Page 37 of Forbidden Passions

When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, his forehead rested against mine, unwilling to create even that small distance between us.

“I’ll take that as a no,” he murmured, the hint of a smile in his voice.

“You haven’t ruined anything,” I confirmed, my hands still in his hair. “But if you try to push me away again, I might have to resort to drastic measures.”

“Like what?” His thumbs traced circles on my lower back, sending shivers up my spine.

“Like setting Max loose to track you down every single day until you come to your senses.”

He laughed then, a real laugh that transformed his face completely, making him look younger, lighter. “He’s pretty determined when he wants something.”

“Like his owner,” I teased, pressing another quick kiss to his lips simply because I could.

Max circled our legs, tail wagging enthusiastically as if he approved of this development.

“So what now?” Gabriel asked, echoing the question from days before, but with a new openness in his expression.

“Now,” I said, stroking my fingers along his jaw, loving the feel of the stubble against my skin and wanting it all over my body. “Now, you take me back to your cabin.”

His eyes darkened at my words, desire clear in those mesmerizing depths. “And then?”

“And then we figure it out. Together.” I met his gaze steadily. “One day at a time, remember?”

He nodded, something like wonder crossing his face as he looked at me. “One day at a time.”

I followed him up the mountain in my rental car, wanting to pinch myself to see if this was really true. I was on my way to a mountain man’s cabin, my dog sitting happily in the seat next to him.

When the cabin came into view, something settled in my chest—a recognition, a homecoming I hadn’t expected to feel for a place I’d known for only three days.

Gabriel parked and got out of the car, letting Max out. Then he walked straight to me, pulling open my door and taking me straight into his arms. “Are you sure about this? About me? I’m still the same person, Callie. Still stubborn, still...” he trailed off, searching for the words.

“Still brooding? Still grumpy? Still a man of few words?” I supplied, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I know who you are, Gabriel. I like who you are, even when you’re being infuriating.”

Relief washed over his face, followed quickly by a heat that made my pulse quicken. Without another word, he picked me up and carried me to the cabin.

“What are you doing?” I laughed, arms still around his neck.

“Being efficient,” he replied with that ghost of a smile. “And making sure you don’t change your mind halfway to the door.”

“Not a chance,” I assured him, pressing a kiss to the underside of his jaw.

Max trotted ahead of us, clearly pleased with his role in bringing us back together. Gabriel shouldered open the door, carrying me across the threshold like a bride, a gesture that should have seemed ridiculous but instead sent a flutter of something warm and delightful through my stomach.

Once inside, he set me down gently but kept his arms around me, eyes roaming my face as if memorizing every detail.

“I missed you,” he admitted quietly. “More than I thought possible after only three days.” His voice cracked on the last few words.

“I missed you too,” I whispered, rising on tiptoes to brush my lips against his. “Even while I was furious with you.”

His hands tightened on my waist. “I deserve that.”

“Yes, you do,” I agreed. “And you’ll probably have to make it up to me.” I traced a finger down his chest, feeling his sharp intake of breath. “Thoroughly.”

“I think that can be arranged.” Then his mouth was on mine, the gentle exploration of moments ago replaced by a hungry intensity that made my knees weak. His hands slid under my shirt, finding bare skin as he backed me against the wall, his body pressing into mine in all the right places.

I gasped as his lips found the sensitive spot just below my ear, my hands clutching at his shoulders for support. “Bedroom,” I managed, already breathless with wanting him. As he laid me on the bed, his body covering mine, I knew we still had things to figure out—my career, his isolation, the logistics of whatever this was becoming.

But in that moment, with Gabriel’s hands and mouth relearning my body as if we’d been apart for years instead of days, the future could wait. We had this moment, this connection that had somehow sprung to life in the middle of a storm and refused to die even when both of us had tried to deny it.

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