Chapter 2
Gabriel
Managing my relationship with Aurora and my daughter was killing me. I knew I was hurting Aurora by canceling as much as I did, and she said she understood, but even I knew that I was stretching it.
For the first time in my life, I”d fallen in love with a woman, and Christ, being with Aurora, made me happy. After minutes in her company, everything in my head quieted. She was gentle, kind, and so fucking beautiful that it hurt to look at her. She had an innate grace about her; she was almost ethereal.
All the mixed heritage in her background had come together in an intensely striking face that you couldn”t look away from. Our sex life was off the charts. I”d fucked plenty before I married Iris and after our divorce three years ago—but it had never been the way it was with Aurora. I was hungry for her all the time, my body addicted to being inside her. She was a generous lover and never, ever turned me down. Compared to the shit show of rejection my marriage had been, Aurora was a breath of fresh air. There was no drama with her.
But even I knew I”d gone too far when I asked her to cancel her trip to New Orleans, and then I”d put my foot in my mouth by telling her about the Rhodes Family annual luncheon. We”d been dating for a year. She”d met my brother once. I”d introduced her to Sophia so we could see each other even when I had my daughter, but it was apparent they didn”t like each other. According to Iris, Aurora was nearly thirty and had no children; and maybe she wasn”t very maternal. I knew Sophia tried with Aurora, but the elegant quietness that I loved about her probably turned off a teenager. Aurora had met Iris, of course, but I hadn”t taken her to see my parents because the instant I did that, I was announcing how serious this relationship was—hell, it already was with my introducing her to my daughter. I couldn”t imagine not being with Aurora. I had contemplated asking her to move in with me, but knowing how Sophia felt about Aurora, I didn”t know if it would work.
So, I did what I was good at. Left the long-term to figure itself out and managed the short-term. Right now, I wanted her in my life, and who knew how things would turn out later? And, why worry about that now?
”Daddy.” Sophia snuggled into me. We were sitting in the living room at her mother”s house. Because our homes were next to each other, we had an almost joint household. It worked for us, especially because Sophia never felt she had to choose between her parents or follow the court mandate of when she could be with me or Iris.
”Yes, Sweetpea.”
”Can you stay the night here?” she asked, her blue eyes glistening. She”d had some drama with a friend at school. Teenage years were tough.
”Aurora is coming over, so I”ll go over to my place.” I stroked her hair.
She frowned. ”Please, daddy.”
I sighed. ”I”ll be right next door.” Even if I stayed, I slept in the guestroom. It was no different from being at my place.
Sophia didn”t like Aurora, and Aurora tried to avoid Sophia—I was between a rock and a hard place. But my priorities were clear. Sophia came first. If she didn”t accept the woman in my life, there would be no woman in my life.
She sulked, but nodded and laid her head on my shoulder.
”Why don”t you like Aurora?” I asked.
She shrugged. ”She”s…I don”t know…quiet and cold. Mama said that because Aurora is old and has no kids, she doesn”t…you know….”
I actually didn”t know. But then I”d never seen Aurora with kids, only Sophia, and she was thirteen going on thirty. I sometimes had trouble with her, so it was possible that Aurora had similar issues. Or she wasn”t the maternal type. Though I couldn”t accept that, knowing how considerate and sweet she was.
”And I”ve tried, Daddy. You know I have.” She looked so solemn that I kissed her forehead.
”I know, Sweetpea.”
”Are you going to marry her?” she asked, and her eyes were so troubled that I felt a wave of regret inside me. I had to break up with Aurora. Fucking hell.
”No. We”ve just been seeing each other for a year.” And most of the time, between my job, my life, and her job, we didn”t spend all that much time together. The sex was amazing, and I loved talking to her and did every night, whether we were in the same bed or not—she”d become a lover and friend. Losing her would hurt, but the panic in Sophia”s voice was a wake-up call. I couldn”t be with a woman my daughter didn”t like.
”Good.”
That one word slammed into me like a freight train. This problem was rearing its ugly head now. Between Sophia and Aurora, there was no contest—I”d burn down the world for my daughter.
Iris came in fifteen minutes later. ”It”s a school night, Sophia. Time for bed.”
”Okay.” Sophia made a face and looked at me gravely. ”You won”t stay here, Daddy?”
”Not tonight.”
I”d pleaded with Aurora to come over. I couldn”t expect her to sleep alone like last time, and I didn”t want to sleep without her. I hadn”t seen her for a week, and I wouldn”t see her for another ten days. I missed her. Not just the sex, though I did miss that a lot; it was everything. It was her quiet support and her gentle smile. She never judged, never demanded. After spending a decade with a wife who”d always taken and not given much in return, it was great to be in a relationship with someone who gave openly and was grateful for whatever I did in return.
When Iris was annoyed with me, and she used to be annoyed a hell of a lot, I used to buy her jewelry. It always worked. With Aurora…it had been a year, and I”d never felt she was ever angry with me. No matter how many times I canceled at the last minute or was not able to live up to a commitment, she just smiled and said she understood. She didn”t do it like some women did who said it was alright and then proceeded to make your life miserable. She genuinely meant what she said.
Aurora didn”t call me incessantly and text. In fact, I initiated most of our conversations, and I liked that. I didn”t feel like I was obligated to be with her or talk to her all the time. When I did, it was because I wanted to, not because I was pleasing her. It was the least demanding relationship I”d ever been in, and I enjoyed it.
Did I feel guilty from time to time that I canceled more dates than I was able to actually attend? And imposed on her time whenever I was free and demanded she make time for me? Sure. But she didn”t make a big deal out of it, so even though I sometimes felt I was taking advantage of her, I didn”t feel I had to change.
Maybe I could keep seeing Aurora and just not have her come over. That way, she didn”t have to interact with Sophia. I”d been with other women but had never introduced them to my daughter. Aurora was the first, and it wasn”t going well. Maybe I should keep this relationship purely casual.
Even as I thought it, I knew that was bullshit. I loved Aurora. I knew it in my bones. Ending my relationship with her would break my heart, but better my heart than my daughter”s.
I kissed Sophia goodnight and was walking to my place when Iris stopped me. ”Gabe, you know Sophia wants her family back together.”
I closed my eyes. I knew that, but there was no chance of that. Iris and I were not happy. When we were married, we fought all the time. The yelling and screaming, the banging of the doors. I just couldn”t do that shit anymore.
”Iris, we broke up for a reason.”
”I know, but we”re different people now…better people. I love you. I know you love me.”
She was a beautiful woman. Had always been. But ten years with her had dulled it in my eyes. She wasn”t beautiful when she was calling me a loser for forgetting a commitment, an asshole for missing a flight and coming home late, or a jerk for wanting to make love with my wife the few times she deigned to put out for me.
”Iris, I”ll always love you because you gave me Sophia. But we”re not happening.”
Her eyes shimmered with tears. I used to hate it when she cried. Now, I didn”t give a shit. She”d used up my supply of sympathy. Aurora never cried—she dealt with things differently. She was gentle, and I”d never even heard her cuss.
”Fucking hell, Gabe. We”re a family. Even now, you eat dinner with us more nights than not.”
”I do that for Sophia.”
She stepped to me and put a hand on my chest. ”Do you feel nothing for me? Remember how we used to spend days in bed?”
Before we got married, we had—but then she got pregnant, and we rushed into a marriage that had not been a pleasant one. I”d hung on to it for Sophia, but after a fight where Iris began to throw things at me, I knew it was done. I wasn”t much of a fighter. I shut down and preferred to keep my mouth shut rather than say something nasty. Iris didn”t have such a problem.
I removed Iris”s hand from my body. ”We”re not good for each other.”
My phone beeped then, and Aurora”s name flashed with a text message.
”It”s because of her, isn”t it?”
I looked at Iris, confused. ”Aurora?”
”Yes.”
”You think you and I are not together because of my girlfriend? Christ, Iris, we”ve been divorced for three years, and a year before that, we were separated. I”ve been with other women in the meantime. You and I are the problem. Aurora”s got nothing to do with it.”
Aurora was at my place. I smiled, texting her back that I was on my way.
”Is it young pussy, Gabe?” Iris snarled when I had my hand on the knob of the front door.
Here it comes. This is why we weren”t suitable for one another. If I didn”t give in, Iris would get cruel and sling insults. I”d tuned her out a long time ago.
I ignored her comment. Iris was my age, and Aurora was just seven years younger than me, so it wasn”t a huge age gap.
I walked out, feeling a dark cloud hang over me. I regretted marrying Iris, but never Sophia. She was mostly a good kid, though her mother”s influence was becoming more and more apparent. She”d wanted some designer clothing, and I”d flat out said no, but then Iris had gone ahead and gotten her some three-thousand-dollar purse or some shit. It wasn”t the money. I had plenty, and Iris was well taken care of.
That was the other thing about Aurora. She never took anything from me. The only gifts she”d accepted were flowers. Once, I”d bought her jewelry because I”d missed a date, and she”d looked at the diamond earrings and told me to return them.
”You don”t like them?” I asked. They cost me a pretty penny. Iris would have grabbed them.
”Gabe, look at what I wear?” She”d pointed to her small pearl earrings. ”And this is so expensive. I”d be scared to lose them. Please. No jewelry. Just buy me flowers and chocolates. Actually, you don”t have to buy me anything. We”re both professionals, and we”ll miss things. Now, can I get my kiss hello?”
While Iris bulldozed, Aurora was sweet. Fuck, but she was. So goddamn loving and lovely.
As soon as I walked into the living room, the smell of lavender pervaded my senses. Aurora was here, and the dark cloud that I”d felt at Iris”s lifted.
She was in the living room, looking at the pool in the back. I”d had it designed so the pool was common to Iris”s and my place. Sophia loved it, especially in the summer when Savannah was hot as Hades.
I wrapped my arms around Aurora, pulled her back to my chest, and breathed her in. I couldn”t let her go, I thought. I”d have to make this work. She brought me such peace and calm. Just holding her took the tension away.
I nuzzled her neck. ”Thanks for coming, baby.”
She put a hand around my neck and turned her face to kiss me. She was willing and inviting. In the first years of our marriage, Iris used sex as a weapon until I just stopped giving a shit about it. The more I wanted sex, the more she withheld. Finally, I stopped wanting, and if she made advances, we”d fuck, but there was no passion. By the end of our marriage, we were in what was called a sexless marriage. My right hand got a lot of action. After the divorce, I had all the sex I could find, and I could find it easily. I kept my philandering for when I traveled because Savannah was a small town at the end of the day. If Gabriel Rhodes was fucking a woman, it would make the gossip pages, and I didn”t want Sophia to be impacted by it.
Aurora was the first woman I”d dated and not just had sex with. She wasn”t the kind of woman you had a one-night stand with.
”I missed you,” I murmured, trailing my lips over her silky cheek.
”I missed you too.”
”I”m sorry about dinner tonight.”
”It”s alright. Have you eaten?”
”Yeah. I had dinner with Sophia and Iris.” I felt her stiffen at that, but it was such a small instant that I wasn”t sure if it was even there. Did she resent my relationship with my ex? I”d told her how we”d set up our households. She”d confided in me that her father had all but abandoned her after the divorce. She respected how I was doing everything in my power to continue to give Sophia my time and make her my priority.
”How about you?”
”I did. I”m sorry I can”t cancel New Orleans.”
I turned her to face me and was stricken by her beauty. My god, but she was stunning. Big brown eyes, long lashes, angular cheekbones, and the softest lips.
”I should never have asked. I was being a selfish asshole.”
”I know it”s hard to make time for each other when we have so many other commitments,” she soothed. But she wasn”t the one who canceled on me, ever; it was always me. I had a daughter, and she seemed to have only work.
”Let”s go to bed, baby.”
Again, I felt something go through her.
”Hey, are you OK?” I asked.
She nodded. ”Of course.”
”And I know the housekeeper dry-cleaned your clothes from last time, so you have a change of clothes here,” I offered.
Over the past six months, I”d left things in her home, and she”d left some in mine. Actually, she left very little. I, on the other hand, had a couple of suits, a drawer of underwear and socks, a pair of dress shoes, my running gear, my toiletries…hell, I had a lot more stuff in her condo than she had in mine.
”You know you can leave more of your things here, so you don”t have to go home on your way to work.” We walked up the stairs, my hand on the small of her back.
”That”s okay.”
”Aurora, why?”
She smiled awkwardly. ”It”s just the last time I”d left some things, and Sophia wasn”t happy about it. I don”t want to cause any issues between the two of you.”
”What do you mean Sophia wasn”t happy about it?” I demanded once we were in my bedroom. I began to unbutton my shirt, as she leaned against the closed bedroom door.
”She told me that she didn”t like seeing my things at your place and—”
”What? Sophia?” No fucking way. ”You probably misunderstood, Aurora.”
She smiled. ”Maybe.”
”So, leave your things, okay?”
She nodded and then looked at her watch. ”Ah…Gabriel, would it be alright if I left after? I have an early morning meeting.”
I removed my shirt. ”After?”
She looked so lost suddenly that I walked up to her. ”Hey, what the fuck is going on?”
”I just…I thought after we had sex, I could leave. I can”t stay the night.”
”So, this is a booty call?” I felt anger surge through me.
She licked her lips. ”I…well… isn”t that why you—”
”Is that what our relationship is? I”m asking you to leave your stuff in my house, and you”re treating me like some dude you met on Tinder to get your rocks off?” I put my hands on her arms and curbed the desire to shake her. How dare she?
”I”m sorry.” She lowered her eyes.
I deflated and hugged her. ”I love you, Aurora.”
She curled into me, pulling me close. ”I love you too. So, so much.”
I felt her tears on my chest. ”What”s going on, baby? Talk to me.”
She shook her head. ”Nothing. Just that I love you. And I”m sorry. Is it okay if I take a quick shower.”
I nodded and watched her go into the master bathroom. I followed her, and while she showered, I brushed my teeth. By the time I got into bed, she was done and slid in next to me.
I loved this part of my night when Aurora was there, and the smell of lavender filled my room. Even after she left, my sheets smelled like her until the housekeeper changed them.
Damn it! Why couldn”t Aurora get along with my daughter? Maybe I could talk to her and ask her to make an effort. I didn”t want to lose her.
”You know you”re the first woman I introduced Sophia to since the divorce,” I began when she was nestled against me, her warm body making me hard. But I wanted to explain to her why I hadn”t invited her to the Rhodes Annual Luncheon; and why she needed to fix whatever it was not working with Sophia.
”I do.”
”Sophia is important to me, as are you.”
She kissed my chest and stroked my stomach.
”I want you to meet my parents, but not at something like this luncheon. It”s a thing they do. Invite way too many people, and it”s an obligation for my brother and me.”