Gabriel's Rule Read online

  “Have you ever?” Another shake. His fingers drifted down to her abdomen. He needed to give her this, but he had to make sure she understood what it meant.

  “I can make you come. Do you want that?”

  Her eyes glazed over and she didn’t respond for a long time but he felt her tighten her hands on his arms. The touch of her fingers was shredding the little control he had left. When she did finally nod, he actually felt his body loosen. He wasn’t sure why it mattered to him so much that she’d said yes – this wasn’t going to be about him or his pleasure because as much as he liked this woman, he knew he wouldn’t be able to give her all of him during their encounter.

  “I’m not going to fuck you tonight.” He saw a brief flash of disappointment but she didn’t say anything. “If we do this we do it my way and you follow my rules.”

  She tensed but then asked, “What are they?”

  “You don’t get to touch me and I’m not going to kiss you.” She stiffened and tried to pull free but he held her down with his weight. “Riley, I have my reasons and they have nothing to do with my attraction to you.” When she settled down, he realized he had guessed correctly. She’d thought he didn’t want her touch him because he wasn’t attracted to her.

  He took one of her hands and pulled it down to cover his erection. Allowing himself a few seconds of pleasure, he watched as she stroked him tentatively through his jeans. He dragged her hand up, grabbed her other hand and used his left hand to pin her arms above her head.

  “I’ve been with a lot of women Riley, and I have the same rules for all of them – it’s not something I can explain but it’s something I need in order to give you this. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” she said quietly, sadly, but she didn’t try to pull free anymore.

  “I wish I could promise we’ll be friends after this, but I don’t know if that’s true. I’m fucked up Riley and I don’t want you around that.” He was stunned to see a tear slip down her cheek. This was getting too intense; he had to focus on what his goal was.

  “Do you still want this Riley?” She nodded. “I need to hear you say it.”

  “Yes.” Gabe shuddered at the trust she’d just given him. His right hand was still resting on her abdomen so he used it to push her shirt up so he could feel her skin. It was as soft as he’d guessed, dreamed. She shivered when he stroked her.

  “Leave your hands there,” he ordered as he moved down her body so he could explore the exposed skin with his tongue. His fingers plucked at her nipples as he dipped his tongue into her bellybutton. She arched her back but kept her arms still. He didn’t think it was possible but his dick got harder and he wished he could release it from the confines of his jeans, but he knew that if he did, there would be no way to stop himself from pushing inside her.

  He lifted her shirt up to uncover her breasts. He stroked her through the fabric of her bra and licked his way up her abdomen. When he reached her bra, he pulled the cup down just enough to expose the nipple. He did the same to the other breast and when he finally closed his mouth over the turgid flesh, she moaned and tried to push her breast further into his mouth. Curling his left arm around her back and over her shoulder, he pulled her back down and held her so that she couldn’t lift her upper body. He licked the other nipple with his tongue, then sucked it into his mouth. Sensing her arms moving, he pulled off of her breast and caught her gaze on him, her eyes now a stormy gray.

  “I will tie you up if I need to,” he warned as he glanced at her arms. He saw another flash of lust at the thought and part of him was tempted to do it anyway, but she quickly raised her arms back above her.

  Releasing her shoulder, he reared back a little so he could study her.

  “Did your ex tell you how beautiful your body is?”

  She shook her head. “Your breasts are so full and soft. They’re so sensitive I could make you come just by sucking on them.” Her eyes darkened further and her lips parted. He was overcome with the desire to kiss her which shocked him but he pushed it away. She wasn’t a toy for him to experiment on. He also didn’t think he could take the disappointment of further proof of his depravities if kissing her proved to be a waste of time.

  He let his hands slide down her sides until he got to her hips. He closed his hands around them and pressed his thumbs into them firmly so she would feel the contact through her jeans. “Your hips are the perfect size for gripping. I could hold you so tight as I pounded into you and not have to worry about breaking you.” His hands lift her as he stroked her ass. “And if I turned you over, I could watch this amazing ass pushing back against me, meeting me every time I slid into you. Your hair is so thick and long – I could wrap it around my wrist a couple of times while I’m taking you from behind.” He could tell his dirty talk alone had her halfway to climax.

  “Gabe, please,” she begged, clearly not sure what she was asking for. He should discipline her, teach her that she could only speak when he asked her a question, but he didn’t really want that. He loved hearing her voice, throaty with desire. It had the same effect on him as if she’d stroked his cock.

  He dropped down over her again and settled his weight on one knee so that he had space between their hips to work. He took his time working the button on her jeans free and reveled in the way her body shivered as he pulled the zipper down. He could feel his dick dripping with pre-cum and he knew he was stretching his own control and that he needed to end this soon or he would ignore his promise not to fuck her. Instead of pulling her jeans off, he slipped his hand into them and stroked over the fabric of her panties. She tensed when he stroked her clit through the damp material.

  “You’re soaking wet,” he muttered, dropping his eyes so he could watch his hand working under her pants. He gave her a few more strokes and then lifted his hand enough so that he could reach beneath the fabric of her panties. Lust shot through him as he realized she was bare; she either waxed or shaved. As he moved his fingers in a slow circle around her clit he looked up to see her reaction. Her head was thrown back, her eyes closed. She needed more.

  Using his thumb, he flicked her clit back and forth several times and allowed his middle finger to search her opening. Her cream soaked the tip of his finger and he couldn’t resist pushing it inside her. She cried out and arched her hips. He saw her arms move as if to grab him, but he knew she was too far gone to realize what she was doing so he used his left hand to pin her wrists. He was stretched out along the length of her so he could feel every tremble in her body.

  “Does it feel good Riley?”

  He knew the answer but he was needy and wanted to hear her voice stroke over him as desire overcame her.

  “Yes, it feels so good. Please…” She was crying again and still hadn’t opened her eyes. He stroked her harder with his thumb and plunged his entire middle finger into her. She bucked against him in her need for more so he added a second finger and then dropped his mouth and latched on to one of her exposed nipples. She screamed and he felt her body pull taut. He gave her two hard strokes and curled his fingers inside of her as he bit down on her nipple and she exploded, her body arching into him over and over. She moaned as the orgasm flooded her system and he stroked her through it and nearly bit his tongue in half when he felt the way her body clamped on his fingers.

  Several moments passed before her body started to relax. He brought her down slowly, his tongue sending soothing licks over the tiny mark he’d left on her nipple. Easing off her clit, he carefully pulled his fingers from her body. Her eyes were open now, watching him. She sucked in a breath when he licked her cream off his fingers.

  Heat still surged through him but he could also feel the telltale coldness seeping in. No, it hadn’t been about money this time but he was about to walk away from her the same way he would any of his customers, because if he stayed here on the couch with her, she’d start to think it had been something other than it was. She must have felt his withdrawal because she stiffened beneath him and pulled at the hand
still holding hers. Releasing her, he shifted up so she could sit and watched as she straightened her clothes. He needed her to go, but he also wanted to drag her to his bed and do it all over again.

  “Riley,” he began.

  She put up a hand and shook her head. “Don’t Gabe. That was…” She took a deep breath. “That was the most incredible experience of my life. Thank you.”

  He tensed at her words and she gave him a mocking smile. “Don’t worry, I’m not hearing wedding bells or anything – I heard what you said before.” She got up to leave and he stood up to follow her. This wasn’t at all what he’d expected. She seemed too okay with how this was ending. He didn’t know what to say – he was always the one to walk away. Irrationally, he wanted her to argue with him, he wanted her to question him but she didn’t.

  Opening the door, he forced himself not to touch her. “Thanks for the pie,” he said lamely. She chuckled. As he was closing the door behind her he stopped when he heard her soft voice.

  “And Gabe, I don’t think you’re fucked up.” And with that she was gone.

  Chapter 7

  “Table seven wants dessert,” Carolanne said to Riley as they passed each other through the double doors leading to the kitchen.

  “Thanks,” she responded, using her hip to hold open her side of the door as she carried the steaming plates of food out to the dining area. “Let me know if you need anything else. Enjoy your lunch,” she said as she put the food down in front of the customers and hurried off to table seven. Nell hadn’t lied about the place being busy – there rarely seemed to be any downtime. But today Riley was especially grateful for the endless stream of customers because it kept her from dwelling on the events of the night before.

  After she’d left Gabe’s apartment, she’d dragged her sated body into the shower and let the water wash over her still tingling skin. She’d been stunned at Gabe’s reaction to her comment about being friends and when his big body had loomed over hers she’d been confused and then nervous. But the second he touched her, all her fear had disintegrated and all she felt was sensation. He’d had complete control over her body and his dark, coarse language shouldn’t have sent the thrilling shockwaves throughout her entire body that it had.

  She hadn’t lied when she told him she’d never had an orgasm; she’d tried touching herself in the past but it had seemed so forbidden that she couldn’t make her body respond like she thought it was probably supposed to. Her ex’s confirmation of her lack of sexual prowess had just cemented the fact that she wasn’t one of those people that would ever experience the mystery of really amazing sex.

  Riley submitted the dessert order for table seven and then went to clear plates from another table. Her thoughts drifted back to Gabe and she wondered if last night would mean they couldn’t be friends. She knew she wanted more than that, but he’d been clear that even being friends with her going forward might not happen so she wasn’t foolish enough to think that what happened last night would suddenly make her the love of his life.

  He hadn’t even taken his own pleasure from the act and when he had flat out stated that he wouldn’t kiss her and that she couldn’t touch him, she’d felt a piece of her heart break. The things he had made her feel had been so beautiful but she couldn’t share it with him. And that made no sense because he had been there the whole time…but it was like he wasn’t. She’d wanted him to feel what she felt, but he’d made it only about her. Was she actually complaining about that? She’d pretty much lived every girl’s fantasy – gorgeous guy’s only concern is getting her off – why wasn’t that enough?

  “Riley, sweetie, can you cover the counter for a few minutes?” Nell asked her as she passed by. “I’ve got to do some quick inventory in back.”

  Riley loved when Nell called her sweetie. It felt like a big hug every time she said it. “Sure.” Riley dropped the plates off in back and then hurried to the counter and checked with people to see if they needed anything. There was constant traffic at the door so she didn’t actually notice Gabe until she reached him near the end of the counter.

  “What can I get-” her voice dropped off and she automatically blushed. “Gabe.”

  “Hi.” He gave her a crooked smile as if he’d been waiting to catch her off her guard. Seeing that smile made her feel like maybe things would be okay between them.

  “Hi,” she said back and she took a moment just to take him in. It was like being warmed from the inside out. “You came,” she finally breathed. When he lifted an eyebrow at her choice of words she felt more heat flood her cheeks and she stammered, “I meant for lunch, you came for lunch.”

  “I did.” His voice was smooth, like fine chocolate.

  “Did you want to see a menu?”

  “No, I’ll have the bacon cheeseburger and fries.” She jotted it down.

  “How are things going for you here?”

  “Really good. Busy, but good.” She fidgeted because part of her wanted to run away while the other part wanted to crawl over the counter into his lap. He suddenly looked uncomfortable and she realized he had probably figured out her train of thought.

  “Relax Gabe, what I said last night still stands. We’re good.” It hurt to say that but she was desperate to get their relationship back on track and if that meant pretending last night hadn’t happened then she’d figure out how to do that. “I’m going to go get your order put in,” she said as she started to turn away. She hesitated and then said, “I’m glad you’re here Gabe.”

  ***

  “I fucked up.” Gabe drained the last of his beer and pushed it across the bar. Shane was sitting next to him and their friend and fellow escort, Logan, was behind the bar. At twenty-seven, Logan Bradshaw seemed a bit young to own a bar but he’d put every cent into buying the hole in the wall pub three years ago and finally getting it fixed up enough to open the doors earlier this year.

  Gabe could only imagine the work involved in trying to rebuild the place. It was a decent size and had a dark, almost romantic quality, but the seating areas were outdated and the bar itself needed some serious refinishing. Logan was smart though, and had picked a high traffic, touristy area near the water so he was getting enough business to stay afloat. But Gabe knew the escorting made it possible for Logan to keep putting money into the place. It also paid the tuition for the small, private university his younger sister Savannah attended in another state.

  Logan had been just nineteen when his parents died, Savannah only fourteen. Luckily the small insurance policy his parents had kept had allowed Logan to stay in school after he moved into his childhood home to care for his sister. He’d finished school and gotten a degree in business, but all he ever talked about was owning a bar and with the help of his business partner, Sam, Logan had bought the place a while back and was trying to make a go of it.

  “Riley?” Shane asked. He seemed quieter than normal today and if Gabe hadn’t been in such a crappy mood, he probably would have drilled his normally happy go lucky friend about the change.

  “Who’s Riley?” Logan asked as he got another beer for Gabe and then slid a shot across the bar to Shane.

  “The girl I told you about,” Shane responded as he downed the shot.

  “Oh, right, the girl who told Gabe to fuck off! I was sure you were making that up.” Logan laughed at the dark look Gabe threw him and Shane flipped Logan the bird.

  “So did you fuck her yet?’ Shane asked as he indicated to Logan to give him another. Logan gave him an almost imperceptible shake of his head and Gabe wondered what was going on.

  “No,” Gabe answered absently. “We messed around though.”

  “So what’s the problem?” Logan asked.

  “She’s not that kind of girl.” This came from Shane and both men turned to look at him, Gabe pissed and Logan amused. “I’m just saying, she’s a nice girl – she doesn’t seem like the type to just mess around.”

  Gabe relaxed and took a long draw on his beer. “She wants to be friends.”
r />   “Again, what’s the problem?” repeated Logan as he dried some glasses.

  “You like her, right Gabe? I mean she’s a sweet girl, right?” Shane said. Gabe only nodded. “So don’t overthink it. The girl just moved here, just started a new job. She probably hasn’t had a chance to make any friends yet, so just be that. You don’t have to be anything but yourself around her.”

  Gabe studied Shane for a long time after that insightful and passionate little speech. Something was going on with his friend – he was quiet, withdrawn. Shane seemed to realize he’d said too much and he fidgeted and jumped off the stool.

  “I gotta get up early for a class tomorrow. I’ll catch you guys later.”

  “You have any idea what’s going on with him?” Gabe asked Logan.

  “Didn’t you notice what today’s date is?”

  Gabe checked his phone and felt his stomach drop. How had he missed that? “Shit,” he mumbled. “I’ll check on him on my way home.”

  “I doubt that he’ll be there. He’s pretty much moved in with the bitch.”

  The ‘bitch’ was Shane’s on again, off again girlfriend, society page princess Paige Morgan. Her father was the CEO of the city’s largest bank. Gabe had no idea what Shane saw in the woman.

  “I’ll call him later. I’m gonna head out – let me know when you’re ready to start on this,” he said, tapping the bar’s top. “Stripping it’s gonna take a while.” Logan nodded and reached out to shake Gabe’s hand.

  “Good luck with your girl.”

  Gabe stood and frowned as he pushed away from the bar. “Not my girl,” he muttered under his breath before leaving the bar.

  ***

  “You wanna come bowling with me?”

  “Bowling?” Gabe asked incredulously. “Bowling?” he said again, just to make sure he’d heard her right. She was standing like a little kid at his front door, her hands clasped together like she was about to start begging him.