“I do,” I told her. “Had a former teammate once involved in the kink community. Took us guys once to a club he visited and taught us all about it. Not really my thing, but it was interesting.” As I explained, Gabby’s cheeks pinkened and she bit the corner of her bottom lip. I’d been intrigued at first. I think as athletes, most of us liked control and being in charge. I could remember some of the scenes we watched and while whips and humiliation definitely weren’t my thing, watching a woman get turned on being restrained or spanked had definitely made me hard that night. “I’m surprised you do.”
“Well,” she huffed, ran her tongue over her lips like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to admit anything to me. “I read books and have watched a couple movies.”
I opened her passenger door and as she climbed in, brushed my hand over the skin showing at her thighs. As soon as the weather had warmed, she’d ditched the long sleeve top and leggings she wore on the ferry for cutoff jean shorts that barely covered her ass and a crop top that showed off the curves of her breasts and the muscles at her abdomen.
She was testing my patience to wait until nightfall to take her again.
“You’re going to have to share some of those books with me. Maybe it’ll give me a few new ideas.” If she was curious, I’d explore that with her. Hell, I’d already done more with her than any other woman.
Her cheeks flushed, goose bumps popped on her thigh where I trailed my finger in a lazy figure-eight shape and a shiver made her squirm in her chair.
“Not fair,” she grumbled. “You can’t turn me on now.”
“It’s fair, considering I’m always turned on when you’re around me.”
I shut the door on her as her jaw dropped and hurried around to the RV.
Nightfall and privacy couldn’t arrive soon enough.
25
Gabby
I set down a bottle of wine on the table that popped out from the back of the RV. It had to be the greatest thing about the RV. A tiny table, perfect for two, and at the perfect height for our camping chairs, we’d shared more than one meal at it, but this location might just be my favorite.
“Do you want me to open the bottle?” I asked Joey who was inside, grabbing plates and silverware.
Bags of Chinese and sushi had been delivered to our campsite, and we’d chosen to eat at the perfect time. On the horizon, where the lake met the sky, the sun was beginning to set, casting an array of oranges of pinks and purple across the sky through the gentle clouds rolling in.
“I’ll get it,” he called out and reached into the drawer to grab the electric wine opener.
He crawled over our bedding, the couches never once been turned back into furniture to sit on and set everything on the table before leaning over the edge of the bed. His hand whipped out, slipped behind my neck and he pulled me to him, kissed me senseless and until I was breathless before he pulled back.
“What was that for?” I asked, chest already heaving and my core tightening.
“Because you’re sexy. And every time I see you, I want my mouth on you.”
“Oh.”
“Also because now I keep thinking about all those books you read, all the things you could probably teach me.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Please. With the way you boss me around, I’m sure you have more tricks up your sleeve.”
“If you’re lucky, you’ll see.”
“I already am.”
The truth surprised me as soon as it was out. I imagined I looked like Joey had earlier when he almost, kind of sort of, admitted to falling in love with me in moments.
“Gabby—”
“We need to eat before it gets cold.”
Disappointment flashed in his eyes but he climbed over the edge of the bed and stood in front of me. “Right.”
I broke something then, that fragile tendril we were building. Before I could repair it, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulled me to his side and we faced the sunset.
“We’ve seen so many indescribable things this trip.”
From sunsets to sunrises and cloudless skies and glacier-tipped mountain tops, babbling brooks that ran down the mountains and pebbled with bright yellow flowers budding at the edges. My camera roll was full of all the sights we’d seen. There were so many natural wonders we’d viewed, I didn’t want to forget any of them. Nor did I want to forget the security Joey gave me, the happiness. The leap of joy in my chest every time he looked at me or I made him laugh.
“We’ve made memories to last a lifetime in some of the most incredible places on this planet.”
He kissed the side of my head, hugged me tight and let me go.
“I will never forget them,” I said to his back as he walked away.
“Good.” He flashed me a smile, opened our wine and I set out our plates and opened the camping chairs while he popped the tops open on the food containers. We dug into sushi and Chinese food, beef and broccoli for me, and three different orders for him. At one point, he brought his chair around to my side, grabbed a beer he’d picked up earlier from the fridge, and we sat on the beach, shoulders brushing, drinks in hand long after the sun set in front of us.
“I almost don’t want this trip to end,” I admitted, resting my head on his shoulder. “It’s coming too fast.”
“So you like being with me?” he asked, but it was too heavy to be a tease, too quiet to not be laced with worry.
I’d done that, with my earlier thoughtlessness and last night’s uncertainty.
“I like you a whole lot, Joey Taylor.”
His grin curled at his lips and he leaned in, brushing his mouth over mine. “That’s really good to hear, Gabrielle Taylor, because I think I like you a whole lot more than just like.”
He lingered at my mouth, brushed his tongue over my lips and then slipped inside, kissing me while my heart fluttered at his own admission and honesty and I cursed myself for not being able to give him the same.
And for not the first time, I wondered what it’d be like to really be Gabrielle Taylor… on paper and permanently.
A warm hand trailed down the curve of my side, over my hip. Behind me, Joey’s body pressed to mine. I was nestled in his warmth, my head on his bicep, while his free hand roamed my skin, pressing beneath my tank and slipping along the band of my underwear I’d worn to bed.
Soft kisses traveled along the width of my neck and his arousal was undeniable as he rolled his hips.
“If I wake you up again, are you going to be grouchy?”
Not sure it was possible to be in a bad mood when he was touching me like this, teasing me, waking me with hands and lips instead of whispered demands.
“As long as it’s not before the sun rises, you’re good,” I mumbled and turned enough so I could kiss the soft skin on his arm.
“How awake do you want to be right now?” As he asked, his fingers dipped beneath the waistband of my underwear, to my lower stomach, and slid through my crease.
“Oh,” I rasped, and jolted at his first, light touch.
Joey chuckled against my throat. “I want to fuck you as the sun rises, see the night become day right as you shatter.”