“Party pooper!” the girl said with mock outrage. “VAD stands for Ventricle Assist Device.” She pointed to a gray tube coming from her abdomen that attached to a machine with a battery pack. “I have a rare heart condition called amyloidosis. Proteins build in my heart and stop it from pumping properly. This crazy thing is what’s been keeping me alive this last year.”
“Is that how long it’s been?” Monica asked.
“Yeah,” Vanessa answered.
“Did you guys meet here at the hospital?” Gabe asked.
“We did. I was making a cupcake delivery to the cardiac unit, and Vanessa stopped me.”
“Yep, I’m going to be a fashion designer,” Vanessa added. “Monica’s about the most perfect model anyone could ask for. I had to see if she’d be up for helping me.”
“You want to be a model?” Gabe asked.
“Yeah, I do.” She held his gaze. Most people gave her a placating smile when she shared her career aspirations, but not Gabe. His eyes filled with what looked like admiration.
“And I love sunflowers,” Vanessa said.
Monica released a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. “Vanessa is crazy about them. She’s got all sorts of fabric patterns with the flower.”
“When I saw Monica’s locket…” The girl trailed off and looked at Monica’s neck. “Where is your locket? I’ve never seen you without it.”
Monica’s hand flew to her neck. Her heart sank, and the memories of last night flashed to Chip and his meaty hand clawing at her body.
Gabe reached into his pocket. “It must have fallen off.” He opened his palm.
There was her locket. He’d retrieved it before the police got to him.
Monica uncurled her fingers and opened her hand. “Thank you. It’s very important to me.”
“I thought it might be,” he said and gently placed the locket in her palm.
His fingers brushed across her skin. A shiver tingled from the point of contact all the way down to her deepest parts. Who was Gabe Sinclair? Was he the boy with tenderness laced in his touch or was he a creep who liked to spy on her? Her heart swayed more to the former while her mind wasn’t quite ready to let her forget the latter.
“I just finished hemming this adorable A-line dress with pleats,” Vanessa said. “It’s on the table next to my sewing machine. Would you try it on?”
Monica glanced from Gabe to Vanessa. “Right now?”
“Just go into the bathroom,” Vanessa said, pointing to the door in the corner of the room. “You don’t mind if Monica does a little modeling for me, do you, Gabe? I’d like to see if I got the pleats right.”
“Not at all,” he said with a good-natured grin.
Monica left her perch on the side of Vanessa’s hospital bed and picked up the dress.
Vanessa leaned forward. “What do you think? It’s kind of different with the black and white sunflowers. Edgier. More stylish.”
“I don’t know much about fashion, but I think it looks great,” Gabe said. He’d come to Vanessa’s side and put a pillow behind her back.
“It’s beautiful,” Monica said, holding the dress against her body.
“Try it on!” Vanessa coaxed.
Monica entered the bathroom and closed the door. She strained to hear Gabe and Vanessa’s muffled conversation. Vanessa had asked him something about baking, but she couldn’t make out Gabe’s answer. She undressed and gently worked her way into Vanessa’s creation. Black and white sunflowers with gold accents here and there gave the dress a fresh, funky feel.
“I’m coming out,” she said and opened the door.
Vanessa gasped and clapped her hands. “It looks beautiful on you, Monica!”
Monica did a little twirl. She stopped and caught Gabe’s eye. The dimple was back.
“Gabe,” Vanessa said. “Can you stand behind Monica and pull in the dress a bit? I may need to take it in an inch or so.”
“Um, sure,” he answered.
The butterflies were back. It was as if Monica’s body knew Gabe’s touch was only seconds away.
He ran his fingertips across her shoulders. “Up here?”
“No,” Vanessa directed from the bed. “Pull it in so it fits tight to her body. I want the bodice to be form fitting.”
Gabe’s fingertips traveled down her shoulder blades. Monica shivered.
“Are you ticklish?” he asked. She could have sworn she heard a smile in his voice.
She shook her head. She didn’t trust herself to speak. The heat of his touch seeped through the thin fabric. His hand twitched. Was he trembling? Did this make him nervous? But before she could make up her mind, his hands were steady and pressed flat against her back.
“Just tug in the fabric a little, Gabe,” Vanessa said.
The breath caught in Monica’s throat.
“Too tight?” he asked. He loosened his hold.
“No, you’re fine,” she answered in a breathy whisper.
“What is that, Gabe? About a half inch?” Vanessa asked. She’d pulled out a little notepad and was jotting something down.
His fingers tensed against her back. “Yeah, looks like half an inch. Maybe a little less.”
His breath was warm. Soft puffs teased her earlobe. Not many guys were taller than she was. He made her feel delicate. Her long, slim limbs next to his strong muscled body sent another ripple of excitement to her core. Her breaths came in short pulses as Gabe splayed his hands across her back and held the fabric in place.
She’d spent years watching him. Years wondering about him. It seemed almost unreal that in the last twenty-four hours, he had gone from a mysterious curiosity into the person who caused her body to tremble beneath his touch.
The door to the hospital room opened, and Mrs. Garza entered looking shell-shocked. Gabe’s hands dropped from her back. The loss of his touch as sharp as tearing off a bandage.
“What is it, mom?” Vanessa asked. What little color she had drained from her cheeks.
Mrs. Garza’s gaze bounced around the room. “I can’t believe it’s real.”
“Mom, what is it?”
A beat of silence passed.
“There may be a heart for you, darling. I just spoke with one of the doctors on the transplant team. A girl your age who apparently is a match for you is in the ICU in Lincoln, Nebraska. She was in a car accident. The family has decided to take her off life support. They were told about you, Van,” Mrs. Garza said as tears ran down her cheeks. “The girl’s parents want to donate her daughter’s heart to you. They want to give you the gift of life their daughter couldn’t have.”
“I could be a normal kid,” Vanessa said as if caught in a dream.
“Yes,” her mother nodded through tears. “You’ll always have to take medicine, and you’ll still have doctor’s appointments. But yes, you should be able to go to school, go to dances, go swimming. Grow up and design beautiful dresses.”
Mrs. Garza turned from her daughter and looked at Monica.
Monica smiled and wiped away a tear. “Oh no! I’m getting tears on your beautiful dress, Vanessa!”
They were all crying and laughing. Monica turned to Gabe who wasn’t crying, but his eyes were shining.
Mrs. Garza grabbed a tissue and patted her eyes. “I’m so sorry, but I have to ask you both to leave. The donor team is going to be in to talk with us any minute.”
“Of course,” Monica said. “Let me just change.”
“Keep the dress,” Vanessa said. “I want you to have it and always remember this day.”
Monica brushed away another tear. “Thank you, Vanessa. I’ll come to visit you soon.”
“This is wonderful news. We’ll see you soon, Vanessa,” Gabe said.
He pressed his hand against the small of her back. His touch, warm and firm, steadied her.
Monica grabbed her clothes from the bathroom and followed Gabe out of the room. He pressed the button for the elevator. The doors opened, and they stepped in without a wor
d, numbed from the revelation they’d witnessed. The doors closed. The emotional rollercoaster of the last twenty-four hours hit her like heat lightning, wild and rippling across the sky in electric trails of light. Gabe leaned in to press the button to take them to the ground level when she ducked her head and pressed her lips to his.
It seemed like the only thing she could do to stop the storm inside of her. His lips were soft and warm. He stilled for a beat and then another. He pulled back and straightened up but held her gaze. Monica took a step back and bumped into the elevator wall. A mechanical sound hummed, and the elevator began its descent.
She parted her lips. “Gabe.”
One word, barely gasped, but it was all he needed.
He pressed the emergency stop button, and the elevator jolted to rest. Monica lost her footing, but she didn’t fall. Gabe was there with one hand on her elbow and the other on her shoulder. She gazed up at him. Those dark green eyes captivated her, entranced her. She pressed her palms to his chest and drew her fingertips down the length of his torso. Cut, lean muscle hid beneath his T-shirt. His eyes grew dark and hooded. His gaze said he wanted to swallow her whole. He brushed her bangs to the side, and the sweep of his fingertips trailed to her chin. She gripped his shirt and bunched the fabric in her hands.
Gabe let out a ragged breath. “I want to kiss you, Monica. I want it more than I’ve wanted anything in my entire life.”
She pressed up onto her toes. “Then kiss me.”
His lips caressed hers with whisper-soft kisses. He was holding back. She could feel it. His body trembled beneath her touch. He was like a caged, dark stallion itching to run wild.
“Kiss me the way I know you want to kiss me,” she whispered against his lips.
He pulled back. Had she read him wrong? Was this all in her head? Before she could second-guess herself, her back was against the elevator door, and his body pressed into hers. Hard muscle held her in place. She was pinned, trapped. Her breasts heaved against him as her breaths came fast.
“This is how I want to kiss you,” he growled.
His low, primal words sent a delicious tingle down her spine. He drew his thumb across her bottom lip. His hips bucked forward, and his cock pressed hard and thick against her belly.
“Christ, you’re beautiful,” he whispered.
She stared up at him. Her body burned. She swiveled her hips, and then there were no more words. He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, and she opened to him. Their mouths crashed together. Their breath mingling in a raging fire of lust and want. His hands traveled down the length of her body. He gripped the sunflower fabric and guided it up until his hands met her ass. He cupped each round globe and lifted her into his arms. Her legs wrapped around him. His cock strained through his pants and pressed hard against her most sensitive place.
He started thrusting. Tiny movements that created hot friction between her thighs. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer. Her fingers squeezed his shoulder blades as he pressed against her sweet bud. His breaths turned into low, wanton groans as he increased his pace.
She glided up and down against the cool, smooth elevator door. Her core tightened like a fist contracting. Each time Gabe pulsed against her, the sensation grew tighter and tighter. His hands shifted, and he tilted her body. The pressure against her sensitive bud intensified. She bucked against his shaft, spiraling higher and higher, tighter and tighter. Her core grew wet, and her breaths changed to unrestrained sighs and moans. Gabe deepened the kiss, consuming her lust, lapping up every morsel of her desire.
She squeezed her eyes shut, broke their kiss, and buried her head into his neck. Like a rubber band pulled to its limits, she snapped. Her body exploded, her center, wet and tingling, sent bolts of pleasure streaming through her body. Gabe dug his fingers into her ass through her thin satin panties, and the pleasure intensified.
“Yes,” she gasped. Over and over, the whispered word echoed inside the tight space.
Her world moved in slow motion. She lifted her head and met Gabe’s gaze. Wonder and lust glittered in his eyes. He shifted her weight to one hand while the other cupped her cheek. They didn’t speak. Her breathing slowed as the strength of her orgasm loosened her limbs and sent warm waves through her body.
He twisted a lock of her dark hair. “That was amazing! You’re amazing!”
A sated smile bloomed across her lips. He tilted his head and pressed his lips to hers. He was still rock-hard between her thighs. She swiveled her hips and smiled against his lips, and he released a hungry moan.
Then something shifted, but it wasn’t them.
“This is hospital maintenance,” came a voice from the elevator panel. “We’re trying to get the elevator moving, but it looks like the emergency stop button is engaged. Do you need some assistance?”
Monica tensed. What was she doing? What had come over her? She had just dry-humped in an elevator with Gabe Sinclair right after learning Vanessa might get a new heart. What was wrong with her? Less than an hour ago, she had sworn she wasn’t even going to speak to him this summer, let alone have an orgasm in his arms. She struggled against his grip, and he set her down.
Gabe must have seen the look in her eye. That dimple along with his smile disappeared. He glanced at the speaker and then back to her.
“Hello?” came the voice again. “Anybody in there?”
Gabe broke their gaze and leaned toward the speaker. “Sorry, I must have accidentally bumped it.”
He deactivated the emergency stop, and the elevator began a smooth descent to the lower level. He bent down and picked up her clothes she had mindlessly dropped somewhere between kissing him and coming against his cock. Monica swallowed hard and watched the numbers count down.
“Monica, what is it?” Gabe asked.
The doors opened, and she ran.
6
“Monica!” he called.
She’d run out of the hospital, passed by the Subaru, and turned onto the Lake Boley east trailhead that connected the hospital with the Langley Park Botanic Gardens. She was faster than he had expected. There had to be at least a few miles of trail between the hospital on the east side of the lake and the gardens on the west, but Monica hadn’t stopped yet.
He could have easily caught up with her. He could have made her stop, but he didn’t. He kept her in his sights and hung back. It wasn’t difficult to track her wearing a dress covered in bold, black and white sunflowers. She popped, bright and brilliant, against the green foliage and dark gravel paths.
She ran past the botanic garden’s pavilion perched on the west side of the lake and shimmied through a cluster of thick blue spruce, disappearing into the blue-gray, horizontal branches of the mature evergreens.
He knew where she was going.
He weaved his way past the sharp needles and found the tiny clearing surrounded by blue spruce and spindly prairie gold aspens. Monica sat on a long-forgotten, crumbling stone bench with her head in her hands nearly camouflaged by the aspens’ thin, white trucks. The summer-green leaves fluttered around her, dancing on the breeze in the hidden, wooded alcove.
“I come here sometimes, too,” he said. He wasn’t lying. He had sought this secret spot when things got complicated with his father.
She raised her head. Her cheeks were streaked with fresh tears. “I thought I was the only one who knew about this place.”
He shook his head. “I found it by following you.”
“When?” she asked. But there was nothing accusatory in tone.
“A long time ago, when I still had my paper route. I saw you out before dawn. It must have been before you had to start your work in the bakery. You seemed upset. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
She wiped her cheeks with the backs of her hands. “I know what you must think after seeing me with Chip last night and then after what just happened in the elevator.”
A burst of anger shot through his chest, but he reined it in. “All I saw last night was a
first-class asshole who thought he could take what he wanted from you. I saw a brave girl elbow a guy almost twice her size in the gut then try to get away.”
Her eyes widened. “You were here—in the gardens?”
“Why do you think I went for Chip on the basketball court? He was saying terrible things about you. I needed to make sure you’d be okay.”
She narrowed her gaze. “He said you were the one saying ugly things about me.”
“And you believed him?” He wanted to explode with frustration, but he kept his voice steady.
“I don’t know what to believe. I don’t know what to think,” she said and wiped away another tear. “I was so frightened last night. I didn’t know what to make of you being there.”
He set her clothes on a tree stump and knelt in front of her. “I wasn’t about to leave you alone with him, but I didn’t want to embarrass you either. I stepped in when I had to. You’ve got to believe me when I tell you, I didn’t expect Chip to throw the brick through the bakery’s glass front door.”
She leaned forward, her eyes full of questions. “Why didn’t you tell the police it was Chip who threw the brick?”
“Because he would have named you. I didn’t want you to get into trouble.”
“Why would you protect me, Gabe? Why do you care?”
His chest tightened. This was his chance. It was now or never.
He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Because I have loved you since the first moment I saw you. You have been the most constant, beautiful part of my life since I was twelve years old. Yesterday, when I came up to the window and then when I touched you, when I shook your hand at the basketball court, I just knew you felt it, too.” He took her hand into his. “Getting to see you with Vanessa and sharing that life changing moment with you has made this the best day of my life. I would take the blame for a thousand crimes if it meant I got to spend an extra second with you.”
Her eyes widened. “You love me?”
“I don’t know what else this could be, Monica.”
The Complete Langley Park Series (Books 1-5) Page 82
