Second Chances (53 page)

Squatting at her level, Gabriel exclaimed, “Whew!  Your mom is right.  You don’t miss much, Rebecca.”  He smiled warmly at her.  “I thought it was time for me to get to know you and Kyle some.  Is that okay?”

Isabella watched in amazement and slowly, almost imperceptibly exhaled.  He was a natural with kids.  He didn’t try to talk down to them or act silly to try to impress them and win them over.  Most importantly, he obviously wasn’t trying to use them to get to her.  He had a genuine interest in getting to know her children.  Isabella watched closely, silently for a reaction from Rebecca.  She wasn’t going to interfere or prod in any way.  If they were to come together and be friends, it would be on their own devoid of Isabella’s assistance.

Without responding to his question verbally, Rebecca answered by grabbing his hand and leading him up the stairs to show him where to deposit his bag.  They walked back down the stairs together, still hand in hand while Rebecca spoke animatedly about everything that came to mind.  She paused for a moment in the kitchen, looked at her mother, and asked, “Hey, Mom, how long until dinner?”  After receiving a satisfactory answer, she happily relinquished Gabriel and trotted back outside to play with her brother and friends.

Gabriel wandered into the kitchen where Isabella hurriedly worked to finish the dinner preparations, walked around the table, and wrapped his arms around her waist.  Isabella leaned into him, blushing.  “Bella, I don’t think we had an opportunity to properly greet one another, eh?”

“No,” Isabella murmured, twisting in his arms to face him.  “No, we didn’t.”  She wrapped her arms around his neck, laid her head against his chest, and deeply inhaled his scent to imprint this moment in her brain.  Something in that act steadied her.  Hearing his heart beat at a relaxed soothing pace, feeling the warmth of his body against hers, having one of his arms hold her tightly against him while the other rubbed reassuring circles in the center of her back.  For the first time in hours, she felt more herself, more the woman she strived to be: strong, in control of her emotions, confident.

They worked together to complete the meal preparations.  Gabriel found the idea of eating on the patio enchanting.  He loved manning the grill, claiming he’d never barbecued before.  Isabella was not surprised.  Nothing in his upbringing had prepared him for the life of the common man.  And after the meal, he even tried to help her clean up, bringing food in from the patio, carrying out the garbage, rinsing plates. 

All the while, Isabella studied him.  She wanted an indication as to how he would handle the monotony of everyday life.  She needed to see that he could be happy with having two children around all the time, demanding attention, requiring assistance, and sharing her love.  Through it all, Gabriel held up nicely.  He entertained himself while she bathed them, and after they returned to the living room in their pajamas, he volunteered to tell them stories.

Even Kyle, who usually feared strangers and clung to his mother, eagerly found a special place in Gabriel’s lap.  The stories were fairy tales of a most exotic nature.  Gabriel told them about his family, growing up in Saudi Arabia, places he had traveled to, where he still wished to go.  Their eyes were drooping, but still the kids hung on to his every word.  They relished his attention and his gentle way with them.  Eventually he realized that they could last no longer when Kyle’s head rolled momentarily.

“Ahh, bébés,” Gabriel cried, “We must tuck you in.  Here, kiss your mama.  I will carry you upstairs.”  The kids leaned down obediently and planted moist kisses on Isabella’s cheeks before Gabriel whisked them up the stairs, one on either hip.

Isabella sighed.  It had been so long since she had someone else to help around the house, some adult to carry on dinner conversation with.  And...he helped with the dishes.  Since that act was entirely distant from his usual lifestyle, it merely served to raise him in Isabella’s esteem.

It seemed as though it took him an inordinately long time, but at last Gabriel returned from tucking in the kids.  He took Isabella by the hands and silently led her up the stairs.  Suddenly, her nervousness surfaced.  She tried to think of what to say.  She felt safe in the living room, a great distance away from a bed, somewhere that wasn’t intimate.  So far, she had been too afraid to kiss him, and now they were heading up to her bedroom.  What if he expected...

As they neared the third floor, Isabella realized that the lights were out, but the room stayed ablaze from numerous candles. 
No
, she told herself,
not just numerous candles, he has lit every candle
.  She smiled lightly.  The candles not only served to illuminate, but also lent fragrance to the room and an intoxicating ambiance, which could perhaps explain why Isabella suddenly shook more than ever before.

He led her to the side of the bed, the side he must have recognized to be hers.  Isabella sat nervously, careful to make sure her feet were touching the floor.  Her mother was always quick to school her on the importance of keeping both feet on the floor when she was entertaining male guests.  Of course, her guests were never allowed in her room.  Oops.

Two glasses of wine were poured.  Gabriel took one and passed her the other.  “I know how you like sweet drink,” he commented.  “Try this.”

Isabella was not a wine drinker. Her parents had never
drank anything stronger than soda the entire time she was growing up and her life with Jack had been completely devoid of wine and roses.  Once again she was in unfamiliar territory.  She sniffed the glass cautiously.

From the look on his face, Gabriel wasn’t the least bit annoyed with her.  In fact, he seemed to find her immensely entertaining.  “It’s an ice wine,” he explained.  “You will find it thicker and sweeter than any wine you may have enjoyed previously.  I promise.”

Wearing a look that proclaimed her doubt, Isabella took a hesitant sip…and smiled.  This man knew her.  “Very yummy,” she said happily.

He watched her now.  From the look on his face, he might even be trying to contain his laughter, which caused Isabella to become even more self-conscious.

“What?”  Isabella asked weakly, setting down her glass.

“You don’t have to be afraid, Bella,” Gabriel began, kneeling before her.  “We don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready for.  Remember?”  She looked down at the floor, still unconvinced.  He gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look directly into his hypnotic eyes.  “I promise,” he whispered, while his lips grazed her forehead, sending shivers up and down her spine.

“I want to believe you,” Isabella whispered slowly, “but...”

Gabriel placed his finger to her lips.  “No buts.  Let me prove it to you.”  He walked over to the other side of the bed where he had placed the remote.  The television flashed on, the DVD began.  He kicked off his slip on sandals and rested back on the layers of pillows on the bed.  Wordlessly, he opened his arms to her.  A smile crept across Isabella’s face.  She crawled lazily across the bed, hesitated a moment before she shyly rested in his arms.

The ceiling fan whirred over head as “Like Water for Chocolate,” an amazing tale of enduring love, and food, began.  Isabella watched Gabriel carefully for his reaction to the nudity and sex, but he treated all of those scenes as though they were perfectly natural, not dirty or erotic.  Again, Isabella grew impressed with his character, this time with his maturity.  And before long, she realized that she had allowed herself to completely relax in his arms.

That, of course, would be when the credits began to roll, and Isabella felt a new wave of fear wind through her.  To this point, there had been one distraction or another, but now, with the movie completed, they had nothing to keep them from going to bed.  What would happen next?

Isabella turned to Gabriel, but before she could speak he began.  “Bella, it is late.  We should get some rest.”  He hugged her close for a moment.  “I would like to stay up here with you, but if it will make you too uncomfortable or prevent you from getting your rest, I will be more than happy to go downstairs and simply greet you again at breakfast.”

Studying his face, Isabella discovered that he spoke the truth.  His eyes were gazing at her in earnest.  He reached out to brush the hair back from her cheek, sending another ripple down her spine.  And Isabella found herself caught up in the desire to have him close to her, but not wanting to appear too eager, she said simply, “Let me think about it for a moment?”

He nodded and watched as she slid off the bed, and wandered over to her dresser.  She opened the drawer quickly and surveyed the contents.  What to wear?  The bed clothes couldn’t be too sexy, or too granny-like, or too hot, or...suddenly she wondered if she had anything appropriate at all.  Scraping the bottom of the drawer she unearthed a two piece set of red shorts with a white camisole with a built in bra.  Perfect.  Everything would be covered, yet without causing her to be too hot.  After all, Isabella had been unaccustomed to wearing anything more than panties to bed in the summer.

She could feel him watching her as she walked into the bathroom to clean her face.  She left the door open so that she could catch glimpses of him in the mirror.  At the last possible moment, Isabella closed the door to disrobe.  Finally, she emerged and awaited his reaction from the doorway.  If he demonstrated even a hint of being a wolf waiting to pounce, then he would have sealed his fate and been sent to the couch.

Gabriel lay propped on his side, betraying no emotions.  He simply asked, “Have you decided yet?”  He acted as though seeing her in her pajamas was perfectly natural. 
Or maybe
, Isabella feared,
he doesn’t find me at all attractive.  Maybe it has nothing to do with self-control.

“You can stay up here, if you would like,” she said quietly, unsure of whether she was disappointed by his reaction or impressed.

Gabriel walked over to his bag, pulled out a pair of shorts, and seemed to contemplate whether or not to change where he stood, then walked to the bathroom, pausing momentarily next to Isabella.  He leaned over and murmured in her ear, “I’ll meet you in bed, beautiful one.  Tonight, I really get to tuck you in.” Smiling, Isabella prepared the bed and headed downstairs to check on the kids.  When she returned, she found Gabriel lying there under the sheets, wearing only shorts.  She froze beside the bed for a moment, the reality of the situation hitting her.  What was she thinking?  How could she let another man share the same bed when she wasn’t even divorced from her husband?  She was not that kind of woman.  What must he think of her?

Gabriel pulled back the sheet, patted the bed, and beckoned her join him.  She climbed in timidly.  The queen size bed would leave them each plenty of personal space.  She knew this with certainty since for years she and Jack never touched.  She blew out the last candle on the night stand as Gabriel spoke.

“I just want to hold you tonight.  Will you give me permission?”  He asked so tenderly, so sincerely that she simply couldn’t imagine denying his request.

Without a word, Isabella rolled onto her side and pulled his arm around her.  He snuggled closer, spooning her.  She could feel every muscle in his legs against the backs of hers.  The warmth of his body penetrated her flimsy top.  For the first time in a long time, Isabella wanted to trust a man.  She wanted to believe everything he said without question.  She wanted to remain like this, safe in his arms forever.

Gabriel exhaled easily.  What was that saying about the hardest won prize?  Bella wasn’t an easy conquest.  In the past, the player in him would have given up and moved on to easier game.  Instead, he found her completely enthralling.  He knew that she wasn’t someone who gave herself easily.  She was a lioness when it came to her children.  And the idea that she was inexperienced in so many areas that he took for granted might have put him off in the past, but now endeared her to him all the more.  He was getting the chance to experience everything anew through her.  She was so much more complex than any other woman he had ever known.