That thought didn't stop him from closing the gap between his lips and Paige's, however. The warm softness of her full lips sparked the dry kindling of attraction that had been building in him since the first time he saw her.
He slid one hand into her hair to cup her head and wrapped his other arm around her. She fit so perfectly in his arms. When she gathered a fist full of his shirt, he pressed his lips more firmly to hers. The surge of adrenaline he felt each time he'd caught her in his arms at PT was nothing compared to the raging river of emotions that now threatened to pull him under.
When he took her hand in his, he only meant to calm her anxiety, but the contact melted away the tension he'd carried since learning of his mom's diagnosis. It filled the empty spots inside him, causing him to let down his guard.
She slid her arms around his neck, her lips parting with a sigh. He couldn’t resist; he deepened the kiss for several long delicious moments. A rush of energy swept through him. He knew kissing Paige would be amazing, but he hadn't expected it to make him feel so alive.
This was why he hadn't dated much since Harper left him at thealtar. He hadn't found a woman who ignited this kind of excitement in him. And now that he'd found her, he didn't want to let her go, even though it could cost him his job.
Reluctantly, he pulled his lips from hers. He looked down at her, wondering how badly he’d screwed up, but she tucked her face against his neck.
He held her there, grateful for the chance to catch his breath. Except her warm breath against his neck kept the desire humming through him.
"You okay?" The words came out gruffer than he intended. When she nodded, he cleared his throat. "I uh…I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
She lifted her head, a frown marring her features. "Are you saying you’re sorry you kissed me?"
“Not at all.” He let go of her and took a small step back. “But I am concerned that I may have jeopardized my career.”
“Jeopardized? No.” She arched a brow as a small smile lifted her lips. “Complicated? Yes.”
He bit back a smile of his own. "We seriously muddied the waters of our professional relationship, didn’t we?"
She snorted. "As if me pretending to be your girlfriend didn't already do that."
His smile faded.
Pretending. Right.
The moment his lips met hers, he forgot this whole thing wasn’t real.
"It's going to be fine." He said the words to himself as much as to her. Hopefully, she believed them more than he did. "We're in this together, right?"
She didn't look convinced, but she nodded.
He picked up the cake then took her hand. Paige's limp was almost imperceptible, but he kept their pace slow as they made their way to the house. Despite reassuring Paige, his gut churned. He hated lying to his mom, but more than that, he didn't want to let her down. Andthat's what would happen if he told her the truth and took away the one thing she'd looked forward to all week.
The door opened as they stepped onto the porch. Grace held the door, but it was his mom who greeted them with a smile so big it almost masked the shadows under her eyes. "Ah Mijo, I'm so glad you're home."
Gabe chuckled. She made it sound like he hadn't been home for months, even though he spent Thursday evening with her. He had a feeling she was more excited to see Paige than him.
"Paige brought dessert." Gabe gave Grace a brief one-armed hug then handed her the cake.
As soon as his hands were empty, he gathered his mother in his arms and inhaled deeply. He held her longer than usual, trying to memorize her gardenia scent—the smell of his childhood; of warm hugs, bedtime stories, walks in the park, and unconditional love. After learning of her diagnosis last week, he'd vowed to never miss a chance to hug his mother.
When he finally released her, he took Paige's hand and tugged her forward. "Mom, I'd like you to meet Paige Young. Paige, this is my mom, Marisol Rivera."
Paige smiled and held out her hand. "It's so nice to me?—"
Mom pulled Paige into her usual hug, no doubt squeezing the air from her lungs. It was the kind of hug most people reserved for close family and friends they hadn't seen for years. The kind that let the receiver know Marisol Rivera cared.
Paige's eyes widened then squeezed shut as she returned the embrace.
"It's so good to finally meet you," Mom said as she let Paige go. "I can't believe Gabe kept you a secret for so long. But I can see why he fell for you; you're very prettyandyou know your way around the kitchen." She winked at him as she motioned to the cake. "Muy bonita."
Her wink let him know she was calling Paige beautiful, not the cake, although it looked delicious too. He took a moment to admire Paige, seeing her in a different light after that amazing kiss. The pinkand yellow sun dress she'd been mangling on the car ride accentuated her curves that were filling out nicely now that she was mostly recovered. Her hair hung in loose curls, as opposed to the ponytail she often sported at PT, and she wore just enough make up to add color to her cheeks and make her beautiful blue eyes stand out.
He'd been so worried she wouldn't show up, then anxious about how things would play out with his mom that he hadn't taken time to appreciate how pretty his girlfriend was.
