Unable to wait any longer, he eased inside, inch by inch until he was fully embedded. He withdrew to the tip and thrust again, repeating the action several times. A tremor raced through his body.

“More, Gabriel,” she begged.

Gripping her buttocks in his hands, he stroked deeper and harder, giving her everything she asked for. Her body trembled around him, and her inner muscles clenched him, almost snapping his restraint. You feel so good, baby,” he whispered against her lips.

“Mmm. So do you.”

He closed his eyes and let the sensations take over as he kept up the pace.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled his mouth down on hers, their tongues tangling and dancing.

Their breathing grew ragged and sweat broke out on his body as she arched up to meet him stroke for stroke. It felt so good being inside her. He could feel his orgasm building and knew he wouldn’t last much longer. Gabriel drove into her until she cried out wildly, her inner walls contracting around him. Pleasure ripped through him with an intensity that almost blew his head off, and he yelled her name. His eyes slid closed, he groaned her name again, shuddering above her as the spasms racked his body. She reached up and stroked the sides of his face. He opened his eyes, and when their eyes connected, he felt it again—that tug on his heart. Gabriel could no longer deny what it had been telling him. He loved her.

*  *  *

The following Tuesday, during her lunch, Serenity drove over to the hospital to see Brianna and was pleased to learn the little girl would be able to go home the next day. Serenity stayed longer than she’d planned and made it back to the office with five minutes to spare. With back-to-back patients, she kept busy, but Gabriel was never far from her mind. He’d stayed there for the rest of that day, all through the evening, and when she went to bed later that night. Now, tonight as she lay in bed, she reflected on how different he was from her ex.

With Lloyd, everything had been fine so long as she fit neatly into the space he’d carved out for her in his life. And as a doctor, he had never been very sympathetic or held her when she lost a patient. She could still hear his caustic words: This is a hospital, and sometimes people die. You can’t afford to be upset and crying every time one does. So toughen up, accept it, and move on. And in hindsight, she recognized that she’d settled for being Lloyd’s entertainment hostess, instead of holding out for the love she deserved. But Gabriel had done just the opposite, providing the solace she’d needed. The contentment she’d felt in his arms was unlike anything she’d ever experienced.