Chapter 33
thirty-three
AVA
“Gage.” I laugh as he rushes around the front of the Jeep and lifts me from my seat. “I can walk, you know.”
“Yes, but it’s icy, and I don’t want you to hurt yourself. I have plans for us.” He nips at the skin of my neck as he kicks the door shut before carefully rushing up the porch stairs.
Without putting me down, he fumbles with the keys still in his hands, trying to unlock the door.
“Gage.” I push at his chest lightly, trying to get him to put me down.
He stops trying to unlock the door and sets me down but doesn’t let me go. His lips crash to mine in a searing kiss, and my mind goes blank. All I can focus on is the feel of him pressed against me—every solid inch of him. His chest, his thighs…his hard cock straining behind the zipper of his jeans. Everything about him sparks a fire inside me that I can’t ignore.
Without realizing it, Gage unlocks the front door, and we stumble inside. Somehow, without breaking our kiss, we manage to toe off our shoes and shrug out of our coats, leaving everything in a pile on the floor. And then Gage is lifting me by the backs of my thighs, and my legs are wrapping around his waist while my arms wrap around his shoulders as he carries me up the stairs.
I can’t get close enough to him. I need him in a way I’ve never needed anyone else. Not just sex—though I want that, too. But I need him in every aspect of my life. The good and the bad. The small moments and the big ones.
I know it’s only been seven weeks, but I can’t imagine my life without him.
Okay, that’s not true. I can imagine my life without him, but I don’t want to.
“I’m never going to get tired of this,” Gage mumbles against my skin as he gently lays me on his bed. “The feel of you against me, the look of you sprawled across my bed. I want you in every way imaginable.”
“Gage.” It’s more moan than an actual word. I can’t focus on getting words out when I feel his hands slide against my skin as he pushes my sweater up, exposing my stomach. His lips trail a path up from the top of my jeans, over my stomach, and between the valley of my breasts. They aren’t frantic kisses; they’re soft and tender, almost like he’s savoring every second his lips touch me.
“I don’t know how I got lucky enough to find you,” he whispers as he lifts my sweater over my head. “But I will do everything in my power to keep you.” His lips mold to mine in a tender kiss, showing me how serious he is.
His hands slide beneath me, reaching for my bra clasp, and I arch my back to give him space to unclasp it. The second it pops free, he releases my lips and pulls away just enough to slide my bra off, his eyes darkening at the sight of my pebbled nipples.
“God. I’m a lucky man.” His hands move to cup my breasts moments before he dips his head to pull one of my nipples into his mouth, biting gently.
I can’t stop my moan, nor do I want to. One of my hands falls to his head, gripping his hair, while the other falls to his back, trying to pull at his shirt to feel his skin. I need the heat of his skin against me more than I need air.
“Please lose some clothes,” I beg after he’s had a chance to lavish my other breast with the same attention. “I need you.”
He lifts his head, bringing his lips back up to mine. “You have me.” He says it so confidently I don’t have room to doubt he means it. And the truth of it is, I don’t doubt him; I know he says exactly what he means.
Any doubt I feel is all about me and what I think I’m deserving of. But I’m starting to realize I’m worthy of all the good things Gage has brought into my life.
“I am madly in love with you, Gage Hunter Flynn.” I hold his face in both hands, ensuring he can see the truth behind my words. “You don’t have to do anything other than love me to keep me.”
“Loving you won’t be an issue,” he whispers just before his lips land back on mine in a kiss so deep I feel it in my bones.
His lips leave mine and start a path down my neck and over my collarbone. And even though he’s already paid close attention to my breasts, he still takes a moment to suck and nip at them before continuing down my torso, his hands working on the button and zipper of my jeans.
“I know you like it hard and fast, but I’m worshiping every inch of you tonight, so you’re gonna have to deal with slow for a bit.” And he proves just how slow he means as he sits up on his knees to remove my jeans and underwear, pulling them off inch by agonizing inch.
“Just know I’m going to get you back,” I groan as he peppers feather-light kisses up the inside of my leg.
“I can’t wait.” I hear the smirk in his voice and then feel it press against my thigh, so fucking close to where I need his touch most.
My core clenches. I feel like I’m on the brink of orgasm, and Gage has barely even touched me. I’ve never felt this desperate for another person’s touch, and I know no one else can ever make me feel this way again.
Gage is it for me.
I can’t stop my hips from bucking at the barest hint of Gage’s fingers sliding over my sex. “You’re so fucking wet.”
“Gage,” I whimper, his fingers stroking light circles over my clit. “I-I…” My words trail off, unable to form a coherent thought as his tongue drags across my slit.
“Just let go, Rebel. Trust that I’ve got you.” His heated breath puffs out against me, causing a shiver to run up my entire body.
I can’t form the words, but I trust Gage more than anyone else. So I do exactly what he says, and I let go. Forgetting everything else but the feel of his touch as his tongue focuses entirely on my clit and his fingers slide in and out, crooking slightly to hit the perfect spot on every thrust in.
It's barely thirty seconds before I’m coming, my entire body trembling with my release. Gage doesn’t let me come down from that high before he’s working me back up again—his fingers and tongue never leaving my skin.
My second orgasm comes like the first, with a third arriving right on its heels and with a scream. “Gage! Please. I-I need a second.” I push at his head, gasping for air.
He gives me the reprieve, but only so he can stand and remove his clothes. The look in his eyes—so dark with desire—proves my claims of needing a minute wrong if the clenching of my core is any indication. I can’t take my eyes off him as he removes his shirt, his chiseled chest and abs coming into view. I want to run my tongue over every hard inch of him. Especially his cock once it pops free of his pants and briefs as he pushes them to the floor.
Gage moves to his nightstand, reaching for the drawer where he keeps the condoms, but I reach for him before he can take more than one step. “Wait.”
Concern floods his features. “What is it?”
“I’m on the pill, and I got tested a few weeks ago. After we…well, after we decided to keep sleeping together. I wanted to make sure I was clean in case we wanted to go without…” My words trail off as Gage leaps onto the bed, his body covering mine, every bare inch of skin touching, his hips cradled in mine.
“I had my annual physical a few weeks ago. I’m clean.”
“Me too,” I whisper.
His eyes bounce between mine. “Are you sure you want to?”
“Yes. I don’t want anything between us.”
“I’ve never had sex without a condom.”
“Me neither.”
His forehead falls against mine, and his hips shift, causing his cock to slide against my wet core, both of us moan at the feel.
Gage lifts his head, his eyes staring into mine. He supports his weight on one arm as he reaches between us and lines himself up with my center. “I am madly, deeply, irrevocably in love with you, Ava Margaret Day.” He punctuates that statement with a thrust of his hips and a devouring kiss, swallowing my cry of pleasure.
Gage’s deep and deliberate thrusts bring me right back to the edge faster than I want. I want this to be drawn out, but my entire body is on fire, and I can’t hold out. My orgasm rips through me in waves, my body squeezing tight around Gage everywhere we touch.
I pulse around him, my hips matching his thrust for thrust. His grip on my hips tightens, and the muscles in his back contract. His head falls forward into the crook of my neck, and he lets out a loud groan as he comes, hot and wet inside me.
He collapses on top of me for only a second before he rolls us to our sides, holding me close as we catch our breath.
Sex with Gage has always been phenomenal, out of this world even. But this moment with Gage has been life-changing. I’ll never be the same after tonight, and I’m perfectly content with that.
“Just so we’re clear. You’re stuck with me now. There’s no going back after this,” Gage mumbles against me, resting his lips on my forehead.
“Good. I don’t want to go back from this. I’m exactly where I want to be.”
The feel of Gage stroking my back wakes me a few hours later.
“Hmm,” I hum, nuzzling my head further into the crook of his neck as I lay across his chest. “Why are you awake?”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” He lifts his head to kiss my bare shoulder.
“It’s fine.” I lift my head to look at him. “Is everything okay?”
He studies me for a second before he flips us, his body blanketing mine. “Do you know how mind-blowing it is that we found each other? How mind-blowing it is that we fell in love with each other?” His eyes bounce between mine. “There are over 8.2 billion people in the world, and we found each other. How insane is that?”
I swallow, the love in his eyes shining through bright as the morning sun. “There’s no guarantee this is it for us,” I whisper. “This is still new. We’re still learning about each other. We could wake up tomorrow and realize this isn’t right.”
He studies me, really thinking about his response before flipping us again. His arms move around me, gliding up my back and holding us chest to chest. I have to arch my back to maintain eye contact with how close he holds me. “I don’t believe that for a second. I know you always planned on getting married and having babies, and I know before everything happened with that bastard, you were open to the idea of meeting someone you could spend your life with. But no one even sparked a hint of interest in you.”
He removes one of his hands around me to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear before cupping my cheek. “And I honestly thought romantic love was something people forced themselves into because that’s what they were supposed to do. But that is the farthest thing from the truth.” He slides his hand from my cheek down my neck and shoulder before curving it around my body to hold me close again.
“You’re Monday mornings and hikes with my brothers. You’re family dinners and hanging out with Walt. You’re spaghetti and meatballs and the color green. You are all my favorite things, and I can’t believe I found you.”
I let my head fall forward and rest against his chest, breathing in his sage and sandalwood scent. “If you don’t stop talking like that, I’ll become a blubbering mess.” His chest muffles my voice, but I know he hears me when I feel it rumble.
I knew I loved him back in his mother’s kitchen just a few hours ago, but if there was even an ounce of doubt before, it’s gone now.
I lift my head and meet his eyes again. “I don’t know how to follow up a speech like that. I don’t know how you always have the right words, but I can’t think of anything other than I love you.”
“Oh, Rebel. Those are the only words I need.” And then his lips are on mine in a hungry kiss.