Page 55 of One Short Summer

“Thank you.” The smile I give him is as real as they come, filled to the brim with appreciation. I’m not back to my normal strong “dancer’s body” yet—having gained a few extra pounds this last year while losing some muscle mass—but I know not everyone likes muscular women. I realized, a long time ago, you can’t ever win and make everyone happy. It took a while, but I love my body, big muscles and all.

His acknowledgement of it, combined with my own self-confidence, causes a burst of energy to shoot through me. I tighten my legs around him even more and flip us over.

Gabe chuckles for a moment when I position myself above him, but his smile is gone when I reach for the bottom of my shirt to pull it over my head, along with my bralette, leaving me completely bare for his perusal. I toss it behind me, the quietthudof it landing somewhere barely registering, my gaze never leaving his. His hands come up to cup both of my breasts, massaging them for a few moments before finally paying some attention to my nipples too. He rolls them between his fingers, and I arch my back, reveling in this exquisite feeling and wanting more of it.

“You’re captivating, Monica.” His words do something to me, and I close my eyes for a second to enjoy the warmth spreading through me.

My body feels like it’s on fire from both his words and his touch, and I can’t fight the strong urge to kiss him senseless.

So, I do just that.

I lower myself and his hands go around my waist to my butt, kneading my skin while simultaneously pushing his hips into mine, creating a maddening friction between us.

“I need to feel you too.” My words almost get swallowed by his mouth, but I know he understood them when he lifts his body to take off his shirt. He stays in a sitting position, pulling me against him so our upper bodies are flush together, naked skin on naked skin. The feeling is magnificent, his warmth seeping into my body, his heart racing alongside mine.

He watches me, his eyes intently on mine, as if he’s trying to figure something out. When his gaze leaves me a moment later, it’s only to dip his head down to take one of my breasts into his mouth. The attention he pays to them is beyond thorough, causing my nerve endings to light up and the heat between my legs to grow by the second. As if he can read my mind, one of Gabe’s hands moves down, disappearing between our bodies. When he finally touches me where I need it the most, I’m ready to explode.

My bundle of nerves quivers under his touch, and when he uses his other hand to pull my head closer to his for a tantalizing kiss, I’m done for. My orgasm hits me, and again, he swallows my moans like they nurture him in some way, feeding his own pleasure with mine.

Once I catch my breath after a few minutes of slow kissing, I pull back to look at him. I’m sure my eyes are a little clouded, but I couldn’t care less. This man has magical fingers and deserves every dreamy and satisfied look I can shoot his way.

“Your turn.” I kiss him one more time before slowly making my way down his chest and abdomen, planting kisses wherever I can. When I reach his basketball shorts, I climb off him to pull them down, along with his boxers.

His erection greets me happily as I crawl my way back up his legs. I take him in my hand, enjoying the weight and warmth of it before bending down to take him into my mouth.

It seems like only two seconds have passed when Gabe gently pulls on my arms. “No more, please. That was enough torture as it is. I donotwant to come already.”

I pretend to pout for a moment before climbing back up his body with a big grin. “Do you have a condom? I’m on the pill too.”

He studies me for a moment, his eyebrows up high, but I can easily detect the hope in his eyes and I don’t blame him. “Are you sure? I haven’t been with anyone in forever, and I’m clean.”

Since I know he’s telling the truth, I don’t hesitate and nod. This man is the opposite of a stranger. “I trust you.”

His head tips sideways as his gaze softens. His fingers move up my arms in a lazy motion before he grabs my arms and pulls me toward him. “Come here.”

The kiss he gives me is gentle, somehow fitting the statement I just made. This is his answer, telling me he trusts me too.

And then, two things happen at the same time. He thrusts his hips upward, miraculously hitting home, while plunging his tongue into my mouth. My body’s arousal shoots to one hundred in two seconds flat, and I push myself as close to him as I possibly can.

His hard length hits the right spot and I feel sparks slowly building up again.

After finding a rhythm together, we’re like a well-oiled machine, working hard together to achieve maximum pleasure.

I lose track of where our mouths and hands are, this experience with Gabe heightening my senses to new, impossibly intense measures. At the same time, it almost puts me in my own bubble because the feelings of this moment are just sobig.

The closer we get to our releases, the more frantic our movements get.

Just when I think I can’t take it any longer, Gabe reaches between us again. It only takes a flick of his thumb and I explode around him, falling over the edge so blissfully I wonder for a moment if this is all just a dream. He’s right behind me, groaning low into my neck as he comes inside of me.

We stay like this for a long time, trying to calm down our erratic breathing before looking at each other.

I just had sex with Gabe.

We both start smiling at the same time, and he leans in to give me a gentle kiss. “Wow.”

I laugh quietly as our foreheads touch with a newfound intimacy. “I know exactly what you mean.”

Chapter Twenty-One

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