Page 49 of Sweet Spot

I felt him grin against my skin before his tongue came out to swipe at the beads of water slipping down my shoulder. “I know what you mean. Slept like the damn dead. But when I woke up, you weren’t there.”

I spun around in his hold, lifting my finger to rub at the crease that had formed between his brows, smoothing it out. “I’m sorry. You looked so peaceful I didn’t want to wake you.”

He ran his hands up my back then back down over my spine, gently massaging along the way. “Always wake me,” he ordered in a low yet firm tone.

“But—”

“Wynn, baby.Always wake me.”

My chest trembled on an inhale at the earnestness in those gunmetal eyes. “Why?”

What he said next left me utterly speechless. “Because I’ve wanted this for so long that I’m having a little trouble believing it’s really happening.”

My breath left me on a whoosh. “Gage,” I whispered, emotion expanding in my throat.

“I want to go to bed with you every night, but I also want to wake up every morning with you being the first thing I see. I can’t do that if I’m in the bed alone.”

“Okay,” I said quietly, my heart swelling so big in my chest there wasn’t room for much else. “I’ll wake you up from here on out.”

He smiled, those dimples doing crazy things to my insides. My heart felt like it was beating double-time in my chest. Every second of every day those lines between us, the ones that kept a firm understanding between friends and something more, were blurring beyond recognition. I was falling for this man harder than I’d ever fallen for anyone, and that scared the shit out of me. After Darrin I’d told myself I was done with men. I didn’t want to give anyone the power to hurt me the way he had.

But what I was feeling for Gage was so much stronger, so much more potent than anything I ever felt for my ex. So much so it made me question whether or not what I’d felt for Darrin had been love in the first place.

Still, that relationship ending hurt more than I’d ever expected. If I were to lose Gage, I wasn’t sure I’d survive. He was such a crucial part of my life, I couldn’t imagine not having him in it, not seeing him every day.

“Thank you, baby,” he said quietly, leaning in to kiss me, slow and soft and deep.

As much as I wanted to sink into this kiss, to press harder against the erection that was currently digging into my stomach, I needed some answers first.

“Gage,” I wheezed out, breaking the kiss, even as my entire body screamed in protest. “What are we doing here? I mean, besides the earth-shaking sex. What is this?” I waved a hand between us. “Us?”

His hands came up on either side of my neck, his thumbs brushing along my jaw in that way I loved so much.

“Thisis whatever you want it to be, Bits. Besides the earth-shaking sex.” He grinned wickedly.

“WhateverIwant it to be? What about you?”

He pulled me tighter against him. “I just want you, Wynn. Any way I can have you.”

It wasn’t quite the answer I’d been hoping for, but I told myself it was enough, at least for now. I wanted him too, after all, more than might have been healthy or wise, but I was done denying myself.

I told myself I was done worrying about the long term. I was going to concentrate on the here and now.

And hope like hell it didn’t blow up in my face.

* * *

Marcia and GrandmaButtons were already in the kitchen by the time Gage and I headed out of the sanctuary of our bedroom.

Apparently they’d been up for a while, because there was an entire breakfast buffet spread across the kitchen counter.

Gage jerked to a stop just inside the kitchen. “Holy God. What did you two do? Buy out the entire grocery store?”

Marcia ignored him. “Good morning, sleepyheads,” she greeted, a knowing grin on her face that had me blushing like crazy.

“Mom, don’t start,” Gage warned. “And wipe that smile off your face like you know some sort of secret. It’s creepy, and I’d rather you not run my girl off the morning after our engagement party.”

I let out a giggle as Grandma Buttons waved a hand towel at him. “Oh, hush, you,” she scolded before turning to me. “Sit down and eat, sweetheart. You’ll need your energy. It’s going to be a busy day.”