by Lee, Nadia
“What? That’s ridiculous.”
“Second, I don’t want you to run interference and try to get me into a school I don’t qualify for.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I know you can get me in under, well, non-academic criteria. I don’t want to get accepted because I’m your wife or you’ve always been a generous donor or because you’re the school president’s BFF. If I can’t get in on my own merit, so be it.”
“I’m surprised you think I’d do that,” he said with a small frown.
Oh dear. She’d annoyed him. “Sorry.”
“Forget it.” He sighed. “Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t know. Some place I have a shot at, I guess.”
“And that means places like Stanford are out, is that it?”
She nodded.
“You’re selling yourself short, you know that? You’re smart enough to get into any school you want. The consultant I’m planning to hire will help you.”
“But that wouldn’t be on my own merit.”
“Simply leveling the playing field. You think people get into top schools without help? They take SAT prep courses, get coaching on how to present themselves…”
“Pete didn’t.”
Gavin’s mouth tightened. “Pete’s unusually gifted and driven. You know my firm hires the best of the best.”
She nodded.
“Pete is probably the best out of them all. I thought I worked hard, but he’s a freak.”
Her eyebrows rose.
“A beast,” Gavin added, emphasizing the point. “Most people can’t do it. So don’t compare yourself to your brother. You’re plenty smart enough to get into college.”
Her lips parted. She’d always known Pete was smart, but she hadn’t realized Gavin thought so as well. Gavin had studied econometrics at the University of Chicago, which she understood to be quite a feat.
Amandine had once asked exactly what that was at a Lloyd family gathering, and his younger sister Meredith had responded, “It’s something a lot of ambitious, money-hungry people try to study because it can help them get high-paying jobs. Sadly, the University of Chicago has a particularly evil department dedicated to making their lives utter hell. Once the students realize the blood price they’ll have to pay, they contemplate the choice between hanging themselves or becoming lawyers.”
“Which one was Gavin?”
“He turned out to be a natural at it. Which makes him unnatural.”
Then there was Pete as a hard worker. Amandine had always known her brother worked a lot, even surprising her from time to time, but to impress her workaholic husband…that was surreal.
Then again, not any more surreal than standing in a Thai jungle, feeding bananas to a half-wild elephant and talking about the future of my education.
“If you want, we can begin going over your options and go from there.” Gavin’s voice was calm and logical, an anchor. “So you can start school after the baby’s born.”
She stopped. In her enthusiasm, she hadn’t thought things through enough. “But… What if things don’t work out?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Maybe I should go for a local community college. It’s probably more affordable.”
He studied her as he would a chart. “You’re going to go to the college you want to go to. The cost is irrelevant.”
“Gavin—”
“I don’t ever want you to give up something because you can’t afford it. So what if you go to some overpriced private college? If that’s what you want, that’s where you should go. I’ll make sure of it. End of story.” He patted Lou’s shoulder again, then turned away from her. “We should let Lou be. He probably wants to finish eating in peace.” He started toward the car.
His shoulders rode slightly higher than usual, and his stride was quick as he went to the car. Amandine sighed, furious with herself for ruining the good mood and connection they’d established.
Don’t let this destroy the rest of the day. You can salvage it. Gavin’s not the type to hold a grudge. Give him time to decompress, then apologize and you’ll be all right.
But every word she said seemed to undermine their relationship and slice him, despite her best intentions. And she didn’t know how they could make their marriage work if they couldn’t talk about something as inoffensive as college without hurting each other.
Chapter Fourteen
GAVIN WATCHED AMANDINE go to their room, her hips swaying in unconscious feminine beauty as she went up the staircase. Fern nodded at him, letting him know the studio was ready.
He’d planned to surprise her after the lunch at Damien’s, but he couldn’t bring himself to be near her, not when he felt like she’d kicked him in the balls.
College.
When she first mentioned the idea, he’d assumed it signaled her intention to stay. That the demand for divorce had been nothing more than a stunt to get his attention. But apparently she was still serious about going through the ridiculous farce of a breakup.
How could she, after last night? Who the hell went their separate ways after they made a baby together?
He closed his eyes briefly. A lot of people. If only childless couples split up, the divorce rate wouldn’t be hovering around fifty percent…and lawyers like Samantha Jones and Craig Richmond wouldn’t be so flush.
Pissed off at the world, Gavin stalked around the main house. Did it matter what she wanted right now? He still had over three months to work with. Her thinking about getting a degree was a good omen. There was no way she would go to college as a single mom—with a newborn—without the help he could give her. She wasn’t a parasite who expected him to take care of her or the baby if their divorce became official.
But you ruined it all by offering her your unconditional support, didn’t you? You could’ve pretended like she’d be on her own if she left you, and she’d have to personally finance a half-million dollar tuition.
He shook his head. It had to be some kind of character flaw of his that he couldn’t be a ruthless asshole. People who played nice never won. He’d seen it over the years. If he could be just a bit more of a hardass, he might have already found a way to convince Amandine to stay. After all, there were lots of things he could use against her—her brother, whom he could threaten to fire and get blacklisted at every decent employer, or Brooke, whom he could plot to ruin.
Really? That’s how you want to hold on to her?
Dammit. Of course not. Gavin wanted her to stay with him because that was what she wanted…because he made her happy.
He found a package addressed to him in the office. He tore it open, his fingers rougher than necessary. Better to take it out on the box than one of the staff. Inside the thick padding was a white velvet cube.
The replacement wedding band.
Since Amandine had been upset over the loss of the wedding band and Catherine had been ignoring his calls, he’d asked his jeweler to make him an exact duplicate. If nothing else, this should make his wife happier. She took stuff like this pretty seriously, more so than he did, as though an object had the power to make or break their marriage.
He shook his head. Definitely a woman thing.
Still, he wasn’t beneath using that to his advantage. Feeling more optimistic, he went to the master bedroom suite, box in hand.
* * *
Amandine parked herself in front of the vanity and sighed.
Why did she have to mention college and ruin a good thing? If it hadn’t been for that, Gavin would’ve followed her into the bedroom. And made love to her until she didn’t know which way was up.
No matter what problems they had, she couldn’t deny he was an amazing lover. His touch had the power to make her believe she was the only woman in the world for him. Maybe it was foolish to crave the sensation—after all, it wasn’t really real as long as he didn’t love her—but she couldn’t help it that she ached for the fantasy if only for the brief moments they sha
red their bodies.
“Amandine,” came Gavin’s voice from the doorway.
She chewed her lower lip and looked at him. How could she ease the tension she’d created?
He extended a hand. “Come with me.”
“Okay.” She got up and wrapped her hand around his.
He led her to one of the guest bedrooms. “Close your eyes,” he murmured into her ear.
“What is it?”
“A surprise.”
Her limbs loosened. He wasn’t angry with her anymore. Afraid to ruin the moment again, she shut her eyes and let him guide her inside the room.
“Now.” His hands wrapped around her arms. His breath tickled the back of her neck. “You can look.”
Amandine blinked. A big easel dominated the center of the room. A stool squatted in front of it, and four armchairs made a semi-circle around the easel. “Oh my.”
“If it’s no good, I’ll have it redone,” he said.
“No. This is great.” She turned and put her arms around him, holding him close. “Thank you.”
He hugged her back. “You’re welcome. So you like it?”
“I love it.” She looked around, examining the art supplies. “You have all my favorite brands here. How did you know what to get?”
“A little bird told me.”
“A little bird named Brooke?”
“Possibly,” he said, smiling.
“I see.” Amandine rolled a stick of charcoal in her hand, smudging her fingertips. She couldn’t believe his thoughtfulness. If his aim was to seduce her into spending time with him, buying her art supplies was definitely not a smart tactic. She could spend hours and hours in her studio alone, and he knew that. Was this a way to try to give her some space within the marriage?
Then she recalled how encouraging he’d been about her going to college. She’d panicked at the time, but thinking back on it he hadn’t said a single discouraging word. In fact, he’d even volunteered to relocate so she could study.
Buy a penthouse in Palo Alto…work out of there…
He hadn’t hesitated, even though buying the kind of home he was accustomed to would cost a fortune…and then offered to pay her tuition regardless of whether they stayed together or not.
Had she been wrong to think he’d spent the entire time they were married throwing money at her? Relocating was a big deal. He had no reason to want to finance her college degree if they divorced. Granted it would be pocket change to him, but so what?
Her knees wobbly, she walked over and sat in front of the easel. Maybe she’d been too harsh. Though Catherine was the one he’d wanted at first, he genuinely seemed to be invested in their marriage now, especially with the baby on the way. He was devoted to his family, and he’d never abandon his baby or its mother. It just wasn’t in his nature.
Victoria’s advice had been spot-on. Amandine loved Gavin, and she had to learn to be the kind of wife she wanted to be. It’d be unfair to expect him to distance himself from his friends and family just because she felt unsophisticated and unaccomplished around them. Going to college would be the first step, albeit a small one. She could learn to be comfortable in the fancy clothes she was expected to wear. She could learn about the wine vintages and classical music and jazz his friends liked so much. She could be more engaged and talkative around his family, rather than withdrawing, hoping nobody would notice what kind of a fraud she was.
Time to start being proactive.
She stood up and did a slow three-sixty of the room. “Gavin, thank you. This is great!” She went to him and kissed him deeply, with gratitude, affection, love and want. He responded, his tongue entwining with hers in searing desire. His big, hot palms skimmed over her sides and lowered until they cupped her butt and squeezed. She moaned, loving his blatant need for her.
Suddenly, he pulled away. “Before we get more carried away, I have something else I want to show you.”
“Is it going to self-destruct in the next thirty minutes?”
“No.”
“Then it can wait.”
She pushed him backward until he sat in one of the plushy armchairs and kissed him while settling herself in his lap. Another kiss. Everything about him fitted her perfectly, like he was a man tailor-made just for her. She loved it that for at least this moment, he was wholly focused on her and that nothing could divert his attention.
Mine.
His lips traveled along her jaw line, tracing the soft clean lines there. She spread her hands over his chest. Through the silken shirt, she could feel his heart thump against her palm.
Slowly, he pushed away the shoulder straps that held her dress up. His fingers ran along her body, dragging the fabric lower. He undid the clasp of her satin red bra, pushing it out of the way and cupping her breasts. “God, they’re stunning. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to their beauty.”
She blushed, his words turning her on more. Wet heat intensified in her sex, and she squirmed, wishing he were already inside her.
“Patience,” he murmured. “Let me make it good for you.” He pulled a pointed nipple into his mouth and trapped it between the roof and tongue and sucked hard, the edge of his teeth scraping the sensitive tip.
She threw her head back and moaned as fiery sensation unfurled inside her. Careful not to dislodge her nipple from the heaven that was his mouth, she shimmied out of her dress and panties and tossed them aside. She unbuckled his pants, going by feel, and ran the backs of her hands over the hot, hard shaft. Her sex pulsed in anticipation.
She ran her forefinger over the head of his cock, spreading the fluid from the tight slit. He groaned, the vibration from the strained sound making her toes curl with pleasure. She pulled upward then seated herself slowly on his erection. It was almost effortless, but nonetheless delicious. She felt herself being filled and stretched; a breath shuddered out of her. She was so primed for him, she could come in no time at all.
“Jesus, you’re hot. Tight.”
Her sex clenched. “You feel incredible.”
“Use me.” His hands gripped her ass and helped her move up and down his cock. “Make yourself come.”
She set the pace, trying to draw out the moment as much as possible. He was large and iron-hard, and the friction of his flesh sliding against hers made her tighten her inner muscles, trying to grip him harder.
He thumbed her clit and rubbed it to the rhythm she set. “Oh my god,” she moaned.
“Come on, my sweet. Come for me.”
At his darkly whispered encouragement, a tidal wave of orgasm engulfed her. She arched her pelvis, grinding against him, as she threw her head back and screamed her pleasure.
His arms tightened around her, and he buried his face in her breasts as a loud groan tore from his chest. He plunged hard into her body once more and lost himself.
Yes, yes, yes!
“Oh my,” she said when the fiery haze had cleared. “That was amazing.”
He kissed her on the mouth. “You’re amazing.”
She snuggled closer. Something square in his pants poked her leg, and she pulled back. “By the way, what was it that you wanted to show me?”
“Oh yeah. It arrived while we were out.” He took out a white box from his pocket.
Her heart sank a bit. “Gavin, the studio’s more than enough. You don’t have to get me stuff like this.”
He chuckled. “It’s not for you.”
“Oh?” She opened it and saw a simple white gold wedding band that matched the one on her finger. “Yours?”
He nodded. “I got a new one made. I know you’re upset about my losing it, and I should’ve been more careful. But since I can’t seem to find the original anywhere, I figured it was better to get it replaced than to go around ringless.” He wriggled his ring finger. “Looks lonely, doesn’t it?”
“Definitely.”
“Put it on.”
She pulled the shining band out of its slit and put it on his hand like she had at their wedding ceremony.
>
“There,” Gavin said. “Perfect.”
“It is.” Amandine smiled, though she couldn’t help a tiny little unease settling in her gut at the thought that Catherine must be keeping Gavin’s original ring. “It is.”
* * *
Gavin and Amandine settled into a daily pattern fairly quickly. She liked that more than forcing themselves to be on some kind of special honeymoon schedule, where they frenetically spent all their waking hours going from one diversion to another together, especially since Gavin said the second honeymoon would last as long as she wanted.
Their routine was leisurely and more like the life they could have had if Gavin would just cut back his working hours. They got up at around eight, shared a breakfast platter on the balcony together, then Gavin worked on whatever that required his attention while she spent the morning in the temporary studio. Months without painting had apparently produced a pressure cooker situation for her creativity. She couldn’t stop coming up with ideas for things she wanted to paint. Gavin insisted on lunch at twelve thirty sharp. Amandine was certain he never ate this regularly in L.A. Most likely he was doing this for the baby in her womb.
Fern always prepared something both tasty and nutritious. Though Amandine was no expert, she could tell by looking at the variety of lean meat and fish, fresh vegetables and fruit served every day. After lunch, if they were up for it, they’d go to the beach or look for Lou so they could spoil him. Sometimes they lounged by the pool with cold drinks made of young coconut juice, just to relax. Oftentimes Amandine dozed for an hour or so in the afternoon. She wasn’t a napper, but these days a little extra rest felt right.
Evenings, however, was something else. They put everything away and shared a relaxing meal of whatever Fern made, then walked along the beach and made love, whether on the beach or back in the house.
He was an unpredictable lover. Some nights he was ravenous for her, others lazy and slow. But no matter his mood, he was always careful not to be too rough with her and to be thorough enough that she couldn’t even think straight from pleasure.