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She pushed at him, the very act of touching him setting the inevitable clash in motion because she wasn’t leaving here until she’d proven to him that she wasn’t a soft, acquiescent little thing. Up until this point, she’d let him take the lead in their relationship. There hadn’t been any reason not to and it felt right, but now she needed to show Gabriel that she could handle him.
“Have you listened to anything I’ve said?” She countered him, moving into his territory and shifting her dress so it bared her thigh. His stare immediately dropped there, and she couldn’t miss the way his slacks tented. She had power in this relationship, and she wasn’t above using it. “You have to take me as I am or let me go. I’ll be honest, I’m not ready to decide what I want, but I know I won’t be in a relationship where you think you can lock me up and only take me out when you want me.”
“I always want you.” His hand drifted to her knee before sliding up the skin she’d exposed. “Always.”
The minute he touched her, her clothes felt too tight, encumbering. Only Gabriel did this to her—and she feared only he ever would. If they couldn’t work out their differences, she would likely be alone for the rest of her life.
“No, you want some woman you made up in your head, one who purrs for you on command and hangs on your every word.” She was pleased with how even her voice sounded, despite the fact that her heart pounded like a drum.
“No. I want the woman who’s smart enough to find a way out of a burning house. I want one who’s brave enough to stay behind and rescue her lover when she should be fleeing. I want one who challenges me at every turn.” He caressed his way up her waist, and she suddenly found herself sitting in his lap, the length of his erection pressed against her backside. “I want you every minute of the damn day. I can’t think straight for wanting you.”
“You’re able to think enough to boss me around.”
“You may not believe this, but I’ve never been this possessive. I’m not the asshole who demands his woman does everything he says.” He wrapped his arm around her waist. “I let her go her way and I go mine. Usually.”
Yeah, nothing between them had been like that. “Maybe we should go our separate ways, too. With Valerie in custody, I doubt I’ll have a problem going home.”
“Fuck that. I can’t let you go.” His jaw tightened. “Show me your breasts.”
The minute he used that deep, dominant tone, Everly ached to comply, but doing that had gotten her into trouble in the first place. “I don’t have to do a damn thing you say.”
“Like you ever have,” he growled. “You knew I wouldn’t want you to meet that man alone so you sneaked out. You put yourself in danger.”
“I had a gun and I know how to take care of myself.” She dismissed his accusation.
“That man could have had accomplices, just waiting to off you. Or he could have taken you.” His hands tightened as though he was afraid to let her go. “Anything could have happened to you. If I hadn’t figured out where you were . . . I don’t even want to think about it.”
The male scent of his skin mixed with the sandalwood notes of his aftershave and teased her nose. Any time she caught a whiff, Everly flashed back to moments he’d covered her body with his, working and straining between her legs to give her the greatest pleasure she’d ever experienced. He was so near, and to feel that again, all she had to do was move a few inches closer until their lips met. He wouldn’t need more enticing than that.
“I can take care of myself.” She eyed his beautiful mouth.
“Not against these people, you can’t. Damn it, Everly. Tell me, am I the only one who’s in deep? Would you not care if I walked into what could be an ambush? Would it mean nothing to you if I died?” The words sounded like a desperate growl.
She hesitated. Everly hadn’t imagined he felt the same deep attachment she did. Not really. She’d known he wanted her and, protestations aside, assumed his possessiveness stemmed from his alpha-male personality. But now he wasn’t talking about her safety or even just sex. Could he really be falling for her? Could she trust that she wasn’t yet another woman this billionaire with movie-star charisma would adore completely for a few weeks or months before he moved on?
Could she be the woman he truly wanted to settle down with?
Probably not. But even if she wasn’t, holding back the truth might keep her heart safe, but he’d made himself vulnerable to her, and she couldn’t return his honesty with lies.
“Oh, Gabriel. I would be devastated,” she whispered. “If something happened to you, I would want to die. But I also can’t live in a safe bubble.”
He fused his stare to hers, as though trying to imprint himself on her. “And I can’t let you go.”
“I’ll always do my best to stay safe, but I can’t stop living to do it.”
“Damn it, woman,” he cursed. She was right. He knew it and he obviously didn’t like it.
“Kiss me,” he demanded. “Fucking kiss me now.”
Giving in might not be smart, but her recent brushes with death made her need to seize this moment. If she didn’t drink in every second she had with him, she would regret letting this chance to touch him slip through her fingers.
Everly suspected she was only putting off their inevitable parting, but she’d choose him—and living life to the fullest—every chance she could.
Leaning in, she layered her lips over his with a little catch of her breath. If she had only one more night with him, she would take it.
Soft. His lips were so soft and sensual for a man. She gripped the sides of his jaw, feeling the rough beginnings of his beard. She loved the way he felt, the contrast between his soft skin and rough masculinity. That dichotomy mirrored the man himself. His alpha exterior hid a wealth of tenderness he’d probably only ever shown to his five closest friends. Everly felt blessed to see it now. She might not have the luxury of sharing all her remaining tomorrows with him, but she had right now.
His hand glided up her thigh as their tongues tangled together. She parted her legs to give him access. Here, they fit together perfectly, as if they were made for each another. In his arms, the world fell away. No mysteries to solve. No reporters to elude. No danger to fight. No grief, loss, or uncertainty. Just her and him and a sense of rightness.
She ran her tongue over his
bottom lip, and despite the strength of his big body, he shivered.
“Show me your breasts, Eve.” His hand moved restlessly up her thigh, climbing higher. He skimmed his fingers so close to the place she needed his touch most. Instead, he seemed content to tease her. Time and again, he stopped short of covering her needy flesh while he claimed her mouth.
She kissed him back, eager to tease him in return. She kissed his nose and both cheeks, rubbing their faces together with sweet affection before she ran her tongue along the edge of his ear. “What will you give me if I do?”
“My hands touching them. My lips and teeth worshipping them. I want to lick them and suck on them until you’re so aroused you can’t think or breathe.” He maneuvered his hand back up her leg, his fingers teasing the edges of her panties. “Are you getting wet for me? Are you aching for my cock?”
“You know I am.” In fact, she had to bite her tongue not to beg for the pleasure he always delivered.
“Then show me your breasts.” That damn hand moved away again, making her moan with frustration.
“Get the zipper for me.” She couldn’t reach it. She’d needed his help with it this morning. Then, it had been a sweet intimacy. She’d almost been able to forget their fight and pretend they were merely another couple getting ready for the day. Since he’d zipped her in, it seemed only right that he tug it down and help her out of the clothes that kept them apart.
