The door opened and all the air in the room left and I was going to die. This would be the moment. Honey walks into the gym, in nothing but a sports bra and some unbearably tight and short, noticeably short, shorts. She was all legs, tattoos, and toned muscles. I felt my mouth water at the sight of her. She reached her locker in the back of the gym and put her bag away and then bent over to wrangle her gorgeous auburn waves and her ass was so perfectly rounded and plump. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I couldn’t do this. I was wrong before. This was torture. I was going to die before I could even tell her that I loved her.
She finished tying her hair up in a messy bun and it was then I noticed the tension built up around her shoulders. Something was bothering her. Something big, apparently. I frowned and tried to stop watching her as she stretched. I threw another three hit combo and caught another glimpse of her. She was warming up with yoga, something that should be a criminal offense for Honey Locke to do in those shorts. I punched the bag hard and then my jaw dropped. She shifted into downward dog and I would not have been surprised if there was a river of drool coming from my mouth. Did she even know what she was doing to me?
I needed to focus. I needed to finish my work out and get out of here and literally take an ice bath to calm down. This was ridiculous. I swiveled and focused on the punching bag once again. I practiced more combos and was working back up a sweat when I heard her voice nearby, I turned immediately to see why she was this close, and the bag rebounded and hit me, solidly and knocked the wind out of me. I recovered quickly and tried to look inconspicuous while I eavesdropped on her conversation. She was talking to Gabe. I strained to hear what they were saying. Something about an upcoming shopping trip? Why would she need Gabe’s help? The woman could show up anywhere in a potato sack and look drop dead gorgeous!
I sighed. What did she need to go shopping for anyways? Maybe that guy she was with was coming back and she needed something for a date? I felt myself grow angry with jealousy. I punched the bag so hard that it came loose and almost unhooked from the anchor in the ceiling. I tightened it back and moved over to the treadmills. Running would help work off this new frustration. I started out at a moderate pace and began increasing it when my one and only traitorous brother, Gabe, approached. He got on the treadmill right next to me and I sighed. “So, what’s with you and Honey?” He began running and exhaled slowly, “Oh, you know, she wants to go shopping for some things to impress some guy she wants to see.”
I faltered in my steps while running. Fuck, man. Get it together. I looked over at him and scowled and practically growled. “Good for her.” I stopped the treadmill and got off and grabbed a towel and wiped the back of my neck and went over to the lockers to grab my bag and water. I sat down on one of the benches and spotted Honey working a quick circuit around a punching bag. She kept making these soft little grunts and her breathing was quick and heavy. I felt my cock twitch as another little grunt escaped her. It sounded so similar to the night she left me that devious little voicemail. I have to get out of here, before I die on the spot, mere feet away from her.
I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep up this distance thing. This woman was literally my whole fucking world and I would do anything for her but staying away from her had never been easy for me, even when we were kids. It was made progressively worse when every time I ran into her in public she looked like a whole damn meal and would often sneak peeks at me when she thought I wasn’t looking, eyes heated and full of hunger and raw desire. She was a walking orgasm waiting to happen and I’d be damned if I embarrassed myself in public like some horny teenager that just saw a naked woman for the first time. I was frustrated and so done with this. Gabe was going to go out shopping with her so he could help her dress for another man and I was left here with the bluest balls in the history of the whole damn planet.
Getting to my feet and grabbing my gym bag, I move to stand up. I get nearly to the door before I look back for just one last look at the goddess of a woman when I make direct eye contact with her. The whole world freezes around me and I almost pass out when the dirtiest smirk lifts the right side of her perfect mouth and it almost happens in slow motion as I watch her wink at me. Fucking wink! Jesus Christ. I probably look like a damn fool standing by the exit door at the front of the gym, my jaw damn near unhinged due to how hard I am gaping right now. Her vibrant green eyes are sparkling and it takes everything in me not to march over there in that moment and kiss that woman stupid.
Grinding my jaw as I returned all my brain to my skull from the floor, I just turned and left. A pang zings through my chest as I step out into the cool night air, which is a soft caress against my sweaty skin, the distance I am putting between us is really taking its toll on me. It physically hurt me to be away from her like this, especially when I know the threats against her are only going to get worse as we continue to play this long game with the Order. I cannot and will not let anything happen to her again. Anything less than happiness and safety is unacceptable to me.
Honey Rose Locke is my beating heart and I loved her more than anything else on this planet. We will get our happily ever after, even if some blood needs to be shed along the way.
“This is a very extra car for a man of your tastes, Gabriel.” I say dryly as I saunter down the front steps of Locke Manor and Nina laughs behind me as we behold the all-golden chrome limited edition Hamann Mystere Range Rover. “Also, why can’t we take one of my cars?” I ask as I glance over Gabe with a critical eye. He is leaning against the passenger side door of his shiny gold SUV. He is dressed in a tight long sleeved buttoned up AE Oxford American Eagle shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black jeans that showcase his muscles. Paired with a pair of black Chinook ass kicking boots with his hair styled to look like he has run his hands through it a few times, he is a sight for sure.
“I’m actually not picky on my cars and I have many of various makes and models but I figured you would want to ride in something comfortable today. The drive to Bayport is over an hour and that’s where the nearest mall is where you are going to be able to find anything for the party on such short notice.” He points out and I have to admit that I agree. While cars like my luxury Bugatti were flashy, it wouldn’t have fit all three of us and be comfortable for the long drive to Bayport three towns over. Gabe pops open the passenger and rear passenger doors simultaneously and a wide grin stretches his handsome face. “Get in, we’re going shopping.”
Nina and I laugh as I slip into the passenger seat, my black sweater dress paired with silky tights and thigh high matte black stilettos swishing against the leather heated seats and I sigh in relief as the warmth seeps into my butt and thighs. He closes our doors and rounds the hood of the Range Rover and slips into the driver's seat.
With Gabe’s driving, we made it to Bayport Mall in under an hour, but the conversation was pleasant. Nina didn’t talk much and I wasn’t sure if she didn’t like being around Gabe or not. He tried to include her in our talks, but I could tell she was being distant on purpose. I didn’t blame her. She didn’t know the boys as well as I did. Perhaps she didn’t trust them enough to offer politeness? I couldn’t be sure. The boys really had done a number on her on an order from their sadistic parents and I wouldn’t be surprised if she never forgave them.
We spend the first thirty minutes looking at the giant map in the center of Bayport mall when we walk in, trying to figure out where we would go first. Gabe trails Nina and I to Victoria’s Secret first because we were both on a mission to select the perfect undergarments for the men we would be trying to impress after this God-awful party we were expected to attend. Nina had told me Lucas was considered an elite member of Crimson Valley so he was expected to attend and that was how she had gotten an invite in as his date. Gabe helps me pick out one of those tiny black lace adhesive bra and thong sets so that in case I picked out an off the shoulder dress or an open back one, I wouldn’t have to worry about straps showing.
We of course go to Louis Vuitton first seeing
how it is one of my favorites. Gabe helps us browse the racks but he doesn’t find anything he likes. The reason I brought Gabriel Finelli with us was because of his exquisite taste in fashion. I needed him to find me something that would make Silas lose his mind by just looking at me and also something that would be so extra that it would no doubt piss off the Order. I needed to stand out. We continue on to Vera Wang and then Akris which was almost an exact replica to the one in New York. Still nothing.
I was starting to get discouraged when Gabe drags Nina and I into the Bayport version of Oscar de la Renta. It is here that Gabe finds a gold mine. Quite literally. He literally throws Nina and I into a dressing room together and, thank God, neither she nor I care about modesty because he literally makes us strip down to our lacy underthings. He brings us dress after dress and before we know it, two hours fly by. Nina settles on a devastating lilac gown with a deep, A-line sequined top that falls down her long-sculpted legs in waves of soft tulle with identical slits up both thighs to really draw attention to her skyscraper legs. Lucas was going to die a happy man when he sees her in that dress.
She gets dressed and leaves me alone in the dressing room while Gabe continues to scour the whole store looking for the perfect gown for me. After several long minutes, He slips into the dressing room with me, but leaves his right arm sticking out of view on the other side of the curtain. I raise a brow at him as I stand there in my grey lace bra and thong and he gives me a sheepish look.
“If you hate this dress, I am going to cry. I had to almost fight a forty-year-old woman for this five minutes ago when I found it in the back of an out of season rack. Put it on and then we'll talk.” He then brings the dress into the room with us and my jaw almost hits the floor at the beautiful mass of deep, but vibrant green silk material with long sleeves and a deep V down the center. “Trust me, okay?” He says before he hangs the dress for me and slips out of the room. I stare at it for a long moment, just marveling in its beauty. Gabe really did know what he was talking about. I reach out a hand and run my palm down the fabric of the skirt and sigh. When my fingers find the slit in the right thigh that runs all the way up to the hip, I almost squeal in excitement.
I could not get this dress on fast enough. I slip it over my head and it hugs my body like a second skin. The silk skirts swish around my legs and I could already tell with a kick ass pair of heels, this gown was going to be a showstopper. I run my hands down the front and I am glad I decided to go with a lacy adhesive bra and high-rise thong for my undergarments. It will look like I wasn’t wearing anything underneath at all. Throwing the curtain open, Nina gasps quite loudly and Gabe woops in delight, attracting the attention of some of the staff floating around the store as well as a few patrons. I turn for my friends to show them the whole dress and Nina sighs in a dream like state.
“You are so beautiful, Honey. Your date isn’t going to know what hit him.” My friend says as she appraises me and I bite my lip as I envision Silas’ reaction to this dress. I hadn’t told Nina that my goal had been to dress and impress Silas King. I honestly wasn’t sure what her opinion would be on the matter and we just recently rekindled our friendship after many long years and if she knew I was madly in love with a boy who had made it his personal mission to make her life hell when we were kids, I wasn’t sure what she would do. Probably stop talking to me and call me a stupid dumb bimbo only led around by my vagina.
“This is the one, Honey. Trust me, he is going to lose his mind.” Gabe assures me. I see Nina give him a curious look and I wonder how long it will take her before she connects the dots. I never told her that Silas was the boy I had lost my virginity to so long ago. If she had known, I probably wouldn’t have her for a friend seeing how I literally jumped into bed with him a few months after they drove her out of Crimson Valley. Shifting uncomfortably in the beautiful dress, I glance at Gabe and smile radiantly and push all thoughts of my fears of Nina’s reactions over my love for Silas out of my mind. “Now you have to find me some kick ass shoes.” I say and he beams at me. My heart feels so light and I can’t believe how far we have all come since I came back here two months ago now. Two months ago, I hated to even look at Gabriel Finelli. Now, I couldn’t imagine having a future without him in it. He, Hawk, Kass, and even Silas. They were all a part of me.
“Okay change then, we’ll go over to Gucci and find you some shoes and accessories.” He pushes me back into the dressing room and I laugh as I go. One of the first few true laughs I have allowed myself to let out in a long time. It was getting easier each and every day. We still had a long way to go, repairing our relationships, but I looked forward to the work. Trust had to be earned and Gabe being here with me today to help me make his brother jealous went a long way in repairing what had been broken so long ago. I still hadn’t forgotten what he had done for me the night I foolishly broke into town hall. Those boys were looking out for me even when I wasn’t sure I deserved it.
Nina and I get our dresses bagged up and I am thankful they fit both of us so well because I wasn’t sure we had time to get them altered before the party, and then we go on our way. We travel a few stores down until we make it to the Gucci store just for shoes and it’s like a kid walking into the candy store for all three of us. Nina skips off to the left and I follow Gabe to the back and he starts skimming through the options. After a few minutes of skimming, his eyes catch on something and he gasps slightly as he pulls over a stepping stool and pulls down a plain black box, but when he opens it and hands the shoes to me and takes my dress, there is nothing plain about the heels as I open the lid and peer inside. A beautiful pair of shiny gold glittering with a six-inch heel that has golden leaves and vines wrapping up the heel rests inside the box and I gape as I plop down on one of the soft cushions used for trying on shoes. Gabe unzips my garment bag a little and bends to hold up the forest green skirts to the heels when I slip them on my feet and I intuitively know by the wolfish grin on his face that these were the ones.
I am just putting the shoes back in the box when Gabe murmurs he will be right back and hands me my gown. I don’t look over at him as he wanders back to the front of the store. Instead, I move to the other side of the store and find Nina modeling a pair of glittering silver pumps with a solid red back underneath and I beam at her when she turns to plop her beautiful leg up on a stool to show the heels off better. “Those are killer, girl.” I nod my head in approval and she gives me a blinding smile. “Paired with that dress you bought; Lucas is going to lose his mind.” I assure her.
“Girl, stop. You are going to be the showstopper at this thing. What did Gabriel pick out for you?” She points to the box in my hand and I hand them over to her as she sits and opens the lid. She whistles and her eyes shine in awe at them. I noticed how she called him by his full name and not his preferred shortened version, but I don’t comment on it. “That guy sure has an eye for these things.” She says with a small smile as she puts the lid back on the box. I am just opening my mouth to reply to that when Gabe comes up again.
“The missing item for the beautiful masterpiece we created today.” He takes my dress bag from me and hands over a small black leather case to me and I raise a brow. Lifting the lid on the medium sized box, an audible gasp escapes me as I gaze down at the beautiful pure gold crown made of twisting vines and leaves with real white pearls set in the center of tiny flowers dotted along the vines. I feel a random tear well up at the beauty of it and when I look up at Gabe, my jaw nearly unhinged, he gives me a genuine smile and I feel yet another weight lifts off my chest at the sight of it. This shopping trip with Gabe and Nina today definitely helped heal something inside of me and it was so freeing. “You are going to look stunning, Honey, and I can’t wait to see the looks on the Order’s faces when you walk in looking every bit the queen you are.”
His words are like a blow to my heart and I find myself shoving my body into his and before I know it I have practically dropped the shoes and the crown as I wrap my arms around his middle. This i
s the first time I have hugged Gabriel Finelli in over ten years and I feel a few tears slip out when he doesn’t hesitate to wrap an arm around my shoulders, his other hand occupied holding my garment bag. I didn’t even care if this looked odd to Nina, I just couldn’t help myself. This shopping trip was a true testament to how serious Gabe had been about repairing things on his end. It has brought us that much closer to moving on from the past and I can’t help but whisper, “Thank you,” as I pull back from the hug and his smile says it all. I was Gabriel Finelli’s family and he would do anything to make me happy.
We pay and leave Bayport and I feel the lightest I have in a long time. We eat a lovely dinner at a small back-alley restaurant in downtown Bayport and then Gabe drops Nina off at her apartment before taking me home. He helps me unload my things before he gives me another tight hug and he leaves with a honk and a wave. It was such a very mundane thing to do, but it still made me smile like a damn fool. It was a nice feeling working out the wrongs of the past and having the boys back in my life, even if I was a little hesitant to accept Silas back in the way that he wanted.
Hopefully, things would change after the Thanksgiving Party.
Soft mid-morning light filters into the huge window above the sink in the kitchen as I stare out at the grounds, noticing a few of the guys I hired a few weeks ago, milling about around the perimeter fence. A cup of coffee is clutched in my hand and I take a small sip as I hear Sam enter the kitchen behind me. “Hair and makeup are here, Miss Locke.” He informs me and I sigh. Today is the dreaded Thanksgiving party the Order insists on hosting every year under the pretense of bringing the Crimson Valley elite together to celebrate the holidays together. It was just another party so they could all flaunt their wealth and status. In a way, I guess that's what I was doing too. I would show up dressed to impress and I’m sure a few jaws would drop in my presence. That is what was expected of me, right? The outfit Gabe helped me pick out was chosen so that I would stick out amongst the elite.
Whiskey & Honey: Crimes of Crimson Valley: Book One Page 21