At Last (Time for Love, #5)

by Miranda P. Charles

  Gemma gaped at Jeff, still stunned from this news.

  “It’s really no one’s business whether Gemma and I sleep together,” Greg said. “But in light of this, I agree, Jeff.”

  “Or you don’t have to pull out,” Zach said to Greg. “It’s a game for the single guys and it’s normal that you’d want to join in the fun. But Gem must pick someone other than you.”

  “Should I just cancel the game?” Gemma asked. The thought of lip-locking with anyone other than Greg was unpalatable.

  “No, I say go ahead with it, Gem,” Ash interjected. “If all of us pretend to laugh off the article as ridiculous, whoever’s involved in it from here should hopefully temper down his or her hate campaign. And when you do kiss someone else tonight, it would strengthen what we’re trying to achieve.”

  “Yes. I think that’s a good idea,” Greg said.

  Gemma nodded, disappointment filling her. Even though she completely understood that this was being done to help prevent further malicious posts, it bothered her that Greg could calmly agree for her to kiss someone else.

  *****

  “Wow! Look at this place,” Gemma gushed as they reached the beach.

  The management of the Sanctuary had arranged a beach party for their guests and some Serenade Bay locals to celebrate the coming of a brand new year.

  Round tables covered in white, crisp cloths were attractively arranged on the sand. In the middle of each were vintage oil lamps that helped illuminate the area. It was a cloudless night too, and the half-moon was shining down on them, adding a dash of romance to the festive mood.

  “We’re lucky to have great weather tonight,” said Robert, who’d driven one of the golf carts on the boardwalk to transport the elderly who couldn’t manage the trek from the main hotel by foot.

  “Oh, this is wonderful,” Magda said, holding on to Greg’s arm for support as they walked through the sand. “The staff deserve their bonus, don’t they, dear?”

  “They certainly do, Gran,” Greg responded.

  “Is there a set seating arrangement?” one of Magda’s friends asked.

  “We oldies have our special area,” Magda said. “The young ones can sit wherever they like.”

  “Aw, you’re not sitting with us, Gran?” Greg asked.

  “We older people like to engage in conversation that would be guaranteed to bore you kids.”

  “Because you’d be talking about us kids, I bet,” Greg said dryly.

  Magda chuckled. “I expect you to find me at midnight, though, Gregory. And greet me a happy new year.”

  “Of course.”

  “Hey, Gem, do you mind if we sit together?” Ben asked, appearing from nowhere.

  Before Gemma could answer, Lucas piped in from behind. “Hey, either Gemma sits with all of us, or she doesn’t sit with any of us.”

  “What’s this about?” Magda asked curiously.

  “Gemma’s going to pick one of us to kiss at the stroke of midnight, Magda,” Lucas answered.

  “Oh, really?”

  “It’s just a little game, Magda,” Gemma added for clarification. “Because I don’t have a date and neither do these guys.”

  “Have you made up your mind yet, Gem?” Jim asked. “Maybe you could tell us now who’s won so the winner can sit with you as your date tonight.”

  Ben made a noise of disagreement. “If it’s not me, then I don’t want Gemma to announce the lucky guy yet. I’m happy to sit with you lot though, as long as I sit next to Gemma.”

  “So who are the lucky men to choose from, Gemma?” Magda asked.

  “Well, these three,” she said, indicating Lucas, Ben and Jim, “And Simon.” She spoke loud enough for everyone close by to hear, including Annette and Liana. She’d considered asking those two questions, since they were the obvious candidates as Miss Z’s partner-in-crime, but the brothers had asked that everything be left to them to deal with. Besides, it would be foolish to accuse anyone of anything without proof.

  “You don’t have a date tonight, Gregory. Why aren’t you in this game?” Magda asked.

  “I’ve been disqualified because I didn’t participate in the challenges,” Greg answered.

  “What challenges?”

  “I don’t know actually,” Greg said, turning to Lucas with a questioning look.

  “The two main ones were making origami flowers for Gemma and giving her chocolate hearts to lick—from our naked chests,” Lucas said.

  Greg laughed loudly. “Well, now I’m sorry that I didn’t pay much attention. The chest licking sounds like lots of fun.”

  Gemma tried not to show any emotion. Greg’s reaction seemed to indicate that he didn’t care if other men were hitting on her. Seriously though, how silly was she to have hoped that the amazing time they’d had together meant something to Greg, too? Ridiculous. So it served her right to be hurt. It should remind her that a fling was exactly that—a fling, especially for Greg.

  “Don’t I have the best man-boobs, Gem?” Lucas teased.

  Ben snickered. “You’re dreaming, Lucas. Not only do I take that title, but I drew the most perfect heart on my chest.”

  “I had two hearts on me!” Jim said, not wanting to be outdone.

  Magda looked so stupefied that Gemma felt compelled to explain. “I didn’t lick any of them, Magda,” she said dryly.

  “No one told me about those challenges,” Greg said lightly. “Maybe I should lodge a protest, seeing I wasn’t made aware of any rules.”

  “We couldn’t find you to tell you,” Lucas said. “You were too busy doing other things.”

  “Yeah, Greg. You haven’t taken this game seriously. So you’re out, bro,” Jim said.

  “I agree,” Gemma said, deciding to join in the levity. “You didn’t give me hearts and flowers, Greg. So you’re out.”

  “Yes,” Ben said, shaking a fist in triumph. “And since Simon’s not here, why don’t you eliminate him as well, Gem?”

  “Fine. Just the three of you, then. But I’ll be sitting with my best friends during dinner tonight, boys. So you’ll have to wait until much later to know my decision.”

  “Oh good,” Greg said. “I’ll sit next to you then, Gem, since I’m joining my brothers at the same table.”

  *****

  Gemma stood on the sand close to the water line, facing the tables. She tried not to squirm in embarrassment as a big portable spotlight was trained on her.

  Word had gotten around about her ‘singles’ game. With a handful of minutes to go before midnight, she was cajoled into announcing her decision publicly. She’d tried to protest, but graciously gave in. Everyone was in a jovial mood and she’d be an absolute killjoy if she denied the request.

  The three men in the running were jostling like teenagers a few paces in front of her, as if they were waiting for someone to say ‘ready, set, go’. They posed in all sorts of pleading positions, promising her the sun, the moon and the stars in exchange for her hot kiss. She laughed along with the spectators, appreciating the playfulness of the guys. It lifted her spirits somewhat, which were down from Greg’s behaviour during the night.

  While Greg had sat next to her during dinner, he’d hardly paid her any attention. She knew he was keen on making sure that the two of them didn’t show any signs of intimacy, but surely a friendly look or smile here and there wouldn’t have lifted eyebrows.

  Then he’d disappeared right after dessert. When she saw him last, he was with the Sanderses. With Liana’s flirty arm around his waist.

  Hoots and claps from the audience forced her to concentrate on the task at hand. She planted a big smile on her face and raised the bunch of flowers she’d grabbed from one of the tables. “Whoever catches this gets the kiss,” she called out to the ‘contestants’. Then she turned towards the ocean and threw the bouquet over her shoulder.

  She heard a scuffle, along with cheering from the crowd. Then she heard Lucas whoop in delight.

  Next thing she knew, Lucas was lifting her off the
sand. “I won! I won!” he cried in exaggerated ecstasy, twirling her around.

  She giggled, relieved that it was Lucas who’d caught the flowers. She hadn’t wanted Ben to win. Ben truly liked her, and she didn’t want to lead him on. Even if it was clear this was only a game, Ben seemed to have deeper intentions. She didn’t want to hurt him.

  “Ready for our hot pash?” Lucas asked.

  “It’s not midnight yet.”

  “It will be in a few seconds.”

  “No tongue, okay?” she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

  He chuckled. “No tongue.”

  She heard someone start the ten-second countdown and everyone joined in. She looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Greg.

  She did. With Liana.

  She averted her eyes when the first of the fireworks exploded. She didn’t want to see him kiss anyone.

  Lucas squeezed her hand and gave her a surprisingly chaste peck on the lips. “Happy New Year, Gem.”

  She smiled, grateful for his consideration. “Happy New Year, Lucas. Thanks for being such a gentleman.”

  “Thank Connor and Ash for twisting my arm,” he complained. “Although I did say that if you agree to something wilder and hotter...” He wagged his eyebrows up and down.

  “No, thanks, Lucas,” she said with a laugh, planting a kiss on both his cheeks. “This is all you get.”

  He sighed heavily. “All right then. But if you change your mind, I’m here for three more days.”

  She gave him a hug, then set off to find her best friends, who weren’t at their table. She headed to where Magda was, and like she’d guessed, they were all there. Including Greg and, damn it, Liana.

  After Annette’s faux pas, did Greg now feel comfortable with entertaining Liana’s flirtations?

  Well, call her stupid, but she wasn’t ready to end things with Greg yet.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “Hey, here she is!” Liana cried. “So is Lucas as good a kisser as he claims to be, Gemma?”

  Greg wanted to throw Liana the dirtiest look he could give, but forced a grin instead. He hadn’t watched the Gemma and Lucas’ pashing show. He couldn’t. And he didn’t want to hear about it either.

  “Sorry, I don’t kiss and tell,” Gemma said, a strained smile on her face. But her expression turned cheerful when she turned to her best friends and greeted them happy new year.

  He waited until it was his turn, dying to lay his hands on her, even for just a friendly gesture. It had been hell trying to keep his distance from Gemma. But he’d had to. They had no idea if the leak was innocent or deliberate, so he wanted to be as cautious as possible.

  Finally, Gemma turned to him. “Happy New Year, Greg,” she said, giving him a brief hug, just as she’d given the other guys.

  “Happy New Year, Gem.” He squeezed her tight for one second, but it was all he allowed himself. It would be stupid to give up the act now, when they’d done so well in hiding their fling from the others.

  It brought with it a different problem, though. Since that blog post, he hadn’t spent any alone time with Gemma. If he’d been frustrated before, when he’d wanted her but couldn’t have her, it was hellish now that he’d known what it was like being with her and not finding the opportunity to do it again.

  Somehow, he needed to find a way to see her without anyone else knowing. But he had no idea how to accomplish that when they were trying to hide it from everyone.

  *****

  Greg sat at one of the lounges at the piano bar, smiling as Gemma gave lessons to the ten-year-old daughter of one of their guests. Gemma truly had great talent, not just for playing but for teaching. It was plain to see how quickly she’d built trust, rapport and respect from her new student. And she had a way of making the whole process fun but effective.

  He was glad about that. Yesterday, Gemma had said she’d received emails from the mothers of two of her students. Apparently they were concerned about the negative publicity surrounding her and how it might affect their children, especially when they’d heard that paparazzi had been hanging around her studio. It wasn’t a pleasant email to receive right on New Year’s Day.

  “Hey, bro,” Zach said, tapping him on the shoulder.

  “Hey.”

  “Can I talk to you?”

  “Sure,” he answered, standing up and following Zach outside.

  “What’s going on between you and Liana?” Zach asked when they were out of earshot from anyone.

  “Nothing,” he said with a sigh. After Annette had backed off, Liana seemed to have gotten more obvious with her flirtation.

  “Do you plan to sleep with her?”

  “No. I told you already I’m not interested in her.”

  “You also told me you wouldn’t mess around with Gemma, but you did,” Zach pointed out.

  He smirked. “That’s different.”

  “So why are you entertaining Liana’s advances?”

  “To be honest, I think Liana could be the one with links to Miss Z. I don’t have any proof of it, it’s just a gut feeling. Liana has the motive. She’s been after me for ages. It must be a big blow to her ego that I paid attention to Gemma instead of her. So I thought I’d humour her and see if I can find out anything.”

  “Right. So regarding you and Gem, is there a possibility of a happily-ever-after?”

  He laughed in disbelief. “Come on, Zach. I had sex with her for the first time a few days ago. Happily-ever-after is nowhere in the cards. We’re just enjoying ourselves. Well, we were until that stupid post.” It irked him no end that he and Gemma hadn’t had a repeat of their incredible day. There simply hadn’t been an opportunity.

  “So Gemma’s like all your other flings?”

  Surprisingly, he didn’t know how to answer Zach. “What’s with these questions?”

  “Did you know that the girls made a New Year’s resolution last year to make time for love?” Zach said quietly. “They were supposed to find a potential happily-ever-after guy. It’s that man they’d planned to kiss on New Year’s Eve. Four of them have found theirs. Gemma hasn’t.”

  He stared at Zach. “I thought it was just for fun.”

  “Apparently, the other girls encouraged Gemma to at least find someone to kiss, considering she was unlikely to find someone who’s husband material in here.”

  “Husband?” Greg asked weakly, the word scaring him.

  “Husband material,” Zach corrected. “That was their original plan. Anyway, I thought you should know about it.”

  “So what exactly are you saying?”

  Zach exhaled loudly. “That Gemma must have feelings for you, especially since she’d never been into casual sex, and yet here she is having a fling with you.”

  “Damn,” Greg breathed.

  “Gemma’s different from your past player girlfriends, Greg. You know that. If you think you can develop feelings for her, then give it a try. But if you’re absolutely sure you don’t want commitment yet, then think about whether it’s a good idea to continue with this. I’d hate to see Gemma expect something you can’t give and end up devastated. Her privacy and business are already threatened because of you.”

  Greg grimaced, everything about him rebelling at the thought of ending his fling with Gemma.

  But his mother’s words filled his mind.

  “You’re so inconsiderate of women’s feelings, Greg,” his mum had accused. “All you care about is satisfying yourself.”

  Greg rubbed his face, guilt always hitting him like a freight train every time he recalled his very last interaction with his mother. She’d been very angry, and he’d been callous. Hadn’t he promised on her grave that he’d change his ways?

  He hadn’t had anywhere near enough of Gemma yet. Nowhere near enough. But knowing what he knew now, he had no choice but to let her go. He couldn’t give her what she was looking for. He was Mr. Commitment-Phobic.

  *****

  Greg caught Gemma coming down the sweeping staircase in the hotel foyer.
God, he missed her. “Gem,” he called.

  “Hi,” she said with a delighted smile, her face lighting up.

  He felt a curious pinch in his heart, and he almost changed his mind. But he pressed on. “Can we go for a walk?”

  “Sure. Do I need to change my shoes?”

  He looked at her flat sandals. “No, you’ll be fine. We’ll just stroll around the gardens.”

  *

  They’d been walking for five minutes and Greg still hadn’t said anything to Gemma. He couldn’t remember being this reluctant to end a fling with a woman. It was understandable, he supposed. This was a super-premature termination. They’d only had one day together.

  He mentally cursed his oldest brother for stirring up his guilt and talking him into doing the right thing. Couldn’t Zach have picked a much later time? After he and Gemma had had more fun together?

  “Greg? What’s wrong?” Gemma asked worriedly.

  He sighed, then faced her. He ran his hands on her upper arms, giving them a gentle rub. “How are these?”

  “Fully recovered,” she said with a grin. “But I’m still building up some strength before I tackle the course again.”

  He chuckled, almost pulling her to him for a hug and a kiss. Almost. He stopped himself in time.

  “I had an incredible time with you that day,” he said wistfully, running his gaze on her beautiful face.

  Gemma gaped at him, her smile disappearing. “There’s a ‘but’ following that, isn’t there?”

  He laughed mirthlessly. Hell, his heart was compressing so much that it was difficult to breathe. How insane. And weird.

  “You don’t want to continue,” Gemma said flatly.

  He took a sharp intake of breath. “Gem, tell me honestly. Have you really decided to give casual relationships a go or are you in it because of me?”

  Gemma’s eyes widened before she avoided his eyes, swallowing visibly. He had his answer.

  “Gem, I’m really flattered. But I’m someone who’s simply not into commitment. It doesn’t call to me. I guess I’m just born this way. I don’t want to lead you on or hurt you—”