Me: You’re making him work on my birthday?
Gabe: Hey, business is business. Besides, how the hell else am I going to get you alone today?
Me: Fine, but he’s going to be at least an hour late.
Gabe: You mean an hour late-r?
Me: Yep.
Gabe: Don’t keep me waiting too long, Freckles. I’m fucking starving.
Mace opens the bathroom door, every inch of tattooed flesh rippling as he vigorously brushes his teeth. And I do mean every inch. The barbels in his Jacob’s ladder twinkle in the sunlight. God, he’s a gorgeous thing to look at, and lucky for me, I’ve been able to look every day for the last year. He grins, toothpaste frothing from his adorable, tanned Aussie face.
“Happy birthday.”
I bite my lip and make grabby hands. “Where’s my present?”
He holds up his index finger to indicate that I should wait and disappears back into the bathroom to rinse out the paste.
“Right here,” he says, stroking his dick. He walks closer and rips the covers from the mattress. His cock juts out before him as he climbs on the bed and pulls me down and takes my nipple in his mouth.
“Oh, I like this present a lot.”
“I thought you might.”
“Get the bacon,” Gabe says, glaring at me over my menu.
“No. I’m like practically geriatric. I need to start taking better care of my body.”
“So, what? A fruit salad is going to fix that?”
“Will you stop trying to shove greasy food in my face, please?”
Gabe shrugs and says, “You know you’re just gonna eat all the bacon off my plate, right?”
I frown and hand the menu back to the waitress, “Just the fruit salad and a bloody Mary.”
Gabe shakes his head. “I’ll have the big breakfast with an extra side of bacon,”—he stares pointedly at me— “And a bloody Mary.”
“So, what did Mace give you?”
I grin and chew my lip, remembering the three spectacular orgasms I had this morning. “Um ...”
Gabe’s brow furrows and he glances out at the water. “Never mind. I’m pretty sure I already know. You’re not gonna leave me, are you?”
“Leave you?”
“Yeah, pack up your life here and move back to Australia with Mace.”
“Mace isn’t going anywhere.”
He laughs. “Are you sure about that?”
I still, the smile slips from my face. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Gabe grimaces and then toys with his cutlery, avoiding my gaze. “Fuck. He hasn’t told you?”
“Told me what?”