“That could be a long time for me, sweetheart,” Gabe drawled.
“Then we can set a time limit. A week?” she asked hopefully.
Gabe started to laugh. “It will take me longer than that.” Sobering, he added, “You need to think about whether you’re ready for this, Chloe. You have to trust me.”
“I do. And I’m ready.” She trusted him more than she trusted any man except possibly her brothers. He was the only man she’d trust with her body.
Gabe searched her eyes, and Chloe met his gaze frankly, never looking away as he seemed to be deciding what to do. He dug his cell phone out of the pocket of his jeans without looking away and glanced away quickly to search out and press a button on the phone. He immediately looked back at her as he put the phone to his ear.
“Cal, Chloe and I are going to be tied up in a very long meeting this morning. Handle the rounds, and contact us only if you have a real emergency,” Gabe instructed his manager, still staring directly at Chloe.
Chloe’s heart started racing, the intent in Gabe’s eyes perfectly clear. Certainly he didn’t mean now. They’d barely had their morning coffee. She’d thought he might think about it, that she’d have time to prepare. She certainly hadn’t expected that he’d jump at the chance to take her to bed without a moment’s hesitation.
“Yeah. Thanks,” Gabe muttered, pressing the Off button on the phone before throwing it on the table.
“Now?” she asked him breathlessly, feeling like she could barely breathe.
“Sweetheart, you don’t make that kind of offer to a guy who is as desperate as I am for you and expect him to wait until later.” Gabe rose and strode over to her chair, lifted her into his arms, and literally sprinted up the stairs.
Chloe laughed, her heart feeling light for the first time in a very long time. She sobered as he lowered her feet to the floor in his bedroom. Chase scrambled in behind him, but Gabe shooed him out of the room and closed the door firmly behind him.
“Poor Chase,” Chloe said, suddenly nervous.
“He’ll live. This is one thing I’d really prefer to do without him,” Gabe answered huskily. He hesitated before he asked, “You have to tell me how it was before. Tell me what you don’t like. I don’t want to screw this up.”
Chloe’s heart clenched at the way he let her see his vulnerability. “You know I have body issues.”
“Completely unnecessarily,” Gabe answered as he started to undress slowly.
“You haven’t seen me naked,” Chloe countered, hating the thought that he might be disappointed.
“No, but I plan on it very shortly. I’ll show you how much I love your body. What else?”
“I don’t like to be forced,” she answered, nearly swallowing her tongue as Gabe casually shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it on the ground, appearing to be totally comfortable with getting naked.
“That would never happen. What else?”
“Oh, God. You’re perfect,” Chloe blurted out, unable to take her eyes away from the rippling muscles in his arms and chest. Gabe was perfectly made. He did hard physical work, and it showed.
Her fingers itched to touch his bare skin, run her hands over his defined six-pack abs. Her eyes darted down and noticed a distinctive happy trail that disappointingly disappeared at the top of his jeans.
“I’m just a man, Chloe,” Gabe answered in a grave tone. “I have my share of scars from working with the horses, and I’m a long way from perfect.”
He looked pretty damn incredible to her, but she knew what he was trying to say was that attraction was a matter of perception. Maybe she hadn’t looked beautiful to James, but maybe she was attractive to Gabe. “You look pretty damn amazing to me,” she said honestly. “I want to touch you.”
He shook his head. “Not yet. It’s too hard for me…literally. Anything else you want to tell me?”
She shook her head as their gazes locked and held. “Just the dominance thing, and the body thing.” Chloe listened to her words, wondering if her IQ had just decreased enormously from staring at Gabe’s naked upper body. She was so flustered she couldn’t think straight, or speak well either, apparently.
“Now that’s a shame about the dominance thing, darlin’, because I kind of like being the boss in the bedroom sometimes,” he replied, his Texas accent heavy with desire.
“You do? Painfully?” Chloe knew Gabe was a dominant man, but he was so very tender sometimes. Maybe she didn’t have him figured out.
He moved toward her and put his hands on her shoulders. “It can be pleasurable, Chloe. I’d like to see how many times I can make you come before I break.”
She nearly melted into a heated puddle at his feet. “Okay,” she agreed readily, thinking that letting him be in charge might not be such a bad thing.
“Do you trust me, Chloe?” he asked seriously as he grasped the bottom of her sweatshirt.
“Yes,” she answered breathlessly, letting him pull the shirt over her head, raising her arms obligingly.
“Then let me show you how it can be,” he demanded in a persuasive voice.
“Yes,” she whispered again, taking in a swift breath as he opened the front clasp of her bra, pushing it down and off her arms, as a cool rush of air wafted over her nipples.
“Gorgeous,” Gabe said reverently, lifting his strong hands to cup her breasts. “Take your hair down for me.”
Without a word, she reached up and tugged the tie from her hair, letting the dark locks fall to her shoulders. She sucked in a breath as Gabe’s thumbs moved insistently over her hard nipples, sending ripples of pleasure down her spine.