“They are adorable,” Gavin states after witnessing their sweet little show alongside me.
“I know, they are meant for one another and I'm glad they both finally see it.” I smoothly reach over and loop my arm around Gavin's. I take a deep breath to try and calm my nerves.
He looks down and smiles at our entwined arms, mimicking my deep breath and then leads me to his waiting Camaro. “Well, let's go 'meet the fam'.” He chuckles at Kassy's words.
“Before one of us chickens out.”
I decide at this moment that I won't let myself chicken out. Today is the day I get my answers. There will be no turning back, no more secrets and hopefully, I will have a little fun. I should really be excited, but I am more scared than anything that I won't like what I learn, and that it will change me forever.
***
It is overly difficult to try and keep my eyes off of Gavin. We sit side by side in his car as he drives us out of downtown Jacksonville and up over the tree-lined mountain road. I can’t stop myself from glancing his way, just admiring how insanely graceful and handsome he is.
His eyes are trained on the road and he takes the curves in the winding mountain with skilled precision. He told me before that his family has lived in this area for generations, so I imagine he has driven these roads hundreds of times.
Gavin catches me watching him and flashes me a sexy smirk before turning his attention back to the view in front of us. I am failing so bad at being cool. “Have you ever been up this way?” he asks.
I study the beautiful green pine trees and I know this is where he must get his signature scent from. “I haven’t, but I would love to explore it all if I get the time. I'm kind of a huge nature lover.”
His lopsided grin broadens at my words. “Well, that is something we have in common, then. I thrive in these woods. Apparently, when I was barely old enough to walk, I was already taking off into the trees when my parents weren't looking. My dad always had to chase after me and bring me back home.”
I smile at the image of a tiny, chubby-faced Gavin wobbling through the forest without a care in the world. “I'm sure I would've been the same but growing up in a big city makes it hard, and a little more dangerous to just run right into the middle of nowhere when you need some space.
It wasn't until I got my license at sixteen that I could finally take myself anywhere I wanted to go.” Peaceful memories of disappearing for hours and forgetting the rest of the world flash through my mind.
“Don’t underestimate these woods, though. There are more dangers here than you’d think.” He says cryptically, making me wonder what he could be talking about. The thought of the black-eyed man having friends roaming the woods terrifies me.
Before I can ask, he continues talking. “You definitely picked the right town for exploring. This place is huge and beautiful and…magical, in a lot of ways.” He shifts his gaze over to me and locks his eyes onto mine for just a moment before focusing back on the road.
“You'll have to show me some of your favorite discoveries sometime. You probably know all of the best picnic spots.” I immediately cringe at the realization that I pretty much just asked him to take me out on a picnic date.
“I would love to.” He looks at me again and says, “It's a date.” effectively causing my heart to flutter offbeat. “I also know how to make a killer PB and J.” he says with a huge grin.
I laugh and shake my head. “Is there really a bad way to make a PB and J?”
His eyes go wide. “Of course, there is! It's all about the balance, you can't put too much peanut butter, or it completely overpowers the best part, the jelly. Then it can just get too messy.
The right kind of jelly is also of great importance!”
I can't control my amusement at how serious he is about the easiest sandwich known to mankind. “I'll be the judge of that, then. I’m sorry to say that I actually like more peanut butter than jelly, so you may not be as great a chef as you think.”
His hand flies to his chest like some offended southern lady. “That’s just crazy! I’ll have to go against everything I believe in for you, I guess.” He turns to me again and watches me watch him.
I quickly turn my head toward the scenery, trying to escape the heat from his gaze because the almost palpable warmth is making me unable to think straight. Gavin slows the car
down and we turn right onto a dirt road. A minute into the drive, the most gorgeous country home I have ever seen comes into view.
The house is at least six times the size of mine and Kassy's pool house in Jacksonville. It is painted all white with powder-blue trimming around the windows and along the base of the home to match the blue shingles. A full wrap-around porch makes it seem so old fashioned and cozy, although the house looks to be brand new.
There are large double doors that have been painted blue on the front of the house, and a stone walkway trails from the porch and through the lushest green lawn. I marvel at how picture-perfect the home is and wonder how bright and beautiful the inside of the home must be with the many large windows bringing in natural light.
Gavin pulls off to the right of the house, toward an unattached four-car garage, and parks just outside of the doors. He kills the engine and turns to face the house with a sigh. “Well, here is the home I grew up in. My dad designed it for my mother as kind of as a wedding gift when they were barely my age. They built it together and raised my sister and me in it.”
I forgot that he had once mentioned a little sister, but I guess I really haven't known him as long as it feels like I have. I hope his sister likes me and the stress builds when thinking of having to impress another important person in Gavin’s life.
I try not to think about it, so I just continue to gawk at the beautiful scenery around me.
“Gavin, this is the most beautiful house I have ever seen! It's absolutely perfect and it doesn't at all look like it was built over twenty-one years ago.”
“My mom takes amazing care of it. Just wait until you see the inside. There are seven bedrooms!” He holds up seven fingers to emphasize how large this home really is.
My eyes widen. “Why so many rooms for only two kids? Let me guess, you guys also have four dogs that each needed their own rooms.”
He laughs loudly, making me crave more of the rich sound when it stops. He leans back in his seat like he's settling in for a while. “Sadly, no. We have a pretty large family that likes to visit a lot, so the extra rooms came in handy.”
I ponder the idea of having so much family around. It's a big difference from the life I have been used to, with just my adoptive mother and her one sister, who only visits during the big holidays. “That sounds like so much fun. I would've loved that growing up.” I sigh, wishing I could've experienced a childhood like his.
It seems like he's not too eager to get out just yet, so I unbuckle my seat belt and turn my body so I’m facing him. He just watches me with fascinated eyes, not seeming the least bit concerned that I notice his perusal.
I decide to just watch him right back. I suddenly feel relaxed with his eyes on me, studying every detail as if I were a beautiful work of art that he can’t quite figure out. He searches my eyes for a minute like he is looking for some secret in them, and then he moves down to my pink cheeks, before pausing on my parted lips. He parts his own, taking in a deep breath, and then chews on his bottom lip, making me want to reach over and rescue it from the torture.
He continues his examination, his eyes moving down to my covered neck. His expression saddens a little and he leans over the center of the car, into my personal space. Slowly, he reaches up and unravels the silk scarf. I watch closely, feeling anxious, and I know the moment he finds the dark bruises by the murderous look that spreads across his handsome face.
I notice his jaw clench and his lips form a tight, thin line. His expression is so pained and heartbreaking that I have an overwhelming need to comfort him.
Before I even realize what I'm doing, my brave hands move
up to the sides of his face and I rub my thumbs along his tight jaw, hoping to calm the storm beneath it. I tilt his face up gently, just to pull his gaze away from my neck. His eyes snap to mine and darken from the contact between us.
My hands are surging from that special electricity that only he can cause. “Hey,” I say in a stern voice, hoping to keep his attention. I take one of my hands off him and point two fingers at my eyes. “My eyes are up here.” I tease.
He instantly cracks a smile and shakes his head like he can't believe I would be joking at a moment like this. He grabs my other hand from his face and lightly brushes his lips across the back of it. He raises his humor-filled eyes to mine and says, “I'm so sorry, madam. Will you ever find it in your heart to forgive my roguish behavior?”
I shrug and pull my hand away as if his lips on my skin didn’t make me nearly pass out, and I place it on my lap like a proper lady. “I suppose, this once. Just don't let it happen again.” I keep up the charade, glad that he is smiling again, and look away from him nonchalantly.
He leans all the way in until his cheek brushes up against mine, sending crazy tingles all the way to my chest. He whispers in my ear so quietly that I almost miss it. “Don't worry, I could never misplace those captivating eyes.”
I turn my head to look at him, wanting to see if he is still just playing along with our little game. I instantly realize that I've made a big mistake because our lips are just a breath away and I completely lose all train of thought.
Being this close to him, I can see the circle from around his brown contacts and a hint of the real gold peeking behind them. I can also see that he was being serious with his previous statement and it makes me unable to breathe again.
Kiss me. I think to myself but am too afraid to say the words out loud. He reaches one hand up and rubs the backs of his fingers along my jaw, leaving a trail of sparks in their path. His fingers continue until they rest on my sore neck, just below my ear as his thumb caresses my warm cheek.
“Breathe, Aella.” he whispers to me, his breath tickling my eager lips.
I let out a shaky breath before whispering back. “Maybe I could if you’d stop taking my breath away.”
The corner of his lips lifts on the one side that houses that adorable dimple of his. He closes his eyes and then, at a loud knocking on the car window, we both jump away from each other like a couple of thirteen-year-olds caught by their parents.
A short, beautiful and slightly wild-looking red headed girl peers in through Gavin's window at us, with a wide grin plastered across her freckled face. She looks to be close to my age, maybe older.
She yanks Gavin's door open and pulls him out, surprising me by how strong she must be for her size to drag him from his seat so easily. She stands on her toes and starts whispering something in his ear that I can't understand. Her olive-green spaghetti-strapped dress lifts to just above her knees as she stretches to reach him. I feel a pang of jealousy and really hope this is one of Gavin's family members because she is gorgeous.
She looks like a fairy. The flowery green embroidering along the hem of her dress makes her look like she belongs in a garden, playing and dancing somewhere.
Gavin shoos her away with the backs of his hands and comes around to my side of the car, taking my hand to help me out. I quickly rewrap my neck with the loose scarf before it can be seen. When I make my way to a standing position, Gavin doesn't release my hand but instead, he pulls me along with him toward the still grinning redhead.
“Aella, this is my nosey little sister, Alexa. Lex, this is Aella Lundon.”
“Nice to meet you, Alexa,” I say, relieved, and extend my hand to her.
Without warning, Alexa jumps at me, literally jumps, and wraps her slender arms around me in a warm hug. I have to release Gavin's hand to hug her back. I'm shocked at her familial greeting but love it at the same time.
She steps back and runs one of her hands through her untamable mess of red curls and I notice the same gold in her eyes as Gavin’s. “Meeting any friends of Gavin’s is a very rare occurrence but since my sweet brother brought you home to meet us, you are officially family.”
She winks at Gavin. “Especially after what I saw in that old car of his.” She covers her mouth and giggles to herself.
My cheeks flood with warmth, and I'm sure they are redder than ever at the moment.
“Come on, Lex! You need to keep your nose out of everyone else's business. Spying is not the most appealing trait.” He takes my hand back into his and starts towing me toward the large home in front of us.
Alexa comes to my other side and keeps pace with us. She rolls her eyes without Gavin noticing and lowers her voice. “He thinks just because he was born eight minutes before me, he is the wise know-it-all older brother.”
Shocked, I slow my pace. “You guys are twins?!” I say louder than I had intended. “You look absolutely nothing alike.” Their features are astronomically opposite of the other’s, especially the height difference. The only noticeable similarities are their golden eyes.
She just shrugs like it is no big deal. “I look like mom and Gav looks just like dad, like I swear, exactly. If you could've seen them side by side, you'd think they were the twins instead of us.”
“I would love to see pictures if you have them,” I say back.
“We have tons of pictures! I can’t wait to show you little Gavin in a diaper!”
Gavin turns to give me a small smile and shrugs his shoulders, while his skin continues to pulse energy into my palm. I wonder to myself if he can feel the electricity like I do every time we touch. If he can, he is sure good at hiding it.
Chapter 8
Before the three of us reach the steps leading up to the front porch of Gavin’s incredible childhood home, a lady who looks to be in her early thirties comes through the large double doors. She strongly resembles Alexa but her auburn hair is really long and significantly tamer.
She is a little taller as well, with fewer freckles, but some light spots still sprinkle her cheeks and nose. What’s really amazing to me is that her eyes are a striking shade of gold, just like Gavin’s and Alexa’s. It never occurred to me that his whole family would have the same supernatural eye color, but it makes sense.
The woman meets us on the porch and wraps Gavin in a tender embrace. She smooths back his hair. “You need to brush that mess.” she chastises with a teasing smile.
He just smiles back at her and presses his hair back to his forehead. “Hey, this was just right until you messed it up.” He turns toward me and places his warm hand on my lower back.
“Mom, this is Aella. She wants some answers about our way of life, and I thought we could get the family together to help.”
Alexa scoffs and shoves Gavin’s arm lightly. “You make us sound like a cult!” She turns to me. “Don’t worry, girly, we aren’t freaks or anything. Well, most of us aren’t.” She throws a pointed look at Gavin.
I giggle at her teasing and then look back at their mother. I can’t believe that this is Gavin’s mom, she looks way too young. She sends an apologetic look my way and then pulls me into a soft hug, much gentler than her daughter did in the driveway.
“It’s nice to meet you, Aella. My name is Cami.” Her smile is warm and nurturing even though I can’t see her as a mother of twenty-somethings. “I’m glad my son has brought you here.
He’s told me a little bit about what has been going on and I hope we can clear some things up for you finally.”
“It’s El if you don’t mind. Not many people use my full name because it is way too formal sounding.” I slide my eyes, briefly, to Gavin. “Thank you for allowing me to come. Your home is so beautiful. I can’t believe a place so gorgeous like this exists out here.”
She looks up at the house as if she is looking at a loved one. “Thank you, El. It’s my safe haven.” She closes her eyes for a moment and then grabs my hand and Gavin’s, pulling us both into her home, with Alexa following behind. “Come with me, k
ids. We can sit and wait for the others to arrive.”
I look over to Gavin with my eyebrows raised and whisper. “Others?”
He looks apologetic when he answers. “We have some family around whom I thought you could meet. We like to stay close.”
My heartbeat picks up a notch at the thought of meeting all of these people and what secrets they could possibly have that would cause such a gathering. I feel as though I am about to be put on display for the circus crowd to gawk and throw peanuts at.
We enter into a spacious room that looks to be a sitting room with a large fireplace on the far wall and a couple of couches placed so that they are facing one another. There are fresh yellow and blue flowers displayed on tables around the room, and the ceiling reaches high above our heads, with windows making up most of the front wall. Even though we are indoors it feels like we are still outside with the woodsy decorations and amount of natural lighting.
We turn a corner into the large marble-lined kitchen with even more windows displaying an immaculate green yard and vegetable garden at the back of the house. My eyes are wide as I study all of the amazing details inside. I peek through a side door in the kitchen that leads to a large dining room. There is a long dark wood dining table in the center that matches some of the wooden trim around the doors and it looks as if it could seat twenty people.
Cami lets go of my hand and grabs a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a pitcher of lemonade from the marble kitchen island. She hands me the plate and Gavin the pitcher. “Could you guys take these into the front room for me? Lex and I will grab us some glasses.”
“Got it.” Gavin takes the plate from my hands and leads me back into the room with the fireplace. He takes a seat close to the picturesque wall of windows and gently tugs on my hand so that I will sit beside him.
I turn toward Gavin, my knee brushing lightly against his with the movement. He is looking out the window, enjoying the scenery, so I take the opportunity to search his perfect face for any hints as to what he could be hiding. Other than those magical eyes, he seems so normal.
Captivated: Part 1 of the Intended Series Page 6
