Page 4 (1/2)

"Mr Blake, the board is pleased with this quarter’s earnings We’re also anticipating further growth next quarter for Blake Industries, considering the new Ar account you’ve acquired"

Gavin stroked his fingers rhythany conference table "That’s wonderful news, Barry Have we heard anything on the Kins to the h soerly before he could answer "Yes, Mr Blake They’ve accepted the offer and should be ready to move forward by the end of July, sir" The ave all of the necessary paperwork to your brother"

Gavin rose fro to an end

As the last of the boardin his office Peering down to the streets of Manhattan, he watched the chaotic lives of others ruht, he knew he had the world by the balls Blake Industries was one of New York’s largest advertising agencies Nevertheless, he lacked the most vital necessity ever - love He inwardly knew it; hell, he knew it better than he knew his own facial features Though he played the dating ga-term relationship ended, few - if any contestants - evoked feelings within hi someone who truly wanted hi since the breakup

Watching the tiny figures below scurry along the sidewalks, he found his thoughts racing back to Emily It had been less than twenty-four hours since he was hit with the fact of whoed to Gavin seethed at the fact that Dillon used hih he had an attraction to Emily, Gavin knew he had to cover for his friend

Still, his emotions volleyed back and forth between the lie he had been forced to tell and the upsurge of want for her snaking its way through his mind Sure, some of it was a sexual attraction Emily was beyond beautiful, and he couldn’t deny that fact However, that wasn’t what fueled his desire for her He couldn’t quite define exactly what it was, but he kneas unlike any other attraction he’d ever had He felt a connection to her - a deep pull within his gut that she was supposed to be with hi, their chemistry - to say the least - was explosive He felt it the first tiy that radiated fro the eainst the steel giants lining the streets, he fought back the overwhel his head at the insane thought, Gavin h some quarterly reports, and tried to rid the woman that could never be his from his mind

It was then that Gavin’s older brother, Colton, walked into the office

Crossing his arlared at his brother with a displeased look on his face "Where were you? Did you not receive the ?"

Colton gave Gavin a wry smile "I must say you play the roll very well, littleacross the office as aa wiseass Really, what the fuck happened?"

"Jesus, Gavin, I got hung up on the home front with Melanie and the kids Theresa and Timothy had a preschool musical"

"Why didn’t you tellback in his black leather chair He had a soft spot for his niece and nephew "I would’ve gone to see it"

Colton waved a dis "Don’t worry about it; they did just fine without Uncle Gavin" He laughed and patted Gavin on his shoulder "And I’"

Gavin snorted through his nose andsharks if the nu to theed and took a seat on the black leather couch "We have people who invest in our co for in return"

Standing up fronored his brother’s words and walked back over to the

"So are you ever going to secure an evening out with Alicia?" Colton probed

Without turning around, Gavin crossed his arms and let out a chuckle "I can’t deny that I don’t adly transition from one topic to the next, Colton"

"There’s a true compliment somewhere in that stateyou two up for a while Just coht and decide if she’d be someone ould interest you"

"I see you two are on the finding-Gavin-a-secure-relationship ain"

"Mission - not quite But I think it’s about ti his head in Colton’s direction, Gavin’s eyes lit up with raw amusement "Do you think I’hed "It’s been two years"

"Well, she definitely caused you to draw back fro-term attachments, that is" Colton rose from the couch "They’re not all the sa reasons"

Gavin’s jaw tensed almost imperceptibly "I really have no desire at all to talk about this," he said, his voice holding a warning

"Fair enough Are you coht at Mo into his suit jacket, the barest suggestion of a smile played on his lips "Yes, I’ll be there - with the exception that you anda secret date forhis keys froave an impish smirk, and walked out of the office

By the ti, he rubbed a pal wheel of his black BMW While waiting for a herd of pedestrians to cross the street, he realized he was at the corner beside the restaurant where Eht of her opening the door to leave Pinching the bridge of his nose, he conte over to say hello, but as soon as the idea entered histhe bird to the iated his way through traffic He averted his eyes to the rearview limpse of her It was then that his father’s far-fetched story about love at first sight slammed into his mind

"She’s out there, son, and when you find her, you’ll know it the very second you see her She’ll pull at your every instinct Without any regard to the natural order of things, she’ll justappear"

"This is utterly fucking hilarious," he laughed, tapping his finger on the steering wheel "I’ve got to be out of irl"

With so ht about his beliefs carefully As Manhattan’s skyline disappeared fro trees that layered upstate replaced it, he swore to hih he wasn’t quite sure if that was possible

Applying the last bit of mascara to her lashes, E door signaled Olivia’s arrival ho roo you all day," E on a pair of red heels "Why didn’t you call me back?"

Olivia tossed her purse on the couch "I left the da here" She walked into the kitchen and yanked it fro over to E hot What’s the special occasion?"

"Mine and Dillon’s nine-month anniversary He’ll be here soon," E when I got hoht You have no idea who I one when I returned" Olivia stabbed her passcode into her phone "Okay, letserious, Liv You’ll never guess, so don’t even try"

"No! I want one more shot" Olivia paused "H nowhere real fast" Ehed and sank into a seat at the table "I met the one and onlywait for itwait for itGavin Blake"

"Totally hot, right?" Olivia asked, bringing her phone up to her ear

Emily smiled "Yes, completely"

"Now adod was on point, since, if I recall correctly," Olivia tapped her finger on her chin, "when I gave you the prior ed to differ that any "

"Yes, you pretty hed "But I’m more than sure you want to hear the details of our prior s"

Olivia quickly slid her phone shut "Prior?" She crossed the rooed into a seat "You haveher elbows on the table, Eers under her chin "Let me seeoh, yeshe’s thewhile delivering the food that one day"

Olivia’s brown eyes widened, but she re from her face

Emily dropped her tone huskily "Yes, and he’s the little stalker who ca me his name and number - oh, and a pretty decent tip, too"

"Shut the front door, woman! Mr Tall, Dark, and Fuckable Handsome is Gavin?" Olivia squealed

E with me, Em? Cause if so, that’s seriously fucked up"

Leaning back in her chair, E her lips "I swear"

"You should just go out with hied "Obviously, he’s made an impression on you, and you’ve ly casual, threw Emily off "What do you mean?"

"You have this dopey, drea his bones"

"You’re joking, right?"

Olivia rose to her feet andabout the dopey look on your face, going out with hi his bones?"

"Olivia, you knohat I’ surprised that I would say any of those things, Em"

Shocked, Eainst Olivia’s door and placed her hands on her hips "Are you really serious about what you just said?"

Olivia peeled off her clothes, strolled to the bathroom, and stepped into the shower "It’s no secret how I feel about Douchebag"

"Ah, that’s right Because how you feel about my boyfriend is what matters here," Emily interposed sardonically as she walked into the bathrooive Gavin a try?" Olivia asked coolly

Eers "One, I love Dillon Two, I love Dillon And three, guess what? I love Dillon"

Oliviavoice "What’s love got to do with it?" She laughed

"You’ve completely lost it, Liv And, even if I weren’t with Dillon, you’ve killed the ever-wanting-to-entertain-Gavin-Blake opinion from my mind"

Olivia poked her head out from behind the shower curtain "How did I kill your opinion of him?"

"Letthat enters ht "Oh, and you don’t think he’s capable of staying with any woo on?"

Olivia shut the water off and stepped out of the shower Eht, that was after his fiancee, Gina, broke up with hi like that Before the infae" Olivia wrapped the towel around her body

"He was engaged?"

"Yeppers," Olivia piped back, sliding into a pair of black shorts and a white tank top "They dated for alone Packed her shit and moved out of his apartment while he was at work"

Confusion creased Emily’s brows "Why?"

"To tell you the truth, he never told my brother exactly what happened And when I’ve asked him about it, he doesn’t want to discuss it, so I have no idea," she replied, pulling herout of the drawer "But you saw hi-hot-as-sin gene He’s worth- he’s a decent guy"

"So why have you never dated him then?"

"Oh, Lord, I’ve known hi h I have the utene pool that fine piece of fuckable ass has been bathed in, I sort of look at him like an older brother It’d be way too weird"

"How long has he been friends with Trevor?"

"You sure have a ton of questions for a girl who’s not considering playing naughty," Olivia quipped

Emily dismissively waved her hand as she turned to the et in the loop here Dillon tellsabout his friends or coworkers"

"Well, if the answer you’re really seeking is if Dillon and Gavin have been friends as long as my brother and Gavin have been, the answer is no"

"Oh, for soether"

Olivia reached under the sink for the dryer, plugged it in, and turned it on high Her voice rose as she dried her golden hair "No, Trevor and Gavin went to high school together They’ve known each other longer Trevor works under Dillon at the firm; this you know"