Insulted, Gavin swatted his brother’s hand away. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means her sister is married to your brother. And her best friend is going to be married to me. And her other close friend is engaged to Luke. If things advance between you, she might expect a similar outcome.”
“Relax. It was just a kiss.” Even though what followed couldn’t be described as “just” anything. “The lyrics of your love songs are poisoning your brain.”
“Don’t get your jockstrap in a knot. Just tell her what’s up. She is—”
“Hannah’s sister. I know, I know.” How could he forget with everyone reminding him all the damn time? “But just as I am not you and you are not Luke and Luke is not Will, so Hallie is not Hannah. And you know what? Hallie has been taking care of Hannah’s career and schedule for years. She is one of the most responsible, intelligent, together women I’ve met. She can handle me.”
And boy, had she.
“I’ve seen the way she looks at you.” Cash took a long swig of his beer and amended, “Presley pointed out the way she looks at you. I’m not sure I would have noticed. But Pres, she knows plenty about Hallie and I know plenty about you. I’m trying to steer you away from the rocks.”
“You mean in case I accidentally get engaged, married and have a few babies before I know what’s happened to me?” Gavin gave his brother a half smile, trying not to think too hard about anything he’d just said. Engaged or married would be alarming states to find himself in, but babies? Yikes. For a guy who wasn’t looking for a ton of responsibility, a bundle of joy would be anything but.
“Now, that’d be something to see.” Cash chuckled.
An involuntary shiver traced Gavin’s spine.
“Never say never. I didn’t plan to be engaged to be married and talking about babies, either. Look at me now.”
“Yeah, living in a less impressive house than your younger brother,” Gavin quipped, pleased when Cash stopped grinning. “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of my castle.”
Cash followed Gavin out the patio door, thankfully leaving talk of marriage and kids behind.
Fourteen
When his doorbell rang Friday night, Gavin didn’t expect to find a woman on his doorstep, so the sight of two of them momentarily threw him.
“Hallie,” he greeted. “Ruby.”
“Hey, Gav.” Ruby was smiling as she strode in. “I won’t be long. I wanted to drop off my invoice.”
“In person, no less.” When Hallie would have passed by, too, he snagged her waist, outfitted in a slim black dress, and placed a brief kiss on the center of her lips. “Hi.”
“Hi.” She blushed prettily, but the moment was interrupted by Ruby’s voice calling from the kitchen.
“I was in the neighborhood. Planned on leaving this on your doorstep but then I saw Hallie and I had to say hello.” There was a pause and then, “This looks yummy. I’m interrupting.”
She was referring to the charcuterie plate and bottle of wine for two Gavin had arranged. Much as he liked Ruby, at the moment, yeah, she was interrupting. Nevertheless, he said, “Thanks for stopping by.”
“No problem.” Ruby flashed him a knowing smile. “Anyway. I’ll be going. Oh, and I appreciate the referral to your friend Mark.”
“No problem.” He didn’t hesitate to refer her to his friends. Ruby was incredible at her job.
Her eyes flitted across the room. “The chair came in!”
“It looks better than I thought,” Hallie chimed in, following Ruby into the living room, where they took turns stroking the fabric.
“This is my favorite part—the final walk-through,” Ruby told Hallie. “To see how all we’ve imagined came together. Have you seen the rest yet?”
Hallie bit her lip before admitting, “Only the kitchen.”
He remembered the kitchen, too. Their frantic need for each other, the high keening sounds she’d made when she was coming. The ice cream after, and how delicate she’d looked, dressed in naught but his shirt. Yeah, he needed to usher Ruby out of here.
“I’ll come back at a more convenient time.” Ruby gave Hallie a quick hug.
“I hope I’m here when you do,” Hallie told her. “I would be so fascinated to hear your take. You really have an eye.” Her face fell the slightest bit, which made him reconsider. Yes, he was anxious to have Hallie to himself, but he would have plenty of time for that later.
“Why not now?” Hands in his pockets, he gave Hallie a small smile.
Ruby’s eyes went to the spread in the kitchen and then narrowed on Gavin. “You sure?”
“If it’s okay with you.” Hallie grinned at Ruby before sending Gavin a pleased smile.
“Of course it’s okay with her. She lives for this stuff,” he said easily as he crossed to the kitchen island—not the one he and Hallie had christened, that one was sacred—and poured two glasses of wine. “I showed Cash around, but I haven’t taken a close look. We mostly drank beer and bitched about work.” Not entirely true, but he wasn’t about to bring up how Cash had cornered him about Hallie and marriage and kids.
He delivered a glass to each of the women in his living room. Gavin’s gaze shifted to Hallie, and she nearly took his breath away. He had no clue how he’d confused her for Hannah. They were so different.
“I’m excited to see the bedrooms,” Hallie said. Ruby hoisted her eyebrows and Hallie added, “I mean the uh, the um...wall art we talked about in particular.”
“Is that what arrived today?” He pointed out a flat cardboard package leaning against the stairs. “I didn’t know if I should open it or not.”
“Avoidance. I’d expect that from him,” Ruby quipped. “Hallie picked it out.”
“You’ll like it,” Hallie promised.
“Let’s check out this floor first.” Ruby looped her arm in Hallie’s and headed for the hallway. Gavin popped a piece of cheese into his mouth, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and followed.
Throughout the tour, he learned a lot of things he didn’t think he cared about, but Ruby’s and Hallie’s excitement was weirdly contagious.
Hallie knew his taste and his style. Yes, he’d opened the door for the furniture delivery guys and showed them to the rooms where they’d placed the various pieces of furniture, but until Hallie and Ruby were chattering about the style of the headboard on the guest bed and the reasoning behind choosing an electric lamp that resembled an oil lamp, he hadn’t thought too deeply about it.
“They’re reminiscent of portals,” Hallie said, outlining the circles hewn into the wooden headboard with one finger. “Because you live on the water.”
“And the oil lamp is like one on a ship,” he guessed.
“Clever, right?” Ruby asked, taking a sip of her wine. “Hallie’s idea.”
“It’s my favorite part of this room,” he said. Aside from Hallie being in it.
The tour continued and he found himself paying closer attention to the details. He didn’t know how to put what he liked into words, but Hallie did. She seemed to know him as well as, or better than, he knew himself. The furniture was understated and classy. The colors were muted but interesting. And, as she’d promised at dinner last week, each room featured a unique punch of color.
“Okay, Gav.” Ruby put her foot on the first step. “Grab your new artwork and bring it upstairs. I want to see it.”
“Me, too,” he admitted, hefting the large painting in both hands.
The twinkle in Hallie’s eye made him wonder if she’d pilfered a nude photo of him and commissioned an artist. He hoped not. Though, if she had, he’d probably find it funny.
“The master bedroom is my favorite space in this house,” Ruby said as she stepped into his bedroom. Thankfully his laundry had made it into the basket this morning. He’d cleaned up knowing Hallie was coming over to
night. Though his plans for her in this room were not revealing a piece of artwork while Ruby looked on.
Gavin had to agree with her about the space, though. The upstairs bedroom spanned the entire width of the house, with balconies on both sides to take advantage of the dual lake views. The attached master bath featured both a huge soaking tub and a glass-walled shower, and the western-facing balcony was outfitted with a hot tub he hadn’t had the pleasure of using yet.
The focal point of his room was the enormous bed, with its tall, black leather headboard punctuated with decorative black rivets. Hallie ran her hand along the bold red bedspread.
“The same color as the car you didn’t buy,” she said, a teasing lilt in her voice.
His mind went straight to her on his bed, her blond hair a riot of waves around her on a backdrop of red. He’d seen every inch of her naked skin in the bright kitchen lighting, but he was looking forward to dimming the lights in here and stripping her bare. Then they’d try a few new things. Sexy, dastardly things.
“Open your art,” Ruby insisted, snapping him out of his fantasy.
He tore the seam in the packaging, laughing when he unveiled what it held. An oversize rendering of a bowl of ice cream, chocolate sauce and caramel and whipped cream like the sundae he’d shared with Hallie. The addition of fresh strawberries matched the vibrant red of the bedspread.
“It’s perfect.” He cupped Hallie’s hip and kissed her cheek. “I’m hanging it over the bed. You can’t stop me.”
“I can’t wait to see it hung,” Hallie purred, her long-lashed eyelids closing over her beautiful eyes.
A beat passed and then another before Ruby awkwardly cleared her throat. “I should be going. I forgot I had to pick up...something. From the store.”
She gave Hallie a quick hug, patted Gavin’s arm and fled the room. She called out, “Goodbye!” from the bottom of the stairs before the wide front door closed with an exaggerated slam.
“Is the meaning behind the ice cream that obvious?” A crease of worry appeared between Hallie’s eyebrows.
“Let’s hope not.” He chuckled as he ran his hand up her back. Leaning to whisper in her ear, he murmured, “I think she picked up on the sparks flying between us.”
“I noticed those, too.” Hallie tipped her chin and he kissed her, lingering over her delicious lips until she pulled away.
Her hands clutching the front of his shirt, she aimed hazel eyes up at him. “Now what?”
“Like you don’t know?” He grinned, happy to have her here, in his arms, in his house. “Rule-breaking time, sweetheart.”
“Skinny-dipping in the hot tub?”
He hummed, pretending to think about it. “That’s too tame. But your dare does involve water.”
“Uh-oh. Should I be worried?”
“A little. Did you bring a swimsuit?”
“Do I need one?”
“No, ma’am. You definitely don’t.”
Fifteen
At the mouth of Gavin’s garage, Hallie gasped. A bright red—correction: Candied Apple red—sports car was parked in its recesses.
“You bought it!”
His expression was proud. “I felt challenged when you said you were surprised I didn’t.”
“Couldn’t part with the truck, I see.” The remaining space in the garage held his gray F-150.
“I’m attached.” He shrugged. It was so endearing she wanted to melt into him. “I almost confessed when you pointed out the red bedspread reminded you of the car, but I thought it would be more fun to surprise you.”
She stroked the hood of the car with her fingertips. He was still smiling, a secret hiding in the depths of his eyes.
“Let’s take her for a spin.”
“Where are we going?” she asked, trying not to appear overeager.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
She laughed. “I would, actually. Do I need my purse?”
“Sweetheart, you don’t need anything. Well, a coat if you want to put the top down.”
She ran inside and grabbed her coat, wondering what “rule” he was going to challenge her to break tonight. Was it only driving a topless convertible in December, or would he require her to be topless, too? Or maybe they’d find a private part of the lake and park, and make out hot and heavy in the car. The prospect should have made her nervous, but instead she found it sort of...thrilling.
She climbed into the passenger seat, inhaling the fantastic new-car smell. When she opened her eyes and faced her driver, he was smiling at her.
“You are gorgeous tonight, by the way. This dress.” His eyes dipped approvingly to the low-cut V in the front of her wrap dress.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” He backed out of the garage into the driveway and pressed a button. The convertible top unfolded, gifting them a view of a zillion stars sparkling on a blanket of navy blue.
She braced for the brisk ride, but they didn’t go far. Mere minutes after she’d snapped her seat belt, he pulled to a stop at the edge of the lake. In the distance, a few boats puttered along. But at the dock, where he parked, there was nothing but trees and a secluded beach.
She was about to congratulate herself on guessing correctly—and tell him that she was surprisingly okay with sex in the car—when he climbed out and opened her door. They walked to the edge of the dock and peered down at the black water.
“Your challenge, Hallie Banks, if you choose to accept it—” he lifted their linked hands and kissed hers “—is to strip to your skivvies and cannonball into the water.”
“What!” She laughed, hoping he’d join in and then tell her he was kidding. When he didn’t, she said, “You’re insane.”
“A bit,” he admitted with a feral grin. “Not only is the water damn cold, but we’re trespassing. This is private property.”
She looked over her shoulder at the corner of a house hidden behind a grove of trees. Trespassing broke a big rule for her. There could be someone inside, peering through the trees. Or a boat could troll by when she was stripping down and preparing to leap in. Though that was unlikely, given the temperature tonight.
The lake, even cold, was far more appealing in the bright sunshine. Who knew what lurked beneath its black surface? Fish, definitely. Snapping turtles, possibly. An alligator that had been flushed down the toilet and had grown to disturbing proportions? Unlikely, but you never knew.
“Oh, and one more thing,” he said, interrupting the horror movie unfolding in her head. “I’ll strip down as much as you do.”
She propped her hand on her hip. “Down to the skin?”
“If you do it first.” He took a look around and she looked with him. A few boats were docked in the distance, most likely empty and too far off to see Hallie or Gavin in the grainy darkness if they weren’t. “When we’re done here, you can climb into my hot tub and warm up. Because this water is going to be seriously cold. If you make me leap in naked, then there will be no hiding what happens if the water’s as cold as I expect.”
She grinned. She couldn’t help it. He was so fun. “Then why are you offering to—to—”
“Get naked with you? Are you kidding?” His smile was as sexy as the rest of him. “Freezing or no, naked is always my preference when it comes to you, Hals. And you already know what I’m packing.”
Her shoulders shook with laughter. “You are shameless.”
“I like to think of myself as confident, but let’s say yes on both counts.”
At the end of the dock, she considered her options. The good news was she had worn a sturdy bra and a pair of underpants that wouldn’t come off when she dived in. On the other hand, if she stripped to the skin, Gavin would be forced to do the same. She loved the idea of calling him on his dare.
His hands landed on her hips, his body warming hers from behind. “Y
ou’re thinking about it.”
“Only because I want to give you a taste of your own medicine.”
“Why don’t you give me a taste of your lips instead?”
The offer was too good to resist, especially since she hadn’t had a real kiss from him in what felt like forever. She turned in the circle of his arms, cupped his neck and lifted her chin. He lowered his mouth and kissed her, teasing the seam of her lips with his tongue before deepening their connection.
The kiss intensified and he hugged her close, his arms locked at her back, a low groan eking from his throat. She kissed him until her breasts were flattened against his chest and their hips bumped with an urgency to do far more than was publicly decent.
But she wasn’t going to back out. No matter how badly she wanted him. She’d worried about consequences for far too long. Worried about the effects of her actions on Hannah’s life rather than considering their effects on her own.
Hallie took a deliberate step away from him, walking backward on the creaking boards of the dock, and shed her jacket. Brisk air cooled her arms, but she ignored it and untied the belt holding her dress closed. When she opened the fabric and bared her bra and panties to him, she sucked in a breath of pure cold. Goose bumps lit her skin. Gavin’s proud, awestruck expression encouraged her to keep going.
She had never skinny-dipped in her life. And now here she was, in complete control and having fun. Only Gavin could have convinced her to do something this crazy.
“Challenge accepted, Sutherland.” She unhooked her bra and threw it at his face. He caught it in midair as she pushed her panties to her ankles and kicked them off.
Steeling herself one last time, she blew out a breath, turned and leaped into the freezing water.
* * *
Gavin had been on the verge of telling her she didn’t have to jump into the lake. Half of him had been pushing her for fun, the other half curious how far she’d go. He’d never expected her to take off all her damn clothes.
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