Emma took the condom from him and rolled it down over his hard shaft.
He rested his forehead against hers and sighed. “I want you so much.”
He moved his hands to cup her breasts and ran the pads of his thumbs over her nipples, hardening them into peaks. He knew he was fast losing control and needed to slow down, but he about lost it when she wrapped her legs around his waist and undulated against his erection.
“Fuck. Emma, it’s going to be over before it starts if you don’t stop,” he growled low in his throat. Emma’s hands went to his butt and she dug her nails in, urging him on. He shuddered and moaned as he moved up onto his arms so he was looking down at her. He moved one hand between her legs, and felt her wetness. His thumb moved over her clitoris.
“Gabe.” Emma threw her head back on the pillow and whimpered. Gabe watched the rapture on her face as her orgasm rushed over her. He jerked when her hand wrapped around his hard shaft. He thrust into her palm and grew harder.
“Emma.” He caught her wrist to stop her. “I want to be inside you.” When she nodded, he rolled her to her stomach and kissed his way down her spine. Every time she gasped or moaned, his groin twitched. He lightly nipped at her butt with his teeth, and then raised her hips and thrust into her from behind. “Get on your hands and knees, darlin’.”
Gabe almost came when she complied without hesitation. Tightening his hands on her hips, he slowly started moving in and out of her. “Move with me,” he groaned through clenched teeth. He reveled in the way Emma moaned and rocked back faster against him. His hands held her tighter as she moved back against him.
“Yes.” Emma moaned arching back into him. “Gabe…please, I…” She paused on a gasp and withdrew then thrust back against him.
He could feel her muscles start to squeeze and clench around him as she came. He thrust harder against her, groaned, and moved faster against her as he drew closer to his own orgasm. Sweat broke out across his forehead, arms and chest when his body gave in to the pleasure she gave him. Emma fell forward and he collapsed on her. He quickly rolled his weight off her and onto his back. He pulled her onto his chest, trying to catch his breath as he ran his hand down her spine.
“Are…” He had to clear his throat. “Are you all right?”
“I’m…” She giggled and sighed. “Wonderful.”
Gabe chuckled and ran his hand down her sweat covered back. “I think now would be a good time for that bath or shower.” Emma nodded and started to get out of the bed when Sophie let them know through the monitor that she was unhappy about something.
He sighed and reluctantly climbed out of the bed. “I’ll get her. Go get a shower.” He kissed Emma on top of her head before he put his boxer briefs on and left the room. When he entered Sophie’s room, she was fussing even louder. He walked to the side of the crib and looked down at her.
“Hi, baby girl. Are you still hungry?” Gabe picked her up. “I bet you’re wet too.” He laid her on the changing table, changed her diaper, and put fresh pajamas on her. He carried her downstairs to get a bottle for her. Even though Emma was breastfeeding, she kept bottles of her milk available. He loved that it allowed him to feed his little girl. After warming up the bottle, he carried her to the living room, sat in his recliner, and gave her the bottle. She took it. He spoke softly the entire time he held her. Her big blue eyes gazed up at him. Gabe felt the sting of tears in his eyes as he gazed down into her beautiful little face.
“I can’t believe you’re still hungry. You fell asleep before you got that little belly full, didn’t you? You’re such a beautiful little girl, Sophie Ann. Daddy loves you so much.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead while she greedily sucked at the nipple. “You look like your beautiful mommy.” He smiled down at her. “And I love you just like I love her. I will always love you both. You’re my girls.” Gabe leaned over her again and whispered to her. “I’ll work on getting you a baby brother to push around, okay?”
* * * *
Emma sat in the bathtub letting the hot water soothe her. She smiled when she thought of Gabe and their time together. He was such a wonderful and thoughtful lover. No one could ever have told her sex would be that amazing, that hot, and that consuming. She wanted him every minute of every day and she knew she always would. For the rest of her life, she’d want, desire, and love Gabe Stone. There would never be another man in her life she could ever love the way she loved him.
Sighing with contentment, Emma stepped from the tub and dried off. After wrapping her robe around her naked body, she walked into the bedroom only to find it empty. She thought for sure Gabe would come to bed after taking care of Sophie, but he wasn’t there. She tiptoed down the stairs and caught a glimpse of the back of his head in his recliner. She moved quietly around to the front of it and put her hand over her mouth at the sight before her. She smiled with the joy she witnessed. Gabe was asleep with his head back against the chair. He held Sophie against his chest while she slept. His large hands cradled her little back and bottom. Her little bow mouth was moving in a sweet sucking motion even though her empty bottle sat abandoned on the end table next to the chair.
Tears filled her eyes and she knew this picture was now forever in her heart. She gently put her hand on Gabe’s shoulder. He opened his eyes and gazed up at her. He smiled and her heart slammed against her ribs. “Let me take her.” She reached for the baby, but Gabe shook his head and slowly pulled himself up out of the chair doing his best not to disturb Sophie.
“I’ll put her to bed.” Gabe pressed a sweet kiss to Emma’s lips before slowly walking up the stairs with her following close behind him. Her gaze couldn’t resist dropping to his boxer briefs and his fine ass.
“You’re giving me one hell of a view here, Gabe,” she said in a near whisper. She chuckled low in her throat when he halted and glanced back at her.
“Are you ogling my ass, woman?” He raised an eyebrow at her and grinned.
She laughed aloud but quickly covered her mouth to keep from waking Sophie. “As a matter of fact I am. It’s a great ass. What can I say?”
Gabe’s mustache-framed mouth lifted at the corners as he shook his head and continued up the stairs. “As soon as I put our daughter to bed, I’ll let you see it,” he said over his shoulder with a wink.
She snorted. “I’ve seen it many times. Can’t you just take a compliment?”
Gabe chuckled. “Sure, as soon as you learn to take one without blushing.” He glanced over his shoulder again and cocked an eyebrow at her.
Emma blushed even as he teased her about it. “Get up the stairs,” she muttered, making Gabe laugh. She continued into the bedroom while Gabe put Sophie to bed. When he returned, he got in beside her and pulled her over to him. She put her head on his shoulder and they fell asleep together.
The next morning, Emma was heading toward the kitchen when she heard Gabe’s voice and realized he was on the phone. She paused in the hallway not meaning to eavesdrop, but couldn’t help it. She heard Gabe say, “It’s just a little hard being in a relationship where the love is one sided, Wyatt.”
She threw her hand over her mouth and felt a stabbing pain in her heart. God help her, he knew, she thought. Gabe knew she was in love with him, but he didn’t love her. The tears started down her cheeks. She ran back up the stairs quickly and climbed back into bed.
How had she ever thought this would work? Gabe was right. A one sided relationship was hard and even unfair. She knew what she had to do. Once he left for the feed store, she would take Sophie and leave for good. It would kill him to lose Sophie, but Emma couldn’t stay and she wouldn’t leave her daughter behind. Of course, she’d let Gabe see his daughter anytime he wanted. When she heard the back door open and close, she walked to the window and watched him get into his truck and drive off. He didn’t love her and it was killing her.
Emma quickly packed her clothes, and then Sophie’s. She returned to the bedroom where she’d made love with Gabe so many times, all the while hopin
g he’d fall in love with her. She glanced around for anything else she needed to take. She opened the drawer in the table by the bed. When she came across Gabe’s note, the one he’d written after their first full night together, she fell apart. Sobs shook her body so hard she thought she’d never breathe right again. Lying down on the bed, she cried until she couldn’t cry anymore.
Why had she ever thought this sham of a marriage could ever work out? Why? True, they had a daughter together and his love for Sophie was enormous, but he had no love for her mother. She chastised herself over and over again for being a fool.
After a few minutes more of self-pity, she pulled herself together enough to finish packing. Once done, she called Olivia and told her she needed to leave Gabe. Olivia told her to come to the B and B and use her old apartment. As Emma loaded her car, she prayed Gabe wouldn’t come back before she had a chance to leave. He didn’t.
When she pulled up to the back door of the B and B, Olivia met her and helped her carry her things. Emma walked into her old apartment and placed Sophie in the little bassinet she’d brought with her. She sat on her bed and cried. Olivia hugged her and let her weep. She reached for more tissues, and then told Olivia what had happened. Olivia didn’t say anything but simply listened as any good friend would do.
“I heard him telling Wyatt it was hard being in a relationship that’s only one sided.” She gazed up at Olivia with tears clinging on her lashes. “He must know I love him and since he doesn’t love me back, it’s difficult for him, Liv.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what to do.”
“If you have to come back here to live Emma, you know you can. I’ll help you with Sophie.” Olivia rubbed her back. “Damn men, anyway, especially those Stone men. Well two of them, that is, Becca must have gotten the only good one.”
Emma nodded her agreement. “I think I’ll lie down while Sophie’s still sleeping. I’m so exhausted, and I just woke up a little while ago.”
“Crying will do that to you. You sleep all you want. I can feed Sophie if you need me to. I’ll check in on you both later.” Olivia kissed her cheek and left her to sob into her pillow until sleep captured her.
* * * *
Gabe pulled his truck up alongside the barn and yelled for the hands to come out to help him unload the feed. He was hungry and tired, but he always helped with the unloading. After he finished, he pulled the truck up to the back porch, parked, and climbed out with a long stretch. When he entered the kitchen, the empty room surprised him. He’d expected to find Emma busy with making dinner. It was something he’d grown accustomed to every evening.
He’d spent most of the day in town taking care of things, and expected Emma to be cooking dinner when he returned. It was possible they had plans he’d forgotten about but even as he wondered where she was, he was too tired and in need of a shower to look right now. He entered the mudroom and stripped out of his dirty clothes.
The house seemed unusually quiet. He glanced out the back door to where Emma usually parked her car. It was gone. Maybe she’d taken the baby to visit Becca or Olivia. Gabe glanced to the kitchen table to see if she’d left a note, but there wasn’t one. It wasn’t like her to do such a thing, he thought, shaking his head as he headed upstairs.
When he entered their bedroom, Gabe immediately noticed the closet door open. Suddenly, an alarming sensation rushed over him as he looked to the closet. He had a bad feeling as he moved slowly toward it and pulled the door open. Her clothes were gone. His heart nearly stopped when he ran to Sophie’s room and saw her clothes were gone too. What was going on? Where were his wife and daughter?
Taking a shower in record time, he quickly dressed, and then ran outside to his truck. Why would Emma leave him? He thought they had a good marriage and got along great, in and out of bed. They had a daughter together. She doesn’t love you! The thought echoed through his head.
He hit the steering wheel with his fist as he steered the truck out onto the main road. He had to get her back. There was no way he could live without her or Sophie. If someone had told him a year ago he was going to fall madly in love and be happy as a father, he would’ve laughed in their face. Gabe knew of only two places she would have gone, the B and B or her parents. Neither was a place he was looking forward to going to for answers. He’d rather deal with a bear than deal with Olivia, and Emma’s parents would never let him see her if she didn’t want to see him. He might be able to get past Olivia…if he groveled enough.
Gabe pulled up to the back entrance to the B and B. Olivia stepped out onto the porch with her arms folded across her chest. Shit! Emma must be here. Olivia glared at him as he slowly got out of the truck. This wasn’t going to be easy, but he wanted his wife and daughter back. “Where is she, Liv?” he asked her, but Olivia didn’t budge. He put his hands on his hips. “I asked you a question.”
Olivia continued to stare him down. She wasn’t easily intimidated. It was time to start groveling. Gabe walked over to the steps and gazed up at her. “Please, Liv. I need to talk to her.”
Olivia sighed and dropped her arms to her sides. “Right now, she’s sleeping. She wore herself out with all the crying she did.” Her voice held a hint of anger, but also perhaps a touch of compassion. Would she help him?
Her words surprised him. “Why is she crying?”
Olivia walked down a step. “Because she heard you on the phone this morning with Wyatt, telling him about how hard it was being in a one sided relationship.”
Gabe glanced at his feet and kicked at the gravel with the toe of his boot. “I see. So she left because she doesn’t want to hurt my feelings.”
“What? Hurt your feelings? What are you talking about?” Olivia looked at him as if he’d suddenly gone crazy.
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I thought eventually she would come to love me. We’re good together, I thought anyway, but you can’t make someone love you.” Feeling dejected, he turned to head back to his truck.
Olivia ran down the steps and grabbed his arm. “Wait a minute. You love her?”
“Yes, more than life,” Gabe whispered even as his heart felt like it was being torn from his chest.
“Did you tell her that?” Olivia stood in front of him, blocking his path.
“No. I kept meaning to, but I-I didn’t want to hear her say she didn’t love me,” he muttered.
“How can two people be so fucking blind? I knew you were in love with her by the way you look at her, and I know she loves you because she told me,” Olivia shouted at him. “How could you not know?”
Gabe’s head jerked up. “She loves me?”
She nodded. “She’s been in love with you for years, Gabe.”
He glanced toward the old house and then back at Olivia. Gabe set her aside and took the steps to the door two at a time. When he reached the door, he turned to look back at her. “I’m going to see her now, Liv, whether you like it or not.” She didn’t say anything. She simply stood leaning against his truck with her arms folded across her chest.
“Does it look like I’m going to stop you?” Olivia said with a big grin. He smiled, opened the door, and went inside.
* * * *
Emma lay on her side facing away from the door. She heard it open and assumed it was Olivia coming to check on her and Sophie. She felt the bed dip. “I’m okay, Liv. So is Sophie. We’ll be up in a little while.” When she didn’t feel Olivia leave the bed, Emma rolled over. She gasped when she saw Gabe sitting there. She climbed off the bed on the other side.
“What are you doing here?” she asked in a quiet yet stern voice to keep from waking Sophie. She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.
Gabe lay back on the bed, making himself more than comfortable. He clasped his hands behind his head. “Don’t you think it’s time you came home, darlin’?”
She turned away from him and fought the onslaught of new tears. “No. Leave, Gabe.”
“I will, but only when you and Sophie go with me.”
“I’m not going home with you.” She felt tears clouding her vision, but she refused to cry in front of him.
“Why is that?”
“Because…” She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling.
“Because why, Emma?”
“It doesn’t matter. You need to leave.” She wiped her eyes and turned to face him.
“I told you, I’ll go when you and Sophie go with me.” Gabe flashed a smile at her. She put her hands on her hips and glared down at him. How could he smile at a time like this? Their marriage was over. There was nothing to smile about now, or ever again.
“And I told you, I’m not going with you.” She stomped her foot and turned away from him again because tears threatened once more.
“I’d like to know why, darlin’.” His voice was like a soothing hand along her spine but as much as she wanted him, she had to be strong. She had to make the break.
“As I said, it doesn’t matter. Go away and leave us alone.” She bit her lip harder to stop it from trembling.
“I can’t do that, Emma. I won’t leave here without you and Sophie.” His voice was a low sultry whisper and it pained her to hear him plead.
She spun away from him and toward the door. “I-I can’t go home with you.” Her voice cracked, her resolve was beginning to crumble.
“Why not? I deserve to know why you took my daughter and left me. No note. Nothing. I have a right to know, Emma.”
She spun around to glare at him, her hurt turning to anger. “You really want to know?” He nodded. “Because it’s a little hard being in a relationship that’s one sided.” She choked back a sob on the last word.
Gabe (Men of Clifton Montana Book 2) Page 17