His dark gaze met hers and the air seemed to seep from her lungs.
“I thought it might be easier this way.” He shifted the shirt back and forth in his hands.
Tess pushed her brain into action. “Yeah, well why don’t—” Unable to articulate her thoughts, she squeezed her eyes shut, covering her ogling by rubbing her eyes. “Residual smoke,” she offered. “Here, why don’t you sit here?” She gave him a weak grin as she dragged over a ladder back chair.
He folded his shirt, laid it carefully on the coffee table, then with a look bordering on resignation and concern, sat down. He braced his hands on his thighs. Like man awaiting his jail sentence.
She stared down at the breadth of his shoulders, her fingers itching to smooth her hands over his muscled flesh, bunch that thin cotton in her hands and feel the warm firm skin beneath.
He twisted around to look up at her. “Is there anything you need me to do?”
She arched her brow. Yikes. Yes,sir, but nothing that has to do with cutting hair, cowboy. “No, you’re fine…just the way you are.” That much was absolute truth. She averted her eyes, hoping her face did not give away her wayward thoughts.
She reached behind him and switched on the floor lamp, giving her more light to work with. The soft glow created an intimate atmosphere in the otherwise dreary afternoon. It conjured other images too, but she shoved those away as fast as they appeared.
“Here, let’s put this towel around your shoulders so it doesn’t—” Her words got lost as she smoothed the towel over the sturdy ripples across his shoulders. “There we go,” she ended her broken thoughts by patting his shoulder.
Taking a quiet breath to calm her nerves, she ran her fingers through his hair, judging the thickness and texture. She gasped when he shifted suddenly.
“Tickled,” he said smiling back at her.
“You have a nice head of hair.” She combed through it, admiring the thick wave from his temple to the base of his neck. She stopped before taking the first snip.
“Now how short would you like it?” She tipped her head and studied his profile. It was a nicely shaped head, she decided thoughtfully. His jaw was squared at a strong angle, but not too sharp. His neck and shoulders revealed muscles that came from honest, hard work. And his eyes—Lord, those eyes—Tess blinked, realizing he stared back at her. She smiled, grimacing for the pain in her nose.
“You might want to take some Ibuprofen for the swelling.” He held her gaze, the firelight flickering in his eyes.
He smiled. “Not too short.” He narrowed his gaze, the apprehension clear on his face. “You sure you’ve done this before?”
She wanted to tell him the truth. That her experience was sorely limited to two clinic customers, that is if you didn’t count the hack-job she’d done to her Barbie doll when she was nine. “Sure, no problem.” She hoped her boldface lie wasn’t clear on her face.
He eyed her and finally shrugged, nodding his approval.
In order to quell her shaking hands, she focused on his hair, separating it slowly, recalling the proper method she’d been taught. He was right. He did look better with it a bit over his collar, but he could be bald and still bring a woman to her knees with those eyes.
She forced her thoughts to stay focused, measuring and clipping each section with great care. Surprised that her body’s reaction to what should be an ordinary task bordered on erotic. She ran her fingers through his hair, checking the layers, wondering if his handsome dark looks were that of his father or his mother. He didn’t talk much about them. In fact, it seemed he avoided the topic of his family all together.
“Been a while since your last haircut?” She spoke to end the silence in the room.
“Hasn’t really been much of a priority.” He glanced up at her with a half smile.
“Am I being too pushy? I am really trying to get away from that at work. I’m one of those people who instinctively feels the need to solve everyone’s problems.”
The fireplace popped, then sizzled, making her jump. Her nerves were not as calm as she thought.
The all-male scent of his skin, mixed with of rain and smoke that still lingered made her lightheaded. She wobbled unsteady, grasping the back of the chair for balance.
“Hey, are you okay? Maybe that smack on the nose did more damage than we thought.” He touched her arm, eyeing her with concern. “Here, sit down a minute.”
He drew her onto his lap and studied her nose. It felt awkward, but not all together foreign to her. He rested his hand on her upper arm, the heat from his hand caused her body to react in ways she hadn’t in ages. She looked down, confused by her thoughts. She wasn’t one prone to one night stands, but with Gabe, she might make an exception.
“Hey, you sure you’re okay?” He leaned in close, eyeing her.
“I think so. It’s just a little warm in here.” She smiled. “I’m not used to all the heat from the fireplace.”
Tess brought her eyes cautiously to his and swore she heard sizzling. His hand moved slowly to her back, sliding down to her waist, resting there as if waiting for her approval.
She shut her eyes, hoping to mask the desire on her face, but her treacherous body shuddered of its own accord.
“You feel dizzy?”
She swallowed. “Maybe a little.” Her gaze dropped to his mouth lingering there as his hand pressed against her waist.
“A little woozy?”
“You want me to go, so you can rest?”
She wasn’t certain it was wise, but she knew she wanted him to stay. “No, please stay.”
He held her gaze, gently rubbing her back.
Tess didn’t know what to say, how to gage his seemingly silent study of her. Then again, perhaps he was being a friend and only showing concern.
He spoke finally, “You’ve got the most interesting hair.” He reached up and her scalp tingled as he plucked gently at her short blonde tufts.
Tess ducked slightly from him as the very same tingles skittered all the way down her spine. “It sort of goes its own way. Not that attractive to some people, I guess. But it works for me.” She shivered at his touch.
“Are you cold?” He reached for the shirt he’d removed earlier. “Could be a little trauma of the smoke inhalation. Put this on.” He rolled up his shirt and slipped it over her head.
She tucked her arms in the sleeves and felt his hands under hers as she pulled it down her ribcage.
“Thanks.” It was all Tess could manage, her heart pounded fierce against her chest.
A hint of a smile curled at one corner of his mouth and somewhere in the back of her head, she felt his thumb rubbing softly against the denim of her leg.
“Goes its own way, huh? Like the woman, I bet.”
“Hmm, what’s that?” Her thoughts fought through the sensuous fog in her mind.
“Your hair.” He smiled and she realized he was teasing. Heat flickered in his eyes. “I’ve tried to guess about a million different ways how your hair would feel. None of them come close.” His lips parted slightly as he focused on raking his fingers through her hair.
Few men had ever found her short tufts sexy. Richard often remarked how the style looked too much like a mans. Gabe’s avid interest threw her for a loop.
Her body relaxed and she gave herself over to the bliss of his hands moving from her hair to her neck. She closed her eyes, tipping her head, thoroughly enjoying the release of her inhibitions washing over her.
“Don’t hate me for this,” he whispered soft against her cheek.
She frowned, unable to understand until she felt his lips, leaving tender kisses along her jaw. He turned her chin towards him and his dark eyes searched hers looking for her signal to stop.
As crazy and unlike her as it seemed, stopping was the furthest thing from her mind. She hoped her gaze conveyed as much.
He smiled before his lips touched hers, at first tentative, exploring. His mouth was warm and sweet, slid over hers slow, as though savoring the tas
te.
Tess’s emotions began to unravel. Between the storm, the fire, and the solitude of being miles from anyone, she abandoned herself to these few moments of utter bliss.
“Why on earth would I hate you?” Breathless between kisses, she searched for meaning amid the passion. “I don’t know what’s happening here.” The words left her lips on a sigh.
His mouth left hers and trailed a line of hot kisses down her throat, a low moan escaping from him as he peeled back the collar of his shirt she wore. He kissed the hollow of her shoulder, as his fingers tightened on her legs.
He pulled away, his face inches from hers. His eyes were cloudy with desire, seeking her reaction. “I don’t want to take advantage of the situation, Tess. I like you…a lot, if that isn’t evident.”
She shifted on his lap, sensing the confirmation of his words. Much to her surprise, her own control was too quickly slipping away. Before she could speak, he cupped her face, capturing her mouth with his.
She was fearful of how much she wanted to be with him. “Being taken advantage of is not what I’m concerned about.” Her words came out between his mind-drugging kisses. She was mesmerized, swept from reason by her desire to experience the rugged mystery of this man.
But while her body truly wanted one thing, her heart and mind cautioned her to slow down and hopefully try to identify whatever was happening between them. She wasn’t into one-night stands, and as much as she’d consider the bliss of doing so with him, she wanted more than just a one night stand with him. She straightened, purposely pulling away.
“I guess we should take things a little slower.” He licked his lips, and released a sigh. “I’m sure there’s plenty more you’d like to know about me.”
His admission gave her a glimmer of comfort as much as cause for concern, but at least he was being honest.
“I’m sure you feel the same way about me.”
He gaze dropped to her mouth and bounced right back to her eyes.
“So, what do we do here, Tess?” He pressed his lips together in a straight line, his brows furrowed with his intense look. He sat rigid as though restraining himself from touching her again.
It wasn’t helping her resistance any. Truth was she wanted to feel his lips on hers again. She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to convince herself that she could be clinical about this. But the burning look of desire in his eyes forced her to deal with her own desire head on.
“Gabe, we’re two healthy adults caught in a storm a million miles from anyone.” She held his gaze, as the heat of the fire warmed her back, his gaze took care of the front.
“Had you hoped to make this easier?” His mouth lifted in a sensual grin.
What was happening between them could be reasoned as nothing more than a friendly test of sorts, just to experience an adult kiss.
“It’s natural given the circumstances that something might…happen.” She swallowed the dryness in her throat, knowing her makeshift excuse only partially covered the situation.
“Uh huh, it just might.” His hand slid to the back of her neck, drawing her to his mouth as it hungrily slid over hers.
Reason flew out the window, slipping further away as he deepened the kiss, coaxing her to open to him. His hand caressed her ribs, inching upwards until his thumb rested below her breast. Even as he caused her bones to dissolve, she fought to stay in control. Her body craved what he offered.
“I want you,” he whispered.
Oh Lord. Reality hit full force with the simplicity of his words. Here it was. Her choice to go blindly with her emotions, make that highly overheated emotions, or decide if this was a man she wanted more than an afternoon tumble with. Speculating on emotions, and saying how you felt, were two very different things.
She closed her eyes, fighting what his hands were doing to her logic.
“You said it yourself, these feelings are natural,” he murmured against her neck.
“Yes, and did I mention, dangerous.” Tess tried to challenge him with a look, while her moral conscience lay panting in the wake of their kisses. Suddenly, something Merle had said echoed in the back of her mind, causing a twinge of doubt about his intentions. Thirty seconds ago, you’d have let him carry you right up those stairs, she mentally reprimanded herself.
“We’re neither one of us inexperienced Tess, but I think you know this is more than sex we’re talking about.”
“Is it?” She saw instantly his emotions sober and part of her wanted to go back to where they were. Unbridled, free to feel what they wanted with no thought to the consequences. But she’d squelched all that with her fear and suspicious thoughts.
His hand fell from her body and he smiled congenially. “When you’re ready and this happens for us, and it will, it’ll be more than great sex.” He grinned, glancing away in that shy way she’d come to recognize and love. “It’ll be that too, of course.” Holding her chin, he searched her eyes and kissed her softly on the top of her nose. “I better go.
He withdrew the towel from his neck and handed it to her.
Tess was frozen, held captive in his smoky gaze and by his verbal declaration. She slid from his lap as he stood gazing down at her.
“You’re going to need more ice on that.” He grinned and held her gaze silently before he turned and walked out the door.
“Sure thing, right along with the rest of me.” Tess stood in the living room quaking in the aftermath of his seduction. She jolted as heard the spin of gravel from him roaring out of the drive.
Chapter Eight
Sex? Gabe gripped the steering wheel, watching the lightening split the horizon. His body shivered remembering how she looked at him. Good Lord, loneliness was a powerful thing if it caused instantaneous reactions like what occurred between him and Tess. What in the world happened back there? One minute she’s cutting his hair, discussing style, and the next, he’s ready to carry her upstairs as if they were wed. The woman was lethal. There was no doubt about that. Somehow she’d managed to get under his skin when he wasn’t looking. He hoped she didn’t realize it yet, because he was still trying to figure out what bus hit him, to leave such massive skid marks across his heart.
He squinted through the fat raindrops, reminding himself to get new wiper blades. It was a futile distraction, which lasted all of forty-five seconds. He licked his lips, still able to taste her and shivered again, realizing he’d left his shirt behind.
Sex? Gabe truly liked women, a lot in fact, but he wasn’t the type who liked one-night stands. The thought of what she must think of his character unnerved him and he was tempted to turn the truck around and go back to let her know how wrong he’d been to let things get to the point he had.
“You keep this truck pointed in this direction if you know what’s best,” he reprimanded himself as he slowed the truck to a stop. For a moment, he stared at the open gravel road ahead of him. As much as he was tempted to correct her misguided judgments of him, he was more afraid that he might just prove them right if he was near her another minute longer. “Okay, then do what’s best for her.” He pressed down on the accelerator, his thoughts in more turmoil than the stormy-looking sky.
Little else took precedence in his mind the rest of that day or the following week for that matter. He decided distance would quell the hormones raging through his body, and they should be kept as far from Tess as possible. With each passing day, he managed to convince himself that it was best for both of them. He honestly didn’t see a woman like her lasting for very long on the farm or be satisfied with small town living much longer. But to be neighborly and keep things friendly, he’d called her to let her know of his plans.
“Uh, Tess, I’m afraid Merle will need me here for a few days.” It sounded weak, even to him. “So I won’t be heading out your way for awhile.” Why not just tell her that whatever happened the other day was a fluke, a mistake, nothing more and le’s just be friends.
“I understand.” There was a pause. “This has nothing to do with th
e other day, does it?”
Tell her now. Come clean and tell her what you think, how you feel. She deserves to know how you don’t want to risk anything permanent, because life, especially involving things you love, is never permanent.
“No, ‘course not.” It was a boldface lie and it made him realize that he needed to back off and gain perspective. It also served as a healthy dose of guilt, which didn’t help his already uncertain feelings. He had to remind himself this woman would most likely hightail like a scared jackrabbit back to her city apartment one of these days.
Meantime, he’d be wise to keep his distance. Travis and his family going on a camping trip was the perfect excuse for Merle to need the extra help in the shop. He tried not to hear the curiosity in her casual reply.
“Well, whenever you’re ready, its fine. The repairs will still be here.”
He ended the conversation, replacing the receiver to the wall phone, wondering if he’d already succeeded in creating irreparable damage between them.
* * *
Gabe eyed the muffler, wondering if he could replace part of the pipe or have to tell its owner they’d need a new one. He hoped it was replaceable because he had no desire to speak one-on-one with the car’s owner.
“Gaaabe?”
The singsong voice echoed in Merle’s garage and he closed his eyes. Damn. Did widow Crane have radar where he was concerned?
“Did you find out my little problem?”
That would take a psychology degree, lady. He turned his head and closed his eyes wishing Merle had not chosen to go to Velda’s for lunch. Maybe if he was quiet, she’d think no one was around.
“Gabe?” Her voice deepened, just a little more insistent.
He turned his head to the side and came face-to-face with Mrs. Crane. She was on her knees with her cheek nearly flush to the floor. Her smile indicated how thrilled she was to have found him.
He guessed the fact he was alone was an added bonus.
Unfinished Dreams Page 8