Chapter 9 Taylor
TAYLOR
Iwoke up with Gabriel in my arms, his back to my front, and my morning wood nestled against his incredible ass.
I didn’t want to rush things physically; something told me it would be hard to protect my heart once I’d been inside him.
Most of my hookups these days were exclusively handjobs or blow jobs.
That was quick and to the point, but damn it, frotting against Gabriel and looking into his hazel eyes had been intense enough.
Nothing about this felt like a hookup.
I hadn’t slept over at someone’s house since my last long-term relationship, either, but it had been so easy to tumble naked into bed with Gabriel after our shower and cuddle until we’d both drifted off to sleep. Waking up next to a warm, hard body was so nice.
Gabriel still slept against me, but I knew I’d have to leave soon to help Margo with wedding things. I ran my fingers across Gabriel’s chest, tugging on his nipple piercing, and he grunted.
“Gabriel.” I trailed my hand down the plane of his stomach. “Time to wake up.”
“Ngh,” Gabriel protested, though he pushed against me. “Too early.”
“Promise I’ll make it worth your while.” I let my cock slide between his thighs.
My fingers teased along his length, spending extra time on the sensitive spot under the head before I took him in my hand.
He arched into me, and I thrust against his taint and the back of his balls.
Gabriel must have grabbed the lube from the nightstand, because I soon felt its cool slick under my hand.
“Tay, baby, please,” Gabriel said, sounding more awake. He gripped my forearm with one hand, and the other reached for the headboard.
Now that I was sure he was on board, my grip on his erection tightened, and I moved my hips with more intention.
He moaned and writhed as I jerked him off, twisting my hand around the head of his cock with each pass.
God, the sounds he made should have been illegal.
He crossed his ankles and squeezed his thighs together, gripping me as I thrust between his legs.
I was too close, too fast.
“Come on, Gabriel,” I said against his neck. “Come for me.”
“Fuck,” he cried as he thrust quicker into my hand.
Soon, his warm, sticky release coated my fingers. I kissed the top of his spine as I stroked him through the aftershocks of his orgasm.
“Oh my god. That is the best way to wake up.”
“My pleasure,” I whispered as I nuzzled into his hair.
His shampoo smelled like delicious, sweet oranges.
“Oh, it’s about to be,” Gabriel replied with a mischievous grin as he turned to face me and rolled me onto my back. He climbed on top of me and kissed me deeply, apparently unconcerned with morning breath.
My breath hitched as his kisses trailed along my jaw and down my throat to my collarbone. He licked and nipped at what felt like every inch of my skin as he worked his way lower to my aching cock.
Gabriel nuzzled his face into the crease between my thigh and my groin, moaning. “I love the way you smell.”
“You’re good for the ego.” I huffed. “But I’m going to need you to suck my dick, like right now.”
He laughed into my thigh, kissed my rainbow tattoo, turned his head, and dragged his tongue up the underside of my cock. “Is this what you need, baby?”
My ability to speak completely left the building as he put his mouth around me.
All I could do was groan in relief. He twirled his tongue around the tip, then took my cock into his throat so suddenly I shouted in surprise, struggling not to thrust my hips.
His hot mouth was heaven, and the suction as he swallowed around me brought me to the edge quickly.
Gabriel stilled, lips stretched wide around me, long lashes wet, until I put my hand on the back of his head and tested a few small thrusts into his mouth.
He encouraged me to bend my knees and get some leverage by gently tapping on the back of my thighs.
The vibrations from his moan when I hit the back of his throat finally snapped the last bit of my control.
I hovered on the edge of my orgasm, thrusting deeper and faster into his mouth until his slick fingers trailed through the saliva that had pooled onto my balls and down to my ass.
When they circled my rim and applied light pressure there, it was like an instant O-button.
Before I could warn him, I shot my cum down his throat.
He gagged a little but recovered quickly and swallowed down everything I gave him.
I have mostly topped these days; I found it hard to trust a hookup enough to bottom. But by the way my body reacted to Gabriel there, I wondered if maybe… well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
“Sorry, that snuck up on me.”
“I will take it as a compliment.” Gabriel’s eyes sparkled as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
I pulled him up to me, and he slotted under my arm against my chest.
“What time is it?” he asked eventually.
“Almost nine. I hate to rush you out of bed on a Sunday, but I’m meeting Margo in a little bit to help her with some wedding errands, and I was hoping we could get breakfast before I have to go.”
“I’d like that,” Gabriel said as he popped out of bed. “There’s a café down the block that makes delicious breakfast sandwiches. We can walk over.”
He tossed me a burgundy colored T-shirt and a pair of briefs as he dug around in his dresser.
His ass as he bent over the long drawer distracted me, and the clothes hit my face.
“In case you don’t want to wear the same thing as yesterday. I think I have a spare toothbrush under the sink, too. I’ll go check.”
Gabriel grabbed his pile of clothes and made his way to the bathroom.
Once he was gone, I pulled on the underwear before grabbing my jeans from yesterday off the floor.
The shirt fit better than I expected, despite being a little baggy, and Gabriel’s citrusy ocean scent wrapped around me.
How long could I delay returning this thing to him before it got weird?
Dammit, I should not be thinking these things.
By the time I was dressed, Gabriel made his way back into the bedroom—clothed, regrettably—and tossed me a toothbrush wrapped in plastic. “Help yourself to whatever’s in the bathroom.”
His eyes heated as he took me in. I’d steal his whole wardrobe if he kept looking at me like that.
“Thanks.” I fled to the bathroom to escape my treacherous thoughts of the future.
Breakfast passed too quickly, and before I knew it, I was in a ride share headed back to my apartment to grab my car and meet up with Margo.
My mood dampened when I unlocked the apartment doors to Kai’s applause from the living room couch. I knew I wouldn’t escape his inquisition, but I was hoping I could put it off for a little longer while I was still basking in the afterglow.
“I am so proud of you,” Kai said with a shit-eating grin.
“Oh, shut up. It’s not like that.”
“Really.” Kai lifted an eyebrow. “Where were you last night, then?”
“Exactly where you think I was.” I pushed him back onto the couch from the arm where he’d been perched. “How did things go with Brian?”
“Exactly how you think they went.” Kai smirked. “The man has a massive—”
“Nope, no, thank you. I will never be able to look at him again if you don’t stop talking.”
“He didn’t stay the night, though, since he’s just a hookup.” Kai looked at me with an assessing gaze. “Are you wearing Gabriel’s clothes?”
I rolled my eyes. “He lent me a shirt, so I didn’t have to wear yesterday’s clothes to breakfast. It’s nothing.”
Kai narrowed his eyes and handed me a cup of coffee, but he seemed content to end the interrogation for the time being.
Thank goodness. I had to change before seeing Margo.
She was observant enough to notice Gabriel’s shirt as something I wouldn’t have bought for myself, and she would have questions.
I threw on a button-up in the same color and fixed my hair before rushing out the door.
I’d left my phone in the car. I hadn’t meant to, but now I was committed. I definitely didn’t want to address why I was so antsy about it with my sister.
Margo and I were seated around a small table, with about twenty cake samples between us.
Benji was diabetic, and as much as I was sure my sister would rather have her fiancé here than her brother, I was willing to make the sacrifice.
Once we’d narrowed down our top three flavors, Benji could try the samples Margo would bring home without sending his blood sugar through the roof.
As much as I was trying to be a good brother and focus on the task at hand, all I could think about was my damn phone sitting in the cupholder of my car a few blocks away, maybe buzzing with a text from Gabriel. I hoped today wasn’t the day my car window got broken into.
Margo’s voice filtered into my brain. “What do you think of the pickle vanilla? Or maybe the one with taco seasoning sprinkles?”
I responded automatically. “Delicious. This place is great.”
My hand kept reaching into the pocket where I always kept it, only to find it empty.
“Ok, what the hell?” She whacked me on the back of the head, snapping me out of my stupor. “Pickle cupcakes? Where is your mind right now?”
I blinked at her. “Sorry, I haven’t gotten much sleep the past few nights. I feel like a zombie.”
I was a bit of an old man about my bedtime. Two late nights in a row had me all twisted up inside, not to mention this fixation on Gabriel that I didn’t know what to do with.
“You are supposed to be resting,” Margo said as she handed me another sample. This one looked like a chocolate-coconut combination.
“It’s hard to magically change your sleep schedule when you’re used to early mornings and late nights.” And when you had a new man keeping you out until all hours.
Margo tutted. “That job works you way too hard. I don’t know why you let it happen.”
Margo didn’t know I was helping our parents with her medical debt, and she’d likely kill me if she found out. I was so, so close to paying it off, and I promised myself yet again that as soon as it was off my shoulders, I’d scale back the overtime.
“You know I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me.” Margo softened her voice, almost as if she’d read my mind. “I literally wouldn’t be here without you. If I were having someone walk me down the aisle next month, it would be you.”
I sniffed and looked up at the ceiling. There was nothing I was more grateful for than Margo being alive. I’d given up almost everything for it, and I’d do it again.
“All I want is for you to be happy,” she said. “Have a bit of fun every once in a while.”
A blush stained my cheeks when I remembered Gabriel’s offer on our first date. I’d already had more fun with him in one weekend than I’d probably had in a year. I stuffed another cake sample into my mouth, so I didn’t blurt anything too embarrassing.
She would latch onto Gabriel and never let go.
Margo poked me in the side. “Whatever’s on your mind that’s making you make that face, I want more of that. Now, let’s figure out this cake thing. I think we have about twelve flavors left to try.”
I groaned and rubbed my stomach. “Torture, but someone has to do it.”
Margo laughed, and we settled into an afternoon of shoving cake into our faces.
When we’d finally narrowed down the options to key lime, vanilla butterscotch, and red velvet, I practically had to roll myself out of the store. While the specter of my abandoned phone still lingered in the back of my mind, I thought I did a reasonably good job of staying in the moment with Margo.
“Which way did you park?” I asked when we left the store.
“That way”—she pointed down the street—”but you don’t need to walk me.”
“I absolutely do.” I hooked my arm with hers.
Margo rolled her eyes, but she let me lead her down the street. “When are you going to accept that I’m a grown woman?”
“I know you’re a grown woman.”
Margo protested with a hmpf.
“I do, I swear, but it’s still polite to walk a lady to her car.”
Margo snorted. “I am not a lady.”
As soon as we said goodbye, my abandoned phone was all I could think about.
Hopefully, Gabriel wasn’t mad I’d ignored him all day—if he’d texted at all. Surely, he had. Right? Then again, I hadn’t reached out to him either. Not that I’d been able to in the first place, but he wouldn’t know that.
The anxiety curled inside me like a constrictor, my heart pounding and my pace quickening until I could see my car, thankfully with all its windows still intact.
When I slumped into my front seat and opened my phone, I couldn’t help laughing out loud at the text waiting for me.
Gabriel had sent a GIF of Britney Spears with a birthday cake and asked if we’d picked a winner.
Of course, he’d texted me to check in, and he found a way to make me smile even when I’d been spiraling.
My heart was doing somersaults as I flipped between infatuated and terrified.
I’d always envisioned myself being single forever, but the perfect man had crashed into my life, and I didn’t know what to do with myself.