34. Diego
Chapter Thirty-Four
DIEGO
I was more than ready for a hot shower and a change of clothes. I told myself it didn’t make sense to try to see Gemma right away. She’d made it clear she didn’t want to see me. And she hadn’t responded to my message.
Apparently, my hands had other ideas. As soon as my truck came close to the road that led to her place, I turned. Mentally, I asked myself why, but I kept going.
When I pulled in, I didn’t have a plan. Then, I saw Gemma walking into the barn with her arm in a sling. What the hell?
She didn’t look back, and I presumed she hadn’t heard me pulling in. I hustled out of my truck and jogged across the parking area, following her into the barn. I saw her just as she turned into the feed room at the back. In another second, I was standing in the doorway.
“What happened?”
Gemma spun around quickly, her eyes wide. “Diego, what are you doing here?”
I crossed the dusty floor to her, glancing down to her arm, cradled against the front of her body with a royal blue sling.
“What happened?” I repeated.
She let out a soft sigh and rolled her eyes. “I fell. I knew better, but Charlie was doing great. It’s not a big deal. I just sprained my elbow. Quinn thinks I must’ve twisted it a little bit when I landed.”
“Does it hurt?”
“It’s sore, but with the sling, it’s pretty comfortable. Ibuprofen is enough to knock the edge off the pain.” She paused, her eyes searching mine. “How was your trip? I heard the weather held you up.”
I was distracted and had to mentally jerk my attention to her question. “Did you get my message?”
She looked puzzled. She slipped her phone out of her pocket and tapped the screen open. “Ah, I missed the call and didn’t even check to see if I had any messages. Should I play it?”
“No need. I was wondering if you were okay. That’s all.”
“How was your trip?” she prompted again.
“It was fine. The weather was nice for two days, and then we woke up to heavy fog and drizzle the day we were supposed to leave.”
We stared at each other quietly, and the space around us felt crowded with emotions. I didn’t want to push, but I did want her to know how I felt. I recalled Natalie’s advice. “Don’t forget to tell her how much she means to you. That’s pretty key.”
“Look, I know the timing isn’t great, but I want you to know I’m falling for you—big-time. I get it if you’re not in the same place, but I wanted you to know how I felt.”
Gemma’s mouth fell open and her breath hissed through her teeth when she drew it in sharply. When she blinked rapidly, I realized her eyes were filling with tears.
“Oh, fuck. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
I moved to embrace her, and a sense of relief and rightness rolled through me as I folded her into my arms. I moved carefully, making sure not to jostle her arm. She was soft and warm, and she tucked her head into the curve of my neck. I breathed in her scent and savored the feel of having her back in my arms.
She murmured something into my chest. “What was that, sugar?”
She lifted her head, her eyes glittering as she peered up at me. “I’m falling for you too. Big time.”
Vulnerability flickered in her gaze, while my heart kicked hard against my ribs and I found it hard to catch my breath. I slid my hand up her back, lightly cupping her nape as I dipped my head and brushed my lips across hers. Electricity sizzled where we connected, but I checked the urge to dive into a deep, hard kiss.
“Well, that’s a relief,” I murmured when I lifted my head, my lips twitching with a smile.
We stood there staring at each other in the quiet room. The sound of one of the horses neighing came from a distance, and a magpie chattered outside the barn. A shaft of sunlight fell through the window, illuminating the dust motes floating in the air.
Gemma’s lips curled in a slow smile. “That was a long four days,” she whispered.
“Yeah?”
A lock of hair fell over her eyes as she nodded, and I lifted a hand to brush it away, tucking it behind her ear. Then, we were kissing, tumbling into one kiss after another. I lost sight of everything but the feel of her tongue gliding against mine, the soft give of her lips, and the little sounds that came from the back of her throat.
Every sensation spun into the storm of need and emotion inside. The only thing that snapped me out of it was when I moved to bring her closer against me and felt her sling.
I abruptly lifted my head. “Fuck. I forgot about your arm. Are you okay?”
Gemma stared back at me, her eyes dark and her lips puffy from our kisses. “Yes. That’s what the sling is for. I can hardly move my arm in it.” She cocked her head to the side. “Don’t tell me this means you’re gonna stop this.”
Feeling flustered, an emotion with which I was not particularly familiar, I stepped a little further back, needing the space between us to think clearly. “Gemma, you’re injured.”
Her lips narrowed in a line. “It’s my elbow, and it’s just a sprain. We can make this work.”
“Let’s finish taking care of the horses first,” I hedged.
Gemma let out a long sigh. “Fine. That’s why I’m out here anyway.”
Relieved, I followed her and quickly helped to get the hay and feed taken care of for the horses. She got annoyed with me when I insisted on handling all the hay.
“I can get that, you know,” she protested.
I gave her a long look. “I know you can. But when I have two arms to use, there’s no sense in making you go to the trouble to handle these bales with only one.”
She rolled her eyes and went to let the horses in. A few minutes later, we were standing in her kitchen. Her eyes coasted over me. “Tell me more about your trip.”
I shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. The view was great, and the family who booked the trip had a great time watching bears. It was fine until we got fogged in. I was impatient to get back.”
Gemma’s eyes dropped, and she traced her finger around an empty glass sitting on the counter. When her lashes swept up, she looked pained. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I kind of freaked out and pushed you away before you left.”
“It’s okay. Really. You were dealing with some hard stuff.”
We were standing only about a foot apart, and I reached for her again. I needed to feel her, to have the tactile experience of holding her.
She came easily, tucking her chin into the curve of my neck. I trailed my fingers through her hair and breathed her in. Before I knew what was happening, we were kissing again, and my arousal was insistent. Once again, I broke free, leaning my head back and gulping in air.
“I’m not so good at keeping my hands to myself when it comes to you,” I said with a wry laugh.
Gemma pressed a hot kiss on the underside of my jaw. “Works for me,” she said, her tone sly.
Before I knew it, she had unbuttoned my jeans and her palm was sliding around my cock. It was a testament to her persistence and my weakness for her. She moved so fast with only one hand that I couldn’t even think clearly enough to protest. Next thing I knew, her mouth closed around the crown of my cock and she was sucking me into the warm depths.
It was a blur of heat and the slick suction of her mouth. My release slammed through me before I could scramble to take control of the moment. Gemma rose up with a satisfied smile as her tongue swiped across her lips. “See, you didn’t hurt me at all.”
I mustered a glare, although it was weak. I persuaded her to shower with me, and there I teased her to her own climax with my fingers. Afterwards when we lounged on the couch, I called the resort to see who might be coming to town to bring me some clothes. Because I wasn’t leaving Gemma’s side, not tonight.