Dauntless (Sons of Templar MC 5)

“Thank you,” I whispered against his chest, trailing my fingers along the ink of his pec.

He turned me so our eyes met. “You don’t have to thank me for every orgasm I give you. I plan on giving you many, many more. It’ll get exhausting to thank me every time. A blow job would suffice.”

I smacked his pec and he grinned.

“It’s impossible to have a conversation with you.”

He bundled me in his arms. “Sorry, firefly. What are you thanking me for?”

“For bringing me here. For putting your entire life on hold. For Scrabble, chocolate chip pancakes. For the peace. For giving me something I couldn’t give myself. A space to get clean. A second to breathe.”

He was quiet for a long time, his body rigid. The only thing telling me he hadn’t drifted off to sleep was the back and forth of his fingers on my spine.

“Why are you thanking me now?” he asked finally, his voice thick. “You plannin’ on runnin’ off in the middle of the night now that you’ve had your wicked way with me?” His words were teasing but his tone held something else.

Fear.

I moved to meet his eyes, and not a hint of humor twinkled in them. “No, I’m not planning on that. Sneaking around in the dark isn’t really my style. It’s just… I thought I’d tell you now when I’m mellow and not irritated at you. Which I’m sure I will be approximately twelve hundred times between now and when we leave. And I don’t want the fact I’m stubborn and a bitch when irritated to stop me from letting you know how much this means to me. So I’m thanking you now to cover my bases.”

He blinked at me a couple times.

The silence started to make me uncomfortable. “You know, it’s customary when a person thanks another person to say you’re welcome.”

Gabriel squeezed me. “You’re welcome,” he whispered, pulling me up his body so my delicate flesh rubbed against his concrete abs. I let out a hiss as my sensitive nipples stood to attention. His face darkened with desire.

“Though I’ve got to admit, my actions weren’t exactly pure in bringin’ you here, babe. In fact, they were downright selfish. You see, I want you.” His hand moved to cup my bare ass. “I want this,” he said against my mouth. His other hand moved to stroke my head. “But I also want this,” he murmured. “And I kind of wanted both in one piece. So I brought you here to find the pieces. Get you put back together so I could have you for myself.”

I paused my stroking, not eager to give up the moment for reality. But I had to. “You can’t,” I whispered.

His eyes hardened. “Can’t what?”

“Have me for yourself.” I silenced his protest with a hand on his lips. “Because I don’t even have myself. Don’t own myself. So I can’t jump into something like this. Not until I’ve gotten to know the stranger whose body I’ve been living in for twenty-three years.”

He frowned at me, moving my hands off his lips. “I’m not givin’ you up,” he said, voice firm.

If now’s the time to be candid, I guess I better do it right. “Me neither. I can’t,” I admitted. “I just can’t give you everything.”

He yanked me to his front, cupping my face. “I’m happy with what I got, for now,” he murmured.

I swallowed against the promise—and warning—in his tone. Before he could capture my mouth and take me away from reality once more, I pulled back slightly. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

He grinned. “I’m not exactly getting the raw end of the deal, babe. At least my cock isn’t. He’s not feelin’ sad at all.”

I didn’t grin. “No. For Sofia and Camila. Alexis. And for Gabriel. I’m sorry you lost them.” My voice was a soft whisper I didn’t recognize.

He stiffened at the mention of their names. “I didn’t lose them. They’re still here.” He glanced around the room. “I hope not now,” he joked with light eyes. “I hate that they’re gone, but that anger, that fuckin’ rage that ate me up, killed the boy I’d been. I had to let it go. To survive, you see?” His finger trailed my temple. “I don’t think Gabriel is lost either. I think he was just waitin’ for someone.”

And then, luckily so I didn’t have to respond to that, he kissed me.

And more.

From that day on, he was Gabriel to me.

“I don’t like this,” Gabriel declared, frowning at the house in front of us like there was a bomb inside.

I unbuckled my seatbelt. “Well, thanks for offering that little gem. But it does nothing at all to change reality. It often goes on whether you like it or not.”

He moved his gaze back to me and it rooted me to the spot. I actually froze in place. Ever since I’d let him in, really let him in, body and soul, I gave him power over me. It scared the shit out of me. I didn’t even have power over myself.