Twins on the Way

He shifted her out of his lap onto her feet. Her legs felt like overcooked pasta and her heartbeat was none too steady.

“I like your hair.” He ruffled his hand through it, mussing the style.

Every time she thought she had him pinned down, he surprised her. Men in general had little patience when it came to sexual gratification. At least the ones she knew. Gavin, on the other hand, possessed remarkable restraint.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Don’t get shy now.” He chuckled, taking her hand and leading her across the thick carpet that made her toes curl.

The bathroom was palatial and decadent. She spared a glance for the hot tub, but Gavin shook his head. “Later.”

He turned the faucet control in the glass enclosure. Triple showerheads sprouted streams of water. “Last chance.”

They were both still fully clothed except for her shoes. Though he might not like it, she knew she could turn around and leave the suite. He wouldn’t chase after her. Her confidence wavered. Was she really about to get stark naked with a handsome stranger in his opulent shower stall?

She spared a glance in the mirror, hardly recognizing the woman who stood there. “Do you have any wine?”

“Needing a bit of Dutch courage, are we?”

“Don’t make fun of me,” she said. “You’re an intimidating man.”

“Which is why you insisted on coming to my room and throwing yourself at me.”

Hot color swept from her throat to her hairline. From where he was standing, it must have seemed that way. How could she explain that he had dazzled her without even trying? “You’ll be disappointed if you think I’m a pro.”

“I thought we already established that you’re not a pro.”

“That’s not what I mean. I haven’t done this kind of thing.”

“Sex? Or seduction?”

“I have not seduced you,” she said primly, secretly charmed that he thought she could.

He nodded briefly, his firm lips curved in a sensual smile. “I’ll admit to being predisposed. You’re a very appealing woman.”

The die was cast. “How about fetching us some of that wine while I get undressed?”

Two

Gavin’s hands shook as he opened a bottle of Zinfandel. He managed to pour two glasses without spilling anything, but it was a close call. In his bathroom was a naked young female...the most beautiful woman he had seen in a very long time. If he had to create a sexual partner from scratch, she would look a lot like Cassidy Corelli.

Her sun-kissed Mediterranean coloring and cheeky personality were irresistible. He’d never particularly believed in fate as the arbiter of his destiny. He was too much of a control freak for that. But some unseen force or quirk of timing had put him near that alley at exactly the right moment. It was his choice how to proceed.

He carried the wine into the bathroom and stopped dead in his tracks when he realized that Cassidy was already undressed. She had donned one of the hotel’s signature bathrobes. It was much too large for her.

“Most people wait until after the shower to cover up,” he said drily. The acres of terry cloth might as well have been armor. But what his guest didn’t realize was that bare feet and flushed cheeks gave her an air of innocence. The juxtaposition of smart-mouthed banter with youthful naïveté brought tenderness into the mix.

“I was cold,” she said.

Since the bathroom was steamy, he took that with a grain of salt. Though he had turned off the water when he saw they weren’t getting in immediately, the room was plenty warm.

“Drink some wine,” he said, handing her a glass. “It will settle your nerves.”

She scowled at him over the rim of her crystal flute. “Who says I’m nervous?”

Leaning a hip against the counter, he drained half his glass. “Aren’t you? Shouldn’t you be?”

“Not unless you’re a twisted psychopath.”

“It’s a little late to worry about that now, don’t you think?”

She set down the glass of wine she had barely touched and shoved her hands in her pockets. Her chin lifted. “I can read people.”

“Do tell.”

“You were a Boy Scout. Eagle, if I had to guess.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “I’m impressed.”

“So I’m right?” Her pleased smugness amused him.

“One lucky shot doesn’t qualify you to read the Tarot cards.”

“I don’t need cards. You’re an open book.”

He emptied his glass and set it gently on the counter with a little clink. “Then what am I thinking now?” He unfastened his belt and drew it from around his waist. When he dropped it on the floor, he was pretty sure she gulped.

“Stop that,” she said.

“I seldom shower with my clothes on.” His solemn joke lightened the look of panic on her face, though she still eyed him warily.

“Maybe we should get to know each other first.”

“Did I mention that I’m flying out in the morning? Leave if you want to, Cass, but soon. I don’t want to go any further with this if you aren’t sure.”

She paled, her brown eyes round with a mix of emotions he couldn’t decipher. “I want to be sure.”

“But you’re not,” he said, reading her fairly well.

“I thought I could be spontaneous and adventuresome. But it turns out I’m not really that girl.”

He swallowed his disappointment. “I understand. Get dressed and I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

She took a step in his direction, placing her small hand on his forearm. “How about a compromise?”

It became painfully clear that Cassidy Corelli didn’t know much about men at all. She was naked for all intents and purposes, in his bathroom, and yet somehow she expected him to play nice. Even her fingers on his skin made him shudder with hunger.

Moving out of reach, he ran two hands through his hair. “What kind of compromise?” He was asking for more physical torture, but he didn’t have it in him to kick her out.

“This is your first trip to Vegas, right?”

“Yes.”

“I could show you the sights for a couple of hours. Enjoy the ambiance.”

“And then what?”

“Whatever we want to do next.”

Her smile seemed genuine. Was she deliberately teasing him, or did she honestly want to go to bed with him but was uncertain about the wisdom of that plan?

He was hard and ready. It wasn’t conceit to think he could coax her into having sex right now. But he’d been raised to be a gentleman. Despite the demands of his body, he was well aware that Cassidy was not 100 percent on board with the idea of intimacy. Even if she had been the one to come on to him in the first place.

The smart thing for both of them would be for him to boot her out before somebody got hurt. He couldn’t give her anything beyond tonight. And it was pretty clear that she was not a woman who went in for casual sex.

But she fascinated him, intrigued him...and he couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman more. He was not in the habit of picking up strange females, especially not ones like Cassidy. Too many unknowns. Too many warning bells.

He’d learned the hard way not to be taken in by a seemingly innocent come-on. Cassidy was more than that, though. He believed it, or told himself he did. Otherwise, he was about to break his personal code into tiny unmanageable pieces.

His desire for her and her undeniable appeal could be blamed on Vegas, but whatever compelled him was strong and urgent.

“Fine,” he said tersely. “Put your clothes on, and we’ll see the sights.” He’d been awake for almost twenty-four hours, but what the hell. Carpe diem it was...God help him.

* * *

When they reached Gavin’s rental car, Cassidy was delighted to see it was a convertible. “Why don’t I drive so you can enjoy yourself?” she said.

Gavin yawned and nodded. “Probably a good idea. I’m sleep-deprived.” He went around to the passenger side. “You’re in charge.”

She didn’t think he meant that statement to be provocative, but the image it conjured made her shift restlessly as she settled behind the wheel. Gavin Kavanagh was an imposing man. Imagining him nude and at her mercy made her mouth dry and her cheeks hot.

Once they folded back the top and exited the parking garage, her passenger slumped in his seat with his head against the headrest. She drove down the strip, pointing out places of interest that were unique to Vegas. The fabulous architecture, the neon lights, the endless spectacle and the marquees touting famous entertainers.

When she paused at a traffic light, Gavin waved a hand. “You love it here, don’t you?”

His perception surprised her. “I suppose I do. We take the good with the bad. There’s nothing like it anywhere in the world.”

“I wasn’t too impressed with Vegas before tonight. You’ve convinced me it has a lot to offer.”

When she glanced sideways at him, the look in his eyes made her shiver. He wanted her. And he planned to have her.

Sweet heaven. Without asking, she turned the car around and headed out of town. She barely remembered her name. Sexual arousal flooded her veins, hot and sweet. Exhilaration, laced with anticipation, made her feel as if she could fly.

Fortunately, gravity kept her grounded. Driving in the desert at night was a special pleasure. The road was straight, traffic sparse and the spring air invigorating.

She was a good driver, and she knew her limits. Pressing down on the gas, she watched the speedometer hit sixty, then seventy, then eighty. In her peripheral vision, she saw Gavin straighten. “I’m not paying for any tickets,” he said.

The implied but laconic warning made her grin. She pushed it to ninety and laughed out loud as the wind tangled her hair. “Don’t worry. I know every law enforcement official in a fifty-mile radius.” She had to raise her voice for him to hear her.

A rush of adrenaline took over, encompassing an odd mix of sexual hunger and sheer fun. Her hands were steady on the wheel. Anticipation rose in her chest like a wave of bubbles. The night was hers...the open road, as well. Earlier, she had panicked, plain and simple. She had second-guessed her decision to change the status quo. But now she was ready. She wanted Gavin Kavanagh, and she wasn’t going to let her inexperience stand in her way.

Only the late hour curtailed her road trip. At last, she eased off on the accelerator and dropped back to a more sedate speed. At a pullout on the right, she slid the car to a stop and turned off the engine. The sudden silence was deafening. Overhead, a million stars twinkled and sparked.

Gavin reached for her before she had a chance to take her hands off the wheel. His kiss was urgent. Thorough. Masterful. She had assumed he was half-asleep. Which proved how wrong a woman could be. This was a hunger that had been building since she went to his hotel room.

The kiss was firm and demanding. It sent little squiggles of lust into every cell of her body. His hands anchored her head, one on each side of her jaw. Tilting her face to his, he ravaged her mouth, barely giving her a moment to breathe.

For Cassidy, it was earth-shattering. She’d never been too impressed with foreplay. In the course of her limited experimentation, it had proven to be awkward and usually disappointing. Apparently her subconscious had recognized Gavin Kavanagh as the man to prove her wrong.

Desperately, she pondered the logistics of getting naked in the backseat. But while she didn’t mind being pulled over for speeding, getting caught in sexual flagrante delicto was another matter entirely. This was Vegas, true. But her father would have a coronary, and this was not a time she wanted to court his displeasure.

Gavin had more control than she did, apparently. He eventually gentled the kiss and released her, though his chest heaved. “You dazzle me, Cassidy Corelli.”

His rough praise stroked her ego. Coming from a man like Gavin, that was a compliment worth savoring. “The feeling is mutual.”

He snorted. “You sound like a little girl practicing her social etiquette. Tell me honestly. Why are you here in this car with me?”

“I really don’t know,” she said, recognizing the truth as she spoke it. “But I never had a choice. There’s something about you I can’t resist.” She paused, grimacing. “We get lots of flimflam artists in Vegas. Con men, gaming sharks, wannabe Don Juans. So I’ve learned how to spot them. But you’re different, Gavin Kavanagh. You’re the real deal. Don’t ask me how I know. I just do...”

He leaned back in his seat with a sigh, but he took her hand in his. “This is the first time all day I’ve felt comfortable. The stars are just as bright in North Carolina.”

His thumb played lightly over the pulse point at the back of her wrist, making her dizzy. “Do you live at the beach?” she asked.

“No. In a place called Silver Glen. It’s in the western part of the state...in the mountains. My ancestors discovered a silver mine back in the day and restored the family fortunes after the Depression.” He pointed to a group of stars. “Do you know your astronomy? Those are the Pleiades...the seven sisters. And over there is Orion. The fuzzy spot in his dagger is a nebula.”

“You’re very smart, aren’t you?”

He chuckled. “Any third grader worth his salt can spot those.”

She half turned in her seat, forcing him to release her hand. She couldn’t see his expression very well. “There’s one more place I need to go, just a quick stop, and then I’d very much like to return to your hotel. For real this time. You know...to—”

He put a hand over her mouth. “Don’t say it out loud. I’m on a hair trigger. But I’m trying to behave myself.”

A sudden gust of wind made her shiver. At night the desert temperatures plummeted. She wanted to cuddle into the warmth of his embrace, but if she did, they might not make it back to the hotel. And while she was prepared to lose her innocence with him, she would prefer her first time to be in more traditional surroundings.

She settled for nipping his fingers with her teeth. The naughty bite drew a groan and a curse from him. He gripped her shoulders. “You’re playing with fire, Cass. I’m not averse to taking you over the hood of the car. Is that what you want?”

The possibility that he might decide to do just that made her melt inside. She could see herself, spread-eagled, Gavin lifting her skirt from behind and moving against her. She felt lost in an emotional desert, desperate for water. The inside of her mouth was like sand. “No.” Yes. Yes. Yes.

He released her and sat back in his seat. “Then let’s get out of here.”

* * *

Gavin wondered if she had spiked his wine somehow. He was more aroused than he could ever remember, his body trembling with the need to mate with hers. Perhaps it was the magic of this perfect night or her radiant beauty or the laughter they shared. But whatever the reason, he scarcely knew himself.

Going along with her lead was a signal of his trust, though he might be falling through a rabbit hole for the second time in his life. His hunger eradicated most of his reservations, though the wariness lurked at a subterranean level. Once they were back in sight of neon and fake waterfalls and massive pleasure palaces, it occurred to him to ask where they were going.

Cassidy gave him an impish grin. “No visit to Vegas is complete without seeing an all-night wedding chapel. My cousin is an Elvis impersonator. I want you to meet him. Besides, I promised him I’d stop by and see him tonight, because he’s bored.”

“Now?” It was the wee hours of the morning.

“Yeah. Robbie is being punished with the overnight shift for a few weeks. He didn’t renew his license when he was supposed to, and he married several couples whose weddings turned out to be illegal. He almost got fired over it, but the boss has a soft spot for him, because Robbie can actually sing. So while they’re waiting for his new license, he’s stuck vacuuming the chapel and doing paperwork.”

“What happens if a couple actually comes in wanting to get married?”

“Robbie calls the boss and wakes him up so he can dash over here.” She parked the car at the curb in front of an improbably pink edifice decorated with white doves. It looked as if a bottle of Pepto-Bismol had thrown up.

“Good lord. Do people actually do this?”

Cassidy shook her head as she got out of the car. “You’d be surprised.”

Inside, Robbie was visibly grateful for the company. “How’s it hangin’, Cass? I haven’t seen you since Uncle Bobo’s birthday party.”

“I’m good,” Cass said. “This is my friend Gavin.”

Robbie appeared to be about the same age as Cass, but it was hard to tell for sure. He wore a white Elvis suit with a matching cape lined in electric-blue satin. His hair, and it looked real, was coal black with huge sideburns. “Very nice to meet you, sir.”

Gavin winced inwardly. Sir? Did he really look that old? “Cassidy has been giving me a tour of Vegas. She said we had to stop here to make the night complete.”

Cass’s eyes met his. She shot him a look to which Robbie was oblivious...a look that said something entirely different would make the night complete. Gavin’s brow dampened. How long could a man wait for a woman like this?

Robbie lifted a hand. “Follow me. I’ll show you the Chapel of Love.”

When Gavin muttered under his breath, Cass smacked his hand. “Be nice,” she whispered. “This is the first job Robbie has been able to keep. We try to encourage him.”

Gavin curbed his impatience as Robbie gave them the grand tour. When they stood in front of the altar, Robbie donned a white robe and stepped behind the podium. “Take her hands,” he said pompously.

“Is this a shotgun wedding?” Gavin was only half kidding. But he took Cassidy’s hands in his and faced her.

His faux bride frowned. “Not to worry. We don’t have the paperwork. But I’m pretty sure Robbie could use the practice, if you don’t mind.”

Robbie grimaced. “Forgot something already.” He stepped to one side and picked up a bottle of champagne. Popping the cork with a surprisingly practiced motion, he filled two flutes and handed one to Cassidy and one to Gavin.

Cassidy took a sip. “Wait a minute. Are you going to charge me for this?”

“On the house,” Robbie said, snickering.

Gavin drained his drink, eager to finish whatever it took to get Cassidy back to his hotel room. When the room spun just a tad, he second-guessed the champagne.

Cass set her mostly full glass aside and took his hand again. “Go ahead, Robbie. What comes next?”

“Um...” He fumbled for his notes. “Do you, Cassidy Lavinia Corelli, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Gavin grinned. “Lavinia?”

His bride scowled at him. “Oh, hush.” She turned to Robbie. “You’re doing fine,” she said. “And yes, I do.”

Robbie gave Gavin a sober stare that lost something in the translation thanks to his attire. “Do you, Gavin...?” He stumbled to a halt.

“Gavin Michael Kavanagh...” Gavin felt sorry for the kid if he was really this inept when it came to his job.

“Do you, Gavin Michael Kavanagh, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

For a split second, Gavin felt the earth shift beneath his feet. His brain was mush, definitely impaired thanks to lack of sleep and alcohol. But one thing was perfectly clear. If he had ever daydreamed of his wedding day—and that was something a guy definitely did not do—the woman he might have envisioned would be a clone of Cassidy Corelli.

Clearing his throat, he forgot about the late hour and the goofy Elvis and the fact that he hated Vegas. Instead, he looked into long-lashed eyes that were clear and guileless. A tiny smile played around lips curved into a perfect ruby bow. The only flaw he could see was her wind-tossed hair, and even that wasn’t so bad, because it made him think of sex.

Robbie backed up and started again. “Do you, Gavin—”

Gavin held up his hand, stopping the vow prompt midsentence. Gripping Cassidy’s fingers, he imagined what it was going to feel like when she was soft and naked in his bed. “I do,” he muttered. “I definitely do. And now I’m going to kiss my bride.”

Three

Cassidy had heard the term swept off her feet, but she had never actually experienced the phenomenon. The moment when Gavin scooped her up against his chest was both emotionally and physically exhilarating. Her heart pounded and her stomach fluttered.

It was ridiculously retro to be aroused by a man’s physical strength, but damn...Gavin Kavanagh was a sexy beast. Ever since Rhett Butler carried Scarlett O’Hara up that grand staircase to have his wicked manly way with her, women had secretly judged a guy’s swoon factor by how easily he could heft his lover.

Cassidy could stand to lose ten pounds. But Gavin lifted her as if she weighed no more than a child. Oh, my...

She tasted desperation in his kiss, laced with a nuance of the nice champagne. Her breasts were squished up against a hard rib cage. Kissing him back eagerly, she might have forgotten a thing or two. Like the fact that they had a witness.

Robbie moved restlessly. When she sneaked a sideways peek at him, he was slack-jawed, perhaps stunned. “I need to get back to the office,” he muttered. “You two can show yourselves out.”

Cassidy wiggled until Gavin released her. There was a look in his eyes that made her a little crazy. But she concentrated on her cousin. “Thanks for showing us around, Robbie.”

“Thanks for stopping by to see me.” He lifted a hand. “I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

She hugged him and kissed his cheek. “You’ll get the hang of this. Just stick with it.”

Moments later, the little chapel was silent. Gavin crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her with an expression that could have meant anything.

Following an impulse, she held out her hand. “Let me have your phone. I want you to have a picture to remember me by.”

She was somewhat bemused when he cooperated. Scooting up against him, she tapped a couple of icons and held the phone at arm’s length. “We have to document this night.”

Unfortunately, her arms were short and Gavin was tall. She couldn’t actually hold the camera far enough away.

He took it out of her hand. “Give me that.” With one hard arm curled around her waist and the other extended, he framed the two of them in the small screen. “Say cheese,” he muttered.

Just as he hit the button, she reached up and kissed him on the chin. Afterward, she bounced on her toes. “Let me see, let me see.”

The shot was surprisingly sweet. She studied Gavin’s face in the image. Even if she hadn’t met him in person, she would be impressed with the man in the picture. He looked like a throwback to the steely-eyed cowboys of the past. All brooding machismo and sizzling intensity. “I like it,” she said. “You’re very photogenic.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “No. I’m not. Let’s get out of here.”

She followed him obediently, smothering a smile. Apparently a man like Gavin took her compliment as an affront to his masculinity. Since she had wounded his pride, she held out the car keys. “I don’t have to drive.”

He shook his head and slid into the passenger seat. “Yes, you do,” he said, his eyelids drifting shut. “I’m taking a nap between here and the hotel so I’ll have the energy to rock your world.”

Laughing out loud at his tongue-in-cheek boast, she started the car. Maybe he was serious. He didn’t even flinch when she whipped out into traffic. But minutes later when she eased into a spot in the parking garage, he sat up and ran a hand through his hair. “What time is it?” he asked, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.

Cassidy glanced at the dashboard. “Almost four.”

He grimaced. “There’s something unnatural about a city where no one sleeps.”

“They sleep,” she protested, vaguely defensive about her hometown. “But not necessarily from midnight until morning.” Though Gavin Kavanagh would never be anything other than handsome, he definitely looked the worse for wear. Dark circles beneath his eyes and a pale undertone to his skin bespoke his exhaustion. “I should go,” she said impulsively, squashing her disappointment. “You need to get some rest before you fly out.”