Her heart rocked. Don’t know.
Do you want it to be? Even though you said he’s a rescuer?
True. Not her type at all. She told herself she didn’t want more. But, the thing was, she was beginning to think maybe she was wrong.
Maybe he was her type.
He made her feel things, really great things, and not just physically, because, yeah, he had every guy beat in that respect. He made her feel…content. Everything was new and wonderful. She found she actually liked him. Liked when his guard was finally down. He was witty, very smart, and at times, so cute her heart swelled in her chest.
The floor creaked upstairs and her heart stopped again.
Chapter Seven
Got to go. Snuck on Hawk’s phone. Don’t text back. TTYL
Gina immediately deleted their conversation, powered off, then shoved the cell in the coat pocket near where she’d kicked the phone one the floor.
Hopefully, Paige didn’t text back because it would show up the next time Hawk powered up.
She was popping the potatoes into the microwave when he entered the room in jeans and a gray T-shirt, hair wet, no socks.
Sexy as hell.
The best part was he wasn’t wearing his glasses. Satisfaction warmed her chest. She noticed he’d taken to not wearing them inside the cottage.
“Something smells great.” He walked right up in his bare feet, pulled her in his arms, and kissed the strength from her legs. When he drew back, she clung to him like a baby. “What can I do to help?”
She sucked in air and blinked at him. “Get me the license plate of the truck that just hit me.”
A chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Just wait until your delicious meal rejuvenates me.”
Holy smokes. He’d kissed the bejesus out of her when he wasn’t rejuvenated?
“Now, give me something to do.”
She released him and nodded toward the refrigerator. “You can get us drinks, but that’s it. Sit down. I’m serving you this time.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted…and she smacked his ass. “Thank you, ma’am. May I have another?”
She laughed with him. “No, you’re enjoying it too much.”
“Damn. Beautiful and smart.” A grin tugged his lips as he grabbed a jug of water from the fridge and, two glasses from the cupboard before heading for the table.
God, she loved seeing him carefree. It was new. Not something she’d ever witnessed before this week. The man made her chest hurt, in a good way. She rubbed at the ache as she turned to grab butter from the fridge.
Maybe if he’d come around her aunt’s house more often when she’d been alive, or to the barbeques her brother held at his place, she wouldn’t feel the ripple effect straight to her toes. By keeping her at arm’s length, staying away, he’d robbed her of these rare glimpses of honest emotion.
But, then again, back then that had been his plan. Now, she couldn’t help but wonder if that plan had changed.
If she were honest, she hoped so. Heaven help her, she hoped he wanted her in his life.
Later that evening, after he’d checked the perimeter, set his phone and two condoms on her nightstand, then stripped them both naked, she realized she was starting to see the real Hawk.
No.
Gabriel.
There was so much feeling and raw need in the gorgeous man setting her gently back against the pillows, placing soft, feather-light kisses to her eyes, forehead, nose, and corner of her mouth, before tenderly brushing her lips with his, that tears silently slipped from Gina’s eyes while she shook from the force of the emotion in his touch.
“You’re so beautiful, Gina,” he whispered against her mouth, then proceeded to steal her breath with long, lazy, drugging kisses.
And why not? He’d already stolen her heart.
Actually, that wasn’t true. She’d given it to him years ago, unknowingly but willingly, and she only now realized it. Her feelings for this man had started out as lust, but through the years, grew stronger. And when he’d landed in the hospital, she’d raced to be with him, not because Cam had asked her, or because Gabriel was alone. She’d gone for her, because she loved the man.
The revelation was a shock, and yet, it wasn’t. It made sense. It explained why she’d always had such a strong reaction to him.
“So beautiful.” His mouth and hands continued to worship her body from head to toe, kissing, licking, nipping every inch.
By the time he rolled on a condom, she’d climaxed twice and was still shuddering from the afterglow when he started to get on his back.
She grasped his arm to stop him. “No, I want to lay under you.”
God, how she wanted to feel the weight of his magnificent body on top of her.
Not once in the past few days had he let her take bottom…except when she’d been on all fours downstairs after her double climax draped over the couch.
She knew her taking top was his way of saying he had no issues with her scars.
But she enjoyed bottom, and wanted to experience her favorite position with him.
“Okay.” He waited until she settled back down, his gaze darkening as he watched her breasts bounce. Then he dipped to kiss each one, working his way to her mouth, where he slowly swept his tongue inside.
She moaned and her fingernails gripped his shoulder blades, while their tongues brushed. She was so hot, so hungry to have him inside that she ached.
His mouth blazed a trail down her neck and he sank his teeth in the spot behind her ear.
“Gabriel,” she whispered on a hitched breath.
He stilled and drew back to stare down at her, surprise widening his gaze, and her heart clutched at the raw, stark emotion in his blue depths.
“What?” She reached up to touch his cheek. “Why’d you stop?”
“You called me Gabriel,” he observed, his voice low and husky. “You’ve never called me that before.”
He was right. She always called him Hawk. “Because you never let me see Gabriel.” Until this week, he’d only ever let her see Hawk.
His nostrils flared, and something primal entered his gaze. “Say it again.”
“Gabriel.”
He kissed her then, a little crazy, a lot hot, and very thorough. The man took her out of herself. Shattered her and put her back whole. New. He had her rethinking her sacrifice phobia. Being with him made her want to stay with him.
Plain and simple.
By the time he drew back and positioned himself between her legs, she could barely breathe. Anticipation and need gripped so damn tight.
Holding her gaze, he slowly sank inside. A sexy, low sound ripped from his chest.
She cried out, nearly coming undone from the sheer bliss of the long-awaited joining. The man zapped every last brain cell until only their connection existed. Still holding her gaze, he entwined their fingers by her head and lowered his body until they were eye to eye, chest to chest. Flesh to delicious flesh.
Then he began to move, and the slow slide of their slick bodies and the raw emotion blazing in his open gaze had her whispering his name over and over again. This seemed to spur him on, because he squeezed her hands, and ecstasy tightened his face as he upped their pace.
She felt everything all at once. Utterly lost in him. Her emotions and need mixed with his to form a heady, euphoric rush. Heart to heart. Soul to soul.
“Gabriel…”
“I know.” He brushed her lips with his. “I feel it too.”
At his admission, her whole body tightened until everything inside snapped and burst. She cried out his name one last time, and came with a force that had him saying her name as he shuddered in her arms and followed with his own fierce release.
When she finally drifted back to earth, she could feel his breath warm and ragged on her skin as he nuzzled her neck. She ran her hands down his slick back and smiled. That was the most incredible experience of her life. She couldn’t wait to do that again. After feeling returned to her legs.
Lifting up
to look at her, he smiled and traced her cheek. “You okay?”
“Mmm…better than okay.” She cupped his tracing hand. “It keeps getting better and better.”
He leaned down. “I know. You take my breath,” he said against her lips.
He certainly took hers—like now. It caught in her throat.
“Ditto.”
He smiled as he kissed her again. “I’m going to get us a drink and a snack. I’ll be right back.”
He rolled off her and disappeared into the hall.
Gina stretched and smiled at her deliciously sore muscles. That was the best way to work out.
Ever.
She reached for her shirt on the floor, and as she slipped it on, her gaze fell to the nightstand.
And his phone.
Maybe she should check if Paige had texted back. She eyed the doorway, listening to him leave the bathroom and head downstairs. Mind made up, she swiped the phone and powered it on as she sat on the bed. She didn’t want to make him mad, or resurrect his grumpy side. It was nice being around the friendly, caring man.
The factory screensaver of a snow-covered bridge lit the screen and showed no recent texts. She decided to check his message log to be safe.
Empty.
She breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to power down when the phone started to ring in her hands.
“Gina, wait. I’ll get it,” Gabriel called as he rushed into the room.
But it was too late. She’d already seen the name on the screen.
Nightwing.
Her brother.
Chapter Eight
Emotions churned inside, twisting Gina’s stomach into a tight knot. The one vying for top position was hope. Hope that it was somehow a coincidence, a miracle that Cam had gotten the number of his friend’s burn phone and his nickname had miraculously appeared.
She knew it was wishful thinking, especially given the dread draining the blood from Gabriel’s face as she tapped accept and put her brother on speaker. Before either of them had a chance to talk, Cam’s voice boomed through the phone.
“Hey, what’s going on, buddy? You were supposed to check in ten minutes ago. What are you doing to my sister that has you forgetting protocol?”
Any sliver of hope she’d had for the far-fetched coincidence theory shriveled to dust.
All this time…the two of them had been in touch the whole damn time she’d been worried about Cam.
God…how could he?
Beyond angry and utterly bereft, she drew in a ragged breath. “He was doing me.” Her hand shook as she stared at the phone.
“Gina?”
“Yes, and Hawk’s here, too. He’s not looking so good.”
His face paled at her use of his nickname. At the moment, she couldn’t bring herself to call him Gabriel.
He set a dish with cheese and fruit on the nightstand, along with a bottle of water, then turned to her. “I can explain.”
“Good. You both can,” she said, her voice sounding low and tight in her ears. “I’d love to know why the hell you couldn’t tell me you’ve talked to my brother. God, Hawk. You knew I was worried sick about him! You knew…all this time…you knew where he was. Jesus, was it Cam you’ve been checking in with every day?”
He didn’t have to answer. She could see the guilt clouding his gaze as he began to get dressed.
Pain ripped through her chest, squeezing so tight she could barely breathe. She’d never felt so betrayed or hurt in her life. If her legs weren’t shaking, she’d jump to her feet and leave the damn room.
“Gina, calm down. It wasn’t his fault.” Her foolish brother thought that mattered. “Give him a break. He was following orders. We didn’t want you to know because it would put you in even more danger.”
“Save it, Cam. How many times do I have to tell you to stop protecting me? Just stop already.”
“Not going to happen, sis. I love you, and so does Hawk. He has for a long time now.”
Her gaze shot to the man standing quietly by the bed.
“It’s true,” he admitted, lifting a hand to touch her face, but she shifted out of his reach.
She was too angry, too hurt to feel his touch, or deal with that admission. “That’s not the point.”
“It’s exactly the point.” Hawk stared down at her, gaze determined, jaw tight. “There’s no way I’m going to let anything happen to you.”
“Yeah, sis, we’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
Her stomach pitched as she jumped to her feet, gripping the phone tight. “No. Don’t. That’s exactly what I was afraid of. Exactly what I don’t want. Dad died because of me. I don’t want either of you…” God, she couldn’t even say it. “Just stop trying to save me!”
“Look, we’ll discuss it another time.”
“Fine.” It was making her nauseous anyway. She blew out a breath and talked herself out of throwing up. “Can you at least tell me where you are and what you’re doing?”
“I’m on an assignment for an agency called GAPS.”
She glanced at Hawk. “That Guarding Angel agency?”
He nodded.
She frowned at the phone. “I thought you worked for the museum?”
“I do, but also GAPS. And right now, I’m curious as to why you had Hawk’s phone. What were you doing with it? I’m presuming it was turned off.”
It was her turn to feel guilt. She pushed the emotion aside as righteous indignation burned through her gut. To hell with it. “I was checking to see if Paige texted.”
“What?”
“Fuck.”
Both men sounded unhappy. Too bad.
Hawk stepped forward and gripped her arms. “Gina, how would she know to text this phone?”
“Jesus, sis. Did you text Paige?”
“Yes. And it’s a good thing. I knew she’d be worried. She was about to file a missing person’s report on me.”
“Fuck,” her brother growled through the phone.
“When?” Hawk’s gaze bore down on her. “When, Gina?”
“While you were in the shower earlier. Before we ate lunch.”
Cursing, he swiped the phone from her hand. “That was almost two hours ago. Sorry, Nightwing. Your position’s been compromised.”
“So has yours.” Her brother muttered another curse. “We’re moving ASAP. I suggest you do the same, and ditch the phone. Contact Jon when you can get another. And take care of my sister.”
Before she could speak, the phone went dead. Hawk pulled a small screwdriver from his pocket, unfastened the cover, removed the battery from the cell, and set both pieces next to their untouched plate of food.
“Get dressed. Pack up.” He turned to her, face closed and unreadable. “We’re leaving in two minutes.”
As if in a dream, she pulled on her clothes, donned her coat and boots, and stuffed the contents of her closet back into the suitcase, her mind too numb to focus on anything more than the task at hand.
So much had happened in the house. Hawk had finally opened up to her and they’d shared an emotional journey, which appeared to have come full circle. She’d arrived alone and confused, and the irony wasn’t lost on her that she was leaving the same way.
***
With Gina sitting in the front, and their bags in the back, Gabriel climbed into the SUV and drove away from their once-safe sanctuary. Regardless of how his future progressed, he’d always think fondly of their time at the beach house. It was where he’d had his first taste of Gina, opened up and shared the soul she’d resurrected, fallen completely in love with her…and fucked it all up.
Anger raced through him, heating his blood as he gripped the steering wheel tight and checked his mirrors for tails. He was so fucking pissed off at Cam for ordering him not to tell Gina anything. And at Gina for closing up without even giving him a chance to apologize. But most of all, he was pissed at himself. He knew it was wrong to lie to her, to keep her brother’s whereabouts a secret.
He glanced a
t her and his heart squeezed at the sight of silent tears streaming down her face.
“I’m sorry, Gina.” He reached out to touch her, but she shifted away. His heart squeezed tighter. “I wanted to tell you, but—”
“Forget it.” She held up a hand that shook slightly. “I know. You were following orders like a good soldier.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her a SEAL wasn’t a soldier, but it wasn’t important. Getting her to talk, or vent, any type of communication, was what mattered.
Her sigh filled the silence around them. “I learned long ago, Hawk, that the brotherhood always came before me. It was more important than me. I’ve no idea why I thought a few nights in my bed would change that with you.”
But it had. God, it’d changed so much. He’d changed so much. And he knew she saw it, felt the changes in him, because she’d started to call him by his first name.
“You’re everything to me, Gina.”
“Don’t.” She shook her head and more tears spilled down her cheeks as she faced him. “I want to try to remember the past few days in a good light. Don’t cast a shadow on them by backpedaling.”
“Christ, Gina. I’m not backpedaling,” he stated as he eased onto the interstate. “If anything, I’m fast forwarding, saying the damn stuff I wanted to say all along, but didn’t for fear of scaring you off. I like being around you. I like who I am when I’m with you. Hell, if you didn’t mean more to me than the brotherhood, then I never would’ve crossed that damn line with you. I think you know me better than that.”
She actually nodded slightly, so he continued.
“What I’m trying to say is I lo—”
The rest of his words remained unspoken as the SUV lurched forward from a sudden hard impact from behind.
Fuck. A large, black Suburban rammed them again.
“Hold on!” Gabriel jerked to the right and raced over the grass to climb onto the exit they’d passed.
Once there, he weaved in and out of traffic, trying not to notice Gina’s white-knuckled grip on the door, and her equally white complexion.
“You okay?”
Shoulders back, face pale, breathing rapid, she nodded. “Yeah.”
Hot SEALs: A Daye with A SEAL (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Dangerous Curves Series Book 3) Page 7