He ran his tongue along his bottom lip, his fingers ever so slightly digging into my hair, pulling me closer.
My heart was pounding in my ears from anticipation, and it took everything in me not to wrap my fingers around his shirt and pull his mouth to mine. As if he’d read my mind, Gabe’s mouth lifted into his signature crooked half-smile.
“If you were my girlfriend,” he whispered, mouth inches from mine, “I’d find any and every opportunity to kiss you.”
His other hand went to the small of my back, large fingers splaying and anchoring me to him. The tension was so thick I could barely breathe.
After what felt likeyearsof waiting, Gabe captured my lips. I melted into him immediately, like we’d done this a million times before. One of my hands rested on his chest while the other moved higher, my fingers curling around the hair at the nape of his neck.
His tongue explored my mouth, tasting and teasing with every sweep.
A low growl sounded in the back of his throat, the rumble sending vibrations throughout my body.
I’d never been kissed like this. Granted, I didn’t have a ton of kissing experience, but it was never likethis. I understood now what it meant when people said time stopped. Like nothing else in the world mattered or even existed. All I was focused on right now was Gabe’s mouth and how perfect it felt against mine. How the heat of his palm seared against my lower back.
He started to pull away, but I didn’t want this to end…not yet, at least. I leaned up on my toes, my hand on the back of his neck pulling him closer, which elicited another growl from him. But it was deeper this time, lower. More desperate.
I needed to catch my breath—I needed air—but I needed him more.
As our mouths moved, Gabe’s other hand trailed from the curve of my waist up to the side of my breast, his thumb inching dangerously close. I couldn’t help the moan that escaped me.
I wanted to feel his hands everywhere on my body. I wanted?—
“We should stop,” Gabe panted against my mouth, his voice strained in a way I’d never heard from someone before. Ever. He let out an exhale, his grip on my side tightening for a second before his hand dropped. He rested his forehead against mine, and it would’ve beenso easyto capture his mouth in another kiss…but I held back.
Because he was right.
“We…yeah, we should.” I could barely get the words out, and once they were out, I wasn’t sure how convincing they were. “That was…good practice.”
“It was.” He closed his eyes, his nostrils flaring as his jaw clenched and the muscle in his cheek fluttered. As if he was using all of his restraint.
I slowly, reluctantly, moved my hands to my sides, using the counter to steady myself. Yes, that was practice, but it…it felt so real. Did it feel real for him, too?
After a beat, Gabe opened his eyes and stepped back, running a hand through his messy hair and tugging on the strands. “You’re”—he cleared his throat—“you’re a very good kisser, Lily. You have nothing to worry about.”
Gabe’s gaze went to the clock on the oven, and I had a feeling of what he was going to say. Before he had the chance to, I blurted, “Will you stay for a while longer? I’m making brownies, and I need to make sure they’re good. I could use a second opinion.”
His lips twitched.
“Yeah, Sunshine, I’ll stay a while longer.”
The nickname sounded different this time. Warmer. I wasn’t sure what made me happier—the nickname leaving his mouth or that he was staying.
“What do you mean you don’t have much of a sweet tooth?” I asked, appalled, my eyes bouncing between him and his plate—which was empty, by the way. For someone who claimed hedidn’t have a sweet tooth, he ate his white chocolate peppermint brownieveryquickly.
“I just don’t,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve always preferred savory.” But I’d seen him eating pastries at the café…and I also saw him drinking the peppermint mocha.
“But…” I started, and he must’ve followed my line of thinking, because he added, “You’re hard to say no to, and maybe I like sweets more than I thought.”
“I don’t want you eating the pastries because you feel like you have to.”
“Trust me, Lily, I haven’t done anything I didn’t want to.” Gabe’s voice was low, and I swore his gaze dropped to my mouth.
Before I could respond, Gabe stood from the couch, reaching for my empty plate and walking the few steps over to the kitchen to set the plates in the sink.
When he sat back down, I curled my legs underneath me and turned to face him, my arm resting against the back of the couch.
“Can I ask you something?”
