English professor Gavin Dozier hasn’t had much luck when it comes to love. When his last boyfriend cheated on him, he was driven to experiment with women. Sex with Marian, though, had its own dangers, and before he knew it, he was a father. Now estranged, the only thing Gavin and Marian have in common is their daughter Evie, a precocious seven-year-old who stays with Gavin every other weekend. While out with her daddy, Evie meets the heavily-tattooed Brody Phelps, a sketch artist with serious talent who still dresses like a brooding punk rocker, even though he’s in his thirties. Brody is instantly attracted to the sexy college professor, but knows Gavin is out of his league -- the man has a kid, which probably means he isn’t gay, and besides, Brody never even graduated from high school. Guys like Gavin don’t go for guys like him. But when Evie leaves Gavin’s cell phone behind, Brody has the perfect excuse to meet up with them again. To his surprise they hit it off, and when he asks Gavin out, the professor accepts. Even though Evie brought them together, will her demanding personality pull them apart? Is Gavin ready to trust his heart to someone else again? Can Brody overcome his own fears of inadequacy and let Gavin in? And what will Marian have to say when the father of her child starts dating again?

Never Met a Stranger

Gavin thinks for a moment, then nods. “Yeah. Yes. I love you, I do.”


Suddenly the color rushes back into the world, noise clatters around him, blood pumps into his heart and ears and head, making him giddy and light. He wraps his arms around Gavin’s neck and pulls his lover close, not caring who might be watching as he covers Gavin’s face and mouth with fluttering little kisses. “God, me too,” he says the next time he manages to take a breath. “I love you, too, Gavin. I love you.”


Then he feels someone climb into the booth behind him, and Evie’s little arms wrap around his neck, pulling him back into a chokehold. “Daddy!” she cries, loud enough to draw stares from nearby tables. “You said it was a secret! Why do you get to tell him and I can’t?”


With a laugh, Gavin pries Evie’s hands off Brody’s neck. “Because I’m the one who loves him, not you,” he says.


Chapter 45