“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” She shifted onto her side and propped up on one elbow. “Oooh, or maybe we can go downstairs, and you can show me how to prepare that yummy stir-fry you made the other night—” Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. “Hold that thought.” She leaned over to check the screen, frowned, then kept talking. “Anyway, should we—”
“Don’t anyway me,” he chided. “Who just texted?”
A sigh lodged in her throat. “My stepfather.”
“What did he want?”
“Nothing, really. He calls or texts every few weeks to say hi. Asks if I want to have lunch or dinner or whatever.”
Gage studied her face, his dark brows drawn together. “Why do you look so upset, then? You don’t like him?”
“No, it’s not that…” Hesitation tightened her chest. “It’s just…no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop viewing him as the man who broke up my parents’ marriage. And yeah, I know it takes two to cheat. It wasn’t entirely Clay’s fault—Mom was at fault, too. But every time I see him, I think of my dad, and how brokenhearted he was when Mom left, and…” Her throat closed up. “I know I’m not being fair to Clay, but I can’t help the way I feel.”
“Did he ever remarry?”
“No. And he doesn’t have any other kids.” She bit the inside of her cheek. “Do you think I’m awful for ignoring him?”
“Not at all. I think you’ve gotta do what’s right for you.”
She fell quiet for a moment, resting her head against his chest and listening to the steady beating of his heart. “What about your parents? What are they like?”
“Oh, it’s the usual sob story.” He spoke in a monotone voice. “My dad was a deadbeat. Raging alcoholic, petty criminal. He got arrested for armed robbery about ten years ago. Still in prison as far as I know.”
“And your mom?”
Now that deep voice thickened with pain. “She was a good woman. Gentle, compassionate. She died of cancer when I was eleven.” He lightly tapped the tattoo on his chest. “I put her initials here when I turned sixteen. I guess I wanted a reminder that there really are some good people in this world.”
“I wondered what those stood for.” Skyler traced each letter carefully, experiencing a wave of sadness. “I’m sorry about your mom.”
“I’m sorry about yours.”
A comfortable silence settled over them. It was the one thing she’d never expected—the comfort, the pure ease of being with this man. She’d thought they had nothing in common, that their sizzling chemistry was what made it work, but she’d been so, so wrong.
Yes, they were different. She was quick to voice her feelings, while Gage internalized everything. She thought things through, and to some extent, so did he, but he was far more impulsive than her. Like when they’d visited May at the museum the previous weekend—Gage had no qualms about sneaking into an off-limits area to steal a kiss. Or the night they’d gone to grab dinner and he suddenly decided to drive all the way to Portland because he had a craving for lobster, which apparently was only good if you bought it in Maine.
She’d come to appreciate his spontaneity, even look forward to it. Gage had shown her that she could go to work and study but still have fun at the same time. More than that, he made her feel strong and confident, and she loved how bold she’d become because of him.
So bold, in fact, that she didn’t even hesitate before sliding her hand over his rock-hard abs to wrap her fingers around his erection. She gave it a teasing tug, eliciting a groan from him.
“You’re a sex addict,” he grumbled.
“Ha. Like you’re complaining.”
Still stroking him, she brought her mouth to his for a kiss. His tongue dived through her parted lips and tangled with hers, his hips lifting restlessly as he thrust his cock into her hand.
God, she loved kissing him. Touching him. Watching him come apart.
She let out a disappointed moan when he intercepted her hand, firmly moving it off him. “You never let me have fun,” she complained.
“And you always put my pleasure ahead of yours,” he said roughly.
“That’s because I like pleasing you!”
“Yeah, well, I like pleasing you, too. So be quiet and enjoy.” His hand traveled south and stroked her mound, fingers lightly teasing the hood of her clit.
Skyler sighed happily. “Feels so good when you touch me.”
“Feels so good to touch you.” As he stroked her in a lazy rhythm, his gray eyes burned with what could only be described as adoration.
His middle finger rubbed little circles over her clit, slow and sweet until the pressure between her legs reached an all-time high, causing her to squirm in agitation.
His chuckle fanned over her cheek. “Getting close?”
“Mmm-hmmm.”
He moved his hand lower, one long finger sliding inside her as his thumb applied steady pressure on her clit. She cried out when an orgasm swept through her in pulsing ripples, rocking into his hand until the shock waves faded into a warm, delicious afterglow.
Afterward, she nestled against his warm, muscular body, exhaling slowly as that feeling of serenity returned. But even as he pressed a kiss on the top of her head, even as he stroked her hair and held her close, she knew he was still holding back.
Would he ever allow himself to be truly vulnerable around her? Sometimes she wondered. His father and brother had done a number on him, affected his ability to trust anyone but himself, but God, she wished he could trust her enough to fully let her in.
“Gage?”
“Yeah?”
“What are we doing here?”
She felt his chest tense. “What do you mean?”
“You said you don’t do relationships, but…well, we’ve been seeing each other for more than a month.” She hesitated, then forced herself to be honest. “This is more than sex to me.”
“I know.” His voice was husky.
“Are we together? Like, officially together?”
She held her breath as she waited for his answer. As badly as she wanted to hear him say yes, she had to wonder if maybe she was forcing things. Fighting for a relationship that was bound to go nowhere. Gage wasn’t one of those safe, dependable guys she usually dated, and she couldn’t help but feel like she might be in for some major heartbreak.
And yet when he gave a response, she couldn’t stop the burst of happiness that went off inside her.
“Yeah,” he murmured. “Yeah, we’re together.”
Her heart did a little somersault. “Good. I like that.”
His fingers stroked her hair with infinite tenderness. “Me, too.”
Chapter Twelve
As another busy Friday night came to a close, Gage dragged himself up to his office, dead on his feet. He’d broken up five fights tonight, tossed four troublemakers out on their asses, called cabs for half a dozen drunk patrons, and to top it all off, stumbled on a trio of high punks who claimed to have bought the drugs from Sin. Gage and his men still hadn’t found the person selling E in the club. Whoever it was had slowed down for a while, but evidently he was back in business.