I expect further words of comfort and encouragement from Gavin, but he merely says, “Fuck ’em if they judge us. You don’t need them.”
Lifting my gaze to his, I see anger and protectiveness. “That’s kind of harsh,” I murmur. “And I do need them… they’re my friends.”
Gavin grabs the Macallan from the various bottles of liquors and mixers he brought up from the bar downstairs. Pouring himself a glass, he takes a sip and says, “The way I see it… maybe you’re nervous because you doubt what we have is real. You said it’s too fast—I said it’s not fast enough. Maybe we’re not on the same page like I thought.”
I blink at him in surprise, taken aback by the resentment in his words. “What? No, I don’t feel that.”
“If your heart is true, and all the things you told me in St. Lucia were true, you wouldn’t worry about what others think. You’d accept what it is and revel in it.”
Pushing away from the counter, I walk to Gavin and step in to him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I place my cheek to his heart and hear it galloping away. He doesn’t respond for a moment, then finally sits his glass down and places his arms around me, leaning his cheek to the top of my head.
“Filthy boy,” I say gently. “My heart is sure. My body is sure. Don’t be mad that I’m nervous. It’s not that I doubt you, but I doubt my friends and that they won’t see clearly. I just desperately want them to see the same thing that we see. I want the validation that what I’m thinking is the best thing to have ever happened to me isn’t a figment of my imagination.”
Letting out a deep breath, Gavin murmurs to me, “I’m sorry. You’re the best thing to have happened to me too, and I don’t want you to ever doubt my feelings on that.”
“I don’t. I couldn’t. You’ve shown me otherwise, too many times and in too many ways.”
We’ve been back from St. Lucia for just over a week, and I’m still riding on the high of the time I spent alone with Gavin. We had no worries, no obligations, only each other. The things he did to me… the words he spoke. It piled up, all on top of the other, until I was smothered in a blanket of care and devotion. I left St. Lucia knowing that I had found my other half, and I want to shout it out to the world.
I’m just terrified the world is going to shout back at me, Sucker!
The front doorbell rings, and I pull back to look up at Gavin. He takes my face in his hands, and peers down at me with searing intensity. “Just remember this, and this is the only thing you need to take away from this conversation. After tonight is over, and all your friends unanimously give their blessing on our relationship, I’m going to fuck you so hard that you’re going to pass out from the pleasure. In fact, I’m thinking there might be some rope involved. You tied to the bed… legs raised high… my mouth on your pussy, until you come over and over and over again. I can’t fucking wait.”
My eyes practically roll into the back my head, and my panties go damp at the thought. Gavin did that on purpose… gave me a dose of my Filthy so my worries would go out the window. So I’d have something to look forward to, and so I wouldn’t forget that while the words between us seem to abound, we also have amazing combustion in the sack, which is further testament to the “rightness” of what we have.
“Oh, Filthy.” I sigh heavily. “You always know what to say to get my knickers wet.”
“Knickers?”
“Yeah… I’ve heard you say that a time or two.”
“I know… but it sounds weird coming from a Yank.”
I grin at him, he beams at me, and all of our doubts and misgivings are forgotten. He gives me a quick kiss and then pushes me toward the door to greet out guests.
“Girl… you don’t waste any time, do you?” Casey says to me with a wink as she leans her elbows on the kitchen counter and smirks at me. “From employee to live-in lover in a month’s time. Nice.”
“Leave her alone,” Gabby snaps as she dips a piece of celery into the buffalo chicken dip. She takes a bite, groans, and looks at me with praise in her eyes. “Oh my God, Savannah. This is so good. I have to have this recipe.”
“Yeah, leave our sweet Savannah alone, Case,” Alyssa says in agreement.
“What?” Casey says with her arms outstretched in mock surprise. “I’m just saying… our girl hasn’t looked at a man twice since we’ve known her and now she’s shacked up with a wealthy, famous author, who is smokin’ hot by the way. Well done. My point is… I’m totally fucking jealous of her.”