Page 4 of Say Yes

CHAPTER 2

WHEN SARA ENTERED the kitchen a few minutes later, wearing a loose sundress that fell to her knees, she found Gavin leaning against the counter. He gave her a slow, thorough once-over, his gaze intent, his mouth tipped in a slight smile. Then he plucked at his wet T-shirt, pulling it away from his body. His voice was pitched low and deep when he spoke. “The storm took me by surprise. Do you mind if I take this off so I can get comfortable, too?”

Her mouth went dry. She tamped down the natural inclination to lick her lips, and shook her head instead. Heaven only knew what she might do if presented with such temptation. “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. There’s not much for us to talk about.”

“Of course there is.” He peeled off the shirt with no thought for modesty or her overly rapt attention. She stared, anxious to catch every riveting detail of exposed male flesh.

She laced her fingers tightly together and held herself still as he shook out his shirt and laid it over the back of a chair to dry. Facing her, he adopted a no-nonsense expression, a stern warning that she was to pay close attention.

The man was half-naked—he had her attention.

“I didn’t care about the lamp, Sara. Or the picture.” There was a pause, then he added, “I didn’t even care about—”

Wincing, she cut him short. “I didn’t realize I’d broken more than the lamp and the picture.”

“You didn’t.” He sprawled into the chair, stretching out his long bare legs. He was muscled everywhere, the physical labors of his job keeping him in excellent shape.

She remained standing, too nervous to relax. It was a mixed reaction from the electric charge of the storm, sheer exhaustion, and Gavin’s presence. The man had always affected her in one way or another, but since the incident, she’d done her best to repress her more emotional feelings.

Now they were swamping back in force.

Gavin cleared his throat, waiting until she met his gaze before continuing. “I was going to say I didn’t mind that you’d chased after Karen.”

She sucked in a breath, her shoulders going rigid. “Well, I should hope not! She was…was…” Sara searched for a more delicate word than those coming to mind. There weren’t many. She finally settled on, “Unfaithful.”

He smirked, one brow raised. “She was that. But then, unlike you, I wasn’t engaged. In fact, if you’ll remember correctly, Karen and I had broken up months before. She wasn’t here because of me, Sara, she was only here to visit Ted.”

Sara made a grimace, knowing what he said was true. She certainly couldn’t blame him for Karen’s presence, not that she would have anyway. Blame had nothing to do with her avoidance of him. Humiliation did. “Karen and Ted were the only ones responsible. I know that.”

He nodded. “Good. Then there’s no reason why we can’t remain…friends. Is there?”

Put like that, what choice did he give her? “No. I guess not.”

“By the way, whatever happened to lover-boy? I assume you sent him on his way?”

With a sound of disgust, she shook her head. “I didn’t have to. When I got back Ted was already more or less dressed and anxious to go. I found him peeking out the door, watching for you I suppose. He crawled out to his car, then slithered inside. He left skid marks in my driveway he was in such a hurry to escape. I think he was afraid you’d come after him.”

“More likely he was afraid of you.” Gavin slanted her a look, his smile once again in place, though this time it looked more tender than humorous. “You swing a mean rake, lady.”

Another wave of heat inched along the back of her neck, but she refused to look away from his probing gaze.

“Besides,” he continued, “I wasn’t angry at Ted. I’d long since given up my claim on Karen, and in a way, he did me a favor. If he’d hung around, I might have even thanked him.”

Sara stared. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Nope.” With no sign of amusement now, he leaned forward in his seat and reached for her hand. “Ted hung himself. He made certain you’d never be able to forgive him, to take him back. I wanted him gone, Sara, because I knew he wasn’t right for you. He’d never have been able to make you happy.”

She had to agree with him there. Ted was not the man she wanted to be tied to for life, and in a way, she almost felt grateful, too, because his lack of morals had freed her before it was too late.

Feeling hesitant and uncertain, she asked, “It didn’t bother you—not even a little—that he’d been having an affair with Karen?”

“It made me mad as hell that they hurt you. But for myself? No. Karen is free to do as she pleases, not that she ever felt any restrictions to begin with.”

He hadn’t loved Karen. Sara was both relieved, and depressed. If tall, beautiful, outgoing Karen hadn’t been able to gain his affections, a woman like herself wouldn’t stand a chance.

But then, she’d always known that.

She pulled her hand away and tried to fill the silence. “I applaud your control. I’m afraid I was a little more sensitive about the whole thing.”

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