Run to You (18 page)

She shook her head. “Nonsense. I love cooking for you. I think we should have bacon every morning until…well, as long as I'm here to cook it.”

“Bacon every morning? I can't argue with that.” Couldn't breathe either. His stomach heaved at the thought of her not being here. He swallowed past it with a big gulp of coffee, then stood, pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, and headed for the Jeep.

Gabby's honeysuckle scent lingered inside it, or he just couldn't get her out of his head. Or maybe both. He took the top down, then drove to Off-the-Grid and changed into his swim trunks. He needed to sort some things out, and the only way he could do that was by swimming.

After he dove in, everything came into focus as his body sliced through the water. At the end of each lap, he tucked, rolled, and kicked off toward the other end.

Steady. Even. Predictable.

Funny how he needed that here, when his life had never been any of those things. Except one thing in his life had always been just that.

Gram.

Gabby woke alone, which she'd expected, but still…maybe a small part of her had hoped he would stay this time. What they'd shared last night had been so intense, so emotional, so passionate. Her mind was still reeling from it all.

Reluctantly, she rolled out of bed and stepped into the shower. Then she took her morning coffee out on the back deck to enjoy with Lance. Rather than explore the woods below, he simply lay at her side, chin on his front paws, watching the birds swoop overhead.

“I don't think I've ever heard you bark,” she said.

Lance looked at her, his right ear twitching as a fly buzzed around his head.

“You do know how to, right?” She took another long sip from her coffee. “I think I like that about you, though. Sometimes quiet is nice.”

She finished her coffee and took him for a walk in the woods. Since it was almost noon already, she bypassed breakfast and fixed herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because she desperately needed to go grocery shopping but knew better than to go on an empty stomach.

She'd just finished making her sandwich when someone knocked on the front door. On cue, Lance scurried from where he'd been lying under the table and ran into the pantry.

“Seriously? It's probably Ethan. You like him, remember?” Her heart danced a happy jig in her chest as she rushed to open the door.

Her parents stood on the other side.

Gabby's smile withered and died. “Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?”

Her mom stepped forward to pull her into a tight hug. “Well, we hadn't heard from you in a while so we figured we'd stop by and surprise you.”

“See what you've been up to out here in the mountains,” her dad added. Even though it was Sunday, Harold Winters wore pressed gray slacks and a button-down shirt. Gabby had never seen her father in a pair of jeans, wasn't sure he even owned one.

“What a nice surprise. Come in.” She tried to sound enthusiastic, but even to her ears it sounded forced.

Much like the smile on her mother's face. “What a lovely cabin.”

“It's great, isn't it?” Gabby led her parents into the living room, where they ooh'ed and aah'ed over the view from her back deck. “Can I get you guys anything? Coffee? Water?”

“Water would be great. Thank you, sweetie,” her mom said.

Her dad nodded. “I'll have the same.”

Gabby walked into the kitchen, cursing under her breath. The last thing she was in the mood for today was a visit from her parents. There was no bad blood between them, but her parents had always been more focused on their careers than on Gabby. Growing up, her nanny had been the one to kiss her boo-boos, the one who taught her how to ride her bike without training wheels, and made sure her homework was finished before she went outside to play.

Debra and Harold had always been at work.

She filled two glasses with ice water and walked back to the living room. Her mom sat perched on the edge of the couch while her dad stood in front of the window, hands in his pockets.

“So, wow. You guys drove a long way to surprise me.” She handed them each a glass.

“Thank you.” Her mom took a long drink. “It had just been so long since we'd seen you. How are you doing?”

Gabby sat across from her on the love seat. “Really great actually. Haven's been good for me. I've made some new friends.”

“Well, that's good.” Debra looked relieved. “We were so worried when you just up and left home like that.”

“I needed a change of scenery.” And a chance to live her life without their constant judgment and criticism.

“At least you finally came to your senses where Brad was concerned.”

Gabby bristled. Sure, Brad was a total loser, but her parents had no idea what he'd done. They just disliked him because he was a blue collar worker. But there was something else that had been bothering her. “Brad came here to Haven. Did you tell him where to find me?”

“Of course not,” her mother said. “He came to see us, too, and I told him to leave us all alone. Good riddance, I say.”

“But I didn't tell anyone else from home where I was staying,” Gabby said quietly.

“For goodness' sake, Gabby.” Her dad's voice was stern. “You sound like you're accusing your mother of something here.”

Debra blanched. “Well, I think I did tell him he could forget about seeing you again because you'd moved all the way out here in the mountains. I didn't think he'd
come
. I was telling him to move on.”

Gabby shook her head. “It's okay, Mom. I told him to get lost, and he seems to have finally taken the hint.”

“Well, that's good. So you like it here?” Her mother looked around the room as if searching for the answer to her own question.

“I do. I really do.”

Another knock came at her front door.
Crap.
She didn't want to have to introduce her parents to anyone here. Haven's citizens weren't exactly their type, at least not any of the ones who might be standing on the other side of her front door right now.

“Excuse me.” She smiled at her parents and hurried to the front door.

Ethan stood on the other side, wearing a wide grin and the same blue T-shirt he'd loaned her the day they met. The one that said,
I'D RATHER BE GETTING HIGH
.

Gabby held in a groan.

“Hey.” He leaned in to give her a quick kiss. “I came to see if you wanted to get lunch, but it looks like you have company?”

“Oh—” She glanced behind her, then sighed. “It's my parents. They just…dropped by.”

Ethan's eyebrows went up.

No doubt her parents had already seen him kiss her so there was nothing left to do but introduce them. “Sorry,” she mouthed to him as she motioned him inside.

Debra stood from the couch, smoothing her hands over the front of her black slacks. Harold moved to stand at her side. They both wore polite smiles as they stared at Ethan.

He turned on his trademark charm, extending a hand with a warm, genuine smile. “Hi, I'm Ethan Hunter.”

“Debra Winters, Gabby's mother.” She took his hand and shook.

“Well, I can certainly see where Gabby gets her looks. It's great to meet you.”

Her mother patted her hair and blushed. “Nice to meet you, too.”

As her dad shook hands with Ethan, he blatantly stared at Ethan's shirt. “That's a little inappropriate, isn't it?”

Ethan looked down at his shirt and laughed. “Sorry, sir. It's a hang-gliding joke. I haven't smoked weed in years.”

Her dad's steely look made it clear he didn't find that at all reassuring.

But Ethan merely shrugged. “So what brings you guys to Haven? Has Gabby shown you around town yet?”

For a guy who always kept things casual and therefore probably didn't make it to the “meet the parents” stage often—if at all—he sure was handling this well.

“We just got here,” her mother told him. “We decided to drive out this morning on a whim.”

“Well then, I have perfect timing,” Ethan said. “I've lived here most of my life so I'd love to help show you around. Have you had lunch yet?”

Ethan met Gabby's eyes across the table and winked. Her lips turned up in a hint of a smile. She'd been edgy ever since he barged in on her with her parents, but he couldn't say he blamed her. Mr. and Mrs. Winters both seemed like they could use a ride on his zip-line course—or two—to loosen them up some.

“So, Ethan, what do you do for a living?” Mr. Winters asked.

“I'm opening my own business this summer, Off-the-Grid Adventures. It's an extreme outdoor sporting facility. We'll have zip-lining, rock climbing, survival skills, that kind of thing. I'm really excited about it.”

“Oh.” Gabby's father looked less than impressed.

“That sounds…dangerous,” her mother said.

He ought to introduce them to the folks on the Town Council; they'd probably get along great. “It's all very safe, I promise,” he told her. “I'm also the swim coach at Pearcy County High during the school year and teach swim lessons year round.”

“That's lovely,” Mrs. Winters said, giving him her first real smile. “I swam on the Highland Country Club swim team all through high school.”

“You did?” Gabby was looking at her mother like she'd never seen her before.

“Well, yes, honey. I'm sure I've mentioned it.”

“I'm sure you haven't.”

And here he'd thought he came from the only dysfunctional family at the table. “That's wonderful, Mrs. Winters. Swimming is the best sport as far as I'm concerned. Sure straightened me out when I needed straightening.”

“Ethan won two gold medals at the Olympics in Beijing,” Gabby told her mother, her voice laced with pride.

Apart from Gram, he wasn't sure anyone had ever looked at him the way she was right now. A funny, tingly feeling grew in his chest. He took her hand beneath the table and gave it a squeeze.

“Oh, I knew your name sounded familiar!” Mrs. Winters was looking at him with respect now, and while he preferred that to the disapproval he'd gotten from her earlier, it pissed him off that his gold medals somehow made him more worthy in her eyes.

He kept them in a box in his closet. They didn't define who he was or even the greatest thing he'd accomplished. “Yes, that's me.”

“I remember watching you compete that summer. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, Gabby and her friends all had a bit of a crush on you.” Her mom elbowed her playfully, showing the first real affection toward her daughter that he'd seen.

Gabby blushed adorably. “
Mom.
”

And it was all he could do not to reach across the table and kiss her, take her hand, and proclaim to the world that she was
his
. Because he couldn't imagine anything or anyone more perfect than Gabby.

Mr. Winters cleared his throat. “So how did you go from Olympic champion to riding zip-lines?”

His happy mood soured in an instant. “I'm pursuing a dream, sir. Opening my own business with two of my childhood friends. We hope Off-the-Grid will be very profitable.”

“And if it's not?”

Ethan's hands balled into fists beneath the table. He'd brought in almost a million dollars in Olympic endorsements back in the day, and thanks to Gram's guidance, he'd invested it well. He could afford to pursue whatever dream he chose. “Then I'll try something else.”

“And how do you plan to support yourself in the meantime?” Mr. Winters asked.

“Dad!” Gabby looked horrified.

“As I mentioned, I coach the high school swim team, teach swim lessons, and I also take odd jobs around town.”

“Sorry.” Mrs. Winters placed her hand over her husband's. “He's an investment broker. He's got money on the brain.”

“I understand,” Ethan said. Didn't change the fact that Gabby's father was also an ass.

He'd brought them to the Skyline Grille for lunch and requested a table on the upstairs open air patio, figuring they'd appreciate the upscale menu and the pricey view. And while they seemed impressed with the restaurant, the same couldn't be said about him.

He had a feeling her parents would be all too relieved when he and Gabby went their separate ways. And that shouldn't bother him. He usually didn't even meet the parents of a woman he was seeing and couldn't care less what they thought of him.

But for some reason this
did
bother him. He was royally pissed off that Gabby's parents didn't think he was good enough for her, and for some stupid reason, he found himself desperately wanting to prove them wrong.

A
dog?” Gabby's mother wrinkled her nose. “I didn't even know you liked dogs.”

Gabby stroked Lance's fur as she once again sat on the love seat opposite her parents. Ethan had taken off after lunch, citing work, and she couldn't blame him.
God.
Her parents, especially her dad, had been so rude. Now she needed to find a tactful way to send them home. “I've always liked animals. Lance is a good companion.”

“Never saw the point of a dog that small,” her dad commented. “Can't guard. Probably can't even fetch.”

She bit her tongue and looked away.

“So have you ridden this zip-line your boyfriend made?” her mom asked.

“No.” And she'd been fine with that decision until about two seconds ago. Now she felt like a coward for not having at least tried.

“Good,” her father said. “You're smarter than that.”

“But I'm going to.” If for no other reason than to tell her parents she had. But she was finished letting fear boss her around. To hell with that.

Her dad grunted his disapproval.

“Your father and I were talking in the car on the way home from lunch,” her mother said.

Gabby looked between them, one hand clenched into Lance's soft fur.

“Ethan's gold medals are impressive,” she continued, “and he's obviously a very ambitious and charismatic young man.”

Gabby sensed a big
but
coming…

“He needs a job that reflects his potential,” her father said. “Lockhart Investments is always looking for dynamic new people to join the team. Ethan might do well in communications or public affairs, or even sales. I'd be happy to put in a good word for him.”

And there it was. Gabby shook her head. “Why would he want to come work with you, Dad? He's just opened a new business here in Haven, in case you weren't paying attention to anything he told you at lunch.”

Her father's eyes narrowed. “He's taking people for zip-line rides. I could assure him a job with financial stability and growth. After all, you'll be coming home to Charlotte soon, and if Ethan's serious about you, he should consider his future, and yours.”

“He
is
thinking about his future,” Gabby said quietly. “He's fulfilling a dream with Off-the-Grid. And I don't need a man to provide for me, Dad.”

“Well, of course not, Gabby,” her mother said. “We raised you better than that. But listen to what your father's saying. He's offering Ethan an opportunity to do something more with his life. We just don't want to see you end up with another guy like Brad…you know, more interested in having a good time than settling down.”

“All right, that's enough.” Gabby stood from the couch. Lance, alarmed, scurried off toward the safety of the pantry. “For your information, Ethan is nothing,
nothing
, like Brad. If you'd taken the time to get to know either one of them, you'd be able to see that. I appreciate your concern, but if you just came here to meddle in my life, then you can leave. Because I'm happy here, and nothing you can say is going to change that.”

Ethan taught two swim lessons, then spent the rest of the afternoon schmoozing local business owners to support the Adrenaline Rush or, better yet, form a team and join in the fun. He enjoyed networking, but lunch with Gabby's parents had left his patience running short, and after several hours of going door to door on Main Street, he'd had enough.

He was in serious need of stress relief, in the form of swimming laps or his zip-line course. But for some reason, as he headed toward Off-the-Grid, he found himself continuing down the road to drive by Gabby's place.

The silver BMW that had been parked in her driveway earlier was gone.

And he needed to see her. He turned into the driveway and parked. She opened the front door before he'd reached it, looking so goddamn gorgeous that he stumbled over his own feet in his hurry to pull her into his arms and kiss the daylights out of her.

“I'm so sorry.” She pressed her face against his neck.

He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her honeysuckle scent. And all the tension in his body just faded away. “No need to apologize. Your parents had some valid concerns.”

“Bullshit.” She drew back and stared at him. “They were rude, and I told them so.”

He grinned. “Wish I'd been here to see that.”

She laughed softly, reaching up to brush a lock of hair from her face.

“So you had a crush on me during the Olympics, huh?”

Her cheeks flushed. “You were hot in a Speedo.”

“I was a cocky kid high on the scent of gold.”

She looked right into his eyes. “I like this version of you even better.”

Yeah, he did, too.

Especially when he was with Gabby. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, hard. They kissed until her legs were wrapped around his hips, her back against the wall in her entrance hall, and his heart was about to burst right out of his chest.

“You are absolutely fucking amazing. You know that, right?” He nibbled down her neck, rewarded by a breathless gasp from Gabby.

“I'm working on it.”

“Atta girl.” And then he carried her down the hall to her bedroom, where he showed her exactly how amazing she was. Twice.

The sun was setting outside the window beside them as they lay in her bed, naked and entwined. She snuggled closer with a happy sigh. “I like this.”

“Me, too.” He tightened his arms around her, securing her against him. He liked it an awful fucking lot. More than he'd ever liked anything with a girl. And not just the sex. Everything with Gabby was great.

“I'm starving,” she whispered.

“Me, too, but I don't want to move.”

“Take-out?”

He liked the way she was thinking. “How does pizza sound?”

She smiled. “Perfect. And I have beer in the fridge.”

He slid out of bed, pulled on his shorts, and walked to the living room, where he ordered a large pizza loaded with the works. Hell, they'd definitely burned enough calories earlier to justify it. And he'd noticed that Gabby didn't eat much of her grilled chicken salad at lunch today.

She walked into the living room wearing a gauzy pink gown that came to mid-thigh and was possibly the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. It gave him just a tease of the outline of her breasts, and as she passed him headed for the kitchen, he found himself staring at her ass, hoping for a glimpse to confirm whether or not she was wearing panties.

The gown was about an inch too long.

She came back with two beers, handed him one, and sank onto the couch. “What do you like to watch on TV?”

“Sports.” He sat beside her.

Gabby wrinkled her nose. “What kind of sports?”

“Any kind.”

“Hmm.” She snuggled in close beside him, and her gown rode up her thigh, confirming that she was wearing panties—skimpy purple panties.

And he guessed she was not into sports. “We could watch a movie.”

“That's so very…domestic.” She gave him a funny smile.

Yeah, it was. He couldn't remember the last time he'd spent an evening hanging out with a woman, ordering take-out and watching a movie together. “I can be domestic.” His gaze dropped to the video game equipment on the shelf beneath her TV. “Want to play something?”

Her eyes brightened. “Yes. That sounds more fun than a movie.”

“Sweet. Got any more games like that skiing one you brought to the senior center?”

“Yeah, sure.” She tapped a finger against her lips with a smile. “Guessing you wouldn't be interested in
Dance Central
.”

He made a face at her, and she giggled.

“I've got a sports collection, a
Star Wars
adventure, and…oh!
Wipeout.
”

“Like that TV show where you get whacked in the nuts and fall off stuff?”

She laughed. “Exactly like that, except the hits are virtual. You game?”

“Game on, baby.” He got to his feet.

Five minutes later, he was jumping around and lurching from side to side, guiding his character through a virtual obstacle course while Gabby—predictably—whooped his ass. Although, to his credit, he couldn't be expected to pay full attention to the game when she was bouncing around next to him wearing next to nothing.

Their food arrived soon after, and they took a break to stuff themselves on pizza, then settled in with fresh beers to play
Super Mario Brothers
. Talk about a blast from the past.

“This was one of my favorite games when I was a kid,” he said.

“Mine, too.”

“My mom played with me sometimes.” He had no idea why he was telling her this.

“Oh yeah?” Gabby scooter closer, her thigh against his. “What was she like?”

Tired, mostly. Beaten down by life. But… “She was really good at making me laugh.”

She squeezed his knee. “She got that from her mom, I bet.”

He exhaled slowly, surprised to find that he was smiling. “Yeah, bet she did. I didn't know Gram back then, but my mom had a lot of her mannerisms.”

“You must miss her so much.”

He didn't let himself think about his mom often, and when he did, it was usually to relive the horrific way she had died. He almost never remembered the happy moments, like playing video games with her or the way she'd hummed lullabies until he fell asleep when he was younger. “Thanks for asking about her.”

Gabby leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “Thank you for sharing her with me.”

That night, when he fell asleep beside her, he didn't stir until morning light was streaming through the windows. Something cold and wet brushed his cheek, and he turned his head to find Gabby's dog sitting on the pillow staring at him.

“Hi,” he said.

Lance cocked his head and stared at him some more.

“Look, if this is about that time in the kitchen…” Ethan shook his head at himself for talking to the dog. “I don't always carry pepperoni.”

Gabby laughed softly beside him while Lance leaned in and licked his cheek.

“But I draw the line at kissing dogs. Sorry, buddy.” He scooted the dog away, but he came right back, undeterred, still staring unwaveringly at Ethan.

“He hardly ever even comes out of the pantry when anyone else is in the house,” Gabby said. “Maybe it's partly because he thinks you're hoarding pepperoni, but I think he really likes you.”

“That's cool, man,” Ethan told the dog. “You can come hang at Off-the-Grid anytime you like.”

Gabby giggled. Her leg bumped his cock, reminding him that, for the first time in over a month, he didn't have to endure morning wood without her.

Fucking
finally
.

Gabby slid closer because,
wow
, Ethan was fully aroused, and they hadn't even started fooling around yet. In response, a warm ache grew between her thighs. She reached down to stroke him. “Well, good morning.”

Ethan groaned. He nudged Lance off the bed, then pulled her up against him so that his cock pressed against her belly. “I've woken like this every day since I met you. You have no idea how many painful mornings I've suffered because you weren't in my bed.”

“Really?” Wow. Knowing Ethan had woken every morning like this, thinking of her? That was sexy. And it turned her on, big time. She wiggled her hips, sliding up and down his hard length.

He sucked in a breath. “Baby, you have caused me more blue balls than you will ever know.”

She gave him her best naughty smile. “Not this morning.”

He reached for the box of condoms on her nightstand, and she made good on her word as they made love in the soft morning light. It was sexy, and passionate, and perfect. And when they'd finished and lay panting together, she rested her cheek on his chest, feeling his heart pounding beneath all that hard-muscled flesh.

“I'll think of you tomorrow morning,” she whispered with a giggle.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, anchoring her to him. “You are evil.”

“Well, you can think of me, too, while you take care of things.” She reached down and touched him. His cock jumped beneath her palm.

“Yeah, see, that's the problem. Really can't take care of it with Gram on the other side of the wall. Her walls are paper thin, and anyway that's just weird.”

“Oh.” Yeah, that would definitely be weird. “Well, if the problem gets too bad, you know where to find me.”

“Fuck, Gabby. I've mentioned that you're the most amazing woman ever, right?”

Yeah, he had, and it made her chest feel all warm and tingly. He said it with such conviction, such earnestness, and maybe she was naive, but she didn't imagine him saying it to every girl he slept with.

He kissed her again, then pulled back. “But speaking of Gram, I need to get home and check on her. I'll be working at Off-the-Grid all day today. Stop by?”

She nodded. “I'll bring lunch.”

“Great.” He slid out of bed, dressed, and after another kiss, he left.

She sighed, then looked down at Lance, sitting beside the bed, eyes wide, watching her with rapt attention. “Were you there that whole time?”

He cocked his head to the side.

“That's kind of perverted, dude. Next time I'm putting you in your crate.”

She got up and got ready for her day, her mind wandering to Ethan the whole time, replaying their night together and counting down the minutes until she saw him again at lunch. This had gone from a pretend relationship to explosive chemistry to real,
really real
, feelings almost before she'd realized what was happening.

And yet, it was all supposed to end after Dixie was gone. That thought brought on a whole host of feelings she didn't want to think about, so she pushed it out of her mind for now.