“Bend your knees,” Gabe said, handing her the board. She glared at him, acting like it was so easy when he hadn’t even attempted it himself.
She kicked back to where the class was and climbed up on the board again. Hey, this wasn’t that hard. She was much steadier on the board now. She glanced down to see Gabe was holding the board for her.
“Bend those knees,” he said.
She did. He let go. The next wave came barreling down and her board went up and over. “Woo-hoo!” she hollered, splashing right into the next wave and toppling over.
An hour later, Zoe had managed to surf a series of three-foot waves. “I’m feeling the waves!”
Gabe threw back his head and laughed. She surfed for an hour, until the next class arrived.
“That was amazing!” she exclaimed as they got out of the pool.
Gabe smiled. “You looked like you were having a good time.”
They grabbed a couple of towels to dry off. “I can’t wait to surf in the ocean next!”
Gabe raised a skeptical brow. “We should start out in some small waves.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Go get changed. You want to eat out or get takeout for dinner?”
“I should get back to Fred.”
“Takeout it is.”
A short while later, Zoe was behind the wheel of a Porsche for the first time in her life. Unfortunately, it was a stick shift, which was much harder than Gabe had let on. Even with Gabe coaching her, she stalled out several times and ground the gears before getting off to a fast start, only to stall at the first traffic light.
“Pull over,” Gabe said between his teeth.
She started it again and pulled in a herky-jerky way to the shoulder. The car stalled again on the shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“No, no, it’s okay,” Gabe said in the voice of a saint. “I’ll teach you to drive a stick another time. Just not on Nico’s car. Believe me, he’ll notice if the gears are ground down. Let’s switch.”
They did a quick run around the car, and Zoe slipped into the passenger seat again. Gabe took off.
“At least I get to ride in it,” Zoe said, enjoying the power and speed of the car.
When they got back home, Gabe turned to her. “Stop by whenever you’re ready.”
“I’m going to feed Fred and let him run in your yard a bit before I bring him back in.”
“You can bring him with you.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Gabe, last time he ate your cell phone.”
“I’ll get some baby gates for next time. That way we can confine him to a safe area.”
She stared at him for a moment. He was being so accommodating of her fur baby, even after Fred had ruined his phone. Her heart melted.
“You’re so sweet,” she said.
“I’m really not.”
She shook her head, kissed him on the cheek, and left to check on Fred.
~ ~ ~
When Zoe rang the bell at Gabe’s place a short while later, Fred already back to napping at her place, she felt a very different vibe right away. Gabe let her in and stared at her for a long moment, taking her in from head to toe in her simple sweater and jeans—and it was far from boy next door. It was more like a rip-your-clothes-off-and-have-my-way-with-you look. Something he’d kept hidden behind a friendly smile, until now.
“What are we having?” she asked brightly.
He put his hand on the small of her back, burning a hole right through her thin sweater as he guided her into the kitchen. “You decide.”
She sat at the kitchen island, and he handed her a bunch of menus. They ordered Chinese, and then Gabe took the seat next to her. He turned her swivel seat and put his feet on the bottom rung of the chair so his leg was between hers. His knee pressed lightly on the inside of her knee, heating it.
“Zoe?”
She met his eyes and heated all over again because she saw it clearly now. He was the lusty panther closing in on its prey. And she was really not supposed to be hooking up with her landlord again. Or shark men. Oh-h-h, and the timing was bad. She could be leaving as soon as two weeks if she went on Next American Voice. Not my lima bean, not my lima bean.
“What?” she asked softly.
“You seem nervous,” said the shark to the minnow.
“Not at all!” she chirped.
His dark blue eyes burned into hers. “We had a good time today. I mean, it seemed like you did. I know I did.”
“Me too.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
She sighed. “I really need a lima bean.”
His brows shot up in confusion. “Lima bean?”
“I mean, you know, a good-for-you kind of guy wa-a-ay down the line.” She nodded vigorously. “Keep calm and eat vegetables. That’s my motto. All that good-for-you stuff.”
His leg gently pressed against hers, spreading her legs wider. She felt herself flush.
“Zoe, can I be your lima bean?”
She giggled because he looked so darn sincere. “I don’t know. Are you good for me?”
He leaned closer. “I could be very good…to you.”
She wanted to turn from his unnerving gaze, but she couldn’t untangle herself from his legs easily. “I’m sure you lure in a lot of women with your smooth talk.”
“This is the first time I’ve tried the vegetable thing. Is it working?”
She thought for a suitable comeback to let Gabe know for sure that it was not working, no way, no how was she lusting for him, her landlord, no matter how good looking, how sexy, how…sweet he was. And she was leaving soon. Her next gig was just around the corner. Her big break. It would happen. She’d make it happen. Or, if she absolutely had to, she’d do that stupid show out in L.A., which she had to commit to in a week if she was going to do it.
She opened her mouth and nothing came out.
His long warm fingers stroked her cheek. “Let me be your lima bean.”
Without waiting for her reply, he kissed her gently. He pulled back, gazed into her eyes, and she knew she’d lost the battle. The attraction was too strong, the temptation too great. She grabbed his head and kissed him breathless as her answer.
When she let him up for air, one corner of his mouth quirked up. “I’m sensing a yes.”
“Yes,” she said. “But I might be leaving soon.”
He gave her a quick kiss and grinned. The dimple in that stubbled cheek appeared again, making her feel all swoony. “But you’re here now. You play pool?”
She smiled. “I’ve been known to play.”
He raised a brow. “You any good?”
“I’m terrible. Interested?”
He smiled wolfishly. “Very.”
Hot tingles ran through her. “Care to make it even more interesting?”
“Strip pool?”
She sputtered. “I meant a wager.”
“Loser strips?”
“Um…” She flushed and looked away.
He took her hand. “I’m teasing. You want to bet five dollars? I’ll let you break.”
“Make it a hundred. I need a new dress.”
“I’ll take you shopping.”
Her jaw dropped. “A guy who shops? No way.”
“I would love to if I got to see you model the dresses.” His slow, wicked smile made her hot and nervous at the same time.
“You’re doing that teasing thing again,” she said.
His hands stroked the outside of her legs from her knees up to her hips, where they rested, holding her firmly. “Not really. Will you let me buy you a new dress?”
Her eyes widened. “You want to buy it? I thought you were just going to shop with me.”
“I’ll do both.”
“You’ll shop and…P.S. this sounds like a boyfriend thing.”
“That’s exactly what it is. Say yes.”
She studied him—his dimple, those stubbled cheeks, sparkling blue eyes. “Yes.”
“I love when you say yes.” He kissed her again and then
once more. “And I’m looking forward to our game of strip pool.”
She leaned back, though she couldn’t go far with his hands on her hips and his legs entwined with hers. “I never agreed to strip pool. Just regular pool. For money.”
“Sure, sure.” He smiled like he knew something she didn’t.
“No stripping,” she said. “Got it? I will not be stripping.”
“Agreed,” he said quickly.
Which had her wondering if Gabe would be stripping. Would that be so bad? She’d seen him without his shirt and that had been a very nice view. She glanced down to where his jeans were bulging and heard his soft chuckle. Face flaming, she jerked her eyes up to his.
“You’re enjoying teasing me, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Little bit.”
“Hmph.” She crossed her arms, but then he kissed her again, and she couldn’t remember why any of this was a bad idea. Her arms stole around his neck of their own accord, feeling the silky hair at the nape of his neck. Long moments later, he pulled away, standing and walking clear across the kitchen.
“We’d better set the table,” he said from a great distance. “The food should be here soon.”
She tried not to pout. He was a really good kisser, and she wasn’t ready to stop yet.
“Of course,” she said in an even tone. She watched him getting the plates from the cabinet. “No problem at all for me,” she added.
He turned, plates in hand. “I’m being a gentleman.” At her silence, he added, “I’m being your lima bean.”
She burst out laughing. “Lima beans are terrible.”
~ ~ ~
A short while later, they ate at the kitchen island. Gabe was unusually quiet, and she found herself babbling to fill the silence, telling him all about her customers at Garner’s.
When they finished their meal, she stood to help clear, but he put a hand on her arm. “That can wait. Let’s play pool.”
They headed to his finished basement, where a pool table took center stage. A fully stocked bar was on one side. The other half of the basement had been made into a small home theater with six reclining seats.
Gabe headed for the bar. “What can I get you? I’ve got beer, wine, whiskey, vodka, and the fixings for…piña colada. My little brother Angel’s fault we’ve got piña colada. He’s got a sweet tooth.”
“Do you have any cranberry juice?”
He bent to look in a small refrigerator. “I do.”
“I’ll take vodka and cranberry.”
Gabe produced a small can of cranberry juice, fixed her drink, and poured himself a whiskey. She took a sip and sputtered. “That’s strong.” It tasted like mostly vodka, and there was no ice. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”
“I never said I was great at mixing drinks. You can doctor it how you like.” He gestured to the bar, but he was already racking the balls up. “You break.”
Zoe quickly decided to go with it and instead focused on the pool table. She’d spent years singing in bars and clubs and knew her way around a pool table. She grabbed a cue and slammed those balls. A solid thunked into the corner pocket.
“I guess you’re solids,” Gabe said, unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt.
She swallowed hard at the sight of golden skin and a smattering of chest hair. She took another sip of cranberry vodka that she was beginning to suspect was just vodka with a splash of cranberry. “Um, what are you doing?”
He unbuttoned the cuffs and rolled the sleeves up, revealing muscular forearms that she remembered oh-so-well from their surf lesson. “Gotta be loose to play pool.”
“Oh.” For a minute there, she thought he was going to strip. Not that there was anything wrong with that. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more watching him strip seemed like a very good idea. He had a beautiful chest. And shoulders. And back. And…everything.
They played in companionable silence for a while. Gabe got them both another drink. Zoe was feeling super good, a nice buzz, and kicking his ass in pool. She was going to have that dress in no time. Then she went for an impossible shot and sank the eight ball.
“Guess I have to strip,” Gabe pronounced. He looked to her for agreement. That was ass backwards. She lost, so she should strip, but since she’d never agreed to it, maybe it was his turn to strip.
She ran her hands through her hair, feeling loose and free. “I thought we were betting for money?”
He pulled out his wallet, folded a twenty-dollar bill through his long fingers, and set it on the side of the pool table. She stared at the money. Somehow it didn’t appeal to her as much as the idea of Gabe stripping. She took another sip of vodka. She looked down, surprised to see she’d finished the second glass.
“Hmm,” she said. “Just a little stripping.”
A ghost of a smile crossed his face before he took off his shirt. He was all golden skin and muscles, and the urge to lick and nibble that chest thrummed powerfully through her.
Zoe slapped a hand over her eyes and veered unsteadily to the side. “Put your shirt back on?”
“Is that a question?”
She peeked through her fingers. Still gorgeous. “No? You don’t seem like a lima bean?”
He took her hand off her eyes. “Says who?”
Her breathing hitched, and she caved, placing her palms on that gorgeous chest. “Everyone?”
“You have a lot of questions,” he said, letting her hands roam all over his pecs and that beautiful skin radiating heat. Beautiful. Sexy. Crazy.
She felt his voice rumble in his chest as he spoke. “I only want to hear one answer from you—yes.”
“Hmm?” she asked absently as her hands roamed over defined abs. She glanced down to his happy trail leading to a bulge that promised so much more. She suddenly felt overheated, but she couldn’t stop touching him.
His hand cupped her cheek. “Say yes, Zoe.”
She tore her gaze from his bulge and met his burning eyes. She had no idea what they were talking about anymore, but it suddenly seemed important to do as he’d asked. “Yes.”
His lips met hers in a gentle kiss that made her greedy for more. She pressed herself against him and let herself explore that wonderful mouth, pressing closer and tasting. He groaned and gripped her hair while he devoured her. His hands roamed up and down her back then slid to her ass, where he fit her against him. She was lost in sensation and her mind went blank, surrendering to it. Long moments later, he broke the kiss and gazed down at her.
“Another game of strip pool?” he asked, his hand still tucked firmly on her ass.
“Um…” She licked her lips and tried to think. Her mind was fuzzy. He nipped her bottom lip, released her, and racked up the balls again. She leaned against the table for support.
She was super-dee-duper vodka happy, which was probably why the only thing she could seem to focus on were his muscles flexing and bunching as he moved around the pool table. “Probably not—hmm.”
Gabe broke and watched the balls scatter. He shot the seven toward the corner pocket and missed. “I’m not really your landlord, so you can get that out of your head.”
“You’re not?” She took her shot, missed, and frowned at the errant ball.
“You’re not paying me rent,” Gabe said.
She tilted her head to the side, got dizzy, and straightened up. “But I will pay you rent.” She was super happy with that comeback. “So you are my landlord.”
He took his shot, and her hands were itching to run up and down that muscled back. He sank two balls.
He turned to her with that slow, sexy shark smile that said he ate women like her for a tasty snack. “I’m your lima bean, beautiful.”
“Ga-abe,” she sang. She couldn’t resist wrapping her arms around him from behind because he’d called her beautiful, and he was beautiful too, and she’d never noticed men’s backs were so lovely. She kissed his shoulder. “Thank you. I’m paying rent, though. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
He turned and sank the eight ball. “Damn. I lost. Should I strip more, or should you?”
Her gaze immediately went to his bulging jeans. She swallowed. “Um…” She met his heated gaze; his breathing coming a little harder. “I think, maybe, you?”
He undid the jeans button and took a slow trip down on the zipper. She throbbed. The jeans dropped, and he stood there in black briefs tented over a massive erection. She didn’t have to think twice. She leaped at him, and he caught her as she kissed him frantically. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and kissed him like she’d never kissed anyone, hungrily, greedily, like she would die if she didn’t get more.
She tore her mouth from his. “Upstairs?”
He groaned and set her down.
“What?” She shoved her hands in her hair and stumbled backward. “What’s wrong?”
He gave her his back and pulled his jeans on. “I’d better walk you home.”
No! The disappointment was like ice water dumped on her. “Why?”
“Because,” he said tersely.
“But I want you,” she pouted.
He groaned. “I’m trying to do the right thing here.”
“You’re a damn tease, Gabe Reynolds!” She turned and marched upstairs.
He caught up with her and helped her into the coat she was struggling mightily to get into. The damn sleeve wasn’t cooperating. It was broken or something.
“I want to see you again,” he said, slipping her arm into the sleeve. “Soon.”
“Why? So you can tease me with your muscles and kisses and then kick me out again?”
“Shh, don’t be mad.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the side of her neck. She sighed and tilted her head. “I like you a lot.” He kissed a hot trail down to her collarbone. “I just…got a little carried away. You’re drunk, so we should wait.”
Restless Harmony Page 9