Breaking Down(The Garage Series Book 2)(15)

Trying to bite back my laugh, I sounded like I was coughing and laughing at the same time.

Erica shot her glare toward me, but this time there was a hint of a smile on her face.

"What was that?" I pointed to the hostess, and this time I couldn't stop my laugh.

"What was what?" She faked innocence as she stared down at her menu.

"You know what I'm talking about, Erica." I was still laughing.

Her eyes rose to mine again and she crossed her arms. The move made her breasts push out and distract me.

"She was clearly flirting with you right in front of me. If a women  flirts with a man right in front of his," she waved her hand back in  forth between us, "whatever we are, then she deserves the dirty look I  was giving her."

"Were you jealous?" I teased.

"Of course, not. I don't have anything to be jealous of." She raised her  nose as if she was looking down at the girl who was nowhere in sight.  She looked like a brat. She looked jealous. She looked gorgeous.                       
       
           



       

"You're right. You have absolutely nothing to be jealous of. Did you  look at yourself before you left your house? Did you really take the  time to look? Because let me tell you, you look amazing. I don't even  need to look around to tell you that there isn't a woman in this whole  place that holds a candle to you. There is no one in this place that  could make me take my eyes off of your perfect blue eyes and your crazy,  beautiful curls. And even if you weren't that devastatingly beautiful,  the sound of your laughter could pull me away from anything. It's my  favorite sound in the world."

Her glare was now soft and glistening with tears. She had a small smile  on her face, but her bottom lip trembled slightly. I meant every word  that I had said to her. Every bit was the truth.

"Now, let's forget about the hostess and enjoy dinner," I suggested.

"That sounds great," she barely whispered.





I wasn't sure what was happening. Gabe had been on my mind since the day  he walked into my life, but I never experienced this Gabe. He had never  allowed himself to be this open with me.

It thrilled me.

It scared the shit out of me.

Growing up, I watched my father treat my mother like a queen every day.  There wasn't a day that went by when he wasn't telling her how beautiful  she was or how much he loved her. Every time she walked by him he would  reach out his hand and touch her in some way. Even if it was just a  brush of their hands. I used to think it was awkward when I was a  teenager. My friends would be over and my parents' would be laughing as  they stole a secret moment in the corner of the kitchen.

Now when I saw them share a secret smile or a soft touch because they  couldn't bear to be away from each other any longer, I craved it. I had  never wanted something so bad in my life. But I knew love like that  wasn't a common thing. I knew my chances of finding that was unlikely,  but when Gabe said things like he had, it made me dream for it. I was  such a clueless woman. My lack of self-preservation where Gabe was  involved made me ashamed.

He didn't look like he was lying though. He looked like he meant every  word he said, but I was trying my hardest not to believe him. Believing  everything Gabe said would put me right back in the situation I was in  before. I couldn't survive that.

I stared up at him and tried to figure out what it was that he wanted.  Was he just looking for a good time? Was he looking for a fuck buddy?  Did he feel sorry for what he had done to me?

Looking him over, I was just as confused as I had always been. I could  never get a clean read on him. He sat across from me completely at ease.  His blond hair was pushed back and styled. Thank God he still hadn't  cut it since he had been home. His beard had been slightly groomed but  was still full and made me want to bury his face between my legs. He had  on a green button-up shirt that did amazing things to his emerald eyes.  He had made an effort for me tonight. I just didn't know what the  effort was for.

Taking a deep breath, I placed my napkin in my lap and looked him straight in the eye.

"What are we doing here, Gabe?"

"Eating dinner," he said befuddled.

"I know what we are literally doing," I rolled my eyes, "but what are your motives here?"

He sat down his fork and stared down at his plate for a moment. "What are my motives?" he asked himself.

I sat patiently and waited for him to figure out how he wanted to answer me.

"I want to be your friend, Erica. I want to get to know the real you. I want you to laugh with me like you do Johnny."

I couldn't help smiling at the hint of jealously in his voice.

"I need to touch you." He looked over my skin. "I crave your touch.  Currently, I want to pick your ass up and fuck you on top of this  table."

I pushed my thighs together to stop the ache that was building there due to his words.

"I want you to confide in me. I want your dirty secrets to blend with  mine. I want to know what you fantasize about at night, and I want to  make it come true. I want to see you smile. I want you to smile because  of me. I want us to have fun. I just want us to be together."

I gulped at his words and sat there staring at him.

"What do you want, Erica?"

"All of that," I barely whispered. "But we have to take things slow. I can't dive in head first with you."

He nodded his head in understanding.

"I also don't want to be one of many when we are having fun with each other."

His eyes turned angry for a moment before he took a deep breath. "You could never be one of many."

"Don't make me regret this." I held his green eyes.                       
       
           



       

"I won't. I promise."

That was the problem, though. I didn't know if I could trust his promises, but God I desperately wanted to.





When I pulled back into her driveway, I felt happy and somehow at peace  after our talk. I hated walking on eggshells trying to figure out what  was going on between us. I wanted to be able to reach out and touch her  skin whenever I felt the urge.

Walking to her front door, she kept her body close to mine. I could  smell her as her hair swayed to the rhythm of her hips. I wanted to  throw her small body up against the side of her apartment building, but I  also wanted to show her that I wasn't just here for sex. It was a  fucking struggle.

Standing at her front door, I raised my hand to the top of the door  frame and hung on as I looked down at her. She looked so damn tiny. So  breakable.

"Thank you for going with me tonight." I smiled.

"Thank you for taking me." She tucked a strand of her wild curls behind her ears.

I placed my hand below her chin and raised her face to look up to me. I  felt a rush through my whole body. Her beauty was unreal. I softly  touched my lips to hers and then placed my forehead to her trying to get  a grip. I couldn't go any further than a touch if I actually thought I  would be able to walk away. I wasn't strong enough.

"Goodnight." My voice was gruff. I pushed off against the doorframe and  started walking away. I needed to go home and take care of this hard on I  was currently sporting.

I had almost made it to the stairs when her voice cut through the night.

"Are you kidding me?"

I turned on my heel and looked at her still leaning against her door.

"That's all I get? A touch of your lips and gentlemanly goodbye?"

I narrowed my eyes at the smirk on her face.

She pulled her jacket off of her arms and let it hang from her fingers.

Her other hand slowly ran up her neck and she closed her eyes as she enjoyed her touch.

"I guess it won't be the first night," she ran her hand over her breast  and down to her flat stomach, "that I've had to make myself come to the  thought of you."

Her hand ran down the front of her jeans and she applied pressure to her center.

I didn't think. Thinking wasn't a quality I was capable of at that moment.

I stormed back to where she stood and pressed my body against hers as I  lifted her hands above her head. I bit down on her collarbone and then  slowly licked away the burn. She moaned and pressed her center against  me.

Reaching down, I gripped beneath her thighs and lifted her into the air.  She instantly wrapped her legs around my waist. I pressed my weight  into her as I gripped her ass in my hands. I could feel her heels  digging into my back, and I relished the bite of pain. I kissed up her  neck and bit down softly on her ear lobe.

"It makes me hard as hell to know that you think about me when your  running your fingers through your sweet pussy." She shivered against my  lips. "Tonight I'm going to watch you do that before I fuck you  senseless."