Safe from Harm (Protect & Serve #2)(57)

Longing for those strong arms around her, she slipped from the bed and searched the ground for her clothes. Not immediately finding them or the T-shirt she’d worn to bed—which had been discarded at some point during the night when Gabe had awakened her for a kiss that had quickly and blissfully led to more—she opened his closet and grabbed a long-sleeved button-down. Luckily, he was tall enough that the shirt hit her midthigh.

She shrugged. Good enough. If she had her way, she wouldn’t have it on long anyway.

But as she padded down the hallway, the house was so quiet, she began to wonder if he was even there. Then she caught the sound of soft music coming from the room he used as his office. She crept to the doorway and peered around the doorframe, her breath catching in her lungs when she saw him.

Gabe stood at his desk, holding a steaming cup of coffee, wearing only a low-slung pair of jeans and a fierce scowl. His bare chest moved in slow, even breaths, but Elle could tell from the way his jaw was clenched that he was furious.

“Band of Horses, if I’m not mistaken,” she said, referring to the band playing on the stereo.

His gaze snapped up to her face and the tension in his expression instantly eased. “Well, good morning,” he said, a smile breaking across his face as he reached out a hand, inviting her in. “Sleep well?”

She nodded as she came forward, taking his hand and letting him draw her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest, heaving a contented sigh. “How about you? How long have you been awake?”

He pressed a kiss to her hair. “Few hours.”

She pulled back and studied him for a long moment. “Gabe, it’s only eight ten. What time did you get up?”

He shrugged. “About five. I wanted to do some more snooping on Monroe. He updates his blog every Saturday.”

Now it was her turn to frown. “So you’ve been reading his blog for over three hours on a Sunday morning?”

He took a sip of his coffee, then set the cup down on the desk so he could wrap his arms around her and draw her closer. “I do my best thinking early in the morning. Of course, that’s not all I’m best at in the morning.”

She raised her brows, preferring his playful, dimpled smile far more than his pensive scowl. “That so?”

He demonstrated what he meant with a long, slow kiss that set her mind spinning, his lips alternately gentle and demanding. When the kiss ended, he took her hand in his and spun her in a quick dance step before drawing her close again, swaying slowly with her in time to the music.

“And you can dance, too,” she mused, grinning up at him.

“Took a class in college,” he admitted. “Thought it’d be a good skill to have, make me more of a Renaissance man.”

She pulled back with a skeptical look. “Renaissance man. Right… You sure it wasn’t just a ploy to get laid?”

He laughed in a loud burst and pulled her closer. “I can’t reveal all my secrets just yet. Man of mystery, remember? There’s a lot you don’t know about me, honey.”

She brushed a quick kiss against his lips. “So I’m learning. Guess I’ll have to hang out with you more often to discover more of these startling revelations about the real Gabe Dawson.”

He brought their clasped hands in close, pressing them against his chest. “It could take a while. You might have to tough it out for a long time before you find out all my deepest darkest secrets.”

She drew him down for a brief kiss, then snuggled in close. “I think I’m up for that.”

As the next song started to play, Gabe began to hum softly, the sound vibrating in his chest where her head rested. Elle closed her eyes, letting the warmth of him envelop her. She didn’t remember the last time she felt so content. Or loved. It was in his touch, in his smile, in the way he held her close.

As the song ended, Gabe drew back enough to look down into her eyes. Then he smoothed her curls, his gaze roaming as if memorizing every curve of her face. “How’d we get here, Elle?”

She frowned at him. “What do you mean?”

He tucked her back under his chin, holding her close. “I mean, up until a few weeks ago, you detested me. And now…”

She pushed back and turned her face up to his, wanting him to see the sincerity in her eyes when she said, “Gabe, I never detested you.” Her cheeks grew warm when she added, “In fact, I had a huge crush on you for years.”

“Nice try,” he chuckled. “But you’ve spent the last few years turning your nose up at me, rolling your eyes every time I tried to ask you out. Don’t try to stroke my ego now.”

Unable to resist a little mischief, she slid her hand over the front of his jeans. “If memory serves, it’s not your ego that responds best to my stroking.”

His breath hitched sharply and he grabbed her hand, bringing it up to his lips to kiss to her palm. “Minx,” he rasped, his desire impossible to mask. “You’re changing the subject. Tell me about this crush you supposedly had. Because, I gotta say, sweet cheeks, you sure as hell could’ve fooled me.”

“Ask Aunt Charlotte,” she insisted. “She still teases me about it, so I’m sure she’d be more than happy to fill you in.”

“Give me the CliffsNotes version,” he pressed.