Chapter 6
The drive to the Whitman family estate took longer than Malisa anticipated. The roadways were a challenge with the light snow and ice that had come during the night and early morning.
The night before, as her parents’ holiday gathering had wound down, her brothers had driven to the restaurant to retrieve her personal items and her fourwheeled vehicle, saving her the trouble of having to do so before going to meet Gabriel.
Malisa was excited at the prospect of seeing the man again. They’d spoken on the telephone for almost an hour before he’d been pulled away by his family. Speaking with him had reminded her of just how much she’d enjoyed his company the night before. It had also brought back the memory of his kiss, his lips still feeling like they were burning against her forehead. She took a deep breath, air catching in her chest at the memory of his touch.
Pulling onto Hilltop Road, Malisa couldn’t help but be impressed by the large estate that loomed in the distance. The home was renowned in the Asheville area, having been built by John Sprunt Hill, whose family had been benefactors and board members of the University of North Carolina for over one hundred years. The prestigious patron had founded North Carolina’s largest bank and had built the illustrious Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill.
Much had been written in the local newspapers about the renovations the massive Tudor Revival–style home had undergone since Gabriel Whitman had acquired it. Malisa had put a bid in for the catering job when he’d had his housewarming to showcase the meticulous restoration, but she’d been outmaneuvered by an overly enthusiastic new kitchen in the area.
For what the family had asked for, Malisa knew her competition had seriously underestimated his costs for the project. She’d been unwilling to do so, not even for the recognition. At the time, it would not have made for good business, and she’d been too focused on doing what was in her growing company’s best interest.
She maneuvered her Ford Expedition into the parking area of the massive driveway and shifted the transmission into park. Stepping out of the vehicle, she took in the views before her. The home sat on seven acres of immaculately manicured land. It looked as if every tree and bush had been perfectly designed to complement the home’s stone and stucco façade.
Malisa’s attention was drawn to the front of the home and the large front door that had opened. Gabriel stepping out of the entrance, waving excitedly in her direction, made her smile, a full grin blossoming across her face. She waved back, then reached into the backseat of her vehicle for her contribution to her host’s holiday meal.
“Merry Christmas!” the man chimed, meeting her midway. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gave her a welcoming hug. The soft scent of her perfume tickled his nostrils. He was suddenly distracted, consumed with thoughts of her small waistline, her curves, and the length of leg that stood in fire-engine-red rubber boots.
His grin was wide and full, complementing the deep dimples that filled his dark cheeks. Malisa found herself wanting to linger in the embrace, but she stepped away when a teenaged version of Gabriel stepped out to greet her.
“Hey! I’m Trey,” Gabriel’s son said, his enthusiasm painted on his face.
“Hi, Trey. My name’s Malisa.”
“I love your show. I watch it all the time,” the young man said excitedly.
Malisa’s eyebrows rose as she smiled. “Do you? Well, thank you very much.” She extended the large plate in her hand toward the young man. “I wanted to thank you and your father for inviting me, so I baked you both a cake. It’s one of my favorite desserts,” she said as she handed him the covered dish.
Trey bubbled with excitement. “Hey, do you think you and I could take a picture together with it? The guys at school will bust!”
Malisa laughed. Gabriel shook his head.
“Trey, do you think we can let our guest inside the house first? It is cold out here, son.”
Trey nodded, gesturing with his head for Malisa to follow him inside. Gabriel’s arm was still wrapped around her shoulders as he guided her into his home.
“This is beautiful,” Malisa said as she took in the expanse of woodwork and ornate details of the home’s interior.
“Thank you. I’m very proud of it.”
“You should be. You’ve done a beautiful job.”
Gabriel nodded, a slight blush blossoming across his cheeks. “Trey and I were back in the family room,” he said, his hand cupping her elbow. He paused for a moment, his voice dropping to a loud whisper. “I hope you won’t be uncomfortable, but Trey’s mother is still here. She’s been saying she’s going to leave for the last hour, but we haven’t been able to get rid of her.”
Malisa smiled, meeting his gaze. “I’m sure I won’t be, as long as I’m not intruding on your time together.”
He shook his head vehemently. “Not at all. It’s like I told you over the telephone, she is only here for Trey. We try not to shuffle him back and forth between us over the holidays, so she stayed here last night so she could see him open his presents this morning, but she’s headed to her mother’s house this afternoon. My sister’s been running interference to keep us from killing each other.” He chuckled softly.
Malisa shook her head, wondering what she might be getting herself into. She followed as he led the way to the rear of the home. Stepping through a wide entrance into an expanse of space, Malisa was completely taken by the massive chef’s kitchen that sat adjacent to the family room. The off-white cabinetry accented by maple-toned flooring, a coffered ceiling, and top-of-the-line stainless-steel appliances was a dream come true for any cook. Her wide-eyed expression did little to hide her excitement.
“Do you like it?” Gabriel asked as he studied her intently.
“It’s divine!” Malisa exclaimed. “How could you not love it?” she said, moving in the direction of the large center island.
The woman standing at the kitchen stove greeted her warmly. “You should have seen what he wanted to put in here,” she said, smiling warmly at Malisa. “It’s a good thing he had a great interior designer, thank you very much!” The woman took a slight bow.
Malisa laughed. “Hi, I’m Malisa,” she said, extending her hand to a female version of Gabriel. “And I need to hire you to do some work at my house.”
The other woman nodded. “Anytime, Malisa, and I’m Naomi, Gabriel’s little sister. It’s nice to finally meet you. Gabriel and Trey have been talking about you all morning. We even watched your show on holiday desserts this morning. I was tempted to try those chocolate bourbon cookies. They looked so easy.”
Trey interjected, holding the cake tray out in front of him, “Malisa made me a cake.”
Gabriel scoffed. “Um, that was made for us, thank you very much.”
Trey rolled his eyes skyward. “You say tomato, I say tomahto!”
Naomi took the tray from the boy’s hands. “I’m sure this will be better than anything I could have cooked.” The woman peeked beneath the plastic cover. “Mmmm!” she hummed.
Malisa nodded. “It’s a seven-layer pineapple cake with a coconut and buttercream frosting,” she said. She met Gabriel’s gaze and smiled sweetly.
“When did you have time to whip that little concoction up?” he asked, his own mouth lifting into a wide smile. “I know you were tied up yesterday,” he said smugly.
She returned his smirk. “I baked it this morning after I got your invitation. I didn’t want to come emptyhanded.”
Naomi was eyeing the two of them, amusement filling her face at the repartee between her brother and his new friend. There was no denying the attraction between the two as they bantered back and forth.
From the doorway, a loud cough interrupted the laughter. Delores cleared her throat loudly as she made her way into the room. Malisa smiled as the woman’s stare wafted from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet and back up again.
Delores moved to Gabriel’s side, sliding one arm around his waist as she pressed her other hand to his chest. “Gabriel, aren’t you going to introduce me?” she said.
Taking a deep breath, Gabriel stepped out of her grasp, moving to the other side of the island. “Trey, why don’t you introduce your mother to my friend?” he said, his eyes meeting Malisa’s, an apology shining in his eyes.
Trey moved to the spot his father had just vacated, dropping a heavy arm against his mother’s shoulder. Malisa couldn’t help but feel as if this were a dance the two men had done many times before.
The boy smiled. “Malisa, this is my mother, Delores Winn. Ma, this is Malisa Ivey.”
Delores lifted the ends of her mouth in a slight smile. She cut her eyes at Gabriel before settling her stare back on Malisa.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Malisa said politely.
There was a pregnant pause, Delores saying nothing for a moment. “Same here,” she finally muttered. “Do you live here in Asheville?” Delores asked, feigning interest.
Malisa nodded. “Asheville is home for me. Do you? Live here, I mean.”
Delores’s eyes widened. She ignored Malisa’s curiosity, turning her attention to Gabriel. “Well, I guess I’ll be leaving. Gabriel, I’ll call you and Trey later.” She lifted her hand in a quick wave. “Naomi, hon, I’ll give you a call and we’ll make plans to get together sometime soon. Okay?”
Delores turned abruptly, almost rushing out the door.
Naomi shook her head, muttering under her breath as she leaned toward Malisa. “Now, she knows damn well she is not going to call me and we are not going to get together. She can pretend we’re best buddies if she wants to, but I will hurt her feelings here this afternoon!”
Gabriel shook a finger at his sister. “Be nice, please.” He rested his eyes on Malisa. “Malisa, if you’ll excuse me for a minute. Trey, come say good-bye to your mother,” he said, gesturing for the boy to follow his lead.
Trey tossed Malisa a deep smile.
In the distance, Malisa and Naomi could hear the unhappy murmurings between Gabriel and his ex-wife. Clearly, Delores was not happy about Malisa being there.
Naomi laughed loudly. “Ignore her,” she said, not bothering to drop her voice. “That woman will get right on your nerves if you let her.”
“I didn’t mean to cause any friction for anyone.”
“You haven’t. We’re all glad you’re here. Me especially. It’s been a long time since my brother brought anyone home. I just wish my mother were here to meet you.”
Naomi noted Malisa’s confused gaze. “Mom and Pop are traveling through Europe, a twelve-city tour. It was Gabriel’s gift to them. They celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary this year, and it’s the first vacation our father has been willing to take since forever. Mom really wanted to go.”
“That’s so exciting,” Malisa responded.
Naomi smiled. “Trust me when I tell you that Gabriel dating someone is even more exciting.”
Malisa laughed. “I don’t know if you can define what we’re doing as dating. Not yet, anyway.”
Naomi nodded. “Well, if nothing else, him inviting you here for Christmas is a good start.”
Malisa nodded her head in agreement. She liked Gabriel’s sister, and his son. She sensed that she and Naomi would soon be fast friends. Her instincts also told her that she and Delores Winn would not be, and from the obvious disagreement still flowing from the front of the family’s home, Delores was clearly no fan of hers either.
As if reading her mind, Naomi gestured for her attention. “Don’t pay them any mind. This is typical Delores behavior. The woman is never happy, and she is a complete monster when she thinks Gabriel is. None of us can stand the beast!”
Malisa heaved a deep sigh as Naomi quickly changed the subject. “What do you know about making gravy?” she asked as she opened the oven door to peer at the large turkey cooking inside. “’Cause I don’t have a clue.”
Malisa laughed. She reached for the apron that Naomi was passing to her. “I think I can do gravy,” she said, turning her attention to what she loved best.
Gabriel savored the last bite of his pineapple cake, the decadent flavors flooding his taste buds. His eyes rolled skyward as he purred his satisfaction. “Mmmmm . . . this is so good!” he murmured, using his finger to sweep up the last remnants of buttercream icing. As he pulled his finger into his mouth and sucked it slowly, Malisa felt a shimmer of energy cut through her abdomen.
Shaking her head to stall the sensation, she smiled brightly, her smug expression saying that she’d told him so. “I’m glad that you enjoyed it, Mr. Whitman.”
He nodded, meeting her stare with his own intense gaze. “You outdid yourself. I feel very special.”
They sat together in his private office. Gabriel leaned forward in his seat, dropping his saucer to the coffee table before them. Malisa sat at his side, nibbling on a chocolate bourbon ball that she and Naomi had made together.
“I can’t believe my sister had you cooking. You were supposed to be our guest.”
“Your sister and I had a great time. It was a lot of fun.”
Gabriel shifted his body closer to hers. “I’m glad you came. I’m sorry we got off to such a rough start, though,” he said, referring to his ex-wife and the drama that followed her like a shadow.
Malisa shrugged her shoulders. She’d been only slightly bothered by the woman and she said so, questioning the relationship between the two of them. “How long have you two been divorced?” she asked.
“Five, almost six years now.”
“I get the impression that she hasn’t truly moved on yet. Maybe she’s still hoping the two of you will get back together. How about you? Have you moved on?”
Gabriel took a deep breath. He dropped back against the cushions, resting on the wealth of pillows that decorated the upholstered furniture. “I can only speak for myself, but I assure you, Malisa, I am completely over my marriage to Delores. There is absolutely nothing between us other than our commitment to our son.”
“I don’t get the impression that your ex-wife would agree with you,” Malisa said.
Gabriel blew a deep sigh, warm breath washing over his full lips. He turned to stare at Malisa. “If someone had asked me two days ago about starting a new relationship, I would have told them that I had no interest in doing so. I’ve had a few dates since I divorced, but to maintain peace for my son, I’ve avoided getting serious with anyone. In fact, I was really determined to not get involved with anyone until after Trey turns eighteen and graduates from high school.
“I didn’t think it would be fair of me to pull anyone into my mess, and I know that dealing with my ex can be extremely difficult.” He paused, his gaze dropping down to her manicured fingers. “I know that Delores and I still have some issues between us, but that is not a relationship I’m interested in going back to. I have no love for my ex-wife. Absolutely none at all,” he emphasized as he reached for her hand.
He clasped her fingers between his own. “Like I said last night, I really like you, Malisa. I would like to get to know you better. I’m curious to know where we might take this, so I hope Delores hasn’t scared you off.”
Malisa dropped into deep thought. Men with babymama drama were at the top of her list of things she didn’t want in her life. She was also a woman who required a lot of attention, and she didn’t take kindly to any man who was distracted by a family that took that attention away from her. Kids and ex-wives tended to need even more attention than she did.
But there was something about Gabriel that excited her. The man was intoxicating, his sex appeal leaving her drunk with wanting. Heat rushed through her, and she knew that nothing and no one, not even a bitter ex-wife, could stall the desire that had surged with a vengeance and had her wanting Gabriel Whitman the way she’d never wanted any man before him.
Malisa smiled, lifting her eyes back to his. “No, Delores doesn’t scare me.”
However, wanting you scares me to death, she thought to herself, fighting not to say the words out loud. She studied the long length of his fingers. His hands were slightly calloused, feeling like a workingman’s hand. She was surprised as she drew her index finger across the weathered flesh.
Gabriel read her mind. “I have an extensive car collection. I like to spend my time working on the engines. My hands tend to get beat up a bit. It’s probably time for me to get myself a good manicure.”
Malisa laughed. “You have great hands.” She lifted her eyes to his as she pulled his palm to her lips and kissed the center of it. There was a lingering moment when neither of them spoke one word, the two of them focused on the wave of wanting that seemed to wash over them.
Gabriel pressed his hand to the side of her face, his fingers caressing her profile. His touch was heating her too quickly, and Malisa was suddenly in desperate need of cool air to blow between them. Her heartbeat thundered beneath her breast. Her palms began to perspire. She pulled her hand from his, brushing the rise of moisture against her black silk pants. She spoke his name, then paused, words catching in her throat as her thoughts suddenly became muddled.
His name on her lips suddenly had Gabriel’s insides melting. There was no denying that something was brewing between them. Gabriel felt it intensely, the urgency of it lengthening a rock-hard erection in his slacks. Despite wanting to maintain a semblance of control, Malisa’s presence reminded him that he was wholeheartedly a hot-blooded male.
He got to his feet, hoping to hide the telltale sign of his desire. He moved to the other side of the room to stare out the windows that overlooked his rear yard. The nearness of her was making him think of nothing but pure, unadulterated pleasure, and he desperately needed to regain sense of his mind and his body.
Outside, there was no evidence of the Olympic-sized swimming pool that connected to the back patio. Snow covered the pool’s top and the grass, a winterwhite carpet of cold fluff decorating the landscape. As Gabriel focused on the lingering flakes that still blew outside, Malisa moved behind him, drawing her hand against his lower back. Her touch surprised him, and he closed his eyes for a quick minute, the sensation of her caress like a bolt of lightning flooding through him. His erection hardened even more, and Gabriel was unable to stall the hunger that seemed to suddenly consume him. His gaze washed over Malisa’s thoughtful expression.
Moving in front of him, Malisa wrapped one of his arms around her waist, and then she wrapped the other, moving him to clasp his fingers together at the small of her back. She snuggled her pelvis tight to his. Feeling his desire as it stirred with a mind of its own between them brought a coy smile to her face. Gabriel smiled back, his seductive stare stirring a longing deep in the core of her feminine spirit. She lifted her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, reaching up on her tiptoes to lift her mouth to meet his. She wanted to be kissed, and she wanted Gabriel to kiss her right then and there.
Needing no coaxing, he held her tightly, his large hands skating the length of her back and buttocks. His fingers curved against the round of her bottom as he pulled her tighter against himself, feeling the steel between his legs pulsing against the soft core of her pubis. His mouth danced like silk against hers, his tongue snaking past the line of her teeth. Her breath was sweet, her tongue warm and darting. The kiss was intense and deep, and it was like nothing either of them had ever experienced before. Gabriel couldn’t deny that he wanted more.
The duo was so lost in the embrace that they didn’t hear the door opening behind them. It wasn’t until Trey cleared his throat, calling for his father’s attention, that they pulled away, widening the space between them. Gabriel held her gaze for a moment, something he didn’t understand shifting through his emotions. She smiled and nodded her understanding, sensing that she, too, was feeling what he was feeling.
Gabriel turned toward his son, who stood in the entranceway with a smug grin on his face. “Yes, Trey?”
“Sorry to interrupt, but Mom’s blowing up both of our cell phones. She says it’s important and that you need to call her right now.”
“Why didn’t she call the house phone?”
“Aunt Naomi took it off the hook. Something about not wanting to be annoyed on Christmas Day.”
Gabriel took a deep breath. His gaze fell back on Malisa as he studied her intently. He leaned to give her one last kiss, a quick peck against her closed mouth. Then he politely excused himself and followed his son out of the room.