23. Gage
GAGE
I haven’t heard from my sister in a while so I send her a message. She’s up at the crack of dawn for work anyway. Gabby’s always so stressed about her job and her loser boss.
Me: What’s up?
Gabby: It’s almost your birthday.
Me: Summer is halfway over. When are you coming to visit?
Gabby: Soon, I’ll get there.
Me: You’re always busy.
Gabby: And you never are. I have real bills to pay.
Me: :(
Gabby: Probably on a weekend at the end of the month.
Me: How's it going at work? Is your boss any better?
Gabby: Not really. I want to tell him to shove this job up his ass.
Me: So, do it. You can get a new job.
Gabby: In marketing? He’ll blackball me.
Me: Sucks. Sorry. Can’t wait to see you.
Gabby: You too. Love you. What are you doing for your birthday?
Me: Not sure yet. Probably hang with friends.
It’ll be good to see her soon. We haven’t gotten together since last fall before I went south. She didn’t make it to the Virgin Islands last winter like she usually does for a vacation. Again— her fucking boss.
I have some free time in the morning, and since Charli is off today, I decide to surprise her.
After that last text message yesterday, I need to make time for her.
After a quick stop by the café and market, I head to her apartment.
Our last visit was a little awkward when she stopped by the boat and I don’t want things to be weird with her.
I said some things that had been bothering me and I don’t want to ruin our friendship.
It’s only 8:30 a.m., but maybe it feels late to her since she gets up so early. Her Jeep is in the driveway and one of her neighbors is working in the garden. We exchange a wave and I knock on the door.
I hear her voice, muffled through the door, “Coming.”
She appears, and opens the door for me, still in her jammies, nipples on full display through her white tank top. Her hair is disheveled. She rubs her eyes and stifles a yawn. So gorgeous.
“Oh my God, hi, are you okay? Why are you here so early?” Then she glances down at her chest and quickly crosses her arms over her boobs.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, come on in. Uhm, I’ll be right back.”
She goes into the bathroom and shuts the door.
I wander to the kitchen and unload my groceries and brew a pot of coffee, then I start looking for a pan to cook some bacon and eggs.
I’m actually really good at breakfast foods, not coffee shop good like Charli, but normal good.
A few minutes later she returns wearing that short silk robe and sadly, I can see her bra strap sticking out near her collarbone.
She’s piled her hair in a bun and looks a little more awake.
“I’m happy to see you, but why are you here now?” She perches on a stool in her kitchen while I spread out my ingredients on the counter.
“I wanted to see you and I thought I could make you some breakfast.” I reach for a cutting board and a bowl.
“Oh, thanks. But usually you just text me. You said work was busy.”
I start cracking eggs into the bowl. “I know but we won’t have much time later this week.”
“Oh. Okay. The coffee smells good.”
“I bought a bag at your shop before I came here. Sonja’s my secret weapon.”
“Mmm. That was nice of you.” She pops a few blueberries into her mouth and then reaches for a strawberry.
So far so good. She seems relaxed this morning. But, I’m still on edge. Something is off with her. “What’s up with the checker at the Coastal Market?”
“You must mean Sheila. She’s super nosey and is the town gossip.”
“I feel like she judges me whenever I shop there.”
“Oh, she does it to everyone.”
“How's your week going?” I ask, looking for a whisk.
“Pretty busy.” She inhales deeply and holds her breath and looks up at me through her long lashes. She exhales and I wait for her to continue. “So, you know that my ex is seeing someone new.”
“Yeah?” Fuck, the nerves bubble up in my gut. Is this what I was sensing?
“Well, we pretty much had been together since high school. I met him when I was sixteen right after my mom left. And even though we’ve taken time apart, and have both been with other people, this is the first time that we’re really broken up, for good.” She settles into a chair at the table.
“Humph.” I wonder where she is going with this. It looks bad for us. I chop up some cheese and herbs and whisk them into the eggs. “Is that part of the reason you want to go to Iceland?”
She munches more blueberries and sighs. “Yes and no. I wanted to travel more and he didn’t.”
Dropping some butter into the pan, it sizzles. My lids close, wishing my muscles could relax. “That’s tough.”
“No, I’m ready to move on. Change can be uncomfortable. He’s been a part of my life for half of my existence.”
“That’s a long time,” I mutter. I turn to get the bowl of egg mixture and look at her face. Her expression is blank and it’s killing me. Maybe this was a bad idea, coming over unexpectedly. We can eat and I can get out of here.
The coffee pot beeps and she gets up to grab a cup.
“I need to know that I can do things independently.” She pours us each a mug and fixes them how we each like it, me black with sugar, hers with cream and sugar.
She passes me mine and we each take the first sip.
“I put things on hold waiting for him and he expected me to put his ideas first. There were a lot of ways my needs were always an afterthought. We were a couple so long that we quit wondering if we should be together, if we were actually happy. We stopped growing and I got swallowed into the shadow of what he wanted. When he said he was ready to stay here and settle down I had to make a choice.”
I nearly choke on my coffee. “Like get married?” I sputter. My stomach flips and dips, making me suddenly queasy.
“No, not that serious, but probably someday. There’s so many things I want to do before I begin that part of my life.” She sips her coffee. “Haven’t you been in a serious relationship before?”
Fuck. I’m not ready for marriage either. My heart sinks with fresh realization. We’re at different stages in our lives. “Yeah. But not that serious.”
Setting her coffee down, she looks at me expectantly.
My gut turns to lead, old memories stirring inside me. I grip the edge of the counter to steady myself. “I had a girlfriend in high school, but things didn’t work out after my dad passed.” Taking a breath, I try to fortify myself. “There hasn’t been anyone significant since then.”
She lifts her eyebrows at me. If only I could tell her the whole story.
“There was someone a few years ago,” I pause, uncomfortable with my past, before continuing, “but she said I was just summer fun.”
Her green eyes soften at me as the corner of her mouth tips up. “And you don’t want to get hurt again.”
I swallow hard. “I haven’t met anyone worth the risk yet.”
The air between us stills.
A slight burning scent hits my nose and she reminds me, “I think the butter is hot enough for the eggs.”
“Oh, right.” I finish making the eggs and fry up the bacon. Charli pops the bread into the toaster and we eat our breakfast at her small kitchen table. She shifts our conversation to the weekend.
When we’re done eating she stands and rounds the table to me. I scoot back my chair and she turns to sit on my lap. God, she feels good here. I hope this means what I think it does. She rests one hand on my shoulder and cups my face with the other. Jesus. Is she going to kiss me?
“If I never broke up with him, I wouldn’t have met you. And I really like spending time with you.” She strokes my cheek gently with her thumb.
I circle my arms around her waist pressing my palms to her back. “I told you from the beginning that I wanted to get to know you better.”
She swallows. “We do know each other better.”
I tighten my arms a bit, pulling her a little closer. “As friends.”
She wiggles slightly, leaning into my chest, her curves sending a shot to my crotch. “We’re very good friends,” she adds softly. “That’s why I came to you the other night when I was upset. I needed you.”
My heart hammers in my chest, she must feel it as close as we are. I hold her eyes with mine. Time slows, the seconds hanging there. “Needed me how?”
“You make me feel special and important.” Her eyes dance over my face. Her thumb brushes across my jaw. “You make me feel a lot of things.”
“I still want more.” I hold my breath. I’ve got her on my lap and in my arms, and I’m completely vulnerable to her.
Her white teeth dig into her plump pink bottom lip. “I do too,” she says in a whisper.
I can’t help but smile broadly at her, before pulling her closer to me, so we’re nose to nose. “Are you sure?” I ask, my voice strained and my muscles tight. “I don’t want you to feel pressured after what I said the other night. I was pretty frustrated.”
She nods slightly and leans forward a hair. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you how much I wanted to be with you then.”
Suddenly everything goes in slow motion.
My blood runs thick and my breath comes out slowly.
I run my hand up her spine and cup the back of her head before pressing my lips to hers.
They're soft and sweet-tasting like the strawberries she was just eating.
She makes a little sigh, opening her mouth to me as we share our first kiss.
I feel alive, a first kiss like no other.
I've never felt so nervous and excited at the same time.
I tilt my head to the left to deepen the kiss before sweeping my tongue between her lips.
She meets me with hers, tongues twisting together.
She shifts slightly, leaning into me more.
My cock grows hard; she must feel it on the back of her thighs.
Her hand slips to the back of my head, her other arm wrapping around my shoulder, her warm scent between us.
I suck her bottom lip into my mouth and run my hands up and down her back, the silky material warming under my touch.
She makes a breathy little sound in her throat before she kisses me again, a smile teasing at her lips.
My phone vibrates on the table, startling us both.
She pulls back from me, her lips pink from my stubble.
Her eyes are hazy as she circles her arms around my neck.
“Do you need to get that or can we keep doing this?” she asks as she leans down and nibbles on my neck. Her hair tickles my chin and I love it.
I reach around her for the phone to ignore the message, then let my hands wander down her back to cup her ass.
She giggles and kisses along my neck up to my ear, taking the lobe in between her lips.
Fuck. I want her mouth other places. A groan escapes my mouth as another burst of heat makes my cock rigid.
My phone buzzes again. “Just look at it,” she rasps into my ear. My breathing is ragged as I grab my device and hold it up while she continues to kiss and lick at my neck.
Shit. It’s already 9:30 and Owen is wondering where I am, since we have a 10:30 a.m. sail. “Damn. I have to get going. I have a charter.”
“Awww. Are you cutting me off already?” She wiggles her butt on my lap, teasing me.
I lean back to look into her green eyes. “I don’t want to. I’ve been waiting to kiss you for weeks.” I move my hands up her sides, my thumbs grazing the swell of her breasts under her arms. She shivers under my touch.
“I’m glad you did,” she says before brushing her lips across mine one more time before she lifts herself from my lap. She stands behind me stroking my shoulders slowly. “Can you come over tonight?”
“I won’t be back until late. And you have work in the morning, right?” I tilt my head back, enjoying her touch. But, there’s nothing I can do for my erection at this point besides wait for it to go down. “You have to stop touching me or I won’t be able to leave here.”
She glances down at my lap and mumbles, “Oh, sorry.”
She reaches for her coffee and takes another sip. My phone vibrates so I grab it and text Owen that I’m on my way.