Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Gavin laughed, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he stepped aside to reveal the small functional table I used for the constant mounds of paperwork I had to deal with, now covered in a blue-and-white striped tablecloth, a single blue candle with the flame flickering under the wind of the air conditioner, and a floating hydrangea. All of it was surrounded by food. Lots and lots of food.
“Sadly, it’s not me smelling of food.”
Under normal circumstances I might have smiled, might have told Gavin that he smelled better than any dish, but today that wasn’t true. “I thought we talked about this, Gavin?” He was going to back off a little, stop trying to do everything for me.
He shrugged. “You talked. I listened, but I didn’t agree to anything.”
He hadn’t, and I hadn’t really expected he would. You don’t become one of the most sought-after musicians in the world by giving up easily.
“I appreciated the bagel this morning, but I appreciated the strawberry cream cheese even more.” And the decaf coffee, but it felt too much like rewarding bad behavior if I told him so.
Gavin’s lips twitched as if he could read my mind. “It was my pleasure, Suzie.”
And that was part of the problem. How could I be expected to keep my distance, to protect my heart when he was being so unconditionally sweet and caring? “Gavin,” I groaned.
“Oh, don’t say my name like that. It does things to me. Sexy things.” Gavin’s smile widened and he wiggled blond eyebrows suggestively.
That smile did wonderfully sexy things to me. “What’s the meaning of all this?”
Gavin sighed and spread his arms wide. “This is me, getting as much time with my baby mama as I can.” While I can went unspoken, but we both heard it.
I frowned. “Baby Mama? No, I will not be called that, don’t you even think about it.” I could deal with having a baby as a result of a casual affair, but I could not handle that particular moniker.
Gavin barked out another laugh and motioned for me to take a seat at the table. The sound was rich, deep, and beautiful.
“Baby Mother? That has a more distinguished air about it.”
“Gavin.” I sighed, my stomach growling with every step I took towards the food.
“My baby’s mama?”
I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of me at his tone. “Suzie will do just fine.”
He held my chair out and whispered in my ear, “She’ll do a lot better than fine. She’s just about perfect.”
Before I could tell Gavin that I was nowhere near perfect, my stomach let out another loud lion’s roar of hunger and did the job for me. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. My baby mama is hungry and it makes me feel good, manly, that I’m the one satisfying her hunger.” Gavin could be so funny and so charming that sometimes it was difficult to tell if he was being serious, but the sincere glint in his eyes was believable.
I looked at the spread of food on the table and smiled. “Meatloaf? I haven’t had meatloaf since Mom was alive.” Tears stung my eyes because hormones were a wild and crazy part of pregnancy, but I managed a smile through the tears.
“It’s Granddaddy’s famous gravy meatloaf with buttery mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, and biscuits. I told him it was a lot of food for a little woman, but he said you were eating for two.”
“You Ross men were given an overdose of charm when it was being handed out, weren’t you?”
Gavin shrugged. “Or maybe we’re just extremely charming to the right woman.”
His words hung in the air for a long, sexually-tense moment that caused my heart to beat triple-time. “Maybe. Maybe you’re just natural caretakers and you missed your calling as a nurse.”
“I don’t think the sexy white dress would look good on me.”
“Maybe not,” I agreed with a shrug. “But some skintight scrubs with a super lowcut V-neck? I can see it now.” I shouldn’t be flirting with him, but I couldn’t help it. “Does this trip mean your album is completely finished?”
Disappointment flashed in his eyes, but it was covered up quickly because Gavin was an artist at heart and he loved talking about his creations. “Yep. When I get back, we’ll be promoting the hell out of the new album and the first two singles. Talk shows, live performances, radio interviews, the whole crazy mess.”
“Sounds exhausting.” And amazing.
“It is, but this new album means something to me. In fact, I wrote a couple songs since I’ve been here and sent them to my producer.”
“Inspired by the ocean? The crisp Oregon air?”
Gavin nodded, his gaze seared into mine. “A girl, because it’s always a girl, isn’t it? And fatherhood. I’ve been thinking a lot about the things my father did wrong and about how I can balance my career without repeating his mistakes. I want to do better for our child, Suzie. But dammit, I’m so scared about having a little girl.”