Gabe took a swig of water and cradled it on one muscled thigh. Her gaze lingered on his strong body for a beat as waves of awareness broke over her again. He hadn’t just been a skilled lover—he had been attentive before, during and afterward. Caring for her in all ways, from foreplay to afterglow.
She placed the rest of her sandwich in the bag and remembered the brown bag from the bakery she carried all the way here. She stole a peek inside and found the thick, fudgy brownie waiting there. When she pulled it out, a dusting of powdered sugar on top came with it, along with the flyer for Mayfest.
She smoothed the paper over her knee. Bright flowers and cheerful fonts mocked her.
Gabe watched her closely. “You said you have plans for Mayfest.”
She pushed a breath through her nose. “Not exactly. I had a loose plan based off what I did last year.”
“What was that?”
“It’s usually a big deal for the shop, but…” She swallowed, mouth dry. “It would take a miracle to get the shop cleaned upand decorated for the event. Plus, I’d need to pay the ladies I just let go…”
He settled a hand on her leg. A simple touch, light but comforting. “If you want to get it cleaned up in time, I’ll pitch in.”
“I’m sure my sister and some of the others would as well. It’s just…” She trailed off, losing steam on the project she hadn’t even started.
The turkey and avocado sandwich sat in her stomach, the weight an unhelpful addition to the ones she already carried. She shrugged. Fact was, her mind was still on that journal. Henry’s handwriting was the last piece of him she had, and now it was gone, and the ache of that lodged in her chest.
Realizing that she’d zoned out, she broke the brownie in half and offered him his share. He took it hesitantly, eyeing it as if it would grow a stinger. “Sure we should be eating brownies from Vera?”
“She might be catty, but I don’t think she’s out for blood.”
“No. Just your shop. I don’t like what she said about looking for a new location for her business.”
“She had the bakery before I moved in with the bookshop. She could have rented my building anytime she wanted. It doesn’t make sense.”
He brushed his fingers over her wrist, the touch light but comforting. “You belong in the bookshop, as part of Willowbrook. Your passion is so obvious to everyone who meets you. I just wish I knew what my passion was.”
“Oh Gabe.”
He switched from the sensitive topic back to her issues. “Businesses closing and break-ins can cause the rental price to drop. She could get it cheaper if you did close your doors.”
Tears blurred her vision for a moment, and Gabe made a sound low in his throat.
“Damn. I’m sorry, bookshop. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I know. You’re just trying to figure out who’s got it out for me. And it’s totally possible that you’re right about Vera.” She dropped her uneaten half of the brownie back into the bag. “Who would steal a journal?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. But I’ll figure it out.”
The words curled through her, as warm as a hug. She may have built her life on some of the beliefs about independence and standing strong that Mrs. Wollstonecraft shared in her book…but the way Gabe said that made her want to let someone else shoulder a little of her problems.
He reached for the bakery bag and dropped his half in too, also untouched.
She made a sad sound. “Too bad neither of us wants that brownie. Vera makes the best.”
“We can share one another time.” He shifted the food bags to one hand and enveloped hers in his other. His callused fingers against hers sparked the electrical current in her body.
Being with him in the cookbook section of the shop must have scrambled her brain, because each time he touched her, her entire body remembered that he’d touched hereverywhere.
She never planned on wanting him the way she did now. And the timing couldn’t be worse. She felt as if she’d been picked up from solid earth and dropped on quicksand. Yet her body reacted when he touched her, when he looked at her…and when he spoke in that low, protective rumble.
They started down the path winding through the park. When they reached a trash can, he dropped the bags in. Not far off, a mother and her little girl were enjoying the good weather.The girl chased a pigeon across the grass, her laughter ringing in the air.
The world kept moving. Even when Felicity’s had tilted sideways.
Once they reached the alley leading to the back door of the shop, Gabe tugged her a little closer, guarding her even if he wasn’t aware he was doing it. The car was untouched. The back door was still locked, the way she left it.
