Rush

after peeing she checked her appearance in the mirror.
     She winced at the still-swollen corner of her mouth and the shadow of an already formed
     bruise. How on earth was she going to explain this to Jace? He’d freak when he saw
     her.
    Caro would have to work her makeup wonders on this.
    Her entire body was tender, but not for the usual reasons. Gabe had been exceedingly
     gentle with her. Shockingly so. He was always so out of control. Crazy hot for her,
     which made her crazy hot for him in return. And yet tonight?
    He’d taken forever. Teasing, taunting, gentle and so very loving. Her chest still
     fluttered and butterflies scuttled around her belly at how achingly beautiful their
     lovemaking had been.
    For the first time, she hadn’t felt like it was just sex.
    Knowing he’d come to find her if she kept him waiting for too long, she went back
     into the bedroom and crawled onto the bed. Gabe’s eyelids fluttered open and he viewed
     her through half-lidded, sleepy eyes. He reached for her but she didn’t go into his
     arms. Instead she rocked back on her heels, studying him in the low light.
    He was so incredibly beautiful, and she’d ached to be able to touch and explore him
     from day one. She’d never been afforded the chance because Gabe was always,
always
in control.
    Gabe frowned, pushing up on his elbow. The action sent the sheet sliding down his
     body, baring his chest and then lower, bunching around his hips as he stared at her,
     concern etched into his forehead.
    “Mia?”
    There was uncertainty in his voice, a thread of fear that surprised her.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.
    “Nothing,” she said in a husky voice.
    His eyes narrowed. “Then why are you not right here?” He patted the indentation where
     her body had rested moments earlier.
    She shifted up on her knees and crawled closer to him, and then she placed her hands
     on his chest, carefully gauging his reaction to her advances.
    His body was a magnet for her hands. She itched to touch him and explore all the muscled
     lines and contours.
    “I want to touch you, Gabe. Can I touch you?” she whispered.
    His eyes glittered brightly in the dim light. He sucked in a discernible breath and
     then his chest caved at the explosive expulsion. “Hell yes.”
    She leaned forward until her hair swept over his skin and her face hung just over
     his. “I want to do more than touch.”
    He reached up to cup her cheek, his thumb gently brushing over the bruise at the corner
     of her mouth. “Baby, you do whatever you want to do. I’m not going to complain.”
    “Well. Okay then,” she breathed.
    Now that she had him exactly where she wanted, she wasn’t entirely certain where to
     begin. She let her hands roam over his chest, to his shoulders, and then down his
     arms before going to his taut belly. She traced every line of his six-pack and then
     lowered her mouth to trace a similar pattern with her tongue.
    His hand tangled roughly in her hair and he squeezed, wrapping his fingers tightly
     against her scalp, holding her down so her mouth stayed in contact with his skin.
    Emboldened by his seeming approval, she gained more confidence. She yanked the sheet
     down, completely uncovering him. His cock was in a state of semi-arousal, long and
     thick, rising from the dark hair between his legs.
    She smacked her lips in anticipation and Gabe groaned aloud.
    “For God’s sake, Mia.”
    She threw her leg over his thighs to straddle him, positioning herself just below
     his cock, which was growing more erect by the second. It strained upward, reaching
     toward his firm abdomen. Unable to resist the temptation she reached down and wrapped
     both hands around his thick length.
    As soon as she touched him, he jerked convulsively and arched his hips upward, seeking
     more of her touch.
    His erection firmly sandwiched between their bellies, she leaned down to claim his
     mouth. It was a heat brand against her skin, hard and rigid, pulsing against her stomach.
     She slid her tongue into his mouth, dueling with his in a teasing dance.
    Testing her boundaries, she pulled at his hands, and as he’d once done to her, she
     planted his hands on either side of his head, her palms pressed to his, holding him
     down.
    He smiled against her mouth. “The kitten has turned aggressor and has become the lion.”
    “Damn right,” she growled. “Tonight I call the shots.”
    “I like this side of you,” he murmured. “Huge turn-on, Mia.