He couldn't help but follow her up to the bathroom. There was no way he could let her get by without proving to her his cock wasn't tiny. She wasn't talking shit, not anymore. He never meant to put his mouth on hers, but he couldn't help it. She was right there looking up at him, and he couldn't fight the feelings he was having for her. He knew he'd never have a chance like that again, and he wasn't passing it up. Her moan had him wanting so much more than just a kiss, and he knew he had to get out of there.
Gracie couldn't keep her mouth shut, she had to make a comment about his muscles. When she stretched out the word big when saying he wasn't big enough, he stood up and hoisted her into the air. She ran as quickly as she could, but he made sure to find her and let her know he was not to be played with.
He'd honestly had a great time at dinner and had totally forgotten just how amazing his huge family was. There was no denying that Gracie made it a million times better. For a few hours, he was able to forget about where he was going and having to tell them. She would never forgive him, that he knew. Would she write to him? He needed her to write to him. She had no idea what those letters did for him.
Gavin looked around at his family and at Jack's. Sure, everyone else would be there to tell them they hoped everything would be okay, but it wouldn't be nearly the same as how their two families would feel. He made the decision to join the service, and he was being deployed for six months. His best friend was going with him. They knew it was possible, but he wasn't sure either family was even close to prepared. What if something happened while they were gone? What if they were needed at home?
“You okay?” his dad asked.
“What?” Gavin asked.
“Your mom has been talking to you, but you haven't been listening to a word she said,” his dad said with concern on his face.
“Oh, sorry,” Gavin replied. “I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired. I think I'm going to go home. I'll just meet you guys there.”
“We won't be long,” his dad said.
Gavin looked across the room and saw Gracie standing in the kitchen doorway. She had a sad look in her eyes, and he knew she was going to hate him when she found out. He turned and walked toward the front door but stopped when he heard Jack.
“Hey sis,” Jack said. “You're twenty-one now. I want to be the one to take you to the bar. You haven't gone yet have you?”
“Of course not,” Gracie answered. “I've been working.”
“I don't want you to experience that with just anyone. I'll be the one there with you.”
Gavin turned around to see what Gracie was going to say next. Their eyes connected for just a moment.
“I'd love to hang out with my brother,” she said with a smile on her face.
Gavin's eyes moved over to see a dirty look on his sister Jessie's face. She quickly turned away the second she saw him watching her. What the hell was that, he wondered? Without another word, Gavin turned back toward the front door and left.
As soon as he got into the car, he pulled out his phone and started a text.
Gavin: Have fun at the bar!
Chapter 12
Gracie
The guys were leaving after only five days to go back, and Gracie wanted to send them off with a delicious dinner. She came home early from work to make them lasagna and cheesecake. When she thought about Gavin and the crap he'd pulled on her at the last dinner, she knew she had to do something. Gracie remembered her dad telling her how bad the food was once when she had experimented during dinner with Gavin's parents. Her dad was honest, but the rest of them had a smile on their faces the entire time as they told her how good it was. Those same people would be there again. It would only be the two families, and she wanted a good laugh to send the men off with.
When she got Gavin's text about the bar, she wasn't sure how to take it. Was he really telling her to have fun, or was it his way of showing her that he wasn't happy? She knew he felt nothing for her. He'd laughed when Ethan made the comment about the ladies chasing him. Gavin was very good looking as well as muscular. Of course the girls were after him. She wasn't dumb enough to think he was doing anything other than rubbing in just how big and muscular he'd gotten while he was gone. She didn't care anyway. It was Ethan she liked.
She had gone to the bar with Jack. They each had a couple of drinks. It wasn't nearly as cool as she'd pictured it being in her mind. Gracie knew it wasn't something she would do often. She did enjoy every moment with her brother though.
The front door opened and she heard big Gavin giving her dad a hard time about something. Then she heard Becky say something to her mom. When she heard Gavin's voice, she felt a little shiver that she quickly shook away. That was not something she needed to be feeling. Ethan, she thought to herself. The twins weren't coming, something about being at school for something, and Nate had found a way to get out of dinner. Gracie made her way out of the kitchen and hugged both of Gavin's parents. Then she turned to see him standing with his arms wide open. As much as she wanted to turn and walk away, she couldn't. He was leaving again. The thought of hugging him sounded pretty good.
They all sat silently while they ate. Each of them told her how good the lasagna was. She watched her dad's expression for the real truth, and was happy to see he approved. It didn't matter how many times she made something, she still wanted it to be the best yet. There was tension in the air, but she couldn't tell what it was. When she looked over at Jack, he just smiled. Then she looked at Gavin to find him looking down at the his hands on the table.
“Time for dessert,” she said, as she stood.
“Please tell me it's another cheesecake,” Gavin said. “I know we just had it, but I really need another piece of that before leaving.”
“It is,” she said with a smile. “I'll be right back.”
She walked back into the dining room a few minutes later with a tray that had a bunch of tiny pieces on it. Gracie handed them out with a smile on her face. It was time to see what kind of man he was. Would he be like the rest, or would he be honest with her? Each of them took a bite, and she waited. Gracie purposely didn't look at her dad for his response. There was no way he was giving it away. She looked first to Gavin's parents. They had big smiles on their faces.
“It's really good,” Becky said.
Then she looked at Jack.
“Great!” he said.
Then her eyes found her mother's.
“I like it,” she said.
When her eyes connected with Gavin's, she watched him closely. He looked around at everyone else before looking back at her.
“Are they eating the same cheesecake I am?” he asked, and she nodded.
She watched as his eyes traveled around again to see each smiling face.
“You've made this a million times. It is my all-time favorite dessert. Why are you all sitting there with smiles on your faces. This tastes like shit.”
“Gavin,” Gracie heard his dad snap.
“What?” he asked. “Don't lie to her. This is what she does for a living. What if she served this in a restaurant? It's disgusting. This is not cheesecake.”
“Gavin,” Jack snapped.
“You like it?” Gavin asked.
“I do,” Jack answered.
“I'm sorry,” Gavin said, as he looked at Gracie. “It appears that I am the only one that can taste how gross this is. I'm not trying to offend you.”
Gracie couldn't take it anymore. She burst into laughter as she stood from her chair, wrapped her arms around Gavin's neck, and hugged him tight.
“Thank you,” was all she said before grabbing the plates out of their hands and walking into the kitchen.
“What?” he asked. “Thank you for what?”
“Being honest,” she said, as the door closed behind her.
She walked back in a few minutes later with another tray filled with cheesecake pieces. When she handed him a large piece, he looked up at her.
“That shit wasn't funny,” he said. “You were testing
us. I remember hearing about that.”
“It depends on who you ask,” she said. “You should have seen your face. You looked around at them like they were crazy. I thought it was hilarious. My dad and now you are the only two who have ever been honest.”
He looked down at the food again.
“It's safe,” she said with a smile, feeling so damn good that he'd actually told her the truth.
Gavin took a huge bite and smiled.
“This is what I'm talking about,” he said.
They ate their dessert in silence, and Gracie noticed Gavin savoring it more than he ever had before. Maybe she just never noticed it, she thought to herself.
When she took their plates to the kitchen and came back out, she noticed Jack and Gavin looking at each other. She hadn't even sat back down when Gavin opened his mouth and rocked her world.
“We're being deployed,” he said.
Gracie heard her gasp just before she felt the tears moving down her cheeks. He looked up at her with sadness in his eyes. She turned and took off up the stairs to her old room.
“What?” Becky asked. “When?”
“As soon as we get back,” Jack answered just before Gracie closed her door and fell onto her old bed.
She could hear talking coming from downstairs, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. When she heard her door open, she thought for sure it was Jack. She lifted her head from her pillow and was shocked to see Gavin standing at the foot of the bed with his hands in his jean pockets and a nervous look on his face. Gracie quickly got to her feet.
“This is all your fault,” she snapped out.
“What?” he asked.
“You were the one who wanted this,” she said.
“Jack decided to go on his own. I didn't pressure him. I told him not to go, Gracie.”
“I don't care,” she said, as she shook her head feeling so many emotions. “It's your fault. You have to get him home safe. Promise he's coming home.”
“I promise you that I will do everything I can to make sure he doesn't get so much as a scratch,” he said, as he took a step closer.
“You better,” she said, as she took a step back. “I will never forgive you if anything happens to him. Do you hear me?”
“Yes,” Gavin answered, as she watched his shoulders visibly slump.
The cocky, strong guy she'd seen through both dinners was gone.
“We're going to help people, Gracie. You have to know how much that means to both of us. They need us,” he said.
“He's my brother,” was all she could say.
“I know that,” Gavin said. “Will you still write to me?”
“If I have to,” she said, not sure how she was feeling about anything.
“You don't have to do anything,” he said. “If you're doing it because of him, then don't.”
That was all he said before turning around and walking out of her room. She fell back onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow as she sobbed more than she could ever remember. The more she cried, the more she realized it wasn't Jack she was crying for. That scared her more than anything.
When she opened her eyes, she jumped up from her bed and ran down the stairs taking them two at a time. How could she have fallen asleep? How long had it been? She knew her face was red and blotchy, but she didn't care. She had to see him. When she turned into the dining room, all she saw was her mom and dad sitting at the table.
“Where is he?” she asked.
“Jack went out for a bit,” her mom said. “He said he needed some air.”
“Where's Gavin and his family?” Gracie asked.
“Gavin left right after he came downstairs, and they walked out after him,” her dad answered.
“They leave in the morning,” Gracie said more to herself than to anyone.
“They do,” her mom answered.
She wasn't going to see him. He was leaving for who knew how long, and the last thing said was for her not to write if she was just doing it for her brother. She wasn't. She was writing because she wanted to. Gracie looked forward to getting his letters and writing him back. How could she let him walk out of her room like that? How could she blame him for everything? Shit! How could she let him leave without telling him how much he meant to her? Wait! What, she thought to herself? Did he really mean something to her, something more than just being part of the crew?
She shook her head, grabbed her keys and phone, and headed for the door.
“I'm going home,” was all she said before walking out the door.
The entire drive home, he was all she thought about. He was gone, and she didn't know how long it would be before she would see him again. She wanted to hug him. She wanted to tell him to be careful. She wanted him to know how much he meant to her and how sorry she was for what she'd said. It was him she wanted, not Ethan.
Gracie got under her covers. She grabbed her phone and pulled up a picture she'd secretly taken of Gavin earlier that night. She rubbed her finger across her phone screen as she stared at his picture. It was him. She knew it didn't make sense. They'd known each other their whole lives. He was her brother's best friend. She'd seen him do some dumb things through the years, and he'd seen her at some of her most embarrassing moments. There was no way they would ever work.
The more she looked at the picture of him, the more she thought about how sexy he was. She thought about his lips on hers. They were so soft but aggressive. When he pulled her lip down and thrust his tongue into her mouth, she couldn't help the moan that escaped her. Gracie slid her hand under her sheets and into her panties as she thought about him. She began circling her clit. When he grabbed her hand and wrapped it around him over his pants, she could feel how hard and big he was. Part of her wanted so badly to slip her hand under his pants and feel his skin against hers. Her finger began moving down and she could feel how wet she was from just thinking about him. When she thrust one finger in, she let out a moan. Gracie thought about being in the kitchen with him behind her. He was pressed against her ass, and she could feel his hardness against her. When he whispered in her ear, she shivered. She brought her other hand under her sheets and panties and began rubbing her clit as she moved a finger in and out over and over. With her eyes closed, she pictured Gavin behind her at the counter. Gracie could see him pulling her pants and panties to the ground. She could see it like he was right there. In her mind, he pulled his own jeans down. Then he moved his foot between hers to spread her legs apart. He pushed her back down over the counter. Then he lined himself up at her entrance. She cried out into her empty room as she saw him thrust in hard and deep. He pulled back out and moved into her quickly again. Gracie couldn't help the moans coming from her as she rubbed her clit harder and moved her finger in and out faster. She could see Gavin, in her mind, pumping in so deep from behind her.
“So good,” she pictured him whispering into her ear as he bent over her back. “I'm going to make you scream my name for everyone to hear.”
Gracie felt herself flying over the ledge. She cried out his name, as she came hard around her finger. When her body relaxed, she slowly pulled her finger from inside of her. It was only minutes later that her eyes began to close. Should she tell him how she felt, she wondered? He was leaving, and she wasn't sure how long he was going to be gone. Part of her thought she should call him or hurry over to his parents' house, but the other part knew she needed to wait. He already had so much pressure on him from everyone, and she was one of those everyone. What if he didn't like her the way she liked him? She didn't want him to leave on an awkward note. It was bad enough she'd blamed them leaving on him and threatened to make his life miserable if her brother got even one scratch while he was gone. Did she really want to hear that Gavin didn't have feelings for her right before he left? Did she really want him leaving with the added pressure of his best friend's little sister liking him? What if she was just worried about him being gone? What if she didn't have feelings for him at all?
�
�When he gets back,” she whispered to herself. “If I still feel this way when he gets back, I'll tell him.”
That was fair, she thought to herself. It would give her time to make sure her feelings were real. If they weren't, she didn't want to make a fool of herself or put any unneeded stress between the families.
“He'll be back before you know it,” she said to herself, as she looked at his picture one more time before going to sleep.
Chapter 13
Gavin
Gavin was up and gone early the next morning. It was so much harder leaving than it had been before. He knew he was going to be so far away from the people he loved. Even his sister Jessie was crying on the phone when she found out, and she wasn't a very emotional person.
All Gavin kept thinking about were Gracie's words. She had to know Jack had made his own decision in joining with him. He didn't make him leave. Gavin understood that she was upset about the deployment, but it wasn't right for her to place blame on him. He was having a hard enough time knowing that his friend would be in harms way as it was. It was his fault. If he hadn't brought up the service, Jack would have still been fighting fires. Gavin knew he would do anything he could to make sure Jack returned safely to his family. He was going to do his best to return unharmed as well. When she said she'd never forgive him, Gavin felt like someone was sitting on his chest. He didn't need to leave feeling that way. There were already so many things going through his mind. Missing her was one of those things. Since they'd been writing back and forth, he'd really come to like her as more than just one of the crew. She kept him on his toes and gave him back just as much shit as he gave her. He never knew when she was going to do something that would have him ready to kick her ass.
Gracie was something else. Just the thought of her lips against his had his cock hard. He knew he needed to stop thinking about her. If he didn't, Jack and the other guys would start asking questions. Her comments about her brother stung him deep. He didn't give a shit what she thought, he couldn't. If he did, it would only make his own thoughts and feelings worse.
Saved by Love (Bachelor Billionaire Kids #1) Page 5