Page 50 of GAF Factor

And the worst…She wasn’t there at all. I had been in the shipping container all alone, and I never got the chance to tell her how I felt.

I almost missed my chance with her. I hadn’t been brave enough with Jane and I missed out, but that wouldn’t happen with Isla. Now that I had her, there was no way I was letting her go. Kavanaugh could suck it if he thought he could win her back.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, her brows crinkled as she watched me.

“You don’t want to know all the things that are running through my head.”

“Actually, I do.”

Isla valued the truth above everything. I knew that and so even though I wanted to keep some things to myself, I would always give it to her straight. “I was thinking that you’re mine now. And I don’t give a fuck if Kavanaugh wants you back or not. He can’t have you.”

Her lips split into a grin. “And do I have a say in that?”

“Nope.”

“Okay, that’s interesting.”

“And why would that be?”

“Because it’s my life. I sort of assumed I would be allowed the small courtesy of choosing who I’m with.”

I stiffened at that. “Are you saying you want to be with him?”

“No. It wouldn’t have worked.”

I really didn’t want to hear about her relationship with Kavanaugh. Whatever the reasons she decided not to give it a try after we were rescued, I didn’t need to know. She wasn’t with him now.

I bent down and pressed my lips to hers in a slow, sensual kiss. As much as I wanted to ravage her, I also needed her to know that I didn’t just want to fuck her. She was everything to me. She shivered again and I tucked her in a little more, theneyed the fireplace. There was a stack of logs in a wood bin, but it looked as if it hadn’t been used at all.

“Why isn’t that working?”

Her head swiveled to face it. “Well, that would require one of us to know how to use it.”

Sighing, I climbed out from under the blanket and pulled on my pants.

“What are you doing?” she asked, leaning on her elbow as she watched me.

“Starting a fire.”

“But…why?”

“Because you have a fireplace. Hell, you have wood, but on a night like tonight, it’s not in use.”

She sat up, the blanket draping down her sides, exposing her back. It threw me off track for a moment as I looked at her creamy skin in the dim lights of the Christmas tree.

“Do you want some help?”

“No,” I grinned. “I want you to lay back and keep those toes warm.”

“You could keep my toes warm.”

My mind flashed back to the shipping container, how fucking cold she was and how there was nothing I could do about it. I did my best to smile, but failed miserably. “Just stay there and let the men do the work.”

“The men? There’s only you.”

“Yes, there is,” I said, my gaze meeting hers. “And it better remain that way.”

“You’re the one who said it,” she shot back. “I was just pointing out the error in your statement.”

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