The Photograph

Aelin

I pace my living before running to the kitchen to make sure dinner is all set up.

Leaning my back against the fridge, I let the cool metal door soothe my nerves.

7:57 PM.What if Gabe changed his mind?He’s gorgeous and sexy, so I bet he’s snowed under attention from experienced women he…

The doorbell chimes, and the butterflies in my belly take flight. I exhale sharply before I open the door on a swoon-worthy looking Gabe, dressed in black light cashmere V-neck sweater and dark blue jeans.

“Gabe, hi… Come in.”

The latch of the door clicks, locking us in, and all I can hear is my heartbeat. I delve into his eyes and hold my breath when he cups my cheek and brushes his thumb on the indent under my bottom lip.

“Hi, beautiful.”

Gabe’s eyes drop to my mouth, and I nearly melt at the heat in there.It’s a date, so we’ll eat first then we’ll…My heart kicks up a notch higher.

Eat first.I clear my throat. “I hope you’re hungry. Are you hungry?”

“I’m starving,” he rumbles, and I get a full body shiver.

He follows me to the kitchen where he settles on one of the four wooden and beige leather stools while I check the roast and vegetable in the oven. At my request, Gabe pours me a glass of Cava and helps himself to a scotch. After we cheer, unable to utter a word over the storm inside my chest, I turn my back to him to wash the salad over the sink.Aelin, say something…

“Smells good. What are we having?”

I smile over my shoulder. “Mushroom and chicken dumplings, roast beef, salad, and grilled vegetables—”

His lips twitch. “Roast beef?”

Oh, shoot. Shifting to fully face him while my heart drops to the bottom of my stomach. “I know you eat fish… Are you pescatarian? I should have asked. If you don’t eat meat, I can—”

“Beef’s fine, baby.”

Seated in my kitchen, relaxed with both his feet planted on the white tiles, and his eyes on me, Gabe shrinks the room. My throat clogs while my heartbeat slams against my chest, and I return to the salad.

“Do you want to eat here or in the dining room?”God. I sound like I’m high on helium.

The soft thump of the glass on the counter is not warning enough so, I gasp when Gabe sweeps my hair to the side, and tremble at the heat of his body. He brushes his mouth just behind my ear, and I hold my breath while I tilt my head to the side.

A heated shiver takes over my whole body and I close my eyes while his mouth trails down to the crook of my shoulder. Swallowing hard, I grip the edge of the sink. His fingers slide up slowly from my belly to stop under my breasts while his mouth opens on the side of my neck. He flattens his palm on my stomach pulling me into his body.

God, he’s so hard. Everywhere.

“Arms up, baby,” he whispers against the shell of my ear. My shivers turn into a full tremor.

I hook up my arms up around his neck and arch my back while he cups my breasts and flicks my nipples with his thumbs. Rivulets of heat course through me, and I push my breasts into his palms. When he pinches my nipples through the material of my dress, I bite on a moan.

He twists me to face him, and dizzy from the maelstrom of sensations, I grip his shirt for balance.

One hand around my nape, the other arm tight around the small of my back, Gabe pastes me against him.

“Give me your mouth, baby.”

After a deep breath, I slide my hand up his chest. “Gabe, I like you…” His growl gives me goosebumps. “…but maybe it’s not a good idea for us to … be together before I finish Holloway, and—”

He swallows the rest of my sentence, and the world fades out.

I part my lips under his while my whole being becomes suspended to his. He licks and nibbles. Soft. Then sharp while teasing my tongue with the tip of his.Gabe…He thrusts his tongue into my open mouth, and I whimper, lost as he kisses me slowly, deeply.

Panting, I break from the kiss and place both my palms on his warm chest. “Gabe, I want you—” He smashes me into his body and takes my mouth again until my skin’s on fire.

Everywhere.

Oh… God.

But I need to say this, at least part of it. So, I pull back to catch my breath and lock my eyes onto his. “I haven’t … I…” Deep breath. “You’ll have to show me how bec—”

Oh, God, the way he looks at me… Our lips collide again, in a kiss so explicit, I moan.

My last retreat.“Just… Let me—”

After shutting off the oven, I turn to him and gasp as he hauls me off the floor.

The growl in his voice pools in my lower belly. “Bedroom.”

I loop my arms tightly around his neck while my legs knot around his waist.

“End of the hallway.”

Once in the bedroom, my feet barely touch the rug that Gabe curls his palm around my nape to eat at my mouth.

****

Gabe

She’s trembling in my arms. I shift back, my breathing rough and my cock harder than I can remember.

From the moment she opened the door, beaming at me, there was no going back. I’ll fuck her to get her out from under my skin. Then I’ll send her away and make sure she stays away.

“Gabe.”

My name, spilling out of her sinful, swollen mouth is full of need. Pure sex that gets me so hard, I groan.

Once. I’ll fuck her once.

I kiss her hard and long. Both to worship her and to punish her for the hankering she created that leaves me raw. Reaching behind her, I lower the zipper of her dress slowly, swallowing her soft gasp. Her skin pebbles under the slow glide of my fingertips along her spine.

When the dress falls in a silky heap at her feet, I step back.

Fuck me.

Round breasts, flared out hips encased in lace shorties, small waist, and long legs.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous.”

She bites on her smile and grips the edge of my sweater. “Your turn.”

The sweater hits the floor next to her dress while she peruses my body slowly.

“Wow,” she whispers.

Fuck, baby.I sit her down on her bed and kneel at her feet. I place her foot on my thigh and trace the thin leather loop of the sandal to its tiny buckle before undoing it carefully.

When I slide my fingers up her smooth calf and press them in the nook of her knee, she lets out a purring sound that shoots straight to my cock. Her hands fist tight into the duvet on either side of the legs, her head is thrown back, and her eyes are closed, while her chest rises and falls fast under her panting breaths.

I swallow hard and wrap my hands under her knees to part her legs. My mouth waters as I kiss my way up the soft skin of her inner thighs, and I feel her goosebumps under my mouth.

So fucking responsive.

Aelin clenches her hand in my hair. “Gabe…”

I grab her waist to place her in the middle of the bed and lie by her side. She loops her arms around my neck and when she hooks her leg over my hip, I kiss her slow, deep, fucking her mouth with mine. Damn, can she kiss. She sucks on my tongue, and I feel the pull in my cock begging to be inside her. I need to taste her. Every inch of her. I lick her neck, her chest, and dive on the tight nipples. The bite of her fingernails at the back of neck spurs me on and I draw deep.

I need more. I need in.I haven’t been this out of control since…Fuck.

“Gabe…”

When she arches her back and strokes me through my pants, I roll her on her back and dive my fingers into her panties.Wet. Hot—

“No…”

Aelin gasps. Her body stiffens and her fingers clamp on my wrist. I whip my eyes up and freeze.

Her face is pale, her chin’s trembling as she archesdowninto the mattress. Away from my touch.I’m hurting her.I reel up, but she digs her nails into my wrist.

“S-stay…” she hushes out.

Something’s very wrong.I bring the back of her hand to my mouth. “What’s wrong, baby?”

She exhales a sharp breath. “Not … not with your h-hand.”

Moving slowly, with my eyes locked on hers, I shift my weight on my forearms and set my hips between hers. I kiss her trembling lips soft and gentle until she opens wider and sighs in my mouth.The noises she makes…

I slant back, and she opens her molten gold gaze on mine. Flushed. Panting.So beautiful.

Something softens in my chest while my heartbeat rages, and I rub my nose to hers.

“My mouth?”

She bites on her smile, nods, and I get harder.

I nibble on her bottom lip. “My cock?”

Aelin touches my cheek while her eyes darken. “Yes.”

Fuck, yes.“Your wish is my command, beautiful.”

Her mouth opens under mine. She snakes her arms around my neck, and I kiss her. Slow and deep at first, then hard and hungry while she wraps her long legs around my waist.

Yes, baby.

When I kneel up between her legs, she raises on her elbows and flicks back a stray lock of her hair that drifted across her face. Hooking my fingers on the sides of her panties, I slide them down her shapely legs, and swallow hard.Every inch of her is perfect. And ready.

Standing up at the foot of her bed, I undress and toss the rubbers on the bedside table while Aelin’s gaze pans slowly over me.

I’m big—no complaints here—so I learned very early on how to be careful with my sexual partners. But some of my lovers in the past have been … reticent, so when Aelin’s eyes widen as they stop on my cock, I hold my breath.I’ll make it good, baby.

She bites her bottom lip and lifts her eyes back to mine. “You’re beautiful,” she whispers with a smile. And my chest expands.No, you are.

As I join her on the bed, she curls her fingers around the head of my cock, and I shut my eyes at the sharp pleasure. She torques her hands up and down.I’m not going to last.

I grab her wrists, kiss her palms, and pin her arms above her head. “Baby, you can play later.”

****

Aelin

I shiver at the heat of his skin on mine and moan into his kiss. We kiss long and wet until I have to turn my head to the side to catch my breath. His hands and mouth are everywhere, his touch feather light then heavy. I claw at his skin. I want him. I want him so much I ache in a way that feels both wonderful and torturous.

By the time his lips are on my chest, my whole body is on fire, and my lower belly spasms in need.

“Gabe.”

He grunts low in his chest, and I snap my eyes open as he lowers his head between my legs.What do I do? What…?

Wet warmth glides between my folds, and I moan as heat floods under my skin and sends me tumbling into something … somewhere I’ve never been before.

Oh, my God. Oh. God.

Gabe curls his hands around my thighs to spread me wider under his mouth and repeats the same slow pressure of his tongue, over and over again. When he penetrates me with his tongue, I claw at his neck while my body both clenches and liquefies at once.

“Oh … God … Gabe.”

“Let me hear it, baby.”

What? Hear what? Am I supposed to say somet…?

He sucks on my clit and…Oh…

I shatter in a scream with my fists clenched hard in his hair. When I come back into my body, I whimper as Gabe licks gently over my sensitive flesh. He trails his mouth on my inner thigh as he straightens up. He’s perfect, with wide shoulders, muscled arms, clearly defined abs, and these ‘arrow’ muscles on his hips that pull my gaze down.

He rolls the condom down and, he’s oh-so sexy, but the size of him is a little… There’s a lot of…

“Baby, look at me.”

I keep staring at his penis and clear my throat. He’s really…

“Aelin, look at me.”

My heart racing, I do and lose myself in the burning onyx of his eyes as he lowers himself onto his forearms on top of me. I curl my arms around his shoulders.

“Gabe…”

“Aelin,” he whispers against my lips while he pushes inside me slow. So slow.

Oh.I keep my eyes on his and tighten my arms around him.

After the initial surprise, I exhale to adjust to the burning pressure stretching me and shut my eyes to savor the incomparable feeling of his hard hot flesh inside me.

He brushes his mouth on mine. “Fuck, you feel good.”

Gabe plants himself deep and lets my body attune to his before he rolls his hips in tiny increments, and I whimper in his mouth. He watches me with a raw intensity that brings tears to my eyes, and I cling to him.

His eyes locked on mine, he thrusts languidly in and out. In and out. Until I crave more. When I moan, he plunges his tongue in my mouth, and heat unfurls in my belly. I feel every inch of him. So thick. So deep. I get wetter, hotter, hungrier for… I claw at his back.

Gabe.

“Are you going to come for me again, baby?”

All I can do is nod as he hooks his hands around my shoulders and holds me in place to take him.

“Look at me, Aelin.”

I open my eyes I didn’t realize I had shut.

“Let me feel you come for me.”

Taking my mouth in a dizzying kiss, he thrusts faster. Heavier.

An inferno curls my toes and spirals up my legs, I claw at his back.I want to absorb him inside me. I want…

My orgasm whiplashes and takes over me so violently, I lose my breath. When I open my eyes, Gabe’s face is twisted in pleasure and another wave crashes over me.

Out of breath, I grip Gabe’s hair and whimper against his mouth.Oh, my God. Gabe.

When he sweeps his thumbs on my temples and frowns, I realize I’m crying.

His words fan on my lips. “Did I hurt you, baby?”

Grinning, I peck his mouth while more tears roll down to my ears. “No. No, you were perfect. Absolutely perfect. Thank you.”

Then I kiss him like I’ve never kissed anyone before him.

When our mouths separate, he pecks my nose. “Give me a second, baby.”

When Gabe withdraws slowly from my body, I gasp. He gets up to get rid of the condom in the bathroom, and I roll on my side to watch his muscular butt and legs.

Now that we’ve had the most unbelievably glorious sex, I should tell him. My heart triple jumps. What will he say?

He walks back into the room. And wow. He’s … more everything than I imagined. He stalks back to the bed in a powerful gait and my gaze drops to his sex, long and thick even in repose.

As he bends down, I reach up for a kiss and giggle when he hoists me out of the bed to set me on my feet before him. I roll on my toes to wrap my arms around his neck and shiver when his warm palms slide up my back.

“How are you feeling, baby?”

I want more of you.I kiss his jaw, his sensual mouth. “Fantastic, marvelous.”

He smiles as he cups my nape while his palm strokes my butt cheek and squeezes. “Here. How are you feeling here?”

My face gets warm, and I grin. “I’m … uh … a little tender.”

He bites on my bottom lip. A gentle nibble but sharp enough to bring on a shiver. “I’m going to have you again.”

I tighten my arms around his neck. “When?”

His low chuckle crinkles the corner of his eyes. “We need to eat first.”

Food is overrated.Staring at his lips, I lick my own. “Mm hmm.”

“Baby?”

I lift my eyes to his. “Mm?”

Gabe’s gaze darkens, and he presses his thumb on my lower lip. “Let’s have something to eat.” After planting a short kiss on my lips, he slips on his jeans while I wrap myself in my bathrobe.

We make our way to the kitchen where I slice the roast and make Gabe a sandwich he devours while I reheat the dumplings. Once they’re ready, we settle on the sofa, and I set the untouched decanter and two glasses on the coffee table of the small library room.

After putting some music on, I sit next to him on the loveseat. I’m hungrier than I thought and when Gabe eats a mushroom and chicken morsel, I track the motion of his throat as he swallows.Who knew this could be so sexy?

As he’s about to eat another dumpling, I grab his wrist. “Wait.”

He stops, his fork mid-air while I shake my head, scuttle to the kitchen, and return with ketchup and mayonnaise.

After mixing the condiments on my plate, I sit on my haunches facing him, take his fork from his hand to swirl a dumpling in the pink mixture, and lift it to his mouth.

“Try it like that.”

Gabe raises a brow and slants his head back with his eyes on the fork.

Giggling, I roll my eyes. “I know it’s weird and Cara will probably disown me for doing this, but you have to try this with the dumpling.”

With his eyes never leaving mine, he opens his mouth and takes in the whole dumpling. He chews slowly, swallows while I wait for his verdict.

“So?”

His closed mouth smile is deep enough for his left dimple—deeper than the right—to show up as he leans back taking three quarters of the loveseat. “It’s good, baby.” His eyes burn into mine. “Fucking good.”

He’s not talking about food.

Feverish tingles spread all over my skin. I fork another dumpling. “Do you want another one?”

Gabe takes the plate to set it on the coffee table, grabs my waist, and plants me in his lap.God, I love how gently he uses his strength.His voice is growly. “I’m done eating.”

Yes, totally overrated.I fist his hair and plunge into his mouth. He curls his hands on my hips to pull me closer and takes over the kiss.Such an amazing kisser.

He’s hard. As he kisses my neck, I shiver while I rock against his erection. His warm palms glide up to my breasts he massages before he rolls my nipples between his thumbs and index fingers. I fumble with the fastening of his jeans.Yes.I curl my fingers around his hard, velvety penis.

His eyes locked onto mine, Gabe unties my bathrobe, slides it halfway down to my elbows, ties the silken sleeves around my forearms and the belt around my wrists behind my back.

“Gabe…” I wriggle my shoulders, but I can’t free my arms. “Gabe. I want to touch you.”

He wraps his palm around my nape and says against my mouth, “Later, baby. You can play later.”

It is later.“You said—”

His tongue finds my open mouth, and I get lost in his kiss. His mouth and hands are everywhere. I shut my eyes as he suckles on my nipples, and soon, I’m just a trembling mass of sensations between his hands. When he slides a condom on, I push on my knees and touch my forehead to his to watch.This is beyond sexy.

He fists himself, rubs his penis in my wetness before he breaches inside me with the thick mushroom head. Then he grabs my waist to lower me slowly on him. At this angle I’m full and stretched.

This feels so…I close my eyes.

“Your mouth, baby.”

Yes.I open my mouth on his while he moves me up and down slowly. Up and down. Up … until I bite on his bottom lip crazed with need.

“Gabe. Gabe… Please.”

“Fuck, baby”

He slams me down his hard length. He does it again. And again, until my toes curl, and my body tautens to snapping point.

Gabe holds me still with his arm curled around my waist. “Aelin, look at me.”

On the verge of fracture, I do and tremble at the possessive ferocity of his expression.

His hold on me tightens, anchoring me to him. “Come for me, Aelin.”

My orgasm tears through me and I scream in his mouth.

When I eventually open my eyes into his fevered gaze, his bass voice vibrates through me.

“Can you take more, baby?”

My body clenches around his before I can say the words. “Yes. Yes. I want more.”

He leans back, seizes my hips and thrusts inside me fast, hard.Oh, my God.I lose my breath, and splinter in a sob while Gabe grunts in my neck.

We stay like this until my lungs remember how to breathe. Gently, Gabe unties my arms, kisses the inside of my wrists, the crook of my elbows, and my palms before he slides my bathrobe back over my shoulders.

I curve both my hands around his handsome face and brush my lips over his eyelids, his nose, cheeks, chin, and finally his mouth. We kiss slow and soft until he shifts back and rubs his nose against mine. “Give me a minute, baby.”

While he takes care of the condom, I make my way to the kitchen for a glass of water and the last bit of cleanup.

I’m putting the last Tupperware in the fridge when Gabe enters the kitchen. Bare chested with the first button of his jeans undone, he’s everything male. I meet him in the middle of the room and wrap my arms around his waist. I don’t know how to tell him how important, how precious tonight is for me, so I burrow against his warm chest.

His voice rumbles against my cheek. “You must be tired, baby.”

I don’t know what I am, but there’s no way I’m missing even a second of him. When Gabe holds me close with one hand on my nape and the other flat across my lower back, I press closer, and we stay like this until I lift my grin to him.

Why can’t I read whatever’s happening behind those dark eyes?

The pad of his thumb sweeps lightly over my bottom lip. “Go to bed, baby.”

My smile gets wider.Sleep is overrated anyway.I fold my hand in his much bigger one and tug. But when he doesn’t move, my chest tightens.He can’t leave. Not after tonight. Not after…

I don’t recognize the smallness of my voice. “You’re not coming with me?”

Gabe’s eyes harden as they set on mine.“Has any man ever said no to you?”

Yes, every single one of them. I thought after we had sex, he’d … but he had sex before. Often, judging by how he knew my body better than I did.

Heat burns my face and my throat clogs. I uncurl my fingers, but Gabe tightens his hand around mine and yanks me to him. I collide, palm first, with his chest. His mouth descends on mine in a kiss so deep, I’m shaking when it ends.

He scoops me in his arms and takes us to my bedroom where he lays me on top of my crumpled duvet. As he braces his arms by my sides to stand up, I fist my hands in his hair while my heart hammers.

“Please, stay…”

After a drugging kiss, he gets to his feet, and I crush the plea burning my throat. His eyes on me, he takes off his jeans, and tears press behind my eyes. We slide under the duvet, and I bury my face in his neck, shivering at the heat of his body when he tugs me tight to his side.

His warm breath fans in my hair. “Sleep, baby.”

And I do just that.

I wake up surrounded by everything Gabe. My face is in the crook of his shoulder while his arm lays heavy on my waist. I inhale his scent, male and sexy, listen to his slow breathing while I spread my fingers on his chest to feel his strong heartbeat. My body reminds me of why it woke me up, and I roll carefully to the edge of the bed. Once in my bathrobe, I creep to the bathroom then to the kitchen where I gulp down a tall tumbler of fresh water. As I place the glass in the sink, the hairs on my nape raise and my skin tingles.

I wheel around to Gabe whose muscled shoulder slants against the doorjamb with his hands in his pockets.He’s magnificent. Raising my gaze to his searing one, I pad to him.

“Are you tired?”

The corner of his mouth lifts in that irresistible combination of sex and tenderness as he shakes his head. I want to touch him everywhere, explore every ridge and taste every inch of his skin.

I graze my fingers down his chest. “Can I play now?”

The muscles of his stomach contract under my touch as he nods slowly. I kiss his defined pecs, nibble his tight nipples, and taste the saltiness of his skin.

When I curl my hand around his nape and roll on my toes, Gabe grabs the back of my legs and I wrap myself around him while he walks us to my bedroom. As soon as we clear the door, I get on my feet, take his hand to pull him toward the bed, and kneel on the firm mattress while he stands before me.

With shaking hands, I unbutton his jeans and hold my breath.

Wow. Up close his penis is … wow.

After he kicks his jeans off and stands gloriously naked, I rain pecks on his stomach and stroke his muscular buttocks. I sit back on my haunches and unfold my legs I let fall over the edge of the bed.This is a better angle.I bury my nose at the base of his erect penis.

Mm. His scent.

I need to taste, so I run my tongue from the base to the crown. He growls my name and I get a full body shiver.

I want to be good at this.Trying to remember everything I’ve read and seen, I wrap my fingers around his penis and torque up and down.

His flesh is firm, hot between my hands. I stroke his penis, knead his testicles gently in my palms. Fluid pearls on the slit and I flick the tip of my pointed tongue to tasteOoh. Salty.I do it again and again, incredibly pleased with myself when he groans and his hand fists in my hair.

When I fill my mouth with the thick head and suckle, he hisses. I whip my eyes to his.Oh, God. The way he looks at me…Goosebumps litter all over me..

“Baby…”

I flatten my tongue to take him deeper and give it my all. I bob my head down and lodge the fat head down my throat.

And choke.

Yanking my head back, I cough, and grab my throat trying to catch my breath.

Gabe cups my cheek. “Baby, are you okay?”

Still not breathing right, I nod while I lift my smile to him, and we grin at each other.

He presses his thumb on my parted lips. “Aelin, you don’t have to—”

I dip my head back and take him again. This time, I work my way slowly down his penis and when he’s at the deepest in my throat, I swallow.

His body hardens while he groans, so I do it again and again until he pulls my head up.

“Baby, I’m gonna come.”

The mix of brutality and vulnerability in his expression, his ragged breath, everything fills my chest with an emotion I can’t name. I swat his hand away, grab his penis to suckle him hard while kneading his balls. His hold on my hair tightens, and he thrusts in my mouth, once, twice. And again.

“Fuck. Aelin… Baby—”

When he arches his back, I swallow on his glans and his body goes solid. He throws his head back and yells while he floods my throat.

I swipe my mouth with the back of my hand and smile at him.

Gabe hauls me against him to bury his face in the crook of my neck.

“Aelin. Baby.”

Oh, I’m loving this.