| Treasure By Ladybug |
| Chapter 10 Tanner didn’t think things could get any worse between him and Gabby, but it did, and he’d never been so miserable in his life. Over the next several days neither one of them spoke to the other unless it pertained to the diving lessons or the missing plane. Being on the boat didn’t help either. It may have been a forty-two foot long boat, but with the tension between them it felt like a canoe. The nights were even worse. Restless as a caged tiger, he would prowl the boat, pacing back and forth, arguing silently to himself of all the reasons why he should keep things the way they were and stay away from Gabby. But his body ached for her, his heart yearned for her and his mind cursed him every kind of fool. And he loved her with everything that was in him. “Ah, Gabby,” he whispered softly to himself as he finally collapsed into a chair on deck. “I’ve really bungled this whole thing between us, haven’t I?” The cool night air surrounded him as the stars twinkled above. He breathed in the familiar salty smells of the sea and scrubbed roughly at his face with his hands. For the first time since Gabrielle had reentered his life, Tanner allowed himself to examine his feelings for her. He was in love with her. There was no question of that. Not even Mariah had stirred his heart the way Gabby did. He’d been young and foolish when he’d proposed to Mariah, thinking that she really loved him. But he should have known better. The way she always talked about living in a big mansion, and shopping at the most expensive department stores . . . he should have known better. For Mariah, he had been nothing but a sexual play toy until the rich sugar daddy she wanted came along. Even after she’d run out on him and married her sugar daddy, she’d wanted to keep the physical with him. He shuddered, remembering how she’d shown up at his apartment one morning several weeks after she’d run off. “I did what I had to do, Tanner,” she stated simply after he’d let her in. “You know as well as I that you would never have been able to provide me with the kind of financial security that I was after.” “Then why the hell did you agree to marry me?” “Because if I’d have said no, then we would have gone our separate ways and I wasn’t ready to release you from my bed yet,” she answered, confidently staring at him as if she wanted to devour him. He’d been sound asleep when she’d pounded on his door. His shoulder length hair was in need of a brush as he shoved his fingers roughly through the tangled curls. The movement had drawn her eyes to his naked torso and the skimpy shorts he’d barely managed to pull on before answering the door. Tanner snorted. “Like you could have kept me there! You may be a beautiful woman, Mariah, with a great body, but your claws aren’t that deep and I’m not that desperate.” “We were good together, Tanner, and you know it!” She chose to ignore his insult and concentrate on getting him to agree to a liaison with her. “The sex between us was fabulous. I know you still want me.” Stepping closer, she had run her perfect, polished fingernail down this chest in a move that was supposed to be seductive. She flattened her hand out on his stomach and slipped her hand inside the waistband of his shorts to grasp a hold of his erection. “See? You still want me,” she whispered against his lips as she stroked him boldly. Tanner grabbed her wrist in a firm grip and carefully but firmly removed her hand from inside his shorts. Moving to the front door, he dragged her behind him. “I never said that I didn’t still want you. I said that I wasn’t that desperate.” Yanking the door open he shoved her out into the hallway. “Goodbye, Mariah,” he said without feeling and slammed the door in her face. Tanner smiled when he recalled the look of outrage on her face as he’d slammed the door. She’d screamed at him for five minutes, calling him every name in the book and, he thought, some new ones he’d never heard before. He thought he was going to have to call security and have her removed from the building, but she’d finally left and hadn’t bothered him since. Except now she was a ghost in his memory, controlling his actions, which was even worse than her physical presence. At least if she were here physically he could do something about it, but what he fought against, struggled with now were memories. Memories that he didn’t know how to erase or let go of. Now there was Gabrielle. A woman that he knew he was truly in love with, yet he couldn’t get past the memories of Mariah to let Gabby in and trust her with his heart. She was everything that Mariah wasn’t and he knew that. He knew that she would never do to him what Mariah had done and yet he still fought to keep his distance. Why? he asked himself silently. Mary had been right when she’d told him that it was time he settled down. He was thirty-five years old, and though he enjoyed bachelorhood, deep down he’d always had the dream of a family. A wife and kids. When Jacob Krinard had rescued him from the streets, he had shown Tanner what it was to have a family and it was what he craved to have for himself. He sighed softly as he gazed out over the dark ocean. He’d come full circle and he still couldn’t answer his own question. Why? Why couldn’t he let her in? Wearily he stood and headed down to the other stateroom where he’d been sleeping the past few nights. It was late and he was exhausted, both mentally and physically. Tomorrow he would take Gabby out for one more test dive and then they would head back into Nassau and gather supplies to begin searching for the plane. Tanner didn’t really expect to find the plane. Too much time had passed and with the many hurricanes and just the natural movement of the ocean floor, he knew that plane was history. But he’d promised Gabby they would try and until he could come up with another way to nail Dunlap, short of killing him outright, that plane was the only chance they had. Stopping outside Gabby’s stateroom, he pressed his forehead to the door, closing his eyes on a sigh. “I don’t know how to explain why it’s so difficult for me to let you in, Gabby,” he whispered to the closed door. “I want to let you in. I’m so in love with you I can’t think straight and it scares me shitless. I know I’ve hurt you, but I don’t know how to fix it, babydoll.” He could feel the tears burning behind his eyelids as he squeezed them tight. “Please tell me how to fix it before I lose you forever!” He stood there a moment longer, not expecting any answers and not getting any. Then he pulled away from the door in frustration, his hands balled in tight fists, and continued on to his own room and shut the door behind him. Silently, Gabby’s door opened. With tears streaming down her cheeks, her arms locked around her waist, she stared at the door Tanner had just closed. Having not been able to sleep, she’d gotten up to get a drink of water and was passing by her door heading back to bed when she heard Tanner outside in the hall. She’d heard every word he’d said and her heart ached to go to him, but somehow she didn’t think he would appreciate it. She knew he hadn’t really meant for her to hear his plea or his declaration of love, but she had and now she knew. He loved her. Now the question was, what was she going to do about it? She didn’t know how much more abuse her heart could take from Tanner, but if there was even the slightest hint of hope for them, wasn’t he worth the fight? Closing her door as silently as she’d opened it, Gabby crawled into bed, her heart doing a little stutter as she remembered his words . . . I’m so in love with you I can’t think straight . . . “You haven’t lost me, Tanner,” she whispered into the quiet room. “Some how we will work through this.” Her eyes closed as sleep finally started to over take her. “I promise.” ~*~*~*~*~ The next morning, Gabby woke early. She was determined to make this a good day. She knew she could not tell Tanner she’d overheard his words, but she could help relieve the tension between them by not fighting with him anymore. They were doing one last dive this morning before heading back into Nassau and she needed to make the most of it. Pulling out her wetsuit she put it on. She grabbed the mask and flippers and left the stateroom and headed above deck. Tanner was already there putting the equipment that they would need for the dive together. He hadn’t noticed her yet, so she stood quietly and watched him. He was so ruggedly handsome that Gabby felt her heart squeeze with a combination of love and pain. He wore a black wetsuit that molded to his muscular body. His shoulder length curls were pulled back into a ponytail at the back of his neck revealing his ears. She fought a smile and lost. As a kid, Tanner had been teased relentlessly about how his ears stuck out. It had been the instigation of many a brawl for him with other kids in the neighborhood. She supposed it was one of the reasons why he chose to wear his hair long now - to cover them up. He was sitting at a small table, his long legs stretched out before him, his bare feet crossed at the ankles. His hands worked at readjusting a strap on a mask and Gabby gasped softly as she felt her body warm at the memories of those hands on her. The soft sound caught his attention and Tanner looked up. Their eyes met across the boat and they both froze. Gabby thought she saw his eyes soften for a moment before they turned cold and he went back to working on the mask. Gabby blinked several times, letting the breath she’d been holding out slowly. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears and her legs wobbled a little as she moved forward. “Good morning, Tanner.” She saw him tense up as his hands stilled on the mask. He stared at the mask for several heartbeats before he finally raised his head to look up at her. A mixture of confusion and suspicion flashed in the depths of his dark eyes and Gabby could hardly blame him. “It’s a simple good morning.” He snorted, still suspicious. “You have barely said two words to me all week. Am I supposed to just believe that you are no longer pissed off at me?” “I’m still hurt by what you said, Tanner. It was cruel and uncalled for, but I’m not angry anymore. I’m tired of being angry and I’m tired of us walking on egg shells around each other.” She watched as his eyes changed from suspicion to guilt. He dropped his gaze back down to the mask as his hands fidgeted with it nervously. He took several deep breaths and looked back up at her. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am for saying what I did, Gabby.” He stood up and nervously rubbed his palms against his thighs. He swallowed several times, wetting his lips with his tongue. It was on the tip of his tongue to just tell her the truth, that he loved her. He wanted to tell her, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. He swallowed again. “I never meant to hurt you.” It wasn’t what he wanted to say, but it was the truth nonetheless. “I didn’t mean what I said, I was angry because you were right and-” Gabby placed a hand on his chest to stop his babbling. She could see by the look in his expressive eyes how badly he felt and it was enough. “I forgive you, Tanner,” she said softly. She could feel his heart thudding rapidly in his chest. His eyes closed for a moment as his hands came up to cover the one she’d placed on his chest. When he opened his eyes again, she saw something she couldn’t quite identify flicker quickly in them, then it was gone. He raised her hand to his mouth and he pressed his lips to her palm. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but now wasn’t the time. Later, he promised himself. There’ll be time to tell her later. “We have much to do today,” he said softly against her hand. Gabby shivered at the tickle of his beard and his warm breath against the palm of her hand. “We need to get started.” He pressed his lips to her palm once more, then let go of her hand. “I’m ready,” she responded softly. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Tanner had purposely anchored them again off the Coast of New Providence Island. The water wasn’t very deep and there was much to explore along the ocean floor. Gabby had been captivated the first time he’d taken her down and several days later, she still was in awe of the beauty that surrounded her. One of the last things that Tanner had taught her was about the sea life she could expect to see. He’d told her that she could expect to see a variety of sharks, but as long as she didn’t try to approach them and gave them the respect they deserved, then there shouldn’t be a problem. “As a rule, sharks don’t just attack people for no reason,” he’d explained. “Movies like Jaws or The Deep are an exaggeration, but do hold an element of truth. Just remember, when you are diving, you are in their world, their home. You must respect it and them.” He’d also told her about the different kinds of fish, starfish, and sea urchins. But nothing had prepared her for the actual beauty of life under the sea. She felt a touch at her elbow and turned to head to see Tanner next to her. He signaled with his hands for her to explore, but to be aware of where he was at all times. She nodded her head and gave him a thumbs up indicating she understood and went on with her exploring. Tanner headed off a few feet to explore a reef that had caught his attention the day before. Gabby wasn’t sure how much time had past, but she was sure it was getting close for them to head back to the surface. Tanner had told her that they would only be down for fifteen minutes and so she turned towards where she’d seen him last and nearly screamed. Tanner was struggling with another diver who was armed with a knife. Dunlap had found them. Gabby fought to still the panic that rose up inside her. She forced herself to breathe slowly and to think. Tanner had told her if they ran into Dunlap’s men while diving, she was to immediately go to the surface and get on the boat and go. The heated conversation floated back into her mind as she watched the scene before her in horror. “Tanner, I will not desert you down there.” “You will do as I tell you, Gabby. I can take care of myself.” “But what if you’re hurt? You can’t expect me to just leave you!” Tanner grasped her chin firmly between his thumb and fingers. His dark eyes flashed with barely controlled anger. “Don’t you dare risk your life for me! If we are attacked, you will do exactly as I’ve instructed. Promise me you will do as I say.” She had struggled with it, but in the end she had given her promise. It had infuriated her then, but now – now that it was actually happening – she was scared to death. Sending up a silent prayer for Tanner’s safety, she began to rise to the surface. Suddenly arms surrounded her from behind. A large knife appeared before her mask and her eyes widened in fear as she began to struggle in panic. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Tanner released the dead diver and spun around to get his bearings. He prayed that Gabby had gotten away. He prayed that she had followed his instructions and had returned to the boat and left. They were only a few miles off shore and he could swim to New Providence Island easily. But first he had to make sure she’d gotten away. He’d begun rising to the surface when hundreds of bubbles caught his attention off to his right. His heart nearly stopped as his mind screamed in denial. Oh God, please no, please no! He swam as fast as he could towards the rising bubbles. He could barely make out the two people who struggled with each other within them. As he drew closer, he saw that one of the hoses on Gabby’s air tank had been sliced through. She wasn’t getting any air! Tanner’s heart froze in fear. He could see her struggles weakening as he came up behind Dunlap’s goon. He knew he would have to make it quick, so he grabbed the man’s head from behind and with a quick hard twist, he snapped the man’s neck. Shoving the man away from him he grabbed a hold of Gabby in time to see her eyes begin to roll up in her head. No! his mind screamed. His hands made quick work of the straps holding the tank to her back and pushed it off her shoulders to let it sink to the ocean floor. Then he took his own mouthpiece and forced it into her mouth. Come on, baby, breathe! He kicked his feet to start them to the surface. He kept his eyes on her face, looking for signs that she was breathing. Damn it, Gabrielle, breathe! Suddenly her eyes snapped open as she drew in a deep breath. Her eyes collided with Tanner’s in a brief moment of panic, then she relaxed in his arms. With his heart thudding erratically in his chest, he waited for her to take several breaths before he took the mouthpiece from her and took several breaths himself. Tanner continued to share the air with her all the way to the surface where he hauled her onto the boat. Gabby collapsed on the floor of the deck, her wobbly legs unable to hold her weight. Tanner ripped the facemask off his face and the flippers from his feet. The tank on his back thudded to the floor forgotten as he fell to his knees beside her. She’d already removed her facemask and when Tanner reached for her, she nearly leapt into his arms. He couldn’t speak. His throat closed up as tears burned his eyes. Dear God, he’d almost lost her! He held her tight against his chest as he rocked back and forth, his head bent forward, his face buried in her neck. Gabby wanted to crawl inside him. She couldn’t get close enough as his arms tightened even more around her. She felt a hard shudder rack through his body and she realized he was crying. Shifting slightly, she turned her face towards his and their mouths met. Her arms circled his neck as he devoured her lips. She could taste the salty ocean mingled with tears on his lips as his tongue dueled with hers in a frenzied kiss. His mouth broke from hers as he trailed kisses to her ear. “I thought I’d lost you.” His voice was hoarse with tears and relief. “I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you.” His hands moved up to frame her face. He pulled his head back so he could look at her. “I love you, Gabrielle. I love you so much it scares me. I wanted to tell you earlier, but I lost my nerve. So I put it off, thinking I’d tell you later. But there was almost no later, dear God, there was almost no later.” His voice broke as he lowered his forehead to press against hers, closing his eyes tight as a rush of panic nearly overwhelmed him. All he could see was Gabby struggling for air. Tears streamed down both of their faces as Gabby clutched at his wrists, her heart soaring at hearing his declaration of love. “Sh-sh-sh.” She soothed his babbling with a soft voice. Her hands ran back and forth along his forearm, glad that his wetsuit was a short sleeved one. She needed to be able to touch his skin. She pressed her lips to his, his beard tickling the skin around her mouth. Tanner opened his eyes and lifted his head. With the initial panic passed, he realized he hadn’t even checked her for injury. His eyes swept over her as he dropped his hands to her shoulders. “Are you hurt?” She shook her head, her eyes doing their own search of him. She spotted a gash in his wetsuit down by his side and gasped sharply at the bloodstain she saw there. Her hands immediately moved to investigate. “Tanner, you’re injured.” He glanced down and shook his head. “It’s just a scratch, babydoll. I’m fine.” She glared up at him. “That is not just a scratch, Tanner Graves,” she barked at him. Her hands moved to unzip the front of his wetsuit. He knew it was pointless to argue with her and quite frankly he was content to let her fuss over him. He helped her to remove the top part of his wetsuit so she could have a better look at the wound. It was deeper than he’d thought, but still not enough to require stitches as far as he was concerned. “Just put a band aid on it, Gabby. It will be fine.” She glared up at him again, but he was just so happy to have her there with him alive, that he chuckled softly and leaned forward to kiss her until her icy glare changed to passion. He wanted to carry her down to the stateroom and make love to her, but he knew that wasn’t possible now. First he had to get her to safety, then they had to talk. “We need to get out of here,” he whispered against her lips. The reality of their situation came rushing back to Gabby as she nodded. Tanner stood and helped her up. When he was certain she could stand on her own, he released her and started for the helm. “I need to clean that cut, Tanner.” “Fine,” he answered over his shoulder. “Do it while I’m driving.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Treasure - Chapter 11 |