GABE WAS RUNNING LATE. He hated being late. He especially hated being late when he knew that Veronica was waiting for him.
He’d warned her that he wouldn’t be there before eight and it was only seven fifty, but he had to get home to shower and change before he could meet her at the gallery.
Still, instead of rushing out of the training room of the fire station, he slapped Benton on the back. “You’d better work on that overhand bend,” he said.
“Fuck you,” Benton returned with a smile as he unraveled the climbing knots he’d been working on.
“I’m just saying. That knot took you three tries.”
“It took two tries, asshole.”
“Fine, but I should definitely take the lead next Sunday.”
“Ha!” Benton grabbed his pack. “I’m sure I’ll be safe in your arms. I’ve gotta get to my shift. See you next weekend.”
Before following Benton out the door, Gabe headed over to shake William’s hand. “Thanks for the refresher, man.”
William shrugged. “You didn’t seem to need it. You probably know more knots than I do.”
“I practiced a lot during the winters in Cincinnati. Not much climbing there.” Gabe helped William recoil the last ropes that were piled on the table.
“I have to admit,” William said, “I was surprised to see you. I don’t think we’ve ever had a librarian on the technical rescue team.”
“Yeah, well we don’t get many firefighters in the library, either.”
“Touché.”
“Actually, I know you guys read all the time. The Cincy firefighters seemed big on ebooks. We’re working on getting ebook lending set up, so I’ll let you know when it’s up and running.”
“Sounds good,” William said with a wink. “But then we won’t have an excuse to come flirt with the librarians. Present company excepted, of course.”
“Now my feelings are hurt,” Gabe said, dropping a coil in the box of rope William had brought to educate the rescue team on rope safety.
William dropped the last rope in. “Thanks for the help. If you want to hang out a minute, we’re picking up a game out back.”
“Another time, thanks. I’ve got plans tonight.”
“Book club?” William asked.
“Something like that.”
Gabe hit the door and practically jogged toward his street, wishing he’d been smart enough to drive to work today. His phone rang when he was almost to his place. “Hi,” he said as soon as he answered. “I’ll be there in fifteen.”
“Do you have a date, baby brother?”
He laughed in shock at the sound of his sister’s voice. “Hey, Naomi. I’m heading out for a beer.”
“Really? Your voice sounded awfully sweet,” she teased.
“Shit.” He shook his head. “What’s up? Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine, but I want to hear more about this date.”
“It’s just a date,” he said, and she squealed in excitement.
“I knew it. Tell me all about her.”
“I’m not telling you anything. And I’m running late. That’s all you need to know.”
She sighed but gave up easily. “All right. I was just calling to say I’m thinking of coming to visit sometime. Would you let me stay if I did? Pretty please?”
“I’ve only got one bedroom,” he said.
“Pleeeeeease? Come on. You know I hate hotels.”
He could perfectly picture her exaggerated pout. He shook his head. “You’d have to sleep on my couch.”
“Yay! I’ll probably come next week. Let all your single friends know.”
He groaned as she hung up on him, but his irritation was superficial. He hadn’t seen Naomi in almost nine months, and he’d be happy to have her around, though he cringed over what she’d do to his bathroom counter. This time he’d just clear his stuff out of there entirely. And she probably wouldn’t stay long. She was a restless soul.
She’d had an apartment in New York for a couple of years, but she’d spent only a few nights a year there. Even when she wasn’t traveling, she liked being with other people too much to live alone.
If he thought too long about it, there was no sign she’d ever be ready to settle down. His solution was not to think too long about it. Somebody had to take over the family business.
Their dad had inherited the original MacKenzie’s from his father, just a little burger joint in Queens. But their dad had taken that little burger joint and all his father’s secrets, and he’d turned the business into a chain of high-end retro restaurants that had gotten more popular every year since 1999. They ground their own beef, won awards for their french fries and served fifteen-dollar bourbon-spiked milkshakes to all the hipsters of Manhattan.
Gabe had worked in the restaurants from the time he could walk. He knew everything about the business. But his heart wasn’t in it. Every single year, he’d put each dollar he earned at MacKenzie’s in the bank to save up for summer wilderness camps. He liked the restaurants and he loved the people, but running MacKenzie’s wasn’t his passion.
It would just be his job.
Dad wasn’t going to retire until one of his kids took over, and Gabe was very afraid his dad would work himself into an early grave. After his father had had two minor health scares in the past year, Gabe had known what he needed to do.
His dad would turn sixty in one year, and Gabe had talked him into retiring then. He’d talked him into it by agreeing to take over. He’d talked himself into it by pretending that five years from now Naomi might be willing to take the reins for a while. Hell, ten years from now even vegan Claire might get on board.
Until then...well, you did what you needed to do for your family, and Gabe’s dad deserved to step down and relax for a while. He’d worked hard to pass MacKenzie’s on to his kids, and Gabe would make sure that happened.
But not right now. He didn’t have to think about any of that right now, because he was on his way to see Veronica.
He stepped into his apartment and shed his tension along with his work clothes. Veronica hadn’t been specific, but a charity event at a gallery sounded more formal than other Jackson events, so no jeans tonight. He showered as quickly as he could, then pulled on black slacks and a blue dress shirt. He was out the door at eight fifteen and hoped the walk over would finish drying his hair.
He’d been looking forward to seeing her all day. Hell, he’d been looking forward to seeing her since the moment he’d left her place on Sunday night. He was glad she’d gotten in touch. He’d wanted to text her this morning, but he hadn’t trusted his impulse. Maybe he’d wanted to speak to her, or maybe he’d just wanted to make sure she thought of him as amazing. The perfect lover. The guy who’d made her come and then texted her in the morning to say hi.
He’d never really thought of himself as...manipulating situations. Not until a bad breakup two years before. They’d been seeing each other for six months, and Gabe had been ready to end it, but he’d wanted to let her down gently. Eloise had been talking about love and the future, and Gabe had felt himself cringing away, but still... He hadn’t wanted to be an asshole about it.
That had seemed like a kind thing until Eloise had confronted him and accused him of always wanting to be the good guy and stringing her along in the process. If he’d just been honest, she could have moved on, and instead he’d kept her thinking there might be a chance.
“You think you’re doing the right thing,” she’d yelled, “but all you do is try to manipulate how I see you! Stop fucking around with my emotions and tell me the truth.”
He’d told her the truth then, because he’d been angry enough to do it. It was only later that he’d really thought about what she’d said. It took almost a year to realize she’d been right. He liked to control what people thought of him, be their ideal. He didn’t want to do that with Veronica.
Especially because he knew he was misleading her in other ways. With another woman, Gabe could keep quiet about his plans and see where the relationship led. Enjoy the ride.
But Veronica threw a huge wrench into the works. It didn’t feel casual. It wasn’t serious yet, but it could be. Not a problem in and of itself, but Veronica hated New York, and he was heading back there. There was no way around that. If things did get serious with her, there was no future.
Even if he set next year’s plans aside and focused only on the present, he was misleading her. He hadn’t lied exactly. Yes, he’d grown up in New York City, but he hadn’t lived there full-time since he’d left for college at eighteen. It no longer felt like his home, but his family was still there. He still went back for holidays. Now that she was comfortable with him, he could tell her that. Let her know that not all guys from Manhattan were assholes.
Reassuring himself that she’d understand or at the very least that he couldn’t control how she’d feel about it, he spotted the gallery ahead and picked up his pace.
He’d been in a couple of the Jackson galleries, but he could tell this one was way too rich for his blood as he approached. There was a huge abstract bronze statue in the window that he’d guess cost something close to six figures. This was no local artists’ shop.
It was a large space and crowded with people. Gabe had assumed he’d spot Veronica as soon as he walked in, but she didn’t seem to be in the front room. He passed through to a back room that was even bigger. A bar was set up in the middle of the room and dozens of people milled around. They weren’t his normal Jackson crowd. In fact, he felt as if he’d been transported back to Manhattan. The women wore spike heels and lots of jewelry. Most of the men were twice Gabe’s age. He had no idea how Veronica had ended up here. Maybe it was part of her gig with the paper.
He scanned the crowd as he walked slowly around the bar, watching for the bright, vibrant Veronica who made public appearances. But he didn’t find her. He found a shier version.
She stood in a corner, in the shadows between two brightly lit paintings. Her teeth worried her bottom lip, and her eyes were cast down, staring at the champagne in her hand. She wore a little black dress that skimmed her body and showed off her legs. Gabe’s heart skipped at the sight of her.
It did more than skip when she looked up and spotted him. The uncertainty on her face disappeared in an instant, replaced by a smile that crinkled her eyes and twisted his heart.
“Gabe!” he heard her say from twenty feet away. She strode toward him, her legs muscles tightening with the movement. He let himself watch the show.
She reached toward him as if she meant to hug him but then seemed to catch herself and stuttered to a stop a foot away. “Hi,” she said.
He leaned closer, keeping his hands to himself as his mouth neared her cheek. “You look beautiful,” he murmured, and watched her skin turn pink.
She touched her hair and ducked her head. “Thank you. And thank you for coming.”
He meant to say something charming then, but the sight of her so close started a series of memories in his head. Quick little movies of Veronica perched topless on his lap, of her naked on the couch, of her licking him, teasing him, sucking him. “Damn,” he breathed. “It’s good to see you.”
She glanced up, and her happy eyes held his. Her shy smile turned wicked.
Gabe cleared his throat and rocked back a little, aware that he was already on the verge of getting embarrassingly aroused. “So what are we doing here?” he asked.
“My dad’s really into being a big shot in Jackson. Sometimes he wants me to come to these charity events with him. It makes him seem like a community family man or something.”
Gabe was suddenly very glad he’d moved back. “Your father is here?”
“He’s in front being— Oh, shit. This is weird, isn’t it? I didn’t mean to make this into a meet-the-family thing! Oh, God. I won’t even introduce you, okay? This is...” She grimaced and shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s no big deal,” he said, hoping he was right.
“I wasn’t thinking of that. I just wanted someone to keep me company. It’s always so boring. There aren’t a lot of young single people at charity auctions, and there’s never anyone I know, and I wanted to see you.”
“Hey.” He rubbed her arm. “It’s fine. If you introduce me to your dad, I’ll pretend we just met and I’m barely tolerating your presence. It’ll be fine.”
She nodded and crossed her arms tightly. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Yes, I’m kidding. I’ll introduce myself and then ask his permission to take your virginity. How’s that?”
Her laughter started out as a shocked squeal, but it soon descended into hilarity, complete with tears leaking from her eyes. “You,” she gasped, “really are the worst.”
“I know. Sorry.” He had a strong urge to pull her into his arms and press a kiss to the top of her head, but he didn’t have that right. Not in public. Certainly not with her dad here.
A waiter approached and Gabe snagged two glasses of champagne, exchanging Veronica’s nearly empty glass for a fresh one.
“Should we mingle?” he asked.
“Absolutely not,” she said. “Let’s look at the art instead.” She moved toward a wall of photographs. “This is a local photographer. She has her own place around the corner.”
He thought the photo was black-and-white, but as he studied it, he realized it was only a late fall scene of bare aspen against a hill of rock and snow. There was a hint of gold in the crushed aspen leaves that littered the ground. “It feels a little sad,” he said.
“It is. But I love it. She doesn’t take the most obvious photos. There are so many beautiful places here. I like that she finds the secrets, too.”
He glanced at her, thinking that she was like that. Beautiful, with cool hidden secrets that others didn’t notice. “Are you going to bid on it?”
“Ha! I’ll leave that to the billionaires. I have been eyeing one of the small prints in her shop, though. I might be able to afford one of those someday. Are you into art at all?”
“I admire it, but I don’t know much.”
“Me, too. I’m in awe of artists. I always wanted to be able to draw when I was young. I used to sketch all the time, but I never got any better. It’s funny that you can see something perfectly in your head, but somehow your hands can’t make it.”
“Right, it’s like—”
“Veronica,” a man boomed from behind them.
Gabe swung around to see a distinguished-looking man in his sixties. He wore an expensive suit cut to make his paunch look a little less noticeable. The man took off his glasses to give them a quick polish, then looked everywhere except at Veronica and Gabe. “I’m leaving. I put in a bid on that mixed-media piece by the door. Text me if I’m outbid. I’ll have to make a donation if I don’t get it.”
“Sure,” she said. “Dad, this is Gabe MacKenzie. Gabe, this is my father, Judge Anthony Chandler.”
“Sir,” Gabe said, trying hard not to think about the virginity joke he’d made as he shook the man’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you,” her father said gruffly, barely glancing at Gabe. He left without another word to Veronica. Gabe watched him stop on his way toward the door to clap hands with another man with great enthusiasm before hugging the man’s wife. He wasn’t gruff with everyone, it seemed.
“I hope that was painless,” she said.
“Is he pissed at you?” Gabe asked.
“Dad? No. Just eternally unimpressed.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “He’s a political animal and I don’t have any power, and he must have decided you were too young and harmless to merit his charm. You’re not one of the silverbacks.”
“Wow.”
She winced. “Sorry. That was kind of a mood killer. I’m used to him, but I’m sorry if you felt snubbed. Let’s get back to the art.”
He followed her back to the wall of photos. “And your mom? Are they divorced?”
“My mom died when I was little.”
“I’m sorry,” Gabe said, feeling as though he finally got her shyness. With a dad like that and no mom around...?
“It was a long time ago,” Veronica said. “She had cancer most of my life, but I still remember all the time I spent with her. We used to watch movies in her bed. She was sick, but she never let me see her down. She used to bake cookies every Friday, and they’d still be warm when I got home from school.”
“She sounds amazing.”
“She was. That’s where New York started for me. With her. She’d been once with my father and she’d been enchanted. The skyscrapers, the taxis, the street performers, Times Square and Broadway. She wanted to take me to see Cats when I was old enough. But she got sick again. And that was that.”
“Shit, Veronica.”
“It’s okay. I got my fill of New York later. It all worked out.”
He didn’t know what to say to that. It had clearly not worked out.
She smiled. “Do you feel sorry for me now? I hope so, because I’m going to try to talk you into coming over later and I’ll use every advantage I have.”
He nudged her with his elbow. “And you say I’m the worst?”
“I know, right? What are your parents like?”
Compared to her dad, they were saints. “My dad runs his own business. He’s always busy, always going, big personality. My mom is kick-ass. She mostly stayed home with us, but she ran our household like the commander of an army. She doesn’t take crap from anyone, including my dad.”
“They sound awesome. How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
They strolled around the corner, heading toward the front room of the gallery. “Two sisters. They’re both older.”
“Ha! I should have known you were the baby. You’re so charming and cute.”
“Cute, huh? I think I’ve been downgraded.”
“Unfortunately, you’re all those things. Gorgeous, cute, sweet, sexy. Leave something for the other guys, Gabe.”
He shook his head. “Is this another tactic to get into my pants? Blatant flattery?”
“It is if it’s working,” she said with a grin. The grin snapped to a flat line and her eyes narrowed suddenly. Gabe followed her gaze to a man who was approaching them through the wide corridor that connected the two rooms.
“Roni!” the guy called. “It’s been a long time.”
“Hi, Dillon,” she said. “It’s Veronica now.” Gabe was shocked at how low her voice had gone. Not shy, really, but...cool.
“Right. Veronica. I can’t believe I haven’t seen you since you got back to town. You look great. Really different.”
Gabe watched as her cheeks went red. She looked away, her fingers tightening around the stem of the glass. “Thanks,” she muttered.
“I read your column. Amazing stuff. New York was really good for you.”
“Yeah,” she said. “It was a blast.”
The guy cleared his throat and then turned to Gabe to introduce himself. Gabe shook his hand but kept his introduction brief. Veronica clearly didn’t like this guy.
Dillon nodded as if someone had said something. “Anyway, how’s Jason? I haven’t seen him since he came to town on a ski trip a few years ago. I hear he’s in San Francisco now.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Veronica said. She stared down at her glass again. Bit her lip. She shifted a little closer to Gabe, and he put his arm around her instinctively.
“You don’t keep in touch?” Dillon asked, sounding surprised.
“Why would I?” She looked up and stared the man straight in the face, her shoulder stiffening under Gabe’s hand. “He really wasn’t very nice to me, was he?”
The guy frowned and lowered his voice. “Hey, that was just kid stuff,” he said. “High school. You know?”
She nodded and seemed to lose whatever emotion had straightened her spine. She shifted toward Gabe again. He pulled her to his side and squeezed her shoulder. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but not here. Not in front of this guy. Dillon seemed harmless enough, but Gabe had to fight the sudden urge to punch him in the face for no reason.
“Yeah,” she finally agreed. “It was a long time ago. Have a good night, Dillon.”
“You, too. Nice to see you again. You look great.”
Dillon nodded a goodbye to Gabe and moved back to the group he’d been standing with before. He said something to his date and the woman glanced over at Veronica in surprise.
“Are you okay?” Gabe murmured.
“I’m fine,” she said, but she didn’t shift away from him and he could feel the tightness of her body.
“Let’s go this way,” he said, turning her around to head back the way they’d come. He guided them toward a far corner of the temporary bar. When they got there, he took her hand.
“Hey, what’s going on? Who was that guy?”
“No one,” she said. “Someone I went to school with.”
“Who’s Jason? An ex-boyfriend?”
She shook her head, then drained her champagne glass. Gabe took the empty glass from her and set it on the bar, but he kept her hand in his.
“He was my stepbrother,” she finally said.
“I didn’t realize you had siblings.”
“I don’t. My dad remarried when I was fifteen. Only for a few years, though. It didn’t work out. Jackson wasn’t good enough for them. She left my dad three years later and moved back to LA.”
“Ah. So I take it you didn’t get along with your stepbrother?”
“No. He was a spoiled, entitled asshole. And Dillon was his best friend, so...not someone I want to hang out with.” She shook her head and smiled. “Do you want to go? Let’s just get out of here.”
“I thought your dad wanted you to watch the bids.”
She waved her hand. “He doesn’t give a shit about art. He just likes showing off. Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
She wrapped her fingers more securely in his and pulled him toward the front with a smile. “You could walk me home, or I could walk you home. I’m not drunk tonight, Gabe.”
He followed her outside and they turned toward their neighborhood.
God, he wanted it. Wanted to touch her again, taste her again, make her come. And this time he wanted deep inside her. He knew he could make it good for her. But maybe... “We should wait. Just a little longer. I want—”
“Gabe.” She tugged him to a stop. “I’m not a teenager. I know what I want. Do you want it, too?”
She’d been nervous at the party. Uncomfortable. But she wasn’t nervous now. She looked up at him with challenge in her eyes. He backed her up until they were shadowed from the street lamps under a store awning. He pressed her back to the brick wall, but her expression didn’t change. She wanted him. She was daring him.
He dipped his head to kiss her neck, and just that touch made her moan. “You never told me everything, Veronica.”
“I did,” she whispered.
“No—” he pressed another kiss to her throat, then brushed his lips over her ear “—you didn’t. I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to be that guy who just fumbles around and hopes I’ve got it right.”
She chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “As if you’d ever be that guy.”
He smiled at the compliment. “Tell me,” he urged. He wanted to know, but he also liked her secrets. He liked the honesty of them and the glimpses of her that no one else saw.
She finally nodded. “You won’t hurt me, Gabe. I... I’ve done things to myself. With my vibrator.” Her gaze dropped for a moment, and his heart dropped right along with it. God, he could picture her doing that. Doing to herself what no one else had done for her.
“You won’t hurt me,” she repeated, her gaze slowly rising to meet his eyes again. “You don’t have to be careful. I just really, really want to be fucked, Gabe. I want you to do that for me.”
Her words pushed inside him and squeezed out any reason. “Okay,” he whispered.
“My place?” she asked, tugging him back out to the street to make clear that she wasn’t really asking.
“Hey, what’s the rush?” he teased. “We could hang out at the party a little longer. Catch up with Dillon.”
“You’re very funny. Shouldn’t you be too turned on to joke?”
“I’m trying to take the edge off. It’s not easy to walk like this.”
Her laughter rang out in the night, a delighted sound that made him laugh, too, despite the ache in his cock.
“Good,” she said. “I’m glad I’ve made it difficult. But we’d better not go back to the party. It could be awkward. I made out with Dillon once, after all. Does that make you jealous?”
He followed her across the next intersection. “Do you want it to?”
“Yes! No one’s ever been jealous over me.”
“Then I can’t stand the thought of that guy’s hands on you. I want to knock him out. Then I want to touch you until you forget all about him.”
She grinned. “All right, but it might take a lot of touching. He’s a big real-estate guy now. Really rich. A great catch.”
He caught her at the corner and leaned down to growl into her ear. “I’ll fuck you until you can’t remember that guy’s name.”
“Oh, God,” she whispered. “I forgot it already.”
“Good. Let’s get you fucked, Dear Veronica.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Let’s.”