Gone Country by Lorelei James Page A

to light up the whole damn room.
    She frowned at the windows. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to those blinds. Makes it dark as a cave up here.”
    “Which is perfect for watching movies,” Sierra said. “You’ve got two choices.”
    “Why do I get to pick?” She looked at Gavin. “And isn’t Sunday night sacred football night?” His love of sports baffled her.
    “I set the DVR to watch it later.”
    Sierra handed Rielle a bowl of popcorn. “Dad and I can’t agree on one.”
    “What are the choices?”
    “ Ten Things I Hate About You or Seabiscuit .”
    “Definitely the one with Heath Ledger.”
    Sierra did a little happy dance. “Told ya. And I want cherry.”
    Rielle’s gaze winged between them. “What’d I miss?”
    “We bet on which one you’d choose. Seabiscuit was Dad’s idea. It’s the best movie in the history of movies—according to him—and he’s always trying to get me to watch it.”
    “Only because you’ve never made it through the whole thing so you can’t know how great it is.”
    “That’s because it puts me to sleep.” Sierra stretched out on the loveseat and asked Rielle, “Have you seen it?”
    “No. I fell asleep too. But Heath Ledger definitely keeps me awake.”
    Gavin put the disc into the DVD player. He turned around. Sierra had snatched the remote. “Where’s my popcorn?”
    “You’re sharing with Rielle.”
    He’d be suspicious his daughter suspected something was going between him and Rielle if he didn’t know how selfish Sierra was about her popcorn.
    Rielle already had her feet on the coffee table.
    He dropped beside her so they were hip to hip. He stretched his left arm across the back of the couch and grabbed a handful of popcorn.
    “Your new furniture is comfy,” Rielle said.
    “I must’ve sat on two dozen sofas until I found this one. It’s a little bland bachelor-ish as the fashionista pointed out, but comfort is more important than style.”
    “Definitely plenty of room for guests.”
    “Not if we invite all the McKays,” Sierra said.
    Rielle laughed.
    So while she watched the movie, Gavin covertly watched her. The curve of her smile. The way she grabbed a handful of popcorn, then ate it delicately—a kernel at a time. He liked that she gradually snuggled closer to him. Not in an obvious lover’s clinch that would raise Sierra’s eyebrows.
    When her eyes started to droop, he didn’t jostle her awake. He let her sleep so he could watch her without guilt.
    He brushed loose strands of her hair back. His gaze encompassed her face, from the frown lines between her eyebrows even in sleep, to the smattering of freckles across her nose, to her fantasy-invoking lips.
    It was only a matter of the right timing until they became lovers. The spark between them had burned a little hotter every time they were together. As much as Gavin wanted that explosion, he was a patient man.
    Rielle opened her eyes and blinked sleepily. “Sorry for crashing on you. Guess I was more tired than I thought.”
    “Sierra conked out too. You’d think we were watching Seabiscuit .”
    She smiled and her gaze cut to Sierra sprawled on the couch. Then she tried to squirm away, but Gavin held her in place.
    “No worries. She’s snoring.” Gavin kept stroking her cheek, gauging her reaction.
    “What are you doing?” she whispered.
    “Nothing. Yet. But I can think of a whole lot of things I’d like to do with you.” He caressed her face. “So pretty.”
    Rielle blushed. “You don’t have to say that.”
    “But it’s true.” His eyes searched hers, hating to see such wariness. “Why don’t you believe it?”
    “Because guys never say stuff like that to me. Even casually. Or jokingly.”
    “I’m not joking. I’m not the guy who only compliments a pretty woman because I want to get into her pants.”
    “So you’re not a player like the rest of the McKays?”
    Gavin wanted to laugh. If she only knew he spent more time on the bench than in the game.