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The unidentified emotion filling his chest grew, and he brushed his lips against hers. It was a tender kiss meant to communicate how he felt rather than elicit passion. Eventually Leah pulled back, her eyes sparkling with some unidentifiable emotion. He wondered if it was the same one tugging at his insides.
“Good.” The word didn’t do justice to his true thoughts, but it was the best he could come up with. He’d never had a woman in his life during any of Erin’s previous visits. Finding the right balance between time with Erin alone as well as Erin and Leah might take some time and effort. But Leah was worth it.
“It’s going to be different with Erin here, but I need to see you too,” he continued.
“No need to explain. I know the next two weeks are all about Erin and that you’ll want time alone time with her. Just tell me when and where and I’ll be there.”
Maybe someday he’d have to thank his half brother for being such an ass, because if Harry hadn’t cheated on Leah, she might not be sitting here with him now. “You’re amazing, you know.”
He wasn’t trying to get brownie points or anything. The compliment just slipped out because it was true. Leah Sherbrooke was the most understanding woman he knew.
If they weren’t sitting so close, he would’ve missed the slight blush across her cheeks.
“I’ll take your word for it. But seriously, since I’m not traveling for work again until October, I have some flexibility, so whenever you want me around, I should be able to make it.”
Officially he had Erin’s first week in New York off. He’d structured it so that during her second week with him, he should only have to spend a few hours a day working from home. And unless something unexpected came up, those could be hours when Erin was sleeping.
“Stay with us while she’s here.”
Before they’d started spending nights together, Gavin often had trouble sleeping. More nights than not, he stared at the ceiling for hours before drifting off to a restless sleep. On the nights Leah was next to him, it wasn’t an issue. The first few times he thought it was a coincidence that he slept well with her there. The few times before his recent business trip he’d slept alone and then the two nights in California without Leah proved he simply slept better with her there.
A better night’s sleep wasn’t the only re
ason he wanted her with him. When she was around he felt content in a way he’d never experienced before. Maybe it was selfish, but he didn’t want to deprive himself of it for the next two weeks.
“I planned on giving you a key this week anyway,” he continued. Other than Harry, he’d never given anyone the key to his condo. But he wanted Leah to think of his place as another home.
The subject of whether they’d be spending nights together had crossed her mind numerous times over the weekend. And although Curt suggested she ask Gavin about it, she’d decided to wait and let him bring up the topic.
“You don’t think she’ll find it weird I’m sleeping in your bedroom?”
“Why would she?” Gavin asked.
In all the months Leah had known him, she’d never known him to date. Gavin’s response made her wonder if he’d had other woman spend the night when his daughter was with him in New York.
She shrugged slightly before answering. “Curt said they make sure Reese never sees Taylor coming out of his room when they stay at his place in Newport. I thought maybe you wouldn’t want Erin to know we shared a room either.”
But hey, if she’s used to seeing a woman come out of your bedroom…. Leah forced her train of thought to stop before she said something inappropriate. Because whom Gavin had been involved with before her wasn’t any of her business, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t dated or slept with other men before they met either.
“Amber’s fiancé spends more time at their apartment than his own. Erin sees him coming out her mom’s bedroom all the time. It’s never happened when she’s been here, but I don’t think it’ll faze Erin if she knows you sleep in my room.”
She’d had more than a couple boyfriends. During those relationships she’d sometimes spent a night at their house or they’d stay with her. When they weren’t together, she’d never cared. With Gavin it was different. In a very short amount of time, she’d grown used to having him in bed next to her. She loved falling asleep with his arm around her and waking up in the middle of the night and just knowing he slept inches away. When she woke up in the morning, having him there made getting ready for the day much more enjoyable too.
“As long as you think Erin will be okay with it, I’ll stay with you,” she responded.
She considered his comment about giving her a key to his condo. Even though she’d never given a boyfriend a key to her home, she’d been considering it since before he left for California, had even pulled a spare one from her desk drawer. In the end she’d decided to hold off another week or two before saying anything, worried Gavin might interpret the gesture to mean she wanted more of a commitment from him.
“I dug out a spare key to my house for you too,” she admitted. “I don’t have one for here, but I’ll talk to hotel security about getting one for you.”
For the next half hour or so, Gavin shared the plans he had in mind for his daughter’s stay. He’d included everything from a trip to the Above The Trees Adventure obstacle course and Paradise Fairway, to a concert at Madison Square Garden by one of Erin’s favorite musicians and a baseball game. Considering everything he had planned, the young girl might sleep for a month straight once she returned to her mom in Providence. Heck, Leah was tired from just listening to the list. And although she thought it might be a little too much, even without asking she understood why he wanted to get as much in as possible. His time with Erin was limited, and he wanted to make it as memorable for both of them as possible.
Eventually, Gavin finished explaining his plans for Erin’s visit, and she took the opportunity to inquire about his time with Vivian. Other than the fact that the woman was ten minutes older than Gavin and lived in California, Leah knew very little about his twin sister.
“It shocked the hell out of me when Jeffrey Moore showed up.”
He said the name as if she knew who the man was, but it didn’t sound at all familiar to her.
“Is he an actor?” she asked. Since his sister lived in California, the home of Hollywood, it was a plausible guess.
