Free Forever Summer by Elaine Dyer

very sweet of you, but as you can see, I am just fine and all in one piece.”
     
    “I can see your body is all intact, but what about your heart?  Did you cry when you said goodbye to Carlos like you did when you said goodbye to your grandmother?”
     
    “Gabe, shut up and let’s get to our rooms.  I hope you don’t make this a habit.  Marisol doesn’t miss much, you know, and if you make it a habit coming home so tipsy, she’s sure to pick up on it.”
     
    “Marisol is asleep, cara .  I checked on her before I went downstairs.  And no, I rarely drink, other than a glass of wine with dinner or a cold beer on a hot day.”
     
    “Good to know.  Well, here we are.  Where is your room?”
     
    “Right next door.  Now aren’t you glad I walked you to your room?  What kind of man is this Carlos anyway, that he didn’t see you to your room?”
     
    “The tired kind that has to get up for work tomorrow.  Goodnight, Gabe.  You are going to your room now, aren’t you?”
     
    “ Si, señorita .  What, no goodnight kiss tonight?  You kissed me last night.  I remember.”  He wore a sloppy grin on his face as he looked down at her.
     
    Summer rolled her eyes and decided to humor him reaching up to kiss his cheek.  At the last second, he shifted and met her lips with his own in a searing kiss she felt with every nerve ending in her body.  Gabe framed her face in his hands and tilted her head to the side, so he could deepen the kiss.  Caught off guard, Summer began to pull back initially, but his hands kept her in place, gently, coaxingly, while he parted her lips with his tongue to taste her more completely. 
     
    Finally, he leaned back and looked into her green eyes and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs.  “You taste so good, cara .  Fresh and sweet.”  He leaned down for another taste, but Summer finally came out of the sensual daze he’d caused and put her hands on his chest, pushing him away weakly.
     
    “Goodnight, Gabe.  It’s late.”
     
    Gabe took a step back and looked at her.  “Yes, you’re right.  Goodnight, Summer.”  As hard as it was, he turned around and headed to his own door and heard her shut her door behind him.  He wasn’t feeling buzzed anymore, at least not from the alcohol he’d consumed earlier.  The only buzz he was feeling now had to do with desire.  Desire for Summer.  He could still taste her, and all he could think of was that he wanted more.  He wanted to kiss her more, to hold her more, to see more of her not only time wise, but more of what was hidden under her clothing.  Diós, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been turned on by a simple kiss. 
     
    Summer walked to the bedroom without seeing her surroundings.  Housekeeping had unpacked her clothes and she took out her silk, ivory nightie and got ready for bed.  After she turned out the lights, she touched her lips, where she could still feel Gabe’s kiss.  Good God, the man had skills.  She’d never been kissed like that before.  She’d had three brief affairs, two in college and one that had ended nearly two years ago.  All three men had been nice, and all three had wanted to continue seeing her when she’d called it quits.  The last man she’d been with accused her of having commitment issues.  None of them had made her feel a fraction of what she’d felt just now when Gabe had kissed her.
     
    This was so not good.  Not good at all.  Gabe was her employer, and she never dated her bosses, despite several invitations.  Besides, he was obviously a player.  Good God, Celia was probably waiting for him in his room right now.  She hoped not.  The least he could do was go to her room, in case Marisol woke up.  Maybe he really was going to sleep alone, although the way Celia acted, the woman obviously felt possessive of Gabe.   Regardless, it was none of her business who he slept with as long as it wasn’t her, and there was no way she’d let that happen.