“Yep. She’s pretty excited. How’s Mrs. Puckett?”
“Oh, she’s as crazy as a bat. Like she’s been the past fifty some odd years.” Mr. Puckett laughed hoarsely. His tan and wrinkled face turned toward Gavin. “Now, who’s he?” Mr. Puckett squinted his hooded eyes at Gavin, trying to determine if he was from “good blood” or not.
“This is my boyfriend, Gavin Hunter.” I relished in the moments I could actually introduce him as mine. “Gavin, this is Mr. Puckett.”
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Gavin replied.
Mr. Puckett straightened himself up, and his head drifted out of view. “Ohhhhh.” He leaned back down. “You done gone off and got you some for’ner? He, he, hee.” Mr. Puckett laughed and then abruptly stopped.
His eyes darted down to Gavin. “Now, you best take good care of Brooke here, you see, I’ve watched this one grow up from ‘bout yea high.” He held his withered hand up right above his knees. “She’s a sweet little girl.” Mr. Puckett’s eyes focused on Gavin and his voice deepened as he sternly said, “Ya’ hear, son?”
Gavin grinned and chuckled, “Yes, sir. My word I’ll treat her like a queen.”
Mr. Puckett shook his head. “A’ight then.” His gaze shifted over to me. “You tell your momma we miss her at church, okay, darlin’?”
“I will. It’s so good to see you, Mr. Puckett.”
Smiling sweetly at me, he said, “Good to see you too, darlin’.” He stepped into the guard station and placed a light blue pass in Gavin’s windshield. Mr. Puckett reached inside the building and released the gate, waving as we drove over the bridge.
Gavin looked over at me. “Nice man.”
I grinned. “I love Mr. Puckett.”
“One way on and one way off?”
“Yep.” I felt the bump from where the bridge met the road. “Turn right,” I instructed Gavin.
Gavin turned and looked around at the houses spaced widely apart. “These are beautiful.”
I nodded. “Okay, after that palm tree you’re gonna take another right.” I looked down the narrow road, watching as we passed a stone manatee holding a mailbox. “Now, it’s gonna be the second driveway on the right.” I sat up in my seat. “Right here.”
Gavin pulled down the driveway. The stone pavers made a thumping noise under the tread of his high profile tires. Looking in front of me, I saw sand from the dunes creeping across the driveway. The emerald waters of the bay caught the rays from the setting sun. Gavin put the car in park and I immediately opened the door. The humid, salty air hit me as I stepped out of his car. I could feel a film of moisture form on my skin.
I turned to Gavin. His eyes were fixated on the waters in front of us.
“So, this is where you grew up?” he asked, pushing his sunglasses up onto his head.
A smile washed over my face. “Yep, this is home to me.”
“Those waters — they’re stunning. So clear!” He walked under the porch, between the sea oats, and toward the water.
I followed him down the pier and we stood at the edge. Pointing across the horizon, I said, “There’s the ocean.”
We looked down and a salt water skate glided across the sand. A grin formed on Gavin’s face as he watched it swim along the bottom.
“The dolphins come in here all the time,” I said.
He turned to me. “So, you really are a beach girl.”
“Can’t get much beachier than this.” I grabbed his hips and pulled him toward me. “I’m glad you’re here.” He leaned down and kissed me sweetly. Brushing my hair behind my back, he rested his hands on the top of my shoulders.
“Brooke. Honey!” I heard my mother’s voice call out.
Gavin moved away from me and we glanced up to the white porch. My mother was standing at the railing. Her dark hair caught in the light breeze. The red and tan striped maxi dress she was wearing accentuated her curves.
I made my way up the wooden pier, the weathered boards creaking beneath my feet. “Hey, Mother.” I looked over my shoulder at Gavin.
I jogged up the stairs and hugged her. She rubbed her hands across my back and said, “I’ve missed you, baby.”
Backing away, she looked down at Gavin as he came up the stairs. Her eyes darted back over to me and she gave me an approving smile.
Gavin stopped at the top of the stairs. “You must be Claire?” he said as he approached my mother. I could tell by the quick breath she drew in that his stunning looks and foreign accent hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“Yes, Gavin! It’s so nice to finally meet you.” My mother smiled tenderly at him and glanced back at me. “My Brooke seems to be quite taken with you.”
The color of his cheeks darkened. I found it extremely sexy because I don’t know that I’d ever seen him blush before. Gavin glanced over at me quickly and then back at my mother. “Well, I’m quite taken with her as well,” he said, placing his arm around my waist.
Mother opened the large sliding glass door. “Come in, come in. You two were right on time. I’m just about to pull the chicken from the oven.”
She went into the house and straight into the kitchen. Opening the oven, she pulled out a large glass pan. She sat it down on the stove and then stirred whatever was simmering in her large stainless steel pot. “So, did you kids have a nice drive in?”
“Very pleasant,” Gavin said as he took a seat at the island.
I walked over and peered into the pot. I saw rice pilaf with chunks of pineapple in it. “You made my favorite!”
My mother reached over and drew my forehead to hers. “Of course, honey.” She looked over at Gavin. “I don’t ever cook anymore, so I hope it’s okay. Brooke told me you’re quite the gourmet chef.”
I glared at her. I didn’t need her telling him everything I’d bragged about to her.
Gavin laughed and ran his hand behind his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know my way around a kitchen.”
“Don’t spoil her too much.” My mother looked over at me and raised one eyebrow slightly. “She’ll let you do it. You’ll have to watch yourself,” she teased.
I tossed my hands in the air and took a seat next to Gavin.
“Oh, I don’t mind. A woman should be spoiled,” Gavin said, pinching my thigh.
My mother placed one hand on her hip, pointing at me with her spoon. She shook it lightly and water dripped onto the tiled floor. “You better hang on to this one, Brooke, he knows what he’s talking about.”
Chapter Forty-nine
Brooke
During dinner my mother must have asked Gavin ten thousand questions. She wanted to know where he was from, where he went to school, what his parents did; she even asked him what his birth weight was.
As we cleared the table she looked over at Gavin, and then back over at me. She was wearing that strict protective parental demeanor I hadn’t seen since high school, and her smile dulled to a tight-lipped, narrowed eyed stare as she said, “Now, you two know that you’re going to have to sleep in different bedrooms, right?” She shot one of her famous “don’t argue with me” looks in my direction as she carried the plates to the sink.
Gavin glanced at me and shrugged.
“Mother, seriously?” I argued, following her into the kitchen. “I’m twenty-four. I spend the night with him all the time.”
I heard Gavin clear his throat. “Uh, if you ladies don’t mind, I’m going to go out on the deck and get some fresh salt air.” He smiled half-heartedly and walked toward the glass doors.
The door squeaked against the tracks as he pulled it shut. I watched through the glass as he walked over to the railing and peered down.
My mother turned from the sink and gave me a shameful glare. “Now you’ve embarrassed the poor man.”
Looking at my mother with disdain, I groaned, “Me?” I pushed the lever to the faucet up. “You’re the one that said we had to stay in separate rooms.”
“Mm-hmm, and you’re the one
that mentioned you slept with him all the time.” She glared at me before dumping the contents of the pot into a Tupperware container. Covering the container with a lid, she placed it inside the refrigerator.
I shoved the lever down and the water shut off. “God, Mother. Do you think I’m still a virgin or something?”
She shook her head and looked at me derisively. “No, I’m not an idiot, Brooke!” She glanced out the large window at Gavin who was still casually leaned over the railing. His dark brown hair was whipping in the wind coming off the water.
She drew in a short breath. “Especially not by the looks of that one.”
I rolled my eyes, disgusted with the situation. “What in the hell is that supposed to mean?” I asked.
I loved her more than anything, but damn she knew how to aggravate me.
She leaned against the tiled counter. “I can see it in the way you look at that man.” She curved one corner of her lips up. “You’d do anything that man asked you. The way you look at him, hopelessly engrossed, completely infatuated with him. He’s like your breath, isn’t he?” She stared at me, her eyes glistening.
“I was deeply in love like that at one point in my life,” she said. Her eyes shifted to the floor and she drug her toes across the grout under her feet. She sighed painfully. “Why else do you think I was so blind to your father’s infidelity?” Her eyes moved back up to my face.
I was speechless.
“I always just thought he’d stop, that eventually I’d be enough for him.” Grabbing a damp dishtowel, she wiped the sink out. As she rang the towel out, she looked over at me. “I’m sorry — back to the matter of you two sleeping in separate beds.”
I drew in a long breath.
“It’s just respectful, I know the two of you’ve had sex, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear it, or wash sheets after you’ve rolled all over them.” She made her way into the living room and I followed her.
“Okay, okay,” I sighed. “We’ll sleep in separate rooms.”
“Thank you, honey.” She sat down on the dark brown couch and grabbed her reading glasses from the end table.
Walking toward the porch, I peered out the large window. “I think we may take the boat out.”
Mother put her glasses on and reached for the lamp, twisting the knob. A soft light radiated from the bulb.
“Okay, honey. The blankets and cooler are in the closet down in the laundry room.” She picked up a book and flipped to a dog-eared page. “Your old stereo’s in there as well, fresh batteries too. I’ve been taking it out onto the pier and watching the sunsets lately.”
“Okay, thanks.” I placed my hand on the smooth metal handle and pushed it open. “Love you, Mother.”
Smiling, she glanced up from her book and pulled a white throw over her legs. “Love you too, honey. Go enjoy yourselves.”
I pushed the door the rest of the way open and stepped out into the muggy air. I gently pulled the door closed and Gavin turned around. He leaned back against the painted wooden rail and said, “I assume most mums would act the same way.” He smiled. “Funny, aye?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “So, you want to take the boat out?”
He cocked his head and the corner of his lips turned up in a seductive manner that made a weakness trickle through me. “Why, yes — I’d love to,” he said.
“Come on.” I went down the stairs, stopping on the first landing.
Gavin walked over to the window and tapped lightly. I watched a charming grin light his handsome face up as he waved at my mother.
“Suck up,” I said.
I stepped off the last step and my bare feet landed in sand. That feeling was so comforting to me. Walking under the porch, I opened the door to the garage. I entered the dark, musty concrete shelter and opened the closet immediately to my right. I grabbed a blanket and shut the door.
Making my way across the sand, I climbed the wooden stairs to the pier. Gavin had already cranked the boat and was sitting in the driver’s seat. I stepped down into the boat; it rocked as I took a seat next to him.
“So, you know how to drive these things?” I asked.
He grinned. “Wouldn’t you be shocked if I didn’t?”
“Oh, that’s right, I completely forgot you know how to do everything.” I sat back and propped my legs up onto the side.
He backed the boat away from the pier and looked over at me. “So, where do I go?”
“Well,” I sunk down in the leather seat, “depends on if you want to stay in the bay, or go out in the ocean?”
A thoughtful look came over his face. “Hmmm, let’s go out.”
“Well, then you’re gonna go this way,” I pointed behind us with my thumb.
Gavin turned the boat around and steered slowly down the water as I directed him down the river. We drove under the bridge and came to the pass. Looking over at him, I said, “Now, it’s up to you.”
I glanced to the right and saw the shore littered with the lights from the tall condos. The boat came to a stop and the waves rocked it back and forth. The water lapped against the aluminum siding. I looked over at Gavin to see why he’d stopped the boat.
He was staring at me. “You ready?” he asked quietly.
“For what?”
Gavin gripped the steering wheel, flooring the accelerator as the boat jetted out into the black horizon. The wind was whipping my hair madly through the air and a mist of ocean water sprayed in my face as we rode over the waves, crashing back down into the water. Gavin stared out at the open water as though he knew exactly where he was going.
He looked insanely sexy, the wind causing the thin, white material of his shirt to cling to his chest and arms, the outline of his tattoo visible through the material.
We were probably about two miles out when he slowed the boat and cut the engine. The lights from the shore were distant and faded into the black canopy of the night.
Gavin went up to the bow to sit. “Come on, love,” he patted the seat next to him.
I made my way to the front of the boat. Gavin held his arms out and I snuggled between his legs and laid my head on his chest, his arms encircling me as I lay back against him.
Leaning into the seat, his head tilted back. “Look at those stars. My God, I haven’t seen that many since…” his voice trailed off.
“Well, we are miles from shore. It’s pretty damn dark.”
“You’re not scared, are you?”
I laughed. “No. Are you?” I pinched his side as I joked.
Grabbing me tightly, he said, “Absolutely terrified.” He breathed into my ear. It was completely silent with the exception of the water knocking against the boat.
I lay back against Gavin’s hard chest and he brought his face to my neck.
“I love you, Brooke,” he whispered into my ear in a single breath.
Moving his body out from under me, he kissed my lips. His hands reached up into my hair and he slid his tongue into my mouth. It glided across the roof of my mouth and then he wrapped it around my tongue as he reached down to pull my shirt over my head.
The cool air caused my skin to tighten. Gavin grazed his warm hand down my arms and around my back as he peeled my bra from me. My nipples hardened from the crisp night air and his deliberate strokes across my skin. He sat down in the floor of the boat on both his knees and hastily yanked his shirt over his head. Sitting back on his heels, he reached up to my waist, jerking my pants and panties down to my feet with one swift pull.
He pulled his lips in and inhaled, releasing his breath as he groaned, “I honestly could never get enough of that — of you!”
Grabbing my hips, he yanked me toward him. His eyes focused on my opening and he pushed my thighs apart, leaning his head slowly between them. His hair tickled the inside of my thighs as he covered me with the heat from his mouth. His tongue reached deep inside of me, giving me a hard lick before pulling away.
He swallowed, then ran his
tongue over his lips as he spread me open with his hands and licked across me. The warmth of his breath was a harsh contrast to the chilled air surrounding my naked body. His tongue flicked across my clit and then back down inside me. He delved his tongue into me with long, hungry licks, his hands reaching up to my stomach and grasping for the bottom of my breasts. His hand grazed against my nipples and then his fingers found them, tugging them roughly. I moaned as his tongue unforgivingly lashed across my clit again.
“I want you,” I said in one long breath.
He rose to his feet, and the boat tilted to the side from a large swell we were drifting across. He steadied himself as he unzipped his jeans and pulled himself out of the opening. His eyes became possessed by lust, a look I’d grown to know and crave all too well.
“What would you do to have me?” he demanded I answer him.
I brought my legs under my ass and straightened up. I pulled my bottom lip in as my eyes roamed over his body. Pushing my bare breasts forward, I reached to grab the only thing on this earth that could satisfy this want he created.
Gavin backed away. He lifted his chin up and to the side, shaking his head. “No. I asked you what you would do to have me. Answer me, love.”
He grabbed my hair, yanking it and pulling me to my feet. I could feel his warm, large dick graze my stomach as he brought me up to his face. His hands gripped my hair and his lips brushed against my jaw.
“Tell me, Brooke. Tell me, how badly do you want me?” He inhaled, groaning softly before continuing. “What I can do to you?” He pulled my hair harder. “How much do you want that?”
Never had a man been able to speak to me and make me want to come from his words, but Gavin could do just that. Wicked and ungodly. His words were like sin.
His grip on my hair was so tight I had to strain to turn my head toward his face. My tongue traveled up his jaw to his ear as I answered him. “I would do anything, anything to have you.” Pausing, I pulled my hair free from his grip, staring at him as I tried to formulate words to explain the way I needed him. “It’s limitless what I would do to have you. You own my obsession, my desire.” I grabbed his chin with my right hand and held it tightly. “I want you to possess me.”
Bound to the Fallen (Prophecy #2) Page 41
