Kolson stopped what he was doing. What could she possibly mean that no one believed her?
“Repeat that.”
She opened her eyes and looked directly at him. His eyes were so unusual; it was impossible to read them. She pulled her foot out of his grasp and scrambled away from him. The last thing she wanted to see was another accusatory look. So she did what she learned to do best—run. As she reached the den, it dawned on her that she had nowhere to go because she was naked.
“Where are you going?” he asked softly.
Anywhere, away, another planet.
Her back faced him because she couldn’t bear to see the condemning look on his face.
When his hands grasped her shoulders, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
“I’m not going to hurt you, kea. Never would I do that.”
“Perhaps not by actions.”
He turned her around and asked, “Do you think I’d judge you? Is that it?”
She laughed bitterly. “What are you going to do?”
“Well, believe you, for starters.”
“Why? Give me one good reason?”
Gabby stood eyes downcast, straight as an arrow, braced for the blow she expected to come at her.
He tipped her chin up. “Why wouldn’t I believe you?”
She snorted. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because no one else ever did. Told me I made it all up. And then it gave him license to do it over and over and over again. Until he fucking broke me and I tried to commit suicide. My parents even told me I was being difficult and that I had been difficult my whole life. Ever since I was born. ‘You started out as a colicky baby and you haven’t stopped since.’ That’s what my mom told me when they picked me up from the hospital after I did this.” She waved her wrist in front of his face. “I was so damn idiotic, I didn’t even know the proper technique. Too bad they didn’t have Suicide for Dummies.” Her voice cracked with emotion.
Kolson didn’t laugh, because suicide was nothing to joke about. Instead, he pulled her into his arms. “I believe you, Gabriella. I believe you.”
She stood like a piece of wood. But it didn’t matter to him. He still held her.
“Why? You don’t even know me,” she mumbled.
“What do you mean, I don’t know you? I know more about you than you do, it seems. I know you’re a loving, caring individual who gives so much of herself to others and cares so little about herself. I also know you wouldn’t lie about this. I saw the way you reacted to him. That’s not the behavior of someone who enjoys the company of another. You’re frightened to death of him. I knew he did something terrible to you and I guessed it was rape, but I didn’t know for sure.”
“It’s okay,” she said in a defeated voice.
“It’s anything but okay. How many years?”
Gabby lifted her head and looked at him. “What?”
“How many years has he been controlling you?”
“Since I was thirteen. I’m twenty-nine now.”
“Sixteen years. And he was never punished, was he?”
She shook her head.
A steel-like glint shone in Kolson’s eyes.
“He left me alone while I was in medical school and during my residency. He hasn’t been around since college, really. But now he’s back and I don’t know why.”
“Gabriella, your parents are fucked up. You know that, don’t you? You should never have kept this to yourself for so long.”
“I know, and you’re right about my parents. My mom’s an alcoholic who only cares about her bottle and my dad only cares about how people think of him. But at the same time, when your entire family dumps you, it pretty much stabs you everywhere that counts. It fucking shattered me, Kolson.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t think you do.”
“Don’t ever make assumptions about things you know nothing about.”
She tugged herself out of his grasp and walked back to his room. A fatigue so deep had settled into her bones, she couldn’t fight it any longer. Not thinking of what she was doing, or the implications behind her actions, she crawled under the smooth sheets and promptly fell asleep.
Chapter 15
Kolson watched Gabby walk away. He didn’t follow but instead granted her some space. He was curious when he saw her moving in the direction of his room so in ten minutes when she didn’t return, he went to check on her.
He found her in his bed, snuggled under a mound of covers, sleeping soundly. Her face had lost the tension and worry lines. Gabby looked like a teenager with her hair twisted around her and her soft lips slightly parted. Kolson had an urge to run his thumb across her forehead and along that small space between her eyes, which was often lined with anxiety.
There was something else. He wanted to climb in bed and hold her against him. Not in a sexual way, but to let her know she was safe with him. Brushing those ideas away, he went to his closet to get dressed. Then he laid out more shorts and T-shirts for her to wear.
Not long after, Sam buzzed letting him know he was on his way up. He walked in with a large suitcase and a smaller valise.
“How much more do you have?” Kolson asked.
“Nothing. This is it, sir.”
“I told you to pack for several weeks. She may need to stay here that long.”
“Yes, sir, but this is everything. I emptied out her closet and dresser. And this is it.”
“Everything? In two bags?”
“Yes, sir. But there’s something else you need to know. He was there.”
“In her apartment?”
“Yes, sir. He’d slashed up some of her clothing and left the place in sort of a mess. Not a very bad one, but he wanted her to know he’d been there.”
“That son of a bitch. And I can’t stop thinking that I left her there alone last night. Thank God he didn’t break in while she was sleeping.” Kolson fisted his hands as the muscles in his cheeks twitched. “Sam, did you see him hanging around her building?”
“No, sir. But I didn’t pay attention.”
“Sam!”
“I’m sorry, sir. I guess I was more focused on getting her things out of there.”
Kolson rubbed his jaw. “Sam, when was your last day off?”
“Over six weeks ago, sir. When you had me start looking out for Dr. M.”
“Fuck. Why haven’t you said something?”
“Because I really like Dr. M. and I’ve been concerned about her.”
“Go. Get out of here. Take the next two weeks.”
“Oh, no, sir. I can’t do that.”
“Yeah, you can. Get your brother over here to drive Gabriella around. I can do a lot of it too. Then when she gets situated in a new place, we’ll set up a schedule for her drivers.”
“You sure, sir?”
Kolson’s brows shot up. “Are you doubting my capability, Sam?”
“No, sir.”
Kolson snorted. “Good. Get out of here and I don’t want to see your face for at least two weeks.”
Sam left and Kolson picked up the phone. “Lydia, can you come in this afternoon? I hate to bother you on your day off, but something’s come up. Great. Thanks.”
Forty minutes later, Sam’s housekeeper stepped off the elevator. Lydia was a tiny woman in her fifties, with gray hair and keen gray eyes to match.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Hart. So what can I assist you with today?”
“Thank you for coming in on such short notice. I’m going to have a guest for a while.” He explained the circumstances and asked Lydia to set Gabby up in the guest room. “Some of her things have been ruined by ... well it’s a long story. Can you pull those aside so I can show them to her?”
“Certainly. I’ll take care of it right away sir.”
In no time, Lydia had Gabriella’s things unpacked and settled into the guest room. When she was finished, she showed Kolson where he could find all the destroyed clothing. Kolson was enraged at how Danny had shredded Gabby’s clothes.
“Everything’s set, sir. All the items are put away and there’s dinner in the refrigerator for you. All you need to do is slide it in the oven for an hour at three fifty.”
“Thank you, Lydia. You’re a dream.”
“See you on Monday, sir.”
He walked her to the door and when he was returning to his office, Gabby exited his room.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep so long.”
“You were tired.” He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “How do you feel?” He wanted to alleviate any awkwardness between them.
“Like I slept a year.” She laughed.
“I hope that’s a good thing. I’m glad you found the clothes I set out for you.”
“Yeah, thanks. That’s the most comfortable bed. It’s like heaven in there.”
“I’m glad you like it, Gabriella.” He smirked. She couldn’t tell if he was laughing at her or being sincere. “In fact, I’d like you to sleep in it with me. Tonight.”
“Tonight? But I need to get home.”
“No. It’s not safe for you there anymore. While you were sleeping, I had Sam go to your place and gather your clothes. There’s something I need to discuss with you. Come and sit down.”
Once they were seated, he explained what Sam discovered.
“You mean he broke in? How did he get past the doormen?”
“I don’t know, but it was a good thing you went running when you did.”
“Shit. What am I going to do?” She fidgeted with her shirt, twisting in her hands.
“You’re not going back there. I’m in the process of finding you another apartment. In the meantime, you’ll stay here. It’s safe. Secure. And I’m here. He won’t know to look for you here so you won’t have to worry about any safety issues where Danny’s concerned.”
“But what about my apartment lease?”
“Don’t worry about that. HTS not only deals in transportation. We’ve diversified into real estate and your building is one of our latest investments.”
She frowned and asked, “You’re my landlord?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes. I didn’t realize it, though, until after I took you home the night Danny left the note at the hospital.”
“I see.” Gabby clasped her hands together. The last thing she wanted was to be dependent on someone. That wouldn’t work at all. She felt like she was situated between a rock and a hard place.
“Gabriella, it’s all a huge coincidence.”
“Yes, it is. But about staying here. I don’t want to impose.”
“You won’t be.”
She bunched up her shirt and rubbed it between her fingers.
“Besides the obvious, what’s wrong?”
“I can’t. Stay here, that is.”
“Why not?”
“Because. I can’t be dependent on anyone. When my family …” She shook her head and tried to get rid of those awful memories.
“You haven’t figured it out yet, have you? You’ll always be an embarrassment to this family for what you put us through. You made us look like a bunch of freaks. To us you’ll always be that pain-in-the-ass kid. All that money we spent on you for your treatment and then those stupid lies you told. So go on to your fancy medical school and be one of those kooky shrinks. You’ll relate well to that. After all, you were happier in the nuthouse than you were with us. But don’t come back here begging for money. Besides, I doubt you have what it takes to make it on your own. I don’t even think you have what it takes to make it through med school.” Then he laughed at her.
She shuddered as her father’s words replayed in her head. Jumping to her feet, she ran to the bathroom, gasping for air. At least splashing cold water on her face gave her the illusion of feeling better.
“Gabby, are you okay?”
Shit! Hell no, I’m not okay! My life’s falling apart around me because of Danny. It always goes back to him. He fucking ruined my life! And it never ends!
“Um, yeah, I’ll be out in a minute.”
Breathe, Gabby. Slow, deep breaths. You know how to control this, so do it.
A minute passed, then two, and the calm slowly seeped back into her. When she opened the door, she waltzed right into the impenetrable wall of Kolson’s chest.
“Whoa, there.”
“Sorry. Didn’t know you’d be standing right here.”
His warm hands were on her shoulders and she wanted to rub her cheek on one of them.
“You okay?”
She gave a shaky laugh. “No. I’m better now.”
His warm hands left her shoulders but one sought out her hand and led her back to the sofa. He noted how pale her face was, but didn’t comment on it. Instead, he decided to humor her.
“So, are you gonna tell me your aversion to staying here with me? Is it my slovenly living habits, because I really do make the bed every day? Or is it because I won’t make coffee in the morning? I have one of those coffee things that you can set up the night before. Or maybe you don’t like the kind of pillows I have, because I can buy different ones. What is it, Gabriella? Tell me, and I can fix it.”
She was smiling by now and he figured he had her.
“Do you hang up your bathroom towel?”
“Never.”
“Well, then no way can I stay here.”
“You didn’t let me finish.”
“Finish?”
“Yes, Gabriella, finish. I was about to say, I never hang up my bathroom towel, but I’ll do anything for you, including that.”
All joking aside, his eyes pinned hers. The air disappeared and it wasn’t because of a panic attack this time. No, this time she wanted to kiss him. She wanted to put her mouth on his and suck his lower lip and sink her teeth into it. It was because he stole the air from the room and she didn’t give a damn. And it was because he made her forget that she even needed air in the first place.
Without stopping to think, she leaned toward him and put her hands on the planes of his face. Her thumbs outlined his features. Eyebrows first, then the slant of his nose, next the slight hollows created by his cheekbones. Then they joined tips on his chin and her lips brushed across his, but soon she sought her target. Greedily, she took his lower lip, the one that made her heart beat faster and her breath come quicker, the one she watched as he spoke when his tongue would dart out and moisten it every so often, and sucked it into her mouth. She played with it until he moaned into her and her core dampened. Her teeth scraped and bit on it and Kolson groaned, louder this time.
Forcing his mouth away from hers, he said, “You can’t do that to me, my beautiful kea, and expect there to be no repercussions. I can’t hide the fact that I want you. Have wanted you. But I also make no promises, either. This time there’ll be no stopping.”
Gabby forced her doubts to the back burner. Her front burner was at a hundred thousand BTUs and she didn’t care for any conscience-prodding intrusions. She wanted Kolson too. He was a constant source of distraction. She needed him, her body cried out for him, and she’d lost the will to fight it any longer.
“I only ask for one promise and that’s honesty. Can you give me that?” she asked.
“Yeah. I can. But if you decide to take this leap with me, I must warn you that I have certain compulsions, if you will.”
“Compulsions?”
“Needs, compulsions, call them what you want. But you asked for honesty and I’m giving it to you.”
“I see. So what do these needs entail?”
“Right now, I’d like to blindfold you, bind your wrists in silk, paddle your sweet ass, and fuck you until your legs are so weak you couldn’t possibly walk, even if your life depended on it.”
Kolson dragged his index finger from her chin to the hollow at the base of
her neck. Her sex contracted so powerfully she knew if he touched it, she would come. Because of her past, she’d always been frightened of bondage, but the way those heated words spilled from his mouth, she knew she’d be willing to try it with him.
When his breath fluttered over her ear, her body twitched in response. “You’re not going to let your conscience get in the way of our pleasure, are you?”
“It’s not my conscience, it’s my past.”
“Oh, kea, don’t confuse me with him. I would never hurt you or do anything you didn’t approve of or want me to do.”
He lifted her hand and took the tip of her index finger into his mouth, biting it, and then plunged it deep, sucking hard. As he sucked, his tongue swirled the tip until she moaned. “This is what I want your mouth to do to me.” All of a sudden, her mind went blank, except for what he was doing to her finger. And his actions had a direct path to her sex.
He pulled her finger out and moved his mouth back to her neck. His tongue traced a scorching trail from her ear to her pulse point, where he circled it around and around, until she moaned out his name. Her hands clenched fistfuls of his shirt to hold herself steady because she was dizzy with need. Gabby’s body was aflame, responding to every touch, every taste. His clean and slightly spicy scent flooded her senses as she inhaled the intoxicating fragrance. She opened her eyes to see him staring at her, and warmth flowed into her from his hooded gaze. His rich voice sent shivers racing down her spine when he asked, “So, what’s it going to be?”
Her nostrils flared as she drank in his scent and she knew she couldn’t refuse him. She stood on her toes and ran her tongue across his lips and then kissed him, sucking on his tongue in an attempt to give him her answer.
Pushing her away, he said, “Sometime in the very near future, those lips of yours are going to be wrapped around something other than my tongue because your time is running out on whether you have a choice here.” Then his mouth crushed hers as he pulled her against him, letting her feel his erection. She matched his kiss with everything she had. When they stopped, he said, “If you fuck as passionately as you kiss, we’re in for a wild ride.”
“I guess you’re just going to have to find out, aren’t you?”
The Best of Forevers Page 102