“Yes. Gabe, I want you so much. You have no idea.” She rose and turned her back to him. “Would you mind unzipping my dress?”
“Ha. Mind? Not even a little bit.” He stood behind her and slowly lowered her zipper, taking the time to kiss a path down her spine.
She shivered.
“Are you cold, hon?”
“No.” She turned enough so he could see her smile. “That was the first time you used an endearment for my name.”
“Is it? Well, it won’t be the last…although it might be the last for a while,” he said sadly.What a terrible boyfriend I was. I’m lucky she wants me at all.
When he reached the bottom of her dress, he let it fall and pool around her feet. “Let me help you.” He moved around to face her and held her hand as she stepped out of the silky fabric. She was wearing a white lace corset under it all. He swallowed hard. “You’ve really seemed to be a little steadier on your feet lately.”
“I am. I was hoping MS was a misdiagnosis, but the doctor said it’s more likely the pregnancy. MS improves temporarily during that time.”
“Well, we’ll have to keep you barefoot and pregnant,” he said, hoping to lighten the mood.
She placed a hand on her luscious hip. “I don’t think so. Maybe your mom could handle seven kids, but I don’t even want to try.”
He chuckled. “I don’t blame you.” He reached for her waist and drew her to him. Leaning down, he captured her lips and gave her a long, languorous kiss. The first in too long.
“Did that hurt?” she asked.
“Who cares?”
“I care.”
“Well, don’t worry. If something hurts, I’ll stop. Trust me.” He fiddled with the corset. “How do I get you out of this contraption?”
She laughed and said, “It laces up in back.”
“Who got you into it?”
“Your mom.”
It was a good thing she was living with his parents.If Dante had laced her up…He had to stop thinking that way. He knew he didn’t have anything to worry about. Misty was his.
He loosened the laces. “Do I leave the laces in place like on sneakers? Or should I take them all the way out of the holes?”
She giggled. “You can just leave them loose. I’ll wiggle out of it.”
His mouth watered as he watched her shimmy out of the corset and whip off the final item…white lace panties.
When she was finally gloriously naked, he paused to appreciate the gift he had just unwrapped. “You’re so beautiful,” he said lamely. He wished he had a more poetic way with words.
“Thanks. I can help you out of your clothes too.”
“Oh no. You’ll take too long.” He kicked off his shoes at the same time as he whipped his tie over his head. In about thirty seconds, he was undressed. His face, neck, and hands were where the worst of the scars were, and she had already seen them, so he wasn’t as self-conscious as he thought he might be.
She touched the brand on his ribs. “What is this?”
He worried what she’d think of him if he told her the truth. He had heated up Buddy’s dog tag and branded himself with it when he was fifteen. It was supposed to be a reminder to stay out of relationships.
“It was there before the fire.”
“I know. I saw it the night we…well, the night of my birthday.”
He glanced down. It had served its purpose, and he was ready to get rid of that too. “It was supposed to be a brand. Just something stupid I did as a teenager.”
