Page 30 of Anything To Be With You

We finish lunch in silence. When our bills come, I pay both and walk her out to her car.

"You really didn’t need to pay for my lunch but thank you." Dani says. She stretches up on her tip toes then huffs. "Bend."

I smirk and bend my knees so she can kiss my cheek. "Anytime, Dani girl."

She smiles brightly at me and my heart skids to a stop. I’ve never had a woman smile at me the way Dani is without wanting something more.

I open her car door and she slides in. Closing the door, I hold my hand out. "Phone."

Dani pulls it from her purse, and I enter my number, texting myself so I would have hers. "If you ever need anything, I’m only a call or text away."

Dani takes her phone back and smiles up at me. "Thanks Gabe."

I knock on the roof of her car. "Bye gorgeous."

"Bye handsome."

I stand on the sidewalk as she drives away.

Five More Times

Dani

I kick my heels off as soon as I open the door, my feet screaming from being locked up in those heels all day. The house is quiet, thanks to Mom taking Mason for the night. That little shit thought he could pull one over on me, sneaking into the house at two in the morning. The kid’s as big as a mountain and thinks he can sneak in.

Ha!

My calf muscle twitches and I decide a soak in the tub will soothe my aching body. I may work in an office, but sitting on my ass for hours does a number on my muscles. Getting everything ready for my much-needed soak, I fill the tub with hot water and add one of the bath bombs that Erin gave me last year for my birthday. I slowly lower myself into the amazing grapefruit scented—and hot as fuck—water and lean back, dunking my head under the water.

It has been years since I’ve been able to do this, and with Mason at my parents, I don’t have to worry about having someone barging through the door at any given moment. I just pop up from under the water when my cell goes off.

"For the love." I growl. Half ass drying my hands, I grab it off the toilet lid. "Hello?"

"Hello my love."

"Hi Mom. How’s it going?"

Mom sighs happily. "Things are going great. My baby is here, helping around the house."

My brows creep up my forehead. "Mason’s helping around the house?" I ask dumbfounded. "How’d you manage that?"

Mom huffs. "Oh, your father promised to teach him how to drive if he cleans the house."

Of course, he did.

"How’ve you been, darling? Mason said that boss of yours calls at all hours of the night," Mom says.

"I’ve been good. This job is definitely more demanding than the others. But the pay is great, the benefits are better and working there gets Mason a college fund supplied by Archer law firm."

"Oh honey!" I smile at the joy in Mom’s voice. "That is amazing. Maybe now you can get yourself a newer car."

I laugh. "The pay is good, Mom, but you get killed after taxes."

She huffs again. "Just take some of it out of the money you already have aside for Mason. If the firm is going to give you a college fund, treat yourself honey."

"I don’t want to risk it right now. Archer is hard to work for and is getting on my damn nerves."

Mom laughs. "It’s only your third day, it’ll get better."

---