Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 121755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
But with his words, his tone, the look on his face, all I had in me was to nod.
He whispered, “Good.”
Thankfully, after that, he stopped talking.
I didn’t start.
So, he asked, “You done?”
I was. Totally depleted.
I had no more.
He sensed it, and being all Gabe could be, which we all could see was a lot, he didn’t make me admit it.
He asked, “Wanna go to bed or watch more TV?”
“I had an active day, and I have a briefing with the Angels at eleven tomorrow about how we’re going to help Mr. Shithead, so probably should hit the sack.”
He looked to the ceiling like a cloud was going to form, swirl open and God Himself was going to peer down and urge, “Patience, my son.”
Now you’re understanding how I feel, Dreamer said.
I’m not liking where this is going, Logic said.
Gabe looked at me.
“Okay, let’s go to bed,” he said.
“Okay,” I replied.
I mean…
What else could I do?
Gabe rounded the coffee table and held his hand out to me.
Without a second’s hesitation, I walked to him and took it.
The instant I did, he sighed, and it wasn’t with relief, but harassed.
Even if I was vexing him with my stubborn and possibly irrational protective streak (Feeling protective isn’t irrational! Logic screeched), that I consistently contradicted my words with my actions, he also didn’t hesitate.
Hand in hand, we walked down the hall in my apartment to get ready for bed.
NINE
GROWTH
I woke when a hand skated down my back and put pressure on.
I accepted its cue, uncurled and fit my soft body to Gabe’s hard one beside me in bed.
He gathered my hair off my shoulder and neck so he could bury his face there.
That felt nice.
His other hand swept down over my ass, then up, taking my short nightie with it (a new one: lavender with teeny blue and peach flowers printed on it and lace at the hem and bodice).
That felt nicer.
Once he had my nightie bunched at my ribs, skin to skin, his hand curved around my waist and his nose tweaked my earlobe.
And…damn.
That felt even nicer.
Swimming in all that was him, still groggy, it took a lot out of me to say, “I need to go brush my teeth.”
Like I’d given him the invitation, he dragged the edge of his teeth along a cord of my neck.
That felt so nice, I trembled.
“Make no mistake, baby, I want you,” he said into the hollow of my throat, and as if I didn’t feel it (when I totally did), he pushed in with his hand at my waist even as he pressed in with his hips, and I felt just how much he wanted me.
Le sigh.
“But that’s gonna happen when you’re in this with me,” he murmured. “Cognitively. Decisively. I’m not takin’ that from you until you know you’re ready to give it.”
Blearily, Dreamer sighed, I just love him so much.
Logic was either still asleep, or she had nothing to say.
Gabe trailed his mouth up my throat (dayum, that beard, I’d never had a man with a beard, and I was riding the fence about us being an us like a demented cowgirl, but I still hoped Gabe never shaved his). He opened his mouth over my chin and took a sexy bite that sent a shiver down the insides of my thighs, before he came up even farther.
He rested his forehead against mine, his nose against mine, and whispered, “Cute as fuck how you sleep like a cat, but hate it hard, even unconscious, that you close yourself off like you’re protecting yourself from the world.”
You would think having an observant, insightful man in your sphere would be good.
But it could be inconvenient.
I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead tight against his.
He trailed his fingers lightly along the skin above the waistband of my panties.
And there it was.
He gave me way, way, way more nice.
I opened my eyes, fitted myself closer to his stiff cock and watched with unadulterated awe as the blue of his eyes grew heated and lazy at the same time.
“How far did I get in last night?” he asked quietly.
Not far enough! Dreamer complained.
Yawning, Logic asked, What am I missing?
“You made sense,” I said.
“Good.”
I took in a deep breath, held it, thought about it, and made a terrifying decision.
“I’m scared,” I admitted the obvious.
He smoothed a hand over my hip and bunched my hair in the other one.
“I know.”
“I’m damaged, Gabe,” I warned him.
“We all are, Willow,” he replied.
I pressed even closer, and that was not about getting more of his stiff dick. I also glided a hand up the hot, silken skin of his back.
Dang, that felt good.
I yanked my mind from that and back into the moment.
“Can you give me some of it?” I requested, even if I knew it was unfair, since he made it clear he was willing to give it all, but couldn’t, because I was holding back.