“Of course I did.”
Justin wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her another peck on the cheek. “Thanks, Mary, your chicken pie sounds a lot more appealing than any of my other options tonight.”
“Well, good. Pull up a chair then, and we’ll have a nice visit. How’s that lovely young woman you’ve been seeing?” Mary’s wide-eyed innocence didn’t fool him one bit. Nothing would please his neighbor more than to see him thoroughly ensconced in a relationship with Gabriella.
“Which woman would that be?” he asked nonchalantly, as if he had no idea who she meant.
She looked at him, a bit taken aback, he thought, and frowned.
“Now, I’m not prying,” she said. “I thought you might be interested in Gabriella, but if I was wrong, well…there is a very nice man staying here this week, handsome too, and if there’s nothing between the two of you, well then…I may introduce her to—”
“Never mind, Mary,” Justin said. Mary was no doubt baiting him, but he wasn’t taking any chances she might try to fix his woman up with someone else.
“In answer to your question,” he told her, knowing she’d probably just hooked him, “she’s fine, and if you have any regard for your guest’s well-being, you’ll steer your matchmaking in another direction.” He gave her a wry smile and arched a brow in meaning.
Mary chuckled, her amusement at his consternation obvious. “If you say so.” She turned and walked to the kitchen counter where the pies were cooling, humming a little tune under her breath.
Justin shook his head and grinned, in spite of his suspicion being confirmed. He had to love the woman, and he knew that in her heart she only wanted to see him happy. And since he’d already decided to try and make a go of things with Gabriella, it couldn’t hurt to have a world-class matchmaker in his corner.
Mary returned to the table with a plate for each of them. She sat down and picked up her fork. “I’d love to get to know Gabriella better; we really haven’t had an opportunity to visit much. Why don’t you bring her for dinner this weekend? Sunday night. I’ll make some of the carrot cake you like so much.”
He smiled at her transparency. “I’ll see if she’s free,” he said, and chuckled out loud at her infectious delight.
“MARY INVITED us to dinner this weekend,” Justin said on the drive to St. Michael’s the next evening. “I told her I’d check with you and let her know.”
“I’d love to,” Gabriella said, her response clearly indicating her affection for his neighbor. “I’ve been hoping to get to know her better, and maybe I can get some gardening advice. I’ve never done anything but container gardening, and she has the most beautiful gardens. I’d love to get her ideas on how to go about putting in some borders.”
She creased her brow and gave him a questioning look. “You don’t think she’d mind, do you? If I try to pick her brain a little?”
“Are you kidding!” Justin snorted in humor. “She’ll be thrilled. She’ll probably offer to come out to your place and help you plan a design.”
“I wouldn’t want to impose on her that way, but I wouldn’t mind taking some pictures of what she’s done and trying to replicate some of it.”
“Believe me, sweetheart, there’s nothing Mary likes more than helping someone out, especially when it comes to doing something she loves so much herself.”
“Well, I would like to get her thoughts about what I should do. I’d love to create something as magical as she has at the Inn.”
Justin was about to offer to help her do some landscaping until he remembered whose house she lived in. He had forced himself not to think about the fact the woman he was falling in love with had purchased the one house in Glebe Point that had the power to churn up a cauldron of negative emotions in him. He swallowed the offer and glanced out the car window, unsure how to deal with the situation. He’d have to address the subject at some point. If their relationship kept moving in the direction he hoped, she deserved to know the truth, and sooner or later she’d figure out something was wrong.
When they got to the restaurant, the hostess said they would have a forty-five minute wait, so Justin suggested they take a brief stroll along Main Street. Gabriella had never been to St. Michael’s, and he thought she would enjoy a glimpse of what the town had to offer.
They walked hand in hand, stopping every once in a while when she saw something in one of the shop windows that caught her eye. He enjoyed watching her, curious about the things that drew her attention, and enchanted by her good humor and subtle wit.
“I think I have to have that,” she said, amusement flickering in her Windex eyes.
Justin looked in the window. He didn’t see anything he would have wanted, let alone had to have.
“Come on.” She gave his hand a tug. “I want to see how much it costs.”
She walked into the store and he followed her. He glanced around the artsy boutique and wondered who bought all this kind of shit. When she picked up a green and orange polka dot cow that was wearing some kind of crown with pink feathers waving from it, he burst out laughing.
She shot him a narrowed glance and for the briefest moment he thought maybe she was serious, but then suspected she was just getting even with him for the art gallery. Her lips twitched, and he could see she was trying her damnedest not to smile. She looked quickly away and turned the cow upside down. Her eyes grew wide.
“Seventeen hundred and eighty dollars,” she mouthed, her jaw dropping in obvious disbelief.
“Can I help you?”
They turned in unison to face a middle-aged salesman. “Oh, that’s a Geoffrey original,” the man said with an air of hauteur. “His pieces go quickly. Would you like me to wrap that one up for you?”
The guy had moved beside Gabriella. She stared at him, a telltale blush creeping up her neck, her mouth still gaping, at a loss for words it seemed. Justin tried to suppress his laughter, but his shoulders started to shake. Her eyes sought his in silent appeal, and he took pity on her embarrassment.
“Why don’t you think about it over dinner?” He held up his wrist and made a show of tapping his watch. “We’re going to be late if we don’t leave this minute.”
He looked at the other man, taking note of the guy’s aloof manner. The salesman flicked his eyes over Gabriella and said in an annoyingly superior tone, “I can’t guarantee it will still be here when you return.”
Gabriella gave the man a limp smile. Justin took the cow out of her hands and gave it to the salesman, and then slid his hand around her waist, nudging her forward toward the door. “I guess we’ll have to take that chance.”
They barely made it outside and beyond the shop window before her undiluted laughter filled his head and warmed his heart. He hugged her against his side, as if he might be able to absorb it through his skin. She leaned her head against his shoulder, her long strides easily matching his, and slipped her arm around his back.
“Thanks for the lifeline.” She angled her face up toward his, their eyes meeting in mutual amusement. “He took me so off guard, I felt like I’d been caught eating ice cream out of the carton with the freezer door standing open.”
“Is there something wrong with that?”
“There was in my house,” she said, “and somehow my mom always knew the precise moment to walk into the kitchen to catch me in the act.”
Five minutes later they were seated at a cozy window table for two. Being a cruising destination, as well as a summer tourist town, there were usually a fair number of people walking the sidewalks, whether browsing the shops, out in search of a restaurant for dinner, or just taking an evening stroll.
They took their time over their meal, content to people watch and savor each other’s company. Justin suggested they skip dessert at the restaurant and told Gabriel he had planned for them to stop back at the cottage for dessert before he took her home. She had looked dubious at his suggestion, but if she was curious what he had in mind, she didn’t ask.
He
was planning on making her dessert, but more than that, he wanted time alone with her. He could barely wait to get back to the cottage so he could take her in his arms and taste the sweet lips that had been driving him crazy all night. Just the thought of holding her glorious body against his own once more flooded him with desire.
Anticipation raced through his blood as he pulled up in front of the cottage a short while later. Tonight they would become lovers. He knew it with every fiber of his being. She had been making love to him all evening, with her eyes, her smile, her fingers woven together with his while they walked. Beneath their laughter and affectionate banter, the sexual anticipation that had been growing between them for weeks had reached its zenith and demanded satisfaction.
Justin got out of the car and went around to her side and opened the door. She gave him her hand and slid out of the seat. They stood face to face, locked in each other’s gaze. A delicious shudder ran through him, heightening his desire.
She rose up on tiptoes and brushed her mouth over his in silent offering. The threads of his self-control dissolved.
JUSTIN BACKED her through the front door of the cottage, his mouth a flame scorching hers, his tongue a spear of desire that ignited her own. He pulled her against his hard body, kicking the door shut behind them, and kept moving, taking her with him. A dizzying excitement raced through her. Gabriella felt a tingling low in her belly, a craving that begged fulfillment. Somehow he’d managed to maneuver them both into the bedroom, his lips still hungry on hers, without tripping or falling over anything.
“I’m dying to make love to you.” His voice was hoarse, the words gravelly. She closed her eyes, felt his breath warm and moist against the side of her neck, and her pulse jumped.
“Gabriella,” he whispered her name almost reverently, and took her face between his hands, his thumbs stroking her cheeks sensuously. She opened her eyes and raised them to see the smoldering invitation in the depths of his golden gaze.
She caught the corner of her lip between her teeth, wanting nothing more than to have this man love her. She gave a slight nod and answered him on a whisper.
“Yes.”
The low growl he emitted sent a shudder through her body. He yanked her to him in one swift movement that made her catch her breath. His fingers went to the zipper at the back of her skirt, dispatching it. They moved to the hem of her tank top, which he had up and over her head before she had time to ponder his efficiency.
She hadn’t made love to a man since Bruce, and although she had no desire to back out now, she did feel nervous. She knew, just knew, he had the skill to rock her world with his lovemaking. She’d never had her world rocked. She anticipated it with relish. She just hoped she could make his tilt a little in return.
“Justin…I’m…”
“Beautiful,” he said against her lips, “so damn beautiful.” He set her away from him a moment, pulling off his shirt and hurriedly dropping his jeans, as if he feared she may change her mind if given a minute to reconsider.
He took her shoulders between his hands and raised one knee onto the mattress, easing her back and gently lowering her onto the bed. She felt trapped in the seductive spell of his eyes travelling over her. Swallowing, he lay on his side next to her and touched her cheek with such gentleness her heart melted.
“You all right so far, darlin’?”
Gabriella nodded. “Just a little nervous,” she admitted. “I haven’t…it’s been a long time.”
He drew his hand over her shoulder, tracing a path down her side, learning her as he went. His head dipped to hers. “Kiss me,” he said, desire heavy in his tone. She did, giving herself over to him, allowing his passion to guide her.
He slid his thumb under the waist of her panties, and his mouth burned a trail from her neck to her stomach as he worked them down and off. His fingers splayed over her skin, his touch caressing as he kissed his way back up, creating a hunger within her like none she’d ever known. Gabriella was drowning in pleasure, and he seemed to know exactly what to do to make her crave more. As he slid the straps of her lace bra down her arms, she could almost feel his mouth on her breast, and then it was, and she thought she would go mad.
She rose beneath him, offering him more of what he seemed to relish, and he groaned, drawing one hardened tip between his lips. Jolts of pleasure surged through her, and she cried out at the sudden, sweet ecstasy.
He wrapped an arm around her back, lifting her higher against his mouth. His free hand circled her other breast, caressing her, before taking the other swollen bud between his fingers and driving her to the edge of insanity.
JUSTIN COULD barely control himself. Gabriella’s response ignited an inferno that raged in his blood, urging him to explore everything she offered. She felt like heaven in his arms—soft, warm, and willing. He wanted to know every inch of her glorious body, to bring her pleasure like nothing she had ever known, and after he did, he wanted to do it all over again.
He drew her nipple into his mouth, relishing her reaction, inciting his passion beyond anything he could have imagined. She whispered his name. Justin raised his eyes to see her head tossing restlessly against the pillow. He knew from the expression on her face she was lost in a sea of pleasure.
Watching her, he slid his arm from under her back and reached down, trailing his fingers over the place where all her pleasure would peak. He dipped his finger into the moist warmth waiting there, and she almost came off the bed. It undid him.
He pushed up higher to come beside her, kissing her neck, then her cheek, and finally angling his mouth over hers in a searing kiss.
“I’m going to love you like you’ve never been loved before, darling.” His voice was hoarse with need. She wrapped her arms around his back, and their eyes met and held.
“Kiss me first,” she said, giving him permission.
He moaned, half conquer, half surrender, as he met her lips and sought out her tongue. Reaching down with both hands, he slid his palms under her hips, the anticipation killing him. He felt her rise beneath him. Unable to wait a second longer, Justin finally buried himself in the splendor of her welcoming heat.
His. She was his.
SHE HAD died and gone to heaven. Gabriella lay in the splendor, the warmth of Justin’s embrace. Her cheek lay flat against his chest, over his heart, listening to the steady rhythm of it, and she wondered if he had fallen asleep. She smiled. He’d made her toes curl all right. She might not even have toes anymore. She’d have to check…later…when she could move again.
And just…wow! She had expected a lot, quite a lot. She had known he would be an amazing lover. She hadn’t expected quite as much as all that though. So…wow!
“You okay down there?” Justin’s voice rolled over her, all gravelly and low. She propped her chin up on her hand and smiled at him. His face lit up with a sexy grin, and she received confirmation that she still had her toes.
“Pretty close to perfect,” she said, reveling in the warm glow of his perusal. “How about up there?”
“I’m hungry.” Justin gave her a light smack on the backside and then rolled her off him. “Wait here.” He slid out of bed. “I’ll be back in five minutes.”
Well, that was sudden. Gab sat up. Justin had grabbed his boxers off the floor and was stepping into them as he headed for the bedroom door. The view was superb, maybe even better than the sun setting over the marshes. She touched a finger to her lips. Yes, much better than that. She smiled to herself.
The cottage was small, and she could hear Justin rustling about in the kitchen area. The sound of the refrigerator door opening, silverware clinking, maybe something being dropped into the sink, all made her wonder what he was up to. Was he making another meal out there or what? She cocked her head, listening. He was singing something. They had just made love for the first time…now he was in the kitchen foraging for food…and singing.
Gab frowned. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? She’d been basking in the glory of their lovemakin
g, content to lie wrapped in his arms, and he’d been planning a late night snack?
But he was singing. And although she couldn’t make out the words, it sounded like an upbeat tune. So he must be feeling happy…and hungry. Happy and hungry. Maybe it was a guy thing. Make love…eat. She shook her head. Did men obsess about this kind of stuff? Well, did it seem like he was obsessing?
Several minutes later, after she’d managed to make herself crazy, he came back into the room carrying an enormous banana split, complete with fudge sauce, whipped cream, chopped nuts, maraschino cherries, and two spoons.
He got back in bed, sat beside her cross legged, and grinned.
“Your dessert.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I told you we’d have some when we got back to the cottage, but you distracted me.”
“Oh, I distracted you?” She gave him a subtle look of amusement.
“Sweetheart,” he said, his eyes darkened for a moment and took on a more serious mood, “you have no idea.”
She glanced away, lightly combing a hand through her hair. Her heart had already crossed into dangerous territory, and if she allowed it to just go skipping off as it pleased, dreaming dreams of love and forever, and things she’d imagined but he hadn’t said anything at all about…well…that would be foolish…and not smart. She nodded toward the banana split.
“How many other people were you expecting?” she asked, only half joking.
“Just you and me. I don’t go for any of that ménage-a-trois stuff. I’m selfish that way.” He dipped a spoon into his creation and arched a brow at her. “You okay with that?”
Gabriella nodded. “I’m selfish that way, too.”
“Good.” He leaned forward and kissed her. “Glad we got that out of the way.” He dove into the banana split.
There he went again, saying things that confused her. Just what had they gotten out of the way? She didn’t want to spoil the moment with a serious discussion, though, so she’d let time answer the question for her.
Letters to Gabriella Page 12