To Love Again: A Sweet Romance (Forty and Free Book 1)

by Lillianna Blake

  “I can give you a tour after breakfast.” Tony smiled again.

  Gavin tried not to glare in return. The man was just a little too helpful.

  “No thanks, I’ll look for myself. I want to make sure there are no more secrets about this place.”

  “Just the one.” Tony laughed, then excused himself from the counter.

  Gavin roamed from the lobby down a long hallway that led to another section of rooms. Some of the rooms had trays set outside the doors. He assumed they were occupied.

  In his younger days the thought of single women all eager to be set up on a date might have thrilled him, but at that moment all he wanted to do was get away before anyone noticed him.

  He turned a corner and made his way to a door that led outside. A large wooden deck stretched out before him. There were several lounge chairs, as well as a smooth floor which he assumed was used as a dance floor. Beyond the deck there was a large clearing with a few fire pits and several areas to sit. It was peaceful.

  The deck wrapped around the corner of the building. He decided to follow it to see where it led.

  When he rounded the corner, he saw several tables set up with white tablecloths and vases full of fresh flowers in the center. The gleam of sunlight reflecting off a covered silver platter led him toward one of the tables. Since there was only one place setting, he assumed that this was the breakfast that Tony had set out for him.

  He pulled back the chair, just as the door that led to the resort swung open.

  Chapter 13

  Nicole lingered in the small library that Tony led her to. It was quite interesting to her that the resort had a library. A good book had been her only real escape from life for a long time.

  As she waited for her breakfast to be prepared she tried to get interested in some of the titles. But her mind betrayed her. Again and again, her thoughts led her back to Gavin. Was he gone?

  She was tempted to ask Tony, but she didn’t want to find out. She also didn’t want Tony to know that she cared. That might inspire him to set her up with a few dates. Instead, she browsed the books and tried to focus on the idea that she could have a nice vacation whether or not Gavin had stayed.

  A few minutes later Tony stuck his head into the library.

  “Your breakfast is on the west deck. Would you like me to show you where it is?”

  “No thanks. I’m sure I can find it.” She waited until he was gone, then slipped out of the library. There was a better chance that she would spot Gavin if she was alone.

  She wandered the interior of the resort, which was not as big as she’d expected. She knew there were upper floors, but she could explore those later.

  When she spotted an area of the deck with tables and chairs, she assumed it was the west deck. She grasped the smooth metal handle of the door that led out onto the deck and pushed it open.

  Just as the door swung out, she noticed Gavin as he pulled a chair back from a table. It was the only table that had a tray on it. She froze in the doorway. Had he planned this? Was he pulling the chair out for her?

  When his eyes met hers they widened. His lips parted some. He appeared to be as startled as she was. Awkwardness spread throughout her body like cement. She couldn’t even muster up the good sense to say good morning. Luckily Gavin hadn’t turned into stone.

  “Nicole.” His lips spread into a warm smile. “You stayed.”

  Her heartbeat quickened. Was that happiness in his voice or was he just being polite?

  “So did you.” She finally took a step forward and let the door fall closed behind her. “Or are you waiting for a flight?”

  He continued to pull out the chair. “I thought I’d give relaxation a try. Care to join me?” He met her eyes as sunlight played off his lashes and cheekbones.

  She had to look away as she felt a blush rising in her cheeks.

  “Sure. If you don’t mind.” With every step she took toward the chair she pleaded with her clumsy feet not to trip or stumble. His eyes were locked onto her, and the last thing she wanted emblazoned on his memory was her falling flat on her face.

  “I’d be honored.” He held on to the chair as she sat down in it.

  The soft warmth of his fingers pressed against her shoulder blades. There it was again—that shiver that refused to be controlled.

  As Gavin walked around to the other chair, Tony walked through the door with another silver tray. His brows knitted as he looked at the two of them. Then a smile relaxed his features.

  “I see you two found one another again. How wonderful.” He set the tray down in front of Gavin.

  Only then did Nicole realize that Gavin had been planning to dine alone. None of this was planned—which meant that she’d interrupted his breakfast.

  Apologies rose to her lips, but they were silenced by Gavin’s steady voice.

  “I suspect this breakfast will be the best I’ve ever had.” Gavin winked at her across the table.

  Nicole couldn’t help but smile in return. He had a way of making her feel special even when she was mortified.

  “That’s a tall order.” She shifted in her chair.

  “I don’t think so. As long as I have your company, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.”

  “Voila!” Tony raised the lids on both trays to reveal scrambled eggs, sausage, and a small dish of assorted fruit. “Would you both like coffee to go with that?”

  “That would be great.” She nodded as the scent of the food wafted beneath her nostrils. Her stomach rumbled.

  “Just some orange juice for me, please.” Gavin picked up his fork and began to pick at the eggs.

  “This is so nice. Usually it’s just cereal or oatmeal for me in the morning.” She took a bite of her eggs. “Oh, these are good.”

  “Are they?” Gavin lifted an eyebrow. “I’m always a little skeptical of food I didn’t make.”

  “You cook?” Her eyes widened at the thought.

  “For myself. I mean, I don’t know if it’s any good if no one else has tasted it, do I?”

  “Sounds like you need some company.” She took another bite of her eggs to cover up her words.

  Gavin scooped up some of his eggs and smiled at her. “Is that an offer?”

  “I don’t know. Was it an invitation?” She grinned. Even though she was nervous and out of her element, for some reason he made her feel comfortable.

  Gavin set down his fork without taking a bite. “Absolutely.”

  “How can you say that? Now I know that you’re just trying to charm me.” She took another bite of her eggs and glanced over at the mountainside. The gnarled branches of the trees were full of bright green leaves. The bushes that surrounded them flowered with many different-colored blooms. It was similar to a postcard, only the wind stirred everything into a magnificent flutter. For a moment she lost herself in the sight of it.

  “Nicole, why would you say that?”

  His voice drew her back from the whimsical place her mind had retreated to. She shifted her gaze to him and did her best to ignore the way the wind riffled through his hair.

  “You invited me to breakfast without knowing anything about me. So either you’re comfortable with such risks, or you’re not serious.” She paused a moment and then met his eyes. “Or perhaps you are only interested in what I’m willing to offer in return.”

  “Wait a minute now.” Gavin slid forward in his chair and rested his elbows on the table. “You just accused me of something rather terrible. I invited you to breakfast because I feel a connection with you. I don’t feel that with many people. But maybe that’s one-sided?”

  “I didn’t accuse you, I just made an observation.” She locked eyes with him. “I can’t say I don’t feel that same connection, but a connection doesn’t mean anything without substance.”

  “Substance?” He sat back in his chair and laughed.

  Anger bubbled up within her. Was he making fun of her? Had the novelty of the night before been just that—a novelty? Before she could speak Tony r
eturned with their drinks.

  “Here you are. Coffee and juice.” He set them down on the table, then took a slight step back. “Is everything okay here?”

  Gavin’s laughter faded and he picked up his fork. “Fine. Right, Nic?”

  “Nicole.” She tightened her lips.

  “Sorry.” He glanced from her to his plate of food and then over at the mountainside.

  “Okay if you need anything, I’m just inside.” Tony turned and walked away.

  In his absence silence settled between them. Nicole busied herself with the task of preparing her coffee. By the time it was stirred Gavin was looking at her again.

  “I’m sorry if I upset you. I’m really not good at any of this.”

  “You could have fooled me.” She took a sip of her coffee.

  “See, there it is again.” He folded his hands on the table in front of him. “Are you this skeptical of anyone that compliments you? That enjoys your company?”

  His words struck a sore spot within her. She looked up from her coffee and right into his eyes. Maybe he was right.

  “Maybe I’m just not good at this either,” she said, her voice quiet.

  Chapter 14

  “Maybe we both need to relax.” Gavin searched Nicole’s eyes for a sign of what she might be feeling. He assumed he’d already trodden into an emotional minefield. “I don’t really know how to do this any more.” He cleared his throat. “I want to get to know you, Nicole—no tricks or schemes. I’d just like the opportunity to see what this connection might be all about. No rules, no strings—just two people sharing breakfast. What do you think?”

  “I think I can handle that.” Nicole dipped her chin and smiled. “If we’re being honest, though, I should tell you that I’m not sure that it will lead to anything. I just—I’m not sure if I’m ready for any of this.”

  “That makes two of us.” He stretched his hand out on the table and opened his fingers to invite her to take it. “Neither of us came here with the intention of meeting someone. But now we’ve met. Why don’t we explore this together?” He watched her as he waited to see if she would take his hand. He wondered if he’d already pushed her away.

  When the silk of her fingertips traced along the curve of his palm his eyes fell closed for an instant. When he opened them again, he caught her opening her eyes as well.

  “I like that idea. I’m sorry if I insulted you.”

  “You didn’t.” He curved his hand around hers. “You were right. I was falling into old habits. I guess it’s just important to me to try to impress you. I spend most of my days trying to charm and impress people.”

  “Oh? What do you do?”

  Gavin relaxed and picked his fork back up. “I’m in advertising. See? I’m used to selling myself.” He grimaced as the impact of his words struck his mind.

  Luckily Nicole laughed at his comment.

  “Then I can understand it, I guess.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m a script editor.” She shrugged. “Nothing fancy but it lets me work from home.”

  “Is that important to you?”

  “Well, it’s better for the—” She stopped and then cleared her throat. “For the commute. You know, it saves so much on gas and wear and tear on the car.”

  “Good point. I wish I could save some on that. I’m always driving all over the place to meet with clients.”

  “No time to put down roots then?” She smiled.

  His mind flicked back to a conversation with Amy. She’d wanted to put down roots, he’d wanted to wander more than ever. So he bought her a house, and himself a brand new car with great gas mileage.

  “I’ll admit I haven’t made it a habit. I guess that’s hard to understand.”

  “Oh, I don’t think so.” Her smile spread even wider. “Sometimes I just stare out the window and think about all the places that I’d like to see. There’s so much world out there and so little time.”

  He finished his last bite and sat back to look at her. “I would think with your job you’d have the freedom to travel. What holds you back? Was it your husband? Do you have kids?”

  Her smile faltered just enough that he noticed her lips settled shut. When she spoke again she looked away toward the mountain.

  “No, no, that wasn’t it. I guess I just felt a sense of obligation, as if work must come first, and pleasure—well, a very far second.”

  “Ah, a responsible soul. That’s nothing to be ashamed of either. I have a hard time breaking my focus from work, but lucky for me I get to enjoy a good amount of travel with my job. I may have visited many beautiful places, but I share the same neglect of my own desires. I go where the job leads, not always where my heart does.”

  She looked back at him and he felt some relief to look into her eyes again.

  “Where would you go if your heart took the lead?”

  A flash of heat washed through his body. It contorted his muscles and roiled the blood that pumped through his veins. The answer had always been Amy. How could he say that?

  “It wouldn’t be a place.” He lowered his eyes.

  “A time?” She leaned her chin on the heel of her palm. “A favorite memory?”

  “A feeling.” He cleared his throat.

  “Oh?” She chased his eyes no matter where he looked until finally he surrendered and allowed the contact. “What kind of feeling?”

  He slid his plate back along the table and glanced toward the door. “I wonder if Tony is going to come back for any of this.”

  “Gavin?”

  With reluctance he looked back toward her. In his attempt to be honest, he’d revealed too much.

  “I just think these need to get to the kitchen. Maybe we should take them in.” He glanced toward the door again. A gentle squeeze of his fingers brought his focus back to her.

  “It’s okay.” She met his eyes. He was enveloped by the warmth in her voice. “You don’t have to tell me. Everyone’s entitled to their secrets.”

  He relaxed as he studied her. “Every time I think that I’ve seen the extent of your beauty, you reveal a little bit more.”

  “Hm.” She drained her cup of coffee and set it back down on the table. “And every time I start to think that you might be trustworthy, you feed me a line like that.”

  “It’s not a line.” He tightened his grip on her hand and looked into her eyes. “You can run from it as much as you want, Nic, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s true. It’s how I feel.”

  She stared across the table at him. He could see her skepticism in her narrowed eyes.

  “Nicole.” She stood up from her chair. “No one calls me Nic.”

  The lean of her body, the direction of her gaze, and the curl of her fingers on the chair, all warned him that she was going to walk away.

  He stood up with no plan of what would happen next, but the moment his hand grasped hers before it could leave the chair, he knew.

  “I will.” He looked into her eyes. “If you’ll let me.”

  Chapter 15

  Nicole’s heart fluttered at Gavin’s insistence. She’d never had a pet name, or even a nickname given to her by her ex. In high school, she’d gone through a phase where she’d been Nikki, but since then, it had always been Nicole.

  Her instinct was to recoil, and yet she couldn’t get her body to listen. The pressure of his hand against hers had an intoxicating impact on her senses. At this range, the scent of his cologne was all that she inhaled. Each breath she took to calm herself only stoked the heady rush of her desire to ignore her apprehension.

  “I guess that’s a no to calling you Nic, then?” He grinned.

  “I suppose it would be fine.” She stole a glance up into his eyes.

  His face relaxed as the tension eased between them. His lips settled into an affectionate smile.

  “I hear there’s a trail that winds up part of the mountain—waterfalls, towering trees, a meadow or two. Do you enjoy that sort of thing?”

 
; “Yes.” She smiled at the thought.

  “Would you enjoy it with me?” He lifted an eyebrow.

  She smiled even wider. “I think I might.”

  “I’ll take that.” He slid his hand between hers and the chair.

  Once he had it cradled, she stepped away from the chair, but she didn’t pull her hand away. Be brave, Nicole, she told herself. Be brave enough to be open to something new.

  “Shall we?” He gestured toward the steps at the end of the deck.

  A quick reminder to herself that she was there to have fun, to enjoy her time, and not to question everything, got her refocused on the moment.

  “Yes, absolutely.” She tightened her grasp on his hand as he led her down the steps and onto a wide path.

  The further they walked into the woods, the more comfortable she became beside him. Neither attempted to speak. He seemed to be drinking in the beauty around them, just as she was.

  “I used to hike all the time when I was younger.” She smiled.

  “Oh? I’ve never been much for outdoor sports, but I do enjoy a good walk on a beautiful day. I guess I haven’t left a lot of room in my life for hobbies.”

  “Yes, things can get so busy so fast and years go by.” She pointed out a butterfly that danced through the air before her. “And this is what you miss.”

  “Not any more. Now we have the luxury of sharing it.”

  It did feel like a luxury to Nicole. Not only the sight of the butterfly, but the warmth of his hand against hers. Briefly, she wondered if maybe she was getting too sweaty, but she decided not to worry.

  As they approached a gentle upward slope, Gavin squeezed her hand.

  “Look.” He whispered just beside her ear, then pointed at the trees in the distance.

  She looked just in time to catch sight of a doe and her fawn. They almost blended in with the tall grass, but Gavin’s watchful eye had spotted them. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She assumed it was so that she could see better, but being in his grasp made it difficult for her to focus.

  “Beautiful.” She managed to mumble the word and waited for him to release her. Instead, he continued to walk forward with his arm around her. The path narrowed as the walked further along it.