Marrying Mari (19 page)

He stood and began unbuttoning the black shirt he wore.

She licked her lips.

He groaned. “Don’t do that.”

She smiled and strummed her nipple, then pinched it and hummed.

He jerked the shirt over his head, uncaring of the buttons that bounced away. “Dammit, I said—” he froze when she slid her leg wider, dropping her bare, slim foot to the floor. She pinched and plucked her nipple again and closed her eyes on a moan, arching and rolling her hips up at the same time.

“Gabriel,” she crooned. “Hurry.”

He watched as she let go of her breast and slid her hand down her torso toward her mound. “Dammit,” he said again.

She opened her eyes and slipped two slim fingers into her slit. “What?” she said as he watched the fingers begin to move. They sought and found their target, and began a rhythmic pulse. “Mmmm,” she sighed.

Gabe attacked his belt, his fly, shoved down his trousers, feeling a slight panic at the thought that he might come before he got his pants off, simply from watching this siren touch herself. On his couch.

He had thought to seduce her, charm her. Instead, she was seducing him. So much so that his practiced technique and skill were destroyed by this incredible girl. A week ago she had been a virgin and now she was decimating him simply by touching herself with pleasure while he watched. His body ached with desire while his heart simply flooded with tenderness.

“If you come without me,” he warned.

“What?” She continued to play.

“I’ll have to spank you,” he said, finally throwing aside his final piece of clothing.

“Okay,” she said, smiling. “Promise?”

He caught his breath and dropped to his knees beside the couch. “Promise,” he said and kissed her mouth. Sweetly, as if making another kind of promise. He sat up, looked at her fingers. “Does that feel good?”

“
Yessss
.”

“Is that your clit?”

She nodded, staring at him.

“Can I play?”

She nodded again, and he slid one big hand up her thigh and pushed his fingers into her slit. Creamy.

“Hold your pussy open for me,” he commanded, and both her hands slipped to her mound, parting and spreading the soft lips there. “Mmm. Pretty.” He said, and kissed her belly. Nipped it. Soothed the bite with his tongue.

She purred and lifted her hips against his hand in a pulsing rhythm.

“Good girl,” he praised, and lowered his mouth to her hipbone. Not so gently, he caught her skin between his teeth and bit, then suckled with his hips, swirling his tongue against the skin. He’d mark her, he thought with primitive satisfaction, so she’d see it in the mirror and he’d see it when he fucked her. The primitive feeling filled him.
Mine
, he thought. He stroked his fingers into her tight opening and groaned at how hot and juicy she was. Her flesh vibrated and her hips churned.

“Gabriel,” she wailed and threw both arms over her head, pumping against his fingers. He flattened his left hand on her belly, holding her down. His right thumb found and strummed her clit, and she thrashed her head from side to side. “I need—”

“Come, sugar. Come now,” he said and thrust his fingers deep inside her, touching the sensitive place that rocked her apart.

She cried out and creamed on his fingers, riding them hard as the orgasm ripped through her. She threw one hand at him and he caught it, held it, brought it to his mouth and kissed her palm. He watched as she shook and trembled and slowly, slowly came back down.

When she opened her eyes and looked at him, he pulled his fingers out of her and sucked them into his mouth, tasting her.

She blushed, and he laughed. “How can you blush after what we just did?”

Mariella shrugged. “
We
didn’t just do anything. You gave me an orgasm. But you…” She glanced down at his lap. “You didn’t get nothing yet, buddy.”

His free hand stroked her hair. “I got to watch you come and that was definitely something.” She blushed again and he laughed. Leaned over and kissed her ripe, soft lips. Wrapped his strong arms around her.

She framed his face in her hands and kissed him back. Tasted herself on his tongue and lips.

Gabriel pushed up from the floor and settled over her. Her hips cradled his hard cock. Her feet immediately circled his legs and rested on his calves. Her arms circled his waist and began idly stroking up and down his back, from his wide shoulders to the firm curves of his ass. The hair on his chest tickled her breasts, and she giggled a little. That made her breasts jiggle. Made him smile.

He stared down at her, keeping himself propped up on his forearms so he wouldn’t crush her. She was such a little thing, despite the toned muscles in her arms and legs, despite the fierce attitude.

“This isn’t very romantic,” he said. “I meant it to be.”

Her brow wrinkled. “What are you talking about? You send me a dress, a coat and a pair of magic slippers, a carriage to sweep off me to your castle.”

“And then I practically attack you once I get you here,” he continued. “Hustle you off to my office, tear off your clothes and fuck you. Smooth.” He snorted in impatience.

Mari smacked him in the chest. “Stud, in case you forgot, that was me that just had the fireworks knocked out of her. Right here on this couch. It was hot. So shut up.” She snagged a hand in his chest hair and pulled.

Gabriel winced. “Ouch.” Grabbing her hand, he held it still against him. “Stud?”

She hitched an eyebrow at him. “If the nickname fits.”

He looked away, twisting his lips in self-mockery.

“What?”

“If you only knew,” he said. And held her hand against his heart. Looked back down at her. “Oh, Mari. What you do to me.”

“Okay,” she said and surged up against his cock.

Whoa.

She lifted her legs higher and wider, circling his waist, settling the soles of her feet against his ass. Rotated her pussy against his thick ridge.

Holy fuck.

She licked a path from his collarbone straight up to his chin and bit it, while at the same time rubbing her wet slit along the underside of his cock, caught between their bodies.

He groaned and closed his eyes, feeling the primitive caveman inside him shift again, called by her uninhibited movements. “Oh, damn,” he said, and without warning flipped them, so she was on top. He wanted this time to be romantic, loving, but every time he got within ten feet of her, he just wanted to be inside Mari’s body so bad he couldn’t slow down.

Gabe pushed her upright, easing her back so her bottom nestled against his groin. She put her palms flat on his chest and stared down at him. He had to grin. Seeing her creamy skin from this angle was fantastic. Her sassy curls, messed up from the first orgasm. The surprised O of her mouth. Her full breasts tipped in tight raspberry points. Her flat belly with the hint of muscles underneath. “I like this view,” he said, expressing his thoughts. He flicked a finger against the velvet bow around her neck. “I like this too.”

“Someday you’ll have to explain.” Mari stared down at him. “Damn. I never get enough time to just look at you two. You’re always hustling me along.” She studied his body, and the Neanderthal within came awake. She smoothed her open palms over his pectorals and stroked the powerful muscles with the tips of her slim fingers. “So pretty. So strong,” she murmured. She bent and licked from his belly button to his collarbone.
Nipple play
, she thought. She fastened her mouth on his nipple and sucked hard. “Mmm, delicious,” she breathed.

He drew a deep, constricted breath. “
Now
.” He lifted her with one hand while he slid a finger into her pussy. “Thank God,” he said harshly, finding her wet and ready. “Take me, sweetheart.” He lifted her as she rose up on her knees and moved over him. “Yes,” he gritted, as she lowered herself so only the thick knob was inside her. He kept his hands on her hips, guiding her as she rose and lowered herself again, this time letting more of his cock slid inside. She was so creamy that he slipped in easily to a point, but he was so thick and she was so tight, they had to push. And the friction was delicious. They groaned together.

“Yes, just like that. God, yes.”

“Gabriel.”

“Take all of it. All of me.”

She wrapped her hands around his thick wrists for support. As she came down, he pushed up, filling her, taking her. They moved in synch, apart and together. He maintained control by a hair, determined to make it good for her. He watched her get close to the edge.

Mari planted her hands on his chest and stared into his eyes. Her breasts rose and fell with her breathing, with their rhythm. “Come with me. Let go and come with me.” She dug her short nails into his skin, and he shattered. Pulling her hips to him, buried deep in her body, he released with a growling roar, shooting over and over, pumping his body up into hers again and again. She followed him over, saw her throw back her head and shake. When she fell forward onto his sweat-covered chest, he caught her close.

They lay together, trying to catch their breath.

“Wow.” She pushed up, staring down at him again.

He sat up, still inside her. He held her close. Twined her fingers in his. Looked deeply into her eyes. “I love you,” he said, knowing it was the right time.

She blinked, and he saw a wariness come into her face. “Gabriel.”

“Shh.” He shook his head and kissed the tips of her fingers. “It’s okay. I know you don’t feel that way about me. Yet.” He grinned slyly. “It’s okay.” He swung her off his lap. “Let’s get cleaned up and dressed and I’ll give you that tour I promised.” He looked at her. “You shower first, alone or we’ll never get out of here.” With that he waggled his eyebrows and handed over her clothes, ushering her toward his private shower.

She dropped the bundle that was her dress and shoes on the black granite sink top and stared into the big, gold-framed mirror. Had Gabriel really said he loved her?

He had.

And not in the middle of the freaking main event, either. But after, in the quiet.

Oh. My. God.

But he didn’t expect her to feel the same. Gabriel Pryor, one of the two most eligible bachelors of the entire freaking universe had said he loved her and that it was okay that she didn’t love him.

Yet
.

Mariella pinched herself on the arm. “Ow.” She
was
awake, not dreaming.

Gabriel knocked on the door. “Need some help in there?”

“No, I’m fine.” She rolled her eyes. Fine, yeah. Her body was glowing, her brain was spinning… and her panties were toast.

In his office, Gabriel restlessly paced the carpet, glancing too often at the bathroom door where his lover had disappeared. When the sound of the shower kicked on, he relaxed.

Way to go, stud,
he told himself.
Scare the girl. Sexcapades on the couch followed by declarations of love.

But he did love her and dammit, he wasn’t going to hide his feelings because it had only been a week since they’d met. He pulled a new shirt out of a drawer. The universe was a crazy place. He was in love, Ethan was refusing to make the leap, and Mari was going to meet the Colony in all its glory in only a few days.

And that meant Angelica and Robert. His parents.

Chapter Thirteen

Gabriel escorted her back down the staircase he had hustled her up only an hour before. They re-emerged out onto the main floor, where the music seemed louder—if that was possible. She eyed Gabe’s new shirt, a fine linen in a burnt sugar color, and shook her head. With a minimum of fuss, he looked great. Sexy and bold and stunning.

She was rumpled and a little worried, since Gabe’s office hadn’t provided any new panties for her. She was commando under the thin dress, and that was not her usual style. At all. But there was no way around it.

Ethan stepped up to the bar. The female bartender immediately came over. “Two waters. Sparkling, with lime and ice,” he said, and she nodded. While she fixed the drinks in tall glasses, Mari took the opportunity to look around.

The basic décor was black and neon, simple and hot. Tubes of color wrapped around the individual bars, the ramps leading to the upper and lower levels and the booths. The walls were scored and shot with them.

The wait staff and bartenders each wore headsets clipped to their belts, and she noticed three different smooth-looking, muscular men in trousers and black shirts with the sleeves rolled up walking amongst the crowd. There were even two women, same outfit. All of them had cool, flat eyes.

“Security,” Gabriel said in her ear and pressed a cold glass in her hand. “Come on,” he murmured and took her other hand.

He led her up the ramp to the open railing at the top level. “Tables, booths and two bars. You can order food until one a.m. Not as good as Insatiable, but not bad either. On that side, we have our VIP room at this top level, with its own bar, and the two levels below individual privacy rooms. A couple can be alone, or a small party can reserve one. Like for a bachelorette party. The staff on those levels serve only those rooms. Dance floors in the VIP lounge on the first floor and the big one below ground. That lower level is just dance floor, with two bars serving nothing but drinks. Again, live music most weekend nights.” He pointed out the various elements to her as he spoke. “What do you think?”