GABE (Silicon Valley Billionaires Book 2)

by Leigh James

  “What did she just say?” I didn’t mean to pry, but he seemed rattled.

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “She wanted to talk logistics.”

  “Logistics of what?”

  Gabe suddenly held my pocketbook—which he’d been carrying for me—up to his ear. “I think that’s your phone. You should check it in case it’s Hannah.”

  It was Hannah’s number on the screen. I answered immediately. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she sobbed.

  My heart pounded in my ears. “Then why are you crying?”

  “Wes is awake.” She erupted into fresh sobs. “He’s awake and he’s okay.”

  “Gabe, Wes is okay—”

  Gabe squeezed my hand. “I can hear her.”

  “Is he lucid?” I asked.

  “Yes. That’s what I was worried most about—and he was a little disoriented at first—but he’s okay! Everything is normal. He doesn’t remember getting shot, but that’s probably a good thing…”

  “What did Dr. Kim say?”

  Hannah blew her nose. “He said he’s going to make a full recovery, but the rehabilitation process could take a long time. He needs to be careful about his heart, and the atrophy is pretty bad, so he’ll have to do an aggressive course of physical therapy. But he’s stable enough to be moved out of ICU, probably tomorrow.”

  “That’s amazing.” I clutched Gabe’s hand. “Please tell him Gabe and I send our love—we’ll be home tomorrow afternoon. I can’t wait to see him.”

  “Tell him I’m thrilled,” Gabe said, joy and relief evident on his face.

  Hannah sniffled. “I will.”

  “Okay. I love you.”

  “I love you too—but wait, don’t hang up!”

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing.” Hannah blew her nose again. “I just wanted to see…what’s new with you.”

  “Um, nothing? Except I’m at a wedding on the other side of the country, and I met Gabe’s mother for the first time. But you already knew that.”

  “But what’s…going on?”

  I looked around hopelessly, wondering what she meant. “We’re in Boston at Gabe’s mother’s reception. The wedding was beautiful. I’m wearing the dress you picked out, and I can’t breathe in it.”

  “She looks totally hot,” Gabe called, “so I owe you one.”

  “But nothing’s new?” She sounded crestfallen.

  “No—what’re you even talking about?”

  “Ugh, it’s nothing. Call me tomorrow, okay? Or tonight…if you feel like it.”

  “Okay?”

  We hung up, and I shook my head, confused. “Something is up with my sister.”

  “Huh,” Gabe said, but he didn’t ask me anything further.

  Huh.

  He tipped his champagne flute against mine. “Cheers. To Wesley. That’s amazing news.”

  “Cheers.” My heart swelled with joy. “I can’t believe he’s awake and he’s okay.”

  “I know. I didn’t know what was going to happen. But he’s a fighter, just like your sister.”

  We stopped and drank our champagne. Holding his hand, knowing that Hannah and Wesley were okay, I felt elated and calm for the first time in weeks. I squeezed Gabe’s hand again, reveling in the newfound peace in my heart.

  I turned and found Gabe watching me, another intense look on his face. “Have you ever been to a wedding before?” he asked.

  “Sure—but nothing like this. I went to my cousin’s wedding when I was twelve. It was a backyard-barbecue sort of thing.”

  “Which one do you like better?”

  “I don’t know. I was twelve, Gabe. The whole thing seemed very dramatic to me, even though we sat on folding chairs in my aunt’s backyard. This is obviously much more sophisticated.”

  He smiled, but there was still something off about his face. “I mean do you prefer a smaller wedding? Or do you like all of this?” He motioned around the opulent reception.

  “I don’t…I don’t know,” I said, because I didn’t. I’d never been a girl who’d dreamed of her wedding day. I’d dreamed of curing cancer and eliminating greenhouse gases. The only white garment I’d ever pictured myself wearing was a lab coat.

  “Never mind.” He shook his head as if he could read my thoughts. “Would you like to dance?”

  I looked at the couples beginning to swirl on the dance floor. “Um…” I could barely walk in my dress.

  “I’ll lead,” Gabe said, sensing my discomfort.

  I finished my champagne, bracing myself for the worst. “Please don’t let me trip.”

  He held out his hand to me. “Never.”

  Gabe held me close as we danced, so close that I didn’t even have to pretend I knew how. My nerves melted away as I swayed against his chest, happy and content, oblivious to the crowd around us. He put his cheek against mine, not saying a word, just holding me in time to the music. At the end of the song, he kissed me deeply, right out on the middle of the dance floor.

  Heat surged through me. I clung to him, oblivious to the dancers around us. I wanted more.

  I always wanted more.

  He kissed me again, gentler this time. Then he placed his forehead against mine. “I love you.” His voice was husky.

  I smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back. “You know I love you too. But what’s the matter? I feel like you’re not telling me something.”

  “It’s nothing.” He reached over and stroked my cheek.

  For the rest of the night, Gabe kept his hands firmly on me. We danced, we ate, we drank with his brothers, laughing and telling stories. He didn’t let go of me once.

  By the time the reception wrapped up, I wanted his hands everywhere. His touch burned my skin, and my body ached for him.

  “My brothers want us to change and go to their suite for more drinks,” Gabe said in the elevator ride back to our floor.

  I smiled, trying to mask my disappointment. “Of course.”

  Gabe turned suddenly, pinning me against the wall of the elevator. He grinned wickedly. “I told them I had some important business to attend to first.” He crushed his lips against mine, and I arched my back so I could mold my body to his. I could feel his erection pressing against me, hot and hard.

  He broke free and looked at me, his brown eyes sparkling. “As long as that’s okay with you, that is.”

  I grabbed him by the tuxedo lapels and greedily pulled him closer. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Later, after we’d made love twice, Gabe sat propped up in bed, stroking my hair. He had that same thoughtful look on his face, as though something were eating at him.

  “Are you upset about your mother getting married?”

  He shook his head as if to clear it. “Not at all. Why do you ask?”

  I ran my fingers along his jawline. “You just seem like something’s on your mind.”

  He kept stroking my hair. “You are, as usual, correct.”

  I grinned, trying to lighten his mood. “That’s because I’m brilliant.”

  “You are brilliant. Among other things.”

  “That doesn’t sound good—what sort of other things?”

  He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “Sometimes you’re hard to read, babe.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  A warning alarm sounded inside my head, and I sat up. “Did I do something wrong?” We’d been social nonstop since we’d arrived in Boston. Introverted, uptight nerd that I was, I’d probably said or done the wrong thing. Maybe I’d embarrassed him.

  “Of course not—boy, I am messing this up.”

  I sat there, my brow furrowed.

  “My family loves you, Lauren. You can relax your forehead.”

  That made me feel better, but I continued to scowl, waiting for him to continue.

  He sighed. Then he lay back, putting his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling for what felt like forever. I wasn’t sure if he was going to
say anything else.

  All of a sudden, he laughed—a deep, guttural sound that seemed out of his control.

  “What’s so funny?”

  He stopped laughing, but it took him a minute. “I’m nervous.” A funny look crossed his face, as if he smelled something repugnant or had a sour taste in his mouth. “This is a first for me. Obviously, I’m not handling it well.”

  “You’re going to have to elaborate. I’m totally lost.”

  He propped himself up on one arm to gather his thoughts—at least I got to admire his sculpted bicep while I waited.

  “You know how my mother was whispering to me earlier? That’s what I’m nervous about.”

  I still had no idea what was going on. “Okay…”

  “Although she wanted to talk about logistics, and I’m more nervous about the actual execution—and the outcome, of course.”

  “Of course. But can you tell me what the heck you’re talking about?”

  He laughed again. “This isn’t going how I’d planned.”

  I said nothing, waiting for him to make sense.

  Gabe sighed, raking his hand through his hair and getting up from the bed. He dithered around—at least I got to admire his ass and his muscled thighs for a moment, until he pulled his boxer briefs on. “Why are you getting dressed?”

  He held out one of his old Harvard T-shirts for me. “Put this on. We can’t do this naked.”

  That didn’t sound promising. My scowl deepened. I wanted to stay in the warm bed, but I pulled the T-shirt on.

  He patted the edge of the bed. “C’mere.”

  I suspiciously went and sat near him. He knelt on the ground in front of me, raking his hands through his hair, making it spike. I longed to smooth it, but I held back, waiting for him to speak.

  “So—logistics. I need to get this out of the way first.” He grabbed my hands and looked up at me. “I don’t think this is the best timing, but in other ways, it’s the absolute best timing—because it’s now, and I don’t want to wait anymore.”

  I nodded, swallowing over a sudden lump in my throat.

  “But my mother said this was all she wanted for a wedding present, so I consider that her blessing.”

  I opened my mouth and then closed it.

  “Babe. You know who I am, and you accept me. But I knew me before—and I know that I’m a better man because of you.”

  “Oh…thank you.”

  Gabe’s eyes widened. “No—thank you. Because you’ve given me the life I always wanted. You’ve inspired me, and you inspire me every day. I consider it an honor to know you. I mean that. I love you so much, babe.”

  My eyes filled with tears, but I held them back. “I love you too.”

  “Good.” Gabe seemed to relax a fraction. “But back to logistics. My mother got married today.”

  “I know. I was there.”

  “Lauren, your genius is showing.” He flashed a dimple. “Because this was her day, I didn’t think this was the right time…”

  I bit my lip. I wanted to ask: The right time for what? But I felt suspiciously like I might burst into tears.

  “But she insisted it was. She said she was too old to have her thunder stolen.”

  “Babe?”

  “Yes?”

  “Can you please tell me what you’re talking about?”

  He laughed to himself, and I saw his dimple. I reached out to stroke his cheek.

  He pulled the nightstand drawer open and brought out a small, square box, then looked up at me. “My father gave this to my mother—it isn’t much. It was all he could afford.”

  I could see the muscles in his throat work as he swallowed, and I almost lost it.

  He opened the box, and there was a ring inside—a simple gold band and a solitary, circular diamond.

  “I wanted you to have this ring because it’s special to me. I know how much my dad loved my mom—I love you that much. And I want to ask you: will you marry me? I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  I opened my mouth to respond and promptly burst into tears.

  Gabe pulled me to him, cradling me in his arms. I thought he might be crying too, but I couldn’t be sure. Once I finally calmed down, he pulled back. “Was there an answer in there somewhere?”

  “Yes. The answer is yes.”

  A look of pure joy, the likes I’d never seen, broke out over his face. “I’m so glad.”

  He slid the ring onto my finger, and we both stared at it. “I can’t believe it fits like it was made for you. I guess this really was meant to be.” Gabe pulled me back into his arms, and then we both cried. This time, I was sure.

  Once we calmed down, we sat on the bed and admired my left hand. “My mother would love this ring. I wish she could be here.” Still, I felt her with me—breathing a huge sigh of relief.

  “I wish I could’ve met your parents. They must’ve been amazing people.”

  “They were. They would have loved you.”

  He kissed the top of my head. “I need to call my mom. And you need to call your sister.”

  I sat up straight. “Did she know? Is that why she was acting so funny on the phone?”

  Gabe nodded, looking guilty. “I asked her permission.”

  “That’s cute—so why do you look like that—guilty?”

  Gabe looked down, playing with the ring on my finger. “She got, er…a little excited.”

  “Of course she did. She loves you, and she’s my sister. She’s been dying for us to get engaged.” But then suddenly it dawned on me. The thing that followed the engagement was the wedding. “Oh no. Oh boy. She’s going to go crazy. We can’t let her.”

  Gabe’s jaw muscle tightened. “Well…she sort of already started. She’s been texting me all weekend.” He showed me his phone, which was filled with pictures of wedding venues, cakes, and links to different appetizer lists.

  I dropped the phone onto the bed. “She’s already planning a menu?”

  “And she’s been dress shopping. She made you a bunch of appointments at bridal salons when we get back.” He held up his hands. “Don’t shoot the messenger, babe. I’m just trying to prepare you.”

  “Oh…wow.”

  “The thing is, you can’t say no to her.”

  “Of course not. We just got her back, and she’s been planning both of our weddings since she was four.” I might as well accept bridal defeat. If I had my way, Gabe and I would get married in a courthouse first thing Monday morning. But Hannah would have other plans—lots of other plans. I groaned. “She can do whatever she wants.”

  “I already told her that. I gave her the black American Express card.”

  I peered at him. “She’s going to break it, you know.”

  “That’s fine.” He put his arms around me. “Let her have some fun. She deserves it.”

  I settled myself against his chest, putting my left hand up so I could still stare at it. “I can’t believe we’re getting married, I’m so excited!”

  “So am I.” Gabe wrapped his arms around me, a huge grin on his face. “And this is just the beginning.”

  “The beginning of what?”

  “Of us, babe. The beginning of us.”

  Keep reading for an excerpt of HANNAH,

  Silicon Valley Billionaires, Book 3

  HANNAH

  Silicon Valley Billionaires, Book 3

  Before She Can Put the Past Away...

  There’s Hell to Pay

  Hannah Taylor—the bright, bubbly publicity director of Silicon Valley’s celebrated startup Paragon Laboratories—was kidnapped and beaten. Her bodyguard-boyfriend, Wesley Eden, was shot right in front of her. The responsible party? None other than Chinese mogul Li Na Zhao, who’ll stop at nothing to steal Paragon’s blockbuster biotechnology from Hannah’s CEO sister, Lauren.

  Now, Wesley and Hannah are back home and on the mend. Their relationship is tested as Wesley struggles to recover, and Hannah, fueled by the injustice of Li Na’s actions, is out for retributio
n while refusing to acknowledge the PTSD she’s grappling with from her kidnapping. Wes is convinced that Hannah is hiding the truth about her captivity, and he’s determined to find out what really happened while Li Na had Hannah.

  Out to protect her loved ones, Hannah is hell-bent on finally taking Li Na down, especially after she discovers that Paragon isn’t the only Silicon Valley company in Li Na’s cross hairs. Naturally, the ethically challenged Chinese CEO refuses to give up without a fight...

  But she hasn’t tangled with Hannah Taylor when she’s bent on revenge.

  Chapter 1

  HANNAH

  “Hey.” I nudged Wes’s shoulder and he groaned.

  He pulled me, gently, against his chest. “Hey what?”

  I nestled against his big body, warm underneath the blankets, while staying mindful of his bandages—and the wounds they protected. “I have to get going to work.”

  He kissed my forehead. “Stay for a while.”

  Feeling his arousal, I rolled my eyes. “Easy, stud. Dr. Kim said you need to take it slow.”

  “I know.” He chuckled. “But you’re awfully close, and you’re awfully pretty.”

  “Aw, that’s sweet—and it’s a nice try, but I’m not going against doctor’s orders.” I slid off him and moved to the other side of the bed. I didn’t want to tempt him, and the doctor said we should abstain for a few more weeks. We needed to be sure Wesley’s heart was strong enough to withstand intense physical exertion.

  His heart… I shivered, thinking about how I’d almost lost him. He’d been shot right in front of me, and I’d thought he was dead…

  “Hey.” Wes reached for me, pulling me closer. “I’m a little worried about you. You had another nightmare. Do you remember?”

  “No.” That wasn’t entirely true—I had a vague memory of the dream, someone trying to grab me and hold me down in the dark. “Did I wake you up?”

  “You did, but I don’t mind. You said some stuff, though. You were crying.”

  “Oh. Huh. Sorry about that.”

  “You don’t need to apologize.”

  I kissed his cheek. “You really are the sweetest, but I have to go. The nurse should be here soon, okay?”