Distance had provided an excuse before, but now he was standing in front of her, in her town for a few weeks, and she wanted to touch him all the time. She could think of little else—which was a problem. She was dangerously close to handing her heart over to a man for him to do as much or as little with it as he wanted.
And then, after everything, he would leave.
“We have great sex,” she hedged.
Gage frowned. “Can you look at me right now and say this is still just sex to you?”
She pursed her lips. No, this was absolutely more than sex, but she couldn’t say that.
“This is why I don’t date,” she whispered.
He ran his fingers over her cheekbone. “It’s only been a week.”
“It’s more than that.” It was the past two years. It was the way he looked at her, the way he tapped into every fantasy she had, the way he gave a damn. The way he made her cave.
She’d given in to him, and deep down, a raw part of her heart was already at his mercy. But there was no way she’d admit it.
No, she needed to get out of this wet, increasingly real moment. Now.
But when she tried to pull away, he grabbed her arm and stopped her.
“Don’t look at me,” she said.
He cupped her chin and lifted her face. “Why?”
“I have makeup everywhere and I’m all muddy and—”
“And you’re still gorgeous.” He took her hand. “Stop running, Chloe. Let go so we can fall together.”
She didn’t know exactly what he meant, but he took her several yards away from the house and down a small hill as the rain pounded on their shoulders. When they reached the crest, he tugged her with him and slid down the muddy hill.
She screamed and laughed, and Gage was right there with her.
He rolled over to face her, covered in mud and grinning ear to ear. “See, dirty isn’t so bad.”
“Maybe you’re right.” She scooped up a big handful of mud and slapped it on his cheek.
“Oh, you’re going to pay for that, sweetheart.” He smeared mud on her thigh.
“Oh, it’s on now,” she said and leaped on him.
He hit his back on a thick patch of grass. She straddled him, but instead of searching for mud, she gripped his shirt and kissed him hard. The thick scent of rain and grass surrounded them. Her clothes were plastered to her body, and she wanted to peel them off and feel his skin.
The heat was too much to bear. It burned up every ounce of willpower she had. She wanted—needed—to feel him closer. Experience him again, because he was better than any roller coaster and gave her an incomparable adrenaline rush.
Gage caught on real quick and kissed her back. There in the sopping grass, she tugged on his shirt, and he hiked up her skirt. His hands slapped against her ass and flecks of water tickled her skin as he ground her body against his.
“Is this still reality or fantasy?” He pulled her bottom lip into his mouth.
“Both,” she murmured. She floated somewhere between the ground and sky, between emotions and lust. She couldn’t stop, and she didn’t want to—she needed him.
He ran his hands from her thighs, up her back, and then cupped her neck. He tilted her head and kissed her hard. Plunged deep to taste her, worked her lips with his powerful tongue. He relaxed further into the grass, grinding against her and sampling every inch of her mouth. His every muscle was straining and taut beneath her. The ridge of his hard cock pulsed between her legs while his biceps and abs flexed and cut out of his skin.
He was fighting something within himself. She sensed it. Felt it. As if content with having her stay right there with him, while also fighting the urge to push. But push for what? Push her for more? Or push her away?
She slowed her kiss, ready to ask if what she was reading from his body was right, but he didn’t let her get a fraction from his mouth before he yanked her back.
“Don’t move away from me. Not tonight.”
“What’s happening, Gage?” she asked. Because something was happening. With him. With her heart. With their relationship.
“I’ll have to leave at some point.”
“I know,” she whispered against his mouth. He had missions to go on. But he held her like maybe he’d come back. Like he’d just travel for work for a few days and that was it. Not the end of the world surely. Or maybe she was reading into his hold on her. Maybe she wanted him to stay more than she’d realized.
“You’re here now,” she offered.
“Yes, and this is where I want to be.”
That was all she needed to hear. Gage wanted to be here. With her. That was something, right?
Chloe nodded and found his mouth with hers once more. She wasted no time unfastening his pants. Keeping his hot kiss on her, he reached between their bodies, grabbed a condom from his pocket, and slid it on. She couldn’t wait any longer. She was starved for him, and he wanted her, too. Wanted her to stay.
“Gage,” she whispered. She moved her panties aside and surged down on him, hard and fast and dirty.
So dirty, and she loved every single second.