Gabe pursed his lips. Then he shrugged. “Don’t know, to be honest. He went to a few holiday dinners while he was still in nursing school, and they weren’t all that comfortable for him. I definitely wouldn’t make him go if he had the time off. But he does try to go to weddings and things like that.”
“Except your sister’s.”
He grimaced. “Except my sister’s.”
“Think she’ll ever let that go?”
“I doubt it.” He chuckled. “I love my sister to death, but she seriously believes the world should stop for the milestones in her life.”
“Sounds like she’s been reading a few too many wedding magazines.”
“You think?” he grumbled.
“I can kind of see why she’s upset, though.”
He glanced at me, eyebrows up. “Seriously?”
“Well yeah.” I shrugged. “I’d be pissed too if my Muslim brother-in-law went trotting off to Saudi Arabia after I went to all that trouble to make sure he’d have access to kosher food.”
Gabe snorted, and we both started laughing.
“I so can’t believe she said that.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Don’t…don’t repeat that one to Shahid either.”
“Yeah, I can imagine he’d be a little upset.”
“Not really. I mean, he’s used to people being idiots about his religion. It’s not so much that it would offend him or piss him off, but it would be one more line on the ‘reasons Shahid doesn’t like visiting Gabe’s family’ list.”
“That’s got to be tough on both of you.”
“It’s been a bone of contention. He’ll still go to things when he can, but I know it makes him uncomfortable.” He rubbed his forehead and released a long breath. “We don’t argue about it, but I can always tell when he’d rather not be there. So he works while I go to my parents’.”
“Seems like a reasonable agreement.”
“It is to Shahid and me. Not sure about everyone else.” He gestured dismissively. “One holiday’s done, though. Don’t have to put up with their shit again until Christmas.”
“And then you can probably listen to them grill you about why in the world you brought me along.”
He laughed halfheartedly. “Great.”
“Hey.” I put my hand over his thigh. “At least they don’t know the truth.”
His muscles tensed beneath my hand, and he squirmed in the driver seat. “Well, not yet.”
“They don’t have to know the details, though. Like, what we did after we went home from Thanksgiving dinner this year.”
He glanced at me, eyes wide. I slid my hand higher, and he swore under his breath. Slowing to a stop at a red light, he said, “Now I’m really glad I didn’t overeat tonight.”
“Me too.” I glanced around and then grinned. “I have an idea. Turn left at the next light. Drive over to the school.”
“The—” His head snapped toward me. “Why?”
“It’s Baker Hill High School. They’re our rivals, right?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Right. And high school kids are always parking in the school parking lot.” I peeled off my top. “Maybe we should find out what the attraction is.”
Gabe stared at me. “You’re…”
“Serious?” I unsnapped my bra. “What do you think?”
He blinked a few times.
I gestured out the windshield. “Light’s green, honey.”
He faced forward and hit the gas hard enough to squeal the tires and push me back against the passenger seat. He followed the signs, and my heart sped up as Baker Hill High came into view. Their main parking lot wasn’t gated, and it didn’t have cameras or anything, so he pulled in and took one of the hundreds of empty spaces.
“You really want to fool around here?” he asked as he killed the engine.
“Are you telling me you don’t?”
“I never said that.” He unbuckled his seat belt and twisted toward me. Kissing me hard, he pushed my thighs apart and pressed the heel of his hand against my pussy. Despite my slacks and panties in between, the pressure was enough to make my head spin.
“How did I not know what a dirty girl you are?”
I raked my nails up his back. “You never asked?”
He groaned and nipped my earlobe.
“I am a dirty girl.” I grabbed his wrist. “And I think you need to fuck me.”
“Oh, I will. But first, I—”
“Now, Gabe.”
Our eyes met in the blanched light from the streetlights.
“Well.” He swallowed. “All right, then.” He leaned across me, pulled the lever, and I yelped as my seat dropped backward. He climbed on top, murmuring, “Forget the backseat.”
“Good idea.” I started fumbling with my belt. “Should’ve worn a skirt tonight.”
He paused and exhaled. “You know I’m never going to look at you the same when you do wear a skirt, right?”
“Good.” I grinned as I unfastened my slacks. “Mission accomplished.” I shimmied out of them, but before I could start on my panties, Gabe pushed my hands out of the way and kissed me. He climbed on top, and my pulse skyrocketed.
“Just like being a teenager again,” I whispered breathlessly.
“Only difference,” he murmured, “is I don’t have to worry about getting you pregnant.”
“Probably shouldn’t get caught, though.”
“Well.” He bent and kissed the side of my neck. “You have to admit, it would be funny to explain it to Principal Gray.”
I burst out laughing and clapped a hand over my mouth. “That would be hilarious.”
“Mmhmm.” Gabe shoved my panties aside, and in an instant, he was all the way inside me.
We both froze. For a couple of seconds, we didn’t even breathe.
“Oh God,” he whispered finally. “Why am I always surprised…by how…” He pulled partway out and thrust back in again. Through his teeth, he added, “Amazing you feel?”
“Don’t know.” I struggled to find my breath. “But let’s see how much your shocks can take.”
“God, I love the way you think.” He groaned in my ear as he started fucking me. “Sorry, Principal Gray. Couldn’t…wait…to get home.”
I started giggling, and suddenly everywhere he touched me was almost ticklish, and then—holy shit. I gripped his shoulders and rocked my hips in time with his thrusts as my whole body trembled. There was no way I was going to come from being fucked alone, but my God, he could still turn me inside out.
I pressed my foot against the armrest to lift my hips, and we both gasped. The angle was amazing now, hitting my G-spot just right to curl my toes. And then he hooked his elbow under my knee, and his next thrust almost sent me through the roof. My G-spot, my pierced clit—he hit everything just right.
“Holy shit,” I moaned. “You’re gonna…make me…”
He really was, wasn’t he?
Moaning softly, Gabe fucked me a little bit harder, and just like that, stars exploded behind my eyelids, and I came so hard I nearly burst into tears. He held me tighter, fucking me through my orgasm, and as I started to come down, he slowed down a little.
“Oh my God,” I whimpered, trembling beneath him. “Holy…”
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. Yeah. I’ve never…never come from just being fucked before.”
Gabe grinned against my lips. “First time for everything?”
“Uh-huh. Apparently so.”
He kissed me once more and then picked up speed again. Now that I’d come, his strokes were even more amazing, electrifying hypersensitive nerve endings and making my breath catch every time he slammed into me.
“You feel so good,” he murmured, and I rocked my hips, wanting him to feel even better. As stressed as he’d been all
night, as tense as his shoulders still were beneath my fingers and his shirt, I wanted him to have the release he’d given me. Maybe it wouldn’t make everything magically evaporate, but he could forget for a little while. Feel something good. Feel something spectacular if it was half as amazing as the orgasm he’d given me.
Releasing a hot, ragged breath, Gabe buried his face against my neck. The seat and the shocks creaked with the force of his thrusts, and every hot huff of breath he released across my skin sent me further into space.
“I’m gonna come,” he murmured. “Oh my—fuck!” He slammed into me so hard I yelped, and he groaned as his cock pulsed inside me. “Holy fuck…”
With one last shudder, he collapsed on top of me. “Jesus. That was hot.”
“It was. Don’t think it should be over yet.”
He raised his head and blinked. “Come again?”
“Yeah. Come again. That’s the idea.”
He licked his lips. “Your place is closer,” he murmured. “We should…we should go there.”
I ran my nails up the back of his neck. “Somebody’s horny tonight.”
“Mmhmm.” He kissed me lightly. “And I think somebody else has a few orgasms left in her.”
I shivered. “Planning to do something about that?”
“Absolutely.” He lifted himself off me and moved back to the driver seat. “So let’s get somewhere with some more space so I can do something about it.”
I didn’t object.
Chapter Seventeen
Shahid
After my second eighteen-hour shift, I came home early Friday morning. Gabe wasn’t there. Immediately, a million worst-case scenarios flooded my brain—and weren’t those at the forefront of my mind after that horrific shift?—but when I checked my phone, he’d texted me to let me know he was staying with Kendra.
There was a time when that would’ve ignited all my insecurities, and I would’ve spent the whole night freaking out, but I was too exhausted for insomnia and too relieved that he was all right to worry about what the two of them were doing. As it was, I had just enough energy to shuffle into my salat room.
In the dimly lit room, I closed my eyes and rolled my shoulders. The fountain was still untouched. I’d go through wudu soon and then begin my prayers, but I needed a moment first. That wasn’t unusual after a holiday.
Working as a nurse had desensitized me to a lot of things I’d never imagined it would. There wasn’t a substance inside the human body that could make me gag anymore. It was impossible to gross me out now, which kind of took the fun out of horror movies but made my job a whole lot easier. I was no longer surprised at what objects could fit into what orifices, or how removal of the same was more impressive than Indiana Jones swiping an artifact from a booby-trapped temple.
This line of work didn’t desensitize me to everything, though. The past couple of days were a blur of codes and chaos, punctuated by a few too many of those moments that made even a veteran ER nurse’s world stop. It was always families on holidays. Always someone who drank too much, always a minivan or a station wagon with every seat occupied. Twisted metal. Airbags. Flashing lights. Nights like that always made me grateful I hadn’t become a paramedic—the things we saw were bad enough without having to see the wreckage itself.
I could work in an ER until the end of time, and I would never get used to the sound a mother made after hearing the words “I’m sorry”. Never.
Closing my eyes, I shuddered. There were certain times of the year that were worse than others, and winter was always brutal. The holidays and football games meant a lot of people on the road. A lot of them would be drunk, too. Soon, there’d be ice and snow.
By New Year’s, we’d all be begging for time off just to cope. With each passing year, I understood why a lot of my coworkers drank during their off time, and the past couple of years, I’d even considered taking it up myself.
Two of the other nurses and I had a deal, and I was thankful that this year, it was my turn to have Super Bowl Sunday off. I let everyone believe it was because I was a die-hard football fan. Truth was, I didn’t really care about the game. I just knew that if I worked that particular day every year, I’d lose my mind. New Year’s promised to be bad enough. It always was.
I shook myself, shifted my attention to the fountain Gabe had installed, and turned it on. Then I focused my attention on wudu, starting with washing my face, so I could begin my salat.
By the time I left the room, I was much more at peace. The last couple of nights still rang in my ears, but my skin was no longer crawling and my stomach was no longer sick. I grabbed a quick, hot shower to loosen the knots in my back and shoulders—I didn’t even bother to shave—then I dropped into bed, and that was all she wrote.
My alarm jarred me out of a sound sleep at ten thirty. I was alone, but Gabe’s wallet was on his nightstand, so he must’ve come home at some point. Good.
I exhaled and reached for my phone. As my head slowly cleared, I checked e-mail and social media. I was just skimming over Facebook when Gabe walked in.
“Oh hey.” He smiled. “You’re awake.”
“Getting there.”
He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “How was work?”
I tamped down on a queasy feeling rising in my gut. “It, uh, wasn’t a good couple of days.”
Gabe’s brow creased, but he didn’t ask. We’d come to an understanding years ago that if I wanted to talk about it, I would. If I said it was a bad shift and left it at that, he didn’t push—there were some things that just didn’t need to come home with me.
I touched his face. “Could I ask a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Next year…” I hesitated, then met his gaze. “Look, I know how much it stresses you out to visit them, but would it be too much to ask for you to stay overnight at your folks’ on Thanksgiving? Or even in a motel?”
He straightened. “Why?”
I shuddered. “Too many drunks out there. I’d feel a lot better if I knew you weren’t out on the road.”
Gabe held my gaze, and then he nodded. “Okay. Yeah. My parents have that extra bedroom now that my brother’s moved out again.”
I exhaled. “Okay. Thank you.”
He touched my arm. “It was a really bad night, wasn’t it?”
I nodded. “Thanksgiving always is.”
I left it at that. So did he.
“I should get moving or I’ll lay here all day.” I kissed his temple. “Just need to do my salat, and I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“Okay.” He smiled. “Want me to start the kettle?”
“Yes, please.”
After I’d prayed and dressed, I went downstairs. When I walked into the kitchen, Gabe was just pulling the teabag out of my cup, and he slid the saucer toward me. We exchanged smiles—somehow, he always timed it just right, and without fail, I sat down at the table to a perfect cup of tea.
The holiday had been rough, and the season wasn’t over yet, but just this return to normalcy, especially my husband’s company and the knowledge that he’d made it home safe, centered me and brought me almost as much peace as my salat. And since I had a long shift ahead of me today, I needed that.
Gabe put his hand over mine. “So since you’re off tomorrow, do you want to make any plans?”
“As little as possible.” I turned my hand over and clasped his. “Movies?”
“Movies sound great.” He paused. “Should I see if Kendra wants to join us?”
I smiled. “Definitely.”
Chapter Eighteen
Gabe
Shahid couldn’t stick around very long, but I promised to bring him food at work. At least then we’d both be awake, and God willing, we’d have a little time to actually catch up.
Around seven, I packed some food into an insulated bag and drove to the hospit
al.
The parking lot was full, and so was the waiting area. That wasn’t unusual, especially this time of year. No surprise—it was a good two hours before things calmed down enough for Shahid to break free and grab some food. I was still wiped from Thanksgiving, the drive and the night with Kendra, so I was going through coffee by the gallon. A few times, I wondered if it would be best to go home and sleep and then catch up with Shahid when he came home tonight. On the other hand, it was Black Friday. The drive took me past two shopping centers, and the roads had been a zoo. Did I really want to go out in that traffic again?
As always, though, any thoughts of waiting to see him when he got home vanished the second he stepped through those double doors, dressed in green scrubs with half a day’s worth of stubble on his jaw. My heart sped up. Oh yes. Worth the wait, as always.
“I missed you,” I said, and kissed him.
“I missed you too.” He grinned. “Especially since you brought food.”
I huffed melodramatically and rolled my eyes. “Yes, I brought food. Does that mean you’ll stay with me for a little while?”
He chuckled, slipping his hand into mine as we headed toward the cafeteria. “So, Thanksgiving was crazy as usual. But Kendra kept you company, I assume?” His tone was playful, but there was something else in his eyes. Uncertainty, maybe?
“Is that okay?”
“Yeah. Of course.” He cupped my face and kissed my forehead. “Anything’s better than you being stuck there alone.”
Is it?
“Are you… I mean, it—”
“Gabe, we’ve been through his.” He squeezed my hand. “If I had a problem with it, we wouldn’t be in this arrangement at all, and I’d have put my foot down before you guys went to your parents’ house. It’s okay.”
“True. But…”
“Relax. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“It’s okay. And yes, she was good company. Kept me sane around my sister.”
He shuddered. “I think that right there makes her worth her weight in gold.”
The Best Laid Plans Page 13
