“It fell out of the box,” he explained, flipping the page on the book as he went back to reading.
Shelby nodded and tried to look anywhere but at him. How embarrassing to have him reading that book. She hadn’t read the entire book, but she knew what it was about and could imagine acting out some of the scenes with him. He seemed so interested in the book, and he was paying little attention to her. Shelby hugged herself tighter and watched him.
Suddenly he chuckled and put the book down on his other side. He grasped her chin with one hand and turned her face to him. He leaned in close, so close they were almost touching he gazed into her eyes.
r /> “So that’s what you like to read? Ever do more than read about it? Ever want to do more?”
Shelby looked down and shook her head no in answer to his questions, trying to look anywhere but his eyes. Gavin lifted her chin again so she had no choice but to look at him.
“We will explore this together.” He gently brushed her lips with his, then stood and walked to the door. “Good night, sweet angel. Tomorrow,” he said, walking out the door and closing it.
Shelby lay back on the bed, wondering what he meant. Could it be he was into doing things they did in the book? She reached over and turned on the bedside light, then retrieved the book from where he had left it on the bed. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as she thought it was. Soon she sneaked her hand between her legs as she pictured doing some of the things described in the book with Gavin. This is how she fell asleep.
Gavin went to the room at the end of the hall after leaving Shelby’s room. As he stood looking at all the equipment he had chosen but never used, he thought about Shelby. The book she was reading was so unreal that it was ridiculous, but it did show she was interested in the lifestyle. Now it was up to him to clear up all the misconceptions she had and teach her the right way. This was going to be so much fun.
Chapter Three
Shelby woke the next morning to the smell of bacon and coffee. After running a brush through her hair and quickly brushing her teeth she skipped down the stairs. Her night had been filled with dreams of Gavin and the things he would do with and to her. The books she had been reading may not be accurate, but they were more than enough to fuel the imagination. And she had an excellent imagination.
Standing at the bottom of the stairs she had a good view of the kitchen. Gavin was wearing jeans, only jeans. His chest was bare as were his feet. How could she be turned on by his feet? He was one sexy package. She couldn’t quite hear him but could tell he was humming a tune. Quietly, to not disturb him and so she could watch more, she walked slowly into the kitchen, smiling as she approached him.
“Good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep? I feel like a million today.”
“Hi,” she said shyly, not sure how to answer him.
“Sit. Eat. I have bacon, eggs, and toast. Then we will get your car taken care of. I’ve already called O’Brien, and he’ll be here soon to look at it. Eat!”
Okay, Shelby thought, I’ll eat. She sat adding cream and sugar to her coffee and quickly tasting it. The eggs were good. He had scrambled them and added peppers and onions with cheese. It wasn’t long before her plate was empty and she was full, for the second time in days. She wasn’t going to think about her circumstances right now. Now she was going to enjoy being with this hunk of a man. She stood to clear the plates, and Gavin pushed her back down.
“I’ll get it. You can cook lunch and clean up after. Deal?”
Shelby nodded and sat back to finish her coffee. Gavin offered the pot for a warm-up, and she shook her head.
“That outfit is cute, but unless you want to meet O’Brien in it, you had better change,” Gavin reminded her.
She sprinted up the stairs to shower and change. Quickly doing what she needed, she braided her hair in two pigtails rather than drying it. She put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt before slipping into socks and tennis shoes.
Skipping down the stairs she looked for Gavin, not seeing him and not hearing any voices, she ventured to the garage. She heard the murmur of voices and walked toward the men looking at her car, its hood lifted.
“And see here. Somebody fixed this with duct tape, and here, too.”
The man she assumed to be O’Brien pointed to several areas in her car and shaking his head. She could see the dollar signs rolling.
“For now we can do a battery, but I’m afraid it’s more. Let’s tow it to my garage, and I’ll have the boys do a total overhaul. It’s either that or junk it. I’m afraid at this point it’ll cost more to fix it than it’s worth. Best bet is to look for a good used car for your gal.”
“Now wait a minute I know she’s old, but she’s been reliable all these years, and I don’t know that I’m ready to junk her yet,” Shelby spoke up, leaning into the car between the men.
Gavin slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side in a possessive gesture. Then he introduced her to Mike O’Brien. Mike was a very tall, very beefy man. His arms were covered with tattoos, and she could see some in the neck of his shirt. His head was bald, and he had the bluest eyes. He was very attractive. She melted a little at his smile. When Shelby shook his hand, she felt herself getting wet. Trying to ignore it, she turned back to her car. Mike pointed out several more problems and explained what he thought needed to happen. How could she be attracted to both these men?
Gavin kept his arm around her and pulled her even closer. Running a hand through his hair, Gavin looked at Mike.
“Tow it to the garage and put the repairs on my account. If it’s too bad, let me know. I’ll decide from there.”
Shelby started to protest, but with one look from Gavin she snapped her mouth shut. His arm still around her, he steered her toward the house and pushed her inside.
“I’ll be there in just a minute, darling. Let me walk Mike out.” He closed the door firmly.
Shelby wandered into the living room, hoping he wouldn’t be long. She folded her legs under her and sat on the couch grabbing a magazine to read, not even looking to see what it was. Flipping through the pages absently, she thought of Gavin and Mike and of what their touch did to her. She had never before been affected by a man the way each affected her. How could she have these feelings for two men, and what was she going to do about it? She wasn’t a virgin but had little experience, one boy in high school. Then she got involved with the wrong crowd and ended up moving, never dating anyone on a regular basis. She hadn’t had sex with anyone since she moved to Minnesota. She had been too busy looking for work.