Blind Love (15 page)

Gabe’s brows shot up. There were apparently a lot of things here he was missing. Her mother’s grin fell and dad’s face flushed red while Lauren’s smile grew. “Gabe, these two are James and Sarah Baxter,
and
they
are the reason I’m handicapped and incompetent.”

Her mother’s mouth dropped open while her father’s twitched. The tension between the three thickened. Gabe cleared his throat and stuck out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Lauren’s a tough woman. She would have been fine without my help.”

She laughed. “I’m afraid they don’t agree with your theory, my friend, but I do.”

“Regardless, we’re relieved you showed up when you did,” James said politely. He took Gabe’s hand and gave it a firm shake. Lauren’s grip on his shoulder tightened. One thing was sure. The parents were ready for him to leave and the daughter was begging him to stay.

“Dad, you and Gabe are both ex-military.”

Mr. Baxter suddenly looked interested. “What branch?”

“Marines, sir.”

“You must have seen a lot of combat.”

“Not much. I was a Scout Sniper.”

The man looked him over as if noticing Gabe for the first time. His stance relaxed and he even flashed a real smile. “Impressive.”

“And yourself?”

“I didn’t see combat. I was a Judge Advocate General for the Air Force.”

Lawyer. It explained the way he carried himself.

“What do you do now?”

Gabe shrugged. “I got out a few months ago and have been investing in properties. Fixing them up and renting them out.”

The man’s brows rose. “We bought a house. It needs some work, actually. Do you have contractors you use?”

Lauren’s mother took her husband’s cell and wandered away. The woman appeared to be texting someone. “No, sir. I do the work myself.”

“Well, here’s my card. I help out fellow military when I can, and you took care of my daughter yesterday. Both of which mean a lot to me. Call me. We’re going out of town in a few days and, if possible, I’d like to get the reno stuff going while I’m gone.”

“He’ll call you tomorrow, Dad. Right, Gabe?”

As long as she’d keep touching and leaning on him, he’d do whatever she asked. “Yes, sir.”

Her father gave a brief nod and made his way back to his wife and the luxury car. After they walked off, Lauren stayed behind, glued to his side. The parents kept looking over at them. Her mother was obviously not pleased with her choice of company.

When their car started, she waved and leaned in closer. “Call him and whatever you think is a reasonable rate, charge them double.”

“You’re using me to piss them off.”

She grinned. “You are a smart man.”

Gabe locked his gaze on her mouth and its proximity to his. What he wanted to do was breach the distance and taste her like he did last night in the woods, but she was right, he was a smart man. Instead, he stayed rigid and enjoyed her heat.

Her parents’ car pulled alongside the curb and the passenger window slid down. Lauren’s mother leaned her head out. “The car will be here to take you to the airport Tuesday morning at five. We’ll see you at the terminal.” Seconds later, they disappeared down the block.

Gabe’s chest tightened. “Airport?”

Lauren pulled her hand away. “I’m leaving town for a little while.”

He searched her face, saw the sadness engraved there. “What does ‘a little while’ mean?”

“Not sure, yet.”

Before Gabe could delve deeper, she changed the subject. “If it’s okay with you, I’d love to have Evan over for dinner and a movie tonight.”

“He’d love to.”

When she started to walk off, he grabbed her arm. “Just Evan?”

“We’re going to watch
The Lion King
and eat pizza. You and your mom are welcome to come.”

“Will Officer Dawson be there?”

She smiled. “He should be leaving for his night shift at the precinct soon. So, no Ben.”

The idea of not having her around didn’t sit well with him. A feeling he couldn’t quite describe was crawling its way from deep in his stomach into his chest. “I’ll be there.”

She tried to pull away again, but he tightened his grip. “What about Sunny hiding your toilet paper?”

“Ehh.” Her eyes filled a second before she blinked the moisture away. “There are way too many people trying to run my life. To hell with them.”

She flashed him a smile and winked. “Anyway, I have a hidden stash.”

The chatty woman who was beside him when her parents were present had disappeared into one who kept her face down.

“Everything okay?”

“Nope. But nothing I can’t handle. See you in a couple hours.” She pulled away. This time, he let her go and stared on as she disappeared into her house.

When Gabe got to his garage a few feet away, his mom stood there waiting for him with a big grin on her face.

“Stop smiling, your face might stick like that,” he said as he put Evan’s bike and safety gear away.

“She invited us over for dinner, of course I’m excited.”

“Didn’t know you liked pizza.” He headed for the door and opened it, knowing she was far from dropping the subject. “Anyone ever tell you it’s rude to eavesdrop, by the way?”

“Why aren’t you happy about this?”

There were so many things bothering him. The bracelet. The sadness he saw in her face. He shrugged and pointed out the one on the top of his list. “She’s leaving.”

“What do you mean, leaving?”

“I mean on Tuesday morning, she gets on a plane and goes away to parts unknown, indefinitely.”

“Are you going to let her?”

Gabe laughed and grabbed a beer from the fridge. “Lauren Baxter doesn’t
let
anyone tell her how to do anything.”

She snatched the bottle from his hand and put it back in the fridge. “Go give her a reason to change her mind.”

“Not my place. Just like it’s not your place to take my drink.”

“Like hell it’s not. I’m your mother. I don’t want you reaching for the poison, ’cause it won’t make things any better and she deserves to know how you feel.”

He shrugged and went to the one place he knew she wouldn’t follow, the bathroom.

Lauren lounged on the couch with her feet resting on the coffee table. As she tried hard to detox from her day, Ben came clomping down the stairs. He sat down, his leg rubbing against hers.

She pushed her sadness aside and flashed him a smile. “Ready for work?”

“Yup. How’d it go?”

The fact Jack hadn’t left her side since she got home was clear indication of how it went. She patted the dog’s head and shrugged. “They’re buying me a house.” She waved her arm. “Bought me this bracelet. And did you know
you
are the cause of all my problems?”

“What?” He laughed. “They haven’t changed much, I see. How did the doctor’s appointment go?”

Lauren leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes. “I had two of them. The first one told me my ligaments are torn, hence the boot.” She lifted her ankle to show off the lovely synthetic support wrapped around her leg. “And I need to take it easy the next six weeks.”

“And the second?”

“Said what I expected. The tunnel vision is a natural progression of the RP and we have no clue how long it will take, but blindness is inevitable.”

When he tucked her hair behind her ear and ran his fingers across her cheek, Lauren stiffened.

“Ben, we need to talk.”

His hand froze. She sat up and took a breath. “I’ll always care about you and I missed you, more than I realized, but…”

“I know.” He interrupted her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. “Just don’t say it, okay?”

The sadness in his voice made her throat tighten. Guilt welled inside of her until finally the emotions she’d fought all day seeped out.

“Hey.” He cupped her chin and kissed her nose. “Don’t cry because of me. I’ve made you do too much of that already.”

Lauren shook her head. “I don’t like hurting you.”

“You didn’t do this, Cat. I did.” Ben’s voice cracked.

“And I don’t want to lose you again,” Lauren whispered.

He laughed. “You won’t, I’ll keep coming back until you tell me to stop.”

She didn’t respond, just smiled and nodded. He kissed the top of her head and held her tight. “Just promise me if you ever decide different, no matter when or how long it takes, you’ll tell me.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Don’t Think

Throughout the whole movie, Gabe sat on the couch observing Lauren. She laughed, smiled, knew each scene by heart, and even pointed out things to Sprout. A few times, she had Evan snickering and singing the songs with her. To anyone who didn’t know any better, it would look like she was watching the movie, but she wasn’t. Any other time, he would have found the whole thing amazing, but his attention wasn’t focused there. It was on the sadness in her eyes. How her smile never seemed to get very big and how at some points she seemed lost in thought.

His mind flooded with possible reasons. She had decided to get back together with her ex. She believed he killed Autumn. Gabe itched to pull her aside, hold her close and beg her to stay, but decided against it. If he was the reason for her sadness, the last thing he wanted was to make it worse.

Afterward, when they said their goodbyes, Evan asked if the dog could spend the night.

Lauren gave the beast’s head a rub. “I’m sure he’d love to.”

“Something’s not right. You need to go back in there and talk to her,” his mom said after Evan and Jack went upstairs.

Gabe grabbed his untouched beer from the fridge. “She probably needs to be alone.”

“I know what I’m talking about.” She pulled it out of his hand for the second time. “Space is not what she needs. Go talk to her before you both regret it.”

She went upstairs, leaving him confused and unsure of what to do. Gabe grabbed the damn bottle and this time gulped down every drop of the cold drink.

Liquid courage now swooshing in his gut, he found himself knocking on Lauren’s back door.

When she poked her head out, his mouth went dry and he considered going back for another beer.

“Gabe? Something you need?”

When he searched her face, he loved everything he saw there. The way her hair fell across her shoulders. How her head tilted to the side. Yes, there was something he needed. He took a breath and stepped closer.

With the back of his hand, he traced the side of her jaw. Lauren closed her eyes and he watched as her chest filled. When he outlined her lips, warm breath blew against his. The heat from it made his mouth water. Gabe leaned forward, his lips a thread away from hers. He looked for any signs indicating not to proceed. When her mouth parted, he closed the gap between them.

He let his hand graze across her skin as his lips pressed against hers. Long, slow, sweet, but hungry. It was a kind of hunger he’d never felt before. One he wanted to savor for as long as he possibly could. He pulled back, to make sure she felt the same.

With her eyes still closed, she leaned her head into his hand, which palmed her cheek. “Gabe, I’m not in a place where I can think clearly.”

“Then don’t think.” His lips pressed against hers for a brief moment before he pulled away and proceeded to do it again. “Just feel.”

She placed her hands on his stomach and moved them up. He closed his lids, savoring her touch. When she pulled back, he grabbed her wrists and brought them back. “Don’t stop. Please.”

Lauren pressed into the dips of his chest, up to his shoulders. With each part of his body the pads of her fingers traced, his hunger intensified and lengthened. By the time she had reached the sides of his neck, his pulse heightened and his breathing came out ragged. When her hands molded around his face, she pulled him forward.

“I don’t want to be alone,” she whispered. Her lips opened and neared. They brushed lightly against his before she pulled away and hesitated.

“You don’t have to be.” Gabe held back, letting her take the lead.

She stepped into his space and when her hips brushed against his hardness, he lost his capacity for self-control. No more erotic dreams. He wanted her. Her mouth. Her skin. Her body. Everything she was willing to give for as long as she’d allow.

Gabe kissed her hard and when he did, Lauren wrapped her arms around his neck, opening her mouth to him. He picked her up and carried her inside, kicking the door shut behind them. Pushing her against the wall, he pressed his ache against her, all the while deepening their kiss.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he groaned as she rubbed her stomach into his erection.

Eyes closed, her chest rose a little faster, a little higher. Each time her clothed breasts brushed against him, he imagined tearing the fabric off of her, feeling her nipples on his skin.

“Tell me what I do to you,” she whispered and busied her mouth on his throat. The warmth of her breath, the way her lips and tongue traced a path along the side of his neck, and the way she ground her body into his arousal had him holding on to the wall for support.

“I’d rather show you.” He moved her hair out of the way and planted his lips on the side of her neck. Soft, sweet skin. She smelled of vanilla. “I want you.”

Lauren put her hand on the back of his head and pressed him closer. She shuddered. “Gabe.”

As he traced the side of her neck with his mouth the way she had done to him, he moved his hand under her shirt and cupped her breast. “I want to be inside you.”

Lauren arched her hips, creating friction in the right spot. He nipped her ear lobe while she ran her hand across his cheek and onto his head. When he pinched her nipple, she groaned and grabbed his hair, tugging his mouth to hers.

A hand still playing with her breast, Gabe slid the other to her leg and pulled up the fabric of her skirt.

Her breathing got heavier. Lauren kissed him harder and ran her tongue over his teeth. He dipped his finger into her panties and was welcomed with wet heat. They both moaned at the experience. She spread her legs as he played with her intimate parts. His dick throbbed to replace his fingers. “I need to be inside you, now. Yes or no?”

She panted out a yes before he silenced her with another kiss.