Gael had this ridiculous smile painted on his face as he came back to Angela's floor. He had a hand in his pocket while the other held her purse as he walked to her door.

The noise from the new neighbors had died down when he passed by, but he made a mental note to have their backgrounds checked just in case. Mrs. Michaelson, the woman who gave them the casserole a couple of days ago, seemed to be a sweet woman. It was hard to picture their family having troubles when a woman like her was in their family. She did say they could be loud sometimes—was this what she meant then?

Arriving in front of Angela's door, he subconsciously raised a fist to knock, only to stop mid-air. 'Right. I don't have to,' he thought.

Gael punched the code into the panel and a chime followed by a click sounded. The door unlocked before him, and this gave him a strange yet satisfying feeling.

"Babe, I'm home," he jokingly muttered as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, softly chuckling at how silly he was being. It felt like he actually lived there.

He took off his shoes and wore the indoor slippers she let him use whenever he was over and strolled deeper into the apartment. The living room and kitchen were dark, and only the light in the hallway going to her bedroom was lit up. Since she told him she would take a shower, he figured that's where she was.

Entering her bedroom, he placed her purse on a dresser, and then he heard the shower turn off. The bathroom door opened soon after, and Angela came out wrapped in a bathrobe, her hair tied up into a soft bun with some strands falling on the side of her face. She smiled when she saw him.

"I like that outfit on you," she told him. "It's like you came out fresh from a fashion runway—well, you always do, anyway."

He chuckled as he closed the gap between them. "Yeah?"

"Mm... Too bad you don't need those clothes in bed." She began to unbutton his shirt.

"Same with this robe," he responded as he pulled the tie on her fluffy white robe. It instantly fell to the floor in one motion, leaving her exposed.

Lips locked.

Skin touched.

Pieces of his clothing followed her robe one by one as they made their way to her bed.

Angela fell backward to the mattress when the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed frame. They laughed as they tumbled together. He pushed her up to the middle of the bed and hovered over her, deepening his kiss until she moaned.

Tweaking her nipple with his fingers, he trailed kisses down her neck, sucking and nibbling her skin alternately. He slid his hand down past her stomach and parted her thighs. Another moan came out of her when his fingers found her weeping slit, and he groaned, "You're already wet."

"I've been soaked ever since I saw you at the party," she breathed.

"Fûck. You're killing me." He pressed a kiss on her lips and asked, "Condom?"

"Nightsta—" she said without thinking, then she realized something and changed her response, "B-bathroom."

He got off the bed quickly and disappeared into the bathroom to look for it. As soon as he was gone, she swiftly opened the top drawer of her nightstand where she kept the photo she received in the mail earlier. Angela didn't have time to think. She took the picture out, moved it to the bottom drawer, and stashed it between a couple of books. It was the only place near her at the moment where it wasn't necessarily accessible unless you'd really look for it. The truth was, the condoms were in the top drawer—and judging by Gael's stamina, there'd most likely be a second or third round tonight. She didn't want him to find out about it like this.

"I don't see it," he yelled from the bathroom.

She closed the bottom drawer and grabbed a sealed box of magnums from the top drawer. "Sorry, it's here."

As soon as he's back, he tore the box open, ripped a foil, and rolled the latex on him. "Angel... this is my size. I want to assume you bought this for me," he said in a slightly dangerous tone.

Angela understood what he meant. Gael wanted to know that she didn't get the condoms for other men. So she reassured, "Mr. De Luca, for your information, I only got them this afternoon."

He smiled, clearly satisfied with her answer. Settling between her legs, he hovered above her again, pumping his hardened length against her hot core. "You think we'd use them all up before you pass out on me again?"

She laughed. Goodness gracious! It was a box of twelve! "I don't know if that's a warning or a declaration of reward."

A corner of his lips curled into a sly smirk. "Both." And then he pushed his cock inside her.

***

After hitting the home run, Gael and Angela cuddled in bed. She rested her head on his shoulder and her leg and arm across his body while he caressed her hair gently. Their eyes were closed, but they weren't sleeping—just enjoying the silence after the bliss.

He peeked down at her, and he knew that she wasn't asleep. Placing a kiss on top of her head, he murmured, "Thank you."

She slowly lifted her gaze up at him, her brows drawn together. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to get up, dress up, and you'll hand me my whoring fee?" She narrowed her eyes. The 'thank you' after sex made her think this was a service. She knew that wasn't that, but couldn't he have said it clearly?

Gael laughed, and he squeezed her tighter as if to reassure her. "I didn't mean it like that. Just... Thank you for trusting me with your...key code."

Oh.

Angela bit her bottom lip, not knowing what to say, so she just nodded. She already forgot she did that, but she honestly didn't regret it.

After a moment when she didn't respond, he decided to address what he noticed before they left the cliffside villa, "If you don't want me to go to your family's party, I won't. Totally understandable."

Though his voice was neutral, she didn't like that he had to say it. It actually saddened her. "I...honestly hadn't thought of it. When my dad reminded me about it last week, I told him I didn't want to bring anyone..." She shifted her position so that she was facing him fully and looking into his eyes. "But...now...I kinda want you there."

The familiar warmth that he experienced at the party while he hugged her from behind settled in his chest again. He liked that she was expressing her desire of wanting him with her. It was enough to make him do anything she wanted him to do—whatever it would be. "I'll be your shock absorber."

Angela told him about a few of her aunts earlier, and now she did not want to imagine what they'd be asking him at the party this Sunday. "Ugh. I don't even want to go anywhere near the nosey ones. They're too stressful."

"Well, you don't have to suffer alone. I'll be there right next to you." Gael tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to hers.