Blindsided : Part 2 of the Intended Series by Abigail Grant (good books to read for adults txt) 📕

"You love me?" He asks in a quiet voice.

I nod, feeling hot tears start to come. "I'm so sorry, Gavin. I tried not to, but I just feel so..."

Gavin groans deep in his chest and pulls me hard against him, our lips connecting perfectly. It takes me a half a second to realize that he is kissing me, but when I do, my eyes close and I am falling. My first taste of Gavin's soft lips is intoxicating. They brush against mine gently, in a slow rhythm.

Gavin separates us for a moment, breathing heavily. He takes his hand and rubs his thumb along my bottom lip. I look up into his eyes and see flames in the golden irises.

He whispers against my mouth. "You have blown into my life and spun me around so many times, completely capturing and captivating me. I am so in love with you, Aella Lundon.

You are my magnificent whirlwind."

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He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me onto his lap and up against his warm body. His lips find mine again and I smile against his kiss. He brushes my lips softly with his, but the kiss soon turns fast and needy, both of our hearts needing to be healed from the events of the past three days.

My hands slide up his strong arms and tangle in his messy hair. I pull him closer to me, needing more. He tugs gently on my hair at the base of my neck, causing my head to tilt back, giving him better access to my mouth. A quiet gasp escapes me, and I find it difficult to breathe.

I pull away from him slightly, so I can take a much-needed breath. Gavin is breathing heavily along with me and there is a beautiful smile gracing his perfect lips.

He rubs his hand up and down along my back, sending warm energy into me. My lips are buzzing from the electricity that just passed between us. "Wow," I say and instantly feel like an idiot.

Gavin chuckles and kisses me lightly on the tip of my nose, causing a heat to spread across my face. "Wow, is absolutely right," he says, his adorable dimple finally appearing in his cheek.

I lay my head against Gavin's chest and cuddle against him, unable to stop my own goofy smile from emerging.

***

Cuddling into Gavin while straddling his hips is about the best feeling I could imagine, other than when he kisses me of course. We have been holding one another for a few minutes but my mind runs wild with questions, so I finally speak up.

"When did you start loving me, exactly?" I ask him.

Gavin holds me tightly to him and is quiet for a moment, just leaving the sounds of the woods surrounding us. "That day that Thrane attacked you in the woods outside my mother's house." I lean back and look up at him, surprised.

"Why then?" I ask, shocked that he has felt this way for so long.

He shrugs, suddenly seeming shy which just makes me want to kiss him again. "When I heard you whisper my name, your voice sounded so scared. My heart broke instantly, and I just knew that I needed to see you and make sure you were okay. It's then that I realized I couldn't 72

survive if anything ever happened to you." He looks into my eyes and I know that he is being sincere.

I brush my fingers across his cheek, wanting to reassure him that I'm here and okay. He leans into my hand with his eyes closed.

"How have you known that you loved me all this time and been able to stay away so easily?" I ask.

Gavin scoffs, his eyebrows shooting up. "Easily?" he asks way too loudly. "That was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life! I knew that I wanted to be with you and also that I needed to stay away. I was completely miserable."

I laugh at his outburst. "Why didn't you just tell me then?"

He absently traces the lines on the palm of my hand. "I knew how difficult it had to be for you, coming into this whole world and practically being forced to participate. I knew you were scared, and I didn't want to scare you more.” He stares down at our linked hands, avoiding my eyes. "Lex wanted me to tell you but I was just so afraid you wouldn't choose me, especially after I heard that you found out about Intendeds. Sophia said you were pretty freaked out and you didn't look happy about it, so I thought that meant you made your decision."

"It's not a decision, Gavin," I say, drawing his attention back to me. "I've known that I wanted you from the moment you crashed into me in class that first day. I was only so upset at finding out about our connection because I thought you had been avoiding me because you didn't want to choose me." I laugh softly. "I guess we were both being stupid."

Gavin leans in and brushes his lips softly against mine, proving to me that he is here, and he is mine now.

"If I have my way, you will be so sick of me that you'll wish you never told me that you loved me," he whispers against my eager and smiling lips.

I smile. "Impossible." I say before I tangle my fingers in his thick hair and pull his mouth back against mine, getting lost in him as all of my fears and pain float away.

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Chapter 12

Gavin keeps telling me that we are close to where he left the car, but I’m seriously doubting his definition of the word. 'Close' to Gavin has been hours of hiking through a very thick forest. I am about to complain again like a little kid who has to pee, when I see his mother's red Tahoe parked across a