P L A Y L I S T

Love Drunk - Boys Like Girls

It didn't take Gabriel long to decide on a sofa. Brown. Leather. Straight arms. Square legs. Zari had not been excited about the choice, but he figured he couldn't go wrong with something basic. And the chance at getting a dog probably kept her from voicing too much opposition.

After arranging for the furniture delivery, he'd taken her to Marco's for pizza, and later let her choose the movie. A chick flick. No surprise there. Growing up, anytime he took part in movie night, Mom and Silbie always out voted him when Elena wasn't present. Some of those sappy romances he'd seen so many times, he had dialogue memorized.

Like every other female in his life, Zari had cried, sighed, and swooned at all the cheesy parts. Couldn't fault her for that. He liked a happy ending as much as she did, but couldn't help but wonder if the cards held an HEA for her—and him.

Shaking the thought from his brain, he turned his attention to the shelter worker giving Zari his best sales pitch.

"You can tell by the floppy ears, he's part hound. Maybe coon or basset. No way to know for sure."

While she stroked the mutt's head, he'd buried his nose against her chest like he belonged there. Gabriel knew the feeling. That particular spot felt like—heaven.

She blinked her big eyes at him and tried not to look like she had her heart set on the animal, but Gabriel knew better. "What do you think?"

Probably shouldn't let her know what a pushover he was. "You've only been down half the rows. Maybe you ought to see all they have to offer before you decide."

Still trying to close the deal, the worker chimed in, "I don't want to pressure you, but if this dog isn't adopted by the end of the week—well, a decision will have to be made."

Zari gasped and clutched the floppy-eared baby tighter. "Oh, no. You don't mean..."

Gabriel almost laughed. Well known among locals, Grapevine Shelter had a no-kill policy. If a dog couldn't be placed in a certain amount of time, they were shipped out to New York. For some crazy reason, the Big Apple suffered a pet shortage.

The guy must have seen Gabriel's bullshit radar because he moved to the next point.

"Did I mention he's already house broken?"

Zari faced Gabriel again. "Did you hear that? We won't even have to train him?"

The amazement in her eyes took him right back to the night he'd rescued her, and how she'd been more concerned about an animal than her own welfare. He'd never met a girl more kind-hearted. Gabriel reached out to scratch the puppy's ears, and the mongrel growled. Damn. The thing had already bonded with her.

"No, no, Rebel. Gabriel is your daddy, you can't growl at him."

Well, that did it. Within the span of a few minutes, Gabriel became a father, and the baby was already giving him attitude.

Rebel lifted his head and planted a long lick to her chin as if to make sure she still liked him. Gabriel knew first hand she did, and damn if he didn't want to lick a few of her parts himself. Start with her lips and work his way down.

Maybe having a dog that wouldn't let Gabriel touch her was just what he needed to keep his distance.

She shoved the pup toward Gabriel. "Take him. If he doesn't warm up to you, then I'll keep looking. He'll be your dog, too, so he needs to be compatible with both of us."

Even though Gabriel knew she wanted the pet, her offer reinforced his belief. Sweetest girl on the planet.

The puppy whined at the separation. Gabriel cradled him and rubbed his head. "Hey, boy. You want to come live in Parkers Prairie?"

*

The next morning, after Gabriel dressed for work, he released the new pet from his crate, let him out into the backyard to do his business, then led him down the hallway, and put him in bed with Zari. The mutt snuggled against her and sighed as if that's what he'd been waiting for. Zari barely stirred.

After the outing to Grapevine, and playing with her furry sidekick, she'd been fighting off yawns. Gabriel had to remind himself a few weeks ago, she'd been in a coma, and wasn't fully healed. Lying in bed for so long took a toll, and getting her strength back would take a while.

Because he didn't have a set lunch hour, he'd promised to text once he got his work orders and let her know when he'd be able to get to this mothers for the big meal. Mom had arranged holiday gatherings around his schedule and hers, so it was nothing new for her. The invited white collar group might see it as an inconvenience, but Gabriel didn't care about that. His goal was to make it through the event without tempers flaring, and that might not be easy, but he'd promised Zari.

One subject sure to come up was the two-week deadline on Monday. For the last two days, he'd thought about returning to life without her, and as much as he wanted to end the deception, he didn't want her to leave for several reasons.

First, he hated the thought of sending her back to Dallas while she still had no recollection of her life there—or her family.

Second, he didn't want the so-called boyfriend anywhere near her. That jerk, whoever he was, apparently didn't give a shit about her, and she deserved better.

Lastly, and this was the big one, Gabriel had feelings for her. She lit up his world. Closed wounds he'd let fester. Released emotions guarded for so long he'd forgotten how good it felt to have a woman he could trust.

He'd not had to take antacids in days, but the thought of coming home to an empty house, made his stomach burn.

By the time he got to the gym, Cole had already worked up a sweat, jumping rope. He stopped and glanced at the wall clock. "Hey man, running a little late, aren't you? Your roommate didn't have you tied up, did she?"

"Very funny. Actually, she was still sound asleep. We got a dog, and she played with him until midnight."

Cole ran a towel over his face, then his lips curled. "That's not good."

"What? Getting a puppy?"

"Nah. The we in that sentence. Sounds like you may extend the contract."

Gabriel stretched while he talked. "I won't lie. I've already gotten used to her. I've gone home to an empty house for so long, I thought having someone there would drive me nuts, but it hasn't. Well—most of the time."

Cole stepped on the nearest treadmill, turned it on, and ran a steady pace. "I gotta hand to you, man. You've slept with her and keep your hands to yourself. Especially after what you told me about her coming on to you."

Gabriel climbed onto the machine next to Cole's and matched his stride. No need to confess he hadn't exactly resisted, but he'd not gone past second base—by much. Had it not been for the call, hell, he would have hit a homerun. "That's why I can't let her stay. I've resisted for about as long as I can, and she's a constant temptation."

Gabriel and Cole's phones sounded at the same time. Gabriel glanced at the text and looked over at his friend. "Well, looks like we're getting part of Thanksgiving off."

Cole dropped his cell back into the cup holder and shot Gabriel a look. "I've never been to New Jersey. You?"

"Nope, but looks like the storm they had is going to furnish us a reason to go."

*

At just past noon, having finished the job, Gabriel clocked out right behind his work partner and headed toward his mom's house.

In his text to her, he'd not mentioned having the afternoon off or leaving town the next morning. No need for that. He'd have lunch, leave as if going back to work, but instead, he'd use the time to pack and get ready for his early departure. It'd be easier without Zari there.

The Jersey assignment solved one problem. No need for Zari to leave town. According to his boss, it looked like the storm cleanup would last at least a week, and that would give her more time to get her brain in order. Not to mention postponing his confession.

A stay of execution of sorts—because once she found out, she'd want to kill him. It didn't matter that his feelings for her were quickly becoming real. She had a boyfriend, who, despite being an obvious asshole, she chose him.

Scrubbing a hand over his face, he parked on the street, then strode to the front porch. From the backyard, Lina giggled and a dog barked. Rebel. He didn't know why Zari chose the name. The mutt looked about as far from maverick as you could get. If it fit or not, didn't matter, he was just thankful she'd not wanted a silly name.

He recalled being vaguely humiliated whenever he had to search the neighborhood for Silbie's cat as a kid, calling out Kitty Kitty Coochie. No doubt the neighbors had a laugh at his expense, thanks to Sil's unfortunate ideas of acceptable names for felines at age five.

He opened the gate and stepped inside the fence. Lina and a little boy about her age, Gabriel didn't recognize played chase with the pup. "Hey, Lina! How do you like Zari's dog?"

She ran full speed toward Gabriel. He lifted her in the air and spun around. She held out her arms as if flying. "I love him! Daddy said I might get a puppy. I asked Zari to go with me to pick it out because she did a good job with Rebel." She squirmed in his arms. "Put me down and watch what he'll do."

Gabriel set her feet back on the ground." Who's your friend?"

"Oh." She motioned for the kid to come closer. "This is Kai. He's Meekuh and Leelee's son," she lisped. "He's only four." She held up the corresponding fingers for emphasis.

Gabriel held out his palm. "Nice to meet you, Kai."

The kid slapped a high five, then ran back to the dog.

Lina yelled to Zari. "Throw it again!"

She tossed a yellow tennis ball in the air and Rebel ran to retrieve it, scooped it into his mouth, then returned to her.

"See, Uncle Gabe! He already knows how to fetch. We just taught him that. I'm going to teach him to roll over!"

Her excitement cracked him up. He walked to join Zari on the porch. She had another scarf around her neck, which meant she probably didn't have on a bra. He sucked in a deep breath. Damn, he'd like to warm his hands under her sweater. Feel the soft skin waiting there.

She slid her arm around his waist and leaned into him. "Thank you again for Rebel. He's a good watchdog. When we got here today, he growled at everyone until I scolded him. I think he might have bitten Owen and Dante, but once I called him down, he behaved."

The thought of the canine's teeth clamped around Owen's leg made Gabriel smile. Man's best friend was a good judge of character.

The back door opened and Silbie stuck out her head. "Lunch is ready. Y'all come on."

Mom had the food spread out on the bar buffet style, and once everyone served themselves and got seated, Lina said grace. Gabriel considered how happy Mom looked. Maybe he'd been wrong about her dating Matthew. Hell, maybe he'd been wrong about Silbie, too. About himself. He'd sure thought Zari living with him would be torture, and it was in a way, but now leaving her for a week made him more miserable.

She lay her head on his shoulder and without thinking, he picked up her hand and kissed it, then realized what he'd done when every eye at the table zeroed in on him.

Holy shit. Their expressions said it all. Mom and Matthew, amusement. Confusion from Micah and Lily. Reid and Silbie, surprise. Elena just rolled her eyes like she was So Done with the two of them. But the worst of the bunch, Owen, and Dante—anger. Those two looked as if they were ready to take him apart. He took a gulp of tea.

Mom's voice broke the tension. "Zari has been helping me with my pie recipes. She's come up with ideas I've never considered."

Evidently fearing a brawl, all the women spoke at once.

"Like what?"

"Tell us more."

"I tried one and loved it."

"Well." Mom cupped her mouth and softened her tone. "Zari incorporated a new ingredient into the crust, and not only does it add color, but it's also delicious! We can't reveal the details just yet, but I'm so excited, I can hardly wait for the competition! She's a genius!"

Zari ducked her head, and Gabriel slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a half-hug. "Thank you for helping Mom."

Zari beamed up at him, and everyone went silent.

After the moment had passed, conversation picked up again, and the meal ended without incident. Quite an achievement for this group of conspirators. Regardless of what Owen and Gabriel thought of each other, they were bonded by the scheme, and for some crazy reason, that comforted Gabriel.

Kind of like when he was a kid and claimed immunity from punishment because all of his friends had committed the same crime. Safety in numbers... or was it misery loves company?

*

By the time Zari got home, Gabriel had packed and loaded his luggage in his truck. He planned to wait until later to break the news because he didn't want to spend the whole evening with her sad.

He'd taken the time to make some notes of what needed to be done while he was gone. Feed Alpheus. Remember trash pick-up on Thursday. Names and numbers of a plumber, electrician, exterminator, and the cable company.

He tried to cover all the bases in case something went wrong. He'd also brought in wood and posted a note about remembering to the open the damper if she decided to use the fireplace. He'd made sure the outside faucets were secure for the hard freeze predicted in the ten-day forecast. If he had forgotten something, she could always call Elena or Dawn.

Matthew planned to go home on Sunday, so Zari would basically be on her own, and that made Gabriel nervous. Not that she wasn't capable of handling things, he just liked the idea of having her god-dad nearby in case she needed him.

Gabriel's primary concern was she'd regain her memory while he was gone, leave town, and never speak to him again. He prayed that didn't happen. When he got back, he'd come clean about everything. She was already comfortable around Matthew, so returning home to Dallas, even though she didn't remember him, wouldn't be so bad.

Sticking to his regular routine, Gabriel went to bed at nine but didn't go to sleep. He still had to tell Zari about his plans, so he lay awake until she crawled in next to him an hour later. As soon as she got settled, he flopped to his back and stared into the dim light.

"Can we talk a minute?" He'd already told his Mom and Elena earlier he was leaving, and asked the latter to check up on Zari if she had the time.

Now that her cast was getting taken off in a couple days, she'd be fully functional, but he still worried about her. She could take care of herself, but he felt better knowing someone would look after her while he was gone.

She shifted to face him and laid her palm on his chest. "Sure."

The tone of her voice told him she expected the worst, particularly at this hour, when he'd usually already be asleep. "I got a call out to another state. I'm leaving in the morning for New Jersey."

She said nothing for a few seconds, then said, "For how long?"

"At least a week. Maybe longer. We never know. Depends on how many other companies respond."

"Is that why you agreed to Rebel? You knew you were leaving?"

"No. Didn't find out until this morning. I waited to tell you because I didn't want to ruin Thanksgiving."

She lifted her head and pressed her lips to his. And he kissed her back. A simple, sweet kiss, and then it was over. Zari pulled back and searched his eyes. "I'll miss you. I worry about you when you're gone."

His brows furrowed and he shook his head. "I'll miss you, too. Cole will be with me. Nothing to worry about." He smoothed worry lines from her forehead and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

How it seemed only days ago he was trying to get rid of her, now he never wanted her to leave. If he could keep her there, in this moment and in his bed forever, he would. He tugged her closer, trailing his fingers up and down her spine.

[Mature Themes Ahead]

She bit meanly at his lip as her her hand trailed south. When she reached the waistband of his boxers, she slipped her fingers inside and circled his cock.

He groaned against her mouth. The little minx. "Zari, you shouldn't..."

Her lips swallowed his protest, then she broke the kiss and whispered against his mouth. "Shh. While you're gone, I want to make sure you remember what you have waiting at home."

She retook his mouth and damn her hand felt so good, he couldn't make himself stop her. It had been a while since he'd had a woman's hand in his pants, and the way she was working his balls and cock at the same time, she wouldn't be there long because he was already on the brink.

She hooked her leg over his thigh, pressed her body in close and thrust against him with the same rhythm as she stroked him. He flexed his fingers and gripped her thighs, softly sliding his hands up to her hips, before edging down to cup her ass, shifting her leg higher until it rested over his own hip. His fingers brushed ever so slightly against the seam of her panties and he grunted against her mouth.

Zari's mouth crushed his as she panted, "Gabriel."

Calculating his movements, his fingers made contact again, exerting more pressure. She exhaled harshly and bit down on his bottom lip, shaking with need. He grinned against her mouth as his thumb stuttered over the hard nub through her panties. Her pelvis shifted down against his hand and whimpered against his ear, enough to send him nearly over the edge.

He wanted to hold back longer, keep her soft fingers wrapped around him forever, but that wasn't happening. Not in this lifetime.

He moaned. Grunted. Stiffened. Exploded.

_____________________

22 chapters in and neither of them have even gotten naked yet. This is probably the slowest burn I've ever slow burned.

Uh oh. What's going on here?