Undertaking Love Page 0,74
stripes. She stole a glance at him, long legs stretched out, his face tipped up to bask in the warmth of the sun. Thoughts of Helios, the hot and handsome sun god ran through her mind, and heat gathered between her thighs that had nothing at all to do with the afternoon sun that shimmered above them.
A couple of minutes later Gabe slid the pale blue china plates and cutlery from their straps inside the wicker lid, and Marla spooned generous servings of chicken salad onto them.
He tweaked the little flag on the container.
‘Tell me then. What’s ranch dressing?’
‘Heavenly. Kind of like garlic mayo, but better. Try it, you’ll see.’
Marla ate her first mouthful with closed eyes, an involuntary smile on her face as the familiar flavours reacquainted themselves with her taste buds. She was transported straight back to Saturday afternoon BBQs in the back yard – or in her friends’ yards, as was most often the case. Her own folks didn’t really go in for family dinners back then. They were never really inclined to spend their spare time together. Gabe handed her the open rib carton and licked sticky sauce from the end of his fingers.
‘These are seriously good.’
Marla could feel the food soaking up the alcohol in her belly, rescuing her from the brink of being far too tipsy for Gabe’s company.
‘Why were you so intent on spending your birthday alone?’ he asked.
Marla placed her rib bone down on her plate and looked at him levelly. ‘I like to be alone sometimes.’
‘I get that. But on your birthday?’
She sighed and reached for her glass. ‘It’s no big mystery, Gabe … it’s been a tiring few weeks, that’s all. Mom going to London for the weekend was too good an opportunity to pass up.’
He nodded and seemed to accept her explanation. ‘Your mum’s pretty full on.’
Marla laughed. ‘And there’s the understatement of the year. Joan Rivers wouldn’t get a word in edgeways with her.’
‘Has she always been that way?’
‘Pretty much. She goes at everything full throttle. We moved house a lot when I was a kid because she always searching for something or someone new.’ Marla shrugged. ‘Bit exhausting, really.’
Gabe’s eyes were troubled as she reached for the PBJ sandwiches and handed him one.
‘Brynn seems … interesting?’
Marla snorted. ‘That’s one way to describe him. He’s okay I guess, in a freaky, homicidal kind of way.’ She laughed shakily and bit into her sandwich.
He eyed the one she’d slid onto his plate with trepidation. ‘I’m not so sure I’m going to like this.’
‘Be brave. Trust me. It’s the best sandwich in the world.’
After a couple of bites, he set it down with a frown. ‘I guess now would be a bad time to mention my peanut allergy.’
‘Holy shit! Gabe!’
He burst into laughter. ‘Just kidding, no need dial 999.’ He looked at the PBJ sandwich again. ‘No, it’s … it’s interesting. Kind of salty but sweet at the same time.’
Marla nodded enthusiastically. ‘That’s the whole genius of PBJ.’
He leaned back on his elbows and stared at her. ‘In fact, Marla Jacobs, if you were a sandwich, I’d say you were a PBJ.’
The look in his eyes made her stomach flip. ‘Because?’
‘Well, for one, you’re American.’ He counted on his fingers and she nodded acceptance of the tag.
‘Secondly, you have strawberry hair.’
She screwed her face up, well aware that she was having what could definitely be classed as a bad hair day. ‘I’m not sure that’s really such a compliment.
‘Thirdly, you have prickly, salty edges that make you unpredictable.’
‘I’m darn sure that’s not a compliment.’
‘Wait. There’s one more.’
She braced herself.
He lay on his side propped up on one elbow, the mirror image of her pose opposite him. His fingertips brushed hers on the blanket as he held her gaze.
‘Number four. You’re utterly delicious.’
Chapter Thirty-One
Pow!
A nuclear lust bomb exploded behind her rib cage, sending slivers of awareness hurtling through her body in all directions. Her bare toes tingled, and goose bumps shot up all over her arms. It was too much of a sensory overload. Marla needed to put some space between them fast or else she’d jump his bones right there and then.
She scrabbled to her feet and made a dash for the back door, not brave enough to look back. ‘I, err, I need the loo. Back in a sec.’
In the cool, safe sanctuary behind the locked bathroom door, Marla stared at her reflection incredulously. ‘What the hell are you playing at?’ she hissed at her pink-cheeked, sparkly-eyed evil twin