by Kris Bryant
Serena laughed. “Absolutely not. I went directly to the publisher’s website and bought most. Some I bought off Amazon. I will never give Mrs. Brody a piece of my business.”
Gabrielle lifted her eyebrows. “That bad a boss?”
“You have no idea. She was awful. Is awful.” Serena leaned against the railing and stared at Gabrielle. Her bright eyes were darting everywhere and her smile was illuminating. She truly seemed to appreciate the nuances in the architecture and the lighting of the house. As much as Chloe and Jackie loved her house, they didn’t get it like Gabrielle did.
“Then I’m glad you didn’t give her any business. You have a vast array of genres here.”
“Books have always been my best friends. I would go to the library every weekend and check out five books, all very different, and read them during the week. It was only natural that I would gravitate toward books as an adult,” Serena said.
She didn’t bring up that she only took the job at the Hooked Bookworm after she got fired from the diner for missing too much work when Faith was in high school. Every time Faith ditched school or got sent to the principal’s office, they called Serena instead of Diane. Once Faith graduated, Serena made it clear that she was going to have to be responsible. Faith surprised her by signing up for culinary school and sticking with it. The bookstore job ended up not being as fulfilling as Serena hoped, but she settled into a life that was stuck on an endless loop of work, sleep, laundry, and reading. Every day was the same, but it was comforting.
“I should read more, but if I had a special place like this, I would read every day,” Gabrielle said. She stood and slowly crossed to Serena. Serena didn’t move. She held her breath at her nearness.
Gabrielle leaned down and brushed her lips across Serena’s. It was more of a whisper of a kiss, but it shook Serena to her core. “Are you going to show me the rest of the house?”
Serena bit her bottom lip, still reeling. “Yes. Um, just the bedrooms are up here.”
“Show me yours,” Gabrielle said. She grabbed Serena’s hand, entwined their fingers, and playfully tugged her along. “I’m guessing it’s this first one.”
“Actually, mine is at the end of the hall.”
“Let’s take a peek.”
Heat spread quickly in Serena’s body and settled in sensual spots that made her squirm. “It’s probably a mess.” She knew that it wasn’t, but she didn’t want to seem too eager.
“I have to believe it’s as spotless as the rest of the house. You can’t dangle something this beautiful in front of me and not show me all of it.”
Serena blushed again. She couldn’t help but read into the innuendo. She ducked her head and walked to the first bedroom. “This is the room Faith usually stays in. That or she crashes on the couch.” The spacious room boasted floor-to-ceiling windows and its own en suite bathroom.
“I love it. I can’t believe this one isn’t your bedroom. I can’t believe Faith doesn’t stay in this room all the time.” Gabrielle looked out at the window and audibly sighed. “I really love Colorado. It’s so majestic.”
“Wait until you see my room.”
Gabrielle walked across the room and stood in front of her, hands on her hips, smirk lifting up the corner of her mouth. “I can’t wait.” Gabrielle slid her hand down Serena’s arm and entwined their fingers before gently tugging her back down the hallway to her room.
Serena held her breath when she opened her door and stepped aside to let Gabrielle in.
“Wow. No wonder you picked this room.”
It was a corner bedroom with two floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass door that led out to a covered balcony. Serena had added outdoor furniture, but truthfully never felt as lonely as she did on that deck. It was a romantic hideaway, but her life lacked romance. She was hopeful, though, and willing to wait. L.B. kept her company, but she wanted the fairy tale. “It’s not as big as the master downstairs, but it’s completely private. And with the press of a button, I can be shrouded in darkness.” She pointed to a remote on a nightstand.
Gabrielle gave a low whistle. “I love it. It’s perfect. Can I go out on the deck?”
“Of course.” Serena unlocked the door and followed Gabrielle out. “It faces east, so sometimes I get up early and watch the sunrise.”
“You even have a Keurig out here. And a wine bar. You never have to leave this beautiful house. And you’re so secluded, but not too far from neighbors in case there was ever a problem. Have you thought about a gate for your driveway?”
“It’s such a dangerous driveway, I’d hate to have people wait on that street and get nailed trying to make a turn, especially if there’s a gate.”
Gabrielle lit up. “Oh, you can put the gate about fifteen feet up on the driveway so they can turn but have to be buzzed in. I’d feel better about you here all alone if you had that added protection.”
“That’s actually a very good idea.”
“I know people. I can give you a few numbers. Let’s finish the tour. I can’t tell you how much I love this house, Serena.”
“Thank you.” Her friends oohed and aaahed about it, but it was different because Gabrielle had a true appreciation for how a house was built. And maybe Serena was trying hard to impress her, so her reaction was more important than her friends’. “Let’s head downstairs. Then you can see the basement, which is a game room really.”
“Oh, that sounds fun.”
“If you like it, you can thank Faith.”
“How is she doing? I know she and Phillip were out last night.”
Serena turned to face Gabrielle. “Really? She didn’t say anything to me.”
Gabrielle shrugged. “Maybe she didn’t want you to know? Maybe she wants you to focus on you.”
The tour was interrupted halfway through the game room when the doorbell rang. Serena looked at her doorbell app and excused herself even though she didn’t want to miss any of Gabrielle’s reactions. “Dinner’s here. I know I said I would cook, but I was too tired,” Serena said.
“I’ll come with you.”
L.B. was at the door barking at the delivery service. “Good boy. Sit down.” Serena repeated herself before L.B. complied and she was able to open the door. The delivery person recited everything she’d ordered and handed her two bags of food. Gabrielle took the bags to the kitchen while she signed the receipt. Before she was able to say thank you, another car pulled up the driveway. Chloe and Jackie jumped out and passed the delivery guy on their way to the door.
“We brought wine. We want to hear all about your hiking date with your sexy architect.” Chloe kissed Serena’s cheek and walked inside before Serena had time to react.
“I can’t believe you wouldn’t tell us immediately. I had to find out in a text.” Jackie followed Chloe in and also kissed Serena on the cheek, but ran into Chloe, who had stopped in the foyer. “What’s wrong?”
“Hi, Gabrielle. We brought wine, but perhaps we should do this another time. Our dear, sweet friend didn’t tell us she had company tonight.” Chloe tried to sound chill, but looked at Serena and raised her eyebrow.
“Oh, please stay. There is plenty of food here. Way more than the two of us could eat,” Gabrielle said.
“Is this your first time to Serena’s house? Isn’t it fantastic?” Jackie said. She clearly didn’t pick up on the awkwardness of crashing their date. She dug around in a kitchen drawer for a wine opener and expertly pulled out the cork. “Voilà. A delicious red. Hopefully it goes with the food. If not, we can drink it after.”
“Babe? Maybe we should go.” Chloe gave her a wide-eyed look and nodded at Serena.
Serena, although frazzled by their sudden appearance, spoke up quickly. “Gabrielle’s right. There’s plenty of food for all of us.”
“Okay, but we won’t stay long,” Chloe said. She spoke low when Serena walked by, “I’m so sorry.”
Serena squeezed her forearm. “It’s not a problem. Really.” She grabbed four plates instead of two, and
bowls for salad. “Let’s do this buffet style.”
There was more than enough vegetable lasagna, garlic bread, and salad to go around. Serena had stopped at a bakery and picked up a tiramisu. By the time they consumed it and a pot of coffee, it was almost eleven. So much for not staying long, Serena thought. She was happy they approved of Gabrielle but really wanted some downtime with her since she lived far away.
“You’re not going to drive home tonight, are you? It’s starting to rain.” Chloe pointed outside where fat raindrops started hitting the windows.
“Oh, a little bit of rain doesn’t scare me.” Gabrielle scoffed. “I have to work tomorrow anyway.”
“You should stay the night. Go in late tomorrow. Tell them you were with your number one client. Besides, I have plenty of space,” Serena said. She didn’t regret saying it, but after the words escaped her lips, she thought she could have said it more diplomatically. Having Gabrielle alone in her house during a storm was a scenario directly from her fantasies. She swallowed hard and waited for the answer.
Gabrielle pulled up Doppler on her phone. “That’s probably a good idea. It looks like this will be a whopper.”
“I don’t know that I trust your little sports car in this weather,” Serena said.
“And we should go because I don’t want to fight traffic. It’s like everybody forgets how to drive whenever there’s rain or snow.” Chloe stood and hugged Serena. “I’m sorry we crashed your date,” she whispered.
The evening had turned out nice, and it was kind of a relief that they were there to ease the tension. Serena had no idea what to expect, but now that it was determined that Gabrielle would be spending the night, her anxiety revved up several gears. “Be safe going home.”
“How far away do you live?” Gabrielle asked.
“About ten minutes away. No biggie,” Jackie said. She pulled the door open and raced out in the rain to the car. “We’ll text you when we get home.”
Serena gave her a thumbs-up and watched them drive away. She could feel Gabrielle standing behind her. “I love them, but they really do have the worst timing.”
Gabrielle laughed. “Are you sure they don’t have your phone tapped so they can tell when we’re getting together? Come on. Let’s close the door before everything gets drenched.”
“You’re probably tired of wet clothes, aren’t you?”
Gabrielle groaned. “I now have a bag of dry clothes in my car because of this morning’s fiasco.”
“Do you have pajamas in your car?”
Gabrielle laughed and shook her head. “Jeans, a T-shirt, socks, shoes. Basically, something to wear tomorrow, but not to bed.”
“You can wear something of mine. I have tons of pajamas and boxers and T-shirts. Nothing fancy, though.” Serena shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, but inside she was a mess. Her stomach quivered and her heart thumped in her chest so hard she wondered if Gabrielle could see it. She splayed her fingers across her chest to calm the beat.
“I’ll wear whatever you have. I’m not picky in the least.”
Serena did a quick inventory of her wardrobe. She would just gather up a stack of clothes and let Gabrielle have her pick. “I’ll put you in the first bedroom that you liked so much. And I’ll keep L.B. with me so you won’t have to worry about him all night.”
“I really appreciate that. Thank you.”
Serena nodded and motioned for L.B. to follow her upstairs. “I’ll just be a minute.” She dug up her two favorite T-shirts, a pair of boxers, a pair of lounge pants, and socks. And then added a sweatshirt when she wasn’t sure the selection was enough. She placed the clothes, fresh towels, and a new toothbrush in Faith’s bathroom and returned downstairs to find Gabrielle tucked in a corner of the couch looking at her phone. She could tell by the green and red on the screen that she was looking at the weather. “What’s Doppler like?”
“Pretty shitty. There’s a lull for the next ten minutes, then it’s on for the next six hours.”
“I’d better throw L.B. out one last time. I put a pile of clothing options in your bathroom for whenever you’re ready.”
Gabrielle stood. “Thank you. I’m sure it’s fine.” She pointed upstairs. “Good night, Serena.”
Serena felt sweat on her brow at the thought of being alone with Gabrielle in her house, wearing her clothes, sleeping in her bed. Well, technically Faith’s bed, but still. “You, too.” She gave Gabrielle a weak smile and called L.B., who was hesitant to go outside. With a little bit of encouragement, he raced out, but stayed close to the house. Serena grabbed the towel she brought down with her and waited for him. He sprinted inside and shook as he skidded into the kitchen. “Come here. Don’t get everything wet.” He stood still as Serena dried him off. “Are you ready for bed?” L.B. understood the word “bed.” He waited for her at the bottom of the stairs as she turned off the lights and set the alarm. As she passed Faith’s room, she ran her hand along the door, hoping to hear something inside, but the lights were off and it was quiet except for the storm raging outside and the pounding of her heart.
Chapter Twenty
The smell of coffee wafted from somewhere. Gabrielle stirred and wondered how that was possible since she lived alone. And why was it so dark? What time was it? A sliver of panic shot through her body as she realized she wasn’t in her bed. Everything smelled different and felt different. And it was quiet. No traffic, no voices, just quiet. A few barks outside brought the memories back. She was at Serena’s. She glanced at her phone. It was almost seven. She checked her in-box quickly and sent Miles an email that she’d be in the office after lunch. That gave her enough time to maybe have a cup of coffee with Serena and change into her own clothes. She hit the remote and smiled when the room-darkening curtains pulled back and revealed a very sunny, very peaceful morning. She slipped on the sweatshirt and pajama bottoms, which were too short for her, and opened the door.
Serena was downstairs leaning against the kitchen island, flipping through a magazine and sipping coffee. “Good morning. It’s a beautiful day outside. A little bit muddy, but sunny and not hot.” She looked refreshed, very comfortable, and very beautiful. She was wearing dark ankle jeans and a sleeveless top that brought out the green in her blue-green eyes. Her hair was down and brushed her bare arms.
“Hi. I can’t believe it’s so late. I sent the office an email telling them that I’d be in after lunch.” Gabrielle felt very self-conscious.
“I wasn’t sure if I should wake you or not,” Serena said. She closed the magazine and offered Gabrielle a cup of coffee, which she graciously accepted. “Sugar? Creamer? Milk?”
Gabrielle waved off any additives. She loved black coffee. She inhaled the steam and took a satisfying sip. “It’s perfect the way it is.”
“I wasn’t sure if you ate breakfast or even had time for food. I can cook us something or we can go into town and grab a quick meal.” Serena’s voice sounded hopeful, and it pained Gabrielle to have to disappoint her.
“I need to meet with Christopher over a few projects. And we have our meeting with him to see how things are progressing, so I need to make sure I have everything in order,” Gabrielle said. Her voice had a clip to it, and she quickly softened. “So, unfortunately, I have to go. I had a really nice time yesterday. Even though I had to wear a towel for an hour.” She smiled until Serena smiled, too. Gabrielle knew when she slipped into professional mode, she was all business. “I’m going to grab my bag and change into casual clothes, but after I finish this coffee.” Small talk wasn’t her thing. Her relationships, if one wanted to call them that, were quick, to the point, and she was out the door before dawn. Serena was so nice, and sweet, and what the fuck was she doing with her? She took another sip and sat at the counter. “What are your plans for today?”
Serena shrugged. “I have none. I’ll probably take L.B. for a walk, go grocery shopping, maybe watch a movie. I know once we get started on Pet Posh, I’ll never sleep or have time to eat breakfast and read a book
at a coffee shop.”
“I will make sure you don’t forget to have a good time. I promise.” Gabrielle looked over the rim of her cup to meet Serena’s eyes. Was that surprise she saw or anticipation? Either way, it was sexy. Gabrielle liked the control Serena gave her. Fuck. She was doing it again. The internal struggle she had about this woman was driving her crazy. If she wasn’t her client, would she date her? Or would Serena be a fling? Definitely not a one-night stand. Serena was the kind of woman who deserved a top-notch romance. She appreciated flowers, chocolate, and the attention people gave L.B. Gabrielle had brought the flowers and even remembered a toy for L.B., but could she be everything that Serena wanted?
“I actually believe you,” Serena said. She rinsed her cup and opened the dishwasher to place the cup upside down on the top shelf. Gabrielle noticed how graceful she was, how careful she treated her things. She melted a bit on the inside and felt guilty for taking so much for granted.
“Okay, I guess I’ll go get my clothes and get out of here. Thank you for coming to my rescue not once but twice yesterday.”
“Anytime. It’s nice to have company,” Serena said.
Gabrielle grabbed her bag out of the trunk and changed into her casual clothes. For some reason, she felt an incredible need to get out of there. If she stayed, it could get messy, or it could be the best thing ever. That was the part that scared her. She could still work with Serena, but if she started touching her now, that might jeopardize their working relationship, and right now that was more important. This week was the big meeting with Christopher and Serena to review the plans. According to the schedule she’d tentatively mapped out, construction was to begin in a matter of weeks, and the design phase wasn’t even finished. The meeting would either go really well or she would crash and burn. Not to mention she still had to send the drawings out for bids. Serena had asked the firm to help her find a builder. Gabrielle gave her top three a heads-up that she would need bids back quickly. The first snow was always early, and the foundation needed to get poured and set sooner rather than later. Gabrielle rolled last night’s clothes in a ball and shoved them into her overnight bag. She quickly stripped the bed and left the linens in a neat pile in the bathroom. She wasn’t sure what the etiquette was since she never stayed over at anyone’s house except Rosie’s, and most of the time she crashed on the couch. She was lucky to get a flat sheet and a blanket. She trotted down the stairs with her bag in hand. “Thank you again for coming to my rescue yesterday.”