Gavin: Pure Passion (Hamptons Book 1) (7 page)

I swallow hard.
Please, God, let me be fantasizing!

“Good morning, Lane,” he whispers in my ear, and kisses my neck gently.

My knees go weak, and threaten to collapse at any second. “Hi,” I whisper, closing my eyes.

“How did you sleep?” He caresses my stomach, and pulls me back against his hard body.

“Very well, I think.”

He seems to be able to tell that I’m feeling insecure, because he lets me go and turns me around to face him. “Are you OK?” Gavin looks into my eyes searchingly, but I lower them.

“I . . . Did we . . . Did we have sex?” I ask, ashamed.

His head tilts to the side. He’s obviously trying to work something out. “Don’t you remember?”

I turn away, but only because I feel shy, because I’m naked.

“Lane?”

“Yeah . . . No. I . . . had a blackout.” My voice sounds so strange to me, it never sounded like this before. And the worst thing is that my fight-or-flight instinct is taking over. I want to break through the shower booth, put on my clothes, and disappear forever, because I feel like dying of shame.

Gavin puts his arms around me again and holds me close. “I’d be glad to help refresh your memory.”

A shiver goes down my spine. “That’s probably not such a good idea.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Gavin, we were drunk . . . and when people are drunk, they do stupid things.”

“I wasn’t drunk, Lane, you were.”

OK, I’m not assuming that he took shameless advantage of my condition, but maybe he should have tried to stop me. “Did I . . .”

“No. I kissed you after you said it was a lame excuse, when I told you it was because I like you.”

“What?”

“You were mad because I stopped yesterday morning when we kissed.”

“When you kissed me,” I correct him.

“Be that as it may. I was the one who took the initiative last night. If I’d known you were having a blackout again, I would have just taken you home.”

“You would have brought me home after we’d slept together?” I ask, irritated.

“Of course not! I wouldn’t have slept with you at all, because I would want you to remember.”

The way my body feels, I can definitely tell I had sex last night, but the memory of our passion and absolutely everything else is completely missing. “OK . . .”

The rough touch of his unshaven chin as it rests on my shoulder sends a shiver down my spine. “I really like you, Lane, and I don’t want you to feel bad because you woke up here. I’m really sorry.”

I really wish I could relive last night, but it would never be the same this time. That’s why I just have to hope I can remember someday. “I was just a little overwhelmed at first.”

He turns me around to face him again, and the cold shiver runs down my back again like a thousand needles. “Do you still feel that way?” He asks as he looks down at me.

I look up at him. “A little.”

He bends down and kisses me gently on the lips. “Would you still be if I asked you to spend the weekend with me so we can get to know each other better?”

“Definitely, I can’t stay here.”

Gavin puts his hands on the wall behind me and looks at me closely. “Why not?”

His voice sounds so sexy and raw that my nipples stand up of their own accord. “Because I have to work.”

“At the dance school?”

“No, I . . .”

“Then you have to work at home?”

“Yeah.”

“So then you could theoretically work here, too?” he continues.

I sigh. “It would be practical if I could take a shower, and then go home and change, Gavin.”

“Can I drive you, and bring you back again?”

“Do you really want to do that?”

“Otherwise I wouldn’t ask,” he says with a grin. “Just think about it.”

I nod, and he steps out so I can wash my hair.

When I’m finished a few minutes later, I step out of the shower and dry off. Then I wind the towel around my body, because I can’t see my clothes anywhere. I can’t see Gavin, either, because he left the bathroom after we finished talking. “Gavin?” I call as I step out into the suite.

He comes. “Lane?” he says with a smile.

“Where are my clothes?”

“I gave them to the hotel laundry, but you can have sweatpants and a T-shirt from me if you like.”

I’ll surely swim in his things, because not only is he taller than me, but bigger in general. “You could have asked me,” I complain.

“Sorry, I was just trying to help.”

I sigh. “Sorry. Yeah, you can give me something of yours.”

He nods and leads me into the bedroom, where there’s a whole selection of sport clothes laid out on the bed. “I don’t know what you like, so I just got out some sweatpants and a few T-shirts. I wonder where my Ramones shirt is.”

Should I admit that I kept it? Probably not, he’d just think I’m crazy. I’ll sneak it back to him sometime when he’s not looking. “Thanks.” I take black sweats and a red T-shirt with
Downstair Alley
printed on it. Luckily it’s not an old-style fan shirt with a photo of the band printed on it.

Gavin hands me something else.

“What’s this?”

“Boxers. Or would you prefer to wear nothing under the sweatpants?” he asks with his eyebrows raised.

I could think of a lot of things that would turn me on faster, like his presence, for example. “No,” I say, after taking a deep breath, accepting them.

Gavin disappears into the bathroom. He ordered breakfast before and said I should start without him, but I prefer to wait. I sit on the couch and flip through a magazine, and I hear a cell phone ringing. It’s definitely not mine, it’s an awful, shrill ringtone. I don’t want to disturb Gavin or be too nosey, but I take his phone from the table and answer the call, if only to stop the sound. “This is Gavin McLeod’s phone, can I help you?”

“Who is this?” asks a woman’s voice.

“Mr. McLeod’s assistant,” I answer, because I don’t want to give my name.

“This is Mindy. Can you give him a message for me, please?”

I grab the pad and pen that are lying on the table. “Of course.”

“Please tell him he has to call me right away. It’s about . . . Well, it’s just important.”

I scribble a note on the pad. “OK, I’ve written it down, I’m sure he’ll be in touch.”

“Thanks.” The woman ends the call without another word, and I put the phone aside.

“What are you doing?” Gavin asks, standing in the doorframe.

“I . . . uh . . . Your phone rang, and the sound was really annoying, so I took the call and wrote something down for you.” I feel my cheeks getting hot and lower my eyes to the notepad. “You should call Mindy.”

Gavin looks at me skeptically. His brow is furrowed, and he seems annoyed. “Thanks, Lane.” He glances at the serving cart. “Have you eaten?”

“I wasn’t hungry.

He nods. “OK, then I’ll bring you home now. I’ll just get dressed.”

We sit in the car, and Gavin’s silence is oppressive. He’s surely annoyed that I answered his phone, which I now realize was pretty fresh of me. I just wanted to do him a favor, and besides, I didn’t want to listen to his annoying ringtone anymore. Should I have just turned it off? That would have been less invasive, I suppose. We’re almost to my place. I don’t know how to break the silence. I should probably just keep my mouth shut and only open it to say good-bye. Then my phone rings. I dig it out of my handbag and check the display. It’s Macey, but I ignore it, because I’ll be home soon, anyway.

Ten minutes later, Gavin parks in front of my building. “Here we are.”

“Thanks,” I say as I unfasten the seat belt. “I’ll surely see you next week at the dance school.”

He nods curtly. “See you, Lane.”

I get out of the car and look at him with regret. “I’m sorry I answered your phone. I just didn’t think about it enough, and I thought I was doing you a favor. I didn’t give my name, I just pretended to be your assistant.”

He laughs. “No problem, I’m not mad. Mindy is my cousin, she’s like a sister to me. She was surely just surprised that I didn’t answer the phone myself.”

“Then why have you been giving me the silent treatment?”

“Sometimes I just don’t like to talk, and besides, I was trying to decide how to explain to her that a strange woman was answering my phone.”

“Ah . . . Well, sorry.”

“It’s really not so bad.”

“OK.” I step back to close the door.

“Lane, wait.”

“Yes?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to spend the weekend with me?”

We haven’t talked about it again since we were standing in the shower. I take a deep breath. “Do you really want me to?”

“I’m driving back to the Hamptons on Monday, and I’ll be practicing there with Julie. This will be the last chance to get to know each other before the intense training for
Celebrity Dance Hall
starts.”

That means the next time I’ll see him will be on the set for the show, and there, we’ll hardly have any chance to talk at all. The celebrities are always going back to the makeup department, and the dancers have to keep the audience in a good mood during the breaks. That’s why there’s always a cast dance interlude at the beginning and right before the end, when the results are announced. Next week rehearsals start, so I don’t understand why Julie is going with him to the Hamptons.

“Lane?” He interrupts my thoughts.

“I’ll have to pack a few things if I’ll be staying with you.”

“Will you stay until Monday?”

“I’ll pack for the weekend, and then we can talk about it tomorrow, OK?” I answer. If I stay with him, I definitely have to avoid alcohol. I don’t want to have another blackout. Two are enough for this year.

Gavin gets out, locks the car, and comes with me. “Fine.”

Chapter 5

For the last half hour, I’ve been arguing with Macey. She’s really annoyed that I just left the cave last night without telling her, and didn’t come back. It’s new to me that she’s playing babysitter, and it pisses me off. She was the one who said I should have fun. Now she’s upset that I didn’t tell her where I spent the night. Sometimes friendships are just strenuous, but I don’t want to lose her, because she’s the only close friend I have since Brooke died. If Brooke was here, she’d try to smooth things out between us, like she always did, but she’ll never do that again. I sigh and sink into Macey’s sofa.

“Why are we fighting, anyway?”

“Because . . .” She exhales heavily. “I have no idea, maybe we’re both a little stressed.”

She could be right about that, because I haven’t really felt like myself since this morning. “Can we be friends again?” I ask quietly.

Macey puts an arm around me and lays her head on my shoulder. “We still are.”

“Good. Then I’d like to go pack, because I’m going away for the weekend.”

“With Gavin?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“You seem to get along really well.”

“It’s more about getting to know each other . . . He asked if I’d stay, and I think a little distraction will do me good.”

“And fun,” she adds, with an amused smile.

“Distraction,” I repeat, but this time my voice sounds more resolute.

“Distraction can be fun, too,” she says, teasing me. Then she gets up. “I have a rehearsal, anyway. When will I see you?”

“Either tomorrow evening or Monday.”

“Fine. Have a great weekend, Lane. Enjoy the time with Gavin. He seems to be good for you, even if you haven’t noticed it yourself, yet.”

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but I try to cover by rubbing my hand across my forehead. “You have a good weekend, too, Macey.” Then I leave her room and go to mine, where Gavin is sitting on my bed, waiting. “Sorry, that took longer than I thought it would.”

“No problem. I was playing Angry Birds.” He grins.

I go immediately to my closet and get a duffle bag to hold my things for the next two days. I doubt it’s a very good idea, but Gavin must have a reason for inviting me.

“The guys asked if we’ll go dancing with them tonight.”

“Do you want to?” I ask him.

“I’d prefer to spend the evening alone with you, to be honest. What about you?”

“I’d really like to relax tonight.” I close the closet door and reach for the book that I’m currently reading, which is on my bedside table, and put it in the bag. “I’ve got everything.” I haven’t chosen my clothes very carefully, but I doubt we’ll be going anywhere fancy to eat or anywhere that has a dress code.

Gavin stands up and reaches for my duffle bag. “Can I carry this for you?”

I give it to him, and then take my handbag. “Wait!”

He stops suddenly at the door and turns around. “What is it?”

“I should change. As comfortable as your clothes are, I’m getting tired of holding up the pants because they keep sliding off my butt,” I explain.

“I’ll wait in the kitchen.”

“Thanks.” I hurry to my closet again, slip out of his clothes, and pull on tight jeans, a tunic shirt, and comfortable sneakers, and I add a light jacket on top. Summer may have started, but I get cold easily. Then I fold Gavin’s sweats and slip the Ramones T-shirt inside. Since he already noticed it was gone, I don’t want to keep it any longer. It wasn’t a nice thing to do, anyway. I leave the room and go to him. “I’m ready.”

We’ve almost arrived at the Plaza. “Would you like to go out to eat?”

“No, I’m not hungry.”

“I can’t believe that you still aren’t hungry,” he sighs.

“It’s true. It’s probably because of the hangover, and the nausea that goes with it.”

“That’s a classic case of too much information.”

I laugh softly. “I just wanted to explain why I’m not interested in food at the moment.”

“Thanks for that,” he teases.

“If you ask me something, I’ll give you an honest answer,” I counter.

“I’m starving, I could go for a pizza.”

“You should have something lighter. All that fatty stuff will just make you sluggish. It would surely be good for you to eat better in the next few weeks for the dance show.”

“I still have a craving for pizza, and because you so kindly gave me advice, I’m going to order double cheese.”

I roll my eyes. “Can you get something like that from room service?”

“No, from Pizza Hut,” he answers with a wink. “I just have to find one.”

I give him directions, but he would have to turn around again, and I don’t feel like driving around.

“Maybe you can send one of your bodyguards to get you a pizza. Since we’re almost to the hotel, you’ll soon be safe from your groupies, anyway. You’d be able to relax while they take on the city traffic.”

“That’s a great idea,” he says with amusement and stops in front of the hotel. We get out and Gavin gives the key to a parking valet. On the way to the elevator, he takes his phone and selects a number from his contacts. “Hi, Phil, could you get me a pizza? Yeah . . . from Pizza Hut . . . Yeah, with salami and double cheese . . . And a chicken Caesar salad wouldn’t hurt either . . . Thanks, Phil.” He hangs up before we enter the elevator, and strangely enough, when the doors open there’s no operator. “All set.”

“Is he getting your pizza?”

“Yup.” Gavin puts his arm around my waist and caresses my side. His touch is featherlight and immediately makes me lose focus on anything else, which is probably clear to see by the moronic grin on my face. He bends down to kiss my cheek. “Maybe you’ll be hungry, too, when he gets here.”

“We’ll see. Just the thought of a fatty pizza makes me shiver.”

“That’s why I ordered a salad for you.”

“That was nice, thank you.” I lean against his body and close my eyes. We’re not really a couple, but if I’m spending the weekend with him, I’m happy to enjoy his closeness and warmth. Besides, after Monday I’ll barely have a chance to see him again. The thought bothers me, but I don’t really know why.

Gavin strokes my temples gently. “I’m looking forward to the next two days.”

“Really? I feel a little like I’m stuck in a movie like
Indecent Proposal
.” I smile a little.

“What? I’m hardly paying you to spend the weekend with me!” He says, looking offended.

“I know, but I still think this is the way it would feel.” I could have mentioned
Pretty Woman
instead, but it wouldn’t really fit the idea of going for the weekend.

“Now you’ve given me a strange feeling about the whole thing,” he says.

“I don’t want to give you a bad feeling, but it really is strange. You’re the star who wants to spend a weekend with me, and I’m just a dancer who . . .”

“Yes?” He looks at me doubtfully.

“I’m not exactly in the position to end that sentence,” I say with a giggle, and let go of him as the door of the elevator opens.

We step out and enter the suite. He brings my bag to the bedroom where I woke up before. So I guess we’re both sleeping there. Not that it bothers me, but this suite seems to be so huge that I was assuming I’d get my own room.

“Make yourself at home!” he says.

I slip out of my shoes and sink into the sofa. My eyes sweep the room, which is decorated in warm colors. I would prefer to take a little nap until the nausea finally subsides, but I don’t want to sleep, since I don’t have that much time left with him.

Gavin comes and slips behind me on the sofa and lies down, pulling me on top of him so my head rests on his chest, lying on my back. “You seem tired.”

“I don’t feel particularly spry.”

“Then sleep for a little while,” he suggests. He reaches up and massages my temples gently, and my eyelids start to flutter closed, but I fight it.

“I don’t want to sleep.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not tired,” I lie, suppressing a yawn.

He laughs softly. “But you look very tired.”

“But I’m not,” I repeat, and close my eyes to enjoy the massage.

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“I have no idea.” This time I can’t hold the yawn back.

I wake up and look around in surprise.

“Did you sleep well?” Gavin asks cheerfully.

I roll onto my stomach so I’m facing him, with my upper body resting on his. “The pillow was pretty hard,” I say with a grin.

Gavin nods. “Yeah, you’re right, I should eat more pizza.”

“Maybe you should.” I lay my cheek on his chest and yawn again.

“You slept for three hours. Are you still tired?”

“No, I’m not tired anymore. I just want to relax a little.” I have no clue why I’m feeling so needy. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, either, because this morning I was so embarrassed I could barely look at him.

He strokes my hair. “Then relax a little. I’ll use the time to read.”

“What are you reading?”

“A book a friend of mine wrote. She wants me to give her some feedback. It’s a dystopia scenario.”

“About what, the end of the world or something?” I ask. Since I also like to read, I’m always happy if someone gives me a recommendation.

“It’s set in a small city that is one of the last to have enough water, so it’s attacked by a band of outlaws. The mayor’s daughter has to bargain with the leader and use all of her talents, mostly in bed, to keep him from killing the people. Outside the city walls, mutated humans have taken over. The outlaws are the only ones who can help the city, because they have modern weapons that they stole from a military storehouse after the government collapsed.”

“Sounds like it digresses into erotic fiction.”

“There’s sex, but not too much.”

“What does that mean?”

“When they do it, it’s explicit.” He grins. “But it doesn’t get too extreme or heavy-handed. Somehow, the author has a talent to describe it without making it uncomfortable to read.”

“So it turns you on?”

“Actually, no. Erotic fiction doesn’t do anything for me. I don’t usually read it, I just wanted to do my friend a favor.”

“Will you read something to me?” I ask, looking into his eyes.

“I don’t like to read aloud very much,” Gavin says with a smile.

“OK, then I’ll get up and work a little.” I untangle myself from him.

“What do you have to do?”

“Watch a few videos of dance contests on my laptop. I have to find out as much as possible about my competition for the next one.”

“So you’re spying?” he says with a wink.

“Not really, I just want to see what their strengths and weaknesses are. It’s important to know what you’ll be measured against,” I say as I reach for my bag, which contains my laptop. I take it out and sit down in an armchair across from the couch. After I’ve got the laptop started up, I call up the hotel wifi and type in the password
guest
, which works at almost every hotel I’ve ever been in. I’m pleased to see the confirmation that I’m now connected. After connecting to the hotel’s wifi, I log into my Dropbox account, where I’ve stored the videos I need to watch.

“Do you have a pen and some paper?”

Gavin gets up. “Just a minute, I’ll get it for you.”

“Thanks.”

He returns with a pad and pen, and sits down on the arm of my chair. “Can I watch with you? I like watching dance, and maybe I can get a few tips for the show.”

“Actually, it’s Julie who determines how you dance.”

He reaches over and strokes my shoulder. “The more I think about it, the more I’d like to dance with you on this show, Lane.”

I turn to look at him in surprise. “But that doesn’t work, the casting is already over.”

“Maybe my manager can do something about that.”

“Gavin . . . I’d love to dance with you, but I wasn’t chosen—that’s why I have to dance as part of the ensemble. Julie shouldn’t have to lose her chance for a good part because of me,” I say. Of course it would be great if I was on the show as one of the main dancers, but my professional career also includes the competitions where I dance with Jonah.

“Not even for me?”

“I wouldn’t say no, but I don’t want to take Julie’s place, or anyone else’s. Every single one of us is grateful when we get a chance to take part in a show like that. If I did that, it would feel like cheating. I don’t want to stab my friends in the back.”