Best Man Under the Mistletoe

by Jules Bennett

  Chelsea started, flattening her hands on the island in front of her and glancing up at him. “You scared me to death.”

  “Were you expecting another man to greet you this morning?”

  “I never remember which one I’ve left in my bed.”

  Gabe growled as he closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her waist. “There’s no other man in your bed but me for now.”

  With a quirk of a perfectly arched brow, Chelsea patted his cheek. “Then I guess you’re the one I’m making breakfast for.”

  “You don’t have to make me breakfast.” He nipped at her ear. “I’ll make breakfast while you sit here and keep me company.”

  Without asking, he circled her waist with his hands and lifted her to sit on the counter. She squealed and laughed, smacking him on the shoulder.

  She paused and then her fingertips started tracing the pattern of his tattoos from his biceps up over his shoulder and down onto his chest. Just that light touch had him ready to throw her over his shoulder and take her right back to those rumpled sheets he’d just left.

  “I never thought tattoos were attractive before,” she murmured almost to herself. “Now, I’m not sure I’ll ever want a man without them.”

  The egotistical side of Gabe was thrilled he was ruining her for other men, but the other side, the one he didn’t want to think too much about, couldn’t stand the idea of her with someone else. For now, she was his and he damn well planned to take advantage of the situation.

  Gabe kissed her chin then worked his way down the column of her throat. “Sit here while I cook.”

  Her body arched against his touch. “I’m not sitting here.”

  Gabe’s hands covered the tops of her bare thighs, giving a gentle squeeze as he lifted his gaze to meet hers. “You are,” he commanded. “Right here, wearing my shirt, while I make our food. You’re going to need your strength.”

  Her eyes widened with shock, arousal. “Don’t you have work to do today?”

  He did. He’d gotten an email late last night about a client that was threatening to pull out and go elsewhere because they’d heard of the scandal surrounding the Walsh name. Gabe had already put his best man on the job and planned to follow up himself later today. That client wasn’t going anywhere and neither was Chelsea.

  “Right now I have a sexy woman wearing my clothes and I plan on stripping her and showing her how very thankful I am that she believes in me.” He covered her lips with his for a quick kiss, a kiss that promised more. “But first, we’re eating.”

  “I won’t argue with you about that.” She raked her hand through the top of his hair. “My cooking skills aren’t what they should be.”

  Gabe jerked back. “The heiress of a steak empire can’t cook?”

  She lifted one slender shoulder, causing his shirt to slide down farther, exposing creamy skin he couldn’t resist touching. Gabe curled his fingers around her shoulder and stroked his thumb over her collarbone.

  “I mean, I can cook steak,” she amended. “But most other things terrify me. Mixing ingredients, that’s the hard part. Steak is simple.”

  “Your restaurants have the best steaks, so don’t say it’s easy,” he retorted. “Nobody even compares to what you guys do to a hunk of beef.”

  Her smiled widened. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  “I call you sexy and gorgeous, but I compliment your family’s meat and you get all soft.”

  Chelsea tipped her head to the side. “I’m a simple girl.”

  Gabe laughed and shook his head as he turned away to look in her fridge. Chelsea Hunt was not simple, not by any stretch. She was as complex as his jumbled feelings for her.

  There was no room for feelings, not unless they stayed superficial. Chelsea was fun, she was sexy and she wasn’t looking for anything long-term, either. In short, they were perfect together, at least for now.

  “So how long is this going to last?”

  Her question threw him off, but he remembered Chelsea was nothing if not logical. He thought about his response as he cracked the eggs over the edge of a bowl and then whisked them to a nice froth.

  “Done with me already?” he asked, purposely dodging the question.

  “I’ll at least let you feed me before I kick you out. But I may keep this comfy shirt.”

  Gabe threw her a glance and a wink. “You’re all heart.”

  And he didn’t even want the shirt back because it looked a hell of a lot better on her than him.

  “I don’t think our hearts are getting involved here.”

  Good answer. Because their hearts couldn’t get involved here.

  “I’d say last night was...fun,” she continued.

  “Fun?” he repeated, whisking the hell out of the eggs. “It was spectacular and you know it. And your screaming and the scratches on my back prove you had more than fun.”

  “Fine,” she amended. “It was fabulous and I wouldn’t mind doing it again. So long as we’re still on the same page about this not getting too serious.”

  Her words grated on his last nerve and annoyed the hell out of him. Gabe wanted to do the whole this-isn’t-a-serious-relationship talk and she’d totally beat him to it. At least they were on the same page, though. Wasn’t that what mattered? Shouldn’t he be thanking every last star that she wasn’t clingy and wanting more?

  “There’s no reason we can’t go on seeing each other in this capacity,” she added.

  “Capacity? You mean having sex?”

  “Yes. Just until the wedding.”

  His hand stilled on the whisk and the bowl as he turned to face her. “You’re putting a deadline on sex?”

  With a simple shrug, she met his gaze. “I think that’s best considering neither of us want more. Besides, once the wedding passes, we won’t have a reason to see each other. Right?”

  Gabe swallowed, not liking the way his heart kicked up. But he wasn’t allowing his heart to be involved. He’d just scolded himself about that very rule.

  “Right,” he agreed, turning back to breakfast. “We’ll enjoy each other’s company, keep this private and, after the wedding, go our separate ways.”

  “Perfect.”

  Gabe worked on getting some filets going and then the eggs. “Steak and eggs are a great source of protein and good for energy. Which you will need. If we’ve only got two weeks left, then I’m taking full advantage.”

  He turned and wiggled his brows at her. Chelsea took her time uncrossing and recrossing her legs, giving him a glimpse of exactly the goal he had for the morning.

  “If you keep that up, these steaks will go to waste.”

  She groaned and leaned back on her hands on the counter, arching her back. Even though his shirt was large on her, her breasts strained against the fabric and the hem inched up even higher on her bare thighs.

  Keeping his gaze locked on hers, Gabe reached behind him and flicked off the burners. In two short steps he was on her, gripping her hips and pulling her toward the edge of the counter.

  “What about breakfast?” she asked, quirking one brow and offering him that sultry smile that went straight to his gut.

  “Oh, I’m still having breakfast.”

  And with that, he jerked the shirt up and over her head before taking exactly what she’d taunted him with.

  * * *

  “What about this one?” Brandee held up a lacy number with a matching thong. “Red or black?”

  “Both,” Chelsea replied, searching for her size in a short, sheer gown she knew would have Gabe’s eyes rolling back in his head. She so enjoyed being the one who made him lose control.

  “You didn’t even look,” Brandee complained.

  Chelsea glanced up. “Again, both. It’s lingerie. Men can ne
ver get enough and they rip it off you, anyway, so color doesn’t matter.”

  “True. But what’s Gabe’s favorite color?”

  Brandee’s teasing tone and mocking grin had Chelsea biting the inside of her cheek. “You think you’re so smart.”

  “Oh, I’m brilliant,” Brandee stated, full-on smiling now. Her diamond ring glistened as she waved a hand toward Chelsea. “You two have spent quite a bit of time together and the kind of bickering and heated looks I’ve witnessed between you always leads to the bedroom.”

  And the kitchen. Mercy sakes, Chelsea would never look at her center kitchen island the same again. The things that man had done to her right there on her marble countertop should be illegal.

  Chelsea hadn’t intended to shop for lingerie, but since she was here with her friend, why not? Just because she and Gabe were only physical didn’t mean she couldn’t put a little flair into their time together.

  “I actually haven’t seen Gabe in two days,” she returned defensively.

  Granted, she’d only missed seeing him because he had some important business to attend to in Dallas with a new client and she had her own workload to take care of. She actually did have to work, as much as she’d rather spend her time between the sheets—or on the island—with her new lover.

  Even though he was gone, Gabe had most definitely left her with a glorious goodbye and the promise of an even better return.

  Actually, he’d advised her to rest up because he fully planned on making up for those two days, especially since their time together was limited anyway.

  Which was why she was all too eager to find something in this little lingerie boutique that would drive him out of his mind. Her body heated up just thinking of all the things they’d get into when he returned.

  But if they didn’t slow down somewhat, Chelsea knew full well she’d fall head-over-boots and be a lost cause. Her heart had already taken a tumble after his soulful admission about his past and if things between them dragged on, the end would only be more difficult. At least this way she could prepare herself for the end...and enjoy the ride all the way to their final day.

  “I thought you only came with me to help me choose honeymoon wear and get some Christmas shopping done.”

  Chelsea ignored her best friend’s questioning stare and returned to searching for her size. “I am Christmas shopping—my purchases just happen to be for selfish reasons.”

  Well, maybe they weren’t totally selfish because Gabe would absolutely love unwrapping her. Oh, maybe she should just get a silky piece of fabric and tie herself up in a big bow. Just the thought of him jerking the knot and having the fabric wisp across her body as it floated down to puddle at her feet...

  “This must be serious if you’re dodging my questions.”

  Chelsea’s hand stilled on the satin hanger. “Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on between us. We’re keeping things private, but I do know that my feelings are stronger than I want to admit.”

  “Yet you just did.”

  Brandee came and stood on the other side of the rack, offering a sympathetic smile. “I know how you feel. I was there with Shane, remember? I went through a scandal of my own with Maverick and Shane pulled me through. We finally found our happily-ever-after.”

  Chelsea recalled all too well the emotional ride her friends had gone through before finally finding their destiny. Chelsea wasn’t looking for a ring on her finger or the promise of a lifetime, but she couldn’t stop the desire for Gabe that had settled deep in her soul. And this wasn’t sexual desire, though there was an abundance of that. No, this was the desire to know more, to learn more, to have more with Gabe.

  So where did that leave her? She still wasn’t convinced she was looking long-term, but she wanted more than a romp while they were planning the wedding.

  Damn it. She never should’ve put an expiration date on their interlude, but she sure as hell hadn’t wanted to be on the receiving end of his conditions, either. This way, she’d set the terms and held all the power. At least she was well aware of how and when things would end. That was the only way she could cope because heartache was not something she wanted to experience again.

  Chelsea knew she’d knocked Gabe off his game when she’d brought up an end date. But he’d gone along with her plan like he thought it was brilliant. It just proved he wasn’t looking for anything more than a few nights together.

  “The sex is amazing, but I’m to the point I want a real date.”

  Brandee’s mouth dropped. “You’ve already had sex and you’re just now telling me?”

  Chelsea hated keeping secrets from her best friend, but everything had happened so fast. And then things had kept happening, so Chelsea had been a bit busy. Plus, they were supposed to be keeping it a secret. Oops.

  “He’d been pursuing me for a while,” Chelsea admitted.

  Giving up on finding her size, she crossed the store and went to the back where a wall of drawers held other sultry treasures. Brandee, of course, followed. They were the only ones shopping and the clerks were always great in giving customers privacy and only assisting if asked.

  “First he drove me out of my mind in the dressing room when my dress was stuck.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “Then there was horseback riding.” Chelsea went on, ignoring her friend’s shocked look because she just wanted to get all this out there. “Then he had to go and give you that extravagant wedding present and I totally melted at his selflessness.”

  “Back up for a second.” Brandee held her hands up. “We’ll get to all the details of the dressing room and the riding in a minute. I thought you were skeptical of him, that you believed he was in cahoots with his uncle.”

  “I did. But the more time I’ve spent with him, I’ve seen a side I never thought existed.”

  “Gabe wouldn’t purposely hurt anyone, especially in such a callous way.”

  Chelsea nodded. “I know that now. I see the man he is.”

  “Oh, Chels. Are you in love with him?”

  “What? No.” She wasn’t. She wasn’t. “It’s complicated.”

  “That’s the exact way love is described.”

  Love. What a preposterous word for a relationship that wasn’t even a real relationship.

  Chelsea’s father had thought himself in love, but in the end, that myth had shattered him. Chelsea wasn’t going to follow the same path.

  “Trust me. This isn’t love.” Great sex and a healthy dose of desire, absolutely. “And don’t say anything to anyone. We really want to keep this private. Once we’re done seeing each other, we don’t want to answer a bunch of questions from people who thought we were a couple. You can see that would get confusing, not to mention annoying.”

  She thought no-strings sex was supposed to be uncomplicated. Yet there were suddenly so many rules with Gabe, including this whole term-limit thing and the secrecy.

  She’d never actually had no-strings sex before because she’d been in solid relationships with all her partners. Those encounters actually hadn’t had rules, so how was this any easier?

  Brandee’s skeptical gaze held hers, mirroring the exact doubts Chelsea had in her own mind. Brandee pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. Chelsea didn’t like the scrutiny, so she tugged open one of the wide drawers and started checking the merchandise inside.

  There were peacock-colored bra and panty sets, peach teddies, so many choices all delicately displayed. Each one she could imagine wearing for Gabe, but then, would he wonder what her intentions were...other than the obvious? Would he wonder if she wanted more?

  On a groan, Chelsea slid the drawer shut. “What am I going to do?”

  Brandee wrapped her arm around Chelsea’s shoulder. “We’re going to pick out some killer lingerie that will have our men begging. Then we’re
going to go get some ice cream drenched in hot fudge and whipped cream. After that, who knows what we’ll get into. Maybe wine. We definitely need some wine.”

  Chelsea laughed. “At some point I need to actually Christmas shop. I have nothing for you yet.”

  Her friend gave her a slight squeeze before letting go. “You’re planning my bachelorette party and my wedding. I’d say that’s more than present enough.”

  “Speaking of the party, what are you wearing tomorrow?” Chelsea asked.

  Brandee blew out a sigh. “I have no clue. I was thinking a cute dress and my boots, but then I think maybe I should be dressier since I’m the bride. What about you?”

  “I bought a white, off-the-shoulder dress and I’m pairing it with my new cowgirl boots. I need some jewelry to go with it.”

  Brandee’s face lit up. “Then let’s finish up here. I’ll buy your jewelry for your Christmas present and you can buy me a dress for mine.”

  Chelsea drew her friend into a hug. “You’ve got a deal.”

  Now, all that was left before the promised ice cream and wine was to select the killer lingerie. Chelsea had no clue what turned Gabe on in the way of lace or silk so she opted to buy herself a few different options. Maybe after the bachelorette party, he’d get a little surprise.

  Eleven

  Gabe saw a flash of white turn the corner and he looked around to make sure nobody saw him follow. That damn dress had driven him crazy for the past three hours and he was done letting this temptress seduce him from afar. He wanted his hands on her. Now.

  The coed bachelor/bachelorette party was in full swing at the club and everyone was having a great time. Brandee and Shane wanted all their friends to celebrate and have one last bash before the big day. Everyone loved gathering at TCC, especially since women were such a big part of the club now. Having a joint party here just made sense.

  They’d gone with classic mason jars with candles for the center of the tables. Rope was used as cording around the edge of the tablecloths. On the food table was a large S and B wrapped in raffia and propped up with small, twinkling lights surrounding them.