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This revelation made me feel exquisitely good and made a little bit of the jealousy over their relationship ease in my mind.
“I wanted to knock her teeth out when she kissed Hunter,” I admitted. “Then I wanted to kick him in the balls for letting it happen. ”
“He pushed her away fast, Gabby. I watched the entire thing. You were turned away, grabbing your purse. ”
“He told me that last night,” I add.
“Did you see the look on her face when you approached them? I wanted to knock her teeth out myself. I mean… I knew it. Even before you called him an ass**le. I saw the look on your face, the look on his face, and I knew there was something going on between you two. So I looked at her, and she had like this shit-eating grin on her face. It’s like she liked causing trouble, you know?”
Sadly, I did know. I hated people like that and had seen plenty in my life. “I really am sorry I didn’t tell you about us,” I reiterate, just because she’s brought up the fact again that she didn’t know.
“Seriously, girl… it’s fine. I’m over it. I don’t even want to talk about that anymore. I want to plot on how we can make Sasha’s life hell while she’s visiting. ”
Sighing, I flop back on the bed in frustration. “It’s my life that’s going to be hell. Hunter said he has no clue how long they’re staying, but John had mentioned on the phone he might be here a few weeks. I don’t know if I can bear her being in his house that long. ”
“You don’t have to worry about Hunter. He’s—”
I cut Casey off. “I’m not worried about him at all. I just hate that we probably won’t be spending the same amount of time together that we were before. I mean… it would be awkward me staying over there while she’s there, and he certainly can’t abandon them to stay at my place. ”
“You’ll figure something out,” Casey says as she pats my shoulder. “Now, I need to get in the shower and head in to work. ”
I roll over and off Casey’s bed, telling her I’ll see her later, and leave the house. Driving toward Last Call, I hope I can get a few moments alone with Hunter sometime today to talk about our arrangement—how he foresees us being able to spend time together while he has company. Maybe we should just cool it until they leave, but as soon as that thought crosses my mind, my stomach almost cramps with pain at the thought of not seeing him.
Yeah… Casey’s right. I can’t do casual and the minute I accepted Hunter into my body, I gave him carte blanche access to my heart as well.
16
I find Gabby on the back deck of the bar, on an eight-foot ladder, checking the electrical wiring that had been installed the day before by her subcontractor. Walking up to the base of the ladder, I let my eyes leisurely crawl up her body, knowing that while her attention is preoccupied, I can take my time with my perusal.
Not that she minds me looking… I know that for a fact after last night when she put on her own private show for me. Just the thought of her hand skimming into her panties to touch herself threatens to give me a semi, so I have to turn my attention elsewhere. Instead, I choose to focus on Gabby as a whole. The way she confidently stands on the ladder, focused and intent on her work. Her movements are efficient, nothing wasted. When she’s concentrating, she tends to chew on her lip and her brow will knit together on occasion.
“You make a mighty fine spectacle, Miss Ward,” I say as I reach a hand up and wrap it around her ankle… just in case my words startle her.
As ever, though, Gabby is cool and collected, not even flinching or looking my way at the contact. But she does giggle, which is so contradictory to the general contractor standing before me that parcels out orders and can curse like a sailor when she’s pissed about something.
When she is finished to her satisfaction, she finally glances down at me, giving me a welcoming smile. She doesn’t seem put out that I’m touching her publicly, but it wouldn’t matter if she were or not.
I’m done hiding it. Casey knows… Brody knows… my mom knows, and I’m sure Dad will get an earful when he gets home tonight. All the people whose opinion matters know about it, so there is absolutely no way I’m going to curb my need to touch her.
In fact, I think I’ll test out her thoughts on the matter right this very moment. Gabby bends slightly to balance her hands on the top of the ladder, so she can start climbing down. I use the opportunity to put my fingers in the back waistband of her jeans and give her a tug backward. She’s not prepared for it and immediately starts to fall, giving a small yelp as she does so. But she’s easily caught in my hold, and I’m pleased when her arms go around my neck and she smiles at me.
I figure if she’s okay with that, then she’s okay for this. I lean in and touch her mouth with mine, giving her just a moment of a kiss. She lets out a little sigh from the contact and I feel my heart squeeze inside my chest, so pleased is it from her reaction.
When I pull back, I ask, “So… I’m guessing you’re okay now with some PDA?”
She’s beyond adorable when she shrugs her shoulders, and her cheeks go red. “I suppose a little can’t hurt. ”
Let’s test that little theory. I lean back in and kiss her again, this time hard on the mouth. She opens up to me, warm and sweet. The decadence of the kiss is exquisite, and it fills me up with something other than the normal surge of lust I get when our mouths mate.
Finally, I pull away, because I can’t take this any further… not here at Last Call… in public. Setting her on her feet, I take her hand and start walking toward the front bar. “Got time to eat lunch with me?”
“Sure… but Alyssa said she might stop by and eat here today, so I hope three’s not a crowd. ”
“Oh yeah, because eating a meal with two beautiful women is a complete hardship,” I say sarcastically.
When we reach the front bar, both of us take a stool. Brody is there to serve us. He gives me a Diet Coke and pushes a bottle of water across the bar to Gabby, then turns to head back to the kitchen to put our orders in. A BLT for Gabby and a turkey on rye for me.
While we wait on our food, Gabby and I angle our bodies in toward each other and lean against the bar. Her foot kicks companionably against mine, and she has a lazy grin on her face.
“Tell me how it went with Casey,” I say to her.
“It was fine,” she says after taking a sip of water. “I apologized, she forgave, and then we trash talked Sasha. ”
I can’t help the bark of laughter that comes out of my mouth… the way Gabby just casually told me what they did, including gossiping about my ex. My laughter is apparently appreciated, because Gabby starts chuckling in response.
Grabbing her hand, I pull it onto my lap. Her eyes go somewhat serious, although they still have a hint of mischief in them. “I want you to stay the night with me,” I tell her.
“At your house?” she asks, suddenly losing that mischievous light.
“Yes. ”
She tries to pull her hand back, but I won’t let it go. “I don’t know, Hunter. I think it’ll be just really awkward with your ex there. I’m not feeling very kindly toward her. ”
“Tell you what… how about at least come over for dinner? I’ll invite Casey and Wyatt, both of whom will have your back. Then that will give me time to convince you to stay the night. ” I try to put on my most devastating smile, and it seems to work because she returns a small one.
“Seriously? Dinner? You want me to sit down and talk to your ex?”
“Well… maybe not one on one to start out, but it will be a group… a get-together… a shindig of sorts. We’ll make it casual, grill out… drink a few beers. ”
Then I go for the kill when I tell her, “Besides… I want you to get to know John. He means a lot to me, and I want you to see that. ”
Gabby’s eyes go soft at my proclamation, and I do an imaginary fist pump that I got her to agree. “Fine. But dinner is all I’m committing to right now. ”
“That works for me,” I say,
leaning in to whisper in a low voice because Brody has come back from the kitchen, “but I know, once I get you there, you won’t want to leave… not with the things I have planned for you tonight. ”
I get the desired effect I wanted because her eyes go from soft and limpid to aroused and hot. “Oh, yeah… what did you have in mind?”
Glancing down at Brody at the end of the bar, assured he can’t hear me, I lean in all the way and run my lips along her jawline. “I want to see how many times I can make you come in an hour, just with my mouth?”
Gabby pulls back and blinks at me, her mouth hanging open. “An hour?”
“One hour,” I assure her. “We’ll time it and everything. ”
“Oh,” she says, dumbfounded, but I can tell by the look in her eyes, she’s also completely intrigued.
“Hey guys,” I hear from behind me, immediately recognizing Alyssa’s voice.
I hold Gabby’s gaze for just a moment more, and then say in a voice low enough that I’m sure only she can hear, “One hour of pure pleasure. ”
The pulse in Gabby’s throat literally starts beating at my proclamation, and it makes me want to stand up, haul her over my shoulder, and take her home right now to get that hour started.
Instead, I turn to Alyssa and pat the stool next to me, which she takes. Brody walks over and stares at her, waiting for her order. “Hey Brody… can I have a sweet tea and a Rueben?”
He doesn’t even respond—which seems to be classic Brody—just walks back toward the kitchen to put in the order. Alyssa stares at his retreating back for a moment before turning toward Gabby and me, shrugging her shoulders at his cold demeanor.
“Did you talk to Casey yet?” she asks Gabby, leaning forward on the bar so she can see around me.
“Yup… this morning. All is right with our world again. ”
“And I take it you two are now ‘out of the closet,’ so to speak?” she asks as she points her index finger back and forth between the two of us.
“Yup,” I answer, turning toward Alyssa. “In fact, we had a glorious moment of PDA just a few minutes ago, and Gabby didn’t slap me, nor did one person raise their eyebrows. ”
I can hear Gabby snort over my right shoulder. Alyssa chuckles and says, “Oh my God. You two are going to be that couple that everyone hates because they’re so freakin’ cute together, aren’t you?”
Glancing back at Gabby, I see her eyes lowered to the bar and a secret smile on her face. I love how all of this seemingly affects her.
Brody steps out of the back service area with Gabby’s and my sandwiches, laying them in front of us. He then fixes Alyssa a sweet tea, pushing it silently in front of her, all while never saying a word. I know Brody has been removed and a bit introverted since getting out of prison, but he never says a word around Alyssa… and I have to wonder why. Does she make him nervous? Or maybe something happened between them one summer when she was visiting? I doubt it, because of the age difference. Brody got arrested when he was twenty-two, so I don’t think the time frame fits, but it’s possible there could have been something there.
“I’m thinking of putting in a bid to Henry Coursier,” Gabby says, breaking into my thoughts.
My head snaps around to hers, and she’s looking at me for what I think may be approval, which she’ll get. I’m Team Gabby all the way at his point. “Seriously? That would be awesome. ”
She smiles at my reaction and picks up a chip, popping it in her mouth.
“For the new store they’re going to be opening?” Alyssa asks.
Gabby swallows her food, takes a sip of water, and says, “Yeah… Steve had mentioned it to me when I saw him at Hunter’s house a few days ago. I think with this project more than halfway done, and with a good recommendation from Hunter, I stand a good shot of getting it. ”
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