Chapter 4
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Damn. Gabe’s heartbeat pounded like a drummer in a marching band with each step he took toward the woman that he hoped was the blogger here to see him. An unfamiliar feeling started to turn in his stomach and his palms tingled. It wasn’t until he stopped in front of this stunning, breathtaking creature that he realized what it was.
Nerves.
He was nervous.
When he started chemo, people asked if he was nervous about treatment. He hadn’t been.
After taking down the tweaker with the gun, he’d been asked if he was scared or nervous. The answer was the same, no.
Before the Nunez fight, he’d been asked countless times if he was nervous and the answer was always, no.
He’d faced all those things, and he’d been numb. He’d shut down. He’d built a barrier around his emotions.
He hadn’t done it on purpose; it had just happened.
But with each step he took he felt himself coming back to life. He felt those barriers falling down.
His feet stopped moving when he was in front of her. Crystal-clear aqua irises that were outlined with a dark, navy outer rim stared up at him, and he felt a connection that was so strong it seemed tangible. Like it was something that he could reach out and touch.
He’d heard people talk about seeing someone and the rest of the world disappearing, but he’d thought that they were just exaggerating. That they were repeating something that they’d heard in movies or read in books. But it was real. That was the sensation he was having.
He knew on a subconscious level that there were other people, other things inhabiting the earth, but right then all he knew, the only thing that existed, was the two of them.
“Hi. I’m Gabe.” The tension in his voice caused the words to hold a sandpaper quality.
“I know.” Her chin dipped in a slight nod and her already large blue eyes grew even larger.
“Are you Rena?” He was hoping that she was but if she wasn’t he planned on pulling a Robin Williams from Good Will Hunting and leaving a note for the blogger saying, Sorry, I got to go see about a girl.
“I…um…” Her perfect brows scrunched, causing an adorable line to crease between them. “I usually go by Adriana.”
“Adriana,” Gabe repeated her name with as much reverence as if he were meeting Mother Theresa.
She nodded again, and this time her lips fell open as she exhaled slowly. It was such a small movement, but he felt the power of it rush through him. A wave of sensation flooded his bloodstream at the simple act of her breathing.
Attempting to pull himself together, Gabe forced himself to act as normal as he could, which took much more effort than it should’ve. “Did you want to sit down?”
Again her brow furrowed as confusion clouded her clear blue eyes. “Um…”
The expression that flashed across Adriana’s perfect features caused him a moment of pause. “You’re here to meet me, right?”
Her breath caught and she hesitated slightly before answering as if he was asking her a trick question, “Yes.”
Adriana was much more reserved than any interviewer he’d ever met. Most likely because she wasn’t a professional reporter and also that the subject matter was so emotionally charged.
“Great. Let’s sit down.” He held his hand out and as she walked past him to the small table, a fresh floral and citrus scent wafted through the air. He closed his eyes as he inhaled the heavenly scent.
He’d never been a huge fan of perfumes or lotions that overpowered his senses. But this was different. It was citrusy, light, airy, and fresh. Just like her eyes, her scent drew him in.
Growing up, one of his favorite stories his mom would read to him was about sirens that enchanted sailors with their beauty and voices. As an adult, he knew their intentions weren’t pure, but as a kid, he’d always wanted to meet one. Not the dangerous creatures that he now knew they were, but just someone that he was powerless to resist.
He used to daydream about what that would feel like, and now he knew.
Adriana gracefully lowered onto the bistro-style chair that he pulled out for her and as he slid into his seat across the table from her, he had the urge to lean forward just to get another whiff of her. Thankfully, his rational mind took charge and he refrained.
“Are you hungry?” He saw Sue Ann coming out of the swinging doors that led to the kitchen and as he asked he started lifting his hand to get her attention.
“No,” she answered. She shook her head as she licked her perfect lips.
Logically, he knew that it was an involuntary innocent action, most likely a nervous habit. But his body didn’t see it like that and reacted as if it were the single most erotic and enticing thing he’d ever seen. Lust swelled in him, and he knew that if he didn’t take charge of this interaction, it wouldn’t be the only thing swelling. He was about five seconds away from his jeans displaying the attraction she stirred in him.
“Well, I was just finishing up.”
He pulled out his wallet and dropped a twenty beside his plate. When he did, his knee brushed against hers beneath the tabletop. It was the briefest contact, and there were two layers of denim between them, but that did nothing to dilute the electric shock that ran up his leg straight to the area he was trying to keep from swelling.
He needed a distraction. If he stayed sitting in this confined, semi-private space with Adriana, he wouldn’t be able to stand up and not embarrass himself.
“It’s a beautiful day. Would you like to take a walk?”
“Um,” Her cheek hollowed out as if she was biting it as she clutched her purse in front of her.
“Or we can talk here,” Gabe amended when he saw how uncomfortable his suggestion had made her. “Wherever you want to do the interview is fine with me.”
Then after the interview was done and his obligation was fulfilled, he planned to find out what her plans were for tonight, tomorrow, the weekend, and maybe even the rest of her life.
*
“Interview?” Adriana was having a difficult time putting together sentences.
One-word responses were even pushing it.
Seeing Gabe in the flesh and hearing the sultry baritone of his voice was like throwing water onto an electrical panel. She was seriously short-circuiting, and she was pretty sure, for the first time in the past four years, that it had nothing to do with stress or lack of sleep.
Gabe’s expression shifted. He was starting to look at her like she was a few crayons short of a full box.
Not that she blamed him. Right now she didn’t exactly feel her sharpest. Which is why she remained quiet.
Adriana had a pesky habit of putting her foot directly into her mouth when she was uncertain or nervous. It had taken years, but she’d finally found that the best thing to do when she was in danger of tasting her toes, was to keep her lips zipped. Under normal circumstances that proved difficult for her. She’d even bit the inside of her mouth to stop herself from speaking on several occasions. But right now, she was the Commodores, and it was “Easy Like Sunday Morning.”
Her brain had turned to lust-mush when she’d laid eyes on Gabe. So much so that when he’d called her by her nickname, and asked if she was there to see him, she’d thought she might be delusional. In some of the grief-management books, she’d read that sometimes people see their loved ones. It can feel very real, but it’s just a trick that their minds play.
She figured that instead of seeing Em she’d transferred the hallucination onto Gabe. Either that or she was still in her car and she’d accidentally fallen asleep when she’d closed her eyes after the phone call with her mother.
“The interview…” Gabe nodded encouragingly. “For your blog?”
Suddenly, all of the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.
He thought that she was here to interview him. For a blog.
Crap.
Thoughts and questions started pinging around in her mind like a small silver ball in a pinball machine.
She needed to come clean. To tell him who she was. But what if he didn’t want to talk to her? What if he left and she didn’t get to know him?
This was the perfect opportunity to ask him anything she wanted. Except, what about the real reporter. He’d offered to go on a walk. If they did, maybe they’d miss the person he was supposed to be meeting.
Panic settled in Adriana’s chest. She might never get this opportunity again, and part of her was screaming to seize it. But what if turned out to be Jonah’s father? Then what? She’d have to explain why she impersonated someone else and lied. She knew all was fair in love and war, but what about paternity and dying promises?
She needed another sign.
“Oh my god!”
A loud squeal burst the bubble that Adriana had not even been aware that she was floating in. She’d forgotten that there were other people in the café or the world for that matter. The sound caused her to jump slightly in her chair as she spun toward the high-pitched shriek.
There was a group of college-aged kids approaching their table. Five in total, three guys and two girls. They all had their phones out and pointed at Gabe.
Adriana looked back at him and saw that he didn’t even seem to notice. His attention was focused solely on her. “Um,” she tilted her head slightly toward the incoming amateur videographers.
Gabe blinked, and his eyes followed her lead just when the cute redhead in the group grasped at her chest and asked, “Can I get a picture?”
Gabe’s eyes shot back to Adriana’s. “Do you mind?”
“Me?” Adriana’s hand touched her own chest in surprise. “No. I don’t…I…go ahead.”
She watched as he stood and obliged the group. He almost looked like a different person when he was with them. It wasn’t that he was fake, it just didn’t seem like him anymore.
He dutifully took over a dozen pictures and even recorded a video greeting for one of the guy’s little brothers. They all gushed over how “badass” his fight had been. The redhead, in particular, was showering him with attention.
She kept touching Gabe’s arm as they all talked and got in as many of the pictures as she could, even planting a kiss on his cheek during the last one before raising up to her tiptoes and whispering something in his ear.
A sudden sharp stab of emotion hit Adriana in the chest. It was jealousy. Not in the classic definition. She wasn’t jealous of the attention the girl was giving Gabe. She was jealous of the girl.
The time in Adriana’s life where she could flirt and whisper things in a hot guy’s ear were behind her. She’d truly believed that she’d come to terms with that. But apparently, she hadn’t.
She was lost in her thoughts when she saw that Gabe’s hand was outstretched toward her. When she blinked up at him, the look in his eyes was communicating an SOS. The kids were still talking and snapping pics and it was obvious to her that he was ready to go.
Instinctively, she lifted her arm and placed her fingers in his large palms.
The instant their skin touched a jolt of awareness ricocheted through her. His brown eyes darkened like a storm was brewing in them, making her wonder if he felt it, too.
The next sensation she was aware of was the warmth of his hand encircling hers and being tugged off of the seat. As she stood, Gabe addressed the group, “It was good meeting you guys.”
When she was on her feet, a sudden burst of self-consciousness exploded in her as if she’d just bitten into a piece of Freshen-up gum and she pulled her hand out of his grasp. As she did, the back of her fingers brushed against rough callouses along his upper palm, and the sensation sent a shiver dancing down her spine.
He bent down, and the heat of his breath tickled down her neck as he said in a low, decisive tone, “Let’s go.”
The raspy quality of his voice combined with the warmth of his breath fanning the sensitive area just below her neck had her eyes rolling up in her head as she automatically shut her eyelids. She tried to inhale a deep, fortifying breath but her chest felt constricted. It was as if all of the oxygen surrounding her had been evaporated by the heat of his sexiness.
It didn’t help her quest to breathe when she felt the weight of his hand settle on her lower back. The thin cotton of her shirt was no match for the warmth radiating off of his palm. It spread through her like a shot of whiskey.
Air. She needed fresh air.
Walk. She told herself.
Forcing her heavy lids open she did just that. She put one foot in front of the other and didn’t stop until she was out the door. Even through all the chaos that was happening in her mind, her emotions, and her hormones, she took note that he held the door open for her. He was a gentleman. He’d pulled out of her seat and opened her door.
She’d never had a man do those things before. It hadn’t ever been something that she’d missed or looked for in someone. She’d always considered it old-fashioned. And it was, but it was also nice.
Gabe called out, “Thanks, Sue Ann!” before they left and in the back of her mind she thought about going back in and asking about the room, but she decided against it.
All she could handle was one crisis at a time, and right now that was keeping her composure. Plus, she’d rather sleep in her car tonight than miss getting to know Gabe better. That was the reason she was here.
When she got outside, she was happy when she managed to breathe like a normal person again. It did take putting some distance between herself and the furnace of hotness that was Gabe Maguire, but she managed to do it.
Before they’d made it even a few feet away from the café, Gabe motioned behind him. “Sorry about that.”
She glanced up as she shook her head. “You don’t have to be sorry. You have nothing to apologize for. It’s fine. You’re fine. You’re great, even. You made them so happy. Especially the redhead.”
No! The second the last words were out of her mouth, Adriana winced. This was why she tried not to speak when she was nervous. Because every time she did, she ended up tasting her toes.
Gabe didn’t seem to notice that she’d inserted her foot into her mouth, or maybe he was just used to people saying stupid things in his presence. “She was sweet.”
Sweet. Not the word that Adriana would’ve used…
She figured this was as good an opening as any to start asking questions and finding out what kind of life Gabe led. What kind of a person he was.
“Does that happen to you a lot?” As soon as she posed the question, she realized it could’ve been taken the wrong way, like she was asking if he got hit on a lot. She hurried to clarify, “Do people recognize you a lot?”
Foot-in-mouth-itis wasn’t an ailment she would wish on anyone.
“Lately, it’s been happening more.” Gabe winced as he stretched his arm over his head as they walked, using his hand to pull his right elbow to the left.
Adriana couldn’t help but notice the sculpted muscle in both his forearms and triceps. Arms had never really registered on her “What is Sexy” scale.
Hands? Yes. She’d always been a sucker for large, strong hands.
Smile? Sure. Who doesn’t love a good smile?
Eyes? Of course. The windows to the soul and all that.
Height? Yep. Not that it took a lot to be taller than her, but still.
Shoulders? Oh yeah. A broad, wide shoulder to rest your head on and snuggle into—sign her up.
However, arms had never been a consideration.
After seeing Gabe’s arms, she was rethinking her scale entirely.
It wasn’t until he lowered them that she was able to think again.
“I thought that they’d seen Karina or Kyle.” They crossed the street as he explained, “Karina Black and Kyle Austen Reed both live here, and I figured it had been about them. The level of attention I’m getting is pretty new. I’m sure my fifteen minutes will be over soon. At least I hope it will.”
He looked down at her with an adorable lop-sided grin, and the butterflies in her stomach started doing back flips. They stopped when she realized she’d seen it before only on a much smaller person. Jonah had grinned that way since he was a baby.
Stop. She harshly instructed herself. She had to stop getting swept away in this dramatic, soap-opera-level attraction that she was feeling. Gabe wasn’t some epic affair waiting to happen. He could very likely be Jonah’s father. She needed to focus on what she was doing here.
Riding high on the wave of her internal pep talk, she stopped mid-stride and lifted her head, ready to give him the third degree under the pretense of interviewing him. However when she saw the intense look he was giving her, the momentum of the wave crashed onto the sand.
His eyes scanned over her face and she couldn’t think. She could barely process the way his stare was making her feel. All of her senses were raw and open. Her skin tingled as if his gaze were a physical touch.
“Damn,” he whispered beneath his breath.
“What?” Her heart was thudding in her chest like a dog getting scratched behind the ear.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said simply.
“Oh, thanks.” She tried to remember what she’d been determined to do just moments ago, but right now she was drawing a blank.
Gabe’s eyes didn’t leave hers as he shook his head. “No. You’re really beautiful. You’re the kind of beautiful that men wage wars over. You’re the kind of beautiful that men make monuments for, like the Taj Mahal or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. You’re the kind of beautiful that makes men drunk. You’re intoxicating. You’re more than just beautiful you’re devastating.”
Adriana wasn’t a stranger to compliments. With dark hair, fair skin, and blue eyes, she had striking looks. That, combined with the fact that she’d started developing sooner than other girls and had a full C cup before she even hit eighth grade and she’d never been at a loss for male attention. It had also made her bullshit meter highly-tuned.
She knew if a guy was hitting on her because he wanted to get laid or if he was genuinely interested her. She could easily compartmentalize any pickup line into one of those two categories. Nothing any man had ever said to her had left her speechless. But that’s what she was now.
Every time someone complimented her, she heard it, but she’d never felt it before. Their words had never resonated on a biological level. Gabe’s did. They went more than skin deep. They sank beneath the superficial level.
“I’m so sorry, that was…” Gabe lifted his arms and ran his hands through his hair as he let out a small forced laugh. “That was inappropriate.”
“It’s okay.” It was more than okay. She had a feeling she was going to be replaying what he said for years to come. She might even get it stitched on a pillow so she could hold onto the sentiment while she slept.
“No, it’s not,” he insisted as he shook his head. “You’re here for an interview not to get hit on with cheesy-ass lines. I don’t know why…I never…I don’t say things like that.”
“You’re a poet, and you didn’t know it,” Adriana teased, hoping to diffuse some of the tension between them.
“I think we started off on the wrong foot.” He waved his hand between them. “What do you say we have a do-over?”
Adriana was quite happy with the foot they’d started off on if it had led to him telling her that she was so beautiful she made men drunk, but she agreed anyway. “Okay.”
Gabe abruptly did an about-face and walked away from her. Adriana watched him take several steps before turning back around and acting as if he saw her for the first time. He walked back up to her, his tone formal as he greeted her, “Hi, I’m Gabe Maguire.”
She grinned, “I’m Adriana Hale.”
“Nice to meet you, Adriana.” He smiled, and his voice sounded back to normal. “Okay now that that’s out of the way, what do you want to know?”
Are you Jonah’s father?
And if you are, what does that mean for him, for me, for you?
Since she couldn’t ask any of those things, she went with other questions and pushed down the guilt she felt for pretending to be someone she wasn’t.
Adriana hated being here under false pretenses, but her heart was in the right place. She just worried that it would be broken when this was all over…but that was a chance she had to take. She had to keep her promise, and if that meant she had to lie, so be it.