by T. J. Kline
“Apparently.” He slid his other arm around her waist, drawing her close and cursing his body’s immediate response as he inhaled the sweet scent of her, grabbing the bouquet as he stood. “I’ll have Remington meet us at the café with the first aid kit.”
“First aid kit?”
“From the car.”
She looked at him like he’d grown another head.
“We have one in every car. You never know when—”
She laughed at him.
“What?”
“You’re just a regular Boy Scout, aren’t you, Mr. Radcliffe?”
“And it’s a good thing for you, Miss Nolan,” he said, pulling out his phone and texting his driver to meet him at one of the tables outside. “This is the second time I’ve rescued you.”
“Or have been the cause of my accident.”
In spite of Gabe’s offer to carry her, Anna insisted on hobbling by herself, stopping occasionally to dab at the blood on her knee. “I can’t believe you made poor Mr. Remington walk this far to bring a Band-Aid,” she moaned.
Gabe ignored her comment as Remington arrived, taking the first aid kit from his hands. “Thank you. We’ll be at least another thirty minutes for lunch.” With a nod, Remington left and headed back to the car to wait. Laying the flowers on the table, Gabe knelt in front of Anna, opening a packet of antiseptic and a gauze pad from the kit. “Okay, let’s see it.”
“It’s fine. I can do it.”
“Anna, don’t be ridiculous.”
Gabe reached out a hand as she scooted her chair backward, capturing her ankle. Her gaze met his and he saw the fire his touch had ignited. Her breath caught as he slid his hand up the back of her calf.
Maybe she isn’t as unaffected by me as she appears.
Flames of yearning licked at him, testing his self-control as he folded the torn skirt up over her knee. Carefully brushing away tiny pieces of dirt caught in the scraped skin, he clenched his jaw tight in order to maintain a thread-grip on his sanity. He shouldn’t be touching her, shouldn’t be wanting to touch her.
He held the antiseptic pad over her knee. “This might sting,” he said, his voice thick with desire.
She flinched, but remained silent as he cleaned and bandaged the wound. When his fingers brushed over the back of her knees, she gasped. The sweet sound was almost enough to undo him. Even as his body burned from within, self-loathing consumed him. He let his hand fall away from her silken skin. He had to.
“I think that should take care of it.”
“Thank you.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
Chapter 15
“What’s your favorite food?” Gabe asked. Anna had been acting oddly since he’d bandaged her knee and Remington was making good time through the afternoon traffic. He didn’t want their day to end this way. Maybe a few harmless questions would get them back to the amicable ground they’d been on before.
“What?” She turned to face him. “What brought that up?”
“You’re being too quiet. It’s making me worry. Just answer the question.”
“Pizza.”
“Really? I sort of figured you for a corned beef and cabbage kind of girl.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Just because I have red hair doesn’t mean I like Irish cuisine. For your information, I’m Irish and Scottish. And I hate cooked vegetables. Slap that corned beef between two toasted pieces of rye and we’re talking. What about you?”
“Pizza.”
“Like you eat pizza,” she scoffed.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” She rolled her eyes in disbelief. “Try me.”
Her eyes gleamed with mischief as she accepted his challenge. “Favorite drink?”
“Merlot.”
“I should have guessed it’d be wine. Favorite book?”
“To Kill a Mockingbird. You?”
“Charlotte’s Web.”
“Really?”
“What can I say? I loved animals growing up.” Anna shrugged. “Favorite school subject?”
“PE. But that’s true for every boy.”
“What about in college?”
“Finance.” Her eyes widened and he laughed. “It sounds more impressive than it was, but I was good at it. What about you?”
“I didn’t go. Favorite color?” she asked before Gabe could follow up on her response.
“Green,” he said, staring directly into her emerald eyes, unable to stop himself. He was grateful that she didn’t seem to realize the reason for his choice.
“Favorite place in the world?” She smiled when he paused, looking confident that she’d finally stumped him. Remington turned down her road and stopped the car in front of her building.
“Sonoma, at my vineyard,” he said. “You’d love it.”
Her smile disappeared and her gaze met his. Gabe could see the warring emotions there. He was feeling the same way.
“Gabe,” she whispered. Remington opened her door before Gabe could do something he’d regret.
“I’ll walk you to your door.”
Gabe exited the car first, holding his hand out, waiting for her. After what felt like an eternity, she slid her hand into his palm. He wished he didn’t feel the sizzle of heat traveling up his arm or the pleasure coursing through his body, reawakening the hungry emotion he’d given up at his grandmother’s insistence of his engagement. He felt the warmth of her body and longed for more. Settling his hand at her lower back, he walked with her up the stairs in silence, even as his mind spun with fantasies, every single one involving the redhead beside him.
Anna searched for her key in the bottom of her tote, juggling the bouquet. Finally, after she pulled it out and slid it home, she faced him, biting her lower lip as she stared at the flowers. “I…I think it might be better if I only deal with Stephanie from now on.”
Gabriel took a step closer to her, the distance between them disappearing. Her hand immediately settled on his arm, branding his skin. Her fingertips clenched his forearm slightly and her eyes darkened. Anna moistened her lips.
“We shouldn’t,” she whispered.
“You’re right, but I can’t help it.”
Dipping his head, Gabe brushed his lips against hers. The caress was barely a kiss, but it scorched him. Her breath mingled with his and the sweetness of her nearly drove him mad. She tasted like strawberries, sweet and tart, like the woman herself, and he wanted more. He parted her lips with a sweep of his tongue and she sighed, rocking into him, answering his yearning with her own. Longing slammed through his veins in time with his pulse.
“No!”
Anna jerked away quickly, spinning on her heel and pushing her way through her door, slamming it shut behind her without any explanation.
Gabe leaned his forehead against the metal frame for a moment, gathering his wits. He had no right to feel the way he did about Anna. If spending the day with her proved anything, it showed him that he couldn’t go through with this wedding. No matter what he’d promised. Gabe wanted Anna.
Anna leaned back against the closed door, struggling to catch her breath, pressing a hand to her racing heart. She’d just kissed her boss. Okay, so technically, her boss had kissed her, but she had been willing to be kissed. Yearning burned through her, igniting her core, racing through her limbs, turning them liquid and making her weak. The flowers and tote dropped from her arm as she slid down the door to the floor, drawing her knees to her chest.
What were you thinking?
She wasn’t thinking. She had been feeling. The way his hand had cupped her jaw, and the way his fingertips had brushed over her earlobe. The scent of him surrounded her. She could almost feel the moist heat of his mouth against hers again. Anna pressed her fingers against her lips. The taste of him lingered, so sinfully forbidden yet so welcome.
How was she going to face him? She couldn’t possibly work with Stephanie any longer, nor would Stephanie want Anna to after Gabe told her what happened. If he told her what happened. There was a g
ood chance Gabe would never tell anyone. Wilhelmina Radcliffe’s words haunted Anna.
One last bit of fun before his wedding.
Anna picked up the roses and rubbed the velvety petals with her fingertips, wondering if she had been played by a playboy. She stood and made her way to the garbage can with the flowers. She was no one’s “last bit of fun.” Lifting the lid, her hand hovered with the bouquet.
What if he wasn’t toying with you?
It was impossible. Stephanie was perfect—kind, beautiful, from the same world as Gabe—but Anna had seen something in his eyes today. It was different than the way he looked at Stephanie. Maybe it was a foolish fantasy, but no one else had to know. Anna carried the flowers into her kitchen and filled a vase with warm sugar water. Carefully clipping the ends of the flowers, she arranged them, setting the vase on the counter.
For only a few days, she’d let the flowers be a reminder of a beautiful mistake she could never repeat.
Chapter 16
Anna bolted upright, awakened by the shrill tone of her cell phone. She reached for it, swiping her finger over the screen. “Hello?”
“Anna, I hope I didn’t wake you.”
Stephanie.
Light broke through the crack in her curtains, piercing her like an interrogation spotlight. Shame flooded through her. She’d kissed Gabe, her boss, Stephanie’s fiancé. How could she have done something so stupid?
Anna glanced at the time. It was almost ten.
Shit, I’ve wasted the entire morning dreaming about him.
Anna cleared her throat as she rose from the bed. “Good morning, Stephanie.” Anna headed for her coffeepot, praying the caffeine would jolt her brain into functioning properly and keep her from saying something she’d regret.
“Gabe said yesterday went well.”
Fear settled in the pit of Anna’s stomach as her eyes fell on the bouquet of roses. They stared back accusingly, reminding her of what she’d done. She managed to grunt a reply.
“Join me at the house today. Most of the wedding party will be here and I’d like to introduce you to my sorority sister. Her wedding is a few months after ours. Would you be interested?”
Hell yes!
Anna’s gaze fell on the lavender roses again. They were usually known as the symbol of love at first sight, but now they reminded her of betrayal and stupid mistakes. This opportunity was too important to risk because she was attracted to the groom. She had to find a way to stay away from Gabe Radcliffe.
“Of course.”
“Good.” Stephanie sounded as excited as Anna should have felt. “I’ll have Mrs. Dillard set a place for you. See you at one!”
No more mistakes, Anna vowed. She needed to forget about last night altogether.
“Damn, I don’t know what’s gotten into you today, but harness it more often. That’s a personal best, man.” Every muscle in Gabe’s chest quaked as he pressed the barbell up for his final rep as his best friend and personal trainer, Brandon Demasi, spotted him. “You want to talk about it?”
Gabe dropped the barbell into the rack and scooted out from under it, taking the bottle of water Brandon held out to him and chugging half of it. He wiped the sweat from his face with a towel, and then draped it over his thigh. “No, thanks.”
“Ah, so woman trouble.” Brandon nodded with a slight laugh.
Gabe scowled at him. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.” Brandon crossed his arms, leaning over the barbell. “I’ve known you too long not to recognize that look. So, what’s up with Stephanie?”
Gabe had known Brandon since his second year at Stanford. When the football player turned training coach informed him of his business plan upon graduation, Gabe seized the opportunity to help a friend and step away from his family’s “old money” obligations. Instead of spending his trust fund on kegs and cars, he invested it, starting with Brandon. He began building a fortune outside his grandmother’s reach. So far, Brandon’s business had been mutually beneficial and solidified both their friendship and their finances.
“Nothing’s up with her.”
“If that were the case, you wouldn’t be working this hard. You’ve upped your weight and reps.” Brandon stood up, changing out the weights for Gabe’s next series of exercises. “Spill it.”
“Remember how my grandmother wanted me more involved in the wedding?” Brandon nodded, rolling his eyes. “Well, I hired a florist.”
Brandon laughed out loud. “What the hell do you know about flowers?”
Gabe shrugged. “Nothing. I sideswiped her with my car. And when I found out what she did for a living, I figured it was a good way to get my grandmother off my back and make up for the damages I’d caused.”
“You have insurance for that.” Brandon slid the last plate onto the barbell and tightened the clip on the end. “Okay,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Get on with the story. You have a few more sets.”
“Stephanie was sick yesterday so she sent me out with the new florist.” Gabe lowered his voice, knowing it wouldn’t be the first time his grandmother had one of her staff spying on him. “I kissed her.”
“Damn, dude,” Brandon muttered. “Did you tell Stephanie?”
“What do you think?”
“Damn,” Brandon repeated as he inhaled slowly before letting out a low whistle. “Look, I know you care about Stephanie, but, Gabe, you obviously don’t want to go through with this wedding. You’ve gotta talk to her.”
“What I have to do is marry Stephanie Maurier. You know I don’t have a choice.”
“Stephanie’s father will manage. He’ll take a hit, but people have recovered from far worse than a messy divorce. If you’re falling for someone else—”
“I’m not.” Gabe slid his hands around the barbell, hoping his curt reply would end the conversation. Stress bunched the muscles of his chest and back as he thought of Anna, leaning into him last night at her door. The sweet taste of her still lingered on his lips. “Besides, we both know that I can’t call off this engagement. I’ll be disowned. The family fortune and name…”
“Yeah, yeah, being a Radcliffe opens doors,” Brandon said as he lifted the bar and helped Gabe settle it over his chest. “I’ve heard that bullshit for years. But you’re doing fine on your own without your grandmother’s pull or your family’s money. Our gym is opening its third location here in San Francisco and two in LA next summer. You have the vineyard and winery. Look how great those investments have turned out.” He let go of the bar as Gabe started his first set of incline presses.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gabe growled, pressing the barbell upward.
“Sure, I don’t,” Brandon said with a chuckle, letting Gabe finish the set before he pushed the matter further. “You need to quit letting your grandmother steamroll you.”
“You don’t understand.” Gabe grunted as he caught his breath, prepping for his next set.
“Oh right. I forgot. We lowly hired help have no clue about the troubles you trust fund babies face, right?” Brandon shook his head. “Then tell me what you’re going to do.”
The weights clinked loudly as Gabe pressed them up, using every bit of his frustration to do it. “No clue.”
“My advice: call off the engagement.”
Gabe dropped the barbell into the rack midset. “And what am I supposed to do when I’m disowned and can’t afford to open the other three gyms? Or the winery goes under?”
Brandon arched a dubious brow. “If that were to actually happen, we’d build our business slowly, like regular people without millions of dollars of family money backing them. We could start by only opening one new location. Or find another investor and open all three. It does happen, you know.”
Gabe sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pulling at the back of his neck to loosen the muscles. Last night with Anna, he’d simply reacted in the moment, a needy, undisciplined moment. But today, in the harsh light of reality, Gabe knew there was
far more at stake than just his love life. He wasn’t sure he could walk away so easily and hurt people who cared about him.
Chapter 17
The tentative knock on his door made Gabe pause, midshave. “Come in.” Stephanie entered, looking flawless and regal in her linen pantsuit. “Ready for the vultures to descend, huh?”
“Stop, Gabe. I hate this as much as you do, but it’s what has to be done.” She watched his reflection as he turned back to the mirror to finish shaving. “I don’t know why your grandmother is pushing this union, but now, after what my mother did…” She shook her head, regret tinging her blue eyes.
“Is this really what you want?” He reached for the washcloth, wiping away the leftover shaving cream, and then followed her out into the bedroom. “We’re friends, Stephanie, but we’re not in love. Do you want to give up on that to save your father’s reputation? Or to further whatever plan my grandmother is hatching?”
He could see the indecision in her eyes. He cared about Stephanie, he always had. They were good friends and she’d fit in with his family—she got along with his sisters, and had social status and money—but he didn’t want to end up like his parents, who barely tolerated each other.
“I don’t see where either of us has a choice.” She dropped to the corner of the bed and shrugged. “They’re making the engagement announcement public soon. I’ve tried to convince your grandmother to keep it a small affair, but you know how she is.”
Gabe nodded and sat down beside her, reaching for her hand. “We could walk away.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Easy for you to say—you have a vineyard and the gyms. I have a degree in design, and there aren’t too many openings for designers with no practical experience. I live off my trust fund, Gabe. I never thought my mother would run off with everything Dad built.” She laid her head against his shoulder with a sigh. “I like you, but the thought of being your wife doesn’t send me over the moon with excitement, either. We’re in this together, for better or worse, unless you figure something out.”
