“So what are you waiting for, woman? Come on,” he encouraged, grabbing her hand to pull her toward the stairs.
Chloe laughed at his impatience as she followed him.
“You have me where you want me. Now what are you going to do with me?” Gabe asked lazily, staring up at her with a devilish look on his face.
Chloe sighed as she stretched out next to him on the bed, both of them completely naked. She was more comfortable with her body now, and the instinct to hide what nature had given her was no longer an issue…thanks to Gabe. When a man looked at a woman the way he looked at her, it was hard to be self-conscious.
Lying on her side, she propped a hand under her head and looked at him stretched out comfortably on his back. She was relaxed after a long bath, having lain in Gabe’s arms until the warm water had started to grow cold, just experiencing the incredible feeling of being with him.
They hadn’t talked much during their bath, but they hadn’t needed to. Being together again was enough.
She smiled at him. “Did I say I want you flat on your back in bed?”
“You told me I needed to be in bed. I’m here. So now what?” he asked mischievously.
She had told him he needed to be in bed. He looked exhausted, and he was injured. “You need sleep. I can see the dark circles under your eyes.”
“Something about losing the woman who means everything to me isn’t real conducive to getting any sleep,” he told her huskily, reaching out to fondle a lock of her hair. “But I tried by downing a bottle of whiskey. Still didn’t work.”
He’d drank that much and hadn’t slept? No wonder he looked worn-out. Chloe had gotten a cold pack for his jaw and she’d kept it positioned during their bath. The swelling was going down, but now she could see that he was going to have some painful contusions tomorrow. They were already starting to form.
She’d taken more time with his hand, checking over the cuts carefully for any glass. After putting some more antibiotic ointment on the lacerations, she wrapped his palm up again. The worse cut was right beneath his fingers; the rest were superficial. The cut above his eye was small but deep, and he’d probably end up with a tiny scar.
“One sign of infection or pain, and you’re going to the hospital,” Chloe warned him, annoyed because he refused to be seen by a doctor. Stubborn man! “What really happened to your hand?”
“I think that glass table in the living room tried to attack me. I had to punch it, and it broke,” Gabe told her, deadpan, trying to be a smartass.
Chloe’s heart squeezed. “You were angry,” she concluded. “Mad at me because I lied to you on the phone.”
“I was angry,” he said with remembered pain. “But I was mostly pretty much destroyed. My heart was shattered, and I wasn’t thinking.”
“I’m so sorry,” she told him remorsefully, lifting her free hand to lightly stroke his cheek.
“It’s not your fault. I was being stupid. You’re never the cause of a person’s actions, Chloe. I’m responsible for the dumbass things I do.”
She’d wondered what had happened to that pretty glass table in the living room. Now she knew.
“Me, too.” She laid her head on his chest carefully and he continued to play with her hair. “I just wish that my actions before I met you didn’t affect you so much. I hate that.”
“It’s over, Chloe, and none of it was your fault. I say we take a break for a while. Let’s go somewhere, see things that maybe we’ve always wanted to see but never had a chance,” he suggested emphatically. “I never really traveled much, and neither have you. I tried to pick up the reins for Dad right after he died, and you spent all of your adult years in school. Let’s travel.”
Oh, God, it was a tempting offer. She loved the ranch, but she hoped they had decades to spend here. She’d love to complete her healing by traveling the world with Gabe beside her. “But what about the ranch?”
He shrugged. “I can bring in all the help I need. Cal will know where I am. He can always reach me.”
“Will I still have a job when we get back?” she teased. He’d have to get a temporary vet on the premises.
“Absolutely,” he answered earnestly. “I wouldn’t have anyone else by my side on this ranch but you. I can get somebody to fill in.”
“I think it would be incredible if we could arrange it,” she agreed, already imagining being someplace warm and beautiful as the Colorado winter set in. “I’ve heard Thailand is nice this time of year.”
“Done. I’ll arrange it tomorrow. We’ll start there and then play it by ear.” He ran a comforting hand up and down her back.
“Tomorrow? When exactly do you want to leave?” They couldn’t exactly just pick up and go, could they?
“Baby, we’re both billionaires. There’s very little that we can’t do. When do you want to leave?”
Chloe heard the boyish excitement in his voice, and it made her smile. She was ready to begin their adventure any time they could arrange it. They’d both been so very responsible their entire lives. It was time to play. “Soon,” she answered simply.
“Your mama is going to want you married to me before I take you all over the world with me,” Gabe warned her.
“Then let’s get married. I already have a beautiful ring,” she answered dreamily.
“Sweetheart, I’d marry you tomorrow, but this is something you need to be ready for. I’m not pushing. You’re mine, you’re wearing my ring, and that’s enough for me until you’re entirely sure you’re ready.” His voice was sincere.