Page 74 of This Kind of Forever

His words stun me for half a second. I swallow, clearing my throat before speaking. “You’re…jealous?”

He almost laughs, but it lacks any kind of humour. “Of course I am, Foster. Some asshole had his hands all over my fiancée tonight.”

My fiancée.

It isn’t the first time Gabe has let that slip. Mostly, he makes a joke of it. But this is the first time that he’s called me his fiancée where it feels like it means something. Something more than just playing a part.

My teeth snag my bottom lip. Gabe’s attention is instantly drawn there.

Words lodge in my throat. Being honest means being vulnerable, and I’m not very good at that. But Gabe was right about everything. I don’t yell, I don’t fight. Except with him… With him, it feels like something worth fighting for.

“When he touched me,” I say, watching as his eyes darken, “I wished it was your hands on me instead.”

He groans. “Killing me, Foster.”

My lips twitch with a slight smile. “Sorry.”

Gabe takes his hand off the door beside my head. It trembles slightly as it curves along my jaw, slipping through strands of golden hair before cupping the back of my head. He lookspained, like holding himself back truly is akin to the greatest torture, but still, he takes his time. Like he’s savouring this. Us.Me.

“Tell me you want me, Hallie, because I want you so fucking bad, I can hardly think. Tell me you want this, too.”

The plea in his voice—the pureyearning—breaks me and then stitches me back together. It’s a lifetime of stop and go, push and pull, all culminating in this beautiful moment.

“Yes,” I breathe. “I want you.”

I’ve never stopped.

He searches my eyes. “You want me?”

I nod. “This is me asking, Gabe.”

His hand on my hip squeezes, drawing me closer. His eyes trace my face slowly, memorizing it, before landing on my lips again. They part involuntarily, and he takes this as his invitation. As his face lowers to mine, I push up onto the tips of my toes, meeting him halfway.

I always thought my first kiss would belong to Gabe. I hoped for it—dreamt of it. Life, it turned out, had other plans, but I wouldn’t change things. Not when this moment right here is so perfect, I could cry.

The kiss is gentle at first. Tentative, like when he kissed me at the wedding. It’s everything I both wanted and needed, and my body sings in pleasure. His mouth moves against mine in a practiced rhythm, as if we’ve been doing this all our lives. As if this is where we were destined to end up. Maybe it is.

Quickly, though, everything shifts. We aren’t at the wedding anymore—there are no prying eyes, and we’re over pretending. So when Gabe deepens the kiss, when his tongue slides against mine, I let him take it all.

My heart has always belonged to him, so he might as well have my body, too.

Clinging to him, I’m desperate to be closer. Ineedto be closer. All the layers between us are too much. But I don’t know how to verbalize what I want, what I think I might die without.

Woman up, Hallie.Tell him.

Before I can properly begin to spiral, Gabe pulls back slightly. “Hallie,” he groans against my mouth. “Baby. Can I take you upstairs now?”

Upstairs. To his bedroom. To hisbed. This time, for a lot more than sleep.

I nod, not caring if I seem overeager. “Please, yes. Please.”

He nips at my lower lip. “I’ll be so good to you, baby. Show you exactly what you deserve.”

I don’t even have time to swoon or melt into a puddle because then he’s tugging me toward the stairs. He gestures for me to go up first, but when I’m too slow, he slaps me playfully on the ass. I let out a sound of surprise, looking at him over my shoulder. He only grins, andGod, it’s a pretty sight.

I stomp on the nervous butterflies that try to take flight as I walk toward Gabe’s room. I can feel his body heat, confirming he’s not far behind me.

We’re really doing this. I’m really about to have sex with my best friend’s brother.