by Mary Suzanne
"I was down in the print shop and managed to splash some corrosive liquid into it. As luck would have it, I wound up wearing an eye guard to heal the damage. The quick work of the doctor saved my sight, for which I’m thankful. A person doesn't fully appreciate their eyesight until something happens to it."
"You are lucky.”
For some reason, she didn’t feel so enthusiastic about the patch being only temporary. Not that she was ever going to see him again. In reality, the patch gave him a devil-may-care look and Gabby found it most appealing, too appealing for her pulse rate that was rising just looking at him.
Cole drove up to the apartment building and cut the engine. He stepped out and walked around to the passenger side. Gabby waited for him to open her door. Before she had been angry with him, but things had changed a bit during the evening.
Walking toward her apartment, she reached into her handbag and removed her keys. Before putting the key in the lock, she turned to him and glanced at his dark features.
"I hope I've been of some help to you.”
"You have.”
She noticed how he kept watching her intently. For some reason, he focused on the indention in her chin, as though he found the small cleft fascinating. She didn’t know when their eyes locked, but Samantha felt the need to break eye contact with him. Foreign sensations seized her clear thinking. The crazy notion filled her head that he had created a spell over her and she felt powerless to break it, no matter how hard she tried.
Slowly, he lowered his head and his mouth gently captured her lips beneath his. For some reason, she didn't feel surprised or shocked at what he was doing. It all was so natural. Instead, she closed her eyes intending to savor the tender kiss.
The kiss that had started so pleasantly soon changed to a slow sensuous one. She automatically lifted her arms and draped them around his neck, running her fingers compulsively through the dark hair that touched the edge of his sweater. The pleasing smell of his after-shave filled her nostrils in the next instant. Moving her mouth beneath his, she openly invited his lips to continue ravishing hers in a kiss that suddenly caused ringing noises in her ears.
Opening her mouth fully, she felt his tongue invade private territory. And invade it he did, with a quickness she loved. He continuously plundered her mouth as no other man had ever done. Hearing a moaning noise, reality struck her realizing it came from her lips. She let him smother her mouth again beneath his without protest. The kiss stretched endlessly, with his tongue keeping up the tantalizing element that sent her emotions' sky rocketing. Her response must have let him know how she savored his passionate capture.
His arms gently held her against him. She could feel every sinewy muscle of his body pressed close to her. The wild thumping of his heart reached out to her and almost made an impression against her chest.
She discovered how his excitement matched hers as his mouth continued to possess hers, not relinquishing its hold. Again, her thoughts were on how the kiss seemed to be never ending.
A horn honking near the building brought her quickly back to earth with a thud. Pulling away, she lowered her gaze in embarrassment over her natural response to him. She had let him make love to her, enjoying every second.
Taking a deep breath, she glanced up at his face, shadowy in the dim lighting. "Good night, Cole,” she said before putting the key in the lock. "If you should need more help in finding Samantha, contact me." Quickly turning, she swallowed the urge to throw herself into his arms again and feel his lips devouring hers. The feeling was so powerful that she had to restrain herself.
She unlocked the door and pushed it open. Wild euphoria and other emotions she didn’t recognize filled her. The sooner she got inside, the faster she would be able to control her emotions.
"Hold on a minute,” he said, stopping her by reaching out and gripping her shoulder. "There’s one other thing I'd like for you to do."
She waited nervously for him to tell her what it was.
Chapter Four
"I want you to come to California with me in case I find my sister.” This brought an end to her silent question.
Gabby couldn’t believe what he was asking. She didn’t miss the wary look on Cole’s face waiting for her answer. He expected her to say no, although his idea had left her speechless, but it had lifted her spirits. She had thought their next meeting would be in a courtroom.
“I don’t understand why you need me,” she eventually said, still puzzled with what he wanted her to do. She didn’t know anything about his sister, except for the letter. Gabby didn’t have any idea how she could help him. Besides, hadn’t he already said Samantha might be at their aunt’s home?
"If she is in California, I’d like you to talk her into coming back to Chicago," he explained, making her believe he still wasn’t certain he’d find her at his aunt’s. “She may not be ready to listen to what I have to say, but you have a way of convincing her very easily. I’d really appreciate it.”
Gabby knew she could be taking his meaning either way. He could have meant the part about convincing as a compliment, or that she was an interfering woman. The last of his phrase didn't do much for her ego, but for now, she wasn't going to dig into what his silent thoughts were.
What he suggested had never entered Gabby's mind. An entire weekend alone with Cole would certainly be a challenging situation for any woman. For her it would be doubly hard. She didn't know if she would be up to the temptation of being near him. Something about him made her morals self-destruct. Hadn't he proved that to her only minutes ago on her doorstep? He had kissed her into willingly submitting to him without any effort.
Another thought filled her head. All of the Powers family must feel worried over Samantha's disappearance. She tried putting herself in their position and could understand the agony they must be going through. If she could help solve their family problems, as well as problems at the newspaper, she would accompany him.
"All right, I'll go, but I still don't know how it’s going to do any good."
He continued to gaze at her for several seconds without saying a word. Gabby grew uneasy as he persisted in watching her. She couldn't understand what his thoughts were behind the shuttered look.
"I'm going to drop the lawsuit against you and the newspaper,” he said softly, with a low sigh. "I was so angry when she disappeared that I did a foolish thing in contacting my attorney.”
She couldn't believe her good fortune. It had taken only one evening to resolve things. Gabby knew Joe would be grateful.
"Thank you, Cole.” She accepted his offer without hesitation. "I wasn't so worried that you named me in the suit, but the newspaper couldn't survive a lawsuit. Joe's been a fair employer to me and I didn't want to cause him any trouble."
"I've met Joe Brandon a few times and he always seemed like a team player. When I filed the lawsuit, I didn’t feel it was the right thing.”
Silence reigned between them for the next few seconds until Gabby decided to end it. "Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee? It's Friday night and early yet." The words tumbled out before she gave them a thought. She hoped he didn't think she was suggesting they take up where they had left off minutes ago.
"I'd like that very much.” He followed her into the living room of her apartment.
"Have a seat and I'll brew a fresh pot.”
She turned the corner and headed into the hallway. She didn't glance back, but she could hear Cole moving around the living room. When she finished brewing the coffee, she removed two cups from the cabinet and placed them on a tray. Gabby carried the loaded tray down the hallway toward the living room. Cole saw her and stood, taking it from her.
"Thanks,” she murmured softly.
"I wouldn't want you burning yourself over a cup of coffee.” He smiled at her, causing her to look away.
This was the second time he had bothered to smile at her and the small gesture had her heart pumping madly. Get a hold of yourself; it was nothing more than a friend
ly smile. It didn’t mean a thing.
She sat near him on the couch and poured the coffee. "You take cream and sugar, don't you?"
He nodded. "How did you know?"
"After watching you in the restaurant tonight, I didn't have too many doubts. The way you finished off that piece of pie, I'd say you like all kinds of sweets."
Cole smiled at her again, hiding what he was really thinking. Yes, he liked all kinds of sweets especially when they came in the variety of one Gabby Fallon. He figured she would probably be shocked if she knew what he was thinking. He couldn’t get over how adorable she looked and almost edible in her tightly molded jeans and sweater.
She had such a sweet quality about her, but he guessed also a very provocative woman buried just below the surface. He could see it in the way she moved and talked, and in her big brown eyes. He also saw the desire that lay just inside her, waiting for some man to arouse it and pull it to the surface. Sensuous was the word that came to his mind.
"Is Gabby really your name?" He suddenly needed to know more about the bewitching woman gazing across at him.
"No, my full name is Gabrielle, but everyone has always called me Gabby. It was my mother’s idea to pin a name like Gabrielle on me, which I’ve always thought sounded old and obsolete. She loved it and thought I would, too. I wouldn’t dream of telling her any different and hurting her.”
"Gabrielle is a beautiful name. Do your parents live in Chicago?”
Something in him was driving him on as he heard himself asking about her personal life. There it was again, he thought silently. The need to know everything about her burned in him like a raging fire. He had never felt like this about another person, and he had certainly dated many women in the past few years, but most had been shallow. He couldn’t remember any of them being quite like Gabrielle Fallon.
"My mother lives in a small town in down state Illinois. My father died several years ago.”
"Is that all the family you have?"
"Unfortunately, I'm an only child. I don't believe my parents' could have handled another one like me." A small chuckle followed her statement as a light of amusement filled her eyes.
"And why's that?" Cole gave her a puzzled look.
"I always had such a driving ambition to write. Sometimes, my need to express myself always landed me in trouble. I usually wrote into the newspaper in our hometown expressing my views on different subjects. Even if my views didn't conform, I still had to air them."
"That doesn’t seem so bad. Everyone is entitled to express his or her views in one way, or another.”
"Yes, I know, but at the time, my father didn't feel that way. Poor dad, I know now how patient he was with me."
A faraway look came into her eyes. He could tell by her voice that she still missed her father, although she hadn’t said it aloud.
She shook her head and glanced over at him. "Enough about me. What about your family?”
"There really isn't much to tell. My older brother Richard lives in New York and my younger brother Jason owns the restaurant where we ate tonight," he explained, replacing his cup on the coffee table. "Jason's daughter, Susie, works at the restaurant for her dad in her spare time when she's home from college. My mother and father are retired and live in a suburb on the outskirts of Chicago."
"Does Samantha live with your parents?”
"No, she has an apartment in New York near Richard and his wife." He noticed the puzzled expression lining her face and decided to explain further. "Samantha came to visit mom and dad, and while in Chicago, she canceled her wedding plans. Richard and Samantha have always been close and he knew something was bothering her. He had called me while she visited and asked me to keep an eye on her. I feel I've let him down in not keeping her here."
"How do you know she's pregnant?”
"She confessed to mom the day before she disappeared." He shrugged his shoulders. "Her fiancé, Michael, came down last weekend to help search for her, but he had to return to his job in New York. It seemed strange he never mentioned the fact that she was pregnant, but maybe Samantha hadn’t told him yet."
"I'm sorry again for causing your family so many problems. When I read her letter, my heart went out to her. She sounded so lonely and desperate, without anyone to turn to."
"You're right, you know," he finally admitted, in a soft tone. "She is feeling very desperate and alone and needs a loving hand to guide her. I hope we can find her and bring her back."
Cole replaced his cup on the tray and stood. "I think it's about time I left for home. I have to be at work early in the morning, even though it's Saturday." He turned and looked at her while shrugging into his jacket.
"I'll see you later.”
"You'll be seeing me next Friday evening. I'll call you sometime during the week and let you know what plane reservations I've made for us." He leaned toward her and his lips brushed hers with a fleeting kiss.
“See you then.” Closing the door, she leaned back against it, a heavy sigh leaving her body.
He was the sexiest man she'd ever met in her life and she would have to be on guard next weekend with him. She didn't try to make anything more out of the situation other than Cole wanting her help in finding Samantha. He probably had all the women he'd ever need, pursuing him. She knew she didn't measure up to his society friends, but she could still have hopes, couldn't she?
All that night, dreams interrupted her sleep with visions of a dark pirate sweeping her off her feet into a blissful region of romance. The warmth of the kiss they had shared aroused her out of a deep sleep and she awoke feeling the perspiration coating her brow.
She was going to have to control her emotions. The Cole Powers of the world weren’t even in her league. No way would she ever fit into his world, so why bother dreaming? His only purpose for her was to help him find his sister.
Gabby finished cleaning her apartment early Saturday and drove to the supermarket to pick up a few things. While standing at the checkout, she picked up a copy of the paper Cole owned. She had this need to find out more about the elusive pirate that had kissed her so passionately the night before.
Flipping through the pages, she came to the society section and her heart did a flip-flop. There, staring back at her was a picture of Cole with a beautiful blonde-haired woman on his arm walking into the entrance of a restaurant.
So much for thinking Cole might feel attracted to her. He had too many women to choose from to settle for her. Cole was way out of her reach and she knew it. She had only just met the man, but she felt the stirring in her heart every time she thought of him. She silently wondered if it was an attraction, or something more that could be tugging at her heartstrings.
Chapter Five
Monday morning, Gabby arrived at work a half hour early. She headed to Joe’s office before he had a chance to leave for a meeting. Although the door was open, she still tapped lightly to get his attention. Joe raised his head and a smile lined his features. "Come in, Gabby," he invited as he stood.
"Do you have a few minutes to spare this morning? I need to talk to you about something.”
"Sure, what’s on your mind?”
"First, I want to tell you that Cole Powers will be dropping the lawsuit against us." She hurried into her explanation noticing his raised brows.
"How did you manage that little feat?” His expression showed his surprise. “I thought he couldn’t be reasoned with."
"I gave Cole the letter Samantha had written to me and any other information I could think of. He read the letter and looked through my folder finding clues to where she might be hiding. He seemed very pleased with the outcome."
"And this made him change his mind about the suit?"
"Partially.” She remembered how Cole had explained his change of heart. "He also said he had never sued anyone in his life, and he regretted it the moment he gave his lawyer the green light."
"So, Cole has a conscience after all." A smile tugged the corners of Joe's mouth. "It wouldn'
t have had anything to do with meeting you, would it?"
"I wouldn't say I influenced his decision in not suing. He did tell me that he respected you and didn't want to put any hardship on the newspaper."
"No matter what his reason is, I'm happy he dropped it.”
"So am I. There's one other thing.”
"What is it?"
"Cole wants me to fly to California with him on Friday evening to help search for Samantha. If he should find her, he thinks she'll listen to me more than she would to him. I don't know if it’s true, but I told him I'd go." She shrugged her shoulders slightly.
"He may be right about his sister. She trusted you when you answered her letter, and you might be just the person she needs to talk to about her problem. We'll keep your plans private, if that's all right with you. I don't feel as if Emma or Marty needs to know, since they're not involved."
“Thanks, Joe, that’s what I was hoping you’d say.” She hadn’t felt like going into a long explanation to Marty.
“If Emma or Marty asks, I’m going to tell them that I sent you on a story. That should satisfy their curiosity.”
“I've taken up enough of your time, so I'll let you get back to your work.” She turned toward the doorway.
Before she could leave, he stopped her. "Gabby.”
"Yes.”
"If you have to stay longer than the weekend, take next week off. I’m sure Emma can cover your column until you return."
"Thanks again, Joe. If there are any problems about staying longer, I'll call you."
She walked out into the hallway and almost bumped into Marty near his office. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you coming around the corner."
Marty gave her a strained smile. Gabby knew instinctively that he remembered her words from the other night on the phone. She had told him he should find someone else to date and figured she had hurt his feelings. She hoped their friendship wasn't going to suffer over telling him the truth about their relationship.
"I didn't see you, either. I’ll talk to you later, Gabby. Joe gave me an assignment this morning and if I don't hurry, I won't make it by press time." He turned away abruptly before she could answer him.