Gabriella
“What do you eat for breakfast?” Javier kisses my neck.
Little tingles burst in every spot his lips touch, and I run my hands through his hair.
“Well?” he asks.
“Anything. I’m not picky, but I need to make sure I eat some protein.”
“Eggs? Bacon? Chia seeds?”
“Chia seeds?”
“Hey, I can make a hell of a smoothie.”
“Is that so?”
“Yep.”
“Impress me with your skills, then.”
A cocky expression crosses his face. “I thought I already did that last night and several times this morning.”
Yep. And you can do it again anytime you want.
I slap his butt. “Aren’t you full of yourself?”
He grunts then kisses me. “Should I remind you of my talent?”
My stomach growls.
He practically jumps off the bed. “Okay, time to get you fed.”
“Jeez. Is there a fire?”
“No. But I know you need to eat to stay healthy.”
Great. He’s already worrying.
I lean on my elbow and glare at him.
“Why do I feel like you want to cut my eyes out right now?” he asks.
“Don’t do that.”
He cocks his head to the side. “Don’t do what?”
“Parent me.”
“I’m not parenting you.”
“Aren’t you?”
He sits on the bed next to me. “No. I’m making sure I take care of you because that’s what a man does for his woman. I thought we already went over this.”
I tap my fingers on my leg.
“Gabriella.”
“I don’t need another brother.”
He leans into me. “I know you’ve only dated douchebags, but you’re going to need to get used to me taking care of you. It’s not negotiable.”
“It’s not negotiable?” I snicker. “Please.”
His face hardens. “No, it’s not. And I’m not going to argue, so get over it.”
“Get over it?”
“Yeah. Preferably now so we can have a nice day.”
Seriously?
I scoot to the other side of the bed, stomp into the bathroom, and shut the door.
Javier calls out, “Acting like a child about this isn’t going to change anything.”
“Being a dictator in our relationship isn’t going to make me fall in love with you.”
Ugh. Why did I say that?
After I go to the restroom, I wash my hands and face, brush my teeth, and open the door. Javier is leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom with his arms crossed.
“Taking care of you doesn’t make me a dictator,” he says softly.
I open his drawer, pull one of his T-shirts out, and put it on. “I don’t want you keeping tabs on what I eat, or think, or how much I exercise.”
“I’m not keeping tabs.”
“You are.”
“No, I’m not. Making sure you eat when you’re at my place isn’t keeping tabs. It’s taking care of you. There’s a difference.”
“I’ll take care of myself.” I try to walk past him, but he steps in front of me. “Can you move, please?”
He softly laughs. “No.”
“This isn’t funny.”
He puts his arms around me. “What’s so bad about me wanting to take care of you?”
I take a deep breath and focus on one of the rose tattoos on his chest.
He tilts my chin back up. “Hmm? Tell me.”
“I don’t want to feel like I’m not in control of my own health. My parents and my brothers always are asking. I don’t want to be monitored.”
“I’m not monitoring you. If we’re going to be together, then I’m going to do nice things for you and make sure you get what you need. Just like you’re going to take care of me.”
“And how am I supposed to take care of you? Tell me what’s going to annoy you like this bugs me, so it’s fair.”
He clamps his lips together, and the sides of his mouth curve up. “You took care of me last night and this morning, but that didn’t annoy me.”
“Oh, you think this is funny?”
“You’re stubborn.”
I breathe deeply, trying to calm my nerves.
He nuzzles my neck and across my jaw before grasping my head and kissing me with so much passion, my toes curl, and I have to kiss him back.
“Do you want to be with me, Gabriella?”
“Yes. Of course but—”
“Then stop comparing me to your parents or brothers. If there is something you need, I’m going to make sure you have it. It doesn’t have anything to do with you not being able to do it yourself. And you’re going to do things for me because you want to. That’s how a real relationship works. I thought that’s what you wanted? A real relationship?” He raises his eyebrows.
This is what you want. Don’t blow it over your insecurities.
“Yes, it is.”
He pecks me. “Good. That’s what I want, too. So I’m going to make smoothies while you keep me company in the kitchen. Then we’re going to decide between kayaking, paddle boarding, and running because we both need to do something active, not just you. That’s what I need to stay sane.”
“Okay,” I murmur.
Javier grasps my hand, leads me into the kitchen, and pulls out the barstool for me to sit on. He retrieves a bunch of fruit and vegetables from the fridge and opens a cabinet with several mason jars full of nuts, seeds, and powders.
“Jeez. It’s like Whole Foods in here.”
He shrugs. “Is there anything you don’t like?”
I survey the contents on the counter. “No. I’m good with it all. Do you want help?”
He slides the cutting board and knife to me and then washes a mango. “Have at it. I hate cutting these things.” He rolls it over to me.
“I don’t mind it.”
“Then that’s your new job,” he teases.
I finish cutting the mango into slices. Javier cleans the produce and throws it in a blender along with chia seeds, nuts, and protein powder. I rise and walk around the counter and throw the pieces in the mixer. He adds water, ice, and puts the lid on then pushes the button.
Within a few minutes, he’s pouring the mixture into two glasses. He hands me one. “Go ahead. Tell me what you think.”
I take a sip. “This is delicious.”
“Told you I had smoothie skills.” He winks.
Hmmm. This is really good. Maybe I shouldn’t fight him on making me breakfast again.
He leads me over to the couch, and we sit. “What do you want to do today?”
“We could—” I put my palm on my forehead.
“What’s wrong?”
“I forgot about my bike. It’s still on the beach from yesterday.”
“It’s not far. Why don’t we walk down and get it? You can put it in my storage area, and I’ll pick up another tire for you this week.”
“You don’t have to—”
He crosses his arms.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Are you going to fight me every time I try to do something nice for you?”
“I wasn’t—”
He arches his eyebrow at me.
“Sorry. I’m...” I take a deep breath and stare at my green drink.
Pull it together, Gabriella. You don’t want him to dump you before you even have a chance to get started.
He slides his arm around me and pulls me into his chest.
“You’re going to have to get used to me because I’m not going to change.”
I turn to face him. “I don’t want you to change.”
He pushes a lock of hair behind my ear. “Good. Can we make a deal, then?”
“What kind of deal?”
“I take care of you. You take care of me. We don’t question the motives behind it.”
“I wasn’t—” Stop arguing. Javier’s right. You were questioning his reasons for being nice to you. “Okay.”
He kisses me, his lips molding into mine perfectly, sending flutters racing through my veins. “Drink up. Let’s get your bike and then do something before the afternoon rain hits.”
We finish our drinks and change into workout clothes. Javier pulls a small backpack out and puts his gun in it.
My pulse increases. “Is that really necessary?”
“Yep. And we already discussed this.”
“But we’re going to be working out.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
My stomach churns.
“Last night, you agreed to let me protect you the way I determine,” he reminds me.
“Yes, I know. I just don’t like guns.”
“I understand that and why you don’t. But I’m an ex-Marine sniper and FBI agent. I know how to handle a gun safely.”
My heart thumps hard. “I know you do. It doesn’t have anything to do with that.”
“This is another thing that isn’t going to change, Gabriella. Triker threatened you. I won’t compromise your safety.”
I twist my hair while pacing the room.
He’s trying to keep you safe.
It’s not safe. It’s a gun.
He knows what he’s doing.
Clay died from a gunshot.
Javier steps in front of me and reaches out, curling his hand around mine. “Stop.”
I close my eyes.
“You’re spinning.”
I take a deep breath.
“Everything is under control. You’re safe. I will keep you safe. You don’t need to worry about this.”
“Knowing you have a gun while you’re working is one thing. Having it with us all the time is another.”
“Gabriella, Triker is dangerous. He isn’t someone to underestimate.”
My insides quiver. “What would he do to me?”
Javier shakes his head. “I don’t know. It depends on his agenda.”
“His agenda?”
“Yes. But we aren’t taking any chances. I need you to trust I’m doing the right thing for you.”
“Okay. I trust you.”
He pecks my lips. “Thank you. Now let’s go enjoy our day.”