All That I Want (The Hesitant Husbands Book 2) by Grace Hartwell

Author:Grace Hartwell [Hartwell, Grace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

With every shift of the horse’s gait, Gavin chafed. He absolutely deserved any discomfort he was feeling. God, he’d had his hands all over Lainey like she was a common trollop. What the hell was wrong with him? They’d been friends for most of his life and he’d always managed to keep his hands to himself. It was that damn kiss in Aidan’s study. He never should have allowed it. One ill-advised kiss had brought everything he’d suppressed for all those years roaring to life.

God help him, he wanted Lainey. If only he—

“Gav, may I ask you something?”

Gavin started. He hadn’t even heard Aidan pull up beside him. “Of course,” he replied, eyeing Aidan warily.

“Is there something going on between you and my sister?”

Bollocks. “What makes you say that?”

“The two of you just seem…at odds with one another. Have you been quarreling about something? She didn’t push you in the pond again, did she?”

Gavin laughed. “Thank you for bringing that up. No, it happened as she said.”

“Then what is going on? Is it this whole sudden marriage thing? Are you upset because she’s going to marry someone else?”

Gavin snapped his head toward Aidan. “Someone else?”

Aidan shrugged. “I just thought…look, I know I was loaded up on laudanum last June when I suggested you marry her, but there may have been some truth in that request. The three of us have been inseparable for most of our lives. I suppose I’d always thought you’d offer for her.”

Gavin groaned. “Not you, too!”

Aidan tossed him a cocky grin. “Not the first person to suggest this?”

“Not by far.”

“Sorry. It’s just that when Lainey got engaged you seemed so…withdrawn. Don’t think I didn’t notice that you two stopped speaking to each other for a while. I thought maybe it was because you were disappointed and hoping to win her for yourself. But when her engagement was broken and you didn’t offer for her then, I pushed that thought aside. Now another engagement looms and I see you behaving oddly again, and I have to wonder if I may have been right? And if so, what is holding you back?”

“Absolutely nothing.” Liar.

“Because if our friendship is preventing you from offering for her, I just wanted to make sure you know that I would be happy to have you as a brother-in-law. I know you would take care of her.”

No, no, no! Do NOT give me your blessing! Gavin turned toward Aidan and held his gaze. “Aidan. I love Lainey, I do. I love you both. But Lainey and I are just friends. I don’t think of her in that way.” How many times did he need to say that in order to convince himself it was true? “I do not wish to marry anyone, let alone your lovely sister. You know my family history, Aidan. How could I subject anyone to that?”

Aidan allowed the horse to plod along in silence for a few moments. “I know that is a heavy burden for you to bear, Gav. But don’t let it rule your life.

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