by Sandi Lynn
“This is your dog?” I asked with suspicion as I narrowed my eye at him.
“She is.” He smiled at me. “We were on a walk and she somehow broke free from my hand. Thank you for holding on to her. I’m Gabriel Quinn.” He extended his hand.
I was confused as fuck as to what was happening. But I decided to play along.
“Kate Harper.” I lightly shook his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Kate.”
“Likewise.” I slightly tilted my head to the side.
“She likes you.” He smiled as the dog wouldn’t stop licking my face.
“She’s adorable. How long have you had her?”
“A couple of days.”
“What’s her name? You really should get tags for her.”
“I was going to, but I haven’t named her yet.”
“Why?” I asked in confusion.
“Because I haven’t been able to think of a fitting name for her. Any suggestions?” He smirked.
“Well, growing up, I always wanted a white Maltese and I was going to name her Lady because she’s prim and proper.” A small smile crossed my lips as I held the dog up and stared at her.
“I like it. Come on, Lady. We need to continue our walk.”
I set the dog down and handed the leash to Gabriel. I could literally feel the crack in my heart begin to heal. Seeing him with that puppy gave me all the feels.
“Thank you again, Kate. It was a pleasure to meet you.” The corners of his mouth curved up into a smile as he began to walk away. Suddenly, he stopped and turned to me. “Excuse me, Kate?”
“Yes?”
“Would you by any chance like to join Lady and me on our walk?”
I couldn’t help but smile at his invitation. “Sure. I would love to.”
My head told me not to do it, but my heart told me it was okay.
We walked side by side through the park while Lady walked ahead of us. We talked as if we had just met for the first time and I couldn’t help but feel overjoyed at what he was doing. I told him about my business and he told me about his. We talked about wine, food, our likes, and our dislikes. We laughed just like we used to and the connection we always shared felt stronger than ever. Once we reached the main street, Gabriel stopped and turned to me.
“Thank you for joining us. Is there a chance I could get your phone number and maybe we could go out sometime?” He smiled.
“I would like that.”
He pulled his phone from his pocket and entered my number as I rattled it off. I said goodbye to Lady, and Gabriel walked away in the opposite direction I was going. I hesitated for a moment and then the words just fell out of my mouth.
“Hey, Gabriel?” I called out to him.
“Yeah?” He stopped and looked at me.
“I don’t have any plans tonight,” I nervously spoke.
“Neither do I.” He grinned. “Would you like to go to dinner and maybe catch a movie?”
“Yeah. I would.” I bit down on my bottom lip.
He pulled his phone back out from his pocket.
“What’s your address? I’ll pick you up at six o’clock.”
Gabriel
I let out a sigh of relief as I walked away from her. It worked. My plan worked. She was back in my life and I was the happiest man alive. As soon as I climbed into the limo, I called Caleb.
“Hey, bro.”
“I have a date tonight, Caleb. Kate and I are going to dinner and a movie.”
“Thank god.” He sighed. “I didn’t know how much longer I was going to be able to put up with you.”
I let out a chuckle.
“Let me guess. The dog?”
“Yeah. She couldn’t resist her.”
“I’m happy for you, Gabriel. Just do me a favor and don’t be a fucking idiot this time.”
“I won’t be. I’m never letting her go again.”
I ended the call and headed home. I took Lady upstairs with me as I gave Rose a call.
“The Mermaid Inn of Mystic, Rose speaking. How can I help you?”
“Rose, it’s Gabriel.”
“Hello, Gabriel. How are you?”
“I’m great. I just wanted to give you a call and let you know that Kate and I are going on a date tonight.”
“What wonderful news. I’m so happy to hear that.”
“Thanks, Rose, and again, thank you for your advice. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, dear. I hope you and Kate have a great night together. Just remember, don’t rush into anything. Take it slow and get to know each other all over again.”
“I will. I’m not doing anything to potentially push her away.”
Chapter 42
Kate
As soon as I got home, I jumped on the couch and called Rose.
“The Mermaid Inn of Mystic, this is Rose. How may I help you?”
“Rose, it’s me.”
“Kate, darling. How are you?”
“I’m great. You’re never going to believe where I’m going tonight.”
“Where?”
“To dinner and a movie with Gabriel.”
“Aw, Kate. That’s wonderful news.”
“You should have seen him today. He got a dog!” I spoke with excitement. “And we met in the park and he introduced himself to me as if I was some stranger. Then I went for a walk with him and Lady and we talked like we had never even known each other. It was so bizarre.”
“I’m so happy for you, dear. Have a wonderful date with him and I want to hear all about it tomorrow,” she spoke.
“I will. I’ll be in touch soon.”
It was almost six o’clock when the buzzer to my apartment rang. Pressing the button to unlock the door, I stood in the doorway and waited for him to step off the elevator. When he did, I noticed he held a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
“You look beautiful.” He smiled.
“Thank you. Come on in.”
“These are for you.” He handed me the beautiful red roses.
“Thank you, but you shouldn’t have,” I spoke as I brought them up to my nose and smelled them.
“I wanted to,” he spoke with seriousness.
Our eyes met, and instantly, all the reasons why I fell in love with him before came flooding back. We went to dinner and talked so much that we missed the movie we were going to see. As we exited the restaurant, Gabriel took hold of my hand and looked at me, waiting to see if I would pull away. I didn’t. All I did was smile, letting him know that it was okay. We walked down the brightly lit streets of New York and stopped in Orange Leaf for some frozen yogurt, where we talked some more and laughed before he took me home.
Gabriel walked me up to my apartment and I invited him in for a glass of wine.
“Would you like to come in for a glass of wine?”
“As tempting as that sounds, I better get home to relieve the sitter.”
“The sitter?” I asked.
“I have a dog sitter looking after Lady.”
“Are you serious?” I laughed.
“Of course I am. She’s just a baby. She can’t be left home all alone.”
My heart melted when he said that, and suddenly, I lost all control. I reached up and smashed my mouth against his. He placed his hands firmly on each side of my face as our passionate kiss continued. The feeling of his warm lips pressed against mine was intoxicating and I never wanted it to end. He broke our kiss and stared at me.
“We shouldn’t. It’s our first date.”
“I don’t care. I feel like I’ve been on a million dates with you already.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Are you?” I asked.
“It’s all I ever think about. I’ve missed you so much, Kate.”
“I’ve missed you too, Gabriel.”
“Go pack a bag and come to my house with me. Lady will be happy to see you again.”
I bit down on my bottom lip as excitement soared through me. I ran into the bedroom, threw some ess
entials into my bag, and we headed out the door.
Gabriel
She shocked me with that kiss, but it was shock that felt so good and right. As soon as we arrived back at my townhouse, Lady came running to the door to greet us. Kate got down on the floor and played with her. As much as I wasn’t a dog lover, I knew getting Lady was the right decision. Plus, she was already starting to grow on me, and seeing Kate with her made it all the more worth it.
I took her bag upstairs to my bedroom and set it on the chair. Kate followed, holding Lady in her arms. I turned to her and ran the back of my hand down her cheek.
“What do we do with Lady?” she asked.
“I’ll take her down to her crate. She’ll be fine for a while.” I smiled.
After putting the dog downstairs, I went back up to my room, where I found Kate sitting on the edge of the bed in a piece of lingerie that I had bought her. She was exceptional, stunning, and my cock enjoyed the view as much as my eyes did. Walking over to her, I pushed her hair to the side and let my tongue slide across the delicate skin of her neck. She let out a light moan, the type of moan that I missed hearing. My hands traveled to her breasts as I caressed them through the sheer fabric of her nightie. My cock was so hard it hurt, and I couldn’t wait to feel the warmth of her once again.
I gently laid her down on her back and removed the nightie from her perfect body. A body that I craved and missed for what seemed like eternity. Our lips meshed with one another’s as my hand traveled down the front of her panties and my finger dipped inside. She gasped and arched her back in pleasure and I explored her. The wetness that emerged from her made me hungrier than I already was. I played with her and teased her hardened nipples with my tongue until she orgasmed. I licked every inch of her bare skin until I reached her wet sensitive spot. To taste her again was a dream come true. My tongue made tiny circles around her clit, heightening her arousal even more. Her moans became louder as her fingers ran through my hair. This was my piece of heaven.
I hovered over her, kissing her lips as I prepared to thrust inside her. The moment I’d been waiting for. Breaking our kiss, I stared into her eyes as my cock slowly entered inside. Her lips parted as a light gasp escaped her.
“I love you, Kate,” I whispered as I buried myself inside her.
“I love you too, Gabriel.” She smiled.
Chapter 43
Kate
I lay there, wrapped in his arms feeling safe, secure, and happy while my body tried to come down from the multiple orgasms he had given me, my skin still trembling from his touch.
“Can I ask you something?” he spoke.
“Of course you can.” My finger gently ran along his chest.
“Promise me you won’t get mad. Do you promise?”
“You want to know if I slept with Marcel. Don’t you?”
“How did you know?”
“Because if the situation was reversed, I’d want to know.” I lifted my head from his chest and placed my hand on his cheek. “No, I didn’t sleep with him. I never had any intention to.”
“And he was okay with that? He has a reputation.”
“He had no choice. I told him I was on my period.” I smiled.
He brought his hand up and ran his fingers through my hair.
“How did you get what you needed without him becoming suspicious?”
“You really want to know the truth?”
“I do, Kate. It’s important that I know,” he spoke with seriousness.
“I drugged him,” I answered with a twisted face. “Put him to sleep for a while.”
He stared at me in shock for a moment, but I knew he was proud.
“Thank you for doing what you did. Had I known, I would have stopped you. You took a huge risk, sweetheart.”
“You’re so cute for thinking you could have stopped me.” I kissed the tip of his nose. “Anyway, you’re welcome.”
“I never meant a word of what I said to you that night at the ball. I was just so hurt and angry that you were with him.”
“I know you were. But that’s all in the past and that’s where it’s staying.”
“I love you so damn much. The thought that I had lost you forever killed me inside.” His grip around me tightened.
Suddenly, we heard Lady barking from downstairs.
“Oh shit. I forgot about her,” Gabriel spoke. “I’ll be right back.”
He climbed out of bed, pulled on his pajama bottoms, and left the room. I slipped into my nightie, grabbed my phone, and held it up to snap a picture when he walked back into the room. A few moments later, he returned with Lady in his arms.
“Freeze!” I exclaimed. “I want to get a picture.”
“Now?” he asked.
“Smile.” I smiled as I took a couple pictures.
He set Lady down on the bed and she ran up to me, giving me puppy kisses galore. Gabriel climbed into bed and the two of us played with her until we wore her out.
“She’s your dog, Kate. I bought her for you.”
“What? Are you kidding me?”
“No. You told me that you always wanted a white Maltese growing up. So I thought you should have one. But I will tell you that I have become quite fond of her already and I’m not sure I can let you take her away from me.”
“But you just said she was mine.” I pouted.
“I would love for her to be our dog, and I think the solution to this little problem is that you’ll have to move in with me so she can be with both of us all the time.”
I didn’t even have to ponder the idea. The thought of moving in with him, sleeping with him every night, and waking up to him every morning made me feel like the luckiest woman alive.
“I would love to move in with you. That’s if you’re sure you can handle living with me 24/7.” I smiled.
“Oh, I can handle you. We lived together before, don’t forget. Plus, I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life.” His lips brushed against mine.
It had been a month since I moved into Gabriel’s townhome and life for me was perfect. I finally met his mother, who had just gotten back from Europe, where she had been traveling for the past six months. I liked her and she seemed to like me too. Caleb’s music career took off when his song hit #5 on the music charts. In a few weeks, he would be going on tour, being the opening band for Matchbox Twenty. Lady was growing so fast and Gabriel and I were completely in love with her.
I slipped into a short, red, form-fitting dress that sat off the shoulders for a special dinner Gabriel had planned for us.
“You look beautiful,” he spoke as he walked up behind me and pressed his lips against my neck.
“Thank you.” I smiled.
“I picked up a little something for you today.” He pulled a small red box from his suit pocket and handed it to me.
Opening the lid, I gasped when I saw the beautiful princess cut diamond earrings sitting there.
“Gabriel, they’re beautiful. You shouldn’t have. What is this for?”
“Yes, I should have, and they’re just a reminder of how much I love you and how beautiful you are.”
I started to fan my eyes to keep the tears from falling.
“Thank you. I love you so much.” I threw my arms around his neck and kissed his lips.
“You’re welcome. Are you almost ready? Our reservations are for seven.”
“Yes. I just have to put these earrings in and then we can go.” I smiled.
We arrived at his hotel and I looked at him in confusion.
“We’re eating at your hotel?” I asked.
“Yes.” He smiled as he grabbed my hand and led me inside.
We stepped into Cornelia, the upscale restaurant in the hotel that was named after his mother. I looked around, for we were the only two people in the place.
“Good evening, Mr. Quinn. I’ll show you to your table.”
“Good evening, Frank.”
“Gabriel, I’m confused. Why is nobody here?” I asked as I took a
seat.
“I closed the restaurant down for tonight for a very special celebration.”
“What are we celebrating?”
“Him.” Gabriel held out his hand.
I looked behind me and saw my father standing there, dressed in a black suit.
“Hello, baby girl.” He smiled.
Throwing my hands over my mouth, I looked at Gabriel, who stood there with a smile on his face. I got up from my seat and ran over to my father, throwing my arms around him and hugging him tight.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Why don’t you ask Gabriel?”
I turned and looked at him, and suddenly, tears filled my eyes when I realized what he had done.
“Don’t cry, baby,” he spoke as he walked over to me and wiped the tears from my face.
“I can’t believe you did this.”
“Did you really think I would let him sit in prison? I’d been waiting for this night for a while. I wanted to surprise you and it was so hard keeping this a secret.”
“God, Gabriel. I love you so much. Thank you.”
“I love you too, baby.”
The three of us sat down and enjoyed a wonderful dinner together. Gabriel had given my father a job at this very hotel and a free room until he could save some money to be able to afford an apartment. This, my life, was all too surreal. Having the two men who were the most important people and things in my life at my side was like a dream come true.
Chapter 44
Gabriel
“You have everything packed?” Kate asked as she walked into the bedroom.
“I do, baby. I wish you could come with me.” I placed my hands firmly on her hips. “But I’m going to be tied up in all kinds of meetings for days.”
“It’s okay. I understand.” She smiled.
“I’m happy you’re going to visit Rose this weekend. I really didn’t want you being here all alone.”
“I can’t wait to see her and she finally gets to meet Lady.”
I brushed my lips against hers and hugged her tightly.