Her brother’s grin disappeared and his expression grew serious. “When we’re in Newport we share a room, but Taylor gets up before Reese so she doesn’t know we sleep in the same bed. Priscilla has no problem staying with Reese, so we get plenty of time alone, but Taylor never stays the night here.” He touched her arm. “You’re going to have to talk to Gavin about this one.”
Chapter Ten
Some time with her brother, or more specifically, Reese, eliminated most of Leah’s anxiety about meeting Erin later in the week. Throughout the weekend, Reese was just as outgoing and friendly to her as she was to Curt. When Taylor’s mom invited them over for a cookout Saturday afternoon, Reese pulled Leah into the soccer game she, Curt, and Taylor were having before they ate. Later, she insisted Leah had to come upstairs and see her stuffed animal collection. And the girl had quite the collection. Leah was positive the assortment of furry friends surpassed the one she’d had as a child.
And Curt was right. The girl really did seem to say everything that came into her head, including telling everyone about how her best friend, Hazel, was about to have a new stepdad and baby brother, two bits of information that for some reason had left both Taylor and Priscilla speechless.
Despite enjoying her time in New Hampshire, she’d left her brother’s after breakfast. With Gavin due back that evening, she returned to her place in the city instead of Greenwich so he wouldn’t have a long drive after a full day of travel. As she’d expected when she shared her intention, he told her not to worry about it. He knew she preferred her house in Connecticut to the apartment. But she’d held firm and promised to be there when he arrived.
After dropping her overnight bag in the bedroom, Leah switched on her favorite country playlist. Until recently country had been one of the few styles she didn’t listen to. Her cousin’s wife, Addie, had introduced Leah to songs by some of her favorite bands though, and ever since she’d been adding more and more country to her music collection. Somehow over the past year, the number of country songs she owned had doubled. Now she had more of them than she did classic rock hits.
Before leaving the room, she called room service and ordered a salad. One bonus to having an apartment inside a hotel was the ability to call room service whenever she wanted, something she did frequently when she stayed here despite the full kitchen she had, because unlike Gavin, her culinary skills were lacking.
If his plane left California as scheduled, Gavin should arrive at JFK at five. She’d traveled enough to know departure and arrival times changed for a variety of reasons so until he knocked on the door there was no guarantee when he’d get there. Which meant she had a few hours to kill while she waited. She’d recently picked up a novel by her favorite author but hadn’t gotten around to starting it. Today seemed like a good time to dive into it.
Curled up on the sofa, she read the last sentence in the paragraph and flipped to the next page. A knock prevented her from reading any more. Since the salad she’d ordered from room service was in the refrigerator, the only other person she expected was Gavin. Sometimes when she read, she lost track of time, but she didn’t think she’d been sitting there that long. Setting aside the e-reader, Leah checked her watch. Unless he’d caught an earlier flight out of California, Gavin couldn’t be knocking.
She’d never seen or heard of any problems in the hotel, but since it was too soon for it to be Gavin, and she wasn’t expecting any other guests, she wasn’t going to just open the door either. “Who is it?” she asked.
“Tory,” a familiar voice called back.
Tory?
Leah pulled the door open and threw her arms around her second cousin and best friend. She’d seen Tory briefly at Gray’s wedding in June. Other than that they hadn’t spent any significant time with each other in months. But usually when Tory flew out this way, she called so they could get together.
“When did you get here? And how long are you staying?” Leah asked.
“I got in late last night. My friend’s bachelorette party is tonight.” She returned Leah’s hug. “Unfortunately, I have to leave tomorrow.”
If Tory had a party tonight and was leaving in the morning, it didn’t leave them much time for visiting. “How did you know I was here?” They hadn’t spoken in over two weeks, so Tory had no way of knowing she’d be here instead of Connecticut today.
Tory ran her fingers through her hair—hair Leah had always been jealous of. Instead of being brown or even blonde, Tory had the most gorgeous shade of red Leah had ever seen, a color she’d inherited from her mother.
“I didn’t. Since I’m staying in the hotel, I decided to come up and see if you were home.”
“Good timing. I spent the weekend at Curt’s and only got back a couple hours ago.”
Only two weeks apart in age, Leah and Tory had always been good friends despite living on opposite sides on the country. But it wasn’t until they’d roomed together at boarding school that their friendship had transcended into almost sisterly.
And like sisters, when they got together they often lost track of time. Today was no different. Tory was in the process of telling Leah about the new house she’d put in an offer on when someone knocked on the door.
Leah glanced down at her watch. Assuming his plane had landed on time and he hadn’t run into too much traffic, Gavin should be her newest visitor. “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.”
When she opened the door, he didn’t give her a chance to even say hello before pulling her close and kissing her as if they’d been apart months rather than a few days. Once he finished kissing her until she could barely stand, he pulled his mouth away and rested his forehead against hers.
“I’ve missed you,” he said in a tone that made her feel cherished and loved.
“Missed you too.” Although her body wanted to stay right where it was, they couldn’t stand in the doorway all night, especially with Tory there. So while difficult, she stepped away and closed the door. “I’m glad you’re back.”
When he traveled he never missed anyone, except perhaps his daughter. But ever since he’d left Leah sleeping in bed on Friday, he’d thought about her and having her in his arms again. Intending to get her back there now, he pulled her against him again, his hands slipping down to her ass as he lowered his lips toward hers. Fortunately, before he made contact and carried out the fantasy playing in his head, he noticed the visitor watching them.
“Act like I’m not even here,” the unknown woman called, with a little wave and smile.
He didn’t want an audience for what he had in mind. Moving his hands back to safer ground, he waited for Leah to make introductions.
Stretching up on tiptoes, she put her mouth close to his ear. “I didn’t know she was coming by,” she whispered so quietly he almost missed it. Then she pulled out of his embrace and turned. “Gavin, this is Tory. I know I’ve mentioned her a time or two. She’s here for a friend’s bachelorette party.”
Yeah, the woman’s name had come up in more than one conversation. Even before their friendship really got going, he’d known Tory Sherbrooke had been the one to introduce Leah to Harry, although he didn’t know how Tory and Harry knew each other. He also knew Leah considered the woman her closest friend but didn’t see her as much as she’d like because she called the Pacific Coast home.
“Wish I could say she told me about you,” Tory commented.
Leaving the apartment was the last thing he wanted to do, but he didn’t want to intrude either. “Do you want me to come back later?” he asked.
Tory stood, grabbed an oversized purse from a table, one somehow even bigger than the ones his twin used, and walked toward the door. “No need. I’ve got to go.” She gave him a knowing smile before she hugged Leah, and he almost thanked her. Instead he moved away so they could have some privacy while they said their goodbyes.
“Call me this week.” Thanks to his fabulous hearing, he still understood every word she said even though she lowered her voice. “I want t
o know all about Mr. Hottie over there.”
He almost laughed but managed to conceal it with a cough at the last second, causing Leah to look his way.
“Will do,” she replied, giving her friend’s arm a slight tug. “Gavin, I’ll be right back. I’m going to walk Tory to the elevator.”
Considering how short a walk it was to the elevator, he expected her back in a minute or two. However, a good ten minutes passed before Leah returned.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be gone so long.” She tried to sit next to him, but he lifted her onto his lap instead. “We got talking,” she explained.
He’d never enjoyed simply holding a woman the way he did Leah. They didn’t need to be doing anything else. Just having her close filled him with an emotion he couldn’t quite identify.
“She wanted to know all about Mr. Hottie waiting for you in here, right?” He tried not to smile, but couldn’t manage it.
“You heard her? How?”
Gavin traced her ear with his fingertip. “I have excellent hearing.”
Leaving her ear, his finger made a path down her neck and toward the neckline of her V-neck T-shirt. When he reached the lowest point of the V, he moved his fingers under the fabric until his skin brushed against her nipple, already straining against her bra. He teased the nipple for another moment before pulling her shirt up until it cleared her breasts.
Kissing her forehead, he cupped one breasts. “I missed you.”
Leah tugged the T-shirt off and let it fall to the floor. “You already told me.” She reached behind her back and unclasped the lacy, fire-engine-red bra she was wearing. One he knew would match the lacy thong her shorts were covering because she always wore matching lingerie. “How about you show me?”
***
With his head in her lap, Gavin closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of Leah’s fingers going through his hair. Soft music filled the room, and unless a fire broke out, he didn’t plan to move from this spot on the sofa anytime soon. He didn’t know what time it was and didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was he was with her again and would be until tomorrow morning.
“How was your visit with Curt?” She’d informed him of her plans before he left for California but hadn’t mentioned it so far tonight.
“Exactly what I needed,” she replied.
How do I interpret that one? “That’s good,” he commented.
Leah’s nails gently scratched his scalp before moving down his neck and back up again. “The house still needs a lot of work, but what he’s done so far is amazing. I didn’t know he’d gotten so good at renovating houses.”
“You’ve never seen his other ones?” Considering the close relationship she shared with her brother, he assumed she’d taken the time to check out his previous projects.
She shook her head. “Only the first one he worked on. He wants us to come and visit. I told him Erin was arriving this week, so it might be awhile before we get there.”
As wonderful as the massage felt, if she continued he might fall asleep, so he reached up and took her hands in his. Bringing them to his lips, Gavin kissed her knuckles before settling them on his chest.
“I want to run an idea by you. You said Erin loves art, and I do too. What do you think about her and I spending an afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Museum of Modern Art? If you think there’s something she’d rather do, I’m open for suggestions. I thought a day doing something we both liked would be a good way for us to get to know each other.” Leah didn’t give him a chance to reply before continuing. “But if you don’t want us to go on this visit I understand. You haven’t seen her in a month. We can do it the next time she comes here.”
It took him a moment to fully digest Leah’s words. None of the women he’d dated since Erin’s mom had showed any interest in even meeting his daughter, and here Leah was proposing she take Erin to an art museum so they could get to know each other.
His chest tightened with emotion and the word love entered his thoughts. “She’ll love it. And it’ll save me from another museum visit.” He took Erin to every museum she mentioned, but he didn’t share her interest in art. It was something she inherited from her mom.
Since they were already on the topic of his daughter, he said, “If you can, I want you to come with me when I pick her up at the airport on Friday.”
An expression bordering on surprise crossed her face. “Uh, I guess, but wouldn’t it be better if you go alone so you can…” She paused for a moment, as if searching for the right word. “…tell her about me.”
With the conversation turning serious, Gavin moved into an upright position. “During one of our conversations, I told Erin I wanted her to meet someone special when she got here.”
“Oh.” Leah rolled her lips together before continuing. “And how did she react?”
“She thought I had finally gotten a puppy. She’s been after me for a while to get one. She has a cat at Amber’s apartment but really wants a dog.” He loved animals but didn’t have the time for one. “I explained there wasn’t a puppy waiting for her and told her a little about you.”
“Talk about a major disappointment for her,” Leah commented.
Gavin touched her cheek. “Maybe a little at first, but it passed. She knows the chances of me getting a dog are nonexistent right now. I think she asks more out of habit.” He freed her hair from the complicated braid it was in. While she looked great no matter how she did her hair or dressed, he preferred it when she left her hair loose and skipped the makeup, like she had today.
“So will you come on Friday?” he asked again.
This time Leah didn’t hesitate to answer. “Of course.”
The unidentified emotion filling his chest grew, and he brushed his lips against hers. It was a tender kiss meant to communicate how he felt rather than elicit passion. Eventually Leah pulled back, her eyes sparkling with some unidentifiable emotion. He wondered if it was the same one tugging at his insides.
“Good.” The word didn’t do justice to his true thoughts, but it was the best he could come up with. He’d never had a woman in his life during any of Erin’s previous visits. Finding the right balance between time with Erin alone as well as Erin and Leah might take some time and effort. But Leah was worth it.
“It’s going to be different with Erin here, but I need to see you too,” he continued.
“No need to explain. I know the next two weeks are all about Erin and that you’ll want time alone time with her. Just tell me when and where and I’ll be there.”
Maybe someday he’d have to thank his half brother for being such an ass, because if Harry hadn’t cheated on Leah, she might not be sitting here with him now. “You’re amazing, you know.”
He wasn’t trying to get brownie points or anything. The compliment just slipped out because it was true. Leah Sherbrooke was the most understanding woman he knew.
If they weren’t sitting so close, he would’ve missed the slight blush across her cheeks.
“I’ll take your word for it. But seriously, since I’m not traveling for work again until October, I have some flexibility, so whenever you want me around, I should be able to make it.”
Officially he had Erin’s first week in New York off. He’d structured it so that during her second week with him, he should only have to spend a few hours a day working from home. And unless something unexpected came up, those could be hours when Erin was sleeping.
“Stay with us while she’s here.”
Before they’d started spending nights together, Gavin often had trouble sleeping. More nights than not, he stared at the ceiling for hours before drifting off to a restless sleep. On the nights Leah was next to him, it wasn’t an issue. The first few times he thought it was a coincidence that he slept well with her there. The few times before his recent business trip he’d slept alone and then the two nights in California without Leah proved he simply slept better with her there.
A better night’s sleep wasn’t the only re
ason he wanted her with him. When she was around he felt content in a way he’d never experienced before. Maybe it was selfish, but he didn’t want to deprive himself of it for the next two weeks.
“I planned on giving you a key this week anyway,” he continued. Other than Harry, he’d never given anyone the key to his condo. But he wanted Leah to think of his place as another home.
The subject of whether they’d be spending nights together had crossed her mind numerous times over the weekend. And although Curt suggested she ask Gavin about it, she’d decided to wait and let him bring up the topic.
“You don’t think she’ll find it weird I’m sleeping in your bedroom?”
“Why would she?” Gavin asked.
In all the months Leah had known him, she’d never known him to date. Gavin’s response made her wonder if he’d had other woman spend the night when his daughter was with him in New York.
She shrugged slightly before answering. “Curt said they make sure Reese never sees Taylor coming out of his room when they stay at his place in Newport. I thought maybe you wouldn’t want Erin to know we shared a room either.”
But hey, if she’s used to seeing a woman come out of your bedroom…. Leah forced her train of thought to stop before she said something inappropriate. Because whom Gavin had been involved with before her wasn’t any of her business, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t dated or slept with other men before they met either.
“Amber’s fiancé spends more time at their apartment than his own. Erin sees him coming out her mom’s bedroom all the time. It’s never happened when she’s been here, but I don’t think it’ll faze Erin if she knows you sleep in my room.”
She’d had more than a couple boyfriends. During those relationships she’d sometimes spent a night at their house or they’d stay with her. When they weren’t together, she’d never cared. With Gavin it was different. In a very short amount of time, she’d grown used to having him in bed next to her. She loved falling asleep with his arm around her and waking up in the middle of the night and just knowing he slept inches away. When she woke up in the morning, having him there made getting ready for the day much more enjoyable too.
The Billionaire's Heart Page 13