| Treasure By Ladybug |
| Chapter 4 The rest of the weekend went by quickly. Gabby spent both Saturday and Sunday going through the books Tanner had left her, but found it hard to concentrate when all she could think about was what had happened between them in her bedroom, the feel of his mouth, the feel of his body and how hers had responded to him so easily. Dinner had been a bit stiff afterwards, but they managed to get through it and Tanner left when it was polite to do so. He didn’t kiss her goodnight or touch her. He simply said he would pick her up around nine Monday morning and left. Christy had questioned her afterwards about what had happened in the bedroom. She knew something had happened, but Gabby had refused to answer, just saying it was “nothing.” Christy had finally given up, knowing that Gabby would tell her if and when she was ready too. True to his word, Tanner knocked on her door at nine a.m. Monday morning. He was dressed casually in blue jeans and a cream colored t-shirt and other than the dark scowl on his face, depicting his sour mood, he looked good enough to eat, Gabby thought. “You ready?” he practically growled. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to be near Gabby. Already he could feel his body responding to the sight of her, the smell of her. She wore a simple floral sundress that clung to her generous curves and those silly little spaghetti string straps on the shoulders and God damn it if one side didn’t keep falling off her shoulder and tempting him to either fix it or yank the damn dress off! And damn it if she didn’t have the longest legs he’d ever seen. Long, slender, tanned and he ached to have them wrapped around him again as they had briefly been Friday night. Damn, damn, damn! His already dark mood darkened even more. Gabby grabbed her purse and started to follow him out the door. “Bring the books,” he snapped over his shoulder as he headed out the door. Gabby frowned at his rudeness and turned around to retrieve the books. She exited the apartment, locking and closing the door behind her. She saw Tanner waiting for her in the courtyard and she shoved the books into his arms, startling him. “Don’t take your sour mood out on me, Tanner Graves!” she snapped. “Whatever bug you got up your ass, deal with it!” And she walked away from him towards the parking lot, leaving him to his thoughts. Ever since leaving her apartment Friday night, Tanner had been in a bad mood. Nobody at the PADI School had dared approach him unless it was a dire emergency on Saturday. Somehow he had managed to get through the scheduled diving class without biting anyone’s head off, but it had been a close call. Thoughts of Gabby had haunted him; thoughts of her naked in his bed nearly drove him insane, making him ill tempered. But one thing she was right about was he needed to deal with it. Get through this mess; keep her safe from Frank Dunlap, but most of all keep her safe from himself. He’d never forgive himself if he hurt her. Dumping the books in the back of the jeep, Tanner walked over to the passenger side where Gabby waited patiently. The Jeep was too high up for her to gracefully climb in with the sundress on, so his hands gripped her by the waist and easily lifted up and sat her on the vinyl seat. Their eyes met and Tanner’s knees suddenly felt weak at the compassion he saw. Gabby reached up and touched his cheek and his jaw clenched. “Is everything alright, Tanner?” Her voice was soft, sweet and caring. He reached up and pulled her hand away from his face. “No, everything is not alright, but lets not make it any harder than need be, okay?” His dark eyes bore into her, the intensity of them making her shiver. She knew what he referred too and she nodded her head, dropping her gaze. Tanner sighed softly and tilted her head up with his hand under her chin. He couldn’t bare the pain he saw in her deep blue eyes. If she had just been some acquaintance, he’d would have bedded her and been done with it, but she wasn’t. She meant something to him; he cared for her more than he wanted to admit to, and he knew that if he allowed it, if he wasn’t careful, she could be a threat to his heart. “Let’s take one thing at a time, okay, Gabby? Let’s get you certified and deal with Dunlap.” She blinked. “Okay.” An hour later found them in an empty classroom at the PADI School. Gabby sat at a desk taking notes while Tanner went over the rules of diving. He covered safety issues, stressing the buddy system, and explained the various illnesses, such as the Bends, and other injuries that can happen underwater. He tried to cram as much knowledge as he could into her head without overwhelming her. What he would normally have covered over several classes, he gave her in three hours. After lunch, he brought out a wet suit and diving equipment and proceeded to explain all the various parts and what they did. He also explained the difference between a wet suit and a dry suit. At three o’clock he took her to a shop that sold diving equipment and had her fitted for a wet suit. He also had her purchase a mask, a snorkel and flippers, things that wouldn’t require her to show she was already certified. The school would provide any additional equipment, such as the air tanks and weights. Watching Gabby get fitted for a wet suit did not brighten his mood. The neoprene rubber molded to her curves and Tanner found himself with such a hard-on he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so excited. Uttering a curse under his breath, he stood abruptly and walked towards the door. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he growled over his shoulder and left the store. Gabby watched him go and shook her head with a sigh. He walked to cool off and get himself back under control. God, he felt like a randy teenager! What the hell was wrong with him? Of all women to lose control with, why did it have to be Gabby? Tanner circled through the string of shops, and by the time he got back to Dave’s Diving Shop, he was somewhat back under control. Gabby was dressed and waiting for him, having already paid for her purchases. He merely held the door open and waited for her to follow him to his vehicle. In the Jeep, they traveled in silence. Gabby stared out the passenger side, watching the scenery pass by, the wind whipping her hair about. “You wanna grab some dinner?” Tanner finally asked, unable to bear the silence any longer. “What?” Gabby didn’t quite catch what he said with all the outside noise. “Do you want to have dinner?” he yelled. “You don’t have to yell, Tanner!” “I’m not-” Tanner bit off a frustrated curse and took a deep breath. “I wasn’t yelling,” he said more calmly, but loud enough for her to hear. “I asked if you wanted to have dinner?” “Why?” Gabby asked. “So you can growl at me some more? No thank you!” Tanner opened his mouth to argue that he wasn’t growling, but changed his mind. “Fine,” he snapped. They traveled the rest of the way to her apartment in silence. Tanner pulled the Jeep to a stop in front of her building and started to shut the motor off to walk her to her door. “Don’t bother, I’ll see you in the morning.” Gabby grabbed her purse and shopping bag with her purchases in it and slid carefully out of the jeep. “Gabby-” “Good night, Tanner.” He watched her walk away with a scowl. This was not going good. By the time this was over, she’d hate his guts for sure. Jamming the Jeep into gear in frustration, he left. Gabby unlocked her apartment door and stepped inside, slamming it shut. Tanner’s attitude was really starting to get on her nerves. This back and forth crap he was doing with her just wasn’t going to cut it. First he says that there can be nothing between them, then he’s coming on to her. She sighed heavily as she entered the kitchen and dumped her purse and the bag on top of the table. Opening up the bag, she pulled out her purchases. “And what are you going to do with that, my dear?” Gabby shrieked and turned, bumping her hip into one of the chairs, to find Frank Dunlap standing in the kitchen entryway. There were two ways into the kitchen. The way she had come that was next to the front door and another opening off the living room. Frank had come from the living room. “How the hell did you get into my apartment?” “I had the manager let me in. I told him I was your uncle.” Frank continued to look at the diving mask and other diving apparatus that she had purchased that sat on the kitchen table. “Gabrielle, what are you planning?” His cold gaze came up to meet hers and Gabby swallowed several times before she could speak. Her mind raced in fear and she was furious that Frank would enter her home uninvited. “That is none of your business, Frank, and I want you to leave now and don’t ever enter my apartment without my permission again!” He had come to discuss selling her half of the business to him, but now, after seeing the diving equipment, he was suspicious. “Since when did you learn how to dive, Gabrielle?” “Gabby, you forgot your-” Gabby jumped and spun around to find Tanner standing just inside the front door staring at Frank Dunlap. She had never heard him enter the apartment. “Tanner,” Gabby began, relief showing in her face at his unexpected presence. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked without taking his eyes off of the older man. Gabby instinctively moved closer to Tanner as he entered the kitchen. “Hello Tanner. I didn’t realize you were back in Miami.” Frank looked as if he were amused by the sudden tension in the small kitchen. He also noticed how Gabby moved closer to Tanner and his eyes narrowed. “I have business to discuss with Gabrielle, why are you here?” Tanner moved forward, past Gabby, and placed the books on the table next to her purse. The move effectively placed him between Gabby and Frank, a move that was not lost on the older man. “None of your damn business!” Tanner spoke softly. “Now I suggest you do as the lady says and leave.” Gabby blinked in surprise. She hadn’t realized that Tanner had heard so much of the conversation. She thought he had entered at the time he had first spoken. Frank straightened up. An angry look crossed his face, then it was gone. He smiled at Gabby over Tanner’s shoulder. “I’ll be in touch, my dear.” He moved forward, brushing past Tanner and walked out the door. Tanner turned to Gabby. “Are you alright?” Gabby nodded, her hands shaking. “How much did you hear?” “Enough to know he was here uninvited.” Tanner pulled her into his arms and held her. “And that he is now suspicious of what you are doing.” Tanner pulled back a little so he could look down at her face. “It won’t take him long to find out where I work. He’ll put two and two together and realize that I’m helping you.” Gabby nodded. “We are not going to have enough time, are we?” “To certify you, no. But I can still teach you what you need to know in the next few days and you will know enough to make that one dive with me.” “Tanner, you could get in trouble-” Tanner put a finger against her lips and silenced her. “Let me worry about that. I want you to go pack a few things. You are going to come stay with me until this is over.” Gabby stiffened. “I will not!” “Damn it, Gabby, don’t argue with me over this. Dunlap knows, or at least suspects that we are going after what’s on that plane. He will not hesitate to come after you!” He gave her a little shake for good measure. She pulled away from him. “I am not going to run away like a scared rabbit, Tanner, and stop shaking me!” “Oh for Christ’s sakes!” He threw his hands up in the air and rolled his eyes. “Fine, then I’ll stay here,” he announced and pushed past her to leave the kitchen. “What?” Gabby gasped rushing after him. “No. No! You cannot stay here!” She found him in the living room, eyeing her rather small couch. “Why not?” he asked, then turned his dark gaze on her. “Is that the only couch you have?” “Yes, and it’s too small for you, so you cannot stay here!” Gabby spouted off nervously, her hands clasped together tightly in front of her. Tanner raised a curious eyebrow and smiled. “It will be fine.” “This is really not a good idea!” She could see it now. Tonight the couch, tomorrow night her bed. Her mouth was suddenly dry and a shiver ran up her spine at the very thought of a naked Tanner in her bed. Oh sweet Jesus! she thought. “What the matter, Gabby?” Tanner taunted, softly moving closer, crowding her with his closeness. He was so close she could feel his heat. “What are you afraid of?” He was doing it again. He was confusing her and driving her crazy with this constant back and forth with her emotions. Gabby raised her hands and placed them on his chest and shoved him back. “Knock it off, Tanner! You’re the one who keeps saying there can be nothing between us, so quit coming on to me.” Tanner froze. His mind shifted gears and he realized he was coming on to her. He scowled and took a step back. “You are right, this isn’t a good idea, but Dunlap suspects something and I can’t take a chance of him coming after you. So you either come with me, or I stay.” Gabby sighed in defeat. “Fine, you stay.” “Good, now come on.” He turned and walked towards the front door. “Where are we going now?” Gabby followed after him. “To grab something to eat, then I want to swing by my place, get some clothes and then go back to the PADI School.” “The PADI School? What are we going to do there?” Gabby asked as she entered the kitchen to grab her purse. “Play in the pool,” he answered with a smile and a wink. “Grab your swimsuit too, and bring the stuff you bought today. If we are going to get down to that plane before Dunlap makes a move, then I have a lot to teach you and not much time to do it in.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Treasure - Chapter 5 |