Page 36 of Reaching Gavin

She stayed.

“How are you settling in? That seems like kind of a silly question since it’s only a temporary gig, right? But I know you’re working on the Majestic Theatre project. Let me know if you need any help with that.”

I remembered how vocal she had been at the initial meeting and made a mental note to take her up on that. “I think it’s going okay, but I won’t really know until we present.”

“Don’t let any of them scare you,” she lowered her voice. “Half of us don’t know what we’re doing half the time. That’s the real truth about being an adult. Were all just feeling our way through it.”

“So this sick to the stomach feeling that I’m getting it all wrong isn’t going away anytime soon?” I asked her.

“No,” she said, shaking her head with a laugh. “But there are perks.”

I was all ears. So far the only perks I’d experienced were taxes, bills, and an ever-growing list of responsibilities. “Like what?”

“No one can tell you when to go to bed,” she teased.

“I guess I’ll settle for that,” I said as we both laughed. She headed back out and I turned toward Gavin’s desk, alone with the notepad at last. I had no idea what to write. The things I wanted from Gavin probably shouldn’t be in writing. Not in a building with an HR department. Also, there was the fact that I really needed to deny what I wanted from Gavin. In the end, I settled for ‘I need to talk to you. Cassie.’ I hesitated, almost signing an XOXO and then decided against it. The hesitation cost me because before I could leave, Gavin reappeared.

“Cassie.” He sounded happy to see me. I guessed he hadn’t been avoiding me after all. “I just stopped by your desk and you weren’t there.”

He’d been looking for me. I twisted at the pen’s cap nervously, the movement mirroring how my insides felt. “I’ve been in here waiting for you.”

Now that sounded pathetic. I should have said that I ran into Agnes or made up an excuse for where I had been for the last ten minutes. Instead, I held up the pad of paper. “I was leaving you a note. Agnes left you one, too.”

He took it as he circled to the back of his desk and read it over, his nose crinkling with concentration as he did. I took a small step backwards. If I went slowly and quietly, maybe he would forget I was here until I was out of the room entirely. Gavin tossed the notepad down.

“You wanted to talk to me,” he said. It was amazing how one simple sentence could make me feel backed again the wall. My eyes shot toward the open door. It wasn’t really a conversation to have if half the office could hear it. He noticed my glance and walked over to close it. I wasn’t entirely sure that was any less obvious—the boss closing the door with the intern inside felt like the beginning of a porno—but it was going to be the first step in having this conversation that I still wasn’t sure I wanted to have. Before I could screw up the courage to open my mouth, he turned around and hit me with, “About Friday night.”

His words hung heavily in the air between us as ominous as the gray clouds blocking the sun outside.

I had my answer. I really didn’t want to have this conversation, and now he was blocking my only escape route. If he noticed my deer in the headlights terror, that didn’t stop him. “That kiss might not have been the best idea.”

I’d been thinking the same thing for 48 hours, but hearing it from Gavin’s own lips—the lips that had kissed me—crushed me. I squared my shoulders and forced a smile. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

“I think you’re misunderstanding me.” Gavin ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He done the same thing on Friday. I realized it was a nervous tick. There was some solace in knowing that I had gotten under his skin, too. “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

“I think I’m understanding you perfectly,” I said. I really didn’t need him repeating himself if it was just going to be a series of direct blows to my heart.

“You told me you weren’t interested in dating. I keep pursuing. I’m sorry,” he said, spreading his hands. “If that’s what you really want, then I’m going to respect it. I got a vibe on Friday, but it wasn’t”—

I didn’t let him finish the sentence before I was kissing him. He wanted me and that was all that mattered. All the questioning, all the analysis, I really, truly had my answer as to what I wanted. I didn’t want Gavin to stay away. I wanted him closer, consequences be damned.

Gavin broke away, breathless, his mouth hovering dangerously close to mine. “I just need to know this is what you want.”

“Well, I didn’t want you to stop kissing me,” I grumbled. He took the hint. His arms snaked around me and I reacted instinctively as he lifted my body and pressed me against the wall. My legs wrapped around his lean torso, urging him closer. I had no doubt where this was leading. Not right here. Not right now. But soon. This was a sneak preview. A coming attraction. A restricted trailer for an R-rated evening. When we got to the feature presentation, I wanted him all to myself.

Gavin trailed away from my lips, brushing kisses along my jaw until he reached my ear. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you this weekend.”

“Me either,” I whimpered.

“I’m not sure how I’m going to get anything done today,” he admitted.

“Sick day?” He laughed and I joined him. It would definitely look suspicious if suddenly we both became ill. “Dinner, tonight? At my place, or… dammit.”

“We can go wherever.” I just wanted to be with him.

“I want you alone. But Imogen is staying with me still.”

I conveniently overlooked Lillian’s no boys rules. She would be at work late anyway, and someone needed to get laid in that house. “My place will be empty. We can order takeout.”

He shook his head. “I’ll cook.”

“You cook?”

“Don’t sound so surprised.” He grinned at my disbelief. It was little lopsided and I swear I almost fell in love with him on the spot.

I took a deep, steadying breath as he lowered me back to my feet. “Okay. My place. Seven?”

“I’ll be watching the clock.” He lifted my hand and kissed the inside of my palm softly.

I’d be watching the clock, too.