied with. Elle watched his lips move, already feeling them on her body. “Want to dance?”

  Dancing was good. Dancing meant she wasn’t going to throw herself at him in the middle of this club. Elle nodded. They moved onto the floor, Gabe expertly leading her through the other dancers. He spun her out and then into his arms, surprisingly light on his feet, and the moves came back as if she’d never forgotten them.

  The world narrowed down to the feel of Gabe’s hands on her body, the beat of the music, the sweat on her skin. One song blended into another and they kept right on dancing, even as the crowd around them faded into a younger set. Finally, breathless, she shook her head. “Break. I need a break.”

  Gabe led the way back to their table. When Elle collapsed in her seat, she gave her drink a suspicious look. “I think I’m good.”

  “Babe, no one touched your drink.” “You don’t know that.”

  “Actually I do.” He nodded at the bartender.“She watched them.”

  “She’s all the way across the room. How the heck would she know?”

  “You are so damn cute when you’re being paranoid.” He hooked the back of her neck and pulled her in, crushing his lips against hers.

  Elle opened her mouth without having any intention of doing so. She ran her fingers through his hair as his tongue traced hers. God, he tasted amazing. Elle stroked her hands down his chest and back up again to cup his face.

  Gabe shifted back and she almost yelped when he lifted her into his lap. But then his tongue tangled with hers, washing her away on a tide of desire. It beat beneath her skin, demanding things she very much wanted to follow through on after experiencing them firsthand the other day. Gabe’s fingers slipped beneath her dress, barely an inch above her knee, but it was as if he’d stroked directly over her core. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she shivered.

  When he nipped her bottom lip, she moaned.There was no way he could have heard the sound—not with the music as loud as it was—but Gabe pulled away, his eyes gone dark with passion. “Come with me.”

  “Okay.” No hesitation. No questions. Right now, with her body still shaking from his touch, she’d go anywhere he asked.

  He moved through the crowd, so fast it was almost a struggle to keep up. If it weren’t for his hand nearly crushing hers, she would have lost him in an instant. She thought they were headed for the elevator, but Gabe swerved around a couple making out and stopped in front of the bar. He flipped up a section of it and closed it behind them. Before she could ask what the heck they were doing, he dragged her through a door.

  There was a short hallway with two more doors. One was obviously a freezer and the other, which was apparently their destination, was a storage room.

  20

  If Gabe didn’t have her right this second, he was going to lose his damn mind. He pulled Elle into his arms, kissing her again. How kissing alone could make him so insane was a mystery, but with Elle, he could do it for hours. For her part, she didn’t shove him off and call him a Neanderthal again. Instead, she melted under his hands, molding herself to his chest. Christ, the scent of the woman was enough to drive him wild.

  He pulled back to say, “I’ve tried so hard to be good, but fuck, I need you.”

  “Yes.”

  That simple word. No more. But it was enough. Gabe turned until her back was to the door and kissed his way down her neck, tugging her dress along with him. He’d known she wasn’t wearing a bra, but he still groaned when the fabric fell to reveal her breasts. Even in the dim shadows, they were something. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

  Though desperation tugged at him, getting worse with each passing second, he took his time. Some things couldn’t be rushed, and this woman deserved to be worshipped. He cupped her breasts, using his thumbs to circle her nipples. Elle’s groan was loud enough to be heard over the barely muted music.

  It was too much. He couldn’t wait.

  Releasing her breasts, he dropped to his knees and slid his hands up her legs, lifting her dress until her panties were revealed. Gabe balled the fabric in one hand and used the other to yank down the lace.

  “What—” Her breath hissed out when he licked up her center. Christ, she tasted even better than he remembered.

  It wasn’t enough, not in this position. He shoved her dress into her hands.“Hang on to this.” Before Elle could respond, Gabe used his hold on the back of her thighs to lift and spread them, bracing her against the wall. It left her completely helpless and o
pen beneath his tongue. He took his time, tasting every inch of her before he zeroed in on her clit, light flicks causing her to shake so hard he almost lost his grip. Elle grasped his hair, holding him in place. As if he’d want to be anywhere else.

  “Please don’t stop.”

  Like hell he was going to stop. Gabe sucked on her clit, needing to feel her come against his face again.

  Her moans drove him on, but he didn’t give in to the urge to hurry. When her hips started rolling to meet him, he matched the pace, keeping it steady even as she gasped and thrashed. Then her body went tight, her nails digging into his scalp. He welcomed the pain, keeping up gentle licks until she stopped shuddering.

  Lowering her to the floor, Gabe waited until she locked her knees before he stood. Elle was already reaching for his pants, and he didn’t need any further encouragement. He didn’t expect her to drop to her knees, though.

  “Babe—” At the first tentative swipe of her tongue, his mind went blank. Gabe could only stare down at her as she wrapped her lips around his cock. There were no words to describe this. He couldn’t…

  Elle took him deeper and his back hit the wall. Her tongue stroked the underside of his length even as the head of his cock bumped the back of her throat. Christ, at this rate, his knees were going to give out. Her mouth felt so goddamn good, but it was more than that. Having Elle on her knees and obviously enjoying herself… Never in a million years would he have expected it. Not here. Not like this. But, God, he loved every second of it. She made a humming noise as she cupped his balls, and the sensation of her nails lightly dragging over his delicate skin had pressure building in the base of his cock.

  No, it was too soon. Gabe needed to be inside her. He laced his fingers loosely through her hair, tugging gently until she stood. A quick glance around didn’t give him any good options—he refused to take her on the floor. The shelves wouldn’t hold them, either. Christ, this was a stupid place to do this.

  “Turn around.” He took her hands and braced them on the door and then cupped her breasts, playing with her nipples until she arched against him. Keeping hold of her left breast, he lifted her dress again and nudged her legs further apart. His cock nestled right up against her ass and when she pushed back against him, he almost lost it right there.“Fuck, Elle. I need to find a condom.”

  He went for his wallet, but she grabbed his hand and shook her head. “We’re covered. Now, Gabe. Please.”

  He pressed against her entrance and then he was inside, the sensation of taking Elle without a condom more potent than he expected. The sheer amount of trust she must have had in him to allow it, not to mention her lack of hesitation, staggered him on such a profound level that he had to take a moment to gather himself. He would do right by her. He’d never give her reason to regret trusting him this much.

  Gabe kept his strokes shallow, working his way a little deeper with each one. Already, Elle’s body was shaking. He started to ask if she was okay, but then she shoved back against him and all he could do was groan.

  “More, Gabe. I need more.”

  This wasn’t what he’d intended. Gabe wanted to take her slow, make her crazy for him, but her urgency was like a drug to his system. Using his grip on her hips, he pounded into her, the force of the motion slapping their skin together in a sound Gabe could hear even over the music in the other room.

  Shit, shit, shit. Too much. He’d gone too far.

  When Elle pulled forward, he almost let her go, but then she slammed back onto his cock. She moaned, moving forward again, and Gabe took the hint. Getting a better grip on her hips, he gave into the need demanding he drive into her. They met each other, stroke for stroke, as heat built at the base of Gabe’s spine. Still thrusting, he leaned forward, kissing the back of her neck as he slid his hand between her legs and pressed against her clit. With each stroke, she rubbed against his hand, her moans growing louder.

  “Come for me, babe.”

  She went wild, her orgasm rippling around his cock until he completely lost control. Pumping into her, Gabe came so hard his knees actually buckled. He caught himself on the door and tried to relearn how to breathe. Too much. Not enough. Never enough. He wasn’t sure he was prepared to ever let Elle go.

  The door vibrated against Elle’s cheek and she jumped, smacking Gabe in the face with the back of her head.

  “Oh God, someone’s at the door.”

  He groaned and let her off the wall, and when she turned around he looked really damn pleased with himself. “Babe, that was fantastic. I don’t even know if I can walk right now.”

  That made two of them.

  She pulled her dress up, fumbling with the straps. Whoever was on the other side apparently wasn’t giving up. Instead, they knocked harder.“Gabe, they’re going to come in here.”

  “Relax. It’s all good.”

  It didn’t feel all good. Okay, that wasn’t really true. Her body felt great—over-the-top mind-blowing sex could do that to a girl—but her mind was awhirl with what they’d just done. Unprotected sex in a freaking storage closet. She was on the Pill, sure, but either Elle had lost her mind or Gabe meant more to her than she anticipated.

  That was an alarming thought.

  Gabe kissed her, and Elle’s worries faded. Sure, this hadn’t exactly been her classiest moment, but it didn’t matter. She cared about Gabe and he obviously cared about her. That meant something, even if they weren’t exactly following the traditional path.

  Note to self: never, ever, under any circumstances, tell Ian about this. He’d lose his freaking mind.And she so wasn’t even thinking about her mother’s reaction right now.

  Once her dress was in place, she looked around.

  “Uh, where is my underwear?”

  “Don’t know, babe.” The pounding got even more intense and the doorknob rattled. “But we gotta get out of here.”

  “I can’t leave without my panties.”

  “I own this joint. No one is going to mess with them, okay? Trust me.”

  Oh God, he wasn’t joking. It didn’t look like she was going to have a choice. Elle sighed—at least there was no way he could hear the faint sound—and finally nodded. “Okay.”

  Gabe took her hand and, with one last grin, opened the door. Whoever she expected on the other side, it wasn’t the huge bald guy from the front door. “We got a problem, boss.”

  Instantly, all joking was gone from his face. “What kind of problem?”

  The giant shot a look at her and raised his eyebrows. “The, ah, important kind.”

  Oh, great. That was subtle. Obviously he didn’t want to say anything in front of her. Elle rolled her eyes, and tried not to let it sting when Gabe didn’t immediately jump to her defense. It was just business. It didn’t mean he was keeping secrets. She was feeling off because of what just happened. Right.

  She searched for something to say. “I’ll just grab another drink while you take care of this.” After the sex, her throat was parched. Because, really, she wasn’t running away because she wasn’t ready to deal with the shift in the relationship. “You sure, babe?”

  She might be a lot of things, but clingy wasn’t one of them. And Elle would never want to get in the way of his business…whatever it was. “Sure.” Even if it didn’t make her completely comfortable, it wasn’t like she could demand an explanation right here and now. It was his club so, technically, it wasn’t her business.

  “I’ll be right back. You won’t even know I’m gone.” He kissed her again, pulling Elle against his body. Despite her best efforts, she melted into him. It was only the bouncer clearing his throat that tore them apart. As Gabe walked away, Elle took a slow, shaky breath. Sex in closets. Making out in public. It was like she was a stranger.

  She didn’t know how she felt about it. Though she did know what Roxanne would say—jump back in that closet for another round. And she knew what Gabe would say—babe, you’re overthinking again. It was like having two devils on her shoulder, except one was her be
st friend and the other the man responsible for the best sex of her life.

  Okay, that metaphor just took a turn for the weird. With a mental shrug, she headed toward the busy bar. It would be a bit of a wait, but she didn’t mind. Elle needed time to center herself. The crowd pressed in on her, conflicting smells of too many perfumes and colognes assaulting her senses. Good Lord, did everyone shower in the stuff before they came out? It was enough to make her wonder if she’d be better off on a different floor. But she couldn’t do that. Elle didn’t even know if Gabe had his phone—they’d spend the rest of the night trying to find each other.

  Before she could make a decision, a gap appeared in front of her and Elle slid into it. She signaled the bartender, but still had to wait five minutes for the woman to make her way over. “What’s up?”

  “Can I get a…” Not a lemon drop—there was no way she could get through this crowd without spilling every drop from the martini glass. “A vodka tonic.”

  “Sure thing. On boss man’s tab?”

  “Yes, please.” She’d pay him back later. Or just, heck, let him pay for her freaking drink. Why was she even worrying about this? Her thoughts were on overdrive, tumbling over each other in their effort to bring her fears right to the forefront.

  Elle sipped her drink and nearly spat it back out. Holy crap, that was nasty. Served her right for ordering something without having tried it first. But, heck, plenty of people drank this. At least, Roxanne did. Guess it just wasn’t Elle’s thing. With a sigh, she set the tumbler on the bar and turned to watch the people moving through the room. They were mostly the college crowd, all young and dressed in a variety of clothes, none that had much to do with country music as far as she could tell.

  Despite the good music and people-watching, it didn’t take long for her to get bored.Where was Gabe?

  He should have been back by now. She pulled out her phone and glanced at it. Fifteen freaking minutes? Criminy. She was done waiting on him.

  Elle pushed off the bar and headed for the elevator. The music she’d enjoyed before now grated on her nerves. She punched a button at random and tapped her foot as it descended. The doors opened and music pounded through her body, so loud she couldn’t manage to string two thoughts together. From her vantage point, Elle could see how people were crammed in from one wall to the other, shimmying in an almost-orgy while some rapper went on about the backseat of his car.