Mine

She’d meant the DNA test, but he clearly was talking about a meeting between Rick and Brandon. No question he wasn’t ready to deal with the big picture yet. “That sounds like a nightmare.”

Gabe lifted his head then. Sadness vibrated through him and tugged at the corner of his eyes. “That’s what all of this is, Nat.”

“That boy loves you.” She knew that. Could tell from ten minutes with the kid.

“I know.”

At least he had that. She’d been raised without any sense of love. She envied Gabe for his certainty even as she worried about the weeks ahead and how he would get through them. “You aren’t going to lose him.”

Gabe exhaled as his expression visibly changed. It was as if he pulled himself back from the emotional abyss. “Hey, we’re supposed to be worrying about your safety.”

She glanced out the glass door then looked around the comfortable room. “I feel pretty calm here.”

“Me, too.” His hands slid a little lower, past her waist. “Bought the land when the only thing here was a falling-down shack of a two-bedroom cabin.”

“Ah, now I see where I got that idea.”

“We struggled and built it up.”

She tried to imagine those years and couldn’t. The strength it must have taken. The perseverance. She admired him so much, but another emotion snuck in. One that had her feeling light from the inside out. She didn’t analyze it and vowed to ignore it. Underneath all the gruffness he was a good guy. That’s what she was reacting to. Nothing more. Well, that and great sex.

“How exactly did you handle a baby when you were barely an adult yourself?” She’d once decided not to get a cat for fear she’d forget to feed the thing.

“That’s just it. Rick and Andy helped. It was a family effort. Neighbors stepped up. The Army had some programs that provided assistance. We somehow made it through without me dropping him or forgetting him at school one day.”

Which only made Rick’s deception and demands now more painful. She got it. “And now that the hard part is done, Rick wants to swoop in and play dad.”

“That’s how I see it.” Gabe nodded. “He got injured, took a shot to the back that should have paralyzed him, and came out of rehab with this need to be closer to Brandon.”

She could see the entire scene playing out. “He had an epiphany.”

“You’d think that would be a good thing.” Gabe groaned. “Hell, maybe it was for him. I don’t know.”

She slipped her hands up his chest and around his neck. Laid her head against his shoulder and smiled at the sound of the strong heartbeat thundering under her ear. “Let’s just stand here.”

He rested his chin on top of her head. Kissed her hair. “And do what?”

“For the first time in my life, nothing. I guess I should get used to it.” But she didn’t feel sad or upset. She’d actually found a sense of peace. In his arms, in this place.

They swayed in time to whatever music must have been playing in his head. “You’re going to find your way.”

This time she didn’t rush to deny the claim. She’d been so programmed to fire back a snotty response that it had become routine, but with him it all fell away. “You did.”

“We all do.”

“We’ll have to see what the next few days bring.” She knew reality would come crashing in. She’d have to make decisions. They’d have to figure out if she’d finally gotten to the point where she was safe to move on. Then she’d have to force herself to do that.

“While we—”

“Wait.” She lifted her head and looked up at him. “Are you about to mention your bed?”

“Hell, yeah.”

She almost laughed at his enthusiasm. “Your son is around here somewhere.”

“When he leaves tomorrow, you’re mine.”

She didn’t hate the idea. “Deal.”

NINETEEN

Gabe somehow made it through the day without jumping on top of her. He wasn’t a fucking animal but sometimes he felt like one around her. She listened, she held on to him. His blood raced.

He’d almost thrown Brandon in the car and drove him back early. Well, he thought about it. He’d never actually do it, but it was the first time in his life the idea tempted him. The two cold showers today helped a little to take the edge off. He was still recovering from the one he tried after they all sat around watching an adventure movie. For some reason just having her next to him on the couch, so close with their legs touching, did it for him now.

Maybe he was an animal after all.

Night had fallen and Brandon ventured off to his room to spend some quality time with his computer. Gabe decided he didn’t want to know what that meant. In the old days he’d use the time to play video games, but the kid was old enough to find and watch all kinds of porn now. Gabe just pretended he didn’t.

He’d reset the property alarm and checked every door. Standing in the middle of his bedroom, he found only one thing missing—Natalie. He had a feeling he knew what was happening.

Throwing on a T-shirt to go with his faded jeans, he stalked down the hall. Past Brandon’s door and the steady thump of the bass from some song he couldn’t recognize. Kept going until he got to the room at the end of the hall. The guestroom Andy didn’t use. The one actually for guests, which meant no one ever stayed in there.

Gabe knocked once then threw open the door. He caught Natalie in mid-squeal as she made up the bed. He asked anyway. “What are you doing?”

She glared at him as she held a folded sheet to her chest. “Getting ready for bed.”

She still had her clothes on. She’d only managed to wrestle the bottom sheet on. There was still hope he could turn this around.

“Not in here.” Gabe didn’t bother lowering his voice. He wasn’t really in the mood for this or for hiding. He was a grown-ass man and he paid the mortgage on the place. He got to say who slept in which room, and she was with him.

“Excuse me?”

She could save the indignation and grumpy tone. They’d moved on from that, at least he hoped so. “You’re sleeping with me.”

She got up on her toes and looked like she was trying to peek around him. “Close the door.”

He ignored the order and kept staring. “What?”

“What do you mean what?” She shifted around him and closed the door for him.

He thought that amounted to a waste of energy since they’d be leaving the room soon. Or that was the plan. Since they clearly had a communications problem he was no longer so sure. “I have a big bed. It will fit us both.”

The argument seemed reasonable enough to him. He didn’t even understand why they were having it. She’d become a bit shy. Okay, he could adjust to that. For now. No screaming. No tying to the bedpost. All that could wait. Holding her, touching her. Nope, he wanted that back on the agenda immediately.

“Your son is right there.” She pointed in the general direction of the hallway behind him.

“So this is a proximity issue?”

“You can’t be this clueless.”

Apparently he could be. “He knows we’re having sex.”

She dumped the sheet on the bed. “That doesn’t mean we need to rub his nose in it.”

“I’m not sure you’re using the right metaphor, or whatever that is.”

She actually growled. Made a rumbling sound and sounded ready to launch a smackdown. “My point is that we can wait until he’s gone.”

Damn kid. “No.”

“Whatever happened to me getting the choice?” She laid it out there then raised an eyebrow at him.

That shot landed. Gabe could feel it all the way to his gut. “That’s not fair.”

She shrugged as she held her hands out to the sides. “Your words.”

If she wanted to fight dirty he would join. She could not win this game. Not against him. “Fine, we’ll stay in here.”

The amusement left her face. “You’re not getting this.”

Oh, he absolutely was. He stepped up to the bed and tucked the end corners in. Snapped open the sheet she’d left in a pile and threw that over the mattress. “There.”