Dirty Little Secret (Forbidden Desires #1)

My shoulders tensed and I looked at him. “I never thought about it that way.”

“You would have no reason to. Come on, I have to say a few hellos before everyone has gone.”

Still reeling from his surprisingly personal revelation, I followed him as we stood and headed back to the ballroom.

Maybe this was another difference between Gavin and Cooper. Cooper had been all about the business, eager to talk to anyone and everyone about what he did. As we made our way toward the crowds of people, though, Gavin’s lazy pace made it all too clear he wasn’t here for that. Not really.

For him, this was a charity event first and a business event second. It was strangely . . . endearing.

What other surprises did this man have in store for me?

We approached a group of older men and spoke with a few corporate bigwigs. Gavin was smooth and in command, mesmerizing to watch. He didn’t have the easy charm Cooper did, but his confidence more than made up for that fact.

“Gavin.” A younger man with a crooked smile reached for Gavin’s hand. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You, as well, Mister . . . ?”

The man chuckled. “It’s Dave.”

“Right. It’s good to see you. Let me know if I can help with anything.” Almost imperceptibly, he handed the man a card and then ushered me to a new crowd of people.

After several similar brief conversations, we came to yet another group of men old enough to be my father.

“Dr. Barton,” Gavin said, extending a hand. “I trust you’ve been well.”

“Not as well as you’ve been, I see,” the older man said, eyeing me eagerly. He had a short goatee and glasses, but his silver hair was the only thing distinguished about him. He leered at me, sizing me up. His gaze roving over my skin made me want to crawl out of it and hang it elsewhere like a suit. Anything to get him to stop staring.

“Not still rooting for the Bruins, are you?” Gavin asked Dr. Barton.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Of course.” The man laughed.

“That’s a damn shame,” Gavin joked.

They continued teasing each other for several minutes while I stood beside Gavin, smiling politely and trying to blend into the background. But I couldn’t escape the unfamiliar and somewhat creepy feeling. Even as he spoke to Gavin, the man’s gaze hardly left me . . . or my cleavage.

“If you’ll excuse us, we can’t stay, but if you’re in need of a companion to an upcoming event, I can help.” Gavin handed out his business card again, this time a little more obviously.

Relieved that we were finally close to leaving, I pasted on a polite smile. This process wasn’t yet familiar or comfortable, but I was trying. I wasn’t sure if this would ever feel natural for me, and in a way, I hoped not.

“And how about a night with her?” Dr. Barton grinned at me through crooked teeth. “What do you say, sweetie?”

Cringing, I stammered. “I—um . . .”

Gavin’s arm wrapped around me possessively, gripping my waist to draw me close to the warmth of his body. “She’s not available.”

Seconds later, he dragged me away, hot anger rolling off him in waves.

Once we were in sight of the front doors, he paused, turning me to face him. His nostrils flaring, he took a deep breath, obviously fighting to get himself under control. But when he spoke, his words surprised me.

“I’m sorry. I have no idea why I acted like that. I had no right to decide for you. If that’s what you want . . .”

It took me a moment to understand what he was saying.

“God, no. I have no interest in that. You saved me. I should be thanking you.”

His sharp exhale was confirmation that I’d said the right thing. We were on the same page.

“I’m sure you and Cooper will keep me plenty busy. I’m not interested in anything more than that.”

“Good. Ready to get out of here?”

I nodded, but as Gavin watched me, his expression changed from one filled with longing to one laced with . . . regret?

I wondered just exactly what it was I was agreeing to. Looking down at my shoes, I fought to compose myself. Tonight had been filled with so many conflicting emotions, I was almost dizzy.

In that moment, I knew this wouldn’t be casual, knew I wouldn’t walk away from this in one piece.

Using two firm fingers beneath my chin, Gavin tipped my face up toward him. “Do I frighten you?” he asked, amused.

“Of course not,” I lied.

And he didn’t.

He terrified me.

I knew, even without truly knowing, that Gavin had the power to hurt me deeply. I could already feel my emotions spinning out of control. Nothing about this situation was normal. But then again, nothing about this man was normal either, so what did I expect?

“Good, because you terrify me,” he murmured, taking my hand and pulling me toward the exit.

My breath caught in the back of my throat at his admission, but I was powerless to do anything but follow him to the exit and wonder what tonight had in store for me next.