GRIT: A Spartan Riders Novel

by J.C. Valentine

  “So do you three have any plans for the evening?”

  Blake glanced up at her father and produced an off-the-cuff offer. “Actually, Ash and I stopped by to ask Gabby out to a movie.”

  “Oh that sounds lovely. Which one?”

  “Chipmunks!” Ash shouted, bouncing in his seat. Then he launched into a lengthy explanation of who they were and what they were about, complete with voice mimicry that had everyone at the table laughing.

  “Why don’t you three head out,” Mrs. Morgan offered as she stood up. “Harold and I will take care of all this.”

  “Are you sure?” Blake asked, cutting off Gabby’s feeble protest. “We could stick around and give you a hand.”

  “Nonsense,” her mother said with a swat of her hand. “Go, have fun. I have a feeling if you keep this little man waiting much longer, he’s bound to leap right out of his skin.”

  The way Ash was fidgeting, Blake didn’t doubt it. “Thank you, Mrs. Morgan.” Holding out his hand to Gabby he said, “Shall we?”

  With narrowed eyes, she ignored his offer and stood on her own. “I’ll be home by ten,” she called over her shoulder as she marched through sliding glass doors and into the house.

  Turning to make sure Ash was set to go, he caught her mother’s eye as she rounded the table, clearing dishes.

  “We won’t wait up,” she stage whispered and patted his arm.

  Blake grinned.

  NINE

  Gabby could just kick Blake for dragging her into this. Chipmunks, that is. How on earth could a person come up with an idea so…so…downright annoying? She shared a look with Blake, whose expression matched her own.

  Well, at least she wasn’t the only one suffering.

  But Ash was enjoying himself. For some reason only children could ever know, he was sucking up every moment, cackling gleefully at the antics of three very loud and obnoxious animated animals.

  Boy, that Alvin really needed a spanking.

  Hopefully, children—and Ash in particular—didn’t pick up on some of the bad behaviors being acted out on-screen. She could imagine some very upset parents.

  Thank heavens she didn’t have any kids herself. She wasn’t entirely certain she had the skillset necessary to counteract all the negative and potentially damaging influences the world heaped on their little shoulders.

  “I’m going to grab another beer,” Blake said softly. “Do you want a refill?”

  To numb the pain? “Absolutely,” she said, holding out her wine glass. He’d been such a sweetheart, insisting on making a special trip to pick up a bottle of her favorite red. Gabby was enjoying navigating Blake’s complex nature.

  He passed her an understanding half-smile that she imagined held a solid dose of apology. If this was considered a first date, he had severely missed the mark.

  Yet, oddly enough, she was somewhat enjoying herself. Even if the movie left much to be desired, just being able to sit back and watch little Ash having the time of his life was worth it. It certainly beat sitting at home grading papers. She garnered enough enjoyment just from watching him to make the experience somewhat manageable. Being able to kick back in the comfort of his home instead of a giant theater was just a bonus. She’d always preferred the intimate setting over a commercial theater.

  The feel of Blake’s heavy arm wrapping around her shoulder broke Gabby from her ruminations. Barely holding back her startled yelp, her heart pounded fiercely as his stubbled cheek grazed hers. The feel of his warm breath tinged with bitter ale took her back to their shared moment of bliss when his lips were on hers, soft and decadent, and she wondered if it was too much to hope for a repeat. When he dangled her full glass in front of her, she took it with a trembling hand.

  “Thank you for this,” he said roughly in her ear.

  “For what?” she whispered, the words barely making it past her lips.

  His chin jerked toward the television. “They’re torture to sit through, but he loves them.”

  “It’s no problem, really. They’re not…that bad.”

  His deep, gruff laugh vibrated against her shoulder, sending tingles of awareness racing across her skin in the form of goose bumps. “Yes, they are.”

  She felt his weight lift away, and a spike of melancholy at the loss drifted through her, but before Gabby could feel its full effects, she felt the touch of his lips against the side of her neck. An electrical storm of need erupted inside of her, lighting up every cell.

  “I promise to make it up to you.”

  And she was damn sure going to make sure he followed through.

  A half-hour later, the blue screen came on and Blake stood up. “All right, buddy, time for bed.”

  Ash, who laid belly down on the carpet, rolled over. “Aw, do I have to? It’s not even bedtime yet.”

  “And when did you learn to tell time again?”

  Ash pursed his lips.

  “Yeah, I thought not. Up and at ‘em. Tell Gabby goodnight then go brush your teeth. I’ll tuck you in in a minute.”

  Rolling to his feet, Ash slumped his shoulders and trudged away mumbling, “Goodnight, Gabby.”

  “’Night, Ash,” she called back with a soft smile. Needing to stretch her legs, she rose from the couch and began gathering the remnants of their pizza dinner. “You’re doing a really good job with him.”

  “You sound surprised,” Blake observed as he led the way into the kitchen carrying a stack of pizza boxes in one hand. Setting them on the counter, he began transferring what was left into plastic bags.

  Dumping their paper plates into the trash, Gabby leaned her hip into the counter and regarded him thoughtfully. “I guess you could say I am surprised. I had a bit of an idea in my head about you, but after seeing how you are with him, I can see that I was wrong. Mostly.”

  Mirroring her stance, Blake leaned back and crossed his feet at the ankles, his arms folding across his broad chest as he stared her down with those hard, steel gray eyes that were as menacing as they were sexy.

  “It seems you had a lot of preconceived notions. Not only about me, but about my men too.”

  She looked away, embarrassed by her behavior and feeling stripped bare by his no-holds-barred approach.

  “I’m glad to see that we’re proving you wrong,” Blake said with a smile in his voice. “Mostly.”

  Gabby didn’t know what to say to that, so she focused on the floor instead. Being in Blake’s home was something she wasn’t entirely prepared for. While it was cozy, his presence alone kept the electricity dancing across her nerve endings, keeping her on alert at all times.

  It was exhausting and thrilling all at once.

  A problem that wasn’t helped when she felt the weight of his stare on her. Lifting her gaze, she was ensnared by his—a heavy, heated stare that left her feeling raw. Twisted. Needy.

  Pushing away from the counter, Blake started toward her, his intent clear. She was reminded of their talk, about how he wanted a woman—wanted her—in his bed. At the very idea, her body responded with a surge of arousal that made her pulse pound in her ears, her heart clamoring in her chest. In an instant, she could scarcely draw breath.

  And it was the most exquisite torture she’d ever endured.

  Then Ash’s little voice carried down the hall, freezing Blake in his steps. “I’m ready!”

  For one long, seemingly unending moment, they stared at each other, their unspoken desire filling the air, before Blake broke the spell with a sharp clearing of his throat.

  “I’ll be back. Make yourself at home. This could take a while.”

  Knowing she shouldn’t, knowing she needed to escape while she still had some of her wits about her, Gabby took the lifeline that was presented to her. “Actually, I should probably head out. I have to get up early.” Thank God she’d driven herself there, she thought with a margin of relief.

  A small, private smile split across his face. “Good Christian girl, are you?”

  Gabby grinned, shaking her head. �
�Now who’s the one making assumptions? My parents have never missed a service. I, on the other hand, haven’t entered a church since the day I turned eighteen.”

  Something passed in his eyes that Gabby couldn’t put her finger on, but, deep down in her core, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d passed some sort of test.

  “Well, then, you should get going.”

  “Okay.” Gabby paused, considering her next step. She knew she should go, but her feet were rooted in place. Walking out the door felt so anti-climactic. As if she needed something more to round out the night. Give it a proper ending.

  “Tell Ash goodnight for me?”

  “Consider it done.”

  She took another step, then paused. Looking up at him, she couldn’t get over how handsome a man Blake truly was. His hair was a sexy, endearing mess. His dark eyes were a fortress of secrets. His body was a wall of raw, unfettered power.

  She wanted it all.

  But mostly, she wanted to feel his lips on hers again.

  With a knowing grin, Blake stretched out his hand. “Get over here, teach.”

  Instantly, her nerves rattled at the sound of his voice. “Wh-why?”

  “Because one way or another, I’m getting inside you tonight.”

  She let out a startled cry as he shot forward, grabbed hold of her arm, and towed her to him. Then his mouth covered hers, and her thoughts scattered like a flock of birds taking flight. Curling around him, Gabby gave herself over, allowing his mouth to take command over her body and mind in another moment of perfect bliss.

  But, once again, it was over too soon.

  With more willpower than she could ever hope to possess, he set her away from him. Gabby mourned the loss of his heat, the feel of his hard body against hers. He never gave her enough!

  When she opened her eyes, he was watching her, a haze of male satisfaction surrounding him like a thick, impenetrable cloud.

  “Someday soon, teach,” he murmured, his words a dark promise that reached down deep into her core. “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”

  Gabby followed on shaky legs, questioning her decision to leave with every step that brought her closer to the door. But she knew that she was making the right choice. A man like Blake? She had to tread carefully. She might want him with a fierce and growing need that could scare even the most hardened heart, but she needed to be smart about how she handled the situation. It might only ever be sex between them, but if she handed it over on a silver platter, he’d never respect her. And respect was a priority. She’d lost it once before. She’d be damned if she let it slip through her fingers again.

  At the door, Blake reached for her again, circling her waist and drawing her in. She went easily, her body bowing to fit against him everywhere it could. Her hand slipped around his neck, fingertips teasing the nape and calling up illicit fantasies of what it would be like to run her fingers through the longer pieces as his powerful body loomed over top of her.

  “What are you thinking about?” Blake asked, studying her with knowing eyes.

  How he could see through her so easily was a mystery.

  Rubbing her nose against his, Gabby refused to give up her innermost thoughts, even if he could read them as if she were an open book. “That I need to go before I forget why I should.”

  A blunt fingertip traced the side of her face. “Don’t tempt me, teach. I may be strong, but every man has a limit, and mine is about thirty seconds from tethering you to my bed and spending the night buried inside you. So if you really need to go, do it now.”

  The severity in his tone made it clear that he wasn’t kidding. Heeding the warning, Gabby dove in for one last kiss. Growling, Blake’s arm tightened around her and his tongue spiked into her mouth, licking her deep. But despite his warning, he released her when she pulled away.

  Unable to keep the smile from her face, Gabby skipped down the stairs and ran for her car. As she backed down the drive, she couldn’t resist looking back, and what she saw made her heart skip a beat.

  Strong. Dark. Deadly. And impossibly sexy. Blake Mahone filled the doorway like a dark angel hell bent on uncovering all her deepest, darkest sins.

  And she couldn’t wait to let him.

  TEN

  Swan Creek wasn’t the ideal place to spend a weekend, let alone a lifetime. But Gabby committed herself to the lengthy bi-weekly trip, not out of love, but out of duty because, while she could leave anytime she wanted, the man lying in the hospital bed before her didn’t have the same luxury.

  Shane Allen had fallen in with the wrong crowd and, because of her, had ended up with a lifetime sentence of being trapped in a body no longer able to function without the help of machines and a qualified nursing staff.

  Giving up a couple days each month was the least she could do. She considered it penance for the bad choices she’d made in life.

  “I didn’t think I’d make it through the first week, but the kids are pretty great. They remind me of you in a way, all that energy. Zipping back and forth, always on the go.” She’d spent the last hour telling him about her new role as a teacher while giving him his sponge bath and a fresh change of clothes.

  “I know you don’t agree, but I can’t keep living my life on the run. That’s not living.” Buttoning the last button on the new flannel pajama top she’d purchased for him, Gabby stood back to admire the view. “There, now don’t you look handsome.”

  Expressive, shale blue eyes met hers and seemed to call her a liar. Shane’s body, though once tall and thick with muscle, had withered away into the thin, frail man who served as a constant reminder of her guilt.

  Sadness threatened to swamp her, so Gabby did what she always did when she felt like the world was closing in on her: she enlisted a nurse to help her transfer Shane into his wheelchair then rolled him outside to enjoy a dose of fresh air.

  The courtyard was nothing more than a circular space covered in grass and surrounded by the pentagonal-shaped building on all sides. Sidewalk stretched from four separate exits, converging in the middle where a wooden pergola sat waiting for visitors.

  Gabby wheeled Shane inside where they could escape the sun and still enjoy the weather. Taking a seat on one of the built-in benches, she pulled him up close before digging through her purse and pulling out a pack of cigarettes.

  Shane’s gaze tracked her every move as she placed a stick between her lips and cupped her hand to shield the flame while she lit it. Drawing the smoke into her mouth, she was careful not to inhale. Her eyes stung as it drifted back out, and she placed the burning stick between his dry, chapped lips. “I’ll never understand why you like these things so much. You know they’ll kill you, right?”

  Grunting, Shane gave her a narrow-eyed look that seemed to say Why do you think I do it? She got it. She really did. If the tables were reversed, she’d probably feel the same way. Going from someone who’d once been strong and athletic, a man who took his freedom into both capable hands and ran with it every day of his life, only to be reduced to this—a man trapped in the shell of a body unable to function without help—was unimaginable.

  But here he was. And it was all his fault.

  “I wish you’d never gotten involved with that man,” Gabby murmured as she looked out across the lawn where a couple of birds pecked holes in the dirt. “What they did to you…to me…I’ll never forget that night.” Her voice shook and she swallowed hard, forcing the lump in her throat back down. The past wasn’t pretty. It was hideous. If only she could go back, have a do-over, she’d change everything. Do it all different.

  But the past was written in stone, the damages forever etching their futures in misery and pain. They were just lucky to have gotten out with their lives.

  Although Shane probably had a different opinion on that.

  Shane grunted again, and she looked up to find him staring intently back at her. The words he couldn’t speak shone in the brightness of his eyes, and Gabby leaned forward to clasp his hand. “I’m sorry. I’m get
ting all emotional.” She gave him a lopsided smile and sucked in a breath. “I won’t bring it up again. Promise.”

  Her thoughts turning toward Blake, Gabby briefly considered telling Shane about that new development in her life, but quickly thought better of it. It would be cruel to tell him about all the good things happening to her, how she was moving on to bigger and better things, meeting new people, when all he could do was sit there and listen.

  Shane’s life, or what was left of it, was essentially over.

  It saddened Gabby to no end, but she had to remind herself that she wasn’t the one who put him in that chair. She wasn’t the one who stripped away his life and any potential of one. She was just a pawn, and she had the scars to prove it.

  After he’d burned through two more cigarettes, Gabby took Shane back inside and got him settled in his room before promising to return the same time next week. As she pulled away and looked back at the fading building in her rearview mirror, she couldn’t help the overwhelming sense of relief that washed over her. Every time she left that place, she felt as if she were escaping from prison. A great weight lifted from her shoulders, coloring the road ahead in the brilliance of freedom and endless possibilities.

  At least until the next visit.

  ***

  “A nursing home?” Blake stared at the phone in his hand, his brows drawn low over his eyes as he thumbed through the catalogue of pictures again—a little side project Blake had Country working on after church let out earlier that morning.

  Shrugging, Country flattened his hand out on the table and leaned back in his chair, kicking his left ankle up to rest on his right knee. “She went in around noon and left just before three.”

  “What the hell would she be at a nursing home for? Especially one over twenty miles away.”

  “Visiting a grandparent. Volunteering. The woman reads like the saintly type. Wouldn’t put it past her.”

  “You didn’t go in?” Blake already knew the answer. He’d specifically told Country to stay outside. Observe. As a former military man, it was ingrained in him to follow direction and to date, he’d never failed to follow a command, and he always did it to the letter.