Thank you to everyone still following this! I can't wait to post my Christmas special I think you guys are gonna love it :) I think I will end up posting it on my birthday (22nd) so I can have some reviews as presents! Lol

Chapter 22

A week later….

They were holding hands. And smiling at each other. And everything between them seemed the same as when they left to any outside observer; only they both knew that in the days they spent away from everything they knew, they had gotten closer.

They'd been able to have intimate dinners; dance in the LA clubs, spend a day at the beach and most of all, Gabi had learnt more about Troy's life in the buzzing, vibrant city.

"I almost don't want to be back in Albuquerque," he bemused with a small smile as he lifted their luggage down from the carousel.

Gabi wrapped her hand around his arm and pressed her cheek there, too. "I know."

He smiled down on her. "I thought for sure you were gonna kick me for saying that…"

"I can't, my leg still hurts," she teased, smiling up at him beautifully.

"I told you not to over do Frisbee on the beach yesterday…" he admonished.

She rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't have worn those sexy shorts then I might not have been so keen…"

He paused, wrapped his arm around her and bent to kiss her mouth. "Are you starting that already?" he husked as his eyes crinkled.

She curled her lips. "Too soon?"

He nuzzled her nose and kissed her again. "Too far from a bed," he adjusted.

She giggled and stepped back from him to temper their passion.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Gabi quickly apologised as she knocked into someone, twisting to enforce her apology.

"No problem…." The tall, auburn haired lady flicked a look over her and then over Troy, her mouth twisting into a devilish smile. "Well, well…

"Emily," Troy said with a swallow, surprised at seeing his ex right there, next to his new partner; after everything that had happened. He gaped his mouth in surprise.

Gabi raised her brows and stared at the woman she knew to be Troy's ex-fiancée and she silently measured herself against her. The woman was tall and lean; curved in the right places but clearly athletic and strong.

"Troy-big boy," she smirked and Gabi frowned at her affectionism.

"Don't call me that," Troy irritated.

Emily looked chagrined. "I'm sorry."

"What are you doing here?" He squinted.

She curved a smile that met her green-tinted eyes. "Seeing my boyfriend of course," she quipped of Solo.

"Good luck with that," Gabi offered and Emily looked at her for the first time. "He had a few lashings while you were gone…" she added with a wan smile.

"You're Troy's girl?" Emily asked her and Gabi met her gaze, unafraid.

"You bet I am."

Emily smiled and looked to Troy. "I like her."

Troy gritted his teeth.

"Have you done it like animals yet? He's big and it's the best sex I ever had…" Emily smirked.

Gabi frowned at the woman's crass inclusion of their previous sex life, wondering why she felt threatened enough to mention it to her. She linked hands with Troy and swallowed.

"Well I get his best sex now. It was lovely meeting you." And with that Gabi grasped her luggage handle and walked away, dragging Troy with her to which he chuckled and followed gladly.

"You are so sexy when you do that…" he whispered in her ear.

"Do what?" she puzzled.

"Kick ass," he gave a lopsided grin as he opened the taxi door for her to slide in first.

She lifted her brows. "She deserved it…"

He smiled over at her as he sat beside her, reaching across to link their fingers. "Are you claiming me?"

Gabi smiled felinely. "Haven't I done that already?"

"Not like this," he assured.

"I'm being silly…"

"I like it," he tightened his grip on her hand and she sobered.

"She still has feelings for you," she said of Emily and Troy looked away and sighed.

"Well she has no right to. She's the one who left…"

"The way she was telling me about your sex-life…that was no co-incidence, Troy," Gabi commented.

The taxi pulled up outside the house and Troy disembarked with a wary composure. Gabi grabbed their cases from the boot before either man could help and she looked up to her boyfriend after paying for the fare.

"Do you think she wants you back?"

Troy smirked, rolling his eyes. "It's not gonna happen…"

"You must feel something…" she pushed.

"Yeah," he nodded and met her eyes. "Thankful that I never married her."

Gabi tilted her head and watched him walk up the path with his case while she followed and soon enough, they were being greeted by Chad as he stood to hug them both.

"Hey, Gabi, your hair!" he marvelled at her iron-flat locks which usually sat in wild curls about her shoulders.

She flicked up her hands to show-off her perfectly manicured nails. "I've been made into a woman," she teased.

"I don't like it," Chad teased right back.

She giggled and studied him. "How's it been?"

"Busy!" he sighed in admittance. "I had every member of town come by to 'check if I need anything'," he quoted knowingly and Gabi blushed.

"They were just replacing me while I couldn't be here," she explained of her friends.

Chad smiled. "I know…and thank you."

"War hero?" Troy piped up as he came back down from dumping the cases.

"What?" Gabi made a face.

"Hey, bro's over hoes," Troy pointed out, passing by Gabi to warm up the TV.

Gabi stood and put her hands on her hips, puzzled. "I thought we were talking about Emily…"

Chad lifted his brows and looked over to Troy. "Emily?"

Troy pursed his lips and avoided their gazes. "We saw her at the airport. She's here to see Marlade."

"And?" Chad demanded.

"And nothing. That's it," Troy shrugged.

Chad looked to Gabi and Gabi shook her head. "I'm going to see Dex," she decided and headed out, leaving Chad to unravel the mystery that clearly erupted with Emily's appearance.

"If nothing happened why did Gabi want to talk about it?" Chad sat down and took his controller.

Troy sighed. "Jealousy?" he offered, knowing this wasn't true. Even Chad let out a raspberry of laughter.

"Gabi? Jealous?" He mocked.

Troy squinted his lethal blue eyes at his friend. "Why not?"

"Because she doesn't play those games," Chad replied knowingly.

"Emily mentioned our sex life," Troy shared eventually, against his better judgement.

"What?" Chad o'd his mouth.

"Yeah. She made sure she knew me and Gabi were together then she told her we had great sex…"

"What is that bitch up to?" Chad wondered instantly.

"She came back for Marlade but Gabi thinks she was putting a claim on me," he explained Gabi's earlier suggestion.

"Dude," Chad dipped his chin and abandoned the game.

Troy sighed. "What?"

"She dumped you…"

"I know," Troy frowned. "I'm not planning on letting her get to me…"

"Not planning, but it could happen," Chad warned.

"Chad, I'm with Gabi now. I'm in love…"

"You were with her once, too," Chad reminded him. "The fact Gabi is worried about this makes me worried too…"

"Look, she just mentioned some details of our sex life and I guess Gabi and I haven't reached that stage of our relationship yet so she's bound to feel threatened. But you said yourself she's not the jealous type. She knows how I feel about her…"

"But she doesn't know how you feel about Emily…"

"I told her…I'm glad I didn't marry her now." Troy added lightly.

"Troy, you have to talk about this with her…" Chad suggested.

"Why? It's in the past, who cares?"

"You do," Chad pointed out. "You must have felt shell-shocked to see her again and you have to admit, the timing is off. You still hold feelings for her and you need to admit that…"

"The only feelings I hold for her, are hate and resentment," Troy irked his brows.

"But if Gabi wasn't around?" Chad needled.

Troy shrugged. "I loved her once, I can't deny it."

"Exactly. And that doesn't just go away." He paused as he saw Troy's face frown in grievance. "Look, I know you're over her and that being with Gabi is the best thing that happened to you, but just be careful that Emily isn't part of Marlade's game…"

"What game?" Troy questioned suspiciously.

Chad shrugged. "Look at him, he came in and insulted Gabi to make her react; then he went to her best friend and then you…now he's bringing back the one person that destroyed you…I can't help but think he's up to something."

Troy took a deep breath through his nose. "He wants Gabi."

"Don't they all?" Chad joked.

Troy looked at his friend with serious eyes. "He's always made it obvious that he wanted to be with her from the start. He wanted to be the one that…" he paused, closing his eyes.

"She won't go with him," Chad cut in.

Troy rubbed his hand over his mouth. "I don't know what to say to Gabi that makes sense…"

Chad budged his arm. "Just tell her the truth."

"Which is?" Troy wondered.

"That the bitch hurt you and you need to get your head around her being back…"

"What if she tries to ruin things for me and Gabi?" Troy revealed his worst fear.

"Then I bet on Gabi's ass to drop-kick the bitch…."

/

"How was Dex?" Troy asked as Gabi crept into the dark bedroom, assuming Troy was asleep and shocked by his words.

She turned and squinted into the dark, seeing the outline of her resting boyfriend as he lay on his back.

"He's the same annoying, loveable brother he always was," she conceded with a sigh as she stripped off her day-clothes and then sat on the edge of the bed to discreetly remove her bra and panties before she lifted the duvet and wrapped her naked self against Troy's side.

"Hey, what's this?" he took a surprised breath, feeling the tell-tale reaction of his body to her naked attack.

Gabi rubbed against him. "Sexy hugging," she described, making him smile.

"Are we finishing what you started earlier?" he wondered lightly, receiving her kiss as she propped against him and lay her mouth against his, seeking more.

"Can we do it doggy-style?" she asked as she pulled away, knowing he was hard for her already from the jut of his erection against her thigh.

Troy cupped her cheek and let her long, straight hair brush his palm. "Is this about what Emily said?" he husked.

She blinked her eyes and answered for him. "Is it wrong for me to want to try it?" she wondered.

He smiled, kissing her tenderly with the love he felt for her. "No, of course not. But I love you so much and I want us to be about how we feel…not about something my ex said."

"She made me curious," Gabi admitted, feeling brave enough to confess.

Troy rolled over with her until she was underneath him where he pinned her and kissed her with the deep-seated passion they had both shared and indulged in freely over the last week while they visited LA.

"I missed rolling in bed with you," he smiled and she arched to show her need for him.

"I came in naked, too," she teased in the increasingly confident way he had come to expect of her.

"I know, perfect," he substantiated his claim by running his hands over her curves and by dipping kisses to her peaks.

"Make love to me, Troy," she begged, aching and throbbing deep inside for him.

"Like this?" He checked, knowing she had also grown to love straddling him as much as he loved commanding her in their position as they were now.

She bit her lower lip, wanting to ask to make love the way he had with Emily that she proclaimed was so fantastic but she knew it would ruin their moment so she nodded and they came together at last, ruining each other in the best way possible.