by Leslie North
A faint beeping came from the kitchen, and Gabe let out a heavy sigh and set her back on her feet. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and was gone, off to check on the cookies.
Later that night, they wrapped the cookies in a gift box and headed for his grandmother’s rooms. They met up with Jonas, Tana, and Chase at the door.
Chase’s eyes twinkled. “What’s in the box?”
“A gift,” Gabe answered. “Is she waiting for us?”
“What kind of gift?” Jonas asked.
“Not a gift for you.” Gabe led the way into the apartment, where his grandmother waited in the living room, elegant in a long black sweater and a silver scarf at her throat. He bent to kiss her cheek and put the gift box gently in her hands. Jonas and Chase exchanged a look.
“What’s this?” Elin’s eyes twinkled. “For me?”
Gabe rubbed at the back of his neck. “Just some Christmas cheer.”
His grandmother pulled open the top of the box, and her eyebrows went up. For the first time, Anna saw the cookies the way the older woman would see them—chunky, a little misshapen, and obviously homemade. “Oh, thank you, Gabe.” She pulled him down into a hug.
“Did you do that yourself?” Jonas asked, a slightly suspicious look on his face. “I think this is the first time you’ve ever baked anything.”
“Anna and I worked together,” Gabe answered.
His grandmother lifted a cookie from the box and bit into it, her eyes fluttering closed. “This is delicious.” She finished the cookie quietly and offered some to the others.
“Cute.” Chase grinned. “Nice gift.”
Gabe shrugged in response, but Anna could see the color darkening in his cheeks. He angled his body more toward his grandmother who’d managed to eat the entire cookie without getting so much as a crumb on her sweater. “I’m sorry I couldn’t host a dinner for you tonight.”
“That’s okay.” Jonas spoke first without hesitation. “If you need to rest, you can rest.”
Anna had noticed the tension in the woman’s body the whole time they’d been there, so it was nice to see her relax a bit. It was, she supposed, a family tradition for their grandmother to host many meals throughout the holidays, each lovely and elegant. The mood in the room shifted, and each brother set out to reassure their grandmother it was more than okay to take it easy.
Tana moved to sit on the couch beside Elin as they chatted, but Anna couldn’t do it.
It didn’t matter, though, because she was never going to be a genuine part of this family—the thought causing a lump to form in her throat. She’d told Gabe some of her past, and so far, he didn’t act differently toward her. But that was way more than she could expect from the rest of his family. Or deserved, for that matter.
Anger swelled, heating her cheeks and making her mouth go dry. Her father could have been a decent man who led a normal life, and then she wouldn’t have any secrets. They weren’t really her secrets, either, but no matter what she did, they seemed to cling to her like a second skin.
Gabe appeared at her side and put a hand on her back, his thumb tracing a slow path over the fabric of her dress. “She likes the cookies,” he murmured into her ear, but she could see that he wasn’t sure the gift had been good enough.
“She definitely did,” Anna agreed. “I saw her face when she took the first bite. You can’t hide joy like that.”
He relaxed. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” He leaned in and kissed her temple, and just like that, all her frustration melted away. A kiss on the temple in front of his family didn’t mean anything, but the words he spoke only for her benefit were different. Those meant something. So did the way he pulled her in close to his side and held her there for a few moments. “We’ll let you rest, Grandmother,” he called. “Let us know if you need anything at all.”
Everyone said their goodbyes, and Anna and Gabe led the procession back out of their grandmother’s rooms and to the elevator. They exited, Gabe still holding her hand as he led her to their rooms.
“Home sweet home,” she said as Gabe paused outside the door.
His eyes met hers in a flash of heat that still managed to surprise her even though they’d already been intimate. Gabe smiled. A genuine, open, and filled-with-relief smile. “That’s right.”
10
Gabe woke to the sound of a hair dryer running, and for a minute, he didn’t know where he was. He kept a hair dryer in his penthouse apartment in Vegas, of course, but these didn’t feel like his pillows. He turned over and opened his eyes. Ah—the Elk Lodge. Home. And the person with the hair dryer was Anna.
He closed his eyes again and indulged in the fantasy of her for a few more moments. Home—with Anna. It sounded right in his head. But it was the stuff of dreams, not reality.
No matter how much he wanted to keep her in bed, they sometimes had to leave the suite.
The hair dryer went off, and she emerged from the bathroom, snugly wrapped in a bathrobe, her dark eyes lighting up at the sight of him. “Sorry if I woke you.” A sheepish blush came to her cheeks, layered on top of the pink from the dryer’s heat. “You’re usually up earlier than this.”
“I slept in.” Gabe rolled onto his back and stretched his arms above his head. “Too comfortable next to you.” Oh—he hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
Anna only laughed and headed for the closet. She reappeared at the side of the bed, the forest-green of her dress stunning. Her eyes swept over him. “Are you going back to sleep?”
If you come with me. “No, I have plans for us.” He’d made the decision as he was falling asleep the night before. “We need to go to town.”
“Oh, okay. Hurry up, then.” Her smile was the perfect way to start the day.
He threw back the sheets. “You just want to see me in my boxers.”
Anna winked at him. “So what?”
She was too perfect. Gabe headed for the shower, wondering at every moment whether she’d climb in with him. Or hoping. But no, she’d just done her hair for the day. His guess was she’d be waiting by the front door when he got out. Efficient should have been her middle name.
Gabe was right. “Why are we going into town?”
“Shopping,” he said, as he pulled on his shoes.
Anna managed not to ask about it until they were in the car and on their way to the small downtown area not far from the Elk Lodge. “What are we shopping for?”
“Christmas gifts, obviously.”
“Obviously? What more could anyone want other than a batch of homemade cookies?” At first, he thought she was making fun, but she took his hand, and the world fell back into place. “What do you have in mind?”
He pulled up into a parking spot in front of a jewelry store and got out. “I don’t know. I’m hoping you can help me.”
She put a hand to her chest, pretending to be honored. Or maybe she was honored. It didn’t seem to matter when her other hand was still firmly locked together with his. The town was decorated with holly and red ribbon, and Anna took in a deep breath.
“Is it me, or does it smell like fresh gingerbread here?” she asked.
“That’s the bakery.” He pointed to a location just down the street.
Anna’s shoulders shook. “This is just so Christmas. I love it.”
They went into the jewelry store, a hybrid place with a little boutique on the side. Soft Christmas carols played as they looked in all the cases. Gabe stopped by a collection of jeweled watches, and Anna slowly let go of his hand, leaving him to browse the boutique.
He’d just settled on the watch in the center—one with rubies and diamonds surrounding the face—when he felt her presence at his side.
“I found something.”
“So did I. This watch.” He held it out to show Anna.
“It’s gorgeous.” A beat of time passed. “But given her condition, I think she might like something soft and more functional.” Anna took his hand and led him to a beautiful display of colorful shawls
. They felt like water moving through his fingers. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his grandmother in anything this vibrant, but they were so soft.
“I think you’re right,” he murmured, choosing one that looked like spring flowers in the evening. The colors were bright and burnished, the way they looked in the sunset from his grandmother’s favorite spot on the property. “How did you choose the perfect thing?”
She put her arm through his and leaned in. “Good instincts, I guess.”
He breathed in the shampoo and hairspray scent of her, and not for the first time, he wanted to kiss her right here in front of everyone. And not just any kiss. A long, deep, lingering kiss, so that he could imprint the feeling on his memory. Anna, shopping with him for his family. He might not be an optimal fit for the Elkin crew, but he fit with Anna like a puzzle piece.
Gabe shook off the urge to do something crazy, like propose to her in the jewelry store. He handed the shawl to the clerk to have them box it up and wrap it. Anna moved to look at the window display. The snow had started to fall, little flakes glittering in the sun, a beautiful backdrop for a beautiful woman. Although even cold and her teeth chattering, she drew him irresistibly. A quiet conversation with the shop owner saw his gifts wrapped up and put into a small silver bag.
“Let’s walk.” Anna slipped her arm through his at the door. “It’s so beautiful here.”
“Anything for you,” he smiled. Anna laughed, but he meant every word.
They strolled down the street, taking in all the shop windows with their wrapped gifts and shining lights. In a small courtyard, kids met with Santa Claus for pictures, their laughter high and excited. He felt an answering thrill in his chest. Gabe had long since stopped being excited about the holiday like a child would be, but the memories came hard and fast at times like this. His mother’s arms wrapped around him by the Christmas tree. His father leaning over to kiss her cheek.
Gabe cleared his throat, and they moved on. They stopped at a food cart selling hot chocolate and ended up at the massive Christmas tree in the center of town. It had been decorated with ornaments made by children.
“I just love this. Look at that one—it’s all glitter.” Anna’s enormous grin was heartfelt.
The paper plate had indeed been covered in glitter. “That one’s eye-catching, but I think this one’s underrated.” Gabe pointed out a paper plate ornament that had a single smiley face drawn in the center in a shaky hand. “Somebody worked hard on that.”
“They did,” she murmured. “Very hard. It turned out perfect.”
But a minute later, her teeth started their telltale chatter. Anna was a long way from getting acclimated to the cold Colorado temperatures. He pulled her into his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me you were getting chilled?” He kissed her cheek, the smooth skin chilly against his face.
“I’m a desert girl,” she laughed. “I’ll always be cold in the wintertime. Luckily, there’s a whole ski lodge to keep me warm.”
Gabe bundled her back to the car and turned up the heat. “Most of the ski lodge is colder than you’re used to,” he said sagely. “But there’s one place that’ll always be hot.”
Anna grinned, knowing exactly what he meant. She rubbed at her arms on the way in. “I know you have the heat blasting, but somehow I’m still chilled.”
They made their way to the elevator and headed for the suite. “Not for long.”
Once inside, Gabe went into the sparkling bathroom and started the water to draw a bath in the jacuzzi.
“Oh, that looks good.” Water filled the tub quickly, and before he knew it, Anna had shrugged off her clothes and was stripping down.
His heart stopped, then stuttered to a start again. “You look good.”
Anna threw him a coy look. “Don’t I know it.” She flipped her hair, confident and a little sassy, but her face flushed, nonetheless. He watched as she put one foot into the jacuzzi, then the other. Taken in by her curves and her long hair falling across her shoulders, he thought he might need a cold shower instead.
Anna sank down into the water with a moan that he felt down to his toes, her hair curling into the water. She opened one eye. “Are you coming in?”
“Only if you want me to.”
It was a risk, and his heart thudded with a kind of painful anticipation. Anna might not want him to. After all, they’d slept together. But maybe, just maybe... It was just that this would be more intimate. Like relationship intimate.
“I do,” she said softly.
Sweet relief. “There’s only one thing I need to do first.”
He went back to the table in the entryway where he’d put the silver bag from the shop and lifted out a jewelry box. He’d meant to wait until Christmas, but everything in him said to give it to her now. Gabe hesitated. She was in the tub, hands already wet, so he took the gift from the box and held it in his palm. The watch was thin and delicate, with diamonds and sapphires, and it wouldn’t weigh anything on her wrist. The moment he saw it, he’d known he wanted it for Anna.
Back in the bathroom, he perched on the edge of the wide tub. Anna leaned her head back against the rim, lips slightly parted, but when she sensed him there, she opened her dark eyes and smiled at him. Another arrow of desire shot through him. He was beginning to think that with Anna, it would never stop.
And now Gabe felt slightly shy in a way he never did at his office, and never had in all his meetings with her. The professional wall between them had come down over the last few days.
Her eyes searched his. “What is it?”
“I wanted to give you something.” He opened his palm, the bracelet winking in the low bathroom lights. “It’s a thank you for everything you’ve done. And everything you’re still doing.”
She sat up with a slosh of water against the side, her eyes wide. “Gabe, that’s—that’s too much.” Anna blinked as if she wasn’t sure the bracelet would still be there when she opened her eyes. She lifted her fingertips and brushed them gently over the bracelet. “I can’t...”
“You can,” he said, but that sounded almost too harsh, too demanding. “I want you to have it.”
Her eyes met his again, and a tentative smile played over her lips. “You’re very sneaky. You know that?”
“I do.” He laughed, and he saw the echo of that laughter in her grin. “I mean it, though. All this would have been impossible without you.”
The tiniest frown crossed her expression. “I’m a little worried that might go down the drain.”
Gabe bent down and kissed her. “I’ll put it back in its box for when we get out.” He started to shed his clothes, enjoying Anna’s eyes on him as they followed his every move. He slid into the hot water, letting the heat relax his muscles. Their legs fitted neatly together, and Gabe closed his eyes, savoring the sensation of the slip and slide of her skin against his.
The water moved against his chest, and then her hands met his pecs. Anna worked her way onto his lap and put her head on his shoulder.
Gabe wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He felt the rise and fall of her chest as she took each breath and could feel the damp heat of her skin. He’d never seen Anna hide from anything—not a meeting or client or tough project—but she seemed like she needed a refuge in the silence of the moment
Something he would give her.
Anna had loved the bracelet—that much was evident from the light in her eyes. But something wasn’t right.
He opened his mouth to ask her about it, then closed it again. There would be time to talk about it later. For now, there was only the gentle weight of her in his arms and the startling intimacy of breathing together. Breath after breath in the warm water as the bubbles rose to cover them in a blanket of relaxation.
11
Gabe could have stayed in the jacuzzi forever. Unfortunately, their fingers and toes eventually wrinkled, and Anna lifted herself out of his lap and climbed out of the tub. He dressed, feeling calm and loose with only the slightes
t worry prickling at the back of his mind. Was the bracelet too much?
Anna came out of the bathroom, her hair freshly dried, just as he was pulling on his shoes. “Heading out?”
“I need to talk to Jonas. And the best place is probably going to be in his office.” But then again, maybe he should stay and not have a conversation with his brother. Although sitting at the dinner table each night and hearing reports from his brothers on how his grandmother was doing wasn’t the best option. Especially since they coated everything in polite language. He had to know the truth.
Anna came over to him and bent down to brush a kiss against his lips. “Wait a minute before you leave.” She left the room and returned seconds later with the jewelry box, lifting the bracelet from the velvet lining. “Before you go, could you help me put this on?”
They’d been naked in the tub minutes ago, but somehow it seemed just as intimate to touch the delicate bones of her wrist and to close the intricate clasp of the watch bracelet.
Anna admired it in the light, turning it this way and that, and walked him to the door. “I’ll be around,” she said, her smile verging on the shy side. “Obviously.”
He laughed. “I’ll find you in a bit.” It felt strange, walking away without telling her something—but he couldn’t say I love you. That would be way over the top. And not strictly true. Or maybe it was strictly true, and he’d fallen for her. That would explain the tug in his chest when he left her in the suite instead of holding her hand as the two of them went to Jonas’s office. Like a couple.
Get it together. Gabe couldn’t lose himself in his feelings now. Not during this conversation.
Jonas’s door was open. Gabe entered, finding his brother sitting at his desk, furiously tapping something on his computer. Jonas glanced up but kept typing. “One second.” The stream of tapping tapered off a minute later, and Jonas met his gaze.
Gabe dropped into a chair across from Jonas’ desk.
“What’s up?” Jonas asked, leveling a frown at him.