Gage kissed the side of her cheek, then reached up and took her hands in his own, locking the two of them together. Gage hated having to pull out. In fact he could stay inside her snug body for about a century.
Summer collapsed against the side of the tub, exhausted and spent. Gage sighed and pulled his cock free of her in one smooth stroke. Goddamn, already he missed the connection. As he stood, he slid his arm behind her knees and neck, then swung her into his arms. Summer roused and looked up at him, and her dreamy expression zipped clear to his soul.
“First, I’m going to dry you from head to toe, then I’m going to give you one of my special massages.”
“A massage?”
He smiled at her husky voice. “A full body massage. By the time I’m through, you’ll sleep like a baby.”
“I think you’ve already got that part covered, Gage.”
He stepped carefully out of the tub and put her on her feet. He got rid of the condom before grabbing one of the towels from the lounger. He started on her feet and worked his way up. By the time he’d reached her breasts, he was semi-erect. Christ Almighty, would he ever get enough of the sexy vixen? But he already knew the answer to that question. Now to fix it so he could keep his very delightful Summer treat.
Chapter Nine
He was gone. It’d been a week—seven days, four hours and three minutes actually, but who was counting? Crap, Summer could still feel his kiss, his gentle stroke, the fullness of him inside her. His woodsy scent seemed to linger in the air. It didn’t matter where she was or what she was doing, she could still smell his intoxicating maleness.
He’d called her every night and during the day he sent her text messages, little teasers meant to keep her thinking about him. It worked like a charm. She woke with him in her mind and, when she went to bed at night, she hugged the pillow, wishing he were holding her in his arms. In the hot tub, he’d promised to come back. Or had he? Not in so many words. Was it just the sex speaking?
Try as she might, Summer couldn’t see it working. His life was in Ohio, and that was that. Summer hadn’t let on that she missed him, had tried to act chipper when he called, pushing her aching heart into a small corner. It wasn’t his fault she’d fallen for him in such a short time.
Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she worked, stopping only when her body grew too exhausted to stand. As she cleaned one of the suites, a sense of pride filled Summer. She liked the work, enjoyed seeing the rooms all neat and ready for the next guest. The downside was all the quiet time. That was when her thoughts strayed to Gage the most. As she dusted the top of the entertainment cabinet, she thought of the way Gage had talked her into playing in the nude in her hot tub, how he’d taken her and how connected he’d made her feel. She couldn’t look at it now without feeling as if she’d just gotten kicked in the gut.
Summer tossed her dust rag into the cleaning cart before pushing it out of the room and down the hall to the next vacant room. To Gage’s room. She stopped and stared at the door, willing him to appear. Nothing happened, of course.
“You really need to hire some help, sweetheart.”
Oh, God, that voice! Summer whirled around and nearly fainted as she came face-to-face with Gage, a grin as wide as Texas on his handsome face. He grabbed her up and swung her into his arms, then strode down the hall.
“Gage! What on earth?” She tried to sound firm, but her body had already begun to react to his, and she couldn’t think straight. The man was positively addictive.
“I’ve missed you, baby.”
Emotions clogged her throat at his declaration. When he pushed his way into her suite and set her on her feet, he frowned. “Why do you look like someone just kicked your puppy? I thought you’d be happy to see me.”
She bit her lip and shook her head.
“What is it, pretty baby?”
“I-I’ve missed you too.”
He stepped closer, pinning her between his large body and the door, then he leaned down until he was a mere breath away. “When I come within ten feet of you I bet your heart races, doesn’t it? Your eyes turn drowsy and your nip
ples peak for me.” He paused, tipped up her chin and forced her to look at him. “I know I turn you on, and I sort of had the feeling you were beginning to care about me.” The finger resting under her chin moved down to her neck. He massaged her jumping pulse. “Now I have this crazy feeling that you’d rather I’d stayed in Ohio. Is that it, baby?”
She couldn’t think with him so close, touching her. As she breathed in his musky male scent, Summer blurted out the first thing to pop into her head. “Your life is in Ohio, Gage. Mine’s here. How can that possibly work?”
“Things can change.” He stroked her throbbing pulse once more before moving lower. That devastating finger touched the top swells of her breasts and dipped beneath her blouse, stroking her overheated skin. “I need you, and not just for a roll in the hay, either.”
“Gage, please.” Summer wasn’t even sure what she was begging him for.
He moved his finger down her body, leaving her breasts heaving and aching for more. When he came to the waistband of her shorts, Gage slipped his hand beneath and cupped her through her soaked panties.
“I enjoyed everything we did together. That much is obvious as hell. But I want— No, I need more than sex from you.”
For the first time hope began to bloom. “More?”
His gaze scorched her everywhere it touched. “Yeah, more, baby.”