Mr. Smithfield - Louise Bay Page 0,53
I hoped.
“What do you have planned?” Dexter asked.
I pulled out my phone. “I’ve hired this place out for our group.” I showed them a picture of the Theatre Café, which I’d found out was a little café on St. Martins Lane in the West End that was dedicated to musicals and regularly had cast members from current musicals in to perform. “I’ve invited some of the cast of Mamma Mia and Wicked along to sing some songs, and we all get to join in.”
“Really?” Autumn asked me, clearly thinking I was joking. “Honestly?”
“Wow,” Hollie said from across the table.
“Unfortunately, Idina Menzel wasn’t available, but the stars from the current productions are coming,” I said. “I thought you’d like it.”
Autumn shook her head, a grin spreading across her face like butter. “But you hate my singing.”
“That’s true,” I replied. “But I want you to have a fantastic birthday more than I value my eardrums.”
Autumn laughed. “You are the best of men, Gabriel Chase. I can’t imagine a better birthday gift.”
Seeing Autumn happy would be worth enduring whatever was to come.
Twenty-Two
Autumn
I wasn’t sure I’d ever been attracted to a man more than I was to Gabriel when he told Joshua and Tristan they could flirt all they liked, but I was going home with him. It encapsulated one of the things I liked best about him—he didn’t say much, but when he did, every word counted. He was all strong, brooding confidence that didn’t need to shout. Some guys were possessive or territorial, but it was all about their ego. When Gabriel said what he did, it was a statement of fact to stop his friends wasting their energy.
And then he told us about the Theatre Café, and I didn’t know if I should kiss him into next week or faint from all the swooning.
It was just past one in the morning when we got home, which meant we had six hours until Bethany got up.
We could get a lot done in six hours.
Gabriel put his key in the door, and I placed my hand on his, making him stop and turn to me.
“You okay?”
I nodded. “You need to get rid of the sitter as soon as possible,” I said, and reached around to the crotch of his pants. I let out a small moan as I found him hard as rock in my hand. “I have plans for this.”
“Believe me, I have plans too,” he said and opened the door, gesturing for me to go in first.
The sitter was gone in less than sixty seconds. As Gabriel shut the door, I slid my hands around his waist.
“Did you have a good time tonight?”
“Of course,” I replied. “I was with all my favorite people. And I got to sing. Anyway, the night’s not over yet.”
He tilted his head to one side, and I don’t know if it was the way his eyes seemed to narrow ever so slightly, or the way he seemed to tower even taller over me than he did normally, but I felt like he was getting ready to devour me. And I was looking forward to being his prey. The starting pistol had been fired on my heartbeat, which set off at a sprint. “I think you’ve been a little wound up for me all night.”
He slid his hands over my ass and yanked the bottom of my dress up. Jesus, how could this man be so polite in public? So taciturn and suave when he was in company? Then a switch flipped as soon as we were alone, and he turned dirty and provocative and knee-weakening sexy.
His hands slid into my panties, his fingers into my folds, and I sighed with relief that finally, I was right where I wanted to be.
“Shit,” he spat and spun me around so I was pressed up against the door. “Have you been this wet for me all night?”
I nodded as he lifted my leg over his hip and slid his fingers inside me.
“You’re soaked,” he said, pushing his fingers inside, his thumb finding my clit. “I’m surprised you lasted this long without an orgasm.” He coaxed my g-spot awake with his fingers and I couldn’t stop myself from twisting my hips to get more. I needed relief from this built-up need I had for him. “I’m shocked you weren’t begging for me in the cab. If you’d have said, I would have been more than happy to have reached up your skirt into your hot, tight pussy and made you