CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

I lean my head against Gavin's shoulder as he eases out into the midday traffic. His eyes flit down to mine and his lips tilt up into that youthful smile that first hooked me in the parking lot of Eli's studio.

His phone vibrates in the cup holder and I hand it to him, intertwining our fingers absentmindedly.

"Hi, Mom," he says. Crap, his mother?

"No. Yes, she’s with me."

He gazes down at me, sighing and seeming agitated. What did she say?

"What? Mom...I’m not sure if that’s a good idea..."

He pauses, listening. I wonder vaguely what his mother is like. She certainly raised him well.

"Okay, I’ll talk to her about it. I love you. Bye."

He hangs up, huffing a laugh as he parks beside the studio.

"What was that about?"

He grins, kissing my lips softly as he leads me out of the Jaguar.

"She wants to meet you. How does dinner next Tuesday sound?"

Oh my.

"I’d love that. This might take a while since it’s my last session before the showcase. Gavin, you don’t have to stay."

He opens the