attractive. Tall, lean, with short, dark blond hair, a killer smile, and unbelievably blue eyes behind those glasses. The glasses made him look like a stereotypical hot college professor. She blinked, willing herself to stop zoning out on him like a fool. “I just wolfed down some dinner,” she said, gesturing towards the table. “I only got home from work a little while ago.” She glanced down at herself; the fitted dress looked nice but wasn’t very comfortable. “I haven’t even changed out of my work clothes yet. As you can see.”
He only nodded, his eyes traveling over her in quick appraisal.
“I know I’m supposed to meet everyone down at the Nest,” she continued, “but the truth is, I’m wiped. I just don’t feel like going. The couch is calling me.”
“I hear ya,” Gavin said. “I’ve been down there the past few hours. Had dinner with Anna before she started her shift, met Wren and Joe. It was good. But I think I’m a bit jetlagged, because I’m just wrung out. So I begged off, left, and came back here.”
“Well, Ireland’s what, five hours ahead?” Only then did she notice how tired his eyes looked. She’d been too distracted by the whole package of handsome.
“Aye. There’s that too. It’s really…” He glanced at his watch. “One AM for me.”
“Well, I’m going to text your sister and tell her I’m staying home, then,” Toni said. “In fact… I’m going to take a quick shower, then park my ass on the couch, have a drink or two, and veg out with a movie. Would you like to join me?”
“Sounds great,” he said. He tried to suppress a yawn and failed. “Of course, I might fall asleep on ya midway through. Bloody hell, I’m tired.”
“Then you take the couch, and I’ll take the loveseat,” Toni grinned.
*
Gavin watched her cross to the fridge, then bend over to look inside. Her muffled voice floated over her back as she asked him, “Want a beer, soda, what? Name it.”
His gaze was glued to her shapely arse, but he managed to say, “Just cold water would be good, thanks.”
She straightened, a bottle of Corona in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, which she handed to him. Like when he’d shaken her hand, when his fingers brushed hers, he felt a jolt. She turned away to look for the bottle opener, totally unaware of how his body was reacting to her.
Something buzzed through him as his eyes roamed over her deliciously curvy figure, clad in an elegant pale green dress. It was fitted, sleeveless, with what he thought was called a halter neck, and the color brought out the green in her hazel eyes. His ex-girlfriend had been short, skinny, with no soft curves for him to get lost in. Not like Toni had. In comparison, Toni was downright luscious. She had big, full breasts, God bless her, and he couldn’t deny his eyes were drawn right to them, wondering what they’d feel like. Her hair was long, dark, and curly, unlike the straight, fine blonde hair his ex had… physically, this woman was the exact opposite of Siobhan.
Maybe that was why he was having such an immediate, visceral reaction to her? Or maybe he was just exhausted, and she was striking, and he’d been alone for almost a year? All he knew was, just looking at her had his brain kind of fuzzy and urgent heat unfurling in his belly, making him feel like no woman had in a long time.
And she’d be his housemate for the next month. And was a friend of his sister’s. Great, just bloody great. He chugged back a hard swallow of water, welcoming the cold slide of it down his throat. Toni was saying something as he followed her into the living room, but his heartbeat was roaring in his ears. In something of a daze, he sank down onto the couch.
“Here.” Toni handed him the remote control. “I’m going to take a fast shower. When I come down, we’ll find something to watch that we both like. Okay?”
He nodded and shot her a grin. She grinned back before turning to walk up the stairs to
He only nodded, his eyes traveling over her in quick appraisal.
“I know I’m supposed to meet everyone down at the Nest,” she continued, “but the truth is, I’m wiped. I just don’t feel like going. The couch is calling me.”
“I hear ya,” Gavin said. “I’ve been down there the past few hours. Had dinner with Anna before she started her shift, met Wren and Joe. It was good. But I think I’m a bit jetlagged, because I’m just wrung out. So I begged off, left, and came back here.”
“Well, Ireland’s what, five hours ahead?” Only then did she notice how tired his eyes looked. She’d been too distracted by the whole package of handsome.
“Aye. There’s that too. It’s really…” He glanced at his watch. “One AM for me.”
“Well, I’m going to text your sister and tell her I’m staying home, then,” Toni said. “In fact… I’m going to take a quick shower, then park my ass on the couch, have a drink or two, and veg out with a movie. Would you like to join me?”
“Sounds great,” he said. He tried to suppress a yawn and failed. “Of course, I might fall asleep on ya midway through. Bloody hell, I’m tired.”
“Then you take the couch, and I’ll take the loveseat,” Toni grinned.
*
Gavin watched her cross to the fridge, then bend over to look inside. Her muffled voice floated over her back as she asked him, “Want a beer, soda, what? Name it.”
His gaze was glued to her shapely arse, but he managed to say, “Just cold water would be good, thanks.”
She straightened, a bottle of Corona in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, which she handed to him. Like when he’d shaken her hand, when his fingers brushed hers, he felt a jolt. She turned away to look for the bottle opener, totally unaware of how his body was reacting to her.
Something buzzed through him as his eyes roamed over her deliciously curvy figure, clad in an elegant pale green dress. It was fitted, sleeveless, with what he thought was called a halter neck, and the color brought out the green in her hazel eyes. His ex-girlfriend had been short, skinny, with no soft curves for him to get lost in. Not like Toni had. In comparison, Toni was downright luscious. She had big, full breasts, God bless her, and he couldn’t deny his eyes were drawn right to them, wondering what they’d feel like. Her hair was long, dark, and curly, unlike the straight, fine blonde hair his ex had… physically, this woman was the exact opposite of Siobhan.
Maybe that was why he was having such an immediate, visceral reaction to her? Or maybe he was just exhausted, and she was striking, and he’d been alone for almost a year? All he knew was, just looking at her had his brain kind of fuzzy and urgent heat unfurling in his belly, making him feel like no woman had in a long time.
And she’d be his housemate for the next month. And was a friend of his sister’s. Great, just bloody great. He chugged back a hard swallow of water, welcoming the cold slide of it down his throat. Toni was saying something as he followed her into the living room, but his heartbeat was roaring in his ears. In something of a daze, he sank down onto the couch.
“Here.” Toni handed him the remote control. “I’m going to take a fast shower. When I come down, we’ll find something to watch that we both like. Okay?”
He nodded and shot her a grin. She grinned back before turning to walk up the stairs to