Iwas laughing and he was laughing, and he was holding me in his grip and Ididn’thave the urge to kick him in the shins, for some strange reason. And then Gauge’samused smile slipped, and Iwatched the slow bob of his Adam’sapple as he stared down at me. Water dripped down his rugged face; it glistened in his dark beard and slid down his cheekbones and onto his chest. Ihad the sudden urge to suck his pierced nipple into my mouth, the thought of feeling the soft flesh and hard steel on my tongue making my core tighten.
“You cold?” he asked, all amusement gone from his face. His deep voice penetrated me, body and mind, and it took all of my control to not climb his body like apanda.
“Are you?” Iasked through clenched teeth, ashiver running down the full length of my body. My mind was running amillion miles an hour as Iwrestled with the growing need inside of me, adesire Ihadn’tfelt before growing stronger with each beat of my heart.
His large hands were still on my arms, only now they began rubbing up and down them as if he was trying to make me warm, oblivious to the fact that the freezing water was still raining down on us both.
Gauge suddenly reached up, pushing my sodden hair back from my face. He looked like he was going to kiss me. He looked like he definitely wanted to kiss me. With his hands on either side of my head and his intense gaze boring into mine, Irealized Iwanted him to kiss me. In fact, Iwanted so much more than that. Iwanted to see if he had any other piercings. Iwanted to trace his tattoos with my tongue. Iwanted to wrap myself around him until we were all legs and arms and bodies colliding…
“You should shower first,” Isaid, breaking the moment and stepping back from him. And that time he let me go. He was right in that nothing could happen between us. We hated everything the other stood for, and would likely kill each other. Istepped out of the shower, and when Ilooked back he was still staring at me.
“You sure you don’twanna go first? Ialways make sure my woman is taken care of before Ifinish off.” And as he said it, asly smile curled at the corner of his mouth, the double innuendo thick between us.
“Well, Gauge, I’mnot your woman,” Iretorted dryly.
“Very true.” His hands went to the controls and Isaw the instant relief when the water went from cold to warm, the shiver trailing across his wet skin from head to toe. “Aaah, that’smuch better, you sure you don’twanna come back in?” He held out his hand to me and Irolled my eyes at him.
Gauge chuckled and moved his hands to his jeans and began unbuttoning them before pulling his zipper down, and as he began to slide them over his large hips Irealized he wasn’twearing anything underneath.
“What are you doing?” Isnapped, panicked for some absurd reason. Ihad seen naked men before, but the thing that was growing between us made seeing him—Gauge—naked so much more intimate.
“Showering, just like you said Ishould.” He stared at me, the dare thick between us.
It was another game for him. Another way to torment me.
He let his jeans fall to the shower floor and my gaze instantly dropped to between his legs, my jaw almost unhinging at the sight. He was huge. Almost comically huge. It was the sort of penis you saw on movies or in porn films. This wasn’tthe sort of thing you saw on just any man. My eyes widened and Ishook my head, trying to tear my gaze away from his heavy length, but my God, it was like aweapon! No wonder he always had awoman on his arm. They weren’twith him for his charming personality, no, they slept with him for the fact of what he could do to them. And thatthingcould do some serious damage.
“How is that even real?” The words left my mouth before Icould stop them, and despite being freezing cold, Ifelt my cheeks flush red hot. “It’slike ahorse’s!”
He chuckled and grabbed the soap before lathering up his body, his hands roaming over his muscles. “You stayin’ for the show, Jolie?”
“What? Ew, no,” Igasped indignantly, and yet Istill didn’tmove.
“It’sall right, Idon’tmind,” he drolled. Gauge started rubbing his chest with soap, those two silver rings peeking out from between the foam. Then he moved down his stomach to his dick, where he began rubbing it. It hardened and lengthened in his grip, incredibly growing thicker and longer the more he rubbed himself, bubbles dripping off the length of it like pre-cum.
Irealized Iwas staring intently.
Christ, Iwas practically drooling.
Iwas freezing cold, standing in apuddle of cold water, watching anaked Gauge shower. It might just have been my lowest point yet.
“Ineed to go,” Isaid, and that time Idid turn away and head toward the door.
“You sure ‘bout that? You can stay if you want,” he taunted with mocking laughter. “You seemed to like what you saw.”
“Fuck you, Gauge!” Iyelled, aware that even if Iwanted to get back in and shower with him… if Ilet this thing grow between us he would no doubt use me and then throw me away. That was what men like him did. That was what he’dbeen continuously warning me about.
“No thank you, Jolie, it’dprobably fall off if it went near your pussy. Poor guy would probably shrivel up and die.” He laughed harder, and despite the anger Ifelt Icouldn’thide my smile, because his laughter was infectious. It was deep and rich and it came from his belly and his chest and everywhere in between. It should have hurt that he had been playing me. Ishould have been furious, but Iwas beginning to realize that it was the only way we could communicate. It was clear that we both wanted each other, even if it was just for one night, but it was never going to happen. Iwasn’tabout to go near anyone in my brother’sclub—the club that stole my brother from me; the thought was absurd. And clearly he wasn’tgoing to go near me because Dom was his best friend, so we taunted and we teased and we drove each other to distraction. The fact was though, that maybe if we just did it, if we just screwed and got it over and done with, maybe we could move on from it.
But to lose my virginity to abiker—to Gauge, of all men…the thought alone made me feel dirty. I’dhad many opportunities to lose my V-card over the years, and despite what people thought of me, my own family included, Ihadn’tfound anyone worthy of me. Iknew that Gauge wasn’tworthy either, yet the pulsing between my thighs begged to differ.
Ilooked back over my shoulder. “You’re right, my pussy would bite that little thing off.”
“Little!” He smirked, gripping himself harder, and my gaze was once again drawn to it. “Ithink you offended him.”
“Oh no, whatever will Ido?” Imocked, putting ahand to my chest.
“Might need to make it up to us both,” he said, one arm on the wall, the other moving slowly over himself.
Ishook my head and laughed.
“What’sso funny, Jolie?” he asked, all amusement gone from his tone. His voice was thick and deep, his gaze intense. Water pounded on his back and trailed down his face. The bubbles had gone now and he was naked and raw. His nostrils flared, his gaze heated. Cuts and bruises littered his body. His chest and stomach, his thighs and arms. He was bruised and broken and he was goddamn beautiful.
But I’dalso seen that look on many aman’sface while they watched me dance for them. Men like that weren’tthinking straight. They were horny. They forgot about their wives and their children, the people that really mattered. When men were like that, the only thing they cared about was coming. They’dgive you every dollar in their pockets, the shirt off their backs, and the car in the parking lot for that sweet release, regardless of the consequences. And afterwards it would all be sweet denial and mocking laughter.
“Answer me,” he practically snarled, making my breath hitch. “What’sso funny?”
“That you think you’dever be good enough for me,” Iretorted, and then Iforced myself to leave the bathroom and walk away from him before Icould change my mind.
