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“I spoke with Alex.”
She sobered immediately. “What did he say?”
“He was reluctant at first, but I talked him into it.”
“Reluctant over what? Meeting with me?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” She sighed. “And what about the other two? Will they be there as well?” So much hope sounded in her voice, he knew he’d hate to disappoint her.
“Supposedly. Alex will get back to me later today and let me know when this meeting will take place.” Gavin paused before he launched into the next bit of news. “He wants a DNA test.”
“Of course he does.” She sighed forlornly. “I suppose I should go and get one, then.”
“The sooner, the better. This could come to a complete standstill if you don’t do it. Alex assured me he’d get a DNA test soon as well.”
“I’ll do it, don’t worry. I’m just…scared. What if my mother lied? What if she made up this entire thing to get us some money and get her a bit of fame?”
“You don’t think she’d do something like that, do you?” Horror filled him. If this all turned out to be a lie…he didn’t know if his career could survive the fallout.
“No, I believe her. I really do. I sometimes wish it all wasn’t true, you know? That it never happened.” She laughed softly, but it wasn’t real. More like hiding her true feelings, which were probably too much for her to deal with. “That I’ll wake up and this will all turn out to be a bad dream.”
She wished she’d wake up from this bad dream that was her life? His gut clenched and he felt like he’d been kicked. What about him? Damn it, he was offended. The feeling was completely irrational, but he couldn’t deny it.
“But then I wouldn’t have met you.” She sounded like she was backtracking. “And I’m glad for that.”
Confusion swirled within him. Was she really? The constant back and forth be
tween them was starting to wear thin. “Listen, Stasia, I have to go, lots to do still today. But I’ll call you when I hear back from Alex, hopefully that’ll be today.”
“Gavin, wait—”
He hung up, too agitated to talk to her. Afraid what he might’ve said if they’d continued the conversation. He wanted to tell her how he felt. Wanted to know if she really felt the same way about him. But he was also afraid. What if this—thing they shared nothing but a lark for her?
It was a thought he really wasn’t prepared to face.
Stasia paced the floor, chewing on her index finger and trashing the nail, effectively ruining her manicure with a few gnashes of her teeth. The meeting with the Worths had been scheduled for eleven o’clock, and it was already ten past. She was punctual to a fault, had arrived ten minutes before the meeting, and the wait had been agonizing.
The Worth Building was huge, a rather famous tower in Manhattan’s Garment District. The interior was constructed of glass and chrome, oversized framed posters of the various Worth campaigns through the years, reminding everyone who entered the building they were in the presence of fashion greatness.
Stasia felt much like a groupie, a longtime fan who’d finally met her idol. She’d always admired Worth Luxury’s business acumen, the steady growth Alexander Worth had brought for the company. It had fallen on hard times prior to Michael Worth’s death, and his eldest son had worked long and hard, devoting hours, years to build the brand into the global powerhouse it was today.
How she wished she could still be with Renaldi and help it grow. She had no doubt her brothers would do well, but she knew her touch, her ideas, were as invaluable as theirs.
Sadness gripped her. Would she ever have a chance to work at Renaldi again? Or would she be forever adrift, unable to find her place in life, always the lost princess of fashion with no castle or crown.
Pushing her ridiculous thoughts out of her brain, she glanced around, noted the elegant woman who sat behind the reception desk. Her dark hair slicked back, with cherry red lips and heavy black-framed glasses, she was chic in that New York way. A look Stasia had never been able to accomplish, what with that touch of Italian wildness flowing through her veins.
The woman was beautiful, as was the executive floor’s lobby, which was the epitome of understated elegance. Warm lighting that cast the room in a flattering glow, more of those large posters of vintage Worth Luxury advertisements. Sleek brown couches made of the softest leather invited visitors to sit, the sort of furniture a person could sink into and never want to get out of.
She’d sat on one to test it, only to immediately bounce back up and start pacing. Nerves wouldn’t allow her to relax. They were pinging inside her belly like one thousand metal balls in a pinball machine. Clanging and banging against each other until she thought she might be sick from the constant motion.
Gavin stood near the elevator, on his phone as usual. Something wasn’t right with him. He’d been avoiding her, claiming he was busy at work, but she knew he was lying. For whatever reason, he kept his distance. She wasn’t sure if he was angry with her or merely trying to keep it professional after what had happened between them in Italy.
A shame that he avoided her, since what they shared those few stolen nights had been some of the best sex she’d ever experienced. The man was a smoldering, gorgeous mass of contradictions, almost all of them infinitely arousing. On one hand stern and uncommunicative, irritating the life out of her, he could turn on a dime. Become charming, smooth, funny, sweet, sexy…
Most definitely sexy.
