25. Dani
Dani
Dinner was unreal. The seafood practically melted on my tongue, and the wine—probably more per glass than I spend on groceries in a week.
I kept waiting for someone to drop off the bill with a heart-stopping total at the bottom, but thanks to Alexa’s mysterious manager friend, the entire thing was comped.
Said manager definitely left with Emmett’s number saved in his phone, and looking very happy about it.
Emmett, however, left with Alexa.
He has absolutely no shame. The two of them were flirting all night.
Touching, whispering, disappearing for suspiciously long trips to the bar while the poor manager probably thought he was lining up a sure thing.
The way Emmett and Alexa climbed into their rideshare together, hands all over each other and grinning like idiots?
Yeah. I’m bracing myself for details tomorrow that I don’t want but will definitely get.
Gavin and I make our way into his house, and I drag my tired ass up the stairs. My feet are killing me. The shoes he loves so much were kicked off the second I slid into the car, but I’ve got other ideas for making it up to him.
When I step into his bedroom, I pause for a second, letting it sink in.
His bedroom.
Our bedroom?
I slip the straps of my dress down my shoulders and carefully hang it up on my side of the closet. Yes, my side. A few months ago, that would have terrified me. But I’ve been here almost every night.
Gavin cleared space for me without hesitation.
And it feels bigger than it should.
I do need to go back to my place tomorrow. Grab clothes for the week, check the mail, make sure my apartment doesn’t start feeling like a storage unit instead of my home.
In nothing but my strapless bra and thong, I step out from the walk-in closet and into the bedroom, my heart pounding harder with every step.
I’d planned this from the beginning, making sure to wear something under my dress that would drive him insane the second he saw me. Red silk and barely there.
Gavin’s sitting on the edge of the bed—loosened tie, shoes, jacket, and vest already gone. His sleeves are rolled up, collar open, forearms flexed as he braces his hands on his knees. He looks up when he hears me.
The way his eyes drag slowly down my body makes heat coil low in my stomach.
“Well…” His voice is rough. “That’s not fair.”
My confidence surges at the effect I’m clearly having on him. I walk over without breaking eye contact and straddle his lap, settling on him slowly and deliberately. His hands hover for half a second, like he’s not sure if he’s allowed, before they land on my hips.
I wrap my arms around his neck, leaning close enough that my breath ghosts over his lips. His fingers flex against my waist, sliding up and down my sides, and it sends a shiver straight down my spine.
“Did you have fun tonight?” I ask softly.
“I did.” His thumbs trace lazy paths along my ribs. “What about you?”
“Of course.” I press a kiss to his neck. “I was with you.” Another kiss on the other side. “Our friends.” I brush my lips across his forehead. “Good food.” A soft kiss at the corner of his mouth. “Good wine.” Then a lingering peck on his lips.
His grin spreads wide. His eyes are dark and never stray from mine. “Can I do anything to add to the evening?”
Instead of answering, I roll my hips slowly, feeling his erection already straining against his pants. The sharp inhale he lets out goes straight to my head.
“I have a few ideas,” I whisper.
I slide off his lap, missing his warmth immediately, and reach for his loosened tie. Wrapping it around my hand, I tug gently, forcing him up.
I’m pretty sure I hear him mumble something like, “I’m so fucking happy Emmett isn’t in this house right now.”
I laugh softly and tug him by the tie out onto the balcony. The night air is warm, and the sound of the ocean is the perfect soundtrack for what I have planned.
I give him a gentle push, and he drops back onto the outdoor couch. I climb back onto his lap, settling slowly, loving the feel of his solid frame beneath me.
My hands smooth up the front of his shirt, fingers brushing his warm skin as I undo each button one by one.
“Do you remember the little bet we had in your office?” I ask lightly.
His hands move to my hips. “Something about staying quiet,” he pants, eyes locked on my mouth. “But we don’t have to do that here, sweetheart.”
“True.” I lean closer, lips hovering just out of reach. “But do you remember what you would’ve won if you’d actually managed to pull it off?”
His expression changes to the perfect combination of surprise and intrigue. “Dani Russell,” he says slowly. “Are you asking me to tie you up?”
“Maybe.” I give him a coy smile, letting my fingers play with the hair on the back of his head.
He studies me. “Who are you, and what happened to my shy girl?”
The question doesn’t hurt the way it might have before. Instead, I feel something warm in my chest. I hold his gaze, making sure he really hears me.
“You happened,” I say quietly. “You make me feel safe enough to want to try things. You give me the confidence to ask for them. And I know I can trust you.” My thumb brushes his jaw. “You won’t hurt me.”
His hands tighten on me, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us. His forehead presses to mine.
“Never,” he breathes. “Never again.”
Emotion flickers between us—ten years of history, mistakes, second chances—before the heat rushes back in to take over.
I slip the tie free from around his neck, holding the ends in my hands. “So,” I whisper. “What do you think?”
He gently takes it from me and sets it on the cushion next to him.
“We’ll get there,” he says, voice rougher now. “But there’s something I need to do first.”
And then his mouth is on mine. The kiss is deep and demanding, stealing my breath. His hands move with purpose, sliding along my back, anchoring me against him as the night air turns electric around us.
My fingers grip tighter in his hair, tugging him closer, craving him in a way that I’ve never felt before. I grind down onto him, and he lifts his hips to meet mine. The friction against my clit ignites a fire that spreads through every nerve, leaving me dizzy and desperate for more.
“Gavin… please.” My voice is trembling with want.
His hand slides between my legs. “Already wet for me, sweetheart?”
“For you… always.”
His low groan vibrates through me, and it sends another shiver down my spine. I tease him with another roll of my hips, my body aching for every inch of him.
He’s so hard right now, and I need to feel him against me.
I reach down to undo his pants, attempting to free his cock. But his hands stop me, and a whimper escapes me.
“So eager,” he says.
“And you’re not?”
“Oh, trust me… you have no idea how badly I want you. But I have plans.”
Before I can argue, he lifts us both and lays me longways across the couch. Anticipation is gnawing at me. He grabs the tie, positioning himself between my legs. “Now… what should I do with this?” he teases.
“I can think of a few ideas,” I manage to get out, letting my arms fall above my head onto the cold metal armrest.
“Do you have any idea how fucking hot you are?”
“Show me.” My heart thunders in my chest, my nerves alive with the thrill of giving myself over like this.
With a sly grin, he loops the tie around my wrists, binding me, then secures the loose ends above my head to the armrest. I tug instinctively, and panic flares for a moment, then heat washes over.
I can feel myself surrendering to him completely, and the intensity of that makes me ache in ways I didn’t know were possible.
Normally, I need to be the one in control. But right now… I’m completely at the mercy of Gavin Baker. And the thought of surrendering like this makes my chest tighten with something I can’t quite name. But I like it.
I watch him stand, peeling off his shirt and pants, leaving only his boxer briefs in place. My eyes trace every line, every curve, every ripple of muscle, and I feel that familiar need grow stronger. I will never get over this man’s body. Ever.
He positions himself back between my legs, and I shiver, both from anticipation and the delicious terror of not knowing exactly what he’ll do next.
“If you need me to untie you, you just let me know. Until then, I am going to thoroughly enjoy this.”
I can’t speak. I only nod—my need for him almost painful.
He leans down, trailing soft, wet kisses across my neck. Each press of his lips setting my nerves on fire. My pulse hammers in my ears as he moves lower, down my chest. His teeth catch on the fabric of my bra, nipping at my breast, and I gasp, my back arching instinctively, desperate for more.
“Well, this being here just won’t do,” he murmurs against my fabric-covered skin.
Gavin reaches one hand behind my back to unclasp my bra, while the other cups my breast, kneading it with a possessive urgency. I bite my lip, trying to hold myself together, but my body is already betraying me, shaking under his touch.
With a sudden tug, he rips the bra from my body, letting it fall to the floor, and leaving me completely exposed. My nipples ache for attention, and he doesn’t waste a second. He traps one between his teeth, flicking it with his tongue, and I arch, helpless, begging without words.
A low chuckle rumbles from his chest, teasing me, and then his hand snakes between my thighs, rubbing along the sensitive skin, brushing so close to the place I need him most.
Every time he pulls away just slightly, it’s almost painful, and I buck my hips, desperate to guide him, desperate to feel him there.
“Are you trying to tell me something?” he asks, switching to tease my other nipple.
“Please, Gavin,” I moan.
“Where do you want me, sweetheart?”
I want to scream, to beg, but words are failing me now. Is it possible for him to be two places at once?
“Not gonna tell me, huh?” I can feel his grin against me. “Guess I’ll have to find out for myself.”
I can only nod. How is this man so good with his tongue?