Blind Ice (Razors Ice Book 5) (12 page)

A minute later, the bathroom door closed with a soft click and Julia let out the breath she was holding in. She pressed the hand to her cheek that had been clasped with his only a few minutes ago. It was slightly clammy, but it had felt so good to feel his body heat seep through her skin.

Gabe was here!

She almost couldn’t believe it. And not only was he in Red Valley, but he was in her shower!

For so long they’d been separated by five states and now he was on the other side of her bathroom door.

The attraction was there no matter how much she wanted to deny it. She hadn’t spent the past few months baring her soul to him over the phone for nothing.

* * *

Gabe set his shaving kit on the counter and surveyed the small bathroom. The room was tidy, as was the rest of her apartment and there was plenty of room to set out his razor and deodorant.

At first glance, he noticed the absence of cosmetics and was reminded that one of the things he liked most about Julia was how she didn’t put outward appearance above all else like some women did. She had inner beauty as well as outer beauty and her kindness and sense of humor wasn’t just for his benefit over the phone. She was genuinely everything he’d imagined her to be.

Inside the medicine cabinet he found some flavored lip gloss—cherry, that explained why he’d smelled the sweet scent of cherries when they hugged—deodorant and toothpaste. Feeling ridiculous for snooping, he closed the cabinet.

Quickly, he undressed and ducked under the spray of water in the small shower. Everything was small and cozy in her apartment and he was grateful she’d been generous enough to make room for him.

During the flight, he had made a list of activities he wanted to do while he was in Red Valley. But now that he was here with Julia he didn’t want to leave her little apartment for anything.

He’d spent so much time immersed in computer code that he’d forgotten how important the human element in life was.

* * *

Julia got up from the couch and went down the hall towards the bathroom. She stood by the door and listened to the water running. She pressed her ear against the door and listened.

Dang it!
You can’t let yourself get too attached. You’re just setting yourself up for disappointment at the end of the week
.
Do you want what happened with What’s His Face to happen all over again
?

Julia ignored her thoughts and imagined how the water must look as it ran down Gabe’s lean body. He would slather his skin with soap and it would rinse from his body and trickle down the drain, leaving everything wet and slick. It had been a long time since she’d had a man in her shower. She could easily imagine the things that could happen if she was in there with him…

The water shut off and Julia nearly jumped out of her skin. The shower curtain hooks scraped across the curtain rod and she turned and went into the kitchen to make coffee.

* * *

Gabe made his way into the kitchen and stood silently in the doorway watching her. She already seemed jumpy and he didn’t want to startle her. In the end, he was glad he hadn’t announced himself right away because watching Julia do a simple thing like making coffee was absolutely fascinating.

Her hands felt for objects she already knew were there. She moved around the kitchen, familiar with the space, picking up objects by memory. Gabe figured her memory was probably more proficient than some of his old computers.

Shamus, her loyal companion, was by her side at all times. For such a big dog he was surprisingly agile and didn’t bump into her. They maneuvered in a kind of graceful dance around the kitchen.

“Get out from underfoot, Shamus,” she muttered.

Shamus ducked his head and went to sit in front of the stove. He didn’t pay any mind to Gabe. The dog’s sole purpose was to serve Julia and he carried out his job flawlessly. Shamus sat on his haunches and watched her every move. When she opened the drawer next to the dishwasher, his ears pricked up and his paw shot up, ready to be shaken.

“Where are you?” she asked.

He trotted over to her, pawing the air like a Lipizzaner stallion. She shook it and gave him the treat.

Gingerly, he took it from her, walked back to the stove, crunched, and swallowed it down.

“You’re welcome,” she said and a rumbling sound came from Shamus in return.

“Your dog is amazing,” Gabe said in a low voice from the doorway.

Julia froze at the sound of his voice and then continued to pull two mugs from the cabinet. “Yes, he likes to think so. How do you like your coffee?”

“Black,” he answered and moved toward her.

She laughed and he could sense her nervousness. “Kate says I put enough sugar and milk in mine that it can’t be considered coffee.”

Where were these jittery nerves coming from? she asked herself. This was just Gabe. The same guy she’d shared intimate details with on the phone for the past year.

But that was
then
.

Now, he was standing so close to her that she could hear his breathing.

He took the spoon from her hand and it clanked on the counter. He held her hand in his and kissed right between her knuckles.

Shyly, she bowed her head. “You’re probably looking at me in disgust right now and I can’t even see it.”

“I’m not—don’t be ridiculous.”

His breath came out in a huff and she knew he was telling the truth.

“You want to know how I’m looking at you? I’m looking at those freckles on your chest wanting to kiss them.”

“Wha…
wow
.” How was she supposed to respond to
that
?

“We’ve been talking for a year, Julia. What, did you think I was finally going to see you in person and suddenly not like you anymore?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. What can I say, I give good phone.”

“C’mere.” He pulled her to him and she rested her cheek against his chest.

He was so solid and warm and now the smell of soap clung to his damp skin. He had changed into new clothes and the lightweight sweater he wore was soft under her fingertips.

It was easy to let him hold her and to melt against the hardness of his chest. She’d been dreaming about this for months.

If only she could let herself believe they could be more than friends.

His fingers raked through her hair.

“Your hair is so soft.” It wasn’t sticky or crunchy from hair products and he loved the short style she wore it in.

Gabe didn’t want to stop hugging her and he certainly didn’t want to let go of her hand. She was beautiful. He knew she would be, but he didn’t anticipate the inner light that radiated from her. Julia Kapowski was something special and he thanked his lucky stars for the chance to spend time with her.

A week wasn’t going to be nearly long enough.

Boldly, she reached up and sifted his hair through her fingers. “Yours is longer than I thought it would be. It’s soft, too.”

They would be sharing a kiss eventually, Julia was sure of it. But he’d just arrived, and for the first time in her life, she needed to take baby steps. Or at least small strides instead of a full out sprint to the finish line.

The coffeemaker sputtered, signaling the coffee was ready. She stepped out of his embrace and poured two mugs of the steaming liquid.

Whether it was out of stubbornness or just the need to prove her independence, Julia had the habit of jumping headfirst into things. She was more than ready to do that with Gabe, but she knew the water wasn’t deep enough and self-preservation kicked in full force, warning her of the dangers.

Sitting at the little kitchen table with the big dog settled at their feet, Gabe didn’t think he’d ever been happier. His hand reached out to hers and he laced their fingers together. Together they sat hand in hand, drinking their coffee and finally speaking without a mountain range between them.

* * *

After a tasty dinner of fried wantons and mushroom chicken, Julia and Gabe sat on the couch watching
Jeopardy!
She especially liked quiz shows because it was easy to play along. When the answer was given, she mumbled the correct question and snuggled deeper against Gabe.

Julia thought for sure that she’d continue to be nervous around him. But it turned out she wasn’t, not in the slightest. If anything, Gabe’s arrival was like an old friend returning for a visit and settling into an easy routine with her and her pets. But he didn’t just feel like an old friend.

There were other emotions attached to him when they were together. Other, more romantic emotions. She was comfortable with him being here in her home and yet she still experienced a flutter of excitement when their hands brushed or when he held her hand while they were watching TV.

Whatever it was, she didn’t want it to go away. The feelings spread a wave of warmth through her.

And after spending nearly a lifetime in the cold, she welcomed the intriguing sensation.

* * *

The next morning Julia woke up on the couch. The smell of Chinese food lingered in the air and her mouth was dry from consuming so much sodium the night before.

At the first signs of movement, Cassidy began her morning song and dance for breakfast. Julia swung her feet to the floor and they landed on Shamus’s soft fur. She reached down and scratched behind his ears. “Mornin’ buddy.”

“Mornin’.” Gabe said from the spot next to her.

“And good morning to you, too.” She felt her face flush as she remembered he was still here. Today was day two of their fateful week together. “You’re still here.”

They had slept on the couch together, which was probably roomier than her bed anyway.

“Would it sound corny if I told you that yesterday was the best day of my life?”

She laughed. “You really don’t get out much, do you, Gabe Crawford?”

“Why leave when we have everything right here?”

Julia couldn’t argue with that. She had her animals and her music and leftover fried rice in the fridge. Now that Gabe was here, everything felt complete.

* * *

“Oh! I almost forgot. I bought you something from Chicago.”

“I hope it’s not a deep-dish pizza.”

Gabe laughed and dug the gift out of his duffel bag. When he placed it in her hand, Julia’s fingers closed around the box.

“Open it.”

Inside, was something cool and smooth like glass. She tapped her fingernail against it. It
was
glass.

“It’s a paperweight. There’s a pansy inside. It won’t die or crumple.”

Julia swallowed. So, he’d remembered the story she’d told him.

She held tightly to the paperweight and hugged him. “Thank you.”

Thank you for remembering and thank you for chiseling through my defenses one pansy at a time
.

Chapter Fourteen

Lunch and Sunshine

The next day, Kate met Julia at the park near her office for lunch. Julia brought tacos from Tico’s Tacos, the best taco joint in town. Gabe was having a lunch of his own with his big shot friend from college. Julia knew she’d drive herself nuts if she stayed home waiting for him to come back, so she had invited Kate out. Her sister spent too much time cooped up in that stuffy office of hers anyway.

The midday sun was warm on their shoulders and Julia heard Shamus grunt as he lay down on the grass and stretched out on his side. Soon he was panting and she listened to the comforting sound of his breath whooshing in and out of his lungs. He was happiest outside with the sunshine warming his bones and she felt guilty for keeping him cooped up while she worked on her sonata.

“So,” Kate began, “Gabe is in town.”

“Yeah,” Julia answered dreamily. “Gabe is in town.” She quickly reeled in her hormones for fear of being subject to one of her sister’s renowned “I Told You So” speeches.

“His face lit up when he saw you,” Kate mentioned. “It was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

The observation made Julia feel all warm and gooey inside and it wasn’t from the tacos. “Tell me what he looks like.” It didn’t really matter, but she was still curious what Kate thought of him.

“He’s very handsome.”

“You’re just saying that because I like him.”

“No, I’m not. If he was goofy looking, I’d say it. I swear.”

“So he’s not goofy looking?”

Kate chewed a bite of her taco thoughtfully. “Not at all. He looks like one of those cute guys on a romance novel, except not as cheesy. His hair is longer, but he can totally pull it off. Where Logan looks like a California surfer dude, Gabe looks like he’s from the east coast. He dresses nice… He’s about the same build as Logan. Maybe not quite as tall.”

“Quit comparing him to Logan.”

“Sorry.”

“Yeah, sorry because he’s all you can ever think about these days,” Julia teased out of habit. In all reality Logan brought out the best in her sister and she knew he was good for her. “Gabe’s thinner and shorter than Logan. Okay, I get it. You’re dating a Greek god.”

“
Swedish
god,” Kate corrected. “Well, technically he’s half Scottish, too. Anyway, you don’t need to remind
me
. So, what did you and Gabe do after I left last night?”

Julia ignored the insinuation in her sister’s voice. “We sat and talked for hours.” She didn’t know what time they’d finally fallen asleep on the couch because it hadn’t really mattered.

“How do you guys have anything left to talk about?”

“I don’t know, but we do. He told me more about Chicago, his job and his coworkers. I told him about you and Logan...”

They had talked like old friends and held hands like new lovers. He felt comfortable to be around and she enjoyed his company.

And that’s what scared Julia the most.

* * *

When Gabe contacted Colby McCauley to reminisce about old times while he was in town, he didn’t expect to be invited to lunch by the chairman and CEO of MacDaddy Games himself. The fact that Colby had insisted on making time for him—especially since he’d recently been shouldered with running an entire company by himself—had been a pleasant surprise. Gabe would never pass up the chance to talk shop with an old friend from college, even if that meant a few less hours spent with Julia. He hated to take time away from his visit with her, but there was no telling when he’d get the opportunity to see Colby again.

Gabe grinned when Colby strode into the restaurant. Colby looked the same as he had in college and if anything, looked even leaner. Despite the hardships he’d suffered that year, the guy could still draw the attention of a room. Tall, dark and tan, he was the polar opposite of Gabe Crawford.

They dug into a lunch of prime rib sandwiches and seasoned French fries.

“I’m sorry about your brother.”

Zachary McCauley had died in an extreme sports accident a few months ago and his death had shaken the gaming community to the core. Like Gabe, Colby’s passion was software technology, but he kept the game end of the company going because it was his brother’s legacy—that and the fact that MacDaddy Games was one of the largest producer of video games in the country.

Pain flashed in Colby’s eyes. “Yeah, we miss him a lot.”

They each knew the grief of losing a sibling, but they hadn’t met to discuss the past. The subject inevitably shifted to Gabe’s work and he eagerly told Colby about VINCE.

“I love the idea,” Colby mused. “When will you have the prototype ready?”

“As soon as I get back to Chicago. A few weeks at the most.”

“If you ever want to relocate to Red Valley, you have a job waiting for you at MacDaddy.”

Gabe paused. He’d never put much thought into leaving Intelliteck before. As crummy as his boss was, he and VINCE had both found homes there.

“Really?”

Colby nodded.

“Thanks Colby.” Gabe might not have entertained an idea like that in the past, but Julia had turned his world upside down.

Or maybe it was more like right-side up.

* * *

After being on the road for an excruciatingly long road trip, Logan wanted to get Kate alone where she would be all his until he had to leave for his next game. The appetite she fueled in him could never be satiated with ice time or food or anything else but her.

Every time they were together he just ended up wanting more of her. She tasted like heaven and her body was sinful between the sheets. Well, he assumed it was, but they rarely seemed to make it all the way to the bed. The couch, a chair, up against the wall…they tackled each other at every opportunity and always made good use of their surroundings. Once they even did it on her back porch, the chaise lounge on her patio proving to be surprisingly comfortable. Keeping quiet so the neighbors wouldn’t hear was half the fun.

This weekend Logan had other plans for the two of them. And this time they included a hotel room and room service.

He knew the fatigue of the back-to-back games and the flight home would drain away when he saw her again. And when he finally kissed her it would be like coming home all over again.

* * *

If there was one surprise Kate had enjoyed over the last several months, it was finding Logan on her doorstep at unexpected times throughout the day. Or the week. Or whenever he felt like showing up. This time he was sporting a grin the size of a Zamboni and his eyes were full of boyish mischief.

He wore cargo shorts and flip-flops and his biceps were bulging out of his T-shirt.

Kate waved him inside, but he had ideas of his own. He scooped her up right there at the door and melded his lips to hers in a kiss hot enough to melt the ice at The Garden.

When he had thoroughly kissed off the last of her lipstick, Logan set her back down and breezed past her and into the house.

Dazed, Kate stood on her front porch, flushed and panting like Shamus after a vigorous game of fetch. When she regained clarity and walked into the living room, her smile matched Logan’s. She could never get enough of being wanted by him.

She might struggle with words after a greeting such as that, but he beat her to the punch. “How soon can you get ready to leave town?”

Those were the last words she expected to come out of his mouth. Hadn’t he just come back into town?

Her brow furrowed. “Leave town?”

“Yeah.” He closed the distance between them and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I want to take you to Cabo.”

“Cabo San Lucas?” she sputtered, her brain working a million miles a minute. “
In Mexico?
”

“You have a passport, don’t you?”

“Yes, but I can’t just
leave
. This is all very last minute, Logan,” she chided and then cringed at the sudden schoolmarm tone her voice had taken on. Where did her adventurous spirit go? What happened to spontaneity and improvisation?

“Yeah, it’s last minute,” he agreed. “That’s what makes it so fun. I have a couple of days off before we play Vegas. All we have to do is hop on a plane and we can be in Mexico in a few hours. We’ll be drinking margaritas on the beach by dinnertime. And then we can be back in time for you to go to work on Monday and my game Monday night.”

That all sounded well and good—all that hopping and drinking, Kate thought, but there were plans to be made, travel arrangements to see to, luggage to pack…

As if he could sense her inner distress, Logan pulled her to him and buried his nose in her hair. “I’ll take care of everything,” he said, breathing in the fragrance of her shampoo. “All you have to do is pack a bag, come with me and
trust me
. We can have ‘sex on the beach’ without the vodka.”

She pushed back and smirked. “How long have you been waiting to use
that
line?”

“Since I thought of it on the ride over here.” He pulled her close again.

His breath was hot and moist in her ear and he placed a kiss so chaste on her lobe that she shivered within his grasp.

“I want to make love with you as the sun goes down over the Pacific Ocean and watch the salty air caress your body as I move inside you.” His tongue flicked out and traced the curve of her ear. He couldn’t risk deepening the kiss because then they’d never make it out the door.

“I—” Kate cleared her throat when she found it thick with desire and started the sentence over. “I’ll go pack.”

* * *

An hour later when she called Julia from the airport, Kate was still breathless from the impromptu vacation. “I’m boarding a plane to Cabo with Logan.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line as Julia absorbed the out of the ordinary information. “I’m sorry, you must have the wrong number,” she said curtly. “This is Julia, sister of a very practical and sensible Kate.”

“It’s me, JuJu and I know VINCE already told you that. I’m going on vacation.”

“That’s great, Katie,” she finally said. “A trip like that would usually require months of planning and preparation and you’ve gone and done it by the seat of your pants.”

Kate was actually wearing a skirt and Logan’s hand was currently snaking up her bare leg and dangerously close to the hem.

“I know,” Kate replied, squirming in her seat. “Isn’t it wonderful? To just throw caution to the wind and just
do
something without overthinking it?”

“Yes,” Julia said, thinking about Gabe flying to Red Valley. “It’s wonderful.”