She didn’t deny it, but she did laugh. “You’re one to talk, Mr. Music Lawyer. I can’t make out half the words in the contracts I’m handed.”
“That’s purposeful. Lawyers make a lot of money translating for you layfolk.” He was only half kidding. Most contracts were purposefully confusing. It just so happened he liked legal speak. He was good at it. When he realized not many people were, he saw an opening to make a damn good living.
“Well, I’ve always found you very impressive.”
He sat a little taller. It wasn’t like Hallie to compliment him, and maybe he needed the reminder more than he would’ve thought. Sometimes he felt lost in the sea of his brothers, with Luke manning the hottest nightspots in town, Cash being a world-renowned country music superstar and Will running a legendary recording studio in Beaumont Bay. And they weren’t succeeding only professionally. Each of his brothers had landed a smart, funny, gorgeous woman and would soon start their own families. Their lots in life weren’t anything Gavin had aspired to before, but he couldn’t help feeling as if he was behind in a race he’d never entered.
He could totally relate to Hallie feeling as if she wasn’t reaching the high bar Hannah had set.
“What took you so long to sign more clients?” he asked.
“Not all of us can be overachievers,” she said, her assessment of him nearly the opposite of the one he’d just made about himself. “I wanted to make sure I wasn’t shorting Hannah before I took on someone else. Taking care of clients is like taking care of children, I imagine. I don’t want one of them to get less attention than the other.”
Like Hallie had with Hannah? He was newly regretting mistaking her for her twin.
“That night at The Cheshire,” he started.
“I should have corrected you.”
“Yeah, but I was the one who jumped to the conclusion you were Hannah based on the color of your dress.” But now that she’d mentioned it... “Why didn’t you correct me?”
“I didn’t want to embarrass you.” She flexed her hands, resting at the ten o’clock and two o’clock positions on the steering wheel.
“You didn’t want to embarrass me,” he repeated, not buying the excuse.
“I was on my way out anyway. I didn’t know you were going to launch into a tirade about me.”
He dropped his head back on the seat rest. “It wasn’t a tirade.”
“I know. In hindsight, I needed to hear it. Presley agreed with you and told me I should consider loosening up. You’re both right. I don’t let myself have fun.”
“Which is why you’re here with me today,” he said, happy to change the subject. He’d rather not revisit the moment he’d been insulting at worst, insensitive at best. They approached the very definition of a back road, its edges lined with tall grass beneath an overhang of orange-and-yellow-leaved trees. “Turn right.”
She stepped on the brakes and sent a wary glance down the dirt and gravel lane. “Here?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Here.”
He must’ve said it with enough authority to convince her. She eased off the clutch and turned right. It was a nice fall day in Beaumont Bay, no rain or wind. Far off the beaten path, with little danger of oncoming cars, this was basically an abandoned road. The house sitting off to the side near the end had long ago fallen to the ground.
“On these country roads, the speed limit is fifty. Common knowledge states you’re safe from getting a ticket if you drive five over the speed limit, but as the saying goes, nine you’re mine.”
“So you would like me to go fifty-eight?”
“No. I would like you to go eighty-eight.”
She smiled a pretty smile. For a second, he thought she might argue, but then she rolled her shoulders and palmed the gearshift. “Hold on to your butt.”
She gunned the engine, accelerating until the passing landscape became a blur. The speedometer hovered at around fifty-five miles per hour. But by the gleeful look on Hallie’s face, she might as well have been driving at warp speed. She let out a “woo-hoo!” followed by an effervescent laugh. Gavin couldn’t help a low chuckle of his own.
She took the next curve well, pressing the gas pedal instead of the brake and sending dust into a cloud behind them. He checked the speedometer again. Fifty-seven. Not bad for her first attempt at rule breaking.
At the end of the lane, where brush was overgrown at a dead end, she eased to a stop. Her eyes were wild, her energy contagious. “That was fun.”
“Told you.” Racing along a dirt road behind the wheel of a $100,000 car he didn’t own was fun, but not half as fun as watching Hallie enjoy herself.
He opened his mouth to ask if she’d like to drive back to the dealership or test her speeding skills on another road when she palmed his cheeks and kissed him.
He was so startled by the move, he barely had time to register the soft press of her lips, the gentle hum at the back of her throat. A second before his eyes would have sank closed, her pillowy mouth left his. Way, way too soon.
She pulled back and blinked big hazel eyes at him, her slender fingers still touching his face. He was struck stupid by her boldness. Days ago, she couldn’t look at him and here she was kissing him. He only wished he’d have been more present during those few sluggish seconds where her lips had clung to his. He’d felt her kiss all the way down to the soles of his feet.
If a tepid challenge earned him a kiss, how much more would she do to him if she did something truly dangerous?
“Um. I guess that was my way of saying thank you.” She pulled her hands from his cheeks and gave him a shaky smile.
“Any time you want to thank me like that, Hals, don’t hesitate.” He leaned in for another taste, but she’d already unbuckled her seat belt and was scrambling from the car.
Damn. He knew it was best to let her go at her own pace, but her pace was notably slower than his own. He was willing, though, especially if she continued to push her own boundaries. He shoved his hand into his hair and followed her, reasoning he could use some fresh air, too.
“Who owns this land?” she asked, shielding her eyes from the bright autumn sunshine.
“Mags Dumond, who else?”
“I wonder why she hasn’t done anything with it. It seems like a good area to build a rambling ranch house with stables behind it.”
“Maybe the land belonged to an ex-lover or a woman she didn’t get along with in high school. It’d be like Mags not to rebuild out of spite.”
The breeze kicked Hallie’s hair around her head and Gav crammed his hands in his pockets. He wanted to touch her, but he had a feeling if he did, he’d grab her up and kiss her, this time not coming up for air for several minutes. And if he did that, he wasn’t entirely sure she wouldn’t drive off and leave him here.
She faced him, her expression contemplative. “Do you think Mags is all bad?”
“Well, she did frame Cash for a DUI because he refused to sign with Cheating Hearts.” He supposed it was possible Mags hid a good heart beneath her scaly hide. Unlikely, but possible. “She seems to delight in the downfall of others.”
“Those are usually the saddest people.” Hallie pinned him with a soft golden gaze and again, he could think of nothing but kissing her, wrapping his palms around her hips and pulling her flush to his body. Then he’d slide his tongue past her lips and drink his fill.
“Hals—”
“We should take the car back.” She took a deliberate step away from him, and left him standing there while she shut herself into the passenger side.
He shook his head, the wind ruffling his hair.
“You win this round, Hallie Banks,” he mumbled to himself as he opened the driver’s-side door.
Next time, all bets were off.
Eight
Hallie parked her sensible used car in the driveway of Cash’s mansion. Presley
’s freshly washed Jeep was on proud display and sparkling in the sunshine, a bucket of soapy water and a hose sitting in a puddle next to it.
Presley had invited Hallie and Cassandra over for pizza and a movie since Cash was going out with Luke and Gavin tonight. Judging by the lack of cars in the driveway, Hallie must’ve arrived first. No sooner had the thought occurred than a black truck pulled in behind her. Luke had one hand on the wheel and the other on Cassandra’s neck. He leaned in and kissed her, and Hallie spun around to give them privacy, turning only when she heard a truck door open and close.
The other woman was cradling two bottles of wine, a stylish bag slung over one shoulder. She was beautiful on any day but looked particularly attractive today with her dark hair pinned back and wearing a ruffly coral-colored dress. Hallie glanced down at her own jeans and black top and instantly felt underdressed.
Until Cassandra said, “I love a scoop neck on you.” She pulled Hallie into a quick hug and handed her one of the wine bottles.
“I love your dress,” Hallie returned.
“Thanks! It was just something I threw on.” On top of being beautiful, put together and humble, Cassandra was an amazingly talented event planner. She’d pulled off Hannah and Will’s wedding without a hitch. Or maybe with a hitch was the right phrase. Hannah was now officially a Sutherland, though she retained the Banks name for celebrity reasons.
Cassandra blew an air-kiss to her fiancé. Luke waved, a smile on his scruffy face as he pulled out of the driveway, presumably to go meet his brothers.
Hallie raised her hand to knock, but Cassandra twisted the doorknob. “No need to be formal, she is expecting us.”
In the foyer of Cash’s, and now Presley’s, immaculate home, Hallie released a deep breath. It had been a long, strange week. She was ready to relax.
“We are here and we are ready to party!” Cassandra belted out.
Presley was standing in front of the kitchen island—dressed in jeans, thank goodness. She rushed to take the wine bottles. “Perfect! I didn’t mean to take the wine before I hug you, but I need a glass after the week I’ve had.”
“Ditto,” Hallie agreed.
After wine was poured and hugs were given, they moved to the living room and lounged on the leather couches flanking a tall, stone fireplace. In late autumn, temperatures often dipped into the fifties or cooler, so there was a good chance they would build a fire tonight.
Midway through her first glass of wine, Presley launched into a story about work. As a journalist for Viral Pop, she knew all the entertainment gossip. Just this past summer, her article about Cash had not only landed her a decent raise, but also allowed her to work anywhere in the world. Handy, given she would accompany Cash wherever he toured.
“So anyway,” Pres continued, pouring another splash of wine into her glass. “They loved my idea but only after I reminded them that my last article was mentioned by at least three different late-show hosts.” Everyone raised their glasses in congratulations. She waved a hand. “Enough about me. How have your weeks gone?”
“I have a wedding coming up next month, and even though the bride is picky beyond belief, I’ve enjoyed planning it. I like a challenge.”
“Honey, Luke is proof you love a challenge.” Presley tapped her wineglass with Cassandra’s and they both laughed.
“What about you, Hallie? Anything new?” Cassandra asked.
Hallie opened her mouth to answer, but Presley beat her to it.
“Oh, nothing is new with Hallie at all. Except she asked Gavin to help her loosen up and have some fun. Her first rule-breaking excursion happened after I pretended I couldn’t drive her home and sent her off with him instead.” She batted her eyelashes at Hallie. “Sorry, not sorry. And, by the way, you never told me what happened.”
Cassandra turned her full attention to Hallie, as well. “I, too, am interested in finding out what happened.”
“We went to a dealership to trade in his truck, and then we test-drove a car. That was it.” Hallie drank some wine, praying no one would pry. A pipe dream in this group.
“That is not all.” Pres narrowed her eyes. Which meant she knew something. But what? It was hard to say. She lived with Cash, and Cash and Gavin hung out often. Hallie supposed Gavin could have mentioned their off-roading excursion. But would he have mentioned the spontaneous kiss she’d planted on him?
“He asked me to drive this really expensive sports car,” Hallie admitted.
Presley and Cassandra grinned at each other and then spoke in tandem. “And?”
“And... He said my first rule to break was to drive over the speed limit. It wasn’t a big deal,” she said with a nervous laugh. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention, even in a crowd of two. She’d admit it was slightly thrilling to have her friends hanging on her every word. “I drove maybe seven or eight miles an hour over.”
“Oh. That’s...good.” Cassandra’s smile was almost disappointed.
Well, far be it from Hallie to let down her girls. They wanted something juicier? She had just the thing.
“I stopped the car at the end of a dirt road and then...” she started, pleased when Cassandra and Presley both leaned forward in their seats. “I grabbed his face and...sort of kissed him?”
“You kissed him!” Presley exclaimed. “Way to bury the lede!”
“What kind of a kiss was it?” Cassandra curled her wineglass against her chest.
“Oh, you know.” Hallie hesitated, searching her head for the right words. “A basic kiss.”
“What is a basic kiss?” Presley asked after exchanging glances with Cassandra.
“Well, it was like...” She demonstrated by laying a smacking kiss on the back of her hand and making a “mwah” sound.
“I’m excited there was a kiss at all.” Presley insisted. “How did he react?”
“I don’t know. I burst out of the car and ran away. I mean, I didn’t run away exactly, I just got out to look at that old abandoned house at the end of Magnolia Lane.”
“That place creeps me out. Cash and I drove back there once to...” Presley blushed prettily and then twirled a lock of her red hair around one finger. “Well. It doesn’t matter why we were back there.”
“Speak for yourself.” Cassandra waggled her eyebrows and Presley giggled.
Hallie, who had only recently broken her first rule, and not a very interesting one, realized her adventure paled in comparison with the ones her friends had experienced. She was beginning to believe she hadn’t done anything remotely interesting in her life, which was beyond disappointing.
Did Gavin find her as uninteresting as she felt?
“Let’s choose a movie,” Cassandra suggested.
“Rom-com?” Presley reached for the remote. “I would love to see the new one about the marriage of convenience between the big, fancy hotel chain owner in Chicago and a woman who owns a boutique hotel down the road.”
“Me, too. That actor is hot,” Cassandra agreed.
Hallie smiled wanly, feeling left out, and not only because she didn’t know what movie they were talking about. She was the only single woman in this room, and the highlight of her week—hell, the highlight of her whole year—had been the moment she placed a tepid kiss on the center of Gavin’s perfect mouth.
Except she couldn’t exactly chastise herself for it. The second her lips touched his, she could have melted into him and not come up for air for a good long while. The stubble around his firm lips had tickled hers, and the look in his eyes when she backed away was worth its weight in gold. He’d been surprised, and if she hadn’t been mistaken, he’d enjoyed it. Maybe not as much as she had, but close.
As Presley thumbed through the digital menu on the large flat-screen TV hanging over the fireplace, Cassandra microwaved some popcorn. Once the movie started, Hallie curled her leg beneath her and smiled to herself.
She might’ve downplayed the kiss to her friends, but it’d been much hotter than she’d let on.
Maybe she’d dare herself to do it again the next time she saw him...
* * *
At The Cheshire bar atop the Beaumont Hotel, Cash palmed his glass of bourbon and shook his head. “She kissed you to say thanks?”
Gavin lifted his own glass and tilted his head. “Well, that’s what she said, but I don’t think that’s why she kissed me.”
“Why else would Hallie Banks kiss you?” Luke chimed in.
Cash laughed.
Insulted, Gavin took a sip of his own drink. “Thanks a lot.”
They were in one of the private VIP rooms that offered a spectacular view of downtown Beaumont Bay. Luke often reserved one of the suites whenever they hung out together.
“She’s not the most outgoing woman we know,” Cash said. “You have to admit her kissing you is damn shocking.”
Gavin could admit it was shocking, but what he wouldn’t admit to his boneheaded brothers was that it was amazing. It was a peck of a kiss that shouldn’t have ignited him, and yet...
“So what’s next?” Luke asked.
“Whatever she wants. I am merely a humble teacher.” He splayed his hands on his chest and tried to look innocent. It worked in court sometimes, but never on his brothers. They knew him too well.
“You’re not a humble anything,” Cash said. “She’s not going to be as easy to woo as the women you’re used to dating.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Gavin snapped, before realizing he really wanted to know.
“I’m not insulting the women you date, more your method,” Cash answered. “The second they present a challenge, you pull away.”
“That’s not true.” But Gavin frowned. Because it felt true.
“You do what comes easy. It’s not an insult. It’s an observation.” Cash shrugged.
“Don’t we all do what’s easy?” Gavin asked, hoping the question was rhetorical. It wasn’t.
“Have you met our fiancées?” Luke deadpanned.
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