16. Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Sixteen
Harris paid the bill and stuffed his wallet into his coat pocket. Gigi took his hand, and as they weaved through the crowd at the bar, Harris considered following Gigi anywhere. He’d wanted to kiss her as they danced—so badly, he’d nearly combusted—but he wasn’t about to have their first kiss be a facade. He didn’t want her ex watching. Harris wanted Gigi to himself. He wanted their kiss to snowball into something real. Something far beyond a moment.
Holding tight to Gigi’s hand, he couldn’t believe he’d gotten here, and so quickly. Falling for someone wasn’t on his agenda. It wasn’t why he came to Chicago, and it certainly didn’t make the challenges with his father any easier.
But Gigi wasn’t just someone.
She’d hooked him with her kind heart, quick wit, and fierce determination. He’d thought of her every spare second. He wanted to be by her side at all hours.
None of that was normal—not for him. Harris didn’t trip over himself on the way to any woman. In fact, he wasn’t sure he even believed in love. But how he felt around Gigi was something he’d never experienced. And he wanted more.
Bursting out the door, they shuffled into the cold. It was late, but city lights illuminated the street. Traffic bustled by, headlights shining. Streetlamps glowed, spotlighting the falling snow. Harris dug in his pocket for his phone, ready to call for the valet. “I’ll have my car brought around. A friend of mine owns The Signature Room at the Ninety-Fifth. Amazing views of the city and the chef makes a million different flavors of cheesecake. I’ll call him and reserve the lounge—”
Gigi clasped his hand, stopping him mid-sentence. “I don’t care where we go, Harris,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “I only care that I’m with you. Kiss me here. This is perfect.”
Harris stared at her, amazed that she was solely focused on him, not on what he could give her or where he could take her. Snowflakes swirled around them, salting her mahogany hair. The neon bar sign glowed across her face, and her eyes shone with sincerity. Realizing this moment, right here in front of the bar, was more perfect than any grand gesture he could’ve planned, Harris closed the short distance to Gigi. He cupped her face, sweeping his thumbs across her blushed cheeks.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” he whispered. When Gigi responded by biting her bottom lip, barely disguising a smile, Harris leaned in, heart pounding.
He pressed his lips to hers, and everything around the two of them dissolved. The cold wind. The falling snow. The buzz of traffic. It was all replaced by their intense connection. Harris absorbed Gigi’s sweet scent, savored every touch. His fingers laced into her hair, and her arms wrapped around his neck. Unspoken words filled every movement, containing all the emotions he’d been holding back.
When he thought his heart might explode, Harris pulled back. He rested his forehead against hers. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he murmured, his breath mingling with hers.
Gigi’s eyes fluttered open, and she smiled. “Probably as long as I’ve wanted you to.”
He chuckled, relief washing over him. “Glad we’re both on the same page.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Same book. Same page.”
Gigi rose onto her tiptoes, pulling him into another kiss, and Harris couldn’t help himself. He lifted her into his arms, desire igniting as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Tightening his hold, he deepened the kiss, his stomach spinning as she melted into him.
In that moment, he knew their connection was real. And now that Harris had a taste, he couldn’t back away. This was the start of something special, and Harris wanted to explore whatever came next, even though it terrified him.
Harris stood in Dean’s corner office, admiring the panoramic view of the Chicago skyline, which was on full display through the large windows. He was in an amazing mood, despite the fact that their father had just blazed in, complained of losing market share, and claimed the company would be bankrupt in a year if Harris and Dean didn’t pull their heads out of their rears and do something about it. However, Harris’s good mood couldn’t be dampened. Memories of his time with Gigi swirled through his mind, keeping his heart light and his spirits high. But he kept those sweet thoughts to himself, for now. He wouldn’t risk ruining what was blossoming with Gigi by involving his family—particularly his dad.
Dean glanced up from his desk, raising an eyebrow at Harris. “You look like you’ve won the lottery. What’s going on?”
Harris shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. “Just had a good weekend, that’s all.”
Dean scrunched his forehead and set his pen on his desk. “Didn’t you work all weekend?”
Harris nodded but didn’t comment. Instead, he took a seat in one of the stiff leather chairs that faced the desk. He leaned back, surveying Dean’s office. Special memories and people filled the walls. There were pictures of his wife and kids, a framed football jersey from high school, crayon drawings from his youngest. Dean lived a full life outside of this office.
“I’ve been thinking about Dad’s offer,” Harris admitted, and Dean’s expression shifted to cautious interest.
“How so?”
Harris slid his arm onto the armrest, running his fingers over the leather. “I’ve been thinking about what it would be like if I stayed.”
Dean sat straight up, surprise evident on his face. “Really?! You’re considering staying? Permanently? Taking over the company with me?”
Harris grinned at his brother’s excitement. “I’ve enjoyed spending time with you, Cheri, and the kids. It’s nice to be close to family again. I’ve missed you guys.”
“We’ve missed you,” Dean said with a wide stare, as if that were obvious. A pang of brotherly love pinched Harris.
“And honestly, I forgot how much I enjoy sales and marketing. It’s been refreshing. I’ve been working behind the scenes with GambleOnLove for so long that I kind of forgot how exhilarating it can be in the trenches.”
Dean leaned back in his chair, rocking it. “I didn’t expect to hear this. I thought you were all-in with your dating app, that you wanted to get back to New York as soon as possible.”
“I did,” Harris admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, knowing there were multiple reasons he was now considering staying in Chicago. Gigi was a big part of that. “I’m trying to figure out what to do. I think I could run both companies.”
Dean gave him a look like that was a ridiculously bad idea. “You want to run two companies? That’s a huge time commitment. Every minute of every day would be taken up with work. Why don’t you sell GambleOnLove? Live a little?”
The thought had crossed Harris’s mind, but he just couldn’t fathom doing it. He sighed and glanced out the window at the gray sky and tall towers. “It was Adam’s baby. I feel like I’d be letting him down if I sold it.” He could figure out a way to make it work, couldn’t he?
Dean’s expression softened, knowing what Harris had been through, losing his best friend a few years ago. “I get it, Harris. I do. But Adam would want you to be happy. He wouldn’t want you to feel chained to a company for his sake.” Dean was quiet for a few moments before he continued. “Listen, I’m just glad to hear you’re considering taking over the family business with me. I’m here to support your decision, no matter what—just like you do for me.”
Harris turned back to his brother, the tension in his chest cracking. “Thanks.”
“We’ll figure it out together.” Dean nodded, and the weight on Harris’s shoulders lessened. Until their dad swooped through the door.
“What are you two doing? Sitting around playing tiddlywinks?” their dad asked, irritation etched on his face, like always.
When was the last time anyone said ‘tiddlywinks’? Harris would’ve laughed, if it were anyone else.
“Hit the phones,” their dad continued his rant with a wave of his hand. “Dive into those reports. I want five actionable items to increase market share by tonight.” He finished his marching orders and swooped back into the hallway, off to darken someone else’s day.
The brothers shared a look. Dean rolled his eyes and scooched his chair over to his computer. “Better get to it,” he said.
Harris chewed his bottom lip. “By the way, there is zero percent chance I’ll continue working for the family business if dad doesn’t retire.” He thrummed his fingers against the armrest. “We better put that in the contract.”