Page 49 of For Always
He couldn’t move and couldn’t think clearly. All he wanted was to stay right here inside of her, with her wrapped in his arms. Forever.
The thought frightened him and Tyler went still. Forever was a very long time.
“I bet your clients would pay top dollar for a training session like that,” she said jokingly as she nipped his neck.
Tyler lowered his head until his face was buried in her neck. He held onto her and whispered, “I’ve never had a client that was worthy of a session like that.”
She went still.
“None. Except you,” he admitted.
The P&P Steakhouse was a classic old-fashioned steakhouse. With its dark wood walls and beamed ceilings, burgundy leather upholstered booth seats and high-backed chairs with a burgundy, green and brown striped pattern at the individual tables. The lighting was dim, antique green covered sconces hung on the walls, while a smaller version of the same design sat in the center of each table. The carpet, a bold floral print, in coordinating colors, brought the design together perfectly.
The waitstaff were dressed in all black, the women in short skirts and tight blouses and the men in slacks, shirt and tie. The hostesses that stood behind a high cherry wood desk wore black dresses, short and tight. Gabriella thought she was beginning to notice a theme.
“Tyler West. I called earlier for a seven-thirty reservation.”
Gabriella stood beside him, still adoring the sound of his deep voice. She’d never met Tyler before coming to Hobbs Creek, but she had listened to a couple of his motivational speeches online after arriving here. In those, there was no hint of his southern upbringing. Now, at times, she could hear a bit of the Texas twang when he talked. He was settling in here and while he didn’t speak about it much, Gabriella wondered how his parents’ death would ultimately effect Tyler’s future. Would he stay in Hobbs Creek to tend to the family ranch he’d inherited? Or would he return to his life in the spotlight of the fitness world? He could do both, she thought. It would be a compromise, but she wasn’t sure if Tyler was up for compromising.
Hadn’t that been why she’d brought up the conversation of relationships and where he stood with them?
The feel of Tyler taking her hand pulled Gabriella from her thoughts. She smiled and followed him as he walked behind one of the hostesses to their booth. When Gabriella had slid across the seat, Tyler nodded to the hostess and took his seat on the other side of the table.
“We’ll have water and do you feature Basset Banks’ Mirage?” he asked.
Gabriella looked at him in shock. She’d told him about the Basset Banks Winery in Napa Valley and that she’d attended a double wedding there. He’d said that he’d heard of the winery, but not that he was familiar with any of their wines.
“No, sir. I don’t believe we do,” the woman responded with a dazzling smile.
“Well, you should,” Tyler said as he accepted the wine list she’d given him. “Mirage is an excellent blend of Basset Banks’ cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet santo. Tell Ted I think he should definitely look into becoming one of their exclusive vendors.”
“Yes, Mr. West, I will.”
“We’ll take the Stag’s Leap cabernet. Bring us the bottle,” Tyler instructed.
“Yes, sir,” she said and handed them both a menu.
“I didn’t know you’d actually tasted Basset Banks wines,” Gabriella said the moment they were alone.
“I told you I’d heard of them. After you mentioned knowing the owners, I ordered some for the ranch. The Mirage has a nice robust taste,” he said, looking down at the menu.
He wore the black slacks and an ice blue collarless button front shirt she’d watched him pull out of his closet about an hour ago. His gold watch sparkled on his wrist and his hair was combed neatly back from his face. They’d dressed together in his room at the ranch and after she’d pulled on her blue cocktail dress, he’d come up behind her and zipped the back. Just like a couple getting ready for a night out on the town.
“I agree,” she said after clearing her throat. “I had a chance to taste several of their wines and the Mirage was very nice.”
A few minutes passed and their waitress, Frannie, appeared to take their order. Tyler ordered steak with asparagus and baked potato, while Gabriella went with something a little lighter—the steakhouse salad.
Tyler pulled out his phone and checked his messages after they ordered. Gabriella didn’t want to look at her phone any more than necessary. She’d talked to Adriana and her mother this week and had been keeping her email box down to a manageable number. She did not open her text messages, even though she saw that she had a few. Brooke was in custody. She’d trashed Gabriella’s room at the resort. Not Austin.
“The house will be finished in another week,” she said abruptly because she wanted to stop thinking about Austin and whether or not he was still trying to contact her.
Tyler’s head shot up and he stared at her.
“What about the employee residences and the resort?” he asked.
“They’ll be a few more weeks because we had to do more construction work in both those locations. But once the structures are complete, the design part won’t take long at all. So I’m thinking that by the end of the summer I should be out of your way.”
“Out of my way?” he asked.
