Page 106 of Only the Hunter

“Yours.”

“Again.”

“Yours, Gabriel—I’m yours—and you’re mine.”

That breaks me.

I come hard, vision whiting out.

We lie like that together—sweaty, breathless, tangled.

For a long moment, neither of us moves.

Then I pull out gently and head to the bathroom to dispose of the condom.

When I return, she’s under the covers, and I climb in, pulling her against my chest.

She fits perfectly.

“You okay?” I ask.

“More than okay.”

I press a kiss to her forehead. “Not too much?”

“No.” She tilts her head up. “It was perfect.”

We lie there in the dark, her fingers tracing idle patterns on my chest.

“You know, you never acted like you were interested.”

Hmm. “You mean flirt?”

I’ve always noticed her—in truth, half the time I check in with Scott, my purpose is to check in on her. I’ve been doing that ever since she got assigned to human trafficking. Well, before that really, but her specialty layered in concern with interest.

“Yeah, I guess.”

I lift her hand and place her index finger between my teeth, then press my lips to it. “I don’t flirt.”

She snorts. “Right.”

I don’t, actually, but with a brother like Scott, I’d never convince her of that. But is Scott’s behavior what she expects from guys? “Did your old boyfriends flirt?” The word twists on my tongue; it’s not something I have any desire to apply to other guys in relation to Evie.

“Well, I mean, does asking me out on a date count?”

I shift on the pillow, rising so I can get a better look at her. “When we get back, will you go out to dinner with me?”

She slaps against my chest, a smile lighting her face. “I think we’re past that, Gabe.”

I sink back into the pillow and close my eyes, loving the feel of her fingers roaming my chest. “We’re not past it. I’ll get my act together.”

“In my opinion, Mr. Martin, you’ve got your act together.”

I open my eyes to find her grin, and I cup the back of her head and pull her to me, smacking my lips against hers.

I’m not sure when I should’ve made a move on her, but it should’ve been earlier than this. I’ve watched enough long-distance relationships fail to know what we would’ve been up against. Long distance with mountains of time-consuming priorities between us.

She shifts and places her chin over her folded hands. “What about you?”