even higher, not about to take back a word she said.
“You’re the most irritating wo—”
Ginny narrowed her eyes on him in warning.
“—person I’ve ever met.”
“That’s plainly untrue. Rider holds that honor.” She disdainfully sniffed up at him.
Ginny could practically see the steam coming out of his ears as he tried to retain his passive façade.
“He’s now in second place, thanks to the most cockamamie nonsense I’ve ever heard coming from you.”
“Really!”
“For fucking sure.”
“I can prove it.” Her eyes dared him to prove her wrong.
“How?”
Was he freaking laughing at her? Any other time she would have been thrilled to see anything but the dead sea behind his eyes, just not when she was trying to make a point.
Bracing her hands on his chest, she shoved him back, well aware of the hard muscles under his T-shirt, and that the only reason she was able to move him back was of his own will.
With enough room to move, she took out her cell phone, pulling up the pictures she saved. Finding the one she wanted, she pressed, zooming it bigger before turning the screen to face him.
“See?”
Gavin’s lashes lowered as he stared at the picture. “What am I supposed to be looking at?”
“Is that you in the mirror or not?”
“Me?” Gavin grabbed her wrist, lifting the phone higher until it was at eye level.
“Is it you or not?” Ginny was glad of his hand on her wrist, afraid the phone would slip from her sweaty palm, and terrified he wouldn’t be able to see the same thing she had.
“Where did you get the picture of me from?”
Ginny was so relieved that she dropped her head to his chest. “Lily.”
Feeling the muscles tense under her cheek, she raised her head before he could pull himself away.
“What does a picture of me prove?”
“I didn’t know it was you until you came out to the patio. I just knew you were the man I was waiting for.”
“You’re crazier than I thought.”
“I’m from the mountains of Kentucky. We have superstitions we believe in. One is, if you look in the mirror at the bottom of a cellar steps, you’ll be able to see the man you’re going to marry. Lily took this picture Halloween night. Don’t you see?”
“Are you high?”
Ginny put her phone back in her pocket. “No.”
“This is ridiculous.” Abruptly, Gavin turned and began searching through the apartment before coming back.
“Save yourself the trouble of calling Viper. He’s too busy with the factory to worry about your drama. You’re stuck with me.”
Ginny stayed as still as a statue. She said what she had to say. Only time would prove what she was saying was true. Unfortunately, she was running out of that commodity, since her stalker was no longer content to stay in the background.
Gavin becoming a casualty was unacceptable to her. She wouldn’t sit back and watch that happen.
“Waiting for a storm to hit is fucking useless. It puts you at a disadvantage.”
Ginny didn’t shrink away from Gavin’s powerful body towering over hers. “What do you suggest?”
“Meet the fucker head-on. Ride the storm with me, and let’s find out who he is.”
“I don’t want to make you a target.” She really didn’t want him to leave, but then she didn’t want him hurt, either.
Gavin gave a smile that turned her blood to ice. “I was in the Navy; storms are what I’m best at.”
Chapter Twelve
“What are you wanting to do?” Making her way to the couch, Ginny sat down.
“We make him believe we’re a couple.”
“How do we accomplish that?”
“You telling Kimmy we are was a good start.”
“I didn’t exactly tell her we’re a couple,” she argued. “I just said that you were attached. She just assumed it was to me.”
Gavin folded his arms over his chest. “How did she get that impression?”
“Kimmy saw you and asked if you were the one taking Shade’s and Rider’s place.”
“And …?” he prompted.
“And …” Ginny guiltily lowered her gaze to his boots. “She asked if you were attached. Erring on the side of caution, I told her you were.”
“Why would you err on the side of caution?”
“Well, I couldn’t say for sure if you were or not, so I erred on the side of caution and told her you are.” She nodded as if that should make perfect sense to him.
“Yet you didn’t use the same caution when telling me your own feelings?”
“That’s different.”
“How’s it different?”
“Because we’re meant to be together.”
“We need to get something straight—”
“Let’s not, if you want me to go along with your idea.”