Passionate Addiction (21 page)

She rushed into Mitch’s arms, smothering him with her appreciation. “I think we need some privacy,” Mitch murmured between kisses and lifted her off her feet. “Leah, where’s the bedroom?”

The man at the door cleared his throat and pointed. “The main bedroom is down the first hall to your left.”

Mitch and Alana took off without a backward glance.

“And I hope you guys have a loud enough stereo system to drown that shit out,” Sean added.

Blake leaned against the wall and waited for Gabi to bridge the distance between them. The house was lavish—rock star lavish. Everything gleamed, from the polished tiles to the array of vases and framed artwork. A waitress holding a tray of champagne flutes strode toward them, her black skirt and white collared shirt, formal and flattering.

“Champagne?” Her smile was bright and flirty. No surprise there.

“No thanks.” He waved away her offering.

Gabi stepped into him and grabbed his hand. “I’m fine as well, thank you.”

Blake looked down at her, equal parts frustrated and flattered that she wasn’t drinking because of him.

“On second thought,” he raised his voice as the waitress began walking away, “I’ll grab one.” He took a flute from the tray and handed it to Gabi. “For you, my angel.”

“I said I was fine.”

“I know you did, but you only said it because of me, and I don’t want that.”

“I don’t need to drink to enjoy myself, Blake.”

He shut his mouth to stop a growl from escaping and pulled her into the start of another hallway. He pressed her back against the wall and rested a hand near her head, leaning into her. “I want to be clear, Gabi. I stay sober because I
want to
, not because I have a problem with alcohol. So there’s no need for you to stop drinking.”

Her lips were pressed together, the empathy in her blue irises sinking under his skin while one hand clutched her champagne flute and the other held her purse.

“So the only thing your sobriety achieves is making it harder for me to take advantage of you.”

The side of her mouth curved, and she rolled those gorgeous eyes at him. “As if you ever needed help in that department.”

He shrugged. She was right. Whenever they were together, he took on the role of horny frat boy, and she turned into a malleable sex kitten.

“You’re fun to watch when you’re tipsy.” He remembered the night they met, how she danced with uninhibited sexual grace and made him harder than stone from the mere sway of her hips.

She cleared her throat and broke eye contact to take a large gulp of her champagne. When she lowered the glass, she looked up at him through tinted lashes. “Yeah, I was told you like to watch.”

Warning. Warning. That shit didn’t sound good.

He quirked a brow and ignored Sean, Mason, and Ryan as they walked past, striding down the main hall. “Your tone implies a hidden meaning that I’m not quite comfortable asking about.”

She chuckled and ran the hand holding her purse around his neck. “A little birdie told me that you like to watch.” She closed her mouth, working the plump bottom lip against her teeth.

“
Who
told you that?”

She shrugged, lowering her gaze. His heart did a little two-step, advising him to tread lightly. He didn’t spread bedroom gossip, never had, never would. There was only one voyeuristic experience he’d taken part in over the last year. One that hadn’t made tabloid headlines because all parties involved were here tonight.

“Hey,” he lifted her chin. “Did Mitch say something?” If that motherfucker had opened his mouth and upset Gabi, he’d find himself in a world of hurt.

“No,” she gave a half-hearted laugh. “Forget it, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Then it was Alana,” he assumed. There was also Leah or maybe Sean, Mason, or Ryan but he was pretty sure they wouldn’t put their balls on the line by sharing something private that didn’t involve them.

“She didn’t say it to cause trouble,” Gabi defended. “It was a slip up. A bad word choice that had me jumping to conclusions. So she had to fill me in.”

“And now you’re worried.” Her inability to make eye contact spoke loud and clear.

“No,” she shook her head, lowering her focus to try and hide the truth.

“Right,” he cleared his throat and pressed harder into the wall, placing his hips against hers. How the hell had that conversation started? The need to know clawed at him. He ignored it, focusing on what really mattered—Gabi’s insecurities. He knew all about feeling inferior and never wanted her to experience it. Especially when there was no need.

“Alana’s a great person.” He scrutinized her, waiting for the moment when she would make eye contact again and start believing him. “Yeah, she’s attractive. But for starters, she’s with Mitch, and secondly, she doesn’t compare to you. She’s not even close.”

Her blue gaze turned up to meet his.

“There’s no one else for me, Gabi. There hasn’t been for a long time, I just hadn’t realized it.”

She leaned into him, pressing the heat of her lips against his mouth for a scorching second before pulling back.

“I’d never cheat on you,” he whispered, needing her to know the truth. “Please trust me enough to believe that.”

Her head snapped back, her brows now tightly knitted together. “I do. It’s not that.” She shook her head. “It was the whole kinky sex thing.”

“The whole kinky sex thing?” he asked, stroking the wisps of hair from her face.

“You seem to like…different things. Voyeurism. Exhibitionism. I’m not sure I can keep up.”

It was his turn to pull back in shock. He’d never associated those words with his sex life before. He didn’t have any specific kinks. He simply loved sex, no matter what form it came in. “I’ve had my share of threesomes and one night stands with groupies, but I’m pretty straight when it comes to the whole bumpin’ uglies thing, Gabi. I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She stared up at him, the whites of her eyes gleaming from the recessed lights overhead. “Pretty straight?” She recoiled. “Threesomes? Having sex in the ocean. On a plane. That isn’t straight for me.” Her voice squeaked. “That’s pretty freakin’ crazy in my world.”

He laughed, unable to hold it in.

She glared at him. “Don’t laugh at me!” Her hand fell from around his neck and she moved to walk around him.

He grabbed her wrist, stopping her in an instant. “The threesomes are a thing of the past. Mitch was my wingman, sometimes Sean, but we haven’t done that in years. OK?”

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and gave a slight tilt of her head in acknowledgement.

“And the whole ocean-plane thing had nothing to do with me being kinky and everything to do with how much I want you.” He pulled her into his arms, uncaring that the champagne sloshed from the glass. He worked his pelvis against her abdomen, proving his point by rubbing his hardening cock into her. “I’d fuck you right now if I thought you’d let me.”

“For starters I don’t ‘fuck,’” she hissed. “I make lo—”

“I hate to break it to you, angel, but what we shared in the ocean wasn’t making love. It was fucking. It was sexy as hell, wet, dream worthy, fucking. And same goes for on the plane. Tonight however,” he leaned in and whispered in her ear. “I’ll make love to you and show you the difference.”

“Where is everyone?” Leah’s voice echoed down the hall.

“I guess that’s our cue,” he spoke against Gabi’s lips, ignoring the throb in his groin that became more insistent with every passing second.

She circled his waist with her arms. “I’m going to miss you.”

Bam.
Direct hit, straight through his heart. It would be worse for him once she went back to Queensland. She had work and a life to occupy her time, whereas everything he did reminded him of Gabi. His music. The nights spent alone while the guys went out drinking. Even his dreams would taunt him.

“It won’t be for long.” He focused on the necklace he’d given her and loved that she rarely took it off.

“I know.” She nodded and placed her purse under her arm before reaching for his hand. “It’ll be worth it in the end.”

It would be. He would make sure of it. One day soon, they’d all be celebrating Blake and Gabi’s engagement, their commitment to forever. It was inevitable, something he wouldn’t let slip through his fingers. He only needed to wait for the right time. “I’ll make sure it is, sweetheart. I promise.”

The night continued like a fairytale that Gabi couldn’t believe was reality. The waitress and waiter—the man who originally greeted them at the front door— had served canapés, champagne, and mixed spirits until Mitch and Alana finished “celebrating.” Then a chef prepared a mouthwatering crab, avocado, and mango tower for an entrée, and stuffed quail with baked vegetables for the main meal.

By the time they finished eating, Gabi was buzzing from the alcohol Blake kept plying her with. Each time he handed her a new champagne flute, he’d wink and give her a devilish grin that spoke of naughty things she couldn’t wait to experience.

After dinner, Leah announced they had another hour before the helicopter returned. Mitch and Alana went on a private moonlight stroll along the beach, while the rest of them stayed inside chatting, laughing, and drinking.

“Come out onto the balcony with me.” Blake tugged her outside onto the wooden slats that made up the floor. He’d discarded his jacket earlier in the night and rolled up his shirt sleeves to expose the skin she loved so much.

The cool coastal breeze was warmed by four portable patio heaters that stood evenly spaced along the wooden railing. At either end of the balcony stood a staircase leading down to a pool sparkling from underwater lights. The rush and ebb of the ocean sounded in the distance.

“I’m counting down the hours until we’re back at the hotel, you know that, right?” he murmured in her ear, pressing his body into hers against the railing.

The fire from the portable heaters warmed her cheeks, increasing her alcoholic buzz and adding to the lava rushing through her veins. Her core pulsed in reply, her nipples hardened, and it was only through sheer determination that she didn’t moan.

They were in plain sight for everyone inside to see, yet hiding behind the broad expanse of his shoulders, she didn’t care. She wanted Blake too much to worry about the opinions of others tonight.

“I’m not sure I can wait that long,” she teased.

His hand came up to trace the necklace he’d given her, causing more blood to flow to the needy parts of her body.

The sound of the glass sliding door opened and the heavy thud of footsteps followed.

“Christ, you guys are driving me insane,” Ryan spoke softly.

Blake glanced over his shoulder. “Suffering from blue balls, buddy?”

“Blue balls and chafed palms,” Ryan muttered and started descending the stairs, moving out of view.

Gabi’s eyes widened. Didn’t these men have a social filter?

“Poor guy.” Blake ran an arm up her back, stopping at the base of her neck to hold her tight. “Now where were we?”

She groaned at the tingle that ran down her spine and placed her hands on his waist. “I think you were trying to slowly kill me with pleasure.”

He chuckled and grazed her chin with his teeth. “I missed you today.”

Gabi sucked in a breath. His touch always found her erogenous zones, making her shiver with a mere brush of his fingers, or mouth, or tongue.

“God, woman, I can smell your arousal,” he growled.

“Well, stop touching me,” she replied, breathless, weightless and totally hoping he’d ignore her statement. She closed her eyes, sinking into the dreamy sensation taking over her body, then groaned when the glass door slid open again.

“Sorry, guys…didn’t mean to interrupt.” Leah pulled the door closed behind her and strode toward them. “Have you seen Ryan?”

With a heavy sigh, Blake glanced over his shoulder. “He took the stairs a few minutes ago.”

Gabi poked her head around Blake to look at Leah. Her forehead was creased with concern, her lips pressed firmly together.

“Everything all right?” Gabi asked, sensing an uncomfortable undercurrent.

“Yeah.” Leah swallowed. “Just checking on all my little chickens.”

“Have you spoken to him yet?” Blake asked.

Leah narrowed her gaze and glowered. “Blake,” she chastised.

“Spoken to me about what?” Ryan came into view at the top of the staircase, his phone alight in his palm. Silence hung heavy in the air while he glanced between Leah and Blake. “Spoken to me about what, Leah?”

Blake swore under his breath and Leah turned to face Ryan. “We need to talk.”

Ryan shrugged. “Then talk. Blake obviously knows what you’re about to say, so go ahead.”

“Umm,” Leah shot a glance to Gabi, then Blake, her eyes widening in panic. “We should do this in private.”

Ryan stepped forward and slid his phone into his jacket pocket. “Come on, Leah. Spill.”

She let out a shaky sigh, her gaze finding Blake’s for a fleeting second before turning back to Ryan. “It’s just gossip and entirely unfounded at the moment. I didn’t want to bring it up unless the claims were true.”