Chapter 12
As Malisa poured herself a third cup of coffee, she couldn't understand why her love life was the subject of conversation for her family. Her sister and mother stood in the restaurant's kitchen talking about her as if she were not even there. The moment was just shy of baffling, the young woman bemused by the turn of events.
“I've dated only one guy who had an ex-wife, and she was a major witch,” Anitra was saying.
“You just came at the woman the wrong way,” Miss Etta interjected. “It's one thing when you just have to deal with the man. It's something different when he has kids.”
“Well, this guy didn't have any kids, and his ex was still a witch.”
“That's because he was still doing her,” Miss Etta stated emphatically. “That boy was lying to you and to her too. She had every reason to act a fool.”
Anitra shrugged. “Well, I didn't know that then. Do you think Gabriel is still doing his ex-wife?”
Miss Etta paused. “No. I don't think he's that kind of man. I think when he says things are over, they are over. Now, I could be wrong, but usually I'm a good judge of character.”
“Do either of you want to know what I think?” Malisa asked, looking from one to the other.
Anitra laughed. “No!”
Malisa rolled her eyes. “Well, something's not kosher. That woman called him at least twenty times yesterday. He insisted that she didn't want anything.”
“Was the boy with her? Maybe there was a problem with him. He shouldn't ignore her if it might be about their son.”
“No, his son was at a friend's house, and Gabriel called to make sure everything was well with Trey. The one and only time he did answer her call it was like the Inquisition. The woman gave him the third degree: Where are you? What are you doing? Who are you with?”
Miss Etta nodded. “Did he answer her?”
“No. He just asked her what she wanted. I don't know what she said, but he told her he was busy and would have to speak with her later, and then he hung up. She called back ten minutes later and she kept calling.”
Malisa's mother continued to nod, the woman's gray head bobbing slowly on her thick neck. Malisa had moved to the counter and was cracking eggs into a bowl.
“So what do you think the problem is?” Miss Etta asked, wanting to hear her daughter's assessment of the situation.
Malisa paused, reflecting back on her time with Gabriel. Everything about their afternoon together had been great. Nothing in his behavior had indicated he had any interest in his ex or what she thought or wanted. He'd been anxious to ensure that their good time hadn't been marred by the other woman's persistence, and Malisa had believed him when he'd said he was no longer interested in Delores Winn.
“I think she's just jealous,” Malisa finally said.
Anitra hummed. “Hmmmm . . .”
Their mother smiled ever so slightly. “It sounds like more than jealousy, Malisa. If you're the first woman Gabriel has had in his life since they divorced, or the first she's found out about, then she's probably very unhappy about the situation. Trust me when I tell you that an unhappy woman can be a boil on everyone else's behind. And an unhappy woman, who is also jealous, can be unpredictable. Just be careful and watch your back.”
Malisa shrugged. “What can she do? I'm sure if I leave her alone, she'll leave me alone too.”
Anitra cut an eye in her mother's direction, the two women both turning their gazes back to Malisa. “Well, better safe than sorry,” the older sister intoned. Never forget, baby sister, a jealous woman can be a crazy fool.”
Malisa laughed. “I don't think I'll have any problems, but if I do, I'm sure Gabriel will take control of the situation. She is his problem, after all, not mine.”
“Maybe,” Miss Etta said, “and maybe not. Gabriel may not have the control you think he has,” the woman said emphatically.
An hour later, Malisa was tossing her second batch of chocolate fondant into the trash can. Her focus was seriously compromised, and she couldn't begin to understand why she was having such a difficult time perfecting a recipe that was her trademark. Chocolate fondant had always been as easy for her to make as pie, and for the first time, her efforts actually felt laborious.
Gabriel had called minutes earlier to see how her day was going. Their conversation had been easy and comfortable, and as they'd made plans to connect later that evening, Malisa had been feeling on top of the world.
Her conversation with her mother and sister had been all but forgotten as she'd remembered her time with the man, his touch still burning hot against her skin. As thoughts of him consumed her mind, Malisa found herself in want of his touch, anxiously looking forward to the prospect of him and her being intimate with each other again. And then she'd ruined her second batch of fondant, tossing salt into the mixture when she should have added sugar.
Malisa had to admit that she liked the prospect of them becoming a couple. What she was feeling for Gabriel was about far more than the sexual attraction they had with each other. Admittedly, their intimate connection was off the charts, the man having awakened her inner tigress with a vengeance. She'd never known just how powerful that kind of connection could be with a man, and her connection with Gabriel was like nothing she'd ever known before. A quiver of heat coursed from her feminine spirit at the thought.
Across the room, Miss Etta was eyeing her with reservation. Malisa sensed there was something her mother wanted to say and that she was only waiting for the right opening. She met the older woman's stare but said nothing, not wanting to hear once again that she and Gabriel might want to be more concerned about how his child and that child's mother might be taking to their new relationship.
It was selfish of her, but Malisa didn't want to think about anything but her and Gabriel and what they wanted with and from each other. She wasn't interested in everyone else's opinion, especially if the couple was able to build something special between them. Malisa had begun to believe that what she was feeling was just short of love, and she didn't want anyone to spoil that for her. Malisa knew that loving Gabriel could be as easy as breathing if she let it be. And she couldn't imagine anyone who truly cared for the beautiful man not wanting him to be loved.
Â
Â
When Gabriel had asked her about her day, all Malisa could do was shake her head. The duo sat over dinner, enjoying a corner table at one of Gabriel's favorite eateries.
“Everything I tried to cook today failed. I had two cakes fall, ruined my buttercream icing, and put salt in the chocolate fondant. Today was not a good day!”
Gabriel chuckled. “What was going on with you?”
Malisa shrugged. “Thinking about you. I told you that you were a distraction,” she said, tossing him an easy smile.
Gabriel smiled back. “I'll own that. I had a little difficulty getting focused today myself. I kept thinking about dessert.”
“Dessert? Were you planning on ordering something special tonight?” Malisa asked.
“What I plan to eat is not on the menu here,” Gabriel said as he leaned forward in his seat, heat shimmering out of every pore. He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
A jolt of desire surged between Malisa's legs. She shifted back from him, fanning a hand in front of her.
“You're making it difficult to get through dinner,” Malisa finally responded, reaching for her glass of ice water.
The look she tossed him was enticing, the honeyglazed salmon on his plate not looking half as delectable.
He nodded in agreement. “I'll try to do a better job of behaving,” he concluded, drawing a forkful of risotto into his mouth.
“So, how is Trey? Is he enjoying his time off?”
Gabriel nodded. “He is. Naomi took him shopping today. It's their holiday ritual. She waits until after Christmas for the big sales and buys him twice what she would have purchased had she just gotten him a few gifts. It's crazy, but it works for the two of them.”
“Sounds like she enjoys spoiling her favorite nephew.”
“Too much! It makes me crazy because half the time he hardly deserves it.”
“I bet he's not that bad. He seems like a really good kid.”
There was no missing the gleam of pride that blessed the man's handsome face. “Trey
is
a good kid. He can be quite a handful when he wants to be, but for the most part, I rarely have any trouble out of him. Like most teens, though, he is always trying to see how far he can push the boundaries. But then I'm sure you know. Your baby sister isn't much older than Trey, is she?”
“Actually, Trey and Baylor are the same age. And you definitely have to stay on your toes with her. She keeps our mother challenged.”
Gabriel nodded his understanding as he took another bite of food.
“So, you pretty much know about my one and only other relationship,” he said, placing his fork against his plate. “What about you, Malisa? Anyone I need to be concerned about?”
She chuckled warmly. “Uh, no! I've never been very good at dating. I've gotten it wrong more than I've gotten it right. I've had only one really long-term relationship, with my college sweetheart, and that didn't end well. Afterward, I put my full attention on my career. Building my empire has been my only focus for some time now.”
“I know what that's like.”
Malisa took a deep breath. “So, tell me about your ex. Why did you two break up?”
“Delores and I wanted very different things. Trying to grow my business required a great deal of my attention, and she wasn't very supportive. Eventually I felt like I was always coming home to a battleground, and that's not a nice feeling. I desperately needed some peace and quiet in my life, and leaving her was the only sure way I knew I could have that.”
Malisa nodded ever so slightly. “I sometimes get the impression that you two still have a very significant connection with each other. Besides your son, I mean.” She met his stare as he looked up at her.
“It's not like thatâI can assure you. I had hoped that she and I could build a friendship that would be good for Trey, but that's been a challenge at best. And unfortunately, I now spend a great deal of time just trying to pacify her to keep the peace.”
“And does my presence in your life now disrupt that peace?”
Gabriel smiled. “Why do you ask that?”
“I see the look on your face when your phone rings, and you answer her calls.”
“I have a look?”
Malisa raised an eyebrow.
Gabriel lifted his hands as if he were surrendering. “I guess I have a look sometimes. I've just never been in this position.”
“And what position is that?”
The man paused, studying the exquisite lines of her face and the intensity of her stare as she waited for him to answer. “It's like I told you before. I never planned on allowing myself to become involved with anyone until Trey was graduated and out of the house. Now I realize that I'm going to have to try to balance his needs and his mother's wants with what I'm feeling for you.”
Malisa stared intently. “And what are you feeling for me?” she asked, her voice dropping to a low whisper.
Gabriel reached for her hand, pulling the backs of her fingers to his lips. His kiss was tender, a gentle brushing of her flesh. Silence filled the wealth of space between them as Gabriel gave her a sweet smile, not bothering to answer her question.
He didn't yet have the words for what he was feeling. None that he imagined would make an ounce of sense to a woman who still barely knew anything about him or he about her. As he stared into her eyes, though, Gabriel couldn't help but sense that Malisa knew exactly what he was feeling, because she, too, was experiencing the same waves of emotion.
Â
Â
Back at Gabriel's home, he and Malisa sat side by side on his living room sofa. The house was empty, no one else being expected home any time soon. With Naomi and Trey still out gallivanting through the malls, the duo had been making out like love-struck teens.
Malisa pulled away from the man's hold, coming up for a breath of air. “Are you sure your family's not expected?” she queried, panting heavily.
He laughed, nodding. “I swear! I told Naomi that you were here and asked her to call me before they came home. She'll call.”
On his assurances, Malisa did nothing to stop the hand that eased beneath the hem of her skirt while his other began to play with her breasts. She reclaimed Gabriel's mouth, kissing the man hungrily as he fondled her unabashedly.
Boldly slipping his hand beneath her clothing, Gabriel eased his fingers beneath the line of her silk thong, his palm sliding over her downy pubic hair to cup her groin. Easing herself back ever so slightly in her seat, Malisa opened her legs to allow him easier access, and Gabriel pushed firmly against her moist flesh. Her pleasure increased tenfold as his index finger rested firmly between her labia. She responded by grinding her hips forward, thrusting gently against his fingers until they skirted the entrance to her privates.