“Oh,” I reply, relief helping calm my rapid heartbeat. “Okay. Good.” A single eyebrow shoots heavenward. “What I meant was, I’m just glad I’m not kicking someone else out of your bed,” I state with an awkward chuckle. “I’ll be the only one there.”
When my own words register, there’s no way to draw them back.
The blush is intense, the desire to have the floor open up and swallow me whole even greater. “N-not that I’ll be there with you. Just me. Alone in your bed. No you.”
Kill me now!
“Anyway,” he says slowly, “I’ll leave you alone. Feel free to use anything you need.” When he gets to the door, he stops and turns back around. “I was getting ready to heat up some soup for a late dinner. Are you hungry?”
“Oh.” My stomach chooses that exact moment to growl, reminding me that I haven’t eaten anything but a bag of peanut M&M’s since my road trip began. “I suppose I could eat something,” I add with a snicker.
Another panty-melting grin is flashed my way, making me a little wobbly in the knees. “I’ll get something ready. Come on down to the kitchen when you’re done.” Then he turns and leaves, closing the door behind me as he goes.
I take a deep breath and survey my surroundings. That huge walk-in shower has two heads, one coming from the ceiling, but that jetted whirlpool tub is what calls my name. It takes me a minute to figure out the controls, and before long, I have hot water filling the massive tub.
My socks were still damp from the snow that seeped into them from the bank I stepped in, as are parts of my leggings, so to strip those off feels amazing, especially with the warm steam filling the room.
Just as I go to climb in the tub, I remember his comment about the bath salts. How long has it been since I indulged in a soothing bath? Too long, that’s for sure.
Inside the linen closet, I find a new box of lavender salts and dump a small scoop inside the tub. The amazing aroma fills the room immediately and relaxes my stressed out muscles the moment I slip into the water.
This is heaven.
A girl could really get used to this.
I pad down the stairs, my nose following the spicy scent of chili filling the air. As soon as I step into the kitchen, I find Gabe at the counter, stirring a large pot of something at the stove. He doesn’t hear me enter, which gives me a little time just to watch. It’s been years since I’ve seen him. Hell, besides the casual mention of his name during a conversation with Hallie, it’s been years since I’ve really thought about him. Gabe aged well, that’s for sure. He clearly takes care of himself, if the defined arms I saw earlier are any indication. He’s always been good-looking, but I think it’s safe to say he’s a total hottie now. Why he’s single is beyond me.
But really, that’s none of my business, and I’d do better to remember that.
I must have made a noise, because when I look up, I find Gabe’s eyes on me. Not my face, on my body. There’s a…hunger there I wasn’t expecting, one that takes my breath.
“You made yourself at home, I see.”
His words catch me off guard, but only for a fraction of a second. Instantly, realization sets in. It’s not hunger swirling in his blue eyes, it’s annoyance.
“Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry about that, but apparently, when I grabbed a stack of my clothes, I didn’t grab anything to wear to bed. All I have is a sweater and some skinny jeans for tomorrow,” I say with an uncomfortable chuckle. “I peeked in your closet and saw this crewneck sweatshirt and joggers on the shelf and grabbed them. I hope that’s okay.” I bite my lip, waiting for him to say something about the fact I’m wearing his clothes without his permission.
He visibly swallows hard before averting his eyes and concentrating on the pot on the stove. “Yeah, of course. Fine. Dinner’s ready.” His tone is gruff, his words jerky, which makes me sigh.
Why the hell didn’t I pay closer attention to the clothes I grabbed? I managed to make sure I had plenty of underwear, but didn’t think about having something to sleep in. Brilliant.
“I hope you don’t mind spicy food. It’s white chicken and corn chili, but I always add a little extra kick to it.” Gabe retrieves two bowls from one of his gorgeous cabinets and fills them both with the mouthwatering soup.
“I don’t mind spicy,” I confirm, taking the offered bowl and walking over to one of the barstools in front of the counter. “Thank you.”
He sort of grunts his reply before turning his attention to the fridge and filling two tall glasses with milk. “This’ll help,” he says, sliding a glass in front of me.
We eat in silence, the only sound is the clanking of our spoons against the bowls. I have to admit, this soup is really good, and when he returns to the stove to refill his bowl, I actually consider having seconds myself. But I stop myself. It’s already so late, and the last thing I need to do is stuff myself and have horrible indigestion. Wouldn’t that be my luck?
When we’re all done, I head for the sink to rinse my bowl. “You can leave it,” he says, speaking for the first time since before we started to eat.
“I don’t mind cleaning up after myself. It’s the least I can do,” I insist, turning to face him. “You rescued me from the snow, let me take over your bathroom and bedroom, and then fed me delicious soup. I really appreciate all you’ve done.”
He shrugs and turns away, as if uncomfortable, but he doesn’t say anything else while I finish cleaning up some of the kitchen mess. When it’s all done, he tosses the washcloth into the mudroom hamper and flips off the light. “It’s late,” he says unnecessarily.
“Yeah.” I rock back on my heels, taking the hint. Before I even step out of the kitchen, he already has the lights out, except for the single canned light above the sink.
I head to the stairs, taking a quick peek into the living room. Gabe’s large sectional does look comfortable, but I still feel terrible kicking him out of his own bed. “I can’t take the—”
“Don’t say it. I’ll be fine, Blair. Just head upstairs and go to sleep. We’ll deal with your car and everything in the morning.” He seems almost mad, which makes my guilt feel a thousand times worse. I hate that I’m putting him out the way I am, all because I decided to surprise his sister with an early visit without paying close attention to the weather report.
A lump in my throat makes it hard to swallow, so I just nod, willing the onslaught of tears to remain at bay. The last thing I want to do is cry in front of Gabriel Rhodes. So instead of apologizing again, I turn and head up the stairs. When I reach the top, I risk a glance back. Gabe is standing there, hands on his hips, and his head hanging. He looks like he’s breathing heavily, which only makes me feel even worse. I’ve completely upended his life—or at the very least, his night.
First thing in the morning, I’ll call for a tow to get my car out of the snow. Then, I’ll walk back and leave Gabe’s house forever. He won’t have to worry about me or my taking over his space any longer than necessary.
Tomorrow morning, he can forget all about me.