He heard the water running and her brushing her teeth. That wasn’t the answer he had wanted. He had really been asking if he should get two tickets or one, but he didn’t want to ask that straight-out. So he just called the airline on his cell phone and got flight times and asked about availability. Reassured that there were plenty of seats on the three o’clock afternoon flight for the next day, he left it at that and hung up. Sara had gotten into bed already and was lying with her eyes closed.

She was so quiet. Gabriel didn’t like that. It made him nervous. He shucked off his T-shirt and used the other toothbrush. In the bathroom he debated leaving his jeans on or not, and decided they were dirty, he was tired, and he wanted to be completely comfortable. The jeans went and he got into bed in his boxer briefs.

He was already accustomed to sleeping with Sara beside him. He enjoyed her presence, her scent, her breathing, her soft sighs, her warmth. He would miss her if she didn’t go back with him, in every part of his life. In a short amount of time, she had become a part of the fabric of every day, the voice he listened for, the person he shared his thoughts with. She was his balance, his temperance, his advocate, his champion.

Letting her stay, knowing he had to respect her decision, felt like the most difficult thing he’d ever done.

Sara rolled over and scooted in beside him, her hand sliding across his chest, her leg entwining with his. Gabriel froze, the embrace unexpected, his defenses not adequately in place. She was next to him, touching him, and it felt so damn good. His arm automatically went around her back and he wanted her nestled up against him, but it was a very dangerous place for them to wander.

“Are you okay?” he asked her, wondering if she was scared and just needed reassurance.

“I’m okay.”

Her hand stroked across the waistband of his boxer briefs, making him grit his teeth at the kick of desire that nailed him in the groin. Maybe it was an absentminded touch on her part, but it was downright painful for him. An erection was already springing to life from her leg rubbing over his, and her fingers made the problem worse as they played along his abs, flipping his waistband down then back up. She obviously had no idea what she was doing to him.

“I want you, Gabriel,” she said, and her hand went lower, cupping his erection and stroking him through his briefs.

Fuck. Gabriel sucked in a breath and closed his eyes for a second, enjoying the hot rush of pleasure, the rapid swelling of his cock beneath her fingers, before he forced himself to put his hand over hers and stop her. “Sara. Don’t.”

“Why not?”