Escape From Obsession (9 page)

“What would you like to have, Gia?” Garrett asked.

She had to stand up straighter. She was actually leaning back against Gunner. She felt his hands on her waist, too.
What the hell am I doing? Oh God, Garrett’s dimples are so sexy.

He raised his eyebrows at her as if knowing she was staring and she felt her cheeks blush. “Water, just a bottle of water.”

He turned back to the pimply-faced kid behind the counter who wore the opposing team colors of blue and gold.

As they took their bottles of water and a basket of fries and headed back she felt Garrett’s hand on her hip as they maneuvered through the crowd. Gunner led the way, giving her the opportunity to check out the man’s superb body. Wide shoulders, trim waist, and he had to be about six feet four inches tall with dark crew-cut hair. The man was gorgeous.

The sound of the band beginning their halftime show could be heard as they climbed the bleachers to head back to their seats. Gia looked down toward the field. She could remember high school like it was yesterday. There was something so amazing about the fans during a sporting event but especially during high school football games. She could remember them having a bonfire the night before the big games against rival schools and of course the championship games. The innocence of a kiss shared between her and one of the players, Robbie Greene. Oh boy, did she think he was so cute. He had dimples, too. She glanced up at Garrett, who was watching her closely. Garrett’s dimples were way cuter. Despite his very rugged, hard expressions most of the time, when he did smile, those dimples practically attacked her body.

He licked his lower lip then leaned closer to her.

“I’d love to know what you were just thinking about,” he said and instead of thinking first, she just whispered back.

“Your dimples and one of my first kisses back in high school.”

He seemed to be embarrassed a little.
God, is he actually oblivious to their appeal? No way, the man has to know that they are lethal.

She also knew that she came across as flirtatious, so she turned away from him as she took a sip of her water. She crossed her legs and began to watch the halftime show continue. Garrett leaned closer, his shoulder warm against hers He made a point of letting his thigh touch her thigh and simultaneously, as the warm, sexual sensations filled her body and wreaked havoc on her control to ignore this attraction, Gunner placed his hand on her knee.

She jerked and turned toward him, but his face was firm, as he stared forward and as if he had every right to be touching her in such a possessive manner. She glanced at Teddy’s friends, who looked down at his hand and across at Garrett then to her. They seemed angry.

She couldn’t move a muscle. Her pussy clenched, her nipples hardened. She must have lost her mind or something. How could two men touching her at once cause such internal emotion and desire? Immediately she thought about Wes.
Oh, God, I like Wes, too. I’m attracted to all three of them. How can this be normal?

The band ended their performance, snapping her out of her lost thoughts momentarily as she wondered how she missed the entire thing.

They all stood and began clapping as the players took the field for the second half.

She felt the loss of their touch, but still sensed the warmth of the connection and contact. Was this normal? Obviously she was very misguided when she had met and thought she had fallen in love with Antonio. It was almost too late when she learned his true personality. She had small flashbacks about the different things that occurred in the days leading up to that near fateful night.

The way Antonio talked about how important his partner was. How they shared everything and were in business and personal affairs together. Valdere Valencio was a womanizer and playboy. He loved women. He enjoyed having a few around him at all times, except when he visited Antonio’s home. In her mind, she recalled thinking that he came alone because he wanted her, but she had pushed those thoughts aside and focused on Antonio and pleasing his desires. She didn’t want to follow her gut instincts and see Antonio for what he really was. She had been foolish and it could have cost her.

She remembered one particular party where days before, Antonio had suggested without coming straight out and telling her that he wanted her to allow Valdere to touch her. He had said if his partner wanted to hold her hand, caress her body, which belonged solely to Antonio, she was to allow it. They had gotten into a fight about it. She’d begged him to not ask such things of her, but he did. He even went as far as to say that it would please him if she accepted Valdere’s touch.

Sitting here now, as the players prepared for the kickoff, she remembered Antonio’s words as Valdere stood in front of her, staring at her body in the evening gown.

The party was going on downstairs. She just wanted to get back to the party and the safety of the crowds. This was the beginning of the end of her relationship with Antonio.

She remembered feeling Antonio caress his knuckles against her cheek lightly as he whispered, “She is quite lovely, is she not, Valdere?”

She shivered as she remembered the way Valdere looked at her and how Antonio began to run his fingers through her hair, across her bare shoulders, and to her waist.

“May I?” Valdere asked and she recalled the intensity of his eyes. She knew he wanted to touch her and she knew that Antonio gave the permission. She had feared the results of defying Antonio or Valdere. Around the same time this situation happened, she had begun to wisen up to their business tactics and the fact that they killed to get money and destroyed people’s lives to achieve their filthy-rich standings.

How could I even consider getting romantically involved with three men? Three men who are way bigger and fully trained ex-soldiers to boot? Deanna mentioned them being commandoes.
But now as they touch me so gently and caringly, do they wipe out the remnants of Antonio? Is this different?

* * * *

Teddy was so proud of his son Dale. He’d just scored the touchdown that placed them ahead in the game. He took a glance over his shoulder at Gia, who was smiling now after a few moments of looking upset. He knew those looks. She was remembering her life in New York. Although she hadn’t really told him and Deanna everything, he was certain that he knew enough, that she feared men, and now with the McCallister men interested in her, she wouldn’t stand a chance. She was attracted to the three of them, but she was still healing. He would have to maybe mention taking it slow with her to the guys. He liked them and had known them for years. They didn’t date and he had never seen them so interested in a woman.

Garrett was a hard man that rarely smiled. He kept to himself and Teddy knew he had issues from the war. But today, he smiled often at Gia. His cousin had that effect on people.

Simultaneously, the sound of multiple cell phones going off filled the air around them. It was the call he and the guys had been waiting on. Their suspects in the case they were working were spotted. He and three of the guys looked at the phones. Teddy turned to Gia.

“Honey, I have to go to work. I got that call I was waiting on. We have to get there quickly,” he said as the other three guys stood up and began saying good-bye. He watched his cousin wave at them.

“I should leave with you now to get a ride.”

“Shit! I can’t drop you off. I have to head right to the department,” he told her.

“Don’t worry about it, Gia. We’ll take you home,” Gunner said then shook Teddy’s hand and then Teddy shook Garrett’s.

“Are you okay with this?” he asked Gia and she looked so unsure.

“I trust them with you. They won’t hurt you or try anything.” She nodded her head and he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

“Do me a favor and text me updates on Dale and the game.”

“You got it,” she whispered as she knotted her fingers together on her lap.

He hoped that she would be okay, but he really needed to get going.

* * * *

The Bulls won the game with an ending score of 21-19. Gia walked with Garrett and Gunner toward Gunner’s truck. They had an hour drive ahead of them and that’s when she remembered about Dale.

“Oh God, we were supposed to pick Dale up at the school after he returns. Maybe you could drop me off at home and I can get my car and go pick him up?” she suggested as they took their time walking. Garrett seemed a bit uncomfortable as she watched him limp a little.

“Don’t worry, darling, we’ll swing by the school to get him. We want to congratulate Wes,” Gunner told her and she turned to look at Garrett, who looked angry.

“Are you okay?” she asked and he mumbled something.

She looked at Gunner and he had a sad expression on his face. Her heart instantly ached. He was concerned over Garrett.

“Did you do something to your leg?” she asked as she slowed down to walk with him.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just stiff from the bleachers.” He kind of snapped at her. She placed her hand over her belly to stop the sensation of intimidation. He was pissed off.

“Yeah, bleachers are never comfortable. We should bring some of those padded seats with us. My butt always hurts after sitting in bleachers for a long time,” she blurted out as Gunner opened the truck door. She was trying to figure out how the heck she was going to climb into the truck. She turned to grab on to the door and lifted her foot to place on the side rail.

“Your butt looks perfect to me,” Gunner whispered then lifted her by her waist up into the front seat.

She felt her cheeks blush as she scooted into the center of the seat. He made it obvious that he didn’t want her to climb into the back seat so she remained in the middle.

Garrett took a few seconds to stretch his legs.

“We can wait a little if you need some more time. The football players haven’t even gotten out of the locker rooms yet,” she suggested.

“No. I’m fine,” he said firmly and she clasped her hands on her lap.

Gunner looked at her and winked as he slowly ran the palm of his hand across her belly as he reached for the seat belt. Their gazes locked and his lips were mere inches from her own.

Right before he buckled her in, he whispered, “I’d really like to kiss you right now.” She swallowed hard. She would like that, too, but dared not verbalize the stupid decision. This could only lead to more pain. Men hurt and she was a poor judgment of character.

She lowered her eyes and stared at her lap.

“Gunner, I’m not ready for—” she began to say when his fingertips moved under her chin and raised her face toward him.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t know why you’re so scared of me and my brothers, but the three of us are fixin’ to change your mind and make you see that we want you.” She was shocked at his proclamation, but then his lips gently touched hers and on cue her eyes closed as she absorbed their first kiss, the scent of his cologne, the feel of his large hand on her waist, and his fingers moved away from her chin and toward her neck. He cupped her head and deepened the kiss as she reached up and held his muscular forearms. The man knew how to kiss, and dammit, her panties were soaked.

As he softly released her lips he smiled at her.

“Very nice, and sweeter than I imagined. You ready now, darling?” he asked her as she touched her fingertips to her lips and nodded her head. That was some kiss. A kiss she would surely remember for some time.

As Gunner started the truck and headed out of the parking lot, Garrett moved his hand over her knee and kept it there.

Gia thought that she was going to faint from the sexual tension in the air. In this close proximity, practically wedged between two very big men, she felt so petite, feminine, and of course fragile. That feeling of fragility was playing havoc on her thoughts until they started talking. Before long, they were sharing some information about their lives and she shared very little about her life in New York and was sure to not say anything about Antonio. It was at that moment that she realized how embarrassed she was for getting involved with such a man to begin with. She had been lonely and had met one jerk after the next at work in the agency in New York.

“So you handle the actual art designs? That’s really cool,” Gunner said.

“Do you do it all with computer software or actually freehand the artwork first?” Garrett asked and she was glad for the comfortable topic. She explained about her love of art and hope to one day be able to focus on working on her paintings and mosaics.

“Hey, you didn’t do that scene in Julia’s nursery, did you?” Gunner asked and she smiled.

“I did. When did you see that?”

“Oh, just a few weeks ago when we hung out watching football on Sunday. That is amazing work, Gia.”

“Thank you.”

“How come you don’t show your paintings in a gallery or something? There are some awesome ones in the city and of course in Dallas, too,” Garrett said.

“My heart really isn’t into it,” she admitted.

“Why is that, darling?” Garrett asked and she turned to look at him. She already felt that special sensation deep inside for Garrett. He was likable but also seemed sad and alone. She had an overwhelming feeling of need to help him somehow. But how could she? She had her own deep sadness and fears.