Mending (16 page)

He picked up
their bag and the
styrofo
rm
cup with their milkshake while holding
his hand out to her, helping her out of her seat. 

She placed her h
and in his and smiled s
hyly.  “Do you have any idea
w
here we’re
going?”

He glanced down at her as he quickly led them to his car. 
“Hotel.
  Just leave your car, I’ll bring you back.”

She ga
sped as she bit her lip smiling.
“Okay.”

After he opened her door and put the food in the center console, he was unable to contain himself any longer.  He put his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her into a passionate kiss.  He could feel and hear her moaning on his
mouth.  He pulled back panting.
“Gabby.  We have to get outta here.  Like now.”

S
he touched her swollen lips
as she shook her head in affirmation. 
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
  It was all he could do to not devour her in the middle of the parking lot.
  “
God,
I want you so bad.  Get in the car.”

She climbed
in while Bradley
raced to his side.  He sped out of the parking place and onto the street.  He surveyed the strip of road for the nicest hotel he could find.  There
wasn’t
a lot of choice
s
.  He decided the Comfort Inn and Suites was probably the nicest and closest thing he could find.  This was going to be the worst part of a long distance relationship with her, finding a place where they could be intimate.  It wasn’t about the money, but more of comfort and luxury.  He also didn’t want her to feel like a whore by taking her to hotels.  He decided in the future he’d do more researc
h on places
and he’d find bed and breakfasts for them to meet. 

Gabby

They sat in silence until they arrived.  The heat and
desire was palpable.  She was try
ing to not grin like a fool,
and it was taking all the control she had to refr
ain from
squealing.  John’s words that had been playing in her mind over and over came back.  She knew she had m
ade the right decision because John
was right.  She was a walking ticking time bomb o
f pent up sexual frustration, a
lthough, she still had no plans of having sex with him.  She hop
ed that he remembered that.  Gabby
started to worry that he had taken her comment the wrong way.  Yes, she wanted to be with him, but she hoped he knew that she wouldn’t budge on the whole sex before marriage thing.

She was worried if she said anything about it, it would ruin t
he mood.  She decided she’d
just see how things played out and pray for the best, give him the benefit of the doubt. 

When he parked he looked over at her with piercing blue eyes.  He care
ssed her cheek.  S
he leaned in to his touch smiling.
 

He whispered, “Hey,” as h
is brows furrowed, “You okay?”

She
closed her eyes as she nodded, relieved by his touch.

“No, you’re not.  What’s wrong?”

“Are you
planning to have sex with me?” S
he asked bluntly.

“No, Gabby.  If anything, I’d make love to you.  It would be so much more than just sex.” He closed his eyes for a moment and then they flashed open with a resolve and calmness
about them
.  “But, I respect your decision to wait.  I told you that
Saturday
.”
  He kissed her forehead, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, though.  I can take you back to your car.”

“No, I want to.  I just don’t wan
t to break my promise to my mom,” s
he whispered.

“We won’t, you have my word
.”

“Okay.”

Gabby

It didn’t take long for them to get a room and Bradley reached down for her hand as he led
the way to the elevators.  T
he doors o
f the elevator pulled together causing her to smile
thinking about how she and Bradley had that same pull.  The attract
ion was slow and steady like
doors of the elevator coming together.  As soon as they were touching there was a jolt as the elevator climbed.  She could feel the butterflies somersaulting in her stomach with anticipation of the climb her body was taking in its heightened status.
  He rubbed her thumb with his.  She
gazed up to him as she
wondered if he was as nervous as she was. 

The doors were opening just
moments later, and she knew
her desire had only grown in that minute of being in a confined space with him.  She couldn’t wai
t to show him this side of her, t
he side of her that was no longer fighting
this
, t
his connection, this pull, this tension. 
 

He looked
down at her and smiled.  That smile was delectable.  S
he briefly thought back to the first time she had seen him at the wedding and how sh
e had wondered what his sexy body looked like under that tight suit
.  She s
quirmed knowing she was
probably
about to
find that out first hand. 

He stopped at the door, tilting her head up to look at him. 
“Hey, you sure?”
H
e asked.

“100%.”

His eyes lit up as he slid
the card in and out and the door
, clicking
as it unlocked.  “Well, after you, then.” 

Bradley

He held the door open for her to enter the room.  All things said
,
it wasn’t a bad place to stay.  He’d certainly stayed at worse places when he was in college.  But, it was certainly not ideal.  If he had known she would finally give in, he would have arranged for roses, champagne, and chocolate covered strawberries.  In fact, he
made a mental note to have that
arranged at some point. 

Gabby

The energy between
them was thick.  She could feel
her breathing changing.  She’d never done anything like this before, but she felt so comfortable with him.  She had tried to fight these feelings, but it was becoming impossible.  The more she talked to him, the more she wanted to be with him.  The more she was with
him,
the more she dreaded having to leave him.  She shook her head and then lunged forward to him as the door closed behind his back.  She grabbed the sides of his
face and kissed him.  Their tongues slipped around each other, twisting and turning. 

He breathed in and pulled away
.
 
“Damn, Gabby.  I didn’t expect that.”

She laughed
out of breath.
“I can’t fight it anymore.  Kiss me.”

“Oh, gladly.”

He pushed her into the room, their heads turning and tongues thrashing.  The kiss was so hard that every once in a while they would clank their teeth together.  They’d both smile and continue, their hands moving wildly, exploring each other’s bodies. 

She reached down and pulled his shirt over his head.  He lifted his arm with a wry smile as he watched her feistiness. 

She had worn a plum sweater over skinny jeans with
Ugg
boots.  He looked at her as he
started to pull her sweater up. “You sure you’re
okay?”

She kissed his neck, then his ear.  “What do you think?”

“Your eyes look beautiful in this color, by the way.” 
He
smiled as he
quickly pulled it over her head
, tossing it to the floor. 

She giggled. 
“Thank you.  I’ll remember that.”  She winked.

He moaned
as
he took her mouth back to his.

He gently laid her back onto the bed, using his legs to spread hers.  He prowled on her body as if he were a wild animal on a mission
to devour his prey.  She smirked.
“You look like you’re a tiger about to have me for dinner.”

“Oh y
ou have no idea of t
he things I want to do to you.” He closed his eyes as he kissed her cleavage.  “I’ve dreamed about what you’d look like without any clothes on, but right now I think I like the way you look just like this.
” He continued to kiss her neck, her ear lobes, her cheek, her mouth.

She thr
eaded her hands through is hair.
“All I could think of at Cade’s wedding was you with your shirt off.”

He stopped grinning.
“Ah, and to think I thought you were so innocent, Miss
Gerhart
.
”  He sat up looking down at his chest.  “Is it everything you thought it would be?
”

“What can I say?  You bring out feelings and thoughts I’ve never really had before.”  Her eyes
widened, “Especially in church!  And, yes –”