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  Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest and just looked at her. If she didn’t think his job was sufficient, why had she agreed to marry him?

  Kiera wasn’t sure what Gabriel was thinking, but she knew his silence couldn’t be a good thing. “Say something!”

  “What do you want me to say, Kiera? You’ve obviously put a lot of thought into this.”

  She frowned, “Well, I wouldn’t say a lot of thought, but I realized this morning that I won’t do well just hanging around the house all day.”

  “So it isn’t about the money? It’s just for you to have something to do?” Gabriel asked carefully.

  Kiera’s eyes widened as she realized what he had been thinking. “Of course it isn’t about the money! I know that you can provide for us, but I can’t sit still long enough to be cooped up in the house all day.”

  Gabriel sighed. He should have realized she would need something to occupy herself with; he just didn’t like the thought of her working forty hours a week. As much as he hated to admit it, not being the sole provider made him feel like less of a man. It didn’t sit well with him, but if that’s what would make Kiera happy then he couldn’t argue with her.

  “Depending on what type of work you want to do, I’m sure that we can come up with something without you digging through the newspaper ads for a job.”

  She shifted from foot to foot, obviously antsy about something. He had just given in to her wish to work, what else could she possibly want?

  “Kiera, if you have something to say, just spit it out. I need to get back to work,” he all but barked.

  Kiera stopped fidgeting and looked at the ground. She hadn’t meant to keep him from his work. “I just thought that maybe I could redecorate the house a little. Nothing drastic! But I noticed the wallpaper was a little dated and I’d like to touch up the paint on the crown molding.”

  Gabriel hid a grin. So his wife wanted to nest; that was a good sign. “I don’t mind if you want to make changes around the house. It’s as much your home as it is mine.”

  “I thought that maybe, once my house sold, that I could use the money from the sale to pay for some of the changes I had in mind.”

  Gabriel fought the urge to hold her. Every time the woman was within arm’s length he wanted to touch her, hold her, kiss her … make love to her. It touched him that she wanted to use her own money to make the changes around the house, but it wasn’t necessary. What his brothers didn’t realize, or anyone else for that matter, was that he had put money aside each month for the past several years. It wasn’t a fortune, but it was enough to renovate the entire house if that’s what Kiera wanted to do.

  “I actually have some money set aside for redecorating the house. I just never got around to doing it.”

  Kiera looked surprised. “Really?”

  He nodded. “Why don’t you take one of my cousins to the hardware store while you’re out today? You can get an idea of how much you’ll need to get started on your project and I’ll withdraw the money tomorrow. Matter of fact, we can open a checking account in both of our names and I’ll just put all of the money in there.”

  Kiera’s face lit up with a huge smile. “Thank you, Gabriel.”

  He returned her smile and leaned forward to kiss her briefly. “Now get out of here so I can get some work done. You’ll find Connor and Colin’s number in the phone book in the kitchen.”

  She nodded, waved bye to Michael, and practically skipped out of the garage.

  ***

  Almost an hour later, Connor and Kiera were in her SUV heading toward the hardware store. She had briefly explained her plans for the Victorian. Now that she knew Gabriel didn’t mind the changes, she was excited to get started.

  Kiera pulled into a parking space in front of the store. Before she climbed out of the car, she glanced at Connor. “Thanks for coming with me today.”

  “It’s no problem. Colin and I are doing a lot of repairs around town so I needed to come here anyway.”

  Kiera nodded and got out of the car. Before they entered the store, she set the alarm. They may be in a small town, but you could never be too careful.

  Inside, Kiera was overwhelmed with paint colors, wallpaper samples, various types of crown molding and the other multitude of items one found in a hardware store. She was thankful to have Connor with her, otherwise she had no doubt she would be lost.

  Connor gave his opinion whenever she asked for it, but he stayed silent the rest of the time. There was a restless energy about him that made him slightly scary. Kiera knew he would never harm her, but she certainly wouldn’t want to be on his bad side. She imagined that in a fight he would be absolutely ruthless.

  Kiera purchased a few small paint samples and a steamer to remove the wallpaper currently covering the front entry and upstairs bedrooms. While she knew she couldn’t tackle the front entry on her own, she could at least get started on the second floor; working on the bedrooms one at a time.

  If Gabriel didn’t mind, she would like to turn his parents’ bedroom into a recreational room. It was spacious enough for a pool table, a flat panel TV, a few comfy chairs and maybe a small mini bar in the corner. She wanted Gabriel to have an area where he could hang out with the guys and have fun; a place that was all his where he could escape if he felt the need to.

  The other two bedrooms she would keep as guest rooms, but she wanted to change the décor a little. The furniture was beautiful in both rooms, but the walls could use some paint and new linens for the beds and matching towels for the bathrooms. It was obvious to her that Gabriel loved his house, but she wanted to make it a home for him.

  Chapter Six

  Kiera returned to the house a few hours later. She had invited Connor to stay for lunch, but he had declined. Now the chicken parmesan was almost finished.

  She flipped through the phone book, but couldn’t find the number to the garage. Of course, the guys had all worked over there so there hadn’t been a need to write it down previously. She’d have to make sure she got it from Gabriel.

  Turning the heat down on the oven, she headed out the front door and made her way across the street. As she stepped into the garage, she noticed that the waiting room was empty. Michael was nowhere to be seen, but Gabriel was under yet another car.

  Hearing footsteps and picking up Kiera’s scent, Gabriel slid out from under the car. “Is it lunch time already?”

  “I turned the oven down so I could come over to get the two of you, except Michael seems to have vanished.”

  Gabriel wiped his hands on a grease rag and climbed to his feet. “He’s in the office going through some paperwork. We got a little behind while he was out.”

  “I would have called, but I didn’t know the number,” she admitted with a slight blush. It was embarrassing to not know her husband’s work number, or his cell phone number. For that matter, she didn’t even know the number to the house.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t think to leave it for you. I’ll be sure to write it down after lunch,” Gabriel said.

  “Thanks. I’ll feel better knowing how to reach you,” she replied.

  “Let me tell Michael that lunch is ready and I’ll walk over with you.”

  She nodded and walked over to the door to look out. The street was quiet and it was a beautiful sunny day, the type of day that Kiera preferred to spend outside. It was going to be hard breaking her old routines and starting over.

  A moment later Gabriel returned to her side. “Now, let’s go see this lunch you made.”

  They crossed the street and entered the house. Gabriel closed the door, but left it unlocked for Michael. “Just let me wash my hands and then I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

  “Okay,” she smiled as he walked down the hall to the half bath.

  Kiera busied herself by setting out plates, glasses, and utensils. She grabbed some napkins and had just placed them on the table when Gabriel entered the kitchen. His clothes were still smeared with grease and oil, but he ha
d washed his hands and his face.

  Looking at him made butterflies erupt in Kiera’s stomach. Her skin hummed and a liquid fire started building within her. Gabriel caught her staring at him and gave her one of his devastating grins. She thought her legs would buckle at any moment and grabbed the counter for support.

  Walking to her side, Gabriel brushed her hair back from her face. Placing a finger under her chin, he tipped her head back before claiming her lips in a searing kiss.

  Kiera whimpered, wanting more. “Gabriel,” she whispered, almost breathless from his kiss.

  He grinned against her lips, hearing the need in her voice, a need that matched his own. “Later, honey. Right now, I need to eat some lunch and get back to work. Besides, Michael will be here any minute.”

  She sighed, knowing he was right, but hating it just the same. “We didn’t get much of a honeymoon, did we? Maybe we can take a long weekend sometime soon and go somewhere, just the two of us?”

  Gabriel caressed her cheek. “I’d like that.”

  Kiera smiled and turned toward the stove. She opened the oven and pulled out their lunch. Carrying it to the table, she placed the casserole dish on the trivet in the center. After grabbing a serving spoon, she sat down next to Gabriel.

  As she dished the food onto their plates, the front door opened and closed. Michael walked past the kitchen toward the small bathroom, calling out as he passed, “I’m just washing my hands and I’ll be right there.”

  Kiera heaped a mountain of food onto both men’s plates and put a much smaller portion on her own.

  “I just gave everyone water since I wasn’t sure what you preferred,” she murmured to Gabriel, suddenly feeling unsure of herself.

  Gabriel covered her hand with his. “You did a great job on lunch, honey.”

  She smiled her gratitude before turning to her plate. She didn’t feel right starting without Michael. As if hearing her thoughts, the man in question materialized in the kitchen doorway.

  Rubbing his hands together, Michael plopped down into his chair. “This looks fantastic, Kiera!”

  A smile twitched at her lips. “You’re welcome.”

  As they ate, the guys talked about the cars they needed to finish up before the end of the day. Kiera listened to them in silence, enjoying the sound of conversation at the table. She didn’t understand half of what they said, but she enjoyed listening to them just the same.

  ***

  The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. The guys went back to work and Kiera went upstairs to tackle the second story bedrooms. She left their parents’ room alone for the time being. She didn’t want to disrupt anything in there until she’d had a chance to talk to Gabriel.

  When it was time to start dinner, she had managed to get all of the wallpaper off the walls in the first bedroom and had dabbed a few smears of paint on the wall. She couldn’t decide on the color, but she was leaning towards a moss green.

  Washing out the paintbrushes and closing up the paint, she decided to start dinner. The painting could wait another day. Maybe by morning, she’d have a better idea of what she wanted to do with this room. Now that she was familiar with the steamer and had used to remove the wallpaper, the second bedroom should be a breeze.

  Once Kiera was in the kitchen, she perused the shelves and the fridge. If lunch had been any indication, the men would be hungry enough to eat a horse by the time they came in. She needed to make sure that dinner was substantial enough to fill them up.

  Deciding on red beans and rice, she pulled some Cajun sausage out of the fridge and got the other ingredients out of the cabinets and pantry. She’d picked up a loaf of French bread from the store so that would go nicely with the meal. Maybe she’d make an apple pie for dessert.

  Kiera turned on the radio and hummed along as she prepared their meal. Once the red beans and rice were simmering nicely on the stove, she decided to kick back and relax. Walking into the living room, she sank down onto the sofa and turned on the TV. It was nice to sit back and enjoy a moment of peace and quiet.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t love having Gabriel around, but she was used to being on her own. Suddenly having someone around all the time was a little odd; it made her feel out of sorts by the end of the day. Not that the honeymoon was over by any means! She wanted to be around Gabriel as much as possible, but she also needed a little alone time occasionally; just not an entire day’s worth, she amended. She needed to find a balance between her old life and her new one.

  Sighing, she settled back into the cushions and watched a show she hadn’t seen before. Then again, she hadn’t exactly had time for watching TV. Between her job and staying away from the local werewolves, Kiera had kept busy at home. She just needed to figure out how to do that here.

  Sure, she was redecorating some of the rooms, but how long could that last? Gabriel had seemed offended that she wanted a job so she wasn’t sure how that would turn out. Maybe she could at least find something part-time to keep her busy and give her some extra cash on the side.

  She’d met Cole’s wife, Marin, briefly at the wedding. She seemed nice and Kiera was hoping she would get a chance to hang out with her some. From what she had gathered, Marin worked at Sabin Bio-Med with her husband. It was obvious that Cole made enough to take care of Marin, but he didn’t seem to complain about her working. Maybe he would rub off on Gabriel.

  Before long, the buzzer on the stove went off. Kiera climbed to her feet and went to check on dinner. Stirring the red beans and rice, she turned the burner off and started to set the table. Once everything was ready, she picked up the phone and called Gabriel. Thankfully, he had left a business card on the counter with both his work number and cell number written on it.

  Michael answered on the third ring. “Andrews Auto Repairs, may I help you?”

  “Hi Michael, I wanted to let you know that dinner is ready. I made enough for you to join us.”

  Michael grinned. “Thanks Kiera, that means a lot. I may just take you up on that offer. Let me grab Gabriel and we’ll be over in a few minutes.”

  Hanging up the phone, Michael went to tell his big brother that dinner was ready. If lunch was any indication, Kiera could cook well. He couldn’t wait to see what was for dinner.

  Chapter Seven

  After dinner, Michael had excused himself and headed to his new home. Gabriel and Kiera did the dishes together before heading upstairs.

  Gabriel paused on the second floor landing. The first bedroom door was open and he peered inside. He hadn’t expected Kiera to have gotten so far, but he was impressed.

  Waving a hand at the various paint splotches on the wall, he asked, “Have you decided on a color yet?”

  “I was thinking about the green. What do you think?”

  Gabriel nodded. “I think it’s a good choice. I’m glad that you’re decorating the house; I want you to feel like it’s your home.”

  She slipped her hands around his waist and pressed her cheek to his back. “I do feel like it’s my home.”

  Turning to face her, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

  “I’m happy to hear that,” he murmured against her lips.

  Kissing him back, she wrapped her arms around him tightly. There wasn’t another feeling in the world like being in Gabriel’s arms. She pressed herself close to him, loving the feel of her chest pressed against his, of his hands in her hair.

  Not wanting to wait another moment to have Kiera naked and beneath him, Gabriel lifted her into his arms and carried her to their bedroom.

  Kicking the door shut behind him, he gently laid her on the bed. Following her down, he covered her mouth with his. Careful not to crush her with his weight, his hand trailed along her body, drifting across her collarbone and down to her breast. As his palm slid over the full mound, he felt her nipple pucker. Giving it a playful tweak, he continued his exploration down her ribs and stomach to her hip; pulling her hips closer to him, he pressed his erection against her.

  Kiera w
himpered and dug her hands into his shoulders, hanging on for dear life. Wrapping a leg around his, she pulled him closer. She arched against him as his mouth trailed hot kisses down her throat.

  “Gabriel, I think we have on too many clothes.”

  He chuckled against her throat. “I think you may be right.”

  Rising from the bed, he quickly divested himself of his clothing. Reaching for Kiera, he helped her pull her dress over her head. When she reached for the clasp on her bra, he stopped her.

  “Not yet.”

  Gently, he traced the edge of her bra and the swell of her breasts. Grasping her hips, he pulled her closer, until her legs were draped on either side of his. He pushed her back onto the bed, cupping her breasts. Leaning down to kiss her, he pressed himself against the juncture of her thighs.

  Kiera moaned, wanting more. “Gabriel, please stop torturing me.”

  He chuckled ran his finger under the edge of her panties. “Do you want to get rid of these?”

  “Yes,” she said, breathless from anticipation.

  “Hmm… and what if I think you should keep them on longer?”

  Kiera moaned again, lifting her hips. “Please Gabriel. I want to feel you inside of me.”

  Stepping back, he slowly slid her panties down her legs, letting them drop to the floor. Running his hands from her ankles, up her gorgeous legs, he slid his hands under her back and unclasped her bra. Pulling it loose, he let it drop to the floor next to the discarded panties. He filled his hands with her breasts, loving the feel of her satiny skin.

  He pushed himself closer to her, feeling the length of him brush against her hot, wet folds. Lifting her hips, he entered her slowly, filling her completely.

  Kiera gasped and wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him closer. She tilted her hips, wanting him deeper.