Brave the Heat (23 page)

Her hands dropped to her sides as she closed the distance between them, stopping only about a foot away.

“But if you cut me out of your life…” Tears filled her eyes and her voice wavered. “Then you just might kill
me
.”

* * *

Gavin glowered at her from beneath his furrowed brow, and his green eyes glittered with something she couldn’t quite identify. Passion? Desperation? Fury? Perhaps all of those things? With the moments hanging heavy and silent between them, Jordan feared she was too late and that she really had lost him.

And then, in a flash, he was on her.

Gavin’s mouth slanted over hers, hard and fast. His strong hands tangled in her hair and tilted her head, taking immediate control of the kiss. Jordan opened to him as his tongue demanded entrance and speared hers with swift, wicked strokes. Desperate to get closer, she grabbed his shirt and tugged it up, exposing the warm expanse of his back. She groaned into his mouth, his muscles moving beneath her hands.

Breaking the kiss and breathing heavily, Gavin reached behind and quickly yanked the shirt off over his head, tossing it hastily aside before capturing her lips once again.

As she clung to him desperately, Jordan’s fingers grazed the puckered flesh that marred part of Gavin’s back, and a swell of love filled her. This man would give every bit of himself to protect others. If she’d let him, he would have sacrificed his own happiness, thinking he was securing hers. How wrong he was.

The only one, the only man who could ever bring Jordan true happiness…was him.

Kissing her deeply, Gavin walked her backward, his hands exploring her body with urgent, almost desperate speed. Jordan gasped as her back bumped the door and Gavin dragged his mouth from hers. He grabbed the fabric of her skirt and yanked it up, reaching between her legs and cupping her sex with one hand. Gripping his shoulders, Jordan gasped again. His other hand tugged her top down, exposing her breasts to his hungry stare.

Her fingers dug into his muscular shoulders and she cried out, his hot, wet mouth covering her breast. He flicked her nipple with his tongue, while sliding two fingers beneath the edge of her panties. His rough touch rasped over her clit in one wicked pass. Pleasure swamped her, and Jordan moaned as Gavin brought her to the edge. He massaged the tiny nub with his thumb before sliding two fingers deep inside her, putting pressure on that spot she wasn’t even sure existed.
G-spot? Yes, please.

“I want you to come for me, Jordan,” Gavin murmured against her breast. He lifted his head, lust stamped on his handsome features, his fingers continuing their merciless assault. Crying out, she hooked her leg over his hip, giving him better access to her hot, wet center. His fingers moved faster, sliding in and out of her sex as her orgasm started to crest. “That’s it, baby. Open up and give me everything.”

Shaking and on the edge of no return, Jordan whimpered when Gavin removed his hand and dropped to his knees. Gasping for breath, her body clinging to that exquisite cliff of impending climax, she leaned against the door for support.

Kneeling between her legs, Gavin peered up at her with that wicked, mischievous grin, the dimple appearing in his cheek. Reaching up, he grabbed the front of her dress with both hands and yanked it open.

“Too many buttons,” he growled as tiny disks went flying around the room, clattering one by one somewhere in the distance.

Jordan didn’t care; all she could see or feel was
him
. She clung to his shoulders, his fingers trailing over her breasts, flicking her sensitized nipples, then settling on her hips. Jordan’s entire body hummed with unfulfilled desire, the orgasm exquisitely close.

Gavin hooked his thumb beneath the edge of the lacy fabric of her panties and pulled them down her legs, flicking them aside.

“You’re so beautiful, Jordan,” he murmured, sliding his hand along her thigh. He lifted her leg and hooked it over his shoulder, grasping her knee. He peered up at her. “I have to taste you.”

Biting her lower lip, Jordan nodded, unable to utter a word. One sound might shatter her taut, overheated body into a million pieces.

On a curse, Gavin clutched her by the hips and dove deep. Jordan cried out as his hot mouth covered her sex, licking and suckling her already swollen clit with total abandon. The orgasm started to bloom with lightning speed. Only one thing would make it complete—make it perfect.

“Wait,” she said through heavy breaths. Threading her hands through his hair, she tugged gently, urging him to stop. “I have to have you inside me, Gavin. Right now.”

Gavin rose to his feet. Jordan’s leg slipped from his shoulder, and she grabbed the waist of his jeans eagerly. Muscles straining, Gavin braced both hands on the door on either side of her as she made quick work of releasing him from the confining, unyielding fabric. Looming over her, caging her in, Gavin swore as Jordan’s fingers curled around the steely length of his thick shaft. He moaned with pleasure as she ran her hand up and down the rigid stalk of flesh. He shuddered when she slid her thumb over the swollen head, slick with moisture.

He captured her mouth with his, kissing her deeply as she massaged him. The pace was swift and sure and pushing him to the edge. Unable to wait any longer, Jordan released him and shoved his jeans down his hips. Knowing what she wanted, what they both wanted, Gavin grabbed her ass and lifted her up, momentarily breaking the kiss. With her body pinned firmly against the wooden surface, her mouth hovering near his, and her legs wrapped around his waist, Gavin lifted her higher and tilted his hips, deftly positioning the tip of his shaft against her swollen entrance.

“Don’t stop,” Jordan gasped. She tangled her hands in his hair and rested her forehead against his. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“I’m trying to love you,” he whispered. “You’re mine, Jordan.” As her name hissed from his lips, Gavin slipped inside her with one slow, deliberate stroke. Inch by inch, he claimed her. “Forever. I’m never letting you go, ever again.”

Jordan cried out as he thrust into her, filling her more completely than anyone. Physically. Emotionally. Gavin McGuire filled Jordan in every way possible. As his body moved inside hers, she knew, with every ounce of her soul, that this
was
forever.

This loving, passionate, sensitive, devoted man was her past, her present, and her future.

Jordan held her to him as he pumped into her time and time again. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, and the orgasm erupted brightly, lighting her body up in one merciless wave after another. She shouted his name as the powerful climax ripped through them both. He thrust into her with one final pass, leaving them shaking, sweating, and bone-meltingly satisfied.

Tiny aftershocks rocked their tangled bodies, and Gavin swept his mouth up her throat before kissing her deeply once again. His lips suckled hers in slow gentle passes as he carefully disengaged from her body. Jordan’s feet found the floor but her legs felt like jelly, while Gavin gently peeled the scraps of her dress from damp flesh, allowing them to fall noiselessly to the ground. He kissed her again and quickly adjusted his jeans before scooping her up in his arms and pressing his lips to her forehead.

“That was…incredible,” Jordan whispered. She linked her arms around his neck and flicked his earlobe with her tongue. “You’ve learned a few things over the years.”

“What are you saying? You mean that was better than the lighthouse?” He arched one eyebrow as he carried her through the living room to the hallway off the kitchen. Pushing the bedroom door open with his shoulder, he brought her to the foot of the king-size bed. The spacious bedroom was sparsely furnished and had all the markings of a bachelor’s sleeping space. “We were kids then. Fumbling around in the dark. Nervous, turned on, and not sure what went where.”

“True.” Jordan giggled. Now, with her naked body curled up in his arms, she knew what it was to be truly cherished. To be loved. She brushed a lock of hair off his forehead before cradling his scruffy cheek in her hand. “That was a special night but, oh my God… Do you remember how you fumbled with the condom and—” Jordan’s eyes widened as she realized what they’d forgotten. “Oh shit.”

“What?” Gavin stopped by the bed. “The lighthouse was better?”

“No.” Jordan squeezed him tighter and pressed a kiss to his lips. Nuzzling her face against his neck, feeling awkward even bringing it up, she said, “We didn’t use anything…you know.”

“Oh…right.” Gavin’s grip on her tightened and his voice grew gruff. “Shit. I didn’t even think about that.” His thumb rasped over her arm, sending a fresh surge of lust through her. “You know what that means, don’t you?”

Jordan shook her head but couldn’t still her quaking body.

“We have to do it again. I wanna make sure I get it right.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and kissed her firmly. “And I can promise you that there will be no fumbling tonight or any other night.” He strode around to the side of the bed and laid her out gently, almost reverently. “I love you, Jordan, and if you’ll let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it.”

The delectable smell of burgers cooking on the grill drifted past Jordan and Maddy as they sat in their beach chairs while the girls played in the lapping waves. Between the sounds of their laughter, the stomach-rumbling aroma of the grill, and the gorgeous August weather, Jordan couldn’t help but think it was a perfect summer day. In fact, ever since that night at Gavin’s cottage, life had been better than ever. The only thing that would make it truly perfect would be if she could heal Maddy’s grieving heart.

“Burgers will be ready in a few minutes,” Gavin shouted from the deck.

Jordan smiled at him over her shoulder but when he grinned at her, spatula in hand, she lost it and started giggling.

“I’m really happy for you, Jordan,” Maddy said quietly. She was wearing large, dark sunglasses and had her curly brown hair swept up in a clip, and sadness clung to her like heavy blanket. “You deserve to be happy, and so does Gavin. I have to tell you, he’s like a different person ever since you came home.” A wistful smile curved her lips as she drew lazy circles in the sand with one of her feet. “Rick knew this was where you two were headed. In fact, he said you’d probably be married by Christmas.”

“Married?” Jordan adjusted the straps of her red one-piece bathing suit and laughed nervously. She and Gavin hadn’t discussed marriage at all, but Jordan would be lying if she said she never thought about it. Because she did. A lot. “Oh, that’s kind of rushing it. I mean, we just got back together. Marrying me is way more than just marrying
me
.” She gestured to the girls. “If that happened, he’d get an instant family.”

“Girl, please.” Maddy sat up in her chair and jutted a thumb at Gavin. “Look at what’s happening here. He loves you and your girls. Hell, he’s cooking on your grill on your deck and drinking a beer like you two have been married for twenty years.” She pushed her sunglasses onto her head and grabbed Jordan’s hand. “Go with it, Jordan. I don’t regret one single second of my life with Rick, but if he were here, I’d tell him to cut the shit and marry me already. You have something special with Gavin, and I hope you hang on to it with everything you’ve got.”

Before Jordan could respond, assuring her she had no intention of letting Gavin go, Maddy’s phone started chirping. Letting out a creative curse, Maddy started rummaging through the big colorful bag that was sitting on the sand between their chairs until she found it.

“It’s my assistant at the real estate office.” She let out a big sigh and pushed herself from the chair. “I have to take it, sorry.”

“Go. It’s fine.” Jordan gave her a reassuring smile. As Maddy strolled away to take the call, Jordan noticed Lily and Gracie on their backs making sand angels. “You two are gonna have sand in every single crevice,” she shouted playfully. “You better rinse off. Dinner will be ready soon.”

“Burgers are done and ready when you are.”

Gavin swooped in and planted a firm kiss on her lips. He dropped to sit on the sand next to her, pulled his knees up, and rested his forearms on them. Beer in hand and clad in only his blue plaid bathing suit, he looked effortlessly gorgeous. He took a sip of his beer, then gestured toward Maddy, wading in the water while taking her call.

“How’s she doing?”

“She’s okay, I guess.” Jordan brushed sand off her hands before pulling her feet up on the chair. “I mean, as okay as she can be. I wish I could do more to help her, you know?”

“Well, it’s a good sign that she’s here and not at home alone. In fact, I think the best thing for her is to be around people. Do you think you can convince her to come to my parents’ anniversary party next weekend? My brothers would love to see her, especially Ronan.”

“Interesting.” Jordan squinted against the sun. “If memory serves, he had the hots for Maddy all through high school.”

“Ronan has the hots for
all
women,” Gavin countered, his smile faltering. “I spoke to him the other day. I finally called all four of my brothers back. I was threatened with a good old-fashioned beating if I didn’t. Anyway, if she goes, he’ll make sure she has fun at the party. I think it could be good for her.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Jordan settled her hand on his arm and gave it a quick squeeze. “You’re pretty terrific, you know that?”

Those gorgeous eyes crinkled at the corners, and he winked. “Yup.”

“And modest too,” she said, shoving him away from her playfully.

“Are you lookin’ for a fight, missy?” Gavin shifted to a crouching position while placing his empty beer bottle on the sand. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

With lightning-fast reflexes, he whipped his hands out and linked them around Jordan’s biceps, pulling her easily from the chair. Letting out a shriek mixed with laughter, Jordan barely had time to catch her breath before Gavin threw her over his shoulder and started toward the water.

“What do you think, girls?” Gavin stopped next to Lily and Gracie, both wet and covered in sand. The two of them giggled and clapped as he pulled Jordan off his shoulder and into his arms. Cradling her against his chest, he said, “Should I throw her in?”

Gavin strode into the waves amid their shrieks of agreement, Jordan clinging to him tightly. She sucked in a sharp breath when the chilly water splashed over her.

“Are you ready?” he shouted, shooting a sidelong look at Jordan. Turning toward the girls, he started swinging Jordan back and forth. “One for the money.”

“Gavin, you can’t be serious,” she shrieked.

“Two for the show,” he shouted, swinging her higher this time.

“Oh my God.” Jordan plugged her nose with one hand.

“Three to get ready.” He swung her higher still. “And four to go!”

With one final swing Gavin tossed Jordan into the ocean. She flew through the air before landing in the cool water, a big smile on her face. She didn’t even have time to swim to the surface, because Gavin’s strong arm linked around her waist the moment her feet touched the sandy bottom. She broke through the surface of the water as he dragged her against his chest, planting a warm kiss on her lips.

Linking her arms around his neck, Jordan hugged him tightly. She wiped the salty water from her eyes and waved to the girls, who were cheering from shore with Maddy. Amid the squeals, they were begging to be thrown into the ocean as well.

Though the cool water lapped over her and Gavin, Jordan barely felt it anymore. Studying his strong profile—the square jaw, strong brow, and firm lips that had explored almost every inch of her body with heartbreaking tenderness and insatiable need—she felt her heart swell with love.

Gavin finally turned his attention back to Jordan, but his smile faltered. “What?” His eyebrows flew up and a glimmer of panic covered his face. “Shit. You’re not mad, are you?”

“No,” she whispered, licking the salty water from her lips. “But I am madly in love with you.”

Gavin’s mouth, warm and firm, found hers and a low groan rumbled in his chest. She sank into the sensation, her fingers threaded through his hair. They stood in the ocean enjoying one long, languid kiss. She’d never get tired of the feel or the taste of him, and she knew that there was nowhere else on earth she wanted to be. Ever. Old Brookfield was her home. Perhaps it always had been, but wrapped in Gavin’s arms in the waters of the Atlantic, Jordan was more convinced than ever that this was where she belonged.

Breaking the kiss, she cradled his face in her hands, wiping beads of water from beneath his cheek with her thumbs. His tanned skin made those beautiful eyes of his seem even greener, and they were currently peering at her with heightened curiosity.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asked, his hands slipping down to the curve of her waist. “I see the wheels turning.”

“I want to stay here.”

His eyebrows flew up. “In the ocean?”

“No.” She giggled and tugged him against her. “In Old Brookfield. I want to stay for good.”

“I didn’t realize you’d planned on leaving,” he murmured. Concern edged his voice and his fingers clung to her that much tighter. “I thought…”

“I don’t plan on leaving,” she added quickly. “I mean, not anymore.” She rolled her eyes and made a growl of frustration. “Sorry. What I mean is that I only
rented
this house because I wasn’t sure if I was going to stay more than a year or so. But now I
know
I want to.”

“Okay,” he said slowly. “So…”

“So, I’m going to buy the flower shop from Maddy.” She kissed him and slipped out of his embrace. “Come on, Chief. Those burgers are getting cold.”

“Are you serious?” Gavin caught up to her easily and gathered her hand in his, stopping her before they reached the shoreline. As the water lapped over their calves, he took both her hands, urging her to face him. His thumb rasped over her knuckles and his brow knit with concern. “You’re sure that’s what you want?”

“Yup.” She kissed him quickly and murmured, “And you, Chief. I’ll always want you.”

“Mama, I’m hungry bungry,” Lily shouted from the beach. Both girls were wrapped in towels and heading to the deck.

“Me too,” Gracie chimed in. “Hungry bungry.”

“Okay. We’ll be right there, girls.” Jordan squinted against the sun and studied Gavin carefully. His reaction was not what she’d expected. Not that she’d thought he’d do backflips but she’d expected a little more excitement, and the lack of it gave her pause. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s great.” The line between his eyes deepened as they walked hand in hand toward their towels. “What do you plan on doing when your lease is up? I thought you wanted to buy this house eventually.”

“The money I got in the divorce settlement will be more than enough to buy the business, but I won’t be able to buy this place right away. The lease was for the summer, and after that it goes month to month. The Sweeneys really want to sell it.” She snagged her towel from the chair and wiped herself off quickly before pulling on her white cotton cover-up.

“I was thinking about moving in with my mother for a little while. I could stay here on a month-to-month basis, but I don’t feel like dealing with potential buyers coming in and out. It’s too disruptive. Besides, I know my mom would love it, and the girls would too.”

“Right.” Gavin nodded, his mouth in a firm line. “That sounds like a good plan.”

“Hey, you two.” Maddy strolled over, cell phone still in hand. “I’m starving, and those burgers smelled great.”

“I’ll go get the girls their food,” Gavin said absently. “You two have a lot to talk about.”

As Gavin jogged up to the house, Jordan’s gut clenched. Something in Gavin’s reaction made her nervous, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. She knew he loved her and that he wanted her to stay in town, but his seemingly unenthusiastic and almost distracted reaction gave her pause.

“What’s going on?” Maddy picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “What do we have to talk about?”

Shaking off her silly overreaction, Jordan grabbed the beach chairs and started dragging them to the stairs. She was reading too much into Gavin’s response and had to stop doubting herself. She’d spent so many years walking on eggshells with Ted that she was probably seeing something that wasn’t there. Gavin wasn’t Ted, and she had to stop overanalyzing everything.

“Business,” Jordan said firmly. “More specifically, me buying your business.”

“Hang on.” Maddy ran to catch up with her, and they both stopped at the foot of the stairs. “You want to buy the flower shop?” A smile bloomed across her face and the beauty of it made Jordan’s heart ache. It seemed like forever since she’d seen it. “Are you sure?”

“Completely.” Nodding and settling her hand on her hips, Jordan glanced at the trio on the deck. Gavin was doling out Gracie’s burger like he’d been doing it since the day she was born. “How about you and I sitting down after I give the girls their bath, and we can talk turkey?”

“Well, it’s good timing, I guess.” Maddy linked her arm through Jordan’s and tugged her close, keeping her voice low. “That call I got?”

“Yeah?” Jordan said with growing apprehension.

“The Sweeneys got an offer on this place earlier this week. I didn’t want to say anything until it was definite…but they accepted it.” Letting out a slow breath, Maddy pursed her lips. “Sorry, girl. I know you were thinking about buying it.”

“It’s okay,” Jordan said, trying to convince herself more than Maddy. “You’re right. It is for the best. If I’m going to be buying a business, then the last thing I need to worry about is carrying a mortgage.” She kissed Maddy on the cheek and grabbed the railing. “Come on, let’s eat.”

As Jordan climbed the steps, Gavin winked at her before taking a hearty, man-sized bite out of his cheeseburger. It amazed her how such a small gesture instantly put her feelings of apprehension at ease. She would miss this little house and the fond memories they had begun to create there, but everything was going to be okay. A house was only a house; it was a home because of the people in it. She knew that now more than ever.

Sitting on the bench next to Gavin, and with her girls’ joyful chatter drifting through the air, she knew.
They
were her home. Wherever they were, that was where Jordan wanted to be.