~ Evelyn ~
I wake in the darkness, sometime before dawn. I’m drowsy and sated, aching in all the right places.
Gabe is not in bed with me, but when I sit up I notice that his suit jacket and shirt are folded with military precision on the bench at the end of the mattress, along with his holstered weapon. I don’t see his pants or his prosthesis, which he removed sometime last night before we depleted his condom supply.
I smile at the memory of how vigorously and thoroughly we pleasured each other.
And that’s all it takes for arousal to unfurl inside me all over again. I groan, clamping my thighs together against the rising ache I still have for him.
So much for my sexual drought. Gabriel Noble not only opened the dam last night but obliterated it.
I slip out of bed and follow the sliver of light comingfrom the connected master bathroom, pausing to grab a short kimono from my large walk-in closet as I go.
Gabe is freshly showered and seated on the marble edge of the big soaking tub, a white guest towel wrapped around his hips. His broad, muscled back is bent forward as he scrubs a hand over the top of his damp, tousled brown hair.
“Good morning,” I murmur, leaning against the doorjamb.
“Hey,” he says, glancing up. His voice is low and rough, like it was last night when he whispered so many delicious, dirty things to me. “I hope you don’t mind that I used your shower.”
“Of course, I don’t mind.” I let myself soak in the sight of him, finding it difficult to calm the flutter in my stomach as my gaze travels from his handsome face to his thick shoulders and the solid planes of his chest and lean abdomen. His prosthesis is propped against the bathroom wall near him. I don’t want to stare at his legs, but I don’t avoid looking, either.
After last night, I can’t look at him enough. I’ve explored every inch of his gorgeous body, and I’d love nothing more than to start all over again today.
I step inside the bathroom and seat myself beside him. “What time is it?”
“Almost five. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s okay.” God, he smells good. And the droplets of water on his golden skin only make me want to lick him dry. “You’re leaving early.”
I sound disappointed because I am. He was so tender and giving in bed, I can’t deny that I was looking forward to waking up in his arms.
“It’s Monday morning,” he says. “My day starts early,so I have to get going.”
I lean toward him, pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder. “You sure there isn’t anything you want before you go?”
The corner of his mouth quirks. “I can think of several things. Unfortunately, I’m already late and I need to swing by my place and change clothes. I wasn’t planning to stay over.”
“I’m glad you did.”
He nods, reaching up to stroke the side of my cheek. When I turn my face into his open hand and kiss the center of his palm, he groans. “You start that and I’m going to want to finish it.”
“I don’t see a problem with that.”
“My team will. I’ve got a meeting with them this morning at headquarters.”
“Call in sick. I will too. We can go out for breakfast and some more condoms.”
He chuckles. “Tempting, but I can’t. After the meeting, I’ll be with Nick and Beck reviewing the new security system installation for your boutique later this week.”
“Tell them you’re playing hooky with me. Or I’ll tell them. My brother will understand.”
The look he gives me is so stark it makes my breath catch. “No. He won’t understand, Evelyn.” He glances away then, muttering a harsh curse. “Your brother will fucking kill me if he finds out what I’ve done to you. And for good damn reason.”
“What you’ve done to me?” I laugh, but he only grows soberer. Distant. I swear he flinches when I place my hand on his back. “Hey. I was only kidding about saying anything to Andrew. I won’t. My sex life is noneof his business, just like his is none of mine. Not that he has a sex life. I’m pretty sure my big brother is a monk.”
This attempt at humor falls flat too. Gabe swears again, low under his breath. “I gotta go.”
He reaches for his prosthesis and his slacks that lay on the edge of the tub at his other side. Afraid to say anything else that might worsen the gap that seems to have opened up between us so quickly, I get up and brush my teeth at one of the sinks as he hastily puts on his boxer briefs, then grabs the sleeve that fits onto the stump of his left leg.
