Run to You (5 page)

It was all she could do not to pull him into her arms and hold him, kiss him, do everything in her power to ease his pain. “But we're not even dating. You have to tell her the truth. She deserves the truth.”

“Here's the thing.” He offered her a playful smile, but it fell flat. “I've never had a serious relationship. Never brought a girl to Gram's house. I didn't want to get her hopes up, because I don't ever want to get married. But this is really important to her, so I thought maybe you and I could just, I don't know, spend some time together these next few weeks…”

She drew back. “I'm not available for hire.”

He raised his hands in the air. “Not even remotely what I was suggesting. You don't even have to kiss me. Just let me take you to dinner, come over and hang out with Gram and me, let her see us together. You might even have fun.” He winked.

“You're attracted to me,” she blurted out.

His blue eyes settled on hers, sending a high-voltage zing through her body. “I am.”

She sucked in a breath, her body hot and tingly in all the right—or wrong—places.

He shook his head. “But I'm not a Neanderthal. You've told me you're not interested, and I respect that. Just let Gram see us hanging out together these next few weeks so that she can think there might be a future for us.”

“That just feels…wrong.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

“We're not bad company.”

“No, and I'd be happy to spend time with her. I really like your grandma. But I just don't feel right about lying to her.”

“Please.” The look on his face ripped at her heart.

“I can't. I'm sorry, Ethan.”

He nodded, and without another word, he walked out the front door, leaving her feeling as if she'd just kicked a puppy.

G
abby spent a restless night, tossing and turning in her bed. She couldn't forget the look on Ethan's face when he'd asked for her help. It haunted her every time she closed her eyes. Poor Dixie. How could she be dying?

It was unfair. The whole situation was unfair.

She rolled over in bed with a sigh and squinted at the clock. It was just past five, and she might as well accept the fact she wasn't getting back to sleep. Lance, disturbed by her movement, scurried across the bed and curled into a little ball on her spare pillow.

She left him there and climbed out of bed. A hot shower cleared some of the cobwebs from her head. By the time she'd dressed and had her morning cup of coffee, the sun was up, and she decided to take Lance for a quick walk and get an early start on work.

She needed to quit thinking about Ethan and his grandmother. She'd come to Haven to build something for herself without a man, or anyone else, interfering in her life. And as much as she hated what was happening to Dixie—and to Ethan—there wasn't anything she could do to help. Lying would only make everything worse in the end. It always did.

If she'd been honest with her friends and family about what was happening with Brad, maybe she wouldn't have stayed as long as she did. Maybe things would have ended differently.

Maybe she wouldn't be here in the mountains now hiding from the fallout.

She'd worked five hours by lunchtime while Lance napped on a pillow beside her desk. She'd need to stop by the local pet store later to get him some more supplies. He needed a dog bed, and maybe some toys.

One thing she'd realized in the last week was that it was time to show her face around town. She couldn't heal until she quit hiding. In fact, she was going to drive into town right now and have lunch. Maybe she'd stop by the deli for another Havenly Ham.

With that decided, she freshened up and put Lance in his crate to keep him out of trouble. She had driven halfway to town when she passed the little white house that was the future Off-the-Grid Adventures. There were several vehicles parked out front, including Ethan's red Jeep.

And she had absolutely no clue why she turned into the driveway. She just needed to see him, to be sure he was okay. To apologize for not being able to help. Hopefully then she could finally put this whole thing behind her and move on.

Shaking her head at herself, she parked and hopped out of her SUV before she could change her mind. He might have seen her already, and she'd look even sillier if she got back in her car and drove away now. Her cheeks burned as she walked toward the front door.

It opened, and a man stepped out, wearing worn jeans with a tool belt strapped low around his hips. He held the door for her with a polite nod. As she stepped inside, her eyes swept the room looking for Ethan. Instead they landed on another man hard at work behind the front counter—a man with dark hair and cold brown eyes and a smile that curdled the contents of her stomach.

“Gabby?” He wore an expression of surprise, but there could be nothing accidental about Brad Mobley turning up here in Haven.

“Do you two know each other?” The sound of Dixie's voice drew Gabby's attention to where she sat on the battered leather couch, a Kindle in one hand, a cup of tea in the other.

Oh God.
Oh shit.
She tried to run, but her legs had frozen in place.

Ethan strolled into the room from one of the back offices, his gaze locking on Gabby. He grinned, that dazzling, sexy grin that had the power to do all kinds of crazy things to her insides. Without another glance at her ex and without stopping to question what the hell she was doing, she went up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to Ethan's. Just a quick “hello” kiss, just enough to let Brad know she had moved on. To leave her the fuck alone.

And all that went out the window the instant her lips touched Ethan's. His were warm, and soft, and sent a shot of sizzling heat right through her core. His eyes widened, and his hands settled on her hips. He didn't pull her closer, didn't trap her against him. In contrast, the contact felt warm and safe.

“Hey, baby,” he murmured against her lips. Then he slid an arm around her shoulders and started walking back toward the office he'd just come from. “If y'all will excuse us for a minute…” He was all relaxed charm as he towed her toward the privacy of his office, away from the prying eyes of everyone in the lobby who'd just seen her kiss him.

Gabby, on the other hand, was about to lose it. Her heart ping-ponged around in her chest, while the warm flutter of arousal battled the cold grip of fear in her belly.

Brad was here in Haven. She'd kissed Ethan, in front of Brad
and
Dixie.
Oh, God. She was so screwed.

Ethan steered her into his office and closed the door softly behind them. His arm was still looped around her shoulder, and when she turned, she landed flush against his chest, his right knee pressed into the gap between her thighs. He made a low sound of approval, his hands sliding down to her butt.

And the last chill of her fear evaporated.

This was madness.

They stood like that for several long seconds, as her heart pounded and desire pooled low in her belly.

Ethan's lips curved in a slow smile, but his blue eyes were sharp as tacks. “Mind telling me what we're doing right now?”

“Um.” She glanced down. Her hands were on his pecs, their hips flush together, his hands still gripping her butt. It was intense, and so sexy she could barely breathe. Ethan was looking at her like he wanted to devour her, but he was waiting for her to make the next move. He'd given her the reins, and somehow that made the whole thing even sexier.

“Not that I don't like kissing you…” He winked. “But you're sending out some seriously mixed signals here.”

“I know.” She pushed backward out of his arms.

He tucked his hands into his front pockets, holding her in the heavy weight of his gaze.

“I panicked,” she said.

“Panicked?” He cocked his head to the side, so intense behind that casual demeanor. “Not what I like to hear right after a girl kisses me.”

“I saw someone I knew, and I just…reacted.”

His eyebrows drew together. “Someone you knew?”

She squeezed her eyes shut.
Brad was here in Haven.
This was a nightmare.

“Talk to me, Gabby.”

“My ex, okay?” And he wasn't going to leave until he'd gotten what he wanted. Unless he thought she was off the market. Having a sexy alpha male like Ethan on her arm might be just the thing to get Brad to tuck his tail and slink home to Charlotte.

Ethan's blue eyes narrowed. “Your ex lives in Haven?”

She shook her head. “No. He must be here looking for me.”

“He wants you back.”

“Yeah.” She bit her lip and looked away.

“And I hired him.” His voice tightened.

She shrugged. “How would you have known? But that's not our biggest problem. Your grandmother just saw everything.”

“Which means you and I need to have a serious chat. Not here.” He motioned her toward the door.

Gabby dug her heels in. No way was she ready to go back out there and face the crowd that had seen her kiss Ethan. “Where are we going?”

“You stopped by to invite me to lunch, and I accepted. Let's go.” His hand settled on the small of her back, propelling her toward the door.

With a fake smile plastered on her face, she turned the handle.

Ethan's gut churned with about twenty different emotions as he guided Gabby back through the reception area. He didn't like the idea of an ex following her to Haven. And he sure as hell didn't like her ex working here at Off-the-Grid. Ethan hadn't hired him directly—he'd hired Sinclair and Sons, now run by the oldest son, Martin, a longtime friend of his.

He'd be letting Martin know that Gabby's ex wasn't welcome on his property. But first things first. He and Gabby needed to have a little chat. No matter that he wanted in her pants in the worst way, she'd kissed him in front of Gram, and there was no undoing that.

“Gabby?” one of Martin's men—presumably her ex—said.
Schmuck.

She tensed. “Brad, what in the world are you doing here?”

The schmuck glowered as Ethan slung an arm protectively around her shoulders. “Can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?” Brad asked.

“We were just on our way out,” Ethan said, drawing her a little closer against him.
She's mine, buddy, so back the fuck off.

“Please? Gabby?” The schmuck ignored Ethan entirely.

She ducked her head while Ethan guided her out the front door. They were down the front steps and headed for the Jeep when Brad came running after them. “Wait up.”

“The lady said no,” Ethan said coolly.

Brad scowled at him. “Actually, you did. I'm still waiting to hear from Gabby.”

She lifted her chin. “I have nothing to say to you, Brad.”

“Well, I do. Tell your boyfriend to wait in the car,” Brad said.

“Watch yourself,” Ethan warned him. “I don't like the way you're looking at my girl, especially not while you're on my dime.”

The schmuck balked at that. “Hey, man, I don't want any trouble. Gabby and I go way back. I just wanted to catch up is all.”

“Is that all?” Ethan stepped closer.

“This is ridiculous. Let's go, Ethan.” Gabby marched toward his Jeep, showing a burst of temper he hadn't yet seen from her, but he liked it. Hell, he liked pretty much everything about her.

Except her ex.

“Want me to put the top on?” he asked as they reached the Jeep.

She shook her head as she climbed into the passenger's seat. He got in and cranked the engine, turning right onto Mountain Breeze Road, headed in the opposite direction of downtown Haven.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Silver Springs. Next town over. We need to talk, and there's no place to eat in Haven where I don't know half the staff.”

She nodded, her jaw set. The wind whipped through her long hair, billowing it behind her and tossing strands in her face.

“Sure you don't want me to put the top on?” he asked.

She bent and rummaged in her purse. She came up with an elastic and tied her hair back with it. “What was with the caveman act back there?”

“Excuse me?”

“You,” she said, “acting all caveman protective in front of Brad.”

“You're the one who wanted him to think we were together.” But the truth was, he'd have done it anyway. The schmuck really pissed him off, and he'd felt the need to mark his territory where Gabby was concerned. If that made him a caveman, then so be it.

She chewed her bottom lip. “I can take care of myself.”

“I have no doubt.” And that was the truth. “But Brad works for the contractor I hired, and that makes what he does on my property my business.”

She didn't object to that, just sat there as the wind whipped her ponytail, looking so goddamn gorgeous it was all he could do not to pull over to the side of the road and kiss her the way he'd wanted to since he first laid eyes on her. Wild and untamed, not quick and chaste like the kiss they'd shared earlier.

“You like Mexican?” he asked as he guided the Jeep over the winding roads between Haven and Silver Springs.

She nodded. He drove to a little Mexican place off the beaten path where they could talk without worrying about any town gossips overhearing. They were seated at a table on the patio.

He ordered a Dos Equis. Gabby ordered a Diet Coke.

Today her skirt was white, long and flowing, and so damn sexy. Her shirt matched her eyes and hugged her curves perfectly. Her hair was windblown from the drive, giving her a bit of a sexy, rumpled look. He wanted to fist his hands in it and kiss her senseless.

“So let's talk,” he said instead.

Gabby frowned, resting her elbows on the metal table between them. “I'll do it,” she said.

“Do what?”

“Hang out with you so your grandma can think we're together.” She was avoiding his gaze, and that pissed him off.

“And so that Brad can think we're together?”

“It might help him decide to leave town sooner.”

“Getting his ass fired might help, too.” Ethan's fingers tightened around his beer.

Gabby's eyes rounded. “You're going to fire him? Why?”

“I didn't hire him so I can't fire him, but I can make sure he doesn't set foot on my property again. What can I say? The guy really rubbed me the wrong way. So how is this thing between us going to work?”

Gabby straightened in her seat. “I meant what I said before about not dating—”

Their waitress interrupted then. Gabby ordered enchiladas suizas with extra sour cream. Ethan got the burrito special. He'd halfway expected her to order a salad and liked that she hadn't. He hated when women didn't order what they really wanted, thinking it would impress him if they were dainty or some such shit.

She looked at him across the table. “So it will just be for show.”

He nodded. “Just for show.”

“We'll hang out and spend time together with Dixie, but that's it. Behind closed doors, we keep our hands to ourselves.”

He leaned back in his seat and took a long pull from his beer. “If that's what you want. But I don't think I'm the only one who enjoyed that kiss earlier.”

“I think it would be best if there was no more kissing.”

“Afraid you can't control yourself?”

She sucked in a breath. “Hardly.”

He leaned forward, pinning her in his gaze. “Come on now, admit it. You want me just as bad as I want you.”

Her eyes darted to the side. “Fine. You're not hard to look at. I'm sure you could have your pick of ladies in town.”