wasn't the only one on the verge of losing control. Or past it.
I wanted to touch him more, to feel him. To have him. There was something about the power of this man that drove me wild. His body was sheer perfection. His caresses spoke of complete desire. The thought of feeling him against me, in my arms, with my legs twined around his hips, was the kind of temptation I wasn't strong enough to resist.
Suddenly, he jerked back, turning his head slightly. "Shit," he breathed before moving to lean against the island across from me.
The change was so fast that I couldn't keep up. He'd just put himself well out of my reach, and I almost followed until I heard Gabby tromping down the stairs. I had just enough time to jerk my robe straight before she stormed into the kitchen, glaring at both of us. I had no problem glaring right back.
"No lecture, Mom?" she asked.
"I was thanking Ian for coming when I called. Clearly, you weren't interested in sleeping tonight."
She huffed. "I told you, I stayed in the yard. You never said I wasn't allowed to go outside."
"So you went through the dining room window?" I asked. "Gabriella Sofia, you know better than that. If you honestly thought this was so innocent, you would've used the back door. And what if someone thought you were a burglar?"
"We live in Wolf's Run," she reminded me. "You know, the safest place in the world. Besides, what did you want me to do, knock on your door and ask if my boyfriend could come over?"
"Yes!" I told her. "As a matter of fact, that would've been better. I called Ian because I did think someone was breaking in. You scared the crap out of me."
"I didn't mean to, Mom. You act like I did it on purpose." She rolled her eyes to make the point.
Unfortunately, that was what pushed me over the edge. "Well, then you'll have a week to think about it, because you're grounded, young lady."
"What?!" she gasped. "That's not fair!"
"Life's not fair."
So she pulled in a deep breath, preparing to make this into a screaming match. First, she turned her anger on Ian, giving him a scathing look that made it clear she blamed him just as much as me. Then she turned back. That was when she saw the wine, and both glasses still on the counter beside me. It was all the ammunition she needed.
"Really, Mom?" She thrust her hand out at the glasses. "You're pissed off because I was talking to my boyfriend late at night, and yet here you are, talking to yours?"
I lifted a finger to point at her. "I never said talking to him was the problem. Sneaking out is what got you in trouble. If you'd made the responsible choice and used the front door, you wouldn't be grounded. If you'd made the honest one and talked to me, there wouldn't be a problem at all. You, Gabby, did neither. You decided to cop an attitude, and that is why you're in trouble. Never mind that you all but lied to me."
"I didn't lie. How can I lie when I didn't say a thing to you?"
"I guess you just learned that lesson, didn't you?" And I pointed at the stairs. "And I suggest you quit now before it gets worse."
Gabby scoffed at me. "What, going to make it two weeks?"
"Nope. If you keep pushing, you'll go back on the bus. No more riding to or from school with your boyfriend. After that, you lose your phone. Next will be the internet, because I can change the password. Trust me, Gabriella, it can get worse. All of those things are privileges you get for being responsible."
"Yeah? Well, I hope you feel like a hypocrite when you look in the mirror. I wasn't doing anything different than you." Then she glared at Ian. "I liked you better before you were dating my mom."
And with that, she stormed out of the kitchen the same way she'd stormed in, including the thundering steps on the stairs. The problem was that she'd won that battle, she just didn't realize it. All I could do was stand there with my mouth open, not sure if I should be laughing or apologizing.
Ian chose laughter. As soon as Gabby's door slammed shut - loudly, I might add - he shoved a hand over his eyes and huffed out the first one before trying to smother the rest. When