Page 45 of Falling Free

“You were busy.”

At this rate, it would take them until tomorrow to sort things out between them and she didn’t want to wait that long to get into a hot shower. Preferably with him.

“I told him no.”

He nodded, but she could see his throat bob as he swallowed and he took a step closer to her. She raised her hand, letting it rest against the damp cotton covering his chest. He gripped her wrist and for a moment she couldn’t tell if he was going to push her hand away or hold it closer. He held it closer.

“It would be wrong to agree to marry Ethan.” His hand cuffing her wrist tightened and she closed the last bit of distance between them. “When I’m in love with you. That’s just poor form.”

“What did you say?”

“It would be poor form. Bad manners.”

“The other part.”

“I love you.”

The words were barely out of her mouth before his lips crashed down on hers, claiming her. He scooped her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing, and she snuggled into his chest, loving his strength and the way he touched her.

“You didn’t tell me how you feel about me,” she said as he started toward the back of the gym. He stopped in place and gazed down at her, curled in his arms.

“God help me, Amanda Southerland, but I love you. I love you with every fiber of my being and I don’t intend to ever stop loving you. Not until long after I’m dead. If then.”

“That’s a long time,” she said, blinking up at him. “I could probably love you that long too.”

“Good,” he said, moving again. “Now I’m taking you upstairs to my bed and the box of condoms I’ve got in my medicine chest.”

“And a shower?” she asked, lost in the possibilities stretched out in front of her.

“Yep,” he said, and then he was kissing her again and nothing else in the entire world mattered except finding her home in Michael’s arms.

GABE SOUTHERLAND PRESSED A KISS to the beautiful red head’s forehead. He didn’t trust himself with her lips. He had to be across town in less than half an hour or he’d be late for work. With Emerson still out of the country, he couldn’t afford the extra hour—or two—he’d need if the woman in the bed let the sheet slip. He knew exactly how spectacular the body hidden underneath it was. He’d spent the better part of the night enjoying every inch of her. She’d enjoyed it too, if the number of times she’d called on God and the well sated expression on her face were anything to go by.

“Are you sure you have to go?” she asked, propping herself against the pile of pillows.

Her hair cascaded over creamy skin lightly dusted with just enough freckles to be interesting. He’d already played his own game of connect the dots with his tongue. Shifting slightly, the sheet made its inevitable dip, revealing the dusky pink edge of her nipple, and Gabe cursed his brother Emerson for leaving him in charge. In all honesty, the crew they’d assembled at Southerland Security could probably handle anything that came up, including an alien invasion, but the high profile and high power clients they served wanted to deal with the person whose name was on the letterhead. Usually that meant, Emerson but for now it was up to Gabe to hold down the fort.

“You know I’d rather stay, darling,” he said, already stepping out of reach. “But...”

“But you’ve got to go. I know.” She shook her gorgeous head, letting the copper colored curls dance around her face before hitching the sheet up to her chin.

Under different circumstances, her words might have sounded like she was angling for something more, but Gabe made it a point to be very careful about who he chose to play with—present company included. She wasn’t any more interested in a relationship than he was. It’s what made their time together work. That and her yoga like flexibility and complete lack of inhibitions. He’d just started calculating rush hour traffic and reconsidering the need to get to work on time when his phone vibrated in his pocket with the pattern reserved for family.

His phone was out of his pocket and halfway to his ear before she finished motioning for him to take the call. Instead of one of his sisters as he’d expected, his cousin Blake’s face filled the screen.

“Hey man, what’s up? How’s that pretty wife of yours?” The redhead in the bed blew him a kiss and he gave her a wink as he headed out the door. He’d call her again, just maybe not for a couple of months so neither of them blurred the lines between fun and happily ever after.

“She’s fine. Everything’s fine,” said Blake, sounding like things were anything but.

His cousin ran a billion-dollar international company. He was as busy—maybe busier—than Emerson. It wasn’t like him to call to chat. Gabe stayed silent, waiting to see where Blake would go next. He’d learned over the years that silence was a better tool than most of the others he had at his disposal to get people to talk. Hell, half the time when people thought he was being smart or insightful, it was because he’d waited them out and they’d fed him the information he needed.

“Actually, there’s something I could use your help with, you and Emerson. Your company.” Blake sounded nervous which was even more out of character than a call just to talk.

“Anything. Name it.” Gabe didn’t have to know what his cousin needed to agree to help. They were family. He’d do anything he could and knew without asking, Emerson would too.

“I think I might have picked up a stalker.”