Wild Forces: A Friends to Lovers Romance (O-Town Book 2)

by Karen Renee

  “I can’t believe he mentioned my middle name in front of you.”

  I chuckled. “I think it’s great.”

  Her eyes bugged out for a moment. “Gabe, in many gardening circles, ivy is a type of weed. Seeing as that middle name was my mother’s idea, I have no doubt that’s why she did it. She resented me from birth.”

  I pulled her to me, lowering my face to hers. “It’s fucking beautiful, just like you, baby,” I said just before I kissed her.

  After I had my fill of her, I pulled away. “Now, what is that magical smell wafting from your oven?”

  “Chicken taco meat.”

  I grinned. “I definitely love you.”

  She tilted her head back and laughed a throaty laugh while she swatted at my chest. “You’re awful.”

  “Awful hungry, Daughtry... and not just for food.”

  Her eyes widened. “Well, I’m starving, so that’ll have to wait until after dinner.”

  I cocked my head a little. “You don’t get hangry, do you?”

  She gave me her side-eye. “You don’t want to find out, Sullivan.”

  I swatted her ass. “What’d I tell you about callin’ me ‘Sullivan’?”

  She pressed into me. “I don’t care what you told me. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, baby.”

  Then she moved away, I admired her ass in her khaki shorts and fought to get my dick to stand down.

  After we washed the dishes from her chicken tacos and black beans, I led her to her bedroom. I toed off my flip-flops and leaned back onto the fancy headboard of her bed.

  I patted the space next to me. “C’mon Cassie. Get comfy. I got a treat for you tonight.”

  Her eyes slid to the side and back to me as a skeptical look crossed her face. “I’m not so sure your idea of a treat for me and my idea of a treat for me are the same thing.”

  I smiled and shook my head.

  “Seriously, Gabe. I didn’t think you had such a one-track mind, but I’m seeing I was wrong.”

  “Get over here, woman,” I chuckled.

  She climbed onto the bed and moved up it on her hands on knees, and if she hadn’t rebuked me, my mind would’ve been on that one-track she mentioned.

  Once she situated herself next to me, she asked, “So, what’s this treat?”

  I grinned. “Well, a buddy I have who still lives out in L.A. works for a boutique record label. He sent me an advance copy of an album scheduled to come out next year. I listened to half of it, but you’re gonna fuckin’ love it.”

  We spent the next fifty-nine minutes listening to Michael Franti and Spearhead sing songs about being friends, working hard, and being in love. Nearly every song brought more light to her eyes, and she didn’t have to tell me she loved me. I saw it flowing freely from her eyes, which meant, to show her I loved her even more, I made love to her. If that meant I had a one-track mind, so be it. As long as Cassie was on it, it was damn sure the track for me.

  24

  The Power of Diversion

  Cassie

  THE NEXT MORNING, I finished toweling my hair dry and wrapped my body up while I moved to the counter. The bathroom door opened and Gabe walked in, naked.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “You,” he said, yanking my towel open.

  He kissed me softly at first, but when his tongue touched mine, the kiss shifted. It went from soft and sweet to hard and rough. His hands slid down my body. One stopped at my breast to pinch and roll my nipple while the other delved into my core.

  I gasped and I felt his lips smile.

  Not to be left out, my hand glided down his back and around to his crotch. He hummed with approval, but groaned when I fondled his balls.

  His mouth moved to my ear. “You better jack my cock, Cassandra.”

  Rising on tip-toes I nipped his earlobe, and he immediately took my lips with his, kissing me even harder.

  With his demand in mind, I wrapped my hand around him and stroked. His hands moved to my ass, he lifted and put me on the counter. The next thing I knew he entered me. It felt so good, I stopped kissing him, and my head tilted back with my moan.

  “Oh, yeah. Love when I make you moan like that,” he breathed.

  He picked up his pace, and my hands gripped the counter to stay in place. I wrapped my legs around his waist and moved my pelvis with his as much as possible.

  His head lowered and he sucked a nipple into his mouth, alternating between swirling and biting.

  “God, yes! Gabe, harder.”

  He jerked his head up, with a wicked smile on his face. “Music to my ears, baby.”

  I lifted one hand from the counter, wrapped it around his neck and pulled his face to mine. My tongue traced his lips, and feeling the edges of his beard forced a thrill through my body.

  It could not be missed that Gabe took control of all things sexual, and he commandeered what should’ve been my kiss. I didn’t mind when he controlled our kisses because God knew he was damned good at it.

  His thumb found my clit and he rubbed thoroughly.

  My orgasm built more rapidly than any other I’d had before. When it came over me, my back arched and I moaned.

  He thrust into me a few more times before his torso met mine and he exhaled loudly when he climaxed.

  It wasn’t until I felt the warmth inside me that I realized Gabe and I had been so carried away he hadn’t put on a condom.

  “Oh, no,” I sighed.

  He lifted his head, and his warm blue eyes narrowed. “That should be ‘oh, yeah,’ honey.”

  “You didn’t use a condom... and I’m not on the pill.”

  His relaxed smile dimmed and his eyes focused on a spot behind me.

  I didn’t take that as a good sign. “I guess I’ll have to hurry to the drug store. See about getting a morning-after pill or something, but I don’t know if I have to see the doctor first for that.”

  His eyes met mine. Then, he thrust a couple more times into me.

  “Gabe! What are you doing? As athletic as you are, your sperm are probably Olympic-style swimmers. Are you trying to get me pregnant? I can’t bring an illegitimate child into the world!”

  He bit his lower lip before his head tilted back and he laughed. I swatted at his chest, because nothing about this was the least bit funny.

  When he captured my wrist in his hand, I saw the serious look in his eyes. “How fuckin’ awesome would it be if I got married before Brock or Vamp? I get your ass pregnant, I’ll marry you. I’m that fuckin’ serious about you. About us, sweetheart. Not only can I not imagine life without you in it, I don’t fuckin’ want to contemplate it. So, hopefully, this drives it home,” he thrust again on the words drive and home. “I love you, Daughtry.”

  My brows furrowed. “That all sounds fine and great, but did you come in here planning to go bare?”

  He shook his head. “No, you make me crazy horny, I couldn’t stop myself. But hear me when I say this: if you’re pregnant after this, it is not the end of the world. It’s the beginning, and a damned good one if you ask me.”

  “Marriage?” I blurted.

  He slowly pulled himself out of me, but put his hand on me. His earnest grin made my heart skip a beat. “Why the hell not? You got someone else you want to spend your time with at night? In the morning? Some other man know you’re crazy enough to love Mick Jagger the way you do? And do not get me started on your devotion to Tori Amos. I love all of that about you. And we already know you love me. So, yeah. Marriage.”

  I put my hand on his wrist to move his hand. He wouldn’t budge.

  “Marriage, then a baby, Sullivan. I’m a little old school that way, okay?”

  His fingers pressed into me, and my eyes widened. “It’ll happen the way it’s supposed to happen.”

  I shoved against his wrist again, and finally he let go. With no time to waste, I hopped off the counter and moved to the toilet.

  “You’re cleaning up that mess on the counter, Gabe.”r />
  “As long as you’re not going to the drugstore, Cassie.”

  After I did my business, I went into the bedroom, and put on my undies. Gabe’s words were still rattling around in my brain. The bed called my name, so I curled up for a moment before deciding what to wear today.

  Gabe sauntered out of the bathroom. “Oh, are we spooning?”

  I chuckled. “You are incorrigible.”

  “Damn right,” he said, curling into my backside.

  I loved having his arms wrapped around me, so I stroked his thick forearms. In return, his fingers stroked my midriff.

  “Why do you call me Cassandra during the moment, but Cassie the rest of the time?” I asked.

  He chuckled. “Dunno. And that’s not a cop-out. It just happens, sweetheart. Guess there’s something I like about calling you by your full name when I’m balls-deep inside you.”

  I shook my head in the limited space I had on the pillow. “You and your dirty talk.”

  We were silent for a long time.

  “What’s really on your mind, doll-face?”

  I turned to him. His beard bordered on needing a trim, but I couldn’t keep myself from running my hand down his cheek. “Can’t say that’s how I ever would have imagined discussing marriage with a man I love.”

  He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, and cupped the back of my neck. “‘A man’ you love? You mean, the man you love. But, if it makes you feel any better, I never envisioned myself talking about marriage, at all. With anybody.”

  My hand traveled down to his neck. “Right.”

  His expression turned serious. “You remember a couple months back, I talked to you about what I needed to major in, and you asked where I saw myself later in life? My gut reaction was to say, ‘With you.’ And I would’ve meant it then, and I damn sure mean it now. I don’t know much about what the future holds in store for me, but to my gut, my bones and right down to my soul, I know I want it to be with you. So... I wasn’t some romantic, elegant schmoe talking to you about marriage—”

  I burst out with a short laugh. “You brought up marriage during a certified freak-out, Gabe!”

  He grinned. “Something I’ve learned in life, Cassie. Never underestimate the power of diversion. I knew you were freaking right the fuck out, so... I diverted your freak out to something you could control. Marriage.”

  My eyes widened. “I don’t know if you’re genius or crazy as a fucking loon.”

  He threw his head back with laughter. When he had it together, he rested his forehead on mine. With his face so close, I couldn’t miss the playful light in his eyes. “Don’t you see, Cassandra. Neither of us can control if you’re preggers. Either you are or you aren’t. You don’t want to go get the morning-after pill...if you even can. I don’t want you to either. I’m only kind of sorry I lost control. Life’s like that though. Shit happens, and we deal with it.”

  “How can you be so damn philosophical, Gabriel?”

  He shrugged a sculpted shoulder. “It comes and goes. Mostly it goes, so don’t count on it when you really need it, sweetheart.”

  THAT MORNING, I STRUGGLED to concentrate on anything. It was a wonder I drove to work without causing an accident. How was Gabe Sullivan interested in being married to a girl like me? Sure, we were friends, and we both had a deep passion for music, but it didn’t compute for me sometimes. The sex was beyond fantastic for me, but to throw out marriage like he did this morning boggled my mind.

  I knew I was over-analyzing things, and I shook my head to get the thoughts out of my head.

  In some ways he was right. Either I would turn up pregnant in a few weeks, or I wouldn’t. There was nothing to be done until that time. That didn’t change how damn scared I was though.

  “Miss Daughtry,” Ryan called from the doorway.

  “Yes, sir,” I replied, standing.

  “Excellent work on the quarterly report. I’d like you to put the first and second quarters together into one file.”

  I nodded. “No problem. I’ll get right on it.”

  He walked away, and I threw myself into the new project, willing the day to fly by.

  Gabe

  “EARTH TO GABE... COME in, numbnuts,” Brock called to me.

  I shook my head and glared at him. “What?”

  “You want a fried egg or what? Some of us have to get to work.”

  I nodded. “Sure.”

  As Brock moved around the kitchen, his request that I tell him when I met Cassie’s parent’s came to mind. “Yo, ball-buster, you wanted to know if I met Cassie’s parents, right?”

  Holding an egg in one hand, he looked at me. “Yeah. That happening soon?”

  I shook my head. “I met her dad last night.”

  Brock’s chin went up a fraction. He turned away and cracked the egg and quickly dumped it into the skillet. Then he added another egg.

  He turned back to me. “Her mother there, too?”

  I shook my head. “You know, Dad knows J.P. Daughtry.”

  Brock’s brows furrowed. “You shittin’ me?”

  Again, I shook my head.

  He did a surprised grunt, and turned back to the eggs.

  I thought back to the day Cassie came by to give Brock guff, and remembered she’d had lunch with her mother.

  “This case you’re working have something to do with Cassie’s mom?”

  Brock started to look at me, but stopped then he shook his head. “No.”

  I felt my lopsided grin. “You’d have done better to just look at me, dumbass. You’re lying. Why are you investigating Cassie’s mom?”

  He looked me dead in the eye. “Not investigating her mother.”

  I stared into his eyes and I knew he was telling me the truth. “Then why do you care if or when I meet her mother?”

  He sighed. “Don’t worry about it.”

  When he put our plates on the table, he sat down while asking, “What’s with you being a space cadet this morning?”

  I shrugged. “I just... did something unexpected. Not a big deal.”

  Brock stopped forking into his fried egg. “‘Something’ or someone?”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Shut the fuck up. I would never do that shit to Cassie. Hell, I’d never do that to any fuckin’ woman, damn sure not her.”

  “Then what’d you do?” he asked, around a mouth full of egg and toast.

  I sighed. My inclination was to keep this to myself, but Brock never put up with my desire to keep secrets and he would badger the hell out of me until I gave up the goods. “I didn’t use a condom.”

  His fork clattered onto his plate. “Are you serious? You made sure she’s on the pill, right?”

  My lips pressed together in a slight smile as I shook my head. His eyes bugged out, then his mouth opened, but he didn’t say anything.

  He shook his head and then he spoke. “What the fuck?”

  I shrugged. “I think it’ll be okay.”

  He closed his eyes for a long moment, and then he sighed. When he opened his eyes he looked disappointed. “You’re a mess.”

  I shook my head. “Don’t know that she’s pregnant, man. And besides, I fuckin’ love her.”

  “Just like you loved Jessica?”

  I stiffened. “That’s low. I never thought about marrying Jessica.”

  Brock did a double take. “You mentioned marriage?”

  I grinned. “Yeah. Diverted Cassie’s freak-out, and nothing I said was untrue.”

  Brock shook his head. “Call me crazy, but I’m thinking you should get your degree before entering into wedded bliss.”

  I shrugged. “What is it Granny always told us? ‘Everything happens as it is supposed to happen.’ And it’s as true now as it was back then.”

  Brock pressed his lips together, and I chuckled because I knew he couldn’t argue with that.

  25

  Feed My Baby Daddy

  Gabe

  FRIDAY, I HIT CLUB Eclectic before opening so I could meet with Ryan. Ev
en though I hadn’t shown my plans to anybody yet, I intended to invest in this club. The location was great, and if Pruitt focused his efforts, it could really take off.

  As I entered the club, I put my equipment down so I could set up after I spoke to Pruitt. The door to his office was ajar, but just before I knocked, I heard a woman’s voice.

  “You’ve gotten everything you’ll get from me, Ryan.”

  “What are you talking about? I’ll out you to your husband.”

  The woman laughed. “You make any move to do that, and I’ll have you arrested for money-laundering.”

  “I’m not laundering money,” Pruitt said.

  “Really? How do you claim that additional fifty thousand dollars in income on your taxes, Ryan? Are you unaware that monetary gifts larger than fifteen thousand dollars have to be reported as income? And you’ve certainly been receiving far more money than that, but no more.”

  “But you’re the silent investor, so you’re incriminating yourself,” he replied.

  “No, Ryan, my husband is. You should learn to read contracts more carefully. Two birds, one stone. You step out of line, I get rid of you and my husband.”

  “You set me up for that, you’re setting Cassandra up for it too.”

  Cassandra? My frame went stock still. I chanced a glance at the woman in the room and I couldn’t believe she was Cassie’s mother. Yet, there could be no other explanation.

  “Life is full of hard lessons. My daughter never should’ve listened to her father and applied for the bookkeeping job here.”

  Ryan’s voice was full of rage. “I’ll tell them the truth!”

  I could only see her profile, but even still, the sharp curve of her mouth made for one helluva sinister smile. “Who are they going to believe? You? A fledgling thirty-year-old, or a respected member of the Chamber of Commerce?”

  “You’re willing to set your husband up for a crime and possibly your youngest daughter too?”

  She moved, and I lost sight of her facial expression. “Cassie hasn’t been here that long. I’m sure a decent lawyer can get her off.”

  Jesus. This woman was a world-class bitch.