down, propping his boots up on the big oak coffee table. The condo was furnished in masculine colors: browns, dark greens and golds. Heavy oak furniture and overstuffed chairs, a throw rug in those same autumn colors covered the carpet beneath the antique oak coffee table.
There was a modern kitchen with marble countertops, twin guest rooms, each with its own bath, and a master bedroom with a big king-size bed. The place had everything he needed. But it was the sprawling Spanish-style ranch house in the Texas hills that felt like home.
Gabe took a sip of his scotch, leaned against the back of the sofa, thought of the kiss he had shared with Mattie Baker and tried not to imagine having her in his bed.
After a restless night and waking up with a throbbing headache, Mattie rolled wearily out of bed. Facing a long day at the office and needing to clear her head, she dressed in a pair of navy blue jogging shorts and a blue-and-white tank top. She liked to run early in the mornings, and after her sleepless night, she was desperate for some exercise. Pulling her hair back in a ponytail, she slipped her feet into a pair of running shoes and took off down the stairs.
The sun was up, the morning pleasant as fall moved closer. The breeze felt good on her face as she started along the sidewalk, easing into a steady rhythm. She told herself not to think of the cause of her sleepless night, not to think of Gabriel Raines and her unwanted attraction, tried not to remember his sensual kiss.
Eventually, the warmth of the morning sun began to seep through her and she started to relax. Picking up her pace, she padded along the sidewalk then stumbled at the sound of a deep male voice coming up beside her.
“I didn’t know you were a runner,” Gabe said, slowing his pace a little to match her shorter strides.
She took a deep breath and flicked him a sideways glance. “I’m not surprised to see that you are, since you obviously stay in shape. I am surprised to see you here.”
“Coincidence,” he said, and she cast him a look that made it clear she didn’t believe him.
“Well, sort of. I had you on my mind this morning and I kind of just found myself running in this direction. I didn’t think I’d see you, though.”
She shrugged. “I like to run. I spend a lot of time indoors. Running gets my blood flowing.”
“Mine, too,” he said a little gruffly, and she flicked him a sideways glance. Gabe always seemed to be thinking of sex and now that she had met him, she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about it, either.
They ran together for a while, the silence stretching out, growing more comfortable than she would have imagined as they jogged along at a steady pace. When her legs began to tire, she started to slow and Gabe slowed, as well. Perspiration made his T-shirt cling to the heavy muscles across his chest and shoulders, and a little shiver of awareness went through her.
She bent over and propped her hands on her knees, fighting to catch her breath. “I’ve got to get back,” she said. “I’ve got to get to work.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
Mattie had a feeling he could run twice this far and not be out of breath, but he had a job to do, just as she did.
“Haven’t changed your mind about supper, have you?” he asked.
She shook her head and hoped the truth didn’t show in her face. She wanted to go out with him. She wanted more of his sexy kisses, wanted to know if they could make her feel the way she had last night.
“Can I ask you a question?”
She eyed him warily. “I guess.”
“Are you afraid of all men, or is it just me?”
Mattie straightened. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, then maybe you’re just afraid of yourself.”
She started to argue, then wondered if maybe he was right. Because she really wanted to go to dinner with him and she couldn’t understand what was holding her back.
“Invitation’s still open,” he said. “If you say yes, I won’t press you to do
There was a modern kitchen with marble countertops, twin guest rooms, each with its own bath, and a master bedroom with a big king-size bed. The place had everything he needed. But it was the sprawling Spanish-style ranch house in the Texas hills that felt like home.
Gabe took a sip of his scotch, leaned against the back of the sofa, thought of the kiss he had shared with Mattie Baker and tried not to imagine having her in his bed.
After a restless night and waking up with a throbbing headache, Mattie rolled wearily out of bed. Facing a long day at the office and needing to clear her head, she dressed in a pair of navy blue jogging shorts and a blue-and-white tank top. She liked to run early in the mornings, and after her sleepless night, she was desperate for some exercise. Pulling her hair back in a ponytail, she slipped her feet into a pair of running shoes and took off down the stairs.
The sun was up, the morning pleasant as fall moved closer. The breeze felt good on her face as she started along the sidewalk, easing into a steady rhythm. She told herself not to think of the cause of her sleepless night, not to think of Gabriel Raines and her unwanted attraction, tried not to remember his sensual kiss.
Eventually, the warmth of the morning sun began to seep through her and she started to relax. Picking up her pace, she padded along the sidewalk then stumbled at the sound of a deep male voice coming up beside her.
“I didn’t know you were a runner,” Gabe said, slowing his pace a little to match her shorter strides.
She took a deep breath and flicked him a sideways glance. “I’m not surprised to see that you are, since you obviously stay in shape. I am surprised to see you here.”
“Coincidence,” he said, and she cast him a look that made it clear she didn’t believe him.
“Well, sort of. I had you on my mind this morning and I kind of just found myself running in this direction. I didn’t think I’d see you, though.”
She shrugged. “I like to run. I spend a lot of time indoors. Running gets my blood flowing.”
“Mine, too,” he said a little gruffly, and she flicked him a sideways glance. Gabe always seemed to be thinking of sex and now that she had met him, she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about it, either.
They ran together for a while, the silence stretching out, growing more comfortable than she would have imagined as they jogged along at a steady pace. When her legs began to tire, she started to slow and Gabe slowed, as well. Perspiration made his T-shirt cling to the heavy muscles across his chest and shoulders, and a little shiver of awareness went through her.
She bent over and propped her hands on her knees, fighting to catch her breath. “I’ve got to get back,” she said. “I’ve got to get to work.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
Mattie had a feeling he could run twice this far and not be out of breath, but he had a job to do, just as she did.
“Haven’t changed your mind about supper, have you?” he asked.
She shook her head and hoped the truth didn’t show in her face. She wanted to go out with him. She wanted more of his sexy kisses, wanted to know if they could make her feel the way she had last night.
“Can I ask you a question?”
She eyed him warily. “I guess.”
“Are you afraid of all men, or is it just me?”
Mattie straightened. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, then maybe you’re just afraid of yourself.”
She started to argue, then wondered if maybe he was right. Because she really wanted to go to dinner with him and she couldn’t understand what was holding her back.
“Invitation’s still open,” he said. “If you say yes, I won’t press you to do
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