Page 38 of Hot in the City
“Hello, Irish.” His voice was gravelly and rumbly, pinging her pleasure centre and tugging at something in her abdomen. She bit her lower lip and almost tripped over the spiky plant near her front steps.
Sinead pressed her lips together before the exciting words exploded out of her in a great rush.
Control. Plan the announcement. Don’t freak him out.
Sinead nearly peed herself from the effort of keeping it inside. She released her lower lip and took a shuddery breath. "Ah, it's the man himself. Are you looking especially handsome on this fine day? I’ll bet you are."
"I was just thinking about you."
She grinned so hard her cheeks ached. "All good thoughts, I hope. Maybe naked thoughts?"
He chuckled, deep and low in her ear. "Always good, and many naked thoughts of you, my love."
She sighed, leaning her right side against the front door as she fumbled for her keys in the depths of her bag. “I just got home. I hope you're ready for some news. But I can’t tell you right now, because we have to get ready to go.”
There was a slight pause from Gabriel. “Go? Ah, is there somewhere I’ve forgotten I should be right now?”
The trepidation in her husband’s voice gave her pause. Sinead knew of Gabriel’s one o’clock appointment with Dyer and Sons, the eco builders who would hopefully be working on their upcoming island resort project. She didn’t want to disrupt that meeting or their plans for a fabulous new business venture, but she’d definitely do just that if she hit Gabriel with her news over the phone.
“No, you’re good. I meant, we have to leave by five this afternoon for our surprise weekend getaway. Before you say anything else, it’s a surprise, so that’s why you didn’t know about it.”
She unlocked the front door, kicked off her shoes and crossed the living room, a welcoming open plan space dominated by a long sage green plush sofa that made her want to throw herself right on it and lie down. So, she did. She lay flat on her back, her head on the overstuffed silver cushion at one end, phone pressed to her ear.
Gabriel’s deep chuckle resonated in her ear, and somewhere deep in her belly. “Oh, is this one of those surprises where I’m going to suddenly find myself naked, tied to a chair and unable to move for days? Because if that’s the case, go ahead and pack my bag for me.”
The giggles rose from Sinead’s belly and escaped her lips with a kind of squeak. “Will do, husband mine.”
“Just let me get this meeting out of the way, then I’m all yours for the weekend.”
All mine. Yes.
“Stay at the office and I’ll pick you up at quarter to five. Okay?”
“Anything you wish, Irish.”
Sinead closed her eyes, counting every single one of her blessings. There were quite a lot these days. “Love you.”
“Love you more. Bye.” Gabriel signed off, competitive to the last.
Sinead smiled, her cheek muscles stretching out as she ended the call. She’d have to hurry to get everything organised. But first, maybe she’d have a little rest.
She popped her phone on the coffee table and settled in for a power nap.
“Oh my God!” Sinead woke with a start, jumping up to a sitting position on her sofa. How long had she been asleep?
A buzzing noise, then a sing-song tune came from somewhere nearby. Her phone.
She slapped a hand to her forehead. Her head was muzzy, clouded with the tail-ends of her dream, of herself and Gabriel holed up in their island paradise getaway. It was warm, deliciously naughty. . .
She looked about the room, reorienting herself and sadly shaking off the remnants of dream-world Gabriel’s touch. She grabbed her phone from the coffee table.
Damn! Three missed calls. It was already after five o’clock! She had to meet Gabriel at his office.
She was on her feet and ready to race to the door, when her head started spinning. She flopped back down on the sofa and waited it out. She could leave in a minute, she wouldn’t be horribly late.
Wait, she still had to pack their bags. Oh, no. Now they would be late for their flight. A click echoed in the quiet house, and Sinead wrenched her neck to the side to find the front door had swung open. Gabriel was framed in the doorway. He was home!
“Sinead, my God. Can you answer your damn phone?” He stormed towards her, emanating waves of tension.
