“That wasn’t the scary part,” Dad said. “The scary part was thinking I might have to live even a single day of my life without her.”
There was no doubting which of his parents was the most romantic. He was pretty sure it was the same for himself and Melanie. When it came to love, Melanie was far more practical about her feelings than he was.
“I feel the same for Mel. And we’re supposed to be men of science.” Gabe snorted.
“The most important qualities for any scientist are a sense of wonder and being able to accept that there are things in this universe that we will never be able to explain.”
I am my father’s son, Gabe thought wryly.
Dad licked his lips and watched his fingers drum on the countertop. “Are you going to go back and finish your degree now that your band is over? I’m sure I could get you a late admission wavier for fall semester.”
Gabe decided that asking that question was the real reason his father had cornered him in the kitchen.
“I’ve thought about it,” Gabe said. “But I’m not ready to give up on my music just yet.”
“You could always play drums as a hobby,” Dad said.
“I could,” Gabe said, “but I don’t think I’d be satisfied. I will definitely let you know if I decide to go back to school. I’ll play that nepotism card like a fiddle.”
Dad slapped him on the back hard enough to sting. His smile lit up his entire face, even brightening his eyes. “Whatever makes you happy, son.”
“Melanie makes me happy. Everything else good in my life is just gravy.”
Chapter Twelve
After saying goodbye to Gabe’s family and promising to have lunch with Leslie later in the week, Melanie collapsed on the sofa. Her body still hadn’t fully recovered from her amazing ride on the Sex Stallion, but her mental exhaustion far surpassed her physical weariness.
“If I’m going to live here,” Melanie said to Gabe, turning her head with more effort than she’d willingly admit to watch him approach, “you have to promise me one thing.”
Gabe cringed. “I’m sorry they just showed up like that. I’ve told my parents at least a hundred times that they need to call before they stop in.”
“That’s not my concession.” Though she could see how them showing up whenever they felt like it might be a problem.
“Name it,” he said, sitting beside her on the sofa and wrapping an arm around her shoulders to draw her closer.
“We have to get a second dishwasher installed specifically for sex-gadget washing.” She’d almost died of embarrassment when she thought her future mother-in-law would see those Sex Stallion skins hanging out on the top rack of the dishwasher. “Is it possible to install it in the sex-gadget room?”
Gabe laughed and gave her a tight squeeze. “That’s a great idea. I’ll start working on the plumbing tomorrow.”
The tension drained out of Melanie’s body, and she relaxed against him, her eyes drifting shut. They popped open again when a sound that reminded her of air compressors on carnival rides came from near Gabe’s—and she supposed her—bedroom.
“Nikki, you’d better not be in there messing with my new toy,” Melanie shouted.
Nikki emerged from the hallway holding Gabe’s remote control. “You said you’d show me how it works.”
“I’m too tired to move at the moment,” Melanie said. “Let’s just watch some TV or something.”
“Gabe, are you too tired to show me?” Nikki asked.
Gabe perked up instantly. “Do you really want to know how it works?”
“I really want to ride it,” Nikki said. “And I don’t care if Mel got her cum all over it. I like Mel’s cum.”
Gabe stiffened, and Melanie slid a hand up his neck. “She doesn’t know that from experience,” Melanie assured him. “She thinks you’ll find that sexy enough to let her get her way.”
“I could know that from experience,” Nikki said. “If you’d give me the chance to show you that I know my way around a pussy.”
“Nikki, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to get all worked up when you’re trying to break your sex addiction,” Gabe said.
“My doctor said it might help if I had a device to take the edge off. It could keep me from seeking another partner,” Nikki said.
“Sounds like strange advice,” Melanie said. “When you’re fighting alcohol addiction, you don’t drink wine to take the edge off.”
“I’m just repeating what he said.”
“I can give you a handheld vibrator,” Gabe said. “I’ve made dozens of prototypes over the years.”
Melanie snorted. “I can’t believe you just offered to give my friend a vibrator.”
“I wouldn’t mind letting her give the Stallion a go,” he whispered close to Melanie’s ear, so Nikki wouldn’t overhear. “See how another responds to it.”
“I’m not sharing it with her,” Melanie said. “It’s mine.” She already had a strange emotional attachment to the machine. Maybe because Gabe had invented it and put it together with such obvious care. Or maybe because it gave her amazing orgasms and her hormones had caused her to bond with the damned thing. Whatever the case, she did not want Nikki on it.
“I don’t have to ride it,” Nikki said in a sorrowful tone. “But you can still show me how it works, can’t you, Gabe?”
“If Melanie doesn’t mind.”
“Melanie just wants to take a nap,” Melanie said. “Show it to her, but you’re not riding it, Nik.”
Gabe kissed Melanie’s temple and then shifted away, allowing her to stretch out on the sofa. Not even the muffled sound of Gabe describing the functions of his machine, Nikki’s responses, or the mechanical sounds coming from the small bedroom kept Melanie awake long enough to contemplate why she was okay with her fiancé showing her sex-addict of a best friend the innermost workings of his greatest achievement in sex toy inventions.
The next thing she knew, it was morning and she was sprawled naked across Gabe’s—and she supposed now her—king-size bed. Groaning, with no recollection of how she’d gotten to bed or where her clothes had gone, she rubbed her face and concentrated on the noise that must have woken her. From the small bedroom next door came a high-pitched whirring, like one produced by a drill, only louder. Melanie sat up, found Gabe’s side of the bed empty, and searched through a box of her clothes for something to cover her nakedness. She settled on an overlarge T-shirt since she couldn’t locate her robe and made sure she put it on right-side out. How mortifying had it been that her future mother-in-law had caught her with her shirt wrong-side out? Melanie had planned to unpack her stuff last night, but apparently she’d been completely down for the count. So much for spending her first official romantic night in her new home with the love of her life. Thanks to her utter exhaustion, she didn’t doubt that she’d even snored and drooled while she’d slept. All that noise coming from the small bedroom was probably Gabe building an escape hatch.
She walked extra slowly on sore and stiff legs as she went to investigate. She really did need to build up her strength, stamina, and flexibility. She found Gabe on his hands and knees drilling a hole through the floor in one corner of the room. Admiring his ass, Melanie crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe.
“Isn’t it a little early to be making all that noise?” she asked.
Gabe peeked at her over his shoulder. “Did I wake you?”
“I’m not sure. Probably.”
“Sorry about that. And it’s almost noon. Not exactly early.”
“You’re kidding!” She must have slept almost sixteen hours. Holy crap.
“I think maybe we should have started with one or two stimulators instead of all four at once. I made note of it.”
“Where’s Nikki? Did you have breakfast? What are your plans for the day?”
“Nikki is snuggling with the dogs. I had some coffee. Need to go to town today and try to get in touch with Amanda since she never bothered to call me, and while I’
m out, I think I’ll purchase my lady’s requested new dishwasher.”
“Jacob’s Amanda?” Melanie asked, trying to wrap her head around all the answers he’d volleyed at her.
“Yeah, I figured she might know what’s going on in Jacob’s head, because I sure as hell can’t figure it out.” Gabe cleared his throat. “Also need to stop by Lindsey’s gynecologist to give my blood sample.”
Melanie blew out a breath. “Sounds like we have a busy day,” she said. “Assuming I’m invited to accompany you.”
“Fair assumption,” he said with a grin. “I’ve been twiddling my thumbs around here all morning waiting for you to find the strength to climb out of bed. I’d have harassed you about your laziness, but I feel sort of responsible.”
He looked so cute when he brushed his hair back sheepishly that her heart fluttered.
“You are entirely responsible,” she said with a laugh. “But I forgive you.” She walked over and gave the Sex Stallion a pat. “I’ll be seeing you later,” she said. “Do we have time for me to take a shower?” she asked Gabe.
Gabe sniffed in her direction, and his nose crinkled in disgust. “Yes, we definitely have time for you to shower.”
She swatted his ass before darting away and heading for the master bathroom. She’d forgotten how many shower heads the guy had installed. It took her a good twenty minutes to get the flow and temperature just right and then once she was in the soothing yet invigorating jets of water, she didn’t want to get out.
“What’s taking so long? Are you masturbating in there?” Gabe asked from somewhere beyond the steamed-up glass shower wall.
“No,” she said. Well, maybe a little. But then no matter how she turned, she had jets aimed at her ass and both tits. What did he expect?
“Nikki’s staying here with the dogs, so we have the entire day to ourselves.” The shower door opened, and Gabe stepped inside. He was perfectly naked, and his cock was already standing at rigid attention.
“Does plumbing turn you on?” she asked with a grin, moving closer to press up against him.
“You turn me on,” he said. “I’ve been in the other room thinking about you naked and alone in my shower for thirty minutes now.”
“Our shower,” she said, dropping a kiss on his collarbone.
“Yes,” he whispered. “Ours.”
By the time they’d gotten each other all messy and then clean again, it was well past lunchtime.
“Wear something nice,” Gabe requested, standing behind her as she stared into the empty half of his walk-in closet. The half he’d so thoughtfully cleared out for her to use.
She’d hung up a few dresses, but most of her clothes were still in suitcases, bags, and boxes. And her winter wardrobe was back at her apartment in Kansas. She wondered if she’d ever need winter clothes in Texas.
“I’m taking you out to dinner after we run our errands.”
“You don’t have to wine and dine me, Mr. Banner. You already got into my pants.”
“Prepared to be wined and dined for life.”
He kissed her bare shoulder, and she shivered.
“Also prepare for me to be in your pants for life.”
She laughed. “There is no way to prepare for that.”
“I guess you’ll just have to wing it, then.”
He helped her pick out underwear—a sexy black lace set—and she chose a tight pair of black boxer briefs for him that made his ass look good enough to bite. She’d never had a man tell her what he wanted her to wear under her clothes. She wasn’t sure why she found that simple request so sexy, so intimate. Her heart was literally throbbing as she watched him dress. She’d thought she’d been in love before, but it had never been like this.
“What are you grinning about?” he asked as he struggled to button his sleeves. She took over the task, still standing in her bra and panties, because who could think about putting on clothes when Gabe Banner was in the same room?
“I was thinking I was wrong about being in love.”
The pained gasp he emitted made her heart twist.
“Not with you,” she amended hurriedly. “I could never be wrong about you. I meant the men I dated in the past. I thought I loved them, but now . . .” She shook her head. “That wasn’t love. Affection maybe. Attraction, to some degree. But this? What I feel for you? This is what love is supposed to feel like.”
“Mel,” he whispered, and the next thing she knew, she was in his arms and being kissed until her knees went weak. When he drew away, he pressed her head against his chest, holding her there with one large hand. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his heart thudded to a powerful beat beneath her ear. “I am so in love with you, I can hardly breathe.”
“I have an inhaler in my purse.” When he said things like that, the emotions inside her swelled until she couldn’t breathe either, so she had to joke or she’d die.
He laughed and lowered his hands to squeeze her ass. “Get dressed or we’re never going to leave this room today.”
“Promise?”
He groaned and pulled away from her, kissing her lightly. “I’ll wait for you in the truck,” he said.
“I’ll try to hurry, but it takes me forever to do my hair,” she said. But then she remembered Nikki was there. Nikki was amazingly proficient at calming Melanie’s waist-length curls. Usually Melanie put her hair up in a sloppy bun or twist, but she knew Gabe liked it down—just not in the raccoon-nest fashion it ended up being when she styled it herself. “Could you send Nikki in here to help me?”
“After you put your clothes on,” he said. “I see the way she looks at you.”
“She didn’t sleep with us last night, did she?” Melanie didn’t know if she had or not. She didn’t even remember going to bed and had slept half the day away.
“No. She fell asleep on the sofa as the filling in a Labrador sandwich.”
Melanie chuckled, wishing she’d seen that. She reached for her go-to little black dress and slipped it over her head. “There,” she said. “Though honestly, Gabe, it doesn’t really matter. She’s seen me naked a thousand times.”
“Now that you’re mine, no one gets to see you naked but me.”
She rolled her eyes at his posturing, but didn’t argue. She sort of liked when he was possessive of her. It gave her the right to be just as possessive of him.
Gabe left her to find her shoes. She was placing her most expensive pairs of heels on her half of the shoe rack in the closet when Nikki came into the room, still in her pajamas, the two dogs trailing her.
“Gabe said you needed help,” Nikki said, examining Melanie’s elegant attire with one eyebrow raised. “Are you going somewhere fancy? I thought you were shopping for dishwashers or something equally boring.”
“Gabe’s taking me out to dinner after we run a few errands. I was going to wear my hair down, but you know I can’t get it to look decent without your help.”
“I’m on it,” she said.
She found the bathroom box and searched for the various products and tools—hair dryer, curling brush—she’d need. Melanie slipped on a pair of black high heels and sat in front of the vanity mirror, applying her make-up while Nikki worked wonders with Melanie’s stupid hair.
“I see you’ve made some new friends,” Melanie said as Beau and Lady found comfortable spots on the bathroom rug to watch Nikki worshipfully.
“They’re sweethearts,” she said. “Both of them. If I ever run into the kid that hit Lady with his truck, I’ll . . . I’ll . . .” She gritted her teeth and brandished a hairbrush menacingly.
“He might still be out in the cornfield across the road looking for his keys.”
“We’re going to go bite him, aren’t we, Beau?”
Beau barked, his tongue lolling to one side.
Nikki worked curl relaxer into Melanie’s hair with both hands. “So will you and Gabe be out late?” she asked, her attention on Melanie’s head.
“Probably. There should be some leftover lasa
gna in the fridge. You can heat it up for dinner.” Melanie hoped Nikki didn’t expect to accompany them. “Or we can bring you back something from the restaurant if you want.”
“I’ll be fine here with the dogs,” Nikki said. “Gabe showed me how to massage Lady’s shoulder so she doesn’t get too stiff. It’s not good to leave her alone so much. And she needs help off the porch so she doesn’t have an accident in the house.”
Melanie was glad that Nikki felt responsibility for the dog’s well-being. She needed something to keep her occupied.
“Have you been massaging her shoulder this morning? I think