Chapter Nine
GABE
"You were so adorable tonight, trying to cook. Hmm, this wine is definitely working some magic. I never use the word adorable," Diane said.
"I'm not sure how I feel about it either," I confirmed.
She sighed. "Tell me the truth. Is this where you bring your dates to impress them?"
"Why? Are you impressed?" I asked with a smug smile. "And if yes, then will you consider this a date?"
She shifted in her seat, but her gaze never wavered.
"You answer first," she said. Her voice was more uneven than before.
"I used to," I admitted. "A few years ago. But lately I only come here by myself or with my brothers or a business partner. I brought Grandmother a few times, but she's not a fan of steak."
I tilted my head and shifted closer to the edge of my seat. My left leg collided with hers, and she exhaled sharply. Then she focused her eyes on her plate, carefully slicing her steak, putting her fork through it and then into one of the potatoes. She didn't make eye contact.
Did she feel the current that passed between us too? Was she used to it? Because I sure as hell wasn't. Another thing about Diane that took me by surprise.
She looked up a few seconds later and asked, "Can I have one of your fries?"
I burst out laughing. That was not where I thought she was going, but I got the message loud and clear—she wanted us to change the subject. "Sure, but only if I can have one of your potatoes."
"Obviously. Sharing is caring." Then she laughed nervously, avoiding my gaze again. After munching on a fry, she added, “I like sweet potato fries better than regular ones."
"So do I. I haven't had them in a while."
"Mom loves sweet potato fries too," Diane added.
"Do you see her often?" I asked.
"Not really. Whenever I want to visit, she insists I use the money for something else. Still, I'm closer to her now than before. One of the reasons I really don't mind that I moved to Boston. Maybe that's why it was meant to be, you know?"
Her tone was optimistic, but her expression had changed. The light in her eyes went out. I felt an inexplicable surge of hate for that guy for taking her joy away. She was clearly trying to be nonchalant about it, but it was obvious that it still hurt.
I couldn't pretend to understand what she was going through.
I'd never had a relationship that was significant enough that severing it caused me pain.
I'd glided through life by engaging in hookups whenever I felt like it.
It hadn't even been a conscious choice; it was simply what I did.
I'd never felt the need for anything more.
"I'm so full," she said after taking the last bite of steak. She drank the final sip of wine, then dried her lips with the napkin.
The waiter had refilled our glasses a few times, and even I was starting to feel the effects of the Rioja. I didn't want this evening to end.
Damn it, Gabe. She’s Celia’s sister. You live together.
Not together, I corrected myself. She's your neighbor.
Things were starting to blur in my mind. But one thing was clear: I hadn't had nearly enough of her.
"Do you want dessert?" I asked.
"No, I can't possibly eat anything more. It was truly exquisite," she said. "Also, I'm dehydrated. I'm going to drink a lot of water once we get home."
"Do you want to order something nonalcoholic?”
She giggled, leaning over the table. "Honestly, I want to go home and get out of this dress.
" Then she giggled again. "Whoops, I can't believe I told you that.
It's just that, well, it's a few years old, and I've put on a pound or two.
It's a little bit tight. I feel like it's squeezing my boobs and my ribs.
" She glanced at the bottle. "Yeah, remind me to never again think that I can hold my wine. Clearly I can't."
I chuckled. "Come on, let’s go. You'll drink plenty of water, and you'll be fine tomorrow."
We both got up at the same time. She wasn't swaying, so she wasn't inebriated.
"Don't you have to ask for the bill?" She sounded shy.
"No, they have my credit card on file."
She jerked her head back. "I think I've only ever heard that expression in movies. I wasn't sure it was real."
"It's convenient," I said.
"Are you going to offer me that super-muscular arm again?"
"My pleasure."
I stand corrected. She was a bit tipsy, because she clung tightly to my arm.
We walked slower than before. Once we stepped outside, Diane started shivering despite putting on her jacket. Then I draped mine over her shoulders.
She slid her arms into the sleeves, then arched her shoulders back into me and bared the back of her neck. It was unbelievably seductive.
She looked at me over her shoulder. "Thank you. I was feeling a bit chilly."
"I thought you were. You had goose bumps."
She laughed nervously.
"Everything okay?" I asked.
"Yeah. I totally had goose bumps because it's chilly," she said.
By the time we arrived home fifteen minutes later, my head had cleared up somewhat. As we walked up the stairs to the house, I realized the same wasn't true for her. She swayed a bit on the front steps.
When she reached the staircase leading to the attic, she groaned. "Oh, screw it. No way can I make this staircase in these heels right now." She took off her shoes, holding them in her right hand, then turned around. "Thank you for this evening, Gabe."
"I'll walk you up."
She smiled sheepishly. "I'd fight you on it, but I don't think that's such a bad idea. My balance isn't great."
"Walk in front of me."
"Uh-huh," she said, putting one hand on the banister.
I held my hands behind her at enough distance that I wasn't touching her but was prepared in case she fell. I was trying extremely hard not to look at her ass.
But I should have looked. That way, when she stumbled on the second to last step and fell backward, I would have placed my hands on a more appropriate side of her body, like her back. But I barely had time to register her yelp before feeling her soft ass in my hands.
"Oh my God," she said, then straightened up.
Pulling herself up and gripping the banister, she put one leg forward, and a ripping sound echoed through the stairwell. She’d stepped on her dress, and it tore around her waist.
“Nooo!” She took one of her hands from the banister but lost her balance again.
This time I acted more appropriately, putting one hand on her back. With the other, I kept her dress together. My thumb was brushing her rib cage. Her skin was so damn soft that I couldn't even think straight.
"I've got you," I said.
"I dropped my shoes."
Looking back, I saw them a few steps down. "I'll get them for you."
"Thank you." She put her hand where mine was before. The heel of her palm brushed the back of my hand in the process, and she gasped lightly.
Did she feel this small contact as intensely as I did? Did she want more?
I went back and grabbed her shoes, bringing them to her as she unlocked the door to her room.
"I'm sorry for that," she said as we went inside. "I'm really not that inebriated, but I lost my balance."
"The spiral staircase is tricky," I said, looking determinedly away from where she was holding her dress together.
"So much for that one pound I gained. I think it was more like ten. Maybe the dress was old. It shouldn't have ripped all the way to my freaking bra."
She turned around, facing me. She'd only turned on the small lamp above her mirror. I couldn't resist moving closer to her. In fact, I preferred that, because if I was right in front of her, then I couldn't see her skin beneath the ripped fabric.
I was wrong. As soon as I stepped forward, she turned sideways to the mirror, and I had a fantastic view of her cleavage.
I groaned at the sight.
"Oh my God, can I embarrass myself any more in front of you? I put on a dress that clearly didn't fit me because I'm a whale."
"You're beautiful. Don't say anything to the contrary in front of me."
She snapped her head up, parting her lips. "Oh."
"I was barely keeping myself from kissing you all night."
"You wanted to kiss me?" she whispered.
"Yes. Fuck yes."
"Then kiss me."
Her voice was even softer than before. In fact, it was so soft that for a brief second, I wondered if I'd imagined it.
I cupped her face the next second, tilting her head up and brushing my lips against hers before capturing them. They were perfect. Plump and soft and so damn inviting.
I ran my hands through her hair. It was just as silky and thick as I'd imagined. Everything about her was magnificent: the way she sighed against my mouth, the way she pressed her chest to mine. Then she let go of her dress and wrapped both hands around my neck, tugging me even farther down.
I immediately gripped the dress, intending to keep it together.
Instead, I ran my hand down her rib cage, all the way to the hip.
My cock turned semihard when my fingers touched the elastic band of her panties.
I brushed them back up, my thumb reaching the fabric of her bra.
I wanted to yank everything down, to have her completely naked and at my mercy.
I needed to work her with my fingers and mouth.
I deepened the kiss. Every moan reverberated through my chest. I kept my hands splayed wide on her rib cage, but then she pressed herself against me even more and groaned.
My cock was now rock-hard, and she'd felt it. I moved my hand farther down, cupping her buttocks. Goose bumps broke out on her skin, just as they had before at the restaurant. And that cut through the brain fog.
Fuck, what am I doing?
She'd had a few drinks, and her dress ripped. True, she told me to kiss her. She clearly wanted me. But I wasn’t going to take advantage.
"Diane," I murmured, stepping back.
She clasped a hand over her mouth, the other on her dress. "Oh my goodness, I'm so embarrassed right now."
And cue the regrets.
Fuck, I shouldn’t have kissed her. I was an opportunistic bastard.
"Wow. Tonight was a bit insane. I don't think you anticipated that you'd be flashed like this and then I'd jump your bones."
"I kissed you," I reminded her.
"Right! I should change."
I had to leave. "I don't want to intrude. Just wanted to make sure you got to your room safely. See you tomorrow."
She laughed, and then it turned into a hiccup before she said, "Good night," in a high-pitched voice.
I closed the door, turning around and taking a deep breath.
What the hell did I just do?
Asking her to move in was one of my worst ideas.
And yet, I didn't regret it.