Chapter Fourteen
SALLY LAY AWAKE for most of the night trying to imagine what it would be like to no longer live in her house. She and Gage had been so removed from their real lives, and had gotten so close, when she’d walked inside last night she’d felt like she’d walked into someone else’s life, or a life she used to live but no longer quite fit in. It had taken her most of the evening to shake the feeling of guilt that had accompanied those unfamiliar emotions. She’d even set her and Gage’s wedding picture next to her bed, hoping it might hold together the pieces of her that were unraveling, but it felt wrong to have it displayed in the house where she and Dave had lived. She’d turned the frame upside down, and that, too, had made her feel guilty.
Monday morning she still couldn’t shake the feeling of being a stranger in her own home, and that terrified her. What if Rusty felt that way if they moved into Gage’s house? What if it was best for Rusty that they remain in their house, giving him a touchpoint for his memories of his father? If she was this uncomfortable in the house, how could she expect Gage to put up with it?
As if he knew she needed him, Gage called when she was on her way to the café.
“How’s my favorite wife?”
She imagined the smile in his voice reaching his warm blue eyes. And as quickly as that warmth enveloped her, a spear of guilt hit her. Favorite wife. If she returned that sentiment, what did that say about her marriage to Dave?
Where did all these complications come from?
“I’m okay, but I hated sleeping without you. How about you? Did you have fun with Jake?”
“He left this morning. It was good to see him, but I wouldn’t call it fun. I’d have been happier spending the night with you. I missed you.”
“I missed you, too. But I needed last night.”
“Did you come to any decisions?”
She glanced in the rearview mirror. No makeup in the world could hide the worry in her eyes. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “Think we can find some time to talk later?”
“You’re my top priority, babe. I can meet you now and talk if you’d like.”
She wished she wasn’t meeting the girls. She’d be a nervous wreck until she and Gage had a chance to figure things out. “I can’t. I’m pulling into the parking lot to meet the girls for breakfast. I have no idea how I’ll keep our relationship from them. I hate secrets.”
“About that…”
Something in the way he said it told her he’d already blown it. “You told Jake, didn’t you?” She knew how pushy Jake was. Gage was as bad at lying as Jake was at keeping secrets. If Jake had noticed the slightest difference in Gage he’d probably forced the truth out of him.
“He found your underwear in my suitcase and accused me of sleeping around behind your back.”
She smiled as she maneuvered into a parking spot and cut the engine. His brothers were all protective of their significant others, and even though she and Gage hadn’t been a couple for all these years, they’d always been protective of her, too. “Why does that make me smile?”
“Because you know we should scream it from the rooftops.”
Oh, how she wanted to do that! But Rusty had to come first. “Gage—”
“Don’t worry. I told him to keep it between us and that we wanted to talk to Rusty first.”
“We,” she whispered.
“Always we, Sal. Unless you changed your mind and you want to talk to Rusty on your own first?”
“No. Maybe. I’m not sure yet.” She couldn’t keep putting that decision off either. She needed to figure out how to tell him. She’d thought telling Rusty together was best, but after her own reaction last night, she wasn’t sure Gage’s being there was the smartest way to handle it.
“We have time, babe. I just wanted to hear your voice. I won’t keep you.”
“Keep me, please.” Help me figure out what to do about the house and how to tell Rusty.
“I don’t plan on letting you go, bird,” Gage said lovingly. “Not for anything in the world.”
She reveled in that promise all the way into the café, where Danica and her younger sister, Kaylie, and their friend Max Braden, waved her over to a table by the window.
Danica rose to greet her. Her thick spiral curls were as dark as Kaylie’s long wavy hair was blond.
“Welcome back.” Danica angled her burgeoning baby belly to the side and hugged her. Her eyes lingered on Sally’s for a beat too long. “Everything okay? You look tired.”
“Traveling tires a person out,” Kaylie said, rising to hug Sally as Danica sat down. “When I’m on tour, I fall into bed and sleep like the dead. It’s good to see you, Sal.” Kaylie had young twins, Lexi and Trevor. Between her singing career and the kids, she was always on the run.
“You too,” Sally said, and leaned in to embrace Max, who was also pregnant, though only four months. Max worked for Kaylie’s husband and was married to Blake’s cousin, Treat. “How do you feel these days, Max?”
Max lifted her dark ponytail from the nape of her neck with a how-do-you-think look in her hazel eyes. “I love being pregnant, but I could do without the morning sickness, and I’m already outnumbered with two kids. I’ll be sporting a ponytail for the next five months.”
“Ugh, I remember that feeling.” Sally dug her wallet from her purse and set her purse on the chair. “I want to grab coffee and a muffin. Do you guys want something?”
“Only if they sell concealer.” Kaylie pointed to a tiny red mark on her chin. “Too much chocolate lately.”
“Don’t look at me,” Danica said. “I don’t carry makeup anymore.” She patted her cheeks. “Nothing can hide pregnancy puffiness.”
“I have some in the zipper pocket in my purse. You can use it,” Sally said, and headed up to the counter to get her breakfast.
When she returned to the table, she was suddenly ravenous, and bit into her muffin.
“Um, Sally?” Kaylie said in a singsong voice.
Sally looked up with a mouthful of muffin. “Hm?”
Kaylie leaned across the table and whispered, “Even I don’t carry lube in my purse!”
Sally choked on her muffin, coughing and spewing it into a napkin. Danica patted her on her back as she tried to catch her breath. She gulped coffee in an effort to clear her throat. “Ouch! Hot! What are you talking about? I don’t have that in my purse!”
Kaylie held up the bottle of lube that had come in the honeymoon basket. “I guess it wasn’t the traveling that wore you out after all.”
Sally snagged the bottle from her and shoved it back into her purse. “I’m going to kill Gage.”
Danica’s eyes widened.
“About time you rode that stallion.” Kaylie smirked. “Danica, you’d better put a lock on the break room door.”
“It’s not what you think.” Liar, liar. She was dying to tell them the truth and rave about how romantic Gage was and how her heart felt full for the first time in years. But the mother in her silenced that enthusiasm, reminding her how important it was that Rusty not feel like he was the last to know. Her friends would understand once she and Gage came clean about their relationship, but she needed to protect her son, regardless of how old he was.
“Are you sure?” Max waved the Naughty Sex Guide. “Because I don’t remember you carrying this in your purse either.”
Sally cringed. “I am never, ever, ever letting any of you in my purse again.”
“Lube. Naughty Sex Guide.” Kaylie narrowed her eyes. “Spill your guts or we are going to make up our own stories, and I’ve got a wild imagination. If it’s not Gage, then who’s been riding Mustang Sally?”
Sally’s mind raced through possible explanations, but as she met the expectant faces of the women who had helped her through not only the loss of her husband, but her son’s trials and tribulations, she couldn’t outright lie. She drew in a calming breath and hoped she could pull off a partial truth.
“Gage must have stuffed those in my purse as a joke. We were playing pranks on each other the whole time we were away. I promise you, we did not use it.” At least that much was true.
“Bummer.” Kaylie looked truly disappointed.
Max dangled the guide and asked, “What about this? Some of these positions look crazy. Listen to this one. It’s called the Bridge. The guy lays with his shoulders and head on an ottoman or something, and his lower legs are on a chair.”
The girls huddled together to peek at the picture. Sally tried to imagine Gage in that position. She felt her cheeks burn, and focused on eating her muffin as Max continued her detailed explanation.
“Then you sit on him and turn, using your hands to steady yourself. You lift one leg over his, give a few thrusts, then turn again, like a corkscrew.” Laughter burst from Max’s lips. “Can you imagine doing this and the guy falls between the ottoman and chair? I mean, really? Who could manage this? If I ever asked Treat to try this he’d think I was crazy.”
“Treat would do anything you ask,” Danica said. “Including that.”
Treat had pursued Max relentlessly before they married, and he’d put her on a pedestal ever since. He doted on her and their two beautiful children, Adriana and Dylan, and Sally doubted there was anything he wouldn’t do for her.
“I have to agree with Max on this one, Dan,” Kaylie said. “I mean, I’ve done some crazy shit, but that? I can’t even imagine asking Chaz to try that, and Treat? He’s so tall. There’s no way…” Her brows lifted. “Who knew Sally was wilder than me? And damn. Gage must be really fit.”
“Gage is very fit, but we did not do that.” We did the Reverse Cowgirl. Sally grabbed the booklet and put it in her purse, wishing she could disappear.
“I knew she used the lube,” Kaylie chimed in.
Danica swatted her arm. “Hush.”
“We did not use it,” Sally insisted.
“Hey, I’m not judging you if you did,” Kaylie said. “I mean, hello. Who wants to answer a knock at the back door without it?”
“Kaylie Crew!” Danica chastised.
“What?” Kaylie laughed. “You said you and Blake—”
“Okay, enough!” Danica put her hands up. “Time for a safer subject. Max, have you and Treat thought about baby names yet?”
Sally breathed a sigh of relief and made a mental note to clean out her purse—and give Gage hell for putting the lube in there. Although…it did give her a few ideas.
NO LIMITZ SEEMED to have a revolving door for most of the morning, and every time Gage went to talk with Sally she was either on the phone or dealing with an issue. He hadn’t spent any time with her besides the hour-long conference call they’d had with Danica and the new hires for the Oak Falls location. Sin and Haylie were ready to take charge and get things organized, and they all looked forward to seeing the grand opening come to fruition.
Gage headed down the hall for coffee, relieved to find Sally standing at the counter pouring herself a cup. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, his body cocooning hers. Her feminine scent awakened the desires he’d been tamping down while they were apart.
“How’s my girl?” he whispered beside her ear. She leaned her head back against his chest. The tension easing from her body underscored how right they were together.
“Better now. Last night was eye opening.” She turned in his arms, and he ran his fingers through her hair.
“Listen, maybe I overreacted. If you need us to go a more traditional route and date, then get engaged, and eventually get married, that’s fine with me. It’s not my preference, but I’ve waited five years. I can wait another one if you need me to.”
“I don’t,” she said quickly. “After last night, I know I don’t want to stay at separate houses. It’s just hard to think about giving up my house after living there for my entire adult life.”
“I know, and we don’t have to make the decision on what to do with your house anytime soon. Are you comfortable staying with me at my house? I don’t want to go another night without you, but I don’t want to pressure you, either.” That wasn’t exactly true. He wanted to pressure her, but he knew better.
Desire sparked in her eyes. “I want to be with you, whatever it takes, wherever we can manage.”
They both leaned in, and their mouths came together gently, but their tenderness quickly turned heated. All the frustration and hurt from last night disappeared, replaced with desire as strong as rolling thunder. He wedged himself between her legs in an effort to get even closer, and deepened the kiss. His hands traveled up her ribs, brushing the sides of her breasts. His blood burned hotter with every touch. A wanton sound escaped her lips, and the enticing noise surged through him.
“Missed you so much,” he said between kisses. He took her face between his hands, and the lascivious look in her eyes nearly did him in. “Tell me you’ll stay with me tonight, bird. Don’t make me wait.”
Her gaze turned even more sinful, and she pulled him into another mind-numbing kiss. He was already hard, and she was rocking her hips, grabbing his ass, giving him all the “go” signals.
“Can’t do this here,” she said heatedly. Then her luscious mouth was on his neck, and he felt every suck as if she were on her knees.
“Fuck, bird,” he ground out.
That only made her suck harder.
He grabbed her hair and tugged her mouth away. “I need you, and if you keep doing that, I’m going to take you right here.”
Her gaze darted to the supply room door, and she pushed away from the counter. In three seconds flat they were on the other side of that door, frantically tearing at each other’s clothes. He was blinded by lust and love, and being closer to Sally was all that mattered. She stepped out of her panties and lifted her skirt as he dug out a condom and rolled it on. He lifted her into his arms and groaned through gritted teeth as her body swallowed every inch of him.
“Shh,” she said breathlessly.
Their mouths crashed together in a rough kiss, as urgent as the heat throbbing through him. Her back hit the wall with a thud as he pounded into her. He could barely see in the dark room, but he could feel. Damn, could he feel—her hot breath on his cheek, her thundering heart, and the pulse of her sex as she clung to his shoulders, her legs squeezing tight around his waist.
“Faster,” she pleaded in a demanding whisper. “Oh God, Gage—”
He could barely comprehend her words as blinding heat seared down his spine. Sally’s breathing shallowed, and her nails dug into his neck. He needed an anchor in his spinning world as he thrust faster, loved her harder. Her sex pulsed tight and hot around him, and her nails dug deeper. The pierce of pain tangled with the pleasure blazing through him, and he captured her mouth, silencing their sounds as they both spiraled over the edge of ecstasy.
Gage leaned his back against the wall, holding her close as their kisses turned languid and sensual. When their breathing calmed, he lowered her to the floor and rid himself of the condom, feeling mildly guilty for taking her in the frigging supply room. But she was hot as fuck.
They dressed quickly, and he took her face in his hands and kissed her. Her hair was tousled with that just-been-fucked look, and when she blinked up at him through her impossibly long lashes, his heart swelled at the love looking back at him.
“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean for this to happen here. I just can’t keep my hands off you.”
“It’s not like you forced me. I wanted you just as badly, and I loved every second of our sneaky closet sex.”
He brushed his lips over hers. “Ah, you like sneaky sex?”
Her arms circled his neck as the door swung open, and they both jumped back. Danica stood before them with a confused look in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, then snapped it closed, her cheeks flushing as understanding dawned on her. “Sorry,” she mumbled, and hurried out of the room.