“People like me? My family? Preston?” she asks.
I sigh. “You’re nothing like them.”
“But you thought I was. When you met me at the bar, right? Tell me. I won’t be angry.”
I nod. “I did, at first. Then you showed up the next day with a job and towels for the guest bathroom and for mine. Next thing I knew, you were working in the mornings, painting in the afternoons, coming to the bar at night and helping out by clearing dirty glasses.” I shake my head and grin. “Blew my initial perception of you out of the water.”
“I live to shock you,” she says wryly. “I take it youlikedwhat you saw?”
I nod. “More than liked. I admired you. In one short week, you changed what I thought of you and I stopped fighting my desire.”
“Lucky me,” she whispers.
Finally, I think, we can move on from talking. I reach for her breast, and she arches backward. “Tell me about Felicia.”
I groan. “Seriously? We’re both naked, and you want to hear about my ex?”
She shakes her head. “I want to learn more aboutyou.” She places a hand on my chest, over my heart.
I can’t deny her. And once I tell her everything, we can move on to better things. “Okay. I met a woman at one of the fundraising events I went to on behalf of the firm. We dated and pretty much lived together. She looked good as my date and I convinced myself I cared for her but I know better now.”
“What changed?” Gabby asks, her gaze soft on mine.
“I hated the people I worked with, disliked the pretentiousness surrounding me. I’d already made enough money to put it in savings and do what would make me happy.” I lift my shoulders in a shrug. “I didn’t know what that was at the time but I saw this house advertised. It was rundown and needed renovations and it called to me. So I bought it and moved here.”
She looks around the bedroom that still needs massive painting and work. “I like it, too. I can envision the entire housewhen it’s finished. It’ll be ahome.” Her lips curl up in a smile, and I want nothing more than to kiss her.
She pats my chest. “Go on. I want to hear it all.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re a bossy thing. Okay, fine. I began the reno process. One night I met Zach and Remy at The Back Door and offered up my bartending services. I worked evenings for a couple of months and enjoyed it. Eventually, Remy had to go back to the city to the Manhattan bar, and they promoted me to manager.” I shrug. “The casual, easy lifestyle works for me.”
“Thank you. I know you weren’t in the mood to revisit the past.”
“I don’t mind telling you.” And I don’t. She listens and understands me on a level that shocks me, given she comes from the world I’ve been so disillusioned with.
“How about that shower?”
She climbs off me, and a cool chill rushes over my skin.
“You go first. If we shower together, I’ll forget you need some time to recuperate before we go again.”
“Tonight,” she says, and my cock hardens at the promise in her words.
I nod. “Tonight,” I agree.
“I’m going to use the other bathroom. All my stuff is in there.” She walks out of the room naked, more comfortable with her nudity around me than I expect.
She’ll be at least twenty minutes in the shower, and I don’t want to tempt fate by us both using the hot water at the same time. I could use a cup of coffee. I rise to my feet and pull on my track pants, walking to the kitchen.
No sooner have I pulled out a K-cup than my doorbell rings. I’m not expecting company.
I stride to my door and look through the glass. An older woman stands outside, leaning on a brightly decorated cane. Her hair is blonde with light streaks of gray, and she wears longsleeves in ninety-degree weather, a pair of pressed slacks and sneakers, no doubt for better balance. On the street behind her, a black Lincoln Town Car with a driver appears to idle.
I glance at her face. The moment I take in her emerald-green eyes, I know who she is and open the door. “You must be Gabby’s grandmother.”
“What gave me away?” she asks. “My good looks?”
I grin, liking this woman already. “Your eyes. Come in.” I have no doubt Gabby will want to see her grandmother. She was the first person mentioned when she listed who she could trust.
