Getting Gabriel by Cathy Quinn Read Free Book Online Page A

through the basketball hoop and use it as a shower."
    Alice laughed in disbelief, even as images she had no business seeing flickered by her mind’s eye. "Are you serious?"
    He shrugged. "I don’t have any hot water. This isn’t as chilly as the inside shower, and in this heat it’s great to take a cold shower outdoors anyway."
    "It’s a bit public though, isn’t it?"
    "Not really. Not much traffic in the street. And the trees obscure a lot. Wouldn’t recommend you doing it though."
    Wow.
    It was tempting to wash the car right here and now. Cool Gabriel down a bit while she was at it. He was probably going to shower there today anyway. Her fingers were all but itching to grab that hose and turn the water on him. A water fight... Wet t-shirt... Yum....
    "You’re taking that course, Alice. And I’m coming with you."
    Alice hesitated. "You’re coming with me? What do you mean? Is this a course for both men and women? I’ll get to practice the groin-kicking on you?"
    Gabriel grinned at her. "Something like that."
    "Hmm.... she mused aloud. "That might be a good place to meet men."
    Gabriel’s grin widened. "Why did I suspect you’d say that?"
    Alice pondered the situation. Maybe this was a good idea. She might meet some new guys, and even if she didn’t, learning how to throw Gabriel over her shoulder, not to mention how to release her wrist from that iron-clasp he was so fond of using, would be very useful.
    Besides, she might get to sit on top of him, pinning his hands down while she searched him for concealed weapons...
    Oooh, this had potential. Guilty thrill potential. Lots of guilty thrills. How could she resist that?
    "Okay," she agreed, trying to keep her voice reluctant. "I’ll go. Which days are the class?"
    "Tuesday and Thursday evening, Saturday mornings. Starting tomorrow."
    "Starting tomorrow? Are you sure we can get in at such short notice?"
    "I know the instructor. We’re in."
    Alice shook her had. "So I’ll have Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings for dates and Sunday and Monday off. This will be a grueling schedule."
    "We’re taking days off?"
    "I have to have some time to go over the progress of the week and reevaluate my strategy." She backed up a bit. "Wait a minute. What do you mean ‘we’?"
    "You’re not dating Internet strangers without protection. I’ll be your bodyguard."
    "What? No. No way!"
    "Yes way."
    "I’m armed and loaded! And I’ll be taking self-defense lessons. What more do you want?"
    "Save your breath. It’s not negotiable. If you’re going on blind dates with some guys you pick up online, you’ll need a bodyguard."
    Gabriel’s dark eyes held determination she doubted she could fight. Alice frowned. She left the car door open and circled the car, and watched him wince when she hopped up to sit on the hood.
    "Be reasonable, Gabriel. This is going to occupy all your evenings. You don’t have the time."
    "Sure I do. Hey, I can sacrifice a few weeks in the pursuit of your happiness."
    "But – don’t you have a life? Aren’t you seeing anyone?"
    "Not really."
    Not really? Not really? What kind of an answer was that? It was all-important to know. Of course, there hadn’t been anyone in his bed when she’d jumped into it last weekend. There were no feminine traces in that house of his. He hadn’t mentioned anyone. Michael hadn’t mentioned him seeing anyone.
    He didn’t seem to be seeing anyone.
    Then why had he said ‘not really’? Why not just "no"?
    "You’re looking at me just like my mother does when I say ‘not really’ to that exact question."
    Gabriel was laughing at her. She was just getting over the indignation of reminding him off his mother when he playfully caught her in a headlock and shook her. She didn’t mind. Not at all. But she had to struggle away, because he smelled so good close up that she wanted to crawl inside his clothes and surgically attach them together.
    "Don’t you dare play matchmaker on me, Alice in Whackoland. I’ve