Landing the Air Marshal (Snowpocalypse) (12 page)

He moved to sit back up and she dug her fingers into his shoulders and pushed him back down. “No, no. I think I may have changed my mind.” Every night. Yup. She could definitely go for this every goddamn night of the week without even blinking an eye.

“I don’t mind doing some more persuading.” His tongue teased around the edge of her pussy, and her hips bucked beneath his touch. When his tongue finally met her clit, a groan ripped from her mouth, her insides melting quicker than ice in the California sun.

His scruff dragged along her skin. “Damn, Abby, I don’t think anyone is as sexy as you when you’re turned on.” He sucked her clit into his mouth, and her hips levitated off the couch.

Before she knew it, Gage was rummaging through his pants for a condom, and within seconds was back on top of her. He thrust into her while working his thumb over her nipples.

As he sucked her sensitive nipple in his mouth, she knocked her head back and groaned.

“I keep thinking every time I’m with you is going to be the time when I’ve had enough—that I’ve had my fill—but it’s the exact opposite. I need you, Abby.”

Her whole damn body tingled in response to his words. Holy wow. Did people in real life actually say this stuff? Apparently, because it came out of Gage’s mouth.

Their bodies connected on the deepest of levels. Her fingers dug into the muscles of his flexed shoulders, sweat slicking their bodies. Just as Abby’s body coasted toward another climax, Gage grabbed her legs and threw them over his shoulders.

Holy hell. He pounded deeper, harder, unrelenting. “I’m going to miss these legs wrapped around me.”

“Is that the only thing you’ll miss?” she mused. His fingers kneaded her ass, and a groan spilled from her mouth. Dammit, she’d miss her legs wrapped around any bit of his body. Her thighs shook and a warmth washed over her as he drove even deeper into her.

“I could make a goddamn list of everything I’ll miss. Your lips on me, those little sounds that come from your mouth when I make you squirm, how you come off all uptight, but you’re a damn dirty girl. It drives me insane knowing some other guy will get to see this side of you.” He thrust into her, pinning her hands above her head. “You may be leaving tomorrow, but you’re sure as hell mine tonight.”

And with that, she fell apart, shattered into a million tiny pieces, with Gage finding his release on the tail end of hers. How could someone be so in tune to her, know exactly what buttons to press?

They lay there in a tangled heap of limbs, uncaught breaths, and a sense that they
really
got each other on a deeper level.

This guy was good. It made her wonder why he was single, because with that sweet but definitely outdated chivalrous attitude, chiseled jaw, that broad chest, and
that
…underneath his jeans, he wasn’t someone you just let go. He was keeper material, and Abby was lucky enough to have two nights, even if she had to admit she’d wished for a few more. A lot more.

She stopped that thought process and focused on the television, because, really? Abby? In a relationship? Um, yeah, no. She couldn’t even keep a houseplant alive. Fostering feelings for another human being? Not a chance in hell. Her coworkers would probably keel over from shock that she’d spent the weekend having
fun.

Fun time was almost over, though. She didn’t have time for it—not with the months of cutthroat competition for that raise ahead of her. These two days had been a fluke, maybe an act of God to restore her faith in men. The real world would slap her in the face once her borrowed Jimmy Choos stepped onto the gangway at LAX. She’d have emails to catch up on, prop makers to call, her boss to appease. So, if she was smart, which her degree from Stanford indicated, then she’d better shove those thoughts into the depths of her mind and just enjoy the ride. Metaphorically and physically.

…

Gage shifted on the couch to face Abby. The cool Hollywood exterior had long since faded, and he was getting a glimpse of someone who seemed real and vulnerable—at least as vulnerable as Abby would ever appear.

“Do you think you’ll always stay on the West Coast?” Why the hell was he asking this? Of course she’d stay there—that was where her job was. He didn’t even want to consider why that question had popped into his head, because that would mean admitting this two-night stand was about to ruin him.

Her eyes focused sharply on his, no longer glassed over. “Yeah. It’s where all the production studios are. Can’t really move away from that.”

He nodded, ignoring the sinking sensation in his gut. What the hell was getting into him? Maybe it was all the champagne and sugary food. “Fair enough.”

“Are you going to be a damsel-in-distress-saving South Carolina man forever?”

“Planning on it. It’s where my family is. That’s number one to me, even if I’m a crappy son and uncle at the moment.” Emily’s gap-toothed, smiling face entered his mind. All those bills for her new school. His mom and Jill. Could he ever leave them? Even pondering it for a second gutted his insides. No, he could never do that. Not with a clear conscience.

“If they’re as loving as you say they are, then I think you’d have to do a lot more than travel for work for them to think you’re crappy.”

He didn’t want to tell her that it broke his fucking heart to see his little niece cry every time he left, because she wouldn’t see him for a few weeks. Or the fact that it was getting harder with his mama pushing girls on him. It was getting old, and if he were honest with himself, he was in need of a change. What the change was, he didn’t quite know, but after the past two nights with Abby, he sure as hell couldn’t settle down with a sweet as sugar southern belle. They’d scoff at him in the bedroom, shut him out if he tried anything that he’d just done with Abby. They definitely wouldn’t even think about fucking in a hotel stairwell.

They continued watching the movie, and Gage wrapped his arm around Abby. What a fucking alternative dimension, being in one of the most glamorous penthouses in the nation with the hottest woman he’d ever laid eyes on. When he finally did have time to get his shit together, would he find a woman like her? There had to be more out there, right? Or maybe Abby was an anomaly. He needed to stop getting so far in his head. It would only get him into trouble—mainly by getting a certain organ involved, and he definitely did not need that right now.

She slid her hand over his chest and asked, “What’s got you so quiet?”

“Just enjoying the movie.” He decided to bypass the question, since the last thing he wanted was to drag her into this weird spiral of emotion that had hit him as fast and fiercely as the blizzard outside. He got off the couch and eyed the closest plausible distraction. “Want some cocoa? I thought I saw some in the kitchen.”

She glanced up at him, those clear blue eyes searching his, and it looked like she might press the matter, but then decided not to. “Sure.” A smile twitched at the corners of her lips. They were doing this weird dance of emotions. Only a few more hours left together, and he could tell reality was sinking in for her, too. The reality was it fucking sucked.

That was it. He was done pouting like a damn teenager. Two nights was more than he deserved with this bombshell, and he was lucky to get to know her. Very intimately. A few minutes later, he came back brandishing clear crystal mugs filled to the brim with hot chocolate. He’d even found a package of marshmallows in the cupboard and loaded the tops until he could no longer see the liquid beneath.

No more than five minutes had passed, and she’d already brought out her laptop, her nails clicking away at the keys as she typed out an email. And he thought he was a workaholic.

Gage sat down beside her, propping his feet on the tufted ottoman, gripping both mugs in his hands.

“You sure know how to make a mean mug of cocoa,” she said as Gage handed her the cup. “I’ll make sure to send the medical bills your way once I become a diabetic.”

“Have to enjoy the finer things in life once in a while.”

“So you keep saying.” She took a sip of cocoa and gave a contented groan. “I think I’ve enjoyed myself quite a bit these past couple days. More than I deserve.” She frowned and took another sip of her drink.

He raised a brow. “You deserve that all the time.” He wanted to add that she’d find it someday with some other man, but the thought made him want to dropkick a guy who wasn’t even in the picture yet. Why the hell was he getting his balls in a twist? She was a two-night stand—that was it. She needed someone who could devote time to her, which he didn’t have.

“I wish I could dedicate all my time to the bedroom.” She smiled up at him through hooded eyes. “Unfortunately, I’m too busy for that. Plus, I should really be researching for my next set.”

He stopped her hand as she reached for her laptop. “Let it go. For tonight. You deserve some time off.” With that, he pushed off the couch and pulled her to her feet, leading her to the panoramic view of the city blanketed in snow. “Take a few minutes, look at the skyscrapers. Loosen up a little, like you did in the stairwell. And in the bathtub. And the bedroom,” he growled.

She shook her head and laughed. “You are horrible for my productivity, you know that? I’d be MC Hammer broke if you were on the West Coast.”

“Mmm, but you’d be a happy broke.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think I’d be too happy if I was living on the streets. I tend to like things like running water, food, and electricity.”

“Very true. It’s probably good we’re going our separate ways tomorrow.”

She frowned. “Not the word I would use.”

She took another swipe at her ear. This subconscious gesture seemed to occur more now that she’d lost the other earring. He wanted to know what significance they held for her, but didn’t feel it was his place to pry. “Although, I think I’ll definitely be working on my time management skills when it comes to relationships.”

It’s like she ripped his words right from his chest. Shit, he didn’t have time for relationships, either. Maybe he needed to reevaluate once he got back to Charleston. Something about Abby’s penchant for rules, the passion that radiated from every damn inch of her skin, did something to unfurl his own.

“I’m glad my powers of persuasion worked on you in the airplane. Would be a shame for you to travel back to California unsatisfied.”

“Your powers of persuasion damn near killed me this weekend. Seriously, do you have a well that you tap into for excess energy? I need to learn your ways.”

“Being around you does that to me.”

Abby burst out laughing. “Mr. Michaels, you are an endless supply of great lines.” She paused to take a sip of her cocoa. “And if it came from anyone else but you, I might throw my drink in their face.”

“Rightly so,” he agreed. “But I think you need to have more trust in men. Especially ones who love westerns and making snow angels.”

“I’ll make sure to do that when the opportunity arises again.” And with that, a fleeting look of sadness crossed her face, but it was quickly replaced with a smile.

“Damn, I wish we had more time.”

“I have a lot of wishes at the moment,” she said.

“Yeah?” Gage caught her reflection in the glass and smiled.

“Mmhmm. Like, that this weekend would last longer. Or maybe that I could spend an entire year traveling the world,” she said.

He quirked his brow, remembering just how well she traveled on an aircraft.

“Okay, not the traveling part,” she admitted, “but the destinations. Something about going different places, seeing gorgeous scenery, houses I could never dream to afford.” She motioned to her surroundings. “I get to do this for a living, and every day is a new adventure, but I also want to see the simpler parts. The ordinary, everyday moments that are magical.”

There was so much passion in her response. Her eyes lit up, and her speech picked up. “And once I get the promotion—” She paused. “
If
I get the promotion, then I’ll finally have some more freedom about the sets we pick, the places I go.”

“Then promise it to yourself. Put it in writing.” He filled his lungs with a deep breath and leaned in close to the window, expelling his breath onto the glass. When a fog had collected, he took Abby’s hand and guided it to the window. “Here. Write it right here.”

She giggled and started to protest, but he held her hand there, not relenting.

With her index finger between his middle finger and thumb, he helped write out:
I, Abby Winters, promise to be true to my wishes.

“This is silly,” she said, still laughing.

“I don’t doubt you will get that raise. Not for a damn second. I’ve known you for two days and can tell your boss would make the biggest mistake of his life if he didn’t give it to you.”

“I appreciate your faith in me. But my coworker just might get it. It tends to be the good ol’ boys club at my office, and even if I am more experienced, it might not make a difference. I think my luck has worn out.” She took another absentminded swipe at her ear.

Gage clenched his jaw and gripped his coffee mug. What kind of world did he live in where a capable, well-educated woman still had to struggle with this? What did that mean for Emily when she was finally old enough to work? The thought made him sick. That the elite education wouldn’t mean shit because she didn’t have a penis.

And what was this whole thing about luck? What did that have to do with the hard work she’d put in? “Is this about the four-leaf clover earring?”

He looked at her reflection on the glass as her lips curled into a frown. Shit. He’d struck a chord with that one. But it was hard not to notice when she’d fingered the fleshy lobe of her ear all night.

She let out a deep breath and said, “Yes. It was a present from my dad. My last gift from him.”

Well, fuck. He didn’t know they were a gift from her dead father.
Way to ruin the mood, shithead.
“I’m so sorry. We can search for it again if you want.”

“I already did. It’s not here.” She let out a sigh and stared at the view of the city, the corners of her mouth pinching together. “It feels like I lost a part of him, honestly. I know it’s just a material possession, but it was all I had.”