Page 68 of Love in the Wild

Staring up at him, Hadley searched for words and found none. No one had ever pointed out her determination or boldness. No one even mentioned the things Gage saw and appreciated.

Gage closed up his empty bowl and handed it back to her. “Thanks for breakfast.”

“My friends Blake and Everly sent it. I stayed with them last night. I work with them at the ranch. Maybe you can meet them soon.” She looked at her watch. Time was slipping away already.

“You have to go?” he asked.

“Yeah. What time is Brett planning to visit your uncle’s?”

“He said around nine. I need to get my head in the game.”

Hadley grimaced. “So you’ll be acting like you’re on your family’s side?”

“At least until Bruce and Tommy agree to a truce. Even then, I’ll need to play devil’s advocate. They can’t know I’m a double agent yet.”

A kindling of fear stirred in her middle, but she bolstered her defenses against it. This was only the beginning of the things Gage would face as he worked to free Thea and himself from his family’s bonds.

“You’ll be careful, right?”

Gage cradled her cheek in his hand, and the roughness was a stark contrast to her smooth skin. His gaze roamed over her features before his dark eyes locked with hers. “No one has ever cared about me before,” he whispered.

“I care.” The truth was as easy as breathing.

His fingers slid into her hair as he stepped closer until her body was flush against his. His other hand gripped her waist, holding her firmly yet gently.

“I haven’t always been careful when my life was on the line. I didn’t have a reason to, but I do now. I care about you. I care about you so much that I don’t understand it.”

Hadley wound her arms tighter around him. How could either of them understand it when the relationships they trusted were so few and fragile?

Her voice was low, but her words were sure. “You’re not alone. I’ll stand by you.”

His gaze fell to her mouth, and his chest heaved before he angled his mouth against hers and pressed their lips together.

The breath in Hadley’s lungs exploded as she inhaled the charged air around them. Every brush of Gage’s lips against hers stoked a fire in her middle, and his grip in her hair tightened. There was a carefully controlled power behind his kiss that drew her closer, yet kept her barely breathing on the edge of a cliff.

She slid her hands around his back and clung to him, desperately craving the connection she’d been searching for all this time.

Gage’s phone rang, startling a gasp out of Hadley. She leaned back, but he followed her, reconnecting their kiss with the same intensity as before.

The phone stopped ringing only to start again. A growl rumbled in Gage’s chest.

“That might be important,” Hadley said as Gage slowed their kiss to a steady adoration.

“Not as important as you,” Gage answered before touching deliberate kisses to the edges of her mouth and down to her jaw.

A cheerful laugh bubbled up Hadley’s throat. Her heart was lighter than air in the peaceful moment. “When did you become a romantic?”

“About two minutes ago. You were there,” Gage said as he pressed sweet kisses below her ear.

She suppressed a giggle as his lips brushed over a sensitive spot on her neck. “We really have to go.”

Gage’s phone rang again, and he huffed as he pulled it out of his pocket. “This better be good.”

Gage rolled his eyes as whoever was on the other end of the call spoke. He mouthed, “Blah, blah, blah,” as he listened.

“Got it,” Gage finally said before shoving the phone back in his pocket. “I have another reason to hate Brett now.”

“Why?”

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