Free His Love by Jennifer Gracen

to make her stomach twist. Since Mike, her longest relationships had lasted a few months at best. She usually managed to self-sabotage them somehow.
    And, even if they did discuss a no-strings affair, would Gavin be okay with it? At least she finally knew one thing was for sure: he was no shrinking violet. That strong, quiet, assured, brilliant man had blazing fire inside. Now that she’d caught a glimpse of it, she wanted more. The thought of getting busy with him made her whole body thrum with lust and primal need.
    She wasn’t talking about a relationship—she didn’t do relationships. She was just talking about some summer lovin’. She hadn’t slept with anyone in over six months… and dammit, she was a healthy woman with needs and wants like anyone else. Gavin had showed he was just as into it as she was. Thinking further on it, she’d bet he had some pent up need, too, if he hadn’t been with anyone since he and Siobhan broke up. She was all too happy to let him get out those months of sexual tension with her.
    After Mike and his damaging head games, she’d sworn not to let any man get too close. Up to now, she’d succeeded in that. So the fact that Doctor McHottie was going back to Ireland on August first was actually a good thing. They’d both know there were ironclad limitations from the start. It could only go so far, really; their time was finite. No one would get hurt.
    It made perfect sense to her. Why not? Joe was always saying “YOLO”—“you only live once”. Well, this sweet, sexy gift from Ireland would only be here for a short time. He wanted her, and she wanted him. They were both single, healthy…
    A sense of giddy anticipation, the feeling that anything good was possible, shot through her veins with a burst of adrenaline. The mixture of desire, excitement, and nerves that swirled through her body made her laugh. Here she was, overthinking the situation, and for all she knew, Gavin might turn her down. She didn’t think he would, but hey, he’d been a little buzzed last night, too. What if… what if he was the one who had second thoughts this morning? What if the light of day and sobriety had changed his mind?
    The thought twisted her insides.
    Then she threw back the covers. Only one way to find out. She got out of bed and headed for the shower.
    *
    Gavin sat with Anna on the back deck, sipping water and watching the waves. He hoped he seemed more cool and collected on the outside than he felt on the inside. He hadn’t slept well the night before. After he’d walked Toni up to her room and gone back to his, he’d tossed and turned for hours. Replaying the time with her in his head, the things she’d said, the feel of her… Christ, the feel of her. Finally, the pent up lust unbearable, he’d just taken care of it himself so he could finally fall asleep.
    Now, he felt hazy, a strange mix of wired and tired. His mind hadn’t stopped; even asleep, his dreams had been filled with erotic images of Toni. He couldn’t get her out of his head. He’d slept until eleven, Anna until noon, and Joe and Toni were still sleeping. Wren had gone home with Billy again, so Gavin had been outside by himself, cleaning up the mess from the party, until his sister found him. She helped him finish cleaning, then they sat on two lounge chairs to relax—the same chairs that he and Toni had all but attacked each other on just a few hours before. They talked about the party, and Sean and Cassandra and their big news, while the ocean just beyond surged below a glary, gray sky. The sun danced in and out of the clouds, sometimes shining brightly before getting lost behind the wall of puffy grayness again. Seagulls squawked overhead and swooped in the air before dropping to the beach, scavenging the sand for something to eat.
    Glancing at his phone screen, Gavin saw it was almost one o’clock already. “They’re sleepin’ like the dead, those two.”
    “They’re fine,” Anna said. She’d only had