I stepped back, in complete disbelief at his reaction. The diamond on my finger was a weight dragging me to the depths of hell, but as to answering his question…
“Fuck you,” I hissed. “That’s my answer.”
A crooked smile quirked on his lips, showing off that godforsaken dimple and taking me aback. I crossed my arms over my chest, hating what that stupid smile did to me, and the soft laugh that left him didn’t help matters.
I turned, intent on leaving him. Unsure of why I’d even followed him or why I’d thought he needed an explanation. He had been just another fuck. Nothing more.
“Asshole,” I grunted as I made my way up the steps.
“What was that?”
I stopped and faced him, five steps up. “I said you’re a fucking asshole,” I repeated.
“Why?”
“Because you are,” I said. “With your stupid smirk and dimple and ridiculous comments on something you know nothing about. I mean, who asks someone that? Especially someone that they haven’t seen in years! Not ‘congratulations’ or—“
“Would that make you feel better? If I congratulated you on an engagement that you can’t even tell me you love him?” he asked.
“I—“ A loud grunt of frustration left me, my hands curling into open fists like I could pop the air like a balloon if I tried hard enough. “Why—why—“
“Why what?”
“Why did it have to be your company?” I asked exasperatedly.
“The Fates have a weird sense of humor,” he said.
“Oh, theFates.” I rolled my eyes. “Right, Mr.Eros.” I let out a huff of annoyance, hands on my hips. “You know, I didn’t need this. Things werefine—”
“Doesn’t sound like it—“
“—getting married to a perfectly good man,” I continued, ignoring him. “Work was fine. My life wasfine—“
“You know that word basically means complacent,” he interjected.
“—just moved into a new place. Everything in the wedding is planned out—“
“And how is my showing up in your life again derailing any of this?” he asked.
My mouth snapped shut, jaw tightening.
It was a challenge.
He took one step in my direction, hands in his pockets as his eyes cascaded to the floor, then back up to mine, and I stood firm despite the wobble in my knees.
“If it was just one night, why does seeing me, now working with me… why does that change anything?” he asked.
“God, I hate you,” I muttered.
Gavin chuckled and moved closer, our faces lining up as he paused at the bottom of the steps. “Do you know what I think?”
I lifted my chin, crossed my arms, and gave him my best glare. “I am afraid to ask, but what?” I questioned.
That crooked smile was back on his perfect lips. “I think yelling at me just now made you feel more alive than the last time you had sex with him. That the reason you hate me isn’t because I’m an ass, but because you’ve thought about me as much as I have you… That seeing me again means you have to come to terms with whether being ‘fine’ is enough.”
His voice was a low rasp, throaty and sinful. I wanted to hit him as much as I wanted him to grab me by the throat and kiss me until neither of us could breathe. His face was so close to mine that one wrong gust of wind could have sent him falling into me.
“And that terrifies you,” he finished.
