“I’m driving, so I’ll just have a Coke, thanks.”
“…and you, Pepper?”
“Soda is fine for me too, CeCe. Thanks. Do you need some help?”
“Sure. This way.” I brushed past Gabe’s arm and felt him stare after me as I followed her to the bar to help her with the drinks. When we were out of earshot, she whispered to me, “I’m not trying to be nosy, but do you two have something going on? I thought I felt a little, you know… tension between you two?”
I still wasn’t sure if Gabe really was her dinner date…or even if we were an item, so I put on a smile and tried to play it down. Shit! Had I made it that obvious that I liked Gabe in front of her? I said, “If there’s any tension, it’s only because we work together. Why do you ask? Have you guys got anything going on?”
Cecelia laughed dryly. “I wish I could say something was going on, but Gabe’s kind of a slow mover in that department. We’ve known each other for years. Never romantically though—which is a shame because he’s so suitable—rich, successful and he is hot as hell.” We both laughed, but I didn’t make eye contact with her in case she could somehow suck out of my brain what I did with Gabe on his boat. I just dropped the cubes into the crystal glasses using the silver tongs in the ice bucket, but she wasn’t going to let me off the hook that easily. “Okay, now I know I’m not getting the whole story from you. What’s the deal with you two? Please be honest, Pep. You know I’m not the kind of girl that likes wasting my time.”
I reached into the refrigerator to stall for a little more time to think. I pulled out a few soda cans and popped a few of them open.
“Well, we kissed once…at Mills’ party…and maybe once more after that.” How’s that for honesty?
Cecelia quietly tipped soda into the glasses and poured liquor into a few of them, then she smiled and said, “Maybe once more? I imagine kissing Gabriel Gregory is not something you’d forget in such a hurry! Well, that’s it, then. He’s off the market—at least for me. Oh well, I guess I’ve waited too long.”
“What?” I laughed aloud.
“Seriously, if he’s seeing you every day, and he’s already kissed you once…and maybe twice…then he won’t even give me the time of day now. You’re gorgeous, smart and you ride dolphins. What chance do I have?”
“I’m sorry, CeCe. I had no idea you liked him so much. I hope I haven’t hurt you.”
“No, you haven’t hurt me, Pepper. It’s not like he’s ever shown any interest in me, anyway. Thanks for telling me. I do hope you guys hit it off and you know what they say…there’s plenty more fish in the sea.” She touched my arm and we both laughed at the irony of what she’d said. There was an awkward silence just for a second, then we carefully put the drinks on a silver-handled tray and headed back to the other guests.
“Please don’t say anything to him about this, CeCe,” I said. “I don’t want to embarrass him.”
“Don’t worry. My lips are sealed.” I hoped she was a woman of her word. Otherwise, I’d have to leave early or die of embarrassment.
I hung out with Mills and some of her friends who’d also scored an invite to Cecelia’s exclusive party. There were about a dozen of us with a few more girls than there were guys, but it was all very low-key and elegant, just like our hostess. I mingled and chatted with several of the guests until I found myself next to Mills and Cece’s brother.
“So, Fallon, what have you been up to?” I asked, and for the next fifteen minutes, I listened to him talk about his latest hobby. He was excited about learning to fly and that was all he could think about. He’d talked his dad into buying him a single-engine Cessna, but he couldn’t take it out alone until he’d gotten certified, and that was going to take some time and plenty of training. I was thankful about that, because the idea of an eighteen-year-old flying around in the skies above me had me worried—especially one that might want to take my little sister along with him.
When we’d finished our conversation, Gabe strolled over to where I was, standing with his drink in his hand, and it was strange seeing him all dressed up. Usually, he was always in shorts whenever I saw him at work, but the gray slacks and blue shirt he had on tonight fitted him perfectly. Obviously, they must have been tailor-made for him—how else would they look so snug in all the right places? I giggled to myself at my naughty thoughts and couldn’t stop staring at him. He was so…so delicious!
“Cecelia tells me you were the victim of an animal attack. Are you going to survive?”
“Animal? Oh, the dog,” I laughed. “Yes, I think I’ll live. His claw caught me just right, though, and I did bleed a little.” I showed him my injured leg and hoped for some sympathy.
“That’s a shame. You know you still have beautiful legs, though, right?”
“Thanks, Gabe. I’m sure my wound will heal in no time.” Mills sipped her drink and made the big eyes at me over the rim of her glass. I tried to ignore her and turned to Gabe and smiled.
“Hey, y’all. Dinner is served so please come on into the dining room,” CeCe called out gracefully. Light jazz played quietly in the background and I found my name, beautifully penned, on a place card on the far side of the table and went to pull out my chair, but Gabe stopped me.
“Here, I’ve got that. You’re walking wounded, right?” he teased as he pulled out the chair and I took a seat. To my complete surprise, Gabe sat next to me instead of Cecelia. What’s going on? I thought Cecelia had invited him here as her dinner partner. I peeked down the table and she smiled back and winked at me. Oh, wow, that was so incredibly gracious of her. What are you doing, girl?
The lively dinner conversation and delicious food made the evening go by quickly, and I couldn’t remember what I ate or who said what, for the most part. I could smell Gabe’s cologne and occasionally our hands brushed as we reached for silverware or our glasses. I didn’t know if it was intentional, but I liked it…a lot. I was in a Gabriel Gregory haze and when his warm leg brushed against mine, I shivered.
“Are you cold? Would you like a jacket?” he asked. Mills giggled and I gave her a stern look.
“No, thank you. I just got chilled.” I was surprised I managed to choke those few words out. I was normally a strong and confident woman, but here, right now, I felt tongue-tied and awkward. What is he doing to me? I blame everything that happened between us on the beer. The guy on the other side of me, Matthew, brought me out of my swoon-filled haze by asking me a few questions about Singh. “So, are you a marine biologist like Gabe?”
“No, I’m not a marine biologist. I just train and ride the dolphins. I work with the head trainer, Bobbie Jo. She’s taught me a lot about handling Singh and until I started working with her, I had no idea that dolphins were so smart—and strong.”
“Really? What tips would you give someone who wanted to ride like you do?” Matthew pushed his gold-rimmed glasses back on his nose. I didn’t detect any mockery in his tone. I thought he was genuinely interested, so I gave him the best answer I could.
“You’d better have strong thighs.”
Someone spurted out a drink and Matthew laughed at my answer. “What do you mean?”
Before I could clarify what I meant, Gabe jumped in. “These animals have very robust bodies and they’re nothing but pure muscle, really. Unlike other animals you ride, there are no harnesses, no reins—all the direction the animal gets comes from your legs, the thighs.”
“Aren’t they trained to swim a circuit?” Matthew asked.
I put my hand on Gabe’s to let him know I wanted to answer this one. “Yes, they are, but Singh is so smart that sometimes he has his own ideas about where he should swim. I just coax him along.” I moved my hand back and reached for the napkin in my lap. I didn’t want to send the wrong signal here.
“Sounds like you two know what you’re talking about. I look forward to the gala. You’ll be performing?”
“Yes, and I’m really nervous about it.”
“Well, I’ll be there and I’m
sure you’ll be great. Here’s to Pepper!” Cecelia lifted her wine glass, I raised mine and the rest of the guests followed suit.
“Thanks! I hope to see you all there.”
Suddenly, I felt Gabe’s hand reach for mine under the table. He squeezed it and smiled at me. I squeezed back then let his hand go. I already had a plan of how I might be able to see him later. I didn’t know if it would be possible, but I really hoped so. I needed to hold him again.
Chapter Six — Gabe
I stood by the window in my office and watched Tracee and Pepper work the dolphins together. It was obvious to me who had the better skills. Pepper was a more graceful rider, but they’d both put in a lot of hours of hard work and it showed. I couldn’t help but admire Pepper’s body, her hard nipples showing through her bathing suit top, and that ass…that round, sweet ass. She was my fantasy girl. Uninhibited, sexy, and she seemed to like it when I took charge. Like she wanted me to pound her pussy like that. I sighed, but decided to get back to work to take my mind off her since my cock was starting to get hard.
I stuck my hands in my pockets to try to stop the growing bulge in my pants and watched the two riders just a few seconds more. Both girls were natural competitors, and I was glad to see the two of them working together so well. I was lost in my thoughts when I felt two cold hands slide over my eyes.
“Guess who?”
“Let’s see…Mom? No…Bobbie Jo…?”
“No! You punk! Don’t tell me you don’t know!” I turned and saw Sophie’s familiar face, busting me in my dirty thoughts. She playfully punched my arm.
“You never forgot that, did you?” Sophie and I had a lot of inside jokes because we were two children of parents who liked being away from home—a lot. I couldn’t remember how many times we’d all gotten together for our parents’ planning sessions. They used to go on safaris, trips, tours, you name it, but now, it was mostly philanthropic. When Sophie’s father died about five years ago, her mother stopped traveling and did all her work locally. Still, we had a past together. Sophie was tall—taller than me by an inch—but she was so feminine and curvy, it was easy to forget. She had long, dark, silky hair like her mother’s and large, hazel brown eyes and the most perfect skin. She’d come close to marriage twice before, but both times she’d changed her mind at the last minute. Maybe they just weren’t her Mr. Right.
Our parents made no secret of the fact that they would have loved for us to get together as a couple, but I guess we weren’t meant to be. There was one summer where there had been some tension between us and I thought it might have led somewhere, but then she started dating Bruce and I stepped back. After that, I never got the idea that she cared about me as anything other than a brother. That was kind of nice since I had no siblings or cousins. The past couple of years, she’d spent a lot of time in the UK where she’d started a marketing company and she had a soft, mixed accent now that only made her more attractive.
“What are you looking at down there?” She stood beside me, crossed her arms and grinned. “Oh, I see. The dolphin girls. Two new interns? Which one do you fancy? Let me guess?” And after a minute she said, “The blonde one. Am I right?”
I smiled back at her and said, “Stop that, Soph.”
She gave me a knowing look, then it was down to business. “Let’s get started, shall we? We’ve got a lot of work to do. I’ve come up with some ideas, but before I show them to you, can you give me a tour so I can get a better picture in my mind? It’s been so long since I’ve stopped by here.”
We began with the main aquarium hall, which was part of the facility that had aquariums along three walls and a few free-standing displays in the center. I thought it would be perfect to have the majority of the activities here, and Sophie agreed. Eventually, we made it out to the pool decks and I asked Bobbie Jo to run a rehearsal of the show so Sophie could see it.
“Sure! Hey, Sophie! Long time no see!” Bobbie Jo went up to Sophie and gave her a hug, then she said, “We can run them again, but just to let you know that Singh is acting up a little today. I don’t think he’s crazy about having Abu in his tank, but it should be okay.”
“All right, let’s see it.”
“Hey, everyone! Let’s start from the top, okay?” Bobbie Jo yelled in her typical gruff fashion. David jogged behind the presentation stand while Martin gathered Singh and Abu’s pool toys.
Pepper and Tracee stood at the side of the pool and applauded the animals as they arrived, right on cue. I felt Pepper watching me and I tried not to stare back at her in her purple bathing suit. She looked beautiful, of course, even with wet hair and no makeup. I had to admit—even if it was only to myself—Pepper was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was like a Greek goddess, with golden skin and a perfect, athletic body. The memories of our escapades filled my mind and made me want her even more. She’d been very discreet and kept our secret, but I didn’t know if I could so well.
Pepper and Tracee eased into the water and took their positions. The girls slid onto the backs of the dolphins and rode around the perimeter of the pool in opposite directions. Right before they crossed paths, the girls would dismount and the dolphins would leap into the air and come down with a splash. It wasn’t anything dangerous, as long as the timing was right. The swim around the pool went smoothly enough, but as they approached one another, Singh appeared to speed up and rose faster than he should have before Pepper had a chance to dismount properly. I got worried when she seemed to lose her balance and come down at a strange angle. I was even more shocked when I saw her head hit the side of the pool and she sunk under the water. Bobbie Jo screamed, then David ran past me and jumped into the water to pull Pepper to the surface. I ran to the side to help him get her out of the pool and we carefully laid her on the tiles. She appeared to be unconscious and had an obvious bump on the side of her head.
“Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Is she okay?” Tracee was freaking out as Bobbie handed her a towel and she wrapped it around her body.
“She’s not breathing. We need to give her CPR now.” David adjusted Pepper’s head and immediately gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
“Come on, Pepper, breathe! Bobbie Jo, Call 911, quick!” She already had her phone to her ear and gave me a nod that she was on it. I watched David give Pepper CPR for a few more seconds and I was just about to shove him out of the way and do it myself when suddenly, Pepper gasped and sputtered, water spewing out of her mouth. We turned her onto her side and put a towel under her head, then everyone breathed a sigh of relief. I held her hand, and David grinned down at her and she gave us a weak smile.
She coughed up some more water and I rubbed her back. “What happened? Why am I on the floor?” she whispered in a gravelly voice.
I grabbed one of the towels from behind the presentation stand and covered her up.
Bobbie Jo flipped her phone shut and looked nervous. “The ambulance is on the way. Thank goodness she’s okay. Tracee…let’s get the animals put away. Can you help me?”
“Sure, BJ.”
I pulled her hair out of her face while David rubbed Pepper’s hands. She kept her eyes closed against the bright sun. “Ow, my head hurts.”
“Just lie still until the ambulance comes,” David said firmly.
“I’m still. Can you call my daddy, please?”
“I can do that,” I said. “Be back in a minute.” I ran up to my office to find his number from the list of donors and called Mr. Anderson to tell him about the accident.
“What? Pepper’s hurt? Have them take her to Cedar, please. I know people there and I’ll get over as soon as I can.”
“Okay, I’ll tell the ambulance driver. I’m sure she’s going to be okay, though. Looks like just a bump.” By the time I got back, the ambulance was on the scene and they loaded Pepper onto a gurney. I passed on the instructions from Mr. Anderson to the driver, then David climbed into the back with Pepper and the doors closed behind them. As I watched them drive away, I felt Sophie lean on m
y shoulder.
“Tough break, huh. I hope that won’t be in the show.”
“Something must have happened to upset Singh. He’s never acted aggressively like that before. He loves Pepper. I’d better get to the hospital and make sure she’s okay.”
“I think she has her white knight with her, but you probably should, since you’re the boss. I’ll ride with you. Just let me pop upstairs and get my purse. I think I left it in your office.”
“I’ll bring the car around to the front and meet you there.” Sophie took longer than I would have liked, but I knew Pepper would be okay. At least, I hoped so.
“I don’t suppose you have to worry about her suing you, right?”
“No, I doubt that. Pepper’s not poor. I mean, she doesn’t need the money. She’s a kind of celebrity around here. You’ve never heard of Pepper Anderson?”
Her brown eyes widened. “That was Pepper Anderson? God, I didn’t even put the two of them together. I mean, that was…wow! She was not who I thought she was. How did you ever talk her into riding a dolphin?”
“I didn’t have to talk her into anything. She wanted to do it. I just hope to God she’s okay.”
“Yeah, she probably is.” She took a lipstick out of her purse and swiped it across her lips. Sophie was beautiful, but I was more worried about Pepper. “So, did she just show up one day and say, ‘Hey, I want to ride a dolphin’?”
“Hardly. When she first started, I don’t think she was happy about being here at all. She’d gotten into some trouble with the paparazzi. They followed her everywhere, snapping away, and in some of those photos she happened to be topless. Her dad asked me to help her out—try to keep her out of trouble. I offered her an internship and here we are.”
“That’s quite a story. Is she high-maintenance? Kind of a diva? I’ve heard that she is.”
“I wouldn’t say that. I think she’s naïve about a lot of things, but she’s worked as hard, if not harder, than the rest of the crew. I don’t know, maybe she feels like she’s got something to prove or she’s finally found something that she loves doing.”
Destiny Undone: The Complete Series Box Set Page 13