I didn"t feel too bad. Lucy was a woman with her own mind. If she wanted to stay, not even Gabe could drive her away.
I reentered Gabe"s apartment, and to my surprise, though I"d only stayed there for a few days, I felt as if I"d returned home. It helped that the place smelled like Gabe, warm musk and all man, wrapping me in his strength. He paused in the kitchen, and out of habit, if I could form a habit in such a short time, I turned into my old room. At which point I found myself picked up and hauled over Gabe"s shoulder and dumped on his big bed.
This time, it was all I could do not to laugh at his ridiculous overreaction. I sat up and scooted back against the pillows as he strode to the closets and began opening doors. "Your own closet. With all your clothes."
He gestured to the inside of a mini-room where familiar-looking clothes hung on matching hangers before moving across the room to a larger dresser and opening one drawer after another. "Personal items." He strode to the nightstand on the right side of the bed. "Your books and things. Want to see the bathroom next?"
I shook my head, mute. I couldn"t think of a thing to say until the reality of how all this had occurred set in. "You sent someone into my apartment and moved out all of my things?"
He met my gaze, his unflinching, but I saw the stiff set of his shoulders, the near certainty I was about to flip out and probably bolt.
"I moved you where you belong," he said tightly. "And before you give me a hard time, you should know that there"s been no other woman in this bedroom. Ever."
I swallowed hard. No, I thought, they"d been in the separate room across the apartment. I knew what it meant that he"d moved me in here, understood the gesture for what it was-even if it had been high-handed and presumptuous.
If I"d been looking for something I could do for him, to let him know just how good he made me feel and how welcome, this was my chance.
I met his gaze, allowing an easy smile to cross my lips. "Did you remember my Tums?" I asked, which I realized I hadn"t needed during my time on the island.
He grinned. "Night table drawer."
"Then I guess I"ve come home," I said with a tiny shrug of my shoulders.
His expression softened. "Now that that"s settled, we didn"t have a decent meal today. Are you hungry?"
"As a matter of fact, I am." I reached for the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head. "Just not for food."
Isabelle: In Myself I Trust Thanks to the waiting reporters, our return from the island had been captured by the New York Post, Page Six. I winced at the unflattering angle of myself in the lone photograph, not used to being the subject of public scrutiny. And thanks to the headline, I would be scrutinized and picked over. There were two mentions on the website, one about Elite, Gabriel Dare to Open Club on Eden?, and the other about his now apparently questionable single status, Is One of New York"s Most Eligible Bachelors No Longer On the Market? And within the article, there was speculation on the curvaceous woman he kept protectively by his side. Yuck. What woman wanted to be referred to by her curves?
I slammed the laptop shut a brand new laptop since Gabe hadn"t liked the look of the used one I"d purchased on eBay after I started working for Lisa. I wasn"t comfortable taking his gifts and money, still wondered what I could give back, but I accepted that he needed to do these things for me.
I did what I could. I made sure to be home in time to cook dinner, something I had always enjoyed doing for Lance, even when he hadn"t appreciated it. There were times he wouldn"t make it home for dinner, nor would he call to let me know. I"d merely package the meals and freeze them for another time. Times when I knew he wasn"t coming home so I could eat them myself, because he didn"t like frozen meals. I still didn"t know how he knew the difference.
I shook off the past, reminding myself it was behind me. I was living a new life, one I loved. Working during the day, sometimes with Lucy by video or phone, sometimes with clients at Lisa"s, home to cook during the week, and evenings with Gabe, reading in the library while he worked, or watching TV on the ma.s.sive big screen in the family room, my head in his lap. Those nights, we would inevitably end up having s.e.x on the couch, followed by more s.e.x in his bedroom, which I"d begun to think of as ours.
Because amazingly, three weeks had pa.s.sed since we"d reunited on Eden. I still woke up and wanted to pinch myself, but things were good. I was good. More importantly, we were good. I loved him, but I didn"t say the words, having been burned before. It didn"t escape my notice that neither had he.
And I knew that unless and until he did, I"d never be completely secure in the knowledge that I had his heart. And so I"d gotten myself on the pill, because until I was secure, a baby wasn"t something I could risk.
Isabelle: Happy Birthday I never told Gabe my birthday was coming. The day hadn"t had any meaning in so long I rarely gave it much thought. So when I woke up to a warm tongue on my s.e.x, Gabe"s talented fingers parting my outer lips so he could delve deeper, it was, in fact, a morning like any other.
Welcome to my new world. I wasn"t complaining.
Especially not when he slid his tongue deep inside me, setting off sparks that had my entire body trembling and on the edge of release. I raised my hips, rubbing myself against him until I exploded, moaning loudly, shaking as he kept me coming, replacing his tongue with his finger and curling it forward, hitting exactly the right spot.
I came harder, the sensations reaching every part of my body, ever-heightening waves consuming me. "Oh Gabe."
"I"m right here, kitten." Suddenly Gabe was over me, thrusting deep, hitting the same spectacular place inside me as his finger. But he was bigger, thicker, longer, and if I thought I"d shattered before, I was done for now.
"Keep coming for me," he said in a harsh voice.
I did. I was. My fingers curled into his back, gripping his skin, and he groaned, increasing the power of each deliberate thrust. It felt like heaven as he reached deeper, not just into my body but into my heart.
One final push and he came on a loud shout that sounded like my name, but I was still lost in sensation. Lost in Gabe. I wrapped my arms around him, holding his sweat-slickened skin as his harsh breathing rasped in my ear and his heavy body pressed me into the mattress. I struggled to breathe, not caring a bit.
Minutes later, our breathing still choppy, he did a slow roll to one side. "That was f.u.c.king fantastic," he muttered.
I couldn"t help but grin. "Yeah, it was."
"Had to give you a birthday present to start your day." He pressed a lingering kiss to my lips.
"You know?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I know everything about you. Even the things you don"t think are important enough to tell me." His tone told me he wasn"t pleased by the omission.
I blinked in surprise. Then decided to give him more of me. "Has it escaped your notice that I"ve met your family and you haven"t met mine?"
"Sally and Marvin Masters. College professors. Teachers," he said.
"They prefer the term educators," I said in a haughty tone.
Gabe sneered. "Cold-hearted individuals-"
"Who never meant to have a child," I said, reminding him of what had molded me into who I was.
"But they did, which meant they had obligations, and I"m not talking about the basics of food, clothing, and shelter."
I shrugged. "I realize now that their lack of warmth had me looking for it in the wrong places. I mistook what Lance offered for caring because I didn"t know better." I shrugged and paused. "Maybe he did care in the beginning. I can"t imagine I gave up my whole life for nothing, but he changed."
Gabe shrugged. "You know better now, kitten. You know exactly what it means to have someone care." He played with a lock of my hair, twisting it around his finger.
I smiled at that. "I do." I glanced at the clock, hating to interrupt our cuddling, but I knew his schedule. "You need to go, or you"ll be late."
"They can"t run the meeting without me."
I rolled my eyes. "Arrogant a.s.s."
He grinned and levered into a sitting position, then pushed up from the bed. "Whatever works. See you home after work?"
I nodded, having a difficult time keeping my eyes on his face and not the rest of his spectacularly fine nude body.
He leaned down and kissed my nose. "No cooking. We"re going out."
"But-"
He shook his head. "No buts. Your first real birthday celebration is going to be a special one." His dark blue eyes sparkled with delight-and an obvious plan.
The child in me, the one who"d never known a true celebration in her honor, lit up inside at the notion. "Whatever you say."
He laughed. "That"s what I like to hear."
Chapter Seventeen.
Gabe: "I take care of what"s mine."
"I love a party!" Lucy said, striding around the room and checking decorations. "Gerbera daisies are my favorite. And these colors are spectacular!"
All Gabe knew was that there were red, orange, and yellow bouquets on each table and had matching balloons soaring from the middle.
"She"s going to be so surprised," Lucy said.
"That"s the plan." Gabe nodded to the bartender stocking the shelves before turning back to his sister. "You look beautiful," he told her, taking in the silver dress that, though too short, definitely added to her already-spectacular looks.
Her cheeks turned pink. "Thank you, big brother." She kissed his cheek. "And look! Decklan cleans up rather nicely too."
His brother wore black slacks and a white dress shirt, minus a tie, because heaven forbid Decklan should completely do as Gabe requested.
"I guess she"s not such a stray," Decklan said, slapping Gabe on the back. "She must be here to stay for you to go to all this trouble."
Gabe glared at his brother.
"Shut up, Deck," Lucy said. "And don"t bring up the whole arrest thing when you talk to Isabelle."
"Don"t worry. Gabe"s woman and I have an understanding now. She likes me since I brought her a present." Decklan grinned, causing Lucy to raise her eyebrows.
"What kind of trouble are you causing?" she asked.
Gabe rolled his eyes. "He bought her Tums. He aggravated her to the point where she needed antacids. He decides to call that a relationship. And we wonder why he doesn"t have a woman in his life."
Lucy chuckled. Decklan, as usual, remained silent.
"Oh, people are starting to arrive," Lucy said, glancing toward the door.
"Seriously? You invited our whole crazy family? Have you lost your mind?" Decklan tipped his head toward the group who had just entered Elite.
First came what Gabe thought of as his original cousins, Ian and his pregnant wife, Riley, and Ian"s siblings, Olivia, Avery, Scott, and Tyler.
Since it turned out that their father, Robert, had a second family on the side, Gabe, Lucy, and Decklan had discovered they had another set of cousins. And in walked Alex and his fiancee, Madison, and Alex"s siblings, Jason, Samantha, and Sienna. Yes, Robert Dare was one fertile son of a b.i.t.c.h. But Gabe and his siblings didn"t discriminate. Family was family, and over time and with effort, he"d gotten to know them all.
He greeted his cousins, thanking them for making the trip to New York and for arriving early enough to ensure a surprised guest of honor. Isabelle had her boss and her fiance here, but there weren"t many other people she"d befriended since leaving Lance.
Gabe intended to rectify that. He"d looked up old friends of hers who Lisa said Isabelle missed and invited them, hoping to reconnect her with her life. And to build one along with her. Which meant he"d invited his crazy Miami cousins.
He patted the box in his pocket. After all, they"d be her family too.
He excused himself to go pick up Isabelle for what she believed to be a romantic birthday dinner for two. He"d explain he needed to stop by the club for a few minutes on the way to the restaurant.
Surprise accomplished, he thought, pleased with his plan.
Chapter Eighteen.
Isabelle: Surprise!
I rushed home from work to get ready for the evening. Gabe was due to pick me up after he wrapped up a meeting, then we"d head out to dinner. I showered, lathered up with moisturizer in the coconut smell he loved, and dressed in one of the summer outfits I"d bought for the island but hadn"t gotten a chance to wear. I didn"t have any special jewelry to put on-Lance had held on to everything-except the few things I"d bought for the trip, including the fake pearls.
I attached the clasp and fingered the delicate beading, my mind immediately returning to the moment Gabe had pulled me to the bedroom by the long strands. Along with the memory came the excitement I"d experienced at being with him again. The feeling hadn"t waned, and I had the sense it never would.
I smiled to myself.
Since I had time, I decided to run down to the pharmacy on the corner and pick up a few items. I"d be back before Gabe arrived, and we were out of some necessities. The apartment was located conveniently to many places, and it didn"t take me long to buy what I needed.
I approached the apartment building, preoccupied thinking about the night ahead, excited and antic.i.p.ating a special evening.
"It"s been a long time, Isabelle."
The familiar voice stopped me in my tracks. "Lance." I stared up at him, cursing at how he"d caught me off guard.
He looked the same, his blond hair perfectly cut, piercing blue eyes taking me in.
"Happy birthday, darling."
I narrowed my gaze, wondering what his agenda might be. "I"m surprised you remember. It"s not like you bothered when we were together."
He"d managed to turn any birthday outings into business dinners, expenses he could write off. Early on in the relationship, he"d seemed contrite, like it was unavoidable. I realized later he just hadn"t cared.
"Oh, come on. I always bought you expensive gifts."
I gritted my teeth, knowing he"d never understand that those weren"t the things that meant something to me. "Why are you here?" He"d clearly sought me out and had some sort of agenda.