Chelsea made his days brighter. As silly and adolescent as that sounded, it was true. When he knew they were going to see each other, he found himself counting down the hours. Yes, the sex was amazing, better than he’d ever had, actually, but there was more. So much more.
He trailed his fingers up her arm and over the curve of her shoulder. They were supposed to end things in a couple of days but he wasn’t planning on letting her go. She’d exposed too much of herself, of her troubled past, and he knew his Chelsea wouldn’t have done that if she weren’t having strong feelings for him.
Between the wedding and Christmas, Gabe figured this was about as magical as the timing could get. He wanted Chelsea to know that she was it for him. He wanted her to know that she would never feel alone again, not as long as he was in her life.
But he wanted her to know he meant it. He wanted her to see that he wasn’t just in this for their time between the sheets. He wasn’t sure when he’d started falling for her, but he’d done it just the same.
Their quick, whirlwind affair had forced him to realize that she was so much more than just a sexy woman who challenged him. She’d overcome so much in her past, yet she’d come out on top in her career and her life.
Still, the guilt hadn’t subsided. She’d suffered even more than he ever suspected and hadn’t said a word to anyone except her brother, her best friend, and now him.
That in and of itself told him all he needed to know about her feelings.
Gabe smiled into the darkness and rolled over to face her. Even though she continued to sleep, he couldn’t let himself relax. He wanted to formulate the perfect plan to show Chelsea just how much he wanted her in his life, just how much he cared for her and, yes, just how much he loved her.
This would be the greatest Christmas yet.
* * *
Chelsea ended up going into Hunt & Co., after she’d gone home, showered and changed her clothes. After their emotional night, she’d woken with a smile on her face and Gabe had promptly given her something else to smile about.
Gabe couldn’t wait until this evening. They planned on taking more decorations to the church for the wedding, which was closing in on them. That meant the deadline to achieve his goal of keeping Chelsea in his life was also closing in on him.
They hadn’t spoken about it since before her heartfelt admission last night. He hoped she’d forget all about it, that she’d ignore the end date they’d set.
As much as he wanted to be with her, he was glad to have this time alone because he needed to plan. As soon as the wedding was over, he intended to bring her back to his place and tell her everything. That he didn’t want to be without her, that he was so proud of her for learning to trust, and that he trusted her, too...with his heart.
Gabe headed down to the first floor to check his mail. He planned on swinging by the TCC to make sure everything was in place for the outdoor reception. He’d promised Chelsea he would and she’d even sent him a text of her notes so he didn’t forget anything. Which was fine, considering he didn’t have the first clue about wedding receptions.
Fortunately, he’d discovered quite a bit on this journey, though, and if Chelsea wanted a large wedding, he’d damn well give her one. Anything she wanted, so long as he was in her life.
Once upon a time the thought of a wedding with him as the groom would’ve scared the hell out of him, but not anymore. Having Chelsea all to himself forever had quickly become a dream he wanted to make a reality.
Gabe exited the elevator on the first floor and nodded to the daytime doorman standing at his post. Sunshine flooded the floor of the old building, highlighting the gleaming black-and-white-checkered flooring.
When Gabe checked his mailbox, he was surprised to only have one piece of mail. He hadn’t checked it for nearly a week. But considering that most everything he did was online, and with the holidays fast approaching, it probably made sense there wasn’t much mail.
He flipped the envelope over and noticed a note taped to the front.
This letter was placed in my box by mistake. I was out of town so I wasn’t able to get it back to you until now.
Your Neighbor in 2C.
So the elderly lady who lived below him had received his mail. That rarely happened. She’d been out of town for the past several weeks visiting her kids across the state.
Gabe tore off the note and stilled. The letter was postmarked four weeks ago, but that wasn’t the part that chilled him.
The return address was Dusty’s. Seeing his uncle’s handwriting, receiving this from him after his death, was a bit eerie.
Gabe had no clue what Dusty could’ve sent out only one day before his death, so he sure as hell didn’t want to open this without privacy. He couldn’t get back to his loft fast enough. Gabe had a sinking feeling whatever Maverick had started almost a year ago was about to come back to life in this piece of mail.
Once Gabe finally made it to his apartment, he barely got his door closed before he was tearing into the oversize envelope. He pulled out the contents, cursing under his breath when black-and-white glossies spilled out onto the floor at his feet. Glossies of the woman he loved.
Gabe crouched down and sifted through the images, one after another after another. His heart sank, his stomach turned.
H
e searched through each photo, but they all had the same theme. She was naked or partially dressed, in the locker room of her gym. From the angle, Gabe could tell someone had planted the camera in a vent or a light fixture. Each photo brought a new wave of rage. She’d had no clue these were taken. Were these just copies of the others that were out there? Because he’d deliberately never looked at those.