Second Chances (38 page)

“Of course,” Hannah said smoothly.  “All I could see in my mind were Munchkins rolling all over the boat.”  She gave the girls an eyebrow.  “And we should leave in an hour,” she warned.

They were off, making incredible time.  And as much as Gavin enjoyed the sailing, he soon realized that he wanted the days to fly and the nights to linger.  He wanted more than anything that alone time with Hannah, that time when she stopped being a mommy and could focus on being a friend and…a lover.  Not soon enough, he had his wish.  They stopped for the night in Key Largo.  And once tied off and spring lined and plugged in to shore power, they explored the marina. 

“I love The Keys,” Hannah said happily.  “Forget about the Caribbean, I could be happy here.”  She sighed and dug her feet into the sand.  The girls were walking around, hunting for shells. 

“We can stay here for as long as you want,” Gavin said.  “I’ll be happy anywhere you want to be.” 

Studying his face, she could see that he meant it.  At the same time, she knew that The Keys were not his dream.  “Let’s just stay one extra day.  Then I’ll have had my fill and we can move on.  Fair enough?”

Part of him wondered if she had made a decision or if she was leaning toward going back and that was why she didn’t want to go so far so fast.  The other part of him reminded him that he simply needed to enjoy every possible moment.  And with that, he reached for her hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze, and then he avoided eye contact and traced her hand on his.

The next few days were spent sailing The Keys.  There were so many of them that they could have done that for the entire two weeks, but instead, they just focused on the main ones.  By the time they made it to Key West, Hannah was a whole new person.  The water, sand and sunshine were healing her soul.  And the time with Gavin was healing her heart.

He could feel the change in her.  Every day…he felt something was different.  He just couldn’t name it.  They were back to spooning at night.  They were back to snuggling during the day.  They were joking and playing.  Gavin had never been happier.  And then a thought occurred to him as they were walking on this beautiful deserted beach on Islamorada. 

“You’ve made a decision, haven’t you?”  He spoke quietly and hoped the sunglasses and hat were cloaking enough of his face to hide the fear. 

“Yes.  I have,” Hannah was equally quiet.  She looked down at the sand.  Ever since she had decided to just feel
, to just let it be and see what happened, she was happier.  She followed her heart.  She stopped planning and lived in the moment.  And those moments were beautiful…just beautiful.  It wasn’t just the weather, which was ideal…all that sunshine that she simply thrived on.  It wasn’t that Gavin was more relaxed, that the girls had never been so happy and carefree.  It was that her heart was where it wanted to be.  And for her, that was scary.

She had called Rick one afternoon when they were out and about.  Gavin had gone into a gift shop to look at t-shirts and she stayed with the girls in the playground across the way.  The conversation with Rick had been so…hard.  On the one hand, she felt a sense of responsibility for making the foundation a success.  She loved the idea of helping others so much.  She loved that she would be able to put her marketing degree to good use.  What would she do if she stayed with Gavin?  She couldn’t teach sailing.  She would possibly have to home school the kids.  Or was it home boat?  And her only outlet was her jewelry making using whatever the beach supplied.  Would that be enough?

She had spent some time imagining her life.  Hannah was all about family.  And in so many ways, she couldn’t imagine what she would have to give up to be a single mother running a foundation.  She knew that she wouldn’t be able to drop everything to be with the girls if she took the foundation position.  She knew there would be fundraisers.  She knew that she would be gone many nights and evenings.  She knew that wasn’t what she wanted.  This time with the girls was far too precious.

And as she talked to Rick, the decision seemed easier and easier to make.  It made more sense.  It didn’t hurt her heart to turn him down at all.  That she did so without an ounce of regret had really told her everything she needed to know.

The problem now?
  What if Gavin wasn’t willing to alter his dream to include her and the girls?  Sailing around was a great life for a single guy, but a family with school age kids would need a few more roots than that lifestyle provided.

“So, what did you decide?”  Gavin asked.  He looked down the beach at Rory and Zoe.  “Or is this a discussion that we need to have tonight?”

Hannah smiled weakly at him.  “Tonight would be better.”

The hours passed excruciatingly slowly.  Gavin spent most of that time torturing himself.  Hannah spent most of that time trying to soothe him.  And for the first time ever, they were both a little tense at the end of the night and when Zoe asked about another glass of water, Hannah snapped, and Gavin ordered her back to bed.  They looked at each other and sighed.

“Come here,” he said, opening his arms to her.  “I’m sorry.  Can we just get the talk over with?”

“Yeah.  We probably should.”

Gavin brought her down to their berth.  “Let me fix those shoulders.”  He sat her in front of him on the bed.  She had a sarong tied around her chest over the bikini she had been wearing all day.  Reaching around, he untied it and let it fall.  He took a look at her.  She had a beautiful back.  There was something so attractive about the way her hips flared out, the way her waist sloped inward, and her heart shaped ass always made him hard.  He sighed as he worked the tension out of her shoulders.

Hannah suddenly turned to face him and he wasn’t sure where to put his hands.  Without hesitation, she grabbed them and put them on her hips.  Then she pushed him back onto the pillows.

“Hannah,” he started to question. 

She silenced him with a kiss.  Soon, she was straddling him.  Those shorts were doing nothing to hide his excitement.  Smiling, she pressed her hips forward until they touched his.  She rubbed up and down the length of him. 

Gavin had to remember to breathe.  He had never wanted anyone so badly in his life.  He wrapped her hair around his hand and pulled until her neck was exposed.  Burying his face there, he inhaled the scent of her before kissing and licking his way to her ear lobe.  He nipped and nibbled, slowly making his way to her lips.  He paused for a moment, cupping her face; her eyes were half closed, full of desire.  And he didn’t disappoint.

Kissing her lips hungrily, her mouth opened for his greedy tongue.  It was incredible, the way her body was responding to his.  It was so natural and so right.  Before she knew it, she had lost her bikini top and he had found her breasts.  One hand cupped each mound and his head would expertly turn toward one nipple at a time, biting and sucking, while
the other nipple was manipulated by his thumb.  Time sailing had made it slightly rougher, a little callused, and that only added to her excitement.

Gavin kissed his way down her body and expertly slid her bikini bottoms off.  His head was buried between her thighs, her back arched in surprise and pleasure.  Suddenly, it was too much.  Hannah was in agony.

“In me, Gavin,” she pleaded.  “I need you in me right now.”

And before he could respond, she had moved, yanked down his swim shorts, and grabbed his hard, throbbing cock with both hands.  She licked him up and down to lubricate, then took him into her mouth, while continuing to run her hands up and down the length of him.  She stopped long enough to look him in the eyes.  “Lay back,” she commanded.  He hesitated and she merely climbed onto his lap and pushed him back into the pillows once more. 

As if they had done this a million times, Hannah straddled him and slid him into her…all of her.  She grabbed his hands and placed them on her boobs.  “Yes,” she whispered. 

They moved together, crashing into each other like stormy waves hitting the shore.  Gavin finally opened his eyes.  He was smiling.  He hoped that she felt this, felt it like he did.  He wanted her to feel that this was right and perfect between them.  Only when he looked at her face, she looked like she was about to cry.

“Oh, Hannah!” He murmured, ready to pull out, ready to stop.

“No, this is just so…intense.”  It was.  It was more than she had ever expected.  She never knew that it could be like this.  How could she ever think she could give that up?  Finally she smiled.  She couldn’t.  She never would.  And somehow, she and Gavin would have to work through all of this.

When they finished moments later, they laid on their sides facing each other and kissing.  “What was that?” Gavin asked against her lips.  He was almost afraid to stop touching her, as if the very next minute she could disappear.

“Oh, that was me telling you I’m staying,” Hannah replied without breaking contact.

“What?” Gavin was shocked and amazed.  He rolled her onto her back and separated her legs, and he was poised at her slick entrance.  “I love the way we communicate.”  And without another word, he slid back into her welcome folds. 

Hannah smiled.  “And what is this?” She asked, barely able to speak.  All she could do was murmur his name over and over again, accompanied by the word ‘yes.’

“But, baby,” he laughed.  “I haven’t even asked you yet.” 

“Asked me what?”  Hannah questioned, barely able to think.

They crossed the finish line much faster the second time.  And when they had Gavin held Hannah in his arms.  “So did you turn down the job?”  He asked as he stroked her arm.

“Yes, but he said he’d give me a few more days, since I didn’t give him the answer he wanted.”  She couldn’t remember the last time she was more relaxed.