Effectively ignoring her, Emily continued her endeavor.
“Hello, Emily, what are you doing?” Olivia repeated.
“I have a killer headache. I’m looking for a bottle of Advil that I know I have in here,” she replied, her hands working frantically through the mess of credit card receipts, sunglasses, and an overstuffed makeup bag.
With a smile, Emily found it and let out a sigh of relief. She headed toward the entrance and watched as Olivia’s face morphed into noticeable shock.
Emily cocked her head to the side. “What’s wrong?” she asked, placing her hand on Olivia’s shoulder.
“Umm, turn around, Em.”
With furrowed brows, she gave Olivia a questioning look and whipped around.
Oh God…
After the air whooshed from her lungs, her eyes took in Gavin’s BMW double-parked in front of the restaurant. Colton was in the driver’s seat shaking his head as Gavin not so gracefully stumbled out from the passenger side.
“I’ll go get us a table,” Olivia said.
“No, wait,” she hastily whispered, instant sweat beading on her forehead even in the crisp air. “Don’t you dare leave me here.”
Olivia narrowed her brown eyes on her but kept her tone even. “You have to talk to him, friend.” Without a backward glance, she opened the door and disappeared into the restaurant.
With her heart racing, Emily tried to compose herself as he approached. “You’re drunk,” she breathed, noticing the way he was swaying side to side.
Tossing his hand through his unruly black hair, a grin tipped the corner of his lips. “And you’re simply exquisite.”
The drowsy cadence of his liquored voice nearly left her in ashes in the middle of Manhattan. Still trying to regain her bearings, she stared at him, her breath hitching in the back of her throat. As disheveled as he looked standing in front of her—his suit jacket off, tie loosened around his neck, and his sleeves rolled up haphazardly—she had never known a man to be as breathtaking in every possible way as he was. Not just physically either—because Lord knows she found him to be the sexiest man on the planet—it was beyond that. His very presence manifested itself into a thrum beneath her skin.
Slow and unsteady, he inched toward her. “You’re exquisite…and engaged now,” he said softly, reaching for her left hand. He lifted it and studied the ring on her finger. Although she wanted to, she didn’t pull away. Essentially frozen by his touch, she couldn’t move. “Mmm, with as much money as I have, I don’t think I would’ve gotten you something so gaudy looking—not for a beautiful hand like this. It deserves much better. I would’ve aimed for something more elegant.”
Streams of pedestrians dodged them on the sidewalk as they stood with her hand in his, but neither of them noticed. The blaring mixture of car horns, laughter, and music from a nearby club thrashed and echoed around them, but still, neither of them heard the noises.
Simply lost in one another in that moment, nothing else existed.
Emily tore her gaze from his, and as quickly as she did, Gavin caught her by her chin and lifted it so she was staring directly into his blue eyes. A soft gasp was the only sound that made its way past her lips.
“After the brief encounter we shared, I never thought Dillon would be the lucky man slipping a ring onto that pretty finger.”
Breathing heavily, Emily swallowed hard and continued to stare at him. His raw, unrelenting, sexy determination hit her with a force strong enough to rock the ground beneath her. “I was drunk,” she whispered, not taking her eyes off his, her voice stammering. “I…I just needed to get you out of my system.”
Still cupping her chin, he slid his thumb slowly across her lips, his tone as low as hers. “Doll, you’re going to get me out of your system as much as I’m going to get you out of mine. It’s impossible.”
Before she could process his words, he bent his head down and grazed his mouth against hers, catching her bottom lip between his teeth and sucking on it gently. She pulled back slightly, but the fight would go down in history as mild at best. Sliding his tongue against her lip, he tightened his hold on her chin just enough that she couldn’t move. Gavin let out a long groan and gave her lip one last mind-blowing tug between his teeth. Emily might have seen it if her eyes weren’t closed, but a reverent smile broke out across his face. He then turned, pivoting gracefully, and walked away, leaving Emily fighting for air. Reaching for the door, she watched breathlessly as Gavin slipped into the passenger side of his car, and before she knew it, he disappeared into traffic.
After the fog of euphoria and the shock pulsing through her system lifted, Emily found herself hazily walking into the restaurant with dampened panties, added confusion, and a heightened need for quite a few shots of sake.
Chapter Thirteen
Confessions of Every Kind
Emily convinced herself that she was mentally prepared for this evening; however, she couldn’t have been more wrong. As she and Dillon greeted their guests the night of their engagement party, she found her head becoming dizzy with literal fear. Looking down at her watch, a frantic string of emotions raced through her mind, knowing she would soon face Gavin. The heavy weight of it all had her feeling as though her nerves were beginning to fray like a rope one fiber at a time. Her spinning thoughts slowed when she felt Dillon’s gentle touch brush against her arm. For tonight, she needed to focus on him—and him only—no matter how difficult she knew it would be.
“Are you alright?” he asked, scooping her up into a hug. He planted a kiss on her lips and moved her hair away from her shoulders.
“Yes, I’m fine,” she answered, sliding her hands down the lapels of his black suit.
“Well, you look beautiful tonight,” he crooned. “I just may have you for dessert when this whole thing’s over.”
“I heard that, Dillon,” Lisa’s voice broke through the air, one brow cocked above her hazel eyes. “Please refrain from referring to my baby sister as dessert,” she laughed.
Dillon smirked and pulled Emily in closer. “But she’s so…delectable, Lisa. I mean, honestly, I can’t get enough.”
Emily shook her head and laughed.
“Okay, I seriously don’t need to hear how delectable she is.” She gave Emily a light tug on her arm, effectively releasing her from his hold. “I’d like to speak to my sister in private for a second, if that’s okay with you.”
“She’s all yours,” he replied, branding one last kiss on Emily’s lips.
Reaching for her hand, Lisa led her through the knot of guests that started to trickle into the banquet room. Emily smiled and returned their greetings along the way.
As the two sisters made their way through the party, it was then that Emily noticed Dillon spared no expense for the night. The restaurant was truly beautiful. A mahogany bar was located in the corner of the room set beside a massive window that overlooked New York Harbor. Deep-red leather couches and matching upholstered wingback chairs were scattered throughout. Ornate sconces hung on the walls while an exquisite dimly lit chandelier anchored the room. Adjacent to a baby grand piano echoing music through the air was a glowing fireplace that crackled its warmth in the space, setting the romantic mood for the evening.
After turning a corner that led to an empty hall, they ducked into a vacant room, and Lisa closed the door.
Placing her hands on Emily’s shoulders, Lisa’s eyes softened with genuine concern. “I can tell you’re a nervous wreck.”
She slanted a hand through her hair, the weakest of smiles tipping her lips. “Is it that obvious?”
“Not to others, but I know you better than anyone else,” she said softly, reaching for Emily’s hand. “Is he here yet?”