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Warm hands settled on his upper arms a moment before Leah stepped closer, her breasts touching his chest. Instantly visions of him peeling her T-shirt off so he could taste them, much the way he was tasting her lips, taunted him. Unable to do what he truly wanted, he locked his hands against her spine before they got any wild ideas of their own and went exploring.
Raising his mouth from Leah’s, Gavin waited. Slowly Leah opened her eyes and met his gaze. The heat he saw glowing in them was a reflection of the desire burning inside him.
Tilting her head, she studied him for a moment. “I was thinking about setting you up with either my cousin Courtney or Juliette.”
Evidently he needed to work harder at showing her how he felt if she wanted to discuss setting him up with another woman seconds after they kissed. With her in his arms, he couldn’t think of a better time to do it.
“But I can’t do it,” she continued with a slight shake of her head.
“Good, because but I’m interested in someone else.” Gavin started toward her lips. “I’ve been —”
Leah pressed her lips against his, cutting off the rest of his sentence. His first instinct was to take control and kick up the intensity of the kiss. Instead of doing what he wanted, he left the re
ins in Leah’s hands.
She didn’t disappointment.
Soon what started as a whisper of a kiss changed, and she traced his lips with her tongue, urging him to open for her. When he parted his lips, she dipped her tongue inside. Gavin groaned, the sound lost in her mouth. After months of waiting, he not only had Leah in his arms, but if her kiss was any indication, she wanted him as much he wanted her.
“Do you guys want to help us some more on the sandcastle?” a girl’s voice asked.
The question was an unpleasant reminder that not only were they not alone, but there were children around. He groaned again, although this time it had nothing to do with the passion setting him on fire.
They pulled away at the same time to find Reese looking at them, an expectant expression on her face. Curt and Taylor were on their way toward them too. The expression on her brother’s face was much less friendly than it had been earlier.
Reese didn’t wait for an answer before dropping to her knees and reaching for a plastic bucket. “I want to build a south wing.”
Leah leaned in. “I don’t mind helping. Do you?” she whispered.
While he’d love to have some private time with her, Leah’s willingness to help a little girl she barely knew build a sandcastle suggested she’d accept his daughter when the time came.
Shaking his head, Gavin picked up two buckets and handed one to Leah. “Reese, we’re awaiting your instructions.”
The bright smile Reese gave them instantly had him missing Erin and wishing she was here rather than in Florida with her mom.
“You guys can start on the center tower for the new wing.” Reese looked over at Curt and Taylor as they joined them around the building site. “Gavin and Leah said they’ll help us.” She handed Curt a bright pink plastic shovel, which he accepted without hesitation. “Curt, you can start on the bridge connecting the south wing to the main one.”
Curt saluted her with the shovel. “On it, short stuff.”
Not for the first time today, Gavin wondered about the relationship between Taylor, her niece, and Curt. It was clear Leah’s brother and the little girl were comfortable around each other, and if the guy had a special nickname for Reese, he must spend a considerable amount of time around her. Considering this was Taylor’s niece and not her daughter, Gavin found it odd.
Reese gave Taylor one of the tiny square buckets on the sand. “Auntie Taylor, we’ll work on the castle stables.”
Reese chatted away as they worked, telling them all about everything, from her time at camp the week before to how much she was looking forward to the fireworks tonight. Each time she laughed or smiled, Gavin was again reminded of his daughter. They’d done a lot of things together, but they’d never built a sandcastle. He’d never even taken her to a beach. When she came to stay in August, he’d have to rectify that. Hopefully Leah would accompany them.
Gavin shoveled more sand into the bucket. With the center tower of the south wing complete, Reese wanted him and Leah to start on the towers that would stand in each of the four corners. So far they’d completed one.
“She has my brother wrapped around her little finger.” Leah’s leg brushed against his as she leaned in and whispered in his ear.
Some would say the same thing about his daughter. There wasn’t anything Gavin wouldn’t do for her. “Little girls have a way of doing that.”
“Yeah, I can see you doing anything Piper asked you too,” she replied.
For now he’d let her assume his comment stemmed from his relationship with his much younger half sister. Soon he’d tell her about his daughter. He’d almost done it this morning when Erin called to tell him Amber had gotten engaged. Instead, when Leah asked, he told her the call was from Amber, because it hadn’t seemed like the right time to tell her he was a father.
“What’s a brother for, especially an older one?” he asked.
“Curt and Brett have always thought it was their job to drive me nuts.”
