“Hey.”
I turned. Gabe had followed me outside. From the tips of his black shoes up the dark denim jeans that molded to his hard thighs and the white collared shirt open enough to reveal his tanned chest and dark hair, he looked delicious enough to eat. And I wanted a long, thorough taste. I might be panicked and needing to get out of here, but I couldn’t deny his appeal.
At the sight of him, a rush of relief washed over me, though I couldn’t say why. “You’re leaving alone? Did your brother decide the nightclub scene wasn’t for him?” I hugged my arms tighter around me. It might be summer, but I was growing colder and more chilled.
He studied me as if he knew exactly how uncomfortable I was, both in my clothes and with myself. He didn’t answer my question, merely waited for me to come around to the inevitable—I might not want to be beholden to him, but he was my only option.
I swallowed the little that was left of my pride and met his gaze. “Can you take me to the nearest bus station?” I asked through chattering teeth.
He shoved his hands into his front pants pockets. “So you can go where?”
I swallowed hard. “I’ll figure it out when I get away from here, and I need to do that before Lance arrives.” I stuck my head into the rain and looked up and down the quiet street, afraid the sound of a car motor would break the silence and ruin my escape.
Gabe grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back under the awning before spinning me around, turning me to face him. My terry cloth jacket hung open, and my ni**les, hardened from cold, grew tighter beneath his hot stare. If I peeked, no doubt I would see them poking through my thin shirt.
He looked there, saw what I was too embarrassed to do more than imagine, and a vein throbbed in his temple.
“Let’s go.” He grasped my hand and steered me out into the rain, to the parking lot on the side of the building where a black Porsche 911 Turbo waited.
He unlocked the door, opened it for me, and helped me inside. To my surprise, he popped the front trunk and returned, covering me with a blanket before closing me inside the small car.
He strode around to the driver’s side, climbed in, and started the ignition before hitting a series of buttons, turning the heater on, including the one in my seat. I didn’t relax until he pulled away from the small police station, leaving any possibility of a confrontation with Lance behind.
I wrapped the quilted covering around me for warmth, and as more distance passed, it slowly dawned on me I was safe. The feeling was so at odds with my normal tense state I almost didn’t recognize it. I also understood a big part of that relief stemmed from being with Gabe, something I didn’t want to question too strongly at the moment.
Once on the highway heading back to Manhattan, Gabe broke the charged silence. “Is there anyone you want to call?”
I clutched the blanket more tightly. “I have old friends in the city, but I’m not sure they’re still living where they used to. It’s been a long time.” I stared out into the dark night.
“So that leaves you where?” he asked, the kindness in his voice reminding me he wasn’t just a stranger I was attracted to, he was a friend. Or could be.
I sighed heavily, hating myself even as the breathy sound escaped. “I don’t know. I left a bad situation without thinking things through.”
“That much is obvious.” One hand on the wheel, he drove with precision and confidence, turning his eyes from the road to face me for a moment. “But you did leave.” Satisfaction sounded in his tone. “What were your plans?”
I shivered, and he raised the temperature.
“I thought I’d find a cheap motel where I could hole up and think. Which I still can do since your brother returned my cash.”
Gabe set his jaw, much the same way his brother had when I’d said something to aggravate him. “You’re coming with me.”
I sighed, the sound heavy in the enclosed space. “It’s not smart, Gabe.” I didn’t need to elaborate on why.
He reached over and covered my hand with his. “Maybe not in the way you mean, but for my peace of mind? Your safety? It damn well is.”
I closed my eyes in acknowledgment. The sexual tension between us scared me, but that didn’t come close to more immediate fears. I wasn’t afraid of Lance tracking me down, but if I were honest with myself, the kind of rattrap I could afford in the city freaked me out.
I wasn’t stupid. Gabe was offering me a lifeline. I might not know him all that well, but the way he took control and his dark edge gave me a sense of security Lance never had, not at the beginning, middle, and especially not at the end of our relationship.
Okay, I thought to myself. Decision made. “I’ll go home with you. For now.”
His deep exhale told me my answer pleased him, and I liked having his approval. I narrowed my gaze, confused by the reaction and the warmth rolling through me.
“You won’t regret it,” he assured me.
A smile curved my lips. “That remains to be seen.”
His wry chuckle echoed around us.