Perfect Fit

by Brenda Jackson

  The lake on his land had been humongous, and just as he’d said, it had been stocked with all kinds of fish. After Gabe showed her how to use a fishing rod, they had spent that very cold morning drinking tons of coffee while catching fish for their dinner. Then later they had gone riding on his snowmobile and skiing.

  During that time they spent together, they had shared a lot of conversation. He’d told her more about his family, and she had told him more about hers. She had also told him about her grandmother and how close they’d been.

  He even told her of other projects his company had lined up to do, and that one would take him to England for at least six months. He also mentioned that Christopher would be flying in next Monday morning and asked if the three of them could have dinner together the following Wednesday. He wanted her to meet his best friend, and she looked forward to it.

  After enjoying a very delicious dinner of grilled fish, green beans and leftover wild rice—just as tasty as the night before—they had cleaned up the kitchen, and then later, since it had stopped snowing, they had gone walking.

  Upon returning, she had taken a hot soak in the tub to warm her body. After changing into another pair of jeans and a pullover sweater, she had joined him in the living room. They had both agreed to always sit down and discuss things that were concerning them, keeping the lines of communication open between them as a way to continue to build trust. That was the main reason she had decided to tell him about her trip to Texas to meet with Erol.

  At first he hadn’t said anything. He’d sat next to her on the sofa in front of the fireplace, quiet, as if in deep thought. Then he had turned to her and pulled her closer to him and told her that he agreed with her decision to meet with Erol if that was what she felt she needed to do.

  For the rest of the evening they had sat in front of the fireplace, drank wine and talked some more. She had totally enjoyed his company. It was only when it was time for them to turn in for the night that she had gone into his arms for the kiss she’d been starving for all day.

  He had kissed her with a passion that overwhelmed her. And it had been her breasts that he had wanted to feel. The smile on Sage’s mouth widened when she remembered that not only had he felt them, but he had tasted them as well. By the time he’d finished, she had become a wriggling mass of heated desire, and just like the night before, she had come apart in his arms.

  That night while she’d slept alone, she had dreamed about him, and it wasn’t helping matters that thoughts of him consumed her mind now. She was barely getting any work done.

  She jumped when she heard the phone ring and quickly picked it up. “Hello?”

  “Is it true, Sage? Is it true that you have agreed to meet and talk to Erol? To possibly work things out?”

  Sage heard the happiness in her mother’s voice and released a long, deep sigh, wondering how her mother had found out. “Mom, who told you that?”

  “Ericka.”

  Ericka was Erol’s mother. Sage frowned, wondering if Erol had shared the news with his parents after she’d asked him not to mention it to anyone. “Did Erol tell her that?”

  “No, he didn’t tell her anything, which Ericka isn’t too happy about. She happened to overhear him talking on the phone. He was making dinner reservations for the two of you at some exclusive restaurant in Dallas. So tell me if it’s true, sweetheart.”

  Sage refused to be pulled in by her mother’s excitement at the prospect of her and Erol getting back together. “Yes, it’s true, Mom, but not for the reason that you think,” she said, deciding to put an end to any hope her mother was still holding on to. “I’ve met someone.”

  There was a long pause on the other end; then her mother finally said in a rather shocked voice, “You’ve met someone? Another man?”

  Sage swallowed as she remembered her weekend with Gabe, the kissing, the touching, and the tasting…. “Yes. We’ve dated a few times and I really like him. At some point I may decide that I want a serious relationship with him, and if that’s the case, I want to make sure Erol fully understands that what we shared is over. Completely. I’m hearing from too many people that he believes we’ll eventually get back together, and that won’t happen. He needs to get on with his life the way I’m getting on with mine.”

  There was another long pause. “The two of you really aren’t going to get back together, are you?” her mother asked, as if finally realizing the truth.

  Sage shook her head. She had thought that after her last conversation with her mother, she had gotten through to her. Evidently not. It had taken her mentioning another man to make her mother accept what she’d been trying to tell her all along. “No, Mom, we’re not. Even if I hadn’t met Gabe, there was no way for Erol and me to recapture what we once had. Everyone operates at different tolerance levels, certain limits to what they will put up with, and I place a lot of weight on trust in a relationship.”

  “This man you’ve met. His name is Gabe?”

  “Yes, Gabe Blackwell.”

  “And he’s from Alaska?”

  Sage smiled. Now that the shock had worn off, the inquisitiveness had set in. “No, he’s from Michigan. Gabe owns the construction company that’s building the ski resort.” Sage knew she was building up her relationship with Gabe to more than it was, but she was determined to make her mother realize things between her and Erol were completely over.

  “Then, I’m sorry, Sage. I really thought things would work themselves out between you and Erol. I honestly had believed that; but I now see that you have made a decision that you feel is the best one for you, and I’m happy for you. In spite of how your father and I feel about Erol, we just want you to be happy. You’re our daughter and we love you.”

  Sage didn’t say anything for a long, quiet moment. She appreciated her mother’s understanding words and knew what she’d just told her was difficult. Sage had known from the first time she had brought Erol home over Christmas break to meet her parents that they had approved of him and had immediately accepted him into the family and into their hearts. To them it would be like losing a son.

  “Your father wants to talk to you, Sage.”

  Her mother’s words recaptured Sage’s attention. “All right.” She braced herself for the sound of her father’s voice. It was a voice that in the past she loved hearing and regretted their relationship wasn’t what it used to be, especially now more so than ever.

  “Sage?”

  “Hello, Dad.”

  “You’re all right?”

  “Yes, Dad, I’m fine. What about you?”

  “I’m okay.” He momentarily got quiet and then said, “I heard bits and pieces of your and your mother’s conversation but enough to know you’ve gotten on with your life and have met someone else.”

  “Yes. I’m really trying to move forward, and yes, I’ve met someone. His name is Gabe Blackwell. Right now it’s nothing serious, we’re just dating, getting to know each other, but I really do like him,” she said honestly.

  “I’m glad, and I just want you to know that your mom and I are supportive of whatever decisions you make.”

  Tears eased into Sage’s eyes. There had never been a time her father had not been in her corner, and even now his approval of what she was doing meant a lot, although a part of her wanted to believe that it didn’t. “Thanks, Dad. I appreciate that. Right now the main thing on my mind is meeting with Erol and making him see that there’s no future for us.”

  “When will you see him?”

  “A week from Thursday. I’m flying into Dallas that morning, and we’re having dinner together that evening. Then I’m flying out first thing Friday morning to return here.”

  “Would it be possible for you to come home a few days for a visit?”

  Sage’s eyes squeezed shut. More than anything she wished that were possible, but she wasn’t ready yet. She needed more time before confronting the lies and deceit that awaited her there. God knew, her nightly prayer was to somehow find a way to forgive her
father for what he’d done to her mother, and to her. His affair with that other woman had literally destroyed their bond. She opened her eyes. “No, Dad, not this time, but I am thinking of surprising Mom and coming home for the Fourth of July celebration.”

  That particular holiday was one the Dunbar family had set aside as an annual family reunion since it was also her grandmother’s birthday. Sage had never missed the event since it had started when she was a child. She had always enjoyed going back to her grandmother’s home in Tuskegee, Alabama. The hardest time for the family had been the year after her grandmother’s death, but everyone decided to continue the tradition, no matter what.

  “I really hope you do consider doing that,” he said in a very hopeful tone of voice.

  “I will.”

  “I’ll let you talk to your mom, and I want you to take care of yourself. And no matter what, always remember that I love you,” he said in a voice that was gruff but gentle as a whisper.

  A rising wave of emotions, twenty-six years worth of them, suddenly hit her with a burgeoning force. And then she knew that although what he’d done had hurt her, the man talking to her was her father and she still loved him. “And I love you, too, Dad,” she said softly.

  Moments later her mother returned to the phone, and Sage swiftly changed the subject to something else. They talked about Rose’s planned trip to Anchorage and about her parents’ neighbor, Mrs. Paul, who had won an award for community service. Half an hour later, they ended the call.

  Standing, Sage walked over to the window and looked out. It would be another pretty day, without snow. She had successfully dealt with her parents regarding Erol; now she knew she had to be prepared to deal with Erol in Dallas. And a part of her was not looking forward to seeing him again.

  The next week moved rather swiftly for Sage. She’d had a number of meetings to attend, proposals to send out and phone calls to make. A couple of days she had stayed at the office late, working on her agenda for the next day, grateful that they had gotten a week’s reprieve from snow. But although her days and some of her evenings were busy, she still managed to spend time with Gabe. They went out to dinner twice and had lunch once, and each time they spent together, she found herself liking him more and more. Ever since that incident with Langley Mayhew, word had spread that she and Gabe were seeing each other; not that it bothered her that anyone knew. And Gabe didn’t seem to mind anyone knowing either.

  After what had happened between them with rising hormones that weekend at his place, they made an attempt to turn down the heat. Whenever he took her home, he would kiss her hungrily in front of her door, make sure she got inside safely and then leave. But Saturday night things had gotten a little hot when he had played another elevator trick after taking her out. This time when he had stopped the elevator, she had gone into his arms willingly, and by the time he had started it up again, she had been kissed senseless and robbed of her underwear, a wispy scrap of black lace he had put in his back pocket and hadn’t returned to her yet. She was still shaking her head in amazement at exactly how he had done such a thing. And forcing her mind to remember what he’d done, detail by detail, only made her get all hot and bothered again, so she stopped trying.

  Yet, they still hadn’t made love. He somehow managed to be the naughtiest of naughty within the limitations she had set and still keep his word. Gabe Blackwell, she’d concluded, had a lot of smooth moves, expert hands and a willing tongue. He definitely liked to kiss, touch and taste. She couldn’t imagine what he would come up with next.

  Every night when she got in bed, she tried convincing herself that sexually, the two of them were moving too fast. They needed to slow down, especially when she thought about how slow her relationship with Erol had been in the beginning. When she and Erol had first started dating, she’d been young, barely twenty-one, with no sexual experience. Not that she considered herself overexperienced now, however. She had learned a few things, and she hated admitting it, but a lot of it had been during the last two weeks.

  Gabe treated their attraction to each other, their strong sexual chemistry, as if there wasn’t anything unusual about it. And because he seemed completely comfortable and at ease with it, she was beginning to feel that way as well. It no longer shocked her when their gazes met and held while heat flooded her insides or when his kiss would send tingling sensations through every part of her body.

  Taking a deep sigh, Sage dragged her attention back to the document in front of her. Moments later, she checked her watch. It was almost noon. Gabe’s partner, Christopher Chandler, was to have arrived in town that morning. She would meet him on Wednesday when she joined him and Gabe for dinner.

  She smiled. She had heard a lot about Christopher and was looking forward to finally meeting him.

  “Now that we have business out of the way,” Christopher Chandler said, tossing the report he’d just read back on Gabe’s desk, “I want to ask you something.”

  Gabe lifted a dark brow. He had picked up the man who was his best friend as well as his business partner from the airport that morning. After taking him home to drop off his luggage, they had gone to the job site and met with their work crew. Now he was sitting in Gabe’s office, and from the look on Christopher’s face, Gabe had a feeling he wouldn’t like Christopher’s question.

  “What do you want to ask me?”

  Christopher leaned back in his chair and met Gabe’s gaze. “Why the guest bedroom I’m using is filled with the scent of a woman?”

  Gabe couldn’t help but laugh. The astonishment in his best friend’s voice was priceless. It wasn’t that Christopher was surprised that a woman had spent some time at his home, but it was the mere fact that she had slept in the guest bedroom and not his bed. Only someone with a sordid womanizing past as Christopher’s could ask such a thing or have the astounding ability to pick up a woman’s scent a whole week later.

  “My relationship with Sage hasn’t moved to that level yet,” Gabe said, shaking his head.

  “Losing your touch, Blackwell?”

  “No, playing it safe and trying to protect my heart, although it may be too late.”

  Christopher eyed Gabe thoughtfully. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  Gabe leaned back in his chair. With a finger tucked under his chin, he met Christopher’s gaze and responded, “I don’t know. What do you think I’m saying?”

  Christopher leaned forward, making sure he had Gabe’s complete attention and to also make sure he picked up on every vibe Gabe emitted. “I think that this Sage woman has gotten to you.”

  Gabe nodded slowly. “And do you see that as a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “It depends. That’s why I’m dying to get to know her.”

  Gabe nodded again. Christopher was someone who could read a woman like a book. He had tried warning Gabe about Lindsey, but he hadn’t listened.

  “You may as well know she has issues,” Gabe said quietly. “Pretty much the same ones Lindsey had.”

  Christopher’s jaw tensed. “Then, why in the hell are you setting yourself up for punishment, Black-well?”

  Gabe sighed. “I’m hoping that’s not what I’m doing, Chris. There’s a part of me that wants to believe that Sage has her head on a lot straighter than Lindsey did, and that she’s really let go and is ready to move on with her life.” He wondered how he could even say that when in a few days Sage would be flying to Texas to meet with her ex-fiancé. The only reason he supported her going was because inside he knew that she would either return to Anchorage ready to continue what the two of them had started or to tell him that she and her ex had worked things out. It would be better for things between them to end now than later after she had wiggled her way into the pit of his heart.

  But then, deep down he knew it didn’t really matter; she was already there. After spending the last three years avoiding any type of a serious relationship with a woman, Gabe realized Sage had already wrapped herself around him pretty tight. He had neve
r enjoyed being with a woman more than he had these past weeks. She had made him laugh and had filled an emptiness within him that had existed for so long. There were so many things about her that he wanted to explore, to get to know. And then there was the budding side of their relationship that definitely gave him something to look forward to, the intimate side. In a very short amount of time, Sage Dunbar had become his fantasy woman. There were sensuous bones in her body that hadn’t yet been worked. Evidently, her ex-fiancé hadn’t been one who was into exploring new and different things in the bedroom, and Gabe looked forward to teaching her everything he knew … and then some.

  “Gabe?”

  Christopher’s voice pulled him back to the present. “What?” He stared at Christopher for a long, uncomfortable moment and wondered just how much he had figured out.

  “A part of me doesn’t want to see you get hurt again. Believe me when I say that I felt your pain, bro,” Christopher said quietly. “But then there’s another part of me that wants you to have just what I have, the very thing that I thought could never be possible for me. Maxi has done nothing but bring me immense happiness and pleasure, Gabe. And when I think of how I used to live my life, all the women I used to sleep around with and discard with no thoughts or feelings for them whatsoever, I feel blessed that God still felt I was worthy enough for Maxi to be mine. And then Christopher Max is the icing on the cake.”

  A lump formed in Gabe’s throat that really didn’t surprise him. He had known the old Christopher Chandler, the one who had been tormented by a past he couldn’t forget. And Gabe was so very happy that he had finally found inner peace. And he hoped and prayed that God would find the same favor with him that he’d found with Christopher and grant him that same inner peace.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Christopher liked her.

  That fact was so obvious Gabe couldn’t help the smile that crinkled the corners of his mouth. Chris was so taken with Sage it wasn’t funny.