Page 54 of One Short Summer

Last year’s Monica would have eaten him alive; this year’s Monica had a bad reality check with her recovery and has calmed down. It’s weird to differentiate it like that. Now, I still want him, but appreciation for everything this man has done for me simmers deeply in my bones, holding me hostage. “Thank you.”

He waves me off with one of his hands. “It’s nothing.”

Even though I find Gabe to be this big presence in my life, despite being more on the quiet side, he’s also incredibly humble and embarrasses easily. Since I don’t want to make him uncomfortable right now, I let it go, promising myself to pay him back somehow. His kindness and thoughtfulness deserve to be acknowledged.

He turns on the TV and settles on an episode ofSupernatural—Charlie got us hooked on it a few weeks ago, much to her delight—and we eat together in silence.

After a few minutes, I can’t help myself and peek at Gabe, his handsome face familiar yet foreign at the same time. He’s still my friend, the same one who’s been taking such good care of me this last year when I had mostly checked out of life. But now, there’s also something else, a new layer to him I’m sure must be my hormones and the attraction between us.

I thought he was handsome before, but I didn’t realize how gorgeous his smile is, or how much his eyes sparkle when he grins, creating several laugh lines I find incredibly sexy.

A gush of heat floods my body in places that had been abandoned for a long time, ever since before my accident. If I’m honest though, even before then, I didn’t get a lot of action, or rather, satisfactory action. Yes, I did date and hook up with someone from my team—it was more serious and something I will never ever do again—but things didn’t exactly turn out well with him.

Even though I never thought I wanted to settle down, my ex-boyfriend Ivan made me all gooey-eyed and lovey-dovey. He had me wrapped around his finger, and I thought things were going well until...well, until they suddenly weren’t anymore.

He told me I wasn’t meant for a relationship, and after a lot of thinking, I had to admit to myself he was right.

It wasn’t the best time in my life, but I didn’t let anyone see that. I put on my happy, bright face because that’s what everyone always expects from me.

Unfortunately, it was only a few weeks later that the accident happened. I tried so hard to keep up the pretense of the happy, carefree Monica once I got to Brooksville, especially since I never fully admitted to Charlie how much it all broke me. When I wasn’t healing as fast as I’d hoped, I just couldn’t handle it anymore.

A big, fat, depressive hole was waiting right around the corner for me, sucking me in and under, like it’s been waiting for me forever. And somehow, I welcomed the darkness, cherished it even, because it felt so good to finally not pretend anymore.

Until Gabe finally got through to me, lending me a helping hand that, for some weird reason, I didn’t refuse like I had all other attempts before.

Not only has he gotten me back to dancing, but he’s also awoken my inner sensual woman who is now almost desperately looking for a physical connection, craving it beyond measures after all this time.

Now, I can’t help but notice his warm skin brushing along my arm and the little shiver it pulls from my body in response.

When I look down at my plate to try and compose myself, I notice I must have eaten a few bites while I was stuck in my head. But the hunger is suddenly gone, and I’m unable to swallow another bite, my body positively distracted by having Gabe so close.

He must feel the same because he takes my plate without a word, putting it on the tray before setting it all on the nightstand.

When I look at him, his eyes shimmer with heat, causing flames to lick at every corner of my body, dancing in excitement at what’s to come.

Without warning, Gabe grabs my naked ankles and pulls me over to his side of the bed. “Time for dessert.”

I squeal like a little girl when I slide across half of the bed while Gabe grins like the cat that got the cream—or at least caught it with his grabby little paws.

My legs are on the edge of the bed, and I don’t know how, but somehow my shirt magically stayed in place.

If Gabe’s smoldering look is anything to go by though, it won’t stay on for long. “Now, where did we stop last night?”

I don’t wait for even a second before I sit up and grab his shirt, pulling him back down with me. “Well, I remember lots of this…” One of my hands goes up to the nape of his neck while the other one snakes under the back of his shirt. His skin is warm and surprisingly soft. Wrapping my ankles around his butt, I gently guide him close enough to finally be within kissing distance because that’s exactly what I plan on doing—a lot.

My lips mold to his, like they were meant for each other, fitting together in a way that comes so natural, it makes me want to high-five his parents for creating this amazing individual exactly the way he is.

“Oh yes, I remember lots of that too. And some of this as well, I believe.” He pulls back to catch his breath before crushing his mouth back to mine, deepening the kiss until I forget what’s left and right. The sensation only intensifies when he puts his hands on my knees to slowly, very slowly, work his way up my thighs.

It makes me hot all over but also tickles a little, resulting in me squirming around. The movement causes friction in all the right places, and a low moan escapes my mouth.

Gabe ignores my writhing and continues his torturing caress all the way up to my hips. Just when he’s about to move further up under my shirt, he freezes for a moment and pulls back to look at me. “I completely forgot. You little minx, you.”

I don’t need to guess what he’s talking about—his smoldering look says it all.

His hands are back on track now, definitely more eager than before—which might be due to my still-pantyless state Gabe apparently forgot about.

Moving around my hips, he lifts me enough to squeeze my butt and upper thighs. “I love how strong you are.”

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