The First Time is the Sweetest (13 page)

Sabrina nodded distractedly, agreeing with Jimmy, unable to take her eyes off the delicious man coming closer. The three girls of the court stood a few feet to their left. Gabriel would have to walk past the girls to get to her and Jimmy. As he neared, a bead of sweat rolled down his face. She wanted to lick it off. It was hot in here from the lights, and he was wearing that leather jacket. He was probably roasting.

“Why doesn’t he take the jacket off?” Sabrina whispered to Jimmy.

“Doesn’t want to scare the civilians,” he answered, watching as Gabriel stepped around the girls. Sabrina glanced at Jimmy just in time to watch him lick his lips. She stared for a moment, then looked at Gabriel again. She couldn’t move. Disaster neared, but it was a beautiful kind of disaster. She wanted it. Of course, just her luck, as soon as Gabriel reached her and Jimmy, Joy waved to come help her again. As she turned to go, Gabriel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled at him and strode away, leaving the two men standing next to each other.

“You going to be able to keep your mind on work?” Joy asked when Sabrina came over.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Sabrina rolled her eyes at Joy as the older woman laughed. Then Angelina gasped and Sabrina sighed to herself.
What now?

Sabrina had already beckoned the rest of the court over so she could place them in the shot, but on their way to the mark, a few girls stopped to ogle Jimmy and Gabriel. Then one of the guys tripped and all of them almost ended up on the floor in a mess of hideous taffeta. Sabrina looked back to see what had caused the traffic accident. When she saw that Gabriel had taken off his jacket, she rolled her eyes again. He and Jimmy stood very close to each other as Gabriel adjusted his holster. Their shirts outlined their sleek muscles, and she watched Gabriel’s biceps flex as he tried to reach behind and adjust the straps. Even Joy stared when Jimmy reached around Gabriel to help reseat the leather. Sabrina heard him say something about it twisting, then saw him smooth his hand up and over Gabriel’s shoulder. She coughed uncomfortably, remembering those hands on her, how it felt to touch those shoulders.

“Damn, girl, I’m an old lady and those two are distracting
me
,” Joy said, helping sort out the girls as Sabrina tugged on skirts to settle the folds correctly against the floor. “How the hell are you living with both of them without going nuts?”

Sabrina laughed, ignoring the incredulous looks the girls were giving us. “Who said I wasn’t going nuts?” She thought how yummy Jimmy and Gabriel looked at home, tousled from sleep, then shook her head.
Focus!

She moved one of the boys into the correct position for the camera a little more harshly than she intended, but he wouldn’t cooperate. She looked up to see what the problem was and found him staring at Gabriel’s gun. This was ridiculous! She sighed. “For god’s sake, just stand behind Melissa and put your hand on her shoulder and don’t move,” Sabrina said clearly.

He blushed, then did as she said while Joy snickered. If she’d known getting a little cranky was all she had to do to get people to listen, she would have snarled at them a long time ago! Sabrina huffed and the other guys in the shoot looked at her before posing obediently. At school she’d been mostly quiet, so it was probably a shock to them to discover that she could speak at all.

“So, you’re living with the two of them?” Angelina asked, looking up at Sabrina from where she sat on the stool. “Oh wait, I forgot, Jimmy likes guys. They probably don’t even know you’re around, huh?” She grinned evilly at Sabrina, who ignored her as she tried to pose the rest of the group. Sabrina knew from experience that a battle of words with Angelina never ended well. And she didn’t particularly feel like talking to the girl who’d once smeared mashed potatoes down her blouse in tenth grade.
Ignoring them always worked for me before
, Sabrina thought, then cringed as she heard Joy snark from behind the camera.

“They’re her boyfriends,” Joy said, smiling at the group that had finally settled into position. “Now smile!”

Sabrina groaned inwardly even as she scooted out of the shot. Jimmy and Gabriel leaned against the wall, smirking. They must have heard everything. Gabriel had his arm slung around the taller man.
They look like brothers
, she thought.
Or lovers
.

“There is no way Sabrina has even one boyfriend, let alone two,” Angelina insisted cattily before smiling at the camera. Sabrina rolled her eyes again, muttering under her breath about stupid blondes. “And why does he have a gun?” she asked.

“Because he works for the FBI,” Sabrina said, unable to keep quiet any longer.

“Why the heck did you say they were my boyfriends?” Sabrina whispered to the older woman as she adjusted the tripod before shooting again. Angelina was glaring daggers at them between shots, but Sabrina did her best not to notice.

“Because they
are
, honey.”

“Oh for god’s sake, they’re not,” Sabrina denied, thinking how neither man would touch her.
Bah
. She frowned, then saw Gabriel smiling at her. He winked as Jimmy ran his hand up Gabriel’s side. Sabrina stopped breathing for a moment, feeling her nipples pucker against her tank top. She cursed herself for not wearing a bra. She didn’t have a lot of chest and didn’t really need one for support, so she often went without. She hadn’t even thought about it today except now Angelina and Mike were staring at her as she readjusted the lights. Gabriel and Jimmy just stood there, looking sexy. Sabrina wanted to jump them. Or pummel them. She felt a mix of arousal and irritation. They were doing this on purpose, she decided. They weren’t usually so blatant with their attraction for each other, or for her, for that matter.
And whatever happened to cooling it?
Sabrina thought, exasperated.

“How in the world did you get a boyfriend, Sabrina? And don’t tell me Jimmy is one of them because I know he was just your neighbor’s kid.” Angelina’s voice grated. The other girls giggled. Sabrina noted another one of the guys staring at her breasts but made no effort to cover herself.
Damned if I’m going to give them the pleasure of seeing me cower
, she thought rebelliously.

“Jimmy is my friend, not just the neighbor’s kid, Angelina, and Gabriel is an old friend of his.” Sabrina stepped back again. The stupid lights wouldn’t stay put. She prayed the screw would hold this time and signaled to Joy.

“Wait, then maybe Jimmy’s dating Gabriel! Everyone knows Jimmy is a fag.”

Sabrina grimaced at Mike. The stupid bigot said it loud enough for everyone in the studio to hear, and Sabrina could see Jimmy frowning. Gabriel smirked. Sabrina rubbed her hands over her face in frustration.
Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to come to work today
, she thought, then reconsidered. No. She wanted to get out, spend some time with Gabriel and Jimmy somewhere other than her house. Sabrina wanted them both, together, and if she couldn’t face a little mild derision from some kids she used to go to school with, she didn’t deserve to have either man. Sabrina straightened her shoulders. She saw Jimmy eyeing her speculatively and threw him a quick smile.

“Hey, yeah, that makes more sense than nerdy Sabrina having a boyfriend!” one of the girls chimed in. Sabrina shook her head. They were acting like extras on a reality show. She drew on her newfound determination and ignored them, rolling her eyes yet again.
It is all so ridiculous
, she thought absently, then jumped as Gabriel grabbed her around the waist and kissed her bare shoulder. She hadn’t even heard him walk up!

“Sabrina is my girlfriend.” Sabrina looked at Gabriel, astonished. Then Jimmy slid his arms around her waist atop Gabriel’s arm and kissed her cheek on the opposite side.

“She’s my girlfriend, too.” Jimmy stared at Angelina. The girl’s eyes bugged out of her head while the rest of the group sat there looking perplexed. Gabriel laughed like a loon at the bunch of them.

Sabrina snorted. Even if no one believed them, Jimmy and Gabriel were funny. She smirked. “Guys, trying to work here?” Sabrina nonchalantly stroked first Gabriel, then Jimmy’s hand. They smiled and walked back to the doorway as Joy snickered and Sabrina rolled her eyes yet again.

“Say cheese!”

* * * *

An hour later and the shoot was done. Angelina didn’t say much more as they gathered up their things, and Sabrina snagged Gabriel’s jacket to carry at his request so his hands would be free. She felt Jimmy watch her grab the jacket, and she couldn’t resist bringing it to her nose to sniff the worn fabric. It smelled like cinnamon. Jimmy’s eyes darkened when he saw, and she noticed him swallow, then look away from her.

“You know, I don’t believe you,” Angelina said from behind, startling Sabrina as she waited with Jimmy in the front room of the studio while Gabriel checked the back door a final time.

Sabrina raised an eyebrow. “Don’t believe what?” She buried her nose in Gabriel’s jacket again.

“You are
not
dating him,” Angelina retorted, pointing at Jimmy, who looked at her calmly, then smiled.
Uh oh
, Sabrina thought.
When he gets that look on his face, bad things happen
. She stared at him warily, savoring Gabriel’s scent as she wondered what Jimmy would do.

“What would it take to prove to you that Sabrina and I are dating?” he asked playfully.
Oh dear
, Sabrina thought, embarrassed but also slightly curious. Where was he going with this?

“Kiss her,” Angelina stated, looking smug. “I bet she’s never been kissed.”

“What do you care, Angelina—” Sabrina began, when Jimmy interrupted.

“Done.” He turned, pulling her into his arms. Angelina twisted her mouth with disbelief. Sabrina didn’t blame her. She hadn’t had so much as a date the entire time she was in high school or the local college. Mike hooted and the other guys began to heckle them when Gabriel walked in from the back room. He stopped abruptly as he saw Sabrina and Jimmy embracing.

“What’s up?” he asked, cocking his head while his eyes dropped to where Jimmy’s hands gripped Sabrina’s hip. Gabriel licked his lips and smiled when Sabrina gasped. Jimmy pulled her closer and Gabriel looked up, meeting her gaze. Sabrina could see the arousal on his face.

“They don’t believe that I’m your girlfriend,” Sabrina stated, a little breathless from how tightly Jimmy held her.

“Oh, you are,” Gabriel said, smiling as he quirked an eyebrow at Jimmy. Jimmy grinned and lowered his head to Sabrina’s lips, licking into her mouth. When his tongue swooped in she closed her eyes, clutching his shoulders to keep her balance. She gasped for air when he pulled back a moment later.

“That doesn’t prove anything,” Angelina retorted, looking a bit flushed.

“Oh?” Jimmy handed Sabrina off to Gabriel. She didn’t speak, too startled to think when Gabriel’s full lips touched hers and she felt his tongue lapping at her lower lip. She gasped and opened her mouth as he pressed his arousal against her belly.

“Mmm, minty,” he whispered, then fit his mouth over hers more closely, sending his tongue deep.

Sabrina knew he could taste Jimmy on her tongue and she trembled, then sucked at him before he pulled gently away. When Sabrina looked at Angelina, the girl’s anger was obvious but she said nothing. Gabriel made no move to hide his arousal as he stepped back, and Sabrina saw Angelina staring at him. Sabrina slid her hands over his waist smugly. Angelina probably thought they were faking, and she supposed they were, in a way. Truthfully, Sabrina didn’t care. She could barely focus with the way her lips were tingling. She didn’t think she could stand it if Jimmy and Gabriel continued this not-touching thing they insisted on until the shooter was caught.

Gabriel squeezed her reassuringly, then called for Joy. “Joy, could I have a word with you before we leave?”

Sabrina looked at him, curious, then at Jimmy, who just shrugged and waited, hands in his pockets. After the kiss, he’d ignored Angelina and her cohorts as if they were completely unimportant.
I suppose they are
, Sabrina thought, smiling quietly.

“Sure,” Joy said, walking into the front room. Angelina and her court were already nearly out the front door. Angelina still seemed angry and glared at her as she crossed the threshold. Sabrina smiled at her cheekily, thinking of the way Gabriel and Jimmy had kissed her in front of everyone. Ha!

“Sabrina is going to have to take a leave of absence for a bit,” Gabriel continued once Joy joined them in the front room. Sabrina whipped her head around to look at him.

“Gabriel? What are you talking about?”

“Sabrina, it’s too dangerous for you to come here—” he began.

“I’m going to go insane if I have to stay cooped up in the house! Besides, you said it was probably fine!” Sabrina replied, angry now. How could he do this? And without even talking to her first! She was pissed. Joy looked at them, confused.

“I thought it would be okay this morning, but truthfully, now that I’ve had time to scout the area more, I’ve realized we’re really exposed here. I don’t take your safety for granted.” He looked at Jimmy, who nodded. “I would feel better if we stayed at home where it’s much more secluded, more defensible. And I’d feel really bad if some innocent bystander was injured when we could have prevented it simply by staying put.” Gabriel looked apologetic, and Sabrina glared at him.

“It could take longer for the shooter to come out if we just wait around at home, even Jimmy agreed with that,” she complained, but Gabriel shook his head.