Then he was sliding back inside her, joining their bodies again in that savage, passionate abandon that made her mind reel. And then her senses were spiraling out of control, and once more, she shattered apart.
Gabe’s tempo slowed, his thrusts longer, more languid now. She opened her eyes—not having realized she’d even closed them at some point—and the heat in his gaze melted her. He was peering down at her with such reverence she suddenly felt unworthy of such admiration.
“You’re beautiful,” he managed to grind out through clenched teeth, his muscles beginning to bunch as she’d witnessed before. She wanted to touch him, hold him at that moment, feel him pressed against her as he came. Wrapping her legs tighter around him, she slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him close against her, chest to chest, belly to belly as his arms encircled her.
His breath grew harsher, more ragged, and he buried his face in the curve of her neck, in the mass of curls that had come loose from her ponytail. Then he groaned, long and deep, as he finally let go. “God, you’re so beautiful.”
When he went completely still, she held him, smoothing her hands lightly over his shoulders as his breath sawed in and out of his lungs, hot on her skin. It was only then she realized they were both covered in sweat, the heavy summer air clinging to them, slickening their skin.
Finally, his hold on her eased and she pulled back enough to take his face in her hands and press a slow kiss to his lips. The kiss was languid, unhurried, lips and tongues teasing and searching. When the kiss ended, he traced a finger along the swell of her breast, a slow grin curving his lips.
“That was even more incredible than I’d always imagined,” he murmured.
Her hands continued to roam over his skin, loving the feel of him beneath her fingertips. She could’ve said the same. He’d been the subject of her fantasies even when she’d been rebuffing his advances. But she’d never imagined this. Not in her wildest dreams.
“What now?” she whispered, nipping his dimpled chin with her teeth.
He groaned and pulled out slowly, then turned away slightly as he removed the condom and tied it off. “Oh, honey,” he chuckled. “I’ve got a few ideas. But maybe we should head home first.”
He bent and pulled his jeans back on, wincing a little as he adjusted his still-erect penis.
“Okay,” she agreed as he went to the trunk of the Charger, “but not my house.”
He grabbed some tissues and a few other things and came back around. He was frowning as he handed her the tissues so she could clean up some before getting dressed. “My house then.”
As soon as he said it, she cringed, realizing she’d totally just invited herself to his place. “I didn’t mean to presume,” she said in a rush. “I can just go to my aunt’s.”
He gave her a chastising look. “Seriously, Elle? Do you really think I want to dump you on Charlotte’s doorstep after what just happened? I thought we were past that perception of me.”
She felt the heat rising to her cheeks and finished wiping herself off, depositing the tissues in a small plastic trash bag he held out before saying, “We are. I am. I just didn’t want you to think I have any expectations.”
“Well, I do,” he assured her, dragging on his T-shirt and giving her a pointed look. “I expect for you to give me a shot to prove I’m the kind of man who deserves you.”
Her heart sank, realizing how much her misperception had hurt him. “I agree I owe you that much.”
“It’s settled then,” he said with a sharp nod. “You’re coming home with me. But mind if I ask why you don’t want to go to your house?”
“I don’t want to be there right now,” she told him, locating her cutoffs and pulling them on. She grabbed her bra and T-shirt and put them on before adding, “If I go back there tonight, I’m going to have to face the pictures. And the memories.”
He stepped closer, took her face in his hands, and brushed a brief kiss to her lips. “Say no more. You’re staying with me tonight. In my arms. And I promise not to let you go until morning.”
She snaked her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest, loving the feel of his strong arms as they held her close. “That sounds perfect.”
Chapter 15
Gabe kept glancing at Elle as they drove back to his house, still not quite sure he hadn’t imagined what had happened outside the old, abandoned church. Was this really Elle McCoy sitting beside him, her head back against the seat, eyes closed, a contented smile draping her luscious, full lips? Even now, he longed to whip the car over to the side of the road so he could lose himself in another kiss.
Her grin widened. “You should keep your eyes on the road.”
He laughed. “How did you know they weren’t?”
Her auburn lashes fluttered a little as she opened her eyes and rolled her head toward him. She was tired. He could relate. “I can feel you looking at me. I’ve always been able to feel you looking at me.”
He scoffed. “Right.”