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As they continued to stand there, staring at each other, the world as Hope knew it fell away from her. The muted sounds of Ivy and Ruby chatting faded into the background. Her apartment disappeared into a blur of objects and color that could have been anywhere or anything. All she could focus on was Gabe’s presence dominating the doorway. All she could hear was the pounding of her own heart.
“Hope?”
She watched his gorgeous, sexy as hell face morph into a boyish grin, even though his lips hadn’t moved to speak.
“Hope?!” came the sharp call again, wrenching her out of her reverie like a bucket of ice water on the head.
“Holy Mother of God, what planet are you on right now?” Ivy asked under her breath.
Hope’s gaze snapped from Gabe, who now sported a cocky know-it-all grin, to Ivy, who looked amused.
Ivy crossed her arms. “Can you get your head out of the gutter? There are children present.”
Mortified, Hope sprang into action, grabbing her purse and stepping into her shoes. Her face flushed with the knowledge that she’d just been caught lusting after her landlord slash employer slash orgasm giver with his daughter present.
“Ivy, what’s it mean to have your head in a gutter?” Ruby asked, in her sweet, innocent little voice.
Oh God.
“Well, sweetheart,” Ivy explained in an impressive schoolteacher tone. “It means that Hope is in a fantasy world. Has been all day, dreaming about your da—”
“Okay!” interjected Hope a little too loudly, as she grabbed the potted plant—that she bought as thank-you-for-dinner gift—from the credenza next to the door. “Let’s go, shall we?”
She smiled as brightly as she could as she ushered Ruby out, and breezed past Gabe, who was still grinning at her like he’d won some competition. She tried not to inhale as she passed him, lest she further embarrass herself by drooling over his scent.
Ruby’s heartfelt, non-stop chatter was the only thing that saved Hope from further humiliation as the trio made their way down the stairs and out the door to where Gabe’s grey Bronco was parked just outside the building. When he opened the passenger side for Hope there was a knowing grin etched on his face, which she tried her best to ignore. Making sure not to touch any part of her body to his, she slid past him and into her seat. A low, masculine chuckle was the last she heard before he shut the door and skirted the front of the vehicle to make his way to the driver’s seat.
Looking around her, she realized it was her first time in Gabe’s car. Like his apartment, it was neat and no-frills. Sturdy and strong looking, like it’s owner. It wasn’t a new car, and smelled like the perfect mix of both him and Ruby, something between cedar wood and sugar cookie. She inhaled deeply and sat back, content to listen to the little girl behind her fill the space with her random six-year-old musings, while the man beside her competently pulled out of the parking space and onto the street.
Twenty minutes later, fully caught up on Ruby’s latest hot takes, they pulled up in front of a sweet little two-story house. It was already quite dark, but Hope could see a well-lit path leading past the front garden up to a cozy looking porch, complete with a swing. Behind her, she heard Ruby unbuckle her seat belt.
“We’re here!” Ruby scooted out of the car, sprinted up the pathway, and disappeared inside the house.
She inhaled a nervous breath. The warmth of a big hand covered her tightly clasped ones on her lap. His heat seeped into her, spreading through her body and quieting her nerves before settling low in her belly.
“Hope,” he said, his voice deep and sexy. Meeting his molten green gaze, she was suddenly aware that maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t the only one affected by the simple touch.
For a moment, they merely looked at each other. When Hope licked her suddenly dry lips, his gaze shifted to catch the movement, and a low guttural sound rumbled up from his throat. He leaned forward, but the movement was too quick, and he hadn’t unbuckled yet. His big chest jarred against the security lock on his seat belt, barring him from closing the distance between them.
Hope tried to stifle her giggle, but failed and it ended up coming out of her nose in a very unladylike snort.
“It’s a sign.” She unbuckled her own belt. Then, reaching over slowly and provocatively so that her breasts brushed his chest, she unbuckled his belt for him. “We should go in,” she whispered, her mouth an inch from his. Her body thrilled when his eyes dilated and darkened. She felt feminine and powerful knowing that she, and she alone, was causing this normally controlled man to unravel before her.
Just to tease him a little more, she sucked in a soft breath, catching her lower lip between her teeth, then jumped out of the car before he could react.
Halting at the mouth of the walkway, she heard Gabe’s footsteps come up to stand beside her, then felt his palm slide down to the small of her back, rubbing lightly.
“You’ll pay for that,” he said, his voice a husky grumble next to her ear as his hand dipped to palm her butt.
Looking up at him, she said, “That better be a promise.”
He chuckled. “You are everything I expected you wouldn’t be, Hope Morgan.” He guided her up the walkway. “Come on. They’re waiting.”
Lori stood in the open doorway, arms wrapped around herself, the shriek of children behind her. “What’s taking you so long?” she demanded. “It’s freezing and holding the door for you is letting all the cold air in. Get inside already.” She stood back and gestured Hope and Gabe inside, shutting the door quickly behind them. She eyed them suspiciously. “What took you two so long?”
Gabe thrust a bottle of wine at his sister, ignoring her question, and shrugged out of his coat, inhaling deeply. “Smells like chicken cacciatore,” he said appreciatively. “My favorite.”
Lori’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t push the topic. Instead, her gaze locked on the potted plant in Hope’s hands. “Is that for me?” she asked, smiling prettily.
