“I can. Because, Em, you deserve it. It’s about damn time a man appreciates you and adores you and is obsessed with you.”
“How do you know Gavin does any of that?” I grinned.
“They’re brothers. I don’t care how different they look or how opposite they act, Gavin is a Worthington. And when a Worthington loves, they love hard.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Gavin
There was a time in my life when it hurt to smile, when the only thing that brought any happiness to my heart was my son. But even when I looked at him, the hurt was still there. Because his eyes, cheeks, the roundness of his beautiful face, and those plump lips reminded me of Sarah.
Even though the resemblance was still there, the hurt was gone.
Seven years had healed it.
And as I glanced across the table, Emily sitting opposite me in this dark, candlelit restaurant, her fingers wrapped around the stem of a wineglass, her lips glossy from whatever she had swiped over them, I couldn’t stop smiling.
A smile that wasn’t just on my lips—it owned my whole fucking face.
“New York City looks gorgeous on you.”
She fanned herself as she laughed. “Yeah? That’s what happens when you get me away from being on call and my wardrobe of scrubs. I clean up well.” She tucked a blond chunk behind her ear. “Even though I love this”—she glanced down her body at her dress—“if I didn’t have a pair of scrubs in my life, I’d miss them.”
“You would?”
The candlelight flickered across her skin, and there was plenty of that showing tonight, given that the dresses I’d bought her for this trip were sexier than what she normally wore. This evening’s was a deep blue, several shades darker than her eyes, and it showed off the curves of her body that I loved so much.
“I would.” She nodded. “I was meant to be a nurse.”
“But what if you cut back?”
Her head dropped. “Gavin . . .”
“I mean it. Do you even realize how many hours you’re putting in a week?”
She sighed. “I know.”
“Juggling your schedule is impossible. Just to come here for Maya and Jordan’s engagement party, you had to take on double shifts for next week, which means Ben and I won’t see you at all when we get back.” I leaned into the chair’s cushion, holding my scotch close.
“It’s the only way I can have it all—my bills paid, money added to my savings account every month, my—”
“I will give it all to you, Emily.” I put the glass down and held on to the edge of the table. “I’ll give you everything.”
Her mouth opened and her head shook and not a single word came out.
“You know, you still haven’t answered me about moving in.” I picked my glass back up and took a sip.
She bit her lip. “I wasn’t sure if, when you asked me, if you were really asking or if you were just suggesting or ...”
“It was an ask.” I chuckled. “And if you ask me if I’m sure, don’t. I’m more than sure. I’m fucking positive.” I winked.
She laughed. “I just ... like to be sure.”
I waited until she quieted. “Live with us, Emily. Let me buy you out of your lease. Toss everything you own or put it in a storage unit that I’ll pay for, and be with us every night and every morning. I don’twant to wake up without you anymore. I don’t care if you only spend a few days a week at your apartment—even that’s too much.”
She took a long drink of her wine, holding it in her mouth even after she set down her glass. “You love me, don’t you?”
“I do.”
