He tossed me a box of thumbtacks. “We can use these to hang them up.”
I stood and walked along the bench. The lights went up quickly with each of us taking one side of the room. I pressed in my last tack. “I’m done.”
He grabbed the end of the lights, and the extension cord he’d grabbed from the deck. “Okay, let’s see how this looks.”
He plugged them in and boom, the shack was aglow.
“I like it.” He clapped his hands together. “See, I told you we could chick-ify the ice fishing.”
I was still on the bench and reached up to straighten part of the light strand when my foot slipped back. I started falling, but Gabe caught my arm.
“You, Fern Ethel, are a klutz.”
I turned around and ran into his chest. I slowly moved my eyes north to see him looking down at me. I should’ve stepped back, but my legs weighed one thousand pounds. My heartbeat kicked up when his eyes dropped to my lips. Holy shit, was he about to kiss me?
My stomach clenched when his hand found my waist, and he pulled me to him while staring into my eyes. Although this was a horrible idea, I knew a stick of dynamite couldn’t have made me budge from the spot my feet were planted.
He leaned down, and I was certain my blood pressure shot to seven-hundred-twenty over five-thousand. So slowly his lips brushed mine once, then again, releasing butterflies through me. I couldn’t control my breathing, as a longing to taste him was so strong. Full military force couldn’t have moved me.
My hands were shaking as they slid through his open coat and pulled him closer. His mouth found mine. The kiss was slow and needy, something savored as if we’d been starving forever. We kissed as if we already knew one another, a familiarity that was shocking. The electrical current was so intense I was melting. Our mouths and lips were in sync, and there was a force weaving between us that took my breath away, leaving my senses jumbled.
He pulled back, searching my face to see if I felt it also. His eyes were hungry and surprised. His hands found the base of my neck and angled my head before our lips melted together.
Heat spiraled across my skin as his mouth moved faster while one of his hands slid to my throat. His thumb grazed along my collarbone, which was the equivalent of kerosene being poured over the fire that was me. He was well aware of what he was doing to me as an uncontrolled quiet groan slipped from my mouth to his.
Those hands dropped to my waist and closed all gaps between our bodies while his mouth dominated mine. I felt how much he needed me, and I instinctively pushed against him. I arched and ached as he ran his tongue over my lower lip.
How was this happening? I’d had relationships but realized I had no flippin’ clue what chemistry was until that moment. I was breathless and knew we were traveling on an out-of-control missile that would be hard to stop, even if I wanted to. And I did not want to.
As if reading my mind, Gabe broke the kiss and rested his forehead on mine as I focused on regulating my breathing while my body cried, silently begging for his return.
“Fern, I’m sorry.
“Why?” I whispered.
His voice was low and quiet. “Well, you’re Dave’s sister, and…I don’t know.”
Yes, I was his best friend’s sister, and I’m sure there’s some bro-code about this kind of thing, but all I knew was that I didn’t want to be cautious. I’d survived cancer, spent my entire adult life thinking things through, and worrying about shit that normally didn’t end up happening.
Yes, I made piss-poor decisions when it came to men and relationships, but this wasn’t a relationship. With his arms around me, I made a split-second decision to do anything necessary, stupid or not, to be close to him. I wasn’t looking for a long-term thing and knew he wasn’t either so why couldn’t I do something for me? I could live in the moment.
“It was just a kiss. Not a big deal.”
“What?” He leaned back and pushed a piece of hair from my face as skepticism appeared on his. “I mean, most ladies kind of get ideas.”
“I don’t have any ideas.” Well, that sounded smart. “I mean, I’m not in a relationship and don’t want one. I’m out of here in six weeks for a six-month nursing gig out of the country.” I focused on sounding as cool as ice. “Are you looking for a relationship?”
He chuckled. “No. But Dave’s my best friend. I would never?—”
“You aren’t hurting him or me.” I smiled, knowing this would likely bite me in the ass later. “See? It was just a kiss. No biggie.” Except the kiss had shaken me to my freakin’ core.
He nodded while his eyes darted around the shack. “So, maybe I’ll kiss you again sometime?”
I shrugged. “Okay.”
His brow furrowed. “Are you saying I can kiss you again, and it would still not be a big deal?”
Inhale, for better or worse, I was going for it. “Yes.”
