Page 55 of The Alpha's Stolen Mate

My breathing became shallow, and my heart felt like it was trying to escape my chest.

I had no idea how to respond to that. My emotions were so tangled together that it wasn’t possible to pull them apart, so that I could examine each one.

Of course, I loved Gabriel.

That wasn’t the important question, though.

The question I didn’t have the answer to was if I trusted him enough to be with him. I didn’t know if I trusted him not break my heart again.

But when Gabriel looked deep into my eyes and leaned forward, his eyes fluttering closed, all of my doubts jumped out of my head.

Chapter Eighteen: Distractions

Gabriel POV

I hesitated right before my lips touched hers. With bated breath, I waited, wondering if she was going to push me away. Anticipation shot through me like a drug, and my heart pounded. It had been six long years since I’d kissed my Mate—since I'd kissed anyone—but I could wait a moment more. I wanted this kiss to be her choice. I’d put myself out there and told her I still loved her.

Could she still love me? Even after everything I'd put her through?

Our lips were less than an inch apart. Her sweet breath hit my face and made me dizzy. My fingers itched to touch her, and I wanted nothing more than to close the distance between us. For her to be so close and not to have her lips on mine was pure torture.

Then, Summer let out a soft whimper, and in a fraction of a second, our mouths were crashing together. This was nothing like our first soft, gentle, and sweet kiss. The second our mouths touched, something sparked to life between us. The rest of the world fell away, and there was only us and the connection we’d always shared. This electric energy had always been there. We'd just needed to act on it.

Our lips were demanding, our tongues moving together—tasting, giving, and taking. Her lips were soft, her mouth hot and warm, and her kisses were delicious. Her citrus scent overwhelmed me as our kiss deepened. She tasted like a ripe, juicy orange that I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into.

Mine.

I cupped her ass and lifted her, winding her legs around my waist. Her thighs tightened around me.

“Oh, Gabriel,” she moaned against my lips when her warm center pressed against my hard length.

Without breaking our kiss, I spun around and set her on the edge of my desk. One of my monitors shook, but I didn’t care if all three of them fell to the ground and smashed. The only thing on my mind was my Mate and the addictive feeling of her lips on mine.

I stepped in between her legs and gripped her hips, sliding her ass until it was on the edge of my desk. I wanted her entire body pressed against mine.

She roughly grabbed the back of my head, and her fingers threaded through my hair.

“Summer,” I groaned when she bit my lip and tightened her legs around my waist, drawing me closer to her warm center.

As our kiss continued, I explored her body,trailing my hands down her smooth legs and then back up the sides of her waist. I wanted to memorize every inch of her. I wanted to know her body better than my own.

When I grazed the underside of her left breast, Summer bucked her hips and moaned my name.

I slipped my hand under her shirt, and a jolt of pleasure mixed with shock went through me when I realized she wasn't wearing a bra.

Her whole body trembled as I pinched her nipple and placed my lips near her ear.

“Are you wet for me, Summer? If I were to slide my fingers past your underwear would I find your pussy soaking wet for me? Or are you not even wearing any underwear, naughty girl?”

My Mate groaned and bucked her hips again. Her back hit one of my monitors, and I heard it fall onto the keyboard and land on the office floor with a crash. But I didn't look away from her blue eyes.

“Oops,” she breathed out and giggled. “Sorry about that.”

Her cheeks heated, and she tried to turn her head so she could look at the fallen monitor, but I grasped her warm cheeks and drew her eyes back to mine.

“It doesn't matter, baby,” I murmured. “I wouldn't care if you broke every possession I own as long as you stayed by my side, close enough for me to touch.” I trailed my fingers down her smooth cheek. “As long as you were close enough for me to kiss.” I leaned down and pressed my mouth softly to hers, enjoying the warmth that started in my heart and spread throughout me. “I love you, Summer Golding.”

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Summer blinked rapidly and shook her head, like she was being awakened from sleepwalking. She unwound her legs from around me, adjusted her shirt, and slid off my desk.

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