When I looked up, Bethany was staring at me with eyes the size of tennis balls. “The powerful, oversexed businessman Gavin Kingsley has a soft side?” She shook her head. “I almost don’t believe it.”
“He does,” I said, swirling my drink.
“What’s the catch? Mr. Dark and Mysterious doesn’t just bare his soul one day without a catch.”
“Well, he shut me out a little bit after that, but I think I understand why now. I don’t think he’s trying to hurt me when he gets distant. I think he’s scared. The only women he’s ever loved, he’s lost. It’s no surprise he’s a little skittish when it comes to emotional intimacy.”
“He’s not the only one with a right to be scared, Em.” Bethany’s playful smile fell into a frown. “Did he ever explain how his last girlfriend wound up dead in his bathtub?”
I pushed my hair over my shoulder. “Not exactly,” I said, weighing what Gavin told me over dinner. “He talked about finding her body in the bathtub, but he got so emotional, I couldn’t bring myself to press him for more answers. If you could’ve seen the look on his face, Beth, you’d know. There’s no way he killed her.” Especially not after what happened to his mother. I knew now that Gavin was a man who wanted to protect women, not hurt them.
“If you say so.” Bethany crossed her arms, studying me. “But are you sure this is the brother you want to end up with? Even if Gavin didn’t kill his last girlfriend, it might be nice to be with someone who doesn’t have so many skeletons in their closet. From what you’ve told me, Cooper is like Prince Charming incarnate. Are you sure you don’t want that kind of happily-ever-after?”
Staring into my glass, I couldn’t help but pause at Bethany calling Cooper Prince Charming. There was no denying that he was a sweetheart, the kind of guy who would cook me a romantic dinner one night and rub my feet while watching Netflix with me the next. But Gavin and me? What we had was intense and as scary as hell, but it felt more real than anything I’d experienced before.
I smiled softly, shaking my head. “After everything that happened with Nathan, I never thought I could trust another man again, let alone allow myself to be in another relationship. Yes, Gavin is dark sometimes, but being with him feels so incredibly different from being with Nathan. Even after everything he’s been through, Gavin’s not violent or mean. He really cares about me. He’s just a little nontraditional in the ways he shows it.”
Bethany gave me a sympathetic smile. “Well, if nontraditional makes you happy, I won’t be the one to stop you. I just want to make sure you’re safe and with the person who will truly take care of you.”
“Gavin does,” I said, smiling back at her. “Something changed while we were in Florida. I can feel it. Like just the other night, I thought I caught him with another woman, but he explained the whole situation, and I believe him. I could see it in his face. It’s like I can read him so much better now.”
“Hold on, I’m sorry . . . what? You caught him with another woman and you’re just telling me this now?” Bethany cried out, waving her arms in exasperation.
“That’s the thing, Bethany. After he explained what happened, it didn’t feel like a big deal anymore. I believe him, I trust him, and that’s it. Case closed.” I shrugged.
Bethany scoffed, still reeling from this new piece of information. “Who the hell is she?”
“Her name is Sonja. She works for Gavin. Or, worked, I guess. He fired her right in front of me. I feel kind of bad for her, actually. It didn’t seem like she had much of a life outside of the company.”
“What happened?”
“They had a late night at the office, putting out a media fire. I guess Gavin fell asleep on the couch in his office, and when he woke up, Sonja was on her knees next to him, stroking his . . .” I lowered my voice and raised my eyebrows. “Manhood.”
“Oh my God, ew! She’s a freaking molester!” Bethany said, loud enough that the couple at the table next to us turned to give us a dirty look.
Whoops. Maybe the alcohol in these drinks was stronger than we thought.
“I don’t know if I’d go so far as to call her a molester,” I said. “When I walked in on the two of them like that, she looked at me with the most desperate eyes I’ve ever seen. It was almost like she was asking me to let her have that moment with him. I think she was lonely and confused. Really confused.”
I nodded, trying to convince myself that Bethany was overreacting. Besides, even if Sonja was dangerous, she was out of our lives now, and there was no way Gavin would ever let her back in. That much was obvious.
Bethany sighed, shaking her head. “It’s just that, from what you’ve told me, Gavin sounds like the kind of man who gets what he wants. Nothing more, nothing less. I don’t know if Sonja would’ve done that if she didn’t think it was what he wanted.”
I stared at her for a moment, surprised by her insinuation. “He fired her on the spot, Bethany. Gavin may be cold sometimes, but he’s not cruel. Besides, he would never do that to me. He’s a monogamy type of guy.”
“I’m not saying that he told her to fondle him in his sleep, but maybe it has something to do with his personality. He has such a dominant, demanding presence, it kind of makes sense that Sonja would do anything to please him. He doesn’t seem like the kind of man you want to make angry.”
“I didn’t realize that was how you felt about him,” I said, looking at Bethany with my brow furrowed.
She shook her head. “I just feel like you need to be careful. I know that you care about him, but there’s still so much you don’t know. When you’re leaning toward the cold-and-dominant brother, even though the warm-and-loving one wants you just as much, it makes me worry about the kind of relationship you tend to go for.”
I looked away, swallowing the lump in my throat. Bethany was just trying to be a good friend, but her warning totally caught me off guard.
Was I making a huge mistake? Was Cooper actually exactly what I needed? My heart said no. But my brain? I really wanted to shut it off with more of this nasty sangria.
Bethany sighed, reaching out to take my hand in hers. “I just want you to be happy, Em. You deserve to be so, so happy, especially after what Nathan did to you. No matter who you choose, I’ll be here to support you. Just make sure that whatever you decide, you remember who has the control. Both of these guys are swoon-worthy, sure, but in the end, it’s your life. You have the control. It’s up to you.”
I took another sip of my drink, finishing what was left of the now watered-down liquid. My head was spinning a little, but I couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol or what Bethany had said to me. Either way, one thing was clear.
I had a decision to make, and I had to make it soon.
Chapter Seven
Emma
By the time Thursday evening rolled around, I’d checked my phone roughly a dozen times and had changed my outfit six—yes, six—times. I wasn’t sure what was making me so nervous. Gavin had simply invited me to a dinner with his brothers. It was no big deal, really. I’d been around all three of them many times before.
Still, there was something about the curt, gruff tone of his message that had me on edge. He hadn’t explained why they were having dinner or why I was suddenly invited, and when I asked, I’d gotten no reply. I’d attributed his crankiness to the most recent outpouring of news stories about the company’s alleged sordid dealings, but I couldn’t be sure. I had a feeling the lack of sex was getting to him too.
The doorbell rang, and I straightened my top for the thousandth time before heading to the foyer and pulling the door open. I’d settled on a pair of black skinny jeans and a red silk top with gold buttons.
As usual, Gavin stood there looking positively scrumptious while his limo idled in the street behind him. He was more casual than I’d seen him before, wearing dark-washed jeans and a weathered gray Henley-style shirt with three little buttons at his neck. The scent of crisp, masculine cologne hung in the air around him, ever so subtly, and I wanted to nibble him from head to toe.