She checked out his nearly flaccid cock and had to agree. “Perhaps it’s because you’ve been standing all the way over there, while I’ve been way over here, for far too long.”

He scowled and then followed her gaze to his cock. “Not that. That works just fine, thanks,” he said. “The new invention I’ve been working on. I don’t think I should use it on someone I care about. I fear it just might fuck you to death.”

Melanie was not ready to die, even by fucking. “Your inventions are spectacular, baby, but maybe I could give Gabe, sans equipment, a go.”

She wiggled her eyebrows at him, hope blossoming in her chest. That’s what she really wanted. Not the rock star. Not the kinky inventor. She wanted him, just him, open and exposed. The way she doubted many women had seen him.

He turned away from her and slammed the door of the armoire, clearly frustrated. “This weekend has been one disaster after another,” he grumbled and smashed his hands to his hips as he tried to glare a hole through the wall.

“It’s been life, babe,” Melanie said. “That’s all.”

“I wanted everything to be perfect for you.”

“This weekend has been perfect.”

He grunted. “Hardly.”

“It has been,” she insisted and sat up on the bed, “because I was able to spend it with you.”

He turned to look at her then. And not a cursory glance. He stared openly, as if trying to commit every inch of her to memory.

“Are you going to stare at me all night or are you going to join me in this bed?” she asked, patting the mattress beside her.

He turned back to the armoire and opened the door again.

“I think I have something in here…”

She growled and then sprang from the mattress, crossed the room, and plucked some device out of his hand. She tossed it into the cabinet and slammed the doors shut, leaning her back against them to prevent him from tinkering with anything else.

“Gabe,” she said.

“Fine,” he said, “if that’s what you want.”

“That’s who I want,” she corrected.

“But you won’t come near as hard as you would if we used—”

She reached up and covered his lips with a finger. “I think I should be the judge of the strength of my orgasms,” she said.

Besides, when he used one of his devices, he concentrated on making her come as quickly as possible, over and over again until she couldn’t move. Which was admittedly good, but she never got to appreciate the more tender part of making love. The part where she felt him—him, the man—deeper inside her than his very impressive cock, even with attachments, could ever reach.

She took his hand and led him to the bed. She could feel his resistance, almost reluctance. Didn’t he want her?

“Are my inventions weirding you out?” he asked. “I understand if they are.”

So he was still fixated on the gadgets? Or maybe just her acceptance of them.

“Nope. Not weirded out at all,” she said. “In fact, tomorrow I want you to show me everything in that cabinet—”

“And in the basement?”

“Yeah, and in the basement.”

“And the garage?”

She hoped her trepidation didn’t show. She feared her pussy would never be the same if she gave him free rein to use all his gadgets. “Yeah, the garage too, but tonight—”

“What about the shed? And the barn?”

She swallowed hard and nodded.

“And the attic?”

“Dear God, Gabe, how many fucking inventions have you designed?”

He laughed. “All the good ones are in there,” he said and pointed to the armoire with his thumb.

“Sometimes I think you’re trying to scare me away,” she said.

His killer smile faded, and he lowered his eyes, looking guilty.

“You are,” she said in disbelief. “Why?”

He shrugged. “I don’t really want you to go. I just… I’ve never had someone accept everything I am the way you do. The women I’ve been with in the past have mostly known me as Force, the drummer of Sole Regret, but you… You insist on getting to know Gabe, the geek who couldn’t get a date in high school. And I guess…” He shrugged. “I guess I’m just looking for your deal breaker to see if I can overcome it and win you for real.”

“My deal breaker?” Her heart did a strange fluttering thing as she looked him up and down. “You’ve known my deal breaker since the night we met.”

He looked halfway sick with nerves and she felt halfway guilty for teasing him.

“My deal breaker, Mr. Banner, was all of those crazy tattoos. What were you thinking, young man? Don’t you know those things are permanent?”

He laughed and grabbed her, hauling her body against his. Fucking finally. His fingers dug into her sides, and she laughed along with him, trying to free herself from his vigorous tickling.

After a moment, he stopped and just held her against him while she caught her breath.

“Being rejected for what you are on the outside is easy,” he said. “It’s when you’re rejected for what you are on the inside that really hurts.”

She snuggled closer to him. “Then you have nothing to worry about.”

He leaned back and tucked a finger under her chin to lift her head. Her gaze settled on his gorgeous green eyes. Got lost in them. Practically melted under their attention.

Damn.

“How did I ever luck into finding you, Melanie Anderson?” he asked.

“You can thank Nikki’s libido for that, Mr. Rock Star,” she said. “She forced me backstage against my will, you know. So she could rock Shade Silverton’s world.” A brief stab of concern stole Melanie’s breath. She still hadn’t heard from Nikki. Melanie didn’t know whether to be worried or pissed.

“I’ll send her vag some flowers,” he said.

Melanie’s worry vanished when he lifted her by the waist and set her on the edge of his king-sized bed.

In fact everything on earth but him vanished as he peppered her skin with soft kisses until he’d claimed every inch of her as his. She claimed every inch of him as well, with fingertips and lips and tongue, until at last he covered her body with his and, staring unwavering into her eyes, claimed her deeply. His strokes were agonizingly slow, giving her plenty of time to cherish each one. He entwined his fingers with hers, holding her hands above her head as he slowly, slowly pushed her body towards release. When she finally shattered, he kissed her sputtering lips and followed her into bliss. He’d been completely wrong about that orgasm not being as strong as her others. She’d felt that one in her clenching pussy for sure, but she’d felt it deeper. She’d felt it inside her heart, in her soul. In all the places she felt Gabe.

Damn.

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard to fight back the emotion clogging her throat. Was she seriously about to cry after sex? Who did that?

Gabe went limp on top of her, and she freed her hands from his so she could hug him close. She inhaled him deep into her lungs and held on to that breath for as long as she could, wanting more of him inside her. Wanting all of him inside her.

I’m so far gone, she thought as the breath she’d been holding burst from her lungs and she breathed him in again.

“Okay,” he whispered. “I’m going to roll over and go to sleep now.”

Typical man, she thought with a grin.

“And pretend I didn’t just give you my heart.”

Or not so typical. What was she supposed to say to that?

He slid from her body and rolled beside her. Instead of closing his eyes and commencing to snore, he lifted a hand and traced the lines of her face with one finger.

“You’ll probably need a replacement for that heart you just gave me,” she said.

He lifted a questioning eyebrow.

“Will mine do?” she said huskily.

He covered her pounding heart with one hand and smiled that wide gorgeous grin that made her toes curl in pleasure. “It seems to be in good working condition. I’ll take it.”

Chapter Eighteen

A strange sound pulled Melanie from sleep. Heart thudding, she blinked her eyes open. It took her a moment to recognize the dimly lit room and massive, walnut furniture as Gabe’s. A heavy weight lay across the center of her back. That also belonged to Gabe. She smiled in contentment and closed her eyes once again, only for them to spring back open when Gabe groaned in his sleep.