“Hailey,” he cried, readying to jet.
“I told you I’d win the bet.” She resumed deep-throating him, and her blissful expression and skilled mouth had him shooting his load like a teenaged boy jacking off for the first time.
“Hailey,” he groaned and shuddered, still coming. “Baby, I wanted you to wait.”
“I waited long enough. I’ve been wanting to do that to you since I first saw you waving it around your place.”
He panted and clutched her shoulders, steadying himself. She tucked him neatly back into his undershorts and jeans and buttoned him up. Staring down into her eyes, he thought her the most giving, most wonderful woman he’d ever met.
“I love you,” slipped out before he could stop himself, and he wanted to kick his own ass at the sudden shock and wariness that crept into her gaze.
“Now how about dinner?” he said with a smile, pretending he hadn’t blurted out a potentially fatal truth.
Hailey nodded, saying nothing, and moved into the kitchen. Rolling his eyes at his stupidity and praying he hadn’t ruined a good thing by moving too fast, Gage described his day, ending with a funny story about Dylan and Derrick fighting.
Before long, he had Hailey laughing as she shoved a plate in front of him. And he felt so relieved to have things back to normal that he wanted to stand up and shout his thanks to the heavens. Instead, he gave them to Hailey.
“Oh, baby, you don’t know how nice it is to have a home-cooked meal. I don’t know if you noticed, but the kitchen is not my thing.”
“Unless you’re making sundaes,” she said dryly and joined him at the table.
“Damn. What is this? I love it.”
“Chicken enchiladas, the easy way.” She nodded at a can of sauce on the counter.
“Sorry, but I had such a long day at work I didn’t get time to prepare my famous spaghetti.”
He perked up. “So I’m being shortchanged, eh? I guess we’ll have to save the spaghetti for later this week?”
At his hopeful look, she smiled. “Well, I’m not that busy Thurs—”
“Tomorrow?”
She looked at him, saw him clearing his plate and sighed. “Tomorrow. But dinner’s on you Thursday.”
Outstanding. She planned on seeing him through the end of the week. Dare he push it? “Sounds good. And if you’re not busy this weekend, I know a great little getaway in Atlanta with a fondue place and a piano bar around the corner.”
She bit her lower lip. “You said fondue?”
“I did. And did I mention a large, king-sized bed, an A/C unit that makes you think of Siberia, and a down comforter?”
“You’re making it impossible for me to say no.”
“Then say yes.”
“That’s not taking things slow.”
“Sure it is. I could have asked you to go with me to Atlanta tomorrow. But I’m taking my time.”
She laughed and shook her head. “You must have the lion’s share of charm in your family. Sure, why not? I deserve a little fun, don’t I?”
“You sure do, Hailey. And I’m just the man to give it to you.”
After dinner ended, Gage made sure he did the dishes, hustling Hailey into her living room. After a few moments of silence, Pink Floyd’s “Time” came through the speakers.
“Damn, Hailey. How did you know that Dark Side of the Moon’s my favorite album?” he called to her from the kitchen.
“I didn’t. I happen to like it as well.”
“Favorite group?”
“That’s a toss-up between Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac.”
“Ah, a woman after my own heart. One who appreciates Classic Rock.”
He glanced at her to see her sitting on her couch, her head tilted back and her hair falling over the back of the couch like a golden waterfall. Once he finished the dishes, he joined her in the living room.
“Hmm. Sorry. I’m sleepy. It was a long day.”
“I had the same.” Mostly because it dragged on forever before he could see her.
“You know, I never said thank you for what you did for me when I arrived.”
She blinked into his gaze and blushed, like he knew she would. He loved when she turned all prim and proper after acting like a sexual dynamo.
“A real man would return the favor, wouldn’t he?”
She swallowed, and he saw the pulse at the base of her neck throb. “And you’re nothing if not a real man, hmm?”
Gage grinned. He knelt between her thighs and reached slowly for the fastening of her slacks. When she made no move to protest, instead watched him under sleepy eyes, he stripped her pants and panties from her slowly, sensually. His hands slid over her skin, feeling the satiny flesh glide under his palms. Her breathing quickened, as did his, but this time would be purely for her.
“You don’t have to do this, you know.”
“I want to. Tasting you is as good as it gets, baby. You’re so incredibly sweet.”
She flushed again and closed her eyes, and he spread her thighs wide. She’d trimmed her curls, and he smiled, pleased to see more of her. With warm hands, he rubbed her inner thighs gently, bringing his hands closer and closer to her sex without touching her there just yet.
Hailey squirmed and moaned, reaching for him. But he kept her firmly in place and continued to tease her. By the time his mouth reached her clit, she was panting and begging him to touch her. With a swipe of his tongue, he licked her and she cried his name, like heaven to his ears.
“You taste so good, Hailey. So damned good,” he crooned and began eating her in earnest. His cock pushed painfully against his jeans, but he wanted her to explode, to feel her lose control as he loved her with his mouth, with his mind. Never good with words, he showed her how much she meant to him as he brought her to bliss.
She tensed, her clit near to bursting. He stroked, teased, and pressed with his tongue and lips. And when he added his teeth, nipping lightly at the engorged bud, she shuddered and climaxed.
“Oh, God, Gage, oh my God.”
He continued to suck her as she crested, shoving two fingers inside her and sighing with pleasure as she squeezed her walls around him. It was with much regret that he finally let her go.
When she finally calmed enough to breathe normally, she leaned close, cupping the back of his head. “That was the most unselfish thing a man’s ever done for me.”
Her eyes glittered with feeling and he quickly scooped her into his arms, leaning them both back against the couch.
“Hailey, if that’s all it takes to please you,” he said lightly, kissing the top of her head, “we may never leave your living room again.”
She laughed softly, resting her head on his chest. She placed her palm over his heart.
“I can feel your arousal,” she murmured, shifting over his tenting lap.
“I’m always hard around you. You haven’t learned that yet?”
“It’s not too late to fix that.”
“No.” He kissed her again and moved her off of him. Uncomfortable but still in control enough to leave her be, he walked to the door. “That, Hailey, was just for you. I’ll see you tomorrow, babe.”
“Good night,” she said quietly, her eyes soft as she watched him leave.
Hailey watched him leave with stars in her eyes. Her limbs felt like jelly, and she didn’t think she had enough energy to move from the couch to her bedroom. Good lord, Gage had completely worn her out.
Doing her dishes, giving her the best oral sex she’d ever received in her life, for no reason other than to express his gratitude? His love, her memory urged. She stilled as she remembered what he’d said earlier. At the time she’d thought it a fervent declaration after a great blow job. But now, she wasn’t so sure.
They’d only been together a few days, but she’d fantasized about him for much longer. And, according to Gage, he’d been wanting to ask her out for as long. Could he have more feelings for her than she thought? Could he, in fact, be feeling much like she did?