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Did she want him to? She takes her time getting into the driver's seat, then says, “Yeah.”
Gage’s eyes shine as they lock on hers. He taps the roof of her car, gives her a wink, and walks back toward the path.
Lilly sits there for a moment, still edgy from her emotional turmoil.I don’t know if I need a drink or a nap. With a snort, she turns her vehicle on and heads for home.
Chapter fifteen
Thefullmoonilluminateshis way as Gage walks the trail by Lilly’s cottage. His bear is restless, and sleep is eluding him.
A blood-curdling scream raises the hairs on the back of his neck, and his polar bear pushes him forward to protect its mate. He leaps up the steps of Lilly’s front porch. The curtains are drawn, and there is no light inside shining through the front door window.
He frantically tries the doorknob, finding it locked. His pulse races as he pounds on the door, screaming her name. A heart-wrenching moan reaches his ears in reply, and in a panicked rage, Gage rips the door off its hinges and tosses it aside. Heart pounding, he rushes into the dark house, looking left and right.
His eyes adjusting to the interior's almost non-existent light, he finds Lilly sitting straight up on the couch, a blanket thrown over her lap. Her eyes are closed with her face contorted in a silent scream. Not wanting to startle her while in the grip of a nightmare, Gage approaches her with painstaking care.
“Lilly. Lilly. It’s okay, you’re okay,” he says in a hushed tone as he gathers her in his arms. Her sweat-soaked body shakes as he rocks her back and forth. “Shhh, I’ve got you,” he reassures her, his tone thick with concern.
She begins to struggle in his arms. “No. April… Vance, stop. Please!” she begs, tears streaming down her face.
Gage wipes her cheeks and kisses the top of her head.
“Wake up, baby. Wake up,” Gage whispers, holding her tight, his heart breaking at the anguish in her voice. Her movements slow, and her breathing becomes less erratic as she rouses. When her eyes open, they meet his.
"Gage? What are you doing here?" she asks, her face scrunching.
"I heard you having a nightmare," he replies, his hand cupping her cheek. "Are you okay?"
Lilly nods slowly, although her eyes are still clouded with fear. "I dreamt of Vance and the cages...and everyone was dead," she whispers, her voice trembling.
Gage's heart aches at the pain-tinged tone, and he pulls her closer into the secure cocoon of his arms. "It's just a bad dream, baby. I'm here with you," he reassures her, his fingers running through her hair soothingly.
She snuggles deeper, relaxing into his embrace. "Thank you for being here, Gage," she murmurs, her voice soft and sleepy.
Gage presses a kiss to the top of her head, his heart swelling with love for this beautiful, brave woman. "Always, Lilly. Always."
He holds her for a while before she pulls back with her eyes lowered. Gage places a finger under her chin and raises it. “Don’t look down. You’ve been through a lot. Give yourself some grace.”
“I should’ve—”
He places his finger on her warm lips, silencing her. “You did everything you could have. Don’t let Vance win. This is on him, not you. Don’t take on his sins.”
Lilly’s vivid turquoise eyes stare into his for a minute before she pulls his face to hers, kissing his lips passionately.
Gage savours her sweet taste as their tongues collide and she maneuvers herself to straddle him, her firm full breasts brushing against his chest. Her nipples pebble through her tank top as she pulls him closer. Lilly grinds down on him, and his cock instantly hardens. A rush of pleasure surges through him when her hand slides between them and she tries to undo the button of his jeans, her hand grazing his stiffened cock.
With considerable restraint, Gage brings his hands up to her shoulders and gently pushes her back, staring intently into her eyes.
“Lilly… if we do this, we’ll be officially mated. Are you ready for that?”
She leans her forehead to his and lets out a sigh. “No. But I need–I need to feel alive.”
Brushing her long, silky hair to the side, he kisses the soft skin by her ear before he whispers, “Then take what you need.”
“Stay,” she says as she pushes on his shoulders for him to lay down and rolls on top of him. She lifts up and runs her nose along his neck before whispering, “I want you to stay.”
“Are you sure?” The heat from her core against his cock makes him painfully hard.
She pulls his hair. “I know you won't hurt me.”
