The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [198]
But she knew already she’d never be able to forget him. Pathetic, she decided, and deliberately tamped down her regret. She opened the car door and tossed in her bag. She hadn’t been able to carry it with the strap over her shoulder because of the burn. She was anxious to follow Sawyer’s advice and get naked. Her clothes felt like sandpaper against her sensitive skin.
Gabe watched her closely and she managed a shrug. “You never told me I couldn’t talk with your family.”
“Bull.” He leaned closer, crowding her by putting one hand on the roof of her car, the other at the top of the door frame. “You knew damn good and well I didn’t want you snooping around. That’s why I agreed to answer your questions myself.”
With him so close, her heart thundered. Memories washed over her and her belly tingled in response. She couldn’t seem to stop staring at his mouth and swallowed hard. “I understand. If…if you want to cancel the rest of it, I won’t argue with you.”
Gabe stiffened. “Cancel the rest of what?”
The hair on his chest was still slightly damp, as if he’d dried in a hurry. She’d never in her life known a man who paraded around in such a state of undress almost continually. She didn’t think he was deliberately flaunting himself for her benefit so much as he was totally at ease with his own body, aware he had no reason for shame or reserve. She curled her hands into fists to keep from touching him.
“The…the drive-in, the…having fun and loosening up.” Pride made her add, “I thought it was a dumb plan all along.”
He tipped up her chin with an extremely gentle touch. “Oh, no, you don’t,” he growled. “You’re not backing out on me, Lizzy.”
“But…” She faltered, caught by the intensity in his gaze. “You’re angry.”
“Damn right. And we’ll discuss my anger tomorrow. At the movies. If you think I’m going to let you breach our deal now, especially after all your damn snooping, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“Oh.” Elizabeth couldn’t think of anything else to say. Relief was a heavy throbbing in her breasts. “Okay.”
Once again she stared at his mouth and felt her lips trembling in remembrance of how he’d kissed her, how he’d tasted, how hot his mouth had been.
Breathless again, she whispered, “Gabe?” and even she could hear the longing in the single word.
Gabe’s nostrils flared and suddenly he cursed. He leaned forward and took her mouth with careful hunger, that single rough finger beneath her chin holding her captive. The kiss was long and deep and Elizabeth grabbed his shoulders, though he didn’t return the embrace. His tongue thrust in, hot and wet, and she accepted it, stroking it with her own, moaning softly.
When Gabe lifted his head a scant inch, she said, “Oh, my.”
He smiled. “Yeah.” There was a husky catch in his voice.
She realized she was practically hanging on him and jerked back. “I didn’t mean—”
Again Gabe touched her chin, making her meet his eyes. “You can believe I’d have had you close, Lizzy, if I wasn’t afraid of hurting you.” His voice dropped and he asked, “Are your thighs burned?”
She couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen into her lungs. “A little.”
“Your arms?”
“Some.”
His mouth barely touched hers. “Your breasts?”
She drew a shuddering breath. “Just…” She sounded like a bullfrog and cleared her throat. “Just the very tops, where the suit didn’t cover.”
“Want some help with that cream?”
New heat washed over her, making her light-headed. “No! I can manage just fine on my own.”
His mouth twitched with a grin. “Spoilsport.”
“I should go.” She should go before she begged him to help her with the cream, before she attacked his mostly naked body. Before she made a total fool of herself. She had to remember that to Gabe, this was just a game, a way to pass the time while indulging her curiosity. He wasn’t serious about any of it. As far as she could tell, he wasn’t overly serious about anything.
“All right.” Gabe straightened, then