25. Diego
Chapter Twenty-Five
DIEGO
Gemma’s eyes opened slowly, her lashes swinging up. She stared at me, her gaze dark. I could feel the pounding of her heartbeat against mine. Her body still trembled from the aftershocks of her climax moments earlier, clenching slightly around my cock.
Her tongue darted out, and she dragged it slowly across her bottom lip before she took in a ragged breath. Then, I was kissing her, taking slow sips from her sweet mouth as I began to sink into her snug, satiny core.
Being inside her had me cast adrift in a river of pleasure. I felt fire licking at the edges of me with every stroke into her. Her legs tightened around my hips, and her skin was damp as I pumped into her. I needed air, so I lifted my head. Her eyes opened, and I felt the tension gathering in her again, every muscle tightening and rippling. It was all over but for the shuddering then.
Reaching between us, I teased my fingers over her clit, savoring the ragged cry of my name as she trembled through an abrupt orgasm. My own was hovering, like a snake waiting to strike. The pressure tightened at the base of my spine, followed by a fiery sizzle upward, and then finally my release slammed through me as I shuddered inside her.
I fell against her roughly, barely aware enough to roll us to the side and hold her tight in my arms as I tried to catch my breath. As my awareness filtered in fragments, I savored the feel of her soft curves against me and the gust of her breath against my shoulder. I let my fingers trail through her hair and shifted so I was propped against the pillows with her still in my arms. I felt greedy and didn’t want to let her go.
Eventually, she lifted her head. “Do you think that was an hour?”
It took me a minute to catch up to what she was referencing, and then I chuckled. “I doubt it. When it comes to you, finesse is not my thing, nor is taking my time, apparently.”
She bit her lip, her cheeks going a little pink. “You sort of took your time.”
I leaned forward, kissing her again. My cock, still inside her, twitched slightly.
Much too soon, she reminded me she needed to let the horses back out. We took a quick shower, tugged on our clothes and went out to let them back into the pasture.
After we returned to the house, I learned she loved sci-fi movies. We watched one before we put the horses away for the night. I considered ravishing her in the feed room again, but I decided the bed was actually more comfortable.
I had another best sleep of my life after that. I could get seriously used to spending more nights with Gemma.
The next morning, she was on the phone again as I came down the hallway to the kitchen. Yet again, my curiosity perked its ears.
“Neal, I appreciate your help, but I’ve got this. I’m going to call the DA’s office and let them know I’ll be willing to testify. If I need more support, I’ll let you know.”
Why the hell was she talking about attorneys and testimony? I hated the doubts that pricked my thoughts. I didn’t want to be nosy, so I didn’t ask. I sat down and had another nice breakfast. I couldn’t resist giving her a lingering kiss when she stood beside my motorcycle before I left.
I returned to the resort, wondering about texting Gemma and asking if I could see her that night. With my current living situation, it wasn’t that I couldn’t bring someone out here, but it was a guaranteed way to make anyone feel like they were under the microscope. I had three nosy guy friends, and an even nosier sister living with me.
I had barely gotten into the kitchen at the resort to grab another cup of coffee when Harley came barreling out of the pantry. “Why the hell is an attorney calling me?”
“How should I know? And why the hell are you asking me?” I finished filling my coffee and set the pot back on the warmer. Turning, I rested my hips against the counter and took a swallow.
“Some attorney left me a message about a matter pertaining to Gemma.”
I lowered my coffee, and icy dread slid down my spine. “What?”
Harley handed me her phone, tapping the screen to open her voicemail and hit play.
“I’m looking for Harley Jackson. This is Tom Johnson, an attorney based in Portland. I understand you’re familiar with Gemma Marlon. We have a question about a legal case pertaining to her and are hoping you might be able to provide some information.”
“What the fuck?” I muttered as she hit the stop button and closed her phone.
“That’s my train of thought,” Harley said dryly.
I pulled my phone out and was about to call Gemma when Harley placed her hand on my forearm. “Don’t call her yet. We need to find out what the situation is.”
Daphne came walking in the kitchen, her alert gaze whisking around the room. “What’s up?” she asked, making a beeline for the coffee and pouring herself a cup.
“I got a really weird message about Gemma,” Harley explained. She replayed the message for Daphne.
Daphne’s brow furrowed as she divided her concerned gaze between us. “This seems really weird. You’ve only known Gemma since you’ve been here, right?” She directed her question to Harley.
“Yeah, why would they call me? All I know is Diego has the hots for her, and she teaches a really good yoga class.”
I hated the way I felt, confused and filled up with questions.
“I think we need to talk to Gemma,” Daphne said firmly.
“I don’t think so,” Harley interjected, shaking her head quickly. “What do you know about her?”
Daphne wasn’t easily cowed and gave my sister a sharp look. “Not a lot, but I trust her. This strikes me as odd. There’s no sensible reason for someone to call you unless it’s not on the up and up.”
Harley wrinkled her nose and blinked. “Okaa-ay. Should we tell Gemma about the message?”
“Are you going to call her?” Daphne asked, looking to me.
The lingering feelings of amazing-ness that had been clinging to me after my night with Gemma had dissipated. I felt as if someone had dumped ice water on me. Obviously, Gemma had no way of knowing this about me. I had a giant button about trust when it came to women, and it had just been pressed. Hard.
“I don’t know if I should,” I finally replied, feeling kind of like an asshole.
Daphne stared at me, a hint of confusion swirling in her eyes. “I thought you were seeing her.”
“We’ve had two dinner dates,” I said, now feeling like even more of an ass. While that was technically true, what had passed between us was far more than casual. That was my whole problem now.
Daphne’s brows hitched up, and even Harley looked askance at me. Daphne shrugged. “Well, I consider Gemma a friend, so I’ll be calling her. Since apparently this is none of your business, you don’t need to be a part of that call.”
Daphne walked off with a dismissive flick of her fingers over her shoulder. Every now and then, she reminded me precisely why Flynn had given her the nickname princess. I wanted to run after her and tell her I’d call Gemma about it, but now I felt like a heel. Annoyed with myself and the situation, I lifted my coffee mug and drained it quickly before leaving the room. I didn’t have much time this morning before I needed to get out to the airport. I’d needed a change of clothes and my gear bag, so I’d come home. I was regretting it now.