TWENTY-NINE
“I’M SAYING, MAYBE THE SEARS are not here,” Julius said.
Brogan had been distracted all day; there was no denying it. He’d been distracted all week.
“They’re here,” he said, already sick of the ballroom full of people around them.
Traveling south for this performance required by Gault, he intended to ignore Conway and Bram Sear unless absolutely necessary.
Withdrawing the flight invitation hadn’t occurred to him.
When Jenna came into his office that morning and told him the Sears wouldn’t require their places on his jet, relief visited.
Interesting that the call hadn’t come earlier in the week. Canceling last minute on the Thursday morning was strategic, had to be, or Gia hadn’t told them of their split until now. Could go either way.
“How do you know that?” Julius asked. “We haven’t seen them.”
This night was Gault’s welcome reception for the bidding parties.
A choice selection of his employees were present too.
Presumably the plan was to foster bonds…
or pad numbers. Brogan wasn’t in the mood to foster anything.
While he believed networking was an important part of business, he wasn’t up to the task tonight.
“We arrived late and were shown straight to our rooms,” Brogan said. “We’d have no reason to come across them. We haven’t even seen Gault yet.”
“We’ll apologize as soon as he arrives,” Julius said. “But we won’t miss him. That guy likes to make an entrance.”
“Gault or Bram Sear?”
The latter was going to be unbearable. He couldn’t have reached out to Gia, but it would be advantageous to know what she told her family about the demise of their relationship.
It was possible she’d told them every truth.
With the deal having technically been voided, she didn’t need to adhere to the requested confidentiality.
But he had no way to obtain that information and wasn’t going to pursue her for it.
Giving her space was the least he could do; the last thing he wanted was to inflame her temper.
He’d been on the receiving end of his Gia’s venomous eyes and sharp tongue…
His Gia… she wasn’t his Gia anymore and wouldn’t be again.
Truth? Space wasn’t only for her benefit.
He lifted his glass to his lips, except, damn, it was empty. Snagging a passing server, he gave him the glass and ordered another.
“You’ve been drinking a lot the last couple of days,” Julius said.
Concern or censure? He didn’t even care.
“Your point?”
“If you get drunk and belligerent, you’ll fuck our chances.”
Direct? Sure? Another truth? He didn’t give a fuck about their chances at that moment. Before he could open his mouth to say that, Conway and Bram Sear entered the ballroom.
Nudging Julius, he nodded toward them. “Told you they were here.”
Julius followed his line of sight then sighed. “Guess it was too much to hope they’d changed their minds.”
“Have you ever known Conway Sear to forfeit a fight?”
“He changed his mind about you,” Julius said, taking his own glass to his mouth.
Was he fucking joking? Restraining a scoff, he blinked at the man in disbelief.
“He didn’t change his mind about me. He made a strategic decision not to cause a fuss because he thought it would help him here.”
“It’s funny,” Julius said. “Both parties thought Gia would give them the edge, and here we are without her.”
“Do you think they’re still trying to use her?”
“By telling Gault you broke her heart?” Julius asked. “It’s possible. They’d have to be careful about…”
That trailing off distracted him from seeking the server. “What?” he asked. “What is it?”
Julius’s lips parted. The only way he could describe his cohort’s expression was shock. Not an angry shock, it was dumbfounded. Julius nodded beyond him and he turned to—
Whatever he anticipated seeing wasn’t close to the sight that stunned him static. There, just inside the door was Everett Gault, bold and confident as always, greeting the guests crowding him with offers of outstretched hands and tilted cheeks.
Gault wasn’t alone.
No.
The identity of the beauty on his arm was the shock… Glowing, wearing a smile almost as broad as her face, was Gianna Sear. His Gia.
“Irish,” he murmured and took a step in their direction.
Julius caught his arm to halt him. “She’s not yours anymore,” he muttered. “You’ve got to hold it back.”
It? What it? Hold back the boiling fury that wanted to rip the old man’s eyes out for admiring the plunging neckline of Gia’s dress?
The burning desire that drove a need to taste her?
His craving for the texture of her skin beneath his fingertips?
The sound of her sweet need filling his ear?
Maybe his friend meant to hold back his disgust at the pride in Conway and Bram Sear’s expressions as they stood a good thirty feet away from their kin admiring the scene?
The thing he couldn’t hold, that overwhelmed him, was the intensity of heated love urging him to protect her.
He’d worried about seeing her again, about what he’d do if they ever found themselves at the same event.
In the past, when at the same function, they’d had no reason to address each other.
Now he didn’t trust his ability to stay away from her.
Whatever he thought he’d felt before, whatever sensation prompted him to end their relationship, wouldn’t be ignored anymore.
Selfishly, he’d ended his right to touch and care for her under the pretense of protecting her heart.
Seeing her now, without the security of that bond…
how had he thought for a second he’d be able to keep his words and his hands in check?
Why had he never told her how beautiful she was? Yeah, he’d said the words, but he’d never told her how that beauty fired him up, how it charged him into a frenzy.
Fuck.
The woman made him feel bigger and stronger, while meager in comparison to her. Gia was a force to be reckoned with and that she’d just walked into the ballroom on the arm of the man every other person was there to charm was yet another example of that.
“Do you want me to do the talking?” Julius asked.
Gault was moving closer. The inevitable was going to come whether he wanted it to or not. He’d have to face the man whose face he now wanted to introduce to his fist.
“Well, if it isn’t Brogan Spurn himself,” Gault said when the people between them moved aside.
“Everett,” Julius said, offering a hand when the two parties came together.
The jovial welcome passed him by. Gia was a vision, one that deemed him invisible apparently.
Her glorious smile stayed in place. Damn, he missed her.
She wasn’t a trophy and shouldn’t be kept quiet.
No man should discourage her from being her magnificent self, reputation be damned. That went for the Sears too.
“Nice to see you, Julius,” Gault said, shaking his hand. “It’s been a long time.”
“I’m sorry we were held up this morning—”
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Gault said, waving at him. “My little joy told me about the scheduling issues you’ve had this week.”
“Your little…”
“Gianna,” Gault said, tucking her hand deeper around his elbow threading his fingers between hers. “She is the most enchanting woman.”
Brogan heard his own throat narrow and every muscle in Julius’s body tense. His friend was smart to be concerned how this would play out. He made no promises.
“Your joy,” Brogan croaked, the rasp of rage making his voice ragged.
“Yes,” Gault said and had the decency to lose some of his glee. “I hope this isn’t awkward. I understand that you two were involved until recently.”
“Involved,” Brogan said. “Yes, we were involved. Closely involved.”
Gault grinned and pulled her closer. “I don’t know what possessed you to break up with a trophy like my joy, but I have to express my gratitude.”
“Ev,” she murmured in warning, still smiling so wide that Brogan had to grind his teeth.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” Gault said and picked up her hand to kiss her knuckles. “I promised her I wouldn’t bring that up tonight… Please, gentlemen, enjoy our hospitality.” A skinny blonde kid ran up at their side and murmured to Gault. “I have a phone call in the lobby. Joy?”
“I’m fine,” she said, angling her cheek when he leaned in to kiss it. “Hurry back.”
Gault blew her a kiss as he melted away and she laughed.
“You can’t be fucking serious,” Brogan heard the anger in his voice before he’d known his mouth opened.
“Brogan,” Julius said.
Gia wasn’t smiling when she turned back to them, but she didn’t look particularly offended either.
“I saw Jenna upstairs,” she said to Julius like he hadn’t spoken at all. “She’s thrilled to be here, you should’ve invited her to the party.”
“There’s a lot to organize,” Julius said.
“The pitches aren’t until Saturday,” she said. “No one is expected to do any work tomorrow. You should take some time to enjoy yourselves, Everett’s planned quite the day tomorrow. We were tasting the desserts earlier, you’re in for a treat.”
Shaking with unvented anger, Brogan dug his balled fists into his pockets. “We’re going to stand here and pretend this isn’t the most ludicrous conversation we’ve ever had?” he said. “What the fuck are you doing with a guy like that?”
“Funny, people asked me that about my last boyfriend too,” she snapped and then closed her eyes, rolling her lips into her mouth, calming herself.
He recognized it but wouldn’t encourage it.
“You don’t know him,” Brogan hissed, getting lower. “How in the hell—”
“We arrived early,” she said. “He took a liking to me. He’s kind and he makes me laugh.”
He almost choked when he next swallowed. “That’s it? You’re with Gault now? The man’s forty fucking years older than you!”
“Do not raise your voice to me,” she whispered, glancing at the interested people in their periphery. Nosy fucks. Like he gave a shit. “And for your information, there’s thirty-seven years between us.”
“Oh, that’s much better,” he scoffed. “Thirty-seven? Is that all? No problem there.”