Rush (Breathless #1)(104)

“When?” she whispered.

“When he gets back into town. He’s supposed to be back Monday or Tuesday. I’ll let him know that I have something important to discuss with him.”

“Okay,” she agreed, her pulse racing.

“Now, this is what I want us to do now that we’ve gotten all of that out of our way and decided, and the matter of Charles is dealt with,” Gabe said.

He touched her face, then threaded his hand through her hair, stroking in sweet caresses.

“I want us to spend the weekend together not worrying about a damn thing other than what pleases us. I’ll order in dinner for us, and we’ll have a nice meal by the fire and watch the rain turn to snow and sleet.”

She sighed and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. “That sounds wonderful, Gabe. It’s the perfect weekend.”

Chapter thirty-seven

Gabe kept a close eye on Mia throughout the weekend. She still showed signs of worry and anxiety, and he made every effort to distract her when it was obvious she was brooding over the situation with Charles. He had no doubt he’d made his point with Charles and that he wouldn’t be a threat to Mia any longer.

Still, he never assumed anything and so he’d placed a few discreet calls so that Charles’s activities could be monitored. But he kept that fact from Mia, not wanting to give her any reason to doubt his assurance that Charles would no longer pose a threat.

Sunday, he took her out for a late lunch, early dinner, and they sat in a restaurant that had already been decorated for Christmas ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday that was in a few days’ time. He knew she loved Christmas and everything having to do with it. Her entire face had lit up when they’d walked into the festively lit interior of the eatery.

He wasn’t at all certain of what to do for Thanksgiving. A lot would depend on Jace’s reaction to his and Mia’s relationship when they told him everything this week. His parents had invited him to spend the holiday with them, and as glad as he was that they were on the road to working things out, he still felt awkward around them. Plus, he didn’t want to spend the time away from Mia. And he didn’t want to leave her alone if Jace didn’t plan to be in town for the holiday.

When they walked out of the restaurant, darkness had settled over the city, and the wet sidewalks glistened in the streetlights and the glow from the traffic lights. Mia turned up her face and laughed in delight as a snowflake swirled down and hit her on the nose.

She posed an enchanting figure in her knit cap and long coat. She spun around, hands held out as a few other flakes danced downward in a drunken spiral.

He was utterly captivated by her.

Before he lost the moment, he picked up his phone and snapped a picture of her, wanting to add it to the other photo of her that he frequently looked at. She never noticed, so absorbed was she in catching the scattered flakes.

“It’s freezing out here!” Mia exclaimed.

She ran over and burrowed into Gabe’s overcoat, her arms wrapping around his waist as she shivered from head to toe. He caught her against him, smiling at her exuberance.

“Let’s get you warm then,” he said, guiding her toward the waiting car.

They climbed into the backseat where the seat warmers had already heated the leather. Mia sank into the seat, sighing in utter delight.

“I do love modern conveniences,” she said.

He chuckled. “I’m more than happy to keep you warm.”

“Mmmm. When we get back to the apartment I’ll be more than happy to let you.”

He ran his hand up her leg and then back again to the curve of her knee. “I have plans for you when we get back, most assuredly.”

She lifted an eyebrow in interest, her eyes glowing with instant fire. “Oh?”

He smiled. “You’ll find out when we get there.”

She turned her lip down into a pout and narrowed her eyes at him. He just grinned.

Oh yes, he had plans. He was a little nervous given what he had planned, but it was important to him to replace her last memory of bondage with something sensual. Hot. Passionate. Something welcome instead of something distasteful.

He knew with enough time that he could absolutely make the experience incredible for her, but he wouldn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to. He would watch her closely, and if she was afraid or uneasy, he’d stop immediately. He’d already screwed up badly with her. He had no desire to ever give her reason to doubt him again.

When they arrived at his apartment, he helped her from the car and held her hand as they rode the elevator up. Once inside, he took her coat, scarf and cap, and she rubbed her hands up and down her arms as she turned to walk into the living room.

He’d left the fireplace burning while they were gone so the living room would be plenty warm when they returned.

After removing his own coat, he followed Mia into the living room to see her standing in front of the fire.

“Stand there and undress,” he said, his voice husky with need.

She lifted her gaze and he watched for any sign of reluctance. But all he saw was trust shining back at him.

“I have a few things to get from the bedroom. Stay by the fire and keep warm. I’ll be right back.”

He strode into the bedroom and retrieved the rope, the anal plug and the vibrator from his closet. When he returned, she was silhouetted by the flames, her skin glowing from the fire.