by Debby Conrad
Gabe laughed. “You’re totally insatiable. And my kind of woman. Come back to bed, and I’ll take you to Hiccup Paradise.”
Janie rolled her desk chair back and stood. “What’s wrong with right here?” she asked boldly, nodding at the floor.
“The condoms are in the bedroom.” He paused a moment, dragging his appreciative gaze from her face to her breasts and then lower. After a brief moment, he looked into her eyes and said, “Janie, when we were downstairs in the kitchen . . .”
“I know,” she said, interrupting him. “Don’t worry about it.”
“You’re on the pill?” he asked hopefully.
“No,” she said, and saw his expression change. “I just meant it’s my safe time.”
“There is no safe time.”
She didn’t bother to respond to that. She supposed he was right. But still . . .
“You’d tell me if--”
“Of course,” she said, then walked into his arms. She didn’t want to spoil the moment by talking about something that was so highly unlikely to happen. She kissed him thoroughly, pressing her naked body to his and he responded with gusto.
When he broke away from her mouth, he said, “I’ll go get those condoms. Don’t go anywhere.”
Like she’d do anything that stupid, she thought, smiling and breathing deeply. Minutes later, Gabe was buried deep inside her and it was all she could do not to tell him she loved him. She wondered, though, if he could possibly see it in her eyes. And prayed that he could.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“And then when I, you know,” Janie said, blushing, “I got these embarrassing hiccups.”
Sara vigorously shook her head . “Janie, stop. I don’t want to hear this.”
“Mommy,” Livvy yelled from the swing set in the backyard, “Twavis hit me.”
Getting up from the folding chair on the deck, Sara placed her hands on her hips and yelled, “Travis, what I have told you about hitting your sister?”
“I’m sorry, Mom, but she was bothering me.”
Janie grinned while listening to Sara give Travis a lecture on hitting people, members of the female species in particular. “Sorry,” Sara said finally, sitting down again. “Where were we?”
“I was telling you about how I got the hiccups when I--”
“Stop!” Sara shouted, raising both hands. “I really don’t want to hear any more of this.” Leaning forward in her chair, she lowered her voice. “This whole business of you sleeping with Gabe has me nauseous. And you can’t even imagine what keeping it from Alex is doing to me.”
“I never asked you to keep anything from Alex.”
“I know that, but . . .” Sara shook her head. “I think he’d go berserk if he knew.”
Janie sighed. “I don’t care if the whole world knows I’m sleeping with Gabe. I feel like shouting--”
“Please don’t,” Sara interrupted her. “I have to live in this neighborhood, not you.”
Rolling her eyes, Janie said, “Sara, stop being so melodramatic. And it wouldn’t hurt for you to let your hair down once in a while. You’re such a prude about some things.”
“I am not a prude. Just because I don’t want the whole neighborhood to know our business . . .”
“You mean my business,” Janie corrected her as she got to her feet. She’d had enough of her sister’s holier than thou attitude. Why couldn’t Sara just be happy for her? “I have to go. If you want me to baby-sit tonight so you and Alex can go out . . .” Janie knew Saturday nights were date nights for her sister and brother-in-law.
“Thanks, but I already asked Kristen across the street. We have a wedding reception tonight. One of the guys who works for Alex,” Sara explained.
“Oh, okay,” Janie said, feeling disappointed that Sara hadn’t asked her to watch the kids. She didn’t have any plans for this evening, and she hadn’t heard from Gabe all day. They’d spent two glorious days and nights in bed together, and when he’d left her apartment this morning he hadn’t said a word about calling her. Not that she expected him to. It’s just that it would have been nice since she knew he was planning on going back to New York tomorrow.
Sighing, she headed for the deck steps. “I just want to say good-bye to the kids.”
“Janie,” Sara said, and Janie spun around to face her. “You realize Gabe’s leaving tomorrow?”
“Yes,” she said, trying not to sound miserable. “What’s your point?”
“My point is, I think you’re stuck on him. And, well . . . honey, this isn’t easy for me to say, but Gabe isn’t going to make a commitment, or anything like that, just because you and he . . .”
“Nor would I want him to,” Janie said with a flip of her hand. “Me and Gabe Montero? Get real. It would never work.” With that, she hurried toward the swing set, blinking back her tears.
Once she was home, Janie sat at the kitchen table staring at the wall. She was lonely, which surprised her because she’d never been lonely in her life. She’d always appreciated having her own space and lots of quiet time, especially in the evenings. Her creative juices flowed best then, and she could usually pump out five or six pages of a manuscript before bed.
But not tonight. She’d tried to write, but nothing had come out.
Maybe she should think about getting a goldfish. At least it would be someone to talk to. Someone to bounce her ideas off.
Someone to stare at instead of a boring wall, she thought, sighing loudly.
Just as she’d feared, there’d been no messages from Gabe on her answering machine when she’d come back from Sara’s, though it was probably for the best. They’d had an affair, plain and simple. What better way to end it, than to just fade off into the sunset. Besides, if Gabe would have said good-bye to her, she might have fallen apart. Although, she had been entertaining the idea of seducing him tonight.
The doorbell interrupted her melancholy mood and she got up to go answer it. She recognized Gabe through the peephole and smiled wholeheartedly.
“What a surprise,” she said, trying not to sound too eager as she opened the door.
Shifting the pizza box and brown paper sack to the side, he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “I tried calling earlier. I thought if you hadn’t eaten yet, maybe we could share a pizza and some wine.”
He’d called, she thought, her pulse kicking up. “You didn’t leave a message.”
“No, I didn’t. I hate talking to answering machines. You don’t have plans for tonight, do you?”
“Nothing I can’t cancel. I was thinking about going over to the pet store to get a goldfish, but it can wait until tomorrow.” The aroma of pepperoni and spices filled the air and she breathed deeply, savoring the smell. “Let me get some plates.”
Soon afterward, they’d polished off the entire pizza and nearly all of the wine. Once they’d cleaned up the mess, he asked, “Do you want to watch some TV?”
He wanted to watch TV? He was leaving for New York tomorrow. This was their last night together. “Sure, if that’s what you want to do.”
Grinning, he kissed the tip of her nose.
“Is that what you want to do?” she asked tentatively. “Watch TV, I mean?” “Are you crazy?”
Janie tipped her head back and laughed. “I’ll race you upstairs.”
He tugged on her wrist, holding her back. “What happened to that adventurous side of yours? I thought you liked making love in the kitchen.”
“I do, but tonight I have something special planned for you. A little send-off gift. And for that, we’ll need the bed.”
“A send-off gift, huh?” he asked, raising his brows with interest. Then before she could move, he tossed her over his shoulder and took the stairs two at a time.
* * * * * * * * * *
Behind the closed bedroom door, Janie pulled the covers off the bed and let them fall to the floor. “Take off your clothes, Montero.”
Gabe saw a gleam of interest in her eyes as he stripped naked for her. She was s
uch an enigma. She was usually shy and innocent, at least when it came to making love. Though she was nothing like that tonight. But no matter how in control she was trying to act, her insecurities still showed through.
He didn’t want to spoil whatever she’d dreamed up, so when she ordered him to lie back on the bed, he did. “What about you?” he asked. “Aren’t you going to get naked with me?”
“In due time,” she said. “Now close your eyes.”
He did as he was told, grinning with anticipation.
A moment later, he heard her rummaging around for something. Peeking out of one eye, he saw her on her hands and knees in the closet, her pert little behind in the air. Give me strength, he thought, wondering what she could possibly be looking for. When she backed out of the closet, he squeezed his eyes tightly shut.
“Put your hands on the bed rails,” she said, her luscious thighs straddling his hips. “And no peeking.”
Gabe grabbed the rails of the brass headboard, hearing the sound of metal clicking into place. Handcuffs? His eyes popped open and he stared up at her. “What are you doing?”
“I told you. It’s a little send-off. You’ve spent the past two days torturing me with divine pleasure, and now I’m going to return the favor.”
I’ve created a monster. Thank you, God. Tugging at the cuffs, he said, “Where did you get these things?”
“From Travis.”
His eyes widened. “I hope to God you didn’t tell him why you wanted them.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said, unzipping her skirt and stepping out of it. She kicked it across the room. Her tank top quickly followed.
While she stood looking at him, wearing nothing but an ice blue bra and matching panties, Gabe felt himself grow achingly hard. He wanted to touch her, to hold her in his arms. He wanted to be the one to slide her underwear off.
Unclasping her bra in front, she slowly let it shimmy over her shoulders and arms, and then, with trembling fingers, she reached for the waistband of her panties.
Okay, this was good, too, Gabe thought, smiling appreciatively while his gaze raked over her naked body.
She walked slowly, tentatively, to the bed, then draped one shapely leg over his thighs and slid downward on his legs. Feeling her moist heat, he thought he’d die. “If you’re done torturing me now, you can unlock these things,” he said, rattling the handcuffs. He wanted to touch her and the cuffs were frustrating him.
She lifted her hair from her shoulders and licked her lips seductively. “Shut up, Montero.”
“Okay.”
Slowly, she lowered her head and kissed him. Then she trailed tiny kisses over his chest and abdomen, stopping at his navel. Gabe bit his lip and sucked in a breath. And when she kissed his--”Oh, God, Janie!” he moaned.
She lifted her head. “I’m new at this,” she said, her green eyes conveying her uncertainty. “Any suggestions?”
Oh, sweet Jesus. “Just one. Be gentle.”
And she was. She left hot, moist kisses in her wake, driving him absolutely wild with need. And when she took him into her mouth, he was drawn to a height of passion he’d never felt before. Hypnotized by her, he felt powerless. He used soft words of encouragement, letting her know exactly what he wanted.
Then, just when he was coming close to a climax, she tensed, her body going perfectly still.
“No, sweetheart, don’t stop yet,” he begged.
Janie’s head popped up. “I thought I heard something.”
“That was me, moaning.”
“No, I thought--”
“Janie?” Sara’s voice rang out from the other side of the door.
And before Gabe could react, Janie scrambled off the bed just as the door flew open.
“Oh . . . my . . . God!” Sara exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth in shock.
With his hands cuffed to the brass headboard, there wasn’t much Gabe could do to spare his sister-in-law, except to roll to his side and treat her to a view of his bare backside. Better that than what she had been staring at.
“Sara,” Janie said, grabbing for her robe and getting to her feet. “Do you mind?”
“Bondage!” Sara shrieked. “Don’t think I don’t know what this is. My God, he’s turned you into a . . . sex slave.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Janie protested. “He’s the one cuffed to the bed, not me.”
Gabe angled his head around. “Speaking of which, where are the keys? And would you mind covering me up?”
Ignoring him, Janie said, “Believe what you want, Sara, but this was my idea.”
“Oh, please,” Sara said. “How would you know about such things?”
“Give me some credit. I’m a romance writer with a very active imagination.”
Sara started to cry. “I just can’t believe this. My baby sister is involved in bondage with . . . an ex-con.”
“Ex-con!” Janie shot back. “Apologize, right now, Sara.”
“I will not! This is all his fault.”
“Ladies, please,” Gabe said, wondering if he’d ever been more embarrassed in his life. “We can discuss whose fault this is later, but first get me the hell out of these things.” He rattled the cuffs for effect.
“I don’t know where the keys are,” Janie said. “I don’t think Travis left any keys.”
“Travis?” Sara sniffed. “Those are Travis’s handcuffs?”
“Yes. He left them here the other day. Do you know how to open them?” Janie asked.
“Well, yes,” Sara answered, then lowered her voice, “but I’m not going to do it while he’s lying there naked.”
Clucking her tongue and sighing, Janie picked up her yellow tank top from the floor and draped it over his . . . appendage. “There,” she said, and Gabe feeling grateful, let out a sigh of relief.
Sara inched toward the bed, her eyes half closed and reached for the cuffs. Seconds later, he was free.
“Thank you,” he said. “Now, if you ladies wouldn’t mind stepping outside, I’ll get dressed.”
Gabe shook his head as Sara hurried toward the door, dragging Janie with her.
From the hall, he heard the two of them arguing. Janie wanted to know why Sara had come by. Apparently, Sara had wanted to borrow a pair of shoes. She and Alex were on their way to a wedding reception and the ones she had on were pinching her toes, she’d said.
“I tried to call on the cell from the car, but you didn’t answer,” Sara went on to explain as Gabe was dressing.
“That’s because I was busy,” Janie snapped back.
“Oh, God,” Sara said. “I left Alex in the car. I suppose I should go tell him to come in.”
No, don’t do that, Gabe thought, wincing. Quickly, he shoved his legs into his jeans. But it was too late. By the time he was decent enough to open the door, Janie and Sara had disappeared downstairs. Swearing, he went to join them. And to face his older brother’s wrath.
* * * * * * * * * *
“I can’t believe this,” Alex said, obviously seething with mounting rage while he paced Janie’s living room floor.
Janie had never seen her brother-in-law this angry. In fact, she couldn’t remember him ever being angry before.
“You took advantage of her.” Alex continued his tirade, tugging at his necktie. “Why couldn’t you just keep your damn hands off her?”
Janie waited for Gabe to defend himself and when he didn’t, she spoke up. “Alex, this isn’t Gabe’s fault. I asked him to--”
Alex stopped and glared at her and said, “Stay out of this, Janie,” at the same time Gabe said, “Shut up, Janie.”
“I will not,” she said, jerking her head back and forth between the two of them. Sara sat in a chair, mumbling something that sounded like a prayer. “You’re talking about me like I’m not even here. Like I’m a child.”
“You are a child, as far as I’m concerned. I think of you as my little sister, and when I think of what he did to you, the way he took advantage,” Alex said, pointing a
finger Gabe’s way, “it makes me sick inside.”
Gabe pushed himself to his feet. “You’re right. I took advantage of her.”
“You’re damn right you took advantage!” Alex balled his hands into fists at his sides, his face turning a deep shade of magenta. “I want you out of here. Now!”
After a quick glance Janie’s way, Gabe said, “Fine. I was leaving tomorrow anyway.” He turned and headed toward the door.
“Wait!” Janie shouted, hurrying after him. “Gabe, tell him the truth. Tell him this is all my fault. That I practically threw myself at you. That I begged you to make love to me.”
Gabe laughed in her face. “Janie, my brother isn’t stupid. He knows you’re a nice girl who would never do anything to ruin her reputation. Me, on the other hand, I simply don’t care what people think of me, or who gets hurt in the process.” He chucked her under the chin and offered her the faintest of smiles.
Janie felt a heaviness center in her chest. “That’s not true,” she whispered, meeting his dark eyes. “You’re just trying to protect me. I know you--”
“You’re wrong,” he interjected. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“So, that’s it? You’re just going to leave?”
He looked deep into her eyes. “Janie, we both knew I’d be leaving when--”
“What if I said I’d fallen in love with you?” she asked, risking her heart and telling herself she was a fool at the same time.
“Don’t,” he said quietly. “You deserve better than me.” He swallowed noisily. “You deserve someone who will love you back.”
And then he turned and walked out of her life, leaving her heart shattered in a million pieces.
CHAPTER TEN
Janie stuck her head in Sara’s pantry. “Do you have any saltines?”
“Second shelf, toward the back,” Sara said, scraping a kitchen chair across the ceramic tile floor and dropping into it. Taking a sip of herbal tea, she massaged her watermelon-sized belly and sighed. “Only one more month.” She set the cup aside. “Are you sure you don’t want any tea?”
