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  “Are we ready to order?” our waiter asked, making me jump a little. My toes brushed over his form fitting pants and along something that could only be described as gigantic.

  He had an erection and I’d just touched it.

  My cheeks went furious red and I felt a surge of heat. The embarrassment combined with the fact that I’d touched his dick not once, but twice…or maybe three or four times now and I hardly knew him.

  “I’ll get a bottle of your best red,” Gavin said without missing a beat, “and make sure it’s a proper vintage, not any of this local shite. You got that?”

  “Yes sir,” the waiter replied and scurried away to pick out a bottle of wine that probably cost more than a semester’s tuition back in college. I’d been on scholarships though, so not like a full semester.

  “So where were we?” he asked and flashed me that charming, panty melting smile once again. The world lost focus and all I could see was Gavin, all I could feel was his hot body against me, and all I could hear was my own heart pounding in my chest.

  Against every fibre in my body protesting my bold behaviour, I ran my foot up his thigh and found the rock hard ridge. I stroked it with my toes and revelled in the power that coursed through my body. The hottest man in the world had set his jaw and half closed his eyes in pleasure and anticipation, all because of my simply little foot rubbing him through the fabric of his pants.

  “I believe we were here,” I replied and bit my lower lip. I was extremely turned on, but mostly I was hiding my natural reaction to situations that caused me anxiety…laughter.

  I’m not a guy, and I haven’t been with many (okay, two if you insist on knowing) but I’m quite certain that none of them want to be giggled at when a girl touches their manhood.

  “Ah, that’s a good place to start,” Gavin replied and pretended to read the menu while his hand was on my foot and my foot was on his dick. He moved slightly, rubbed himself a little and gave a small moan.

  “Too much?” I asked hastily, worried I’d crossed a line.

  “I’m okay,” he said and smiled, “so, so very okay.”

  “Okay,” I replied and finally giggled, “as long as we know what we’re going to order.”

  “Whatever takes the fastest to prepare,” he said and tightened his hold on my foot, his hand was hot and strong and felt as though it was burning through my skin. “I knew I should have taken you to the McDonald’s drive through.”

  “That would have been all kinds of classy,” I laughed. “I wouldn’t have minded though, to be honest. I’m not with you tonight because I feel like you have to spend money on me.”

  “I don’t mind spending my money on you, love, “ he replied, serious all of a sudden. “Don’t even think that’s an issue with me. What’s the use of having anything if I can’t share it with a beautiful woman?”

  “Then you’d better find one!” I said and gave an iron laugh that came out more like a bark. I hated the way I sounded in that moment.

  “Stop,” he said and his hand ceased motion on my foot, “I don’t want to hear you talk about yourself like that.”

  “I was just kidding,” I replied but felt my face grow hot again. Was I just kidding? I didn’t know really. My entire life had been spent either looking up at my glamourous mother and hearing people tsk about the chin I got from my father, or not thinking about my looks at all.

  Auntie G had never said anything either way, when I was with her I just was. When I was with Jenny or out in the world, I couldn’t help but feel inadequate somehow. The way people turned their heads to watch her walk by, the men full of lust and the women full of envy.

  I never really thought about it, but I supposed I should think about it now. Was my pairing with the hottest man in the world an equal relationship? I knew it wasn’t, I mean deep deep down I knew I wasn’t up to his usual standards, but it didn’t feel real to me. I still felt like I was playing at it all, but what if the connection we seemed to have was truly as deep as it felt? What would happen then?

  “I don’t think you were,” he said and gave my foot a squeeze. You are beautiful Sarai, don’t forget it.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “That’s part of it,” he said, “because you don’t know. When you fell, you looked so mortified and so utterly helpless I wanted to drop down beside you and pick you up. But when I got closer and saw your stunning eyes, you perfect skin, your luscious…well…body, I was smitten.”

  “It doesn’t happen like that, though. Not outside of the books I read.”

  “It does,” he insisted, “because it just did.”

  And here’s the thing, the absolutely crazy assed thing about what he said.

  I believed him.

  “Will this do, sir?” the waiter asked, breaking into our conversation at the worst possible moment.

  Gavin barely glanced at the bottle and said, “Yes, yes, fine.”

  “Shall I pour?”

  “Yes, please do,” Gavin replied without breaking eye contact with me.

  The waiter poured, Gavin stroked my foot under the table, and he stayed hard and pressed against me.

  And I fell a little deeper into the crazy abyss that was becoming overwhelming in its perfection and allure.

  For a few crazy days I was allowed to believe that it does happen in real life. That things I read about in the pages of my beloved romance novels could happen to me.

  But life taught me long ago that things aren’t always what they seem, and nothing ever seems to go my way.

  Chapter Eleven

  We left the longest dinner of my life about forty minutes after our arrival. It felt like forty nights, it was so excruciating to sit there and not tear Gavin’s clothes from his smoking hot body.

  I don’t know how I did it. And I couldn’t tell you what he’d finally ordered us for dinner after our very annoyed waiter had broken into our bubble for the fifth time.

  We pulled up in front of Auntie G’s and I was playing the best good girl part I could. And by good girl I meant sitting in his car making out with him in front of possibly my aunt and all the neighbours. I wanted to go back to his place so badly that it ached, but I couldn’t ask.

  He finally pulled back after a long kiss, moved my hair off my cheek and said, “I want to take you home.”

  “I am home,” I replied, a little confused.

  “I mean my home,” he said, “will you come home with me tonight?”

  I hesitated. I wanted to, god knows I wanted to. From the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, my body wanted him.

  But I’d already recoiled at being portrayed as his one night stand in the gossip blogs, so dare I risk becoming his actually hump and dump? Let’s face it, we all know that most men who hook up with a girl within a couple days of meeting her have one thing on their mind. A quick booty call.

  And let’s face it, I was already beyond that with him, and couldn’t risk him being a typical guy. I wanted him so damn bad, but for longer than one night.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, sensing my inner turmoil, “I don’t mean to pressure you. I want to be with you, Sarai, not just for a night, but I don’t know for how long. I’m not saying I want to be with you for a lifetime, but something right now just feels right with you. It feels right in a way that I’ve never felt and I want to see where it can take us. If that’s overwhelming you, we can take it slow. It’s all up to you, whatever you choose, I just want to be with you, love.”

  That sealed the deal. I was ready to be with him. I was going to go back to his place and hang off one of his huge biceps until he booted me out. I wanted to taste him, feel him inside of me and lose myself in the craziness of our connection. I needed to stop being so timid and I needed to take a risk. So I was going to take it.

  “I want to,” I replied breathlessly, “I want to come home with you. I want to do this, Gavin. I feel that crazy chemistry as much as you do and I want to see where it will take us.”

  He kissed me and gr
oaned when I ran my hand up his thigh and along his hard bulge, “I want you so fucking bad,” he said against my lips.

  “I need to grab a few things,” I told him and we fell away from each other, flushed and over heated.

  “I’ll come with,” he replied, “I don’t want your Aunt to think I’m a heathen.”

  “I’m sure she already thinks that,” I laughed, “any man is suspect in her books.”

  We walked up the walk, hand in hand, and I felt like I had a boyfriend. It was strange, after reconciling myself to a life of singlehood, especially with Gavin James.

  The hottest man in the world had wormed his way into my life and my heart. I still couldn’t fathom that two days ago I had just been me.

  We walked through the front door into utter chaos. Cats were racing back and forth and Auntie G immediately started screaming for me.

  We rushed to the kitchen and found her soaking wet with armloads of towels everywhere.

  The kitchen sink was spraying water out of the broken faucet, hitting the ceiling and cascading down like a park fountain.

  “Help me,” she yelled, “grab a towel and try to stay on top of it.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to help,” I said, “there’s too much water!”

  I was already soaked, so was Gavin. He stripped his suit jacket off and his white shirt clung to his body, showing me a good view of his bulging muscles and beautiful tattoos.

  “Well stop gawking at your boyfriend and do something!” she yelled again.

  “Do you have a wrench?” Gavin asked.

  “A what? I don’t know!” she yelled.

  “Stop yelling,” I told her, “it isn’t helping anything.

  “I have a toolbox in the basement, at the bottom of the stairs, to the right.”

  Gavin was off like a shot, turned and asked me, “Where’s the basement, love?”

  I pointed to the door and threw a couple towels under the table where water was pooling.

  He was back in moments, ducked under the sink and started to work. I heard him grunt, admired his straining back muscled and long, thick legs, and the fact that he wasn’t afraid to dive in and help out in a crisis.

  I looked over and caught Auntie G staring at me. She gave me an approving look and raised her eyebrows at me. It made me feel warm to know that she liked him.

  The water stopped all at once and a very wet Gavin pulled himself from underneath.

  “Well, that should do it for now,” he said and stood. He grabbed one last dry towel from me and mopped his face dry. “Do you have a good plumber?” he asked Auntie G.

  “If I did, I wouldn’t have had this happen,” she said.

  “Do you have good insurance?” he asked.

  She shook her head, “They won’t cover this. The house is too old.”

  “I’ve got a guy,” Gavin replied and turned to wink at me.

  Great, he just moved into town and already had a guy. I’d been here for years and knew nothing about finding anybody reliable. Just last year we’d hired somebody to fix a leak on the roof, had paid him up front and never heard from him again. I’ll bet that idiot would have never ripped off a man like Gavin.

  “That’s good news,” Auntie G replied and kept mopping up the water.

  Gavin pulled out his phone, which thankfully survived his apparent soaking, and placed a call. When he was finished, he assured us, “He’ll be here in half an hour.”

  We all set to mopping water, squeezing towels into the sink and repeating our motions. It was almost midnight by the time Gavin’s guy made it to the house. It was after one in the morning by the time it was all fixed and we had a brand new faucet.

  Gavin waved Auntie G’s wallet away and told the guy to put it on his tab.

  Serious heart breaking material, right there. I wondered if he had been like that with everyone he’d dated, then shoved the thought down before I allowed myself to think about the models and beautiful actresses he’d been with.

  My flabby body, their razor sharp edges and perfect bodies. What was I thinking? I couldn’t let him see me naked!

  “Are you okay?” he asked and rubbed my back.

  “Yeah, just a little tired,” I replied. We were still mopping the kitchen, but it was about ninety nine percent done. My flare up of insecurity was threatening to kick my ass, I must have been more exhausted than I had considered.

  “Me too,” he said and nuzzled the back of my neck with his perfect lips. His stubble grazed my sensitive skin and made me shiver. The hairs on my arms stood on end and I felt my nipples harden in response. “What do you say we go back to my place and get some…sleep?”

  I turned in his arms and faced him. The insecurity was talking now and I would do anything it took to keep him from seeing my nude form at that moment. “I’m exhausted,” I said, and it was true but I’m sure a night of sensual sex would perk me up, but I wouldn’t let myself give in. “I don’t think it’s going to happen tonight, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” he said and lifted his thumb to my cheek as if brushing away another eyelash, “I can wait to find out if my wish will come true…all of it.”

  I blushed and didn’t have time to reply, he kissed me. Gently at first, then with more insistence, more need. I was completely lost in his kiss, the soft and firm feel of his lips, his hot tongue snaking around mine, the little growls of need he made against my mouth. I didn’t hear Auntie G come in until she cleared her throat.

  “Ahem,” she said, “this isn’t a brothel I’ll have you know.”

  He stepped back but held my hands. “I know,” he replied with a grin, “I’m quite aware of the respectable nature of your fine establishment. I was simply saying good bye.”

  “Well you can do it on the front step, or in your car,” she grumbled, but I could see a small smile playing at the edges of her mouth, “you know, like normal folk.”

  “Auntie,” I said, “isn’t it time for bed? I’ll finish up in here.” I was trying to give her the hairy eyeball, communicate to her to piss off and let us finish up our goodbyes, but she wasn’t having it.

  “I won’t have you rutting on my kitchen table,” she said, “so I’ll stay put until he’s well and gone.”

  I went hot and red again, she was so outrageous at times, even if it was meant as a joke.

  “It’s okay, love,” Gavin told me and gave me a respectable kiss on the lips, “I don’t think the table could hold us anyways, we’ll need a sturdier surface for what I have in mind.”

  He winked at Auntie G and grinned when she harrumphed. He really was good with her, and I could see how much she liked him.

  “I’ll text you in the morning,” he said, kissed me again, and left.

  I heard the front door close, and before going to make sure it was locked, I turned to my grumpy old aunt. She was sitting at the kitchen table surround by cats. She had a mischievous grin on her face and she said, “That’s it, I like him.”

  “You wouldn’t know it by the way you talk to him,” I admonished her.

  “That’s how I know I like him,” she said, “he gives it as good as he takes it. He’s a keeper.”

  I sighed and walked out of the kitchen. “I know,” I said to myself more than anyone.

  “It doesn’t hurt that he’s got such a fine, fine ass by the way,” she yelled after me and let out a cackle.

  I had to smile as I slid the lock shut and set the alarm code. She was right, he did have a fine, fine ass.

  Now if only mine would look half as good once we were naked together, I might have a chance with the hottest man in the world.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Who Is This Mystery Woman?” was the first thing I read in the morning. Jenny had texted me the link to an article on a well-known gossip site. This was getting bad, we were making our way out of the book world and onto the pages of the celebrity rags.

  I hoped Gavin hadn’t seen it. I looked awful in the photograph. We had been caught leaving the restaurant
, his hand casually slung across my shoulder and me clutching my handbag like a freaked out parrot. My father’s chin jutted out of my plain face and my hair looked limp and washed out.

  At least the camera hadn’t added twenty pounds. Although my head was down and I had a horrid double chin.

  I could have curled up in my bed and cried, but I had to get back downstairs and help Auntie G.

  I splashed some water on my face, pulled on loose pants and a hoodie, and headed to survey the damage in the light of day.

  I’d been lucky; she’d let me sleep until ten. Usually under such an extreme situation, she would have had me dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn.

  “I made you tea,” she said as I flopped into a kitchen chair, “did visions of fine behinds dance in your head all night long?”

  “Ha ha,” I said and reached for my hot drink. She was spot on though, I had dreamt of him and his fine ass…abs…pecs…the delicious V that thrust down into the front of his pants. God I wanted to follow that V, what the hell had I been thinking? I should be in his arms right now, waking up and sliding my body against his.

  “You need to stop that,” Auntie G said. I looked up and she was staring at me with her scary penetrating gaze, like she could see into my soul.

  “What?” I asked and sipped my tea.

  “Underestimating your value,” she said.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I see it in your eyes. I’m old, but not dead and I know damn well who Mr. Gavin James is. I know you think you’re not good enough. But you are, you’re more than good enough. I’ve seen his picture in a hundred commercials and magazine spreads, but I’ve never seen him look so good as last night.”

  “Uh yeah, he was basically giving us a wet shirt show in the kitchen. It doesn’t get much hotter than that,” I laughed.

  “Yes, that,” she said and smiled, “but mostly because he was joyous around you. He likes you, Sarai, he likes you a lot. You’re a beautiful woman and you have to wake up at some point and see that about yourself. Just because your slutty friend does her best to push you into the background, you have to know that you don’t belong in the shadows. You are Gavin’s equal, and you are worthy of him…and any man you choose to grace with your love and attention. Don’t you forget it.”