Page 12 of Price of Paradise

Surprised by the admission, she asked, “Seriously?” At Gunner’s nod, Mae frowned. “I never noticed. How did I miss that?”

“I didn’t want you to notice,” he murmured. “I tried hard not to be obvious.”

Was it confession time? “I stared at you too.”

“Makes us even then.” He wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her back against him. The hot, steamy water cascading over their bodies sent Mae into another plane of existence with Gunner.

“The days of us being discreet are over,” he whispered as he began to smooth his palms over her body, massaging her aches and effectively bringing her body back to life.

Fornow, she added silently. When they left Miami life would go back to normal. Now there’s a total buzz kill. She shook the thought away. Mae chose to stop analyzing Gunner’s intentions and simply live in the moment.

When he took a few steps back, then poured soap into his hands, Mae knew what was coming next. Her nerveendings hummed with approval as he started to wash her arms, shoulders, and all the parts in between.

Their shower took much longer than she’d anticipated.

Chapter Five

Mae wasn’t sure what time it was, and she didn’t really care. Did time exist in paradise? After they’d finished their shower, Gunner had left to retrieve his suitcase from the room he’d booked. She hadn’t even given any thought to his accommodations. She’d been too immersed inhim. Now he sat on the couch with her perched on top of him. He’d given her one of his white undershirts to wear. When she’d tried to put on panties he’d all but begged her not to. A pair of black boxers, that was the only bit of cloth separating them.

He’d ordered room service and insisted on feeding her. Mae had never gone in for that sort of thing with a man, but Gunner made the act seem intimate, almost erotic. A cheese and fruit plate shouldn’t be sexy, but this was Gunner. Everything the man did was smoking hot.

“What happens when the weekend ends?” There she’d said it. Someone had to be the voice of reason.

His gaze deepened and he dropped a grape onto the plate. “Honestly, I was so focused on getting here that I didn’t put much thought into theafterpart of things.”

“I care about you, Gunner,” she admitted. “I mean, I’ve always enjoyed working for you, then our friendship grew. Now this.”

“It doesn’t have to end here,” he gently offered, touching a finger to her bottom lip. “Wedon’t have to end here.”

His words struck her like a dash of cold water. “Sex in the evening, then all business during the day?” She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not that person. I can’t separate my heart that way.”

“Hey,” he groused, cupping her chin, “I’m not asking for a friends-with-benefits arrangement here.”

She swatted his hand away and glared at him. “No?”

“No,” he bit out. “I…hell, I’m not sure what I’m asking.”

She sighed, feeling every bit as confused as Gunner appeared. “Fantasies are a lot less complicated when they’re just that, fantasies.”

His lips curved upward. “Maybe we should just enjoy our time together for now. See where things go.”

“We’re delaying the inevitable,” she said, feeling less and less inclined to argue with him.

“True, but I don’t want to squander our time together, do you?” he whispered, kissing the tender spot behind her ear.

“No,” Mae confessed, realizing there were so many other wonderful things to do than talk. She wiggled her butt, noticing the erection poking her, then opened her legs to give herself access. “Mm, I like this position,” she breathed out.

“I’m damned fond of it myself.”

Mae cupped his warm, stiff length through the boxers, reveling at the deep, gravelly sound emanating from Gunner’s chest. He teased her with little kisses while one skilled hand cupped her breast through the thin material of her shirt. His other coasted down her belly until he had her mound in his palm. Mae moaned as Gunner littered little kisses over her collarbone, then lower until he reached the V between her breasts.

“Why can’t I seem to get enough of you?” he growled, swiping his lips back and forth, creating a firestorm of need inside her. “It’s never been this way for me.”

Mae understood all too well. “I-I know what you mean. Maybe it’s chemistry.”

“It’s more than that,” he admonished, plucking at her nipple with his thumb and index finger. “It’s you, baby girl,” he whispered. “Smart. Headstrong. Sexy as fuck. You’re the whole package, Mae.”

She liked hearing that. Liked the way he saw her. Had a man ever touched her the way Gunner did? Praised her the way he did? “You make mefeelsexy. As if you’ve discovered a side of me that no other man even took the time to find.”

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