Chapter 20 Taylor
TAYLOR
Ifollowed Gabriel’s instructions as if I were in a trance.
Setting my phone on my nightstand, I undressed slowly, wanting to enact retribution for the way the man had kept me on edge all afternoon.
It was like he had a sixth sense for when I was about to lose my erection, and he’d text me at that exact moment, getting me all worked up again.
“I want to see you too.” I gasped as I pulled off my pants and boxer briefs, finally freeing my cock.
Gabriel whined softly as my cock slapped up against my stomach.
Then the camera was pointed at the ceiling as he rearranged.
He must have moved a chair to the foot of his bed, because when he set his phone down, I had a full view of him against his bed frame.
Legs spread, his hand holding his thick, hard cock.
“You’re so hot,” I said.
“Get comfortable, baby. I want you to touch yourself for me.”
Holy shit, this man. I sat at the end of my bed, leaning back onto one arm, and stroking myself with the other.
I licked my lips as he grabbed lube from his bedside table and poured it onto his fingers.
Slicking his dick first, he bent one knee and reached his lubed hand underneath to play with his hole.
We moaned together as he slipped his first finger in.
After a few minutes of panting breaths and small grunts on both ends of the phone, he added a second finger.
He had the sexiest ass I’d ever seen, and just watching him finger himself had me on the edge.
I squeezed tightly around the base of my cock, holding myself back, then tugged on my balls.
Gabriel gasped, and his abs tensed.
I cursed the fact that I was across town and not in his bed. “Fuck. I need to be inside you.”
“Soon, baby.” Gabriel panted. “I can’t wait to feel your big dick in me again. It’s going to feel so good stretching my hole.”
“Oh, shit.” My hand moved faster and faster along my length, squeezing the tip just the way I liked.
Gabriel was a vision as he writhed on the bed, fucking himself on one hand while the other shuttled over his cock.
I threw my head back as an orgasm rushed through me, the cum filling my hand and shooting up my stomach.
I collapsed back onto my elbows but pried my eyes open so I wouldn’t miss Gabriel’s orgasm.
“Fuck,” he cried. “Taylor.”
I’d never get tired of the sound of my name on his lips as he came. He looked hot as sin sprawled out on the bed, hole stretched, dick softening, covered in cum.
I loved that he wanted to connect with me even when we couldn’t be together physically, and I’d be finding ways to bring him picnics all the time if this was how worked up he got about it. I wanted to feel him under me again. I wanted to be the one with my fingers inside him.
For the first time, I found something more important than work. It wasn’t the sex; I’d never found sex that motivating. It was the connection we shared. I tried to catch my breath, and we stared into each other’s eyes with the same look of awe.
“Wow,” I said, finally finding my voice.
“Seriously.” Gabriel nodded. “That was incredible.”
“I wish I could hold you right now.”
Gabriel sighed and collapsed back onto the bed. I grabbed my phone and headed for the bathroom, keeping it on video while I wiped myself with a washcloth and brushed my teeth. I could still see Gabriel sprawled out on his sheets, and despite enjoying the view, I knew he was probably getting crusty.
“You need to get up and clean off before bed.”
He whined about it but eventually rolled to his side to grab tissues from his nightstand. “Always taking care of everyone.”
Only people I loved, I thought, but did not vocalize. I hummed and watched as he yawned, stretching under the cozy quilt I wanted to pull back and crawl under, too. I wanted to tuck him under my arm and pull him against my chest.
It was strange, that desire.
“Stay on the phone until I fall asleep?” Gabriel asked with half-lidded eyes.
“Of course, angel.” I crawled under my blankets in my tragically empty bed, plugged my phone in, and propped it by my pillow. It wasn’t long before Gabriel’s soft snores came through the phone. He was the last thought in my mind as I drifted off to sleep.
By the Wednesday of my first week back in the office, I’d wound myself tighter than a tornado between trying to compensate for the unexpected time off, responding to fifty wedding-related texts a day from Margo, and avoiding my feelings for Gabriel.
I’d spilled coffee no less than three times, I’d accidentally sent my lunch delivery order to the apartment instead of the office, and I’d run out of pages in my yellow-lined notepad.
When I texted Gabriel about my day from hell, I got a notification that he’d sent a food delivery my way with enough chicken shawarma to share with Kai.
I peered at the little tuxedo cat plushie Gabriel bought me that now lived on the corner of my desk.
How would Gabriel feel once he knew how close everything felt to falling apart, how close I was to the edge?
Would he still want me when I couldn’t afford fun dates or vacations or gifts because all the spare change went to Margo’s debt?
Would he stay when he found out how truly crazy my parents are?
A knock shook me from my thoughts.
Rachel peeked through the door. “Is now a good time?”
“Of course,” I said, popping up to grab the stacks of receipts I still had stacked on the spare chair.
“I just wanted to check in and see how you were transitioning back to work.” Rachel pulled up the chair and sat down.
“I’m fine.” I shrugged. “The doctor gave me the all clear.”
Rachel stared at me, one eyebrow arched. “That’s not what I asked, but I’m glad to hear it.”
I squared my shoulders. “As much as I appreciate your concern, I’ve got things handled.”
“You’re one of our best accountants,” Rachel said. “You should be proud of your work. That’s why I want to make sure you’re managing your stress. We want to keep you around.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, my eyes cutting over to the plushie again. “I’ve got people taking good care of me, and I’m handing a few clients off to junior accountants.”
Rachel paused for a moment, as if she might say something else, but in the end, she simply nodded. “Good.”
I was thankful she didn’t push me about therapy I couldn’t afford or cutting my hours again, which I also couldn’t afford. Hopefully, when things calmed down with work, the wedding, and all these damn medical bills, I would be able to do something about it.
“Can I join this man’s waitlist?” Kai joked as I handed him his sandwich.
“No waitlist. Currently sold out and not expected to be back in stock,” I said, collapsing into the seat across from him in our small break room.
“So, it’s serious now?” Kai raised his brows.
I didn’t know how to answer Kai’s question, so I took a huge bite of shawarma to buy myself time. He cackled, probably knowing exactly what I was up to.
“I don’t know, man,” I said. “He’s incredible, of course, but…”
“But your parents messed you up, and now you think you don’t deserve someone incredible.”
I stared at my sandwich with a furrow between my brows.
“Look, I know you. Probably better than anyone else. And I know you’d do anything for someone you love. You are a catch. But the only kind of love you’ve let yourself have is platonic because you’re convinced romantic love is going to turn you into your asshole parents. But it’s not.”
“You can’t possibly know that,” I grumbled into my lunch.
“Oh, I can possibly know that. Your parents have the combined emotional intelligence of a fence post. Meanwhile, I’ve watched you break things off with totally undeserving men in a kind, respectful manner.”
“I didn’t love any of those men.”
“And you love Gabriel?”
My eyes darted around the break room, ensuring we were still alone. “No? I could love him, I think. But it’s too soon for all that.”
Kai shrugged. “Emotions run on their own timelines. All I’m saying is: this man takes care of you, he sees you, and he wants to be with you. He buys shawarma for your best friend.”
“Ah, see”—I pointed at him—"he’s just buying your good graces with food.”
Kai rolled his eyes and ignored my accusation. “You don’t have to have it all figured out, but don’t push him away because you think you’ll become Mr. Hyde as soon as you have your first big fight. Be warned, if you let him go, I’m stealing him.”
“I hate you.”
“Love you, too.” Kai stood and gathered the sandwich wrappers to take to the trash.
I threw my crumpled napkin at the back of his head, and he laughed it off as he headed back to work.
The deeper my feelings got with Gabriel, the larger the specter of the proverbial other shoe loomed in my mind, waiting to drop.