A Forever Christmas(37)

Happen.

“I hear you did really well today,” he told her as Angel approached. He looked around at the men surrounding her. They appeared to be closing ranks around Angel again despite the limited amount of space.

“Let her breathe, guys,” he said to the men, his voice sounding authoritative and official. “The lady can’t move with you crowding her like that.”

“Looks to me like she’s moving just fine,” one of the ranch hands from the McIntyre ranch piped up in response. The expression on his face showed all the signs that he was completely smitten.

“Your opinion doesn’t count here, Wylie,” Gabe informed the man. “Now I’m not telling you again. Let the lady through.” This time there wasn’t even a hint of humor to be found in his voice.

After a tense moment or two, Wylie raised his hands in surrender and stepped back. “Don’t want no trouble.”

“Glad to hear that,” Gabe said, taking hold of Angel’s arm and leading her to the door.

“See you tomorrow, Angel,” Miss Joan called out after her.

Angel glanced over her shoulder. Her smile very nearly went from ear to ear as she repeated the sentiment to Miss Joan. Then she looked at the man at her side as he held the door open for her. “That’s all right with you, right?”

He liked that she asked, even though she didn’t have to. “You’re your own person, Angel. I can’t tell you what to do, but yes, for the record, that’s fine with me. Miss Joan told me you did really well today.”

Happiness seemed to emanate from her every pore. “It just seemed so right to me, to be doing what I was doing,” she told him with enthusiasm.

He opened the passenger’s side door for her and she was about to slide onto the seat when she stopped and looked up at him quizzically. “What’s this?”

“Flowers,” he answered matter-of-factly.

Holding the bouquet as if it was something fragile and precious, she slid into the passenger seat. “I know they’re flowers, but why are they in your truck?”

Gabe got in on his side. Putting the key into the ignition, he left it idle for a moment as he turned toward her.

“Because I thought that maybe you’d like something to commemorate your first day at work.” He shrugged, feeling oddly awkward about what he’d done on a whim. “Seemed like a good idea at the time,” he murmured.

Angel inhaled deeply, the scent of roses both soothing and arousing her at the same time.

“It’s a lovely idea,” she told him.

Impulsively, she leaned over the stick shift and brushed her lips against Gabe’s cheek.

Or would have had he not picked that moment to turn his head to look at her.

A cheek was replaced by a pair of lips. And what had been begun as the most innocent displays of gratitude escalated into something far more electrifying as her lips touched his.

Once.

Twice.

And then again a third time, each pass becoming just a little more forceful, a little more arousing than the last, until the bouquet fell from her fingers into her lap. Without thinking, Angel slipped her hands around the back of his neck.

Arms enfolded her, then Gabe pulled her closer to him and, just like that, completely lost his way.





Chapter Ten



She could feel her heart hammering wildly in her chest. Angel was swept away by the sheer power of the emotion that had, without any warning, been unleashed full blown, within her.

All sorts of delicious sensations—new and yet not—raced through her, taking away her breath and making her pulse pound even more rapidly. She could feel her body reacting, could feel heat surging through her. Something vague, just out of reach, was trying—and failing—to break through.

It made her want.

It made her afraid.

Damn it, he had better control than this, a far-off voice in Gabe’s head upbraided him. It wasn’t as if Angel actually knew what was going on, or was making a conscious choice between refraining and giving in to a sudden impulse.

Hell, she might not even know what this impulse was at this point. Who could actually say—including her—what Angel knew and didn’t know? Which meant that what he was doing right now was tantamount to plain taking advantage of her.

He should just pull back.

He should just stop…

But, oh, God, she was doing such things to his insides, reminding him what it felt like to be alive.