He opened his mouth and shut it, staring silently up at her. His intense gaze burned into her flesh. She wished he would yell at her. Accuse her of flip-flopping, or leading him on. But all she got was silence.
Screw him. Screw him and his toned arms, and deep voice and dark eyes. Gabrie turned away and strode towards the staircase, fully intending to retreat to her room and pretend the entire conversation had never happened. She'd made up her mind, and her choice was Darren. He'd always been good to her, and she owed him her loyalty.
She paused at the foot of the old staircase. She owed him? Was that really why she was choosing Darren over Jack? She closed her eyes and tried to focus. Jack had a point. What did she want? Darren was nice and handsome and rich. Jack might not have money, but he'd been nothing but kind to her so far.
So what did she really want? She took a deep breath. There wasn't really a question. Ever since she'd fallen into Jack's arms yesterday afternoon, there'd only been one man she could think about. She might've come back with grand plans of reconciling with Darren, but he just wasn't the brother she thought about constantly.
She could walk up those stairs. Pretend that she didn't care about either of the brothers. Focus on fixing her own messed-up life before she complicated it anymore.
But she couldn't get herself to move forward. Instead, she turned to see Jack still sitting against the cabinets, eyes just as intense as they had been when she'd stormed away.
"Jack," she breathed. And that was all he needed to hear as he pushed himself and reached her in three long strides. His hands gripped her face and angled her just right for a powerful kiss. She fisted her hands in his hair and pulled him closer, relishing the feel of his hard body against hers.
His tongue stroked hers and she moaned into his mouth. Good Lord. How had she ever expected to stay away from this man? Swept away in the kiss, she pulled him closer as she started to fall back against the wall, but he resisted.
"No," he whispered. "We're doing it right this time. In a bed."
She raised a brow as a smile crept into her lips. "It didn't feel wrong against the wall."
He smiled back at her, but his eyes were still hungry. He took her hand in his and led her up the stairs.
Gabrie followed him as though in a daze. Every step closer to the bedroom set her heart beating even faster. The interruption increased the anticipation until, when he finally pulled her into his room, she couldn't stop herself from pulling at the hem of his t-shirt and ripping it over his head. She let out a sigh of appreciation at his rippled chest, but he didn't let her admire it for long. Bending his knees a little, he gripped her ass and picked her up. She squeaked in surprise as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders.
For a moment, he stared up at her, and she felt as if time stood still. As if there was no Darren to worry about. As if Jack's father hadn't just died. As if they really could be a carefree couple. "Kiss me," she whispered.
He turned with her in his arms and they both tumbled onto the bed. Her gasp as she bounced on the mattress was met with his kiss. His hands pulled at her shirt as his tongue teased hers. He moved away for the briefest second as she shifted to help him remove her shirt before he trailed kisses along her jaw. His lips set the sensitive skin on fire as the stubble on his jaw sent tingles of electricity straight to her core.
She didn't wait for him to remove any more of her clothes. Instead, she moved her hands to the button of her shorts and pushed the material, along with her panties, over her hips. He took her cue and pulled them all the way off her legs, leaving her in only her bra.
But not for long. Jack pushed a strap aside, his skillful tongue teasing a sensitive nipple as it was exposed. She bucked against him as she cradled him closer. Even as he teased and tortured her, his free hand moved up her legs and to her wet heat.
With a confidence she didn't realize she had, she parted her legs for him, silently telling him exactly what she wanted. And he didn't disappoint.
As he moved to the other breast, his fingers slid inside her, moving in a tantalizing rhythm as his thumb found the tiny bundle of nerves. She screamed as his hands and mouth worked in tandem to drive her insane. But right when she thought she couldn't hold herself back anymore, his hand left her. Before she could ask what he was doing, he moved down and spread her legs wide as his hot breath brushed over her folds.
She was torn between pulling him closer and pushing him away, but he didn't give her a choice. His mouth closed over her clit and she didn't even try to suppress the scream that escaped her. Gabrie gave in to the sensations and dug her nails into his muscular shoulders as she urged him closer, silently begging for more.
But when his fingers entered her again, she was beyond begging and screaming. Her body fractured into a million pieces as the pleasure crashed into her. She rode the climax; wave after wave of sensation washed over her. She was almost surprised to open her eyes and see that Jack stood in front of her, making quick work of his jeans.
As soon as he was naked in front of her, she held her hand out to him. Instead of taking her hand, he crawled between her legs and gripped her hips right before he twisted with her in his arms until he lay flat against the bed and she straddled him.
Her breath caught in her throat as she looked down at him. He was always sexy, but seeing him beneath her, his muscles moving with every breath he took and everything hers for the taking, she couldn't even believe he was real.
He ran his fingers down her sides and traced the dip of her waist and curve of her hips until he was between her thighs and positioned himself at her entrance. As soon as she felt his thick head against her opening, she let herself slide down his cock, moaning as he slowly stretched and filled her. His fingers dug into her hips as he let out a quiet groan. For a second, she just let her head fall back as she reveled in the sensation.
But then the urge to move took over. She set her palms against his broad chest and lifted herself up and down. She wanted to go slow, but soon the basic urge to go faster and faster overrode everything else.
As she sped up, Jack took over, showing her exactly how he wanted her to ride him. As her climax got closer and closer, she closed her eyes and let the sensations sweep over her for the second time that day. She gripped his shoulders tightly as she rode out the pleasure, never stopping the ferocious rhythm he set for them.
Right as she was coming down from the high, Jack stiffened beneath her. He held her still as he roared out his own release. She couldn't help but stare as his muscles corded and tightened. A strange sense of power flooded through her. Had she really done that to him?
He must've felt her gaze on him, and he smiled up at her. "Has anyone ever told you how sexy you are when you come?"
Speech eluded her, so she said the only word that popped into her mind. "Ditto."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Gabrie kept at the wallpaper, trying her best to ignore her aching back. She had no one to blame for this but herself. If she'd actually slept last night instead of jumping on Jack every chance she got, she'd probably have more stamina for actually doing the job she was hired to do.
She couldn't help the grin that formed as she thought back to Jack. Somehow she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She could stop running from what her traitorous body wanted and just embrace it. Not that she was looking forward to the conversation she'd have to have with Darren, but it was what it was.
Darren was handsome and charming. He'd be able to move on in no time. He'd invited her down as a friend. She'd assumed they were getting back together, but she'd never given Darren any reason to think they would.
Except for when he kissed her. Gabrie squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead. Why had she kissed him back? She'd slept with his brother just hours before and the entire thing had felt off, but she'd been so determined to get over Jack.
She threw the scraper down and the sudden noise jerked Tank awake. "Sorry, buddy." She crossed to the kitche
n and stretched her arms as she moved.
She'd gotten so much done the day before, fueled by frustration and stress. Spending the night with Jack completely relaxed her, but now she felt utterly unmotivated to work. It didn't help that all her muscles were sore from her initial attack on the wallpaper yesterday.
After she dug through the bags, Gabrie pulled out a chocolate chip cookie. Bringing all this sugar into the house really wasn't a good idea. Her self-control was even worse when there were so many options. A bite here, a bite there. She'd feel worse if she wasn't working her ass off in the living room.
Tank was immediately at her side, his eyes wider than ever as he stared adoringly up at her.
She frowned at him. "Get your own cookie." She took another bite.
Somehow his eyes seemed to get even bigger and her heart melted at the pathetic looking dog. "Well...it's time for your meds, so I suppose I can get you something."
His tail thumped on the ground as she scooched around him to grab the bottle of antibiotics. But she couldn't give him the pill in the cookie because it had chocolate in it. She'd have to improvise with something else...
Before she could think of what type of food to sneak his pill in, she heard a familiar song. Was that her phone? She frowned as she followed the faint sound. It wasn't on the lower level. She padded over to the staircase and looked up, but it wasn't from that direction either. She craned her head around to look at the front door.
It must be outside.
The ringing stopped, but Gabrie crossed over to the window next to the door. Sure enough, a small, black rectangle rested in the grass next to where her car had been parked before Jack borrowed it for the morning.
She didn't remember dropping it, but she supposed if she remembered dropping it, she probably would've picked it up.
Her eyes darted across the drive, but she didn't see anyone around. The sun was high in the sky, so there were hardly any shadows. Everything looked perfectly normal, but something felt off. Wrong. She thought back to when she'd hauled all the bags inside. She'd been so frazzled from Drake and knowing what she'd have to tell Jack once she got inside. Her phone could've fallen out of her back pocket.
The phone rang again and Gabrie sighed. She needed to answer. It could be Darren, and he needed to know about Jack's accident and his father's death. But the nagging feeling kept her from opening the door. Instead, she turned and ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. When she got to her room, she pulled open the drawer to the nightstand and grabbed her small, double action revolver.
Its weight felt familiar in her hand. Small guns had a bigger recoil and were harder to aim, but she'd gladly put in a few more weekends at the shooting range if it meant she could conceal her protection more easily. Gabrie picked up the pepper spray canister and dropped it in the pocket of her baggy shorts, along with the antibiotics that were still in her hand. Half of her felt as if she was overreacting, but the other half remembered the look on Drake's face as he'd stared at her.
At the memory, she gripped the gun tighter. She wouldn't be scared by a drug addict who weighed less than her, she told herself. She repeated the mantra as she descended the staircase and reached the door.
She gave a quick glance out the window again, but the coast was still clear. She closed her eyes as a deep rage settled. She wasn't afraid. She wouldn't be afraid to walk outside in broad daylight, damn it.
Taking a steeling breath, she twisted the knob and stepped out into the heat. She did another sweep with her eyes, but nothing seemed out of place. The only sound was the wind rushing through the trees. Satisfied, she strode forward and stopped when she reached the phone.
For the life of her, she couldn't think of how the phone had fallen out of her pocket. But obviously something had happened. With a sigh, she knelt down and scooped it up.
The thing started to ring again and Gabrie jerked back; the phone tumbled back to the ground. Shit. Damn Drake had her jumpy as hell. She took another steadying breath and grabbed the phone again. She turned it over to look at the screen, but the call was from an unknown number.
Before she could slide her finger across to answer it, a shadow fell over her. Before she could even aim her gun, something hard slammed into the side of her head.
A bright light flashed behind her eyes and then there was only darkness.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jack brought Gabrie's truck to a stop in front of Cross Falls and rubbed his temples. Even though he'd known his dad's days were numbered, he wasn't prepared for the reality of making arrangements. He didn't know the first thing about funerals. How was he supposed to guess how many people would come or what the hell type of food to serve? The only thing that had kept him going was the knowledge that Gabrie was back at the house waiting for him.
Hopefully she'd be lying in bed right where he left her, so they could take up where they left off... A bolt of guilt shot through him. His dad had died a day ago, and he was thinking of ways to get laid. But it wasn't like that. Even if Gabrie wasn't going to be waiting naked in bed for him, he was genuinely glad to have her there. To know he didn't have to sit in the giant, crumbling house all alone.
Somehow she calmed him. Funny, he didn't remember any of the other women he'd been with having that effect. It was especially strange considering he'd only known her for a few days. The beginnings of all of his other admittedly brief relationships were hot and heavy and full speed.
No doubt what he had with Gabrie was hot and definitely full speed ahead, but somehow it was more. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he didn't want to overanalyze anything. For now, he'd have to be happy with what she was willing to give. The future was tomorrow's problem. He just needed to get through this damn funeral.
Jack pushed the door open and stepped onto the crumbling blacktop, practically hearing the sizzle as the overheated concrete burned the bottom of his shoes. For a moment, he thought of the Maine construction manager job he'd passed up to come back home. He would've been hot still, but Southern heat was a completely different torturous beast. The humidity seemed to take on a life of its own during the worst days, and one of his favorite things about having a job that allowed travel was the ability to escape the heat.
He was halfway to the door when the subtle glistening out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He frowned. Something round and plastic looking was in the drive, the bright sun reflecting off the smooth surface.
His father, as many faults as he might have, would never leave trash lying around, and Gabrie was more invested than anyone in making Cross Falls beautiful again. Why would there be trash in the drive? Jack strode to the piece of litter. He stopped and crouched next to the pill bottle. There wasn't a label on it, but Jack recognized the shape and color. It was Tank's antibiotics.
Uneasiness crept through him, and he ran back to the house. The unlocked door opened easily, and Tank greeted him with a smile and wagging tail. Jack pushed past the dog. "Gabrie!" He quickly circled through the first story, glancing in every room, but there was no sign of her. All her tools were set out in the living room and she'd obviously been working on the wallpaper. "Gabrie!" he yelled again, as he pounded up the stairs. He went room by room, even the ones she had no reason to be in.
The front door creaked open and Jack let out a sigh of relief. "Gabrie, where the hell were you?" he bit out as he ran to the stairs.
But his relief abruptly vanished when he looked down to see his twin in the entryway.
"Where the hell have you been?" he sneered as he rushed down the stairs.
Before Darren could answer, Tank ran over to intently sniff Darren's legs. Darren backed away from the large dog until his back hit the door. "What the fuck is that?"
"Tank!" yelled Jack. "Come here." The dog didn't seem too moved by Jack's harsh command, so Jack bent down and snapped his fingers, which immediately had Tank running to get a few good scratches from Jack. "That's a dog and it's a long story." He frowned up at Darren's obvious discomfort
. He never knew his twin was afraid of dogs...
"Did you see Gabrie as you drove in?" He stood, softly shooing the dog away.
"Her truck is outside," pointed out his brother.
Suddenly, all Jack could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat and rapid breathing.
Gabrie was gone. He'd promised himself he'd keep her safe, and she could be anywhere by now. He'd been gone all morning...almost four hours. Even if she was nearby, there were miles and miles of wilderness outside of town.
For the first time in his life, Jack was grateful for his twin's presence. "Grab your keys," he told Darren. "We have to find her."
CHAPTER NINE
Gabrie opened her eyes midair as she was dropped unceremoniously on the hard wooden floor. Everything seemed to come in painful flashes. She remembered waking up in the trunk of a car. She'd tried to bang on the sides to alert anyone who might be in earshot, but her hands and feet had been bound with some sort of rough rope.
Every struggle, every movement, sent searing pain shooting through her head. At some point during the bumpy ride, she must've passed out again because she had no memory of getting out of the trunk.
Light footsteps sounded from behind her; the old floor vibrated with the movement. She was torn between the need to open her eyes to formulate a plan of attack and the desire to keep her eyes closed and play dead.
The footsteps got closer, and her heart beat faster. It took everything inside her to stop from hyperventilating. She needed to keep her breath steady. She needed to look past the fear and pain and focus. She'd obviously been taken by someone for...some reason. If she knew who and why, she could think of something to get her out of here.
After her mother's murder, she'd done extensive research on killers. But nothing prepared her for this. She needed to open her eyes. If he wore a mask, he might be planning to let her live. But she'd prefer not to leave that option up to him.
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