Page 98 of Little Bird
And yet here we are. I’m home, and I hardly remember the girl who first walked in that door.
“Communing with the reindeer?” a voice asks in my ear.
I jump and turn, surprised to see Gunner standing right behind me. I didn’t even hear him come in, but that’s no surprise. My thoughts were loud enough to drown out the sound of his footsteps.
I let my eyes trail up his body and then back down, taking in the tight jeans, the plaid shirt with sleeves rolled up to expose muscular, heavily veined forearms, and the sparkling blue eyes. He’s been in the shop again and smells of sawdust and sweat, and the mixture is so intoxicating that I have to catch my breath.
He also has a swipe of dirt across his cheek.
I reach up and wipe the dirt away, letting my fingers linger longer than they need to, and when his gaze meets my own, my breath leaves entirely. My God, I love this man. I love the rough, uncut beauty of him, the way he takes care of this family at the expense of his own heart. The big hands that can hold whatever we give him, and the smile that comes through far too rarely.
I even love the walls he puts up to protect himself, though I know I love those because they no longer keep me out. He’s let me under his skin and welcomed me home, taking down that gruff exterior and letting me see who he is on the inside.
“Just thinking about how much things have changed since we unpacked him,” I murmur.
His smile is slow as molasses, satisfied and so sexy I can hardly stand it, and when he puts his palm to my face I lean into it, needing to feel his skin against mine.
“Changed for the better, I hope,” he says.
I give him my own slow smile. “Better than better.”
He pretends shock at that. “Better than better? What does that even mean? Is that possible?”
I shrug and pretend I’m turning away. “That’s what I’ve heard. I don’t actually know.”
His hand leaves my cheek, grabs my arm, and jerks me back around in front of him, but instead of stopping me he pulls me all the way to his chest and crushes his mouth down on mine, and the movement is so sudden that I don’t see it coming.
And for a moment, I stiffen. He’s kissing me in the kitchen and Gabe might walk in and get upset.
A slice of a second later, though, I realize how stupid that is. Gabe might walk in, yes. But he won’t be upset. Because it’s the three of us, now, and that means we share everything.
I don’t have to hide Gunner from Gabe. I don’t have to choose Gabe over Gunner. I can have both, because they’ve both offered themselves to me.
I melt into the kiss and loop my arms around Gunner’s neck, gasping into his greedy mouth when he jerks me closer to him. He’s so big, so broad, that I could be terrified of letting a man like this touch me.
But he’s all mine, every inch of muscle promised to me, and I don’t feel anything but love.
He sinks into my mouth, taking the kiss deeper, and I open up for him to take more. He’s all smoke and wood, the rough musk of a man, and I can’t get enough. I want everything he can give me and more. I want it all night. Into tomorrow.
He must hear me because he slips his hands around my ass and lifts me quickly onto the counter, stepping between my legs and pressing his length against my pussy. I grunt and start to rock my hips, needing the friction of his cock, and before long he’s pulling me forward and rocking his hips against me, a low growl rumbling in his throat. When he pulls back and looks at me, his eyes are hot and he’s breathing hard.
But I know he’s waiting for me to tell him what I want.
“Please,” I say, unsure what I mean but knowing that I need something. “Please, Gunner.”
He places a slow, sensuous kiss on my neck, then bites the lobe of my ear. “Say it again,” he whispers.
“Please,” I moan. “Please, please, please.”
His chuckle vibrates against my skin. “My name, Little Bird. Say my name again.”
I throw my head back, desperate for more of him. “Gunner,” I breathe. “Please.”
He breathes against my neck like I’ve given him some blessing, and his hands go to the button of my jeans. He undoes them and jerks them roughly down my legs, leaving me bare and exposed to him. Then he spreads my legs further and lets his thumbs brush the wetness between my legs.
I nearly come undone at the sudden, unexpected touch, and I cry out.
Gunner grins at the sound, and brushes his lips against my own. “Good girl,” he murmurs. “Tell me how much you like it.”
