He wasn’t the only one breathing heavy.
“Willow—” he started.
I shook my head, lifting a hand, palm aimed his way like I was holding him off, but I knew.
Man, did I know.
Those gestures were for me.
I was holding myself back from making another really stupid, really damaging, really messed-up decision.
“That wasn’t smart,” I said, my words shaky.
He nodded, and that movement, his agreement, should’ve set my mind at ease.
But it felt like a million needles piercing my skin.
Then he said, “You’re right. While I’m assigned to protect you, we shouldn’t go there.”
“Gabe—”
“But after this shit is done, babe?—”
“No,” I stated firmly, surprised I had that in me, glad I did, but at the same time devastated.
His excruciatingly perfect, arched black eyebrows winged up. “What?”
“No,” I repeated.
“No…what?” he asked, appearing confused, which was kinda adorable.
Gabriel Stark had been in my sphere now for a good while. He was buds with my buds’ boyfriends. We were firmly entrenched in the same posse.
He was also built like a brick shithouse—bulky, sturdy, no lean muscle there. Though he was all muscle and it was all in-your-face power.
He was further, all spread-legs-while-seated, arms flung over the backs of chairs and booths, taking up manly space like it was his due. His chuckle, which was hard to come by, was deep and rumbling, and each time he emitted it, it was clear he was bestowing a gift you should feel lucky you received.
And whenever I heard it, I felt lucky.
Whenever I caused it, I felt like the queen of the world.
He was intense.
He was edgy.
He was so sexy, it was almost scary.
So not once, not even close, had he ever looked remotely adorable.
And seriously, in this exact moment, I really did not need to know he could.
Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.
You’ve learned, my logical brain told me. The hard way. Like, a gazillion times. Starting at, oh, I don’t know…birth!
But this is Gabe, my starry-eyed, dreamer brain told me. He’s a member of the Hottie Squad. They’ve managed the impossible. They’ve succeeded in morphing the hot, sexy alpha bits with the thoughtful, sensitive enlightened bits of a human being with a dick.
Raye says Cap struggles with his inner caveman all the time, my logical brain reminded my dreamer.
