made him shake with humor.
Happiness.
Protection.
Safety.
I wanted to give in to the emotions.
But mostly I wanted to be allowed to love him.
My thoughts disappeared when Gabe suddenly pulled away from me. He dipped down, and in a move straight out of a TV show, he had me over his shoulder. I dropped the papers I was holding in favor of using my hands to brace myself against Gabe’s lower back.
“Gabe!”
“Smart man, that Cooper Cain,” Gabe said as he walked out of the kitchen. “Less talking, more action.”
“Solo action,” I reminded him. “And if you don’t put me down that’s all you’ll get, too.”
“We’ll see.”
Gabe didn’t put me down. Not until he had me in the bedroom, the door locked, and even then he didn’t set me on my feet. He tossed me on the bed. I landed with a bounce, blinked the shock away, then stared at Gabe.
I only had but a second before he grabbed my ankles and pulled me closer to the edge of the bed. I was still reeling from all of this when his hands went to my sleep shorts, his thumbs hooked into the waistband, and he yanked them along with my panties down my legs, tossed them over his shoulder, and dropped forward bracing his weight on his elbows but still giving me a good amount of it. I was pinned under him with his face close to mine. So, so close I could see all the flecks of black in his irises. As interesting as the color was that was not what had my breath leaving my body.
It was the hungry blaze.
It was a stare that said everything.
It was Gabe looking at me like he’d never seen me before but now that he had I was his for an eternity.
Yes, that was what my overactive, fanciful mind had conjured up and I was content to live in this moment for the rest of my life.
I wanted to believe so badly I got lost in his gaze.
“Keep your hands on the bed,” Gabe whispered.
The sound was coarse and ragged and sent a thrill of anticipation straight between my legs.
“No touching,” he continued. “Just feel.”
After he gave that directive his body scooted down mine and his hand wrapped around my right calf.
That was all it took for my body to ready for him.
And feel I did.
Gabe started at my ankle and I felt every kiss he pressed against my skin—all the way up my leg, his mouth never leaving my flesh. Sometimes he gently kissed, sometimes he licked, sometimes a combination of both.
He did all of that slow. So slow I was going out of my mind.
By the time Gabe’s mouth reached my center I could barely keep my hands on the bed.
“Mm,” he hummed over my clit and my back arched at the vibration.
Gabe didn’t go any less slow when he swirled his tongue. He didn’t go any faster as he dragged his tongue down and teased my opening.
“You taste so fucking good.”
He didn’t quicken his pace when his tongue slid inside. He savored. He teased. He tortured. Leisurely glides of his tongue in and out. Soft brushes of his lips. Lazy. Deliberate. Mesmerizing. No, memorizing. Gabe was taking his time learning, building, stoking.
“I wanna touch you.”
“Not yet.”
My hips lifted off the bed, urging him to go faster.
“Please,” I begged.
“No,” he refused.
Gabe’s denial only fed my need and I fisted the comforter in an effort to obey.
“You have no idea.”
Gabe groaned then kissed the inside of my thigh.
“No clue what you give me.”
Another kiss, this one on my hip.
“Things I didn’t know I needed.”
Gabe nudged my shirt out of his way and nipped my belly.
“You wanna touch me.”
This was not a question but I answered anyway. “Yes.”
“But you’re not gonna, are you?” Gabe’s head came up and his gaze caught mine. “You’re gonna give me everything I want.”
This time I couldn’t speak to confirm. Not that Gabe needed the confirmation—he knew.
His eyes were fiery and I was feeling things I didn’t think he’d meant for me to feel. More than the touch of his hand as he pushed my t-shirt up. More than his palm brushing over my nipple as he bunched the fabric in his fist and settled it under my chin. More than the throb between my legs. More than the way the cool air kissed my overheated skin.
I felt too much.
“I’m gonna love you nice and slow.”
I shook my head in swift denial. His declaration felt like a dagger to my heart.
“I