Redemption in Love (Hearts on the Line) (14 page)

“Done with the tour?” Gavin said after she’d returned to the master bedroom.

The staff had already unpacked most of their things, and he’d changed into a pair of shorts…sans shirt. Her mouth dried at the sight of his lean, muscular torso. She hadn’t seen him topless in a while. He wasn’t classically handsome the way many aspiring actors and models were, but it didn’t matter. He was the most gorgeous man to her, a godling among mere mortals. How could something this perfect be hers?

“Amandine?” he prodded when she didn’t say anything.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“If you need anything, just let Fern know.”

“Okay.” She took a comfy couch by the balcony. “Do we get wifi?”

“Of course. That’s how we stream the latest movies. There’s a theater on the first level.”

“Good god,” she muttered. The master bedroom suite had a giant flat-screen TV and entertainment system. She should’ve expected a separate room reserved for watching films. Gavin rarely had the time to see any, but he loved movies.

“Hungry?” Gavin asked.

“A little bit.” She hadn’t eaten much on the flight, and it was well past her usual dinner time.

“I asked Fern to set the table on the balcony. Hope you like Thai.”

She smiled. “Thai will be fine.”

* * *

Gavin didn’t show it, but he felt some relief. He hadn’t been a hundred percent sure if bringing Amandine to the family vacation home was the right thing to do. In three years of marriage, she had never hinted she’d wanted to come even though she’d had several opportunities. That was why he’d booked trips to Bora Bora and the Maldives. He hoped the privacy and beautiful natural surroundings in Thailand would soothe Amandine’s anger and help mend the rift between them.

The evening breeze from the ocean was cool and brought down the humidity. Little wisps of golden hair whipped around Amandine’s heart-shaped face as the two of them sat at the table on the balcony, facing the beach. Fern set down a big bowl of roasted duck with mild curry. Then came a platter of fried rice and vegetables. Gavin’s mouth started watering in anticipation; he knew she was a fabulous cook. It was a shame she had no interest in relocating to L.A.

Once she was gone, Gavin served Amandine, putting a huge mound of rice and several big pieces of duck on her plate.

“That’s fine,” she said, raising a hand for him to stop.

“You’re eating for two.”

“More like one and a tenth. The baby is still teeny.”

“Still. When you start having morning sickness, you won’t be able to eat much.”

“Gavin, if we’re going to be together you’re going to have to respect my wishes on some things. And one of them is how to feed the baby.”

Reluctantly, he stopped piling her plate and placed it in front of her. It wasn’t just the worry about her pregnancy that made him want to give her more food. He’d noticed she hadn’t eaten much during the long flight from L.A.

After she took a couple of bites, he asked, “Is it okay?”

“Fantastic.”

Munching on the tender duck, he watched his wife. She was so dainty and delicate, her artist’s fingers long and slim on her utensils. Unlike some of the women he’d dated, she knew how to eat. She’d never said no to good food or done something crazy like go on an all-grapefruit diet.

She also had quite a sweet tooth. He’d seen how much she loved European chocolate, which Luna always made sure was plentiful in the pantry.

“What kind of life have you always dreamed of?” he asked.

She gave him a long unreadable look.

“What? I can’t ask my wife?”

“It’s just… You never asked when we were dating.”

“I thought I knew back then.” He smiled. “It seems I might have been wrong.”

She took a long and contemplative sip of her mango-pineapple smoothie. “I’ve always wanted a life with…a good husband. And to have a family.”

“That’s it? How about your art? Don’t you want to be a famous artist?”

She shook her head. “That’s not up to me. The public either likes you or they don’t. But having a good, satisfying private life is something anybody can strive for.”

“If that’s what you want, why do you want a divorce?”

“Because.” She shrugged.

“Have I been a bad husband to you?” he asked, his voice tight.

“No.”

“Then?”

“Gavin, we just aren’t compatible. You and I want different things.”

“That’s not true. I want a life with a good wife and to have a family, too.”

“That’s not all you want, and it’s not the same.”

What the…?
“Why the hell not?”

“I can’t be happy living like an accessory in your life. I want to be an integral part of a family.”

“Jesus, you’re insane. Certifiable.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I never bought an accessory a jet.” Or felt like he was getting kicked in the stomach when he thought about how he might lose an
accessory
.

“It was just a figure of speech,” she said. “I’m not good with words.”

“But still…an accessory?”

“Okay, scratch that. It was probably a bad analogy. How about you?” she asked quickly. Her eyes were wide and anxious. “What kind of life have you always envisioned for yourself? Other than the good wife and family part.”

Gavin stared at his wine glass. “To be wanted by the people I care about. I want them to never even consider not having me in their lives.” Not to be cast aside because he was found lacking. Because somebody else was “more.”

“That’s all?” She blinked. “The twenty billion bucks and all the perks aren’t even a factor in your life?”

“No. But the money is a means to an end.” Or should have been. His lips curled into a lopsided smile. Twenty billion not withstanding, he was still sitting here in this tropical paradise wondering how he was going to win his wife back. Spoiling her rotten hadn’t prevented her from wanting to leave him, even with his baby in her belly. “Thankfully I’m good at making it.”

“What would you have done if you weren’t?”

It was his turn to blink. The idea that he might not be good at his job had never occurred to him.

“Okay, how about this. What happens when you can’t do it anymore? What are you going to do then?”

He frowned. “I don’t know.” Multiplying money was something that came to him as naturally as breathing. He didn’t have a nobler calling like curing cancer or solving world hunger. He would’ve likely gotten in the way if he’d tried.

Making money was the only way he could be “more.”

“You don’t know what you’re going to do when you have several billion dollars lying around?” A gentle teasing lightened her voice. “Not to mention all the money you’re getting from The Lloyds Development?”

“What would
you
do if you had twenty billion?” he asked, curious.

She hadn’t grown up wealthy, not the way Catherine had. Amandine had been one of the poor relatives. Catherine had often remarked about how irresponsible Amandine’s father had been for failing to provide for his family.

“I’d set up a small trust fund to take care of my needs and spend the rest on charities. Maybe form my own foundation.”

Huh
. “Wanna run one?”

“No. Forget it.” She shook her head. “I’m not smart enough to do that. I don’t know anything.”

He took her hand. “You’re plenty smart enough.”

Pink colored her smooth cheeks. “I’m not like Pete.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Pete’s the smart one. You’ve seen what he can do.”

“You’re selling yourself short. He’s no dummy, but it’s not all brain. He works really hard to do what he does. You can do the same. Just say the word, and I’ll set up a foundation for you.”

THE OFFER STUNNED HER as much as Gavin’s assertion that she was just as capable as her brilliant younger brother. Everything Pete did seemed to come easily: academics, sports, girls. Amandine wasn’t like that. She was too clumsy for sports. And academics? Forget about it. No matter how long she’d stared at her math textbook, she hadn’t been able to figure out basic algebra.

“Pete’s a talented guy, but my business requires more than just talent. And just because you can’t do something he or I can doesn’t mean you aren’t smart.” Gavin speared the last bit of duck from her plate and put it in her mouth.

Left without a choice, she chewed. Her husband wouldn’t give up until she finished everything. Surprisingly, she wasn’t overly stuffed. Maybe she did need some extra calories after the past few days.

“You do things with a canvas that I could never dream of,” Gavin said. “And I spent a year of my life in art class.”

“Can you paint?” She’d never seen him hold a brush, even at the Art4Kids classes.

“If you can consider what I do ‘painting,’ sure.” He grinned. “I thought if I got good enough, I would do nudes.”

“You mean women.”

“Basically. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“How old were you?”

“High school freshman.”

She chortled. “You wasted all that effort for nothing when all you had to do was be yourself.”

“Not enough.”

“You gotta be kidding. I’m sure any girl would’ve been flattered by your attention.” He might have been awkward in his teen years, but his innate charisma and brains would’ve been evident.

“I needed an angle. I was too shy to just lean over and kiss a girl. You know, like this.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips against the corner of her mouth. His tongue traced the gentle curves there.

Amandine trembled at the touch, desire unfurling inside her like a blooming orchid. She’d missed his touch in the last two months. “This solves nothing,” she murmured.

“Then why not just enjoy it?” he whispered.

Oh
,
why not
, she thought. She tilted her head so their mouths could fit better. Her hands rose and wrapped around his shoulders and drew him closer.

No further permission was needed. His mouth grew hungry over hers, and she responded, wanting to consume him, devour this moment so they could never be apart regardless of what she’d said in Samantha’s office. Her right hand traveled and stopped over his heart. It thudded against her palm.

“Feel how much I want you,” he murmured, his voice rough and uneven. “This isn’t just my cock speaking.”

“I know.”

No matter what, Gavin had never let his most basic urges control him. Heat flooded her. This incredible man—her husband—still wanted her like this after three years of marriage.

He brushed the back of his hand over her breast, and she shuddered at the intensity of need his barest touch aroused in her. He picked her up, crushing her to his bare chest, and carried her into the bedroom. His mouth never left hers; with every step, her breasts moved against him, inflaming her further. She wanted to wave a wand and make her dress disappear so her nipples could rub against his wiry hair. Moist heat pooled between her legs, and she felt bereft without him inside her.

He let her body glide down his at the foot of their bed and she moaned softly at the delicious friction. His erection pushed against her belly. She rose to her toes and pressed her lips against his neck where his pulse throbbed. She smelled the ocean and tasted salt on his hot skin. He unzipped her dress and pushed it down her body, groaning at the sight of her lacy demi-bra and matching thong.

“Christ, those’re hot. Good thing I didn’t see them earlier. I might not have waited until you finished dinner.”

She smiled. “You sure? You were pretty determined that I’d have my double portion. Eating for two and all that.”

His palm rested gently on her still-flat stomach. “I still can’t believe you’re carrying my baby.”

Fresh anxiety gnawed at her. “You want it?” They’d never talked about the child beyond what it meant to their marriage. Their lawyers had treated it as a bargaining tool. Amandine didn’t want that for their baby. It should be born into unconditional love.

Gavin’s head snapped up, his dark eyes boring into hers. “Of course I do.”

* * *

How could Amandine doubt that he wanted their baby? Did she think he only saw it as a way to keep her with him? He didn’t have the words to express what the little life inside her meant to him. It was the most precious thing anyone had ever given him. It was a part of her binding with a part of him that would become something bigger than either. He already loved it so much his heart ached, and what he felt for Amandine made his knees weak.

“Gavin?” she said softly.

Tell her
.
Tell her how you feel
.

His throat froze. Whenever he’d expressed his feelings, one way or another he’d lost the person who’d inspired them. Even the mention of a proposal to Catherine had sent her running to another man. On the other hand, he’d never said a word about his intentions toward Amandine while they’d been dating…and here they were.

Better to keep the words and show her instead.

Thinking that whoever invented front-clasp bras should get a Nobel Prize, he unhooked the garment and pulled it off. Her breasts came free, their peaks rosy and pointed. He’d always thought the bigger the better until he’d seen Amandine’s. She had just enough to drive him insane with want.

He rolled her nipples between his fingers, his touch gentle. Their bodies changing, women grew sensitive during pregnancy. Gavin wanted to learn what his stunning wife liked now and make her feel really, really good.

A soft moan escaped her lips, and her hands wrapped around his upper arms. A delicate shade of rose flushed her beautiful cheeks, and she arched her back, pushing her breasts toward him for more.

Who was he to deny her? He obliged, tugging gently on the nipples and observing her reaction. Her breathing grew ragged, her eyes darker and glazed. “Please,” she gasped. “Suck on them. Now.”

Your wish is my command
.

He dipped his head and pulled one pointed peak into his mouth. She moaned loudly, her hold on him tight—almost painful—as her long nails dug into his flesh. He didn’t care. What mattered was that she loved what he was doing to her. He moved both of them onto the bed without losing the nipple.