Page 45 of Love in the Wild

Holding up his hands, he showed off the grease stains on his arms.

She turned around to glance at Tim. “Your co-workers aren’t going to believe we’re–”

Gage uncrossed his ankles, planting his boots on either side of her as he wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her flush against him.

Her fingers splayed over Gage’s chest, and the breath in her lungs died. “Whoa.”

“Better?” he whispered close to her ear. His fingers linked at the small of her back, creating a cage around her.

But she wasn’t trapped. Despite the hardness of his arms and the roughness of his skin, he held her loosely.

“Yes,” she whispered, keeping her head keenly focused on his shirt directly in front of her and keeping her arms tucked close to her chest. What was she supposed to do with her hands?

Gage’s finger pressed under her chin and gently lifted her head. There was a softness in his eyes that brought back her ability to breathe.

“Now, do you want to tell me about your day?” he asked.

Yes, yes she did want to tell him.

But she couldn’t.

“Nothing special. Just another workday. What about you?”

“I sparred at the gym this morning and got my clock cleaned. Again.”

“What?”

“Mixed martial arts. I go to the gym downtown almost every morning.”

“Oh, so that’s what you like to do for fun? You fight?”

“It sounds bad when you say it like that.”

“I didn’t mean to imply that it’s bad. I just can’t imagine liking getting beaten up.”

“I don’t get beat up often. Let’s make that clear.”

“But you said you did today.”

“Yeah, well I haven’t been sleeping lately.”

Hadley’s hands relaxed, and she rested them on his chest. His body had a chill to it, but there was a warmth beneath the surface.

“Don’t get too close. I might bite,” he warned low.

Hadley shook her head and narrowed her eyes at him. Her heart was about to run straight through her sternum and out of her chest, but a flash of bravery urged her on. “No, you won’t.”

A slight grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “If you say so.”

“Why aren’t you sleeping? Are you worried about Thea?”

Gage slowly nodded. “And you.”

“Me?”

“Being around me is going to attract unwanted attention.”

“For your information, no one has commented on our relationship.”

---