Brave the Heat
Page 17
“Okay,” she said quietly.
“Okay, what?”
“You can stay at the house. But under one condition.”
“Alright,” he said slowly, bracing for the chance that she was going to throw the let’s-be-friends card back at him. “Shoot.”
“We share the kitchen duties.” She arched one eyebrow, and a playful lilt edged her words. “Whoever cooks doesn’t have to clean up. Deal?”
“Deal. But I’m a rotten cook.” Gavin’s lips tilted and he stuck his hand out to her. Jordan’s lip quivered as her palm settled against his, the soft feel of it making him yearn for more. “Anything else?” he asked, pulling her so that her skirt fluttered over his legs. “Roomie?”
“Yes.” Jordan nodded and her tongue flicked out, moistening her lower lip. Dropping his hand, she backed away to the door, her cheeks pinkening as the words tumbled from her lips in a rush. “I do appreciate you doing this, but I don’t want to confuse the girls. They’ve had so many changes in the past few months, and I’d hate to give them the wrong idea or make them think that we’re… So…when we’re around each other, we should be…”
“Friends.” He gave her a tight smile and nodded slowly. “I get it. I didn’t suggest this so I could sleep with you.”
“I know,” she said quickly, her hand reaching out to touch him before quickly dropping it back to her side. She glanced through the screen door and lowered her voice. “I know that’s not why you’re doing it.”
“Good. I’m glad we cleared that up.” Gavin studied her closely before leaning in and whispering into her ear. “But make no mistake about it, Jordan. When the time is right and you’re ready”—he trailed his forefinger along the edge of her palm and stilled when she shivered in response—“I have every intention of getting you into bed. And sleeping will have little to do with it.”
Before she could respond, Gavin opened the door and slipped past her into the house. Claire caught his eye when he stepped into the foyer and tilted her head, as though acknowledging exactly what was going on with him and Jordan. To her credit, she didn’t say a word. She simply smiled before turning her attention back to the photo album on the coffee table.
Strolling through the dining room toward the kitchen, Gavin pushed the swinging door open. His heart melted at the two grinning faces on the other side.
The neighborhood kids had left, and Lily and Gracie were sitting at the small, round table with crumb-filled plates in front of them, both of them sporting milk mustaches. Their sandal-clad feet swung from the chairs as though the girls didn’t have a care in the world. These two sweet-faced children were blissfully unaware of the recent ugliness with their father, and if Gavin had anything to say about it, things were going to stay that way.
Chapter 13
It was well past eleven o’clock at night and the girls had been asleep for hours, but Jordan had done nothing but toss and turn and occasionally watch TV. With a growl of frustration, she snagged the remote from her nightstand and shut off the television. She’d hoped that maybe watching some old movies would help lull her to sleep—or at least keep her mind off the fact that Gavin was sleeping in the spare bedroom down the hall.
Nope. Fat chance. All she did was think about him. This was only the second night he was staying there, but it was also the second night she was going to go without sleep. What was her problem?
Lust and sexual frustration, she thought with a roll of her eyes.
With a huff, she flopped back on her pillow and stared at the ceiling while fiddling with the sheets. The light of the full moon spilled in the windows, and not even the familiar comforting sound of the waves helped soothe her restlessness.
Maybe a glass of warm milk would help. Jordan had never tried that old wives’ trick. She’d always thought it sounded stupid, but if she didn’t get some sleep soon, she was going to go nuts.
Shoving the sheets aside, Jordan swung her legs over the edge of the bed and tiptoed to the doorway of her bedroom. Clad only in her short white nightie, she opened the door a crack and peered into the hallway to find it empty. The narrow hall was illuminated only by the light that flowed from beneath the closed bathroom door. She’d asked Gavin to leave it on in case the girls woke up in the middle of the night. Jordan smiled as she stepped into the hall, the floral runner rough and warm beneath her feet. It was a lovely surprise to have a man actually listen to her.
She tiptoed quietly down the hallway, but before she got to the stairs, the bathroom door swung open and a puff of hot steam swept over her. Like a scene out of a movie, Gavin stepped out of the steamy cloud, dripping wet and wearing only a small, white towel around his waist.
With her hand curled around the top of the banister and her mouth wide open, Jordan stood there wordlessly, taking in every delicious inch of him.
Wet and gorgeous, his dark hair slicked off his forehead, the man looked like sin and sex rolled into one. Standing stone still with those ropy, muscular arms at his sides, Gavin studied her with piercing green eyes. The only flicker of movement was the flutter of muscle in his chest as rivulets of water trickled over the dips and curves of that perfectly sculpted torso.
The temptation to touch him was almost more than she could bear.
She couldn’t breathe. Or move. Or speak.
All Jordan could do at the moment was stand there and soak in the tall, enticing sight of him. She allowed her eyes to drift over him from head to toe and back again in one long, slow pass. It was bold, brazen, and practically an invitation for sex. Hell, why didn’t she drop her panties right there in the hallway?
“Sleep tight,” he murmured.
To Gavin’s credit, he simply gave her that cheeky grin before winking, striding down the hall to his room, and disappearing inside. The back view, even with the scar on his shoulder, was as moan-inducing as the front. The expression “a feast for the eyes” finally held real meaning.
Shuddering with a rush of lust and adrenaline, Jordan hurried back to her room and closed the door tightly behind her. With her hand practically melded to the doorknob, she leaned her forehead against the cool wooden surface and fought to catch her breath. Round one of the sexual tension games definitely went to Gavin. Jeez. Letting out a huff of frustration, Jordan shoved herself away from the door and flopped onto her bed facedown.
It was gonna be a long night.
* * *
Almost a week had passed since her father’s funeral and Ted’s unexpected visit, but since then life had been surprisingly quiet. There hadn’t even been any fires, and Gavin had been home every night. But after that awkward, albeit sexy midnight hallway run-in, Jordan had paid better attention to his showering schedule so as to avoid any further embarrassing moments.
She had also done as Gavin requested and filed a formal complaint about Ted with the police, but she’d resisted going for the restraining order. She wanted life to be as normal as possible, and doing that would be the polar opposite of normal. As she’d expected, Ted hadn’t made a peep since he left. She hadn’t received as much as an angry text message or a phone call from her lawyer. Life in Old Brookfield had gone back to the status quo after her father’s death. Wasn’t that always the way of things?
Life goes on.
The shrill ring of the telephone cut through the kitchen and almost made Jordan yelp with surprise. Shaking her head at her foolishness, she snagged the cordless phone from the counter and put it to her ear.
“Hello?” She leaned one hip against the counter.
“Jordan?” The familiar voice of her attorney, Richard Montvale, filled the line. “It’s Richard.”
“Oh, hello, Richard.” Nervousness shimmied up her back and she bit her lower lip. “What’s going on? Did I forget to sign a paper or something?” she asked with a shaky laugh.
“No.” Richard cleared his throat, and his deep, somewhat bland voice came through staid and steady. “I’m calling about Ted. Or rather, about a call I received from Ted’s attorney.”
“Ted was arrested.”
“Arrested?” Jordan clutched the phone tighter and whispered, “When?”
“Over the weekend. He was upstate at the country house and got busted for drunk driving and resisting arrest. He was released on bail today and admitted himself to a rehab facility outside the city. It’s a three-month resident program, and after that he’ll have a court date for the charges. I’m sure his attorney will get it postponed for as long as possible. Matthews is a sharp lawyer and deals with guys like Ted all the time. Rich troublemakers. At any rate, Matthews wanted me to let you know and give you the contact information for the facility. The girls can call him there but only during certain times.”
Unsurprised by the news, Jordan took down the phone number and address of the rehab facility and, after a few pleasantries, hung up the phone. It had finally happened. Ted’s bad behavior had caught up to him and he’d checked into rehab, but Jordan knew that only time would tell whether or not this was a temporary recovery.
The sound of Lily and Gracie’s laughter mixed with the crashing waves captured Jordan’s attention, and the joyfulness of it made her heart ache. She wanted nothing more than to shield her girls from the ugliness of addiction and abusive behavior. Thank God she’d moved back to Old Brookfield, but more than anything she was grateful for Gavin.
He was doing exactly what he’d promised. He was being a friend to her and her girls. Life was as peaceful, normal, and blissfully quiet as she had ever dared hope for.
Gavin had made them all spaghetti and meatballs for dinner and, as agreed, she was on dish duty. They’d alternated cooking nights and slipped into a comfortable routine with almost frightening speed. Turning back to the sink, she rinsed the last pot and realized that she and the girls had laughed more in the past week with Gavin than they had in the last two years with Ted.
Shutting off the faucet, she placed the pot in the drying rack before wiping her hands on the dish towel. She leaned one hip against the counter and spotted the back of Gavin’s head, the deep amber glow of sunset spilling over him. He was standing on the deck, with Lily and Gracie sitting in rapt attention, while he showed them yet another card trick. She tossed the dish towel on the counter, enjoying the sweet and perfectly natural scene outside.
It felt so absolutely right to have Gavin here in her home with her and the girls. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the doorway into the dining room and sucked in a deep breath of clean ocean air. The combination of their chatter mixed with the inherently relaxing scent of the salt spray had Jordan feeling more at home and safer than she ever had.
A smile curved her lips as she pondered the simplicity and normalcy of the past week. During the day, the girls went to camp, while she and Gavin went to their respective jobs. At night, after dinner, they all retreated to their own rooms. That last part? Well, that was the only piece of the puzzle she wasn’t thrilled about. Her brow furrowed, and she let out a sigh.
This past week had also been a lesson in self-control—or self-torture, she wasn’t sure which. Having Gavin sleep down the hall from her night after night was more temptation than she’d prepared herself for. Memories of him emerging from the steamy bathroom came roaring back with a vengeance, and with them all kinds of ideas about what she’d wanted to do—but didn’t. Or wouldn’t. Or couldn’t.
Damn it.
Silently scolding herself for entertaining thoughts of the same behavior she’d told Gavin they couldn’t do, Jordan resolved that she would take a cold shower after the girls were tucked safely in bed. Resigning herself to yet another night of hot fantasies starring Gavin, Jordan flicked her eyes open and found herself face-to-face with the star of the show.
“You okay?” He moved past her into the kitchen and deposited his beer bottle in the sink. “You’re all flushed.”
“I’m fine,” she said a little too quickly. “It’s hot in here, that’s all.” Oh sure. It was a little hot anywhere he was. The kitchen…the living room…the polar ice caps…
“You should come out on the deck with us. It’s cooled off a lot and the sunset is gorgeous tonight. There’s a storm coming, so the waves are crazy big. The girls asked if we could go boogie boarding, but I figured it was too close to their bedtime and it’s gonna be dark soon. Tomorrow, maybe. It’s Saturday and we’re both off, so boogie boarding could be a killer way to spend the day after the storm breaks.”
Jordan tried not to stare at his fine backside as he grabbed a beer from the fridge, but that was an effort in futility. She looked away about a second too late, and Gavin caught her staring at his butt. A wide grin lit up his face and that one dimple appeared in his cheek, making him look more desirable than ever.
Closing the door to the fridge, he hooked his thumb in the front pocket of his board shorts and tilted the beer bottle at her, his muscles flexing beneath the white T-shirt. “You sure it’s hot in here? Feels fine to me.”
“My attorney called,” she said abruptly, needing to change the subject. “Ted was arrested for drunk driving and resisting arrest. He checked into a three-month rehab program right after he got out on bail.”
“I see.” Gavin frowned briefly as he rubbed his thumb over the label that was peeling off the bottle. “That means I can go home. I mean you don’t need me here anymore… Do you?”
Need? Want? Desire? Yes, please. All of that and more.
But before Jordan could answer him and say she didn’t only need him but wanted him so much she could barely breathe, Lily and Gracie came running into the kitchen.
“Mama, can we have extra book time tonight?” Lily asked, clinging to Jordan’s legs and staring up at her with big, moony eyes. “Please?”
“Sure,” Jordan said. She pushed Lily’s blond hair out of her eyes. Gracie was, as usual, standing right behind her big sister. “Why the burning desire for more book time? Not that I’m complaining.”
“Look.” Gracie held up a book with a shiny black cover. Taking it in her hands, Jordan turned it over and grinned when she saw the top hat and rabbit. It was an older book and had clearly seen some use, but it was still in good shape. Jordan recognized it immediately. “The chief gave it to me and Lily. He said it will help us be ’gicians.”
“Mr. Magic’s Twenty Best Tricks for Kids.” Glancing at Gavin, she teased, “Did you write this? You are, after all, Mr. Magic.”
“That’s what I asked him,” declared Lily. “But he said no.”
“He said no,” Gracie repeated.
“This was yours,” Jordan murmured. “I remember it.”
“Yeah, it’s no big deal.” Gavin shrugged and waved it off. “It was sitting around my parents’ house collecting dust, and since Lily and Gracie are so keen on learning new magic tricks, I figured…what the heck? May as well put it to good use. Right, girls?”
“Right,” they said in unison.
“Right,” Jordan whispered. Her throat thickened with emotion as the purity and genuine sweetness of his gift sank in. Clearing her throat, she forced herself to speak up. “Okay, girls. Go on up and get ready for your bath. You can have an extra half hour of book time tonight, but then it’s lights out. I’ll be up in a minute.”
Shrieks of glee filled the kitchen as the girls jumped up and down before grabbing the book and heading for their bedroom. About two seconds after vanishing, Gracie reappeared in the kitchen, ran up to Gavin, and wrapped her little arms around his legs, giving him a hug.
“Fank you, Chief.” Tilting her head back, her messy dark-blond hair spilling down her back, she said, “I hope your house stays stinky wif paint for always and you haf to stay here wif me and Mommy and Lily forever!”
Leaning back on the edge of t
he counter with both hands, Jordan looked at the man across from her and swallowed the sudden swell of emotion. Silence hung between them, with the sound of the waves and Gracie’s giggles as she ran from the kitchen.
Giving the girls that book—a book from his childhood that she knew meant something to him—was more than merely a sweet gesture. It was stirringly heartfelt and personal, and that was what scared her. Actually, if she was going to start being honest with herself, that was only part of what frightened her. Having Gavin in the house had been difficult, but now she realized that the really big challenge, the toughest part, would be when he left.
This past week hadn’t only been about lots of laughs for the girls and sexual tension-filled moments for her. Not even close. When she got right down to it, these past few days were the first time Jordan had really felt like they were a family.
A loving, happy, joyful, and safe family.
But now that Ted wasn’t an imminent threat, Gavin could leave and would take all of that with him. How on earth could she let that go? Would she have a choice? Was Gavin even interested in getting permanently mixed up with her, essentially signing on to be a father to her girls?
That was a hell of a bigger commitment than he’d likely bargained for, and it was about time she started figuring things out. The girls were quickly growing attached to Gavin, and she couldn’t blame them. Jordan was too. But she was a grown-up and they were children. They’d already been abandoned by their own father, so losing another man could be catastrophic. She had to get an idea of where he was really coming from and what he might be looking for—or not.
“Thank you for giving that to them,” she said quietly. She watched him carefully, wondering how he would react to the mere mention of something more meaningful. “I know you, Gavin, and I know that’s not just any book. You had that memorized when we were kids, and you probably still do.”