Page 54 of A Table for Two
“We don’t need two rooms.”
Gabriel’s head came up sharply. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel—”
Smiling, Serenity placed a finger on his lips. “I’m very sure. After you cancel the other room, I want you to make love to me.” He’d left it up to her to make the next move, and she was ready. She wanted this night with him, to have the memory once he went back to Atlanta. And she’d gladly pay the cancellation costs.
Without a word, he walked over to the desk, picked up the phone, and made the call. Gabriel faced her and slowly crossed the room to where Serenity stood. “Are you sure?”
Serenity nodded and was, once again, swept away. His hands roamed down her back and settled on her hips briefly before moving around to cup her buttocks. She moaned, slid her arms around his neck, and drew him closer. He gripped her tighter and pulled her flush against his erection, turning her legs to jelly. She felt the slide of the zipper on her dress, then the warmth of his strong hands on her bare skin. He pushed the dress off her shoulders, let it drop to the floor, and then charted a path of butterfly kisses along the column of her neck and over her shoulder. She could do nothing but stand there and feel. He gently turned her around and trailed his tongue down the center of her spine while his hands caressed her breasts. Her breaths came in short gasps, and her knees buckled. “Gabriel,” she pleaded.
“I love kissing you, touching you. Your skin is so soft.” He spun her around and captured her mouth again in a hungry kiss while he unhooked her bra and dragged the straps down, freeing her breasts. He circled his tongue around a taut nipple and drew it into his mouth, then lavished the same on its twin.
Serenity grasped the back of his head and arched her body closer for more. Her legs trembled, and she could barely stand. After a few long moments, he lifted his head. She reached up, unbuttoned his shirt, and tossed it aside. Gabriel stepped back and, in the blink of an eye, shed his shorts and underwear. Her gaze traveled down his sexy body. She’d fantasized about having her hands on him, being able to touch him the way he did her. From the strong, defined planes of his chest and washboard abs to his lean hips and muscular thighs, the man’s body was a pure work of art.
Gabriel picked her up and placed her on the bed, then stretched his body over hers. They both moaned. “I’ve dreamed about having you in my arms this way.”
“So have I.” Serenity ran her hands over the sculpted planes of his biceps, shoulders, and chest, wanting to feel his warm, smooth skin beneath her fingers. For the next few minutes, he treated her to sultry kisses, taking his time and driving her out of her mind with desire. Her eyes drifted closed, and she felt as if she were coming out of her skin. He gently kneaded and stroked her aching breasts and captured her mouth in a long, drugging kiss that set her aflame once more. She felt the heat of his mouth as he trailed a series of tantalizing kisses along her left ankle, her calf, and behind her knee, on her outer thigh and inner thigh, then on her right side, rendering her mindless. Never had she experienced such overwhelming sensations. “Gabriel.” She moaned and writhed as he kissed his way up one inner thigh and then the other.
“I’m going to taste every inch of your beautiful body,” he murmured, still kissing and licking his way back up her body. He hooked his thumb in the waistband of her bikini panties and dragged them down and off.
His confession pushed her closer to the edge. He charted a path down the front of her body with his hand and pushed two fingers into her pulsating core. She bucked wildly and raised her hips as his fingers probed deeper. Without warning, an orgasm hit, and she cried out.
Gabriel withdrew his fingers and kissed her once more. Standing, he dug a condom out of his wallet, donned it, and came back to the bed.
She skated her fingers over his broad shoulders and down his back, feeling the muscles contract beneath her touch. “Mmm, and I love the way your bare skin feels against mine.”
“Me too, baby.” He nudged her legs apart and, holding her gaze, guided himself inside her. He shuddered and held still for a moment before he started to move in slow insistent circles. He delved deeper with each rhythmic push, and Serenity wrapped her legs around him and lifted her hips to meet the next powerful thrust.
The sounds of their breathing increased, and he set a pace that had the bed rocking. She locked her ankles behind his back as he kept up the sensual tempo. What he was doing to her felt so good, she didn’t ever want him to stop. His strokes came faster and harder, and she cried out with pleasure. She met and matched his thrusts, their breathing growing heavier and echoing in the quiet space. Serenity held him tighter as the pleasure built, this time even stronger. He gripped her hips tighter and went deeper. Her breath came in short gasps, and she convulsed with a loud wail. Gabriel locked his mouth on hers as the sensations continued to surge through her.
A moment later, Gabriel tore his mouth from hers, threw his head back, and let out a low, animalistic growl. His body shuddered, and he called her name on a ragged sigh. He collapsed on her, then shifted to his side, taking her with him.
After a few minutes, he said, “I’ll be right back.” He left the bed and went into the bathroom. When he came out, he started running water in the Jacuzzi. “How about we try this out?”
She smiled. “I say we should take advantage of everything this place has to offer.”
Gabriel returned her smile. “I couldn’t agree more.” Once the tub was filled, he donned another condom, swept Serenity into his arms, and placed her in the Jacuzzi.
Serenity scooted over to make room for Gabriel. “Mmm, this feels so good.”
He pulled her to sit between his legs. “The temperature’s okay?”
“Perfect,” she said, leaning back against him. It didn’t take long for their passion to rise again. She turned and straddled him, then leaned down to kiss him.
He cradled the back of her head and deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping into her mouth. “Ride me, baby,” he whispered against her lips. He grabbed her hips and guided her down.
Serenity’s eyes slid closed from the exquisite feeling of him filling her. When she opened her eyes, she found him staring at her with an expression so caring it brought tears to her eyes. He kissed her tenderly, softly, and with an emotion that frightened her. She was in trouble.
Chapter 15
Gabriel sat in front of his computer Saturday morning working on his app. It was only eleven, but he’d been up since six. A week had passed since the trip to Napa, and to distance himself from his growing feelings for Serenity, he’d gone back to his twelve- and fourteen-hour workdays. Outside of a phone call and a couple of texts, he and Serenity hadn’t talked. Yet each night, he went to bed with a hard-on and woke up the same way every morning. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about her or the passion they had shared. Typically, his relationships, if they could be termed as such, never lasted past one or two dates, and he preferred it that way because no one got hurt. He tried to apply the same approach to his relationship with Serenity, but this time he had difficulty maintaining the distance he usually craved. He shook himself and turned his attention back to the screen.
A few minutes later, his concentration slipped again. Leaning back in the chair, he dragged a hand down his face. Visions of her riding him in the Jacuzzi flashed in his mind, and his hand stilled on the keyboard. His eyes slid closed as he recalled every sensual moment of that encounter. She had treated him to the most passionate night of his life and given herself completely. But Gabriel couldn’t say the same for himself. As much as he’d enjoyed the sex, he could not bring himself to surrender his emotions totally and open the places inside him he’d purposely locked away to protect his heart. He couldn’t risk it. However, he wouldn’t mind having a repeat of the night. Gabriel pushed the thought away and went back to his work.
He managed to maintain his focus for another two hours before deciding to take a break for lunch. He rummaged through the refrigerator, but nothing jumped out at him. After a short debate with himself, he got in his car and drove over to Ms. Ida’s for some barbecue ribs. The restaurant was crowded, as usual, but it took less than fifteen minutes for him to be seated and place his order. While waiting for his food, he sent an email to Darius to give an update on his progress.
“How’s it going, Gabe?”
Gabriel glanced up from his phone to see Jon standing next to him. “Hey, Jon. It’s going. You picking up something for you and Terri?”
