Gavin hoped it wasn’t the house talking because it sounded like—after a week of agony—she was agreeing to finish what they’d started. He wanted to protest the part about keeping it secret; the people of this town couldn’t dictate his life. But rational thought was becoming impossible since every drop of blood from his brain was now racing to his groin.
“Let’s go back to the loft,” he rasped.
Shaking her head, Ginger slid off his lap. “No,” she said, toeing off her shoes. “Here. Now.” She began peeling her jeans down her long legs and Gavin’s breath stilled in his chest as his balls squeezed again. His eyes homed in on the scrap of pink lace between his legs, and he was a goner. Still, the well-bred gentleman in him had to ask.
“Here? Are you sure?”
Her fingers tugged at the zipper of her sweat jacket as she finished shimmying out of her jeans. “If this house is to be believed, it wouldn’t be the first time for you here, Gavin.”
The playful look she shot him was his undoing. He shucked his shirt over his head while pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. It had been a while since he’d had sex outside of a bedroom—not since he was a randy college student—but the thought of taking Ginger in the room where he’d first lost his virginity was seriously revving him up. At least this time, he knew what he was doing. And Ginger Walsh would be shouting about it from the rooftops when he got through with her. After today, there would be no way in hell she could keep it secret.
* * *
Ginger was really going to do this. After a week of tamping down on her desires and maintaining a professional demeanor, she was standing in Dresden House with nothing on but her bra and panties. Of course, it was all Gavin’s fault. She’d been perfectly fine minding her own business until Mr. Amazing Mouth arrived. Really, she was pretty sure Mother Teresa would have trouble not getting naked when confronted with Gavin’s mouth. At least, that was how she was rationalizing it, anyway.
The truth was she was tired of fighting it, whatever this was between them. She was worn-out from tossing around in her bed at night dreaming of Gavin and his charming smile, his sure hands and his sexy body. Not to mention that the idea of a secret afternoon tryst was also a major turn-on. From the moment she’d seen his name carved into the dark molding, she’d been fantasizing about what he’d done with other girls—other women—in this room.
Closing the distance between them, she slid her fingers beneath the waistband of his jeans, brushing against the firm skin as she unfastened the top button. Before her hands could move any lower, Gavin covered them with his own, exhaling harshly as he did.
“Whoa, there, sweetheart,” he said. “This time, we start with you.”
The look of pure hunger in his eyes made Ginger acquiesce. Arching her back, she brought her body in contact with the bare skin of his tight abs. Her hands moved from his waist to trace the planes and muscles of his chest while his fingers kneaded her bottom. That amazing mouth came down to meet hers and before she knew it, he was opening her lips with his own. His tongue plundered her mouth with slow, sensual strokes and her hips subconsciously rocked against him, mimicking the rhythm.
Gavin lifted her then, turning to position her on the window seat, the glass warm on her back as her legs dangled over the side. Breaking the kiss, he bracketed her with his strong arms. She breathed in his woodsy scent before his head dipped lower to blow a breath over her nipples, making Ginger abruptly damp between her legs.
“Gavin.” She whispered his name, and it sounded more like a plea to her ears.
A wolfish grin spread over his face. “You like that?” He lowered his head again and dragged his tongue against one of her breasts. The brush of the fabric against her aroused nipple made her squirm. He took that as all the encouragement he needed, taking the nipple between his lips and laving it. Ginger threaded her fingers through his hair, holding his head against her as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Huh-uh,” Gavin murmured, lifting his mouth from her breast. He straightened up enough so that he could untangle her legs from around his hips, his rough fingers brushing the insides of her thighs as he spread her wide before him. What sounded like a growl escaped his lips as he knelt down on the floor between her outstretched legs. Ginger gasped when he pushed the crotch of her panties aside before sliding a thick finger inside of her. “I told you, you first this time,” he said, his eyes never leaving the prize as he stroked in and out of her.
Ginger’s head lolled back against the window while her fingers scrambled for purchase on the wooden seat. Draping one of her legs over his shoulder, his tongue followed his finger inside of her. Her hips bucked wildly as he licked and sucked at her, the feeling so exquisite, it nearly stole the breath from her body. “Gavin!” she cried just as a shuddering climax wracked her body. His lips cruised to the inside of her thigh where he nipped at the tender skin. Hooking his fingers in the waistband of her panties, he lifted her up to pull them over her hips and down her legs before tossing them on the pile she’d made out of her clothes.
Boneless and strung out, she watched him stand up to shed his jeans, his erection jutting out proudly. Midas stirred at the sound of Gavin tearing open the foil pouch of the condom, but the dog stayed put. Mesmerized, Ginger chewed on her bottom lip as he rolled the condom over himself before sitting down next to her.
“Are you ready for the good stuff, Ginger?” he asked, gifting her with one of his slow, full-dimpled smiles.
Forcing her limbs back into action, she crawled over him, rising up on her knees above his lap. His nostrils flared when she reached behind and provocatively unhooked her bra. Wriggling out of it, she threw it over her shoulder. “The last part was pretty good stuff,” she said, threading her fingers through his hair again and bringing her nose down to touch his.
“Oh, this part will be much better.” He cradled her skull and brought her lips down for a slow kiss, surprising in its gentleness. Her insides were turning molten again but Gavin took his time, exploring her mouth and body as if they weren’t naked in front of a giant picture window in the middle of the afternoon. Hoping to spur him along, Ginger lowered her hips a fraction so that her core brushed against him, and that was all it took. Gavin’s kiss grew more demanding, more intoxicating, and her body began to tremble with pent-up want. His hands left her face to wrap around her hips, guiding her into position. He was inside her with one powerful thrust, his lips capturing her startled sigh as his mouth continued to eat at hers. Ginger’s body wanted to move but Gavin held her tight.
“Shh,” he said after breaking their kiss and letting his lips trail along her jaw before settling on her neck below her ear.
Her breaths were coming in hurried little pants and it sounded as if her pounding heart echoed within the large room. Gavin shifted forward on the seat, leaning her back slowly as he did so. “Wrap your legs around me,” he demanded, his hoarse words next to her ear making her shiver. Ginger did as she was told and his steady hand cradled her neck as she slid farther back, the change in their position bringing her immediate pleasure so intense that her insides squeezed tightly around him. She felt his smile against her skin. He flexed his hips slowly and she moaned his name like a prayer. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and Gavin began to pump in and out of her, his pace steady but unhurried.
“Gavin,” she panted.
He nipped at her shoulder. “What’s your hurry, sweetheart?” But his own breathing sounded more fractured as he increased the rhythm. She moaned again and his thumb was suddenly between her legs, flicking over her once, then twice. Ginger cried out as Gavin tortured an exquisite orgasm out of her, her body going limp in his arms.
His movement stilled and he pressed his lips to the sensitive skin beneath her ear. “Is that what you wanted?” he whispered.
She nodded against his shoulder, the muscles there still tight beneath her hands. Slowly she clenched around him again and that was all the invitation he needed. Gavin didn’t bother with finesse o
r rhythm this time, simply taking what he needed from her, until his whole body grew tense. He whispered her name in awe when, with a rock of his hips, he found his release.
* * *
“You might have mentioned the blanket a little earlier on,” Gavin teased, tangling his fingers in her hair after he’d undone the band holding it on top of her head. Ginger’s warm body was curled up against his on the window seat, the two of them wrapped in one of the cotton blankets he recognized from the inn. Dust motes danced in the afternoon sunshine while Midas snored softly across the room and Gavin struggled to remember the last time he’d felt so content. The past two years had been a constant struggle to remain optimistic, never being able to fully relax. Not to mention that the past week had been pure torture on his body as he fantasized about doing to Ginger what he’d just done. He had to admit, though, it had been worth the wait; reality lived up to the fantasy and then some.
“Please don’t rat me out to your mother,” she begged, tracing a finger over his chest. “She’s actually been kind of nice to me this past week.”
Gavin huffed in disgust. “She should be nice to you. My mom’s a pretty smart woman. I have no idea why she would believe you’re anything like the character you played on a stupid soap opera. She has more common sense than that.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not the reason why she dislikes me so much,” Ginger said, her hand sliding a little lower on his belly. They’d spent the past half hour tasting, exploring and learning each other’s bodies, and despite having just had Ginger a short time ago, he was already semiaroused and growing harder as her hand traveled closer to his cock.
“It’s none of my mother’s business who I have a relationship with,” he hissed as her fingers wrapped around him, her thumb stroking firmly up and down.
“She loves you,” Ginger said, her lips grazing his neck. “Of course it’s her business.”
Gavin was tight and hard and he had only one thought on his mind, and it did not involve his mother. But he wanted Ginger in his bed, not on the dusty floor of Dresden House. “Get dressed,” he groaned, reluctantly pulling her fingers off him. “We’re going back to the loft.”
Her eyes were fierce as she shook her head from side to side. “I told you. This has to be a secret. If we go back into town, everyone will find out.”
Annoyance rippled through his belly. That and a little bit of trepidation. Was this the only time he’d have her? Here in the room where years before he’d just been playing around at sex, but where today he’d shared a near-religious experience with Ginger? Once was not going to be enough for Gavin. Not even close.
He flipped over on the window seat, pinning her beneath him. “And I told you, it doesn’t matter what everyone in this town thinks. They have no input into my life.”
“But it matters to me,” she whispered, moisture shining in those unique green eyes. “And if you’re the guy that I think you are, that should be enough.” Reaching up, she wrapped her fingers around his skull and pulled his face down to hers. Her tongue traced the seam of his lips, coaxing them to open up and let her in.
Gavin wanted to rail and shout at her. He wanted to throw her over his shoulder and carry her naked through Chances Inlet right back to his bed where he just might never let her go. To hell with what everybody in town thought. But her mouth was doing crazy things to him, not to mention her hips that were bucking gently beneath his own. In the end, he decided to take what she was offering, to let her have her way this time. Before he did, though, he’d give her something sure to guarantee, secret or not, she’d be coming back for more.
An hour later, dusk was beginning to settle over town. Gavin sat in his Jeep and watched Ginger stroll up the long drive to the inn, her sketchbook and his mother’s now-musky-smelling blanket tucked beneath her arm. Naturally, she’d insisted on walking down from Dresden House so that no one would see them together—that spine of steel of hers starting to become a tad annoying. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to see her safely home.
Midas whimpered in the backseat. “I know, buddy,” Gavin said. “I’m getting a little hungry myself.” An afternoon of hot sex with Ginger had certainly stoked his appetite, but he had a sinking feeling the one thing that could completely satisfy his hunger was climbing the steps to the Tide Me Over Inn.
FOURTEEN
Monday morning dawned dark and damp. Low clouds blanketed the coast, spewing out a steady drizzle. Inside Dresden House, both the production crew and the restoration laborers were moving sluggishly, everyone seeming to linger over a second cup of coffee at the Craft truck before starting their day. Everyone except Ginger. Humming Tchaikovsky, she busily readied the makeup room. For the first time since arriving in Chances Inlet, she’d awakened refreshed and raring to go this morning.
Nothing like an afternoon of great sex to make you sleep like the dead, she thought to herself, biting back the face-splitting grin that threatened whenever she thought of what Gavin had done to her two floors up. Ginger knew she should feel a little guilty about how quickly she’d shed her clothes—not to mention her inhibitions—with Gavin, but she didn’t. They both were single, consenting adults. Concern over them being found out still niggled at her, though. Despite Gavin’s insistence that it didn’t matter who knew of their affair, Ginger knew that it did. He argued that he didn’t care what the people of Chances Inlet thought of his personal life, but their interfering was one of the reasons he hated living back in his hometown. A public relationship with her would only make things worse for him. Ironically, the people of Chances Inlet had stopped treating her with outright disdain ever since her drunken tirade. A bouquet of flowers and a free latte didn’t mean they’d accepted her, however.
The tapping of Midas’ toenails on the wood floor caused Ginger’s belly and the parts below to clench. When she looked up, though, she was disappointed to find only the dog, wet from being outside, standing in the doorway. He paused, greeting her with a gentle wag of his tail before wandering over to a pile of drop cloths and settling down on top of them with a heavy sigh.
“Well, good morning to you, too,” she said, and the dog thumped its tail again before resting its snout on top of its paws. “Did you lose your master somewhere?”
Except for in her dreams, she hadn’t seen Gavin since the day before. He’d been edgy when they’d eventually left the mansion, still irritated about her doggedness that they keep their relationship a secret. She’d won the round, though, insisting that if he wanted to see her again, he’d have to play by her rules. Her chest constricted suddenly at the thought that maybe she hadn’t won. Maybe he’d decided not to play at all.
“You should see the getup the chimney sweep is dressed in,” Diesel said, entering the butler’s pantry and depositing his laptop on the counter. “The guy looks like something straight out of Mary Poppins.” His voice resonated with glee as he powered up the computer. “Bucky is going to have a field day with the fog and that guy on the roof.”
“I take it he’s already wearing makeup if he’s in costume?”
“Oh, yeah.” Diesel laughed. “He obviously went to a lot of trouble for this gig. Lover Boy still needs to be made up, though.”
There was no chance Diesel knew she and Gavin had finally hooked up; Ginger was sure that he was only teasing. Still, she avoided her friend’s eyes, not wanting to give anything away. “Will you stop calling him that,” she said, perhaps a bit too sharply because Diesel was now eyeing her shrewdly.
“He’s running a little late,” Diesel said, turning back to the laptop where he was checking the local weather radar. “Something came up and he needs to be in Wilmington this afternoon and evening, so we’re going to have to delay the installation of the stained glass window in the center hall until tomorrow. The weather is supposed to clear up by then, though, so the holdup may actually work out in our favor.”
Ginger immediately thought of the television reporter who’d been chatting up Gavin the week before. Was the �
�something that came up” actually a rendezvous with her?
“Will you stop obsessing about everything, Diesel. You’re stressing me out.” She immediately felt stupid letting unsubstantiated jealousy provoke her into snapping at her friend. One afternoon of great sex didn’t mean she and Gavin were in a monogamous relationship.
Diesel turned around, leaning his hip against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest. “Funny, you don’t look stressed out to me. In fact, you look really relaxed.” Ginger tried not to waver under his gaze as he studied her for a beat. Was she so easy to read? Would her best friend be able to guess the reason she was more relaxed this morning? “Getting back into the routine of dancing every day has really loosened you up. I’m glad to see you turning back into your old self.”
Relieved, Ginger sank back into one of the tall director’s chairs. “Thanks. I guess I didn’t realize how much my body missed it,” she said, which was the truth. Her muscles were sore and her tendons protested as she reintroduced her body to moves it hadn’t performed in several years, but her flagging confidence had buoyed. She knew now she wouldn’t let Diesel down as a choreographer, and the knowledge energized her. Reaching out for his hand, she squeezed it gently. “We’re gonna do this, Diesel. We’re gonna make it back.”
Diesel’s face broke out into a grin. “I know. I can feel it in my bones.” He leaned down to brush a kiss on her cheek just as Bernice, Cassidy and the mayor of Chances Inlet pushed into the small room.
“Oooh,” Bernice said. “Are we interrupting something?” Today, she’d dressed in leopard print, head to toe, with matching glasses and an armful of bangles. Surprisingly, she pulled the look off. “You two are so cute together,” she cooed.
Diesel was having trouble containing his mirth as he leaned back against the counter. “No way,” he teased, winking slyly at her. “She’s too wild for a guy like me.”
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