Chapter Two
Mel
“H–hey,” I stammered. My cheeks instantly burned with a furious blush as my gaze scraped over the muscular, athletic frame of the man before me. Normally Gabe was a gray sweat pants sort of guy. So no complaints there. Despite being a stupidly successful software developer, his preferred garb was faded band t-shirts and those goddamn sweat pants. Cotton had no right looking so damn good.
I guess dressing like the world’s most delectable hobo was one of the luxuries of working from home and being your own boss. He pulled it off. Hell, he could wear a potato sack, and any girl would still want to tear it off with her teeth. But tonight, he’d mixed things up with a black button-up shirt that made my insides melt, seeing the way it hugged his thick biceps and toned pectorals.
His shoulders relaxed when he saw it was me who had crashed into him; Gabe always seemed to be on edge. Anyone would think he was some kind of uncover crime boss with the way he was always looking over his shoulder. And I would, too, if it wasn’t for the fact that I’d known him since we were kids.
This wouldn’t be the first time I’d caught him standing sentry at the front entrance of the CPA firm I work at, either. His excuse was always that he was “waiting” for me, but sometimes I got the feeling he was actually on the lookout for something.
I brandished a smirk. “What are you doing slinking around out here?”
His lips twitched, slowly sliding into a coy smile. “Waiting for you,” he said, his tone teasing like it was the obvious answer.
“Right, but I thought you were going to meet me at the club.”
I tried not to let my eyes linger on his body, but it was exceedingly difficult not to stare. My mouth watered at the sight of his sinewy frame wrapped up in dark, flattering fabrics like an expensive package I could never open. I’d seen himnearlynaked almost a hundred times, whether we’d gone swimming or he’d stepped out of the shower in just a towel, tanned skin dripping with droplets of steaming water. I know what kind of glorious eye candy he’s hiding under those clothes, or at least, I had a vague idea.
His only answer was an aloof chuckle. He took a step toward me, eating the distance between us in one easy stride. My heart pounded hard against my ribcage as he brought his body so close to mine, I could feel the heat radiating from him.
I pressed my back against the door and looked up, enjoying the fact that his shadow nearly swallowed me whole. Twenty-seven years old, just a year older than me, Gabe stood six feet tall, every inch of him divine. The perfection of his body made him look like he was fresh from the gym, even though I hardly ever saw him work out. And that face. It was kind and youthful. And yet, despite all that, he held himself with an air of authority that would bring anyone to a state of nervous jitters should he grace their personal space. Gabriel had always given off a kind of enigmatic aura, but it was as confusing as it was enticing, and I’d learned to bask in it in all its strangeness.
His physiognomy was handsome with bone structure so superb, you’d swear he was carved by Michelangelo himself, and the sculpture had been deemed so perfect the heavens decided to bring the masterpiece to life. What kind of miracle landed him in my life, I still wasn’t sure.
But hey, I’m not complaining.
He leaned down, and for one electric second, I thought he might kiss me. Instead, he reached to pull the strap of my backpack off my shoulder and slung it over his own.
“The birthday girl shouldn’t have to carry anything but herself.” He paused and flashed me a half-cocked grin. “Say, what do you want for your birthday, Mel Bell?”
Mel Bell.He’d been using that nickname for years, and it still made me warm and tingly all over.
A hundred answers to his questions leapt to mind, throbbing, aching to get out.
You.
Your mouth.
Your cock.
Your heart.
This was the perfect opportunity to tell him, right here and now, before we got to the club, where the pulse of the bass and the smell of bodies and sweat and sexual desire electrified the air, eating at my nerves.
But there’d been countless “perfect opportunities” before. And I’d let each one slip by.
I lifted a brow and leaned against the front door, playing it cool. God, I hoped the keyboard pattern faded from my forehead.
“I thought you were going to meet Jess and me at the club.” He still hadn’t answered me,
and even now, he simply gave me a cute, half-shouldered shrug and shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. His pants were tight enough that I could see the outline of his hands and…my God. My mouth went dry, all their moisture sinking to my second set of lips. My breath hitched in my chest as my line of sight dared to stray lower. It’s no secret that my best friend has a giant cock. Thin clothing can’t hide secrets that big. But these new slacks he was sporting hugged him so perfectly, it was like they were teasing me…
Focus, Mel!
“I thought we could head over together. Besides, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity of getting a moment or two alone with you.”
I knew my blush deepened by the scorching heat in my cheeks. He was fibbing, of course, at least in part. He was always on the lookout for me, like he was always on the tip of his toes, waiting for some villain to spring out of the shadows. Lately, I’d been giving him a harder time with his whole bodyguard role shtick. I mean, it’s another excuse to be around him all the time, but sometimes it gets a little old. It’s like he thinks I can’t take care of myself. Often I’d tell him to ease off a little and let me handle my own shit like a big girl. And usually, he just avoids my objections by the devious yet delightful tactic of flirting.
