Page 22 of SEAL by Fate

“Oddly, yes.” She poked her fork around the pasta.

“Sorry, it’s not gourmet.”

“Oh, it’s fine. Really.” As if to prove her point, she stabbed a shell and popped it into her mouth. “Mm. Delicious.”

“Maybe you can cook better.” He pulled his hand away and scooped up the last bite on his plate.

“I guess we won’t be going anywhere soon.” She shifted, leaving a scent of soap, coconut shampoo, and pure woman in the air, swirling around him, beckoning him like a slice of pecan pie. He closed his eyes for a second, hoping to gain his bearings and to ease the twinge behind his zipper. There was a huge problem here. He could get used to her scent. Could even get used to her non-stop chatter. Indeed, this was the most he’d talked in a very long time.

“Where does a woman go if she runs away from her wedding?”

“Right here. In this cabin.”

“But we can’t stay here forever.”

He blinked. “No, but why don’t we pretend?’

“I’m not usually impulsive. I have—or had—everything figured out.”

He laid his fork down. “We’re not supposed to plan everything. Some things are meant to surprise us.”

“Neither one of us planned yesterday very well and now look at us. Look at where we are.”

“In shelter and with great companionship.” He smiled and their gazes met, lingering. “If I’m going to make that hike, I better head out. Will you be okay until I get back?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine. And thank you, Gray. For everything. Most men wouldn’t have done even a third of what you have for me.”

“If a man is only willing to do a third, then he’s not worth giving your one hundred percent to.” He stood and pushed his chair back in and as he started to reach for his empty plate, she laid her warm fingers on his wrist. He snapped his gaze to her, battling a sudden rush of emotion in his body. For the last half hour he’d struggled with keeping his hands to himself and his head on straight, but when she looked at him with such longing he had a hard time being a gentleman. He’d never been one to pluck a flower too early, and Stormy wasn’t nearly ready for what Gray had to offer.

“Let me get the dishes. It’s the least I can do.” There was a softness in her face that swept in and affected all his senses.

He nodded. “There’s plenty of fire wood. Plenty of water. Don’t overexert yourself.”

One corner of her lips played with a smile. “Thank you for your concern, but I’ll be okay. You just take care of yourself.”

Gray took in her delicate, smooth skin and how wisps of her hair curled around her cheeks. He wondered how old she was. Although she looked young, she had the eyes of a woman who’d matured far faster than most women her age. As if she had a gaze magnet hooked to her body, he couldn’t control his eyes as they dipped lower, moving along the slender line of her neck and her sweet chest and the tops of her breasts exposed by the towel. The rising and falling of her chest quickened and he wondered if he was the cause of her heavy breathing? He ached to touch her, remembering how soft her skin was and how good she smelled. He wanted to find out how responsive she would be to his affection. He breathed in deep, taking in her scent, wanting it to warm him while he made his way down the mountain. If only he could hold her, absorb her warmth all the way into his bones.

Stormy’s irises dilated. Did the change come from inside? Maybe from a fast beating heart or a tingling in her limbs? He concentrated on his own breaths, in and out, in and out. His skin became sensitive and his heart pounded. A telltale flush crawled from her cheeks, down into her neck and chest. Her nipples were beaded outlines under the towel. Did she sense his wild desire?

His thoughts were almost pushed to the edge, but he didn’t know the true battle within him until her gaze drifted to his mouth and her eyes begged for…what? His kiss? His touch? More? He shifted in his boots, easing some of the tension behind his zipper, but his desire was growing by the second. Becoming harder.

The tip of her tongue flicked out to moisten her lips and he felt the chains snap.

What could it hurt if he sampled her sweet lips?

Just one kiss. He wouldn’t be too greedy. Wouldn’t expect too much.

It’s a bad idea! Things could get messy. She was an engaged woman. Wasn’t she? He had no clue how things worked when a woman left her groom at the altar. Did it automatically mean they were broken up? She had removed her ring. That he did notice. Yet, this wasn’t your average situation. He’d found her on the road, possibly saved her life, and they were stranded here, together, for who knows how long. A lot could happen between two warm bodies during a snow storm.

Logic kicked in as painful as getting punched in the gut by an elephant. He couldn’t do this…

Could he?

And then she stepped forward, so close he got a strong whiff of her engaging scent. Her hands pressed against his chest and she looked up at him, lips full and quivering, eyes reflecting his own insane longing. No words were exchanged and weren’t needed. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. A simple kiss, but it was the match that ignited a raging fire. He snaked an arm around her slender waist and pulled her closer, sweeping his tongue along the plump line of her lips. A moan escaped her mouth and he took it in, loving sweet whimpers from a beautiful woman. He moved his tongue into her mouth, sampling her intoxicating flavor and she pressed her body against him, her hips rubbing his length that was painfully large and sensitive. Another cry sounded from her, this time he knew it was a sound of excitement of what was to come. Pure pleasure.

He loved her hair, how soft the strands were, and as he tangled his fingers into the silken mass, he enjoyed how they delighted his palms. Her own hands were moving upward onto his shoulders and one found its way over his scalp, her nails scraping and quickening his blood flow. Every sensation he was feeling couldn’t be described with just one word. He could write a dictionary just on the sensations he was experiencing.

Pulling back, he rested his forehead on hers, gathering his control. Where it came from he had no clue. “I-I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

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