Page 33 of Say Yes

CHAPTER 7

HE HAD MADE REMARKABLE headway reestablishing their friendship in only a week.

But still, Sara blanched at the idea of meeting his family. They were due to arrive this morning, and while he felt they still had plenty of time, he couldn’t go back to sleep.

He’d come to the conclusion, sometime around the middle of the week, that he was most assuredly a man of steel. Only a superhero could have withstood the magnitude of denial he’d forced on his body.

He’d slept, in painful celibacy, with Sara every night.

In some ways it had been unbelievably erotic, holding her, whispering in the dark of the night, discussing the past and the present. He hadn’t yet been able to get her to talk about a future. And the more he learned of her childhood, the more he understood.

That was why, even though Mother Nature no longer conspired against him, he hadn’t taken that small step beyond holding her to making love to her. Their relationship became more concrete by the day, but it was still a delicate thing.

Several times Sara had tried taking the initiative, but he always managed to put her off. He wanted to hold out for a declaration of her feelings. He wanted marriage and commitment. He wanted her to buy the cow…er, bull.

But with every day, it got tougher to cling to his high convictions.

And though Sara certainly seemed to like and trust him more now, she was no closer to declaring herself than she had been when he first moved in.

Instead he continually suffered the agonies of unrequited lust, and he honestly didn’t know how much more he could take.

Hopefully his family, with all their loyalty and unity and open friendliness, would have an impact on her. He glanced at the clock again, and decided he might as well shower and get dressed. But he was loathe to leave the bed, to leave Sara. The effect she had on him was alarming and confusing and so damn sweet. No other woman could stir all his senses the way she did. She left him aching with lust and hurting with tenderness.

He heard a small sigh and glanced back at Sara. He caught her staring.

Trying for a cavalier facade to hide his emotions, he gave her a cocky grin and a wink. “Morning, sweetheart.”

Dropping her gaze to his mouth, she reached up and touched one finger to his lips. “Gavin?”

Those slumberous eyes, that gentle touch, were his undoing. Gavin groaned, then accepted her kiss when she leaned up and pressed herself anxiously to him. Her body was sleep-warm and womanly soft. The encouraging sounds she made were low and lazy, still ruled by her slow wakening. When she slipped one bare thigh over his legs he discovered her gown had gotten twisted up high during their sleep.

The week of sleeping together had taken a toll on both of them, so rather than pause to think about what he was doing, Gavin helped to settle her hips over his. Her arms wrapped around his head, her mouth ate at his, kissing him in a way that crumbled rational thought and any resistance. Though what she did was enough to drive any man crazy, there was an awkwardness to her movements that told him she hadn’t taken the lead very often. He reveled in that fact.

“Sara, honey…”

“Gavin, please! I don’t want to wait anymore.”

She kissed his mouth again, seducing him, holding him still for her assault. She was brazen, voracious, and he loved it.

His hands smoothed down her spine to her backside, lush and firm. Growling, he pushed the tangled gown aside and cupped her, feeling the silkiness of her panties and the warmth of her flesh. His fingers probed.

Sara straightened her arms, her head thrown back, her hips pressed firmly into his. Even with her eyes closed, she appeared stunned, excited and so sexy he no longer thought of long-term plans or goals. She needed him now, and that was enough.

Switching their positions, Gavin pinned her beneath him then began his own seduction. He pulled the tiny buttons open on her gown, baring her breasts. Her nipples were taut and full, and he carefully closed his teeth around one, hearing her harsh groan, feeling the urgency of her hands as she sank her fingers into his hair.

He suckled and tugged, licked and teased. Sara moved beneath him, trying to wriggle out of the gown without breaking contact. She only managed to get it tangled around her belly, but her arms and legs were free. Gavin leaned back to look at her.

Flushed with need from her brows to the tips of her toes, she was a beautiful sight. Her small hands knotted in the sheets on either side of her hips, and her legs were slightly sprawled. He grasped a handful of the gown in each hand. “Raise your hips.”

Within moments, she was naked, the gown and her panties tossed aside. Gavin wasn’t given a chance to enjoy the sight before Sara had grabbed him again, tugging him back to her. He kissed her throat, the sensitive skin below her breasts, her belly. She arched into him, gasping.

Then he felt the cat leap onto the bed. Beside the bed, the dog began yapping, wanting to join the cat, but unable to manage it.

Gavin tried to nudge Satan away with his foot. The beast thought it was a fine game, and swatted at his big toe. The dog howled for attention.

“Scat, dammit.”

Sara moaned softly. “What?”

---