She nods, her eyes closed, then snaps them open and ducks out of my arms. “Don’t you have something to do?”
“I’m sure I can find something.”
A cold shower might be a good place to start.
She nods and disappears inside, closing the door behind her. I walk down the steps and between the ancient oak trees, take a deep breath to calm my freaking libido, and dial Kate’s number.
“What’s up, handsome?”
“Question.”
“Answer.”
I grin at her response. “How difficult would it be to have someone come cover at the inn for Gabby once or twice this week? During the evening, so I can take her out on a couple dates.”
There’s a long pause, and then I can hear the smile in Kate’s voice as she says, “Are you sweet on Miss Gabby, cousin o’ mine?”
“I am,” I reply truthfully. There’s no bullshitting anyone about this. I’m not ashamed of it. “So can you help me or not?”
“I can help. I’ll make some calls. She has the rest of today off, you know. It’s Sunday.”
“I know, and I plan to do something fun with her, but she deserves a damn night off now and again.”
“I completely agree. I’ll make it happen. What nights do you want?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I reply. “Maybe one of the nights can be when Declan is playing.”
“Wow,” Kate says with a whistle. “You can be very sweet when you want to be.”
“Don’t let it get out,” I growl. “I don’t need batters thinking I won’t crush them at the plate.”
“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”
***
It’s late afternoon, and I’ve let Gabby be most of the day. It wasn’t easy. I want to march in that house, scoop her up, and carry her off to bed.
And at some point, in the not too distant future, I’m going to do just that. I can’t wait to watch her magnificent eyes go wide as I just reach down and lift her in my arms.
The thought of it brings a smile to my face.
Oh yeah, I’m gonna do that soon.
But for today, I think she needed some space. I could hear her music blaring in the house from the barn as I worked out and put my shoulder through a hell I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
At one point, the music stopped and I could hear her laugh through the open windows in the back of the house. Her laugh makes my skin tingle.
Jesus, I have it bad.
The music is off now as well as I come out of my room, fresh from a shower and ready to have my eyes on her.
I find her in her office, her phone tucked between her ear and shoulder, filing papers.
“I’m so glad you’re already having fun, buddy.”
She sees me and offers me a sweet smile as I lean my shoulder against the doorjamb, cross my arms over my chest, and listen unabashedly.
“Okay, go jump back in the pool. I’ll talk to you soon.” She ends the call and sets the phone on her desk. “He’s having fun.”
“Good.”
“What are you up to?”
I push away from the door and move to the desk, lean my hands on it, and stare her in the eyes, which widen. She bites that lip, and I’m suddenly on high alert, all over again.
“I want to take you somewhere,” I whisper.
“Where?” Her voice is soft, and a little shaky.
“Anywhere. Let’s just get in the car and drive, see where we end up.”
Her face lights up, and I know in this moment, I’ll keep doing anything she wants if I can keep that smile on her face.
“I haven’t taken a drive in…forever.”
“Let’s do it then.”
***
“Oh my God!” Gabby yells out with a laugh. “My hair is out of control!”
We are cruising down the highway, the top of my Camaro down, sending her hair flying all over the place. She reaches in her pocket and pulls out some kind of hair tie, then proceeds to twist those long, soft strands into a knot at the top of her head, bands it together, then grins at me. “Better.”
“Where will this road take us?” I ask.
“All the way to Mississippi,” she says, then flicks on the satellite radio, turns the station to current hits, and begins to sing along with Rihanna, about being the only girl in the world.
She’s the only girl in my world, that’s for damn sure.
She can’t sing worth a damn, and her dance moves in the leather seat are questionable.
But she sings and moves like she just doesn’t give a fuck, and that is the sexiest thing I’ve seen in a very long time.
We drive for miles, both of us singing along with the radio, Gabby dancing her ass off.
Laughing.
I glance over at her, and she looks young. Carefree.
Happy.
I take her hand in mine, kiss her knuckles, and rest them on the center console as she sings into the thumb of her free hand.
It’s Maroon 5 now.
The sun is sinking to our left, bathing everything in a pink and orange glow. It’s getting late.
“Oh! There’s an awesome restaurant up ahead,” Gabby says. “It’s been owned by the same family for four generations. Best food in the South.”
“Are you hungry?”
“I’m starving.”
“Done.”
I pull into the parking lot of a building that says Mama’s Place. It looks like it should have been condemned fifty years ago.
“I know it doesn’t look like much from the outside.”
“Is it safe in there?”
Gabby laughs and jumps out of the car. “Don’t be a wimp, O’Shaughnessy.”
I narrow my eyes as I join her and take her small hand in mine. “If the roof is collapsed at all, we’re leaving.”
She simply shakes her head and laughs as we enter the dilapidated building, but once inside, my eyes widen in surprise. It’s not only sound, it’s amazing.
And the smells coming from the kitchen have my stomach weeping with joy.
“Best food ever,” Gabby says with that sweet smile.
We’re shown to a table, and I can’t stop looking around long enough to glance at the menu. There are stuffed alligators on the walls, along with other animals, fishing poles, and signs that say, “Beware of Gators.”
When the waitress arrives, Gabby orders for both of us. “Trust me,” she says after the waitress gathers our menus and leaves.
“I do,” I reply honestly. She tips her head to the side.
“I don’t think you have trust issues.” She sips her sweet tea thoughtfully.
“Why is that?”
“Because I think that you just don’t take shit from people. Plus, you’re nice.”
I cringe. “Nice is the kiss of death with women.”
“Not this woman.” She shakes her head and pushes her straw through the ice. “Nice is a good thing.”
“How about you?”
“What about me?”
“Do you trust easily?”
She frowns, her eyes still on her drink. “I trust my family. And Sam, of course, although he always tries to tell me that it wasn’t him who broke the window.”
I smirk. “You know what I mean.”
Gabby shrugs, not meeting my gaze.
“Look at me.”
“Why do you always make me look at you?” She frowns as though she’s irritated, and it only makes me smile wider.
“Because I love it when you look at me,” I reply softly. “And I want to see your eyes when you talk.”
“I don’t trust men easily. Well, at all really.”
“You can trust me.”
She starts to say something, then stops herself and takes a drink of her tea.
“What were you going to say?”
She frowns again and shakes her head, but I take her hand in mine. “Look at me. What were you going to say?”
She meets my gaze, straightens her shoulders—good girl—and firms her lips. “I was going to say that in my experience, men haven’t been exactly trustworthy.”
“Well, what if I told you that your assessment was wrong?”
“Bullshit.” She offers me a saccharine sweet smile, then sips her drink.
“I don’t trust easily either, Gabrielle.” Her eyes widen when I use her full name. “But I trust you. And you can trust me, too.”