knelt down so they were at eye level. His gaze held hers and steadied her nerves.
“Remember when you chewed me out after we killed that Viri demon in your parking lot?”
She nodded and made no move to unfasten her seat belt.
“You told me you weren’t a victim.” He reached for her hand. His rough fingers soothed her as she tightened her grip. “Don’t let that attack hold you back from living.”
He glanced toward the house. His hair brushed along his shoulder. It looked silky. She wanted to run her fingers through it.
Gabe met her eyes again. “That’s no demon in there. It’s your mom.” He squeezed her hand. “We can do this. Are you in?”
Staring at this man, this “demon slayer,” holding his hand… It didn’t feel like a simple birthday party at her parent’s house. If she got out of the car, her mother would be thrilled. The truth never had to come out. But if she got out of the car, she would be closer to Gabe than she’d been to a man since that night.
Maybe she was more of a victim than she’d realized.
Finally, Tegan nodded and unfastened her belt. “I’m in.”
Gabe helped her out of the Mustang and she handed him the flowers while they walked to the front door. Before he rang the bell, he smiled down at her. “It’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”
“Remember, no PDA.”
His crooked smile made her heart flip. “Not unless you start it.”
“Not a chance.” Her anxiety eased up, and a grin caught her by surprise.
Gabe pressed the doorbell. A moment later her mom opened the door and bubbled over with joy and hugs. “Tegan! I’m so glad you’re here.”
Tegan held tight to her mom, breathing her in. “Me too, Mom.”
Her mother pulled back, holding her at arm’s length. “You look beautiful. You’re glowing.”
Her cheeks flushed with heat. “Thanks.” She glanced over at Gabe. “Oh, Mom, this is my friend, Gabe.” Her mother’s attention shifted. “Gabe, this is my mom, Nancy.”
He offered her the flowers. “It’s great to meet you, Mrs. Ashton.”
Her mom took the bouquet of daisies and sunflowers and grinned up at him. “They’re gorgeous. Thank you. Please come in…”
Tegan stepped over the threshold, Gabe’s warm hand at the back of her waist. Instead of making her tense, his touch steadied her again, reminding her she wasn’t alone. He’d be right beside her if she needed him.
Because I hired him. He’s doing his job.
Her parents’ large living room featured a wall of glass that overlooked the La Costa golf course, with a massive slate fireplace opposite. The room was full of mostly familiar faces. Her parents’ friends from the club, some of the women from the children’s charity her mother helped run, and a couple of her father’s business partners.
“Where’s Dad?”
“Oh, your father is on the patio with the caterers.” She touched Tegan’s wrist, encouraging her toward the crowd. “He’ll be in soon.”
Tegan tensed as the partygoers looked her way. They’d wonder if she was all right now. There would be pity and sympathy in their eyes. This was too much.
She started to pull away from her mom, and Gabe stepped in just in time. “I’ve heard so much about Mr. Ashton. I’d love to meet him.”
Nancy turned, and Tegan swore she saw stars in her mom’s eyes. “All right. I’ll hold off the guests a little longer.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Once they were out of earshot, she glanced up at Gabe. “Good save.”
He ran his fingers slowly up her back, sending chills through her body. “Temporary diversion.”
“Still counts.” She opened the French doors.
Gabe followed her out into the fully decorated, candlelit patio area. “Wow.”
Round tables draped in autumn shades of rust, gold, and brown filled the space. Each table had a vase with a fresh-cut sunflower, surrounded by tea light candles that warmed the entire patio area. The caterers were finishing up with the place settings, and her father stood nearby,
“Remember when you chewed me out after we killed that Viri demon in your parking lot?”
She nodded and made no move to unfasten her seat belt.
“You told me you weren’t a victim.” He reached for her hand. His rough fingers soothed her as she tightened her grip. “Don’t let that attack hold you back from living.”
He glanced toward the house. His hair brushed along his shoulder. It looked silky. She wanted to run her fingers through it.
Gabe met her eyes again. “That’s no demon in there. It’s your mom.” He squeezed her hand. “We can do this. Are you in?”
Staring at this man, this “demon slayer,” holding his hand… It didn’t feel like a simple birthday party at her parent’s house. If she got out of the car, her mother would be thrilled. The truth never had to come out. But if she got out of the car, she would be closer to Gabe than she’d been to a man since that night.
Maybe she was more of a victim than she’d realized.
Finally, Tegan nodded and unfastened her belt. “I’m in.”
Gabe helped her out of the Mustang and she handed him the flowers while they walked to the front door. Before he rang the bell, he smiled down at her. “It’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”
“Remember, no PDA.”
His crooked smile made her heart flip. “Not unless you start it.”
“Not a chance.” Her anxiety eased up, and a grin caught her by surprise.
Gabe pressed the doorbell. A moment later her mom opened the door and bubbled over with joy and hugs. “Tegan! I’m so glad you’re here.”
Tegan held tight to her mom, breathing her in. “Me too, Mom.”
Her mother pulled back, holding her at arm’s length. “You look beautiful. You’re glowing.”
Her cheeks flushed with heat. “Thanks.” She glanced over at Gabe. “Oh, Mom, this is my friend, Gabe.” Her mother’s attention shifted. “Gabe, this is my mom, Nancy.”
He offered her the flowers. “It’s great to meet you, Mrs. Ashton.”
Her mom took the bouquet of daisies and sunflowers and grinned up at him. “They’re gorgeous. Thank you. Please come in…”
Tegan stepped over the threshold, Gabe’s warm hand at the back of her waist. Instead of making her tense, his touch steadied her again, reminding her she wasn’t alone. He’d be right beside her if she needed him.
Because I hired him. He’s doing his job.
Her parents’ large living room featured a wall of glass that overlooked the La Costa golf course, with a massive slate fireplace opposite. The room was full of mostly familiar faces. Her parents’ friends from the club, some of the women from the children’s charity her mother helped run, and a couple of her father’s business partners.
“Where’s Dad?”
“Oh, your father is on the patio with the caterers.” She touched Tegan’s wrist, encouraging her toward the crowd. “He’ll be in soon.”
Tegan tensed as the partygoers looked her way. They’d wonder if she was all right now. There would be pity and sympathy in their eyes. This was too much.
She started to pull away from her mom, and Gabe stepped in just in time. “I’ve heard so much about Mr. Ashton. I’d love to meet him.”
Nancy turned, and Tegan swore she saw stars in her mom’s eyes. “All right. I’ll hold off the guests a little longer.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Once they were out of earshot, she glanced up at Gabe. “Good save.”
He ran his fingers slowly up her back, sending chills through her body. “Temporary diversion.”
“Still counts.” She opened the French doors.
Gabe followed her out into the fully decorated, candlelit patio area. “Wow.”
Round tables draped in autumn shades of rust, gold, and brown filled the space. Each table had a vase with a fresh-cut sunflower, surrounded by tea light candles that warmed the entire patio area. The caterers were finishing up with the place settings, and her father stood nearby,
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