Gabe

  This would be so much easier if you weren’t so damned likeable.

  After donning his jeans and T-shirt again, Gabe thoroughly enjoyed riding behind Josie on the ATV. He tried to distract himself by creating a mental list of the work piling up for him back at his office. It didn’t matter. He felt like a teenager sporting a boner during an exam. His ability to concentrate was shot but explaining why wouldn’t help the situation.

  When she pulled up to the front of the guest house, he hopped off, needing to put some distance between himself and her delectable derriere. If she was aware of how much he’d enjoyed the ride, she didn’t call attention to it. She said, “I’ll be quick.”

  “I’ll meet you back here.” It wouldn’t take him long to change out of his swimming trunks.

  “No,” she said with a nervous wave of her hand. “I’ll meet you at the main house.”

  He frowned. Was there a reason she didn’t want him in the guest house? His thought must have been easy enough to read because she grimaced and said, “I was nervous about what to wear and tried on more clothes than I want to admit to. They’re still all over the place. I hate people to see my place when it’s a mess, don’t you?”

  Technically it was his place, but he kept that thought to himself, too. “That’s fine. I’ll have the chef from last night whip up a lunch.” He hadn’t taken her for the kind of woman who would be easily embarrassed, but the idea of having him in the guest house had definitely made her jumpy.

  “He’ll do that?”

  “If I pay him enough.”

  She laughed as if he were joking, then stopped and smiled sheepishly. “Okay, sounds great. I really only want something simple like a salad with some chicken.”

  “You’ve got it,” he said. “I’ll have him prepare something for dinner while he’s here.”

  “Dinner,” she echoed hoarsely.

  “Unless that’s too much. My plan is to leave tomorrow morning. I’m enjoying our time together, but there’s plenty for me to do if you need some time on your own.”

  The way she chewed her bottom lip indecisively was far from flattering. He was used to women competing for his attention. He couldn’t remember a time when a woman had put so much thought into deciding if she wanted him.

  He had to admit it was a turn-on.

  No surprise there. With her, almost everything was.

  “Dinner sounds wonderful,” she said then turned and rushed into the guest house.

  He stood in the driveway for several minutes after she left. Eventually, he turned and walked to the main house because the alternative was to still be standing there sporting a hard-on and grin simply because she’d said yes.

  As he changed into the khaki pants and collared shirt he’d purchased earlier that day, he compared Josie to the women he normally chose. On paper, she wasn’t his type. He tried and failed to imagine taking her to a fundraising gala or opening night of an opera.

  If he brought her as is, his friends would think he’d lost his mind.

  I can find new friends. Did I really just think that?

  The chef arrived in record time, but that didn’t surprise Gabe. Money was a powerful motivator for most people. As Gabe waited for Josie, he returned to his father’s office and sat at his desk. You could have raised us anywhere, Dad. Why did we spend so much time here? All those times I thought you were busy, were you really coping the best you could?

  His father had always been larger than life. He won because he wasn’t afraid of the fight. Gabe had always thought of him as a man without weakness, the exact kind of man he’d wanted to grow up to be. And, to some degree, he had. But now he wondered. Was his opinion of his dad still determined by his twenty-year-old college-student self, idealizing his materialistic, emotionally void idol? Not void at all. Hurting. Hiding. Is that why you wanted us to stay where Mom was even though you couldn’t?

  Did you think we’d forget her? Forget who you were when you were with her? Gabe tried to open the middle drawer of his father’s desk, but it was locked. He opened one of the side drawers, looking for a key. Instead, he found a framed photo of his father shaking hands with a man Gabe didn’t recognize. He placed it on the desk and continued his hunt for a key.

  A lower drawer revealed a ledger with Frank Muller’s name on it. Inside was a supply list and sketches. The list included a CPU, circuit boards, tubes, a soldering kit, tin, wires and a three-dimensional printer. He flipped through the pages and found a loose, folded piece of paper. On it there was a sketch of something that looked like a beer keg but with a control panel on the front of it.

  Holy shit, what was Frank involved in . . . instead of keeping up the grounds?

  At the sound of a knock on the outer door, Gabe threw the ledger back in the drawer and stood. Did you know what was going on here, Dad? Was that the reason for the occupancy clause? Did you want me to help him? Or was it to stop him?

  Once again, Dad, a note would have made all of this easier.

  Before leaving the office, Gabe sent off a text to his security team. He wanted every bit of information they could dig up on Frank Muller.

  As soon as he opened the front door and saw Josie’s tentative smile, he put the ledger mystery on the backburner. Although she was once again dressed in jeans and a simple shirt, her cheeks were pink as if still warm from the shower. He wondered if there was anything she could wear that he wouldn’t find sexy as hell. Her hair was down, and he fought an urge to bury his hands in it again. He didn’t, but he couldn’t resist leaning in for a quick kiss that took him by surprise with how natural it felt.

  “Sorry I took so long,” she said quickly.

  “Right on time,” he murmured and offered her his arm. “I had a table set on the patio.”

  She took his arm and smiled ruefully. “You’re so formal. It makes me feel underdressed.”

  “Did you say overdressed?” he asked in a hopeful tone, interjecting humor because she looked nervous. “Please feel free to take off whatever.”

  She rolled her eyes and nudged him with her elbow. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  He bent and growled into her ear. “No, I would love it.”

  She tripped, and he steadied her. “Gabe—”

  “Trust me, Josie. Relax, enjoy today, and trust me.”

  She let out a shaky breath. “Okay.”

  Once they were settled outside, he poured her a glass of wine and said, “Tell me something about your childhood. Did you have an imaginary friend?”

  She hesitated, then said, “No, but I did have dolls I took everywhere. I used to pretend they could speak so that’s almost the same thing, I guess. Why, did you?”

  If it required sharing more about himself to get her to open up, he would answer anything she asked. “I grew up with six brothers, I didn’t need more friends, imaginary or otherwise. I treasured any moment I had to myself. Tell me, what kind of dolls were they?” He loved that he had no idea what she’d answer. Barbie and Ken? Something edgier?

  She looked away for a moment as if reaching back into her memories, then she smiled. “They were a present from my father. One was Albert Einstein with a huge shock of white hair. The other was Niels Bohr with big bushy eyebrows. I loved to reenact their disputes on quantum physics. They had a great respect for each other, even though their ideas were sometimes in opposition. The beauty of their debates was how their discourse changed our very understanding of quantum mechanics and led to significant research into the hidden variables theory. Their disagreements were a gift to the world. I loved to imagine that I was there, hearing it all for the first time.”

  Silence. Whoa. “How old were you then?”

  She shrugged. “Seven? Eight?”

  “Holy shit. Are you serious?”

  Her eyes rounded and for a second he thought he saw fear there. Then she smiled brightly and said, “No. Of course not. What seven-year-old knows anything about quantum physics? I was joking, but you believed me for a split second there, did
n’t you?”

  “I did. You’re good.” He had, as ridiculous as it seemed once she’d admitted it was a joke. She was smart, but was she genius-level brilliant? Very few people were. “You sounded like you knew what you were talking about.”

  She raised and lowered a shoulder as if modestly shrugging off a compliment. “Like I said, I love the science channel.”

  “I’m going to have to watch myself with you. When you flash those baby blues at me I’m ready to believe anything you say.”

  She quickly blinked a few times at that, then her bright smile returned. “Then I should talk less, which works because I’m fascinated by what it must have been like to have six brothers. I’m an only child. Let me live vicariously through you. What was the best part? What were the holidays like? Did you fight? Did you ever accidentally date the same girls? I want all the dirt.”

  Of all the things women wanted to know about Gabe, those questions had never been asked. Josie was a constant, pleasant breath of fresh air. Gabe started with James, thinking he would briefly describe him and move on, but Josie asked question after question until she knew more about him than most of Gabe’s friends did. Then she asked about Hunter and the cycle repeated. He didn’t expect to make it to Finn. As the youngest, he’d sometimes been an afterthought, but Josie’s interest in his family remained strong right through lunch. It’s as if she wants to know me, the family version of me, not the businessman. The man I thought had disappeared over the many years of business claiming first position in my priorities. Like it had his dad.

  “It must have been hard on your father to lose your mother when you were all still so young,” she said.

  “We had nannies.”

  “Still, that’s a big responsibility.”

  “What about you?” Gabe asked. “What happened to your mother?”

  She took a moment before answering. “I don’t know. She told my father she wasn’t ready to be a mother. She didn’t want to marry or follow him. He told me that he’d heard she finally did marry and have a family, but she’d requested that I not contact her. Apparently, her husband doesn’t know that she left me behind, and she wants it to stay that way.”

  Gabe didn’t believe in hitting women, but if there were ever a woman in need of a slap it was that one. “She doesn’t know what she’s missing. Her daughter turned out amazing.”

  Josie shrugged again. “Thank you. It doesn’t bother me anymore. My father loved me enough for both of them. And I don’t know that I blame her. If the truth would destroy the perfect life she made for herself, maybe it’s not worth it.”

  In her voice he heard, “Maybe I’m not worth it.”

  “I’m ready to hit the trails again. How about you?” Gabe threw down his napkin and stood. Her sadness and confusion tore through him. Was this why she couldn’t be honest about what had brought her to the ranch? Her mother had abandoned her. Had some man abused her? Did she feel she somehow deserved it? Or that he would walk away from her too if she told him? He wanted to shake her and tell her he wasn’t going anywhere.

  But I’m not ready to make that promise.

  I just met her, for God’s sake.

  And I’m leaving tomorrow.

  I don’t have a month to give this place.

  Or her.

  She joined him with that uncertain look in her eye again that made him want to hug her to his chest. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just freshen up quickly before we go.”

  He let out a long sigh once he was alone. Desire muddled his thoughts. He’d never allowed a woman to impact his business, but because Josie had him all tied up in knots, he didn’t know if he wanted to stay or leave that night.

  If he thought having sex with her would lessen her hold over him, he would have given her a nudge in that direction. Despite her claim that it wasn’t what she wanted, the heat in her kiss said it wouldn’t take much to change her mind.

  And then what?

  Do I take her home with me?

  Stay here with her and keep the ranch?

  Both of those possibilities sound insane to me.

  So why do I wish they didn’t?

  Chapter Seven

  Josie gave herself a stern look in the mirror. He’s not as perfect as he sounds. No one is. Everyone seems amazing before I get to know them.

  I’m not on a date.

  None of this really matters.

  I need to keep my mouth shut and stick to the plan. He leaves tomorrow. I leave tomorrow. We’ll never see each other again, and we’re both better for it.

  I don’t want to leave. There, I said it. I don’t want to never see Gabe again. She turned and hugged her stomach while leaning back against the sink. My father would say I should follow my heart, but it shattered when he died. How do I know if what I’m feeling is real or if I’m just looking for someone to be with? Of course I don’t want to be alone. It would be wonderful to tell Gabe I’m afraid and hear him say everything will be okay.

  I can’t burden him with my problems. It’ll put him at risk. I used to think I had all the answers. I don’t. I never did.

  Dad, my heart is scattered in a million pieces. Which one do I follow?

  Josephine turned and faced her reflection again. Make it through today and tomorrow will be easier. Feeling calmer, Josephine went to meet Gabe. He shot her a smile that sent flutters through her stomach.

  Please pick your nose.

  Or make some disgusting noise in your throat.

  I’m asking for a little flaw. Something.

  “Ready? I’m looking forward to seeing your favorite places. I can’t decide, though, if I should drive the ATV or if you should. Is it wrong to admit that both are different forms of sweet torture?”

  Oh yes.

  And—oh no.

  From flutter to flame. His words lit through her. She knew exactly how decadent each option was. Did she want to spend the afternoon with him between her thighs, his hard back teasing her breasts each time she bounced against it? Or did she want to sit with her back against him, with the evidence of his arousal brushing against her? In a strangled voice she said, “We could walk.”

  “That’s our wisest choice,” he said with a wink that made the conversation feel less mortifying. It was as if they were on the same team, fighting the same weakness. He was also leaving the decision up to her which gave her confidence. Maybe the situation wasn’t completely out of control.

  “I’m not sorry I met you,” she said softly.

  He put out his hand for her to take and gave her a cocky smile. “I know.”

  Josie led Gabe to a large koi pond behind the house. Although many areas of the property were in disrepair, the pond was clear and well-maintained with fish well over a foot long. She threw in a handful of pellets and looked excited at each one that came to eat. “His name is Cow. Not just because he’s black and white, but also because he eats more than any of them. Most of them eat their fill and stop. He’ll eat as much as I feed them. That’s Mr. Macho. He muscles his way through them. He’s usually the first to check out something new and the last to leave. The orange one is Pumpkin. I almost named her hussy because a lot of the smaller koi look like her.”

  Gabe laughed. “They all look the same to me. Are you sure that’s even a female?”

  Her chin rose and she challenged, “Of course.”

  Remembering her joke about her dolls, he waited for her to smile and admit she couldn’t either. When she didn’t, he peered at the fish again and tried to look serious. “What are you basing your guess on? Depth of voice? Ability to drive?”

  Her hands went to her hips. “First, if you’re observant to details, classifying them is simple enough. The fins are slightly different. The body of the male tends to be leaner. Second, I’ve seen you drive so I’d be careful about using that to determine sex.”

  Slam. Hilarious. Gabe laughed and pulled her into his arms. “Question my manhood and I’ll have to prove it to you.”

  Laughter mirrored in her eyes
. “By listing football stats?”

  He settled her pelvis against his. “My evidence is more concrete.” He kissed her deeply until they were both shaking with need. “Damn, show me somewhere else before I start stripping us both right here.” Desire raged in her eyes, and she looked as tempted as he was. She shook her head slightly and he groaned. He’d asked her to trust him, and he was determined to prove she could.

  Their breathing slowly returned to normal and she asked, “Do you remember your tree house?”

  “Vaguely, maybe.” He couldn’t think straight, never mind recall something he hadn’t seen in over twenty years.

  She stepped back but took his hand. “I found it during a walk one evening and fell in love with it. You really need to see it.”

  Right then, he would have followed her anywhere. As they walked down a wooded path to the tree house his father had built, memories flooded back. He’d always thought he liked independent women, but Josie took it to a new level. She had her vulnerable moments, but she was also confident and smart enough that he could imagine letting her take the lead now and then.

  The tree house was in a state of disrepair with rotted boards and peeling paint, but his initials as well as those of all of his brothers were still visible. Something I wouldn’t have cared about last week. Family was nice, but growing his business and accruing wealth was his focus. His older brother, James, was the same and he’d hit the billionaire status.

  Nothing had mattered more than joining James there. Gabe hadn’t seen value in anything from his past. Always the future. Have I been wrong?

  For the first time, he not only missed his parents, but he missed his brothers. Ridiculous, because I can see them whenever I want.

  But when was the last time I picked up the phone to call them? I’m losing them, not to death, but due to my own fault. A profound sadness settled over him. He hadn’t expected to feel that way. Honestly, he hadn’t expected visiting the ranch to be an emotional experience at all.

  His father’s death had brought his own mortality to the forefront. It’s easy to imagine you’ll live forever when your parents are alive, but when they’re gone . . . you realize your generation is next.