Right Where We Belong (Silver Springs #4)(34)

9

Savanna could feel her heart beating all the way out to her fingertips. Why was she nervous? So she’d invited her neighbor over to talk for a few minutes. That wasn’t a big deal!

Except...it really was a big deal. Because she wanted to do a lot more than talk. And after the past two months, she felt she owed herself whatever this night might bring. She’d done everything she could to be a good wife, and yet she’d ended up in the worst possible situation. Why not forget all that restraint and do exactly what she wanted for a change? Especially because she couldn’t see how one night with Gavin could hurt. He made her feel like the person she used to be years ago, before her world lost most of its color. For the first time since before her children were born, she felt free, and that made her hungry for the fulfillment she’d been missing as an individual.

But she barely knew him. And he was her neighbor, which meant she’d definitely have to face him after tonight. She couldn’t let recklessness overcome her better judgment, could she?

Although the woman she’d been since she’d married Gordon said no, the sudden resurgence of physical desire was proving to be a powerful force. And Gavin seemed so mellow. He was friends with most of his ex-girlfriends, so if anyone could take a one-night stand in stride, it would be him.

She looked in at her kids to be sure they were settled. Only this time she shut each door as she went out. She didn’t want to consider why she felt compelled to do that...

Gavin knocked softly before letting himself in. “Are you sure you’re not too tired for a little conversation?” he asked.

She wasn’t tired anymore at all; she was completely wired. But she understood that wasn’t really the question. He was giving her a chance to back out before anything could happen. She’d seen the way he looked at her, knew he was interested, too. “I’m fine if you are.”

He didn’t answer. He popped the cork on the wine he’d brought over, and she pulled out two stemmed glasses that she’d unpacked and washed when she organized the kitchen. “My new fridge looks nice filling that gaping hole. Thank you for helping to get it there.”

He clicked his glass against hers. “You’ve made nice progress in here.”

“Only the kitchen. But I’ll get to the rest. I didn’t bring that much stuff with me, so it shouldn’t be too hard.” Anything that hadn’t fit in the truck, she’d left behind for Gordon to deal with—or Gordon’s mother, since he probably wouldn’t get out of prison for some time. “I’ll buy a microwave tomorrow and use my slow cooker for dinners until I can find an affordable stove.”

Gavin put his glass to one side so he could pull himself up onto the counter. She loved that he made his visit as comfortable as possible. He didn’t crowd her or come on too strong even though he had to know what she was contemplating.

“You’ll want some new carpet for the living room soon,” he said. “Would you like me to look for a nice remnant? I could probably lay it for you, which would save you some money.”

She lifted herself up onto the opposite counter. Since they were about five feet apart and facing each other, she had a great vantage point, given how much she liked looking at him. “Are you this nice to everyone?” she asked.

A crooked smile claimed his lips. “Well, I don’t offer to lay carpet for everyone,” he admitted.

When Savanna had to remind herself to breathe, she knew she was getting too caught up in Gavin. He hadn’t even brushed against her when he came in, hadn’t made contact at all, but the memory of his warm neck beneath her hands while they stood in the driveway made her long to feel his skin again. “I think I might be in trouble when it comes to you,” she said softly.

The way he studied her let her know he understood exactly what she meant. “You don’t have to worry. We’re only having a drink. This doesn’t have to go anywhere.”

She swallowed against a dry throat. “What if I want it to?”

Obviously taken aback by the candidness of her response, he said, “Then I might be in trouble, too, because there’s no way I’m going to say no. But we don’t have to decide anything right now. Let’s just...talk.”

She rolled her eyes. “You don’t want to talk to me.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because after what I’ve been through, and how recent it was, it’s all I can talk about.” She lifted her glass. “And who wants to hear about that?”

“I do,” he said simply.

Feeling a bit jittery inside, which couldn’t have anything to do with the wine after only a couple of sips, she pulled her gaze away from him. Maybe she should talk about Gordon. Maybe focusing on the recent destruction of her former life would quell the arousal she was feeling. “There are moments when I still can’t believe it was my husband who assaulted those women.”

Gavin sipped his wine. “It said in the paper that his victims were strangers. But Nephi’s such a small town. You didn’t know any of them?”

“Not personally.” The change in subject seemed to be helping—as long as she didn’t look at him for too long. “But I ran into Meredith Caine, the woman who was attacked while carrying her laundry to the basement of her apartment complex, only a week before I moved. And that was...hard.”