Chapter 20 #2
Then I see it. The same brand Booker has. The same one I now have. It sits on the left side of his chest above his heart. I sit up and get to my knees, reaching up to trace the circle outline and the upside-down A. “Garrett, you’re an aber—”
“Yes.” He stares down at me, his smooth, bare chest rising with each heavy breath.
“We don’t know each well enough to trust one another, yet there’s something about you, Rebecca Rose Ellington, that constantly intrudes on my thoughts, no matter how I try and distract myself.
You’re all I think about, and I’ve tried to convince myself that this,” he gestures a pointed finger between us, “can’t happen.
Love will ruin us from doing our job to protect the town and—”
“And the grandeur junction of lines, yeah, yeah. You’re ruining the mood,” I say, rubbing my hands up the hard muscles of his abdomen and over his chest.
“Bex,” he says my name then groans.
My hands find their way to the top of his pants. “Look, I’m not ready to fall in love with anyone. I know what it’s like to lose someone and then grieve. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about you a lot.”
He lowers himself to the floor, kneeling next to the mattress. Our faces mere inches away, he says, “So we understand one another.”
I nod, and lean back, returning to my position lying on the bed.
His gaze travels from my head down to my shorts. Then, he softly confesses, “I don’t think I can do one night of pleasure—not with you.” He drags his hands over his thighs.
I sit up on my elbows and press one foot to his chest. He lifts my leg and kisses the inside of my calf, then leans forward, kissing higher, until he’s reached the inside of my thigh.
The short scruff of his beard rubs against my skin, and I can’t help the moan that escapes.
He’s teasing me, and I want to slap him for it.
Then, he lifts his head and looks at me.
My heart is pounding, as though a wild fever has come over me, and he’s the medicine I need to cure this insatiable hunger.
I’ve never wanted anything more than I want this man right now.
He holds my gaze as he slides his hand up my leg and beneath the satin shorts, not stopping until he finds my heat.
My back arches, my head falling back as my arms give way and I sink into the thick white quilt.
He moves inside me slowly, exploring, pumping two fingers in a steady rhythm.
My hands clutch the quilt, fabric clenched tight as he presses deeper into my core.
He slips his fingers out and grabs the top of the shorts, pulling them off before taking me by the hips.
With a hard tug, he drags my body closer to him.
My head is still spinning from the bliss he ignited seconds ago, and I don’t register him lowering himself, replacing his fingers with his mouth.
His tongue now having the chance to explore where his fingers have just caressed.
“Garrett!” I scream his name, not caring who hears me. “What are you doing?” I’ve never heard of a man putting his mouth on this part of a woman’s body. What other sensual secrets does this man know?
The world around me blurs, and my arms, legs, and torso all go numb with a rapture like nothing I’ve ever felt—by my own hands or from my late husband’s.
The pleasure blooms and I let out a cry as I reach my peak, the explosion of joy dripping out.
He gives me one more good suck before turning his head to gently kiss the inside of my thigh.
As he straightens up into a more comfortable sitting position, he stares down at me.
What might a night be like if we actually took off all our clothes?
He brings up the quilt, folding it over me. “You need to rest. I can show you Persephone’s maps tomorrow. Or you can find them yourself, now that you have the key to her private study.”
I hug the edge of the quilt against my chest. “Won’t you stay a bit longer?”
Shaking his head, he gets to his feet and grabs his shirt. “I almost gave in, Bex. You almost had me.”
“I wasn’t trying to trap you,” I say honestly. “I think there’s something between us, and I don’t want to lose you.”
He buttons up his shirt and smiles. The moonlight barely reaches him as he stands in the doorway to the loft. “You’ll never lose me. I’ll always be here for you. I’m here for everyone who lives in Gravers Junction.”
“Is this how you treat all the residents of Gravers Junction?”
He chuckles. “No, Bex. And I can’t believe I wasn’t strong enough to keep my distance.
I thought I could. You need to understand that my top priority is ensuring the safety of this place.
I can’t fall in love or be with anyone, not while I have a duty to protect this town and the people who live in it. ”
My heart fractures at his words. I want to argue and say he can have both, but something in me tells me it may appear needy. No, he needs to figure this out on his own time. I don’t want to pressure him into something he isn’t fully comfortable with.
“I respect that,” I say, which causes his expression to pinch.
“You do? I mean, good.” He nods. “Yeah, good. All right, well then, I’ll leave you to get some sleep or go and change, whatever… It’s your business.”
“I think I’m going to take a nice, long, hot bath,” I say, throwing the quilt aside and getting to my feet. His gaze dips one last time, taking me in as I slip the undershorts on, slow and deliberate.
He smiles, his eyes lingering, soaking in the tease. He looks like he wants to stay, but then he steps back, as if his mind knows exactly what would happen if he does.
“Goodnight, Bex.” He turns and disappears down the stairs.
Challenge accepted, I think to myself. He wants to deny the feelings he’s bottling up inside. Well, that is going to come back to bite him in the ass. I’m willing to let him learn this lesson the hard way, because I know deep down inside, Garrett Redthorne is madly in love with me.