Trust Me (One Night with Sole Regret Book 11)

by Olivia Cunning

  Melanie helped Nikki sort through her clothes to find appropriate attire to wear on what Nikki thought would be an exciting mini-vacation to Austin. Gabe was down in the parking lot tinkering with Melanie’s stupid car.

  “Does Gabe have a pool?” Nikki asked.

  “No, but he’ll probably take us to the lake on his boat.”

  Nikki tossed a neon-pink string bikini into her open suitcase. Melanie didn’t comment. She would only wear a swimsuit like that to attract male attention, and in the past Nikki had thrived on that kind of attention, but she wanted Nikki to make her own choices. If she could manage to strut around in that bikini without initiating sex with the admirers that were sure to flock around her, more power to her. Melanie just hoped Gabe was impervious to Nikki’s blatant sex appeal. Crap. She’d forgotten the man had eyes. Of course he’d find Nikki attractive. What had she gotten them into?

  Melanie took a deep breath. This wasn’t like situations in her past. She and Gabe were partners. Nikki wouldn’t take him away or seduce him, because he understood her risky behavior was part of her psychological condition. At least Melanie believed he understood that.

  Her phone dinged with a text from Gabe. Got it started. Going to take it for a test drive.

  “He got my piece-of-shit car started,” Melanie said, smiling at his genius.

  “I’m not surprised,” Nikki said. “He’s pretty handy. Did you call your parents and ask them to dinner yet?”

  Melanie’s heart took a dive to her feet. “I think I’ll just tell him that they couldn’t come.”

  “So you haven’t asked them yet.”

  “What if they don’t like him?”

  “It doesn’t matter. You like him.”

  “I love him.”

  “Right. That’s what I meant. And if you love him, they’ll love him.”

  Melanie was pretty sure it didn’t work that way.

  “They thought Anthony was too wild for me.”

  He was an accountant she’d dated a couple of years ago, one of her many boyfriends who’d ended up sleeping with Nikki. Her parents had thought him wild because he owned a motorcycle. He’d rarely ridden it, but just the owning of the dangerous thing had made him wild. If Anthony had been wild, then Gabe had been raised by wolves.

  “Anthony was a dick,” Nikki said. “You know he came on to me, not the other way around.”

  “I know.”

  “I could have said no.” Nikki offered her a regretful frown and then looked into her suitcase. She removed the pink bikini and replaced it with a black one piece.

  “Saying no is hard for you.”

  Nikki nodded slightly. “Still not a good excuse. I’m sorry for all those times I messed up your relationships.”

  “If it weren’t for you, I’d have never met Gabe.”

  Nikki lifted her head and met Melanie’s eyes. She smiled. “So I guess that makes up for all my wrongs.”

  Not even close, but Melanie nodded. “We’re square. Just don’t try to take him away from me.”

  “I’d never. Not someone you actually loved. I’ve seen the way you look at him.” Nikki smacked Melanie in the gut with a bed pillow.

  Melanie had thought she was in love with Anthony. Now that she was with Gabe, she knew better. He made her feel far more deeply than she’d ever experienced with anyone. So maybe all that heartache was a blessing in disguise. It allowed her to recognize the depth of her feelings quickly, allowed her to act on them, and to believe in them.

  “I don’t know why you keep taking me back,” Nikki said, tracing a stripe on the comforter on her bed. “I’ve done some truly awful things to you.”

  “I like to be needed.”

  “Then I’m perfect for you. I have boundless need.”

  Melanie laughed and hugged her.

  “Go invite your parents to dinner,” Nikki said, “or I’m going to call them. I’m sure you remember how well that went the last time I called.”

  Her parents had called the police, convinced that something terrible had happened when Nikki wouldn’t let them talk to Melanie. Melanie had been taking a nice leisurely bath. Nikki had called them to ask if they’d lend her the money to buy Melanie a birthday cake, which they thought was some code for drugs. Yeah, her parents were a bit overprotective and judgmental. She could only imagine their reaction when she introduced them to a man with a crimson-tipped Mohawk and dragon tattoos on his scalp. They’d probably think he’d pass those traits directly to their grandchildren.

  “If Gabe finds out that he’s marrying into crazy,” Melanie said, “he’ll break off our engagement.”

  “Your parents aren’t crazy,” Nikki said, but then she lifted her hands in surrender. “Okay, your parents are a little out there, but it’s only because they love you so much. I’d give anything to have parents like yours.”

  Melanie snorted. “You wouldn’t say that if they were yours.”

  Nikki yanked Melanie’s phone from her hand and managed to dial Melanie’s mother before she could get the device away from her. Melanie ended the call and shoved her phone back into her pocket. She had her mouth open to chastise Nikki, when her phone rang. She didn’t have to look at caller ID to know it was her mother. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then answered. She didn’t want the police to show up at her place because she didn’t pick up.

  “Is everything okay, Melanie? You called but I wasn’t fast enough to answer.”

  Melanie imagined her mother practicing speedy call acceptances like she was a Western gunslinger trying to perfect drawing her weapon.

  “Everything is fine, Mom. I just butt dialed you. Sorry.”

  “That’s okay. I haven’t talked to you for days. How’s work?”

  “Uh, well, I took some vacation days.”

  “Then why haven’t you visited? Your dad made this great new beer. He’s been dying for you to come try it out.”

  Nikki was giving Melanie a blend of the evil eye and a look of chastisement.

  Melanie pivoted to the wall. “Actually, I did want to call and ask if you and Daddy wanted to join me for dinner. I . . . uh . . . have someone I’d like you to meet.”

  “A new boy?”

  Melanie rolled her eyes. Would she be perpetually twelve years old to her parents? “Not a boy, a man,” Melanie said. “And he’s incredibly important to me, so I don’t want you to act all overprotective when you meet him.”

  “So it’s serious? How come you haven’t mentioned you’ve been seeing someone?”

  She hadn’t had the time. “Because I wanted to be sure he was impervious to criticism before I introduced him to you and Daddy.”

  Mom snorted. “Mel, we aren’t that bad.”

  They were that bad. “So, dinner?”

  “Dad’s been working on a rack of ribs for hours. Why don’t you bring your little friend here? Around seven?”

  Her little friend? Gabe was far from little and was much more to her than a friend, but Melanie said, “Okay, but if you start acting like jerks, we’ll leave, and you might not ever see me again.”

  “Why would we act like jerks?”

  “Because . . .” How should she put it? “Because he’s not an accountant.”

  Her mother laughed. “That’s probably a good thing. I remember how well your last relationship with an accountant went.”

  “You’re being a jerk,” Melanie pointed out. “See you at seven.” She hung up before she changed her mind. Perhaps she should have asked Gabe if he was okay meeting her parents on their turf. They’d have to be more civil to him in public. But maybe she was worried over nothing. Except for the overprotective-bordering-on-oppressive thing, her parents were wonderful people.

  She sent Gabe a text. How’s the car doing? We’re having dinner with my parents at seven. Hope you’re not stuck on the side of the road somewhere. Let me know if you need a tow.

  He didn’t respond immediately—she hoped that meant the driving was going well—so she continued to help
Nikki pack while Nikki prattled on about various times she’d gone head to head with Melanie’s parents. They treated Melanie like a princess. It was anyone who dared cause their princess grief that they turned on. And Nikki had caused Melanie plenty of grief in the past. Melanie kept them separated these days. She loved her parents dearly, but Nikki was an important part of her life too. If Mom and Dad had issues with Gabe, she supposed she could just keep them apart as much as possible.

  A message from Gabe came at about six. Just now saw this. I’m on my way back to the apartment. The car is running fine. See you in a few.

  “I thought maybe he’d chickened out and headed back to Texas,” Melanie said as Nikki helped her pick out something to wear to dinner.

  “He’s the one who wanted to meet them,” Nikki said, holding a slinky red dress up to Melanie’s front.

  “Uh, I’m taking my fiancé to meet my parents, not picking up johns on a shady street corner.”

  Nikki rolled her eyes. “You’re so gorgeous, yet you never show off the goods.”

  “I show them off plenty to Gabe. He’s the only one who needs to see them.”

  Melanie shoved the red dress back into the closet and pulled out a soft wholesome-looking green sundress that she knew her father liked. She paired it with flat sandals and a light sweater. The only make-up she applied was the lightest dusting of powder, some mascara, and a blush-toned lip gloss. Maybe by looking fresh-faced and sweet she’d counter some of Gabe’s overstated alternative look. She liked how he looked. In fact, his tattoos, piercings, and Mohawk turned her on, but it wasn’t the kind of look her parents would appreciate. She wasn’t going to insist he dress in any particular fashion when he met them. If he wanted to wear leather, a T-shirt that read FUCK AUTHORITY, and his Mohawk spiked straight to the sky, she wouldn’t have a problem with that. Whatever made him comfortable was fine with her. She’d love for her parents to accept him, but if they didn’t, it wasn’t a deal breaker. She loved him and didn’t care who approved or disapproved of their relationship.

  Yeah, she told herself all that. But in her heart she’d be overjoyed if they approved of him.

  A few minutes later, Gabe knocked on the door. She smiled at him, took from his hand the bouquet of white lilies and pink roses that he told her were for her mom, and kissed his cheek. He was filthy—hands covered in oil, grime, and general filth—and she had to admit he’d never looked sexier.

  “Hope I have time for a shower,” he said, pulling his shirt off over his head as he headed for the apartment’s single bathroom.

  Nikki offered his shirtless body an appreciative whistle before he closed the bathroom door.

  “Aww, he bought you flowers?” Nikki said, touching the silky white petal of one of the lilies.

  “No, he’s even sweeter than that. He bought my mother flowers.”

  The shower kicked on, and Melanie stared at the closed door, wishing she had time to join him in there. She loved the dirty, sweaty version of Gabe, but might admire his wet and naked version even more. She couldn’t be sure unless she got an eyeful for comparison.

  “If they don’t absolutely love him, they’re idiots,” Nikki said.

  “Let’s hope they can get over their prejudices. If not, they’re the ones who’ll miss out.”

  “Are you going to tell them that you two are engaged?”

  Melanie lifted her left hand to show Nikki her naked ring finger. “Don’t see why I should. He hasn’t put a ring on it yet.”

  “He hasn’t had time to put a ring on it.”

  “I’m not upset about it,” Melanie said, staring longingly at the bathroom door. How late would they be if she stripped off her dress and joined him? “I figured we’d let them adjust to the idea of my new boyfriend before we force them to consider him my future husband.”

  “Hey, if I was engaged to that delicious man, there wouldn’t be a person on the planet that I wasn’t proud to tell.”

  Melanie grimaced, appalled by the connotation in Nikki’s words. “Does it seem like I’m ashamed of him?”

  Nikki shook her head. “No, just that you expect others not to accept him for who he is.”

  It was practically the same thing. She needed to get that vibe under wraps. If her parents picked up on it, they’d run with it. “I wish everyone saw him the way I do.”

  “As a hot-as-fuck and talented badass with a great body and amazing green eyes?” Nikki snorted. “Trust me. Everyone sees him that way.”

  But that wasn’t all that Melanie saw when she looked at him. “I see him as heroic, tender, a little hot-headed if he’s been wronged, but ultimately a good person.”

  “I assume you’re talking about me.”

  Gabe’s deep voice made Melanie jump.

  Nikki giggled. “He caught you waxing poetic about him.”

  Melanie turned to find him wearing nothing but a towel, his exposed chest and belly glistening with water. The fresh, clean scent of soap on his recently scrubbed flesh had her knees a bit wobbly. “If he hadn’t interrupted, I would have added that he’s smart, adventurous, talented, and devastatingly inventive.”

  Gabe crossed his arms over his chest, his towel slipping an inch lower as he stood straight. “Do go on,” he said.

  “He’s also a bit cocky. I’m not talking Shade Silverton’s level of cocky, but he’s not lacking in self-confidence.”

  “Shade is perfectly cocky,” Nikki said. She moaned as if being tortured. “He also has a perfectly huge cock.”

  “Gabe,” Melanie said, “you might want to keep your gorgeous body concealed from the recovering sex addict. She’s already thinking of Shade as a viable option.”

  “Shade is always a viable option,” Nikki said, taking in an eyeful of Gabe. “He stops when you say stop, but who the hell would want him to stop?”

  “Who would want him to start?” Melanie countered. She honestly didn’t understand Jacob’s appeal. He was good looking, but she just didn’t recognize him as having any substance, and now that he’d left Gabe and his bandmates high and dry just because he felt like it, she liked him even less.

  “How long do I have before we’re supposed to be at your parents’ house?” Gabe asked.

  Melanie glanced at the clock on the wall. “About three minutes.”

  “Shit!” He disappeared into Melanie’s bedroom and shut the door.

  “I hope they don’t use our tardiness against him,” Melanie said, figuring they’d use any negative as ammunition.

  “He really is a good guy,” Nikki said. “But admit it. If you’d realized who he was before you started talking to him, you never would have come to know who he was, because you wouldn’t have given him a chance.”

  “Exactly, and where do you think I picked up that horrible bias?”

  “Your parents.”

  Melanie nodded. “It will do me good to get out of Kansas.”

  “Not sure how much a week in Austin will free you from their shelter.”

  Melanie opened her mouth to remind her that she was moving to Austin for good, but remembered in time that they hadn’t told Nikki the move would be permanent. And that would be another weapon in her parents’ arsenal against Gabe. He was taking their baby girl far away from them. She predicted the evening was going to be a total disaster.

  Gabe hurried out of the bedroom a moment later, looking mind-bogglingly attractive in a pair of black slacks and a white button-down dress shirt. She stared at him, mouth agape, for a long minute before realizing he was asking for assistance in buttoning his cuff sleeve. He’d applied a splash of cologne, which she could only smell when she was really close. The scent made her want to bury her face in his neck and breathe him in.

  “Should I wear a hat?” he asked.

  Melanie tilted her head back, her heart throbbing with excitement. Why on earth would he want to shade those gorgeous green eyes beneath the brim of a hat?

  “I don’t have time to grow my hair out,” he added.

  “Wear whate
ver makes you comfortable,” Melanie said. She was too far gone over the guy to give a fuck what her parents thought.

  Gabe licked his lips. “Trust me when I say a man is never comfortable when he meets his future in-laws.”

  “Her parents are ultraconservative,” Nikki said. “You should probably wear a Ronnie Reagan mask if you want them to like you.”

  Gabe blew out his cheeks. “Hat, it is.”

  He slipped back into the bedroom and reemerged wearing a trendy black fedora. Melanie let out a low whistle.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you clean up so well?”

  “Because I prefer to be dirty.” Gabe winked at her and extended his arm to take her hand. “Ready when you are.”

  He let her drive since she knew the way. The flowers he held clutched in one hand were shaking slightly, but she didn’t let him know she noticed. She did let him know that he was flipping brilliant. Her car ran better than it had in years.

  “I thought fixing new cars was impossible for anyone but a technician with all sorts of diagnostic equipment,” she said.

  “You had a vacuum hose leak. Easy to fix.”

  “My car has a vacuum? Can’t tell with all those crumbs under the seats.”

  He laughed and picked up her hand. His palm was a bit damp, but she didn’t point that out either.

  “Just so you know,” Melanie said, “if they don’t love you—and I’m not sure how they couldn’t, you’re amazing—I love you. Their opinion won’t change my mind.”

  “Just like their opinion didn’t make you afraid of tattoos and men who have them?”

  “I was an impressionable child at the time. I didn’t think my parents could be wrong about anything. They were wrong to exacerbate my fear into a phobia. I see that now. You helped me see that. Now it’s their turn to get over their stupid prejudices against tattoos. Tattoos are mainstream. I’d say half the people our age have at least one.”

  “How many of those have them on their scalps?” Gabe pointed to his head.

  “Just the best ones. I plan to get one to match.”

  He laughed and squeezed her hand. She had been joking, sort of. She did want to get a tattoo, mostly to prove that she wasn’t afraid, but also because she was starting to think of them as sexy, and she wanted to be sexy for Gabe. She didn’t have plans to add one to her scalp, however. That had to hurt. She was thinking of something like a butterfly on her shoulder. Nothing too over the top. In any case, she’d hoped her little spiel would make him feel better, but he still looked green around the collar.