Island Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (The Kisses Series Book 9) (10 page)

Bastian looked over at Bastian and started to laugh, finally losing the dark look about him. When he smiled, the scar lessened. He wasn't nearly as intimidating.

“I’ll cook the food while you guys relax. Then we can all eat together since Ava's out of town tonight. How does that sound?” Bastian offered. “That way no one will die of food poisoning and I get to eat.”

“Do you need any help?” I asked.

“I very much appreciate the offer, but I’ve got it handled.” Bastian maneuvered around the kitchen, throwing the steaks into a sizzling pan and steaming vegetables at the same time. “Why don’t you two go relax in the dining room and I'll be in with the food in just a few minutes.”

“Thanks, buddy,” Gabe said.

We walked over to a comfortable living room and sat down next to each other on a couch. Again the artwork was modern and beautiful, but it didn't tell me much about the man I was sitting next to. I could hear Bastian moving around the kitchen and things were starting to smell delicious. My mouth was already watering.

“So tell me more about Bastian. You said that you guys are best friends,” I said, snuggling into Gabe's shoulder. I figured that if I knew more about his best friend, I would know more about Gabe.

“We’re practically family. He and I met when we were young,” Gabe explained, wrapping his arm around me. “Bastian had a rough childhood, so he spent most of it at my house. We’ve gone through everything together and he’s always had my back no matter what.”

I instantly thought of Cora. The relationship sounded pretty similar.

“He sounds like a great guy,” I said. I put my head on Gabe's shoulder, loving the way he felt strong and warm underneath me.

“He’s the best,” Gabe agreed. “A bit of jerk, but still the best.”

I chuckled. “Tell me something I don’t know about you.”

“Hmmm, well, I’m horrible at golf and yet I live on a golf course,” he offered. “That sums me up pretty well.”

I laughed and then playfully pressed his shoulder. “I’m being serious. I don’t know much about you. You said you do computer programming, right?”

“Software engineering and internet marketing,” he said. He squeezed my shoulder and smiled. “It’s a bunch of boring nerdy stuff, remember?”

“Yeah, but I want to know about it,” I pried, about to start asking more questions until I realized I was starting to sound like my mother. “You don’t have to go into detail if you don’t want to, though.”

“I just don’t think you’d really be interested in the details,” he said with a shrug. “Because honestly, it’s super boring stuff. Think about numbers and spreadsheets and profit margins and that about sums it up.”

It seemed that was about the best I was going to get out of him regarding his job and I didn’t feel comfortable enough to just right out and ask him. If I did, I’d have just straight up inquired how he made enough money to afford a house like this. Luckily, I wasn’t
that
much like my mother.

“Fair enough,” I said. I changed the subject back to Bastian. “Who's Ava?”

“Bastian's wife,” Gabe replied. “If you think he's broody and hard to get along with now, you should have seen him before he met her. She's practically turned him into Mr. Sunshine.”

Right then, Bastian stepped around the corner, holding some plates of steaming food. “Dinner's ready.”

Gabe unwrapped his arm from my shoulder and then helped me stand. Together we walked back to the kitchen table and sat down.

“I hope you were talking about me,” Bastian said as he set the plates down in front of us.

“We definitely were,” Gabe said. He turned and fake whispered into my ear: “Don't tell him what I said.”

Bastian rolled his eyes at Gabe. “See if I cook for you again.”

“This looks amazing, Bastian,” I commented, as my mouth began to water. The steaks smelled incredible and I couldn’t wait to dig in. There was a filet mignon, steamed local veggies, and some sort of rissoto that looked good enough to be in a restaurant.

“Hopefully it tastes as good as it looks,” Bastian said. “I'm trying a new recipe and I'm not sure it's perfected yet.”

We sat down to eat, and Bastian continued. “So tell me about yourself, Harper. What do you do for work?”

“I’m a freelance writer,” I explained. A small twinge of guilt passed through me. I knew I was going to have to come clean to Gabe eventually about what I did, but I wasn't ready to tell him yet. And I certainly wasn't ready to tell his best friend.

“Really? What do you write about?” Bastian smiled, but it didn't quite touch his eyes. For a moment, I wondered if he knew what I really did.

Don't be silly, Harper,
I chided myself.
If he did, he would have told Gabe by now and you wouldn't be sitting here.

“I do a fair amount of magazine articles, but I’ll pretty much write anything,” I replied, choosing my words carefully. “Writing is my only income, so I have to do what it takes, you know?”

“Of course,” Bastian agreed. “That makes sense to me. And Gabe mentioned that you two met online, is that right?”

“We did!” I replied. I felt better talking about this part. There was no subterfuge here. “We met on Kindling Dating and I have to say that he has surprised me in every way. My online dating experiences had been pretty awful until I met Gabe.”

“I hear Kindling Dating is the best,” Bastian said, taking another bite.

Gabe shot Bastian a look I couldn't decipher and then wrapped an arm around me. He leaned in to kiss my cheek. “That's what I've been told,” Gabe said. “Numerous times.”

Bastian smiled and this time it was real. “Well, I’m glad you guys found each other. I can’t deny that you make a cute couple.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I'm pretty happy he knows someone who can cook. This is delicious!”

The topics went to the weather and the latest Blue Jays game. Bastian wasn't as big of a fan as Gabe, but he was able to hold his own in conversation. We ate dinner and the whole time I sat with my chair scooted up next to Gabe’s. We were practically cuddling as we ate, unable to stay away from each other. Bastian laughed at our shameless displays of affection, but I didn’t mind. I hadn’t been with a guy that I wanted to act like that with in too long to remember.

I liked Bastian. The longer he talked, the more I warmed up to him. He seemed like a great guy and a really good friend to Gabe. But I couldn’t help but feel an undercurrent of
“are you good enough for my friend?”
It was odd and I was unable to pin it down exactly. I eventually just chalked it up as normal, figuring that Cora would do the same thing to Gabe once she got to meet him.

After we finished our meals, Bastian stood up from his chair and cleared our plates. “Alright guys, I’ve got to get back home.”

“You’re leaving already?” I asked.

“Seriously, Bastian, you just got here,” Gabe chimed in. “Have a drink with us.”

“I’m afraid that if I watch you two kids loving all over each other any longer, I just might throw up the delicious meal I just ate,” Bastian joked. “So, thanks, but no thanks.”

Gabe responded, “Hey, how long have I been putting up with you and Ava making out in front of me while I tried to have a conversation?”

Bastian nodded. “Good point. But I still don't care.”

Gabe laughed and Bastian grinned at him good-naturedly. “Thanks again for making dinner, Bastian,” Gabe told him.

“Yes, thank you, Bastian,” I chimed in. “The food was incredible.”

“You’re quite welcome,” he said. “It was great to meet you, Harper. I love seeing Gabe this happy.”

Before I could come up with a reply, he nodded to both of us and walked out the front door, leaving Gabe and I alone.

* * *

“
I
'm
sorry if he came across as a little...” Gabe paused to think of the word. “Protective? Intimidating?”

“Protective is a good word,” I agreed. “I think he really cares about you. But I think he warmed up to me.”

“I do too,” Gabe said with a nod. “I'm glad he didn't scare you away. He can be a bit much.”

I looked out from one of the big windows overlooking the water. The sun was finally setting and from where we sat, I could see the sky outside as it began to turn orange. It looked to be a breathtaking sunset.

“Can we watch the sunset?” I asked, already standing up.

“Of course!” Gabe said, nearly knocking over his chair and taking my hand.

I followed him out to the patio and we stepped up to the railing. The ocean sprawled out in front of us, all the way to the horizon, where the sun sat lonely on the water. The sky was on fire, making the incredible view from the island even more breathtaking. A warm breeze blew off of the sea, causing my hair to fall across my forehead. Gabe reached over and pushed the loose hair over my ear. His touch was soft, as if he were afraid I might disappear if he touched me.

“You look beautiful tonight,” he said. “Thank you for coming over for dinner.”

I smiled as I stepped closer to him. “The food was wonderful. But I’m still pretty excited to try out your world famous Ramen noodles one of these days.”

Gabe chuckled and then leaned in, surprising me with a kiss. The passion in the air ignited instantly as we embraced in front of the sunset. The island air blew through my hair, carrying with it the scent of saltwater and warm sand. It was a picture perfect moment; one that I never saw myself actually experiencing. This island kiss was the most romantic kiss of my life.

Gabe gently pulled away, just long enough to look at me with those glowing green eyes. Then he leaned in again. Our lips parted this time and the kiss became more passionate, with our tongues delicately dancing. My hands drifted up his back. I could feel the definition of his muscles, even over his shirt, and it turned me on even more. I wanted to feel his naked skin, his firm body, all of him and all at once.

This is what I've wanted for so long,
I thought.
And I want so much more.

It was as though he had heard my thoughts. Gabe slowly broke our kiss and then brought his lips to the outside of my neck. My jaw dropped and I let out a silent gasp as he kissed my sensitive skin, inching his way down toward my shoulder. My body was on fire now and a desperate aching presented itself in my most sensitive areas.

Gabe pulled away and looked at me. His eyes had dilated and there was an expression of animalistic lust on his face. He was breathing harder than before and when I glanced down, I noticed a growing bulge in the front of his slacks. No words were exchanged. There were none needed.

Everything that could have been said was written all over our faces and our body language. We wanted each other right then and there, and all of the time we had spent together so far had just been leading up to this magical moment.

“Kiss me,” I whispered.

He did as I asked and brought his lips to mine once again. Sweet and hot, our tongues tangled together. Our inhibitions quickly faded, replaced by a relentless passion. It was almost as if I had lost control, submitting to my most carnal desires.

My hands drifted over his body. I loved the way his muscular shoulders flexed with even the tiniest of his movements. I couldn’t get enough of his biceps either, which swelled as he pulled me close. Everything about this man turned me on.

After a moment, Gabe broke our kiss and then grabbed my hand, leading me across the porch to a lounging area that had a circle of padded patio furniture on it. In front of us, the sky had turned from orange into a shade of deep purple as the sun continued its decline behind the horizon. The stars were beginning to show and the night air cooled, though it was still comfortably warm.

“You’re something else, Harper,” Gabe commented. His eyes pupils dilated as he looked me over. “I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something about you that drives me crazy. And I mean that in the best of ways.”

I simply smiled coyly as I sat down on one of lounge chairs and patted the seat next to me. The bulge in Gabe’s pants had grown significantly and was pushing out against the material. He wanted me. Just seeing that turned me on even more and caused the desperate aching inside of me to increase. I wanted what was underneath that cloth. I wanted it so badly.

Gabe crawled onto the padded lounger with me, pushing my shoulder with one hand and cradling my head with the other as he lay me down. He nipped at my exposed collarbone, dragging his teeth along the soft flesh and making me gasp with desire. The bottom of my dress shifted upwards as I wrapped my legs around him. It felt strange to be so exposed outside, but given that there was nothing but ocean in front of us, I wasn't worried about being seen.

Gabe paused in his kisses, pulling back for a moment and looking me over. His pupils dilated further. “You are so gorgeous,” he whispered reverently.

I couldn’t help but to blush at the compliment. I had been called gorgeous before, but when Gabe said it, it just
felt
different. There was such sincerity in him. It wasn’t just in his voice, though. It was written all over his face too. He looked at me like he
needed
me in that moment and it made my insides turn to butterflies. All girls have their insecurities and I was no different, but when Gabe complimented me, it was like all of those things faded away. He truly made me feel beautiful.