After grabbing the handle half a dozen times, Brooke willed herself to pull open the door. She kept telling herself there was nothing to be afraid of. She could drop off the contract with the receptionist and leave. She wouldn’t even have to see him.
It was so bright outside that even with lots of artificial light, the office seemed dim each time she walked in. Once her eyes had adjusted, Brooke waved at Sophie.
Sophie waved but immediately returned to her desk. She put a few stationery items in various drawers, tidied up, and picked up her purse. “Hi, Brooke, I was just on my way out to grab lunch.” Sophie laughed. “Funny change of pace that you missed the appointment yesterday. Did you forget?”
Brooke refused to blush. “Yeah, it must have slipped my mind.”
Sophie peeked toward Gabe’s door. “He’s in. Did you want to talk to him? I think he’s working on a draft.”
“No.” Brooke waved the idea away. “Can I just leave a few documents here for him to look at? We spoke over the weekend about them. He’ll know what they are.”
Confused, Sophie took the manila envelope that Brooke handed her. “Okay.”
“Once he’s looked it over and made a decision, then maybe you can give me a call.”
“Or he can tell you himself,” Gabe’s voice carried through the small room.
Pained, Brooke closed her eyes and prayed for the floor to swallow her. Unfortunately, that plan failed, and she was reduced to attempting bravery. She glanced over to where he stood in the doorway of his office, his hands propped on his hips. Brooke pointed at the envelope Sophie had put on the counter. “That’s the contract. If you could look at it when you get a chance, that’d be great.”
“Why don’t you bring it in now, and we’ll look it over together?” Brooke glanced at Sophie, hoping for an escape, but Gabe quickly shut that down. “Sophie, you’re going for lunch?”
“Yep.” With a big smile, Sophie snatched a sticky note off the desk. “I might be a little while, though. I have to drop something off at school for Owen and then stop by the lawyer’s office. I’ll grab lunch on the way back.”
“Sounds great.”
Together, Brooke and Gabe watched her leave.
The second the door was closed, Brooke felt Gabe’s attention return to her. With the temperatures rapidly rising daily, Brooke had chosen to wear a pair of high-waist, gray shorts with a lime green button-up blouse. She always put thought into her outfits, making sure to accessorize even if she was going casual. Never before had Gabe spared her more than a passing glance, but now, when he looked at her, she felt it. Everywhere.
“Bring in the contract.”
She peeked at the envelope in despair and considered leaving.
He sauntered out of the doorway and leaned a hip against the counter. It was rare he ever stood so close to her. With each inhale, she absorbed his sweet cologne and tried desperately not to bend toward him.
“In all the years I’ve known you, never until this moment did I take you for a coward.”
Growling, Brooke slapped her hand over the envelope and dragged it with her into the office.
Like the outer office, Gabe’s office was simple, mostly adorned with artwork depicting famous buildings. A glass-top desk with thick wooden trim and legs sat in the center of the room. A black leather computer chair sat behind the desk, and beyond that was a long, waist-high bookcase that displayed design and architecture textbooks. Off to the left was an open doorway. Brooke wondered what that room was for, but other than noticing the paint color matched his office, she couldn’t see in.
After closing the office door, he moved into the room, motioning for her to sit at one of the two black and white accent chairs.
Moving a yellow throw pillow aside, Brooke took a seat. “Did Amelia decorate?”
“Yep.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Gabe leaned against the desk, his long legs nearly brushing hers.
“It’s nice. She does a good job.”
“Yeah, she does. So that’s the contract?” Gabe indicated to the envelope in her hand.
She passed it to him. “Yes, it is. I’ll wait if you want to read it over. We can discuss any—”
He tossed it onto the desk. “Why did you leave?”
She glared. “I’m only here to discuss the contract.”
“We will,” Gabe affirmed, “just as soon as we talk about Saturday.”
He’d trapped her. With limited escape options, Brooke pulled her cellphone out of her purse. After dialing, she held it up to her ear.
Obviously confused, Gabe asked, “What are you doing?”
When the ringing ended, Phil answered. “Hello?”
“Hi, Phil, it’s Brooke. Look, I’m really sorry, but I think you need to send someone else. I’ve given him the contract, and I think he’ll be reasonable this time, but someone else needs to work with him.”
Pulling his wallet from his back pocket, Gabe rounded his desk, took a seat, and picked up his corded phone.
“Is everything okay, Brooke?” She could hear the concern in Phil’s voice, but before she could answer, he asked her to hold. Wait music blared at her through the speaker.
Across from her, Gabe spoke into his phone while tapping her crumbled business card on the desk. “Hey, Gabe Fuller here. I’ve got your girl Brooke in my office right now.”
Irritated at being outplayed, Brooke really wanted to hang up on Phil and walk out, but she doubted she’d get very far. Gabe watched her like a hawk watched a field mouse, patient and still but capable of diving in at the slightest movement.
Gabe laughed, and it infuriated her that she could only hear one side of the conversation.
“Yeah, she is that,” Gabe said into the receiver. “Always was persistent. It’ll get her into trouble one day.”
The look Gabe gave her said that today was that day. Brooke gave him the finger to let him know what she thought of that.
“No, I haven’t had a chance to read it over.” There was a pause while Phil spoke, and then Gabe continued. “No, absolutely no problem.” Then he delivered the words that sealed her fate, “But Brooke needs to be your liaison. I’ll only work with her.”
Gabe frowned. Phil, bless his soul, must have questioned that.
“No. Just convenience. Don’t you agree? Isn’t that why you sent her?”
Shortly after that, Gabe hung up. The grating wait music stopped, and Phil’s voice came through her phone again. Already knowing what he would say, Brooke braced herself.
“Make it work, Brooke.”
She wanted to argue, she did, but she knew it wouldn’t do her any good.
She’d been outplayed. If she pushed any more, Phil would demand to know why. She doubted that because he’s the guy I stalked in high school, and now he wants me to participate in wild orgies would be a good thing to say to her boss. Closing her eyes, she blocked out Gabe as best she could. “Yes, Phil.”
“Good.” Clearly pleased, Phil went on with a few more instructions and updated her on the events of the past week. Finally, he wished her well and hung up.
Brooke dumped the phone back into her purse. “Happy now?”
“Almost. Don’t look so glum about it. I’ll make sure you’re happy, too. Multiple times over.” He came back around the desk, stopping in front of her. “Now, why did you run?”
“You can’t tell me no one’s ever run off when introduced to that.”
“Sure they have. And each time, it disappoints the girls.”
Brooke narrowed her eyes. “And I’m supposed to feel guilty about that?”
“No.” Gabe rested against the desk, stretched his legs, and crossed his ankles. His hands curled around the edge of the desktop. “Lots of women have problems with it, even after they’ve agreed to it. Some get cold feet. Some don’t return after the first night.”
“The preacher’s daughter?”
“She was there. But she and Sam are basically a couple now. Between Paige’s dad’s profession and her faith, her sexuality has been a real challenge for her. She’s not ready to come out yet. So Sam and Paige meet us at the room. And although it’s rented under my name, I let them make use of it when they need to, even if the group isn’t getting together.”
“Oh.” Well, that was kind of nice of him. “Wait a second! Sam? Samantha? The librarian you used to date?”
Gabe grinned shamelessly. “Yeah, I don’t really date. All the girlfriends I’ve ever had have been from the motel. A bit of a sham, but it keeps my mom off my back.”
“That’s devious.”
“I’m upfront about it. Actually, they get a kick out of it.” He shrugged. “Speaking of significant others, what happened with Kevin on Saturday?”
Brooke sat up straighter. “That’s what I want to know. One minute, everything was fine—” Well, maybe not fine. He hadn’t been thrilled by her deception. “I left the table, and when I came back, he was all weird. Next thing I know, he’s breaking off our arrangement.”
“To hook up?”
Brooke didn’t know why she felt her cheeks heat. Her long-standing arrangement with Kevin wasn’t exactly a secret.
When she didn’t respond, he prompted, “No chance of reconciliation?”
She shook her head. “It’s not like him. I want to know why he’s suddenly changed his mind about things. Something happened while I was away, and I want to know what it was. You know what it is, don’t you?”
“Something came up that may have embarrassed him.” Gabe actually looked rather upset by the admission. When he didn’t give her more than that, Brooke raised an eyebrow in question. “Apparently, you called out my name in bed.”
Brooke nearly came out of her chair. “That was back in high school!” How had that even come up?
Gabe rubbed the back of his neck.
Kevin had been squirrely all evening—probably reconsidering their relationship. Having information like that shared in the open had to have been the tipping point. With his no communication rule, she had no way to even apologize to him.
Staring at the wall, Brooke covered her mouth and groaned. “Damn it.” Her high school years had been one fuck-up after another. Would it ever stop haunting her?
“It’s for the best.” That statement got her wandering gaze back on him. “Seriously. Weren’t you and Kevin just going around in circles?”
We’d been circling the drain. But how had Gabe known that?
“How’s it for the best?”
“You don’t want him.”
“And you know what I want?”
Gabe, presumptuous bastard that he was, smiled.
Through clenched teeth, Brooke said, “Again. It was high school. I’ve changed.”
“Sure,” Gabe agreed a little too easily. Then he threw her off balance. “No lies. Who would you rather fuck? Me or Kevin?”
Brooke blinked at his outrageous question. She was seeing a new side of him. Forward, and aggressive, and centered completely on her.
Slowly, Brooke’s gaze ran over him. Old, faded sneakers gave way to dark blue jeans, worn at the knees, where his cellphone rested, and over his sex. Beneath his brown sweater, a white collared shirt poked out at the waist and the neck, and the sleeves were bunched up around his muscular, dark-haired forearms. She took in the scruff of his beard, his dark eyebrows, wide forehead, and slightly crooked nose. She didn’t think it was fair to have been faulted for calling out his name in bed.
Eager to give back a little of what he was dishing out, she replied, “Would I even be fucking you? Or would it be some random chick?”
His eyes glinted with delight. “A little of both.”
She was playing with fire. It was time to end the game before she got burned. Standing up, she stepped around him. “I’ve changed.”
He tracked her movements. When Brooke started backing toward the door, his fingers began drumming over the wooden frame of the desk. “Regardless, it’s still me you want.”
Her mind screamed no. Her heart, her body, cried yes.
“Call me when you’ve read the contract.” Brooke turned and sprinted for the door.
In heels, she wasn’t fast enough. She’d barely opened the door a few inches when Gabe’s palm slapped the surface, shutting it once more.
He edged closer.
She felt the coarse hair of his beard rub against her cheek before he dipped his face lower. With his nose in the crook of her neck, she heard his deep inhale and wondered how they’d even gotten here.
She circled around, aligning her back with the door. “What will it take to get you to read and sign the contract?”
“Don’t worry about the contract.”
“Then what do you want? What will it take for you to let me walk out of here?”
“I want you to come back to the motel. I want you to give it a try.” His brown eyes narrowed. “An honest try.”
“Why?”
She held her breath when he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His palm returned to the door, keeping her caged against it. “Because I want to watch the girls touch you, and I want to see you touch them. I want to know what makes you hot. I want to watch your face when you come.”
“Oh.” Her breath hitched.
“I want to have sex with you.”
Uncertain, she got defensive. “I’m not built like the other women.”
He didn’t look down at her chest, but he dropped one hand to caress her breast through her lime green blouse. “I know, but that doesn’t seem to matter. I can feel your little nipple puckering against my hand. Do you ever wear a bra?”
She’d closed her eyes, but she could hear the smile in his voice. She didn’t understand him. None of this made any sense to her. “Of course. I’m wearing one now.”
“Must be flimsy as hell, then. What’s it made of?”
Her lashes fluttered open. She needed to get a read on him. “Lace.”
“Mmm,” he purred. “What color is it?”
“Why?”
After she had given her non-answer, he leaned back to study her shirt as though he hoped he could see beneath the material. “I’m very visual. I bet it’s black. Will you wear it this weekend?”
Confused, Brooke asked, “What’s this weekend?”
“When you come to the motel.”
He said it like it was a done deal. Brooke shook her head. “That’s not a good idea.”
“It’s a terrific idea.”
“No.”
Without warning, Gabe cupped his hands under her ass and lifted her. In a panic, Brooke instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, her hands grabbing his shoulders for support.
“That’s better.” Wedging his hips between her thighs, Gabe settled so that her groin was nestled against his. Completely at his mercy, Brooke clutched at him to keep from falling. She was mostly caught between the door and his body, but one giant hand helped to brace her butt. His free hand had found a home at the back of her knee and was steadily moving northward, taking all of her awareness with it. “You never answered my question.”
Teeth sinking into her lower lip, Brooke fought not to arch her back as his warm fingers scorched a path along her skin. “What question?”
“Who would you rather fuck?”
Brooke’s brows pinched together. She and Kevin were friends—her loyalty was first and foremost to him. “I’m not answering that.”
There was no hesitation when Gabe’s hand reached the hem of her shorts. His palm still flat against her thigh, he continued inching past the barrier. Gabe studied her face. Did he realize how hard it was to tamp down her body’s response to him? He rocked his hips against hers. He probably didn’t care.
“Be honest, Brooke. Lying doesn’t do any of us any good.”
His lips came down on hers. She was swamped with sensation as his tongue nudged her lips apart, and his searching fingers slipped beneath her panties to cup her bare ass cheek.
Happy tears welled in her eyes. She’d wanted this for so long, and the reality was so much better than she’d imagined. Tentatively, she gave herself permission to enjoy the moment. Tilting her head to the side, she widened her mouth and accepted his tongue. Groaning his pleasure, Gabe snuggled closer, and his chest flush against hers, his fingers gripping her ass almost too roughly. He used his hold on her to help her rock against him. Together they created a quick rhythm. She felt him grow as he ground against her.
Pulling away, he growled, “Tell me, Brooke. Who?”
He didn’t stop moving against her. She felt the door shift with each thrust and prayed that it wouldn’t swing open.
Dropping her gaze to her hands, Brooke unclenched her fingers from his sweater and smoothed them over his wide shoulders. She’d always wanted to touch his shoulders, his arms. Without much force, she pushed against him. He was solid like she knew he would be.
When she didn’t answer, he peppered her neck with kisses. She cried out when he bit her earlobe. “Who do you want to fuck?”
She felt like a traitor but couldn’t stop herself from answering. “You. I want you.”
“See?” Gabe murmured against her skin. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
She rubbed herself along his length. “Actually, it feels pretty hard to me.”
His smile was fleeting. “Next time you call out my name in bed, I want to hear it. I want to see the look on your face when I push you over the edge.”
His mouth came down hard on hers. Greedily, she accepted what he offered, helping herself to a longer, more thorough taste of his mouth until the sound of his phone interrupted.
“Ignore it,” he muttered before trying to kiss her again.
She grabbed his face between her hands. “No. You’re running a business here, Gabe. I’m not going to keep interfering in your life.”
Slowly, he let her slide down until her feet touched the floor. The action tugged her shorts up higher, the material dragging her panties up along her engorged, wet sex.
“Will you come to the motel this weekend?”
Brooke cringed. She shouldn’t, but she wanted to. She wanted to experience the things he was offering. She definitely wanted more kisses, more of everything with Gabe. With one hand on her hip, she motioned to the desk with the other. “Answer your phone!”
His gaze roamed over her. Finally, he told her to stay put while he answered the call.
The second his back was turned, she slipped out the door.
* * *
Damn it!
He’d missed the call, and Brooke had skipped out on him—again.
Did she really find the idea of a few extra players that off-putting? He tried to think about it from her point of view. Sure, he’d admit it was probably intimidating. If someone had asked him to get down and dirty with other guys, he’d be out the door in a flash.
Generally, if a woman wasn’t interested in joining them, Gabe left it at that, but for some reason, with Brooke, not having her wasn’t an option.
Most women started out shy, while a few were bold and already comfortable with their sexuality. One of the things he loved most about his girls was watching them realize how beautiful they were and how meeting their sexual needs opened up a new world of confidence.
He hadn’t had sex with a woman outside of the group in years, but if Brooke couldn’t be drawn back to the motel, he might have to pursue her on his own.
Gabe pressed the heels of his hands against his forehead, trying to think through what he should do. He needed to come to terms with the fact that Brooke was different from the person he’d grown up knowing. Now, he needed to learn who Brooke Holter had become, figure out what made her tick, and how to get her into his bed.
The manila envelope sat on his desk.
Giving her what she’d come for seemed like a good place to start.
He slipped the contract out and began to review it. He wasn’t sure why he’d turned the job down before. Too far away, or maybe he’d been too busy. She said it was a few months ago that they’d started trying to contact him. He’d been running three big projects at the time in addition to his usual assignments for Fuller Homes and Construction.
Just from reading over the contract, he had ideas forming. They wanted him to design a camp for kids. A main lodge and about twelve cabins—six for boys, six for girls. They had a site already selected. It was on a lake, so in addition to the main lodgings, they needed a boathouse, an arts and crafts area, and an indoor gym facility. They wanted to put in tennis courts, basketball courts, an archery range, and a skate park. And everything needed to be wheelchair accessible.
Spinning his chair around, he pulled a few design textbooks off his bookshelf and began pouring over the pages. He’d already jotted down a few ideas before Sophie arrived with their lunch. They ordered something in a few times a week. Normally, they’d save that treat for closer to the end of the week, but today, since Sophie had errands to run, they’d decided to splurge.
After the break, he’d gone back to the drafting project he’d been working on before Brooke had shown up. It was his first big contract from the town. That had been a huge part of his decision to turn down Miles when they’d approached him originally. Now that he’d cleared his plate, he felt more comfortable signing on with the athletic company.
Caught up in drafting, he didn’t realize how late it had grown until Sophie called from the front room. “I’m going to head out for the night. Was there anything you needed before I leave?”
“Nope. Have a good night.”
He’d stick around the office for a few more hours. Sophie only worked partial days three times a week, so Gabe often arrived before her and left after her. He’d be on site tomorrow, so Sophie wouldn’t be coming in.
Remembering he needed Brooke’s number, he left his desk and called out to Sophie. “Wait!”
She was shrugging into a spring coat when Gabe joined her. “I need Brooke’s number.”
“Oh, right.” Sophie located a sticky note on her desk and stuck it to the front of his sweater, the adhesive barely holding it on. “Anything else?”
“No, and this time, I’m sure.” He grabbed the sticky note before it fell off.
After tossing her cellphone into her purse and digging around for her keys, Sophie headed out. Gabe watched as she made her way to the car. A light rain had started, causing Sophie to walk a little faster than normal. Once she’d driven out of the lot, Gabe headed back to his desk.
He placed the note on top of the contract and was about to dial her number when a text from his sister came through. “Mom wants everyone together in a few weeks for an impromptu engagement party, details to come, but I thought I’d warn you. Mom’s on the party war path.” As an event planner, their mother tended to go a little crazy when it came to family parties. He texted Amelia back a quick thank you. Then, before he could overthink it, he dialed Brooke’s cell.
She answered on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me.”
“Gabe?”
“Yep.” For a long time, there was silence. “Is this a bad time?”
“Yeah, actually, it is. Can I call you back later?”
“I’ll be quick.”
He heard her sigh. She thought he was being too pushy. The irony of that almost made him snort.
Impatience clear, Brooke told him to hurry up. Her voice was barely above a whisper, making Gabe wonder where she was.
“I’m going to accept your company’s offer. Will you come back this week to discuss the particulars with me? Maybe Thursday?” She was quiet for so long that he thought she’d hung up. “I promise not to molest you this time.”
“Fine,” she grumbled. “Thursday, and you keep your hands to yourself, or I’m walking.”
Gabe grinned. “Thursday it is. Brooke, will you think about that other thing?”
“I already am.” He heard shuffling in the background, followed by muffled mumbling, then Brooke returned to the line. “Text me the time.”
Not sure if she was talking about the weekend or Thursday, Gabe asked, “Thursday?”
At almost the same time, Brooke clarified, “For Thursday.” That was followed by a rapidly fired “I got to go.”
Before he could reply, she’d hung up.
She’d been thinking about coming back to the motel. That had to be a step in the right direction, and on Thursday, he’d convince her to join them. The hard part would be keeping his hands to himself, but he thought he was up for the challenge, especially if he’d be rewarded in the long run.