Gabi clasped her hands under her chin as she watched Sam hug Luke, then run up the beach, heading for the tent. Luke sat down on the dock, looking suddenly ragged, like he hadn’t been nearly so convinced of her abilities as he’d let on.
As Gabi watched him brush the water out of his hair and close his eyes to the sun that bathed his body in a glorious light that made him look even more like an Adonis, she had a sudden, painful, beautiful realization.
She wanted him—wanted all of him—and it scared her to her very core.
Chapter 25
“That is not a word.” Gabi took a sip of her beer and pointed to the Scrabble board later that night. “Define it.”
It was eleven o’clock, the girls were long asleep in the dining hall, and she was sitting on Luke’s porch with letter tiles in her lap. The bear hadn’t made a reappearance since its kitchen foray, but they’d made a mutual decision to keep the girls behind locked doors until they were sure mama bear wasn’t an issue. Luke had brought down the dogs again just as everyone was settling in for the night, and as much as Gabi knew the little puffballs wouldn’t be able to defend anyone from more than a rogue mosquito, it was still comforting to know their little ears would warn them of danger.
But right now it was quiet except for the crickets and a pair of loons out on the lake. Luke had pulled out Scrabble after she’d admitted a weakness for men who played board games, and as they’d set up tiles, her zapping nerves had decreased to a low hum.
Luke raised his eyebrows. “Seriously? You’re challenging me?”
“Absolutely. You feed me your favorite beer and give me the comfy chair, and then you do those eyes … and that half-smile thing. You think you’re toying with me, but I’m onto you.”
“That so?” His smile was lazy, inviting, oh-so-flipping-hot. “And what is it you think I might do if you let your guard down?”
She felt her face flame as possibilities flew through her mind. “Um, cheat?”
“I don’t cheat.”
“Okay. What … would you do?”
“I don’t know.” He studied her. “But has anyone ever told you you’re cute when you’re flustered?”
“No.” She rolled her eyes. “And what makes you think I’m flustered?”
“You’re blushing, which I find incredibly … cute. You’re also cute when you’re annoyed. Cute when you’re downright mad. Cute when you’re overthinking. Cute when you show up in the dining hall in the morning with one side of your hair all mashed down and the other side sticking out.”
He laughed as she automatically reached for her head. “I’m not sure how you are when you’re in your normal element, but I’m finding I like the out-of-her-element Gabriela. Like her a lot.”
“Well, I could use a few more element-appropriate skills.”
“I do kind of have those wrapped up.” He winked, holding up a bruised thumb. “For instance, my skill with hammers.”
“Well, you do have … some skills.” She smiled. “Like, for instance, pancake making. You are excellent with the pancakes.”
“Comforting.” He sipped his beer. “Anything else?”
“Absolutely. You’re aces with rope tying.”
“Aces?” He smiled. “Seriously?”
She pointed to the Scrabble board. “And you can … spell. I assume. Not tonight, but usually.”
“Vital life skill. Thank you.” He nodded at the board. “And that is, too, a word.”
She looked at his face, let her eyes trace his jawline, his lips, the eyes full of heat. Then she swallowed hard. “You wear a Red Sox T-shirt really, really well.”
He tipped his head. “Well, there’s a skill I never realized was a thing.”
“Oh, it’s a thing. It’s most definitely a thing.”
She pushed herself up, and like a hummingbird to sugar water, stepped toward his chair. “You also take off a Red Sox T-shirt really, really well.”
“Is that so?” He set down his beer, full concentration on her.
“Yes. I might have maybe seen you do it once or twice. It might have been a problem.”
He reached out one finger and slowly hooked the elastic waist of her skirt, pulling her ever so slightly toward him.
“What kind of a problem, Gabriela?”
She let him pull her, let herself fall slowly toward him as his other hand came up to caress her cheek.
“Um … the kind of problem that makes concentration a little challenging?” Her voice faded to a whisper as his fingertips touched her earlobe and she leaned her face into his hand.
“Sounds kind of serious.”
“It—is.”
“What should we do about it?” He slid his fingers ever so slowly along the waistband of her wispy skirt, and she took a sharp breath as he pulled her even closer. There was no way she’d be able to resist him tonight, even if she wanted to.
“I think … maybe we go inside?” Her voice was breathy, shaky as she swallowed.
He pulled back. “Is that what you want to do?”
“I—yes. No. Yes? I don’t know?”
He paused, smiling again. “One thing I’ve never put you down for is indecisive, Gabriela.” Then he kissed her softly, making her sigh quietly. “Easy question, sweetheart—do you want me? Because I have to tell you, there is nothing in the world I want more than you right now.”
“Oh. God.” Her words left her lips just as he kissed her again, then stood up, holding her hand firmly as he swung open the cabin door and led her into the warmly lit space.
Gabi smiled as she got her first glimpse of his home. Warm pine walls glowed in the low lamplight from two end tables, and a futon-style couch separated the living room from the kitchen area.
“Wow,” she said, as she spun around slowly. “I love it. It’s so rustic and charming and warm.” She narrowed her eyes. “And neat. Are you always this tidy?”
“Depends. Is that a requirement on your perfect-man checklist?”
She laughed. “I don’t have a checklist.”
“You should. How will you ever know when you’ve found him?”
“I’m hoping my well-scarred gut, along with my brain, will help me out with that, thanks. And if I did have a checklist, tidiness wouldn’t be on it. I’m too much of a slob to make that fair.”
He reached out and braced his hands on her hips, making her shiver in anticipation. “All right. Let’s make you a list. What would be on it?”
“Let’s see.” She looked up, pretending to ponder. “I’m really a tall-dark-and-handsome sort of girl, as cliché as that is.”
He nodded, pointing at his hair. “I’ve got the tall and dark covered. You’ll have to look elsewhere for the handsome part.”
Gabi laughed, taking in his gorgeous eyes, the perfect five o’clock stubble, the mouth that promised to make tonight one she’d never forget.
“Yes, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the homeliness thing.”
He rolled his eyes. “What else would be on your list?”
“Really? We’re doing this? You want me to draw a picture of my perfect man for you?”
“Yes. Because for some reason—and I’ll be really clear here, this has never happened before—I feel like I need to know.”
“Oh.” Gabi bit her lip, feeling the weight of his words hit her way down low. A slow smile crept over her face. “Okay. I want a man who can make me take myself less seriously.”
“Easy,” he nodded. “What else?”
“Someone who’s dead sexy, but doesn’t flaunt it.”
“I’m a total nerd. Got that one covered.”
She laughed. “Someone who’s not afraid to fight coons and skunks and bears, should the need arise.”
“Hm.” He tipped his head thoughtfully. “Gonna be hard to find one of those outside this general area.”
“Someone willing to share his secret stash of coffee, even though I drink more than the average air traffic controller.”
“You do drink a lot of
coffee.”
“I do.” She nodded, pausing. “But you know what’s really tops on the list, if—you know—there was a list?”
“I’m dying to know.”
She took a deep breath. “I need somebody who can sweep me off my proverbial feet and make me feel like … the only person in the world. I need the guy who’ll swoop in when things are at their worst, kiss me silly, and make me feel like together, we can face anything. I need the guy who isn’t afraid to be romantic and sweet and self-deprecating, all while he rocks a sexy smile and a deadly five o’clock shadow.” She put up a finger. “The stubble thing’s a new addition, by the way. Never liked that before.”
“Honored.” He smiled, but didn’t say more.
“This is totally ridiculous, and you can freely say so, because I’m already admitting it … but I want the rom-com ending, Luke. I want to take the journey and earn my happy ending, but I want that happy ending, and I’d prefer to find it before I’m a million years old.”
Oh, God. Had she just said that? Had she just practically set her ticking clock right on the table beside them like a huge flipping red flag? Had she even known she was harboring the damn clock?
“Sorry.” She started to pull back, knowing she’d just handed him the nails to the coffin of this fledgling relationship, such as it was. “That was way too much information.”
He smiled softly, reaching one hand up to slide it along her jaw while the other arm pulled her closer.
“It was definitely a lot of information. But it wasn’t the kind that scares me.”
“Sure.”
“I’m serious.” He propped up her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “It might have, were you another woman, another place, another time … but … it doesn’t.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he searched her face. “It really just … doesn’t.”
And then his lips were on hers, and his arms were around her, pulling her close—but not nearly close enough—and she heard herself whimper as his hands slid downward and cupped her rear, lifting her against his body.
He walked them through a wide pine door into his bedroom, and before she had time to do more than register soft lights and that soapy, woodsy smell that was so him, he was lowering her gently onto the bed.
His tongue tangled with hers as he slid his hands under her shirt, groaning when he popped the buttons through their holes and found her lacy bra underneath.
“So beautiful,” he whispered as he pulled upward, tracing his fingers along the seams, then unhooking the front clasp and letting the cups slide slowly apart. She saw his pupils darken as he looked at her, as he took her in his hands, stroking his thumbs across her nipples.
And then he kissed her, harder this time, more insistent, before letting his lips trail down her neck, along her collarbone, to where his fingers played. She moaned as his lips touched her most sensitive spots, and she fisted her hands in his hair as he sucked gently, then moved to the other side, torturing her with his tongue.
Her body arched, aching for more, and his answered. He slid his hands up her thighs, under her silky skirt, meeting the elastic of her panties, and he groaned as he traced the lacy edges with his fingertips. She squirmed as he caressed her through the silk, then reached for him as he slid them slowly down her legs.
“Not yet, sweetheart,” he said, his voice low and almost playful. He pulled her gently toward the edge of the bed, using warm, sure hands to part her legs as he kneeled on the carpet. “Not yet.”
Chapter 26
Early the next afternoon, Gabi stood in the window of the dining hall, watching a completely chaotic scene unfold on the water as she tried to keep her eyes open. Luke had the girls out in kayaks, but this time, they were playing a game of bumper boats that had them spinning and crashing and flipping over.
She’d known him long enough to know that the game had purpose, and she recognized that every time they got dumped, they got practice getting out of the kayaks, flipping them back over, and getting back in, but there were moments when she wished they were maybe at a municipal pool, with six lifeguards at the ready. As deliciously tired as she was, there was no way she’d be able to stage a rescue this afternoon.
“Ah. Bumper boats.” Piper came up next to her. “My favorite. Girls, too, it sounds like.”
Gabi nodded. “Pretty sure they haven’t laughed this hard since they got here.”
“He knows his stuff, that’s for sure.”
“I know. But I have to say—I wish his stuff could be a little less dangerous at times.”
“You know they’re in, like, four feet of water, right? And have life jackets on?”
“Yes, but every time one of those boats flips, my whole stomach does, too. What if somebody gets stuck upside down?”
“Then he’ll help her.” Piper shrugged. “You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d guess you actually love these girls just a little.”
“Don’t tell them. It’ll weaken my authority.”
Piper smiled back. “How about Luke? Falling for him yet? For real?”
“Nope. He’s awful. Ugly, too, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”
Piper laughed out loud. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Don’t tell him, either.”
Oh, she was falling for him, all right. Hook, line, sinker, and the whole damn fishing boat. After what she could only describe as a magical night in his cabin—in his bed—she’d woken at dawn, and since then, had been cycling the night through her head on high speed, then slo-mo.
He’d been generous. He’d been impossibly sweet. He’d been more than impossibly hot, and had she mentioned generous?
God, her body shivered, just thinking of the things he’d done with his hands, his lips, his tongue.
But this morning, in the light of day, she’d already started to freak out about the entire thing, because magic was awesome, but it wasn’t reality. And the reality was that their time together was temporary, though they’d both claimed to each other that they didn’t do temporary. So getting in deep with this man who made every cell in her body vibrate for him? It was bound to be a disaster in the end, when they both came to their senses.
She really hated how logic and reality bumped off fantasy rom-com every time.
“Huh.” Piper sipped her lemonade. “Not sure if you’ve noticed that your face is a complete giveaway, but given the shade of pink you just turned, I’m pretty much dead sure you guys have done the deed.”
“Piper!”
“Busted. When did it happen?”
Gabi didn’t answer, which only made Piper laugh again. “Rocked your world, didn’t he?”
Gabi sighed. There was no way she was going to avoid this conversation, apparently. “Yes. He did. And I have absolutely no idea what to do about it.”
Piper shrugged. “Well, if it was me, I guess I’d probably have him do it again.” She raised her eyebrows. “But maybe I’m less complicated than you.”
“I doubt it.”
“So what’s the problem? You like him, he likes you, the sex was out of this world, and he’s the best catch in the land now that Noah’s officially off the market.” She winked. “Seems like a no-brainer to me.”
“Well, there’s the small matter of me leaving in a couple of weeks—I mean, for one thing.” Gabi put up her hands like it was a rather obvious issue.
“Ah. The old summer-romance problem.”
“I had no intention of having a summer romance. Or any romance.” Gabi shook her head. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“So now you’re not talking to him? Because that’s logical and everything?”
“I’m not … not talking to him.” Gabi cringed, knowing full well she’d been avoiding him all day.
Piper nodded slowly, her eyes on the water. “You want some advice?”
“Depends what it is.”
“Stop being afraid of Luke. He’s a good guy. A really, really good guy.” Piper’s voice got serious. “He doesn’t s
leep with people, Gabi. It’s like some kind of ironclad code with him. He’ll flirt and he’ll kiss and he’ll rock the dinner-and-a-movie scene with the best of them, but he doesn’t bring anyone home. Ever.”
* * *
“So you did the deed, and now she won’t talk to you?” Noah took a slug of his beer later that night. “That’s gotta hurt.”
“Funny.” Luke rolled his eyes. “Rack ’em.”
Desperate to get away from camp, where Gabriela seemed to be doing everything possible to avoid him, Luke had dragged Noah out for a couple of games of pool at Cooper’s new place downtown. The bar area up front was hopping, but tonight, the pool tables out back were quiet. Everybody was out on the riverside patio drinking and flirting and making plans to hook up for the night.
Or maybe they were just drinking. In his frustrated state, he could be superimposing the rest.
Noah got the balls corralled in the triangle, then lifted it and hung it on the wall as Luke lined up his first shot.
Noah tapped on the table. “Just a quick question for you.”
Luke closed his eyes, hands on the cue stick. “Does it have something to do with why I pick rich women who have no intention of giving up their golden palaces to be with me? Because if you were going to ask that question, I might have to hurt you.”
“Nope. That one didn’t enter my mind.”
Luke took his shot. Missed. “So what’s your question?”
“Give me a minute.” Noah ducked out of range. “I have to think of another one.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “I think she’s just scared.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” Luke took a deep breath. “I have a feeling this was not in the playbook for her summer.”
“And she’s a woman who really likes a playbook?”
“Pretty sure, yes.” He took a slug of his own beer while Noah lined up a shot. “Also pretty sure she realized she’s on borrowed time, and then she’s outta here. I imagine she’s not the type who likes to leave strings hanging behind her.”
“Huh.” Noah took his shot. Nailed it, as usual. Playing pool in bars around the world for almost ten years had given him an unfair advantage. “So what are you going to do about it?”
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