Christmas on 4th Street (Fool's Gold #12.5)(50)

“You don’t have that now?”

“I avoid getting too close to anyone.”

She thought about the girlfriend he’d lost so horribly and unexpectedly. “I guess that makes sense.”

He nodded. “It’s hard to have to patch up a friend and not know if he or she is going to make it, while still having to move on to someone else.”

The realization of all he’d sacrificed made her sad. Somewhere along the way Gabriel had learned that the price of loving was too high. He was no longer willing to risk his heart because it all could be gone tomorrow. The wrong lesson, she was convinced, but she had no way to prove it to him. She reached for his hand—the one that had been injured. The wound had healed over and now there was only the scar. She put down her wine and held his hand in both of hers. There was strength here, she thought. Knowledge. He could recover, or at the very least, ward off death.

She looked back at his face and saw him looking at her. His gaze was hooded, as if he didn’t want her to know what he was thinking.

In that moment, staring into his dark blue eyes, she understood that she’d never had a choice in the matter. That her destiny with Gabriel had been set from the second she’d seen him. He was kind and funny and smart and irreverent and he knew about cats. He was the kind of man who hiked through the wilderness to find the perfect tree for a window display that didn’t matter to him at all. He gave his all and expected nothing in return.

She wanted to tell him that he could have her heart. He could take it with him, if he wanted, because it was his. Only he wouldn’t understand the gesture as a gift. He would think she was trying to trap him, and she wasn’t.

“I’ll be right back,” she said instead and stood. She crossed to the tiny bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. She pulled out the box of condoms and put them on the small table by the bed, then turned to face him.

He’d risen to his feet, but didn’t walk toward her. “I wondered if you’d seen those.”

“I did,” she said, pulling her T-shirt off and draping it over the footboard. She unfastened her jeans and let them fall to the floor.

He put down his wine. “Just like that?”

“Did you want more drama?”

“No,” he said and moved toward her.

She went into his arms. He drew her against him, moving his hands up and down her back. His fingers paused on the back of her bra. She felt a slight tug as the hooks were pulled free, and then it fell away.

She pressed her lips to his as his hands slid up her sides and shifted to cup her br**sts. Heat and need poured through her. She met his tongue stroke for stroke, even as she tugged on the hem of his sweater.

He pulled it off, then moved them to the bed. He touched her everywhere, arousing her with first his fingers then his tongue, exciting her until her breath came in pants and her release was inevitable. She helped him undress, silently pleased his hands trembled. After slipping on the condom, he joined with her, as the sun slipped slowly over the horizon.

* * *

“I can’t see you as a heartless corporate lawyer,” Gabriel said, his hand moving up and down her bare belly.

They were stretched out on the bed, their bodies sated...at least for the moment. Noelle liked that they were still naked and touching each other. To her the real test of sexual compatibility wasn’t in the moment. Anyone could make that good. It was after. Were there regrets? Did she want to make love again? Could they laugh?

“I wasn’t heartless,” she told him. “Which might have turned out to be a problem. Although I suppose I should point out that not all corporate lawyers are heartless.”

One eyebrow rose.

She grinned. “Okay, some of them aren’t. How’s that?”

“I’m still having trouble believing that.” He moved his hand over one breast, then the other. He paused to tease her ni**les, which made her shiver.

His gaze sharpened. “You like that.”

“I liked pretty much everything you did,” she admitted. “I’m sure your technique has been honed by all your experience.”

He groaned and rolled on his back. “I never should have admitted that to you.”

She propped her head on her hand and smiled. “The fact that you used sex as a way to escape from your job pressures?” She paused. “Yeah, not your smartest conversational move. Because you can’t unsay it and I will never, ever forget.”

He glanced at her, the corner of his mouth turning up. “I wasn’t a complete dog.”

“Interesting, because I hear a distinct yipping in the background.”

“When I was in a relationship, I was faithful.”

“I have no proof of that.”

The smile faded. “I wouldn’t do that. I don’t get the point. If someone’s unhappy, talk about it. If you can’t fix it, man up and be honest about wanting to leave.”

“I know,” she said, leaning forward and lightly kissing him.

He took her free hand in his and brought it to his groin. She stroked him, taking him from relaxed to aroused in about three seconds.

She’d been about to suggest they get dressed and eat, but this was so much more interesting, she thought. Especially when he drew her up so she was straddling him.

She leaned over and let her hair trail along his chest. He moved his hand between them and found her very center. He smiled slowly.