following morning, he read the first of PJ’s text messages for the day. He wasn’t able to see the texts she’d gotten prior to that point. And so far that day, all she’d received was a text from Ellis checking to see how she was doing.
Gabe had met Ellis once or twice. He wasn’t a very memorable guy, but since he was part of PJ’s team, Gabe had made a point to remember him. He was small and mousy, often taking way too much crap from Lydia, but he was fiercely loyal to PJ. Gabe had to give him that.
PJ texted back that she was fine. Just trying to relax.
Gabe slid his phone under his chair on the patio when he saw PJ open her bedroom door and walk toward him through the kitchen.
“I thought maybe we’d go out on the boat today,” Gabe said, smiling at her.
“I didn’t pack a bathing suit,” PJ said glancing toward the dock where his sailboat bobbed lazily on the water.
“I’ve got extras. I’m sure I can find something horribly skimpy that’ll let me get cheap thrills all day,” he said and grinned at her.
Playing with fire, jackass. For whatever reason, Gabe couldn’t stop himself from feeding the sexual tension between them. Not that it really needed to be fed. It was alive and kicking and doing quite well on its own.
He watched her face flush with heat and smiled to know he’d put that color there. She had been even quieter than usual after the party yesterday, and he wanted to find a way to put a smile back on her face, and keep it there for a while if he could.
When they stepped onto his boat an hour later—picnic basket, towels and sunscreen in hand—she still looked tense and stressed. He hoped he could get her to relax and forget what was happening on Facebook and Twitter. He’d been checking social media sites all day and the journal entries had gone viral.
Everyone had an opinion, but he was glad to see there was a huge chunk of people supporting her. A lot of people realized what happened with her former manager wasn’t her fault. The blame should be put at his feet, not hers.
But, the stress of the situation was evident on PJ’s face. He stowed the picnic basket under one of the bench seats, then grabbed two bottles of water. They left the dock and set sail once PJ had settled in.
She seemed content to sit quietly, her face turned to the morning sun as he raised the sails. His boat was small enough to allow him to handle himself, and he had them skimming over the open water in no time.
He’d always loved the way the wind hit his face, the slight tinge of the salt mixing with the sun relaxed him like nothing else could. Maybe it could do the same for her.
When he reached their destination in a quiet cove, Gabe lowered the anchor over the side of the boat, grabbed their picnic basket and sank down onto the seat across from her. He wanted to sit next to her.
Hell, he wanted to pull her into his lap and devour those lips that had been driving him mad since the kiss they shared a few nights ago. He couldn’t get the taste of her, the feel of her, out of his head. He wanted more of her. A lot more.
But, he’d settle for talking to her for now. Maybe someday, down the road…. It occurred to him that he’d been saying that for a long time where PJ was concerned. But he had to be brutally honest, now really wasn’t a good time for her. Her world was crumbling. She didn’t need him hitting on her right now.
He would hate it if she thought he assumed she was easy because he’d seen all the reports of her sleeping with Mondo. That she’d have no problem putting out for him the way she did with Jimmy. The thought made him wince.
“So, when was the last time you took a vacation?” he asked her as he unwrapped the sandwiches and handed one to her.
She smiled, and the warmth of it cut through him. “Not for years, really. It was a complete fluke to have six days off like this. And, even when I have had time off recently, I haven’t gone anywhere except back home every once in a while.”
“What family do you have back home?” he asked.
“My parents, and