JUNE
Lying naked against the cheap motel sheets, June stared into Gabe’s eyes. She never once considered that he’d be interested in her. They’d spent so much time close to each other’s lives but never reaching each other, though she had tried. She’d always liked him, even when she told herself he wasn’t interested. Even when he’d brushed off her attempts at flirting or didn’t bother beyond surface-level conversations. Because despite all that, she saw how he could be. Loyal in his friendship with Matt. Devoted to the things he ca red about. Intelligent but humble about it.
Not to mention his bright blue eyes and chiseled jaw. Oh, and how she now knew he was unforgettable in bed.
Yeah. She liked him. A lot.
Being honest in the early hours of the night was always easier. The darkness gave people courage as if any vulnerabilities were hidden by the shadows. Gentle moonlight spilled through the window, illuminating the rough stubble on Gabe’s jawline. This was the moment to ask him what this was. She opened her mouth to voice her question, but his deep baritone cut her off before she could start.
“I want to make this work.”
Her jaw dropped. Make this work? He was feeling the same way she was? This wasn’t real life.
Gabe intertwined his fingers with her own. “I know it’s sudden, and the circumstances that brought us together aren’t great, but this feels like it could be something.”
June nodded. “I think so, too.”
Gabe propped himself up on his elbow and stroked the side of her face. “Really?” His eyes lit up in the dim light.
“Yes, really,” she replied, leaning forward to kiss him on the lips. “I feel the same way. I have for some time. ”
He wrapped his body around hers and pulled her close. She snuggled her head into the crook of his shoulder and closed her eyes. Never in a million years would she have guessed she’d be in bed with Gabriel Jackson, let alone screaming out his name in said bed. Her cheeks grew heated when she thought of the past hour together.
“There’s something I need to tell you, and I rarely like to talk about it,” Gabe murmured in her ear. He pulled back and took a steadying breath. “I was in a relationship with a woman I worked with. Cassandra. We were together for two years, and I thought things were serious. She ended up undermining me to my boss and getting the promotion I was slated for. I didn’t realize what she was doing until it was too late.”
June sensed his hesitation to continue. His muscles tensed against her, but she didn’t rush him. She urged him to lie down and massaged her fingers across his chest, waiting for him to resume.
With a heavy sigh, he started again. “She effectively became my boss, and when that happened, she broke up with me and fired me on the same day. Fucking brutal. I lost the woman I thought I loved and the career that I had been building for years. My judgment was clouded because I loved her. Well, I thought I did.”
This story was painful for him to tell. She wove her fingers through his hair and offered her apologies. “There was nothing you could do about the job? ”
He shook his head. “I tried to fight it at first since she fired me without just cause. But it ended up being pointless. The suits upstairs believed her made-up reason over my side of the story, and I didn’t want to waste my time in a legal battle that would drain my bank accounts. She was good at covering her bases.”
June nodded as she listened. No wonder it was difficult for him to let people in. Imagine thinking a person was in love with you only to be stabbed in the back by them in the worst way. Gabe’s job was his passion and purpose, and Cassandra took that away from him. A burning desire built in her chest to track down this woman and tear a strip off her.
“I haven’t told this to anyone except Matthew.” His hand slipped into her hair, cradling her head. “So I guess I’m asking you to be patient with me. I’m not sure I remember how to do this—a relationship. Or how to do it well , at least.” Gabe’s eyes dropped, showing a rare sign of vulnerability, something she’d never seen from the man until tonight.
“Look at me,” she whispered. “I get it. You need someone to be patient with you. I can do that. If what’s between us is real and not just a fluke, I want to make it work. I don’t want to hurt you like she did.”
He nodded and pulled her back down to his chest. A brush of his lips grazed her forehead.
“Thank you,” he murmured into her hair. “I don’t want to hurt you, either.”
When June woke the next morning, Gabe was gone. The bed was cold, and his presence no longer lingered in the air. The clock on the bedside table read 5:43 in bright red numbers.
She sat straight up, clutching the sheet to her chest. Sleep cleared from her mind while she took in the room. Their bags sat on the counter against the far wall—both of them—so he must still be here.
For goodness’ sake. It’s not like he was going to abandon her off the highway somewhere in Alberta. Or were they in Saskatchewan now? The driving was a blur at this point. After last night, their location wasn’t the main thing on her mind. Gabe and his magic tongue were. She shivered in delight at the memory. But he’d also been honest and vulnerable, not just skilled at making her come. She leaned her head forward on her knees and let everything sink in.
The door opened and shut with care. Gabe stood there with pastries in one hand and coffee in the other. A sleepy smile spread across her features.
“Morning, sweetheart.” Gabe beamed, setting the breakfast items on the wooden table next to the window. “I thought you’d still be sleeping.”
June shook her head. “I think I woke up shortly after you le ft. Without you, the bed got cold.” Her cheeks flushed. Why did she say that?
“Does that mean you missed me?” He plastered the smug smirk she knew all too well across his face. Although now, she might label it devilish.
Leaning over her, he forced her to lie back down on the bed. His freshly showered scent drifted through the air. Hands on either side of her head, Gabe’s lips found hers. They moved slowly against each other but quickly became more heated.
“Gabe!” she squealed, pushing him off of her. “I haven’t brushed my teeth or showered yet.”
A deep, throaty laugh poured out of him. Had she ever heard the serious man laugh before now? She liked the sound of it.
“I don’t care about that. You still taste good to me.” He punctuated his words with a wink and climbed off the bed to grab his breakfast. “If you get ready now, we can be back on the road by six-thirty.”
Right. They needed to continue their drive today, and preferably as soon as possible. As much as she would love to spend the day rolling around in bed with Gabe, it was important not to get distracted. She was on this road trip to see her brother, not indulge her newly discovered lust for his best friend.
She took a bite of the croissant Gabe bought for her, said a quick thanks, and made her way to the bathroom to get ready for the long day ahead of them. Twelve more hours to go, give or take. A lot of driving, but it’d be a bit more tolerable today for one tall, dark, and dreamy reason.
GAbrIEL
They had unpacked nothing last night after checking into the motel except a new outfit for June, so nothing needed to be packed except toiletries and dirty clothes this morning. While June showered, Gabe loaded the trunk so a quick getaway was easy when she was done.
Fuck. June in the shower. Steam filling the air surrounding her naked body. He could easily slip in with her. Would she mind? He cursed himself for waking up so early. Obviously, he should’ve waited to shower with her. He leaned his head against the bathroom door and took a moment to compose himself. June didn’t need him to be this aroused at six in the morning.
When she emerged from the washroom not long after, her wet hair was in another long braid trailing down her back. Her face was fresh, and the freckles spattered across her cheeks were visible. God, she took his breath away without even trying. How’d he been around her f or so long but never let himself truly see her?
“I should call to check on Matt again.” She picked at her nail beds.
“I already did,” he soothed. “When I ran out to grab breakfast, I called the hospital, too. He slept through the night, and his vital signs are good. He’s still sedated to help with the pain, though.”
The breath left June’s body in one big exhale, and her shoulders dropped with the release. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his waist and tucked her head against his chest. A warmth spread deep inside him—a sensation he hadn’t felt for years. Not since the early days of being with Cassandra. Damn, if June wasn’t melting his icy heart in record time.
“They’re taking care of him, I promise,” he whispered to her. She nodded against him. “Come on, let’s get on the road. The quicker we leave, the quicker we see him.”
She grabbed her toiletry bag, took his hand, and followed him outside. The sun was already over the horizon, and the summer air warmed his skin. June added her duffle bag to the trunk with the rest of their things and grabbed a book out of it. He opened the passenger door and let her get settled.
She yawned. “I feel like I might fall back asleep when we get on the road. ”
“I don’t think so. I need someone to keep me awake for the next twelve hours.” He gave her a cheeky wink and pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway.
Only one more province to cross, and they’d be in Manitoba. Then they’d see Matt and make sure everything was fine.
And tell him you’re fucking his little sister.
Exactly what his best friend wanted to hear first thing when he woke up from a nasty motorcycle accident. Gabe tightened his grip on the steering wheel. How would he even begin to broach that subject?
They drove for several hours, and surprisingly, June didn’t touch her book once. Instead, they talked. Got to know each other. The car was cramped and uncomfortable after being in it for so long, but it gave him valuable time with June, so he was okay with it.
“Can I ask about your whole…situation?” he ventured, hoping not to offend her.
Her eyebrows furrowed. “My situation?”
Shit. Didn’t she know people viewed her habits as a bit irregular? “Yeah, you know. The whole two jobs, random shifts, going to school here and there, that kind of thing?”
To his amazement, she erupted in laughter. “Oh, that situation. You mean the whole unconventional whirlwind thing I’ve got going on?”
Relieved, he pointed a finger at her. “Your words, not mine.”
“I work two jobs to pay for my ridiculously expensive rent and put myself through school. I only do what I can afford, so that means going one semester at a time, saving up for a while, then doing another semester when I can afford it.”
He frowned. “Why not take out a student loan? That’d make things easier, no?”
“Yeah, it would. But then I’d be in debt and have to pay the loan back. I don’t want to owe anyone anything. I do what I can do, even if that means taking things slower than most people. I’m making it work.”
“I always thought you were disorganized, but you have things planned out, don’t you? Only in a different way than most.”
She stuck out her tongue at him. “I’m choosing not to be offended at that statement, Gabriel .”
Well, he’d stepped in it. He winced, saying, “Oh, don’t call me Gabriel. I wasn’t trying to be a prick, I?—”
“I’m just teasing you. I know how I come off to most people. I do what works for me, and it allows me to do well in my classes and always pay my rent on time. Once I graduate and get a job in social work, everything will fall into place. I know it. ”
“I have no doubt about that. You’ll make a great social worker.” He meant it. Being around her these past two days had shown him what a kind and caring soul she was.
What a mistake it was thinking June didn’t have her life together. He realized her tenacity to survive on her own and put herself through school with no help—not even from Matt—was impressive. The no student loans thing seemed stubborn and impractical to him, but he kind of liked that about her. She was a determined little thing.
Would she accept help from him? If they became a couple? Money was never an issue for him, and he ached to support her. Her stubbornness had gotten her this far, but he could tell she was tired. She could move in with him and not have to worry about paying rent each month?—
Damn, where did that come from? He was getting way too far ahead of himself. They’d been together for one day. His thoughts were taking off in crazy directions. She was hot, yes, and got his stony heart to soften, but he still needed to keep his focus on his impending promotion. Come to think of it, his phone had been oddly quiet this morning.
“Hey, June, can you check my phone? It’s weird I haven’t had any calls.”
Plucking his phone out of the cupholder, she hit the unlock b utton and waited for the screen to come to life. He saw the phone wasn’t responding.
“Did you charge it last night?” she asked.
“No, but I plugged it in for an hour this morning. There’s no way it’s dead. Try the power.”
That did it. The screen came to life. It started vibrating incessantly with missed text messages and voicemails.
“Shit. I should’ve left my phone on.” He slammed his hand on the steering wheel.
June startled out of the corner of his eye. He mentally chastised himself for getting angry and for turning off his phone last night. It had seemed like a good idea. Clearly, he was thinking with his dick and not his head. But shouldn’t he be allowed to think with his dick once in a while? Why did work always have to come first?
He pulled the car over onto the shoulder of the highway and threw it into park. The phone was in June’s hands, so he grabbed it, thumbing his way through all the notifications. Multiple missed calls from clients, angry texts from his boss, Charles, and six new voicemails. He let his head fall back onto the headrest and closed his eyes. One distracted night and now he had to deal with a clusterfuck at work. This was why he didn’t let himself get distracted. This was why he didn’t entertain the idea of a relationship. He didn’t want to get burned again. Especially by his own h and. But it was all becoming too strenuous.
He dialed his boss’ number, bracing for the earful he was about to get. Before he hit call , he said to June, “Listen, I need to deal with this mess. You should go stretch your legs.” The words came out blunter than intended, but he couldn’t help it.
Charles answered the call with a less-than-polite greeting, and Gabe diverted his attention from the gorgeous girl beside him to his boss’ livid ranting.
Time to do damage control.