Her electricity bill usually came now. Which reminded her, she had to switch to electronic invoices. There it was, the envelope a distinctive yellow. Opening it, she saw no surprises and set it aside. She laughed at seeing the next item in the pile. Molly had sent her a postcard from Las Vegas, the picture of a purple-jumpsuit-clad Elvis impersonator in full crotch-circling move.
Miss you bunches. Love you even more. xo Molly
p.s. Elvis says sequins are always in.
Instead of pinning it to the fridge, Charlotte kept it aside to take with her to the new apartment. The rest of the pile was made up of advertising mailers, except for a small envelope that had become stuck between the pages of a department store catalog. She frowned, not recognizing the handwriting. Then she saw the return address.
The biggest prison in the country.
Gorge rising and knees going weak, she collapsed into a chair, the half-eaten muffin falling out of her fingers to hit the table. Everything in her shook. She dropped the envelope, stared at it, jumping when a horn beeped outside. Her eyes caught the clock on the wall as her mind figured out the beep had been for her neighbor, and she realized she’d been sitting there for fifteen minutes.
No, the bastard was not stealing any more of her life.
However, when she went to pick up the envelope to throw it away, she couldn’t. She had to know what it said, but she couldn’t open it alone. Yesterday, that would’ve made her feel weak, broken. Today, she had Dr. Mac’s voice in her head, telling her it was okay to need people to help her through the dark times.
“Wouldn’t you do the same for Gabriel or your best friend if it ever came to it?” he’d said gently. “Strength doesn’t mean never relying on anyone. And knowing him as I do, I can tell you that it would break Gabriel’s heart if you didn’t allow him to bear some of the weight. That’s who he is.”
Getting up on that thought, she left the kitchen to pack up some clothes. When Gabriel messaged to say he was swinging by and that he’d picked up dinner, she allowed herself to feel happily relieved. “Hey,” she said when she opened the door for him.
He’d showered after the coaching session where he’d no doubt gotten on the field with the boys, then thrown on jeans and a white T-shirt. Not many people saw him like this, with his hair messily damp and his feet bare—he’d kicked off his shoes as soon as he stepped inside. Maybe it was silly, but it made her feel special, trusted, as if she’d been allowed to see him without his armor.
“Hey.” He placed the food he’d bought on the hallway table and crooked a finger.
Bracing herself with her palms on the solid wall of his chest, she rose on tiptoe. He bent, meeting her halfway, the kiss hot and deep as it always was with Gabriel. She loved that he was so openly voracious for her, loved the taste of him. Sliding one hand to the side of his neck, the strength of him warm and solid under her touch, she gave him whatever he wanted.
Nothing felt as good as making Gabriel groan in the back of his throat, his hands clenching on her hips before he slid his fingers lower down to cup her butt. When he lifted, she wrapped her legs around his waist.
Holding her easily with one arm while sliding his other one over her thigh, he bit at her lower lip. “I like these pants.” His fingers flexed under her buttocks.
She flushed, realizing the soft, stretchy fabric gave him easy access to her body. “I like these pants too,” she said, because she liked his hands on her. “You shaved.” His jaw was smooth under her fingertips.
“I thought I’d be civilized today and not mark up your pretty skin.” A suckling kiss. “At least not with my jaw. I might just bite you instead.”
Charlotte didn’t know what made her do it. She leaned forward and bit down on that smooth jaw, the scent of his aftershave in her lungs. His hand flexed again. “Biting the boss, Ms. Baird?”
“I think this boss could do with some biting.”
Chuckling, he said, “Want to eat? Or should I just eat you?”
“Gabriel.”
“Ms. Baird.”
“You should put me down.”
“Why?”
“I’m heavy.”
He snorted, shoulders shaking. Shoving at those shoulders when he started laughing so hard he couldn’t speak, she tried not to laugh with him. It was too difficult and it was the last thing she’d have thought she’d be doing when she’d received the letter. The reminder though, it stole the laughter.
Gabriel’s eyes immediately zeroed in on her face. Putting her down on her feet, he said, “What’s the matter?”
“Dick sent me a letter.”
His expression went hard and flat. “What does the bastard want?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t read it. I was waiting for you.”
THE WORDS SLICED THROUGH Gabriel’s anger. “Want me to read it?” He didn’t want that piece of scum anywhere near Charlotte, even if only through his words.
But Charlotte shook her head and led him into the kitchen. “I need to do this. If he writes to me again, I’ll throw it in the trash, but I need to read this first one, find out what he thinks he has to say to me after all this time.”
Gabriel could understand her need, but he still had to grit his teeth to keep from taking the envelope and tearing it to shreds. Especially when her fingers trembled as she slit the envelope open.
32
BAD, BAD, BAD WORDS
TUCKING CHARLOTTE CLOSE, GABRIEL said, “He can’t touch you. I’ll break him in half if he tries to lay so much as a finger on you.”