He turned and walked away, bounding down the steps and heading toward his truck. Chelsea closed the door, turning the dead bolt back into place, and rested her forehead against the wood.
What was she going to do about that man? He purposely kept her on her toes and tied up in knots. Part of her loved this catch-and-release game they were playing, but the other part didn’t want to play games anymore. She wanted to know for sure that she could trust him. But how? How could she be certain?
Chelsea flicked off the light and headed for bed, knowing full well she wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight.
Seven
“What do you think?”
Chelsea stood back and stared at the archway that was covered in sheer, pale gold material, twinkling clear lights and delicate white flowers.
She then glanced over at her friend, who stood there staring and silent. Okay, maybe it didn’t look as great as Chelsea had thought. This wasn’t exactly her area of expertise, but she’d like to think it wasn’t horrendous.
“It will look better at night for the ceremony when you can see the lights better,” Chelsea rushed to say when the silence became too much. “I mean, I can change whatever you want. I’m not really a decorator, but I can look up other ideas—”
“It’s perfect.”
Chelsea breathed a sigh of relief. She’d honestly had to look at so many wedding planning websites, at images of elegant arches and Christmas-themed weddings just to piece together everything her friend would want. The expression on Brandee’s face made all of that digging worth it.
Because Chelsea had hated every second of searching through blissful pictures of couples deliriously in love. Not that she wasn’t happy for Brandee and Shane, but part of her truly didn’t believe in the hype of marriage or love. All of that had to be built on trust. But trusting someone with your whole life? No. That just wasn’t going to happen. Not for her. And she was okay with living alone.
Chelsea ignored the niggling ache in her heart. Okay, maybe it would be nice to find someone to share her secrets with, to lie with at night and talk about absolutely nothing, to go on trips with and see the world. But all that would require her to fully open up and expose a part of herself she’d shut off far too long ago.
The sound of approaching vehicles had both women turning toward the large entrance to the barn. Brandee headed toward it and Chelsea followed.
As soon as she stepped outside, Chelsea’s mouth dropped. There were six, brand-new, shiny white vans and three large pickup trucks sitting in the drive of the Hope Springs Ranch. The driver of the first van got out and crossed the yard toward Brandee.
“I’m looking for Ms. Lawson.”
Brandee shielded her eyes from the sun. “That’s me.”
The middle-aged man held out a clipboard and pen. “I just need you to sign for the shipment of vehicles and let me know where you’d like them all parked. Do you want the keys left in the ignition or brought to you?”
“Excuse me?” she asked. “I didn’t... I’m not sure...”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said with a smile. “These are all paid in full from a Mr. Walsh. He said this was your wedding gift.”
What in the world had Gabe done? All of this? He’d paid for every single vehicle here? They were brand-new, not a speck of dirt on any of them, and they were all for Brandee.
Chelsea’s heart flipped.
“He said he had something being delivered, but...” Brandee trailed off as she stared at the fleet of new vehicles. “I can’t believe he did this.”
Chelsea was absolutely stunned. She couldn’t take in everything at once. This was a...a wedding gift? Weren’t you just supposed to get the bride and groom toasters and towels? This went so far above the items on any wedding registry, Chelsea didn’t even know what to think.
Gabe had done all of this without fanfare and without mentioning a word to her. He hadn’t wanted the recognition or the praise. The man had legitimately wanted to help out with Brandee’s work with the teens. How could Chelsea sustain her anger toward him when he kept proving over and over how selfless he was?
Chelsea took in each vehicle as Brandee pointed to where they could be parked. The dollar signs were scrolling through her head. She’d known Gabe was wealthy—from his expensive loft apartment to his luxury cars to his expensive taste in bourbon—but she’d never thought for a second he could do something like this.
“Can you believe this?” Brandee asked when she came back to stand beside Chelsea. “He told me he was having something delivered. I thought maybe it was... I don’t know, a horse.”
Brandee laughed and raked her hand through her long hair. “I don’t even know what to say. A thank-you card isn’t even enough. These vehicles will make a huge difference in the camp for my teens. We’ll be able to take in more kids.”
Brandee’s voice broke as she dissolved into tears. “Sorry,” she said as she wiped her cheeks. “I’m an emotional mess with the wedding.”
Chelsea turned to her friend and pulled her into a hug. “It’s understandable. This is a big step in your life. You’re entitled to a meltdown. And Gabe’s gift was a bit unexpected.”
Brandee eased back and smiled. “He’s such a great guy, Chels. I spoke with him yesterday and he seemed...”
Chelsea stilled. “What?”
“I don’t think it’s a stretch to say he’s interested in you.”
Her friend’s misty eyes met Chelsea’s. She truly didn’t want to have this conversation with anyone, let alone the woman standing there with cupid silhouettes practically bulging out of her eyes.
“He’s a guy and I’m single.” Chelsea figured shrugging it off would be safest at this point. “But, to answer your veiled question, we’re just friends.”
Friends who made out like teens in a dressing room. Why didn’t she have a friend like him before?
Oh, right. She hadn’t trusted him before.
The barrier she’d kept around her soul where Gabe was concerned cracked a little. Okay, more than a little. The very foundation shook. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, and had actually started to.
“You’re interested in him, too,” Brandee murmured. “Don’t bother denying it. This is more than a friendship.”
Chelsea jerked her attention back to the moment. “You have too much love and wedding bliss on the mind to think clearly.”
But her friend was absolutely correct. Whatever Chelsea and Gabe had going on, it was so much more than friendship. When he’d said there hadn’t been a label created for them yet, he’d been accurate. Because they weren’t really friends. She didn’t trust him. Did she?
Chelsea said farewell to Brandee and headed out to her car. At this point she didn’t not trust Gabe. The mental sparring match she continued to have with herself was exhausting.
As she drove toward downtown Royal, she realized she was tired of something else, too.
Fighting her needs.
* * *
Gabe’s doorman had let Chelsea up nearly fifteen minutes ago. He stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, watching as the sun cast a bright orange glow across the horizon as he waited for her. People were starting to really fill the street. Couples were strolling hand-in-hand, heading into restaurants for dinner dates. The little town came alive at night—especially on a Friday.
He watched as people posed in front of the giant Christmas tree in the town square just a block away. The tree stood tall and proud, decorated with what seemed like a million clear lights. There would be an annual candlelight and caroling evening in less than two weeks. He loved this town, loved the traditions it upheld.
Before the doorman had called to announce Chelsea’s surprise visit, Gabe had actually been getting ready to head out and grab a drink at the TCC to see who was spending their evening
there. Though there likely weren’t many people hanging out in the club’s bar tonight. These days, nearly everyone was either married, engaged, caring for or expecting a baby.
So much had happened over the past year, both good and bad. Weddings, babies—all of that had brought families together. But the Maverick scandal still left a dark cloud over the club and the town.
Just this afternoon, he’d been in contact with the sheriff to see if there were any updates regarding Dusty’s accomplice in planting the camera in the locker room. There had to have been someone and Gabe wanted to know who it was. Until that person was brought to justice, this nightmare wouldn’t fully be over.
At least he had been cleared of any involvement early on in the investigation. And even more importantly, Chelsea had started trusting him more and more.
Something had changed Chelsea’s mind about him, otherwise she wouldn’t have come of her own accord to his loft.
Which made him wonder why she hadn’t knocked on his door yet. Gabe had given the doorman a small list of guests who didn’t need an okay from him before they were automatically rung up. Chelsea had been at the top of the list for over a month now. But the doorman had called Gabe fifteen minutes ago to tell him she was on her way up.
Yet his unexpected guest hadn’t made her presence known to him. She was most likely hesitating out in the hallway, wondering why she’d come. He knew exactly why she’d come.
Gabe shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled. He’d put the proverbial ball in her court and it had been excruciating waiting on her to come to the conclusion that they needed to get this out of their system. Those two make-out sessions hadn’t even come close to alleviating his ache.
Turning from the window, Gabe crossed his loft and went to the door. If she’d come this far, the least he could do was give her a hand and help her the rest of the way.
Gabe opened the door wide and spotted Chelsea leaning against the wall directly across from him. Clearly startled, she jerked and clutched her purse in front of her...as if trying to use something to shield her from the big bad wolf. Didn’t she know? There was nothing he couldn’t knock down to get what he wanted.
“How long were you going to wait before you knocked?” he asked.
Squaring her shoulders and tipping her chin, she cleared her throat. “I wasn’t sure I was going to knock. I was thinking of leaving.”
“No, you weren’t.”
Chelsea blinked, opened her mouth then closed it and continued to stare.
“Are we going to do this in the hallway or are you coming in?”
“Do what?” she asked.
“Whatever brought you here.” He stepped back and gestured her in. “Don’t look so worried, Chels. I only bite when I’m asked to.”
Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she blinked and stepped forward, turning sideways to pass without actually touching him. Gabe bit back a grin as he closed the door, securing it with a click of the lock. He had the entire top floor to himself, and knew they wouldn’t be bothered, but he still wanted that extra layer of privacy between the outside world and his Chelsea.
No. She wasn’t his. Gabe needed to stop thinking along those lines. He wanted her. That was all. Once, not so long ago, he’d let emotions over a woman cloud his judgment and it had resulted in his partner being killed. He’d let his need override his job, thinking he could handle an attraction to a woman and still think clearly out in the field. He’d been wrong and his partner had paid the ultimate price.
He couldn’t forget the promise he’d made to himself after that to stay focused on work. Any extracurricular activities had to remain strictly physical, which was more than fine with him. Especially where a certain computer hacker and CTO was concerned.
After the hell that she’d been through, she deserved respect. She may keep that steely front in place, but he knew there was an underlying vulnerability after the leak of those photos.
Gabe appreciated Chelsea enough to place the control in her hands. And now she’d risen above her vulnerability and had come to him.
Damn, she smelled amazing. That familiar jasmine scent he’d come to associate with her surrounded him. Gabe crossed his arms and watched as she did a slow circle, taking in his space.
He’d imagined her in his bed many times, but never had he imagined her in his living room for a casual visit. That would have been too personal.
“You’re sneaky,” she muttered. “I mean vans and trucks, Gabe.”
She turned to face him and raised her brows as if waiting for him to answer, but he’d missed the actual question.
“I take it the fleet arrived at Hope Springs.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Your wedding gift was incredible. A fleet of expensive vans and trucks. I was buying them the china set they registered for and you go and spend...well, more than the cost of the entire wedding, reception, and honeymoon combined.”
Clearly he was on shaky ground here, so he dropped his arms to his sides and crossed to her. “I can’t tell if you’re angry or shocked. Regardless, I wanted to help Brandee with the camp. It seemed like the logical thing to do.”
“Logical.” She lifted her head to hold his gaze and those green eyes definitely pinned him in place. “You’re not a logical man. You’re reckless, unpredictable, maddening, but never logical.”
“Well, darlin’, I think you just gave me a compliment.”
Chelsea rolled her eyes and threw her hands out as she turned to head toward the wall of windows. Gabe remained where he was, waiting on her to say something.
“Only you would find those words to be flattering.” With her back still to him, she tucked her hair behind her ears and blew out a sigh. “I want to hate you. I want to keep not trusting you, but then you go and do this. It’s so unselfish and giving and...damn it.”
One step after another, Gabe closed the distance between them and came to stand directly behind her. As the sun started to set and the evening grew dim, their reflections were easy to make out in the window. He saw the uncertainty on her face, the passion in her eyes. She had come to his door for one reason and one reason only.
“You’re frustrated,” he murmured against her ear, still holding on to his amazing restraint by not touching her. “Tell me the real reason you’re here. It’s not to pat me on the back for giving the best wedding gift.”
“Part of it is.” She met his gaze in their reflection. “I was standing there watching as one truck after another pulled onto the ranch. And I realized, maybe you’re not a jerk.”
Gabe smiled and smoothed her hair away from her neck. “What else did you realize?”
She trembled beneath his lips and he gave up all restraint. Trailing his fingertips up her arms and back down, he took a half step to bring his chest against her back.
“That I want you. I want this.”
Finally.
“I’m done fighting,” she went on as he continued gliding his fingers over her silky skin. “I never take what I want.”
“And you want me.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He hadn’t asked, but hearing her repeat her affirmation had arousal consuming him. He’d put her at the helm and she was going after what she wanted. Him.
“If I’d known it was going to get you to my door, I would’ve bought the fleet a month ago,” he joked, figuring she needed the tense moment to ease her nerves.
She smiled, which was exactly his intent. Her body relaxed against his and he reached around, flattening one palm against her stomach. His fingers splayed across the fabric of her tank top, pulling her back against him. Chelsea continued to watch in the window.
Gabe curled his pinky finger beneath the hem of her tank and slid it just inside the waistband of her jeans. Her swift intake of breath had him nipping at her ear. He wanted her
as off balance as possible, because he’d been that way for weeks now. He wanted her so achy and needy that she begged him, that she came apart in his arms and cried out his name.
Gabe began to pull her shirt up over her head but Chelsea gasped and attempted to cover herself.
“The windows—”
“Are mirrored on the other side,” he stated. “Nobody can see you and I want you right here, right now.”
“But—”
“You came to me,” he reminded her, turning her so she could face him. “We’re playing by my rules now.”
Chelsea relaxed a little as he finished taking off her shirt and tossed it over his shoulder. Then he crushed his mouth to hers and was instantly rewarded with a groan.
This time, nothing would stop them. They weren’t in public anymore and he was damn well going to take his time. Later. This first round was going to be quick and fierce because he’d waited long enough.
Gabe pressed her back against the glass and started working on the button on her jeans. In no time she was wiggling those hips and helping him remove the unwanted garment. Now that she was only clad in lacy panties and a matching bra that would bring any man to his knees, Gabe lifted her by her waist and nipped at her swollen lips.
“You knew exactly why you were coming here.”
Chelsea bit down on her lip and met his gaze.
“Say it,” he commanded. “Tell me exactly why you’re here.”
He wanted her begging, pleading.
Gabe ground his hips against hers as she locked her ankles behind his back.
“Tell me, Chels.”
Eight
“You,” she ground out. “I want to be with you in every way. Now, Gabe.”
He knew full well just how to get her begging and, for once, she was all too anxious to give up control. She needed him, needed this. Trust issues, worrying who was exactly behind what would come later. She couldn’t think of one time in her life she’d done something rash, for purely selfish reasons, without analyzing it to death.
Best Man Under the Mistletoe Page 6
