by Codi Gary
Chapter Seventeen
“Sex is supposed to be messy, chaotic . . . and fun. Otherwise, what’s the point?”
—Miss Know It All
“OHHH!” CAROLINE CRIED as Gabe swiftly lay her flat on the desk.
Before she could move, he was removing her boots, tossing them to the side so fast, it caused laughter to bubble up her throat.
“Are we in a hurry?”
Her teasing was met with such heat, she sucked in her breath. Sure, she’d thought of sex with Gabe, imagined all the mechanics, but the raw wanting in his eyes made her weak. His gaze was possessive, and as his hands started inching her jeans down over her hips, every touch felt like a brand against her skin. His lips touched every inch of flesh he revealed, and she wasn’t sure anymore whether she was arching away from or toward his mouth.
She had always liked to be in control, had never just let a man do what he wanted, but after their turbulent first meeting and the last few weeks of back-and-forth, somewhere along the way, she had begun to trust Gabe. She trusted him to know what she would like and that he wouldn’t hurt her.
At least not physically, she amended, as her jeans hit mid-thigh, and his mouth hovered over her hips. There was no way she’d trust Gabe with more than her body. Even if he wasn’t the bastard she’d originally thought, she still couldn’t picture a future with him.
She felt the hot, wet press of his mouth through the black cotton of her panties, and the hard nub of his tongue piercing made her squeal with delight, the sensation dragging her out of her head for just a moment. He stopped tonguing her long enough to take her jeans all the way off, pulling her panties down her legs until she was completely exposed. It wasn’t the first time she’d been bared to a man in the daylight, but as the fabric of her underwear scraped softly down her skin, she felt nervous and jittery. Maybe because his hands were so gentle, suddenly in no hurry to rid her of this last scrap of clothing.
And then her panties circled her ankle before, with one final pull, they silently fell to the floor.
Gabe sat down in his office chair, gliding forward until he was right in front of her. Then he spread her legs and hooked them over his shoulders. As she looked down the line of her body to meet his dark gaze, she felt too exposed, the whole situation too intimate. Most of the men she’d been with hadn’t been all that interested in foreplay, and she’d never had a man in the position to see . . . well, everything. She started to tell him to stop, but he spoke first.
“Hang on.”
Without further ado, his big hands cupped her ass and brought her to his mouth. The wet heat sent her body lifting off the desk as the first sweep of his tongue set her aflame. Pushing his tongue inside her, Gabe flicked that metal bar against her clit in hard, swift strokes that had her nails digging into the wood to the point of pain.
God, sex had never been this intense or hot. Maybe it was the tongue ring or the way he took charge—never asking, just doing what he wanted—that had her dripping wet and throbbing. Then that familiar pulsing began, and whether it was his skill or the fact that her last orgasm had been over two months ago, she was suddenly lost moments later, shaking from the inside out—and it was a-fucking-mazing.
When she finally started to come down, all she could think was that she wanted to do it again and again and again.
The sound of metal on metal drew her gaze back to Gabe, who had already unbuckled his belt and was standing there with his jeans spread open, revealing the tops of his boxer briefs and the hard bumps of his abs above them. She stared at his six-pack, and a silly smile spread across her lips.
“You know, when you came out of the shower that first time in a towel, I thought your abs were hypnotizing.”
He stopped his movements, and she saw a square condom wrapper in his hand. “What?”
“Yeah, I pretty much think you could get away with walking around town nude, and no one would mind.”
“Have you lost your damn mind?” he asked before ripping the package open with his teeth.
“Just stating the facts. You . . . are . . . fucking . . . ho—”
Before she finished, he was kissing her, his hands cradling her face as his tongue slipped into her mouth, sweeping along her teeth. He tasted musky, and she realized it was her essence.
When he pulled away, he was sucking in air as he said, “For the last two weeks, I have done nothing but think about you. About how good you smell and the way you would feel if I could just get you into my arms. The thought of being this close to you has haunted me, and I have a feeling I’m never going to be able to get the reality of you out of my head.”
What did he mean? Was this not just a one-time thing? No, if his behavior hadn’t shown her how much he despised intimacy, he had told her as much.
Caroline reached up to pull his mouth back down to hers, wanting to cut off anything else he might say. Gabe let her take the lead for a few minutes, but when he pulled away from her to push his jeans down, she saw his cock stretching out the fabric of his boxer briefs and sucked in her breath. He was just so beautiful, so perfectly put together. She ran her hand over his flat stomach to the top of his boxers and slid her hand inside, gripping his velvety breadth, and pumped him with her hand. Caroline rubbed her thumb over the tip of him, and his cock jerked in her hand.
He grabbed her wrist and lifted her hand from his shorts. “Not that I don’t like the way you’re touching me, but I want you too bad to wait.”
Most guys would have sat back and let her continue, hoping it would turn into her going down on them. The fact that Gabe wanted her so bad he couldn’t wait to be inside her was new and tantalizing.
And it turned her on so bad, she was ready to leap off the table and tackle him.
It was a fantastic feeling, and as he shoved his boxers down his legs, she licked her lips, watching him roll the length of latex over himself.
Without another word, he stepped between her legs and grabbed her ass with both hands. As he lifted her up, she wrapped her legs around his hard waist and rubbed against the stiff erection pressing at her entrance. She felt the brick wall at her back as he adjusted himself and slipped inside, inch by inch, slowly tormenting her until her eyes rolled back, and she whimpered with impatience. She didn’t want slow and sweet. She wanted fast, crazy, buildings-falling-down-around-them sex, and to get her point across, she gripped his shoulders and rolled her hips sharply. He looked up at her, their eyes locking across the inches, and she saw need in those dark depths . . . but also uncertainty.
Gabe? Uncertain?
She must be losing her mind.
Suddenly, he thrust up, hard and deep, seating himself all the way inside her, and the motion left them pressed tightly against the wall. They were so close, eyes and mouths close enough to touch, yet he didn’t kiss her or say anything. Still, their breath mingled with each movement, and he never looked away.
Caroline had had sex, had been fucked—but she’d never had a guy watch her so intently. It was like he was searching for an answer in her expression while he took her. But it didn’t matter what the question was; she wasn’t prepared for this.
When he slipped out again and pumped her several times with quick strokes, she closed her eyes, breaking the eye contact to hang on as each zing of pleasure shot through her body. She tried to concentrate on the way her body felt and to push those dark, searching eyes from her mind.
Her moans gained pitch with each pass, and she buried her lips into his shoulder as her muscles clenched, and her second orgasm of the day brought about wave after wave of relief. Spent and relaxed, she held on as he shouted her name, a warm smile spreading across her lips when she felt his cock flex inside her as he came. His chest heaved against her, and while she waited for him to collect himself, she drew lazy patterns over his back.
Besides, she was quite out of breath herself.
He pulled away enough to look down at her. “If you want to go again, you might have to give me a minute.”
&
nbsp; A breathless giggle escaped her as she admitted, “When you said sex with you was a ride, you weren’t just whistlin’ Dixie.”
“Whistlin’ Dixie? Who are you, Granny Clampett?”
“My mom used to say it. She was originally from Mississippi and moved here when she was thirteen.”
His harsh laugh caused her stomach to flip-flop all over. She’d never heard him laugh, and damn, it was sexy. But Gabe’s laugh also sounded hoarse, like he didn’t use it very often. She’d always loved to make people laugh, especially as a kid.
Involuntarily, she smoothed her fingertips across his lips, lingering on the edges and then trailing up to the crinkles at the edge of his eyes.
“You searching for more scars?”
“No,” she said, removing her hand. For just a minute, she had forgotten this was a fluke—a one-time thing—and had been trying to memorize the moment. As if she wanted more.
Unwrapping her legs from his waist, she felt him slide from her body and shivered as her muscles clenched again. Still, Gabe didn’t release her right away, holding her at her waist until she dropped her arms from his shoulders.
She could definitely go another round, but she didn’t plan on making a habit of jumping Gabe whenever she had an itch her vibrator wouldn’t satisfy. He was a self-proclaimed bad guy, and although she wasn’t perfect, she did want to find someone she could have a future with. A mature adult with his life together.
Besides, if she was ever going to breach her father’s defenses, there was no way she was going to do it with a tattooed ex-con by her side. If her father pitched a fit at Val’s squeaky clean former marine Justin Silverton, he’d have another heart attack if she introduced him to Gabe.
Damn, have you always been a snob, and it’s just been lying dormant? You aren’t exactly the type of girl nice guys bring home to Mama . . .
“I should get dressed and get back home. The kittens are probably hungry, and I—”
“You don’t have to explain,” Gabe said as he walked to where his briefs and jeans lay. “I get what this was.”
“You do?”
“Yeah,” he said, his back to her. She saw him drop the condom into the wastebasket before he stepped into his boxer briefs, pulling them up and over those hard, drool-worthy calves and thighs until his sculpted ass disappeared beneath the navy cotton.
She bit her lip to shut her mouth. If she didn’t stop staring at him, drool was going to start dribbling down her chin.
He turned around to face her as he shook out his jeans and pulled them back on. “You were horny as hell, and I was available. I understand, and believe me, I didn’t mind.”
Okay, so maybe she’d been thinking almost the exact same thing, but that didn’t mean he could just assume that she was using him to get her rocks off.
Why not? That’s what it was. Why can’t he call a spade a spade?
Because despite her best efforts not to let it get to her, when he’d looked into her eyes, part of her had felt like he could see into her soul.
“Is that what it was for you?”
He had the damn nerve to shrug. Bastard.
“Huh.” She moved over to where he’d tossed her jeans and took several long, calming breaths.
“I say something wrong? Was this supposed to be something more?”
“No, of course you’re right,” she said, pulling her jeans on without her underwear. “I helped you move your shit around just so you would fuck me. I had this whole thing planned. I’m like some kind of moving prostitute. I help you move, and you—”
He pulled her to him so fast, her mouth snapped shut.
“I think I liked you better when your mouth was making those little moans against my neck.”
She jerked away from him. “You’re a pig.”
“Wanna get dirty?”
“Hell no,” she said, gathering up her shirt and undergarments and heading toward the front of the building to get dressed. “In fact, the next time I’m feeling horny, I’ll be sure to go elsewhere to get my jollies off.”
Her shoulders stiffened when Gabe called, “I’ll see you at home, princess.”
“Asshole,” she muttered as she slammed the office door.
Why are you pissed at him? He gave you an incredible orgasm—twice, in fact—and you act like he insulted you.
As she climbed into her car, it struck her; she’d been deluding herself when she thought maybe he’d felt something more. The whole time she’d been worried he might be thinking this would lead to a more permanent situation, maybe even a relationship, but the minute it was over, he was all business.
So were you.
Had she wanted him to want more from her than just sex? She’d been telling herself for weeks that he was not the guy she wanted to make a fresh start, yet she was drawn to him and not just because he was her type. She’d seen subtle signs that maybe he wasn’t all that he seemed. That this was the strongest attraction she’d had for a man in years, and now that she’d given in, she couldn’t shake the desire for more.
Lord, was she a hot mess. How the hell was she going to survive living with him, knowing exactly what he could do to a woman?
Chapter Eighteen
“Communication is the key to any healthy relationship . . . which explains why the silent treatment is a woman’s favorite form of torture.”
—Miss Know It All
CAROLINE DROVE HOME to feed the kittens, but once she was done, she didn’t really feel like sticking around and hashing things out with Gabe. She’d calmed down enough to realize she had blown up at him over nothing, let her own issues fuel her crazy, and now not only had she slept with him, but she’d been that girl, the one who wigs out after sex and scares the hell out of a guy.
Looking for something to take the edge off, she grabbed a beer from the fridge and chugged down half of it without taking a breath. Water would’ve probably been better, but despite her reasonable deduction that the awkwardness after sex had been her fault, stealing Gabe’s last beer gave her perverse pleasure.
He was going to be pissed, and she didn’t even care. Actually, she was sort of looking forward to it.
Jumping in the shower, she cleaned herself up and decided to head over to Justin’s family farm for dinner after all. She needed advice, and the only person she felt comfortable enough asking was Val.
Thirty minutes later, she was kicking up dust with her tires down the long dirt road leading to the Silverton farm. Green fields went on for miles, the only trees being closer to the white ranch house, tall green pines to block the wind. As she pulled up next to Val’s truck, nervousness settled in the pit of her stomach. What had she been thinking to drive all the way out here without calling? What if Val told her to take off?
Val would never bail on you. Ever.
But still, Justin’s family was here. How was she going to get Val alone without drawing attention to herself? She might as well wait and call her a little later.
Hand on the gear shift, she was just about to throw her car into reverse when the front door opened, and Val stepped out onto the porch. A few seconds later, Ellie followed, and before she could escape, both of her sisters were standing next to her driver’s side door, staring in at her.
“I thought you couldn’t make it,” Val said.
“I changed my mind,” Caroline said, opening the door. “If the invitation is still open.”
“Of course it’s open,” Ellie said, pulling the car door open wider. “We were just getting ready to eat.”
As Caroline stepped out, a dark smudge on Ellie’s cheek caught her eye, despite the layer of cover-up she’d tried to apply. Reaching out her hand, she touched Ellie’s face. “What happened?”
“I got into a fight with one of my girlfriends at Buck’s,” Ellie said. It was entirely plausible, but Caroline didn’t buy it. Not with the way Ellie’s eyes shifted away. Her baby sister might be a hell of an actress, but she couldn’t fool Caroline.
“Don’t get me started,�
�� Val said, shaking her head. “I’m just thankful she didn’t get arrested, or I might have had to bail her out.”
Caroline didn’t miss Ellie’s pleading eyes and decided to back her sister’s play. For now.
“Val, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier. I’ve just been a little on edge lately.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I know I handled my invitation badly. You’ve got a lot going on, and I didn’t mean to lash out at you.”
“No, look, I haven’t been exactly available to you, and I know my taking off twelve years ago was sudden, but there are things you don’t know. Things that are hard for me to talk about. But that last argument with Dad . . . He asked me to do something I just couldn’t do, and when I refused, he told me to get out and never come back.”
“He said you refused to go to college at Boise State,” Val said, her voice laced with confusion.
It was time. With Kyle’s attack weighing on her mind, she had been considering telling her sisters, especially now that their father knew.
Before she changed her mind, Caroline drew in a deep breath and her courage. “I couldn’t go to Boise State because the guy who raped me went there.”
Both of her sisters gasped, but Val was the one who reacted first. She pulled Caroline into her arms roughly, squeezing her so hard she almost couldn’t breathe.
“Oh my God, Caroline, why didn’t you tell me?”
Tears pricked Caroline’s eyes, and she swallowed hard. “I didn’t tell anyone.”
“But why?” Ellie asked, joining in on the hug.
“Partly, to protect you guys,” Caroline said, second-guessing herself. If she told Val everything, her sister might lose her shit and confront Kyle. “The other half was because I was afraid no one would believe me.”
“Of course we’d believe you! Who wouldn’t believe you?” Ellie said, pulling away to look Caroline right in the eye.
At least, that’s where she assumed Ellie was looking, but her vision was too blurry to know for sure. Val pulled away too, but she was giving off waves of rage that told Caroline her prediction wasn’t far off the mark.
