

## Anybody but Justin

By

### Shelli Stevens

Published by Shelli Stevens

Copyright © 2016 by Shelli Stevens

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at shelli@shellistevens.com

All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author's imagination. www.shellistevens.com

### Chapter One

Gabby dove behind a display of cereal boxes and nibbled her bottom lip. She eyed the exit some thirty feet away and wondered if she could ditch her groceries and make it out the door without him spotting her.

Her pulse quickened and she counted to ten before leaning forward just enough to peek around a box of Lucky Charms.

"Gabby?"

She snapped back and winced, glaring at the floor of the market. _Damn. He'd seen her. So much for bolting._

Dusty brown leather shoes appeared in her line of vision as he rounded the corner. She lifted her gaze up the length of his tall body, lingering on the broad shoulders beneath his faded flannel shirt.

Her heart fluttered in her chest and she swallowed hard before tilting her head that last inch to meet the blue gaze of her old roommate.

"Justin." She forced a bright smile and switched the basket of food to her other hand. "Hey. How've you been?"

"Been all right."

His gaze, warm and knowing slid from her head to her toes in a lazy caress that made every damn inch of her body tingle. Irritation pricked and her smile grew more brittle.

And this was why she avoided him, didn't answer his calls and had basically tried like mad to forget he even existed. If she got within two feet of him, her hormones went on the fritz and her mind went spongy. Which would be fine if it were with any other guy. Anybody but Justin.

"Did you get my messages?"

"I did." Her gaze slid away again and she felt her cheeks warm in a telltale sign of guilt. "Umm. Sorry, I've been crazy busy. I recently stepped up in my position at Second Chances."

"So I heard." The note of admiration in his deep voice had her snapping her focus back to his face. "You heard?"

"Yeah. I'm proud of you." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and the shirt tightened across his chest as a result.

His words sent a rush of pleasure through her, but with her focus once again on his chest, she barely managed an obscure, "You are?"

"Yeah. I keep up on you, Gabby. Even if you don't pick up the phone when I call."

"Oh. No. It's not..." Her blush deepened and she bit her cheek.

"No?" He leaned forward, stretching a hand past her to snag a box of cereal off the shelf behind her. Her gaze locked on the hint of brown stubble on his chin and for a brief second he was so close that she could smell the mixture of soap and man.

Not just any man. Justin man. Gabby swallowed hard, and she felt her nipples tighten and chafe against the cotton bra she wore. _Not good. So not good._

"Hey, look, I'll give you a call later." The lie came out in a husky rush. "We can catch up. I promised Phoebe I'd stop by the Second Chances home in a little bit. I should get going."

She moved to step around him, but he blocked her path. Her heart thudded faster. This time when he reached out, it was to touch her. He caught a strawberry blonde braid between his fingers and slid his thumb through the strands.

"I'm going to hold you to that," he said softly.

It'd be nice if he just held her, period.

Her eyelids started to flutter shut and she swayed toward him. Choking on a gasp, she jerked away. What was she thinking? Was she completely out of her mind?

This was Justin. No. No. And _hell no_.

"Of course I'll call. I will." Her head bobbed in an affirmation that contradicted the decision in her heart.

There was no way she would dial his number tonight. His lips twitched and she saw the flicker of doubt in his eyes. Finally, he gave a short nod and stepped back.

"Great. I'll...talk to you soon then."

"Definitely." She bit her lip and stepped around him, hurrying to the cash register to check out.

His gaze burned into her back and tingles of awareness raced through her body. Her palms were damp as she swiped her debit card.

One last glance back into the store showed Justin had likely disappeared down another aisle to finish his shopping. Thank God. She fished her keys from her purse and rushed to her car.

Justin set the cereal back on the shelf and scowled. Hell, he'd only picked it up as a reason to get close to her. If only for a second.

What the hell had happened with Gabby? He hadn't seen her in six months—since she'd moved out of the house he owned without an explanation.

For two years they'd been roommates and good friends. And then she'd left and cut all contact. What happened?

You know what happened.

He headed back toward the deli, pushing back the memories of that night. The night when everything between them changed. The night that had likely motivated her to move out two weeks later.

Grabbing a pre-made sandwich from the deli, he went up to the register to pay. His gaze drifted out the windows of the grocery, even though she'd left minutes ago.

God, it was good to see her. At first he hadn't been sure it was her. Then she'd looked up, spotted him and promptly run to hide behind a stack of cereal boxes.

Same old impulsive Gabby. And she was avoiding him. He'd suspected as much since she'd stopped answering his calls and never replied to the messages he left.

He hadn't realized how much he missed her until a few minutes ago. Until she was standing right in front of him again and it became clear just how much he'd lost that day she'd moved out.

She was the same Gabby he'd loved to hang out with. Cute, quirky and a bigger sports fan than half the guys he knew. He'd ditched more than one night out with the boys to sit back at the house and watch the game with her.

He handed the cashier his money and headed for the exit, stopping to hold the door for an elderly man who approached with a walker.

After the man gave a quick nod of thanks and disappeared into the store, Justin made his way to his truck.

Would she call tonight? Even though she said she would, his gut told him she'd blow him off.

_Blow him off._ His mind raced with images of that night and what had almost happened between them and the blood stirred hot in his veins.

He clenched his jaw and shook his head. This was bullshit. It was long past time they talked about that night. She was too good of a friend to lose over something so... Hell, who was he kidding? It was hardly trivial.

Tonight they'd talk, he decided firmly, getting into his truck to head back to the construction site. Whether she wanted to or not.

Gabby rushed into the office, letting the door swing shut behind her, followed by the reassuring click of the electronic lock.

She made her way down the hall to where she, Phoebe and Delanie shared an office. She couldn't wait to get back to her desk and get some support from her friends.

She spotted Phoebe's dark curls bent over a stack of papers. Hearing Gabby's approach, she looked up and sighed.

"You're back. Did you bring me anything?"

"Heck yeah, I did. I know what you like." Gabby tossed the chocolate bar onto her friend's desk and then went to sit down at hers. "Where's Delanie?"

"In a meeting. She'll be out in a few. Thanks for the chocolate, you're the best." Phoebe unwrapped the bar and took a bite, closing her eyes and groaning. "I needed this. It's been a crap day."

"You're telling me," Gabby muttered, and pulled out her grilled chicken breast and potato wedges.

"Hmm. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing."

"You brought it up. Don't ask me to drop it now." Phoebe's eyes narrowed and she set down her chocolate. "What happened while you were out?"

Gabby stabbed at the chicken breast with her plastic fork and sighed. "I ran into this guy—my old roommate—at the grocery store."

"And that's a bad thing because..."

"Umm. Hmm." She lifted a potato wedge to her mouth and considered how best to answer that. "We were really good friends."

"Okay."

"Like, really close. We hung out all the time, could talk about anything with each other." She paused and twisted off the lid of her soda. "We even gave each other dating advice and would talk about our sexual relationships and stuff."

"Yeah, God, I can see why you're upset that you ran into him," Phoebe teased.

Gabby rolled her eyes. "I'm not finished, you dork."

"Evidently. Go on."

"Anyway. We were roomies for two years. Life was great. Things were perfect..."

"So what happened? He screw you over on rent?"

"No." Gabby focused her gaze on the bottle of soda. "He just decided he wanted to screw _me_."

There was a moment of silence and she lifted her head. Phoebe stared at her with pursed lips and brows drawn together.

"I don't get it," she said after a moment. Gabby shifted in her chair. "Don't get what?"

"Well, if things were so perfect between you two, why is it a bad thing that you guys fell into that romantic level?"

"Because there is no romantic level with Justin. He's a player—a serial dater. I mean, he makes George Clooney look like the marrying kind." Gabby groaned and stabbed at her chicken again. "It never mattered to me, though, because I wasn't interested in him that way."

"Or so you thought."

"Or so I thought," she agreed, her stomach twisting. "Everything changed the moment he kissed me..."

Phoebe's expression softened with sympathy. "What caused the change? Why after two years did he suddenly decide to kiss you?"

"I'm sure the bottle of tequila we were knocking back helped a bit." She shrugged. "We were watching a _fantastic_ Giants game, talking about relationships and stuff...then it just kind of happened."

"Tequila's a bitch."

"Heck yeah, it is." Gabby gave a soft laugh and pulled the rubber bands from her hair, unthreading her braids.

"You said he _tried_ to have sex with you. Does that mean it didn't happen?"

"It didn't happen. I stopped him before he could get my shirt off." Gabby drew in an unsteady breath. "I'm sorry. That's probably TMI."

"Not at all. You know I live secondhand through your love life."

Gabby leaned back in her chair and gave her friend a considering glance. "You know, you need to date more."

"We're not talking about me."

"Actually, you need to date, period."

"We're _still_ not talking about me." Phoebe shook her head, black curls bouncing as her lips twitched.

"So you didn't have sex. What happened next?"

"Well, things got weird. Like really weird." She shook her head, letting the loose waves fall over her shoulders. "We wrote the make-out session off to being drunk and never discussed it again. But I couldn't deal. At all. If he went out on a date, I was nauseous all night. If I thought about him getting it on with another girl—hell, even _kissing_ another girl, I'd about throw up my last meal."

"Wow. Gabby, you really like this guy."

"Gabby really likes what guy?" They looked up as Delanie sailed into the room and dropped a file on her desk. She sat down, ran a hand through chin-length blonde hair and lifted an eyebrow. "Come on, don't hold out on me. What did I miss?"

"Gabby is in lust with her old roommate," Phoebe murmured. "They made out and then she moved out."

"Huh." Delanie leaned back in her chair, crossing one long leg over another.

"Stop it." Gabby groaned and took another sip of soda. "I had to move out. He owns the house—his grandparents left it to him, so it wasn't like I was breaking a lease." She lowered her gaze and picked up another potato, but barely tasted it. "I moved out when he went down to Cabo with some of his buddies for the weekend. I left him a check for my last two months and then split."

Delanie cocked her head. "What explanation did you give him for leaving early?"

"Explanation?" Gabby snorted and then bit her lip before admitting, "Well, I really didn't give him one."

Phoebe winced. "Ouch."

"Ouch?"

"Well, personally _I_ would have tried to explain. Or something—"

"I know. I didn't handle it very well. And maybe I should have returned his calls or answered his emails."

"Wait, you didn't even answer his emails?" Delanie shook her head.

"I just couldn't deal with it, okay?"

"Okay, so what happened in the store?" Phoebe prodded and glanced at Delanie and explained, "They ran into each other at the store this afternoon."

Gabby's cheeks burned. "Err, I tried to hide. But he saw me. Then, only after promising to call him later, I finally got out of there without looking like too big of an idiot."

"And are you going to call him?" Delanie asked.

"Hell no."

"So, apparently you _still_ can't deal with it," Phoebe drawled. "Hey. You just don't get it. We passed the point of no return. There's no going back."

"A little dramatic, don't you think?" Phoebe murmured.

"I'm not calling him," Gabby grumbled and shot a defiant glare at Phoebe. "I'm just not. So don't even try to convince me to, ladies. In fact, let's just drop the whole subject."

"Okay." Phoebe waved her hands in the air and took another bite of her chocolate bar. "I promise, I won't try to convince you. I'm dropping it."

"Me too. I need lunch." Delanie stood up and went to the mini fridge in the corner.

Gabby grunted. Justin had probably gone through a slew of girlfriends in the six months since she'd moved out. The man loved to argue that celibate had the same meaning as celebrate. Which made absolutely no sense.

"I mean, there's just no point in calling him," she said to defend herself. "It'd just be weird. And I don't do weird."

"Oh, are we still talking about this? Sorry, I thought you said something about dropping it. I must have misunderstood." Phoebe's eyes widened in mock innocence and she crinkled her chocolate bar wrapper, tossing it into the waste bin. "I'd say the point would be salvaging two years of friendship you had with this guy."

"It's too late."

"It's never too late," Delanie argued, returning to her desk with a yogurt and a sandwich.

"Trust me on this one." Gabby grabbed the rest of her lunch and went to put it in the fridge, muttering under her breath, "It was too late the minute he touched me."

### Chapter Two

After jerking the ties on her sneakers tight, Gabby straightened and jogged in place. She slapped her palm against the round metal crosswalk button one more time and brushed the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

The electric sign switched to indicate it was safe to cross and she sprang forward to resume her steady running pace. Adrenaline rushed through her blood as her feet pounded the pavement and Fergie sang from her iPod.

She'd been running for a half hour and had about another ten minutes. Or, if she went by her playlist, another four songs.

The sun verged on setting and the streets were filled with drivers rushing to get home from work. She drew in a breath of San Francisco air and increased her pace, wanting to push herself the last bit before she turned back toward her apartment.

She closed her eyes for a moment to savor the first few lines of the Pink song that came on. When she opened them, another jogger breached her peripheral vision from behind and she moved to the right to let him pass.

Instead of moving beyond her, he came up beside her and slowed his pace.

_What the hell?_ She frowned and cast a sideways glance his way, then nearly tripped over her own feet.

"Hey." She read the greeting on Justin's lips and pressed pause on her phone.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, not slowing her pace.

"Jogging," he replied, his grin widening. "What are you doing?"

Her pulse quickened and it had nothing to do with the exercise this time.

"You don't jog," she pointed out, resenting the fact that she sounded winded and he didn't. He looked completely at ease and hadn't even broken a sweat.

"I thought it was a good time to start." He shrugged and kept pace with her.

"How did you—" she drew in a deep breath, finding it a little difficult to carry on a conversation at this point in her run, "—know I'd be jogging here?"

"I didn't. It was a long shot. I knew this used to be your standard route, but you could've changed."

Apparently she should've changed. Jerking her attention from him, she focused her gaze straight ahead and ground her teeth together.

"We need to talk."

"I told you I'd call you."

"You wouldn't have."

He'd read her that well, had he? She should have known. "I'm not talking now. I'm running."

Her jaw clenched and she picked up the pace, hitting play again. Any further conversation he might have tried to make got drowned out by her music.

For a moment, she hoped he'd take the hint and just turn right back around and leave her the heck alone.

Instead, he stayed abreast, continuing to match her steady pace, but made no effort to talk further. She drew in an unsteady breath, silently cursing him out for putting her in this position. Literally.

They were so close, the hard muscles of his arm kept brushing against her shoulder—each touch sending the heat radiating off him straight through her body in tingling waves.

By the time she started to become okay with the fact that he wasn't leaving, they'd arrived at her apartment.

When she slowed, he did so as well, casting a curious glance at the building beside them. Gabby hit stop again and pulled the earbuds from her ears. Justin braced his hands on his hips, breathing in deeply—finally, he looked a little winded!—and eyed the complex with narrowed eyes. "This your new place?"

"Yeah." She pulled the rubber band from her hair and redid her ponytail. _Leave. Just leave. Please don't ask—_

"Mind if I come up and see it?" Her chest expanded with the slow breath she drew in, but she forced a small smile. "Not at all. Come on up."

She turned away from him, her pulse quickening and her mouth drying out. This wasn't happening. It just couldn't be. She'd successfully avoided him for months now, hoping he'd take the hint. And yet here he was, about to step foot into her new apartment. She was all too aware of how close he stood behind her as they reached her door, and her fingers trembled as she grabbed her key from the pocket of her shorts.

"You okay there?" His question feathered across her ear and she winced, overshooting the keyhole and scratching the wooden frame.

"I'm fine." She clenched her teeth and directed the key into its target location with more force than necessary.

With a silent harrumph to celebrate her success, she twisted the handle and pushed the door open.

Justin followed her inside, his gaze moving around the average-sized apartment with open curiosity.

Her furnishings were sparse, just the one love seat and kitchen table she'd had when she'd lived at his house. Jesus, it seemed like just yesterday. And, at the same time, it seemed like a millennium.

His gaze followed her as she tossed her keys onto the table and walked to the kitchen.

The soft curve of her ass swished beneath the nylon shorts she wore, her bare, tanned legs stretched out beneath the hem.

He forced himself to look away from her backside, especially once he felt the familiar rush of blood to his dick.

This is Gabby. You know it's a bad idea. It was a bad idea that one night, and it's still a bad idea.

Checking out women was hardly anything new for him. He loved women and everything about them. Their softness, the sway of hips in their walk, the smell of them, the enticing sounds they made when he found just the right spot to—

"Do you want some water?" He blinked and thrust a hand into his hair. "Yeah. Thanks, Gab."

If he hadn't been staring at her back, he might have missed the tensing in her shoulder. She sounded normal, uttering a breezy, "No problem."

His brows drew together and he bit back a sigh. She obviously felt uncomfortable around him. Damn it. Why?

She turned from the sink and left the small kitchen, the glass of water outstretched in her hand. "So, what have you been up to?" she asked, her gaze avoiding his.

The moment he took the glass from her, she moved past him into the living room a few feet away.

"Working." He followed her to the love seat and sat down. "The normal stuff."

Partying. Dating entirely too many women, yet spending too many nights alone and missing something. Missing Gabby. She made a barely audible harrumph, but when he glanced up, her expression was carefully blank.

That was odd, she never hid her emotions from him. And yet, from the moment he'd run into her in the store this morning, she'd had one big wall up.

He took a long drink of water and then set the half-empty glass on her coffee table. He stared straight ahead for a moment, debating what to say. He was here in her apartment. Damn it, he needed to say _some_ thing.

"So, why'd you move out the way you did?"

Gabby spit her water back into her glass and coughed. "Excuse me?"

"You're stalling. Why can't you just answer the question?"

"Justin..." She set her glass down on the table next to his and offered an abrupt shrug. "We'd discussed the possibility I'd be moving out—"

"Someday in the nowhere-near future," he said tersely. "The deal was we'd shake up the living arrangement when one of us got serious with someone we were seeing."

She gave a soft laugh, but it didn't hold humor. "Right. And we both know you're not the type to get serious."

Tension rolled through his muscles and his jaw flexed. He turned in the seat to look at her. "What does that mean?"

Pink filled her cheeks and she swallowed hard. "Nothing, Justin. I wasn't being serious."

"You wouldn't have said it if you didn't mean it."

"Look, please forget I said it. I was just kidding."

But she hadn't been. At least not entirely. He drew in an unsteady breath, his head swirling with the memories of all the time they'd spent together.

Both of them had dated a lot, had rarely held a relationship that lasted longer than a couple of months.

They'd discussed their dating habits many times. Had laughed about it. And yet, this time she'd flung the words at him as an accusation—there'd been no teasing. His gaze dropped to where her hands were fisted on her lap. Impulsively, he reached out and caught her wrist, sliding his fingers downward to force her hand open again and then holding it. It was a gesture that wasn't uncommon for them, and yet she attempted to pull her hand free.

"Look at me, Gab."

Her shoulders rose with the deep breath she dragged in, and then she tilted her head to give him a sideways glance. Her eyes were carefully schooled. He knew that look. She'd come to poker night too many times with the guys for him to not recognize that _you won't get shit out of me_ look.

"I want you to be completely honest with me," he said quietly and tightened his grip on her hand—her dainty, soft hand. His brows drew together. Had her hands always been this feminine?

"Okay." She arched an eyebrow. "Are you going to ask it?"

He shook his head, wondering how the hell she was managing to get him so damn flustered.

"Yeah. I'm gonna ask it," he said gruffly and then focused his attention on her face again. "Did you move out because of that night?"

The only sign that he'd shocked her was the slight widening of her eyes. But then she narrowed them just as quickly and a sardonic grin slipped across her mouth.

"That night? Ah, Justin, you're going to have to be a lot more specific than that. We lived together for a couple of years."

"Damn it, Gab. Don't pull that crap on me. Anyone else might buy it, but I don't." He scowled. "You know exactly which night I'm talking about."

Her fingers arched against his hand, but he didn't loosen his grip. The slight smell of sweat from their run lingered in the room, with the overlying scent of her lotion. Some melon thing she'd worn the entire time he'd known her. It had never seemed seductive before, but now...

She lowered her gaze from his and her tongue swept across her bottom lip before retreating safely back into her mouth.

Desire stirred low in his groin and his next breath in wasn't quite as steady. Jesus. He still wanted her. The idea rocked him to his core.

Bad idea, Justin.

"Are you telling me—" He leaned forward and caught her chin, his face just inches from hers. _Very bad idea, Justin_. "—that you don't remember this?"

The need to remind her of that night consumed him. Her eyes widened in trepidation, just before he lowered his mouth down onto hers.

So soft. So sweet.

When she would have pushed him away, he moved his palm to her back and held her still, moving his mouth against hers.

Half a year. How had he gone a half a year without her? And why had it taken two years for them to reach this level of intimacy?

His tongue teased the crease of her mouth open, and then slid inside to taste her.

The angry sound she made morphed into a frustrated moan and finally one of surrender. Her tongue moved out to meet his—almost angry in the bold strokes she made to tease him.

Justin's blood pounded through his veins. His entire being focused on the smell of her, the press of her breasts against his chest, and the soft sounds she made as she kissed him back. Sounds that alternated between pleasure and frustration.

Her hands slid up to his shoulders to wrap around his neck, pressing her body snugger against his. The scrape of her hardened nipples against his chest sent another rush of blood to his cock, bringing it fully erect. He groaned, grateful for his loose running pants.

He explored her mouth thoroughly, teasing the hidden spots before returning to spar with her tongue. His hands, which had been resting on her waist, slid up her ribcage to just under her breasts.

He barely hesitated before sweeping his thumbs up to stroke over the tight peaks of her breasts. He lifted his lips from hers just a fraction to allow her strangled gasp, before he captured her mouth again.

All rational thoughts on why he'd come here tonight— _because it couldn't have been for this, could it?_ —abandoned his mind. The need to touch her naked skin, to taste the salty sweet softness of her flesh, swept through him.

He deepened the kiss, caught her nipple between two fingers and pinched, all while easing her onto her back on the couch. It was a move he'd mastered in years of seducing women.

Tonight it failed. Gabby wrenched her mouth from his, shoving him so hard he fell off her and onto the floor. " _Stop_."

She scurried off the couch and across the room from him. "What was that, Justin? What the hell _was_ that?"

He winced, picking himself up from the floor. His balls ached and his dick still throbbed with the need to be buried inside her.

Inside...Gabby. _Shit_. His stomach clenched and he thrust a hand through his hair. Her question was a good one. What the hell _had_ he been doing? Seeking out a repeat performance for the night that had likely killed their friendship?

Feeling like the biggest ass on the planet, he lifted his gaze to look at her. Her nipples were outlined against her tight shirt, her lips swollen, and her eyes held a mix of anger, desire and...fear.

"Gabby—"

"If you set out to prove that I want to screw you silly, then congratulations, Justin." Her laughter sounded a bit unsteady and she folded her arms in a protective gesture across her breasts. "Fine. I want you. I won't apologize for that or deny it."

The air in his lungs refused to leave. His chest tightened. Gabby wanted him too. Gabby—

"But there's no way in hell I'm going to act on it," she finished flatly. "Because that would make me stupid."

### Chapter Three

Gabby watched the myriad of emotions flicker across his face. Surprise, disbelief, and then finally annoyance.

Of course he was annoyed. Justin wasn't the type of guy who got turned down.

Disappointment burned in her stomach, but she refused to dwell on it. Even as her swollen breasts ached from his brief touch and the promise of so much more. So much she could never accept from him. Friendship, yes. A sexual relationship? No. _Hell no_.

"I don't understand." His jaw flexed. "I didn't set out to prove anything, Gab. I didn't plan for any of this. But since you're being so damn blunt, I think I'll just return the favor."

Her pulse jumped in anticipation of what blunt could mean with him. "Please, don't—"

"I want you, too. I want you in a way I haven't wanted a woman—"

"Stop right there, Justin."

"I _can't._ " He stood abruptly and lifted his hand toward her.

She flinched and reared back from him. Her face burned as she realized what she'd done.

Surprise swept across his face and then confusion. He lowered his hand and didn't stop her as she moved a step backward.

"Did you think I was going to hit you?" he asked, disbelief thick in his tone.

"No." Her cheeks warmed further. "No, of course not."

He didn't look convinced by her response; his brows still remained knit together. "Gabby? What am I missing here? Why are you so afraid to take this thing between us to the next level?"

"Because I can't trust you!" Her hoarse words hung in the air—increasing that invisible barrier between them. She could've sworn she saw a flicker of hurt on his face, but then it was gone.

"How can you not trust me? Jesus, Gab, you know me inside and out. I considered you my best friend—"

"That's just it," she said quietly and closed her eyes briefly. She hadn't wanted to go here with him. Hadn't wanted to have to admit it. "I _do_ know you, Justin. I know you entirely too well."

"Please don't tell me you're going to give me some crap line about how sleeping with me would be like sleeping with your brother?"

"No!" She laughed and some of the tension left her body at his ridiculous question. "I wouldn't have been all over you like white on rice a minute ago if I remotely had that brother vibe while kissing you."

A smug smile flitted across his face before he straightened it and cleared his throat. "Okay, so what's the problem? Why don't you trust me?"

"Because I know how you are with women." She turned away and walked back into the kitchen.

There was no way she would let him see the vulnerability she knew would be naked on her face. It was an effort to keep her words light. "You sleep with a woman for a few weeks...maybe even a month or two, and then it's over. You move on."

"Gabby..."

"I don't want to be one of those women, Justin. I won't."

There was no response right away. Was he mad? Disappointed? She stared out the small window in the kitchen and drew her bottom lip between her teeth.

"I don't know why you're casting stones from a glass house," he finally said. "In the two years we lived together, you never once had a long-term relationship."

"Maybe not," she admitted. "But there were a helluva lot more women passing through the house than men, Justin."

"Not that many more."

She turned, startled at the sudden tightness in his words. When she looked at him again, his expression had turned surly and his hands were shoved into his pockets.

"What, did you keep track or something?"

He didn't reply, which sent a wave of butterflies through her stomach. He wouldn't have kept tabs on the men she'd dated, would he? By all appearances, he'd barely noticed when she did date different guys.

"We're more alike than you think. I don't see how it could hurt to just see where this thing between us goes."

Why did he keep pressing? Her pulse sped up and she ran her tongue over her lips. No way. It was simply too crazy to contemplate. Twice now Justin had touched her in a way that went beyond platonic. That was two times she'd gotten swept away on a rush of desire, but more so, had felt the tugging at her heart. Of wanting to let someone in. Lord, he already had one foot into the door of her heart, having been her best friend.

But Justin was not a man she could fall in love with. She just couldn't. It wouldn't end right at all. The best-case scenario, she'd end up with a broken heart. The worst case...she'd end up like her mother.

"I'm sorry, Justin. I won't risk our friendship."

"Friendship? What the hell friendship is that, Gab?" His words turned harsh. "You moved out like some damn felon on the run. Don't return my calls, my emails. It was sheer luck I ran into you at the market today. What kind of friendship do we have exactly?"

He was right. His words sent stabs of guilt into her gut and she knew it was mirrored on her face.

"You pretty much blew off our friendship six months ago." He paused. "What are you running from?"

_You. The possibility of us_. The words lingered thick on her tongue and she was hesitant to say them aloud. Fortunately, she didn't have to.

A firm knock had them both glancing toward the door to her apartment. He glanced back at her.

"Are you expecting someone?"

Gabby drew in an unsteady breath and gave a slight nod. "Yes. I have a...I'm going out tonight."

Understanding dawned in his eyes and he rocked back on his heels. "I see."

She swallowed hard, knowing there was no reason for her to feel guilty. Absolutely none. She had the right to date whoever she wanted. So why did she feel like the biggest witch right now? Another knock came from the front door—sharper this time.

"I need to get that," she muttered and moved toward the door.

Justin turned to follow after her. "I'll leave."

She winced, but didn't protest. It wasn't as if she could invite him to dinner with her and Steve. Before opening the door, she turned to face Justin again.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

His gaze darkened and lingered on her lips. "I'm not."

Another heated flush swept through her. There was no doubt just what he wasn't sorry for.

He leaned forward and his breath feathered against her ear. "And I won't be sorry next time, either."

His lips brushed her ear, sending a rush of shivers down her spine. "Remember that, Gabby."

She stepped back, his bold promise making her unsteady as her hand wrapped around the knob of the front door.

"Just go," she whispered, and then tugged open the door.

Steve stood on the other side of the door, still dressed in his suit and tie from his day job. His eyes widened in surprise at Justin, who strode past, giving Steve a curt nod before disappearing down the hall.

"Who was that, Gabrielle?"

"An old friend," she said with a forced smile. "We used to be roommates. We just went jogging together to catch up."

Steve stepped into her apartment, his brows drawn together in a frown. "You lived with him?"

"Yes. No need to worry, we were just good friends."

_Until six months ago._ She kept that little bit to herself.

"All right then." Steve's expression relaxed and he smiled. "I've been looking forward to seeing you all day."

She'd completely forgotten about their date tonight. And when he leaned in to kiss her, she turned her head so that his lips brushed across her cheek harmlessly.

"I'm sorry," she stuttered, knowing he would get suspicious. "I'm still all sweaty from my run. Do you mind if I grab a quick shower?"

"Not at all." He straightened with a nod and loosened his tie. "I'll just sit and watch the news."

Of course. The news. Who watched the news when the game was about to come on? Justin would have considered it a crime to pick the news over the game. And she totally would have to agree.

_Oh, God, what was she thinking?_ This was not about Justin. This was about Steve. A respectable man with a stable job. Who made it very clear he wasn't looking for anything temporary. This man wanted long term. He was the kind of man most women wanted to marry. He was everything Justin wasn't.

"All right." She bit back a sigh. "Help yourself to anything to drink. I'll be out in a few."

"Thanks, Gabrielle."

She went into the bathroom and shut the door, letting her head fall against the wooden frame. This was a mess. A total mess. After months of trying to move forward and get her life in order, she'd finally come to the point where she'd wanted to change, wanted to have her first stable relationship. But now that was all shot to hell.

Justin had managed to firmly plant himself back in her life—and worse yet, her heart.

The next morning, Justin went into work with a bitter taste in his mouth and a headache that wouldn't quit. He almost wished it were something as simple as a hangover, but no, it was a helluva lot more complex.

Or then again, maybe it was a hangover of sorts. A hangover from his encounter with Gabby last night.

He should have known she'd be dating someone else. Someone new. But what was up with the guy in the suit? In the years he'd know Gabby, he never would have pegged her to get involved with someone so...so damn starched looking.

As Justin had left her apartment, the man had stared at him like his constipation pill had just kicked in. What could she possibly see in him? _Stability._ The word sent another wave of bitterness up his throat. Gabby wasn't about stability. She was about having fun. Or at least she used to be. When she'd been melting in his arms last night, it had seemed perfect. What he'd kept telling himself was a bad idea suddenly seemed like the perfect solution.

They were two of kind. The fact that they hadn't fallen into bed earlier was a damn shame. One he intended to remedy. The question was how to convince Gabby.

"Hey, boss, need you to check out something on the site."

Justin glanced up as Henry, one of his electricians, appeared in the doorway.

"You okay, boss?"

"Yeah. Sorry. Got a lot on my mind." He sighed, trying to clear his head from all thoughts of Gabby.

"Whatever you did, send her flowers."

"What?" Justin glanced sharply at the older man.

"Send the girl flowers. She'll get over it." The other man grinned. "It's been working for me for the last twenty years."

"How do you know it's a girl problem?"

"It's always a girl problem. Unless it's a boy problem."

Justin sighed in exasperation and scowled. "It's not a boy problem."

Henry laughed. "Didn't think so. Not with your reputation."

"Do I have a reputation?"

The smile wiped from Henry's face and he cleared his throat. "No. No, course you don't." His gaze darted back outside the trailer.

Justin grabbed a hard hat and put it on with a sigh. Apparently he _did_ have a reputation. Twenty minutes later he returned to his trailer. Between the problem with the wiring and Gabby, it was just too much to deal with without his cup of morning Joe. He went to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup.

"I would have gotten that for you."

He glanced up to see his secretary, Haley, standing in the doorway, notepad in one hand and a pen in the other.

"Thanks, no need." He gave her a brief smile and glanced away.

He'd been extra careful lately not to encourage the woman. Haley had never come right out and said anything to him, but she made it very clear in other non-verbal ways that she'd be open to visiting with him outside a construction zone.

The idea held little appeal to him, though. Odd, since she was an attractive woman who seemed nice enough.

And it wasn't just Haley. For a while now, no woman had seemed to grab his interest.

"I was just about to make a lunch run to that Greek restaurant down the road," Haley said, watching him from beneath her lashes. "Want anything?"

"Thanks. I'll pass."

"You sure? They're fabulous."

"I'm not big on Greek food. Thanks, though."

Greek food screwed with his digestive system. Gabby had known that, which was great, since she couldn't stand the stuff either.

His chest tightened at the thought of her. He needed to do something to show that he wouldn't give up. Something to show her how much she meant to him. Maybe Henry was right and he should send some flowers.

The idea fell flat in his head. Gabby wasn't a flowers type of woman. She'd always made cracks about how guys were so predictable and boring with their methods of wooing.

If anything, flowers would just annoy her further.

Unless... An idea popped into his head and he grabbed his car keys, deciding it was time to take his lunch break.

"You've got flowers."

Gabby glanced up from her computer, her brows snapping together as she stared at the flower-loaded vase Phoebe held out to her.

"Flowers?"

Guilt had her gut clenching. Poor Steve. He was probably trying to make amends after last night. Hoping she'd change her mind.

Seeing Justin again had put her on the edge all night. She'd snapped at Steve more than once, getting really bitchy when he'd tried to engage her in a conversation about the stock market.

Ugh. Who talked about the stock market over a dinner celebrating their five-month anniversary? Then again, who made big deals over monthly anniversaries?

Well, maybe some people did, but she certainly wasn't one of them. And then he'd brought up that _one_ thing that had really killed it for her...

Gabby held out her hands to accept the vase from Phoebe, wishing she were the type to appreciate flowers more.

"I wish someone would send me flowers," Delanie murmured. "Lucky girl."

"What, the senator doesn't send you flowers?" Gabby drawled, mentioning Delanie's recent high-profile love interest.

Delanie rolled her eyes and turned back to her computer. "If he does, I'm sure they're picked out by his secretary. Nothing like what you got."

It wasn't until Gabby held the flowers in her hand that she realized it wasn't your average vase.

"Oh my gosh." She set them on the desk and pressed her fingers to her lips, giggling. "These flowers are in a beer stein."

Phoebe smiled. "Yeah, you just noticed? I couldn't stop laughing when I signed for them."

Gabby leaned forward and sniffed the white mini carnations popping out of the mug that gave the appearance of beer head—she had to give him props for being creative with the vase and flower choice.

"You know," she murmured. "I never would have pegged Steve to send such a fun bouquet of flowers."

"Maybe he didn't," Delanie suggested suddenly.

Gabby gave her friend a skeptical glance and reached for the attached card.

"Nobody else..." she trailed off, her nail pausing in its unsealing of the envelope. Her pulse quickened.

No. He wouldn't have. Would he?

She slid her nail all the way across and popped up the fold of the envelope so she could retrieve the card.

He would.

Phoebe gave a soft laugh. "Judging by your expression, I'm going to guess they're not from Steve."

"No. They're not."

"The old roommate?" Delanie asked, her face lighting up.

"Yeah. I don't get it."

There was a knock on the door and the receptionist peeked her head in.

"Delanie, you have Amelia from the safe house in the other room waiting to talk with you. Do you want me to tell her it will be a few minutes?"

"No, thanks, Laurie. Tell her I'll be right there." Delanie sighed and stood up from her desk. She gave Gabby a pointed look. "I want to hear everything when I get back."

Gabby rolled her eyes and waved her away. "There's nothing to hear."

After Delanie had disappeared, Gabby glanced back at the card and frowned. "Okay, wait a minute. It's signed _See you tonight_. _Justin_."

"You're going out with him tonight? Hey, you've been holding out on us."

"No! I'm not going out with him. I have no idea what he's even talking about." She shook her head and dropped the envelope to the desk. Something slid out from the envelope, flat and rectangular. Her pulse sped up even faster, and she gasped, reaching for it.

"What? What'd you find?" Phoebe peeked over her shoulder. "A ticket?"

"Not just a ticket. A ticket to the Giants game tonight."

"Oh wow. This guy not only sends you flowers in a beer stein, he sends you tickets to a baseball game? Gabby, I do believe you've found your soul mate."

"Stop it," she muttered, smoothing her thumb over the ticket and almost salivating as she recognized the box seats Justin purchased every year. "I shouldn't go."

"Of course you should. And you will. This man _knows_ you. He knows you won't be suckered by a dozen roses and the promise of a candlelit dinner. But hot dogs at a baseball game?"

_And I'm easy like Sunday morning._ Gabby pulled the rubber band from her ponytail and scowled, knowing her friend was right.

"What time's the game?"

"Seven-fifteen."

"Perfect. You'll have plenty of time to get ready once you leave here." Gabby groaned. "It isn't right, Phoebe. Justin is on my _don't go there_ list."

"Why not go there?" Phoebe sat on the edge of Gabby's desk, her lips pursing. "I mean, just who do you think you're convincing anyway? It's so obvious you're hooked on him."

### Chapter Four

Gabby's stomach dropped, her throat tightened at Phoebe's all-too-accurate observation. "It doesn't mean anything."

"Sure it does," Phoebe said softly. "And that's why you're fighting it so much."

The phone rang, saving Gabby from answering. Grateful for the interruption, she reached for the receiver. From the corner of her eye, she saw Phoebe slide off her desk and walk back to her own.

She hung up the phone a minute later and sighed. "Bad news."

Phoebe glanced up from the paperwork she was going through and lifted an eyebrow. "How bad?"

"That was Lacy from down at the safe house. Becky Martinez went back to her husband this afternoon."

"No." Phoebe's face crumpled with devastation and she leaned her elbows on the desk, burying her head in her hands. "Oh God. We try so hard to help them..."

"Hey." Gabby stood up and crossed to her friend's desk. The helplessness and bitter disappointment hit her hard, but not as much as it did Phoebe, being that she was an abuse survivor.

She didn't know much about Phoebe's past, only that she'd been in a bad relationship in her college years and it was why she'd come to work for Second Chances.

She placed a hand on Phoebe's shoulder and said quietly, "You know how hard this is. Sometimes it takes a couple of times. The good news is we'll still be here when she wants to come back."

"If. If she comes back," Phoebe said thickly. "Good God. When she first came in here... I'm surprised she only had a few scars."

"I know."

Second Chances had a registered nurse working for them, but Loretta's injuries had been at the point of her needing to be admitted to the hospital. She'd adamantly refused when the gentle offer had been made to take her there.

"I'm sorry." She squeezed Phoebe's shoulder again.

"I know." Phoebe nodded and lifted her head, her smile weak and her eyes watery with obvious tears of frustration. "Thanks, Gabby."

"No problem. Can I get you some water? Chocolate? Anything?"

"Well, there is one thing."

"Anything," Gabby said fervently. "I'll drive down to Ghirardelli's and get you the biggest—"

"I don't want chocolate." Phoebe rolled her eyes and gave a soft laugh. "I just want you to promise me something."

"What's that?"

"Promise me you'll go to the game with Justin tonight."

Gabby's stomach flipped with butterflies. "Are you sure you don't just want the chocolate?"

Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "Come on. It's not like you weren't going to go anyway."

"You're right." Gabby walked back to her desk and picked up the ticket, sliding it between her thumb and forefinger. "I can't say no to the Giants, you know that too well."

And so did Justin, which meant it looked like her fate for the night was sealed. She sat back in her chair, refreshed her email and hoped she wasn't making a very stupid decision.

She'd settle for semi-stupid though.

Justin lifted his painfully overpriced beer and took a swig, shaking his head.

She wasn't going to show. The game was just minutes away from starting and Gabby had yet to make an appearance.

Disappointment clenched his gut and he cursed under his breath, reaching for his beer.

She must have been serious about keeping her distance from him—he'd never known her to miss a game before. Especially when it was a free ticket.

He'd known it was a risk, that she might very well chuck his flowers—which would be a damn shame since they'd been like the anti- flowers bouquet—and not use the ticket.

The hype of the game kicked off as the players ran onto the field and the announcer began calling their names.

_Shit._ He glanced at his phone to check the time and sighed.

"This seat taken?"

Tension rolled through his body and he jerked his head up, shielding his gaze from the setting sun with his hand.

"Didn't think you were going to come," he admitted gruffly and let his gaze rove over her.

Her silhouette showed a toned body, the jeans and pink tank top showing the soft side of her curves.

"You know me better than that." She sat down onto the seat next to him and lifted one eyebrow, her mouth pursed. "You play dirty, Justin. You knew the minute you put that ticket for tonight's game in there, you'd hook me."

"I'd hoped."

She'd left her hair down under the white and pink Giants cap. The reddish blonde waves fell around her face, softening her look from the usual braids or high ponytail she wore.

Her lips were shiny with gloss and the realization surprised him. Gabby had rarely worn makeup when they'd lived together. She'd never needed to, though.

But tonight, everything about her indicated that she'd made an extra effort with her appearance.

He met her eyes again and saw both nervousness and maybe excitement. Their gazes locked and her expression grew more nervous. Her tongue swept across glossy lips as her attention skittered to the baseball field.

"Traffic was awful, or I would have been here sooner."

"You haven't missed anything. They only just announced tonight's lineup."

"Oh good." Some of the tension visibly eased in her shoulders and a smile curved her mouth. "This is going to be a good game."

"It is." He tore his gaze from her and glanced out over the field. "I'm glad you came."

"Thanks for the ticket..." she hesitated, "...and the flowers."

"I know you're not a flowers fan—"

"No, they were great. Phoebe and I got a kick out of them. I would never have guessed they even made flowers arrangements like that." She bit her lip, appearing to want to say more. "I'm...I should just make sure you realize—I'm here tonight as your friend, Justin. Nothing more."

"That's only because we haven't actually become lovers yet," he couldn't resist teasing. Though, if he admitted it, he was pretty much serious.

Her eyes widened and flickered with both disbelief and amusement.

"You're terrible." She shook her head, but her words were spoken on a laugh.

"How was your date with the suit last night?"

"I thought we were here to watch the game."

"I'm watching." He lifted the beer to his mouth and took another sip, his lips twitching.

The first player from the opposing team went up to bat and they both went silent, switching into game-watching mode. They clapped and screamed, encouraging the pitcher, who immediately threw three strikes. The batter walked from the field, kicking the ground in disgust.

"He has a name, you know," Gabby said as they watched the next batter make his way to home plate.

"Who does?"

"The suit. It's Steve."

Justin gave a slight nod, keeping his eyes on the player at bat. "When did you meet him? Obviously—Yeah! That's two!" His attention shifted briefly as the pitcher threw another strike. "Less than six months ago. Unless you were dating him when..."

She glanced at him sharply. "When I lived with you? No. I met him the month after I moved out."

His muscles tensed and he was careful to draw in a slow breath. Five months? For either of them, that was almost considered a long-term relationship.

He just barely managed to bite his tongue before he could ask if she'd slept with him. That was not his business—and Gabby would probably tell him as much in a very non-polite way.

"Oh damn!" She groaned as the batter hit a pop fly into centerfield.

"He'll catch it." His confidence was proven when the centerfielder caught the fly ball with little effort. "What happened to your faith in our team, girl?"

He nudged Gabby lightly in the ribs and she laughed and gave him a soft swat on the shoulder. It was so familiar. So much how they'd used to be. He missed it. Missed her.

"I have plenty of faith in our team. It's just been a while since I've been to a game."

Over six months, he'd wager. Seeing as he'd always been the one to bring her.

"I'm going to grab a beer real quick."

Justin urged her back into her seat when she tried to stand. "I'll grab you one. Sorry, I should have offered earlier."

Her brows puckered. "I can get it, Justin, it's no problem."

"I invited you here tonight, Gab. I'll get your beer." He stood up and moved past her, giving her bare arm a quick squeeze.

The minute his fingers touched her soft skin, his chest locked. The blood rushed south in his body and his gaze dropped to the soft curve of her breasts barely peeking above the tank top. Her nipples showed tight through the thin fabric.

She inhaled quickly and flashed him a brief smile, sliding her arm away from him. "Thanks, Justin. I appreciate it."

"No problem." He clenched his fists and strode up the stairs to the concessions.

Some things felt the same between them, but others were brand spanking new. Like the mutual attraction. Would he ever get used to it? And even more so, could he convince her acting on it was the right thing to do?

_This was such a bad idea_. Gabby tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then pressed her palm against her belly, which seemed to be making somersaults with her lunch.

Sitting next to Justin, having his hard thigh brushing against hers and smelling his familiar aftershave, was making her mind and hormones go into complete twitter mode.

She should never have promised Phoebe she'd go to the game tonight. What had she been thinking? Besides— _Homerun_!

Gabby rose to her feet, screaming and clapping along with the rest of the stadium as the batter knocked one out of the ballpark.

Excitement bubbled through her veins and she gave another loud scream of support. "Ah, damn, I missed a homerun?"

"Yes! It was awesome, too." She took the beer he handed her and, still buzzing on excitement, pressed a kiss to his cheek.

They both tensed, and when she finally thought to pull away, he'd already slid a hand around her waist to hold her close. She dragged in an uneasy breath and closed her eyes. Every inch of her aware of how hard his body was against her softness. Her knees went weak and she gripped his forearm, biting back a sigh when he nuzzled her hair.

The crack of the ball connecting with the bat resounded before the crowd exploded with excitement. Justin pulled back from her, muttering a barely audible curse. She sank back down into her seat, her hand shaking slightly as she took a sip of the beer.

It was just a hug, Gabby, calm yourself.

Despite her internal pep talk, she knew how delusional she was. That hug had been loaded with familiarity, sexual tension, and oddly enough, tenderness.

The rest of the game passed in a blur, a mild distraction, but nowhere near the intense eye candy she was used to it being. No, her mind was somewhere else completely. Leftfield, just not in the baseball sense.

"I don't suppose I could convince you to go get something to eat?" Justin asked as they filed out of the stadium with thousands of fans.

She hesitated, but her stomach gave a soft growl at the idea of food. Salty peanuts somehow hadn't qualified as dinner. She just didn't want this to turn into a date. Or maybe it already had. Biting her lip, she gave a quick nod and figured out how to make it less date-like.

"Sure. I can buy."

"Not a chance."

"It's only fair. You bought the tickets."

"I have season tickets. I had to bring someone." Her lips twisted. Of course. When she'd first met him years back in school, the season tickets had been one way he'd weeded out his women. If a girl couldn't get down with a Giants game, she didn't last very long.

At some point, he'd stopped bringing other women on dates and he'd just started taking her. Not that she'd had any problem with that. Hell, it had been a free baseball game with her best friend. But then they'd barreled past that _do not cross_ line and everything had just turned damn complicated.

Sitting next to him tonight, she'd almost felt like one of the girls he'd dated from all those years ago. The best friend status was a memory that drifted further away each time Justin gave her one of those _I wonder what you'd look like naked_ looks.

"Okay, we can do Italian or greasy spoon. Those are the only two places I know that'll still be open and serving food."

"Italian," she answered without even considering the other option. "I'm totally down with some pasta."

"Still a garlic freak?"

"Heck, yeah. I'm no vamp."

"You're a total vamp," he murmured, and caught her hand to pull her back from a particularly rowdy group of fans barreling through the gates.

Gabby's stomach tightened and she gave a flat laugh—not like Justin could hear it over the screaming fans. His comment had most likely been a joke.

Her a vamp? As in sexy, femme fatale? Not freaking likely. When was the last time she'd worn a dress? Probably her cousin's wedding years ago. She almost regretted putting on the small amount of makeup tonight. It meant she was trying. Trying to impress Justin.

"Why don't I drive?" he offered. "We can come back for your car after we eat."

She gave a short nod and her heart skipped when his fingers tightened around hers. Why was he still holding her hand?

_It doesn't matter._ This wasn't sexual. It wasn't romantic. It was just two friends hanging out.

Right.

Justin opened the door to his truck and she climbed up easily, all too used to riding up front with him.

"So how come you had an extra ticket tonight?" she asked and immediately wanted to kick herself. "I've had an extra for a while."

His admission had her eyebrows lifting. Did he honestly expect her to believe that he hadn't taken random women to the game once she'd stepped out of his life?

"You didn't take anyone?"

"We're only a few months into the season. I brought a guy co-worker once or twice."

But no women?

"So tell me more about Steven."

Gabby flinched. Why the heck did he have to pick that subject to change to? "What do you want to know?"

"What does he do?"

"He's an investment banker."

"Interesting."

"Is it?" She glanced at him sharply.

He shrugged and backed out of the parking spot. "If you're into that kind of thing."

"He's a good guy," she said defensively. "I'm sure he is."

Gabby folded her hands across her chest and cleared her throat. _Don't even ask_. "What about you? Who's your newest girl?"

And you asked. Stupid!

"There isn't one."

Gabby snorted. "No, really. Who is she?"

When he didn't reply, she glanced over at him. His fingers had tightened around the steering wheel and there was a subtle tick in his rigid jawline. He seemed almost embarrassed and maybe even a tad frustrated.

"What's up? You drink an anti-love potion or something?" she attempted to tease him. "Usually you have women crawling all over you. Don't tell me that's changed."

"I won't."

She looked away at his admission. Of course it hadn't. The man was sex personified. He always had—

"They're just not the right woman."

Her heart sped up and her palms dampened. Woman. He'd said woman, versus women. _It doesn't mean anything, Gabby, not a darn thing._

"How's the job going?" she asked quickly, deciding it was her turn to change the subject.

He gave a soft laugh, almost like he'd known she'd gotten all atwitter by his response.

"The job's good. I'm a construction manager now. Don't know if you knew that or not."

She whipped her head to the side to look at him, her jaw falling open slightly. "Seriously, Justin? When did this happen?"

"Few months ago." His mouth curved into a smile, and she could see how proud he was.

"That's fabulous! You didn't think that'd happen for another year or two at least."

"I know."

"Justin," she squealed and reached out to pat his leg, her excitement for him momentarily making her forget the wisdom of her move.

"Thanks, Gab. I knew you'd be excited for me." His hand covered hers and squeezed, trapping her palm against the muscles of his thigh.

Tingles of awareness rocketed through her body and, instead of pulling her hand free like she really knew she should, her fingers flexed against his leg.

"You deserve the position. You worked your ass off to get that bachelor's degree."

He didn't reply, but his thumb brushed across the back of her hand.

"We've both really kind of stepped it up this year career-wise, huh?" she murmured.

He nodded and pulled the truck into the parking lot of a small restaurant nearby. People milled around outside, waiting to get seated.

Apparently they weren't the only ones who'd had the idea to grab food.

"Hmm," Justin's brows drew together and his mouth twisted. "I don't suppose I could talk you into letting me cook you something back at my place?"

She drew in a slow breath. The idea both had appeal and shot off every warning signal in her body.

"Doug would love to see you."

"Doug..." Her mouth curved into a smile. "Oh, man, do I miss him. How's he doing?"

Justin snorted. "Pain in my ass."

Gabby nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "He is not. You love that dog."

He grunted in response, but she could see the fondness in his eyes. Loved his dog was an understatement. There was no word to describe how much Justin cared for the mutt they'd found barely alive on the side of the road a year ago.

"So, what do you say?" he asked again. "I don't think we'd even find parking here, let alone get a table anytime soon."

"Justin..."

"It's only dinner, Gab. We can do quesadillas and Doritos."

Just like the old times. She folded her hands in her lap and glanced out the window. Such a bad idea, Gabby. Say no. Tell him—

"Okay."

### Chapter Five

From the corner of her eye, she saw some of the tension ease from his body and the smile flit across his face. He threw the truck in reverse and backed out of the parking lot.

A few minutes later they were speeding down the highway toward Justin's house and the place she'd called home for two years.

By the time they pulled up in front of his house, Green Day was playing on the radio and they'd passed the time discussing the game.

Before she could grab her purse off the floor and open her door, Justin had already climbed out to do it for her. That was one thing she'd always appreciated about him. His manners. He'd been raised by his grandparents—southerners who'd moved to San Francisco—and from all accounts, they'd made certain their grandson knew how to treat a lady.

"Thanks," Gabby murmured, taking the hand he offered to help her down.

At the brush of his fingers against hers, more tingles swept through her and a warm heat grew low in her belly.

"Come on. I want to show you something." He didn't release her hand, just tugged her along after him as he bypassed the front door and took her into the backyard.

The gate swung shut behind them, banging loudly, but she barely noticed as her gaze swept the scene in front of her, lit up by a nearby street lamp.

"Oh my God, you've been busy."

"Well, I hired a landscaper," he confessed, squeezing her hand. "The new position left me with a little extra money."

"Justin, you can see...you've got a _view_ of the city!"

"A little one." His grin expanded until he looked like an excited kid. "I was thinking about adding some kind of fountain back in the corner there. And I'm already checking into getting the hot tub repaired."

"I still owe you for that," she muttered, guilt clenching in her belly at the memory of that summer night. "I told Vic not to bring the beer bottle in with us, but he snuck it in anyway."

Justin's fingers tightened around hers for a moment, but then he gave a short laugh. "No problem. The thing is so old, it may just need to be replaced."

Gabby snuck a glance at him, wondering briefly if she'd imagined the bite of jealousy in his tone. But that would be silly. She'd dated Vic for two weeks, tops.

A low and familiar bark came from inside the house, growing more frantic by the moment.

"I think Doug figured out you're here," Justin stated sardonically, one of his fingers doing a light and feathery caress over her inner palm. "If I don't bring you inside, he may just bust through a window."

A shiver slipped down her spine and she bit her lip to keep from sighing. Damn. Why did her body heat and respond to him the minute he touched her? It took away all control, made her feel all too helpless to this impossible attraction toward Justin.

"Well, we shouldn't keep him waiting then." She pulled her hand free, knowing she'd do something stupid if she let him hold it a second longer, and walked quickly toward the house.

At the back door, she waited, keeping her gaze lowered to avoid meeting his questioning glance.

His keys jingled as he unlocked the door. He'd barely pushed open the solid wood door when Doug came bounding out.

His fat paws slapped against her chest, nearly knocking her down. Fortunately, Justin moved back to catch her.

"Doug! Easy boy," she cried in between giggles.

The mutt, a cross between a black lab and a St. Bernard, ignored her and continued to bounce around her, swiping her with big sloppy kisses.

"All right, Doug. Let her catch her breath." Justin snagged the dog's collar and pulled him away gently. "You can go inside, Gab. I'll let him run around outside for a second."

Still breathless from laughing, she hurried into the house and pulled her baseball cap off, setting it on the dryer.

Her glance drifted around the laundry room before she walked down the hallway that led to the kitchen. The sink only had a few dishes in it, what looked to be from this morning.

She snorted and shook her head.

He'd always done that. Left the dishes until before he went to bed. She, on the other hand, couldn't stand a dish just hanging out in the sink. Because, come on, how long did it take to just rinse the plate off and shove it in the dishwasher?

Heavy footsteps on the wooden floor announced Justin's entrance into the house. She held her breath, glad her back was to him.

"Doug misses you."

She gave a soft laugh and some of the tension eased from her shoulders. Doug padded past them and into the living room.

"I miss you too."

Inhaling sharply, she closed her eyes at his surprising confession. Why was he doing this? Pushing this? Didn't he know how close she was to breaking? To just giving in to this pull between them?

"I thought we were making quesadillas," she said warily and turned to face him. The intensity on his face made her stomach do back flips and her pulse pick up in a panic. "Justin...maybe me coming here tonight was a bad idea."

"Sorry." He thrust a hand into his hair and shook his head. "Sorry, Gab. Sometimes I just say things without thinking it through. You know me."

Impulsive. Always had been. And it used to be such a fun and endearing quality about him. Now it was almost a hazard.

"I'll grab the tortillas and cheese." He moved past her to pull open the fridge. "You still like pepper jack?"

"Love it." Her focus shifted downward when he squatted to grab something off the bottom shelf. His jeans tightened over his butt and she bit back a groan.

Justin had always had a great ass. That was one of the things all her friends would comment on when they dropped by.

"And to drink I have soda, beer, milk or...water?"

"Water." She'd need to keep her willpower in check tonight. So, definitely no more alcohol. "Too many peanuts at the game."

She turned away, needing to focus on something besides his backside and the butterflies that had taken up residence in her belly. She went in search of the frying pan and placed it on the burner. She flipped on the stovetop and then pulled out a knife from a nearby drawer.

Justin set the block of cheese next to her, his fingers brushing her wrist. More tingles spread through her and she drew in an unsteady breath.

"You okay?" His soft question brushed against the curve of her ear.

No, she wasn't okay. She hadn't been okay since Justin had showed up in her life again yesterday morning.

"Fine." She forced the word out, knowing it sounded a bit brittle and overly bright. She took the brick of cheese from him, ignoring the way his lips curved into a knowing smile.

"So, if I told you that I have the ingredients for guacamole, would you make some?" he asked, still standing all too close while he unsealed the bag of tortillas.

"Only if you make your salsa."

"Deal. Though mine's twice as hard to make."

"Hey, you didn't have to agree to my terms _."_

"I'm a sucker for your guacamole."

"I remember." She finished slicing the cheese and put it away in the fridge. "Okay, where's the avocado?"

"Here. On the windowsill." He leaned past her to grab them.

The familiar smell of his soap and aftershave tickled her nostrils and she closed her eyes, taking a moment to just breathe him in.

His elbow brushed against her breast and the heavy ache low in her belly bloomed into something even hotter. She swallowed hard, her nipples peaking beneath her top.

A barely audible groan escaped her pursed lips, but the way Justin's body went abruptly rigid, she knew he'd heard it.

Maybe it was being back in the house...or likely it was just Justin. But in that moment, it was too much. The desire for him, to let him touch her and to touch him in return. It swept through her like some powerful force of nature.

"Avocado." His unnecessary statement came out hoarse as he dropped the fruit in front of her.

Gabby stared at it for barely as second, before she backhanded the avocado and sent it wobbling to the other end of the counter.

There was a heavy pause before Justin muttered, "You don't want guacamole?"

"No." She turned and he stood so close that her breast brushed his arm again.

Heat flared in his gaze before he looked pointedly at her mouth. "What _do_ you want, Gabby?"

She swallowed hard, turned off the stove, and then reached up to cup his face, letting her thumbs stroke over the stubble on his cheek.

"You know what I want," she whispered, still unable to admit it aloud.

His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her to him a moment before his mouth crushed down on hers.

Justin's heart thundered in his chest as the almost crippling desire he had for Gabby consumed him. She was going to let him make love to her. She'd given him the green light.

He slid his hands down to her ass, lifting her, and she immediately wrapped her legs around his hips.

His tongue plunged deep into the warmth of her mouth to explore the hot and moist interior.

The rub of her breasts against his chest had him hardening further, nestling snug against the softness of her bottom. He moved them toward the bedroom, groaning when she sucked his tongue into her mouth and squeezed her thighs tighter around him.

He kicked open the half-closed door to his bedroom, then kicked it shut again. Moving them across the room, he stumbled over his work boots and fell onto the bed, rolling to take the brunt of the fall, which brought Gabby on top of him.

Straddling him, she tore her mouth off him and sat up. She reached for the hem of her shirt, jerking it above her head.

The V of her black satin bra pushed her breasts together to display an impressive amount of cleavage. His mouth watered and he lifted his hands to tug away the cups of the bra.

Her pert breasts fell free, the light pink tips already textured and hard for his mouth. She was so damn pretty, sensual in a subtle way. A way most men probably wouldn't discover until they had her naked.

He opened his mouth, needing to tell her how sexy she was.

"What about Steven?"

How the hell had he allowed himself to ask that instead? She gave a soft laugh as she reached up to touch her breast.

His cock twitched and he drew in a harsh breath at the sight.

"I broke up with him."

"You did? When? Why didn't you say something?" he choked out.

"Last night." She lowered her body downward, until her breasts were just above his face.

He captured one pink tip between his lips, causing her to break off as he suckled her deep. Christ, she tasted sweet. He smiled, loving the way she gasped and writhed above him.

"At dinner," she continued breathily. " _Oh_...he told me why... _oh God_...oral sex could never be part of our relationship. He has a clitoris phobia."

Her nipple popped from his mouth with a loud suctioning sound. He stared at her for a moment, astounded by her statement.

"Are you shitting me?"

She sighed and drew a finger down the center of his chest. "You think someone can make this stuff up?"

"What an idiot," he growled and grasped her hips, rolling her again until she was beneath him.

Her green eyes narrowed slightly as she stared up at him and her tongue swept across swollen lips.

"My sentiments exactly. So I immediately ended it."

Justin drew in an unsteady breath, his chest tightening at the playfulness and desire in her gaze.

"That the only reason why?"

She hesitated, then admitted softly, "No."

A wave of possessiveness ran through him. He ran the palm of his hand over her stomach, taking a moment to dip his finger into her navel.

"You should know that I'm nothing like The Suit, and am actually quite fond of the clitoris." He skimmed his hand across the waistband of the jeans riding low on her hips.

Her stomach rose as she sucked in a breath, her lips curling into a challenging smile. "I know you are."

"You do?" He dipped a finger below the waistband, smoothing it back and forth against her silky skin.

Her hips lifted slightly against his light touch. Further aroused and amused by her response, he moved his hand to cup her through her jeans.

"Mmm. You told me." Her lashes lowered, veiling her gaze. "And I heard you once or twice...with other women. It certainly sounded like you knew what you were doing."

She'd heard him. The idea of it both intrigued him, and yet sent a rush of regret through him. "Yeah? You didn't get weirded out?"

"No. I got turned on," she admitted bluntly with a soft laugh. Her lashes fluttered upward again. "And then, later, I got jealous."

Justin blinked in surprise, the naked vulnerability in her gaze at her admission momentarily robbing him of response. She had no reason to be jealous.

Those times with other women had just been an outlet for the one woman he couldn't have. Gabby.

He hadn't been with another woman since that night with her. He opened his mouth to tell her, but lost all thought when she covered his hand, pressing his palm harder against her swollen sex.

"But I have you right now," she whispered. "And that's all that matters."

The vulnerability that had slipped over her stunned him. It wasn't her. Gabby was a rock. Nothing shook her.

The urge to reassure her rushed through him and he lowered his head to drop a kiss on her stomach. He bracketed her waist with his hands and brushed his lips across her bare flesh.

Her body trembled under his mouth and her fingers slipped into his hair to clutch him.

Dipping his tongue into the crater of her navel, he deftly unsnapped her jeans and tugged down the zipper.

She lifted her hips off the bed and slipped her hands down to help push off her pants.

Justin tugged them the rest of the way down her legs and tossed them to the ground, never taking his gaze off her. How could he? Damn, she was sexy.

Her skin was pale, dotted with freckles in areas that he'd have a good time kissing. Her slim hips were covered by black satin panties cut high on her thighs and her breasts spilled over her bra.

It wasn't enough. He needed to see all of her. See Gabby completely naked, with no secrets.

Catching the edge of her panties between two fingers, he tugged them down. Curls sprang free, and he couldn't stop a small groan of excitement.

Once the panties were removed from the tangle of her legs, he took a moment to stare down at her. So many women he'd been with had shaved completely, or waxed their pubic hair into something freakishly angular.

And here was Gabby, trimmed just enough, but still all woman.

"Gabby," he murmured. "You are so damn sexy."

She made a soft sigh and shifted, opening herself to him even more.

Justin slid up her body, wanting her mouth again. Needing to reassure and have that connection with her again. She was ready for him, sliding her hand into his hair and parting her lips.

His mouth covered hers, the kiss harder this time. More fervent and deep. He slipped one hand down her chest to unsnap the clasp of her bra, tugging the satin free and tossing it aside.

He palmed one breast, moving his hand back and forth over the hardened nipple. His tongue moved against hers as he slipped his knee between her legs to press snug against the her warm, wet cleft.

She gasped raggedly into his mouth and ground her body against him. He sucked her tongue into his mouth, drawing on it while she began a rhythmic grind against his knee.

Her hands slammed into his shoulders, pushing him away.

"Please, oh God, please, Justin," she pleaded, writhing beneath him. "It's too much. I just want you inside me."

He gave a soft laugh and braced himself above her with one arm. His gaze drifted down her body, now naked and vulnerable to his gaze.

"No way, Gab. No way am I rushing this," he stated huskily and traced a finger from her collarbone down to the curls below her hips. "I refuse to settle for a quickie when this is so damn long overdue between us."

### Chapter Six

"You're so stubborn." She gave a pained groan and arched her hips against him.

Need rushed through him. "Don't act surprised."

He lowered his head to her breast and drew the flat of his tongue over one textured peak. "Mmm. You taste good, Gabby."

She clasped his head between her hands and he watched her eyelids drift shut again. "Mmm. I bet you do, too. Mind if I have a turn?"

"Maybe later." He captured the tip between his teeth and flicked it with his tongue.

Any witty response she might have formed died on her sharply drawn breath.

"Like that do you?" He drew the nipple fully into his mouth and suckled it, alternating hard and then soft.

From the sounds she made and the way her body jerked, it was clear she enjoyed it more when he drew harder.

Wanting the proof of her body's response, he slipped his hand down her stomach and past the springy curls. When he delved one finger into the folds between her legs, hot moisture greeted him. She gasped, her body clenching around his finger. He lifted his gaze and found her watching him. Her eyes were glazed with pleasure, her gaze moving over his face.

"For so long," she whispered. "I've wanted this. And I knew it was a bad idea, but it didn't matter. I wanted your mouth on me, your fingers inside me."

His chest swelled with a mix of pleasure and possessiveness at her admission. He lowered his gaze to where his finger slowly penetrated her.

"I've wanted to touch you," he muttered raggedly. "Since about five minutes after you moved into my house."

There was a pause, heavy with shock. "Really? But you never...why didn't you?"

"Because you were my roommate. Became my best friend. I didn't want to fuck that up." He groaned as her body clenched around his finger again. "Jesus, Gab. You're so hot. Wet."

Using his other hand, he parted her and exposed the hard button of her clit. His mouth watered at the sight. He wanted to draw it into his mouth, wanted to hear the cries of pleasure she'd make when he sucked on her.

He slid back down her body, dropping kisses on each of her hips before pausing to nuzzle her curls.

Moving lower, he slid his tongue into the cleft between her legs. The sweet moisture that fell on his tongue hardened his cock to the point of pain.

He moved his mouth upward, already losing control. He drew her clit into his mouth and gave it one firm suck.

Gabby's hips rose at least an inch off the bed and she cried out. He pushed her back onto the bed and circled the button with his tongue, slow and then fast, pausing to draw on it every few seconds.

She tugged at his hair, both pushing at him and holding him against her. Her thighs tightened around him and he knew she was on the brink. A second later she went rigid and gasped before her body shook beneath him in a climax.

He gentled his mouth to a light suckle on her clit, teasing her damp curls with his fingers.

"Please," she begged weakly, tugging his head up. "Justin, please."

Part of him wanted to please her again, bring her to a second orgasm, but the quiet urgency on her face convinced him she needed much more than that at this point.

Her hand closed over his erection through his jeans and cemented his decision. A soft growl escaped from his throat as he slid back up her body. He brushed his mouth over hers, letting her taste herself. She threaded her fingers into his hair and kissed him back feverishly.

When he lifted his head, he was out of breath and desperate to bury himself deep inside her. He stood up and stripped out of his clothes in record time, reluctant to be away from her any longer than necessary.

"You're bigger than I thought," she said softly.

Justin started to laugh but choked when she reached out to stroke his cock. He managed to grab a condom while her thumb rubbed against the moisture on the head.

"Gabby," he warned through clenched teeth. "Slow down, honey."

"Speed up," she countered and swung her legs off the edge of the bed so she was facing his erection.

"Let me put it on." She stole the condom from his fingers and ripped it open. "Hmm, might need a little more lubrication first," was the only warning he got before she took him into her mouth.

"Jesus." He grasped her head, intending to push her away. He closed his eyes, his fingers curling into her hair instead.

Gabby was sucking his cock. How often had he fantasized about this in the last few months? He couldn't possibly stop her yet.

She moved her tongue over him, bringing him deep a couple of times before he felt his body tighten.

"No more," he ground out and pushed her back.

She laughed softly, her hands fumbling over his cock to place the condom on him. Once the task was complete, he eased her backward onto the mattress and climbed between her spread thighs.

Her lips curved into a sexy pout. "And why do you get to be on top?"

"Because I got here first." He nudged her thighs open wider and pressed her knees back toward her hips.

His cock probed the slick folds of, sliding in just barely. He stared at where they were almost joined, before lifting his gaze to hers.

Gabby held his gaze, all teasing and lightness gone. In its place, the heat of desire and an intense trust. His blood pounded harder and he swallowed with difficulty. Without breaking eye contact, he pressed steadily into her.

Her body clenched around his cock, her hot, slick moisture easing his deep drive into her channel.

"Damn, you're small." His jaw clenched. He should have known she would be by the slightness of her body.

She lifted her hips to press into his forward thrust, and he slid in to the hilt. The breath locked in his throat and for a moment his eyes crossed from the sensation.

"Justin." His name floated on a sigh. Her fingers gripped the bedspread.

He didn't move for a moment, just stayed deep inside her, his cock pulsing. Only when she tightened around him and gave a frustrated whimper, did he draw out and begin a slow slide back inside her.

He found a rhythm that Gabby matched easily. It started as a slow and languid thrusting, before turning into something far more fervent and the sounds of his sac hitting her ass resonated in the room. Her heavy breathing turned into low moans, putting what little control he had left at risk. His grip on her legs tightened and he pounded into her faster.

"Yes." She gasped and closed her eyes. "Just like that."

A pure male growl ripped through him and he thrust blindly into her. Her moans echoed, reverberating in his head. The sensation of her slick heat squeezing his cock ruled him.

Reaching down, he found her clit, swollen and wet, and pinched it. Her moan switched to a guttural scream and the walls of her gripped him as she came. Watching her face, the complete abandon and pleasure, sent him over a second later. His sac tightened and he exploded mid-thrust, his fingers digging into the softness behind her knees.

Wave after wave of pleasure rocked him through his orgasm. A few minutes later, with his thighs still shaking, he lowered her legs to the bed and slid on top of her.

"Jesus, Gabby."

"No kidding," she muttered, biting his shoulder and then kissing the same spot. "That was...yum."

"Good way to put it." He rolled to the side, his heart still pounding from his climax. "Why the hell did we wait so long to do that?"

"I have no clue."

Gabby let out a shuddering breath. Her stomach felt as if butterflies had taken up permanent residence. She wiped her palm down her face, but it did little to wipe the smile from her face.

There was a softness around her heart, a hope for possibility that she'd never really let herself feel before. The possibility of Justin.

"Are you hungry?" He nuzzled her neck, pressing a kiss to the pulse she knew must be all aflutter.

"A little bit," she admitted.

"Me too. How about we go make those quesadillas now? You know, since you made me forgo them earlier?"

She swatted his shoulder and giggled. "If you think for one minute that I'd believe you'd choose food over sex, you're completely delusional."

"Well, never over sex with you, Gab." He grinned and climbed off the bed, holding out his hand.

Her heart sped up and her stomach flipped again. "You coming?"

"Sure." She placed her hand in his and his long fingers closed around hers.

They opened the door to the bedroom and Doug bounded in, barking with excitement.

"Don't think he appreciated being locked out too much," Justin commented, leaning down to rub the dog's ears.

"Apparently." She patted Doug on the head and moved past him toward the kitchen, her stomach growling.

Justin followed her and retrieved the cheese from the fridge again.

"Thank God tomorrow's Saturday," she murmured. "I'm going to be exhausted in the morning."

"Will you stay here tonight?"

His question knocked the wind from her sails. She opened her mouth to answer, but wasn't quite sure what to say. Stay here. Sleep in his bed. More snuggling. God, the idea had appeal.

"Do you hear that?"

His sudden question saved her from having to answer the other one.

"Hear what?"

"I think your phone is ringing."

"My phone?" Her brows drew together as she pushed past him to retrieve her purse from the laundry room.

She yanked out her cell phone on the beginning of the fourth ring and answered.

"Hello?"

"Gabrielle, is that you?"

Gabby grabbed onto the washing machine, her knees almost gave out at the trembling voice on the other end of the phone.

"Gabrielle, are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here, Mom."

She closed her eyes. A lump settled in her stomach, a premonition that this would not be a good phone call.

Her mother didn't just call to chat after not talking to her daughter for several years. Especially after midnight.

"What's going on?" She lowered her voice, her hand squeezing around the phone.

"I...I left him. I left your father tonight."

Shock and disbelief warred inside her, but she pushed the emotions aside. She had too much training with her day job to let them interfere with what needed to be done.

"Okay. Where are you now?"

"Ugh—well, I'm at a payphone at the mini-mart down the street from the house."

"Stay where you are. Go inside and wait if you can. I'll be there in twenty minutes to pick you up." She drew in a slow breath. "And please, Mom, don't leave."

She ended the call and ran a hand through her hair.

"What's going on?" She spun around, pressing a hand to her chest in surprise.

Justin stood in the doorway to the laundry room, naked and seeming unconcerned by the fact. Not that it mattered; she was sans clothes right now as well.

Her gaze drifted over his body, needing the second of distraction. But it didn't put her any more at ease. If anything, the knot in her stomach doubled.

Hearing from her mom gave her the gentle reminder as to why she'd sworn never to sleep with Justin.

Don't think about that now.

"I need to go," she muttered. "That was my mother."

"Your mother?" His brows drew together and his look grew more troubled. "I thought you didn't see your mother anymore?"

"I haven't. Not in over two years." Her stomach clenched and a wave of anxiety threatened to overtake her, but she stuffed it down. _Later_. She could think about all this later.

She moved past him to grab her clothes from his room.

"It's after midnight, Gabby. What's going on?" He caught her arm before she reached the door to his room. "Where are you going?"

"I need to go pick her up."

"This time of night? You don't even have your car."

"I'll...call a cab. Look, I have to go." She tugged her arm free and hurried to find her clothes, pulling on each item with rapid speed.

When she turned to grab her shoes, she found him half dressed.

"What are you doing?" she asked sharply.

"I'll drive you."

"No. Justin—"

"The hell if I'm going to let two women drive around San Francisco alone after midnight in a cab."

She glared at him and then shook her head, knowing it was pointless to argue with Justin once he got his mind set on something.

Giving a terse nod, she grabbed her shoes.

Five minutes later, she'd given him directions and they were speeding down the highway toward the neighborhood where she'd grown up.

"You gonna tell me what's going on?" Justin asked, breaking the silence that had settled since they'd gotten into his truck.

She swallowed hard and glanced out the window. No, she really didn't want to tell him. That was a part of her life she kept to herself. No one knew about it except Phoebe and Delanie. Even then, confessing to her friends had been hard enough.

"Gabby, it's me. You know you can tell me anything."

Not this.

She bit her lip, deciding on truth with omission. "My mother left my father tonight."

He didn't say anything for a moment, and then, "Is this a good thing?"

"Yes." The word was almost a whisper. "A very good thing."

How many years had she lain in her bedroom, the blanket drawn over her head and her face stuffed into the pillow? Praying again and again that God would give her mother the strength and wisdom to leave her father.

The truck bounced into the parking lot of the mini-mart and Gabby blinked, shaking herself out of the past.

Her stomach dropped when she scanned the parking lot and didn't immediately see her mom's petite form.

"Is that her inside?"

At his words, her gaze flew to the inside of the store and the woman hovering around the alcohol section.

"Shit. I'll be right back." She fumbled with her seatbelt then jerked open the door to the truck and jumped down to the pavement.

By the time she got inside, her mom already had a can of beer in her hand. Gabby rushed forward, snagging the beer from her grasp and then pulling her into a hug.

"This isn't going to help things, Mom," she muttered.

Her mother stiffened in her embrace and then let out a ragged sigh, her body going limp against Gabby.

"You okay?"

When her mother didn't answer, Gabby pulled back to get a good look at her. Despite all her training and hands-on experience in her job, it didn't make it any easier seeing the bruises on her own mom's face.

The gash above her right temple needed tending to and the bruises appeared to be at least a couple of days old.

Gabby gripped her mother's hands and squeezed. "I'm proud of you, Mom."

Her mother's expression wavered between uncertainty and fear.

"Mrs. Davison?"

Gabby went rigid at the sound of Justin behind her. Damn. Why couldn't he just wait in the car? Her mother's gaze skittered over Justin warily and then back to Gabby.

"I called your dad," Arleen said in a soft voice after a moment. "He's on his way to pick me up."

The air rushed from Gabby's chest as if she'd been slugged.

"No. No, Mom. Please don't go back to him," Gabby pleaded, her voice hoarse from frustration and disappointment. "Please, Mom."

Justin stepped forward and took her mother's arm in a gentle grip. "Tell you what, Mrs. Davison."

He gave her a smile that Gabby knew had a damn near-perfect success rate at getting what he wanted. "Why don't we go have a cup of coffee and you can think about it."

"I don't know..."

"If you want to go back to your husband after coffee, I promise we'll return you to your home."

Like hell they would. Gabby shot him a furious look, which he countered with one that clearly said _trust me_.

"Just coffee?" her mother hedged.

"Just coffee."

Gabby held her breath, her body zinging with tension. Any moment her father would pull up to the store and then the shit would really hit the fan. Chances were the police would get called.

After another moment, her mother nodded.

"Great." Justin nodded at Gabby and escorted her mother out to his truck.

After setting the beer back in the fridge and apologizing to the cashier, Gabby hurried out of the store and into the backseat of Justin's truck.

Just as they were pulling out of the parking lot, she recognized her dad's beat-up Toyota pulling in.

Her body sagged in relief at the near miss and she was damn grateful she'd let Justin talk her into taking his truck.

A cab would have been too obvious and her dad would have followed them all over San Francisco to get his wife back.

Justin turned the radio to an easy listening station and started to make small talk about the weather they'd been having.

Gabby swallowed hard, more appreciative toward him by the minute. He was putting her mom at ease now. And, if she admitted it, she likely wouldn't have even gotten her mother out of the store without him.

She leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes, weakened by the relief of having her mom in the truck and out of harm's way. For now, at least.

There was a lot of traffic out, even this late at night. The white noise of the other cars rushing by them lulled Gabby back into a calm state.

When she opened her eyes again she found Justin watching her in the rearview mirror, even as he continued to make small talk with her mother.

She gave him a half smile before turning to look out the window. What must he think right now? Clearly he had seen the condition of her mother and appraised the situation. Had handled it quite fabulously, actually.

Her stomach rolled with unease. She'd hoped to never have to share this part of her life with Justin. Why hadn't she considered the fact her mother would obviously be walking around with fresh bruises?

Justin pulled into a twenty-four-hour diner and parked the truck. They all filed out and went inside.

She squeezed into a booth next to her mother, hoping like hell Justin would be able to pull off what she'd never been able to do. Convince her mom not to return home.

An hour later, she could easily believe that Justin was The Pied Piper.

Not only had he sweet-talked her mother into not returning to her husband, he also had her agreeing to check into the Second Chances house.

Gabby put in a call to Nicole, the lady working the graveyard shift at the house, and told her the situation with her mother and to expect them.

She'd had to leave Justin at the administrative office and borrow his truck, because there were strict rules about who was allowed to know the location of the house.

By the time she'd settled her mother into the safe house, and picked up Justin again, it was almost three in the morning.

She could barely keep her eyes open, even as her head spun with the events of the night.

When Justin took the exit to his house, she was too tired to protest. Her car was still down by the stadium, and she didn't trust herself to drive when she was this out of it anyway.

"We'll grab your car in the morning," he murmured, as if reading her mind and breaking the silence they'd maintained since they'd dropped off her mother.

"Okay." She gave a weak nod and yawned.

He reached out a hand and threaded his fingers through hers. Her pulse tripped, and she clutched his hand like it was a lifeline.

"You should have told me earlier."

Her gut twisted and a sour taste rose in her throat. She didn't even pretend to not know what he was referring to.

"It isn't exactly something I want people to know, Justin."

He was silent for a moment. "How long has it been going on?"

She gave a harsh laugh. "Since I was a kid."

"And she stayed with him." His response wasn't a question, more of a statement of incredulity.

"She loves him. It's not uncommon for a woman to stay." And it wasn't, working at Second Chances had proven that to her on multiple occasions.

"Did he ever..." Justin's fingers tightened. "Did your father ever hit you?"

"No." Her response wasn't exactly the truth. Her father had lifted his hand to her once, when she'd dared confront him about what he was doing to her mother.

With the slap across her face had come the motivation to leave home. It hadn't mattered that she'd only been seventeen and just about to finish high school. Fortunately, she'd had a friend whose family had been willing to take her in.

For years after, she'd tried to convince her mother to leave, but ultimately it had hurt her relationship with her and they'd lost contact.

She felt Justin's gaze on her. He probably didn't believe her reply, which just made her feelings for him deepen a bit more. He'd always been a little too perceptive.

He pulled the truck in front of his house and turned off the engine. Once again, he was out of the truck and had her door open before she could do it herself.

He slid an arm around her shoulder, pulling her snug against him as they went inside.

Doug barked happily, dancing around them, eager for attention, but Justin led Gabby straight back to his bedroom.

She tugged off her clothes, the task difficult since her fingers shook with exhaustion.

Justin, half undressed already, made a sound of sympathy and stepped forward to help remove her clothes.

Even though the gesture should have made her feel like a helpless child, she appreciated it. She leaned into him and let her body go pliant as he manipulated her out of her clothes.

When she was naked again, he brushed a kiss across her forehead. "Go lie down, I'll grab the lights."

She gave a sluggish nod and stumbled to the bed, crawling onto the mattress and letting her head flop onto the pillow.

A moment later, the lights went out and then Justin's footsteps approached the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight.

When he pulled her into his arms, she didn't resist, just buried her head against his chest and breathed in the familiar scent of him.

The hair on his chest brushed against her cheek, but didn't bother her. If anything, it made her feel smaller, more feminine and protected. And after the emotional roller coaster she'd been on tonight, she kind of needed it.

He brushed another kiss across her forehead and smoothed a hand up and down her spine.

A yawn popped her jaw. Her muscles went lax under the calming strokes of his hand and comfort of his embrace.

_How long ago had it happened?_ she wondered drowsily as she teetered on the brink of sleep. When had he stopped being just a really good guy friend, and become the guy she loved...

### Chapter Seven

Gabby woke when Doug started to bark in the other room. She lifted her head and groaned when she caught sight of the time.

Not even six.

Beside her, Justin stirred, and she glanced down to find him watching her. He'd done so much for her last night. For her mother. Her throat tightened with emotion and she bit back tears, instead trying to just focus on how nice it was to wake up in bed with him. With Justin.

His naked chest and shoulders were visible above the sheet, large and muscled. Heat stirred low in her belly as she thought about the way his body felt while on top of her last night.

"Doug must've spotted the paper boy," Justin said softly. "It's early, Gab. You should go back to sleep."

She licked her lips and gave him a sleepy smile. "I don't know if I can fall back asleep just yet."

He lifted an eyebrow. "No?"

"Well, now that I'm awake and you're right here..." She reached out and trailed a finger over his chest. "I'd kind of feel remiss if I didn't take advantage of you."

Heat flickered in his lazy gaze that dropped to her breasts. "Hmm. And we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

"It'd be an awful waste."

"Sure would." Gabby scooted over and moved on top of him, settling a leg on each side of his waist. Too tired to sit upright, she slid forward so she lay across his chest.

"Mmm. I like this," Justin murmured and slid his arms around her. His fingers chased a lazy pattern up her spine.

Tingles raced through her and she grew damp between her legs. She nuzzled his neck and breathed in his scent. Traces of soap and sweat. All male.

"I like this, too." She pressed her hips hard against his to escape the teasing of his fingers. He laughed softly and slid his hand down to cup her ass, squeezing the flesh. Her eyes closed and she bit back a groan.

"Touch me," she pleaded.

His chest lifted below her as he drew in a slow breath and then his hand slipped lower, over her bottom and teasing lower.

"Here?" he murmured against her forehead.

"Yeah." She parted her thighs wider and he slipped a finger inside her. "Yes. _Justin_."

"Were you dreaming about me, honey? You're ready."

She bit her lip and smiled against his chest. "Justin, all you have to do is smile and I'm ready."

His cock jerked against her ass and she laughed. "You've got some mouth on you, Gab." He added a second finger to her.

"You know, I bet you'd like my mouth on _you_ ," she murmured and lifted her head to look at him, while her hand reached behind her to wrap around his cock.

"I bet I would." His hot gaze narrowed. "And why don't you swing around up toward my mouth while you're doing it."

Her pulse tripped and she licked her lips. "I think I can handle that."

Gabby slid off his chest, turning her body around so she faced his feet. Her breasts rubbed against his thighs as she wrapped her fingers around his cock.

Justin gripped each side of her hips and a second later his tongue slid into her. A guttural groan spilled from her throat and her eyes floated shut.

She leaned down, her hair falling across his leg as she licked the head of his cock. His fingers slid over her ass, while his tongue swept over her slit to find the swollen bud of nerves at the top.

Her hips bucked and she gasped, lowering her mouth again to bring his length into her. Justin moaned and the sound vibrated his lips against her clit. Pleasure jolted through her veins,

spurred her to find a faster rhythm as she moved her mouth on him. He flicked his tongue over her nub, again and again, while his hips lifted his cock deeper into her mouth. She cupped his sac, massaging him harder now. The dizzying pleasure swept higher inside her, twisting in her head like a chaotic tornado of sensation.

He pushed a finger deep inside her and she exploded. Lights went off in her head as her body trembled. She felt Justin's sac tighten in her hand and then his cock pushed deeper against her throat. He let out a low groan and came, slow and warm in her mouth. Still shaken from her own climax, she swallowed all of his release, squeezing his legs until his body went still beneath her and his mouth left her body.

Gabby pressed her cheek to his thigh and let out a ragged breath. "That was pretty amazing," she muttered.

"I'll say." Justin still stroked her ass. "Come here. I want to hold you."

She twisted around until she lay on the bed again, her head resting on his chest and his arm around her.

"Think you can fall back asleep now?" he asked drowsily.

"I don't know." She gave a soft sigh and closed her eyes. "You keep rubbing my back and maybe."

His chest shook with a quiet laugh. "Try to rest a bit. You barely slept."

"I'll try..." She drew in a deep breath, her body heavy and sated from her release and exhaustion.

With the steady rise and fall of Justin's chest and his continuous rubbing of her back, it only took her a few minutes before she fell back into slumber.

The slobbering tongue across her face woke her. Gabby propped herself up in bed, pushing Doug back with a sleepy laugh.

"Morning, boy." She ruffled the dog's ears and glanced to her right, noting the other side of the bed was empty.

Where was Justin?

The toilet flushed and her gaze drifted toward the bathroom. A second later the shower turned on followed by Justin belting out an old Alice in Chains song.

"The man still can't sing," she muttered under her breath and climbed out of bed, stretching her muscles.

She checked the clock and her eyebrows shot to the ceiling. Oh jeez, it was almost noon. She'd been hoping to get back down to the Second Chances house before lunchtime.

Scrambling for her clothes, she dressed as quickly as possible. She sighed, wishing she had time to have a nice leisurely breakfast with Justin. Thank him profusely for last night and everything he'd done.

Maybe she'd take him to dinner tonight.

Her stomach flipped with butterflies, warmth spread through her and a smile twisted her mouth. She placed a hand over her stomach and bit her lip to keep down the giddiness.

Lord, she was acting like a simpering teenager. She slipped into her shoes and grabbed her purse, then headed into the living room. Justin's laptop was humming quietly on the coffee table and she cast it a thoughtful glance.

Maybe she'd send off a quick email to Delanie and let her know about the situation with her mom. Dropping her purse on the couch, she made a quick detour. She was about to open another browser, when her gaze landed on his email. There was a letter up from a girl named Jackie.

_Close out of his email, Gabby, it's none of your business._ Even knowing she should just look away, her gaze drifted over the body of the email.

Dirty. So dirty. Her stomach rolled. The woman was openly discussing a night they'd spent together.

The things she'd done to him, that he'd done to her.

_Close the damn screen, Gabby_. _Beep._ She jumped at the little bell that dinged on his computer and then realized it was his social media messenger. A girl named Bree.

Hey sexy, you're online! I owe you breakfast in bed and since you're up and I'm up...why don't you come over? Do you still have that key I gave you?

Her throat tightened with a sudden lump, her stomach churning double-time now. She stood up, her hands shaking.

What had she been doing again? Her thoughts swirled in a jumbled mess in her head. Oh yes. She was going to email Delanie. Her gaze fell to the laptop again.

An open email from one woman, discussing their sex life.

She shook her head.

Another woman IM'ing him to invite him for breakfast and obviously so much more.

"I can't deal with this," she whispered.

Grabbing her purse, she ran from the house, slamming the front door shut behind her.

She came to an abrupt stop on the front porch, her mouth gaping as she stared at the driveway. Her car. It was still at the stadium.

Her pulse tripped and a panicked whimper escaped. She should just go back inside and wait for Justin to get out of the shower, and then ask him to drive her to her car.

Justin. She closed her eyes for a moment, her throat thickening with tears.

That email.

The IM.

You knew this about him, Gabby. You knew what kind of man he is.

Only somewhere along the line, she'd changed her mind. Convinced herself he was different. He had changed. She opened her eyes again, blinking away the moisture. And now it appeared that he hadn't. And now she'd just become another notch on his proverbial bedpost.

"God, I fucked up," she whispered and strode off the porch. She'd walk to the grocery store and call a cab to take her to the office.

No way was she going back in the house to face Justin. She just couldn't. Not yet. Not until she had her emotions under control enough to tell him he couldn't be a part of her life anymore.

She increased her stride, until she was almost jogging. A cab appeared on the horizon in the oncoming lane, and she scrambled across the street to wave it down. A few minutes later, when her pulse had begun to slow and they were speeding toward her office, the tears of anger finally fell.

Justin turned off the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist.

Despite the late night they'd had, he wasn't really tired. In fact, he was in a pretty good mood. And the woman responsible for it was curled up in his bed right now, dead asleep.

His mouth curled into a smile as he considered the ways he could wake her up. The memory of last night, their lovemaking, flickered through his head.

Too long. They'd waited entirely too long to bring their relationship to this level.

He grabbed a comb and ran it through his damp hair, staring at the image in the mirror. He loved her. He'd suspected it for the last six months. One big clue had been that his desire to date other women had been completely extinguished.

There'd only been Gabby. In his head and in his heart. Last night had cemented that realization for him.

He set down the comb and pulled open the bathroom door, eager to touch her again. His gaze drifted to the empty bed and his brows drew downward.

She'd woken up?

He crossed the room, heading for the kitchen. She'd probably just gone to make coffee or fix them some breakfast.

But arriving in the kitchen, he only found Doug, chowing down on the bowl of food he'd been fed earlier.

Where was she?

Some of the tension eased from his body and he sighed. Her mother. She'd wanted to go see her mom first thing.

He knew that was likely the case, but something still didn't add up. Her car wasn't here. She would have had to call a cab. Why didn't she just wait for him to get out of the shower?

His gut clenched and he shook his head. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed her number. As had been the result so many times in the past six months, she didn't answer. Her voicemail eventually picked up, instructing him to leave his name and number.

He left a quick message, not caring that he sounded a bit terse and on edge. Hell, she'd put him on it. What was the deal?

He walked to the fridge then tugged open the door and stared absently inside.

In the two years they'd lived together, he'd never suspected the secret she'd kept hidden about her mother. His throat tightened and he shook his head. What kind of childhood did she have?

Just remembering the distrust and bruises on Gabby's mom's face sent a wave of anger through him. Gabby told him last night that her dad had never hit her, but he wasn't quite sure he believed her. He knew the little signals she'd make when she wasn't being one-hundred percent truthful.

He gave a soft curse. God, he wanted to see her. Talk to her more about it this morning, without the exhaustion and when they were both functioning on a normal level.

Why hadn't he insisted on going to the Second Chances home last night instead of letting her talk him into waiting at the administrative office?

He could understand her reasoning. It was protocol. The location of the house wasn't just given out to anyone. And unfortunately that meant he had no way to get a hold of her this afternoon.

Which meant he was shit out of luck. At least for a few hours. She'd drop by later. She would.

Realizing the fridge still remained open and he was no closer to making a decision on what to eat, he reached in and grabbed the eggs.

If he didn't hear from her tonight, he'd drop by the administrative office tomorrow.

Justin pulled up in front of the office of Second Chances and climbed out of his truck. His gaze slid over the parking lot and he bit back a sigh, not seeing Gabby's car anywhere.

Still, he'd come all the way down here. He may as well see if she'd come into the office today. She hadn't returned his phone calls—and he'd left more than one message.

He'd even dropped by her apartment, and even though he'd seen her car outside, she hadn't answered the door.

If he were a smarter guy, he would've taken the hint. She was completely blowing him off. Everything. Their friendship. The night they'd become lovers. _Him overall_.

He walked to the glass door to the complex and rang the buzzer, since the doors were kept locked.

Almost a minute passed before a woman with short blonde hair approached. The door swung open and she gave him a slight smile.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Gabby, has she been in today?"

"I'm sorry, no..." She hesitated and something like sympathy flickered in her eyes. "I can leave her a message if you'd like."

"I realize she doesn't work Sundays," he persisted. "But I know her mother was taken to the safe house a couple of nights ago, and I just thought maybe she—"

"I'm sorry, sir." The woman's gaze became shuttered and her tone cooled. "I'm really not able to discuss this with you, which I'm sure you understand."

The air hissed out from between his teeth and he gave a sharp nod. Christ, this had gotten him nowhere.

"Of course. If you could..." He thrust a hand into his hair. Hell, he wasn't convinced that Gabby wasn't sitting in the back office avoiding him. But why? "If you could just tell her Justin stopped by and is looking for her."

The woman's expression turned speculative as she gave a slight nod.

"Of course. Have a good day, Justin." Without any further pleasantries, she pushed the door shut, the electric whir informing him that it had locked again.

He turned away and glanced back over the parking lot. What the hell could he do now?

His chest tightened and frustration ate heavy in his stomach. She was in there. He'd bet his last dollar on it.

Justin strode back to his truck and sat down inside. He'd just wait for her, she'd come out eventually.

It wasn't even a half hour later when the door to the building opened. Gabby was halfway across the parking lot before she looked up and saw him.

He watched her eyes widen and her steps falter, but he had to give her credit for not turning to run back inside.

When he stood just inches from her, he could see the nervousness and regret in her eyes.

"What are you doing here, Justin? I thought you'd left." She folded her arms across her chest.

At least she made no pretense at having known he'd been at the door a while ago.

"We need to talk, Gabby."

"Do we?" She cleared her throat and lowered her gaze. "Okay, maybe you're right. We should."

His blood pounded and some of the tension left his shoulders. "First, how's your mom?"

She looked up and he saw the relief in her gaze. "She's good. Still at the safe house—which is good. I was half afraid she'd leave soon after we got her in."

"That's great. I'm glad to hear it."

"Me too." She nodded. "I just hope she stays."

Justin paused, relieved that she was at least talking to him. "Why don't we go have lunch? We can talk—"

"I'd rather not blow my lunch hour on this." Her shoulders tensed. "What I need to say will only take a minute."

What _she_ needed to say? The tension crept right back into his muscles. There was something about the way she'd said those words and how she wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Okay. Go ahead then."

"I think we both know that sleeping together was inevitable. It was bound to happen at some point—though I really did try to avoid it," she said, her voice lacking much emotion. "But now that it's happened, I can admit we made a mistake."

"A mistake?" The word hissed from his throat. His gut twisted. Was she serious?

"And right now..." she went on, but seemed to hesitate over the next words. "I'm really not comfortable seeing you anymore, Justin. In any context."

_In any context._ He blinked, completely at a loss at her statement. In any context translated to _get out of my life_.

"Gabby, you can't be serious. We're—"

"I've said what I needed to say," she interrupted warily, lifting a hand, but still not meeting his gaze. "I was hoping to do this in a less abrupt manner, but you've kind of backed me into a corner."

"Yeah. I get it." His mouth tightened and a small tic started in his jaw.

"Maybe someday down the road we can talk."

"Don't count on it. Like you just pointed out, you already said what you needed to say," he muttered and shoved his hand into his pocket, wrapping his fingers around his keys. "Have a good life, Gabby."

Her head snapped up now, her eyes wide. He wasn't sure if there was a hint of moisture in her gaze, because she blinked before he could analyze it.

Not like it mattered. He turned away from her and strode back to his truck.

Last night had meant nothing to her. She was the fucking love of his life, and to her he was a mistake.

He kicked a rock across the parking lot and climbed into his truck, gunning the engine. He backed up and, as he sped out of the parking lot, he lifted his gaze to the rearview mirror. Gabby stood exactly where he'd left her, watching him leave.

A bitter taste rose in his mouth and he drew in an unsteady breath, wishing his heart didn't feel like it was being gouged out with a dozen dull spoons.

He tore his gaze from her image and focused on the road ahead of him. Looking back sure as hell wouldn't do any good.

### Chapter Eight

Delanie glanced up when Gabby returned to the office. "That was fast. I thought you were going to grab us some sushi?"

"Oh. Right." Gabby pressed a hand to her forehead and frowned. Her heart raced so fast she was feeling a bit lightheaded.

How had she gotten those words out to him? How in the _hell_ had she said those words to Justin? Phoebe stood up and cleared her throat.

"Hey, I'll grab the sushi for us, okay, ladies?"

Delanie gave her a grateful look. "Would you mind? Thanks, Phoebe, you're the best."

"Yeah, thanks," Gabby managed to muster, but the thought of food made her nauseous.

Once Phoebe had disappeared, Delanie turned back to her. "You don't look so hot, are you okay?"

"Fine," she muttered and shook her head. "No. Not fine. Justin was out there when I left."

"Still? I thought he'd gone."

"Me too," she muttered. "Otherwise I sure wouldn't have gone outside."

"So are you going to explain what's going on? Why you're avoiding him like the plague?" Delanie folded her arms across her chest. "Or am I right on the mark by guessing you guys slept together?"

Gabby sat down on the edge of Delanie's desk, her throat working against the emotion. "Right on the mark."

"And so I'm also going to guess, by your gloominess, that this doesn't automatically mean you're going to get married and procreate until you're blue in the face?"

"Right again." Though the idea had so much appeal, it made her want to throw herself on the ground and start crying.

Because that just wasn't possible. Especially after what she'd just said to him. The thought of the words she'd hurled at him made bile rise in her throat.

"Why is he so bad for you, Gabby?" Delanie set down her pen, which she'd been twirling between her fingers. "I mean, I get that you said he wasn't the settling down kind...but for some guys, maybe it just takes one woman to change all that."

Gabby rolled her eyes and sniffled. "You've been watching way too many chick flicks."

Delanie lifted an eyebrow and drawled, "You know I prefer action."

"I know. Sorry."

"Seriously, though. You don't think he can change?" Gabby hesitated. "I found something yesterday morning."

"Oh God, were you snooping?"

"No! He, umm, just had his email open."

"You read his emails?"

"Just one." She bit her lip. "It was from some chick describing their time in bed."

"Okay...but maybe it was an old email? Maybe they had sex a long time ago."

"Oh." Gabby paused and frowned. "I guess it's possible...I didn't think of that."

"Okay, Nancy Drew. Since you were scoping out his emails, did you check his sent items? To see if he replied?"

"No, the email was open. I..." Gabby broke off and gave an exasperated sigh.

"That email may not mean anything."

Gabby gave her friend a disbelieving look. "There's more, though. Another girl sent him a suggestive message while I was sitting at the computer."

"Okay. Look, Gabby, I know it seems bad. But you have to remember something. Justin used to date a lot. You both had no qualms about being involved with many people over the years. Maybe he's changed and the women from his past haven't gotten the hint?"

Gabby's pulse quickened at the possibility. "Do you think?"

"Maybe. I mean, what did Justin say about it when you asked?"

"I didn't."

"You didn't ask him?"

"No. I ran out the door before I could screw up any more than I already had."

"You mean by screwing Justin?"

"Right."

"You need to just talk to him, Gabby. Learn to communicate. He can probably explain. I've never seen you like this over a guy."

"Like what?"

"Twitterpated. Talk to him about this." Delanie sighed. "Seriously,

Gabby, when I went to the door he looked...so incredibly desperate. Anxious. Like a guy looks when he's afraid he's lost the love of his life."

The lump in Gabby's throat grew and she lowered her gaze. God, what she wouldn't give for Delanie's words to have one ounce of truth.

"He doesn't love me, Delanie. We were really good friends. Really good friends who discovered we're also compatible in the sack." She shook her head. "That in no way means we're the stuff they write fairytales about."

"You never know." Delanie steepled her hands on her desk and balanced her chin on them. "What's really going on here, Gabby? You're shooting down every possible solution with an excuse. Why won't you even give you guys a chance?"

Frustrated, Gabby admitted flatly, "Because he's too much like my father."

Delanie's mouth tensed. "You think Justin would hit you?"

"No, of course not," Gabby said softly, her mouth curving downward slightly. "Justin would never hurt me. Not physically anyway."

"Then how's he like your dad?" Delanie asked and then went silent for a moment. "I don't mean to pry, I just don't know a lot about your parents, Gabby, other than that your father was abusive to your mom."

"My father has been unfaithful to my mother for probably their entire marriage. He could never be happy with just one woman."

Her gut twisted, the admission sounding odd on her lips. Had she ever talked about it, really?

"Initially he didn't hit her that much. The first time I remember it happening was when she spoke up about him being with another woman."

Delanie reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "Gabby..."

"She actually learned pretty quickly. Maybe only once or twice did she bring it up to him after that. But it was like, after that first time, the seal was broken." Gabby's jaw clenched. "If dinner was late. If she asked him to turn down the volume on the television. After a while it didn't matter, anything could set him off..."

Delanie's fingers tightened around her. "And it took her this long to leave him?"

"She still loves him. After all he's done to her. I tried for years to make her leave, I really did."

"There's not a lot you can do for someone like that, Gabby. Except be there when they're ready."

"I know." Gabby lifted her gaze and thought of Phoebe. Their friend had gone through it herself, had admitted how hard it could be to leave an abuser.

Delanie cleared her throat. "So, do you think that because Justin dated a lot—and let me remind you that you did too—he's just like your father?"

"God, you and Phoebe are like my therapists," Gabby muttered. "I just know my father left big, negative impressions on me about men who have a hard time committing."

"But Justin hasn't committed to anyone yet. Once he does, it's possible he'll never touch another woman again besides his wife." Delanie gave her a pointed look. Gabby snorted.

"Seriously, Gabby. I mean, if you're going to rule out all the men who've dated lots of women, you've just lost a big chunk of the penile population."

"Jesus." Gabby groaned and started to braid her hair, anything to distract her from the valid points Delanie may or may not have been making.

"Just talk to him, Gabby. Please."

"It's too late. I did talk to him," she admitted. "Outside. I basically handed him a hand basket and told him where to go with it."

"You didn't."

"Oh, I did."

"Gabby." Delanie gave a sigh of exasperation. "Are you sure that was the right move?"

Gabby blinked, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. She never cried. This was freaking ridiculous. "No. But I already said some pretty crappy things to him. And the way he looked at me afterward..."

"Okay, so tell him what you just told me. About your father."

"I can't."

"Then you've lost him." Delanie sighed.

Delanie was right. If she didn't talk to Justin, try to explain things, then she had lost him. And the idea of it made everything inside her swirl with misery. She couldn't paint all men with her dad's brush. Once she really sat down and thought about it, she knew Justin wasn't like that. And she also knew she didn't want to lose him. At all. But—oh God—was it too late?

"Hey, Gabby. I have a confession of my own."

Gabby looked up at Delanie's sudden announcement, pushing aside her own fear of having already lost Justin.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Delanie bit her lip. "I haven't told Phoebe yet, because I feel awful."

Gabby studied her friend closely and saw the guilt on her face. "What's going on?"

"I took a call a couple of hours ago. There's a resort up in the San Juan Islands in Washington State.

Apparently the owner has heard of Second Chances and wants to donate to our organization."

"You're kidding," Gabby cried, eyes widening. "That's great news, why would you feel guilty about it?"

"Because I've been invited up to spend a week touring the resort. To discuss the details, sign some papers, and..." Delanie glanced away, her cheeks turning pink. "Consider a job offer as the resort's marketing director."

Gabby leaned back on her heels and her lips parted. "I didn't know you were considering a new job."

"I'm not. I mean, I wasn't." Delanie hesitated. "But the idea of working in marketing has so much appeal, it's why I majored in it. And, God, I just feel so guilty even considering it."

Gabby shook her head and placed a hand on her arm. "Don't feel guilty."

"I haven't taken the job yet and likely won't. But I want to go up there to see the place. Accept the donation on behalf of Second Chances." She paused. "And consider the possibility of the job. But how do I tell Phoebe?"

Gabby knew Phoebe and Delanie had gone to college together, had been close. And after Phoebe had left her abusive relationship, they'd both come to work at Second Chances together.

"Delanie, I really think she'll understand if you decide to go." Gabby smiled. "And you don't even have to tell her about the job part. If you decide not to take it, no harm done. If you do, deal with that bridge when you come to it."

Relief flickered in Delanie's expression. "Thanks, Gabby. You're right."

The door opened again and Phoebe came inside, carrying their lunch. Gabby gave Delanie a quick wink and hurried back to her desk.

Phoebe crossed the room, unusually quiet as she set the brown paper bag on the desk.

"Thanks for grabbing lunch," Gabby said and grimaced. "Seeing as I couldn't seem to complete the task myself."

"No problem," Phoebe murmured and sat down in her chair, staring at her desk, seeming lost in thought.

Gabby and Delanie exchanged a glance, before Gabby asked, "Everything okay?"

"Sure." Phoebe gave a quick nod and then hesitated. "I just...I'm sure it's nothing, but I could've sworn I just saw Rick outside the sushi restaurant."

"You saw Rick? Did he approach you?"

By Delanie's sharp response, Gabby guessed Rick to be Phoebe's abusive ex.

"No. In fact, I know I'm just being silly." Phoebe gave a laugh that didn't hold much humor. "It was just for a second, and when I looked again he was gone. Besides, he moved to New Jersey a couple of years ago."

"Okay." Delanie drew out the word slowly. "Just promise me you'll be alert, you know, just in case it was."

Gabby nodded, feeling a faint stab of concern. "I agree. Be alert."

"Of course," Phoebe said, but her expression had closed off, a clear indication she was through discussing it. She dug into the paper bag and pulled out two black containers. "California Roll for Gabby and Dragon Roll for Delanie."

Gabby crossed the room and scooped it up. "Thank you, Phoebe."

"You're welcome." She stood back up and muttered, "I'm running to the bathroom. Be back in a few."

Gabby watched her go and frowned. "Think she's okay?"

"I hope so." Delanie shook her head, opening her box of sushi. "Because I will kick that man's ass to China and back if he shows up in her life again."

Gabby laughed softly. "You're a great friend, Delanie. To both of us. Thank you for the talk earlier. I needed it."

Delanie glanced up, her eyes brightening. "Justin?"

"Yeah." Gabby bit her lip, knowing she needed to see him tonight. Try to explain things. He deserved that much. And God, please let him understand and take her back. "I'm going to talk to him tonight."

"Good. I'm glad, Gabby. I think he's the one for you."

"I do too," she admitted softly. "I just hope it's not too late." Her lips twitched. "And he has a damn good explanation for that email and message."

"Trust him, Gabby. Trust him."

Gabby took her food back to her desk, knowing that despite all her fears about the idea of them together, she did trust him. Which made her freaking out this morning even more awful. She'd go to him tonight and explain. Apologize. Help him understand that she'd completely failed that first instance of trust...

But how much did Justin trust her? She glanced at the clock, her stomach rolling. In a few hours she'd have her answer.

Justin took another swig of beer and scanned the email again. Without hesitating, he hit send and then sat back on the couch.

Done and dealt with.

Not much more to do tonight other than get shit-faced in celebration of a broken heart. Not like he'd admit that to anyone—hell, admitting it to himself made him feel like the biggest idiot on the planet. Mainly because he'd brought this on himself.

He'd continued to pursue Gabby when she'd flat out told him she didn't want to get involved.

Standing up from the couch, he scratched his chest and shook his head. He'd just figured that once they finally slept together, she'd change her mind and see things the way he did. That though they rocked on the friends level, they were destined for so much more.

He walked to the fridge to grab another beer, but hesitated when Doug let out a sharp howl from the front room. He barked again, but this time it was more of a happy bark, which was followed by a series of ecstatic yelps.

Was it even possible?

He shut the fridge and walked slowly into the living room. Not even three feet from the door, he froze when someone knocked on it.

Doug jumped off the couch and ran to the door. He sat in front of it and then turned to stare at Justin, his tail slapping the ground in a rhythmic declaration of happiness.

Justin's gaze lifted from his dog to the door. Drawing in a slow breath, he took the last few steps and swung it open.

The fog had rolled in, bringing with it a mist that hinted at rain.

And Gabby stood on the doorstep, her arms wrapped around her middle, almost defensively. Her lower lip trembled and her eyes held a mix of fear and regret.

"Gabby," he breathed her name on a sigh, his gut clenching. "What are you—"

"My father slept around on my mom. One affair after another. If my mom protested, he'd beat her up."

Justin drew in a ragged breath at her broken confession. The sudden glaze of tears in her eyes made them shine greener under the porch light.

"I need to know you're nothing like him, Justin." Her voice cracked. "I mean, I know you wouldn't hit me, but I need to know that I would be enough for you."

His chest tightened and he had to force himself to swallow against the lump in his throat.

"Because I love you," she whispered almost inaudibly. "I didn't want to. But I do."

"Gabby," he said thickly and stepped out onto the porch and slid his arms around her, pulling her against him.

_She loved him._ It was hard to stand upright, his muscles almost went lax with her confession.

"I didn't handle things well today," she went on, dragging in a watery breath. "I was so hung up on my own insecurities."

"Gabby," he pushed her away slightly and lifted her chin with one finger. "It's okay."

"It's not. I just—"

He closed his mouth over hers, sliding his tongue deep to taste her sweetness. To claim her. To reassure her. She tensed in his arms, making a frustrated groan. But after a moment, when he softened the kiss, her body went pliant against him and she made a soft sigh of surrender. Of relief.

He lifted his head, his heart pounding harder.

"Never," he said fiercely, his own voice shaking now. "Ever doubt that you're not enough for me." He pushed a strand of hair off her forehead and kissed a tear off her cheek. "I would never cheat on you, Gabby. And I sure as hell wouldn't hit you."

"I know," she gave a wobbly nod. "I had no right to judge you on your dating habits—you were right. I was just as guilty. We were both just searching for... _the one_."

"Exactly. And even though we didn't know it, we'd already found what we were looking for." He moved his thumb over her swollen bottom lip and gave a crooked smile. "You were living right under my roof. I think I've been in love with you for longer than I realized."

She closed her eyes and buried her head against his chest. The moisture from her wet cheeks dampened his T-shirt.

"Will you answer me something, honey?" he murmured, stroking her back. "Friday night we crossed that bridge from friends to lovers. You left early Saturday morning. Did you just wake up regretting it?"

She stiffened in his arms and he thought he heard her curse under her breath. After a few seconds she pulled away and looked up at him, guilt reflecting on her face.

"I'm not proud of this, but I looked at your email," she confessed. "I only read a bit, but it was enough..."

Justin lifted his head and looked past her, visualizing what she would have seen. The email he'd put off responding to for weeks. The one from a woman he'd dated almost a year ago and who he'd recently run into at a bar. He'd had the email open so he could reply. No wonder she'd freaked out.

"Gabby, about that—"

"No, it's my fault for looking."

"Let me finish. About five minutes before you showed up at my door, I'd just replied to it. I'd been putting it off." Her hand slid up to cup his face, her fingers moving back and forth over the stubble. Her gentle touch combined with her slight body pressed flush against him sent a ripple of desire through him. His body hardened and he drew in an unsteady breath.

"It doesn't matter, Justin," she said softly. Another thought kicked in. "You saw the message too, huh?"

"Yeah, but seriously, I know—"

"I'm sorry you saw that, Gab. Let me explain."

"You don't have to—"

"But I do have to explain. To you and to them. To any woman who contacts me." He drew in a slow breath. "I explained that I've fallen in love with somebody else and am giving up the dating scene."

"You said that?" Her gaze searched his. "I did."

He stepped back from her and took her hand. "Come inside and I'll let you read the email. The message—"

"I don't need to read them," she cut him off, her body relaxing in his hold. "I trust you, Justin. If you say they're nothing, I trust you." She licked her lips and gave a wry smile. "If I follow you inside, the last place I want to go is to your computer."

"Yeah?" He traced a finger down her arm. "Where do you want to go? To your apartment to start moving your things back here?"

"Right now I think I'd like to, hmm, _go to heaven...in your bed_." Her attempt to hold back a giggle failed.

"That's a terrible line." He scowled and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, nuzzling his neck.

"It _is_ a terrible line, and you're _so_ guilty of using it in the past."

"Am not," he lied, grinning as he stepped inside and kicked the door shut behind them.

"Dude, you told me _every_ thing," she reminded him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "But, Justin?"

"Yes, honey?"

"I think for the first time in your life," she pressed a kiss to his lips and then sighed, "that line might actually work tonight."

"You think so?"

"I do." She gave a husky laugh. "But I'm game if you want to prove it."

"With pleasure, Gabby." He tightened his grip on her and headed to the bedroom. "With pleasure."

~ The End ~

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Discover more in the Chances Are series, releasing early in 2017

• Luck be Delanie

• Protecting Phoebe

Shelli is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author who read her first romance novel when she snatched it off her mother's bookshelf at the age of eleven. One taste and she was forever hooked. It wasn't until many years later that she decided to pursue writing stories of her own. By then she acknowledged the voices in her head didn't make her crazy, they made her a writer.

Shelli is a true pluviophile (lover of rain) and currently lives in the Pacific Northwest where she writes various genres of romance. She's a compulsive volunteer, and has been known to spontaneously burst into song. www.shellistevens.com
