but lately life’s been giving me lots of lessons that have dropped me to my knees.”
As she said the words, the image of those two guys popped into her head. She shivered and folded her arms across her chest, rubbing her arms. How would she ever get that home movie out of her head? How would she ever summon up the courage to ask Josh about why he had it on his computer? How would she know if it was harmless or . . . something more?
A prickling rose on the back of her neck.
“Here,” Gage said, shrugging out of his jean jacket. Beneath he wore a long-sleeved black T-shirt. Or maybe it was navy or some other dark color. She couldn’t tell.
He draped his jacket around her shoulders, and immediately she was enveloped in warmth and the smell of Gage, which was a cross between a men’s cologne Josh would never wear and something almost homey. At that moment she’d never smelled anything better, and she fought the sudden inclination to pull it to her face and use it to block out the world.
She should say thank you or refuse it, handing it back, but instead she hugged his jacket closer to her and tried to think what a slightly drunk, very disillusioned woman did when standing on forbidden land with the sexy bastard whose mocking smile had haunted her for weeks. Everything was wrong about what she was feeling . . . what she was doing here in the dark with a stranger she’d had fantasies about. A reckless disregard for everything she’d planned for her life with Josh urged her toward something dangerous. With a flick of a finger, she could tip the domino and undo the careful pattern she’d meticulously set up.
All it would take would be to reach out to Gage and make it happen.
Gage didn’t seem to know what to do with her silence. He stared at her for a moment, and then he did something rather unexpected. His arms came around her, and he pulled her into . . . a hug.
Ellery didn’t struggle, because being pressed close against Gage felt better than anything she’d felt in a long time. She tucked her head under his chin, her forehead resting against his bare skin, her nose nestled against the soft T-shirt, and stood still in his embrace. His hands gently rubbed her back, and though minutes before she’d thought about something that wasn’t as innocent as a hug, she found herself feeling the comfort she’d been needing so desperately. For a few seconds, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax against the warmth of his body.
Eventually, Gage loosened his arms and stepped back. “Good?”
She looked at the center of his chest and nodded.
“Ellery?” he asked softly.
When she looked up, she knew she’d see sympathy in his eyes, and she didn’t want that. She lifted her gaze anyway, but in the grayish-green depths of his eyes, she didn’t see compassion. No. She saw a man who wanted more but wouldn’t allow himself to take it.
The thought that he wanted her but cared enough to do nothing more than hold her did something to her.
So she stepped closer.
“What are you—”
Ellery silenced him the best way a woman could silence a man.
The moment her lips touched his, something inside her broke apart. One hand went around his neck, the other his waist. Liquid heat poured over her as she opened her mouth and tasted him.
For a millisecond, Gage seemed stunned, but she knew he wanted her no matter how much he liked to pretend he didn’t. His arms came around her, and this time there was nothing comforting in his embrace. Hot, hard, beautiful passion spilled from every pore of his body. He cupped her face with one hand and devoured her mouth.
And sweet baby James, the man could kiss. For the first time in her life, Ellery felt nearly dizzy with desire, out of her mind with the need to have this man. She reveled in the passion because she’d never, ever felt so turned on by a man. It felt delicious and not so very wrong at all.
His tongue moved against hers, and he made a growly sound in his throat. He pulled her tighter against him, and she shivered in delight at the hardness of his body.
“Mmm,” she groaned, sliding her hand beneath his shirt. His skin was warm and smooth, and she wanted to feel his naked body against hers.