“Then it’s real.” He said the words with his lips actually touching her earlobe. She held back the moan building inside her throat because…again…trying to be polite at the black tie event.
“Gavin?” A deep male voice interrupted their interlude happening smack dab in the middle of the party.
Much to her dismay, Gavin pulled his fingertip from under the chain of her necklace, and moved back into his own personal space bubble. He greeted the man, but for the life of her she only heard about half of the words, and the man’s name was not included in those that she caught.
Something about him working in the packaging department at Puffle Yum. Managing. He was a manager. Yes, she got that much from the conversation.
“This is my girlfriend, Molly.” Gavin slipped his hand in hers and lifted her knuckles to his mouth.
The touch was pleasant, but distant. Not like what they’d just had only seconds ago.
Their bubble of contentment deflated like a sad balloon out of helium.
The warmth and comfort inside her turned…tepid, as the outside world slid into their space.
“Gavin’s told me so much about you,” the guy said. Dammit, who was this man? She’d really picked the wrong words to miss, that was for sure.
“He has?” She gave Gavin a look she hoped came off as loving-girlfriend-surprise and not what-the-hell-did-you-tell-him?
“Perry’s my best friend,” Gavin said, low for Molly. “Thursday golf buddy. I’ve mentioned him.” He squeezed her hand and mouthed, “He knows.”
For the record, he’d never mentioned Perry to her. Not once.
Though, it hadn’t really had the opportunity to come up. They hadn’t done the whole melding of the friend groups outside of those they already had in common.
“Perry! Of course.” Molly pulled her hand from Gavin’s and booped herself on the forehead. “I was a little out of sorts just then. Strawberries do that to me.”
“Me too,” Gavin said, reaching for his coffee cup.
Coffee sounded like a good idea. Was it nine o’clock at night? Yes, yes, it was. But who needed sleep? Ollie wasn’t coming home until tomorrow, so she could stay up all night and speed clean their entire house.
It’d be great. Cleaner than it’d ever been before.
She reached for the coffee carafe, but the server got it before she could. He poured a long stream into her ivory coffee cup.
“Cream or sugar?” he asked.
“Both.” She folded her hands in her lap. “Thank you so much.”
Apparently at black tie gigs like this, you didn’t serve yourself drinks. Good to know.
Gavin’s hand found hers in her lap even as his conversation with Perry continued without her. He laced their fingers together under the table and… This was real. This wasn’t pretend. This wasn’t for his mother or for the others at the event.
This was for her.
His thumb rubbed delicious circles over her knuckles and she went about sipping her coffee with her other hand. Set it down and dove into her strawberry shortcake, more careful this time not to make a mess of herself.
The whole time, Gavin kept the connection between them and, dammit all, she appreciated it. Liked it.
She wanted more.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Of all the haunting moments of motherhood, few rank with hearing your own words come out of your daughter’s mouth.” —Victoria Secunda
Molly
“Who was Dave’s date?” Molly asked on the limo ride home.
