Chapter 7 Emilia
Emilia
I hold him to me, and run my hands along his back. He sags against me, his muscles much more relaxed than they were moments ago, as he pins me with his weight. A part of me can’t believe that I just had sex with Gabe.
Gabe the Babe.
Gigi.
I grin as I think about the nickname I’d given him.
I like to call him that on the ice when he’s being a belligerent ass.
It rouses him, and I kind of like it when this man is provoked.
I plan to provoke him again and again, in the most delicious ways, until our friends come back from their catamaran trip, and we go back to reality.
He lifts his head, his dark eyes are warm, sated…tender as they meet mine. My heart skips a beat. Honestly, I never expected sex with Gabe to be quite so gentle, or emotional. Did he too feel like there was more going on here?
No?
Just me?
Get it together, girl.
I moan and stretch my arms above my head as I remind myself of what this is and what it isn’t.
“You good, babe?” He inches up a bit, taking some of his weight from my body, but I kind of liked being trapped by his muscled hardness.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I murmur.
When was the last time I ever felt this relaxed?
He winces as he slowly pulls out of me, and as his seed drips from my sex, a warm tingle begins at the top of my head and travels all the way to my toes.
I reach for the box of tissues on the nightstand, and Gabe pulls a few free.
Instead of wiping himself, he puts his hands between my legs, and with a touch so full of care and gentleness, he lightly wipes me clean.
Alrighty then.
“As much as I like dripping out of you like this,” he begins. “…and fuck, I’m getting hard thinking about my cum dripping out of you all day, I don’t want you walking around uncomfortable.”
Is this man sweet and gentle with all the women he takes to his bed?
Maybe I don’t want to think about that. One thing I can’t help but think though, is that on the ice he’s a beast, and I always knew he was kind, but this side of him is just…
wow. I swallow and work to find my voice. “I should probably get a shower.”
He nods, and tosses the tissue into the garbage.
Should I ask him to join me? Shoot, I’m not sure what to do.
The answer is taken out of my hands when his phone pings.
He looks like he’s about to ignore it, but then it pings again and a pained expression crosses his face as he snatches it off the nightstand.
He gestures with a nod toward the hall, clearly wanting privacy. “You go ahead and shower. I’ll get one after you.”
I have no idea who’s messaging him—heck, for all I know it’s one of his bunnies back home—but he’s tense again. Perhaps he should join me for a warm shower. Maybe that would help relax him again.
“Okay.” I stand, and it seems so weird to be walking around his room naked. I hesitate as his gaze races over me and I glance back, ready to pull a sheet from the bed to cover myself.
“I’ve been inside you, Millie,” he whispers quietly. “You can walk around my room naked.”
His words are soft and caring, not at all meant to embarrass me, and I really appreciate the warm consideration in his eyes when they meet mine.
I nod and work to steady my wobbly heart. “If I’m not done by the time you finish with your messaging, come join me.”
My lips quirk as his groan fills the room, and he shifts on the bed, pressing his back to the headboard.
Forcing my weak legs to work, I make my way to the bathroom.
His room is set up the exact same as mine, but being on the bottom floor, he has a swim-up outside, and a great view of the ocean.
I turn on the tap and hold my hand under the rain shower. Once it’s warm, I step in.
Shampoo and body wash are provided in containers secure to the tile, but my gaze goes to Gabe’s body wash.
I’ve always loved the smell of him, so I pour a generous amount into my palm and begin to lather my body.
The fresh citrus scent teases my senses and my stomach growls, a reminder that it’s nearing lunch.
After rinsing, I wash my hair, and as I hold my head under the spray, a big warm body joins me.
I smile up at Gabe, and take in his frown. I tense. “Is everything okay?” I ask. He stares at me for a moment, and his tight shoulders relax as I put my hands on his chest. “Gabe?”
He slicks his wet hair back. “Yeah, it’s all good.”
I want to ask who he was texting with, but decide against it. If he wanted me to know he would have told me. “I borrowed your body wash.”
He grins, his mood lightening. “Borrowed implies you’re going to return it.”
“True.” I tap his chin. “How about this? I return it by letting you smell it on my body all day.”
He puts his hand around my back and tugs me against him. “I like that.” Dipping his head, he buries his mouth in the crook of my neck and inhales. “Fuck, Millie, I like my scent on you.”
“I like your scent on me too.” I grin, letting him know I’m no longer talking about his body wash. “I almost didn’t want to wash you off.”
He puts a hand between my legs and lightly strokes my sex.
“No worries, I plan to put my scent all over you today, numerous times in fact.” There is nothing I can do to stop myself from quivering in anticipation.
“Right now, we need to get cleaned up. I called room service. I thought it would be nice to eat on the deck.” He inches back.
“Does that sound like something you might like?”
“Yes,” I answer, loving his thoughtfulness. I squirt his body wash into my palm and rub it on his chest.
He moans, and his voice is deep and rough when he says, “Then maybe we can do some resort activities.”
“Such as?” After I lather his chest, I reach down and grip his semi-hard cock. He groans as I wash him.
“They have four-wheelers, or we could do scuba lessons, or even do some paddle boarding. If we take the four-wheelers, we could probably see some monkeys and wildlife. I know you like that.”
I release his cock and turn him around, to run my hands over his broad back. “How do you know that?”
He glances at me over his shoulder, a smirk on his face. “Come on, you loved the museum of natural history, especially when they had wildlife shows.”
Okay, I’m touched that he remembered that. “It sounds like a lot of fun, actually.”
“Great, I’ll arrange it.”
“Okay, you’re clean.” I move so he can rinse off, and once we’re done showering, he climbs out first and hands me a big fluffy towel. “I should probably run back to my room for clothes, if room service is coming.”
“Nah.” He winks at me. “We can wear robes, with nothing on underneath but our birthday suits.” I laugh at that as he steps into the hall and pulls open the closet and hands me a robe, and a pair of slippers.
I wrap myself in the robe. “We can dress after we eat.” He rubs his rock-hard stomach. “I’m starved.”
“What did you order?”
Just then a knock comes on the door, and he pulls on his robe as he hurries to it. “Hey.”
A young man dressed in a white server’s uniform stands at the door with a cart full of plates covered in domes. “Where would you like this, sir?”
“Right out on the deck.”
I hurry to the deck doors, peel back the curtains and open the sliding door. The nice young man smiles at me as he wheels his cart through the room, and stops at the door. He picks up one of the many trays and sets them on the outside table. My God, did Gabe order one of everything?
As the server prepares our table, I go back inside and grab my phone, seeing that my brother texted me.
I smile at his birthday wish, and his promise to celebrate with me the next time we’re together.
I quickly shoot him a message back. He responds right away and I glance up to see Gabe giving the delivery server a generous tip.
He comes toward me, and I walk him down the hall, and open the door for him.
After he wheels his cart out and gives me a curt nod, I join Gabe on the deck.
I begin to take the domes off the food, and my stomach grumbles louder when I see French fries, chicken nuggets, nachos and cheese, plus a whole lot more deep-fried foods. All the things I love but don’t normally eat.
He grins at me and I shake my head. “I guess it’s a good thing that what happens in the Caribbean stays in the Caribbean.”
His smile falters for a brief second, but then it reappears as he snatches a nugget and bites into it. “Jesus, that’s good. But I’m afraid it’s not going to stay in the Caribbean.” He pats his rock-hard stomach. “This is coming back with me, right here.”
I laugh and reach for a nugget. “Good thing I’m not still training for the Olympics.”
His eyes narrow in on me as he sits. “I’m sorry an injury stopped you in your prime.”
“It’s okay.” I dip my nugget into the sweet sauce, trying to keep my tone light as I take a bite. “I got to go once, and that’s more than most people can say.”
His eyes soften. “I called you, you know. I was so proud of you, Millie.”
Guilt stings deep inside me, sharp like a thousand angry hornets.
I never answered his call, and I’ve regretted it ever since.
I was younger then, too wrapped up in my hurt and confusion, thinking I had some unspoken claim on him just because he took me to prom.
It wasn’t fair—he didn’t owe me anything.
And looking back, it was such a kind thing for him to do.
“Thank you,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.
He hesitates for a moment, the worry clear in his eyes, a deep line forming between his brows. “Did you get my message?”
I pause, the weight of his vulnerability hitting me.
He’s been carrying this with him all this time?
I swallow hard, suddenly wishing I could go back and undo the silence that stretched between us for so long.
“Yes,” I say quietly, picking up a French fry to give my hands something to do. “I’m sorry I—”
“You don’t have to be sorry.” His voice is gentle, cutting through my apology before I can finish. “I just wanted to make sure you got my message.”
The look on his face makes my chest tighten. I hate that I hurt him like that, even if I didn’t know it at the time. He squirts ketchup onto the fries, the tension easing as he wags his eyebrows playfully.
“Eat up,” he says with a grin, trying to bring the moment back to something lighter. “You’re going to need all your energy.” He holds a fry out to me, and I open my mouth as the breeze carries in floral scents. He breathes deeply and glances at the ocean. “This place really is incredible.”
I chew and nod. “It sure is.”
“Do you miss Minnesota?” he asks, and everything about this reminds me how fun and easy he was to be with. I missed this. I missed him.
“I miss my parents, but my friends have moved on, and I’m getting used to Boston.
As you know, I have my cousin Tanner there and I love Maeve, so that’s really nice.
” As I think about the storm they’re having at home, I quiver.
“Although living somewhere with less brutal winters would be nice, too. I envy Ryder out in California.”
Once again, Gabe’s muscles tighten. “Speaking of Ryder…that’s who I was texting. He was asking how the beach was.”
“He texted me to wish me a happy birthday. We’re going to video chat later.” I smile as I think of Ryder. I miss him terribly now that we’re living on opposite coasts.
He waves a finger back and forth between the two of us. “What would he think?”
While I understand the rules of this hook-up, I say, “I’m a grown woman, Gabe. Who I choose to sleep with is my business. Besides, he’s never going to know. There’s no need for him to know.”
“What if he did know, though?”
I eye him and take in the seriousness on his face. That’s when understanding hits. “Are you worried about losing him as a friend?”
He scrubs his face, and he exhales loudly as he stares blindly toward the ocean. “Yeah, actually I am.”
“You guys go way back,” I tell him as the worry in his eyes tugs at my heart.
“I know Ryder better than he knows himself, and you do too. I’m sure our hook-up might shock him, and like I said, he’s never going to know, but he’d get used to it.
He does know I’m all grown up and can make my own choices. ”
“Grown up or not, he’s pretty protective of you, Millie, and he trusts me. That’s why he asked me to take you to the prom.”
My stomach twists again as I think about the prom and the lost years between us. “Just so you know, when he texted I told him we were spending the day together, and you offered to play the ‘yes’ game.
His eyes go big and his chair scrapes the floor as he grips the arms, and pushes with his feet. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“It’s fine. He was thrilled that we were hanging out and having fun.
” His mouth falls open. “No, he doesn’t know what kind of fun we’ve been having.
It’s not his business.” I put my hand on his leg, and squeeze.
“Listen, if he trusts you, Gabe, and he does...” I take a sip of my soda.
“…then he knows you only have my best interests at heart, right?”
He shrugs. “Maybe, but I’m not sure he’d consider me sleeping with you to be in your best interest.”
“Then that’s his problem.”
“He kind of asked me to look out for you when you moved to Boston. He counts on me to know what’s best for you.”
I dip a tortilla chip into the gooey cheese. “I know he loves me and worries about me, but only I know what’s best for me, Gabe. I can make my own choices, and sometimes those choices are good, and sometimes they’re not. I grow from the good choices, and learn from the bad.”
He leans toward me and as I breathe in the scent of his skin, going deeper than the body wash, to something uniquely Gabe, it arouses me all over again. “What do you think about what we just did, Millie? Good choice or bad?”
“I think it’s too early to tell.” I give an easy shrug and wipe my hands on a napkin as he eyes me.
“Meaning?”
I stand, and release the belt holding my robe together. “We might need to find our way back to your bed a few more times before I can make my final decision.”