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“You ran from me on the trail.”
He knocked her hand away. “Yeah, after you pulled away.”
He was so close, almost stealing her breath. She fumbled for words. “Well, I didn’t know what you ”
Gabriel kissed her.
Thank god his hands were there, catching her arms, because her knees didn’t feel up to the job of keeping her on her feet. He tasted like coffee and caramel and sugar. She’d always imagined he would be rough, but he wasn’t. He was gentle, cautious, drawing at her lips in a way that pulled a sound from her throat and made her want to press up against him.
Oh. This was what all the fuss was about.
His hands slid up her arms to find her face, his fingers tangling in her hair. His kiss grew more insistent, parting her lips.
At the first brush of his tongue, she gasped and knew her knees were going to give out.
But then Gabriel stepped back, his hands braced on her shoulders. She was left shaking there in the middle of the path, wind coming off the water to whip through the space between them.
“I’m sorry.” His voice was rough, almost ashamed. “I didn’t think . . . after the way that ass**le treated you ”
She shook her head fiercely. “No it’s fine ”
“I should have waited.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
Her breath stumbled when the words escaped, and she felt her cheeks burn.
But he smiled. “Yeah?”
o;What are you hiding?”
“I asked first.”
He looked out at the night again but his heart was running a marathon in his chest. “You already know Nick was taking my tests for me.”
She cocked her head to the side and gave a little shrug.
“That’s not even a secret. That’s like me saying, I have a deaf little brother.”
Gabriel shrugged. Truths were clawing at his lips, begging to escape. God, to tell someone.
No way. Like he could sit here, trapped on the tailgate, and spill everything. Gee, well, I can control fire. Oh, and those articles in the paper? They’re talking about me. And maybe I should mention that I’ve been thinking about your arms around me all day. Or how I’ve wanted to kiss you for days, but right now that would make me no better than Ryan Stacey . . .
Yeah, that would be great. He drew a choking breath and fought for words.
“How about,” she said, her voice careful, “I get a question, then you get a question.”
That made him smile. “Like truth or dare?”
She blushed and her eyes dropped. “I’ve never played that.”
“Come on, Layne, kids play that when they’re ten.”
“Not all kids.”
She could be so fierce one minute, yet so innocent the next, and it was seriously making him crazy. “All right, go. Truth.”
“I told you I don’t know how to play.”
