by Faith Gibson
“Biometric?”
“Yes. It will only unlock with your fingerprint or anyone else’s you feel safe enough to allow access.”
“Wow, that’s... I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything other than tell me where you want to go for lunch,” Deacon said.
Sabrina grinned up at him. “I already told you – New Orleans.”
Julian said, “Hey, you should hit up Tessa. She’ll probably let you stay in her house in the Garden District while you’re there. I bet she can tell you the best places to eat, too.” Sabrina gaped at Julian, and he asked, “What?”
“I was joking about lunch, but now that you’ve mentioned her, who’s Tessa?”
“My boss’s wife. She’s also Joseph’s niece. You’ve probably seen her around before. About your height, long red hair. Smart mouth. Anyway, if you’re serious about New Orleans, we’ll look at dates when we can both take some time off, and I’ll talk to her about staying in her house.”
Sabrina opened her mouth then closed it. Shaking her head, she said, “I only have another hour before my next patient, so let’s go get something to eat that doesn’t require a road trip. How about the little deli a couple blocks over? They have a wonderful roast beef sandwich.”
“I bet it isn’t as good as Deacon’s roast,” Julian said.
“You cook?” Sabrina asked.
“Don’t look so shocked. Yes, I cook. I’m a single male, and I learned to take care of myself a long time ago.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right, I shouldn’t assume anything.” Sabrina shoved her hands in her smock pockets, looking at her feet.
Deacon tipped her chin up. “I’m not mad,” he assured her. When she smiled, he turned his attention to Julian. “Jules, you want something from the deli?”
“Do you mind if Kat and I tag along? She’s downstairs with Sophia for her checkup.”
Deacon looked to Sabrina, his eyebrows raised in question. “Katherine is Julian’s wife, and Sophia is their sister-in-law as well as Joseph’s granddaughter.”
“I have no problem with that. What about the lock?”
Julian clapped his hands together. “I’ll work on the biometrics when we get back. For now, the code will suffice.”
Deacon helped Sabrina remove her lab coat and hung it on the hook by the door while she grabbed her purse. Deacon and Sabrina headed on to the deli to save seats while Julian headed over to the other wing to walk with Kat. As they were walking, Sabrina said, “It’s nice to see all the people in your circle.”
“Yeah? Do you have a circle?” Deacon asked as he threaded their fingers together. The farther away from the hospital he got, the lighter his soul. There were plenty of people milling about on the sidewalk, but no one was dealing with the same types of trauma he encountered in the hospital.
“Not really. I have three siblings. I talk to my sister every once in a while. She’s still in New Chicago, where I’m from. My brother Terrence lives in California, and we might speak on Christmas and birthdays. My youngest brother Jerrick joined the military, and none of us have spoken to him in years. I don’t even know if he’s still alive or not.”
“Do you want me to have Julian look for him?”
“Julian? I thought he was a securities guy.”
“He is, which means he has access to databases even the cops don’t. Please keep that little tidbit to yourself, though.”
“Is what he does illegal?” Sabrina glanced up at Deacon as they stopped for a red light.
“No. Julian Stone is one of the most honorable males you’ll ever meet. I won’t say he’s never broken the law, because he did when Katherine was falsely accused of selling US secrets and sent to a maximum-security facility in Texas.”
“I remember reading about her. She was that reporter, right?”
“Yes. Long story short, Julian found out where the Feds were keeping her, and he, Tessa, and Tessa’s brother, Tamian, broke her out. Jules hid her away while he worked to prove her innocence.”
“Wow. That’s some story. I’d love to hear the long version someday.”
“Hang around, and I’m sure you will. Here we are,” Deacon said and opened the door for Sabrina. The deli was large, and the smells had Deacon’s stomach rumbling. As they waited in line for the hostess to seat them, his phone pinged. He checked the message to see Julian letting him know both Sophia and Nik would be joining them. When the hostess asked how many, Deacon replied, “Six. The others are coming down the street now.”
Deacon pulled out Sabrina’s chair, and when she was seated, she asked, “Six? Who else is joining us?”
“Julian’s brother Nikolas was with Sophia at her appointment, and they wanted to join us. I hope that’s okay. They can be a little much when they’re together. Most of the time, they’re well-behaved, but sometimes they act like teenagers instead of adults.”
Sabrina’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I wish my brothers could have been that way.”
Before Deacon could ask Sabrina to explain, the others came in the door. All four of them were smiling like it was Christmas morning. The love and joy radiating from the group overrode all other emotions Deacon was picking up from those eating around him.
“I’m gonna be a dad!” Julian yelled, picking Kat up and swinging her legs back and forth. Everyone in the deli clapped and some offered congratulations. The four of them sat down, and Deacon made the introductions.
Sabrina sat quietly as Sophia, who was six-months pregnant, gushed to Katherine about how great expecting a child was. He didn’t know his mate well, but he could read her body language, and it told Deacon she wasn’t as excited about the conversation as the other two females. Maybe it was because she was new to their group, but Deacon felt it was something deeper. Maybe she’d lost a baby at some point? Or it was possible she couldn’t conceive? There were too many things he didn’t know about his mate, but he vowed to start finding out all about her after their date.
As if sensing Sabrina’s unease, Sophia and Kat turned the conversation away from babies and asked Sabrina questions about her and what it was like being a doctor. When Sophia mentioned her grandfather, Sabrina perked up. It seemed Joseph Mooneyham, a.k.a. Jonas Montague, was one of her favorite people, and she enjoyed hearing about him from someone who knew him well. It had taken Deacon a while to reconcile the young-looking Gargoyle with the older looking doctor. The prosthetic Jonas wore was something of his own making. He’d passed his secret along to a makeup artist in Hollywood many years prior, so all the masks used in the movies had been invented first by Jonas.
Deacon couldn’t wait to tell Sabrina all about her boss. The real man behind the mask. He was ready for her to get to know Deacon as well as all the other Goyles. Seeing her at the table with Julian, Nikolas, and their mates, he wanted to have that same level of love and commitment they had. He wanted to celebrate with his family the small things as well as the big. Like babies. No, he still didn’t want kids, but he could celebrate when the others had them.
The hour came to an end too quickly, and Sabrina was given hugs by the women as they left with Nikolas. Deacon and Julian walked Sabrina back to the hospital, with Julian telling anyone who would listen about his impending fatherhood. Deacon shook his head at the male, and Sabrina laughed at his antics. Deacon couldn’t blame him for being happy. If Deacon didn’t have his empathic abilities, he would probably want a houseful of kids. And depending on what Sabrina wanted, he might still get them. Instead of worrying about that far into the future, he laced their fingers together and enjoyed getting to know his mate.
Chapter Twelve
SABRINA COULDN’T REMEMBER enjoying herself more. Sure, she’d had to listen to the other two women go on about babies, but that wasn’t their fault. The closer to forty she got, the less she felt she’d ever have children. At thirty-six, she wasn’t too old, but she didn’t want to put herself or a baby at risk if she waited too much longer. She had to wonder if Deacon
wanted kids. Not that they were anywhere close to discussing those things. Then again, maybe they were. Before they got too serious, they should get all the heavy stuff out into the open. If there were things that would be considered deal breakers, it was better to find out about them in the beginning before hearts were too invested.
She wasn’t going to kid herself; she was already invested in Deacon Wright, and the more time she spent around him, the harder she was falling. Sabrina had heard others talk about love at first sight. Even her boss had admitted to falling for his wife the second he saw her. After Garrison, Sabrina promised herself she’d be more careful who she gave her heart to. But what she was feeling for Deacon was already so much more than she ever felt for her ex.
Deacon was proving to be a gentle giant. One who surrounded himself with good people. The Stone brothers and their wives had accepted Sabrina immediately. Had made her feel at ease and welcome in their conversations. Sophia and Nikolas joked and barbed at each other, but it was clear they were the be-all, end-all for the other. Katherine, the former outspoken newscaster, had been much quieter but no less a part of their little family. Julian couldn’t keep his eyes off his wife nor his hand off her flat stomach as if he could already feel the life growing inside.
Once back at the hospital, Julian got the door panel set up with Sabrina’s fingerprint. He showed Deacon how to program it so he could add whoever Sabrina approved. Several doctors and nurses walked by, but none commented on the fact that Sabrina was having a security panel installed on her door. If they wanted to know why, she’d tell them. Maybe the more people who knew what was going on, the sooner whoever was harassing her would stop. And she did consider it harassment. Sure, it had been flowers and a photo, but she hated roses, and the photo was of her siblings. That was the part she couldn’t figure out. There were only a handful of people who knew about her life before New Atlanta, and of those, Garrison was at the top of the list.
Sabrina only had one more day before her date with Deacon. After that, if all went well, she hoped they spent more time together, and not just him following her around to keep her safe. Now that she knew he could cook, Sabrina wanted nights spent together in the kitchen followed by snuggles and glasses of wine on the sofa. Walks in the park. Many more heated kisses. And sex. Sabrina had a feeling sex with Deacon would ruin her for all other men. And that was her plan. She wanted Deacon, too soon or not. She wanted theirs to be the same connection she’d witnessed at lunch. She wanted someone jealous of the way Deacon looked at her like she hung the moon.
“You okay, Pretty Lady?”
Sabrina placed her hand on Deacon’s chest. For some reason, she cherished feeling the strong heartbeat beneath the tight shirt. “I am. I need to get upstairs so my patients aren’t waiting around. Not that they can go anywhere, but I try to be respectful of their feelings. I know other doctors do things on their own time, but I’ve never worked that way.”
“Just another thing that makes you so wonderful,” Deacon said softly against her lips. “Let’s get going.”
As they were walking to the elevator, Sabrina was aware of the eyes that watched them. She knew people were talking about Deacon following her everywhere, but she wasn’t going to be bothered about it. She’d ignore the whispers if it meant she was safe. She hadn’t missed the way Paul had leered at them earlier, but she wasn’t worried about him either. If anyone had a problem with Sabrina having a bodyguard, they could take it up with Joseph, since he was the one who insisted on it.
The rest of the day flew by, and when it was time for her to leave, Sabrina wasn’t ready to part with Deacon. “I know we’re supposed to go out tomorrow night, but unless you have something else to do, what do you say we go tonight?”
Deacon hesitated, and Sabrina said, “It’s okay. I can wait.”
“I absolutely want to spend time with you, but I have another idea. How about we keep our date for tomorrow night, but tonight, you come home with me and let me cook for you?”
“I’d love to. I would like to stop home first and change clothes. If you’ll give me your address, I can meet you there.”
“I am not letting you out of my sight for one second. I’ll follow you home, and then we’ll head to my house.”
“You’re so bossy, but okay.” Sabrina locked up her office for the night, and Deacon walked her to her car. When she was tucked safely inside, he strode to his Harley and climbed on. As she drove home with Deacon right behind her, she imagined herself astride his motorcycle, arms tightly wrapped around his body. Sabrina had never done anything exciting, and she thought it might be time to start living a little. Her childhood had consisted of watching her siblings while her mother worked two jobs between husbands. When she went to live with her grandmother, the most fun thing she did was go see a movie a few times a year. She’d had to leave her friends behind when she moved, and the few she made at her new school were into things like the band or sports, while Sabrina had been into reading.
After high school, it was college then medical school then work. Sabrina had never been on vacation. Never been to an amusement park or the beach. Garrison had offered to take her away for a weekend, but for some reason, Sabrina wouldn’t say yes. Now, she wanted to say yes to Deacon. Yes to New Orleans. Yes to riding his motorcycle. Yes to whatever adventure he was up for.
When they got to her house, Deacon followed her inside. “Make yourself at home. There’s wine in the fridge, but I don’t have any beer or liquor.”
“I’m fine for now,” he said as he settled down onto her sofa. It was all Sabrina could do not to join him. Wanting to see where the warden lived won out over her libido. There would be time for kissing and other stuff later. Because, she had no doubt, alone with Deacon? There would definitely be other stuff. She padded to her bedroom and changed into jeans and her favorite lavender top. She didn’t know whether or not Deacon would ask her to spend the night, and she didn’t want to seem too forward, so she decided against packing a bag. When she walked into the living room emptyhanded, he frowned.
“What? Do I need to change into something else?”
Deacon stood and rounded the sofa to meet her. “No, you look beautiful as always. I thought you might take some clothes for tomorrow. You know, just in case we fall asleep on the sofa or something.”
Sabrina shivered thinking about the or something. If they didn’t leave soon, she was going to show him or something in her bedroom. “I can do that. I didn’t know what you had in mind, and I didn’t want to be presumptuous.”
Deacon moved until he was in her space, crowding her against the arm of the sofa. Leaning over, he whispered, “Where I’m concerned, you can presume all you want.” His breath was warm on her ear, and her whole body tingled. Deacon’s phone rang, interrupting the moment. “Damnit,” he muttered. “Sorry. I’ll take this if you want to grab a bag.” Sabrina righted herself, and as she was walking away, Deacon said, “Hey, Brynna. Change of plans. I can’t meet you tonight.”
Brynna? Who the hell was Brynna? Was Deacon canceling a date? Granted, they’d just met, and Sabrina didn’t have any right to be jealous, but she was. Had she read their interactions wrong? Read Deacon wrong? Instead of picking out work clothes for the next day, she sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Sabrina?” Deacon stopped in the doorway. “If you’re having second thoughts, we can go eat and then I’ll bring you back home. Either way, we need to leave soon. My friend Brynna and her boyfriend are stopping by the house to drop off... Well, it’s kind of embarrassing, but I can tell you about it while I cook.”
“Your friend?” Sabrina felt like an idiot.
“Yes. Actually, I met Brynna through her brother, Banyan. Her boyfriend, Travis, is the brother of Dante’s assistant, Trevor. So, in a roundabout way, we’re all friends and family.”
“I’m sorry. I heard you on the phone, and I assumed... Well, let’s say it wasn’t pretty.”
“Oh, love. I promise you now, there is no one else. Nor wi
ll there ever be. Not as long as you want to give us a chance.”
“You’re too good to be true,” Sabrina told him. “I’ll just be packing that bag now, unless you’ve changed your mind.”
“No, Ma’am. I haven’t.” Deacon looked around her room, and when his eyes took in her bed, something crossed his face. It was heated, but then it was gone because so was Deacon. “I’ll just wait in the living room,” he called out as he walked away.
Sabrina quickly gathered everything she would need for the next day as well as a gown to sleep in. Just in case they didn’t get into or something.
DEACON HAD TO get out of Sabrina’s bedroom before his beast took over. Being so close to her with no one else around was too tempting. They had plenty of time before Brynna and Travis arrived at Deacon’s place, but he didn’t want to linger any longer than necessary. The sooner he got out of her house where everything smelled like her, the better.
His beast not only wanted to bed her, but when she admitted her jealousy over him talking to another woman, it was ready to claim her then and there. He’d quietly explained to Brynna the clothes were for his date the next night with Sabrina, and that she would be at his house. Brynna promised she and Travis would drop the packages and make themselves scarce. The two of them would be alone after that, but he would feel more in control at home. At least he hoped so.
Sabrina returned to the living room with a small duffel as well as a hanging bag. He took both from her, and they left her house. He had already seen the outside the day before, but the inside, while clean and neat, didn’t feel very homey. Sabrina had little in the way of decorations other than some bright pillows on the sofa and a couple of random paintings on the walls. There were no pictures of family. Nothing to show Sabrina had those she loved and missed. Deacon’s walls weren’t much different, but he had been waiting to let a mate fill the home with their own touch. Maybe they’d been waiting for each other.