Going Down Easy (Boys of the Big Easy #1)(36)

“And there’s a guy who told a story about trying to capture an alligator that was on a golf course. He kept trying to catch it with a snare, but the alligator would run from him. But he didn’t run away from other people nearby. The guy finally realized the alligator recognized his shirt. When he took off the shirt, the alligator quit running from him, and he was able to capture it and rerelease it elsewhere.”

Okay, that was mildly interesting. But even more so was the fact that Addison even knew about it.

“And female alligators are really protective of their babies,” she said.

“Ad?” Gabe said huskily.

She wet her lips, seeming almost nervous. “Yeah?”

“You’ve been reading about alligators?”

She nodded.

“Why?”

“I, um . . . after you said Cooper was so interested in them, I was wondering what was so fascinating.”

She’d been reading about alligators because of Cooper.

Gabe couldn’t have named the emotion that rocked through him with that exactly, but it made him want to cheer and fist-pump and strip her down and push her up against the wall. He took a step forward. “And you’ve found some things.”

She nodded again. “Yeah. And the thing is—those things don’t mean I absolutely want to see an alligator in the wild, or touch one, but I can’t deny that I’m a little curious in spite of the teeth and the scales and the whole could-kill-me-if-they-wanted-to thing.”

He took another step forward, his heart suddenly pounding. They weren’t talking about swamp boats and alligators now. “You’re interested in spite of the scary stuff,” he said.

“The scary stuff is still there, though,” she said, her eyes widening as he took yet another step, narrowing the space between them.

“But it might be worth a trip out onto the bayou,” Gabe said, taking the final step that put him right in front of her.

She swallowed. Then, thank God, nodded. “Yeah, it might be worth a trip just to see how it turns out in person.”

She was willing to try. With him. Holy hell, he hadn’t realized how much he needed to hear her say that. He reached up, put a hand on the back of her neck, and pulled her forward. She came willingly, flattening her hands on his chest but definitely not pushing him away. She looked up at him.

“You wanna get on my swamp boat for a tour, Ad?” he asked, his voice gruff.

One corner of her mouth lifted. “I do. In spite of myself.”

Yes. Yes, yes, yes. “Thank you,” he said.

The sincerity and intensity in his tone made her eyes widen. “Really?”

“Fuck yes,” he said solemnly. “I promise I’ll take care of you.”

She blew out a breath. “I’m not very good about not being careful,” she said, almost as if she was warning him. “I think about all of the what-ifs ahead of time. And sometimes I talk myself out of stuff entirely.”

“I’ve actually got a lot of experience with someone who’s overly careful about everything,” he told her, breathing in deeply of her scent and the feel of her against him again. He felt a strange sense of relief and want ripple through him at the same time.

“And you indulge him,” she said softly.

“I do. Because I always want the people who trust me to know that I’ll take care of them and that I’ll do whatever I can to keep them safe and that with me they can be who they are without fear.”

She pressed her lips together.

“And I think you’re going to be fine,” he told her. “Because you indulge a risk taker and let her spread her wings and tell her that even if things don’t work out, everything will be okay.”

Addison pulled in a breath. “Pottery can be fixed. Pencil lines can be erased and redrawn. Not everything is that easy to fix when it doesn’t work out.”

“You’re right,” he said. He leaned in and put his forehead against hers. “But remember, when you’re scared, I’m perfectly fine with you climbing into bed with me.”

She gave a little laugh, the puff of air against his lips tightening everything in him instantly.

He gave a little groan. “I’ve missed you so damned much.”

Her fingers curled into his shirt, as if she were holding on. “Me too,” she admitted.

That was all he needed to hear. His lips crashed down on hers, his hand holding her head, the other cupping that ass that still fit absolutely perfectly in his palm.





Chapter Six

Addison rose on tiptoe to get closer, opening her mouth for him and moaning when his tongue slid along hers in a firm, sensual stroke.

They kissed for several long, hot minutes, just pressing close and tasting one another. But it didn’t take long for the rest of Gabe’s body to start demanding more of hers. He walked her backward a few steps to the table and lifted her to sit on the edge.

“Hey, we put our cookies here,” she said with a mischievous smile as he stepped between her knees.

“Then this is exactly where you belong,” he told her, running his hands up under the edge of her shirt to the smooth, hot skin of her back. “Sweetest thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.”

She half laughed, half groaned at that. “You can’t . . . put me in your mouth right here.”