She shook her head, but she didn’t look quite certain. He stroked his hand down her arm, trying to soothe her, and she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. He stroked a hand over her hair and let them both breathe for a moment. She made him feel more alive than he’d felt in a long time. It was a struggle to remember that he was here for the mission.
Pulling away, she said, “Let’s take this into the living room. But I have to be up early for work. That reminds me, are you on leave or something?”
“Yeah, something like that. Down time.” Gage picked up his beer and followed her into the living room. Out of habit, he stopped by the window and glanced out, checking his surroundings.
A shadow moved in the street below. Could be someone out for the evening air, but Gage didn’t like that the person seemed to be hanging around rather than walking somewhere. Maybe it was nothing, but suddenly he didn’t want to leave Anna alone.
He was still suspicious of what could have caused her car to break down like that. She’d said some guy had stopped to help her—but then the guy had vanished. It all smacked of trouble, and…well, he wasn’t going to see her end up like Nick.
Dropping the curtain, he headed over to the couch and sat next to her. “With your car out of commission, do you need a ride to work in the morning?”
She shook her head and sipped her beer. “I can call a friend for a ride, once I know Ginny’s at the mechanic’s. I want to make sure she’s in good hands.”
He put his beer down and put his hands on her waist. “How about you being in some good hands?”
She opened her mouth to answer, so he swooped in for another kiss. He caught her breath—and her tongue, sucking on it. She moaned and brought up her hands, wrapping her arms around him.
Testing the waters, he slipped one hand under her shirt. Her skin was warm and soft. He heard the thud of one of her shoes coming off.
Pulling back, he gazed at her. He touched a hand to the buttons on her shirt, but she put her hand over his. “Leave it on.” He lifted his eyebrows, but she simply grabbed his T-shirt and pulled on the hem. “This, however, can go.”
Sitting up, he tugged it off, unable to resist preening a little when she ran her fingertips over his chest. It was nothing she hadn’t seen during the photoshoot, but maybe it made a difference now that it was forher,now that she was allowed to touch. Her hand stilled, her fingers splayed wide on him as if she was taking ownership. She looked straight at him. “This may seem fast, but the one thing these last couple of days have taught me is that I don’t want to reach the end of my life and have any regrets.”
He smiled. “Life flashed before your eyes?”
“Something like that.” She stood, unbuttoned her jeans, and let them drop. She had great legs, long and lean and perfect. Looking up at her, Gage wet his lips and asked, “And what is it would you regret?”
“Not doing this.” Grasping his shoulder for support, Anna straddled him. She’d dropped her panties, too, and he could feel her warmth right through his jeans. He groaned.
Sliding closer, she cupped the side of his face and kissed him, plunging her tongue into his mouth to explore. He gave another moan and caught her hips with his hands. He couldn’t hold still, so he rocked his hips up into hers.
She had him on edge, ready to pop like a teenager.
Pulling back, she grinned at him. “So, what are we waiting for?”
He tightened his hold on her, pulling her to him and twisting so she lay flat on her back on the couch with him on top of her, his arms braced on either side of her. Her shirt rode up, and her legs splayed wide, giving him the best view in town.
He kissed her with an intensity born of need. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she arched against him. He stroked the backs of her knees, loving the feel of her skin, her warmth—and the eagerness with which she pulled him in, wanting him closer. He pressed light kisses all over her face. She giggled, and he pulled back and smiled at her. “You have a nice laugh.” Rocking his hips, he pressed the bulge in his jeans against her wetness.
She slid her hands over his back. “I think…we have too many clothes on. And by we, I mean you.”
Chuckling, he shifted off her and stood to shed his clothes. Her eyes widened at the sight of him fully bared, fully hard, and he spread his hands to invite her to look her fill. “You’re the one who saidwehad too many clothes on,” he reminded her.
“I did say that.”
He knelt on the couch and covered her body with his again. He smiled at her before kissing her nose. “You are so beautiful, Anna. Can you feel what you do to me?”
She shifted, wrapping her legs around him once more, the slide of skin against skin unbearably sensual. “Oh, yeah.”
Gage began kissing his way down her body. He wanted her shirt off, but when he tugged on it, she caught his hands and shook her head. He shrugged and kept heading south. He licked her stomach and headed lower, placing a wet kiss on the inside of her thigh. She sucked in a breath.
He lifted his head. “Bad?”
“Oh no. Good. Very, very good.”
He did it again, and she sighed. Lifting her legs, he draped them over his shoulders as he rubbed his hands over the insides of her thighs. She was a natural blonde. “Now this is what I call dessert,” he said as she raised her hips to him.
He rubbed his thumbs along her slit and pushed into the warm dampness. She smelled like the ocean—like a woman ready for sex. She was so damn wet. It drove him wild to feel how much she wanted this, wanted him. He put his mouth where his fingers had been, pushing his tongue into her, tasting her sweet honey. She moaned, hips bucking. He slid two fingers inside her, curling his fingers as he twisted his hand. With a gasp, Anna dug her heels into his back. Her body began to shake.