What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 7)

by Lexi Buchanan

  When he sat down at the table, he caught her look at him.

  “What are you smiling about?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” he said.

  “Tell me,” she said.

  “No,” he replied. “I have asked you a few things tonight and you haven’t answered me.”

  “Fine, don’t answer me then,” she said.

  “Okay,” he replied.

  She let out a loud growl. Gavin stood up and walked over to her.

  “Did you just growl at me?” he asked.

  He leaned down and tickled her. Gavin knew she couldn’t stand being tickled. She moved around trying to get out of his grasp.

  “Stop it,” she said, as she laughed. “Quit tickling me.”

  Gavin leaned in close and could feel her stiffen.

  “That looks great,” he said, as he looked at her monitor.

  He knew she wouldn’t say anything if she thought he was looking at her work.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “I really appreciate what you are doing, Becky,” he said. “You have no idea just how much you are saving my ass right now.”

  “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to your ass,” she said, as she laughed.

  “Why is that?” he asked.

  He could see her stiffen again.

  “We have to be at that wedding tomorrow. You need to let me finish this work, unless you want to do it,” she said.

  “I’ll leave you alone,” he said.

  Gavin watched her face while she worked. He loved the way her face changed expression while she was typing. It drove him crazy that she kept running her tongue over her lower lip. It seemed like she did it when she was deep in concentration. He laughed as he got up to walk into the kitchen. She smacked his ass on the way by.

  “Stop laughing,” she said. “I’m trying to concentrate.”

  He sat down and within a few seconds she licked her lip again. He laughed.

  “Okay, what are you doing over there,” she snapped, as she got up and hurried behind his screen. “Are you playing on the internet or are you working?”

  “I can’t believe you would say that,” he said, sounding wounded. “I was working.”

  “You laugh when you work?” she asked.

  “No,” he said, as he chuckled.

  “Cut it out,” she said, as she reached down and tickled him.

  “Baby, I’m not ticklish,” he said. “You have to get through all this muscle first.”

  He winked, as he grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. Gavin tickled her as she squirmed around.

  “Stop it,” she said sternly. “You know I can’t stand that.”

  “Quit laughing then,” he said.

  “Shut up. You know it makes me laugh. I can’t help it. It’s creepy,” she said, as she squirmed off his lap and onto the floor.

  “I thought you were working,” he said, with a smile on his face.

  Becky sat back down and started to work. A minute later he saw her lick her lip again and laughed. She slid her chair back and stood up.

  “I’m going to bed. You can finish this yourself,” she said.

  “Stop being like that,” he said, trying very hard not to giggle.

  “Tell me why you keep laughing or I’m not working any more. You can call Steve,” she said.

  “You really want to know?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said.

  He let out a sigh as he looked at her with a serious face.

  “Every time you start to concentrate,” he said, and then paused. “You slide your tongue across your bottom lip.”

  “I do not,” she snapped, as she balled up a napkin and threw it at him.

  “Yes, you do,” he said.

  “No, I don’t,” she said.

  “Okay, whatever you say,” he said. “Get back to work.”

  Gavin got up and ran for the living room, as she threw a book at him. He came back into the room and sat back down. A few minutes later, he looked up at her. She was licking her lip again.

  “Right there,” he said.

  Becky stopped and burst out laughing.

  “Shit,” she said. “I hope I don’t do that at work.”

  “You probably drive Steve crazy with that,” he said. “Good thing I don’t sit out there with you.”

  “You better stop,” she said. “Or I am going to bed.”

  “Are you really going to go out with Steve?” he asked.

  “That is none of your business, Mr. Lucas,” she said, with a smile.

  Gavin hung his head, got up, and walked into the kitchen. Becky got up and followed him.

  “I’m sorry Gavin,” she said.

  “You’re right,” he said. “It is none of my business.”

  Becky walked back out of the kitchen and sat back down. Gavin sat in the kitchen for a little while before going back into the dining area. He sat down without saying a word.

  “Gavin, wake up,” Becky said.

  Gavin opened an eye and looked up at her. Shit! Did I fall asleep, he thought? He sat up. Gavin had fallen asleep at the table on his keyboard.

  “When did I fall asleep?” he asked.

  “About two hours ago,” she said. “You were drooling on your keyboard.”

  “I was not,” he said. “Why did you let me fall asleep?”

  Becky burst out laughing.

  “What the hell is so funny?” he asked.

  “You have little squares imprinted on your face from the keys,” she said.

  Gavin looked up at her with a dirty look.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said. “You can laugh at me, but I can’t laugh at you. Come over here and check this stuff out. I’m tired.”

  He scooted his chair closer to her. She showed him everything she had done. He was amazed.

  “That is perfect,” he said. “He is going to love it. You are amazing.”

  Without even thinking about it, Gavin pulled her up and hugged her. He tightened his hug and she put her arms around him. Gavin lifted her chin and kissed her. She kissed him back with passion, before suddenly pulling away. Gavin jumped.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I am so sorry. Please forgive me.”

  Gavin walked to the bathroom and shut the door. He threw water on his face and stood as he looked in the mirror. Becky knocked on the door.

  “Let’s send this stuff to the client,” she said.

  “Okay, I’ll be right there,” he said.

  She grabbed a sheet, blanket, and pillow out of the closet and put them on the couch. Gavin came out to the table. They sent the stuff off to the client.

  “I hope he’s happy,” she said.

  “He will love it,” Gavin said. “Thank you so much Becky. I owe you. I will make this up to you. I promise.”

  “There is no need for that. I love my job. It means a lot that you trusted me to do it,” she said. “I put stuff on the couch. You should stay here tonight. It’s too late to be out driving.”

  “That’s okay. I can drive home,” Gavin said.

  “No,” she answered. “I don’t want you driving right now. Stay here.”

  Gavin made the couch up. Becky said goodnight and went into her room. He took his t-shirt and jeans off and put them on the chair. Becky came out of her room and stood in the doorway.

  “Gavin,” she said.

  He stood up and her eyes widened. She just stood there as she stared at him.

  “You alright?” he asked, with a grin.

  “I’m fine,” she said. “I just wanted to tell you something. I am going to go out with Steve on one date. He has been asking since I started working there. I kept turning him down, because we were together. Then, things changed. He asked me this week to go out. He told me to give him one date. If I don’t like him, then he will leave me alone. I am going out one time. That way, he will leave me alone. I don’t want you to think I just go out with anyone.”

  “None of my business,” Gavin said, with a sad pouty face.
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  Becky turned away. Gavin couldn’t help himself.

  “Becky,” he said.

  “Yes,” she said, as she turned around.

  “What changed between us? What happened to make you not like me?” he asked.

  “I realized you didn’t have feelings for me,” she answered, as she turned and walked away.

  “Becky,” he yelled after her.

  “I’ll see you in the morning Gavin,” she said. “I set the alarm in enough time for you to go home and get ready.”

  Gavin sat back on the couch. What did she mean? Why would she say he didn’t have feelings for her? He knew he had to get sleep, because they had to be at his Cousin Chris’ house by twelve thirty. He looked up at the clock at four and knew he had to shut his mind off so he could sleep. He wanted so badly to storm into her room, demanding to know what she meant. If he did that, he knew she would refuse to go to the wedding with him. There was no way he was risking it. When he dropped her off after the wedding, that is when he would bring it up.

  Becky threw herself down on the bed and cried. The night was perfect. She had missed Gavin being around. They had spent the evening working together, but she also had so much fun. His sexy voice, the jokes he made, and how safe and comfortable she felt when he was there. He brought her food and remembered her favorite ice cream. She loved being with him and wanted him in her bed so badly. The thought of him being on the couch made her feel bad. What did the woman in the restaurant have that she didn’t? Why couldn’t she be good enough for him. She knew she wasn’t model material and she didn’t have a ton of money. Becky made a great living, which she would be sure to ask for a raise after what she had just pulled off. She chuckled. Why didn’t he care about her the way she did about him? She looked over at their pictures from the cruise and cried some more.

  Becky woke up to the screaming of her alarm clock. She threw a pillow at it and slowly opened her eyes. They couldn’t have been asleep more than six hours. She was exhausted. When she peaked her head around the living room wall, Gavin was sound asleep on the couch. The sheet hung perfectly across his belly line, as it showed off his amazing chest and buff arms. Why did he have to look so good? She groaned as she walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

  Becky walked out of the bathroom in a towel and bumped straight into Gavin’s chest. She could feel her cheeks blush.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said. “I thought you were still asleep. What is that yummy smell?”

  “I made breakfast,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “You hope I don’t mind that you cooked for me,” she said as she smiled. “I guess it’s okay.”

  “I figured I would wait for you to get ready, and then we could go to my place for me to get ready,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense for me to go home and then come back to get you. I knew we would be hungry and wouldn’t be able to stop before the wedding.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it,” she said. “It would be kind of silly for you to come right back here, unless you want me to drive to your place when I’m finished.”

  “No, you don’t need to be driving,” he said. “Thanks for going with me today. I really appreciate it. Chris wouldn’t let me live it down, if my date backed out on me.”

  “Why didn’t you take someone else?” she asked, as she gave him a chance to confess about the woman she saw that day.

  “There isn’t anyone else I would rather take,” he said.

  Becky and Gavin ate breakfast. He turned on his laptop and opened his email. There was nothing new, so he shut it off and put it away. He packed Becky’s laptop up as well.

  “Is it okay if I leave these here, until I drop you off tonight?” he asked.

  “Leave them here. We don’t need them sitting in a car all day,” she said. “What if they were stolen?”

  She looked at Gavin. Sometimes she forgot that he had money.

  “I know you would just buy new ones, but there’s no reason to waste money,” she said.

  “You are amazing,” he said. “I love the fact that you value money and don’t throw it around lightly.”

  She wanted to hug him so bad. How awesome it would feel to be in his arms again. Why did he have to break her heart? She finished eating and went to her room to get dressed.

  Becky put her hair up and put makeup on. It was going to be a beautiful day for a wedding. The colors in the trees were changing. An outdoor wedding would be perfect. His cousin had great taste. She put on a nice dress and grabbed a small jacket for the evening. Becky wasn’t sure how long they would be out. She knew Chris, his cousin, was having the wedding in their own backyard and planned to make a fire. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt as well. Just in case everyone decided to change clothes.

  When she came out of her room, she noticed Gavin look her up and down. What a player, she thought. This guy was something else. Didn’t he realize his money wasn’t everything, and that he couldn’t just use whoever he wanted? Maybe he could do what he wanted, but she wasn’t going to let him do it to her.

  “You ready?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said, as he opened her door for them to leave.

  The drive to his place was quiet. She had forgotten just how beautiful his home was. They walked in and she went into the living room to wait for him. He needed to hurry up so they would be on time for the wedding. She could hear Gavin shower and walk back into his bedroom.

  When he walked out of his room, her mouth dropped. She felt her face flush.

  “Are you okay?” he said, with a smile.

  He was wearing the tie she bought him. His top shirt button was open and the tie hung loose around his neck. He had his suit jacket slung over his shoulder. Shit, she thought. Close your mouth Becky. Was he doing it on purpose? She was sure he was. He looked so damn good. She felt a shiver run through her body. Her mind wandered. She thought about grabbing that jacket and throwing it to the side as she pulled him to his bed by his tie. She threw the tie to the floor as she pulled his shirt open and sent buttons flying. There was a laugh. Crap! Knock if off Becky, she told herself. Think about the woman you saw him kiss on the cheek and her arm as he rubbed it. She snapped back to reality. Becky walked up to Gavin, buttoned his button, tied his tie, and grabbed his jacket.

  “Are you taking jeans to change into?” she asked.

  “Yes, I totally forgot about that. I’ll be right back,” he said.

  “I’ll wait outside,” she said. “Hurry up. You don’t want to be late.”

  Becky went outside and waited by his car. Just get through the day, she thought. Then, you won’t have to see him outside of work. She would go out on that date with Steve. Who knows, maybe they would hit it off. Who was she kidding? Those nights they worked late, she never felt a thing for him. As he would lean over to brush her arm or when he had whispered something in her ear, nothing.

  Why did she have to fall for someone who would never be able to commit to her? Was that who she was? The one who drew men to her, that would never really want her very long.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  They pulled up to a very nice house. Gavin had told her about his cousin Chris. He was the reason Gavin was where he was today; at least that is what Gavin had told her. He said that Chris was a billionaire who had sold his software company for a fortune. He had mentored Gavin and helped him start his own company. She was impressed. The house they were at had a couple of very sporty cars, but the house was a nice home. It did not look like something a billionaire would own. It looked very beautiful and comfortable. It was not some crazy, huge mansion.

  “Chris lives here?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Gavin laughed. “He wanted a big house and Sarah wanted a manageable house. She didn’t want a staff of people around her. She wanted something she could take care of. He has a huge place in Paris and a place in Hawaii. This house is their home. Sarah wants to cook, clean, and take care of her family. She doesn’t want to have people do things for her. He’s a gr
eat guy. He loves helping people with business and is really big into charity. She wanted a small wedding in their back yard. They are a great couple. She loves him for who he is, not what he has. That’s the best part.”

  Gavin got out of the car and went around to open Becky’s door. The wedding was starting at one o’clock and they had gotten there just in time. As they walked past the cars Gavin laughed.

  “He does have a thing for cars,” he said, as he pointed to the sports cars in the driveway.

  They walked through the house and into the backyard. Everyone was already seated for the wedding. Gavin and Becky sat in the back row since they were late. Becky saw the groom at the front shoot Gavin a dirty look.

  “Is that Chris?” she asked.

  “Yep,” he answered. “He is pissed that I’m late.”

  “I should have driven to your house,” she said. “I’m sorry you weren’t on time.”

  “He will be fine once I explain about last night,” he said.

  Becky sat back as she appreciated the beauty of their back yard.

  “This is so nice. Look at the leaves changing. It is so pretty. They have a cute swing set for the baby,” she said.

  “He’s three months old already,” he said. “Paul has twins, and Sally has a baby also. I told you about them.”

  Becky looked over in the front area of seats and cringed. Her body stiffened. She could feel the heat rush to her head and her fists clinch. She felt Gavin look over.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”

  She could feel her blood boil instantly. That woman was at the wedding. The one from the restaurant. Yep, the one he hugged, and kissed on the cheek, as she rubbed his arm. The one who’s hand he rubbed as they laughed together. Just as Becky went to stand to leave, the music started. There was no way she could move without making a scene. There was no way she was going to ruin the brides perfect wedding. Maybe one day she could find love, but not with Gavin.

  “Becky, what’s wrong?” Gavin asked, as he leaned over to her.

  “I can’t fucking believe you,” she whispered in his ear. “Look at me.”

  He looked her in the eye.