Gabe chuckled. “You’re very easily pleased.” He uncorked the champagne bottle without spilling a drop then poured her a glass and passed it across to her before filling his own. Livvy took a sip. The champagne was delicious. She finished her sandwich then reached for a huge strawberry.
After they’d eaten and finished the champagne between them, Gabe insisted she take on plenty of water as he cleared away and stuffed the trash into the backpack. He zipped up the bag, picked up a bottle of water for himself, and took a long pull. Livvy’s eyes fell to his throat as he drank. She wanted to put her mouth on it and taste him, but her natural hesitancy prevented her from acting on the urge. Instead, she dragged her gaze away and finished her own water. She handed him the empty bottle, which he slotted into a side pocket.
“Full?” he asked.
“Couldn’t eat another thing.”
Gabe lay back on the blanket and raised his face to the sun. Livvy stretched out beside him, a contented sigh escaping from between her lips.
“This is heaven,” she murmured. “I wish we could teleport back down.”
Gabe turned onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow. “Tired?”
She shook her head. “A bit lethargic. The food, the sun. I’m feeling lazy.”
“You’re different,” Gabe said. “Much less uptight.”
Livvy pushed her sunglasses on top of her head and squinted at him. “I know.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Not sure. Maybe it was sharing what happened to me. It’s easier talking to a stranger than those who know me well.”
A frown drifted across his face. “Do you consider me a stranger?”
“No. Not now. Although I don’t know very much about you, so you’re not exactly a close friend, either.”
His frown deepened. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
His body shifted, and before Livvy could figure out what he was going to do, he kissed her. Butterflies swarmed through her stomach as he traced his tongue across her bottom lip. She started to wrap her arms around his neck, but he gripped her wrists and held them against either side of her head, pinning them to the ground. His body covered hers, his erection pressing against her hip. He slung his thigh over her leg, easing her knees apart.
Livvy expected to panic, but instead, hot, powerful desire made her crave more of what this man was giving her. Wetness pooled between her legs, dampening her underwear, and a soft moan eased from her throat. Gabe’s response was to almost growl, the sound rumbling through his chest.
He tore his mouth away from hers and cursed. “I have horrible timing.” He brushed a thumb over her swollen mouth, inflamed by his kiss. “And you are far too intoxicating.”
He sat upright, rocked back on his heels, and rose to a standing position. Livvy tried to pull herself together. Her eyes fell to his groin, and when she looked up again, he was grinning.
“Looks like I’ll have the advantage climbing down too.” When she frowned, he tipped his head forward, indicating the unmistakable bulge in his shorts. “Third leg.”
As Livvy creased over in laughter, Gabe held out his hand. Still chuckling, she gripped it as he helped her to her feet. “Are you ready to go?”
She nodded as Gabe folded the blanket and tucked it away in his backpack. The journey down was easier than the hike up, and they reached the bottom in no time. Livvy’s eyes began to droop on the way home, and she allowed herself to fall into a doze.
Gabe’s hand on her arm woke her, and she forced her lids open and gave him a shy smile. “Thanks for taking me out today. I really enjoyed myself.”
Gabe took a deep breath. “Want to stretch out the day?”
Livvy pushed herself upright and glanced out the windshield. Instead of her beige thirteen-story apartment building greeting her, she was faced with what could only be described as a mansion—a large structure set in its own grounds. And what grounds they were. From her limited vantage point, she couldn’t see another dwelling.
She turned towards Gabe. “Where are we?”
“My place.”
Livvy’s eyes widened. “This is your house?”
He nodded and unhooked his seat belt. “Want a tour?”
Hell yeah.
“Sure,” she said nonchalantly.
“Great. Let’s go.” Gabe took her hand and led her into a huge foyer.
As they moved from room to room, he told her he’d designed the house and even had a hand in building parts of it. Once again, overwhelming feelings prodded at Livvy, making her feel out of her depth. Irritated with herself, she pushed them to one side.
They finished the tour in the backyard, where an enormous swimming pool dominated the space. A line of palm trees had been planted along one side of the pool, giving a sense of the tropics, and outdoor furniture made for plenty of seating. A large Jacuzzi was built into the side of the pool.
“What’s that?” Livvy pointed to an outbuilding with a triangular-shaped roof.
Gabe looked over at where she was indicating. “Steam room, sauna, and changing facilities. Saves walking through the house with damp feet.”
He led her to a shaded area, where a large jug of what looked like homemade lemonade had been placed along with two glasses. He pulled out a chair for her and took the seat opposite.
He lifted the jug and poured them both a glass. “So, what do you think?”
She took a sip and placed her drink on the table. “Of your place? Fabulous. Although it’s a lot of space for one person,” she said, giving him a suspicious glance.
Gabe laughed. “I like space. Remember I told you I didn’t have much growing up?” When she nodded, he continued. “Well, that was an understatement. I was very poor. I was one of three siblings, and we lived in a two-bedroom shack a couple of miles outside Austin. With the profits from my very first business deal, I rented a four-bedroom apartment, even though a one-bedroom would have worked just fine. I was ecstatic with the amount of space I had. When you’ve lived on top of your family members without an ounce of privacy, believe me, you crave it.”
Livvy stared at him. She didn’t have a clue about his background or what made him the man he was today. Yet with one little sneak peek, he’d given her more than a glimpse into the man behind the success.
“And where is your family now?”
He grimaced. “My father died a few years ago, no doubt because of the poor living conditions he’d had to put up with for most of his life. Sadly, my success came too late to help him. He was only forty-eight.”
“How terrible. Gosh, you wouldn’t think such things could happen in modern society.”
He blew out a slow breath, almost as though he were trying to regain control. After a few seconds, he managed to collect himself, and when he met her worried gaze, he smiled. “My mom is amazing, though. I hope you’ll get to meet her sometime. I’d love for her to move to LA, but she’s a Texan through and through.”
Livvy repressed a moment of panic. Meeting family members put any relationship firmly into the “serious” bracket, and she and Gabe were far from being at that stage.
“What about your siblings? Do they live locally?”
He stared at his hands for a few seconds, and when he looked up, his features had hardened. “My younger sister, Sophia, died when I was eighteen. She was only fifteen.”
Livvy briefly closed her eyes. Having had no sisters or brothers, she couldn’t understand his pain, but she could empathize.
“I’m sorry.” She curled her fingers around his. “What a tragedy.”
“My mother never got over it, although she hides her pain extremely well.”
“She must be a remarkable woman.”
He gave her a tight smile. “She is.”
“And what about your brother?”
Gabe’s eyes darkened, and his jaw clenched. A nerve pulsed in his cheek. “He’s a piece of shit. If he ever shows his face around here, he’ll be sorry.”
His vehement respon
se sent a quiver of fear through her, and even though it was none of her business, she couldn’t help asking, “Do you want to talk about it?”
He blew out a slow breath. “Not really, but as you’ve been honest with me, I guess I owe you the same.”
Livvy shook her head. “You don’t owe me anything.”
He grimaced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” He rubbed the tips of his fingers over his mouth as a shadow crossed his face. “Sophia had cystic fibrosis, so I’m sure you can imagine, with two older brothers, she was sheltered. Sometimes her health wasn’t too bad, and she could carry on like any normal teenager, but at other times, she’d spend weeks in the hospital, which put a terrible strain on a family who was already dirt poor.
“After yet another stay in the hospital, she hadn’t been home very long, when a group of girls from school invited her to the movies. It was difficult for Sophia to make friends because she spent so much time away from school, and you know what kids are like. Anyway, she was thrilled, and even though she hadn’t fully recovered, my mom relented. I dropped her off, and Aaron, that’s my brother, said he’d pick her up.”
Livvy began to get a really bad feeling about where this was going, but she didn’t want to interrupt him, so she sipped her lemonade and waited for him to continue.
“Cutting a long story short, Aaron was on a date, and he lost track of time. Sophia waited for him, but when it began to rain, she set off for home. Our house was five miles from the movie theater, and she walked the whole way. By the time she got home, she was soaked through, shivering, and couldn’t catch her breath. My dad took her straight to the hospital. She caught pneumonia, and with her lungs already so damaged from the cystic fibrosis…” He broke off, staring at his hands. After a few seconds, he lifted his head, his eyes going to hers. “They did everything they could, but she didn’t make it.”
“Oh God,” Livvy murmured.
Deep pain scored Gabe’s face as he relived the memories. “My brother chose his dick over his sister. I couldn’t bring myself to forgive him then, and I still can’t.”
“What about your mum? Does she still see him?”
“Yes. You’ll understand when you meet my mom. She’s an incredible woman with a huge heart and a capacity for forgiveness that I simply don’t possess. In the early years, she tried to make us reconcile, but now…” He shrugged. “She accepts and respects my point of view. Anyway, what about you?” he asked, making it clear he wanted to move on. “Any sisters, brothers?”
Livvy shook her head. “I was an only child. My dad died when I was very young. He was a soldier and got killed during a training exercise. My mum was heartbroken. She never really got over losing him. She died when I was at university.”
An expression of sorrow crossed Gabe’s face before he smoothed his expression, correctly guessing she wouldn’t want his pity. “You’ve had it rough” was the only acknowledgement of her difficult past.
“Sounds like we both have.” She shrugged. “But they make ’em tough in England.”
His lips lifted at the corners. “And in Texas.”
Livvy nibbled at the inside of her cheek. There was one person she was desperate to ask about but didn’t know what Gabe’s reaction would be. The closer she and Gabe became, the more curious—and envious—she was of Tabitha. Which was silly because Tabitha wasn’t there and Livvy was. But she couldn’t help the growing curiosity about what had happened to the perfect couple.
“What about Tabitha?” she asked, plunging in. “Do you regret things not working out between you?”
Gabe’s expression darkened, and pure venom blasted out of his eyes, sending a blaze of fire careering towards her. “No,” he snapped.
Determined not to be put off, Livvy pressed on. “But you looked so happy in the pictures I saw of you on the Internet. I mean, I’m not prying—”
“Yes, you are,” he said, cutting her off. His voice sounded pained, making Livvy regret her questioning.
She tucked her chin to her chest. “Forget it.”
Gabe reached out to her, his hand curving around her cheek. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I shouldn’t have snapped. It’s just that wasn’t a great time in my life. I’d prefer not to talk about it or her.” He almost spat the final word.
Livvy forced a tight smile and refrained from reminding him that she’d shared her entire past—every sad, depressing, devastating moment. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Come on.” He got to his feet as if the altercation hadn’t happened. “I haven’t shown you the best part of the tour yet.” Gabe curled his fingers around hers and led her down a gravel pathway. He unlocked a wood-paneled door and pushed it open.
Livvy followed him inside, and as she took in what he wanted to show her, she couldn’t stop her mouth from falling open. “Wow,” she said, glancing around at the garage full of cars. “How many does one man need?”
Gabe laughed. “I know it’s indulgent, and it probably makes me a bit of a dick, but I adore cars, and choosing only one when I didn’t have to seemed silly.”
Livvy trailed her hand across the candy-apple-red paintwork of the nearest car. “You have far too much money if you can afford a Bugatti Veyron.”
Gabe’s head spun around so quickly, he must have cricked his neck. His eyes widened. “You know about cars?”
Livvy nodded. “Mark was a real petrol head—that’s what we call car enthusiasts in the UK. He’d buy every car magazine going, and because it was a hobby of his, as his wife, I felt it only right to pay attention. After a while, I found I loved them as much as he did.”
Gabe’s broad smile made his eyes sparkle. “Wow. You’re full of surprises. It’s not often I get blindsided.”
Livvy moved farther into the garage, her eyes darting everywhere. If a supercar existed, Gabe owned it. The contents of his garage must have been worth millions, but it was the car—although car wasn’t the right word—tucked away on the far wall that caught her attention.
On tentative feet, she moved closer. “Oh my God,” she whispered. With an excited glance over her shoulder, she shook her head. “How did you get a hold of a 2006 Ferrari F1?”
Gabe’s stunned expression indicated she’d surprised him twice in a matter of minutes. He moved closer and caught her hips with his hands. “I think you may be my perfect woman.”
Livvy laughed, but as his face fell serious, so did hers. He moved slowly until their lips were almost touching, then a groan eased from his throat. His mouth covered hers, softly at first, but then harder, more insistent. Livvy went along with it as desire powered through her, making her knees tremble and her head spin.
When Gabe pulled back, his neck was flushed, his gaze intense. He lifted her hands to his mouth and kissed the back of each one. “I want you,” he said. “But I understand if it’s too soon. I’m more than prepared to wait.”
“I don’t want to wait,” Livvy said, surprising herself more than Gabe.
He hesitated for the briefest moment before Livvy found herself being towed out of the garage. She had to jog to keep up with him, but as they reached the bottom of the winding staircase in the center of Gabe’s home, he bent his knees and swept her up into his arms.
Livvy repressed a surprised squeal as Gabe took off up the stairs. On the top floor, at the end of the corridor, he kicked open a door, and Livvy found herself in what had to be Gabe’s bedroom.
“Are you sure?” he whispered as he placed her feet on the floor. He flicked her hair over her shoulder, his fingers lightly brushing her neck, sending delicious shivers over every vertebra in her spine.
Unable to find her voice, she simply nodded.
He pulled her into his arms, his mouth seeking hers. His tongue surged inside, tangling with her own. Sure and steady fingers snaked beneath her T-shirt. He gripped the hem and, breaking their kiss, tugged it over her head. His eyes fell on her breasts, the soft swells peeking over the top of cream lace. He groaned as he buried his face between them, his thumbs b
rushing the stiff peaks of her nipples through the satin. A sharp spike of desire curled within Livvy’s abdomen, and she clamped her thighs together to relieve the sweet agony.
He sank to his knees and unlaced her boots, removing them one at a time before tossing them to one side. Her socks followed. He reached up and unfastened the button on her shorts, yanked down the zipper, then slowly peeled them down her legs.
In partial disbelief at what was happening, Livvy stepped out of them as Gabe slowly got to his feet. He must have recognized her semi-paralyzed state because he undressed himself until, like her, he was naked except for his underwear. Her gaze swept over him. She’d been right. He was a man who took care of himself. She wanted to sink to her knees and lick every single ridged muscle in his abdomen, but unfortunately, she was too damned scared, too frozen, and too bloody English.
His hands were warm and comforting as he led her to the enormous bed, which overlooked the backyard and the Hollywood hills visible behind the house. He encouraged her to lie down.
Livvy let her head sink into pillows so soft, they felt like clouds beneath her. In a dreamlike state, she closed her eyes as Gabe kissed her mouth, her shoulder, and the dip of her cleavage. Her bra loosened around her chest, then her breasts were bare. But as he went to remove her panties, panic bubbled up inside Livvy. Her mouth filled with saliva, and her heart rate spiked.
“No,” she mumbled, but he mustn’t have heard her, or he was lost in his own desires because his lips continued to blaze a trail over her body.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he muttered, but when the tip of his tongue traced her C-section scar, Livvy lost it.
“No,” she yelled. Her legs scrambled beneath her as she shot backward, curling her knees to her chest. She wrapped her arms around them. Her back was ramrod straight against the headboard, and her chest rose and fell with the effort of breathing through her panic.
Gabe held his hands out in front of him as though calming a startled mare. “It’s okay, Livvy. You’re in control. Nothing needs to happen.”
Embarrassment swept over her in waves. He’d asked her if she was sure, and she’d said yes. At the time, she thought she was, but the intimacy of feeling his tongue against the scar that had allowed her dead child to be removed from her womb… it was all too much.
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