You Will Be Mine..Again Ch. 05

"Nice to see you really excited about it." I usually do when I finally start seeing it come together. It's like when a musician sits in front of a keyboard and doesn't know what he is going to write but starts playing a bunch of notes. But when they finally hear it and see where it is going, you just get excited. Is there something wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to drop off part of your pay."

"Oh, I thought Mara usually handles all that stuff for you."

"She does, but I told her I will deliver it since I was heading this way."

"You just happened to head this way?"she said looking at him and he just shrugged, "Well, thanks. I needed this anyway." she said as he handed her the envelope.

"No, I just wanted to drop off part of your pay."

"Oh, I thought Mara usually handles all that stuff for you."

"She does, but I told her I will deliver it since I was heading this way." He said as she took it from him.

"Well I definitely appreciate money." Gale said with a smile and he returned the smile.

She looked down at his bandage hand. He didn't tell her if it still hurt or anything. He didn't say much about that night when they talked. In a way, she wanted to know what was going through his mind, but she didn't want to push him. She took the check and went back to her desk with him still standing by the door.

"So, what's up?" she asked.

"Nothing, I had some free time and wanted to see if there was anything that I had to okay or sign for the hotel."

"Um, not really. Everything is being shipped over now. I talked to Mara about hiring some people to move them in so we can keep ahead of schedule."

"I know; I have my publicist already advertising the place. It should be a matter of time before it opens."

"I know; it's going to be exciting."

"I was thinking of having your sister, friends, and their husbands come to spend the opening there for free to test it out."

"I think that's a great idea. I talked to some of the chefs that Jade recommended and we have a taste test with them next week."

He nodded, "Look Gale, I again wanted to say thank you for everything that you have done so far. I couldn't have done this without you."

Gale smiled, "Don't mention it, just keep paying me." Patrick shook his head chuckling.

"You are one in a million, Gale."

"You always told me that." She said shaking her head.

He nodded, "You're right, I did." He stepped in and that's when Gale really started to really pay attention to him.

She never thought that the loudest sound in the world would be the door closing. She swallowed hard as he leaned against the closed door. She pasted on a smile and started gathering her things. She didn't know why, but this was making her a little nervous. She didn't mind being alone with Patrick, but something inside her pulled to him every time they were alone for too long. She cleared her throat as he stood in front of her desk.

"So, how is your mom? I have wondered about her."

"She's good, we are suppose to go down there soon to visit. I know she said she is working on planting a garden."

"Does she hate me too?" Patrick said sitting on the couch.

Gale sighed, shaking her head as he kept his eyes on her, "Patrick, I told you before, no one hates you."

"You did, didn't you?"

"I wanted to. Believe me I did, but I couldn't."

"What was you husband like Gale? Just wondering."

She was a little taken aback by that question. She never really wanted to discuss her ex with another ex, especially Patrick, but she suppose it was about time for it.

"Well, um Derrick was a pretty good guy in the beginning. He was nice and stable, just what I needed at the time. We dated for about 8 months before he proposed to me. A little after we got married and my business was really taking off, he started to change a little bit. We weren't as affectionate or loving anymore. He was hardly home and I could tell he looked at the marriage more as a chore then an actual relationship. I knew in my heart, he was cheating, but I didn't want to admit it to myself."

"Why?"

Gale looked over at Patrick as she saw that soft look he had in his eyes when he wanted her to push through and keep going. It was a look that always made her feel so calm, "I didn't want to fail at this. So, I put on this front like everything was good. It worked until I realized what I did to Jade and then I knew I was ready to change."

"Did you really try to sabotage Jade and James relationship, because of the race thing?"

"I did, I admit it's not something I'm proud of, but I did it because I figured that's the reason why you dumped me and I was right."

"Partially right?" He said pushing out of the seat.

"Patrick, you are the one that said your father didn't want you to date a girl like me."

"I know what I said but that doesn't mean that it was my reason to break up with you. Hell, if I had it my way, we still would have been together."

"I don't want to get into this right now, Patrick."

"No, I want you to hear this. I want you." The way those word dripped off his lips held so much meaning that it made Gale's body shake. She pushed the thoughts away.

"Patrick, you could have had it your way, but you didn't. Yea, I've forgiven you but it doesn't mean that I'm okay with your decision. You left me standing out in the cold, confused and angry. You made me feel like everything we went through was a lie."

"It wasn't. Everything I said to you before that night, I meant Abigail." He started to move closer to Gale which made her step back, " I wanted you from the first time I saw you and I still want you. This thirst I have for you I don't know if it could ever be quenched."

"Patrick, what are you doing?

"I don't know, I just..."

"Well, I need you to know." She said and he stopped in his tracks, "I can't go down this road with you."

"Do you love me?" he said reaching out and running his fingers through her hair.

She swallowed hard as his touch was like fireworks surging all through her. Her body and heart was ready to say go but she couldn't. She had to get her self control together.

"I have love for you Patrick because of everything that we've been through together. That's it."

"Your eyes tell me that you are lying."

"That's wishful thinking." She quickly retorted.

His hand slowly traveled down her arm leaving a burning trail, "Do you know how much it kills me to be this close to you and not touch you the way I want to?"

"Then get self control." She was about to walk away but felt something grab her hand.

Before she could react, she was pulled to his awaiting lips. She wanted to fight it. In her head, she tried to fight it, but her body was winning this battle as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The sweet swipe of his tongue against her lips drew her body closer to his as if they were going to mesh together. Patrick needed to have more of her. He pulled her against the wall pinning her between it and his hard body. His hands slowly moved down her arms lighting her skin on fire. Her body screamed in need as she felt the moisture between her legs. His hands grabbed hers and pinned them up above her head, breaking the intense connection.

She saw his dark eyes as he stared at her chest moving up and down. He held her hands above her head with his bandage hand and moved the other one down her body. Her eyes slightly followed his hands as they touched her and she could only remember how his touch felt without the barrier of clothing. She sighed as his mouth attached to her neck making her quiver. Her head was so clouded with desire that she couldn't form any coherent thought but focus on how good it felt to feel him once again. Why did he always make her react this way?

His free hand pulled up her skirt as he finally broke the clothes barrier and touched her bare thigh. She moaned lightly as his clever fingers traveled up between her legs. She could feel his heavy breathing against her neck as his fingers grazed the thin material. He nearly came in his pants as he felt her wetness seeping through to his fingers.

"So sweet." He whispered in her ear before he nibbled on her lobe.

"Patrick, please." She breathed. She wasn't sure what she was pleading for.

She knew he needed to stop but her damn body kept begging him to keep going. No, she had to stop him; she just had to before she really felt his magic fingers. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm down her racing heart.

"Patrick please, stop." The words came out as a whisper but he still heard them.

"What's that, Gailyn?" he asked looking up at her.

"Stop, I can't...we can't. We shouldn't do this."

He searched her eyes gauging how serious she was. She was finally able to breathe as he stepped away from her. She nearly felt like her arms were stuck up there.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I'm not going to sleep with you in my office."

"Well I can't think of a better spot." He said turning the side of his mouth up into a grin.

"Patrick, I'm not going down this road again."

"Gale, I know..."

"No, you don't know. I admit that I really do forgive you but we are friends. That's all I can give you now."

He sucked in his bottom lip looking away. He looked so much like a kid when he does that, but she quickly swallowed the feeling to gush over him.

"You're right Gale. It's just when I get around you, I tend to lose my head. I mean, you have a way of just bringing that side of me out." He smiled and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, reel it in. I know I'm so irresistible."

"You know that how?" he said putting some distance between them.

"You are the one that use to tell me." She reminded and he nodded.

"That I did, but as I recall, you said the same thing. So, are you saying this old man has lost some of his charm?"

"Whatever Patrick, you know you can still get any woman that you want. All you have to do is smile and you have them in your grasp." He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "Except me, because it already worked once before."

"So, you're saying I have to step up my game?"

"Just being serious now, Patrick, what has really changed between then and now? I'm still the same girl that your father didn't want you to associate with."

He sighed leaning against the wall, "Gale, I kick my own ass everyday regretting that decision."

"So, am I a challenge? Trying to see if you can make me feel the same way I felt that day?"

"No damn it, I'm still in love with you." He said looking dead in her eyes.

Gale's mouth opened and quickly closed it. This was the second time he said that. She tried to block it out the first time but it still made her head spin. Her heart started beating out of control and she placed her hand over her heart to somehow quiet it. She took a deep breath and just swallowed hard. Patrick just watched her reaction and the silence was deafening. He knew that he dropped a bomb on her but he couldn't hold it in any longer.

She sighed, "Why?"

She said it so quietly, that he wasn't sure that he heard her right, "What?"

"Why?"

"Why do I love you?"

"Why are you being so selfish and telling me this?"

"What the fuck Abgail? I'm trying to tell you how I feel."

"But you are telling me that you are still in love with me?"

"I am still in love with you. I never stopped even when we broke up."

"Right, we broke up. It's over."

"Wait, weren't you just telling me the other day about forgiving each other and everything?"

"I told you, I forgive you, but does that doesn't mean I want to go back."

"Look," he said running his hand through his hair, "I have an idea. How about we go on one date?"

"Patrick..."

"One date, I take you out to dinner and then I will let you make all the decisions so far as how the date ends and where we go from here."

"What's the point of that?"

"The point is, we just go out to dinner and I show you how I actually feel about you. That we actually have fun when we are together."

"What makes this any different from the many times that we have gone out to dinner with each other?"

"Those were business dinners, this time it's just you and me. We settle a lot of things and have a nice time with each other."

"Alright, I have some stipulations: nothing by candlelight, no fancy smancy high dollar dinner, and no touching unless I tell you too."

Patrick scratched his chin in deep thought and smile, "Alright, I will take you up on that offer. So, that's dinner tomorrow night."

"And one more thing, I drive myself there." She added.

"That's fine too, I will tell you where to meet me. Should we shake on it?"

She sighed and held out her hand. He smiled taking her hand, she smiled and tried to pull her hand away but he kept a tight hold on it. Her brows drew together knowing in the back of her mind that he was up to something.

He pulled her close and kissed her before she protest. She growled in frustration against his lips until she felt the gentle caress of his tongue against her lips. He pulled away taking her breath away with the light brush of his lips.

She cleared her throat and looked up at him, "I said no touching unless I tell you."

"That's only for tomorrow." He gave her that same cocky smile that made her melt and she had a feeling that she was in trouble.