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Without him.
CHAPTER 10
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The trip to the ranchwas silent. Gavin had Brooke’s hand in his, his teeth clenched tightly together. There was a hole inside of him the size of the wide, open spaces of the Karoo back in South Africa, and his heart seemed to hover somewhere outside of his body.
He probably should’ve said something during the night, but he hadn’t wanted to waste any time yapping when he could’ve been making love to her. They’d hardly slept. Each time she’d turned or he’d moved, they’d ended up touching one another, and each touch ignited the embers of desire that had never quite died during the long, dark hours. He simply couldn’t get enough of her—not something that would change anytime soon. In the end, she had to send him out of her room that morning so she could get dressed; otherwise they’d probably still be in her shower.
Since they’d left her house, she’d become quiet.
He didn’t want whatever it was between him and Brooke to end, but he was leaving for Seattle next week, she had work to do. Life continued even if he wanted to hold on to every minute he could spend with her. He didn’t have anything to offer her she didn’t already have, he knew that, but maybe they could be together for a little while longer.
Taking the turn-off to the ranch, he glanced at her. “I can stay with you for the rest of the week.”
Her head whipped in his direction. “So, we’re back to the eight-night stand? Or how long would it be now? Seven days? Six?”
Before he could open his mouth, though, she continued, “I don’t want to confuse Connor. He likes you a lot. It’ll break his heart if he thinks you’re staying and then you up and disappear after a day or two when you have to leave for Seattle.”
“I was hoping after last night you might have changed your mind.” He parked in front of Eleanor’s home on the ranch.
“Last night we scratched the itch. If I remember correctly, that was exactly what you proposed.”
He grabbed her hand. “It was way more than scratching an itch, and you know it!”
She didn’t look at him—only smiled vaguely in his direction. “Do I?” Before he could react, she’d opened her door.
Connor was already racing toward his mom with Eleanor a little bit behind him.
“Mom! Gavin!” He threw his arms around his mother before he ran toward Gavin. “I’ve been waiting and waiting for you. Come on, I want to show you the horses.”
Gavin looked down at the little boy with his mom’s beautiful blue eyes. He smiled. “Let me say hi to your grandma, and then I’m all yours.”
“Eleanor.” He nodded and bent down to give her a hug.
Eleanor’s eyes narrowed slightly before they moved between him and Brooke. “Something happened...?”
