Page 53 of Gator
He walked over to what I’d assumed was a linen closet and opened the door to a set of stairs going up. He took a step back and motioned for me to go up. “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me yet. Now, after you.”
“Okay then.” I’d thought the floor he, Hawk, and Wolfe lived on was the top floor, but apparently not. To my surprise anddelight, when I reached the top and opened the door, it led out on the rooftop.
Gator stepped up behind me. “What do you think?”
I looked around and saw a canopy that had lights strung around the top and a table with two place settings. It looked beautiful.
“Is this for us?”
“It is.”
“It’s perfect.” I wasn’t just saying that either. If you asked me to tell you my perfect date, this would be it. I’d done enough clubbing and fancy dinners to last me a lifetime, but to have someone take the time and make the effort to set something up like this for me meant so much more.
“I wish I could take all the credit, but Hawk had the idea first, and I kind of stole it from him.”
“I don’t care where you got the idea. I love it. What are we eating?”
“Rumor has it you’re fond of Enigma’s Lobster Bisque paired with a caesar salad.”
“And is the Rumor’s name Miranda?”
“Might be. Was she wrong?”
“Oh no, she was very right.”
“Well then, let’s eat, and when this mess is all over, I’ll take you there for a real date.”
“This is perfect. I can’t believe this is up here like this. It’s such a great space.”
“We’ve talked about all kinds of things we could do with it. Plant a container garden, divide it up into sections, use it for parties. It has all kinds of possibilities. We just haven’t taken the time to actually do it.”
I laughed as I remembered what Mika had said about cameras up here. “Mika mentioned something about him and Hawk up on the roof, but I didn’t realize it was like this. I totally get what he was saying now. There’s plenty of room for all kinds of… umm… activities up here.”
“True that.”
The rooftop was perfect, a bubble of quiet above the city. Dinner was incredible—rich, creamy bisque that warmed me from the inside out, the crisp bite of the salad, the soft glow of the fairy lights overhead. Gator watched me eat with this intense, possessive warmth in his eyes that made my skin prickle and heat pool low in my belly. He didn’t say much, just let me enjoy the food, his presence a solid, reassuring anchor beside me. When I finally set my fork down, sighing contentedly, he reached over and brushed a stray crouton crumb from the corner of my mouth with his thumb. The simple touch sent a jolt through me.
“Good?” he asked, his voice low and rough.
“Perfect,” I breathed, meeting his gaze. The air between us crackled, thick with the unspoken promise of what came next. My pulse kicked up a notch. “Thank you, Daddy.”
A slow, predatory smile spread across his face. “You’re welcome, baby.” He pushed his chair back and stood, holding out his hand. “Come on. Time to go inside.”
I took his hand without hesitation, letting him pull me to my feet. He didn’t let go as we gathered the dishes onto the tray. As we walked back towards the stairwell door, his thumb stroked the inside of my wrist in slow, deliberate circles. Every nerve ending felt hyper-aware. The cool night air did nothing to cool the flush spreading across my chest and neck.
He paused before opening the door, turning to face me. His free hand came up to cup my jaw, tilting my face up. His eyes, dark and hungry, searched mine. “You know what I want to do to you when we get downstairs?” he murmured, his breath warm against my lips.
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. “Tell me.”
His thumb brushed my bottom lip. “I want to strip you bare. Spread you out on my bed. Taste every inch of you.” The possessive growl in his voice made my knees weak.
A shiver raced down my spine. “Sounds like the perfect way to end the night,” I whispered, leaning into his touch.
He crashed his lips onto mine, a hard, demanding kiss that stole my breath and left me dizzy. He kissed me like he was claiming me all over again, right there under the stars. When he pulled back, we were both breathing heavily. “Downstairs. Now.”
He practically dragged me down the narrow stairs, his hand tight on mine, his other hand landing possessively on the small of my back, guiding me quickly through the silent laundry room and into the main condo. Trixie, let out a startled squawk from inside her cage as we burst in.
“Daddy’s home!”