“You’re wet. Ready for me?”
“Always.”
His cock nudged her opening, the broad head stretching her. Gabe leaned over her and thrust in.
She screamed. His name? Some other word? She wasn’t sure because what followed felt so damn good she got lost in sensation. He fucked her hard, pounding against her ass, fingers clutching tightly. He put his teeth to her shoulder, and for a second she thought he really was going to bite down like a stallion rutting on his partner.
Excitement rose so rapidly she cried out, rocking back to meet him with equal fervour, his frantic gasps and groans adding to her enjoyment.
This is what she did to him. This is what she inspired in the man. Desperate need, urgent desire.
Pleasure bloomed in her core, and she jerked under him, his hard chest pressed to her back even as his hips continued to pulse. He caught her hands in his, linking their fingers, meshing them together as he rested his forehead at the base of her neck and jolted out his release.
Hearts pounding, blood racing. His weight pressing her against the mattress.
Allison let out a long, slow breath as soon as she could do more than gasp. “Holy. Shit.”
Gabe chuckled as he peeled himself off her and helped her crawl more fully onto the bed, collapsing beside her. “I can’t seem to get enough of you, woman.”
“Never knew getting a haircut turned you on so much, Angel Boy.”
He stroked his fingers over her naked shoulder as he settled them skin-to-skin. “You cut off my curls—I lost all strength to resist.”
“I’m Delilah, now?”
He lifted her chin. “You’re mine. That’s what you are.”
The kiss that followed said the same thing as the words, and wild lovemaking. That she was his seemed so incredible. Impossible.
But the hope of forever hovered, and she was nearly ready to grasp hold of the truth.
Maisey had become frail. Fragile.
Allison kissed her mom’s cheek and mouthed “I’ll be right back” at him before slipping from the room.
Gabe stared into space. He should be trying to find a solution to his problem, but he was so damn tired. Hopelessness had a way of wearing a man down. No matter how much they’d managed to accomplish over the summer, the numbers just weren’t there. In less than a week he had to square up things with the bank, and winning the bet looked impossible.
Ben had taken to showing up every day, not saying anything, still doing the tasks Gabe left written on the board in the barn. Always taking extra time to get in Gabe’s face and wordlessly accuse him of being a failure. Gabe was so fucking close to losing the battle, and he had run out of ideas at this point of what could make the final difference.
“Gabe?”
He shot to his feet and stood beside Maisey. “You need something?”
She smiled wearily. “You’re always ready to do things, aren’t you? I like that about you.”
Gabe took her hand, holding it carefully. Parchment-like skin stretched over her thin bones. “Be pretty boring to sit all the time, I’m thinking. You want me to take you drag racing down the halls in your wheelchair?”
Her laughter came, thinner, more brittle, but still full of joy. “I think I’ll stay here. But I do want to talk to you before my daughter comes back.”
“What’s up?” Gabe pulled his chair over with a foot and settled where Maisey could see him.
“She’s stubborn.”
“I wonder who she gets that from?”
Maisey lifted her hand and shook her finger in his face. “Stop sweet-talking me and listen.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I know she’s worked hard over the years to become independent. And I’m proud of her. But I want to give her a gift, like I gave Elle and Paul, and she’s been refusing me.”
Gabe leaned forward. “That sounds strange. When did Allison ever turn you down?”
“Now.” Maisey sighed heavily. “It’s not as if I can take things with me, Gabe. You know that.”
Her sense of humour had grown on him. “Well, not unless you’ve got special arrangements made the rest of us don’t know about.”
She smiled then gestured beside the bed. “In the file. That stubborn girl of mine has argued with me twice, but I’m smart enough to get what I want.”
Gabe followed her pointing finger and pulled out an envelope addressed to Allison. He slipped the thin parchment open to discover an astonishing large cheque.
“Maisey, what the hell is this?” Manners totally forgotten.
She raised a hand, palm toward him. “Hear me out. It’s for Allison. I know the children will get money when I’m gone, but that’s not the same. This is from me. I want to give each of my children something for them to use as they please, and I want to do it while I’m still the one in charge of the giving. The other two accepted it, why can’t Allison?”
He opened his mouth to protest, then stopped.
What she said made perfect sense. A cheque now, or a lump sum from the estate down the road—it didn’t seem to make much difference to him, but if it was important to her, why not? He’d gone out of his way to fast track a wedding partly to make this woman happy.
Why on earth would he argue with her now over something so basic as money, as shocking as the amount might be?
“You’re right. It’s your money and you can do what you want with it.”
Maisey’s eyes gleamed. For a second he spotted the mischievous streak he’d always loved about Allison. Seems she came by it honestly.
“You are a fine young man.” Maisey leaned back on her pillows and smiled contentedly.
“You’re only saying that because I’m wrapped around your little finger right where you’ve got all the men in your life.” Gabe cradled her hand again, scared to squeeze for fear of hurting her.
“And don’t tell her about it until after I’m gone,” she commanded.
Only Maisey would go there so boldly. It wasn’t his first choice, but would keeping this secret really hurt anything? “I promise to keep the money safe in trust until Allison is ready to receive it.”
Maisey nodded absently. “Now, let me rest. It’s so hard keeping up with you children.”
Gabe remained where he was as she closed her eyes and fell silent. He didn’t want to pull away because she had him trapped, fingers now literally wrapped around his.
Generous, loving…he was so glad he’d gotten to have this woman as a part of his life, even for a brief while. Another kind of family—extended family by choice, not blood.
The ache inside was going to kill him. So much history was tied up in his own extended family—the Six Pack, the Whiskey Creek, and the Moonshine clans all brought something unique to the mix.
He didn’t want to lose his bet. It would be like letting down the entire family, not just his ma and Rafe.
He didn’t want to lose what he had growing with Allison. One minute he was certain she was ready to confess how she felt about him, the next moment the occasion slipped away.
He was stuck in the middle of a rocky place and an impossible decision, and it seemed there was no choice he could make that would be the right one.
One way or another, he had to do something he was going to hate like hell.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Allison leaned her head against the windowpane. Not even the warmth of Puss in Boots in her arms could force her gloom away. The rain streaking down the other side of the glass echoed her mood perfectly.
Mom was fading, but not so quickly it made any sense to spend every moment in the hospital waiting for the final curtain to fall. Every night since the Labour Day weekend, Gabe had dragged her home when Maisey fell asleep. And every night Allison said her final goodbyes in case it was the last time.