by T. J. Kline
The surprises just kept coming. “Wait, you ride horses?”
Gabe simply looked over at her and smiled. “Come on.” He hurried to hold her door open for her, his eyes glinting like a kid on Christmas morning. Reaching for her hand, he led her to the front door and unlocked it. The porch was covered in an assortment of colorful potted plants that were trimmed to accentuate the stone entry. He led her through the open-concept house and she instantly fell in love with every room. Stone tile covered the floor in the entryway until it gave way to hardwood in the family room.
The entire structure seemed hewn from the outdoors with its rustic wooden beams and stone masonry features. The space had a clean, classic tone that made it clear that it had cost him a fortune, but seemed so unpretentious she couldn’t help but feel at home, even if the living room alone was the size of her entire apartment. In stark contrast with the Radcliffe Mansion in San Francisco, this place was warm and inviting.
“Gabe, it’s beautiful,” she whispered, still awestruck. “Nothing at all like your other house.”
A frown creased his brow. “I hate that house. It’s so—” He paused, looking toward the backyard. “Cold. There are some good memories there, but this is where I feel at home.” His eyes shone with a playfulness she’d never seen before. “Come out back.”
She followed him and gasped at the fairyland that greeted her. There was the large pond in the backyard instead of a pool, and he’d transformed the entire space into a woodland oasis. Over a wide stone patio were old-fashioned bulb lights, strung across the pergola. Star jasmine was woven throughout, perfuming the afternoon breeze.
Anna wandered to the edge of the water and kicked off her shoes, sitting on the miniature dock with her feet dangling into the water. Four ducks milled along the edge across from her, eyeing her speculatively. She leaned back on her hands, letting the afternoon sunshine caress her face, soaking in the moment, taking in the differences between the man who’d sideswiped her on the 101 and the man who was taking off his shoes to sit beside her.
He laid a hand over hers. “What do you think?”
There was so much emotion in his voice. Not pride, although she could hear that, but hope. A touch of anxiety. He wanted her to love this place as much as he did.
“You don’t have staff here?”
“Not really. I have a housekeeper and gardener who come once a week. But, other than that, it’s my livestock manager, Marco, and the vineyard staff who are here with me every day.”
Anna turned to look at him.
“I know nothing about taking care of livestock and Marco’s here to keep them healthy.”
He was so matter-of-fact about it that it almost made her laugh, and she shook her head in disbelief.
“What’s so funny?”
“You. You’re so different here.” She flipped at the end of the tie he’d loosened on the drive up. “More relaxed. More passionate about what you love to do. It’s like you’ve left the person you’re supposed to be behind and let the man you want to be out of his cage.”
He returned her smile and she felt warmth radiate throughout her body, heating her, making her shiver with yearning. Gabe rose, holding a hand out to her, his eyes dark with hungry desire that matched what flowed through her veins.
“That’s exactly how it feels.” He seemed inordinately pleased by her observation. Gabe pulled her to her feet, wrapping one arm around her waist, and leaned toward her ear.
Her heart stopped for a moment before leaping into her throat. Her pulse pounded as his lips brushed over the outer shell. Anna shivered and a chuckle rumbled quietly against the hollow behind her ear. “Cold? Let’s go inside and get a glass of wine.”
Gabe watched as she raised the glass to her lips, longing kicking him square between the eyes. He might have thought it was the wine, if he’d actually had more than a sip. No, it was all Anna. She closed her eyes as she savored the tangy fruit and pepper flavors, emitting a sigh of pleasure as she settled her glass on the kitchen island. He shifted on the other side, his pants suddenly too constraining.
“How long ago did you buy this place?”
“About eight years ago. I decided this was what I wanted to do in college, but it took a while to find the right place. Then I had the grapes brought in. But it was only about five years ago that I had the house built.”
“You don’t waste any time, do you?”
Gabe leaned over the counter, covering her hand with his own. “Not when I see something I’ve always dreamed of having.”
Anna sighed and slid her hand from his. “Gabe,” she protested.
“Anna, you’re the woman I’ve been wanting to find all my life. You don’t care about my name, or my family’s money. I want someone in my life who wants me for me. As Gabe. As this.”
“We’re just so different.”
“Are we really, though?” He knew they weren’t, and now he had to make her see it. They were both passionate and willing to work hard for what they loved. He moved around the island to get closer to her. Brushing her hair behind her ear and looking deeply into her eyes, he said, “San Francisco isn’t me. It’s my burden. I’m me when I’m with you.”
Chapter 21
Anna couldn’t believe she’d heard him correctly. Staring at him, wide-eyed, she fought to keep her heart from bursting out of her chest. Her eyes misted as she met his gaze and nodded. It was all she could manage before Gabe pressed a kiss to her temple and her pulse picked up its pace. They stood like that for a moment, silently relishing the feeling of being together with no barriers, the sound of their hearts beating in unison. Gabe laid his cheek against the top of her head, exhaling slowly.
“I’ll show you your room.”
Her heart froze. She was suddenly surer of what she wanted with Gabe than she’d ever been in her life. Anna wrapped her arms around his waist. “Don’t you mean our room?”
“Anna, if I stay with you, I can’t promise to keep my hands off—”
“I don’t want you to,” she said as she wound her hands around his nape, dragging his mouth down to hers. She needed the heat of him—his mouth, his body. She needed to feel his skin against hers. Without registering the movement, her body arched into his. “Please,” she whispered against his mouth.
Gabe’s hands slid down her sides to cup her butt and, grasping her thighs, he lifted her, pressing her heat against him. This was what her body had fantasized about from the first night she’d met him on the side of the road, what she’d convinced herself could never be. His body answered with a matching desire. Anna wrapped her legs around his waist, letting him carry her into the bedroom.
After toppling with him onto the bed, she rose to her knees, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, eager to rid him of the garment as quickly as possible. Gabe shrugged it loose as he kicked off his shoes. Then he tugged her dress over her head and threw it aside. Anna practically melted into the bed. Gabe moved up the length of her, the spattering of hair on his chest tickling her skin deliciously and teasing her senses. His hardness pressed into her softer curves.
Brushing his hand over her flat abdomen, Gabe licked at her navel. “I’ve dreamed about this.”
His breath was hot on her skin, burning her. It made her insides melt as passion ignited her blood, pooling beneath his lips. His tongue trailed upward, over the ridges of her ribcage, teasing the curve of her breast. He reached up to unclasp her bra, dragging the straps down her arms. His mouth replaced the material, his tongue twirling over the tight peak of her nipple, sending sparks exploding within her. Anna gasped, arching into the heat of his mouth as Gabe licked her, drawing out a soft moan from her throat.
His hands glided over her skin, tracing the curve of her hips. She could feel his arousal pressing against her heat. Her own body was throbbing and begging for release. Anna’s fingers dug into his shoulders, drawing him closer. She needed more. As she reached for him, Gabe caught her hand.
“I don’t want to rush this. I plan to
enjoy every second teasing you.”
He raised her hand, letting it fall against the tight muscles of his butt before his fingers trailed over her inner thigh. Anna couldn’t help her body’s reaction as it trembled, desperate for him to fill her. He found the center of her desire, ready for him. Gabe circled the nub of her pleasure with his thumb, driving her mad, and she cried out, her body bucking against him. His lips moved over her flesh, tasting, teasing, lifting her higher. His hands were magical as he caressed her, finding places on her body that made her quake. Anna felt the tightness coil in her.
“Gabe,” she moaned. “Please.”
He stroked her, stoking the fire in her. He growled with the effort of restraining himself. With that incoherent plea, Anna gave in to the pleasure coursing through her, riding it as her body trembled against him. Gabe held her to him, kissing her, soothing her, as her soul rejoined her body and both of them collapsed into the pillows.
She gazed up at him and laughed quietly, her limbs weak. “If that was foreplay, I’ll never make it through the rest of the night.”
Gabe gave her a confident, lopsided grin. “We’ll see about that.”
Sucking in several deep breaths, fighting to regain even a little of his self-control, Gabe rose and plucked his pants from the floor. After sliding his wallet out, he removed a condom. Her hands slid around his waist, her body pressing against him from behind, and then she took the package from his fingers.
“Let me.” She pressed a kiss to his shoulder.
Watching their reflection in the mirror, Anna sheathed his straining erection. Gabe could barely focus as her hands gripped him. Spinning her so that her back was to the mirror, he lifted her onto the edge of his redwood dresser. Anna’s heels dug into his hamstrings, forcing him closer.
“It wasn’t supposed to be this fast.”
Anna smiled at him. “This isn’t nearly fast enough for me.”
Anna clung to him as he buried himself into her heat. Gabe felt every part of her body surrounding him, clutching him. He’d known making love to Anna would be unlike anything he’d ever experienced, but he’d never expected it to be heaven itself.
Her body gripped him, meeting his every thrust, pulsing with his as he let go. Anna cried out his name, her face against his neck, as release found her.
Gabe couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, for fear it would destroy the pure ecstasy of the moment. Her lips traced his neck and her breath whispered against his heated skin. “Gabe?”
His fingers trailed down the length of her back and she shivered against him. “Mmm?”
“As much as I’ve enjoyed this…” She reached for his hips, groaning softly as his body jerked in response. “I don’t want to stay on the edge of this dresser all night.”
“Think you could stand?”
“I’m sure I could manage.” Her eyes gleamed with wicked mischief. “Why? What did you have planned for me?”
Gabe laughed, carrying her to the shower. He shook his head and turned on the water. “I’m planning to memorize your perfect body.” His thumbs brushed over the delicate line of her shoulders, moving to trace the curve of her breasts. “But it might take a few tries for me to remember every inch.” He stepped under the spray, their bodies slick against each other, and bent to lick the rivulet running between her breasts. “I have a very bad memory.”
Chapter 22
The sunlight blazed through the windows, falling across the bed and announcing the morning. Gabe felt Anna stirring against his chest, stretching, pressing her curves against him and making his libido kick into overdrive. He watched her wake, feeling more alive than he could remember. Every part of him felt light and free. But it wouldn’t last long.
They needed to talk. About what would come next. Because they had to have a plan in place before they returned to San Francisco to tell his grandmother. He’d already decided, in the early morning hours, how he would help Stephanie and her father, even if he had to sell the vineyard and give them the money. He would still have the gyms and a few other small commercial property investments in San Francisco to rebuild his future on. In fact, he had one particular space in mind that would make a wonderful flower shop.
“Good morning,” he said with his lips against the top of her head. “Did you sleep okay?”
She smiled up at him. “No. Someone refused to let me sleep,” she teased, sliding up his body to lie atop him.
“Anna.” He whispered her name like a prayer.
She pressed her lips to his briefly before trailing them over his jaw and neck.
Gabe’s body instantly responded and he quickly rolled over, pinning her beneath him, wanting to bury himself inside her again. Her fingers trailed down his back, urging him on. He growled and playfully nipped at her shoulder. “You’re distracting me. Stay here while I go make us coffee.”
“Aw,” she protested as he sat on the side of the bed and reached for the pants he’d cast aside last night.
Gabe turned toward her and winked. “Do not move from this bed,” he ordered.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she assured him, spreading her arms out as the sheet fell to one side, exposing her breast.
Gabe closed his eyes as he made a quick exit. Anna would be the most glorious death of him.
Gabe came back into his bedroom carrying two steaming cups of coffee. As much as she wanted to stay here and enjoy having him all to herself, she knew they needed to head back to San Francisco. Gabe had already assured her that Stephanie knew about them, but she wanted to talk to her face to face, woman to woman.
“You look awfully serious for someone with no clothes on.” He gave her a tentative smile as he sat on the edge of the bed and passed her the mug. When she didn’t return his smile, he took a quick sip. “Okay, what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”
“We need to go back. I need to talk with Stephanie.”
“Okay,” he agreed.
“And your grandmother.”
“No, not without me.” His tone didn’t brook any argument. However, Anna had never been one to quit while she was ahead.
“Excuse me, but I’m a grown woman. I don’t need your permission.” She slid from the bed and tried to ignore the heated gaze that slid over her body, warming her and making her want to forget all about going home.
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea, Anna. She’s…difficult to deal with at times.”
That was the understatement of the century. She reached for her clothes, slipping into them quickly. “It’s something I need to do, for my own peace of mind. I need her to understand that I love you, that I’m not just a gold-digger. If we are going to be together, I need to try to have a relationship with her as well. She’s your grandmother and part of your life.”
Gabe’s hands fell gently on her shoulders and turned her to face him. She looked up, praying he could understand her desire to be on good terms with his family.
“Okay. I get it,” he said as he pressed a kiss to her lips. She wasn’t surprised when desire burst inside her, hot and heavy. “But we need to at least shower again before we go.”
Anna leaned back slightly, giving him a dubious look. “Fine, but it’ll be a quick shower.”
Gabe smiled as he teased the tip of his nose over her neck, letting the scruff of his morning beard scrape her shoulder lightly. “Trust me, it will be quick.”
Chapter 23
“I’m so glad you suggested we have lunch. Since you seem so keen on inserting yourself into our family, I agree that we should get to know each other better.”
Anna stared back at Wilhelmina Radcliffe from the opposite end of her dining table, refusing to let the other woman intimidate her. She watched as Tessa laid bowls of soup in front of them. “Your tone belies the sentiment.”
“Well, well.” The smile that slipped across the woman’s face was almost authentic. “Honesty from you at last, Miss Nolan.”
“I’ve been nothing but honest with you from the moment I met
you, Mrs. Radcliffe.”
“I see. Since you’re being so transparent, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind telling me the extent of your relationship with my grandson.” She sipped the broth daintily from her spoon.
Anna was dumbfounded. Before she could answer, Wilhelmina nodded. “So it’s as I suspected. Otherwise you would have denied it outright.”
Anna realized she’d been trapped. She’d have to keep her wits unless she wanted her head on the next silver platter brought out. “I love your grandson,” she stated, matter-of-factly. The words sounded heavenly falling from her lips.
Wilhelmina tipped her chin, looking down her nose at Anna. “I did tell you to stay away from him. But you ignored my warning. However, I suppose it’s better if I tell you rather than you making a fool of yourself.”
Anna remained silent as dread circled her heart.
“Most men about to experience fatherhood for the first time tend to panic.” She gave Anna a pointed look. “It’s only natural that he strayed.”
Anna felt like her heart had just been ripped out. Gabe, a father? He’d told her it had been Stephanie’s idea for them to go to the vineyard. She felt so naive for believing him and giving in to him so easily. When had she become that woman?
“Ah, I see. He didn’t tell you any of that, I presume?” Wilhelmina set down her silverware, reached for her glass, and shook her head sadly, sipping her water. “Let me guess, he told you he loved you?”
Anna felt physically ill, holding a hand to her stomach.
“He said they aren’t in love.” Anna’s voice sounded weak, even to her own ears.
“Of course they aren’t.” Wilhelmina’s smile turned patronizing. “Only the naive few in our circles marry for love. But, Gabriel and Stephanie do care for each other. Stephanie is carrying his child, after all.” When Anna didn’t answer, Wilhelmina laughed. “Gabriel must be a far better actor than I ever gave him credit for.”
