Baby, Be Mine (3 page)

If curses had burst from his lips, she would have nodded in understanding. If he’d hummed knowingly before patting her shoulder in sympathy, it would have made sense as well.

Him busting out laughing was the last thing she’d expected. It wasn’t laughing
at
her, though. Didn’t make her uncomfortable, just sent another zing of lust up her spine, over her shoulders and zipping back down between her legs.

Gage dipped his head until their eyes were on the same level, his amusement fading as the fires turned back to desire. “Any guy who thinks you suck in the sack—it’s his damn fault, not yours.”

She wiggled. “You say that, but… I mean, how could you know?”

He drew a line down the placket of her shirt, playing his fingertips over the buttons like an erotic connect-the-dots. The heel of his hand barely brushed the swell of her breast, and her breath hitched. “You’re walking sex, Katy. You make me hard by just breathing. We’ve done nothing more than kiss, and I already know you’re going to blow my mind.”

She wanted to blow more than that, but her cheeks had flushed to feverish temperatures. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me,” he warned as his gaze dropped down her body, his finger circling the button on her jeans. “I’m too damn ready to prove it. Right here. Right now.”

There was this uneasy itch between her shoulders. Katy wanted harder than she ever remembered wanting, and with that deadline hanging over their heads?

She wasn’t sure where she pulled the confidence from but, thank the Lord, poise she didn’t usually feel arrived. “Do it.”

Gage’s head whipped up. “Do…what?”

Katy lifted her hands to her buttons and popped the first one open. “Do me. Here, and now.”

The entire time she worked on her shirt he didn’t move, except for the heavy breathing. Her every move was examined closely, though, his lids dropping to hide his eyes. She shrugged the material off her shoulders and allowed it to puddle on the floor.

His throat moved as he swallowed. Whispered, “Say it’s not crazy. Say this is what you want, even though I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“I want you,” Katy confessed. “And it’s not crazy—not completely.” She reached behind her and unhooked her bra. “I’m tired of sitting back and being told what’s going to happen in my life. I want this, Gage. I want
you
, even more because you’re leaving soon. There is no tomorrow, so give me today.”

Her bra joined her shirt on the floor, and that was it. Discussion over.

Gage had her in his arms, her feet dangling in the air as he carried her down the hall to her bedroom. Their lips connected, the worn fabric of his T-shirt soft against her naked chest. He paused to toe off his boots, and they bounced off a few walls en route. Her legs were wrapped around his hips, her hands traveling over his shoulders and back as she savoured finally getting to touch him.

The thought of the last occasion she’d been with her now-ex blipped in and out of her brain, taking barely a moment. About as long as the actual act had taken, if she was honest. She’d certainly gotten no pleasure from it, not like the incredible sensations rocking her body this time around.

Gage lowered her to the bed and stepped back. He reached over his head to grab his T-shirt, jerking it forward and off his muscular torso. His biceps flexed, chest muscles and chiseled abs clearly visible in the light streaming through the window. She admired the dark dusting of hair on his chest, another dark trail leading down into the jeans that were even now being unbuttoned, unzipped and frantically cast to the floor.

“Get naked,” Gage ordered. “I want skin, and nothing but skin tonight. I want enough touching to make me crazy for the next months while I think back to tonight.”

She wiggled off her jeans and undies, staring at him in awe. “I’d ask for a picture, but your image is branded on my brain. You’re gorgeous, Gage.”

He crawled onto the foot of the bed, tossing her clothing on top of his. “I’ll send you a picture from my cell phone.”

“A dirty one?” she dared to ask.

“No, not dirty.” Gage dropped a condom on the pillow, and her heart did this funny thump. With his knees on either side of her body, he had her trapped. Elbows to the sides of her torso, and a slow, deliberate connection between them followed as he settled on top of her. “You want naked from me, you only get it in real life. But I’ll email you…”

He kissed her. Soft again, like in the parking lot.

Another retreat, and another steamy grin. “…I’ll send you texts…”

Gage traced the edge of her jaw to her neck, kissing his way up to the sensitive spot under her ear.

“…I’ll be back in late March, and we’ll make that our New Year’s celebration. I’ll prove exactly how much I’ll have missed you. And exactly how perfect we are together.”

“Gage,
oh
…”

He’d stopped talking and started, well, everything else. Kisses and caresses, his lips on her torso as his fingers plumped her breast. His tongue tracing circles around her nipple a second before his lips closed over the tip and he sucked. A sharp, aching need shot from his mouth to directly between her legs, and Katy could no more hold back her groans than fly to the moon.

It wasn’t just one thing, it was the complete seduction. His hands on her stomach, sneaking over her belly to tease the folds of her sex. His mouth doing sinfully good things to her breasts. Katy’s heart pounded, her body growing slick as he teased her, fingers on her clit, fingers slipping inside her.

“I’m going to make you come, and this first time? I’m going to watch.”

Gage hung over her, his face only inches away as his hand worked her, a rapid thrust of his fingers driving her toward a peak faster than expected. His pupils dilated further as she groaned his name, her nails digging into his broad shoulders.

He kissed her breathless then vanished, sliding down her body like a human tornado. More caresses, long slow strokes—he avoided her sex for a moment, and she was glad until the continued touches made her twitch with the desire.

“Hmm, delicious.” Gage opened her legs with his shoulders and dropped to tease her folds with his tongue. Gentle at first, then bolder until she was arching up to his mouth, grinding against him as he thrust his tongue deep. As he covered her sensitive clit and sucked, flicking the tip with his tongue until she broke into a million pieces.

She turned into a puddle on the mattress, barely able to focus. He snatched up the condom and covered himself, lowering over her to touch their heated foreheads together.

Gage breathed out slowly as his cock nudged her core. “You ready for me?”

Years ago. Forever.
All the words she wanted to say she held back, instead simply nodding.

He slid inside, and she shook, fighting to keep her eyes open so she could add the expression on his face to the whole experience. Bliss mixed with the hunger, and a moan escaped him as she crossed her heels against his lower back. The change of position slipped him deeper so they were all-the-way connected.

Skin to skin, fully engaged as they stared into each other’s eyes. Gage pulled his hips back, and pressure skittered past sensitive nerve endings, making her entire body heat further.

He thrust forward, and again, catching hold of her hip to lift her higher. He pinned her in position as the pressure and tempo increased.

“Sweet Katy. Oh my
God
, so bloody good.” Gage tilted his hips at the end of each thrust, and she gasped. “Okay?” he asked.

“Oh, this is…” She couldn’t breathe to get the words out, but she didn’t want him to stop. “Yes, good.
So
good.”

He kissed her, his breath hot on her cheek before he tangled their tongues, thrusting into her mouth in imitation of his cock.

Katy saw lights sparkling before her eyes when they broke apart to gasp for air. “I’m close. Oh, Gage, how? How can this…?”

“You feel it, Katy? How good we fit? How fucking good we are together?” He pressed her to the mattress and grabbed both her thighs, looming over her and opening her in a whole new way. The changed angle increased the tension, and when he slipped his fingers over her clit, she was lost.

“
Gage
…” Katy shouted his name. She clutched her thighs as he drove in one final time, his cock held deep while her body convulsed around him.

Stars floated past her vision as he shook, his body gone taut—his abdomen, his chest, all the lovely muscles under her exploring fingers.

She closed her eyes, and everything reduced to sensations. To the touch of his lips to her cheek, the added heat as he rolled them to the side. Gage hitched her leg over his waist, rocking his hips gently as his hard-on continued to stretch her.

Katy opened her eyes to discover his sexy smile waiting for her. That one lock of hair was back over his forehead, and she brushed it away tenderly.

“Hey.” Her cheeks flushed with heat.

Gage traced his fingers over her shoulder. “Hey. That was…” His sigh screamed of satisfaction as he met her gaze. “Trust me, you’re nothing short of mind-meltingly sexy, and I want to do that at least a couple more times tonight.”

“Deal.” Katy buried her face against him, suddenly shy.

What if…

His lips touched the top of her head. “Thank you.”

Her wavering doubts faded. She lifted her chin. “You don’t think I was too forward? That we did this too soon?”

Gage stroked her cheek with his knuckles, his expression gone serious. “Katy, we’ve known each other for years. We’ve cared about each other since we were teens. It’s the next step, and yeah, maybe it’s fast in some ways, but it makes sense. Far more than any one-night stand or mere physical attraction.” He tilted her head. “You wanted this, right?”

She nodded.

His smile stole out. “Then don’t doubt it. Accept it. If I could, I’d be here tomorrow night, and the night after that, but since I can’t, we’ll take tonight as the start. I’ll warn you, I want more. More than just incredible mind-numbing sex.”

A shiver took her as he withdrew and left an empty spot in her body, like his leaving would create an empty spot in her heart. “I’m going to miss you, Gage. You’ve been around forever.”

“…and you really know how to shake my tree. Go on, you can say it,” he teased.

Katy laughed, rolling on top of his naked body before slipping off to allow him to deal with the condom. “What does that even mean?” she asked.

“Hell if I know.” Gage rejoined her on the bed. “Now, come here. I have a couple more condoms. If we nap in-between, I figure we can use them, and I’ll still get enough rest for the trip.”

Katy curled up naked next to him. Gage slipped an arm over her stomach, and tucked her as close as possible. His strong arm held her, his beautiful body warmed her, and a slow trickle of renewed excitement grew from the contact. “Gage?”

He breathed slowly, contentment in his tone as they relaxed. “Yeah, Katy?”

“That was a very memorable start to this…” She paused.

“Relationship,” he said firmly. He kissed the back of her neck. “You’re mine, I’m yours, albeit from seven hundred kilometres apart for a while. It’ll work out. You’ll see.”

The happy glow in her heart matched the satisfied lethargy in her limbs, and she closed her eyes for a few minutes to rest until he woke her up and started all over again.

And again.

All night long. Incredible, satisfying. Life was damn near perfect.

Chapter Three

When the alarm on Gage’s watch went off early in the morning, Katy found it was harder to keep happy thoughts at the front of her brain.

Had she thought this was perfect? Far from it. She pulled herself to vertical, leaning against the pillows to watch as Gage dressed quickly so he could leave.

He slipped back onto the edge of the bed and pulled her into his arms, kissing her passionately. “I’ll be in touch. I promise. And time will pass quick enough, okay?”

She nodded, swaying from side to side uneasily. “You want me to tell Clay we’re dating?”

“Would you?” Gage grinned. “Nah, I’m kidding. I’ll call him.” He shook his finger in her face. “Don’t let him give you hell.”

“Clay?” She pretended to not be worried. “He’s a pussycat.”

Gage laughed loudly before giving her one last tender kiss.

She crawled out of bed and followed him to the door, standing on the porch to watch him drive away. The dark, cloud-filled sky reflected her internal mood. What a night. Incredible.

Except for the part where he’d had to leave.

Katy stepped inside and gave up on bed, pulling on her clothes and staring through the kitchen window at the grey fall day. It wasn’t fair that he was gone this soon…

Foolish inspiration hit. He’d said he was still packing a few things this morning. She could at least go and visit while he worked. Or if he needed to concentrate, she’d just sit.

After how many years of not being together, and a guaranteed six months’ hiatus in the future, why not grab every single moment they could now?

She’d drive over to his place and…

…and her car was in the shop. Frack.

Fine. She could deal with that. Katy laughed at the craziness of her actions, but they somehow fit the craziness of the preceding night.

She popped on her bicycle and did the short trip to the garage in record time, the grey clouds overhead not encouraging, but the lightness in her heart giving her limbs extra strength.

It wasn’t necessary. She could email him, but something about wanting to see him one last time called to her. One more chance to make it clear that she was happy they were together, that this was a bump in the road.

She let herself into the garage and grabbed her key from the TO BE SERVICED hooks on the wall. Threw up the overhead door and rolled out quietly. There was no reason to disturb her dad because she knew she’d get a lecture about driving past her scheduled service mileage.
Older vehicles like yours need to be kept well maintained, yada, yada, yada…

She’d deal with her father’s pet peeve once she was home.

Now? She had to get to Gage’s place before he left. One more kiss. One more kiss would make it all worthwhile.