She rested her head back against him. “I haven’t stopped praying for you since the first day we met. It felt like you needed it then. It feels like you need it now.” Especially after seeing just how alone he seemed.
“No one’s ever done that for me,” he said.
“What? Said a prayer for you?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sure they have, Gregor. You just don’t know it.” There had to be someone in his life who thought enough of him to lift him in prayer. There had to be. But if not, she had him covered.
“Yeah, maybe,” he said, tightening his arms around her.
Silence descended on them for a brief moment.
“Gregor?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“You don’t have any photos sitting around, not even of yourself. Why?” Gregor’s body tensed slightly as if he’d been uncomfortable with the question. She considered withdrawing the query, but then decided against it. If they were to get to know one another, this was how they did it, by asking and answering questions.
“Before I went to live at The Cardinal House, I moved around a lot. From one foster home to another. I was never in one place long enough to settle in, make it mine. I guess that mentality is embedded in me.”
“But this is your home.” No one could snatch this one from him.
“I love this place, but it doesn’t quite feel like home yet.”
“How long have you lived here?”
“Three years.”
Three years! Zahra screamed in her head. And the place still didn’t feel like home to him? At that moment, she garnered a great deal of sympathy and compassion for Gregor. “It sounds like you only consider this place a temporary refuge.”
“That’s the perfect way of describing it,” he said.
“We have to change that. When you walk through your front door, it should feel like you’ve entered your sanctuary. This should be one place that always brings you peace.” She rotated in his arms to face him. “You have to establish your roots. I’ll help you.”
Chapter 17
Gregor left the field at the Thoroughbreds’ practice facility and headed for the shower. Instead of taking a lavish vacation to some international location and spending insane amounts of money, as he usually did, he chose to use the off-season to get his ankle in tip-top shape. Definitely by OTAs. While the organized team activities were voluntary, he’d never missed participating. Thank God his ankle was pretty much there.
At the mention of God, he thought about Zahra and her admission to praying for him. How blessed was he to have a woman who remembered him in her prayers? He used the towel tucked inside his waistband to wipe away the sweat beads rolling down the back of his neck. Eighty-four was not typical for early April. That, along with the unforgiving midday sun beaming down, had nearly melted him during his outdoor drills.
Grabbing his cell phone, he smiled at the text message Zahra had sent him.
Miss u. Stay hydrated.
He thumbed a reply.
Miss u 2, baby. Coming over tonight?
Book club, remember?
She punctuated it with a sad and a happy face.
You’re more than welcome to join us, if you like.
A grinning emoji followed.
Damn. He’d forgotten about that. Zahra had provided early copies of her upcoming release to the ladies, and they would be discussing the book tonight. Five women, wine and a book where the hero was loosely based on him? Nope, he would pass.
Since I haven’t read the book, I would only be in the way.
Send.
That wasn’t wholly true. Zahra had left a copy she’d been proofing at his place. He’d read a page, then a chapter, and then ten chapters. Before he’d known it, he’d finished the entire book in less than three hours. Afterward, he’d downloaded her entire audiobook library. His boys would clown him off the team if they knew he’d spent hours listening to—and thoroughly enjoying—her romance novels.
Zahra was talented. Like crazy talented. Her books had made him laugh, yell and once or twice fight tears, especially the one about the homeless female vet. Just like in real life, she had a way of scrambling your emotions in the books she wrote. Writing was her calling, and he experienced her passion for it on every page.
Gregor chuckled at the pouting GIF she sent back.
About to shower. Talk later, he typed. His thumb hovered over a heart sticker but reconsidered adding it. He pressed send.
Okay. Several lip images came through.
Before he could place the phone back in his bag, it vibrated. Swiping a finger across the screen made the call active. “What’s up, Thad?”
“You just love giving me heart palpitations, don’t you?”
“What did I do this time?” He’d kept his nose squeaky clean since the accident. Honestly, his low-key behavior had more to do with Zahra than anything else. She made him want to do better, be better. Plus, she wasn’t the type of woman who would put up with his antics.
“Did you steal someone’s fiancée?”
Steal someone’s—Shit. He had to be referring to the incident at Zahra’s event. How did Thad know about that? It was a silly question. The man was abreast of everything.
“And when were you going to tell me you’re dating my wife’s client?”
“I didn’t realize I had to.”
“G...” Thad released a heavy sigh. “We’re barely arm’s distance from the last media frenzy. We don’t need any more bad press. Not right now. Not ever, would be nice, too. Tell me you didn’t steal someone’s future wife?”
The idea of Zahra being anyone’s future anything, other than his, had an unpleasant effect on him. “No, I didn’t,” he grumbled into the phone. “Where are you even getting this BS from? Wait. Let me guess. One of those trash gossip sites.”
“Does it matter? It’s out there. We’re trying to repair your image, remember? This doesn’t help. Maybe you two should stay low-key for a while. Just until this blows over.”
Was he kidding? Hide like some fugitive? “That’s not going to happen, man.” And he definitely wouldn’t make Zahra feel as if she were some dirty little secret of his. “Her lunatic ex thought she’d take him back if he proposed in front of a room full of people. It didn’t work.”
“Do you think he’s responsible for leaking the story? If so, I’ll slap him with a defamation suit so fast his head will pop off his body.” Thad slammed what sounded like an open hand against his desk.
Gregor washed a hand over his head. “It’s a possibility. Or it just as easily could have been one of the dozens of attendees at the charity event who’d witnessed the fiasco.” Which seemed more likely the case. “They could have seen pictures of Zahra and me online and jumped to conclusions. Who knows? But I’m not sweating it.” And he doubted Zahra would either.
“Well, I am. And you’re paying me good money to do so. Is this ex going to be a problem?”
“No,” Gregor said with confidence. However, he couldn’t see into the future. He didn’t know what the man was capable of. But, by the same token, Zahra’s ex didn’t know what he was capable of either. And for Zahra, he could be capable of a whole lot.
“We’ll see,” Thad said. “We’ll see.”
* * *
Zahra popped open another bottle of moscato and carried it back into the living room where her Hartfelts—the name she’d given the ladies who made up her book club slash beta reader team—laughed and snacked on appetizers. Ava, who’d been one of her biggest supports since day one. Charity Chastain, Zahra’s childhood friend. Moni Cox, her hairstylist. And Tameka Bell, her college roommate and very first beta reader. She loved when they all got together because it was a guaranteed awesome time.
Zahra refilled everyone’s glass, set the bottle on the small table next to the sofa, then eased onto one of t
he oversize pillows on the floor, next to Ava.
Moni raised her hand as if she were about to say the Pledge of Allegiance. “I swear ’fore gawd, if a man did half the things in the bedroom the hero did to the heroine, I’d have all his babies, suck his toes, even shave his hairy balls if he asked me to.”
The room exploded in laughter.
Ava tossed an olive at Moni. “You’d do those things if he offered you a steak dinner.”
Another round of laughter filled the room.
Once things settled, Zahra said, “Okay, ladies, give me your honest opinions. Did The Sweet Scent of Love stink?”
For Zahra, this was the first in a long time that she actually loved every single word she’d placed on the page. Leona had thought so, too. Zahra felt she’d done the book justice and truly allowed the hero and heroine’s love story to authentically shine.
“Z,” Charity began, “I’m not sure what kind of love voodoo you worked on that keyboard, but I personally think this is the absolute best novel you’ve ever penned.”
When everyone voiced their agreement, Zahra felt an overwhelming sense of relief. One thing she liked about this group is that no one sugarcoated anything. If they thought the book was garbage, they would have certainly told her, like they had with the last book.
With that book, each woman had agreed it lacked the usual connection her characters held. At the time, things had been rocky between her and Braswell, and that had clearly projected onto her writing. This book was different. She’d experienced something wonderful at Lake Lamont and she spilled every ounce of it onto the pages of The Sweet Scent of Love.
Chasity continued. “The chemistry between the hero and heroine leaped off the pages. The way he cherished her was mind-blowing. The simple things he did to make her happy were beautiful.”
“Yesss,” Ava said. “He was so in tune with her that it was magical to read. You made me want to fall in love.”
Tameka chimed in with, “If a man adored me the way Gabriel adored Kimberly, I might consider remarrying.”
“Nah,” Ava and Tameka said in unison, then high-fived.
“Speaking of marriage—”
The doorbell rang, halting Charity and drawing all their attentions to the front door.
“Must be the food delivery,” Zahra said. She pushed up from the floor. “I’ll be right back.”
Laughter flowed from the room as Zahra moved toward the door, snagging a pen off the counter to sign the receipt. When she opened the door, an instant smile swelled her cheeks.
“Gregor?” She pushed her brows together. “What are you doing here?”
He flashed one of those dazzling smiles. “You invited me, remember?”
Zahra placed a hand on her hip. “Yes, I did. But I do remember you declining.”
He stepped forward, hooked one arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. With his mouth inches from hers, he said, “I changed my mind. Is that okay?”
“Y-yes,” she said, experiencing dizzying effects from his close proximity.
“Good.”
His mouth covered hers, claiming it in a raw and hungry manner. Obviously, one of her girls must have peeped around and witnessed what was happening, because there was a gasp. Zahra and Gregor laughed into each other’s mouths.
When the kiss ended, she took his hand. “Come meet the girls.”
Inside the living room, Zahra made the introductions. Ava and Gregor greeted as if they were the best of buddies. Charity and Tameka were visibly stunned by his presence and did little more than stare, trancelike, at him. Who could blame them? The man was hypnotizing. And the pair of relaxed-fit jeans, and a sage-colored T-shirt that hugged his toned frame only added to his appeal. Moni’s face glowed with appreciation.
“Ladies,” Gregor said in a smooth tone. “Hope you don’t mind me joining you.”
“Not at all,” Moni said, twirling a lock of her green hair around her finger.
Zahra laughed at Moni’s harmless flirting.
Amused, she pointed to the pillow she previously occupied. “You can have my spot,” she said. “I’ll sit here.” She pointed to the space beside him. As she lowered to the floor, Gregor grabbed her midsquat and directed her into his lap.
Sounds of endearment swirled around them.
“My lap’s a lot softer than the floor, don’t you think?”
For a brief moment, everyone in the room disappeared and it was only the two of them there. Zahra snapped out of her trance. “Um, where were we?” she said.
“We were about to discuss the proposal,” Moni said.
The mention of a proposal made Zahra think about the mistruth floating around that Gregor was responsible for breaking up her engagement to Braswell. How ridiculous. She hated rumors. Especially ones about her. However, she hadn’t poured much energy into it, because she knew the truth.
Moni cooed. “That scene was definitely one of my favorites. It was simple, yet so elegant and just what Kimberly had dreamed of. A man has to truly know a woman to get it so perfect.”
“That was a great scene,” Gregor said. “I never would have expected that from Gabriel. He didn’t strike me as sentimental. At least at first. But I guess when a man cares for a woman the way he clearly cared for Kimberly, there are no limits to what he’s willing to do for her.”
Every set of eyes in the room landed on Gregor. Zahra’s chin was nearly touching her chest.
His brows bunched. “What?”
“You...you read my book?”
He nodded. “You left it at my place. I was hooked on page one. You are truly gifted.”
“You read my book,” she repeated, still unable to believe he’d taken the time to do so. Braswell had never taken the time to read any of her books. She hadn’t even been able to get him to listen to an excerpt.
“I’ve read all of your books,” he said. “Actually, I’ve listened to all of your books.”
All she could do was stare at him. He’s read all of my books. Something in her heart pounded even stronger for him.
“Um, do you two need some privacy?” Ava asked.
Zahra tossed a chip at Ava. “Mind your business.”
Within an hour, it felt as if Gregor had always been a part of their group. The women seemed to view him as an average Joe and not the star football player that he was. He truly could adapt to any situation. She valued the fact that he got along with her friends and Ava so well. What fascinated her was the fact that Gregor had been an extremely active participant, asking one thought-provoking question after another.
“Okay, Gregor, since we’re talking about attraction, what drew you to Zahra?” Moni asked.
“Hey. We’re discussing Gabriel and Kimberly, not Gregor or Zahra,” Zahra said. “Next—”
Gregor cut into her protest. “Her confidence. Her compassion. Her ability to soften and tame an angry beast.”
“Aww,” the women said in unison.
He continued. “We were like oil and water when we first met. She was so damn ornery.”
Zahra gasped, then pressed her fingers into her chest. “Me? I nicknamed you Mr. Crabby. You were an asshole when we first met.”
Gregor chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. I’ll admit I wasn’t easy to get along with. Thank you for putting up with me.” He leaned forward and stole a peck.
“Look at you two now. Like a perfectly blended soy iced chai tea latte,” Ava said.
More laughter filled the room.
“Your turn, Zahra,” Charity said. “What drew you to Gregor?”
A lazy smile curled Zahra’s lips as she stared at Gregor. “Those eyes,” she said. “What I saw in them.”
Fine lines crawled across Gregor’s forehead. “What did you see?” he asked.
“Gentleness. I knew you weren’t the
brute you pretended to be.”
“God, you two are just too stinking cute,” Moni said.
“Okay, enough about us. Let’s get back to the book,” Zahra said.
It was a little past eleven when Zahra said good-night to her girls. She stood on the porch, waving goodbye until they each were safely in their vehicles and on their way. When she returned inside, Gregor had retaken a seat on the oversize pillow. Zahra straddled his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“I have to admit, you kind of impressed me tonight,” she said.
“Did you think your man couldn’t hold his own?”
“I never doubted you for one moment.” She pecked his lips gently. “There are a lot of layers to you, Mr. Carter. I’m enjoying watching them slowly peel away.”
“You make it easy,” he said. “I’m comfortable with you. Like genuinely comfortable. It feels good.”
“Thank you for coming tonight. I’m still stunned that you read the book.”
“Hey, the hero is loosely based on me, right?”
“My characters are loosely—”
“Based on everyone you come in contact with,” he said, finishing her thought.
Zahra laughed, still refusing to confess Gabriel was 99.9 percent influenced by Gregor. “Exactly.” She sobered. “You have no idea how much your reading my books means to me.”
“As your man, I should be one of your biggest supporters. Plus, I learned a lot.”
“Like what?”
“For one, I discovered I really like romance novels. Yours, at least. And don’t you dare ever repeat that. Especially to any of my boys. I have an image to uphold.”
Zahra hadn’t actually met any of Gregor’s friends yet, but she was looking forward to being introduced to them and their significant others. From her shameless indulgence of reality television, Zahra knew how snooty and rude the wives or girlfriends of athletes could be. She hoped that wouldn’t be the case. While she wanted to get along with them, she wouldn’t allow herself to be disrespected.
“For two, the right woman can totally change a man’s entire view on life. For three, romance novels can be the perfect escape. For four, you’re a freak. Some of those bedroom scenes, just scandalous,” he said in a voice filled with humor.
Then Came You ; Written with Love Page 28
