Whoa. Vibrator? They would definitely revisit that topic at a later date. But right now, he’d rather come inside her than on her leg. And thanks to the naughty image she’d given him, there was little time to waste. So he lowered her and opened the nightstand drawer to find a condom. He removed his own briefs as fast as she’d dropped her pants earlier. Her eyes widened at his size as she returned to her previous place on the bed. He planned to try every single position he could think of with her, but tonight, he wanted to be face-to-face. He moved his body over hers once again, only this time there was nothing between them. He supported his weight on his elbows while he kissed her thoroughly. Then he licked and sucked her tight, rosy nipples until she was shuddering in reaction. He returned to her mouth as he slid his cock up and down her slick entrance before sinking an inch inside. “Angel, you feel so damned good,” he groaned as he trailed kisses down the curve of her neck. Each time he pulled out, he eased back in a bit farther. As much as he longed to bury himself to the hilt, he waited, taking his cues from her.
When she locked her legs around his hips, he knew she was there. He growled, afraid of hurting her, yet so damned hard he was light-headed from it. “Gabe, please!” The raw need in her voice was his undoing. With a muttered oath, he buried himself inside her.
They both froze, equally overcome by the wonder of being joined together. Her eyes were closed, and her face was contorted. “Sara, are you okay?” No matter how painful it was for him, he refused to move until she answered. He ground his teeth together, striving for control. “Sara?” Please.
He jolted when her legs suddenly tightened, sending him impossibly deep. “I’m good, Gabe. I’m—just, it’s the best thing I’ve ever felt, and I want to make sure I remember every moment.”
So perfect. “Baby, this is only the beginning for us,” he assured her. “Now let me love you the way you deserve.” He had just enough restraint to make sure she was with him every step of the way. He plunged into her wet heat again and again, feeling a type of pleasure he had never known before. This woman—the one he had met against all the odds—was his perfect match in every way.
She hit her peak, crying out seconds before he reached his own climax. He managed to toss the condom in a nearby trashcan before he pulled her onto his chest and they lay spent. In her, he’d found not only Nirvana—but home. If he were an overly religious man, he’d even call it heaven. Tomorrow they would face a new set of challenges, as every couple does, but at that moment, there was only the here and now. And oddly enough, he had no desire to look beyond it. She made him want to savor every second, instead of constantly scanning ahead to avert a crisis.
When he heard a soft snore, he knew it was the real thing, unlike earlier. He yawned as well, allowing sleep to take him. There would be no need to dream of her tonight, because she was where she belonged at last—in his arms.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sara cringed as she took a seat at the kitchen table. After making love with Gabe last night, and this morning, she was a bit sore. It had been so long since she’d had sex that it was kind of like being a virgin again. She’d read that women actually paid money to get back to that state, which she thought was insane.
She’d been grateful when Gabe left to help his neighbor, Mr. Jenkins, start his car. It gave her a chance to pop some Advil without him noticing. She could easily picture him bundling her up and taking her to the hospital when he caught her holding her crotch.
What seems to be the problem, Ms. Ryan?
Well, my boyfriend has a huge pecker, and he wrecked my va-jay-jay.
Ah, I see. Happens all the time.
Truthfully, she wouldn’t care if he had broken it. Because the orgasms alone were worth the small discomfort she was feeling. The man was seriously talented between the sheets. He seemed to be more in tune with her body than she was. Last night had been raw and explosive. But when she’d woken this morning to find his cock pushing against her ass while he kissed her neck, she’d been breathless with anticipation. Heck, she hadn’t given a thought to morning breath as he made her come three times before finally joining her. Then they’d taken a shower together, which was a little unsettling for her at first, but with Gabe gently washing every inch of her body, including her hair, she’d quickly lost her inhibitions and simply enjoyed the intimacy between them.
She couldn’t quite believe how much everything had changed in the last few days. He’d gone from being stiffly cordial to sweet and loving. It was as if he’d known she was on the verge of giving up and going home. Chloe had even texted the next day to see when her flight would be arriving. Thank God he came to his senses in the nick of time. Wait—what if he heard our phone conversation? It was an unsettling thought. She didn’t recall exactly what was said, but she had been upset and depressed over their situation.
As she sat there running through it in her head, a part of her wanted to ask him, but then again, why? What did it matter if it had resulted in them being together now in every sense? After all, she certainly hadn’t shared with him what happened at the ball. Eventually she might. But there were a couple of reasons she wanted to keep it to herself. The main one being that he might take it as a sign she couldn’t handle the demands of being a military wife. She knew he worried about that very thing. And second, he’d be pissed, and no doubt he would confront Melanie. And that, she didn’t want. She was still angry and hurt over the entire incident, but she was also less emotional and more objective now. It was unfortunate, but it opened her eyes to a brutal truth. There were mean girls everywhere, and their ugliness was usually fueled by jealousy and bitterness. The other woman was clearly distressed over Gabe breaking things off. She’d undoubtedly planned to win him back when he returned home, but now, with her in the picture, it wasn’t happening.
Sara, better than anyone, knew what it felt like to lose a man like that. She’d been devastated after he cut contact with her. Except that still didn’t excuse the other woman’s behavior. And even though she had always shied away from confrontation, she knew in this instance that if she didn’t stand up for herself, Melanie would continue to escalate her ugliness. The fact that Gabe was off work for a few more weeks made confronting her tricky.
She was still pondering the dilemma when the front door opened and she heard Trouble’s excited bark. He nearly slid sideways on the slick kitchen floor in his haste to reach her. “How’s my favorite guy?” she cooed as she scratched him behind the ears.
“I never thought I’d envy my dog until I met you.” Sara’s head jerked up to see Gabe leaning against the wall as he smiled ruefully at her.
Holy crap, he’s so sexy. I can’t believe he’s mine. “I love you,” she blurted out. No way, I didn’t just say that. So much for making it a special moment.
She put a hand over her face, inwardly wincing, before glancing at him once again. There was laughter there—but it was the softness in his eyes that had her riveted. He crossed to her, nudging his protesting dog to the side, and sat down. “I don’t know, Angel, I found that to be incredibly special.”