Gabe nodded, his face darkening. ‘It was. Someone tried to hurt Bella.’
A soft step on the stair had them all turning, and Bella came into view on the staircase, a surprised look on her face when she saw the small crowd. ‘Oh, you’re all here.’
Her hair was tied back in two careless plaits either side of her head, and Ramsey noticed the blushing condition was infectious.
‘Well, hello there, dearie,’ Misty said in a knowing voice, and cackled, winking up the young woman. Ramsey noticed Ellie’s elbow nudge the older woman, and Misty stopped cackling and started coughing.
‘Are you all right?’ Bella asked with concern and stepped down to the little old lady.
Misty nodded. ‘Allergies,’ she croaked.
‘Why don’t I make us all some breakfast and you can tell me all about your excitement,’ Ellie said, urging the young couple down the hall. Ramsey folded his arms as he watched the departing group. Gabriel and Bella walked stiffly, avoiding contact with each other. Ramsey frowned. Their happy couple were no longer ‘feeling the love’.
‘I’m just going to check on the turtle pond, see how it’s handling this weather,’ he called out. He wanted to take a look around. Mistyweather had been right. The darkness was rising. The weather had turned. The rain, the winds – the dark powers were leaching into the very air, and as the powers rose, the conditions would get worse. Which was exactly what he wanted to happen.
He stepped out into the lightly falling rain, and lifted his face up to the sky, baring his teeth in a parody of a smile.
Bring it on.
***
Bella packed away her supplies. She’d avoided giving Gabriel a massage today, urging him to spend some more time carving. She zipped up her bag and stood there for a moment. She couldn’t give the man a massage, not with any real professional distance. No, if she placed her hands on his body, she’d want more, and after last night, she knew Gabriel would, too. While Ellie and Ramsey were here, she had to be the very soul of propriety. If they reported any suspicion of her involvement with a client, she would lose this job. Losing this job meant getting even further into debt. No, she had to pretend to be nothing more than a remote physiotherapist while Ellie and Ramsey were in the house – oh, and she mustn’t forget their ‘supervisor’. She’d managed to ask Ellie quietly about Misty, and apparently the woman had recently lost her husband and was a little lonely without someone to look after, so Ellie and Ramsey tolerated her ‘supervision’. So while all of them were in the house, she had to act as if nothing was going on. Her shoulders sagged. Wasn’t that telling, though? If she had to hide, if she had to lie, then what she was doing was wrong.
But how could wanting a man like Gabriel be wrong? How could such a beautiful act between two consenting adults be wrong?
It just was.
Her fists clenched around the straps of her bag. If she had a respectful, honourable bone in her body, she would quit this job, ask for a reassignment. That would mean leaving Gabriel. No more arguing over simple tasks – she knew he did it on purpose to try and get a reaction out of her. She smiled. She’d miss those half-hearted grumbles, the glares. She’d also miss those breathtaking smiles she’d only just started to glimpse, she’d miss the pride in his eyes, the straightening of his shoulders as he accomplished something, the way he caught his tongue between his teeth as he concentrated on a carving.
Mostly, though, she’d miss the way he made her feel alive. After her father’s death she’d felt numb, as though she was wandering through a shadow world, all grey and indistinct. Gabriel had given her a spark. Sure, it may have been due to his ornery manner when they’d first met, but he’d challenged her to engage, to prove herself to him, to herself. Having a person die while in your care was hard to accept. Even though her father had died from cancer, she’d still felt ineffectual and helpless. Helping Gabriel had given her purpose, and reawakened her customary determination that had taken a battering from her father’s death.
Could she walk away? Should she walk away? The man made her feel. And after this morning, she’d discovered he could make her feel really, really good. Did she want to lose that? Did she want to lose Gabriel?
‘Ah, there you are,’ a croaky voice said from the doorway, and Bella turned to smile at Misty. The old woman shuffled in. ‘Ellie is busy making a wonderful dinner for you and Gabriel. We thought you needed a special dinner, tonight.’
‘Oh, that’s not necessary,’ Bella protested. ‘I’m fine, really.’
‘And that’s a good thing. To celebrate, we’re setting you both up in the dining room.’
She shook her head. ‘No, don’t do that. Dinner in the kitchen, as usual, is more than fine.’
Misty shook her head. ‘Nonsense. You’ve had a nasty scare, and you can do with a bit of spoiling, and that young Gabriel could do with a bit of spoiling, too, don’t you think? He’s been through quite a lot.’
Bella couldn’t help but agree. The man had been shot by his boss. His whole life had been turned upside down. ‘Ye-es,’ she admitted slowly, ‘but we’re fine to eat with you and the others.’
Misty smacked her lips, and Bella realised the woman had great teeth for her age. Nice, straight white teeth. ‘I know, but we really want to do this for you. How about letting this old lady look after you, hmm? Please?’
Bella opened her mouth, but couldn’t really think of a reason not to placate the old woman. She forced a smile. ‘Sure.’
‘Great. Be in the dining room at seven, sharp. Oh, and wear this,’ the old woman said, moving with a surprising agility as she handed Bella a plastic bag.
Bella’s eyebrows rose in surprise as she looked inside, then she gasped. ‘Oh, my goodness, Misty. Where did you get this?’
Misty smiled. ‘I found it in one of the cupboards and Gabriel suggested you might like it. Actually, he said he doesn’t wear dresses, so I could do with it what I want – and what I want is for you to wear it tonight.’
‘But I can’t.’ The fabric looked like yellow satin. She lifted the dress out of the bag, letting the material fall so that she could get a proper look at it. ‘It’s beautiful, Misty. I can’t wear this,’ she whispered. It was too lovely – and too personal a gift, whether it came from Gabriel or Misty.
Misty cackled. ‘Well, I can’t wear it, and neither can Ellie. Nothing to hold it up,’ she said, gesturing to her chest. Bella realised it was a strapless gown covered in crystal beads, the bodice firm with a boned corset sewn into it.
It was something to be worn somewhere beautiful, by a beautiful woman, for her beautiful man. Not her.
She looked up to argue some more, only Misty had silently left. Bella shook her head. The woman could certainly move.
She lifted the dress this way and that, admiring the sparkle of the beaded bodice, the swish and drape of the fabric. She couldn’t wear this to dinner. Nu-huh. She held the dress up against her. It really was a beautiful gown…
***
‘You’re thinking of wearing that to dinner?’ a dry voice said from the doorway, and Gabriel turned to see Ramsey leaning against his bedroom door. The man held a suit on a hanger over his shoulder. Gabriel glanced down. He was wearing his best jeans, and his best denim shirt. ‘Best’ meant it had no holes, tears or fraying. And it was clean.
‘Yeah. Why?’
Ramsey frowned as he sauntered into the room. ‘Well, I guess it would be fine, if you were going to watch a game at one of your clubs.’
Gabriel turned back to the mirror on his wardrobe door. What was wrong with what he was wearing?
‘I hear Bella is dressing for dinner.’
Gabriel’s mouth turned down. He wished she wasn’t dressing at all.
‘We found some clothing in one of the cupboards. Ellie’s washed it all, and the garments are in very good condition,’ Ramsey remarked, and held out the suit bag.
Gabriel took the hanger and unzipped the bag, lifting out the jacket and pants, half expecting to see a safari
suit, but surprised to find dark pants and a tailored jacket that might actually fit him. He usually found suits were difficult to fit his broad shoulders, so he rarely bothered, but this looked like it might be big enough.
He took the coat off the hanger and was about to put it on when Ramsey cleared his throat. ‘Perhaps a different shirt? There’s one in the bag.’
Gabriel looked again, and found the white shirt inside. How had he missed that?
He changed his outfit and once again checked his appearance in the mirror, stunned by the difference. He looked – well, he looked good. Damn good.
He twisted this way and that, and finally nodded. This would do.
‘Now, what about a tie?’
Gabriel held up a hand. ‘No, this will do.’ He drew the line at a tie.
Ramsey nodded, then folded his arms. ‘Fine. What about a shave?’
Gabriel looked at his hair-darkened face in the mirror. He was used to the beard. He kind of liked the beard. He rubbed his chin.
‘You’re going to have dinner with a beautiful woman, why hide your face from her?’
Because that was what he was used to, what he felt comfortable with. He hadn’t seen his face in months. It suited his mood. And what if she didn’t like his face? He felt safer behind the beard, and he realised Ramsey was right. He was hiding behind the cover. He’d been hiding for months.
Did he really want to hide from Bella?
She was the first person to really look past his injuries to the man within. She was the only woman in months he’d been intimate with. She’d shown that what he thought was important, what would matter to others, didn’t matter to her. She wasn’t worried that he couldn’t lift a brick – she had full confidence in him. For once, he no longer wanted to hide. He wanted her to see him as he really was, beneath the protective layer he’d used for so long, because he trusted her.
He nodded. ‘Let’s get rid of it.’
Chapter 11
He felt like an idiot.
Gabe checked his watch again for the umpteenth time. Five past seven. She was late. No, she wasn’t late, she just wasn’t going to show. She thought this whole thing was a bad idea, just like he did.
He smiled in self-derision as he glanced through the window to the darkness outside. Yeah, and that’s why he’d primped and preened like a metrosexual. What was he thinking? He surveyed the dining room. Ellie and Misty had done a rather nice job. The dining table was covered with a white lace tablecloth that had apparently been found in the same cupboard as the clothes. He made a mental note to check out this cupboard.
The table was set for two, and he was relieved to see they had placed the settings adjacent to each other, and not at opposite ends of the table. That would have been ridiculous.
No, ridiculous was this whole arrangement, with Ellie, Ramsey and even Misty playing the role of Cupid.
Funny, he had wanted to be left alone, but now he just accepted Ellie and Ramsey as part of his home. From the looks of things, Misty would be joining their ranks.
And Bella? Well, Bella was more than just ‘help’. He hoped she would become much, much more, as soon as they could get past whatever had sent her running from his room. Damn, but that had hurt.
If she wasn’t as obviously confused and conflicted as he was, he’d probably hate her for it. But he didn’t. She’d kissed him. No, he had hope.
A soft step behind him had him turning from the window, and he stopped thinking. Just for a moment.
She took his breath away.
Bella stood uncertainly in the doorway, looking glorious and beautiful in a yellow gown fit for a red carpet event. Her hair was swept up in a relaxed bun at the nape of her neck, brown curling tendrils framing her face.
The strapless gown cupped her breasts in a way that was both modest and incredibly sexy. The sparkling bodice emphasised her narrow waist, and the skirt fell in soft folds to the floor. Well, almost to the floor. Her toes peeked out from underneath the hem of the dress, painted a soft coral colour. Gabe smiled. She was barefoot.
He stepped towards her, and was pleased to see she wore an expression of wonder that must have mirrored his own.
‘Wow,’ she breathed, laughing huskily. ‘You’re…gorgeous.’ She raised her hand to touch his face, and smiled softly. ‘You have a beautiful face.’
He could feel the heat stain his cheeks. Nobody had ever called him beautiful, but he wasn’t about to correct her. He didn’t want anything to spoil the moment. She wasn’t running away from him, she wasn’t expressing regret. She was touching him, and her touch warmed him.
Eventually she lowered her hand, and he placed it on his arm, leading her to the table. He moved the chair out for her, pushing it in as she sat. He looked up in time to see Ellie nod approvingly before slipping back down the hall. He didn’t know whether to be pleased or offended. Did she think he’d been raised in a barn? He knew how to treat a lady. And Bella was all that and more.
He took his seat, and they sat there for a moment in silence. So, now what? There was still a tinge of awkward strain between them. They hadn’t spoken since the morning. Not since she’d left him. Run from him. Naked. After the best sex of his life. He watched as she fiddled with the silverware, and desperately cast about for a way to break the ice.
‘You look beautiful,’ he told her quietly, sincerely.
She darted a look and smiled, before dropping her gaze, her cheeks blooming with soft colour.
‘Thanks,’ she rasped, then cleared her throat. She gestured to the table. ‘This is nice.’
And now they were talking about table settings. Gabe wasn’t quite sure what to say next, apart from stating the obvious. ‘Yes, it is.’
Footsteps clumped down the hall, and Ramsey appeared with a bottle of wine. He gave them both an exasperated look as he poured Bella a glass, then moved to pour Gabe a glass. Turning slightly, so that his face was hidden from Bella, Ramsey frowned and made a tiny nod in her direction.
Gabe widened his eyes. What? What was he supposed to say?
Ramsey’s head jerk got a little more emphatic, his frown darkening. Gabe glanced at Bella, who looked about as uncomfortable as he felt.
He tried again. ‘I like your –,’ his gaze dropped to her hands, toying with the silverware. He liked her hands, what they did to his body, how they made him feel, but that would just be inappropriate. He looked up, and his gaze was halted by the cleavage on display, the swell of breasts over the beaded bodice. He liked her breasts, but that really wasn’t ice-breaking conversation. Ramsey looked at him expectantly, as did Bella.
‘Hair,’ he said. ‘I like your – hair.’ And he did. He liked it unbound, trailing across his chest. He supposed it looked nice now, too, all done up in – well, whatever that bun thing at the back of her neck was called.
‘Oh, thank you,’ she said, surprised but pleased, her hand rising to touch the loose knot at the nape of her neck.
Ramsey rolled his eyes and left the room, only to come back very quickly and place the opened bottle of wine on the table.
‘In case you need some more,’ he said, smiling to them both. ‘You’re going to need it,’ he murmured quietly to Gabe before he left. Gabe looked down at the table. He was so out of practice with wining and dining. And conversing with a beautiful woman.
‘Uh, I like your jacket,’ Bella said huskily, gesturing to his clothes. ‘You look very handsome.’
Gabe sipped his wine. ‘But not enough to stop you running away,’ he observed, then winced. O-kay. That had popped out unexpectedly.
Bella coughed on the wine she’d just swallowed. ‘I beg your pardon?’
Well, he may as well go with it. It was as good an opening as any. He ignored the little voice inside his head that told him there were so many better ways to start the conversation.
‘You know, this morning when you ran from my room.’
‘Gabriel,’ she gasped, peering beyond him to the dark hallway.
He waved a hand car
elessly. ‘Don’t worry so much what they think. Who cares if they know?’
Her jaw dropped, and she stared at him in horror. ‘Who cares? If it gets out that I – that you and I –,’ she seemed to struggle with a way to describe what they’d done.
He could understand. It had felt like more than just sex. ‘Shagged? Bonked? Danced between the sheets? Bumped fuzzies? Got down and dirty? Went at it? Did the horizontal bop? Rumpy pumpy? Made…’
‘Slept with each other,’ she hissed, her face a becoming shade of beetroot. She clasped her hands to her cheeks, before lowering them to play with the silverware again. ‘If it gets out that I slept with you, then I could lose my job. I need this job.’ She closed her eyes for a moment, before meeting his gaze with a pleading one of her own.
‘When my father died, he had debts. I need to pay off those debts. If it gets out that I’ve acted inappropriately with a client…’
He smiled. ‘It was really inappropriate, wasn’t it?’ He wanted to be really inappropriate again.
Her lips twitched, as though she was trying to fight a smile. ‘I can’t afford to lose this job,’ she finished quietly.
‘I’m not going to say anything,’ he told her, and he jerked his head behind him. ‘They’re not going to say anything, either.’ He turned in his seat. ‘Are you?’ he called out, and was rewarded by footsteps scurrying away down the hall. He turned back to Bella in time to see her cringe in mortification.
‘See, no problem.’ He reached out to the hand that now held a breadknife as though she was going to stab him with it, and clasped it. ‘I care about you, Bella. I don’t trip lightly into bed with women, and I’m figuring from this display of the guilts that you don’t either. With men, I mean,’ he clarified. Then frowned, realising he was making presumptions. ‘Or women. I mean, I don’t judge.’
‘Oh, please stop talking.’ She whispered as she rested her elbow on the table and held her forehead.
‘What I’m trying to say, really badly, is that I think what we have is special. I’ve never felt about a woman the way I feel about you. You’ve helped me face some of the toughest issues of my life, despite my being unbearably rude.’ He hesitated. He was a little ashamed of his behaviour to her when they’d first met. ‘And I want to help you do the same. Whatever happens, I want to be there for you. I—,’ he hesitated again. ‘I don’t want you to feel like you need to run from me.’
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