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merged into a taste all their own,
complimenting each other in rich decadence that bordered on sinful.
Taylor slowly pulled the fork from his mouth.
    He opened his eyes as he finished the
bite, not realizing he’d closed them. A bright, gray gaze stared at
him with more passion than a seventeen-year-old should possess. His
heart pounded. The last bit of sweet indulgence slid down. As if
she’d been right there in his mouth too, her tongue darted out and
licked her bottom lip. Fire surged through his body, especially
lower down.
    Shit .
    He looked away and caught Maureen
staring with a blank expression that told him she was unable to
process what she’d witnessed.
    Goddammit .
    Taking a big swig of iced tea, he
tried to even his breathing.
    Taylor bit her pouty bottom lip then
asked, “So, was it good for you?”
    Iced tea spewed from his
mouth.
    * * * *
    Gavin watched in amusement as Maureen
tried to tell a story but kept getting interrupted by the other two
who seemed hell-bent on rattling the poor woman. Finally, she gave
up, and Taylor finished for her, saying, “You’re telling it
wrong.”
    Sometimes in unison or in tandem, the
close-knit family spoke about the previous holidays and their crazy
relatives. They told of their days in the hospital and all the
people they’d met. They finished each other’s sentences and lightly
teased each other. Even John joined in their silly antics. Watching
the ease of conversation and their love for one another filled
Gavin with longing for something that had been missing.
    Glancing at his watch, he sighed,
“Ten-thirty already. I still need to check into my hotel.” He stood
from the cushioned sofa. Taylor’s mouth fell. He smiled and winked
at her. “I’ll see you tomorrow, right, cheetdeath20?”
    She shot him a sideways glance. “I’m
counting on it, Ogger16.”
    He growled. The little devil was
taunting him.
    He suspected she knew exactly how her
comment and her recent victory sat with him, she grinned and stood.
“I’ll walk you out.”
    His heart beat sped a little. He
stepped to John and firmly shook his hand. “It was a pleasure to
meet you. Thank you for opening your home.”
    “We’re glad you came,
Gavin.”
    Turning to Maureen, he held out his
hand. She looked at it, frowned, and then pulled him into a
motherly hug that rendered him speechless. No one had hugged him
since…he couldn’t remember the last time. She held on tight, and
like his mother always had, waited for him to let go first.
Embarrassingly, his voice broke, and he couldn’t hold her gaze.
“Thank you, Maureen. The meal and the company were the best I’ve
had in a long while.”
    Taylor bounced along, following him to
the door, which he opened wide to allow her ahead of him. He
stepped out and closed it behind them.
    She looped her arm around his and
brushed against him as they walked to the rental. “I had a great
time.”
    The feel of her next to him was
intimate. A gentle, casual gesture that reminded him of how alone
he’d be when he left.
    He stopped and leaned against the
black SUV, not willing to go yet. “Are you disappointed?” He smiled
and studied her response.
    Even in the dark, he saw her cheeks
flush, and she shook her head. “Are you?”
    “Not at all. I’m pleasantly
surprised.” He looked down at the concrete drive, crossed one leg
over the other, and then cleared his voice. “But Taylor, I don’t
want to mislead you in any way. We can be friends…nothing
more.”
    She grabbed his hand and lightly laced
their fingers, looking up shyly with hooded-eyes. “Then I guess I
have my work cut out for me to win your heart in three
days.”
    Her sweetness ran like hot fudge over
ice cream, but he couldn’t allow himself to indulge. “It’s not
about winning hearts. You stole mine the minute I saw you, but
there can’t be anything more than friendship between us. Do you
understand?”
    Her smile fell, but she nodded. “So,
where are we going tomorrow?”
    He