Chapter 17 #2
He continued to stare. "That was pretty, the way your hair cascaded down around your face like that." The low baritone of his voice sent a shiver coursing down her spine. "I like your hair down."
Her breath caught in her throat as he reached up to brush back a lock. Then his fingertips created a trail of fire from her temple to her jaw.
"But you’re pretty with a ponytail too." His gaze roamed over her face as his fingers drifted closer to her lips. "You're a beautiful woman, Paige."
The sincerity in his voice made her knees go weak. A warm flush enveloped her as moisture filled her mouth. Those few words from Gabe sounded more sincere than all the flattering words Phillip had ever spoken. It was a good thing he held her—otherwise, she might have melted to the floor.
"Thank you," she whispered. Paige couldn't resist anymore. She leaned into him.
His gaze settled on her lips as his arm tightened around her. Then suddenly, his whole body stiffened as though someone flipped a switch. The hand that had been caressing her face balled into a fist, and he let out a low growl of frustration.
"I'm sorry. I can't." Gabe released her and stepped away. One hand raked through his hair while the other gripped the doorknob.
Paige fell back a step at his sudden absence. A weight pressed against her chest, so tight it stole her breath and pricked her heart.
"I don't want to hurt you, Paige." The raspy tone of his voice matched the pained look in his eyes. "But I've worked too hard to get where I am. I can't—"
"I know.” She held up her hand to stop him. “You can't risk losing your job."
It was easier to curtail his apology than to have to bear full-on rejection. Having him choose his job over her hurt, but they'd only known each other for barely a month. It was ridiculous—and selfish—of her to think he would.
"And with everything going on with my mom, I'm not…" He didn't meet her gaze this time. Instead, he stared at the wall behind her as his Adam’s apple bobbed. His fingers plowed through his hair again, agitated and jerky.
"I understand." She stepped in front of him, so he'd have to look her in the eye. "I'm truly sorry for everything you're going through with your mom. I recognize that, emotionally, you are unavailable."
He snorted and cracked a smile. "You make me sound like the tortured hero in some romance novel."
Grateful for the lightened mood, even though that hadn't been her intent. She laughed and shrugged. "I call 'em like I see 'em."
Now he scowled at her.
She chuckled again as she raised her hands in surrender. "All I'm saying is, you sure seem to know a lot about romance novels for someone who hates them so much."
His brows lowered, making his scowl more intense.
"I appreciate your honesty, Gabe. The last thing I want is to be strung along and used again in a relationship that doesn't have a future.
" She sucked in a deep breath and rushed on.
"Don't worry, I don't have any expectations.
Outside of convincing your mom we're together, we'll make it a point to avoid situations like this.
" She drew a circle in the air with her hand.
"Acknowledging the chemistry between us will help us combat—"
"Stop." Gabe was the one with his hand up now.
"I'm rambling, aren't I?" Warmth flooded her cheeks.
"Yes, and you're talking with your hands, which I find adorable." He shook his head. "I'm not sure there is any way to combat this…magnetic pull between us." He motioned back and forth between them.
"Now whose talking with their hands?" She quirked a brow at him.
He caught himself and grinned. "We managed to diffuse the…tension, but this feels too much like flirting, and it’s building again." He grabbed the doorknob.
Disappointment swamped Paige. "Wait. I feel like I should at least offer you some dinner after making you come to my rescue." She jerked a thumb over her shoulder toward the kitchen. "I've got some leftover spaghetti and meatballs."
"Sounds delicious, but…" His gaze roamed beyond the entryway, deeper into the house. "It's probably best I don't cross paths with your parents."
"They're not home. They're in Spokane at some gala that kicks off a medical conference."
"You're here alone?" His eyes jump back to her, a series of emotions racing through them.
He cleared his throat. "In that case, I'd better leave, because my self-control is waning when it comes to that chemistry we just discussed.
" He opened the door and stepped out so fast, she didn't even have time to move from behind it. "Good night, Paige."
Then he was gone, and Paige slumped against the wall. If it wasn't for her bare feet sticking on the hardwood, she would have slid down to the floor. She had sworn off men, so how was she so effortlessly falling for her physical therapist?
Could Riley be right? Was her life meant to converge with Gabe’s for more than just PT? And if that was the case, how did she get Gabe to see that?
Gabe pulled his car over to the side of the road before getting on the freeway. It wasn't safe for him to drive with his mind racing like it was.
He smacked the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. Why did the perfect woman have to come along at such a complicated time of his life? Why couldn't he have met Paige somewhere other than PT? So he could ask her out and freely spend time with her?
Like I ever go anywhere else.
And this stupid ruse he'd involved her in to make his mom happy had him crossing boundaries he'd never considered crossing with a patient before. Of course, he'd never had a patient like Paige before.
Just the sight of her kicked up his heart rate. Every. Single. Time. He found her incredibly attractive whether she wore a swimsuit, summer dress, or a ratty old bathrobe. Her smile truly lit up whatever room she was in, and he could stare into her gorgeous blue eyes all day.
Her sense of humor meshed well with his.
She was full of grit and determination. He admired the way she stood up to her ex as much as he appreciated the effort she put into healing and get stronger.
She hadn't needed him to get rid of Phillip, but he was glad she'd turned to him.
Considering all the times his protective instincts had kicked in concerning her, he was glad to finally put them to use.
Then he got caught up in the electricity that always sizzled between them.
Kissing her in the privacy of her home wouldn't have jeopardized his job any more than anything else they'd done, but it would have made him want things he couldn't have right now.
He already wanted those things, so kissing her would make it unbearable.
She'd wanted that kiss as badly as he did, he was certain of it. The fact she understood and excused his behavior made him feel like a jerk.
Emotionally unavailable.
Maybe Paige was right, but as long as his time with his mother was limited, that wouldn’t change.
He picked up his phone and tapped it against his thigh, debating. He owed her an explanation.
He typed out a text. I don't hate romance books. But you have to admit they aren't realistic.
He hit send then tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and put his car into gear. He didn't anticipate a response any time soon, since Paige was probably mad at him for leaving so abruptly.
His phone buzzed before he could pull out into traffic. When her name flashed across the screen, he put his car back into park.
Paige: Duh. That's the point. It's called escapism.
Before he could decide how to respond, another message came through.
Paige: Reading about the same garbage we experience in real life is boring. No one wants to read about men or women who are cheated on by their significant others.
She had a point.
Gabe: True. For your information, I've read my share of romance novels.
Paige: You read romance books?!
Multiple emoticons followed her text, including a surprised face and the rolling on the floor laughing emoji.
His lips turned up as he typed a response.
Gabe: Past tense. Remember me telling you about my neck injury and how my mom borrowed every DVD and audiobook possible from the library? Our library was small, but it had a large collection of romance books on audio. More than any other genre.
Paige: That must have been torture for a teenage boy.
More emojis accompanied her response, and he could almost hear Paige's laughter.
Gabe: You have no idea.
Paige: Protest all you want, you’re still a tortured hero.
Gabe: Whatever.
He paused before adding his next thoughts.
Gabe: Does that make you a damsel in distress?
Paige: I was distressing pretty hard before you showed up tonight.
Gabe: Nah. You and your bathrobe had everything under control.
He sent another text before she could respond.
Gabe: I think our current situation makes us…star crossed lovers.
He held his breath after hitting send. He’d told Paige at PT that he couldn’t promise her anything, but his rebellious heart wanted to make her all kinds of promises. He watched the little dots dance as she typed a response, then they disappeared.
She'd decided not to respond right now. Or maybe ever.
He didn't blame her. She probably felt like he'd dropped a bomb on her. He was about to set his phone down when the dots returned. His chest tightened and so did his grip on his phone as he waited.
The dots disappeared again.
Stomach sinking, he tucked his phone into the cup holder and put his car into gear again. This time there was no traffic to prevent him from pulling out and getting on the freeway. His grip remained tight on the steering wheel.
Stupid move, man.
He was a mile down the freeway when the screen lit up again.
Ignoring the dangers of texting and driving, he snatched it up.
He checked the road before letting his gaze dart to his phone.
A gif of a female actress—whose name he couldn’t recall—sighing and blowing her hair out of her face filled his screen.
No wonder it took her so long to respond. Finding a gif to adequately depict this kind of frustration and disappointment wasn't easy. He couldn't devote the attention necessary to finding a gif of his own while driving, so he decided to leave it be. Which was probably for the best.
He put his phone face-down on the passenger seat and pressed the button on his steering wheel. "Call Mom."