Page 29 of Your Soul to Keep

His chest expanded with his deep breath as one hand wandered over the curve of my hip before returning to my abdomen.

Voice rough with sleep, he asked, “Are you awake?”

My eyelids fluttered shut. My absent libido was back in town and dancing on the bar top.

“Yes, you?”

He chuckled deep in his chest. “No, I’m talking in my sleep.”

“Shut up,” I huffed out a laugh. “I’m allowed.”

He squeezed me gently. “You are.”

I stroked his forearms, my eyes tracing the curls of ink. One day he’d tell me about every single one of those tattoos. My brow furrowed with the realization his entire life was a mystery to me, and I barely knew him at all.

My hand stilled.

He wasn’t married, not now at least. There must be someone in his life. A man like Gabe? Sweet and sexy and fun?

What the hell was I thinking jumping into bed with him? I wasn’t, that was the problem.

Did he say no because there’s someone else in the picture?

I cleared my throat. “Do you have anyone special in your life?”

The tensing of his muscles triggered my internal alarm system.

His hesitation made it worse.

“No.”

Disgruntled, I prodded, all the questions I never wanted to ask rising to the surface. “Has there ever been? Are you divorced? Separated? Are you seeing anyone?”

He grunted in irritation, the muscles in his chest and arms flexing. “Do I have to answer all your questions right now?”

“Yes.” I pushed his arm off and struggled to sit up. “You do if there’s a woman in the picture!”

“There isn’t,” he snapped, his arms wrapping around me and dragging me back into the bed. “Get back in here.”

Oh my God.

I was in bed.

With Gabe wrapped around me like my own personal heater.

And there was no one in his life I had to worry about.

Experimentally, I ran my foot up his leg. Yup. No pants. I swallowed audibly.

He chuckled deep in his chest.

“I need to brush my teeth,” I murmured.

I was not spending my first time in a bed with Gabe with morning breath.

He barked out a laugh, rolled me onto my back and covered me with his long, hard, body.

I squeaked as I pressed my head back into the pillow, eyes wide, my lips buttoned shut.

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