Brooke ripped through the nearly empty town roads, confused, angry, and a little hurt. After being forced to stop at too many lights, she headed out of town, but not before hitting up a drive-through for an extra-large helping of salt-laced French Fries and a big chocolate milkshake.
With slightly greasy fingers and a half-empty cup, Brooke tore down the back roads that led away from the city. Sticking to the paved areas, she tried to relax her mind.
How had tonight gotten off track so badly? Gabe probably thought the worst after she’d shown up, that she’d returned to her days of stalking him. Then, to top it off, she’d driven Kevin away, too.
It wasn’t that she lamented the loss of Kevin as a lover. In fact, thinking that was almost laughable. With his comedic ways, slightly stout physique, and the clumsy, rushed touches, the term lover was a stretch. What she mourned was the loss of a good friend. He knew the trials she’d been through and the errors she’d made. Not once had he judged her.
She wanted to blame Phil, and she wanted to blame Gabe, but she knew where the blame truly belonged.
She made a left off the main road, and soon, the asphalt turned to gravel beneath the wheels. To avoid stone chips, she had to slow the vehicle down drastically. She found herself calming as she shifted to a lower gear.
Maybe it was for the best. Kevin wanted to settle down, have kids, and start a family, which wasn’t what Brooke was looking for right now. In the distant future, she wanted all those things, but whenever she imagined it, not once did she envision herself growing old with Kevin.
Coasting down the road, Brooke took one hand off the wheel and reached for what remained of her milkshake. Ten minutes and a few turns later, she was headed back to town. The roads switched from gravel and dirt to pavement once more as she approached the city from another angle.
South of the city, she drove through a small town. It was more of an intersection with a grocery store, a pizza place, a few houses, and a small two-bay garage. Brooke had never really paid much attention to it before, but there was also a cheap looking motel. It was a long building, with offices in the middle and rooms stretching out on either side. Most of the rooms had patio doors that opened to the parking lot. She’d always imagined it was a pay-by-the-hour type of place, but the sign out front said two-bedroom rooms for rent. But that wasn’t why she stopped her car in the middle of the deserted road.
Hours earlier, when she and Kevin had walked into the bar, he’d pointed out Gabe’s new shiny black 4x4 truck.
Now, that same truck sat in the motel parking lot.
It could have been anyone’s truck, but Gabe had backed it in, the tinted rear window facing the road. From where her car idled, she could read the decal print, Fuller Architecture, sheathed by a fancy white design over and below it.
What was he doing in this seedy little place? Had he blown off hanging with his friends just to get laid? Was he with the brunette from the bar?
Brooke thought back to the bar. She was sure the brunette had still been there after Gabe left. That was why she’d found his disappearing act so strange. So, who was he with at the motel?
Curiosity got the best of her. Driving into the lot, she parked across from the main entrance, well away from Gabe’s truck. Flexing her fingers on the wheel, she considered her options: go home and have another sleepless night in her old bedroom or go in and confirm that Gabe would see her on Monday.
She needed to be honest with herself. Business wasn’t what made her pull into the motel lot. She was pissed. Something had happened tonight, making Kevin backpedal and end their friendship. And Gabe was at the center of that something.
Brooke shut off the car. The wind outside had picked up, and despite the unusually warm spring they’d been having, the evenings were still cool. Goosebumps covered her skin as she hurried through the parking lot, locking her car and tossing the keys in her purse.
Pulling the door open, she was hit with a burst of warm air that circulated the heated lobby.
Like the shabby exterior, the inside wasn’t much to look at. The entrance was decorated with various landscape paintings that hung on the walls. More than one was crooked. Well-used furniture created a small sitting area by the window, and a folding table nearby held a spurting coffee pot. Light brown paint had chipped away on some of the walls, revealing the original cream color beneath.
Behind the front desk, a short, sweaty man reclined with his feet up on the desk. A small screen before him cast a blue light over his pale skin.
Unsure of herself, Brooke hesitated. The man didn’t bother to greet her. In fact, he didn’t even look up. Chewing on her lip, she was forced to make a decision.
Her heart rate increased, and she resisted the urge to wipe her suddenly sweaty palms on her sundress. The air got thick, the walls tightening. An overwhelming sense that she shouldn’t be here came over her. She didn’t belong here, and she knew it. She hadn’t felt this sensation since her court-mandated therapy.
In high school, she'd been excited and giddy each time she’d seen Gabe. Exhilarated whenever she saw him, she’d taken to following him through the school, stupidly signing up for the same classes, neglecting her education. And that was well before she’d pushed everything too far.
Court, counseling, and the threat of a restraining order had a way of changing a person. It was no longer excitement but guilt that she associated with Gabe: guilt and shame.
Kevin had hit the nail on the head. She was attracted to Gabe. He was even better looking now than he had been in high school. A part of her would always want him, but now she preferred to live in reality rather than some fantasy she’d concocted. She wouldn’t succumb to a silly schoolgirl infatuation.
She’d battled through a range of strong emotions. Excitement and arousal, guilt and remorse, but now it was anger.
She’d changed, damn it, but Gabe refused to acknowledge it.
Grabbing hold of that anger, Brooke took a deep breath and marched toward the front desk.
“I’m looking for Gabe Fuller,” she said when the man didn’t respond to her presence.
His gaze flicked momentarily from the screen to her, then back. “He expecting you?”
“Yes,” she lied.
He leaned forward and muted the television. “He didn’t tell me anyone new was coming.”
Anyone new? What the hell did that mean? Fiddling with the strap on her purse, Brooke shifted her feet. “If he didn’t invite me, then why am I here?”
He sat back and considered her. He moved something around in his mouth, and Brooke prayed it was gum. If he spat chewing tobacco into the bottle he held, she just might gag. After a long moment, he leaned forward again. “He didn’t give you a key?”
Busted.
Struggling to come up with a response, Brooke was granted a moment of reprieve when the lobby door opened behind her. Both she and the grubby man glanced over.
A man in tattered blue jeans and a tight black t-shirt strode into the room. He stopped midstride when he saw them, his gaze lingering on her.
The small man behind the desk grabbed her attention again. “He didn’t give you a key, did he?”
Blue Jeans continued through the lobby, heading to a door on the left side of the room.
Brooke returned to arguing with the desk clerk. “He’s expecting me.”
He was skeptical. “Just how exactly do you know Gabe?”
She blushed. “Where can I find him?”
He eyed her, particularly her chest. “You’re not his usual type.”
“Look, are you going to help me or not?”
She jumped when a warm hand touched her back. “Don’t get up, Joe. I’ll show her the way.”
Brooke hadn’t even heard Blue Jeans approaching. He didn’t remove his hand as he urged her in the direction he’d initially been headed.
“I don’t think she’s been invited.”
“Come on, Joe, do you really think he’s going to turn her down?”
Joe frowned and insisted, “She ain’t his type.”
Blue Jeans stopped. Taking her hands in his, he held her arms wide, turning her slightly as he looked her over. He smiled at her but spoke to Joe. “Then that’ll be his loss, won't it?”
Brooke felt his bold gaze all over her body.
Joe still resisted. “Kaleb—”
He glanced over. “I’ll take her down the hall. If it bothers you that much, call him.”
Passing through the door, Brooke looked back over her shoulder. Joe had picked up his corded desk phone and started dialing. Soon, Gabe would be alerted to her intrusion.
“Joe’s right,” Kaleb said when the door shut. He stayed close, constantly touching her, ushering her forward with a hand to the small of her back, running his palm down her hair, or a finger over her bare shoulder. It was far too intimate for a stranger in a sleazy motel. Brooke checked her purse, searching for the familiar lump that was her cellphone.
“About what?”
“About you. You aren’t Gabe’s type.”
“He has a type?” She would have thought, based on the time she’d spent stalking him, she would have known something like that.
“Yeah, but it’s more than that. I don’t think he knows you’re coming.”
They turned a corner and continued passing closed doors, the numbers on each one increasing as they proceeded down the corridor.
Brooke didn’t bother to deny it. “Then why help me?”
He smiled. “Because I’m an asshole. And I’m interested in how he’s going to react.”
“I can tell you it’s not going to be good.” Even now, she contemplated running for the nearest exit.
“I stand by what I said earlier. If he turns you down, I’ll make you an offer.”
Did he think she was a hooker? Brooke turned to him. “An offer?”
Kaleb ran a knuckle down her cheek in an all too familiar way. “I’ll convince you to stay.”
She had to admit Kaleb was good at seduction. His attention was flattering, and despite being a stranger, she felt herself leaning toward him. Luckily, she was distracted by motion near the end of the hall.
A door opened, and a bare-chested Gabe stepped out. Softly, he closed the door behind him, a shirt dangling from his free hand. Fascinated by the ripple of muscle, Brooke watched as he tugged the shirt over his head. The last time she’d seen him without a shirt had been in high school when he’d played for their school’s football team. Even then, he’d been broad and muscular, a trait passed down from his father. In the past ten years, he’d grown from a boy into a man. He was tall, with wide shoulders. His face had thinned since we were teenagers. His body was trimmer, too.
Each time she saw him, she tried to quell the tremors fluttering in her chest. She refused to be that needy, repulsive creature she had been all those years ago. The scowl he fixed in her direction helped her to remember. Straightening her shoulders, she was determined to make him understand that things had changed in the last ten years.
Without looking up, Kaleb must have sensed Gabe’s presence. His flirting suddenly became more outrageous, and his light touches became more frequent and intimate. He linked their fingers together, and bringing up the back of her hand to his mouth, he pressed a light, lingering kiss on it. “So what’s your name, love?”
* * *
Furious didn’t even begin to cover the emotion coursing through his veins. When Joe had called him and described Brooke, all the pain and frustration from years ago had been chased away by anger.
He was angry at Brooke for everything she’d put him through. Angry at himself for believing she’d changed. And he was downright shocked that she’d found him.
She was still halfway down the hall with Kaleb draped all over her when Gabe ground out, “What the fuck, Brooke?”
He watched as she straightened, showing that backbone he’d come to know.
“Oh no, you don’t get to do that!” she shouted as they grew closer.
She was pissed. It was never a good thing when it came to Brooke. Mentally, Gabe braced himself for whatever was about to come.
“You snuck out of the bar while I was in the bathroom.”
“So?”
“So I never got a chance to confirm Monday.” She propped her tiny fists on her hips. “Will you be there?”
Gabe considered putting his fist through the nearest wall. “Seriously, that’s why you’re here? How did you even find me?”
“No, that’s not why I’m here, you jackass!” she blasted him.
Kaleb smiled smugly beside her. Gabe noticed how his hand hadn’t left her. He’d kept it on her waist, then moved it to stroke her back when she got mad. Gabe mean-mugged him, but it did him no good. Kaleb just grinned wider.
“If you don’t want to be found, don’t drive a truck with your name plastered across the back! I want to know what happened with Kevin tonight.”
Shit! This was all because of Kevin?
“How should I know? He’s your boyfriend.”
“Not anymore. What the hell happened when I left the table?”
Whatever was going on with Kevin and Brooke was their business. Gabe wanted no part in it. “Go home, Brooke.”
“I want to know what happened tonight, and I want your word that you won’t cancel our appointment on Monday. And I want you to look over the fucking contract!”
About to remind her that he’d offered to talk about the contract at the bar, Gabe stopped when Kaleb started to chuckle. From behind, he wrapped his arms around Brooke in a loose hug. Brooke looked confused, but her anger at Gabe took precedence over the stranger holding her. She huffed and wiggled in his embrace as if testing his hold.
“She’s quite the little firecracker.”
Brooke’s brows pulled even tighter, and Gabe thought she might redirect some of her venom toward Kaleb. But she surprised them both by relaxing her struggles.
“In my experience, there’s only one way to best expel that kind of energy.”
Brooke actually laughed and, as if they were old buddies, said, “I bet I know what that is.”
Kaleb pursed his lips to keep from joining her in laughter. There was no way Brooke could know the types of things Kaleb did in his rented rooms—but Gabe did. And for some strange reason, it made Gabe want to pry Brooke away from Kaleb.
“So Gabe, what do you say? Going to invite the lady in? Show her what secrets you hide behind that door?”
“No,” Brooke and Gabe said at the same time. Taken aback, Gabe looked at Brooke in question.
“My turn then.” Wasting no time, Kaleb spun Brooke around. “Since Gabe here seems to be blind, why don’t you join me across the hall?”
“No, she’s not doing that.”
Brooke shot him a dirty look over her shoulder. “You don’t speak for me. I’ll go if I want to.”
Great, just great. Misplaced anger would have her blindly binding herself to a dominant.
Regaining her attention, Kaleb ran a knuckle over her cheek, but when he spoke, Gabe was convinced Kaleb was trying to provoke him. “She’s a spitfire, all right. I’m going to enjoy that.”
Brooke shivered. Gabe’s temper snapped. “She’s not going with you.”
This time, Brooke ignored him, but Kaleb glanced over. “So you’ll be inviting her in, then?”
Gabe ran his hand over his head. He’d painted himself into a corner. As much as he tried to distance himself from her, Gabe did know Brooke, and she was anything but submissive.
Kaleb was charming but devious, and Brooke didn’t seem to sense a trap.
Gabe finally caved. “Yes.”
“What?” Turning so fast she stumbled, Brooke looked at Gabe like he’d gone nuts.
Behind her, Kaleb grinned as though he’d gotten precisely what he wanted. That was when Gabe realized it hadn’t been Brooke that Kaleb was manipulating. Wanting to be rid of him, Gabe said, “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
“Yep.” Kaleb pulled a key from his pocket. “Now Brooke…” Touching her once more, Kaleb brought her attention back to him. “He’s liable to change his mind. If that happens, come knock on my door. I promise not to make the same mistakes as him.”
Before she had time to respond, Kaleb kissed her. Not a measly peck, either. He took full advantage of her shock. Gabe didn’t doubt Kaleb’s tongue was in her mouth. Although she didn’t seem to be fighting him all that hard, Kaleb kept her in place with a hand on her chin.
For reasons Gabe didn’t want to evaluate too closely, the demonstration pissed him off. He grabbed Brooke’s hand and yanked her backward. Unbalanced, she fell against him. He tried to ignore the way her slender thigh felt against his leg.
“Wow.” Brooke touched her lips and damned if that didn’t piss him off even more.
“Goodbye, Kaleb,” Gabe growled.
Eyes twinkling in triumph, Kaleb finally turned toward his own door. “Don’t forget, Brooke. I’m right across the hall.” He winked at her before disappearing into his darkened quarters.
The second he was gone, Brooke pushed away. “Who is that?”
“It’d be smart for you to forget about him.”
Unsure what would happen next, Gabe stared at her. It was crazy, but something inside him wanted to invite her in, wanted to open the door and see her reaction.
Brooke released a pent-up breath. “I’m a fool. I’m so sorry, Gabe. I keep promising you that I’ve changed, and then I go and do something stupid like this. It’s just the night hasn’t turned out like I thought it would.”
It was a genuine apology—something he’d never thought he’d hear from her. Suddenly, he didn’t see her as that clingy, annoying stalker girl but as the woman she’d become.
“That’s a lame excuse, but it’s the best I’ve got.” She wiped at tired eyes. “I’ll drop the contract by on Monday. If you like the sound of the proposal, call Phil; you’ve already got his number. He can arrange to have someone else from the company work with you. I’m going to go.”
“If you knock on Kaleb’s door, I think I’ll have to throw you over my knee.”
Brooke snorted. “I meant to go home.” They both laughed. Gabe was surprised by how good that felt. “See you.” She turned to leave, but Gabe grabbed her once more.
“No. I told Kaleb I’d invite you in.”
Brooke motioned to the door numbered twenty-eight. “You’re joking, right? You rent a room in a backwater motel. I’m pretty sure the guy at the front desk thought I was a hooker. So whatever you’ve got going on in that room, I want no part of it.”
With a hand on her midriff, Gabe pushed her back against the door. He caged her in, using his arms to block her escape. Rage ignited once more. “You think I pay for sex? You think I can’t find a willing woman?”
“I—no.”
“Brooke, I want you to come inside.”
She half-heartedly shoved him. “I’m going home.”
“What happened to the take-charge chick that barged her way in here? What happened to the bold adventuress that didn’t let anything stand in her way?”
“I’m not that person anymore.”
“That’s a shame. I think we should resurrect her. What do you say, Brooke, you want to know all my secrets?” He realized he wanted her to join them in the room. When Joe called to warn him, Gabe had left very pleasurable company and forced his body under control before going into the hall. Now, just taunting Brooke had him half hard again.
“No.”
Gabe ducked to look at her. Confusion nestled in her gaze, but there was no mistaking the flush covering her cheeks. Her hand still lingered against his chest, her breath was shallow, and Gabe could see the outline of her puckered nipples through the top of her halter-style dress. She’d skipped a bra. She was small, maybe an A-cup, and had often skipped a bra in their formative years. While the idea of her braless had never appealed to him before, now it was damn near all he could think about.
“I think you do.” He breathed against her cheek. “I think you want to know all my dirty little secrets.” He brushed his palm against her right breast. Her fingers fisted around a handful of his shirt. “What do you say, Brooke, want to misbehave with me?”
Proving once again that she’d changed, she looked up at him with uncertainty and asked, “What’s on the other side of the door?”
Her breath caught when he palmed her other breast. “You’ll have to see for yourself, Brooke.”
The sound of her deep breaths filled the hallway. He continued to palm her breasts. One in each hand, he kneaded her rhythmically, rubbing the hard tips. He was about to lean in for a kiss when she spoke.
“Open the door.”
Her agreement fired his blood. So Gabe turned the handle.
He’d never invited a woman in who didn’t know exactly what she’d find on the other side. He knew how the other women would react to Brooke, but he was anxious to see what Brooke would do. Opening the door, he ushered her inside.
He rented the room for one purpose, and that purpose affectionately called themselves Gabe’s Girls.