Free Blind Love by Kishan Paul Page A

left there. Just bad memories.”
    Except for Jack’s snoring from the far corner of the room, the space was silent. Lauren held on to Gabe and tried to process his pain. From the emotion in his voice, it was obvious very few had been allowed into this part of him. She wondered why he let her in.
    After a long while, she changed the subject. “What did you do in the Marines?”
    His arms relaxed at the question. “Scout Sniper.”
    “Wow, like a sharp shooter?”
    “A lot like that.”
    The more questions Lauren asked about his military years, the more Gabe sounded like himself. He talked about his funny experiences in the Middle East. The things he’d done and seen. She leaned her cheek against him and listened as he played with her hair. After a while, the warmth of his body, the way his chest vibrated when he spoke, the three glasses of wine, it all lulled her to sleep.
    At some point in the night, Lauren woke up with her face still pressed against Gabe’s chest. His arms hugged her close and one of his legs was wrapped over her back, pressing her hips into his. Her body rose and lowered with his. She listened to his heart pound.
    It felt soothing. Safe.
    He had shared so much of his pain. For a man she barely knew, she understood him completely. Her body heated at the thought of becoming intimate with him. She needed to stop denying her feelings. There was no doubt she wanted him and had wanted him long before she ever heard about Ben’s return.
    Lauren pressed a hand against Gabe’s waist. Even through the cotton fabric, she could feel the defined contours of his abs. Her heart pounded behind her ears as she considered her next move and smiled. For once, her mind and body were in agreement on how to proceed. When her palm reached the band of his jeans, Gabe sucked in a breath. She froze.
    He flipped her over and was on top before she could stop and think. His hips pressed into hers, alerting Lauren to the fact that all of him was currently wide awake. She shuddered and held on to his waist, encouraging the friction. Her breath came out heavy, and the bundle of nerves between her legs sizzled and moistened in anticipation.
    Gabe supported his weight on either side of Lauren and raised his chest off hers. A tinge of anxiousness rushed through her. Would he reject her again?
    She swallowed the fear. “What you said this morning about uncomplicated relationships…”
    “What about it?” he asked, his voice strained.
    “I’m ready to try it out.”
    “Will you regret it?” Gabe whispered against her cheek. “I’m not strong enough to walk away a second time.”
    She turned her face and kissed him, letting him taste her hunger. “No regrets,” she gasped when they finally came up for air.
    He slid a hand down her face. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”
    The huskiness in his voice and the way his knuckles caressed her cheek as he spoke left her speechless and throbbing. She arched her back to feel more. Invited him to continue further. He groaned and moved his fingers down her neck. When they reached the top of her pajamas, she felt him grasp the zipper. “I’ve been wanting to do this all night,” he said, pulling the metal tab down slowly.

Chapter Ten
    Immediate Gratification
    Gabe woke up feeling…perfect. To say last night’s sex was explosive would be an understatement. On the couch. Against the wall. In her bed. The things she made him feel. The things she did to him. His shaft lengthened at the memories.
    He looked down at the woman whose head currently rested on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted. Warmth hit his skin every time she exhaled. She stirred things in him he had never felt before—a connection, a sense of fitting in. Gabe ran his fingers across her cheek and considered waking her. But, unsure of what her reaction would be, he decided against it.
    The way he figured, it could go one of two ways. If he was lucky, the woman who had him