The First Time is the Sweetest (14 page)

“Better safe than sorry. And actually, I think that coming here today might just have goaded the shooter into showing himself. While you were setting up, I got a call from the local cops saying that they think Miltos’ car was in the grocery store parking lot. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get the license plate.”

Sabrina stared at him, surprised. She didn’t remember him receiving a call while she was working, but then again, he probably had the phone on vibrate so he wouldn’t disturb Joy’s shoot.

“What’s going on? Sabrina?” Joy asked, sliding closer. “Does this have something to do with the shooting the other day?”

“Someone is trying to kill me,” Sabrina said. “There’s some crazy guy who wants to get back at my dad, and he’s trying to do that by hurting me.” Joy’s mouth dropped and Sabrina caught the older woman’s hands when she reached out. “Gabriel here is with the FBI. He’s protecting me.”

“Oh Sabrina, you should have said something! I wouldn’t have had you come in today.”

“No, no, I was going stir-crazy cooped up in that house, Joy,” Sabrina replied. “And now they want to lock me up again.” She glared at Gabriel. Sabrina knew he was right, but she was too upset to be nice to him about it.

“We’ll keep you occupied.” Jimmy walked closer and hugged Sabrina with one arm. Gabriel nodded, dropping his arm around her from the other side.

Sabrina sighed and let go of Joy’s hands. “You didn’t keep me occupied the last few weeks,” she retorted under her breath. Gabriel laughed while Joy looked from one man to the other.

“I promise, Sabrina, this time we’ll keep you happy.” Gabriel spoke the words near her ear and Sabrina shivered. Neither of the men made any obvious gestures, but Sabrina knew what they were thinking.
Maybe this won’t be so bad. Maybe they’ve had enough of the sexual frustration, too,
she thought.

Joy winked at her, smiling as she took in their close interaction. “Sabrina, take as long as you need. You know this job will be waiting for you when you come back.”

Sabrina smiled and hugged the older woman. “Thank you, Joy. You’re really great, you know?”

Joy nodded into the hug, then let go, and Gabriel, Jimmy, and Sabrina left the studio to drive home
.

Chapter 6

Later that night, the three of them gathered in the den to listen to some music, Sabrina lounging between the two men on the sofa, wondering what she could say to break the silence. After leaving Joy’s studio, they’d ordered Chinese for dinner. Gabriel checked in with his partner by phone, then performed his nightly inspection of the perimeter of the house before coming in and locking up. He said that the local police would be driving by periodically from now on, but his words didn’t really register. She still felt disgruntled about having to stay home again for the foreseeable future. She knew he was trying to protect her, but after several weeks of nothing happening, the frightening reality of the gunshots was fading in the face of the burning sexual frustration that seemed to be growing between the three of them. As they lay on the couch, none of them spoke, but she couldn’t stop thinking about how they’d both kissed her in the studio. In public! After they left, Sabrina had traced her fingers along her lips over and over, remembering the taste of them and savoring the jealousy on Angelina’s face.

The tingle of arousal lingered, but Sabrina felt too shy to start something now. She snuggled between Gabriel and Jimmy, wondering what they’d do if she kissed them. She felt her body heat up, her heart beat a little faster. She’d changed from her long skirt to comfortable sweatpants but left on her white tank top. Jimmy slumped a little onto her shoulder, while on her other side, Gabriel slouched so far down the sofa he looked like he might fall off any moment. Were they sleeping? She wasn’t sure but took the opportunity to gaze at them anyway. The blue of Gabriel’s shirt contrasted with his dark hair, and Jimmy’s plain white T-shirt looked dramatic against his tanned skin. The silver of his nipple ring peeked through the fabric. She sighed and rested her cheek against Jimmy’s head.

“Hey,” Jimmy said, startling her. “Tired?”

“Not really,” Sabrina replied.

Gabriel opened his eyes and smiled, lifting her left hand onto his thigh. The warmth of his skin radiating through his jeans felt good. Sabrina lifted her other hand and placed it against Jimmy’s thigh, stroking the soft denim. When he didn’t protest, she kneaded lightly, relishing the feel of them under her hands. She smiled and tipped her head back, hardly believing that she was doing this, touching them with nary a protest. Maybe they weren’t doing the hands-off thing anymore?

“So, do you have any questions?” Jimmy asked suddenly, a teasing light in his eyes.

Sabrina looked at him, not lifting her hands. “Questions?”

“Yeah, remember my promise?”

She blushed, thinking about the conversation that seemed so long ago now. She went to remove her hands, but Jimmy grabbed her hand as Gabriel cocked his head and stroked her fingers, preventing her from pulling away in embarrassment.

“What promise?” Gabriel asked, lifting her hand to kiss her fingertips.

She blushed harder as he placed them back on his muscled leg. Her fingers tingled and she absently stroked his thigh while she tried to get her embarrassment under control. Gabriel looked relaxed and happy. She savored the knowledge that she made him look like that until Jimmy snuggled even closer. Her eyes flew up but Jimmy was smiling at Gabriel. Then he winked and Sabrina almost laughed aloud at the look on Gabriel’s face. He smiled at Jimmy and she nearly forgot all about the question until Jimmy shifted against her, his muscular thigh flexing beneath her palm.

“At the beginning of the summer, I promised to answer any questions Sabrina had about sex,” Jimmy responded, chuckling. Sabrina squirmed under their scrutiny. “She’d just come home from a date, and her first kiss was seriously lacking in fun and technique.”

Gabriel lifted an eyebrow. “So you offered to what? Give her a lecture?”

Jimmy laughed. “No, I offered to kiss her.” Gabriel stroked Sabrina’s palm as she listened to them banter. She could tell that both of them were enjoying themselves, flirting with each other as much as they were with her.

“And did you?” Gabriel asked, voice low as he slid his fingers under her palm and stroked. “Kiss her, I mean?”

Sabrina was sure her face must be bright red by now from Jimmy’s explanation and Gabriel’s fingers. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think clearly.

“Yeah, I kissed her,” Jimmy said. He looked at Sabrina, eyes dark. “She tasted so sweet. I offered to be her boyfriend for the summer.”

Sabrina blushed furiously. “Jimmy,” she whined, shifting in embarrassment. Gabriel would think she was a ninny. She sneaked a look at him, and he bit his lower lip teasingly.

“Oh, sweetheart, don’t worry. That sounds like fun,” Gabriel murmured and leaned over to kiss the sensitive spot under her ear. “Do you still have questions?” he asked throatily, nuzzling her skin. Sabrina felt him inhale and shuddered as he opened his mouth against her pulse.

“Uh—” She tried to speak, then gave up in order to concentrate on breathing.

Jimmy chuckled. “I propose bringing Gabriel into our agreement. What do you say, Sabrina?” He put his hand on her right thigh and kneaded the muscle gently. She glanced at him just in time to see him press his free hand against the fly of his shorts. Her mouth went dry when he looked up and she realized he was watching Gabriel. She turned her head to see Gabriel swallow, his eyes riveted on Jimmy’s hand. Jimmy licked his lips, teasing them both.

“Um, what about the whole hands-off thing?” Sabrina muttered, still blushing. She refused to look at either of them. It was mind-blowing, sitting here, the center of a Jimmy-Gabriel sandwich.

“I think we shot that plan all to hell, eh Jimmy?” Gabriel asked. He shifted minutely. Sabrina desperately tried not to look at his groin as he pressed another kiss behind her ear. “I was more distracted trying not to touch you than I expected. Not very professional of me, but at this point, I think I would be able to concentrate better if we
did
touch.” He shrugged. “It’s insane, but there you have it. I can’t keep my hands or eyes to myself. I haven’t felt this crazy since I last saw you, Jimmy.”

“Neither have I.” Jimmy smiled at Gabriel. Sabrina finally gathered her courage and looked up to see Jimmy watching Gabriel kiss her, obviously enjoying the show. She glanced down, and he cleared his throat before speaking again. “Gabriel and I discussed this while you were in the bathroom. All that’s left is for you to decide if you want it, too. We don’t want to do anything with you that you don’t want or that will make you uncomfortable.”

Her scalp prickled at the expression on his face. She couldn’t think. She sat there, confused for a split-second, until she realized that this was their way of gently telling her how much they wanted her. Neither man was going to do anything she didn’t want, she already knew that. But to have them play with her first, letting her ask them “questions” was sweet and fun and it set her at ease. Sabrina smiled and slowly nodded her agreement. They grinned at her, and then Gabriel sighed and licked at her skin, dragging a shiver from her.

“Go ahead, ask us anything,” Gabriel whispered into her ear. His soft voice stroked Sabrina just as thoroughly as if he’d touched her with his hands.

“Anything?” Sabrina asked, voice trembling. From the corner of her eye, she could see Jimmy smiling as Gabriel kissed her again and again.

“Anything,” Gabriel replied, drawing back. The look on his face was so affectionate Sabrina stopped breathing for a moment. Was this more than a game to him? She knew he wouldn’t intentionally hurt her, but that didn’t mean he wanted more. Sabrina felt awkward, uncertain until Gabriel gently tucked her hair behind her ear. She felt herself grow lightheaded and sucked in a breath, wondering if she should ask the question that had been haunting her ever since Jimmy first told her about Gabriel. She searched his face and, reassured by the way he smiled, so patient with her, screwed up her courage. “Have you ever made love to a man?” Gabriel blinked and his eyes darted to Jimmy’s. Was it her imagination or was he blushing? It was difficult to tell in the low lighting.

“No,” Gabriel replied after a moment, looking at Sabrina. She stared at him in surprise. “I’ve only ever kissed one man, once,” he elaborated. “And he’s sitting right next to you.”

“Wow.” Jimmy laughed deep in his throat as he looked at Gabriel, and she felt a surge of heat move through her. Gabriel had made it clear he was attracted to Jimmy, so she’d assumed that meant he was experienced.

“Um, does that mean you’re
not
bi then?” she asked tentatively, biting her lip. Jimmy made a small, inarticulate sound, and she turned to find him staring at her lips as Gabriel sighed.

“Well, I’m not entirely sure. I know I’m attracted to Jimmy. I notice good-looking men, but I’ve never been in a relationship with a man. Does that make me straight? I don’t think so. And I know I love kissing Jimmy.”

Sabrina smiled at him. “Me, too.” She laughed, looking back at Jimmy.

Jimmy smiled at both of them, slightly flushed. “Well, that can be arranged.” He pressed against Sabrina and she wondered if his erection was uncomfortable. She dropped her eyes to his lap. His hips shifted again, and she realized that he was so aroused he couldn’t quite control his movements. When she looked up, he was staring at her. “Any more questions?” he asked, his voice unsteady. Sabrina nodded and took a deep breath, looking down, then fiddling with the seam of his pants. He trembled and closed his eyes briefly. Sabrina felt a stab of indecision, but when Jimmy opened his eyes again, she caught Gabriel looking at the other man, eyes hot. Jimmy’s muscle flexed under her fingers, then relaxed, and she took a deep breath before she lost her nerve.

“Gabriel, what else would you like to do with Jimmy?” Sabrina asked tentatively, sneaking a glance at Gabriel. His jeans did not hide the thick length of his cock and unexpectedly her mouth watered. She wondered what it would be like to taste him. She blushed, knowing her thoughts must be written all over her face, but when she looked at Jimmy, he wasn’t looking at her. He was looking back at Gabriel. Her nipples pebbled against the cotton of her top as she imagined touching them both at the same time.
Oh God
, she thought,
why do I want this so bad?
Then Gabriel cleared his throat, and her eyes flew up.

“I’d like to touch his skin. I’d like to touch his cock.” Gabriel’s voice was low and gravelly. Jimmy’s breath hitched, and Sabrina felt Gabriel jerk minutely under her hand. What was Gabriel thinking? Gabriel’s lips were full and red from where he’d been biting himself, and she wanted desperately to kiss him. Did he remember kissing Jimmy?
He must or he wouldn’t want to take this further
.

“I’d like to taste him with my mouth the way I like to be tasted.” Jimmy shuddered, and Gabriel gripped Sabrina’s hand, moving it further up his leg.

Sabrina trembled, barely able to concentrate on his words. “What else?” she croaked, licking her dry lips as she imagined Gabriel leaning over her to reach Jimmy. Beneath her hand, Gabriel’s thigh was rock hard. He’d moved her hand close enough for the heat of his arousal to nudge her fingertips. She wanted to stroke him but was afraid if she moved she’d break the spell and ruin everything.