“Have you seen him there recently?”
Courtney swallowed her mouthful of lemonade and set the glass down. “Last Friday. It was Meg’s turn again to host book club.”
“He must have a doppelganger running around. Gavin was in Mississippi last week on business.” At least she hoped so, because if not Gavin had lied to her. While friends didn’t have to tell each other everything, she saw no good reason for him to lie about his whereabouts last week or any other time.
Unless he has something to hide.
She watched Trent high-five Gavin after he spiked the ball over the net and Jake failed to return it. After the kisses they’d shared today, she’d never see him as just a friend again. Before she got in any deeper and risked getting burned a third time, she needed to know she could trust him. Confronting him would be awkward, but what other choice did she have?
***
The first volley of fireworks exploded, filling the night sky with color. Every Fourth of July, Leah looked forward to the dazzling show. Until her conversation with Courtney, today hadn’t been any different, but since their chat on the beach her mood had deteriorated. Rather than enjoy the party and time with her family, she spent the afternoon considering the best way to question Gavin when they finally got a moment alone. She didn’t want to accuse him of anything when it was possible the person Courtney saw wasn’t even him. Unfortunately, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling the man her cousin had seen was Gavin. And as much as she cared about him, she wasn’t going to be the other woman for him or anyone else.
Gavin’s hand closed around hers, jolting her from thoughts of the conversation they needed to have. “I never told anyone this, but when I was a kid fireworks petrified me.”
“They are loud. You wouldn’t be the first child to be afraid of them,” she said.
He moved closer on the blanket they were sharing. “It wasn’t the sound. I was afraid the sparks would fall around me and set everything on fire.” Gavin raised her hand toward his lips. “Stupid, I know, but at the time it seemed possible.” His breath washed over her skin as he spoke, and then he kissed her knuckles.
With everyone watching the display in the sky, they could leave and no one would notice. As much as she loved fireworks, she needed to get to the bottom of this mystery so she could hopefully go back to enjoying her time with Gavin.
“Not stupid at all.” Leah turned her gaze from the sky toward him. “Do you mind coming inside with me?”
“No, but you want to go now? The fireworks just started.” His voice reflected his surprise. Considering the beautiful display overhead, she understood, but she could no longer wait to get this cleared up.
Leah pulled her hand away and came to her feet. “If we go now, no one will bother us.” She slipped her sandals back on and waited.
Gavin didn’t argue. Standing, he reached for her hand again. “Lead the way.”
She didn’t expect anyone to come inside anytime soon, but regardless, she brought Gavin through the house and to the small living room. Unlike the larger, more formal one her parents used when entertaining, this room was only used by family members. After switching on the lights, she closed the door just in case someone wandered down the hall and got nosy.
Leah leaned against the door. “You’re probably going to think I’ve lost it,” she said as he started toward her. Getting right to the point seemed the best strategy. “But Courtney said she saw you last weekend when she was visiting a friend. Were you in Providence, or do you have a doppelgänger running around?”
He’d planned on telling her about Erin soon, but not tonight. Unfortunately, he had no other choice now. Sure, he could tell Leah the man her cousin had seen wasn’t him, but that would mean lying to her. Lies, no matter how big or small, had a way of coming back to haunt you.
“Actually, Courtney said she’s seen you or your identical twin going into an apartment at the Mayfair other times too,” Leah continued, not giving him a chance to answer.
“I was there, but I didn’t see Courtney.” He reached for Leah’s hand, but she jerked it away before he could take it. Clasping her hands behind her back, she moved away from the door and him. The gesture hurt more than a slap to the face.
“Why did you tell me you were in Jackson if you were in Providence? I’m not your keeper. You can go anywhere you want.”
She was trying to act as if she didn’t care, but he heard the truth in her voice. And he wished he’d told her about his regular trips to Providence long before tonight. “I was in Jackson for a week. When I finished up there, I flew to Rhode Island and spent two nights in Providence. I got back to New York late Sunday night, like I told you.”
Hoping she’d join him, Gavin moved to the sofa and sat. “I know what you’re thinking, Leah, and you’re wrong.”
“Oh really? And just what am I thinking?” she asked, glaring at him.
Wrong choice of words. Until this moment, the only time he’d seen her mad was the day she caught Harry with another woman.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. If you’ll give me a chance, I can explain why your cousin has seen me at the Mayfair.”
Leah sat at the other end of the sofa, as far away from him as she could get and still be on the same piece of furniture. “I’m listening.”
“My daughter lives in Providence with her mom. I have an—”
She waved her hands in the air, her eyes the size of dessert plates. “Whoa, wait a minute. Daughter? You have a daughter? Since when?”
Shock beat anger in his book. He only hoped the anger didn’t return when the shock wore off. “Erin’s nine. She’ll be ten in the fall. Her mom and I met in graduate school, but it didn’t work out. Our relationship ended not long after Erin was born. Two years ago, Amber accepted a position in Rhode Island, and they moved there.”
Leah rubbed both hands down her face. “Sorry, I’m trying to digest all this.” Standing, she took a few steps away from the sofa before stopping and shaking her head. Then she turned and faced him again. “You have a daughter and that’s who you were visiting when Courtney saw you.”
He nodded, wishing he’d told Leah about Erin long before tonight. “If it was on Friday, I was picking Erin up. I have a place in Providence so I don’t waste the time we have together driving back and forth to New York. During the summer and over school vacations when our visits are longer, she comes and stays with me in Manhattan.”
“And Amber, your ex-girlfriend, called this morning to tell you she got engaged.”
Time to come clean about that too. “Actually, it was Erin who called to tell me. She’s down in Florida with Amber and Todd, Amber’s boyfriend. She was really excited about getting to be in a wedding and couldn’t wait to tell me.”
“We’ve been spending time together for three months, Gavin. Even when I was dating Harry, we hung out together. Why didn’t you ever tell me you have a daughter?” Leah asked, sounding both hurt and disappointed but at least not angry.
He understood her experiencing both emotions. Even anger he would understand. “I was a little younger than Erin when Dad met his third wife. Joy formed a relationship with us so Dad would propose. Once she got what she wanted, she didn’t want anything else to do with us. Vivian especially was crushed. I never want Erin to be in a similar situation, so I don’t tell anyone about her until I know them well,” he admitted, and although she might push him away, Gavin walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “And I figured avoiding the topic of my family in general was the best way to keep from reminding you Harry and I are related. We share some of the same DNA, but we’re nothing alike. I didn’t want you to think I was anything like him or our father.” He hadn’t told her anything about his dad, but his father’s infidelity during his first three marriages was well known.
Some of the tension in Leah’s shoulder disappeared, but she kept her hands down by her sides. “I figured out you two are complete opposites when Harry and I were dating, Gavin.
A person couldn’t spend time with the two of you and not realize it.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment,” he joked, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. Leah cracked a smile. “And I planned to tell you about my daughter soon. When Erin gets back, she’s going to spend time with me in New York. I want you to meet her.”
“Does she have you wrapped around her little finger the same way Reese has my brother?”
She hadn’t agreed to meet Erin or to even spend any more time with him. Still, he took the fact Leah hadn’t walked away or asked him to leave as a good sign. Pulling her in closer, he pretended to consider her question.
“Worse.”
“Worse? This I’ve got to see,” she replied, slipping her arms over his shoulders and clasping her hands behind his neck. “When will she be with you?”
“The end of the month.”
“I look forward to getting to know her.”
He wanted to tell her how pleased her comment made him. She didn’t give him a chance. Before his brain could finish getting the thought to his mouth, she touched her lips to his, sending a jolt of joy straight to his heart.
Sounds in the hallway caught his attention, and although his body was telling him to not let go of her, his mind suggested he end their kiss before someone came inside. It was a difficult decision, but in the end his brain won out.
After pulling away, he brushed one final kiss across Leah’s forehead and watched her eyes slowly open. “Sounds like the fireworks are over.”
“Yeah, people will be leaving soon.” She reached up and brushed her fingers against his cheek.
“And I should too. I still need to check in at my hotel.” When he’d booked the room, he mentioned he’d be arriving on the late side. “What time should I come back in the morning?”
“Whenever. Curt’s not expecting us until around noon, so whatever works best for you.”
What worked best for him was taking her back to his hotel room tonight and waking up with her in the morning. Telling her that was out of the question. “How does ten sound?”
“Perfect,” she answered, right before the door opened and Curt poked his head inside the room.
“Sorry for interrupting.” Curt’s expression suggested he was anything but sorry. “I’ve been looking for both of you. Reese wants to say goodbye before we leave.”
Curt pushed the door open wider and Reese entered. At some point she’d changed into pajamas, and she was holding a stuffed tiger. Despite the late hour and the busy day she’d had, the girl didn’t look tired at all. When Erin had a day as full of activity as Reese’s had been, she looked the same way when the fun came to an end. Then she’d insist she wasn’t tired—at least until she finally sat down long enough and then sleep usually took over. Gavin had a feeling the same would happen once Reese was sitting inside Curt’s car.
Reese said goodnight to them both before dashing back out the door in search of Leah’s parents.
“See you both tomorrow,” Curt said before walking away and leaving the door wide open.
“A little protective?” he asked, even though the answer was already crystal clear to him.
Since Vivian and he were the same age, he didn’t act the protective brother often. Yes, he gave her his opinion about the guys she got involved with, but it rarely went much further than that. With his younger sister, Piper, it’d be a different story. When the time came for her to start dating, a concept that already set his nerves on edge, he’d be acting much more like Leah’s brother. Probably even worse, considering the age gap between him and Piper. Forget about it when Erin was old enough to date. Already he was considering locking her up in a tower like a princess from one of her favorite fairy tales when the time came.
Leah rolled her eyes. “Sometimes, but for some crazy reason I still love him. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he behaves tomorrow.”
He wasn’t worried about her brother or anyone else in her family. Gavin was worried that after she had some time to think about it, she’d reconsider her apparent willingness to forgive him for keeping Erin a secret all this time.
“Promise?” Even though the door remained open, he couldn’t keep from brushing a kiss across her lips.
“Absolutely.”
Bits and pieces of conversations drifted into the room as people passed the door. Before another family member or guest interrupted them, he took a step away from her.
He didn’t ask her to, but Leah walked him outside. Despite other guests being around, he couldn’t resist giving her one last kiss before getting in his car and driving away.
With several projects still needing his attention, he’d brought along his laptop this morning. After checking into his room at the Sherbrooke Hotel on America’s Cup Avenue, he ordered a pot of coffee and an order of loaded nachos from room service before getting down to work. Countless times, both Leah and his sister had referred to him as a workaholic. Although he never thought of himself that way, he couldn’t deny much of his time was spent working. If he hoped to have a relationship with Leah, he needed to find a way to get the same amount accomplished and still have time for her, which meant he saw a lot of sleepless nights in his future. In his opinion, having Leah in his life was worth much more than some missed sleep.
Chapter Five
Leah watched the waves crashing against the beach. She’d been up for well over two hours, but rather than get dressed and search out any family members who might be downstairs, she slipped on a bathrobe and stepped onto the balcony. Although the beach remained empty, she could picture Gavin sitting on the sand as they helped Reese build her mega sandcastle. The thing really had been enormous by the time they finished it. And not once while they worked had Gavin showed an ounce of annoyance as the little girl chatted away. Boy, did she chat too.
As the memories of Gavin and Reese interacting played through her thoughts, Leah realized she hadn’t asked him if he had any pictures of his daughter. None of her friends had children, but several of her cousins did. They all had numerous photos of their children stored on their cell phones. Most likely Gavin did too, and she was more than a little curious about what Erin looked like. Did she have Gavin’s dark eyes and hair or did she take after his ex-girlfriend? At the thought of Amber, a slight wave of jealousy passed through her. Intellectually she knew it was unwarranted. They’d not only broken up years ago, but Amber lived almost two hundred miles away from Gavin and was engaged to another man. Still, the idea of Gavin having a child with some faceless woman annoyed her. She wondered if her cousin’s girlfriend, Paige, ever experienced similar emotions. While it was clear to anyone with eyes that Scott was head over heels in love with Paige, he did have an eleven-month-old son from a previous relationship. If it did bother Paige, she never showed it. Whenever Leah saw her with Scott’s son, Paige treated Cooper like he was her own child.
He’s a dad. For the umpteenth time the words went through her head as she stepped back inside her bedroom.
“Gavin has a nine-year-old daughter.”
Never in a million years would she have guessed. While it didn’t change her feelings for Gavin or her desire to see where things between them went, the fact he’d kept the truth from her despite all the time they’d spent together stung.
“His reasons make some sense,” she said to her reflection in the mirror as she pulled shorts and a top from a drawer. There was a lot about her private life that she only shared after she knew a person well. Not to mention, if she had a brother and a father with reputations similar to Harry’s and Mr. Kincaid’s, she wouldn’t want to talk about her family either and have people believe she was anything like them—especially a man she was interested in dating.
She carried the clean clothes into her private bathroom and turned on the shower. Leah knew the truth now, so there was no point in dwelling on the fact he’d waited months to tell her. Nope, instead she’d enjoy the day with him as well as her brother, his girlfriend, and Reese. Maybe in the process she’d get to th
e bottom of how Curt and Reese had become so close in a rather short period of time. She could see it happening if Reese was Taylor’s daughter, but she wasn’t. So there had to be a story there.
Then later today when they were alone, she fully expected to be on the receiving end of Gavin’s kisses. She’d gone on her first date at fifteen, so she’d kissed her share of men, however never had a kiss hit her the way his did. She’d read in novels that a character got weak in the knees during a kiss and until last night she’d thought it was a silly description authors used. Thanks to Gavin, she knew the expression existed for a reason.
If he’s that good at kissing, how is he at other things?
She’d never been one to lounge around and fantasize about sex, but the image of them together in her bed sprang to life as she stepped under the hot water.
Hold your horses. We kissed a few times. That’s a long way from making love.
Squeezing her eyes shut, Leah forced the oh-so-delightful picture from her mind and lathered the soap between her hands. She didn’t care if it had been almost ten months since she had sex. Before she let him in her bed or jumped into his for that matter, she needed things to grow between them. Only once had she slept with a guy less than a week after getting into a relationship with him. About four months in to their relationship, she’d learned Benedict, her boyfriend before Harry, was seeing another woman. A woman he married about a month after Leah dumped him and then divorced less than a year later. And she hadn’t slept with anyone including Harry since.
This time around she planned to take it slow, because while she knew Gavin far better than she’d known either of her last two boyfriends, there was still a lot she didn’t know, like whether he preferred his eggs scrambled or over easy or if he’d played any sports in high school. There was a lot he didn’t know about her too. This afternoon she’d work to rectify both.
***
When Leah finally made her way downstairs, she found her cousin, his wife, and their son enjoying a late breakfast on the deck. Normally when Jake and his family visited Newport, they stayed at Cliff House, his father’s home. With the home’s interior being painted, they’d opted to stay with Leah’s parents instead this weekend.
The Billionaire's Heart Page 6