She’d reached a turning point in her hectic schedule. Finally, she’d flip her long stays in New York with her short visits to Montana, and she couldn’t be happier.
Used to sneaking into the house late at night, she found her way to the bedroom and Gabe without turning on the lights. She stripped her clothes at the end of the bed and dropped them one by one to the floor. Gabe lay on his stomach. She slid under the covers beside him and leaned down and kissed his shoulder, up his neck, to his ear, and whispered the same thing she always said to him. “I’m home.”
His arm snaked out and wrapped around her, she landed on his chest when he rolled over.
“What time is it?”
“Just after one in the morning.”
“I called you hours ago.”
“I was on a plane.”
“I missed you.” He buried his face in her neck and inhaled her scent like he always did.
She smiled and held him close. “I missed you more.”
“Happy birthday,” he said, kissing his way down her neck to her breast, taking her hard nipple into his mouth.
“It is now.” She gave herself over to making love to Gabe. His big hands swept up her back and down. He rolled her underneath him, his mouth on her breast. His hand swept down her side and thigh, pushing it out to make more room for his big body, though he remained at her side, brushing his fingers up the inside of her leg to the very center of her. His fingers smoothed over her soft folds; one dipped deep and pushed into her slick core, making her moan.
Neither of them wanted slow and sweet. They’d missed each other too much. Gabe took care of the condom, settled between her thighs, and thrust into her again and again. She raked her fingers down his back, over his hips, to his ass, and pulled him into her, deep. She loved the way he moved against her, creating that sweet friction, grinding against her until the heat pooled in her belly, the fire burned and flashed, sparking every nerve in her body.
Lost in his warmth, his body stretched over hers, his face buried in her neck, she held him close and sighed. He slid to her side, threw one leg over hers, along with his arm, and held her close, his face at her shoulder on the pillow.
“Promise me you’ll be here in the morning.”
“I don’t have to be back in New York for two weeks, and then only for two days.”
“Really?”
“Happy birthday to me, I’m staying with you. Right where I want to be.”
Gabe rose up on his elbow and stared down at her. “You mean that?”
She reached up and cupped his face. “More than I can tell you with simple words. Besides, with two hundred pounds on top of me, where would I go?”
He kissed her. Soft and sweet, then lay beside her again, but didn’t move off her. “This works perfectly with my plans.”
“What plans?”
“Birthday surprise.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll see. I’m taking you somewhere later.” He nuzzled her neck and squeezed her to his big body. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
“I keep telling you to get a dog to keep you company.”
“You want a dog,” he mumbled.
“You’d love a dog, too.”
She felt his smile against her arm. She settled her hands on his warm skin over her middle and fell asleep.
Gabe helped Ella up into the truck seat, trying to hide his nervous excitement.
“You were really going to fly to New York to be with me tonight?” she asked for the fourth time that day.
“No way I let you spend your birthday alone.” He gave her a quick kiss, closed the door, went around the truck, and slid behind the wheel. He drove them off the ranch and onto Wolf Road.
“I got your message. You were right. I was out to dinner with my friends.”
“I saw the pictures on the Web.”
“Checking up on me?”
“Making sure you were smiling and happy, not sad and missing Lela.”
“I do miss her. I can’t wait for the thaw so we can bury her properly.”
“We’ll do it soon, sweetheart. I promise. We’ll bring her home.”
“I can’t believe you dragged me out of the house in the middle of that call. Where are you taking me? It’s nearly dark.”
“You’ll see.” He smiled and checked the road. They were just about where he wanted to be. “Did you hear that? I think the trailer gate is loose. Let me pull over and check it.”
Gabe walked back behind the trailer and waited for Ella to get impatient and come check to see what was taking him so long. It didn’t take long, but his gut tied in knots and his hands shook. Nervous, he hoped she liked her surprise. He hoped she said yes.