When he cooked, he preferred to work alone, especially if the person didn’t have much of a clue in the kitchen, which Leah had already admitted she didn’t. The only exception was Erin, but when they cooked together, the meals were far less elaborate.
Leaning over the counter between them, he kissed her. The awkward position kept him from lingering too long. Considering he wanted to enjoy dinner sometime this century, it was for the best. “All set, but I’d love your company.”
“It’s probably a better idea if I stay on this side of the kitchen anyway. You’ve got a lot of ingredients out; what are you making?”
Since she often ordered beef when they ate out, he assumed it ranked among her favorite type of meal. With this in mind, he’d focused mainly on beef dishes he excelled at before settling on the beef tips. “Steak tips with grilled portobello mushrooms in a brandy peppercorn cream sauce, along with au gratin potatoes and a salad.”
She blinked several times. “Wow, you weren’t joking when you said you knew how to cook.” She sounded impressed. “That sounds like something Gray’s wife would make.”
Gavin would accept such a compliment any day, because he knew the woman Leah referred to was a professional chef at one of Rhode Island’s best French restaurants—a restaurant he frequently visited when he was in Providence.
“Wait until you taste what I’ve got planned for dessert.” Ice cream or no ice cream at the park, he planned to make his grandmother’s signature dessert for Leah tonight.
In an effort to save time, he’d done some prep work this morning before eking out some time in his office. And before hitting the sack last night, he’d toasted the oats for the dessert and left them soaking in whiskey so they’d be ready. Unfortunately, some parts of the meal he couldn’t start early. So while he prepared the cream sauce and then moved on from there, Leah filled him in on her visit with her cousin the previous evening.
“He’s going to ask Paige to marry him soon,” she said, stealing a cucumber slice off the cutting board.
Gavin grabbed a slice for himself before checking on the steak tips. “Your cousin told you that?” If and when he proposed, he wouldn’t announce it to anyone beforehand—not even to his twin sister, and he told Vivian a lot.
She shook her head and reached for another cucumber. “Scott refused to answer me when I asked. But when I watch them together, I can just tell. They’re perfect for each other, and they’ve been living together for a while.”
At one time, he’d thought Amber was the one for him. They’d even shared an apartment for almost a year, but eventually the things they wanted in life came between them. Except for the information Leah had shared, he didn’t know anything about her cousin’s relationship. But he did know that until the guy bought a ring and proposed, anything could happen.
Rather than share his sentiments, he said, “Scott has a son, doesn’t he?”
“Cooper turned—”
The sound of an old-fashioned telephone ringing cut Leah off.
“Can you see who the caller is?” He’d left the cell phone on the counter across the kitchen, and he didn’t want to stop working unless necessary.
Vivian had left a message earlier in the week, wanting to know how things had gone over Fourth of July weekend. He’d never gotten around to calling her back. With Leah sitting across from him, he wasn’t going to answer any of her questions now either. So if it was his twin, she could leave another message, and he’d call her when he got a chance. Harry didn’t call often, but he occasionally reached out on the weekends. Gavin sure as hell didn’t want to talk to him tonight.
Grabbing the phone, Leah checked the screen. “It’s your dad.” She returned with the device and held it toward him.
Unless indisposed, he rarely blew off calls from either of his parents. “I’ll keep it short,” he promised before answering the call.
Determining whether the call from Gavin’s dad pertained to work or family from his responses was impossible. Rather than speak in complete sentences, Gavin answered with a series of noes with a few yeses thrown in. She’d heard friends have more in-depth conversations with their pets. Never mind pets, she had more interesting conversations with herself sometimes.
“Say hi to Kerry and Piper. I’ll see you on Monday.” He ended the call and returned to the salad he’d started putting together.
Gavin didn’t get calls from his dad often, or if he did, it was never when they were together. “Everything okay?”
He dried the green pepper he’d washed and then sliced it in half. “Dad wanted to know if I’d heard from Harry. They were supposed to play tennis this afternoon, but he never showed up.”
As far as she was concerned, Harry Kincaid ranked just slightly above pond scum. Still, she hoped nothing had happened to him. Pond scum or not, he was Gavin’s half brother. “Your dad’s worried about him?”
They might all be adults, but if either she or one of her brothers didn’t show up when they were expected, both her parents would be concerned.
“Annoyed. Harry pulls this kind of stuff too often for Dad to worry.” Gavin removed the seeds from inside the pepper before cutting it into cubes. “He’s probably with his girlfriend and couldn’t be bothered to call Dad. He doesn’t have much consideration for anyone. He never has.”
Once again she wondered why she’d stayed with Harry for as long as she had. Sure, he could be charming, but he had a lot of bad habits. Some of them he’d managed to keep hidden until near the end of their relationship. Others she’d picked up on right away, but she’d been willing to overlook them because she’d kept telling herself Tory, her cousin and best friend, wouldn’t consider Harry a friend if he was a bad guy. It wasn’t until after Leah ended the relationship that she learned Tory had introduced them because her fiancé and Harry were close friends. Correction, Tory’s former fiancé; Luke and Tory had parted ways the previous month.
“Milan will get tired of him fast,” she predicted.
A picture of the supermodel and Harry leaving a New York hotel had popped up on a popular internet site she visited. Although Leah wouldn’t call the supermodel a close friend, they knew each other. But even if they didn’t, Leah was familiar with the woman’s reputation. Regardless of whether the man she was dating was a famous athlete or even an A-list actor, she never stayed with them for long.
“Had a similar thought when I saw they were together,” Gavin responded. “And I don’t care.”
She watched him open a bottle of red wine before removing the potatoes from the oven. “Milan and her sister Brooklyn remind me of you and Harry.”
He tossed a skeptical look her way as he took down two glasses. “I’m not sure I want to know how.”
Leah might consider Milan a mere acquaintance, but she’d known Brooklyn even before she became a Sherbrooke the previous year. “They have almost nothing in common and don’t share much of a family resemblance. Just like you and Harry.”
“Can’t disagree with you there,” he said. “The dining room will be more comfortable. If you bring in the wine, I’ll take care of everything else.”
Located at the rear of the condo, the dining room had windows stretching from the floor to the ceiling. While the room was tastefully furnished, it usually lacked any warmth or personality. This evening was a different story.
A small centerpiece of flowers occupied the middle of the table. White taper candles stood on either side of it. Napkins folded to resemble fans sat inches from the silverware.
Setting down the wine and the glasses, she moved to pull out the chair closest to her. She didn’t get a chance to do anything else.
After setting two dinner plates on the table, Gavin’s hands came down over hers and his chest brushed against her back. “Let me,” he said, his voice a caress that did crazy things to her insides.
He might only be talking about pulling out her chair, but at the moment she was close to letting him do anything he wanted.
Once she sat, he pus
hed her chair in. Many considered it both an old-fashioned and unnecessary gesture, and she wouldn’t want him to do it all the time, but it suited the moment.
“This looks and smells amazing. If it tastes even half as good as it smells, you went into the wrong line of work.” And she wasn’t telling him that because he’d gone to so much effort.
***
The dessert before her looked so pretty she was reluctant to disturb it. However, it did contain raspberries, and they were one of her favorite fruits. The only fruit she enjoyed more was cherries. Dipping her spoon in, she scooped up a generous portion of the concoction he’d put together after dinner.
The taste of sweet raspberries, cream, honey, toasted oats, and something she recognized but couldn’t label exploded in her mouth. “Where has this dessert been all my life?” she asked.
With a chuckle, Gavin started on his own portion. “Scotland.”
“If Scotland has desserts like this, I need to spend more time there. What is it called?”
“Cranachan. It’s one of my grandmother’s favorite desserts.”
She licked the last of the cream off her spoon before returning it to the glass for more. “She’s the one who started the company?”
“No, Gigi’s parents opened the first restaurant. They moved to the US right after World War I and named it Culloden after the village in Scotland where my great-grandmother came from. But Gigi’s the one who expanded the business by buying other chains and then starting a few new ones.”
“And she’s the one who taught you to cook?”
He nodded. “Vivian too, and she does it a lot more than me. Gigi has started showing Piper and wants to get Erin in the kitchen. But it hasn’t happened yet.”
Leah took another bite of her dessert and again tried to identify the unique flavor she kept picking up. “What’s in this besides the obvious?”
“Whiskey. The oats soaked in it overnight.” He reached for his coffee and added a generous amount of cream and sugar.
“You started preparing all this last night?”
He’d driven to and from Maine yesterday and still had taken the time to soak toasted oaks so he could make her dessert. She’d had some thoughtful boyfriends in the past, but he set the bar at a whole new level.
“It’s not the same if you don’t,” he admitted. “There’s some left in the kitchen if you want more.”
She eyed what was left in her dessert glass. “I’m not sure I can finish this.”
Leah hated to admit defeat, but tonight her only option was to retreat and leave behind a decent portion of her dessert. Even an hour after finishing their meal, she remained full, but thankfully not stuffed, while she relaxed and watched the light show Mother Nature was putting on outside.
Some people were afraid of thunder and lightning. She’d seen friends go deathly pale at the slightest rumble of thunder. Not her. She’d always loved storms like this. And if the wind picked up and the skies opened while one was going on, all the better. Even when they caused the power to go out, she enjoyed them. Tonight was no different. Wanting a better view, Leah left Gavin on the sofa talking to his daughter and crossed the room.
A bright flash streaked through the sky and a moment later a powerful boom rocked the silence, indicating the storm was closer. The sound of rain pelting glass soon followed, and Leah couldn’t contain a slight smile. The weather gods had her in mind tonight.
Behind her the table lamps flickered twice before going out, but Mother Nature quickly lit up the room with its own light. From the sofa she heard Gavin tell his daughter he’d talk to her later.
“Something interesting out there?” Gavin asked, joining her.
“Just enjoying the show,” she explained.
“You like this kind of weather?” He sounded skeptical.
“Love it. Before I knew how dangerous it could be, I would beg my mom to let me go outside and watch.”
“I think you’re the only person I know who likes storms.”
She turned toward him. “Not all storms. Just ones like this. I hate when it snows, and rain showers are more of a nuisance. But this,” she gestured at the window, “is different.”
The lack of lights in the room cast his face in shadows, but she could tell he didn’t share her opinion. Not many people did, and she was okay with that.
Placing his hands on her waist, Gavin pulled her closer. “Then the next time we have one, I’ll let you watch and enjoy it.” He lowered his head, but he stopped before his lips reached hers. “But not tonight.”
Warm lips came down on hers. All the kisses they’d shared today had been sweet but much too short, in her opinion. Stretching up on to her tiptoes, she traced his bottom lip with her tongue. Gavin didn’t require any further encouragement. He thrust his tongue inside her mouth and at the same time lifted her off her feet. When she wrapped her legs around his waist and felt his erection pressing into her, she groaned.
Thunder rumbled outside, mimicking the sound her heart was making inside her chest. And although she’d counseled herself the previous weekend that taking it slow was the best course, her body was demanding she follow a different path tonight.
With his hands cradling her butt and her legs wrapped around his waist, she was confident she wouldn’t fall if she removed her arms from around his neck. She ended their kiss and pulled back. Immediately disappointment flickered in Gavin’s eyes. When she reached for the hem of her top, it disappeared just as quickly. Heat hot enough to singe her hair replaced it.
His eyes followed her hands as she inched the material higher and over her head. Then she dropped the top on the floor before unclasping her bra and slipping it off. All her adult life, she’d considered her breasts too small. More than once she’d thought of having them enlarged a cup size or two. The idea of undergoing surgery and then recovery always stopped her.
The way Gavin was staring at her breasts now made her wonder if she’d been too critical of them all these years.
Gavin slammed his lips down on hers again and started walking. Instinctively she put her arms around his shoulders again, causing his T-shirt to rub against her sensitive nipples, and tried to move against his erection. The hands on her backside made it impossible. He didn’t move his hands when he sat on the sofa, forcing her to straddle his lap. Pressed so intimately against him, she couldn’t stop her body from moving. Intense pleasure shot through her, and all she could think about was doing it again.
The hand now on her waist stopped her and held her in place. Moving his lips away from hers, he took one breast in his hand as he lowered his head. Slowly he flicked his thumb back and forth against her nipple. Then when she thought it couldn’t get any tighter, he blew on it. The warm breath sent tingles across her breast and she shivered. Finally he touched it with the tip of his tongue before closing his lips around it.
Groaning, she reached for his hand still on her waist. He didn’t resist when she pulled it away and moved it to her other breast. While his lips and tongue teased one nipple, his hand caressed the other.
With both his hands occupied, there was nothing to stop Leah from moving against him the way her body was urging her to.
He released her nipple and looked up at her. “I want to take my time tonight. If you don’t stop doing that, I’m not going to be able to.”
The fire reflected in his eyes only fueled the flames licking her body. Reaching between them, she unbuttoned his shorts and slipped her hand inside. Gently she stroked him, his skin hot against her palm.
She couldn’t remember ever wanting a man as much as she wanted Gavin now. “We can go slow next time.”
***
Sometime between the first and second time they made love, the thunder and lightning stopped. Since then the rain had also ended, and the sky had cleared. Now, moonlight filled the room, allowing him to see the naked woman in bed next to him.
Turning on his side, Gavin propped himself up on an elbow. “Stay here tonight.” He ran a hand across he
r stomach and then down her thigh. “I’ll make you breakfast in the morning.”
“Tempting offer,” she replied, placing her hand over his and holding it in place on her thigh.
“But?” he asked when Leah didn’t give him a more satisfactory answer.
She pulled his hand along her leg and up to her waist. “How do your breakfasts compare to your dinners?”
“Almost as good,” he admitted, reaching for the sheet when Leah shivered. “And if you stay, I promise you more than a good meal.” Under the sheet, he cupped her breast and flicked this thumb against her nipple.
“Your offer is sounding better and better.” Moving onto her side, she swung one leg over his. “Before I accept, I need another demonstration of what I can expect in the morning.” Leah took his hand and moved it down her body and between her legs.
He’d given her two such demonstrations already. If she wanted another, he was more than happy to oblige.
Chapter Eight
Gavin glanced at his watch. This meeting with his father had started almost two hours ago, and he needed to wrap it up so he could focus on other issues requiring his attention—issues he wanted to tackle before he left the office for the weekend, because he didn’t want to take work home with him. Unfortunately, Dad didn’t seem to be in any rush this afternoon, because although they’d covered everything on the agenda, he still sat at the conference table in Gavin’s office.
“This evening I’m meeting Fredrick at the club for a round of golf. Why don’t you join us,” he suggested. “We can have dinner while we’re there. Kerry and Piper are away visiting Kerry’s mom for the weekend.”
Occasionally he spent time with Dad outside the office. The man was a good golf player, and Gavin always had to play his best if wanted to beat him. The same was true of Dad’s longtime friend Fredrick Wayland. Perhaps four or five months ago he would’ve accepted the invitation, but ever since Harry had shared their father’s request regarding Leah, he’d avoided Dad as much as possible. Yes, in the long run Dad’s insistence that Harry stay with Leah hadn’t caused her any permanent damage, but he never should’ve proposed the idea, and Gavin couldn’t forgive him for doing it.
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