“Well, first of all, half the women under thirty seem to have a butterfly tattooed on them somewhere. Second, you just always hear it, you know? ‘She spread her wings and turned into a beautiful butterfly, ready to soar.’ It’s like, ugh, really? How original.”
He smirked in amusement. “I didn’t take you for a cynic.”
“I’m not a cynic,” she said. “Just a realist.”
“Well,” he said, “I like butterflies. Both how they look and their symbolism. Plus, clichés usually come to exist for a reason. Because there’s an element of truth, or somethin’ so basically human that it resonates for many.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” The pendant was almost five hundred dollars. No way, she thought. But, it had small matching earrings, much more reasonably priced. “I think I’m going to get the earrings for myself. They’re not horribly expensive…” Peeking up at him from under her lashes, she added quietly, “And every time I look at them, they’ll remind me of you, and the wonderful day we shared here.”
His eyes rounded and a muscle twitched in his jaw. His hand cupped the back of her neck and he leaned down to kiss her, soft and sweet. “I love that.” Another tender kiss. “Let me buy them for you, please.”
“What? No.” She shook her head. “I wasn’t fishing for you to get them for me—”
“I know.” His hand lifted to caress her cheek. “But when you look at them, I want you to do that knowing they were a gift from me. And rememberin’ today, like you said. Because I’ve loved everything about today, too. It’s been a nearly perfect day, being here with you.” He held her chin as he said, “I’m getting them for you.”
Her heart stuttered and tears pricked her eyes. “If you insist,” she whispered.
“I insist.”
*
Dinner with Sean and Cassandra was lovely. For three hours, the four of them talked, laughed, ate, drank—well, Cassandra didn’t drink anything but water. Lightly buzzed from all the wine they’d shared, Toni and Gavin collapsed into their seats on the train back to Long Beach. She curled into his side, snaking her arm around his waist and letting her head sink onto his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She was asleep by the first stop. He held her and thought back on the day… on his time with her in the museum, the incredible exhibits, the delicious dinner and good conversation his brother and sister-in-law… all of it had been fantastic. He’d rarely enjoyed such a wonderful day.
And he was leaving in just a week. How had the time gone so fast?
Toni jolted in his arms, reacting to whatever she was dreaming about. He tightened his grip around her and dropped a kiss on her forehead, meant to soothe. She calmed right away, stilling in his arms. As if she knew he was there and could relax.
Gavin stared out the window, or tried to; it was so dark outside that all he could see was their reflection in the window. Him holding her, her long curls draped over her shoulder. They looked good together… they looked like they belonged together. Sean’s words, when the two of them had been alone for a few minutes, echoed in his head: “It’s too bad you and Toni can’t stay together. You seem so right for each other… but long distance relationships rarely work. It’s a shame. I feel for ya, brother.”
Sean had nailed it on all counts—it was too bad. And it was a damned shame.
Something Toni said earlier in the day floated back to him through the tiredness that had blanketed his brain. So offhandedly, she’d mentioned she was going to quit her job after all. “Time for a change,” she’d said. An idea sparked in his mind, making his blood run a little faster. She wanted a change? Well, what if she took a huge leap and made a huge change… like moving to Ireland to be with him?
He closed his eyes, huffing out a breath of self-loathing. He must be more drunk and tired than he’d figured, thinking up things like that. He had to be out of his mind. They’d known each other for three weeks. No way could he ever ask that of her…
Because it was insane.
Because he had a split second glimmer of “what if?” that made him want it.
Because she’d say no, of course. Her family and friends were here, her life was here. Why would she ditch all that to take a chance with him? She wouldn’t. And being rejected by her would break his heart… which, he knew now, was already going to break anyway when he left, regardless.
Chapter Fourteen
‡
Gavin had only been in bed for five minutes, already half asleep, when there was a soft knock on his bedroom door. He rubbed his eyes and called, “Come in.”
The door opened and Toni peeked in, a mischievous grin on her gorgeous face. “Oh good, you’re not asleep yet.”
“Almost was. But this is a nice surprise.” He sat up in bed and motioned for her to come in. She closed the door behind her and sat beside him on the bed. He kissed her before asking, “What’s up? You all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She stroked his bare forearm, still with that grin on her face. “I thought of something, and then I couldn’t get it out of my head…”
He lay back down, pulling her with him. They curled up in each other’s arms, and her fingers played along his smooth chest.
“Today was such a wonderful, almost magical day,” she said earnestly. “And I thought of a memorable way to finish it. Make it one of the best days ever.” She looked into his eyes. “Interested?”
“Hell, yes. What do you have in mind?”
“Come with me.”
For some reason it felt deliciously wicked, walking onto the deserted beach at midnight, hand in hand under the stars. She held two thick blankets; he held a bottle of red wine. He’d had the foresight to open it in the kitchen so they wouldn’t need a corkscrew, and she’d brushed off the idea of carrying glasses. “We’ll just share from the bottle. No fancy goings on here.”
His heart felt light, and his head slightly dazed. He figured that was a combination of being tired from the long day and being excited by Toni’s suggestion.
They made their way onto the sand, kicking off their flip-flops before walking further down the beach. The sand felt soft and cool between his toes, a nice difference from how hot it could get when the sun blazed down on it.
“It’s so different here at night,” Toni said, her voice content and quiet. “The darkness. And no people… makes it kind of eerie and wonderful at the same time.”
He nodded in agreement. It was as if they’d wandered onto a deserted island, and they were the only inhabitants. The moon was almost full; its shining blue light glimmered off the vast ocean like tiny dancing diamonds. Stars twinkled overhead and a soft breeze came off the water. The only sound was that of the ocean, as the waves crashed rhythmically on the shore. “I love the sound of the sea,” he told her. “It’s so soothing, almost hypnotic. I’m going to miss that.”
She squeezed his hand and stopped walking. “This is a good place.”
He looked around. They were in the middle of the beach, and it was empty. “All right. If you think so.”
“We should be okay.” Toni handed him one of the blankets, then flared out the other across the sand. “The police do checks every hour or so. A cruiser drives out on the sand, looking for teenagers having drinking parties and all that. But if they find us, all they’ll do is tell us to leave. We’re just a couple getting busy, we have no drugs—we won’t get arrested or anything.”
“Good to know,” he said, amused by her train of thought.
She held out her hand for the other blanket, which he gave her. She dropped it along with her flip-flops onto a corner of the blanket, then sat down. She patted the spot next to her and smiled up at him. “Have a seat, Doc.”
Smiling back, he did so, and handed her the bottle of wine. “Ladies first.”
“Thank you, sir.” She raised it to her lips and took a few swallows. “Ah, crap!” She laughed, wiping at her mouth. “Very elegant, dribbling all over myself.”
He leaned in and licked the
droplets of wine from the corners of her lips and chin before slanting his mouth over hers. His tongue slipped inside, teasing hers. “You taste fantastic,” he whispered against her mouth, then kissed her again. Her free arm snaked around his neck to hold him as she returned his kisses with matching heat.
“Christ, I can never get enough of you,” he murmured, pulling her closer. “Do you know that? I want you all the time. I’ve never been like this with anyone before.”
She smiled, careful not to spill the bottle of wine she still held at her side. “Same here, to be honest. You drive me crazy with wanting you sometimes…” His hand brushed the underside of her breast, and her breath caught. “Do you know why I wore a sundress under this sweatshirt?” she asked, her voice low and sultry as his lips trailed along her neck.
“No.” He kissed and nibbled and licked at her, greedy and hot.
“I’m not wearing anything underneath it.”
He pulled back to look at her face, and saw her eyes sparkled with seductive purpose. “Really.”
“Yup.”
“You’re killin’ me,” he whispered huskily. He kissed her, hot and hard, then grabbed the wine bottle, took a hearty swallow, and shoved it into the sand, twisting the bottom in deep to keep it secured.
Her hand swept up his leg. “And do you know why I asked you to wear your pajama pants?”
“Ehm… because you wanted me to be comfortable?” he teased.
“Nope.” Her grin widened, and her hand moved further up his thigh.
“Because you’re a wicked seductress?”
“Maybe.”
“Not maybe, sweet. Definitely.”
She kissed him then, her hand sweeping over the already hard bulge in his pants. “Because they’re so easy to take off.” She kissed him again, one hand stroking him while the other played along his stubbled jawline. “I’ve always wanted to have sex out here, on the beach. Never have. I want to with you.”
“Sweet mother of God,” he rasped, eyes locked on hers. “That sounds amazing. But fuck, I didn’t bring any protection.”
“No worries…” A mischievous glint flickered in her eyes as she reached down into the neck of her hoodie. Slowly she pulled a short strip of condoms from her cleavage. “I think of everything.”
He lunged at her, catching her face with both hands as he kissed her more intensely than he ever had. They fell back onto the blanket, a hot, frantic tangle of mouths, tongues, hands, arms, legs. She was right there with him, both of them lost to explosive carnal need.
Within five minutes, she tugged his pants down to his knees, exposing his body to the air before her mouth closed over him. Gavin lay back and closed his eyes, groaning as his hands fisted in her hair. When his breathing went erratic and his hips rocked faster, she stopped. He quickly got the condom on while she hiked her dress up. As soon as he was ready, she straddled him and slid down, slowly taking the hard length of him inside her. He moaned, his hands sliding beneath her dress to move up her legs, grabbing her hips to lift her, then slam her down onto him harder.
She groaned low and a deep shudder ran through her whole body. Slipping her hands beneath his sweatshirt, her hands splayed on his flat belly for support. Her head fell back and she started to ride him slowly, finding her pace, grinding into him as she took him in deeper with each swivel of her hips.
“Christ,” he grunted, his hands moving up to cup her breasts as she worked him. “Good God, you’re amazing, Toni…”
The sounds of the ocean were their background music. Waves crested and crashed on the sand nearby as they moved together in a primal, needy rhythm.
His hands went back to her hips, holding her as he stared up at her. The black sky, sparkling with stars… her head flung back, eyes closed, hair dancing in the breeze and breasts bouncing… it was the most beautiful vision he’d ever seen in his life.
He reached up to touch her cheek, the other hand still firm on her undulating hips, and whispered, “Look at me, sweetheart.”
She did, her eyes dazed and unfocused with passion. Their eyes met and locked.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his breath hitching when she rolled in a slow circle on him, taking him deep. “So beautiful…” He ran his thumb over her lips. She took it into her mouth, sucking briefly before releasing it.
He grabbed her hips firmly with both hands and started moving faster. Thrusting up into her, again she steadied herself, her hair falling into her face as her moans and gasps grew louder. Moving together, their rhythm became frantic, primal, until her legs stiffened around his hips and she cried out his name, her orgasm making her muscles quiver as the sensations battered her. Seeing her erotic climax pushed him over the edge; he dug his fingers into her hips, let out a long, low groan, and released deep inside her. The sound of the waves mixed with his heartbeat roaring in his ears.
She collapsed on him in a boneless heap. He stroked her hair and her back, calming her still trembling body as they both worked to catch their breath.
The waves ebbed and flowed, in and out again, the sounds lulling them into a state of utter peace and tranquility.
I love you, he wanted to tell her. I love you so much. Instead, he pressed a kiss to her mouth, lingering there. She smiled back at him, her eyes heavy-lidded and sated.
Later, after hours of kissing and whispered talk and caresses, she slept soundly on his chest, her head on his shoulder, the top blanket wrapped around them like a cocoon. He listened to her breathing, to the ocean, to the occasional seagull cries as the sky grew lighter. He couldn’t sleep yet, though he was exhausted. It had been probably the best day and night of his life, and he didn’t want it to end. He didn’t want to leave her, and he didn’t want this to be over.
Different possibilities ran through his mind. Could they be together somehow? Was it at all realistic, or possible? He wanted to figure out a way…
He finally fell asleep as the sun dawned, holding her close, their legs intertwined and her hand on his heart.
Chapter Fifteen
‡
On Monday morning, Toni dragged herself into work. Gavin missed her all day, more than he ever had before. Maybe it was knowing it was his last week there, and their days together were coming to an end. When she got home that night, he had dinner waiting for her. He’d grilled chicken cutlets, red and yellow peppers, squash and zucchini. The table was set for two. She thanked him for his thoughtful gesture and kissed him hard. After dinner, they went for a walk on the boardwalk, hand in hand, the entire length of it. Then they sat on a bench, put their feet up on the heavy silver railing, and watched the ocean undulate and the sun set and the people who walked their dogs or strolled along the beach. Her head fell onto his shoulder, his arm went around her, and they sat together until the sky darkened. Then they went back to the house and straight up to her bedroom.
Tuesday evening, when Toni got home from work, Gavin and Joe were on the couch together, watching TV. “Hi, you guys.” She dumped her leather messenger bag by the staircase and kicked off her heels.
“Hey,” Gavin smiled. His insides brightened and quickened just from seeing her. Today she wore a peach colored, sleeveless silky dress, looking sophisticated and gorgeous. “How was your day?”
“Long,” Toni said. “Glad to be home.”
“You hungry?” Joe asked. “We ordered a pizza for dinner, there’s still some left.”
“We left it on the kitchen table for ya,” Gavin added.
“Thanks. I will in a minute. Just want to sit down first.” Toni flopped into the loveseat and announced, “I took the rest of the week off work. A mini-vacation.”
From his seat on the couch, Gavin’s eyes snapped to hers and his brows shot up. “Really? Can you do that?”
Toni shrugged. “I did it. They weren’t thrilled. I don’t care.” Anna sprinted down the stairs and they exchanged hellos.
“What brought this on?” Gavin asked.
The sides of her mouth curved up sweetly. “W
ell, you’re only here a few more days, so… I don’t go back until Monday.”
Gavin’s heart thumped and he wondered if she had any idea how happy he was.
“Aww, you crazy lovesick kids,” Joe said, stretching as he rose to stand. “You’re adorable. Adorable, I say! Talk about a hookup that went right.”
“Shut up, you,” Toni laughed, even as Gavin’s face creased in a pleased grin.
“He’s right, though. You guys are lovely together. Glad it worked out so well, or this could’ve been a long month,” Anna said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Well, I’m off to work.” She leaned over the back of the couch to smack a kiss on the top of Gavin’s head, then fixed her hair. “See you all in the mornin’.”
“I’m going for a bike ride,” Joe said. “Wait, I’ll come out with you.”
Gavin and Toni were alone. He grinned, turned off the flat screen, and motioned with his chin for her. She got up and moved to sit next to him on the couch.
“So. Do you have any plans tonight, Doc?” she asked.
“I have no plans tonight except to be with you.” He smiled.
She cradled his head in her hands and started kissing him, slow and languid and sweet. He made a sound from deep in his throat that delighted her as he lowered her back to lie on the couch. Sweeping off his glasses, he placed them on the coffee table next to the remote before shifting to lie on top of her. Cuddled and smiling, their arms entwined around each other as the kisses went on, delicious and deep. Her hands slid under his shirt and trailed up his smooth back as he greedily kissed and nibbled on her throat and neck.
“Thank you, by the way,” he said.
“For what?” she asked.
“For taking the rest of the week off work so we can spend time together. That’s… it’s fantastic, really.” He pulled back to stare down at her.
“I want to spend as much time with you as I can,” she admitted, her cheeks staining pink. “Yesterday, and today, you were all I could think about. And knowing you were home, and I was there, when I could’ve—should’ve—been here with you? I told them today I needed to take some days.”
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