“Then one day I just decided, fuck it. You hadn’t found another coffee shop, hadn’t changed your routine in all those months, and I was weak, ready to throw caution to the wind. I wanted to see where this could lead. But instead of asking you out, instead of introducing myself and sitting down to talk, I decided to test you. That’s what the business card was, you know? A test.”
At this, her head snapped up and she held my gaze. “Did I pass?”
“Beautifully. I never imagined you’d come into the office like that. So brave, my little pet. So . . . everything.”
Emma flinched as I leaned forward to touch her, causing me to draw my hand away.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded, but I could see a new sheen in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. Damn it.
“Emma, look—”
“It’s all right. I’m finding that the altitude is making me feel a little unwell.” She stood and turned away, hiding her face from me with a sniffle. “I’m going to splash some water on my face, and we can continue this when we get to Florida.”
When she was gone, I swirled the wine in my glass wistfully. I’d known no good could come of this conversation. To me, Ashley was all tragedy and heartbreak. The best things about her, the memories of us laughing or joking around, had faded over time. And in truth? I found them just as bitter as the rest of it now.
Still, I didn’t want to mar the memory of a good person by sharing too many details of her disease. The way the drugs had taken hold of her; the way she’d lied and cheated toward the end. And the way things had eventually ended.
Still, if not telling might cost me Emma? I had no choice. Hopefully, what I’d shared today had been enough for both of us.
A short time later, Emma rejoined me, her eyes watery but clear.
“Thank you for taking the chance and coming with me,” I said sincerely.
She gave me a shaky nod. “What’s on the agenda for this trip?”
I released the breath that had been pinned in my chest as I realized she’d been left as raw from our conversation as I had, and had decided to put a pin in it.
“The usual, really.” I shrugged. “It’s a golf outing with dinner and a cocktail hour. Did you bring along clothes for that kind of thing?”
She nodded again and then went quiet.
For the rest of the plane ride, there was an Ashley-sized wedge between us that was as tangible as if she were sitting right here. As much as I welcomed the reprieve, there was no doubt.
Eventually, it was all going to come out.
And the only question that remained was whether Emma’s feelings for me would survive it.
Chapter Four
Emma
Talk about a bumpy landing.
Not the pilot. He did his job perfectly, lowering the jet so smoothly onto the airstrip, I didn’t notice we had landed until I saw palm trees out my window. Gavin and me, on the other hand? Things between us were so rocky, I didn’t know if there would ever be smooth sailing again.
We spent most of the limo ride in silence. Gavin had opened up on the jet about his relationship with Ashley, but I still had a lot of questions. I’d been down the abusive-relationship road before, and no matter how much I cared about Gavin, there was no way I would let myself get hurt like that again.
When we arrived at the hotel, the limo driver opened my door, and I was instantly struck by the soft salty smell of the warm beach air. Just being outside felt like a dip in the ocean, and I couldn’t wait to clear my head by the water. When I stepped out of the limo, I had to bite my lip to keep from gasping out loud.
This hotel was like something out of a movie.
Since I started seeing Gavin, I thought I was getting used to seeing how the other half lived. But this place? It was unreal, the kind of hotel where celebrities and wealthy politicians stayed.
The doorman greeted us and held the huge swinging door open as we entered the most gorgeous lobby I’d ever seen. Glossy marble floors stretched out in front of us, and a row of gold-tiled columns led us to the front desk. A massive three-tiered floral arrangement stood in the center of the lobby, with more flowers in it than I could count. The backdrop of the lobby featured floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased the pristine beach just a short walk away. I couldn’t tell if it was the flowers or the view, but I was starting to feel a little light-headed.
At the front desk, the attendant gave Gavin our room keys, and the bellhop piled our luggage onto a cart. We rode the elevator up sixteen floors before the doors opened with a loud ding. The bellhop led us down a short hallway before pausing briefly in front of our door after he opened it.
“Welcome to your oceanfront suite,” the bellhop said, gesturing for us to enter.
Gavin motioned for me to go ahead, his fingertips brushing the small of my back as I passed before quickly pulling back as he caught himself and fisted his hands at his sides. The first room we walked into had a plush white linen sofa on one wall, a flat-screen TV on the other, and a large driftwood-and-glass coffee table in the middle. The wall directly across from us featured floor-to-ceiling windows, giving us the perfect view of miles and miles of clear blue ocean.
I could already tell that it would be hard not to get swept away in the beauty of this place.
After the bellhop dropped our luggage in the doorway, Gavin slipped him a twenty and shut the door behind him.
“Would you like the grand tour?” he asked coolly.
I didn’t miss the hint of frustration in his voice, but could tell that he was trying to be civil.
“Why not?” I said, doing my best to hide the excitement in my voice. Even if things between us were icy, I was eager to see what the rest of the suite looked like.
The sleek kitchenette easily put my full-sized kitchen to shame with its white cabinetry, marble countertops, and state-of-the-art appliances. Gavin led me past the breakfast nook, down a small hallway, and into the first bathroom, which had a large standing tub and a sandy-beige tiled shower with a waterfall showerhead. It was all so perfect, I could only imagine how much one night in this suite cost.
And then there were the bedrooms. Thank God there were two.
The first we entered had plush pale blue pillows lining the headboard of the white king-sized bed. A vase of white lilies adorned the bedside table, and a modern light fixture hung over the bed. It was the only decoration, though, because the wall opposite the bed had even more floor-to-ceiling windows, flooding the room with the warmth of natural light. This suite gave a whole new meaning to the term “oceanfront.”
“You can have this room,” Gavin said, running his fingers over the crisp white comforter. “I assume you’d prefer more time to yourself to think things over.” He turned to face me, the sunlight hitting his hazel eyes just right so they were almost glowing.
It took everything in me not to melt right then and there. We could sleep together without sleeping together, couldn’t we?
When I didn’t respond, he ventured a step closer and slipped his arm around my waist.
“Or you could stay with me,” he murmured.
His crisp, masculine scent washed over me, and a thousand memories of our time together before flooded through my brain. Tangled sweaty limbs, and murmured filthy words.
No. No, we could not.
I ignored the slight weakness in my knees and shook my head. “I don’t think I’m ready to spend the night with you again.” Not yet, at least. “I still have so many questions,” I said, pulling away from his embrace.
Gavin stepped back, his jaw clenching. “I’m going to get some work done. Dinner’s at seven. Until then, I’ll leave you with your questions.” With that, he quickly left the room.
I sighed and flopped down on the bed, relishing in how perfectly it formed to my body.
This trip would be a lot harder than I thought.
• • •
At dinner, I decided to ask Gavin my questions after our main course was served. By that point, he’d already have plenty of bourbon and lobster in him, and I hoped that would make him more open to sharing. I could tell my need to know was getting on his nerves. Part of me felt bad to be doubting him this way, but another part of me was frustrated. If he couldn’t answer my questions, I might never really trust him again.