17. Gavin
Gavin
The electronic music pulses through my entire body the moment we step inside. Alexa insisted we celebrate the big win at a local bar that turns into a club after eleven. This isn’t really my scene, and I know it’s not Dani’s either, but I’m not about to say no to letting them celebrate.
It’s a little hole-in-the-wall on the Strip that specializes in tequila.
In our formal wear, we definitely stand out, but this is Vegas, so anything goes.
I spot a seating area in the back corner and signal for the girls to head that way.
Alexa grabs Dani’s hand and weaves through the sea of dancers, and I make sure to follow close behind.
The red velvet U-shaped booth is a huge welcome. As soon as Dani sits down, she lets out the biggest sigh. Alexa and I laugh as we scoot in next to her.
“It’s about time you looked relaxed!” Alexa yells.
What? Dani mouths back.
The music is so loud, I can barely hear what either of them is saying.
Alexa leans in and yells again, “It’s about time you looked relaxed!”
She’s right. For the first time in months, Dani seems like she isn’t stressing out.
She smiles, tilts her head back, and closes her eyes.
The sight makes my chest warm with happiness.
She looks so incredible tonight. Hell, she looks incredible all the time.
But watching her bask in everything she’s accomplished just adds to her beauty. She’s earned this.
Alexa taps Dani’s shoulder and motions toward the bar. I slide out of the booth to let her pass, then settle back beside Dani. Conversation is pointless over the thrum of the speakers, so we sit in the noise, shoulder to shoulder. I offer her a small smile and she gives one back.
The urge to pull her close, to anchor myself to her, is almost unbearable. But I don’t move. I won’t betray the trust, or the fragile friendship, I’ve fought so hard to earn.
Alexa comes back just in time with a tray of six small glasses filled with clear liquid. Either the music got lower, or she somehow got louder, because we’re able to hear her yell, “Casamigos shots!”
She places the tray on the table and scoots in next to me, pushing Dani and I closer together. The smell of Dani’s perfume dances with my senses, and it’s driving me crazy.
We each grab a glass, and Alexa insists on making a toast. She turns to Dani.
“Cheers to an incredible producer and friend. You didn’t give up on me or this story and fought tooth and nail to make it happen.
” She gives me the side-eye, and all I can do is shrug.
She continues, “This win is because of you. Cheers!”
As soon as the tequila passes my throat, I feel a warm burning sensation throughout my whole body. As uncomfortable as it is, I feel the urge to do it again. As I go to reach for the next shot, Dani has already downed her other one.
“Damn, girl. You really are ready to celebrate!” Alexa giggles.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drink like this,” I say.
I can tell Dani is already feeling the effects of the alcohol, especially when she yells, “I think we’re going to need more shots!”
Alexa proceeds to hand her second glass to Dani, and down it goes. She slams the empty glass on the table and scoots down the booth, pushing us all out. She grabs Alexa’s hand and says, “Let’s dance,” while pulling her towards a large crowd.
Oh yeah, she’s definitely feeling it.
Alexa mouths to me, Save me.
I can tell she’s kidding, and if push came to shove, those two can handle themselves. But call me old school, I would feel better if they had me watching over them.
I shrug out of my tux jacket, dropping it into the booth, revealing the suspenders underneath. I roll my sleeves to my forearms, tug the hem of my shirt free from the top of my pants so it hangs loose, and undo my bow tie, letting it dangle around my neck.
Dani’s gaze lingers, slow and deliberate, and I feel a jolt straight through me.
My pulse skips, my chest tightens—God, the way she looks at me.
I catch her eye and give her a sly wink, trying to mask the heat rising under my skin.
She rolls hers back, pretending to be unimpressed, but I see the hint of her amusement, and I’ll take what I can get.
We push through the mob, making our way to the center of the dance floor.
It’s as if the DJ knew Dani was ready to let go—suddenly the EDM blasts back to full volume, vibrating through the floor.
We wedge ourselves under the spinning, multicolored lights and bounce with the crowd, lost in the rhythm.
Dani and Alexa move like nothing else exists, letting the music carry them, every motion effortless and alive. For a solid twenty minutes, the three of us are swallowed up by the beat—until Alexa calls over the music that she needs to hit the restroom.
“I’ll come with you,” Dani shouts.
“No! You stay here with Gavin,” she yells back. “If we both leave, he’ll go sit down and I don’t want to lose our prime dancing spot.”
Alexa is gone before either of us can respond. Dani turns towards me and shrugs. “Wanna dance?”
I take her hands in mine, and we start to move along with the crowd. I’m not sure if jumping up and down really counts as dancing, but it’s fun—because I’m with her.
After a few minutes, the music shifts to something slow, and Dani takes this as her cue to head back to the table. As she starts to move through the crowd, I reach for her hand and pull her back toward the center of the floor.
“What are you doing?” she asks, a flicker of confusion crossing her face.
I don’t answer. Instead, I lift her hand to rest on my shoulder and wrap my arm around her waist, bringing her body flush against mine.
I take her free hand, clasping it in mine, and we start to sway.
Just touching her like this sends a shock through me.
My chest feels impossibly tight, and the only thing I want is to close the distance even more.
But I can’t. I have to respect her boundaries. She’s with someone, and no matter how much I hate the man, I won’t cross that line.
Forcing myself to look away from her green eyes is agony—they have a way of making me forget everything except the pull between us—but I know I have to. I have to hold back, no matter how much it hurts.
“Are you okay?” she asks. “You asked me to dance, but now you seem like you would rather be anywhere but here. Do you want to go back to the table?”
“You heard Alexa. We need to stay here so we don’t lose our dancing spot,” I say, keeping my gaze on a random wall in the room.
“Gavin, is there a reason you won’t look at me all of a sudden? You were fine before.”
“That’s because Alexa was here.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. Let’s just dance.”
“Oh! I see what this is. You do have a thing for Alexa, don’t you?”
What?
My forehead scrunches. Where did she get an idea like that? But I keep my focus on the wall.
“I knew there was something,” she laughs. “You helping us put the special together. Insisting you come this weekend. It was all to get close to Alexa.”
Hearing those words come out of her mouth sends my mind into a frenzy.
I turn my head and lean in close, our foreheads almost touching.
I take a heavy breath, trying to understand how she could be so wrong.
How she could look at me and see that instead of what’s been right in front of her all along.
“Dani—” My voice is edged with disbelief. “It’s not Alexa I want.”
Her name feels wrong in my mouth, like it doesn’t belong anywhere near this moment. Near us. I search her eyes, hoping she’ll see the truth there. “I don’t know why you’d think that,” I add, shaking my head slightly. “I never gave you a reason to believe I’d want anyone else. Especially not her.”
I lift my hand and brush my thumb along her cheek, the softness of her skin undoing me instantly. My dick gives an eager twitch behind my zipper, and I don’t care if she notices. When a faint shiver ripples through her, I take it as my cue.
Screw being the good guy, a reckless voice in my head urges. Then the other one cuts in just as fast. She has a boyfriend. The reminder should stop me. It should be enough. Instead, it only makes the moment feel heavier.
My hand slips to her chin, tilting her face up to mine. She closes her eyes for a moment, and when she opens them again, those emerald-green eyes have me locked in place. Our mouths hover inches apart, close enough that I can feel her breath. I search her gaze, silently asking, is this okay?
A small smile forms on her lips, inviting me to close the gap between us.
The moment my mouth brushes hers, the world falls quiet. I didn’t know a kiss could feel like this. So full of heat, yet wonderfully soft. Dani’s arms slide around my neck, pulling herself to me. When she parts her lips, welcoming me closer, every instinct screams yes.
And just when I want her most—before I can deepen the kiss I’ve desperately craved—my mind finally catches up.
“Dani. I’m so sorry,” I pant, pulling away.
“For what?”
“This isn’t fair to you. You’re drunk, and I told myself that as much as I hate the guy, I would never do something like this to you and Sam.”
She smiles and shakes her head.
“What?” I ask.
“You really mean that, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. I have too much respect for you.”
Dani closes the gap between us once again and says the words I never thought I would hear her say. “Gavin—” She pauses. “I want you.”
Time stops. My mind’s scrambling to catch up, and my blood’s running hot. Every nerve in me is screaming, finally, finally, finally.
“But… what about Sam?” My voice sounds foreign.
“We broke up tonight.”
I blink. My brain is still lagging behind the words, trying to process. “Wait… what? When?”
“Right before the ceremony started. When he called, something just… clicked. I finally realized he didn’t actually care about me.
He only cared about having me. I think I’ve known that for a while and didn’t want to admit it.
I was happy with the idea of being comfortable, but it stopped me from seeing that what we had wasn’t really love.
At least not the kind of love I deserve. ”
Holy shit.
Fire races through my veins at her words. I want to pull her into my arms, kiss her, tell her without a single doubt she’s mine.
Then reality crashes back in. None of this changes the fact we still can’t be together—not yet. I still have to protect her. Make sure Sam doesn’t act on his threat. I don’t trust him not to lash out. He showed his true colors tonight and paid the price.
I step back, forcing some distance, and offer her a small, careful smile. “We should head back to the hotel. Early flight in the morning.”
“Gavin…”
I turn before she can finish, moving to find Alexa. This is the second hardest thing I’ve ever done. If I don’t keep walking, I don’t know if I’ll have the willpower to hold myself together.
We spot Alexa making her way back to the booth at the same time as us.
“You ready to head back?” I ask. “We’re exhausted.”
She yawns with a nod, and I guide the girls towards the exit. I steal a glance at Dani, but her expression is cold as ice.
Yeah. I was expecting that.
The three of us slip outside and into the waiting limo. Alexa is half conscious, her head resting in Dani’s lap. After a few minutes of awkward silence, she starts humming a random song. The alcohol has clearly hit her, but somehow it eases the tension in the car just enough to make it bearable.
“Hey, Dani,” Alexa slurs.
“Yes, Alexa,” Dani giggles.
“Am I just really drunk, or did I see you and Gavin kissing on the dance floor?”
“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, heat crawling up my neck.
“I think you’re imagining things,” Dani says, calm and collected. “Close your eyes and go to sleep. I’ll wake you when we get to the hotel.”
Once we arrive, Dani helps a half-conscious Alexa into the elevator.
“You girls go on ahead,” I say. “I’ve got a few things I need to handle.”
Dani opens her mouth like she’s about to argue, but the doors slide shut before she has the chance.
I don’t actually need to be down here, but it feels safer to take a different elevator and sneak into my room after they’ve settled in theirs. I wait a few minutes, just to be sure, then hit the call button.
The doors close, and I take a deep breath. Everything I’ve wanted for the last ten years could have been mine tonight—and I let it slip, again.
I need to get this thing with Sam handled once and for all. Once he’s back, we settle this, and all move on with our lives.
The elevator doors slide open on my floor, and I step out, tux jacket slung over my shoulder. Rounding the corner, I find Dani still in her gown, an ice bucket in her hand. I literally just saw her a few minutes ago, and yet… she’s still as breathtaking as ever.
“Dani—”
“Gavin. It’s fine.” Her dejected words cut me off. “I get it.”
“Get what?”
“The kiss. It obviously helped you realize that you don’t still have feelings for me.”
Oh no. No. No. No. I step closer to her.
“That couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything—” I pause, trying to choose my next words carefully. “It just solidified how much of an idiot I was all those years ago to let you go. You have always been it for me, Dani.”
“Then why didn’t you say anything after I told you I wanted to be with you?”
I step closer, taking the ice bucket from her and setting it on the floor. Sliding my hands into hers, I brush the backs of her palms with my thumbs.
“Because I was convinced I was dreaming,” I sigh.
“I thought that was the only way I could possibly hear you say those words. I just wanted to live in that moment before I woke up. When I realized it was real… I wanted to be respectful. You just went through a breakup. But trust me, I want nothing more than to take you in my arms and never let you go.”
“Gavin.” She reaches up and touches my cheek.
I cover her hand with mine and hold her gaze.
Her eyes sparkle with hope and happiness, and in that look, I see it—all we had, all we can have again.
I know I need to protect her, but right here, right now, it’s clear.
The best way to do that is by her side. Fuck Sam and his threats.
If he comes for us, for Dani, I’ll be ready. I won’t let him ruin our lives again.
She leans in, pressing her lips to mine in a soft, deliberate kiss.
Heat runs through me, settling low in my chest, making it impossible to think of anything else.
I want to sink into her, hold this, feel it stretch on forever.
When we part, her fingers slip into my front pocket and pull out my room key.
Every word she doesn’t say is spelled out in the way she looks at me.
Dani takes my hand and leads us down the hall. At my door, she opens it and steps inside first, nodding for me to follow. Despite the darkness, I can see her small, teasing smile as the door clicks shut behind us.