Tangled in His Embrace

by Sherri Hayes

  Gabby took hold of his hand and pressed his fingers to her lips. “We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?”

  He grinned. “So it seems.”

  She yawned again, but this time she rolled over, presenting him with her back.

  “Are you trying to tell me something?” He’d said it as a joke, but he was being somewhat serious. If she wanted him out of her bed so she could sleep, he would go even though he didn’t want to.

  “That I’m sleepy?”

  For a split second he thought about asking outright if she wanted him to give her some privacy, but he thought better of it. If she wasn’t asking, he wasn’t volunteering.

  Deciding to press his luck, he eased in behind her, pressing his front to her back. He tucked one arm under his head and curled the other around her waist.

  She released a contented sigh and he knew all was good. They’d make it through this. They had to. It was just going to take a little time.

  ***

  Warmth against her back was the first thing Gabby became aware of as she awoke. The second was the sound of Jax breathing in her ear. He was still asleep. Or at least most of him was asleep. A certain part of his anatomy was very much awake and pressing into her backside. Her nipples grew hard remembering him inside her and she felt the moisture between her legs increase. As was always the case, her body was ready for him.

  Gabby began edging away, knowing she needed to put some space between them before she jumped him again. She didn’t get far.

  “I thought you said you wouldn’t run away again,” Jax mumbled.

  She turned to find his eyes were open, staring back at her. “I’m not. I just . . . I didn’t want to wake you.”

  With a move swifter than she imagined possible, he reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her back down to lie beside him. He tucked her into his side. “That’s better.”

  “Is it?” Her voice came out as not much more than a squeak. That wasn’t good.

  “Yes. We’re stuck here, probably for the rest of the day, so there’s no need to rush out of your nice comfy bed.” He trailed his fingers down her forearm and back up to her shoulder before tracing a line along her collarbone with his index finger. “Are you hungry?”

  “No. I’m fine.” In reality, she wasn’t fine. She wasn’t sure what she was.

  He nodded.

  They lay there not speaking for a long time. She had to admit it was nice just being there with him. His hands never stayed still, though, and before long all her nerve endings were on fire and she was pressing her legs together looking for some friction.

  “I think we need to talk some more.”

  His words tore her away from her more erotic thoughts. “We do?”

  “Yes. I think we need to talk about where we go from here. What we want for the future.”

  She swallowed, not sure if she wanted to go down this path yet.

  It didn’t seem to matter. He plunged ahead anyway. “I understand you’re not ready for us to live together again, but I’d like for that to happen. Eventually. When you’re ready.”

  “I’m not.”

  He brushed a lock of her hair away from her face. “I know. And we will go as slow as you need.”

  Gabby pressed her lips together trying not to laugh.

  “What?”

  “You’ve been in my house for less than twenty-four hours and we’ve already had sex twice. I’m not sure that qualifies as slow.”

  He grinned. “What can I say? I’m irresistible.”

  Gabby punched his arm and he feigned being hurt. “Not funny.”

  “It wasn’t meant to be a joke.” He shifted his weight so she could fully feel his erection against her hip.

  Unable to stop her body’s reaction, she felt her pussy clench. “I thought we were going to talk.”

  “We are talking.”

  “I’m serious,” she said, trying to look stern.

  Jax sighed and rested his forehead on her shoulder. She heard him breath several times before he met her gaze again. “You’re right. Maybe we should get dressed and check the news. If we remain here, I’m not going to able to keep my hands to myself for long.”

  A surge of feminine pleasure shot through her and a soft moan reverberated low in her throat.

  “Gabby?”

  She refocused on him and saw the look in his eyes had changed. “What?”

  “If you keep making sounds like that, I’m going to forget all about being sensible.”

  It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about. “Sorry.”

  He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her lips, closed his eyes, and then climbed out of bed. Her gaze immediately went to his ass. Unlike some men, Jax had a butt—a nicely rounded one that was perfect for holding on to.

  Stifling a groan, Gabby made herself stop looking and get out of bed. She walked over to the door and removed her robe from the hook. She slipped it on and turned to find Jax looking at her.

  “You okay?” she asked when he continued to stare.

  “Yeah.” He swallowed hard. “I’m fine.”

  “Okay. Well, I think I’m going to go see what we have in the refrigerator and start on lunch.” She wasn’t hungry yet, but it would give her something to do besides jump him again.

  “Sounds good.” Jax picked up his discarded sweater. “If it’s okay with you, I’m gonna grab a shower.”

  She tried not to think of him naked and wet in her shower. “Sure. You remember where everything is?”

  “I’m sure I’ll manage.”

  Neither of them budged for several seconds. Then something got him moving and he darted for the door.

  Gabby waited until she heard the door to the bathroom close before she went around the room and picked up the rest of their discarded clothes. Then she made the bed. She had no idea why since they’d most likely mess it up again in the very near future, but it was something to keep her mind off what was happening in the other room.

  The shower was still running when she emerged from her bedroom and made her way down the hall to the front of the house. Jax had left the television on and she stopped to see if there was anything about the weather. There wasn’t. It was Saturday afternoon and as usual there was nothing on worth watching.

  She picked up the remote and turned the television off before heading to the kitchen to start figuring out lunch. There was still leftover Chinese food, but she figured she’d save that for later. At the moment she needed something to keep her mind occupied.

  After checking to make sure she had everything she needed, Gabby pulled out all the ingredients for her homemade lasagna. She didn’t make it often because it took more time than she usually had with a three-year-old running around. Given her current situation, however, it was a perfect distraction.

  Jax strolled out of the hallway ten minutes later, freshly showered. She counted her lucky stars that he was fully clothed and that he wasn’t strutting around in a towel.

  He spotted her and came to take a seat at the island. “What are you makin’?”

  “Lasagna.”

  “Oh, yum.” He slid off the stool and walked over to her. “How can I help?”

  She was on the verge of telling him she had it covered but changed her mind. If he was busy helping her make lunch, she wouldn’t have to worry so much about them ending up naked on the kitchen island. At least, that was how she rationalized it in her mind. As much as her body would have loved to do exactly that, she had to keep her head on straight. Not only for her sake, but for Taylor’s as well. They couldn’t afford to screw this up. Taylor didn’t remember her father leaving the first time around. She would now. So Gabby had to be smart about this.

  “You could brown the meat while I put the noodles on to boil.”

  Like no time had passed, Jax went to the drawer and pulled out her largest skillet. He picked up the package of ground meat. “The whole thing?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Soon they were worki
ng side by side. It felt natural. Comfortable. Like he’d never left.

  It took almost an hour to get everything assembled and ready to go into the oven, but it already smelled heavenly. She made sure to put a baking sheet under the casserole dish in case any of the sauce spilled over, and then shut the door.

  “How long until it’s done?” he asked.

  “Forty-five minutes to an hour.”

  Jax was at the sink, rinsing off the items they’d used and loading them into the dishwasher. She’d gotten used to doing everything herself. It was nice having help again.

  “Thank you.”

  He looked up and smiled at her. “You’re feeding me. It’s the least I can do.”

  Gabby knew she needed to come up with something or clothes were going to start coming off. She could already feel her internal temperature starting to rise. “Did you want to watch a movie? I have a few that aren’t cartoons.”

  The soft chuckle he released stirred up the butterflies in her stomach. “Sounds good.”

  He held out his hand and she took it, weaving their fingers together as she led them out of the kitchen.

  Chapter 9

  Gabby led him into the living room and over to the bookcase where she stored their movies. “All the more adult stuff is up here.”

  He snorted.

  “What?”

  His eyes sparkled with amusement when he looked at her. “I didn’t know you owned those types of movies.”

  It took her a moment to understand what he meant. She straightened her shoulders and looked him squarely in the eye. “So what if I did? It’s not as if I’ve had a man around to take care of my needs.”

  The humor left his face and a part of her regretted snapping at him. She needed to let the past go if they were going to try and make this work.

  He started to release her hand, but she held firm. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “It’s okay. And you’re right in any case.”

  They stood not really looking at each other or anything else for several moments, each lost in their own thoughts. “Maybe I was right, but I still shouldn’t have said it.” When he remained silent, she decided to try a different tactic, one she’d perfected since having a three-year-old. “Do you see a movie you want to watch?”

  Jax glanced briefly at the row of maybe ten movies she had on the shelf. He selected one and held it out to her.

  She took it from him and walked over to the entertainment center. Once everything was set, she picked up the remote and went to join him on the couch. He’d made sure to stay at one end, leaving plenty of room for her. Gabby considered her options. She could sit on the opposite end, letting the physical separation widen the emotional one, or she could be the bigger person and work to repair the damage she’d done to what they both had said they wanted to try and rebuild.

  He met her gaze as she stood in front of him for a long moment before lowering herself down next to him. She curled her feet under her and snuggled into his side. Jax had no choice but to either put his arm around her or push her away. Luckily, he chose the first option.

  As the movie played on the television, she gradually felt him begin to relax. Halfway through, she got up and removed the lasagna from the oven and fixed them both a plate. By the time the credits were rolling, their empty plates were on the coffee table and she was cuddled against his side while he played with the ends of her hair.

  Gabby leaned into him and sighed. “That feels good.”

  “You used to like it when I played with your hair,” he said, his lips ghosting along her forehead.

  “I still do.”

  They sat there until the movie returned to the main menu. He continued to run his fingers through her hair. “I want to make it up to you, but I don’t know if I can. I don’t—”

  She grabbed the back of his neck and brought their lips together for a hard kiss. “We’ll figure it out.”

  “Will we?” he asked.

  Releasing his neck, she lowered her hand to rest on his chest. “I hope so.”

  “And what if we can’t?” The look on his face was full of pain. His decision to leave had hurt him, too. Not in the same way it had her, but it hurt him nonetheless.

  Even still, his question was a valid one. The hurt wasn’t going to go away overnight. Even if her body was more than willing to forget the past and pick up right where they’d left off, her heart still had scars that needed time to heal. “We’ll figure that out, too. Taylor needs both her parents whether we’re together as a couple or not. One way or another, we have to figure out how to make it work.”

  This time he brought their mouths together for a kiss. It was soft and breathy and had her longing for more. It was so easy to forget everything else when his lips were on hers.

  “I love you,” he whispered. “I want to make you happy again . . . to see the side of your mouth lift into a smile when I walk into the room.”

  She lowered her gaze to his chest and then looked up at him once more. “Give me some time.”

  Jax nodded.

  After a long pause, Gabby eased herself off the couch. She crossed the room, removed the movie from the DVD player, and put it back on the shelf. “How about a board game?”

  “Sure.” He stood. “What did you have in mind?”

  Gabby motioned for him to follow her down the hall to the closet where she kept all the board games. Over the last year her collection had grown. Granted, most of them, like with the movies, were geared toward children. Still, it was something to pass the time. “Pick your poison.”

  He looked over the options and selected Candy Land.

  “Really?” she asked.

  “What? I used to love this game as a kid.”

  She laughed. “Like father, like daughter, I guess. Taylor can’t get enough of it. We have to play at least once a week.”

  Jax smiled, and she was glad to see the melancholy of a few minutes ago had gone. He carried the box to the dining room table. While he set everything up, she retrieved their empty plates from the living room and put the rest of the lasagna away.

  Two hours and several games of Candy Land later, Gabby threw up her hands. “I give up. You’re cheating. You have to be.”

  Her accusation was said in jest, and the huge grin on his face said he hadn’t taken offense. “I told you I loved this game. I could play it blindfolded.”

  Before she could respond, the phone rang and she got up to answer it. “Hello?”

  “Are you all right?” Her sister’s voice was full of worry.

  “I’m fine. Why?”

  She heard Grace release a loud breath. “Our electricity has been out for over an hour and I know you’re alone this weekend.”

  Gabby glanced over at Jax, who was gathering up the game and putting it back into the box. “The electricity is still on and I’m not alone.”

  “Oh. I thought Taylor went to Kansas City with her grandparents. Did they cancel because of the storm?”

  In for a penny, in for a pound. Besides, her sister would know soon enough that Gabby and Jax were giving it another go. “No. They left on Friday afternoon. As far as I know, they’re still planning to head back home tomorrow.”

  “So who—”

  Gabby waited for her sister to put the pieces together.

  “Jax?”

  “Yeah.”

  It took her sister a moment to respond. “How long has he been there?”

  Again, Gabby’s gaze drifted to Jax who had bent over to pick up something off the floor. His jeans hugged his ass, making her insides clench with want. “He came over Friday night to talk.”

  “And just how much talking have you two been doing?” By the tone of her sister’s voice, she knew what Grace was really asking.

  “Everything okay?” Jax mouthed to her from across the room. She could only imagine the look on her face.

  Gabby nodded and went back to talking to her sister. “We’ve done quite a bit of talking, actually.” />
  “I bet you have.”

  Grace giggled and Gabby rolled her eyes. Not all that long ago, hearing such carefree sounds from her sister would have been a rare occurrence. “What has Alexander done to my timid little sister?”

  “Um . . .”

  “Forget I said anything. I don’t want to know.”

  Grace laughed. “You probably don’t.”

  Shaking her head, Gabby decided to shift the conversation back to where it had begun. “You said your electricity was out. Do you and Alexander have everything you need? I don’t know if the roads are any better than last night, but you could stay here if you need to.”

  “We’re good for now. Alexander made a fire in the fireplace and we have bottled water and some canned food. We’ll be okay for a little while.” She paused. “Besides, we wouldn’t want to interrupt your talking.”

  Speaking of talking. “Have you talked to Mom today?”

  “Yeah. I called her before I called you. She said the lights flickered off and on a few times, but she never lost power. We’re just lucky, I guess.” Gabby heard a muffled voice in the background. “I should probably let you go.”

  “Alexander wants your attention, does he?”

  Grace giggled. “Something like that.”

  “Call me if you guys change your mind about coming over,” Gabby said.

  “We will.” And then her sister was gone.

  Gabby shook her head as she put the phone down.

  ***

  “Everything okay?” Jax asked as she strolled toward him.

  “Grace was just calling to see if we had lost power. Apparently theirs went out about an hour ago.” Gabby reached for the game box and tucked it under her arm. “She wanted to make sure I was all right since I was supposed to be alone this weekend.”

  He started to say something but stopped himself. It wasn’t any of his business what she told her sister. If Gabby wanted Grace to know he was there that was her call.

  “I told her we still had power.” She hesitated. “And that I wasn’t alone.”