He found that very interesting. So interesting, he leaned forward in his chair. “Explain.”
She took a deep breath. “Hannah gives me her castoffs. Some dresses she’s worn for photos and doesn’t want to be photographed in them again. Others she never wore but thought suited me. Honestly, though, where would I wear fancy dresses?”
“Out to dinner.” He regarded her black suit jacket and blouse. “Not that I don’t like what you’re wearing tonight. I do. Your hair looks bright against black and your eyes appear more golden. Your skin is glowing.”
Her mouth dropped open gently. He loved surprising her, if only for that reaction right there.
“If you like the dresses enough to keep them in your closet, you should wear them. To work. To lunch. While doing housework.”
The joke caught her off guard and she laughed full out, drawing a few gazes from diners at another table. Damn, he liked the carefree sound way too much.
“Could you imagine me in a sequined royal blue gown while running the vacuum?”
She’d moved to reclaim her knife, but he reached over and took her hand before she could. When he had her full attention, he said, “I can imagine you lots of ways. It’s about time you started doing the same.”
Her fingers flinched in his and the air around them charged with sharp sexual energy. He felt it as sure as the chair under his ass. She must have, too. The levity from earlier was gone, replaced by something far more potent. And really welcome.
He released her hand and moved on to more innocuous topics while they finished their dinners. When the waiter brought by the dessert tray, Hallie politely refused. Gavin did not.
“Have a bite,” he said when a tall slice of layered chocolate cake was set between them.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?” There seemed to be a lot of things Hallie “couldn’t” do. Like kiss him in his closet when Ruby was in the other room, or eat dessert, or wear dresses she wanted to wear. He didn’t like the way she limited herself. He wanted her to let loose, especially with him.
“I’m stuffed.”
“You barely ate half your steak. You still have wine in your glass. I insist.” He spooned up a bite of cake and held it toward her mouth. She quirked her lips in a show of doubt. He waggled the spoon. “I can do this all day.”
She rolled her eyes but gave in, leaning forward and opening her mouth. He fed her the cake, and she closed her eyes and hummed low in her throat. He froze watching the display, the spoon hovering in midair. When she darted her tongue out to lick her lips, he felt it in places much lower than his gut.
Because, damn.
“You know.” She dabbed her mouth with the napkin, her tone far too light for the intensity weighing down his chest. “I’m surprised you didn’t bring home the red sports car. Are you more attached to your truck than you care to admit?”
“I don’t become attached. It’s my superpower.” His glib answer earned a subtle nod from Hallie, but not one of agreement.
“You drove that red race car like you loved it. And yet we left in the same charcoal-gray truck we arrived in.”
Yeah, well, he’d been too distracted by the kiss she’d laid on his mouth to trust himself with a decision as big as buying a car. He didn’t have an issue with paying sticker for a brand-new vehicle, even one as expensive as that one, but he refused to sign on the dotted line when he wasn’t in possession of his faculties.
“I’m not saying this because I think you should buy it,” she added, though he suddenly felt properly challenged to do just that first thing tomorrow morning. “I’m saying it because you really enjoyed driving that car. Likewise, your home should reflect all sides of you. The neat, meticulous, though moderately unorganized side.” She winked at him and he found he liked this confident side of her most. “And the side that lets loose to enjoy something just because.”
Meaning enjoying something without weighing the future, or what might happen if he gave in? Because that’s the direction his mind had gone.
“So you approve of letting loose in my house?” he asked, his voice a low rumble.
“Decoratively speaking.” She blushed, but he guessed she knew exactly what he’d been getting at. “Don’t be alarmed when you tour your rooms and find a rare, vibrant punch of color every so often. I might’ve chosen focal points simply because they’re unexpected. Each room should feel as exciting as when you were handed the keys to that shiny red sports car.”
Her shoulders had pulled back while she was speaking, her eyes glinting in the candlelight. She was proud of herself and hell, she should be. She had described him almost better than he could have described himself.
“You’re incredible,” he murmured.
“Just observant.” Her eyes dashed away.
“Incredibly observant,” he amended, reaching for her hand again. She accepted the compliment without argument this time.
He ate a bite of the decadent cake. “Damn. That is good.” He licked the spoon, noticing when Hallie noticed him do it. He was so glad he’d asked her out—glad he’d spent time with her outside of work. She was not only smart and professional, but interesting and beautiful. A quadruple threat.
Normally, he preferred a clearly marked boundary line between his private life and the women in it. He wasn’t a manwhore or anything, but he tended to keep the company of the same woman to a minimum. And that never included a woman accompanying him car shopping or choosing his window treatments.
Familiarity might explain his comfort level with Hallie, but it sure didn’t explain the punch of attraction that nearly TKO’d him. She was easy to talk to, fun to hang out with, and she intrigued the hell out of him. Why did she have a closet full of clothes she refused to wear? Why had she avoided him like the bubonic plague until now? And why was she suddenly interested in breaking rules when she was clearly more comfortable walking the line?
He couldn’t remember being interested in more than the present moment with the women he’d previously dated. They’d discussed dinner plans and current events. Sometimes work. But he couldn’t recall staring at the ceiling for hours replaying a kiss that never led to more.
He ate another big bite of cake. He’d thought he lived his life to the fullest in every area, but her suggesting his home didn’t reflect that made him wonder if he’d held back in some areas. Hallie had asked him to be her teacher. He owed it to her to be a good example of letting loose. Including and especially with her.
He offered her the remainder of the cake, which she refused, so he ate it. “Hals. You’re going to have to break a few more rules if you want to make progress.”
When she asked what he meant, he scraped the last of the frosting off the plate and said, “You’ll see.”
Eleven
Hallie didn’t know what Gavin’s “you’ll see” comment referred to, but after dinner they didn’t go straight to his truck so he could drive her home. Instead, he angled away from the sidewalk leading through town and toward the water behind the row of restaurants and shops.
The night was moonlit, the stars shimmering. Laughter echoed off the water, interspersed by the low blubber of boat motorists who honored the “no wake” restriction after sundown.
On a boardwalk along the lake’s shoreline, vendors in booths and food trucks sold fall-themed treats. From pumpkin bread to caramel apples to funnel cake, there was a lot to choose from.
“Does your sweet tooth beckon?” Hallie teased as they passed by another vendor.
“Yes. Especially the apple covered in chocolate drizzle and marshmallows. Too bad I ate dessert already.”
“I didn’t peg you for a marshmallow guy.”
“I’m sweeter than you think.” His grin was flirty. “What about you? What’s the real reason behind you thwarting my efforts to split dessert with you? And you’d better not say you’re dieting.”
<
br /> “I told you the real reason. Dinner was filling.” Plus, she didn’t want to stuff herself and feel sluggish. She might miss something—like this lovely walk. Or whatever happened later... “The bite you gave me was perfect. Sometimes a taste is just enough.”
“And sometimes, a taste only makes you want more.” He turned and she stopped short, tipping her head to look up at him. His hair blew softly in the breeze rolling off the water, tempting her to tousle what she imagined would be soft, wavy strands.
He reached down and grasped her hand, tugging her closer to him to avoid an oncoming couple. “This okay?” he asked, their arms touching from elbows to palms.
“Yeah. Yes.” Far better than okay.
The locals thwarted the autumn chill in the air with light jackets. Others, likely tourists from warmer climates, wore thicker coats and scarves.
Gavin paused in front of a display window of a luxury shop. “I buy my suits here. I’d be lost without my tailor. He helps me step into the role of cutthroat lawyer.”
“You should call him your costumer.” She laughed. “A cutthroat anything is so not you.”
“As a fun-loving, likable guy, I have to overcompensate. Better for my clients that I’m mistaken for a lion than a lamb.”
“I like that about you,” she blurted out before she’d meant to. She shut her eyes and smiled to herself. “When it came to choosing between fun or hardworking, guess what I chose?”
“It doesn’t mean you can’t choose again.” He tucked her hair behind her ear, lingering to trace her cheek with one finger. She wanted to lean into his hand, push to her toes and taste his mouth. She didn’t, though, which only proved how far she had to go. “You don’t have to fit a mold, Hals. Not one assigned to you by society or formed by expectations. From others or from your sister.”
“Normally I’d be worried about this.” She lifted their joined hands.
“Holding my hand?”
“I’m mistaken for Hannah in public often. Now she’s married. And here I am with her husband’s brother. If the tabloids spotted us, they’d go crazy.”
“Any of them here now?” He glanced around.
“I’m not sure,” she said, inspecting the people milling around. “Usually you can tell by the way they peek and quickly look away. Or when they whisper to whomever they’re with before discreetly snapping a photo.”
“Sounds like a pain in the ass.” He pulled her around to stand in front of him.
“I’m used to it.”
“Used to holding back for the sake of your sister’s reputation?”
She hated to admit how right he was, but that was exactly what she’d been doing.
“Used to them assuming I’m Hannah.”
“Oh, but they’re wrong. Instead they’re getting a rare peek at her more elusive, insanely gorgeous, fun, intelligent, brave sister, Hallie Banks. They won’t know what to do with themselves.” His mouth tipped up on one side, making him look boyish and manly at the same time. “I’m having that issue myself.”
Again with the compliments. She didn’t know what to do with herself when he talked to her like that. Tearing off his clothes seemed a tad dramatic, but the temptation was there all the same.
He smiled down at her, revealing a fan of smile lines at the corners of his eyes. Then he grasped both her hands in his. “Is this okay, too?” His voice dropped an octave, not only quieter but also huskier.
“It’s a little backward. Hand-holding typically precludes a kiss. I already kissed you.”
“I recall. It’s all I’ve been able to think about since it happened.”
Same. She melted toward him another inch. “Really?”
“Really. I wasn’t ready last time. I demand a do-over.”
“I guess I did sort of...attack you. That wasn’t like me. I was excited.”
“I like making you excited. And, for the record, I think that was like you. It’s the you that you refuse to let come out and play. Ready to break another rule, Hallie?”
“The hand-holding doesn’t count?” she whispered, knowing it didn’t.
“Sorry, sweetheart. You’re going to have to do better than that.” His smile emboldened her. “This time, I encourage you to go all in on the attack part.”
Her heart hit her throat and she honestly couldn’t tell if she was excited or nervous. Maybe both. “This is a very public venue, Gav.”
“So?” He checked their surroundings again while she did the same. No one appeared to be looking their direction, furtively or otherwise.
“They’re watching. I can feel them.”
“Well, then,” he murmured. “We should give them something to see.”
His gaze zoomed unerringly on her mouth. Then those gray-blue eyes trickled back up to hers and his smile snapped into place like it’d never left. How could she resist his invitation?
Simple. She couldn’t.
She draped her arms onto his wide shoulders, stepping so close they were touching from chest to hips.
“Is this okay?” she repeated his earlier question, hardly recognizing the boldness of her own voice.
His next exhalation fanned her hair from her forehead as his hands squeezed her hips. “So okay.”
Then she pushed to her toes and set her mouth to his.
* * *
Gavin had asked for an attack hoping she’d throw herself at him in a blur of tongue, teeth and lips. What he received was ten times better.
Hallie was flush against him, her hands climbing his neck and her fingers toying with the ends of his hair. Her lips moved on his, slow but sure, her plush mouth firm yet yielding. She didn’t simply press a kiss into his mouth and move away, no, no. She lingered.
Worries of being watched or photographed were a distant memory. He didn’t give a shit if they’d inadvertently started an international scandal.
Hallie deserved moments like this one. Moments where she prioritized what she wanted. Moments where she whimpered into his mouth as her tongue tangled with his. Her breasts smashed against his chest and even with her jacket between them, he could make out her curves. This kiss was different from the spontaneous one in the car on that back road. She was taking what she wanted for no other reason than she wanted it. He was proud of her.
To show his appreciation, he tipped his head and opened his mouth wider, inviting her to continue. To his shock, she did. Right in front of a storefront window in the middle of the shopping district in Beaumont Bay, she kissed him like she was famished and he was the only sustenance that would suffice.
He ended up pulling his mouth from hers, only because his erection was going to become obvious to passersby if he didn’t wrangle in his libido.
Panting, he tightened his grasp around her arms and gave her a severe look. One he hoped communicated his need to get the hell out of here and go somewhere private where they could continue what she’d started.
If this was how hot he felt while kissing her, he could only imagine what would happen if they were naked together. The top of his head might blow clean off.
Through glazed eyes and a wonky smile, Hallie resembled a woman who would say yes to whatever he asked. So, he asked.
“Why don’t we—”
“Oh my God, is that Hannah Banks?” someone said.
“And Will Sutherland’s brother!” someone else chimed in.
Hallie’s hazy, happy expression snapped back to the veiled one she normally wore. He was losing her, which was unacceptable. He had bigger, better plans for her tonight. He refused to let the feistier version of her go.
“She’s—” he started only to be interrupted by Hallie.
“Hallie Banks. Hannah’s twin,” she finished for him. “Hannah is traveling.”
“Sorry,” one of those someones called out. The crowd practically evaporated, no one caring now that the
y hadn’t caught famous Hannah Banks cheating on her husband.
“Told you,” Hallie’s smile was nervous. “That’s what happens when I don’t worry about what happens.”
“Hals?”
“Yes?”
He’d been planning to argue in favor of continuing where they’d left off, but in the end, he didn’t want to waste his breath on words. So he dived in for another kiss, instead, having no idea how she’d react. Lucky for him, she looped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
Twelve
Part of her warned herself not to go home with him, but when he offered a nightcap at his place, she couldn’t make herself say no. She wanted him, and that wanting had increased tenfold since the day she’d first kissed him.
Gavin helped her down from the tall seat of his truck, keeping hold of her hand as he led her inside and to a corner of the kitchen.
“Coffee or brandy?” He didn’t open the cabinet holding various mugs and glassware, but instead twirled a lock of her hair around his fingertip.
Figuring coffee would enhance her jittery nerves, she said, “Brandy.”
He poured the liquor into two snifters and handed her one, tapping his glass against hers. She sipped while watching him over the rim, admiring the firm set of his jaw and the warmth lingering in his storm-colored eyes.
“I’m so damn attracted to you,” he murmured.
“You took the words out of my mouth.”
“I’d better check to make sure.” He cupped her waist and lowered his mouth. She tasted brandy on his tongue, mingling with her own desire for him.
“Is this too fast?” he asked between kisses.
“No.” She fisted the front of his shirt, dragging him closer.
“Good.” He set aside his glass and hers and moved his hands to her jaw. He lit her up with another kiss before backing her across the kitchen where her ass encountered a hard marble countertop.
“Hals...” he started, she assumed to ask if going further was okay. It was more than okay. They’d started something she didn’t want to stop, and by the way his eyes were burning into hers, his hands gripping her waist, she could guess he felt the same way.
Good Twin Gone Country Page 8
