Make a Wish (Spark House #3)(53)

Avery rolls her eyes. “Chad was a nice guy, but he was a fun-for-now boyfriend, not a get-serious boyfriend. And he was way too into fantasy sports. No one should be in that many fantasy leagues. It’s not normal, and that’s coming from a self-professed sports junkie.”

“Still, don’t you think I should wait a while before jumping into bed with Gavin?” I bring my fingers to my lips then drop them to my lap so I don’t ruin my gloss or my nails.

“Do whatever feels right.” London seems to be changing her mind about this. “And you want to make sure that you’re actually into Gavin on his own, rather than the Gavin-and-Peyton package.”

“How is she going to figure that out unless she gets naked with him?” Avery argues.

“Sex complicates things. You know that better than anyone,” London says pointedly. She’s referencing the way Avery and Declan nearly imploded back when they crossed the line from best friends to best friends with a lot of benefits.

“My situation with Declan is not even remotely the same as what’s going on with Harley and Gavin. Declan had major commitment issues, and I made a stupid mistake. Now we’re super happy and totally in love and having a baby.” Avery turns back to me. “I think you need to do whatever is right for you. It’s up to you whether you let him see your underpants.”

London sighs and shakes her head, then her eyes go wide, and she takes me by the shoulders. “Please tell me your underwear is not cotton.”

“There’s nothing wrong with cotton underwear. It breathes,” Avery says defensively.

“There’s nothing wrong with them in the general sense, but for a date and potentially the first underpants sighting, cotton is a no-no.”

“They’re not cotton,” I assure her.

She arches a brow and I sigh.

“They’re satin with a lace waistband and a floral print.”

“Okay. As long as they don’t have a cartoon pattern on them, we’re good,” London says with relief.

My phone buzzes on the vanity, and Gavin’s name flashes across the screen. I nab the device and check the message. He’s just pulled into Spark House. “He’s here. I’m so nervous. Why am I so nervous?”

“Because you want to get naked with him,” Avery says.

“Because you like him, and you’re changing the dynamic of your relationship,” London says.

“And you want to find out if he’s got the moves between the sheets.” Avery grins. She gives me a fist bump. “Just remember, you don’t need to wait five dates before you get in the sack with this one.”

“But don’t feel like you need to rush into anything either.” London turns me around once to make sure my dress isn’t wonky in the back, and then they’re ushering me into the hall.

I reach the front entrance as Gavin walks through the door. And I nearly melt into a puddle on the floor. He’s dressed in a navy suit, hair styled, dark eyes roving over me on a heated sweep.

“You look stunning.” He crosses the room and takes my hand in his, bringing it to his lips. “And you smell divine. What is that perfume?”

“I think it’s called Boardwalk Taffy body lotion.”

He chuckles. “Well, you certainly smell and look absolutely edible.”

I bite my lip and fight the blush working its way into my cheeks. “Thank you, so you do.”

“Are you ready to go?”

I nod, and my sisters wave me off, Avery looking ridiculously excited and London smiling softly, but I can see the hint of worry in her eyes.

Gavin opens the passenger door for me and helps me in before he rounds the hood and takes his place behind the wheel. He slides his key into the ignition and turns the engine over, then grips the wheel for a moment before he turns to look at me, giving his head a little shake.

“What?” I ask, suddenly feeling nervous and uncertain.

“This feels a little surreal, that’s all.”

“The date part?”

“Mmm. That you’re back in my life. That I asked you on a date and you said yes. You’re sure about this? You didn’t say yes to be nice?”

I grin. “I didn’t say yes to be nice. Did you ask just to be nice?”

He gives me a wry smile. “I wasn’t trying to be even a little nice.” He shifts the car into gear. “If I’m going to be completely honest, when I picked up Peyton from your place and Chad was there, I wanted to punch him in the junk. Or the face. Or both.”

This time I laugh. “I think it was the same on both sides. He was not … not happy to say the least.”

“Really? Why?”

“I, uh, I think he was under the impression that you were older.”

He arches a brow. “I am older. I have nearly a decade on you.”

“Less than a decade, but yeah, I think in his mind you were like, closer to fifty with a bald spot, not this.” I motion to his general hotness.

“He expected me to have a dad bod?”

“I think so, yes.”

“What else did he say?”

“That you had the hots for me.”

He nods once. “Well, he wasn’t wrong about that. But it wasn’t until after that night that I realized there was more to me wanting to spend time with you beyond how well you and Peyton get along.”