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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.
