Page 81 of Last Night Was Fun

She pushed up on her toes and pressed her mouth to his. He instantly leaned into it, cupping her face with both hands. She gripped his wrists and heard herself softly moan. The release was more than she could have imagined—more than she knew she’d needed. An uncoiling of something so tightly wound, she would have snapped if they’d denied themselves any longer. His tongue swept over hers, wanting more, and she realized in a hot rush that she’d been wondering what Gabe Olson tasted like for years.

Sweet. Warm. Perfect.

He wrapped his arms around her back to pull her closer and lifted her off the ground in the process. She happily pressed her body into his, enjoying being squeezed. He was firm, with arms like steel, but warm and gentle at the same time.

She threaded her arms around his neck and kissed him deeper, her heart pounding outmore more more. The pouring rain had all but disappeared. It was only them, standing in a downpour with the bubble of their kiss as their own personal umbrella. The world could have ended, and Emmy wouldn’t have noticed or cared.

Gabe eventually pulled back and pressed his forehead into hers. “Hi,” he said in a low voice.

“Hi,” Emmy said back.

They stayed that way, pressed together and staring deep into each other’s eyes for a long moment.

“We’re getting very wet,” Gabe said with a small laugh.

“We are.”

“Should we go inside?”

“Probably a good idea.”

They released each other and continued on the path, no longer running because there was no point, but still holding hands. When they reached the building’s breezeway, Gabe pulled on her to stop.

“Emmy, wait.”

She turned back to him. They were the only ones around. Everyone else had the sense to come in out of the rain ages ago. Each of them dripped a small pool at their feet. Gabe’s shirt clung to him, completely transparent. Emmy’s chest had risen into peaks plainly evident through her dress. Her hair hung in a soaked tangle dripping down her back.

“I don’t think I can go in there,” Gabe said.

She looked at him in concern. “Why not?”

He took a breath and stepped toward her, searching her eyes again. “Because I don’t want this to stop, and going in there with you is going to make it very,verydifficult to stop.”

Her heart took a bounding leap and all her blood refocused to the deep core of her belly.

He didn’t want it to stop.

And neither did she.

She pressed a hand to his chest. “Why does it have to stop?”

He looked down at her pruned fingers splayed over his soaked shirt. There were dozens of reasons they should stop, but neither of them seemed to be able to name one.

Gabe looked back up at her, eyes hooded but still glowing. “I guess it doesn’t have to.”

Emmy’s pulse leapt. Her fingers twitched where she touched him. A million thoughts sped through her mind. She honestly couldn’ttell if this was the best or worst idea she’d ever had. “How about this?” she said. “Same as with the baseball bruise, the bachelorette, the seasickness, the texting—basically all of this: What happens in Mexico stays in Mexico?”

Gabe considered for a few beats but looked like he’d made his mind up ages ago. Maybe before he’d even boarded the plane to come meet her. “Always one for logic, Jameson,” he said with a nod. Then he gripped her hand and pulled her toward the elevator.

Chapter15

Once they made it to the room, they toweled off as best they could. Emmy squeezed out her sopping hair and took off her ruined shoes. Gabe wrung out his jacket and hung it over the shower wall then removed his shoes and socks. All the while, Emmy was acutely aware of his every move and every beat of her heart.

They met back at the foot of the bed, and a sudden shyness fell over them. As if having time to cool from the sprint through the rain brought their senses back online. But when Emmy met his eyes, he was still staring at her with the same hunger as before.

“Emmy,” he said softly, and her nervous heart trilled at the sound. “I don’t want you to think I came here with any expectations, but I am prepared. I have condoms.” He nervously watched her and bit his bottom lip as he waited for her reaction.

Emmy stared back at him. The air between them thickened and strained. Her heart beat in every cell down to her fingertips. Knowing he was prepared broke something loose inside her. A deep, dark well of desire that had always been there but bound up and buried. She hadn’t had expectations either—in fact, she was mildly in shock over it all still—but staring down the opportunity, she knew there was no chance she wasn’t going to sleep with this man.