Still Mr. And Mrs. Read online

  “Just relax for a few minutes.” She ran her fingertips underneath the cotton of his shirt. “Forget all about those awful merger talks.”

  “Why are you so good to me?” he nearly groaned as her hands manipulated his tender flesh.

  Despite the heat, he shivered.

  Without thinking, he grasped one of her hands.

  He turned his head and their gazes locked.

  She raised his hand to her lips and kissed him ever so slightly. “That’s why,” she murmured, rubbing his knuckles across her lips.

  Everything around him seemed to disappear. Except her.

  “Does that help?” She closed her eyes.

  “Tremendously,” he replied, taking in the sweet scent of her. “It always did.”

  God, how he wanted her.

  He stood and pulled her to him, feeling and remembering how perfectly she fit inside the junction of his hips. He dropped his hands to her waist, squeezing softly. Then his hands roamed over her back, exploring gently, but filled with promise as a fire started to rage inside him.

  A sharp emotion went through him of just how foolish he was. He knew he shouldn’t be doing this. He, who focused so much on what was right and tried to honor his obligations above all else, was taking a very destructive path. This would just lead to more heartache for both of them.

  But the truth was, she had too much power over him.

  Her hands went to the open collar of his shirt, her fingers touching the hair at the base of his neck.

  A shot rippled up his back.

  She arched her neck, and he ached to touch his lips to her skin, ached to feel everything about her.

  He groaned involuntarily.

  “Wasn’t there something about starting a fire?” she murmured.

  “More like a raging inferno,” he whispered, knowing he should be pulling away.

  “Well, set me on fire, Gabe.”

  SIX

  Rebecca felt as if she were falling into a bottomless pit.

  Gabe’s strong hands circling her waist, caressing her back were even better than she’d remembered.

  A sigh escaped her lips.

  He grasped her arms in his hands and brought them close to his chest, wrapping her in his warmth.

  Then he briefly touched her lips with his.

  She struggled to take in a deep breath, bringing into her senses everything that was him. The soft touch of his mouth, the sweet taste of his tongue, the smell of him, clean and masculine.

  She hoped the moment would continue forever.

  “I dreamed about you last night,” he whispered.

  She opened her eyes and focused on him, his chiseled features, his soft mouth, his dark eyes.

  “I’m surprised it wasn’t a nightmare.”

  He gave a deep, throaty laugh. “In fact, it’s becoming nearly impossible to stop thinking about you.”

  She touched her bottom lip with the tip of her tongue, aware that his gaze followed her movements.

  “What do you say we order pizza for just the two of us tonight? We can share a quiet evening, you and me. Alone.”

  Without any warning at all, his demeanor changed. He squeezed her hands as he tensed.

  “As tempting as that sounds, I can’t.”

  Much too quickly, she felt her smile dim, and her hopes sink.

  “I have a dinner meeting at the country club.”

  “Tell them you’re busy,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “Ah, Reb.” His voice took on that cool tone she hated. “I can’t.”

  The emotion and love she’d seen in his eyes moments before were suddenly gone, replaced by the serious look she’d seen far too many times. It was as though they’d pushed each other too far, and Gabe was the first one backing off.

  Running away was more like it.

  She stiffened more with hurt than anger. “Sounds like you won’t.”

  He brought her hand up to his mouth. “Dammit,” he swore, pressing his lips to her open palm. “Please be reasonable.”

  “I’m trying. Really I am.”

  “I want this merger to go through more than you can imagine.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the company is slipping.”

  She took in a steady breath, amazed that he actually admitted something was wrong. He’d never opened up to her about anything when they were together.

  “Jonathan has made an offer that the board thinks is too low,” he continued. “This is my family’s company we’re talking about. I don’t like being forced into a corner.”

  She’d learned that lesson the hard way. She’d forced him into a corner once before and now they were headed for a divorce.

  “What about our agreement? The baby? We need some time to discuss it.”

  “I can’t deal with this right now.” He sounded impatient. “Make an appointment with my secretary the first Monday after this whole mess is over. I promise we can discuss all the tiny details.”

  “Fine, I’ll get in touch with your secretary.” She slipped her feet into her sandals and wrapped her towel around her waist.

  “I’m sorry.” He grabbed her hand. “I don’t mean to act as though I don’t care about what you want. You’ve been more than generous with your time and everything else. You don’t know how much I appreciate it. But this merger has to be my first priority. You understand?”

  “Maybe if you’d spent even half as much effort fighting for our marriage as you are fighting for your company, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

  She headed toward the guest house, knowing he was watching every step. She looked over her shoulder, having at least a little satisfaction in seeing that she was right. He looked about as bad as she felt.

  “I hope you get what you want, Gabe,” she said, and walked into the house.

  Gabe saw Reb the instant he walked into the garden room the next morning. She was sitting with Evelyn and Jonathan sharing a breakfast of eggs Benedict and fresh squeezed orange juice.

  After their encounter by the pool, Reb had tried to stay out of his way, avoiding his looks and even his attempts at small talk every time they saw each other.

  After morning greetings were exchanged, Gabe sat down, his gaze focused on Reb. He poured himself a cup of coffee, and waved aside the plate of eggs Hines brought him.

  Every single nerve was on an all-stage alert where Reb was concerned. Every emotion that surfaced, he tried to smother. Every urge, right or wrong, he forced back down until he thought he would go crazy with it all.

  He knew she was right. He had let work interfere with their relationship, but running his family’s company was what his whole life had been about. He’d worked too hard not to give it his all. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had enough left over to give their relationship the time and attention it needed. And ultimately their irresistible attraction for each other hadn’t been enough. They needed so much more to base a lifetime on.

  Especially with two people as different as they were.

  Gabe took a swallow of his coffee, noticing he’d let the drink go cold on him. Shoving the cup aside, he glanced across the table.

  Jonathan was deep in conversation with Reb. She glanced at Gabe and then quickly back to Jonathan when he said something that made her laugh.

  Gabe felt his insides contort with jealousy. Why now, of all times, just a week before their divorce would be final, would he be feeling the pangs of loss?

  Jonathan turned to him. “Gabe, Rebecca’s just been telling me about the day care center she plans on opening.”

  Gabe smiled in acknowledgment and tried to put on a good front.

  “I’m impressed with some of the wonderful ideas she has,” Jonathan continued. “Fund-raisers, special activities for handicapped youngsters involving the community and business people. It’s a wonderful advertisement for the company. You can count on me to donate whatever sum is needed to help this worthy cause get off the ground.”

  “Thank you, Jonathan,” Gabe said.<
br />
  Evelyn patted Gabe’s shoulder. “I’m so happy everything is working out so well. Don’t you think?”

  Gabe grunted.

  Rebecca smiled brightly at Jonathan, avoiding Gabe’s eyes. “So what are the plans for today? If you’d like to sight-see, Jonathan, there are Jeep tours, or the aerial tram.”

  “Sounds interesting.”

  “There’s also parachute jumping,” Rebecca continued. “Now that’s a lot of fun.”

  “Rebecca, dear,” Evelyn interrupted. “Let’s keep Jonathan on the ground where we need him.”

  Once Hines removed the plates from the table, Evelyn leaned toward Gabe. “You should take the afternoon off, dear. You look a little tired. Are you getting enough sleep?”

  “Enough to get by,” Gabe murmured before looking over at Reb. Their gazes locked and held for what seemed like an eternity.

  “I’ve planned a round of golf for everyone.” Evelyn nodded to Jonathan. “And Jonathan has agreed to postpone this morning’s meeting until late this afternoon. Isn’t that right, Jonathan?”

  “We need a break,” he said. “And I’d like to refresh my golf game. Though that parachute jumping sounds rather exciting.”

  Evelyn laughed. “Good. It’s settled.”

  “Evelyn,” Rebecca said, “do you need another player to even out the set? I’d love to play.”

  Evelyn shook her head. “We have two groups of four, including myself. Why don’t you and Gabe take the aerial tram and have lunch on top of the mountain?”

  “That’s a wonderful idea,” Rebecca said. “What do you think?”

  Gabe hesitated, knowing that everyone was listening and waiting for his answer.

  He tried to remind himself that being alone with Reb was dangerous, but at that moment he didn’t care.

  “I could use a break.”

  “Wonderful,” Evelyn said, her voice full of victory.

  Rebecca sat on the chintz-cushioned chair in the front foyer, tapping her sneakered foot on the marbled floor. She’d been waiting for Gabe for what seemed like eternity.

  In that instant, Gabe rounded the corner and stopped down the hallway from her. For a brief second they watched each other.

  In one hand he held an open straw basket, and under his other arm was a large blanket. His hair was still damp from a shower, and she had the urge to feel the thick texture between her fingers.

  She swallowed.

  He squared his shoulders and walked toward her.

  She held her breath for a second. She could see his muscles ripple beneath his gray knit shirt and jeans.

  “Did you want lunch?” He held up the straw picnic basket.

  “Oh, that’s a great idea. Thanks for remembering.”

  He eyed the cropped red top and denim shorts she wore. “Only shorts? It might get a little cool on top of the mountain.”

  “You’ll keep me warm.”

  He arched a brow at her comment. “It’s a public place.”

  “Since when did that ever stop you from putting your arms around me in public?”

  He smiled.

  “Seems to me,” Rebecca went on, “that you’ve done a lot more than just holding me in public.”

  “Kissing isn’t a crime,” he reminded her. His gaze held a warning that unnerved her. “Do you have a sweater or something?”

  “I have a sweatshirt.” She indicated the large bag at her feet, then took the picnic basket from him. Their fingers brushed and passion grew in her heart like a song. “Why the wine?”

  He shrugged.

  “Are you planning to seduce me?” she asked in a sweet voice, feeling the warmth of his hands. “To woo me on top of the mountain over a bottle of wine?”

  “Are you looking for trouble, Reb?” His voice showed signs of interest.

  “Depends, Gabe.” She suppressed a tiny moan at the back of her throat. “Are you offering?”

  “That’s the last of the rosé.” Gabe handed Reb her half-filled glass.

  It had been almost two hours since they arrived at the aerial tramway, traveled the three and a half miles up the hill, eaten the lunch Hines had packed for them, and taken a small hike along one of the many tree-lined mountain trails.

  “We really finished that bottle off quickly, didn’t we?” Rebecca sipped the last swallow.

  She placed her glass inside the straw basket along with the other picnic items. Gabe leaned back and stretched his legs out on the blanket, watching her. Under the shade of a huge evergreen, he had the unobstructed view of the Coachella Valley below, the San Jacinto mountains behind him, and Reb right beside him.

  And he’d never seen anything more lovely in his whole life.

  She’d loosened her hair, allowing the thick waves to lay across her shoulders. He wanted to wrap his fingers around each wild curl and inhale its clean, sweet scent.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about the day care center when we were married?” Gabe asked.

  She brushed her hair aside but didn’t look at him. “You were always too busy.”

  Again, he’d failed her. It was as though he’d turned into his father. Always working. Never having the personal time for his family. A bitter feeling of resentment churned deep in his stomach.

  Awkwardly, she cleared her throat. “I didn’t want you to think it was a silly idea.”

  He touched her hand. “I don’t think it’s silly.”

  She shrugged.

  “Reb. Why the desperate need for kids when we’d been married for such a short time?”

  “Because it’s the only way I can fill this empty place inside me, Gabe. I love children.”

  “Wasn’t I enough? Didn’t I make you happy?”

  “Yes, I loved you. You made me very happy.” Her voice trailed off.

  “But not completely,” he added for her. “Otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” He stretched back, resting on his elbows. “You know, I always had this feeling you never needed me. At least not in the way I wanted you to need me.”

  “Really?” The shock in her voice was plain to hear.

  He nodded. “Yeah, you were always so strong and independent. You remind me a lot of Evelyn in that way.”

  “Gabe, I—”

  “Reb, do you remember why we broke up?”

  She blushed a light pink. “We had this huge, stupid argument.”

  He sensed she was stalling, but then she continued.

  “I remember you had to plan out our vacation to the tiniest detail, the hour, the minute, pinpointing each and every thing we were going to do. I felt like a business meeting, not a wife.”

  “I wanted to give you the best.”

  “You didn’t have to. It was as if you were trying to buy my love. As if just being with me wasn’t enough for you.”

  He felt a heavy twinge of regret and emptiness. “I didn’t want anything to go wrong.”

  “Life has no guarantees. Just like in business, you take risks. You should know that.”

  “But in business you have more control if you plan carefully.”

  “Life can’t always be controlled.”

  “This is crazy.” He shook his head. “And so were those arguments. It wasn’t just the arguments that broke us up. They were a symptom of bigger problems.” A stab of sadness went through him as he thought about all they had lost.

  He sighed. “You are the most exciting woman I’ve ever known. I want you to know that. I will treasure the memories forever.”

  He paused for a second, seeing only the bittersweet desire in the depths of her eyes.

  “Since that argument, I’ve had a lot of time to think about things,” she murmured. “We both said a lot of hurtful things, Gabe. I want you to know that I made a mistake by threatening to divorce you. It was supposed to be a wake-up call. I didn’t think you’d take me up on it.”

  He swallowed the lump that suddenly had formed at the back of his throat. “It was a dangerous argument that backfired.”

  “I
know.”

  “You hurt me, Reb. I lost all the trust I had in you. I can’t ever be sure you wouldn’t do it again.”

  “I know you tried to give me everything,” she said, hesitation clear in her voice. “When you stormed out that night, it reminded me of my mother …” She struggled for the words. “When my mother abandoned me at the foster home.”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked. “I thought Allen and Rosemary adopted you when you were a baby. You never mentioned any foster home.”

  “I never liked to talk about it.”

  He lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “Why couldn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want you to feel sorry for me. I was supposed to be strong. That’s what, Teri, my biological mother, always told me to be. I’m tough, you know.” She straightened her shoulders with false bravado.

  He ran his fingers down the side of her cheek, lingering at the corner of her mouth. No, you’re not tough, he wanted to tell her. You’re sweet and gentle and oh, so fragile.

  “How old were you?”

  “Seven.”

  He sucked in a breath. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry.” He shook his head. “I’m stunned, shocked.”

  He stared out into the distance. He’d experienced some of the same things as a child. Things he’d never told Reb about either. Technically his father hadn’t abandoned him as Reb’s mother had. But the pain of being sent away to boarding school felt the same.

  Gabe’s chest tightened as the resentment surfaced. The need to hold her, tell her everything would be all right overwhelmed him. “Is this why you want children so desperately?”

  She nodded. “I wanted to make sure I was doing this for the right reasons, so I went to some adoption seminars. I even talked to a psychotherapist.”

  “So you’re sure.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. My heart and soul are screaming for me to do this, Gabe.”

  “I wish you would have told me about this sooner, Reb. At least then I’d have been able to understand you better.”

  “When you walked out after that fight, all those horrible memories came flooding back. I couldn’t stop thinking about them.” Her voice drifted into a hushed whisper.