Sweet Texas Kiss (Sweet Texas Secrets) (16 page)

• • •

Macy hurried through the high school’s empty halls, determined to be the first one in the room. The kids would be confused when they saw her instead of Mr. Procter, but at least she could greet them as they arrived and try to break the news of his heart attack to them gently. She hadn’t heard how he was doing and was hoping for a miracle. It would be tragic for them to be left without this program. She sat at the piano, picking out a tune and humming to herself while she waited. If she had any hope of getting back to Nashville by the evening, she should be booking her flight, but if she ended up staying one more night in Sweet Ridge, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. It would mean that she’d be forced to face her feelings about Gavin and possibly share them with him, though, and it was so much easier to ignore them until they went away. Avoiding emotions hadn’t exactly worked for her very well so far in life, but she was no good at relationships and doubted that she’d be any more ready by dinnertime.

“Hey, Ms. Young,” a girl’s voice greeted her.

Kids filtered in quickly after the first girl, laughing and joking with one another, chattering as they took their seats. Macy shuddered with the deep breath she took as she stood to greet the group.

“Ms. Young, my mom told me that you were valedictorian when you went here. Is that true?” a redheaded girl wearing skinny jeans and a T-shirt with a logo Macy didn’t recognize asked. Nobody called her Ms. Young, and she enjoyed the feeling of competence and authority it gave her.

“That’s right.” Macy smiled at the group, weakly but hopefully convincingly.

“So, where did you go to college? Like, Harvard or something?” another kid piped up, a boy with a hint of moustache this time.

“Um, actually, I didn’t end up going to college.” She laughed, relaxing a little when the kids gasped. “I was going to, and believe me, having good grades in high school helped. I could have gone on scholarship, but I got a record deal instead. My friend and I couldn’t pass it up and we were afraid if we put it off to go to college, we’d miss our chance. For the record, I don’t recommend that you wait to see if you get a recording contract. Y’all should all go to college.”

There was plenty of time to talk about school and future plans. Right now, though, Mr. Procter’s situation was on the agenda.

“Listen, guys, I’m here today with some bad news.” She took a deep breath. Dragging it out could panic the kids. “Last night, Mr. Procter had a heart attack. He’s in the hospital now, and the doctors are doing everything they can to help him.”

The group murmured, upset with the news. “Is he going to be okay?” a worried-looking boy asked.

And these were supposedly the troublemakers, the kids who needed special handling, the ones who were too cool to care about anything. Mr. Procter and music had touched them in a way nothing else would.

“I won’t lie to you. He’s in ICU, and I don’t know how he’s doing yet. The good news is that he made it through the night, and he’s getting the best care possible. I know he was thinking about you guys, because he made his daughter find me to meet you. That’s got to be a good sign, right?”

They seemed heartened by that information, nodding and talking quietly among themselves. Macy didn’t know how the current teachers at Sweet Ridge High treated these students, but she knew that Mr. Procter had a way of making each individual feel like someone special. He took the time to get to know the students, to find a way to motivate them, and to encourage their unique talents.

She took a deep breath and addressed the group. “Y’all, there’s really nothing that will make this any easier, but how about you sing a song? It’ll help get your minds off your worry, and it’s the best way to honor Mr. Procter.” She shuffled the sheet music on the piano until she found a piece she knew. “How about ‘Texas Beauty’?”

The song about Sweet Ridge had been written decades before Macy was born, and every person in town knew it. With Founders’ Day coming up, the kids had probably been practicing it recently. The group stood on the risers, and she played the opening bars. At her nod, they came in, hitting the mark beautifully. Every kid in Sweet Ridge grew up singing the song, and the way the little choir effortlessly managed the arrangement made Macy think Mr. Procter was preparing them to perform it at the Founders’ Day festivities. But after a few moments, she noticed that the kids had stopped singing.

“Why don’t you sing with us, Ms. Young?” one of the students asked, and the rest of the group chimed in with their agreement.

How could she explain to them that she didn’t sing anymore? What kind of example was she, someone who had what so many others wanted but who’d squandered it? Mr. Procter’s belief in her had been a huge factor in her success, and she owed it to him, maybe more than anyone else in the world besides Tori, to give it a try. Not certain she could do it, but determined to try, she agreed.

She gently played the first couple of notes on the piano and sang softly to herself, so that only she could hear. The first few words stuck in her throat, but she gathered strength and started over, playing with confidence.

The group stood in their places and sang the familiar song, oblivious to her struggle. These kids didn’t realize that she hadn’t sung a note in years, and the freedom was electrifying. The possibilities opened up before her, a future that she hadn’t allowed herself to dream about. Maybe singing was part of it. The familiar words of the chorus rose out from within her, clear and infused with the hope she’d thought long dead. She sang with the kids, thrilled with the sensations of opening up to her first love again after so much time. As the music flowed, quelling the anxiety in the room and in her heart, Macy gave herself over to the moment. Energy flowed between her and the kids, her heart full to bursting. Gavin’s kiss had loosened something within her, and the music pushed its way through the rest of her resistance.

Nothing would ever be the same again. She was back.

• • •

Gavin let himself into the house, unleashed Merle, and dropped the mail on a table. Macy hadn’t responded to his note, and her rental car wasn’t in the driveway. Unless she’d skipped town without saying good-bye, she’d be coming home and wouldn’t have a chance to hide in her bedroom without at least giving him a chance to talk to her. But standing around wouldn’t make waiting any easier, so he toed off his shoes and went to his dad’s empty bedroom, pausing outside the closed door. He’d been avoiding opening the door since he’d had the room cleaned out. If he’d scared Macy off, he’d have to move out, and if she let him buy the house, he couldn’t live upstairs forever. It was time to face his fears and start to move on, one way or the other.

Bracing himself for the grief that would surely wash over him, he stepped inside. But instead of sadness and emptiness, there was nothing but a blank slate. Memories of his father would always live on, in the hearts of Gavin and his brothers, in the company Jack Cooper had founded, and in the town that he’d loved. His personality and values were infused in the house, but Gavin knew that whoever lived there next would be free to start a new life, a new chapter, without being weighed down by the loss. If Macy sold the house to him, he would move into the room and start living the life he wanted. No more waiting for things to fall into place on their own.

Footsteps in the hallway broke his train of thought. Macy stood in the doorway, leaning against the jamb.

“I didn’t hear you come in.”

She shoved her hands into her jeans pockets. “I’m surprised to find you in here.”

“I thought it was time.”

Her shoulders dropped and she pulled herself off the doorjamb. “Listen, I got your note, and I’m sorry that I didn’t call you today.”

Though he’d been clear about his interest in her, she stepped tentatively into the bedroom to join him in the middle of the room. She was close enough that he could feel the warmth of the lingering sunshine on her shoulders, could smell her fresh, flowery perfume. Without a word, she slipped her arms around his waist and fitted herself against his body, tucking her head under his chin. He wrapped his arms around her, taking a moment to memorize the embrace, the way she fit perfectly in his arms. If it was good-bye, he’d want to remember every detail, from the way her hair caught in his early evening stubble to the way her thighs brushed against his. She squeezed, then relaxed against him. He pressed a featherlight kiss to the top of her head, and she tilted her face until their lips met.

He expected her to pull away. But once their lips touched, any trace of trepidation disappeared, as though a switch flipped inside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as she pressed her body against his. He breathed her in, luxuriating in the softness of her skin, her firm lips, the taste of her mouth. A tiny sound escaped her throat, and he deepened the kiss, not wanting it to end.

She ran her hands down his chest and took his hands in hers. “Take me to your room.”

Gavin practically dragged Macy up the stairs, and she hurried behind him, struggling to keep up. It had been so long since she’d been with anyone, and while she expected to feel nervous, there was nothing but pure anticipation zinging through her. He threw a rakish smile over his shoulder as they reached the top of the stairs, one that promised an experience that wouldn’t disappoint. A thrill skipped down her spine as they hurried through the hallway and fell onto his bed together. Though he was clearly eager, he took a moment to slow things down, stretching out beside her and running his hand over every inch of her body.

Gavin pulled Macy close, fitting her against him, and rested his hand on her hip. “I’ve been thinking about you all day, wanting this.” He punctuated his words with a soft kiss on her forehead. “Wanting you.”

He followed the flutter of a kiss with more, moving across her face gently as he dropped sweet kisses on her cheeks, until his lips met hers. He cupped the back of her head and drew her closer, his breath hot against her mouth, and deepened the kiss. Macy fell back against the deep comforter and pulled Gavin with her, drinking in the details. His warm scent surrounded her, sending her swirling into need and desire, and she matched his enthusiasm with her own. Their lips and tongues moved together like they’d kissed a thousand times before, like nothing was more right.

Gavin pushed himself up off her enough to unbutton her shirt, taking his time as his fingers trailed across her skin after each button gave way. His light touch burned a trail across her body, and her hands itched to pull him toward her so his lips could follow. He pushed the shirt aside and ran his gaze up and down her body, unashamed in his enjoyment. Warmed under his adoration, she ran the back of her hand down his cheek, memorizing every detail of his face. From the dark brown eyes that twinkled with possibility to the strength of his chiseled jaw and full lips that promised sweet words and delicious sin, Macy saw everything she’d ever wanted. With another deep kiss, she gently pushed against his broad chest, rolling over with him, until he was on his back. Straddling his hips, she pulled off her shirt and tossed it over the side of the bed before leaning over and indulging in another kiss.

She pulled away only because she was so desperate to undress him, to run her fingers across his skin, to finally see what waited beneath his clothes. She sat up and unbuttoned his shirt. Unable to take her time and savor the moment like he had, she fumbled with each button, releasing it as quickly as possible to move along to the next. Once his shirt was finally unbuttoned, she pushed her hands beneath the fabric and reveled in the toned, soft planes of his body. He groaned, deep in his throat, and unbuttoned her jeans. She quickly slipped out of her pants and tossed them to the floor while he wriggled out of his own. Seating herself on top of him again, with only her lacy panties and his cotton boxers separating them, she shivered when she found him rock hard beneath her.

His eyelids fluttered half-closed, long lashes stark against his skin, and he cupped her breasts, his warm hands sending electricity shooting straight to her core. She bit her lip and arched her back, pushing against his hands and rocking gently against his hips. When he trailed his hand down, skimming over her hip, to rest between her thighs, warmth flooded her cheeks. Locking eyes with her, he slipped his fingers beneath the flimsy fabric and stroked her sensitive skin. It had been ages since she’d been intimate with anyone, and no one had ever looked at her the way Gavin was. His focus was unabashed, intense, and incredibly hot, overriding her natural inclination to look away. Any hesitation she felt dissolved in his hands.

As her desire rose to a fever pitch, he finally pushed her up enough to roll out from under her. She quickly shimmied out of her panties as he shoved his boxers to the floor and whipped open a drawer in his bedside table. He pulled out a foil packet and ripped it open before falling back to his place beside her. He rolled on the condom and held her hips as she swung her leg over his body to straddle him once again. Macy looked down at him, struck not only by how handsome he was, but how his expression conveyed emotion without holding back or trying to hide anything from her. Somehow Gavin managed to make physical attraction insignificant compared to the depths of true intimacy he offered.

With deft fingers, he unhooked her bra and slid it off over her arms. “I’m crazy about you, Macy.” He pulled himself up until he was sitting beneath her and buried his face against her neck. “I want to be inside of you.”

His words whispered across her skin, gliding on hot breath, and sent a shock of pleasure through her. Sweet but sexy, loving but dirty, Gavin was irresistible. She couldn’t wait any longer, and crushed her lips against his as he fell back onto the bed and pushed himself inside her. The perfection of their fit overwhelmed her for a moment, and she paused to allow the bliss to wash over her.

Gavin plunged his fingers into her hair and peppered her face with desperate kisses, whispering to her, “You are everything.”

They moved together in delicious rhythm as she pushed up onto her arms until she was stretched above him. Gavin ran his hands up and down her sides, his eyes hungrily taking in the view she offered before pulling her down to bury his face between her breasts. He sat up, pulling her onto her knees, and held her hips steady as sensations rolled within her. She grabbed his shoulders, delighting in how strong and solid he was beneath her as he whispered to her how beautiful she was, how good she felt, how much he wanted her. His words, his touch, the raw animal pleasure he offered mesmerized her. He was pure magic, and though she wanted the moment to last forever, her climax rolled over her. He held her tighter as she came undone, driving into her, kissing her neck, telling her things meant only for her, until she collapsed, shattered and utterly satisfied.