I lose my train of thought when his full lips brush against mine with a featherlike touch. “Maybe we should what, Gabs?”
I shake my head, trying to recall what I was saying. This is too much. My brain is too clouded. Hard, assertive Ethan I can handle. Soft, gentle Ethan confuses the hell out of me. The fog in my head thickens as he begins trailing light kisses down the side of my neck.
“I—” My fingernails dig into his bicep when he nips my earlobe. “I don’t remember.”
He smiles against my skin. “Fight it all you want, Gabbie, but this is going to happen. You want me.”
Well, that cleared the haze. Cocky bastard. At least his ego is good for something.
I shove him away. “Keep your lips to yourself, mister. I am not having sex with you.”
Ethan barks out a laugh. “So, that’s how we’re going to play this? Why are you denying what we both want?”
I glare. “This isn’t a game. This is my life. And I’m not denying anything. I never said I didn’t want you. But I don’t want to want you. Nothing good can come from this, Ethan.”
If I’m not mistaken, actual hurt flashes across his face. “I see. Well, I’ll just have to work harder at changing your mind then.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “And how do you plan on doing that?”
He flashes his golden boy smile. “You’ll see.”
26
Now
ETHAN
I shift my car into park. “We’re here.”
Gabbie blinks a few times, watching the surf crashing on the beach. “You brought me to the beach?”
“That is what people usually call places with sand and water.”
She turns toward me and glares. “You don’t need to be such a smartass about it.”
I exit my car, round the front, and open Gabbie’s door with exaggerated flourish. “Come on out, Gabs. I won’t bite.” I pull her into my body when she takes my hand and add, “Unless you want me to.”
Gabbie pushes off me, rolling her eyes. “Well, one thing hasn’t changed. You’re still arrogant as fuck.”
I laugh as I open the trunk, grabbing the bags I had packed. “I prefer the term confident.”
Her lips turn up in the corner, as if she’s fighting a smile. “I’m sure.”
I take her hand, quite frankly surprised she doesn’t pull it back, and lead her out onto the beach. We walk in silence, as the sun slowly ebbs toward the sea. I couldn’t have timed this any better. The place is practically empty, except for a few surfers in the water, and the temperature is starting to cool. Not enough to be uncomfortable, but hopefully enough that she’ll want me to warm her up later.
I nod to a spot right next to a lifeguard tower. “How about right here?”
“Sure.”
I dig the blanket out of my bag and spread it out, gesturing for her to sit. I spread another one over her legs and take my place next to her.
I turn my body inward and tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “You okay with this?”
Gabbie inches back a little, breaking the contact, and eyes me thoughtfully. “Depends on what you have planned.”
I widen my eyes in mock innocence. “Why, dinner, of course.”
I pull out several insulated containers. One by one, I reveal my offerings. Enchiladas suizas from her favorite Mexican restaurant, a selection of artisan cheeses to go with the bottle of chardonnay she loves, and a special dessert from this great little bakery.
Gabbie’s eyes widen as she points at the last dish accusingly. “How did you get that?”
I wink. “I may have paid someone standing in the back of the line earlier to grab them for me.”
She snatches the signature pink box out of my hands, staring down at the logo imprinted on top. “What’s in it?”
“Open it and find out.”
Gabbie lifts the flap and raises the cardboard lid. I stifle a groan as her beautiful red lips widen in a smile, because I’m now imagining them wrapped around my cock.
“I was so bummed when I sold the last two. I really wanted to take one home after we closed.”
I lift the chocolate-dipped cannoli from the box and press it against her lips. “There’s no reason we can’t start with dessert.”
She swallows hard before parting her lips and taking a bite out of the crispy shell. Gabbie shamelessly releases a moan as she chews, making my dick stand up and take notice. Christ, I need the damn sun to go down before I get arrested for indecent exposure.
When she finishes chewing, I wipe a little ricotta from the corner of her mouth and press my thumb against her lips. “Open.”
My nostrils flare as she parts her lips just enough to take the tip of my thumb inside her mouth. I can’t muffle the groan this time as her tongue swirls around, licking it clean.
“Jesus fuck, Gabbie.”
My words seem to snap her out of a haze as she releases me and scoots back some more. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why not?” I look around pointedly. “No one’s around to see us.”
She shakes her head. “I meant it when I said I’m not sleeping with you, Ethan. You need to play fair.”
Play fair, my ass. This woman wants me just as much as I want her. Her pupils are dilated, her nipples are poking through the thin top she’s wearing, and her breaths are shallow. I understand why she has reservations but if I’m being honest, it’s frustrating as fuck. I’ve never been known for my patience, but with her, it’s even worse. I wasted two fucking years already; I don’t want to wait another second.
I clear my throat and reach for the two plastic cups I brought with me. “Hold these for a sec, will you?”
Gabbie eyes me warily as she grabs them from me. “Did you hear what I said, Ethan?”
I uncork the bottle and fill each cup generously. “I heard you. I just don’t agree with you so I thought it’d be best to keep my mouth shut.”
She snorts in the most adorable yet sexy way. “Well, at least you’re honest.”
I look her right in the eye. “I’ve never been anything but honest with you, Gabbie.”
She lifts a brow. “Even when you called me a traitorous whore?”
“Okay.” I stretch out the word and scrub a hand over my face. “You wanna do this now, huh?”
Gabbie waves her hand through the air. “Might as well get it over with. We’re past the point of niceties, Ethan. I don’t think either one of us can truly move on without airing our grievances and hearing the other person’s side of the story.”
“Right.” I take a fortifying breath. “Look, I felt like a complete asshole the moment those words left my mouth, and I couldn’t possibly regret them any more than I do, but you’ve gotta understand, I was going out of my mind. I spent practically all night drinking myself into a stupor, thinking that you and Luke were together, laughing about what a fool I’d been.” I wince as the memory sharpens. “As time went on, I couldn’t erase those thoughts from my brain and I kept getting flashes of us in bed together—really graphic fucking images—but then I would morph into him. Every. Damn. Time. I literally thought I was going crazy for a while there.”
Gabbie drinks half her glass in one gulp. “The same thing happened to me whenever I saw you in the tabloids with a new actress or model on your arm. Many, many, different actresses and models. You didn’t seem so distraught then.”
I shake my head. “That’s because that’s what I wanted you to see, on the slim chance you were still paying attention.”
“I was always paying attention,” she admits so quietly, I can barely hear her voice over the waves.
I bump my shoulder into hers. “I would’ve done the same, but you just disappeared. After you left the studio, and the story died down, I couldn’t find any news about you. Believe me, I fucking tried. Then, one day about a year later, I actually saw you on the street. You were coming out of that café right next to the pier. Holding Luke Warner’s hand. I couldn’t fucking believe it.
&nb
sp; “I didn’t even think about what I did next. I followed you. You walked back to the bakery—that’s how I found out about it. I watched as he kissed you goodbye and left with a huge grin on his face. When he noticed me standing there like a schmuck, that asshole’s smile got even bigger. All of the anger I felt before came back with a vengeance. It took everything in me not to punch him right in his smug face.”
“Are you sure he saw you? He never said a word to me.”
I clench my jaw. “Oh, he saw me. As he was walking past me, that prick actually said, ‘Thanks for fucking up, Baldwin, because now I’ve got the girl and I plan on keeping her.’”
Gabbie chugs the rest of her wine and holds her cup out, asking for more. “I remember that day. He was acting really weird that night. Now I know why.”
Since I have the perfect segue, I ask the question that’s been plaguing me for too long. “Was it serious? You said you started dating about six months after...after everything went down. How long did it last?”
She pops a cube of cheese in her mouth and finishes chewing before answering me. “You really want to hear this?”
No, but I think I need to. “We’re getting it all out there, right?”
“Right.” She bites her lip while appearing to collect her thoughts. “He was there for me when I needed someone. We were friends first and it just naturally developed into...more. We were exclusive, and it was comfortable, but it was always missing something. There was no spark...at least on my end. I actually broke it off about a week after you saw us because I realized that I loved him as a friend, but I wasn’t in love with him. It wasn’t fair to either of us if I pretended otherwise.”
I exhale, digesting everything she just shared with me. I fucking hate that they were together—I always will—but I really have no one to blame but myself for that. If I would’ve just calmed the hell down long enough to listen to her back then, we would’ve never gone our separate ways. I practically drove her into his arms. Hindsight really is a nasty bitch.
“Do you still talk to him?”
She gives me a sad smile. “No. I wanted to remain friends but he didn’t. He was in love with me and said he couldn’t go backwards. It was all or nothing for him.”
“Stupid son of a bitch.” Can’t say I blame him, though. I could never be just friends with this woman after knowing what it’s like being with her. I also can’t say that I’m not thrilled he’s no longer in the picture.
She playfully punches my shoulder. “What about you and your looooooong list of ladies?”
I point to the sun as it’s just about to set. “Look.”
We watch in silence as it dips below the horizon. Gabbie releases a sigh, making me think about all the times she did that for an entirely different reason.
She pinches my forearm to get my attention. “Don’t think you’re getting out of answering the question, Baldwin.”
I shrug. “There’s nothing to tell, really. I dated, but nothing ever evolved into a relationship. They were more of a distraction than anything.”
Gabbie gives me a wry look. “How lovely of you to use all those women as a distraction.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Trust me, it was mutual. They knew I wasn’t looking for anything serious from the start.”
“Why not?”
Now I give her the wry look. “I was a bit jaded. And even though I didn’t consciously recognize it at the time, there was only one woman I wanted to be with and she wasn’t an option.”
Gabbie sits on that for a moment before lifting the enchilada box and inhaling the incredible aroma wafting from it. She gasps and mutters something in Spanish. “Holy shit! Are these from Casa Colima?”
I smile. “They are.”
“How did you know?”
“I may have had a little insider info.”
She narrows her eyes. “Dammit, Caroline.”
I laugh. “Not Caroline, actually. Your friend, Lila. I recognized her when I stopped by my realtor’s office the other day and asked her to help me out.”
“That bitch,” she mutters, although there’s no venom behind her words. “She didn’t tell me.”
“That’s because I told her about this project I have going and she likes what I have planned. If it makes you feel better, she did threaten to castrate me if I fucked up again.”
“What project?”
I wink. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
27
Now
GABBIE
“Hello?”
“Is this Gabriela Martinez?”
I hold the phone with my shoulder so I can unlock my front door. “This is she.”
“Hi, my name is Cheryl Iverson from First California Title. When would be a good time for you to come in and sign papers?”
“What papers?”
Cheryl clears her throat. “For the deed transfer on the property located at 1303 Ocean Front Walk, suite 106."
What the hell?
“I’m sorry Ms. Iverson, you must be mistaken. I own suite 105, not 106, and I can assure you, I have no intention of selling to anyone.” There’s silence on the other end of the line. “Hello? Are you there?”
“Yes, I’m here.” I can hear papers shuffling. “I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear before. The documents I have involve transferring ownership of suite 106 to you from Baldwin’s Bakery Enterprises.”
I frown. “I’m not looking to buy any property either.”
“You don’t understand, Ms. Martinez, this is a zero-value transaction, meaning no funds will be exchanged. Mr. Baldwin is gifting the property to you. He’s hired my office to secure all necessary signatures and file the gift deed with the county. It’s pretty clear but I can double check with my lead escrow officer if you’d like.”
I’m so stunned, I drop my purse and keys on the ground right inside my entryway. “Uh...no, that won’t be necessary, but can I get back to you on that appointment?”
“Sure. We’re here Monday through Friday from eight to six.”
I end the call and lean against the door for support. After our date the other night, in which he was surprisingly understanding about why I wouldn’t let him inside after we got back to my house, Ethan told me to expect a surprise within the next couple of days. I thought he meant flowers or something, not commercial real estate!
What in the world is he up to? I scroll through my contacts until I find his name and press the call button.
“Hello, beautiful,” he answers.
I jump straight to the point. “What the hell are you doing, Ethan?”
“Well, right this very minute, I’m walking up to your front door.”
“What?!”
He chuckles. “Open the door, Gabbie.”
I end the call and take a few deep breaths before opening the door, finding Ethan on my front stoop with a shit-eating grin. I don’t give him a chance to enter. Instead, I step outside and shut the door behind me.
“Why is a title company calling me, asking me to sign papers so you can transfer ownership of your property to me?”
“Oh, that.” I swear I’m two seconds away from smacking that look off his face. “That’s my surprise.”
I throw my hands up. “You can’t just give me a million-dollar piece of property!”
“It’s valued at three-point-two million actually, but that’s irrelevant.”
“What do you mean that’s irrelevant?” I’m shrieking at this point but I can’t seem to stop myself. “You can’t just give me something like that!”
“Why not?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Dios mío, you’re going to drive me loca.”
“Ooh, say that again. You know I love it when you get all fired up and start rambling in Spanish.” He winks.
“Pinche pendejo,” I mutter, narrowing my eyes for emphasis.
Ethan’s deep laugh rumbles through me. “You can call me an asshole all you want, Gabs, but I’m still going to think it’s sexy coming from your mouth.”
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“Ethan, will you be serious for a minute?” I sigh.
“Who said I’m not being serious?” He gestures toward the house. “C’mon, Gabs, let me in. I really don’t think this is a conversation that your neighbors need to hear.”
I groan, throwing the door open and stomping inside, with Ethan right behind me. I whip around and cross my arms over my chest, to ensure he knows I mean business. “Let me try this a different way. Why do you think you should give me a multi-million-dollar piece of real estate? Why do you think I’d even want it?”
“I figured it would be useful if you wanted to expand the store,” he shrugs. “Maybe add more kitchen space and branch out to event catering. Or have café seating and turn it into half bakery, half coffee house. The possibilities are endless, Gabbie. If that’s not something you can see yourself doing, just sell it.”
“Why don’t you just sell it?”
“Because it should’ve never been mine in the first place. Believe it or not, I do have a conscience and I couldn’t live with the guilt if I didn’t take some sort of hit on this whole mess.”
I rub my temples. “What does that even mean?”
“It means that I should’ve never made an offer on that property. I should’ve never opened my bakery there. I should’ve never launched an attack on your bakery.” He places his hands on my hips and leans down to speak softly in my ear. “I needed to do something big to prove how badly I regret every shitty thing I’ve ever done or said to you. This was the best solution I could think of since I can’t change the past, no matter how much I want to.”
I take a step back, unable to think clearly when his hands are pressed against me. “Ethan, I can’t accept it. It’s too much. Closing your store was more than enough proof.”
He cringes. “Speaking of proof...there’s something I didn’t get to share with you the other night.”
I head over to the couch and take a seat. I’m fairly certain I should be sitting down for whatever he’s about to say. “What now?”
Sweetest Obsessions - Anthology Page 258