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She nodded. “Yes. I swear. Gabriel has done nothing but help me since he found me next to my useless smoking car by the side of the road ten miles out of town.”
Nathan dropped his hand away from Gabriel’s chest. She did not, however, take her hand away from his bicep. Gabriel didn’t seem to notice either that Nathan had put a hand on him or that he’d removed it. His friend’s rapt attention remained on Suzanna’s face.
“Are you okay?” Gabriel asked her. He looked like a man in love. Interesting.
“I’m fine. Perfect.” She glanced at Nathan briefly before settling her focus back on Gabriel.
“I have bad news,” Gabriel said in a near whisper.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Kendall won’t let you stay here in the saloon overnight. Something about insurance nightmares if anything happened to you.”
She pushed out a long sigh. “Well, thank you so much for trying anyway.”
“She could stay with us,” Nathan said before realizing that the thought circling his head had come out of his mouth.
Her lips fell open a little. “You two live together?” Her surprise was adorable. He wanted her more and more each moment he spent in her company. Wanted to show her what was possible in the basement of their shared home.
Gabriel’s expression looked suddenly hopeful. “Yes. But it’s a pretty big house.”
“I couldn’t put the two of you to so much trouble,” she said in a near whisper.
“No trouble,” he and Gabriel said at the exact same time. Nathan’s words held an eagerness that he found hard to suppress. Blindfolded, bound, panting for my touch…
Cooper intruded in that moment. He slapped a hand lightly on the bar near the three of them and announced, “Last call, we’re closing in fifteen minutes.”
Nobody moved. Nobody said a thing. Were they all thinking the same thing? Sex, sex, and more sex?
Suzanna was the first to drop her gaze. Then her hand fell from his arm. Damn it.
A timid smile appeared on her lips. “Perhaps I should investigate that pup tent in the parking lot that your friend, the hotel owner, suggested.”
“We aren’t going to just dump you on the side of the road to fend for yourself, Suzanna.” Gabriel pushed past Nathan and got very close to her. She didn’t shy away from his friend either. “We have a nice-sized basement apartment. Separate from our home. You can stay there as long as you want to.”
She blinked and a tear fell to her cheek. She brushed it away with the palm of her hand as if embarrassed to either be seen crying or to need help. Nathan wasn’t sure which endeared her to him more. She was obviously running from trouble but hadn’t wanted to unload her life story to a stranger. At least not yet. Quiet strength emanated from her, so he didn’t expect her to confide in them immediately. Maybe later on she’d trust them enough. Once she was comfortably ensconced in their home. Once they’d shown her how they lived, and the pleasure they could offer while she occupied their basement apartment.
Nathan had noticed the heavy makeup beneath her eye when he got close enough. She’d done an excellent job concealing it, but likely there was a bruise or something marring her skin there. Anger stirred within him at the idea of anyone having struck her, forcing her to use concealer to hide the mark.
Nathan had never understood the need some men had to strike women in anger in order to feel masculine. He couldn’t say he wouldn’t delight in returning the favor, if he ever came across the ass wipe who’d hit her in the face.
Suzanna looked into Gabriel’s eyes with gratitude and love. “Normally, I’d refuse, but I haven’t slept much in the past couple of days and just can’t think of what else to do, so instead, I’ll say, ‘Thank you very much.’ I truly appreciate it.”
Gabriel sounded relieved when he said, “Good. Finish your drink. We’ll take off in a few minutes.” He then gently rubbed the center of her back. It was a very intimate gesture that surprised Nathan. Gabriel certainly never lacked the attention of women, and up to now he’d taken his fair share of the opposite sex to bed without becoming the least bit attached.
