Return of the Bad Girl (26 page)

“Well, I’ve lived lots of places, but I’ve never been anywhere overseas except London,” Caroline said, giving Gabe a one-minute sign with her finger before he continued toward the door.

“Oh, wow, what was it like?” Jenny asked, taking their empty cart back toward the front.

“Why don’t I give you my number, and you can call me about it sometime?” Caroline said, searching her purse for a pen. “I normally wouldn’t mind hanging out, but it’s Val’s birthday, and I have to bake a cake.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. My mom always says I talk too much and that ladies should be of few words.”

“Do
not
listen to your mother,” Caroline said firmly. “You are unique and fun. Don’t change for anyone. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, adults don’t know everything.”

Jenny giggled. “No, they sure don’t.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“A man who can cook is worth his weight in gold. Or at least in chocolate.”

—Miss Know It All

T
HEY MADE IT
home from the grocery store, and Gabe sent her off to feed the kittens while he got situated. When she returned fifteen minutes later, Gabe was standing by the sink, washing his hands, and she saw that he had not only cleaned up her mess but the kitchen as well.

“Have I mentioned how much I hate doing dishes?” she asked as she kissed his back. “So thank you.”

Before he could answer, she grabbed a doughnut out of the box they’d picked up and jumped onto the counter.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked.

She paused midbite and chewed slowly before answering. “I’m savoring this delicious chocolate doughnut while I watch you make my sister’s cake?”

Taking an apple fritter from the box, he bit into it and shook his head. “No. This is not rocket science, and you are going to learn how to make a box cake if it takes us a hundred tries.”

Grumbling, she finished her breakfast and jumped down to wash her hands. The minute they were dry, a mixing bowl and a carton of eggs were shoved in her hands.

“Hup two, let’s get this cake made.”

Despite her protests that she’d just ruin it, Gabe’s gruff instructions and teasing did make the process fun. While she was beating the eggs, oil, and water into the powder with the mixer, he came up behind her. Before she knew what he was about, he’d wrapped his arms around her and covered her hands with his.

“First of all, you’re spraying batter all over the walls because the speed is too high,” he said, adjusting the mixer, “and if you do this kind of circular motion, it helps.”

With his hands covering hers, he helped her guide the mixer in a circle, going around the base of the bowl and back into the middle. She realized that as their arms were moving, so were their bodies, and with every circle, he was rubbing against her.

Caroline didn’t even bother hiding her grin as she felt his hard-on through the back of her yoga pants. “Ah, that really does help.”

“See? You got this,” he said, his lips grazing her neck. He released her hands and splayed his across her stomach.

When he grasped her right breast, kneading the flesh through her T-shirt, she bit back a moan and forgot to keep the mixer in the batter.

“Whoa,” he said, laughing. “Maybe you can’t multitask.”

She noticed the spots of batter on the counter and the front of her shirt, and groaned. “Does it at least look smooth?”

“Mmm hmmm,” he said as his other hand slipped inside her yoga pants.

For a moment, Caroline wondered what he would think about her lack of panties. Then she grabbed his wrist and yanked his hand out. “You are supposed to be helping.”

“I am helping.”

“No, you’re playing with me,” she said, unlocking the beaters from the base and turning in his arms with a beater in each hand. “Wanna lick the batter?”

“Depends,” he said, running a finger along the metal and spreading the batter across her exposed chest.

“You are such a”—Gabe bent down and dragged his tongue across her skin, the bar of his tongue ring sliding smoothly along the top of her breasts, causing her nipples to tighten and her stomach to bottom out—“perv.”

“I’m making baking interesting,” he said, pulling her scoop neck T-shirt down, along with the cup of her bra, and dribbling batter over her nipple.

“You know, consuming raw eggs can cause salmonella poisoning,” she said, even as her eyes closed at his first flick on her hard peak. When his whole mouth closed over her areola and sucked, she dropped both beaters on the counter and held onto the back of his head. Releasing her breast and pulling her bra and shirt back in place, he came back up, grinning.

“I like to live dangerously.”

G
ABE RINSED OFF
the beaters and put the mixer back in the cupboard as Caroline bent over to slide the cake in the oven.

“I hope this one cooks right.”

“I told you; you just had the rack too high,” he said, drying his hands. He was just about to take her for that shower he had been fantasizing about, when Googlie and Possum came running into the kitchen, meowing loudly.

“I think someone is hungry again,” Caroline said, pulling formula, canned food, and bottles from the cupboard.

“I think they’re a couple of cock-blocking fuzz butts,” Gabe grumbled.

When Caroline laughed, his chest tightened and his stomach turned in knots. In the last twenty-four hours, he had teased and played and laughed more than he had since he was a kid. Since before the accident.

And it was all because of this woman.

Since you met Caroline, you’ve been spouting internal poetry. Remember, she said this wasn’t anything more than convenient.

But as she passed by him to feed the kittens, she kissed his cheek. And actually patted the front of his jeans. “Be patient, big boy. I’ll get to you in a minute.”

He knew she was teasing him, but damn, he hoped she wasn’t kidding.

Caroline bent over but before he could fully admire the view, she stood back up with two frantic kittens. “Here, take one.”

He grabbed Possum and one of the bottles, wincing as the sharp claw dug at his hand. “Chill out, buddy, it’s coming.”

Gabe followed Caroline over to the couch and sat next to her. She let Googlie knead her chest as he sucked down his bottle.

“When do these things stop nursing?” Gabe asked as he rubbed Possum’s tiny ears.

“Zoe said that the mother usually weans them at six to eight weeks. I’m supposed to start them on gruel this week.”

“I think they need another bath,” Gabe said, wrinkling his nose.

“I’ll give them one before I leave,” Caroline said.

“What time is your party?”

“Five,” she said. Then, almost as an afterthought, she asked, “Would you wanna come with me?”

He almost dropped the bottle, he was so surprised. “Family functions aren’t exactly my strong suit.”

“Understood. I just thought that since you helped me with the cake, you might want to reap some of the benefits.”

“Wouldn’t your family be upset if you brought me at the last minute?”

“No, there’s going to be a bunch of people there,” she said, pulling the empty bottle out of Googlie’s mouth.

Gabe watched her stand up, thinking about what the invitation meant. No woman had ever invited him home to meet her family.

Realizing that Possum was sucking nothing but air, he pulled the bottle away. “Sorry, bud, I was thinking.”

After taking the kitten into Caroline’s room and setting him in the litter box, he stood there for a minute. He’d decided last night that Caroline was what he wanted. Was this her way of showing him she’d changed her mind about this being “convenient” for her?

When he was done washing his hands in the bathroom, he walked out into the kitchen and found Caroline washing bottles in the sink.

Slipping his arms around her waist, he asked, “So, is this party casual, or do I have to wear a tie?”

“It’s casual,” she said, drying her hands before placing them over his.

“Hmm, so I should wear my T-shirt that says, ‘I am the party’?”

“Please tell me you’re joking,” she said, turning in his arms.

“Fine. I’ll pull out my shirt that looks like a tux.”

“Okay, maybe I’ve changed my mind,” she said, frowning up at him. “I rescind your party invite.”

“Shit, I’m just trying to class the place up,” he said.

“Right,” Caroline said, wrapping her arms around his waist. “So, does that mean you’ll go with me?”

“Yeah, I guess. It’s like you said; I helped make the cake,” he said, leaning down to kiss her softly. “I should enjoy all the benefits.”

“Hmm, so what do I have to bake to get you to take me to the airport on Thursday?” she asked against his lips.

“You can’t bake.”

“Okay, what can you
teach
me to bake, so you’ll drive me to the airport?”

“I don’t know. That sounds like a lot of work, with very little re—”

Her mouth dipped to take his nipple, T-shirt and all, into her mouth, stopping whatever he was going to say. Her hand slipped down and between them, cupping him through his pants, and he groaned, “Yeah, sure, I can drive you.”

“Good,” she said, pulling away and wrinkling her nose. “Now, how about you just go shower, so I don’t show up with Stinky McGee?”

“You gonna join me?” he asked, stepping away to pull his T-shirt over his head.

“I already showered,” she said.

Sniffing her playfully, he said, “I think you missed a spot.”

When she smacked out at him, he grabbed her arm, dipped his shoulder to hoist her up, and carried her like a sack of potatoes. She laughed as she screamed, “Gabe, no! It takes forever to dry my hair!”

“I never said anything about your hair. I said you missed a spot. I’m sure there are other places besides your head that need washing.”

C
AROLINE LED
G
ABE
up the walkway to the front door of Valerie’s house. Val had bought the little house on a few acres last year, when she’d moved from Boise, and although other houses were close enough to see, there was still space between them for privacy.

“Lots of cars,” Caroline said when they reached the top of the porch.

“Yeah, looks like the party is in full swing,” Gabe said, holding the cake in his hands.

Caroline rang the doorbell before she said, “I apologize in advance.”

“For what?” he asked.

The door swung open, and Valerie squealed. “Gabe, I’m so glad you could make it.”

“That,” Caroline said as Valerie came out and gave her a hug.

“Come on in, you guys,” Val said, leading them into the house. “We’ve got the fire pit going out back, and Justin’s at the barbeque, although I saw his hot dogs, so I’d go with a hamburger.”

“Who is this?” Ellie said from the couch.

“Umm . . .” Caroline said, unsure how to introduce him.

“I’m Gabe.”

“Oh,
you’re
Gabe,” Ellie said, getting up from the couch and walking over to them slowly.

Caroline noticed her sister’s wrist was wrapped with a nude nylon bandage and anger burned through her. “What happened to your wrist?”

“Oh, I just sprained it trying to change my tire.”

“Yeah? Well, that sucks,” Caroline said, blown away that her super-confident and sexy sister would let someone abuse her.

Why not? You did the same thing, letting Kyle get away with what he did.

“If anyone wants a dog, I believe they’re ready,” a male voice called from the back of the house.

Gabe touched her arm and said, “I’m going to grab some food. How many hot dogs do you want?”

“One, thanks,” Caroline said, waiting until Gabe had walked away before she grabbed Ellie’s good wrist. “Come with me.”

Ellie started to protest, but Caroline ignored her until they reached Val’s room. She pulled her sister inside and shut and locked the door.

Turning to face Ellie, she said, “This has to stop.”

“I told you—”

“And I’m telling
you
, I know what it looks like when my sister is getting knocked around,” Caroline said, thinking of a bartender she’d employed. The woman’s husband was a mean son of a bitch and had beaten her so badly, he’d put her in the hospital.

“You need to tell someone what he’s doing to you, Ellie.”

Ellie laughed, though there was no humor in it. “Who are you to tell me what I need to do?”

Ellie sounded so hostile that Caroline hesitated, and for a minute, she wasn’t sure what to say.

“I just don’t like seeing you hurt, that’s all.”

“You don’t know anything, so why don’t you just mind your own fucking business?” Ellie snapped, heading for the door.

Caroline blocked her way. “I know you deserve better than black eyes and bruised wrists. You deserve a man who wouldn’t hurt you for the world.”

“Oh, ’cause it’s so easy for you to give me advice. ’Cause you’ve never made any mistakes or messed up, right?”

“Of course I have, which is why—”

“Why, what? You think you can give me advice ’cause you’ve been there?” Ellie countered. “You don’t know anything about what I’m going through, so don’t start butting in on my business and telling me what I should do, Caroline.” Ellie pulled Caroline out of the way and left the room. Several seconds later, the front door slammed.

Way to ruin the party, Caroline.

Everything Ellie said was true. Caroline didn’t have any right casting stones.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Val asked, peeking her head in.

“Nothing,” Caroline said, clearing her throat. “I suggested that maybe Ellie needed to see a doctor about all this clumsiness, and I guess I overstepped.”

“She has been crazy accident prone,” Val said, coming fully into the room and shutting the door. “I invited Daddy.”

“What did he say?” Caroline asked, surprised.

“He couldn’t come to the phone, but I gave all the details to Teresa,” Val said sadly. “I was just hoping he might make an effort, you know?”

“I know, honey,” Caroline said, wrapping her arms around her sister. Caroline could’ve told Val that they’d spent too many years as kids, waiting for their dad to make an effort, but considering how well her most recent sisterly advice had gone over, she stayed quiet.