Page 71 of Kiss and Make Love

Gabriel went inside to pay, so she made her way back to the car. Halfway into her seat, his phone buzzed, and she startled. Closing the door and inspecting, she saw multiple notifications on the home screen: four missed calls and eight new texts. Ignoring the warning bells in her mind, she grabbed it anyway and looked at the messages. Gabriel had royally pissed someone off because he wasn’t answering.

The screen flashed to the incoming call display while it was still in her hands. She fumbled and her fingers hit the accept button. She cursed herself for being such an idiot. Now, she had to think about how to play this off.

“Hello. Gabriel Jackson’s phone.” She hoped she sounded steady to the person on the other line.

Gabriel exited the gas station doors, snacks and drinks in hand, and lifted his gaze to meet hers as the man on the phone spit his impatient words at her. He took a few steps and stopped. His mouth dropped open, and his eyes grew two sizes bigger as he realized she was on his phone.

Shrinking into her seat, she wrapped up the conversation with his irate boss. She sighed and hoped the fragile connection she’d made with Gabriel didn’t just go right out the window.

GABRIEL

June was on his phone. What did she think she was doing? He didn’t need her getting involved in his professional life. Here he was, shutting off his phone for her, listening to her,comfortingher. So stupid to show any sort of feelings toward her. He didn’t need another damn Cassandra ruining his life.

But deep down, he knew June was nothing like his snake of an ex-girlfriend.

He threw open his door and slid behind the wheel. The one time he left his phone behind, he got a call. He was gone for five damn minutes. And, of course, she had to answer it.

“Give it to me.” As much as he tried, he couldn’t keep the irritation out of his voice.

She stuck her hand out meekly with the phone in her grasp. He tugged it from her grip and looked at the notifications. An abundance of missed calls and messages appeared on the screen. He closed his eyes and ran his hand over his face, breathing in deeply through his nose.

“Before you get too mad,” she started, her voice wavering. “I scheduled that meeting you wanted for next Tuesday.”

What did she say? The exasperation that’d washed over him in waves only a moment ago disappeared with that one simple phrase. He must’ve still looked pissed off because she continued explaining.

“The guy on the phone kept pushing and pushing for the meeting to be tomorrow, but I remembered you said you wanted to set it for Tuesday. And if the meeting ended up being tomorrow, you wouldn’t be there because you’re here,” she rambled. “It seemed important to you, so I dug my heels in and told him it would only work if it happened on Tuesday. I know I shouldn’t have touched your phone, but?—”

Before his brain could register what his body was doing, he leaned over the center console, wrapped his hand around her nape, and pressed his lips to hers. At first, her mouth was stiff and unyielding, but she quickly melted into his kiss.

Her lips parted and allowed his tongue to explore her mouth with a hunger he never let himself act on until now. His heart was beating faster than he thought it could, and his cock stiffened beneath his dark jeans. What was he doing? Matt was going to kill him. But his body had its own ideas, and frankly, he didn’t want to stop.

She didn’t protest when his hand travelled down her neck, caressing her smooth shoulder, wrapping in the strap of her dress. He pulled her closer as he savoured the sweet taste of her mouth. A mouth he’d imagined kissing over so many years.

June met his kiss with equal intensity, her tongue sliding over his as he pushed his way deeper. The idea of fucking her mouth with his tongue, taking control of her, and having her underneath him flashed through his mind. An unbearable urge to take her right there in front of the gas station overwhelmed him.

All the times he’d fantasized about hooking up with her came flooding back.

All the slinky summer dresses.

All the flirty looks he’d ignored.

A quiet moan escaped her lips, and he pulled away from her. That wasnotwhat he meant to do. He was so close to snapping at her when he saw the phone in her hands. Yet somehow, his mood had changed so damn fast when he realized she’d helped him.

And to make it worse, Matt was his best friend. It’s not like he could mess around with his little sister for the hell of it. She wasoff-limits. That would definitely cross some spoken—and unspoken—boundaries between them.

June’s face was flushed, and she was silent. Those green eyes locked on him, though, waiting for him to say something. To explain himself.

“I, uh…” He scratched at the back of his head. It wasn’t like him to be awkward or unsure of himself. “Thank you, is what I’m trying to say. Thank you for making sure that the meeting didn’t happen without me.”

He rested his hands in his lap as he shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the bulge in his pants. No doubt she was also assessing what he did.

“It was the least I could do since I accidentally answered your phone. I didn’t want to mess things up even more for you.” Her voice broke on the last few words, though she tried to cover it up by clearing her throat.

“What do you mean mess things upmorefor me?” His eyes narrowed as he examined her face. She crinkled her nose in concern, causing the freckles across her face to shift ever so slightly. Her scrunched eyes betrayed how exposed she must be feeling. The flash of lust he experienced only moments ago was replaced with concern of his own.

June cleared her throat and took a breath. “Matt always says how important work is to you. I know you’d rather fly to see him than drive halfway across the country. This is a waste of your time. If you weren’t driving me, you could handle your work a lot easier. If this were any other situation, I would’ve made my own way. And I was going to—but I’m desperate to be there for Matt. I don’t want to get in your way,” she finished, looking even more vulnerable than when she was telling him about her dad earlier.

He let that sit for a beat before responding. “You didn’t mess things up, June. The situation is what it is, okay?”

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