Page 83 of This Could be Love

I shook my head and grinned. “Because it would be impossible for me to concentrate.”

The next moment he’d pulled me against him. Our lips met in a tender kiss, and a feeling of warmth flowed through me. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against his shoulder. With a deep breath, I inhaled his scent.

“So, see you tomorrow?” he asked, once we’d separated after what felt like half an eternity.

“Hmm,” I murmured dreamily.

He nodded contentedly. “Then good night, Cinderella.”

“Why Cinderella?”

“Because you always take off at the most wonderful moment.” He smiled, and right then I couldn’t have taken my eyes off him even if fireworks had lit up the sky.

I smiled and planted one last kiss upon his lips.

* * *

With a rapturous smile and wobbly knees, I made it up the stairs to the house a short time later. On the last few steps, I heard voices and paused. Only fragments reached my ear, but it was clearly a kind of argument. And if I wasn’t mistaken, the second voice belonged to Gabe. What was he doing here so late? Just as I reached the top of the stairs, I saw him disappear into the house. Kay was sitting at the table, staring at her almost empty wineglass. A second one was right next to it. It took me a moment to assess the situation, but I quickly felt like a voyeur. Clearing my throat, I drew attention to myself. Kay looked up.

“Hey,” I said hesitantly.

She forced a smile. “Hello.”

“Was that Gabe just a moment ago?” I asked carefully.

“Yeah, he…dropped by.”

“Did you all have an argument?”

She blinked.

“Sorry, it was kind of impossible to miss.”

Instead of replying, she finished off her wine. “Did you have a nice evening?”

“Yeah,” I said, unsure of whether to let her get away with it or not. “What were you arguing about?”

“Oh”—she waved her hand—“nothing.”

Even though I knew it wasn’t any of my business, I couldn’t let it go.

“Didn’t sound like nothing.”

“Lou.” She sighed.

“Why are you so dead set against it?”

Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. “What?”

“It’s so obvious that there’s something between you two. You and Gabe.”

“There’s nothing there.” She looked off to the side.

“Why not? You laugh a lot more often when he’s around. And when he looks at you, then…”

“Lou!” she interrupted more sharply than usual. “You and I are not about to start discussing my love life.” Her look made it clear that she wasn’t going to go into detail about what the argument had been about, so I let it go. “I’m going to bed,” she said, reaching for the empty glasses. “Good night.”

“Good night,” I mumbled, but she was already gone.