It was so sweet Hallie could puke.
“So after he told you to take a break, what happened?” Presley pushed.
“Nothing happened. I mean, he shook my hand and said...um...” Hallie was suddenly self-conscious. Gavin’s compliments might as well have been rated X for the images they’d put in her head. She hadn’t yet reconciled his “creamy shoulders” comment. What was she supposed to do with that? “Never mind.”
“Uh-huh. No. You have to tell me now.”
“It’s nothing, really. Do you want a scone? I want a scone.” Before she could stand, Pres grabbed her wrist. Hallie lowered into her seat. Knowing she’d lose the battle with her headstrong friend, she said, “He told me I was gorgeous and he said he couldn’t understand why I showed up single everywhere.”
Her friend’s expression melted a microsecond before she said, “That’s sort of sweet.”
“It sort of was.”
“You are gorgeous.”
“I look like Hannah,” Hallie mumbled automatically.
“You look exactly like Hannah,” her friend confirmed. “Hannah also looks exactly like you. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to find your own identity when you have a duplicate copy, but Hallie, you have to know that you two stand apart from each other.”
“Do we?”
“When you’re not pretending to be her, yes,” Presley said with a kind smile.
Hallie sagged in her seat. “Ugh. He makes me so nervous!” She couldn’t imagine what would happen the next time she saw him. Now that he’d touched her and mentioned her shoulders. Now that she knew what it was like to be under his unwavering attention.
“Because you find him hot, which he is.”
“Yeah.” Hallie didn’t bother to deny that glaringly obvious fact.
“Sounds like he finds you hot, too.”
“He pointed out mine and Hannah’s physical differences and vowed to never make the mistake of mixing us up again.”
“The dimples,” Presley listed. “Glasses, clothing styles.”
“Yeah, those. He also noticed I can lift one eyebrow. Hannah can’t. And my eyes are slightly more golden than hers.”
“They are?” Presley squinted at her. “Oh my God, you’re right. I never noticed.” Then she sang, “But Gavin diiiid.”
“Shh. We’re in public.”
Palming her coffee cup, Pres crossed one arm over her middle. Her next suggestion bottomed out Hallie’s stomach. “If I were you, I’d tell him if he’s so great at relaxing, he should give you a tutorial.”
Hallie laughed. “Yeah, sure.”
Presley didn’t crack a smile. “I’m serious. You’re not a workaholic, Hallie, but you could stand to have a little fun. Gavin is fun. He’s also a nice guy you can trust. I mean, hello, you know his whole family.”
Yes, and that bit made her nervous, too. Like they’d look at her and Gavin and wonder what on earth he saw in her. But that couldn’t be the case, could it? Presley clearly thought this was a good idea.
“He’s attractive and he finds you attractive. Ask him to show you a good time. Live a little. You’ve earned it.”
Following her slightly alarming suggestion, Presley decided she wanted scones after all and excused herself to the counter. Hallie watched out the window as people strode by on the sidewalk, her mind on—who else?—Gavin Sutherland.
There was no doubt he could teach her a thing or two about having fun. He was the consummate playboy. Charm came second nature to him—maybe first. She’d been convincing herself they were opposites for months, but... What if she could use that to her benefit? What if she bent her rules and allowed him to help her climb out of her shell?
It wasn’t such a crazy idea when she thought about it.
Hannah had been encouraging Hallie to loosen up for years. Heck, Hannah had been the one to pack half of Hallie’s closet with couture gowns and sequined high heels. Her experiment hadn’t gone totally awry. Hallie had felt pretty the night at The Cheshire. Before she’d worn the plum-colored gown, black and beige had been the only two shades on her color wheel.
Hallie had been the serious, studious sister for far too long. She’d been holding everything together—her sister’s future, her own business—for so long, she’d nearly forgotten how to have fun. And whenever she broke one of her so-called “rules,” she promptly beat herself up over it. Recent incident included.
No more.
Presley was right. Hallie could stand to have some fun. And Gavin happened to be capable of walking the tightrope-thin line between work and play while wearing a blindfold.
She smiled, the idea exciting and new. What if Hallie could be fresh and fun? Light and lovable? All she had to do was convince Gavin to help her let her hair down, and in return, she could...um. Well, he had to want something from her, right?
But what?
Five
In Will and Hannah’s living room, Hallie was bent over her laptop finalizing her sister’s itinerary.
Hannah swept into the room with yet another piece of Louis Vuitton luggage and added it to the pile. She and Will were off to France, a working vacation since Hannah would be performing at a special charity event there.
Hallie thought of how Gavin had said his family was full of workaholics and smiled. She could slot herself and Hannah under that column, too.
No sooner than she thought of him, her sister said, “Oh, good. Gavin made it.”
“What? Why?” Hallie plucked her glasses off her nose and reached for her hair, which was currently in a sloppy twist at the back of her head and—fantastic—there was a pencil stuck in there, too.
“What are you fretting about? He accepted your apology.” Hannah’s eyes sparkled when she added, “Besides, I have a text proving he thinks you’re great.”
“Stop,” Hallie mouthed as her sister pulled open the front door.
“Signed, sealed and now delivered,” Gavin announced.
Hannah took the envelope from his hand and thanked him, but instead of ushering him on his way, she invited him in with a, “Do you want a cup of coffee?”
“No, thanks. I—” But then his eyes skated over to where Hallie stood and he grinned. “Actually, yes. I was going to stop at Rise and Grind, but since you offered.”
“Perfect. Help yourself. You know where everything is.” Hannah held the door open for Will, who was toting more designer luggage.
“Is this the last of it?” he asked before greeting his brother with a “Hey, Gav” on his way out.
“Yes, that’s it. We can go. I have everything. You good, Hallie?”
“Uh—” Was it noon already? And was Hannah really sticking her here with Gavin? Alone?! Once again, the bravado she’d felt failed her when the object of her infatuation was standing in the same room.
“Lock up for me. I’ll send you photos of the Eiffel Tower.” Hannah hugged her, giving her an extra-hard squeeze. She must’ve sensed Hallie’s alarm, because next she whispered, “Enjoy your company.”
Hallie gave her sister a warning glare. “Be safe.”
“I’ve got her.” Will’s warm gaze landed on his wife. Hannah was in the best hands, which helped Hallie relax some about sending her sister over the big blue ocean without her. Will and Hannah gathered the rest of the bags and Hallie shut the door behind them.
“Can I make you one?” Gavin offered, pouring creamer into a coffee mug.
“No, thanks. I’m wired as it is.” God knew what she’d say to him if she drank more caffeine. She forced herself to sit, and then turned her focus to the laptop in front of her. She hadn’t expected to see him this soon, and as a result she wasn’t ready to execute the decision she’d made two days ago at the café. She wasn’t good at winging it. Life required planning. As much as possible.
He settled on the couch next to her, leaving litt
le space between them. His piney, spicy scent surrounded her and she had to fight the urge to lean in and inhale deeply.
“What’s on the docket today for you?” he asked, easing back on the couch and crossing one leg ankle-to-knee.
“Oh, you know. A million things.” She gestured at the screen nervously, wishing he’d have sat in the chair across from her instead of beside her. She could barely think with him this close.
“Why am I not surprised,” he murmured.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she snapped.
He paused, the mug almost touching his lips. His perfect lips fringed with the perfect amount of facial scruff. Why did he have to be so damn attractive? It was irritating. “Nothing. You’re not still upset with me are you? I thought we agreed that was behind us.”
Right. Shoot. She was overreacting. He’d made her feel more than a little self-conscious since he’d said she was no fun and worked all the time. Especially since she continued proving his point time and again.
“Yes.” It was a strange response, but she didn’t dare try to form a complete sentence. Not while he was infiltrating her personal space. She could almost feel the hum of awareness between them—or at least stringing from her to him. Which meant she really should attempt to speak so he wouldn’t think she was a tongue-tied twit. “Um. Are you—what are you doing today?”
There. That sounded normal.
A slow smile spread his lips. Her mind blanked. He was too gorgeous. Especially in a navy blue suit and pastel pink tie. His messy hair tempted her to run her fingers through it.
“You want the truth?”
She nodded, unsure.
He set his mug on the glass coffee table and then let out a sigh. “I’m in purgatory, Hals.”
She felt her eyebrow lift and waited for him to explain.
“You know I built the house on the lake, right?”
Boy, did she. She’d been dying to see it after overhearing him, or Will, or Cash, or Hannah talking about it. From what she’d heard, Gavin’s new-build was more of a mansion. It was located between the main lake and a smaller, private one, which meant not one but two amazing views. With the leaves changing color, those views were probably nothing short of paradise.
“Yes.”
“Another yes. We’re two for two.” His grin remained and she jerked her attention to his casually folded hands, once again admiring his fingers. There was no safe space to rest her eyes on him. “One would assume after making approximately two million decisions during the building of a new house, I’d be done. Evidently, I have to make two million more decisions about the interior.”
His smile faltered, giving way to a new expression. He appeared well and truly miffed.
“My interior designer is amazing. Adore her. She’s smart, she’s savvy. She’s expensive, but worth every dime.” His gray-blue eyes held Hallie’s for the count of three and she had to fight a blush. “Anyway. The big stuff’s already moved in, but a lot of rooms need attention. I don’t care about wall hangings or curtains or rugs. Ruby is doing her job and doing it well. Says she needs to ‘nail down my style.’” He capped the sentence with air quotes. “I’ve been avoiding her for two weeks, but today I agreed to let her come over and torture me.”
Hallie couldn’t help it. She laughed. “You poor thing. Forced to pick designer furnishings for your zillion-dollar mansion on the lake.”
“Lakes,” he corrected.
“Right. Lakes.”
“I’d do anything to get out of it. Who the hell knows how to sum up their style in a few words anyway? I’ve never thought about it. I’m a bachelor. I’m clueless.”
“You seem to dress yourself okay.”
“Stylist.” He held out the side of his jacket and showed off the button-down shirt beneath it. She didn’t think she’d ever been distracted by a flash of a pectoral muscle behind 100 percent cotton before, but her mind was suddenly scrambled.
“Someone else may have styled your suit, but you wear it well. Like you belong in it.”
His shoulders straightened at the compliment. “Go on.”
She was unsuccessful at smothering her next smile. The air between them had shifted, albeit unexpectedly. Instead of a whirlwind of choking awareness kicking up dust and debris, the vibe between them was friendly. Almost...easy. “A house is the same as clothing. You try on a few things to see if they fit and if it feels good, you know.”
Now he looked confused.
She licked her lips and tried again. “Clearly you’re not afraid of color.” She gestured to his suit. “And your style, while simple, is pristine.” She touched her finger to the pocket square nestled in his suit jacket. “Everything in its place.”
His eyes followed the movement of her hand as she pulled it back into her lap. The friendly vibe shifted yet again, to a crackling tension that wasn’t the least bit unpleasant.
“Anyway.” She cleared her throat. “There’s never a speck of lint on your jacket.”
“Never?” he murmured almost seductively. How did he do that? Make an innocuous word sound like pure sex?
“Uh, from...from what I’ve noticed.”
“Hmm. I didn’t realize you’d noticed.”
She let out a nervous laugh.
His eyes dashed to his folded hands and he sighed. “If I had someone like you to help me out, this wouldn’t be such a miserable task.” He reclaimed his coffee mug.
She was about to dismissively agree when she realized he’d revealed exactly what he needed from her. Maybe if she offered to take some decision-making off his plate with his interior designer, he’d consider helping Hallie learn how to have more fun. And with Hannah out of the country for a little while, it was the perfect time for Hallie to step out from behind her older sister’s shadow. Not that Hannah wouldn’t approve, but in case she didn’t... Hallie didn’t want to hear about it.
“I—there was actually something I wanted to ask you.” She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “A favor.”
“Oh, yeah?” He leaned closer to her, dropping his elbows to his knees while cradling his mug.
“Yes.” She blew out her next breath through pursed lips and admitted, “But I’m almost too nervous to ask.”
* * *
Ten different scenarios flitted through Gavin’s head, and every last one of them involved Hallie with her lips on part of his body.
Any part. He wasn’t picky.
As much lecturing as he’d given himself recently about why he shouldn’t seduce Hallie Banks—the messy family ties, her apparent distaste for him—he’d changed his mind since sitting beside her on this couch.
She’d been peeking from under her lashes at him, sending him nervous smiles. She’d touched his pocket square. Not typically a flirty move, but for Hallie it kind of was. She went out of her way to avoid him normally and here she was casually touching him and had a favor to ask?
Sign him up.
He couldn’t help hoping she was girding her loins to ask a favor of him of a sexual variety. Hell, he’d settle for the sensual variety. He wasn’t seeing anyone at the moment. Even if he was, he would have had to end it since his thoughts were consumed by the blonde sitting next to him.
“It’s more of a proposition,” Hallie went on.
Hell, yes. He set his mug down and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Okay. Hit me.”
When her pink tongue shot out to wet her bottom lip, he was pulled toward her as if by a tractor beam. Halfway between scooting closer and offering his mouth as tribute, she spoke...and said the opposite of what he’d been hoping she would say.
“You were right.” She reached over and shut her laptop. “When you said I work too much.”
He flinched. Not this again.
“I’m not interested in rehashing the argument. I’m wondering if you’d be willing to
teach me what you know about breaking rules.”
“Breaking...rules?” His first thought was that she was in some sort of legal trouble. That she’d gotten into a scrape with a big company with bigger lawyers. Or maybe she was considering a gray area lingering between legal and illegal activities and needed his advice about navigating it. “Hallie, if you’re asking me to represent you, we need to proceed very carefully. I can’t advise you to break the law, even if—”
“No! No, nothing like that.” She shook her head and a tendril of blond hair sneaked out and brushed the side of her mouth. She tucked it behind her ear and it sprang out again.
“Okay. Then what?” Without thinking, he smoothed the lock behind her ear again, watching as her mouth dropped open softly. She really was beautiful. And so different from Hannah. This close to her he couldn’t overlook their subtle differences. Each of Hallie’s features was far more appealing to him than her sister’s.
“Um.” She closed her eyes like she was rerouting her thoughts. A reaction to him touching her, he’d bet. “I want to have more fun in my personal life. I don’t go out much, unless the event is a write-off. And I guess... I’m having trouble knowing how.” Her cheeks pinked further.
He steadily held her gaze, granting her the time to finish her thought. He was intrigued as hell. Teaching Hallie Banks to break some rules wasn’t so much a favor for her as it was a gift for him.
“My whole life,” she started quietly, “I’ve watched Hannah take big risks. I want to try. And I figured, since you made having fun part of your credo—”
“I have a credo?”
“—you could teach me how.” She held up one finger. “Safely. I don’t want to skydive or climb a mountain. Or do anything that would risk my reputation with my new client.”
“You have a new client?” Color him impressed. She’d recently decided to expand her roster beyond her twin sister’s career, and she’d landed someone already.
“Martina Merriweather, Bernie’s daughter.” Her gaze flicked away when she said, “I met him at The Cheshire.”
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