Off-Limits Box Set

by Ella James

  “What do you think?” I ask. “You want to go inside?”

  She squeals. “Yes! I’m such a plebeian. You’re losing cool points right now with your crew for your girl’s lack of chill.” She nods at the pilot standing by the door. “I’ve never been on someone’s private jet before,” she whisper-hisses.

  I take her hand. “Well, here’s your chance.”

  My pilot, Boomer, treats her kindly, winking at me over her head, and the stewardess, a friendly older woman named Matilda, oohs and aahs over her, then asks, behind her back, “Is this your girlfriend?”

  I just smile.

  The plane is big as far as jets go, and it’s designed so much of it is bedroom. I lead Marley to the bed, and she lies down and grins up at the rounded ceiling. “Should I nap as we take off?”

  “If you want to.” I lie down behind her, drape a hand over her belly. “Is it strange I want this to get bigger?” I ask near her ear. “And these?” I stroke her breast, piquing a nipple.

  I can hear her smile in her voice, “I don’t think so. I think it’s a common fetish.”

  “You calling me a plebian?”

  “You know I am.”

  I leave Marley with a kiss and go touch base with Boomer. I tell him our destination, and he says, “Are you sure? No Paris or Italy?”

  I shake my head. “Maybe there next time.”

  I return to find Marley actually asleep, which makes me laugh—quietly.

  I’m skeptical that she can sleep through take-off, but I climb up on the smallish bed and wrap myself around her again, and she does. She doesn’t awaken until the punching sound of our wheels coming down. As soon as she realizes she slept through the flight, she smacks me. “You should have woken me up!” She pulls a tiny curtain back, revealing a round window, but of course, it’s dark. It was dark when we left Auburn.

  “Oh my God, Gabe…” She turns to me with her mouth open. “We’re in New York!”

  “Almost.”

  I can feel the question in her, even as she coos at all the lights below. I bet she’s dying to ask why.

  “New York is beautiful. I’ve only been once, but I love it.”

  Pretty soon we’re walking off the plane, climbing into my waiting car.

  “It smells so good in here. Like new.”

  I don’t tell her this car is new. I had my former assistant sell the one I shared with Madeline.

  “It’s just an M5. Pretty regular stuff.”

  She snorts. “That’s a surprise.” I pull onto the road and Marley takes my hand. “Where are we going, sugar daddy?”

  I chuckle. “To get pie.”

  Marley’s face tells me she doesn’t trust me—and for once, I’m glad. I smile, and when she asks again, I shrug. “I thought you liked a man with mystique…”

  Thirty

  Marley

  Driving through the city with Gabe is slightly surreal. I have these moments sometimes where it hits me out of nowhere that my mom is dead, and it’s so unexpected to re-realize. Once, I even gasped at work.

  As Gabe steers us into the city, I have an experience that feels like the opposite. I look around, and really realize where I am, and who I’m with, and why—and I feel pleasure so intense, I almost cry.

  “This feels so right,” I whisper.

  I expect a pat reply, so when his eyes drag over me and he asks, “You don’t think it’s too fast,” I’m surprised.

  “Do you?”

  “I don’t.” His eyes hold mine before he changes lanes. “I was worried that you might, though.”

  “Too little time between pork chops and pie?” I tease.

  Gabe shakes his head. “That shit is so embarrassing.”

  I squeeze his hand. “Really?”

  “Believe it or not, I’m not in the habit of behaving like a ragey teenager.”

  “Only for me.” I laugh.

  Gabe shoots me a “fuck you” look, and I smile. “C’mon, Fancy Pants. Don’t get your panties in a wad.”

  “Are you mocking me for my wealth, Marley?”

  I snort. “Oh yeah. What a rich, successful loser. So Christian Grey of you.”

  His eyebrows wiggle as the city lights send shadows over his face. “I can Christian Grey this thing.”

  I giggle happily. “What does that even mean?” I lean my cheek against his shoulder.

  “I don’t know. Who is Christian Grey again?”

  I smile. “Don’t worry. You just do you, Gabe. Although I think it’s time to tell me where we’re going.”

  “Not a chance.”

  He takes me to Central Park. At least, he says it’s Central Park. I didn’t visit that last time I came to New York—for a conference once, in med school—so to me it looks more like a forest, which is strange, because we’re in the middle of the city.

  “Where are we going?” I ask as he leads me beneath twinkling trees and past spotlighted sculptures.

  “You’ll just have to see.”

  We pass a horse-drawn buggy, and Gabe flags it down, hands the driver some cash, and we’re in. We’re riding through the park at night, and I’m exhausted, and I’m giddy, and it’s weird and weirdly wonderful and probably the most improbable thing that’s ever happened to me.

  “You know this is crazy, right?” I ask him.

  He smiles knowingly, and then steps out of the carriage and returns a moment later. “Directions,” he explains.

  “This is a lot of mystique.”

  “Don’t worry—I’ll get you to bed in just a few hours. We’re staying somewhere very nearby.”

  “We’re staying the night?”

  He laughs. “You didn’t think I’d make you sleep on a plane bed, did you?”

  “Well, um, yeah. That would be just fine with me.”

  His hand comes over my belly. “We’ve gotta take care of the little one.”

  Hearing him talk about the baby makes my heart sing. “The little bean.”

  “Have you seen him or her on ultrasound?” he murmurs.

  “Yes.” I watch his eyes for signs of anger or disappointment, but Gabe just says, “Can I see?”

  “Yeah.” I pull my phone out, and I show him the pictures of what looks exactly like a little bean.

  “A lima bean,” he smiles. “Fuck, Marley. That’s our bean.”

  “I know. It’s crazy, right? I’m sorry I didn’t take you with me to the first appointment. I went just after my mom died.”

  “It’s okay.” He rubs my belly once more, softly. “Can I go next time?”

  “Yes—of course. And every time. If you want.”

  “I do want.”

  I rest my head on his shoulder, and we ride through the park. I watch the trees through the round window in our carriage. By the time it stops, I’m half asleep, and Gabe is laughing at me.

  “I can carry you,” he offers.

  “It’s okay.”

  He helps me down, and then we’re walking down a little trail amidst the trees, and then there’s lights and we’re at what looks like a stone cottage. I squint at the sign. “Miss Mable’s Famous Peanut Butter Pies.”

  “Oh God, Gabe. Pie!”

  A little while later, we’re on a park bench, and we’re both shoving pie into our faces. “I’m going to gain like fifty pounds. But I don’t even care, because this shit is so good.”

  “How you feeling? After this…you think you’d be up for one more stop if we make it quick?”

  I lean on his shoulder. “Maybe one more stop. If it’s something really good.”

  Gabe

  Ah, hell. I hope she thinks it’s something really good. I’ve never done anything this risky before. Never put myself out there like I’m about to. After pie, I hailed a cab for Marley and she dozed against my shoulder while the city bowed around us.

  “So tall,” she would murmur at the buildings—as I wondered if she’d end up being happy that I did it here.

  As we drive toward our destination, I ask her, “What do you
think about Fate? Really?” I can change our course of action some depending on her answer.

  “I don’t know,” she murmurs. “You mean for the baby? It’s okay, I guess. It’s not a bad place.”

  “Does it feel like home to you?”

  “Well yeah.” She laughs. “I’m from there, after all.”

  “But does it feel like it…could be our home? Our family’s home?”

  I don’t miss the way her lips twitch in a surprised smile. “I’m not sure. I think anywhere could be our home. And I do have a job there.”

  “Would you want to stay if we were to…you know…settle down?”

  She grins, and I grin back at her.

  “Honestly?” She chews her lip. “I really don’t know. I would hate to leave the clinic just after I got there, but if we ended up together like for real? Which would be nice,” she murmurs, squeezing my hand, “wouldn’t you need to be here in New York?”

  I shrug. It’s easier, and logical, but I don’t have to. I tell her, “Would be good, but not a necessity.”

  “You love it here?” she asks.

  “I’ve loved it here—at times.”

  When the taxi stops, I help Marley out and stand on legs that feel unsteady. My eyes travel up the pale stone building right beside us: the lit-up archway over the majestic iron-covered door, and all the windows on the upper floors, covered with small awnings and lit up with white lights.

  Marley looks up, too. “Oh wow, is this our hotel? Beautiful.” She glances around. “Is this Fifth Avenue?”

  “It is.” I swallow hard. “This is the store I brought us to.”

  She frowns toward the doorway. “Harry Winston…”

  “Want to go inside?”

  A doorman gets the door for us, and Marley moves, a step ahead of me, into a palatial space where we’re greeted by a woman in a pretty, light blue dress.

  “You must be Mr. McKellan and his special guest.”

  I see Marley’s eyes widen as she blinks around.

  “I’m Cece, and I’ll be your hostess this evening. Come right this way.”

  Marley gives me a questioning look as she takes my hand, and we follow Cece down a narrow hall, into a small room filled with lit glass cases. I hear Marley’s soft gasp.

  “Can we have a moment?”

  Cece nods. “Of course.”

  And then we’re in the room together, just Marley and me—and several million dollars’ worth of custom jewelry.

  “Don’t panic,” I whisper, squeezing her hand.

  She laughs, and it’s high-pitched and panicked.

  “Marley—I just want to buy you something. Something to show you I’m in love with you…again. Or maybe part two of the first time. I want you to pick out what you want.”

  She’s so freaked out, she sounds like she’s panting.

  “Ah, fuck. Are you going to faint?”

  “No.” She laughs. She reaches for the counter, clutching the glass. “Gabe,” she gasps. “I might have lied.”

  I come behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist…around her belly. I can’t help myself.

  “Do you see anything you like?” I ask her, peering down at all the jewels.

  Marley cackles madly.

  “Gabe…you must be kidding me.”

  Thirty-One

  Marley

  It’s mostly rings. Oh my God, it’s mostly rings! All I see inside that shiny, lit-up case is super-blingy rings. I’m losing it, so much so that I can’t even find the words to ask him, Am I supposed to pick a ring?

  “What do I pick?” I breathe.

  I feel Gabe’s chest rumble behind me as he chuckles. “Anything. I had this all brought in for you.”

  “Are you trying to impress me?” I manage in a shaky voice.

  “I thought that was obvious.” He gives me a light squeeze. Then he turns me to face him. “Marley, I’m so fucking nervous, I can’t figure out what to say.”

  “That’s how I feel,” I giggle.

  “Spur-of-the-moment seems to be my way with you. How fast my feelings change. I see you and I want to commit. Even when I was young and dumb as fuck, I talked to you for a few hours, and I wanted you to be mine. But I booked this the day after your mom passed. And I’m gonna be honest, baby. Two of these pieces…they were made for you.”

  “They were?” My eyes start leaking. “Oh my God, Gabe…”

  “It’s just money. Once you have a lot, you see you can’t do that much with it. You can’t take it with you, either. This jewelry isn’t my heart, Marley,” he says softly. “But it’s something I thought I could show you. Sort of…proof, if you will.”

  I wipe my eyes with a shaking hand.

  “What I want, Marley…” He inhales deeply, and I watch his eyes as he exhales. “What I want is for you to marry me. Again.” He laughs, and I really look at his face; this is the most relaxed and open that I think I’ve ever seen him. Right here, when he’s opening his heart to me.

  “I want you to be my wife, Marley. Not because I feel like I have to, because you’re pregnant, or because of anything like that. Just because I like to feed you pie and bring you cider, and okay, I like you with me in bed. And it’s not logical, okay, it’s probably a shitty fucking idea. Your friends might tell you, you should drop me like a hot potato. And if you want to, you should. If you say ‘no,’ we’ll still leave here and go to a hotel and you can have a restful night. I’ll give you anything you want. I’ll give you a necklace I had made for you because I wanted you to have it. You can go and never see my face again except to swap our little bean—and I won’t be upset with you, Marley. I won’t be hurt or mad.”

  A tear rolls down my cheek as he says those words. “You won’t?”

  “Not if that’s what makes you happy. No—I won’t.”

  “What if that’s not what makes me happy?” I whisper.

  He holds me closer, smiling softly down at me. “Then I’ll give you a necklace and a ring. Fuck it, it can be a no-strings ring, Marley. You don’t have to marry me at all. Just let me be with you.”

  I’m laughing. “This is crazy.”

  “Things are different now, Marley. We’re different. We can be unmarried for eternity, and you’ll still be the one I love.”

  I wipe my leaking eyes. “I want to see them,” I rasp. “I want to see the ones that you picked out.”

  Gabe turns around behind him, and my stomach takes a nose-dive as I blink into the glass case at a massive ruby necklace.

  “It’s a poppy,” he says softly. “Do you know what poppies signify?”

  I shake my head, wiping my eyes.

  He says, “That war is over.”

  I’m crying…and I hate crying. I wipe my face. “Gabe…I don’t know what to say!”

  “Then let me put it on for you.”

  He takes the necklace from the case—a ruby necklace, a huge poppy—and fastens it around my neck.

  I hiccup. “Gosh…it’s heavy.”

  And then I actually have hiccups. I’m in a little room inside a jewelry store with hiccups, knocked up by my ex-husband and wearing a necklace that probably costs millions of dollars.

  “Life is so weird.”

  “I’d say weird suits you.” He touches the necklace, and I wrap my hand around his.

  “What about the other one?” I whisper, looking into his eyes.

  “The ring.” He smile-smirks. “What about it, Marley?”

  “I want it.”

  “You do?” He’s still trying to smile, but his face has gone very still, his blue eyes wide and frozen.

  “I want to be your wife again. I know it’s crazy, Gabe—but I want a taste of crazy. I want you at my house at night when I get home from work. I want to be where you are. New York, Fate…wherever. We have fun together…and you make me feel cherished.”

  His eyes close, very briefly. Then I watch him visibly exhale. “Okay.” He kneels in front of me and pulls something from his pocket. I hold my breath as he opens
a black box, revealing the most gorgeous ring.

  It’s a single diamond, round and glimmering so brightly, I feel almost blinded by it.

  “Marley—will you marry me?”

  I laugh so long and hard, I end up on the floor with him, crying and kissing him…and Gabe is kissing me, and… “Mar…I want to put the ring on.”

  I cling to his neck, and Gabe’s hand finds my free one—and he slides the ring on.

  “Better than the last one,” he says roughly.

  “I always liked that one, too. Well, until I didn’t.” I laugh, and Gabe kisses my cheek. “This one will be better,” he says softly.

  Gabe pulls me up, and we stand, hugging, in the corner of the glass case.

  “Is this real life?” I giggle.

  “I think so.” He kisses my temple. “I’m pretty fucking sure this is real life. You like it here?”

  I nod.

  Not long after, we walk back onto the street. I’ve got Gabe’s necklace under my jacket and his ring on my finger. Just when I think the night can’t get more perfect, I look up and almost gasp as something floats above us.

  “Oh my God, that’s…a hot air balloon. A bug one…and a star back there?” I point, and Gabe says, gently, “Marley. Do you remember what tomorrow is?”

  I cover my mouth. “They’re setting up for the parade. Because it’s Thanksgiving.”

  Thirty-Two

  Gabe

  “I booked the room a while back.”

  Marley shoots me daggers with her eyes as we sit on the bed, our curtains open, peering at the neon city. “I guess you decided to just sit things out until it was time to use it?”

  I shake my head, and she laughs. “I’m just kidding. Mostly.”

  “Nahh, you’re right. I was stupid. Victor had me thinking you might want a lot of space. Like it would be some fucking crime to interrupt you.”

  “Tell him that I’m coming for him,” she says, but she’s smiling.

  “Why do you think his mom was roped into making two dozen pies?”