The First Time is the Sweetest (20 page)

“This just keeps getting better and better,” Jimmy said, lifting his head up and running his hand down her side, bumping Gabriel’s arm in the process. Undeterred, he ran his fingers down until he reached Gabriel’s open palm, and the two men clasped hands against her navel. Sabrina closed her eyes, feeling a great swell of love rocket through her.

“Yeah,” she whispered after a moment, her voice shaky. “Um, can we keep doing this, like forever?”
That wasn’t too much of a hint about my feelings, was it?
she wondered. But Gabriel just laughed and kissed her neck before leaning over to kiss Jimmy, too, affection on his face.

“I agree,” he said when he lay back down.

Jimmy shifted to the side, then reached down to pull up the covers. Now that she was awake, Sabrina finally had a chance to see the jewel-like colors of the quilt, admiring how they complemented the two men who lounged in bed with her. Their skin glowed in the sunlight, and she loved the way they sprawled, unconcerned with their nudity, fingering her skin absentmindedly. She sighed, almost dozing again, then was startled awake by Gabriel swearing.

“Shit!” he exclaimed, sitting up and reaching for his jeans. “Where did I put my phone?”

“What?” Sabrina grumbled over being tossed on her side as he jumped out of bed. “I thought you said the cell phones wouldn’t work here?” she asked, turning over and snuggling into Jimmy.

“They don’t, but Aaron gave me a number I need to call every morning at ten, and I stored it in my cell phone.” Gabriel zipped his jeans but didn’t bother to button them or put on a shirt. Sabrina admired the view briefly, then looked around, trying to help locate the phone as Jimmy laughed quietly.

“Is that it on the nightstand?” Sabrina pointed to the small table on Jimmy’s side of the bed. Gabriel turned around to look.

“Yeah, that’s it, thanks!” He walked around the bed to get to the other side. “How the hell did it get over there?” He flipped it open and pressed the power button. “Shit! It’s eleven o’clock. Damn it, Aaron is going to kill me.” Jimmy chuckled some more at Gabriel’s grumbling, then pushed the covers down.

“Hey!” Sabrina exclaimed, shivering in the cool air of the loft.

“I don’t know about you, Sabrina honey, but I’m starving.”

Her stomach rumbled, and she smiled sheepishly. “I could eat.” She watched Gabriel stalk to the stairs and disappear, presumably in a hunt for the single landline they’d been promised. Jimmy nodded, pulling on some soft sleep pants. They barely stayed up, drifting low over his lean hips. Sabrina suddenly appreciated the virtues of worn-out sleepwear, though she’d always teased him about his ratty clothes before. Today she wouldn’t quibble.

“I’ll go see what we’ve got for breakfast. Take your time,” Jimmy said after he’d retied the string at the waist twice in a futile attempt to keep the pants in place. Finally he gave up and huffed, hitching them up over his ass as he strode to the stairs and leaving Sabrina alone to stretch out in the bed.
This is definitely the best morning I’ve ever had
, she thought.

* * * *

While Jimmy made pancakes, Sabrina used the bathroom and slipped on her nightshirt and panties as well as a short satin robe she remembered buying but hadn’t worn yet. Jimmy must have packed it, but she didn’t mind. She felt pretty in the light purple fabric. From the look Jimmy turned on her as she walked downstairs and over to the kitchen area, he thought she did, too.

“Where’s Gabriel?” Sabrina asked, settling into one of the chairs.

“Right here,” a low voice said from behind her, and she jumped as she felt a kiss on her nape.

“God! Gabriel, don’t do that!” She laughed, and he smiled and sat in the chair next to her. The table was already set with plates and silverware. “You’re like Batman or something,” Sabrina complained. He laughed again, and she smiled. She took in his mussed hair and felt a pang at the way he looked at her, his eyes sweet and happy. How a man who was so dangerous could look so much like a lovesick boy was beyond her, but she wasn’t about to argue. She loved him. She knew their time in the cabin was temporary but couldn’t help wanting to stay there with Gabriel and Jimmy forever.

“Food’s ready.” Jimmy turned from the stove holding a plate stacked high with fresh pancakes. Sabrina’s stomach rumbled, and Jimmy chuckled at her as he sat down. She looked around, trying to acquaint herself with the space she remembered only dimly from the night before. She liked the cheery window set over the sink. The stove sat on the right and the refrigerator on the left of the sink. The table ran parallel to the window. Outside, there was nothing but trees and sun.
It looks like a beautiful day
, she thought, beginning to eat the pancakes Jimmy placed on her plate. It felt awfully surreal to sit here so calmly with them, admiring the sunny morning after the violence of last night. For a while only the sounds of their chewing intruded. When the phone rang, they all jumped, then laughed at one another as Gabriel got up to answer it. The old plastic device sat on a small table next to the sofa.

“Hello?” Sabrina heard him say. “Yeah, we’re all settled.” She listened to his side of the conversation as she ate. “Thanks for stocking some basics. We’ll have to run out for food in a day, but we’re good for now.” Gabriel paused. She couldn’t hear Agent Patrick’s voice, but she knew from the expression on Gabriel’s face that he wasn’t pleased. “No, just because I know Jimmy from before doesn’t mean I’ve compromised my ability to perform this job. No.” Sabrina frowned, concerned. What was Patrick saying? It wasn’t like Gabriel to get angry so fast. He was one of the calmest people she’d ever met.

“It isn’t any of your business, Aaron. And what the hell do you care? You never did before…” Gabriel’s voice trailed off. “Yeah, yeah, we’re fine, I did a perimeter check. No, I am not thinking with my dick. Are you insane?” Gabriel pulled the phone away from his head and made to slam it down as Jimmy and Sabrina stared, surprised. Gabriel rubbed his face, then frowned. Sabrina heard the faint squawking coming from the phone before Gabriel sighed and put it back to his ear with a sharp motion, nearly pulling the device’s cradle off the table by the short cord.

“All right, fine. No, no, I know. We’re all under a lot of stress. Yeah, I know you didn’t think it was going to go this way, but hell, what mission ever does? You know how everything fucks up the plan two minutes in, right? Okay, okay, yeah, talk to you tomorrow.”

Gabriel placed the phone in its cradle and looked up. Jimmy and Sabrina had stopped eating, and she was sure Gabriel could tell how concerned they both were. Gabriel sighed again and ran hands through his dark hair, making the short strands stand up on top of his head. Sabrina smiled. Even angry he looked gorgeous with his hair mussed as he walked toward the table. He was shirtless, and her eyes traveled down his body, pausing on the dark hair of his abdomen, then dropping lower to his groin. He was damn fine-looking, even while frustrated.
Especially while frustrated!

“You okay?” Jimmy asked, stacking three pancakes on a clean plate and handing them to Gabriel. The other man dropped into the chair next to Sabrina and poured some melted butter and syrup over his breakfast.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Just didn’t expect that.” Gabriel took a large bite. Sabrina watched a drop of syrup glisten on his lip until he licked it off. She sighed and turned to Jimmy. He looked flushed and was busy grabbing another two pancakes for himself. She bet he was watching the same thing she was! When he looked up, her eyes caught his and his blush deepened. Sabrina laughed.

“What?” Gabriel said, looking up. Sabrina shook her head, and Jimmy squirmed in his seat. Sabrina licked her lips and wrinkled her nose, trying not to laugh at Jimmy. Gabriel’s confusion was evident. Sabrina grinned, wondering how Jimmy would explain. “Okay, what’s going on?” Gabriel cocked his head at Jimmy.

“The licking thing,” Jimmy started, staring at Gabriel, who had a finger in his mouth. He sucked on the tip. Sabrina swallowed as Jimmy coughed. “You ever notice how you like to lick things when you eat, Gabriel?” Sabrina nodded in agreement, gazing at Gabriel’s lips when they suddenly quirked up in a smile around his finger.

“Hmm, I do?” he drawled, rubbing his lower lip. Jimmy snorted at him and shoved more food into his mouth. Sabrina rolled her eyes in pretend exasperation while Gabriel laughed and took another bite of his pancakes.

“So, what happened on the phone?” Sabrina asked once Gabriel stopped chewing and she managed to drag her attention away from his beautiful mouth.

“Agent Patrick is convinced that I have ‘feelings’ for you and Sabrina,” Gabriel said, making air quotes with his hands. Sabrina stared at him, not knowing what to say. “And I do,” he continued more seriously, lowering his hands and smiling at her and Jimmy.

“Um—” Sabrina said incoherently. Jimmy laughed and blushed. Jimmy? Blushing? It was awesome and hilarious. She’d begun this summer thinking about how gorgeous Jimmy was, how experienced, and now? He flushed every half-hour. Sabrina loved it. She snuck a look at Jimmy, but he avoided eye contact. Sabrina smiled, suddenly delighted.

“But,” Gabriel said after taking another bite and swallowing, “that doesn’t mean I want Aaron to know, at least not at this point, and seriously, it’s none of his business, anyway.”

Sabrina didn’t know what to say, still reeling from the idea that Gabriel had feelings for her and Jimmy. She couldn’t help thinking about the implications. Gabriel said he had feelings for both of them, and from what he’d said, Agent Patrick implied the same thing. Was Gabriel concerned about being outed as bisexual? Sabrina resolved to ask him but decided to wait until he finished telling them about the phone conversation.

“I haven’t dated since I started working with Aaron, but I know that he just went through a very messy divorce, so he’s a bit touchy about relationships. And the FBI doesn’t say we can’t date, although I have to admit, it’s a bit of a mess for me to be falling for you two while we’re still in the middle of this thing.” Gabriel sighed. Sabrina smiled at him tentatively.

“Well, to be honest, none of us thought it was going to be like this.” Jimmy put his fork down and leaned his elbows on the table. “Didn’t you tell me that the FBI was just about to pull the plug on the protection?” Sabrina raised her eyebrows, not having heard this before.

“Yeah,” Gabriel agreed, also finished eating now. “The day we went to the photo shoot, my division head in Newark said that if nothing happened in the next twenty-four hours, they were going to reassign me. That’s part of the reason I let us go to such an unsecured site. And why I finally made my move, so to speak.” Gabriel smirked at them, then sighed. “I figured it was either safe, or it would goad the shooter to come out where we could nab him. But never in a million years did I expect anyone to break into the house. And they didn’t try to kill Sabrina. That’s really weird, too. I mean, the initial information was that Miltos wanted her dead. I don’t know what’s going on now.” Gabriel rubbed his face.

“Does the FBI think it’s still Miltos?” Sabrina asked.

“I’m not sure. I couldn’t get any information from Aaron about it last night, which is really damned frustrating. How am I supposed to protect you if they don’t keep me in the loop?”

“Maybe they suspect something about Gabriel,” Sabrina mused, thinking again about Agent Patrick’s face last night.

“Sabrina, you’ve been watching too many cop shows on TV.” Jimmy huffed but quieted at Gabriel’s look.

“I think Sabrina’s right,” he said quietly. Jimmy stared at him in disbelief. “Why would they refuse to give me information? And why would Aaron be so weird about me wanting to date someone? The mission was about to be unplugged, so he shouldn’t have had a problem with it.” Gabriel shook his head.

“Maybe it wasn’t just that you were interested, but that you wanted to date Jimmy as well as me,” Sabrina said, hoping she wasn’t overreacting. She didn’t know if Gabriel would want to talk about this, but she felt it was necessary. “I mean, how many people know you’re bi?” Jimmy raised his eyebrows at Sabrina in surprise, and Gabriel stared for a moment before letting out a sharp breath.

“I didn’t think of that,” he admitted. “The Bureau can be a bit homophobic, but it’s all under the surface. And I’ve always known I was bisexual, so it wasn’t really much of a leap for me to acknowledge it openly. I was never in the closet, I just didn’t talk about it,” he said, glancing at Sabrina, then Jimmy. Sabrina smiled reassuringly. “It’s never been a problem at work or anywhere else because I like women, too. Sure, it was easier to date girls, but I always knew that if I met a man I could care for, I wouldn’t hide how I felt. I’m willing to take that leap if it’s worth it, you know?”

Sabrina nodded, understanding his dilemma. Jimmy was smiling at Gabriel now. Sabrina could tell he was touched by Gabriel’s words.

“And I never imagined that I would meet two people I could care about at the same time like this,” Gabriel finished, looking at Sabrina now. She smiled shakily, suddenly on the verge of tears.

“I know I’m a lot younger than you, but I feel the same way, Gabriel,” she said, taking a leap. “And you, too, Jimmy.” Sabrina turned to face Jimmy, and he reached up, cupping her cheek in his hand. She kissed his palm, then stood up to kiss Gabriel. His lips were soft and gentle under hers, and she could feel him smiling. As they kissed, she heard Jimmy get up and then the other man pressed his body along her back, hooking his face over her shoulder and rubbing his cheek against Gabriel’s. They stood like that for a long moment before pulling away and smiling at one another. She still wasn’t sure what was going to happen, if anything, after they caught Miltos, but she was willing to see where their feelings for one another took them. They kissed one last time, and then Jimmy pulled back.