by Lori Foster
“I’m not going anywhere, babe.”
She looked dubious. “It’s not like me to be so emotional, but—” She stopped when he started grinning again. “Despite what you think, Gavin, I am not an emotional woman. At least, not in the normal course of things.”
“I wasn’t exactly a prince this morning, myself. I had planned to finesse you with my great cooking ability, but I couldn’t get you out of bed. I ended up feeding your very excellent omelet to the damn cat. Then Satan needed brushing, and it turned into a much bigger chore than I’d intended.”
Sara looked very chagrined. “You fixed me a special breakfast?”
He leaned forward and kissed her. “Don’t worry about it. Satan showed appropriate appreciation of my efforts.”
“I’m sure it was delicious.” She peeked up at him, then sighed. “No man has ever cooked me breakfast before.”
He’d be willing to bet no man had ever played hard to get with her before, either! He merely smiled.
A few minutes later she had finished the sandwich and was once again yawning. Gavin removed the plate from her lap and stretched out beside her. She sent him a horrified look.
“Come here. I’ll make you feel better.”
“A man of many talents?” She looked uncertain, but she did lay down beside him. Gavin moved her around until she was situated against his body, spoon fashion. He laid his large palm over her abdomen and began to gently rub her. Sara groaned.
“Feel good?”
“Mmm.”
She nestled closer and Gavin had to bite back his own groan as her rounded buttocks rubbed against his groin. He kissed her on the side of her neck, then whispered, “Now that I’m here, you’ll be able to rest more.” It wasn’t a very subtle hint, but it was true. She’d realize her good fortune if he had to point it out to her every damn day.
“I don’t want to take advantage of you, Gavin.”
Her voice edged toward sleep. Gavin kissed her again, hugged her a little tighter. “You can’t use someone who’s willing, honey. I want to be here, with you.”
“And with the pets?”
“Yeah. Even with the damn pets.”
Her sigh was soft and dreamy and a bit hopeful, then she said, “I’ve never known anyone like you, Gavin.”
He was counting on that being the case, because he knew, even if she didn’t, he had been a goddamn saint!
CHAPTER 7
HE HAD MADE REMARKABLE headway reestablishing their friendship in only a week.
But still, Sara blanched at the idea of meeting his family. They were due to arrive this morning, and while he felt they still had plenty of time, he couldn’t go back to sleep.
He’d come to the conclusion, sometime around the middle of the week, that he was most assuredly a man of steel. Only a superhero could have withstood the magnitude of denial he’d forced on his body.
He’d slept, in painful celibacy, with Sara every night.
In some ways it had been unbelievably erotic, holding her, whispering in the dark of the night, discussing the past and the present. He hadn’t yet been able to get her to talk about a future. And the more he learned of her childhood, the more he understood.
That was why, even though Mother Nature no longer conspired against him, he hadn’t taken that small step beyond holding her to making love to her. Their relationship became more concrete by the day, but it was still a delicate thing.
Several times Sara had tried taking the initiative, but he always managed to put her off. He wanted to hold out for a declaration of her feelings. He wanted marriage and commitment. He wanted her to buy the cow…er, bull.
But with every day, it got tougher to cling to his high convictions.
And though Sara certainly seemed to like and trust him more now, she was no closer to declaring herself than she had been when he first moved in.
Instead he continually suffered the agonies of unrequited lust, and he honestly didn’t know how much more he could take.
Hopefully his family, with all their loyalty and unity and open friendliness, would have an impact on her. He glanced at the clock again, and decided he might as well shower and get dressed. But he was loathe to leave the bed, to leave Sara. The effect she had on him was alarming and confusing and so damn sweet. No other woman could stir all his senses the way she did. She left him aching with lust and hurting with tenderness.
He heard a small sigh and glanced back at Sara. He caught her staring.
Trying for a cavalier facade to hide his emotions, he gave her a cocky grin and a wink. “Morning, sweetheart.”
Dropping her gaze to his mouth, she reached up and touched one finger to his lips. “Gavin?”
Those slumberous eyes, that gentle touch, were his undoing. Gavin groaned, then accepted her kiss when she leaned up and pressed herself anxiously to him. Her body was sleep-warm and womanly soft. The encouraging sounds she made were low and lazy, still ruled by her slow wakening. When she slipped one bare thigh over his legs he discovered her gown had gotten twisted up high during their sleep.
The week of sleeping together had taken a toll on both of them, so rather than pause to think about what he was doing, Gavin helped to settle her hips over his. Her arms wrapped around his head, her mouth ate at his, kissing him in a way that crumbled rational thought and any resistance. Though what she did was enough to drive any man crazy, there was an awkwardness to her movements that told him she hadn’t taken the lead very often. He reveled in that fact.
“Sara, honey…”
“Gavin, please! I don’t want to wait anymore.”
She kissed his mouth again, seducing him, holding him still for her assault. She was brazen, voracious, and he loved it.
His hands smoothed down her spine to her backside, lush and firm. Growling, he pushed the tangled gown aside and cupped her, feeling the silkiness of her panties and the warmth of her flesh. His fingers probed.
Sara straightened her arms, her head thrown back, her hips pressed firmly into his. Even with her eyes closed, she appeared stunned, excited and so sexy he no longer thought of long-term plans or goals. She needed him now, and that was enough.
Switching their positions, Gavin pinned her beneath him then began his own seduction. He pulled the tiny buttons open on her gown, baring her breasts. Her nipples were taut and full, and he carefully closed his teeth around one, hearing her harsh groan, feeling the urgency of her hands as she sank her fingers into his hair.
He suckled and tugged, licked and teased. Sara moved beneath him, trying to wriggle out of the gown without breaking contact. She only managed to get it tangled around her belly, but her arms and legs were free. Gavin leaned back to look at her.
Flushed with need from her brows to the tips of her toes, she was a beautiful sight. Her small hands knotted in the sheets on either side of her hips, and her legs were slightly sprawled. He grasped a handful of the gown in each hand. “Raise your hips.”
Within moments, she was naked, the gown and her panties tossed aside. Gavin wasn’t given a chance to enjoy the sight before Sara had grabbed him again, tugging him back to her. He kissed her throat, the sensitive skin below her breasts, her belly. She arched into him, gasping.
Then he felt the cat leap onto the bed. Beside the bed, the dog began yapping, wanting to join the cat, but unable to manage it.
Gavin tried to nudge Satan away with his foot. The beast thought it was a fine game, and swatted at his big toe. The dog howled for attention.
“Scat, dammit.”
Sara moaned softly. “What?”
It was ironic enough to be funny, but when Satan bit his toe, and the dog began her infernal yapping at top volume, his amusement vanished. Grumbling and cursing, Gavin got to his feet, then met Sara’s confused gaze. “Sorry. I need to put the cat and dog out.”
“Oh.” She scrambled for the covers, but Gavin caught her hands.
“No. Don’t move. I swear, I’ll be right back.” Sara hesitated, then relaxed into the bed, gi
ving Gavin an uncertain smile. After one more long, sweeping look at her body, he hauled the reluctant cat into his arms and left the room, the dog following in his wake.
He refused to think about his decision. Sara was ready, he was sure of it. So what if she hadn’t told him she loved him, or even hinted that such a thing was possible? The fact they couldn’t resist each other had to count for something. It would be a good bargaining tool for marriage.
The cat kept giving him quizzical looks, and Gavin felt compelled to explain. “Don’t take it personal, big guy. You two just happen to have rotten timing, that’s all.” He sat the cat down and opened the front door. After hooking the dog to her lightweight chain and watching her run out, he turned to the cat. Satan stared back, refusing to budge. Again, Gavin nudged him with his foot. Satan only blinked.
Narrowing his eyes, Gavin murmured, “Now where did Sara put that bow…?” With a disdainful snarl, Satan sauntered out. Chuckling, Gavin was just about to close the door when his mother and father pulled up to the curb. Behind them was another car, and then another.
It looked as though the whole Blake family had arrived. Nieces and nephews began tumbling out the open car doors, and one of his sisters waved. Closing his eyes, Gavin silently went through every curse he knew. It didn’t help one iota. Talk about rotten timing.
It took his mother only a moment to reach him, and then he was smothered in a hug. He looked over her shoulder to the end of the sidewalk and saw Satan suffering a similar fate, only it was a group of four children who gathered around the cat. The dog was thrilled with her share of attention, and barked in canine elation. His father and brothers-in-law were slower in leaving their cars.
It was a regular family get-together—not quite what he’d planned, and certainly not how he’d planned it. He cleared his throat when he heard Sara singing along with the radio, then watched as his mother looked in that direction.
“Your new lady friend?”
“Ah, yeah. Mom…we weren’t exactly up yet.”
“Well, no problem.” She patted his shoulder, her smile impish. “You two can go ahead and get ready while we unload a few things.”
Gavin groaned. “Tell me you didn’t.”
“You know I can’t come empty-handed, son. It wouldn’t be right. Especially now that you’ve—”
Sara’s voice, slightly outraged, interrupted. “Gavin! Don’t you dare change your mind again. You started this, now come back here and finish it!”
Horrified, Gavin stared into his mother’s wide eyes, then winced as Sara’s voice rang down the hallway again. “You don’t want to be accused of being a tease, now do you?”
His mother raised one brow, indicating where her son had gotten the habit, and Gavin could only be thankful the rest of the family hadn’t heard. They were taking their time reaching the porch, stopping every so often to admire one of the newer houses being built on the street.
Gavin floundered. “She’s, ah…”
“Impatient?” his mother supplied, deadpan.
He shook his head, then walked to the hallway. “Sara!” He had to shout to be heard over the radio. “My mother is here.”
The radio snapped off, and after a moment of heavy stunned silence he heard the telltale sounds of Sara rushing around the room. She flew into the hall, wearing only a sheet.
“Sara!”
Running toward him, she yelled, “Don’t let her in until I get a pair of panties out of the…” She came face-to-face with Gavin’s mother. “Kitchen.”
The rest of the family chose that propitious moment to step through the door. Gavin didn’t know what to do, and his family, more silent than he’d ever heard the lot of them be, didn’t help by simply staring.
Sara turned and let her head hit the wall with a dull thud.
Then his mother asked in a subdued tone, “She keeps her underclothes in the kitchen?”
* * *
SARA WANTED TO DIE. She thought, If this were the Land of Oz, I could just sink beneath this sheet and melt away. But it didn’t happen. It was all well and good to plan a free-spirited affair with a gorgeous, virile man like Gavin, but it was quite another to have to face his mother—his mother, for God’s sake—wrapped in nothing more than a sheet, the evidence of the affair plain for anyone to see. Only there wasn’t an affair, dammit, not yet, because they’d interrupted. Hopefully his mother didn’t know that.
She felt more than embarrassed, she felt…guilty, and she wouldn’t tolerate it. She was a grown woman, and she could darn well do as she pleased.
She sucked in a deep breath, plastered a serene smile on her face, then turned to face the fascinated masses.
Jeez, there were a lot of them.
A dozen sets of eyes were trained on her. She lifted her chin and said a very proper, “Excuse me,” then strolled down the hall to disappear into her bedroom. A minute later, Gavin joined her.
She stood with her back facing the door, staring out a window, but she knew it was him. He didn’t say anything, and finally she turned to look at him. He leaned against the closed door, his arms crossed over his chest, a pair of her panties dangling from his right hand.
Without a word, Gavin held them out to her.
Sara closed her eyes. “Why am I always being humiliated around you?”
He didn’t answer. Sara supposed that was because there wasn’t an answer. When she opened her eyes, Gavin was still watching her, and still holding the panties out. She walked toward him, but when she would have taken them from his hand, he caught her wrist instead and pulled her close.
“I’m sorry.”
Struggling against him for a mere instant, then giving up, Sara said, “There’s no reason to apologize. It wasn’t your fault.”
“I started things this morning, when I knew my family was coming. And I’m the one who invited them here in the first place.”
“No, I started things.” Then she peered up at him, giving him a weak smile. “And we both forgot they were coming.”
“True enough.” He tugged her closer and bent to kiss her neck. “You make me forget everything.”
“I can’t face them, Gavin.”
“Of course you can.” He framed her head with his palms and forced her to meet his gaze. “My family loves me, and that means they’ll love you, too. No matter what. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
Pressing her forehead to his chest, she groaned. She didn’t understand him, or his reasoning. Surely his family wouldn’t care about her just by association. “What did they think when you got my underwear?”
“I explained. It was no big deal.”
“But they’re all still laughing, right?”
“Naw. If I know my sisters, they’re probably figuring some way to blame me entirely, while working up a good dose of sympathy for you.”
“Why would they blame you?”
“Because I’m the baby brother, remember? They’ve always blamed me for everything.”
Sara knew he was only distracting her, but she appreciated his efforts. “Even when you were innocent, I suppose.”
“Of course. I got blamed the time Pam’s bra ended up in the pool when she had her first boy-girl party. And Gina blamed me for scaring her boyfriend away one Halloween night.” He said in an aside, “The guy was a real wimp.”
“And what about your other sister?”
“Carol and I are closest in age. She just blames me for stealing all her girlfriends away.”
“And did you?”
He shrugged. “I let them steal me away a couple of times.” Then he chuckled. “But I never let any of them keep me for long.”
“Maybe that’s what Carol objected to.”
“Yeah. They wouldn’t come around her again after that.”
“They were embarrassed. I can understand how they felt.”
Gavin kissed her ear this time. “I’m letting you keep me, remember?” Then he added in a rush, “Besides, you’re made of sterner stuff than they were.
You’re an iron woman. Shoot, I still remember the way you swung that rake…”
“Stop it, Gavin.” But she was grinning. “All right. I suppose I can face them. But it won’t be easy.”
“You don’t know my family.”
Five minutes later, Sara discovered Gavin was right. He made the introductions with haste, barely giving Sara time to acknowledge each person.
“My oldest—nay, ancient, sister Pam, and her very brave husband, Gary. The two little rug rats who look alike are their six-year-old twins, Stevie and Stephanie. Then there’s Gina, who’s very obviously pregnant again, and her stallion of a husband, Sam.” The other men cheered Sam and his potency in high good humor. Sara laughed with them. “The curly-headed seven-year-old is their son, Chris. And last is Carol, only two years older than me. She’s married to Roy, and they have the little redheaded girl, Laurel, who’s four. And standing in the corner, smiling at me like I was still twelve, is my mom, Nora. The guy shaking his head—he does that a lot—is my dad, Hank.”
There was no mention of her earlier entrance, and his sisters appeared to accept her easily enough. They weren’t the kind to crowd a person, but they were open and accepting and as ready to grin as Gavin always seemed to be.
The brothers-in-law appeared devoted to their wives, attentive and loving. And the children were a boisterous handful. It was interesting for Sara to see the way they all seemed to work as a family. There was no real dissension, but the jokes and teasing were constant. Gina was especially tended to, her husband barely leaving her side, and Sara realized it was because the woman was pregnant. Sam strutted around her like the typical proud papa-to-be, never letting her out of his sight.
Sara knew it would take her a while to get all the names straight, but she found she was already looking forward to it.
Having Satan and the dog, which the kids lovingly named Tripod, gave her instant popularity with the children. And the animals seemed to wallow in their attention. Sara gave the kids a cat brush, and before long, Satan writhed on the ground in blissful ecstasy while they attempted to groom him. She saw the children chasing Tripod around a tree, but moments later they circled back, and Tripod had changed from the pursued to the pursuer. The kids squealed in playful excitement, and Sara could have sworn there was a smile on the little dog’s furry face and a look of sheer rapture in her brown eyes as she flashed past.