Chapter 6
Callie
I squeal as the water rushes over my ankles.
It’s cold yet refreshing, a balm to my feverish skin.
I feel warm partly from the sun’s rays beating down on me, but also from the feel of Gage’s hand in mine.
The quips his family murmur with abandon.
The glint in his eyes that tells me, they’re not just teasing.
But am I living in a fairy tale? The past twenty-four hours with Gage, on a beach in Spain, with his big, loud, loving family around us isn’t reality. At least, not for me.
Gage is a client. A football player.
Spain is a holiday destination. Even if I’m not truly on vacation.
And…
And what?
I can’t deny I’m having more fun, feeling more relaxed, enjoying the present moment more than I have in years.
Gage spins me out before catching me in his arms. The sudden movement shakes me from my thoughts, and I land against his chest with a thud. He places one hand on my waist to steady me but then clutches my other hand in his, holding our clasped hands in between our chests as he begins to sway.
“What are you doing?” I laugh.
“Dancing with you.” His voice is serious.
My eyebrows lift. “Here?”
“Why not?” One side of his mouth lifts but his gaze is sincere.
“I don’t know,” I murmur, moving my body in sync with his. “I’ve never done this before.”
“Then all those men were doing it wrong. You should always dance when you feel like it.”
“That’s a Spanish thing.”
“That’s a Gutierrez thing,” he clarifies. “Are you having fun?”
“Yes,” I breathe out, inching closer into him. His bare chest presses against mine and I nearly shiver from the contact. It’s ridiculous. It’s broad daylight and we’re on a beach, surrounded with families. Yet, it all melts away when I look into Gage’s eyes.
Right now, it’s just us, tucked into a silent cave in a seawall, dancing to the music of the sea. Sunlight filters in, casting his face in shadows as he tips his chin down.
“I’m glad.”
“I haven’t had this much fun in a long time. Being with your family, being with you, it’s…easy.”
His eyes flash, a grin cutting across his face. “I’m not that easy, Cal.”
I snort, shaking my head. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“I know,” he teases, flattening his hand in the center of my back. God, it feels good, his hands on my skin. His eyes staring at me with intention and purpose. “Cal,” he murmurs.
“Yeah?”
“I meant what I said last night. It wasn’t the wine talking or being caught up in the moment.
I want what my parents have,” he admits, his voice low.
“I want fifty years and a family on a beach and laughing until I can’t breathe.
And, fuck, I’m not trying to overwhelm you, but I also want you to really understand that I want that with you. ”
“Gage.” I pull back. How did he know I’d need the reassurance? How does he understand how much I need the words with the actions. I’m so scared of reading things wrong, of ruining my career. But Gage always knows what to say. “You’re really serious?” I press.
“One hundred percent,” he says, dropping his forehead to mine. His grip on my fingers tightens. “It’s always been you.”
“Even though my life is a mess right now? I’m a mess,” I tack on, needing him to understand just how desperate I’ve felt lately. Unattractive and unworthy and…completely alone.
“You’re not a mess. You’re strong and resilient and brave. You’re it for me,” he says it simply. As if it’s an obvious truth and he has no problem admitting it, laying it all out.
It’s me who has a hard time accepting it. Because…this is Gage Gutierrez. Football star and Super Bowl winner. He can have any woman he wants and yet…
“I want you,” he whispers.
I lift my eyes to his and read the sincerity in them. “Are you gonna kiss me again now?” I murmur.
A small smile skitters across his lips. Instead of replying, Gage lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me.
His lips are soft, the pressure perfect. He smells like sunshine and salt air and sea. He feels like home—safe and steady and sure. I lean into him and close my eyes.
Gage’s hand on my waist skates up my side until his palm cups my cheek. He angles my face, deepening our kiss. I part my lips and his tongue slips inside my mouth, dancing with mine.
The sound of lapping waves and faraway conversation and laughter wraps around us. But we’re tucked into a tiny cove where no one can see.
And I finally let my guard down. I give in. I turn off my brain and all my worries and insecurities. I fall headfirst into Gage, allow him to catch me, and feel.
The stubble on his cheek scrapes lightly against my palm as I touch his face. He releases my hand and wraps his arm around my lower back, pulling me flush against him. I moan as his hardness presses into my stomach.
My hands track his shoulders, along the wide planes of his back. And still, we kiss. Deep, soulful strokes of our tongues followed by quick, eager, pecks. He nibbles on the shell of my ear, and I drag my tongue along the underside of his strong jaw.
The minuscule amount of clothing I’m wearing feels like too much. Restrictive.
Gage’s large palm skates across my stomach before cupping my right breast. He tests the weight of it before flashing me a sneaky look.
Then, his other hand tugs on the string of my bikini top and the small triangles of fabric fall away, leaving me topless.
My breasts are heavy with want, my chest rising and falling faster as my breathing accelerates.
“God, you’re so damn beautiful,” Gage says, dropping to his knees in front of me. “I’ve wanted to pull the string of your bikini since the first time I laid eyes on you,” he admits, looking up at me. “Remember that day?”
“Miami,” I recall, leaning back against the seawall as he wraps an arm around my upper thighs and arches up, tugging one breast into his mouth. His tongue flicks against my nipple and I whimper, my hand tugging on his short hair.
He releases my breast with a pop. “Miami,” he murmurs, giving me a wolfish grin. Then, his palm clasps the back of my thigh, dragging up and down my leg, as he lavishes my breasts with attention.
My lower abdomen pulls tight, and I widen my stance, feeling my legs grow weak. Gage nudges into me until I sag against the rocky wall, grateful for its support.
His hand moves upward, palming my ass and squeezing hard.
“Gage!” I gasp.
He pulls back to give me a devilish wink. Then, his other hand is tugging at my bikini bottoms. He looks at me, waiting for my permission.
I nod, desperate for his touch. Now that I’ve turned off my mind, all I want is Gage. His attention. His mouth on me.
The look that washes over his face is awe mixed with elation. And hunger. It sparks in his irises before he pulls the bottoms of my bathing suit to the side and drags his tongue up my center, parting me with one long lick.
“Oh, shit,” I swear, one hand clasping against the rock wall for something to hold on to.
“Put your leg here,” Gage says, tapping a spot in the wall where a rock juts out as a ledge.
I do as I’m told.
“Good girl,” he says, and I nearly whimper from the praise. “Now let me eat, baby.”
Fuck. I drop my head back against the hard wall and close my eyes. One hand presses flat against rock. The other remains tangled in Gage’s hair, desperate to tug on something.
Gage leans forward, pinning me in place. His tongue works magic against my pussy, licking me deeply, sucking on my clit, and making the most indecent and delicious sounds I’ve ever heard. One of his hands comes up to clasp my breast and I cry out.
My body tightens, my abdomen tying in knots as a need I’ve ignored for so long—too long—coils. Tighter and tighter.
Gage pushes two fingers inside my channel and I moan. He works his fingers in tandem with his mouth and I tug sharply on his hair.
“Gage! Oh, God, Gage!”
“Come for me, Calla Lily,” he growls.
I do. I come so fucking hard I see stars. My vision blurs and my body shatters. I cry out, my thighs trembling as the greatest release I’ve experienced in years flows from my limbs. My legs feel weak and if it wasn’t for Gage holding me in place, I’d fall.
“Good fucking girl,” he swears, dragging two fingers through my core.
I gasp from the contact on my sensitive flesh.
Gage grins and dips his fingers into his mouth, sucking them clean. “So fucking good.”
My eyes widen and he chuckles.
“I told you what I want, Cal. I wasn’t fucking lying.” He stands then, his cock tenting his swim trunks. He doesn’t seem remotely bothered by it as he leans forward and kisses me hard.
On his lips, I taste my own arousal and it makes me feel wanton. Needy for him all over again.
Gage looks at my body appreciatively. “You’re too damn sexy. All these curves,” he says, almost regretfully as he fixes the bottom of my swimsuit and reties the top.
Then, he adjusts himself and pulls in a deep inhale. “Well, this is the cave.”
I laugh, almost confused by how quickly he’s shifted gears. Eyeing the bulge in his trunks that can’t be concealed, no matter how hard he tries—no pun intended—I say, “Take me home, Gutierrez. We’re just getting started.”
Relief washes over his expression. “Oh, thank fuck,” he says, reaching for me. He scoops me up into his arms and steps from the cave into the bright sunshine of the beach. Turning away from the huddles of people, he races toward his apartment.
“You know, if you ran like this in games, you’d have smashed some records,” I tease.
“She’s got jokes,” he mutters, not even out of breath as his feet leave the sand and find the wooden planks leading to his apartment.
I grin at him. “This wasn’t supposed to happen, Gage.”
He shakes his head, glancing down at me. “This was always meant to be, Cal. You’re just catching up.”
Then, we enter the air-conditioned apartment.
Gage strides directly to his bedroom, tosses me in the center of his bed, and flips his chin at me.
“Take those scraps of fabric off that hot body.” He pushes his swim trunks down his thick thighs and kicks them off his foot.
His cock springs free and I gasp at the size of him.
He smirks knowingly. “I see you need my help.” He reaches forward and tugs on the ties of my bathing suit.
The whole thing falls away in a blink.
Gage’s grin widens. “You ready for me, Cal?”
“I am,” I say, leaning up on my elbows. And his gaze snaps to mine sharply. Because we both know that I’m admitting to more than just this, than just sex.
I’m ready for Gage. For the future he wants to create. For the confessions he shared with me.
I want it all too. Even if I’m scared. Even if I’ll stumble. I want Gage Gutierrez in my life in all the ways he’s claiming me in his.
“Thank fuck,” he murmurs again.
Then, he crawls over me, presses me down into the mattress, and kisses me hard. Our kisses are slower this time, our touches exploratory. Our movements unhurried and languid and lazy.
Gage brings me to the crest again. His eyes drink me in as I come apart, his name a swear on my lips. When he reaches for a condom, I touch his wrist, stopping him.
“I’m on the pill. And I’m clean,” I say, meaning it. If I’m going to do this with him, I’m going all the way. If Gage truly wants a future with me and I’m accepting everything he’s offering, then I don’t want any barriers between us.
“You sure, Cal? Because this… It’s for real, beautiful.”
“I want you, Gage. I want everything you told me. I want fifty-years-plus and a family laughing on the beach.” My voice cracks as I admit it because…it’s a dream I gave up on years ago. Until Gage made me believe in it again.
A ferocity glints in his eyes as he rolls his lips together and nods. Then, he kisses me. Deeply, passionately, thoroughly. He enters me on a sharp thrust and we both cry out, our backs arching. Gage stills, our gazes snap together and hold, and our mouths seek each other out.
We kiss again—slower this time. Gage rocks in and out of me, our bodies coming together beautifully. We climb upward, teeter on a delicious crest, and break apart in unison.
“Fuck, Callie,” Gage exhales.
I wrap my legs around him, pulling him deeper inside as he orgasms. “You chose me, Gage,” I remind him.
“Hell yeah, I fucking did,” he growls in my ear as his body relaxes over mine.
I laugh and press a kiss to his temple. “No take-backs.”
“Not in a million fucking years,” he promises.
I hug Gage to my chest and pull in a deep breath. He’s not what I expected or planned for—he’s a million times better.
“Can we still go out for dinner?” I whisper after a few minutes of silence.
“Every damn night of our lives,” he replies.
I kiss him again knowing he’s being truthful. Coming together the way we did changed things. It cemented a future we both want—it’s just that Gage was brave enough to admit it first.
But I’m not backing down. I’m right here with him.