Chapter 8
Gavin
Ialready knew Hayden Bradford was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, but tonight, watching her light up from within telling me about her research project… It adds a dimension I never expected.
She’s amazing.
“Imagine if a virus could fly around the world on air currents alone.” Her blue eyes sparkle, and her hands are spread wide in excitement. “If a disease could spread without person-to-person contact. No sneezing in your face or on a surface, which you then touch.”
“That’s terrifying.”
“It is, but if we could show a correlation between the wind storms blowing into Japan from China every fall and the resultant outbreak of Kawasaki disease, we could protect more babies and potentially even stop the disease in its tracks.”
“Damn.” I say the word on an exhale. She’s had me on the edge of my seat since she started talking about it. “That’s really cool.”
“It’s not as cool as figuring out the actual cause of the disease.” She leans back with a sigh. “But think of how many children we could save.”
“Why would anyone call what you’re doing a hobby? You’re saving lives.”
She holds up both hands with her fingers crossed. “Not yet, but one day. I hope.” Then she seems a little embarrassed. “Sorry, I’ll go on and on once I get started.”
Reaching across the table, I cover her hand with mine. I can’t seem to stop touching her.
“It’s incredible. Is that why you went to UNC?”
“Not really. I always wanted to live in North Carolina. It has a fun, cultural vibe, and they have a great STEM program. What about you?”
“I grew up in Wilmington.”
“Still, it’s a basketball town.” She gives me a playful nudge I kind of love. “You were being a rebel.”
“UNC was not me being a rebel. Hockey was everything my parents didn’t want me to do, but I loved it.
” I exhale a chuckle. “My dad couldn’t understand why I didn’t join the military like him.
He would always say, ‘if you want adventure, join the guard.’ My mom Elaine made me promise I wouldn’t fuck up my teeth.
Only my mom Kenny seemed to understand.”
“Wait…” Her brow furrows, and she blinks at me a few times before grabbing my arm and pulling me closer. “Your parents are in a throuple?”
“What?” It takes me a second, then I break into a real laugh. “No, hell no. My parents were never married. Dad married Elaine, but my mom Kenny was always a part of my life.”
“Aw!” Her pretty head tilts to the side. “That’s so sweet! And how very evolved of them.”
“Dad and Kenny were always really good friends. It was one of those drunk accident kind of things. Lucky for me, they decided to keep me.”
“Oh no!” She cups her hands over her face, giving me wide eyes. “Was giving you up a possibility?”
“I don’t think so. Mom was a widow, but she always wanted to have a baby. Dad had plenty of money, and he’d never tell her no.”
“Your mom Kenny was a widow? That’s so sad. She must’ve been young.”
“She was, but then she met Slayde. Now they’re married with a daughter.”
“Yay! A happy ending!” Her face lights, and she does a little air-applause.
She’s so pretty, I wonder if she’d ever consider turning our truce into something more like friendship.
Then she jumps and pulls out her phone. “Somebody’s texting me… Oh. Oh no.” Her shoulders droop. “It’s Mrs. Higgins. I’m delinquent on my community outreach.”
“That’s a strong word. What crime did you commit?”
“I have to do some kind of community outreach every quarter, and since I fell off the parade float, I’m missing my project for this one.”
“Come with me to the hockey clinic tomorrow.”
“I’m not sure how that will help me.”
“We do a charity hockey clinic for little kids every year, and I bet they’d love to see a real princess, especially one who’s also a scientist. It’s our official community outreach, so I don’t know why it can’t also be yours.”
“Really?” Her pretty blue eyes blink wider. “I think it would count if a parade counted. What time?”
“10 a.m.”
“We’d better get going then.” She scoops up her phone and her iPad. “I’ll have to get up early to put on my face, and I can’t look hungover.”
“You’ve only had one drink!”
“Let’s go, Knight.” She grabs my arm, and I chuckle, leaving enough cash to cover the bill and a healthy tip.
That’s right, I’m her knight, and she took my arm that time.
We step out of the ride share in front of our house, and Haddy wobbles back against my chest.
“Whoa.” I catch her like I always do. Like I’ve really grown to like doing.
“Sorry, I lost my balance when I stepped out.” She snorts a laugh, but her grip tightens on my forearm.
I escort her up the front porch steps to the door. “You really are kind of a lightweight. No wonder you fell off the float.”
“I fell off the float because I hadn’t had breakfast.”
Tapping in the code to unlock the door, I scan her slender frame in front of me. “You need dinner.”
“I think Mav’s gone to bed.”
“Nah, too early. He’s out.” Shaking my head, I open the door and hold out my arm for her again.
“I’ve got it!” She waves me away. “I just stepped out of the car funny.”
“Okay.” I hold up both hands. “I’ll make us some dinner.”
Fifteen minutes later, I’m sliding a perfectly toasted grilled cheese sandwich from the cast-iron skillet onto her plate. “See what you think of that.”
She actually licks her lips. “It smells delicious.”
“It’s my specialty.” I scoop the remaining sandwich onto my own plate and follow her out the side door to the porch, where we sit at the table under the twinkle lights.
“I made my special lemonade.” She places two glasses beside our plates.
“Really?” I take a big gulp from mine. “That’s really good. Did you use real lemons?”
Her head ducks, and she snorts a laugh. “It’s Country Time.”
“Aw,” I grin. “Got me.”
Soft music drifts from the speakers on the corners of the house. The dogs are out here with us, Spanky resting on his stomach with his head perfectly poised. The little one is curled at his side like a baby.
We both immediately start stuffing our faces.
“Oh, my gah!” She groans, leaning back and covering her mouth with her hand. “That’s so good!”
I grin, taking another bite of my own sandwich and thinking about how sexy that little groan sounded, thinking about how sexy it would sound with her on my lap, those perfect breasts bouncing in my face.
I’ve got to stop before I pop a boner. “Thanks.”
“You know, Gina’s a scientist too.” Her brow arches. “She’s a cynologist.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s the study of domestic dogs.” She takes another big bite, and I like watching her devour the food I made for her. “She had to learn all the different breeds, their behavior, human-dog interactions, their history…”
“That’s really cool. Maybe she could bring Spanky and that other one to a clinic.”
“Little kids love dogs.” She nods, polishing off her last bite.
“It’s true, they might be too distracted to play hockey.”
“Thanks for dinner. You’re a really good cook.”
“I think anybody can make grilled cheese.”
She stands, picking up her empty plate and mine and starting for the kitchen.
I’m on my feet at once, picking up our glasses. “I think it’s cool to live in a house full of smart women.”
She holds the door with her back, looking up at me. “Smart enough to pick some good eye candy for roommates.”
I pass in front of her, warmth in my stomach. “We even cook.”
“And move heavy stuff!”
We’re both at the sink, and I take the plates from her hands. “And catch you when you fall.”
My voice lowers, and she seems a little embarrassed. We’re standing so close here at the sink. The water runs, but I can’t break this moment. She lifts her chin, blinking up at me, and I’m ready to drop the plates, pull her into my arms, and devour those soft lips.
Leaning my face a little closer, she doesn’t pull away. Her scent of fresh jasmine surrounds me. Heat flares stronger with every heartbeat. Her tongue slips out to wet her bottom lip, and I can taste the cool lemonade we drank on my tongue.
I’m so close, but as if waking from a dream, she lifts her hand quickly, resting it on my chest like she’s holding me back.
“I’d better go to bed.” Her voice is raspy. “I have to get my beauty sleep.”
“You couldn’t be any more beautiful, Princess.”
A pretty shade of pink colors her cheeks. She picks up her little dog and with a soft goodnight, she leaves me wanting more.