Dare to Surrender (15 page)

So did he love her?

Hell yes, he did.

“God, I have to tell her the truth, don’t I?” he asked his unusually quiet sister.

She shrugged and snagged another piece of fruit. “Just don’t screw it up. I like her. And given the women you normally hang out with? I don’t want you to lose this one. She’s special.”

He blew out a long breath. “I agree.”

“And she likes you for you. Not your money or power.”

He grinned. “She does, doesn’t she?” He rose to his feet.

“Where are you going?” Lucy asked.

“To shower, change, and find my girl.”

Chapter Fifteen

Isabelle: A Day of Revelations

A
lthough I intended to find the beach or the pool, a private place to unwind and think, I hit the wrong floor on the elevator and ended up on the bottom level beneath the main lobby area. The sign across from the open doors said CLUB, so I decided to look around and came upon the original club that had been shut down. Obviously Elite would open here, and I decided to look around.

I pushed open the doors. The place was dark, just a few lights marking my way. The tables, chairs, and even the countertop were visibly old and scarred, the floors dingy. The place needed a complete overhaul, and my creative juices were already flowing. I couldn’t wait to hear what Lucy had in mind. No matter that I’d initially been upset, I wasn’t stupid.

I understood how the world worked. Connections and money ruled. They opened doors. So Gabe had introduced me to Lucy, who probably didn’t need my advice, but she was willing to accept my input anyway. That would give me the opportunity to prove my ability, and from there, it was up to me to make the most of it. No matter what happened between myself and Gabe.

With the return of that unpleasant thought, I decided to really head to the beach. Maybe I could find a place to get a fruity drink and fall asleep—and not think. Thinking only hurt. Gabe wanted me, of that I was certain. But if he didn’t care to let me in, to share his past, mere wanting wasn’t enough.

Luckily, I found the beach easily. To my surprise, the long stretch was empty, nobody around but me and the guy who brought me towels for my chair and the occasional waitress who came by serving drinks. Soon I had my cover-up off, the sun baking my skin, and a piña colada in my hand.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, enjoying the utter peace of the moment, not allowing any thoughts to intrude. How often did I have the chance to do absolutely nothing and enjoy it? I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a shadow suddenly covered my sun.

I blinked up to find Lucy standing over me.

“I want to talk, and we don’t have much time,” she said before I could utter a word. “Gabe’s showering and then coming to look for you.”

“What can I do for you, Lucy?”

“Glad you asked.” She settled herself on the side of my chair, pushing my legs over to make room. “You know our parents died when I was sixteen, right? Gabe was twenty-one, and he singlehandedly took over. He handled the hotels, expanded, and branched into nightclubs. He made sure Decklan didn’t have to do anything except finish college and become a cop, and he raised me, and I wasn’t easy.” She grinned, but the seriousness of the conversation wasn’t lost on me.

“I know he’s a good man.”

“Well, he’s also a tortured one. Once he got me off to school, Gabe got married.”

I sat up in my seat. “What? Gabe was married?”

“Lucy!” Her brother barked out her name like a command.

Lucy rose to her feet, going toe-to-toe with Gabe, although she only came up to the middle of his chest. “At least something’s out in the open now. You have no choice but to explain everything.”

“And you didn’t think I was coming down here to handle things myself?”

“I just didn’t want you to be able to chicken out.”

Gabe gritted his teeth and shook his head, but I couldn’t help but laugh. “I knew I was missing something by not having siblings.”

Lucy glanced at me and winked. “We can meet later and talk about what I have in mind for the club. Something tells me my brother is going to keep you occupied for a while.” With a grin, she strode off, her long hair swinging behind her.

“I’m going to throttle her,” Gabe muttered.

I lay back down, ignoring him. I hadn’t for one second forgotten I was angry with him. If he was going to talk, he was going to do it because he wanted to, not because I begged him to or his sister pushed him into it.

“Iz.” He sat down where Lucy had been, his muscular leg warm and hard against mine.

I raised a hand over my eyes like a visor to block out the harsh rays, met his gaze, and waited for him to speak.

“You’re burning. Do you have sunscreen on?” he asked in that protective voice that softened my insides.

“Yes.” I snapped my eyes closed once more.

He groaned. “We lost our parents in a car accident on the way home from my college graduation.”

I sucked in a shallow breath. He was talking, and I hadn’t expected him to dive right in. Nor did I have to imagine the guilt he must have felt. I only had to look into his tortured expression to know. I placed my hand over his, understanding he wouldn’t want pity or sympathy but determined to provide it anyway.

“I immediately stepped up to be there for Lucy. She was sixteen and needed a firm hand. Deck was nineteen, and he helped, but he was in school. He never wanted anything to do with hotels or business. Law enforcement was all he ever desired, and I didn’t want him to lose that. So I became the head of the family and made sure everyone got what they needed.”

I watched him as he spoke, so self-contained and sure of what he’d had to do. But he’d been so young, I thought. Like I’d been when I left home, but I’d had to take care of just myself. He’d held a world of responsibility on his shoulders.

“Who gave you what you needed?” I asked.

He blinked at that. And shrugged. “At first, I didn’t think about it, and then I met Krissie. I was working ungodly hours, and all I saw was someone to share my life with. I thought it would help ease the pain and loneliness.”

“What happened?” I asked into the yawning silence. I could tell this was where he didn’t want to continue.

“I should have looked more closely because she needed … so much. More time, more affection, more of everything than I had to give. Especially back then.”

I expelled a long breath. “That’s why Decklan called me another stray.”

Gabe inclined his head. “Deck only saw it from the outside. He didn’t see my faults.”

I narrowed my gaze. “What faults? You were keeping an eye on your college-age sister, sustaining your father’s business while learning it at the same time, and taking over nightclubs. I’m assuming she had a wonderful life? A roof over her head? You loved her?”

“I thought I did.”

I let that go. “So what was she missing?”

“Everything? Nothing was enough. No time I managed to get home for dinner, no short vacation… She eventually turned to another man.” He shook his head. “By the time I found out, we’d grown so far apart I couldn’t even blame her. I filed for divorce, but it turned out her knight in shining armor only wanted her as long as she was someone else’s responsibility, and he dumped her soon after.”

I winced, although I wasn’t sure I had much sympathy for a woman who’d put that kind of pressure on Gabe. Especially back then.

“She killed herself. Overdosed on pills.” His head hung low, and I drew myself up, wrapping a comforting arm around him.

“It was only then I realized she was mentally ill. I was too busy to see it.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it again, needing to think how to approach this, to get him to understand and forgive himself. “You were too young, too busy, too … many things, I’m sure. But none of them means it was your fault. She needed help and never got it. It didn’t begin when she married you, of that I’m certain.”

He nodded. “I get that. Her mother admitted as much after the funeral. She thought marrying me would make her happy and take care of her issues.”

I sighed. “It doesn’t work that way. You’re smart and you know this. Besides, look at the family you did raise. Look at Lucy and Decklan; they both got what they needed … thanks to you.”

He shrugged. “I’m not sure I’ll ever see it that way. After that, I closed myself off. Quick relationships, no feeling, no expectation. No one gets hurt. Then I saw you.”

I blinked. Not once had I expected this to turn around back to me.

“You and that asshole at the country club. You had a white wine spritzer in your hand and a light blue dress that hugged your curves. I wanted you then. It was like some unseen force telling me you were it. Not to let you go. And every time I saw you with him … I couldn’t breathe.”

I couldn’t breathe now.

As much as I knew there was instant attraction, to hear him acknowledge he had those same crazy feelings for me that I’d always had for him did something to me. It broke down my defenses, washed away any lingering anger at being manipulated, and put to rest my fear. This man who held himself responsible for everyone’s well-being, everyone who mattered to him anyway, wouldn’t control me or stifle me in any way. Well, in the bedroom, maybe—definitely—but I could handle that.

“Say something.”

An unsure of himself Gabriel Dare was not a sight I appreciated. I ran a hand down his face, cupping his jaw. “You were it for me too. You are.” I suspected he always would be.

He leaned down and kissed me, a brush over one side of my lips before moving to the other, then focusing on the center, sealing his mouth over mine. He kissed me over and over, his tongue sweeping inside and taking possession.

“You’re mine, Iz,” he said between kisses. “No arguments, no worrying about independence, money, working or not. We’ll figure it out.”

I opened my eyes, looking deeply into his dark blue ones. “I want kids one day,” I said bravely. “I want the family I never had.”

And,
oh God
, we hadn’t used protection. Yes, we’d had the
I’m clean
conversation but not the
can you get pregnant
one. What was wrong with me? Thank goodness it wasn’t the right time, but only idiots left things to chance.

My heart thumped in my chest. I didn’t know what I was more nervous about, what I’d just said to him or what we’d done. As I held my breath, I realized the idea of a family wasn’t something I’d compromise on.

“Frankly, I assumed Lucy and Decklan were all I’d have. That and my crazy cousins in Miami. But kids? With you?” His voice cracked with emotion, and I knew then everything would be all right. “Hell yes.”

I jumped into his lap, and his strong arms came around me, holding me tight. “We didn’t use protection,” I reminded him.

“I can’t bear to have anything between us.”

I nodded in agreement. “It’s really not the right time, but I have to get on the pill.”

“Okay.” He pressed a warm kiss to my lips. “But we’re good?” he asked.

I smiled, feeling the sensation everywhere. “We’re perfect. Thanks for telling me everything.”

“Nobody else gets all of me. Only you.” He brushed my hair off of my cheek. “I only expect one thing in exchange.”

I raised my eyebrows. “What would that be?”

“All of you.”

I shivered, knowing I’d given that to one man before. Or thought I had.

Gabe’s hand slipped behind my neck, cupping me in a possessive grip. “Kitten?”

“You have me,” I whispered.

He rose and kicked off his shoes and tossed his shirt onto a nearby chair. My eyes settled on his gorgeous bare chest, the dark sprinkling of hair that tapered into the waistband of his shorts, and the tented material bearing witness to his arousal.

That I understood. After our talk, knowing I had him in my life, a relationship that, though undefined, meant the world to me, I was also aroused. Memories of having him deep inside me caused my sex to clench and moisture to dampen my bathing suit. I squirmed in the chair.

He glanced my way and winked.

Before I could ask why, he scooped me up. With a squeal, I latched my arms around his neck. “Where are you going?” I asked, though, over my shoulder, I saw him edge closer to the beach and the gorgeous blue water lapping over the perfect sand.

“I need to cool off.” He strode through the water, a man on a mission, only stopping when we were submerged. Warmth surrounded me, not just the water but the heat of Gabe’s body.

Our bodies connected, my legs wrapping around his waist, my hot core rubbing against his hard length. “You’re not helping me cool down,” he said, sounding more playful than I’d ever heard from him before.

I actually thought Gabe was letting down walls, and I wanted to see more. I also wanted to play. “Maybe I want you hot.” I leaned in and nipped at his earlobe.

A shudder racked his big body, and instinctively, I began rocking against him, pleasure consuming me.

He groaned and pulled the string on my bikini top, releasing the tie, and the suit fell to my waist. The warm sun hit my bare breasts, as strong as Gabe’s always-intense gaze. He dipped his head and swirled his tongue around my breast and over my nipple, pulling on the tight bud with his tongue.