GABRIEL

I'm trying to catch my breath when I feel Jo snuggling by my side. I hold her tighter against me, my hand securely around her waist while her head rests on my chest. We're both silent and something in me moves when she yawns.

I've never felt so comfortable around a woman before. I have never experienced this kind of connection with no expectations or obligations. There are no pretenses when it comes to Jo. She isn't by my side because of she can gain from my fame or wealth. She is here for me only. She's with me because she wants me, the guy behind the rockstar.

This feeling is so powerful that it makes me want to keep it close and savor it.

"This is nice," I whisper, and she sighs.

"We should get up." She motions to leave the bed, but I pull her to me and roll us over so I'm hovering over her.

"I don't know what I'm doing here, Jo." I take a deep breath as I stare into her eyes. "I've never done this before. All I know is that I care about you and that sex with you is different."

She closes her eyes for a second, but not in time to hide the vulnerability that is clear in there. "I'm afraid you'll break my heart, Gabe," she whispers, and I press my forehead to hers.

"I've had a crush on you my whole life." My lips curl when she gasps.

"No way!" She shakes her head, her hands cupping my cheeks. "Stop!"

"I'm serious." I laugh when she keeps looking at me incredulously.

"You've never said anything," she says and I shrug, settling by her side and pulling her to my chest again.

"I was almost eighteen when it first dawned on me that I saw you as more than my little sister's best friend," I say. "You and a bunch of other fifteen-year-old girls were having a sleepover, and I kept finding reasons to talk to you."

"It was the first day of summer break..." She laughs softly. "We were all excited because Lucy was going on her first date."

"I had heard a guy in your class asked you out and I internally freaked out." I caress her back. "First, I thought it was because I cared about you as I cared about Maria, but then..."

"Then?" she whispers.

"I was in the kitchen late that night making a sandwich and you stopped by to get a glass of water..."

She lifts her head to rest it in the cradle of her palm. "I couldn't sleep that night."

"And I kept trying to come up with things to talk about so you wouldn't go back to your room." I smile, loving how beautiful she looks right now. "But then you started yawning and I... I said we'd better go back to bed."

"I remember you going on a date the following weekend." She searches my eyes, and I nod, not proud of my actions back then.

"Dad and I had a fight the following day because he wanted me to start thinking about college, but I..."

Her fingertips touch my jaw. "You wanted to pursue your music career with the band."

"He kept saying that it wouldn't work and that in ten years I'd only have regrets behind me." I let out a sigh. "You were too young, Jo. I had nothing to offer you back then, so I forced myself to back off."

Not that I have now... My subconscious snaps at me.

"You proved your dad wrong." She cups my cheek. "You achieved so much with your music. The entire world knows who you are."

I snort slightly, unable to keep the resentment away. "Sometimes, I just want to be a normal guy, you know? As ungrateful as I might sound, this life gets old."

"How so?" She presses, and I look away. Only being here with her right now talking about life without second-guessing what she really wants from me is an example of how superficial my life has become.

"You don't really know who you can trust." I shrug. "People always want something from you. They want a piece of you."

"I'm sorry." She presses her lips to mine, and I cup the back of her neck as I kiss her deeply. The way her body softens to my touch is addicting.

Her lips are warm and inviting, daring me with every stroke of her tongue. I could kiss her forever, get lost in her sweet curves and die a lucky man. The thought catches me by surprise, and suddenly my heart feels too big in my chest.

Her fingers run down my chest, igniting my body and making me crazy with the need to have her again. What's happening to me? I can't get enough of this woman.

"Jo... Fuck... You're so soft," a low groan leaves me when her hands slide down my cock.

"You know what..." she starts, but the ring of her phone makes her pause.

Jumping out of bed, she rushes to grab it. She bites her bottom lip as if deciding if she'll take the call or not. A moment later, she let it go to voicemail.

"Is everything okay?" I ask.

"It was my dad." She walks back to bed, sitting by my side. "We should get dressed."

"Why?" I hold her hand, entwining our fingers. "You look amazing naked."

"Right." She rolls her eyes, but I can see the way she's fighting a smile.

"Is everything okay with you and your dad?"

"That's a tricky question." She sighs. "He's getting married to the woman he cheated my mom with and wants me to get involved."

My eyes widen in surprise. "Oh..."

"I can't control what he does with his life, but..."

"You don't want to be involved."

"I just... I can't help but feel loyal to my mom." She sighs. "Dad did her wrong in so many ways, you know?"

"I remember you and him having a good relationship before everything went south." I sit up. "Have you two ever talked about what happened?"

"When I caught the two of them together in his office, it took me a few minutes to process what was going on, you know?" She shakes her head. "But when it finally clicked... God, I was so pissed, I refused to talk to him for months."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that."

"It's just... I felt like he broke not only mom's heart but mine too." She looks down. "It's like one day he was my role model and the next he was my first heartbreak."

"Damn..."

"So yeah. I didn't need therapy to show me where my trust issues came from." She jokes, but the pain is clear in her eyes.

My eyes close for a second, and I hate that I'm also hiding things from her. Deep down, I know I should open up and talk to her. But the house is full, and we just got to a point where we're not pretending about our feelings anymore. I'm scared to push her away before we even start.

"Have you ever told him how you felt that day?" I ask, redirecting my thoughts.

"Not really..." She looks down, her brows pulling together. "I've been carrying so much resentment over the years that I basically avoid him these days."

"I know it's hard, but maybe if you let him know how you really feel, he'll understand and stop pressing you to be part of the wedding," I say, wishing I knew how to make her pain go away.

"Yeah... Maybe." She brings her eyes back to me, leaning in for a kiss.

Reaching over, I run my hands up and down her arms. She's so soft, my hands feel like having a mind of their own. The lick of her tongue against mine is delicious. It gives me a rush I've never experienced before.

All my problems are waiting for me outside. Yet, it's a struggle to pull away when everything inside me is telling me to stay.

"We should get dressed..." She nuzzles her cheek against mine.

I cup her nape, angling her head so I can nuzzle her nose. "Yeah..."

"We've been here for a while." Her fingers rake through my hair as she kisses my jaw.

Pulling her to my lap, I groan when she straddles me. "Kiss me."

"Bossy," she murmurs against my lips.

Pushing her body against the mattress, I roll on top of her. Her legs immediately widen, and I settle between them. My cock is hard and pulsing with the need to press into her, but I want to take my time. Savoring Jo has quickly become an addiction. One I want to indulge slowly now.

My lips find hers for a kiss, and she pushes her body up. My cock instinctively settles against her pussy. "I'm gonna take it slow this time," I whisper in her ear.

Her response is to move her hips up.

Holding her wrists, I quickly pull them up. "Grab the headboard."

Her eyes widen and a spark of emotion shines in her gaze. She's looking at me with longing and excitement, and I'll be damned if it doesn't make all the blood in my head go south.

"Hands on the headboard," I repeat myself, and she does what I say.

My lips glide down to the warmth of her neck, and I nuzzle her. She smells so good. Like heaven. Like sex. Like us.

Fuck!

Slowly, I rub my cock against her flesh, feeling the heat and wetness of her arousal.

She quickly softens to me.

The act of surrender turns me on badly. I need to take a deep breath so I don't thrust all the way in.

"Fuck me." She gasps when my tongue rims the shell of her ear.

"You're so hot..." I bite her earlobe. "I love how good you smell, how soft your skin is..."

"Gabe..." she pants, the heat in her eyes igniting me.

Bending my head, I ran the tip of my tongue over her nipple, softly and unhurriedly. She moans a frustrated sound deep in her throat. Torturing her is torturing me. But I want to show her that having her like this means everything to me.

"Please..." she begs.

I suck her nipples hard with deep and fast pulls. She cries out, and I press the palm of my hand over her mouth. Bringing our faces close together, I look into her eyes.

"We don't want the house to hear us," I murmur and she nods, a look of understanding crossing her eyes.

In the past, I didn't care who saw or heard me having sex. And sure enough, the guys have never been shy about it too. But as I stare into Jo's eyes, a deep need to protect her washes over me.

My brain is finally catching up with my heart after all these years.

I'm in love with her.

_____

A/N: How are we enjoying Jo & Gabe's story so far? I love hearing from you. It makes writing a lot less lonely. <3

XOXO

Celeste