expected. She blinked, and they were turning onto her street.
She’d been absolutely mortified when she started bawling. The whole time she was explaining about Mike, she’d told herself she wasn’t going to cry. She was still telling herself that when the waterworks started. But Gage hadn’t been disgusted, or dismissive, or patronizing, or anything she’d expected.
He held her. He didn’t say everything was going to be okay. He treated her like a person…and he told her she was brave.
It was so easy being with him. All her life, she’d been passed around like a doll—by her parents, her so-called friends, her husband. Everyone told her she was helpless. A pathetic disgrace, barely good enough to be a wife, and wasn’t she just so lucky that rich, handsome Mike Finley wanted to marry her.
Gage saw something in her that she’d never seen. He made her feel…whole.
“And we’re here.” Gage pulled in and put the car in park. “Can I walk you to your door, ma’am?”
She laughed. “I’d like that.”
They got out, and he came around to her side. “You know, we never did settle that bet,” he said. “Who won?”
“I have no idea.”
“Well, I think it was a tie,” he said as they started walking slowly toward the cottage. “So does that mean nobody wins, or we both do?”
“Good question,” she said. “I have to tell you, I’m a pretty sore loser.”
“Me, too.” He grinned. “So how about it? Double win?”
“All right, but that means you have to tell me what you did to borrow Luka’s car.”
“Oh, yeah. Guess I do.” They reached the front door, and he made a face. “Okay, here goes. She made me try her garters on, and timed how long it took to get them off.”
She tried to keep a straight face, but laughter got the better of her. “Maybe it’s a good thing I don’t have any sisters.”
“She’s a pest, and she knows it,” he said with a smile.
“I think it’s sweet,” she said. “And…well, you won too.”
His expression sobered. “Yeah, but you don’t have to out with me because of a bet,” he said. “It was mostly a joke.”
“What if I want to?”
His breath caught sharply. “Do you?”
“Yes.” Her own lack of hesitation surprised her. “I’d love to go on a real date with you.”
“Same here.” He moved closer, and her pulse raced to warp speed. His eyes were so intense. “Kyla,” he rasped. “I think…I should go.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to kiss you. And if I don’t leave now, I’m going to.”
She laid a hand on his arm, and a delicious shudder went through her. “So kiss me,” she whispered.
He groaned. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
She’d barely drawn a breath before his lips were on hers, a gentle touch that flamed her to the core. He pressed a bit harder—and she threw her arms around him, tilting her head to feel the fullness of his mouth against hers.
His hands went to her hips. He moaned softly and deepened the kiss, hot and hungry. The sensations drew every part of her taut, until she was sure her heart would explode.
After what seemed like forever, he eased back slightly. “Now I’d really better go,” he murmured. “Otherwise you’re not going to get any sleep tonight.”
She almost asked him to stay. The truth was, she probably wouldn’t sleep much anyway—and she couldn’t think of a better way to stay awake right now. But the smart thing to do was to take this slowly, play it safe. To not take chances.
Even though she really wanted to forget being safe and take a chance.
“All right,” she finally said. “So, how about next Saturday?”
He nodded. “It’s a date.”
Gage insisted on seeing her inside. They said goodnight, and she went in—but as the door closed between them, she wished they were on the same side of it. The inside.
She leaned on the door and waited until she heard him drive away. Then, reluctantly, she went to bed alone.
Chapter 10
The Beast was
She’d been absolutely mortified when she started bawling. The whole time she was explaining about Mike, she’d told herself she wasn’t going to cry. She was still telling herself that when the waterworks started. But Gage hadn’t been disgusted, or dismissive, or patronizing, or anything she’d expected.
He held her. He didn’t say everything was going to be okay. He treated her like a person…and he told her she was brave.
It was so easy being with him. All her life, she’d been passed around like a doll—by her parents, her so-called friends, her husband. Everyone told her she was helpless. A pathetic disgrace, barely good enough to be a wife, and wasn’t she just so lucky that rich, handsome Mike Finley wanted to marry her.
Gage saw something in her that she’d never seen. He made her feel…whole.
“And we’re here.” Gage pulled in and put the car in park. “Can I walk you to your door, ma’am?”
She laughed. “I’d like that.”
They got out, and he came around to her side. “You know, we never did settle that bet,” he said. “Who won?”
“I have no idea.”
“Well, I think it was a tie,” he said as they started walking slowly toward the cottage. “So does that mean nobody wins, or we both do?”
“Good question,” she said. “I have to tell you, I’m a pretty sore loser.”
“Me, too.” He grinned. “So how about it? Double win?”
“All right, but that means you have to tell me what you did to borrow Luka’s car.”
“Oh, yeah. Guess I do.” They reached the front door, and he made a face. “Okay, here goes. She made me try her garters on, and timed how long it took to get them off.”
She tried to keep a straight face, but laughter got the better of her. “Maybe it’s a good thing I don’t have any sisters.”
“She’s a pest, and she knows it,” he said with a smile.
“I think it’s sweet,” she said. “And…well, you won too.”
His expression sobered. “Yeah, but you don’t have to out with me because of a bet,” he said. “It was mostly a joke.”
“What if I want to?”
His breath caught sharply. “Do you?”
“Yes.” Her own lack of hesitation surprised her. “I’d love to go on a real date with you.”
“Same here.” He moved closer, and her pulse raced to warp speed. His eyes were so intense. “Kyla,” he rasped. “I think…I should go.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to kiss you. And if I don’t leave now, I’m going to.”
She laid a hand on his arm, and a delicious shudder went through her. “So kiss me,” she whispered.
He groaned. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
She’d barely drawn a breath before his lips were on hers, a gentle touch that flamed her to the core. He pressed a bit harder—and she threw her arms around him, tilting her head to feel the fullness of his mouth against hers.
His hands went to her hips. He moaned softly and deepened the kiss, hot and hungry. The sensations drew every part of her taut, until she was sure her heart would explode.
After what seemed like forever, he eased back slightly. “Now I’d really better go,” he murmured. “Otherwise you’re not going to get any sleep tonight.”
She almost asked him to stay. The truth was, she probably wouldn’t sleep much anyway—and she couldn’t think of a better way to stay awake right now. But the smart thing to do was to take this slowly, play it safe. To not take chances.
Even though she really wanted to forget being safe and take a chance.
“All right,” she finally said. “So, how about next Saturday?”
He nodded. “It’s a date.”
Gage insisted on seeing her inside. They said goodnight, and she went in—but as the door closed between them, she wished they were on the same side of it. The inside.
She leaned on the door and waited until she heard him drive away. Then, reluctantly, she went to bed alone.
Chapter 10
The Beast was
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