“I’ll take care of it.”
I looked at Gage, my brow furrowed. “You don’t have to do that. I can hire a lawyer now, thanks to your…um, payment.” I cringed, hating how I sounded like a prostitute. “But thanks. I got it.”
But I could tell from the set of Gage’s jaw that he would do what he pleased and if it pleased him to flay Landon alive with the most vicious lawyers money could buy…he would do so.
“Did you love him?”
I wasn’t prepared for that question but I answered. “I thought I did.”
“I’m sorry he hurt you,” Gage said with genuine concern. “He’s an idiot.”
I smiled with a nod. “Agreed.”
“What will you do now that you have some breathing room?”
“I don’t know. Maybe go home? I haven’t really had time to think about it. Honestly, I’m just relieved I’ll be able to pay rent this month.”
“Is there anyone waiting for you back home?”
“Aside from my parents who warned me that leaving for New York City with nothing but hopes and dreams was a bad idea? No.” I sighed, adding, “But I guess I could regroup and try to figure out what I want to do with my life before it’s too late to start fresh.”
Maybe it was the night air or the promise of privacy but I became wistful.
“I used to love photography. I think I might’ve had a small bit of talent. Maybe I’ll go back to that, take some classes, learn the actual craft of photography.”
“You don’t need classes. Everything you need to learn is on the Internet nowadays. Get a good camera and just start taking pictures. Listen to what your gut tells you. Photography is about capturing an emotion, a moment. There’s no class that can teach you how to do that.”
I stared, that unsettling sense of familiarity returning but I couldn’t quite place why I felt this way. It was like trying to grab at the string on a balloon as it drifted just out of reach.
“Gage…where are you from? Originally.”
Gage jumped down and gestured for me to follow. He caught me easily as he gently helped me to the ground.
“A small town.”
“Me too.”
He cast an enigmatic smile and slipped his hand back into mine, announcing, “We should go.”
And what could I say? I was his property for the time being. If he didn’t want to answer questions, I had no right to press for them.
He’d already made it quite clear that I was his plaything until he tired of me, which for all I knew, could be by morning’s end.
What did it matter where he came from?
I guess, it didn’t.
But something scratched at my memory, something that wouldn’t let me go.
10
We packed up and left the Botanical Gardens behind and I wondered what happened next. I mean, was he going to take me to his place or were we going to hit up a hotel? What was the protocol for this kind of thing?
“Are you taking me home?” I asked, trying to figure out how this relationship worked. “You’re not going to tie me to your bed or something right?”
“Do you want me to?”
I laughed at the brief show of humor. “No, not really.”
“Then, no, I won’t tie you to my bed.”
“Okay, good.” I nodded, then I realized he hadn’t actually answered my question. “So…am I going home?”
“I haven’t decided.” My mouth formed a silent “O” and he pulled and tucked me under his arm. Normally, I wasn’t a cuddler, but it felt good to be right up against Gage, the scent of his skin wrapping me in a cocoon of warm, sexy memories of what we’d done together since sealing the deal. “Tell me about your hometown,” he said.
I sighed. “What’s to tell…I grew up in a small California mountain town where the most exciting thing that happened was when the gas stations went to 24-hour pumps. Like I said, boring.”
“Is that why you left?”
“Well, yeah. I always thought I was meant for bigger and better things.” I paused for a moment, realizing how stupid I sounded given how things had turned out. “Guess I was wrong.”
“I wouldn’t say that…you’re here with me,” he said, tipping my chin to brush a kiss across my lips. I shivered at the soft touch. His mouth moved across mine, possessive yet tender; I was already hooked. How pathetic. “Tell me something no one knows about you,” he murmured, looking into my eyes.
His gaze was unnerving, as if he could see into my soul. I swallowed, momentarily lost in that stare. For a heartbeat, I thought I felt something shift between us, something that didn’t make sense but was real just the same. Like when you read about soulmates connecting and the universe all of sudden grinds to a halt just so they could have their moment. Maybe that’s why when I found my voice, I said this, “I…I….have a third nipple.”
OMG! WHY DID THAT COME OUT OF MY MOUTH?
Gage blinked in shock, then started guffawing so hard, I had to start laughing, too. He wiped at his eyes and said, “Um, well, I hadn’t noticed but it was dark.”
I scowled with mock pique as I explained, “It’s not like I have a third boob, it’s just a small little inverted nub that is right underneath my left breast, in the crease. You’d never know it was there if I hadn’t said anything. Hence, the reason, no one knows.”
Gage sobered as a smile tugged at the corners of his sensual mouth. “Then, it’s the perfect gift. Thank you.”
I knew he wouldn’t reciprocate but the words danced on my tongue just the same. Before I could spit them out, the car slowed to a stop.
“We’re here.”
“And where is here?” I asked.
He climbed from the car and held out his hand to help me out.
We must’ve traveled away from the city because we had ended up on a country road, winding to a small cabin against the trees.
Soft yellow light shone from the small window panes in welcome and I couldn’t help but be entranced by how romantic it seemed.
Gage had obviously gone to a lot of trouble to set this night up. What if when he’d offered me the deal I’d said no? I turned to him, confused. “If we were dating, this would definitely win you some points.”
He chuckled, and after, murmuring instructions to the driver, who then drove off, leaving us, he gestured for me to follow.
“But what about our driver?” I prot
ested, wondering if it was safe to be left in the woods alone, without any way to escape if things went all Friday the 13th on us. “What if we’re attacked by some crazy person?”
“You have an excessive fear of being attacked,” he teased, causing my cheeks to flare with heat but he put my fears to rest, saying, “We’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Do you own this place?” I asked, stepping into the cabin, taking in the cozy, rustic decor. Everything was pretty ordinary, like the kind of stuff you would find in a hunting cabin. Very manly, but tasteful, too. I was just thankful there weren’t any carcasses hung on the wall as trophies.
“I do.”
“You probably own a lot of places,” I ventured a guess. “I mean, honestly, you could probably buy your own island or a castle.”
“I could.”
I cast him a sharp look with a raised brow. “Do you? Own an island or castle?”
“Hell no. Castles are drafty and the upkeep is a drag. As for owning an island…I don’t see the point. I don’t need an entire island to myself.”
“That’s a little disingenuous coming from the man who rented out an entire bar as well as gained access to a closed public park so he could have some privacy,” I reminded him with a cheeky grin.
“Touché.” He locked the front door and then pulled me into his arms. “You like it?”
“I do.”
“Good.” He sealed his mouth to mine, drinking me in and I melted just a little more. Had I fallen down the rabbit hole with this enigmatic man? How was it that I started this night fretting about how to pay my rent and save my cat from that asshole Landon and now I was being romanced like something out of a fairy tale by a near stranger?
It was late. My eyes were burning but I didn’t want the night to end.
Gage led me to the bedroom. “Which side do you prefer?” he asked.
We were going to sleep beside each other? A tiny flutter tickled my insides. “Right side,” I answered, watching as he undressed without preamble. The moonlight bathed his skin in a pale glow, the muscles flexing in shadow. Broad shoulders narrowed to trim hips, a tiny trail of dark hair traveled to his groin where his semi-soft cock bounced gently as strode across the room to double check the windows.