Say Yes & The Cinderella Solution Read online

  He gave up on trying to wake her when she rolled onto her stomach in the middle of the bed and sprawled wide enough to cover the whole mattress. He gave one gentle pat to her cute rounded backside and left the room.

  This wasn’t turning out to be the idyllic morning he’d planned. How could he woo the woman if she wouldn’t wake up?

  Satan came back in to keep him company while he ate his own omelet. He lingered over the meal, still hoping Sara would awaken. Every so often, he made an especially loud noise, scraping a chair across a floor, banging a plate on the table, but she slept on. Finally, when the eggs were cold, he gave Sara’s share to Satan, who sniffed it repeatedly before concluding it might actually be edible. After cleaning the dishes, he located a brush and carried Satan outside.

  The cat began purring even before he’d put the brush to his hide.

  Another half hour passed before he realized there was no end in sight. Satan looked sleek and well groomed, his large head appearing more square without the benefit of excess fur to soften the effect, and his tail looked more bent for the same reason. But there were still hairs falling loose. His coat was so thick, that no matter how much Gavin brushed, he couldn’t remove all the excess. Every time Satan stepped, he shed.

  Several old scars were now visible through the smooth coat, however, and Gavin eyed the cat with respect. “You’re a regular warrior, aren’t you, boy?”

  Satan stretched, arching his body high and spreading his considerable claws wide. His mouth opened in a yawn that displayed an impressive array of sharp teeth. All around the yard, hanging from the trees and clinging to the flowers, were clumps of yellow fur, some drifting loose to float in the air like dandelion fluff, rolling across the lawn with the sultry breeze. A small cloud hovered around the porch, the air filled with cat hair as if it were a fine morning mist. Gavin did his own stretching, being careful not to inhale the hair, then turned at a sound from the house.

  Sara stood in the doorway, now dressed in loose shorts and a pullover top, a slight smile on her face. “You’ve been brushing the cat.”

  Gavin stood and looked down at the cat hairs now clinging to his own body. He had to fan the air so that he could see her clearly. “However did you guess?”

  He knew he sounded sarcastic, but he was now a grubby mess, breakfast was over and there she stood, looking so damn desirable he wanted to carry her right back to bed.

  The lengths he was forced to go to just to win her over. And she hadn’t even had the decency to get out of bed.

  “Satan looks very handsome.”

  “Handsome is not a word that will ever be applied to that monster, but I suppose he looks much better.” Gavin studied her closely. She still appeared a little wiped out, as if she’d only just opened her eyes. “You okay?”

  She flushed, then quickly nodded. “Yeah, fine. I’m sorry I slept so late. I don’t suppose there’s anything to eat?”

  A sleepless night took its toll on his patience. “I had omelets and muffins and fresh coffee, but you refused to get up.”

  Sara bit her lip, then looked up at the sunny sky. “What time is it?”

  “Almost noon.”

  That startled her. “Good grief. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s my day off. I had hoped we could spend some time together.”

  “Oh.”

  She sounded less than enthusiastic. Then he saw her put her hand to her stomach. “Are you sick?”

  “No, of course not.” And she flushed again.

  “What finally encouraged you to get out of bed?”

  “The phone rang. It was…Jess. He wanted to know if I could come out to the shelter.”

  “Why? Isn’t Sunday your day off, too?”

  “Usually. But I…well, I already told him I’d stop by.”

  Gavin tightened his jaw. The day rapidly dwindled into a dismal failure. “For how long?”

  “I don’t know. But I told him I’d be there in about an hour.”

  “Dammit, Sara. Why today? Why can’t it wait?”

  She flinched, then lifted her chin. “You have no right to curse at me. This is one of the ground rules we should have covered. You don’t tell me what to do, and I won’t tell you what to do.”

  Gavin knew he’d lost his edge, knew he was pushing too hard, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. He’d been sexually deprived too long, dammit, especially considering all the provocation he’d suffered. He was a man on the verge of exploding, and he figured when it happened, his hormones would cover more ground than Satan’s hair.

  Trying for a moderate tone while his body screamed in frustration wasn’t easy. He cleared his throat. Twice. “I really wish I’d known beforehand.” There. That had sounded calm enough.

  She frowned. “Are you getting a cold? Your voice is all raw and scratchy.”

  He stared at her, seeing the concern now in her eyes. If he wasn’t so horny, the entire situation might have been humorous. Gavin drew a deep breath, and choked on a cat hair. “I’m fine,” he wheezed, when she started forward. Then he waved her off. “Go on. I’ve got plenty to occupy me for the day, I guess. Satan shed all over the house. I’ll stay here and clean it up. What time will you be home?”

  “It’s not your job to clean up my cat’s mess.”

  He stared at her hard. “I’m the one that suggested you get a pet.”

  “Still…”

  It was annoying the way she constantly looked at him as if waiting for him to turn on her. Did she think just because the cat had obliged him to do a little vacuuming, he’d get angry and walk out? After how hard he’d worked to walk in? He snorted.

  But then she nibbled on her bottom lip, and he saw that sexy crooked tooth, and forgave her for doubting him. He cursed, then locked his jaw against the unbearable provocation she presented. “I asked you what time you’d be home.”

  She suddenly exploded. “I’ll be home when I’m darn good and ready.”

  Gavin was stunned by her outburst, but evidently not as stunned as Sara. She gasped, stiffened up like a lightning rod, then turned and ran back into the house. Gavin stood there, wondering what in hell had brought that on.

  When he heard her car driving away, he cursed again, this time rather viciously. Satan wrapped around his leg and roared his approval.

  Well, hell.

  Obviously he wasn’t handling things right. He supposed, given his frustration from the night before, Sara might be under the same stress. He’d always thought it rather arrogant of men to assume women didn’t suffer the same sexual discomforts as men. Frustration was frustration, whether you were male or female. And she had wanted him.

  A slow smile spread over his face. Maybe he’d been looking at this all wrong. It was possible making love to her would reach her far better than anything else. It would prove how much he wanted her, and that was certainly important since Sara didn’t seem to have a clue about her own desirability.

  It would also offer that special closeness that always occurred between two people who really cared about each other. He was convinced Sara did care about him. She was merely being stubbornly cautious.

  He’d have to be careful to maintain control, but he could do it. It wouldn’t do to let her think their love-making was only sex. He couldn’t let her use him without reaching for the commitment. He wasn’t easy. No sir. Gavin Blake was not a man to be trifled with.

  And he’d be certain to say all the right words, to treat her tenderly, to show his love.

  With that determination, he decided not to wait for the night. As soon as Sara returned home, he would allow her to seduce him. He rubbed his hands together and grinned in heated anticipation. Satan, being a perceptive cat, grinned with him.

  SARA DREADED SEEING GAVIN again. She was never her best at times like these, and having an extra person in the house had only complicated matters. As long as he didn’t push her, she could probably maintain control. But if he insisted on cutting up at her, or trying to second-guess her, she might very wel
l explode.

  And speaking of exploding…the constant yapping from the back seat had become very wearying. The tiny dog, a mixed miniature breed of some sort, was the noisiest, most rambunctious little creature she had ever seen. And how one little minuscule animal could move so fast on only three legs she didn’t know. But boy, this one could.

  She was glad Jess had given her the excuse to escape the house, and she was even grateful that they’d given her the chance to look over the tiny dog. But dragging in another animal for Gavin’s approval, especially when he’d been annoyed when she left…

  The second she pulled into the driveway, she saw his truck was still there. Everything inside her started to relax; though she dreaded another confrontation with him, she also drew comfort from knowing she wasn’t alone, from knowing Gavin was inside. But then he stepped onto the porch, and his disconcerting gaze settled on her face.

  Renewed heat rose in her like a tide.

  He looked wonderful and strong and handsome; she looked like hell. Mother Nature had a hand in that and there was little she could do about her puffy features and tired eyes. But he didn’t know that. Yet.

  And she was certain he could hear the constant, annoying yapping from the back seat. She tightened her hands on the steering wheel.

  Strolling down the sidewalk, Gavin flicked his glance from her face to the back of the car several times. Then he stepped around and opened her door when she didn’t show any indication of doing it herself.

  For the moment he seemed inclined to ignore the dog. “You weren’t gone very long.”

  “Nope. Not long at all.” Sara tried a smile, but it felt more like a grimace.

  “Long enough to pick up another pet?”

  “Well…you see, it’s like this. The dog sorta looked at me, and…well, we bonded.” Sara rushed on, wanting him to understand. “She’s had an accident and lost a leg. But she’s still plenty scrappy, and she gets around fine. She just needs some TLC. As busy as the shelter is, they can’t possibly give her the attention she deserves.”

  “But you can?”

  His tone seemed mild enough, only curious, though he had to raise it to be heard over the racket the dog made. Sara wasn’t at all certain of his mood. And she knew her own mood was precarious at best.

  She stepped around Gavin and started to lift the cage from the seat. He pulled her aside to do it himself.

  She drew a deep breath. “I suppose this is one of those times when you think I should have consulted you first. But you see, there really wasn’t any point. I couldn’t very well leave the dog there.”

  Gavin ignored her and started up the walk, holding the cage away from his body and wincing at the continued grating sound. “It’s not very big.”

  “No. She’s very fragile.”

  He said with a touch of sarcasm, “She doesn’t sound fragile. Does it ever shut up?”

  “Well…no. Not so far.” Then she hastened to say, “But I’m certain once she settles down, she’ll get quiet.”

  Gavin sent her a doubting look as he carried the dog through the house. “You didn’t bother to wonder what I would think, but did you stop to wonder how Satan might react to the dog? She wouldn’t make much more than a snack for him. He might just mistake the dog for a squirrel or some other rodent. And in case you didn’t know, Satan is real fond of catching rodents.”

  Sara’s eyes widened. “No, I hadn’t considered that.”

  “Make certain the front door is closed tight.”

  Sara started to ask why, then saw that Gavin was about to open the cage, and the little dog was running in circles as if winding itself up for the event. She checked the door, and just as he released the dog, Satan strolled into the room to investigate. The dog shot out as if propelled by force and skittered to a frenzied halt directly in front of Satan.

  Then the yapping began again.

  Satan endured it with nothing more than a mild look of disgust before he turned away. When the dog made a grab for his tail, Satan turned, punishing the animal with a quick swipe of one paw, then sat back to judge the results.

  The dog went instantly mute.

  Keeping a wary, worried gaze on Satan, the dog began slinking very slowly over to Sara, its gait awkward due to the missing leg. Satan blinked once in dismissal and curled up in the center of the floor to sleep.

  Sara picked up the dog and smiled. “There, you see. They get along fine.”

  Gavin seemed to be considering her. He watched her for so long, she began to squirm, and finally her temper ignited. “Will you stop it?”

  He lifted one brow. “Stop what?”

  “Stop trying to dissect me. I brought home a dog. This is still my home, Gavin. I can do as I please.”

  It sounded like a challenge, a rather nasty one at that, even to her own ears. She was immediately contrite, but it put her on edge having him study her that way.

  Gavin dropped his gaze to the floor and his hands went to his hips. She could see his chest rising and falling and knew he struggled to control his own temper. She almost wished the dog would start barking again. It was too damn quiet.

  And then Gavin started toward her. She backed up two steps before she caught herself. He took the dog from her arms and set it on the floor. It wandered cautiously, creeping on its three legs, over to where Satan slept.

  Gavin tugged her close to his chest. “I don’t want to fight with you today, babe.”

  His voice had been so low, so husky, Sara blinked in confusion. What was he up to now?

  He nuzzled her neck and she felt her annoyance melt like a chocolate bar in July. Her heart started galloping. He was such a sexy man, and it was so unfair of him to keep teasing her like this. When his hands settled on her back, then coasted down to her bottom, she sucked in a quick breath and shivered. “Gavin…”

  “Shh. You’re so tense, honey. Relax, will you?”

  Relax? She couldn’t possibly relax. Not when he was touching her. At the best of times he could arouse her with only a look, but touching, too? She tried to step away, but Gavin tightened his arms.

  “I want you, Sara.”

  Her mouth fell open, then she leaned back to see his face. “What?”

  “I want you. Now.”

  She continued to stare at him, disbelieving, her anger building to the boiling point, then suddenly detonating. “Of all the rotten, mean, underhanded…” She shoved him away, seeing his face go blank in surprise. “Have you looked at me, today? Well, have you? Do I look the least bit attractive?”

  Both Gavin’s brows shot up. “Well…yes, you do. You always look nice.”

  She leaned forward, jutting out her chin. “I’m bloated,” she growled in a near demonic tone, as intimidating as Satan ever hoped to be.

  “Uh…”

  “And at the moment,” she continued, “I’m feeling especially mean.”

  Just as the dog had reacted to Satan, Gavin backed up, keeping a wary eye on Sara. “I…ah…”

  “I wanted you yesterday, Gavin, but noooo. You wouldn’t give in.” She began stalking toward him, and he continued to back up. “I also wanted you last night. Jeez, I practically begged you. But you couldn’t relent then, could you? Oh, no. But now today, oh sure, now you want to!”

  Gavin stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Sara, what in the world is the matter with you?”

  “I can’t today, you ass.”

  Ignoring her insult, he asked carefully, “What do you mean, you can’t?”

  Her face felt hot already, but she didn’t care. What a dirty trick. Offering himself when she couldn’t accept. Lord, men could be so obtuse. “Think about it, Gavin. It’ll come to you.”

  Her tone had been laced with so much sarcasm, he shouted in return. “Think about what? You’re not making any sense. You said you wanted me, well, I want you, too. So what’s the problem?”

  “I wanted you last night. I’ll want you again in a few days. But not until then.”

  Gavin went still, his
frown clearing as understanding dawned, and then slowly, he began to grin. “You’re on your period? That’s what this is all about?”

  Sara punched him in the shoulder. It hurt, like smacking her knuckles against a rock. “Don’t you dare laugh at me!”

  “Honey—” He reached out for her but she dodged away.

  “And don’t try to placate me. I’m not in my best of moods at this time of the month.”

  He bit his lip. “Yeah? I’d already guessed as much.”

  “Oh, this is so unfair!” she wailed, and the little dog jumped up and chimed in, throwing her head back and howling in a high-pitched, excited whine. Satan decided he’d had enough of all of them, and lifting his massive head, he let loose with a loud, commanding roar.

  That was evidently all it took, because Gavin started laughing, and then he couldn’t stop. He looked at Sara between his bursts of hilarity, met her outraged gaze, and fell against the wall, holding his sides, roaring every bit as loud as Satan.

  Disgusted, Sara stomped from the room. If he was enjoying himself so much, he could just do it without her. She heard him struggling to control himself as she neared her bedroom, and right before she slammed her door shut, he said to the animals, “Now look what we’ve done. You guys better start thinking of a way to apologize, or we’ll all be sleeping outside tonight.”

  Sara thought that wasn’t a bad idea at all.

  GAVIN GAVE HER FIFTEEN minutes to calm down. No more, because he was afraid she’d go to sleep again. And no less, because after all, he wasn’t a complete fool, despite his recent conduct.

  He opened the door without knocking, very cautiously peeked inside and saw Sara curled up on the mattress, holding her middle.

  Gavin walked quietly into the room. “I fixed you some warm tea and a sandwich. The tea always helped my sisters.”

  Very slowly, Sara turned on the mattress to face him. “Needless to say, I feel like a fool again.”

  “Nope, not this time. It’s my turn.” After setting the food on the nightstand, he reached out and touched her cheek. “I am sorry, babe. Here I was making grand plans for a day together, and you weren’t feeling at all well. I should have realized.”