Conquest of the Heart

By R.J. Dillon

Copyright 2010 R.J. Dillon

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

CHAPTER ONE

It was a typical day at Carlisle &Associates, Inc. (C&A) - a multi-billion dollar sports marketing firm with offices located in Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, and two international offices in Paris and Italy. The floors were buzzing with marketers and journalists, working feverishly to pull together sponsors for the upcoming NFL draft. This would be the biggest draft yet, and everyone had to be ready.

Gavin Carlisle, the Vice President and son of founder and President Adrian Carlisle, was doing what he usually does on days like this - he was working on his next proposition. Gavin was forward thinking, and he never settled very long on the present activity. He was an excellent executive that way, and the reason why the company reached billion dollar status year after year. Gavin was of Italian descent, with piercing green eyes, wavy dark brown hair that barely touched his shoulders, and naturally tan skin. He stood six feet tall, and had a muscular build.

More importantly, Gavin was still single. Every woman within all of the offices saw this as an opportunity, and it didn’t matter if they were married. Many joked that they would leave their current spouses for a chance to be with him. He used this to his advantage.

Chandler, Gavin’s frequent and latest muse, stopped in to see him before heading to her desk.

“Hey, baby. I enjoyed our time together last night.” She was leaning against the door with a sultry smile on her face.

“Don’t get used to it,” he said flatly, annoyed that she was there. “I know you ladies talk. You know we won’t be together for very long before I move on to something better, but I appreciate the accolades. I enjoyed it, too.” Gavin didn’t even look up as he spoke. He stayed focused on his work.

She walked into his office, stood next to him as he sat at his desk and turned his chair around to face her. “Well, you never know what might happen. You might find that my lovin’ is just what you were looking for,” she said in a sexy tone, leaning down so he could see her breasts, and staring straight into his eyes. Chandler didn’t believe in dressing conservatively. Gavin didn’t squint, and never looked down.

As he pushed her away from him, he said, “Chandler, you’re not my type. I got what I wanted from you, and that was sex. There’s nothing else I need from you. Now please leave and tend to your work so I can think.”

“Fine,” she huffed. “I don’t know why so many women throw themselves at you. You’re such a pig.”

“Money. That’s all they want. That’s all you want. As long as that’s all you want, I will get what I want. Right now, until I find that special person, all I want is sex.”

“Have a good day,” she said sarcastically as she stormed out.

Chandler was the only one who could speak to Gavin like that and not risk getting fired. She had slept with him numerous times. She was also one of the top marketers of the company, having signed several large accounts, including Tiger Woods and Venus and Serena Williams. She wasn’t going anywhere and she knew it. She was an average woman, of average height, with long strawberry blonde hair, and brown eyes. Out of all the women that Gavin “enjoyed,” he enjoyed her the most. He always threatened not to see her again, but always came back. He could count on her for a booty call at any time.

Gavin checked his calendar for upcoming meetings. He saw that Adrian had set up a meeting with the executives to introduce a new director. They were in need of improved public relations. All he could remember about her was her name was Faith. All he could think about was how much faith he had that she would end up in his bed provided she was to his liking.

As Gavin stood up to go to the meeting, he stopped to glance out of his window. He could see the Statue of Liberty from his office. ‘Now THAT is a lady,’ he thought.

He walked down the hallway, receiving the usual hellos, and stopped to chat with Carter. They went to college together and were best friends. Carter was the Director of Promotions. He had met more sports moguls, both nationally and internationally than one could imagine. He could party with them too, which at times could get him into trouble. Carter was a few inches shorter than Gavin, with short blonde hair, and baby blue eyes. He had a boyish look about him, which often caused problems when he was with Gavin. With Gavin looking more mature than the two of them, women often overlooked Carter. Though this was no fault of Gavin’s, Carter was slightly envious of his friend for this, as well as other reasons.

“When did you get back?” asked Gavin.

“This morning. The only reason I’m here is for this meeting. Do you have any ideas about this woman your dad hired? What sort of experience does she have?”

“Must be enough if Adrian found her. He probably met her at some seminar. You know how he is about new talent. He can discover someone anywhere.”

“Already got plans for her?” asked Carter coyly.

“Of course.”

“Your father’s not going to like that. She’s going to be a Director. He already disapproves of you sleeping with the marketers and sales personnel. But a Director? That won’t go over well at all.”

“I can handle Adrian.”

“Maybe so, but I’d like to see you deal with your mother.”

“Now that’s a different story,” Gavin chuckled. “Are you ready? Let’s go meet my new prey.”

“You know, it’d be nice if you’d share the wealth a little bit,” Carter joked.

“I can’t help looking this good. Women are drawn to me.” The men both laughed as they approached the boardroom.

The other executives began to fill the room, and they all began to chatter amongst themselves as they waited for the President to join them. As Adrian Carlisle entered, the whole room stood at attention. He was a man who commanded respect, and had great authority. On a more personal level, he was charming, kind, and gentle. Adrian was tall, with cleanly cut salt and pepper gray hair. He was highly intelligent, having graduated from Cambridge, and received his Masters in Marketing from Northwestern. He founded C&A when he was only twenty-five. Adrian had an uncanny ability to recognize and recruit talent. He employed them at a level that was both challenging and exciting, and provided the most competitive salaries in the world. C&A was his baby. Now sixty-five years of age, he was still operating at his peak.

“Good morning,” Adrian spoke as he walked in the room.

“Good morning,” everyone said. Gavin and Carter were standing on the outside of the table, with their backs leaning against the windows.

“I’m sure you’ve all been wondering who our new Director of Public Relations is. This position gets a great deal of exposure to the media, and I knew it was going to take a special person to fill the role. C&A is not just a family owned business, it’s about family. It’s about you, and it’s about the clients for whom we promote and market. The person we trust to publicly represent our company must be strong, wise, witty, bright, and smart. At the same time, they must be tough enough to stand in the trenches when necessary.

“My last trip to Paris was very productive. Our international promotions are steadily growing, and our presence is having a positive impact on the French community. Our sales team and marketers are doing commendable work. When I’m there, I always meet with a friend from a fellow company, Amusement Printanier. For those of you who don’t speak French, that’s Spring Entertainment. We’ve known each other for a long time. He told me about a young lady, who had the qualities that I was looking for, and invited her to dine with us one afternoon. I was more than impressed. She is an incredible person, who works and lives with integrity. We can all learn a lot from her, and I look forward to seeing the positive changes that occur over time with her help. Now, I know that you’ll have many questions for her, and I assure you, you’ll have plenty of time to get to know her at the party. That memo is going out as we speak. This meeting is to welcome her to the family. She will speak briefly, and is anxious to get started.

“So, without further ado, I would like to introduce our new Director of Promotions, Faith Scott!”

As everyone clapped, Faith walked into the boardroom, smiling and looking around at everyone. Carter had to push Gavin’s mouth shut, who was taken aback from what he was seeing. He had never seen a more beautiful woman. She had light brown eyes, beautiful caramel brown skin, and dark brown hair that fell just below her shoulder blades, which was tied back with a jeweled brooch. She wore a burgundy pencil skirt suit, complemented perfectly with diamond earrings and a designer necklace. Her outfit was completed with matching burgundy pumps. She had a slender, but fit figure. The only makeup she wore, from what he could tell, was her lipstick, burgundy, which highlighted how beautiful her skin was, and tied the whole outfit together. ‘What a vision,’ Gavin thought. She spoke a few words.

“Good morning,” she said, scanning the room again. Faith’s voice was clear, smooth, and confident. “I asked Mr. Carlisle - ”

“Adrian, Faith. Please call me Adrian. She’s so proper.” Adrian smiled.

“I asked Adrian not to make this a big deal. But I understand he has a reputation for doing the opposite of what you ask.” She paused as everyone chuckled over the comment. Adrian smiled and pointed a playful finger at her.

As she continued to speak, Carter leaned over and whispered to Gavin. “So how do you plan to conquer this one? She might be harder than you think.” Gavin didn’t answer. He was so encapsulated by her voice, all he could do was listen.

“I’m excited to be among such wonderful people and working for this excellent company. I have an open door policy, so please feel free to stop by my office any time, which is located near Adrian’s office. Though I’ve done some studying on my own, I will need your help getting to know the ins and outs of the company. There’s nothing like good ‘ole hands on experience. I look forward to getting to know all of you and learning from you. Thanks for making me feel at home.”

Everyone clapped and nodded their approval as Faith concluded her short speech. Adrian gave her a big hug, like a father hugging his daughter. He led her from the room and directed her to her office.

“You’ve been begging for that office for months!” exclaimed Carter. When he didn’t get a response, he looked over at Gavin. Gavin was still motionless. This had never happened to him before. This feeling inside was different.

“Are you okay? Hey – snap out of it.” Carter waved a hand in front of Gavin’s face.

He shook his head. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

“I’ve only been trying to talk to you for the past five minutes. What’s gotten into you? I’ve never seen you like this.” Carter leaned back against the wall. “She’s gorgeous, isn’t she? How are you going to approach this one? She’s right next to your father, an office you couldn’t even buy! He’s going to be guarding her from you.”

“I told you. I can deal with Adrian.”

“So you are going to pursue her?” Carter had to ask this question again. He had never been quite moved by anyone he worked with. He wouldn’t mind getting to know Faith himself, but always backed down from anyone that Gavin was interested in. It was something they had agreed to do after college. Although, this time, he might deviate from that agreement.

“Definitely,” Gavin said under his breath.

“Of course.” Carter was disappointed, however he had his own ideas. “I’ve got to get back to work. Talk to you later.”

Gavin sighed and looked out of the window from which he was leaning. This conquest was going to have to be different.

CHAPTER TWO

Please join us for Employee Appreciation Night

596 Mitchells Lane

Brigdehampton, New York 11932

Saturday, April 17th

4:00p – 9:00p

Just bring yourselves and dress casually

The party was only a week away. Everyone always enjoyed the parties that Adrian threw because he opened up his home. To him, they were family, and family shouldn’t be escorted off to some cold and impersonal hotel. No, home is where the heart is, and that’s where he liked to celebrate.

Faith was getting settled in her office. She had never had a space as big as this one before. The furniture was just to her liking – dark walnut. On the left side of the office, as you walked in the door, there was a square table with four black leather chairs situated around it. In front of her was a contemporary executive desk. It had a strip of white marble just underneath the desktop, accented with a beautiful off-white leather chair. To the right, there were large bookcases that matched the desk, with a modern contemporary off-white leather sofa that matched her chair. There was a small nook in the corner by the sofa that housed a medium-sized wet bar and refrigerator with dark walnut glass cabinets located overhead. This was a corner office, so there were windows to the right and to the front. She had a magnificent view of the outside world.

Faith plopped down in her new leather chair. She practically sank into it. It was so comfortable. There was a giant bouquet on her desk with a card that read ‘Glad you’re finally here. Welcome to the family. Adrian’. She smiled and stood up to smell the flowers. As she was taking a deep breath in, her pleasure was interrupted by a knock.

“Can I come in?” Faith looked up and saw Carter.

“Sure. I’m just taking it all in,” she smiled and walked around her desk. “You are - ”

“Carter. Director of Promotions. I’m just down the hall with the bottom feeders.”

They shook hands. “Would you like something to drink? I think I’m pretty well stocked over here.”

“No, no. I was just heading out, and wanted to stop by to meet you personally.”

“Bottom feeders, huh? Are you going to tell me what you mean by that?” Faith was curious why he chose those particular words.

“This office,” Carter grinned, “is the most coveted office on the floor. Gavin has been begging for this office for over a year now. Adrian wouldn’t budge. He was saving it for someone special he said. I guess that would be you.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” she smiled. “I’m just a normal person and I certainly don’t have anything more special than anyone else here. We’re all special in our own way. How long have you been with the company?”

“Since I graduated from college, about fourteen years. Gavin and I went to school together. We took the same classes, yadda yadda yadda. I’m practically family. I haven’t quite convinced them to add me as a beneficiary, though.” They both laughed.

“So where are you going?” asked Faith.

“I’m sorry?”

“You said you were heading out?”

“Oh yeah.” Carter had almost forgotten that he needed to catch a plane. He was meeting with some associates from Coca-Cola in Los Angeles for a new ad they were working on. He was so intrigued by their conversation that he didn’t want to lose the moment. She was so genuine. Her smile was absolutely magnetic. He couldn’t remember the last time that he felt so comfortable speaking to a woman. More importantly, he had mentioned Gavin twice, and she didn’t ask who he was. This could be promising.

“I almost forgot. I have a meeting in Los Angeles this afternoon. Thanks for reminding me. You’ve managed to control this whole conversation and hone in on me. I’d like to hear more about you, if you don’t mind. It’ll have to wait until I get back. Will you be at the party? Perhaps you can continue then?”

“I’ll see you there. Have a safe flight.”

“Thanks.” Carter walked out of the office, feeling as light as a feather. No doubt Gavin would be next in line at her door. He would worry about him later. This was just the beginning.

After Carter left, Faith logged onto her laptop to view her calendar. She only had one meeting today. It was with Adrian, and was going to last all afternoon. He had lunch reserved at noon. Following that, he was going to take her around to meet everyone and show her the office so she would be familiar with where everything was located. After that, he had a private meeting scheduled in his office to discuss her tasks for the upcoming months. Faith was self-motivated. All she needed was a list of items that needed to be completed, and she would get it done. That was one of the reasons Adrian hired her. Another reason was her level of integrity. She believed that integrity should be at the heart of every company. If this key ingredient was missing, it could disrupt operations, and could compromise the reputation of a company.

Faith grabbed a pen and the personally engraved notebook (another gift from Adrian) that was sitting next to her flowers from her desk. She walked over to Adrian’s office, stopping at the executive assistants’ desk.

Agnes beamed, “You must be Faith. I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Agnes. If you need anything, I’m the first one you can come to.” She held out her hand.

Faith shook Agnes’ hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Agnes. Is it alright if I go in?” she asked, motioning towards Adrian’s office.

“Yes. He’s expecting you.”

Faith knocked on the door and opened it at the same time. Adrian was on the phone, and motioned for her to come on in.

“Yes. That’s right honey, just the employees this time. Agnes has already taken care of the catering and the entertainment. You don’t have to lift a finger … I know you’re excited … Honey, Faith is here now to join me for lunch. I’ll call you later, okay? … I love you, too. Bye now.”

Hanging up the phone, he said, “I’m sorry about that. Juliet has been calling me all morning since the memo went out about the party. She absolutely loves seeing everyone.”

“No apologies necessary. How is she doing? I can’t wait to see her again.”

Faith had seen Juliet when Adrian was visiting the Paris office, and again when she came to visit New York before starting the new job. Juliet was the sweetest woman anyone could ever know. She was petite, standing only five feet, two inches tall. Her hair was almost completely white, and she kept it cut short, to fit her small rounded face. Her eyes were as blue as the Caribbean ocean.

Adrian and Juliet were childhood sweethearts. They married young, and had Gavin when they were in their late twenties. They never had any other children. Juliet had a difficult pregnancy with Gavin, and almost lost him during her second trimester. They were told additional pregnancies would be high risk, and were advised to use adoption as the safest, more reasonable option for more kids. Instead, they directed all of their love and affection toward their son. Juliet cared so much for Gavin, but she was no pushover. She was quite the spitfire if you pushed the right buttons, and boy could Gavin do it. He did his best not to cross her, knowing there would be hell to pay if he did.

“She’s doing fine,” said Adrian. “Are you hungry?”

“Famished,” Faith smiled as she grabbed her stomach. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and that was only a cup of yogurt and some cherries. She had been nervous about her first day, and didn’t want to get sick, so she kept her meal light. “I could eat a small horse right now.”

Adrian laughed boisterously and said, “Well let’s get you fed. I don’t want to find any missing employees because I let you starve.” They continued to laugh as they walked out of his office.

As they walked toward the elevators, Gavin was in his office preparing to meet with a client. He heard laughter and looked out and saw Faith and Adrian. He watched as they approached and waited for the elevator, studying Faith’s every move – her walk, her smile, even how she carefully swept loose hairs that were going astray behind her ears. He hadn’t gotten a chance to speak with her yet. He knew Adrian would be keeping her very busy for the first few weeks until she was able to set her own schedule and agenda. He himself was going to be in and out of the office with engagements. ‘I guess I’ll have to wait until Saturday’, he thought as he gathered up his paperwork, carefully placed it in his portfolio and left for the afternoon.

“So where are we going?” asked Faith as the limo pulled around to pick them up.

“You said you liked Mexican food, so I chose Agave. It’s one of the best Mexican restaurants in the city. Speaking of which, how are you adjusting to New York? How was your move?”

“As with work, I’m still getting settled, still digging out of my boxes. I never in my life thought that I’d move to New York. The pace is so fast. In Paris, things are so much more laid back.”

“Well, I know that your first months with C&A will be a little stressful, but they’ll quiet down a bit. I’m not one to overwork my employees. Family should always come first, do you understand? I mean that wholeheartedly.”

“I know you do. Thank you.”

The driver pulled along the curb on Seventh Avenue in front of the restaurant. He came around the car to open the door for Faith and Adrian. As they walked in, Faith looked around, taking in the tall buildings, the atmosphere, the sounds. The host showed them to their table on the patio, which was perfect for such a warm day. They were handed menus and their server brought them some water.

Faith opened her menu and asked, “So what’s good here? What do you suggest?”

“Well, I like the Masa Crusted Chicken Sandwich. It’s my favorite. I also like the Steak Wrap, and the BBQ Sliced Steak sandwich. Please tell me you’re not thinking about just having a salad?”

“No. I’m really hungry, so you’ll have to forgive me because my manners are going to be out the door once we get our food.” She smiled and continued to look at the menu. “I think I’ll try the Grilled Adobe Chicken Breast Quesadillas. Those sound delicious.”

“I’ve never tried their quesadillas. They do sound good,” said Adrian.

Their server came out and politely spoke, “Are you ready to order? Do you have any questions about any items on the menu?”

Adrian ordered for both of them. “We’re ready. The lady will have the Grilled Adobe Chicken Breast Quesadillas, and I will have the Masa Crusted Chicken Sandwich.”

“Anything to drink?”

“I’ll just have water,” said Faith. “As will I,” said Adrian, handing their menus to the server.

“So, we’ll go over my schedule when we get back to the office? What hours would you like me to work?”

“Yes, we’ll cover all of that when we get back. Right now, I want to talk to you about another matter.”

Faith raised her eyebrows. “Uh oh. Please don’t tell me there’s drama already.”

“No, not exactly. It’s about Gavin. You know you’ll eventually be reporting directly to him?”

“Yes. We haven’t formally met, but I figured he’d have some time set up for us to go over his expectations.”

“That’s what I’m concerned about.” Adrian got a serious look on his face. “He has some very deviant behavioral patterns that I’m almost certain will impact you. I’m sure he’s already drumming up a plan to make you his next prize.”

“Prize?” Faith looked bewildered.

“Yes,” said Adrian, embarrassed. “The women in the office are not strangers to him. He knows them very well, if you know what I mean.” Adrian looked Faith directly in the eyes. He was very concerned about her welfare. Gavin was extremely cunning. There hadn’t been a single woman in the office that Gavin approached with the ability to deny him. He didn’t want Faith to get hurt.

“So he makes it a point to get all the women he works with to sleep with him?”

“That’s a nice way to put it. Not all of them. He tends to be picky, but regardless, I don’t approve of this,” he said shaking his head disappointedly, “and I definitely don’t want this to change your mind about working for us. We really need your expertise. He will be your boss, but ultimately, I have the final say in any decisions or changes that need to be made. If you ever have any problems, please come to me. You can come to me any time you need to talk. You’re going to need that outlet.”

Faith smiled and took Adrian’s hand. “Thanks for the warning, and thanks for the open door. You’ve been so kind to me, so helpful. I just want you to know how much I appreciate that.”

At that moment, their lunch arrived. They ate and enjoyed more conversation.

Saturday came faster than expected. It was such a busy week, with promotions, tours, meetings, and training. Everyone was looking forward to a break.

Gavin finished a jam-packed week of meetings with clients and prospects. Chandler helped him end his week with a bang, literally. It was morning, and she had just left his bed and gone home to get ready for the party. He still had her smell on him, so he couldn’t wait to shower and head over to his parents’ house to help get things ready. He also had a few things to pick up on his way there.

As he showered, Gavin couldn’t stop thinking about Faith. He was looking forward to talking to her. He had heard from most of his colleagues that she had a very charming and warm personality.

Gavin shaved, brushed his teeth, and ran his fingers through his hair to style it. He didn’t like to overdo it on the cologne, so he always put it on his skin, not his clothes. It was uncharacteristically warm for April today, almost seventy five degrees with a slight chance for rain. He opted for a good old pair of jeans and a white button-down Veronesi embroidered sport shirt with French cuffs. He slipped on a pair of white Di Nella oxfords, grabbed his keys and locked up before getting into his car.

Gavin wasn’t a big spender. He was pretty conservative with his money. However, when it came to cars or a house, he spared no expense, and got what he wanted so he only had to buy it once. He eased into his black CL65 AMG Mercedes Benz, revved up the engine, and drove off to complete his errands. He always bought a huge bouquet of flowers for his mother when he visited, and he needed to pick up $500 gift cards for the employees – C&A’s way of saying thank you for all their hard work.

Faith had an exhausting first week and she was looking forward to a fun and relaxing evening. She slept in until about ten o’clock, went for a run, and took a long hot bath when she got back. She lit some candles and turned on Yanni in the background. She closed her eyes and escaped to a secluded beach where she was swinging in a hammock with a tall glass of chardonnay, smiling as she swayed in the gentle breeze. The phone ringing brought her back to reality. She jumped up, startled, splashing water on the sides of the tub. She sighed, pulled herself up out of the tub, and wrapped a towel around her body. Whoever called would have to leave a message. She applied her lotion, topping it off with body glitter. Like Gavin, she didn’t appreciate the overzealous cologne wearer, and spritzed it on before she put her clothes on. She decided to wear a red Calvin Klein abstract zig-zag print halter top with a pair of dark blue jean capris and a black belt. She tied the top portion of her hair up, with the rest hanging down. A pair of black four and a quarter inch Via Spiga wedge sandals, dangle gold earrings and gold bracelet completed her outfit. Faith didn’t like to wear makeup, and always kept it simple with tinted lip gloss. She had to get a few things for her house before heading to the party. When she moved, her father had a going away present delivered – a liquid silver Jaguar XF Supercharged. She hadn’t driven it much since she had only been in New York for a week. Today, she would get to test it out. She grinned as she slid into her car, started it and slowly drove away.

Gavin arrived at his parents’ house early to help get things set up if necessary. His mother greeted him with her usual bright and sunny smile. She gave him a huge hug.

“Hi, honey. I’ve missed you!” She squeezed him tight.

“Mom, you’re gonna suck the life outta me,” he squealed. She let go and they laughed.

“So, how have you been? Are you starting to settle down?” She paused. Gavin rolled his eyes. ‘Here it comes,’ he thought. “Is there a lovely young lady in your life, perhaps someone serious that you can spend some time with?” She always asked this question when he saw her. Like Adrian, Juliet did not approve of Gavin’s promiscuous behavior, though she didn’t try to push him too much.

“Mom, I really don’t want to discuss my personal life right now. You know I hate talking about it with you. I brought you some flowers,” he said handing her the bouquet. “How are you?” He tried to change the subject. It never worked. His mother was a persistent little thing.

“I’m fine. So is there someone in your life? Just one someone?” she grinned, raising her eyebrows.

“I’m not going to talk to you if you don’t stop. You know where I stand. Like it or not, it’s where I’m at right now. Nothing more, nothing less. Just accept it.” He crossed his arms and looked sternly at his mother.

She sighed and said, “Alright. I won’t ask anymore today.” This conversation would be happening again. It was a hot topic in their home.

“Good,” Gavin snared. “Where’s Adrian?”

“Would you please call him Dad or Father? You’re not at work.” It displeased her when he did this.

Adrian and Gavin liked to keep their work relationship completely separate from their personal one. Over the years, their personal relationship became distant as Gavin’s behavior changed for the worse. They hardly spoke, but still loved each other very much.

“Where is Father?” he said majestically.

“He’s out in the backyard, watching the waves.” Adrian and Juliet lived near the ocean. The crashing of the waves was soothing to them. Their backyard was enormous, and they loved to have parties. If they didn’t have an official reason to have one, they made one up.

Gavin strolled out of the house and into the backyard where Adrian was.

“Adrian. How are you?” he asked, extending his hand. Even though they worked in the same offices, they kept very different and very busy schedules. They barely saw each other.

Adrian shook his hand and said, “I’m well, Gavin. Have you been good?”

Gavin slapped him gently on the shoulder and said, “Define good?” He had a very sly smile on his face.

“That means I don’t want to know,” Adrian said shaking his head. “Did you get the gift cards? I’ll have the staff hand them out as guests arrive.” It was better to talk about something positive that didn’t upset him.

“I did. So, how is Faith doing? I haven’t had a chance to meet her yet?”

“She’s doing great. She’s ambitious, strong, level-headed. Don’t you even think about pulling any of your stunts with her,” Adrian said, eyeing Gavin. He knew this would do no good. Faith was too beautiful for Gavin to resist.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he smirked, rocking back and forth from heel to toe.

Just then, they heard voices. Employees had begun to arrive. They turned, and went back toward the house to greet them as they came in. There were hors d’oeuvres, chicken, barbecue ribs, potato salad, baked beans, salad, fruit, desserts a mile long, and every beverage you could think of. Gavin, Adrian, and Juliet mingled. There were so many guests all at once, it was amazing.

As Gavin walked around speaking to his colleagues, he glanced around, looking for Faith. She hadn’t arrived yet. He hoped she was coming. As he searched, he saw Chandler. He really didn’t want to deal with her this afternoon.

She slinked up to him, “Hey, baby.”

“Oh, would you please stop talking to me like that. For goodness sake, Chandler, there are people all around us.” He was extremely irritated.

“It’s no secret that we’ve been together. Hell, it’s no secret that you’ve been with everyone. You could be the poster child for ‘Pimp My Ride’,” she giggled.

Gavin glared at her, and walked away. He had had about enough of her, but couldn’t quite give up a good lay.

Moments later, Faith pulled up the driveway and parked. As she walked up to the house, Juliet was looking out the window, and saw her coming. She practically ran to the door.

“Faith honey, it’s so good to see you,” she said, giving her an even bigger hug than she gave Gavin.

“Hi, Juliet,” she returned the hug. “It’s good to see you, too.”

“Let me take a look at you.” Juliet backed up and looked at Faith up and down. “You look stunning.”

“Aww, thank you,” Faith smiled.

Juliet wrapped an arm around Faith’s and they began walking through the house together.

“Your house is gorgeous, Juliet. I can’t believe how big it is.” Faith looked around in awe, viewing art and sculptures.

“That’s the problem. It’s too big. Why do you think I like to have everyone over all of the time?” she giggled. She was like a little girl having a huge birthday party. “How was your first week at work? Did you get settled in your home okay?” asked Juliet, as they kept walking.

“I did. I’m glad to be here, because I was really tired. I’m ready to have some fun and meet the rest of my colleagues.”

“Well this is the place to be. Why don’t you go on back and mingle?” she said, secretly hoping she’d run into Gavin first.

“Okay,” said Faith. “I’ll talk to you later.” She smiled and walked through the patio doors and out back, greeting people she recognized as she went.

Adrian and Juliet had been concerned about Gavin for some time. His behavior had gotten worse with age. They begged him to settle down and get married, but he wasn’t ready. When Adrian went to Paris, and heard that Faith might be moving to America, they saw this as an opportunity to do some scheming of their own. If they knew Faith like they thought they knew her, she would not be an easy target for Gavin. Maybe this would help him see that not all women were alike, and maybe he could see her as someone that he could possibly spend the rest of his life with. They knew it was a long shot, but they had to try.

Out back, Faith took a glass of sparkling water with lime, and joined some people she recently met, and Carter. They laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. Carter was glad to get talk to her without Gavin, but that didn’t last long. Gavin spotted them and walked toward them. He again, was awestruck by how beautifully put together Faith was. She was stunning to look at.

Carter turned as he approached. “Gavin! I was wondering where you were.” They patted each other on the back.

Gavin smiled, “I’ve been looking for you, too.” He looked over at Faith and said, “Faith, we finally meet. It’s a pleasure.” He reached for her hand, and kissed the back of it. “I must say, you do look beautiful this evening,” Gavin said as Carter rolled his eyes.

Faith coyly smiled and pulled her hand away from his. She was sitting comfortably in a padded lawn chair with a group of people by the fire pit. “Thank you. You don’t have to flatter me. It won’t work.”

Gavin’s smile started to flatten. He looked around and said, “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

“Adrian warned me about you.”

“Really?” he said, irritated. “Adrian should mind his own business.” The group was quiet, eager to hear more.

“It’s his business and his reputation that’s on the line because of you. You’re the reason I’m here. He wants a better image for his company, and your inappropriate behavior is not helping,” she snapped. “You’re an intelligent man, Gavin, and you’re my boss. I’m looking forward to learning from you, but I won’t be a part of your mess. I suggest you start taking the welfare of the company more seriously, and handle your personal life a little more discreetly.” She stood up, smiled and said, “It was nice to meet you.” She walked away, talking to other guests.

Carter grabbed Gavin’s shoulder, trying to hold in his chuckle. “Are you alright, man?” He was sure that Gavin would be discouraged, and put a halt to pursuing Faith. To his surprise, the opposite occurred.

Gavin followed Faith with his eyes as she walked away, and said, “She just called me out in front of my peers, and then said it was nice to meet me.” He paused. “Damn that’s sexy!” He shook his head, smiling, as he walked around to speak with other employees. Her actions aroused him.

Chandler overheard their conversation. She was starting to get drunk. Her view of her relationship with Gavin was distorted. She seemed to think that after Gavin had had his way with everyone else, he would realize that he loved her. She also believed that as vice president, he should be able to do whatever he wanted. That was, she thought, a benefit to being an executive.

She stumbled over to where Faith was standing, who was now talking to a couple of other directors, and a few managers. Gavin wasn’t standing too far away. Chandler’s speech was slurred as she spoke.

“Gavin can dure whatever he wants,” she said as she stumbled before catching herself, pointing her finger in Faith’s face. “He’ll have you eventurely. After he does, he’ll come running back tur me. I can give him what he really wants. You’ll just be another notch on his belt.” She smiled as she took another drink.

Faith calmly said, “First of all, I’m no one’s ‘notch’. Secondly, I really don’t care to know about your personal affair with Gavin. Keep it to yourself. I personally won’t allow myself to sink your level.”

“You durnt know him. Not like I do. You’ll give in. We all do,” she said as she almost tripped this time. “You shurdn’t have said what you did, though. It’s only your first week and you’re already being a bitch.”

Gavin almost jumped in, but was stopped in his tracks by what happened next. Faith stepped closer to Chandler, looked her in the eyes and sternly said, “I’ll let that one slide because you’re drunk. You don’t know anything about me, and you don’t know what you’re talking about, but I promise you this. Call me a bitch one more time and you’ll be looking for another job.”

“You can’t - ” Chandler tried to react as she fell. Gavin walked over and picked her up, pissed that she stuck her nose in what he was trying to do. She looked around to see who was helping her.

“Oh, hey honey. I told that woman not to be messin’ with you,” she laughed as her drunken weight was almost too much for him to handle. He dragged her out front where cabs were lined up. Adrian and Gavin always made sure they had cabs available for guests who’d had a little too much to drink.

He shoved her in the front cab, and angrily said, “I don’t need your help and I don’t want you meddling in my business. You’re drunk and you need to go home. Don’t call me, alright? I’ll deal with you on Monday.” He told the driver where to take Chandler, slammed the door shut, and hit the roof of the car letting the driver know it was okay to leave.

As he walked back to the house, he saw Faith talking to Adrian. He stopped and thought about her encounter with Chandler. No one had ever stood up to Chandler like that, drunk or sober. This woman was fearless. “Damn, that’s even sexier,” he said.

Gavin was becoming extremely aroused by how Faith had carried herself at the party. He knew he couldn’t have her, so he would have to find someone else to help relieve his tension. A young lady was standing on the steps out front. ‘Perfect,’ he thought.

“Hi, I’m Gavin.” He stood on one of the steps to talk to her.

“Hi,” she said shyly. “I’m Tiffany. I know who you are.” She smiled and looked around.

“Did you have fun tonight? Do you need a ride home?” he asked with deception in his voice. She was too naïve to catch on.

“No, I came with a friend. I’m just wai- ”

“You said you know who I am,” Gavin interrupted, “so you know what I want. Do you need a ride home?”

“Okay.”

Gavin directed her to his car. When they got to her apartment, she invited him in. Gavin had his way with her and was relieved of the tension caused by his arousal from Faith, but he wouldn’t be satisfied until he had her.

CHAPTER THREE

First thing Monday morning, Gavin, disgusted with Chandler, called her into his office to discuss what had happened at the party.

“What’s up, baby?” she asked as she walked in without knocking.

Sternly he said, “I want you to apologize to Faith for the way you acted on Saturday. Today.”

“I will do no such thing. That little hussy deserved it.” She crossed her arms and shook her head.

“You will, and I don’t want to hear another thing about it. You won’t call, you won’t email. You will march right down to her office, right now, and tell her that you’re sorry.” He looked directly at her, without smiling.

“She should be apologizing to you! That bi- ”

“I would watch my words, if I were you,” Gavin said, interrupting before she could get herself into more trouble.

“I’m not afraid of her,” Chandler snapped.

“You should be. One wrong move, and you’re out of here. If you weren’t one of the best marketers that we have, you’d be packing your things right now. Consider yourself warned.”

“She’s not my boss.”

“Maybe not directly. She only has to say the word, and you’re gone. Don’t cross her again. Now, do as I told you.”

Chandler rolled her eyes, swung around and stormed out his office. She walked down to Faith’s office and knocked on the door.

Faith looked up. ‘Oh, lucky me,’ she thought.

“Can I come in?” Chandler asked, as nicely as she could. It was killing her.

Faith didn’t speak, she only nodded.

“I just wanted to come by and apologize for the things that I said to you on Saturday. I was drunk and I was wrong.” Chandler waited for a response.

“You don’t have to apologize, Chandler. You didn’t hurt my feelings. I think you know where I stand. As long you understand that, we won’t have any problems,” Faith said without smiling.

“Okay, well, thank you for your time.” Chandler left the office. As soon as she got around the corner, she clinched her teeth and made fists with her hands. She huffed, and went to her desk to start working.

A little later, Gavin went to talk to Faith about the upcoming weeks, and to follow up on Chandler.

“Knock, knock.” He stood in Faith’s doorway.

“Good morning,” she said, wondering what to expect.

“Did Chandler come apologize? I told her not to do anything else until she did.” Gavin was hoping this would soften her attitude a little.

“You didn’t have to do that. You really should get control over your girlfriend,” Faith chimed.

Gavin was both irritated and aroused. ‘Damn, it’s too early in the morning for this,’ he thought. “She’s not my girlfriend.” He walked in and sat down.

“Oh, that’s right. She’s just a prize, or notch, or whatever you call them.”

“Look, I just thought it was necessary. I hope it didn’t ruin your evening at the party. I really hope you enjoyed yourself.”

“You lie,” she smirked playfully. “I embarrassed the shit out of you.”

He laughed, “Yes, you did. Are you proud of yourself?”

“Hmm, not really. I’ll be proud when you stop acting like that altogether.”

“But I’m not here to talk about me. We need to go over the plans I have for you over the next few weeks and beyond. So, if you don’t mind, I would like to discuss some business. That is, after all, why you were hired.” Gavin had gotten serious really quick. Faith was treading pretty lightly and he didn’t like it.

“Sure. What do we have going on?” ‘Phew. Calm down girl. He’s your boss, like it or not,’ she thought.

“The day that you started, I was going over some things in my head, like I normally do. I’ve wanted to do something new to take the company to a higher level. I talked it over with Adrian, and we’d like to expand our marketing services into entertainment. We’ll be traveling a lot, to test the demand for these services in several cities over the next several months. I hope you’re okay with that. You’ll also be pulling some late nights to work on presentations and such. I will be available to help, as will Carter and others, so don’t get overwhelmed just yet.

“Our schedule will be very busy, as we’ll be meeting with public officials, community organizers, and potential clients. We’ll have our laptops at all times, and we’ll need to have access to our calendars at all times, so if you haven’t done so already, please get your cell phone synced up with Outlook. Agnes has already set up your calendar for these events and meetings. Any questions?”

“Since I have a laptop, will I be able to work some of the late nights from home?” Faith asked, as she had other activities that couldn’t be rescheduled.

“I’ll try to make it so that you can do that as much as possible. However, there will be nights that we’ll need to be together, so unless you want me coming to your house, or you to mine, we’ll need to be in the office, alright?” Gavin didn’t want to scare her, but there was a lot to be done, and he was told that she was very capable of handling the load.

“Alright. When do we start?”

“I’ll give you some time to take a look at your calendar. Here’s a copy of our agenda with corresponding dates.” He handed her a packet of information. “Let me know what nights you want to work from home, and I’ll tell you what will, and will not work. Once we’ve agreed on those changes, I’ll have Agnes update our schedules, and we’ll go from there. How about we touch base this afternoon, say, after lunch?” He looked at his watch to see what time it was. It was nine thirty-five. “It’s my turn to take you to lunch, by the way. Carter, and the Director of Human Resources, Lauren Martinez, will be joining us.”

“Okay, what time?” Faith was ready for this meeting to be over so she could get some things accomplished.

“Eleven thirty. I’ll stop by and get you,” he finally smiled. Gavin always had his game face on when focused on business. He was very no nonsense.

“Great. Is there anything else? I’d like to get going on this right now, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all.” He stood up to leave and added, “I trust you won’t be embarrassing me at lunch today?” He smiled as he said this. Faith’s toughness was exciting to him.

She just smiled back as he walked out.

Faith took a look at the agenda that Gavin left for her. The good thing was she had time to plan for the upcoming trips. The tricky part was trying to work from home as much as possible, while staying flexible to work some nights in the office with the team. Based on the agenda, those nights would be starting immediately. Since this was somewhat short notice, she requested to work the current week from home. All of the following weeks, she requested to work three out of five nights from home. This way, she had some breathing room, figuring it was best to ask for more than less. She made a few phone calls before completing her counterproposal to the calendar.

At eleven thirty sharp, Gavin appeared at her door. “Ready?”

“I am.” Faith closed her laptop, grabbed her purse, and walked toward the door. Gavin moved to the side so she could pass. He was able to smell her perfume as she walked by, and thought of saying something, but decided to leave it for later. If she got snappy about it, it would only turn him on, and he’d be searching out some poor assistant to be with again for release. He was doing his best to control himself, but it wasn’t easy.

“Carter and Lauren are going to meet us there.”

Faith was not thrilled to be riding with Gavin alone, but maybe they wouldn’t be in the car that long.

They took the elevator to the garage, and Faith followed Gavin to his car.

“Nice car,” she said. “Should I remove my shoes before getting in? I’m afraid to touch it.”

“No,” Gavin chuckled as he opened the door for her. “But feel free to remove articles of clothing,” he said, smiling as she got in. She ignored the comment, knowing that she walked into that one.

Gavin got in the driver’s seat and put on his seatbelt. Faith already had hers on. They were quiet as they drove out of the garage onto the busy New York City streets.

“And what fine restaurant have you chosen for us to eat at?” she asked, breaking the silence. She just wanted to know if she would be forced to engage in normal conversation for an extended period of time.

“Planet Hollywood. I thought it would be the perfect place to get a sense for the type of market we’re expanding into. I’ve actually never eaten there.”

“There’s one in Paris at the Disneyland Resorts. My father had quite a few meetings there with clients.”

“Good food? Did you ever run into any celebrities there?”

“The food in France is fantastic anyhow, so yes, the food is good. I met Johnny Depp and Molly Ringwald there a couple of times.” Faith was looking out of her window, or straight ahead as she talked. She didn’t feel like looking at Gavin.

“A couple of times?” Gavin was shocked. He wanted to take her in a bit more, but had to pay attention to traffic. He figured he would get his chance during lunch.

“Yeah, they’re regulars. Johnny is very handsome in person, although he’s a little odd. That can be bypassed since he’s so hot.” Faith was smiling now. Johnny Depp was her favorite actor. She had gotten a few autographs, taken some pictures with him, and had even been invited to a few of his “Invitation Only” parties where she was able to meet his girlfriend and daughter.

“So, you have a crush on him?” Gavin was quite pleased that this was going so smoothly. He didn’t have to pry anything out of her. She was being herself.

“I wouldn’t call it a crush. Let’s just say if he ever wanted to leave his girlfriend, my door is always open.”

They laughed. Gavin thought this was a perfect opportunity to inject himself and his desires for Faith into the conversation, but decided there would be other times. Getting to know her right now would help his plans in the long run.

“How do you like New York?” he asked.

“It’s okay. It’s busy, crowded, and smoggy. But I’ll adjust. I’m glad I chose to live away from the city. The noise would drive me crazy.” She finally decided to direct her words toward Gavin.

“I know what you mean. I still haven’t gotten used to the noise. But I love the nightlife. It’s electric.”

“If that’s your cup of tea. Me, I just like to go home and relax after a long day.” Faith was thinking that talking like this wasn’t so bad, yet never let her guard down. Gavin was being too nice, and he was probably up to something.

They finally arrived at the restaurant where Carter and Lauren were waiting at their reserved table.

“Hey, we meet again,” said Carter.

“Hi, Carter,” said Faith, smiling.

Gavin glanced over at Lauren and introduced her. “Faith, this is Lauren. She’s the Director of Human Resources.”

“Hi. Nice to meet you,” they both said, as Lauren stood up to shake Faith’s hand.

They all sat down and picked up their menus, making small talk.

“So Faith, did you grow up in Paris?” asked Lauren.

“Yes I did. It was wonderful. The culture there is so rich. I know we’re not America’s favorite, but aside from Italy, it’s one of the most romantic places in the world. I love it there.”

“You’re a fan of Italy, huh?” said Gavin.

“Oh brother, here he goes,” said Carter.

“What? I’m simply asking a question.” He looked at Faith and said, “You know I’m Italian.”

Faith giggled and said, “Yes, Gavin. I kind of put two and two together knowing that both your mother and Adrian were born and raised there.”

They all laughed. “Alright, alright,” he smiled. “What are we all having?”

“Can we get an order of the Zucchini Chips? Those are so good.” Lauren smacked her lips.

“Okay. Those sound delicious.” Gavin continued to look at the menu, and then said, “I’m ready.” He put down his menu and waited for the server while the others made up their minds.

When the server returned the ladies ordered first. Faith ordered the Chicken Parmigiana, Lauren the Teriyaki Salmon, Carter the Ribeye Steak, and Gavin the Blackened Mahi-Mahi, as well as the appetizer for all of them.

“Since you’ve been to Italy, do you speak Italian, Faith?” Lauren was just curious.

“I speak it fluently. My father was big on languages. He sent me to live with some friends in Tuscany so I could attend school and learn how to speak it. I was there for two years.”

“How old were you?”

“Ten. I loved it. It gave me an opportunity to explore a different culture.”

“Tu sei molto bella e avro cio che voglio,” said Gavin, glaring at Faith. (You are extremely beautiful and I will have what I want.)

“Apprezzo la vostra adulazione, ma io non sono interessato a diventare il premio,” responded Faith, smiling. (I appreciate your flattery, but I am not interested in becoming your prize.)

Lauren and Carter were caught off guard. They weren’t aware Gavin actually spoke Italian.

“You two want to let us in on the conversation,” said Carter. “What did you just say to each other?”

“Gavin was just saying how hungry he was, and I said I was too and was looking forward to the appetizer,” said Faith, as she and Gavin continued to glare at each other.

“I wanna learn. That was really cool. How do you say, ‘I want a raise’?” Carter laughed.

“Non e un caso. That means ‘Not a chance’,” chuckled Gavin.

The appetizer finally arrived and they nibbled, as they continued to laugh and share more about each other. Things settled down a bit more once their entrees arrived.

Faith asked for a to-go box up front. She didn’t like to overeat.

“Do you always do that? That’s a really good idea,” said Lauren.

“Occasionally. When the meal is really large, I do.”

Gavin looked at Carter and said sarcastically, “Totally a woman thing. Gotta watch those girlish figures.”

“Hmm, and we have you to help us with that too, now don’t we?” Faith chimed.

“You walked into that one, man,” said Carter, as he bumped Gavin’s arm.

‘We weren’t supposed to do this,’ thought Gavin, looking and hinting at Faith with his eyes.

She stared back as if to say, ‘You started it.’

“How is everything?” asked the server, just in the nick of time.

“It’s wonderful, great.” They all commented.

When they finished their lunch, Lauren and Faith excused themselves to go to the ladies room to freshen up. Carter began to pry about Faith.

“What did you really say to her in Italian? That was a load of bullshit about being hungry.”

Gavin grinned. “Yeah, it was. She reacts pretty quickly.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I told her that she was beautiful and that I would have what I wanted.”

“Seriously? What did she say?”

“What I expected her to say. That’s she’s not interested.” The server brought the check over and Gavin got out his wallet to pay.

“I’m telling you. She is not like the others. You’re gonna have a hard time with her.”

“Everyone can be broken, Carter. You just have to figure out what buttons to push, and wear them down. That’s what I intend to do.”

“Do you really think it’s going to be that simple?”

“No, I don’t. That’s why we play the game. It’s nice to finally be challenged.”

“You’re extreme,” Carter said, as the ladies were returning.

“Extreme about what?” asked Lauren.

“Something tells me you don’t want to know the answer to that, Lauren,” Faith said, looking at her. “Are we ready to go?”

“I’m just waiting to get my credit card back. Carter, why don’t you and Lauren head back.”

“Okay. Faith, it was nice getting to know you. I look forward to working with you,” Carter said as he stood to leave.

“Me too, Faith,” said Lauren. “We’ll do this again some time.”

“I’d like that. Have a good afternoon if I don’t see you.” They said their goodbyes, and Faith sat back down to wait with Gavin.

“Couldn’t resist, could you?” asked Faith.

“What can I say? I’m sitting across from one of the most beautiful women that I’ve ever seen and I can’t help but tell her how much I want her.”

“I despise games, Gavin. No matter how hard you try, that will never happen.” She leaned back in her seat, and looked off into the crowd.

“You wouldn’t be the first to say that.” This was true. It wasn’t long before he persuaded other women to have sex with him. That was just how he operated.

“Maybe not. But I’m not your average, how did Chandler put it, ‘notch’.”

“I agree. You’re not a notch. You’re much more. That’s what makes you so desirable,” Gavin said as he filled in a sizable tip on the ticket, then signed it.

She rolled her eyes and said, “I liked you better when you were handing me assignments and were focused on business.”

“You are my business. I’m great at multi-tasking. I can flip back and forth from marketing to you like a light switch.” He was now resting his head on his hands, displaying his arrogance.

“Can we go?” Faith was disgusted. She could see getting Gavin to change his behavior was going to be pretty difficult, though she had promised Adrian. She would stick to it.

Back at the office, Faith had time to make a few phone calls before her afternoon meeting with Gavin. She needed to be away from him for a little while to catch her breath. He was so pompous. His arrogance annoyed her. The fact that he thought there was a remote chance that he could be with her annoyed her even more.

She dialed a number and waited for an answer. Ring ring ring. “Hi, how are things going? … Thanks.” She waited another moment, and continued. “Bonjour. Comment allez-vous aujourd’hui? … Je vais devoir travailler quelques soirees au cours des prochaines semaines.” At that moment, Gavin appeared at her door. She motioned him in and continued her conversation as he sat down. “Est-ce que cela va bien se passer? … J’ai demande a etre la maison au moins trios fois par semaine.” She paused. (Hello. How are you today? I’ll have to work some weeknights in the coming weeks. Is that going to be okay? I asked to be home at least three times a week.)

Gavin was becoming extremely aroused just hearing her talk. He didn’t care who she was speaking with. He just wanted her to keep doing it.

“Nous verrons ce que Gavin en dit … Je ne veux pas te garder … Parlez-en a vous plus tard. Au revoir.” She hung up the phone and focused on her guest. (We’ll see what Gavin says. I don’t want to keep you. Talk to you soon. Goodbye.) “My apologies. I thought I had more time.”

“No worries. I’m early. I’m glad, too. I enjoyed listening to you speak French. I would love to learn. Do you give lessons?”

“Not at this time. Too much to do around here.” She picked up her counterproposal and gave it to him. “Here are my requests.”

He looked them over and responded, “I can give you a break on this week as requested. This was very short notice. However, there is much to be accomplished, and we’ll need you here three evenings a week, giving you only two evenings at home. I’m sorry. Keep in mind this is temporary. Things will settle down shortly. Can you make the necessary arrangements to meet this schedule?”

“Yes. I asked for more than less time at home just in case.”

“Good. It’s been a long day, and you’ll need your rest for tomorrow. We’ll get started in the morning, bright and early.”

Gavin stood up and walked toward the door. “Have a good night.”

He was trying to figure out who he could call to be with tonight. Faith put him over the edge speaking French. Every little thing she did excited him. It was going to be an interesting week, to say the least. If this is how it was going to be, he would need to schedule his sexual rendezvous’ ahead of time.

“You too.” She was tired. Gavin’s antics had worn her out. She was thankful for the two days she could spend at home. She packed up her laptop and left for the day.

CHAPTER FOUR

Over the next few weeks, the team would meet to research and discuss the areas that would be the best location for expanding into the entertainment world, and ultimately be the home for C&A’s next office.

The team met in one of the conference rooms so they could comfortably use their laptops, take notes, and bounce ideas back and forth. Adrian and Gavin gave Faith and Carter a list of twenty plus cities that would need to be narrowed down to six. Carter was the first in the room, getting his area set up for a long day of discussions.

“Carter. You’re early.” Gavin walked in with his laptop and portfolio. “Have you turned on the overhead monitor?”

“Not yet. I was just getting my laptop plugged in.”

“I’ll get it set up.” Gavin reached down and grabbed a cord to plug in the monitor. He pushed several buttons, testing it to make sure they would have the appropriate channels, lighting, and connections. Afterwards, he prepared his own laptop and notebook for the meeting.

“Where’s Faith? We only have about ten minutes before we start,” said Gavin, looking at his watch.

“I haven’t seen her today, but I’m sure she’s here.”

Just as they said that, Faith walked in. “I’m not late, am I?” She gently placed her laptop on the table and plugged it in.

“No, you’re fine. We were just wondering where you were,” said Gavin.

“I just stopped to say hello to Adrian. He trapped me. I told him about lunch yesterday and he started talking about his last trip to Italy.”

“You’ll learn quickly what sets him off. My mother is the same way. They can talk for hours about any and everything. They’re funny,” he smiled.

Faith smiled at Gavin, continuing to get set for the meeting. It was nice to see the human side of him. Carter was ready to go, and was now just watching the two of them, speaking calmly to each other. It annoyed him a little.

“We’ve got quite a few cities to research and discuss, so we’d better get started,” Gavin said. “I didn’t want to get overwhelmed with information, so I had Agnes break up our schedule. You may or may not have had time to take a look at our first three cities, Nashville, Jacksonville, and Denver. We’ll have plenty of time to familiarize ourselves with them. I want you to take plenty of notes. Our discussions will be very organized. We will converse about the highlights of each city, what makes them attractive places to live, play, and visit. What companies are based in these cities? Who needs our services there? We will also discuss the negatives. We’ll ask the question ‘Why should we expand there?’ about each city. By the time we’re done, we should be able to eliminate the cities that will not be the best fit, from those that will. Once we’ve reduced our list to a handful, we’ll develop a schedule to visit those remaining, with plans to meet with public officials, community organizers, and potential clients.

“With that said, let’s start with Nashville.” Gavin picked up the remote and clicked on the slide with basic information about Nashville. “What do we know about it?”

Faith had a file folder with a ‘Nashville’ tab sticker on it. She pulled some papers from the folder and as she handed copies to Gavin and Carter said, “Nashville, or as some would say ‘Music City, USA, has a population of roughly one point five million people. It is home to the Grand Ole Opry and location for the CMA Music Festival which attracts thousands of country music fans each year. We’re all familiar with the country music atmosphere there. What we may not know is that it is also a home for the Christian pop and rock music industry, located on Music Row. We also may not be aware that Nashville’s jazz scene is being revived. It’s a major music recording and production center. There are at least nine annual events held in Nashville every year, including the Nashville Film Festival and the CMA Awards. They have a small, but growing film industry, with films like The Green Mile and Coal Miners Daughter having been filmed there. Major sports teams based in the city are the Tennessee Titans and the Nashville Predators. That’s more your area, Carter.” Faith stopped and smiled at them. They were speechless. She grabbed the remote for the monitor to scroll through slides and continued. Faith went on to talk about Nashville’s music industry and potential locations for their new office.

“I’ve included a list of names, addresses and phone numbers of public officials, community organizers and building managers in the area. If we’re unable to contact a specific person directly to set up meetings, I’ve listed the name of the person in charge of their calendars. In addition, I’ve listed areas of interest, parks, museums, clubs, etcetera that we can visit if this is one of the cities that we choose.” She sat the remote on the table and waited for their responses. As she sat down, she looked at them just staring at her.

She smiled, surprised and said, “What?”

“When did you have time to do all of this?” Gavin asked.

“I started working on this as soon as you gave me the agenda.”

“I gave you the agenda yesterday. Did you stay up all night?” Gavin was shocked, impressed, and of course, aroused. “I mean, you don’t just have notes. This is a very detailed outline of the city, with phone numbers and contact names. Our admin assistants don’t have this much information.”

Carter looked down at his notebook and said, “All I have is chicken scratch.” They laughed.

“Do you have this information for all of the cities we’re discussing this week?” Gavin asked. He had an idea.

“Yes,” nodded Faith.

“Good. Change of plans. Since you’ve done most of our homework for us, I’d like you to present each city each day as you did just now. Afterward, we’ll only have the pros and cons to discuss. Carter, you have some homework. You’ll need to find out what celebrities or high profile groups live in or around these cities. We’ll need connections to get in contact with them. Do what you do.”

“Will do.”

“We’ll need this information only for the cities we’re talking about this week. I don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves. I will look into the types of businesses based in the areas to build a potential client list.” He looked at the clock on the wall and it had only been an hour. He was under the impression that it would take them all day to discuss one city. Faith was more prepared than he was, and appeared to be ready to continue.

“Let’s take a short break to get some water, go to the restroom, or whatever. I’ll meet you back here in twenty minutes.” He looked at the outline that Faith had prepared once again.

‘This is odd,’ thought Carter.

Faith stood up and left the room. Gavin and Carter watched her leave.

“Are you okay? You don’t take breaks.” Carter was curious.

“She wasn’t supposed to be this good,” he smiled. “I expected her to come in here, take notes as we went through the slides, and work through this with us. Half of our work is already done. I don’t think I’ve had a more productive meeting.”

“You said that Adrian only found the best. It is his specialty. When was the last time he brought in someone bad? Like, never?”

“I think he’s outdone himself. I’m going to talk to him when we’re finished. He needs to know this.” Gavin found himself not knowing what more could surprise him about this woman.

Gavin looked at Carter, puzzled. He couldn’t say anything else. Carter wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Are you sure that’s all? You look a little confused.”

Carter was right. Gavin stood at the window with his hand cupping his chin. He answered, “I just have to get back on track. This changes our timeline. Depending on what happens the rest of this morning, and possibly this afternoon, I may have to have new schedules drawn up.”

“That’s a good thing. I’m going to get some coffee. Do you want any?” Carter stood up to leave the conference room.

“Yeah, sure.” Gavin didn’t turn around. He couldn’t wait to speak to Adrian about how well Faith was adjusting. He wanted to know more about her background. Faith quietly came back as he still had his back turned.

“Are you okay? Just deep in thought?” she asked.

“I’m just thinking about how you took over this meeting,” he smiled, turning around to face her.

“I’m sorry. I do that sometimes. I didn’t mean to step over you.”

“It’s perfectly fine. You’ve done an incredible job. I still can’t believe the amount of information you pulled together in such a short amount of time. I know you’re working from home during the evenings this week, but please tell me you didn’t stay up all night.”

“I didn’t. I know how to pull skin off of teeth if I have to. I have a lot of resources.” She opened her notebook, writing the date and subject down.

“I should say so.” Gavin just stared at her. ‘Damn, I wish I could just take you right here,’ he thought. “Well, again, great job. Our work is going to be a lot easier now.”

“That was my goal,” she said, smiling as she looked up at him. It was nice to talk like civilized people. There was a moment of silence, and then Carter came back with coffee in his hands.

“Here you go,” he said handing the cup to Gavin. “Faith, I apologize. I would have gotten you some coffee, but I don’t know what you like.”

“That’s okay. Water is fine for me right now.”

“Thanks, Carter.” Gavin looked down at the outline again. He just shook his head, smiling to himself. Faith and Carter looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders, not knowing what was going on.

“I’m sorry.” Gavin cleared his throat. “We’ll have to complete our session on Nashville tomorrow after Carter and I present our findings on celebrities and potential clients in the area. But for now, we can talk about what might be the pros and cons of opening an office there with the information that Faith has provided. So what are some of your thoughts?” he asked, walking around the table as he spoke. He went to a white board, picked up a dry erase marker and wrote the header ‘Nashville’ and underneath ‘Pros’ and ‘Cons’ with a line dividing the two sections.

“Well, it is a very high profile city. Just with music alone, there’s a lot of opportunity there. It doesn’t need to happen overnight, because we’re already a sports marketer. With the Titans and the Predators, we could work with the agents and players for those teams,” Carter said.

“Good,” Gavin said as he wrote on the ‘pro’ side.

“From what I’ve seen in the country music world, they’re one big family. Working with the musicians would more than likely open up several opportunities for community involvement, giving the company great exposure among the residents there. We’d be helping the economy by adding job opportunities, which would be a plus in all of the cities we’re exploring,” Faith added.

“Excellent,” Gavin said, adding another item to the ‘pro’ side.

“How come she got excellent and I just got a ‘good’?” Carter asked kiddingly. They all laughed.

“Well Carter, I don’t have any favorites - ”

“Oh, that’s not true, you do have a favorite.” Carter put him on the spot. ‘How are you going to get out of this one,’ he thought.

“If I had to choose one or the other, I think you know which one I’d choose. Sorry Carter, nothing against you. Faith is just prettier,” he smiled as he looked back at them, winking at Faith. They all laughed again, but this time Faith started to turn a little rosy underneath her light brown skin. Gavin noticed and thought she might be coming around, which would be sooner than he’d expected.

“Anything else?” Gavin said, continuing with their discussion.

“If our goal is to break into all areas of entertainment, Nashville may not be the place for us. Their film industry is very small. The music industry is limited to country and Christian music, with a little jazz. We may want to consider a location that will offer us access to all facets of the industry. Nashville is not centrally located for us to do that. We’d probably be travelling more often than not to get to our film industry clients, and our clients connected to other genres of music,” said Faith.

“I’ll break this up then in the ‘con’ section. Not centrally located, small film industry, limited music genres,” Gavin said as he wrote. “Okay, anymore?”

They shook their heads no. Gavin looked back at the white board, and said, “Alright. I’ll have Agnes type these up and we’ll add them to our files. Good job you two. Since we’ve managed to complete our discussions early, we won’t have to meet this afternoon. Carter, that should give you a chance to get started on your assignment.” He looked at Carter, who nodded in agreement.

“Great. Have a good afternoon.” He walked over to his seat and began to unplug his laptop. Faith reached over and turned off the monitor, unplugged it and returned the remote to its storing place.

Carter looked at Faith and said, “Hey, since we’re done early, would you like to go grab some lunch?”

“I brought my lunch today, but could use some fresh air, so sure. I’ll eat what I brought tomorrow,” she said as she continued to pack up.

“Okay. I’ll swing by and pick you up in about ten minutes.” Carter glanced at Gavin and smiled as he walked out of the room. Gavin didn’t smile back, and wasn’t happy. He didn’t know what Carter was up to, but he was going to get to the bottom of it. First, he had to talk to Adrian.

Gavin walked down the hall and into Adrian’s office. As he passed and looked at Agnes, he pointed towards the door. Agnes nodded her head, as if to say that Adrian is in. He knocked and walked in at the same time.

“Adrian.”

Adrian turned and said, “Gavin. How did the meeting go this morning?”

“Faith is more than capable to do this job. Like I told Carter, you’ve outdone yourself.”

Adrian smiled and looked down in his lap, “I was hoping that would happen.”

“What do you mean? Tell me about her background,” Gavin said as he sat down.

Adrian was glad he was asking. Their plan might be working. “Faith is so good at what she does because she was in charge of public relations for her father’s company, Spring Entertainment.” He paused and waited for this to register with Gavin.

“Your friend in France,” he thought some more. “Morgan Scott. Faith is his daughter?” Gavin was shocked.

“Yes.”

“I didn’t know that Morgan and Vivian had a daughter.”

“So you remember them?” Adrian asked, curious to know how much he was going to have to explain.

“Vaguely. I remember meeting them before I went to college. I can’t recall meeting them before that.” He sat back in his seat and waited for Adrian to tell him more.

“You were just a little boy when we first took you with us to see them. I wouldn’t expect you to remember that. Faith wasn’t born then.” He looked at Gavin, who was waiting for him to continue. “I knew that we needed to make some changes around here, so I went to see Morgan a couple of months ago. His company is well-known in the community, the media loves them, and they’ve become the company to work for. They receive thousands of applications each year from young adults desiring to work there. I wanted to know how they managed this status. We’re a good company, Gavin, and we make a lot of money. However, my goal is for us to be great. Morgan said that he wanted me to meet someone who might be able to help. Imagine my surprise when Faith joined us for lunch that afternoon. I was amazed at how much she had grown. The last time I had seen her was shortly before she herself had left for college. That was over sixteen years ago.

“Morgan told me that before Faith joined the company, they had no community presence, they weren’t involved in any volunteer efforts, and that the media had not acknowledged their existence. Faith connected them with the people. She gave them a reason to discover what Spring Entertainment was all about. They began to get involved in activities to aid in building the communities. They donated to, and sponsored, various charities. She represented them in front of the media, and they absolutely loved talking to her. Morgan said she was just a natural. He credits her exposure to various cultures over the years. She has an appreciation for all races, creeds, and colors. She was like a light that brightened up their atmosphere.

“Faith wasn’t planning to move to the states. Since I had expressed that we had a need for someone with public relations expertise, Morgan thought she would be the perfect fit. Sounds like he was right.” Adrian wasn’t telling Gavin everything. He hoped this was enough.

“Well, based on her performance today, I would say you were both right. Our meeting schedules were structured so that we could discuss one of the cities we’re looking to expand to each day. I expected it to take us at least three or four weeks to get through them all. She already had city facts, contact names and numbers, annual activities, and potential office sites organized in an outline. She took over the meeting. I was totally taken off guard. It was incredible.” He handed him the outline that Faith had prepared. “She has a file like this for all of the cities we were scheduled to discuss this week.”

“Impressive,” Adrian said as he looked it over. “How many cities were you going to go over this week?”

“Three. Nashville, Jacksonville, and Denver. I gave her the agenda yesterday.”

“What?” Adrian exclaimed. “Did she stay up all night?”

“She said she didn’t. She says she just knows how to use her resources.” Gavin smiled, still amazed about it.

“When is your next meeting? I’d like to sit in, if you don’t mind,” he said as he handed the outline back to Gavin.

“I thought you would. We’ll be meeting tomorrow morning at nine. I think we’ll be able to cut our schedule down to two weeks if it’s going to be this organized. I’m going to talk to her about it this afternoon.”

“That’s great, Gavin. I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Adrian nodded, smiling proudly at his son.

Gavin stood up and walked out of the office. As soon as he left, Adrian made a phone call.

“Yes, it’s Adrian … It’s starting. I’ll call you when I have more news. Talk to you soon,” he said and hung up the phone.

Gavin was hungry, so he decided to get some lunch before talking to Faith. Before he spoke to her, he was going to deal with Carter.

Carter and Faith were enjoying lunch together not too far from the office. It was a beautiful spring day, so they opted to eat outside.

“So, it looks like you’re adjusting well to the position. How long have you been in public relations?” Carter asked.

“Almost ten years, but I’ve always been involved publicly, in some form or fashion. I love people. I love connecting with what really matters.” She took a bite of her salad.

“Wow, so you actually enjoy all of the press conferences, being in the public eye all of the time? Doesn’t it scare you, even just a little bit? I mean, you’re exposing yourself, risking your privacy.”

“Not really. I’m not out there talking about myself. I’m representing the firm. As long as the firm has nothing to hide, then I can do my job accordingly.”

“What if the company you worked for had things to hide?” he prodded, as he stuck a French fry in his mouth. He had ordered a burger.

“I wouldn’t work for a company like that,” she plainly said.

“How would you know?” he asked, curious as to how she could avoid such a company. There were plenty of them out there that had legal issues, or had poor reputations.

“I do my homework, just like I did with C&A. I wouldn’t have accepted a position if I thought I was going to have to compromise my integrity.” Faith finished her salad, and then took a drink of her lemonade. She sat back in her chair, and looked at Carter. He was just smiling at her, listening to what she had to say.

“I’m sorry, I was just taking in what you said. You’re a very rare person. Most people in this world would compromise even just a little for their own personal gain. I’ve met my share of athletes and I’m here to tell you, money is their main concern. It’s not about the love of the sport anymore. It’s about getting paid first.”

“Pay me before I prove I’m worth anything, so to speak.”

“Pretty much. Do you watch sports?” he asked.

“A little. I like basketball.” She really didn’t have time for sports. There were too many other things to do. Faith was more of a reader and a music lover.

“Maybe we can go to a game some time.” Carter was trying to get his foot in the door. He figured if he asked nicely, rather than telling, like Gavin, he would have a better chance.

“Perhaps. I just need some time to get into a routine,” she smiled kindly. Faith really wasn’t interested in Carter, and didn’t feel comfortable with him trying to ask her out. He was nice to work with, but that was as far as it was going to go.

“Here’s your check. No rush, I’ll be back to take that when you’re ready,” said their server.

Carter went to grab his wallet, as did Faith. “I can get this,” he said.

“Oh no. I’ll take care of mine. I’ve gotten enough free lunches this week and last,” she smiled as she picked up the ticket to see what she owed. She didn’t want this to seem like a date.

Carter wasn’t getting the hint. He thought he had a good chance for sure. “Alright, but let me treat the next time, okay?”

“Sure,” she said. ‘That won’t happen too soon, cowboy,’ she thought. She was anxious to get back to the office and get some more work done with her presentations.

They both paid, signed their receipts, and got up to leave. As they walked back, Carter made more small talk, and Faith obliged as much as she could. When they got off the elevator on their floor, Carter thanked her for joining him for lunch.

“We’ll do this again, okay?”

“Sure. Have a good afternoon, Carter.” Gavin watched Faith walk toward her office, and Carter return to his. He wasn’t going to waste one minute.

Gavin walked out of his office and into Carter’s. He closed the door behind him. Carter heard the door close, and looked up. He saw that Gavin didn’t look happy.

“Hey, what are you doing? Is something wrong?”

“How was your lunch?” Gavin asked, in a very dry tone.

“It was good. Faith is a very classy woman.”

“Which is why I’m wondering what you’re up to? You’ve never asked any of these other women out to lunch. Why now?”

“Gavin, face it. You can’t have them all. You knew this might happen at some point.”

“This was not what we agreed to. Faith is not even your type, Carter. None of the women I’ve gone out with are your type. That’s on purpose.”

“Maybe things have changed,” Carter smirked.

Gavin stepped closer to Carter, “Not for you. I don’t like what you’re doing. She doesn’t fit your mold. I think you should back off.”

“Because what you’re doing is so much better. Treating her like she’s some prize to be won. What will you do with her when you’ve had your way? Go back to Chandler, or one of your other women? Do you really think a woman of Faith’s caliber deserves to be treated like that?” Carter was now standing, making fists with his hands.

“What I plan to do is much better than what you would do. By the way, you don’t have a clue about what I’m doing, or what I’m feeling. You’re the last person that I would share that with. I haven’t trusted you in years,” Gavin hissed.

“That was fifteen years ago, Gavin. I don’t know what else you want me to do.” Carter was disappointed that he had brought that up.

“Sixteen years. I want you to leave Faith alone.” Gavin was now getting angry.

“I’m not sure I can do that,” said Carter, very serious.

“Then we have a problem.”

“I guess we do.” Carter didn’t want to lose his friend, or his job. He couldn’t seem to help himself.

Gavin opened the door and walked out. He was pissed. He didn’t want Faith to be at the receiving end of his anger. This wasn’t her fault. He went back to his office to get some water before going to speak with her.

Faith was sitting in her office, listening to her iPod. Whenever she needed to focus, she ‘plugged in,’ blocking outside noises from disturbing her. Gavin knocked on her door, but she didn’t hear him. When she didn’t look up, he saw the cords and walked in. He walked around her desk and touched her gently on her shoulder.

She jumped, looked up, saw Gavin and took her earbuds out.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you but you didn’t hear me knock or see me.”

“It’s okay. I needed to concentrate. Did you need something?”

“I just wanted to talk to you about your presentations,” he said, as he walked back around her desk to sit down.

“Okay. What’s up?”

“I was thinking that we could accelerate our meetings with your help. Right now, we’re scheduled to discuss one city a day, except for Fridays. You were able to put your outlines together for three cities in one night, and we finished about eighty-five percent our discussion on Nashville this morning, freeing up our afternoon. If we could add an afternoon meeting, discussing two cities a day, we could narrow our list down a lot sooner.”

“So what are you thinking? What would you like me to do?” she asked. He liked that she didn’t hesitate. He let his mind wander for a split second, wondering if she was the same way in bed. “Gavin, are you there?”

He refocused. “I’m sorry. I lost my train of thought.” He sat up a little more straight and answered her question. “Do you think you can pull information together for, say, eight cities at a time without working too many late nights, or over the weekend? I’d be willing to help if it would keep you from working too much overtime.”

“Absolutely,” she paused and thought for a second. “I like that plan. It would allow us to start our city trips earlier than anticipated. Now is the best time, since it’s spring, with summer approaching. If our meetings this week are only going to be in the mornings, we can work on presentations in the afternoons, and all day Friday. Our schedules should be blocked off for the whole day tomorrow and Thursday anyway. We could leave them blocked. I’m not sure what your Friday looks like.”

“I can have it cleared,” he said as he stood up. “I’m going to have Agnes change our schedules. I’ll be back.”

“Will Carter be joining us?” Faith asked.

“No. Carter will be busy working through the promotional aspect. He’ll fill us in at the meetings.” He continued out the door. Gavin’s plan was three-fold. First, he wanted to finish the city reviews early, and this would allow them to do so. Second, he would be able to spend more time with Faith, and third, he could keep Carter away from her. Carter should have known better than to cross him. Gavin made it clear that he wanted Faith and that meant no one else was going to stand in his way.

When Gavin returned, Faith asked him, “Do you want to start on this tonight?”

“Don’t you need to get home? You weren’t supposed to be working late this week?”

“I know, but you’ve got me all excited. I’d probably end up working anyway.”

Gavin thought, ‘You’ve always got me excited.’ He said, “No, we’d better not. There’s enough time to get things done during the day. You keep your evening schedule.”

“Alright then, since we’re not meeting this afternoon, I’ll start working right now on the list of cities for next week.”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll get going on the potential clients for this weeks’ list. Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask you. How was your lunch with Carter?”

Faith looked up. “Talk about flipping a switch.” He smiled, glad she remembered his comment from their lunch at Hard Rock. “It was okay. Jealous?”

“As a matter of fact, I was,” Gavin said. A strong trait he possessed was his honesty, even if he appeared arrogant. “Did he show interest in you?”

“Seriously?” She looked at him with bewilderment on her face.

Gavin didn’t move, obviously wanting an answer.

She rolled her eyes and kept typing on her laptop while speaking. “He seemed to. He offered to take me to a football or basketball game when the season starts.” She then looked directly at him and asked, “Why were you jealous? It’s not like you and I are dating or anything. I mean, that would be pretty serious for you. The whole dating thing. You just have sex, right?” She was getting agitated.

“My intentions for you are more than you might think. I don’t need any interference from anyone.”

“Ooh. Sounds mysterious,” she said sarcastically. “Wouldn’t this work better if I actually wanted to play an active part in your so-called intentions?”

“Like I’ve said before, I want you. We can play this game as long as you want to. I will have you in the end,” he said without flinching. As usual, her uneasiness and sarcasm was arousing to him.

Faith just shook her head. “You are absolutely amazing. Just fifteen minutes ago, we were talking about the expansion project, and now this. Why would you think you’ll have me? How have I given you that impression?”

“You haven’t – yet. You will. I’m not an easy person to resist for long. Everyone can be persuaded.”

“People who want to be persuaded, are persuaded, Gavin,” she said, looking back at her computer, her frustration growing. They had had such a good day.

“So you’re saying that everyone I’ve been with wanted to be persuaded?” He continued to look at her dead on. He never took his eyes off of her, and could tell she was annoyed. That’s just the reaction he was going for.

“Yes. Do you think those women out there don’t drool over you? You’re a damn good looking man! Plus you’re loaded – even better!” she exclaimed. She was standing now, walking around the office.

“You’re attracted to me for other reasons?” He smiled deviously, trying to trap her.

She just glared at him, not taking the bait. “If, I was attracted to anyone, it wouldn’t be for money. Good looks, maybe.” ‘Asshole, never,’ she thought. “There’s more to a person than just their body or their bank account.”

“You’re right, there is.”

“If you know that, then why do you insist upon treating women the way that you do?” She stood with her arms crossed and her eyebrows raised, waiting for an explanation.

“There’s always more to a story than what you can visibly see.” He stood to face her.

“Humor me.”

He avoided the subject. “Do you want to go out with Carter?”

She threw her hands up in the air, pushing past him. Now disgusted, she said, “Gavin, I just want to work. I’m not here to sleep with anyone. I’m just here to work.” She plopped down on her couch, covering her face with her hands in frustration.

Gavin smiled, quite satisfied. He just needed to know she didn’t want Carter to pursue her. He also wanted to see how she reacted to his poking and prodding in her business. She still got quite worked up when he talked about his desires for her, and she was greatly concerned about his behavior. He was curious as to why.

“Why do you care so much what I do? Why does it bother you so much?”

“I care about the reputation of this company.” She was still sitting on the couch.

“My actions are not public knowledge. I don’t sleep with every woman that moves, as you’ve so incorrectly assumed. I’m pretty particular about who I like, and trust me, that’s not every woman in this office. There are a very select few.” He waited for a response. She just huffed and sat backward on the couch, resting her head on her hand and looking off to the side.

“Why does what I do bother you so much? Did it ever occur to you that lately I would not be doing what I’m doing if it wasn’t for you?

“Excuse me?” she looked at him, not liking where this was headed.

“I would stop what I’m doing if you would just give me what I want. Until then, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

“So, I could be like your head bitch or something?” she asked, appalled.

He looked down, shaking his head. “That’s not what I’m implying.”

“You know Gavin, I’m growing weary of this conversation. I think we should both probably get back to work.” She got up from her couch and walked over to her desk to sit down.

He didn’t back down. “I’m not going to stop just because you might be a little perturbed. You misunderstand my point. I’ll leave you for now. Have a good afternoon,” he said, grinning as he turned to go to his office.

“Batard incorrigible,” she sighed. (Incorrigible bastard.)

He stopped. “Cussing me out in French only turns me on.” He continued toward his office.

Faith laid her forehead on her desk, shaking it from side to side, whimpering from exhaustion.

CHAPTER FIVE

The following morning, Faith came in early to review her notes for the meeting about Denver. She had stopped to get coffee, so she would be alert since she hadn’t been sleeping well. She put her coffee on her desk, sat down, and read over her outline. She double-checked the contact names and phone numbers, verifying that they were current. Once satisfied, she began to work on next week’s cities. Had Gavin left her alone yesterday, she would have completed two more outlines.

She couldn’t drink her coffee on an empty stomach, so before she took in too much, she decided to have a cup of yogurt and some fruit. After she ate and had gotten a little more work done, she decided to relax on the couch for a little while before others began to arrive. She wanted to clear her mind, and escape to a place far away. Her sabbatical was disturbed by a familiar voice. ‘Aahh, hell, it’s too early for this,’ she thought. Her eyes were still closed, and she didn’t get up.

“Good morning,” said Gavin.

“What are you doing here so early?” she said, still not moving, her eyes remaining closed.

“Same as you probably. I wanted to get some things done before it got too busy around here.” He walked over and sat down next to where she was lying. As soon as she felt him next to her, she sat up, stood and walked to her desk. She was still ‘perturbed’ as he had put it.

He watched her walk away from him and realized he needed to stay clear of certain subjects this morning. He sighed, got up and walked to her desk.

“I’m sorry for upsetting you yesterday. That wasn’t my intent. Please know that I would never think of you as you suggested.”

“Uh huh,” was all she could muster.

He tried to change the subject. “Since we’re both here, would you like to start working on pulling the data for next week’s meetings?” He stood there, waiting for her to respond.

“I’ve had my coffee and my breakfast, and I’m afraid I still don’t have the energy for you this morning. I prefer to wait until this afternoon to continue working on those.” She looked up then, cracking more of a smirk than a smile.

He nodded. “Alright. I’ll leave you to it, then.” He turned and walked out and down to his office.

She looked down and continued with what she was doing. Faith knew that later in the afternoon he’d be pouring on the pressure, and wanted her morning to be quiet.

As time grew closer for the meeting, Gavin decided to call Carter to his office to see if he was prepared for the meeting. Carter knocked on the door.

“Come in,” said Gavin.

“You wanted to see me?” Carter asked. He’d hoped that the rift that had started between them had died down.

“I’d like an update on your progress for the promotional aspects of the reviews that we did yesterday, and today.”

“Sure.” Carter began to list the number of high profile figures in both Nashville and Denver that could be involved in sales and advertising campaigns for potential clients. He also shared his ideas on where and when promotional campaigns could be held to introduce new products and more.

“Good job. Make sure you’re prepared to share all of this in the meeting. Adrian will be in attendance.”

“Oh, damn. I’m not good at speaking with him around.”

“It’s not an official presentation. Faith will be doing that. Consider what you will be doing a ‘knowledge share’ of sorts. You’ll be among peers, not complete strangers.”

“Okay.” He paused. “Hey, are we good, man? I mean, I really don’t want to lose you as a friend over a woman.”

Gavin just looked at him. Carter shook his head and said, “Okay, okay. I really don’t think I can stay away from her. She intrigues me. I just want to get to know her. Maybe be friends. That’s all.”

Gavin finally spoke. “You and I both know that for you it’s more than that. I can’t discuss this right now. Let’s get to the meeting.”

As they gathered their things, they saw Faith heading toward the elevators to go to the conference room. They both watched her. She purposely stood with her back turned to them as she waited. When she got on an elevator, and was no longer in their sight, they looked at each other.

Carter went to speak, but Gavin cut him off. “Not right now.”

They left and headed in the same direction as Faith.

At the meeting, Faith shared her outlines of Denver with the group. Adrian sat amongst them, rather than in the back, so he could participate.

“Denver, or the Mile High City, is populated by more the six hundred thousand people, with over two and a half million people in the metropolitan area. The lower Downtown area, or LoDo, has grown from what used to be strictly a business district to a highly desired residential district.” She continued with her presentation for the next half an hour. As before, in addition to Adrian, they were impressed with the work she had done.

When Faith completed her segment, Carter and Gavin stood to share their findings for both Nashville and Denver. They discussed the pros and cons of expanding only to Denver, since they had already talked about Nashville. Gavin did as he had done the day before, and set up a grid with one side for ‘Pros’ and the other for ‘Cons’.

“Downtown Denver is definitely an ideal place for a business. There are several desirable locations, with quick access to sports venues and business clients,” said Faith.

“It’s also a place where entertainment can happen throughout the year. The ski resorts attract thousands of skiers each year. Colorado itself is a very active state, and they are host to numerous cultural events each year. Many of those events occur in the Downtown Denver area, where the Convention Center is located,” added Adrian.

“I see you’ve done your homework, too, Adrian,” commented Gavin.

“I know a thing or two,” he smiled as they continued.

“Colorado in general is filled to the brim with recreational activities. It’s a total sports haven with every major sport represented by the Broncos, the Nuggets, the Rockies, the Avalanche, and the Rapids. They also have other professional sports teams for arena football, lacrosse and rugby. Plus, it is home to many corporate headquarters like Coors, Qdoba, Chipotle, and Noodles & Company. Denver is jam-packed with opportunity.” Carter commented.

They continued to list the pros and cons for moving to Denver. Adrian was thrilled to be a part of a discussion like this again. It had been a long time. He was happy to see that Gavin and Faith were getting along. Little did he know that Gavin was pulling his usual stunts. He wanted to keep an eye on the two of them, so as he was sitting there, he wrote a note to himself to have Agnes report their activity to him on a weekly basis.

So far, Denver had more pros than cons. There was a good chance that it would make the cut, but they had at least eighteen more cities to go through. Preparing for each meeting was going to require a lot of work, possibly extra hours. For Gavin, that meant more time with Faith. He was looking forward to it. Each time they were together, he learned a little more about her. He also managed to irritate her to no end. He figured there must be a reason behind that, and he was not going to give up until he found out what it was.

“I think that’s good enough, don’t you all think?” asked Gavin.

They all agreed.

“Alright. Again, good job everyone. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about Jacksonville, and cover the agenda for the cities we’ll need to prepare for next week. Adrian, do you have anything to add?”

“I concur with Gavin. You have done an excellent job with all of this. To hear that you might finish earlier than originally anticipated is an added bonus. I would like to participate from time to time as these meetings are happening. It was a good feeling for me to be included and involved in a project again.”

“I will make sure that Agnes is aware of that and have her add our upcoming meetings to your calendar where you are available. Faith, Carter, do you have anything else?”

They both shook their heads no. Gavin thanked everyone and concluded the meeting. Everyone gathered their things and returned to their offices. Adrian walked with Faith in the direction of their offices.

“So how are things going? Are you resting?” he asked.

“I’m getting some sleep, but you know how that goes. It’s been a little rough getting into a routine, but things are starting to settle down.”

“Promise me you’ll let us help if you need anything.” He looked at her with conviction.

“I promise, I will,” she said as she touched him gently on the arm. They kept walking and talking.

“Now, how are you and Gavin doing?”

As she they walked into her office, she answered, “Gavin is special.” She smiled.

“Has he made advances toward you, or is he behaving himself?”

“I’m convinced Gavin doesn’t know how to behave when he’s not working. He has been relentless when it comes to his advances. It can be quite exhausting. It’s only been three days,” she smiled as she walked around her desk.

“If you ever need me to step in, just let me know. I can put an end to his actions. Remember, I have the final word around here.”

“No, no. I’m okay. I just didn’t expect so much so soon. Don’t you worry. Faith has it all under control, okay?” she said reassuringly.

“You just make sure you come to me if you get in over your head,” said Adrian, touching her nose like he would a daughter. With that, he walked out and down the hall to his office.

Faith just smiled. She was glad that she had Adrian here with her. He had always been like a second father to her. Determined not to go running to him crying wolf, she was going to have to try and get Gavin under control herself. Just then, Gavin popped his head in. ‘Speak of the devil,’ she thought.

“Wanna grab lunch?” Gavin asked.

“I’m never going to get a chance to eat the frozen entree that I brought,” she said.

“Come on. I’ll be nice, I promise.” He was smiling as innocently as he could.

“Are you just trying to beat Carter to the punch?” she questioned.

“I am doing no such thing. Carter is not a prisoner. He’s free to go to lunch with whom he pleases. Except for you,” he joked. “I’m just kidding.” He wasn’t, and he had already resolved that issue. “Will you join me? Please?”

“Stop begging, you’re pathetic. Alright, I’ll go,” she said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed her purse from her drawer and walked towards him and the door. “People are going to start talking. We’re spending way too much time together,” she said as she passed him.

He just grinned. Everything was happening just as he intended.

As they exited the building, Faith asked, “Where are we going?”

“I thought we could go to Café du Soleil. They have a great atmosphere.”

“Okay. Don’t think for one minute that just because we’re going to a French restaurant that I will lighten up. I know you’re always up to something.”

“I promised to be nice, and I will. I wolf out in the office.” Gavin was up to something. His goal today was to find out why Faith was so uptight. He was going to need to spend as much time as he could with her to figure it out.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Faith was impressed with the atmosphere. Gavin was right. It reminded her of home and it helped her relax a bit. Only a bit.

They were seated at a nice, private table in the corner. Gavin had called ahead and requested this. He was a regular at this restaurant, so they knew who he was. Faith, unsuspecting, followed.

Gavin pulled her chair out for her, and she said, “I would like to remind you that we are not on a date. We are two colleagues out for lunch. You didn’t have to pull my chair out for me.”

He eyed her playfully, “If I have to be nice, so do you.”

She huffed. “Alright.” She was like a spoiled little girl. “I don’t have to like it.”

He laughed as he sat down. She was quite cute when she was forced to do something she didn’t want to do.

Gavin already knew what he wanted, so he just sat back and people watched as Faith glanced over the menu.

As Faith decided, the server came to them and asked, “Preferez-vous le francais ou l’anglais?” (Do you prefer French or English?)

“Francais s’il vous plait,” said Faith. (French please.)

Gavin was hoping this would happen. He sat, enjoyed, and got horny. Faith had forgotten that he was aroused by her speaking French. He was hoping for that as well. If she remembered, she might stop.

“Que voulez-vous a l’ordre,” asked the server. (What would you like to order?)

Faith looked at Gavin and translated, “What would you like?”

“I’ll have the Classic Hamburger,” he said. They already knew what he wanted, but it was exciting to him that Faith took charge. Good thing there was a table covering him up, because his manhood was beginning to stand up and take notice.

“Le monsieur aura le hamburger classique et je vais avoir la poitrine de poulet grille avec a la mozzarella fumee,” she said as she handed the server their menus. (The gentleman will have the Classic Hamburger and I will have the Grilled Chicken Breast with Smoked Mozzarella.)

“Quelque chose a boire?” asked the server before leaving. (Anything to drink?)

“Do you want something to drink?”

“Just water,” Gavin said, trying to get comfortable. He would calm down when Faith was focused on him, and not her enticing French words.

“L’eau sera belle pour nous deux. Merci.” (Water will be fine for both of us. Thank you.)

As she finished ordering, she turned her attention back to him. He was just looking at her, smiling.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing. Just enjoying the view,” he winked. “It’s nice to get out of the office, yes?”

“It is, but I’ve been out almost every day. There is work to be done.”

“You need to take your breaks. If you don’t, I’ll be forced to ask you out to lunch every day. But that wouldn’t bother me,” he said, watching her intently.

“You can ask, but it doesn’t mean I’ll say yes. I get my breaks in. I plan to start working out, and I’ll be planning some lunches with Lauren.”

“Good to hear. I don’t want you overworking. We don’t like anyone in the office doing that. If C&A is to be an ideal place to work, we need to reinforce the fact that work will be there tomorrow.”

“You really care about who works for you, don’t you?” Faith was now returning the stare. This was the side of Gavin she liked.

“I do, we do, meaning Adrian and I. There are a lot of people who play an important role in where the company is today. We’re very fortunate,” he said, delighted that she noticed.

She just took a few minutes to enjoy this. It was nice that she didn’t have to fight him off. While she could handle his advances, no matter what he threw her way, she wanted to get to know him as her boss. His intelligence intrigued her, which is what she was looking forward to when she started her job.

“You’d have my attention more often if you were like this more,” she commented.

“Like what?” He was curious. He did notice that she was extremely relaxed right now.

“Just - ” she paused. “Polite. You’re not trying to cram the fact that you want me down my throat.”

“Well, I was going to give you a break, but since you brought it up,” he said, looking to see her reaction, “there is something that I would like to know.”

“That’s fair. I did bring it up. I’m not guaranteeing an answer.” Just as she said this, their lunch arrived.

“Aahh, merci beaucoup,” she said to their server. Gavin had just started to settle down, but that simple phrase awakened his loins again.

She turned her focus back on him again, saying, “You had a question for me?” She braced herself. Depending on what he said, she might get a little tense.

“Why do you let me get to you? I mean, if you’re really not interested, you could cut me off before I even start. We’ve had several conversations over the past few days, and I’m sure there are more to come. You’ve done nothing but endure.”

“I’m just trying to get to the bottom of why you think it’s necessary to sleep around so much. It really does impact how the company gets viewed.”

“Faith, I think there’s something else. C&A’s reputation is not in jeopardy. In fact, we are seeking to get more exposure in the community, which is your job. No, there’s definitely another reason behind this. I think you want me too and just won’t say it. That’s fine, because like I’ve said before, I can play the game as long as you’d like.”

Faith took a bite of her chicken and chewed for a long moment before she said something. “You would just love it if it were that easy, wouldn’t you?”

“On the contrary, I enjoy the fact that it’s not. Having to work so hard to get you is exciting. When it finally happens, I’ll appreciate you more.” He smiled then. It was one of those devious smiles. Faith couldn’t get upset. She was responsible for the conversation turning south, literally.

“So you think I’m somehow turned on by the fact that you pursue me, and I’m playing hard to get for a while to amplify this desire?”

“Maybe. That’s why I’m asking. As soon as I start talking about sex, and having you, you seem to get really uptight. Is there something about sex that makes you uncomfortable?” He took another bite of his burger, continuing to look at her.

“Of course not,” she said as her cheeks started to turn pink. Gavin noticed. He was on to something.

“I’m getting warmer,” he bragged. “Now why would a woman as beautiful as you be embarrassed by simply discussing the possibility of being pleased beyond what she could ever imagine?” He watched as her cheeks got bright red. He continued. “When was the last time you had sex, Faith?”

“Excuse me?” she said in a higher pitched voice, almost choking on her food. ‘Bingo!’ he thought. Whenever Faith was starting to get upset with his pressuring, her voice changed. She quickly became more irritable, as she was now, even though she was trying to stay calm.

“Hmm, that’s it, isn’t it? You’re in need. How long has it been? You can tell me.” He finished his burger and moved his plate to the side. This was most interesting indeed, so he waited patiently while she searched for words.

“You’re such an ass, Gavin,” she said, growing more uncomfortable as the subject at hand continued. Gavin wouldn’t let it go. He kept prying.

“I can remedy that need for you, and it’s not very nice to call your boss an ass,” Gavin mused.

“It’s not very nice for my boss to badger me constantly about having sex with him. That’s borderline sexual harassment, you know,” she smirked.

“No, I haven’t touched you, and all you have to do is say the word, and I’ll stop.” He was serious now. Gavin was always very careful when he approached women, especially those he worked with.

“Would you really? That’s all I have to do?”

“I’ve never forced anyone to be with me, nor will I ever. If you told me to leave you alone, I would. However, I wouldn’t stop desiring you. I’d just have to come up with a more creative way to change your mind. Though you won’t say no, will you? I think you like that I’m honest and upfront about what I want, and I think you enjoy playing the game.”

She began to turn pink again, and couldn’t speak.

“The fact that you say nothing means I’m right, and rather than lie about it, you choose to remain silent. I like that. That’s just something else that excites me about you,” he smiled as the server handed him the ticket.

Faith was stunned. Had she been that obvious about it? She was beginning to wonder how she was going to get through the afternoon. Gavin was sure to take advantage of this knowledge. She watched as he paid the bill, speechless and numb.

“Are you ready?” he asked, unaware that she still hadn’t said anything. He was satisfied with the way things were progressing.

“Yes, I am just super thrilled to go back and spend the afternoon with my arrogant boss, who will more than likely spend the next three hours tormenting me with his brutally honest thoughts towards me. Yay me!” She just shook her head.

He chuckled and said, “It’s good that you have such a positive attitude about it.” They stood and left, returning to the office.

When they got back, Gavin said, “I’m going to check my messages and emails. I’ll meet you in my office in a half an hour.” They split up, each going to their own spaces.

Carter was checking his calendar to see what time he was scheduled to meet with Faith and Gavin to work on the city reviews. He found that his calendar had been cleared of all of the additional meetings that they spoke of. He called Agnes to ask her what was going on.

“Hi Agnes, it’s Carter … I’m fine, and you? … Good to hear. Hey listen. Faith, Gavin and I were supposed to be holding extra meetings this week and next to go work on the expansion project, but for whatever reason, my calendar only shows our meetings during the day. Did something change? … Oh he did? I’ll check with him. Thanks Agnes.” Carter hung up the phone.

He was furious. He went straight into Gavin’s office without knocking. “You had all our extra meetings removed from my calendar!” he exclaimed.

“Yes I did. Why does that upset you?” Gavin asked with a plain face, leaning back in his chair.

“You just don’t want me around Faith. You’re trying to keep me from her,” he scowled.

“With the work Faith has done to complete the outlines as quickly as she has, it is no longer necessary for all of us to have the additional meetings. So that Faith is not overwhelmed, I’ve been helping her with her portion of the project as we have time.”

“So you kept the extra meetings on yours and Faith’s calendar. Why can’t I be involved?”

“You have the promotional aspect to work on. Your time is better spent doing that, so that when we have our daily discussions, we’re all prepared, and the discussions are productive.”

“When exactly are you working on your client lists? Or are you just working on Faith?”

“It’s not your concern when I’m getting my work done, is it? You answer to me, not the other way around.” Gavin still had on a poker face. “Moreover, it’s none of your business what’s going on between Faith and I. If you need to know something, you’ll know.”

“You saw an opportunity to control my contact with her, and you took it.” Carter was livid that Gavin was abusing his status.

“I told you to stay away from her. Since you can’t seem to do that on your own, I’m helping you out. I really prefer not to speak of this again.”

Carter, now infuriated, said, “This is not over!” He turned and stormed out of the office. Faith was approaching just as he left. She could see he was upset, and judging from whose office he was coming from, she could understand why.

“What did you do to Carter?” she asked as she walked in.

“He did it to himself. It’s of no concern to you.” Once again, he didn’t want his attitude towards Carter to impact his mood with her. He excused himself for a few minutes. “I need to run to the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” Faith took her laptop to the small conference table in Gavin’s office and began to get things set up for their meeting. It only took her about five minutes, and Gavin still hadn’t returned. She walked over to the window behind his desk and gazed at the Statue of Liberty, getting lost in her thoughts.

When Gavin got back to the office, he saw her standing at the window. ‘So it begins,’ he thought. He quietly walked up behind her, and sensuously whispered in her ear, “I can take care of you.” He wanted so badly to nibble at her ear, but had to control the urge. Of course, there was no stopping what happened down south. At that moment, Chandler was coming to see Gavin. She was suddenly stopped in her tracks when she saw how closely Faith and Gavin were standing together, and didn’t like it one bit. She would have to bring this up to him later and quickly walked away.

Faith shrugged away from him slightly as she turned to face him. She didn’t move too far from him when she said, “Can we at least get some work done before you start hammering me about how much you want me and how much I should want you?” As she looked directly at him, Gavin was aroused even more with how close they were to each other.

When he didn’t say anything, Faith pushed gently past him and walked to the table where her laptop and files were set up. She sat down, leaned her head on her left hand, and waited.

Gavin turned around, grabbed his laptop, around and walked over to the table. “Alright. What cities have you worked on already? I know you’ve already done some work.”

“I did outlines this morning for Boston and Phoenix, and started working on San Francisco,” said Faith, relieved that they could get focused.

“Okay, let’s finish with San Francisco. I’ll make sure that I backtrack when we’re through meeting here to put client lists together for Boston and Phoenix.”

“Why don’t we just do that now? It doesn’t make sense for you to have to do that if the point of these meetings is for us to complete both of those pieces together. Wouldn’t it be better to have a complete package, minus Carter’s piece?”

“You’re right,” he said, thinking, ‘Of course she is.’ “Back to Boston then.” He opened up his laptop and began to access his own resources for looking for potential clients. “There appears to be a lucrative technology or biotechnology industry in the Boston area. What types of events are held there each year? This may not be the best choice for us being that our goal is to expand into entertainment.”

“The most popular events they hold is the Boston Marathon, held in April and the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Like any other city, they have other festivals and activities, but nothing major. Of course, sports is pretty big there, with the Red Sox and the Patriots.”

“We’ll let Carter fill us in on that part. Anything else notable?” he asked as he continued to look at his screen.

“Nothing that I can see right now. We’d probably find out more being there.”

“We’ll see if it makes the cut.” He looked at her and asked, “Phoenix?”

“Yes,” she said plainly.

He pulled information for Phoenix, and they discussed their findings, keeping them as brief as possible knowing that more detailed discussions would follow next week. After Phoenix, they completed San Francisco. This is where they spent the bulk of their conversation. Gavin got sidetracked about the city once he felt they were done with the “project” side of things.

“So, you know, San Francisco is considered one of the most romantic cities in the US?”

“That has what to do with the project?” Faith asked, not completely sure if they were done for the day.

“Well, if this city makes the cut, I might have an opportunity to meet your needs. What better place for something to happen between us,” he glared. Faith was not impressed.

“You really don’t quit, do you?”

“Hey, I aim to please, and no, I won’t quit. Not until I have you.”

Faith closed her laptop, sure now that their meeting was over, looked at Gavin and said, “It’s not going to happen. Give up.”

“I don’t know how to do that, especially not when I’m determined. At least I can say that I’m getting my fix, since you’re not cooperating. What are you doing when you go home at night?” Gavin asked as she stood up and walked to the window. “This problem can be resolved,” he teased.

“The problem is not with me,” she snapped. “The problem is with you sleeping around all the time.”

“Which is my business. Like I’ve said before, I’m only going to get worse. Everything about you, everything you do, Faith – the way you talk, your smile, your hair, your perfume, your resistance to me – everything about you turns me on. So, at the end of the day, after I’ve been around you, I have to relieve my tension. Since you won’t allow me to relieve it with you, I have to find someone else.”

“Gavin Carlisle, you are not going to blame this on me,” she said as she whipped around from the window and glared at him.

“I will. You drive me wild,” he said. “You’re like a drug that keeps me coming back for more and more. I can’t keep myself away from you.”

“I can take care of that.” She was trying not to get too upset. He had already called her out once.

“You won’t. The meetings we’re having are necessary in order to move forward with the project. You’re stuck with me for two weeks,” he boasted.

“All of our pieces can be done without help from the other. We don’t even need to have these extra meetings, and I think you know it.”

“Then why did you agree to it?” he asked sarcastically. She was caught, and he knew it.

“Because I’m new, and who better to learn from than you? You and Adrian have done fantastic things with this company. When we’re talking business, I’m learning from one of the greatest marketing minds there is, and I can feel the pulse of this company. The more I work with you, the more I’ll know, and the better I will become.”

“Oh, you can feel a pulse, alright!” He knew this would send her overboard.

“Can you keep your mind clean for just five minutes?”

“Almost impossible when I’m with you. It takes a great deal of strength. I’ve had to work at it.”

“I hate that I’m an object to you.” She was beginning to get upset.

“You’re not an object. You’re more than that. I’ve already made that clear.” He walked over to where she’d been standing by the window. She didn’t move away, at least not initially.

“Faith, there’s something different about you, and I want to get to know what that is. I’m going crazy.” He paused for a moment. “I would stop being with other women, if you would let me be with you. You’re the solution to my madness.”

“Really?” she darted, turning to look at him. “Who was your solution before I came? Chandler? Did that solve your little problem?”

“Chandler is not a solution to anything. She’s a problem all on her own,” he said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

Faith stepped away from the window, and started to pack up her things to return to her office. She stopped, looked at Gavin, who was still facing the window, and said, “Sleeping with me is not going to solve your problem, Gavin. You don’t seem to know what you really want, or what you really need. Until you do, I’m just another ‘notch’ for you. I’d satisfy you until the next woman came along. I have never been used by anyone for any purpose, nor will I start.” She picked up her things and started toward the door.

“I know what I want.” He turned to face her. “I won’t stop until I have you.”

She stopped, looked back and said, “Thanks for your help this afternoon,” then turned and walked out the door.

Gavin took a deep breath in, went to his desk and sat down. He was almost back to square one. Knowing that Faith hadn’t had sex in a while was great information, but she seemed to be more resistant than ever. “I’ll just have to keep wearing you down,” he thought out loud.

Agnes heard most of their conversation. She took a few notes and walked back to her desk. She would compile all the things she witnessed throughout the week and report back to Adrian. In her mind, things weren’t going so well.

Faith sat in her chair and made a phone call. “Bonjour. Comment s’est passee ta journee? … Un peu stressant, mais je vais passer au travers. Je ne veux pas vous retenir longtemps. Je voulais simplement verifier po … A tres bientot. Au revoir.” She hung up, again exhausted from meeting with Gavin. To think, she had two more days like this. (Hello. How was your day? A little stressful, but I’m getting through. I just wanted to check in. Talk to you soon. Goodbye.)

Thursday came and went with Jacksonville having been discussed with Carter’s added piece. Faith and Gavin met in the afternoon to build outlines and client lists for two more cities. No project meetings were held on Friday, but Gavin and Faith had their ad hoc meeting, which lasted majority of the day. They stayed in for lunch, with Faith getting to eat her frozen meal that she had wanted to eat all week, and Gavin having his lunch delivered. Once they were finished with their work for next week’s meetings, Gavin started in on Faith.

She once again had her back turned, and was packing up her files and laptop. He quietly approached her and whispered, “I want you,” again wanting to nibble at her ear, but restraining himself. His loins were out of control.

As she stood up a little bit, annoyed by his pestering, her hair brushed his cheek, which made him even hotter.

Without turning around, she calmly said, “If you want to keep your life, you’ll step away from me.”

Gavin backed up, saying, “Resistance is futile,” smiling. “By the way, your resistance to me is hot!”

He had been with her all day, and could hardly manage himself. He was ready to explode.

“I’m not an object, remember? Go find Chandler.”

“I would much rather be with you.”

“So I’ve been told. More times than I care to recall,” she said as she looked at him, struggling to keep his composure. She was extremely fatigued, and barely had energy to argue. “Have a good night with Chandler. It’s not happening with me.” She started for the door, and continued, “Enjoy your weekend.”

“How is that you haven’t had sex for who knows how long, and are still able to resist my advances? I know it can’t be easy. I haven’t been trying to make it easy.”

She stopped and turned around. “I know you haven’t. I can almost guarantee you that if sex was all that I wanted, as you do, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Has it been a while since I’ve been touched by someone? Yes Gavin, it has. But when I let someone touch me, it’s going to be for all of the right reasons.”

“I can definitely touch you for all the right reasons.” Gavin found himself getting harder the longer they spoke.

“You’re horny, Gavin.”

“Aren’t you? Damn, woman, you’ve been doing this to me all week.”

She smiled as kindly as she could, stepped closer to him, looked him right in the eyes and said, “I can’t give you what you want. Go see Chandler.”

She quickly stepped away and walked out of his office. She was looking forward to the weekend. She could relax and recover from a very tiring week.

Gavin stood alone for a minute, thinking about what Faith had just said, thinking about how badly he’d wanted to grab her and kiss her. As much as he didn’t like it, he had to do as she suggested. He went to see Chandler.

Later that evening, Gavin and Chandler were lying quietly on their backs after having sex, still naked. As she rolled over on her side, Chandler broke the silence after a few moments. “You’ve been coming to see me all week. Did you finally come to your senses about my lovin’? I told you I was all that you needed.” She gently began to stroke his chest.

Gavin continued to stare at the ceiling. He sighed and said, “Chandler, I’ve never lied to you. You have to start believing me when I tell you that there will never be anything between us, besides what we just did. I’ve needed you all week, because I’ve been horny all week.”

Chandler propped herself up on her elbows. “Have you been missing me that much?”

“No, I’ve wanted someone else that much.” He sat up and swung his legs around the side of the bed.

She crawled across the bed toward him, and started to kiss his back, neck and shoulders, while rubbing his chest and all that was exposed. He started to get aroused again. “Does this have something to do with that bitch Faith?” she asked as she reached down to stroke his manhood.

He immediately grabbed her hand and stopped her. He stood up abruptly, walked over to get his clothes, and said, “Don’t call her that again.”

Chandler rolled her eyes and said, “That’s what this is about? She won’t give you any? Stop wasting your time. I’ve never denied you.”

“That’s because you seem to think you’re going to get something else out of this,” he said, getting dressed.

“And she doesn’t?” She laughed and said, “You’re kidding yourself if that’s what you think.” She was still sitting on the bed naked. “You’re just using me to get to her, aren’t you?”

“She’s the one who suggested I come see you. Of course I would have come anyhow. She had me so knotted up, I had to. I would never use you to get to her. I can get to her on my own. I need you for release.” He sat down to put on his shoes.

“I don’t know why I put up with this bullshit.”

He looked at her and said, “You don’t have to. I’ve never forced you to be with me. All you have to do is say no. Would you like for me to cease calling on you?”

Knowing he would, she quickly changed her tone. “Oh, Gavin, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just want you to want me, like I want you. I love you.”

He looked up at the ceiling, chuckling. “You’re amazing.” Then, looking directly at her he said, “You don’t love me, Chandler. You love what I can give you. You already know where I stand on that.”

Chandler looked down, disappointed. She wasn’t going to give up on him. She had to hold her peace and let him have his space. However, she thought she might have a word with Faith. She was standing in her way with Gavin.

“I’ve got to go. Do we understand each other?” He was tired of her drama. Until he was able to break Faith, he had to keep her somewhat satisfied. She was the only woman who would be there whenever he had a need. It didn’t matter what time of day or night he called. She was convenient, for now.

She sighed and said, “Yes, I’ll see you on Monday.”

“I’ll see myself out. Have a good weekend,” he called back as he walked out of the bedroom and left.

CHAPTER SIX

Not long after Gavin left, Chandler continued to lie in her bed, naked and alone. She started to reminisce about when she first met him.

* * *

It had been a really long day at work, and Gavin was ready to have a few drinks with his friends. He had been promoted to Vice President of the company, which was a big responsibility. As he gathered up his things from his desk, Carter stopped by to check in on him.

“Are you still going tonight? Everyone will be there, and we should see a few new faces. It’ll be fun.”

“Of course I’m going. Juliet would have a fit if her only son didn’t come by for an office party. I just need to go home and shower up. I’ll meet you there.”

Adrian was having a party for the C&A employees. They were celebrating Gavin’s promotion and welcoming newcomers who had been hired over the last 6 months.

The festivities had already begun when Gavin arrived. He passed some colleagues hanging out in the foyer of his parents’ home, and said hello as he sought out the most important woman in his life.

“Mom,” he said, giving her a big hug and kiss.

“Hi, honey. Congratulations. We knew you could do it.”

Gavin had to work his way up in his father’s company just like everyone else. Adrian didn’t want things handed to him. He always thought that children raised like that were spoiled, and never appreciated anything they had. When Gavin started, he was determined to be on top, working diligently and proving that he was worth every promotion he received along the way.

“Thanks. It was tough. Adrian didn’t make it easy.”

“Would you have expected anything less? You’re home now, call him Dad or Father.” Juliet would never get used to the formal relationship that the two men had developed.

“Only for you,” he said, kissing her cheek. “I’m going to get a drink and find Carter.”

“Alright, dear. Have fun,” she said, continuing to mingle.

Gavin found Carter among a few male colleagues, and a host of female colleagues. ‘Who will I choose tonight?’ he thought.

“Hey, Carter,” he said as he approached the group. “How is everyone doing over here?”

“We’re great. Do we need to stand at attention or something? Shouldn’t they be playing ‘Pomp and Circumstance’?”

“Well, I didn’t graduate, and I’m not a military general or anything. This position hasn’t changed me, even though I’ll be more involved than ever before. No, no special treatment is necessary,” he said smiling and taking a sip of his drink.

Every single woman in the group was hanging on every word he said. It was uncanny.

“Okay. Hey, you don’t know everyone here.” From left to right, Carter began to introduce the people Gavin didn’t know. They raised their drinks to each other with each introduction. “To my immediate left is Donovan, there’s Michele, Lauren, Jim, Christopher, Shannon, Tracey, and last but not least, Chandler.”

Chandler had been waiting a long time to meet Gavin. She knew of his reputation to choose specific women to meet his needs, and she wanted to be a part of that elite group. The opportunity just never presented itself in the office. She knew there was still a lot of time left in the evening, so when she could get him alone, she’d talk to him.

“It’s nice to meet you all. Is everyone having a good time?” They answered yes, and nodded their heads.

“Good,” said Gavin. “I’m sure there’s going to be a few surprises as the night goes on, so stay tuned.”

Carter pulled him to the side and said, “Hey, did you see anyone of interest for you in the group? Chandler looks like a good choice.”

Gavin shook his head, “No. She’s not my type. She’s your type,” he said pointing at Carter with his drink hand.

“I’m thinking she’s more interested in you. She didn’t look at me once.”

“You know I’m not into that kind of woman, Carter.” They were walking alone together across the yard.

“Oh, that’s right. You like classy whores.”

“I don’t like whores at all. I’m offended that you think that of me. I like classy women. If, and only if, our feelings are mutual about sleeping together, then I’m all over it. If not, then we part ways. It’s that simple.”

“Sorry. I was just kidding.”

“I don’t joke about that, okay? I’m not into things like that, and never will be.” He patted Carter on the back and said, “Hey, enough serious talk. Let’s go have a good time.”

Carter nodded his head as they turned back to join the rest of the party.

Adrian proposed a toast, briefly recognized Gavin’s accomplishments, and welcomed the newcomers to the family. Gavin didn’t want a big deal being made of his promotion, which Adrian appreciated. Afterwards, Gavin wanted to spend some time alone, and went to sit in the lounge chairs that overlooked the ocean. His time was short lived, as Chandler had been waiting for this moment all night.

“Hi, Gavin,” she said, sitting in the other chair.

“Hi.” He looked over. “Chandler, right?”

“Yes. I’m glad you remembered,” she said, smiling a sultry smile.

“So, what do you do for the company?”

“I’m one of the marketers.”

“Oh, okay. Are you one of the new members to the family?”

“I am. I started six months ago exactly.” Chandler was wearing a very short skirt, and an extremely low cut blouse. She hoped Gavin was looking, although it was kind of hard not to be.

“What are your thoughts about the company? Do you like working for us?” Gavin liked to ask this question. He had yet, even among the women he chose to be with, to get an intelligent answer.

“It’s good. I’m still getting used to everything, but everyone seems really nice.” Wrong answer.

Gavin rolled his eyes. “I’m glad things are going well for you.”

“How’s your new role going? You’ve done a lot in the past few years from what I’ve heard. It shocks me that you had to work for it.” ‘Here we go,’ he thought.

“Chandler, what do you really want?”

“You mean, like in life, or in the next five years?” she asked, confused.

“No.” He kept his eyes ahead of him, watching the waves. “What do you want from me?”

Since Gavin’s lifestyle was not a secret, he was often approached by women who were willing to please him whenever he wanted. He always turned them down. He liked to be the pursuer.

“I guess I don’t understand.”

‘Now she thinks I’m stupid,’ he thought again. ‘Bad idea.’

“You’ve been watching me all night. You’ve been waiting for an opportunity to get me alone. So I’ll ask you again? What do you want from me?”

She sat silent for a moment, shuffled her feet, and poked her lips out as she tried to think of the best way to say it. “I was wondering if I could perhaps be one of your ‘go to’ women?”

“So you want to sleep with me?”

“I suppose that’s what I’m trying to say,” she said, looking directly at him now.

“You’re not my type. I’m sorry. Maybe you can talk to - ”

“I can do things for you that your other women won’t do,” she interrupted. ‘He has to say yes,’ she thought.

Gavin was somewhat interested now. “Like what?”

“I can be available to you whenever you need me to be. Day or night. That way things are convenient for you at all times. I would be exclusively yours so you don’t have to concern yourself with STD’s.”

“Well the last part is not something I’m worried about because I’m always protected, and I’m very picky about my women. The women I sleep with don’t sleep around and I never sleep with prostitutes. Ever.”

“I knew that. I’m sorry if I implied that you did. The thing is, I’ve been waiting for you to approach me, and well, you haven’t.”

“Like I said, you’re not my type. I don’t like to be approached.” He paused. “But what you said about being easily accessible intrigues me. Give me your number. If it becomes necessary for me to call on you, I will.”

Chandler fumbled around in her purse and found a business card. “This has my cell phone number on it. It’s on all the time.”

“Thanks. I’m not guaranteeing that I’ll call, okay? I don’t want to get your hopes up. But, you never know.”

“That’s all I can ask, right?” Chandler stood up, smiled and said, “Nice to finally meet you, Gavin.”

She walked away, excited that she at least had her foot in the door. If she could get him to fall in love with her, she would be sitting pretty financially.

Gavin just sat quietly, flipping the card in his hands.

Chandler waited patiently, and Gavin called on her a month later. She had become his ‘go to’ girl.

* * *

Monday morning, Chandler made a point to get to work early. She didn’t want to wait until the end of the day to speak with Faith about Gavin.

She logged on to the network, checked her email and her schedule. Faith usually came in around seven, so she was watching the clock obsessively. She distracted herself by performing more menial tasks to get ready for the day. Before she knew it, it was time. “Let’s go get this over with,” she said aloud.

She walked away from her desk and began to stroll down the hallway towards the executive offices. Gavin and Carter’s office doors were still closed, the rooms vacant for now. She continued down the hallway, reaching her destination. Faith’s door was open.

Faith had come in early again to work on the outlines. This week was going to be extremely busy with project meetings both in the morning and afternoon. She was going to be working at least three nights this week.

Chandler knocked on her door. When Faith looked up, she showed no emotion, and spoke very coldly.

“What is it Chandler?” she asked, sitting back in her chair.

“I need to talk to you about Gavin,” Chandler said as she walked into the office.

She was about to sit down when Faith said, “Don’t sit. I can’t imagine this conversation lasting very long.”

“If that’s the way you’d like it, okay. I’ll stand. Is this the way you treat all of your guests?”

“You’re not a guest. What do you want?” Faith asked, practically snarling. This was not how she wanted to start her morning.

“I want you to leave Gavin alone.”

“Before you come into this office thinking you can tell me what to do, you need to have your facts straight. It’s Gavin you need to be talking to.”

“Oh, I’ve talked to Gavin. Seems you’re messing with his head, making him want you. He gets all riled up and is a complete mess when he comes to see me. You need to stop playing games with him,” she said sternly.

“Sounds like a personal problem. I’m only going to tell you this once more. Don’t tell me what to do. You don’t know what you’re talking about. If you’re not careful, this will be the last conversation you have as an employee of C&A.” Faith held her composure, and continued to look at her, emotionless. Not an ounce of anger showed on her face, though she was raging inside.

“He’s mine. You will never have him.”

“Right, because I’m just a ‘notch’ as you called it. Well, if that’s the case, when he’s all done with me, he’ll come running back to you, and this conversation was never necessary.” She stared at Chandler, waiting for her to leave because that was her cue.

And leave she did. She didn’t have anything else to say, nor could she. She just turned around and walked out Faith’s office.

Faith waited a moment before she allowed her anger to show. She stood up and paced back and forth in front of her window. She pinched her lips, frowning as she went along. “Humph. Femme stupide. Elle a beaucoup de nerf. Eloignez-vous de Gavin mon cul.” (Stupid woman. She has a lot of nerve. Stay away from Gavin, my ass.) At that moment, Gavin appeared at her door. He heard her speaking, but this time, she wasn’t on the phone. He looked and no one was there. She continued to pace, with her hands balled up into fists.

She continued cussing Chandler out, “Dites-moi quoi faire. Je tire ton cul si vous ne quittez pas me deranger. Ne sais meme pas ce que voul parlez. Vous avez besoin a l’esprit de votre propre entreprise.” (Tell me what to do. I’ll kick your ass if you don’t stop bothering me. Don’t even know what you’re talking about. You need to mind your own business.) She stopped, faced the window, and crossed her arms, still unaware that Gavin was there.

‘It’s one thing for you to speak in French, but to be angry and speaking it? I’m going to have to go back home,’ Gavin thought. He figured he’d better let her know he was there, or he would have to jump her right in her office.

He cleared his throat. “Who pissed you off this morning?”

She whipped around and glared at him. If looks could kill, he would surely have been dead at that moment. “No, let me ask that again. Who are you going to kill this morning?”

“I need coffee,” she angrily said. “I can’t go to our meeting like this.”

“Who’ve you been talking to? Did something happen at home? Did someone cut you off this morning on your way in? I mean, I don’t even get this kind of rise out of you. What happened?”

Faith just looked at him with fire in her eyes. “If she talks to me again, she’s fired.”

That was all she had to say. Gavin knew that Chandler had been there. ‘Damn it!’ he thought.

Faith grabbed her purse and started walking towards her door before pausing, “You comin’?”

Gavin didn’t know if it was safe. If he didn’t go, she would kill him. If he went with her, she would kill him. “Um, if I go with you, do you promise not to kill me?”

She chuckled. “I’m sorry. I promise. The fresh air will calm me down.”

They walked out together, heading towards the nearest Starbucks. Agnes watched as they left the office. ‘This is something positive,’ she thought.

When they returned, Gavin thought it would be a good idea for the two of them to discuss their schedule for the week.

“We will be in meetings all day, every day this week, which means we’ll have to work evenings to prepare for next week. You were anticipating that, correct?”

“Yes I was. Three nights, right? Will Carter be joining us?”

“Again, Carter will cover the promotions side of things on his own.”

“Would you like to tell me what’s going on with the two of you? It can’t be me.”

“Honestly, it is you. But I’m not prepared to discuss why.”

“A fight would be worth more your while if you were actually going to get something out of it. Neither of you will get anything from me.”

“Maybe he won’t, but I will,” Gavin smiled with confidence.

“Just because you have a little bit of information about me that no one else does, doesn’t mean it’s going to work to your advantage.”

“I beg to differ. You’re strong, but you’re not that strong. I don’t care who you are, there is no way that you’ll be able to resist me for too much longer. You’ll give in.”

Faith rolled her eyes. “Who brought this up anyway?”

“You did,” Gavin chuckled. He noticed she was becoming uncomfortable, which was good for him. Perhaps she was beginning to break.

“On a different note, can we talk about what happened this morning, that is, if you’ve calmed down enough to talk about it?”

“No,” Faith said flatly.

“Okay, how about, I’m your boss, and I want you to talk to me about it?” Gavin needed to know how this would impact her work.

“What can I say Gavin? The woman is over the top in love with you, and she seems to think I’m standing in the way.”

“She’s not in love with me, she’s in love with my money,” Gavin said sternly. “What happened?”

Faith sighed, “Her first mistake was knocking on the door. When she came in……” Faith explained the morning’s event. Gavin grew angrier with every detail.

“That’s it. You found me cussing her out shortly after that.” Faith looked at the clock on her phone and said, “We need to get going to the meeting.” She stood and gathered everything she would need. Gavin went to his office to get his portfolio.

Along with Carter, they continued their work on the expansion project. As expected, Carter came prepared to add his information regarding the promotional prospects and potential activities of the cities. Today, they would be discussing Boston and Phoenix. Their morning meeting was very productive and didn’t take all morning as they had originally anticipated. Gavin decided to cover both cities in one meeting. Neither Faith nor Carter disagreed with this.

Carter was noticing that Faith looked exceptionally beautiful today. ‘Gavin thinks he can keep her all to himself. Well, he’s sadly mistaken,’ he thought. He had come up with a way to get her out to lunch without Gavin finding out.

Once they concluded their reviews, Gavin stood back for a minute, looking over the notes he had written on the white board. He turned to face them before speaking. He had a proud look on his face.

“Great job you two. I can see you’ve both worked really hard.” He already knew Faith had been working hard because he had been with her the entire time. He was more impressed with Carter. Carter had completed his tasks and some. “Carter, you did a fantastic job with your data research. I’m impressed with how much you were able to find.”

Faith looked at Carter and said jokingly, “Now who’s the pretty one?” They all laughed, thinking back to the first meeting that they had. ‘She’s flirting with me. She might just like me better than Gavin,’ he thought, completely twisting the situation.

Gavin looked at Faith, not caring about Carter, “That doesn’t change how I feel about you. I haven’t lost focus.”

Without skipping a beat, Faith chimed, “But now I have competition,” looking at Carter playfully. They all chuckled again, and Gavin calmed them down.

“Alright, alright,” he smiled. “Well, our afternoon for today is free. This will give us all a chance to get a jump on next week, which is our final week before we turn our list of twenty cities into six. As you both know, we’ll be planning two week trips to each city. We’ll be meeting with potential clients, visiting potential building sites for the company, and basically taking in the atmosphere. These trips will not be a time of play,” he said, this time looking at Carter. Carter shrugged his shoulders as if to say ‘What?’ “Our days will be packed with activities, but at night, there will be a little more free time. Just like a normal weekday. Weekends will be free as well. I’m looking forward to getting away from New York for a little bit. How about you?”

“I haven’t been in New York that long,” said Faith. “But it will be good to get away from the office.” Gavin knew exactly what she was referring to after her adventurous morning.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to go on any of the trips with you guys. My schedule was already booked before this project started. I guess we’ll see,” said Carter.

Gavin knew Carter’s schedule was tight, which meant that most of the trips would just involve himself and Faith. That didn’t bother him one bit. Gavin grinned and said, “You’ll join us when you can.”

Carter could see behind that smile. There was nothing he could do about his schedule. Carter smiled back, thinking, ‘That’s okay. You just keep on smiling. You won’t be smiling when you find out that Faith wants me and not you.’

“Okay, well, I guess that wraps us up for today. We’ll plan to meet all day tomorrow unless something changes.”

They all nodded and began to collect their things on that note. Gavin had two things to do. One, he needed to get the notes to Agnes to add to the previous week’s. Two, he needed to speak with Chandler. Carter, on the other hand, was going to lunch with Faith, only she didn’t know it yet.

As they left, Gavin asked Faith, “Shall we meet this afternoon? You know, to work on the outlines for next week.”

“Um hum. I was planning on it. I’ll see you later,” as she proceeded to her office.

Carter walked to Lauren’s office. She had just gotten off of the phone.

“Hey there. I thought I’d stop by and see if you wanted to go to lunch. You don’t get out enough.”

“You know, our HR activities just increased about fifty percent. We’ve been swamped. We’re going to be even busier once the expansion project goes through.”

“All the more reason to get out for an hour,” he said. He waited patiently for her to think about it.

“Okay, sure. Where are we going?”

“I don’t know. You pick.” He paused as if to be deep in thought. “Hey, why don’t you call Faith and see if she wants to go? Didn’t you say you wanted to get together again with her?”

“Just us girls, Carter.”

“Oh, well, this will be the exception.”

“No worries. I’ll call her. What time?”

“Let’s try to beat the lunch crowd. Eleven thirty?”

“Okay. We’ll meet you in the lobby.”

Lauren picked up the phone to call Faith as Carter left. Carter had a devious smile on his face, knowing that he had just gone behind Gavin’s back, and against his warnings.

About a half an hour later, they all met in the lobby and left for lunch. Carter tried several times to hint at taking Faith out for a date. Both ladies ignored it, and spent most of the hour getting to know more about each other. With that, Carter became a tagalong, which was okay with him. For now, he enjoyed listening to, and staring at, Faith. It was nice to be around her, even if it meant that Lauren had to be there.

As they were walking back to the office after eating, Carter again tried to bring up going on a date.

“Faith, I would really like to take you to a movie or something when things with the project settle down a little bit. What do you think?”

Faith glanced at Lauren for a second, before answering. “Why don’t we revisit that when the project is over, okay?” Like she had told Gavin, she wasn’t looking to date or sleep with anyone.

Lauren said, “Carter, give her a break. She’s only been here for a few weeks. Since when did you start asking colleagues out? This is not like you.”

“Well,” he said, first looking at Lauren, “Faith is different.” He then looked and smiled at Faith.

“Down boy,” snapped Lauren. “You’ll have plenty of time to get to know her. For now, give her some space.”

Faith looked over at Lauren and mouthed the words ‘thank you’. Faith was looking forward to spending more time getting to know her. She hadn’t had a chance to get to know anyone else since she had started except for Gavin. All he wanted to do was tell her how she would soon give in to his advances, so really she didn’t know much about him either.

“Okay, okay.” He looked at Faith again and said, “Think about it, alright?”

“Carter!” Lauren yelled.

“I’m going to take a short cut so you ladies can talk. Thanks for lunch. I’ll see you later.” He turned down another block to take a different route back.

Faith and Lauren were finally left in peace. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. Is Gavin giving you just as hard a time?” Lauren asked as they weaved in and around the people traffic.

“He’s been okay. We’ve mostly been working.” Faith didn’t like to discuss personal matters right away with people. She wasn’t a gossip. It didn’t matter that she didn’t like Gavin’s attempts to get her to sleep with him. She wasn’t going to talk about him behind his back.

“Well that’s good. I’m surprised he hasn’t approached you yet. Give him time. He’ll make a move, I’m sure. Don’t think that you have to do anything. He’s a gentleman. If you say no, he’ll leave you alone.”

That hadn’t worked yet with her. “What are you talking about?” Even though she knew, she wanted to know if Lauren would give her more than what she could get out of Gavin.

“Obviously you’ve been too busy to have learned about what he likes to do,” Lauren said. “Gavin hasn’t been in a serious relationship since I’ve known him. Instead, he likes to approach certain women, take them out for dinner, lunch, etcetera, and get to know them for a little bit. Then, based on whether he likes what he sees, and they like him, which, who wouldn’t like Gavin, right?” she said looking at Faith. “Anyway, if they agree, they have sex, and that’s it. Sometimes they enjoy each other more than once, sometimes it’s just the one time. If they don’t agree, or if she says no, then he moves on to his next target – that’s what I like to call them.”

“Oh. Exactly how many people know about this?”

“It’s not really a secret. It doesn’t really bother anyone. Most of the women in our office would kill to be with him, even if it is just for a night. What people do outside of work is strictly their business I say. He’s never forced himself on anyone that I know of.”

“Has he ever approached you?” asked Faith.

“Nope. I’m not his type and I’m married. Although, there have been several married women who have vied for him. He likes an extremely classy woman. That’s why I was sure he had approached you. I’m still trying to figure out how Chandler fits into that category. She actually approached Gavin, which supposedly he hates. Apparently she had something to offer I guess.”

Faith didn’t feel like hearing about Chandler. However, she was surprised to have it confirmed that Gavin didn’t make a point to sleep with everyone.

The ladies finally made it back to the office. As they went up to their floor in the elevator, they both let out a deep sigh.

“I had a lot of fun. We should plan to do this at least once a week. Without Carter,” Faith said, both of them laughing.

“I had fun, too. I’ll take a look at our calendars and set something up.”

“Good.” They got off of the elevator. “I’ll see you later. Have a good afternoon.” They went in opposite directions, returning to their offices.

Gavin took time to talk to Chandler during the lunch hour. He knew she normally ate lunch at her desk.

“I need to see you in my office,” he said, calling her from his desk.

A few minutes later, Chandler arrived at his door. She peeked in, “You wanted to see me?”

“Come in. Close the door.”

“Ooh, you must want a quickie,” she joked. She closed the door and walked to his desk. Before she could come around to where he was sitting, he instructed her to sit down.

“Sit. This is business, for the most part.”

“At least you have more manners than Faith. She didn’t even let me sit down,” she said, sitting down. Her skirt rose up about two inches. It was shorter than normal.

“I’m glad you brought it up, because that’s exactly what I want to talk to you about.” He was now looking at her with a very serious face.

“Is something wrong?” smiled Chandler. It wasn’t what she expected.

“I don’t want to fire you, but Faith is not playing any games when she gives you a warning.”

“She can’t do anything to me. She’s not my boss.” Chandler rolled her eyes.

“But I can. I can override any decision that your boss makes. You’re crossing a line that you shouldn’t be.”

“She’s in my way. Your mood has changed since she’s been here. I don’t like that.”

“Look at me.” Chandler looked at Gavin, as he kept his straight face. “I know that you don’t want to hear this, because you seem to get selective hearing when I say it. I want nothing from you except for sex. You will get nothing from me except for sex. Get it through that thick blonde head of yours.”

“That’s just you blowing smoke. You don’t mean that.” Chandler waved her hand at him.

“I do. It won’t be hard for me to find someone else to meet my needs. I will tell you one last time. Leave Faith alone. If you bother her again, you’re fired.”

“What is it about her anyway? Why do you want her so bad?”

“That’s none of your business. Do your job, like I know you can, and leave her alone. She is not someone you want to tangle with. Trust me, you won’t win.”

“Are you done? I’ve got to get back to work.” Chandler was pissed. She had to get Faith out of the picture, she just didn’t know how. All she knew was that she was going to do whatever it took. Gavin could not choose to be with anyone else.

“I mean it, Chandler. I see that look in your eyes. Leave her alone, or you’re gone.”

Chandler just stood up to leave. “I heard you,” she snapped.

“You need to hear everything that I said. Not just what you wanted or needed to hear. There’s nothing between me and you. Nothing!” he said sternly.

“I heard.”

“Oh, and Chandler, please read our dress code thoroughly. You might want to do some shopping to get more work appropriate clothing.”

“You’ve never complained before.”

“No, I just never said anything to you directly. I’m sure your manager has spoken to you several times, because I asked her to. Adjust what you wear to work. I’m not asking. I’m telling you.”

She turned and walked out of the office. As she got around the corner, she was so upset, tears began to well up in her eyes. Faith would not take her man. She was not going to let it happen. Gavin didn’t say he wouldn’t call her anymore, so that was a good sign. She just had to keep him happy. For now, that meant she had to stay away from Faith.

When Gavin finished scolding Chandler, he prepared for his meeting with Faith. He called to see if she had returned from lunch. Faith answered her phone.

“I was just checking to see if you were back. Are you ready or do you need more time? … I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Gavin sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. It had been a busy morning. He stood, picked up his portfolio, and went to Faith’s office.

She was doing what she usually does - working diligently. It was Monday, she’d had a rough start to her morning, and she didn’t know what to expect from Gavin.

“Hey, how was lunch?” he said, sitting his portfolio down on the meeting table in her office.

“It was interesting.”

“Did you go somewhere strange or something? Who’d you go with?”

“Lauren and Carter. I had a great time with Lauren. We’re going to try and go at least once a week together.”

“And Carter?” he asked. He could feel his blood pressure rising. He’d had just about enough of everyone interfering with his plans.

“Carter is different. He kind of just tagged along. It was strange.”

“Did he ask you out again?”

“Several times. I told him we’d revisit our situation once the project was over, trying to let him down gently. I figured that maybe he will have forgotten that I even exist over the next six months. Lauren basically told him to back off,” she chuckled. “I’m glad she was there.”

“I’m glad you and Lauren are getting along. She’s a great person,” he said. He was still glad she wasn’t interested in Carter, but he would now have to have another talk with him. Pursuing Faith was proving to be a lot of work.

“What cities do we have left for next week?” she asked as she stood and walked over to the table with her laptop.

“I don’t have them memorized. I’m good, but I’m not that good. Look at your list, I know you have it sitting there,” he smiled, teasing.

Faith pulled out her copy of the agenda, smiling. “It looks like we have Los Angeles, Madison, Milton,” she put the paper down. “Where on earth is Milton?” she asked with a bewildered look on her face. She continued, “Salt Lake City, Reno, Philadelphia, Portland, and Miami.”

“Well, let’s get started. Let’s look at Milton first, since you don’t know where it is. Neither do I,” they both laughed.

Faith used her resources to pull up information about Milton. “Milton is in Massachusetts,” she said.

“Are you serious? We shouldn’t even meet about that one. Let’s scratch it right now.”

Faith giggled, “We should at least see why both you and Adrian picked this city.” She glared at him, and he looked away and stared at his laptop.

“It says that Milton is one of the top 100 cities to live in. So, people actually move there on purpose?”

“Are you going to make jokes all afternoon?” she said, giggling again. “What else do you see about this city?”

“The primary employment industry is the service industry. Hey, isn’t Massachusetts where they burned witches at the post? I’m not sure this is the safest place to expand our business.”

“That was Salem. I’m pretty positive they don’t do that anymore. Although I can think of one person I wouldn’t mind burning at the post.”

He laughed full from his belly. They were both in rare form this afternoon. “We need it to be quicker. How about a hanging?” he continued to laugh.

She started to giggle a little. “Death is not guaranteed with hanging. How about a guillotine?” Gavin laughed even harder as they both came up with ways to get rid of Chandler.

He couldn’t stop, and Faith started to laugh with him. Tears were rolling down their faces. By the time they calmed down, their stomachs were sore. Faith got up to get some tissue from her desk. She handed one to Gavin. As he wiped his eyes, he said, “I can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard. I think we needed that.”

“I think we did. Now, back to Milton,” she said, sitting down in front of her computer.

They continued to talk about Milton, and eventually moved on to Los Angeles.

“I never asked you. Is New York the first American state you’ve been to?” Gavin asked.

“No. I’ve been to a couple of others. Nothing major. I spent most of my time in European countries. I’ve visited Asia, and Africa. I’ve been pretty much everywhere, except America. I’m going to enjoy these trips.”

They continued to discuss Los Angeles, laughing along the way. When they finished their outlines and client lists, Gavin said, “It’s good to see you smiling. I was a little worried this morning.”

“I’ve got thick skin. You have to when you deal with people all day. It didn’t take me long to calm down. Thanks for taking a walk with me this morning.”

“Thanks for keeping your promise not to kill me.”

Faith smiled, “You’re welcome. Did you talk to her? I know you did.” She stood up to move her laptop back to her desk.

As Gavin shut his laptop down and closed his portfolio, he answered her question. “Yes I did. She just doesn’t get that we’ll never be together. I told her to leave you alone or she was fired. How did you know I talked to her?”

“Because you talked to her after our little incident at the party, even though I didn’t ask you to. I know you care about this company, more than maybe other people know. Her behavior was inappropriate, and as my boss, you felt it was necessary. What about other women you’ve been with? I mean, you’ve never laid a finger on me, and she’s having a conniption. Has she bothered any others?”

“I’ve never been like this before. Most of the time, when someone tells me no, I leave it at that. For whatever reason, I’m not accepting that from you. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone.”

“So I suppose one more ‘no’ just won’t do, huh?”

“Nope, won’t work.”

“You know that I will never give in to you.”

“You say that now, but you haven’t had sex in a while. I don’t know how long it’s been. I know for a fact that can wear on a person. Eventually, you’ll allow yourself to be with me.”

“Are you sure you want to be with Chandler that long to find out? I’m stronger than you give me credit for. Once I make up my mind about something, it’s tough to break me, and I’ve made up my mind not to give in to you.”

“I made up my mind about you the first day you started. No one is going to change that, not even you. Chandler is just a pawn. She should know that, but she wants something else from me. She’ll serve her purpose until I’m able to have you.”

“Then what? You enjoy me for a while? When you tire of me? What then?” Faith was agitated. She hated the thought of being used.

“I’m not sure, Faith. All I know is that I want you something fierce. I can’t say that I would ‘tire’ of you as you put it.” Gavin was ready to grab her. He found it interesting that she would entertain this conversation, but didn’t want to be asked out by Carter. He must be getting to her.

Faith went to sit at her desk. She leaned back in her chair, and faced the window. Gavin got up and stood behind her. He bent down and sensuously whispered to her.

“Why do you let me get to you?”

Faith moved her head away from him. She couldn’t answer.

Gavin didn’t move. “I think you want me just as much as I want you.” Of course, he was getting aroused, being so close to her.

She was able to muster, “Enough Gavin. No more today.”

He knew he had asked the right question. He would just keep trying.

He stood up straight. “Okay. I’ll leave you alone. It’s been a long day. Why don’t you go ahead and go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” she said, looking up at him.

Again he wished he could kiss her, but knew he had to wait. Even though he was aroused, he wasn’t going to call on Chandler. Not being able to see him for a short spell was going to be her punishment, and essentially, his.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Gavin came to work the next day, excited to see Faith. He felt that he had made progress the previous afternoon, and that maybe she was beginning to break sooner than he expected. He also needed to talk to Lauren, and then to Carter.

As he went to see Lauren, he first went to say good morning to Faith. He peaked in, and she wasn’t there. He turned and proceeded towards Lauren’s office. Her office was a couple of doors down from his. He knocked on her door to get her attention.

“Well, hello. To what do I owe this visit?”

“I just wanted to stop by and check on everyone. How are things going with you?” he asked as he walked in.

“Like I told Carter yesterday, things are getting really busy with us here in HR. We’re working on updating all of our office policies before the expansion project is complete, per Adrian’s request. Then we’re going to have a lot of employee activities when we start hiring for the new office. It’s been a little crazy,” she smiled.

“Well, if we haven’t told you lately, we appreciate all of the hard work that you’re doing,” said Gavin.

“I know you guys do. You take very good care of us here. I can’t imagine working anywhere else.”

Gavin looked at her seriously and asked, “Have you been feeling okay?”

“Of course. Why?”

“Because your nose is starting to turn a little brown,” he said.

“Oh, shut up. You know I mean every word,” chuckled Lauren.

“I know, I know you do,” he smiled.

“So, I went to lunch with Faith yesterday. She’s nice. We’re going to try and meet once a week. Just us girls.”

“Sounds thrilling. I sure wish I could be there,” he said sarcastically.

“Well, I’m sure Carter would like to wiggle his way in, but we’re trying to come up with a way to keep him out.”

‘Lovely,’ thought Gavin. ‘This is going to be easier than I thought.’ He didn’t even have to be sneaky. “Well, maybe the two of you could schedule a shopping day, with lunch included. Carter hates shopping,” he suggested.

“That would be fun. Shopping is a good stress reliever, too. I’ll ask her what she thinks. I know she’s been pretty busy working with you and Carter on the project.”

“Yes, we’ve been in a lot of meetings. We won’t be finished with them until the end of next week.”

“So why haven’t you approached her yet? She is totally your type.” Lauren thought she might as well ask since he was there.

“What are you talking about?” Gavin tried to look clueless.

“Oh, cut the bullshit Gavin! Faith is everything that you look for in a woman. Why would you leave her alone? When I brought it up yesterday, she didn’t seem to have a clue.”

Gavin quickly realized that Faith was keeping their conversations to herself, so he decided to do the same. “Like I said, we’ve been in a lot of meetings. We’re all working very hard and diligently to get this project moving. We have a lot of information to comb through. I’m very focused on the project.” He didn’t like to lie, so he had to choose his words carefully.

Lauren gave him a suspicious look before finally saying, “Okay. If you say so.” That would do for now. “But I’m keeping my eye on you, Gavin Carlisle. You’re out of character, and that’s mysterious.”

“Ooh,” he said with a shaky voice like a ghost, waving his fingers around. “Sounds spooky.” He stood up to leave, and continued, “Well, I have some other things to do before my meeting this morning. It was good chatting with you. Let me know if you need any help with the policies.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep you informed.” Lauren returned to her work.

Gavin’s next stop was Carter’s office. He wanted to warn him, again, to leave Faith alone. Carter had just gotten to work and was logging in. Gavin knocked, trying to stay calm. He didn’t want either of them to be uncomfortable at the meetings today.

Carter looked up and had a good feeling what this was about. “Hey Gavin, what’s up?”

“I think you know what’s up,” he said calmly. “You’ve been asking Faith out again. Why won’t you listen to me? I told you to leave her alone. I’m not comfortable with your intentions.”

“I told you that I couldn’t do that. Look, Faith is a big girl. She can make her own choices. She clearly has chosen me.”

“What on earth makes you think that?” Gavin asked, shocked.

“Just the way she acts when she’s around me. Sometimes she’s shy, but there are other times that she’s been very flirtatious.”

Gavin saw that this problem was bigger than he originally thought. He knew for a fact that Faith was not interested in Carter. She was just as honest with him, as he had been with her. Plus, Lauren had confirmed that neither of them was extremely excited that Carter was with them for lunch yesterday.

“Carter, are you serious?”

“Of course I am. Faith started flirting with me at the meeting yesterday.”

“Carter, Faith was not ‘flirting’ with you at the meeting. She was joking. There’s a big difference,” Gavin was growing concerned.

“You’re in denial. Finally there’s a woman who wants someone else besides you. You should be happy for me.”

‘He is totally delusional,’ thought Gavin. “For your own good, stay away from her, Carter. I won’t warn you again.”

“How are you going to stop me? You couldn’t control us going to lunch together. How are you going to keep us apart?”

Gavin was losing his patience. “Carter, if I can help it, there will never be an ‘us’ with you and Faith. I don’t need to work very hard. I believe you’ve misunderstood Faith’s kindness for flirtation. You need to clear your head and think about what you’ve just said to me.”

Carter was quiet for a few moments. Gavin stood watching, waiting for him to come to his senses.

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I just want her to like me.”

Gavin was relieved for the moment, but wasn’t completely convinced that Carter was clear in his thoughts. Carter could be deceiving when he wanted to be. He decided to leave it alone for now. It was almost time for their meeting.

“Look, I don’t want either of us to be uncomfortable dealing with this situation. Faith is not the only woman on the planet. Let’s stop acting silly, okay?” Gavin believed if he smoothed things over between them a little bit, that Carter would back off for a while. It worked.

“You’re right. We’ve been acting kind of stupid, huh?”

Gavin nodded, “Let’s get ready for the meeting, okay? I’ll see you in the conference room.” Gavin went next door to his office to get his things. ‘Phew,’ he thought. He was going to have to put Carter on a tighter leash.

At the meeting, Gavin hoped that Faith would be more direct in her responses and reactions, with little playing or joking. He didn’t like that she would have to be this way, but it was too soon after his conversation with Carter. He’d made the decision to have two short meetings throughout the day. This meant that he would have to meet with Faith after the workday, which he knew she was prepared to do.

All went as Gavin planned in the early meeting. As they wrapped up with one city, Gavin told them how their day would go.

“Yesterday was a little tiring, with such a long meeting in the morning. Let’s go ahead and keep our afternoon meetings this week. This will give us a chance to take a break, get other work done, whatever. Our minds will be more alert this way. I think sitting in this room over the next two weeks is going to be very grueling. Do you both agree?”

“Sure,” said Faith.

Carter just nodded. He was still thinking about what Gavin had said earlier.

Gavin dismissed the meeting. He followed Faith to her office to discuss his plans for that evening.

She walked into her office unaware that he was behind her. He spoke up as he entered. “I need to talk to you about this evening.”

Faith turned around, startled a little bit. “Hey. I didn’t know you were behind me. What about this evening?” she asked, as she sat her things down at her desk.

“We won’t be able have our meeting to work on next week’s outlines until then. Are you okay with that?” Again, he knew that she was, but he didn’t want it to be a surprise.

“I’m prepared to work three nights this week. So, yes, I’m okay with it.” Gavin didn’t seem normal. He was antsy. “What’s wrong?” asked Faith, noticing right away.

“What do you mean?”

“You look agitated, and it’s not normal for you to cut our meetings short when we have the opportunity to finish early. What’s bothering you?”

“It’s nothing I want to talk about right now. I’ll be okay.”

Faith looked at him, not believing what he said.

“I’m fine. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

She sat down, saying, “Alright.”

Later that afternoon, they met as agreed, and finished before the day was over. As usual, Gavin took all of their notes to Agnes so they could be typed up when the week was done. He went back to his office, closed his door, and lied down on his sofa in silence for what seemed to be an eternity. He closed his eyes, to rest his mind. A lot had gone on during the day and he didn’t want to think about Carter. He thought about Faith instead, which was more pleasant. He didn’t realize how tired he had been until he woke up almost two hours later. It was five o’clock. Sitting up and stretching, he let out a deep sigh before he finally stood up. He opened his door to find that most of the team had left for the day. He walked down the hall to see Faith.

“Hi,” he said groggily.

She spoke without looking away from her computer screen. “There you are. I stopped by to see you earlier but you had your door closed. I didn’t want to bother you.”

“You should have. I fell asleep for two hours.”

“I’m glad I didn’t then. You must’ve needed the rest.”

“I haven’t had a chance to eat. Do you want something?” he asked, still sleepy from resting so long.

“No, I’ve got something here that I can warm up. I’ll get things ready so we’re not here that long tonight.”

“Thanks. I won’t be long.” He walked back to his office to get his wallet and his phone. He never went anywhere without his phone, not even down the street.

On his way back from picking up dinner, he made one extra stop to get some coffee for Faith. He figured if she didn’t want it, he could drink it. He could use all the caffeine he could get.

When he got back, Faith was sitting at her meeting table. He handed her the coffee. “Here you go. I remembered what you ordered yesterday.” She was impressed. Her combination of ingredients was hard for her to remember sometimes. Gavin got it right on his first try.

“Thank you. Are you sure you don’t just want to go home? You look really tired. We have all day Friday if we need it.”

Gavin had forgotten about that. He was really beat. “Let me get some food in my stomach, and we’ll go from there, okay?” He sat down on her sofa, sitting his bag on the coffee table.

She decided to ask him again what was going on. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” he said quietly. She almost didn’t hear him. “I don’t even want to think about it. The only good thing I could come up with to think about this afternoon was you. That’s when I fell asleep.”

“Wow,” she said. “Must’ve been a really rough day. I won’t pry. Keep eating.” She stood up and walked towards the window, sipping her coffee. After staring out for a few moments, she stretched, and turned back around towards Gavin. ‘He’s not as focused when he’s tired,’ she thought.

It was unusually quiet. Gavin usually had so much to say. “Can I ask you something?” he said. “I know you’ve already told me, but I have to be sure that I’ve understood you correctly.”

“Shoot,” she said. ‘Anything to break this horrible silence,’ she thought.

“Are you, in any way, attracted to Carter?” He stopped eating, too exhausted to look up. He just leaned back on the sofa, staring off into space.

“Of course not. No. He’s seems like a nice person, but he makes me uncomfortable sometimes. I told you, I’m not trying to date anyone or sleep with anyone. Why?”

“I just needed to know.”

This was not the Gavin she had come to know over the past few weeks, and concluded that they both could use a break. “Gavin, you’ve barely eaten, and you look like you’re going to fall over any minute now. Let’s go home. You need to rest.”

“Will you come home with me? I’d sleep much better if you were there,” he said jokingly and sleepily.

Faith replied, “Never too tired to joke, huh? No, but if you need a ride home, I’d be happy to take you.”

“I can always call a limo to come get me. You go ahead.”

“How about I call the limo for you, guaranteeing that you go home?”

“That’s fair. Thanks.”

She called the front desk and requested that the limo be brought around for him. She got her purse and keys, and waited for him to get his things together, then they walked out together. As he was getting into the limo, she said, “Tomorrow will be a better day.”

He smiled and said goodbye. Things would be better if he knew that Carter was going to stay away from her. He would have to make sure that he did.

The following morning, Gavin decided he would go see Faith first, rather than everyone else. Maybe a new routine would help this day be better than the previous. He had gotten her coffee again, having noticed that she had a cup every morning.

Her door was closed, so he knocked before entering. He walked into her office and sat the coffee on her desk. “For you, my dear.” He went back to close the door again. He figured it was closed for a reason.

“Thanks,” she said looking up. “You look a hundred percent better. You sound better, too.”

“Yes, I am. Thanks for making sure I got home last night. If you had left, you probably would have found me here on your couch this morning.”

“I figured as much. I’m glad you got some rest,” she smiled, taking a sip of her coffee.

“You know, caring for me like you did last night only makes me desire you even more. You’re not doing a very good job of getting me to back down.”

“Last night was not about getting you to back down, it was about making sure you made it home safely. And you’re right. I’m not doing a very good job.” She took another drink of her coffee and said, “Don’t worry. Since you’re more alert, I’m sure I’ll have plenty of opportunities to tell you ‘no’ or ‘leave me alone’ today.”

“You would enjoy that, wouldn’t you?” Gavin asked coyly.

“And so it starts,” she smiled.

“You’ll get it double today because I missed out on yesterday.”

“Oh yippee! I can’t wait,” she said sarcastically.

“You know you like it. I don’t know why you don’t just admit it.”

“Oh yeah. I love that my sex crazed boss makes it a point to tell me how much he wants to have sex with me every day, because that’s just so awesome. All the girls are jealous, I just know it. I’m special because he won’t stop until he has me. Isn’t it just peachy?” she said in a Sandra D. like voice, batting her eyes at him.

“You’re extremely sexy when you’re sarcastic. You know why I think you like it? I think you like that I’m pursuing you. You like that I want you, and you like the game. For whatever reason, you won’t admit it. You know what else?” he asked, getting closer to her.

“I bet you’re going to tell me,” she said, grinning from ear to ear.

“You like that I won’t give up. You know that the more you say no, the more I’ll keep trying until you say yes. I like that, because I can be around you. Being with you is the highlight of my day.”

“Well good. I’m glad I can make you happy.” She sat back in her chair and sipped her coffee. “Would you like to talk business now? We’re on the clock.”

“No. I want to keep talking about how much you want me, but won’t admit it.”

“You really did need some rest. You’re in rare form this morning. Okay, sure. What the hell. How much do I want you?” Her blood pressure was rising.

“You tell me,” he sat down, staring right at her. He loved to make her uncomfortable.

“You seem to have such a good idea. Why don’t you answer for me?”

“You’re avoiding the question. Why does this bother you so much?” Again, she was playing along, which he found intriguing.

“Because I don’t like the idea of being used for something that means nothing,” she stated, irritated that she had to explain again.

“What makes you think it would mean nothing?”

“Oh come on, Gavin. You haven’t had a serious relationship in years, maybe not ever, who knows. You expect me to believe that you want more than just sex? You haven’t offered up much more than that.”

“Lauren is great isn’t she? I see she’s filled you in on a little bit of history about me. Well, she doesn’t know everything.” He was sitting back, with his hands clasped together. “You always try to turn this around. This isn’t about me. This is about you. I have never denied wanting to be with you.”

“I haven’t denied anything. You know how I feel.”

“Do I? Every time I tell you that you want me as much as I want you, you avoid it like the plague. You’re like me when it comes to being honest. You don’t lie about anything. What you will do, is avoid talking about something if you don’t want to deal with it. So, I’ll ask you again, how bad do you want me?” His arrogance was beginning to show. He enjoyed watching her squirm.

She didn’t answer. Instead she looked away from him, nervously took a sip of her coffee, and said nothing for a moment. He waited, and could tell he had struck a nerve.

“Are you going to answer me?” he asked with a menacing grin on his face.

“No,” she said flatly, holding onto her coffee like it was her last cup on earth.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t have to.”

“Or because you don’t want to?”

“Is it time for our meeting yet?” she picked up her cell phone to see what time it was.

“We have another hour. We can keep going in circles if you like. All you’re doing is proving me right. That excites me. So please, continue. I believe you were avoiding a question.”

“I don’t want to play anymore. Let’s talk about what happened to you yesterday. Why were you so agitated?” Faith asked.

“Let’s not, and say we did.” He would leave her alone when he knew she had had enough. She was pretty vocal about that, but she hadn’t shown any signs of surrendering. “Tell me.”

“Tell you what?” She no longer had her coffee to hide behind. It was all gone. She would have to find something else pretty quick.

“How much you want me. It’ll make things so much easier on you. Yes feels so good.” He was beginning to get aroused. You could cut through the tension in her office with a knife.

She stood up, walked away from her desk and went to look out the window, as she played with her necklace. She didn’t like what he was doing. He was grilling her harder than he ever had. ‘He’s had a little too much sleep,’ she thought.

Turning her back on him was a big mistake. He liked to sneak up behind her. He got up from his seat, quietly and slowly, moved in close to her, and whispered in her ear.

“Tell me,” he said. Oh how he loved to torture her.

“No.”

“Why not?” he asked, continuing to whisper. He could feel the intensity rising in his pants. As with other times, he almost nibbled at her ear, but held back.

“Because you want me to,” she said, her eyes now closed. Gavin noticed that she was not moving away from him, which she normally did. This excited him even more. She was breaking.

“You want to tell me. Stop holding it in. Let it go,” he continued to whisper, speaking more seductively. He slowly placed his arms around her waist.

Faith’s breathing got heavier. “Je ne peux pas vous dire. Je ne veux pas vous dire.” (I can’t tell you. I don’t want to tell you.)

Fire ran through Gavin’s body when she spoke French. He quickly turned her around to face him, and leaned in to kiss her. When Faith realized what was happening, she pulled away from him. She stepped back, leaning against the window. She was still breathing heavily as they just stared at each other.

Gavin broke the silence. “We should get ready for the meeting.” He was thoroughly satisfied with what had just happened. Now he had to calm himself down. A quick cold shower would work.

He approached her when she didn’t say anything. She looked the other way. He gently cupped her chin to turn her head. He smiled warmly and said, “I’ll see you in a little bit, okay?”

“Okay,” she said nodding, turning away again. ‘Damn it! This wasn’t supposed to happen. He thinks he’s won,’ she thought. She would make sure that he was aware that things were not going to be that easy.

Gavin took a quick shower in the locker room of the fitness area in the building to cool off, and then prepared for the meeting. He was looking forward to this evening. That’s when he could get Faith alone again, and after this morning, he was certain that things would progress. He was the first to reach the conference room. When Faith arrived, she was still flush from earlier. Gavin decided to give her some space and didn’t say anything. As they got their laptops ready, and took out their notes, they remained silent. Waiting for Carter, it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop on the carpet. Gavin stared at Faith. He had to come up with a way to snap her out of this.

Carter finally arrived, apologizing for being late. Noticing how quiet it was, he immediately commented.

“Why are you two so quiet? You’re usually going at it,” he said, not realizing his poor choice of words.

Faith turned red again, and played with her notes.

Gavin said, “We just ran out of things to talk about waiting for you.” He stood up and continued, “Let’s get started, shall we? You can get set up as we go. Faith, will you please begin?”

They went through their usual routine for each of the meetings. Faith began to calm down as she spoke, and her face turned from red to pink. Carter seemed more like himself, too. Things were getting back to normal. Faith’s brief moment of weakness would be just that. A moment.

Gavin concluded the meeting as normal, adding that they would continue that afternoon. Carter had left the room first. The room was deathly silent again. Faith picked up her things and left without saying a word. Gavin watched her leave. He erased the white board, but left the monitor plugged in for later. He walked to his office and made a phone call.

Faith was in her office, reviewing her outlines for the afternoon meeting when there was a knock at her door. She was sure it was Gavin. “Come in,” she said.

Agnes opened the door, and walked in carrying a bouquet of the most beautiful bouquet of coral roses. “You’ve got an admirer. There are two dozen roses in this vase,” she smiled as she sat them on her desk. “Flowers talk, you know.”

“What do you mean?” asked Faith.

“Well, the type of flower and color that it is has a certain meaning. I think someone is trying to say something to you.” As she walked out, she said, “Enjoy.”

Agnes knew who they were from, and she knew what they meant. What she didn’t know, was how Faith would feel about it. Still, she thought this might be a good sign, and added this to her notes to report to Adrian at the end of the week.

Faith took the card out of the little envelope sitting amongst the roses. They smelled wonderful. Faith loved flowers, but had never known about the language aspect. The card read, ‘My desire has grown stronger for you, Gavin.’ She didn’t know whether to be mad or flattered. She guessed she was both. She got up and moved the flowers to her coffee table. They looked lovely there. She continued to work, and ate lunch in her office. She didn’t come out until it was time for the afternoon meeting.

As she went back to the conference room, Gavin saw that her demeanor had changed. Carter was sitting in his usual spot. As she began to set up, she looked at Gavin and mouthed, “Thank you.”

He nodded, pleased that he had softened her up for the time being. He was sure she would be back to her feisty self when they saw each other later that evening. Gavin started the meeting, which was just as productive as it had been that morning.

Another day had come to an end. Gavin sat in his office, signing off on paperwork, and Faith was starting to work on the outlines for the evening. Adrian was usually the first one out of the office. Tonight, he was running a little late. He made a phone call just before he wrapped things up.

“Sorry I couldn’t call sooner, but I didn’t have any news … Yes, it seems this week, activities have picked up a bit … Well of course it’s difficult … I think we’ll know more over the next few months … I will keep you abreast of what’s happening … Talk to you soon.”

As he walked down the hallway, he saw that Faith was still there and stopped to say goodbye.

“What are you still doing here?” he asked.

“Hi, Adrian. How are you?” She got up to give him a hug.

He could feel sense her tension. “Hey now. Are you doing okay? Is the workload too heavy? Has Gavin been getting to you?”

“I’m okay. I think I just needed a hug,” she smiled, breaking their embrace.

“You’re one stubborn woman, you know that?”

“You know where I get that from,” she replied.

“Yes I do. Don’t stay too late, alright?”

“Okay. Tell Juliet I said hello.”

“Good night,” he said, walking out of her office.

As he walked towards the elevators, he saw that Gavin was still there too.

“You too?”

“Adrian. What are you still doing here? You’re usually gone by two.”

“I just had to wrap up some loose ends. Why are you and Faith still here?”

“We’ve been meeting after work to get our outlines and client lists finished for next week. We won’t be working late next week, I promise.”

“Okay, you know how I feel about that.”

“I know,” he chuckled. “Tell Mom I said hello.”

“She wants to see you soon. Try and stop by this weekend.”

“I will,” Gavin said as Adrian walked out.

He yelled back, “Good night.”

Now that everyone was gone, Gavin put his paperwork aside, picked up his laptop, and went to see Faith.

He knocked on her door, and walked in at the same time. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, I just started working on outlines for Reno and Philadelphia,” she said. She got up and moved her laptop to the meeting table.

Gavin noticed that she placed the flowers on her coffee table. “They look nice there,” he said, pointing to them. He walked over to their usual spot, and began to set up. “So what have you found out so far about those two cities?” he asked.

Faith began to share with him what she found. They worked without any interruptions, and stayed focused on their task. They didn’t want to stay too late, knowing they still had tomorrow and Friday to finish.

“I’m glad we don’t have to work late next week. I really appreciate your willingness to be here.”

“I know. Whatever is necessary to get things done,” she said.

After another half an hour of work, they were done for the night. Faith was relieved. It had been another rough morning for her.

Gavin closed his laptop and gathered his notes. He looked at his watch to see what time it was.

“This is a record time for us. I was thinking that instead of meeting tomorrow evening, we could both take a break and just plan on knocking out the rest of the outlines on Friday. What do you think?”

Faith shrugged her shoulders. “That’s fine with me.” She was surprised that he didn’t mention what happened earlier, which was okay with her. She didn’t want to talk about it anyhow.

“Good,” he said as he got up to leave. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good evening.” He walked back to his office, grinning deviously. “Now the real fun starts,” he said out loud.

The routine stayed the same the next day – a meeting in the morning, and one in the afternoon. Both meetings went well, as usual. Faith was back to normal, as if nothing had ever happened between her and Gavin. Everyone kept busy with work on the expansion project. Adrian had been in meetings with the board of directors to inform them of their progress. Thanks to Gavin and his team, activities were moving along nicely. Gavin was a little restless because he hadn’t spent much time with Faith. This was on purpose. He had to stand his ground for his plan to work.

Faith finished touching up her presentations for Reno and Philadelphia. Even though it was nice that she hadn’t had any of her usual interruptions, mainly Gavin, she missed his badgering. She went to see him.

“Hey,” she said.

Gavin looked up from his work and smiled. “Hi. How has your day been? I haven’t really seen you today.”

“It’s been okay. I finished the presentations for Reno and Philadelphia. How are you?”

“I’m good. It’s been a busy day. Do you want to sit down?”

“No, I won’t keep you. I just wanted to stop by and say hello,” she smiled. “I’ll see you later.”

He smiled as she left. ‘This is a good start,’ he thought.

Knowing that they would be together all day, Gavin stopped and picked up some coffee for himself and Faith. She was already working when he arrived.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, winking at her. “I got you some coffee.”

“You’re so good to me,” she said, reaching for it.

“We’ve got a long day, so here’s my plan. We will work until about eleven thirty, with a short break in between. After lunch, we will take whatever additional time we need to finish. By this time next Friday, we’ll know where we’ll be taking our trips.”

They worked as planned, completing three of the four city outlines before lunch. Instead of asking Faith to join him for lunch, he went alone. This pushed Faith over the edge. Gavin had been strictly about business all morning. It didn’t make any sense. They went from almost kissing two days before, to simply coworkers. It was as if he had completely lost interest.

That afternoon, it was more of the same. Gavin primarily focused on getting the work done, with no play. Since they only had one city left, they finished early.

“Well, I’d say we’re finally done. Good job. I couldn’t have done this without you,” he said, smiling at her.

“You’re welcome. Next week should be a breeze compared to the last few weeks.”

“I agree.” Gavin began to gather all of his notes, and saved what he needed on his laptop before shutting it down. “Do you have any plans for the weekend?” He could sense her frustration. He wanted to say something so badly, but he had to hold back. Monday would come soon enough.

“Just a little housework. Maybe I’ll start a new book,” she said, disappointed that they weren’t playing their usual game. “How about you?” She got up to move her computer to her desk.

“Nothing special. Maybe I’ll give Chandler a call,” he said, looking to see what her reaction would be.

She continued to look down, responding, “I’m sure you two will have a grand time together.” He heard the irritation in her voice.

Gavin had no intent to call Chandler, but he needed to plant that seed. If she had to wonder about this all weekend, it would drive her crazy, which is exactly what he wanted.

“Why don’t you take off early? You’ve worked really hard the past two weeks. I appreciate all you’ve done.”

“Thanks. I think I will,” she said. She sat in her chair and looked out of the window. Gavin smiled as he could see that his plan was working.

He didn’t try to get her attention, only gathered his things and said as he was leaving, “Have a good weekend.”

“You too,” she said.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The weekend came and went faster than Faith had expected. She was looking forward to this last week. The project team was going to choose which cities would be included as potential expansion locations for C&A. When she arrived at work, she settled in and immediately began to review her presentations for the week. It wasn’t long before she was interrupted.

Gavin knocked and opened the door to Faith’s office. He entered and closed the door behind him.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he smiled and handed her some coffee. Bringing her coffee was becoming a new routine for him.

“Good morning,” she said, surprised to see him. “Thank you. Are you going to bring me coffee every day?”

“Only if you let me,” he said as he sat down to drink his own cup.

“It’s your money, not mine. That works for me,” she smiled.

“How was your weekend? Did you find a good book to read?” he asked, taking a sip.

“Yes, I did. How was your weekend?” she asked anxiously.

He slyly stared at her. He was looking forward to this. “It was good,” he smiled.

“Good.” She sat quietly for a moment. She sipped her drink and stared at her computer.

Gavin tilted his head, still looking at her. “You want to know if I spent any time with Chandler, don’t you?”

“What you do on your weekend is your business,” she said flatly.

“Jealous?”

“Maybe,” she shrugged.

“Well, I didn’t call her. I would have rather spent time with you.” He continued to smile, now deviously.

“Doing what you do with Chandler? I don’t think so. I’m not an object, remember?”

“I’ve never said you were.”

“Why haven’t you brought up what happened last week? You would never give up an opportunity to gloat.”

“What about last week? We had a heck of a week with all those meetings, but other than that, I can’t say that I know what you’re talking about?”

“Seriously?” she asked.

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to. A lot happened. Did something upset you last week?”

“So you’re not going to say anything? Nothing at all?” she asked, staring at him in disbelief.

“I’d love to, as soon as you tell me what it is I’m supposed to be saying.” ‘This is too easy,’ he thought. She was extremely upset.

“I don’t believe this,” she said, shaking her head. She got up from her desk, stood by the window, and began to play with her necklace.

Gavin walked over to where she was. “Are you pouting?” he asked.

“No,” she said, poking her lips out.

“You are. You’re awfully cute.”

“Shut up.” She rolled her eyes.

Faith was wearing a sleeveless knit shirt and an a-line skirt that hit just at her knees. Gavin gently put his hands on her waist and kissed her shoulder. He moved his way up to her neck, and then gently nipped at her ear. His hands made their way down past her waist to her thighs, and back to her waist.

He quietly asked, “Is this what you want to talk about?” He gently kissed her cheek, while his hands continued to explore. Faith unconsciously closed her eyes.

“No,” she quickly said, uneasy with what he was doing.

“You sure?” he asked, as he shifted his kisses back and forth between her cheeks, ears, neck and shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her, tenderly caressing her. He tried to slip his hands underneath her shirt, but Faith pushed them back down. He stroked her arms, feeling the excitement from touching her flood through his body. As he moved his hands back to her waist, they worked their way upward. He grazed just below her breasts.

“Gavin, we….should….stop….” she breathily tried to say.

“Is that really what you want?” he asked sensuously, his breathing heavier now.

“Yes,” she said.

“Are you sure you want to stop?” he tried to kiss her lips, but she kept turning away. Keeping one hand around her waist to hold her close to him, the other hand slid down the outside of her thigh. He then gently rubbed the inside of her thigh as he moved his hand back up the middle of her body. Faith lost it.

“J’ai besoin de vous arreter,” she said. (I need you to stop.)

Gavin could hardly control himself. He stepped away from her, taking a deep breath. “Woman, why do you do that to me?” he asked.

Faith was relieved. She turned around and looked at him. “What?”

“The French. Why do you do that?”

“Oh,” she said, making her way to her desk. She let out a deep breath as she sat down. “I can’t control it. My mind goes into defense mode. Whenever I’m in an uncomfortable situation, my English gets replaced and all that comes out is French. Even if I wanted to speak English I couldn’t. It started when I was little.” She grabbed a piece of paper to fan herself.

“Do you know what that does to me? I’m about ready to rip your clothes off,” he said.

“It’s completely random. I don’t do it on purpose.”

Gavin shook his head, and balled his hands into fists, trying his best to fight back his excitement. He sat down across from her. They still had another hour and a half before their first meeting.

“Come on. It’s not like you’ve never heard French before,” she said, looking bewildered.

“It’s not just the French. It’s you and the French. You alone excite me, but when you speak French, I lose all control. It’s sexy as hell.”

She smiled and leaned back in her chair. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath.

“I was right, by the way,” said Gavin, looking at her.

“About what?” she asked, keeping her eyes closed.

“You want me too,” he said with a slight grin.

“So you’ve said.”

“So I’ve proven. You’re happy that I didn’t go see Chandler this weekend,” he said.

“Now that I will admit to,” she laughed, opening her eyes to look at him.

“I’ll have to go see her before the end of the week though at the rate we’re going.”

“You started it,” she teased.

“I believe you did. You’re the one who wanted to ‘talk’ about what happened last week.”

“There wasn’t much ‘talking’ going on in here,” she chuckled.

Gavin just continued to smile deviously, staring at her.

At that moment, Faith knew. “You planned this all along. You knew I was expecting you to bring it up, and you purposely didn’t – for two days plus the weekend. I’m surprised you were able to contain yourself.”

“It was a good plan, wasn’t it? I had you right where I wanted you.”

Faith shook her head and rolled her eyes, “Yeah it was.” She paused. “That’s alright. Payback is a bitch.”

“Are you serious? You really think you can outsmart me?”

She just stared at him, smiling.

“Bring it on,” said Gavin, amused that she was going to attempt to get back at him.

They both took a sip of their drinks, and continued to calm themselves down. Faith continued to fan. Gavin just sat and stared at her, thinking about how it felt to touch her and kiss her.

“Are you alright over there?” he asked.

“I’m fine. I need something cold to drink now. This coffee’s not working. How can you be so calm?”

“Experience,” he smiled.

“Bullshit!” said Faith. “You’re still about ready to jump me. You’re just damn good at not showing it.”

“Perhaps. My time will come. You won’t let me have you right now. You’re not ready. If you were, we wouldn’t be sitting here. We’d be on the floor.”

“I guess you know everything, huh?”

“I’m beginning to know you. Trust me, I’ve been reading women for years. Although I must say that reading you has been the most exhilarating.”

“I feel so special now. Thanks for sharing.” Faith rolled her eyes.

“You really get upset when I’m right about you. Why won’t you just admit that you’re attracted to me?”

“What woman isn’t attracted to you, Gavin? You’re the sexiest man in this office. Why have you spent so much time trying to get me? You should have moved on to your next target by now.”

“I can’t explain it. I don’t want anyone else right now. I just want you. No one else will do. If I tried to be with someone else, I truly believe that I would end up comparing them to you, and thus be unsatisfied. No, I want you.”

“What if you can’t have me?” Faith asked.

“I won’t accept that. Like I’ve said before, with other woman who have said no, I’ve backed down from them and moved on. I can’t accept no from you. Again, I can’t explain why. Maybe it’s because I know that you really don’t mean it.”

Faith was quiet for a moment. She couldn’t argue against his point. If she changed the subject, he would consider that avoiding the obvious, which would be true.

Luckily for her, they were running out of time. This discussion would have to continue some other time because their meeting was starting in fifteen minutes. Faith started to get her things together.

“Is it time to go already?” asked Gavin.

“Yes,” said Faith. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

“Your sarcasm is so sexy.”

“Is there anything about me that’s not sexy to you?” she asked, almost annoyed.

“Not really. You’re the first woman I can say that about,” he smiled.

“I’m thrilled,” she said rolling her eyes. “Let’s go.”

At the meeting, they went over their presentations, as had become custom over the last few weeks. When all the information had been reviewed, Gavin asked if either Faith or Carter had anything to add.

“Anything else you’d like to say?” he asked.

They both shook their heads no. He looked at his watch. “Okay, I’ll see you both back here this afternoon.”

Faith and Lauren joined each other for their first weekly lunch. They decided to take in a quick bite at the food court located at the South Street Seaport Mall, and then go shopping. This would become their routine for weeks to come.

Lauren looked at Faith as they finished. “So, has Gavin made his move yet?”

“Lauren, we’ve been really busy with this project. That’s been his focus. Why are you so sure he’s going to try?” Faith asked, taking a sip of her iced tea.

“You just fit the bill. I’m shocked that he didn’t try the first day you started. It’s just out of character. That’s all.” Lauren finished her drink and waited for Faith.

“This lunch is about getting away from the office. Can we skip the talk about Gavin, and Carter for that matter, when we’re out? I’d actually like to know more about you,” Faith said as she picked up her tray to throw away her trash. “Are you ready?” she asked, picking up her things.

“Yes,” said Lauren. “I’m sorry to be so nosey. I agree. No more Gavin or Carter. Scout’s honor,” Lauren saluted. “Let’s go have some fun.”

As they walked, Lauren shared about herself. Lauren was a pretty woman with an olive complexion, and an average build. She had shoulder length brunette hair with natural red highlights. Her eyes were big and brown. She loved to know what was going on with everyone, just for the sheer fact of knowing. That’s how she knew so much about Gavin.

“I’m married and have three kids. Two boys and a girl. Cameron is twelve, Geoffrey is nine, and Jayden is eight. My husband, Manuel, and I have been married for fourteen years.”

“Wow, you’re a busy woman. Are you from New York?” Faith asked.

“I am originally, but Manuel was born and raised in Texas. We met at a bar, if you can believe that. I was out with a few friends and actually, one of his friends was interested in me. We started talking and I gave my number to his friend,” she paused. “Let’s go in here. I have a twenty percent off coupon that I don’t want to let expire.”

“Okay,” said Faith, as they walked into Ann Taylor.

“Anyway,” continued Lauren, “when things didn’t seem to work out between me and his friend, Manuel asked if it was okay if he could call me. His friend said it was fine, we went out, and the rest is pretty much history.”

“How long have you been working for C&A?” asked Faith as she looked at a skirt.

Lauren glanced at the skirt Faith was holding and nodded, “That’s cute. It’s been about eight years now.”

They browsed for a while, picking up items here and there. After trying their clothes on, they made their choices, paid, and headed back to the office.

Faith let out a deep sigh and said, “It was a good day to get out the office. I don’t want to go back. It’s too nice out here.”

“I agree. It is a beautiful day. Wait until the humidity hits. We won’t want to spend too much time out here,” she smiled.

When they finally reached their building, they waited for an elevator and ran into Carter.

“Good afternoon ladies. I see you’ve done some shopping. What did you get me?” he joked.

“I got you this cute little tank top with bling on it,” laughed Lauren. “I think Faith has a skirt that will match perfectly. All you need is shoes.”

They all laughed as they got on the elevator. “Where did you go for lunch?” asked Faith.

“Oh, I just got something quick. Too much going on. I can’t keep my head above water right now. This is what happens when Gavin’s wheels start turning. We get super busy with projects, and then we make a ton of money,” he smiled.

“That’s true,” said Lauren. “He’s got an incredible mind.”

Faith just listened. These were the types of things she loved to hear about him.

As they exited the elevator, Faith and Lauren thanked each other for lunch and talked about plans to do it again. It was going to be a little more difficult to work them in around the trips.

“I’ll take a look at our calendars. We’ll squeeze them in when we can. I really enjoyed just getting out of here,” said Lauren.

“Okay, just send me the invite, and we’ll go from there. Thanks again.”

“Have a good afternoon.”

“You too,” said Faith, walking to her office.

That afternoon, they completed another city presentation, discussing the pros and cons of expanding there. So the week went, more meetings, and more discussions. Each day, Gavin was expecting Faith to have come up with something to get back at him for what he had done to her Monday morning. Each day, thus far, nothing. He was beginning to think he was off the hook.

On Thursday morning, Gavin took Faith her coffee as usual. She had the top portion of her hair pulled up, and the rest she let rest freely on her shoulders. He hadn’t seen her hair like this since the party. She looked absolutely gorgeous. As they were talking, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

“Why are you staring at me like you’ve never seen me before?” she asked.

“Why don’t you ever wear your hair down?” he asked, without answering her question.

“It gets in the way during the day.”

“You look absolutely stunning today,” he said, still staring.

“You say that every day.”

“No, I say you look beautiful every day. Today, you’re stunning.”

“What’s up with you? You’re freaking me out. Stop it,” she said smiling.

“I just really want you this morning. My thoughts are out of control.”

“Clean it up. We have a meeting to go to,” she said.

“I can’t help it. Can’t we skip the meeting? Carter won’t mind. He’ll just go back to his office when we’re not there. How can you just sit there? I know you think about Monday,” he said. He was trying to see if she had come up with anything.

“It’s not Monday anymore. I’ve moved on. Get it together Gavin. We’re on the home stretch with these meetings. I, for one, am going to be very happy when they’re over. I’ll be able to focus on the things that both you and Adrian need me to focus on.”

If she had anything planned, she wasn’t giving out any clues. Gavin decided there wasn’t anything, and relaxed.

“You’re right,” he changed his tone. “What I’m looking forward to is the trips. It’s going to be nice to get away from New York for a while.”

“Will Adrian be going on any of these trips with us? Carter?”

“Adrian is going to be in board meetings over the next few months and Carter, if you’ll recall, had trips scheduled prior to us starting this project. He won’t be with us.” Gavin was thrilled about that.

“That’s right. I do remember that.”

“What cities do you think will make the cut?” he asked.

“I think Nashville, San Francisco, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Denver, and Los Angeles.”

Gavin nodded his head, impressed with her selections. “Those are all very good. I agree with four of those. I think Phoenix instead of Denver, and Washington DC instead of Atlanta. Want to make a wager? The loser buys dinner.”

“I’m game.”

“Adrian will be making the final decision as to which cities we’ll be travelling to. Based on your choices and mine, let’s see who gets the most right. If I win, you take me to dinner, and if you win, I take you to dinner. We’ll go tomorrow night.”

“Are you trying to go on a date?” she asked, smiling.

“Yes,” he grinned.

“Why don’t you just ask?”

“This is more fun. Besides, would you say yes if I just asked?” he asked.

“Maybe. Depends on how you ask,” she smiled.

“I thought you weren’t here to date or sleep with anyone?” he teased.

“I’m not. But I haven’t really done anything outside of work since I’ve been here. It would be nice to get out and see the city,” she said plainly.

“Well then, count on me asking in the future,” he said. He was still wondering why she hadn’t tried to get back at him yet. Maybe she had forgotten.

Later, at the afternoon meeting, they sat and talked about how the past three weeks had gone. They were very anxious to know what cities Adrian was going to pick. From what Gavin had heard, he was going to be making his decision soon after he received the notes from this meeting. They would know first thing tomorrow. Gavin again told the two of them what a great job they had done. As a reward, he told them that after tomorrow’s meeting, they could have the rest of the day off. Carter and Faith were very appreciative of this. After concluding their discussion, they all retreated to their offices for the remainder of the day.

Gavin was catching up on some paperwork when he realized how late it was. He checked to see if everyone had left for the day. As he walked down the hallway, he saw that Faith’s door was still open. He stopped in to see why she was still there.

“What are you still doing here?” he asked as he walked in.

“What are you still doing here Mr. Everyone Must Leave by Four?” she asked sarcastically.

He laughed and said, “The meetings pushed me behind on paperwork. I had a lot of things to sign off on that were high priority.”

“I was just getting ready to leave. I had to go through my emails,” she said. She was standing by her meeting table putting on lip gloss.

“Seriously? You’re still here because of your email?” Gavin asked. He thought for a moment and continued, “Unless you knew I was still here.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s no one here. We’re all by ourselves,” he said, approaching her.

She looked at him sensuously, and said, “What are you going to do about that?”

They were standing about three feet away from each other. Continuing to gaze at each other, Gavin slowly moved toward her and was just about to grab her by the waist when Faith put her hand on his chest to stop him.

Without breaking her gaze, she shook her head and said, “Don’t touch me.”

Gavin was confused, but soon realized that Faith was in control. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, so she gently stroked the exposed portion of his arms with her fingertips. She walked behind him, caressing his back. She grabbed him by the hand and led him to the couch. He laid down, and Faith gently strattled him. She removed the clip from her hair, letting it all hang down. Just seeing her with her hair down aroused him. He tried to touch her thigh and Faith caught him.

“Not yet,” she whispered.

Gavin had already removed his tie shortly before the end of the day. Faith unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his bare muscular chest. Her hands explored for a moment. She then leaned down, kissing him on his neck, moving her way down. She didn’t miss a single spot. Gavin had his eyes closed, taking in every touch. Faith began to make her way back up to his neck, then gently tugged at his ear. Their breathing was getting heavier. She kissed his cheek and stopped just short of his lips. She lingered there, just barely allowing their lips to touch. Gavin wanted to lift his head to kiss her, but she moved on just before he could. She kissed his chin, his neck, and made her way back down to his chest. Her hands were moving everywhere. She caressed the insides of his thighs, but stayed clear of his manhood.

Gavin tried to touch her again. Again, Faith stopped him. “Not yet.”

“Faith, I - ”

“Shhh,” she interrupted, putting a finger on his lips. “Don’t talk.”

Gavin could feel his body losing control with every caress, every kiss. He wanted to kiss and touch her so badly it was driving him crazy. He was clutching the couch, trying extremely hard not to grab her. When Faith could tell he had almost reached the point of no return, she turned up the heat.

She leaned in and whispered sensuously, “Qui est en contrôle maintenant? Comment mauvaise que vous me voulez?” (Who’s in control now? How bad do you want me?) As she said this, she reached down and rubbed between his legs.

He couldn’t take anymore. He let go of his hold on the couch and went to hold her. Just as he did, Faith sat straight up.

She looked at her watch and said, “Phew. It’s hot in here. Are you hot?” she asked, smiling. “I’ve got to get home.” Faith climbed off of him and walked over to the table to get her stuff.

Gavin just laid there looking at her. He couldn’t say a word.

Faith smiled and said, “Will you close my door when you leave? Have a good night.”

She was gone. As she got in the elevator, she took a deep breath and fanned herself. She knew that if Gavin had been able to touch her, she’d still be in her office.

Gavin couldn’t believe what just happened. He was aroused beyond what he had ever been. To be that close to getting what you want and not be able to have it was frustrating. He got up and went to his office to grab his keys, phone and wallet. Swiftly, he made his way to his car and drove straight to Chandler’s house.

Chandler had just gotten out of the shower when she heard a knock at the door. She put on a bathrobe, and went to the door saying, “Who could this be?”

She looked in the peephole and saw that it was Gavin. She unlocked the door, and before she could open it herself, Gavin had nearly knocked it down.

“You didn’t call - ”

“I need you. Now,” Gavin interrupted.

She turned away slightly and said, “Okay, well let’s go to the bed - ”

“Now,” Gavin said, grabbing her. He unzipped his pants, and pulled them down enough to expose his extremely hard and throbbing erection. Since she had just gotten out of the shower, she was naked underneath her bathrobe. Gavin took her right there on the living room floor. He quickly penetrated her, thrusting hard and fast. It didn’t matter to her. She was just glad he was there. She tried to speak softly to him.

“Oh Gavin, you - ”

“Shut up,” he said under his breath, as he kept pushing.

As he neared climax, Chandler spoke again, “Gavin.”

“Faith,” he said, as he reached his orgasm. He slowed down, realizing what he just said. He had been thinking about Faith the entire time. He pulled away from Chandler and pulled up his pants. She had a disgusted look on her face.

“What the hell did you just say?” She propped herself up on her elbows.

Gavin took a deep breath in. “I’m sorry Chandler. I can’t do this anymore. I want, and need, someone else.” He stood up to leave, and looking back at her said again, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here. I have to go.” He opened the door and left.

Chandler was pissed and hurt at the same time. She didn’t want her special relationship to end like this. She knew it was coming, but had hoped she could change his mind about her before someone else came along. Right there, in the middle of the floor, she made up her mind that it would not be over until she said it was over.

First thing the next morning, Gavin took Faith her coffee, as had become their custom. He was looking forward to seeing her.

He knocked and went in, as usual. “Good morning, beautiful,” he said, handing her the coffee.

“Good morning,” she smiled. “Thank you.”

Gavin sat down and stared at her.

“You’re staring at me again.”

“Today it’s because you’re sexy.”

“Oh yeah? How was your evening?” she asked, looking forward to a good story.

“You stirred me up pretty good. My body was out of control. I had to go be with someone else.”

“Really. Tell me. Did you call out my name? Because what happened between us last night wasn’t worth it unless you did,” she said, leaning forward on her desk. She was listening intently, taking sips of her coffee.

“Actually, yes. I did.”

“Who’d you go see? Chandler?” she asked, smiling with deviousness in her eyes.

“Yes, it was Chandler,” he said. He watched her closely. Faith sat back in her chair.

“Even better,” she said, grinning widely.

Gavin’s eyes opened wide. He sat his coffee down on her desk. He thought the events through and realized that this was her plan all along.

“You knew I would go see Chandler!” he exclaimed.

“You’re damn right I did.”

“You have to be the sexiest woman I’ve ever known,” he smiled shaking his head. “You win. Damn! You win.”

Faith just smiled, pleased that her plan had worked out so well.

“I owe you dinner just for that,” he smiled.

“Deal.”

They sat silent for a moment. Gavin was still reeling from what she had done.

“Are you ready to find out if I owe you dinner twice?”

“Yes,” she smiled as she stood up.

Gavin stood up and followed her out of her office. Carter was just leaving his office and he spotted them. They were smiling and laughing as they walked together. He saw Gavin put his hand on the small of Faith’s back. His blood started to boil. Because of all of his trips and meetings with clients, he hadn’t been able to spend any time with Faith. Gavin was starting to get an edge over him. He didn’t like that one bit.

In the conference room, they all sat waiting for Adrian. Gavin kept shaking his head, while Faith just sat smiling. Carter noticed their strange behavior. He didn’t want to know, but he had to ask.

“What’s up with you two? What have you been doing?” he asked.

“Why do we have to have been doing something?” asked Faith, annoyed.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time together. Things happen,” said Carter jealously.

Just then, Adrian walked in.

“Good morning,” said Adrian.

“Good morning,” they all said.

“I would first like to say that you have all done an excellent job with this project so far. The board is very pleased with our progress. I don’t want to keep you long, I know that you’re looking forward to hearing which cities you’ll be touring.

“These are in no particular order. They are Los Angeles, Nashville, Denver, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Jacksonville.”

Faith smiled as broad as she could smile. She had guessed every single city correctly.

“Agnes is booking these trips right now, and preparing your schedules for each day. You will be gone for two weeks at a time, and back here for two weeks. This will give you a break in between trips. You’ll fly out on Friday mornings. I planned it this way so that you would have a chance to do some touring on your own prior to being inundated with meetings and conferences. You’ll return on Sunday afternoons. I expect full reports after each trip. Any questions?”

No one had any questions.

“I’ll have Agnes let you know where you’ll be going first so you can prepare. Again, great job.”

Gavin looked at Faith and shook his head again. He said, “You cheated. He told you, didn’t he?”

“Absolutely not. I’m just that good. Don’t hate,” she teased. Carter was thoroughly displeased with their flirtatious conversation.

Gavin conceded. “Alright. My treat tonight. Stop by before you leave today so we can talk about it.”

She just smiled, feeling the thrill of sweet victory as she stood to leave.

As they walked out of the conference room, Carter decided that he would have a little talk with Gavin.

“Can I talk to you?” he asked Gavin, as they were all walking.

“I’ll see you later,” Faith said to Gavin. “Carter, have a good weekend,” she said, continuing to her office.

Gavin looked at Carter. He was pretty sure what this was going to be about. “Of course.”

Carter followed Gavin into his office and closed the door behind him.

“I thought you were going to stop pursuing Faith,” he said with tight lips.

“I never said that. I merely stated that she wasn’t the only woman in the world. I don’t need your permission,” said Gavin as he stepped around his desk.

“What if I decide that I want to see her?” asked Carter.

“I think you’re forgetting one key factor.”

“What’s that?”

Gavin remained standing. “Faith has a mind of her own, and she will make the choice of whose company she’d like. That is, if there’s even a choice to be made,” he smirked.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you trying to say she’s already chosen you?” Carter was getting angry. Gavin was constantly using his looks and his money to his advantage in order to get women.

“I’m saying that I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time with her, and your name hasn’t come up yet.”

“Maybe if you’d take the leash off of her, she’d have the freedom to do things with other people. You purposely kept me out of your afternoon and evening meetings. Now you’ll be taking these trips together. Of course my name hasn’t come up. You’ve got her under lock and key.”

“I assure you that Faith is anything but under lock and key. She’s free to do what she wants to do, and she does exactly that. As far as a leash goes, she’s not a dog, so please don’t refer to her that way. You might want to be damn sure you don’t mention that when she’s present. She doesn’t take too kindly to derogatory inferences.” Gavin was getting defensive. He didn’t like what Carter was suggesting.

“I’m tired of you doing this to me, Gavin.”

“You don’t want to go there do you? Because we can have a talk about who’s done what to whom.”

Carter changed the subject quickly. He really didn’t want to go there. “Why do you always have to have the good ones?” he asked.

“Because I choose them. You, on the other hand, have a very unique taste in women. That’s exactly why I want you to stay away from Faith.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my taste.”

“On the contrary, Carter. There is. Your view of how women should be, stinks. I will not have you trying to fit Faith into some dirty little mold of yours. She deserves, and will have, better.”

“You seriously plan to give it to her, Mr. One Night Stand? Do you really think that she’s going to go for that?” asked Carter angrily.

“My plans are none of your business. All you need to do is stay away from her. It’s as simple as that.”

“I’ve already told you. I can’t do that. I don’t care what we agreed to years ago,” said Carter.

Gavin was now irate. He stepped away from his desk, looked firmly at Carter and said, “If you don’t leave Faith alone, I will have your ass out on the street so fast, your head will spin. You won’t know what hit you.”

“You can’t do that,” said Carter, challenging him.

“I can and I will. Don’t cross me, Carter. I can tell that you’ve been teetering on the edge of trouble. Your work is great when you’re here. But for the first few days that you’re back from your trips, you’re anxious and nervous. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? I can tell you’ve been into something that is more than you can handle. I will not let you involve Faith in your issues.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” steamed Carter.

“I can see the signs, Carter. I’m not an idiot.”

“I’m not going to back off.”

“Go near her and your ass is mine,” Gavin said, his anger rising.

“I hate that you think you can control people because you have money and good looks,” Carter finally revealed. “I hate that you abuse your power in that way.”

“I’ve never abused my power, but I promise that I will do whatever it takes to keep you away from her. If you even think about asking her out, or try to go behind my back to get to her, I will take everything you have. You will have nothing by the time I’m through with you,” Gavin growled.

“Is that a threat?” Carter frowned.

“Yes,” Gavin said without flinching.

The two men were so angry, they were clinching their fists, ready to throw punches. Carter backed down and stormed out of the office. Gavin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew this day was coming, he just didn’t think it would be so soon. He took another breath and went to sit down at his desk. It was about lunch time, but he no longer had an appetite. He just sat in silence, staring off into space.

A few moments later, Faith came by to find out the details about dinner. Luckily, it was early. That would give him plenty of time to calm down so they could enjoy their evening.

“Hey,” she said as she knocked.

“Hi,” he said, sitting up. “Are you getting ready to leave?”

“Yes. What are we doing tonight?” she asked.

“Well, that’s a surprise. I’ll pick you up around six o’clock. Wear something comfortable.”

“Okay, here’s my address and my cell phone number. Call me if you get lost, or if anything changes.” She paused, and asked, “Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine by tonight. Have a good day off.”

“I will. See you later,” she said, walking out of his office.

Gavin had to make a few phone calls to get ready for the evening. He was excited to finally be going out on a date. Adrian was looking for everyone, and stopped to ask Gavin where they were.

“Where are Carter and Faith?” he asked.

“I gave them the rest of the day off as a reward for all of their hard work. I’ll see Faith tonight. I owe her dinner,” said Gavin.

“Really? Why do you owe her?” ‘This is good,’ thought Adrian.

“We had a bet. We talked about which cities we thought you would choose, and whoever got the most right, would get dinner, courtesy of the loser. She got them all right. I told her she cheated,” he chuckled.

“She does have great insight. What do you have planned?”

“Faith said she hasn’t had a chance to see the city, so I’m taking her to dinner, and I’m renting a carriage to take her around the city. It’s a great time of year to do that,” he smiled.

“Sounds wonderful. Have you already sent her flowers?”

“I was just getting ready to call when you came in,” Gavin said.

“Good man. I’ve taught you well. Let me know how it goes,” he said as he left.

Adrian walked back to his office, stopping first to talk to Agnes.

“Do you have anything to report for the week?” he asked.

Agnes handed him her notes, and added, “They seem to be getting along really well this week.”

Agnes had been keeping tabs on Gavin and Faith for weeks. Sometimes, she had nothing to report, other times she didn’t want to report anything. Lately though, there was more positive activity between the two of them.

“Thanks, Agnes. We’ll see if it stays that way,” Adrian said as he went to his office.

He sat down and picked up the phone. “Hi, it’s Adrian … I’m well. How are you? … I wanted to give you an update … Yes, things are looking good … That’s right … I don’t think so, but it should be enjoyable … I’ll talk to you next week. Take care.”

After hanging up the phone, Adrian sat and smiled. He hoped that Gavin and Faith had a great evening.

Not long after Faith arrived home, there was a knock at her door. When she opened it, she found a huge bouquet of flowers. There were two dozen dark pink roses. The card read, ‘Thanks again for all of your hard work this week. See you tonight, Gavin.’

Faith smiled, and remembered what Agnes had said about flowers having meaning. ‘Dark pink must be to show thanks,’ she thought, basing her assessment on the note. She put the flowers on her dining room table. She had a lot of time to prepare for the evening, and had eaten a light lunch, since she didn’t know what to expect for dinner. She picked up a book that she had started and continued to read, falling asleep shortly thereafter.

When she woke up from her nap, she took a shower and got dressed for dinner. Gavin would be picking her up in an hour. She put on a pair of nice linen pants and a matching linen blouse to wear. This would be both cool and comfortable. She decided to wear her hair down since it was the weekend. She grabbed her phone, her ID and keys and placed them in a small wristlet, knowing she wouldn’t need a big bulky purse tonight. Fifteen minutes later, Gavin knocked on the door.

When she answered, Gavin just smiled. “Hi, beautiful,” he said, handing her a single purple rose.

“Hi,” she said, smiling as she took the rose and smelled it. This one had a delightful scent. She picked up her wristlet, locked the door behind her, and followed him to the car.

Gavin opened door for her, then walked around to get in the driver’s seat.

“Thank you,” she said. “And thanks for the other roses that you sent earlier. What does this one mean?”

He looked over at her as he started his car, “Purple means beautiful.”

Faith couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was. He looked more relaxed now than he looked earlier at work. As they drove off, she asked about their evening.

“So where are we going?” she asked.

“Relax. I’ve got it all taken care of. All you have to do is enjoy the evening.”

They drove for some time before arriving at the River Café, a unique and romantic restaurant located under the Brooklyn Bridge. Gavin pulled in front. He got out and walked around to the passenger’s side to help Faith out of the car. She was still holding her purple rose. He handed his keys to the valet, took her hand in his and led her to the entrance. The ambiance was absolutely magical as they went in. There was romantic lighting and floral décor all around them. Since it was a warm night, Gavin had reserved a table for them on the deck. He pulled her chair out for her.

“Thank you,” she said, looking up at him. ‘This is a nice change,’ she thought.

Faith looked out over the water where she could see the Manhattan skyline. It was awesome to see.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“This is great,” said Faith. “I love the location. How’s the food?”

“Fantastic,” he said, opening his menu.

“I can’t wait to try it,” she smiled after glancing at her available menu options. She was still overcome by the atmosphere and there was a piano playing in the background.

A server came to take their drink orders. Gavin asked, “Do you like wine?”

“Of course,” said Faith.

Gavin asked for a couple of glasses of their Bollinger Grande Annee from the vintage wine list.

They continued to look at their menus. Faith decided to get the Vegetarian dish, while Gavin chose the Crisp Duck Breast. Gavin ordered for both of them when their server returned with their wine. It was a great start to the evening.

“You didn’t have to do all of this, you know? I would have been okay with Olive Garden,” she giggled.

“Loser treats, remember?” he smiled at her, captivated by how lovely she looked in the dim lighting.

“Well I’m glad I won, because I wouldn’t have been able to come up with something like this for you,” she said, taking a sip of her wine.

“There’s more to come. This is just the beginning.”

“Do you do this for all the girls?” she asked.

“No. Just you. You’re different,” said Gavin.

“Why is that?”

“Down girl. There will be plenty of time for serious talk later,” he smiled.

Moments later, their food arrived. They enjoyed their meals, wine and conversation. When they finished eating, their server offered them dessert. They both said no. Gavin had other ideas for dessert anyhow. He paid the ticket and escorted Faith back to the front of the restaurant. He took her hand and led her down Water Street.

“Where are we going now?” she smiled.

“We haven’t had dessert.”

In less than a minute, they were standing in front of the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. Looking up, Gavin beamed like a kid, lost in his memories.

“Mom and Dad used to bring me here a lot when I was little. It was one of my favorite places to come.”

Faith tenderly looked up at him as he shared this memory with her. He glanced back down at her, seemingly held in a trance by her beauty. Staring at each other, forces almost pulled them together, but the faint noise of other couples laughing and talking brought them back to reality.

“Let’s go inside,” Gavin said, taking Faith by the hand again.

They shared an ice cream sundae made with Chocolate Chocolate Chunk ice cream. The whipped cream tasted homemade, and could have been a sundae by itself. Gavin let Faith have the cherry. Sitting on a bench close to the factory, they talked about childhood memories, since Gavin brought it up. Almost as soon as they finished their sundae, a horse-drawn carriage pulled into the area.

“Perfect timing,” said Gavin. He stood and led her to the carriage.

Faith looked at him, “Is this for us?”

Gavin grinned. “No my lady, it is for you.” The driver had opened the door for them to enter.

“What do you mean it’s for me?” she asked.

“You mentioned that you hadn’t gotten a chance to see the city. This is one of the best ways to do it,” he said. “It’s a perfect night for it.” Once they were in the carriage, it began to make its way from the factory toward Manhattan. They were sitting next to each other.

“How long do we have this carriage?” she asked him.

“As long as we need it. There’s no time limit. Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked, carefully placing his arm around her.

“I am. This is really great,” she said, continuing to look around like an awestruck teenage girl.

“So do you want to talk about this week?” he asked.

“You actually want to talk about this week?” she asked, turning to look at him.

Gavin smiled as he leaned in closely to her, gently kissing her neck.

“Oh, you want to talk,” she said, closing her eyes as he laid her back on the seat.

Gavin ran his hands up and down her body, caressing her, feeling her. Faith wrapped her arms around him, allowing her hands to stroke his back. He moaned with excitement. Gavin tried to kiss her lips, and again she turned away. They kissed and fondled each other a little while, both finding themselves extremely aroused. He tried to slip his hands underneath her blouse, but she kept his hands at bay.

“Gavin, we…… should….. stop,” said Faith.

“Unh unh,” he whispered. “I don’t want to stop.” He gently stroked one of her breasts as he kissed her where her shirt gaped open.

Faith took a deep breath in, as she tried to get her body to relax.

“Gav - ” she tried to say, but the words just wouldn’t form. Gavin’s hands were sensuously caressing every inch of her. The only place they hadn’t been was in between her legs.

“Shhh,” he whispered. “Relax. Enjoy my touch.”

“We.... need to …...,” she paused, “oh my…..,” she couldn’t finish her sentences. She squeezed his shirt, trying to contain her pleasure.

Gavin tried once again to join her lips. Once again, she didn’t allow him to.

They rolled onto the floor of the carriage, with Faith now on top. She sat up, playfully rubbing his chest. He smiled at her as she did this. She leaned in to kiss his neck and his chest. As she got more aroused, she quietly said, “We need to stop.”

“I’m enjoying you. Don’t stop,” Gavin pleaded.

Faith took a deep breath. “Don’t look at me like that. You know we need to settle down.”

“No,” he said, playfully pulling her down and rolling on top of her. The carriage they were in was enclosed and sound proof. The driver didn’t hear a thing.

He started to kiss back and forth between her neck and her ears again. She closed her eyes momentarily, but snapped out of it.

“Come on, Gavin. Do you want to have to go wake Chandler up?” she asked, assuming their evening would be late.

“I’m not seeing Chandler anymore,” he said, kissing her cheek.

“What? Why?” Faith was shocked.

Gavin looked Faith in the eyes and said, “When I was with her last night and called out your name, I realized that it was you that I wanted to be with, and only you.” He wanted to kiss her right then, but based on his earlier attempts, knew he would be unable to.

Faith sighed, “Gavin, you know you can’t have me in that way. I would never be enough for you.”

“What if you would be?” he asked, looking at her seriously.

“I can’t just give you sex,” she said.

“What if I want more than just sex?” he asked.

Faith looked at him suspiciously. “I don’t think you mean that. I don’t think you’re sure of what you want.”

“I’m sure it’s you that I want to be with.”

Faith sat up, gathering her bearings. Looking back at him she said, “If something is supposed to happen between us, then it will. Let’s not force it, okay?”

“Alright,” he said, stroking her arm. He sat up and kissed her shoulder, then her neck again. Faith closed her eyes and smiled.

“You’re not making this easy,” she said.

“I’m not trying to,” he whispered as he grabbed her gently by the waist and pulled her back down. They continued to caress and fondle each other a little while longer.

After some time, Gavin and Faith lifted themselves off the floor and sat back on the seat. Faith made sure that her blouse was buttoned up. She looked at Gavin and reached up to touch his head, fixing hairs that were out of place. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, locking his hands behind her back. Faith leaned in and rested against his chest, looking out the window at the city lights.

As the carriage took them through Central Park, Gavin couldn’t help but think about how nice it was to have her in his arms. He didn’t allow his thoughts to go too far; he didn’t want to get ahead of himself. He decided to do as Faith said, let things happen if they were supposed to. The two of them were going to be spending several weeks together. This would give him an opportunity to see if he was truly ready for more than just a physical relationship.

The carriage made its way back to the restaurant, where the evening started. It pulled alongside Gavin’s car, now the only car in the parking lot. The valet had given Gavin his keys before they started the carriage ride so they wouldn’t be stranded. Gavin got out first, and then helped Faith out. Gavin had paid for the carriage rental in advance and included the tip, so they thanked their driver and went to the car to head home.

When they arrived at Faith’s house, Gavin pulled into the driveway. He got out, opened her door and helped her out. They held hands as he walked her to her front door. She still had her purple rose.

“Thanks for a wonderful evening. Although, you owe me another dinner,” she said, smiling.

“Why is that?” he asked, gazing into her eyes.

“Well, one, you said you’d take me to dinner for my payback last night. Two, I didn’t get to see much of the city. We were a little preoccupied.”

They chuckled. Gavin pulled her in close. He gently cupped her neck in his hand, stroking her cheek with his thumb. They gazed at each other for a moment. He kissed her forehead, assuming he would meet the same resistance as he had earlier to kiss her on the lips.

“Okay,” he said softly. “Another dinner on me.”

He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her. She looked up at him, and said, “Drive careful. Call me when you get home so I know you made it.”

“I’ll send you a text in case you’re asleep,” he said.

She kissed him on the cheek and said good night. As she unlocked her door and stepped into her house, Gavin walked back to his car. She stood at her window and sighed, watching him drive away.

CHAPTER NINE

Faith rolled over in bed the next morning and slid her phone from her nightstand. She gently rubbed away the evidence of a good night’s sleep from her eyes, clearing them so she could focus. She continued to lie in bed, propping her back up a little with her pillow. The phone beeped at her, informing her that a message was waiting for her.

“Made it home okay. Thanks again for a wonderful night.”

Faith’s fingers sprung into action as she texted back.

“Thanks for letting me know you’re okay. I had a great time. Have a great weekend.” Her phone beeped, sending the text.

Faith carefully plopped her phone down on the bed and laid back against her pillow. She closed her eyes and sighed, thinking about her night out. She smiled, her eyes remaining closed. All of a sudden, her phone beeped again. She picked it up to find another text.

“You too, beautiful.”

She fell back into her pillow again as she let her phone drop onto the bed. It remained silent. She closed her eyes again and smiled.

Faith rolled over on her side and stared out into nothingness. After a few long moments had passed by, she pulled herself up again. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, away from the covers and stood up. Immediately she turned to make the bed. There was only one side to make. Just as she was finishing, she heard a rustling noise coming from another room. She frowned and went to make sure everything was okay.

Another weekend was over. The office was abuzz with preparations for the city tours. Faith came in early as usual. She closed her door to her office, walked over to her desk and logged on. While she waited for the system to boot, she placed her purse in her drawer and walked over to the coat rack where she kept a sweater. It could be a bit chilly in the building in the mornings. She put the sweater on, crossed her arms and rubbed them, trying to warm them up as she walked back to her desk.

As she sat back down, there was a knock, and then the door opened. Gavin walked in and immediately came to her side.

As he bent down to kiss her on the cheek, he said, “Good morning, beautiful. I was running late this morning, so I haven’t had a chance to get coffee yet. I’ll be right back.”

“No worries,” Faith smiled as he walked back out.

Carter was coming in as Gavin was heading toward the elevator. They barely spoke.

“Morning,” said Carter.

“Carter,” said Gavin, rushing past him, hardly responding.

Carter noticed that Faith’s door was open as he went to his office. He went in and put his stuff down, then turned right back around to go down the hall to talk to her.

He knocked and stood at the door.

As Faith looked up, he asked, “So what’s going on between you and Gavin?”

Faith frowned. “Good morning to you too, Carter.”

“You two have been spending a lot of time together lately. He always comes in here and closes the door. What’s up with that?” he continued, walking in a little bit. He stood with his hands in his pocket, looking at Faith like she was hiding something from him.

“Did we start dating and I didn’t know it?” she asked sarcastically.

“No,” he said. “I was just curious.”

“Oh, in that case, I would say it’s none of your business.” She continued to move files around on her desk. She had piles of work to go through before the trip. Since they were leaving on Friday morning, it was going to be a short week. She looked back up at him, with a question on her face, waiting for him to leave or say something else.

“Did you know that he told me to stay away from you? He said I would lose my job if I even tried to talk to you.”

“Now, why would he do that?” she asked, confused where Carter was going with his statement.

“Maybe he feels threatened. He wants you all to himself, and he’ll do anything to make that happen. To do that, I have to be out of the way,” he said.

Faith carefully said, “Carter, first, I have a hard time believing that Gavin is threatened by anyone. Second, I hate to say this, but I guess it’s time I did. I’m not interested in you. You’re a nice guy, and I’m sure that there’s someone out there for you, but it’s not going to be me. I’m sorry.”

“It would have been you, until he stepped in,” he said, disappointed. “That’s okay. You’re obviously no different than any of the other women he’s been with. They all want the same thing. That’s what he counts on.”

“I’ll tell you like I told Chandler. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Before you start making accusations like that, you’d better know the facts. Until then, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave,” she said, clinching her jaws.

“When you’re tired of playing his game, I’ll be here,” he smirked as he turned to leave.

Faith rolled her eyes, huffed and shook her head. She wondered where everyone was getting their nerve around here. It was starting to get a little old. She shrugged her shoulders and continued working. At least he knew how she felt about him. That was one less thing she’d have to deal with.

Five minutes after Carter left, Gavin walked in and closed the door.

“Here you go, beautiful,” he said handing her coffee to her. “Anything interesting happen while I was gone?” he asked as he sat down.

“Carter stopped by. He had some interesting things to say,” she said, as she continued to plink away at her computer.

Gavin’s face straightened. “What?”

“Yeah, did you tell him to stay away from me, or he’d lose his job?” she asked as she stopped typing to look at him.

“Yes I did,” Gavin said flatly.

“Gavin you can’t do that. We have to work together. You can’t tell someone they’ll lose their job for talking to someone else,” she said, shaking her head and leaning back in her chair.

“I didn’t tell him you couldn’t work together. I told him not to try to ask you out, or go behind my back to ask you out.”

“He mentioned that, too. I broke down and tried to nicely tell him that I wasn’t interested in him. He responded by saying that I was like all the other women you’ve been with,” she said shaking her head. “I told him he didn’t know what he was talking about and asked him to leave. What’s going on with you two? I don’t like being in the middle of it.”

“I’m trying to keep you out of the middle,” Gavin said with tight lips. “There are some things that I’m just not ready to explain, and you’re going to have to trust me. I’ll take care of this.” He started to breathe deeper as his blood pressure increased. His anger increased every second that he thought about how Carter had disrespected her.

Faith could tell that he was highly agitated. It reminded her of other times when she had asked what was wrong and he didn’t want to talk about it. She watched as Gavin squeezed the arms of the chair tightly, almost to the point of breaking them. He couldn’t talk to Carter like this. Whatever the outcome, it would not bode well for Gavin, or the company.

Gavin was standing to leave when Faith pushed herself up from her chair and rushed to the door. She closed it just in time.

“I need to take care of this, Faith. I’ll talk to you later,” he said, trying to walk around her.

Faith grabbed his arms and put them around her waist, pulling him in closer to her. She put her hands on his shoulders. Looking into his eyes she said, “I don’t think that right this minute is a good time for you to do that. I think you should calm down.”

Gavin removed his hands from her and tried to move hers from him. “Not right now. I need to go,” he said impatiently.

Faith shook her head and said, “Unh unh. Stay here for a little while.” She reached back around his neck, pulling him close to kiss his cheek. She continued by gently kissing his neck and his ears, trying to distract his attention. It worked. Gavin sighed as he slowly placed his arms around her, closing his eyes and hugging her.

“Okay,” he whispered. Gavin appreciated what she was trying to do, but nothing was going to calm the storm that was raging within to get his point across to Carter, who was clearly was not getting it.

Gavin felt his loins stirring. He responded to Faith by kissing her neck and cheek in return. As he got closer to her lips, he stopped, knowing that she wouldn’t let him kiss her. He kissed her chin instead, then her forehead. He cupped her neck with one of his hands, keeping the other arm around her back.

Gazing into her eyes he quietly said, “Thank you. You’re not like anyone that I’ve been with. You’re different,” he said, reassuring her. “I need to go.” He gave her another kiss on the forehead and broke from their embrace. He stepped around her and opened the door, leaving her standing there.

Faith took a deep breath in as she looked up at the ceiling. She returned to her desk, hoping that Gavin would control himself.

Gavin went straight to Carter’s office, walked in, and shut the door.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he exclaimed.

“Let me guess. Your little courtesan told you everything that I said,” Carter calmly said, not even stirred by Gavin’s rage.

“She’s not loose. You shouldn’t have disrespected her the way you did. It was uncalled for.”

“I was merely stating what I’ve observed. The two of you have seemed awfully close lately. I was curious,” he shrugged.

“What happens between us is none of your business,” scowled Gavin, frowning his eyes.

“So I’ve been told. Are you going to fire me now?” he sneered.

“The only reason you’re here is because of Adrian. If it had been up to me, you wouldn’t have even been hired.”

“You just can’t let it go, can you?” Carter asked, shaking his head. He walked around his desk and picked up a file. He looked back at Gavin and waited for an answer.

“Every day that I see you, I’m reminded. Why do you think we send you out of the office on all of these trips? You think it’s because we actually need you in the field?” Gavin shook his head. “No. I can’t stand you here. The very sight of you makes me sick.”

“So you’ve never forgiven me. Nice,” smirked Carter.

“After this morning, with good reason. Faith has made it clear that she’s not interested in you. That should be enough for you to leave her alone. I won’t warn you again,” Gavin said. He walked toward the door to leave when Carter spoke again.

“How many times do I need to apologize?” he asked.

Gavin turned slightly, keeping his hand on the knob, “It doesn’t matter, Carter. I can never forgive you. I haven’t trusted you since, and never will.” He opened the door and left.

He went back to his office and closed the door. He pushed a button on his phone to reach Agnes.

“Yes, Gavin,” said Agnes.

“Please hold all of my calls today,” he said wearily.

Gavin went to sit on his couch, plopping down as if all of his strength had been taken from him. He leaned on the edge resting his head on his fingers. He was looking forward to the trip this Friday. There would be no distractions for him and Faith for two weeks.

His phone vibrated on his desk. Maybe it was Faith. He stood and went to check it.

As he picked it up, he just rolled his eyes and shook his head. It was Chandler. She had been trying to calling him since he told her it was over. He deleted the message and walked back over to the couch with his phone.

Not long after he sat down, his phone buzzed in his hand. This time it was Faith.

“Are you okay?” said the text.

He took a deep breath and slid his fingers over the letters to type.

“I’m fine. Just clearing my head. I’ll emerge soon.”

As he held the phone, he rubbed his eyes with his other hand.

His hand vibrated as the phone received another message.

“Alright. Call me later if you’d like to talk.”

Gavin sat his phone on the table and sat back again, trying to think of nothing.

Faith decided to call Lauren to see if she wanted to go to lunch.

“Hey, what are you doing for lunch today?” she asked.

“No plans. Why?” asked Lauren.

“I need to go shopping for the trip on Friday. Want to go with me?”

“Absolutely,” said Lauren. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Faith got her purse and walked out of her office, going towards Lauren’s. She stopped and waited when she saw Lauren coming down the hall.

“Hi,” said Faith.

“Hey girl,” smiled Lauren.

They left, heading to the mall.

When they reached the stores, they took notice of several good-looking men. They giggled like teenagers, as they commented on their bodies and faces. One in particular held their attention.

“Now he’s lovely,” smiled Lauren. They walked into one of the stores.

“Aren’t you married?” asked Faith.

“Married, not dead!” teased Lauren. “Of course, he’s not as nice as Gavin, is he?”

Faith shook her head. “You promised, no Gavin.”

“Spill it. You know Gavin is hot,” she laughed.

“I’ll give you that. Yes, Gavin is pretty fine,” she grinned as she flipped through some blouses on a rack. “Are you done, Girl Scout? You’re breaking your code.”

“I know, I kind of went through the back door on this one, but I can’t help it. Gavin hasn’t been speaking with Chandler, which I find interesting. Yet, he has been spending a fair amount of time with you. Would you be the reason that Chandler has been kicked to the curb?” prodded Lauren.

“How do you know all of this? Do you run around gathering information?” Faith frowned, shaking her head. She picked up a shirt that looked like her style.

“I hear things. I pretty much know everything that’s going on in the office. Except what’s going on with you and Gavin. Come on, Faith. I’m dying to know. Has he approached you yet?” she asked as she shook Faith’s arm gently, pleading for answers.

“There’s nothing to tell, Lauren. We just finished all of our meetings, and now we’re getting ready for our trip. That’s why you and I are here.”

“You’re no fun. Okay, tell me this. If he approached you, would you say yes? I mean, with him being fine and all,” Lauren said, walking to a rack nearby.

“Lauren, nothing is going on,” said Faith. “What do you think of this one?” she asked holding up a shirt. She was trying to change the subject.

“I didn’t ask you that. I asked what you would do. You’re avoiding the question, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m reserving my right not to answer a question that shouldn’t be getting asked in the first place. Girl Scout,” Faith snickered.

“Okay, I’ll let it go. If I find something out, you have to promise to tell me everything. Deal?” said Lauren.

“No deal. What I do in my private time is my business. Gavin’s private life is his business. If I share something with you, it will have nothing to do with him. Okay?”

Lauren nodded. “Okay.”

They continued to shop around for another hour. Faith picked out a couple of shirts, a few pairs of capris, two skirts, and a dress. She also bought a pair of shoes.

When they got back, Faith gave Lauren a hug. “I won’t see you for two weeks. We’ll get together when I get back.”

Lauren nodded. “Be good,” she teased.

Faith shook her head and laughed. “You’re a mess. I’ll stop by on Thursday before I leave for the day.”

“Bye. Have a good afternoon.”

They went in separate directions to their offices.

Later that afternoon, Gavin finally opened his door. He preferred not to have anymore drama for the day. He returned to his desk, flipping through mounds of paper that had to be reviewed and signed. Just as he had started to come out of his funk, Chandler appeared at his door.

“We need to talk,” she said, walking in.

Gavin moved his eyes upward to look at her, and back down at his work. He didn’t need this right now.

“I’m really not in the mood, Chandler,” he said without emotion.

“I tried to call you all weekend. Why haven’t you returned any of my calls?” she asked, standing there with her hands on her hips.

“Because I told you it was over. I don’t want to have sex with you anymore. There’s no reason for me to call you back.” He took a deep breath and sat back without looking at her, anticipating an argument.

“It’s not over until I say it’s over,” she snapped.

Gavin tightened his jaws, looked up and said, “Chandler, my day has already been rough. I don’t need this from you right now. You were never in control of what we were doing and you aren’t now. We both had the right to walk away whenever we felt like it. I walked away. It’s over. I will not say it again.” He shook his head, amazed at his day. “As you can see,” he continued, motioning to his desk, “I’ve got a lot of work to get done before Friday. If you’re done, please let me be.”

She scrunched one side of her face, and said, “I’m done for now. If that little woman down the hall thinks that she’s going to steal you from me, she’s wrong. You’ll know the truth about her soon enough, and you’ll realize how much you need me. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Gavin just shook his head as she walked out. Faith said she didn’t want to be caught up in his mess when she started, and now she was smashed right in the middle of it. He had done everything he could to keep her out of it, but Carter and Chandler had proven to be quite persistent. It was hard to fathom how delusional they seemed to be.

He buried himself in his work, successfully diverting his mind from the earlier events of the day. Faith stopped by on her way out.

“You didn’t call. Are you okay?” she asked as she stood in the doorway.

Her voice was soothing to him. “It’s good to hear your voice,” he said, looking up.

She smiled, leaning her head against the door. “Rough day?” She straightened up and walked in.

“Unbelievably rough. First Carter, then Chandler. I’m afraid that I’ve done a hell of job making your life here worse without even trying. I’m sorry,” he sighed.

“I’m a big girl, Gavin. I’ve been around worse. Trust me, there’s nothing like the media. They can be really nasty,” she smiled.

“Can you close the door?” he asked.

“Sure,” she said, going to do as he asked.

As she walked back, he said, “Come here.”

She slowly went around his desk. He turned his chair around to face her as she approached. He reached up and pulled her close, burying his head in her stomach. Faith wrapped her arms around him, and leaned down to kiss his head. He looked up at her, pleading with his eyes for a kiss on the lips. She smiled warmly, wanting to comply, but couldn’t. She kissed his cheek as closely to his lips as she could. ‘This will have to do,’ he thought.

He stood up and stroked her cheek, looking into her eyes. He smiled and said, “I wish I could make love to you.” Because of the way she tried to care for him earlier, Gavin desired to be with Faith more than usual. No one had ever done that for him before. In fact, no one would have cared. Her actions were extremely sexy to him. He wanted her, more than he had before.

She smiled back. “You know we can’t do that. We’ve had this discussion.” She stroked his back gently.

“I know. Just saying what I want. That will never change. One day you’ll say yes,” he teased.

“Perhaps. Are you going to be okay?” she asked. She pulled away from him to hold his hands, standing back and looking up at him.

“I’m better now that you’re here.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” She walked back around his desk and sat down.

Gavin sat down as well. He shook his head, “Not really. How was your day?”

“It was okay. I went shopping with Lauren, got a lot of work done. You weren’t there to interrupt me,” she smiled.

“I promise to interrupt you tomorrow. Are you looking forward to Friday as much as I am?”

“I am. I know we’ll be working throughout the day, but I think we’ll see a lot. It’ll be good to get away,” she said. “Do you know where we’re going first?”

“Agnes hasn’t brought me our itineraries. I think she has them ready though. I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

They sat and glared at each other for a few moments. As if he called her, Faith got up and walked back over to him. She bent down to kiss his cheek. His hands reached up to touch her hips. As he attempted to slip his hands under her shirt, Faith barred their movement. He pulled her in to him, kissing her everywhere that her skin was exposed except for her lips.

As he kissed on her ear he said, “I want you.”

With her eyes closed, Faith whispered, “We can’t. You know we can’t.”

“But you want to,” he said.

Faith didn’t respond. He grabbed one of her hands and kissed the inside of her wrist.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said as he gently pushed her up so he could stand. He continued to kiss her tenderly, his hands moving up and down her body. His breathing got heavier the more his desire grew. Gavin turned Faith around so that her back was to him. He continued to move his hands around, feeling every curve. He tugged on her shirt once more. Faith quickly held his hands. It was becoming harder for her to resist him, and she could feel his firmness against her.

As he sucked on her earlobe he whispered, “I need you.”

“Gavin we can’t. We need to….” she couldn’t complete her sentence.

He kissed her cheek, slowly moving in closer to her lips. Faith allowed a small corner of her lips to join with his. It sent Gavin reeling. He turned her back around to fully kiss her, but she stopped him short. With their lips barely touching, they could feel each other’s breathing. Gavin had his arms encircled around her waist, and Faith’s arms and hands rested along his arms. He could tell she needed to stop. He lifted his head to kiss her forehead, pulling her in to hug her. Faith rested her head on his chest, letting out a deep sigh.

“I don’t like doing this to you, but I enjoy your touch,” she said, closing her eyes and biting her lip.

“I enjoy being with you. I can handle it. I’d rather do this, than nothing at all. Not being able to touch you would be harder. You did something for me today that was extremely attractive. You tried to help me calm down before I talked to Carter, and then you checked on me this afternoon. No one else would have cared. You were probably just being you. I desired to make love to you for that. It just seemed right,” he said. He pulled away slightly, so he could stare into her eyes, keeping his arms around her. “I know you’re not ready. I’m not sure why you’re holding back because I know you want me, too. I will wait. Okay? I’ll wait.” Faith nodded her head as he hugged her again.

“I should go home,” she said. They broke from their embrace. “You need to get out of here, too.”

“I’ll walk with you,” he smiled.

Faith went to get her things from her office. Gavin was waiting in the hall for her when she came out. They walked to the elevators and left for the evening.

Agnes was just wrapping up her day, and spotted them leaving together as she returned to her desk. She made sure to add this information to her notes for the week to turn into Adrian.

Finally, Friday was here. They had an early flight out. To avoid paying for parking, Adrian had arranged for the limo to take Gavin and Faith to the airport. They were heading to Nashville.

When they arrived at the hotel, they checked into their rooms. Adrian made sure they were comfortable since they would be there for two weeks. They were placed in two king suites at the Hutton Hotel. Faith went into her room and jumped back on the bed like a kid. She closed her eyes as the mattress hugged her body. It was so comfortable she wanted to go back to sleep, and did for a little while. Starting the morning at three o’clock was not her idea of fun.

About an hour later, Gavin knocked on her door. She was startled. She sat up in bed, looking around confused. It took her a moment to realize where she was. She sat there, staring at the wall, when Gavin knocked again. She crawled out of bed, yawning as she walked to the door. Looking through the peephole, she yawned again and opened the door, rubbing her eyes.

“Hi beautiful, or should I say sleepyhead,” he chuckled as he walked past her. Gavin had gone to get her some coffee.

Faith smiled sleepily as Gavin sat on the couch in the living area of her room. He watched as she went back to the bedroom and fell back on the bed. He grinned and walked to the doorway of the room.

“Are you going to sleep all day? It’s beautiful outside. Let’s go explore,” he said.

Faith said nothing. She just kept lying there.

“If you don’t get up, I’m going to be forced to take all of your clothes off and make mad passionate love to you.” Faith’s eyes popped open. Laughing, he said, “Thought that would get your attention.”

She jumped out of the bed and walked into the living area. “Have you tried the bed yet? I want to take one home,” she said, picking up her coffee.

Gavin chuckled. He had a brochure of things to do in the city. “Grab your brochure so we can map out what we want to do this weekend.”

Their weekend, and week, was packed with meetings, conferences, lunches, and events. They barely had time to sleep, and spent less time alone together than Gavin originally anticipated. One of their meetings happened to be at a Nashville recording studio where they met Rascal Flatts. Gavin watched as Faith’s eyes lit up, as she sang along during their session. Her attention was so diverted, it was as if no one else was there but her. At the end of the session, Gavin had a chance to speak with the band while Faith was carted off to another area of the studio.

Shaking hands with the band, Gavin said, “Thanks for letting us listen in. I’ve never heard your music before, but you’re great.”

“Well thanks. Glad you were able to stay,” said Gary, the lead singer, in his southern voice.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any shows coming up, would you?” asked Gavin.

“As a matter of fact, we do. We’ll be at TPAC on Friday. That’s the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.”

“Got any VIP passes left?” Gavin was hopeful.

“We’ve got a pair of passes, as well as two front row seats available. They’re yours if you want ‘em,” said Gary.

Gavin motioned his head in Faith’s direction. “It would be a surprise,” he smiled.

Gary responded, “I get it. She’s gorgeous. We’ll have them sent over to your hotel along with some souvenirs. Good luck. We’ll see you Friday.”

“Thanks,” Gavin said. They shook hands again and Gavin went to catch up with Faith and the rest of their group.

The meetings on Friday were kept to a minimum, and ended midday. After lunch, the two agreed to return to their rooms to rest for a while. As Faith opened the door to her room, she could smell the sweet aroma of roses. “Gavin,” she said aloud. There were a dozen peach roses sitting on the coffee table with a card that read, ‘Have dinner with me tonight, Gavin.’

She smiled as she read the card, then called him on his cell phone.

“Hi, beautiful,” said Gavin.

“Of course I’ll have dinner with you. Who else would I go with?” she asked as she paced around her room.

“I don’t know. You were pretty enthralled with those Rascal Flatts guys,” he teased.

“I love their music. Besides, they’re all spoken for,” she said, stopping to look out of the window.

“I’ll come by around six,” he said. “Wear shoes that are going to be comfortable to walk in.”

“Why?” she asked.

“You’re going to learn that I’m full of surprises. When it’s time for you to know why, you will,” he said.

“Okay,” she whined. “Thanks for the roses. They’re beautiful.” She went over to the table to smell them.

“Just like you,” he said.

“You don’t have to send flowers for everything,” she said.

“Something else you’ll need to get used to. I like to communicate with flowers.”

She sighed, smiling as she sat down on the couch. “You’re the boss,” she said.

He chuckled. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Bye.” She touched her phone to hang up.

A few hours later, Gavin went to get Faith for dinner. He decided that since they were so close to the performing arts center, they could eat at the hotel and walk to the concert. As they sat eating, Gavin’s phone was going crazy. It was ringing every five minutes. When Gavin looked at it, he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Everything okay?” asked Faith.

“It’s Chandler. She’s been calling me all week. I’ve just been ignoring my phone.”

“Well, it’s Friday evening. The workday is done. You can turn your phone off,” smiled Faith.

Gavin nodded, “I think that’s a good idea.” He turned his phone off and slipped it into his pocket.

“Maybe you should get a new phone number,” added Faith, as she took a bite of her food.

“I like that. Want to go shopping with me tomorrow?”

Faith beamed, “Absolutely. I’m always up for shopping.”

Gavin checked his watch as they finished their meal. They still had an hour before the concert started. He asked for the ticket and paid.

“Are you ready?” he asked, excited about what was to come. Faith didn’t have a clue.

“Yes,” she said, curious about what was next.

Gavin had already mapped out their route, so he knew exactly where they were going. The weather was absolutely wonderful for an evening stroll. It was a comfortable seventy-five degrees, and it only took them twenty minutes to get to the center.

Turning to Faith, he asked, “Any ideas what we’re doing here?”

Faith looked around, looking at all of the people standing around. “Either we’re at a concert or a sporting event. It’s June, so basketball season is over. Baseball fields are not covered. I’m going to say it’s a concert or something,” she said smiling, jumping up and down waiting for Gavin to tell her.

He grinned, getting a kick out of watching her. “Let’s go,” he said, grabbing her hand and leading her to the rear access door. Gavin showed the guard at the door their passes, without Faith seeing them. He didn’t want her to find out who they were there to see until they reached the band. The guard showed them to a private Meet & Greet room, where they waited for the appearance of Gary, Joe Don and Jay, also known as Rascal Flatts. At this point, Faith was losing it.

“Okay, who are we here to see?” she asked, bouncing around. She had an idea, but wanted him to tell her.

He took out her pass and placed it around her neck. “Here you go. We get a private meeting with the band, VIP backstage access, and two front row seats located in the center.”

Faith’s eyes got wide, “Are you serious? How did you get these?” she asked as she stared at the pass. “When did you get these?” She looked up at him like a teenager who had just gotten a car for their sixteenth birthday.

“I saw how much you liked them when we were at the studio. I asked the band if they had any tickets available and they sent these over to the hotel the same day. They also gave us some souvenirs. I’ll give those to you when we get back,” he grinned.

“I can’t believe you did this. This is so awesome!” She reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek and a hug. At that moment, the band walked in and spoke with them. Faith was glowing as she asked them questions, joked and laughed. Gavin just sat back and enjoyed watching her. Gary walked over and briefly chatted with him.

As he patted him on the back he said, “Looks like the passes are a hit. She’s really having fun. Good job.”

“Thanks for your help. I like making her smile. She has such a beautiful smile,” Gavin said, continuing to watch Faith.

“Have you been dating long?” asked Gary.

“We’re not dating at all,” he smiled, looking over at Gary. “I’m trying to get there.” He raised his eyebrows.

Gary smiled and nodded, “You’re off to a good start. We need to get going. See you out there.” He walked over to the other members. They all told Faith they’d see her later and left.

Faith looked over at Gavin and gave him a half smile. She sauntered over to him and put her arms around his waist. Looking up at him she said, “Why are you so good to me?”

“Like I told Gary, I like making you smile,” he said. He wanted to kiss her, but decided against it. “Come on.” Gavin grabbed Faith by the hand and led her down the corridor and backstage.

As the music played, Faith danced and sang. She glanced back at Gavin and smiled from time to time. He merely observed. He had learned more about her during this one event than he had the past four weeks.

“I’m going to our seats. Wanna come?” she said in Gavin’s ear.

“No. You go ahead. I’ll watch from here,” he answered.

Faith was escorted down to her seat, where she continued to dance, jump and shout. The band pointed at her, acknowledging her presence. After a few songs, they pulled her up on stage to dance with them. Gavin looked on. He began to think he might be falling in love with her. The more he got to know her, the more attracted he was to her.

‘Could she be the one?’ he wondered. It had been a long time since he had felt anything for anyone. These feelings were almost new to him.

As the concert ended, Faith returned backstage. She was so excited that she bounced around like a four-year old kid having to go to the bathroom. The band invited them to an afterparty, which they attended for about an hour, then returned to the hotel.

When they got back, Gavin asked, “Do you want to talk for a while? I don’t think I’ll go to sleep right away. Based on your energy levels, you won’t either.”

“Define talk,” said Faith suspiciously.

Gavin shook his head, “I promise we will use words. I reserve the right to stop speaking when the opportunity presents itself, if you know what I mean.”

Faith playfully asked, “Your room or mine?”

“I’m going to change. Are you?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Your room,” he joked. “It’ll take you longer to change.” They laughed, going into their individual rooms.

Moments later, Gavin was at Faith’s door. Faith answered without looking to see who it was.

“I ordered some snacks and champagne to be delivered to your room. Are you hungry?” he asked as he walked in.

“A little. I think I danced off all of my dinner.”

“You really had a lot of fun didn’t you?” he asked, sitting on the couch.

“I did. Thank you,” she smiled as she went to sit next to him. She grabbed a pillow to hug, getting comfortable. She propped one of her arms up on the back of the couch, resting her head on her hand.

“You’re welcome.” Gavin had his legs resting on the coffee table.

They sat gazing at each other for a few moments, when there was a knock at the door. Gavin stood up to get the snacks he had ordered. He tipped the attendant, and brought them in the room.

“Do you need help?” asked Faith, following him with her eyes as he walked back around the table.

“Nope, I got it,” he smiled. Gavin poured some champagne in a glass and gave it to Faith. She thanked him as she reached for it, then he poured some for himself. Faith began to spread the snacks out. Crackers, cheese, and fruit.

Gavin sat back down.

“So I have a question for you,” said Faith. “Since we’re here, we might as well get to know each other better, right?”

“Okay,” Gavin said, looking at her as he sipped from his glass.

“I’ll start with something easy. Tell me what types of things you like. What kind of music do you listen to? What kinds of things do you like to do?”

“I mostly listen to jazz. Although after hearing Rascal Flatts, I would be open to hearing more of their stuff. I love being outdoors. It doesn’t matter what it is. I don’t like to be cooped up inside for too long. That’s why I was bugging you last week to get out and see the city with me. I’m pretty open to anything really.”

“Are you normally alone outdoors, or do you invite the women you’d like to have sex with?”

“All I wanted from them was sex, not a relationship.”

“When did that all start? Why did you start sleeping around like that?”

“What is this? Twenty questions?” he asked.

“I want to know. I think there’s a reason why you do what you do. It’s not just the way you are, either. I don’t believe you woke up one day and decided to be this way. What happened?”

“I’ll tell you when, not why. Deal?” he said, raising his eyebrows.

“Deal,” she said, folding her legs to sit Indian style. She held on to the pillow and waited intently for Gavin to share his story.

“When I first started, it was worse than it is now. I used my looks and my money to my advantage. I’m not trying to be conceited, but women would literally throw themselves at me. I’ve always been picky about the type of woman I liked to be with. That hasn’t changed,” he said.

“Except for Chandler,” Faith interrupted.

“Yeah, we’ll get to her,” he smiled. “So, I’ve always had high standards for the type of woman that I wanted to be with. I slept around a lot back then, but I liked to keep to myself. I’ve always been very private. I was never with anyone long enough to show any public displays of affection. I mean, all I wanted was sex. Apart from that, I had no interest. Then I met a woman who would always want to meet in some open, busy area. She was always trying to get me to kiss her, or touch her while we were out. I never would. I could never figure out what she was up to. It was really strange to me. Then one day, she was gone. I never heard from, or saw her again. That’s when I decided to slow down and be even more selective. I started taking women that I was interested in out to dinner to get to know them. If we agreed that we wanted to have sex, we would. Sometimes we’d meet more than once, other times I’d only meet a woman once. It depended on what we both wanted at the time. I’ve never liked women approaching me. That’s how I met Chandler.”

Gavin took a break and picked up a cracker and some cheese. He stuck the combination in his mouth, chewed, then took a drink.

“Chandler was another discovery of Adrian’s. Most of the employees we have were discovered by him. All I know about her is that she put herself through college. If memory serves me correctly, she worked in strip clubs at night, and went to school during the day. I can’t imagine when she slept. Rumor is that she did a bit more on the side to make ends meet, but I’d rather not speculate. We used to hold career fairs and recruiting events to find new talent. That’s how Adrian met her. Her sales knowledge and skills were phenomenal. She started with C&A six months before I got promoted to VP. She made an offer that at first I wasn’t interested in because she had two strikes against her. One, she wasn’t my type, and two, she approached me. The more I thought about it though, the more it made sense. She was available whenever I needed her. The only problem was, and still is, that she never quite understood our relationship. She seems to think that we’re somehow going to be together, even though I’ve told her numerous times that it will never happen. She loves my money, just like the other women.

“That’s pretty much it. Anything else you’d like to know?” he asked.

“Actually, I’d like to go back to the woman who always wanted to see you in public. You said she just disappeared.”

“Yes, just out of the blue,” said Gavin.

“How long ago was that? Do you remember?” asked Faith.

“I don’t know. I’d say it’s been about eight or nine years. I was still pretty young. Why?”

“Adrian never told you, did he?” she said.

“Told me what?” Gavin asked, curious where she was going with this.

“That woman was trying to get you into trouble. She was working with a reporter. They had taken some incriminating photos of the two of you together. I guess when you wouldn’t comply in public, they found a way to get their pictures behind closed doors. Rather than have you go through the humiliation of being exposed as a playboy, Adrian paid the reporter for the photos and the negatives. He also paid that woman to leave you alone, and never contact or try to see you again. Apparently, this reporter had done this before. If he ever releases any information about you, or the company, he will lose his job, and based on what Adrian has on him, won’t be able to work as a reporter in New York again.”

Gavin was shocked. “How do you know all of this?”

“Adrian thought it was important that I know in case it came up when I’m addressing the media, or handling other conferences. He didn’t want it to come as a surprise to me,” Faith said.

“So that’s what you meant the day that we first met. You said that Adrian’s reputation had been on the line because of my behavior,” he said, still stunned by what she had just shared with him.

“Yes. I thought you knew until now. I’m not sure why he never told you. All I can take away from it is that he loves you very much. Enough to put himself in harm’s way to protect you.”

“We’ve had our differences,” said Gavin, “but you’re right. He does love me. Our relationship has been strained over the years. I’ve blamed him for some things that I didn’t quite understand. Now I know he’s always had my best interest at heart.” He took another drink and was silent for a moment. “Thanks for telling me.”

“Sure,” she smiled.

They both snacked some more before Faith asked another question.

“You’ve taken me to dinner and on a carriage ride. You’ve sent me five or six dozen roses, and now you’ve treated me to a concert. Did you do this for the other women you’ve been with?”

Gavin looked up at the ceiling, then back at her. Grinning he said, “No. You’re the first.”

“Why is that?” she asked.

Gavin shook his head, “I don’t know Faith.”

“Are you sure about that? I think you know.”

“I think I’m going to pull a Faith and not answer,” he teased.

“That’s fair,” she smiled, lifting her glass to take a drink.

“How about you? Have you ever been with anyone just for sex?” Gavin asked.

“No. Never.”

“Are you serious?” he said, surprised.

“Yes. I don’t sleep around. I’ve always had to know what someone’s motives were toward me. If they only wanted sex, I moved on. There’s more to me than that, and if someone doesn’t want all of me, they get none of me.”

“You’re protecting yourself,” stated Gavin, who was now sitting on the floor with his back against the couch. He looked up at her, waiting for her response.

“Pretty much.”

Gavin now knew what she was waiting for. Though he was sure that he had feelings for her, he wasn’t prepared to share that with her just yet.

“Is that why you’ve held back when I touch you and try to kiss you? Are you waiting to see what I want from you?” he asked.

“I already know what you want, Gavin. Things are a little complicated with you,” she said, holding on to the pillow for dear life. She was sharing something that she wasn’t comfortable with, but she had to. “I want you, as much as you want me. It pisses me off that you’ve known that for a while now. Like I’ve said before, I can’t bring myself to just give you sex. It’s not who I am.” She laid her head against the couch, staring into nothing.

Gavin got up and sat next to her. Faith looked at him as he removed the pillow, which had become a security blanket. He uncrossed her legs and slid in between them, with one of her legs resting on top of his. He leaned in and gently began to kiss her on the neck, placing his hands on her hips.

“Why do you do this to me?” she whispered.

“What if I told you I wanted more than sex?” he asked, continuing to kiss her, and caress her body.

“I wouldn’t believe you,” she said with her eyes closed. Her arms were wrapped around him.

“Have I ever lied to you?” he asked, stopping to look at her now.

Faith gazed into his eyes and answered, “No, you haven’t. We’ve never lied to each other.”

“Think about it, Faith. I’ve given you enough the past couple of weeks to figure out how I’m feeling. Maybe it’s not really me who doesn’t want to know, but you.” He started to kiss one of her arms.

“I need you to say it,” she said, still looking at him.

As he continued to caress and kiss her, he said, “I need you to say it, too. Seems we have a dilemma.”

Faith kept searching his eyes for answers. He smiled gently. “I should go. It’s getting late.” He kissed her cheek, moved her leg and stood up. “A day of shopping tomorrow?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said looking up at him, still searching.

“I will see you tomorrow,” he said backing away from the couch. He walked out, leaving Faith to ponder what he had just said.

The next morning, Gavin made a phone call.

“Good morning, Adrian.”

“Gavin, hi! How are things going? Did the meetings and conferences go okay?”

“Everything is well. We’ve had a good first week,” said Gavin.

“Good. Make sure you’re having some fun, too, while you’re there,” Adrian insisted.

“We are, we are. Hey listen. I need to talk to you about something.”

“What’s going on?” asked Adrian.

“I was sharing some things with Faith last night, and she told me about the reporter. Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, waiting for Adrian’s reaction.

He could hear Adrian’s sigh through the phone. “You were already going through so much. You were so hurt and so broken, I figured that a humiliating experience was the last thing that you needed. Your mother and I were already afraid we were losing you. I had to do what I thought was best at the time.”

“You risked everything you’ve worked for. Why?”

“You’re my son, Gavin. I love you. I would die before I let anything happen to you.”

“You could have lost everything,” Gavin said, shaking his head as he held the phone.

“You are more important to me than this business. I love you,” repeated Adrian.

“I’m sorry for disappointing you all of these years. I know you haven’t been happy with my behavior. Never once did I think about how it impacted you. I was only thinking of myself.”

“No apologies are necessary, son. You were hurting. Carlisle men are extremely passionate and sensitive. I can’t imagine what you were going through. I know it must’ve been tough,” said Adrian.

“I should have let you and Mom help me,” Gavin said, his voice trembling.

“Gavin, what matters is that you learn from that experience. It’s time to stop hurting and move forward with your life. We want you to be happy.”

“I appreciate what you’ve done. I’m glad we had a chance to talk about it,” said Gavin.

“I love you. Don’t ever forget that. No matter what you do, we will always love you,” Adrian said.

“I love you too, Dad,” said Gavin.

Adrian hadn’t heard him say that in years. It melted his heart. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

“Okay. Tell Mom I love her. Goodbye.” Gavin hung up his phone, took a deep breath and was thankful that he could finally have a fresh start with his father. He sat down on the couch in his room, staring out the window, wondering what else Faith would do to make him fall in love her more than he already had.

CHAPTER TEN

After a two week break, Gavin and Faith visited Jacksonville. Similar to Nashville, they attended conferences and meetings both weeks. The upcoming trip was to Denver. There were some important board meetings during the first week of that trip, and Adrian needed Gavin to stay for them.

“What do you mean I need to stay for the board meetings? We can’t send Faith to Denver by herself. Someone should be with her,” Gavin said, disagreeing with Adrian.

“Gavin, the board will need updates on the trips you’ve taken so far. If they have questions, I need you here. Send Carter out with Faith,” said Adrian, walking around his desk to sit down.

“No. Is there anyone else who can go? Lauren or someone?” he insisted.

“Gavin, Lauren is HR. She doesn’t have the expertise that Carter does. It’s only for a week. You can join Faith for the second half of the trip.”

“Can we reschedule the trip?” Gavin asked, pleading.

Adrian shook his head. “These trips have been booked for weeks. We can’t reschedule or cancel.”

“Doesn’t Carter have other plans? That was why he couldn’t take these trips with us.”

“This is the one week he actually has open,” said Adrian, raising his eyebrows.

Gavin was frustrated. He huffed and stood with his hands on his hips. He looked again at Adrian, hoping for another solution.

“Send Carter. Faith will be okay,” Adrian reassured.

Gavin didn’t trust Carter, but he had no choice. He went to Carter’s office to let him know he’d be going to Denver. He knocked on Carter’s door. Carter looked up, surprised to see him standing there.

“Never thought I’d see you standing in my doorway again. What can I do for you?” asked Carter.

“We need you to go to Denver with Faith. It’ll just be for a week.”

“You sound disappointed. Why aren’t you going?”

“I’ll be there the following week. We can’t send Faith alone. It’s not safe,” Gavin answered.

“Alright. I’ll just need a copy of our meeting schedule,” said Carter.

“You can get all of the information you need regarding the trip from Agnes,” said Gavin. As he turned to leave, he stopped in the doorway. He looked up and turned his head slightly. “Carter, stay away from her. Attend the meetings, lunches, conferences - whatever is planned throughout the day. Outside of that, leave her alone. If you bother her, I’ll know about it.”

“Are you worried your precious little Faith will finally be able to see that I’m a more attractive choice than you?”

Gavin took a deep breath in before he spoke. “She’s told you nicely that she’s not interested. Don’t push it. I mean it.”

“I’m not worried about you anymore, Gavin,” snickered Carter.

Gavin turned to look at him and said, “You should be.” He continued out of Carter’s office, steaming, concerned for Faith.

Later that week, Gavin had some specific instructions for Faith to follow while in Denver with Carter. He knew she would have questions, but she would just have to trust him.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said as he walked in her office.

“Hi,” she smiled. “How’s your day going?”

“I’d be better if I was the one leaving with you tomorrow morning,” he said as he sat down.

“I think I’ll be okay,” she tried to reassure him.

“You will be if you follow my instructions,” he said seriously.

“Instructions? You’re kidding right?” asked Faith, confused.

“I’m not,” said Gavin without smiling.

Faith sat back in her chair. “Alright. What do you need me to do?”

“First, I don’t want you out after dark. Next, I need you to limit your time with Carter to the meetings and lunches that have been scheduled for the week. I don’t want you alone with him. Make sure someone else is with you at all times when he’s around.”

“You make him sound like a criminal. It’s just Carter, Gavin,” she said.

“I don’t trust him. I trust him even less when it comes to you.”

Faith was smiling within as she watched Gavin take charge of the situation. She liked that about him.

“Anything else?” she asked coyly.

“I just need you to promise me that you’ll do as I tell you. It’ll make me feel better about you being there with him.” He was staring off to the side.

“How about you ask instead of tell? I don’t appreciate your tone,” she snapped.

Gavin quickly looked at Faith, realizing that he was being a little stern.

He closed his eyes, “I’m sorry. I’m just upset.”

“I understand that, but I’m not a child. Don’t treat me like one.”

“Look, this isn’t easy for me. I’m not comfortable with him being anywhere near you. I just want you to be careful, that’s all,” Gavin sighed.

Faith stood up and went to close her door. She walked back and sat in Gavin’s lap. Placing her arms around his neck, she gazed in his eyes for a moment. “I promise that I’ll be careful. I’ll do as you’ve asked me. In return, you get to tell me what it is that makes you so uncomfortable about Carter. Okay?”

They leaned into each other, resting on each other’s foreheads. “Thank you. We’ll talk about it after the trip.” He gently kissed her cheek.

The following morning, Faith was up early, waiting for the limo to pick her up. Everything she needed for the trip was neatly placed by her front door. She heard a car driving up and immediately gathered her things. She opened the door, walked out, and closed and locked it behind her. When she turned to go to the car, she was surprised to see Gavin standing there. Cocking her head to the side, she smiled.

“What are you doing here?” she said.

“Hi, beautiful. I’m taking you to the airport,” said Gavin.

She walked towards him, “You didn’t even want me to ride with him, did you?” asked Faith.

“I wanted to see you before you left,” he said, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. He opened the car door for her and took her bags, placing them in the trunk.

As he got in, Faith had a suspecting look on her face. He grinned and said, “I got your coffee,” as he pointed to the passenger side cupholder.

Faith raised her eyebrows, waiting for an admission.

“Alright,” chuckled Gavin as he threw his hands up in surrender. “You’re right. The less time you have to spend with Carter, the better.”

She smiled, satisfied. “Thank you,” she said as she picked up her coffee.

They were silent as they drove to the airport. Faith was still a bit tired, and stared out the window. When they reached the drop-off area, Gavin ran around to help her out of the car. She patiently waited as he got her bags from the trunk. He sat her bags beside her and moved closer to her, placing his arms around her waist. Faith rested her arms on his chest. Time seemed to stop as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Thanks for bringing me,” Faith said.

“You’re welcome. Remember what we talked about, okay? I’ll see you in a week.” Gavin pulled her in and gave her a hug, kissing her forehead. Not far from where they stood, Carter had been watching them, fuming inside. ‘That should be me,’ he thought. He walked into the airport and headed towards the gate.

“Okay,” Faith said, stepping away from him. Gavin watched her go inside and out of his sight. He got back in his car and started towards home.

A little while later, Carter and Faith boarded the plane, sitting together. He could barely wait for her to get situated before saying something.

“So you had your own escort this morning,” he said flatly.

“Gavin dropped me off, yes,” said Faith as she put on her seatbelt.

“I knew there was something going on between the two of you,” he said, rolling his eyes and glancing out the window.

“Because he brought me to the airport? That’s a stretch,” she said, shaking her head. Faith pulled out her iPod. Music would be more pleasant to listen to.

“Oh, I witnessed much more than that. If men wore lipstick, you’d be wearing the evidence on your forehead,” Carter said, turning to see her reaction.

Faith sighed. ‘We should have been more careful,’ she thought. “It’s none of your business, Carter.”

Carter shuffled his feet for a moment, thinking of what to say next. He wasn’t in the mood to be nice. Leaning over, he quietly said, “So when did you do him? Is that why he stopped seeing Chandler? Can I be next?”

Faith snapped around and shot a look at him that could kill. “Really? It is too early in the morning for you to be a smartass. Then again, maybe you’re an ass no matter what time of day it is.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” he scoffed.

“I don’t have to. You know, I hoped to have a pleasant week with you, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. Nice going,” she replied. Faith sat back and put her earbuds in, shutting out any other comments he might have.

Gavin was not looking forward to a week of boring meetings with the board members. He managed to make it through one full day without worrying about, or calling, Faith. That didn’t last.

Gavin sat in a morning meeting, fidgeting and playing with his phone. He kept sending text messages to Faith, paying little to no attention to what Adrian was saying. Occasionally, as he was speaking, Adrian raised his eyes over his glasses and glanced at him. His actions were like that of a child who couldn’t focus or keep still. His phone vibrated in his hand.

“What are you doing? You’ve sent me numerous texts,” replied Faith.

Gavin’s fingers moved with swiftness over his keyboard, as he continued to ignore Adrian.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing.” His phone confirmed the message was sent.

He sat tapping his fingers on the table, waiting for a reply.

Vibration shook his hand alive. He quickly looked to see what she had to say.

“I’m in a meeting, as you should be. Will talk to you later.” Gavin didn’t like that response. His phone remained stationary for the next half hour. He decided that listening to Adrian would be a nice distraction. It wasn’t long before his fingers began to key in more words on his phone.

“What are you doing now?” he asked, pushing send as he finished.

His phone once again pulsated in his hand.

“Still in a meeting. I will call you later,” Faith texted back.

Just as Gavin finished reading his text, Adrian said, “Let’s take a short break.”

Gavin jumped out his seat and bolted toward the door. He quickly went down the hall and called Faith. She was in the middle of a luncheon with community organizers when her phone rang. She looked to see who it was and hit ignore. She continued to smile, listening to the conversation. Not even a minute later, her phone rang once more. It was Gavin again.

Faith graciously smiled and said, “Would you please excuse me?” She got up and went to the restroom and phone area of the restaurant they were in and answered.

“Gavin! What are you doing? You’ve been texting and calling me all day. What is wrong with you?” she asked sharply.

“You wouldn’t call me back. I just wanted to say hi,” he said innocently.

“I thought you were in a meeting,” she said.

“We’re taking a break. I wanted to hear your voice,” replied Gavin.

“Ugh, if you weren’t so sweet and sexy, I’d kill you right now. Stop calling me. Give your fingers a rest. Pay attention to Adrian. I’ll call you tonight.”

“I want to talk now. I have fifteen minutes. How are you doing?”

“I don’t have time. Tonight, Gavin. If you call or text me again before five, I’m turning my phone off,” she insisted.

“Okay, okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

As they hung up, Adrian walked up to Gavin with a stern look on his face.

“What’s wrong with you?” Adrian asked.

“What are you talking about? Nothing is wrong with me.”

“You’re fidgety, and you haven’t put your phone down since we started our meeting. I’ll ask again. What’s wrong with you?”

Gavin looked down at the floor, not answering right away. Finally he said, “I miss her. I, I had to talk to her.”

Adrian let out a laugh from the bottom of his belly.

“Why is that funny?” asked Gavin, confused.

“I understand, Gavin,” he said, nodding his head. “Look, I need you to focus. You’ll see Faith in a few days. Right now, I need you here. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes, I think so. I’m sorry.”

“If you can’t, I’ll take that phone from you,” Adrian threatened.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t touch the phone,” chuckled Gavin.

“I need to make a quick call. I’ll join you in a minute,” said Adrian.

“Alright,” Gavin said, returning to the boardroom.

Adrian walked out of Gavin’s earshot and made a call of his own.

“Good afternoon. How are you? …. I have news …. It’s happening …. I believe so, yes. I’ll know more in a couple of weeks …. It is exciting. I thought it would take longer, but I’m grateful that it’s not …. Yes, of course. We’ll talk soon. Take care.”

Adrian joined the rest of the board members and finished the meeting.

In Denver, Faith was doing as Gavin asked her. Outside of meetings and luncheons, she steered clear of Carter. Carter, however, did not stay clear of her. He managed to follow her everywhere without her noticing, creeping in and out of shadows. He watched her as she worked out in the mornings, trailed her on shopping excursions or evening walks, and kept track of when she was in and out of her room.

Early one evening, Faith went for a walk on Sixteenth Street Mall. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following her, but never did see anyone. It made her feel uneasy. She briefly stepped inside one of the souvenir shops. As she was walking back out, not paying attention, she bumped into Carter.

“Excuse me,” she said, dropping her wristlet. She bent down to pick it up, and didn’t notice who she had run into until she stood back up. “Carter. I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”

“No worries. I was just out for a walk when I saw you go in here,” he said, motioning to the store with his head.

“I was out doing the same.” Faith quickly looked at her watch, trying to change the subject to avoid the option of walking together. “I was just getting ready to go back and call it a night. This week has been long already, and it’s only Tuesday,” she smiled.

“You’re right about that. I’m going to stay out for a little while. Have a good evening,” Carter said.

“You too,” she said, walking away.

Carter stared at her as she made her way across the street, going back towards the hotel. She looked back to see the creepy look on his face as he stood there. Forcing another smile, she waved, then turned and hurried back to her room.

As the week drew to a close, Faith wanted to take advantage of the outdoor pool at the hotel. The sun was just starting to set, and there was a nice breeze. At home in France, Faith loved to go sit by the pool in the evenings, enjoying the cool breeze rising up from the water on her skin. She found a lounge chair with a good view of the Rocky Mountains. After adjusting it down a couple of notches, she sat down, closed her eyes, and relaxed. Carter had a good view of her from his room. She was conservatively dressed in a tank top bathing suit, with a wrap that touched just above her knees. He began to imagine her without any clothes on, becoming aroused. Soon, it was too much for him to handle and as he continued to look on, began to masturbate. This, along with the stalking, summed up his behavior for the week. He stayed in for the night since he was scheduled to leave so early the following morning.

The earliest that Gavin could get into Denver was seven o’clock that evening. He checked into his room, and immediately called Faith’s room to see if she wanted to take a late walk. When he didn’t get an answer, he went to her room. She wasn’t there. Gavin went back to his room and was about to call her on her cell phone, when he looked out of his window. Faith was by the pool.

Gavin walked down the stairs and outside to see her.

“There you are, beautiful. I’ve been looking for you,” he said walking towards her. He pulled a lounge chair closer to hers, leaned down and kissed her cheek, then sat down.

“You’re here. Why didn’t you call my cell?” she asked.

“I was about to, but I saw you sitting out here. It’s nice here,” he said, looking towards the mountains. “How was your week?”

“It’s been interesting. Carter saw us hugging at the airport. He made sure he let me know as soon as we got on the plane. I did as you asked and kept our contact limited to meetings and such. Outside of that, things went well.”

“Did he try anything?” he asked.

“No. It was pretty quiet. Maybe that’s because I stayed away from him,” she said.

Gavin looked at the inviting water in the pool. “Why aren’t you in the water?”

“I just like to relax and feel the cool breeze. I don’t swim that often. How was your week?”

“It was long.” He looked at her and continued, “I missed you.”

Faith cocked her head to the side and smiled, “I missed you, too.”

“No. I really missed you. I couldn’t concentrate, my focus was off. Adrian threatened to take my phone. I was miserable without you there, and miserable for not being here. When I told you I wanted more, I meant it. I haven’t felt this way in a long time.”

Faith sat quietly, speechless. She wasn’t expecting this.

Gavin took a deep breath. “You’re the only one who has wanted to know who I really am. You allow me to be me. You know how much I love the company, and appreciate my intelligence. When I’m a complete ass, you’ve been able to handle it. You are the only one I want to spend time with, Faith. I want to know everything there is to know about you,” he said, keeping his eyes on her, waiting for a reaction. When she didn’t say anything, he continued, “You don’t have to respond right now. I just thought you should know.”

He looked out towards the mountains again. “Would you like to take a walk with me?”

Faith shook her head, as if trying to wake herself. She said, “It’s starting to get late. I think it’ll be better to wait until morning for a walk.” She was still stunned.

“Can we go back to our rooms and talk, then? I just want to be with you.”

“Sure,” she said, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of her chair. Gavin stood up and helped her stand. They walked back into the building together.

Faith had to change, so they agreed to talk in her room. She walked into her bedroom closet and began to comb through her clothes to find something comfortable.

“How were your board meetings?” she called out to Gavin.

He didn’t answer, so she asked again.

“Gavin, how were your board meetings?” she called out again. Again no answer. ‘Maybe he went to his room for something,’ she thought.

Faith found something to change into. When she turned around, Gavin was standing right there. He grabbed and pulled her in close, planting a gentle and soft kiss on her lips. She had no warning. He playfully caressed her lips with his own. Faith slowly gave in, dropping the clothes she had in her hand, and responding to him. Pulling her in closer, he deepened the kiss. Her knees almost buckled as she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. They continued to kiss a few more moments before Gavin broke it. He looked into Faith’s eyes, now glazed over, and smiled.

“You never let me kiss you. I knew I would have to catch you off guard to get one,” he said, cupping her face and touching her lips with his thumb.

“Make it count. This might be the only one you get for a while,” Faith said.

Gavin pulled her in again, kissing her more passionately than before. He removed the sarong from around Faith’s waist. When he tried to reach underneath her tank top, Faith pulled away.

“I should, you know, change,” she said picking up the clothes she dropped. “I think we should go in the living room.”

Gavin pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “You think that if we’re not in the bedroom, nothing will happen?”

Faith wanted to say something, but found she didn’t have an answer.

“No,” Gavin answered for her. “It doesn’t matter where we are, Faith. There’s always going to be a chance for more to happen. Even back at the office, there was a chance. The attraction between us is that strong. I’m not expecting anything. I just wanted to kiss you.

“I’m going to let you change.” He moved close and kissed her cheek.

Faith changed into the clothes that she had picked out. She walked to the living area and stopped, looking at Gavin. He glanced over at her as she stood there.

He tipped his head to the side and asked, “Are you afraid to come near me now?”

Faith shook her head and walked to the couch. He took her hand as she sat down, wondering whether he would be able to continue what he had started in the bedroom. Gavin leaned in to kiss her. Initially she turned away.

“Mnm mnm,” he said. “You told me to make it count. I wasn’t done.” He turned her face toward him and kissed her gently. Faith slowly closed her eyes, getting butterflies in her stomach. They laid back on the couch, with Gavin resting partially on the couch and partially on her. He reached underneath her shirt and rubbed her stomach. When he was able to do this without resistance, he stopped and looked at her.

“You should be speaking French by now? What happened?” he frowned, continuing to stroke her skin.

Faith bashfully smiled and said, “I guess I’m not uncomfortable anymore.” She reached above her head to stretch, letting out a deep yawn. She returned her arms to his back, massaging it softly. It was getting late.

“I’m tired, too. Let’s call it a night, although I would rather be here.”

“You had a long day and a long trip. You need your rest,” she said, now playing with his hair.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” he said, standing up, and helping her up as well.

They walked to the door hand in hand.

He turned to face her, placing his arms around her. “Good night, beautiful.”

“Good night.”

He kissed her deeply on the lips, and almost couldn’t stop. Pulling away he said, “Mm. I better go.”

Gavin opened the door and went to his room. Faith closed and locked the door. She took a shower before retiring for the evening.

During the night, Gavin found it hard to sleep. He tossed and turned, unsuccessfully achieving the rest he needed so much. He couldn’t stop thinking about Faith and how wonderful it felt to finally kiss her. After about another half hour, he sat up, staring at the clock. It was two o’clock in the morning. He took a deep breath, swinging his legs around the side of the bed. Gavin reached for his t-shirt at the end of the bed and put it on. He grabbed his room key and slipped on a pair of sweats. He left and walked down the hall.

Gavin didn’t like waking her, but he didn’t know what else to do as he knocked. It took a few moments for her to come to the door. She was completely out of it as she opened it.

“I’m having a hard time getting to sleep. Can I stay with you?” he asked.

Faith left the door open, as she turned around to go back to bed. Gavin entered, locked the door behind him, and walked to the bedroom. By the time he got there, she was already lying down, and appeared to be asleep. He slipped out of his sweats and t-shirt, leaving only his boxer briefs on, and laid next to her. He got as close as he could without waking her, slipped his arm around her, and quickly fell asleep himself.

Waking early the next morning, Gavin was pleased to find that Faith had turned toward him at some point that night. He was still very tired, but was used to getting up at the crack of dawn. He laid there and watched Faith sleep for a few moments before kissing her on the forehead. He continued to gently kiss her randomly on her face, slowly bringing her out of her sleep.

Faith sleepily opened her eyes. Seeing Gavin she said, “What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t sleep. I asked you if I could stay with you, remember?”

Faith shook her head. “No. When I’m really tired, I sleep pretty deep. It’s hard for me to recollect things when I’m like that. Why didn’t you sleep on the couch?”

“I wanted to be next to you,” said Gavin as he moved hair away from her face.

Faith nodded, then thought about something. As she frowned, he could see she had a question. “Did we do anything?” She was still trying to wake up.

Gavin quietly chuckled, “No. We didn’t. I fell asleep immediately.”

“Last night would have been a good time to take advantage of me,” she smiled and said with her eyes closed.

“Now you tell me. I’ll keep that in mind in the future.”

“What time is it? It’s Saturday, right?” asked Faith.

“Yes. It’s almost five,” said Gavin. “Time to get up.”

“Do you always get up this early?” Faith asked, moaning as she rolled over on her back.

“Yes. Habit. I usually go for a run around this time,” he said, kissing her shoulder.

“I don’t run on the weekends. Why don’t you go, though?” she said, yawning.

“I want to be with you.”

“I’m going back to sleep. It’s too early. Maybe you can learn how to relax and sleep in,” she said, closing her eyes.

Gavin watched her as she slipped back into her sleep coma. Unable to go to sleep again himself, he figured he’d enjoy the moment. Faith slept in a short and tank top pajama set. Gavin raised her top just enough to expose her stomach. He smiled deviously as he looked up at her. He gently kissed and licked her, glancing at her from time to time to see if he could get a response. She frowned a little bit and moaned.

“What are you doing?” she asked. “You’re supposed to be going back to sleep.”

“Can’t,” Gavin said in between kisses. “This will keep me busy.”

“You should go for a run or something,” Faith whined as her body slowly began to respond to Gavin’s touch.

“Nope. You’re right. I should learn how to relax. So I’m going to stay right here,” Gavin grinned.

As he continued to shower her stomach with gentle kisses, he slowly moved his hand down along her thigh. As his hand made its way back up toward her hip, he tried to slip it underneath her shorts. Faith quickly put a stop to it.

“No,” she squirmed. “I think you were right. We should get up.”

“I totally agree with your first assessment of the day. Relaxing is so much more appealing,” Gavin said, now reaching closer to her breasts. Faith stopped that, too.

“I changed my mind,” she said shortly. She was still squirming, but Gavin wasn’t budging.

“Me, too,” he smiled again, looking at her to see how uncomfortable she was.

Gavin began to move a little lower than her stomach, now kissing on top of her clothes. Faith struggled to keep him from moving down any further, but her fight wasn’t just with him. She battled with her own body, which was now completely awake, and completely willing.

“Gavin,” she said. Her body was taking over. She couldn’t quite say what she wanted.

“Yes,” he said as he continued to make his way down to her womanhood, still covered by her shorts.

“Please,” she whispered.

He looked up at her, his own body now standing at attention, “Please what?” He kissed her lower area, his hands now underneath her shorts and steadily moving to reach her mound.

Faith moaned and took a deep breath. She grabbed at the sheets. She swallowed hard and said, “Stop.”

“Are you sure?” His fingers were now playfully moving around beneath her underwear, increasing her wetness. “Your body is saying something else.”

“My body doesn’t know,” she breathily said, “what it’s talking about.” She closed her eyes and bit her lip. Gavin was aroused by her pleasure. He had to be careful, knowing that he shouldn’t go any further, and would soon need to stop himself. Faith was past that point.

Keeping his fingers where they were, he moved up to kiss Faith on the chest, then her neck. He took a chance that he would be able to enjoy her lips as he had the night before. As he tried to connect, she turned slightly away, continuing to breathe heavily. Gavin kissed her cheek, then her chin. She turned toward him, allowing the kiss to happen. He kissed her slow and deep. His arousal was now becoming more than he could handle. As they continued to kiss, he could feel Faith’s intensity rising. She reached around him, holding him tightly as she climaxed. They pulled away from each other, remaining close as their foreheads touched. Gavin moved his hand from below, and caressed her side. Faith continued to breathe heavily, trying to calm down.

Gavin kissed her lips once more and said, “Morning, beautiful.”

“Good morning,” Faith said breathily.

“I’m going to take a very cold shower,” he said, sitting up.

“It would have been nice if you could have given me that same option.”

“Mm, this was more fun,” he said, looking back at her with a smile. He put on his shirt and pulled on his sweats. “I’ll see you in a little bit. You probably haven’t seen much of Denver since you stayed in most of the week, so we’ll get out after breakfast. Where’s the nearest Starbucks? I know you’ve found it already.”

“It’s right across the street,” she said, taking a deep breath in. Her body was finally settling down.

Gavin crawled back on the bed and kissed her again. She kept her eyes closed.

“You’re really sexy, you know that?” he grinned.

“Ha ha,” Faith laughed sarcastically. “Get out of here. I need to shower, too.”

Gavin stood up and started to walk out, but turned to say a couple of more things.

“Let this be a lesson. The next time you want to sleep in, know that I won’t be going back to sleep.”

He took a few steps and turned back around, looked at Faith and said, “Oh, and, I enjoyed pleasing you.” He grinned, dodging the pillow that Faith threw at him.

“Go!” she yelled, giggling.

Gavin walked out of the room, aroused and satisfied at the same time. When he got back to his room, he made a phone call and then took a shower. Then he spent some time planning his day with Faith.

An hour after Gavin left, there was a knock at Faith’s door. When she answered, there were a dozen coral roses with a single white rose in the middle sitting on the floor. Faith smiled and picked them up. She walked into the living area of her room and sat on the couch to read the card. It said, ‘My desire and feelings for you have grown. I can’t wait to spend the weekend with you. Gavin.’

Moments after she received her flowers, Gavin knocked. She went and opened the door to let him in. Faith had the flowers sitting on the table.

When Gavin saw them, he smiled wryly and said, “Who sent you those? Is someone else trying to move in on you?”

She glared at him and said, “It’s healthy to have a little competition. Jealous?”

“Absolutely. What does he look like? Does he look better than me?”

“He’s actually pretty scrawny. His kisses though,” Faith raised her eyebrows and looked dreamily into the air, “OMG his kisses are divine.” She fanned her face and took a deep breath, flashing a flirty smile his way.

Gavin chuckled as he pulled her in close to him and said, “Does his kiss feel like this?” He bent down and gently kissed her.

“A little bit,” she said, nodding.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Yeah. Do you know him?” she giggled.

Gavin laughed and kissed her again. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to get any more kisses,” he said.

“See that’s the thing. You shouldn’t be so damn good at it. Besides, I said you might not get any more,” she said, winking.

Still holding her, he grinned and asked, “Are you ready to have a fun day?”

“Yes. What are we doing?” she asked, clapping her hands excitedly.

“First, we need breakfast and coffee. Then, since it’s so nice, I figured we could walk over to the art museum. It’s not that far from here. Then we’ll create our own art after lunch in Cherry Creek.”

Faith interrupted, “I know what to do for dinner. My treat.”

“Okay. Are you going to tell me?” he asked.

“Nope. I have a few surprises of my own,” she smiled.

“Let’s get going.” Gavin waited as Faith picked up her wristlet. He reached for her hand and opened the door. They walked to the elevator hand in hand.

Breakfast was simple. They had coffee and pastries at Starbucks, sitting on the patio to people watch. On a Saturday morning, it was mostly the locals who were out and about. Following breakfast, they walked over to the Denver Art Museum. Not knowing what to expect, he took the word of the customer representative and purchased two tickets, which were on hold at the ticket booth.

It was around ten when they got to the museum. In the middle of the summer, the building is normally filled with families with children, however, Faith and Gavin didn’t notice. They held hands as they picked up their tickets at the booth, which was located on the right hand side as you walk in. Once received, they embarked on their journey.

As they walked around the large wall that separated the ticket booth and the gift shop, they observed the first exhibit, which was an exhibit about time. There were asymmetrical walls displaying digital numbers blinking at different rates. Making their way up the stairs, they were able to read about the display. ‘Not a bad start,’ thought Gavin.

Gavin wanted to show Faith a side of him that she hadn’t yet seen. Knowing she was a world traveler, she had seen just about all there was to see. She didn’t know that he had a passion for Asian, European, and American art.

Excited to see the Asian art, Gavin stepped onto the elevator, with Faith following behind, and went to the fifth floor. Immediately they saw a vase from the Ming dynasty. Gavin shared his knowledge of the period, which impressed Faith, though she wasn’t surprised. She smiled as he talked, and could tell he was enjoying himself. Other displays on this floor included pieces from China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, and Nepal. Some of the sculptures could be dated back to 500 B.C., some older.

Gavin’s knowledge was sexy to Faith. She couldn’t resist pulling him close to her and kissing him when he stopped talking long enough, not caring who was around.

He grinned and asked, “What was that for?”

“For being you. Your intelligence is extremely sexy.” She smiled seductively and walked ahead, wondering where they were going to go next.

Gavin stood and watched her for a moment. He took a deep breath in, caught up to her, gently took her hand into his, and led her to the sixth floor. This is where the European and American art was located. Being familiar with European art, Faith wandered off by herself, stopping only to stare at paintings that peaked her interest. At certain points, Gavin would quietly slip up behind her, put his arms on her waist, and simply hold her. Butterflies filled her stomach, knowing his feelings toward her were becoming more serious, as were hers toward him.

American art was something new to Faith. Gavin tried to interest her in the art of the Old West, but she didn’t take a liking to it. Other items in the exhibit did interest her, so she took her time to view them.

The second and third floors held Native American art. Everything from totem poles to pottery met them as they entered the front doors. Both of them were impressed at this collection, amazed to see actual clothing and pottery that the Native Americans used on the plains. After a while of walking around the seven floors of both buildings, they began to get hungry.

“Are you ready to go? There’s so much more that I have planned. It’s time to eat again,” said Gavin.

Faith casually smiled, “Okay.” Gavin took her hand and they exited the building.

Gavin rented a car for the afternoon to take Faith to lunch in Cherry Creek, located a few miles from the Downtown Area. They ate on the patio again, enjoying the weather, at the Cherry Creek Grill. Gavin ordered a beef tenderloin filet, while Faith had a salad.

“Do you ever eat real food?” asked Gavin.

“Of course. I just watch how much of it I take in,” she smiled.

“Just once, I’d like to see you get a big, greasy, fattening cheeseburger with extra cheese and some fries with a side of ranch,” he grinned.

“Only if you share it with me,” she giggled.

He shook his head in amazement. “Do you drink anything besides water?”

“Stop it already. What are you drinking?” she asked.

“A Pepsi.”

She motioned her hands for Gavin to give it to her. He handed her his drink and she gave him hers. “There. Happy?”

“A little,” he smiled. “Want a bite of my filet?”

“No thanks,” she said shaking her head. “I’ll wait for that cheeseburger.”

They laughed and completed their meals. Gavin looked at his watch to see what time it was.

“We should be going soon. We have an afternoon class,” he said.

“I’ll just have a few more bites.”

“No rush. I was just keeping track of our time,” said Gavin.

After eating lunch, they walked over to Canvas and Cocktails, to create their own works of art, based on the theme ‘Starry Night’ and have a drink or two. They were holding hands as they walked in, but that didn’t stop the estrogen filled room from staring at Gavin like he was a prime piece of meat being auctioned off at Tony’s Market. This particular day, he was the only male in the workshop.

Faith whispered, “Gavin, you’ve got an audience.” She looked around as the women held their glances.

Gavin was oblivious. “What are you talking about?” The only woman he wanted was standing right next to him. After checking in, they were given a set of paint brushes, and were shown to their reserved seats. They sat down, and Gavin started to look around when Faith finally answered his question.

“You don’t see all of these women staring at you? For real?”

Gavin pulled Faith close and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. “You’re the only audience I care about,” he whispered and smiled.

Faith got a huge grin on her face as she sensed the disappointment in the air. They were sitting near the instructor, and before getting started, went and put some squirts of paint on a cardboard card. Their canvases sat blank before them, waiting to be filled with color and life. The seats were pretty tightly packed as the workshop was completely booked. Courtney, the founder and instructor, gave them their first instructions, then turned on some fun music as everyone began to copy what she had shown them. She showed them step by step how to paint a ‘Starry Night’. Everyone was chatting and laughing as they stroked paint on their canvases, being careful not to dip their brushes into their cocktails, or drink from the dirty water cups being used to rinse their brushes. Once finished, they had to wait for the paint to dry. Women slowly stood up to dance around in their limited spaces, or get more drinks. Gavin and Faith hadn’t had any wine yet, so he purchased a couple of cups. After a couple of sips, Faith thought she would join some of the other ladies who were dancing around. Gavin looked on, smiling and enjoying as he watched her. He loved the way her body moved.

The group of ladies that Faith had joined were curious about the man that she was with.

One woman asked, “How did you get him to come here? I’d have to drug my husband to get him here.”

Faith smiled and answered, “He planned all of this. I knew nothing about this place until we arrived.”

“Wow,” they all chimed.

“How long have you been dating?” asked another.

“We’re not really dating. He’s my boss. We’re here on business.”

“You’re here on business, and you’re taking an art workshop? Do you always kiss your boss?” pried another woman.

Faith had forgotten about the kiss. “Our weekends are free of course. We’re expanding our offices and have been traveling to see which city would be the best location for us. You’re right. We’re sort of dating.” She smiled and took another sip of her wine.

“I wish my boss was that fine. Shit, I wish my husband was that fine. You do know he’s probably the sexiest thing in Colorado right now,” nodded another woman.

Faith giggled. “Well, I haven’t paid much attention to the men in Colorado, but I’ll take your word for it.” She sipped again, finishing her first glass of wine, and asked for a refill.

“So, he planned this workshop? Does he like sports or anything?” one woman asked.

“He planned our whole day, except for dinner. He hasn’t really talked about sports.”

“Wow,” they all chimed again.

Faith and the group of women danced, and drank, some more. Gavin continued to look on, as her face started to turn a little red from the wine. When the music subsided, the women separated and went back to their seats. Slightly off balance, Faith tottered back over to Gavin. He helped her sit down.

“They were all talking about you. You are total eye candy,” Faith slurred and giggled. She was a bit tipsy from the wine.

“How many glasses of wine did you have?” Gavin asked, grinning.

“Maybe three,” she said, holding up two fingers.

Gavin chuckled. “It’s a good thing you didn’t start drinking until after you painted or ‘Starry Night’ would be ‘Blurry Night’.

Faith just sat there and smiled, her eyes glazed over from the little bit of alcohol she’d had. She normally didn’t drink that much. Since she didn’t eat much for lunch, it was having quite the effect on her.

The paintings dried, and the instructors took pictures of each individual, couple, or group with their creations for their website. When they came around to Gavin and Faith, he suggested that Faith remain sitting since her balance was off. After the pictures were taken, everyone either began to leave or did some shopping in the boutique that was located at the front. The women that Faith had met and spoken to told her goodbye.

“Bye, Gavin,” a group of them sang out, giggling as they walked out of the building. Gavin nodded, then shook his head.

“Are you ready?” he asked Faith, wondering if he was going to have to carry her.

“Yes,” she stated confidently.

“Can you walk?”

“Of course,” she smirked. When she tried to stand, she almost fell over. Gavin caught her.

“Are you sure you only had three glasses of wine?”

“I might have lost count. I think it was three,” she said, looking up at him innocently.

Courtney shook her head. She held up her hand, signaling to Gavin that Faith had five glasses of wine, and mouthed the words ‘At least’. Gavin smiled and nodded to her.

“Come on, beautiful. Let’s get you back to the hotel.”

Gavin scooped her up in his arms, kissed her on her forehead, and took her to the car. The remaining women watched as he did this, sighing because of how sweet and romantic he seemed to be.

“My husband totally would have left me sitting there,” commented one woman. “He has to be the sexiest, most unavailable man alive. That is one lucky woman,” she said dreamily.

After getting Faith situated comfortably in the car, Gavin went back to collect their paintings. They were carefully wrapped so they wouldn’t get damaged during transport. He thanked the instructors, walked out to the car, and drove back to the hotel. Faith sat motionless and quiet, but still awake.

“Are you alright?” he asked, grinning.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t handle your liquor very well. You were dancing on tables and swinging your shirt around,” he teased. “It’s a good thing I was the only man in there.”

“Shush,” she said, glaring at him. “I’m not that out of it.” She turned her head, looked at him, and smiled.

Gavin smiled, grabbed her hand and held it as he drove. He thought about how much fun he’d had with her, hoping she was feeling the same way he was.

It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they got back to the hotel. The weather had gotten warmer as the day went on and Faith was exhausted, and the liquor was now wearing off.

“What time do you want to go to dinner?” asked Gavin.

“We can leave around seven thirty if that’s not too late for you. I’m really tired, so I think I’ll take a nap,” she said.

“Why are you so tired?” he questioned, sarcastically.

“Because someone decided not to go back to sleep at five o’clock this morning. They couldn’t just get up and do something on their own. They had to stay in bed and mess with me. So,” she paused, “I need a nap, or I won’t make it to dinner.”

“Oh, and it has nothing to do with how much alcohol you just had.”

“Stop giving me a hard time,” she whined.

“Okay, okay,” he chuckled.

She reached into her purse and grabbed one of the two card keys she was given when she checked in to the hotel. “Here,” she said handing a key to Gavin. “Call me around six thirty. If I don’t answer, come and get me.”

“How about I take a nap with you?” he asked, putting the key in his pocket.

Faith glared at him. “Seriously? You think I trust you after this morning?”

“I’ll be good. I promise,” he said, batting his eyes.

“You don’t know how to be good,” she rolled her eyes. She inserted her key in the door to unlock it. She picked up her painting and went in the room.

“Please,” he said as he followed her in. She sat her wristlet on the table and gently leaned her painting against the wall. She took her shoes off, went to the bedroom and fell down on the bed. Gavin leaned his painting next to Faith’s, and went and stood near the bed for a moment.

Feeling his presence, she wearily asked, “Why are you here?”

“Because you want me to be,” he wryly said.

“Don’t start with me. I’m too tired,” she said with her eyes closed.

“I’m staying,” he said, as he sat on the bed and took his own shoes off.

“Fine. Don’t touch me.” She still had her eyes closed.

Gavin reached over and began to play with her hair.

“You don’t listen very well, do you?” she asked dryly.

“Stop it,” he snapped lightly. “I’m just trying to help you relax. You know this feels good, so hush.”

Faith didn’t say anything at first, as his fingers continued to comb through her hair. “I hate it when you’re right,” she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

Gavin set the alarm on his phone for six thirty, then curled up next to her and watched her as she peacefully rested. He fell asleep a half an hour later.

Gavin’s phone buzzed them awake. He slid the phone from the nightstand and turned the alarm off. Faith was lying in his arms. She didn’t hear a thing. Gavin smiled down at her and kissed her on the forehead. She wiggled a little bit, turned on her side toward him, resting her free arm across his chest. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. He wished he could freeze time as he held her there. Gavin kissed her again, hoping that would jar her awake, but her sleep was too deep. He shifted his weight. Faith moaned and yawned, finally waking up. She sleepily looked up at him and smiled.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi, beautiful. It’s time to get up,” he said, kissing her lips this time. “Do you still want to go? We don’t have to.”

“Yeah. I just need to shower,” she said as she slowly sat up. She stretched her neck back, scooted to the side of the bed and pushed herself to a stance. She stretched her arms out, and tottered to the bathroom. Gavin heard the water come on. Faith emerged from the bathroom, still fully clothed, to retrieve the clothes she was going to wear to dinner.

“Are you going to shower?” she asked.

Gavin’s head was resting in his hands behind his head. “I guess I could, huh?”

“Just asking. I’m sticky from all of our walking and from our nap,” she said.

Faith went back to the bathroom and closed the door. Gavin decided a shower was a good idea. He left her a note on the hotel notepad, and went to his own room to clean up.

A short while later, Gavin returned to Faith’s room, entering using the key she had given him. She was still in the bedroom.

“I’m back,” he called out.

“Okay. I’m almost ready,” she called back.

Gavin sat on the couch and looked at the book that was sitting on the table. Faith came out, still putting in one of her earrings. She was excited that she would finally be able to surprise him about something. When he looked up, Gavin was astonished with how sexy she looked.

“Wow. I’ve never seen you in anything like that before,” he said.

“Oh, well, it’s a little out of my comfort zone. I don’t like to wear things this short, but Lauren picked it out for me. She said it was cute.” Faith was wearing a red silk patterned scoop neck dress that hit about four inches above the knee. She was used to wearing skirts or dresses that hit at or below the knee.

“It definitely suits you. But I wouldn’t have called it cute,” commented Gavin. “That dress is hot and you look hot in it!”

Faith started to blush. Gavin continued to stare.

“What?” Faith said, now feeling uncomfortable in her dress.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that I never get to see your body. You’re always covered up. You have to be the sexiest woman I’ve ever known. Are you sure you want to go tonight? I think we should stay in,” he said, standing up and approaching her.

“We’re going. I made reservations,” she said rolling her eyes.

“Reservations can be cancelled. I can have you out of this dress in fifteen seconds,” Gavin said as he drew her close to him. He gently kissed her shoulder, moving up and down along her neckline.

“No. We’re going,” Faith said adamantly.

Gavin tried to kiss her lips as he tugged on her dress, but Faith wriggled out of his arms and walked towards the door. “Let’s go.”

He looked up at the ceiling and sighed. He turned and joined Faith at the door. “You’re no fun,” he pouted.

Faith smiled and playfully pushed him down the hall towards the elevators. They rode down to the lobby, and walked out to 16th Street. After enjoying dinner at Marlowe’s, Faith began to lead Gavin to their next destination.

As they started across the street, Gavin asked, “Are you going to tell me where we’re going? Do you know?”

“It’s just right through here in the Pavilions,” she said with an animated smile.

They reached the south side of the Denver Pavilions and proceeded to the third level. Gavin heard this awesome music floating in the air, and was blown away when they got to their destination, Jazz@Jacks, a highly esteemed jazz club. As they walked in, there was a small open bar area to their left. There was no cover to get in, so they continued down the corridor and into the open seating area. The band, Dotsero, was playing onstage to their right. Gavin pointed to a table toward the front end on the right side as you face the stage. It was located on the outer edge of the room and had a padded back. Once they sat down, Gavin leaned over and lifting her chin slightly with his forefinger, kissed Faith gently on the lips.

“What was that for?” she asked.

“You remembered. Thank you,” he said, rubbing her cheek.

“You’re welcome,” she smiled.

Everyone was enjoying the smooth jazz being played by the band. The club filled up fast, stirring with electricity. Gavin held Faith close, talking and laughing as the moon fell over the night. As he sat there, he felt as though Faith was becoming his, but would let her confirm that. Heads were bopping, feet were tapping, eyes were closed as Dotsero played one awesome song after the other. Faith ordered a RazzmaJazz Martini, and Gavin had a glass of wine. They enjoyed the atmosphere for a couple of hours.

Around eleven, Faith and Gavin decided it was time to head back. It had been a day filled with activities, and they were both growing tired. Back at the hotel, Gavin followed Faith into her room to talk for a little while, although talking was far from his mind.

As Faith removed the clip that held her hair up, Gavin moved in behind her and gently turned her toward him. His kiss was more sensuous than it had been before. Faith wrapped her arms around his neck as she received and returned the kiss. They held their embrace for a few moments before Gavin drew back.

“Do you want me to stay?” he asked, kissing her in between words.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Okay,” he said as he pulled her in closer.

She looked into his eyes saying, “So you should go.”

“I don’t understand,” he said, confused.

“I don’t trust myself with you anymore. It’s getting harder to resist you, and I can’t control what I can and cannot do,” she said. They were still standing in each other’s arms.

“You know how I feel about you. Of course, you have yet to share how you feel about me,” he said, kissing her again.

Faith looked him in his eyes and said, “The mere sound of your voice or hearing your name gives me butterflies. Your touch awakens my body, as if it were only waiting for you. I get weak every time you kiss me.” She closed her eyes, sighing. “How’s that? I’d say my feelings are mutual,” she continued.

Gavin drew her in and kissed her deeply, holding her in tight. “Let me stay.”

Faith shook her head, “No.”

“Why? I’m just going to end up knocking at your door at two o’clock in the morning again. I might as well stay here so we can both get some sleep.”

“Is that really what you think we’ll do? Sleep?” she asked as he kissed her again. “We can’t even stop kissing each other.”

Gavin stopped for a moment. “Faith, I told you that I want more than that. If I stay, it’s simply because I want to be near you. If you’re not comfortable with that, I understand.”

“Do you still have the key that I gave you?” she asked.

“Yes. I do,” answered Gavin, confused.

Faith clutched his shirt, and reached up to kiss him. “If you find you can’t sleep, come see me,” she said as she rested her forehead against his.

“Okay,” he said disappointedly. “I will. I’ll probably see you in a little while. I’ll try not to wake you.” They embraced one last time before Gavin left for his own room.

The following morning, the two decided to stay in and rest for the day. Neither of them was able to sleep very well, thinking about each other through the night. They cuddled, ordered room service, and watched movies all day, with naps here and there. The two of them finished their final week of meetings in Denver, visiting various restaurants, museums, and historical sites. There was a turn of events in their relationship during this trip and they returned home with many memorable moments.

On their first day back at the office, Gavin and Faith were scheduled to meet with Adrian to brief him on how the trip went. At the meeting, they described their time in Denver with enthusiasm, and expressed the desire to return and see more of beautiful Colorado. Adrian watched them closely, seeing a difference in how they were behaving around each other. He was happy to see this progress.

“Are you both saying that Denver should be a top contender for our new office?” asked Adrian.

“Absolutely,” they said in unison. They looked at each other and laughed. Adrian smiled as he sat back.

Adrian nodded, “Alright, I will make a note of this. Is there anything else you would like to add or share?”

They shook their heads, saying no.

“Good. I believe you’ll be flying to Los Angeles in a couple of weeks. That should be interesting for you, Faith. It’s a little busier than what you’re used to.”

“I’m looking forward to it. You know I love to travel. That’s the best way to learn about people,” she said.

Gavin and Adrian both smiled at her.

“Well, I’ll let you two get back to work. I’m sure you have a lot to catch up on,” Adrian said, dismissing them.

Gavin and Faith stood and left.

Gavin returned to his office, while Faith went to see Lauren. Lauren was just walking down the hall when Faith spotted her.

“Hey, Girl Scout,” said Faith, as she gave Lauren a hug. “I was coming by to see what you were doing for lunch.”

“I’ve got plans today, but I would love to catch up with you. I’ve got some free time right now. How was your trip? Denver, right?” asked Lauren.

“Yes. It was awesome. There’s so much culture there, so much to do. I loved it,” said Faith as they stood in the hall talking.

“Did you do anything to get into trouble?” teased Lauren.

Faith rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You really are too much, you know that?” said Faith.

Just then, Gavin walked up to them.

“Lauren. How are you doing? Did things go well with the updates?” Gavin asked, touching her lightly on the shoulder.

“They did. We’re actually done with them and have some down time. Things will pick up once we’ve decided where the new office will be,” said Lauren.

“Good job. I’m glad things went well,” he smiled.

Gavin turned slightly, nodded and said, “Faith.”

“Gavin,” Faith nodded back.

Lauren looked back and forth between them, smiling suspiciously.

“I’ll leave you two to talk.” He continued down the hallway.

“I knew it!” Lauren said, glaring at Faith expecting answers.

“What are you talking about?” Faith said, confused.

“I saw that. Something is going on between the two of you,” Lauren said, raising her eyebrows.

“All we did was say hello,” said Faith defensively.

“You did more than that. I saw how you looked at each other and you did a lot more than just say hello,” Lauren accused.

“Lauren, I think you’re trying to make something out of nothing. You need more work, don’t you? I have plenty that will keep you busy.”

“That’s okay if you don’t tell me. I know what I saw. Listen, I need to get going, but call me later this week. We’ll get together for lunch, okay?” Lauren smiled and walked back to her office.

Faith turned and walked to hers.

Chandler hadn’t seen or talked to Gavin very much since the trips started. She could no longer call him because he changed his cell phone number. That wouldn’t stop her plans to make Faith think that she and Gavin were still seeing each other on occasion. Her timing had to be just right.

Chandler stood in Gavin’s doorway. “Hey, stranger.”

Gavin looked up. “Chandler. How have you been?”

“I’ve missed you,” she said, walking in towards his desk. She sauntered around to his chair, leaned down and kissed him. Gavin fought to push her away, but it was too late.

Faith cleared her throat. “Sorry to interrupt.”

Chandler had a sinister smile on her face. She stood up straight, and while still looking at Gavin said, “We were just finishing up.” She kept that same smile as she walked past Faith, who was standing by the door. She had accomplished what she came to do.

Gavin quickly looked at Faith. “That was not what it looked like.”

“I know. She planned that I’m sure,” Faith said, walking towards Gavin’s desk.

“I’ve missed you today. We’ve both been pretty busy. How was your talk with Lauren?” he asked.

“That woman is incorrigible. She said she saw something in our eyes when we spoke in the hall. She will not leave it alone,” Faith said, sitting down.

“Were we that obvious?” said Gavin.

Faith looked at him, thinking for a moment. “I think so,” she finally answered.

“Lauren is just like that. Don’t worry. She keeps things to herself. Even if she thinks she knows, she won’t tell anyone. She just likes to know.”

They sat staring at each other for a moment, without speaking a word.

“I should get back to work. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were,” Faith said, breaking the silence. As she started toward the door, Gavin stopped her.

“Faith, wait.” Her eyes followed him as he stood and went to close the door. He returned and faced her. “I’ve wanted to do this all day,” he said, pulling her close to him and kissing her deeply on the lips. Faith grew weak in his arms.

Breaking their kiss, Faith said, “I’ve been waiting for you to do it. Now I can work.” She grinned, opened the door and went back to her office. Gavin grinned to himself as he walked back to his desk.

The week was coming to a close. Faith wanted to have a fun Friday, maybe even a short one. She stayed late the night before to finish her presentation to try and make that happen. Gavin had just left, so she would be alone for a little while. Or so she thought.

“You’re working late,” Carter said, standing in her doorway.

“As are you. What are you still doing here? Do you have a trip coming up?” asked Faith, still looking down at her computer. She was just logging off.

“I’m leaving tomorrow. How was the rest of the Denver trip?” he asked, walking into her office.

“It was good. We liked Denver,” she said, now looking up. She started to put her things away and began to get ready to go home.

“We? As in you and Gavin?” he asked sarcastically.

“As a company, Carter, we felt that Denver should be a strong contender for a new office,” Faith said, shaking her head.

Carter moved closer to her. “You know, while we were there together, I felt a connection between us. Don’t you think it’s time we capitalize on that?”

Faith frowned. “What are you talking about, Carter? We only saw each other during meetings.”

“You flirted with me. The way you pranced around in your workout clothes, running down the mall at six o’clock every morning. Then you sat by the pool, enticing me with your body in your tight little bathing suit. You’re so beautiful, Faith. It’s time for us to be together.” Carter approached her.

“Were you following me? You need help, Carter. That’s just,” she paused, shaking her head, “not right.” She picked up her purse and keys. “I’m going home.”

Carter grabbed her by the arm. “You’re not going anywhere until I get what I want. You think you can seduce someone and not follow through. I don’t think so. It’s time for you to stop playing games with me.”

“I’m not playing games with you. Let go of me,” Faith tried to shake free from him, but his grip was too tight.

Carter took her purse and keys and threw them to the floor. He pulled her in and tried to kiss her. Faith turned away, struggling to get free.

“Stop it!” Faith cried. She managed to scratch his face. Carter grumbled, touching his face from the minor pain. Faith went to pick up her keys, but Carter snatched her back up.

“Bitch!” He slapped her hard, knocking her down. She screamed as she fell to the floor. Before she could move, Carter was upon her, pinning her down. He pushed her skirt up and ripped her underwear. Faith was crying, screaming for help as loud as she could. She squirmed with all of her might, but couldn’t break free. He didn’t look like the same man. His face had somehow changed, becoming disfigured as he groped at her breasts and tried to kiss on her. As she continued to cry for help, she could no longer control her language.

“Aide. S’il vous plait quelqu’un m’aider. Aide,” she weeped. “S’il vous plait aider. Aide.” (Help. Someone please help me. Please help. Help.)

“Shut up,” Carter said, slapping her again. Faith screamed, crying harder now. She knew she was alone. She had to keep trying though, and continued to cry out as Carter unzipped his pants.

“Gavin is not going to be the only one to get some around here,” he said.

“Aide,” Faith cried out again. Her voice now trembled from fatigue. “Aide, aide.” Tears streamed down her face. Carter was too strong for her. He forced her legs open, pressing her thighs so hard it felt as though they were being smashed flat against the floor.

Just as he was about to penetrate, someone picked him up off her and punched him with such force that he flew against the wall. It was Gavin. He had forgotten his phone.

Gavin punched Carter again and again, hitting him so hard, you could hear the sound of bones and teeth cracking. Blood was splattering on the wall and the floor around them. As he drew back his arm to hit him again, Carter found a way to put up his arms in defense.

“Gavin, Gavin. She seduced me. This is not my fault. She made me want her.” Carter’s face was dripping in blood. Gavin’s knuckles were red from clashing against Carter’s jaw and nose.

“Leave. Now!” Gavin yelled angrily.

“This is not my fault, man,” Carter said.

“If you don’t leave now, they’ll have to carry you out of here in a body bag,” Gavin said, ready to hit him again. He was furious.

Carter pulled up his pants and staggered out of Faith’s office as he zipped them.

Gavin turned to Faith, now curled up in the fetal position. She was rocking back and forth, quietly asking for help, still in French. She screamed as he bent down to touch her.

“Hey, hey, hey, it’s me, beautiful. It’s Gavin.”

She scrambled into his arms, weeping. He gently pulled her skirt back down. Thinking fast, Gavin carefully picked Faith up, grabbed her things, including her gym bag, and carried her to his car. He had to take her to the hospital.

Gavin gently sat Faith in his car, placed her bags in the back seat and quickly went around to the other side. He started the car and pulled out of the building garage as fast as he possibly could. As they were driving, he noticed that Faith was shaking uncontrollably. He reached over and grabbed her hands, holding them tight. Tears began to well up in his eyes seeing her this way. Once they reached the hospital, Gavin pulled into the ER driveway. He reached in the back and got Faith’s gym bag, jumped out of the car, and ran around to the passengers’ side to get her. Carrying her inside, he called out for help.

A female nurse approached them, asking what had happened. When Gavin explained that she was attacked and possibly raped, the nurse directed them to a private room. Gavin gently placed Faith on the gurney. She didn’t want to let him go.

“Sweetie, you have to let me go so this nurse can help you. I’m not leaving your side, okay?”

Faith loosened her grip so that Gavin could stand back, out of the nurse’s way.

“Did you bring her straight here after the attack?” asked the nurse.

“Yes.”

“What’s her name?” the nurse asked.

“Faith,” answered Gavin.

The nurse walked over to the opposite side of the bed and gently spoke to her.

“Faith, my name is Leisa. I’m going to be helping you through the process, okay? I’ll try to make you as comfortable as I can, and get you home as soon as possible.”

Faith nodded. The nurse looked at Gavin. “Has she spoken?”

“No. We may not be able to understand her. She speaks in uncontrolled French when she’s uncomfortable.”

Leisa nodded. “I’ve heard of people doing that, just never witnessed it. I need to go ahead and get started. I’ll help her get undressed to see if any evidence falls from her clothing. Does she have a change of clothes? We’ll more than likely keep the ones that she is wearing.”

“I brought her gym bag. I’m assuming she has something in there,” Gavin said, worried.

Leisa gave him a warm smile. “I’ll take good care of her. You can stay here, but you’ll need to sit behind this divider. At least for this part.”

“Alright,” Gavin sighed. “Can I use my cell phone in here?”

“No, you’ll need to go outside, or down to the break room. Don’t worry, we’ll be pretty busy for the next hour and a half. Just to be safe, let her know so she doesn’t get frightened when she doesn’t see you.”

Gavin walked next to the bed to reassure Faith that he was going to return as soon as possible.

“I need to call Adrian. I won’t be long, okay?”

Faith pleaded with him with her eyes. “S’il vous plait ne me quitte pas. (Please don’t leave me.) She huffed in frustration that she couldn’t speak English yet.

Gavin understood. “I promise I’ll keep it short.” She nodded and he walked out, going to the breakroom.

Gavin dialed his parents’ number from his cell phone. He wanted to keep his conversation brief, but wanted to make sure Adrian was fully aware of what happened.

Adrian picked up. “Gavin. How are you son?”

“Something’s happened. I’m at the hospital,” said Gavin.

“Are you okay? Did you get into an accident?” asked Adrian in a concerned voice.

“It’s Faith, Dad.”

“What happened? Was she in an accident?”

“Carter,” Gavin took a deep breath, “Carter tried to rape her.” He had a lump in his throat from fighting back tears.

“Damn!” exclaimed Adrian. “How bad is it?”

“I don’t know yet. They were just starting the exam when I left. I can’t talk too long. I have to get back to her.”

“We’re coming to the hospital. Which one are you at?”

“No, Dad. Faith is already feeling humiliated and scared. Having you here right now would only make things worse.”

Adrian sighed. “You’re right. Well, don’t let her be alone tonight. She’ll need your support. Also, take tomorrow off. She shouldn’t be alone for awhile. Call me when you get home and fill me in a little bit more. I’ll let you get back.”

“I’ll talk to you soon,” said Gavin. He pushed a button to end the call and rushed back to Faith.

Adrian immediately made another call. “Hi …. I don’t have good news …. Faith has been hurt.”

Leisa was now performing a pelvic exam and swabbing to test for sexually transmitted diseases. Gavin walked in quietly, going to Faith’s side. Faith reached for his hand and looked up at him. A single tear rolled down her face.

He sighed and said, “You’re doing great.”

“Yes she is,” said Leisa. “How long have the two of you been dating?”

“We’re not really - ” he paused when Faith squeezed his hand and nodded her head. Gavin smiled. “Officially about two weeks ago, but we’ve been getting to know each other for about four months.”

“Well, she’s a lucky woman. Since I’ve been doing this I don’t think I’ve seen a significant other be as supportive as you. She’s going to need you in the coming weeks,” Leisa stated.

“I’ll be there. Whatever she needs me to do, I’ll do,” said Gavin. “How extensive were her injuries?”

“Most of them were external. A lot of bruising. Do you know if her attacker penetrated? I know that’s a hard question, but it might explain some things,” said Leisa.

“To be honest, I don’t know. I heard her screaming,” he said, taking a deep breath, “and I ran to her office. He had her pinned on the floor. I pulled him away from her and punched him a few times before he ran off.”

“Sounds like she knew her attacker.” Noticing Gavin’s hand, Leisa asked, “Would you like us to wrap your hand? You must have hit him pretty good.”

“I did, but you don’t have to worry about my hand. Right now, I just want to focus on Faith,” Gavin replied, trying to keep calm.

“Well, it’s a good thing you were there. I didn’t find any damage from forced penetration. We’re doing all of the necessary tests, but I’m pretty sure the results will be negative. Sounds like you pulled him off before he could get started. I’ll take a look at that hand when I’m through with Faith.”

“I forgot my phone,” said Gavin.

“Excuse me?” asked Leisa.

“That’s why I was there. I had forgotten my phone and had to go back.” Gavin kept his eyes on Faith the entire time they were talking. “Has she said anything?”

“No. That’s why I was asking you what you knew. She’s still pretty shaken up and the French is still coming through. These exams are no walk in the park. They’re probably not helping with her level of comfort.”

“Are you almost done?” Gavin could tell that Faith was ready to go.

“I am. The police will have some questions before you leave. They’ll file a report, but it will be up to Faith as to whether she wants to press charges against the man who did this. She won’t need to make that decision tonight. At minimum, get the report filed. Then you can take her home.”

“Thanks,” replied Gavin.

An officer came in and took down what information he could. Since Faith was still speaking French, the officer asked questions that only required a yes or no answer. Her clothes were kept as evidence, so she changed into the spare set that she had in her gym bag. While she was changing, Leisa wrapped Gavin’s hand.

When Faith walked out of the bathroom, she staggered toward Gavin, sore from her bruises and the examinations. He picked her up again. She rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her out of the hospital. Various doctors and nurses watched this tender moment. At his car, Gavin gently placed her in the passenger’s seat, and again placed her bag in the back. When he got in, he started the car and turned to look at her.

“You have two choices. I can take you home, or you can stay with me. Either way, I’m staying with you. What would you like to do?”

“Je vais aller a votre maison.” She pounded her fists on her thighs, grimacing in pain as she had forgotten about her injuries, and frustrated that she hadn’t calmed down yet. (I’ll go to your house.)

“Hey, it’s okay.” Gavin pointed to her, “Your house,” then back to himself, “or mine?”

Faith pointed at Gavin.

“My house?” asked Gavin, making sure he understood. She nodded in agreement.

At home, Gavin placed Faith in the room closest to his. He intended to stay with her through the night, resting at a distance if that’s what she chose. He wanted to make sure that she was able to rest, and didn’t want her to be alone.

“You’ll sleep in here. The bathroom is right here,” he said, pushing the door open. “It’s stocked pretty well with towels and toiletries. If you can’t find something, let me know and I’ll get it for you. I’m sure you want to take a shower. Are you still good on clothes? Maybe just put these back on?”

Faith nodded.

“I know that I originally asked that you stay for the night. However, I’d like you to stay the whole weekend. I don’t think you should be alone.”

Faith nodded again.

“Okay. I’m going to make you some tea and some soup. You need to try and eat something. I’ll see you in a bit,” Gavin said, closing her door.

Faith ran water that was hotter than what she was used to. She bathed, then just sat on the floor with her knees pulled into her chest, letting the water hit her. She cried for the next hour.

Gavin warmed up some vegetable soup and heated some water to make tea for Faith. After a half hour, he went to check on her.

Knocking on the bathroom door he asked, “Are you okay in there?”

“Yes,” she was finally able to say.

He left her alone for a little while longer, but thought that an hour in the shower was too long.

“Faith, I want you to come out now. I’m worried about you,” he said standing at the door. “Please don’t make me come in there.”

“I’m okay. I’m getting dressed now,” she called out.

“I’ll see you in a few minutes.” He went and poured some soup in a bowl and steeped a chamomile tea bag in some hot water. He placed the items on a tray, with a choice of honey or sugar. Shortly thereafter, Faith emerged from her room.

“Hi,” she said. Her eyes were red from crying.

“Hey, it’s good to have you back. I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to communicate very well tonight. Come here,” he said, raising his eyebrows. He wasn’t sure if she was ready for any physical contact.

She moved in slowly, buried her face in his chest and put her arms around his waist. Gavin wrapped her in his arms. Tears began to roll down her face. She looked up.

Gavin let out a deep sigh. “I’m so sorry,” he said, choking back his own tears. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

She didn’t respond, but again burrowed her face into him. She was happy to be in his arms.

“Hey, I made you some tea and soup. Do you think you can eat, or at least try?”

“Yeah,” she said, walking around to a stool and sitting at the island.

Faith was able to eat most of her soup and drank all of her tea.

“I need to make a phone call. I’ll be back.” Faith excused herself and went to her bedroom. She scrolled through her contact list and found the number she was looking for.

“Salut … Je suis d'accord … Il va prendre un certain temps … Il veut que je reste avec lui pendant quelques jours … Très bien … Je vais rester en contact. Au revoir. (Hi. I'm okay. It's going to take a while. He wants me to stay with him for a few days. Okay. I'll keep in touch. Goodbye.)

While Faith was on the phone, Gavin called Adrian as promised.

“Hi, Dad. We’re at my house. I’ve asked Faith to stay the whole weekend.”

“That’s probably a good idea. Do you know what happened?” asked Adrian.

“We haven’t talked about it. I think she’ll need more time before she’s ready for that,” said Gavin.

“That’s understandable. What did you see? How did you walk into this?” asked Adrian.

Gavin didn’t feel like talking about it either, but Adrian needed to know.

“I forgot my phone. As I walked back to my office, I heard Faith screaming. I ran to her office and found Carter on top of her with his pants down. I ripped him up off her and threw him against the wall. He’ll need a few stitches. I told him to leave. She was trembling so much. Anyway, the nurse seems to think that I may have stopped Carter before he could even get started. When she is ready to talk, we’ll know exactly what happened.”

“How is she?” Adrian asked, concerned.

“As good as can be expected. She was able to eat, and I made her some tea to help calm her down. She’s making a phone call right now,” said Gavin.

“Make sure she gets some rest. I’m sure she’s very tired. Her body has been through a great deal of stress. Is there anything we can do? Your mother is worried sick.”

“I think we’ll all know what we need to do when the time comes. For now, I think we just need to let her know she’s loved and that she can count on us to be there for her,” Gavin said.

“I’m sure she’s not ready to call her parents. Tell her that I’ll take care of that for her.”

“I will. I’ll fill you in when she’s ready to talk,” replied Gavin.

“We love you. Tell Faith that we love her, too. Talk to you soon,” said Adrian.

“I love you, too. Good night, Dad.” Gavin ended his call and turned off his cell phone. He wanted to give Faith his complete attention.

He walked down the hall to check on her. She was laying down on the bed. She looked up when he came to the door.

“How are you doing?” asked Gavin.

“I’m really tired,” she said, turning on her side to face him.

Gavin walked in and sat on the bed.

“My mom and dad send their love, and Dad said he’d call your parents,” he said.

Faith nodded, relieved.

“Would you like me to stay with you? I’d like to. I can sleep on that chair,” he said, motioning his head toward a chair across the room.

“That doesn’t look very comfortable,” she said wearily. “I think I’ll be okay for tonight. I shouldn’t have any problems getting to sleep.”

“If you do, I’m right next door. I need to shower and get to bed myself. I’ll check on you before I go to sleep,” he said, rubbing her cheek.

“Okay,” she said. As Gavin started to leave, she continued, “Gavin?”

“Yes, beautiful?” he said, turning to look at her.

“Thank you for being there for me,” she said.

“Always, beautiful. Always.” Gavin turned out her light and went to do as he said.

Later in the evening, Gavin went to check on Faith to make sure she wasn’t having any trouble sleeping. She was resting peacefully. He walked over to check on her. He knelt down next to her, stroking her hair. A single tear was running down her face. He wiped the tear away, stood up and put his hands in his pockets. He turned to look out the window, staring into the night.

Faith shifted her weight around, opening her eyes as she did.

“What are you doing?” she said sleepily.

“I just wanted to check on you,” he said. “Go back to sleep.”

Faith closed her eyes almost as quickly as she had opened them. Gavin continued to look out the window, staying close in case she needed him.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The following morning, Gavin woke up at his usual time and went for a run. He had a lot on his mind and figured the fresh air would do some good. When he got back home, he checked in on Faith. She was still sleeping. ‘Good,’ he thought. He went to his bedroom, took off his sweaty clothes, and took a shower.

Faith was still resting when Gavin emerged from his bedroom, clothed and ready for the day. He went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. He turned on the stove to warm up some water for some tea, while cutting up some fresh fruit, placing it in a bowl. He got a tray from one of the cabinets, sat it on the countertop, and carefully placed the fruit, a mug for the tea, honey, and a glass filled with filtered water on it. Grabbing a fork and napkin from a drawer, he stopped, remembering one more thing. Gavin got some scissors and walked to the front of his house. He clipped a single flower from a bunch, brought it back in and put it in a small vase with water. The kettle began to whistle quietly as the water boiled inside. He turned the burner off, and poured the hot water over another chamomile tea bag in the mug that was sitting on the tray. He sat the kettle on a cooling pad, picked up the tray, and went to wake Faith up.

She was groggily moving around, yawning and rubbing her eyes when he entered the room.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, walking to the side of the bed that she had slept on.

“Hi,” she said sleepily, smiling. “What’s this?” she asked, sitting up against a pillow behind her. Gavin sat the tray down in front of her.

“Breakfast in bed, of course,” he smiled. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

“You didn’t have to do this,” she said, amazed at how sweet this man could be.

“I was up, and I wanted to surprise you. Besides, you need the nourishment, even if it’s just a little fruit. I figured you wouldn’t want to eat much more than that.”

Faith nodded. “You would be correct. Are you going to eat with me?”

“I will sit with you, sure.”

“I’ll share,” she said, smiling.

Gavin sat down and allowed Faith to enjoy her breakfast. She shared her fruit with him, though he wanted her to eat most of it.

Sipping on her tea, she asked, “Are you going in to work today?”

“Not really. I need to go talk to Adrian this morning, but that’s it. I have a few errands to run after that. I’ll be back before lunch.”

“Okay,” she said.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“I’m sore, and still a little tired,” she said, nodding. “I’m doing okay, though.”

“Good,” he said, gently stroking her cheek. “I want you to rest today, alright? Don’t try to move much. I put some ibuprofen on your tray to take when you’re finished. That will help with the soreness. The chamomile will help you relax. If you find you can’t sleep, the sleeping pills they prescribed at the hospital are in that drawer.” He pointed to the nightstand. “You only need one. If you can help it, try not to take them. They’ll throw your sleeping patterns off.”

Faith nodded in agreement, thankful that Gavin was there to take care of her.

“The remote for the television is in the same drawer, and there are magazines and books stored on the shelf below it if you want to read or preoccupy your mind,” he continued.

Faith finished everything on her tray, including taking the ibuprofen. “Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome,” he gently said. Gavin stood up, taking the tray with him. He took it to the kitchen and returned to say goodbye.

“I don’t want to be away from you long, so I’d better go. Don’t be stubborn,” he said, glaring at her sternly. “Get some rest. We’ll get you out of this room when I get back.”

“Alright,” Faith said disappointedly. She was planning to get up as soon as he left.

He kissed her on the cheek again and left.

Gavin stopped at Agnes’ desk before going in to see Adrian. He didn’t want to interrupt any meetings he might be engaged in.

“Hi, Agnes. Is Adrian free?” he asked.

“He is Gavin. He’s expecting you,” she nodded.

Gavin knocked on the door and opened it at the same time.

“Gavin. I’m glad you’re here. Come in. Sit down,” said Adrian, motioning him in.

Gavin sat down and said, “There are some things we need to discuss.”

“Yes there are. What would you like to talk about first?” asked Adrian.

“Carter. What do we do about him?”

“Well, he definitely should be fired. As far as I’m concerned, he is fired. However, Faith still needs to decide whether she’s going to press charges or not. She has a very forgiving heart. I think we should wait to see what she wants us to do.”

“Forgiving or not, he can’t be around here. I almost killed him,” said Gavin, getting angry just thinking about it.

“I understand. I’m angry about this, too,” consoled Adrian.

“No, I don’t think you’re hearing me. I was one punch away from killing him. I don’t think he should come back here.”

“Oh, I see. Well, how about we tell him to take three weeks leave of absence to give Faith time to heal and tell us what she wants us to do?”

“Six,” said Gavin flatly. “She needs more time than that.”

“Alright, six it is,” Adrian agreed.

“Without pay,” Gavin continued.

“Six weeks without pay. Are you sure?” asked Adrian.

“Positive,” Gavin stated.

“Okay. What’s next?” said Adrian, moving on.

“We need to replace the carpet in Faith’s office. We’ll also need to have the wall by her door repaired and painted. Anything that might remind her of last night needs to be removed,” Gavin said.

“I already started working on that. Building management will be sending someone up this afternoon to look at the damage and give us a quote for everything. I figured you might be bringing that to my attention.”

“Thank you,” said Gavin.

“How is she doing?” asked Adrian, concerned.

“She says she’s fine, but I don’t think it’s really hit her yet. She’s sore, from the bruising,” answered Gavin.

“She still hasn’t talked about it yet?”

“No. I won’t press her to do so. She’ll talk when she’s ready. We always do,” said Gavin.

“Besides being angry, how are you holding up?” asked Adrian.

“I’m trying to be strong for her, but I’m an emotional wreck. My mind is a warzone.”

“The two of you have gotten close since the Denver trip. I could tell when we had our meeting earlier this week,” Adrian said, raising his eyebrows.

“You’re the second person who’s noticed. Are we that obvious?” asked Gavin, astounded that their secret was no longer a secret.

“I wouldn’t say that you were trying to be obvious. I could see it in your eyes, and from the way you interacted with each other in conversation,” responded Adrian. He leaned forward in his chair and looked directly at Gavin.

“I don’t understand everything I’m feeling right now. I hurt for her, I’m angry this happened to her. I’ll do whatever I can to protect her. I’ve never felt this way before about anyone. Not even-,”

“I know,” Adrian said, nodding. “Do you love her?”

“I’m not quite ready to say that yet. Not because I don’t want to, I just want to be sure.”

“When you know that you love her, tell her. She’ll need to know,” said Adrian.

“I will. We’ve always been honest with each other, unless we’re not ready to talk about something,” replied Gavin.

“Speaking of which, have you told her about what happened between you and Carter?” asked Adrian in a serious tone.

“No. I’m going to tell her this afternoon or tonight. It’s time she knows.”

“I agree,” said Adrian. “Faith is a remarkable woman, Gavin. I hope that things work out between you two. It’s good to see you happy.”

Gavin sighed deeply. “Thanks.”

“What’s that all about?” Adrian frowned.

“What if I hadn’t forgotten my phone?” asked Gavin, shaking his head and looking into his lap.

“Gavin, son, you can’t look at it that way. You were here when she needed you the most. You kept the worst from happening,” said Adrian.

Gavin nodded.

“You know, you’re getting ready for another trip in a week. The repairs on Faith’s office probably won’t be complete until you get back. Why don’t you take next week off?” suggested Adrian. “Faith will need you. I’ll cover any meetings you have scheduled.”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll talk to her about it,” Gavin said. He stood up to leave. “Thanks.”

“Sure. Keep me posted on how she’s doing,” Adrian said.

“I will.” Gavin turned and left. He ran several errands before returning home.

Faith was sitting on the living room sofa when Gavin got home. He walked in with several bags. She quickly laid down low in the cushions, and under the pillows. She was supposed to be in bed.

“Someone is not where they’re supposed to be?” he said, smiling as he sat the bags down.

She tried to hide, but it was too late.

Gavin moved the pillows she was covered with. “You are so stubborn,” he laughed. “I told you to stay in bed until I got back.”

“I cannot stay confined to four walls. What fun is that? Besides, my legs aren’t broken, they’re just sore,” she smiled. “I like your house. It’s nice.”

“You walked around?” Gavin asked, stunned. “You should have been resting.”

“I was bored. You were gone forever. I didn’t want to watch any ‘baby mama’ shows, and there are only so many surveys I can take from the magazines you left. We’re compatible, by the way. At least that’s what one survey said,” she giggled.

He chuckled. “It’s good to see you smiling. How are you doing?”

“I’m good,” she said, nodding.

“Faith, are you sure? It hasn’t even been twenty four hours,” said Gavin, raising his eyebrows.

Tears were building in her eyes. She looked away, trying to find a way to change the subject. She eyed the bags on the floor.

“Where did you go?” she asked, wiping her eyes.

‘That’s what I thought,’ Gavin thought. “I went shopping. I have a question for you,” he said.

“What is it?” asked Faith.

“Well, you’re already staying the weekend. Adrian and I would like you to take next week off. Then, we’re scheduled for our next trip on Friday. Would you like to spend the week with me before we leave?”

“Meaning you’d take the week off?” she asked.

“That’s what I mean by spend the week with me, yes,” he smiled.

“I don’t have any clothes. I have nothing but what I’m wearing,” she said, pulling on her shirt.

“Well,” Gavin said, standing up and going to get the bags, “I took the liberty of finding out what size you are, shoes and all. I’m pretty familiar with the style of clothes you like to wear, so I bought you a few things.” He sat the bags down next to her so she could look.

“This is a lot of stuff. No wonder you were gone so long. You didn’t have to do this. Besides, I normally don’t pack this many things. I usually recycle my clothes after a week.”

“Then you’ll have clothes you can leave here,” he said, hinting that he would like her to visit more often. “So, how about it?”

“It does make sense, and it would be nice, and easier. Let me think about it, okay?” said Faith.

“Alright. I’m going to start lunch while you look through everything. Are you hungry?” he asked, standing and going to the kitchen.

“Starved.”

“I can keep it simple, or I can get sophisticated. Which would you like?” he asked.

“Let’s keep it simple for lunch. Are you actually going to cook?” she asked, surprised.

“Of course. I cook all of my meals. I have a degree in culinary arts. It kept me busy for a while after college. I was still pretty low on the totem poll at C&A,” he said, as he searched the refrigerator for what he wanted.

“Wow. That’s pretty amazing,” she said. She had her arms crossed on the back of the sofa, with her head resting on her arms, looking into the kitchen.

“Do you like cheese?” he asked, looking back at her.

“Love it. It’s my weakness,” Faith smiled.

“I thought I was your weakness?” Gavin flirted.

“That’s a given,” she giggled.

Gavin pulled several types of cheese from the refrigerator, sliced some focaccia bread, and took out a pan from the cupboards. He sprayed the pan lightly with oil and sprinkled some garlic pepper and parmesan cheese inside, then covered it with a slice of bread. On top of the bread he placed a slice each of cheddar, provolone, and mozzarella cheeses, added a few sun-dried tomatoes, and covered everything with a second slice of bread. Once one side was grilled, he sprayed the pan again, repeating the garlic and parmesan steps, and flipped the sandwich. He cut up some strawberries and put them on one side of a plate, cut the sandwich in half, and then prepared another one.

“What do you want to drink?” he asked.

Faith was pulling clothes from the bags that Gavin brought home. He knew her better than she thought. Each item she looked at was something she would have chosen.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having. What are you making? It smells delicious,” she said sniffing the air.

“I’m almost done. I’ll be there in a second,” said Gavin.

He put their plates, drinks, and napkins on a tray and carried them over to the table sitting in front of the sofa.

“This is the best grilled cheese you will ever eat,” he said, sitting the tray down.

“Seriously? It’s cheese and bread,” she teased.

“Take one bite and you’ll be begging me to make you another one,” he grinned as he sat down next to her.

Faith had her legs crossed and was sitting sideways. He handed her a plate and a napkin. She took a bite of her sandwich to see what all the fuss was about. She chewed slowly as she enjoyed every second and every flavor contained in that one bite. With her eyes closed, she smiled dreamily as if she had just found heaven.

“Gavin, this is awesome!” she exclaimed. “You’re right. This is the best grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever had.”

They finished their lunch and talked for a while. Faith was getting tired from all of the excitement of the afternoon. The ibuprofen she had taken that morning was beginning to wear off, so Gavin gave her a couple more. She laid down on the couch and rested as Gavin cleared their plates and cleaned the kitchen.

“Did you like the clothes I picked out for you?” he asked.

“Actually I did. You know me pretty well. I’m not going to ask how you knew my bra and underwear sizes,” she said sleepily, moaning, yawning and stretching all at once.

He chuckled. “Are you falling asleep in there?” said Gavin, looking out over the countertop. He didn’t address the bra and underwear issue.

“Almost. I can’t believe how tired I am,” she said, closing her eyes.

“Your body has been through a lot. You rest. I’ll hang your clothes up when I’m through in the kitchen,” he said.

She didn’t respond. He finished up in the kitchen, dried his hands, and went to check on her. Faith was fast asleep. He quietly picked up all of the shopping bags, carried them to her room, hung the clothes that needed to be, and folded the rest.

Faith woke up after sleeping for a couple of hours. Gavin was reading in a chair nearby.

She looked over at him and said, “Hey.”

“Hi, beautiful. You’re so peaceful when you sleep. How are you feeling?” he asked, sitting his book on his lap.

“Good,” she said stretching and sitting up. “What are you reading?”

“Nothing really. I’ve been trying to read this book for months, but there’s always something else that distracts me.” He picked up the book and started reading again.

Faith laid silently, thinking about staying with him for the week. She decided it would be the best scenario with all that had happened. Besides, being away from Gavin was getting harder on her. She enjoyed being around him.

“I want to stay with you this week,” she said without turning around.

Gavin put his book back down, “I’m glad. I was hoping that would be what you decided.” He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking of the best way to share what happened between himself and Carter almost seventeen years ago.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Remember when I told you about when all of my sleeping around started?” he asked.

Faith shook her head yes.

“It’s time for you to know why,” Gavin said, sighing deeply.

Faith sat up, crossed her legs and waited for him to start. He got up and sat next to her on the couch.

* * *

Gavin walked across campus to his apartment. They were approaching their last week of school and graduation. He had a big surprise planned for his girlfriend of two years and couldn’t wait to get started. Carter was home when he got there.

“Hey man,” Gavin said as he walked in the door.

“Hey,” Carter said, jumping off the couch. “You’re running late. What do you need me to do?” He was already dressed and ready to go.

“I need to take a shower. Can you call the restaurant and verify our reservations?” Gavin requested as he rushed to his room, shedding clothes on the way there.

“Will do. Anything else?” Carter asked.

“The limo should be here in about twenty minutes. If I’m not ready when it gets here, can you send it over to pick up Aubrey? He can swing back here and get us so we don’t lose any time.”

“Got it,” Carter said. He raced to the phone and started doing what Gavin had asked of him. Carter and Gavin were best friends and roommates at the University of Pennsylvania, both marketing majors.

After Carter confirmed their dinner reservation, he went to the window to see if the limo had arrived. It hadn’t. Gavin walked into the living room with wet hair and only underwear on.

“What are you doing? Get dressed. You’ve got about ten minutes to spare,” Carter said as he looked at his watch.

Gavin smiled and scurried off to his room. Moments later, he emerged wearing a gray Italian suit, complimented with a light blue dress shirt, silk tie, and black Italian leather dress shoes.

“You look great,” Carter said, helping Gavin with his tie.

“So do you, my friend,” Gavin said, patting him on the shoulder.

“Did you send the roses?” asked Carter.

“Of course,” said Gavin, looking out the window. The limo pulled up just as he was looking out.

“Are you ready?” Carter said, raising his eyebrows.

“Absolutely,” Gavin beamed.

They grabbed their keys, locked the door on their way out, and went to the car. The limo drove to Aubrey’s apartment, where she and a friend, Mariah, were waiting. When they got in, Gavin pulled Aubrey close and kissed her deeply.

“I missed you,” he said, smiling. He hadn’t seen her all week.

“I missed you, too,” she said, looking into his eyes.

Aubrey Freeman was a woman of medium height, long brunette hair, and fair skin. She had attended school with an academic scholarship. She had plans of attending law school once they graduated, which would be in a couple of weeks. Aubrey was from Cascade, Iowa, a small town populated by a little less than two thousand people. Her family was one of the wealthiest of the residents, however she always craved for more. Law school was a step in the right direction, but not quite enough. Mariah was Aubrey’s best friend, and Carter’s date for the night. All they knew was Gavin had something special planned for the group.

They arrived at Positano Coast, and were shown to a table in the Positano room. After enjoying their meals and a couple of glasses of wine, they were moved to the relaxing atmosphere of the Sopra Lounge.

“Is everyone excited about graduation? I can’t wait,” said Carter.

“I would be, but I’ll only get the summer off since I’m going straight to law school,” said Aubrey, taking a drink. “I can’t get excited for another three or four years.”

Gavin took Aubrey by the hand, “Maybe you can get excited about something else.”

“Like what?” she asked.

Mariah and Carter looked at each other. Carter knew exactly what was going on.

“I don’t know. Maybe about becoming Mrs. Gavin Carlisle,” he smiled. “Will you marry me?” Gavin slipped a two karat princess cut diamond ring on her finger.

“Is that what this was really about? This wasn’t about graduation?” she asked, surprised, covering her mouth with her other hand. She was shocked. Mariah and Carter had huge grins on their faces.

“I love you, Aubrey. Please say yes,” Gavin said.

She kissed him several times, saying, “Yes, yes, and yes. I will marry you.”

People around them began to clap and cheer from the excitement. Gavin and the others drank and laughed for a few more hours.

Mariah invited Carter to be with her for the rest of the evening, while Gavin and Aubrey returned to his apartment. As soon as they walked in the door, Gavin grabbed and kissed her passionately. They had never slept together. It was her wish to save herself until marriage. Tonight, he hoped she would make an exception.

“Gavin, you know my desires. I’m excited to become your wife, but I ask that you wait,” she said.

“I know,” he pouted.

“We’ll be together soon enough. You know I love you,” she said, kissing him tenderly.

“Yes. Will you stay tonight, or would you like me to have the driver take you home?” he asked.

“I’ll stay. No funny stuff,” she smirked.

He lifted her hand to his lips. “I promise,” he said.

Gavin called his parents to let them know that Aubrey had accepted his proposal. They were so excited for the couple, and thought Aubrey was a wonderful young woman. The following week was finals week, so the group spent all weekend studying for their exams. They had all of their meals delivered so they wouldn’t be interrupted for an extended period of time.

All of them had exams at the beginning of the week, but Gavin was the only one with finals on Thursday and Friday. He had one each day. On Friday, his final was scheduled for two hours, but he had managed to finish it in one. He was excited about this because he missed Aubrey, and hadn’t seen her all week. When he got home, he planned to take a shower, but instead heard deep breathing, moaning and grunting coming from Carter’s room. ‘Must be Mariah,’ he thought. He started towards his room, when he heard a familiar voice. Gavin stopped in his tracks. He slowly turned around and walked towards Carter’s room. He quietly pushed the door open, stunned by what he saw. He couldn’t move as the woman riding on top of Carter continued to grind into him, smiling with each movement she made. Carter was handcuffed to the bed and had his eyes closed. The woman was wearing a patent leather bustier, a chain link collar, and was holding a set of cat of nine tails. When Carter opened his eyes, he saw Gavin standing there, motionless.

“Gavin,” Carter said.

The woman stopped and turned around, still breathing hard. “What are you doing home so early?” she asked breathily, shocked to see him.

“I believe the question is what are you doing here, with him?” Gavin asked, as anger began to rise within him. Carter pounded his fists in the bed.

“Damn, Gavin. This wasn’t supposed to happen,” said Carter.

“What wasn’t supposed to happen was you screwing my fiancée whom I assumed was a virgin the last couple of years. How long has this been going on?” Gavin asked angrily.

“Does that really matter right now?” Aubrey asked.

“How long?” he yelled.

“About a year,” Carter answered.

“You knew I was going to ask her to marry me. Instead of saying ‘Hey friend, you might want to think twice about that,’ you let me embarrass the hell out of myself last week,” he clinched his jaw. Looking at Aubrey he said, “And you. Were you ever going to make love to me, or was this your plan all along? Bag the guy with all the money, and screw his best friend on the side. Were you afraid that my lovemaking wouldn’t be kinky enough for you? Of course, how would you know? Every time I tried, you shut me down. Now I know it’s because you were too busy screwing him,” he said, pointing to Carter. “Were you just going to keep this up when we got married? What excuse would you have come up with then?” he asked.

Aubrey lifted herself off Carter and sat on his side. Carter covered himself with his sheets.

“This was going to be the last time,” she said. “I really love you.”

“You don’t know what love is. You’ve been lying to me this entire time. Both of you. How could I have been so blind. I should have seen this. All those times you would come here and wait for me, rather than letting me come get you,” he snarled.

“We can work through this, Gavin. I know we can. I’m sorry,” Aubrey pleaded.

“Get your clothes on, and get out,” he shouted. “Now!”

Aubrey got up, pulled on her jeans and shirt, and tried to get Gavin to change his mind.

“Please, Gavin. I need you,” she said.

“You just need my money,” Gavin replied. “You’ve never wanted me. All this time you just used me. Get out. Don’t call me, don’t try to stop by. I never want to see you again.”

She walked past him in the doorway, turning around for one last attempt. Gavin didn’t look at her. She continued through the living room, stopping only to take off the ring he had given her and sitting it on an end table.

Gavin looked at Carter and said, “You two deserve each other. You should leave, too.”

“Gavin, I’m sorry. I didn’t plan this. It just happened,” Carter said.

“Just get out, Carter. Just go.”

When they were gone, Gavin sat quietly on the couch in the living area, hurt and alone.

* * *

“After we graduated, I never saw or spoke to Aubrey again. Carter saw her a couple of times, but it turns out her plan was as I suspected. She wanted to marry me for my money, while continuing to have sex with Carter. When she lost me, she no longer needed him. I was depressed for a while, so much that my parents thought I might commit suicide. Work and culinary school kept me busy. When I discovered that women were highly attracted to me, I used it to my advantage. Carter didn’t fare so well. He started gambling, and primarily slept with prostitutes. I’ve never liked Carter working for us. I disagreed with my father when he wanted to hire him. He said Carter was the best candidate for the job, and that I had to put my personal feelings aside, that it was business. That decision put a lot of stress on my relationship with Adrian. Since it was a business decision, I kept our relationship strictly professional. It drove my mother crazy. That changed a few months ago when you told me what he did for me.”

Faith was stunned. She didn’t know what to say about all of this.

“I knew Carter was in a bad place. I’ve noticed a change in him over the last year,” he said. He took a deep breath, turned to Faith with tears in his eyes, and continued, “I’m so sorry, Faith. I tried to protect you.”

Faith shook her head as she moved closer to him. She cupped his face with her hands. “Don’t you dare try to take the blame for what happened to me. Carter did this. Not you. He wins if you blame yourself.” She pulled him close, kissed him tenderly and hugged him. They held their embrace, sitting in silence for a few moments.

“I always thought you and Carter were such good friends,” Faith said, breaking the silence.

“I had to keep the peace, so I tolerated him. I made him agree to never date, or attempt to date, anyone that I was interested in. The agreement was easy to maintain as long as our taste in women was different. A woman like yourself is not his cup of tea. He likes his women to be a little more loose. That’s putting it nicely. We fought about that agreement when you started. He somehow believed that he might have a chance with you. Knowing things weren’t quite right with his intentions, I warned him to stay away from you. To be honest, one of the things we fought about was whose intentions toward you were better,” he said looking at her.

Faith smiled as she gently stroked his hair. Gavin rubbed her cheek.

“Did he,” he struggled to ask. He closed his eyes and frowned. “Did he - ”

“No,” Faith interrupted. “You came in before he could. I’m fortunate you were there.”

“I was only there because I forgot my phone. I had to come back for it. What if - ”

“Shh,” she said, now caressing his face. “You were there, Gavin. That’s all that matters. It’s going to take me some time to get over this, but not nearly as long as it would have taken had you not stopped Carter when you did. I’m going to be okay. Being here with you now means a lot to me.”

Gavin hugged her close. “I’m glad you’re here. You’ll have to bear with me for a little while,” he said pulling away slightly to look at her. “I might be a bit overprotective of you for a few weeks. I ask for forgiveness in advance.”

“Forgiven,” she smiled.

Pulling her in again he said, “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you. I’m a wreck right now.”

So much had just happened. Faith finally knew why Gavin was so angry with Carter, and with good reason. Gavin laid back on the couch, while she rested gently on his chest with his arms wrapped around her. She could think of no other place she’d rather be during this difficult time.

“I’m sorry that you were hurt by two people you thought you could trust the most,” she said, stroking his arm. “I hope you know I would never hurt you like that.”

He kissed her head. “I know you wouldn’t.”

Shortly thereafter, Faith fell asleep. Her body was still trying to recover from the stress of the attempted rape. Gavin knew the worst was over, but the matter of whether or not she would press charges remained. Until then, Carter was a free man, and could very well be a flight risk. His biggest concern was that Faith would be merciful. He wanted Carter to pay, even if it was only an attempt. Not wanting to think about it anymore, he reached for the remote and turned on the television to preoccupy his mind, keeping the volume low.

At the beginning of the week, Faith seemed to be getting better. She wasn’t sleeping as much, and her soreness had subsided. They shared some fun, relaxing days together. Since Gavin was a gourmet cook, he agreed to give Faith a lesson each day.

One particular day, Gavin had to go get groceries for dinner, and Faith opted to not to go. It gave her more time to explore in his house while he was gone. She found his collection of jazz CD’s hidden in a huge cabinet along a wall in the living room. There had to have been at least five hundred discs stored in there. She randomly pulled out a disc and popped it in the Bose player. As she listened, she continued to study the collection. Gavin walked in to his favorite artist.

“You found my music,” he said, taking the groceries to the kitchen.

“You have so much,” she said. “Do you have a favorite?”

“You’re listening to him. Charlie Parker. John Coltrane is pretty high on my list, too,” he answered, putting things away.

“Do you have all of their music?” she asked, still looking, in awe of his set.

“No. I’m missing the Savoy sessions from Parker. I know I can easily get them, but I always have something else to do,” he said.

“This is nice. I like it,” she commented as she listened.

“Feel free to add whatever you like to your iPod. I know you take that thing everywhere.” Gavin had an opportunity to take a look at what Faith listened to while she was sleeping one day. She had quite the range of music stored on it, from country to alternative pop and rock.

“It’s convenient. I’m all about what’s easy,” she smiled as she walked to the kitchen. “What are we making tonight?”

“Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe. It’s a pasta dish, extremely simple, and extremely delicious. You’re going to love it. We’ll get into more difficult dishes later. I don’t want to spend all of my time in the kitchen. I want to spend it with you,” he smiled.

“You are spending it with me,” she beamed. “What do we do first?”

Faith boiled the pasta and the rabe. He explained to her that broccoli rabe is not related to broccoli at all, but to the cabbage and turnip families, and is bitter in taste. They sautéed some onions in olive oil, adding garlic and chili pepper. Once ready, they drained the pasta and rabe, and added it to the sauté pan with half a cup of reserved cooking liquid, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. It was tossed well, and ready to serve. Gavin turned the stove to a lower setting, and Faith set the table. He pulled out two glasses for wine.

They lit two candles and enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the dining room.

“Another tasty meal,” smiled Faith. “Keep feeding me like this and I won’t go home.”

“That wouldn’t bother me one bit,” he grinned.

“Awkward moment,” she blushed.

“You know I’m not one to hold back how I feel. I’ve enjoyed waking up and seeing you every morning,” he said, taking a sip of his wine.

“I have, too,” she said.

“You’ve enjoyed waking up and seeing yourself every morning?” he joked.

“Smart ass,” she laughed, throwing a napkin at him.

He dodged the napkin. “I couldn’t resist.”

She grinned, “I’ve enjoyed being with you, too.”

Gavin stood and walked to her end of the table, helping her up. Light jazz continued to play in the background as they ate.

“Dance with me,” he said, leading her to an open area in the living room.

Faith stood and put one hand in Gavin’s, resting the other on his shoulder. They glided all around the space.

“I should have known that you dance, too,” she said. “Very well, in fact. Is there anything you do poorly?” she asked as they kept moving and looking at each other.

“No. I do everything very well,” he said flirtatiously. He wanted to kiss her, but knew it was too soon. He chose to kiss her cheek instead.

Faith rested her head on his chest and enjoyed this moment. After they danced, they both got comfortable, ate snacks, and talked until they were too tired to talk anymore. They fell asleep in each other’s arms on the couch. Later in the night, Gavin woke up, and carried Faith to her room. He watched her sleep for a few moments. Tomorrow she would have to make a big decision. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, then retired to his bedroom for the night.

CHAPTER TWELVE

As they approached the end of the week, Gavin took some time to talk to Faith about whether or not she wanted to press charges against Carter. She was sitting in the living room reading through a magazine as he cleaned up after lunch. It had been his turn to clean up, and he had just finished.

He went in and sat down next to her. He took the magazine away from her so that he would have her full attention.

“What are you doing?” she asked looking directly at him.

“We need to talk,” he said seriously.

“What is it?” she asked. She had a feeling of what this was about, but didn’t offer up that information.

“You need to let the police know if you’re going to press charges against Carter today. They’ve already arrested him and can only hold him for seventy two hours. It’s up to you if he stands trial, or walks away scot free from this.”

“You want me to press charges, don’t you?” she asked, afraid of how he might react.

He shook his head, “I want you to do what you feel is right. You have a very big heart, Faith. I’ve been anticipating a different outcome than what I would prefer.”

“Carter needs help. I would rather see him get the help he needs than waste away in prison for being messed up and confused,” said Faith.

Gavin was afraid of this. He rolled his eyes and stood up. “Okay, so you don’t press charges. What would you like us to do about his job? Would you like him to keep it? Maybe we can give him a raise while we’re at it.” He was beginning to get angry.

“You’re angry with me, aren’t you?” she asked, disappointed.

Gavin clinched his fists and turned around to face her. “I can’t stop imagining what he would have done to you had I not had to come back and get my phone. I’m sorry, Faith. I’m not as forgiving as you. He was unsuccessful this time, but who’s to say he won’t try again. I will not allow that. That’s unacceptable.”

“That’s exactly why he needs to get help. If he refuses, he loses his job, and I’ll press charges,” she said, standing up pleading with him to hear her.

Gavin took a deep breath. “Carter has had help before, Faith. We’ve had to send him away for his gambling habits. How much longer should we, as a company, have to deal with his issues? We’re enabling him. Hurting the woman that I care about is where I draw the line.”

Faith approached him and gently touched his face. She looked into his beautiful green eyes and said, “I know this doesn’t make sense to you. I don’t think Carter meant to hurt me. I think he’s sick.”

“Oh, he’s sick alright. Faith, I could have killed him. This is not just about you. What if he gets fixated on someone else in the office? He could potentially hurt another woman. Do you want that?”

“Of course not. I just want to give him an option. He can take it or leave it. He can either accept that he needs help, or go to jail,” she said.

Gavin put his arms around her and sighed. “I don’t want him to hurt you again.” He hugged her close.

“I know.” She held him as tightly as he held her.

Keeping his arms around her, he pulled away slightly to look at her. “What am I going to do with you, Faith Scott?”

She just smiled as they stood, leaning their heads together.

“I should get going. I want to get this over with. Are you sure you don’t want to come?” he asked.

“Positive. I can’t face him right now.”

Gavin kissed her tenderly on the cheek. “I’ll be back in a little while. Maybe you can get some packing done. You know how early we have to leave for the airport.”

“Don’t remind me,” she called out as he left.

Gavin arrived at the police station where they were holding Carter until his arraignment. He had already admitted to the offense. One of the officers took Gavin back to the room that he had been questioned in. Gavin opened the door and walked in.

Carter looked up, “Gavin. I never thought I’d see you here. I figured Adrian would come and deal with me.”

“For whatever reason, both Adrian and Faith thought it best that I come and talk to you. I’m not quite sure what they were thinking.”

“How is Faith?” Carter asked, looking down at the table. He was remorseful for what he had done.

“She’s as good as she can be. She seems to think you didn’t mean to hurt her. That’s where we disagree. I knew something was awry the instant you showed an interest in her.”

“Please tell her that I’m sorry. I deserve whatever punishment I’m given,” Carter lamented.

“I agree. If it were me, you’d be as far beneath the surface of the earth as they could put you,” Gavin snapped.

“I gathered that given the condition that my face is in. You must really love her.”

“My feelings are very strong. I care for her deeply,” Gavin said. He was walking back and forth in the room, refusing to sit down.

“No, it’s more than that. When Aubrey and I were sleeping together, you didn’t lift a finger at me. You told me to leave and that was that. However with Faith, I didn’t think you were going to stop hitting me.”

“I wasn’t,” Gavin said flatly.

“That’s why I believe you love her. More than you ever loved Aubrey.”

“You slept together for an entire year without saying a word. I didn’t think I’d ever recover from that. I almost didn’t.” Gavin paused for a second before continuing. “I know I shouldn’t ask, but why did you do it? Why did you sleep with Aubrey?”

“It just happened. Maybe she planned it, I don’t know. When you were still in class, Aubrey would come over and just wait for you. One day when we were talking, we just gave in to our temptation. The day you found us was supposed to be the last time. My suspicions were that she wasn’t telling the truth about that.

“Gavin, I’ve had some time to think about all of the things that I’ve done over the years. I wasn’t a very good friend to you. You’ve been right not to trust me. I am so sorry for what I did to you almost seventeen years ago, and I’m sorry for what I did last week. Even if you don’t forgive me, I needed to tell you that.”

Gavin stopped pacing around and faced Carter. He almost felt sorry for him, but couldn’t bring himself to do so.

“Why Faith?” asked Gavin.

“I got jealous when I saw the two of you hugging at the airport. I’m sure she told you.”

“Yes, she did,” Gavin nodded. He was leaning against the wall as he listened to Carter explain.

“I was a real ass to her on the plane. She probably told you that, too.”

Gavin perched his lips and said, “No, she left that part out. Probably because she knew it would make me angry. I assume she had no issues dealing with you?”

“Not at all. She shut me down pretty quick, and then shut me out by plugging in and listening to her iPod the entire trip. When we got to Denver though, I got myself worked up by following her around if we weren’t in meetings. I pretty much stalked her, and tricked my mind into believing that she was inviting me to be with her. She managed to keep to herself, though. Outside of running, and some shopping here and there, I couldn’t get to her. That’s when things started going crazy. I would have visions of her and I couldn’t sleep. She was always in my head. Finally, I had to have her. I wasn’t going to take no for an answer. That’s when I attacked her.”

Gavin tried to hold his composure. He was ready to start punching again.

“My head isn’t on straight, Gavin. Even now, I think about Faith. She’s like a drug or something.”

“Have you been taking any drugs, Carter? What you just told me is really sick and twisted.”

“No. She’s just different. I’ve never met anyone like her. I can’t say what it is, but I know she’s yours. I can see that, though I’m surprised. I thought this was just about sex for you.”

Gavin looked off into space for a few moments, ignoring what Carter had just stated. He wondered if Faith had told him what Carter had said and done, maybe this whole incident would never have happened.

“Unless it never was,” Carter continued, looking for an answer.

“I really don’t have to discuss this with you, nor do I want to.”

“You’re out of character, Gavin. I’ve never seen you this way before. We may not be friends any longer, but I know you like the back of my hand. You should have given up on Faith some time ago, unless your intent has always been to win her heart.”

“Like I said, it’s not up for discussion and it’s none of your business,” Gavin said rolling his eyes.

“Fine. You know I’m right, though.”

The two men stared at each other in silence for a moment before Gavin spoke again.

“Faith doesn’t want to press charges against you.”

“What? Why not?” Carter asked, puzzled.

“She thinks you need help, which I’m starting to agree. If you consent to some kind of therapy, she won’t press, and you get to keep your job.” Gavin shook his head. “I can’t believe that woman,” he said under his breath.

“And if I don’t agree?”

“She’ll press charges and you’re fired,” Gavin said as he glared at Carter who looked pathetic sitting there at the table.

Carter sat thinking for a moment about everything that Gavin had just said. He buried his face in his hands and concluded that therapy would be the best option.

“I do need help. I don’t have the best view of women. I envy you, Gavin. I’m sure you already know what a special woman you have in Faith. I’m sorry for all of this. For everything.”

Gavin just looked at him. He wasn’t sure how to handle the apologies because he was so used to being angry with Carter. “I’ll let the officers know what you’ve chosen. I’m not sure what the process is from this point.”

As he turned to leave, Gavin stopped and continued, “Carter, I forgive you for what happened years ago with Aubrey. I need to move on from that. However, I don’t share the same compassion as Faith when it comes to what you did to her. When you hurt her, you hurt me. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive you for it. I definitely won’t forget.” He opened the door and left.

Carter sat in silence, left to reflect on everything that had occurred over the past few weeks.

When Gavin got home, Faith was in her room packing her suitcase.

“Honey, I’m home,” he called out, chuckling to himself. He dropped his keys on the table in the entryway.

“Cute. You’re a comedian, too? You’re just a jack of all trades,” she said from the room.

“I am multi-talented,” he smiled as he leaned in the doorway. “Hi, beautiful.”

“Hey,” she chimed. She smiled as she glanced over at him and said, “How did it go?” continuing to fold clothes into the suitcase.

“Better than I expected.” Gavin walked in to help her fold. “Carter told me to tell you that he’s sorry. He agrees that he needs help. The police will fill out all of the necessary paperwork from this point. You may have to sign something, but you can do that when we get back.”

“And you? Are you okay?”

“I am. He apologized for everything that happened years ago, and said that he had not been a very good friend. I forgave him. I can finally move on from that part of my life.”

Faith stopped what she was doing and moved closer to Gavin, who was sitting on the bed. She leaned into him and said, “I’m glad. Do you feel better?”

“Yes. It feels like a fifty pound weight has been lifted away from me. I didn’t, however, forgive him for what he did to you. I’m just not ready to do that.”

“I understand,” Faith sighed.

“Enough about Carter. I only want to focus on one thing right now.”

“What’s that?”

“You,” he said as he kissed her cheek.

Faith beamed like a school girl as she stood up to get more items from a drawer and continued to pack.

“There’s one thing we haven’t discussed,” said Gavin.

“What’s that?”

“One room or two?” he said, giving her a sultry look as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Faith stopped what she was doing and walked over to him. She cupped his face with her hands as she stood over him, leaning in close. Gavin placed his hands on her waist.

“One,” she whispered, almost kissing him.

Prior to leaving on their trip, Faith called Adrian to discuss what to do for Gavin’s birthday.

“Hello?” answered Adrian.

“Hi Adrian, it’s Faith.”

“Faith, how are you?” he asked.

“I’m doing good.”

“I mean really, how are you?”

“I’m okay, Adrian. It was good to have the week off. I’m not calling about me,” she said.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Are you planning anything for Gavin’s birthday?”

“Oh, Faith. Gavin doesn’t like to celebrate his birthday.”

“All the more reason to invite everyone. It should be a surprise, so let’s pretend it’s a company affair or something. His birthday falls on a weekend, so we can have the party on a Saturday afternoon. What do you think?” she asked.

“I think that Gavin will not enjoy this one bit.”

“I’m not afraid of him. Let’s do it.”

Adrian laughed as he said, “Alright. I’ll have Agnes and Juliet start planning. We’ll call you to get more details.”

“Thanks, Adrian.”

“Sure sweetie. Talk to you soon.” Adrian smiled as he hung up.

The two of them left for Los Angeles the next morning. As was custom with the other trips, they attended meetings and conferences for two weeks, exploring the city in the evening and on weekends. Faith was able to experience Gavin’s protective side almost immediately, especially in the very busy city of LA. On occasion, she would stray from his side, stopping to look in windows or at items in kiosks.

Gavin looked back and swiftly went over to where she stood, “Don’t do that to me. Please stay next to me.”

“I’m not four. Geez,” she teased.

“I told you I’d be this way. It’ll take me a couple of weeks to get out of this funk. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she said, taking his hand. He kissed her knuckles as they continued on together.

Gavin was having a harder time getting through the assault on Faith than she was. She had declined any counseling, and had barely spoken about it with him. She appeared to be fine, and that’s what concerned him the most. The last thing he wanted was for her to have a flashback of that awful night if he tried to kiss or touch her sensuously. He was going to wait as long as he needed to in order for her to heal.

Faith on the other hand, was doing better than expected. She declined counseling after her initial consultation based on the recommendations of the therapist. The therapist saw no reason why Faith would have any problems moving forward from her incident on her own being that she had the love of her family, friends, and most importantly, Gavin as support. Most women have to deal with their encounters alone. The therapist also recognized how strong Faith was. Her confidence in who she was, and the fact that she was unwilling to let that part of her be compromised by this event, would go a long way in her recovery. She was told to keep her loved ones around her, not to shut them out, and allow their love to surround her and act as an anchor to help in the healing process. Faith was advised to attend a session if she ever felt fearful or depressed. However, she used forgiveness to her advantage, and was able to see the weakness of the person who hurt her. Love, support, inner strength and maturity was helping Faith heal and move forward more quickly than normal.

Faith received a few texts in regards to Gavin’s party, and she managed to order his gifts while he was taking a shower one evening. They were scheduled to be delivered to her home by the time they returned. Sharing a room had its perks, not to mention, they were saving money. Gavin didn’t have to worry about knocking on Faith’s door at obscene hours to be with her. Faith was able to sleep in, this time. While they enjoyed Los Angeles, it seemed a little more harried than they would have liked. Both of them were anxious to get back. Faith’s partners in crime had completed their tasks for Gavin’s surprise and she was looking forward to seeing his reaction.

The week before the party was quiet and calm. Faith was getting used to the new colors and carpet in her office, thankful she didn’t have to relive that awful evening every day. She hadn’t had many interruptions, so getting caught up on her work was easy. Just as she was finishing a presentation, Gavin stopped by.

“Hi, beautiful,” he said, walking in with a big smile.

“Hi,” she said, continuing to work. “How’s your day going?”

“Better now that I’m with you. I missed you. Three weeks with you spoiled me.” He sat down to talk for a while.

“Any news on Carter?” she asked, glancing up.

“I haven’t heard. I’ll check with Adrian. Your office looks nice. Do you like it?” he asked looking around. Glancing back at her he said, “Are you doing okay? I haven’t really asked you since we’ve been back.”

“I’m doing fine. Work has kept my mind focused. I don’t even really think about it. And yes, I like the new look.” She plinked around on her keyboard and continued, “You haven’t mentioned the party on Saturday. We are going, right?”

“I’m wondering why we’re having a company party all of a sudden. The timing seems rather odd to me,” Gavin said suspiciously.

“What do you mean?” ‘Uh oh,’ Faith thought.

“We normally only have two parties a year. With the holidays coming, I really didn’t expect anything in between.”

“You know how much your mother loves to see everyone. Maybe it’s like an end of summer party or something. Ask Adrian what it’s all about. I’m not sure I understand what the big deal is.”

“I just thought we could spend a quiet weekend alone together,” he mused.

“We just spent three weeks together. It’ll do us some good to be around other people. I’m sorry, what is it you’re concerned about again?” she squinted.

“It’s nothing. We’ll go.” Gavin, clearly agitated, stood up and walked around her desk to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

Faith nodded her head, watching as he walked out. ‘Phew,’ she thought.

Saturday came extremely fast. Faith had been preparing for the party all day. Gavin was going to be picking her up in about an hour. She had just finished wrapping his gift and carefully placed it in a brown paper bag so her plan would not be discovered. After tidying up a few things, she sat comfortably on her couch as she waited.

Gavin rang Faith’s doorbell, and was holding a bouquet of roses. He hid behind them as he waited for her to answer. When she did, he just smiled and handed them to her.

“Hello, beautiful.”

“Hi,” she said, taking them. They were coral.

“I’m no longer going to tell you what I’m saying with these. You’re going to have to start figuring it out,” he smirked.

“Good. I’d rather do that. I’ll be right out. Let me put these in some water.”

Faith took the flowers inside and placed them in a vase with some water. She walked back to out of the house with the gift, locked her door and got in the car with Gavin.

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Are you ready to see what this is all about?”

“It’s just a company party, right?”

“So it’s been said,” Gavin winked. “We’ll see.” He drove off towards his parents’ house.

“Why would you think it’s anything else? I don’t understand.” Faith tried to look as innocent as she could.

“I’m not sure. Something doesn’t feel right.”

“You’re being paranoid. That’s not like you.”

“If you knew why, you’d understand. I’m sure it’ll be okay, though.”

It took a half an hour to get to the party. Others had already arrived. Faith’s plan was that Gavin would not know right away why they were there. Music was already playing and everyone stayed calm as if they knew nothing.

Gavin did as he usually does as soon as he arrives at his parents’.

“Mom,” he said hugging her.

“How are you, dear?” Juliet was in the kitchen.

“I’m well. Faith talked me into coming,” he said, looking over at Faith.

“Faith honey, it’s so good to see you. You really need to come see me more,” Juliet said as she walked over to give her a hug.

“I know. The trips have kept me busy,” she smiled.

“And so has my son,” Juliet winked and grinned.

Faith started to turn pink. “Umm - ”

“It’s alright, dear. I’m quite happy he’s finally found someone he can be serious about.”

“Mom, do you have to do that? Seriously?” Gavin was somewhat embarrassed, but expected his mother to say something. She couldn’t resist.

“She’s a great choice, Gavin. I’m proud of you. It’s about time,” Juliet said, smiling and walking around without flinching.

Gavin had given his mother some flowers as was customary for him. She was putting them in a vase. Gavin grabbed Faith’s hand and pulled her to his side.

“Thanks, Mom. I’m glad you approve. Can we go now? Where’s Dad?”

“I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear you call him that again. He’s outside by the ocean. You know how he gets at the start of a party.”

Gavin went to walk outside, but Faith pulled back. “I’m going to stay and talk with Juliet for a while,” she nodded.

“Okay, but beware,” he chuckled. “Mom, try not to get too personal, huh?” Gavin kissed Faith on the cheek and walked out of the kitchen.

“Does he suspect anything?” asked Juliet.

Faith grinned deviously, “No. Not a thing. Here’s my gift for him. Are there others?”

“Yes. We’re keeping them in the closet by the front door. Since it’s still warm, no one has to hang a coat up, so it will be safe there.”

Faith went and put her gift where the others were and returned to talk with Juliet for a little while. After some time, she mingled among the others. She spent a lot of time walking around with Lauren, catching up with her since they hadn’t seen each other in a while.

“I feel like you’ve been on some sort of sabbatical. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. How are you?” asked Lauren.

“I’m fine, Lauren. How are you doing? Have you been keeping yourself busy with other people’s business?” Faith teased.

“Not nice. You know, I resemble that remark,” she laughed. “How’s Gavin?”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself? He’s around here somewhere, I’m sure.”

“You’ve spent more time with him than anyone ever has. Even Chandler hasn’t seen him as much as you. But you, you get days and weeks. What have the two of you been doing? Don’t tell me nothing. You’ve been on four trips together. There is bound to be some kind of attraction between the two of you. You’re beautiful, he’s sexy. You have to be at least flirting.”

Faith just shook her head. “Girl Scout, stop it already. I love you, but you’re too nosey. Just stop.”

“Faith, I might be nosey, but I’m not stupid. I see how he looks at you, and even more, I see how you look at him. I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that before. He would never quit seeing Chandler for them. She was always his backup plan when he needed it. Now all of a sudden he doesn’t need her? I love you, too, but please at least give me credit for the obvious.” Lauren hoped that Faith would at least give her a small nugget of affirmation.

“I can’t help you, Girl Scout. I wish I could. Don’t give up, though. You’ll know when it’s time for you to know,” encouraged Faith. That was the best she could do.

Chandler had hopelessly been following Gavin around like a lost puppy. When he stood alone for a minute, she walked over to talk with him.

“Hi, stranger,” she said.

Gavin rolled his eyes and turned around. “Chandler. How are you?”

“I’ve missed you.”

“Well, I can’t say that I feel the same,” he said flatly.

“You will. Soon enough.”

“Chandler, we’ve been through for some time now. Get over it.”

“I can’t. You’re not with the right woman, Gavin. You should be with me.”

“Have you been drinking? It’s not going to happen. Even if Faith wasn’t around, it wouldn’t happen. I told you long ago that you weren’t my type. Some years later, you’re still not my type. Nothing is going to change that.” Gavin started to walk away and then said one more thing, “Enjoy the rest of the party.” He joined some others that weren’t too far from them.

Lauren and Faith continued to talk for a while longer before Faith went to find Adrian. They had to gather for the surprise. The idea was to get Gavin comfortable enough to forget about his suspicions. The DJ was in charge of gathering everyone in one place on the lawn. When they all got there, they let him have it.

Gavin was standing near the front of the group.

“Surprise!” they all shouted. “Happy birthday!” they continued, laughing and clapping. A birthday cake was brought out on a cart with thirty eight candles lit. All of the presents that people brought were stored on the bottom shelf of the cart.

“Wow, I’m not sure I can blow all of these out,” he grinned. Gavin took a deep breath in and blew as hard as he could to put out all the fire in front of him. Everyone cheered when he was done. Faith smiled and watched from the back of the crowd.

The servers picked up the cake and took it to the kitchen to cut it. While they did that, Gavin began to open his presents. Juliet sat next to him to make a list of what he had gotten and it was from for thank you notes. Faith had a note on hers that said “Open Last”. He carefully unwrapped and enjoyed every gift that he got, though he hated being in the spotlight like this. After opening about forty boxes, bags, and cards, he reached Faith’s box. When he opened it, he was shocked, and shook his head and smiled. The card on the outside said, ‘For my favorite cook – Love, Faith’.

“What is it?” someone asked.

“It’s a piece of cookware if you can believe that. It’s called a Moroccan Tagine. They’re designed to retain moisture, flavor, and even temperature for meats and vegetables.”

“There’s another note,” someone pointed out.

Gavin looked on the other side of the box. It said, ‘Open Me’.

“I guess I have to open the box,” he smiled. Gavin carefully opened the box and saw another note. This one said, ‘Lift Lid’. He lifted the lid of the cookware to find another wrapped gift hidden inside.

He looked around, trying to find Faith, but she wasn’t there. “There’s another gift in here,” he smiled. At this point, no one knew who this gift was from but they were impressed with how well it was put together.

The last and final note read, ‘Now your set is complete’. Gavin was curious as he unwrapped the smaller package. Once open, again he smiled and shook his head. It was a set of CD’s, Charlie Parker’s Savoy Sessions.

Shocked by how generous everyone had been, he looked over at Adrian. “You know I don’t like celebrating my birthday. Why did you do this?”

Adrian shook his head, “This wasn’t me. I merely assisted.”

“Mom?”

“Not me this time,” smiled Juliet.

“Where is she?” asked Gavin, looking around again for Faith.

“I don’t know where she’s run off to,” said Adrian.

“Thank you everyone. I really do appreciate this. Please continue to enjoy yourselves and don’t forget to have some cake. I’m sure it will be delicious. I must excuse myself as I have someone to choke,” he chuckled as he walked away. The DJ went back to playing music as the group dispersed.

Gavin searched everywhere for Faith and finally found her in the garden.

“There you are,” he said.

She cringed as she waited for her scolding.

“You are so stubborn. I know Dad told you I wouldn’t like this. Why’d you do it anyway?” Gavin grabbed her by the waist and turned her around.

“Like you said, I’m stubborn. I wanted to do it. Happy birthday.”

Gavin wanted to kiss her so badly, but he held back. “Thank you, and thanks for the gifts. They were wonderful. I loved your notes.” He hugged and squeezed her tight and then pulled away slightly. “You shouldn’t have done all of this. How did you find out when my birthday was?”

“I spied it on your driver’s license,” she smiled. “Why don’t you like to celebrate?”

“I just don’t. No real reason. You will pay for this, you know that, right?”

“If I must. What’s my punishment?” she asked.

“Come with me,” he said, taking her hand and leading her back to the area where the DJ was playing.

Gavin left Faith for a moment, telling her to wait. He went to talk to the DJ. When he returned to her side, he took her hand and said, “Dance with me.”

Faith shook her head, “No.”

“Yes. It’s my birthday, and I want you to dance with me.”

“What dance?”

He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, “The Rumba.”

Faith shot a glance at him, “To what?”

“Follow me.”

People began to gather around. Most of them had no idea that Gavin could dance. The song that he requested was Celine Dion’s “I Surrender.” It was the most played song on Faith’s iPod.

As they began to move, the atmosphere changed. Faith and Gavin were suddenly in their own world, as if no one else was around. Their hips swayed as one, with Gavin leading Faith with each glide and step. His hands caressed her body with intense affection, and his lips managed to graze her neck when close enough. Every embrace strengthened the electricity that flowed over the dance area, with chances of them kissing increasing as they held each other close. Their desire for each other was beginning to fill the air, igniting an erotic mood in everyone who stayed to watch. People began to couple up, shifting their attention to the one they either came with or found.

Adrian looked at his wife in a way she hadn’t seen in a while.

“Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered in Juliet’s ear.

She nodded and gave him a sultry smile. Adrian asked one of his staff to lock up.

“We’re not going to be back down this evening. Please make sure the house is secure when everyone is gone. Don’t worry about cleaning up tonight. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long evening.” He turned to his bride and led her to their room.

Gavin and Faith were still causing a stir on the dance floor. Chandler continued to look on, her blood beginning to boil. She would have been coupled up, but the one she wanted to be coupled with was responsible for starting all of this. The love he had for Faith was now visible and she didn’t like it at all.

The song finally ended. Faith and Gavin were breathing heavily, holding each other tightly. Gavin didn’t care who was around. He was ready to take Faith right there, and for once, she wouldn’t have minded. She gently pulled away from him, her face completely flush. The crowd began to clap and whistle over the incredibly emotional dance. Faith started to walk away, and left Gavin on the dance floor, his eyes following her every move. She walked alone until Lauren caught up with her.

“Hey, you want to tell me how long the two of you have been seeing each other? It’s pretty obvious now more is going on than you’re letting on,” she said.

Faith was fanning herself, still breathing pretty heavily, “Lauren, really? All we did was dance.”

“That wasn’t a dance. That was foreplay. Look around you. Everyone is kissing and hugging on each other. Hell, I need to find my husband and get him home as soon as possible. This happened because of you and Gavin.”

Faith grabbed Lauren’s hands and said, “Lauren, I’d really love to talk to you about this, but,” she paused to take a deep breath, “I’m really hot right now. I need to cool off, okay?”

She continued to walk away, leaving Lauren to stand in her wonderment.

Gavin had been caught up as well. He was keeping a close eye on Faith while someone was trying to talk to him about their dance. Their words were mere sounds as he watched her go on alone. The night had fallen quickly and he didn’t want to lose sight of her.

“Can you,” he interrupted, “hold that thought? I need to go take care of something.” Gavin walked away swiftly, catching up to Faith. Chandler was not too far behind. She hid and watched.

Gavin grabbed Faith from behind, kissing her neck and caressing her body. Faith turned her head, and slowly turned her entire body towards him. Their lips met with extreme passion. It had been five weeks since they kissed each other.

“How did you know?” Faith asked breathily in between kisses.

“About what?” said Gavin, just as breathily as Faith.

“The song.”

Gavin stopped, but continued to caress her neck with his hand. “It was the one you listen to the most on your iPod. I did some spying of my own. I just wanted to see what kind of music you liked.” He leaned down and kissed her again.

“I’ve missed your kiss, your touch,” she said, offering up her neck for more. She felt a familiar stirring as their desire grew.

“I’ve missed you, too,” he said tugging at her clothes. He pulled back and gazed into her eyes. Without saying a word, he took her hand and led her away. Chandler didn’t pursue this time. She was shocked to have seen them kissing. According to her, Faith was not all she led everyone to believe, and she was more determined than ever to find out why. She sat her drink on a table, stood up and left.

Gavin took Faith to a secluded spot on the cliffs by the ocean. It was a warm August evening, and the breeze from the ocean made the temperature perfect for the two of them. There was a fire pit, two chairs and a couple of blankets positioned in the area.

“My dad set this up for the family when I was younger. No one knows it’s here,” he grabbed the blankets and laid them on the grass. He lit the fire pit, took his shoes off, then knelt down on the blankets, helping Faith sit down as well. She had already slipped out her shoes. Gavin gently laid her back and kissed her lips softly. Faith unbuttoned Gavin’s shirt and slid her hands on his chest, then around to his back, stroking him gently. He moaned from her touch.

“I love your touch as much as you love mine,” he whispered.

Gavin unbuttoned Faith’s shirt, revealing her breasts and skin underneath. He gently kissed her chest and stomach, while she played with his hair. The sound of the waves crashed loudly below, adding to the ambience of their mood. Gavin slowly began to unbutton and unzip Faith’s pants. He kept an eye on her to see if he needed to stop. Her eyes were closed and she was enjoying every move that he made. He loved watching her. His preference was to make love to her there, in the perfect spot, but he knew it was still too soon. He opted for something else instead.

Gavin gently slipped Faith’s pants down and off. He lifted one of her legs and kissed her from her ankles to her thighs. He moved all the way back up to her lips, kissing her deeply. She was beautiful, lying there in the moonlight. She held his face in her hands as they kissed, holding him close.

“Are you okay with this?” he asked, making sure she wasn’t uncomfortable.

She gazed into his eyes and nodded, smiling as she pulled him back down to kiss him. She was happy they were lying down because every time they kissed she felt weak and got butterflies. He was gently rubbing her mound, and their breathing was intensifying. Gavin’s lips made their way back down her body. He removed her underwear, exposing her womanhood. He positioned himself between her legs and began to pleasure her orally. Faith clutched at the blankets, moaning and groaning with excitement. Gavin took his time, wanting her to enjoy every moment. His arousal grew with each sound that she made, so aroused in fact, that he found himself approaching a peak. Reading her body, he continued until she climaxed. Feeling his own climax, he quickly moved to her lips, where she kissed and held him tightly as he did so, without physical stimulation. This was a first for him.

They slowed their kisses as their bodies calmed down.

Faith smiled at him, “Are you alright?”

He continued to kiss her. “That’s never happened to me before. You didn’t even touch me. Your pleasure got me there.” He lowered himself to slip Faith’s underwear back on her, kissing her gently on her thighs, stomach, chest, and neck as he made his way back to her lips. He reached up, grabbed a pillow from one of the chairs and lied on his back next to her. She rested her head high on his chest, with one leg resting across his.

“I’m glad you were satisfied, too,” she said as they kissed some more.

Gavin stroked her arm softly as he stared at the stars and listened to the song the waves played. They were quiet for a few moments when he asked her a question.

“Why do you like that song so much?”

“The Celine song? It makes me think of you, and how I feel about you.”

Gavin smiled. “I enjoyed our dance. You’re quite fiery when you’re dancing.”

“You chose the rumba, of all things. Why?”

“Because it’s the sexiest dance there is,” he explained.

“Which sparked all of this.”

“Again, the reason why I chose it.”

Faith sat up a little bit to look him in his eyes. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you,” he said pulling her in to kiss her. “It was the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The following morning, Gavin woke up to the sun rising over the water. He gently awakened Faith so she could witness it. As she looked out sleepily, she cuddled closer to him underneath the blanket, enjoying the show.

“It’s beautiful,” she said.

“Not as beautiful as you,” he said, kissing her softly.

They watched a little longer and then decided to go back to the house. Faith pulled on her pants and buttoned up her shirt while Gavin folded the blankets. When he finished, he drew her into him, hugging her. He was still amazed at what happened the night before. His feelings were starting to get out of hand.

“My parents are probably getting breakfast started. Shall we join them?”

“Sure,” she smiled and took his hand as he held it out for her.

When they got to the house, Adrian was in the kitchen. He was surprised to see them.

“What are you two still doing here? Where were you hiding out?” he grinned.

Faith looked at Gavin and said, “I’m going to go wash up.”

“Okay,” he said as she kissed his cheek. “We were in the secluded spot you set up years ago,” he said, answering Adrian’s question.

The two men were now alone. Adrian was still grinning.

“What have you been doing?”

Gavin smirked and said, “Are you sure you want me to answer that question?”

“Absolutely,” Adrian teased.

“Well, if I’m going to share how my evening went, then you’ll have to share how yours went. Don’t think I didn’t see you and Mom sneak out of here last night.”

Adrian stood up straight, “Well, maybe we don’t need to talk about it.”

Gavin nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

“Though, I will say that the two of you caused quite a stir. In all of my life, I’ve never seen two people have so much passion for each other. You must really love each other.”

Gavin just shrugged his shoulders. “My feelings are very strong.” He opened the refrigerator to get the orange juice.

“Ah, I see. You’re still not willing to say you love her. But you do. We could see that last night.”

Gavin kept rummaging around to help with breakfast. He didn’t respond to his father.

“You know,” Adrian continued, “there are a lot of people who are excited that you’ve finally found someone who can make you happy. They’ve waited almost as long as you for this to happen.”

Gavin finally stopped. “Seriously? I wouldn’t think that anyone really cared.”

“You’d be surprised how many people really do care about you, Gavin. Most of the people who were here yesterday do.”

“Hmm. I never would have thought.” He continued to pull things out for breakfast. Gavin being the cook that he is, simply took over.

“Be careful with her, though. She’s got a very sensitive heart, as you already know.”

“I do. It’s not my intention to ever hurt her, Dad. I am human, however, so I’m bound to make a few mistakes.” Gavin pulled out a skillet for the eggs, and another for the French toast.

“She’s feisty if you make her angry. You might want to limit how often you do that. She can hold a grudge for an eternity.”

“Now I have seen that firsthand. Chandler is not her friend,” he chuckled. “It took one time for Chandler to get underneath Faith’s skin and there was no turning back.”

“I can’t say I’m sorry that you’re done with her. She’s a great employee, but on a personal level, she’s got issues.” Adrian cracked a few eggs in a bowl, added milk, cinnamon, and a pinch of sugar. He whipped the ingredients around until they were blended together. He grabbed a loaf of French bread and cut it into several slices. After dipping a couple of slices into the mixture, he laid them into one of the skillets. The two of them were now preparing a feast.

Gavin was looking in the refrigerator. “Sausage or bacon, Dad?”

“Let’s have sausage today,” said Adrian as he flipped the slices over.

Gavin took the Italian sausage out and sat it on the counter. He opened the package and cut it in small slices. He added the meat to the skillet that the eggs were going to be scrambled in. The leftover oils from the sausage would add more flavor to the eggs.

Faith walked back in as the two men were busy cooking. “It smells great in here. Can I come over for breakfast every morning?” She smiled and sat on a stool at the island.

“Faith, you can come over any time you like,” smiled Adrian. “You know how much Juliet and I love you. You’re family.”

“Oh, family, huh?” Faith looked at Gavin and teased, “You’ve been a very naughty brother.”

Gavin wiped his hands and walked over to her. He leaned down and kissed her gently. “I prefer very distant cousin,” he smiled. Adrian enjoyed watching them. He continued to dip and fry slices of French bread until they were all cooked. Gavin walked back to the sausage and emptied them onto a plate. Then he started scrambling the eggs.

Juliet finally joined the three of them. She was smiling from ear to ear like she had just gotten the best present in the world.

“Good morning, Juliet,” smiled Faith with a curious look on her face. “Are you okay?”

“I’m just fine dear.” Juliet walked over to Adrian and grabbed his butt. He jumped, surprised at her behavior.

“Mom! Behave,” Gavin shrieked.

“Don’t you tell me what to do, young man. Would you like to discuss why you’re still here?” She glared at him waiting for an answer. Gavin couldn’t reply. “That’s what I thought. Besides, it’s your fault I’m so frisky this morning. Your father and I - ”

“Oh, la la la la. Not listening,” said Gavin, plugging his ears.

Faith was turning red from laughing so hard, and tears were streaming down her face. When Gavin saw her, he shook the spatula at her.

“You think this is funny? The last thing I want to hear about is my parents’ sex life,” he said, turning back to the eggs. He poured them into a big bowl.

Mid giggle, Faith said, “Trust me. My parents are worse.” She continued to laugh as Adrian and Juliet embraced each other.

“Are you going to stop hugging long enough to make the orange sauce?” Gavin asked Adrian.

Adrian kissed Juliet on the forehead. “Okay, okay,” he smiled and whipped the sauce together in seconds.

They took all of the bowls and platters outside and sat them on the patio table. Gavin tried to give Faith her own plate, but she waved it off.

“I’ll share with you. That way I won’t eat too much.”

He handed plates to Adrian and Juliet, then sat down next to Faith. They enjoyed all of the great food, laughed and joked about the party and their morning together. Gavin sat back and just watched how Faith interacted with his parents. ‘So this is what it would be like,’ he thought. He couldn’t remember the last time that he spent a morning like this with his parents.

When they finished breakfast, everyone helped clear the dishes and clean up. Gavin and Faith said their goodbyes and left.

In the car, Gavin was unusually quiet. Faith let it go for a while, but then decided to say something.

“Are you okay?” she asked, gently stroking his hand.

“I’m fine.”

“I know that. But how are you doing?” she smiled.

Gavin chuckled. “I’m okay, beautiful.”

“Are you sure? You’re awfully quiet. That’s not like you.”

“I’m just thinking,” he said, glancing at her.

“Care to share?”

“Not right now. Just know I’m okay.”

Faith left it alone. When they got to her house, Gavin parked his car for a moment. He reached over, pulled her gently to him, and kissed her more passionately than he had all weekend. It was so powerful, Faith thought she might faint.

“Thanks again for a great birthday,” he said, slightly drawing away.

“You’re welcome.”

Faith turned to open the door, when Gavin interrupted her.

“Faith,” he said, trying to say the words, but couldn’t.

“Yes,” she said, turning back around.

“Do you have still have the painting you did in Denver?” he asked, completely avoiding his feelings.

“Yes. Why?”

“Did you hang it up?”

“Not yet.”

“Do you mind if I take it? I have an idea for it.”

Faith shrugged her shoulders, “Sure. I’ll go get it.” She went into her house to get the painting.

Gavin sighed in relief.

“Here you go,” she said as she carefully placed it in the front seat.

“Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Gavin watched as she went back to her house. She waved goodbye as he drove off.

Faith arrived at work early the next morning as usual. She needed to catch up on her presentations. Sitting on her desk was a single red rose in a small vase. As she walked around to her chair, she smiled, knowing exactly what this meant.

Faith sat down and started working immediately. It was going to be a short week with another trip coming up. This time, they were going to Atlanta.

“Good morning, beautiful,” said Gavin, coming in and closing the door behind him.

“Good morning.”

Gavin didn’t waste any time. He walked around, sat her coffee down, pulled her out of her chair and kissed her deeply. Faith wrapped her arms around his neck, receiving and returning the kiss.

As they broke the kiss, still holding each other, Faith looked at him and asked, “Is there something you want to tell me?”

Gavin continued to caress her lips with his, “What do you mean?”

“Don’t play with me, Gavin Carlisle. You know exactly what I’m talking about.” The kisses continued.

“I think I already said it,” he smiled in between a kiss.

“That rose didn’t say anything to me when I came in this morning, so no, you haven’t.”

Gavin chuckled. “You know what I’m saying.”

“You’re cheating.”

“No, I’m communicating with you through a rose. You know what I’m saying.”

“That’s weak, Gavin. Just tell me,” she stood back and crossed her arms.

“You first, because I think you feel the same way.”

“You initiated this, so finish it.”

Gavin walked around the desk and sat down. He sipped his coffee and just stared at her. Faith glared at him, sat down herself, and began to work. She didn’t speak another word. There was tension between the two of them as Gavin waited for her to say something.

“Are you really upset with me? Talk to me.”

Faith glanced up. “Have a good day,” she said without smiling.

Gavin cocked his head to the right. “Seriously? Because I won’t verbalize it?”

Faith kept working. “If you weren’t ready to say it, you should have kept it to yourself. Shit, or get off the pot.”

He stood up, irritated with her attitude, but knew he needed to do exactly as she had said. He opted to go to his office instead. Gavin walked to, and opened, the door and quietly left.

So it went the rest of the week. Gavin and Faith barely spoke, which drove him crazy. He delivered her coffee every morning, with no response but “thank you” from her. He needed to put a stop to this before the trip.

“We need to talk,” Gavin said. “Stop what you’re pretending to do and listen to me.”

Faith stopped typing and looked up. “What?” she snapped.

“I know you’ve been upset. The truth is that I’m not ready to say how I’m feeling. That doesn’t change the message I was trying to send.”

Faith took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for being angry. I just don’t want to play games when it comes to that.”

“I understand. Forgive me?”

“Yes,” she said. Faith stood up and walked around her desk. She approached him slowly, burying her head in his chest. Gavin wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.

“I hated being unable to talk to you. Let’s try not to do that again, deal?”

“Deal.”

The next day, Gavin and Faith left for Atlanta. Outside of scheduled meetings, they enjoyed the Atlanta Botanic Gardens, attended an opera, visited the Atlanta History Center and Art Museum, and ate at great restaurants. However, it was their private time together they took pleasure in the most.

One morning, during the weekend, Gavin gently showered Faith with kisses to wake her.

“Why can’t you sleep in on the weekends? This is so unfair,” she groggily said.

Gavin grinned but didn’t answer. He caressed and kissed her body, pleasured her orally, and once again, climaxed himself without any stimulation. This was fine for now, but he knew that he would soon need to make love to her.

Still breathing somewhat heavily from their pleasure, Gavin kissed her.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“He speaks,” she grumbled.

He kissed her shoulder, “You enjoyed it.”

“Sleep. I enjoy sleep.”

Gavin smiled and started to tickle her. “Admit it.”

“No,” she tried not to laugh.

He found just the right spot on the inside of her thigh, and Faith screamed and laughed, “Okay, okay.”

She rubbed her fingers through his hair, “Yes. I always enjoy it. Why must you wake up so early, though?” Faith stuck her lips out, pouting.

“Hmm, I’m laying next to an extremely sexy woman, whom I have a very hard time keeping my hands off of, and it’s morning. There are certain things that happen to a man early in the morning.”

“Can’t you wake me up at seven? That would work out much better. Let’s sync our calendars, shall we?” Faith reached for her phone.

Gavin tickled her again. She scrunched up, laughing. When he stopped, he just stared at her, moving stray hairs out of her face. He loved her so much. ‘Why can’t I say it,’ he thought.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, kissing her softly.

“You’re not too bad yourself.” She smiled and caressed his face as they continued to kiss each other.

Faith and Gavin returned to the office exhausted. The trips were taking their toll. There was one left – San Francisco. In the mean time, they had a great deal of work to catch up on. Chandler was making every attempt to sway Gavin’s mind back toward her, but he was in love with Faith. He refused to even humor her, sending her away immediately when she tried to talk to him. She was disappointed and becoming desperate, and it started to show in her work. Her boss warned her to get focused, or someone else would have her job. Chandler also tried to follow Faith home from time to time, but most nights Faith went to Gavin’s house. She was so sure that there was something that Faith wasn’t telling anyone. If she didn’t find out soon, she felt her chances with Gavin would be lost.

The evening before their trip, Gavin asked Faith to have dinner with him. Chandler followed Faith to his house, and waited.

“That was delicious, as usual,” said Faith.

“Thank you. Would you like to dance?” Slow, romantic jazz was playing softly in the background.

“Things happen when we dance. I’m thinking not.”

“Please? This isn’t Rumba music. It’s ‘sway back and forth’ music,” he extended his hand for her to join him.

She gave him a suspicious look, “Alright.”

Faith put one hand on his shoulder, and the other in his hand. They glided across the floor, gazing into each other’s eyes.

“Just one more trip,” Gavin said.

“Yes, I’m glad. It’s been tiring.”

“Which city have you liked the most so far?”

“Denver,” said Faith. Her head was now resting on Gavin’s chest. “The people there were great, and I loved the time we spent there.”

“I agree. A lot happened between us.” Gavin stopped dancing. “I never showed you, did I?”

“What?”

Gavin took Faith by the hand and led her to the entry way. He had taken the pictures that they painted at Canvas and Cocktails and hung them side by side. Underneath, there was a plaque that read:

“Starry Night”

By Faith and Gavin

Canvas and Cocktails – Denver, Colorado

July 10, 2010

“Gavin, this is great,” she said, kissing him. “I love it.”

“I’m glad you like it. That was such a fun day.” Gavin touched her cheek. He leaned down and gently kissed her lips. He gave her an intense look, then continued to playfully kiss her. Faith craved a deeper kiss, but Gavin wouldn’t give it to her.

He led her back to the living room. Faith went and sat by the fire while Gavin got their drinks. They talked for a little bit, discussing everything from work, to childhood to whatever came up, losing track of time. The lights were dim, and the fire was crackling. Gavin pulled Faith close to him, finally indulging her desire with a deep, passionate kiss.

“I want to make love to you,” he whispered.

“Gavin, I can’t. It’s getting late and we have to get up early in the morning.”

“You can’t or won’t?” he asked in frustration.

“Can’t.”

“I don’t want to keep messing around, Faith. I need you. You know my feelings.”

Faith looked away. “I know, Gavin. You know I’m not about playing games, and I’m really not trying to do that. I want to make love to you, too. I just can’t right now.”

Gavin gently stroked her cheek, and kissed her lips. “I want you so much. I’m not sure how much longer I can wait.”

“I wish I didn’t crave your touch so much. It’s like I need it.”

Gavin gently rubbed Faith’s breast. She moaned from the pleasure it brought her. He kissed and licked her neck. He switched his attention from her breast to her thigh, slowly sliding his hand underneath her dress. With his free hand, Gavin unzipped her dress, and caressed her back. Faith unbuttoned Gavin’s shirt so she could touch his chest. She loved to feel his skin.

“Oh,” he said breathily, “I crave your touch, too. I need you.”

Gavin rubbed gently underneath Faith’s underwear. Her breathing intensified. “We should stop this.” She tried to push his hand away, but he was too strong, as was her desire for him to keep going.

“Gavin,” she tried to speak. He kept his fingers where they were, moving slowly to prolongue her climax. Faith whimpered, sending tingles through Gavin’s body.

“Gavin, stop,” she managed breathily. He ignored her request, and kissed her. Faith frowned and bit her lip, not knowing how to handle the extreme enjoyment she was having. Then it happened.

“J’aime la facon dont tu me touches. S’il vous plait ne vous arretez pas.” (I love the way you touch me. Please don’t stop.)

Gavin lost it. He had to kiss her fast. His climax came quick and strong, as did hers.

As their kissing slowed, Faith looked him in the eyes, taking deep breaths to calm down.

“Why did you do that? You know your French drives me crazy,” he said.

“You wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t control it. This is the first time it’s happened that way.”

“Did I make you uncomfortable?”Gavin asked, concerned.

“No, the exact opposite,” she said as she kissed him passionately.

“I didn’t want to stop. I couldn’t. What’s amazing to me is that I keep climaxing and we haven’t even made love yet.” He sat up and gazed at her seriously. “Faith, I want to make love to you soon. No is not acceptable.”

“I can’t promise, Gavin. Not right now.”

“I guess that’ll have to be good enough, huh?” he said as he was leaning close to her, barely kissing her. “Don’t keep me waiting, Faith. I can’t take much more of this.”

Faith didn’t respond, only hugged him. Moments later she spoke.

“I should go.” She stood up, pulled her nylons back on which she had removed when she arrived, and zipped her dress.

“Stay,” said Gavin, getting up. “You have enough clothes here, and we can share a suitcase.”

Faith cocked her head to the side, smiled and walked closer to him. She stroked his face and said, “Not tonight.”

She stepped back and walked to the front door, putting her coat on and grabbing her purse and keys. Gavin reached out and moved some hair from her face. He pulled her close and kissed her deeply, causing Faith to drop her purse and wrap her arms around his neck.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she said quietly. Faith picked her purse up. “Thanks for dinner.” She opened the door, walked to her car and left. Gavin stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, watching her leave.

Chandler had finally caught a break. She had almost fallen asleep, waiting and hoping that Faith would leave and go home. She started her car and carefully pulled away from where she was parked, following Faith home. Chandler just needed to know where she lived for now. When she was satisfied with that information, she drove to her own home. Knowing that Gavin and Faith would be gone for the next two weeks, she would have plenty of time to get the information she needed to prove Faith had something to hide. That is, if she really did have something to hide.

The next morning, Faith and Gavin were on their way to complete their last tour in San Francisco. Gavin spent a lot of time planning to make this as much a of romantic getaway as it was business. Each night and weekend was filled with something to do. They strolled on the beach in the moonlight, took a catamaran ride at sunset while sipping cocktails, enjoyed a couple’s massage, took a tandem bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, and shared a soufflé by candlelight. They also had a picnic by the water at Golden Gate Park and ordered breakfast in bed. Faith was exhausted from all of their activities. However, she never expected what was to come their last Friday there.

On this day, they spent half of the day in their final meetings. Gavin had a surprise waiting for Faith when they returned to their room. First, as was normal with him, he had a dozen red roses delivered to the room. They were placed on the coffee table in the living area. Then there was an article hanging high on the bedroom door. Faith asked what it was.

“Did you get some clothes dry cleaned? This wasn’t here before.”

Gavin smiled. “No. That is for you. Open it.”

Faith was like a little girl. She snatched it down, unzipped the bag, and uncovered a stunning purple cocktail dress with a dare-to-bare patch on the left side which continued up in sheer fabric with purple and white beading across a single long-sleeve. The opposite side of the bodice was strapless in a draped purple material that wrapped around the body, revealing peaks of sheer material and sparkle, all the way to the short bottom hem. He also bought her a pair of purple sequined shoes to match.

“This is a beautiful dress. What are we doing tonight?” she asked, smiling. “You didn’t plan all of this when we got here, did you?”

“No, beautiful. I’ve had this planned for about six weeks. The flowers were spur of the moment. I just like to buy them for you. We’re going to a concert. Some guitar player. Benise (pronounced Buh-nes-say), I think. Ever heard of him?” He knew she had.

“Was I sleeping that much the week we had off together that you had that much time to look at my iPod?” she beamed. “Of course I know who he is. I love his music.”

“We’ve got front row seats, and VIP passes. This is our last weekend together on these trips. I wanted it to be special.”

Faith walked over to him from the bedroom doorway. She touched his face and said, “Why are you so good to me?”

“Because you’re good to me. You’re good for me.” He brushed her lips with his, keeping it short and sweet, not wanting to get ahead of himself.

“There’s just one thing.”

“What?” he asked.

“This dress is a little short,” she said, lifting it up.

“Faith, it’s not that short. It’s not a comfortable length for you, I know, but you have gorgeous legs. I want to see them. I would never put you in something that was inappropriate or that wasn’t you. This dress is so you.”

She smiled. “I do like it. I love everything about it, except for the length. You’re right, though. I just like to cover up more. This is risky, daring. I don’t take risks when it comes to clothes.”

“You should. You’re beautiful.”

“No one needs to see me except for you. I’m not into broadcasting the goods.”

“Humor me for tonight, okay? I think if you just put it on, you’ll see it’s not as short as you think it is. Please?”

“Only for you.” She got up and started for the bedroom. “What time does the concert start? Are we going to dinner, too?” she asked, looking back.

“We’ll eat downstairs at the hotel restaurant. I’ve heard the food is excellent. It’s going to take some time to get to the concert, which starts at eight. We have about two hours to get ready.”

“Alright. It’s three thirty. I’ll go ahead and get started so I don’t feel rushed later. I’ll shower first.” She continued into the bedroom and started the shower.

Two hours later, Gavin sat in the living area waiting for Faith to emerge. He was handsomely dressed in a black tuxedo. When she came out, Gavin’s breath was taken away. The color was perfect against her caramel skin.

“You look amazing,” he said, standing up.

“So do you.” Faith had never seen him in a formal suit before. In the office, he usually wasn’t wearing his suit coat unless he was meeting with clients or board members.

Faith walked towards him. He reached for her hand, pulled her in and kissed her cheek.

“Your outfit isn’t quite complete.” Gavin put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small box. Faith’s heart skipped a beat when she saw it. He opened it to reveal a pair of amethyst and diamond dangle earrings. ‘Phew,’ she thought, in awe of how the night was going.

“Gavin, those are gorgeous.”

“Put them on,” he smiled, handing them to her.

Faith took the box and lifted the insert to remove the earrings. As she put them in, they sparkled in the light.

“How do they look?” she asked.

“Again, you look amazing.” Gavin hugged her close, his emotions trying to get the best of him.

“As do you. You sure you want to go tonight?”

“What? Of course I want to go.”

Faith wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him down to kiss him. “I can have you out of this suit in sixty seconds,” she teased.

Smiling, he said, “Trust me, beautiful. The concert is only the beginning.”

The two of them enjoyed a light dinner and then took a limousine to the concert. Once there, Gavin and Faith sat front and center. Benise played wonderfully, and his dancers were brilliant. At one point of the show, he came down in the audience, playing his guitar, personally it seemed, for Faith. Gavin tried not to show his jealousy. He casually took Faith’s hand into his, making sure that Benise was clear on whose she was. Not noticing, Benise kept playing, then returned to the stage to complete the act. Faith was completely captivated, and barely paid attention to Gavin. While he liked the show, he didn’t like that she appeared to be ignoring him on purpose. Trying not to take it personally, he sat back and watched the remainder of the concert. Afterward, the two met Benise in person. He was a complete gentlemen, not mentioning Faith’s beauty to avoid confrontation. Gavin appreciated that.

Back in their room, Gavin removed his jacket, unbuttoned his vest, and loosened his tie. He sat down and took off his shoes. Faith slipped out of her shoes as soon as they walked in the door. The shoes Gavin had bought were cute, but her feet paid the price.

Gavin sat with his chin in his hands, thinking about how Faith was so engulfed with Benise. Noticing, Faith asked what was wrong.

“Are you okay?”

“I was just wondering if you enjoyed yourself tonight.”

“I did,” she said hesitantly. “Didn’t you?”

“I didn’t appreciate the fact that Benise singled you out and flirted with you while I was sitting there. Did you enjoy that too?”

“I believe that was part of the show. It could’ve been another woman sitting there, and he probably would have done the same thing.”

“There were other women sitting around us. Why not choose one of them?”

“I’m sure it was completely random, Gavin.”

“He ignored me when I grabbed your hand, and so did you.”

Faith frowned, now taking her earrings off, and heading to the bedroom to take off her dress.

“Seriously? Please tell me you’re not saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Were you attracted to him?”

“Incredibile,” she spouted in Italian. (Incredible.)

“Lei non ha risposto alla domanda,” he shot back. (You didn’t answer the question.)

“Non avrei dovuto rispondere alla domanda,” Faith snapped. “Sapete gia la risposta.” (I shouldn’t have to answer the question. You already know the answer.)

She stormed to the bedroom took off her dress and put on her sleepwear. Gavin threw his tie on the floor, unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the couch. He stormed after her.

“Non andartene via da me. Ho bisogno di sapere,” he said sharply. (Don’t walk away from me. I need to know.)

“Maledizione, Gavin. Che gia conosci. Questo e ridicolo,” responded Faith. (Damn it, Gavin. You already know. This is ridiculous.)

“Cosa? Che cos’e che dovrei gia sapere qaundo sei completamente affascinato da un altro uomo?” Gavin’s anger was growing. (What? What should I already know when you were completely captivated by another man?)

“Si tratta di stronzate!” Faith said, shaking her head. She walked into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, slamming the door shut. Gavin tried to open it, but it was locked. (This is bullshit!)

Pounding on the door, he said, “Faith! Faith open up!” He pounded some more, but to no avail. He leaned up against the wall next to the door, waiting for her to come out. Moments later, she did. She eyed him, saying nothing.

“Noi non siamo finiti,” he calmly said. (We’re not finished.)

“Oh, si che siamo.” (Oh, yes we are.) Faith tried to walk towards the bed, but Gavin grabbed her by the arm, pulled her into him and kissed her deeply on the lips. She fought him at first, but slowly gave in. The kiss continued as Gavin moved her to the bed and gently laid her down.

Breaking the kiss, Faith said, “You’re the only one I desire to be with, Gavin. Don’t ever question that.”

“I know,” he said, gazing into her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re pretty damn sexy when you’re pissed in Italian.”

“So are you,” he said. “I had to kiss you. It was driving me crazy.”

“Our arguments won’t last very long if they’re always like that.”

“I’d pick a fight just to see you like that again. Making up would be fantastic,” Gavin smiled.

Faith giggled and pulled him down, kissing him and rubbing his back. He moaned in satisfaction.

“I need to change,” he said, lifting himself off her.

“Okay,” she yawned. She scooted to one side of the bed, got underneath the covers, and rested her head on the pillows. Her eyes closed immediately.

Gavin went to the bathroom and changed into his silk pajama pants, brushed his teeth, and washed his face. When he returned, Faith was fast asleep. He smiled as he looked at her. After standing there for a few seconds, he went to make sure the door was locked and all the lights were turned off. He came back and laid down next to her. He scooted in close, draped an arm around her, and fell asleep.

Back in New York, Chandler was watching Faith’s home like a hawk. There were a couple of times that she saw someone coming and going from the home. She finally came up with a way to find out exactly what was going on.

As she approached the front door, she took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A woman answered the door.

“Yes, can I help you?” she asked. She was wearing turquoise scrubs.

“Umm, this is sort of embarrassing. Faith asked me to check up on her house while she was out of town. I forgot where she told me the spare key was, and she certainly didn’t tell me her sister was going to be here,” said Chandler. She was trying to get more information.

“I’m not her sister. Faith didn’t tell me anyone would be stopping by,” the woman said suspiciously.

“Well, she was in such a hurry. If you’re not her sister, why are you here?” asked Chandler. “I mean, I’m sure Faith doesn’t want any strange people in her home.”

“I’m a family friend. I care for Mr. Rousseau when Faith is working or out of town. She is very aware that I’m here.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry to accuse you of wrongdoing. She didn’t tell me her father was staying with her,” Chandler baited.

“Faith’s father is not here. I care for her husband,” replied the woman, hesitantly. “I’m sorry, who did you say you were?”

“I’ve taken too much of your time. Please forgive the interruption. I’ll be going now.” Chandler quickly turned and walked back to her car. She sat and watched the woman close the door. As she drove off, she could feel a sense of victory.

“Finally,” she said out loud. She had all the information she needed to separate Faith and Gavin for good.

Gavin woke up at his usual time the next morning. He gently ran his fingers along Faith’s arm, almost waking her with the tickling sensation. She turned over, on her back from her side. Gavin softly kissed her neck, and caressed her breasts. She moaned slightly, frowning from being bothered but not contesting his touch. He slowly licked his way down her stomach, making his way to her lower area.

As he slipped her pajama bottoms and underwear off, she squirmed as her body began to respond to him. He carefully stimulated the area with his tongue. Faith groggily whimpered. This excited Gavin even more. At this point, he was completely naked, which she was unaware of. He led her to climax more than once. She waited for him to make his way up to her lips for his own climax, but he didn’t do that. He just continued to stimulate her.

Faith opened her eyes, with little control of what was going on. “Gavin, we should stop.”

“I don’t want to stop,” he said sharply, now kissing and licking her stomach.

She frowned, breathing heavily from so much stimulation. “I need you to stop.”

He was now gently sucking and licking her breasts. “You don’t want me to stop.”

Then she felt him, realizing he was naked. By this time he was kissing her neck, and had started to grind against her. While she wanted him to take her, she couldn’t bring herself to allow it.

“Gavin, I need you to stop.”

He gazed into her eyes and kissed her sensuously. Faith could feel a flood of sensation as he continued to grind.

“No,” he whispered.

Gavin knew this might happen. His hope was that she would be too far gone to deny him. For reasons unbeknownst to him, she was fighting against her own will. He kept gently grinding and kissing her. A thousand thoughts were going through Faith’s mind. She had to stop this before it was too late.

“Gavin,” she said firmly. “Please.”

Finally she had gotten through to him. He slowed his pace, breathing heavily. He buried his head in the pillow and pounded his fist against the bed. Faith was startled and flinched. She closed her eyes, knowing he was upset.

Gavin raised himself away from her. He climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom, immediately turning on the shower. Faith watched as he quietly closed the door, not once looking back at her. She took a deep sigh of relief. After a few minutes, she sat up, pulled her underwear and pants back on, and got up to make the bed. As she was finishing, Gavin emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed. He stood there and looked at her without cracking a smile.

“I’m going to take a walk,” he said.

“I’ll go with you.”

“No. I need to be alone.”

Faith nodded, and sat on the bed, staring at nothing as he left. It took everything she had to stand up and take her own shower, as if the heaviness of the situation was pushing against her. Afterwards, she grabbed one of the books she had bought at the airport and climbed on the bed. She curled her legs up and began to read. Being completely engulfed, she didn’t hear Gavin come back. He stood in the doorway of the bedroom.

“Faith,” he said quietly.

She looked up, tried to smile, and said, “Yes.”

“You are going to tell me why you won’t let me make love to you, right?”

Faith briefly looked back down at the pages in her book, then glanced back up at him. “Yes.”

“Soon, Faith. Soon.”

She didn’t respond, only nodded.

“Are you hungry?” he asked flatly.

Again, she only nodded.

He stood up straight, stretched out his hand and said, “Let’s go.”

Faith swung her legs around the side of the bed, put her shoes on, stood and took his hand. The rest of their weekend was strained. While he still showed affection towards her, he kept his distance. The plane ride was uncomfortably quiet, as was the limo ride to her house. She turned to him, pleading with him to say more than a few words.

“Will you please say something? You’ve barely spoken to me all weekend.”

He sighed, gently stroked her cheek and leaned in and kissed her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Disappointed, Faith said, “Okay.” She climbed out of the car, and thanked the driver for getting her suitcase. She walked to her house without turning around.

The next morning, Gavin brought Faith her coffee as normal.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said as he walked in her office. He sat her cup on the desk and continued, “We’ve got a meeting with Adrian at ten to discuss the trip. Just a reminder. I’ll see you then.”

As quickly as he came, he left. He didn’t like treating her this way, but he wanted to get his message across that he was serious about what he had said. He got back to his office, sat down and closed his eyes in the quietness. It was interrupted by an annoying, familiar voice.

“Glad you’re back,” Chandler said.

“Today is really not the day, Chandler. What do you want?”

“I just had a question to ask,” she said, remaining at the door.

“What’s that?” Gavin asked, irritated. He started reading over paperwork as she spoke.

“Did you know that Faith is married?”

Gavin dropped the papers, looked up and said, “That explains a lot.”

Chandler looked at him, confused. Gavin hastily stood up and walked to the door. He stopped and looked at her.

“I’ll deal with you later.” He knew she had to have done something irrational to uncover this information.

Gavin walked to Faith’s office. Her door was closed, so he walked in without knocking. As he closed the door again behind him, he leaned up against it.

Faith glanced up. “What are you doing?”

“I know why you won’t let me make love to you.”

Faith froze. She waited for him to say more.

Gavin walked closer to her desk and stopped. “You’re married. That’s what you were going to tell me, isn’t it?”

Faith closed her eyes, sucked in her lips and replied, “Yes.” She sighed deeply, pushed away from the desk, stood and walked to the window.

Gavin watched her for a moment. Anger began to rise within him. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he snapped. “All this time you never said one word.”

Without turning to face him, Faith replied, “I wanted to tell you. I didn’t expect anything to happen between us. I tried to get you to leave me alone from the beginning.”

“If you had told me you were married, I would have left you alone.”

“Really Gavin?” she asked, whipping her head around. “If you had known months ago that I was off limits, you would have left me alone? Are you sure about that?”

Gavin stood quietly, thinking about her question. “Maybe not, but at least I would have known what I was up against. I can’t help the way I feel about you. It doesn’t change the fact that you weren’t completely honest with me.”

“You never asked. I never had a chance to lie about it. Had you asked me, I would have told you.”

Gavin moved towards her, grabbed her left hand and said, “You don’t wear a ring, Faith. There are no pictures in here of your husband. How would I even know to ask?”

Faith pulled her hand away, and walked past him as she said, “I don’t like to be reminded.” She stopped in the middle of her office.

“What? What does that mean, Faith? Is he abusive?” he asked, turning around to look at her.

“He’s dying,” she quietly said. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes.

Silence filled the room. Gavin didn’t know what to say as his anger almost instantly subsided. Needing to wipe her face, Faith walked to her desk to get a tissue.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Do you want to tell me about it?” He sat down in one of her chairs.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Faith nodded. She pulled another tissue from the box and walked back to the window. “Emile and I have been married for almost three years,” she began as she nervously played with her necklace. “Six months into our marriage, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Because it was discovered early, surgery to remove the gland was our best option. Chances of the cancer having spread were slim, but in almost forty percent of the cases, the cancer returns. We tried to stay positive. Six weeks after the surgery, he was almost back to normal, except he was unable to function sexually. It was almost a year before we could enjoy each other again. Things appeared to be getting back on track. Then one day, Emile and I had gone for a walk and he stopped, doubled over in excruciating pain. I managed to get him home and called the doctor. While we waited for the doctor to arrive, Emile had a sudden urge to go to the bathroom. I helped him to the powder room. Seconds later, he screamed. I ran in and found him curled up on the floor. There was blood in his urine, and the pain had gotten worse. I sat down and held him until the doctor got there. When he did, he gave Emile some pain medication. He was taken to the hospital for some tests. Results showed that the cancer was back, and it had spread. They started him on chemotherapy immediately. Emile was so weak. I stopped working and stayed home to take care of him.”

Faith dabbed tears from her eyes, took a deep breath, and continued. “For six months, I did whatever he needed me to do. I took him in for treatment, bathed him, fed him on his bad days. I even kept the house as sterile as I could, keeping fresh linens on his bed daily. I was exhausted, and he noticed. He managed to convince me that he would be happier, and so would I, if I was working and we had a nurse caring for him while I was working or traveling. Adrian happened to be looking for a PR Director, and there’s a center here in New York that specializes in prostate cancer treatment. So we moved. Then I met you,” she said, turning to face him.

“Again, I’m sorry Faith. How are the treatments going? Is there a chance he’ll get better?”

“No. The cancer is terminal. Emile stopped going to his treatments two months after we got here. They made his so sick that the only thing he could do was stay medicated to deal with it, and he was always asleep. He still sleeps a lot, but at least he’s not sick from the chemo.”

“How much longer does he have?” Gavin asked.

“Two, maybe three months. Four if we’re lucky.”

“You said you don’t like to be reminded. What did you mean?”

“I have to be reminded every day or night that I’m home, that my husband is not going to be with me much longer,” she said through tears, her voice trembling. “I escape reality when I’m here. I don’t need the reminders. That’s why I don’t have any pictures and no longer wear my ring.” Faith sniffed and reached for another tissue on her desk. She blotted her eyes and wiped her nose, blowing gently.

Gavin felt nothing but empathy, as he watched once again, this extremely strong woman, trying to deal with a great deal of pain the best way she knew how.

“Does he know about us?” asked Gavin.

“Yes. Emile encourages me to be with you. He has this insane idea that he will be able to go in peace knowing that there is someone here for me, that I won’t be alone. He’d been trying to get me to meet another man as soon as we knew the cancer had returned. He doesn’t even like me to be at home. He kicks me out most of the time, telling me to go have fun. It’s quite annoying. That’s why I spend so much time with you.”

“It sounds like he really loves you,” said Gavin.

“He does,” she sobbed. They were silent for a minute. “I would have told you sooner, but the trips brought us closer than I anticipated. Things began to get complicated and I didn’t want to lose you,” she said, as tears welled up in her eyes again.

Gavin stood up, stepped in front of where Faith was standing, and hugged her close. Faith buried her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Oh, beautiful. It’ll take more than this to get rid of me.” He pulled back slightly, keeping one arm around her, wiping tears from her face with his free hand. He gazed into her eyes and said, “I love you, Faith.”

Faith sighed in relief, thanking him with her eyes for finally telling her what she already knew. She pulled back into him, squeezing him hard, not wanting to let go. Then a thought occurred to her.

With tears still in her eyes, she looked at Gavin and asked, “How did you find out?”

“What?” Gavin asked, trying to delay the inevitable. “You don’t,” he paused, “you don’t really want to know - ”

Faith’s sorrowed turned to anger. Gavin couldn’t catch her, she was out of the door and down the hall so fast.

“Faith,” he called. He ran down the hall, “Faith, wait.”

‘Smack!’ It was too late. Faith slapped Chandler so hard, she flew back in her chair and almost toppled over. “How dare you violate my privacy,” Faith steamed. She was red with fire, and tears were still rolling down her face.

Chandler sat there, shocked and holding her face. Everyone around her had stopped what they were doing and watched the scene taking place.

Gavin tried to grab Faith’s arm, but she shook it away from him.

“You’ve finally gone too far. Get your things and go. I don’t ever want to see your face again.”

“It was going to come out sooner or later. You can’t fire me, bitch,” shouted Chandler, getting in Faith’s face.

As Faith lifted her hand to slap her again, Gavin caught her arm. She snatched her arm away and said, “I told you if you ever called me a bitch again, you’re fired!”

“You can’t - ”

“I can,” Gavin interrupted, as he stood between the two women. “This was uncalled for, Chandler. You were wrong to meddle in Faith’s private affairs. Leave your things. You’re taking a leave of absence with pay until further notice. Go now, before I change my mind and fire you like I’d like to.”

Chandler grabbed her purse and stormed away from her cube, pushing through the crowd that had formed.

Gavin walked Faith back to her office. She walked to her desk and grabbed another tissue.

“You’re going home, too.”

“What? She was the - ”

“You’ve had a very emotional morning. The truth is you shouldn’t have hit her. We could easily have a lawsuit on our hands if we don’t deal with this with civility.”

Faith shook her head in disbelief, but knew he was right. “I’m sorry, Gavin. She crossed the line though.”

“Hey,” he said, touching her cheek, “I understand why you’re upset. You don’t have to convince me. I was planning to deal with her after we spoke. I probably should’ve done that first. Go home and get some rest, okay? I’ll call you later.”

Faith huffed, got her purse and keys from the drawer and started to walk out. Gavin stopped her, pulling her in to kiss her. Her hands rested on his arms as she returned the kiss. With no other words spoken, she left for the day.

Gavin needed to talk to Adrian about everything that he had just learned, and all that had transpired afterward. He walked to his office.

“Agnes, is he in?”

“Yes, Gavin. Go ahead.”

Gavin knocked and opened Adrian’s office door.

“Gavin, we’re not scheduled to meet for another hour. Is something wrong?”

Gavin sat down and looked at Adrian with a serious look on his face.

“Did you know Faith was married?”

Adrian held his composure. “I was wondering when we’d be having this conversation. How much did she tell you?”

“In a nutshell, her husband is sick and dying, and that’s why they moved to New York. Is there more?”

“Much more.” Adrian pushed a button on his phone. “Agnes, hold all of my calls, please.”

“Yes, Adrian.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“What I’m about to tell you, Faith is unaware of,” said Adrian.

“Okay, but we don’t like to keep secrets from each other,” replied Gavin.

“You’ll reconsider when I’m done.” Adrian proceeded to tell Gavin about Faith and Emile.

* * *

Faith finished the last of the laundry and took it upstairs. She wanted to get clean linens on Emile’s bed before he returned from his treatment. She was so tired. After dressing the bed, she sat in a chair in the room, stared out the window, and eventually fell asleep.

When Emile got home, he was weak as usual from the chemo. Faith was normally waiting to help him to his bed. He looked around, but she wasn’t there. The driver helped him to his room instead, which is where he found her. She didn’t even move when they came in. Once comfortable in bed, he thanked the driver, then gently tried to wake her.

“Faith,” he said, clearing his throat. She didn’t answer.

“Faith,” he said a little louder. Faith finally woke up.

“You’re back,” she said, trying to focus. “How are you doing?”

“Same as always, weak and still sick,” he forced a smile.

“I’ll go get some soup started for you.” She started to get up.

“No, I want to talk to you about something.” He patted the bed for her to sit down.

Faith sat down next to him on the bed. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t like how tired you look lately. Have you been out at all? Have you spent time with friends or your parents?”

“Emile, you need me here. I don’t have time to go out. Everyone understands that.”

“I would really like it if you got some fresh air and had a little more fun. I’ll manage around here.”

“Absolutely not. You’re not strong enough to do things around here on your own. Don’t even think about it.”

“You might meet someone, someone who can take care of you better than I can.”

“I hate it when you say that. I’m not interested in meeting someone else. You’re my husband.”

“I’d be okay, even happy, if you did.”

Faith was growing angry. “Stop this nonsense. I’m your wife. Stop trying to give me away like some piece of furniture.”

Emile sighed, “Faith, that’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m not really a husband right now. I can’t touch you, I can’t please you, I can’t do anything. I feel awful.”

“This is not your fault. It just happened. We deal with things the best way we know how, but we don’t try to get rid of our spouses in the process. Whether you can touch me or not doesn’t change the fact that I’m your wife and you’re my husband. I don’t want to hear this again from you. Alright?” She gently touched his face.

Emile nodded. “Alright.”

Faith kissed him and said, “Now, would you like some soup?”

“Yes, that would be nice.”

“I’ll be back,” she said as she left the room.

Emile was now frustrated. He had been trying for weeks to get Faith to listen to him. He hated that she did all of the work by herself, and she was starting to get thin from taking care of him first, and not herself. He reached for the phone and made a call. He was going to need more help.

Faith’s parents came over to visit later that afternoon. While Faith and her mother, Vivian, chatted and cooked dinner together in the kitchen, her father slipped away to speak with Emile.

He knocked on the bedroom door.

“Come,” said Emile.

“Good afternoon, Emile. We came as soon as we could. What did you want to talk to me about?” Morgan walked over to the window and pulled the chair closer to the bed.

“I need your help with Faith. I want her to go back to work.”

“That’s easier said than done, Emile. She’s devoted to making sure you’re well cared for. You know I can’t make her stop doing that.”

“I want her to choose of course, but it has to be an offer she can’t refuse. When I married Faith, one of the things that I fell in love with was her love for life. She was so active, even in my healthy state I could barely keep up with her. Now, she can barely stay awake during the day, and have you noticed how thin she’s gotten? She barely eats. I’ve watched her slowly lose the glow she once had. Her smile still brightens my day, but she’s become frail. I don’t want her to die with me. Unfortunately, that’s what’s happening. She needs to get out of this house.”

“She has gotten thin, you’re right,” said Morgan. The situation seemed hopeless, but he looked at his son-in-law and said, “I’ll see what I can do, okay? I can’t make any promises.”

Emile nodded, “Thank you.”

“Now, enough about Faith. How are you, son?” Morgan gently touched his shoulder.

“I’m as good as I can be. I’ll be much happier when Faith is back to normal. I hate seeing her like this.”

“You’re amazing, you know that? You’re sick and yet you’re more concerned about how Faith is doing.”

“She’s my wife. I love her deeply. There’s nothing I can do about this disease in my body, but I can do something about her welfare.”

“I understand,” Morgan said.

Faith called from downstairs to let her father and Emile know that dinner was ready.

“Well, let’s get you down to dinner, shall we?”

Morgan helped Emile out of bed. He would be able to walk on his own after a day or so, but he was still weak from the chemo he’d had earlier. Emile leaned on Morgan as they walked downstairs. All of them sat down and enjoyed a nice dinner together. It was the first time in a few months that Emile saw a slight hint of brightness in Faith’s face.

A week later, Adrian called Morgan to let him know he was in France.

“Morgan, I’m in town to see you. I need your help with something.”

“It’s good to hear from you, friend. How are you? What can I help with?”

“I’m fine. Listen, C&A needs a better community presence. From what I’ve read, Spring is well known in its area. I need to know your secret and how I can go about implementing something similar. We need your help.”

Morgan couldn’t believe that his prayers had been answered so quickly. “Adrian, meet me for lunch. There’s someone you should meet.”

A few hours later, Adrian and Morgan were sitting at a table, catching up on family, business, and old friends.

“I thought you said there was someone you wanted me to meet,” said Adrian.

“There is. She should be here any minute.” Morgan looked up, nodded and said, “Here she comes.”

Faith approached the table. “I’m sorry I’m late, Dad. Traffic was a little backed up,” she said leaning down and kissing her father on the cheek.

Adrian was surprised at how much she had grown. “I don’t believe my eyes.”

Faith looked over immediately, recognizing his voice. “Adrian?” she smiled. “Adrian Carlisle, how are you? It’s been way too long.” He stood and gave her a big hug. “What are you doing here?” she asked as they sat down.

“Your father,” Adrian motioned to Morgan, “told me to meet him for lunch because he wanted me to meet someone. C&A needs his help. He didn’t tell me I was here to meet you.”

“What kind of help does C&A need exactly?” she asked, looking at the two men.

“Spring is ranked first in Europe for its community presence. C&A needs to increase its exposure. I need to know what their secret is,” said Adrian.

“You’re looking at her,” smiled Morgan.

Adrian looked at Faith, “I don’t understand.”

“Faith is the reason that Spring is so well-known and respected among the people. She’s the best. You wouldn’t believe how many companies have tried to steal her from me,” replied Morgan.

Faith smiled, “Dad, you’re biased. I’m not sure I can be of any assistance to you, Adrian. I’m not working any longer.”

“That’s too bad. We could really use your expertise. I only like to employ the best. Are you sure you won’t reconsider?”

“I really need to care for my husband,” she replied.

“Faith, it would do you some good to work again. Emile sleeps most of the day. There’s a family friend in New York whose specialty is in-home care. I’m sure she’d be more than happy to help out.”

“New York? We’d have to move? Absolutely not,” she shook her head. “Emile is in no condition to travel. We don’t know much about America. We don’t have a house, or a car. We don’t even know if there’s a center there that specializes in prostate cancer treatment.”

“Cancer? Oh Faith, I’m so sorry. I hadn’t heard,” said Adrian.

“Emile has already been cleared for travel. I’ll have a car ready for you when you arrive, and we can purchase a house as soon as you find one you like. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is the best center in New York for prostate cancer patients. I looked into it this morning,” said Morgan.

“I see. My husband wouldn’t have anything to do with this, would he?” asked Faith, suspiciously.

“Faith, a friend called this morning and asked for help,” he pointed to Adrian with his head. “You’re the best at what you do. Are you going to tell him no?”

Faith sat quietly, not sure whether she was angry, relieved, or both.

“This will be good for you, Faith. You need to be distracted from all that you’ve been through. We’re starting to get concerned for your health.”

She sighed, feeling helpless and cornered. She sipped on some water, saying nothing for a few moments. Finally she said, “Adrian, I’d love to help. It’ll take some time to prepare for the move. Can you give us a month or two?”

“Absolutely. Let me know what we can do to help.”

Faith nodded. She looked at her father without speaking. “Please excuse me, gentlemen.”

She stood, left the restaurant, and went to see her mother. The two men watched her leave.

“I hope I didn’t cause any trouble. I had no idea.” Adrian was concerned for her.

“No worries, my friend. She will get over it. Let’s finish our meals. I’d like you to meet Emile. He’ll want to know of my progress.”

“So her husband is behind this after all?” asked Adrian.

“Yes, but Vivian and I both agree with him that Faith needs a healthy distraction. Your timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Emile and I just talked about this a week ago.”

“Won’t Faith be home? She’ll suspect - ”

Morgan shook his head. “She’s upset with me. Whenever that happens, she goes to see her mother. We should have plenty of time.”

They finished eating, paid for their meal, and went to see Emile. Morgan called ahead to let him know they were coming.

At Emile and Faith’s house, Morgan and Adrian joined Emile in the family room.

“Emile, this is Adrian Carlisle, a close friend of the family,” said Morgan.

Emile extended his hand, “Nice to meet you. Sit, sit.” He motioned to the sofa.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry to hear about your condition,” Adrian said.

Emile nodded.

“Adrian is actually on a business visit. He had a position created for Public Relations Director at his company. They want to increase their community presence in New York. He’s offered Faith a job.”

“So soon,” Emile’s eyes lit up.

“Yes. If you’re up to it, you’re cleared to travel to New York. There’s a center there that specializes in the treatment you need, possibly better than the one here.”

“Did Faith accept the offer?” he asked looking at them. They were sitting across from him.

“She did. She didn’t like it, but she did. She asked if you had anything to do with it, but I took responsibility, which to an extent, was true,” replied Morgan.

“Thank you, Morgan.” Emile paused. “I do have one more request.”

“What is it?” asked Morgan.

“I don’t want Faith to be alone when I’m gone.”

“She won’t be. We’ll be here for her, and so will your family, and her friends. The two of you have never been in this alone,” said Morgan.

“That’s not what I mean. I want her to meet someone, someone special who can capture her heart.”

“This is an even harder task than the job, Emile. You know Faith loves you with everything she is. She will never allow anyone near her. She values your marriage too much.”

Adrian was overcome by the love that Emile had for Faith. His love was so strong, he was willing to let her go, due to his sickness.

“Morgan, you and I both know that Faith should never have married me. Perhaps with the move, and working, she will have a good chance of meeting the right one.”

“That would be a long shot.” Morgan sat quietly, and then a light came on.

Looking at Adrian he said, “Adrian, is Gavin still single?”

Adrian looked down in disappointment. “I’m afraid so. Juliet and I don’t approve of his current activities, but there’s not much we can do.”

Morgan and Emile sat and stared at Adrian. It took a moment for him to realize where Morgan was headed with his question.

“I see where you’re going. Gavin would definitely be attracted to Faith. Based on what I know about her, she wouldn’t make things easy for him. He would find that challenging.”

Emile was still concerned. “What about her sensitivity? She can’t be won over by just anyone.”

“Emile, all we can do is try. There’s no guarantee,” Morgan answered.

Adrian was perplexed. “What sensitivity? I only recall that she speaks in uncontrolled French when she’s uncomfortable.”

“It’s complicated. We don’t need to go into that right now. Let’s just hope that Gavin is persistent. He’ll have to be,” said Morgan.

“He is,” said Adrian. “Maybe Faith will turn out to be the one he needs as well. He hasn’t been serious about anyone since Aubrey.”

“Let’s hope for the best,” said Emile.

* * *

“I’m afraid you were set up, son,” Adrian finished. “So was Faith. Of course, we had no idea if it would work out. I’d say so far it has. When I wasn’t sure what was going on with you two, Agnes filled me in. I called Emile weekly to update him.”

“Emile has been behind this the whole time without Faith knowing?”

“Yes, and she can’t know. She’s been through so much already with the attempted rape, Emile dying, and the possibility of losing you. I don’t think she can take much more.”

“She’s not losing me. I love her,” Gavin said.

“Did you tell her that?”

“I did. Given the circumstances, I felt she needed to know.”

“Good. I told you that time would come.”

“What happens now?” Gavin asked.

“I believe that’s up to you and Faith. She’ll need you more than she’s ever needed you. Oh,” Adrian remembered, “how does she react to you touching her?”

“She can’t resist my touch, and that’s not me being arrogant. She told me. In fact, just hearing my voice does something to her. Why?”

“That, she’ll have to explain. Is she still here?”

“I had to send her home. That’s the other matter we need to talk about.”

“Why? What happened?”

“I didn’t find out from Faith that she was married. Chandler told me.”

Adrian shook his head in disbelief. “How the hell did she find out?”

“I’m not sure. When Faith figured out how I knew, she confronted Chandler about it. She slapped her pretty hard, almost twice if I hadn’t stopped her. Chandler’s on leave with pay until further notice. I suspect we might have a civil suit coming if we don’t tread lightly with this one.”

“You’re right. Let her stew a bit, then we’ll call her in. If she wasn’t so talented I’d fire her myself. She’s been nothing but trouble since she got here.”

Gavin was still in disbelief, and really wanted to see Faith. “My mind is still reeling from this. Can you handle the rest of the day without me?” he asked as he stood.

“Absolutely. Take all the time you need. I only ask that you take any contracts or paperwork that need to be signed with you. We have deadlines to meet.”

“I was planning on it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Gavin turned and walked out of Adrian’s office, went back to his own and put all of his paperwork in his briefcase. Before leaving, he sent a text message to Faith.

“Meet me at my house,” his fingers typed. He left for the day, hoping that she would respond or just be there when he got home.

Faith was relaxing at home, talking to Mara, the nurse, about the morning’s events before she got the text from Gavin.

“Yes, she came to the door and asked a lot of questions. She never said who she was,” said Mara.

“I can’t believe she did this, though I’m not surprised. She must have been following us to find out where I lived.”

Faith’s phone chimed. She picked it up and read the message. She looked up and said, “Mara, Gavin wants me to meet him at his house. Do you mind staying?”

“Of course not, Faith. I was scheduled to be here. Emile is sleeping anyhow. That’s all he does nowadays. He’s very happy for you and Gavin, though. He talks about it all the time.”

Faith forced a smile.

“Go, sweetheart. I’ll tell him where you are.”

“Thanks, Mara. I’ll call if it starts to get late.”

“Alright.”

After Faith left, Mara decided to check on Emile. To her surprise, he was awake.

“What are you doing up? You need your rest,” Mara said as she walked into his room.

“I’ve got a lot on my mind. I don’t know if I’ve done the right thing,” Emile said, frowning.

“About what?” Mara walked over and sat in the chair by the window.

“Faith. I’m not sure I’m as happy as I’ve let on about her being with Gavin. She’s still my wife. It doesn’t feel right that someone else is taking care of her the way that I should be.”

Mara sighed. “Emile, you know Faith still loves you. Even if you had said nothing to encourage her to meet someone, the attraction between her and Gavin would still be a factor. I don’t even believe they understand completely why they feel the way they do about each other.”

“Faith understands, though she would never admit it. The only reason she married me was to defy what her mother told her. She spent years running away from the truth. When we met, she was all I wanted. I had to have her, no matter what. Much like Gavin. What I didn’t expect was that I wouldn’t be able to please her.”

“I grew up with Faith’s mother. I watched Vivian encounter many of the same difficulties with dating that Faith encountered. Vivian accepted her fate, and continued to believe that the right man would eventually come along. Morgan was a godsend. Faith is probably ten times more sensitive than her mother. She never fully embraced the idea there was a man out there just for her. To her, you were enough.”

“Maybe if I wasn’t sick, things would be different. I could find a way to make her happy.”

“Emile, you have made her happy. I’ve never seen a man love a woman as much as you love Faith. So much that you’re willing to let her go, even though it hurts more than the sickness in your body. Faith and Gavin are together because you wouldn’t give up on her true happiness.”

“Then why do I feel so guilty for pushing her into someone else’s arms? Why am I jealous of Gavin? I know that all I have to do is tell her I don’t want her to see him anymore, and she wouldn’t. I could take her away from him.”

Mara looked at Emile sympathetically. “You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t feel this way. You and I both know that’s not the answer. Say you do take her away. What good would that do? Would you have her lose both you, and Gavin?”

Emile pondered Mara’s question. He wasn’t ready to answer it. Instead, he decided to rest, avoiding it for the time being.

“I’m afraid I’ve grown very tired. Perhaps we can talk more about this later.”

“Alright. You rest.” Mara stood up and covered his legs. She knew he wouldn’t bring it up again, so she said, “We don’t have to talk about this again. You’ll do the right thing.”

Emile nodded as Mara left his room, closing the door behind her.

When Faith arrived at Gavin’s, he hadn’t yet made it home. She let herself in, went into the living room and got comfortable. It was cold, so she turned on the fireplace to warm up.

Gavin pulled up in the driveway and parked next to Faith’s car. He practically ran inside, excited to spend some quiet time with her. The house was nice and warm when he walked in. He noticed her sitting comfortably on the floor, and went to change his clothes.

After changing, he walked into the living room, sat down next to her and said, “Hi, beautiful.” He wrapped his arms around her, completely engulfing her. She closed her eyes and took in his warmth.

“Hi,” she said as she hugged him back, squeezing him tightly. Gavin sensed her fear.

“Hey, you’re holding on to me like you’re holding on for life. I told you I wasn’t going anywhere.”

“I know,” she said, burying her face in his chest. “It just feels good to be in your arms. Why are you here, by the way?”

“I just wanted to hold you. We had a pretty busy morning. Are you doing okay? Still pissed?” he smiled and asked.

“No. Just numb. I wanted to tell you myself. Why does that woman have to stick her nose in everything?”

“Chandler was hoping this would break us up. What she doesn’t know is that I love you, and I don’t want to be without you.”

Faith pulled away slightly from Gavin’s hold, gazing into his eyes. She touched his face, leaned in and kissed him passionately. Gavin tugged on her clothes a little.

“You won’t say it, will you?” he asked. “Because of your husband, you won’t say it.”

“It’s not because I don’t. You know I feel the same way.”

“I do.” Gavin thought briefly about what Adrian had told him and asked, “Why can’t you resist my touch?”

Surprised by the question, Faith said, “I’m not sure I understand where you’re going with this.”

Gavin tipped his head slightly and said, “You understand completely, Faith Scott. Are you going to explain why you’re so sensitive to everything I do? You said it yourself. You can’t resist my touch and my kiss. Want to tell me what that’s all about?”

“No. Just know that I am. It’s complicated and I don’t like to talk about it.” She didn’t like that he was asking, and still wasn’t sure she believed it herself.

Gavin let it go, for now. They cuddled together for the rest of the day, randomly kissing and caressing each other. He wanted her to stay the night, but Faith thought it was best for her to go home.

“Should I come to work tomorrow?” she asked.

“Stay home another day,” he smiled. “I had to be fair. It wouldn’t have been right for me to send one home and not the other, yes?”

Faith nodded.

“We’ll call you for our meeting with Adrian tomorrow about San Francisco. My guess is we’ll know where our new offices will be within a few weeks.”

“I really hope it’s Denver,” she smiled.

“Well, even if it’s not, that doesn’t mean we can’t visit whenever we like.” He gently stroked her cheek.

“You’re right.” Faith enjoyed his gentle touch, closing her eyes and taking a deep sigh. “I should get going,” she said as she stood up.

“Are you sure you won’t stay? I really want you to.”

Faith shook her head. “Not tonight, Gavin.” She walked to the counter, grabbed her purse, and walked down the hallway to the door. Gavin followed closely behind her. They stopped and hugged each other, gently kissing.

“I’m sorry I hit Chandler. I was upset.”

“I know,” whispered Gavin. “Don’t worry about it. Adrian and I will take care of it, okay?”

Faith nodded and rested her head on his chest. She pulled away, looked into his eyes and said, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Yes.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Drive carefully, okay?”

“I will.”

Faith put on her shoes and coat, gave Gavin another kiss, opened the door, and left.

The next day, Gavin and Adrian discussed how to handle Chandler’s actions, as well as Faith’s.

“Let them cool off. Have them both stay home for a week. When they return, we’ll deal with Chandler, and give her some boundaries if she’s to stay employed here,” said Adrian.

“I agree with that. I told Faith we’d call her for the meeting this morning. We can tell her then what we’ve decided.”

Adrian nodded. “I’ll see you in an hour.”

An hour later, Adrian, Gavin and Faith met to discuss the trip in San Francisco. They informed Faith she would be staying home for the week. She was very understanding, and felt relieved. This would give her some time to spend with Emile. He was getting weaker, and Mara could take some much needed time off.

When the meeting ended, Gavin sat in silence for a moment. Adrian could sense something else was bothering him.

“What’s bothering you?”

“I’m worried about Faith. She won’t talk to me about anything. We were together last night and she didn’t say anything about what happened. She hasn’t talked about Carter or Chandler. She didn’t even mention Emile. It may seem strange, but I can feel the pain she’s going through, yet she won’t discuss any of it with me.”

“Faith is a very strong-willed, strong-minded woman. She’s always dealt with her problems on her own.”

“She doesn’t have to. I’m here to help her through all of this.”

“When she’s ready to talk about these things, she will. You have to let her deal with it in her own way. Right now you’re the most stable part of her life. If things get to be too much for her, she’ll open up.”

“I hope you’re right. I don’t like her trying to do this by herself.”

“It’s what she’s used to. You just keep reassuring her you’ll be there and all will be well.”

“I will. I’ve got some paperwork to complete, so I should go,” sighed Gavin.

“Okay,” Adrian said. “Have a good day.”

Gavin stood and went back to his office. He made a few phone calls and worked to get caught up on all the work that had been piling up while he had been out of town.

Faith was home working on presentations when she got a phone call later that morning.

“Hey girl,” Lauren said.

“Girl Scout, how are you?”

“I’m doing fine. How are you doing? I’m sorry to hear about what happened, though it’s about time someone slapped the shit out of Chandler. That’s been a long time coming. I wish I could have seen it.”

Faith chuckled. “Yeah well, I get to spend a whole week at home for my actions. It’s my first suspension.”

“It’s probably worth it. I’d spend a month at home for slapping her.” Lauren paused before she asked her next question. “Why didn’t you tell me you were married?”

“You didn’t ask. No one did. I was grateful for that. Not because I was trying to be deceptive. I just didn’t want to hear the questions every day. ‘How are you holding up, Faith?’ ‘How is your husband doing?’ I would have gotten those questions every single day. Work was meant to be a distraction from what was going on here at home.”

“I understand. I wasn’t trying to make you feel guilty. How are you and Gavin?”

“What about me and Gavin?”

“Faith, I know the two of you are close. You can’t fool me anymore.”

Lauren heard a sigh through the phone. “Gavin and I are working through this.”

“If your feelings are the same as his, the two of you will make it. I can tell he really loves you.”

Just then, there was a knock at the front door.

“Lauren, can you hold on a moment? Someone’s at the door,” said Faith.

“Sure.”

Faith sat her phone down and went to answer the door. A delivery van had just dropped off a dozen red roses in a beautiful crystal vase. Faith brought the flowers inside, sat them on her dining room table, then picked up her phone again.

“You still there?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Lauren.

“Gavin sent a dozen roses. He always does this.”

“What do you mean always? How many times has he sent you flowers?”

“I don’t know. Quite a bit.”

“What did the card say?” asked Lauren, curious.

“I haven’t read it yet. I’ll read it later. Is there anything else you’d like to know, Girl Scout?”

“Do you have to keep calling me that?” laughed Lauren.

“Yes,” giggled Faith. “It suits you. I like having a nickname for you. It reminds me of one of the first times we went out together.”

“Okay, you can keep it. No one else can call me that, though.”

Faith could hear her smiling through the phone.

“Faith, there are quite a few people in the office who are happy for you and Gavin. We’ve waited a long time for him to find someone special. I’m really glad it was you.”

Faith frowned, “How many people know about us?”

“There’s a small group of us. No one is gossiping or anything. You two are good for each other.”

“Thanks, Girl Scout. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. We were trying to keep our relationship private.”

“No apologies necessary. I completely understand. Do you need anything? I can stop by on the way home?”

“Oh no. We’re fine. Thanks for offering. I’ll see you next week.”

“Alright, take care. Call if you need me,” said Lauren.

“I will.”

“Liar,” teased Lauren.

“I promise I will call if I need something.”

“You’ll call Gavin first.”

“Well, yes, but if he’s not available, you’re next on the list,” smiled Faith.

“Good enough. Talk to you soon.”

“Bye, Lauren.”

Faith hung up her phone, and went to find the card that was sent with the roses. She searched in and out and through the huge bouquet, but couldn’t find the card. Then it hit her. Gavin told her she would have to start understanding what he was saying to her without help. As she stood there, her phone rang.

“I was just about to call you. Thank you for the roses. They’re beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you,” said Gavin.

“There’s no card - ”

“You know what I’m saying,” Gavin interrupted. “I love you. I just wanted to call and tell you.”

“Thanks.”

It was quiet for a moment. “Are you still there?” asked Faith.

“Yes,” Gavin almost whispered, disappointed that Faith wouldn’t tell him that she loved him, too. “I’m here, beautiful.”

“How is your day going? I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. I’m just catching up on things. Are you doing okay?”

“I’m doing fine. I’m getting some work done myself.”

“Do you want to have dinner with me tonight? I can make your favorite,” he said smiling.

“Mm, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches sound great, but I gave Mara the week off. I need to stay with Emile.”

“Oh, okay,” said Gavin, again disappointed. “I should let you go then. I’ll call and check on you later.”

Faith heard it in his voice. “Are you alright?”

“I just miss you, Faith. Have a good day.”

“You too.” She wanted to tell him she loved him, but couldn’t.

The call ended. The week would prove to be a long and hard one for both of them.

Faith spent her Saturday morning cleaning, then took advantage of her time alone to read a book. She checked on Emile to make sure he was doing alright. He was sleeping. She gently touched his cheek, kissed his head, then went to grab her book. It was a little chilly, so she snuggled underneath a thick, soft throw, situated herself comfortably on the couch, and started on the first page of the book. After reading the first paragraph four times, she sat the book down in frustration. She huffed, propped her head on her hand and stared off into space. After sitting there in silence for what seemed like an eternity, she heard Emile moving around so she went and checked on him.

Emile Rousseau was a tall, handsome man with short wavy dark brown hair, and crystal blue eyes. He was independently wealthy, and had relational ties to French nobility. Before he got sick, he had an athletically built body and naturally tan skin. Now, his skin was pale, his body thin and weak.

“What are you doing here?” he groggily asked. “You’ve been cooped up in this house all week.”

“I was trying to read a book, but couldn’t get into it,” she frowned.

Emile heard the edginess in her voice. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” she snapped.

Looking at her suspiciously, he asked, “Have you seen Gavin this week?”

“Not since Monday. Why?”

Emile nodded and sat up in bed. Faith was standing by the window, staring out. She was playing with her necklace. Seeing her this way made him think about the conversation he had with Mara. He knew what he had to do. “You need to go see him. Today. You’re cranky.”

“I am not cranky. I need to be here with you,” she snapped again.

“Don’t get snippy with me. I know when you’re cranky. I can hear it in your voice, and you’re fidgety,” he said, watching her agitation grow. It irritated her more that he was right.

“I am not fidgety. Are you hungry?”

“No. You need to go see Gavin.”

“No.”

“Don’t make me get up out of this bed. I can do it, woman.”

“This I gotta see.” Faith sat down in a chair, challenging him, even daring him, to get out of bed.

“Did you just challenge me? I’ve done a lot of things on my own lately. Trust me, if I get out of this bed, you’re in trouble.”

“I’m waiting,” she said sarcastically.

“Woman, if you don’t get your stubborn ass out of this house and over to Gavin’s, I will get out of this bed and take you myself. I don’t feel like dealing with your attitude for two days because you miss him.”

Faith stared at him angrily. She didn’t move, but Emile did. He slowly moved his legs around the side of the bed and was getting ready to stand. Faith’s eyes got big, surprised and shocked at what she was seeing.

“Alright,” she said firmly. “Alright. I’ll go. I won’t stay gone long.”

Emile sat back down, relieved. That had taken a lot energy out of him. Faith helped him back into bed. He gazed into her eyes, smiling victoriously.

“Why did you do that?” she asked shaking her head.

“You need each other, Faith. He’s probably just as miserable as you are. I’ll be fine.” He took a deep breath. “Phew! That little stunt took a lot out of me.”

“You’re the stubborn one. Can I make you some soup?”

“That’ll be fine. As soon as you’ve done that, I want you to go see Gavin.”

“Okay.”

Faith went to the kitchen and warmed up some soup for Emile. She placed it in a bowl on a tray with some water. As she carried the tray to the room, she was still shocked by what Emile had tried to do.

Emile was watching television when she entered. She gently sat the tray across his legs.

“Here you go. It’s still a little hot. Are you doing okay?”

“I’m fine. My body has calmed down. Now go. I don’t want to see you for the rest of the day.”

Faith cupped his face, “Why do you push me out so much?”

“Because you need it. I will not watch you wither away like you did the last time I was sick. Get out of here,” he said, shooing her with his hands.

She kissed him gently on his lips and said, “I’ll see you later.”

About forty minutes later, Faith arrived at Gavin’s house. She didn’t even know if he was home, but it didn’t matter. Just being in his house would help her feel as if she was near him. She pulled her key out to unlock the door, but it was already unlocked. When she walked in, Gavin met her in the hallway.

He grabbed her and kissed her deeply on the lips. “I heard your car pull up. I’ve missed you so much. I hate being unable to see you.” He kissed her again as Faith dropped her keys.

“I missed you, too. Emile kicked me out because I was irritated from being away from you too long.” She pulled away from his arms long enough to remove her shoes and pick up her keys.

They walked into the living room. The warmth from the fireplace felt good on Faith’s skin. Now November, the weather was getting quite cold.

“Have you had dinner? I can make grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup.”

“That sounds wonderful. How long will the soup take?”

“I already have some made. I’ll just need to warm it up.” Gavin opened the refrigerator and pulled out the ingredients he needed to prepare their meal.

“You said Emile kicked you out?” asked Gavin as he picked out a skillet to cook in.

“Yes,” said Faith, now resting comfortably on the couch. She was looking toward him as she sat with her legs crossed Indian-style. “I snapped at him. He knew exactly why. He asked me when the last time was that I saw you. Then he threatened to bring me himself if I didn’t leave.”

“Sounds like he’s kept his sense of humor.”

“Ornery is more like it,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“How’s he doing?” Gavin was grilling the first sandwich, while the soup was simmering.

“He’s doing okay. He’s getting weaker, sleeping more.” She paused, sighed deeply and wiped a few tears away from her eyes. Gavin saw her, but didn’t say anything. “How was your week?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Miserable. Productive, but miserable. It’s not the same when you’re not there.”

“Any news on which city we’re going to expand to?”

“Nothing yet. We’ll have an employee meeting to make the announcement.”

“Adrian hasn’t given you any hints?”

“Nope. He knows I’ll tell you,” he winked.

“That stinks,” she pouted.

Gavin placed their sandwiches and soup on a tray, along with homemade hot chocolate, and carried it into the living room. He opted to clean up later, wanting to spend every second he had with her.

“Here you are, beautiful. Gavin’s specialty. Just for you.”

“You’re so good to me,” she smiled, gently kissing his cheek.

Faith took a bite of her sandwich, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the flavor. Then she tasted the soup, which was even better.

“This soup is delicious. When did you make it?”

“Earlier in the week. I was hoping that you would’ve come over, so in my anticipation, made the soup to go with the sandwiches.”

“You have to show me how to make this next. This is awesome. I’m going to have to get new clothes if you keep cooking like this.”

“Ahh, you won’t. You’ll spend a week eating salad and drinking water to offset this.”

“Whatever,” she giggled.

They finished their dinner, then laid on some pillows in front of the fireplace. Resting on his side, Gavin reached over and moved hair from Faith’s face, and kissed her sensuously on the lips. Faith slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing one arm to fall and caress his face. Gavin moved down a little bit, kissing and licking her neck. He slipped his hand underneath her sweater, rubbing her stomach and her side. She reached underneath his shirt as well, softly stroking his skin.

“I missed your touch so much.” He gazed into her eyes, and Faith knew exactly where he was going next.

She shook her head, “Can you just hold me? It’s been such a long week without you. I just want to be in your arms.”

“Sure,” Gavin said, kissing her softly. He didn’t press.

They talked, laughed, and loved on each other for the next few hours. Faith returned home, satisfied from spending time with Gavin. She checked on Emile, who was in a deep slumber. The tray she had left was sitting to the side of him. Quietly, she tiptoed into the room, turned off the television, and took away the tray. Most of the soup had been eaten, and all of the water was gone. She went to the kitchen, rinsed the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher, and stored the tray in the pantry. As she stood alone at the island, she glanced in the dining room where the roses that Gavin sent were sitting, smiling as she thought about how wonderful it had been to rest in his arms. Since it was getting late, she turned off all of the lights, and retired for the evening.

On Monday morning, Adrian and Gavin wasted no time addressing Chandlers’ behavior. Adrian asked Agnes to call Chandler and have her come in for a private meeting.

She knocked softly on Adrian’s door when she arrived.

“Come,” said Adrian. He was sitting at his desk, with Gavin sitting on the opposite side. They stood as she walked in.

“You wanted to see me?” said Chandler.

“Yes, Chandler. Please sit down,” said Adrian, motioning to an empty chair. Gavin said nothing.

Chandler walked to the chair and sat down as instructed. She was actually decently dressed on this occasion.

Adrian said, “We don’t want to keep you long, but we have to address the situation that occurred last week between you and Faith. You found out some very private information about her for your own selfish reasons. How you found out is irrelevant. The fact is you crossed the line. Normally I would suggest you apologize, but you’ve done enough damage. Instead, you are to go nowhere near Faith. You will not try to speak to her or bother her in any way, do you understand?”

Chandler nodded. She tried to look at Gavin, but he didn’t once look her way, nor did he speak.

“If you cause anymore problems for her, your consequences will be greater,” he continued. “You’re a remarkable employee, but your people skills could use improvement, and that’s putting it nicely. I suggest you work on them if you want to remain here.”

“Yes, sir.” Chandler wanted to hear from Gavin, but he remained quiet. “Is there anything else?”

“No,” said Adrian. “You’re free to go. Have a good day.”

Chandler glanced at Gavin once more, disappointed that he hadn’t said a single word while she was there. She stood, said thank you, then left.

Adrian looked at Gavin and said, “You didn’t have anything to say?”

“No. She’s done too much to come between me and Faith. I didn’t even want to be here for this, but knew I had to be. It was one thing to deal with Carter. Now I’m dealing with Chandler, too.”

“Speaking of Carter, have you talked to him?”

“I haven’t. He’s not allowed to speak with anyone at this point in his rehabilitation. I did get an update on his status. His doctor says he’s doing well. He’s communicating well, and participating in his group sessions. I still can’t believe Faith convinced us to keep him here. We really should have fired him. I think he’s a liability.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more. For whatever reason, Faith thinks he can change. I’m sure he knows he’s on thin ice if and when he returns. If his behavior shows no positive signs, we’ll let him go.”

Gavin shook his head. “I’m just not comfortable knowing what he’s done, and that he’ll be around Faith again, and other women.”

“Let’s stay updated on his progress and make decisions based on that. Whatever happens, it needs to be in the best interest of the company, regardless of how Faith feels.”

“Alright.” Gavin stood and left for his own office.

Over the next few months, Gavin and Faith grew closer to each other than either of them had expected. However, his frustration with her was becoming an issue. She still wouldn’t allow their passion and desire for each other to completely unfold. Her resistance to his advances was growing old, and his aggravation was beginning to show.

One Friday afternoon, Gavin asked Faith to join him for an early dinner. She agreed and got to his house shortly after him. Crazed from craving and desiring the woman he loved, he practically attacked her in the living room, pulling her close to him. He kissed her deeply on the lips, ready to rip her clothes off.

Drawing away slightly, she said, “I thought we were having an early dinner.”

Gavin was now kissing her lightly on the neck, and had placed his hands underneath her shirt.

“I thought we could have dessert first,” he said without looking at her. He simply kept kissing her. His own shirt was gaping open, and Faith couldn’t help but touch the soft, smooth skin on his chest. Gavin quivered from her touch.

Gently laying her down on the pillows that were arranged on the floor, he wasted no time removing her shirt, exposing her supple skin underneath. He showered her shoulders and stomach with kisses, alternating them with tender licks of seduction, sending intense pleasure through Faith’s body. She tried to control her longing for more, but was unsuccessful, as she allowed him to unbutton, unzip, and pull down her pants and underwear. Her anticipation elevated as he slowly began to kiss and lick her womanhood, increasing her moistness. Gavin began to throb, yearning to be inside her. Unable to take it anymore, he unzipped his own pants and was preparing to penetrate when Faith stopped him.

“Gavin, we need to stop.”

“Damn it, Faith, why?” he whispered in frustration.

“I can’t do this with you right now.”

“I need you, Faith. I can’t take it anymore. I told you I’d let you know when I got to this point. I need to feel you.”

“I’m sorry. I want to make love to you, too, but I can’t.”

“Can’t, or won’t?”

“Can’t. I’m not free to give myself to you. When this happens, I want to be able to give you all of me, not just a part of me.”

Gavin stood up, feeling a shot of pain in his groin. His hardness was not wearing down, as his pants remained open. Faith sat up and zipped her pants. She pulled herself up on the couch.

“This is not happening. Are you serious? What excuse do you have for me tonight?”

“It’s not an excuse, Gavin. You know why we can’t do this.”

“Right,” he chimed sarcastically. “The whole ‘I’m still married’ thing. It doesn’t matter that your husband wants us to be together. I’m tired of that excuse. You’re going to have to give me a better one than that.”

“That’s all I have. There is nothing else and no other reason.”

“This is bullshit, Faith. No is not acceptable. I’m beginning to wonder if you really love me at all.”

Faith shot a glare at him and said, “You know I do.”

“Do you? Say it. Tell me that you love me.”

Faith turned away from him. She was silent.

“That’s what I thought. You won’t tell me you love me, you won’t let me make love to you, and you won’t talk to me about anything. Do you realize that you have yet to talk to me about what happened with Carter? You haven’t talked about the incident with Chandler, and you’re not talking about Emile and how you’re holding up. You don’t have to do all of this alone, Faith. I’m here to help you through this.”

Tears began to well up in her eyes. All she could do was listen.

“You are the air that I breathe, Faith. I can’t function when you’re not around. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I’ve loved you since the first day I saw you, I just didn’t want to admit it. I need you.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t,” she whispered through tears.

Gavin sat down next to her and gently kissed her cheek. “You can,” he whispered, kissing her neck. Faith closed her eyes, feeling the excitement rush through her body all over again. He gently rubbed her breast, causing her to moan.

“We can’t do this, Gavin,” she said breathily.

“Yes we can.” He continued to kiss her neck and was trying to unzip her pants again.

Faith stood her ground. She grabbed his hands, looked him in his piercing green eyes and said, “No.”

She could see nothing but hurt at that point. “I just don’t understand,” he said in frustration, pulling away from her.

“Gavin, if you were my husband, how would you feel if I was out making love to another man while you were home dying? Alone.”

“I probably wouldn’t be very happy.”

“That’s why I can’t do this.” She stared at him for a moment, then reached down, grabbed her shirt and put it back on. She stood up and started to leave, but turned back toward him. “I’ll talk to you later. I’m sorry for hurting you.”

When he didn’t speak, she looked up at the ceiling, then walked down the hallway and out the door. Gavin didn’t move as he heard her car start and pull away. After sitting in silence for a few moments, he got up and poured a glass of wine, and returned to the couch.

Faith arrived home, distraught from how her evening had ended with Gavin. It was still fairly early. When she got inside, she removed her coat, took off her shoes, and went to check on Emile. She entered the room, saw he was sleeping and sat down in the chair next to the window. She had only been there for a few minutes when Emile felt her presence.

“What are you doing back so early?” He could see the tension in her expression.

“We decided not to eat. I wanted to make sure you were doing okay,” she answered flatly.

“What happened?”

“I just told you what happened.”

“You’re an awful liar, Faith. What happened?”

Faith didn’t answer right away. When she looked at Emile, he was patiently waiting for her to tell him what was wrong.

“Gavin wanted to make love tonight. I told him no. We argued, now I’m here.”

Emile was shocked. “You haven’t made love to that man yet? Faith, that’s not right.”

She glared at him, anger rising up within her. “I’m still your wife.”

“Whom I set free months ago. I can’t touch you and caress you the way he can, Faith. He loves you. He needs to be intimate with you. How long have you been seeing each other now?”

“What difference does it make?”

“How long?”

Faith huffed, “About nine months.”

“Nine months of foreplay? He must really love you. I would’ve left your ass.”

“Excuse me?” squealed Faith.

“That man needs to be intimate with you. He’s probably been going crazy for months, but hasn’t shown it. Go back. Don’t come back here until you’ve taken care of your business. You’ve been unfair, and now you’re going to fix it.”

“I’m staying right here with you.”

Emile looked at Faith with conviction in his eyes. “Faith, I love you with all of my heart. You never should have married me. You can finally be with someone whose touch stimulates you and excites you. I could never do that for you.”

Faith looked at him, surprised.

“Didn’t think I knew, did you? You’re a bad liar, and even worse at faking your enjoyment from our lovemaking. I always thought it was me, that you didn’t desire me. Then your mother told me about how sensitive you were, that it’s something the Knight women go through. Gavin is the one for you, Faith. The two of you can’t stand to be away from each other.

“I know you love me, Faith. I can tell you love him more.” She quickly glared at him. “Don’t even try to deny it. I can see it in your eyes.” Tears began to roll down Faith’s face.

“Come here sweetheart,” he said, patting the bed.

Faith stood up and went to sit by his side. He took her hands in his. They were so thin and frail, not at all what they used to be when they held hands on summer strolls back home.

“Gavin longs to show you how much he loves you. He wants to pour his love into you, and feel you. Stop making him wait, Faith. Why are you making him wait?”

Faith looked up at him, unable to speak through her tears.

He knew immediately. “You don’t feel you can give yourself to him right now. Is that it?”

Faith nodded.

“Oh, my sweet Faith. You are special indeed. Your poor heart is torn between the man who will remain here with you and the one who lies before you. You hate hurting him, but fear you’ve hurt me. Sweet, sweet Faith. While I’ll admit I wasn’t sure if I had done the right thing by pushing you into Gavin’s arms, I am very happy that you were able to meet such a wonderful man, who happens to be the very one you’ve needed all along. I’m happy I was able to see you find the happiness I myself couldn’t give you. You haven’t hurt me, but the complete opposite. I am thrilled for you and Gavin. This was my prayer for you. I want you to go back and see him.” He put his forefinger under her chin to lift her head.

“No. I don’t want to be away from you right now. What if,” she couldn’t finish. She looked down at their hands.

Emile shook his head as all of the pieces began to come together. “Look at me.” Faith looked into his crystal blue eyes. “I promise that I won’t go anywhere until you’ve had a chance to spend time with Gavin. I’ve got a good four weeks left in me,” he smiled. “I’ll be here. You take all the time that you need. Don’t come back here until you’ve both been satisfied. I want to see that gorgeous smile again.”

Faith looked again, searching for reassurance he would be alright. He nodded with confidence. She kissed him gently.

“Do you need anything before I go?”

“No, honey. You go.”

Faith walked into the living room, slipped into her shoes, put her coat on, grabbed her keys and ID and left.

Gavin was still sipping on the same glass of wine he poured himself shortly after Faith left. When he heard the front door open and close, he smiled to himself. Anticipation rose in his body with each footstep. They stopped just behind the couch.

“Did you change your mind?” he asked, turning around at the same time. His smile quickly faded.

“What are you doing here?”

Chandler stood there in a beige trench coat, and red stiletto pumps.

“I’m here to take care of you,” she said sensuously.

“I don’t need you, nor do I want you,” snapped Gavin.

“You will.” Chandler looked down on him. He was still sitting on the couch with his shirt open and his pants unzipped. His hardness had not faded. “Looks like you do.”

“Leave now, Chandler. You’ve done enough to hurt me and Faith.”

“She’s obviously the one doing the hurting. She hasn’t taken care of you.” Chandler took off her coat, letting it drop to the floor. She was completely naked underneath.

Gavin wasn’t amused. “I don’t know what you think you’re about to do, but you’re sadly mistaken.”

She tipped her head to the side. “You don’t want it that way. That’s fine. I can still take care of you.” Chandler knelt down and pulled on Gavin’s pants and boxer briefs just enough to expose his manhood.

“Don’t touch me, Chandler,” Gavin tried to say as she leaned in and took him in her mouth. He wanted to push her away, but her warmth was stimulating, and he needed the release. Chandler’s head bobbed up and down, as Gavin sat still, moaning and groaning from the pleasure.

Twenty minutes later, Faith pulled up to the house. She noticed the other car and wasn’t sure what to think. She quietly opened the front door, slipped out of her shoes and walked down the hallway. Fearing the worst, she could hear the moans coming from Gavin. Her body became tense, and she began to get sick to her stomach. As she got closer to the couch, she could see another woman’s head situated above his groin area. Tears filled her eyes when she realized who it was. She stepped into Gavin’s view, without saying a word. Her face said it all.

Gavin looked up, shocked to see Faith standing there.

“Chandler, stop,” he said, keeping his eyes on Faith. Chandler didn’t listen.

He tried again, “Chandler, stop.” She ignored each attempt he made to get her to stop.

Gavin watched as tears began to stream down Faith’s face, their eyes staying locked on each other. Chandler increased her pace, bringing Gavin to climax within minutes. To Faith, it felt like a lifetime, as she stood observing the man she loved quivering from the stimulation of another woman. They never took their eyes off of each other, as Gavin began to tear up from the pain he saw in Faith’s face. Chandler allowed Gavin to empty in her mouth. When he was done, she pulled away, wiped her lips and smiled wryly.

“It was good to taste you again,” Chandler said.

Keeping his eyes on Faith, Gavin sternly told Chandler, “Get out.” Faith’s eyes seemed to ask the question ‘Why?’

Chandler picked up her coat as she stood up. She put it on, buttoned and tied it. Walking near Faith, she stopped.

“Told you he’d come running back to me.”

Faith didn’t flinch, and stood in a trance, still holding her gaze on Gavin. As soon as Chandler was gone, he pleaded with her, pulling his pants up and zipping them.

“Faith, please. Let’s talk about this.”

“I shouldn’t have come here. This was a mistake.”

“I didn’t want her here. I tried to stop her, but I needed a release.”

Faith nodded. “I should go.”

“Please, no. Please don’t go. Talk to me,” he said, standing.

She looked at him lovingly, stepped closely, and kissed him with tears streaming down her face. She pulled away slightly, gazing into his eyes.

“Goodbye.” She stepped away quickly and almost ran down the hall. She put her shoes and coat on, never looking back. As quickly as she came, she was gone. Gavin sat quietly, once again alone.

When Faith got home, she opened the door as quietly as she could so Emile wouldn’t know she was home already. She peaked in on him to make sure he was doing okay. He was sleeping as usual, or so she thought. She went to her room, changed clothes, laid down on her bed, and cried herself to sleep.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

On Monday morning, Gavin was hoping he could talk to Faith about what had happened. His heart was already broken from having hurt her this way. He knocked on her door, having picked up coffee on his way into the office.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he tried to smile.

“Good morning.” Faith did manage to glance up at him, but couldn’t smile.

Gavin handed her the coffee. She graciously accepted it, “Thank you.”

That was it. She said nothing else, and turned back to what she was doing before he walked in. Disappointed, Gavin walked out and went to his own office. It was not going to be easy to get through to her. When he left, Faith stood up and went to the sink in her office, poured the coffee out and disposed of the cup. Drinking it would only make her think of him, and the only image that was coming to mind was that of Chandler orally pleasing him. That was the last thing she wanted in her head.

For two weeks, Gavin had the same routine, each day bringing Faith her coffee, and each day, being unsuccessful in getting her to talk. He noticed how tired she looked. She had been crying herself to sleep every night.

One particular day, he had finally had enough of her silence and wanted desperately to talk. He delivered her coffee as always, only this time, he closed her door, and went and sat down across from her.

“I miss you.”

Faith looked at him without responding.

“Why are you doing this? I know you miss me, too. I can see it in your eyes. When will you talk to me?”

“What would you like me to say?” she calmly asked.

“For starters, you could tell me how you’re feeling. You could let me tell you I’m sorry. We could kiss and make up.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“Okay then, enlighten me.”

“I’m really not in the mood to discuss this right now.” She tried to keep working.

“When then? You can’t stay mad at me forever. This is starting to wear on you. Slap me, yell at me, anything. I don’t care as long as you talk to me.”

“I can’t even look at you without seeing that bitch’s head going to town on you.”

He didn’t expect that particular response, but he asked for it.

Gavin closed his eyes, frowning slightly. “I wish I could take that moment back. I’m sorry you had to witness that. I’m sorry for allowing her to stay. I have no excuses. I don’t ever want to see pain in your eyes again like that night. I hurt you, Faith. I never wanted to do that.”

Faith rolled her eyes and sighed deeply as she sat back in her chair.

“Where do we go from here? We’ve been through so much. I don’t want to give up on us now. You mean too much to me.”

“I don’t know,” said Faith shaking her head. “I need time to think.”

Gavin wanted to resolve things quickly, but respected her decision.

“Alright. I’ll give you some space. Please keep one thing in mind as you’re thinking things through.” He was standing to leave.

“What,” she said without looking at him.

“Look at me.”

Faith glanced up at him standing there. She knew he was sincere and could see he was having a hard time with this as well.

“Keep in mind that I love you,” he said, staring deeply into her eyes.

She nodded, and mouthed the word, “Okay.”

Gavin turned and walked out, unsatisfied that he had to leave without a resolution, but thankful they were at least talking to each other.

That evening, Faith tried to think about Gavin’s love toward her, but still couldn’t get that horrible night out of her head. She once again cried herself to sleep. Emile had had enough.

When Faith came in with his breakfast the next morning, he confronted her.

“You look really tired. What’s been going on with you? I hear you crying every night.”

“I’m fine, Emile,” she said as she sat the tray in front of him. He noticed that her weight had dropped a little bit.

“You’ve lost weight, too. Are you eating?”

“Of course. Stop fussing.”

“Are you and Gavin okay?”

Faith avoided the question. “Mara should be here soon to take over. How have you been feeling?”

“Are you and Gavin okay?”

“I’m not talking about this with you right now. I need to get to work.” She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “Have a good day, honey.”

She slipped out of the room, escaping the third degree.

Emile reached for the phone and called Adrian.

“Hello,” said Adrian.

“Good morning, Adrian.”

“Emile. How are you doing?”

“As well as can be expected. I’m more concerned about Faith. She’s been crying herself to sleep for almost three weeks, and she’s not eating properly. I don’t think things are right between her and Gavin.”

“I haven’t seen her very much, and I certainly haven’t heard anything. I’ll talk to Gavin today and see what I can find out.”

“Thank you, Adrian. I appreciate it.” Emile hung up the phone and ate his breakfast. Mara arrived shortly thereafter.

Adrian didn’t waste time after speaking with Emile. He immediately went to Gavin’s office to ask him what was going on with Faith. He knocked and walked in at the same time.

Gavin looked up from his work, “Adrian. What brings you here this morning? Do you have news on the expansion project?”

“No, that’s not why I’m here. I wanted to find out how you and Faith were. Is everything alright?”

“Nothing we can’t handle. Why do you ask?”

“Emile is worried about her. He said she’s been crying herself to sleep every night. Are you sure you two are okay? Is there something you want to talk about?”

“I would really rather not.”

“What happened?”

Gavin sighed. “It’s kind of personal, Adrian.”

Adrian went to close the door and sat down.

“Cut the Adrian bullshit. Father and son, man to man. Tell me what happened?”

Gavin hesitated at first, but Adrian sat with his hands folded together, waiting to hear.

“A few weeks ago, I asked Faith over for dinner. Dinner was not what I had in mind. We’ve never made love to each other. All this time, and she never allowed it to happen. That particular night was no different. She said she couldn’t give herself to me freely because of Emile.”

“That sounds like Faith.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t like that answer. She ended up leaving. Then Chandler came.”

“What? Why would you even let her in?”

“I didn’t. Faith left the door unlocked when she left. I thought she was coming back. When I saw it was Chandler, I tried to make her go. She forced herself on me.”

Adrian shook his head. “Don’t tell me you had sex with her?”

“No, not at all. She took care of me in another way.”

“Apparently you told Faith about this, and now she’s upset with you.”

Gavin pinched his lips, nodded, and said, “That’s not exactly how it happened.”

“What do you mean?”

“Faith did eventually come back. She saw Chandler and I.”

“What?” Adrian’s mouth hung open.

“It was like a nightmare. I’ve been trying to talk to Faith every day since. She finally talked to me yesterday and told me she couldn’t look at me without seeing the image of me and Chandler. That’s why she’s been crying every night, although she didn’t tell me about that.”

“Just when I thought she’d been through it all. Wow.”

“Man to man, Dad, I couldn’t help it. I really needed a release. I wasn’t trying to hurt her.”

Adrian empathized with his son, but was furious with Chandler. “Man to man, I understand. What about you and Faith? What does this mean for you?”

“I don’t know. She said she needed time to think.”

“Faith is a fair woman. She knows that Chandler is behind all of this and she loves you. She’ll come around. Keep your head up.”

“I hope you’re right. I miss her so much.”

“I bet. Keep me informed, alright?”

“I will.”

Adrian stood up and walked to the door. “Try not to worry about it. She’ll come around.” He left and went directly to Chandler’s desk.

Surprised to see him, Chandler smiled and said, “What can I do for you, Adrian?”

“I want you to get your things and go. You’re fired,” Adrian said with a straight face.

With her smile quickly fading, she asked, “What? I don’t understand.”

“I warned you to stay away from Faith. You didn’t do that.”

“I didn’t go anywhere near her. I haven’t even see her since I’ve been back.”

“I told you not to cause any problems for her. When you went to see Gavin, you did exactly that. Since you’ve chosen to go against the warnings I gave you, you no longer have a job with us. Please pack your things, and leave quietly. If you can’t do that, I will have security come and escort you out. I’d rather not create a scene.”

Shocked, Chandler did as Adrian asked. She went and got an empty box from the copy room, and packed it with her personal belongings. As she was leaving, she looked back at Adrian.

“You’ll see me again. Count on it.”

Adrian plainly said, “We’ll be ready.”

Once she was gone, he went back to his office, called Emile and explained what was going on.

Within days, Emile’s health took a turn for the worse. His organs were shutting down. Faith stayed home, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. She was sitting next to him, feeding him ice chips to keep him hydrated. He pulled her near him and gently brushed her cheek.

With a very weak voice, he said, “Please call Adrian and tell him what’s happening. I also need to speak to Gavin – in person.”

“Why do you need to speak to Gavin?” she said, fighting back tears.

“Please, just do as I ask.”

Faith nodded. She picked up the phone and called Adrian.

“Good morning, Faith.” His chipper tone soon turned serious. “Okay, I will tell him right away.”

Adrian called Agnes and asked her to locate Gavin. No matter what he was doing, he was to come see Adrian immediately. Once he got the message, Gavin rushed to Adrian’s office.

“What’s going on?”

“Faith just called. Emile is dying and he’s requested to see you.”

“I’m on my way,” he said, stepping back. He quickly walked to his office, grabbed his coat, phone and keys, and went to the elevators. Down in the garage, he jumped in his car and carefully sped away, heading towards Faith’s house.

When he arrived, Mara answered. She stood to the side and allowed Gavin inside. She asked for his coat and directed him to Emile’s room. Emile looked up and motioned him in. Faith didn’t look back.

“Gavin,” he mustered. “Thank you for coming.”

Gavin walked around to the side of the bed, where he remained standing.

“You’re probably wondering why I asked you to come here.”

“Yes, I am.”

“I’m sure you know by now that my wife has been crying every night, upset over something that happened with you two.”

“Yes. I hurt her very badly. I’ve regretted it every day since.”

“To your defense,” Emile started, then coughed a little bit, “Faith didn’t make things easy on you.”

“Maybe not. Nonetheless, I should have been stronger. I will never forget the pain that I’ve caused her, and hope that she can forgive me,” Gavin said, looking at Faith.

“I can’t leave without knowing that the two of you will be together.” He took Faith’s hand and joined it with Gavin’s. “You two have a special love that is like no other. You may not understand it fully, but you both know it’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before. Don’t ever let anyone come between you. You belong together, and you’re miserable apart. Promise me you’ll do everything you can to stay together.”

Tears streamed down Faith’s face. She couldn’t help but nod, as did Gavin.

Emile reached out and gently touched Faith’s cheek. “My sweet Faith. All I ever wanted was to see you happy. You are such a gem. Don’t ever change. Always stay true to who you are. Try not to be so stubborn, and let Gavin love you. Make sure you love him back, and tell him often. He needs to hear you say it.”

Gavin teared up a little as he listened to this man unselfishly reveal his dying wishes for his wife. The same woman he himself didn’t want to live without.

Faith’s face was wet with tears. She could see Emile slipping away. “I love you, Emile. I’ll miss you.”

“I’m in your heart,” Emile smiled and put his hand on her heart. Just as he did that, his hand went limp, and his smile slowly faded. He was gone.

“Emile,” sobbed Faith. She lifted his hand and laid on his chest, crying uncontrollably. Gavin gently touched her shoulders, trying to comfort her. Still weeping, she stood up, burying her face in Gavin’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to hold back his own tears.

“I’m so sorry, Faith.” He held her for several moments. Mara stopped the clock on the wall to mark the time of his death. She patted Faith on the back, and told her she would call the doctor to let him know.

“Can I help you with the arrangements? I can call family for you, if you like. What do you need me to do?” Gavin offered.

Faith pulled away from him, looked in his eyes and said, “Thanks for offering. I need to do this alone.”

“You are anything but alone, Faith. Please let me help.”

“I’ll be alright, Gavin. Thanks for being here. I need some time alone, if you don’t mind.”

Gavin nodded, “Okay. I’ll check on you tomorrow.” He kissed her cheek, walked out of the room, and left.

Emile’s family, Faith’s parents, Gavin, Adrian, Juliet, and dozens of friends all attended his funeral. His body was flown back to France and buried next to his parents at their estate. Afterwards, they all gathered at the home that he and Faith shared for two years. All of them, except for Gavin. He returned to the hotel, feeling that Faith would be better if he wasn’t there. Juliet disagreed.

“Gavin, honey, you should be here. Faith needs you.”

“I don’t think she wants to see me right now, Mom. She has her family there to support her.”

“You’re being stubborn. The two of you need to talk about things.”

“Now’s not the best time for that. She just buried her husband and needs time to grieve. I’ll just be in the way.”

“Gavin Antonio Benedetto Carlisle, get over here right now.”

Without responding, Gavin hung up the phone and did as his mother instructed, taking a taxi to Faith’s house.

While family and friends were mingling in the living room, Faith was in the kitchen with her parents and Adrian.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to go back to New York. Maybe I should move back here.”

“Absolutely not!” replied Morgan. “You have a job to do. I’ll be damned if you don’t get your butt back on a plane when this is over and finish it. You’re being unreasonable.”

Adrian had to agree. “I’m afraid I have to agree with your father, Faith. You haven’t even begun to do what I hired you for. Your job is really going to start picking up. We need you.”

“I just don’t know if I’m up to it.”

“I’m willing to give you the necessary amount of time off to grieve, but I need you back in the office as soon as possible.”

“She doesn’t care about the office. She’s running,” said Morgan, throwing up his hands. “Stop being so stubborn.”

“Wonder who I got that from,” she snapped.

“Okay, enough,” interjected Vivian, as Juliet walked in.

“Deal with her, Vivian. I can’t do this,” Morgan said, shooting an angry glare at his daughter as he stormed out of the kitchen.

“Is everything alright in here?” asked Juliet.

“It’ll be fine, honey,” said Adrian, reassuring her. “I’m going to catch Morgan to see if I can calm him down.”

The mothers watched as Adrian left. Faith was staring down at her lap, playing with a tissue.

“Faith darling, what is this really about? Your father knows you better than anyone. What does he mean you’re running?” asked Vivian.

“Daddy doesn’t understand. I just need time to think.”

“Think about what, honey?” asked Juliet. “Does this have to do with Gavin?”

With tears in her eyes, Faith nodded. “I’m not sure I’m ready to face him. I can’t stop thinking about what happened.”

Vivian sighed. “He’s a man, Faith. You didn’t make things easy for him. Put yourself in his shoes. He was already out of his element when he gave up all of his normal activities to be with you. After all that the two of you have overcome, don’t you think your love is worth fighting for? From what you’ve told me, Gavin has not given up, and probably won’t.”

“Vivian’s right, honey. Gavin is so broken up over this. He loves you so much, though. He needs you.”

Faith shook her head. “I don’t know. Now is just not a good time to talk about this. I need some fresh air,” she said as she stood up from the stool she was sitting on.

As she walked out of the kitchen, Vivian and Juliet tried to stop her, but were unsuccessful. She went to the hall closet to grab a coat. Putting it on, she opened the front door, and Gavin stepped in. Their eyes locked for a few moments, and all the chatter stopped, everyone now focused on them.

“Faith,” Gavin whispered.

She didn’t speak, just continued out the door. Gavin stood and watched her as she walked down the street until she was out of his sight. He sighed and closed the door.

“I’m sorry, honey,” Juliet said as she hugged her son.

“It’s alright, Mom. I didn’t think she was ready to deal with me.”

Morgan and Vivian were able to talk Faith into returning to New York. Gavin was grateful, unsure of what he would have done if he was unable to see her every day. Faith stayed home for a few more weeks, getting her affairs in order. Emile left everything to her, save a few items that were special to his family.

When she returned to work, Faith managed to avoid talking to Gavin. She was still a bit angry and hurt from what had occurred with him and Chandler. However, she couldn’t prolong the inevitable. As she looked at her remaining to do items, she realized she was going to have to speak to him sooner than she wanted, and that didn’t make her happy.

Faith was sitting in her chair facing the windows. She was staring off into space, tapping her pen on her desk, and thinking of nothing. After several moments had passed, she turned toward her desk and reviewed the agendas for two upcoming press conferences about C&A’s expansion into the entertainment market, and adding a new office in Denver. She would be visiting the communities surrounding the Denver office to meet with the city mayor and residents. Gavin would need to sign off on her agenda and schedule of meetings with public officials.

Faith grabbed her files, walked out of her office and down the hall towards Gavin’s office. She stopped just outside his door, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and stepped forward and knocked on the door.

“Do you have a minute?” she asked.

Hearing her voice, Gavin looked up, surprised to see her standing there. His heart skipped a couple of beats, as he had not expected this situation to happen so soon. He fumbled over his words.

“Uh, sure, sure. Come on in,” he said waving her in. He stood and cleared some space from his desk.

Faith walked toward his desk, keeping her eyes diverted, either looking at his desk, off to the side, or at her files. She just didn’t want to make eye contact with Gavin. Not right now. She stood in between the two chairs, just at the front of his desk.

“Have a seat,” he motioned towards the chairs.

“No, thank you. I’ll just be a minute.” She spoke softly, trying to keep her voice from cracking.

“Okay. What’s up?” He was still standing, and never stopped looking at her, hoping she would look up. He needed to see her eyes to determine where he stood with her. His heart rate was steadily increasing from the anticipation.

“I’m preparing for the trip to Denver and I need you to review the agenda, my meeting schedules and press conferences. You need to sign off on them before I go,” still speaking softly, frowning at times.

To his amazement, she refused to look up. He watched as she fidgeted with the papers. Afraid to show her nervousness, she opted to push the files toward him. She gently cleared her throat. Gavin reached for the files and finally shifted his eyes from her to them. He sat down and reviewed what she had brought him.

“This looks good. Will I be attending with you?” he asked, looking back at her. He knew he wasn’t scheduled to go, but hoped that would get her to look at him.

It didn’t work. She just looked off to the left, out the window. “You weren’t originally scheduled to go. That can change, I suppose.” She crossed her arms, with one hand cupping her chin. “You can do whatever you like.”

Gavin initialed the pages as Faith patiently waited. He handed them back to her. As she reached for them, Gavin gently touched her hand, his eyes still searching for hers. With both of them holding the files, Faith finally looked up. He saw the pain and the hurt she was feeling, but he was also able to sense that her love was still there, burning deep within. Tears began to fill her eyes.

She broke the silence as she pulled her hand away from his. “Thanks for signing these. Let me know if you plan to fly out with me.”

“Faith, can we talk?” he asked as she began stepping backward toward the door.

She avoided the question. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.” She was doing her best to fight back the tears. She turned and walked closer to the door.

“Damn it, Faith, please!” Gavin pleaded, leaning over his desk. There was sternness in his voice, his heart breaking. “Please, just talk to me.”

She stopped, looked up and took a breath, making a fist with her free hand. Her back was still facing him. She turned her head slightly to the right, and said “You know where to find me if you need me.” She walked out the door and returned to her office.

Gavin pushed himself up from his leaning position and stood straight up, frustrated. He picked up a pen and flung it across the room. He turned towards the windows and stood with his hands on his hips. He was torn, and didn’t know what to do. He rubbed his forehead, and then, out of desperation, he had a thought.

He picked up his phone and dialed an extension with urgency. “Yeah, I need to see you in my office … No, right now.” He hung up.

A few minutes later, Lauren appeared at his door. “You wanted to see me?”

Gavin had returned to the window. “I need your help,” he said without turning around.

Lauren assumed this probably had to do with Faith. She had heard the two of them hadn’t been talking, but didn’t know why.

“Is this about Faith?”

“Yes. I didn’t know who else to call. The two of you are close. I thought maybe you could get through to her.”

“Are you sure she isn’t still upset from Emile’s death? Maybe it’s not you?”

“No. It’s me. It’s me.”

“Have you talked to her?”

“I’ve tried. We had to meet today. It was a good opportunity for me to find out where I stood. When I was finally able to look in her eyes, I could see she was still hurt, but I know she loves me. Deep down, I know it. She’s just too hurt to admit it and just won’t open up. I never meant to hurt her. She has to know that,” he said, now looking back at Lauren.

Gavin went to sit at his desk. Lauren could feel his frustration.

“Things are different when the two of you aren’t happy. We can feel your tension.”

“What?”

“Whatever the two of you have, it’s so strong that the people around you can feel it, too.”

“I really screwed up,” he admitted.

“I don’t need to know what happened.”

“Good.”

“I just want to know what it’s going to take to get you both happy again. The rest of us want to be happy,” she chuckled. “What do you normally do to make her smile?”

Gavin didn’t even have to think about it. “I know exactly what to do.”

“What do you need me to do? How can I help?”

“Can you take her to lunch today? An extended lunch?” Gavin asked, picking up the phone.

“I can. You work your magic,” Lauren smiled, standing up. She went straight to Faith’s office.

Lauren popped her head in Faith’s office, and said, “Want to get together for lunch? You could probably use some fresh air.”

Faith looked up tiredly, nodded her head and said, “Yes, that would be great.”

“You look exhausted, girl. What’s going on? Better yet, we’ll talk about it at lunch, okay? Meet you in an hour?” They always met at the elevators.

“Alright.” Faith smiled. Lauren always knew how to help her de-stress. Today was a good day for that.

After Lauren left, Faith continued to work on her presentations for the Denver trip. She kept thinking about Gavin. She really didn’t want him to come on the trip. His coming meant she would have to deal with her feelings, and she didn’t quite have the energy for that.

Later at lunch, both Lauren and Faith ate light, ordering salads. Lauren noticed again how worn out Faith was looking.

“Have you been sleeping? Are you doing okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s going to take some time for me to get used to sleeping alone, without Emile.” She let out a deep sigh. “You know, no matter what you do to prepare for something like this, it’s never enough. There’s always something that you never expected.”

“Like the vice president of the company you work for being in love with you?” Lauren figured this was as good a time as any to find out what was going through Faith’s head. She never wasted time getting to a point. “Why won’t you talk to Gavin?”

Faith rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I really don’t want to talk about it. I was supposed to be getting some fresh air. Seems a bit polluted right now.”

“Don’t even try to get snippy with me. You’re the one walking around with the weight of the world on your shoulders.” Lauren’s voice was pretty sarcastic, almost cold.

Faith frowned. “It’s none of your business.” She was not thrilled with where this was going.

“He made it my business when he called me into his office and pleaded for me to help him get through to you,” said Lauren as she took a sip of water.

“He shouldn’t have involved you. I need some time to think. I can’t deal with him right now.” ‘I can’t believe he did this,’ she thought. She could feel her blood pressure rising.

“When Faith? Do you know how miserable he is without you? I’ve never seen him this way before. He knows he messed up. Can you at least try to talk to him about it? Do you realize your heaviness has filled the office? You guys have some strong mojo going on. It saturates the walls in the office. We can feel when you are happy and we can feel when you’re not. We prefer happy.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know what it is between you two, but it started at Gavin’s birthday party. You have something really special.”

Faith could only think about what her mother had told her all of those years. She still didn’t quite believe it.

“Gavin loves you, Faith. I know you love him, too. Don’t let Chandlers’ mess come between you. She wins if you do.”

“How did you know?”

“Chandler had a big mouth, especially when it came to you. Don’t worry. It didn’t get far. We shut her down before she could blab to the whole office. Only a couple of people know. We were all pretty disgusted with her.” Lauren reached over and grabbed Faith’s hand. “Hey, Gavin really loves you. He wouldn’t be fighting so hard if he didn’t. Don’t you think he deserves the same effort from you?”

Faith took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, he does.”

They got to-go boxes for the rest of their salads. They paid and when they stood to leave, Lauren grabbed Faith and gave her a big hug. “I love you. I want you to be happy.”

“I love you, too. Thank you.” Faith squeezed her hard.

Faith and Lauren returned to work for the afternoon. When they got off of the elevators, people were gathering and chatting near Faith’s office. Lauren smiled, as Faith looked at her, wondering what all the fuss was about. As she got closer to her door, she could smell the sweet aroma. Looking in her office, her mouth dropped. Her entire office was filled with dozens of red roses. They lined the floor, sat on her desk, rested on the couch. All she could do was smile, and cry. Lauren nodded her head and thought, ‘Way to go, Gavin.’

Immediately, Faith walked down the hall to Gavin’s office. He wasn’t there. She went to ask Agnes when he’d be coming back.

“He’s gone for the day, dear. He had a meeting away from the office and won’t be returning,” said Agnes, beaming from ear to ear from the event.

“Thank you.” Faith walked away disappointed. Adrian ran into her as she went back to her office.

“Faith, everything alright?” He knew she was having a difficult time back.

“Yes,” she said, unsure.

Adrian saw her uncertainty. “Are you sure?”

She thought for a moment before answering. Finally she responded, “No. I need to talk to Gavin. Tonight. Do you know if he was planning to go home after his meeting?”

“I’m not sure. He just said he was starting the weekend early. Maybe you could call or send him a text message.” Adrian had his fingers crossed about this. ‘Please follow through,’ he thought. He knew about Gavin’s efforts to speak to Faith.

“I’ll come up with something.” She started toward her office, and looked back and said, “I’m going to head home if you don’t need me for anything. Is that okay?”

“Sure. It doesn’t look like you have much room to work anyhow,” he smiled. “Have a good weekend.” This was news that was worth sharing with Juliet. Of course, they couldn’t be sure what was going to happen, so he didn’t want to be too optimistic.

Faith drove straight to Gavin’s house. His car was parked in the driveway. She grabbed her purse, got out of her car, and walked to the front door. She used her key to let herself in, hung her coat up, slipped out of her shoes, and sat her purse by the door. Soft music was playing as she quietly walked down the hallway towards the living room.

Gavin was resting on some floor pillows in front of the fireplace, drinking a glass of wine. As if he could sense her presence, he turned his head slightly as Faith nervously walked around the couch. Gavin reached up and placed his glass on the end table, continuing to watch her as she stepped in front of him. Keeping their eyes on one another, he extended his hand toward her. Faith took his hand and gently bent down and sat across his lap, resting her arms on his chest and shoulder. Gavin wrapped one arm around her back, and cupped her neck with his other hand. Without speaking a single word, they continued to gaze at each other and said everything they needed to say. ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘I love you.’ ‘I need you.’ ‘I want you.’ Tears began to well up in Faith’s eyes. As they rolled down her cheeks, Gavin pulled her close and kissed each one away, then gently kissed her eyes. He pulled back a little, moved hair away from her face, then softly kissed her lips. As their kiss slowly intensified, their lips parted, deepening their embrace as they held each other tightly. Filled with emotion, Faith broke their embrace, leaned her head against his and took a deep breath. Gavin kissed her forehead, pushed her hair back, then lifted her chin to kiss her lips, then her cheek.

He kissed and nipped at her ear, then gently kissed down her neckline and back up to her ear. Kissing her lips again, he reached underneath her sweater to feel her skin. Faith gently stroked his face, kissed his cheek, then slowly moved back to his lips. As their kiss intensified, Gavin pulled her sweater over her head. He gently stroked Faith’s arms with his fingertips, as he kissed her shoulder and her collarbone. He kissed the bend of her arm, then reached on the inside of her bra and tenderly played with one of her nipples. Moaning from the pleasure, her eyes remained closed as she enjoyed his caresses. Wanting to feel his skin against hers, Faith tugged at his shirt and pulled it off of him. She kissed and rubbed his chest as he continued to softly pull and rub her breasts. Gavin wrapped his arms around Faith, passionately kissed her on the lips, and carefully unhooked her bra. She slipped her arms out of the straps and let it fall to the floor. As he continued to kiss her, he laid her down on the pillows, and rested on top of her. Faith stroked his arms as he kissed her neck and chest, then lightly sucked and licked her nipples, which was an extremely sensitive spot for her. She played with his hair as he spent a good deal of time pleasing her there, then moved back up to her neck and her lips. They could feel each other’s desire as they kissed more deeply than before. She stroked his arms with her fingers, feeling every muscle, then wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. He began to grind against her, increasing her longing for him, both of them moaning from excitement. Gavin broke their kiss and gazed into her eyes as he continued to grind.

As if she told him what to do next, he kissed her cheeks and neck, making his way down to her stomach. His kisses were soft, his licks sensuous. As he tickled her bellybutton with his tongue, he unbuttoned and unzipped her pants. Sitting up, he slipped them off of her, then took a moment to stare at her beautiful body. He lifted one of her legs and rested it on his shoulder as he kissed the inside of her thigh. Faith could hardly control herself, biting her lip as her wetness increased. Gavin’s kisses made their way up her leg to her center spot. He laid down, stretched her underwear to the side, and teased her with a few light, feathery licks. He looked up at her and smiled. Her eyes were closed as she clutched at the pillows and arched her back, longing for more than what he was giving her. Gavin pulled her underwear completely off, and tenderly planted himself between her legs, enjoying the taste of her. He inserted his fingers, massaging her walls, maximizing her pleasure. Hearing her moan and groan increased his hardness. Seeing how much this excited her, he removed his fingers, inserted his tongue and sucked the area. She almost screamed, but held back. He helped her reach climax after climax, taking her to a level that she had never been. Gavin loved it. Just when he thought she’d had enough, he returned to her lips and kissed her.

Their eyes met as she reached down and unzipped his pants, pushing them down and off, along with his boxer briefs, with Gavin’s help. As they kissed, anticipating what was to come, Faith gently stroked his manhood. She had never touched him before. Feeling her soft hands caress his hardness caused him to tremble and shake. He groaned from the sensation and could no longer control himself. He had to be inside her. They smiled at each other, and kissed as he gently penetrated her. Her warmth was exhilarating. His strokes were unhurried and tender. Faith wrapped her legs around him, allowing him to go deeper. Their movements were as one, and their bodies glistened from the sweat that now covered them. They took turns being on top, as well as explored several other positions, enjoying every inch of each other. There was no limit to their lovemaking. This went on for hours, until finally they climaxed together, holding each other tightly. Gavin’s hair was soaked, and Faith’s was now curly as they tried to control their breathing, continuing to kiss each other lightly.

Gavin pulled himself from her and rolled to the side of his lover. He continued to kiss her lightly, softly stroking her back as her head rested on his chest. She looked at him lovingly, content to be in his arms. Still trying to calm their bodies, they laid silent for a few moments. Not a word had been spoken since Faith arrived earlier that afternoon.

Gavin broke the silence. He softly said, “Tell me.”

She had forbidden herself to express her true feelings for him for months. Now she was free to say it. She raised herself up so she could look into his gorgeous green eyes. “I love you.”

He pulled her up to him and kissed her sensuously. “It feels good to hear you say that. I love you, too.”

They kissed some more and slowly became aroused again. Faith straddled him, allowing him to penetrate as they made love to each other once more. When they were finished, she again rested on his chest. Gavin was deep in thought as he held her there, wanting to freeze time.

“What would you say if I told you I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you?” he asked.

Faith remained quiet. He couldn’t see her face. Her eyes were closed, and she didn’t even budge when he moved her hair away from her cheek. She was fast asleep, exhausted from the day and their time of ecstasy.

“I’ll save that question for another day,” he whispered as he kissed her on her forehead, closed his eyes and rested himself.

###

To the reader:

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my book. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed it. Your thoughts and suggestions are important to me, and I would love to hear from you. Please take the time to leave a review, as this will help me grow and mature as an author. I look forward to providing more works for your reading pleasure. Again, thank you.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN