If Not For You (46 page)

He smiled and then repeated, “Tu es mienne et je t'appartiens. Doute jamais combien je t'aime.”

Day 14

My eyes flashed open, the room was dark and I was coated in a layer of sweat, panting as if I was running a marathon. Sweet pleasure ached low in my belly and I moaned my gratification, reaching my hands out and sinking my fingers into Gage hair, clasping on and rocking my hips.

“Oh Fuck…Gage.”

“Mmm…” Gage hummed, the rumbling vibration causing me to plummet over the edge into a long glorious toe curling orgasm.

Gage slowly crawled up the length of my body with a gleaming smile, his lips glazed with my juices like a donut. His tongue licked across his smiling mouth, silently declaring his triumph like he was the champ of the world, the reigning victor. I had to laugh.

“Breakfast of champions,” he said, leaning in giving me a satisfied kiss.

“You couldn’t wait till morning, darling?” I teased.

Circling his index finger lazily around the aura of my left nipple but not quite coming into contact with the tight nub he chuckled, “It is morning baby, time to get up.”

My fingers swirled over his chest searching, teasing in figure eights until I found his heavy, thick shaft. The tip of my finger met the wet sticky arousal at the tip of his cock and twirled it around the head playfully.

“You’re already up I see,” I purred, bringing my finger to my mouth and sucking while Gage watched, his eyes half hooded over with want.

“Fucking hell.”

“Mmm…”

“Wanna suck me baby?” he said.

I nodded and he crawled up me until he straddled my shoulders, pinning me in place and he fed the head of his cock between my lips. He sat still allowing me to dictate the depth I took him, but having my arms pinned to my sides I knew gave Gage the control he needed too.

“So good, baby…Mmm…,” he moaned.

His head fell back, his eyes closed and his hand reached back sliding his fingers between my folds, I couldn’t help but rock my hips. I groaned from somewhere deep in my throat and Gage’s head jerked forward. With a wet popping sound he pulled free of my lips and jumped off me rolling from the bed.

“Where are you going?” I asked, propping myself onto my elbows and watching as he ran into the bathroom.

Wiggling a bottle of lube between pinched fingers as he came back into the room, he grinned. “Time for a little backdoor action, we’ll take it nice and slow, make you feel real good.”

“Gage.”

“Don’t worry baby, I won’t hurt you,” he whispered, as he crawled across the bed, tantalizingly slow like a cat on the prowl.

His hand slid under his pillow and he drew out the thick gold vibrator that Philippe had given me. Flipped a switch at the base he placed it against my cheek, narrowing his eyes with a smirk.

“Nice and slow,” he said, flipping me onto my stomach.

When Gage slid a finger through my wet opening and drew it up my ass, touching my forbidden region, my knee jerk reaction was to grasp his wrist. He leaned across my back and licked the rim of my ear as he whispered in a tone I would not soon forget.

“Touch me again and I tie you. Are we clear?” Gage growled. The aggressive warning and sound from deep in Gage’s chest combined causing a shiver to run through me.

“Are we clear?” he repeated.

“Clear.” I grinned.

Kneeling at my backside, he nudged my knees apart inserting the cold vibrator into my sex. The vibration from the tiny motor inside me buzzed enjoyably, my breathing hitched and I couldn’t hold back my moans of pleasure.

“Nice and slow,” Gage repeated, in a soft whisper.

With the end of his finger he applied cold gel, swirling it around my puckered opening at first then pressing just the tip inside. My ass cheeks clenched, I gasped and Gage pulled away.

“This is going to happen, baby,” he told me. “So relax and go with it.”

The buzz between my thighs increased a level and pushed deeper inside. I relaxed everything from my waist down, widened my knees and took a tight hold fisting the sheets. I wanted this to happen. I really did.

“That’s it, sweetheart, nice and wide,” he said, sliding the tip of his finger just past my opening and holding it. Pressing a little deeper adding a swirling motion, he whispered in a sultry tone, “Relax and breath, feel it, let it happen.”

The sensation of the vibrator and his finger was so wrong, but so right. Kneading my ass cheek with the other hand, he moved in farther.

“Nice and slow,” he gave his word.

More gel, a second finger and then a third and my moans couldn’t be contained, even my hips rocked involuntarily. I enjoyed the strange sensation, I liked it. My mind whirled, shadow over. I floated on a cloud of sensual awareness with each stroke. The addition of Gage’s moans an aphrodisiac to my ears and I was wasted. Wasted like a drunk taking that last swig from a forty ouncer, needing more.

“Can’t wait any longer baby,” Gage said removing his fingers and propping me up with pillows, my ass in the air. The tear of a condom wrapper and I anticipated his next glorious move.

A few last strokes of his finger and then I gasped as the head of his cock pushed past my opening. Delicious heat burned as he stilled, kneading my cheeks and whispering, “Don’t move, it feels so good.”

He removed the vibrator, I groaned my disappointment and he chuckled before pushing forward. His balls slapped against my sex and he growled through gritted teeth. In out faster and faster, he picked a rhythm and stroked his palm along my spine into my hair. He wrapped a handful around his fist and yanked. I let out a yelp and he eased up.

“No, don’t stop.” I called out, not exactly sure where my response came from.

“You like, baby?”

“Like,” I cried out.

“I’m gonna make you cum,” he whispered.

I loved it when he whispered, especially when those whispers were breathless, when he was clearly having trouble maintaining control. His fingers caressed my clit and I screamed into the mattress as every sensation came together into one convulsing orgasm. One wave rolling off the next until I was spent.

His arm circled my waist and pulled me back as he shoved forward, slapping into me, burying deeper with each thrash until he called out, “Tandy!”

Holding deep inside while his cock spurted each injection of his release, he moaned his pleasure echoing through the room. Gage pulled free, discarded his condom into the trash and pulled me onto his chest, my chin resting against his shoulder.

“You okay?” he asked, rubbing his palm over my butt.

“Better than okay.”

“Wasn’t too rough for you?”

“Never,” I told him, nuzzling into his neck and closing my eyes, totally contented.

The room phone came to life, Gage reached out for the receiver. “Bonjour.”

I loved it when he spoke in French. He mouthed Philippe and I nodded.

“Oui, mon ami, nous allons vous rencontrer dans le hall.” He responded and hung up.

“Translation please,”

“John and Philippe will meet us in the lobby at ten.”

My chin resting on one hand, I stroked along his stubble with the finger of my other. “Then what?”

“We’re going for brunch and then back to the ship.” He saw my disappointment and sat me up with him. “What?”

“I don’t want to leave Paris,” I said sadly. “Let’s just miss the ship and stay here?”

“It’s a nice thought, sweetheart. But there’re more ports to see. We still have London, Scotland, Norway and Canada. We have so much more to see.”

Nodding my acknowledgment, I smiled and allowed Gage to carry me off to the bathroom. Something was nagging at me not sure what it was, I shook it from my thoughts. We showered leisurely before dressing and packing our bags. As we were exiting the room, I pulled my phone from my bag and took a picture of our rumpled up bed.

“What are you doing?”

“I never want to forget.”

“I won’t let you, baby.”

Day 11

London

Never really settling back into the routine of the ship because my head decided not to cooperate, the next few days were spent in our room while Gage pampered me like a queen. Feeling guilty as hell for Gage missing Spain and Portugal, he assured me he didn’t care; it was me he wanted to be with. He was acting as sappy as shit I told him, but I loved every sappy bone in his body.

“There’s no place on this earth I’d rather be than right here, right now with you cruising on the Atlantic Ocean.”

“Is that where we are?” I asked. My sense of time and direction totally off whack, like it was ever on whack.

“Yep,” he laughed snuggling in beside me on the bed. “You smell so good, baby.”

“Really?” I laughed, “I smell like sweaty sex.”

“That’s right.” He licked along my collar bone. “You smell like the best sweaty sex ever.”

Raising a brow, I put my hand on his chest and shoved him away. “London’s calling.”

***

“I’m bored, is this going to take much longer?”

“We promised Philippe we’d come give John our support, five more minutes and then we’ll say our goodbyes. Have patience.”

“Patience may be a virtue for some, but I’m not a patient man,” Gage whined.

“I’ve never seen so many people packed into a book store, John was sure this signing was going to be a flop. I guess fans in London aren’t up on their American news.”

“Either that or they just don’t give a shit.”

Foleys bookshop was one of the largest book stores in the world. Apparently they housed seven miles of books. And somewhere tucked into that seven miles, sat a tiny erotica section featuring books by bestselling author J.R. Mornings.

John sat at a black draped table, his books piled on either side in all his glory. Pen in hand and Philippe standing by his side he was the happiest I’d seen since coming back to the cruise. He had even been talking to me about asking Philippe to move in with him after the cruise. I was so happy for them both.

Speaking of happy I had talked to Henry last evening, he had found a nice condo unit near the waterfront for Gage and I. Sending a few pictures in a text, he had all our things moved in and had even hired a decorator so everything would be ready when we got home. I hadn’t told Gage though; I was saving it until dinner tonight at Restaurant Gordon Ramsey. John had swung a deal and got us reservations, said it wasn’t the best seats in the place but I’d still be caught up in all the glitz and glamor.

Gage’s phone ringing in his pocket awakened me from my thoughts. Our eyes met as he shrugged dipping his hand into his pocket. Glaring at the screen in his hand, I didn’t need to ask. Your father, he mouthed. The last person in the world I wanted to share my day thinking about. I had been quick to block his number from my phone after his first attempt to contact me; the day after the titanic went down. Gage had evidently neglected to do the same.

“Carter.”

“Gage,” I said, rolling my eyes, he tipped his head to the side and scowled. He hated my eye rolling.

“Too fucking bad,” I seethed, I didn’t give a shit one way or the other if he was pleased.

I couldn’t believe he answered the call. I crossed my arms over my chest and listened. I didn’t want to but it was one of those things you do or it’ll drive you insane. The questions would always needle at me until I found out the answers.

“Tandy’s quite safe. She’s right here with me.”

My father had the nerve to ask about me? He had the brass balls to give a shit? Was he worried about me? No. All he was worried about was losing control. The game had played out and his team had lost, now instead of bowing his head and walking away, he was behaving like a sore loser.

I shook my head defiantly, silently warning that I was not going to talk to that man and Gage should take heed. I’d smash the phone to bits if he even attempted to point it in my direction.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you and I won’t ask her to. Leave us alone.”

Gage listened, rage churning in his eyes. “I hear you. I just can’t believe you’d sink so fucking low you dirty bastard.”

The words came out of his mouth and my heart cheered him on. I could only imagine what my father was saying, the threats he was making. He’d pull out all the cards. I knew his scheming ways well.

“If you’re finished,” Gage said giving me a wink. “Fuck you!”

I smiled when he punched the key pad to end the call and threw my arms around his neck, showering him with kisses. With my face in his hands he kissed the tip of my nose and smiled.

“What did he say?” I asked.

“Nothing worth repeating.”

“He threatened you, didn’t he?”

“Sweetheart, it’s not important.” Gage motioned back and forth between us. “This is important. You and me, that’s all that matters.”

Sweet like maple syrup, that was my man. He could melt my heart, make my toes curl and cause tingles in intimate places with just a look. God I loved him.

“Let’s go.” I dragged him over to say goodbye to the boys.

Once I managed to draw in John’s attention I gave a quick thumbs up and a wave mouthing ‘See you later’. John shook his head no and stood. Puzzled I waited until he joined us, he threw his arms around me and squeezed me tight.

“What’s wrong, John?”

“I don’t want you leaving without a proper goodbye.”

“I’ll see you tonight, we’ll get together for a few drinks to celebrate your re-coming out,” I announced.

“Goodbye then. Have a good time.”

We shared hugs and said goodbye to Philippe, he looked just as puzzled as I did with the way John was acting. I supposed it was the thrill of the day, the emotions of the day all balled up in him.

Taking in a deep breath of fresh air as we stood on the busy street outside Foleys, Gage checked the GPS on his phone and turned in the direction of London Bridge. Our plan was to walk across it and then visit William Curley Chocolate before heading to the London Eye for a ride and then dinner. We’d need to find a place to change, we had a change of clothes in my backpack.

Car horns sounded and a rush of people in both directions didn’t stop us from enjoying the view at the center of the bridge. It was windy and cold and I had to yell to be heard over the din as a noisy garbage barge floated past.