Page 52 of Tempting Fate
“Well, there goes that idea,” she told Gabe. Was there anyone in Nugget who hadn’t witnessed her acting badly? Raylene didn’t think so.
“I’ll talk to Grif. He’s a good guy. If there’s room in the barn, he’ll give your horse a temporary home.”
She’d still have to come up with the money to pay for it, and find someone to feed and water Gunner until she could afford a permanent situation. Even so, she’d be eternally grateful. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose, then drew a deep, unsteady breath. “Now, what are we going to do about the fact that we really want to have sex with each other?”
She snorted. “Speak for yourself, bucko.” But even to her own ears the retort sounded weak.Especially when she continued to stand there, one inch away from plastering her boobs against his chest.
He thought so too, because he rolled over her denial like an eighteen-wheeler by hooking his arm around her waist. “Logan won’t like it. In fact, he’ll probably cut my balls off.”
“I thought what happens between us, stays between us,” she mimicked and then wondered what she was doing, egging him on like that.
“I can’t lie to my best friend.”
“It’s not lying, it’s omitting information that’s none of his business to begin with.” Okay, this was insane. She was practically begging him to have sex with her. She closed her eyes and pretended to be naked with Butch, hoping the visual would make her sufficiently sick. Nope, all she saw was Gabe, which made her entire body tingle, even her hair.
“It really isn’t his business, is it? I mean we’re both consenting adults—hardly innocents.” Gabe looked to her for confirmation.
She nodded, and once again questioned her sanity. But she wanted him, and she hadn’t wanted a man in a long time.
He lifted her onto the counter and stared into her eyes, silently telling her it was her move. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him closer. He kissed her. It was more intense than before, like the buildup to this moment had left him so wanting that he was out of control. The idea that she could do that to him was heady.
“Let’s get this off.” He fumbled with her zipper, and she had a feeling that he was usually defter at it.
She shrugged out of the down jacket and let it drop to the floor, leaving her in a sleep camisole that was thin and lacy—a weird contrast with the horse pajama pants. But she hadn’t planned for anyone to see her sleepwear tonight. Gabe didn’t seem to mind. He’d stopped kissing her to stare, a sexy smile playing on his lips.
“Damn, you’re hot, Ray.”
She tugged him in and got his jacket off. He had on a thermal shirt that clung to his torso like a second skin. She could see the ridges of muscle in his abdomen and couldn’t help herself. She ran her hand over his stomach. Everything was hard as granite, and she felt him shudder at her touch.
“Jeez, Moretti, you’ve let yourself go to pot.”
He chuckled, knowing exactly how ripped he was. Then he cupped the back of her head and captured her mouth with another kiss. She clung to his shoulders, her body igniting and her breasts tightening.
His hands trailed up her sides and slid back down in slow motion, teasing her senses. Her pajama bottoms became constricting, and she longed to take them off. He shifted to her ribcage and worked his way up to her breasts, stroking her nipples over the flimsy material of her top. She whimpered, and in one quick swoop he lifted her off the counter.
“Where we going?”
“To find a bed.” The words came out like a croak.
He carried her upstairs, found her room, and laid her in the middle of her rumpled sheets. She still had her boots on and scrambled to the edge of her bed to pry them off.
“Later, the boots stay on.” He slapped her hands away and tugged them off himself, then fell on top of her, the hard bulge in his jeans pressing against her belly.
She inched her hands under his shirt and explored his chest. It was solid like the rest of him and slightly furred. “Take this off.”
“You first.” He winked.
Raylene had never been known for her modesty, but she suddenly felt shy. When she stalled, he took over, dragging the hem of her camisole over her head.
“Damn,” he said, and weighed each breast in his hands, then took one in his mouth.
She let out a moan, the sensation of his warm lips and hot breath so exquisite she thought she’d never felt anything this good. And then it only got better. He squeezed her other breast with his hand, rubbing his thumb in circular motions over her nipple. She arched her back, giving him better access, and nearly came off the bed. The mattress was only full size, and Gabe was a big man.
“Good?” he asked, and her entire body answered with a quiver. “Yeah,” he whispered.
His hand slid inside the drawstring waist of her pajama bottoms and his fingers moved over her. One dipped inside. “You’re so wet.”
