Hope blossomed. “You don’t think things will get awkward between us?”
“They’ll only be weird if we let it. I don’t want to let it.” His voice rang with conviction. He rolled to his side then punched his pillow. He closed the gap a little and settled next to her. His expression was earnest, a silent appeal in his eyes.
Brushing his thumb over her cheeks, he smiled gently at her. “Mal, I value our friendship a lot. It means everything to me. Intimacy like we’ve shared shouldn’t signal an end to that aspect of our relationship. I believe it will strengthen and reinforce the rapport between us.”
“Have you ever done this before?”
His skeptical look caused her to laugh weakly.
She rolled her eyes and propped her head on her hand. “That’s not what I meant. Have you ever been friends with someone, then slept with them? Could you go back to being just friends?”
Emotion flickered in his eyes, despair and hope mingling in a lethal combination. “Is that what you want?”
Sadness welled within her. She’d put that look there. She’d give anything to make it disappear.
“No. You mean more to me than that, but you come with a ‘love-em and leave-em’ warning label. I can’t be in a relationship like that.”
Gunnar grimaced. “I don’t want it either.”
“But—”
“No buts. My dubious reputation as a womanizer is greatly exaggerated. It never mattered before. Not to me. The women I’ve been with never seemed to want more than just a fling.”
He traced her lips with his finger, his touch light and warm.
“They didn’t know what they were missing.” She bit the inside of her cheek and let her gaze travel along his shoulders and chest. “You have a beautiful body, but, Gunnar, there really is quite a bit more to you. Why would you waste your time with women who couldn’t see that?”
“Hormones?” His smile was self-deprecating. “I’ve had friends who were women but none of them became friends with benefits. You’re the first one I’ve met that I wanted as a friend and a lover. That has to count for something.”
His words created a lightness within her, a belief that they hadn’t destroyed the good thing they had going. Gunnar’s exceptional ability as a lover was enhanced by the camaraderie they shared. “So you think this can work? Can we be friends and lovers?”
His grin was lightning fast, as if he knew he’d talked her around. “I don’t see why not. My parents have been married for a long time and they’re best friends. I’ll do my damnedest to keep it from getting weird between us. Why don’t we see where this goes?”
Cupping her cheek, he pressed a light kiss against her lips. Her heart tripped against her sternum at the beauty of his soft touch. Pulling back, he smiled into her eyes, waiting for her answer.
Malin nodded. She’d go wherever he’d take her. And pray like hell she didn’t regret the decision.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. Pushing the covers away, Gunnar rolled off the bed. He grabbed his jeans from the floor and pulled them over his long legs, commando style. He raised the zipper but left the snap open. God, he was magnificent—like an upside down triangle. Narrow waist, broad shoulders, heavy pecs over rippled abs. His half-fastened jeans revealed a flat belly and well-muscled sides. She chewed her lower lip while she admired his form. It shouldn’t surprise her. He owned a gym, for goodness sake.
“You’re looking at me like you want to eat me. Want me to get a spoon?” Gunnar laughed. Leaning a knee back on the bed next to her hip, he kissed her again, long, slow, languid.
She placed her hand on his thigh, the denim rough under her fingertips. Breathless when he ended the kiss, she could barely manage more than a smile. “A really big spoon.”
“Don’t move. I’m coming back. I have a few more friendly things I’d like to show you.”
She laughed. Pushing away from the bed, he stooped to pick up the discarded condom. Malin watched him as he strode across the room to the door, her pulse pounding in anticipation.
Gunnar grasped the doorknob, jerked it open, and walked right into Gaby.
Eyes wide, Gaby gave a little scream and backed against the stair railing. She teetered on the top step. Gunnar reached out to grab her, dropping the condom as he did. It landed next to her foot. She screamed again.
“Oh, hell,” Gunnar said. He tossed a panicked look over his shoulder toward the bed where Mal lay.
Mal sat bolt upright in bed, the blankets falling to her waist. She jerked the sheet up to cover her breasts, her face a blazing inferno.
As soon as Gaby was steady on her feet again, Gunnar released her.
“Sorry,” he muttered. Scooping up the condom, he shot Mal a horrified look then fled into the bathroom. The door clicked shut behind him. An instant later, a thud reverberated against the wood, as if Gunnar had banged his forehead against it.
“That’s just flippin’ wonderful.” Gaby’s voice was icy with sarcasm.
Holding the sheet with one hand, Mal lifted her other toward the shocked teen. “Gaby—”
Her words died when Gaby shot her hand into the air, palm out. She glowered at Mal. “The second the unwanted sister is out of the house, you drag your friend to bed and screw his brains out.” She had made air quote marks when she uttered the word friend. Tossing her long blond hair over her shoulder, Gaby flounced into her room and slammed the door.
Mal scrambled off the bed and grabbed the first thing she could find to pull on. Gunnar’s shirt fell almost to her knees. She hurried across the hall and skidded to a stop in front of Gaby’s room just as the sound of the lock being set filled the air.
Mal knocked softly on the wooden panel. “Gaby? Open up.”
“Go away.” The muffled tone sounded flat, forbidding.
“I don’t know what you’re so upset about. Come on,” Mal pleaded. “Open the door. We need to talk. Please?”
“I don’t want to talk to you.” The words were followed by a short, harsh laugh.
Behind her, the bathroom door opened, and Gunnar stepped out.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly. His eyes were shadowed with concern.
Was she okay? Her dad had tumbled off the wagon, she’d slept with a good friend, Valentine’s Day and all the craziness it meant for the shop was right around the corner, and a sibling she’d never known about had moved in, her colossal attitude in tow. Hell, no, she wasn’t okay.
Mal shrugged.
“I should probably go so you can deal with Gaby,” he said.
This wasn’t how she saw this evening ending. Not even close. “I’m sorry.”
He took a step closer to her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her toward the bedroom. He eased the door shut then gathered her in his arms. The heat of his bare chest seeped through the heavy cotton of the shirt Mal wore. His shirt.
He ran his hands up her back and cupped her head. “Poor kid’s having a tough time. She needs you now.”
“You’re a good friend to recognize that.”
His chest rumbled as he chuckled. “See, you thought it would be weird to remain friends and be lovers. I think we’ve got this.”
He tipped her chin up and captured her mouth. His assault started tender but shifted to hot and greedy an instant later. He gripped her shoulders and pulled her up against his chest. Bending at the knees, he altered the angle of his kiss, taking her deeper into a swirling world of desire. When he licked along her lips and slipped his tongue into her mouth, she softened and melted against him.
When he finally released her, he framed her face with his hands and sprinkled light pecks on her lips and cheeks.
“Mmm,” she hummed, not wanting the brief interlude to end. “Do that again, friend.”
Gunnar’s arms tightened around her. “If I did that again, we’d never leave this room. I hate to be a wet blanket, but we’d better stop.
He was right. As wonderful as it felt to have his body pressed against hers, she needed to talk to Gaby
. She eased out of his arms. With a sigh, she took a step backward. Despite the fact he was half-naked and had just done some pretty incredible things to her body, he’d slipped back into the supportive friend mode easily. Mal’s heart lightened when she registered that it didn’t feel awkward at all.
“I’ll call you tomorrow, see if it’s safe for me to come back over. Good luck with Gaby.” His smile was reassuring.
“Okay.” Mal moved toward the door, intent on walking him out. He stopped her with a hand on her upper arm.
“I need my shirt, Daisy Mae.” He curled his fingers around the hem, stroking her thigh in the process. Tingles soared at his touch and settled in a throb between her legs. Her gasp brought a wicked grin to his face. Lifting the shirt from her, he paused and focused on her chest, then bent low to lick one nipple to a peak, then the next. The rasp of his tongue created a storm of desire. When he straightened, the hard ridge behind his zipper was clear evidence that he didn’t really want to leave. Mal resisted the urge to fan her face and accepted the short bathrobe he’d pulled off the back of the door and handed to her.
“Dammit, I’d better go.” Regret scudded through his voice. “You don’t have to walk me out. Go check on Gaby.”
She followed him to the top of the stairs and watched him make his way down. He turned at the bottom. Flashing her a thumbs up, he mouthed good luck. The door closed behind him with a loud snick.
Facing Gaby’s door, she drew a deep breath. Now, this felt awkward. She rapped her knuckles against it. “Gaby, open up. We need to talk.”
“I told you I don’t want to talk.” Her sulky tone was overshadowed by a sniffle.
Oh crap, she was crying. Mal pressed her forehead on the door. “Please open the door.”
She was relieved to hear Gaby stomping across the floor. The door flew open to reveal her very irate sister. Gaby’s lips were set in a grim line. After shooting an insolent gaze toward Mal’s bedroom, she sneered and crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently.
“Thank you.” Mal said, casting about for the right words to say. It was like treading a narrow mountain trail with a precipitous drop...in a pea soup fog. Regardless of what Mal said, she was sure it would end in calamity. “May I come in?”
“No.”
Stunned by the girl’s rude refusal, Mal found herself at a loss for words.
Gaby widened her eyes and inclined her head, as if to challenge Mal to make a snappy comeback. “Well?”
“I’d like to talk about what’s bothering you. That’s what sisters do, Gaby. They talk about their problems and try to fix them together.”
“You are not my sister. You’re just the stupid bitch my mother whelped first.”
The girl’s words were a direct hit. Pain that had started in her heart now blew through Mal like a hurricane force wind. She lashed backed. “And you’re the second one. But you know what? We share a mother, and that makes us sisters. Jesus Christ, Gabriella. Why must you make this so difficult? I’m concerned about you.”
“My care level is so low right now, it doesn’t even register.”
“It might not matter to you, but I’d like to help.”
Gaby shrugged, her eyes glistening, lower lip captured between her teeth. Opening her mouth, she snapped it shut again, as if not trusting herself to speak. She spun on her heel and dashed across the room. The girl cared a lot more than she’d admit to.
She threw herself onto the neatly made bed then buried her face in the mattress, the sound of her sorrowful sobs muffled by the bedding. Mal’s anger shattered, replaced by compassion. Even though Gaby hadn’t granted her permission to enter, she’d left the door open when she’d whirled away. Mal took it as an invitation. The bed shook with the force of Gaby’s bitter wails. Mal lowered herself to the bed next to the girl and clutched her hands together, overwhelmed by the desire to ease the emotional storm. Gaby stiffened and scooted away.
She stroked her fingers through the ponytail trailing down Gaby’s back. Fine and blond like her own but six inches longer. The strands slipped like silk between her fingers. The girl had tensed when Mal had sat, but relaxed now. Her shoulders stopped shaking. Gaby’s forlorn crying died away. Twisting her head, Gaby rested her cheek on the back of her hand and lay with her eyes closed.
Mal rubbed small circles along Gaby’s spine like she remembered Harriet doing for her. Maybe she’d done it for her younger daughter, too. She wasn’t sure if it helped Gaby at all, but it seemed like the right thing to do.
Gaby expelled a long shuddering breath. “I’m sorry I got so upset,” she said in a soft voice.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Her shoulder shifted under Mal’s hand. “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
Mal mused about the non-answer for a moment. “Then how about if I tell you why I’m upset?”
Gaby opened her eyes, curiosity and surprise in the depths. “Okay.”
Mal grabbed the throw blanket from the foot of the bed and draped it over her lap, tucking it in under her hips and knees. “I might have messed up the best relationship I had going.”
“With Gunnar?”
She nodded.
“Was it worth it?” A smile tugged at the corner of Gaby’s mouth. At least the part of it Mal could see.
“Oh, yeah.” She felt the grin fade from her own face. Since Gaby hadn’t objected, Mal continued to massage her spine. “I’m worried about it being awkward around him now. I hope it isn’t because I really like him.”
She struggled against the intensity of her feelings. But the emotion was so new, it didn’t seem right to confess to a near total stranger. Even one who happened to share a bloodline.
“What are you going to do?”
Mal quirked one shoulder toward her ear. Hell if she knew. “We’re still working on the details.”
Pink flooded Gaby’s cheek, and she squeezed her eyes shut again. “I interrupted. I’m sorry.”
Mal let the girl’s apology linger in the air a moment, enjoying a silence that seemed almost companionable. Pushing away thoughts of Gunnar in her bed and out of it, she focused on Gaby. Thankfully, the color had faded from her sister’s cheeks.
“Are you ready to tell me why you’re so upset?”
She remained on her stomach but pulled a pillow under her head. The look in Gaby’s eyes was distant, remote, as if it would be better for her stay aloof from whatever issues were bothering her. Curious, Mal held her tongue and waited for the girl to begin.
“Everything is changing. I don’t like it. It scares me.”
Mal paused her hand mid-motion. She’d always embraced change so she assumed other people would also. It was easy to see why Gaby was upset. Her life had changed in the blink of an eye.
“Hey, keep rubbing. That, I like.” Gaby chuckled quietly. “My mom used to do that.”
Mal didn’t bother explaining where she’d learned the technique. It was enough that Gaby liked it. “Okay. As long as you keep talking.”
“I miss my mom. I feel like I don’t have anyone to talk to anymore.” A tear slipped out of the corner of Gaby’s eye and traveled down her nose. She swiped it away with the back of her hand and grimaced. “I could talk to my best friend and her mom, but she’s moved a billion miles away.”
“You know Nebraska is less than five hours away by plane, right?”
“Yeah, but when am I going to get a chance to go there? Our break schedules won’t match up.”
“It is the twenty-first century. You could FaceTime or Skype or text,” Mal offered.
“Not the same.”
“Maybe. But we could make it work. Remember, things are changing for her, too. I bet she’s scared and would welcome the chance to talk to you about it. Maybe you could go visit in the summer.”
Gaby shrugged, but her expression had warmed up, as if hope had blossomed. “Then there’s your dad. That whole episode earlier reminded me of my dad and made me realize...I don’t miss him. That makes
me feel like a horrible bitch.”
“Oh, Gaby, are you sure it’s not just his drinking and yelling you don’t miss?”
Her mouth opened, but she paused, as if considering the distinction. “I’d never thought about it that way.”
“If I lost my dad, I’d miss him like crazy, but I sure as hell wouldn’t miss the negative aspects of his addiction. He’s the reason I won’t drink. Ever. I worry I’ll be just like him.” A weight lifted from her shoulders. She’d never confessed that particular fear to another soul. It seemed right to tell Gaby.
“Mom never drank alcohol, but she still relied on a mother’s little helper like Xanax to get her through. I didn’t like that either. When she took it, she was there but not there. It confused me since she was so dead-set against drinking.” Gaby shifted to her side, facing Mal. “It’s funny, it’s like you’ve been the only good thing to happen to me in the last few weeks. I didn’t want to like you, but I can’t help myself.”
Mal wasn’t sure what to say, so she remained mute.
Gaby rushed on. “I thought you could, you know, be mine alone for a little while. Especially since you didn’t have a boyfriend. When you left me at home to go out with that Noah guy, and then when Gunnar barged out of your room, I got... I don’t know. I guess I got jealous.”
At the revelation, surprise blossomed like a peony opening in spring. “Listen, kiddo, just because I might be involved with someone doesn’t mean I won’t have time for you. You really are my priority right now. Getting you settled here and enrolled in school. Everything else comes second. Even my dad.”
“See, that’s just it. You have your dad. He isn’t much, but he’s something. And your shop. I love your shop. But I don’t have anything.”
“You have me,” Mal insisted.
She prayed it would be enough to maintain the uneasy truce they seemed to have reached. And in time, their relationship could grow into being sisters and friends.
Chapter 15
Mal rose with the birds before the sun had cracked the horizon. With only one week until Valentine’s Day, she needed to be at the shop extra early, especially on a Saturday.
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