Aside from the few minutes in the butler’s pantry, she’d been able to keep her distance from Gavin all day. That didn’t mean she wasn’t still edgy, her body seeming to sense his nearness even when he was standing in another room. A few hours in the ballet studio were just what she needed to relieve the ache that Gavin’s nearness kindled within her.
“Excuse me.”
Ginger turned from stretching at the barre to see the teenage boy from the other day and his sister, Hannah, standing in the doorway of the main studio. “My mom is running late with a client at the salon and I’ve got to head to work. Is it okay if Hannah hangs out here for a few minutes until class begins?”
The little girl looked at Ginger warily, her hand clenched firmly in her big brother’s.
“Of course,” Ginger said, a small spurt of unexpected joy unfurling inside her at the thought of teaching these little ones something she truly loved. “I think we butterflies need to practice flapping our wings a little bit, don’t you, Hannah?” The little girl’s face sparkled with delight as she slipped free of her brother’s hand and skipped across the floor.
“Mom will be here to pick you up after class, Hannah,” the boy said, but his sister ignored him, instead sifting through the costume box apparently to find a pair of wings. “Um, by the way,” he said, hesitating in the doorway. “Is Cassidy here? Or is she still up at the mansion?”
Ginger eyed him shrewdly. He was a cute boy, dressed in faded Wranglers, black sneakers and a Mumford & Sons T-shirt. The exact color of his hair was hard to discern because it was cropped so closely to his head, but his eyes were an unforgettable midnight blue. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why? Do you want to bully her about her looks again?”
“Whoa! No way!” He crossed the room in two strides. “Those guys are jerks. They don’t know . . .” He stopped abruptly, stroking a hand over his sister’s misshaped head.
“They don’t know what?” Ginger asked softly.
He hesitated, seeming to debate with himself whether to say more. She was glad when he finally spoke. “They don’t know what it’s like to live in fear of a parent. Before the Army put my dad in jail, he used to beat us. My mom and me. He said it was because he had an addiction problem. My mom had me to take care of her, though. And Hannah. Cassidy doesn’t have anyone to look out for her when her mom is high and . . . crazy. Most days it’s Cassidy taking care of her mom. The sheriff came by the trailer park the other day. I just want to make sure Cassidy is okay. That’s all.”
“What’s your name?” Ginger asked around the lump that had formed in her throat.
“Kyle, ma’am. Kyle Preston.” He sheepishly extended his hand.
“I’m pretty sure no one has ever called me ‘ma’am’ before,” she said with a smile as she shook his hand. “Cassidy is staying at the inn for a little bit.” Given the gossip chain in Chances Inlet, she was pretty sure Kyle knew exactly why. “I can tell her that you were asking about her if you’d like?”
The tops of his ears turned pink. “No problem,” he said. “If she’s at the inn, I’m sure she’s just fine. I’ll catch up with her at school. Enjoy dance class, kiddo.” He waved to his sister before quickly strolling out of the studio.
“See you around, Kyle,” Ginger called after him. Several of the other little girls had arrived and Ginger turned to her task of organizing the class. But she couldn’t squelch the little bubbles of happiness rising in her stomach at the thought that perhaps Cassidy wasn’t as alone as she thought.
* * *
All of his life, Gavin had been patient. As the middle of five children, he’d fine-tuned that particular trait early on. Even throughout these past two long years spent spinning his wheels in Chances Inlet, he’d tolerantly been biding his time, never doubting he’d get back to the life and career he once had. But the closer he got to escaping his hometown a second time, the more impatient he became. Of course, he could attribute a great deal of his increased tension these past few days to a certain waif of a dancer with a spine of steel and lips of sin.
Ginger had been hiding in plain sight all week, cheerfully going about her business with either Diesel or Audra glued to her side. Gavin had given her space, waiting good-naturedly for an opportunity to get her alone again, confident they would pick up where they’d left off before his pain-in-the-ass brother had interrupted them. Except that never happened. He’d been in the makeup chair three times in the last seven days, and on each occasion either Cassidy or Morgan had been shadowing them both. Unlike their “first time,” the sexual tension that had simmered between them was gone. Instead, Ginger applied his face paint like a trained professional.
At first, Gavin thought her little white lie about sleeping it off in the ballet studio’s dressing room was a clever way of protecting what little reputation she had in this town. But as the days wore on, he became more and more insulted by her ploy. She’d been “into him,” to use her words. And Gavin was still very definitely into her. Painfully, in fact. Apparently, her opinion of him had changed based upon the one night they’d spent together, and that didn’t sit well with Gavin. Not one bit. As far as he was concerned, their encounter had been strictly one-sided. His ego wasn’t going to allow her to base her opinion on his sexual prowess on that night. And he planned to remedy that situation as soon as possible.
“I need the deed to Dresden House if I’m going to get it designated as a National Historical Landmark,” Miles said, redirecting Gavin’s thoughts from what he’d like to do to Ginger to his other nagging problem. Bernice and the mayor had gotten it into their heads that the mansion should be designated a national landmark. Why the town hadn’t done it years ago was beyond Gavin, but there was no way it could be done right now. Mainly because he didn’t have the deed. He’d turned it over to Marvin Goldman’s lawyer the day he’d signed on to do the restoration.
Gavin tossed a ball over the railing and Midas scampered off the veranda steps and out into the inn’s yard to chase it. “Actually, Diesel is taking care of it.” Gavin nonchalantly took another pull of his beer, hoping to distract not only the dog, but also his brother. It was early Sunday afternoon and he’d come to the inn for a showdown with Ginger. Unfortunately Miles was the only person around and he was apparently in the mood for a long, brotherly chat.
“What do you mean, Diesel is taking care of it?” his brother demanded. “The mayor’s office has been on my case for three weeks to personally walk the application through the process at the state level before we submit it nationally. Will Diesel be able to do that?”
I hope so, Gavin thought to himself. “Sure. They do it on the show all the time,” he said instead. He had no idea whether it was true, but there seemed to be no end to the little white lies he was telling to keep his house of cards upright. “Besides, don’t you have better things to do with your time? You’re the governor’s chief of staff and you’ve got a campaign of your own to set up. I’m sure we peons can handle something as mundane as paperwork.”
“Hey, I’m happy to have it off my plate. Just don’t let it get screwed up because even if I’m not responsible for it, it will come back to bite me on the butt in this town.”
“Don’t worry. Your poll numbers won’t slip because of it,” Gavin said.
His brother flipped him off.
Gavin laughed. “Now, that’s a photo you need on your campaign website.”
“Just tell Bernice that Diesel is handling it so she gets off my case,” Miles said, finishing his beer. “I may have to take you up on your offer to use the McAlister offices as my temporary campaign headquarters for another couple more weeks, and I really don’t want her in my grill about it every time I have to come down here.”
“No problem.” Gavin would think of some story to tell Bernice later. Right now, he wanted his brother gone so he could go in search of Ginger.
“I may need a place to crash at night, too.”
Gavin eyed his brother. “What’s wrong with this place?”<
br />
“I can’t keep asking Mom to bounce a paying guest so she has a room for me. And there’s no way I’m staying at the carriage house as long as she’s entertaining men there.”
“Not ‘men.’” Gavin couldn’t resist teasing his brother. “Just the sheriff.”
Miles muttered an obscenity as he stood and watched Lori toss the ball across the lawn while Midas and her own dog, Tessa, raced after it.
“Although I guess someone should stay here to keep an eye on that one,” Miles said.
Gavin rose and slapped his brother on the back. “That’s the way to take one for the family. She’s sweet and definitely easy on the eyes.”
Miles made a face. “There’s nothing sweet about that woman, and the unkempt, homeless look has never appealed to me.”
“Right,” Gavin said. “I forgot you politicians go for debutantes only.”
His brother flipped him the bird again as Gavin descended the steps. “I’m sure Will would be happy to put you up at his place whenever you need it. Besides, his brother-in-law is a United States senator. Think of the contacts you could make.”
“Seriously?” Miles called after him. “You won’t let me stay at your loft?”
Gavin pushed his sunglasses onto his eyes. “Sorry, bro. I have another sleepover guest in mind.”
Miles’ laughter followed him into the yard. “Dude, give up! You crashed and burned the first time you tried to score with her.”
“See you around, Miles,” Gavin called over his shoulder. The two dogs ran over and began circling his legs.
“Please, take him with you,” Lori asked gesturing toward the veranda where Miles was already talking on his phone.
Gavin grinned. Apparently Miles and Lori had formed a mutual dislike society. “Don’t worry. He’s given up waiting for my mother and Cassidy to get back from the mall. He’s headed back to Raleigh.” He hesitated a moment, not wanting to give too much away in case Lori shared it with his mother. “You haven’t seen Diesel and Ginger around this afternoon, have you?”
A rare sly smile graced her face. “Which one?”
He silently rocked back on his heels, waiting her out.
She chuckled. “Diesel went to Myrtle Beach to pick up some part Bucky needed for the video editing doohickey.”
“And Ginger?” he bit out.
“Well, if you didn’t see her at the dance studio, she’s probably up at Dresden House. She likes to hang out there when it’s quiet and empty.”
Gavin slowly released a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. With a nod to Lori, he whistled for Midas and they climbed into his Jeep. Finally, he was going to get his showdown.
THIRTEEN
Dresden House was quiet; the only sounds were the surf crashing against the bluff below and the squeak of the stairs as Gavin climbed them. For most of his life, this house had been his refuge, the place he went when he wanted solitude from his family, his friends or just everyday life. But today it was his hunting ground. He found it ironic that this would be the one place Ginger would also escape to.
Midas scurried ahead of him, his nails clicking on the hardwood as he explored the mansion’s empty rooms. The dog gave a whimper of pleasure when he spied their quarry. Ahead, in the bright sunny space that was intended as the home’s nursery, but had instead served as a music room for the girls’ school, Ginger sat cross-legged on the wide window seat staring at the ocean. Midas buried his nose beneath her hand, forcing her to pet him. The dog groaned in pleasure when she scratched behind his ears.
She didn’t bother turning around to greet him, almost as though she accepted his intrusion as inevitable. Gavin took the opportunity to lean against the doorjamb and study her. Her hair was pulled up on her head in one of those messy knots again. He ached to press his lips to the soft skin on the back of her neck, but he knew that if he had any chance of finishing what they’d started the other night, he had to take things slow. As usual, she was dressed in bright colors, her pink cropped sweat jacket revealing a trace of tantalizing skin where her floral skinny jeans dipped down below the base of her spine. Gavin’s fingers weren’t the only parts of him twitching at the sight. Satisfied with the attention she’d paid him, Midas wandered off to sniff at the corners of the room.
“This is my favorite part of the house,” he said, finally breaking the silence.
“You obviously spent a lot of time here,” she said, tapping the pen she was holding against the thick wood molding surrounding the window. “With”—she leaned her head closer to the window—“Jessica and Lisa, according to the writing on the wall.”
Gavin grinned as he stepped away from the door, walking over to where she sat with a sketchbook on her lap. He’d brought quite a few girls up here for various romantic escapades, some innocent, some not. Jessica and Lisa were from his much younger days, and they were the only two who wished to inscribe their names in a heart on the tiger oak. Had he known how rare the wood molding was back then, he never would have allowed it. He sat down on the large window seat, his back pressed against the warm glass, her bubble-gum pink cheerleader shoes brushing up against his jean-clad thigh.
“I used to come here to hide, too,” he said, glancing over at her.
Her chin lifted slightly at his words. “I’m not hiding.”
“No? Then what are you doing up here all alone?”
“Diagramming dance moves for the Founders’ Day recital.”
“You couldn’t do that at the ballet studio?” he asked, tugging at one of her shoelaces.
“The view is better here and, until you and your pesky pooch arrived, it was nice and quiet,” she said, a tad defensively.
His “pesky pooch” exhaled loudly before slumping down on the floor and settling in for a nap. Gavin gently guided Ginger’s legs over his thighs.
“When I was a kid, I would come here to do homework. It was a lot quieter than my mom’s kitchen. And I used to think the house would help me with the answers.”
“The house would talk to you?” Her words sounded breathless as he wrapped his hands around her hips and pulled her closer.
“Sometimes,” he murmured as his eyes caught a glimpse of the valley between her breasts.
“I hear music when I’m up here,” she whispered. The sketchbook fluttered to the ground when Gavin pulled her more securely across his lap. He was hearing music roaring in his own ears when her round, toned ass came in contact with his raging erection.
Ginger slid her fingers through his hair. “Does the house still talk to you?”
He bit back a hiss as she shifted closer. “Yeah.”
“What does it say to you?”
“Right now, it’s telling me to kiss you.”
Her tongue darted out to lick her lips and his balls squeezed tightly inside his jeans. “That wouldn’t be a good idea,” she said softly.
“Maybe you should have mentioned that before you allowed me to pull you onto my crotch,” he said.
She arched an eyebrow at him while her finger traced his jawline. “You started it.”
“Actually, I’d really like to finish what you started the other night.”
Her hips tortured him again as she wiggled around to straddle him. “I meant what I said about not coming between you and your mother. Not to mention the population of Chances Inlet.”
“The way I see it, they keep coming between us.” He groaned as the part of her he most wanted to get inside of settled against his now-painful arousal. His hands slid beneath her sweatshirt. She arched her back as his fingers skimmed over the soft skin along her spine and lower still. “I told you before, I don’t give a shit what they think of me.”
Ginger released a breathy sigh. “What if I don’t want to give them any more reasons to dislike me?” she mumbled, resting her forehead against his shoulder.
His hands stilled on her back. Damn. Her spine may be made of steel, but beneath it she was as vulnerable as any woman. He swore under his breath, remembering her drunken
speech about always wanting to live in a small town. Now didn’t seem like the time to argue against that particular fantasy of hers. “You’ll be here for another couple of months—”
“Seventy days,” she said, not bothering to lift her head.
He grinned to himself before pushing her shoulders back and cupping her face with his hands. His gut clenched when he spied her damp eyes. “Then I’m going to make it my mission to ensure that the people of Chances Inlet name a street after you before you leave.”
A look of embarrassment flitted over her mouth before she gave her head a little shake. “I doubt you’ll be too successful if they find out we’re having sex. I’d be the bad girl tarnishing the image of the town’s golden boy.”
His whole body tensed at the word “sex.” “Except that you’re proposing we don’t have sex.” The words came out a bit more harshly than he intended. Closing his eyes, he banged the back of his head against the window in frustration. Seventy days, she’d said. Ten weeks until he could break the shackles of this town and get back to New York. The problem was the only thing that made the next ten weeks bearable was shooting him down from her perch on his lap.
“No,” she said softly, her fingers sliding beneath his T-shirt. “I’m proposing that we don’t let them find out.”
Gavin’s eyelids shot open and he locked eyes with Ginger’s, now shining with passion, not tears. “Come again?” he asked, cursing himself almost immediately for giving her time to think this through.
Perfect white teeth nibbled on her lower lip. “I’m saying we keep it a secret. You said yourself no one needs to know your business.”
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