Authors: Vivian Arend
“No,” Gage snapped, his dark eyes meeting hers. The square cut of his jawline held tight. He touched her again, his fingers slowly skimming down her arm. A deliberate caress that made goose bumps rise, especially as this time his voice softened to stroke her as well. “I have no problem taking you home.”
Katy swallowed hard. Not only his fingers but his words slipped over her like an erotic touch. He wasn’t hiding his admiration anymore—what she’d seen in the mirror was right out in the open, and
sweet mercy
…
His lips twisted into a smile. “I hear you and Simon called it quits.”
“He’s a pig.” She spoke without thinking, but all Gage did in response was grin harder. Her mouth was dry. “I need a drink.”
They reached for the same glass, and their fingers bumped, his big hand nearly eclipsing hers as he closed his grip and teasingly helped lower the glass to the table in front of her.
“Beer? Or something else?” he asked.
“Coke.”
Katy waited until he released her, but his touch had already started an electric tingle that raced from her fingertips all the way up her arm and a whole lot farther. It affected her breathing, that was for sure, and she couldn’t seem to take anything more than shallow gasps.
He filled her glass from a pitcher.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
She lifted her glass in the hopes it would cool the heat that had enveloped her, but suddenly she wasn’t sure she could swallow. His gaze was pinned to her lips. He’d leaned in, one hand casually resting on the back of her chair as if she were in his embrace. Around them the music continued to blast, voices rose and fell. Laughter and shouting.
The room could have been empty.
The sweet liquid stole down her throat, ice cubes bumping her lips as she stared over the rim of the glass. He adjusted position and their thighs touched. She jerked the glass back to vertical before she dropped it altogether.
Heat from his leg wrapped over hers. It took everything in her to stop from squirming in her chair to ease the pressure building inside as Gage continued to look her over as if she were the feature steak on the barbeque menu.
“I’m not drunk,” she whispered.
He shifted, his leg rubbing hers, and her breath caught in her throat. “Never said you were.”
“I
should
be drunk,” she clarified. “Because that would explain why you’re looking at me like that.”
Gage eased off, glancing around the room. “How am I looking at you?”
“Like you want…” She picked up her glass and sniffed it to see if she’d accidentally gotten a double shot of rum in her coke. Anything that would explain what was going on. That would explain how this thing she’d dreamed about was really happening.
A hand settled on her thigh under the table, and she snapped to attention. Gage leaned in, turning his head at the last moment so his lips were directly next to her ear. “You’re not drunk. Nether am I.”
Oh, sweet Lord. She ignored him. Ignored the large palm that covered her thigh. Ignored the lust racing through her veins, and all the happy hormones that were waving pom-poms. She took another sip of her drink while he settled back in his chair, opening some distance between them.
“Katy, let’s dance.” Janey had her by the hand and pulled her to her feet, headed back to the floor before Katy could protest that she’d been having a lovely hallucination and she’d take a rain check on the dancing.
Only Gage didn’t stop watching her. Didn’t take his gaze off her, and now Katy wasn’t getting sweaty on the dance floor because she was shaking her bootie hard.
It was all about Gage Jenick and his hungry eyes.
She glanced at her watch and wondered how early she could call it a night because she could hardly wait for him to take her home.
Chapter Two
Katy danced. Gage debated.
He was leaving within the next twelve hours. Did he really have a right to say something to her now?
On the other hand, did he want to take a chance of not saying anything only to return home and discover she’d hooked up with some other guy, and he’d be once again left bouncing his fist in frustration? Because there had been a whole lot of that going on for the past few months.
It wasn’t just sexual attraction, though. If it were, he’d have somehow reined in his raging libido and not hinted that he planned to jump her bones.
Nope. He wanted more than sex. Maybe it was stupid to be thinking long-term not even thirty minutes after hearing she was available, but everything about the woman fit him so well. She was smart and entertaining, pushy enough to deal with her four brothers and yet she did so in her own soft-spoken way.
She was a hell of a package, and he wanted nothing more than to unwrap her one layer at a time and thoroughly mesh their lives together. Starting tonight. Maybe it was bad timing, but if he didn’t say something he’d spend the next six months regretting it.
Also, not that he was a chicken or anything, but the time lag,
if
Katy agreed they’d be together, would give Clay time to get over any violent urges that might arise.
Would give Gage time to make sure this was going to work—that he could handle the new situation as well as he hoped. That he wasn’t going to revert to…
Not going there.
Katy tumbled off the dance floor with Janey, the two of them red-cheeked and bright-eyed. They whirled to a stop, Katy only inches away from his knees as she rocked back to vertical and smiled shyly.
“You okay heading out now?” Katy asked. The slightly out-of-breath quality of her question could be excused by her recent fling around the dance floor.
He hoped it was for other reasons. “Grab your coat.”
“I’m staying for
loooonger
,” Janey teased. “Because I don’t have a cuuuurfew, not like some people.”
“Shut up, Janey,” Katy poked back. “You should go home now before your carriage turns into a pumpkin.”
Janey stuck out her tongue. “I’m not driving, so there.”
Gage rose to his feet to troubleshoot best he could, even distracted by his plans for the rest of the evening. “Katy, you want us to give Janey a ride home first?”
Janey pulled back with a pout, accidentally bumping Len in the process. He caught her as she swayed, arms rising in the air momentarily. “
Whooooaa
. But I’m not ready to leave,” she protested.
Len and Gage exchanged glances. Len rolled his eyes, settling Janey back on her feet. “I’ll make sure she gets home when she’s had enough.”
“Going to shut the place down,” Janey warned.
Gage double-checked Katy’s expression, but there was no concern there, only a bit of a smirk. He grabbed the bull by the horns and Katy by the hand, linking their fingers together. “Come on, let’s go.”
It took a couple minutes of dodging through the close crowd, her hand tight in his, before they were outside. Voices and music faded to a faint buzz. Distant car traffic mixed in, but there was pretty much nothing but the fresh September air and the warmth of her body as he stepped next to her and slipped an arm around her waist.
“Gage?”
He squeezed lightly. “What’s up, Katybug?”
She didn’t answer until they’d reached his truck, then she faced him, her head tilted to the side in this adorable manner. “I’m not sure what’s going on.”
Gage leaned in, one hand planted against the truck door beside her head, the other still resting on her hip. “I’m taking you home.”
Her tongue snuck out, leaving her lips shining in the pale parking lights. “You look like you got more on your mind than that.”
He lowered his voice. “Would you be okay with it if I did?”
Her eyes widened slightly, but she nodded.
Hallelujah
. Gage closed the distance between them and touched their lips together. Soft. Sweet. More intense than any kiss he’d ever given her before—those innocent busses on the cheek during family holiday gatherings. Her breath escaped in a puff as he pulled back, warming his skin. “Oh. That was nice.”
“Hmm, you ready for better than nice?”
She opened her mouth to answer, and he caught her with her lips separated. His tongue eased into her mouth, and he tasted her like he’d longed to for months. Sweetness, a touch of cinnamon, but mostly
her
. This was far better than
nice
. He dug his fingers into the fabric at her hip to stop from exploring anywhere else. His other hand locked on the truck frame to make sure the only thing he used on her was his mouth.
He wanted to consume her. Kissing was only the beginning because, oh hell, every nerve in his body had gone on high alert. Especially when she curled her hands around his back and stepped against him. One leg on either side of his thigh. Bodies tight together, her warmth enveloping him along with the scent of her perfume. His head spun from even this much contact, his erect cock pressed to one side of her soft belly.
Stay in control
.
Somehow he retreated, this time to stare into a face that held the hugest eyes—wide pupils and wet swollen lips open in an O as she gasped for air.
He didn’t say another word until they were in the truck. Gage caught her by the hip and dragged her across the bench seat to his side. “Buckle up.”
The question was there in her eyes, but the words never came, and he wasn’t ready for them, either.
He drove with one hand, his right arm draped around her shoulders so he could snuggle her tight. Every time they stopped for a set of lights, he couldn’t resist leaning over and kissing her. Each stop grew a little more intense, slowly building the need inside him. Each kiss a little hotter than the one before until they were both damn near panting.
A horn sounded behind him, and lights flickered, and he dragged himself back to focus on the road. “You’re addictive,” he muttered.
“I’m still not sure what’s going on,” she confessed, “but I like it.”
Gage moved his hand to grasp hers, linking them on top of her thigh. “We’re almost to your house. We’ll talk there.”
Because he wanted to be looking her in the eye when he made his next move.
That plan wasn’t as simple to execute as he’d hoped, now that they’d let their attraction out of the bag. He parked and pulled her out the door after him, and they ended up kissing, grinding together against the outside of his truck before he realized where they were.
Out in public. In her driveway. Within spitting distance, or at least seeing distance, of where her father still lived in rooms above the garage shop.
Gage tugged her to the front door and she attempted to unlock it. Only there was this spot on the back of her neck that screamed for him to kiss it, and the next thing he knew he had his lips on her skin, his arms around her, and she was moaning in this sexy way that made his knees shake.
“Oh
God
, Gage, I can’t think when you do that.” A full-body shiver rocked her as the door finally swung open, and if he wasn’t careful, he was going to have her pinned to the wall in less than thirty seconds.
And while he couldn’t remember why, that would be a bad thing.
Katy was past the “what is going on?” stage and was well into the “whatever is going on, it better not be a dream” stage. She abandoned her purse to the floor and the next thing she knew her fingers were tangled in Gage’s hair, her tongue in his mouth. The front door slammed shut—had to be Gage kicking it, because she’d had nothing on her mind except getting close to him all over again.
The passion raging through her body was unfamiliar, and she didn’t ever want it to stop. Didn’t want
him
to stop.
He dragged his lips down her neck, hands scrambling to push her coat from her shoulders. She fumbled with his shirt, tugging it free from his jeans so she could press her bare hands against his naked chest.
Heat. Like fire licking over her, hot desire raced up her back. “God, Gage, what are we doing?” She hated to whisper the words. The last thing she wanted to do was to interrupt this, whatever
this
was, but she had to know.
He stilled himself, her hands on his tight abs, his fingers poised over the buttons on her shirt. “You want me to stop?”
“No, but what is this? A one-night-stand? Or…” Damn, she remembered something important. “You’re leaving tomorrow.”
His eyes flashed, and he nodded, dragging a finger over her cheek. “And you’re not seeing Simon anymore.”
A light bulb went off in her head. “Oh.”
A sheepish smile transformed his expression from sex god to reluctant, yet adorable, boy next door. “I couldn’t very well ask you to go out with me when you were seeing him, but now I’m leaving for six months, and maybe it’s crazy, but…”
“You want me to go out with you? Like, see each other exclusively?”
The instant response visible on his face was even clearer than his words. “Hell, yes.”
She stroked back the lock of hair that had fallen across his forehead. “Okay.”
Gage grinned for a moment then it faded. “I have to leave tomorrow, Katy. I made the commitment, and I need the money to—”
A slip of the hand moved her fingers over his lips to stem the flood of words. “I know you have to go. It’s okay. You’ll be back in six months, which kind of sucks to wait for a second date, but I can live with it. What I want to know is what we’re doing
tonight
.”
“You’re incredible.” Gage shook his head. “And I’m a shit for making a move now, but I’ve been watching you for ages, woman. I couldn’t risk waiting any longer.”
He couldn’t have been watching and waiting as long as she had. “It’s not a big deal. I need a break after dating jackass Simon anyway.”
Gage’s eyes darkened, and not in a good way. “Did he hurt you?”
She shrugged, sliding her hands around to his back and easing their bodies closer. She wanted to get back to what they’d been doing. “Does it matter?”
“Yes.” Gage tucked his fingers under her chin and lifted. “What’s wrong? What did he do to you?”
Katy sighed, the aching desire in her limbs still there, but fading. She wished she could stare at her feet while she admitted this, but instead she picked a spot over his shoulder. Pretended he wasn’t really there. Whispered her confession. “He’d started to get pretty bossy about a lot of things, and I didn’t like it. Plus, he didn’t think I was very good in bed. Not adventurous enough, or something.”