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Gage stared arrogantly at his brothers sitting around their mother’s kitchen island wearing shit-eating grins. “That’s two weeks now, my friends. Pay up.”

Derrick groaned and handed over a twenty, while Dylan merely shook his head.

“Betting on your relationship? That’s both immature and beneath you.”

When Gage merely raised an eyebrow in Dylan’s direction, his brother cursed under his breath.

“Here,” Dylan barked, handing over his money. “But I still think you should let us be the judge of her. You say it’s been two weeks, but what have you done with her besides,” he paused, looking over his shoulder, “screwing?”

Gage frowned. “We’ve been to the movies, hung out at the bookstore, rented videos. I don’t know. We do other things besides fuck.” He too quieted as he looked around the kitchen. “Where’s Mom?”

“She had to run out to the grocery store. Said we’re eating her out of house and home again.”

Gage glanced at his money and sighed, placing the twenties under the island centerpiece.

“Good boy,” Derrick said with approval. “Now tell us again how staying in every night doesn’t imply fucking.”

“We went to Atlanta last weekend.”

Dylan rolled his eyes. “And stayed in a hotel most of the time...doing what, pray tell?”

“Oh, shut up,” Gage muttered, tired of feeling the need to defend himself. “You don’t understand.”

“Sure I do.” Dylan slapped him on the back, the glint of his Rolex nearly blinding in the early morning light. “You have a hard time communicating outside the bedroom. So instead of confessing how you feel, or perhaps telling Hailey how much you admire and love her, you’re screwing her into a tired, contented state, hoping she won’t get wise and cut you off at the balls one day.”

“Honestly, Dylan. How you manage a thriving practice with that mouth is beyond me.” Their mother stood in the kitchen hallway with a large scowl on her face.

Derrick and Gage burst out laughing.

“You two might have warned me,” Dylan mumbled with a red face.

“But I have to admit, you have a point,” Barbara said, shoving one sack at Dylan and the other at Derrick. “Gage, you can’t solve your relationship problems with sex.”

He cringed, as did Derrick, when she started on the topic. Dylan nodded in agreement. Stupid therapist.

“You need to tell her how you feel, honey.”

“I did,” he gritted, wishing they’d all stay out of what they didn’t understand. He and Hailey were happy, and if she was a little quiet lately, she probably had a lot to worry about at work, what with that possible promotion coming her way.

“You did? What did you say?”

“I told her I loved her.”

His family stared at him like he’d grown a third eye.

“What? You said to be honest. I’m honest.”

“When did you tell her this?” his mother asked quietly.

“Ah, two weeks ago.”

“And what did she say?”

He shrugged, wishing he’d kept his mouth shut. He’d forced that awkward moment from his mind, and now they’d brought it to the surface again. He couldn’t help feeling simultaneous rejection and relief that Hailey seemed to have disregarded his big I love you moment. Had she maybe not heard him, or misunderstood him? He sure as hell hoped so.

“What did she say, Gage Andrew Warren?”

Both his brothers, and he, winced at his mother’s tone.

“Nothing. She said nothing.” But she’d just given me one hell of a blow job, so maybe she took what I said as in the heat of the moment? The notion hadn’t occurred to him before, and as his mother tried to soften the blow of Hailey’s rejection, he felt lighter, somehow. Maybe Hailey had attributed his declaration to one of those Oh God flashes.

“Oh, honey, I’m sure it’s all a big misunderstanding.”

“Yeah, I think it is.”

“Poor guy,” Derrick muttered, shaking his head. “And I still don’t have Sydney’s number.”

Gage grinned, surprising them. “Don’t worry about it. I have it under control. Now how about some hash and eggs?”

♥

Gage whistled as he worked in his kitchen, waiting for Hailey to show. He’d clipped a deep red rose from his mother’s rose garden, and had cut all the thorns off but one. Prickly, the flower reminded him of Hailey. Beautiful, but not to be taken for granted. He’d thought about what his mother had said earlier, and what he’d finally figured out. The time had come to lay it on the table. Why hide how he felt?

Hell, the way Hailey made love to him every night, she had to feel the same way. Sure she’d been quiet lately. Maybe she had begun questioning their future. He knew from their many discussions that she viewed her past as a nightmare in the dating world. She too often chose loser boyfriends, just like he’d chosen loser girlfriends, afraid of a commitment. Actually, he thought she was afraid of being abandoned again, like when her father had split, so subconsciously chose men she knew would never really suit.

Not that he’d ever admit as much to Dylan or Mom, but he did listen when they spoke, and paid attention to the lectures on relationships he’d been forced to attend when younger. A noise at the door called him from the stove.

Answering Hailey’s soft knock, he pulled her into his arms for a deep, breathless kiss.

“Hi,” she gasped. He hugged her, but felt only a lackluster return. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Shit. He could feel bad news coming, and raced through his mind for the last stupid thing he’d said.

“Gage, we need to talk.”

We need to talk—the four words every man dreaded. He stubbornly returned to the kitchen, but remained standing and braced himself for the worst.

“It’s just, well, I’m a little nervous about our time together.”

“What?” Okay, that had definitely confused him.

“Shoot. No, I mean to say, we have fun together, but we always end our time with sex. And I feel like if we don’t have it, we’ll have a problem.”

She spoke so fast he had a hard time understanding her.

“Hold on. You’re complaining about the sex?” He couldn’t help staring in disbelief. Last night he’d given her multiple orgasms, which she’d admitted to being a first. And she’d cried his name as if he’d taken her to heaven. Which he had.

“Not complaining,” she said with a blush. “I’m just worried that if we can’t have sex, you’ll...”

At her silence, he suddenly understood. And he grew angry. Really, really angry. “You’re afraid I’ll what? Leave? That the only reason I hang around you is for your body?”

Shit. All the little gifts, the gestures, doing the fucking dishes, loving her until he felt he’d pass out? And she still didn’t get it?

“You don’t understand,” she said softly, her eyes clouding with tears.

At the sight of her unhappiness, his belly clenched and he forced himself to calm down. “What’s really the problem, Hailey?”

“I’m the same woman I was before I met you. And now things are different.”

“How?”

“I have never, ever, had an orgasm with a man every time we made love. But with you, I have at least one every time.” She threaded her hands through her hair and nervously gripped close to her scalp. “You’re making me different at work. People are listening to me, actually becoming friendly. And the obnoxious creeps are suddenly leaving me alone.”

He shook his head. “You’ve always been intelligent, gorgeous, and driven. But you’ve been so caught up in caring what others think of you that you’ve closed yourself off to everyone but your friends. Now, Hailey, you’re seeing yourself the way I do. That’s why people are taking notice.”

She stared at him in shock. “That is the longest, most normal conversation we’ve had yet. And you sound like a psychologist. You, Mr. Hard Ass, are actually talking about feelings.”

He flushed and glared. “I told you my mother’s a shrink. It’s hard to suppress, but lately you’ve been pushing my buttons.”

“Me?”

“You.” He snorted and leaned back against the counter, ignoring the pots boiling over on the stove.

“Ah, Gage?”

“Shut up, Hailey. We’re going to have this out.” Anger fumed and built inside of him. He couldn’t believe they were having this discussion, when he’d envisioned a much different way to spend the night. Fuck. “You clam up when you become angry or hurt, and now that I think about it, you’ve been looking at me like any day now I’m going to kick your ass out. I hate to break it to you, baby, but as good as the sex is, that’s not why I’m with you.”

She blushed and scowled. “I notice you haven’t made any attempts to abstain, though, have you?”

“I’m not stupid. Making love with you is incredible. But if you want me to prove to you we’re about more than sex, fine. As of right now, we’re celibate.” His gaze narrowed. “That means no sex for both of us, with anyone.”

“I’m not planning to seduce the first guy I see on my way home,” she grumbled.

“And that’s another thing. You’re too eager to leave me every night. Why? What did I do that was so damned horrible?”

“Nothing. But eventually this is going to end, and if I get used to sleeping with you all the time, or staying here overnight, I’ll never be the same—”

“—When I leave?” His eyes glittered, and he yanked her to him, holding her in a steely embrace. “Forget what I said about intelligence. You are the dumbest blonde I’ve ever met.” He kissed her hard on the mouth. “No sex until you apologize for being so dense. And I’ll expect you here every day after work next week. No avoiding us.” He cursed under his breath. “You are going to be so sorry about this. I’ll expect one hell of an apology.”

On your knees, he added under his breath before the boiling water and splattered sauce caught his attention. As she helped him clean up the mess, he realized he had just agreed not to have sex with the woman until they cleared up her issues.

Sex—the one area in which they both had no problems whatsoever. Where he did his best work. Maybe he really was an idiot.

Their first fight. Hailey felt both bad and strangely relieved to have it over. The fact that Gage had been annoyed had been expected. What she’d hadn’t anticipated, however, was the hurt that had lingered briefly in his gaze, or the offer to abstain. To prove a point. For her.

She hugged her pillow tight and fought the warmth pooling within her that Gage would even suggest such a thing. Her other boyfriends had simply broken off with her when sex had been in question, and Jerry had cheated.

At the thought, she paled. Maybe Gage intended to satisfy himself elsewhere. Perhaps he had no intention of going without, but had made the grand gesture to look like the winner in their small skirmish.

But the more she thought about it, the more she disregarded that notion. For one thing, Gage hadn’t rehearsed his little speech. And the man who could barely boil water had been preparing dinner—for her. Not to mention that he’d looked as shocked by his pronouncement as she’d felt.

She wondered how he’d fare, and if he would actually try to enjoy their celibate time together, or punish her for it instead. Hailey distinctly hoped he’d choose the former.

The next night arrived all too soon, and she found herself knocking nervously on Gage’s door. After a minute he opened it, dressed casually in shorts and a T-shirt. She had on the same, and entered, hoping their identical dress meant a pleasant evening lay ahead.

Gage cleared his throat, his eyes burning. “I thought about what you said last night. And though I think it’s the most idiotic, moronic idea I’ve ever heard of, I rented a movie for us to watch.”

She’d narrowed her eyes at his insults, but widened them when she saw a movie sitting by his television. The cover showed two naked women and one man with a large, erect penis crawling all over one another. “Belinda’s Delights?”

He flushed and grabbed the video from her hands, tucking it into a nearby drawer. “No. I rented Stargate and Prince of Darkness.” When she continued to stare at him, he scowled, “Well? SciFi or horror? Take your pick, I have more.”

She wanted to see that porno, but thought their vow of celibacy made the pick somewhat risky. She had a hard enough time focusing on anything but his luscious body when in close proximity.

Swallowing loudly, and noting the extreme attention he gave her mouth, she croaked, “SciFi.”

He offered a huge bowl of popcorn and insisted he sit right next to her so they could share it. To her surprise, and admitted disappointment, he made no overt moves toward her, and behaved like a perfect gentleman. After the movie, they talked about their favorite moments, whether they thought such a thing as alternate universes were even possible, and argued about which program was better, the movie Stargate, or the television series.

“Sorry, baby, but you’re wrong. The movie has it all over the series. Come on. That’s Kurt Russell there.”

She shrugged. “Maybe. But the series is ten years strong. The public disagrees.”

“The public can kiss my ass.”

She grinned, having a blast. “Now that’s the Gage we know and love.”

He stilled for a moment. “What?”

“You had me worried for a while. So polite and so hands free.” As soon as she said it, she knew she’d made a mistake.

His nostrils flared and his eyes darkened, and it was like looking into the eyes of a wolf about to strike. “I thought you wanted a gentleman.” He edged closer to her on the couch and stared at her lips, his eyes narrowing when she licked at their dryness.

Instantly, her nipples hardened and her pulse raced. “I just want to get to know you, Gage,” she said nervously, aware it wouldn’t take more than a nudge to make him jump her.

He ran his tongue over his lips. “You want to know me? Do you know how much I like sucking your breasts? How I love the color of your rosy nipples, and how you always taste so sweet right before you come? Do you know how much I love going down on you, how much I fantasize about taking you every way? Ever felt a cock in your ass, Hailey? Ever rode a dildo while you blew a guy?”

She stared at him, entranced, her panties growing wetter with his every word.

“My favorite color is red. I like to build things. I built that television stand and those cabinets. I have a thing for breasts and a fine ass and, in particular, for one confused, stubborn blonde with no idea of how hard she makes me by simply breathing.”

He stood, his erection prominent beneath his shorts, and he hauled her to the door. “It’s been fun, baby, really. But I have a long day tomorrow, and an even longer night ahead. So drive safely, and I’ll see you here tomorrow at seven. Wear something old. We’re going fishing.”

He slammed the door in her face, but before she left, she swore she heard his low moan. Caught in her own web of frustration, she drove home slowly, wondering how their evening might have progressed had they watched Belinda’s Delights instead of Stargate.