10. Gavin
CHAPTER TEN
gavin
The clock on my desk reads three o’clock on a Friday afternoon, but mentally, I’m already checked out for the weekend.
I lean back in my chair, twirling a pen between my fingers as I finalize the logistics for the next forty-eight hours.
My personal driver, Marcus, is already briefed on the itinerary.
At five sharp, he’ll pick Genevieve up from her office at Sterling Capital, drop her off at her townhouse so she can pack a bag, and then bring her straight to my house.
No suits and ties.
No board meetings.
No fires to put out.
Just two full days where the outside world can burn to the ground for all I care. My secretary knows I’m off-limits, and that includes my professional and personal world, minus Genevieve.
My plan for the weekend is simple, deliberate, and entirely centered around her.
I want us to laze around the house, spend hours lost in my bed, and just talk.
Every single day I spend with Genevieve feels like unwrapping a new layer of who she is—each one thicker, richer, and more fascinating than the last. She’s stripping away her own defenses, too.
The timid, shy woman who hid behind loose, baggy, shape-less clothes that first day I barged into her office is completely gone.
She’s replaced her with a confident, fiery female who knows exactly the hold she has over me.
We’ve only spent one night away from one another this week, and that was solely because she scheduled a girls’ night out.
When she texted me at two in the morning, slightly tipsy and giggling, she confessed that she and the girls had done some serious damage to their credit cards and bank accounts in the form of clothes, booze, and street tacos.
And while I didn’t like her being away from me or coming in so late in the night, it helped that I’d had Marcus driving her around.
Hearing her lighthearted laughter had me ready to climb out of bed and go straight to her house.
My desk phone rings, cutting through my thoughts and shattering the quietness of my office. I glance at the caller ID, expecting it to be Genevieve or a work call.
“Rhodes.” I pick it up when I see Nolan’s name flashing on the screen.
“Gavin, how soon can you get to Sterling Capital?” His voice cuts through the speaker, crisp and urgent. “The guys are here. We’ve got business to discuss, and there’s a deal I’d like you to look at before the banks close.”
“This can’t wait till Monday? I’m locking my doors for the weekend, and way to make me think the worst, asshole.”
“It’ll take an hour, tops. Just get over here. A glass of whisky is already set out for you,” Nolan insists.
“Fine, but I have an errand to run first.” Instead of Genevieve going home to turn around and leave again, I’ll stop by, grab some clothes, and bring them in the car with me. I’ve snagged the door code earlier this week, seeing as how she won’t be in much, or if she is, it’ll be in my clothing.
“See you then.” Nolan hangs up, and I do the same. Looks like I’m adding more work to my plate than I want to on a Friday afternoon.
“Goddamn it, Nolan Carrington.” I huff out a breath of air, run my hand down my face, and head out the door
--
Forty-five minutes later, I’m walking through the building of Sterling Capital, making a quick detour to see Genevieve.
I round the corner, and she notices me right away.
Her face lights up, and a soft blush spreads over her cheeks.
I wrap a hand around the nape of her neck, then pull her in for a lingering kiss to her lips.
The sweet scent of spun sugar invades my senses and calms my annoyance with Nolan for the time being.
“I have a quick meeting,” I murmur against her lips. “Marcus is waiting outside to take you to my place once you’re finished for the day. I already have your bag waiting in the car. Make yourself at home. I’ll see you soon, baby girl.”
“Don’t keep me waiting too long, Gavin,” she teases, eyes sparkling up at me.
“Oh, I won’t.” I drop another kiss to her lips, pull back, and head to Nolan’s office, more than ready to get today over with.
Except I know this group, we’ll get to talking, things will run over, Marcus will take Genevieve to my home, and I’ll call for another to take me home by the time the meeting is done.
I walk through the glass building, sharp lines, stone floors, an aesthetic that’s more modern than my building or hotels are.
A few moments later, I push open the double doors of Nolan’s corner suite at Sterling Capital.
The room is already filled with high-end scotch and the unmistakable hum of men who plan to make more money.
Nolan is behind his desk, while Rafe, Dom, Vik, and Dante are scattered across the leather sofa and arm chairs.
“Look who finally decided to come up for air,” Vik cracks a joke, raising a glass in my direction. “Guess it’s a good thing you’re a billionaire, Gav, considering Miami.”
“Don’t remind me. Fucking teenagers. What a completely clusterfuck.” I walk in, unbuttoning my jacket, and grab a crystal tumbler off the bar cart.
“Heard about that on the news. What the fuck were these kids thinking?” Dom shakes his head, leaning back against the couch.
“If you need muscle or extra security at the resort for the time being, let me know,” Rafe says, his eyes sharp and calculating. “I’ve got friends in private contracting who can have your place secured in a matter of hours.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I take a sip of scotch as I lean against the edge of the small conference table. “Right now, we’re trying to patch more than just drywall and keep the resort open. The PR firm is running damage control, but social media has been a nightmare.”
“Word on the street is you’ve been entirely preoccupied with a certain marketing executive. Is that why you look like you’re ready to bolt?” Dante leans forwards, his elbows resting on his knees as he eyes me with a dry smirk.
“Focus on your own portfolio, Dante.” I give him a razor-sharp glare over the rim of my glass, though I don’t deny his statement.
“Alright, enough small talk. The reason I called you all here, specifically you, Gavin, is a new venture. I’m looking for backers.
It’s a high-grade, AI-driven security and access control app.
Next generation encryption, real-time threat detection, and will help with similar problems such as your crowd mob.
” Nolan taps his desk, drawing the room’s attention to the reason he called a meeting in the first place.
“An app for security?” I raise an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued. There are plenty out on the market, but this is Nolan. Whatever he’s got lined up is something that hasn’t hit the market yet.
“Exactly,” Nolan confirms, sliding a thick leather folder across his desk toward me.
I abandon my drink and perch to grab the documents.
“Given what happened at your resort in Miami, it’s a solution you could integrate across all of your hotel properties.
We’re opening a private funding round, and I want you in on it. ”
“Sounds like something could save my head of security from having a heart attack the next time something like this happens,” I admit, already aware that this type of shit is making its rounds, and besides police officers staying on the beaches around the clock, it’ll be hard to make it end until the trend tapers off.
I scan the executive summary, liking what I’m seeing.
“Send the full proposal to my direct line. I’ll review the numbers on Monday. ”
Before Nolan can respond, the door to his office swings open without a knock. Mischa walks in, holding a stack of documents. She moves across the room, her dark hair pulled back, wearing a tailored blazer that means business.
“Nolan, here are the signed…” She pauses, noticing the room full of powerful men staring at her. Her eyes linger on Nolan for a moment before she smiles politely at the rest of us. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were in a closed meeting.”
“It’s fine, Mischa.” His voice shifts completely.
Gone is the corporate edge, morphing into one I know all too well.
Every single guy in the room, myself included, notices immediately.
Nolan doesn’t just look at Mischa, his undivided attention is wrapped around her, tracking her every moment as she steps forward and places the paperwork on his desk.
“Thanks,” he murmurs, his eyes locked on hers as she turns to leave.
“Have a good weekend, gentlemen.” Mischa offers a quick wave before slipping out the door and closing it behind her. The moment the latch clicks shut, the room explodes into knowing smiles.
“Well, well, well.” Vik has a wide grin on his face.
“Don’t even start.” Nolan’s jaw tightens. “I’m not going there.”
“Oh, come on, man. The tension between the two of you nearly had me ready to run out the door,” Dom says with a chuckle.
“I said no. She’s off-limits. That’s my best friend’s baby sister,” Nolan repeats, dropping a bomb that I’m assuming nobody knew about in the first place.
“Right,” Dante chimes in softly. “And we all know how well the men in this room play by the rules.”
“We’ll see how long that boundary holds,” Rafe mutters with a laugh. Every man in this room has done whatever it takes to secure their woman.
“Good luck, Nolan. I have a feeling you’re going to need it.
” I look down at my watch, noticing the time and how much this meeting has taken up.
Genevieve should be getting off by now, which means we can ride to my place together.
A much better idea than hanging around these guys.
I don’t bother with saying goodbyes, just offer a quick nod to the room and head out the door.
I pull out my phone to fire a quick message to Genevieve
Gavin: Baby girl, are you still in the building?
Genevieve: I’m just packing up to leave. Are you?
Gavin: Coming to get you now.
I pocket my phone, more than ready to get Genevieve alone and in my hands for the next forty-eight hours with zero interruptions.