The Langfield Brothers: Box Set

5. Gavin

FIVE

GAVIN

There’s no time to be disappointed when I wake up without her.

I have a plane to catch, and since we didn’t go to sleep until sometime after four—after another three rounds or so—I’m running late. It was worth it, even if I almost fell asleep inside her.

But I knew she’d be gone when I woke up. She wouldn’t even give me her name, so I was under no illusion that she’d stick around.

While I own the plane we’re taking today, Beckett gets unreasonably annoyed by delays. If I don’t haul ass and get to our private runway, I wouldn’t put it past him to leave me in Boston while they all head off to Ford’s wedding.

I plaster on a big smile when I step into the cabin, sunglasses on, Hawaiian shirt in place, and a bunch of leis in hand to gift to my brothers. Affecting my most obnoxious voice, I say, “I know, I know. I’m late, but I brought gifts. This way I’m not the only one who got laid this morning.”

Beckett rolls his eyes as he folds his newspaper like the anal asshole he is and sets it down in front of him. The man is wearing a pair of navy-blue slacks and a button-down shirt. It’s pink, I’ll give him that, but still, we’re going on vacation, not to a fucking board meeting.

I toss one at him, and the fucker surprises the hell out of me by putting it on without a fight. “I’ll wear it for five minutes to make you happy, but only if you tell me the story behind the woman who’s got you smiling so fucking big.”

I grin. “It’s a good one.” Not that I’ll tell him much, other than that I think I fell in love last night and that I’ll probably never find her again. Even so, it’s fun to play along.

In the back, Brooks and Aiden are sitting side by side. Daniel Hall—our newest recruit and Ford’s son—is sitting with them too. I’d forgotten he was traveling with us. Beside him is a woman with her dark hair pulled into a ponytail. She’s mostly hidden behind Brooks’s massive frame, so all I can see is wavy brown curls.

I can’t help but laugh. Kid has no shame bringing a woman along with him to his dad’s wedding. Knowing him, he met her last night and Ford has no idea she’s coming.

“Got leis for all of you boys. Don’t worry,” I say as I make my way down the aisle, winking at the flight attendant as I pass her. “Morning, Nicole. Would you like a lei?”

She holds up a hand, looking amused. “Pass.”

I like Nicole. She’s worked for my family for a few years, and she’s been nothing but professional. We’ve gone through too many flight attendants over the years because many of the women take the job thinking they’ll be joining the mile high club. But we don’t operate like that. Especially Beckett. When we’re working, he expects everyone to be professional. It’s a good rule. Keeps my brothers from getting sued and keeps our turnover at the office almost nonexistent.

I throw a lei to Aiden, who catches it with ease, right around his neck.

“I’m telling you, Brooks,” he says without missing a beat. “This girl might be the one.”

I bite back a groan. I’d forgotten about his text last night. He met a girl. Again. And since the kid is nothing if not a romantic, I’m sure he’ll be singing her praises for the next few days.

Hope she’s worth it. Aiden deserves someone who loves hard just like he does.

“So you said,” Brooks says as I hand him a lei. He nods a silent thank-you while giving me a look that tells me just how irritated he is with our baby brother.

Next up, Daniel. I pass a lei his way, and as he takes it, he turns to his seatmate.

“Want one, Mills?”

The woman looks up then, and I practically choke on my own saliva.

Peaches, my fucking Peaches , is sitting cozily next to Daniel Hall, the known playboy on my hockey team. As soon as her golden eyes meet mine, they double in size behind her oversized black glasses.

“Puck bunnies aren’t allowed on the team plane,” I grit out like an asshole. I’m speaking to Daniel, but I can’t take my fucking eyes off her.

Her face is free of makeup and dotted with freckles. But beneath them, her cheeks go rosy as she blinks up at me.

“Gavin,” Brooks warns.

I can barely hear him over the thundering of my heart. My focus is set on her and the anger brewing in my gut.

Daniel makes a choking sound beside her. “This isn’t a puck bunny. This is Millie, my twin sister .”

Holy. Fuck. A burst of air I didn’t know I was holding whooshes out of me, and I inhale greedily, drowning in relief, because she isn’t his. She’s just his sister.

Thank fuck.

And now I know her name.

Millie.

I smile at her, even as she watches me like she’s a deer and I’m a semi barreling straight for her.The flush that stained her cheeks for a moment is gone. Now she’s pale and looks like she’s on the verge of passing out.

“Millie,” I say quietly, testing the name out on my tongue. “Fits.” I clear my throat and hold out my hand to take hers. “I’m so sorry. I just—you caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting anybody but the guys.”

Her palm is warm against my hand, and I swear to god sparks shoot between us.

“I was an asshole. I’m really sorry.”

She runs her tongue across her lips and lets out the tiniest breath. Like she’s accepting our new circumstances. Like maybe she doesn’t hate our new circumstances. Like she doesn’t hate that we’ve found ourselves thrown together again.

And then she smiles, and my heart fucking swells.

God, she has a gorgeous smile. Her lips are the prettiest shade of peach, naturally, and don’t get me started on the freckles. I doubt there’s a single thing I wouldn’t like about her.

“Mr. Langfield, if you could take a seat, we’re about to take off,” Nicole says behind me.

Yeah, there’s no way in hell I’m going to sit with Beckett when I could sit and talk to Millie. Fuck, what are the chances? This is incredible.

“Didn’t my dad tell you Millie was coming with us?” Daniel asks, his eyes narrowed on me.

Frowning, I turn to him. “Why would your dad?—”

That’s when it hits me. Holy fuck, Millie is Millie Hall.

Peaches is Ford’s daughter .

My stomach plummets, and every ounce of relief I felt only seconds ago is sucked from me like I’ve been tossed into a black hole.

I fucked Millie Hall.

I fucked my best friend’s daughter.

So many times.

Fuck . I took my best friend’s daughter’s virginity.

Holy shit.

“Gavin,” Beckett calls when I forget how to do anything but stare at Millie.

“Breathe,” she mouths, her eyes begging me to keep my shit together.

Holy fuck, this poor girl gave her virginity to her dad’s best friend. She must be freaking out right now.

And she’s probably disgusted.

I want to assure her that I didn’t know. I want to apologize a thousand different ways, but my throat has closed up and my vocal cords have been sliced. So I blink once, twice, and nod to the group. Then I force my feet to take me back to Beckett. As I drop into my usual seat, my mind races and the lead ball in my gut grows.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Beckett growls.

Yeah, my brother growls. It’s a daily occurrence. I really don’t have time for his normal attitude, though. I’m in crisis right now.

“How old was the youngest girl you’ve ever fucked?” I hiss.

“What?” Beckett rears back, brows pulled low. “I didn’t—I don’t—what the fuck are you talking about?”

“Twenty-one? Twenty-two?”

“What the hell is happening to you?”

“Tell me.”

Beckett runs a hand through his hair. “When I was younger, sure. But no, women that age don’t really do it for me.” He shrugs like that answers that.

Millie Hall is twenty-two. It threw me when she told me, but at the same time, it didn’t. I knew she was young when she sat next to me in the bar. Knew she couldn’t be over twenty-five, and while yeah, normally the women I sleep with are older than that, we clicked. She’s mature and sophisticated. Or maybe I’m just an old pervert who is attracted to his best friend’s daughter and I need my head examined.

More like your dick, asshole . Because both were involved in everything that happened last night, and they’re both attracted to Millie.

And my heart. On cue, a sharp pain in my chest causes me to hunch over. Fuck. It wasn’t just sex. I liked her.

A lot.

“You gonna tell me what’s going on with you?” Beckett asks as the plane starts down the runway.

I’m gripping the seat so tightly my knuckles are turning white. Beckett notices and eyes me with nothing but concern on his face.

“I just—fuck, I called Millie Hall a puck bunny.”

In an instant, that worried expression morphs into a smirk. “That’s what has you all worked up?” He rubs at his jaw and chuckles. “She’s probably used to idiots saying shit like that. Her brother’s played hockey all his life.”

Her brother. Daniel. Right. Because she’s Millie Hall. Why can’t I stop calling her that in my head?

She rests her elbow on her armrest and tilts to one side so she can see me.

“I’m so sorry,” I mouth.

“She looks like she’s forgiven you,” Beckett says. “Calm down and tell me about your night.”

She straightens, and I close my eyes, unable to stomach the thought of last night right now.

Somehow, someway, I need to forget every minute of it. I need to forget the way she tastes. The way she moans. The way she feels.

Like peaches and tequila, soft and needy and warm and tight.

Yeah, every single thing about her is imprinted in my mind. I’m not sure I could forget it if I tried, and considering I’m already actively trying to figure out how soon I can get her alone, I know I won’t be trying.

But only because I need to talk to her. Explain that I had no clue who she was. And then…

Well, then I have no fucking idea what I’ll do. The one thing I know I can’t do is fuck my best friend’s kid again, though.

She leans to one side and looks at me again, her lips pinched and her eyes swimming with dread. God, what I wouldn’t do to sit beside her and pull her onto my lap. Remove that look from her face with a kiss.

No.

No, no, no.

There will be no kisses. No smiling. From here on out, she can be no one but Millie Hall: Ford’s daughter.

And, somehow, I’ll have to find a way to be okay with that.