Hitched (12 page)

She smiled.

“But I can play that game too—until you talk to me and tell me about serious stuff, no sex for you.”

She stared at him. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do.” At least, he was going to try hard to mean that. There were more important things here than sex.

When she was standing in front of him naked, it was nearly impossible for him to remember what they were without fierce concentration, but he knew there were some things.

“I need you, Gav,” she said quietly, moving closer and putting her hand on his chest over his heart.

He covered her hand with his. “I know you do. But you need me for more than a daring rescue from the church and hot sex that makes you forget everything else.”

She frowned at him and he raised his eyebrows at her.

“You’re surprised that I know that you’re trying to
not
think and talk and feel? Babe, we’ve been doing that routine for years.”

“Let’s keep doing it. That’s what I need.”

He cupped her face. “No.”

“No?”

She was right to be surprised. The only time he’d said no to her was when she’d asked him to come to Promise Harbor with her.

“I’m the best playmate you ever had, right?” They’d played hard in the bedroom for sure, but they’d played hard in the world too. They’d skied, snorkeled, had food fights, sung karaoke.

She knew what he meant. “Yes. Definitely.”

“Now I want to be the best everything else too.”

He’d almost lost her. He would never forget the feeling of panic that had coursed through him when he’d heard Hayley’s message that Allie was getting married. It was like his world shook and broke apart, looking completely different in the next moment. He needed her and was going to keep her this time.

She swallowed hard, clearly not sure what to say to that.

He turned her by the shoulders and nudged her into the bedroom. “Get dressed. I want to get started on the everything else.”

“Maybe I’ll go back to bed,” she said moving toward the king-size mattress. “Even if I’m alone. I can do quite a bit alone.” Her tone and smile made it very clear what she was referring to.

“Nope. Nice try.” Though his body didn’t care that she was only teasing him. Without even trying, he conjured some very specific and graphic images of her alone in bed, doing “quite a bit”. “If you’re not downstairs in five minutes, I’ll come back up and get you. And it will be even longer before you get lucky.”

Allie groaned, obviously believing him.

“See you in five.” He was grinning as he shut the bedroom door behind him. He was sexually frustrated, but he was feeling optimistic about everything else.

In fact, he was going to be the king of everything else.

Allie took her time getting dressed. She didn’t remember Gavin being so bossy. She would have remembered because it was kind of a turn-on. Not that she wanted to talk—at least, not the way he intended—but she couldn’t help the little shiver of desire that went through her every time he declared he was going to take care of her.

Maybe she didn’t remember the bossy side of him because she hadn’t needed it before.

She knew that Gavin hadn’t liked the way she put her family before everything else. She knew he thought they were ridiculously dependent on her. The boys, including her father, anyway. Her mom hadn’t been dependent, but she’d made no secret of wanting her daughter to follow in her footsteps, taking care of others and serving the community.

Her mom had helped raise her three younger cousins after her aunt died. Of cervical cancer. So it came naturally to Lily, and she’d indirectly and directly passed it on to Allie. In return, Lily had been beloved, appreciated and respected. Allie would never forget how packed the church had been—standing room only—for her funeral.

Allie shuddered and shut the thoughts down again. She was getting good at that. Just like she shut down the urge to run to the doctor and have a PAP test every other month. She knew the risk factors for the cancer, and she was doing what she could to prevent it. She knew eating right and exercise and regular PAPs and safe sex were the main things in her control. And she was doing them. She had to be okay with that.

Well, she was trying to do them. She’d had her PAP and she’d only had sex with two men in the past six years, but she needed to eat more fruits and vegetables and, well, everything. Sighing, she admitted that Gavin was right about that.

The mirror confirmed what she already knew—she looked like crap. She could blame it on being sick and in bed for the last few days, but the truth was that she’d looked and felt like this for months. She wanted to exercise, but she was so tired all the time. Then because she wasn’t exercising she felt even more tired. It was a vicious cycle she was aware of on some level, but she had yet to truly do something to change it.

Turning away from the mirror, she pulled her blouse on and walked to the window. Gavin’s property was gorgeous. This was hardly the frigid white world that came to mind when she thought about Alaska. Getting outside for a walk was not a bad idea.

It was approaching the five-minute mark and she didn’t have the energy to fight with Gavin anymore right now, so she started for the staircase.

That was why he’d never been bossy before. She hadn’t needed it. They agreed on most things, like restaurants and movies and how to spend the weekend. The only thing they’d ever disagreed about was family and Promise Harbor, and they’d simply avoided talking about them rather than fight. She went home to visit and he stayed in Boston. It was that simple. Even when it meant the end to their relationship, he didn’t fight. He got upset. He asked her to stay with him. But when she’d said no, he’d accepted it.

Now, though, he clearly felt the need to step in. And it made her feel good. She couldn’t deny it.

Besides, this more demanding side of him was hot.

Maybe she’d let him get away with it for a while.

She descended the steps, expecting Gavin to be waiting at the bottom for her. Instead, she was surprised to find Lydia standing there. With a glass of something orange, a plate with a muffin, and a surly expression.

“What’s this?” Allie asked when she got to the bottom step.

“Your breakfast. I guess.”

“You made it?”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“Gavin asked me to.”

“Ah.” Allie reached for the glass and sniffed it. “Orange?” It was too thick to be juice.

“Orange, mango and peach smoothie.”

Allie lifted an eyebrow. That sounded good. “You take a drink of it first.”

Lydia didn’t seem surprised or offended by the request. She took a big drink out of it, complete with a satisfied “ah” after she swallowed.

Fine. She’d drink it. “Blueberry?” Allie asked of the muffin.

Lydia did look offended at that. “Cranberry orange.”

Allie decided not to ask if there was a muffin schedule like there was for the cookies.

“Well, thanks,” she said, taking the plate.

“Whatever.” Lydia headed back for the kitchen.

Allie made a note not to get hungry if Gavin wasn’t around. Lydia wasn’t going to cook for Allie out of the goodness of her heart.

She took a sip of what was quite likely the best smoothie ever made. Then she tasted the muffin and decided that she should probably start being nice to Lydia. The girl could cook.

Chewing, she glanced around. Where was Gavin? Surely he’d be coming back soon to check on her with the five-minute timeline he’d given her.

She wandered toward the kitchen. “Lydia, have you seen Gavin?”

“Yes.” The girl was standing at the sink rinsing dishes.

Okay. “Can you tell me where he is?”

“In the clinic. He just took a walk-in.”

Yeah, that wasn’t a lot of help. Did she wait here? Lydia banged a spoon hard against the pot she was washing and Allie decided that no, she wasn’t waiting
here
.

In fact, she wasn’t going to wait at all.

She stepped out onto the deck through the sliding glass door.

Breathing deeply, she walked to the far end of the deck. The mountains in the distance looked like a postcard and the sun warmed her skin. Eyes closed, Allie tipped her head back, just feeling the clean air. The soft breeze stirred her hair and she felt some tension melt out of her muscles.

This was nice. Quiet too. Really quiet. And it wasn’t just the lack of sounds around her, it was the lack of even
potential
sounds. No one knew she was here. There was no phone ringing, no doorbell ringing, no brothers asking for favors, no father digging through a drawer trying to find something that he hadn’t seen in two years and couldn’t describe to her when she tried to help.

The tension was back, so Allie forced herself to take a big drink of smoothie, then a big breath of Alaska air, and empty her mind.

She was here now. She should take advantage of the clean, fresh air, the gorgeous scenery, the good food and the gorgeous man who’d given her all of this.

But in order to take advantage of him, she’d have to talk.

Even if she wanted to talk, where would she start?

“You take this view from beautiful to gorgeous.”

She didn’t open her eyes or move. She’d been expecting him at some point. “That’s a cheesy line.”

Gavin chuckled. “It’s still true.”

She felt him move in next to her. He didn’t touch her, but the wooden railing around the deck moved slightly when he leaned against it, and the air got warmer on that side of her.

Allie breathed again, keeping her eyes shut. She needed to steer the conversation or he would try. He couldn’t make her talk about any topic she didn’t want to, but even his questions brought surges of emotions. Emotions she didn’t want.

“Do you remember the time you made up naughty versions of fairy tales for me?”

Somehow she could tell he was smiling when he said, “Of course.”

“I especially liked the Cinderella story where she and Prince Charming got it on in the broom closet before midnight.”

She felt him turn toward her. “And, of course, how Hansel propositioned the witch to get him and Gretel out of trouble,” she said.

Gavin lifted his hand to her head, stroking her hair.

Allie kept her eyes shut, breathing deep of his scent, which was even more energizing than the fresh, natural air. “And who could forget what the frog really needed from the princess to turn human?”

“I know what you’re doing.”

His voice was husky but she could tell he was watching her. “Reminiscing?”

“Tempting.”

Finally she opened her eyes. “Am I?”

“Yes.” His eyes were hot as they stared into hers. “But it won’t work.”

It was clear that the memory of that night, when he’d told her his versions of the favorite stories, was as strong in his mind as it was hers.

“What if I tell you that I’ve come up with a few stories of my own?” she asked.

“It won’t matter.”

“You don’t think I can distract you with a story about Snow White and the seven dwarfs?”

“You’re going to turn a beloved childhood story into a gang bang?”

She smiled. “Well, I hardly think any dwarfs would be grumpy or sleepy if that was going on. You have a dirty mind.”

“Yes, I do. More so when you’re around.”

“One of your most endearing traits, in my opinion.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “I know.”

“Let’s go upstairs,” she said, moving in close. “Where I can really take advantage of that.”

“Love to. Just tell me how your dad and brothers are doing.”

Dammit. She felt her smile waver. “I don’t want to talk.”

“I want to know how you are, what’s going on in your life, Allie.”

“I’m fine,” she said, making herself meet his gaze.

“Liar.”

“How could I not be? Especially now. I’m on vacation in this beautiful place, with the sexiest man I’ve ever met, nothing to do or worry about.”

Gavin frowned. “This isn’t a vacation.”

“Well, it’s not my real life, that’s for sure. But,” she said when he started to reply, “isn’t that the point? You’re the one who stole me away from my real life. You don’t want me living my real life, right?”

He sighed. “That’s not exactly it.”

“My real life includes my father and my brothers—a lot of them, all the time. And committee meetings and my phone always ringing and someone always needing me. And…” she took a deep breath, “…Josh.”

Gavin’s jaw tightened. “Then no, I don’t want you living your real life.”

“So, help me forget about it. Give me something else to feel and think about and care about.”

The tightness left his face and he lifted his hand to her cheek again. “You already feel for me and think about me and care about me.”

He was right. There was no way she could convincingly deny it. “No, none of that was ever the problem,” she said quietly. “Caring about you was easy.”