Chapter 0066
Judy’s POV
I thought Gavin would have taken me home first before heading back to the villa with the others, but I was surprised when he dropped Irene, Matt, and Ethan off at the villa first. As soon as they left the car and shut the door behind them, Beta Taylor rolled up the window separating the backseat from the front.
I furrowed my brows, glancing at Gavin, who was facing forward, avoiding my gaze.
“Did you make me go out to dinner with you and your family just to rub Ethan’s relationship in my face?” I asked, my tone unwavering.
Gavin remained silent for a moment before responding. “You needed to see that they are together, and nothing you do is going to break them apart,” he said, his voice void of all emotion.
“And you think I want to break them apart?” I shot back. “I don’t want anything to do with Ethan.”
“Good. So it should be easy for you to stay away from him then, right?” he asked, turning his head to face me, his eyes locking with mine as if he was trying to peer into my very soul.
I felt myself freeze, my breath catching in my throat as I stared back at him. There was something about his gaze, something so intense and commanding, that made it difficult to breathe, let alone think.
“Right,” I managed to answer, my voice coming out breathless.
Before I could gather my thoughts, Gavin moved closer, cupping the back of my head, his touch firm but gentle, holding me in place as he lowered himself to eye level. He was so close now that I could feel his warm breath brushing across my lips. My heart started racing wildly in my chest, and I fought to keep my eyes open, not wanting to give in to the overwhelming temptation of being so near him.
His presence was almost suffocating in the best way.
“Let’s get one thing straight, Miss Montague,” he said, his voice low and commanding, sending a shiver down my spine. “If my daughter gets hurt because of your antics with her fiancé, I won’t go easy on you. Nothing and nobody is more important than my family.”
His words were a warning, yet there was something deeper in his tone, something that made my legs feel weak and my heart skip a beat.
“You don’t even like Ethan. So why do you want her with him so badly?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. The question slipped out before I could stop it, and I immediately regretted it. It sounded wrong, almost like I was trying to undermine their relationship. But I couldn’t stop myself. I needed to understand.
It was obvious Gavin didn’t like Ethan—hell, he had nearly killed him earlier. If I hadn’t intervened, I was sure that would have been the end of Ethan. But despite that, it seemed like Gavin was more intent on seeing his daughter stay with him than on seeing her happy. It didn’t make sense to me.
As soon as the question left my lips, Gavin’s face darkened. His expression shifted into something cold, and he released his grip on the back of my head, pulling away.
“That’s not your concern,” he muttered, his voice hardening. “Keep your nose out of other people’s business.”
I looked down at my hands, suddenly feeling small, and awkward. I shouldn’t have pushed him like that.
“You’re right; I’m sorry,” I said softly, my voice almost lost in the silence of the car.
The car stopped, and I realized we had arrived outside my house. I unbuckled my seatbelt and glanced over at Gavin. He looked distant, almost detached, like he was lost in thought. I wanted to ask him what was on his mind, but I knew better than to pry. It wasn’t my place.
“Thank you for the ride, Alpha Landry,” I said, trying to keep my tone polite as I pushed the door open.
I could feel his eyes on me as I stepped out of the car, closing the door behind me. The cold night air hit me, and I immediately shivered. The dress Irene had given me was beautiful, but it wasn’t exactly weather-appropriate. There was more skin than fabric, and it didn’t do much to shield me from the chill in the air. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to conserve what little warmth I had as I made my way toward the front door.
Just as I was about to take another step, I felt something warm settle around my shoulders, and my body froze. I looked down to see Gavin’s jacket draped over me, the fabric warm against my cold skin. I turned slowly to face him, surprised to find him standing so close. His expression was unreadable, but there was something comforting in the way he had wrapped the jacket around me.
“You should have been more prepared for the weather,” he said, his voice indifferent, but I could see the small flicker of something else in his eyes.
I frowned up at him. “I wasn’t planning on wearing a dress this evening,” I told him, shaking my head slightly. “Especially not one so revealing.”
His eyes flickered down to my body, taking in the dress briefly before returning to my face.
“Don’t make this a habit,” he muttered, his tone firm, but there was an underlying softness to it. Without saying another word, he turned and walked back toward his car.
I stood there for a moment, my heart racing, trying to process everything that had just happened. I wanted to say something more, to stop him, but I didn’t. Instead, I stood there, letting the warmth from his jacket envelope me as I watched him walk away.
For a moment, I almost wished I had asked him to stay longer, to explain the tension between us, but I didn’t. Instead, I just turned and walked into my house, trying to shake the feelings swirling inside me.
