34. Gavin

THIRTY-FOUR

gavin

I FINISHED OFF the last of the fruit plate that had been delivered along with several others Daire and I had demolished like a pack of heathens. But hey, I hadn’t worked up an appetite like that in, well, ever.

Daire watched me over the lip of his coffee mug. “Plans today?”

“Nothing set in stone.” I licked the juice from the orange slice off my finger. “Why?”

He shrugged. “Just curious.”

Just curious, my ass.Daire wasn’t “just curious” about anything without a motive.

“What about you?” I said.

“Nothing set in stone.” When he smirked, I shook my head.

Daire didn’t offer himself up to hang out, and after his reaction when I’d brought up having dinner together, the last thing I wanted to do was scare him off. Not after how perfect the last few hours had been.

Perfect, but fragile. I expected this happy bubble to pop any second.

“If I wasn’t around,” Daire said, his finger making slow circles on the top of his mug, “what would you be doing today?”

Did he want to spend more time with me, and this was his way of hinting about it? I had a couple of places I’d wanted to check out this weekend, but they were so not up Daire’s alley. He’d probably wrinkle his nose up or laugh, the same as my brother did when I brought up what I collected.

When I didn’t answer, still trying to come up with an alternative, Daire said, “Is it a secret, or you just don’t wanna tell me?”

Was that a tinge of hurt I heard behind his words? Like I was purposely keeping him out of the loop because I didn’t think he deserved to know?

After opening up to me about his abandonment, the last thing I wanted to do was make him think he wasn’t welcome. Especially when the truth was that I never wanted him to leave my side.

“No, it’s nothing like that,” I reassured him. “But you can’t make fun of me for it.”

“Why would I make fun of you?”

“Van thinks it’s weird.”

“So? Van’s weird.”

“Well…” I wouldn’t argue that. My brother’s first date with Kelly had been at a porn shoot, for God’s sake. “I like to go to antique shops sometimes.”

Daire didn’t even blink, just cocked his head to the side.

“I collect compasses,” I said quickly before he could respond. “I like vintage ones, the older the better, and I—” I bit down on my lip and shrugged. “They’re just my thing.”

“Huh.” Daire drummed his fingers along the counter and looked at me like he was trying to figure out my life’s secrets. “That’s not what I thought you were going to say.”

The intensity of his stare had me shifting in my seat and second-guessing myself. “The shops give me some ideas for interior design too, like how to incorporate classic styles with the more modern pieces today.” I cleared my throat. “But I do other things too. You know, hustle and run at the pool halls.”

I expected Daire to laugh at that, but instead he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the counter. “Don’t do that. If it’s something you like, own it. Who gives a fuck what anyone else thinks?”

Heat crept into my face, not from embarrassment or irritation at his words, but because he was right. Why did I care what anyone thought? Everyone collected something, right? Maybe even stranger things than what I did.

“You’re right,” I said, straightening my shoulders. “My name is Gavin, and I collect old-ass compasses.”

Thathad his lips twitching, and he nodded.

“Better.”

“Thank you.” What was it about Daire that made me feel stronger and more secure? He could’ve easily made fun of me, but he’d chosen to empower me instead, and he probably didn’t even realize it. He thought he was a bad guy, but he completely blocked out the moments like this when he proved he wasn’t.

“Wanna show me?” he said.

My eyes widened. “Seriously? You’d want to go with me?”

“Yeah.”

My stomach flipped, and I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. The fact that he was interested, that he wanted to know more and actually spend time with me, blew my mind. And also showed how little I’d been willing to settle for with the guys from my past.

“Then you’d better put some clothes on, Mr. Connery, or I’m not sure I’ll be able to take you anywhere.”

A HALF-HOUR LATER, Scotty dropped us off at an antique shop on the Upper West Side that was within walking distance of a couple others. I tried to space out my visits so there would be more inventory to sift through, and since it’d been months since I was last here, I was overdue and hoping for a successful haul.

I chanced a look in Daire’s direction, trying not to make it noticeable. He’d been quiet on the ride over, and I had to remind myself that was nothing unusual. Daire wasn’t a chatty kind of guy, but when he’d taken my hand and led me to the back seats of the Sprinter, it helped ease the residual nerves I’d felt at dragging him along.

Daire wanted me close, and that spoke louder than any words he could’ve said.

“You ready?”

He nodded and stepped up to the door, pulling it open for me, and I was so shocked that I just stood there.

“Are you?”

I shook myself out of my daze and tried not to skip over to him, but it was hard with the way my heart had just stuttered several beats. Because who was this guy holding open a door for me, and what had he done with Daire?

As I went to walk by, Daire leaned down and said by my ear, “What? Your other dates didn’t open the door for you?”

My feet faltered. “Dates?”

“Yeah. That’s what we’re on, isn’t it?”

I hadn’t wanted to call it that in case he freaked out—kind of like I was doing right now—but if Daire wanted to call it that, I wouldn’t stop him.

“I, uh…yeah. I guess we are.”

Daire’s lips quirked. “You’re blushing.”

I cursed my pale skin as heat bloomed on my cheeks, then I shoved him in the arm. “You’re not supposed to point that out.”

“Why not? It’s cute.”

What in the world was happening right now? I’d thought I was going to have to tiptoe around Daire all day like one would a bear. But instead of dodging angry swings, I found myself wanting to crawl in his lap.

I stepped inside the store, needing to get out of the doorway, and as the door swung shut behind us I heard, “Holy shit.”

“I hope you’re ready to dig.”

Daire stepped up beside me, staring down the first of several narrow rows of floor-to-ceiling shelves. They were jam-packed full of miscellaneous items spanning decades, and only loosely organized. It was overwhelming, to say the least.

“You wanna look through all this? For a compass? Could you have picked anything smaller?”

I chuckled and hooked my arm through his. “I’m so tempted to say yes, just to see you sweat, but no. There’s a section where Anita puts anything new that comes in for me to look through.”

Daire swallowed, visibly relieved, as we started down the aisle. “Does that say doorknobs?”

I turned to see what he was looking at and spotted several storage containers. “Yep. Depending what decade you’re in, styles changed for things like doors and doorknobs, flooring, trim and molding, corbels—all kinds of things. If someone is looking to do a true restoration, then these are the places they come to find year-specific pieces.”

“Corbels? What the hell is that?”

“Oh, uh, you know the fancy decorative supports that jut out from the wall under balconies or overhangs. They’re there to support extra weight, but sometimes they flank a door— Aaand I’ve lost you.”

Daire nodded. “Yeah, you lost me the second you said ‘fancy.’”

I snorted and tugged him around a corner into another row that was full of doors all lined up against each other.

“Damn. They really pack a lot of sh—stuff in here, don’t they?”

“They sure do. You know the saying, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

Daire’s eyes found mine and I was shocked to see that familiar guarded look back in his.

“That what you do, collect things others have tossed aside?”

I knew what he was getting at, could see the fear of rejection in his eyes. A longtime response to years of being treated a certain way. But I wouldn’t let any doubt slip in between us.

“No.” I smiled up at him. “I find the gems that people are too stupid to know they had.”

“Don’t think I’ve ever been called a gem.”

Feeling brave, I pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Rough like a diamond.”

I was about to step back when Daire snaked his arm around my waist and crushed his lips onto mine. The kiss erased all the tension that had crept in, reigniting the spark we’d let flicker on low while we stepped out of our little bubble and entered the real world.

“Sorry.”

I hadn’t needed an apology, and certainly hadn’t expected it. But that Daire wanted to give it meant the world to me.

“We’re good. I promise.”

He nodded, and I gestured to a small room at the far end of the row.

“Come on, it’s just over here.” I led him inside the room where several glass displays were kept. They housed some of the more delicate and expensive items the store had for sale, including jewelry, watches, and compasses.

I stopped in front of the display, peering through the glass top to see if there was anything new that caught my eye.

“Jesus. Does that say fifteen hundred dollars?”

I glanced at the brass aeronautical compass he was looking at. “Yeah, it’s signed by Henry Browne & Son Sestrel, circa 1930s. That’s a good find. They made beautiful binnacles and compasses.”

“What the hell is a…binna⁠—”

“Binnacle? It’s like, hmm, a little house for a compass on a boat.”

Daire’s eyes narrowed. “Are you dumbing this shit down for me?”

“Maybe a little?”

“Appreciate that, but my knowledge of a compass ends at north, south, and our two dumbass friends.”

I laughed as I pictured East and West giving him the stink-eye. “I’m kind of a nerd about this stuff.”

“Nah, just passionate. What got you into it?”

My heart flipped at the more personal question. Small talk was not Daire’s forte. But he was trying and succeeding with me today. I’d never felt more heard on a date then I did right now.

I couldn’t remember Joey ever asking why I collected compasses.

“My mom.” I smiled fondly, thinking of her sparkling hazel eyes and long blond hair. To the outside world, Kimberly Thompson was one of the most beautiful women to ever be photographed, a supermodel who’d graced the cover of nearly every fashion magazine around, and was an instantly recognizable face, but to me she was just Mom.

“When she started modeling and traveling a lot, she gave me her father’s old compass. Something to always make me think of her. It was a family heirloom, one that had been passed down for years, and I’ve been hooked ever since.”

I could feel Daire’s eyes on me, but when he didn’t respond, I thought that maybe I’d said too much.

“I’m sorry⁠—”

“What for?”

I turned to see his eyes searching my face, confusion furrowing his brow. “I…I didn’t mean to tell you my whole life story. Probably should’ve just stopped at ‘my mom gave it to me.’”

Daire took a step closer and reached for the hand I had resting on the glass case. “Why would you say that? I asked you a question. You answered. And your answer, by the way, was beautiful.”

Had he not been standing in front of me, I never would’ve believed that such words had just been spoken by Daire. I’d always suspected there were emotions behind that tough-guy persona, a softer side, that he wanted someone to see him. I just never expected that someone would be me.

I felt as though I was getting a glimpse behind the curtain in the Emerald City—only I wasn’t disappointed in what I found.

“Thank you. It means a lot to me.”

He looked back to the glass case and pointed inside. “There any in here you like the look of?”

I screwed my nose up and sighed, disappointed at the sparse selection. “No. I’ve been searching for something super specific. It’s a rare silver pocket sundial and compass by Michael Butterfield, Paris, circa 1700, and I swear every time I’m close to finding one, it gets snatched right out of my hands.”

“You do know there’s this invention called the internet, right? I hear you can find just about anything.”

I rolled my eyes. “But that’s…I don’t know, cheating. I want to find it the old-fashioned way.”

“By rummaging through antique stores and coming up with jack shit?”

“By persevering and getting immense pleasure when I finally discover the elusive thing.”

“Right.” Daire leaned back on the case. “I’ll take your word for it.”

With a final sigh, I leaned into his side and rested my hands on his shoulder, staring up at him. “Wanna get out of here?”

Daire turned and grazed his lips over mine. “You sure? We can look some more. I thought you said there were others you wanted to stop by.”

Damn, I was in so much trouble. I’d already been crushing on Daire when he was all grumpy and scowl-tastic, but this new side had a whole lot more than casual hookup emotions surfacing. The fact that he was willing to spend some time doing something I cared about gave me a strange feeling of rightness that I couldn’t explain.

“I’ll make you a deal.” I reached for his hand, wondering if he’d pull away, but as with everything else today, he didn’t disappoint. In fact, Daire laced his fingers though mine.

“What’s that?”

“We go find a bakery and grab a coffee and some yummy pastry to eat. Then I drag you around at least five more stores.”

“Digging for your elusive compass?”

I beamed up at him, not able to remember a time I’d ever felt so happy. “Of course.”

“Deal, but it better be a big fuckin’ pastry.”

“The biggest.”