Serenity gave Dana a quick hug. “Aw, that’s so sweet, but it’s easy and you can make it yourself.”

  Dana slanted her a sidelong glance. “Bite your tongue. I work on cars and play piano. The kitchen is not my domain. I’ve got the basics down and that’s it.”

  Serenity laughed. “If you can fix a car, you can make whipped cream.”

  Terri came back to the table. “I meant to ask you about your yard, Serenity. It looks good. Did everything get straightened out with the mowing company?”

  How did this conversation end up back on Gabriel? She was trying to keep him off her mind. “No. Gabriel did it earlier today.” She kept her eyes focused on her plate because she knew they’d see it as one more thing added to the list of why Gabriel would be a great catch. Finally, she glanced up and found them all smiling at her. “Don’t say one word.”

  “I wasn’t going to say anything,” Natasha said with feigned innocence.

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “Not too many guys would mow your grass just because. Gabriel might be a keeper.” Natasha dropped her head and shoved a spoonful of strawberry shortcake into her mouth.

  Serenity eyed her friend.

  “That’s more than one word, so you can’t get mad.”

  “Smart aleck.” If only she’d met Gabriel before her ex. At this point the jury was still out on whether Serenity could risk opening herself up completely to another man, no matter how much she liked him.

  Chapter 16

  Gabriel woke up bleary-eyed Sunday morning and peered at the nightstand clock. He’d stumbled to bed at 5:00 a.m., which meant he’d gotten a whole four hours of sleep. He rolled over onto his back and blew out a long breath. He couldn’t keep his mind from wandering to the woman who’d invaded his dreams for the past few nights. Dreams so erotic, he’d had a difficult time convincing himself they weren’t real. Gabriel thought by working himself to exhaustion he’d be too tired to dream, but that wasn’t the case. No amount of cold showers, running, or any other form of exercising had helped. As he lay there, he decided distance be damned, he was going to see Serenity today.

  He drifted off to sleep for another hour, then got up to shower, dress, and find some food. Gabriel surveyed the meager contents of his refrigerator and realized he should probably go grocery shopping. Whenever he got focused on programming, everything else took a back seat, including food. There had been times when he’d gone an entire day without eating. Since being here, he’d done a better job of eating on a somewhat regular schedule. Until now. Closing the door, he went to put his shoes on. He’d pick up breakfast from Ms. Ida’s place, stop at the ice cream parlor, and grocery shop afterward.

  Once outside, his gaze automatically traveled to Serenity’s house. Without stopping to think about what he was doing, Gabriel crossed the yard and rang her doorbell.

  “Gabriel. Hey,” Serenity said, clearly surprised to see him.

  “Good morning.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  He nodded. “I was on my way to Ms. Ida’s for a late breakfast and wanted to know if you’d like to come with me.”

  A smile played around her mouth. “Any other time I’d be game, but I just made batter for waffles. You’re welcome to join me, if you like.”

  Gabriel laughed. “I’ve never turned down a great meal, and I know yours will be exactly that. Do you need me to run home for anything?”

  “Nope.” She held the door open for him to enter, then led him to the kitchen. “I have everything for a lazy Sunday brunch—scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and my homemade waffles.”

  On cue, his stomach growled. “What made you decide to make waffles? Not that I’m complaining.”

  “Somebody’s hungry,” she said with a chuckle. “I’ve been craving them for the past few weeks.”

  “Let me wash my hands and you can put me to work.” He had no problem working for his breakfast. And he enjoyed cooking with her.

  Serenity handed him a paper towel to dry his hands. “You can handle the bacon and the fruit. Just use this plate for the fruit.” She had halves of a cantaloupe and watermelon, grapes, strawberries, and a pineapple.

  “Got it.”

  “Do you mind if I put on some music?”

  “Of course not.” Serenity walked over to her phone, punched a few buttons, and Jill Scott’s powerhouse voice poured through the portable speaker on the counter. Gabriel bobbed his head in time with the music as he sliced and diced the fruit. Once he finished, he joined Serenity at the stove, where she was adding brown and white sugar, a little salt, and water to a pot. “What are you making?”

  “Vanilla maple syrup.”

  “Wait. You make your own syrup?” This woman never failed to amaze him.

  “It’s good, too,” Serenity said with a little dance move in time with the beat. “And the best part is that it doesn’t take long to make.”

  Smiling, Gabriel swung her out and moved his body in sync with hers. They danced for a minute, and then she went back to the stove. He watched in fascination as she brought the mixture to a boil, then turned it off and added maple extract. She grabbed another bottle from the cabinet. “What’s in there?”

  “Vanilla extract.” She measured and added the liquid to the pot, then gave it a little stir. “That’s it.”

  “Wow. That entire process took less than ten minutes. Where did you buy your vanilla extract from? I’ve never seen it in that kind of container.” He held the bottle up in the light and noticed the long brown stems inside. He opened the lid and smelled. “Vanilla beans?”

  “Yep. And I didn’t buy it. I made it,” she said, dancing her way back over to the waffle maker. “It’s far cheaper these days with the price of extract going up in the stores.”

  He whipped his head in her direction. “I don’t even know what to say. You are truly an amazing woman. I’d love the recipe to the syrup and extract, if you don’t mind sharing.”

  “Sure.” Serenity sidled up next to him. “But if you tell my secrets, I’m never feeding you again.”

  Gabriel threw his head back and laughed. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her temple. “Baby, that’s a serious threat, and as much as I love eating your food, I’m taking these recipes to the grave.”

  She joined his laughter, and it took them a few minutes to calm down. He’d missed being with her this way. He stroked a finger down her cheek. His gaze drifted to her mouth, and memories of kissing her flooded his mind—the plush softness of her lips, the sweet taste on his tongue. He had to kiss her again. He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. He’d meant it to be only a quick one, but the moment their lips connected, he was lost. Passion erupted, and he gathered her closer. Gabriel left her lips to trail kisses over her jaw, along her throat and the portion of her chest visible above her sleeveless top. Reaching up, he cupped her face and reclaimed her mouth. She gripped his shirt, meeting him stroke for stroke. He groaned. Feeling himself on the brink of losing control, he eased back.

  “Um…we’re supposed to be cooking.”

  They were cooking in his mind. With her eyes still closed and her lips moist from his kisses, she made an alluring picture, tempting him to have one more taste. His stomach growled again, ending the interlude. “I guess I should start on the bacon.”

  “And these waffles and eggs aren’t going to cook themselves.”

  She gave him a smile that stirred something deep in his belly. He momentarily froze. What the hell is going on? He had never experienced these kinds of crazy emotions with a woman, particularly one he’d known only a short time. He dropped his hands, and Serenity backed out of his embrace.

  Gabriel turned to the counter and busied himself with his tasks. They worked in companionable silence as Jill, along with Anthony Hamilton, sang about being so in love. “I take it you’re a fan of Jill Scott.”

  She placed a done waffle onto a cookie sheet and placed it in the warmer drawer on the oven. “I love her music.”

  “I was checking out things to do in the Bay Area and saw that she’ll be at Yoshi’s in Oakland next weekend.”

  “Are you serious? I’ve been trying to catch her in concert.”

  She’d just given him the opening he needed to ask her out again. “If tickets are still available, would you like to go?”

  “Yes,” she said, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

  “I’ll check and see while we’re eating.” He turned his attention back to the bacon and transferred the crisp strips to a paper towel to drain. Minutes later, they filled their plates, got glasses of orange juice, and took everything out to her deck. Serenity went back inside to bring out the warm syrup. Gabriel seated her, then went around the table and took his own chair. He was eager to try the waffles and the syrup. First he ate a piece of the fluffy waffle plain. It was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and slightly sweet. And delicious. Next he added the syrup. Unable to resist, he dipped his finger in for a taste before sampling them together. It was so good, he couldn’t stop a groan. He glanced up to find Serenity watching him with a quiet smile. “This is the best syrup I’ve ever had, and I’m never eating the store-bought ones again.”

  Serenity smiled. “It really is hard to go back once you’ve tried it. I can’t remember the last time I bought some. Jellies and jams, either, for that matter.”

  Gabriel paused with a forkful of eggs halfway to his mouth. “You make your own jams, too?”

  She nodded and wiggled her eyebrows. “I see that gleam in your eyes. I take it you’d like to try some.”

  The corner of his mouth kicked up in a grin. “Hey, I can’t help it. You know how I feel about food.”

  Chuckling, she rose to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”

  While she was gone, he took out his phone and checked to see about the concert tickets. He smiled when he saw they hadn’t sold out and quickly purchased two tickets. Briefly, he considered booking them a room for the night but changed his mind. He was already in too deep, and since he hadn’t made any concrete decisions about the future of their relationship, he didn’t think it would be a good idea.

  “I have some strawberry jam you can try,” Serenity said, setting a saucer with a slice of buttered toast, a knife, and a jar in front of him, then reclaiming her chair.

  Gabriel spread some of the jam on the bread and took a hefty bite. He shook his head. “You’re killing me here, Serenity. How am I supposed to go back to the other stuff after this?”

  With a pleased look on her face, she bit off a piece of bacon. “Since you were nice enough to do my yard, you can take a jar home.”

  “Thanks. Oh, I got us tickets to the concert. I chose Saturday as opposed to Friday night, so you won’t have to worry about rushing after work.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “Maybe we can make a day of it and have dinner beforehand. The concert starts at seven thirty.”

  “If we can go to Everett and Jones in Jack London Square, you have a deal. I have a taste for some barbecue.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me.” They finished eating, and Gabriel helped Serenity clean up. Bringing her into the circle of his arms, he asked, “What are your plans for the rest of your day?”

  “Relaxing for the most part, but I am going over to Splendid Scoops for some ice cream.”

  “Great minds think alike. I’d planned to do the same. Want to go now?” Serenity hesitated, and he wondered if she was still uncomfortable with them being seen together in town.

  “That’s fine. Let me change my shoes and we can leave.” Serenity came up on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his lips.

  Gabriel quickly took over the kiss, slipping his tongue between her parted lips. His tongue moved deep in her mouth, staking its claim, causing her to moan. Too ravenous to be gentle, he devoured her mouth with an intensity that stunned him. But he couldn’t stop. Her hands burned a path across his chest and wound around his neck. She gripped the back of his head and held him in place. Each stroke of her tongue against his brought him closer and closer to the brink of losing control. And Gabriel never lost control. A moment later, she released him.

  “I’ll only be a second,” she murmured and strolled out of the kitchen.

  He nodded and resisted the urge to pull her back into his arms for another kiss. When she was out of sight, he scrubbed a hand down his face. Yeah, we need to get out of this house.

  * * *

  In her bedroom, Serenity dropped down on the side of the bed and drew in a deep, steadying breath. Gabriel’s kisses always seemed to make her lose all reason.

  One week. It had been one whole week since she’d seen Gabriel after they’d shared a night of pleasure she hadn’t been able to erase from her mind. She hadn’t been prepared for the sensations that engulfed her then and had done her best to avoid seeing him because she needed to think about what it meant. Common sense told her now would be a good time to cut her losses, but how much she enjoyed being with him almost guaranteed she’d ignore that little piece of wisdom. Hence she’d invited him to breakfast and was now going into town with him for ice cream.

  Serenity had been tempted to lead him to the bedroom to do just what Dana suggested—enjoy every sensual moment until he left. Shaking herself mentally, she stood and exchanged her flip-flops for a pair of low-heeled black sandals. She grabbed her purse and keys, then went back to the kitchen. Gabriel was standing at the sliding glass door with his hands stuck in his pockets, staring outside. She took a minute to study his tall, slim build. The navy tee he wore molded to his well-defined chest, abs, and arms, and his gray basketball shorts accentuated a firm, muscular butt that she could probably bounce a quarter off. As if sensing her presence, he turned and smiled. Her pulse skipped.

  “Ready?”

  “Yep.” He followed her out the front door, waiting until she locked it, then led her over to his car. Once they were on the road, she asked, “Are you going to be working today? You’ve been putting in a lot of hours.”

  “I have been working a lot this past week. I should probably take the day off and pick it up tomorrow.”

  “You absolutely should. You can’t keep working twenty-four-seven and not expect to get burned out at some point.”

  “You’re right. I’m going to try to decrease my hours this week.”

  Serenity patted him on the thigh. “Good choice. You can’t be productive if you’re so tired you can’t see straight, and I suspect with what you do, making mistakes means a redo.”

  Gabriel laughed softly. “Okay, you’ve made your point.”

  She smiled and resumed staring out the window. Less than ten minutes later, he parked a block away from the shop. As they walked up the street, she was struck by how different they were acting with each other now. Last weekend, everywhere they went, Gabriel held her hand, guided her with his hand on her back, or touched her in some gentle but possessive way. Today he walked at her side with a good foot between them and kept his hands to himself. Serenity knew it was because she’d told him she didn’t want the townspeople in her business or to speculate on their relationship. But she missed the connection. You can’t have it both ways, that irritating inner voice reminded her. She called out and returned greetings to the people she knew and did her best to ignore the speculative glances.

  Gabriel opened the door to the shop and gestured her inside. “I guess everybody else had the same idea.” A good fifteen people waited in line.

  “It’s been like this on the weekends since I moved here. It’s only one. If we came around dinnertime, there would be twice the number of people here.”

  He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “What flavor are you getting?”

  She shivered at his closeness. “Um…just vanilla this time to go with the apple pie I made last night.”

  His eyes lit up, and a smile spread across his face.

  “Yes, I’ll share.” He took a step as if he was going to kiss her but seemingly remembered where they were and quickly turned away. Serenity’s heart rate kicked up, and she took a furtive glance around to see if anyone had noticed. She relaxed when she saw everyone engaged in their own conversations and not paying attention to her.

  “Ms. Wheeler!”

  Serenity spun around just as Brianna launched herself at her and wrapped her small arms around her waist. She hugged the little girl and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “How are you, Brianna?”

  “I’m good. Mommy is getting me ice cream because I finished reading my book.”

  “That’s wonderful. You’ll have to tell me all about it next time I see you.” She shifted slightly and spoke to Brianna’s mother. “Hey, Pam.”

  “Hi, Serenity. Good to see you.”

  “Good to see you, too.” Pam divided a curious glance between Serenity and Gabriel, and Serenity made the introductions. “Pam, this is Gabriel Cunningham. Gabriel, this is Pam.”

  “Nice to meet you, Pam,” Gabriel said.

  “Same here, Gabriel. Are you new in town?”

  “I’ve been here for a couple of months. And who is this little one?”

  “This is my daughter, Brianna. Brianna, say hello to Mr. Cunningham.”

  “Hi, Mr. Cunni…cummi…You have a big name.”

  Gabriel chuckled and squatted down to Brianna’s level. “How about you call me Mr. C. That’s easier. It’s very nice to meet you, Brianna.”

  She shook his outstretched hand and shyly said, “Okay. Hi, Mr. C.”

  “Brianna, Mr. Cunningham is Mrs. Williams’s grandson. Do you remember the lady who gave you the candy when you were at the doctor’s office?”

  She bounced up and down. “Yes. She was nice.” Brianna looked up at Gabriel. “I like your grandma. When you see her, can you tell her I finished my book?”

  Smiling, he said, “I sure will. I’ve heard you have the best tea parties.”

  Her eyes widened, and she giggled, nodding vigorously. “I do. Ask Ms. Wheeler. She came to my house and she had a hat on. You can come next time.”

  Serenity’s heart warmed as she viewed the exchange.

  “Thanks for the invitation, but I didn’t know guys could go to a tea party.”

 

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