Page 30 of One Good Puck (Denver Bashers #5)

Abby

W hen we walk into the house, I’m giddy. And not just because of the wine.

But because I just went on the best date of my life with Gavin.

I follow him to the kitchen, watching as he sheds his suit coat and hangs it over one of the stools at the island.

I take in the broad spread of his shoulders, how big his hands are when he sets the container of profiteroles on the counter. He rolls up the sleeve of his dove gray dress shirt along his thick, muscled forearm, and I have to bite my tongue to keep from moaning at how sexy that is.

I watch as he grabs a glass from the cupboard, fills it with water, and then takes a drink. My gaze fixes on his thick neck, the way his throat bobs as he swallows.

God.

Literally everything about him is sexy.

When Jared stood me up, I was disappointed and annoyed. All that effort for a guy who wasn’t worth the time and energy of getting dressed up for. I thought my evening was wasted .

But Gavin turned tonight into the best night I’ve had in a long time. And not just because he took me out to a lavish dinner. That was amazing, of course.

But I had such a good time because he was kind and funny and easy to talk to.

He made me feel comfortable and doted on at the same time.

And the way he listened to me when I opened up to him about my ex.

He wasn’t uncomfortable. He didn’t try to change the subject, like some guys do when I’ve mentioned Emma’s dad.

He let me talk about my feelings. He validated me. And he reminded me what a great mom I am.

My heart flutters in my chest. Everything about him is attractive. He’s literally the perfect man.

And he’ll never be more than just a friend…

My brain snags on that last thought. It feels so…wrong. Even though I know it’s best for us to just be friends.

But it’s getting harder and harder to see Gavin as just a friend when everything about him is driving me wild…

He looks over at me right as he finishes his glass of water. The corner of his mouth hooks up in a sexy half-smile.

“You thirsty?” he asks.

Oh, Gavin. You have no idea.

I nod, and he fills a glass with water and hands it to me. I stand next to him at the kitchen island and rip into the dessert box. I shove a profiterole into my mouth, just to give myself something to do so I don’t keep staring at him like a weirdo.

“Want one?” I offer the box to him.

He shakes his head. “No, thanks. They’re all yours.”

I eat another one and notice Gavin smiling at me.

“What?” I ask, still chewing.

“You have cream on your lip. ”

“Oh.” I wipe my lip with my fingers. “Did I get it?”

That smile still dances on his lips. “No.”

I wipe again. “Now?”

He chuckles and shakes his head.

I sigh, smiling at how messy and silly I feel. “Help me out?”

He steps closer to me, closing the space between us. Then he reaches his thumb and gently swipes the corner of my mouth, his gaze holding mine.

I let out a shaky breath, the skin on my cheeks tingling at his gentle touch.

“I think I got it,” he rasps.

He doesn’t pull away, though. He runs his thumb softly along my bottom lip. I shiver. I can feel the warmth from his body skimming mine. That’s how close he’s standing to me. Goosebumps scatter across my skin.

I swallow hard as I stare up at him.

I don’t know if it’s the wine spurring me on or feeling giddy after the best date I’ve ever had or having Gavin this close to me, but something inside of me turns bold.

I stick my tongue out and lick his thumb.

His jaw bulges, and he closes his eyes. “Abby…” My name is a low, rough growl falling from his lips.

“Yes?” I rasp.

When he opens his eyes, his stare is hazy. Like he’s turned on. Good. I’m turned on too.

“Why did you do that?” he asks. He doesn’t sound mad. More like amused.

I smile and lick his thumb again. “Because I wanted to. Because I want you.”

His eyebrows quirk up. “You want me?”

I nod .

A hard swallow glides along the length of his thick throat. “I thought you said you wanted to be just friends.”

“I know. But…it’s getting harder and harder to resist you, Gavin. I…I really want to kiss you.”

My nerves are going haywire as I wait for Gavin to respond. Will he be frustrated that I’ve changed my mind? Will he reject me?

When he shakes his head, my heart starts to sink.

But then he says, “I can’t just kiss you, Abby.”

“Why not?”

He licks his lips, his gaze fixing on my mouth as he cups my cheek in his hand. “Because I know that one kiss with you wouldn’t be enough. I know I wouldn’t be able to stop.”

The nerves inside of me fade. I bite back a smile as excitement kicks up inside of me.

“Then maybe we should do more than just kiss,” I say. “Maybe we should give in to our attraction to each other. Just for tonight,” I say.

Heat flashes in his eyes. “One night together.”

I nod.

“One night to have you in all the ways I’ve been fantasizing about?” Gavin growls.

I nod again. “Get it out of our systems. Then we can focus on being just friends.”

“You really think we can go back to friends after seeing each other naked?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” I say.

A wicked smile pulls at his mouth. And then he kisses me.

I’m dizzy the second his mouth is on mine. His lips are so soft. It’s the hottest contrast against how hard he kisses me.

He cups my face with his hands, then teases my mouth open with his tongue. Gently, he laps his tongue against mine. I moan into his mouth, gripping my hands around his wrists.

Wow . Gavin kisses like a demon.

“Fuck, Abby,” he moans into my mouth. “You taste so fucking good. So fucking sweet.”

I shiver and smile against his mouth. It feels amazing hearing him go on about how much he likes the way I taste.

It’s been ages since I’ve kissed a guy, but none of them have kissed me like this. Like I’m a treat he wants to savor forever. It’s making my heart beat faster and my knees weak.

He moves his hand along the hinge of my jaw, tilting my head back and deepening our kiss. It doesn’t take long for the intensity to kick up.

Soon, his hands are on my waist, and he’s pulling me against his body. I drag my fingers through his hair as our tongues get filthier and filthier by the second.

He walks me back until I hit the counter. My clit pulses. There’s a roughness underneath the sweetness of his kiss, an urgency. Like he wants to take as much of me as he can, and it’s so damn hot.

Tingles flash all over my skin. Every time Gavin flicks his tongue against mine, my clit pulses, aching for him to kiss me between my legs.

“Gavin,” I rasp against his mouth.

He leans back and looks at me with hazy, drunken eyes.

“I need more,” I say. “Please.”

A devilish smile tugs at his lips. “I like it when you beg.”

I bite my lip, my cheeks hot. He traces the tip of his finger along the hinge of my jaw. His feather-light touch makes me shiver.

He lowers his mouth to the side of my neck and presses a gentle kiss to the sensitive skin. I gasp .

“I’ll give you everything you want, sweetness.”

I swoon at the nickname he calls me. It’s the same nickname he used when he pretended to be my boyfriend at Spanky’s.

“But not here,” he says against my skin. “I want you in my bed.”

“Then take me there. Please.”