Her breathing still quick, Calli showered him with kisses along his jaw, his shoulder. She licked the artwork on his bicep and would soon fulfill her fantasy of tasting every inch of him.
Gabe gazed down at her, his body shaking with bone-splintering tremors. He brushed his lips over hers, unhurried. She was his heartbeat, his lifeline. The sheer agony that came with even thinking of being without her was too much.
Calli touched his handsome face, smoothed her thumb over his lips. "I love you, Gabriel Griffin. I always will."
"Then take a risk with me, Calli." He pressed a kiss to her fingertips. "A big one."
"I think we just did."
Tender humor lit his features as his fingers combed her hair from her face. "A bigger one." His pale eyes probed.
"Gabe?"
His throat worked, his voice an emotion-thick growl. "Marry me, baby."
"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "Yes!"
He smiled, hugely, the corners of his eyes crinkling, his dimple showing. "Tonight."
She blinked.
"I've already wasted too much time. I want to get on with our life."
He'd finally let it go, she thought, the past and the pain of it. She was proud of him, loving him for his bravery. Then her expression was suddenly mischievous. "We could wake up Daniel to witness it?"
He offered a lopsided grin. "That could be dangerous."
"Well…" She shrugged naked shoulders. "They say only the good die young."
"No, baby, not this time." Never again, he thought, sinking into her soft embrace. They healed the wounded and lived forever. They went looking for Mr. Wrong and made them right.
* * *
Epilogue
« ^
Gabe pushed open the door of Peaches and looked around the diner for his wife. Wife. Even after two years, he still couldn't believe she had married him.
The restaurant was packed and customers immediately called out a hello. Gabe smiled, answered, then strolled through the restaurant, its fifties' diner look, cleaner, sharper, more refined. Like her. He found her exactly as he'd left her this morning, hovering over a new menu, a stack of paperwork littering "their" table.
He stood back for a moment, watching, loving her more every time he saw her. If that were possible. Calli was more than his wife, she was his best friend. His partner. Gabe knew she'd been right all along, that he'd kept himself from people because he was afraid of being hurt, like when he was a kid. And hurting them back because he didn't know what real love was. But not anymore. She'd taught him how easy it was to accept, let go and then begin again. She'd taught him how easy it was to love and forgive. Every morning with her was a fresh start. Though he'd never had much faith in God, Gabe believed in Him now. No one could have a woman like her walk into his life and redefine it by just plain dumb luck. "You're staring again."
He blinked and gave her a lopsided grin. "Lot of good stuff to stare at, baby."
Calli smiled, loving the goose bumps running over her skin every time he spoke to her like that, a hunger in his voice only she could recognize. Instead of sliding into the opposite seat, he sat down next to her. She propped her elbow on the table, her chin in her palm, and gazed into his eyes. Eyes so full of emotion she wondered how he could have hidden it away all those years.
"Your side not warm enough or something?" She inclined her head ever so slightly to the other seat, yet her eyes never left his.
"Like I said, good stuff's on this side." Under a tablecloth so white it glared, his hand slid up her thigh.
"Gabriel," she warned, yet her lips twitched with a smile.
"Yeah?"
"You're being wicked again."
"And you like it."
She leaned close, her right hand driving between his thighs and finding his hardness. "Oh, my, and so do you."
He inhaled deeply, his warm gaze raking her. "This time everyone is watching us."
"What a shame," she said as she teased him mercilessly for a few more minutes.
They turned to talk about the diner, that Daniel was pestering them to come visit, Bull had a new girlfriend, and that if Deek couldn't get a grant for college, they'd agreed to help out.
"When are you coming home?" Impatience laced his tone.
"Rodrigez is closing up tonight. So I'll be early. Give me a lift after you do the grocery shopping?"
He took the list she offered. "I'm gonna do more than give you a lift, baby."
She smiled seductively. "Oooh, threats! I like it."
He kissed her, long and hard, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against him. "I love you, Cal. See you in a couple hours."
He slid from the seat, offering his hand and as she'd done since she bought the restaurant, she walked him to the front station by the door. He brushed his mouth over hers and squeezed her once, then reached for the handle.
"Oh, by the way," he said over his shoulder. "Guinevere is pregnant."
Something sparkled in her eyes just then. "Good," she called softly. "So am I."
He started to open the door, then froze. He stared at the glass for a moment, then whipped around, his gaze wide and pinning.
He didn't have to ask if he heard right. Her smile was blinding enough.
He moved slowly toward her, his eyes never leaving hers, and he gathered her in his arms, covering her mouth with his. His hands fisted in her clothes, drove her hard against him, love and sweet passion melting through her into him.
Gabe kept kissing her, backing her into the alcove leading to her real office.
"Oh, God." In the darkened corner, he smoothed her hair back with both hands. "A baby." His throat bobbed, his gaze rapidly skimming her beautiful face. "Ours! I almost can't believe it."
She took his hand and pressed it to her hardness in her abdomen. "By Christmas you will."
He choked, his eyes unusually bright, his heart pounding in his chest, and swore if he wasn't ten feet from a restaurantful of people, he would sob like a two-year-old.
He pressed his forehead to hers, struggling for calm. "I adore you, do you know that?"
She nodded, sifting her fingers through his hair at his nape, too moved by his expression to speak.
"I never imagined anyone had a right to be this happy."
She touched the lines of his jaw, his cheek, feeling the shape of his lips. "We do, my love, we really do."
He tipped his head back, his tall body shuddering. "I believe it, baby."
"Sometimes, Gabriel Griffin—" She pressed a delicate kiss to his trembling lips and said, "You really are such a marshmallow. God help you if we have a girl."
He laughed softly, his eyes crinkling, and he slid his arms around her. For a long time he simply held her, feeling their heartbeats match and mate. He'd only had two second chances in his life. One gave him a purpose, the other brought him out of pure hell and was still pulling him sweetly into heaven. And he was loving every minute of the ride.
* * * * *
THE UNLIKELY BODYGUARD Page 19