“Sometimes it’s better to be a big fish in a little pond than a little fish in a big pond,” Melanie said, glancing from future mother-in-law to future sister-in-law. “Am I right?”
Leslie gave Melanie a grateful smile, and Gabe loved his heart’s choice a little more with every passing moment.
“I’m so intimidated right now,” Nikki said. “Are you all doctors?” She glanced hopefully at Dad.
“Afraid so,” Dad said with a wink. “But I don’t save lives. I get my kicks by torturing college students.”
Nikki swallowed.
“Did I say torturing?” Dad laughed. “I meant challenging. I get my kicks by challenging college students.”
“He definitely meant torturing,” Gabe said. “I’ve seen him laugh gleefully over failing grades more than once.”
“Not everyone’s got what it takes to pass physics,” Dad said.
“I would be in that category,” Melanie said, raising her hand sheepishly. “The lowest grade I ever got in my life was in physics.”
“You never told me that,” Gabe said. “Did you fail it?”
“I got a C,” she said, grimacing. “C minus. I’m sure I could have done better with the right tutor.” The heated look she gave Gabe made his palms go damp. He could definitely get behind tutoring Melanie Anderson.
Nikki laughed. “I doubt the two of you would have gotten any actual studying done.”
Exactly.
“I’m not sure I can let my son marry a woman who earned a C minus in physics,” Dad said. “Was it calculus-based physics at least?”
Melanie shook her head. “Nope. College physics,” she said. “For non-majors.”
Dad covered his chest with one hand. “Dr. Banner,” he said to his wife. “I think you need to look at my heart. I might be dying.”
“Oh, please,” Mom said, rolling her eyes. “Stop that. She’s going to think you’re serious.” She turned to Melanie and said, “I got a D in physics the first time I took it and decided to get some help the second go round. How do you think I met this guy?” She jabbed a thumb in Dad’s direction.
“So Luke was your physics tutor in college?” Melanie asked.
Mom’s grin was entirely too devious for Gabe’s comfort, even though he already knew the story behind how his parents had met.
“No, love. He was the teacher.”
“Ooo,” Nikki said, wiggling her eyebrows. “Did he let you earn extra credit after class?”
“Hell no,” Mom said. “He wouldn’t even date me until after I graduated.”
“It’s inappropriate to date a student,” Dad said. “No matter how much she throws herself at you.”
Gabe laughed at his mother’s outraged expression.
“I did not throw myself at you!”
“She wrote me love notes at the bottom of all her exams.”
Mom licked her lips, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. “I was just thanking you for helping me understand the material.”
“I felt thoroughly thanked, my love,” he said. “And you have no idea how hard it was for me to maintain my professionalism.”
“You weren’t too professional,” Mom claimed. “You still have copies of all my test papers.”
“And I still take them out and read them from time to time.”
And then his parents were kissing passionately. Gabe exchanged a disgusted look with his sister, who snorted and shook her head.
“We should get busy washing these dishes,” Mom said, “so we can head home and leave these two alone with their houseguest.”
Nikki beamed at being remembered.
Leslie smirked at her parents. “Get yourselves to bed early so you can relive your early years together, you mean.”
When Mom stood and started to gather plates, Melanie jumped from her chair as if a rattlesnake had struck her in the ass. “No need,” Melanie said. “I’ll get the dishes.”
“It’s a standing rule in this family,” Mom said. “The cook never washes the dishes.” She gave Gabe a stern look, as if he’d broken that sacred rule.
“It’s fine,” Melanie said. “Really. I don’t mind.” She took the dishes from Mom’s hands and carried them out of the dining room.
“Melanie, dear,” Mom said, staring at Melanie’s back. “I think your shirt is on wrong-side out. There’s a tag . . .” Mom reached for the tag poking out through Melanie’s hair at the nape of her neck, and Melanie scurried forward, her face redder than the tomato sauce on the plates she was carrying.
“I didn’t realize,” Melanie said. “Thanks. But I’ve got the dishes. Please sit down, Kathy.”
Gabe didn’t recall Melanie being particularly fond of washing dishes. Perhaps she was trying to impress his family—or escape their scrutiny. He felt bad for not pointing out her shirt was on wrong-side out earlier.
His mother followed Melanie, and after a moment of listening to them argue about who was going to do the dumb dishes, Gabe went to investigate.
“Please, Kathy, allow me,” Melanie said.
She made a dive for the dishwasher when his mother moved to open it. And then Gabe realized why she was so insistent on doing the dishes. There were certain embarrassing items on the dishwasher’s top rack.
“I should be the one to do the dishes,” Gabe said. “You two go sit and visit. Maybe you can help Nikki come up with some ideas for the wedding.”
Mom stopped trying to wrestle a spatula out of Melanie’s grip and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Are you thinking a destination wedding? Or something a bit closer to home?”
“Actually,” Melanie said, shooting Gabe a look of gratitude as she handed him the dirty spatula. “We were thinking of having the wedding here. In the woods around Gabe’s house.”
“Just as long as it doesn’t involve riding those noisy ATVs of his,” Mom said.
“What a great idea, Mom!” Gabe said, turning on the water in the sink. He decided it was probably best to sanitize the Sex Stallion skins on their own cycle rather than with the supper plates, but he couldn’t very well just whip them out while his mom was watching him with her eyes narrowed.
“I’ll pour sugar in your gas tanks if you even think about ruining your ceremony with those damned things,” she threatened.
“We were actually thinking of something a little more sedate,” Melanie said, directing Mom back to the dining room.
Thinking he was alone, Gabe opened the dishwasher just as his father hobbled into the room. Gabe slammed the door shut and smiled at Dad, hoping he didn’t look too suspicious. The man was a teacher. He could spot a guilty conscience with practiced ease.
“You sure you’re ready to settle down?” Dad asked quietly. He obviously didn’t want to upset the wedding-planning women chatting excitedly in the dining room.
“With Melanie?” Gabe smiled. “One hundred percent sure.”
“It’s just a bit sudden is all. How long have you known her?”
“Long enough to know she’s my one.”
Dad smiled. “The physics of love. Completely unfathomable.”
“Did you know right away with Mom?” Gabe asked.
“Yep. And it scared the hell out of me. You seem to be dealing well with the idea, however.”
“Well, Melanie’s not ten years younger than I am,” Gabe said with a chuckle. “Or my student.”
“That wasn’t the scary part,” Dad said. “The scary part was thinking I might have to live even a single day of my life without her.”
There was no doubting which of his parents was the most romantic. He was pretty sure it was the same for himself and Melanie. When it came to love, Melanie was far more practical about her feelings than he was.
“I feel the same for Mel. And we’re supposed to be men of science.” Gabe snorted.
“The most important qualities for any scientist are a sense of wonder and being able to accept that there are things in this universe that we will never be able to explain.”
I am my
father’s son, Gabe thought wryly.
Dad licked his lips and watched his fingers drum on the countertop. “Are you going to go back and finish your degree now that your band is over? I’m sure I could get you a late admission wavier for fall semester.”
Gabe decided that asking that question was the real reason his father had cornered him in the kitchen.
“I’ve thought about it,” Gabe said. “But I’m not ready to give up on my music just yet.”
“You could always play drums as a hobby,” Dad said.
“I could,” Gabe said, “but I don’t think I’d be satisfied. I will definitely let you know if I decide to go back to school. I’ll play that nepotism card like a fiddle.”
Dad slapped him on the back hard enough to sting. His smile lit up his entire face, even brightening his eyes. “Whatever makes you happy, son.”
“Melanie makes me happy. Everything else good in my life is just gravy.”
Chapter Twelve
After saying goodbye to Gabe’s family and promising to have lunch with Leslie later in the week, Melanie collapsed on the sofa. Her body still hadn’t fully recovered from her amazing ride on the Sex Stallion, but her mental exhaustion far surpassed her physical weariness.
“If I’m going to live here,” Melanie said to Gabe, turning her head with more effort than she’d willingly admit to watch him approach, “you have to promise me one thing.”
Gabe cringed. “I’m sorry they just showed up like that. I’ve told my parents at least a hundred times that they need to call before they stop in.”
“That’s not my concession.” Though she could see how them showing up whenever they felt like it might be a problem.
“Name it,” he said, sitting beside her on the sofa and wrapping an arm around her shoulders to draw her closer.
“We have to get a second dishwasher installed specifically for sex-gadget washing.” She’d almost died of embarrassment when she thought her future mother-in-law would see those Sex Stallion skins hanging out on the top rack of the dishwasher. “Is it possible to install it in the sex-gadget room?”
Gabe laughed and gave her a tight squeeze. “That’s a great idea. I’ll start working on the plumbing tomorrow.”
The tension drained out of Melanie’s body, and she relaxed against him, her eyes drifting shut. They popped open again when a sound that reminded her of air compressors on carnival rides came from near Gabe’s—and she supposed her—bedroom.
“Nikki, you’d better not be in there messing with my new toy,” Melanie shouted.
Nikki emerged from the hallway holding Gabe’s remote control. “You said you’d show me how it works.”
“I’m too tired to move at the moment,” Melanie said. “Let’s just watch some TV or something.”
“Gabe, are you too tired to show me?” Nikki asked.
Gabe perked up instantly. “Do you really want to know how it works?”
“I really want to ride it,” Nikki said. “And I don’t care if Mel got her cum all over it. I like Mel’s cum.”
Gabe stiffened, and Melanie slid a hand up his neck. “She doesn’t know that from experience,” Melanie assured him. “She thinks you’ll find that sexy enough to let her get her way.”
“I could know that from experience,” Nikki said. “If you’d give me the chance to show you that I know my way around a pussy.”
“Nikki, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to get all worked up when you’re trying to break your sex addiction,” Gabe said.
“My doctor said it might help if I had a device to take the edge off. It could keep me from seeking another partner,” Nikki said.
“Sounds like strange advice,” Melanie said. “When you’re fighting alcohol addiction, you don’t drink wine to take the edge off.”
“I’m just repeating what he said.”
“I can give you a handheld vibrator,” Gabe said. “I’ve made dozens of prototypes over the years.”
Melanie snorted. “I can’t believe you just offered to give my friend a vibrator.”
“I wouldn’t mind letting her give the Stallion a go,” he whispered close to Melanie’s ear, so Nikki wouldn’t overhear. “See how another responds to it.”
“I’m not sharing it with her,” Melanie said. “It’s mine.” She already had a strange emotional attachment to the machine. Maybe because Gabe had invented it and put it together with such obvious care. Or maybe because it gave her amazing orgasms and her hormones had caused her to bond with the damned thing. Whatever the case, she did not want Nikki on it.
“I don’t have to ride it,” Nikki said in a sorrowful tone. “But you can still show me how it works, can’t you, Gabe?”
“If Melanie doesn’t mind.”
“Melanie just wants to take a nap,” Melanie said. “Show it to her, but you’re not riding it, Nik.”
Gabe kissed Melanie’s temple and then shifted away, allowing her to stretch out on the sofa. Not even the muffled sound of Gabe describing the functions of his machine, Nikki’s responses, or the mechanical sounds coming from the small bedroom kept Melanie awake long enough to contemplate why she was okay with her fiancé showing her sex-addict of a best friend the innermost workings of his greatest achievement in sex toy inventions.
The next thing she knew, it was morning and she was sprawled naked across Gabe’s—and she supposed now her—king-size bed. Groaning, with no recollection of how she’d gotten to bed or where her clothes had gone, she rubbed her face and concentrated on the noise that must have woken her. From the small bedroom next door came a high-pitched whirring, like one produced by a drill, only louder. Melanie sat up, found Gabe’s side of the bed empty, and searched through a box of her clothes for something to cover her nakedness. She settled on an overlarge T-shirt since she couldn’t locate her robe and made sure she put it on right-side out. How mortifying had it been that her future mother-in-law had caught her with her shirt wrong-side out? Melanie had planned to unpack her stuff last night, but apparently she’d been completely down for the count. So much for spending her first official romantic night in her new home with the love of her life. Thanks to her utter exhaustion, she didn’t doubt that she’d even snored and drooled while she’d slept. All that noise coming from the small bedroom was probably Gabe building an escape hatch.
She walked extra slowly on sore and stiff legs as she went to investigate. She really did need to build up her strength, stamina, and flexibility. She found Gabe on his hands and knees drilling a hole through the floor in one corner of the room. Admiring his ass, Melanie crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe.
“Isn’t it a little early to be making all that noise?” she asked.
Gabe peeked at her over his shoulder. “Did I wake you?”
“I’m not sure. Probably.”
“Sorry about that. And it’s almost noon. Not exactly early.”
“You’re kidding!” She must have slept almost sixteen hours. Holy crap.
“I think maybe we should have started with one or two stimulators instead of all four at once. I made note of it.”
“Where’s Nikki? Did you have breakfast? What are your plans for the day?”
“Nikki is snuggling with the dogs. I had some coffee. Need to go to town today and try to get in touch with Amanda since she never bothered to call me, and while I’m out, I think I’ll purchase my lady’s requested new dishwasher.”
“Jacob’s Amanda?” Melanie asked, trying to wrap her head around all the answers he’d volleyed at her.
“Yeah, I figured she might know what’s going on in Jacob’s head, because I sure as hell can’t figure it out.” Gabe cleared his throat. “Also need to stop by Lindsey’s gynecologist to give my blood sample.”
Melanie blew out a breath. “Sounds like we have a busy day,” she said. “Assuming I’m invited to accompany you.”
“Fair assumption,” he said with a grin. “I’ve been twiddling my thumbs around here all morning waiting for you to
find the strength to climb out of bed. I’d have harassed you about your laziness, but I feel sort of responsible.”
He looked so cute when he brushed his hair back sheepishly that her heart fluttered.
“You are entirely responsible,” she said with a laugh. “But I forgive you.” She walked over and gave the Sex Stallion a pat. “I’ll be seeing you later,” she said. “Do we have time for me to take a shower?” she asked Gabe.
Gabe sniffed in her direction, and his nose crinkled in disgust. “Yes, we definitely have time for you to shower.”
She swatted his ass before darting away and heading for the master bathroom. She’d forgotten how many shower heads the guy had installed. It took her a good twenty minutes to get the flow and temperature just right and then once she was in the soothing yet invigorating jets of water, she didn’t want to get out.
“What’s taking so long? Are you masturbating in there?” Gabe asked from somewhere beyond the steamed-up glass shower wall.
“No,” she said. Well, maybe a little. But then no matter how she turned, she had jets aimed at her ass and both tits. What did he expect?
“Nikki’s staying here with the dogs, so we have the entire day to ourselves.” The shower door opened, and Gabe stepped inside. He was perfectly naked, and his cock was already standing at rigid attention.
“Does plumbing turn you on?” she asked with a grin, moving closer to press up against him.
“You turn me on,” he said. “I’ve been in the other room thinking about you naked and alone in my shower for thirty minutes now.”
“Our shower,” she said, dropping a kiss on his collarbone.
“Yes,” he whispered. “Ours.”
By the time they’d gotten each other all messy and then clean again, it was well past lunchtime.
“Wear something nice,” Gabe requested, standing behind her as she stared into the empty half of his walk-in closet. The half he’d so thoughtfully cleared out for her to use.
She’d hung up a few dresses, but most of her clothes were still in suitcases, bags, and boxes. And her winter wardrobe was back at her apartment in Kansas. She wondered if she’d ever need winter clothes in Texas.
Trust Me (One Night with Sole Regret Book 11) Page 15