I beamed at him. “More to cuddle.”
His cheeks rose in a smile. “Hopefully not too much more.”
We ate our treats together, sampling and tasting the selection. From my limited perspective, they were all delicious, the apple-cider donuts my favorite. They were light and fluffy and not overly sweet. When we had our fill, we combined the boxes into one. As I gulped down the water, a sense of rightness settled within me. The band had taken a break, and the cut of the music made it easier to talk.
I seized the opportunity. “Thank you for bringing me here. I didn’t get to do a lot of stuff like this when I was a kid. My…mother was never really interested in me. And I never knew my father. So…thank you.”
He pulled me close, and I snuggled against him, digging my fingers into his sweater. I must look like a scared child to everyone, holding onto him for comfort, but I was glad he was willing to be my rock.
He kissed the top of my head and said, “I’m glad you had fun. Anything you want to do, and we will do it, okay?”
The band started up again. They played a slow song with an amazing violin piece. I focused on a man and woman dancing. It was obvious they were in love. They were so close, I thought they might meld into each other, and the deep expressions on their faces as they locked eyes contained the kind of energy that echoed across the universe.
Despite my terrible upbringing and lack of familial love, I believed love existed. But it was a rare thing, something only a few got to experience. These people had clearly found it. I glanced at Gabriel. His lashes were low as he stared ahead, andI wondered if he were watching the couple too. Was he thinking the same as I was?
The music turned to something more upbeat, and time wound on as we just sat under the tent, watching, and cuddling. I wondered if he wanted to dance. If he did, he didn’t ask, and I was both relieved and sad that he didn’t. Maybe one day I might find the courage to dance with him.
“Warm enough?” He inquired, skimming his thumb across my shoulder.
“Yes,” I said, and cuddled closer anyway, burying my nose in his sweater.
I inhaled his cologne, the spiciness soaking into my lungs. It reminded me of sandalwood charred and dipped in something spicy. It smelled so good on him, enhancing his natural scent. I wasn’t sure why, but I dipped my hand under his sweater and stroked the hot and soft skin of his stomach. I glanced up at him. His attention was on the crowd, but his lips were curled into a devilish smile, letting me know that he approved.
Time slowed down allowing me to enjoy the atmosphere and being with him. It was pitch black outside the tent, but the festival was still going. I yawned so widely, my jaw cracked.
“Yeah, I’m getting tired too. Ready to start heading out?” He asked.
We made our way toward the exit and stopped at the gift stop where he bought matching T-shirts emblazoned with the farm’s logo for us. We left the fair, his arm around my shoulders, mine around his waist as if we’d been together for a long time. Sometimes it felt like we had, as if he’d just stepped out of my dreams and into reality.
“Well, I had loads of fun. That was the most sugar I’ve had in years, and this is coming from someone who spends a lot of time with a little girl who likes to bake cookies.”
I bit my lip at the tease forming in my brain. Dare I go there? “Maybe I can help you burn off some calories?”
He snickered, the sound wolfish. “I like that idea.”
The jab hung in the air as we approached his car. I wasn’t sure who moved first, but I ended up against the vehicle, his body caging me in. I’d always found eye contact difficult, but I couldn’t look away from his perfect, handsome face, and his plump, soft as silk lips I’d only known briefly.
“Is there something you want?” he purred.
I nodded and licked my lips, my heart hammering, my body more alive than it had been in a long time. Wanted was an understatement. Ineededhim and everything he was offering. Something invisible pushed me into his arms, our lips meeting. The contact was shocking, and I sighed against his mouth. He flicked his tongue across my lips in a silent demand to open for him.
I obeyed, letting everything that he was into me.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
GABRIEL
I loved my car. But at this moment, I wished I’d gone with something that had a bigger back. My legs were sandwiched between the front seats, my foot was lodged under the steering wheel, and my neck was at a crooked angle against the backseat. Jake bumped his head on the ceiling for the second time. None of that mattered. The only thing that did was the frenzied need for physical contact.
He straddled me as I gripped his ass. I was surprised by his fervor. My shy baby boy was coming out of his shell. Still, I knew he needed a gentle hand. Cupping the back of his neck, I pulled him to my lips. His breath was hot and heavy, his response excited. He moaned softly as we locked lips. I met his tongue and easily took control of the kiss. His movements were uncoordinated, but I didn’t mind.
“Don’t rush,” I whispered against his mouth. “We’ve got all the time in the world, okay?”
He returned to me slowly, his fringy lashes pressed tight against his cheeks. I’d always enjoyed kissing with my eyes open because it let me see all the little reactions of what I was doing to my lover. Our lips smacking filled the interior of my car, and I guided him into a languorous dance of tongues that left me aching. Someone laughed outside as they passed by, but the world had ceased to exist.
“That’s better,” I teased and swiped my tongue across his bottom lip. “I want to take my time with you. I need to, don’t I?”
He sucked his lip between his teeth. His skin was blue from the darkness, the single overhead lamplight of the parking lot catching his eyes. His body was ridged but fit perfectly against mine as if he had been made only for me.
