After finishing the tea, Cole stood.
"We're going to leave, Aunt Meredith, but we'll be back to visit in the next day or two."
"You're leaving so soon?"
She glanced up with the look of disappointment showing across her lined features.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Meredith," Gabby said, reaching across and shaking her hand.
"Call me Aunt Meredith, since you'll soon be a part of the family." Meredith walked around the table and reached up to kiss Gabby’s cheek. "Take care of her, Cole, or you'll hear from me."
"I will," he promised, kissing the powdered cheek offered to him by his aunt.
After several goodbyes, they walked together to the driveway. Once settled in the car, Gabby glanced across at Cole. She saw a smile still lined his face over his aunt's words.
"She certainly is straight forward," Gabby commented softly, but Cole heard her statement.
"I'll have to agree with you on that deduction,” he chuckled. "Keep on the lookout for a convenience store along the highway.”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Gabby saw one next to a service station.
"There's one, Cole.”
Cole swung the car around and pulled over next to it.
He got out, walked over to the glass enclosed shelter, and stepped inside. Gabby watched him thumb through the thick pages of a phone book before closing it.
When he got
back in the car, he shrugged. "No luck so far, but, Aunt Meredith may have given us the wrong information to go by. I hope she was thinking more clearly today and got some of it straight."
"We'll just have to drive to the next town,
” Gabby agreed, sitting back in her seat.
They drove for several hours and still couldn't find any clues to the name Meredith had given them.
"Let’s quit for the day and start early in the morning,” Cole told her.
She nodded
and prepared for the long drive back to their hotel. Even if they didn’t have any luck in finding Samantha, she was enjoying being with Cole and exploring the state of California. With so many sights to see, she kept her eyes glued to the scenery.
When they drove into the parking garage, Gabby wondered how they were going to spend the rest of their evening.
It was only six o'clock and still too early for bed. Her muscles felt cramped and sore from sitting all day in the car, and she needed a little exercise. Maybe a walk after dinner would help relieve the stiffness.
T
hey made their way toward their rooms. Cole stopped before she could enter hers. "I'll be over in about an hour.”
"What for?"
She gave him a curious look.
"We're going out to eat tonight."
He reached in his pocket for his room key, but turned and looked over his shoulder before entering. "Why don't you wear your black dress?"
Shock that he remembered
it filled her; she struggled briefly and then quickly regained her composure. She nodded in agreement. So, the dress had made an impression on him. Some men didn’t even notice what color of clothing a woman wore.
She entered her room and walked straight to the bathroom to run her bath water.
She hadn't been going to bring the dress with her, but at the last minute, Cole mentioned that they would be going out to dinner while staying at the hotel.
She showered and wrapped a towel around her
heading for her case on the bed. After pulling the dress on, she applied her makeup and brushed her hair just before a knock sounded on the door.
Chapter Nine
Cole
’s blue suit, white shirt, and dark tie brought out the bronze coloring of his skin. Handsome was the key word to his appearance. Gabby's breath caught in her throat. She had come to find that she had the same reaction every time she saw him. When she looked into his face, she saw a light filling his dark eyes.
"You look beautiful
."
"Thank you
.” She glanced at the small box that he carried and opened, revealing a cluster of red roses arranged onto a wrist corsage. He took the delicate blooms from the bed of tissue and slipped the corsage on her wrist.
She couldn’t help noticing red roses were his favorite flowers.
She didn’t have any doubts now that he had been the one to send them to her at the office. “Thank you.”
"
You’re welcome,” he said, cupping her waist with his hand as they walked toward the elevator.
When they reached the main lobby, he
led the way to the parking garage and walked her to his car. Cole made his way around to the passenger side and held the door for her.
Leaving the garage,
he drove through the busy streets and pulled onto the lot of a fancy restaurant and entered. Only minutes passed before a hostess met them and led the way to their table. Gabby looked at the secluded table hidden by potted plants and trailing long vines and wondered if Cole had requested the private setting when he’d made the reservation.
The place was certainly
fancy, Gabby thought silently. On her many dates with Marty, he had never taken her to such an upscale restaurant. While she looked around, a flash of red coloring caught the corner of her eye. She glanced around and saw a woman wearing a red dress weaving her way toward their table.
"Cole, darling,
it’s been a while," she said once she reached them.
Hearing the flirtatious sound in her voice brought a sick feeling to Gabby’s stomach.
Gabby had to admit one thing. Their unexpected guest was a real beauty. Long blonde hair cascaded down her back in a fashionable style and brought out her big blue eyes, fringed with long, dark lashes. Sexy was the adjective coming to Gabby’s mind in describing the woman.
She leaned forward and planted a warm kiss on Cole's lips, ignoring Gabby’s quiet figure.
Gabby held her breath because the front of her dress looked ready to fall and expose everything she owned.
“I
've been keeping busy, Cindy.* What have you been up to?" Cole stood.
"Waiting to hear from you," she
pouted. "You promised you'd call me last month, but I'm still waiting."
Cole didn't answer over why he hadn't contacted her.
He reached across and placed his hand on Gabby’s shoulder. "Cindy, this is Gabby Fallon. Cindy Marshall's a friend of mine."
Gabby noticed how he placed emphasis on the word friend.
There was no way in the world Cindy missed it. She finally gave Gabby a closer look and a frown suddenly covered her smooth face. “Is this the one who’s been keeping you so busy?”
“Yes, we’ve been seeing each other,” Cole replied evasively.
“Would you like to join us?”
Why had he said that they were seeing each other?
Gabby thought that he might want Cindy to get the impression he wasn’t available anymore. Was he using her to ward off any more of Cindy’s romantic notions toward him?
“No, I have people waiting for me
. I should be getting back…," she eventually murmured, turning to look at Cole again. “The group will wonder what’s keeping me so long.”
"I'll see you later
."
"Is she another one of your girlfriends?"
Gabby followed the blonde’s progress across the room.
"You sound
jealous. Are you, Gabby?" A long pause followed his question.
"Why would I be jealous?"
She hid her jealousy well. Jealousy gripped her insides with a tight hold and she couldn't do anything to relieve the emotional pressure building in her. She wished she could take back her earlier words.
"Maybe I was hoping that you could be just a little,
” he said, in a low husky voice. "I guess I've been imagining things in our relationship."
"I suppose you have
.” She answered in what she hoped was an even tone. The arrival of the waitress caused Cole to drop the subject and bought Gabby a little time to settle her nerves. She sighed softly, because she'd almost given herself away. She would have to put a stop to the way she always voiced her personal thoughts and try to make sure she kept her emotions more under control.
Throughout dinner
, they talked about what they were going to do the next day in their search for Samantha. Not one time did Cole bring up their earlier discussion over the jealousy situation, putting Gabby more at ease.
After
finishing their meal Cole drove across town to the hotel. Cole stood outside her room gazing into her eyes before reaching for her. All sensible thoughts left her mind and she went willingly into his arms. Cole maneuvered her through the open door and used his foot to push it closed.
She felt his tongue invading her mouth, sending her body into a tumult of sensations. Putting her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer to her, wanting
to feel the warmth of his body. All her decisions to reject any intimacy left her. She couldn’t resist experiencing his tantalizing kisses and caresses.
Cole removed her dress, panties and bra before slipping the corsage off her wrist. She watched as he began shedding his own clothing and stood before her in an au natural state.
Gabby felt on fire for him, loving the sensations whipping through her body. She knew she wanted him and could hardly wait for his possession. He claimed a spot near her on the bed and softly stroked her breasts as he continued to cover her mouth with hungry kisses. She moaned softly, her mind drifting to a point of no return.
Cole's hands slid across her smooth body, causing
desire to flare even hotter in her. She boldly let her fingers trail his chest until reaching his narrow hips. Pulling gently, she felt their warm bodies touching in a heated explosion. Her hands moved again, touching the solid muscled leg covered with dark hair. Delight raced through her, making her hands roam wherever they wanted to go. This gave her the chance to discover every inch of his body.
He reciprocated
by moving his mouth down her body kissing all the new territory he came to. In his discovery quest, he reached her silky folds and his mouth seized her clitoris. When he inserted his finger into her heat, she moved her hips forward to accept him fully.
Tingling flashes of fire ripped through her body.
She felt as if her mind was in a cloud of ecstasy as she enjoyed his continuous tongue capture. A strong climax suddenly erupted through her. She groaned her pleasure causing Cole to delight her with his tongue taking the place of his finger in her heated core. When a second climax tore through her, she shuddered at its intensity.
Eventually, she moved slightly letting him know she wanted to show him pleasure
, the same as he had shown her. Her tongue licked a path across his bronzed chest until reaching his hard cock raised with desire for her. She captured his junk in her mouth and tantalized him with back and forth motions. Instead of Gabby groaning this time, she could hear the husky moan of Cole. Just on the point of Cole climaxing, he reached for her and brought her up toward him.
Gabby
was so impatient for his possession, she straddled his body and felt his cock sliding easily into her pussy. She began moving backward and forward, feeling his hips matching her strokes. The ride she took him on pleased him and she could tell by the expression on his face.
Suddenly, she felt a spasm enter her body and a heated climax followed causing her to shudder uncontrollably with its powerful force. It wasn’t long before she felt Cole erupting and his hot juice filling her. She continued riding
him until she felt the last drop of cum entering her pink slit.
Bending forward,
her mouth found his lips, sealing them with her own lips as she tasted and savored their sweetness. The kiss was so passionate, she felt Cole getting hard for the second time in a matter of minutes.
This time when they made love, Cole reversed positions and Gabby found him pushing her thighs apart to give him access to her hot
slit. She didn’t need a second invitation and spread wide to receive him. She had thought his first lovemaking was powerful, but it didn’t compare to the second climax shaking her body. Again, their heated union brought such satisfaction to Gabby that she never wanted it to end. Instead of removing his penis after he ejaculated, Cole remained inside her keeping the intimate connection for just a little longer.
His possession
had been all she had dreamed of, carrying her into a wondrous world of new emotions. To her, Cole was the man she wanted to spend eternity with. He carried her to dizzying heights, satisfying her completely. While he had made love to her, she felt like she had zoomed through the air at an unheard of speed. She never wanted to leave the nestled shelter she found in cuddling close to him. Before drifting off to sleep, she glanced over and noticed Cole's eyes closed and heard the sound of his even breathing. She snuggled contentedly and closed her eyes.
***
Gabby awoke the next morning to find that she was alone. Had she dreamed last night? She got up, walked into the bathroom, and gazed in the mirror. She knew she hadn't dreamed it when she saw the passion marks lining her neck and breasts. After all her promises not to fall into the same pattern of his other women, she had gone and done it.
The sound of the telephone startled
her and she walked into the bedroom and lifted the receiver. Instead of the wakeup call she had expected, it was Cole.
"Up and at
’em," he greeted her cheerfully. "We've got a long drive today."
"What time is it?"
She tried to hide the shaky sound in her voice.
"It's
seven and I’d like to leave by eight. We can grab something to eat on the road."
"I'll be ready
.”
When she turned on the shower, she tried pushing all thoughts from her mind.
Somehow, she had to present a nonchalant attitude toward Cole and not reveal how much she loved him.
At eight sharp, Cole knocked on her door and Gabby grabbed her handbag on her way out. When she met him in the hallway, she couldn't look him directly in the eye. An unfamiliar shyness swept through her, remembering the hot sex, passion, and pleasure they had shared late into the night.
She wasn’t expecting his next action.
He reached for her and drew her into his arms; his lips claimed hers in the same way as when he had made love to her.
When he lifted his head, a soft smile curved his lips.
"I needed that to keep me going," he murmured huskily, taking her arm and guiding her toward the elevator.
Gabby didn't have a reply to his statement.
She couldn’t begin to tell what was on his mind, but she hoped he didn't think she was going to be another one of his willing partners he left dangling when he became tired of pursuing her. She would rather suffer the pain of losing him than become a mistress.
Gabby felt this was going to b
e the day they found Samantha. When he pulled into a service station, she stayed behind in the car and watched him through the plate glass window. As he walked from the station, she noticed the smile lining his features. He had found something, judging by the happy expression on his face. Maybe at last their search was about over.
She forgot her troubling thoughts of last night.
"What did you find out?"