Page 54 of Alpha Fate

“You go first,” Gage says, nodding for me to continue.

I take a breath. “I’m sorry I got so impatient with you yesterday. I shouldn’t have blown up like that.”

Gage shakes his head, his expression earnest. “No, it’s my fault. I overstepped. You’re free to make your own decisions. I had no right to try to stop you from seeing him.”

My shoulders relax in relief. I’m glad he understands. “I appreciate you saying that. And…I know you’re just trying to look out for me.”

“Yeah, well…” Gage rubs the back of his neck, glancing away almost shyly. It makes warmth bloom in my chest. “I guess I got a little overprotective. Wasn’t really my place.”

“It’s okay,” I assure him. And I mean it. In spite of our argument, it feels good knowing he cares so much.

An easy silence falls between us. The morning sun casts Gage in a warm golden glow, highlighting the strong lines of his face and broad shoulders. He looks good here on my doorstep. Too good.

I clear my throat and take a small step back, suddenly hyper-aware of how close we’re standing. “Um, do you want to come in for a bit?”

Gage’s eyes flick up to meet mine, his expression softening. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

I step aside, and he moves past me into the apartment. The clean scent of him fills my senses, making my pulse leap. He always smells like sunshine to me. The light in my darkness.

Get it together, Savannah.

Pushing the door closed, I turn and gesture for Gage to follow me toward the living room. “Can I get you anything? Some coffee?”

“Coffee would be great, thanks,” he says, trailing after me.

I head into the small kitchen, acutely tuned into his presence as he settles on the couch in the adjoining living room. Filling up the coffeemaker, I take a steadying breath. I need to stop being so jumpy around him. Gage is just a…a friend, looking out for me after everything that happened. That’s all this is.

Isn’t it?

Well, maybe not. Friends don’t kiss the way we do. My lips tingle at the thought of it. My hand shakes, too, and I yelp as I splash hot water over it.

“Shit!” I mutter.

“Everything okay?” Gage is right behind me, and I get such a start that I drop the coffee mug entirely. “Watch it!” Gage says sharply as it crashes to the kitchen floor between us. Before I realize what he’s doing, he’s lifted me off the floor and set me on the counter. There wasn’t even time for the hot coffee to splash my bare legs. Gage’s cargo pants, on the other hand, are soaked through.

“Oh my God, I’m such a klutz!” I put a hand to my face.

“Don’t worry about it.” He brushes his hands against his pants legs before straightening in front of me. “It was…” He trails off, his eyes dropping to my lips. There’s a strange moment of tension between us as I realize we’re almost touching.

I’m perched on the counter, my bare legs dangling, and Gage is standing right in front of me. His hands grip the edge on either side of my thighs, caging me in. Our faces are only inches apart. The green of his eyes has an otherworldly glow. Wolf. I can sense it.

“Gage…” I whisper. My lips part as I meet his intense gaze. The air feels charged. Before I can overthink it, I close the distance between us and press my mouth to his.

Gage responds instantly, his lips moving over mine hungrily. One hand comes up to cradle the back of my head, holding me in place as he kisses me deeply. I sigh against his mouth, heat pooling low in my belly.

Suddenly, things heat up, our hands roving desperately over each other. I run my fingers through his hair before trailing them down his broad back. Gage’s other hand grips my hip, his thumb brushing the strip of bare skin between my shirt and shorts. I shiver at the contact.

Breaking the kiss, he trails his lips down my throat. I tip my head back to give him better access, panting softly. His mouth is hot and insistent on my sensitive skin. My nails dig into his shoulders as he nips lightly at the juncture of my neck and shoulder.

“Gage,” I breathe his name again, desire coiling tightly within me. I’ve never wanted anyone like this before.

“Beautiful girl…” he growls low in response, the sound reverberating through me, calling to my wolf. She’s getting stronger every day, and he seems to bring it out in me.

Gage’s fingers slip under my shirt, caressing the bare skin of my back. I press closer, craving more contact. More heat. More of him.

Things are escalating quickly, our kisses growing frantic. Gage’s hands slide around to my front, thumbs brushing the undersides of my breasts. I gasp, arching into his touch.

This time, when his mouth finds mine, the kiss is searing. My legs wrap around his waist, drawing him against me. I can feel his arousal, his cock hard and insistent against my core. I rock my hips experimentally, and we both groan at the friction.

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