Worth the Risk

by Karen Erickson

  Okay, and she was fantastic in bed and sweet as hell and quite possibly the woman for him, but that was something he refused to focus on. He wasn’t allowed.

  He couldn’t allow it.

  “Let me talk to her.” Alex stood as well. “I don’t want you barging into her cubicle and making her feel uncomfortable.”

  “Why would you think I’d do that?” Alex made him sound like an uncouth jack off who had no idea how to approach an employee. His employees loved him, couldn’t get enough of him.

  Well, with the exception of Gracie. And didn’t that just burn like a son of a bitch?

  “Remember how you treated Tessa when you and Becky questioned her? She came to me in tears afterward. She still thinks you don’t like her very much. That you merely tolerate her.”

  “That’s not true. I love Tessa. She’s good for you. She’s good for our entire family.” Damn, had he lost his touch with women or what? His sister-in-law thought he hated her and the woman he cared for, but was forbidden to touch, wanted to run as far away from him as her little feet could take her.

  “Well, it wouldn’t hurt if you told her that every once in a while.” Alex rubbed a hand along his jaw. “We’re getting off track. Let me handle Gracie. She doesn’t want to leave Worth permanently, so let me see what her explanation is.”

  He knew his brother’s suggestion made sense. There were too many emotions involved when it came to Gracie and thankfully, Alex didn’t question him about any of it, either. “You’ll tell me what she says as soon as you find out, right?”

  “Of course, I will. Though you might not like what she has to say.” Alex studied him, his eyes narrowing. “There’s really nothing going on between you two?”

  “No. I’d tell you if there was.” Another lie. He was racking them up this morning. He felt like an ass for deceiving his brother, but he did it to protect Gracie. He didn’t want Alex to think less of her because they’d fooled around.

  More than once.

  Nights that still lingered in his mind and he couldn’t forget them—or the woman he spent them with—no matter how hard he tried.

  Alex remained silent, as if waiting for him to break. But Hunter stayed strong, giving as good as he got and finally Alex offered a little grunt before he left Hunter’s office.

  He fell back his chair and smoothed a hand over his face. Wished like hell he could call Becky or even better, Gracie, and ask what was going on.

  What had he done to offend her, to make her want to leave—even temporarily? He believed they’d finally come to an understanding. Though he’d solemnly sworn he wouldn’t so much as flirt with her again, he secretly hoped she wouldn’t be able to withstand being near him and finally give in.

  Turned out she was more than able to resist him—she’d turned cold as ice. And so he’d had no choice but to adhere to her rules, not wanting to offend her, especially not in the work place. He’d been perfectly willing to settle with their professional relationship and never taking it further again.

  At least, that’s what he’d told himself.

  He checked his email, went over some notes a staff member sent him in regards to a new fragrance line they were considering, something Worth had never attempted before. They were supposed to have a meeting about it this afternoon, a brainstorming event that was scheduled to run for two hours. Would Gracie attend? Or was she already prepared to bail?

  Frustration flooded his veins and he glanced around the office. The urge to throw something was overwhelming. Jesus, he was sick of walking on eggshells around the woman. Forget what Alex said, maybe they should have it out. He was getting nowhere in their current situation and apparently, neither was she.

  Hunter frowned. For once in his life, he didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to fix it. And that irritated the ever-loving crap out of him.

  Gracie sat huddled over her keyboard, staring listlessly at the monitor but not really seeing a thing. She was tired, worried and on edge. Too many overwhelming things were happening in her life, and she was afraid she couldn’t keep it under control any longer.

  She’d been riding the top of an emotional roller coaster since she came into contact with her grandma. They talked on the phone, sent regular emails to each other and shared photos. Cried a lot of tears over it all too. Not that she regretted contacting her grandmother…

  It left her wiped out, though. Drained. She tossed and turned at night, found it hard to sleep. She reevaluated her past. Seeing those photos of her mom, of her and her mom together, they hurt. The steel wall she kept so carefully erected around her heart came down within seconds of seeing that first photo of her sitting on her mother’s lap. Smiling, her chin covered in drool, her mother smiling down at her.

  She looked so much like her mom, it was downright eerie. And she’d had no idea, had never owned one single photograph of her mother until the ones her grandma sent her.

  Lack of sleep and an overload of emotion affected her work, and she knew people noticed. She was letting them down and oh, how she hated that. Getting through the Worthwhile spring launch was her current concern and after that was done, she could breathe a sigh of relief. Take that short break she talked to Becky about and spend more time with her grandma.

  Her friend had nagged incessantly out of concern. Gracie didn’t feel strong enough to tell her what was really going on in her personal life. She’d been especially taken aback when Becky flat out asked her if Hunter was giving her any sort of trouble of the sexual harassment kind.

  It had puzzled Gracie ever since. Where had that come from? Had their attraction been that noticeable? Did he make eyes at her and she didn’t even realize it? Or worse, was she the one who was so obvious?

  “If he’s harassing you, you shouldn’t let him get away with it,” Becky had said last night on the phone when she’d called yet again, her voice full of venom.

  Gracie had reassured her that of course not, he wasn’t harassing her, but now she worried. Becky was in charge of human resources—what if she started investigating? What if she—heaven forbid—confronted Hunter? Knowing him, he’d go noble and throw himself on his sword and confess their brief affair.

  A shudder moved through her, and she closed her eyes. Everything was getting so incredibly complicated. She didn’t know if she could deal with it.

  Her inbox dinged and she checked it, saw it was from Becky. Dread filled her as she opened the email.

  I’m concerned for you, Gracie. I spoke with Alex Worth this morning in regards to what’s going on and he said he was concerned as well. In fact, he’s speaking to Hunter at this very moment about it.

  Do the right thing. Take care of yourself.

  Gracie frowned. Do the right thing? What did that even mean? And Alex was talking to Hunter at this very moment? Her heart sank. What was Alex saying? What would Hunter say? Her stomach cramped, and she wished she'd never said a word to Becky. Now, she was too nervous, too scared of Hunter’s reaction.

  Had he taken her request to heart? Was he so over her that he could care less about her asking to leave temporarily? What if he wasn’t going to fight for her? What if he suggested they get rid of her permanently?

  She was being ridiculous, but she couldn’t help it. Yes, she needed to get away from Hunter. Being close to him day in and day out was too hard on her already frazzled and stressed out nerves. It had been her idea for them to never see each other again “that way” after a few amazing moments together and now…

  Now she regretted it. She’d never say it out loud, she’d certainly never tell Hunter but yes, she regretted it. Regretted the chance she let slip through her fingers like sand.

  A shadow came over her, and she glanced over her shoulder to find Alexander Worth himself standing just inside her cubicle, wearing such a serious expression she wondered if she was in trouble.

  Lord, the man was intimidating. Taller and broader than Hunter but not nearly as good looking, at least in her opinion, he could quiet a room with a l
ook. Send an employee running out of a meeting with tears streaming down their face. She’d witnessed it before.

  She really hoped she wasn’t the one he wanted to make cry today.

  “Can you spare a moment so we can talk, Miss Hayes? I won’t take too much of your time.” He flashed a quick, genial smile.

  “Of course.” She stood, smoothing her skirt into place. Her stomach rumbled, and she rested her hand over it for a brief moment. She hadn’t felt right the last few days and wondered more than once if she was coming down with something.

  Slipping out of her cubicle, she followed Alex through the office, noticing that everyone watched them as they passed by, their eyes wide with curiosity. Surely a flurry of gossip would launch the moment they walked out of the room.

  Her head throbbed just imagining it.

  He led her into an empty meeting room, closing the door behind her when she walked inside. He gestured for her to sit and she did so, watching as he rounded the large table and sat across from her. He smiled again, unusual for their normally dour CEO, and she had the distinct feeling he was trying to put her at ease.

  “I received an email from our human resources manager this morning,” he started.

  She nodded once, clutching her hands together. Great. So she’d have to deal with Alex versus Hunter. She didn’t know which one was worse.

  Gracie frowned. Probably Hunter.

  “It stated in the email that you requested a temporary leave of absence from Worth Luxury.” He paused, watching her. “I don’t mean to pry, but I usually like to conduct an informal interview when such a request is made. You see, we don’t get them very often, and if it’s something personal, please tell me so upfront.”

  She swallowed hard and nodded again but otherwise didn’t say anything.

  “Is there a problem in the marketing department you’d like to speak to me about, Miss Hayes?”

  Why yes, I had sex with your brother and now I can’t stand to be around him for too long. I live in fear of being unable to restrain myself and jumping his bones on a constant basis.

  That so wasn’t going to fly.

  “You’re right. It—it is a private matter, Mr. Worth. It’s in regards to my family, nothing serious, but I feel I should spend some time with my grandmother. We haven’t been in contact for many years, and she’s not in the best of health.” Her grandma seemed hearty as could be, so maybe Gracie was embellishing it just a bit, but she didn’t want to say the reason she wanted a temporary leave was because of constant heartache.

  “I understand completely. Family should always come first. Though I must tell you, Becky made it sound like you had specific trouble with your superior.” His gaze was razor-sharp; he stared her down much like an eagle watched its prey. Almost as if he wanted to break her. At the very least, be able to read her mind. “Are you finding it difficult to work with Hunter?”

  His outright question surprised her. How she wished she could squirm in her seat but he would notice. And that wouldn’t do. “I have no problems with Hunter at all.”

  “According to Becky, you do.”

  She pressed her lips together, trying not to get upset. What in the world had Becky said? Now she looked twenty times the fool. “Hunter is a great boss. The Worth in-house marketing team is one of the best in the industry.”

  “I appreciate the compliment. You are part of what makes it the best in the industry.” His eyes were kind, though his expression was still somber. “We don’t want to lose you.”

  “You won’t,” she said hurriedly, not knowing if that was exactly true. It might be best if she did try and find another job. Somewhere else. Somewhere as far from Hunter as she could get. “I have no plans for leaving Worth Luxury.” Yet.

  He contemplated her quietly, leaning back in his chair. It creaked, the sound loud in the otherwise utter quiet of the room, and she wished she could hide under the table. Like she did when she was a child and wishing she could disappear.

  “Hunter told me you’re one of his most valuable members on the marketing team.”

  Warmth suffused her at the compliment. He really said that? “I appreciate his kind words.”

  “When I informed him of your request for a temporary leave, he seemed surprised.” Alex paused, as if gauging her reaction. “He said he doesn’t want to lose you.”

  Her cheeks heated, and she tore her gaze from Alex’s, staring at the edge of the sleek black conference table. “It’s very flattering that he feels that way. I really only want a month off, nothing more than that.”

  “I understand,” he said again, and she sensed he really did. “But what if I were to make you a deal, Miss Hayes?”

  She glanced up quickly, her eyes widening. “A deal?” Her voice croaked like a frog and she cleared her throat.

  “I trust my brother’s opinion. When he says you’re the most valuable player on his team, I tend to believe him. When he claims he doesn’t want to lose you, I believe that as well. Since you say there’s nothing wrong, you just need a short break, perhaps I can tempt you to return sooner. It sounds like we can’t afford to lose you, even for a short amount of time.”

  “What sort of temptation are you talking about?” To say she was surprised by his change in tactics was an understatement. And most definitely a compliment to her work. She was ready to get down to business if Alex was willing to make an offer. She’d never meant for this to happen.

  But she wasn’t about to turn him away either. She wasn’t that dumb.

  “I’m willing to offer you the position of marketing director. With it would come a raise, of course, a percentage on par with your increase in responsibilities.”

  Her head buzzed so loudly it drowned out whatever else Alex was saying. A raise? A new position? Marketing director? The others on the marketing team might not be pleased with her getting such a jump in position, but did she really care what they thought?

  No. Not if it meant advancement in her career. She had to take care of herself, not worry what others thought.

  “…you would be working even more closely with Hunter in this position, though. The hierarchy would be Hunter as president of marketing, vice president overall of Worth, Louise as VP of marketing, then you as marketing director.”

  She’d been so new when the scandal erupted. When they eventually fired Stephen for his betrayal of the company, they’d promoted Louise, then marketing director, to her current position and never filled her vacated spot.

  It was exciting, working at Worth. To be a part of such a reemerging and vibrant company, it had been such a proud accomplishment when she’d gotten the job.

  And now she’d received a promotion a year later? It was like a dream come true.

  “I’m sure you’d like to take some time to consider it. I’ll forward you a formal letter of offer to your email with all of the terms and conditions spelled out.” He smiled again, and this one felt genuine. She wondered if he knew he had her in the palm of his hand. “In the meanwhile, shall we put it on the schedule that you’ll be gone from Worth Luxury for three weeks? With pay? Starting after the Worthwhile spring launch, of course. We’ll need you there to oversee everything, since you’re in charge of it.”

  Her jaw dropped open, and she stared at him in shock. Three weeks with pay? She’d be a fool not to take that offer. Not to mention the new position as marketing director. “O-of course.”

  “Perfect. I look forward to hearing your answer, Miss Hayes.”

  She started to tell him he didn’t need to spell out any more details, she’d take it, but he held up a hand, silencing her. “Please. Consider it first. Read over the terms. Calculate the raise amount and make sure it’s in line with your expectations. It’s a Friday, so ponder it over the weekend and let me know first thing Monday.”

  Gracie clamped her lips together, amazed at Alex’s telepathic abilities. Were all the Worth brothers decent mind readers?

  He stood and nodded toward her once. “Have a good weekend.” Then
he strode out of the room, leaving her to sit in a relative stupor.

  She walked out of the conference room a few minutes later in a daze, nearly jumping out of her skin when she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Becky rushing toward her, a shocked look on her face.

  “What happened? Alex just called me and said that he wanted me to draw up an agreement for you, but he didn’t give me any details. Said he’d email me everything in a few minutes. Are you taking the leave of absence like you wanted?”

  Gracie slowly nodded, leaning her shoulder against the wall. “I am, but he also offered me a new position. And a raise.”

  “What do you mean?” Becky’s brows drew together.

  “He wants to make me the new marketing director.”

  Becky’s mouth dropped open. “But that’s not what you wanted. I thought you needed to get away from Hunter. That’s why you wanted to leave.”

  “I do. I still want to. But Becky, it’s the marketing director’s position. Do you know how much I want this?” A grin tugged at the corner of her lips, and she finally gave up, letting her smile grow. “It’s like a dream come true.”

  “A dream come true that could turn into your worst nightmare if Hunter continues bothering you.” Becky scowled. “It isn’t right. I don’t care if it is his family’s business. He shouldn’t treat you like he does.”

  Gracie’s smile died. This had gone too far. Next thing she knew, Becky would slap Hunter with a harassment suit and try to get him fired from his own company. “It’s not like that, Beck. Really.”

  “You’re just saying that because you want the director’s position, not that I blame you.” Becky shook her head. “He shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this. I should talk to Alex.”

  Gracie settled her hand on Becky’s arm, trying to reassure her. The nerves came back, even worse than before but she couldn’t let Becky know that. “There’s nothing to talk about. It was a minor flirtation that I put a stop to. It was my own weak mind that couldn’t deal with him. It wasn’t because he was being extra pushy or whatever you might think. Hunter is an excellent boss.”