“Twenty minutes,” Gabe said, his hands sliding beneath the covers to prepare Melanie’s body for the already hard dick that was poking her in the thigh. “Take the dogs out with you. They don’t need to see this.”
“I don’t need to see this,” Nikki said. She whistled at the dogs so they’d follow her out of the room.
Gabe peered over his shoulder at the shut door. “I figured she was the type who’d like to watch.”
“More the type who’d like to participate,” Melanie said.
“I’d never let her put her hands on you,” he said. “You’re mine.”
“I am,” she agreed. “And I’m not going to get my full twenty minutes if you don’t stop talking.”
“I just said that to get rid of her. It will be an hour at least.” He leaned over her and opened the top drawer of the nightstand beside the bed. Within minutes, several of the toys he’d designed were laid out beside her like surgical instruments. “I’m in the mood to play this morning.” He drew the flat of his tongue over one of her nipples, and she shuddered. “Are you game?”
“Hmm,” she said, trying to make her face look serious. “Play with my gorgeous fiancé and his bangin’ toys—both of which give me orgasm after orgasm—or sit on a hot boat and poke poor defenseless baby flies with fishing hooks? Decisions, decisions.”
Gabe correctly presumed she preferred the first option. By the time they left the bedroom—thoroughly funned out, recently showered, and wearing matching smiles—it was near noon. Nikki had apparently given up on them hours ago and was sitting on the back deck with her laptop.
“We thought you’d be ready to go by now,” Melanie teased as she peeked out the sliding door. Melanie had never explored the back yard of Gabe’s house. They always sat on the front porch, so when she heard the sound of running water, she ventured out onto the deck to investigate. Nikki closed her laptop and hopped up to join Melanie at the deck railing.
“There’s a creek down there,” Nikki said, pointing Melanie’s attention to its source. “And a little waterfall that feeds it.”
“Oh wow!” Melanie said. “How did I miss this?”
“Probably because when you’re with Gabe, you spend all your time on your back.”
Melanie swatted at her, but Nikki dodged the playful slap.
“We should set up the wedding over there, under those trees,” Nikki said, pointing out a small clearing next to the waterfall that wasn’t exactly level but might hold a few dozen chairs.
“Yes, yes, yes! It’s perfect.” She gave Nikki an enthusiastic hug. “Is that what you’ve been working on all morning? Wedding plans?”
“Uh . . . sure,” Nikki said. “Did you really not know this gorgeous area was back here?”
Melanie flushed. “Nope. Guess I have been spending too much time on my back.”
Nikki laughed. “And who can blame you?”
“Are you ladies ready?” Gabe asked from the open patio door. “I got the boat hitched to the truck.”
“You didn’t tell me you had your own waterfall,” Melanie accused, holding her hand out to him so he’d join her at the railing.
“That little thing,” Gabe said. “It’s hardly a trickle.”
“It’s magnificent.” She pointed to the clearing Nikki had brought to her attention. “And I want to marry you right there.”
“Right there, huh?” he said, drawing her against him and kissing her. “I could go for that. Or right here. Or anywhere you’ll have me.”
A pair of hands wedged between them and pushed them apart. “Don’t you two start that again,” Nikki said, “or we’ll never make it to the lake, and I’ve been promising Beau all morning that he could go swimming.”
“Are you sure Lady will be okay to go with us?” Melanie asked Gabe. “What if she gets her cast wet?”
“Good point. I’ll have to bring her leash to keep her on the boat.”
The five of them had a wonderful afternoon together. Nikki spent most of her time sunbathing and swimming with Beau. Poor Lady was stuck on the boat, but seemed happy to rest at Gabe’s side while he baited his hook and Melanie’s. They caught a few largemouth bass, which Gabe insisted they’d have for supper. Melanie was fine with eating their catch as long as she didn’t have to clean them. In her opinion, fish guts were even less appealing than putting maggots on hooks.
The next few days passed in a blur, like they were on a carefree vacation. They hiked the woods around Gabe’s house, visited with his parents, rode ATVs, tested several prototypes—including the New-And-Improved Sex Stallion—and had dinner out at the Oasis to enjoy the spectacular sunset over Lake Travis. Nikki often accompanied them, but she’d been spending quite a bit of time on her computer. When Melanie asked what she was up to, Nikki told her she was making plans. For the wedding, Melanie presumed, but Nikki wouldn’t share any of them with her.
“A surprise,” she said.
Melanie was so enjoying her new life with the man she loved, the friend she adored, and the two dogs who liked her almost as much as they adored Nikki that she had completely forgotten about Gabe’s paternity test until one afternoon when they were sitting on the porch swing and his phone rang. As he read his phone’s screen, he said, “Guess I’m about to find out if I’m going to be a father.”
And before Melanie could steel her nerves for the news to come, Gabe took a deep, steadying breath and accepted the call.
Chapter Fifteen
Gabe had almost convinced himself that this trouble-free life with Melanie was his new reality. He’d intentionally unplugged from the outside world. He hadn’t contacted Jacob or Adam again. He wasn’t sure how Owen and his brother were faring. He didn’t know if Kellen had made amends with his best friend—who he’d kissed on the mouth, for fuck’s sake. And he hadn’t given the prospect of fathering Lindsey’s baby much thought. He had been thinking about knocking up Melanie, however. The more time they spent together, the more he realized that he was ready to start a family—with her, not with some girl from a one-night orgy—and that the only element lacking in his life was a stable career. But he did have money saved up—enough to get him through several years of expenses.
So when he accepted the call from the DNA testing service, he expected bad news. Expected it because life had been going so right for him for the past several days. Different from his norm, yes. But right.
“Yes, this is Gabriel Banner,” he said to the woman on the phone.
He had a strange mind-disconnected-from-his-body feeling as he waited for her response. He clutched Melanie’s hand, squeezing it far harder than he intended. Christ, his heart was about to beat itself through his ribs.
“The results show conclusively that you are not the paternal father of the subject’s baby.”
“Not?” he asked breathlessly, wanting to make sure he’d heard correctly.
“Not,” she reiterated.
“Not,” he repeated. Gabe melted back into the porch swing with relief. “Do the results say who the father is?”
“I cannot provide that information to anyone but the mother and the biological father,” she said. “Do you have questions I can answer?”
Gabe shook his head, even though the woman couldn’t see the motion. “Thanks for calling. You have a great day now.” He hung up and drew Melanie into his arms.
“It’s not yours?” she asked, her voice breathless.
“It’s not mine.”
“Oh, thank God.” She twisted her body so she could cup his face between her hands and kiss him. “Not that you wouldn’t make a terrific father.” She kissed him again. “I just want you to make babies with me and no one else.” He kissed her. “I’m sorry if that’s selfish.”
“It’s not selfish. That’s the way it should be,” he said. “So let’s go make one right now.” Those were probably the most impulsive words to ever escape his lips.
“We do need more practice,” she said with a giggle.
“I’ve had enough practice,” he said. “I�
��m ready for the real deal.”
“What?” Her eyes searched his. “I thought you wanted to wait.”
“I don’t want to wait anymore.” He eased her away just far enough to see her face clearly. “Do you want to wait?”
She stared at him for a solid minute, her eyes still searching his. “No,” she finally said.
Did that mean no, she didn’t want a baby or no, she didn’t want to wait? “No?”
“I want your baby inside me as soon as possible,” she said, pushing away all vagueness.
He grinned and kissed her enthusiastically. Melanie Anderson wanted to be his wife and wanted to have his baby. Just a few weeks ago she’d been hesitant to give him a chance, and now they had a long and loving life before them. It was a good thing she’d given Sole Regret’s tattooed, Mohawked drummer a try, or he might have never found true happiness.
“I’ll have to stop taking my birth control,” she said, nibbling his lip. “You’re sure about this?”
“Yeah,” he said, his heart brimming with joy. “Are you?”
Her smile was so brilliant, it almost blinded him. “Absolutely.”
The front door opened, and Nikki came out onto the porch with Beau and Lady on her heels. She was carrying her laptop in one hand.
“Can I talk to you guys? It’s kind of important.”
“It can’t be more important than the news Gabe just got,” Melanie said.
Nikki brightened. “Is the band getting back together?”
Her eager gaze made Gabe feel more than a little guilty. He knew there were thousands of fans out there who, like Nikki, were waiting for news about the band making amends. Gabe hadn’t given up on the idea, but it was pretty much out of his hands. Adam and Jacob were the ones who’d have to fix this mess. He, Owen, and Kellen would just have to wait until they came around. They could encourage a reconciliation, but they couldn’t force one.
“No,” Melanie said. “No news on that front yet. But he’s not going to be a father.”
Gabe’s arms tightened around Melanie, and he squeezed her tightly. “Oh, yes, I am.”
“We’re going to try for a baby,” Melanie said, wrapping her arms around his and pressing them even closer to her belly, “but Lindsey’s baby isn’t his.”
“A baby! Really?” Nikki’s happiness for them was genuine. “That’s just . . .” She wiped at a tear with the back of her hand. “You’re going to be the best mom, Mel. The absolute best.”
Gabe wondered why he hadn’t recognized Nikki’s kindness from the start. Probably because it had been hard to see through the seductress mask she typically wore when she was around men. She didn’t wear it around him, though. Wasn’t he worth seducing? Naw, that couldn’t be it. She just trusted him as a friend. He was pretty sure that was actually a big deal for her.
“And you’re going to be the best auntie,” Melanie told Nikki.
Gabe tensed slightly, but then relaxed. His dogs adored Nikki, and he absolutely trusted their judgment. Nikki wouldn’t do anything to harm their child. She wouldn’t be a bad influence. She might even babysit so Gabe could work on making baby number two with Melanie. But he was getting far ahead of himself.
“So what did you want to talk to us about?” Gabe asked. He actually hoped it was the wedding. Their relationship was moving forward rocket fast, but that wedding could not happen fast enough. He wanted this woman in his arms to be Mrs. Gabriel Banner as soon as possible. Nothing would make him happier.
Nikki cringed. “Don’t be mad at me.”
Melanie stiffened and sat up straighter on Gabe’s lap. “Did you max out my credit card?”
Gabe didn’t want money to be any consideration when it came to his wedding to Melanie. “If it’s for the wedding—”
“It’s not that,” Nikki said. “I, uh, took a ride on the Sex Stallion on your date night last week.”
“You didn’t!” Melanie snarled.
“I know you told me not to, but something happened. I’m not sure how to tell you.”
Gabe’s eyes widened. “Did it hurt you?” Injuring someone was his greatest fear.
“Fuck no,” Nikki said. “Best seven orgasms of my life. I filmed all of them for some guy I’ve been messaging on a fetish dating site.”
“What?” Melanie sputtered.
“You have a fetish?” Gabe blurted. Not that he cared or wanted to know what it was. Okay, he couldn’t lie, he was curious. Last time he checked, he was a guy.
“He published my video on a porn site. Eight hundred thousand views in three days.”
Gabe’s jaw dropped. That must be some video.
“Oh no, Nikki,” Melanie said, scrambling off Gabe’s lap and wrapping an arm around her friend’s shoulders. “That’s terrible. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, it’s no big deal. You can’t see my face. You can see everything else, but not my face.”
Was it hot out here or was it just his fiancée and her best friend talking about a video centered around riding his masterpiece?
“Did you think we’d be mad because I told you to stay off of my Stallion?”
“You wouldn’t have been able to resist it either, Mel.”
“That’s true. So then why would you think we’d be mad at you?” Melanie asked, holding Nikki by both shoulders to try to capture her gaze. Nikki still had her laptop clutched to her belly. “That guy shouldn’t have posted that video without your permission.”
“Actually . . .” Nikki squirmed and wouldn’t meet Mel’s eyes. “I told him he could.”
”Then you must be worried because you’re not supposed to be having sex right now. I don’t think this actually counts, but if you need to talk to your therapist we’ll take you back to Kansas.”
Nikki shook her head. “The reason that video has so many views is not because of anything I did.” Nikki grinned deviously. “Well, okay, I do look pretty sexy riding that thing, and I’m an excellent vocalizer.”
Gabe suddenly needed a pillow. For his lap. And he needed to watch Melanie looking sexy riding the Sex Stallion and doing her own excellent vocalizing right now.
Melanie lifted her eyebrows and shook her head, waiting for Nikki to drop whatever bomb she was holding.
“Everyone wanted to know where to get one of those machines,” Nikki said. “I figured they were all talk. I told them it was a prototype and there was only one in existence. Still, thousands of women and men all vying for an opportunity to own one or at least ride one. And then I got the idea to crowdfund and earn enough money to put the Sex Stallion into production. I set the price to participate super-high—a thousand dollars just to get on the waiting list. Of course, that thousand would count as a down payment and they’d be guaranteed a unit as soon as they were produced. I wasn’t sure how much each machine would cost in the end. I estimated five thousand, and you will not believe how many people were willing to pay that.”
“What are you saying, Nikki?” Gabe said, his heart racing. Cold sweat trickled down the middle of his back.
Melanie turned to stare at him, her face ashen, her mouth open wide.
“We’ve made two million dollars in that past three days.”
“What?” Gabe bellowed.
“But now I sort of need you to make two thousand Stallions.” Nikki smiled hugely, as if she’d given him the best news of his life.
“It took me ten years to build that one and perfect it,” Gabe yelled.
Nikki flinched, but he couldn’t help the rage boiling inside him. Was she crazy? Two thousand units! He was good at math, so he knew that at five thousand apiece he would gross ten million dollars, but still. How in the hell was he supposed to build two thousand of the damned things?
“But it is perfect,” Nikki said. “It’s time to share it with the world.”
Melanie clutched her hands together. “Gabe, please tell me you filed a patent on it.”
“Years ago,” he said.
She released a long breath. “Good. Now, I know you do
n’t know much about my past careers, but I used to be the office manager for a small manufacturing plant. And I know how to run the business end of things.”
“And I can be the spokes—erm—the moan model,” Nikki said, thrusting her hand in the air like an eager elementary school student.
“She’s an excellent PR person, Gabe.”
“That’s what I went to college for,” Nikki said.
“We’d need a larger team, of course,” Melanie said. “Especially on the manufacturing end, and I don’t know many people in Texas, but—” Her eyebrows drew together. “Doesn’t Owen’s girlfriend run her own alternate energy business in Houston?”
Gabe just stared at her as if she had seventeen nipples.
“Gabe?” Melanie said when he didn’t respond.
“I guess,” he said. “But what does Caitlyn’s corporation have to do with sex toys?”
“Uh, everything,” Melanie said. “It’s not what you’re making or selling but the structure of how to produce and distribute that most businesses have in common. I’ll have to look into business laws in Texas. I’m sure they can’t be that much different from those in Kansas.”
“Isn’t Texas notoriously business friendly?” Nikki said. “I’m sure this will be a piece of cake for you.”
“You’re forgetting something,” Gabe said.
The pair of scheming women turned to look at him, questions in their eyes.
“It’s my invention. What if I don’t want to mass produce it? What if I want only Melanie to have one?”
Melanie laughed. “That’s silly.”
It didn’t seem silly to him. It seemed special. A unique one-of-a-kind gift for his one and only true love.
Nikki popped open her laptop and showed Melanie her crowdsource funding page.
“Holy shit! There’s a waiting list for the waiting list!” Melanie clapped her hands. “Baby,” she said, turning to gaze adoringly at Gabe. “I’m so proud of your filthy, inventive mind right now.”
Gabe had never seen her this excited about anything. Well, maybe when she was enjoying objects designed by his filthy, inventive mind. But definitely not about financial or business success.
Trust Me (One Night with Sole Regret Book 11) Page 20
