Winter In August (20 page)

He inched closer, tempting me. He let his one hand caress my cheek, and he looked into my eyes.

“You have to trust me, Gabby. You have to let go and let someone adore you like you deserve. You need to soften up, and put your guard down.” I melted and looked into his eyes feeling the truth coming out of them. Seeing his eyes showed me what he was saying was true. For once I was starting to trust, and trust scared me to death.

I looked away from him and shut my eyes. I was trying, I was hurt too bad by two people I loved more than life and trusted. I can’t be hurt. I won’t make it if I’m hurt.

As if he could read my thoughts, he whispered, “I will help you. Relax and let me give you what you need. I’m not going to hurt you.” I brushed away the tear sliding down my face, hoping he didn’t see it.

“I have to go. Harper is waiting for me downstairs.”

“Let me meet her.” He pressed his body against mine and brushed my hair away from my neck. He planted a wet soft kiss on my neck. The chills shot through my body. I drew away from him.

“Not now. I’m too upset and we need to go. I need some time alone. I need you to give me some time. This is too much too fast.” I didn’t turn around, and opened the door and walked out. Colt didn’t follow me, he let me go.

* * * * *

Giving me time alone was exactly what he did. I didn’t expect him to listen to me. I found myself checking my phone obsessively for a text from him. I couldn’t understand why I was thinking of him so much, but I was and it was driving me nuts. I kept busy as much as possible. Time seemed to drag and I grew restless. I made my way to work, worked out at the gym, and took a wine and painting class with Harper. Surprisingly, or maybe not, my painting was of an airplane.

The days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into a month. I expected him to be sitting in the waiting area at Gino’s every morning, only to be disappointed. I looked for his SUV, and his Porsche all the time while I was out. I even went to the Mailroom one night for a beer and a burger, hoping he would be in there. The hurt gnarled inside me. What had I done? I blew it this time.

Harper had suggested I bite the bullet and invite him over. She would have Tieg over and we would make the night a double date. Never being the one to give in, this time, I changed my mind and decided I would be the one to cave. I picked up my phone one morning before heading into work and was going to text him. I had the entire message typed out and all I had to do was hit send. I turned off my emotions for a brief moment, and I hit send and held my breath. I simply asked him if he would like to join Harper and me for dinner the next night. No big deal, some pasta, wine, and conversation. I waited for a response. I went to work, checked my phone all day, and didn’t get a text back. Later on my way home, half asleep on a dirty subway, the familiar sound of a text message peaked my attention. The message was from him and simply said
Ok

Harper and I cooked all day making pasta with chicken, salad, and tiramisu. I didn’t dress up, just threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt. I pulled my hair on top of my head and set the table outside on our balcony. Tieg arrived early, but by eight o clock, an hour after I told Colt to come over, I gave up all hope and decided to serve dinner. He stood me up. I was hurt and disappointed. I also knew I had no one to blame but myself.

As we sat down to eat, with me constantly checking my phone for a message he was on his way, there was a knock at the door.

“Are you going to answer that?” Harper smiled as we sat there for a moment. My body tensed as I made my way to the door, opened it, and thankfully, standing in front of me was Colt.

He was perfectly dressed in the outfit he wore the night at the Avion. He looked exhausted as he blew out a breath.

“Are you going to let me in, or should I stand out here all night?” he asked.

“I, I didn’t think you were going to come. I said seven and it's eight. Of course, come in.” I moved aside and he stepped in.

“I was in LA. I just flew back and was running late. I should have texted.” He stared as his eyes penetrated me.

He took my breath away. I grabbed Colt in my arms and kissed his lips with force. I wanted him more than the air I was breathing. Colt kissed me back as if he was starved. My body melted into him as his heart beat against my chest. His scent and the familiar taste of his lips sent my senses reeling.

I pried my lips from him and rested my forehead on his chest. “Why did you stay away so long?” I whispered.

“I have a business to run, Gabby. I had to focus on my company. I couldn’t be distracted and you distract me. You told me to stay away, and I wanted to give you enough time to see you needed me.”

“I’m sorry. I’m very happy you’re here. Are you hungry?” I looked at him and smiled.

“More than you could imagine,” he smiled back at me and kissed me.

The evening went off wonderfully for all four of us. During the course of our meal, laughing and talking, Colt had his hand on my thigh. The warmth of his touch and knowing he was touching me sent an ache to my sex. At one point, while I was in the kitchen cleaning, he walked up behind me and held me to him, enveloping me in his warmth. Kissing my neck, he whispered in my ear “Is your pussy aching for me?” I nearly dropped whatever I was holding. He let me go, and I turned around to face him. He winked and walked back out to the living room. Holy shit. I couldn’t wait to be alone with him.

Tieg and Colt seemed to get along perfectly. There was talk of all of us taking a jet on a weekend excursion. All I had to hear was fly, and I ignored the rest of the conversation. The four of us spent the evening laughing, drinking wine, and talking. Like my father, I had to have music playing at every dinner or function. I lived for music. My choice for the night were favorites from my childhood. A mix of Sinatra and Dean Martin serenaded us till around midnight when Tieg and Harper wanted to go back to his house.

After Harper and Tieg left, Colt and I went to my room. He came up to me and pulled me close to his body. He looked at me, his sage eyes searing. Colt hauled me in for a deep kiss. My body trembled with a passion for him. This moment of a connection between us was so intense that I couldn’t fight it any longer. I was under an emotional upheaval like a giddy teenager. Not only was my connection with him emotional, but it was an electric shock of sexuality that surged through my body. A palpable heat was ignited and we were inexplicably attracted to each other. This pull was beyond my control and something I didn’t want to stop.

He started to undress me as I kept my eyes closed enjoying the darkness, as the heat in me rose. My jeans were loose on me and Colt slid his hand in the front of them in one swift move. I was wet and when Colt stuck his finger inside of me, I almost sobbed. He pulled his hand out of my pants and licked his finger locking his gaze on me.

“You taste better than anything I’ve had tonight.” My knees went weak and my face flushed. He kept talking and I was too turned on to answer.

“I want you tonight, gentle and sweet. Not my style, but I want to do this for you.There will be a lot of mushy stuff. Can you handle mushy?” I breathed in his scent.

I shook my head yes, unable to speak.

“Let me make love to you tonight. I want to take my time with you and get to know every part of you. I want you, Gabby. Not only your body but your heart and mind. No woman has brought me to my knees like you have, and I don’t think ever will. Can you give me one night of slow beautiful sex?”

“I haven’t made love to anyone since Kris. He hurt me, Colt. I gave him my heart and mind and I can’t let that happen again.” I whispered.

“I’m not him. Take a chance on me, Gabby. Let me inside all of you. Don’t push me away again, because next time, I won’t come back.” He brushed the hair away from my face. I looked at him with a heavy-lidded gaze.

“I need you, Colt, but I’m so afraid of being hurt.”

He didn’t answer as he pulled me to the bed and sat next to me. He unbuttoned my blouse, taking his time to add to my anticipation. Each time he unbuttoned a button, he kissed my bare skin. His lips burned like fire on me. His gaze swept across my body as he ran his finger around my nipples caressing around them yet not touching them. Each one hardened and begged for his touch. Colt closed his mouth over my nipple and sucked as he teased the other with his fingers. I enjoyed the wonderful feeling of having him take his time with me. I grabbed on to his hair pulling him closer and let the feelings take over my body. My pants were on and Colt slid down the bed to take them off. I lied there with my thong on as he raked his eyes across me. He let his finger trace around the band and between my legs, outlining the material on my body. His fingers brushed inside my thighs until he reached my wet pussy.

“Colt” I reached up to pull him to my mouth. I kissed him intensely, sucking on his lips that drove me mad. All of Colt turned me on from the way he looked at me, his mannerisms, to how I felt when he touched me. His cockiness and control in the bed made me insane with passion.

He smiled at me as he slipped off my thong with one finger laced in the side.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he whispered. “There is no one that comes close to you.” He let his tongue trace my throat in a line to my shoulders. He sucked on my nipples as he watched me arch to him.

“You like that, baby?”

“Yes, so much.”

“I can’t get enough of these tits.” He moaned and sucked more.

I reached and pulled on his t-shirt. I wanted to feel his skin on mine. Once he peeled the shirt over his head, I admired his perfect muscular body. His chest was warm as his soft skin pressed on top of me. I reached in between us and undid his belt, pulled down his zipper, and he took his pants off.

He hungrily and leisurely devoured my mouth with slow, loving kisses. He kissed my neck and ran a line down with his tongue and worked his way down my body. I was in a fog as Colt seemed to take over me. He was determined to kiss and lick every part of me as he continued his journey to my calves and back up.

“Spread your legs.” He eased his body between by legs.

“I want you so bad, Gabby. I want to take you and make love to you all night.” He ran his hands over my body over my stomach and up to my breasts. He let his finger trace around my nipples as they peaked with desire. He was teasing me making my arousal unbearable. The ache grew stronger. I reached to touch his cock, teasingly laying on my thigh.

“I want to be inside you.” The way he looked at me was something I was not used to. No man, including Kris, had looked at me like that. His gaze on me was a smoldering stare of lust and need.

“You already are, Colt.” He was so much a part of me now. Everything he did to me was magical and almost like a dream. This guy was different, I realized. He drove me wild and not only sexually, but also in my mind. I reached up and ran my fingers through his flaxen hair.

“There isn’t a body more perfect than you, Gabby Barone. I’ve never seen something I’ve wanted so much,” he whispered, as his eyes bore into me. His hand ran over my thigh grabbing my ass and lifting me up.

“My body is what you want, but I’m not. Colt, I’m not refined or proper like Marlene. I’m me and I love to have fun, drink, sing, eat and live. I cuss and scream and fight. I love but a few people and when I do love them, I love hard. I have demons that sometimes take over me. I’m dark at times and I can't stop the darkness. I can’t be something I’m not. I want you to know this and I also want you to know I can’t change.”

“I want you like that. You’re trouble, lust, and life and that’s exactly what I want. Jesus Gabby, you have brought me to life again. I have demons too. They came out at the dinner. I’m not a perfect man, nor do I claim to be.”

I sensed his sincerity and his honesty. I was falling for Colt Andrews, and I couldn’t stop myself.

Chapter 17

I
kissed him. Not just kissed him, I consumed him. This was a kiss I’d saved all my life for and finally, someone was worthy of this kiss. An arousal moved through my body I’d never experienced before. The feeling was something deep inside me, not only sexual but something in my heart. I melted into him and let this wonderful man take over me. For once I was open and bare, completely bare. As I lay there exposed and open he buried his face in my slick sex. His tongue pressed into my pussy.

I grabbed his hair and pulled. “Colt,” I groaned.

“Jesus, Gabby, I wanted to do this since you stormed in my office. It’s all I thought about, tasting you and having your wetness all over my face. Fuck.”

“Colt, I’m going to come.”

“I know; I can feel when you’re close. I know what you like and how your body responds.” He continued to let his tongue dance across my swollen clit. The milky softness of his tongue lapped me up over and over.

“Colt,” I moaned grabbing on to the pillows, stacked up behind my head.

“Let it go, baby. Feel it. Ride it.” He sucked on me, and the climax tore through me so forcefully I was sure the neighbors knew. My pussy throbbed against his lips and tongue as he continued to push farther inside me. Colt was relentless and continued his loving assault on my pussy, almost bringing me to tears.

“No more, Colt. Please. I can't take any more.”

“You can and you will, Gabby. Relax.” He slid his fingers in me as he latched on to my clit. When his tongue touched my clit the need built, and I bucked my hips into him crying out as he watched my body. My body shook, and Colt moaned as he continued the sensual ambush to my clit. I lay on the bed unable to move as Colt positioned himself between my shaking thighs. He kissed his way back up to me. He hovered over me as he brushed my long hair out of my eyes. I smiled weakly at him.