Threads Of Desire (Creative Hearts Book 3)

by K. M. Jackson

  Gabby picked up her needle and threaded it again, stabbing it through the cloth.

  • • •

  Hours later, as the light starting to dim, Gabby carefully packed up Sam’s dress. Working with the needle to hand-stitch the embroidery had given her some ideas on a few shapes for a collection, and she wanted to quickly get them down and sketch for a bit before trying to rustle up something for dinner. She couldn’t believe it was going on a full twenty-four hours and the blackout was still going on. She wondered if Nick had any news on his iPad.

  Gabby tugged at her tight knit shorts and straightened her tank as she walked out into the living room. Though Nick wasn’t suited up in his armor, Gabby could sense that he was falling back into his own world sitting at the kitchen counter in his basketball shorts and tank with his iPad, he was surrounded by papers and files. He looked up at her over his black-framed glasses, and her heart did that annoying flip thing that made her inwardly grimace. She needed to get a freaking handle on that. It wasn’t a good look at all.

  “Hey there. You coming up for air?” His voice was thick and smoky and made her think of a decadent meal. It got her hungry in all sorts of ways. Shit, what was wrong with her? How much sex could one person have in the course of a day?

  Gabby walked over to the counter and looked down. It was all figures and numbers and lines on papers. Her eyes threatened to cross. She looked back up at him. “I am a bit. But I want to do some sketching too so I’m torn with the whole light situation. You hear anything about the power.”

  Nick looked down at his device and swiped at the screen. His brows drew together. “Nothing new. Just that it’s a malfunction at two Con-Ed power stations—one all the way downtown and one in the Bronx, so we are screwed. If we were off the island, we’d be golden.

  Gabby snorted, thinking of Dono’s invite. “Yeah, so I’ve heard.”

  Nick looked up at her and frowned. “When did you hear?”

  “I just had an invite.” She grinned at him. “I’ve got friends, you know.” He narrowed his gaze on her, looking from her lips up to her eyes then back down to her lips again. “Hmm, I bet you do. I’m so glad you’re still here with me though.”

  The tone of his voice made Gabby shimmer from the inside out. She looked back down, fighting the urge to blush. On one of the papers she saw a name she recognized: Sutton Industries. “So that’s your big deal right now?”

  Nick curled one lip up. “Yeah, they are.”

  “Hey, that’s great! Don’t look so down. That’s pretty huge. They were big.”

  He raised his brow. “Were being the operative word.”

  She walked around him and went over to the pantry looking for something to cook on the stovetop. Pickings were slim and honestly she was scared to open the fridge after it being off for so many hours. She looked back at Nick. “Well they still are. Their name is legendary and they make great quality clothes. I’d buy their things if they sold my size.” She let out a puff of air.

  Nick’s eyes raked over her curves. “I don’t see why they don’t. You’d class them up.”

  She snorted and turned away, bending over to a low cabinet. Gabby could feel his hot gaze on her backside. “You’d be surprised at how many mainstream companies don’t share your view.” She came up with a can of unappealing beans and banged it down on the counter. She shrugged. “It’s their loss. Which is why I make most of my own clothes. If I left it up to the mainstream fashion world, I’d be tipping around in brightly patterned circus muumuus, winter or summer. As if because we’re bigger we’re not supposed to want something fashionable. Like we’re not supposed to be seen as sexy.”

  He cocked his head to the side and studied her critically. “Well for one, you’re not big or fat. You’re just not ultra skinny, for which I’m eternally grateful. And as for sexy, woman, that is not a question. It’s all good to me.” His eyes went all low and she could tell he was reliving their earlier bedroom antics.

  She shook her head. “Tell that to my ‘lose thirty pounds’-spouting doctor.”

  Nick’s eyes went wide and got a worried expression. “Are you sick? At risk of heart disease or something?”

  “No, nothing like that. I’m just not sitting pretty in the middle on his target chart so he wants this ass smaller. I get it, but where it’s going I don’t know. If I see another beet or piece of lettuce I may throw up—which I know the doctor also wouldn’t approve of. It’s all bullshit. “

  Nick looked at her then shook his head. “You losing thirty pounds would be a crime against nature and humanity.” His frown deepened, and he picked up one of his papers then put it down and flipped through some more. “Are you sure Sutton Industries doesn’t carry a plus-sized line? It’s not like they don’t dabble in everything else.”

  She shrugged. “Who knows? If they do, it’s just more of the same. Most who carry plus lines don’t know what the hell they’re doing, so they farm it out to cheap private label makers who deal in inferior fabrics thinking that’s what the larger women will accept. It just pisses me off. It’s what I’ve been fighting for at Zenia. Though their fabrics in the regular line are still crap, too. But at least getting them to take what they have and expand it is a step. It burns me up.” Gabby could feel her blood pressure rising as she talked.

  Nick walked up to her and wrapped his muscular arms around her, his large hands circling her waist and going down to cup her behind. He leaned down and nipped at her bottom lip then came up and smiled at her. “I can see you’re passionate about this. And you’re right. There is no reason for every woman not to be treated special and be made to feel beautiful.”

  Gabby felt warmth spread from her belly and up through her chest, and this time it wasn’t sexual—it was due to his words. It felt good to hear him say she was right. Not that she didn’t already know it, but still, it made her happy to hear he agreed. She let out a breath and gave his bicep a squeeze as she looked up into his eyes. “Thanks,” She raised her eyebrows, unable to resist making light of the heavy moment. “But with that and fifty bucks and some electricity we could know what we’re going to do about dinner—because this can of beans is not going to cut it.”

  He smiled down at her and in that look there was a connection of kinship. With that he leaned low and kissed her, his lips covering hers warm and comforting. He pulled back, leaving her momentarily cold. “I hear you, love. We all got to eat.”

  • • •

  In the end, Nick ventured back out into the real world and found something for dinner. It was amazing how innovative the local restaurants were. It seemed everyone was out grilling something and the variety was vast. It was like a huge block party out there. He returned home with two takeout orders—one of barbeque spare ribs and the other of chicken. He had sides of grilled corn and baked macaroni and cheese with collard greens.

  Gabby took one whiff and was quickly clearing her sketches from the coffee table and lighting some candles to prepare for the setting sun. “Wow, this all smells amazing. You did great. I was worried about you going out there,” she said, pulling down plates from the cabinet. “In my mind, I imagined some scary scene like from a movie where you’d have to run from zombies and hide behind cars.”

  She heard his laughter as she turned around. “It was nothing like that. It was pretty nice out there. It’s starting to cool off, and most people are in a pretty decent mood. You should have come out with me.”

  The idea pulled her up her short. It was strangely way too easy, the way he’d said it. Come out with him like they were some sort of old friends—which they in no way were, despite having spent so much time intertwined these past few hours.

  He took two steps over to her and surprised her yet again with a quick kiss. “Stop with the fucking hard-assed thinking.” He tapped her on her nose. “I already told you I can feel it.”

  She felt herself blush. “Who said I was thinking about anything? Let’s eat.”

  They sat in easy contemplation, she on t
he couch and he on the ottoman, eating dinner off the coffee table by the fading sunlight. The food was delicious and the previous night’s exertions were starting to catch up to Gabby. She couldn’t hold back a yawn. “I’m sorry.”

  Nick smiled in between licking sauce off his fingers. “Don’t worry, I’m not taking it personally. I was wondering when last night and this morning and this afternoon would finally catch up to you. If you didn’t get tired, I’d really be insulted.”

  She had to laugh at that. Actually, Gabby was surprised to find that despite a few awkward moments it was easy to sit with him, to eat with him, even to be naked with him. She did feel comfortable. For once with a guy, her guard wasn’t up. She knew what she was getting with Nick, and it was what it was. He’d already hurt her more than anyone ever could, and she didn’t have to put on a show for him or be something she wasn’t to try to win him over and then let loose and show her true colors later. There was no later; there just was now.

  She gave him a long look. “I think I’m going to go to bed. Do you mind cleaning this up? I’m beat.”

  He nodded. His eyes were soft and warm, glowing in the waning light.

  She gave him a half smile. “Maybe tomorrow things will be back to the way they were.”

  Nick continued to stare, his eyes boring into hers as he shook his head. “I sincerely hope not.”

  Gabby let out a long breath, her voice a whisper on the end. “It’s okay, Nick. You can rest. Your game playing isn’t necessary. This is what it is, and nothing more. I’m under no delusions. I know exactly who I am to you and what tomorrow will bring. All I can say is thank you for making this the best blackout of my life and thanks for some really good meals. Who knew cooking was one of your many talents?” She attempted a smile but stopped when it felt forced. She was too tired and she knew it wasn’t necessary. Gabby got up and leaned down, giving Nick a soft and sticky kiss. It was sweet and tangy. She pulled up but was stopped by his grip on her wrists and an intense, hard look in his eyes. His voice held an edge of steel. “I get that you have every right, but you’re wrong to assume that I’m playing games here. When I say something to you now, Gabby, I’m telling you the truth. You can believe that. I don’t want this weekend to end. I don’t believe it has to.”

  It was as if the world suddenly shifted, and Gabby was afraid she just may fall if she didn’t set herself to rights. She wretched her arms away from Nick and stood up to her full height. She gave him a smile that she knew didn’t meet her eyes. “Goodnight, Nick. Don’t work too long. It will ruin your eyes.”

  Despite her trying to put all sorts of finality to it with that goodnight, Gabby’s eyes fluttered open somewhere around midnight when she felt Nick ease into bed next to her. He kissed her shoulder and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in close to his chest. Every part of her brain told her to fight him. Told her the smart thing to do would be to make the break. Not to actually “sleep” with this man. That regardless of what they had shared, the overnight, the cuddling, the closing your eyes and just letting go was too intimate. But did she listen to her own inner voice? Of course not. Instead she sighed and kicked her buzzkill voice to the back corner of her mind and curled up to sleep the night away with the man who broke her heart and would surely do it again.

  Chapter 17

  Gabby’s orgasm took her by surprise. Not the fact that it came—with Nick she was coming to realize it was inevitable—no, the surprise was how and what happened simultaneously. It was Sunday at 8:43 am, and just at the precise time that her back arched and her legs locked and she once again screeched out Nick’s name, the alarm clock started buzzing, and the stereo and TV began blaring. Yes, fittingly, it seemed the rest of the world was coming to life again right along with her.

  “Holy smokes, you really are incredible,” she said to Nick, who looked up at her with a wicked grin from between her legs as he climbed up and yanked the clock out of the wall with one hand while guiding himself to her center with the other, and cutting off any thought of conversation.

  Gabby was lost; the next time she came to coherency and checked out the time. It was 12:24. She had come twice, slept a bit, and was now dying of thirst. She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes, and once again found herself alone. Damn, Nick was either really stealth or the sex was so amazing that he’d knocked her to unconsciousness. Gabby got up to make her way out of the bedroom contemplating the hard choice between satisfying her thirst and using the bathroom.

  Nick was back by the kitchen counter. He now had his laptop open and looked intent on his work but upon hearing her, he gave her a smile. “I’ve got coffee going.”

  “Thanks. I think I can use some water, but let me go to the bathroom and get cleaned up.”

  The shower was just what she needed to feel human again. The warm water running down her body had her closing her eyes in pleasure. She let out a sigh. So this was it. Weekend over. Time to put her own armor on. Gabby frowned, then startled as the bathroom door opened.

  She looked out behind the curtain and saw Nick drop his shorts. “What are you doing?”

  “I thought you could use a little help with your washing up. Things got tippy the last time you were in here, so I came to give you a hand. Besides, I told you, I can feel you thinking, and woman, you think way too hard.”

  He stepped in behind her and took the washcloth from her hand. Grabbing the soap he started to lather her back in deep, slow motions. He leaned in close to her ear, his erection firm against her behind. “Besides, it’s still only Sunday. The weekend’s not over yet.”

  • • •

  But the weekend did end. And though Gabby knew she should have put a stop to it, she and Nick fell into a routine where they slept together at night, got up and showered together in the morning, and went their separate ways only to meet back up in the evening at home to have dinner. It wasn’t like he called out “Honey, I’m home” each night when he returned from work, but damn if she wasn’t almost ready to meet him at the door wearing her frilly apron and FM heels, and holding a pot roast. She knew she had it bad.

  And bad didn’t begin to describe what was going on at work. The samples that she had ordered for her new line were looking a mess in the only fabrics that Caberrera would sanction. She was fighting tooth and nail to get him to up his price point by mere pennies per garment just to get a little better quality. It was a nightmare. And to top it off the new girl was a royal pain in the ass. Gabby spent more time wondering where Miss Zara was than anything else. The girl could barley be trusted to grab lunch for the two of them without disappearing for two hours, let alone spec a garment.

  Her only saving grace was the fact that at least Samara’s dress was a success. At her last fitting, even her tough mother couldn’t find fault with the design and gave Gabby a reluctant nod of approval. But still it didn’t stop her from worrying about every detail on the garment. She had nightmares of it falling apart as Sam made her way down the aisle.

  There was a knock on Gabby’s open office door and it caused her to look up from the garment she was re-measuring against Zara’s specs. She’d already found errors in the girl’s work and was thoroughly frustrated, since they had a fit model due in the morning.

  “Knock, knock.” At least Dono sounded pleasant.

  “Since when do you knock?” She fought to put some warmth in her voice. It wasn’t his fault that his parents had hired Zara. Besides he’d been nice to her lately. It was as if he’d taken her message to heart and she was glad for it.

  “I’m sorry. I’m just having a day.” She gave him what she hoped was a warm smile. “What’s up?”

  He grinned back at her, those pretty eyes of his going to sparkle. “Well I’m about to make it a lot better.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “Really? You about to help me spec these garments? ‘Cause I can sure use the help.”

  He frowned. “What about Zara?”

  She raised a brow. “Yeah, what about her?”

  Don
o grinned and walked over to her, slipping the tape measure out of her hand. “Well, leave her a note. Because we’re going to lunch.”

  She pulled back. “Dono, I don’t have time for games, and come on, I thought we were past this. I’ve got too much work to do.”

  He grinned. “Gabby, baby, first of all, I’ll never be past you. And second, I don’t play games. This is a business lunch. Your last samples were crap, so we’re meeting a fabric supplier at Venturo’s.”

  “Why doesn’t he come up here if he wants to do business with us?”

  Dono let out a huff. “This guy is old school and this is how it goes. You coming or not? I’m not gonna lie, you being there might help the deal. Let him see those pretty—” his gaze traveled south to her breasts then reluctantly came back up—”eyes of yours, and we just may get the price we need.”

  Gabby gave him a cold hard stare. But she really did need better fabric than the shit that Caberrera’s guys were bringing. It was like it was whatever was falling off the truck that season—and the end of the truck at that. “Fine. Let’s go.”

  • • •

  Gabby walked into Venturo’s and pulled down her skirt, smoothing it over her behind. The old Italian eatery had old school New York garment district written all over it. The décor was simple, with white tablecloths and spotlights on each wide table, so that business could be done before the meal was served. There was also an ample bar with a floor-to-ceiling wall of wine bottles so that said business could flow freely and easily.

  Gabby had heard of lots of deals being made here in the past, jobs being offered, dreams being made, but in this day of emails and texts and IMs, she didn’t think there was actually any big business to still be had here.

  She made her way past a small group holding court at a side banquet. There were two well-dressed younger men flanking either side of a regal older woman. The woman was weighted down with some serious pearls and the cutest vintage pillbox hat that Gabby knew had to be at least forty years old. Her breath caught in her throat when she looked to the side of their party and noticed the broad-shouldered, chocolate-skinned man with sparkling white cuffs and tell-tale suspenders peeking out from his suit jacket. It was Nick. And he was looking dead at her.