Page 94 of Coming Home to Wishington Bay
‘Carrying on with Gigi’s room. The bedroom is practically finished but I still have her dressing room to tackle.’
‘Will you be OK?’
I nodded against him. ‘Yeah,’ I said softly. ‘I think I will now. First cut is always the deepest, I guess.’
He pressed his lips to my hair and I smiled.
‘And then the next day Sally from the shop is coming to look at those pieces, which if she doesn’t like I’ve decided I’m going to say you did them anyway but were too embarrassed to say so at the time.’
‘I guess that’s fair enough as I did kind of drop you in it. Unintentionally. But I’ll take that hit. Only because it’s you though.’
I tilted my head and looked up at him. ‘Thank you.’
‘My pleasure,’ he replied, twitching an eyebrow with a look that sent shivers of anticipation rippling through me.’
‘And then, that same day, I’m going out with Reg to a place a couple of villages over.’
Gabe shifted on the sand, resting up on his elbows as I sat back. ‘Am I allowed to ask who Reg is, and whether I should be worried?’
‘Just this builder chap I’ve got friendly with. Actually he’s going to be spending some time here soon. You’re not going to go all Alpha Male and get jealous, are you?’ I rolled my eyes in an exaggerated manner and blew out a sigh. Then there was a brief squeak of surprise as the next thing I knew, I was lying on my back on the sand with Gabe looking down at me.
‘Very,’ he whispered huskily as he bent and nuzzled my ear. ‘I think it’s only to be expected when my girlfriend is planning to run off with the local builder.’
I giggled as Gabe began kissing my neck.
‘Reg is very happily married to a lovely lady called Dotty and I’m just going with him to see if I can help out with some design ideas for a client’s extension.’
Gabe rested on one elbow. ‘Is he paying you for this?’
‘No, but only because I insisted against it. He’s already knocked it off the estimate for the work here though, despite my protests. And he got rid of that mattress for me, which saved me money.’
‘Are you enjoying doing it?’
‘I am, actually. Although I’m not sure what he’s started. I might have to try and find the local chapter of Interior Design Magazines Anonymous before too long. I think I might have a problem.’
‘Admitting you have a problem is always the first, and hardest, step,’ he said, his voice serious.
‘I love your doctor voice.’
His laugh was low in the quiet night. ‘My what?’
‘Your doctor voice. When you’re talking about something serious – or pretending to – I can just imagine how you are at work. It’s very authoritative but calming, and sort of reassures a person that you’re in control of things.’
‘Well.’ He smiled, moving to drop slow, tender butterfly kisses along my shoulder. ‘I do like to be in control.’
‘Is that so?’
‘It is,’ he replied, his lips moving across me as his hands swept underneath me, his warm fingers splaying against my back. ‘Of course, I’m not saying that sometimes it isn’t nice to relinquish that control.’
‘Is there a reason you’re telling me all this?’ I whispered, my voice hoarse as Gabe’s lips brushed my stomach.
‘No,’ he said, his hands teasing down the side of my body, as he moved, his face once more above mine. ‘Just making conversation.’
But conversation was the last thing on my mind as I fell into his kiss beneath the star-speckled night sky. The only thing I saw, wanted and felt was Gabe.
Later that night, I lay in my bed listening to the soft wash of the waves, my eyes heavy as sleep did its best to win me over. Gabe’s arm was draped over my hip, his hand warm as it lay splayed on my skin, his hard body was spooned against mine and his deep, steady breathing mingled with the rhythm of the waves outside. I wriggled a little to get comfy, and Gabe moved without waking, his arm pulling me even closer. Letting my eyes close, I allowed sleep to come.
Chapter 17
