Page 32 of Losing Hope

He let out a long,satisfied sigh and kissed her cheek. “I love—” His heart caught in his throat as he realized what he was about to say, her eyes swiveling up to meet his. “Being here withyou.”

She stared at up at him, her expression telling him she was trying to read what was happening behind those green eyes of his, and then responded slowly. “I love being here with you, too.”

His hand came up and caressed her face, his eyes locked on hers as he lowered his mouth and kissed her slowly. Her hands slid up and around his neck as she reciprocated his actions, her tongue slinking out to graze his teasingly. He hummed his compliance and shifted their bodies so she was beneath him as he lowered her back onto the grassy meadow, her hair fanning her head like a goldenhalo.

Around them, birds chirped, bees swarmed lazily by, and leaves rustled in the late afternoon breeze, creating a soundtrack no man-made music could match. Their kisses continued, the intensity and heat of their bodies building with every stolen breath. Gage dragged his hand down the length of her torso until he found the hem of her shirt and slipped his hand underneath, his palm resting on the silk of her skin. His mouth left hers and started blazing a trail to her neck by nipping his way along her chin, to her ear, and then finally lower, his tongue laving her throat languidly.

She moaned softly as she titled her head back, giving him more access to her throat. His fingertips were brushing circles in a slow rhythmic dance up her stomach, over the mound of her breast, his large hand covering it completely and gently clenching. Her back arched off the ground as she pushed harder into his grasp, her hands gripping his taut biceps.

He lifted his head from her throat to look at her. He nuzzled his nose down over her face before placing a chaste kiss against her lips. “Open your eyes, Hope.”

Her lids fluttered open, the pupils dilated and surrounded by a sea of churning blue. She leaned up and bit his lips in a teasing kiss. “Don’tstop.”

He nipped her back seductively, his tongue snaking out to barely graze over her lips afterwards. “Private enough?” He growled into her ear as he moved his thumb to swipe over her hardened nipple, eliciting a small moan fromher.

She turned her head so that she could pummel her lips to his in a frenzied kiss of passion, her hands sliding under his shirt and over his bare back, her nails digging into his skin as he pushed his hardened length against the warm juncture that his body lay against. A hot gasp of pleasure burst from her mouth and into him as her lips broke fromhis.

“Yes, private enough.” She moved her hands around to the front of his jeans, releasing the button, and began trying to push them lower.

He chuckled at her eager efforts and moved his hands down to help her as she moved to do the same to her own bottoms. “Eager, arewe?”

Her eyes locked onto his. “I want you.” She reached down between his legs and grasped his hard length in her hand, slowly sliding it up and down. “I think this indicates you do, aswell.”

He groaned and gritted his teeth as pleasure roared through him when her small hand clenched onto his cock. “I’ve wanted you every second from the moment I wrapped my arms around your perfect body and carried you back to the truck in therain.”

He silenced any further discussion by crashing his mouth over hers, lunging his hips forward, his cock sinking deep, their bodies melting intoone.

A little more thanan hour later, Gage parked the truck next to the Range Rover back at the lake house. Hope’s head was tilted back and resting against the back of the seat, a relaxed smile on her lips as she turned towardhim.

“Home sweethome.”

He leaned toward her, gripping her lightly at the nape of her neck, and kissed her slowly. Her hand came up and stroked the stubble that had gotten softer with the last few days of growth, enjoying the tranquility a simple kiss from him made her feel. He broke the kiss but moved his forehead to rest against hers, neither of them ready to completely break contact yet. His gaze locked onto hers and seemed to penetrate all the way to her soul, a shiver sweeping down herbody.

“What is it?” she whispered in confusion.

“The question is, what are you doing to me?” He blinked slowly, keeping his forehead pressed to hers as he brushed his lips lightly acrosshers.

Her heart began to race, as if a thousand butterflies were fluttering against her breast, trying to fly away. “I think maybe the same thing you are doing tome.”

He kissed her again, this time swiping his tongue across her bottom lip after nipping and pulling it teasingly.

“You are stealing my heart.”

Kiss.

“One.”

Kiss.

“Surprising.”

Kiss.

“Moment.”

Kiss.

“At.”

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