“You’re different.”
If he let her she’d release some of that tension that caught him in a stranglehold. “How?”
“The competence.”
Well that was . . . not interesting at all. She could almost feel something inside of her deflate. “How sexy of you to notice.”
He laughed then, rich and deep, and the sound washed through the room. “It is. Trust me.”
Enough dancing around it. “Come. Here.”
“Why?” But he was already moving, coming in closer as his eyes flashed with an intense heat.
“The tension in here is about to choke us.” Much more of this and she’d drag him to the floor with her.
“Sitting will fix that?”
Damn the man was dense today. “I will fix that.”
“Something’s off.”
“What?” Whatever the sensation, it had been pricking him since they’d been outside. He stayed calm at seeing the tracks, or the not-really-tracks, but then something changed. A snap, and his mood morphed into something dark and almost paranoid.
“It’s a feeling, really. Like danger is coming and I need to be ready.”
She waited for her instincts to kick into gear and . . . nothing. She’d been so sure at the start of all this that the answer was to run off alone and hide. Somehow start her new, boring life that she hadn’t been trained to handle. No other option made sense, and dragging someone into her mess seemed ridiculous. But here, in the cabin with him, she felt at ease. The usual panic and need to plan an exit strategy didn’t hit her.
She sensed, even with someone lurking around out there, they were safe. At least for now. Which meant she needed to concentrate on him. “You can stare at the door the whole time.”
He shook his head as a smile inched up one side of his mouth. “I know I’ve said it before, but you are so fucking tempting. You say these things and all I want to do is get you naked.”
Now they were at least talking the same language.
“Then come here and let me tempt you.” She glanced at the couch cushion then back at him. It qualified as the least subtle offer ever, and if he didn’t take it soon she’d take it off the table.
Proving he was as smart as she thought, he started moving. Slipped the rest of the way along the wall, then to the end of the couch. He put his gun on the small table, pointed away from them, as he sat down.
“Are you going to join me?” he asked, in a voice that sounded scratchier than usual.
“Soon.” She turned over and pushed up on her knees. The wood squeaked under her legs, but she ignored the sound. Gabe’s gaze held her captive. The unblinking stare. And then there was the way he ran his hand up and down her leg.
When she touched his thigh, he opened his knees and she slid between. Her fingers trailed along his sleek muscles to rest on his hips. She leaned in, and he met her halfway. Without words, their mouths met and the kiss burned through her. Just like before, the touch of his lips against hers was like being thrown in a whirlwind. Energy whipped around her and waves of excitement crashed through her.
It would be so easy to lose herself, let him take over. But she wanted to lead on this. To show him that she could envelope him in pleasure.
Before he could make a move or even say anything, she reached for his belt. The buckle clanked as she opened it and pushed the ends aside. Her fingers moved to the jeans button and slid it free from the hole. Next came the zipper. His bulge grew until, with one brush against the waistband of his briefs, his cock spilled into her hand.
“Nat, please.”
The temptation to draw this out, make him wait, pushed her. But she wanted this as much as he did. Lowering her head, she took him in her mouth. The first few inches slid between her lips as her hand moved up and down along his length. She lifted her head just long enough to sweep her tongue over his tip, and she felt his fingers slip into her hair.
The heat of his stare didn’t throw her. She could sense his need, feel the attraction thrumming off him. When she took him deep, he groaned. The sound deepened when she tightened her fingers and licked her tongue over him. The combination of the pumping of her hand and suction of her mouth had