“Like you need me to tell you that,” she scoffed.
“Maybe I do. Maybe I want to know my wife finds me sexy.”
She gazed up at me, eyes glazed from all the beer she’d drank, but there was a light in them too. A spark of desire hidden behind it. “Yeah. I think you’re pretty damn sexy.”
She’d been drinking. I should have been a gentleman, set her in her room and left her to sleep.
The pull was too strong. I’d been wanting to taste her since Lenora ruined everything.
“Gabby.” A whispered question. A plea.
She didn’t answer with words.
Her hand lifted, slid to the back of my neck, sending a shock of fire in her wake, and then she pulled me to her. Pressed her lips to mine.
My hesitations broke on contact. I’d spent all day with her body against mine. That first kiss had been for the fans, a show to get them more excited, to sell that what we’d done wasn’t a mistake. The rest had been for me, because I couldn’t stop kissing her once we started.
Tonight, this was for her, and I kissed her with all the banked desire I had, all the passion I felt for her. Passion that had grown and expanded within days, moments even.
I kissed her until she was pressed to the wall and her leg was hitched over my hips, until my hand slid beneath her shirt and my palm was at her skin. She was hot, chest heaving, tiny little whimpers sliding down my throat as soon as they left hers.
I kissed her until she pulled back, shoved her forehead against my throat and in a harsh, heaving breath, whispered, “I don’t know if this is a mistake or not, but I want it.”
Slipping into an ice bath after a brutal game couldn’t have chilled me faster.
I cupped her cheeks with my hands, stepping back, giving us space until her foot was back on the floor and she had her balance.
“Then we’ll wait until you’re sure it’s not. I can’t do that, Gab. I won’t take you the way I want to so damn badly only to have you wake up in the morning with regret.”
“But—”
“No buts.” I kissed her cheek to soften the blow. “Sleep well and I’ll see you in the morning.”
When we set off for an adventure across the country.
The two of us. My wife and I—living out of a van for fuck’s sake.
How in the hell was I going to keep all my desire for her contained?
I brushed my lips across her forehead, stealing one last taste of her, and reached around and opened her door. She rolled her lips together, blinked, almost surprised I stopped it when I did, and she ducked into her room.
17
Gabby
My bloodshot eyes were hidden behind sunglasses. My embarrassment over last night tucked firmly into a corner of my brain I didn’t have the energy to think about.
I was so hungover, we didn’t get on the road until seven, when we’d meant to be up and moving before sunrise so we could get to camp early afternoon. I hadn’t slowed us down long enough we wouldn’t still be able to enjoy the afternoon, maybe get in a quick hike near the campground Joey had found, but it wasn’t making a good impression on how well I’d travel.
For his part, Joey took it all in stride.
He didn’t mention the kiss last night, the heat that swirled between us and the desperate need I’d had for him while I clawed at his clothes and his shoulders, rolling my hips into his hard length. So desperate for him, too ignited by his touch that was far from gentle, the perfect side of rough.
No, this morning, he came into my room, woke me up and set down a mug of coffee. He gently brushed hair off my cheeks until I blinked at him through blurry eyes and pressed the heel of my palm to my forehead.
“Headache?”
“Maybe,” I’d grumbled.
His chuckle had warmed the room and he held out pain meds. “I let you sleep in, any longer and we might hit traffic later. Still want to take off this morning or do you need sleep?”
He hadn’t seemed bothered by my foolish behavior in any way, but I was. What an impression I’d made over the last few days. From getting so wasted I didn’t remember my wedding to getting so drunk we couldn’t leave on time for a vacation he’d insisted on footing the bill for.
That reminder—and the fact I wanted to prove I not only wanted this, but him, and it wasn’t for his money like my mom believed I mooched off my brother for, got me moving.
“Thirty minutes. I’ll be ready.”
Surprise, probably doubt, made his brows arch. “Really?”
I’d laugh, despite the headache. I’d drank way more than that before, although Dominick gave me a good run for my money. “I just need a shower and have some eggs and I’ll be good to roll.”
I’d packed yesterday, finished anyway since I really didn’t have that many clothes, and Joey had ordered all of our hiking clothes that came pre-packed in the RV sitting in his driveway.
“I can get your breakfast going.” He’d stepped back, eyes roaming my face until I sat up and took that first sip of coffee.
“Delicious. Thank you for this, and yes, breakfast would be great.”
“Good. Then I’ll leave you…” He opened his mouth to say something.
Probably about the kiss. My regret.
He closed it, nodded once, probably more to himself like he’d made a decision without voicing it and then left. As soon as the door clicked, I’d hurried out of bed, swallowed down a slight shriek when I caught my reflection in the mirror, smeared mascara, bloodshot eyes, and purple moons beneath them and ducked into the shower. The brutal cold of the spray sparked me to life and the heat that quickly followed finished waking me up. Fifteen minutes later, I was downstairs, packed, wet hair in a braid and my face makeup-free, shoving eggs into my mouth and washing my dishes while Joey loaded my things into the van.
We were on the road exactly thirty minutes later and outside the GPS giving directions and our murmurs of awe as we made the trek toward Moab, we didn’t speak much.
There was so much for me to say, not enough courage to give voice to it.
The view was breathtaking. The interstate took us around Dixie National Forest, red stone and rock and dirt created a wall of wonder we drove through. To our benefit, the sky was bright blue, cloudless, making everything feel bright.
I gawked at it all with fresh-eyed wonder. Had my trip ended that night, I would have seen enough to have a summer’s worth of memories.
“And we’re just beginning.”
I hadn’t realized I’d said it out loud until Joey asked, “What?”
“Nothing.” Embarrassment tinged my cheeks. Thank God my shades were massive and could hide it. “I was just thinking how incredible this view is, and we’re only on the interstate.”
“I’ve always wanted to hike Moab. Some of the guys have done long weekend trips out here before but I was never able to make it.”
Because of Lenora. Because he’d been married. I forced the truth of his past not to bother me—we all had one, even if mine hadn’t made an appearance in our lives—and pushed forth.
“Well, I hope I’m as good of company as they would have been.”
“You will be.”