Sarah stared around the strange living room, her heart pounding as she realized where she must be. Gabe’s scent was everywhere, deeply ingrained into the very wood of the house. If he didn’t live here she’d be very surprised.
What she was completely surprised by was the look of his home. From the exterior it was a typical cookie-cutter ranch-style home, with a small front porch, beige aluminum siding and forest green doors and shutters. But on the inside it was a riot of rich colors mingled with deep earth tones. The hardwood floors looked like rough oak but were smooth under her bare feet. A bold geometric rug in yellow, green, red and dark brown was soft under her feet. The dark red was picked up in the contemporary sofa. Pale green and yellow throw pillows were tossed haphazardly at one end, a velvety blanket thrown over its back, the deep yellow color vibrant against the red fabric of the sofa. Mission-style stained glass and iron lamps sat on oak end tables. The walls were a soft shade of green, with thick oak baseboards and crown molding. A flat-screen TV sat on a wooden stand, a Playstation and Wii both hooked up to it. She smiled at the sight of the bright blue stoneware mug on the coffee table, the scent of its cooling contents letting her know that Gabe liked his sugar and cream with a little bit of coffee.
For all its bright color the room seemed to her to be missing something elemental, something that would make it truly a home. She picked her way across the room, wondering what that something was. She headed to the small kitchen, again done in the same bold colors.
No Gabe. She left the kitchen, turning down a hallway. The first door she came to was a small bedroom turned into a home office. She smirked at the sight of the papers scattered across its surface. The next room held a bathroom, this one in muted blues and greens. The next room was a small bedroom containing a single bed and a small dresser.
Last room. He’s got to be in there. Sarah opened the door…
…and stepped into a quiet summer evening. A breeze ruffled her hair, bringing with it the faint tang of the ocean. Her bare feet slipped into cool sand, the grains tickling between her toes. She smiled, burying her toes in and wiggling them just to feel that sensation. She’d always loved doing that as a child.
“Hey.”
She turned to find Gabe standing there in nothing but dark shorts and a T-shirt. In his hands was a huge picnic basket. “Hey.”
“You look beautiful.”
She blinked and looked down. She was wearing the same red sundress she’d worn for dinner that night. “Thank you.”
He gestured with his hand towards the beach. “After you.”
She smiled and began to walk. “Since when is your house on the beach?”
He shrugged. “This is a dream.”
They walked until, somehow, the spot seemed just right. Sarah waited until Gabe had laid down the blanket, anchoring it with the basket and both of his sandals. “Sit, Sarah.”
She sat, folding her legs beneath her.
“Good girl.”
She looked up at him. “I thought we weren’t playing any games tonight.”
She watched him sit in front of her, his own legs crossed. He dug into the basket without answering.
“Gabe?”
The heated look he shot her sent shivers down her spine. Her nipples tightened in response to the predatory gleam in his eyes. “Who says I’m playing?”
She opened her mouth to answer, startled when he popped something in her mouth. She bit down without even thinking twice. Mmm. Chocolate-covered strawberries. She moaned around the succulent fruit, her eyes closing in bliss. As far as Sarah was concerned there was no better sweet treat to be had.
Wait a moment.
The beach, the moonlight, chocolate-covered strawberries… Uh-oh. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Talk about cheesy seduction tropes. Any second now he’s going to break out champagne or something and I’m going to lose it and earn another spanking. This was so not Gabe. He was wild and bold and took what he wanted. It was one of the things she loved about him.
What was he thinking?
She opened her eyes to find Gabe studying her closely.
Testing out a theory, she pictured a big steaming bowl of spinach in the basket in place of the strawberries.
“Like the strawberries, love?” He reached behind him and produced a bottle of champagne and one crystal flute.
Here we go. She did her best to look as innocent as possible. “Yes, thank you.”
His smile was slow. “Good.” He put his hand into the basket, the smile quickly transforming into something like horror. “What the…?” He pulled his fingers, now covered in warm spinach, out of the basket. “What the hell?”
Sarah giggled.
He pulled a napkin out of the basket, his expression filled with amused disgust. “Why did you turn my strawberries into spinach?”
Sarah zipped her lips and waited for him to open the “champagne”.
His eyes narrowed. He pulled out a corkscrew and began opening the bottle. He lifted the cork to his nose with a suspicious glare. “Ginger ale.” He sighed, his lips lifting into a rueful grin. “I suppose I shouldn’t even bother with the violin music. See what happens when I try to do this right?”
“Do what right?”
“Seduce you.”
“Ix-nay on the beach sex.” She shuddered. “Sand in very uncomfortable places, plus, hello!
Chafing much?”
His eyes turned gold. “How do you know that?”
Sarah smirked. “I’m sorry, Gabe. Were you a virgin when you came back to Halle?”
His cheeks flushed, the gold in his eyes dying down to sparkles. “Point taken, and we’ll never mention it again.” He lifted the bottle. “You told me that you wanted me to take you on dates, show you what you mean to me.”
Sarah nodded. “I did.”
“So what did I do wrong?”
“This, it just isn’t you.” She waved her hand at their surroundings. “It’s beautiful, and wonderful, but…” She sighed. “I want the real Gabe to show me what I mean to him.”
One dark brow rose, his lips curving in a wicked smile that had her nipples hard in seconds. “Be careful what you wish for, baby.”
She gasped as the ground shifted beneath her. Suddenly she was on her knees in the middle of a wide bed, her arms cuffed over her head. A chain connected to those cuffs rose to a wood beam high in the white ceiling. She still wore the red dress, but the straps were no longer on her shoulders. Instead, it pooled at her hips, exposing her bared breasts to Gabe’s intense gaze.