Before he could finish what he was going to say, Gabe growled, and that time, I didn’t imagine it. It sounded like it was from a wild animal. “Rhys!” he roared, and there was something in his voice that had everything in me responding. At my core. It made no sense, but I wanted to… I wanted to get on my hands and knees and present my very slick hole for Gabe.
I was losing it. Who got turned on watching brothers, who I knew from the last few weeks being around them loved each other, fight?
Maybe I should leave. I was causing problems for the family. The thought made me struggle to catch my breath, like I’d been sucker-punched.
I didn’t want to go. Asheville had started feeling like home. I didn’t think I would like it, but going to the grocery store and being greeted by name was actually amazing. People saw me out and about and stopped to talk to me.
It was a very nice feeling. Not to mention Ga—Rhys was here.
“I’m going to get some fresh air,” Gabe said before striding out of the room.
Rhys slumped back in his seat, and I knew that look on his face. He was digging his heels in.
For some reason, something inside me told me to go after Gabe.
I put my hand on Rhys’s shoulder. “I’ll talk to him. Maybe I’m not getting exactly what he’s looking for.”
Rhys sighed and patted my hand on his shoulder. “Trust me, it’s not you. He’s just being a stubborn-ass bear.”
I managed a smile at the bear reference. Although I wasn’t sure Gabe would technically be considered a bear. I still wondered if he had a sprinkling of hair on his chest. There was something about a light dusting on a man’s chest that tapered into a trail which disappeared into…Nope. You’re so not going there.
* * *
I hadto ask Bailey where Gabe would be after I’d gone outside and couldn’t find him. And now here I was standing outside the man’s house, and I couldn’t seem to ring the bell. I hadn’t been able to the last six or so minutes.
When the door opened, I stumbled back, but Gabe moved so quickly and steadied me.
Gabe held my gaze. The intensity in his eyes stole my breath, but then his gaze shuttered, and I felt…like I’d just lost something.
He stepped back, even going as far as putting his hands behind his back, and a fanciful thought struck me. What if he had to do that because he was trying to keep his hands off me?
Screamingtouch me pleaseat the top of my lungs would be…insane, right?
“Did Rhys send you?” Gabe’s voice pierced my thoughts.
I shook my head. But couldn’t seem to form any words.
How cliché, Kian… Does the big, handsome alpha leave you speechless?
The truth was now that I was here in front of him… I wasn’t even sure what I’d planned on saying.
I cleared my throat. “I just thought maybe we could build on the branding you liked.” I lifted up my iPad and opened it, then held it up so he could see, then flicked between the images, looking between him and the screen. “I thought maybe if we worked together, we could make it perfect.”
Gabe didn’t say anything, but those hazel-green eyes never looked at the iPad.
“I thought… I mean, I was almost certain there was one you liked?” I didn’t want to look too closely at why I needed him to like my designs. It wasn’t like I didn’t have other clients. I’d made sure to reach out to all my clients, even the ones I’d had to let go while Papa was sick. And I’d restarted my profiles on online platforms for freelancers, and I already had several orders. But I wanted Gabe to want me.
Not want me…want my work.
Sighing, I closed my iPad cover. “Maybe this just isn’t the right fit. I’m sure there are other designers out there you can hire…”
Before I could even think of where to go with my statement, I had those muscular arms wrapped around me, and I was pulled into Gabe’s chest.
“I don’t want anyone else.” He growled the words out. “Only you.” Then his lips slammed down on mine. I was stunned for a minute, but it was like my hard drive finally booted up, and I moaned into the kiss.
I told the part of my brain that was chantingGabe is kissing meover and over to shut up, and I slid my hands into the thick brown hair like I’d dreamed of doing.
His hand cupped the back of my neck as he laid claim to my mouth. The kiss was possessive, all lips and tongue and teeth. It was fucking hot and like nothing I’d ever experienced.
