He chuckled at her reaction to such a small gesture but couldn’t deny the pleasure it gave him to know how happy he had made her. When was the last time he wanted to make someone happy? He honestly couldn’t remember. But he knew he wouldn’t forget this moment—the moment that made her eyes sparkle like diamonds and her face light up like the sun. Seeing her like this filled him with a sudden, unexpected warmth, causing him to pause for a second. Was he starting to fall in love with this woman? His heart rate ratcheted up to break-neck speed as he swung his gaze back over to her again.
She was attempting to take some pictures of the carving with his camera, when she looked up and saw that his face was flushed and he seemed to be breathing heavily. “Are you okay?” Her face filled with concern as she moved to come up next to him.
He nodded gruffly and gave her a weak smile. “Yeah, yeah. I’m okay. I got warm suddenly. Could use some water, I think.”
She reached out and placed her palm on his forehead to check his temperature. He took her hand in his and moved it away but didn’t let go. “I’m okay. Really.”
“Okay,” she replied worriedly. “Let’s go get you a water out of the cooler.”
He continued to hold her hand, using it as an anchor to keep him from floating away as realization about his feelings for her sunk in. Could someone fall in love in only two days? He glanced over at her, and instead of feeling any trepidation, he felt tranquility. Fuck. He was definitely in love with her.
They had reached the truck, and Hope was trying to climb up onto the side so she could grab a water out of the cooler for him. Strong hands gripped around her waist, pulling her back off the truck, and she let out a yelp. She was spun around, and Gage’s lips were on hers before she could even scold him.
His strong arms enveloped her small body until she was flush with him, her arms slipping up and around to clutch onto the back of his neck. One large hand fisted her hair at the nape of her neck as he deepened their kiss, pushing her back until she bumped into the truck.
He ground his body into hers, his hardened length rubbing into her hip bone. One hand left her body and clutched onto the bed of the truck as he continued to press into her, their lips never leaving each other, their bodies so close they were almost one.
She finally tore her lips from his, panting, and looked up at him. “Where did that come from?”
He shook his head and grinned wickedly. “I told you I was feeling warm.” He leaned in and dropped several kisses along her neck, soft hums of approval coming from her. “This is what you do to me.”
She pulled back, smiling. “Not that I’m complaining about this sudden ravishing, but we are on the side of the road, and anyone could come by at any moment.”
He raised one brow suggestively while grinning. “Not into the thrill of being caught?”
“I think we’ve had more than enough of that between Walter and my father’s phone call yesterday.” She cocked her head at him, this time raising her eyebrows.
“Touché.” He kissed her on the nose and finally released the hold he had on her by stepping back. “I can’t seem to get enough of you. Sorry for the sneak attack.”
She looked at him coyly and closed the distance between them by pulling him close to her again. “Don’t ever apologize for wanting more of me. That’s the best thing I’ve been told in a very long time.” She kissed him then, soft and torturously slow, causing him to groan.
This time, he pulled away. “Woman, unless you want me to throw you in the bed of that truck and have my way with you, you better walk away right now.”
She laughed heartily but stepped away and held her hands up in surrender. “Okay, but we’re definitely picking up where we left off as soon as we are somewhere private!”
“Deal.”
Chapter Twelve
They spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon travelling to several more covered bridges in the area, Gage taking pictures at every location. The afternoon was gorgeous, with the sun still shining brightly at three in the afternoon, keeping the temperature comfortable for late September.
“Are you covered-bridged-out yet?” Hope asked as they pulled out and away from their latest visit.
“I think I am, actually.” He smiled gratefully at her. “What do you have in mind for us next?”
“Oh, you think you have me all figured out already, huh?” She chuckled.
“Well, you do seem to be a bit of a planner.”
“Okay, you got me there.” She shrugged sheepishly. “I can’t help it, though. It’s ingrained from my job!”
“No complaints from me, Little Miss Type A.” He gave her a playful wink. “Someone needs to keep us in line.”
“Well, there’s this place called Top of The World that we could hike up to if you want.” She looked at him and then continued. “It’s not a real hike or anything. It’s a snowmobile trail that leads up to the top of this amazing hill that lets you see the whole valley and the lake.”
He looked over at her, grinning. “Let’s do it. It sounds gorgeous.”
She gave him the directions, and within thirty minutes, they were back in her neck of the woods and she was guiding him through some back roads to the trail head location. He pulled onto the side of the road and parked the truck, hopped out of the truck, and was opening her door before she had time to grab for her handle.
She smiled warmly at him and took his proffered hand, stepping out of the truck and directly into his arms, placing a kiss on his lips. “Thank you.”
He smiled back and reached around her to grab his camera bag off the seat. “Okay, lead the way!”
She led them down the road only a short bit before indicating the start of the trail and walked into the woods onto the path. They were quiet most of the hike up the long, winding hill. Every once in a while, Hope would point out a pretty bird or a part of the trail that was rocky or rough. As they neared the top, the light became brighter as the tree line leveled off and allowed more sunshine through.
Hope reached over and grabbed Gage’s hand in hers as they crested the top of the hill, excited to see his reaction to the view. She looked over and smiled widely as his jaw dropped open and his gaze swept the horizon.
“Jesus! It’s beautiful up here!” His gaze stopped on her, a smile blooming wide on his face. “This is a hidden gem if ever I saw one.”
“I knew you’d like it.” She grinned back. “It’s one of my absolute favorite places to go. Don’t you feel like you are on top of the world?”
He looked out over the horizon again, and Hope watched his face as he took in the sweeping hills leading to a valley nestled below and the little houses dotting the landscape surrounding the lake. The sun was sitting lower in the sky now, and its rays were sparkling brightly on the water. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, and without the shadows, every color seemed more alive and crisp.
“I feel closer to God here. Is that strange?” He turned toward her.
She shook her head, “No. That’s exactly how I feel when I’m here, too.”
He turned back toward the view and unconsciously unzipped his bag and had his camera in his hands and up to his face within seconds. She watched as he snapped shot after shot, mesmerized by his singular focus. He was fascinating to watch. She loved how every single thing he did seemed natural and instinctual—without thought. Nothing was preconceived with him, making him and everything he did truly real and believable.
She loved watching how his hands worked, his long fingers focusing the lens causing the muscles on his forearms to tighten. She sighed dreamily as she recalled how wonderful those same fingers always felt on her, and how those same arms had held her and made her feel so wanted and safe over the last few days. She was surprised how quickly they had become so comfortable with each other.
He looked over at her then, snapping several photos of her staring at him before she could react, throwing her hands up over her face. “Oh my God! Stop! You caught me red-handed oglin
g you!”
“That was definitely a look I wanted to catch and see over and over.” He had lowered his camera and was smiling wickedly at her. “It’s nice to know you like what you see.”
Making her way over to him, she slid her hands around his waist, tilting her head to look up at him. “I like what I see very much.”
“Me too.” He bent and pressed his lips to hers, one arm draping loosely over her shoulder as he brought the other one up and snapped several selfies of them before pulling away. “Turn around so I can snap us with the lake in the background.”
She did as he requested, moving to stand beside him, the gorgeous lake and hills as their backdrop. He held the camera backwards in front of them and clicked off a few pictures. Turning it back around, they looked at the pictures of them, smiling in approval at his efforts.
“Those are so good!” Hope beamed. “You are definitely going to have to send me copies of all of these.”
He put the camera back in the bag and placed it on the ground, reaching over to grab her hand and pulling her down to sit with him. “No problem.”
She leaned into him as he placed an arm around her, gathering her closer as he bent and placed a kiss on her head, tucking her under his chin. They sat in silence, both content in each other’s arms, enjoying the vista that stretched out before them.
He let out a long, satisfied sigh and kissed her cheek. “I love—” His heart caught in his throat as he realized what he was about to say, her eyes swiveling up to meet his. “Being here with you.”
She stared at up at him, her expression telling him she was trying to read what was happening behind those green eyes of his, and then responded slowly. “I love being here with you, too.”
His hand came up and caressed her face, his eyes locked on hers as he lowered his mouth and kissed her slowly. Her hands slid up and around his neck as she reciprocated his actions, her tongue slinking out to graze his teasingly. He hummed his compliance and shifted their bodies so she was beneath him as he lowered her back onto the grassy meadow, her hair fanning her head like a golden halo.
Around them, birds chirped, bees swarmed lazily by, and leaves rustled in the late afternoon breeze, creating a soundtrack no man-made music could match. Their kisses continued, the intensity and heat of their bodies building with every stolen breath. Gage dragged his hand down the length of her torso until he found the hem of her shirt and slipped his hand underneath, his palm resting on the silk of her skin. His mouth left hers and started blazing a trail to her neck by nipping his way along her chin, to her ear, and then finally lower, his tongue laving her throat languidly.
She moaned softly as she titled her head back, giving him more access to her throat. His fingertips were brushing circles in a slow rhythmic dance up her stomach, over the mound of her breast, his large hand covering it completely and gently clenching. Her back arched off the ground as she pushed harder into his grasp, her hands gripping his taut biceps.
He lifted his head from her throat to look at her. He nuzzled his nose down over her face before placing a chaste kiss against her lips. “Open your eyes, Hope.”
Her lids fluttered open, the pupils dilated and surrounded by a sea of churning blue. She leaned up and bit his lips in a teasing kiss. “Don’t stop.”
He nipped her back seductively, his tongue snaking out to barely graze over her lips afterwards. “Private enough?” He growled into her ear as he moved his thumb to swipe over her hardened nipple, eliciting a small moan from her.
She turned her head so that she could pummel her lips to his in a frenzied kiss of passion, her hands sliding under his shirt and over his bare back, her nails digging into his skin as he pushed his hardened length against the warm juncture that his body lay against. A hot gasp of pleasure burst from her mouth and into him as her lips broke from his.
“Yes, private enough.” She moved her hands around to the front of his jeans, releasing the button, and began trying to push them lower.
He chuckled at her eager efforts and moved his hands down to help her as she moved to do the same to her own bottoms. “Eager, are we?”
Her eyes locked onto his. “I want you.” She reached down between his legs and grasped his hard length in her hand, slowly sliding it up and down. “I think this indicates you do, as well.”
He groaned and gritted his teeth as pleasure roared through him when her small hand clenched onto his cock. “I’ve wanted you every second from the moment I wrapped my arms around your perfect body and carried you back to the truck in the rain.”
He silenced any further discussion by crashing his mouth over hers, lunging his hips forward, his cock sinking deep, their bodies melting into one.
A little more than an hour later, Gage parked the truck next to the Range Rover back at the lake house. Hope’s head was tilted back and resting against the back of the seat, a relaxed smile on her lips as she turned toward him.
“Home sweet home.”
He leaned toward her, gripping her lightly at the nape of her neck, and kissed her slowly. Her hand came up and stroked the stubble that had gotten softer with the last few days of growth, enjoying the tranquility a simple kiss from him made her feel. He broke the kiss but moved his forehead to rest against hers, neither of them ready to completely break contact yet. His gaze locked onto hers and seemed to penetrate all the way to her soul, a shiver sweeping down her body.
“What is it?” she whispered in confusion.
“The question is, what are you doing to me?” He blinked slowly, keeping his forehead pressed to hers as he brushed his lips lightly across hers.
Her heart began to race, as if a thousand butterflies were fluttering against her breast, trying to fly away. “I think maybe the same thing you are doing to me.”
He kissed her again, this time swiping his tongue across her bottom lip after nipping and pulling it teasingly.
“You are stealing my heart.”
Kiss.
“One.”
Kiss.
“Surprising.”
Kiss.
“Moment.”
Kiss.
“At.”
Kiss.
“A.”
Kiss.
“Time.”
Kiss.
Their eyes remained glued to each other, foreheads still together, their breaths mingling together with each heavy exhale. She slid her hand over his heart, feeling the thunder of its pulse under her palm, and rested it there.
“I promise to take good care of it.” Her cheeks flushed as her tongue darted out to wet her lips. “As long as you promise to take care of the one you’ve stolen, too.”
His heart stuttered in his chest as her admission sunk home, and just as quickly, a feeling of serenity jumpstarted it back to life. In one quick motion, he wrapped his arms around her and hauled her against him as his lips collided with hers, effectively sealing his promise with a kiss.
When he finally released her, both of them panting, both of them smiling shyly, he shook his head. “I don’t understand how I could feel this way after only a few days with you.”
She shook her head in return, although it was in agreement. “I know.” She peeked up at him through her lashes. “Is it crazy if I keep thinking that I was meant to find you there in the road that night? That even though it seemed like I was rescuing you, it’s ended up being you rescuing me?”
He reached up and cupped her face, his thumb stroking her cheek lightly as he answered quietly. “I think maybe we rescued each other.”
She faintly nodded her head in acceptance. “Yes, I think maybe we did.”
Their lips came together again, tender and full of the feelings they had both just acknowledged, their arms tangled around the other. Gage finally broke his lips from hers and, after one last squeeze, extricated his limbs from hers and grinned down at her.
“Should we go in before we christen ole blue in your driveway?”
Laughing, she slid off Gage and back to the passenger si
de of the truck. “Probably a good idea. Besides, I’m starving!”
“Good, me too! Let’s get inside.”
Chapter Thirteen
After a dinner of T-Bone steaks cooked on the grill by Gage, accompanied by fresh tomato slices and baked stuffed potatoes whipped up by Hope, they climbed with satisfied stomachs upstairs to her bedroom.
“Shower?” she asked as she collapsed back on the bed.
He lay beside her, his fingers finding hers and weaving them into his. “Too tired.”
“Good.” She giggled. “Me too, but I didn’t want you to think I was a dirty girl if I was too lazy to shower.”
He rolled on his side to face her, a sly smile on his lips. “If I didn’t think I’d burst from the dinner we just ate, I’d get you even dirtier.”
She placed her hand over her belly and groaned. “Please, if you lay one inch of yourself on me, I think I’ll explode.”
“What if I light a fire instead? Does that television work?” He waved his free hand toward the flat screen nestled in one of the bookcases across from the bed.
“It does, but I can only play movies on it. We don’t have cable hooked up here.”
“Are you going to make me watch some sappy romance movie?” He chuckled as he lifted himself off the bed and moved over to the fireplace.
“What? Do you think girls only like to watch romance movies?” she asked, trying to feign annoyance.
His brows arched high, his lips forming a small grimace. “Uh, yeah.”
She sat up, moved over to the bookcase, and began thumbing through some of the DVDs on the shelf. When Harry Met Sally, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Love Actually, Pride and Prejudice, A Walk in the Clouds, The Notebook, Pretty Woman. Shit. Wait! She found one that might work.
“Ha! How about For Love of The Game?” She pulled the case out of the bookcase and waved it in the air triumphantly.
He shook his head, striking a match and setting fire to the kindling, his shoulders shaking slightly as he laughed. “That is a total love story!”
Losing Hope Page 10