Chapter Eleven
Gabe awoke with a start. He looked around trying to get his bearings. The living room was dark except for the TV. Lester Holt was describing the mystery of the night, which reminded him he was home alone. Jacob was with Dolores and her grandson, having a sleepover in the carriage house.
A half-full Innis and Gunn sat on the coffee table. He treated himself to the beer upon getting home from work but passed out on the couch before he got to dinner. On cue, his stomach growled, begging for sustenance. Pushing his hands through his hair, he yawned just as a knock sounded at the door. Gabe jumped off the sofa and was striding to the front door before his body clued in on what he was doing. Stars flooded his vision and he had to pause while they cleared from his eyes. You’re getting old, dude.
Seconds later he pulled open the door to find Lianna’s back. She was walking towards her car at the top of the driveway.
“Hey,” he called out to her.
She stopped, turning slowly towards the house.
“I didn’t think you were here. Or maybe you were busy because you didn’t answer.” It could be that he was still groggy, but Gabe swore he sensed a little bitterness in the last part of her statement.
“Nah, I fell asleep.”
To drive the point home, he rubbed his eyes and stifled another yawn. Then it dawned on him, and he smiled.
“I was getting tired of waiting for you to finish this.” He gestured between them as he said the words.
She swallowed and stuttered, “I didn’t, uh, we’re not. You know what, I shouldn’t have come this late.”
She was nervous and for some reason that got a rise out of Gabe.
“Why did you come, Lianna?”
“I don’t know.” She gently shook her head, hugging her arms around her trim waist.
Something was wrong. This wasn’t her usual spunky personality. Stepping outside, he ignored the cold concrete shocking his bare feet.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” The endearment flowed from his mouth, feeling as natural as brushing his teeth.
“I had a rough night and didn’t want to be home alone.”
And she came to him for comfort. He would be dammed if he let this opportunity go to waste.
“Come here.”
He was already closing the distance between them as the words left his mouth. Surprisingly, she obeyed. Lianna walked tentatively towards him, staring down at her feet, her arms still wrapped snuggly around herself.
Taking her chin in his grasp, Gabe was slammed with the urge to kiss her. But she pulled away, taking a step back from him.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
When she didn’t reply fast enough, he stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “Look at me. Did you get another call? Did something scare you?”
Gabe tried to sound calm, but her timidness was starting to alarm him. She finally did look up long enough to shake her head no, and it was enough to take his breath away. Glistening eyes gazed back at him, and he wanted more than anything to make her happy again.
The wall Gabe built around his heart must have been made of paper, because the simple act of breathing was enough for Lianna to send the sheets flying away. She shivered, reminding Gabe they were still outside in the cold. If the barrier surrounding his heart hadn’t crumbled already, it would have fallen apart when he put an arm around her, and she immediately snuggled closer.
Gabe guided her into the house, willing himself to stop inside the front door and not continue up the stairs where his king bed awaited them. Still pressed against his side, she toed her boots off and leaned back to look up at him with a shaky smile.
“Thanks for being so nice to me. I guess I’m a bit sensitive today.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
His words were so gentle he had trouble believing they had come from his mouth. She stepped from under his arm and Gabe struggled to let her go, fighting the desire to pull her back into his embrace.
She exhaled exaggeratedly. “No, not really. My brother-in-law is a jerk.”
“What did he do?”
“Let’s just say he’s never been a big fan of mine. Since Scott died, he’s been downright awful.” Lianna was fiddling with her hands. “I think I witnessed his full fury tonight, or at least I hope I did.”
Gabe clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached.
“Did he touch you?” Not knowing if he wanted the answer because Gabe wasn’t in the mood to kick anyone’s ass.
“No, he would never touch me. He just doesn’t want me around.”
Gabe must not have looked convinced because she continued. “His words stung but he didn’t hurt me.”
Gabe slowly took it all in and tried to sound calm. “Okay, where does he live? I can help him apologize to you.”
Lianna laughed humorlessly.
“That will only make it worse. Listen, I’m just venting. I shouldn’t have said anything. Darren would not physically hurt me.”
Gabe did not have as much faith in the guy. But as much as he wanted to, he knew he could not march off and fight all of Lianna’s battles for her.
“I hope you know that you can always come to me when you’re upset.”
She smiled, but it lacked its usual brightness. “Can we talk about something else?”
Gabe willed his anger to subside. Had he learned nothing from last week’s debacle? Flying off the handle at her hothead brother-in-law would not accomplish anything tonight, except cause Lianna more grief. Later, when she seemed more composed, Gabe would push for answers. The thought of a potential second person in Lianna’s life who seemed to have an unhealthy attachment to her was unnerving, though.
For now, Gabe managed a smirk and forced himself to change the subject for her.
“I can think of something we could talk about.”
It was amazing how fast her cheeks turned pink.
“Anything besides that,” she begged, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to ward of the chill.
Since he knew she wasn’t her usual self, he let her off the hook.
“I’m glad you came over.”
The words didn’t come close to conveying just how glad he was. Gabe felt an overwhelming amount of satisfaction knowing she trusted him. That when she had a hard day or was scared, she turned to him. It had him wanting to puff his chest out and strut around like a peacock.
Lianna rewarded him with a genuine smile this time.
“Before you knocked, I was going to make something to eat. You hungry?”
The smile he loved so much grew even wider.
“Yes, please. I’m ravenous.”
Gabe chuckled, thinking of several inappropriate replies to that comment.
“Let me pop on some lights. Come sit in the kitchen with me and keep me company while I cook.”
****
When Lianna first sank into her bathtub earlier that evening, she certainly didn’t foresee her night taking this turn. She was currently sitting in an oversized chair at the head of Gabe’s dining table. A soft blanket was wrapped around her shoulders as she sipped tea. She had only spent a few minutes in the cold but once she came inside the house she couldn’t stop shaking. Lianna tried chalking it up to an adrenaline dump, but Gabe had insisted on coddling her.
Since then, he had been treating her like an invalid. Forcing her to sit, he doted on her with tea, a blanket, and a yummy pasta dish. She wasn’t upset with any of that, just slightly embarrassed by what he must be thinking of her.
Gabe let the subject of her fight with Darren drop but kept looking at her through concerned eyes. She felt like a pressure cooker, and he was just waiting for her top to blow.
Shrugging out from under the blanket, she tried to keep her tone light. “I have no idea why I was shaking like that. Guess it’s the time of year to start wearing a coat.”
Gabe glanced up skeptically from the other end of the table, as he took another bite of his own pasta.
Lianna watched him, consumed by how incredibly alluring he was. Gabe was all male, distractingly so, and she could use the distraction. He wore a gray VPD t-shirt that was so worn, the writing was faded in certain places. Somehow it added to the appeal. It was paired with dark blue sweatpants, an overgrown beard, and bare feet. Anyone else would look homeless, but Gabe looked like sex on a stick. His thick, dark hair was just long enough to look messy after a nap, his eyes were still slightly sleepy.
She realized she was staring.
“This is amazing,” she said, pointing her fork towards him. “In fact, I’m a little annoyed you never cooked for me before. Been holding out, huh?”
Gabe leaned back in his chair, the look in his eye challenging. “I’d be happy to cook any meal for you, but you’d have to text me back for that to happen.”
The fork slipped from her fingers, landing with a loud clank on the side of the bowl. Yikes. She was such a disaster. So much for playing it cool. Lianna had no witty comeback, so she picked up her fork and avoided making eye contact.
Leaning in to take another bite, she realized that she had scarfed it all down. Only bits of sauce and broken rigatoni noodles lay on her plate. She stood and carried her bowl to the sink. Turning on the water to rinse it, she heard his chair slide out.
“Just leave that, I’ll do it later,” his words getting louder as he approached.
“I don’t mind, plus you cooked,” she said, searching for anything to do besides having to look at him again.
“Lianna, leave it.”
“Nope, I’ve got it.” She hoped her tone sounded more irritated than nervous.
In her periphery, she could see he was now standing beside her. Turning towards him, she tried to take his bowl. Gabe twisted it out of her reach before putting it down beside the sink. She huffed and then attempted to grab it again. In a flash, he reached out and snatched her wrist.
“Hey!”
“I said, leave it." He lowered his face to eye level with hers, the scene playing out like a parent scolding an unruly child. Except there was no anger in his eyes—instead, they blazed with something else.
They stared at each other in silence for several breathtaking seconds. Then Gabe reeled her in, releasing her wrist to crush their bodies together. Lianna gripped his wide shoulders, pressing her lips to his with the need she felt rising all week. The thought of her breath smelling like garlic lasted approximately three seconds, before she forgot to think at all.
****
Mine . It was the only coherent thought Gabe had. She encompassed his senses completely. He smelled her sweet scent, felt her soft skin, tasted her appetizing mouth.
They stood propped against the sink, arms encircling each other. His heart beating wildly in his chest, it felt as full as his arms. The urge to squeeze was almost unbearable. In this moment, the force of his feelings didn’t scare him one bit. There was no denying that he wanted her. No, he was past wanting her, he needed her.
Breaking the kiss, he dared telling her so. Lianna barely acknowledged him, nodding in agreement then pulling him back down to her lips. Spinning her slowly, he started backing her towards the living area. Bumping into the dining table, Lianna let out a squeak. Instead of continuing on, Gabe propped her up on the table. The first time Gabe had kissed her, Lianna had been slow to respond, but tonight she was the aggressor. Opening her legs for him, she gripped his shirt and pulled him close. Looking down, he lifted her chin up and stared into her deep soulful eyes.
The same lust he always felt around her washed over him. Reminding himself she had a difficult night, he kept things slow. It was apparent quickly that Lianna needed more, to escape, a release. That’s exactly what he gave her. Using his hands, he made her forget her brother-in-law, the prank caller, their blurred relationship. He wanted to be all that existed in her world right now.
And when she came undone for him, it was the greatest gift he had ever received. The way that she looked at him, peaceful and satiated told him he had accomplished his mission. Kissing her softly, he helped her restore her disheveled clothing. “I’ll be right back,” he kissed her softly on the forehead before jogging off to the bathroom. The timing sucked, and given his current condition wasn’t even sure he could accomplish his task.
Returning to Lianna within a minute, Gabe stopped at the entrance to the kitchen. That’s all the time it took for the regret to wash over her beautiful face. Gabe was immediately pissed off.
“Second thoughts already?” The accusation came out of his lips before he could bite the words back.
“No. I don’t know?” she said, a panicked look in her eyes.
The stark truth sent a sick shockwave through his body. Lianna looked vulnerable, in need of reassurance, but Gabe was too raw. If he was being honest with himself, he felt vulnerable and exposed too. No woman had ever made him feel what Lianna did, and now she regretted what they shared. Not knowing how to handle his feelings, he used his most relied upon defense mechanisms, indifference and anger.
“You don’t know?”
“I just wasn’t expecting this. Maybe I should go.”
“Well, if you got what you came for…”
She gasped at him, but he said nothing, just levelled her with a challenging stare.
Lianna rushed towards Gabe, but only because he was standing between her and the door. Sighing, he reached out to stop her, already regretting the verbal outburst.
“Wait.”
“Let me go.”
When he shook his head, she begged, “I don’t know what to say. I don’t do things like this. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
He was having a difficult time taming his frustration. How did things change so fast?
“Damn it, just stand still and talk to me.”
Squirming in his grasp, and not in the way he liked, Lianna pleaded again, “Please let me go.”
Gabe didn’t know what to say or what to do, so he did the only thing he could, he dropped her arm and let her go.
****
The ringing pulled her from a restless sleep. Lianna barely mustered the energy to push up and look at the bedside clock. It was a little after 3:00 in the morning. Blinking away the sleep, she reached for her cell phone. By the time she had put it to her ear the caller had disconnected.
Of all nights for the calls to begin again. It had been after midnight before she had fallen asleep in the first place. Exhausted on so many levels, Lianna fought not to replay the theatrics from earlier in the evening. Every time she did, a deep pang roiled her stomach.
Sitting up, she risked flicking on the lamp. She had slept deeply enough that she missed several texts. One from Nicki asking if she got home okay and apologizing again. The other was from the security system alerting her to the front driveway camera’s motion detection. None from Gabe.
Snuggling into the comfort of her duvet, she hugged one of the dozen pillows she slept with to her chest. She messed up tonight, big time. Gabe was the first man she had been with since Scott. She thought she had come to terms with that. Apparently, there was a big difference between daydreaming about something and acting on it.
There was no doubt that she wanted Gabe in every way. More so than any man before him. The problem was that once she was with him, she realized how emotionally exposed she was. While she missed having a partner in life, she didn’t miss the vulnerability that came with it.
Physically, the last time she had a new partner she was childless and twenty-one years old. The body insecurities that plagued her now simply didn’t exist then. The most frustrating part was that instead of verbalizing any of that, she had run away like a coward.
Gabe had gotten a glimpse of her basket case side, twice now. He would most likely be MIA for a while. No booty call was worth that much drama.
Lianna, tired of her own thoughts, switched her cell phone to vibrate. Anyone who needed to contact her that badly in the middle of the night knew where she lived. Does the prank caller know where I live? As if thinking it into fruition, her cell buzzed.
Lianna jumped, her heart stopping and starting again. Screw this.
“What?” she huffed into the phone. She was so damn tired of this game and tonight she had reached her limit.
When no one spoke Lianna thought they had disconnected, until she heard the quick puffs of breath straining to reach her ears. Goosebumps spread across her skin while her pulse sped. Someone was there, listening. It was disturbing.
“Stop calling me. This isn’t funny anymore and I filed a police report. You’re gonna get caught soon. Hope it was worth it.”
Satisfied that her tone sounded annoyed and not afraid, she would have hung up the phone when she heard it. A sound, like an amused “humph.” She pulled the phone tightly back to her ear, but the call was disconnected.
Lianna fumbled the cell before hanging it up. Whoever was on the other side of that phone was enjoying this. Feeling more than just uneasy, Lianna was scared. She was supposed to call Gabe if she heard from the prank caller, but after tonight, there was no way he was interested in hearing from her.
Deciding to keep the lamp on, she settled back against the headboard. Squeezing the pillow tighter, she picked up a book instead of wasting time trying for sleep that she knew wouldn’t come.