Falling into Exposure (2 page)

Chapter Three

Victoria

I wake to Gabriel’s kisses, soft and sweet along my neck. His erection is pressed against my thigh, letting me know he’s ready to go again. The man is a freaking machine, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I stretch out my legs and curl my toes, feeling blissfully sore. I slept amazingly well for being in someone else’s apartment. And as I glance at the clock next to the bed, I realize I stayed the entire night. He didn’t ask me to leave, and he slept with me too.
What does that mean?

My eyes flutter down to watch him as he continues to worship my body. He looks beautiful and content. So content. I wonder if he could possibly feel how I do right now.

“I like waking up to you,” he murmurs.

I roll into him and bring my mouth to his.

He makes love to me twice. I call it making love because there is no domination. No orders. Just pure, gentle, sweet sex. And I love it. I love it both ways, hell any way really, so long as it’s with him.

***

This week has flown by. I’ve already spent three nights at Gabriel’s, with another three boxes of lingerie delivered to my door. Each time I come here, he dominates me for hours. And when we wake up together in the morning, it’s always slow and gentle.

I wonder if this is what he normally does with all the women, and I secretly hope that it isn’t. The thought of Gabriel with another woman makes my skin crawl. It shouldn’t, given our circumstances, but I still can’t help it.

He’s already left for work this morning, so I’m left to show myself out. I pad down the hall to his guest bathroom to have a shower, pushing down any temptation to explore his apartment further.

As the hot water sluices over my sore muscles, I’m reminded of the night before. He was deliciously brutal with me, binding my arms together over my head and teasing me relentlessly. I had the most powerful orgasm yet. Or should I say, orgasms. Gabriel can never leave it at just one.

I step out of the shower and dry myself, opting not to bother with the half-torn lingerie I came here in. There is something about being naked under my trench coat that makes me feel uninhibited. But at the same time I make a mental note to start bringing a change of clothes. Or would that be too presumptuous? I don’t want to freak Gabriel out, but then again, why should it? A girl needs to have something to wear home, no matter what time she’s leaving.

As I exit the building, I’m stopped on the street by a tall wisp of a woman with long blonde hair. She is dressed to the nines in a skin tight black dress and Christian Louboutins. My heart skips a beat when I recognize her as Anya Petrovski, the model from Top Design. What I can’t comprehend is why she’s approaching me and waving to get my attention, or what she could possibly want to talk about.

“Well, look at you,” she purrs in a thick Russian accent. “You must be his pet project of the week.”

“Excuse me?” I snap. “Are you talking to me?”

“Of course, darling.” She laughs wickedly. “Poor, pitiful woman trying to sink her claws into Gabriel Maddox. Although I must admit, you definitely don’t look like his type. I’ve never seen you in any films, and I can certainly say you aren’t a model. He must be really scraping the bottom of the barrel with you.”

Anger surges inside of me, but it has nowhere to go. As usual, when faced with a woman like this, I seem to have lost all ability to think or speak clearly.

She eyes my trench coat suspiciously, shaking her head in disgust.  “I can just imagine what you have on underneath that hideous coat. Doesn’t it make you feel like trash, leaving his apartment like that?”

Flames of embarrassment burn my face, and I clutch the belt a little tighter around my waist. “I didn’t catch your name,” I say flatly.

“Oh, don’t be daft, darling.” She grins. “I’m sure you know precisely who I am. And for the record, I’m Gabriel’s future wife.”

I feel as though the metaphorical rug has been ripped from beneath my feet. I don’t know how to respond. I wasn’t prepared for this, and as much as I don’t want to admit it, I’m hurt. I want to make an intelligent comeback, but I can’t. Here I am, naked in a trench coat, being made to feel like a cheap whore.

“Just as soon as he tires of playing games with silly little girls like you,” Anya continues, looking down her nose at me.  “He doesn’t care about you, you know. It’s just sex to him.”

I want to punch her. Right here in the street. And I’ve never wanted to punch anybody.

“Oh, look at your face,” she smirks. “Like a hurt little puppy dog. I’m sorry darling, I didn’t want to be the one to break it to you.”

I finally manage to move my feet. I turn in the opposite direction, yelling out a
fuck you
as I stomp off. It isn’t exactly my best material, but it’s the best I can do in the situation.

My tears are hot and heavy as I walk down the street. All I can hear is the sound of Anya’s amused laughter behind me, mocking me. I hate situations like this. I have no backbone when it comes to intimidating women.

Sure if it had been a man, I would have no problem putting him in his place. But I always freeze like this when confronted by a woman like Anya. I suspect it has a lot to do with the same woman who I run from now, like the coward that I am. She was the only mother I’ve ever really known, and my worst nightmare all rolled into one.
Eleanore.

***

Once I’m a couple blocks down the street and safely out of sight, I catch a taxi back to my apartment.

When I walk in the door, Alanna bursts up from the couch.

“What happened, Toto?” she asks, her eyes inspecting me for damage. “Did that fucker hurt you? I’ll kill him if he did.”

“No, he didn’t hurt me.” I plunk down on the couch and explain the whole embarrassing street confrontation, or lack thereof, to Alanna.

“Toto,” she soothes. “First of all, you are by no means a cheap whore. And I will gladly take on any bitch who says otherwise. Second of all, I hate to say it, but Gabriel is rich and famous and there are bound to be some crazy women after him. You just have to remember it’s you he’s chasing after, not them. He’s spent all week with you.”

I nod in agreement, knowing there’s no arguing that statement. Gabriel’s said as much himself.

“But you also need to be careful,” Alanna continues. “You need to stay out of the spotlight. If any articles run with your name or photo in it… well, we both know what will happen then. So just try to stay a little more low-key from now on. Like maybe next time take a change of clothes, a hat, some sunglasses… that sort of thing.”

I hug my knees to my chest knowing she’s right
.
“God, Alanna I’m so sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“It’s okay babe. You don’t do this often, whereas I am a professional,” she jokes. “And I can tell you exactly how it’s done.”

I lean back into the couch feeling happy and comforted by Alanna’s advice. I count my blessings again for having a friend like her.

“Are you going to tell Gabriel about this?” she asks.

“I don’t know, probably not. I don’t want to seem like some jealous girlfriend. Our situation isn’t like that, and I don’t think she meant me any real harm. Besides, he’s having some kind of family function, so I won’t see him again for two days. I don’t want to interrupt him with this nonsense.”

“Good point, darling,” Alanna jokes in her best Russian accent. “So how about we both stay in tonight and invite Trevor over to compliment us endlessly. We can rent all the Top Design Season One disks, and laugh repeatedly as the judges blast Anya Petrovski.”

“Sounds awesome,” I agree. “Can’t wait.”

Chapter Four

Gabriel

I just spent the last ten hellish hours with my parents, pretending like we are one big happy family. It was our annual family gathering in remembrance of my brother, and every year it’s tradition that as soon as it’s over, I come home and get drunk.

I can’t remember doing anything else for years. But tonight as I sit in my lonely apartment, drinking whiskey at the bar, I realize it isn’t what I really want. What I really want is to lose myself in a woman. To feel her lips on mine, her warm body wrapped around my cock.

But as I think about it, there’s only one woman who comes to mind. Only one woman who can fulfill the need that I have at this moment. The woman with the haunted amber eyes. The woman I can’t get out of my fucking head.

I grab my leather jacket and head out the door before I can stop myself. I know it isn’t smart, going to her like this. It makes me look weak, and I don’t like that at all. But the part of me that isn’t thinking with my cock dares to hope she isn’t like the other soul-sucking vipers I’m accustomed to. She’s invaded all of my thoughts and broken down my walls already. I’m too soft with her. And if I’m wrong about her, she could destroy me.

***

As I stand outside her door, I think about what Parker would have told me to do. I smile at the thought. He would have loved her, and he would have told me I was being a fucking moron if I didn’t follow through.

I take a deep breath and knock, feeling more conflicted than I know what to do with. But when Victoria answers the door in her bathrobe, everything else disappears. She has some sort of goopy mask on her face, but she’s never looked more perfect than she does in this moment. Just being near her calms me, and the sudden realization of my feelings for her are like a sucker punch to the gut. I feel like the wind’s been knocked out of me when she looks up at me with those amber eyes.

“Hi, Gabriel,” she says softly. “I wasn’t expecting to see you until Wednesday. Is everything alright?”

The concern in her voice relaxes me a little since I still don’t really know what the hell I’m doing here. I lean down and kiss her on the forehead which only seems like the natural thing to do. “I know, I’m sorry. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“No, don’t be ridiculous,” she says as she gestures me inside.

She glances back at her roommate, who is carefully pretending not to be paying any attention. “Let’s go in my room and we can talk.”

“Are you sure I’m not intruding?” I ask, feeling like I definitely am.

Again I wonder if I’m making a mistake. I should probably just leave now.

Victoria reaches over and grasps my hand in hers like a lifeline as she pulls me into her room. “You aren’t intruding Gabriel, don’t ever feel like that. I’m glad you’re here. I’m just embarrassed I look like a hot mess right now.”

I squeeze her hand and half smile while I look down at her. It takes everything I have not to throw her on her back right now and take her. “You look beautiful, no matter what you’re wearing. I don’t know what that stuff is on your face, but it smells… interesting.”

“It’s banana and honey.” She grins.

I nod, my thoughts becoming distant again.

“Gabriel…” She looks up, searching my eyes. “Are you alright?”

I lean in and hug her, inhaling as I brush my nose against her hair. I love her scent. So soft and feminine. So comforting. How is it possible that she can comfort me this way?

“I need you,” I whisper.

“
Of course, Gabriel. I’m here for you.”

She still looks confused as if she isn’t quite sure what I mean. Her thumb strokes over my hand, sending all of the blood in my body south.

“Tonight,” I rasp. “I need you tonight. I just want to be inside of you, get lost inside of you.”

“Of course.” She nods gently. “Just let me go wash this stuff off my face, I’ll only be two minutes.” She gets up to leave and I pull her back. I’m being impatient, but I don’t care. I need to feel her now.

“No, don’t. I like you just the way you are right now.”

She grins back at me. “Come with me then, let’s take a shower. Wash the day off together.”

I hold her close for a minute before rising to my feet, never letting go of her hand. She turns on the shower to let the water heat up before moving to the mirror to wash her face off. I wrap my arms around her waist while she does, kissing her neck and breathing her in. She watches our reflection in the mirror, giving me a shy smile that makes my cock jerk in response. 

As my gaze travels over her body, she closes her eyes and takes a shaky breath. I can’t understand why. She’s a beautiful woman, but she can’t even look at herself in the mirror. I’m so used to women who are completely narcissistic that Victoria is a mystery to me.

“Open your eyes,” I order. “I want you to see how beautiful you are right now.”

She clasps my arms tighter around her as she opens her eyes and takes me in. But when she looks at herself again, she cringes. “I… I can’t,” she says regretfully.

Anger boils up inside of me as I think about someone making her feel this way. But before I can speak she turns into me, searching for my mouth desperately. I know it’s a ploy, but I don’t give a damn as I untie her robe, sliding it off of her body.

“Who hurt you, Victoria?”

“What do you mean?” she asks nervously.

“I mean who the fuck made you feel this way about yourself. I want to know.”

She looks down at the ground, her eyes filling with unshed tears, and I instantly regret it. I pull her into my arms and stroke her hair, calming her.

“Shh baby, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me now. But you will, someday.”

I lean down and kiss her while I walk us backwards into the shower. Inside, I tilt her head back, wetting her hair. I grab some shampoo and lather up my hands, massaging her scalp as I wash her.

She looks up at me with appreciation, and my breath seizes in my lungs. When the soap is rinsed from her hair, I turn her around, kissing her neck before moving down to her breasts. I tease her nipple with my tongue and she rewards me with a moan. I love those little moans of pleasure because I don’t think for one second that she’s faking any of them.

I rub my erection against her belly as I reach down between her legs. But just as I’m about to strike gold, she pulls back and shakes her head with a grin. I watch her sink to her knees in front of me, looking like every wet dream I’ve ever had.

But when she takes my throbbing cock into her petite hands, it’s game over. I’m already fucked, and she knows it. She strokes me with both hands, watching my expression as her tongue darts out and licks the tip. I don’t even try to hold back my groan this time. She wants to know she’s pleasing me, and I can’t deny her that.

I stroke her hair as she takes me into her mouth and devours me. She moves languidly along the shaft as I rock my hips back and forth, her moans vibrating against me. It feels so good I don’t even try to hold off, allowing her to comfort me in the one way that she can. My cock twitches violently, convulsing all over her mouth. She swallows everything I give her, licking my saltiness from her lips as she pulls away. I collapse onto the ground beside her, wondering what the fuck just happened.

I stare down at her, confusion and pride warring inside of me.

After a few moments, she reaches for the shampoo and lathers up her own hands as she straddles me on the floor. She massages the soap into my hair with gentle strokes, and I close my eyes and allow myself to relax. When she finishes with my hair, she moves onto my chest and arms. She strokes down my belly and around my cock. The water streaming above us quickly washes the suds away as I reach for her hips.

“Your test results came today,” I murmur. “All good, of course.”

Her face lights up as realization sinks in. “Dr. Sherry sent them to you?”

“Yes, you signed the consent form.” I smile.

“Is that how this usually works?” she asks quietly. The smile has fallen from her face, and I can’t understand why.

“What do you mean?” I ask, smoothing her wet hair back from her face.

She bites her lip and tries to look away, but I don’t let her.

“Dr. Sherry seemed to know you,” she says. “I was just wondering if you always send your… um, female companions to her.”

When my eyes search her face, I realize that she’s jealous. That she thinks she’s just one in an endless train of many. And for once, I actually hate that I made someone feel that way.

“Victoria.” I twine my fingers around her back and pull her a little closer. “I don’t send the other women to Dr. Sherry, or any other doctor for that matter. They aren’t usually around long enough, and I never fuck without a condom.”

“Oh.” She blinks, her eyebrows crinkling in confusion. “So then why did you send me?”

“Because I wanted more with you,” I tell her honestly. “I want there to be nothing between us when I’m inside of you.”

“Really?” she croaks, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“Yes.”

I pull her hips on top of my cock and glide the tip along her wet pussy as I talk. “So what do you say?”

“I want that too,” she says, her gaze hooded.

At the green light, I go for it with gusto, sliding inside of the only woman that’s ever felt right. She throws her head back and grips my shoulders, arching her back to give me the perfect view. She feels so soft and warm against me I almost explode right away. But I slow my pace, fucking her while I suck on every part of her body my lips can reach. She comes twice before I find my own release inside of her, claiming her body as mine. 

When we finally leave the shower, the water is ice cold and my balls are freezing. I make a mental note to stick to shower fucking at my place only when I hear a male’s voice from the living room.

“Is that the guy from the club?”

“How did you ever guess?” Victoria grins up at me.

“I didn’t realize you had plans tonight.”

She reaches up on her tiptoes, kissing me happily.

“You’re part of those plans now, Gabriel. I wouldn’t let you leave if you wanted to. I’m cooking dinner, and you haven’t lived until you’ve had my Chilli Mac.”

Something swells in my chest. Relief? I don’t know. All that I know is I’m glad she’s not booting me out.

“I don’t know what that is,” I say. “But I’m sure I’ll love it.”

We both get dressed and join Alanna in the living room where she is doing impressions of someone while Trevor laughs hysterically.

“Gabriel’s staying for movie night!” Victoria announces as we walk into the kitchen.

“Awesome!” Alanna says, eyeing me speculatively. “I’ll get started on my famous Sangria.”

“I must be a lucky man,” I muse. “I get Victoria’s famous Chilli Mac, and your famous Sangria all in one night.”

“Well, it is true that everything we do is quite famous.” Alanna laughs. “But Toto is much more talented than I. I can only do drinks whereas she does actual food making things.”

“Toto?”

Alanna and Victoria look at each other and smile.

“It’s what Alanna calls me,” Victoria explains. “Kind of an inside joke. One night when she was drunk, she told me that she thought my name was too long and that I needed a nickname.”

“But not Vicki, because that just doesn’t suit her,” Alanna adds.

“So she started calling me Tori, and then Tor Tor. As she got drunker, she started slurring her words, and pretty soon it just sounded like Toto. So ever since then, it’s what she calls me.”

“I see.” I stare down at Victoria. “Well, I like her name, I think it’s beautiful.”

“You got that right.” Alanna winks.

“I’ll get the tv ready,” Trevor chimes in. “Where are the disks?”

Victoria shoots Alanna a panicked look and then glances at me nervously.

“Uh…” Alanna moves in front of the rentals she already has on the counter. “I couldn’t find what I was looking for at the shop, so can you just go through our movies and pick something good out?”

“Lame,” Trevor grumbles as he walks toward the tv. “I was really looking forward to my reality tv fix.”

***

We spend the night in front of the tv watching Team America. Victoria’s curled into my lap on one end of the couch, and I have to admit, it’s nice. The apartment is small and seedy, but it’s cozy. For the first time in a long time, I actually feel relaxed. Trevor and Alanna talk in funny voices the whole movie and don’t even mind when I kiss Victoria occasionally. I’m glad I decided to come here. This is what I needed, to be around normal people. To be around
her
. Wherever she is that’s where I want to be.