by Marika Ray
So, we both lay there awake, the distance between us growing with each passing minute. By the time the sheets had cooled off, I let my eyes close and sleep finally took me.
15
Rhett
The sun filtered through the window while I enjoyed another morning waking up to Gabby tangled up in my arms and the largest erection known to mankind. It was becoming a permanent state of affairs these days. I wondered if a serious case of blue balls could become a medically ill-advised calcification with permanent repercussions.
Last night was amazing.
And I was now the biggest pussy in my age group for declaring a night where I hadn’t even gotten inside a woman the best night of my life.
But it was.
She’d been so nervous about climbing in that bed and all I wanted to do was wrap her in my arms and tell her it would all be okay. But then my hand had landed on her silky skin and even though I knew it was a cop-out, I couldn’t seem to control where it went after that. The next thing I knew I was cupping a breast that fit perfectly in my hand and Gabby was moving, grinding into me and dissolving any sort of restraint I had.
Bejesus, the sounds that woman made when she came. It was enough to have me exploding in my shorts like a prepubescent boy. I’d had to turn over before she figured out what happened and I thoroughly embarrassed myself. Now my boxers were uncomfortably stiff, but dry, thank God.
The thought that I had the best night of my life with a woman who was my half-brother’s ex hit my awareness like a sledgehammer, keeping me awake far longer than I would have liked. The best I could come up with was that since Hewitt didn’t acknowledge me as a brother, maybe there was nothing to be guilty about.
“Tesoro?” she whispered against my chest. She was awake.
The sound of the nickname on her lips was everything.
“Yes, Snookums?”
“Did that happen last night or was I dreaming?”
I stifled a laugh. Of course this woman would straight out ask me about it. One minute super shy, the next bold as fuck.
“Definitely happened,” I answered as quietly as I could. The less the camera picked up of our conversation, the better.
She dug her face into my side like she intended to burrow in until there was nothing left of her.
“M’soy,” she garbled against my skin.
I lifted my head to hear her better. “What was that?”
“I’m sorry,” she said a little louder.
Oh, hell no. My stomach instantly twisted into a knot. That wasn’t going to work for me. I turned, lifting her up and rolling on top of her to settle between her legs. She looked up at me, her sleepy eyes wide.
I cupped her face between my hands. “No. Apology not accepted. There is nothing about last night to be sorry about. If anyone should apologize it’s me for taking it too far.” She blinked and tried to shake her head, but my hands wouldn’t let her. “But I’m not sorry either because I enjoyed giving you pleasure last night. In case you haven’t noticed, Gabriella, I think you’re hot.” Her face, the parts of it not covered by my hands, flushed bright red. “So unless you have objections, we’re gonna do that again tonight and give the cameras some spicy stuff to air on television.”
She whimpered and I had to know if it was from distress or because she felt that pull between us too.
“Say something,” I begged.
“I, um, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” she said on a whisper.
“Is that your brain talking or your heart?” Because I’d noticed a pattern with Gabby. She seemed contradictory sometimes and I was thinking it had less to do with her being wishy-washy and more to do with what part of her she was listening to at any given time. She had the brain of a mature old lady figuring out the cost-benefit analyses of each decision throughout the day. But she also had the heart of a gypsy wanting to fling off her clothes and dance in the moonlight. I’d memorized the way her eyes danced yesterday when she’d stood up on that board, and the way her smile became her whole face when she spotted the pod of dolphins. My girl had a beautiful heart, she just didn’t listen to it very often.
If my armchair psychoanalysis was correct, she’d listened to her brain the entire time she’d been with my half-brother. Her heart had probably atrophied over the years until she didn’t even hear it anymore. My new purpose in life had just become getting Gabby to get her heart back in the game.
She wrinkled her nose. “Um, both?”
I grinned at her, finding her confusion adorable. I kissed her upturned nose and lifted up onto my hands, looking down at her beautiful face.
“Whatever we’ve been faking, we’re going to explore making real. So buckle up, buttercup. We’re going to be exploring that heart of yours a lot more the next few months.”
Her expression softened when I kissed her, though her eyes stayed cloudy. “I don’t even know what all that means, Rhett.”
I shook my head slowly. “You don’t have to yet. I’ll teach you. I’m going to spring so much spontaneity on you you’re going to come to expect it.”
She frowned. “You know that’s like the opposite of spontaneity, right?”
“Yep.” I popped that P and kept right on going. I was onto something, I could feel it. “We’re gonna take routine and wring its little neck to squeeze out all the spontaneity you can handle. We’re going to spice things up so hot your eyes will water. I’m going to be right by your side, the two of us living life to the fullest and seeing what happens.” I lowered down to her and kissed her right on her surprised lips and hopped out of bed. “Chop, chop, woman. We got work to do and then I have a surprise for you tonight.”
Her gaze didn’t meet mine. As I stood there, I realized her gaze was on my crotch, where Mr. Happy was all too giddy trying to say good morning to her.
“Hey, eyes up!”
Her startled gaze flew to mine and her cheeks heated again. Damn, she drove me crazy in the best way. My veins felt like they were on fire when she looked at me like that. I took a step closer and tunneled my fingers into her hair to palm the back of her head. I dropped my voice as low as it could go.
“Oh, you’re a greedy girl, huh? You got a little something last night and you already want more?” She bit her lip and I tightened my hold on her hair. I wanted to jump right back into bed and show her exactly what I could do with her while I was in a spontaneous mood, but there was no way in hell our first time would be with a fucking camera recording her every sound. Those noises would be for my ears only.
Instead, I made my fingers relax. “Soon, sweetheart.” I kissed her forehead and released her, forcing myself to walk away to get my shower going. As much as I wanted her, now was not the time. I had plans to make for Gabby first.
Also, Jasper had texted me yesterday that a buddy of his was on the market for a new custom board. I’d be meeting with him today and I wanted to show him samples of everything I could do. While I was busy showing Gabby how much fun we could have together, I’d be building my empire. She deserved a guy who could give her everything and I’d be the guy to do it. The icing on the cake would be knowing Hewitt, the asshole who thought he was so much better than me, couldn’t do it.
“Rhett?”
The garage door slammed and Gabby’s heels clacked on the wood floor downstairs. She’d gotten dressed up to go into the newspaper office building today while I met with my new client. Two custom surfboards, his and hers, were commissioned and already being designed by yours truly. It had been a good day.
I listened carefully to track her movements. As I’d planned, she stopped walking when she hit the kitchen counter and saw the envelope I’d left for her there. That snort-guffaw I’d come to love so much filled the silence. My skin buzzed with excitement. I loved scavenger hunts and I hoped Gabby would come to love them too.
The sliding glass door creaked across the metal track alerting to her whereabouts. She must have figured out my first clue.
Roses are red, violets are
blue, your relaxing view is sweet, and so are you.
I’d noticed the other day that Gabby liked to sit on her back patio and rock back and forth in her chair, a blanket over her shoulders, and a glass of wine to sip. Her backyard consisted of tall shrubs that screened her yard from the neighbors’ eyes and there was a patch of green grass, but that was it.
While it was true that I joked a lot, I was also observant. When we went paddle boarding and drove through Redondo, she’d been enthralled with all the properties that had vibrant colored rose bushes lining the white picket fences. The word she’d used was charming. So I recreated that in her backyard.
In the small square of dirt where a tree had been years ago and chopped down due to the roots causing problems with the patio and house foundation, I planted six rose bushes. Each one had a different color of rosebud. And a short white fence went around all six to form a rectangle.
“Oh my God!”
Her excited voice made me grin with a primal sense of satisfaction knowing I’d pleased her with a new little rose garden to look at when she sipped her wine at night. Gabby loved to surround herself with beauty, but she was smart enough to know that didn’t always require material things. Sometimes nature was what the senses needed.
The slider creaked again and I could hear the cameraman schlepping behind her, trying to catch everything. I hoped Hewitt saw this episode and realized all the things he should have been doing for Gabby. But it was more than that. Whether Hewitt ever saw it or not, I just wanted to do something to get Gabby out of her head and make her smile.
“Yes!”
I leaned closer to the closed bedroom door. She must have found the bottle of her favorite pinot I’d gotten her. Which meant this next clue might bring her to the gift that she didn’t like quite as much as the others.
Hey, Beautiful, you may think this gift is more for me than for you, but it’s not. You’re never up a creek without a paddle when you’re adventuring with me.
As soon as I heard her run outside again, I ran to the guest bedroom to peer out the window. She was at the door to the potting shed where I kept all my board shaping supplies. Propped up against the door was a new paddle for her to stand up paddle with next time we went out. Hanging from the paddle was a burgundy bikini that cost more than any scrap of clothing should. But the color matched her signature nail color perfectly and I knew she’d be a knockout in it. See? Observant, baby!
She made a face at the camera, but grabbed the suit anyway to bring it inside. I hustled back to the bedroom and listened at the door. The next note was the last one.
Go where your heart takes you, where lines are meant to be crossed. There you will find your treasure.
I backed away from the door and held up my sign, the one I’d crudely made with the few minutes left this afternoon before she got home. Eventually, I heard her footsteps creak on the stairs, followed by the heavy clomp of the camera guy’s footsteps. She slowly pushed the door open and finally she was there.
Her eyes were sparking with excitement highlighting the little blush that dotted her cheeks. My scavenger hunt notes were gathered in her hands, the red nails getting lost in the bikini she held clutched to her chest. Her gaze finally dropped to the sign I held in front of me.
Will you let me have the honor of being your dinner date tonight? I won’t even wear one of my awesome T-shirts.
She honked a laugh and I couldn’t help but grin wider.
“I’d love to.” She came farther into the room and cupped my face, pulling me down for a kiss. Her lips brushed mine, there and then gone, and as far as first kisses went, it was way too brief.
If I didn’t have the damn sign between us, I would have pulled her in and made it last longer, but as it was, she let go all too soon and gestured to the things in her hands.
“Thank you. For the after work fun, the roses, the suit, the wine. It was all perfectly spontaneous.” She winked and I vowed to do it again some time, just to see that look on her face.
“You’re welcome.” I tossed the sign onto the bed and slid my hand behind her neck to pull her in again. One kiss just wasn’t enough. Her lips melted under mine this time, no longer stiff with the awkwardness that comes with pretending. My tongue flicked at the seam of her mouth, finding my invitation granted instantly. Gabby tasted sweet, but her mouth moved with confidence, fighting mine for dominance. Even her kiss was a contradiction.
Which wasn’t a turn-off at all for me. More like an addiction to finding out every nuance of who she was. When we finally pulled apart, I’d lost my breath but gained clarity.
I wanted this woman.
16
Rhett
“You are stunning.”
Gabby twirled in her black dress, the skirt flaring up to show off her perfect legs. She wasn’t tall, by any means, but she had curves in all the right places. I was a glutton for calves like hers. I wanted to trace them with my fingers, followed by my tongue.
Bejesus. We needed to get out of here before I came in my pants again. Once was a fluke, twice would mean I had a problem.
“Let’s take your car so we don’t get your dress damaged on the many things falling apart in my Land Cruiser. Do you mind?” I held my hand out and she slipped hers in before giving me a squeeze.
“Don’t mind at all. Where are we headed?” We walked to the garage, trying to ignore the cameraman trailing our every move. His presence was irritating, but without him or the show, I never would have been in this position with Gabby, so I couldn’t be too upset.
“My buddy, Austin, has this adorable restaurant he started with his wife. We actually met through some mutual college acquaintances and bonded over our love of stupid T-shirts. He likes them from random bars and I like the ones with phrases.” I shrugged. “But don’t worry, his food is high-class all the way.”
“Wait. Do you mean Elle Fierro-Cox’s restaurant?” Gabby stopped as we got to the passenger side of her car.
I opened the door for her. “Yeah. You know Elle?”
Gabby smiled. “I sure do. I had to fill in for one of our reporters a few years ago to cover the grand opening of a restaurant right on the water. It was hers and Austin’s. They were so nice! We ended up having drinks together after the place closed that night.”
She slid into the car and I closed the door. When I got around to the driver’s side, her phone started to ring from her clutch on the floor. I started the car and backed out of the garage, wondering how in the world we knew some of the same people. Me, with my network of college buddies and minimum wage earners knew the same people Gabby did with her ivy league pedigree and Swiss bank accounts. It really was a small world.
“Oh my God, are you serious?”
I zoomed down the street but shot glances at Gabby. She looked pale. Didn’t look like the phone call was a good one.
“Okay, honey. Don’t worry, I’ll be right there.” She hung up and grimaced, sliding her eyes to me.
“What’s going on?”
“Um, Lily-Marie…my best friend? She, uh, she’s on her way to the hospital. She’s in labor.” Her hands started twisting on her lap and I hated to see her so worried.
“Which hospital?” I reached over and held her hands.
“Hoag in Costa Mesa.”
I looked up and down the street and decided I needed to hang a quick right to get to Costa Mesa. I gunned it and made the turn before the light changed to red. Of course, I completely forgot about the cameraman in the car behind us, who was supposed to be following us to the restaurant. I had bigger things on my mind.
“When was she due?”
“Two weeks from now. I guess they say when you’ve had multiple kids, they can come a little early.”
“Okay, well then, it sounds like she’s perfectly fine. Why are you worried?”
Gabby shrugged and looked out the window. “Well, you had this beautiful date lined up for tonight and I’m having to bail on you. I figured you wouldn’t be too happy.”
&
nbsp; My jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me? Your best friend is about to perform a miracle and bring life into this world and you think I care about a reservation?”
She whipped her head over to look at me. “Hew wouldn’t have been happy.”
I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath before answering. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not my half-brother. Not even close.”
“I know, I just—”
“No,” I cut her off. “Right now we need to focus on your best friend and the baby, but when that’s over, you and I will be having a long conversation. Because I need to know about you and Hew. I can’t pretend to be your boyfriend, or even think about wanting to be your boyfriend for real, if I don’t know what crap that asshole put in your head. He’s toxic and I won’t let that come between us.”
She swallowed hard, the only sound in the silent car. She didn’t respond right away and I worried I’d pushed too hard, even though I meant every word. She didn’t let go of my hand, however, and I held onto that as a good sign.
Just as the hospital came into sight, she whispered, “Okay.”
My stomach unclenched and I wanted to cheer Gabby on for being brave. For as much as I wanted her, we had to clear the air where Hewitt was concerned. He couldn’t be a ghost that hovered over us the whole time we were on the show, nor could we move forward with a real relationship if he was there. I didn’t even know if Gabby wanted that, but I’d do my best to convince her.
I slammed the car into park and we both hopped out. Gabby hobbled through the parking lot about ten paces in her high heels before I came behind her and swooped her up into my arms, princess style. She was light as a feather.
“Hey!” She grabbed at the hem of her dress to keep herself decent. “What are you doing?”
