by Katee Robert
But Elle shoved his hand away. “Nathan’s here.” Without another word, she pushed to her feet and started for the water.
Gabe lost his train of thought in the face of the tiny string bikini that barely covered her ass. For such a square, she sure as hell liked clothes that drove men wild. Then again, with Elle, it was entirely possible she had no idea what she was doing to him. With a groan, he got up and followed her. Maybe the cold temperature of the lake would be enough to cool his desire.
Yeah, somehow he doubted it.
Elle didn’t know what to think. Okay, that was a lie. She knew exactly what to think. But part of her rebelled against the overwhelming feeling of rightness she experienced whenever she was around Gabe. Even now, knee-deep in cold water, she was half-tempted to throw caution to the wind and jump into his arms. He’d catch her—there was no doubt about it.
There should be doubt. She’d only known him a week. Sure, it’d been a really intense week, but it was still only a week. It shouldn’t matter that he made her body sing, not when she’d already proved how poor a judge her body was. Look at what she’d just been doing—getting frisky on a freaking public beach. And yet… Elle had never felt so alive in her life.
One could argue that it was strictly the post-sex high making her head fuzzy, but she didn’t think so. They hadn’t had sex since yesterday, after all. Maybe she just didn’t care. Gabe held her, touched her, kissed her as if he cared. Really cared. No one could fake something on that level. She was sure of it.
“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
Elle adjusted her hat in the breeze that kicked up over the water. “Just thinking.” Before he could ask her what, she looked past him and blurted, “There’s Nathan.”
But the relief at getting out of their current conversation was dwarfed by the sudden realization she was actually going to have to spend time with both Gabe and Nathan. At the same time.
It wasn’t too late. She could pretend she was sick and bolt. Elle slanted a glance at Gabe and sighed. If he thought she was sick, he’d want to go with her and make sure she was okay or, worse, threaten to drag her to the hospital. Again. No, she was going to have to keep her chin up and get through this afternoon. How bad could it be?
Nathan stopped next to their towels long enough to strip off his shirt. Elle tried to keep her jaw from dropping.
“Try not to drool on yourself, babe.” Though Gabe’s voice was light, his mouth thinned.
God, did he think she was checking out his brother? Okay, so Nathan was just as good-looking as she’d imagined, but that wasn’t the point. He had tattoos. Not as many as Gabe, but enough that she couldn’t stop staring. “Nathan has tattoos.”
“Uh, yeah. What did you expect?”
She didn’t have time to answer because Nathan had already made his way into the water. Seeing the brothers side by side without her anger blinding her to the details, Elle was positive she was going to pass out. They were really more similar than she’d first thought. And…the tattoos.
She’d tried so hard to pick a refined man her mother would approve of, and she’d failed miserably. Her Mr. Right radar was seriously broken.
“Hey, Elle. Gabe.”
Right, so this wasn’t awkward at all. “Hey. So… how are you?” What a question to ask. She’d just seen him two days ago. But everything seemed different now, especially after what happened between her and Gabe—and what he’d told her about their family. Elle just wanted to give them both a hug, which was a terrible idea. Good lord, she needed another beer.
Nathan’s gaze jumped between her and Gabe, his smile spreading into an all-out grin. “Obviously not as good as you two.”
Oh my God. Nathan knew. Which meant he knew she’d snuck into Nathan’s loft with the intention of seducing him. Elle couldn’t breathe even though her lungs were screaming for air.
Gabe must have picked up on her discomfort because he smacked Nathan in the shoulder, a little too hard to be strictly playful—or maybe that was her imagination talking. “Yeah, well, you win some and you lose some. I won this one.”
“Right place, right time.”
How could they be joking at a time like this? She was pretty sure the world was ending. And, yep, she was going to pass out. If things worked out, maybe she’d drown before one of them grabbed her and save herself from this embarrassment.
“Are you okay?” Gabe touched her shoulder as the world started to go white around the edges. “Babe, breathe.”
Déjà vu hit her so hard she nearly collapsed. He’d said the same freaking thing to her the night she was supposed to be having sex with Nathan. Funny, but it didn’t seem to work any better this time around. She swayed, putting some serious consideration into swimming until she couldn’t swim anymore and then letting the dark water take her. Drowning was supposed to be peaceful, right? She’d read that somewhere. Or maybe that was freezing to death? Heck, there had to be a freezer somewhere she could crawl into.Anything was better than standing here and having this conversation.
Gabe shook her and, darn it, startled her into a huge inhale. “There you go. What’s wrong?”
“Nathan knows,” she croaked.
The brothers exchanged a look and Nathan laughed. “Elle, I’ve known since that night. You left your…whatever the hell it is in my loft.”
All this time, and neither one of them had said a thing. Worse, Gabe had lied to her face about it. She jerked out of Gabe’s grip and smacked him.“What the heck is wrong with you? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Probably because you’d react like this?”
Nathan shrugged and smiled. “It’s really not a big deal.”
It felt like the top of her head exploded right then and there. She glared at her boss. “Not a big deal?”
His grin faltered.“Is it a big deal? You aren’t going to quit, are you?”
Good God, one brother was just as bad as the other. Elle wanted to strangle them, both standing there, their confusion written all over their faces. Of course they wouldn’t see what the big deal was. This kind of thing happened all the time in real life. Yeah, right. “I cannot believe you two.”
“I’m sorry, babe.” For his part, Gabe actually looked it. “But how was I supposed to find out who you were if I didn’t talk to Nathan about it?”
“But…he knows.” Her mind couldn’t get past that single thing. Nathan knew she’d been naked and intimate with his brother. His freaking brother. It wasn’t like she still wanted him after all this, but it didn’t lessen the embarrassment one iota.
“It’s really okay.” How Nathan could sound so calm and rational right now was beyond her. She just wanted to curl up and die. And he just kept right on talking. “I think it’s great that it happened. You guys are really good together.”
Elle blinked. “What?”
“I’m serious.” Nathan elbowed his brother. “I haven’t seen Gabe this happy in ages.”
“I’m standing right here—and you’re not helping.” He took her arm and pulled her away, out of the water and back onto the beach. “Babe, are you okay? Do you want to go?”
Looking into his concerned face, some of her anxiety melted away. “He’s really known this entire time?”
“Yeah. Like I said, I’m sorry.”
Nathan had known she almost slept with his brother and didn’t care. Heck, if he was okay with it, he was probably relieved she hadn’t found the right bed. That should have hurt, but now that she wasn’t freaking out, all she felt was a curious relief. Maybe she’d been so focused on finding a man her mother would approve of she’d been trying to force something that shouldn’t be forced. Air rushed into her lungs as her panic attack dissipated. Elle forced a smile, even though it wobbled a bit around the edges.“It’s…okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” And, oddly enough, she was.
17
The last thing Gabe wanted to deal with was his ringing phone. Again. He’d stopped by
his office to fax a few things to the Portland club, and it was like the universe was waiting to pounce on him. Two hours later and he was no closer to leaving.
With a sigh, he picked up the phone. “Schultz here.”
“You’re avoiding my calls.”
The universe really did hate him.“Lynn.”
“Look, I get it. You don’t want to deal with this asshole. Guess what? I don’t want to deal with him either.”
The old G.M. hadn’t called him, but he hadn’t stopped harassing Lynn, either. The truth was Gabe needed to get down there and deal with the problem, but he couldn’t leave yet. Not with his date with Elle coming up. Too much hinged on that. He had to get it right, which meant not ditching her to deal with business. “I’ll be down there as soon as possible.”
“Which means what, exactly? Today? Tomorrow?” “I said as soon as possible, and that’s what I meant. Give me a few days to tie up a few things here and I’ll let you know.” As soon as he figured out how to tell Elle he had to leave town. No matter how much he wanted to stay, this needed to be taken care of. After their date.
“Fine, Schultz. I’ll try to hold him off for a while longer.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Talk to you soon.” She clicked off.
Gabe hung up and stretched until the bones in his spine popped. Lynn could handle the issue until he made time to get down there. This shouldn’t be a huge problem, wouldn’t have gotten this far in the first place if he’d stayed in L.A. until things were running smoothly again. It was his responsibility to fix this, one way or another.
Too bad it was the last thing he wanted to do right now.
“Working late?”
Elle looked up from her desk and smiled at Nathan.“I have a few things I need to take care of, and then I’m heading home.”
“Sounds good.” He paused in the doorway. “For the record, I’m glad you’re not quitting.”
“I was never going to quit.” She started to reach for a piece of paper to shred, but made her hands still. That he didn’t want her to leave, even knowing the truth, settled something deep inside her. “I love the gallery.”
“I know you do.” He knocked on the doorjamb. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”Then he was gone, leaving her staring after him.
Elle waited until she heard the outer door shut and lock before she stood. There was nothing here needing to be done that couldn’t wait until tomorrow, but she’d wanted some time alone before she went home. It was silly, but this was one of the few places that helped center her when she was feeling out of control.
And she was feeling extremely out of control.
Circling the gallery floor, she finally stopped in front of her favorite painting. Even now, she wasn’t sure what it was about the work that drew her so completely, but the first time Elle saw it, she felt like she’d been kicked in the chest. She wanted it with a desire that had been completely unmatched…up until now.
She didn’t know what to do about Gabe. Or even if she should do anything at all. Somehow, he’d managed to push his way into her life in a seriously short time
and every time she thought about it, she started to get panicky. Because Jason had done the same darn thing. He saw her, he wanted her, and, for all intents and purposes, he’d charmed her panties right off of her. She could still see the mean glint in his eyes when he laughed at her declaration of love, could still feel her heart shattering when he told her how many others girls he’d slept with while they were dating, still ached with the despair that consumed her when he’d turned around and walked away. He was proof that bad boys were bad news.
Gabe looked just like her ex, at least superficially, with his tattoos, rough style, and don’t-mess-with-me attitude. But every time fear tried to talk her into backing out of their date she’d remember how he’d taken care of her during her allergic reaction. And the next morning, when he made the top of her head explode and didn’t ask for anything in return. She’d given it to him anyway, but she knew to the bottom of her soul that he wouldn’t have pushed for more if she hadn’t.
No, the more time she spent with Gabe, the more she realized just how much she’d misjudged him. Their time together since the disaster with the sage was more than proof of that.
And, God, the sex was beyond anything she could have imagined.
Elle bit her lip and let her gaze coast over the glorious flowers, their pinks and golds set off by the inkblots beneath them. Beautiful and delicate, but the back beneath them was strong. Even just looking at it straightened her spine and helped steady her resolve.
She wanted this date—a real date—with Gabe, wanted it more than she’d wanted anything since this painting. It didn’t matter that her brother would never approve and her mother would go into fits if she knew about it. Elle owed it to herself to get out of her own way and see if these things she felt for him were worth pursuing.
Friday night came far too quickly—and not quickly enough. The days since their time at the lake had dragged on, until it felt like months since she’d seen him last. Elle was ready a full hour before Gabe said he’d pick her up. She paced through the house, adjusting pictures that didn’t need to be adjusted, wiping down counters that didn’t need to be wiped down, and generally driving herself crazy. When his headlights finally cut through the kitchen windows, Elle was a nervous, bumbling mess.
Unable to pretend she wasn’t waiting on pins and needles, she opened the door as he came up the steps. “Hey.”
Good lord, he looked fantastic. His jeans were straight-cut and obviously expensive and, combined with the gray dress shirt, had her thoughts diving into the gutter. Elle made an effort to close her mouth and smile at him, even as she fought not to fan herself.
For his part, Gabe seemed just as starstruck as she was. His mouth opened and closed and he swallowed visibly. “You look amazing.”
She smoothed down the front of her dress, feeling heat rush to her face. “Thank you. I’m overdressed.”
“Don’t even think about changing.” He held out his hand. “You ready?” The gesture was oddly formal, but it eased some of her anxiety. It was just a date. Sure, a date with a man who made her crazy, but she could do this.
“Yes.” Elle paused long enough to lock up, and then they walked to his car. “What’s on the agenda?”
He grinned and opened the passenger door.“Wait and see.”
“You’re teasing me.”
“Yep.” Gabe bounded around the front of the car and slid into the driver’s seat. “Though I have to say— you’re doing a damn good job of teasing me.”
She blinked. “I’m not doing anything.”
“Babe, you’re dressed to the nines and grinning at me like I gave you the best present possible just by showing up. If I didn’t have an awesome date planned, I’d toss you over my shoulder and take you to bed.”
“Oh.” She shifted, trying to deal with the surge of desire his words brought. They should shock her—and they did—but they certainly didn’t horrify her. “Um… thank you?”
Gabe barked out a laugh. “Anytime. Now let’s get out of here before I change my mind.”
They drove into town and Elle let herself relax into the comfortable silence. Normally she’d be babbling like an idiot right about now, but the need to do that wasn’t there with Gabe. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, wondering when he had become heart-stoppingly gorgeous instead of just a thug. None of this made any sense, but she deliberately chose to let it go. She liked how she felt when she was with him, even after so short a time. Was that really a bad thing just because he didn’t match the profile of the imaginary man she’d created? Only time would tell.
She didn’t realize their destination until he pulled into the parking lot. “Milford’s?”
“A little birdy told me it’s your favorite.”
Nathan. It had to be. She didn’t know why she was so surprised, but a flutter of sheer emotion spiraled through her. Gabe r
eally had done his homework.
Milford’s had been around for ages, and was arguably the best seafood place in Spokane. Elle had driven past the building for years before Roxanne took her there for dinner. The menu changed daily, depending on the catch, and she’d never had anything less than fantastic. After half a bottle of wine, she’d once told Roxanne their food was better than sex.
Elle smiled at Gabe as he opened her door. Yeah, she couldn’t make that claim anymore—not after meeting him—but it was still her favorite place to eat, even if she couldn’t afford to do it regularly. “Thank you.”
“You keep smiling at me like that, and I’ll do damn near anything for you.” He took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “Thank you for coming out with me again. I know the last meal we shared wasn’t great.”
She barely fought back a shudder at the memory of the bar. “I appreciate the effort.”
The inside of Milford’s always felt like a step into another world. Everything about the decor screamed money, from the wood paneling to the various art covering the walls. The floors shone as if they’d just been polished and even the lighting created an ambiance of affluence.
They were seated in a secluded corner booth, and she was surprised when Gabe slid next to her instead of taking the seat across the table. He shrugged when he caught her expression. “Can you blame me?”
No, not really. In fact, she had the nearly overwhelming urge to crawl into his lap right here in the middle of the restaurant. His spicy scent wrapped around her, leaving her almost drunk on it. Elle cleared her throat.“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to hold a conversation with you so close.”
The light in his eyes changed in an instant, going from teasing to straight heat. Gabe cupped her face, his thumbs stroking along her cheekbones. “I like that I affect you like this.”
