by Kari Shuey
Once back on the plane, they took their seats across from one another. Abby stared out the window, avoiding looking at him now. But Gavin couldn’t get enough of her. The kiss they’d shared was magical – something great poets wrote about. If he could only live with the memory of their encounter, he would die a happy man. But the thrilling thing was he didn’t have to.
The nearly five-hour plane ride had them landing in Boise around 10 in the morning. Enough time for them to have a good amount of their Sunday just for them. Gavin continued opening the doors for Abby, and she remained quiet – until the front door closed behind him. They were back home, alone together. The air was heavy with expectation. Hadn’t he read somewhere the second kiss was the hardest one? Should he pull her into his arms again? She took off toward her room, signaling her need for some space. He couldn’t blame her for that, in fact it was probably a good idea he check on things here.
Gavin walked out to the guest house. Windsor had already parked the car and was in the building, looking through some security footage.
“Any sign as to who deleted the lost footage?” Gavin asked. From the moment Gavin found out there was missing film not only from the day of the murder but also from his office building, he’d asked Windsor to gather the data and comb through it for clues. He had a pretty good feeling he knew who wanted to hurt him – it was likely one of two people from his past.
“No, sir. And I’ve gone through the digital film we have on the outside of the premises, in the offices, and I even got a hold of some street material. There is no sign of Janice’s boyfriend or Miss Tye. Are you certain you want me to keep looking for them specifically? I should probably be interviewing the employees at the office building. Not chasing ghosts. Williams called again. He said it’s done. Mr. Oliver Wilkens won’t be on the premises any longer. The company will send out a replacement on Monday.”
Though it was more difficult for Gavin to read his friend, he couldn’t help but notice Windsor sounded more irritated than usual. It was possible Gavin was having him do remedial things when he could be helping in aspects where he excelled. “Thanks for checking, Windsor. You do what you think is best at this point. I think I may have hit a dead end. I guess it doesn’t matter that Miss Tye is living in the valley now. She can’t know anything, right?” His question was rhetorical, but it didn’t stop Windsor from muttering a few hateful things about the person they’d noticed from his past. That narrowed his list of enemies to just the abusive boyfriend of Janice, his housekeeper of 4 years ago. But there was even less information turning up about him.
His thoughts turned as if they had a life of their own. Looking over at his friend, Gavin hesitated. He wanted to share something with the one with whom he had so much in common but was unsure how Windsor would take it. “I kissed her.”
Windsor didn’t look back at him. His eyes fixed on the computer screen in front of him, his voice sounding slightly more concerned rather than menacing. “Are you sure you know what you are doing? We don’t know much about this girl. And you have a lot to hide. Perhaps you need to take a step back and think about what kind of consequences you may face if this goes south.”
Hurt that his friend didn’t want to share in his current state of excitement, but understanding where he came from, Gavin shrugged. “I can’t tell you why I feel this is the right move… just that it is the move I am destined to take at this moment of my life. Good or bad, she is supposed to be with me right now.” Gavin looked back at the computer. “Let me know if you find anything else. I know the police have ruled me out, but I’d like to stay one step ahead of them if I can.
Returning to the main house, Gavin made his way to the kitchen. He grabbed a glass for some water and sat down at the table. Abby bustled in with a laundry basket in tow, putting away dish towels.
“Abby,” Gavin chastised. “What are you doing working today? I said you had the day off.”
Abby shook her head. “What did we say about boundaries. I don’t want to be treated any differently just because you have a thing for me.”
Gavin stood up and walked over to her. “I have a thing for you? I’m sorry, I thought it went both ways.” Now he was blocking her path. “Look, Abby. I want this to work more than your brain will comprehend at the moment. In order for that to happen, we need to be open, honest, and relaxed with each other. Sure this will take some trial and error… but it will work itself out.”
He looked down at the lovely face that continued to knock him off balance. There was a hint of a scowl on her face that she was masking with her professional performance. “If you’d kindly move out of the way sir… I would like to finish the work I have for today.” Her chin was firm and she made unwavering eye contact with him.
He could tell she was irritated he’d already broken one of their rules. Work time was for work and playtime was for later. He shook his head and moved to the side, his arm sweeping out to grant her access. “Don’t work too hard today, Abby.” He started to walk out of the room and paused to add, “There is a garbage can in my office that needs to be emptied. I can leave it in the hall for you whenever you are ready.”
“Trash day is on Wednesday. If it can last until then, I will grab it.”
“Very well.” he said.
***
Abby went straight to work when she got home. When she was stressed or worried about something, she tended to throw herself into her work. It made things more clear. She was starting to feel the regret she warned herself about and there was no backing out. She wasn’t a quitter and she had to admit that she and Gavin had incredible chemistry. She would be a fool not to allow the possibility that they were meant to be with each other.
Finding it hard to separate the two lives she led, Abby tried to come up with some way she could compartmentalize the two. But nothing sounded right. The fact that Mr. Saxe – Gavin – wanted her to take a day off because she’d gone on a date with him was somewhat infuriating, But more than that… his statement about being open and honest really irritated her. She’d heard more than her fair share of secretive conversations between Gavin and Windsor. It wasn’t her place to point them out, but she wished she could. Honesty goes both ways. So between the hypocrisy he was spouting today and covert conversations, she’d lost her patience. He was already treating her differently and she wanted to hate him for it… but then again, she couldn’t blame him. New relationships had a tendency to throw people into an obsessive tailspin until things normalized and the playing field balanced out.
She could work through this. It would just take a little time. One day at a time, she told herself. Maybe they would spend some time, just the two of them, tonight. That could settle things down a little and give them a chance to become more at ease with each other. She could recommend they do some casual hanging out time. But that sounded off. Exasperated, Abby dropped the basket of clothes she was ready to fold onto the floor in her room. Gavin was now in his office sulking or celebrating – she honestly couldn’t read him as well as he could read her. And she was berating herself for her up-and-down behavior. Get a grip, Abby. This isn’t your first rodeo. Walking to his office, she called through the door, “How about another movie night?”
“I’d love to.” he called back.
Chapter 14
They picked an action-adventure this time around. Choosing to sit side by side on the couch, Abby wondered how Gavin was feeling about their current situation. Did he think they were moving forward like a traditional couple after just one date? Or he could take it a little slower and continue to flirt and ask her on formal dates until they had “the talk”. She didn’t know what to expect and was glad she didn’t feel obligated to set a precedent.
Watching the movie with him was comfortable. She thoroughly enjoyed it as well as Gavin’s company. It was as if the world and all of its rules fell away. There was no boss-employee relationship, they were just two people who got along.
Throughout the evening, Abby’s skin tingled with the
anticipation of his touch. She found herself wanting to lean into him despite all her concerns. He reached for her hand and their fingers intertwined. Abby looked at their laced fingers and smiled slightly to herself. Recalling how uncomfortable she felt when he reached for it on their first date, she acknowledged that now it felt different. A part of her yearned for his touch, desiring to be held by him as she had been at the hotel.
Resting her head on his shoulder, she inhaled his scent. He let go of her hand and his strong arm reached around her to pull her closer. The tips of his fingers grazed her arm as he gently traced them up and down. Heart pounding and goosebumps covering her arms, Abby exhaled slowly and reveled in the attention. For now, she would allow herself to live in the moment.
When the night was over, Abby grabbed the blanket she’d had on her lap and folded it. Tomorrow Gavin would be returning to his usual busy schedule at work and she would see less of him. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. She had a hard time thinking clearly and logically when he was nearby.
“Well, that was fun. I’m glad we decided just to relax tonight.” Abby stood up. Gavin followed suit. “I’m sure this will get a little easier as we figure out how to juggle everything.” She laughed nervously. Not nervous about how this evening was going, but rather an uneasiness about how much her feelings for him had changed in such a short time.
“Abby… you have no idea how much I am looking forward to spending more time with you. Right now I feel like this awkward teenager. I don’t know what to do with my hands… I can’t focus on very much… I find myself counting down the hours until I get to be with you. And I know that sounds crazy because we literally spent the whole weekend together, but it wasn’t enough.” He paused, staring at her. “I would like very much to kiss you now.”
“I think that would be okay.” Abby’s heart pounded as Gavin leaned down. He grasped her chin and slowly brushed his lips over hers. It was a gentler, more innocent kiss. And it was perfect.
He pulled away and smiled. “Goodnight, Abby,” he purred.
They parted ways and Abby turned back to watch him retreat to his room. It was almost as if he felt her eyes on him, he stopped. Whirling around, he quickly closed the distance between them and enveloped her into an embrace that spoke of desire and longing. His mouth consumed hers as their kiss deepened. Abby pulled back and gasped. The passion he exhibited was unexpected and raw.
“Gavin… I…” She tried to come up with an excuse not to give herself up to him. “We need to be careful,” she whispered. She stepped back, the space she put between them allowing her to breathe again. “What we have… this thing we feel developing… it’s so powerful, and I think we need to err on the side of caution. Let’s take it easy. Diving in too quickly has repercussions too. I’ve seen it far too often.”
She studied him carefully. His eyes were hazy and full of longing. Abby could relate, admitting to herself she knew that sense of yearning. It was clearly written on his face. But Abby could be disciplined, choosing instead to treat this budding romantic relationship with thought-out purpose.
“Goodnight, Gavin,” she said pointedly. This time she didn’t stop to turn around. Though, she could feel his eyes follow her until she was out of sight. Falling for him was getting dangerous. Relationships that start and grow this quickly fall harder and she wasn’t ready to deal with that kind of outcome.
The following morning, Abby was grateful to have some time alone to go over her thoughts. If Gavin hadn’t been immersed in the criminal investigation, would she have expected him to be so open right up front? Knowing her own feelings about the wealthy, she had to admit she didn’t see this relationship lasting. He would go off onto bigger and better things eventually. So why did she feel the need to push for candor?
The landscaper’s truck arrived, and Abby grabbed a glass of ice water as she normally did when Oliver arrived. She eagerly hurried down the steps to great him. Stopping, she realized the man exiting the vehicle was not Oliver. The friend she’d made was nowhere to be seen. Awkwardly, Abby offered the cup to the newcomer and asked as nonchalantly as she could, “Is Oliver sick today?”
The new landscaper took the glass graciously. He shook his head and took a swig of the cold beverage before running his arm over his mouth to wipe away the excess water. “Oliver was assigned a different property. I guess we will be seeing more of each other. I’m John.” He held out his hand and Abby hesitantly gripped it. His handshake was sweaty and foreign to her. She already missed Oliver’s friendly face. Gavin would definitely be asked about this new change when he got home.
Abby finished her housework and felt like a lost puppy as she waited for Gavin to return from work. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Oliver was a hard worker, he didn’t do anything wrong. He shouldn’t have been reassigned.
Gavin’s car pulled up and Abby made her way to the main living space. She didn’t even realize her arms were folded when Gavin came in. His smirk left his face, and concern briefly flickered in his expression. “Is everything okay, Abby?”
“Oliver didn’t come do the landscaping. I want to know why. He was a good worker and I liked him-”
Gavin tossed his keys on the counter and folded his arms. “I noticed.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Am I not allowed to fraternize with your staff? Or were you jealous enough you had to have him handled? I guess I should just be glad you didn’t kill him off…” She regretted the words the minute they came out of her mouth.
She watched Gavin slowly take off his suit jacket and tie and lay them over a nearby chair. It was like he was trying to come up with a calm way to handle this situation – and it made her feel like she was being scolded like a child. But then, she had to admit she had been immature the way she was handling the conversation.
“I’m sorry,” She said.
Gavin glanced up at her, questioningly.
“It’s your property, he’s your employee. I don’t have any say in who you hire.”
“No you don’t.” He agreed. “But if you must know, I fired him for a good reason. My cameras picked him up speaking to a reporter. That reporter was going to publish an article in a local tabloid… about you. It seems your friend was willing to sell some information to the highest bidder. I had it handled to protect your interests as well as mine.”
For what felt like the millionth time in the past month, Abby felt speechless. Not only had she misjudged Oliver, she had assumed the worst of Gavin… again. She felt horrible. Embarrassment flooded her features and she felt her skin flush. There would be no hiding her mistake this time. Avoiding eye contact, Abby wished she could turn back the clock.
Gavin approached her and lifted her chin so she would meet his gaze. “I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me that you talked with him frequently. But no, I didn’t fire him out of jealousy. If he was willing to break the rules of his contract, I couldn’t trust him to be on my property. Luckily, Mr. Williams is pretty good at taking out the trash.”
The confused look on her face was enough to make him elaborate.
“My lawyer.”
Chagrined, Abby nodded in understanding. “Sorry again for assuming the worst. I should have just asked. I feel like such an idiot.”
“Don’t ever feel like an idiot. You have a genuine heart, and cheer for the underdog. It’s one of the reasons I like you so much.”
Abby offered a small smile. “You are not what I expected, Mr. Saxe.”
“Gavin,” he corrected. And he kissed her lightly before gathering his coat and tie and retreating to his office.
Chapter 15
The next few days they followed a routine, one she was grateful for. He chose to go into work each day, giving her space and privacy as she did her work. When he got home, they shared dinner. Depending on his business needs, Gavin would then retreat to his office or they would spend some time talking or watching a television show. Simply being in one another’s company seemed to be enoug
h for them. They hadn’t shared another passionate kiss… and she appreciated his willingness to respect her boundaries.
On Wednesday, she was engrossed in her normal chores when she realized she’d forgotten to ask Gavin for his garbage can. She slipped into his office to grab it. It was as she’d glimpsed through the crack many times – in order and just like Gavin. It was filled with pieces of furniture that had a darker grain of wood. Filing cabinets were off to the side near a bookcase filled with a large variety of topics. They ranged from educational texts to fiction novels. As she walked past the bookshelves, her fingers traced the titles of some classics. They were worn and almost antique looking. She wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d pulled a novel off the shelf and discovered a first edition.
Abby felt a little guilty, invading Gavin’s privacy, and focused again on the task at hand. She went over to the desk, the wastebasket beside it. An empty envelope sat on the floor, having missed its target. Abby absentmindedly picked it up to toss it in the garbage can with the rest of his trash when the addressee caught her attention. It wasn’t that it was addressed to a P.O. Box that started the feeling of unease. But the name on the envelope wasn’t to a Gavin Saxe. It was addressed to a Garrett Saxe. The hairs prickled on the back of her neck, telling her something wasn’t quite right. Why was Gavin receiving mail for a Garrett? Why would a wealthy businessman like Gavin need to change his name? Especially if he didn’t have anything to hide.
This discovery taking place so soon after Oliver being fired was enough to make Abby consider throwing in the towel. She didn’t feel strong enough to handle the ups and downs of being in a relationship with a secretive man like Gavin. Bearing in mind the reason they met, the danger he was involved in, and the way he avoided opening up to her – doubts about their budding relationship weren’t hard to come by.