Second Chances (61 page)

Apprehensive about letting Gabriel spend any more money on her, she happily discovered that they really were not lacking much.  Gabriel made sure the kids had arrived with their duffle bag of clean clothes.  And prior to leaving Aruba, he had requested that the maid do all of their laundry as well, despite Isabella’s objections.  Reflecting, she realized that she should have suspected something was amiss then. 

As the four of them toured Montreal before departure, they seemed like a family.  A really good-looking family, apparently, as numerous people turned or stopped to admire them.  Smiling to herself, Isabella realized in this moment she had what she had always wanted: a man to spend time with her and her children.  The day passed too swiftly, and the time to return to the airport arrived.

Their flight lande
d in Orlando past the kids’ bedtime, but they were pleasant and well-mannered despite their exhaustion.  A man holding a sign for ‘The Charmant Family’ gave Isabella a start.  It did have a nice sound to it.  She looked up at Gabriel questioningly. 

“I hope you don’t mind,” he explained, “I told them to put that on the sign.”  Isabella looked surprised.  “That is how I think of us, you know?”  He drew her close to his side as they watched their luggage being loaded. 

A million thoughts assaulted Isabella.  Who was this man?  Wasn’t it entirely too soon for him to begin claiming them as his own?  And why was she fighting it? 

The car pulled up to The Villa of the Grand Cypress.  “This is actually an impressive golf resort,” Gabriel began as they entered their two bedroom villa.  “I stayed here once with my father and loved the place so much that I vowed to come back with my own family one day.”  He paused as though he had said too much.  “Umm, well, you know what I mean.” 
No
, Isabella thought,
I’m actually more confused than ever
.

After putting the kids to sleep in their room, Isabella met Gabriel out on the terrace.  “I hope you don’t mind,” Gabriel said, reaching for her hand.  “I wanted one with a water view.”  He pulled her onto his lap.  “So, how do you like our room?” 

“It’s amazing,” Isabella said sincerely. 

She had taken a walk through the villa before joining him on the patio off of the sunken living room.  Tasteful and elegant decor greeted her in every room.  There were patios off of the bedrooms.  Each bedroom had its own sitting room, bathroom, and a king sized bed.  The Jacuzzi bathtubs were sunken into the floor.  They also had a kitchen, dining room, and laundry facilities.  The conveniences this villa provided were tremendous.  Gabriel had obviously thought this through.

She had read the brochure on the nightstand and found that they could be busy horseback riding, swimming, biking, and hiking, in addition to the golf this resort had to offer.  Isabella grew exhausted just thinking about it, and wondered for a moment how the kids would hold up, and how Gabriel would respond to their needs.  She already knew how he responded to hers.

“Would you mind if I turn in early?”  Isabella asked Gabriel.  “I’m just beat from all the traveling.”

“Would you mind if I join you?”  Gabriel responded.  “I can make us a bath before we crash.”  He remained eager to please.

“Us?”  She asked weakly.

“Just let me hold you in the tub,” he pleaded into her hair.

Unable to resist his charm, and trusting his virtuous intentions, Isabella acquiesced.  Within minutes they had watched each other undress and were climbing into the bubbling tub.  She slowly grew accustomed to feeling all of him surrounding her.  She even welcomed it, but at the same time, she pondered how long this sexless intimacy could persist.  Then she chided herself. 
This is what you wanted, to be comfortable and naked together
.

And they were comfortable.  Isabella grew used to him seeing her naked in varying forms of light.  She no longer jumped every time he touched her.  He respected her, behaving cautiously to avoid any erogenous zones when caressing her.  He had not even so much as grazed a nipple, cupped a breast, or rubbed between her thighs since she disrobed what seemed like forever ago, even though it was only yesterday. 

“We have this place for a week,” Gabriel said quietly, as he broke her reverie by bending her forward to scrub her back with a loofah.

“Okay,” Isabella acknowledged quietly.

“What is wrong, my Bella?” Gabriel murmured in her ear.  He slid lower in the water so that she might twist to the side and curl up in his sudsy arms.

“Just tired, I guess,” she mumbled into his chest.

Wordlessly, Gabriel pushed her forward then climbed out of the tub.  He offered her his hands to do the same.  She reached up and held them for a moment before rising.  Something in her wanted to savor every moment, every touch, as though it might be the last.  She stood there silently as he wrapped a towel briskly around his waist, then opened one to wrap around her.  Isabella lifted her arms, cherishing the care and attention she received.   He carefully tucked the towel just over her left breast, then bent slightly, picked her up effortlessly, and carried her to the bed.

Pulling back the bedding, he planted her gently upon the mattress.  Within seconds he had joined her beneath the sheets.  She lay there motionless, waiting.  She felt drained.  She lifted her face to his only to find him gazing at her intensely.  Propped on his side, he caressed her face with his hand, traced down her neck, over her shoulder, down her arm, until their hands were interlocked.  Isabella’s breath slowed.  Her eyelids drooped as Gabriel buried his face in her neck then slowly lowered his head to rest on her breasts.

“I can hear your heart,” he whispered.  Then he glanced up in time to catch her trying desperately not to drift off to sleep.  Moving upward again, burying his face in her hair, he murmured, “No, darling.  Rest.  Let me watch over you.”

Her eyes shot open for a moment.  Then, as the words sank in, as their meaning hit home, she settled into him.  “Yes, Gabriel,” she mumbled almost inaudibly.  “Yes, please do.”

The next morning, Isabella awakened, greeted by the sound of her children shushing each other in the living room.  Smiling to herself, she rolled over.  Gabriel lay there, still sleeping.  This time, Isabella had the opportunity to study him.  His face looked so peaceful she found herself almost afraid to touch him.  Then, she guiltily realized that Gabriel almost always initiated physical contact.

What did she fear?  She knew that Gabriel wouldn’t push her away.  Pausing to analyze her feelings she recognized her hesitation.  If she reached out first, she admitted she wanted the contact, and she made herself vulnerable.  That explained why she would rather sit back, crave it, and wait for it, than set herself up for hurt and rejection later.

Before she could decide upon the course of action to take, Gabriel opened his eyes and saw her leaning over him.   “Deep in thought already I see,” Gabriel joked.  “Well, good morning to you anyway.”  He tousled her hair in an affectionate manner.  “There will be no more thinking today, or for the rest of the week for that matter.  We have too much planned.”

She smiled quietly, racked with worry.  “The kids are young,” she began hesitantly, “I just hope you know that they may have trouble keeping up, or they may get grumpy and overtired...”

Gabriel sat up now.  “Don’t you have any faith in me?” he asked.  “I think I have this all worked out.  If not, we play it by ear.  Deal?”

Isabella thought for a moment about how amazing, sensitive, kind, and intuitive Gabriel had shown himself to be.  How could she doubt him?  “Deal,” she said resolutely.

They decided to start the day slowly, and practically.  They went out for breakfast, as the cupboards were bare.   Their IHOP breakfast unfolded with the kids chattering animatedly about how cool Orlando was, and all the attractions they hoped to see, since Gabriel asked.  He chuckled at their energy level, reached out a hand to Isabella and said, “You are worried about them getting overtired?  They are wearing me out!”

To this Isabella forced a smile, as one of her concerns became exposed.  Her children must come first in her life.  No man, no matter how charming, could challenge that.  And she and Gabriel would have no future if he tired of them.  She wanted a man who would love them, all of them, no matter how exhausting they might be.

At the grocery store, the next stop of the day, Isabella pushed the cart, struggling to keep up with Gabriel and the kids.  They were selecting snack foods and cereals, but Isabella was accustomed to being more practical.  She started to go for peanut butter and jelly, bread, and the like.

Gabriel stopped her.  “What are you doing?”  He asked in a tone of pure confusion.

“For lunch,” Isabella explained weakly.

He reached into the cart, removed the items and put them back.  Isabella stood there in wonder.  “Too much work,” he explained.  “This is a vacation.”  He took over the cart, and steered it down the dairy aisle, pausing in front of the Lunchables.  “Watch,” he whispered to Isabella.  “Kyle, Rebecca,” he called softly.  They appeared at his side instantly.  “Pick four each,” he suggested, gesturing at the wide, varied selection. 

The kids rushed to begin making their selections.  Gabriel stood beside Isabella.  He rested his head on top of hers.  “You should only ever have to cook when you truly want to.  I’ll see to that.”

This trip had an entirely different tone from that of Aruba.  There, they were carefree and selfish.  They stayed up as late as they wanted, and woke up when they desired.  They were constantly at play, focused only on each other.  Here, however, the kids were the top priority.