Page 32 of Hell and High Water

Typical Gavin.

Tough, yet caring.

He expects as much of me as I do myself, and I can’t say how much that means to me. Plus, he's a damn good trainer and teacher. Even if it does remind me of Evan at times, which might or might not get me in a mood to bite his head off.

Not to mention the fact that I am going stir crazy being cooped up. Even with the occasional walks we take outside, I haven’t been back to any sort of civilization in what feels like forever.

Yes, I am a drama queen.

Three days of being awake is not that long.

Gavin slips up behind me, curling an arm around my waist and pulling me back into him before I can get away. He’s spectacularly strong.

“Hey, you know you're doing really well. We'll get you in ass-kicking shape in no time.”

“You don’t like my shape? Or my ass?” I pout, trying not to smile.

“Oh, I love every bit of it. Especially that sweet ass. I just want you to protect it in a pinch.”

“Pinch away. I can already kick your ass.”

“Is that right?” he says, spinning me in his arms, tugging me close against his chest. I inhale, letting him feel my breasts press into him. “And how would you do that?”

“Well, I would seduce you, of course. And you would be completely at my mercy. Nothing you can do to stop it, actually.”

“You may have me there,” Gavin rumbles against my cheek as he brushes along my face, nudging me into position to claim my lips with his.

It’s cataclysmic, the way his mouth feels on mine.

Our tongues curl into each other’s mouth, tasting, teasing. He’s always gentle with me, but there's a fiery passion rumbling under that calm.

Gavin Rorshak is an earthquake, a rumbling tremor rolling through me. Powerful. Unique. So exquisite.

“Let me shower and then show you what I mean.”

“If you take too long in there, I'm coming in after you.”

“Promises, promises, promises.” I slip out of his grip and trot upstairs, eager to be clean so we can get dirty. We’ve been at it a few times, taking it slow because of my injury, but it’s overdue for us to really get into it.

Being out here with him has been wonderful, but I am bored out of my mind.

TV and movies are fine and all, but I can’t use my phone, at least until Evan gets me a new burner phone. So all that’s left to do is fool around with my safe house roommate.

Who is also the one who won’t let me do anything on my own, yet.

The overprotectiveness is getting a little irritating.

Gavin isn’t wrong to feel that way. We don't know who this shooter is. We don’t know who is after me.

But I'm a grown woman. I'm tough and I'm smart.

“Yeah, well, tough and smart won't do shit against a bullet.” I hear Gavin's words echo through my head again.

The saving grace, and what has me rushing through my shower even more than sex with Gavin, is the fact that Tell is coming back today. I can’t wait to see him!

Especially since the last time I saw him, he ran off to throw himself in harm's way to cover my escape.

After setting off a bomb as a distraction.

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