Chapter 27
Joslyn froze for a split second as Gabriel's lips claimed hers, the rest of her words vanishing in the passionate wake of his kiss. The sheer force of his longing washed over her, instantly leaving her breathless. His hands cupped her face, fingers threading up into her hair as though he were anchoring himself to her, desperate to prove something—perhaps to her, or perhaps to himself.
Joslyn's words and her initial shock melted away as her body betrayed her, responding instinctively to the intensity of Gabriel's touch. She raised her hands to his chest, torn between pushing him off or drawing him closer, but without thinking too much about it, Joslyn chose the latter, gripping the front of his shirt and pulling him closer until their fronts were pressed against each other.
She let a moan slip through as the kiss deepened, their tongues lightly caressing—it was raw and electric, as if the air between them had ignited into flames.
Joslyn's back hit the door behind her with a soft thud, but Gabriel didn't relent until they were both forced to pull away for some much-needed oxygen. Even then, his lips trailed down the curve of her jaw, brushing against the sensitive skin of her neck, where he placed open-mouthed kisses that made her shiver.
“Gabriel,” she whispered, her voice a mixture of protest and want, her hands pressing against his chest but lacking the strength to push him away.
Gabriel stilled at the sound of her voice, his breath warm against her skin. Slowly, he lifted his head, his dark eyes searching hers, full of barely contained hunger yet also restraint. “Tell me to stop,” he muttered, his voice hoarse, his hands still holding her as if she might disappear. “Tell me right here, right now, that you do not want me, that you want nothing to do with me, and I'll leave—never to bother you again. Tell me, Joslyn.”
Joslyn froze, the weight of his words striking her harder than the heat of his body pressed so close. Her breath caught somewhere between her chest and throat as she stared up into Gabriel’s hooded, restless eyes, searching hers. And for a long moment, neither of them moved. Their breaths matched the synchronized rise and fall of their chests, filling the silence between them.
She should’ve told him exactly that. Deep down, Joslyn knew she should, but the real truth hovered in the air between them, as raw and dangerous as ever—she did want him. She wanted him more than she would like to admit, and it had all been building up since the day they’d reconnected yet again, since the times Gabriel had made it his mission to board every flight she was attending. It had all been leading here, to this very moment. Joslyn could feel that same pull that refused to break, no matter how hard she’d tried to ignore it.
“I don’t…” she murmured finally, her fists tightening further around his shirt. “I don’t want you to stop.” Her voice trembled softly, but she was certain, the resolution obvious in her honey brown eyes.
Gabriel inhaled sharply as his hands slipped from her face to her waist, his fingers spreading against the thin fabric of her blouse, as though testing whether she was really, finally, in his arms. He studied Joslyn’s expression, searching for doubt or anything that might hinder what was about to happen, but he found none. Yet Gabriel chose to ask her one more time.
“Say that again. I want to hear you say it, sweetheart.”
Without hesitation, Joslyn pulled Gabriel even tighter against her until she was sandwiched between the door and him, until there wasn’t even a hairbreadth of space between them. Her words were a warm breath against his lips as she responded, “I don’t want you to stop. I want you, Gabriel. Every bit of you.”
“Fuck,” Gabriel groaned, and without warning, his mouth crashed against hers again. Their kiss was messy and desperate, years of restraint collapsing under the weight of what they’d been holding back. Joslyn gasped into his mouth, arousal spiking within her, when he sucked teasingly on her tongue, and her heart pounded so fast she thought it might rip through her chest. Noticing her reaction, Gabriel did it again, groaning as well when Joslyn began to rub up against him, her hands fiddling with the hem of his shirt.
Their bodies were a frantic tangle as they finally pushed open the door and stumbled into Joslyn’s apartment, mouths fused in a kiss that refused to break. But this time, as the latch clicked shut behind them, Gabriel was the one who found himself sandwiched between Joslyn and the hardwood before they finally broke apart for breath, foreheads touching, and chests rising in sync as they shared the same heated air.
“This is a bad idea,” Joslyn murmured, her words contrasting with her actions as she slid her fingers to the back of Gabriel’s neck, tracing the line of his hair.
“We both know it’s been a long time coming, baby,” he replied, then leaned in slowly and brushed her lips with his, almost like a soft, quiet promise. “But you can still tell me to stop, y’know?” Gabriel said once more, as if her words were really the only thing that could pull him back from the edge, despite how much he ached to dive into the deep with her.
Joslyn’s gaze snapped up to his, her hooded yet glowing eyes clear with a conviction she voiced. “No, Gabriel, I don’t want you to stop. I really want to do this with you—no matter how much of a bad idea it may be.” The words left her mouth like a spark thrown into dry wood, immediately catching flame.
Gabriel groaned softly—a low and primal sound that vibrated against her lips just before he kissed her harder. His hands slid up her sides, gathering the thin fabric of her blouse until his fingers finally met the warmth of her skin. The contact drew a quiet gasp from Joslyn, her body arching instinctively toward him like she’d been waiting for that exact moment.
Gabriel’s jacket hit the floor first, followed by the faint thud of Joslyn’s shoes as she kicked them off. Piece by piece, they stripped away the barriers between them, each discarded layer pulling them ever closer to the rush rising in the room. Soon they stood together in nothing but their underwear, clinging to each other as though letting go would shatter something sacred. Gabriel took Joslyn’s lips in yet another intoxicating kiss, walking her backward until the couch pressed lightly against the back of her knees. She let out a soft, breathless laugh against his mouth—but the sound was swallowed immediately when his hands framed her face with reverent care, like he was holding something precious.
She sank onto the couch, expecting him to follow, but instead, Gabriel shook his head slowly, his partly swollen lips quirking up into a playful smirk. His fingers wrapped around her wrist as he drew her right back to her feet, and before she could even question it, he bent and swept her into his arms. Joslyn gasped quietly at the sudden shift in power, her breath catching even as her legs wrapped around his waist on instinct.
Gabriel leaned in, brushing the softest kiss over her lips before whispering, his voice rough and resolute, “No matter how impatient I am to fuck you, sweetheart, I’m gonna need more space to ravage you than this couch can provide.”
Joslyn gulped at his words, her pulse kicking hard, especially when he tightened his hold just enough to make her cling to him, then lifted his gaze to hers, dark and unwavering just like his voice when he murmured, “To the bedroom, baby.”