A few minutes later, he was surprised to find the apartment dark when he entered. Nick stopped short. He’d grown used to coming home and side-stepping over her kicked-off heels right here. In just a short time, he’d made a habit of lining her shoes up under the little entry table only to later find them gone, and replaced by another pair the next day. But there were no shoes on the floor tonight. He turned and looked at her closed bedroom door.
Though the apartment was silent still he couldn’t reset going over and giving her door a knock. Nothing. Walking back and dropping his things on the kitchen counter, Nick noticed for the first time how stifling the apartment was. He made his way to the old air conditioner and cranked it on. It gave a knock and then a sputter and went dead. Nick’s brows drew together as he turned it off, then on again to dead silence. Damn, where was Gabby? She’d know what to do. He gave the machine a hard tap as he’d seen her do, and it kicked to life with a low, satisfying rumble.
“To hell with this. It’s too hot,” he mumbled. Tomorrow he’d spring for a new unit. Call it a cost-of-living expense.
Nick slowly turned around, taking in the feel of the apartment without Gabby there. He didn’t like it. He wondered where she was, and it pricked at him deep under his skin. It was near eleven and he rarely beat her home. Maybe she was out to dinner or something. It wasn’t like she owed him an explanation. Though an explanation would have been nice. A text, a bat signal, anything.
Nick went to the fridge, his newfound irritation suddenly making him hungry. Shit, he should have picked up a sandwich at the bodega. He hadn’t eaten since lunch. Searching the fridge and freezer, he found a small plastic bowl of her curry from that first meal. His lips curled in further irritation as he pulled it out, popped the lid, and gave the frozen block a sniff. Still good. He let out a long breath as he felt his dick instantly jump to attention at the reminder of that night. Damn her, just a whiff of curry, and he was already getting hard.
Frustrated, he pushed some buttons on the microwave, then made his way into his bedroom to take a cool shower.
• • •
Gabby was done. She hobbled up the block from the bus stop, weaving her way through the crowds of people out on their stoops hoping to grab a bit of breeze through the mostly static and stale air. Shifting the weight of the garment bag she was holding, she now regretted turning down Sam’s offer to pay for a cab home. Once again her friend had accused her of being stubborn and having trouble taking help, but it was her way. She didn’t like being beholden to anyone, which just made her feel less than. She carried enough extra baggage, both literally and figuratively. No need to pile it on.
But on this small point of a cab, Sam had probably been right. The plastic of the bag was sticking against her now-sweaty arms and her tote was digging hard into her shoulder, no doubt leaving a mark.
Pausing in front of her building she let out a sigh. It would be good to get upstairs and kick off her shoes. She hoped the elevator was working properly. At this point, all she wanted to do was put her feet up, slip her copy of Love Actually in the DVD player, drool over Colin Firth, and yell at the screen every time that cute Natalie was ridiculously called chubby for reasons she could never fathom. Between that and putting the finishing touches on Sam’s dress so she could try it on again next week, she would be a happy camper.
She sincerely hoped she hadn’t put Sam off with all her sullen talk tonight. She knew she shouldn’t have taken Sam up on that drink or let the questions about Nick get to her, making her think about the past and all that crap she should forget. It was wading in murky water and got her all melancholy.
Normally, Gabby was content to be the happy-go-lucky best friend. She was truly thrilled for Sam, and for Steve, too, but their lives changing so drastically had made Gabby realize she was stuck in the slow lane while they were whizzing by in the high-speed one. And no matter how she tried she never seemed to break out of that lane. Well, it was time to step up and get it together and start putting her actions where her mouth was. With all her bullshit talk about being strong and a go-getter, maybe it was finally time for her to go and to get.
The elevator jerked to a stop and Gabby got off full of newfound determination. She shuffled her bags once again and went to put her key in the lock, pausing a moment as she got her game face on. Seeing the light coming from under the threshold and hearing the whirling of the air conditioner, she took a long inhale before turning the key. Beyond the door was yet another reminder of the lanes and her place in them. Nick, and his fast-talking, good looks and upward freaking mobility at the side of his perfect, rich, socialite girlfriend. It was high time she stepped on the gas, and passed him by.
Gabby turned the key and made her way in. The first thing to hit her was the smell—warm, spicy curry—and the second was the view. Nick looking up at her from the kitchen counter, wearing just a towel was enough to make her mouth drop, her stomach backflip, and her nipples stand at attention. She broke out in a sweat that had nothing to do with the record heat.
Despite her eyes being drawn to those ridiculous ridged abs of his, Gabby tried to compose herself. What was she just telling herself not thirty seconds before about putting him in the past? “I thought the house dress rules were clear, but do I have to post a “no shirt, no service” policy somewhere?”
Nick looked up from where he was finishing his bowl of curry and gave Gabby a glare. “Very funny. I thought since you weren’t home it didn’t make all that much of a difference. What, you have a hot date with your dance partner from the club?”
Gabby paused, trying to figure out what he was referring to and then had to roll her eyes as it dawned on her. She inwardly smiled, a feeling of satisfaction blooming with his comment. So he had noticed that Tall and Dark from Steve’s party had asked for her number after their dance. Not that he’d called, but it was nice that he asked and better still that Nick noticed.
But then Gabby’s lips twisted. Nick noticing wasn’t supposed to matter. He was in her rearview mirror. She gave a shrug and stomped into the apartment, kicking off her shoes in the hall. Let that be the answer to his question. It was more than he deserved being MIA himself all week. Nick gave a cough and she looked up at him then kicked her heels further under the foyer table. She saw the corner of his mouth quirk up, which piqued her temper even more.
“You know what? It’s late and I am too tired to give a damn. I’m going to take a shower and then veg out to some reality TV. You can walk around naked tonight for all I care.”
He gave a snort. “I wouldn’t challenge me if I were you, Miss Russell.”
“Screw you, Mister Ross,” she said over her shoulder but could have sworn she heard him chuckle and say something glib as she closed her bedroom door on his retreating voice.
• • •
Nick watched Gabby’s departing backside, swallowing down on his smile and taking rein of his temper. So that had had gone well. Although he couldn’t for his life figure out why he’d brought up that guy from the club. And what did it matter what she did with her time or who she dated? Because you want her, came the voice in his head. He did and it burned him up.
He was so glad to see her coming in with garment bags looking like she had in fact not been out on a date. Maybe she’d just worked late—though now that Steve had filled him in a bit about that ass from her job that did little to relieve his anxiety. It could be that she was out shopping with friend. Yeah, that had to be it. He afforded himself a slight smile as relief washed over him. Just the thought of someone else tasting those delicious lips tonight had him going crazy. Before she’d walked in, he’d practically been pacing a hole in the floor, his mind racing as he worried over where she might be.
Gabby’s door suddenly opened and Nick looked her way just in time to catch the simmering look she shot him. He narrowed his own eyes and let a cooling breath out through his nose. Hmm, if she kept that up he’d need another cold shower. He noticed that over her arm she had a change of clothes a
nd felt himself growing hard under his towel thinking of what she’d come out wearing after her shower. Or would she take a bath tonight? He grinned again at the thought.
She cocked her head to the side and her brows drew together. “What’s going on with you? Why are you looking at me like that?”
He blinked and swallowed. “Sorry. I was just thinking of something else. My mind was wandering, to work and all.”
Her eyes went hard and she shook her head. He knew she saw right through him. It was a good thing he hadn’t bought those flowers. She probably would have beaten him with them. Thorny side up. This first encounter was more awkward than he thought. Just as he was about to open his mouth and say he was sorry for making her uncomfortable, she lowered those hardened eyes, twisted those pretty lips, turned on those luscious legs, and slammed the bathroom door in his face.
• • •
Seeing Nick at the kitchen counter standing there as he was, all smoldering and cocky, got to her. Got her even hotter and more bothered than the long ride uptown on the bus in the sweltering heat had. And even worse, got her way hotter than a bad dance with Tall and Dark or any sample closet time with Dono ever could. And damn it, it pissed her off to no end.
To her he was like a fuse on the end of an explosive that never got to go off. Gabby took her hands and soaped between her legs, hoping to cool her rapidly heating skin. But her mind all too quickly and way too easily jumped to how good it would feel to have Nick’s hands replace her own. She tightened her thighs together as the thought of him coming into the bathroom like he did on that first morning, all dark and large and imposing. Thoughts of his muscular figure and tight, firm ass sent her heart skittering as she bit her lip with the sudden desire to take a bite. Leaning back she let the water run down her hair over her breasts and stomach, down in between her legs as heat coiled and she grew warm and liquid with the thought of him. She reached out, clutching at the tiles, the water not doing nearly enough to cool her down.
Her eyes shot open. This was nuts. She needed to ease this ache. She couldn’t go on living like this and not go mad. If she could only get rid of this tension maybe she could relax. Let loose some and then move on once and for all.
Gabby let her hands travel south once again as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the tiles. She heard a chair scrape in the distance and her head came up as her hands stilled. Shit. What was she doing? What if he heard her? The pompous ass had probably planned tonight’s setup from the start, figured after all the time that had passed since their last encounter on the couch she’d be getting good and desperate. Gabby growled to herself and pulled her hand away from between her legs. She’d done fine this long without him, and she’d last the rest of her life doing the same. She was an independent woman, and she sure as hell didn’t need Nicholas Ross to get off. She had a decent imagination and cable for that.
And a matter of fact, she vowed as she stepped out of the shower, she didn’t need Nick for a dammed thing.
Too bad that declaration came at the exact moment she stepped on a wet spot and slipped, falling hard on her naked ass. As if on cue, the lights went out.
Holy hell.
“Nick!”
Chapter 10
“Are you all right?”
“Close your eyes!”
“What does it matter? It’s dark as all hell in here. Besides, it’s not like I haven’t seen it all before.” Nick’s could feel the tension in his own voice and fought to tamp it down. She didn’t need him panicking.
“Well it’s not like I’m inviting you to see it all again, so get to shutting them, okay? As a matter of fact I’m fine. So shut the door,” Gabby said.
Honestly, he was thankful to find her being her usual cantankerous wisecracking self, but there was no way he was walking away with her spread out and possibly hurt on the floor. Despite what he’d said, the moonlight coming though the bathroom window outlined her naked form so that he could make it out well enough. He forced himself to focus and saw her looking up at him with what he thought were squinting eyes and a pained expression. “Are you hurt, Gab?” he asked.
She shook her head as he knelt down in the small confines, careful to adjust the towel that he was still wearing. “I don’t know. Just my behind, I guess, and my pride.” She choked back a sob as she tried to shift and his heart began to pick to speed. “And maybe my ankle,” she added.
“Oh hell. Don’t move,” Nick ordered.
“I’m on the floor and naked. I have to do something here. This is not exactly my best position.”
It was then they heard a loud bang, followed by a crash and the sound of sirens and chaos from outside. They looked up, wide eyes catching in the moonlight.
“Shit,” Nick said, reaching up to the rack and pulling down a towel, draping it loosely across her front. He swallowed as he watched her cover the beautiful mounds of her breasts. “I guess the power finally gave out. You think it was our air conditioner that sent the grid over the edge?”
She let out a choked half laugh. “Who knows? It would be evil enough to take out the city. We have worked it to its limit.” She put her hand to the wet floor and attempted to get up, sliding a bit.
“Stop. Must you be so stubborn? Let me. You’ll end up slipping again and kill yourself, then I’ll have Steve out to kill me. Wait. Do you have a flashlight around here?”
She brought her head up, attempting to meet his eyes again. “Yeah, we do. Check in the kitchen under the sink.”
Nick got up carefully and felt his way to the kitchen. He was grateful to find a flashlight and some candles. At least she was resourceful. He knew his bother wasn’t the type to be so prepared. He lit a candle in the main room, hit the flashlight, and made his way back to the bathroom.
“Really, you don’t have to,” Gabby said, still from her little spot on the floor. Looking at her by the light of the flashlight he paused, his heart constricting a bit. She looked like she had had it. Like this day had done her in, and slipping and landing on the floor was just the cherry on the top of an already shitty cake. The exhausted look in her eyes made him feel like he was finding a survivor after a natural disaster. Albeit a gorgeous, naked, and sexy survivor, but a survivor all the same. Her wet curls clung to her face and neck then flowed down her rounded shoulders. The towel was now draped around her tightly, pushing her breasts closer together, sending the ample globes up and out. And her knees were locked tight, her ankles spread apart haphazardly sort of like a rag doll. But still, her luscious thighs could not be contained by the cream towel, and her curves there spilled out. It took all Nick’s strength for him not to drop the flashlight and fall to his knees to worship at the altar of her hips.
Gabby looked down, her lashes sweeping her cheeks, and then looked back up at him, the full on defiance back in her eyes. “I can make it on my own, you know. You don’t have to worry about me.”
Nick shook his head and let out a frustrated sigh. She really did have to control it all. Without a word, he sat the flashlight down on the back of the sink so that the light illuminated upward to the ceiling. He then leaned down and reached around Gabby, blocking out any sputtering protests that she was uttering in his ears. He slipped one arm under hers around her naked back, lifting her to her feet. Her protests died in a sudden hush as she came to standing and had to now fight the battle of keeping her naked body covered with the small towel with one hand, while holding onto him with the other and keeping weight off her ankle.
“You know, you can let the towel go. Like I said it’s not like I haven’t seen it all before, darling.”
She shot him a glare and shoved her body away from his. “Don’t push it, Nick. I told you, I’m not inviting you to see it again. Ever.”
She stared at him hard and he gave her a grin to break the tension that was bubbling over into what he could sense was anger with her embarrassment at having to accept his assistance and added a waggle of his eyebrows. “We’ll see about that,” he said, with a p
layful laugh.
But she gave him a not-so-playful shove. “Oh screw you. I’ve got it. I can make my own way.”
But she didn’t have it. Pivoting on the ball of her bad foot, she winced and had to come forward into his arms again, the towel slipping and falling, as he circled an arm around her waist. He was almost knocked over by the power of it. Gabrielle naked and wet and against his body. His cock instantly stood at attention and his own towel threatened to fall as her breasts collided with his chest. The smell of her body heat mixed with her honeyed shampoo tickled his nose.
“Ouch,” she hissed out.
Nick forced himself to focus on the task at hand. But damn it was hard since all the blood was being pulled from his head to the lower half of his body and now he had the task of walking for two. Gabby pushed away from him to pull her towel up. “I just need to make it to my room.”
“What you need is to get to bed.”
She looked at him, cocking a brow and then pushed away again, attempting to take another step.
“Oh, Miss Russell, you are a feisty one.” With that, Nick stepped in front of her and slipped a hand under her knee and then around her back. Lifting her, he was satisfied to hear her suck in a surprised breath.
“I could have made it just fine.”
He looked down at her, trying his best to ignore the delicious curve of her ass as it was currently snuggled against his groin, and the feel of her flesh, soft and warm in his hands. He knew she could have made it to her bedroom. The apartment wasn’t all that big, the hallway not all that long, but he’d wanted her in his arms, and if he had to use this as an excuse to get her there, then damn it he would.
Threads Of Desire (Creative Hearts Book 3) Page 10