prior, and Gabriela had decided to stay behind in Donnelly with James.
And Gabby had been too prideful to ask for money, to move back in with them. To ask for help. Her parents hadn’t liked James from the start, and she’d been too headstrong, too in love to listen to their warnings. She had made her bed, and she would lie in it no matter what it took.
Despite all the heartache, despite the hardship, she wouldn’t have changed anything. Ana was worth it all.
Gabriela had accepted state assistance when she could—she wasn’t stupid—but she’d still worked hard to earn a living without sacrificing time to bond with her daughter. Cleaning homes had been a natural fit, as it had allowed her to bring Ana along and had saved a ton on daycare. Things had become easier once Ana started attending school.
Over the years, Gabby had built enough of a client base that she and Ana had been able to move out of the old trailer and into this little home, and they’d lived comfortably on her income for a time.
Gabriela had done everything she possibly could for Ana, and she’d always do more, but she simply couldn’t fill the role of a father. Ana deserved to have a dad, a man who would love her unconditionally, protect her, and treat her as his own.
And…Mason could be that man.
He could be Gabriela’s man.
“Again, getting way ahead of yourself there, Gabby. You haven’t even gone out with him yet.”
But now that the thought had presented itself, she found that she wanted it, craved it with every fiber in her being. She desired Mason. A simple touch of his fingers had lit her body up like striking a match. She could only imagine what it would be like to have those big, strong, calloused hands all over her body, caressing her skin, stroking her between her thighs until she succumbed to the burning passion locked within her.
Gabriela caught her lip between her teeth and clutched the hem of her shirt as her core tightened, and her clit throbbed with arousal.
It had been so long—too long—since she’d been with a man, since she’d had any kind of intimacy.
She breathed in deep and let out a slow breath through her mouth. There wasn’t much to be done about it now. Using her own fingers to get herself off would feel as empty as it had the last time she’d done it weeks ago. She’d be left as unsatisfied now as she was then, and the time before that, and the time before that.
Not to mention, she was simply too tired to bother putting in the effort to give herself little more than a few seconds of empty pleasure.
Closing her eyes, she placed her hands on the counter and let her head drop in defeat.
“Let’s just see where things go between me and Mason. Today…today was a start.”
But God, she wanted him. Badly.
Gabriela opened her eyes, picked up her toothbrush and toothpaste, and brushed her teeth. Once she’d finished, she flossed and rinsed out her mouth before turning on the shower. As the water heated up, she peeled off her clothes, tossing them in a pile on the floor. It was so nice to finally be out of that damp, smelly bra.
She stepped into the shower, turned, and tilted her head back, groaning as the hot water sluiced down her body and warmed her chilled skin. The scent of her coconut shampoo filled the air as she washed and conditioned her hair, and she breathed deep the calming aroma.
Despite her weariness, she found just enough energy to run a razor under her arms and legs. It was winter, and normally she’d just let her legs go—who was around to care?—but now that she had a date with Mason, well… If things happened to take that turn, she wanted to be prepared.
Body clean and muscles relaxed, Gabriela turned off the water and reached for her towel. She dried quickly and stepped onto the mat, running the towel through her hair, absorbing as much of the moisture as possible. When she was done, she tossed the towel atop her dirty clothes on the floor, got dressed, and ran a comb through her hair before plugging in the hairdryer and turning it on.
Warm air blew into her face, making her squint—and striking her with a whiff of smoke. Gabriela frowned and flicked the hairdryer off, lowering the appliance to examine it. There was no smoke coming from the hairdryer.