Back To Us (Dare With Me #4) - J.H. Croix Page 0,43

next?”

“Don’t you know?” I countered.

Her lips pressed in a line. I could tell she was thinking before she replied, “Oh, that’s right. You’ve got to unload all that gravel first. Have fun with that.”

I chuckled. I couldn’t resist stepping closer and catching her hand in mine to reel her to me.

“Gabriel,” she whispered.

“What?” I palmed her cheek, letting my thumb trace along her bottom lip.

Her eyes stayed locked on mine, and a wash of pink crested on her cheeks. “Um, we’re in public.”

“So, what? We’re not a secret anymore, darling.”

I let my hand slide into her silky brown curls before dipping my head and brushing my lips over hers. A sizzle of electricity passed between us, and I couldn’t help the groan in my throat as I fit my mouth over hers, giving her a hungry kiss.

By the time we broke apart, my heartbeat was thundering through my body, and my breath was ragged. I couldn’t let go just yet. I loved the feel of her body imprinted against mine, her curves soft, a contrast to my sharp edges.

The sound of a throat clearing audibly reached us. I glanced to the side to see an elderly man approaching.

“I always do love to see a young couple in love,” Tom commented conversationally as he smiled at us.

Nora’s cheeks flushed even pinker, and she stepped back, reaching up to tidy her hair from where I’d rumpled it. “Hey, Tom,” she said.

“Always good to see you, Tom,” I commented. “I have ten bags of gravel to unload.”

Tom chuckled. “You’d better get started on that.” He looked back toward Nora. “Gabriel’s a good man. He hides it well, though.”

Nora twisted her lips. “I know.”

I wanted to kiss her again, but I didn’t think she would go for it. We chatted about the weather, but I had to stay on schedule. With a wave, I returned to my plane and started unloading the bags of gravel.

Chapter Nineteen

Nora

It was nothing, nothing at all, I told myself for the perhaps twentieth time.

My brain was annoying the hell out of me, as it was wont to do when my insecurities started raging at me.

With auburn hair paired with flashing green eyes and that body, that freaking body—strong and rugged with all muscled planes—it was nothing to see a woman flirting with Gabriel. When he’d pulled me close for a kiss, by the time he drew back, my panties were damp, and I could feel the slick arousal between my thighs. My tight nipples were like my body’s weathervane. However, they were tuned solely to the weather created by Gabriel in my vicinity.

Seeing that woman flirt with Gabriel reminded me of all the reasons he said he wasn’t fit for commitment. His exact words had been, “I’m not a good bet. You know that, Nora.”

I did know that. Until that fateful night when we finally gave in to the sparks flying between us, I’d known Gabriel to be a man who took the concept of casual quite literally. To my knowledge, he’d never spent more than one night with any woman. That detail had been what persuaded me it was safe to tell him I thought we had something. By that point in our relationship, or whatever it was, he’d spent far more than just one night with me. Our not-so-secret friends-with-benefits arrangement had been carrying on for over a year.

Then he’d gone and reminded me of all the reasons he couldn’t be counted on. And now, he wanted me to believe he loved me.

I shook those thoughts loose, kicking them away. I had a packed flight schedule this afternoon. Tom was busy helping Gabriel unload the gravel he’d delivered. While they did that, I took care of loading a few parcels for the mail run back to Diamond Creek.

“See you tonight.” Gabriel’s voice came low by my ear, and a shiver chased down my spine as I turned.

“Of course. I think you’ll be back before me,” I replied, trying and utterly failing to play it cool. My cheeks were hot, and I was flustered.

“You’ll be at dinner, though?” he prompted.

I felt a twinge of pettiness followed immediately by a more powerful pinch of guilt when I saw the uncertainty flicker in his eyes. I’d avoided him so thoroughly for months. Now that I wasn’t, I didn’t like admitting that a tiny part of me enjoyed the fact he wasn’t sure of me.

“I will.”

“Nora!” Tom called. “My appointment’s in forty-five minutes.”

Gabriel’s lips kicked into a smile when he peered