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“It was like you’d walked right out of my wet dream.”

Lori’s whispered words triggered a flood of sensations, driving all her attention to the feeling between her legs. How had Lori’s ex been stupid enough to let her go? Gabe shoved away the intrusive and unwelcome thought. Her loss, my gain. Could it really be her gain though?

“Gabe, I don’t feel well.” Lori grasped her wrist. “I’m a little shaky. Would you take me to the restroom?” She turned to Hank after Gabe had nodded weakly. “Dad, I feel a little queasy. Gabe’s taking me to the bathroom, okay?”

“Honey, what’s wrong? It can’t be the food, surely?”

Lori shook her head. “It’s just the time of the month,” she whispered. “I’ll be fine.”

Gabe placed her napkin on the table and stood to help Lori up, who produced an Oscar-worthy performance, almost stumbling into Gabe’s arms. Shay arched her eyebrow and shook her head almost imperceptibly. The look in her eyes told Gabe that she knew exactly what was going on. Gabe chose to avoid her gaze and headed away from the table.

But they didn’t make it to the restroom. Lori dragged Gabe beyond it and pushed her up against the hallway wall with more strength than her stature implied she should have.

“You’re driving me insane, Gabe Jackson.” Lori ran her hands across Gabe’s chest and tugged on her tie. “I have to have you tonight.”

Before Gabe knew what was happening, Lori got onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to Gabe’s. Stars collided, fireworks exploded, and the little control Gabe was clutching onto disappeared like sand between her fingers. She wrapped her hands around Lori’s waist and lifted her from the ground as their kiss deepened, and their surroundings fell away into white noise.

Lori grasped the back of Gabe’s neck and pulled her in harder then broke away. “I have a room booked at a hotel around the block. When the meal is over, will you take me there?”

Gabe claimed Lori’s mouth again. Now that she was in this position, she didn’t want to waste a moment of it. “Can’t we just go now?”

Lori dragged the nail of her index finger across Gabe’s lip. “We’re the guests of honor; we can’t really disappear on everyone, can we?”

Gabe groaned, the rush of desire overtaking all her logic and sense. “Can’t we?”

Lori sucked Gabe’s lower lip between her teeth and nibbled on it. “No.”

The noise of the restaurant crept back into her consciousness, and she tried to get a grasp on her sensible self. “Are you sure this is what you want?” Gabe asked. “What happened to just being friends?”

Lori ran her hand along the back of Gabe’s neck and gave a low growl. “We’ve both known that was never going to last. I just needed a little time to put the past firmly in the past.”

Lori’s choice of words dragged her back to earth with a painful thud. Maybe now Gabe could do the same. “I have to tell you something.”

“No.” Lori pressed her finger over Gabe’s lips. “Not tonight. All I want to think about right now are the things we’re going to do to each other all night long.”

Gabe swallowed hard and didn’t resist another insistent kiss.

“You do want this too, don’t you?” Lori asked.

For a fleeting second, Lori’s dominant display dissipated, and Gabe saw a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes. Gabe lowered Lori to her feet slowly and cupped her cheek. “More than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”

The fear disappeared as quickly as it had intruded, and Lori ran her hands down Gabe’s chest and to her belt. “Good. And in the breaks between the mind-blowing sex we’re about to have, I want to know the story behind every tattoo you have, including Alectho.”

Gabe frowned. “Alectho?”

Lori shook her head. “Never mind. I had a dream where you had a winged fury on your abdomen.”

Gabe grinned and trailed her finger down the plunging neckline of Lori’s dress. “You’ve been having dirty dreams about me?”

“Incessantly.” Lori rolled her eyes and hooked her fingers in Gabe’s belt. “Day and night.”

“I like that. I like that a lot.”

“Mm,” Lori said. “They’ve given me plenty of ideas, that’s for sure.”

“I can hardly wait.” Gabe leaned down for another kiss, each one tasting better than the last, fueling her desire like oxygen to fire.

Lori put her hands against Gabe’s chest and pushed her back against the wall. “You’ll have to. We should get back to the table before my dad sends my mom to see how I’m doing.”