“She might be having second thoughts.”
“Might be a little too late for second thoughts, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know. I’m not you.”
Gavin quietly seethed. He did not want to hear this. Didn’t want to think of Stasia missing him. Wanting him. Just like he missed and wanted her still. Simply hearing her name brought his hopes up, made him think they possibly had a chance…
They had no chance. She’d made that more than clear.
“She’s been lonely.” By choice. “Now that she has familial support from you and yours, she’ll be fine.”
“You sound so sure of that,” Alex said, sounding rather reflective. “We might not be enough, though.”
“Then she’ll find another man.” The mere thought filled him with rage. He’d never been the jealous type, but the idea of Stasia with another man filled him with a possessiveness he couldn’t deny.
“You sound like you need a drink. Want to meet for one after work?”
Gavin was surprised at the suggestion. He and Alex were old friends, but still. They hadn’t gotten together in a long while and plus with all the Renaldi mess going on, he figured Alex wanted to keep his distance for professional reasons.
But if the Worths were willing to bring Stasia into the fold, then they didn’t need to keep their distance from each other any longer. Besides, he didn’t work for her.
“As long as you’re not working through half the night, I’m game,” Gavin said.
Alex snorted. “Give me a break. You’re just as much a workaholic as I am.”
He was right. In fact, he was worse lately. Far easier to work until he couldn’t see straight than sit at home and wonder what might’ve been…
They set up a time and place to meet before Gavin disconnected and for the first time in days, he felt somewhat content. Meeting with an old friend for drinks was a great way to distract him. Keep his thoughts off Stasia. He might even spot a few attractive women and flirt—not that he expected Alex to join him. But a married man like Alex was the perfect wingman.
Gavin frowned. He’d do anything to keep his mind off of Stasia. Anything.
Chapter Sixteen
The bar was crowded and noisy, one of those trendy, of-the-moment Manhattan hot spots that were all the rage amongst the younger set. Funny how Stasia was at the age many considered the younger set, yet she wasn’t interested in getting drunk and picking up guys who dressed better than she did. It was definitely not her normal scene, but it was where Tessa wanted to meet her for drinks before they went on to dinner, so she didn’t protest.
Music played, but not loud enough to drown out the noise of the crowd. She sat at the counter, snagging one of the last barstools, and ordered a glass of wine, noting the bartender’s bored expression when she made her request. She wasn’t in the mood for a drink containing a mass variety of alcohols in it. Those kinds of drinks just gave her a headache.
Glancing around, she tried to catch sight of Tessa’s now-familiar face, but she didn’t spot her. Completely unlike her too, considering the woman was timely to a fault, as Stasia had quickly discovered.
How she loved being so easily accepted by the Worth women. They welcomed Stasia with open arms, included her in every little thing, which she appreciated. The men, on the other hand, she wasn’t sure about yet. The scheduled lunch meeting was set to happen this weekend at Alex’s home and she was beyond nervous, especially when Alex encouraged her to bring her mother.
She wondered if they feared what she might ask of them. They thought she wanted to work for Worth, wanted a financial piece of the company. And she could admit she’d secretly entertained the thought. But a move like that would turn the industry on its ear, and it could hurt the Renaldi family as well. Something she would never purposely do. She was still tempted to strike out on her own, though.
But was she brave enough?
Her brothers weren’t thrilled with what happened between her and the Worths, but they understood her need to find a place within the Worth family. Her mother had proven surprisingly encouraging since they arrived in New York. Eventually, once she was comfortable enough, she would ask her new brothers about her real father. She wanted to know more about him. Hear fond stories, see private family photos and learn about Michael Worth through his sons.
It made her sad, that she would never know him…
“What the hell are you doing here?”
At the sound of the sharp male voice, Stasia whirled around, her jaw dropping when she saw who stood in front of her. “Meeting someone.” She snapped her mouth shut, trying to regain her shattered composure. “What are you doing here?”
Gavin—in all his after-work, rumpled, handsome glory—made her heart leap. His hair was a mess, appearing as if he’d run his fingers through it again and again. In a button-up shirt sans tie, his sleeves rolled up as usual, offering her a glimpse of strong, tanned forearms covered in a light sprinkling of dark brown hair. His eyes were a dark, fathomless green, ominous behind his glasses and his jaw was so tense it looked ready to shatter at any moment.
“I’m meeting someone as well.” He stepped away from her, shoved his hands in his pockets and searched the room with his gaze. “Who are you meeting?”
“Uh…” Her voice trailed off and her tongue became tied. She didn’t know what to say, how to answer. All she could do was drink him in with greedy eyes, struck dumb by having him in front of her once more.
“You won’t answer, so I assume you’re meeting a guy.” Leave it to him to think the worst. And considering she didn’t deny it, leave it to her to imply the worst. Weren’t they a well-matched pair? “I certainly don’t want to interrupt your date.”
He started to go, but she hopped off the barstool like a woman possessed, grabbing hold of his arm to stop him from leaving. “Wait.”
Glaring at where her fingers gripped the fabric of his shirt, he lifted his lids, his eyes blazing. “I’m meeting with Tessa Worth,” she admitted, releasing her hold on him. What possessed her to tell the truth, she didn’t know.
Okay, she did. She didn’t want to make him angry. He was already angry enough.
His gaze darkened even more, if that was possible. “I was supposed to meet Alex here tonight.”
“Really? That’s such a coincidence…”
“I don’t think so,” he interrupted. His mouth firmed into a grim line. “I think we were set up.”
“Set up?” she asked weakly.
He nodded once, radiating potently sexy anger. Inhaling subtly, she breathed in his spicy scent, the heat of his body reaching toward her, weakening her knees. How she missed him.
“When did Tessa call you?”
“Last night.” She weaved toward him, wishing he would touch her. Wishing she hadn’t been so rash in her decision to turn him away.
Stasia frowned. Had it only been a few weeks ago? It felt like months. Years.
“Alex called me this afternoon. Asked me to get together for drinks, which I thought was odd, but I didn’t question it, especially since I don’t represent you anymore so there’s no conflict of interest.” He scrubbed a hand along his jaw, the gesture so inherently masculine, she longed to see him do it again. Desire spiked within her, heady and sharp. “I think they’re trying to get us together.”
“Um…” She kept her head averted, afraid to see his reaction. She hated how he rendered her speechless. “I told Tessa about us. Well, I didn’t mention your name specifically, but Gabriella, Rhett’s girlfriend, she figured everything out.” She winced, waiting for his furious reaction.
“I know. Alex told me.”
Surprise at his quiet revelation caused her to look at him. He didn’t seem mad. More like a little rough around the edges, with a sort of weariness hanging over him that filled her with the urge to offer him comfort. His expression softened and he ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up more. It didn’t distract from his good looks. More than one woman within the crowded
bar was checking him out.
Jealousy flared, hot and unavoidable, and she shoved it aside. “Alex told you?” she asked weakly.
He nodded, parted his lips as if he were about to say something when someone from behind Stasia shoved her hard, sending her straight at Gavin. His arms came around her, holding her carefully and he tugged her in close, glaring at whoever had pushed her. “Watch where you’re going,” he muttered fiercely, his eyes gleaming.
She watched him, felt the tenseness in his muscles, enjoying how he held her close. The culprit was young, she could tell by his muttered, “Ease up, bro” as he tried to walk past them.
“Tell the lady you’re sorry,” Gavin demanded.
“Sorry.”
Glancing over her shoulder, she gave the man, who looked barely over twenty-one, a fleeting smile. “It’s okay.”
“You’re lucky she’s so nice,” Gavin practically growled, slipping his arm around her shoulders in a protective gesture, turning her away from the man.
“You didn’t have to be so mean,” she told him as he led her to the other side of the even more crowded bar.
“And he didn’t have to be such a careless ass. Did he hurt you?”
Her skin warming at his concern, she shook her head. “I’m fine. Really.”
“You want to get out of here?”
All the breath lodged in her throat. “With you?”
“We can go grab some dinner. Together.” He released his hold on her, taking a step back. “That is, if you want to. Which, I understand if you don’t, because, well, you know…”
“I want to.” She smiled, hope flickering to life in her chest. “I definitely want to.”
He returned the smile, though his gaze was still wary. She’d break that. She had to. “Great. Let’s go.”
Gavin took Stasia to a restaurant not far from the bar, a small place that served amazing food. A popular steakhouse, the interior was cozy, with brick walls, dark, gleaming wood floors and booths and vintage black-and-white photographs of Manhattan everywhere.
He’d been there before, numerous times, though he’d never brought a woman. That he’d broken every promise he’d made himself to avoid her and had asked Stasia to accompany him tonight made him want to alternately kick his own ass and pat himself on the back.
For now, he was going with the latter.
They ordered, Gavin recommending a few choices, and Stasia chose his favorite. More wine, because he needed it for liquid courage and she seemed to need it too. What a pair they were, dancing around the subject but neither of them coming right out and saying it. He couldn’t be the first to broach their past and apparently, neither could she.
So they made idle small talk instead until it dwindled to nothing when their waiter brought the food.
“I’ve reconciled with my mother. She’s here with me in New York,” she finally said halfway through the meal, causing him to almost choke on his steak. “She asked me about you.”
“What did she ask?” He wiped his mouth with his napkin, curiosity making his brain race with a ton of unanswered questions. None of them he was brave enough to ask.
“If I’ve seen you. She knows the truth. I told her everything when I was in Italy.” She nibbled daintily on the tip of a fry, a little murmur of satisfaction escaping her as she licked her lips. “You were right. These homemade fries are amazing.”
His cock jerked at the sight of her lips wrapped around the fry, her quiet sounds of pleasure. Hot images of her naked in his bed flashed through his memory. She hummed just like that when aroused. How could he forget that sound when he first slid his tongue through her drenched folds, when he thrust deep inside her welcoming body…
“Wait a minute.” Damn, he needed to focus on what she said, not how much he still wanted her. “You told your mother everything? As in, we weren’t really together?”
Stasia shrugged, sipped nonchalantly from her glass. “I told her initially we were faking it. But that eventually, we ended up together—somewhat.” When he stared at her, not saying a word, she scowled. “Did you want me to hide everything from her? I’m trying to keep the peace between us, not create more secrets.”
“I don’t want you to create more secrets. I’m glad you were honest with her,” he said, sawing into his steak as if he wanted to kill it.
“So why are you attacking your meal like it’s wronged you?” Stasia asked, her voice so low he had to lean across the table to hear her. “You’re upset with me, aren’t you?”
“Not any longer,” he muttered, which was a lie.
He was upset with her, with himself, with the entire situation.
“I never meant to hurt you,” she confessed softly, her gaze downcast. “I was hurting too much to see what I did to you. To others.”
He didn’t know what to say. A part of him wanted to hold on to his anger toward her. Yet he also wanted to let it go and grab her, take her back to his place and keep her in his bed all night long…
“I know.” How else could he answer her?
She met his gaze, her eyes full of shock. “I’m trying to make everything right. It’s been tough, trying to get through to my new brothers. It still is. But they’ll come around. And I really like their wives. Well, Ella is Rhett’s girlfriend, but I’m sure he’ll change her Facebook status from in a relationship to engaged here soon.” She tittered. “That sounds completely silly, but Gracie and Tessa were teasing Ella about it a few nights ago. They’re all so wonderful.” She beamed, her eyes glowing with what could only be happiness.
“That’s great, Stasia. I’m really happy for you.” And he was. She was getting everything she wanted and relatively fast too. Acceptance. That was all she sought.
If he was going to be honest, that was all he’d wanted as well. Especially from her.
“Thank you. I owe you a lot for all your help.”
He waved a hand, tried not to react to the seductive tone of her voice, how her choice of words conjured all sorts of ways she could owe him. Every single one of them dirty. “You were billed and you paid. That’s good enough for me.” God, he was such a liar.
She laughed, a sweet, tinkling sound that sent heat curling through his veins, settled low in his gut. “It’s not about the money and you know it. You helped me realize I shouldn’t give up. You wouldn’t let me, even when I was ready, begging for it. That speech you gave me really hurt, but it also helped.”
He’d tried his best to burn that night from his memory but clearly she didn’t feel the same. Hadn’t it affected her? That was the night they ended everything. He hated to think about it.
And here she was shoving it into his face.
“I’m—glad my encouragement helped you find what you were looking for.”
She glanced down, kept her gaze trained on her lap. “There are some things I’m still missing, though.”
“Like what?”
“Like you.” She lifted her head, her sparkling gaze meeting his. “I made a mistake.”
His heart tightened and he absently rubbed at his chest. This was going to go down now? In the middle of a restaurant? He wasn’t sure if he could take it. “Made a mistake about what?”
“About us. I was so stupid. I should’ve never let you go. Tessa, Gracie and Ella, they all helped me see that.” She paused, let her words sink in, which they were having a hard time doing, her admission was so shocking. “I miss you, Gavin. So much.”
He wasn’t about to lay his feelings out for her to pick over, only to decide she wasn’t interested after all. Not yet, at least.
“I know you won’t give me an answer yet,” she forged on, as if she could read his mind. “I can’t blame you. I know I hurt you. But just know this—I want to try again with you. And I’m hoping you’ll give me another chance.”
Instinct screamed at him to tell her fuck off. She’d had her chance once and blew it. Why should he give her another one? He rarely gave anyone a single chance, let alone a second one.
But
his body—and damn it, his heart—told him to listen to what she had to say.
“I still want you, Gavin,” she whispered. “Seeing you tonight…when you touched me after that guy pushed me into you, it felt so good. So right.”
She was getting to him with a few choice words. Wasn’t he stronger than that? “We have good chemistry,” he said with a shrug, trying his best to pretend her words didn’t matter.
“It’s more than that. Isn’t it?” Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. Almost as if she willed him to answer the way she wanted.
“Chemistry is fairly simple,” he started, clamping his lips shut when he saw the subtle tremble of her mouth, how her eyes glassed over. She looked liked she was going to cry.
“So it’s just chemistry to you. That’s it.” She yanked the cloth napkin from her lap and tossed it on the table, half of it draping across her plate. “Just a good time. Lots of fucking, lots of orgasms and then you’re done with me.”
“Wait a minute—” She had no right to get angry. She was the one who dumped him.
And damn if that still didn’t bruise his ego.
She stood, glaring at him. “No, you wait a minute. I put my heart on the line and tell you that I miss you and want you back and you explain it away as simple chemistry. Sitting there with that shitty look on your face. How cold can you be?”
He stood as well, inhaling sharply to gain some control. Stasia was completely riled, her eyes wild, her entire body trembling. “Don’t put all the blame on me. You’re the one who ended this.”
“And you’ll never let me forget it, either.” She grabbed her tiny purse and stalked off, leaving him no choice but to toss a hundred dollar bill on the table and chase after her, calling her name as he exited the restaurant.
She stalked down the sidewalk, her strides surprisingly long for such a petite woman. He caught up with her easily, hooking the crook of her elbow with a firm grip and making her stop.
“Let go of me.” Jerking against his hold, she gave an aggravated grunt when he wouldn’t release her, and she kicked at his shin with her pointy shoes.
Worth Everything: Worth It, Book 4 Page 17