Best Man Under the Mistletoe

by Jules Bennett

  Gabe rested his elbow on his knee and leaned down. “You can push me away, but that won’t stop what’s happening.”

  A rumble of thunder had him glancing toward the sky then back down to her. “Better get back. Storm’s comin’.”

  He just hoped like hell they could weather it.

  * * *

  Chelsea dropped her keys onto the accent table inside her doorway and wiped her damp hair away from her face. The pop-up storm matched her mood—fierce and full of rage.

  The lightning flashed, illuminating her open floor plan as she made her way inside. No sense in turning on the lights. They were set on a timer, anyway, and apparently her electricity had gone out because nothing was on in the entire place.

  Perfect. Her phone needed to be charged and she’d wanted to take a hot bath and ignore the world...and the throb between her legs. Because as much as she tried to ignore what had just happened, it was impossible. Gabe was impossible. The stupid man was making her feel things, making her body hum and come alive like never before—all while they were still fully dressed. Her body still sizzled from the orgasm against the tree.

  Chelsea made her way to her bedroom using what little battery she had left on her phone to light the way.

  First, the man had tried to get it on with her in a dressing room and then he’d pleasured her at the damn club. He was slick, seductive and she’d loved every single minute of both experiences.

  Well, she’d loved the way he’d physically made her feel, but the mental side...

  Why did he have to keep messing with her head?

  Everything circled back to Dusty and how he’d been so meticulous in planting evidence to ruin lives and pointing the finger of blame in so many different directions. The scandal had rocked the entire town and Chelsea wasn’t sure she’d ever recover, if she were being honest.

  It was humiliating to walk down the street and wonder if passersby had seen the photos of her naked.

  Tears filled her eyes once again. She’d shed too many tears caused by a whole gamut of emotions. She’d cried from anger, from frustration, from hurt and resentment...so many things. And she’d had to do it all in private because her very best friend wanted and deserved the wedding of the year and there was no way Chelsea would ruin this monumental moment for her.

  Chelsea’s cell vibrated in her hand just as she hit her bedroom. When she glanced at the screen, she saw a text from her brother and a missed call from him earlier. With only an eight percent charge left on her battery, she opted to ignore it all. Not that she wouldn’t have, anyway.

  She definitely wasn’t in the mood to talk to Daniel. She loved him and his fiancée, Erin, but right now she just wanted to get into pajamas and lie in bed. With the lightning flashing outside, soaking in her garden tub wasn’t the smartest idea. It wasn’t late, but late enough, and with the electricity gone, she could at least lie down and read on her electronic reader.

  But as she sank to the edge of her bed, all she could think of was how amazing Gabe had made her feel. The man was so, so giving. All the focus had been on her and then, when she’d wanted to battle it out because she’d had no clue what to do with all her emotions, he’d walked away. Some might have said that was cowardly, but she saw it as gentlemanly. He hadn’t wanted to make things more difficult than they already were.

  Either that, or he’d just wanted to seduce her and that was all.

  Unfortunately, she didn’t think that was the case. She truly believed he wanted her. That he wanted to get closer to her, and not just for the sex. Yes, Gabe was often seen as a man of mystery, but she was starting to see him for so much more.

  All of those reasons were precisely why she was so angry. She’d been furious with him back at the club. No, she’d been furious with herself. It wasn’t his fault that when he touched her she went off like a rocket. It wasn’t his fault that she’d never had a lover like him before.

  Wait. Lover? No. They weren’t going to have sex. They couldn’t have sex. That would go against everything she’d vowed to herself. She wasn’t even fully convinced of his innocence in his uncle’s controversy, which was all the more reason she needed to keep her distance.

  But how could she?

  Six

  The scream echoed through the barn and made his ears ring. Gabe spun around and spotted Brandee in the doorway, the sunlight illuminating her.

  “That is going to be so gorgeous,” she squealed as she raced across the open space.

  Gabe glanced back at the arch, which he’d just finished. Well, he’d finished the framing and the structure. He’d texted Chelsea to come by later to do the actual decorating because that was not part of his skill set.

  “You guys are really going above and beyond,” Brandee exclaimed, getting misty-eyed as she came to stand beside him. Her eyes fixed on the arch before her.

  Gabe wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a friendly hug. “It’s no trouble at all. I’m just glad you’ve made my best friend so happy.”

  Disgustingly happy. These two were absolutely perfect for each other. Gabe hadn’t believed people could be so in love; he hadn’t actually believed in that emotion at all, but if it existed, Brandee and Shane were wrapped up tight with it.

  “Where’s Chelsea?” Brandee asked, easing back.

  It had been three days since he’d seen her and he was getting rather twitchy—not something he wanted to explain to her best friend. He could barely explain his feelings to himself. He wanted Chelsea, but the fierce need that continued to grow inside him was something new. He’d wanted women before, but not like this. The strength she displayed, her loyalty to her friends and her intelligence were all huge turn-ons. There was nothing about her he didn’t find mesmerizing.

  Originally he’d wondered if it was because he felt sorry for her because of Dusty’s actions. But Gabe had quickly discovered that he didn’t feel sorry for Chelsea. He admired her. She had a strength he couldn’t help but find attractive. She had a take-charge attitude and then, on top of that, with her sexy-as-hell looks, he couldn’t help but be drawn.

  “I’m sure she’s working,” he replied. “I told her this would be ready to go today for the flowers or whatever it is you want to decorate it with. I just needed to get the base sturdy enough.”

  Brandee stepped forward and ran her hand over the oak grain. “This is far more than I’d envisioned and it’s not even done. I can’t wait for my wedding day.”

  Gabe hooked his thumbs through his belt loops and rocked back on his heels. “I’m sure Chelsea will be by soon. I texted her earlier.”

  Brandee tossed him a grin and raised her brows. “You two taking shifts on the wedding preparations? Is that because of the whole dressing room issue?”

  On the one hand, he wasn’t surprised at all that she’d brought up the incident. On the other hand, he was sure as hell glad she didn’t know about their session at the Texas Cattleman’s Club. Gabe wanted to keep the stolen moments with Chelsea to himself. They were private and, until he could figure out what the hell they were doing, he wanted to keep things that way.

  “I doubt it,” he answered with a slight laugh. “She doesn’t seem like the type to run over something like that. But I think this attraction has her being extra cautious.”

  “Attraction?” Brandee said, her brows shooting up and a smile spreading across her face. “Well, she needs something to keep her mind off the bad press caused by those photos. I think it’s great you two are working together.”

  Oh, he did, too. Because when he and Chelsea were together, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself and, for the most part, Chelsea wasn’t complaining, at least until she started letting her mind take over.

  Damn it. He wanted the hell out of her and she still wanted to keep him at a distance. Someone was going to lose this fight...and
he’d never lost yet.

  “She’s still unsure about trusting me,” Gabe went on. “She’s learning, but given my last name and all, her hesitancy is more than justified.”

  “You were cleared of any wrongdoing,” Brandee said. “Besides, anyone who knows you would never believe for a second you had anything to do with releasing those photos. Shane and I couldn’t believe when your name was even mentioned.”

  “I appreciate that. I would never do something so vile,” he declared. “I’m just as disgusted by my uncle’s actions as anyone. He’s gone and now I’m the one carrying his family name and trying to keep my reputation as far removed from his as possible.”

  “You’re a victim, too,” she stated.

  Yeah. He was. If only Chelsea could see things from that angle. But he wasn’t one to play the pity card. He didn’t want her pity—he wanted her in his bed.

  “I’m glad you’re here, actually.” He was happy to change the subject, he legitimately had something he needed to tell her. “Your wedding present will be arriving tomorrow. It isn’t exactly something I could’ve brought to the reception.”

  Brandee tipped her head and smiled. “You know you didn’t have to get us anything. You and Chels are doing so much already. The load you have lifted from Shane and me is immeasurable.”

  Gabe shrugged. “Trust me when I say you will want this.”

  Besides, his uncle had caused so many problems for Brandee and Shane months ago. Their relationship almost hadn’t made it at all, let alone to the altar. Gabe was all too happy to give them this extravagant present. They were his friends and Brandee had such a huge heart, giving back so much to the community.

  Brandee ran a camp for teens in need. She used her time and her own funding to keep the place on her ranch open for impressionable teens, and it was time she didn’t have to carry so much of the load on her own.

  “What’s that smile for?” she asked.

  “Just anxious for a little surprise I have planned,” he replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to. Chelsea may be here later.”

  As he started to head out of the barn, Brandee called out to him, “She’s more vulnerable than you think.”

  Gabe stilled. He knew how fragile Chelsea was, but hearing her best friend confirm it made him wonder what hurt Chelsea kept inside.

  He threw a glance over his shoulder. “She’s also stronger than you think.”

  And he wanted her to trust him. Whether she liked it or not, he would protect her. She was done doing everything alone.

  * * *

  Chelsea leaned back in her desk chair in her home office and stared at the bright screen of her laptop. She’d kept tabs on her mother for a year or so now. She’d made sure not to do anything illegal, but some simple investigative work by someone of her skill level...well, it hadn’t been too difficult to turn up Shonda Hunt. Or rather, Shonda Patton, since she remarried.

  Bitterness burned like acid in Chelsea’s gut. She hated that her mother had run out on them. Chelsea had never fully known the reason why and it wasn’t a topic she had ever brought up to her father before he’d passed. The poor man had been devastated after his wife left, so much so, he’d died a year later of a heart attack. Chelsea had always figured he’d been so crushed he’d lost his will to go on.

  She continued staring at the image she’d uncovered of Shonda and her husband. It was a random photo from a newspaper in Kansas. They were on a park bench attending a town festival or something. There her mother was, enjoying the life she wanted.

  Trust didn’t come easy to Chelsea and staring back at her was the very reason why. When a foundation was shaken and everything you ever knew turned out to be a lie, it was difficult to see another way, let alone try to rebuild on uneven ground.

  The spiral Chelsea spun into after her mother had left had been a cry for help, but her actions, no matter how troubled, had ultimately led her to become the woman she was today. She was damn good at her job and refused to let anyone have control over her life ever again.

  That included Gabe Walsh. He’d been smart to keep their interaction to texts these past few days, but part of her really wanted to get into that verbal sparring match she was gearing up for. He had texted earlier that he wanted to talk, but he hadn’t said when and he hadn’t said why.

  How could one man turn her on and infuriate her at the same time?

  Closing out her screen, Chelsea came to her feet and secured the knot on her robe. She was done spying on Shonda. Chelsea refused to call her mother, because that woman didn’t exist. Chelsea knew she needed to let it go and move forward. She had a lucrative career that she loved and she was planning her best friend’s wedding. She didn’t need anything more.

  Right?

  Unfortunately, there was that young girl living inside her that wanted answers. That impressionable girl needed to know what she could do to ever fill the void of abandonment.

  Chelsea had just stepped into her living room when the doorbell rang. She glanced at the large clock on her mantel and wondered who would be dropping by unannounced at nine at night.

  She smoothed her hands down her robe and pulled the lapels a little tighter to her chest. A quick glance out the sidelight caused Chelsea’s heart rate to kick up. She pulled in a deep breath and flicked the lock.

  When she swung the door wide, she expected Gabe to just walk on in. Instead he gave her a head-to-toe appraisal and propped his arm on the door frame. It caused his bicep to tighten, which only drew her attention to his excellent muscle tone.

  “I do like how you greet your guests.”

  “A heads-up text would’ve been considerate,” she stated, crossing her arms.

  The corner of his mouth kicked up. “I texted earlier and said I wanted to talk.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “Specifics would’ve been nice.”

  “I’ll remember that for next time.”

  He pushed off the frame, but continued to stand in the light of the porch. “But I’m here now and I want you to understand there’s no reason to be afraid of what’s going on between us. I know you’ve been dealt a bad hand lately and I also know you’re strong. I’d never push you, but I also won’t let you run.”

  Chelsea opened her mouth but Gabe held his hand up to stop her. “I get that you’re still reeling from what Dusty did. I even understand that trusting me at first was difficult, but we’re past that, aren’t we?”

  “You confuse me,” she whispered. “I can’t get into this right now, Gabe. I need to think.”

  She started to shut the door but he was quicker. His fingers curled around the edge and held it open.

  “I want you so much,” he replied, stepping in closer until she had to tip her head back to look into those mesmerizing eyes. “Which is why I’m putting the next step on you.”

  Confused, Chelsea jerked back. “What?”

  “There’s nothing I want more than to cross this threshold and peel you out of that robe, but I want you to take control. I want you to ache just as much as I do. Because when we finally make it to a bedroom, it will be your decision.”

  Chelsea swallowed. Her body stirred at his words and his boldness. “Is that why you came here?” she asked, shocked her voice sounded strong at all. “To tell me that we’re going to have sex?”

  Gabe raked a hand over his face and blew out a breath. “I came here to tell you that I’m not going to coddle you. You’re a strong woman and you don’t want pity over what happened. I get that you want to be respected, and I respect you. So if anything happens from here on out, it’s your call.”

  Chelsea opened her mouth then closed it.

  “Speechless?” he asked with a slight grin. “That wasn’t the reaction I expected.”

  “What did you expect?”

  �
��Well, you didn’t slam the door in my face, so I’m already a step above where I thought I’d be.”

  She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling, but failed.

  “And a sexy grin? Hell, I better leave while I’m ahead.”

  Chelsea tucked her hair behind her ears and took a step back. As much as she wanted to invite him in and take him up on what he was offering, she also had to be smart. She’d never been a woman to just sleep with someone for the sake of getting it out of her system. Then again, no one had ever tempted her the way Gabe Walsh had.

  “Do you want me to do anything for the wedding?” he asked, his tone softer as he stared into her eyes. “I have a few hours free tomorrow if you need anything.”

  “Well, I’m almost done with the arch. I’ve planned for the steaks to be delivered the day before the bachelor/bachelorette party, so if you want to call and make sure the club has all of the staffing covered for that night, that would help. I just don’t want them to be understaffed, because we’re expecting quite a few people. The bartenders need to be the best, too. Make sure Tanner and Ellen are on the list to serve.”

  Gabe nodded. “I can do that. Didn’t you message me about some chair covers you wanted picked up?”

  Chair covers, yes. She’d forgotten all about those. Maybe it had something to do with the man who stood before her because the past couple of weeks he’d been consuming so much of her time, both in person and in her thoughts. But they needed chair covers for the party. Something elegant, yet something that would fit in at the club with all its dark wood and trophies.

  “I can pick them up,” she told him. Silence stretched between them and the tension stirred deep within her. “Is that all?”

  He flashed her a devilish grin. “Unless you’re ready to invite me in now and let me unwrap you.”

  Oh, she wanted to be unwrapped. Gabe could tempt a saint into stripping and doing naughty deeds.

  Chelsea laughed and poked at his chest until he stepped back. “Good night, Gabe.”

  When he leaned in, Chelsea stilled. His lips feathered across her cheek. “Good night, Chels.”