Landing the Air Marshal (Snowpocalypse) (8 page)

She moaned at that, feeling a swell of power come over her. This man would be thinking about
her
every time he ran his hands along his shaft. It would be her that he’d lose himself to. Something in that was intoxicating, more potent than any elixir she’d encountered.

His hand tugged at her hair, and his legs started to tremble underneath her touch. “I’m so close, baby. Please, give me what I need.”

She looked up at him while she took him deep in her mouth, and his eyes flared with heat. Her fingers gripped him harder, and she wrapped her lips over her teeth as she took him in, sucking so hard that her mouth made a
plop
when she sat back on her heels for a moment.

The shaking in his legs amplified, and she could tell he was close. It was then that she’d decided to do something that she’d never attempted before. She wouldn’t pull back last second like she’d done with other guys. If she was going to experience Gage, she wanted all of him.

She gave two more strokes with her hand and mouth, and a moan ripped from Gage’s mouth as he pumped into her.

He slumped back into the tub and pulled Abby to his chest. “Fuck, sweetheart, that was amazing.” His hands ran down her shoulders, and his thumbs massaged her skin while he planted kisses down her neck.

Abby gave a contented sigh and sank against him, languishing in the warm bath and the fact that she was able to bring a grown man to his knees. The thought was electrifying.

Chapter Eight

After a couple hours of downtime following the most eventful bath of Gage’s life, he lay on the soft leather couch in the main room. Arm thrown over his eyes, he’d never felt more relaxed. Weekends spent without traveling were few and far between, and this was a rare luxury he wasn’t going to piss away.

Now, if only he was able to be with his family as well, this weekend would be damn near perfect.

As if they somehow could hear his thoughts, the video chat on his phone began to ring. Emily’s sweet face filled the screen, her tongue sticking out, nose scrunched. It was one of his favorite pictures of her.

He looked around, but didn’t see Abby. She’d been checking her work email and said something about specifications for the bed or window tapestries. He swiped his hand to answer the call, and Emily and his sister, Jill, filled the screen.

“Uncle Gage!” Emily screamed. Her arms waved wildly, and a crooked grin spread across her face. His heart beat sideways in his chest. “Look, Uncle Gage. Look what I can do.” She stuck her tongue through the hole where her teeth used to be.

“Wow, sweetie. Congrats on losing your teeth.” A pang of regret hit him. He’d missed another milestone with her. How many more would he miss because of work?

“Mama says the tooth fairy is coming tonight,” she said with a lisp, not quite used to talking without her two main teeth.

“I’m sure you’ll make a good haul with two teeth.”

Emily leaned forward and whispered into the phone, which ended up blaring on Gage’s end because she was talking directly into the microphone. “I asked mommy for you instead of money. You think that’ll work?”

“Oh, sweetie.” His throat tightened. Even though he was having the best damn weekend with Abby, he’d give anything to wrap his little niece in a bear hug right now. The fact that she’d give up money for her Olaf piggy bank for a chance to see her uncle, well, that would bring a tear to any man’s eyes. His sister was doing a damn fine job raising her. He just wished he could be around more to help out.

Jill took the phone from Emily and grinned down at her. “You hear that, Gage? Your little niece is missing you like crazy. We all do. Please tell me you’re coming home soon.”

“I miss you guys, too,” he admitted. “And soon. As soon as the snow clears up, I’ll be on my last shift and heading home. How’s Mom?”

Jill rolled her eyes. “Mama’s mama. What do you expect?”

After Jill’s dirtbag husband left them high and dry, his mom had been working double duty trying to get Jill to settle down with someone new, someone to provide for her. His mom had that 1950s mentality when it came to women, something that bugged the shit out of Gage, because a woman should be able to take care of herself first, not have to depend on anyone. Once he found someone to settle down with in the future, he wanted her to be self-sufficient. To be someone with drive. Someone like…Abby.

Jill was doing well for herself. She worked as an accountant for a firm in Charleston, but didn’t make nearly enough to pay a mortgage
and
tuition at Emily’s new school. When she’d told Gage she was thinking of taking her out of the fancy school, Gage had put in for extra hours at his job and told his sister that there would be no change of schools for Emily, not when she was thriving, and her little mind was being pushed.

“She bringing you a young gentleman suitor to dinner next week, too?”

This elicited another eye roll from his sister. “I told her I’d rather eat cow pies than be fixed up with another man she deemed
suitable
.”

“Wish I had your willpower.” Even though he’d never seriously consider anyone that his mom brought to the house for their family dinners, he couldn’t find it in himself to let her down. He’d suffer through a dinner to make her happy. He didn’t know if that made him stupid or a glutton for punishment. Probably both. He needed to take notes from his sister.

“Mama says Memaw is crazier than a sack of rabbits in heat,” Emily whispered.

“Is that so?” Gage smirked. “Better not say that around Memaw or else you’ll be in a world full of hurt, kiddo.”

“Okay.” Emily paused for a second and then looked at him through the screen with those big doe eyes. “Uncle Gage, will you sing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ to me?”

“Right now, kiddo?” He glanced around the empty living room.

“Yes.” She folded her hands together, pleading with those baby blues. There was no way he could say no to any request from his cute-as-a-button niece. He was going to have to be around a lot more when she started dating. He’d be more than happy to clean his gun when her dates came to pick her up.

Abby was still in the other room. She was probably so engrossed with whatever she was doing that she wouldn’t even hear him. He started in on the song, and Emily started singing along. As they ended the song together, Emily about five notes off-key, but adorable as always. She smiled and kissed the screen.

“I love you, Uncle Gage. See you soon.”

“Love you guys, too.”

And with that she pressed the end button, and he was left with a blank screen.

Damn, he missed his family.

…

Abby stared at the email in her inbox as she drummed her nails on the glass of the nightstand in the bedroom. Jeremy, Mr. Douche Coworker Extraordinaire, had emailed her, bragging that he’d found the perfect set for another movie Yellow Raft had bought rights for, thereby putting him in the lead for gaining the promotion. This one didn’t have as big of a production budget as the one Abby was working on, but it would be another blockbuster hit, for sure.

Something about the note rankled her. His smug, smarmy ass needed to be put in its place, just this once. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be the one to do it. She valued her position at Yellow Raft and wouldn’t do anything stupid to jeopardize moving up in the company. Instead, she needed to do what she always did—work harder. Make sure everything was absolutely perfect before sending in the photos to Rob.

Not able to look at the email one more minute, she slammed her laptop shut and grabbed her phone. She pulled up the text conversation with her sister.

Ella:
Hey, do I need to call the coast guard? Come up for air and talk to your sister.

Abby:
I’m alive and well. Very well.

Ella:
daaaaaaayum. Someone got laid by Mr. Magic Dick. Please tell me you took pics.

Abby:
I am majorly side-eying you right now.

Ella:
Must be because you can’t see straight from the major sex fest you’re having over there. Seriously, you’ve never been away from your phone this long. I need to meet this guy.

Abby huffed a laugh through her nose. Okay, so maybe her phone was permanently attached to her hand, but what person in the twenty-first century didn’t have that problem? It honestly felt nice to unplug for a few hours, recharge her emotional batteries. Her whole life revolved around twenty-four seven availability, slaving away at her job. Really, where did that leave time for herself? She used to enjoy things like Netflix binges and the occasional spa day. She glanced at her sorry excuse for cuticles and let out a deep sigh. Yeah, maybe she’d put a little too much of herself into her work. This last night with Gage reminded her that there was more to life than set locations and memos.

Abby:
Yeah, not happening.

Ella:
You’re such a wet blanket sometimes.

Abby:
I learn from the best.

Truth be told, her sister was the life of the party. Anywhere she went, she lit up the room. Abby sighed and stared at the phone, her chest aching from missing her sister. This weekend was worth it, even if she felt guilty for passing up a visit with Ella.

Growing up, they were partners in crime. Always to the dismay of their mother, of course. Heck, at seventeen, she hadn’t wanted to be a lady—she’d wanted to be free. Gage brought that wild side out of her, which had been tamped down from years of college and paperwork.

Abby texted a quick
talk later
to her sister and grabbed her camera to snap a few pictures of the bedroom.

After the bath this afternoon, she’d needed to take a break from the festivities to work, but as soon as she finished shooting more images and writing notes on the penthouse, she was going to spend one more night with Gage. A shiver ran through her. Damn did she hit the Publishers Clearing House of all jackpots with Mr. Dirty Talker. She should totally give herself a high five.

After snapping a few shots of the bed, then the ornate artwork on the walls, she went to leave the bedroom to take pictures of the outdoor area—something she needed to capture with the lit skyscrapers. The steam of the hot tub disappearing into the twinkling lights would be perfect to show off, especially if the movie did an evening scene. Although, at this moment, she was more keen on baths. For obvious reasons. Ones she wouldn’t be sharing with her boss, that was for sure.

Just as the door opened a fraction of an inch, Gage’s voice poured into the room, his pitch lulling and hypnotic. Was he…singing? She listened, face pressed to the door to get as close as she could without popping her head out the doorway.

Yes, he was in fact singing. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” A little girl’s voice chimed in, and Abby shut the door quietly. This obviously was a private moment. Was that his daughter? He hadn’t mentioned that he had one, but maybe he did. Hell, she didn’t know much about him, and yet she felt like she
knew
him, down to the marrow of her bones. How was it possible to feel this connected to someone without knowing any of the big details—like his whole freakin’ past—or preferences, like what condiments he liked on his hot dogs. Did Gage even like hot dogs?

A haze blanketed her thoughts, and she had to sit down on the bed to collect herself. She’d given herself up to a complete stranger. The gravity of the situation really sank in. Now that she was out of eyesight of Gage, her fully functioning brain decided to kick into gear. Was this a complete mistake? Something she’d regret?

No. Not indulging in way more carbs in college was something she regretted. Getting roped into taking glamour shots at the mall and not burning the photographic evidence of her 90s mullet, which her sister now held as collateral, was something she definitely regretted. Gage was not something to regret. Ever. Abby’s pearl-clutching mom might need to do a few extra Hail Mary’s for her if she ever caught wind of this weekend, but dammit, she would never regret what she did with Gage, because honestly, this was the best she’d felt in
years.

His tongue, his mouth, his…everything just felt so right. Her body was dialed into Gage’s frequency, and she couldn’t find it in herself to be sorry for enjoying something so much. She just hoped that, once she got back home, this wasn’t the last time she ever felt like this. Like a shooting star that had so much beauty for a brief moment and then fizzled out way too soon.

Chapter Nine

Gage watched Abby as she paced around the apartment like a caged animal. Even with the multiple rounds they went last night and this morning, she was still keyed up. How much more would it take before she’d be able to sit on the couch with him and watch reruns of
The Walking Dead
? He wasn’t willing to find out.

She was busy wearing a path into the shag rug in the living room. Maybe it was cabin fever—she didn’t seem like the type to kick back and waste the day watching movies. A few ideas came to mind for how to ease her current state, but 90 percent of them required the removal of clothing. And between last night and this morning, even he needed time to recharge. Better stick with the 10 percent options for the time being. Even he was starting to feel a little stir-crazy being pent up in the room all day.

Gage eyed the hot tub through the sliding glass door. Damn, he’d love loosening a few knots in his shoulders with those high-powered water jets. The steam rising up around the cover called to him like a beacon.

He eyed Abby pacing the living room for the fifteenth lap in a row. Nope, hot tub could wait.

He caught her hand as she strode past him, and said, “Let’s go out.”

She snorted, which somehow was very endearing on Abby, and put the hand that wasn’t currently in his own on her hip. “Where are we going to go? The whole city is
closed.
”

“The whole city is not closed. Just the restaurants. The kitchen staff is still here, right?” This was a five-star hotel, and Gage doubted a friggin’ snowpocalypse would stop it from catering to the needs of people paying hundreds a night for a room here.

“I think so.” She looked at him like she was going to ask
why
he was wondering this, but he didn’t give her time to respond.

He reached for the phone, walked into the bedroom, and called the number for the restaurant on the main floor of the building. “I’d like to place an order for room 4011. Fresh baguettes and a cheese assortment, and strawberries and champagne. In a to-go bag.” He grunted as he said this. It’d been a long time since he put any effort into a woman besides physical, but clearing Abby’s mind was top priority at the moment. Not just because of what she’d done for him back in the bathtub, but because he knew what it was like for the mind to go AWOL at the most inconvenient time.

He’d first experienced it when he came back from Iraq. After losing one of his best buddies to an IED, it left him unsure of how to cope in normal society. He overcompensated by outrunning his problems, in the literal sense, running miles upon miles, lifting more than he thought he could humanly manage, until he was too tired to have dreams of war. Luckily, he’d had his family’s support, and over the years, and with a change of career, he was able to work past it.

But he knew one thing—anxiety wasn’t something to fuck with. In his experience, it was best managed with some good old exercise and distraction. Nothing that the chilly winter air, some fruit, and a little alcohol couldn’t fix. Or at least, that was what he’d hoped.

He ignored the tiny voice inside his head screaming
what the hell are you doing, dickhead?
Yes, this was shit that people pulled in flicks his sister watched. Maybe it was safer to do it with someone like Abby because there was no fear of screwing up. Because even if tonight went south, he’d be leaving tomorrow anyway. No harm, no foul. A practice run for when he did find time to date once he was back in Charleston.

It had been a long time since he’d even
tried
with someone. This was the most effort he’d put in since Vanessa. He didn’t know if he still had it in him to be boyfriend material when the time came. A selfish part was happy that he’d at least get a little practice in tonight—even if just for a few hours. Selfish. He was so damn selfish.

When he walked back into the living room, she looked at him curiously, her cheeks hollowed. It brought him back to the bathtub, watching her suck him off like she was finding out how many licks it took to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. With her mouth, didn’t take much.

“What are we doing?” she asked.

“We’re going to have a picnic.”

“A picnic,” she repeated, her voice incredulous. “You realize it’s twenty degrees outside and there are
feet
of snow, right? Have you lost your mind?”

“Is Miss Hollywood afraid of a little snow?” he mused, regarding her as she stood in front of him, her small, delicate hand in his.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “When seventy degrees warrants a sweatshirt and boots, yes.”

“I promise, you won’t be cold.”

“Really.” She shot him a look—her uptight librarian look, which was probably meant to be intimidating, but really, all that arched brow did was raise Gage’s dick to attention.

Thank God his flight got cancelled, because one night was clearly not enough time to get her out of his system.

“Scouts honor.” He held up three fingers.

“Fine. But if I get frostbite, there’ll be hell to pay.”

He raised a brow. “I can think of places to keep your hands so that doesn’t become a problem.”

She scoffed. “Snuggling up to someone who’s forcing me into arctic conditions doesn’t exactly inspire romance.”

“I didn’t say anything about romance, just to keep your hands warm.” His head dipped down and his lips brushed against the curve of her ear. “Although, I can think of plenty of ways to keep you warm that involve other parts of my body.”

With that, a flush worked its way up her neck to pink her already rosy cheeks. He loved seeing her worked up. Loved that he could get away with saying these comments and didn’t get a slap in the face.

A few minutes later, room service knocked on the door, and Gage handed the kid money and told him to keep the change. “Get your coat on, sweetheart. We’re going to see New York.”

With the bag of food and champagne, they made their way to the elevator and down to the main floor. The doors breezed open, and a gust of cold air brushed over them as they exited the building.

Gage instinctively put his arm around Abby, trying to shield her from the brunt of the cold weather while clutching the bag and bottle in his other hand. She leaned into him and slipped her hand under his coat, and ice-cold fingers brushed against his back. He didn’t flinch as her fingers defrosted against his skin, but shit, they’d been outside for two seconds, and she was already turning into a Popsicle. California had clearly messed with her temperature regulation.

Growing up in Charleston, they had their fair share of warm weather all year round, but he’d always loved the cold weather. Every winter, he’d visit his grandparents in Philadelphia, make snow forts, wage epic snowball fights on the neighborhood kids…he’d be out there all damn day. Something told Gage that Abby wouldn’t last two hours before she crystalized.

They made their way toward Central Park, and a horse and carriage sat waiting at the curb, the driver looking bored. It gave Gage an idea. Originally, he thought he wanted to sit on a bench in Central Park, eat the food and gaze at the stars on this clear night, but this was a much better idea, especially since Abby’s California blood wasn’t fairing as well as he’d hoped.

They hopped into the carriage and folded the blankets over their laps. Gage told the driver to make a few loops around the park.

“Oh, that’s much better.” She sighed and snuggled into the blanket, nestling into his chest. He put his arm around her, and for a moment let himself believe this was an actual date. It had been a long time since he’d been on one—years. Did people go on dates anymore? No matter the label, this was much better than the matchmaking his mom did, sending him to dinner with yet another debutante or whatever the hell they were.

Last time he went on one was a few years out of high school, when he took Vanessa on a fancy dinner cruise. She stuck her nose up at everything they served and ended their evening quickly with a bad case of seasickness. A fucking disaster. He’d planned the dinner for a whole month, planned to propose that night while the string quartet played in the background. So he had a romantic side, sue him. He bet Abby would love something romantic like that. Abby in his arms felt a million times more right than anything he’d experienced in the past. Which he should stop thinking about because this was a one-night stand turned into a two-nighter. Something he apparently needed to keep reminding himself of, because their time was limited, and he would not let himself get hung up on this woman.

He pulled her hat lower on her ears. She was so damn cute and hot at the same time, a combination that blasted lust like oxygen through his body. The city lights against the snow created a homey feeling that gave Gage a pang in his chest. Damn, he missed Charleston. He missed little Emily in his lap as he read stories and had tickle fights. He was still kicking himself for missing both of her front teeth coming out. They’d been working on those suckers for weeks. He didn’t even get to ask her if she’d used the string-on-the-door-handle trick.

He missed the cooler weather this time of year, and the way his family packed together in his mom’s small estate. They’d sip sweet tea and sit on the porch swing, people watching.

Dammit, he’d turned into a mopey fucker. He had plenty more memories to make once he got back home.

He’d have more time for everything one day, when life wasn’t so crazy. There’d be someone like Abby down in South Carolina. A woman that would fill him with the same insatiable hunger. There just had to be, because it would be cruel and unfair if this was a once in a lifetime feeling.

“Lost in that head of yours?” she said softly, giving his leg a squeeze under the blanket.

“Just thinking it’s been a long time since I’ve been in the snow.” He shook away thoughts of homesickness and uncorked the bottle with a pop, letting the excess foam spill out on the snow outside the sleigh.

“We can’t drink in public!” she whispered, even though there was no need, since they were the only people on the street.

“Why not? Who’s going to stop us?” He took a swig from the bottle and gave her a bemused smile. Doubtful the woman knew how to break rules—he was the same way when it came to his job, but he’d never met someone as uptight as Abby. She probably didn’t even jaywalk. Getting her to loosen up, even a tiny bit under his touch, was the best present he’d gotten all year.

She looked around nervously, but her shoulders fell back into their normal position when she spotted the empty road. New York held the somber silence of an eerie ghost town after the storm. “I guess no one.”

He handed her the bottle, and she took a timid sip. One that got
maybe
two drops on that tongue of hers.

“Winters. This is a bottle of Dom and you’re going to waste it because of the off chance we
might
see a cop on a deserted night?”

She let out a sigh and looked as if she steeled her resolve. “Fine. No use in wasting a good bottle of champagne.” Putting the bottle to her lips, she took a long pull and then set the bottle between them, wiping the edge of her mouth with her thumb.

“That’s more like it.” He smiled. There was still a drop of Dom on her bottom lip, and he took this opportunity to lean in, sucking it between his teeth. Her soft, full lips melted into his as she let out a shuddering breath and leaned into him. Her fingers traced along the curve of his jaw and moved to his hair, tugging at it as their kiss deepened. Pretty pink nails bit into the back of his neck as she slid her tongue into his mouth. She tasted of champagne and something sweet that Gage could only attribute to Abby.

Gage growled and fought the urge to pull her onto his lap. Abby was a drug in his system, and his mind kept asking for
more more more.
He worried that he’d never get his fix before morning came. A smile broke out across her lips as her fingers grazed his pants under the blanket, rubbing along his throbbing shaft. Fuck it, he’d unbutton his pants and have her ride him here under the blanket if he thought she could be quiet enough. Too bad Abby was a screamer. And by “too bad,” he meant fucking awesome.

Against his better judgment, he broke the kiss and muttered under his breath as he regarded Abby’s kiss-swollen lips pursed into a pout, her eyes still closed. When she opened them, her blue eyes burned with the same lust that coiled his insides. “We need to stop before our night gets cut short and I carry you back to the hotel to finish this.” Or before the carriage driver saw what Abby was doing under the blanket. The drivers were notorious for not putting up with any shit—and on a night like this, he didn’t want to cause him any trouble, especially with this place a ghost town.

She frowned and a crease formed between her brows. “Won’t we finish this?”

He nodded seriously. “Definitely.”

She looked down at the bag and smiled. “What else do you have in your bag of goodies?” she asked.

Food. A great distraction to momentarily tamp down the urge to slip his hands up her skirt. He pulled out the baguette and cheese, but left the strawberries. He unwrapped the cheese. “Open your mouth.”

She opened it without question, and a thrill shot through Gage. As long as he lived, he’d never forget Abby’s gorgeous red lips. There was a lot about her that he wouldn’t forget, in fact, but he wasn’t willing to dive into those thoughts at the moment.

…

Abby let out a tiny moan as the tart cheese hit her tongue. Gage was surprisingly quiet, and when she opened her eyes, she was startled by the intensity of his gaze. He stared at her lips and ran his tongue along his own. The motion reminded her of last night, and how his mouth had been pressed other places. Licking, swirling, unrelenting. It all made her head spin. Who knew a tongue pressed to the space between her thighs could feel that good? If she’d known, she’d have kicked her ex to the curb sooner.

“This is so good,” she said, lamely, to fill the silence.

His throat worked, and he shifted in the seat. After taking another swig of Dom, he said, “So you’ve never been around snow?”

She swallowed and swiped at her mouth again, suddenly missing Gage’s soft lips on hers. “Not if I don’t have to. The closest I come is walking from the airport to the taxicab. Other than that, I like to look at it from the safety of my window. We don’t get a lot of it in L.A.”