For the first time, he’d allowed himself to start opening up to someone. He’d begun making plans for Sabine to be a permanent fixture in his life. He hadn’t anticipated her bolting, and when she did, he shut down. Gavin hadn’t allowed himself to realize just how much he’d missed her until this moment.
She didn’t trust him. Not with her son and not with her heart. Gavin hadn’t appreciated it when he had it—at least not outwardly. He never told her how he felt or shared his plans for their future. That was his own fault, and they missed their chance at love. But even with that lost, he wanted her back in his bed. He ached to run his fingers through her hair. Tonight, it was pulled up on top of her head, the silky black and bright purple strands jumbled together. He wanted to touch it and see it sprawled across the pillowcase.
His eyes traveled down her body to the thin shirt and shorts she was wearing. He didn’t think it was possible, but she was more beautiful now than she had been back then. She wouldn’t believe him if he told her that, but it was true. Motherhood had filled out some of the curves she’d lacked as a struggling artist. He remembered her getting so engrossed in her work that sometimes she would simply forget to eat. Gavin would come to the apartment with takeout and force her to take a break.
Now she had nicely rounded hips that called to him to reach out and glide his palms over them. He wanted to curl up behind her and press her soft body into his. He wanted to feel her lean, yoga-toned muscles flexing against him. The sight of her in that skimpy workout outfit had haunted him since that first night.
Her newly developed muscles didn’t make up for the mental strain, however. Even in her sleep, a fine line ran between her eyebrows. She made a certain face when she was frustrated or confused, and that line was the result. There were faint circles under her eyes. She was worn out. He was determined to make things easier for her. No matter how their relationship ended or his feelings where she was concerned, she deserved the help he could provide.
She just had to let him.
“Gavin,” Sabine whispered.
He looked up, expecting to see her eyes open, but she was talking in her sleep. Calling his name in her sleep. He held his breath, waiting to see if she spoke again.
“Please,” she groaned, squirming slightly on the sofa. “Yes. I need you.”
Gavin nearly choked on his own saliva. She wasn’t just dreaming about him. She was having an erotic dream about him. The mere thought made his jeans uncomfortably tight.
“Touch me.”
Gavin couldn’t resist. He reached out and placed his hand on the firm curve of her calf. He loved the feel of her soft skin against him. It made his palm tingle and his blood hum in his veins. Just a simple touch. No other woman had had this effect on him. Whatever it was that drew them together was still here, and as strong as ever.
“Gavin?”
He looked up to see Sabine squinting at him in confusion. She was awake now. And probably wondering why the hell he was fondling her leg. He expected her to shy away from his touch, but she didn’t. Instead, she sat up. She looked deep into his eyes for a moment, the fire of her passionate dream still lighting her gaze.
She reached up, cradling his face in her hands and tugging his mouth down to hers. He wasn’t about to deny her. The moment their lips met, he felt the familiar surge of need wash over him. Before when they’d kissed, he had resisted the pull, but he couldn’t do it any longer. He wanted her and she wanted him. They could deal with the consequences of it later.
Her mouth was hungry, demanding more of him, and he gave it. His tongue thrust inside her, matching her intensity and eliciting a groan deep in her throat. Her fingers drifted into his hair, desperately tugging him closer.
Gavin wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her up onto her knees. He explored every new curve of her body just as he’d fantasized, dipping low to cup the roundness of her backside. The firm press of her flesh against his fingertips was better than he ever could have imagined. He didn’t think it was possible, but he grew even harder as he touched her.
Sabine’s hands roamed as well, sliding down his chest, studying the ridges of his abs and then reaching around his back. She grasped the hem of his shirt and tugged until their lips parted and it came up and over his head. She did the same with her own shirt, throwing it to the floor and revealing full brea**sts with no bra to obscure them.
Before he could reach out to touch them, Sabine leaned back, cupping his neck with one hand and pulling him with her until she was lying on the couch and he was covering her body with his. Every soft inch of her molded to him. Her brea**sts crushed against his bare chest, the hard peaks of her nipp**les pressing insistently into his skin.