Grounds for Seduction (Seattle Steam)

by Shelli Stevens

  But technically, they weren’t. So as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t say that to Christy. Not to mention if she admitted she was sleeping with Gabe, Lannie would know about it before the night was over. And if Lannie knew about it, Eric would know about it. That’s when things would really get sticky.

  Eric wouldn’t be too pleased knowing that she was sleeping with his best friend. The reputation that had made Gabe a perfect candidate for a rebound would be the reason Eric would flip out if he knew about them. Besides, what right did she have to lay claim to Gabe, anyway? If she were honest with herself, she had none.

  Guilt pricked through her, and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

  “Gabe is a family friend,” Madison heard herself say. “There’s no romance between us.”

  Just sex. Maybe more, but neither of them was ready to acknowledge it.

  “A friend,” Christy repeated with a nod. “Wonderful. Well, then, I think I’ll go back and see if I can make any more progress with that fascinating man. Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck.” The two words had her stomach clenching.

  She watched Christy disappear out of the restroom and wished she could hate her. Unfortunately, besides the somewhat annoying perkiness, the woman seemed overall a likeable person.

  Instead, she sat hoping Gabe didn’t bail on her to get involved with the cute schoolteacher. She pushed a hand wearily through her hair.

  When she came back to the table, Christy had moved full-throttle into flirting. Gabe smiled at whatever she said and glanced up as Madison approached the table.

  She averted her gaze, not wanting him to see any emotions she might not yet have under control.

  “We’re looking over the dessert menu, Madison.” Eric passed her one. “What do you want?”

  It all looked unappealing to her right now.

  “I think I overdid it on bread.” She attempted a half-smile.

  “Oh, good.” Lannie grinned and patted her hand. “I hate being the lone one to forego sugar. I can’t wait until I’m married and I can eat all unhealthy again.”

  The waiter reappeared to take their order. After Eric had ordered a simple bowl of ice cream, the waiter turned to Christy.

  “We’re going to share the tiramisu.” She gestured toward Gabe.

  Madison’s stomach knotted further and a bitter taste filled her mouth.

  The waiter nodded. “Would you like an extra plate with that?”

  “No, that’s all right.”

  “Maybe an extra fork,” Gabe inserted.

  Well, at least he’d asked for an extra fork. Why had she imagined that Gabe would actually discourage Christy’s flirting? She knew his track record. Gabe went through women like she went through shoes.

  Though she tried not to watch while the two ate off the same plate, her gaze drifted over of its own accord.

  She clenched her hands under the table and vowed there was no way she would stay another day on the island with him. He could come back to Seattle and bring Christy back to his house for some real education. She didn’t give a damn so long as she didn’t have to watch.

  “I’ve got the bill, Gabe,” Eric said.

  Madison looked up to see that the dessert plates had been cleared and Gabe and her brother were arguing over the bill.

  “Better let him get it, Gabe. He’s the one with all the money.” She gave a brief smile.

  Her cheeks burned with shame. Oh, Lord, why had she said that? Why? How utterly bitchy of her. Everyone’s blunt stares seemed to agree with her inner consensus.

  “Madison?” Eric gave her a reproachful glance. “Why are you coming down so hard on Gabe? He’s doing me a favor by watching over you. Any advice or decisions he’s making are for your own safety.”

  Of course, she seethed. How could she have forgotten she was a favor for Eric? This was so unlike her, though. It was rare that she let her emotions get this out of hand, and never was she so foolish as to let anyone see when it happened. She took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down.

  “You’re right, Eric,” she forced herself to say in an agreeable tone. “To tell the truth, I’m getting a bit of a migraine, and it makes me short-tempered. I’m sorry.”

  “Then we should head out,” Gabe insisted, standing. “We have a long drive ahead of us.”

  Madison wanted to tell him she would just stay here, but all her luggage was up on Whidbey. She rose from her seat and grabbed her purse. “Thank you for dinner, Eric.”

  “Don’t forget the rehearsal dinner is in two weeks,” Lannie mentioned quickly. “I hope you feel better, Madison.”

  Eric leaned forward to shake hands with Gabe.

  “Thanks for everything, Gabe.”

  Christy looked flustered as she watched them get ready to leave. She touched Gabe’s jacket and leaned forward to whisper something into his ear. She wasn’t quite as inconspicuous when she slipped him a scrap of paper.

  Having seen enough, Madison turned on her heel and walked away from the restaurant to the elevator. She jammed the button for the parking garage, hoping that she’d left quickly enough that she wouldn’t have to share the elevator with Gabe.

  But luck wasn’t on her side. He walked up and stood next to her.

  “Did you have a nice dinner, Maddie?”

  Her jaw clenched. “Lovely. And you?”

  “It was very nice.”

  The doors to the elevator slid open, and they both stepped inside and waited quietly for a moment.

  The doors slid shut, and the pleasantries disappeared.

  “Are you going to explain your temper tantrum back at the table?” Gabe asked.

  “I thought I explained it. I have a headache.” Madison looked away, completely in control of her emotions again.

  “Right, the headache excuse,” he replied with a slight edge. “You seem like the type to use it.”

  Her teeth snapped together, the control slipping, but she forced her lips into a smile. “What can I say? It can be very useful.”

  “Ah…maybe that’s why Bradley dumped you.”

  “Oh, you did not just say that.” Madison’s head whipped around to face him, but he had already stepped through the doors that had just opened.

  She reached the car a moment after him and climbed into the passenger seat, belting herself in with more force than necessary. The control she’d regained disappeared once again.

  “Don’t presume that you know me or anything about me.” Her blood boiled, and it was a miracle her voice didn’t shake since her hands were so badly.

  “I wouldn’t have to presume if you’d just calm down and talk to me about it.” He turned to glare at her. “I want to know why you freaked out at dinner.”

  “I didn’t freak out,” she snapped. “I was just fine, considering I had to watch you mentally undress Christy all night.”

  Damn. That thought wasn’t supposed to have left her head. It was just what he’d wanted her to say, and they both knew it.

  “You’re the one who made the rules tonight.” He sounded weary. “You told me to act like you didn’t exist. What was I supposed to do? Eric knows me inside and out. He knows that I wouldn’t brush off such blatant flirting.”

  “You didn’t have to flirt back.”

  “Didn’t I?” He glanced at her. “Didn’t I, Maddie? Be honest with yourself for once. If I hadn’t flirted back, Eric would have known something was up. Would you have been prepared to deal with his suspicions?”

  Be honest with yourself. Her stomach twisted. “No. I wouldn’t have wanted to deal with that.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to draw attention to what we’ve got going on between us. That’s personal.”

  He nodded. “Understandable.”

  “But I didn’t like seeing you getting pawed by some other woman, either,” she said in a quiet voice.

  He stayed silent for a moment. His hand covered hers and she jumped, startled at the contact.

  He watched her with a gentle
expression. “Did it kill you to admit that?”

  “Just about,” she whispered. But it was also a relief to have admitted it. It was so tiring trying to pretend he didn’t affect her, that she didn’t mind if he flirted with other women.

  Her shoulders crumpled, and she shook her head. “I’m sorry, Gabe. I’m behaving like a spoiled kid.”

  His hand squeezed hers. “Well, I’m sorry I hurt you. And I want you to know I’m not interested in Christy in the slightest.”

  Madison glanced down at their hands, relief flooding through her. “Really? Not even a little? It would be understandable if you were. I mean, she’s pretty and sweet. She even speaks Spanish.”

  “Quit trying to sell me on her attributes, or I’m going to think you’re her pimp,” he teased. “I’m not going to deny that she’s pretty. But there’s just one woman on my mind right now.”

  “Angelina Jolie?” She grinned, mostly because her stomach turned all fluttery and warm.

  “Well, you are both brunettes.” They stopped at a traffic light, and he leaned over to brush his lips over hers. “But I think you’re still in the lead.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Madison opened her mouth under his, reveling in the invasion of his tongue. The sound of a horn had them pulling apart with reluctance.

  Gabe hit the gas and sped through the light just as the skies opened up in a torrent of rain. By the time they reached the ferry, the wind had started, and it grew obvious they were in for a storm.

  “It’s amazing how fast the weather changed,” Gabe said once they were parked on the lower level of the ferry. “Do you want to go upstairs?”

  She nodded. “I wouldn’t mind getting some air.”

  They left the car and went upstairs, wandering around the passenger deck before deciding to brave going outside.

  Madison winced as the cold rain slapped against her cheeks, but the refreshing air made it worth it.

  “You can go inside if you want,” she yelled above the wind. “I don’t mind staying out here by myself.”

  “I promised I’d protect you,” he called back with a grin and drew her body against him. “Just because it happens to be from the weather makes no difference.”

  She snuggled into him, feeling safe and warm with her back pressed against his solid chest. He wrapped the edges of his trench coat around them. It didn’t completely encompass her, but it protected her from the brunt of the storm.

  They stayed outside the entire ride, with the rain and wind pounding at their faces and a warm heat radiating between their bodies.

  When they went back to the car, Madison missed warmth from Gabe’s body, even with the heater on full blast. But the eventual combination of a warm car and the rain outside lulled her into a light sleep.

  …

  Gabe glanced over at Madison’s sleeping form and a surge of tenderness swelled through him, followed by a growing possessiveness.

  He turned his focus back to the road. Tomorrow they should talk. It was time. Despite neither of them wanting things to get complicated, somewhere along the line they had.

  Gabe squinted at the dark road ahead of him. Since it was late and the road was deserted, he flipped on his high-beams. A few seconds later, a deer, not even a hundred feet ahead of him, was illuminated in his lights.

  He hit the brakes and waited for the deer to move off the road. Madison stirred but didn’t open her eyes.

  “Are we there already?” she mumbled.

  “Not yet. You can go back to sleep.”

  “’kay.”

  She started snoring again as he maneuvered down the wet road.

  By the time he pulled up in front of the cabin, the wind had reached its highest peak of the night so far.

  Gabe climbed out and ran around to Madison’s door, pulling it open and helping her out as she struggled to wake up.

  The trees bent in the wind, and the blowing rain hit almost painfully against their skin as they ran inside.

  Gabe shut the door behind her and turned to hit the light switch. Nothing happened.

  “Did we lose power?” she asked, still groggy.

  “Looks like it.” He nodded. “I’ve got a flashlight in my car. I’ll be right back.”

  …

  He disappeared out into the storm, and Madison glanced into the dark house. She shivered again, but not only because of the cold. Being alone in a cabin without power was kind of creepy. Hell, she’d seen enough horror movies to be scared. She relaxed when he returned a moment later with a flashlight three times as big as any she’d ever used.

  “That must take a lot of batteries,” she said as he flicked it on and shut the front door behind him.

  “I rarely use it, so it’s all right.” He took her hand and led her through the dark room.

  Good thing he led, because she couldn’t see much. “Should we just call it a night and go to bed?”

  “I have a better idea,” he suggested. “I was thinking we could pull the blankets off the bed and sleep in the living room. I’ll get a fire going in the fireplace.”

  Warmth flooded through her at his suggestion. How absolutely romantic. “You’re right, that is a better idea.”

  “I thought you’d like it. Sit down for a moment, and I’ll grab the blankets.”

  Madison reached down, feeling the couch and sinking onto it. He left her alone again, but she didn’t mind as much because she’d already started to visualize the heat of their upcoming fire.

  When he returned, he handed her the comforter, a furry blanket, and two pillows.

  “All right, I’ll leave you these to make our bed on the floor, and I’ll go get some wood from the shed.”

  He handed her the flashlight, but she shook her head.

  “You’re going to need it more than I am. It’s pitch black out there.”

  “It’s pitch black in here,” he pointed out. “I’ve been here many times, so I know where I’m going. And there’s still a little bit of moonlight.”

  “All right,” she agreed and took the flashlight from him. “Be careful and hurry back.”

  “Of course.” He lowered his head to drop a quick kiss on her mouth. “It’s freezing out there.”

  Once he’d disappeared, Madison pushed aside the coffee table and spread the comforter on the floor. That would have to do for cushioning them. Then she grabbed their pillows and set them down and laid the faux-fur blanket on top of the comforter.

  There. Between the fire and their body heat, that ought to keep them warm.

  Gabe reappeared with a stack of logs balanced in his arms and kindling clutched in his fist. Madison rushed forward to help him, relieving him of a couple of logs.

  “Thanks.” He set the rest down next to the fireplace. “Now all we need is to find some matches.”

  “Hmm.” Madison frowned. “It’s times like this I wish I smoked.”

  Gabe laughed and shook his head. “I think there are some in the kitchen drawer. Here, I’ll take that flashlight back.”

  Realizing she still had to get ready for bed, she padded off through the darkened cabin.

  Lord, I’m brave. She felt her way along the wall toward the bathroom. Even though her normal routine for bed took about a half hour, the fact that she now did it blind made her skip some aspects and pick up the pace. She made her way back to the living room ten minutes later.

  “Ah, too bad, she found her nightgown,” Gabe commented from his seat next to the small, but steadily growing fire.

  “You were hoping I wouldn’t?” Madison grinned and sat next to him on the blanket.

  “Well, I wouldn’t have protested nakedness.” The fire crackled beside them. “And I have to warn you that I have no intention of going in search of my pajamas.”

  “Oh, darn. That means I’ll be sleeping next to a naked man.” She gave a dramatic sigh. “I swear, the sacrifices a girl has to make in a storm.”

  Gabe laughed softly. “You’ve got a better sense of humor than I remember, Mad
die. Back when you were a teenager…”

  “Yes?”

  “Well.” He shrugged. “You weren’t as laidback. You always seemed so focused on being popular and were surrounded by a bunch of uptight snobs.”

  A prick of guilt stabbed at her stomach. “Yeah…”

  Gabe winced. “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have said that.”

  “Don’t be sorry. In fact, I agree,” she confessed. “I’ll be the first to admit that I was a spoiled, materialistic snob back in the day. I think what changed me most was living in Italy. Somehow, it put into perspective what I really wanted in life. That’s what made me decide to get my MBA when I got back.”

  “Italy did all that? Sounds like an impressive place.”

  “The people were amazing, too. Have you ever been to Europe?”

  He shook his head, staring at the fire.

  “We should go.”

  He looked back at her and lifted an eyebrow. “We should go to Europe? Together?”

  “I don’t know,” she replied after a moment. “I was just throwing it out there. I guess I meant you should go. You don’t have to go with me, necessarily. I just think you would enjoy it very much.”

  Gabe scooted closer to her on the blanket, watching the way the fire highlighted the conflicting emotions on her face.

  “If you go back, would you go alone?”

  “I assume so.”

  “Aren’t there any friends you’d take?”

  “I don’t have many close friends,” she admitted, casting him a sideways glance. “Like I said, I’ve changed since high school and haven’t seen any of those girls in years. And I was so focused in college that I didn’t have much time for a social life. The friends I did make are still in Oregon. We call occasionally and email, but you know how it goes.”

  He kept staring at her with a pensive expression.

  “I don’t have the kind of friendship with them that you have with my brother.”

  “Most people don’t have the kind of friendship that I have with your brother,” he acknowledged. “He’s like blood.”

  “Okay, I know you mean that in a good way.” She grimaced. “But seeing as we’re sleeping together, I don’t want to think of you in a brotherly fashion.”