by AC Arthur
When she was about to ask another question, Tyler held up a hand. He lifted his other arm and looked down at his watch.
“Dessie’s going to be in here in about five seconds to make sure you’re eating, so I’d suggest you let this conversation rest, until this plate is clean, or face her wrath.”
Tyler didn’t wait for her to respond, but hurriedly blessed the food and picked up his burger to take a bite.
Gabriella wanted the full story and she wanted it now. She also wanted to forego another Dessie tongue-lashing so she picked up her burger as well and took a bite.
When Tyler smiled and said, “Good girl,” she could do nothing else but smile at him in return.
She was getting in deeper with him. Funny how that thought was beginning to cause just as much fear in her as the thought of Austin turning up in Hobbs Creek.
* * *
He stood over her, watching as she performed her fourth and last set of fifteen chest presses. Tyler touched her knees lightly to make sure she was keeping them tightly pressed together, feet up as she lay on the bench.
“This is going to improve your upper body strength,” he said.
“Or give you a better view of my breasts,” she snapped.
He kept a straight face and leaned forward, looking directly into her eyes as she pushed for the last three reps.
“I’ve had a great view of your breasts already,” he said when she sighed heavily and let the ten pound weights fall to the floor.
It was a sight Tyler knew he’d never grow tired of and for the last week he’d seen all of her, frequently. He found himself enjoying that part about returning to Hobbs Creek above all else.
“You’re getting better,” he said after touching her bicep. “That’s enough for today. You can shower and we can go somewhere to get a nice dinner.”
“You’re getting bossier,” she told him as she sat up.
“Who me?” He feigned innocence. “I’ve never received that complaint from any of my prior clients.”
“That’s because the majority of your clients were probably women and they most likely wanted to jump into bed with you.”
She’d stood up by then, just in time for him to snag her by the waist and turn her around. Tyler sat on the bench, pulling Gabriella down onto his lap.
“I don’t sleep with clients. It’s my fast and staunch rule that I make very clear on the first meeting,” he told her.
She wrapped her legs around him and settled down so that her crotch—covered only by the spandex of her shorts and a sexy little royal blue thong—rubbed teasingly over his already growing arousal.
“That’s a good rule to have,” she replied. “Does that mean you never have girlfriends?”
His hands were on the tight cheeks of her bottom and—this time—he had been staring down at her breasts. With that question, Tyler looked up at her slowly.
“Are you asking if I have a girlfriend now?”
“No. I assume you don’t because you were quick to tell me that when you’re sleeping with one woman you don’t sleep with any others. I believe that about you,” she said. “But lately I’ve been wondering why such a handsome and relatively normal guy like you doesn’t have a girlfriend. Or a wife.”
“Relatively normal?”
She rolled her eyes. “Those smoothies you’ve been introducing me to are not normal. I don’t care what you say. The one this morning tasted like medicine. A very awful, foul colored, medicine.”
The way she scrunched her face when she said those words caused him to laugh and want to cuddle her close. That’s how she made him feel lately. If he walked by a room in the house that she was working on, he had to stop by and touch her in some way and say something to her just to hear her voice. If she was working at the employee residences or the resort, he made a point of stopping by, even if just to get a glimpse of her. And at night, she was still staying at the house, in his room, as if they were…
“I’ve had girlfriends,” he told her. “They come and they go.”
“They leave or you send them away?”
She was running her fingers through his hair, her nails scraping along his scalp. That was the equivalent of her reaching into his pants and stroking his dick. It turned him on instantly.
“It’s usually mutual once we discover that I’m incapable of giving them what they need or want at the moment.”
“Oh, and what’s that?”
He was just about to lean in and lick the line that separated her sports bra from her cleavage, when he paused. She was asking a lot of questions which could not be good. Tyler paused and looked at her. She was staring back at him expectantly, her brown eyes warm and accepting. They’d been having a good time this past week. Even with Jagger still hanging around the house under the guise of overseeing the re-design and the sheriff still trying to find evidence to link Brooke to the shooting and the vandalism on the ranch—in addition to the crimes he’d already charged her with.
Truth be told, Tyler wasn’t completely clueless. Every night he held Gabriella in his arms he knew they were growing closer. He knew and he ignored it, because that’s what he preferred to do. Now, for the first time in his adult life, he might have to explain that preference.
“Dating and sex is like a mutual agreement between adults to have fun,” he said.
Her hands stilled in his hair and she tilted her head as she continued to watch him.
“I mean, that’s the first few weeks of any relationship. The fun part.”
“Okay, I can see that. So when does it change to the part that you don’t like? I’m asking so that I can be packed up and out of the way before we get to that part.”
“Well, you’re in luck because I’m not there yet,” he said and leaned in to drop a quick kiss on her lips.
It was more to be sure she wasn’t pissed at him, than to actually steal a kiss.
But when she held his head in place and licked his lips, Tyler went with it. He took the kiss deeper, moving his hands up her back and pulling her in closer.
Fire shot through him in fierce quick flames, searing his entire body. When she sucked his tongue into her mouth Tyler groaned. He grabbed the tail of her hair that was held by a black band. She gasped and let her head fall back. Tyler licked up the line of her neck. He nipped at the soft skin there with his teeth, while her fingers tightened in his hair.
He moved in the opposite direction, his tongue tracing a hot path down between her breasts as he pushed the sports bra out of his way with his chin. She arched into him and the sound she made flipped a switch inside him. With a primal groan he pulled at that sports bra until he got it over her head and her breasts dropped freely into his hands. Tyler sucked on her nipples like a child begging to be fed. She gyrated over him as he worked her breasts and his dick grew so hard he wanted to yell out in agony.
Instead, he stood them up from the bench.
“Off!” He barked the order while pushing his shorts and boxer briefs down his legs.
She moved just as quickly as he did and when he realized he didn’t have a condom, Tyler cursed.
“Don’t move!” he said and left her in the exercise room.
He ran down the hallway, not giving a damn if someone walked by and saw him running naked with a hard dick. He dashed into his room, grabbed a condom from the night stand where he’d put the new box he’d just purchased yesterday and headed back to the exercise room where he slammed and locked the door.
She’d listened and was still standing near the weight bench. Actually, she was kneeling one knee on the bench, bent over at the waist, while holding a weight in her hand.
“Is this how I should properly do an arm curl?”
If he were an animal the sound Tyler made would have been classified as primal.
“Do it again,” he said as he hurriedly sheathed himself with the condom and came to stand behind her.
“I like your form,” Tyler told her as he stared at the plump cheeks of her bottom.
“Really? I just want to make sure I’m doing everything right,” she said coyly.
Tyler grabbed his engorged length and moved in closer while rubbing his hands up and down. “Ok. Well, let me see if I can help you.”
“Oh yes,” she said, dropping the weight with a loud thunk to the floor. “Please help me.”
He put his hands on her first, his palms spreading over her cheeks. She had a great ass. Whether she wore those very short jean shorts or the chic dress pants that drove him insane, Tyler loved looking at and feeling on her ass. He gripped her cheeks and she dipped her back so they spread wider. His finger slipped between her crevice and he felt her already wet.
“Naughty little girl. You’re not doing the curls right and you’re wet without me. I wonder what I should do.”
When she whispered, “Punish me,” Tyler really thought he was going to come before he could sink his dick inside of her.
Instead he moved quickly, spreading her cheeks so he could see his length disappear inside her warmth. She moaned and he sighed with the pleasure that eased down his spine. He began pumping fiercely into her and she thrust her hips back to meet his every stroke.
This wasn’t fun, he thought with a start. If he were truly being honest with himself, Tyler would admit that he’d leap-frogged past the fun part weeks ago. This, right here, was something else. With every stroke of his length inside her Tyler felt them joining. Like tendrils snaking through his chest and winding slowly around his heart, he felt it. With his hands on her flesh he felt as if her warmth were somehow transferred directly into him through that simple contact. And when she looked over her shoulder at him, her gaze locking with his as he continued to pump into her, he knew he didn’t want that connection to break. He wasn’t ready to walk away and damn sure wasn’t about to let her try to do the same.
Pulling out of her quickly, Tyler wrapped his arms around her waist and guided her into his arms. He crashed his lips down over hers, thrusting his tongue into her mouth as if this kiss alone could explain everything he was feeling and thinking. She kissed him back with equal fervor, holding the back of his head and pressing into him. Tyler reached down, grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her into his arms. He walked them to the wall and pressed into her once more. She moaned and dug her nails into his shoulders. He pumped fiercely, afraid to stop, scared that if he did stop it would end. Everything he’d had with her since the day they’d met would be over.
So he pumped harder and faster, hearing nothing but her moans and whispers of his name. He took her kisses, savoring the feel of her lips, her tongue and the moist heat of her cove. And when her legs trembled around his waist Tyler tumbled. He came with a fierce rush that shook his entire body, holding him still inside her for endless moments.
He couldn’t move and couldn’t think clearly. All he wanted was to stay right here inside of her, with her wrapped in his arms. Forever.
The thought frightened him and Tyler went still. Forever was a very long time.
“I bet your clients would pay top dollar for a training session like that,” she said jokingly as she nipped his neck.
Tyler lowered his head until his face was buried in her neck. He held onto her and whispered, “I’ve never had a client that was worthy of a session like that.”
She went still.
“None. Except you,” he admitted.
* * *
The P&P Steakhouse was a classic old-fashioned steakhouse. With its dark wood walls and beamed ceilings, burgundy leather upholstered booth seats and high-backed chairs with a burgundy, green and brown striped pattern at the individual tables. The lighting was dim, antique green covered sconces hung on the walls, while a smaller version of the same design sat in the center of each table. The carpet, a bold floral print, in coordinating colors, brought the design together perfectly.
The waitstaff were dressed in all black, the women in short skirts and tight blouses and the men in slacks, shirt and tie. The hostesses that stood behind a high cherry wood desk wore black dresses, short and tight. Gabriella thought she was beginning to notice a theme.
“Tyler West. I called earlier for a seven-thirty reservation.”
Gabriella stood beside him, still adoring the sound of his deep voice. She’d never met Tyler before coming to Hobbs Creek, but she had listened to a couple of his motivational speeches online after arriving here. In those, there was no hint of his southern upbringing. Now, at times, she could hear a bit of the Texas twang when he talked. He was settling in here and while he didn’t speak about it much, Gabriella wondered how his parents’ death would ultimately effect Tyler’s future. Would he stay in Hobbs Creek to tend to the family ranch he’d inherited? Or would he return to his life in the spotlight of the fitness world? He could do both, she thought. It would be a compromise, but she wasn’t sure if Tyler was up for compromising.
Hadn’t that been why she’d brought up the conversation of relationships and where he stood with them?
The feel of Tyler taking her hand pulled Gabriella from her thoughts. She smiled and followed him as he walked behind one of the hostesses to their booth. When Gabriella had slid across the seat, Tyler nodded to the hostess and took his seat on the other side of the table.
“We’ll have water and do you feature Basset Banks’ Mirage?” he asked.
Gabriella looked at him in shock. She’d told him about the Basset Banks Winery in Napa Valley and that she’d attended a double wedding there. He’d said that he’d heard of the winery, but not that he was familiar with any of their wines.
“No, sir. I don’t believe we do,” the woman responded with a dazzling smile.
“Well, you should,” Tyler said as he accepted the wine list she’d given him. “Mirage is an excellent blend of Basset Banks’ cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet santo. Tell Ted I think he should definitely look into becoming one of their exclusive vendors.”
“Yes, Mr. West, I will.”
“We’ll take the Stag’s Leap cabernet. Bring us the bottle,” Tyler instructed.
“Yes, sir,” she said and handed them both a menu.
“I didn’t know you’d actually tasted Basset Banks wines,” Gabriella said the moment they were alone.
“I told you I’d heard of them. After you mentioned knowing the owners, I ordered some for the ranch. The Mirage has a nice robust taste,” he said, looking down at the menu.
He wore the black slacks and an ice blue collarless button front shirt she’d watched him pull out of his closet about an hour ago. His gold watch sparkled on his wrist and his hair was combed neatly back from his face. They’d dressed together in his room at the ranch and after she’d pulled on her blue cocktail dress, he’d come up behind her and zipped the back. Just like a couple getting ready for a night out on the town.
“I agree,” she said after clearing her throat. “I had a chance to taste several of their wines and the Mirage was very nice.”
A few minutes passed and their waitress, Frannie, appeared to take their order. Tyler ordered steak with asparagus and baked potato, while Gabriella went with something a little lighter—the steakhouse salad.
Tyler pulled out his phone and checked his messages after they ordered. Gabriella didn’t want to look at her phone any more than necessary. She’d talked to Adriana and her mother this week and had been keeping her email box down to a manageable number. She did not open her text messages, even though she saw that she had a few. Brooke was in custody. She’d trashed Gabriella’s room at the resort. Not Austin.
“The house will be finished in another week,” she said abruptly because she wanted to stop thinking about Austin and whether or not he was still trying to contact her.
Tyler’s head shot up and he stared at her.
>
“What about the employee residences and the resort?” he asked.
“They’ll be a few more weeks because we had to do more construction work in both those locations. But once the structures are complete, the design part won’t take long at all. So I’m thinking that by the end of the summer I should be out of your way.”
“Out of my way?” he asked.
“Yes. My job here will be done and I can return to Connecticut, or wherever my next assignment takes me,” she said.
He didn’t look happy about what she’d just said, but he didn’t respond either. Gabriella didn’t know why she’d even said it. How did she want him to respond?
“Well, hello, there stranger.”
The sound of the familiar female voice immediately grated on Gabriella’s nerves. Seeing Hannah Palmer come over to stand beside where Tyler was seated didn’t help her already tenuous mood. The fact that Tyler didn’t look that happy to see her either was the only bright side to this new scenario.
“Hi Hannah,” he replied. “Gabriella and I were just discussing how excited we are to taste P&P’s food tonight.”
Hannah never even looked Gabriella’s way.
Gabriella didn’t care. She had nothing to say to Hannah Palmer either. She should have slapped Brooke that night the woman thought she was supposed to put Gabriella in her place and she should have let Hannah know her childish ploys weren’t going to work on her. But Gabriella had taken the high road. After what Brooke had done, Gabriella wasn’t certain she was going to continue taking that path.
“I’m so glad you’re getting off the ranch,” Hannah continued speaking to only Tyler. “I was just telling Daddy how nice it would be to have you over to the big house for dinner. We could walk down by the lake like we used to. Oh and Mrs. Franklin from the Hobbsonian Gazette, she’d like to do a ‘Where Are They Now?’ story featuring us. You know since we were once prom king and queen, and because we were voted cutest couple that same year at the Valentine’s Day dance.”