she spoke about her work. She believed in it. If there had been any doubt in his mind before, there wasn’t now. She would risk sleeping with him to prove her work.
She’d be disappointed not to find what she was searching for. But Gavin looked forward to helping her get over the disappointment. He didn’t believe for one minute that James’s loot was buried on this land. It wasn’t. He recalled years ago when he’d been in high school, his father had given some outfit permission to check out the land because there was a chance of finding oil. They’d come up with nothing then, and he was certain Layla and her team would come up with nothing now.
“I guess this is where we need to say good-night.”
They had reached the party house. Her words told him he wouldn’t be invited inside. Maybe that was for the best. He doubted he could keep his hands off of her if they were behind closed doors. And regardless of what she thought, she wouldn’t resist him. Last night’s kiss had proven that. He wasn’t worried about the outcome of the deal between them. Like he’d told her, eventually her body would betray her and she would break. What had happened in his grandmother’s kitchen when their hands touched at the door was a prime example of the intensity of the desire between them.
“So what time do you want us to meet tomorrow?” she asked, reclaiming his attention.
“I need to ride out with Caldwell and my men at the crack of dawn to check on a few things. I’ll be back around ten. Will that time work for you?”
“Yes.”
“Good. We can ride in my truck.”
“Alright. Good night.”
She turned toward the door, intent on opening it quickly and going inside. He was just as determined not to let her get away that easily. Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her close to him.
“What do you think you’re doing, Gavin?”
“This.”
Lowering his head, he claimed her mouth in a long, passionate kiss. She didn’t push him away. Instead, she pulled him closer. Emotions he hadn’t expected pushed him to let her know with this kiss just how much he wanted her.
The kiss they’d shared last night had been a game changer. This one sealed their fate.
* * *
Gavin knew at that moment that kissing her would never be enough. What he really wanted to do was sweep her off her feet, open the damn door and head straight to the bedroom. But he couldn’t do that.
He wanted her to admit how much she wanted him, too. He’d give her time; he’d remember their deal. The one he had initiated. The one he intended to end in his favor. There was no way she would leave the Silver Spurs without them making love.
He finally broke off the kiss. As he drew in a deep breath he watched her draw in one, as well. Studying her mouth, he saw her lips were wet and swollen, and he had to fight back the urge to kiss her again.
“Why did you kiss me?” she asked, touching her finger to her lips.
He smiled, tempted to replace her finger with the tip of his tongue. “For the same reason you let me kiss you. I want you and you want me.”
From the look he saw in her eyes, he knew she was angry. Why? Because he’d stated facts when she preferred hiding behind denials?
“I’m going inside now.”
“I’ll see you in the morning around ten.”
She nodded, then quickly opened the door and went inside. When the door closed behind her, Gavin shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and headed back toward the main house. He knew she was confused. Confusion came with the territory when you tried to deny the truth of your feelings. However, she was smart. He knew she would figure it out. Eventually she would see things the way he did.
He would make sure of it.
Layla, feeling tousled from a restless night, stepped out on the porch with a cup of coffee in her hand. She took a sip. She needed the hot liquid as much as she needed more sleep. Kissing Gavin was hazardous to her health when the aftereffect was a frazzled mind.
What could she have been thinking to agree to the deal he’d put on the table? What woman in her right mind would agree to have sex with a man who counted on her to fail at the most important project of her life? She kept assuring herself that she had nothing to worry about because her research wasn’t wrong.
But what if it was?
She shook her head, refusing to second-guess herself or allow something as insignificant as sex to undermine her confidence in years of research. She lifted the cup to her lips again, took another sip and smiled. She couldn’t wait to show Gavin just how wrong he was. She would leave the Silver Spurs with Jesse James’s loot and she’d keep Gavin out of her panties.
She glanced over at the main house and tried to ignore the heat that settled in her stomach. Ms. Melody had called to invite Layla to breakfast, but she’d declined saying she needed to read over a few reports. The last thing Layla wanted was to run into Gavin. She would see him at ten and that suited her just fine. The man had a way of making her distracted.
And then there was that kiss she couldn’t stop thinking about. The one that still had her lips tingling this morning. While getting dressed she’d tried to convince herself not to worry about that kiss—not to worry about anything, especially not Gavin Blake. Agreeing to his deal meant nothing more than a reason to work harder to find James’s stash. She hadn’t lied to Ms. Melody. Layla had used this morning to review several documents. It was important to make sure she hadn’t missed anything in her research.
Layla checked her watch. Gavin would be arriving in an hour. That wasn’t a lot of time to prepare to see him again. But then she doubted she would ever be prepared for the likes of Gavin Blake.
* * *
“So what have you decided about the dig, Gavin?”
Gavin glanced up from his breakfast plate and met his grandmother’s eyes. He’d been in bed when she’d returned last night, but there was no getting out of the conversation this morning. One thing was for certain, he would not tell her about the deal he’d struck with Layla.
“Layla is showing me the site this morning. I want to check it out for myself before I make a decision.” He then resumed eating, hoping to end the conversation.
“So when are you leaving for Mississippi?”
He looked up at his grandmother again with a raised brow. “Who said anything about me going to Mississippi?”
She lifted her own brow. “Yesterday you mentioned you had important business to take care of there.”
Now he recalled mentioning it. “I changed my mind and won’t be leaving after all.” He resumed eating again, knowing his grandmother was eyeing him suspiciously.
“Why?”
He
