His Love Read Online Free Page A

him. He was only there for a few weeks, then he’d go back to Ireland. Best to leave him be as much as possible and just be friendly, but detached… if she could.
    She could. Sure she could, dammit. With new determination, she all but stomped down the stairs.
    The only one in the kitchen was Anna, sitting at the table and sipping from a mug the size of a soup bowl. “Mornin’,” she smiled.
    “You’re never up before noon on a weekend,” Toni said. “You feeling okay?”
    Anna chuckled. “You’re not wrong. But with Gavin here, and it’s his first full day and all, I wanted to be around.” She lifted the huge mug with both hands and took another sip. “Besides, this coffee is helpin’ quite a bit. I’m feeling it already.”
    “Did someone say coffee?” Gavin asked as he entered the kitchen with a smile.
    Toni’s stomach did that little flip again. Whenever she looked at him, the butterflies started to dance. His dark blond hair was a shade darker, still damp from his shower. Noticing he’d shaved, she wanted to run her fingertips along his smooth, handsome face, trace around his sensual mouth. His tall, lean body appealed to her, even clad in just blue board shorts and a simple white T-shirt. Since he’d just showered, she bet if she got closer, he’d smell so good…
    Ohhh boy, this was so not good.
    She watched him as he poured two cups of coffee and chatted with his sister. Toni knew they hadn’t seen each other in a long time, but they bantered easily, as if no time had passed. She admired that; she and her sister could barely be in the same room for ten minutes before the bickering started.
    “Toni?” Gavin held out a cup of coffee to her. “Thought you might want some.”
    “I do. Thank you.” She took it from him, drank, blessed the caffeine gods in her head, then set it on the table before announcing, “I’m going to make breakfast for all of us. Omelets and toast, okay?”
    “That’d be lovely,” Anna said.
    “Sounds fantastic, thanks,” Gavin concurred as he sat at the small rectangular table. “D’ya need any help?”
    “No, no, you sit. I’d like to do this for you guys.” Toni smiled at them and set to her task. “Are Wren and Joe home? Trying to figure how much I should make.”
    “Wren went home with Billy last night,” Anna said, “and Joe’s still sleepin’. He was totally trousered by the time we got home around three AM, so I wouldn’t count on seeing him for a while.”
    “Okay. Breakfast for three, then, coming right up.” Toni grabbed a pan from the overhead cabinet.
    “So, Gavvy,” Anna said to her brother. “What would you like to do today?”
    “Lots of nothing,” he said on a relaxed exhale. “Sit on the beach, stare at the ocean, eat at some point, take a walk, have some beers. That’s really all.”
    “Sounds perfect to me,” Toni remarked.
    “Aye, if he’s got an umbrella and a tub of sunscreen,” Anna said. “You be careful, Gavin, or your skin will burn to a crisp. I’m not kiddin’, ya hear me?”
    “Awright, hen, I hear ya.” He teased.
    Anna smacked his arm and he laughed, making Toni laugh too as she broke eggs into a bowl.
    “Call me hen, will ya,” Anna groused.
    “You sound like Ma!” Gavin said, shaking his head. “Ya think I don’t know I’ll burn? Like I’ve never been on a beach before. Chrissakes.”
    “Well, the sun’s strong here. Don’t you remember what happened when ya went to Greece on holiday?” Anna said. “Sun poisoning, if I recall correctly?”
    “Aye.” He nodded, but the grin slid off his face. “That was my first big holiday trip with Siobhan. Quite memorable, for several reasons…”
    “Ah, shit.” Anna winced. “Didn’t mean to bring her up, Gavvy. Sorry.”
    “No worries.” He shrugged and sipped his coffee.
    Toni took in Gavin’s sudden mood change and surmised Siobhan was an ex.
    “You ever hear from her?” Anna asked him.
    “Nah.” He set his mug down, then sat back in