“It’s okay, you don’t have to.” She knew that was the right thing to say, so she did. Inside, she was hoping that he wouldn’t take the out.
“No.” He turned his head, and the look in his eyes pinned her in place. “I want to tell you.”
Yes.
“Okay.” She waited.
Finally, he sighed. “I can’t have kids because I’m sterile. I’m shooting blanks. It can be a side effect of chemo and radiation.
If she remembered correctly, he’d been diagnosed when he was twenty-one. Her mind was so focused on the timing of the weekend he and Em had spent together that she almost missed the significance of what he’d just said and the fact that he hadn’t told anyone before her.
It wasn’t until she glanced over and saw the pained look in his eye that she came back to the present. “I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah. I didn’t think about it much when they told me. I was more focused on staying alive. After I was through the worst of it though, I just kept thinking about it. It was always in the back of my mind. So I had them test me.”
She waited, not sure of what to say. It was clear that he was upset about the results that had come back, and that he’d always wanted to be a dad. She was suddenly afraid if she told him now, he’d think that she’d set him up or something when really she’d just been trying to fulfill the promise that she’d made and do right by Em and Jonah.
Or, maybe he’d be happy that he might have fathered a child after all. Maybe right now was exactly the right time to tell him.
If she had a coin she’d flip it.
Since she didn’t, she figured she might as well err on the side of doing exactly what she’d come here to do. “I know that must’ve been a very difficult thing to fac—”
“It’s nothing compared to what you’ve been through. I don’t even know how you did it,” he cut in.
“I didn’t really have a choice,” she half-joked because she really didn’t. “But my point is—”
“Yes, you did,” he interrupted again. “Everyone has a choice. And you chose to show up for your girls. To show up for Emily. To show up for Jonah.”
She felt her eyes starting to well. No one had ever said that to her before. Not in that way. Some of the moms at the park would say that they didn’t know how she did it all by herself, but the way they’d pointed it out was more of a judgment than acknowledgment. The nurses and doctors that she’d interacted with when she’d been taking care of Emily had mentioned that Emily was lucky to have her, but the emphasis was more focused on Em, as it should’ve been.
Gabe was the first person to see what Adriana had been through and recognize how hard it was. He had an uncanny way of getting right to the heart of things. He didn’t beat around the bush or play games. He was straightforward, and as much as she appreciated it, it did tend to hit a little too close to home sometimes.
He was staring at her, and it felt as if he had emotional X-ray vision. It was as if he saw her soul.
This wasn’t about her though. “Thank you. But what I was trying—”
“You honestly have no idea how amazing you are, do you?” His head tilted to the side, and he took in a breath that Adriana felt the emotion behind. With a tenderness that was so real it felt as if she could reach out and touch it.
That was it. She’d managed to hold it together, but his words broke her. The tears that she’d been able to keep from falling were now sliding down her cheeks, and her face was starting to contort into her ugly cry face.
“I’m sorry,” he rushed to apologize as he reached past her and popped open the glove compartment. He pulled out several napkins from various fast food joints and handed them to her.
She smiled as she used a Taco Bell napkin to wipe her cheeks. “Thanks.”
When it started shredding against her face, Gabe had a Chipotle napkin at the ready. He lifted it to her face and when he did, the back of his knuckles brushed her cheek. Her breath hitched at his touch.
She tilted her head, pressing her cheek against his touch. Closing her eyes she allowed herself, just for a moment to absorb his strength.
Then, in the next breath, his lips were on hers.
The moment their mouths touched all thoughts other than how good the kiss felt were pushed to the back of her mind. His lips brushed against hers in tantalizing persuasion, caressing her with slow pulsing passes. A shiver ran through her as she gripped his arm. When his tongue slid along her bottom lip, she opened her mouth and met his lick with hers.
A groan vibrated through him, and his fingertips gripped her tighter, holding her face firmly in place. She rested the weight of her head into his palm, loving the sensation of being held by him as he explored her mouth with masterful expertise.
Just as the hug hadn’t been what she’d expected, this kiss wasn’t either. There was a sweet tenderness that took her by surprise. It was slow and passionate and not like any other kiss she’d had. It caused an aching need to simmer low in her belly.
It all happened in slow motion and hyper speed. It took her several beats before she realized that this was completely inappropriate behavior.
What am I doing?
Panic broke through the dreamy haze that his kiss had lulled her into and she reached for the handle. She pulled it as she ejected herself from her seat like she was a pilot whose engines had failed. She ran up the stairs to the apartment and didn’t look back. She couldn’t face him.
This had officially gotten out of hand and she had to fix it. She had to make it right.
Chapter 10
‡
Gabe channeled all of his frustration into the punching bag. Personal frustration. Sexual frustration. All of it.
That kiss had been…there weren’t even words to describe it. He’d lost himself in it. He’d forgotten where he was. Who he was.
Then it ended so abruptly. One second she was there. The next she was gone. The Flash had nothing on her.
He’d had her face cupped in his palms, her lips pressed against his. He was tasting the minty sweetness of the peppermint hot chocolate she’d had at Mountain Ridge and the next thing he knew, the door was slamming and she was running up the back steps of Sue Ann’s.
His first instinct was to go after her, but he didn’t. If a woman wanted to get away from you that badly, chasing her was probably the wrong move.
He’d been going over the moments leading up to her abrupt departure and he figured he was either a horrible kisser or he came on too strong. Since he was pretty secure in the kissing department, he’d concluded it had to be that he’d overstepped his boundaries.
It’s not as if he’d decided to kiss her. It just happened. She rested her cheek against his hand and then the greatest kiss of his life commenced.
Then she was gone.
He’d texted her. Twice. He still hadn’t heard back from her.
In the first one, he’d sent a gif of the Roadrunner and asked, Was my breath that bad?
When he didn’t get a response, he waited two hours before texting again. He apologized for the bad joke and asked if he could see her before she left so they could talk.
That was two hours ago, and she still hadn’t responded.
It was driving him crazy. He’d gone on another run. Paced. Tried to play video games. Now, even though he hadn’t planned on starting to train again until Monday, he was punching and kicking the crap out of the bag he’d hung in the garage.
He was so immersed in his workout he almost missed his phone ringing. When he saw it light up on the tool bench, he rushed to grab it. He didn’t care what he had to do or say to convince Adriana to see him again; he was going to do it. He just needed to talk to her.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get the chance.
He was disappointed when he saw it wasn’t Adriana calling, so as happily as he could he answered, “Hey, Maxi pad.”
“You really have to stop calling me that.” Her tone was cool as ice.
“Sorry.” He hadn’t meant
to slip back into the childhood nickname that he’d called her when he wanted to tease her. He’d just been trying to make sure she didn’t sense something was wrong and push him for answers.
“Did I interrupt something?”
“Nope.”
“Are you sure? I can call you back.” She paused before adding, “When you catch your breath.”
Oh, she thinks I’m doing the dirty.
“You think I would answer the phone if I was doing something?” He repeated the word with the same disdainful inference she’d placed on it.
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” she shot back flatly.
“Touché.” Gabe may have answered her call mid-coital during his wild-oat-sowing faze. “I was just hitting the bag.”
“I thought you were sticking to cardio for another two days.”
“Awe, you listened.” Gabe sighed dramatically. “You really do care.”
“It’s my job to listen.”
“And you really do care,” he finished just to bug her.
“Why are you hitting the bag? Is it Adriana? The imposter blogger?”
Gabe’s defense of his “friend” was automatic. “She’s not an imposter blogger.”
The other end of the line was silent.
“Okay, she is. Technically. But, that’s not who she is.”
“I guess you would know. It looks as if you two are really getting to know each other. Care to tell me why she impersonated a blogger?”
“It’s not like that—” he started to defend Adriana again, before stopping himself when he realized that it was like that and he didn’t know why she’d lied. Then another thought occurred to him. “Wait. What do you mean, it looks like we’re really getting to know each other?”
“You haven’t been online?”
“No.”
“It’s all over social media. There are pictures of you two at a restaurant. Leaving a restaurant. Down by a river. At a bar.”
“What?” He rushed inside his house and flipped open his laptop.
While he was waiting for his computer to boot up, Maxi continued filling him in, “Several online outlets are running stories on it.”
“Stories? Why does anyone care? It’s not news.”
“They care because you’re not just a fighter. You’ve captivated people. Your celebrity status is based in the fighting world but, whether you like it or not, and I know you don’t, you’ve transcended the sport. Between your comeback story and the fact that you’re a firefighter, a real-life hero, you’re bigger than the sport. There’s even talk that you’re on the short list for People’s sexiest man alive. So, unfortunately, who you’re spending time with is news.”
As soon as his screen came to life, he Googled his name. Sure enough, half of the results on the first page were links to fluff pieces that featured himself and Adriana. None of them knew her name, so she’d been labeled “mystery woman.” TMZ. Perez Hilton. Several other sensational tabloids had also picked it up.
This was the last thing he needed. If she hadn’t already been heading for the hills, she sure as hell would now. She didn’t strike him as the kind of girl that wanted her personal life played out in the public eye.
“I’ve already been contacted for comment,” Maxi informed him.
“No comment.”
“Yes, thank you, Gabe. I do know how to do my job.” She spoke with cool authority. “But part of my job is knowing that these things are coming. Who is she?”
She’s the girl that I’m falling in love with.
“She’s what I told you. She’s a single mom with three kids.”
“Gabe. I need to know more than that.”
“When I know, you’ll know. I promise.” He would never intentionally keep Maxi in the dark. He was aware that her job wasn’t easy and he would never make it harder by withholding information.
“Fine.” Maxi agreed but she wasn’t happy about it. “Also, that reporter from Vegas, Simpson, contacted me for the follow-up that he mentioned. Is that something you’re interested in?”
“Sure.”
“All right. I’ll let you get back to punishing your punching bag. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
He knew she wasn’t talking about his training. “That makes two of us.”
When he set the phone down, he clicked on a few of the photos. They were all taken on people’s phones. Some he’d posed for and others were just candid shots he hadn’t known had been taken.
After a few more minutes spent clicking through pictures, he knew he needed to give Adriana a heads up.
He grabbed his phone and considered texting or calling, but decided this would be better explained in person. As he pushed out of his chair and on the way to the door he noticed that his pace was faster than usual. His steps were being fueled by the urgency to see Adriana. Not because of what he needed to tell her, just to see her. It had been four hours since she’d run out of his truck like her hair was on fire and he missed her.
He was going to be looking into her mesmerizing eyes again in just a few minutes. Even that felt like forever to wait. When he opened his front door, he found he didn’t have to. They were staring up at him from his front porch.
“Oh!” Adriana jumped in surprise when she saw him, and the white paper bag she was holding almost slipped out of her hands.
She fumbled to grab it.
After several seconds of hot potato, she managed to secure it. As soon as she did, she shoved it at him.
“What’s this?” he asked, staring down at the package that was now in his possession.
“A paternity test.”
His eyes shot up to hers. “A paternity test?”
“Yes.” Her head moved up and down like a bobblehead sitting on a washing machine.
Gabe wasn’t sure if this was some kind of a joke, but he figured he’d play along. “I know that kiss was amazing, but I don’t think that’s how it works.”
*
Adriana smiled, thankful that some of the tension was broken but she wasn’t backing down. She needed to push forward and not get distracted by Gabe’s disarming charm.
For the last few hours, she’d been pacing back and forth, coming up with a new plan for how to explain her real reason for visiting Hope Falls. The problem was, every single one she came up with started with her broaching the subject. If there was one thing she’d learned over the past two days it was that broaching the subject wasn’t getting the job done. So, she’d decided action was her only recourse. And she’d done it. She’d given him the paternity test, and there was no backing out of the reveal now.
Next up, confession about misrepresenting who she was. “I’m not a blogger.”
“I know,” he stated calmly.
“You know?” She thought she’d be the only one with surprises there today.
“Yeah. My publicist called me yesterday after I left the station to reschedule it.”
“You’ve known since yesterday?!” When she’d prepared to come over here it never crossed her mind that Gabe would have surprises of his own.
“Do you want to come in?” He asked as he opened the door wider and she realized that she’d been about to have this very personal conversation on his porch. In a small town.
She needed to pull herself together. Her entire body was thrumming with anxiety as she brushed past him. Her arm grazed his and the anxiety that had been filling her moved to the back of the line behind lust and arousal.
No.
This wasn’t the time for that.
“Would you like to sit down?”
“Sure.”
She took a seat on the sofa and placed her hand on her knees. Gabe set the white paper bag and himself down on the coffee table in front of her. Their knees were almost touching.
He waited, looking at her expectantly, and even though she’d rehearsed what she was going to say a million times, she was drawing a blank.
After what felt like an eternity she blurted out, “I think you might
be Jonah’s father.”
Gabe’s eyes widened slightly, but other than that, he didn’t react.
She wasn’t sure what he was thinking, so she asked, “Do you want me to start at the beginning?”
His lips hinted at a small grin as he said, “Unless you feel like Tarantinoing it.”
A smile spread across her face as her nerves settled down enough for her to think straight.
“About ten years ago, Emily went to Las Vegas for her twenty-first birthday. She met a guy named Jake and spent the night with him. Six weeks after she got home, she found out she was pregnant.” She reached into her purse and pulled out the picture strip of Emily and Gabe.
Now Gabe reacted. His jaw was practically on the ground as he took the photos out of her hand. “Holy shit.”
“I know,” she commiserated. “Emily wanted to tell him when she found out, but since she didn’t know his last name, she had no idea how to. So she decided to have the baby and raise him on her own.
“Then, the day before she…” Adriana’s throat clogged with emotion thinking about the last conversation she had with Em. “Before she passed, she made me promise to do everything I could to find Jonah’s father. She said not doing everything she could to find him was the only thing in her life that she regretted. She asked me to make it right for her.”
Adriana took a deep breath. “I was going to hire a private investigator. But then, Jonah wanted to watch the fight, your fight, and he asked me to watch it with him. I was exhausted and, no offense, but I don’t get the whole MMA thing. But he never asks for anything. He is the sweetest, most selfless human being. He’s always worried about other people, making sure they’re okay. Honestly, he is the greatest kid.”
Her eyes instantly filled with tears as she talked about her boy to the man that could very well be his father. Gabe was staring back at her, his expression blank.
“Anyway,” Adriana was on a roll now, and she kept going. “I was watching the pre-fight interviews, and a photo of you popped up from your brother’s fight, and you looked so familiar. It took me a minute, but then I realized you were Jake. I ran and got this picture. The date on the back is the same weekend of your brother’s fight.
Fire and Foreplay Page 11