Then Rielle walked toward him, looking like a damn dream, holding a bottle of wine and two glasses. “Care to join me in a glass of Christmas cheer?”
“Mmm-hmm. But this first.” Gavin kissed her. Hotly, sweetly, teasingly, pouring everything he’d been feeling into one long kiss before he eased back to stare into her eyes. “Merry Christmas, honey.”
“That was a helluva Christmas kiss, tycoon.”
“I missed you.”
“Same here. Been a long two days.”
“I’ll say. I’m glad you tracked me down.”
“Where’s Sierra?” she asked.
“In bed, tuckered out from Christmas festivities.” He nuzzled her temple, and her honeysuckle scent teased his nose. “Where’s Rory?”
“At a movie. A Christmas night tradition with her friend Addie.”
“So I can invite you to drink that wine in my bed?”
“Yep.”
“Good. Because I have another present for you in my room.”
Rielle looked him. “You already gave me a kick-ass gift.”
“The extra-large electric honey separator wasn’t too boring?”
“No. I’ve wanted one for so long. It’s perfect. Thank you. I’m sorry; I probably should’ve waited to open it until you were there.”
“No need to apologize. I loved the sweater by the way. It fits perfectly.”
“I thought the color would bring out your eyes.”
Gavin led her into his bedroom and locked the door behind her.
She settled against the headboard, setting the wine and glasses on the nightstand.
He tossed a package next to her on the bed. “Open it. And not with, Gavin you shouldn’t have, or Gavin I thought we agreed on one gift.”
Rielle pulled the silver ribbon free from the green tissue paper and a red bikini rolled out. “A swimsuit?”
“I didn’t know if you had one and the house we’re staying in has a pool. To be completely blunt, this bikini is as much a present for me as it is for you. Because you will look fantastic in it lying on a chaise in the sunshine.”
She laughed.
“The day after tomorrow I’ll have you all to myself for two weeks. I cannot wait.”
“Me either.”
Gavin pressed a kiss in the hollow of her throat. Then on the side of her neck. Then on her jaw. He murmured, “Can we be done talking for now?”
“Yes.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
As they deplaned in Phoenix, Rielle decided her first plane ride hadn’t been that bad. The whiskey Coke had helped.
Sierra had been bouncing off the walls since dawn. She jabbered a mile a minute, reminding herself out loud of things she wanted to tell her mom. She could scarcely sit still and as they pulled into the circular driveway, Sierra leapt out of the car and raced up the cobblestone-paved sidewalk and barged right into the house through the gigantic front door.
Rielle didn’t get a glimpse of Ellen, but then again she’d been too busy gawking at the house and landscaping.
The sprawling stucco structure was enclosed by a six-foot-high fence on all sides, save for the wrought iron gated entrance. The front area didn’t have grass, but reddish-colored stones bordered by larger flat white rock. Bushes were spread out along the base of the house and disappeared around the side. Off to the left were half a dozen fruit trees, the bottom of the trunks painted white, which was weird. She didn’t see cacti but groupings of different varieties and sizes of palm trees.
Mind boggling to consider that Gavin had lived here at one time and that he could afford to just give this ostentatious house to his ex-wife.
Gavin didn’t stay inside long. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes when he returned and said, “Ready?”
“Is the place we’re staying as upscale as this?”
He kissed her knuckles. “No. Ellen insisted on buying the house before Sierra was born. She kept it in the divorce settlement and we use her address since this area has a much better school district than where I moved. It’s an enormous house for two people, but the property value quadrupled in the last sixteen years. Ellen isn’t allowed to sell it until after Sierra graduates from high school and if she does, she’s forced to use my real estate company as the listing agency. It’s the only way I could ensure my daughter had some stability.” He realized he hadn’t answered the question. “The house we’re staying in is pretty typical for Phoenix. Three bedrooms, three baths, two-car garage.”
“Except it has a pool.”
“Honey, all the houses down here have a pool. This one is heated, however. Not all are. Because heaters definitely aren’t needed in the summer.”
Houses and scenery scrolled by as she looked out the car window. “It’s strange. Just a few hours ago we were brushing the snow off the car. Now the sun is blinding me and I’m actually hot.”
“I’ll say. I cannot wait to see you in that bikini.”
“How much further?”
“Twenty minutes. Thirty if we hit traffic.”
Shopping centers. Medical centers. Office buildings. More strip-malls. Every once in a while she’d see a grove of citrus trees—an oasis in the inner-city sprawl. She lost track of the number of golf courses. The huge swath of green among the dusty hues of the desert was a little surreal.
Gavin turned off the busy highway onto a residential street. With as many twists and turns as they’d taken, she’d never find her way out of this urban maze. He stopped at a gate and punched in a code.
A gated community? So much for his claim it was just a typical Phoenix house.
After more winding streets, he pulled into a driveway and parked in front of a garage. Most of the stucco-covered house was hidden behind a variety of trees.
“Ree?” He turned her face toward him. “You all right? You went from chatty to silent.”
“Just trying to absorb all this, Gavin.”
He kissed her softly. “Let’s go in and get unpacked.” He unloaded the suitcases and dragged them up the front steps.
A cool blast of air and the scent of lemon Pledge greeted her in the cavernous foyer. But the darkness made her claustrophobic, so she immediately crossed the room and opened the blinds and draperies.
The living room was connected to the kitchen through an arched doorway. The décor had southwest flavor, tiled floors, plain white walls, a Navajo influence in the rugs and the couches. The sliding glass door in the dining room opened to a brick-paved patio. Curious, she stepped outside.