Page 29 of Forever Yours
“Brrr.” Annabelle shivered. “I’m gonna turn in, guys. I think I’m starting to get a chill.”
“And you thought I’d be the one in improper dress.” Sebastian gestured to her high-heeled winter boots.
“Please. These boots have seen me through many Massachusetts winters, and they’ll last many more.” She stood and turned to leave.
Sebastian followed, opening the door for her, their conversation fading out as it softly clicked shut behind them.
Prudence stood as well. “You ready, Grey?” she asked, reaching out her hand.
Greyson took her hand and winked at Gabe and Devlin. “Always. Night, guys.”
Gabe and Devlin watched the second pair go in, then they were alone.
“I think I’ll stay out for a little while more.” Devlin reached into the bag for another marshmallow. They’d been seated next to each other all night and with slow, unintentional movements, had eased themselves so they were so close but barely touching now, a hint of pressure with each almost made contact.
“I’ll keep you company.” Gabe second-guessed himself. “Unless you wanted to be alone?”
“No, I’d like for you to stay.”
“Thank goodness, my room is right next to the master, and whatever Grey and Pru are doing, I don’t want to hear it.”
Devlin laughed, a sweet peal of sound that washed over Gabe like a security blanket. “I’m glad I’m sleeping downstairs.”
“I might end up on the couch. They just can’t get enough of each other.”
“I wonder what that’s like,” Devlin murmured, so quiet he wasn’t sure he’d heard her. His blood thickened and he pushed down a wave of desire. Swallowing hard, he cleared his throat enough to ask the question he wasn’t sure he could handle the answer to right now.
“What do you mean?”
“I wonder what that kind of love is like. So in love that nothing else matters. Not fame or fortune. So wrapped up with another person that they’re the air you need to breathe, or you need them otherwise your body just doesn’t function.”
Gabe’s body was functioning fine right now, and it took this opportunity to remind him that he was a red-blooded male with a stunning woman sitting inches from him, looking at him now, her eyes wide and searching. He lowered his head, giving her time to retreat. It seemed like she was going to, pulling back a fraction before stopping. His lips touched hers with the lightness of flower petals brushing against each other in the breeze.
A gust of wind blew in so fast and harsh that it almost extinguished the fire’s flames, and the blast was so icy that it startled them apart. Devlin stood and backed toward the door.
“I’m sorry, Gabe. I don’t know why I let this keep happening. I meant it when I said I didn’t want any entanglements right now. I want to focus on Books and Beans with nothing else to distract me.” She didn’t give him the chance to respond before pulling open the door and retreating inside.
Gabe knew she was right. They were competitors now, both needing the building between them to expand their businesses. Only one reason existed for them to be here at this cabin—to put together proposals good enough to knock the other one out of the competition. He stood and turned off the fire pit’s propane and replaced the cover. He moved through the patio door, turning to lock it behind him. Divesting himself of his winter gear, he turned off the downstairs lights and trudged up the stairs.
“Gabe, wait!” He was halfway up when he heard Devlin’s loud whisper. His heart stuttered then soared when he saw Devlin stop at the base of the staircase.This is it, we’re going to happen. All thoughts he’d had moments ago about how correct she was to back away jumped right out of the window.
“There’s a man in my room.”
His soaring heart plummeted. “What?”
“A man. I’m assuming Sebastian, since Grey and Pru wouldn’t spend the night apart.” She motioned with her hand for him to follow.
When he got to Devlin’s room, he indeed saw a man on her bed. He walked over and shook Sebastian’s shoulder, getting a muffled, “Not now, Winters,” in reply.
Gabe bent over Sebastian’s prone figure, lying face down, quiet snores escaping his nose. “Dreaming about AB, huh?”
He jumped in startlement when Sebastian replied, “Fine, just put it on my desk you infernal woman.”
Devlin snickered under her breath, still standing in the doorway.
He shook him again, to complete silence this time. “He’s out.” Gabe looked around the room, then sighed. “It seems wrong to wake him, you might as well just sleep upstairs in his room, we’ll figure it out tomorrow.”
“Hold on, let me grab my pajamas.” He heard a muffled oath as she almost tripped on Sebastian’s coat and shoes that he’d left in the middle of the floor. “I should turn the light on, that’ll teach him.”