It wasn’t a tentative test-the-waters kind of kiss. It was an explosive, take-control type. Body armor: gone. Weapons: tossed aside. Gloves: ripped away. She didn’t give a damn about caution or preliminaries. Cara and Sky were dumbfounded for they had never seen Gabby in action. As for Kolson, he didn’t demur one bit. His hand released her wrist and both his arms yanked her against him, lifting her off her feet and imprisoning her against his larger frame. It was so erotic that even Cara and Sky panted.
Cara eventually stuck her face up to the couple and said, “Get a room.”
Gabby’s hands were tangled in Kolson’s hair when the kiss ended. She said, voice sexed up, “Maybe we should.”
Kolson turned to Gabby’s friends and said, “Good night, ladies. It was a pleasure meeting you.” And then he walked out toting Gabby in his arms.
Once outside, Kolson asked, “Why did you go out without letting me know where you’d be? Especially after what happened today?”
The question stumped her. Was she supposed to tell him her every move?
“I didn’t know I was supposed to.”
He stopped walking. “Conversation is impossible with that damn mouth staring me in the face. Either I put you down or we kiss again. Which will it be, Gabriella?”
“Kiss me, Kolson.”
“I’m going against my better judgment here. You’re intoxicated.”
She pulled his face toward hers and was satisfied when she heard him groan. “Wrap your legs around me. I want you to feel what you do to me.” And then his lips met hers again. But this time they teased her, tasted, nibbled, and grazed until she squirmed against him, moaning.
He murmured against her mouth, “Hush, Gabriella. I let you have your way with me the last kiss. This one’s all mine.”
He moved until her back was against the rough concrete of a building and skimmed her with his lips. He brushed them across the apple of her cheek, sending ripples of heat over her body. Though his touch was delicate, she shivered violently as her body reacted to him.
His lips left a heated trail down to the corner of her mouth and then moved to her neck. She could feel the stubble of his cheek, the roughness as it scratched her soft skin, but she didn’t mind. In fact, the masculine feel made it more appealing. Gabby thought she must’ve been drugged because her senses were in hyperdrive. She inhaled his fresh, clean, slightly spicy fragrance. His touch and the way he held her body against his was possessive yet protective and sexy at the same time, and it sent her heart straight into her throat. That he was pleasing to look at was a given. The way he felt beneath her hands, hard but smooth, made her fingers tingle. Had she been a braver soul, she would’ve ripped his shirt, slid her hands under the fabric, and had her way with him.
By now, Kolson’s lips had worked her into a frenzy as they brushed over and around her neck. Gabby couldn’t think straight as she was damn near hyperventilating. When he lifted his head, he slid his finger over her brow and said, “Gabriella, open your eyes.”
Dazed, she stared at him like a brainless fool, incapable of words. His hair was bunched in her fists and she didn’t recall doing that. Gabby knew one thing: she wanted to sleep with this man. Tonight.
“Take me home.”
“That was my intention. But you distracted me.”
“That was my intention. Glad it worked.”
“Shall I carry you?”
“I think I’m capable of walking.”
“Are you sure? Those Sugar Tits …”
Gabby groaned. He set her down as he chuckled. With his arm around her, he walked her to the waiting car.
Gabby was surprised when Sam drove them to her place, but she got out and Kolson followed. When they got to her apartment, he unlocked her door, turned on the lights, and checked things out. Then he said, “Sleep tight, Gabriella.”
“What?”
“I said …”
“I know what you said. I thought …”
“And I know what you thought, but that’s not how this works.”
“I don’t …”
“Good night, beautiful Gabriella.” His brow furrowed as he looked at her, as though he fought with the desire to stay. But he turned and left her standing by her door, alone.
Chapter 13
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Sky yelled into the phone.
“Ouch! Don’t scream so loud, and no, I’m not kidding. That’s exactly what happened. I’m lying here all alone. Me, my horny self, and I. Well, I’m not really horny anymore. More like hungover.”
“What the hell is wrong with him?”
“He must not want me, I guess,” Gabby said.
“He didn’t want to take advantage of you. That’s what it was. You were wasted.”
“No I wasn’t. I was feeling good. I was feeling damn good.”
“You were toasted. Come on. Be glad he was looking out for you.”
“You’re absolutely right and I’m feeling sorry for myself that I let a great opportunity slip through my fingers. The truth of it is I never want to sleep with anyone, but I want to sleep with Kolson.”
“You will and when you do, the time will be right,” Sky said.
“Is this coming from experience?”
“Gosh no! Don’t ever think that. My experience is so awful. Well, except for Ryder and I’d do anything for him. You know that. I’m just saying that I think this guy has a ton of respect for you and when the time is right, it’ll happen.”
Gabby covered her face with a pillow. “Oh, God. Did I make a fool of myself? Did I throw myself at him? I have this vision of pouncing on him.”
“Girl, you were hot. You even had me squirming. And it takes a lot to make me do that.”
“Oh gawd. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be. The man ate it up like cotton candy.”
“Shit!”
“Listen, I have to meet Ryder in five minutes, so I gotta head out. Let me know what happens with all this.”
“You know I will.”
Gabby pulled her wretched ass out of bed and made coffee. After downing a quick cup, she headed out for a leisurely run to expunge the Sugar Tits and the rest of the toxins from her body. Why the hell did she let Sky and Cara talk her into drinking that sweet stuff? She shuddered at the memory.
It was Saturday, around nine, so she didn’t have to worry about getting mugged in the dark. Leaving her building, she made a drag-assed beeline for the park.
Humming as she moved along, she tried to unravel the events of the previous night. It wasn’t that easy, because her alcohol-addled mind didn’t allow her to produce a solid picture. But one thing was clear: those kisses were earth-rocking. And she would’ve let him climb into her bed and into her without hesitation. Maybe he didn’t like his women sloppy drunk. If that were true, who could blame him? But then again, he sure didn’t push her away, either.
Her phone vibrating in her pocket shook her out of her reverie. Pulling it out, she nearly lost her footing when she read the text. It was from Danny: Where the fuck are you, you little cunt? I’ve been waiting for you and I know where you live. 333 East 86th. Don’t keep me waiting too long or you know what’s gonna happen.
Gabby stood in the center of the trail that circled the Central Park reservoir. Her heart wasn’t pounding. It was flying apart within the confines of her rib cage, her breath trapped in her lungs. She fell to her knees and grabbed her throat, trying to ease the tension. All the techniques she’d found useful in the past were beyond her capability right now. She was in a full-blown panic attack, desperate for air.
A young woman came to her aid, but Gabby couldn’t hear her. All she could do was gasp for air. Her cheeks and lips began to tingle, as did her hands and feet. The girl took her wrist and felt for a pulse.
“I’m going to call 911,” the girl said. But it didn’t register with Gabby. All she heard was the blood pounding in her ears.
Her mind was on Danny’s words. He knew where she lived and was waiting
for her. The vicious cycle was set in motion with Gabby’s heart continuing to race. She felt like she wasn’t getting any air, when in fact her oxygen levels were too high. Hyperventilation set in, and she couldn’t remember her breathing techniques to increase her carbon dioxide levels.
The EMTs arrived. Gabby was treated on site but refused to go to the hospital. When she calmed down and was able to speak, she thanked the girl and told the EMTs she suffered from anxiety and had forgotten to take her medication. She was so used to denying the truth, it came naturally to pretend that she was fine. They left and she moved to an obscure park bench and nearly had another breakdown. This time, she was able to identify it in time so she gained control before it controlled her. What was she going to do now? Danny knew her address—now she was anything but safe.
When she checked her watch, she was surprised to find it was after lunch. She walked along East Drive and exited the park on 84th Street where she found a corner market and purchased a bottle of water and a granola bar. As she walked, she tried to come up with a reasonable solution to her problem. There was no doubt about it. She was going to have to find another apartment. If only she could move out of New York City altogether. But that wasn’t possible. It was where all her connections were, where she had trained in her residency, and where she had spent the last year trying to build up her practice. Though she was barely making it, starting over would mean bankruptcy for sure. She simply couldn’t handle the pressure of that. Moving out of her apartment was the only solution. It would be too risky to stay there with Danny knowing where she lived. Deep in thought, she was startled when she bumped into Sam.
“Everything okay, Dr. M.?” he asked.
“Oh, Sam, hello.” She was so relieved to see him, she hugged him.
He could feel her trembling. “Dr. M., are you okay? With all due respect, ma’am, you don’t look so good.”
Her eyes pinged around and her lips trembled as she attempted a halfhearted smile. “Please. You know you’re safe with us. Completely.”
The hand that held her water bottle shook so much she had to hold it with her other hand too. Her large eyes landed on Sam’s and she choked out three words. “He found me.”
She didn’t need to say anything else. Sam’s giant paw of a hand gently wrapped around her arm and he said, “Come with me, Dr. M.”
She watched Sam pull out his phone and send a text message as they walked. She let him lead her around the block to a side entrance of a building. In her musings she hadn’t noticed where she was or that she was near Kolson’s apartment. Sam took her through a side hall to the elevator and waited for the doors to open. He entered a series of numbers and the elevator took them up to the penthouse. When the doors slid open, Kolson was standing there and she numbly drifted into his outstretched arms. It was almost like he was supposed to be there, waiting for her, and like she knew he would be.
“What happened?” he murmured into her ear. She felt safe within the possessive cage of his embrace and now that she was here, it was where she wanted to stay.
Without looking up, she handed him her phone. He read the text from Danny.
Kolson’s flinty countenance didn’t come close to matching the fury that brewed within him. He tossed the phone to Sam. They exchanged nods and then he led Gabby through his bedroom and into his bathroom. He set to filling his enormous tub and piled fluffy towels next to it. From his closet, he pulled out clothes for her to change into afterward.
When the water was high enough, he turned on the jets. “Take a bath and try to relax. I’m going to fix you some lunch. Take as long as you need. I grabbed some things for you to wear—choose whichever works best. Whenever you’re finished, join me in the den or kitchen. And Gabriella, please take your time. You’re safe here. He can’t touch you. Can I get you anything … something to drink, perhaps?”
“No, and thank you.” She squeezed his hand.
He nodded and closed the door after him.
Sam was waiting for him in the den.
“What the fuck, Sam? I left her there last night. Alone. I thought you had this handled?”
“I thought I did too. I put Ovaltine on her place for the early mornings.”
“Who the fuck is Ovaltine?”
“He’s my little brother, Leroy. Ovaltine’s his nickname. Kid wouldn’t drink anything but Ovaltine growing up. He was supposed to be checking on her place every night from eleven to eight.”
“Then how did Danny find her? Did Ovaltine report anything suspicious? And what about from five until eleven? Who was covering her then?”
Sam looked at Kolson sheepishly. “That’s my responsibility, boss. Well, I handle it from eight in the morning to six or until she gets home. And if I can’t do it, I get Jimbo to cover for me.”
“Then you had a break somewhere. We gotta get her out of there. Today.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That prick has a file a mile long. He’s a fucking pervert. I don’t want him anywhere near her. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir. I may need an extra man or two.”
“Get however many you need. And find her another apartment in one of our buildings. Make sure it’s one with a doorman and tight security. Scratch that. I’ll get one of our people to do it. We have to move her out today or tomorrow. She doesn’t know HTS owns her building. I’ll tell her.”
Sam nodded. “Where will she stay in the meantime?”
“She can stay here.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Go to her place and get the things she’ll need until she moves. I’ll get you through their security. I’m not letting her out of here and I need to fix her something to eat. Did you see the look on her face? Jesus. How the fuck?” Kolson rubbed his neck as he headed for the kitchen.
Kolson’s mind was filled with all sorts of images as he thought of Danny breaking into Gabby’s apartment while she was there. What if he’d been there last night, when she’d had too much to drink and he’d left her there alone? It was a damn good thing she’d gone for that run. No telling what would’ve happened if she hadn’t.
Chapter 14
Gabby stepped into the hot bath and let the water do its thing. It took some time, but eventually the tension eased out of her body. Little by little she allowed herself to put together the last few hours. How the heck had Danny found her? Did he follow her? She thought she’d been smart all this time, but apparently she hadn’t. Kolson had been right. Running in the early morning hours had been beyond risky. She was surprised Danny hadn’t gotten to her then. Where would she have gone without Kolson? Sky, most likely.
But her mind had been so troubled, she hadn’t been able to think properly. Now what the hell was she supposed to do? If she went back home, she was sure she’d run straight back into Danny’s clutches. But he couldn’t stand guard all the time, could he? There had to be a moment when he wouldn’t be there. That was it! That’s what she would do. Figure out when he would leave and then she would go home.
When the bathwater chilled, she turned off the jets and climbed out. After she dried off, she stepped into the shorts Kolson had given her. Yeah, they were huge, but she could cinch up the waist with the drawstring. Then she put on the T-shirt, also too big. She felt so sleepy now that the tension had dissipated. Padding through Kolson’s bedroom, she took a quick peek around. A giant four-poster bed sat against one wall and it was canopied with sheer creamy fabric. Her toes sunk into the plush cream carpet as she moved silently toward the door. Everything reeked of money. She had an urge to slip under the expensive-looking duvet and take a nap. But she didn’t. She walked toward what she hoped was the kitchen.
Kolson’s back was to her.
“Thank you for the clothes. They’re a bit large but they’ll do.”
He turned to check her out and laughed. “You look like a street urchin from one of those old movies.”
“I’m glad the shorts have a drawstring. I couldn’t hold them up otherwise.” She pulled up the shirt and
he laughed again.
“Sam’s going over to your place to bring back some of your things.”
“My things?”
“Yes. You can’t go back there with your cousin hanging about. It simply isn’t safe.”
“Then what will I do?”
“Gabriella, sit. Why don’t you eat first and then we can discuss this.”
He set a plate of pasta with red sauce and chicken on the counter, along with a salad and ice water.
“Did you make all this?”
“Are you questioning my culinary abilities?”
“No, but …”
“Eat, Gabriella.”
Her stomach let out a big growl and she nodded. Taking a seat at the huge stone counter, she scooted her stool in and began eating. He stood across from her and hovered, asking her if she needed this or that. He refilled her plate once and her glass twice. Soon, she patted her stomach and laughed.
“I think I’m going to pop. I didn’t know I could hold that much food.”
“I have a confession to make. I didn’t cook all that. My housekeeper did. She’s really great and leaves all kinds of food for me because she knows I don’t cook. By the way, when was the last time you ate?”
Without thinking, she replied, “Last night. I had a cheeseburger. Along with my Sugar Tits.” Then she remembered what had happened as a result of said drinks and her face burned with embarrassment. She quickly dipped her head, twisting the napkin in her lap.
Kolson didn’t say a word. He cleared her plate and took a seat next to her.
“So tell me what happened.”
Glad for the distraction, she said, “I went running. I figured it was okay since it was around nine. I knew there would be people out and about. So I headed to the park and was making my way around the lake, enjoying the beautiful weather, when I got the text.”
“But that was hours ago. What happened between then and now?”
The Best of Forevers Page 100