28
EMERSYN
Gabe held my hand as he drove us back to his apartment after the gym. I kept looking down at our intertwined fingers and then back up at him, pondering whether to tell him what Jake had said about Conrad. It could be harmless, but I suspected it wasn’t. Conrad wasn’t the type to spontaneously do something; he was a schemer and a planner.
“What?” Gabe asked.
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“Syn, clearly something is bothering you; just spit it out.”
“Jake said that Conrad has signed up at the gym at my recommendation.”
Gabe frowned. “You told him to join our gym?”
I shook my head again. “Nope.”
“You think he’s up to something?”
“He did come over the other day and—”
Gabe’s brows rose. “To your place?”
“I’m sure it’s nothing. He’s probably just trying to mess with me.”
“You want me to tell him to go get fucked?”
I smiled slowly. “Professionally, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I’m part owner of the gym. I can do what I fucking want.”
“There’s no need to—”
“I’m going to tell Jake to keep an eye on him. Did you tell Jake who he was?”
“I didn’t say anything. To be honest, it kind of caught me by surprise.”
Gabe’s free hand gripped the wheel tighter, turning his knuckles white. “And why did he go over to your place?”
“Why, Gable Thornton, are you jealous?”
He looked over and blinked. “I don’t know if jealous is the right word, but I’m definitely feeling something. Remind me why he was at your place again?”
“He said he came over because he was worried about me.”
Gabe’s jaw clenched.
“I told him to leave,” I added, not including the part when he refused and I was the one who left my own house. “He just likes to throw his weight around sometimes.”
“I’d like to be there next time he tries,” Gabe muttered.
A shudder ran through him, as if he were trying to shake off thoughts of Conrad, and he lifted our joined hands to kiss the back of mine as we pulled into the ground level of his apartment building.
Gabe lugged his gym bag out of the car and threw it over his shoulder before extending his arm my way, expecting I’d tuck into his side. So I did. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. Without even discussing it, Gabe just assumed we’d be together. He never asked if I wanted to come back to his place; he just drove us here.
We’d taken three steps up the stairs when I remembered something. “Shit,” I exclaimed as I patted my pockets. “I think I left my phone in the car. Wait here.”
“Nope,” Gabe said as I ducked out from under his arm. “You’ll have to catch up.” He tossed the keys my way and kept climbing the stairs.
I quickly descended the stairs and jogged to the car. It unlocked with a beep-beep, and sure enough, my phone was tucked into the passenger-side door pocket. After locking the car again, I whirled around and almost ran straight into Conrad.
“Conrad!” I exclaimed, my heart racing at his sudden appearance. “What on earth are you doing here?”
“Nothing much,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “Was just driving past and decided to check things out.”
I crossed my arms. “You just happen to be driving past?”
He looked around the space as though bored. “Not impressed, to tell you the truth. I would have thought people like the Thorntons might live somewhere a little more upscale.”
“What do you want?” I demanded.
“Not much security around here either.” He looked up, following the lines where the walls met the ceiling. “No cameras or anything.”
“Is that a threat?”
He sputtered out a laugh. “A threat? Only you could perceive that as a threat, Em. You’ve always been rather dramatic.” He sauntered off, flaunting an exaggerated chuckle.
I flipped him off behind his back and poked out my tongue. Childish, I know, but I couldn’t think of a better response.
Choosing not to give him another thought, I jogged back up the stairs until I caught up with Gabe, who was deliberately trudging his way up slowly. I decided not to tell him about Conrad’s little visit, as I suspected that was exactly what Conrad wanted. So I slipped back into place, and we took the stairs one at a time, his arm slung around my shoulder and me grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
“What?” he asked when he noticed my smile.
“Oh, nothing.”
“You’ve got to stop saying that.”
“I just never expected, well, this.” I gestured between us.
“I did. I told you right from the start you’d fall in love with me.”
“Oh, we’re in love now, are we?”
“I’m sorry, but just look at the way you’re looking at me. There’s no way you’re not in love. And I don’t blame you. You are only human.”
I whacked his stomach, and he bent over with an exaggerated “ooft” as he dropped his bag to the ground. I skipped away and squealed a little when he lurched toward me, grabbing me from behind, wrapping his arms around my waist, and lifting me off the ground. I laughed and pretended to kick and fight as he dumped me on the sofa and crawled over me, grinning delectably. My laughter faded as the heat from his body radiated into my skin, making me aware of just how close he was. I could literally feel myself melting into a pool of desire. His eyes flicked between mine before darting to my mouth. My own gaze fell as he ran his teeth over his bottom lip, and he lowered his head until his breath washed over me. Every inch of me was tight with the suspense of when his lips would crash onto mine. I think I may have even let out a little moan.
Then one side of his mouth curved upward. “See?” he smirked. “Totally in love with me.”
Lifting my hands to his chest, I shoved him with all the strength I could muster. “You’re such an idiot.” I laughed as he fell to the floor. “What sort of food have you got in this place? I’m starving.”
Jumping to his feet, Gabe walked over to the kitchen and opened the door. There was a pizza box, a block of cheese, and a carton of eggs.
“How do you feel about days-old pizza?”
“My favorite.” I walked into the kitchen and jumped up to sit on the counter as Gabe took the pizza out of the fridge. He opened the box and stared at the contents.
“Hmmm,” I said dryly. “Looks delicious.”
“Maybe we could add some extra cheese or something?” Gabe got out the block of cheese and grated a copious amount onto the remaining pizza slices before popping them into the oven. Then he walked over and stood between my legs, resting his hands on my hips.
“Now, where were we before you so rudely interrupted us by demanding to be fed?”
“Well, technically you were on the floor and—”
My words were swallowed by his lips on mine. His fingers tightened their grip on my hips as he pulled me toward him, sliding me closer to the edge of the bench. I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck, relishing the way heat unfurled from my core and spread to every inch of my body as his mouth danced with mine. My thighs tightened, and I hooked my legs behind his back.
Gabe’s hands lifted from my hips and toyed with the hem of my shirt. I pulled away from him just long enough for him to toss my shirt over my head and fling it to the floor. I did the same to him before his arms encircled me and his lips found mine again. There was a part of me that wanted to keep some distance between us just so I could marvel at his body, but what his mouth was doing to me pushed that thought aside. His mouth moved from my lips to my jaw, and he tugged the strap of my bra over my shoulder with his teeth. He slipped the other side off with his hand before undoing the hooks at the back and removing my bra altogether. He pressed me backward, lowering me until my flesh hit the cold surface of the bench, and then he climbed on top, adjusting me until my head hung over the side of the bench and his mouth was on my breast.
“I haven’t showered,” I panted, worried about how much I’d sweated at the gym.
“Hmm,” Gabe licked my skin. “Salty.” He laughed, then leaned close to my ear. “I don’t care,” he whispered.
“Is that pizza I smell?”
I froze at the sound of a voice in the apartment with us.
Gabe looked around, then plastered himself against my body. “Dante? For fuck’s sake, why didn’t you knock?” Gabe glared over the top of my head as I cowered into his shoulder.
I heard a snort of laughter. “Are you two—” Another crack of laughter. “I’ve never needed to knock before. I didn’t—I won’t look. I promise.”
“How about you just fuck off?” Gabe said.
“No way,” Dante called from where he was hiding behind the bedroom wall. “I’m not leaving until I get some of that pizza.”
Gabe helped me to my feet and shoved my shirt at me as he pulled his own over his head. I hurriedly wrestled mine on, but when I looked up at Gabe, he shook his head.
“You’re going to have to put on your bra; that’s just—” He shook his head. “They’re just—” He held up his hands, reaching out toward my breasts, then shook his head again. “Please just put on a bra before Dante sees you, okay? I don’t want him to have that image of you in his mind.”
He helped me take off my shirt and tug on my bra.
“Is it safe to come out now?” Dante called.
“Yeah, it’s fine,” Gabe called back with a hint of frustration in his tone.
“Hey, you.” Dante grinned and stuck out his hand. “Nice to see you again. I’m Dante, Gabe’s nephew.”
“I’m Em—Syn.” I shook his hand. He had a firm grip.
Gabe jerked open the oven door and pulled out a slice of pizza. “Here.” He shoved it at Dante. “Here’s your pizza. Now piss off, okay?”
“But it’s not even warm.”
“Not my problem,” Gabe replied, shoving Dante toward the door.
“The cheese isn’t even melted!” Dante yelled.
“I don’t care,” Gabe grunted, having shoved him all the way to the door. He opened it and stood there expectantly, waiting for Dante to leave.
“Okay, okay. I know when I’m not wanted,” Dante grumbled jokingly. “It was nice to meet you, Syn!” he yelled as the door shut firmly in his face.
Gabe twisted the key in the lock and turned to face me slowly.
“I’m really sorry about that.”
“You didn’t need to kick him out on my behalf.”
“I didn’t. I kicked him out on my own behalf.” Gabe placed a kiss on my nose, then wandered back over to the oven and opened it. My stomach grumbled as the scent of pizza filled the air. “Warm enough,” Gabe mumbled, pulling out the pizza. He dumped a slice onto a plate and handed it to me as I slid onto one of the stools at the counter.
“What’s it like living just below Tyler and Lauren?” I asked before taking a bite.
Gabe shrugged. “It’s okay. Tyler and I have resolved most of our issues, and it’s not like I see them often.”
“But how is it seeing Lauren, you know, considering…” I left the question hanging, surprised at the knot of dread that twisted in my gut when I mentioned her.
“You don’t have anything to worry about regarding Lauren and me.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about anything like that,” I insisted, pathetically. “We both have baggage. Everyone has baggage. I was just wondering if it’s hard for you.” I flicked a glance his way as I tried to detach a particularly stringy piece of cheese from a slice.
“All that stuff with Lauren is in the past, and I’m happy for her and Tyler. Before that fight Tyler and I had when we filled in for Jake, he sort of… I don’t know, he laid it all out for me. Admitted that I’d been a part of Lauren’s life and he needed to accept that without being an ass about it. For my part, I agreed to stop trying to come between them.” Gabe slid himself onto the countertop and took a slice of pizza. “I’ve kept my promise, although I did get a little drunk at their wedding and say a couple of things that might have been considered… um, shall we say, below the belt?” He chuckled. “What about you, though? Is it hard when you see Conrad?” He took a bite and chewed as he waited for my answer.
“Honestly? Yeah, it is. It’s strange seeing someone after you’ve been in a relationship. I think that’s why most people aren’t friends afterward. It’s unnatural. When I see Conrad now, I feel this anger, like I just want to scream at him, punch him or something, but at the same time, there are these memories of when I actually liked him. It’s hard to explain.”
Gabe nodded slowly. “No, I get it. It’s like there are two different versions of that person out there now, and you’re juggling memories of them both.” He snorted. “Look at us being all mature and shit while talking about our exes without getting insanely jealous.” He jumped down from the bench as I reached for another slice of pizza. “What do you want to do tonight? Do you want to go out? Stay in?”
I smiled at him slowly. “Stay in?” I suggested, letting my gaze heat with the thought of what that meant.
“Yeah?” Gabe stalked toward me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, hugging me from behind as I sat on the stool.
“But,” I said, pulling away from him, “I’m having a shower first.”
Gabe started tearing off his clothing while grinning wickedly. “Me too.”
Within seconds, we were both naked and standing under a stream of water. Gabe stood behind me, hands cupped over my breasts as I tried to wash myself. His mouth was on the side of my neck, sending shivers of lust down to my core.
“You’re not exactly making this easy,” I said breathlessly.
The cold air hit my back as Gabe took a step away. “I can stop if you want.”
I turned around to face him. “I don’t ever want you to stop.”
Gabe’s gaze softened from lust to affection, and he reached out to cup my cheek. “You’re so beautiful, you know that?”
I let out a dismissive snort and pulled back from his touch. “I am not. I mean sure, I’ve got great tits and a cute nose,” I teased, “but otherwise I’m pretty unremarkable. I just blend into the background.”
Gabe placed his finger under my chin and tilted my head up to look at him. “You don’t blend into the background for me. To me, you’re a fucking neon sign that shines so bright you can’t see anything else.”
“I am?” I asked sheepishly.
Gabe spun me around and lowered his mouth to my neck again. “Uh-huh,” he mumbled against my skin. “To me, you’re the most beautiful thing on this planet.”
His words blurred in my brain due to the way his mouth was making me feel. No matter what part of his body touched me, or which part of my body he touched, there was a direct thread to a switch that turned me into a puddle of longing. His hands caressed my sides, running up and down, occasionally brushing the underside of my breasts. I leaned into him, my head falling back against his shoulder. The intensity of his kisses increased on the soft skin of my neck. His hands grew more urgent, applying pressure as he massaged my breasts in a way that made me moan. Then he dipped his hand between my legs, his fingers slipping into my wetness.
Gabe chuckled. “I love how easily you get aroused.”
“Easily?” I moaned. “Do you know what you’re doing to me?”
“Oh, I know,” Gabe growled.
I shoved my ass backward, pushing him away slightly. “Don’t make fun of me.” I turned to face him. “You’ll make me self-conscious.”
“Believe me,” Gabe said, pushing me back against the tiled wall of the shower. “There is nothing on this earth better for my ego than you.”
“I’m not sure how to take that.”
Gabe grabbed my wrists, pinning me against the tiles, and kissed me deeply. “Well, let me spell it out for you.” He moved down my body, kissing a trail between my breasts and over my stomach. Then he kissed each thigh as the water splattered onto his face. Finally, he kissed me... there.
I drew in a sharp breath. “You don’t have to do that.”
Gabe looked up. “Have to?” he almost laughed. “I want to. It’s all I’ve been thinking about. I’ve literally jerked off to the thought of doing this to you.”
Heat flamed up my cheeks at hearing those words spoken out loud.
“I want to taste you.” And he did, running the thick of his tongue over me. “I want to open your legs and lick you until you beg me to stop.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” I said, the pitch of my voice rising with the insane amount of lust coursing through my veins.
Gabe stopped and blinked. “You don’t want me to go down on you?”
“I don’t think I’ll ever beg you to stop.” I buried my hands in his hair as he dove between my legs, and within seconds, I could feel the pressure building. “Gabe,” I said, panting. “Gabe, stop, or I’m going to come.”
Gabe's fingers dug into my thighs harder, holding me in place. I tugged on his hair, needing somewhere to release the buildup before it—too late. I cried out, overwhelmed by the sensations catapulting throughout my body.
Gabe moved slowly up my body, a satisfied smirk on his face. “Sorry, what were you saying?” he asked.
His hair clung to the sides of his face as the water streamed over him. Part of me didn’t understand his interest in me. He was so, so, so fucking gorgeous. I couldn’t believe he was all mine. I grabbed his face and kissed him fiercely, tasting the memory of me on his tongue.
“Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” I said, uttering the words that had just been running through my head.
He grinned back at me. “I know.”