Free Gabriel David's White Horse by Gina Watson Page B

pull—massage—thrust—squeeze.
    She placed her hands on his bare shoulders and gripped hard before she scratched. She had an irrepressible urge to mark him as hers. She was too old to play this game but God, did she want him to be exclusively hers. More than that, she wanted him to want her to be exclusively his .
    “Gabe,” she whispered, and then she was falling. While she uncoiled, his fingertips traced her collarbone. Then he rested his palm against her heart, beating in her chest like it would be capable of cranking and speeding off.
    She felt him tense and release against her while staring at his hand that covered her heart.
    “Gabriel?”
    His sage green gaze hit her and narrowed to precision while he came inside of her. “If I’d had you ten years ago everything would have been different now. You would have loved the ugly out.”
    She palmed his jaw. “There’s nothing ugly about you.”
    His head tilted as he stared off into the distance. “I’ve needed you.” He took a deep breath. “I’ve needed you when I didn’t know I needed you.”
    “I’m here now.”
    “I need more.”
    “More?”
    “I need all of you.”
    Mirabelle didn’t speak guy so she wasn’t sure she understood what he was saying. “You want to be exclusive? Exclusively seeing each other and no one else?”
    “We’ve shared intimacy on levels I didn’t know existed.” He reached for a kitchen towel and began to wipe her neck and chest. “I just assumed we were exclusive.” His voice was sharp.
    He was so right. She’d felt their connection ten years ago. “We are. Of course, we are.” He continued wiping her until her fingers closed around his wrists. “Hey”—she waited for confirmation that he was listening. When he stopped wiping and they were eye to eye she said, “I want to be exclusively yours. It’s what I’m asking and it’s what I want.” Shit ! What had she just gone and done? She’d never been exclusively anyone’s. He’d surely break her. “Oh, God.” She cupped her face with her hands.
    He pulled her hands from her face, kissing her fingertips. He reassured her in the warmth of his tight embrace. “Mirabelle, you’re lovely.” He kissed the top of her head.
    She laughed. “I’m sure I look so lovely right now.” She wiped her tears and snorted. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m crying.” She did know. She’d experienced a connection so strong and deep with him that she’d been sad for it to come to an end. Would she ever feel him like that again?
    She hopped off the counter and pulled on her jeans. He’d already dressed and watched her intently. Suddenly she felt shy. “So, would you like a shower or a frittata?”
    “Both, but not in that order.”

Chapter Eight
    The days with him turned into weeks with him. For the first time in her life, Mirabelle experienced having a man adore and care for her and Gabe seemed to enjoy being near her. He’d even started following her to the nursing home where she played the piano on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He danced with the female residents at the home and just about sent one to the hospital when her pacemaker proved ineffective next to the perfection that was Gabriel David.
    This particular Friday had started out better than any in her existence. He’d known of her love of hibiscus flowers and had left the house to go grab breakfast and returned with donuts, coffee, and a hibiscus tree with large red blooms. They’d eaten and then planted the tree in the flowerbed by the mailbox.
    As the dusk settled in, Mirabelle walked outside and watered the plant. Since it was almost dark the flowers had closed up to prepare for their slumber. She yawned, feeling more like slumber than dance herself. The cloudy skies weren’t helping. Thunder rolled in the distance and Gabe emerged from the house to catch her admiring the hibiscus tree. He walked toward her, unblinking. His intensity coiled tightly between her legs, warming her.
    He grasped her