Mine to Keep (8 page)

Gabriel burst out laughing. William was a breath of fresh air when it came to blunt speech. If anything, his friend would provide enough entertainment, and the Steer brothers would love him.

They spent the next couple of hours catching up on lost time. William told him he already had a place for the new club to be located. It would be converted so the front was part of the club, while the back would be his own house. Gabriel heard Amy upstairs and couldn’t help but smile. Her presence in his home made him happy. When she came down, he noticed William watching her. She asked Gabriel if he needed anything. Gabriel declined and watched her walk away. Her ass was so tempting to him. The moment he no longer heard her feet on the stairs, he turned to William. His friend was staring at him.

“You really are living a good life.”

****

Amy pulled the chicken out of the oven, tossed the potatoes in butter and chives, and placed them on the table. Gabriel and William were in their seats, talking. She felt Gabriel’s eyes on her all the time. She got a thrill from knowing the power she held as a woman when it came to him.

“This smells delightful,” William said, making her smile.

“I’ll go and get the salad.” She quickly poured on the dressing and carried it out with her. Gabriel was serving her some food when she took the seat next to him. He sat at the head of the table while William took the seat on his right, and she sat on the left.

She handed William the salad, and he served for all three of them.

“Amy, your children are wonderful. You’re a brilliant mother,” William said.

“Thank you.” She felt a blush stain her cheeks.

“She blushes, Gabriel. She truly is a rare find.”

“Is there a woman in your life, William?” she asked, trying to distract him from all the questions he’d aimed at her.

“Nope.”

“What do you do with yourself?”

“She’s a bossy little thing. I hope you can tame her, Gabriel. Well, Ms. Grant, I’m a professional dominant, and I’m the man who will be opening an exclusive gentlemen’s club here in CapeFalls.”

Amy stared at him before returning her gaze to Gabriel. “Did I hear correctly?” she asked.

“Yes.” Gabriel forked some of his chicken and pressed it against her lips. “Eat.”

“How did you two meet?”

“Through my old job as a cop. We found we had a lot of other stuff in common, and I’ve been friends with him ever since.” Gabriel sent her a smile, and the conversation moved on. William kept staring at her, and she felt like she was being challenged.

When the dinner was finished, she cleaned away the dishes and went upstairs. Gabriel kissed her goodnight, and she waved at William. Sleep didn’t come to her straight away. She lay in bed thinking about Gabriel. Did his tastes go to the more extreme of the dominance she’d read about? Laura had let her read Dean’s books where BDSM played a huge part in the story. Her breasts tingled as she imagined Gabriel in a commanding role. She knew he would be the one in control. Amy knew he would never hurt her. His commands would come to bring her pleasure. Gabriel would not ridicule her or humiliate her. He would make sure she’d feel nothing but pleasure. She trusted him so completely that she shocked herself.

She placed her hand over her breasts and felt them in her palm. Her nipples were pointed, and she stifled a moan when she rubbed the pointed tips. Her breasts had always been sensitive. She moved down her body until she cupped her mound. The heat from her pussy went straight through her hand. She wore no panties, and the moisture soaked onto her fingers.

Masturbating had been the only thing to provide her with any sort of release. Steven in all the years they were together had never brought her to orgasm. She pressed a finger through her slit, feeling the wetness on her fingers. Her clit was swollen, and the smallest touch made her gasp. She coated herself with cum, opened her legs wide, and closed her eyes.

She imagined Gabriel entering her room. He wore no clothes. His cock was long, hard, and thick. In her mind, he was perfect. She applied more pressure to her clitoris as she imagined Gabriel pulling her to the edge of the bed, his gaze between her thighs. He would push her hand out of the way, sink to his knees, and suck on her pussy. She’d never experienced oral sex, and the fantasy alone was enough to bring her off.

Amy bit her lip to keep her screams inside. She would be mortified if William or Gabriel could hear her. She rolled over and looked at the alarm clock. Friday night she would be on a date with Gabriel. She was excited about it.

Smiling, she closed her eyes and fell to sleep, her dreams filled with Gabriel and the pleasure he could give her with so many parts of his anatomy.

Friday came around quickly. William left for the big city, and she walked her children to school. Laura had phoned to confirm she’d be picking up Mia and Billy from school. Gabriel had told her to be ready by four. She gave Laura all the numbers before she relaxed and started to get ready.

Besides the first date with Steven this would be the first date she went on where she actually wanted to go. She took a long bath and made sure to pamper herself. Amy spent the whole day getting ready. Her tummy was in knots when the door went at four. Gabriel said he would change at the station. Her hands were sweaty, but the red dress felt good. The heels made her walk with her ass pushed out.

She opened the door, and Gabriel stood on the doorstep. He held a bouquet of red roses. His hair was slicked back on his head, and he wore a tux. She stared open-mouthed at the man before her. She’d seen him in his uniform and jeans but never a dashing suit.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s fair. You saw me before I got a chance to see you.”

He moved the flowers away. “What do you think? Do I scrub up nicely?”

She nodded. “More than nice.”

“These are for you. I wanted you to have the whole experience. A guy asking you on a date, a dress, and flowers.” He handed the red roses to her.

“They’re beautiful.”

“I can wait while you put them in a vase.” Amy laughed and went to put them in a vase before going back to him. He stood at the door with his back to her.

“You know this is your house?”

“I know.” He held his arm out to her, and she took it. Gabriel led her to his truck. “In you go, my lady.”

She relaxed against the seat, putting her seat belt on while he got into the driver’s side.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“This is a surprise. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy.”

Amy did as he told her. He drove out of CapeFalls. The lights passed, and she looked back to see home disappearing with every mile he drove. They talked about their day. Gabriel told her he was handling the move for William.

“He is putting down roots here?” she asked.

“Yep. He finds the little town charming.”

They drove for an hour before he pulled up outside the restaurant. There was a man waiting to take the car from Gabriel. He helped her out of the truck and escorted her inside. She knew he’d taken her to a French restaurant. Her nerves picked up as she’d never been anywhere so grand.

The maitre d’ showed them to a private booth. Gabriel waved him away and seated her himself.

“This is a really nice place,” she said.

“I know. I hope the food is as good as the service.” He seated himself opposite and ordered her a wine. She didn’t have the heart to tell him she wasn’t a huge fan of French cuisine. She liked items like onion soup and crème brûlée, but everything else never sat well in her stomach.

She took a bread stick and nibbled on it as the waiter poured their drinks before leaving.

“Did you order food?” she asked.

“Not yet. You look so nervous I wanted to make sure you’re happy here before I order.”

“Being truthful, I’m not keen on French food.”

“Neither am I, Amy. You’d be surprised how much we’re alike. I want you to be honest with me tonight, so I’m going to share something with you as well.” He took a sip of his water, and she waited for what he had to say. “I’ve been wanting to ask you out on a date since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

Amy reached across the table and held his hand. “I always looked forward to your company. The days you came to see me in the shop were my favourite. I’m going to say something now, and I don’t want you to get angry, promise?”

“Promise.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“I think Steven knew that I felt something for you, and that’s why his temper got the better of him that night.” She saw Gabriel tense the moment she said her ex-husband’s name. “I’d never felt anything for him they way I feel for you. In his own way, he was jealous that you could make me want in the short time you knew me whereas he couldn’t in all the years we were together.”

It was her admittance to herself as much as to him.

“I don’t like you talking about him. He hurt you, and I can’t stand to think of you in pain. I’m pleased it wasn’t just me having these feelings.”

The waitress came to take their order. Gabriel ordered steaks with potatoes and a garlic and pepper cream sauce. She sat back and watched him. The way he talked and sat said to anyone who knew him that he was in charge.

When the waitress left, Gabriel turned back to her. “Mia and Billy are settling in nicely.”

“They adore you. I know this is wrong, but I heard them the other night talking about you being their daddy. I know you’re not, but if they ask you to be, would you let them down gently?”

****

Gabriel felt his world fill up with more happiness than he could imagine. Mia and Billy wanted him to be their daddy. It would be the most amazing experience in the world to be their daddy. He saw Amy looked nervous, and he wanted to put her mind to rest.

“It would be an honour to be their daddy.”

“You don’t have to feel obliged.”

He gave her hand a squeeze. “When it comes to you, nothing I do is out of obligation.” Their meal came out, and Gabriel found it comical to watch her picking at her food, her fork pushing the steak and the sauce around the plate. In truth, he wasn’t a big fan of the food either. He liked the company. They talked about everything. It was the most wonderful meal he’d had in a while. He enjoyed making her laugh with jokes and the way her eyes flashed when he stroked her fingers. Any touch he gave her made her body flush. He saw her nipples budding under his onslaught. The pulse pounded in her neck. She was turned on, and he was responsible for it.

The waitress came back with dessert menus, which Amy declined. He requested the check and then chuckled as he saw Amy biting her lip.

“You didn’t touch your food,” he said.

“You didn’t touch yours either, and mine was a little undercooked for me. It’s nothing against the food. I’m just not a fan.”

Gabriel signed the check and left a tip. “Come on. Let’s go and get a burger.”

He grabbed her hand and led her out. His truck was parked outside. He gave the guy a tip before helping her inside the truck.

She put the belt on and watched him drive the car out of the parking lot.

“What are you in the mood for?” he asked.

“A juicy, cooked burger.” Gabriel burst out laughing. He drove further in the city until they found a burger bar. She stayed in the truck while he went in to order. Twenty minutes later he parked out by a reservoir near the joining rode to CapeFalls.

“This is beautiful,” she said. He laid his jacket in the back of his truck for her to sit down on. They sat and stared out of the water. The sun had gone down hours ago. Gabriel opened up his paper bag, and she scented the food.

“Cheeseburger with extra onion relish.” He handed her the wrapped burger. He watched as she tore the paper off and sank her teeth into the food. Gabriel did the same, and the greasy cheese and meat exploded on his tongue. The hunger he’d been feeling evaporated. “Wow. I never thought watching a woman eat a burger could be so damn sexy.”

Amy chuckled and took another bite. “This is heaven.”

“We could bring Mia and Billy in a few weeks’ time. They’d love to play out here,” he said.

He fed her a fry. She took it from him. “I could get used to this.”

“What? Eating burgers in the back of my truck? This wasn’t the romance I had planned.” He rested his hand on her thigh. Gabriel stared at his sun-tanned flesh against her own. The slit of her dress exposed the length of her pale leg.

“To me, this is perfect,” she said. She was turned to him. He stared into Amy’s eyes, and he noticed her gaze fell to his lips. She closed the distance between them and kissed him. He responded, pulling her closer to him.

The kiss deepened. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, and he did the same. They tasted of cheese and meat, but he didn’t care. Her fingers sank into his hair, teasing the strands out of their slick hold.

Gabriel pushed her away with his hands on her arms. “Not like this. I’m not going to lose control in the back of my truck.”

“I wouldn’t mind.”

“No. I want you, Amy. I shouldn’t because I’m a fucking old man, but I do, and I’ll have you. But not like this. I want you in my house where it is warm, and I can remove all your clothes and make love to you without concern.”

She nodded. They sat and finished their food before getting inside the truck. She phoned Laura and told her she’d pick up her children for the night. He knew he’d spoilt the moment.

“I didn’t want to push you a way. I want you, Amy. More than you can begin to imagine.”

“I’m not upset, Gabriel. I know that you wanted me, and I appreciate it. I think I’d have come to hate us if we’d gone any further. A couple’s first time shouldn’t be in the back of a truck.”

He wasn’t happy with her explanation or the distance between them. When he found an available spot, he pulled in, turned the engine off and pulled her into his arms. He slammed his lips down on hers and sank his fingers into her hair. In the one kiss he showed her all the passion he possessed for her. The way he felt poured in the action. She moaned and held onto him until he was ready to let go.

Gabriel pulled away. “I want to, Amy. Don’t be mistaken by my refusal.”