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“Obviously not far enough,” Trevor mumbled under his breath. The woman didn’t hear his remark, but didn’t need to. His expression told all.

Dillon’s eyes narrowed on the blonde.

Gavin knew who she was and tried to play it cool. His smile was relaxed as he curled his arm around her waist, trying to hold her steady. “I’ve been away on business. How’ve you been?”

“Oh, I’ve been doing great. Thanks for asking,” she replied, shifting her weight closer to Gavin. “Who do we have here?” she asked, glancing in Emily’s direction. “I don’t think we’ve met before. You’re so cute. Are you one of Gavin’s newest playmates?”

Emily’s mouth dropped open, but she said nothing, not wanting to severely insult the woman. She thought the comment was ridiculous, considering Dillon had his arms around her.

Gavin smirked, gazing in Emily’s direction. “No, she’s Dillon’s girlfriend. I’m trying my hardest to make a play for a girl named Molly, but unfortunately, she’s already taken.”

Emily nervously bit her lip and looked away.

The pleasant expression left the woman’s face as she shot Dillon a hard look. “Oh, really? I didn’t know you were seeing anyone, Dillon.”

Gavin stood up and effectively caught the blonde by her arm. “Come on, sweets. We have a lot to catch up on. Take a walk with me.” He started leading her out of the club, and Emily watched the way the woman stared back at her while she tried to release herself from Gavin’s hold.

“Who the heck was that?” Emily asked, turning to face Dillon.

“No one,” he replied, giving Emily a wide-eyed smile. He dragged a hand through his hair. “Just some girl he went to college with.”

“One of his ex-girlfriends?” Emily probed.

Trevor looked to Dillon but didn’t say a word.

“Yeah, just some girl he used to screw around with,” Dillon replied after ordering a few shots. “Come on, let’s get hammered, babe.”

Gavin made his way through the crowd of sweaty bodies. Walking the woman out of the club, he cornered her against a wall, propping his hand against it. Looking down to her, his expression tightened. “What are you doing, Monica?”

Lifting her chin in defiance, her hazel eyes glassed over. “What do you mean, Gavin?” She pushed her hands through her hair. “He thinks he can just fuck me like that and then go off and start fucking someone else so quickly?”

Letting out a sigh, a muscle tensed in his jaw. “You and Dillon were exactly that and nothing more. Fuck buddies, Monica. Get over it.”

Her gaze narrowed on him. “No, Gavin. If that’s what I was looking for, then I would’ve just fucked you,” she huskily replied, trailing her finger across his chest. “Want to take me home tonight? I could add another notch in your bedpost.”

“Not a chance and you know it,” he quickly noted, grabbing her by the wrist. “The two of you have been over for a while. Now stop the bullshit.”

“What a joke! We never stopped!” she snapped. “I was just fucking around with him upstairs.”

Dipping his head, Gavin forced her to stare into his eyes. “Upstairs, huh?”

“Yeah, maybe I should tell the goody two-shoes he’s here with,” she replied, trying to push her way past him.

“Don’t even think about it, Monica,” he growled. “So help me if I find out you get within five feet of her.”

Widening her eyes, her voice rose as a curious grin stretched across her mouth. “What? Do you have a thing for her?” She paused for a moment and continued when he didn’t answer. “You do, don’t you? Some friend you are, Gavin Blake,” she laughed, tossing her hands through her hair again. “All of you guys—every one of you in your rich little group—are a bunch of fucked-up assholes! I’m just sorry our parents are friends!”

Gritting his teeth, Gavin stared down to her for a second. He then signaled for the bouncer. “Here’s a hundred bucks. Call her a cab and get her out of here now.”

“No problem, Mr. Blake.” He reached for the money and Monica. She struggled against the beefy man, causing a further spectacle as she called Gavin every name in the book.

Finally, she was put into a New York City cab and sent on her way.

Letting out a weighted breath, Gavin turned and headed into the club. He would have to do some damage control in the morning, considering Monica Lemay was indeed the daughter of one of his father’s closest friends. Making his way back to the bar, Gavin wondered how true her statement was. He didn’t put it past Dillon. Dillon was known for it, God knew he was. On the other hand, he didn’t dismiss Monica lying to try and make her way back to Dillon. This wouldn’t be the first time she made a desperate move to get back together with him.

Dillon spotted Gavin as he approached. Turning to Emily, he let her know he’d be right back. He stalked over to Gavin, tossing his arm around his neck. “Everything taken care of?”

Crossing his arms, Gavin took a step back. “Yeah, she’s gone. What the fuck are you doing? Are you still messing around with her?”

Dillon shrugged nonchalantly. “I was, but I’m done with her now. She kept calling and harassing me. You know how she gets.”

Dillon went to walk away, but Gavin grabbed his arm. “Man, seriously, you have a pretty cool woman now. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Laughing, Dillon pulled his arm away. “There you go again concerned about what I’m doing. You just worry about yourself. I told you that I’m done with the whore.” He tossed his shot down his throat. “Come on, I don’t want to waste anymore of my night on her.” He started to walk away and then turned back. “Oh, I told Emily
you
used to fuck around with her.”

Before Gavin could say a word, Dillon walked back over to Emily, a smile twisting on his lips as he kissed her. Gavin watched as his friend played the smooth Jekyll-and-Hyde he’d come to know over the years. Gavin couldn’t help but notice the way Emily stared at him as he lounged back into his seat.

“You really do know how to pick them, Gavin,” Emily laughed, tilting her beer to her mouth. “The library—don’t forget the library.”

Gavin finished his beer before leveling an icy look at Dillon. His eyes then flicked to Emily as he rubbed at his chin absentmindedly. “Yeah, I’ve had my share of troubled women I guess,” he said, motioning for the bartender to bring him another. “I’ll definitely start with the library as you’ve suggested, Emily.”

Over the next few hours, Dillon became mindlessly hammered. The many beers and shots of tequila had caught up with him. By the end of the night, both Trevor and Gavin had to help him out to Trevor’s SUV. Having lost all patience by that point, Gavin tossed him in the backseat and closed the door behind him.

Trevor shook Gavin’s hand and got into the vehicle.

Emily stood in the parking lot, feeling embarrassed by Dillon’s drunken stupor. “I’m sorry about this. He gets a little out of hand when he celebrates a new account.”

Gavin leaned against the vehicle, his eyes coming to rest on her lips. “There’s no need for you to apologize on his behalf,” he softly remarked, his eyes shifting to meet hers. “I’ve known him long enough to know how he gets.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Emily held her hand out. Trying hard to appear relaxed, her voice sounded unnatural and shaky. “Well, it was good officially meeting you, Gavin. I guess I’ll see you around.”

Closing the space between them, he reached for her hand. He felt momentarily frozen as he stared deeply into her green eyes. He simply shook her hand and gave her a smile. “It was good to have finally met you, too, Emily. I’ll see you at the Fourth of July party.”

Slipping into the front seat, she nodded and smiled in his direction. “Fourth of July.”

Standing in the parking lot, Gavin watched them disappear into the heavy traffic of Manhattan while the shock of the evening from discovering who Emily really was washed over him.

Chapter Four

Unexpected Details

“Mr. Blake, the board is pleased with this quarter’s earnings. We’re also anticipating further growth next quarter for Blake Industries, considering the new Armstrong account you’ve acquired.”

Gavin stroked his fingers rhythmically across the sleek mahogany conference table. “That’s wonderful news, Barry. Have we heard anything on the Kinsman account?”

Ten pairs of eyes swung to the man as he nervously rifled through some files.

Another executive chimed in all too eagerly before he could answer. “Yes, Mr. Blake. They’ve accepted the offer and should be ready to move forward by the end of July, sir.” The man cleared his throat. “I gave all of the necessary paperwork to your brother.”

Gavin rose from his chair, gave a satisfactory nod, and called the meeting to an end.

As the last of the board members exited, Gavin sauntered over to a floor-to-ceiling window in his office. Peering down to the streets of Manhattan, he watched the chaotic lives of others rumble on below him. At the age of twenty-eight, he knew he had the world by the balls. Blake Industries was one of New York’s largest advertising agencies. Nevertheless, he lacked the most vital necessity ever—love. He inwardly knew it; hell, he knew it better than he knew his own facial features. Though he played the dating game after a long-term relationship ended, few—if any contestants—evoked feelings within him.

Finding someone who truly wanted him for who he was had become…interesting since the breakup.

Watching the tiny figures below scurry along the sidewalks, he found his thoughts racing back to Emily. It had been less than twenty-four hours since he was hit with the fact of whom she really belonged to. Gavin seethed at the fact that Dillon used him as a pawn with Monica. Yet, even though he had an attraction to Emily, Gavin knew he had to cover for his friend.

Still, his emotions volleyed back and forth between the lie he had been forced to tell and the upsurge of want for her snaking its way through his mind. Sure, some of it was a sexual attraction. Emily was beyond beautiful, and he couldn’t deny that fact. However, that wasn’t what fueled his desire for her. He couldn’t quite define exactly what it was, but he knew it was unlike any other attraction he’d ever had. He felt a connection to her—a deep pull within his gut that she was supposed to be with him.

Attracting, compelling, colliding, their chemistry—to say the least—was explosive. He felt it the first time he laid eyes on her, the drawing energy that radiated from her eyes as she stared into his. Standing among the empire he had built while the sun cast its rays against the steel giants lining the streets, he fought back the overwhelming urge to pay her another unexpected visit. Shaking his head at the insane thought, Gavin moved across his office. He sat down at his desk, went through some quarterly reports, and tried to rid the woman that could never be his from his mind.

It was then that Gavin’s older brother, Colton, walked into the office.

Crossing his arms in annoyance, Gavin glared at his brother with a displeased look on his face. “Where were you? Did you not receive the message I left with Natalie regarding the meeting?”

Colton gave Gavin a wry smile. “I must say you play the roll very well, little man,” he answered evenly, striding across the office as a muffled laugh left his lips.

“Stop being a wiseass. Really, what the fuck happened?”

“Jesus, Gavin, I got hung up on the home front with Melanie and the kids. Theresa and Timothy had a preschool musical.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He frowned, rocking back in his black leather chair. He had a soft spot for his niece and nephew. “I would’ve gone to see it.”

Colton waved a dismissive hand, his green eyes shimmering. “Don’t worry about it; they did just fine without Uncle Gavin.” He laughed and patted Gavin on his shoulder. “And I’m sure you did just fine without me during the meeting.”

Gavin snorted through his nose and muttered, “They’re fucking sharks if the numbers aren’t appealing to them.”

“That’s the business.” Colton shrugged and took a seat on the black leather couch. “We have people who invest in our company, and we need to produce the revenue they’re looking for in return.”

Standing up from his chair, Gavin effectively ignored his brother’s words and walked back over to the window.

“So are you ever going to secure an evening out with Alicia?” Colton probed.

Without turning around, Gavin crossed his arms and let out a chuckle. “I can’t deny that I don’t admire the way you’re able to seemingly transition from one topic to the next, Colton.”

“There’s a true compliment somewhere in that statement. But seriously, man, Melanie’s been bothering me about hooking you two up for a while. Just come out with us one night and decide if she’d be someone who would interest you.”

“I see you two are on the finding-Gavin-a-secure-relationship mission again.”

“Mission—not quite. But I think it’s about time you get over her.”

Snapping his head in Colton’s direction, Gavin’s eyes lit up with raw amusement. “Do you think I’m honestly
not
over her?” He almost laughed. “It’s been two years.”

“Well, she definitely caused you to draw back from forming other attachments—
long-term
attachments, that is.” Colton rose from the couch. “They’re not all the same, little man. She was just in it for all the wrong reasons.”