P L A Y L I S T

By the Sounding Sea - Alesana

A strong gust blew the door closed on Gabriel's truck. What started out as a mild autumn day had turned into blustering winds with a twenty-degree drop in temperature. Thank God it held off until after work, but only in the south would you need your air conditioning and heater in the same day.

Gabriel kept a firm grip on the pizza box as he headed inside with three things on his mind. Eat. Hot shower. Early bedtime. But when he opened the door, his mind detoured down a different road. Soft music played. Candles flickered in the dim light. And temptation stood before him dressed in ragged jeans and an off-the-shoulder pale pink sweater trimmed with fringe. Holy fuck.

He barely had time to set the box on the counter before she rushed forward, pulled him into a hug, and rested her head against his chest. "I'm glad you're home." Mechanically, his arms wound around her, feeling her softness aligned with him, her hair tickling his nose. She smelled like his shampoo, but it suited her. He preferred it on her.

She backed away and gazed up at him, then ran her palm down his cheek. "You look exhausted. Why don't you sit down and I'll bring you a beer."

He didn't argue the surrealistic feeling of feeling like he'd just stepped in a 1950s comedy where he was The Man and she was the pinup housewife slash Genie. Instead, he wordlessly headed that direction and collapsed onto a chair. Within a minute, she was back with a drink in hand and a plate of pizza balanced on her forearm. She set both on the floor, then knelt to one side and placed her fingers on his boot laces.

"Hey, I can do that," he scowled. She was the one who'd just got home from the hospital, he should be waiting on her, not the other way around. "Get some pizza and join me."

She ignored him. "Elena and I had a big lunch, so I'm not really hungry. Let me take your boots off first. It'll make you feel better."

He tried to remove his foot from her grasp, to little avail. Even with one hand, she was strong. He had a feeling even before the accident, no one would sway Zari Davis from anything she set her mind to. "No doubt, but I better warn you, my feet aren't going to smell like roses."

She giggled and damn how he loved the sound. Crazy how something so simple could lift his spirits, but it did—every time.

"That's okay."

He cleared his throat. "I think your entire family will be here this weekend, so you should plan to spend time with them. Maybe that will be the catalyst to recover your memories."

She slipped the first boot from his foot and started on the other. "A few hours ago, Matthew basically said the same thing. You two aren't ganging up on me, are you?"

"You talked to him? How?" Gabriel shook his head. "Oh, you used Elena's phone."

"Nope. He's in town. Plans to stay the rest of the week." She sighed, "And I know you don't want to hear this, but it's probably as much about seeing your mom as it is me."

Gabriel frowned. Dammit. He didn't want his mother getting involved with Matthew Kline for a lot of reasons. Chance of getting hurt. Long distant relationship. Falling in love and moving away. He shuddered at the last thought. "I don't get it. He's a nice looking guy. A lawyer. Just the kind of combination women want. Why doesn't he already have a girlfriend?"

Zari snorted and wiggled the boot back and forth, then set it next to the other one, and peeled off both of his socks. "You ask as if I know. I don't even have a clue as to why I'm dating you, much less anything about his love life, or anyone else's."

Washing down another bite, and treading on dangerous ground, Gabriel dropped the subject before she bombarded him with questions he might not be able to truthfully answer. "How was your visit with Elena?"

Zari stood and twirled. "We went shopping. I bought a lot of stuff." She straightened the sweater. "Do you like this?"

"You look beautiful." He didn't mean to say it aloud, but the words spilled from his mouth before he could stop them.

She widened her eyes. "Do you really think I'm beautiful?"

He swallowed and smiled shyly. This was dangerous territory. "From the first moment I saw you."

Tears flooded down her cheeks, and she wiped at them with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry. Since I can't remember anything, that's the first time anyone has said that to me. I don't consider myself beautiful. Cute maybe and most of the time that's pushing it."

Now he snorted, shaking off the alarm of her sudden tears - glad she wasn't having an existential crisis. That, she was owed. It was a preposterous thought, that anyone, herself included, would not find Zari the most beautiful thing they'd ever seen. "Well, you're cute, too," he grumbled.

She scooted a chair next to his, sat, leaned in, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "When is your next day off?"

"Day after tomorrow. Why?"

"I need to buy a car. Matthew arranged for me to get one. So, I thought you and I could go car shopping. I also need a laptop."

"Any idea what model you want to buy?"

"No. Nothing fancy. It can even be used."

"We'll talk about it later. Right now, I'm going to take a quick shower and go to bed."

*

Gabriel placed his hands flat against the tile, hung his head and let hot spray rinse the lather away. He didn't want to think anymore. Not about cars, or his mother and Matthew, or work tomorrow, or especially how gorgeous Zari looked kneeling in front of him.

She belonged to another man. Granted, one Gabriel didn't approve of, and who didn't deserve her, but still, her choice. And he had no right to question that. Needed to keep pounding that fact into his brain. Just as he'd never cheat on a woman, he'd never move in on another person's territory.

Turning off the water, he slid the shower curtain to one side and flinched when he found Zari waiting. Waiting there. Silently. In the bathroom. With him. Like a serial killer.

Her eyes roamed over him from top to bottom, then she grinned wolfishly and offered a towel. "Want me to dry your back?"

He shook his head, took the towel, and wrapped it around his waist, trying to stave off the alarmed pounding of his heart - at Zari finding him naked, or being surprised in a slippery tub, he didn't know. "Didn't expect an audience."

She stepped closer, leaned in, and licked a drop of water from his nipple.

Sweet Jesus. Apparently, his cock wasn't as tired at the rest of him, because it jumped to attention. "What are you doing?"

One look into her eyes and he saw the wildness, the lust, the hunger that lurked brazenly above the surface. "I've wanted to see you naked for days. I figured this was my best chance."

Hell, he didn't know what to say to that—thank you? He wasn't sure about the rules of etiquette concerning seduction. She raked her hand down his chest, skimming the surface of his skin with her fingertips, nails brushing nipples, then lower. He caught it before she made it all the way to Captain Happy. "You can't do that."

Those damn eyes of hers—full of promise, turned him inside out. She backed away and smirked, her eyes flashing quicksilver. "I really didn't plan to do it alone. I was kind of hoping you'd want to join in."

Stepping out of the tub, he angled around her. If she touched him, that'd be the end of it. "Doctor's orders. Remember?" His voice sounded husky even to his own ears. "No messing around for two weeks."

She sat on the edge of the tub with a thud. "Oh, come on. I promise I'll let you do all the work, so I don't raise my blood pressure." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

He dipped his head and pinned her with his gaze. "Now that wouldn't be much fun, would it? I like a team effort in that particular sport. Besides, I'm too tired to give my best performance." Jesus. Zari was going to be the end of him. He'd happily do all the work, worship at the shrine of Zari Davis, but... she was entirely off limits to him.

Crossing her arms, she huffed out a breath. "Fine. You win." Then she leaned over the tub and turned the spigot. "I need to take a bath, and you'll have to help me get out of these clothes."

Fuck. Just when he thought he'd won the round, she came back with a new play. "Oh, okay." He faced her, and she lifted her cast as best she could for him to strip the sweater over her head. She undid the button on her pants and slid down the zipper. Hooking a finger in the waistband of her panties, she wiggled one way and then the other to glide them and her jeans over her hips.

Gabriel joined in and got them to her ankles, kneeling in the process. He closed his eyes to keep from looking at her. Talk about a case of blue balls, if this kept up, he'd have a permanent condition.

She spun around, putting her back to him. "Unhook my bra, please."

His mouth went dry. He rubbed his palm over his face and prayed for strength. As soon as the bra was free, she twirled to face him, putting his eyes level with her breasts.

His gasp didn't go unnoticed, because she ran her fingers through his hair, and brought his face to rest against her creamy cleavage. God help him. She was killing him, and if he should die right now, he'd go straight to hell for what he was thinking of doing to her.

There was only so much torture he could take. He pressed his lips to her soft skin and breathed her in. God, she smelled good. Like sin waiting to happen. Devil's candy. And Gabriel craved it.

He ran his hands up her spine, then down to her ass, cupped both cheeks and squeezed. He could have her. Right here. Right now. Against the wall. On the floor. All he had to do was surrender to the lust boiling his blood. Give her what she wanted. Bury deep inside her, and make her scream his name.

The thought brought him to his senses. Even if it was his name she shouted, it wasn't him she wanted. His head spun as he jerked away and stood.

She moaned at the separation. "Why did you stop? I didn't want you to."

Bleary eyed, he blinked to gain focus. "We can't do this. I can't. Turn your water off before the tub overflows." He reached for the door and left before she could manage a response.

*

Zari sank low in the tub, hanging her casted arm over the side. She'd really needed Gabriel to help put a plastic bag on it, but his hasty retreat left her confused and naked. Literally. She smiled. That sounded like a reality show. In her current state, she could star in that one for sure. Or an alternate title. Aroused and Alone. Lost and Lustful. Horny and Homeless.

She couldn't help but laugh, and Lord knew she needed to because right now, there wasn't anything funny about her life. Wounds to heal. Strangers for family. A brain that wouldn't work, and a man she loved who kept pushing her away.

Squeezing the water from her washcloth, she bathed her face, then set to work with the rest of her body. Doing everything one-handed proved challenging, but she needed to do as much for herself as possible and not depend on Gabriel.

Elena had made clear his moral compass. Zari liked that—to a degree. Probably one of the reasons she'd fallen in love him because even if she didn't remember her past, strong principles were important. He'd proved that by not giving in to her advances. Clearly, he had her best interests at heart and didn't want to do anything to delay her recovery. She needed to remind herself of that and not take his behavior as rejection.

When she'd seen him naked, the strangest feeling had swept over her. His defined abs, roped veins, and hard muscles should have sparked something. Yet, it was like seeing him for the first time. Man, if she could erase such a fine specimen of manhood, especially one she'd been intimate with, then her brain really was in trouble.

She climbed out of the water, dried off, and then spent the next ten minutes struggling to get into her pajamas. By leaning against the wall and balancing on her left foot, she threaded one leg at a time through her pants. After that, she made several attempts with the top, finding the best method was to put her injured arm through first, followed by her head, then contort her body into a crazy position to get the other arm through the remaining sleeve.

By the time she finished, her heart pounded, sweat glistened above her lip, and she shook all over. Talk about elevated blood pressure, hers had probably skyrocketed from the effort. She rested her arms on her thighs and leaned forward, taking several deep breaths. Tears waited, but she willed them away. Shame washed over her. She had no reason for a pity party. So many people had permanent injuries. Hers was only temporary. So what if it took longer to get dressed? A small price to pay for her good fortune. She sniffed, dabbed at her watery eyes, and headed to bed.

She'd apologize to Gabriel for trying to seduce him and promise not to repeat it. He was right. In two weeks, she'd be back to normal, physically, so no need to rush things.

She slipped in next to him, rested her head on his shoulder and laid her arm across his chest.

He stirred but said nothing.

She traced circles with her pointer finger across his chest. "I'm sorry about before. I won't pressure you to have sex anymore. I'll still need help dressing, but I'll behave. It's unfair to tempt you knowing we have doctor's rules to follow. Okay?"

Again, no response.

She pushed up on her elbow and gazed down at him. Even in the dark, she could tell how soundly he slept. So much for her apology. It would have to wait until morning. She flopped onto her back and let the rhythm of his breathing lull her to sleep.

Crazy dreams had Zari thrashing in bed. A cowboy spitting tobacco. Papers flying from a briefcase. A couple having sex in a closet. All the while, she hovered above each scene, eating a candy bar. Nothing made sense. Split-second images and faceless characters.

If she concentrated, maybe she could slow the motion and bring things into focus. She swallowed the last bite of chocolate, then floated—to a church. Stars were out, so it must be evening. Inside, candelabras were in place, but not lit. A wedding. Ah, the closet couple. Zari giggled. The betrothed were rehearsing the honeymoon! Her head pounded. No. That didn't seem right. She drifted closer and directed her attention to a woman, but couldn't make out anything but curly brown hair adorned with braids.

Next, she moved to the cowboy. He tipped his hat. Was she at a rodeo? She pulled a long breath in through her nose. Nope. Not a single whiff of manure. Neon reflected off plate glass windows in every direction. A bar? No. A convenience store parking lot. Probably where she got the candy.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Zari reached for an umbrella, and one magically appeared. But when she opened it, the papers from the briefcase hung from the spokes. Wind whipped them loose, but as quickly as one flew away, another replaced it. She tried to catch a piece and got a papercut for her effort. Pain seared up her arm and she startled awake, jerking upright as the faces of the closet couple came in vivid color.

A gasp caught in her throat. Zari's fiancé and maid of honor! She buried her head in her pillow and sobbed.

Gabriel came to life, hastily groping the nightstand for glasses. "What's wrong?"

Great. When she had wanted to talk, he'd slept through it, but her quiet sobs were enough to wake him? With all the women in his family, maybe he was more in tune with female emotions. If so, this was all he needed. One more weepy woman to deal with.

"Nothing. I had a dream." She sniffed and wiped at her cheeks. "About my past. I remember something."

He rubbed her back soothingly, pressed his lips to her hair. "Something bad?"

His expression and the concern in his voice made her want to snuggle close and let him wrap his arms around her because ever since she regained consciousness, his embrace had been her safe haven. The one place she didn't have to worry about what she could and couldn't recall. She marveled at his patience. In a man his age, it was unnatural, but he didn't push. Didn't try to get her to remember.

"I was engaged. She cheated. With a mutual friend of ours. The night before our wedding." Zari worked hard to keep the quiver from her voice but didn't succeed.

Gabriel pulled her against his chest. "She didn't deserve you."

She leaned away and gazed up at him. "You know her?"

"Don't have to. Anyone who'll do what she did isn't worth your tears."

Zari wiped at her cheeks with her sleeve to the best of her ability. "You're right. I'm not even crying over her. I mean, where Raquel's concerned, I feel nothing. But the heartbreak feels—like it just happened. Is that crazy?"

She could feel his eyes on her.

"Since the memory is new, makes sense disappointment is too."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I couldn't see it at the time, but she did me a favor. It led me to you."

He swallowed, and his voice cracked, just barely. "Is that how you see me?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm not perfect. Far from it, and it's a mistake for you to think that."

"Why? Do you have some dark secret I don't remember yet?"

"No, but I'm just a regular guy with plenty of flaws. Just ask my sister."

Zari pressed her lips to his neck and inhaled. He even smelled perfect. She licked the spot, and he flinched. God, he tasted perfect, too. "I don't care about your faults. Leave the toilet seat up? Fine. Pile your dirty clothes on the floor? No problem. Dirty dishes in the sink?"

He pressed the pad of his thumb against her lips. "I'm not talking about those things. More about my personality. Just about everyone I know tells me I feel too much. Think too much. Even care too much. I try to fix everything for everybody, and when I can't, it bothers me."

She knew he was a people pleaser, and always tried to take care of everyone from her experience and how others described him. She pursed her lips, kissing the top of his finger against her mouth. "So, you're saying you're moody?" She raised her eyebrows playfully.

He chuckled. "Among other things."

She nestled into his warmth. "Well, apparently nothing you do is enough to drive me crazy, because with all the chaos inside my head, there's only one thing I've been sure of from the beginning, and that's how much I love you."

Silence reigned supreme. When he finally spoke up, his voice was soft, unsure. "Yeah, but you can't remember the past, so how can you be so sure about that?"

She scooted away, sat crossed legged, and looked down at him. Elena had already answered Zari's next question, but no harm in getting confirmation. Besides, his sister probably didn't know everything about him. "So, what if you're moody, so am I. There's only one thing I can't forgive or get past, and that's cheating. And you haven't done that, have you?"

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dundundunnnnn.

Do ya'll think Zari is starting to confuse the Perry cheating bit with Gabe?