I wasn’t sure how to reply. Stefano held out his phone. “At least give me your cell number.”

I keyed in the digits and he smiled as he took back his phone. “One hurdle down.”

I heard him call out a goodbye to Theo, then his steps faded as he headed downstairs.

I sighed as I hung my head in my hands.

Fight. Protect. Those were the words he used. Did he know how accurate they might be?

The question was, would he want to stay once he knew the truth?

And was I willing to risk it?

STEFANO

“What is that?”

I glanced up from the design I was working on. Or, at least, attempting to work on. I had been at it for a while, not making much headway.

I glanced at the screen with a frown. “I’m not sure.”

Charly narrowed her eyes, peering at the image. “Me either. I think you drew a one-legged dog—or is that a parrot?” She glanced at me, winking. “Is the client a pirate?”

I chuckled, erasing the image with a swipe of the mouse. “Doodling, I suppose.”

She grunted as she lifted herself up on the stool beside me, using my arm for leverage. “What’s going on, Stefano?” She held up her hand. “Don’t tell me nothing. Brett says you never came home last night, and you’ve been quiet all day.”

I sighed. There were no secrets here. Charly somehow found out everything, even shit we weren’t trying to hide. And when you held something back, she was like a heat-seeking missile, finding information.

“Gabby?” she guessed.

“Yeah.”

“You stayed the night?”

I decided a small white fib was in order. I explained about Mrs. Scott and looking after Theo. “I fell asleep on the sofa. I was tired, so I stayed. I had cereal with my little man this morning, went home and showered, and came to work.”

“Okay, first off—‘your little man,’ how adorable. Second, bull pucky if you think I believe nothing happened since you’re sporting a little mark on your neck, and third, holy moly, you’re moving fast.”

I hung my head, laughing low in my throat. Bull pucky. Another one of Charly’s odd phrases. She didn’t like to swear, so she made up her own expressions. I lifted my head and met her eyes. “Okay, I didn’t sleep on the sofa the whole night, but we didn’t, ah… That is to say, we…” I ran my hand through my hair, feeling oddly embarrassed. “I was tired, and I fell asleep while Gabby checked on Theo. So nothing happened other than some, ah, heat on the sofa.”

She lifted one expressive eyebrow. “And the third?”

“It is fast. No argument there. But there is something about her…” I trailed off, thinking.

Waking up beside her had felt so natural. Feeling her tucked close, smelling the light fragrance of her shampoo, the scent of her skin. I had enjoyed my breakfast with Theo; in fact, I had enjoyed all the time I spent with him. He was funny, smart, and well-behaved. He asked a ton of questions, and his imagination was vast. He was a great kid.

And Gabby.

Kissing her was becoming an addiction. Her smart, sassy mouth that teased and argued. Kissed me back like I was her salvation. Her beautiful dark eyes that held so many secrets. I loved how she looked at her son. How she looked after we kissed. The fire I saw in her eyes when she looked at me. The quiet peace that settled over her after I made her come.

She was an enigma. One I wanted to solve.

“Stefano?” Charly prompted, interrupting my thoughts.

“Her landlady, Mrs. Scott, said something. She thinks Gabby is afraid of something in her past.”

She nodded. “I thought so as well. There’s an edge to her. As if she can never fully relax. Even when she smiles, it’s as if she isn’t fully there. As if she’s expecting the smile to have to stop.”

Our gazes met. “As if she is ready to bolt.”

“At the drop of a hat.” Charly summed it up.

“It has something to do with Theo’s father.” I recalled the way she’d shut down when I mentioned his dad. “I think he’s bad news.”

“Are you prepared for that, Stefano?” she asked. “Getting involved with a single mom is hard enough. One with baggage—maybe a potential troublesome ex? That’s an entirely different ball game. Her first instinct will be to push you away—protect herself and Theo.”

Charly was right, and Gabby had already tried to push me away. But I couldn’t deny my attraction to her. To the draw I felt to her and to Theo. The thought of her being scared, or Theo being hurt, made me rage inside. I wanted to protect them both.

“I am,” I said simply.

“Then be patient. Let her know you’re here for her.” Charly smiled. “We all are. I like her—I like her a lot. So does Maxx.” She grinned, rubbing her belly. “She’ll be surrounded by people who care, and maybe that will help her.”

Tags: Melanie Moreland Reynold's Restorations Suspense
Source: readsnovelonline.net