He let out a breath. “Why don’t you just try to get some sleep?”
Unlike anything I’d normally do, I turned and kissed him. Maybe it was the dream or the smell of his skin, but I was bold and wanted what I wanted. For better or worse.
The kiss was tender, slow, and making my nightmare lift like a layer of fog when the sun arrives. I needed the sun. My hands found his biceps and then his muscley chest. Sleep was the very last thing in the world I wanted.
The way he kissed me, like he was trying to be slow and thoughtful, vanished in a moment’s time. His mouth overtook mine, and I pressed against him, sending zaps through my lower half at the same time he hissed. “Do you know what a fucking bad idea this is?”
I ran my tongue across his lower lip. “Worst ever.”
His hands went through my hair to the back of my head as he adjusted me. “This stops right now. Do you hear me?”
His lips crashed into mine as the moan that escaped me seemed to ignite something in him, making me feel desired like I’d never been before. I sat up straight and yanked my shirt off before pressing my chest against his. The friction was enough to drive my self-control off a cliff.
His lips trailed down to my neck. “Do you feel what you’re doing to me?” He sucked on the area just below my ear. “How dare you come into my cabin and turn me into an animal who can’t get enough of you.”
I rolled on top of him. His hands found my hips while the kiss grew out of control. I pushed against him and couldn’t remember anything feeling more perfect in my life. I needed him at that moment like I needed a beating heart. And chocolate.
He sat up, and we were chest to chest with his breathing speeding up as my fingers dropped to his amazing abs. He pulled back, and our eyes locked again, almost as if telling me he wasn’t asking for permission.
He tugged my hair lightly, pulling my head back, as his lips went from my jaw down to my chest. “You’re so beautiful,” came out in a husky whisper that sent chills crawling up me.
My breath caught as his hands pulled my bottom closer. I pressed against him while my fingers clawed his back as he cursed my name. At the same time, I felt his teeth graze my neck, awaking every nerve in my body.
He started to move my hips against him, and I froze.
“Don’t get shy on me now.” He lay back on the bed. “You know what you want.”
I didn’t know if I was happy or sad that my sweatpants were still between us as his fingers dug into me and rocked me against him. This was it. I was going to die tonight.
“Get out your head, Fern.” In a split second, he flipped me on my back, and I felt cool air on my legs as my sweats were ripped off and whipped across the room. But my panties stayed put.
I soaked in his broad shoulders above me just barely visible. His mouth nipped and teased while he dragged himself against me as I clung to those arms.
“Gabe—” My voice was a raspy plea.
His body answered. It was ridged and hard as it swept across my most sensitive parts relentlessly as I was building. I whimpered as he pinned me to the bed while my world turned into waves and waves of intensity I’d never known.
He showered my face with gentle kisses as he released my hands. “You’re unbelievable,” he whispered in my ear. “To see you…you have no idea what you’re doing to me.”
My head was spinning as he rolled to the side of me and pushed a piece of hair off my face before pulling me into his arms.
My breathing regulated as we lay in silence. His skin on mine in a dark cabin in the middle of nowhere was the best place I’d ever been.
We stayed there with his fingers lightly tickling my shoulder. Then he let out a slow breath, and I knew what was rolling through his mind.
“You’re thinking of my brother while I lay nearly naked beside you. Right?”
“That sounds all sorts of wrong.” He chuckled. “You’ve had a lot happen in the past twelve hours, and you’re feeling emotional.” A sigh escaped him. “Your brother’s my best friend, and if he ever knew, well, I don’t want to hurt him like that, or you. This is probably a bad idea.”
Olivia Rodrigo’s It’s a bad idea, right? sing-songed in my ears.
Since my life is just a bunch of it seemed like a good idea at the time strung together, I knew he was likely correct. I needed to think and act like a grown ass woman and get my hands and lips away from this man.
There was laughing in my brain.
It was then I tackled my common sense and strangled it into silence. I decided it was time to get going. Middle-of-the-night bad decisions aren’t going to make themselves. “I hear what you’re saying, but he’s not hurt because he doesn’t know.” I looked up at him. “And I can assure you I’m not hurt. The opposite of hurt. You’ve provided an abundance of life affirming non-hurt right here in this bed.”
“Is that so?” He twisted a piece of my hair between his fingers.
