I felt a tongue slide across my face. I shook my head. Before I could open my eyes the entire night played out in my head. I felt the tongue again. Gavin was licking me. He was making a move on me. Trying to touch me while I was sleeping.

I grabbed for the blanket and pulled it over my head and turned away.

Then I felt Gavin rip the blanket off me.

Then he barked and my eyes popped open.

Wait… barked?

I turned my head and saw a dog staring at me. He had a paw up on the couch. His mouth open, breathing, tongue dangling from its mouth. His breath smelled better than mine tasted.

I froze for a few seconds, trying to put everything together.

“Jesse, get away from her.”

The dog let out a little yip and then slowly walked away, his hips bouncing against the coffee table and then the chair. He circled and plopped down.

Gavin then appeared holding a cup of coffee. He put it on the coffee table.

“Morning, sunshine,” he said. “Coffee. Black. Drink it. It’ll do you good.”

“Gavin…”

Whitney.

“Shit,” I said. I sat up and grabbed for my phone.

I frowned when I realized she hadn’t texted or called me. Not even to check on me. Not once. I just disappeared into the night and she didn’t care.

I sent her a quick text letting her know that I was safe and would be heading home soon. Then I sent a text to a number that would have a car show up for me as soon as possible.

I then looked around at my surroundings.

It was an old house with all wood trim, old hardwood floors, a large fireplace that looked in need of a cleaning. It had a distinct smell to it too. Not dirty but not clean either.

Gavin sat in a chair next to the couch holding another coffee cup in his hands. “You okay? You need some medicine or something?”

“No,” I said. “I, uh, I texted for a ride. I’ll be out of your hair in a few.”

“Right,” Gavin said. He sat back and raised an eyebrow.

I remembered him being sexy but, damn, he looked even sexier with sleep on his face and his hair messy. There was a cocky look to his face like he knew something I didn’t.

“Oh, no,” I whispered. “Did we…”

He laughed. “No. You threw up and then fell asleep.”

Gavin stood and walked away.

I quickly jumped to my feet and the room spun. I put my hands out and caught my balance. I grabbed for the coffee and took a few sips. It was good. It helped.

My mind replayed the images. Drinking. Flirting. Shooting an air rifle. Kissing Gavin. Oh, damn, so much kissing… I licked my lips, daring myself to taste him again, but he wasn’t there. Just a nasty taste. Because I threw up. I came home with Gavin for a reason… and threw up instead.

Damn.

I walked through the living room, taking in the rustic, country kind of setting.

I paused at the dining room and saw through the large bay window that he had nothing but land outside. Not a house in sight. No buildings. No city. Nothing.

My jaw hit the floor.

To my right was the kitchen, a huge kitchen. With an island in the middle. Pans hanging from the ceiling over the island.

Gavin stood at the stove, cooking breakfast. He looked over his shoulder, smiling. “You sure you’re okay?”

“This house is really nice, Gavin.”

“Yeah? Kind of beat up, right?”

“But it’s… so different than what I’m used to.”

“And what are you used to?”

I stared at him. He really had no idea who I was.

“I’m from the city. So it’s buildings. Apartments. Updated stuff.”

“Updated,” Gavin said.

“Not in a mean way.”

“Of course not. Do you like your bacon cooked or burnt?”

“No, Gavin. No way. I couldn’t…”

“I’m already cooking it,” he said.

I walked into the kitchen and leaned against the wall. “Whatever happened last night, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to burden you. Or your night. Or take up your time. It’s just that…”

“Olivia, I’m not asking questions, okay? I’m cooking breakfast for whoever wants some. Then I have to get ready and head to the garage.”

“Right,” I said.

“Do you have a job to go to?”

“Yeah,” I said.

I bit my lip when Gavin faced the stove again. I looked around the kitchen. Everything old, but in a good way, I swear. It was comforting. Like a real home. Mail on the counter. A hat on top of that. Keys on the counter. The coffeemaker near the edge of the counter with grounds on the counter. The coffee can had a big spoon on top. The coffee was cheap, some store brand stuff.

It was perfect.

The refrigerator had one door. No ice maker even. Nothing fancy. No built-in wine fridge either. The cabinets were brown, worn, greasy looking. Some of the handles were crooked.

“Gavin…”

“Yeah?” he looked back again.

“Thank you for not being a jerk last night.”

“Correction,” he said. “You called me a jerk a couple times.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I know what you mean,” he said.

He then put a whole bunch of bacon on a plate. Not fancy, organic turkey bacon. But real bacon. Dripping with yummy grease. And he plopped it right on a plate with paper towel on it. Then he scraped scrambled eggs into a bowl. Not special eggs with minced up kale or fancy tomatoes or expensive cheeses in it. Just scrambled eggs.

He had no idea how weird this was for me.

He carried the plate of bacon and bowl of eggs to the table.

“I should wait for my ride.”

“Sure,” he said. “Whatever you need to do.”

“Are you…”

Gavin grabbed a stack of plates and put them to the table next.

“If there’s something you need to get off your chest, go for it,” he said. “If not, I have some vodka you could drink.”

My stomach did a flip. “What did I say…”

Gavin smiled. “Grab a plate before they’re all gone.”

“All gone?” I asked.

That’s when the doorbell rang.

I gasped and my eyes went wide.

Gavin walked by me and I scrambled to the couch. I grabbed my hoodie and hurried to put it on. I tried to fix my hair.

Who the hell was here? What was happening?

Gavin opened the door and a little girl came charging in.

He has a kid… holy shit…

“Uncle Gavin!” she cried out.

No. He has a niece.

A woman then stepped through the doorway. “Are you sure?”

“I’ll get her where she has to go, Nikki.”

Nikki… that name was familiar.

Nikki looked right at me.

I gave a weak wave. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Nikki said.

“Oh, right,” Gavin said. “Nikki, this is Olivia. Olivia, this is Nikki.”

“What about me?” the little girl asked.

“Of course,” Gavin said. “This is Ava. My girl. Right?”

“Are you Uncle Gavin’s girlfriend?” Ava asked without hesitation.

I opened my mouth.

“Ava,” Nikki said. “Don’t ask those questions.” Nikki looked at me again. “So, are you Gavin’s girlfriend?”

I looked at Gavin.

“Olivia is from out of town,” Gavin said. “She got stranded by a friend and stayed here. On the couch. I slept in the chair…”

He slept in the chair? To be near me? In case I got sick again?

My heart swooned a little.

“Any other questions, mom?” Gavin asked Nikki.

“Oh, there’s plenty,” Nikki said. “But I’m going to be late. Her lunch is packed. Do not let her con you into anything else.”

“At least grab some food,” Gavin said. “Please?”

“Fine,” Nikki said.

She walked through the house.

Gavin put Ava down. “Why don’t you get a plate and eat?”

Ava charged into the dining room.

I stood there, not sure if I should be mad, embarrassed, or just grab a plate and play it cool. Gavin nodded to the front door and I nodded too.

On the porch, he slipped his hands into the pockets of his dirty jeans. “My niece and sister-in-law. She works at the local diner. Owner is a real jackass. So I help with Ava when I can. If I knew I was having company…”

“No,” I said. “It’s not your fault. It’s my fault. I got carried away last night.”

“A little bit.”

I hung my head. “Sorry. I don’t get out that much. Like this, at least.”

Gavin touched my chin. “Hey. Who gives a shit?”

“Your sister-in-law probably thinks I’m some slut, huh?”

“Doubt it,” Gavin said. “She’s probably more relieved that a woman was here. It’s been… whatever.”

My phone vibrated. I checked and read a text as I heard tires crunching on rocks. A black car pulled up the driveway.

Gavin looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “Private car, huh?”

“I wasn’t going to drink and drive from the city,” I said. “I’m responsible.”

“And to think I was going to offer you some money for a ride. Looks like you have that covered.”

There was an awkward silence between us that lingered longer than needed.

“I guess I should get going,” I said.

“Yeah, it seems that way, huh?”

I stepped toward the steps. Then I paused. I looked back. “Thank you again. I mean, for just putting up with me. Whatever I said. Whatever I implied I was going to do. I didn’t mean to ruin your night.”

“Nobody said you ruined my night, darling,” Gavin said. He crossed his arms and leaned against the closed door.

I saw the way his arms filled out his shirt. His chest and shoulders to match. The tattoos on his one arm. The rippling muscles of his forearms.

Some princesses wanted a white knight with a nice smile to show up and save her.

But me?

If this guy was bad… dirty… whatever… I wanted it and him.

 

* * *

 

“Your father is waiting for you,” I heard a voice say, after I screamed, of course.

I stepped out of the bathroom expecting to be alone.

But there was Andy, looking nervous. And Whitney was behind her, wearing a giant pair of black sunglasses.

She lifted a glass full of green stuff. “Cheers. This better make the hammering stop in my head.”

“What the hell is happening right now?” I asked.

“I got here and found Whitney at your door,” Andy said.

“I knocked and you didn’t answer. Bitch.”

“You’re drunk,” I said.

“Party all night and day,” Whitney said. “Woooo…”

She groaned and shuffled away.

“Rough night?” Andy asked.

“I’m fine,” I said.

I threw up last night. So I feel great right now. I’m good to go.

“Good,” Andy said. “Your father needs to talk to you. Right now.”

“Right now?” I asked.

“You know how he is. He already threatened my job twice because you weren’t there yet.”

“You’re not fired, Andy.”

“I know,” Andy said with a grin. “But it is scary to hear Sterling’s voice booming.”

Sterling.

I always cringed when someone said my father’s name.

“I’m wearing a towel,” I said. “Should I show up like this?”

“It might save my job,” Andy said.

“Why don’t you get Whitney in the guest bed? I don’t want her stumbling around in public. As much as my father would like that, I don’t need her hurting herself or someone else.”

“Agreed,” Andy said. “She took your green smoothie.”

“Oh… no…” I smiled and winked.

“Don’t worry,” Andy said, “I had them make you another one.”

“And that’s why you can never get fired.”

I went into my room and grabbed my phone and called my father. Amazing what technology did, right? There was a time when I was a kid and couldn’t talk to my father when I wanted to. But as technology swept through the world, he could be across the world and with the touch of a button I could see him and talk to him. Not that that ever happened though, unless it had a purpose with his business. Still, amazing how he could stir up people and their emotions when I was just a call away.

My father answered his cell on the second ring. “Where are you?”

“Good morning.”

“To hell with the morning. London is already past lunch. Melbourne is already…”

“I just took a shower,” I said. “Why are you threatening Andy’s job?”

“She’s fired.”

“She’s not fired.”

“Okay. You’re right. I have quite a few meetings today, Olivia. And I’ve blocked out time to speak with you face to face. I’m actually quite calm right now.”

“This is calm?”

“If I was angry… Andy would have already been escorted away. And I would have been sitting in a chair in your room waiting for you. I think we both know that. You have thirty minutes to get here, Olivia.”

The call went dead.

“Love you too,” I whispered.

I thought about the night before as I got dressed.

How stupid could I have been? I stole a bottle of vodka from a bar. I shot a gun. I made out with a stranger. A sexy stranger. But then I took it too far. It was a dumb move. Gavin could have done so much… but he didn’t. Hell, he could have just taken the cash I had with me. But he didn’t. He didn’t spy, snoop, nothing.

He was - dare I admit - a perfect gentleman. Even with his rough edges, rough look, and dirty looking clothes. But that was all part of the sexy guy in a small town kind of thing. So opposite to everyone in the city and in my life, all wearing fancy suits, looking almost the same, almost robotic.

I stood at my window, thinking way too much about a night that didn’t really matter.

Except I had said something to him about death. And I vaguely remembered him agreeing. And the woman at the bar, Stacey, she was crying. And then his sister-in-law, Nikki. His niece, Ava. Where was his brother then?

“Hey. I don’t want to be a pain in your ass…”

Andy was in my room now.

“But you are being one,” I said without looking back.

“Your father called me again.”

“Right,” I said. I turned and took a deep breath. I put my bitch face on and walked out of the bedroom.

I kept walking and didn’t stop until I got to the car waiting outside. There I stood, raised an eyebrow, and waited for the driver to open the door for me.

I then had the image of Gavin opening the car door for me. On a date. Somewhere far away from the city.

I swallowed hard.

No, Liv, no…

I told myself I’d never see Gavin again.

But little did I know what my father really wanted to see me for.

 

* * *

 

I walked the hall and people stared at me. I kept a stoic face and didn’t look at anyone. The sounds of my heels clicking on the floor were matched with those with me. Andy on my right. Three of my father’s employees behind me, each with a phone, a tablet, their fingers forever scrolling and typing. Behind them were two men dressed in suits, black sunglasses on, ear pieces in. They were built like buildings themselves, part of a seven figure a year security detail that my father paid for and shared with me.

Not that my life had ever been threatened, but it was for the image. If people saw us with bodyguards then that gave the impression that we were important enough to need protection.

My father built the entire office building with lots of glass. He did not want anyone to have privacy. He wanted everyone to be responsible for one another. He loved gossip, politics, and the cutthroat world of business. He would pour gasoline throughout the day and then light the match at the end of the day to see who would leave and let it burn or who would jump into the flames for him. And if someone got out of line, they were thrown out. Literally picked up and thrown out. And before anyone could even consider a lawsuit, my father would personally stand outside with his personal checkbook and write a number that would keep the person quiet. Never enough to be considered rich, but enough to never forget who the hell Sterling was.

Total ugh.

It was my life. And he treated me the same way.

One time when I was sixteen I took a car for a ride. Because I wanted to experience that sense of freedom. One of the workers at the house told my father. I was followed by security. I came back home and my father waited for me at the kitchen table. He berated me for over an hour, cutting me down to the point where tears were flowing without me realizing it. Then he spread almost six figures in cash on the table and told me to go buy my own car.

Everything made of glass in the building, except my father’s private office and private conference rooms.

He was waiting in Conference Room 3, his favorite room.

I opened the door and he sat there with his glass of scotch and his shoes up on the table.

“Alone,” he said.

Andy backed off.

I shut the door.

“You’re late.”

“Didn’t know I had a certain time to be here,” I said.

He swung his feet off the table and stood up. He pointed at me. “You know, sometimes I worry about you, Olivia. I mean, you’ve got the image down. You’re perfect at what you do. The princess. The hero. You balance out my dark side. Other times I wish you were more like Whitney. She’s dirty. Ruthless. Will do anything to get what she wants. But this time your subtle moves worked.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You think you and Whitney going into that shithole of a town was by accident?”

“I don’t follow…”

My father grabbed a leather folder and opened it. He spun it around and slid it toward me. “Redeveloping shithole towns. That’s where a new opportunity is happening, Olivia. Taking those rundown places, knocking them down, and rebuilding. Push the overflow from the city into the towns. People think they’re living the quaint, country life. We get to charge whatever the fuck we want for housing, food, whatever.”

I stared at an expansive plan, complete with computer generated drawings of a town.

I swallowed hard. “This…”

“And you, you got cozy with the exact person I needed you to do so with,” my father said. He put his fists to the table. He leaned forward. “Whitney got drunk and fell to the wayside. But you were right there in the heart of it.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I am. And if I don’t act, and soon, then Whitney’s father will be the one scooping this town up. I will not let that happen.”

Gavin. This is about Gavin.

“I want to start with the appearance of respect,” my father said. “There’s an auto garage that needs to go. That piece of land is big enough and disgusting enough to show good faith. We start there. Buy it. Level it. Build something to show the town we aren’t the enemy. Then we slowly work through, push the middle class wannabes out of there and bring in the real people.”

I shut the folder and pushed it back. “Not a chance.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not a chance. Whatever you think. No. No way.”

My father laughed. “What happened last night?”

“Nothing,” I said.

“Let me explain something to you. The truth that nobody wants to hear.” My father slipped his hands into his pockets and walked around the conference table. “These people are dying. These people can’t afford to take a piss. I didn’t cause that. I didn’t choose their life. But I can help. Rebuilding the town gives jobs, purpose, gives something for them to do. And if you kept your ears open last night I’m sure you spotted exactly what I’m saying. Everyone struggling to even eat. How was the vibe? Depressing? Sad? Lonely?”

“Not lonely,” I said.

My heart felt heavy thinking about the town and the people.

“Yeah, sure,” my father said. He leaned against the table and crossed his arms. “I’m willing to pay more than what everything is worth. I’m not undercutting anyone, Olivia. So the people that own those buildings will get three times what they’re worth. They can cash out and find a new life. Those trapped in that town? They’ll have a new town. Instead of scrambling to get a paycheck, there will be opportunity. Shopping centers that need workers, maintenance, security. Same for condos, townhouses, maybe even a golf course that needs experienced groundskeepers. It’s called rejuvenation, Olivia. Okay?”

“But everything will become more expensive,” I said. “You just said so yourself. So you give these people a job and it costs more to survive.”

“Then they can get a second job,” my father said. “Or maybe it’ll inspire them to go back to college and get that degree they’ve always dreamed of.”

My father grinned that greedy asshole grin and showed me a fist. He was like a politician on TV, knowing his words were smooth and would win anyone over.

But not me.

“I refuse to be part of this,” I said. “After what you did to me with the children’s hospital…”

“Olivia, you’re already part of it. You were there. You know what it’s like.”

“No,” I said. “I’m one of the few who can say that word to you. No.”

I turned and walked to the door. I grabbed the handle.

“It’s a shame about Abigail,” my father said.

My heart sank.

I froze.

“I paid for all the final expenses. And there’s a big memorial for her coming up with your name everywhere, Olivia. I would hate for that to get canceled because you spent the night drinking with a stranger and needed to go into rehab.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh,” my father said, snapping his fingers. “I almost forgot. If you don’t give me exactly what I want, then someone else will. So you get to decide the fate of so many here, Olivia. Since you’re so caring. Since you wear your heart on the outside. Since your the beautiful princess, right? You can either walk away and let that town fall to pieces or be the one to guide them to a new life.”

I took a shuddering breath.

I was used to my father pulling nasty stunts.

But this seemed… evil.

And the way he smiled was just that. Evil.

I left the conference room and felt dirty. I felt wrong.

I was angry at myself for letting Whitney pull a fast one on me. I was angry at myself for letting something happen with Gavin. It was only one night but it lingered on me.

I hated that.

But now… I had to find a way to warn Gavin without him slamming the door on me.