“Reynolds is the worst,” Gabe agrees.
We eat in comfortable silence for a few minutes; the only sounds are our forks against our plates and the occasional appreciative murmur. I watch Melody from the corner of my eye, noticing how she still holds her neck stiffly.
“We’re planning to soak in the hot tub after dinner,” I announce. “Nothing is better for sore muscles than hot water and bubbles. You’re welcome to join us.”
“There’s a hot tub?” Melody asks, surprised.
“On the back deck. Everett mentioned it today. Said it’s all ready to go. I’m personally counting the minutes. My supervisory role was extremely taxing today.”
Gabe snorts. “Your supervisory role consisted of sitting on a stump and critiquing my ass.”
“And a fine ass it is,” I reply with a wink. “Top-tier. Premium grade.”
Melody laughs, the sound light and genuine. “You two are cute together.”
Melody’s cheeks turn a deep shade of pink at her own comment, her eyes darting between Gabe and me. She suddenly becomes very interested in her casserole, poking at a piece of chicken with her fork.
“Thank you for the hot tub offer, but I think I’m going straight to bed after dinner. Between the work, confronting the mayor, and Charlie’s spiked eggnog, I’m completely wiped out.”
“No pressure. The offer stands whenever you want it. That tub’s big enough for a small army.”
She nods, still looking flustered, and returns her attention to her plate.
“So,” I say, changing the subject, “tell us more about your heroic defense of omega rights. Charlie made it sound like you verbally eviscerated our esteemed mayor.”
This brings Melody’s eyes back up, a small smile playing at her lips. “I wouldn’t go that far. I just… disagreed with his outdated views.”
“And then Oxford punctuated your argument with llama spit,” I add.
She laughs, “That part I had nothing to do with. Oxford made that executive decision all on his own.”
Gabe stays quiet during this exchange, but I notice him watching Melody. When she laughs, his eyes follow her movement, lingering on her face longer.
Interesting.
After dinner, we leave Melody to her work and head outside to the hot tub. The night air bites at my exposed skin as I quickly shed my robe and slip into the steaming water.
“Holy mother of—” I gasp as the heat engulfs my legs. “That’s hot.”
Gabe follows me in, his massive frame sinking beneath the bubbling surface with a deep groan, sending a different kind of heat through me.
Even after three years, that sound still does things to me.
“My shoulders feel like they’ve been hit by a truck,” I admit, leaning my head back against the edge. The contrast between the frigid air on my face and the searing heat on my body is exquisite torture. “And I barely did anything. How are you even moving?”
Gabe rotates his shoulders, wincing slightly. “Used different muscles than I’m used to.”
The stars look impossibly bright out here, away from city lights. I’ve forgotten how beautiful the real night sky can be.
“Come here, big guy,” I say, shifting position in the water. “Let me take care of you.”
Gabe moves in front of me, his broad back now accessible to my hands. I start at his shoulders, digging my thumbs into the knots I find there. His skin is hot and slick under my fingers, the muscles beneath like steel cables wound too tight.
“Fuck, that feels good,” he groans, head dropping forward. “I haven’t worked this hard in years.”
“And it shows. You’ve got knots on top of knots,” I tell him, increasing the pressure. I find a particularly stubborn one near his shoulder blade and focus on it, working it with steady pressure.
“Mmm,” is all he manages in response.