Beauty and the Feast

by Julia Barrett

  “Perhaps a better question would be,” said Stephanie, “What can a housekeeper from Hick Town, U.S.A., possibly offer a man like Gabriel Abbott? I mean, other than a temporary diversion.”

  Gabe bristled at her words and was about to interrupt when Eva straightened her shoulders.

  “You know, Miss Lindstrom, I may have grown up on a farm, but I’m not the one standing here with a corncob stuck up her ass. Excuse me.”

  Gabe had to turn his back to hide his laughter while Adam began to cough. The man sounded as if he was about to choke to death. When Eva reached the two men, her smile was strained.

  “Don’t you dare say a single word. Just kiss me,” she demanded, taking his hand. “Kiss me right now like you mean it.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  Gabe took Eva in his arms. He leaned down and slanted his mouth over hers. She opened for him and his tongue quickly found hers. Her mouth felt warm and silky and she tasted like his Pinot Noir and wild thyme. By the time he lifted his head, he was hard as a rock and aching to bury himself inside her, reception or no reception. He gazed at her lovely face. Her lips were red and moist. Her eyes closed. She appeared as aroused as he’d ever seen her.

  “Hey,” interrupted Adam’s voice, quietly. “Maybe you two should get a room. You’re attracting quite a bit of attention. She’s gone, by the way.”

  Gabe and Eva glanced at him.

  “Stomped off with her boy toy in the gray suit. What did you do to piss her off like that?”

  “Long story,” groaned Gabe. “Adam, do you mind? I need to stand here for a moment.” He continued to hold Eva close.

  “No problem.” Adam winked at Eva. “I’m Adam Grossman, by the way.” He stuck a friendly hand in her direction. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Eva Raines,” answered Eva, sounding breathless. She shook his hand. “You’re the wine maker.”

  “That would be me. Look, you two need me to run interference for you, or something? You need to step outside for a moment to cool off?”

  “Might not be a bad idea,” replied Gabe. “Do you mind if we go outside for a few minutes?” he asked Eva.

  “No, I think we should,” she said. “Besides, we need to talk about what just happened.”

  “C’mon, then,” answered Gabe, with another groan, “Let’s get it over with.”

  Gabe ushered Eva out the door and around the corner into a dark alcove surrounded by thick shrubs. The evening light was soft and muted, the air chilled. Eva realized the sun must have just set. San Francisco was not known for warm summers. She shivered. Gabe opened his suit coat and wrapped it around her, drawing her back against his broad chest. Eva had to admit that the man gave off a lot of heat. She assumed he must still be uncomfortably erect because he tried to keep that particular portion of his anatomy away from her bottom.

  “Is she right?” she asked, her voice soft. “Is there any truth to what she says? Am I merely a diversion? Are you slumming, Gabe?”

  Eva felt Gabe jerk, as if she’d given him a jolt of electricity.

  “Slumming?” Gabe turned her around and stared into her eyes. “I can’t believe you listened to a word that came out of Stephanie’s mouth. Surely you can see that she’s pissed off and she wants to get to me by hurting you. Slumming… I can’t believe you just said that. You know my background. You know how I grew up.”

  “But Gabe,” Eva fought back tears, “Some of what she says is true. You’re, well, you’re experienced. I have to assume that you’ve been with many other women, beautiful women, sophisticated women, educated, professional women. Women any man would be proud to be seen with. Why me? I don’t have what they have. I can’t offer you what they can. Gabe, you’re the first man…” Eva’s throat closed on a sob. She struggled to get herself under control and she managed to continue, her bottom lip quivering, “You’re the first man to spend the night at my house. The only man…the only man I’ve ever let into my bed.”

  Gabe gathered Eva into his arms. He held her close. She tried hard not to cry, but the tears flowed nonetheless.

  “Do I mean anything to you, Gabe? Do I?” she mumbled, her mouth pressed against his jacket.

  “Eva, do you remember when I telephoned you the night before the dinner party? The dinner party I’d hired you to cater for Stephanie?”

  “Um-hm.”

  “I didn’t want to click off that night. I kept trying to think of things to say so that I could keep talking to you. I wanted to cancel with Stephanie as soon as I’d hung up with you, but I couldn’t come up with any legitimate excuse. I tried not to hurt her feelings. I thought, maybe I’ll just have dinner with her and then take her home. But when I got her to my house, when she walked in the door, I knew I couldn’t go through with it. She didn’t belong there. I knew I didn’t want to be with her. Not in any way, shape or form. Within five minutes, I hustled Stephanie out the door and had her on the road back to the city. I didn’t want her, Eva. I’ve never truly wanted to spend more than a few nights with any woman I’ve been with, until now. Until I met you. It’s the honest to God truth.”

  Eva looked up at him. She’d listened to his words, but she needed to see his eyes. Gabe didn’t turn away. His gaze remained steady. His face, sincere.

  Her voice still quivering, Eva asked, “Cross your heart and hope to die?”

  “Yes,” answered Gabe with a grin.

  “Stick a needle in your eye?”

  “Yes,” he chuckled.

  “Eat a cow manure pie?”

  “Yes.” Gabe burst into laughter.

  “Good,” said Eva, “I believe you. But I don’t think I can handle it if I run into any more of your former or would-be lovers.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Gabe said as he began pulling the pins out of her hair one by one. “You got in some pretty good jabs. Adam had already bet on you to win.”

  Eva smiled. She closed her eyes and dropped her head onto Gabe’s chest, allowing him to undo the updo that had taken the stylist two hours to complete. He continued to remove hairpins, running his fingers through her long tresses to free them, draping her hair across her shoulders, curling it about her neck and ears. Eva sighed with pleasure as she discovered that there was no sensation quite as relaxing as Gabriel Abbott’s fingers playing in her hair.

  “Gabe,” she murmured.

  “Yes?”

  “Those wild mushroom turnovers were amazing.”

  “I’m glad you liked them,” he said, his mouth against her ear. She felt him nibble his way down her neck.

  “They were seasoned with fresh marjoram and thyme and Grains of Paradise.”

  His lips traced the line of her collarbone. “What are grains of paradise?” he asked, his voice vibrating against her skin.

  “It’s an…” His mouth slid lower, onto the slope of her breast. “It’s an ancient…ancient spice used…” He carefully lowered the top of her dress, exposing a nipple. It contracted sharply in the cool air. Eva whimpered.

  “Used for what?” Gabe asked, and his tongue began to circle the erect rosebud. He nipped her.

  Eva gasped.

  “Used for what?” he asked again.

  Eva struggled to organize her thoughts, to concentrate on what Gabe was doing to her body while he tried to distract her mind. “Used for…” He sucked her. “Used as a…as a substitute for…” He sucked harder, tugging on her nipple with his teeth while his hand pulled the bodice of her dress down further, exposing her other breast. “Oh God!” His mouth moved to her other breast while his fingers toyed with the hem of her dress. Her body had already betrayed her. She was wet and ready for him, on the brink of orgasm.

  Gabe lifted his head for a moment. “As a substitute for what?” His fingers slid beneath the tight sheath.

  “A s-s-s-substitute for…”

  “You’re not wearing any panties, Eva.”

  “Gabe,” she cried. “Oh, Gabe…”

  “Tell me.” He thrust a finger inside her. “I want to kn
ow.” Two fingers. “A substitute for what?” His mouth descended to her breast again while his fingers plunged in and out of her creamy center. Eva thought she might faint.

  “Black…black…pep…pep… Oh my God…” Eva’s head arched back as she came, writhing wildly against him. Only Gabe’s arm around her waist, his two fingers inside her, and his mouth on her nipple kept her upright.

  Gabe’s mouth was once again against her ear. “Black pepper,” he whispered. “Eva, pull up your dress.”

  “Yes, Gabe.” Her voice quivered. She heard the sound of a zipper being unzipped. She slid her dress up her hips and Gabe lifted her onto his hard, thick shaft. He reached for her thigh and drew one of her legs around his waist. Eva had to stretch onto the very tips of the other toes in order to accommodate him. Gabe pressed her against the stone wall, his arms behind her back, cushioning her. He plunged into her swiftly, thrusting again and again, driving deep inside. Eva felt as if she had been transported outside her body, where she watched through lowered lashes as Gabe roughly took possession of her. Deliberately. Definitively. Eva could hear their heavy breathing, but otherwise, neither of them made a sound.

  “Eva,” Gabe growled low in his throat, “Eva, come with me.”

  Eva could tell that he’d gritted his teeth. His mouth was buried in her hair. God, she was close.

  “Fuck…lover…come with me,” he ordered her. “Fuck… Now…”

  Eva bit his neck, hard, to stifle her scream. Her hands clutched desperately at his shoulders. She shattered. Gabe held her body still as he thrust into her, growing impossibly harder and thicker, as he came. Eva felt his heat deep inside. She heard him make a deep, guttural sound, perhaps he said something, but Eva was beyond understanding. She leaned her head against Gabe’s chest, panting, spent.

  “I didn’t know that,” Gabe whispered, his voice hoarse, “About Grains of Paradise.”

  Eva began to giggle. Within seconds, she was helplessly whooping with laughter while Gabe struggled to straighten out their clothing and untangle her hair from the buttons of his tux.

  Even in the dim light, Eva could see Gabe’s smile as he whispered, “Help. I can’t get you off me.”

  Eva took a deep breath and tried to stop laughing long enough to untangle her hair from Gabe’s jacket. She finally succeeded, but a few long strands had pulled out and were caught in his buttons. She carefully removed them and brushed his jacket with her hands. “I smell like you,” she said with a grin.

  “That’s the whole idea. I’m marking you so everyone will know to whom you belong and nobody will mess with you.”

  “Oh really?” commented Eva. “To whom I belong, eh?”

  “Yes,” said Gabe, looking wicked. “I wanted to rub my scent all over you the moment I saw you in that dress.”

  “Why didn’t you just lift your leg and pee on me?”

  Gabe grinned at her. “I’m more of a cat than a dog, don’t you think? Cats rub themselves on their people.”

  Eva looked him up and down. Gabe did indeed look dark, sleek and trim. A bit like a jaguar. “Well, if you’re a cat, what am I?”

  “Prey,” he replied immediately, “Delicious, delectable, utterly irresistible prey,” he replied. He pulled his cell phone out of the pocket of his jacket.

  “Who are you calling?” Eva asked.

  “The car, unless you’d like to go back in with me dripping down your bare legs. Not that I mind.”

  Eva was more than a bit sticky. “No, calling the car is a good idea.”

  Gabe gallantly removed his jacket and wrapped it around Eva. They walked to the curb to wait. Adam joined them briefly.

  “You two all right?” he asked.

  “Yes,” they answered in unison, laughter in their voices.

  “Do you need a ride to Napa?” Gabe asked. “We’re going to my apartment, but I can send the car back for you.”

  “No, no thanks. I drove tonight. Did you forget, Gabe? We have a tasting tomorrow morning.”

  “Shit, yes. I completely forgot.”

  “I’m not surprised,” replied Adam, with a glance at Eva.

  “We’ll go back to Napa then,” Gabe said, “and I’ll meet you in the cellars tomorrow.”

  “You’re welcome to come with Gabe, Eva,” offered Adam.

  “I wish I could,” replied Eva, “I really do. But I’ll be spending the entire day prepping for a catering job. Sorry. I would so love to taste your young wines. I got to taste your very first release, your cab, when I was working here in the city. It was damn good.”

  “I’ll make sure Gabe brings you a bottle then. You’ll like it even better now. It’s grown very smooth with age. Like this one.” He nodded at Gabe.

  The black limousine pulled up to the curb and the driver got out. He opened the rear passenger door. Adam took Eva’s hand.

  “Eva,” he said, “I’m hoping you make an honest man out of my old friend.”

  Eva’s blushed. “By the way, I need to thank you,” she said.

  “For what?”

  “For betting on me.” Eva smiled warmly at the man as Gabe helped her into the car.

  “See you tomorrow, Gabe,” said Adam.

  Gabe shook his friend’s hand. “Night, Adam.”

  * * * *

  Eva sat silently beside Gabe until they’d crossed the Bay Bridge. He held her hand folded in his own.

  “Could you please ask the driver to raise the window between the front and the back?” Her voice was quiet.

  Gabe called up to his driver and the man quickly complied. Gabe made sure to flip off the intercom.

  “Gabe… I’ve been… I haven’t been completely up front with you.”

  Gabe looked at her lovely face. He couldn’t imagine Eva lying about anything. He raised one eyebrow in response.

  “This is hard for me, so try to be understanding.”

  “All right,” Gabe said.

  “As I pointed out, you’ve been with other women…” Gabe began to interrupt. Eva held up a hand, “No, let me finish,” she said. “And I admitted that you are the first man I’ve ever let into my bed… the first man who has ever spent an entire night at my house.”

  “I can’t say that I’m unhappy about that,” Gabe spoke up. “On the contrary, I’m flattered.”

  “Gabe, I’m not experienced. I grew up with four overprotective big brothers who wouldn’t let a guy within ten feet of me. It’s not that I’m, well, it’s not that I haven’t been interested since I moved away from home. I have been interested and I’ve acted on that interest on more than one occasion. But I’m… I’m picky. Maybe selective is a better word. I’m selective. It’s like food. I won’t waste my calories on crap. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “That I’m not crap?” Gabe stifled a laugh.

  “Well, that,” she grinned, “and, well, Gabe, I’ve noticed that you haven’t worn a condom and I’ve noticed that I haven’t asked you to and… I’m not on the pill,” she said in a rush. She continued, just as hastily, “Until now, I didn’t have a reason to be. I know it’s irresponsible of me on so many levels and I don’t want you to think that I’d trap you or force you to be responsible for my mistake in any way, shape or form. It’s just that when you touch me, I lose all perspective and everything flies out of my head and…”

  Gabe leaned over and pressed his lips against hers. “Shut up, Eva,” he murmured. “It will be okay.”

  “A man should never tell a woman to shut up,” Eva murmured against his mouth.

  Gabe lifted his head. “I think in this case it’s warranted. If a mistake has been made, we are both responsible and I have no intention of walking away from you or from any mistake. Not now, not ever. Are we clear?”

  Eva searched his eyes, her gaze penetrating. Gabe could tell she was trying to read him. “No, we’re not clear.”

  “Then let me further clarify the matter. I love you, Eva Raines. I want to be with you for the rest of your life, if you’ll have me. Clear enough
for you?”

  “But, Gabe, you…you barely know me.”

  “I know enough to know that you are what I want. You and only you. If you need more time, it’s all right, take as much time as you want, but I’m not going away.”

  “Gabe… I don’t… I don’t know what to say.”

  Gabe smiled. “Don’t say a word. Just kiss me. Kiss me right now like you mean it.”

  Gabe watched Eva’s face break into a dimpled grin. She laughed at hearing her own words tossed back at her. Beneath his hopeful gaze, she undid her seatbelt and climbed onto his lap. Her thighs pressed against his. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her slender fingers in his thick, dark hair. She mussed it playfully. Finally, when he thought he couldn’t stand anymore, she lowered her lips to his and kissed him, a kiss filled with promise, with warmth, tenderness and ferocity, a kiss tasting of desire and sweet dreams.

  She pulled her mouth away from his long enough to utter the words, “I love you, Gabriel Abbott.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Eddie, I’d like that cell phone number we discussed.”

  There was a pause as Stephanie listened for a moment.

  “I don’t care what you think. I paid you good money and I’ve been paying you good money for five years. My father has practically financed your daughter’s college education single-handedly. Give me the number. Now.”

  Stephanie leaned over her desk and wrote down the number. She clicked off without another word.

  “You know, Miss Lindstrom, you may be overreacting just a bit.”

  “Shut up, Paul. You heard her. She humiliated me in front of my friends and business associates.”

  “Well, just playing devil’s advocate here, it’s not as if you didn’t provoke her.”

  Stephanie tossed her clutch onto the desk. She’d dragged her escort back to her office. “C’mon, Paul. Get real. She’s nothing but a gold digger. Anyone with half a brain can see that. A poor girl who wants to make it big. She’ll take Gabriel for everything he’s got and break his heart. She’s probably already gotten herself pregnant. Why are men so damn stupid?”