After spending the rest of the day alone in his room he laid on his bed not sure what to say but thinking about all the things he loved about her. She was different from any other woman he'd met and even in a crowd of 20 when she wanted to fade out she stood out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flash back.
"I'm not like other girls Mr. Bolton I am not the kind to throw myself at men." She said back towards the door.
"If you're all high and mighty then why are you on a game show competing for my hand in marriage?" he asked following her.
"Trust me I am not here voluntarily." She said reaching for the door knob. Her face was softer in the darkness of his room.
"Then enlighten me." He said looking into her brown eyes and just as he was about to back away for fear that he would touch her a curl of hair shifted and came into her face begging for his attention reaching out to touch loose curl he pushed it back and smile. "Why are you here?"
"Don't touch me." She said slapping his hand way.
"Sorry." He said coming back a bit and holding both hands up in surrender. "If you don't want to be here then just say so and I'll send you home no worries." He whispered.
"Good." She nodded. Turning the knob she opened the door and back out of his room. "Night." With that she closed the door behind her and Troy was staring at the brown oak door in complete confusion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Flash back.
Troy reached over for the orange ball chad had given him in the airport and tossed up and caught while another thought came to mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flash back.
"When you meet someone you know." He said with grin. "Some of us click, some of us don't" he said shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Yet we click?" She said walking along side him and shaking her head.
"No we repel." He responded with a half laugh.
"Then why am I still here?"
"Why is every other line from your mouth a question?"
"Mr. Bolton, it been a displeasure not that its surprising and I will see you tomorrow." She whispered holding out her hand for a shake.
"Why don't you call me Troy?" he said ignoring her hand.
"Because Mr. Bolton, I don't like you." She responded tilting her head. There was a moment of pause as he stared down at her with a smirk.
"Who needs affection when I have blind hatred?" He stated taking her hand.
Gabriella was about to say that for hatred to be blind one would have to have no reason to hate the hated, but before she could he tugged on her hand pulling her closer and bringing his lips down to hers. The instant their lips met Gabriella felt her body shift on its weight and in an act of betrayal her body leaned forwards into his for support. His free hand came up to the small of her back holding her in the closeness as he kissed her deeper using his tongue to please and tease her bottom lip and making her part her lips for him.
Letting a moan escape his lips he pushed to explore her mouth thoroughly, more than he had in hotel room. This time he wanted to taste her and feel the heat of her warm mouth against his. He was captivated by how willingly she crumbled and amused by how much she enjoyed it even though she was hesitant to his touch. Her lips that had mumbled words of hate moments before were now as loving and lusting as his own.
Pulling away because of oxygen deprivation he looked down into her half lidded eyes. She was a sight in the moonlight and delight against his body. It only took a moment before she was pulled from the daze and pulled herself back, jumping from him as if he were on fire. Almost tipping on the potted plant behind her she steadied herself and placed a hand over her lips.
"Whoa there tenderfoot." He said holding out his hands in case she would fall. "Relax." He said in a low voice. "I'd hate to see you fall from being weak at the knees."
"Like hell." She mumbled making her way towards the door.
"Someone has her panties in a twist." He said with a deep breath as he watched her go.
Gabriella pause in mid step and turned around coming back at him with two strides she pointed a finger. "Don't, for one minute, think that you had any effect whatsoever on my panties."
"Oh really then what did I have an effect on?" he said leaning in closer to her with a grin.
"Other than my upchuck reflex, nothing." She said turning around and making her way back into the house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of flash back.
"Troy." said a male's voice from the door. "Time for date two." He announced.
Troy got up from the bed and adjusted his shirt. Tonight he had to get her back. He had to pull out all the trick he could think of and he had to get her back. After all the time they spent together and all the changes he couldn't let it end like this.
Waiting outside by the limo he looked up to see Gabriella standing at the top of the stairs looking down at him with hesitation.
"Brie?" he called to her with a smile.
As if caught in the headlights she looked at him a bit startled.
"You look nice." He said looking down at her green thin strap dress with black flowers on the bottom half. Her hair was down and wavy, just like he liked it.
"Thank you." She said as she began to descend down the stairs.
"Almost like our first date, huh?" he said holding out a hand.
"So we leave the way we started." Gabriella said with a small forced grin.
Troy nodded and let her get into the limo before him. Damn it he had to try harder than that.
Troy placed his hand on hers as they sat side by side in the limo and to his delight she didn't pull away she just sighed and looked out the window away from him.
"So do you think when you go back you're going to be an Tax auditor?" he asked thinking back to what she said about the girls starting the small band again.
"Maybe, maybe not." Gabriella said looking at him and then down at her free hand. "I'm not quite sure where to go from here." She said with a small smirk. "Lot's changed."
"Well there is always bar tending?" he said with a smile as he down at her free hand as well.
"Yes." She said with a small laugh. "I can bar tend and sing my way to the top." She said shaking her head.
"Never know?" Troy said giving her hand a squeeze. "Feelings change."
"All the time." she said lifting her eye to look at him.
Gabriella heart was breaking with each touch and look he'd given her. Each time he made her laugh even though she so badly wanted to hate him. Gabriella tried to stay out of her body and mind as they were seated for dinner. It was so hard to be on autopilot around him when each move made her slam back into manual just to watch.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked looking out into the dance floor.
Gabriella mind told her to sit in that chair and not move but her heart told her what damage could one dance do?
"Okay." She said getting up after him and taking his extended hand.
Gabriella felt his arms wrap around her as he held her close. For six years no man had held her that close. For six years she didn't think she could love another man that much. Gabriella rapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder his cologne making its way into her nose.
"Brie." He said in a low voice.
"Yes." She answered taking peace in his arms just for the moment.
"We can make this work." He said placing his chin on her head.
"No we can't." She said closing her eyes.
"I'm going to ask you to marry me tomorrow." He said silently.
Gabriella was silent and she closed her eyes to push back a tear. "I'm not going to say yes."
Troy closed his own eyes, he couldn't lose her. "Since day one you've held my attention and even though I repulsed you we both fell for each other." he said letting her loose a little.
"We might have fallen in love Troy, but our lives are still very different."
Troy led her into a spin and brought her back to him so he could push her hair away from her neck and allow him a perfect very. Troy placed his lips on the curve of her neck his lips pressed softly onto her skin. "I just want to be with you." He whispered.
Gabriella felt the pool of heat between her legs as she remembered everything this man could do for her. Her body against her own mind surrendered and she let out a small moan as she leaned her body into him. She had to get away from this man.
"Sexual attraction and love are two different things." She whispered licking her lips.
Troy hands stilled as he held her. "Is this just a sexual attraction for you?" he asked silently.
"It might be." she said looking up at him.
Gabriella felt him pull her off the dance floor and led her into empty hall away from the cameras. Looking for a door he pulled one open and pulled her inside. As soon as they were alone he knew his time was limited and he pushed her against the wall trapping her body tightly. His hands came down on her body feeling and touching lighting fires in their wake and Gabriella arched herself to give her body to him. His lips came down on her neck down to the opening of her dress. His hands reached around to cup her bottom and squeeze. There was another moan but this time from Troy and it caused him to pull away from her. "that" he said looking at her as he controlled his breathing. "is sexual attraction."
Gabriella stared at him with wide eyes confused as to what point he was trying to make.
"This." he said pulling her gently to him and passing a hand over her cheek slowly he brought his lips down on to hers and he kissed them slowly. Her lips opening to him with a sense of delight as his hands remained to cup her face and his lips pressed gently on to hers. For a moment that was all there was and Gabriella almost forgot where they were or even who they were because just his touch and closeness was sending her over the edge.
As soon as Troy pulled away he looked down into her eyes which were heavy and her lips swollen from his kiss. "That was something a bit more then sexual attraction." He said opening the door behind him and stepping out.
Gabriella remained in the small room for a moment, thinking about what had just happened. She didn't even know what to do next, but deciding it should be something she took a step out of the closet and back to where the people were.
Troy had a hard you wouldn't believe. And while jumping her willing bones in that closet might have seemed like a good idea he was sure the cameras would go looking for them. Once he walked into the room he noticed the camera guy looking for them in the crowd on the dance floor and Troy walked over to the bar for a drink.
The rest of the night they sat across from each other and Troy who was going to be frustrated tossed his napkin onto the table. "Damn it brie." He said looking over at her. "I'm not David, I'm not going to say I love you and not mean it." He said looking at her.
"Troy you're asking for a lot." Gabriella said putting down her fork.
"What am I asking for?" Troy said leaning forward. "To be with you."
"Troy I have been alone in my parents' home for 6 years." She said placing both hands on the table. "do you think it was easy for me to come home with my tail between my legs after what happened with David?"
"I'm not David."
"That might be the case but when it comes down to it you both just want something for yourselves. He wanted his own bar and I helped him get one. After he got it I was no longer needed." She said looking at him. "What happens after five years and the restaurant is yours and sexual attraction fades and real life kicks in Troy?"
"I'll still want to be with you."
"How can you be so sure." She said looking down at the candles flame. "All you know about me is that I play music, bartend, and that I work with lots of numbers."
"I know you don't give yourself the credit you deserve; I know that you're strong, independent, beautiful and you look down at your feet when you're nervous." He said leaning back. "I know you smell like almonds and there's another smell I can't figure out but it drives me crazy." he said reaching for her hand. "your skin even your cold is so warm and it baffles me." He said looking down at her hand. "I know that I miss you when I'm not with you and I' happy when I am with you even if your spitting fire."
"Enough." She said looking up at him. Her eyes were a dark brown and he could see his future in them. He wanted to be with her. "You could know all that and it just means that we spent too much time around each other." she said pulling her hands away from him. "You're forcing it." She said in low voice. "This is a turning point in my life Troy." she said looking at him. "With all the changes I don't need to deal with moving to a new location, losing my friends and family, having my marriage become the spectacle of a family feud. And set up for America to see nonetheless." She said looking at him with a tear rolling down her cheek. "If you love someone you would be willing to give up everything for them, but if they loved you back they'd never ask you to." She said and with that she got up from the table. "I just want a normal life Troy and I love you but you can't promise me that."
Troy sat there in silence as she left the room.