the handle.
* * *
Ethan’s gut churned with about twenty different emotions as he guided Gabby back through the reception area. He didn’t like the idea of an ex following her to Haven. And he sure as hell didn’t like her ex working here at Off-the-Grid. Ethan hadn’t hired him directly—he’d hired Sinclair and Sons, now run by the oldest son, Martin, a longtime friend of his.
He’d be letting Martin know that Gabby’s ex wasn’t welcome on his property. But first things first. He and Gabby needed to have a little chat. No matter that he wanted in her pants in the worst way, she’d kissed him in front of Gram, and there was no undoing that.
“Gabby?” one of Martin’s men—presumably her ex—said. Schmuck.
She tensed. “Brad, what in the world are you doing here?”
The schmuck glowered as Ethan slung an arm protectively around her shoulders. “Can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?” Brad asked.
“We were just on our way out,” Ethan said, drawing her a little closer against him. She’s mine, buddy, so back the fuck off.
“Please? Gabby?” The schmuck ignored Ethan entirely.
She ducked her head while Ethan guided her out the front door. They were down the front steps and headed for the Jeep when Brad came running after them. “Wait up.”
“The lady said no,” Ethan said coolly.
Brad scowled at him. “Actually, you did. I’m still waiting to hear from Gabby.”
She lifted her chin. “I have nothing to say to you, Brad.”
“Well, I do. Tell your boyfriend to wait in the car,” Brad said.
“Watch yourself,” Ethan warned him. “I don’t like the way you’re looking at my girl, especially not while you’re on my dime.”
The schmuck balked at that. “Hey, man, I don’t want any trouble. Gabby and I go way back. I just wanted to catch up is all.”
“Is that all?” Ethan stepped closer.
“This is ridiculous. Let’s go, Ethan.” Gabby marched toward his Jeep, showing a burst of temper he hadn’t yet seen from her, but he liked it. Hell, he liked pretty much everything about her.
Except her ex.
“Want me to put the top on?” he asked as they reached the Jeep.
She shook her head as she climbed into the passenger’s seat. He got in and cranked the engine, turning right onto Mountain Breeze Road, headed in the opposite direction of downtown Haven.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Silver Springs. Next town over. We need to talk, and there’s no place to eat in Haven where I don’t know half the staff.”
She nodded, her jaw set. The wind whipped through her long hair, billowing it behind her and tossing strands in her face.
“Sure you don’t want me to put the top on?” he asked.
She bent and rummaged in her purse. She came up with an elastic and tied her hair back with it. “What was with the caveman act back there?”
“Excuse me?”
“You,” she said, “acting all caveman protective in front of Brad.”
“You’re the one who wanted him to think we were together.” But the truth was, he’d have done it anyway. The schmuck really pissed him off, and he’d felt the need to mark his territory where Gabby was concerned. If that made him a caveman, then so be it.
She chewed her bottom lip. “I can take care of myself.”
“I have no doubt.” And that was the truth. “But Brad works for the contractor I hired, and that makes what he does on my property my business.”
She didn’t object to that, just sat there as the wind whipped her ponytail, looking so goddamn gorgeous it was all he could do not to pull over to the side of the road and kiss her the way he’d wanted to since he first laid eyes on her. Wild and untamed, not quick and chaste like the kiss they’d shared earlier.
“You like Mexican?” he asked as he guided the Jeep over the winding roads between Haven and Silver Springs.
She nodded. He drove to a little Mexican place off the beaten path where they could talk without worrying about any town gossips
* * *
Ethan’s gut churned with about twenty different emotions as he guided Gabby back through the reception area. He didn’t like the idea of an ex following her to Haven. And he sure as hell didn’t like her ex working here at Off-the-Grid. Ethan hadn’t hired him directly—he’d hired Sinclair and Sons, now run by the oldest son, Martin, a longtime friend of his.
He’d be letting Martin know that Gabby’s ex wasn’t welcome on his property. But first things first. He and Gabby needed to have a little chat. No matter that he wanted in her pants in the worst way, she’d kissed him in front of Gram, and there was no undoing that.
“Gabby?” one of Martin’s men—presumably her ex—said. Schmuck.
She tensed. “Brad, what in the world are you doing here?”
The schmuck glowered as Ethan slung an arm protectively around her shoulders. “Can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?” Brad asked.
“We were just on our way out,” Ethan said, drawing her a little closer against him. She’s mine, buddy, so back the fuck off.
“Please? Gabby?” The schmuck ignored Ethan entirely.
She ducked her head while Ethan guided her out the front door. They were down the front steps and headed for the Jeep when Brad came running after them. “Wait up.”
“The lady said no,” Ethan said coolly.
Brad scowled at him. “Actually, you did. I’m still waiting to hear from Gabby.”
She lifted her chin. “I have nothing to say to you, Brad.”
“Well, I do. Tell your boyfriend to wait in the car,” Brad said.
“Watch yourself,” Ethan warned him. “I don’t like the way you’re looking at my girl, especially not while you’re on my dime.”
The schmuck balked at that. “Hey, man, I don’t want any trouble. Gabby and I go way back. I just wanted to catch up is all.”
“Is that all?” Ethan stepped closer.
“This is ridiculous. Let’s go, Ethan.” Gabby marched toward his Jeep, showing a burst of temper he hadn’t yet seen from her, but he liked it. Hell, he liked pretty much everything about her.
Except her ex.
“Want me to put the top on?” he asked as they reached the Jeep.
She shook her head as she climbed into the passenger’s seat. He got in and cranked the engine, turning right onto Mountain Breeze Road, headed in the opposite direction of downtown Haven.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Silver Springs. Next town over. We need to talk, and there’s no place to eat in Haven where I don’t know half the staff.”
She nodded, her jaw set. The wind whipped through her long hair, billowing it behind her and tossing strands in her face.
“Sure you don’t want me to put the top on?” he asked.
She bent and rummaged in her purse. She came up with an elastic and tied her hair back with it. “What was with the caveman act back there?”
“Excuse me?”
“You,” she said, “acting all caveman protective in front of Brad.”
“You’re the one who wanted him to think we were together.” But the truth was, he’d have done it anyway. The schmuck really pissed him off, and he’d felt the need to mark his territory where Gabby was concerned. If that made him a caveman, then so be it.
She chewed her bottom lip. “I can take care of myself.”
“I have no doubt.” And that was the truth. “But Brad works for the contractor I hired, and that makes what he does on my property my business.”
She didn’t object to that, just sat there as the wind whipped her ponytail, looking so goddamn gorgeous it was all he could do not to pull over to the side of the road and kiss her the way he’d wanted to since he first laid eyes on her. Wild and untamed, not quick and chaste like the kiss they’d shared earlier.
“You like Mexican?” he asked as he guided the Jeep over the winding roads between Haven and Silver Springs.
She nodded. He drove to a little Mexican place off the beaten path where they could talk without worrying about any town gossips
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