by Railyn Stone
“Believe me; I want to be home with Brayden.” She peered over her shoulder to see Gates slowly approaching her.
“Yeah, sure you do. Look, I can’t deal with this right now.” Not only was he mad, but it was evident Brayden sensed the tension. She felt an overwhelming sense of guilt hearing him whimper in the background.
“Chase, I’m sorry. I-”
“Don’t. I really don’t want to hear it.” With that, the phone went dead and she was left with a deafening silence in her right ear. Placing the now silent phone in her purse, Sloane closed her eyes. She’d royally messed up. Chase had been her lifesaver this week as she and Liyah worked on their presentation. Why did she have to give in to Gates and his hair-brained idea to come to Charleston?
“Sloane, I’m really sorry about all of this. If you want we can try and drive back, but it’ll take a while, otherwise-” She could hear his voice behind her and she opened her eyes and twisted around, cutting him off.
“Why did I have to come with you? I knew this was a bad idea.”
“We can try and drive back if you want or-”
“You know, I would say yes we could drive back, but that’s probably just as dangerous. So, now what?” She looked at him and took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. She knew she was taking it out on him, but she really had no one to blame for any of this but herself. And even though Chase was furious with her, Brayden was in good hands. She just wasn’t sure how good their friendship would be once she returned.
“Well, I did manage to get us a room at the Charleston Place Hotel.”
“Oh this just keeps getting better.” She glared at Gates. “And I guess that wasn’t planned either.” She couldn’t believe he had booked them in their hotel.
“Believe me. I didn’t do it on purpose. It’s the only place I could get a room, everything else is booked in town and they had a cancellation. Lucky for us.” She could tell he was trying to make the most of the situation, but at the moment she didn’t want cheering up. It was bad enough they were stuck in Charleston, but now she was going to be stuck with her ex-fiancé in a place that held more memories than she could count.
“Gates, I could really kill you right now.”
“Yeah, but what fun would that be?” He beamed, trying to get her to smile, but she wouldn’t budge. “Look, I know it’s not the most ideal thing, but we might as well make the best of this while we’re here.”
Rolling her eyes, she brushed past him to head for the door. “Let’s just go. I’m tired and I really want to get out of here.”
She watched in silence as water pooled in the streets while Gates drove to the hotel. Admittedly, it was probably better for them to stay in one place until the storm let up instead of trying to drive back to North Carolina. She cringed each time the lightening flashed and it felt like it was getting worse each time the sparks illuminated the sky. Once they pulled in front of the hotel, she waited for him to hand over the keys to the valet and they walked into the expansive lobby. It was bad enough she didn’t have an overnight bag, but even worse, they were drenched from running to the car from the airport hangar. The cold rain seeped through her shirt and slacks making her whole outfit feel like suction cups. Now she stood in the lobby soaked through and through.
“Reservation for McCall.” While Gates checked them in, Sloane peered at the familiar lobby. She remembered the last time they’d been there and it was still as beautiful now as it had been years ago. The twin staircases were gorgeous and the chandelier glistened as the light bounced off of it.
“It’s still as pretty as ever.” She said softly as he approached behind her.
“I know.” He ushered her into the elevator and they headed to the suite. Gates opened the door and the sweet smell of magnolias hit her nose as she walked in and placed her purse on the table.
“Last minute cancellation, huh?” He shrugged at her sarcastic remark.
“Hey, I can’t help it if they decided to give us an upgrade. It’s the ‘stuck in the storm’ discount, what can I say?” He laughed at the face she made as she crossed the lush carpet. “I guess we should get out of these wet clothes and get the laundry service to take care of them for us.”
“I knew it.” Turning to look at him, she tipped her head to the side. “I knew one way or the other you would try to get my clothes off.”
“Believe me, while that is tempting, it’s not my objective. I simply don’t want to be blamed for getting you sick, too.” He chuckled, removing his jacket and reaching for the buttons on his shirt. Before she could reply, he turned back to look at her. “And it never took this much in the past to get your clothes off, if I can remember correctly.”
“Yes, well, you’re right. I don’t want to catch pneumonia on top of all of this.” She squinted at him all the while pulling at the wet material clinging to her body. Her pale blue shirt had become transparent with all of the water it held and she could feel a blush rise through her cheeks under his attentive eyes.
“Why don’t you go first?” Gates offered, watching her fidget.
“Thanks,” she answered, hurrying her steps into the spacious bathroom. Taking a long hot shower, Sloane checked her reflection in the mirror before emerging in the lavish robe the hotel provided. Her hair was an absolute mess as it had reverted back to its naturally curly state, and without her blow dryer, flat iron and a whole host of products, she was forced to let it hang in damp ringlets. Walking out of the bathroom, she felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of Gates standing half-dressed in the bedroom. He’d removed his jacket and rain-drenched shirt and he now stood with a bare chest in front of the window in nothing but his rain soaked slacks. The lightning flashes in the background etched out the definition in his arms and his abs. He was in impeccable shape and it took everything in her to resist reaching out and feeling his smooth skin and the muscles beneath.
“I guess it’s my turn.” His voice reached out and shook her back to reality and she looked away, realizing he’d caught her staring. She felt him walk closer to her and she swallowed hard knowing he was watching her.
“Ah, yes, I guess so.” His deliberate slow movements as he walked past her to enter the bathroom sent a shiver down her spine and she pulled the belt to her robe a little tighter.
Hearing the water from the shower snapped her back to reality and she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone.
“Hello.”
“Hi, it’s me,” Sloane sighed, collapsing on the bed. She could finally take a breath and it helped to hear the calming and supportive voice of her friend on the phone.
“Hola mi dulce. What’s going on?” Sloane knew Liyah would have an endless amount of questions for her, but the only thing she could focus on was the sight of a near naked Gates. And now she could only imagine his bare body in the shower. She envisioned rivers of water streaming across his rock hard anatomy and his dark eyelashes made even darker by the water coursing over him. Shaking her head to try and clear it of her impure thoughts, she fiddled with the remote to the TV. “Chase just dropped Brayden off with me and was mumbling something about lies and how they catch up with you. What’s going on and where are you?”
“Brayden’s with you? Oh, Liyah. I think Chase is mad at me. No, I’m pretty sure he’s mad at me. Are you going to be okay with keeping Brayden?”
“You know it’s not a problem. But honey, that’s an understatement. Chase is incensed. What did you do to him? And, where are you? And what did Gates say he was going to do about our project after I left?”
“He’s going with our project.” She fumbled with the end of the belt of the robe and tried to get a handle on Liyah’s barrage of questions as she moved up to lie back on the pillows.
“What! We did it. Are you serious?”
“Calm down Liyah. You’re going to be mad when you hear the rest. Gates never had any intentions of going with D&S. He was stringing us along. I could’ve killed him when he told me
that, but that’s not even the real kicker.” She stopped, waiting for Liyah’s response to her news.
“That rat, I could strangle him. Does he realize how much we put into this? I can’t believe he put us through this. Then again, he does still have feelings for you so-”
“Whatever. I do agree with you that he’s a big rat because instead of me being home with my little boy, I’m stuck here in Charleston with Gates.”
“What, Charleston? Like in South Carolina? What’re you doing there?” Liyah’s voice rose in telling anticipation of what was going on with her and Gates and Sloane could virtually see the wheels turning in her friend’s mind.
“It’s a long story. I’ll fill you in when I get back. Are you sure you’re okay with keeping Brayden? I know it’s an imposition?” Sloane dropped the terry cloth belt and pulled one of the enormous pillows onto her stomach. She toyed with the satin edge and reveled in the decadent luxury of the suite. She had to admit she kind of missed all of the extravagance that came along with Gates’ life. A night in an expensive hotel like this was a drop in the bucket to him and she had almost forgotten how different it was to live in his lavish world.
“Sweetie, it’s not like you have much choice and you know I don’t mind. He’s a handful, but I love spending time with him. When will you get back?”
“I’m not sure. I’m hoping early morning. Look, I gotta go. Gates is getting out of the shower. I’ll talk to you later.” Sitting up, Sloane realized the water had shut off in the bathroom and she knew Gates would emerge soon.
“The shower…Sloane…what?” But it was too late; Sloane had already hung up, leaving Liyah to wonder what was going on in Charleston.
Chapter 7
Once both were showered and reasonably comfortable in their robes, they sent their clothes down to be cleaned. Now Sloane sat on the bed as Gates sat in a chair. Neither bothered to turn on the lights and the only light generated was from the iridescent glow of the television and the intermittent flashes of lightning outside.
Sloane walked to the window and opened the curtains further. The storm didn’t seem to be letting up and she stood watching the electricity slash through the darkness of the sky. For a while, Gates sat and watched her, admiring the view as the storm and the scattered lightning lit up her face. She was beautiful. There weren’t many women in the world that could look as naturally beautiful as her. Her bare face and her pure simplicity were the most attractive things to him and he fought every urge inside him to touch her. He was secretly glad they’d gotten caught in the pouring rain because her hair was curly again. She was beautiful with it straight, but he absolutely loved her natural curls. Standing, he moved quietly to her side to watch the storm.
“I’m really sorry about all of this. I know you’re probably worried about your little boy.” He knew she was still mad at him for being stuck in Charleston. He really hadn’t planned on them having to stay overnight, but in a way he was glad about it.
“Brayden.”
“What?” His inquisitive eyes scanned her face in anticipation of her continuing.
“My little boy. His name is Brayden.” Her voice was barely audible and he strained to hear it over the rumbling of the storm. It was like she had shared some deep dark secret and now was a little wary she’d let the cat out of the bag.
“Oh…Brayden.” He repeated the name slowly thinking back to the picture of the child behind her desk. There was something very familiar about his eyes, but Gates figured it was the fact they were rimmed with long eyelashes like Sloane’s.
Looking up at him, she shrugged. “It’s okay. I checked on him while you were in the shower and he’s fine. I can’t blame you for a storm. The truth is, I shouldn’t have come.” He watched her stoic countenance and felt a pang of guilt realizing she was probably upset she was missing her nightly ritual with the baby. Knowing Sloane, she probably had some song she sang or a book she read to the little one every night, and tonight she’d miss it because of him.
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you did.” Leaning over, he nudged her arm with his elbow. She flashed a half smile at him then turned back to the window and the storm. He felt a flash of heat eddy through his body while watching the electric hue of the lightning reflect and bounce over her face. His fingers hurt from how tightly he clenched his fist from resisting the urge to reach out and touch her. He knew her skin would feel like satin and he fought his feelings with all he had. “This reminds me a lot of the last time you and I were here. You remember?” Gates tried his best to think of anything else but how soft her skin would feel beneath his own and he turned back to the window.
“I remember. I’m surprised they don’t have our pictures on the wall somewhere stating we should never be allowed to stay here.” He watched the slow grin move across her full lips referring to their unplanned swim fully clothed in the rooftop pool. Of course, they left an annoying long trail of puddle tracks as they trudged to their room.
“Those were the days,” he laughed. “A lot has changed since then.” He thought back to the fun they had peeling the wet clothes off one another and the slow, sweet lovemaking the entire episode led to that night.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“I mean, you have a son and you’re about to marry his father, so this has to be an exciting time for you.” It really wasn’t like him to be this inquisitive, but he was having a hard time accepting the fact Sloane had moved on. He wasn’t sure how he was able to hold it together the day she introduced him to Chase. All he wanted to do was squeeze the life out of the guy, but somehow he managed to keep his composure.
“Uh, yes, it is.”
“Try to control the enthusiasm why don’t you?” He was a little taken aback at the seeming disinterest Sloane exuded when he mentioned her engagement and upcoming marriage.
“Oh, no, it’s a lot going on and it’s kind of stressful, raising a baby and planning a wedding and working on this project at the same time.” She replied, continuing to fold the end of the robe’s belt in her hands. He couldn’t tell if she was truly happy about getting married or not.
“You know, sometimes we plan on doing things that we think are right, but really, they may not be what’s best for us.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He could see in her eyes when she turned to him, he may have said a little too much.
“I’m just saying I know you. I know how important family is to you and how you’ve always wanted the ideal one.” He knew he was precariously close to touching a sore spot with her. Sloane had shared the hurt she felt losing her parents at such a young age. He knew it affected her then, and he was pretty sure it still did. “But, just because Brayden biologically belongs to Chase, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to marry him. It seems pretty quick.” Shut up Gates. It’s none of your business.
“What?” Her deadpan response had him kicking himself for the words that slipped from between his lips, but he hated the thought of Sloane being someone else’s wife. He always pictured her standing beside him in front of a minister saying ‘I do,’ but now she was going to do it with someone else.
“Look at me, overstepping my boundaries again. Obviously you know what’s best for you and your son and who is best to be in his life. I apologize,” He explained, back peddling from his admission and inquiry. “I have to say I was a little surprised that you are a mom.”
“It’s okay. I have to admit it’s been a little scary at times and an even bigger learning experience.”
“I’m sure. But I always knew you’d be great at it.” He watched her fiddle with the belt to the robe and grinned at her nervous energy. She may be someone else’s fiancée and a mother, but she hadn’t changed. Her nerves always seem to get the best of her and he fought the urge to reach out and stop her from worrying the terry cloth into oblivion.
“Really? You thought that?” She looked at him with wide eyes. With them being only inches apart, his need to touch her was growing inten
se. If he kept clutching his hands as tightly as he was, his skin was sure to pop.
“Sure. There wasn’t much you weren’t great at.”
“Wow, thank you.” She continued fumbling with the belt to the robe, until his urges finally overcame him and he reached over and grabbed her tiny hands in his larger ones. He gently rubbed the soft skin between her thumb and pointer finger on each hand to try and calm her fidgeting. After all of this time, he still hadn’t been able to shake his need to take care of her. It was the main reason he’d run after her that night at Elijah’s. He hated to see her in pain, and he couldn’t stand it when she cried. When she looked up again, their eyes met and his heart slammed against his chest. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and try and convince her marrying Chase would be a mistake, but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.
Breaking their intense moment, Sloane pulled her hands from his and clutched her arms to her body, turning towards the window. “So if you don’t mind me asking, what happened to you?”
“What do you mean what happened to me?” He could still feel the softness of her skin in his and he rubbed his hands together trying to erase the recent memory. He left her side and walked closer to the bar trying to put as much distance between them as he could. Get a grip Gates. She’s not yours anymore.
“The Gates you were today, with the spontaneous trip and the jokes and laughing, that’s the Gates I remember. What happened to him?” He looked up to see her eyes trained on him.
“Sloane, do you really want to get into this now?” He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. He didn’t want to talk about any changes between them. He wanted to feel her soft skin beneath his again.
“Well, it seems we have all night, plus you’ve asked and assumed about my life.” Her intense glare put him on edge and he diverted his attention.
“Sloane, nothing happened. I’m still Gates McCall, just a little richer,” he answered, pouring a glass of water. She walked over to join him at the bar where he wouldn’t be able to escape her glare. Please don’t push this.