Page 34 of Snowbound

With a growl, I leap on top of her. Slowly, I kiss my way across her face, down her neck, tracing out her body with my mouth like I’m searching for treasure.

But soon the ache gets too much, so I position myself over her and line myself up. “Ready?” I ask. I’m throbbing for her more with every second that passes.

“I need you,” she says, digging her fingers into my shoulder blades. “I need you now. Please, Gabe, I want you so much.”

I don’t need her to say anything other than that.

Hours and hours could have passed, and I wouldn’t have noticed due to the bliss of being inside her, of connecting to her, feeling like we’re one.

When she climaxes again, it’s like I’m seeing heaven, and when she’s finally worn me out, we lie next to each other, stinking of sweat and sex and her lavender perfume.

She rests her head on my chest and lets her fingers dance over my stomach, and I say nothing. There is nothing to say.

After all, this isn’t anything. This is just a good time.

And it is a good time. But in the end, even she is going to leave.

CHAPTER18

CARLY

When Ruth and John said they were thinking of having their wedding at the community hall, it took all my strength not to wince. But now that we’re here looking around, I have to give it to them. This is a nice place. It’s light, open, and doesn’t smell of old people.

When I was first starting out doing this, I did my fair share of weddings in town halls and other places like this, but this is one of the nicest I’ve ever seen.

The manager, Angie, is showing us around, and Ruth and John are nodding along with everything she says. I’m glad they’re taking it in because I can barely think about anything that’s not Gabe.

Last night was incredible. He was better than any boyfriend I’ve ever had, and I haven’t had that many, but none of them have ever made me feel like that. Sex with boyfriends before has always been a necessary task, an okay kind of thing that was fun every now and again but not something I was wild about.

Even in times when I wanted it, they never seemed to care about me that much, and definitely not in the way I felt cared about when Gabe was making sinful movements with his tongue.

Where did he learn to do that?

Not a thought I can pursue. I don’t want to get jealous of an imaginary lover.

“We usually hold receptions in here,” says Angie, opening a door and ushering us through. “Generally, we accommodate about one hundred and fifty guests, but one time we did have a party of two hundred.” She rambles on, and I tune out, my thoughts wandering back to Gabe.

He was more handsome than I was expecting under his clothes, his broad shoulders, his soft belly, but not my usual type. Underneath that softness, though, was the clear feeling of muscle, a strength that he used to my advantage as well as his.

I’ve only been here a handful of days, and I still can’t wait to get out of here, but all of a sudden, Gabe is making it worth my while.

But no matter how good the sex is, I can’t get attached to him.

I like a sensitive guy, the kind of person who’s in touch with his feelings. The kind of guy who knows exactly what to say when you’re feeling down.

Gabe might be good in bed, but he’s already proven over and over again that emotional sensitivity is really not his thing.

Angie leads us through to her office and smiles. “I’ll leave you for a minute to talk it over. Just stick your head out and yell when you’re ready to chat.”

“Thank you,” I say, and she shuts the door behind her.

“What do you think?” asks Ruth.

“Nicer than I was expecting,” I say honestly. “We can definitely work with this.”

“You’re practically glowing this morning,” Ruth grins. “Were you listening to anything Angie said?”

“I didn’t need to,” I say, desperate for Ruth not to keep pulling at this thread. “This was for you guys. I talked to her at length this morning. If you guys are happy with this, she’s agreed to give me a package deal on flowers and catering because her sister owns a catering company, and her cousin runs the downtown flower store. It’s a great discount, so if you’re happy with all of this, I really think we should take it.”

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