by Terry Towers
Beth pointed to the bear hanging from the game station ceiling. "You realize you could have easily paid for one for well less than it has cost you so far to attempt to win."
Gabriel huffed. "Yeah, I know," he grumbled, tossing a ring and growling as with a faint ting sound it went flying off of the bottle top and onto the floor with the rest of his failures. But it was now a matter of principal more than anything. The large pink teddy bear hanging from the ceiling of the booth taunted him. He'd be damned if he was going to walk away without Beth having that bear. He ignored the fact that she seemed more interested in teasing him than the prize.
He tossed several more rings, each one making an annoying ting before adding to his pile of failures. This was getting ridiculous and he knew it.
Beth pushed off of the counter and wrapped her arms around him from behind, kissing the back of his neck. "I think we found the one and only thing that Mr Reynolds can't do," she whispered in his ear.
The feel of her lips on his neck, made him want to forget the fair, take her home and introduce her to more intense activities, but he pushed down the urge. He wanted to spend more time with her, in a carefree and fun environment, because admittedly he was having some confusion over what he wanted from her.
Beth was sweet, sexy and as he was finding out today an extremely fun woman to be around. She was the type of woman that he could seriously see himself being with, for the long run. The sex had been phenomenal the previous night and hopefully she would be open to a little more diversified play tonight.
But for the moment he needed only one thing... To win that damned bear...
Noticing her amused grin he stepped back from the counter and motioned towards the bucket which had a few rings remaining. "By all means, let's see what you have."
She looked at the bucket, up at him and then back to the bucket. Taking her bottom lip between her teeth she took a moment before nodding. "You promise this won't bruise your male ego if I land this?" she asked pulling a ring from the bucket.
Crossing his arms over his chest he shook his head. "Not in the least baby. Show me how it's done," He teased not really expecting to see her pull it off.
He watched in amusement as she lined up her toss, taking careful aim and with a flick of the wrist the ring went flying through the air and effortlessly landed around the neck of one of the bottles towards the middle.
Gabriel's mouth dropped open, but quickly turned into a grin as the carnie announced that they had a winner and pulled the large pink bear from the hook and handed it to Beth. She hugged it tight to her as she turned her back to the booth to smile up at Gabriel.
She looked so sweet and delighted with herself that he couldn't have felt envious if he wanted to. But that didn't mean he couldn't tease her a little bit. "Okay, so spill. How did you manage to win that?"
Her grin widened telling she wasn't entirely innocent. She shrugged. "Lucky I guess."
Slipping an arm around her waist he pulled her close to him and they began walking from the booth. "You're lying. You know something I don't know." The guilty giggle solidified the theory for him, now he had to know. "Spill it and I'll buy you a corn dog."
Laughing freely, she slipped her free arm around him, and gave him a partial hug. "Boy, do you ever know a way to a girls' heart Gabe."
Gabe? He normally cringed at the nickname that his pal Pete used, but the way she said it, it didn't sound so bad and having her arms wrapped around him as they walked didn't feel too bad either. Perhaps there was something to be said about having a normal relationship. He had yet to figure out what in the fuck this was; he pushed that problem to the back of his mind. Why was he forced to define something straight away anyhow?
"So what do you say? Fill me in." He steered her through the mainway to the concessions stands. The day was slowly giving way to the night, turning the fairgrounds into an array of colourful lights and blaring music.
"Well, since you're offering a corndog. My older brother worked as a carnie for a couple of years. He told me all the tricks to the games and whenever the fair was in town he'd take me after hours to play the games, showing me how to beat them."
"Okay, so how do you win the ring toss?"
"It's all in the wrist baby."
Gabriel frowned. "Be more specific."
She crinkled her nose up at him. "Nah. Once you tell me the secret behind the chowder then maybe I'll tell you the secret behind the ring toss."
Chapter 8
"Gabriel Reynolds eating a corndog, now that's a sight," Beth teased taking a bite into hers. It was delicious.
Gabriel laughed. "Well sometimes we just have to break down and rough it." He dipped the tip of his in a tiny bowl of ketchup. "I was once told that if you have to cover your food in condiments then it's not really food."
"Hey, I never said it was quality. Just that it was fucking good." Beth gave a little chuckle shifting her gaze back to her corndog.
"Okay, you win." He took another bite from the dog. "It is a pretty tasty change,” he finally admitted with a little smirk on his face. He pointed to her half eaten dog as he pulled the remaining piece of his corn dog from the stick and popped it into his mouth. "Eat up. We have the double ferris wheel to ride in a moment."
Beth looked over at the two rotating wheels of the double ferris wheel and a shimmer of excitement rushed through her. She loved the rides. They'd been on everything at the park and were saving that for last. She was really surprised at how much fun Gabriel really was. And the looks of appreciation that he received from many of the women at the fair didn't go unnoticed by her as well. It made her blood boil to see other women looking at him.
He wasn't hers and he never claimed to be. By his own admission the kiss had been "no big deal." Did yesterday change anything? If it did he didn't let on. Again, she reminded herself not to get emotionally attached. He was her employer. An amazing fuck. And now a good friend. Until she knew otherwise, she needed to keep those things in mind.
Taking the last bite of her dog, she tossed the stick and ketchup in the overflowing garbage can and they made their way hand-in-hand across the fairgrounds towards the wheel.
"So how did you learn how to cook?"
"Well, I've always loved cooking and had no interest in business, though my parents insisted I get involved with the running of the company at an early age. However, instead of going to one of the Ivy League schools and taking business like my parents - my father especially - wanted, I went to culinary school."
Well, that would explain his ease around the kitchen. "So why are you running a company instead of your own restaurant?"
They got in line for the ferris wheel and patiently waited as people were slowly loaded into each car. When it came their turn Gabriel passed something other than tickets to the attendant who pocketed it. He then leaned in to whisper something to the teenage ride operator.
Beth seated her four foot tall teddy in the seat next to her as Gabriel slid in beside her. Once they were secured, the ride jerked upward with a squeal. If Beth hadn't grown up around old crankily rides she may have been concerned about the maintenance of this particular one.
As they began to move for the next set of people to hop on he answered her. "Well, I had almost completed the program when my parents died. Their private plane crashed, killing them and the pilot. So I didn't feel I had a choice. I couldn't bear the thought of some stranger running the company that my grandfather founded and my father loved. So I stepped in and had to settle for owning restaurants rather then being in them cooking."
"Well, do you even like running the company?"
He gave her a wry grin. "I'm good at it."
"That didn't really answer my question... Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have to like it. I was pretty good at my job at the coffee shop and I hated every second of it."
"Good point. But I had an obligation to fulfill."
Beth nodded. She understood his reasoning, but it still felt so unfair for h
im to be doing something he hated.
"And don't get me wrong it's not all bad, I certainly can't complain from the financial perspective and I am the boss so that certainly has its benefits. It's just not what I'd hoped for myself." he shrugged. "Money isn't everything."
"But it helps," Beth countered.
Any further conversation was put on hold as the ride finally filled and it began to move at a steady, quick pace. The car they sat in, rocked back and forth, allowing for a birds eyes view of the entire park, thousands of coloured lights twinkled below them. "Isn't it beautiful?" Beth asked with a warm smile on her face.
"It is," Gabriel confirmed.
Beth glanced over at Gabriel, her eyes catching his and realized that it wasn't the park below that he was referring to. She ran a shaky hand through her hair. She was beginning to become familiar with the look he was giving her. His look was dark, heated and sexy, making her stomach do flip flops and her pussy ache.
"Gabriel..." The ferris wheel came to a full stop just as their car topped the ride. Their car rocked with the sudden stopping and Beth immediately focused her attention on their surroundings and the people in the other cars muttering their displeasure from the stop. They could see everything. The fairgrounds and well into the city of Portland. It was a breathtaking view. She glanced over at Gabriel who was grinning. "You paid him to stop the wheel didn't you?"
"Guilty."
She sat back in her seat and snuggled closer to Gabriel, "How long do we have?"
"Five minutes was as long as he would stall it."
"Hmmm. Well, I guess that rules out sex on a ferris wheel," she teased, turning partway in her seat so she could look up at him. His whole demeanour was relaxed and carefree. She liked it. At that moment she was able to forget that he was her boss and she was his employee, and that he was severely out of her league - a thought that kept creeping into her mind.
"Well, Miss Wilmington that is a very appealing idea. Perhaps I should have offered him more money." He cupped her chin in his hand and lowered his mouth to hers.
Beth smiled as his lips touched hers. As usual, the simple touch of his lips set her body aflame. With a sigh, she parted her lips to him needing to feel more as she slid her hand around his neck, urging him to take more. He obliged, his tongue sweeping past her parted lips to caress hers. She ached to reposition herself over him, straddling his lap, but the bar kept her seated and their contact restricted.
"My God, what you do to me Beth," he murmured, pulling his lips from hers slightly as he touched her cheek.
What she did to him? Then he must have had no idea her body's reaction to him. Beth couldn't speak. She could only stare up at him. She felt the same way. Why of all men did she have to find herself falling for Gabriel.
When she was growing up she had a tendency to bring home, as her mother would call them, the riff-raf of the community. Men who were destined to be incarcerated for some crime or who had a promising career as a grocery store clerk. Her mother would tell her that it was just as easy to love a rich man as it was a poor one. She never believed it, but here she was with the most amazing man she'd ever met and she was falling.
Before she had a chance to respond his lips claimed hers once more, harder and with more urgency than before. She fisted the front of his black t-shirt, as the throbbing between her legs increased. "I want you Gabe," she whispered against his lips.
He growled low and deep, slipping a hand to the back of her head and fisting her hair. She yelped, more in surprise than from the slight pain as he gave her hair a jerk, exposing her neck to him. His lips touched her neck, his tongue flicking at the sensitive flesh. She closed her eyes and moaned softly as pleasure rushed through her.
Oh-my-God, is this real? It felt like a dream. Like one beautiful, romantic dream, sitting atop a gigantic ferris wheel while such a beautiful, amazing man touched and kissed her so expertly. Gabriel's mouth made its way down her neck until he reached her collarbone and as if on cue when he reached that point the wheel squealed and jolted forward. Their time was up.
****
"I just have to take a moment and make a few phone calls. I won't be long." Gabriel released her hand and strode off towards the wing of the house that contained his office, leaving Beth sitting on the sofa in the living room the big screen 3D television in front of her and the big pink teddy bear sitting in the armchair to her left.
Beth began to flip through channels almost mechanically, but nothing was catching her attention. Her thoughts were completely of Gabriel and their day together. Maybe she'd been too hard on Gabriel. Maybe she did mean a little more to him than a convenient fuck. Sure, he was hardy in love with her, but he liked her - smitten even.
Just when she found herself a reality television show that caught her interest the doorbell rang. At first it didn't seem peculiar to her that someone would be at the door, but by the time she reached the front door it occurred to her that the person on the other side of the massive oak door knew the passcode to get past the front gate without being buzzed in.
Who in the hell can it be? She crinkled her nose as she flung the door open and came face to face with a tall, slender blonde-haired woman wearing a trench coat that fell to her knees. The woman looked oddly familiar, though she couldn't quite place her. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach however.
The woman glared at her with open hostility, her eyes travelling up and down Beth, making her feel extremely self-conscious about her ripped blue jeans and tank top. "So you're the new help, I assume." She brushed past Beth, without waiting for a proper invitation.
What the hell?
"Where's Gabriel?"
"Ummm... He's-"
"Never mind. I'll find him." She waved a dismissive hand at Beth and took off in the way of Gabriel's office.
Beth watched the woman not sure if she should stop her, or let her go. She seemed to know her way around and she did know the passcode. So who was she? A tinge of jealousy reared up within Beth as she watched the other woman saunter off. With her curiosity getting the best of her she made her way up upstairs to her bedroom.
Once inside her room, she closed the door behind her, sat at her desk and booted up her laptop. She did a quick search on the internet for Gabriel. In particular, Gabriel and his dates. Sure enough, within a few minutes of searching a picture of Gabriel with the blonde woman appeared on the screen.
Chyna Petrova. Model, turned actress. Damn, damn damn. She continued her search, discovering Chyna was Gabriel's most recent fling, but they reportedly split several weeks ago. Well, why is she here and why hasn't he changed the code? Forgot maybe? Gabriel didn't strike her as the kind of man to overlook such things as forgetting to change security codes, but on the other hand maybe he just didn't feel it was necessary.
She was tempted to go downstairs, peek her head into his office and offer them coffee or refreshments. Isn't that what a good chef-slash-maid would do? But what if they were in the middle of something she didn't want to know about? She raked a hand through her hair and sighed. No, she'd do nothing. She'd read a book for a while and go to bed. Simple as that, getting emotionally and physically involved with Gabriel had been a bad idea and this proved it.
****
"You're a fucking asshole Gabriel Reynolds!" Chyna snarled storming out of his front door.
Closing the door behind Chyna, Gabriel let out a loud sigh of relief. Fuckin' finally! He was seriously having doubts he'd ever get her out of the house without calling security. Chyna wasn't the type of girl to take rejection well so when he'd decided to end the relationship, partly to sexual incompatibility issues, but mostly because she was a self-centered snob, she'd been less then thrilled, but she had seemed to have accepted it.
Until tonight.
He couldn't have been more shocked to see her strolling into his office, stripping off her trench coat to reveal she was naked underneath. She told him that she'd offer him whatever it took. She'd be his sub if that meant they could try again. He k
new she could never be a sub and that still didn't fix the biggest issue. He really didn't like her all that much.
Why Beth let her onto the property without consulting with him first was beyond him, but he intended to find out. Doing a brief sweep of the main rooms and turning up empty on the Beth front, Gabriel took the stairs two at a time as he made his way up to the second floor and headed straight to her room. The door was open and the light on. Gabriel was pleased to see she had stayed up, despite it being past midnight.
"Hey Beth... I'm sorry about that interruption," he began as he strode into her room. Gabriel skidded to a halt as he caught sight of Beth curled up in a ball, still wearing her jeans and snoring soundly with a book in her hand. A warmness washed over him as he stood in the entryway of her room watching her.
The greedy part of him was tempted to wake her, but he simply didn't have the heart to. Walking as quietly as possible across the room he bent and took the book from her fingertips - some sappy romance novel with a steroid pumping goon holding a sword on the front cover - dog-eared the page she was on and set on it the night table. Grabbing the top of her knit blanket he pulled it up over her, to her chin, and then leaned down and kissed her on the temple.
"Goodnight baby," he whispered as he straightened back up and turned off her reading lamp. As he exited the room he didn't take notice of her eyes opening and watching him leave.
Chapter 9
Beth heard Gabriel come into the kitchen, but pretended to be too preoccupied with preparing breakfast to have noticed. His footsteps sounded behind her, and her heartbeat accelerated with each step he took. By the time he made it to her she could feel her heart thudding so hard in her chest that she was sure he'd be able to hear it beating.
Stay strong, you decided last night to keep this strictly professional from here on in, the voice at the back of her mind reminded her. She knew she made herself the promise, but his cologne was now reaching her nose and it smelt so divine. All Gabriel. She gulped down the lump forming in her throat.