by Ann Omasta
After deciding to jump in with both feet, I said, “I’ve never admitted this to anyone, but you have the right to know what kind of man you’re considering going home with.”
Avery shifted uncomfortably in her seat as if she feared I was getting ready to confess to murder. Deciding that would almost be easier to admit to her, I took a deep breath and said, “I can’t read.”
With my peripheral vision, I sensed her quiet study of my profile. It was obvious that this news had shocked her. I had anticipated that it would, but it still hurt to have her know how dumb I was. I didn’t dare look directly into her eyes because I couldn’t handle seeing the revulsion that must be there. What would a brilliant woman on the fast-track to becoming the best lawyer in town see in a grown man who couldn’t even read?
I slowed the truck and angled it to the shoulder of the road in preparation to turn around and take her to her parents’ house.
“How is that possible?” she asked, sounding as bewildered as I had imagined she would be.
After stopping the truck, I answered, “The letters swirl around in my brain when I try to make sense of them. I managed to skate my way through most of high school by bribing smart kids to help me and charming my teachers into passing me. When that started to catch up with me, I finally admitted that I was as stupid as my stepfather was always telling me and dropped out of school without graduating.”
Now that the truth was out there, I bowed my head, waiting for her to laugh or say how relieved she was that she hadn’t slept with an idiot.
“Oh, Gage. That must have been so difficult for you. I’m sorry you went through that.” Her words were filled with sincerity and kindness.
When she reached out to clasp my shoulder in her delicate hand, I turned and stared down at it. I had never imagined that anyone could learn about my inability to do such a basic thing and react with anything but ridicule. Her soft comfort and understanding made the frightened eight-year-old inside me feel like shedding a tear, but the tough, hardened-criminal I’d morphed into over the years wouldn’t allow it.
“You’ve obviously done just fine for yourself without the ability to read, but if you ever decide you’d like to learn, my friend Dean Waters is a teacher, and I’m sure he’d be happy to tutor you.”
“No!” I shook my head and added in too harsh of a tone, “You don’t get it. I’m too stupid to learn how to read. That’s why I could only listen to audiobooks from the prison library. I needed the narrator to read it for me.”
“You’re not stupid,” Avery said firmly. “My guess is that you have dyslexia that went without a diagnosis. It just means that you may need to learn a little differently and have a bit more patience with it. I’m confident that Dean would be able to help you figure it out, if you’d like. But if you don’t want to learn, that’s fine, too.”
“Dean would probably find it ridiculous that a grown man can’t do something little kids learn from an early age,” I guessed.
Avery shook her head. “Dean doesn’t have a judgmental bone in his body. He’s one of the kindest men I know, and he’s a wonderful, patient teacher.”
White-hot jealousy surged through my veins at the warm way she spoke of this other man. When I yanked the wheel and lurched the truck forward to turn around and head toward her parents’ house, Avery asked, “What are you doing?”
“Taking you home,” I answered briskly.
Avery’s chuckle was deep and sexy just before she said, “Oh, you’re not getting off the hook that easily. Take me to your place, so I can have my way with you.”
21
Avery
I barely recognized the daring, brazen woman who suggestively told Gage she wanted to have her way with him, but the urgency with which he drove toward his apartment made me think that she might just know what she was doing.
My nerves kicked into overdrive as he rounded the final bend before his apartment complex, but I refused to back down from the opportunity for a night of naked fun spent in Gage’s bed. The fact that he had tried to warn me away proved that my gut was right about him being a good guy at his core. I still wasn’t sure what he’d done to be sent to prison, but honestly, I didn’t think I cared––as long as it wasn’t too bad.
Without him, Scout wouldn’t be with his parents tonight. We still had a battle ahead of us to make that a permanent fix, but Gage was the one who’d led us to Angie’s hangout. He had saved the day. Heck, he’d saved the rest of our lives. Nothing would have felt right ever again, if Scout wasn’t with Grant and Molly.
The wheels crackled on the gravel parking lot as Gage pulled into an unmarked spot at the apartment complex and turned off the truck. We both remained motionless for a long moment, contemplating what we were about to do.
Unable to stand the thick tension any longer, I reached for my door handle and asked, “Shall we?”
Just then, a movement near the glass door of the multi-unit building caught our attention. A man, who had been sitting on the entrance steps, stood up. I squinted my eyes as recognition set in, despite the shadows darkening his face.
“I wonder what Noah is doing here,” Gage commented as he moved to get out of the truck.
I followed quickly behind Gage, curious about what the half-brothers would say to each other. As far as I knew, they tended to actively avoid each other.
Noah’s gaze traveled quickly between me and Gage. Anger twisted his features as he absorbed what he was seeing. His eyes widened with horror just before he accused Gage, “You told her, didn’t you?”
Gage held up a palm to stop his half-brother, but Noah was too furious to heed the warning. “How could you?!? You promised you would never tell anyone.”
The normally polished and professional veterinarian began pacing and running his hands through his short, gelled hair. Staring down at the ground, he mumbled to himself, “I should have known when she dumped me. I can’t believe I was coming here to apologize to you.”
“Noah, stop,” Gage growled in a warning tone.
Ignoring him, Noah whirled around and shot a manic glare in Gage’s direction before saying, “If this gets out, it will ruin me.”
“Listen to me,” Gage said firmly. “You need to stop talking.”
Noah lunged toward me. Grabbing one of my arms, he pleaded. “You have to promise not to tell anyone. Ever.”
“Take your hand off her. Now!” Gage seethed between clenched teeth. For the first time, I got a glimpse of how frightening the enormous man could be when protecting someone he cared about.
His vicious warning worked. Noah immediately released his grip on me.
My gaze traveled rapidly between the two of them as my brain frantically worked to figure out what this big secret was that Noah was convinced Gage had told me. When it finally hit me, I stumbled backward and gawked at the respected doctor.
“It was you,” I accused Noah, certain that I was right.
Both men remained frozen, while I continued to work it out aloud. “You committed a crime, then Gage covered for you and went to prison for it.”
Noah’s expression appeared utterly perplexed by my words. Finally, he asked Gage quietly, “You didn’t tell her?”
“No, but you just did,” Gage verified.
Noah’s eyes were wild with fear when he begged Gage, “Please don’t let her tell anyone. I would lose everything.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Gage promised him before adding, “Go home, Noah.”
The vet headed toward his shiny, black Mercedes. When he turned back with a questioning gaze, Gage promised, “I’ve got it.”
This reassurance seemed to convince the man because he got into his extravagant car and drove off.
I crossed my arms and openly glared up at Gage. Had he been referring to me as ‘it?’ And how was he planning to ‘take care’ of me? I’d be willing to bet it wasn’t going to be the way I wanted him to take care of me.
A more sensible woman probably would have been frightened, or at
least mildly concerned, when Gage tossed her over his shoulder and carried her toward his apartment. But I couldn’t manage any emotions other than pretend outrage and giddy anticipation as I squealed Gage’s name.
22
Avery
Scamp pounced at Gage’s feet as soon as he tried to carry me through his apartment’s door. He nearly fell in his efforts not to drop me or step on the playful kitten. Once he righted himself, he gently placed me on my feet and closed the door behind us.
“There’s my fierce, little protector,” I cooed as I scooped the tiny animal into my arms.
After batting at my necklace for a moment with his sharp little claws, the puffball squirmed for release. As soon as I put him down, he took off at a run as if his tail had been lit on fire.
Gage grinned down at the silly animal before he said, “I wish I had his energy, but he’ll tire out and be asleep within minutes.”
“He’s much cuter now that he’s clean. I had no idea he was gray,” I revealed.
After returning my wide smile, Gage’s expression turned serious before he said, “Please forget everything you just heard out there.”
“That’s not going to happen,” I told him honestly.
“Then promise me you won’t ever tell anyone what you know. Please?”
The desperation in his tone was heartbreaking. I longed to reach out to him, but I had some things I wanted to say first. “Haven’t you sacrificed enough for Noah? We could clear your name, and you could hold your head high in town. I don’t know what he did, but whatever it was, he is the one that should be punished for it, not you.”
“You don’t understand,” Gage said before turning and walking away from me.
I moved to sit on the threadbare brown sofa and said, “Then explain it to me.”
When I patted the cushion beside me, Gage came over and sat down. His long, strong body radiated heat, but I tried not to focus on that as he launched into their story.
“Noah’s dad, Jack, was an abusive bastard when he was drunk, which was most of the time. He rarely hit us boys––especially after we became big enough to hit back––but he liked to beat our mom. We always tried to defend her, but she would get mad at us if we went after him. The beatings kept getting worse and worse, but she wouldn’t let us stick up for her or turn him in. She always refused to press charges and forgave him when he offered a teary apology. It was a messed-up, lose-lose situation for all of us.”
It was obvious by Gage’s pained expression that this was incredibly difficult for him to talk about. I placed my palm on his shoulder, hoping to provide him at least a small amount of comfort. I couldn’t imagine growing up in that kind of heartbreaking situation.
“One day, I came home from my job at the motorcycle repair shop and found Mom unconscious on the floor. Jack had hit and kicked her to a bloody pulp. Noah was standing over his dead father with a baseball bat still clutched in his grip. He’d finally had enough of standing by while that asshole beat our mother, so he snapped and did something about it––something that I, as the older sibling, probably should have done a long time before that day.”
I chose my words carefully, not wanting to upset Gage any more than he already was. “It sounds like Jack got what he deserved. Noah should have told the police exactly what happened. They probably would have let him off easy.”
Gage shook his head. “No, he was already eighteen by that point. He would have been tried as an adult.”
“Well, you were, too, right?” I couldn’t see how Gage going to prison for something he didn’t do was any better than Noah being forced to face the consequences of his rash, but possibly justified, actions.
“Yes, I was in my early twenties at the time and had a rap sheet that included a few minor crimes. Those other offenses were probably why the judge decided to make an example out of me and send me to prison for so many years. He thought I was a bad seed that needed to be redeemed.”
This simply wasn’t adding up. “But you didn’t do it. Why did you cover for Noah like that?”
“Noah was a brilliant child. We knew from the time he was a few years old that he had a bright future ahead of him. I was nothing. I never did well in school and chances were that I would have ended up in prison at some point anyway. My life was going nowhere, while Noah was on the fast-track to success. I had nothing to lose, while he had everything going for him.”
Understanding dawned on me as I realized that Gage had taken to heart the vicious things his stepfather had said to him. When paired with his insecurities over his inability to read, he had considered his future already doomed. He’d sacrificed himself to give his half-brother the chance to shine.
“I understand if you want to go,” he said sadly before adding, “But please promise me that you won’t say anything to anyone about Noah’s involvement in my stepfather’s death. It won’t do anything now, except ruin his life, too. The price for that crime has already been paid.”
I wanted to shout that the price had been paid by the wrong person, but instead, I answered, “I won’t say anything, but only out of respect for your wishes––not his.”
My voice adopted a husky tone when I added, “And I’m not going anywhere.”
Surprise was etched into his features when he turned to look at me. “After all of the awful things I’ve shared with you tonight, I figured you’d run fast and far from me without ever looking back.”
“Just the opposite, actually,” I said sincerely. At his questioning gaze, I added, “I’ve never been more attracted to anyone in my entire life.”
23
Gage
I almost couldn’t believe my eyes or my ears. They must have been playing tricks on me. I blinked rapidly, but Avery was still here with her steady gaze locked onto mine and making promises of staying by my side.
Needing further verification, I said, “But I’ve told you so many shameful secrets. How are you still here?”
“Because you’re the bravest, strongest, and most loyal man I’ve ever met,” she answered, sounding perfectly sincere.
Backing up her words, she leaned forward and lightly brushed her lips against mine.
My mouth fell open both in surprise and delight over the magnificent tingling sensation of having this wonderful woman kiss me. I’d pictured this moment so many times, but even in my wildest dreams, I’d never imagined that she might willingly be here with me after learning the terrible truth.
Although I didn’t fully understand her easy acceptance, I wasn’t going to question my good fortune. Lifting a hand, I cupped her cheek and deepened the kiss. When she moaned into my mouth, I became lightheaded from the rush of blood to my lap.
It had been a long time since I’d been intimate with anyone, but this was too important to rush. I wanted to savor every kiss, touch, and tender moment with Avery.
As she pressed kisses along my cheek just above my beard, I said, “You’re so beautiful inside and out.”
She graced me with a sexy laugh before murmuring, “I was just thinking that about you.”
It was my turn to laugh then. “Hardly.”
Avery tipped back to look deep into my eyes. Her voice sounded completely sincere when she said, “You are impossibly sexy, handsome, and built, plus you have a generous and gentle soul.”
“I’ve never been accused of any of that before,” I told her, unable to hide the broad smile that arose from her kind words.
“Then, evidently, no one has taken a good look at you, or they would see what I see––the greatest man I’ve ever known, except perhaps my Dad.”
My eyebrows drew together. “Don’t you have a brother?”
“Yeah.” She tapped her chin as if giving it some serious thought. “Alex is okay, but he’s no Gage Tavish.”
I couldn’t stop the deep bellow of laughter, and I didn’t want to. When I moved to kiss the soft column of her neck, I made sure my whiskers only brushed lightly against her skin as I whispered the words, “You’re absolute
ly delightful, Avery Biggs.”
“Mm,” an appreciative noise emerged from her throat.
“Do my whiskers hurt?” I asked, concerned that I might leave her delicate skin raw and red.
“No, I like it,” she assured me.
Her words surprised me yet again. I leaned back to look down at her. “Really? I was thinking about shaving it off, but I won’t, if you want me to keep it.”
She ran the back of her index finger along my whiskers before saying, “One of these days, I would like to see what you look like under all of this hair. Surprise me with it.”
I nodded my agreement before brushing my thumb over her lower lip. “You know what I think?”
“What?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“I think that lips are made for kissing––especially when you finally find the right lips.”
With that, our talking stopped for the night as we explored, caressed, kissed, licked, and loved each other’s bodies. For the first time in my life, I discovered how wonderfully different sex could be when it was with the right woman. We experienced the pure joy that comes with fully connecting mind, body, and spirit with another human by making love.
24
Avery
Gage’s passionate lovemaking had me feeling things I’d never experienced before and screaming so loud in the throes of pleasure that I was quite certain I never wanted to meet his neighbors. I hoped this rundown apartment building had exceptionally thick walls, but doubted that was the case. They were probably paper-thin, which meant his next-door neighbors knew that I cussed like a madwoman when I came.
The first rays of sunshine were slashing across the floor when we began to stir. The sheets were tangled around us, and I was sprawled across the huge man and his bed as if I owned both.