The jingle of an incoming text jarred Steph awake. When she opened her eyes, the room around her sat cast in shadows. A glance at the clock on her nightstand confirmed it was after nine a.m., though the darkness of the room meant the spring sun had taken the day off. They were back to cold, wet, and miserable.
The quietness echoed around her. She reached out, smoothing a hand over the cool sheets beside her. Despite their conversation last night, she had to admit she missed him being there beside her. All of which meant she was already sliding down that slippery slope to falling in love with him again.
She heaved a sigh into the empty room. He had to go and play the good guy again, the knight in shining armor to her damsel in distress. One touch and she’d melted to his whim like ice cream on ninety-degree summer day.
Because she could resist him about as well as she could Lauren’s chocolate-chocolate chip cookies.
When another text dinged in, she firmly set the thoughts aside and reached to the nightstand for her phone. She unlocked the screen and brought up her texts. While she hoped for a message from Lauren or Mandy, Gabe’s name appeared twice.
Morning, baby. Car’s done. All good. I can change your oil too but not today. Girls are rowdy.
Called Trent. Lauren should be there in an hour.
She blinked, rereading his words, then let her hand and the phone flop to the bed. How the hell was she supposed to keep him at a distance when he did things like this? Did he have any idea how normal he sounded? Like they were a couple and he’d texted to tell her he’d pick up milk on his way home from work.
Gabe Donovan was no longer that determined, cocky bachelor she’d known in college. He was a father, had been a lucky woman’s husband. And that had changed everything. Resisting the man he’d become was a whole lot harder.
She stared at the textured ceiling above her, as if somehow it contained the answers she desperately needed. Hard as she tried to deny it, his sweet gesture tugged at her soft heart. Drew forth the silly romantic woman deep inside who wanted what Lauren and Trent had found. Who was tired of sleeping alone every night.
Before she’d had a chance to think about what on earth to say to him, another text popped up.
BTW…Friday. Dinner. My place. Not taking no for an answer.
She rolled her eyes, but shivers chased each other over the surface of her skin. He was sexy as hell in take-charge mode. When he’d led her into the bedroom last night and peeled her dress off her, she’d lost the desire to send him home.
She drew a deep breath and punched in a quick reply.
And if I don’t show up?
Thirty seconds or so passed before his reply came in.
Damn. I didn’t realize you were there or I wouldn’t have texted so much.
No more texting me, you. I’m not alone and you give me hard-ons.
She couldn’t help the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. Or the trip to her heartbeat. Damn him and his sexy sense of humor, too. Who in the world could say no to that? Certainly not her.
Before she could figure out how on earth to respond, another text popped in.
If you don’t show up, I’ll come get you. I have plans for you.
Plans? He’d made plans for her? Okay, she’d admit he’d piqued her curiosity. He was being pushy, but damned if it wasn’t the sexiest thing any man had done for her in a long time. Simply because it made her feel wanted.
Gabe was a good man in all the ways that counted, and he wanted her. The crux of the matter was, she would never be anything more than a fling to him, a rebound. It was normal, natural, but how far gone would she be by the time the relationship reached its natural conclusion?
Another text came in before she had time to ponder a response.
I know you don’t trust me, baby, but I can’t fix it if you won’t let me in. I won’t deny I fucked up 11 years ago, but I’m not that guy anymore.
She stared at her phone. She ought to tell him it wasn’t because she didn’t trust him. The pet name he called her, however, caught her, popping out from the screen, as if in bold, bright neon. Baby. Men called her that all the time, usually when they hoped to charm their way into her panties. From him, the cutesy name made her chest ache. She would never be his baby, but God how she wanted to be.
This time, when she responded, she had to be a little more honest.
Why is this so important to you? If sex is all you want, you could easily find a more willing date.
Thirty seconds passed before his reply came in, and Steph found herself holding her breath. She hated the thought of him with someone else. Always had. Including his wife.
Don’t want just anybody. I WANT YOU.
Steph stared at the text, her heart hammering. The little devil on her shoulder poked her with his pitchfork. You know damn well you want the same thing.
No. She threw back the covers and dropped her legs over the side of the bed. This was one slippery slope she would not go down. It was time to pull out those boundaries. She was getting entirely too lost in him. Again. It stopped here, because she would not end up heartbroken when this ended.
Thanks for fixing the car. I owe you. I’ll be over soon to pick it up.
She hit send on her reply, set her phone on the nightstand, and pushed to her feet. Moving to her dresser, she pulled out a pair of sweats, then grabbed her phone and headed into the kitchen. What she needed were huge quantities of coffee before Lauren got here.
Halfway to the kitchen, her phone dinged with the arrival of an incoming text. She made the mistake of glancing at the screen.
I look forward to it.
She groaned and moved to the coffeemaker. There went the whole morning. She’d spend it dreading seeing him. He’d toss her one of those sexy, flirty smiles and her panties would vaporize.
God help her when she actually arrived at his place. Her only hope at this point were those kids. With any luck, they’d provide enough of a distraction to keep her from giving in to temptation.
* * *
One cup of coffee and a quick shower later, Lauren had arrived, a small white bakery box in her hands. Standing out in the hallway, she lifted the box and smiled. “I come bearing goodies.”
Steph clasped her hands together. “Please tell me they’re those wonderful dark chocolate cookies…”
Lauren winked. “Would I have arrived with anything less?”
“Bless you. I so need chocolate this morning.” Steph’s stomach rumbled at the possibility. She took the box from Lauren and motioned her inside. “Come on in.”
Lauren stepped across the threshold, closed the door, and followed as Steph made her way into the kitchen. “Man trouble? I expected Gabe to be here this morning, but Trent mentioned he’d called.”
Steph’s face heated as she set the box on the counter and glanced at Lauren. “I had plans to call you myself this morning, but he beat me to it. Coffee?”
Lauren pulled her lower lip into her mouth, nibbling on the corner for a moment. “No, but thank you. No more coffee for me, at least…not for a while.”
The hint in Lauren’s voice had Steph pausing in the middle of reaching for the cabinet door. There were only a few reasons a woman would suddenly stop drinking coffee.
As the idea sank in, Steph spun to face her. “Oh my God. Are you…?”
Lauren flushed to the roots of her dark hair and nodded. “I think so. I’m two weeks late, my breasts are tender, I’m tired all the time, and I’ve been getting nauseated.”
Steph raised her brows. “You haven’t done a test yet?”
Lauren gave a helpless shrug. “I kind of hoped you wouldn’t mind stopping by the store on our way to pick up your car.”
Steph would have squealed and clapped her hands in glee, but Lauren didn’t look as excited as she might have expected her to. Her shifty gaze told Steph she was nervous.
“Of course.” Steph enveloped Lauren in a hug, then pulled back, holding her by the upper arms. “So is this good news or bad? You look like you’re about to puke.”
Lauren waved a hand at her. “Oh, I’m just nervous. I thought I might be pregnant a few months ago. When it turned out to be a false alarm, Trent and I agreed we wanted to wait a while to have kids, enjoy being together, you know?”
Steph shook her head. “Don’t be nervous. Even a blind fool can see that man’s over the moon for you. He’ll be thrilled.” She picked up her purse off the counter, then grabbed Lauren’s hand and headed for the front door. “Come on. There’s a Walgreens around the corner.”
Twenty minutes later, she and Lauren stood in her tiny bathroom. They were holding hands, staring down at the test stick on the counter. Poor Lauren was shaking like a leaf in the wind while they waited for the results.
Lauren jerked her gaze in Steph’s direction, eyes wide and full of anxiety. “Distract me. Why isn’t Gabe here?”
“Because he couldn’t stay last night.” She released a heavy breath. “I haven’t decided yet if I’ll take him up on his offer.”
Lauren squeezed her fingers. “You’re afraid.”
“Not since my breakup with Alec have I spent this much time with the same man. I’ve only done one-night stands.” Steph shook her head. “How did you do it?”
“I couldn’t resist the chance to spend the time with Trent. I had no choice.” Lauren turned her gaze to the test stick. “Oh God.”
Steph followed Lauren’s gaze. A faint plus sign appeared in the result window. Lauren sniffled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Steph wrapped her in a fierce hug. “You’re going to make a great mom.”
Lauren pulled back, running her fingers beneath her eyes. “God I hope so.”
“Taking care of people is what you do best. It’s how you and Trent got together in the first place, right?”
Trent had been wounded in Iraq when an IED went off. He’d come home two years ago with PTSD and a heart full of survivor’s guilt, determined to shut himself away from the world. He and Lauren had developed a friendship when she’d insisted on taking care of him. According to Mandy, Lauren had helped piece her brother back together.
Steph tossed Lauren a smile and winked. “Besides, how cool is it to have a mom whose job it is to make cookies and cupcakes all day?”
Lauren let out a breathy laugh and nodded in the direction of the front door, then turned and moved in that direction. “Come on. Let’s go drop you off at Gabe’s. I’m betting he’s looking forward to seeing you.”
Steph grabbed her purse off the counter and followed Lauren, her stomach suddenly lurching. “The problem is, I’m looking forward to seeing him, too.”
They pulled up in front of Gabe’s a half hour later to chaos. Out on the small front lawn, four little girls ran, screaming and giggling, in all directions. Gabe, looking delicious in a pair of well-fitted jeans and a T-shirt that hugged his glorious shoulders, lumbered along behind them. He hunkered down, arms outstretched, roaring and growling, to the delight of the girls.
He jogged up behind the smallest girl, a tiny brunette with the cutest little pigtails, and scooped her up. He hugged her to his chest and bent his head, his “nom, nom, nom” sounds carrying even through the closed car windows.
Steph dropped her head back against the seat, unable to help the hitch to her heart or stop her smile. “Gabe demanded dinner next Friday night.”
“And you’re going.” Lauren looked over at her, brows furrowed, lips pursed, then reached for the door handle and inclined her head in the direction of the house. “Come on. Let’s go say hello.”
Steph drew a deep breath, summoned her professional side and the strength it lent her, and exited the car. The doors closing halted the action in the yard. Char and another, slightly smaller brunette skidded to a halt and turned to look. Gabe’s head snapped in her direction. The instant his gaze hit hers, heat flared in his eyes, there and gone a breath later, but enough to set her insides on fire.
Her stomach did a triple looper. Steph halted on the sidewalk beside Lauren, every limb suddenly trembling. God. There it was. The look that would melt her defenses.
“And you’re resisting that why?” Lauren leaned over, murmuring between them, then, just as suddenly, pulled away and stepped forward. “Morning, Gabe.”
He set the girl on the ground and flashed a smile as he made his way in their direction. “Morning. Thanks for bringing her over, Lauren. As you can see, I’ve got my hands full today.”
Lauren let out a quiet laugh. “It’s no trouble at all.”
Steph ignored the hitch to her heartbeat and followed Lauren onto the lawn. Coming to stand beside her, Steph smiled, praying it wasn’t wobbling like her stomach. Did he have to look so delicious so early in the morning? “I appreciate you fixing the car.”
He stuffed his fingertips in his pockets. “I told you. It’s not a problem. I just appreciate you coming to get it. It’s easier on my sanity than trapping these hooligans in a small, moving box.” He chuckled, inclining in his head toward the girls, three of whom were now chasing each other around the yard. “I’m pretty sure Molly feeds them sugar for breakfast just to spite me.”
“Well. I’ll leave you to it. Seems I have a surprise to unleash on Trent.” Lauren turned, eyes widening as she mouthed, Call me!
Fingers still casually tucked in his pockets, Gabe followed Lauren with his eyes as she returned to her car and climbed inside. “She’s pregnant, isn’t she?”
Steph raised her brows. “How in the world did you know?”
One shoulder hitched. “Julia and I tried for another child on and off. She lost a few. So I learned to recognize the symptoms after a while. Lauren came to the shop to have lunch with Trent last week. She couldn’t stand the smell of the sandwiches she brought with her. In the half hour she was there, she took off running for the bathroom twice.”
Her heart clenched, followed quickly by a twinge of guilt. She shouldn’t allow it, but jealousy kicked her hard in the chest. He was still grieving his wife’s death, but the knowledge seeped inside all the same.
“I’m sorry. That must have been very difficult for both of you.” She pulled her shoulders back. She wasn’t here to recount memories or indulge in that sexy sparring he was so damn good at. She’d come to get her car. “What do I owe you for the repairs?”
His head turned, his gaze settling on her. He studied her for a long, unnerving moment and reached out, then seemed to think better of it and stuffed the hand back in his pocket.
“I didn’t tell you that to hurt you.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he shook his head. “I can still read you, remember? I get it. There are things you don’t want to tell me.”
Feeling suddenly and overwhelmingly vulnerable, she folded her arms. It was the only barrier she had against him anymore. The more she saw him, the more she recognized the signs and the more it all came back.
When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “I decided to be honest with you because I know I can’t expect you to be honest with me if I’m not. I learned that lesson the hard way with Molly over the years. After Mom and Dad died, she resented me being her legal guardian and that I now had the power to tell her what to do. I learned if I was honest with her instead of just pushy and demanding, she didn’t rebel quite so much.”
Maybe he was right. Maybe it was time she was honest with him.
Careful to keep her voice low, she turned her head and looked off down the street. Honesty might be the best policy, but she couldn’t force herself to look into that disarming hazel gaze while she said the words.
“I wasn’t prepared for this. I was prepared for a weekend. A little fun with someone I trusted once. That’s different, you know, than a hookup in a bar. But you’re…you. It’s childish, really, to still feel that way. To be jealous of a dead woman.” She heaved a sigh and finally forced herself to look at him. “But I am.”
Her insides shook as she waited. That was the most she’d ever told him. She didn’t know if she actually wanted his response and yet part of her craved it. A holdover from all those years ago. Back in college, she’d wanted him to know she’d fallen in love with him, because she’d held out this hope he’d tell her he loved her back. Pathetic that the need still hovered beneath the surface.
Those keen eyes worked her face. Then, finally, he smiled, warm and alluring. “So, dinner? Next Friday?”
There was that sexy smile she’d known would make an appearance, and she was caving, exactly the way she’d known she would.
She heaved a sigh and nodded. “Fine. You win. I’ll have dinner with you next Friday. But since I owe you for the car and clearly you’re not taking my money…”
“Nope.” He winked, eyes gleaming with playful impishness and a touch of smug self-satisfaction.
Giddy, happy little butterflies took flight in her stomach. “Then I’m cooking.”
One dark brow arched and the corners of his mouth twitched. “Can you do that?”
This time, her facade cracked. She punched him in the shoulder. “Yes, thank you very much. Contrary to popular belief, I have actually grown up.”
Those gorgeous eyes glinted at her. “So you have.”
“Friday. Six o’clock. Don’t be late.” She pivoted and marched toward her car, determined to get away from him before she embarrassed herself. As she reached into her purse, however, it hit her. Gabe had her keys. She halted, sighed, and, face hot as Hades itself, turned back.
Gabe stood grinning at her, his right arm extended. He jangled her keys, dangling from his thumb and forefinger. “Missing something?”
She rolled her eyes and strode back to him, but when she reached for the keys, he held tight to them.
“I look forward to seeing you, you know. I’ll say it again, in case you missed my point last time. Were you anybody else, that first date wouldn’t have gone this far.” He finally released her keys and winked at her. “And I won’t be late. I’m never late.”