“OK,” she said.
He kissed her. In the middle of the coffee shop. A slow, hot kiss that made her knees weak and her body come alive. When he pulled away, he pushed some stray strands of hair behind her ear. His hands were tender, and his eyes were molten. She wanted another kiss like that. She reached up and touched her bottom lip. His eyes watched, and she thought he’d never looked more desirable.
“Well? What are we waiting for?” she asked. Her mood was getting lighter by the minute. She’d have hours to explore his beautiful body, run her hands through that hair, sink her nose into the smell that was his alone. Why had she wanted to run away? If this was temporary, she’d take the heartache later. She reached for his hand for the first time and caught him by surprise. He smiled and pulled her out of the coffee shop. She let herself laugh.
Rainy had heard of the nearby town of Jefferson and was curious about it, so she suggested they get a room there. A search on Google led them to a historic bed and breakfast with a wraparound porch.
She’d been with Gabe before, but having him tell her he loved her made everything seem different. She was nervous and couldn’t stop fiddling with the bottom of her shirt. She rolled the hem up and unrolled it, over and over as he drove to the town that was about thirty miles away. Would things be different between them now that he’d declared his feelings and she’d bared her soul?
The pictures of the bed and breakfast on the internet were gorgeous, and Rainy was happy to see that the place lived up to the hype. The wooden staircase, the iron bed stead, the claw foot tub, and the antique furniture added to the charm. She’d rather think about the bed and breakfast than the gorgeous man who seemed to see her soul when he looked into her eyes. She cleared her throat nervously as she stood at the end of the bed.
Gabe walked toward her and put his hands on her waist.
“Relax. We won’t do anything you don’t want to do. All right?” He tucked the stray hair behind her ear, an action that felt endearing and very personal.
“I hadn’t planned to stay overnight, so I don’t even have a toothbrush with me.” She was thinking about her horrible morning breath and how her hair would be tangled and standing up at all angles after sleeping.
“We’ll get a couple when we go out later. The sun will set soon, and the sidewalks will cool down. It’ll be fun. You need some time off. You work so hard.” He’d let his hand travel from her ear to her neck and down to her shoulder. He rested it there and seemed content to simply stare into her eyes.
Her eyes traveled around the room; landed on a painting, an old-time landscape with sheep in a pasture; moved to the antique dresser with a bowl and pitcher like she’d seen in old cowboy movies; anywhere but looking into Gabe’s eyes.
He stepped away, giving her space that she appreciated. She wasn’t sure what he expected. Her head was still a mess. Should she trust him? Would he hurt her? Desert her like her father had? Break up with her when she finally let her guard down? She needed a guide book. Why didn’t life come with instructions?
“I’m going to get that champagne. Want to come along?” Gabe asked. He seemed so comfortable in his skin. She felt jealous.
“I think I’ll stay here. It’s been a trying day. Maybe I’ll rest for a few minutes.”
“Sure. That’s a great idea. I’ll just go pick up a few things and come back, probably an hour or so?”
As soon as Gabe walked out the door, Rainy found her phone and called Melinda. When her sister answered, she got right to the point.
“Hey, do you have a minute?”
“Of course. What’s up?”
“When Daddy left us, did it screw you up?”
“Wow, that’s a loaded question from out in left field. What’s happened to make you think about him?” Melinda sounded truly puzzled.
“It’s just…I don’t know. Seems like I always find a guy I like, and he turns out to be like Dad.” Rainy sat on the side of the bed and stared out the window at the pretty garden while she waited for her sister to answer.
“Hmm. I hadn’t put it together that way, but, yeah. I think he screwed with our heads. Of course, he royally screwed Mom up. What’s happening? You’ve never wanted to talk about him. What changed?”
Rainy got up and paced across the braided rug. “I told you about Martin blowing himself up, right?”
“Yep.”
“I drove over to Longview to visit him today.”
“You what?” Rainy held the phone at arm’s length so her sister’s scream wouldn’t bust an ear drum.
“I’m trying to figure out why I keep picking losers.”
“And seeing an idiot who burned himself to a crisp and landed in a coma after choosing drugs over you is going to help you figure that out?”
Rainy went to the antique dresser and picked up a little statue of a woman holding onto a big hat while her skirt blew in an invisible wind from a bygone era.
“It sounds stupid, I know, but I needed to see him. Then his girlfriend, the one he was with the whole time he was with me? Well, she came in and started telling me all these horrible things Martin said about me. It was humiliating.”
“Was this the woman who helped kidnap you? What’s she doing out of jail?” Melinda sounded cross.
“I guess she got bailed out. I don’t know,” Rainy said. “Anyway, I ran out of the room and smack dab into Gabe Hart.”
“What was he doing there?”
“He followed me. Says he was worried.”
“That’s above and beyond. What’s his deal?”
“He says he loves me.” Rainy needed to sit back down. Saying those words left her feeling weak in the knees. Sort of like Gabe’s kisses.
“Love? He said the L word?” Melinda sounded like she’d just heard that Elvis Presley was still alive and would be coming to visit her momentarily.
“The very one.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“You just let that hang out there? The guy must be worried sick. Wait. Do you love him?”
Rainy stared at the ceiling. Did she love Gabe Hart? He was gorgeous. He was fun. He’d saved her multiple times. He was willing to be her attorney and take no compensation. He’d slept at her house and been a perfect gentleman. When she was ready, he’d been a fantastic lover. But did she love the guy?
“Well? Do you?” Melinda asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t think I know what real love is.” Rainy sat back down. She blew a raspberry into the phone.
“That’s a problem.” Melinda was the master of the understatement at times.
“Yeah, I know. I’m spending the night with him. I don’t know if he expects friendship or something more.”
“You said you’ve done the deed before, right?” Melinda asked.
“Yeah. He’s pretty awesome.”
“In bed?”
“Yeah.”
“Then go for it, sister. What if you don’t love him? Have a good time with a man that worships you. We all need that.”
“But wouldn’t I be leading him on?”
“And no man has ever done that to you?” Melinda scoffed.
“Back to Dad. How do you trust a man after that kind of treatment?”
“You just have to find the right man, sis. Maybe that’s Gabe. How will you know if you don’t spend time with the guy? Running away isn’t going to help.”
“I think I hear him at the door. Gotta go.” Rainy hung up on her sister as Gabe walked back into the room with a couple of grocery sacks in his arms. You’d never know he’d been shot to look at the muscles straining beneath his shirt.
“Got a bag of ice in the car. I’ll be right back,” he said as he set the bags on the dresser, moving the little statue to the side.
As he closed the door, Rainy said a prayer. “Let him be true.”
Chapter Thirty-Two – Gabe
He popped the cork on the champagne bottle and it went flying across the room. Rainy jumped and laughed.
It was good to see her happy. He wanted this night to be special for her. She’d been through the ringer lately. She had dark circles under her eyes. The puffiness had gone down, but she still seemed tired.
She held out the plastic cup, and he poured the bubbly liquid. She giggled when the bubbles hit her nose. He loved seeing this side of her. She was usually busy, with her hair pulled back severely, and her mind on her job. The few precious times they’d spent together were stamped on his mind. Rainy was different. She didn’t hide behind makeup and clothes. She didn’t pull punches. And she’d been honest when she told him of her reservations. All he had to do now was show her that she could trust him.
“Here’s to you,” he said. He held up his cup and bumped it against hers.
“To forgetting everything for one night,” she said.
“I’ll drink to that.” He watched her as he sipped. Her hand shook as she raised the cup to her lips.
He didn’t want to push her. He’d let her take the first steps. He ached to hold her, to stroke her back and whisper words of love and encouragement in her ear, but he held himself back. The strawberries were big and luscious. He handed one to her.
“I love strawberries. Did you know that?” she asked as she devoured the berry.
“Yeah, it was pretty obvious that night after the play. Plus, I knew that they went well with champagne from watching Pretty Woman.
“That’s not a film I’d expect you to watch.” She ate another berry with her eyes closed, savoring it.
“It’s one of Sophie’s favorites. I watched it with Zeke and her one night after they fed me dinner. It would have been rude to leave right after eating.”
“Oh, yeah. Sophie does love her chick-flicks.”
“Zeke says he can quote lines from several of them now. It must be love, because he wouldn’t be caught dead watching a rom-com before he met Sophie.”
“They seem happy together.” Rainy seemed to zone out, like she was seeing them in her mind’s eye.
“I think they are. Zeke has never been as contented as he is now. She got him out of our father’s grip. I’ll give her that. She’s one helluva woman. My brother’s a lucky man.” He held another strawberry close to her lips, and she bit into it. The juice ran, so he wiped the corner of her lip with his thumb. He loved touching her. She was soft with a strong core.
“I think I’ll soak in that claw foot tub for a while. Do you mind?”
He closed his eyes and tried to think of anything other than Rainy naked in the next room. He shook his head and felt the bed move as she stood up.
She stayed in the bathroom for a long time. He found a book on the little night stand and was reading when she finally opened the door. Steam spilled out and spread around her. She had her hair down, wet, hanging past her shoulders, and was wrapped in a plush towel. His mouth watered at the sight.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“Yeah. I wish I had a brush.” She picked up some of her hair and let it fall.
“It looks fine. I like it down.”
She walked into the room and sat on the bed. The towel opened, and he had to avert his eyes to keep from looking like a peeping Tom.
“Why do men like women with long hair?” she asked, almost as if she didn’t expect an answer.
“We like to play with it.” He sat beside her and took a few of the wet strands in his hand, wrapping them around a finger loosely.
“Interesting.”
She didn’t resist, so he kept her hair in his hands. It smelled like roses.
“You smell great. Are you relaxed? Do you want to do anything in particular?” He had several things in particular that he’d like to do, but wanted her to take the lead.
“I am relaxed. That tub is amazing. I always wanted a tub like that.”
“Really? I hadn’t pegged you for an old-timey girl.” She leaned into him, and he took that as a good sign.
“I always wanted a house like this. Something with character, old world charm, if you will.”
“Your house is nice.” He thought of her cozy color scheme, the pets curled up beside her, a fire in the fireplace.
“Yeah. It’s OK.” She stood, and he felt her absence immediately.
“Where are you going?”
“I guess I’ll put those same clothes on,” she said with her nose turned up like she smelled something bad.
“You looked great in them.”
“Thanks.” She stood in the room as if she had no idea what she wanted to do. He came up behind her and pulled her hair away from her neck; planted kisses on her shoulder; loved it when she leaned into him and sighed.
“You don’t have to get dressed,” he said. He was taking a chance. She might think he was asking for sex, but he wasn’t. Oh, he’d take it if she wanted to play that way, but his thought was to let her be comfortable, whatever it took. If she decided to get under the covers in nothing but her birthday suit, he wouldn’t object.
She turned and moved into his space.
“Are you going to kiss me or not?”
Before she finished saying ‘or not’ his lips were on hers. He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around him. The towel slipped, and she threw it across the room. She ran her hands through his hair. He moved backward and when his legs hit the side of the bed, he fell with her on top. She began unbuttoning his Oxford, and all the blood left his head in a rush.
Chapter Thirty-Three - Rainy
Sunlight filtered in through the window and fell on Rainy’s eyes, awakening her from a delicious dream. She stretched like a big feline after a meal. Yawning loudly. Gabe rolled toward her and threw an arm over her stomach.
“Morning,” he said without opening his eyes. He was magnificent. His body was muscled and strong, but he held her as if she were made of the finest porcelain. She stroked his arm absentmindedly and hummed to herself.
“Do you always wake up singing?” he muttered.
“Nope. You must bring it out in me.” She threw the covers back and stood up, stretching her arms toward the ceiling; loving the fact that Gabe watched her with those eyes of his.
“Come back to bed. It’s cold without you.” He patted the spot she’d vacated and stuck his bottom lip out in a pout.
“If you insist,” she said as she jumped back into the bed and planted kisses on his torso. Before long, they were making love. Slow, intense, sweet love. She never wanted to go home.
“I like you without clothes,” he said as he stroked her body and made her shiver.
“I kind of like you the same way,” she said as he played with her hair.
“You could have told me this sooner and saved me a lot of money on my wardrobe,” he said playfully.
“Yeah, but I like taking them off of you, too.” She felt lighter than she had in days. Her body was loose and relaxed, and it was all because of this gorgeous man.
“Do you want to go down for breakfast?” he asked. Wasn’t it just like a man to think of food first thing in the morning? All she wanted was a cup of coffee and a toothbrush. The toothbrush she had.
“How about you go get us coffee while I freshen up?” she asked. She pushed the covers off and got up.
He climbed out of bed and stood behind her, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her neck.
“Anything you say, woman.”
She turned and, with her best come hither look, said, “Anything?”
His eyes darkened and the kiss that followed was soul shattering. She was sure the earth moved, because it knocked her off her feet. They fell onto the bed, laughing and kissing. She couldn’t get enough of the man.
“So, do I get to have another helping of Rainy Daigle for breakfast?” He asked as he ran a finger across her cheekbone.
“How about a bagel and cream cheese?” she asked as she took his hand away from her face and kissed his palm.
“Not nearly as good,” he said with an exaggerated frown.
“OK, one more time for the road,” she said with a giggle.
He was good for his word. He gave her anything she asked for until she couldn’t think of one more thing to want.
“I’m all sweaty,” he said as they lay side by side breathing heavily. “Want to take a bath in the claw foot tub with me? I’ll rub your back, if you’ll rub mine.” His eyes sparkled, and there was no way she could resist two of her favorite things; a beautiful tub full of warm soapy water and a gorgeous man who wanted her.
She’d never had as active a libido before. She figured she hadn’t been with the right man. Gabe was different. Gentle, patient, but willing to throw himself in front of danger to protect her. She’d remember their time in the tub forever. It was better than her dreams. She smiled. He was slowly winning her over, but she wasn’t quite ready to give her heart away. She wanted to trust Gabe fully, but she couldn’t believe he was who he seemed to be. She didn’t trust her own radar. Not yet.
Chapter Thirty-Four – Gabe
Gabe sighed when he came back to the room to find Rainy fully dressed. At least the dark circles under her eyes were gone. She seemed to have slept well during the night, and she’d been pretty frisky all morning. He had no complaints about that.
“Coffee,” he said as he set a tray on the end of the bed, “and blueberry muffins fresh from the oven. They didn’t have bagels. If you really want some, I can run out and get them.”
“Yum.” Rainy tore the paper off a muffin and took a big bite. “This will do nicely,” she said.
Gabe sat beside her and they ate in comfortable silence. When the coffee was gone, he patted his legs and stood.
“Are you ready for a grueling drive? Finished with Martin for good?” He had to know. If she still needed to see Martin, he would hate it, but he would insist that she let him go with her.
“I think I’m done with that man.” She moved the tray to the dresser.
“Glad to hear it.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. “I’ve had a wonderful time with you.”
Pro Bono Romance Page 17