“Our bad guys?” She tensed up, tightening her hands on the wheels as she remembered the terror of that night. “Should I be worried?”
Gabe hesitated, not sure how to answer her question yet. “Let’s talk at home okay, honey?”
Once they got to his house they sat in the living room. He pulled her soft body into his, needing her warmth and calming presence. No matter what went on in the world Karissa could make him feel peace and hope. He told her a little about the drug smuggling ring without giving too much detail away. The last thing he wanted was for her to spend every day in terror. He’d take care of her and make sure those assholes never touched her.
“I’m just upset. If something had happened to you and Toby that night I don’t know what I would have done.”
She snuggled up to him, loving the feel of his hard muscled body and the way he wrapped his arms around her, making her feel so feminine and cherished. “But we’re okay thanks to you. With all of you working on this case, I know you’ll stop them. Appledale is our home with all of our families and friends. The last thing we need is drug dealers messing that up. Will Toby be okay? I’m more worried about him. He saw both men.”
He squeezed her closer to him, feeling proud in the confidence she had in him and his friends to keep the town safe, and he would do everything in his power to see that she wasn’t disappointed. “Ethan is talking with Kari right now, maybe he’ll convince her to go back to St. Louis temporarily. With those guys wandering around our town, you can run into them anywhere and that worries me the most. We’re all patrolling the town more often, including Harrison. Ryan suggested Ethan’s self-defense students take turns walking the streets in the evenings just to make sure things stay quiet for the residents.”
Karissa shuddered in fear, remembering that frightening night. “I don’t want to see those jerks, believe me. But it sounds like you all have everything under control and I’m surrounded by so many people at the bar. Rex and Tom and lots of the guys there would never let those assholes near me.”
Gabe didn’t want to talk about his worries anymore. He wanted to spend the night showing Karissa how much he loved her. If he couldn’t say the words out loud yet he could do it with his lovemaking.
He kissed her earlobe and felt her shiver. He moved her silky hair aside and nipped her skin softly at her neck and shoulder with his teeth. Slowly he removed her blouse and bra, this time lacy and sunshine yellow. “Thank God Liz opened a store in town. Us men should give her an award or something,” he stated softly, making her giggle and agree. He l
eaned down and sucked on her nipple, swirling his tongue around until she tightened her hands in his hair and moaned loudly. “You always make me feel so good, Gabe.”
He stood up with her. Standing in front of each other, they removed all their clothes slowly like a striptease that would heighten their arousal as each patch of skin was revealed slowly. She was so beautiful. She took his breath away with her full breasts and rosy nipples begging for his attention, her slim waist and curvy hips and plump ass. He sat back down on the couch with her straddling his lap. He was hard and ready to go but he wanted his woman excited and wet. He wanted to concentrate on making Karissa explode with desire.
Karissa twined her arms around his neck and leaned back so he could suck on her nipples some more, increasing the pressure until she got wetter and wetter. She felt Gabe’s hand between her legs, finding her hot and wet with need. He inserted his fingers in her pussy pumping them in and out until she was writhing in passion and trembling with anticipation of what he could make her feel.
Gabe lifted her up and slid her back down on his hard cock, filling her completely but giving her time to adjust to his cock being inside her. She leaned into him until their chests were touching skin to skin, loving the closeness she felt with Gabe. Not just physically but emotionally too. No one else had ever reached her emotionally like Gabriel Wilson. She loved feeling his arms wrapped around her like a safe shelter. She had never felt so cherished and loved. She looked into his brown eyes and gave him a joyful smile that made his breath quicken. “You make me feel like a sexy goddess, Gabe, when I know I’m just an average woman.”
“Average is one thing you are not, baby. You are the sexiest woman I have ever known and you burn me up alive. You’re all mine,” he kissed her lush pink lips, devouring her and possessing her mouth. He grabbed her ass cheeks so he could plunge in and out of her while she hung on to his shoulders burying her face in his shoulder and inhaling his wild earthy scent. She leaned down and bit his neck, making him groan, then licked the spot softly, not wanting the moment to end quickly.
He went hard and fast, plunging in and out of her pussy, deliberately driving her wild with his need, his hunger that blazed out of control. It didn’t take long for the shock wave to start through both their bodies until they exploded together and screamed out their release in unison.
“I could stay here forever and die a happy man,” he whispered, nuzzling her cheek softly feeling the trembles going through his body.
Karissa giggled, loving the feel of them being connected still. She didn’t want to move yet. She felt sleepy but satisfied to be in her lover’s arms. “How would we eat or pay bills?”
Gabe groaned pulling on her hair playfully. “You’re ruining my fantasy, woman.”
“Sorry. I’ll sit here and be quiet, oh Lord and Master,” she teased him, putting her head on his shoulder and letting out a satisfied sigh. She loved this man, there was no fighting it or pretending she didn’t feel it but she didn’t want to ruin the moment by getting into such a serious discussion.
“That’s more like it.” He grinned, rubbing her back up and down softly with his hands and not wanting to let her go yet. He wanted a future with her. The whole deal, marriage, kids and happily ever after. Would she believe and trust in him if he told her he loved her and would never stop? Especially given their history? Having his woman in his arms again was the best feeling in the world and this time he would do whatever it took to keep her there. He fell asleep with his arms wrapped tightly around her. Tomorrow they would talk.
Gabe held a sleeping Karissa in his arms that night and thought about asking her to marry him. He wanted to be the one who fulfilled her dreams of a home filled with love and children. He wished he had thought that way all those years ago but settling down was the last thing he had wanted back then. Now he craved it, but with Karissa only. He had been with plenty of women over the years but none had inspired the deep feelings he felt around Karissa, not just physically. She reached down into his lonely soul and gave him joy and peace. She was a beautiful woman inside and out and he was determined to keep her.
Chapter 10
Karissa sat at Ally’s Diner. It was already closed to the public for the day but Lacy had kept it open for them so they could have some girl time alone. Casey, Karissa, Stella, Liz, and Lacy all sat around with the two babies. Kari and Ken had decided to cut their vacation time short and take the boys home to St. Louis. Ethan had explained a little of what was going on with the drug dealers so naturally Kari was afraid for Toby’s safety. But she promised to come back later in the summer. Everyone was tense with the drug dealers running around town and Karissa and the others noticed that Logan and Gabe had passed by the diner already several times. Ethan even had some of his best students from his self-defense class patrolling the streets in the evening and making sure none of the women or elderly residents were harmed. People were used to strolling the streets in the evening hours since it normally was a quiet and peaceful town. It was impossible to hide everything from the town gossipers, so Ryan had let a few things leak out like someone was bringing drugs around without causing a big panic.
“I’m surprised one of the men isn’t posted at the door,” Stella joked, looking out the window. It was a hot and sunny day but it felt good to sit in the air conditioned diner and relax. “I tried walking to the bank alone yesterday after work and Logan escorted me all the way to the front door and inside. Made me feel like I was in high school again.”
Lacy sighed and looked down into Lily’s chubby little face. Lily looked like a miniature Stella with her pale skin and dark hair and Lacy kissed her soft cheek. “I’m sure they would have if it wouldn’t have seemed so obvious we were all meeting here today. I had a hard time letting Ryan agree to us hanging out here even for a few hours. Ally had to intervene and tell him we’d be safe in here with the doors locked and the shades down.”
Liz laughed along with the other girls. “Our men, we got to love them and their overprotectiveness.” She held Jonathon, who was sleeping like an angel, in her arms. “I’d like a boy first, I think. Look at him, he is so adorable.” She cooed quietly over Jonathon. She couldn’t wait to be a mom. Her parents were also thrilled with the coming baby and promised to be by her side no matter what. She had grown so much closer to them since she had met Ethan. Ethan helped her repair their relationship and now she no longer held everything inside, afraid to speak up. “But Ethan wants a girl. I guess it doesn’t matter since we both want two or three kids.”
“Wait until you have to change his diaper.” Karissa sipped on a glass of iced tea and dug into a piece of Ally’s homemade pie, trying to keep a serious face and not laugh. “All thoughts of adorable fly out the window.”
Casey gasped playfully at her little sister with mock anger. “Shame on you, Aunty Rissa, for saying anything bad about your only nephew.”
Stella laughed, looking over at Lacy who was holding Lily in her arms. Lily was wide awake and was looking around the café with bright-eyed interest. “You should have seen Lacy trying to change Lily’s diaper not too long ago. I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants.”
Lacy nodded, cooing at her goddaughter. She and Liz shared the honor of being Lily’s godmothers. “I love my goddaughter so much, but boy, that stuff smells foul. Ryan wouldn’t even come in the room. He stayed downstairs hiding, afraid I’d ask him for help.”