He raised his head and kissed her softly, gently. “Sorry.”
Ella brushed the sweaty hair off his forehead and took a moment to just look at him. She never, ever got tired of looking at him. He was so damned beautiful.
Kissing her again, he said, “I should probably go. We’ve been outed by Mrs. Abernathy.”
“Don’t go. I want to sleep with you.”
“I’d hate to make you the subject of gossip, El.”
“I don’t care if people talk. I want them to know we’re together. What do I care what people say?”
“I care,” he said. “I don’t want them talking about you.”
“Then let’s go to your place.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.” She pushed at his shoulder, and he withdrew from her, flopping onto his back to watch her as she got busy packing an overnight bag. “Get up before you fall asleep.”
He groaned as he pulled himself out of bed and went into the bathroom to clean up and then to get his clothes in the other room. By the time he was dressed, Ella was ready. “Leave your car here,” he said. “I’ll bring you home in the morning.”
“That’s crazy. You don’t need to make a special trip.”
Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her. “I want to make a special trip, and I’ll bring you home.”
“Okay.” Her insides quaked when he looked at her that way, when he held her face in his hands and made her feel so cherished.
They packed up some of the groceries they’d bought for breakfast and rode to his house in contented silence, his hand wrapped around hers the entire way. He never once let go. Ella loved that. She loved every single thing about being with him this way—except for the nagging, gnawing fear that something would happen to mess it up.
After having even this small taste of what was possible between them, she wouldn’t be able to handle something going wrong. And that made her feel madly vulnerable, like a live nerve ending walking around outside her body subject to severe pain at any given moment.
She’d gone into this with her eyes wide open, knowing what—and who—she was taking on. But that didn’t make it any easier to picture a cataclysmic ending to their fairy tale.
That wouldn’t happen. It couldn’t. She’d make sure of it.
Gavin drove onto the grounds of Guthrie Logging after a short ride through town and into the foothills of Butler Mountain. He pulled up to his cabin and cut the motor. “Let me come around for you since the outside lights aren’t on.”
When he shut off the headlights, the darkness surrounded them, and Ella was glad he was coming to get her. The passenger door opened, and he held her hand to help her down from the truck. He kept a firm hold on her hand until they were inside the cozy cabin.
The door shut behind him and the lock clicked into place. Then he gave a gentle tug on her hand and once again had her pressed against a door before she could begin to gauge his intentions.
“No one to hear us hanging pictures here,” he said with a sexy grin that lit up his gorgeous eyes.
“Good to know.” She reached up to caress his face. “But you need sleep more than you need to hang more pictures.”
“I hate to admit you might be right.” He kissed her and then pulled himself off her, leading her into the bedroom. “You can have the bathroom first.”
“I’ll be quick.” In the bathroom, Ella brushed her teeth and changed into lightweight pajama pants and a tank. When she returned to the bedroom, she found Gavin stripped down to boxers and was once again struck by the fact that she now got to look at him—all of him—any time she wanted to. “Your turn.”
“Get the bed warm for me.”
“You got it.” Snuggled under the warm down comforter and soft flannel sheets, she listened to the water running in the bathroom and waited for him with breathless anticipation. She was in big trouble where he was concerned, and the trouble got bigger with every minute she spent with him.
CHAPTER 12
All human wisdom is summed up
in two words; wait and hope.
—Alexandre Dumas