He was proper, but not so much that she didn’t catch the fact that he didn’t trust her and wanted to get rid of her. Not just from Stella’s home but from Ethan’s life.
She studied Gavin, wondering about the animosity. He seemed like a logical type—in fact, that sort of temperament was more or less a requirement in order to be successful in investment and trading. She hadn’t had any contact with him outside the meeting in Houston. And she hadn’t been in the States for years, so she couldn’t have done anything to offend him or his friends and family…
Then again, there was her discovery of how poorly Jacob had run the family company. She hadn’t said it quite that way, but he’d been the one in charge for years. Gavin could have found her memo offensive. Not to mention, if Ethan had told Gavin her suspicions about somebody very close to the company embezzling funds, he might have considered it an attack against the family, since three Lloyds sat on the board, including Gavin himself.
“I hope it’s sooner rather than later,” Gavin said, his voice pitched low.
“Excuse me?”
He leaned in. “I don’t like having Ethan involved with someone who isn’t fully honest.”
Kerri arched an eyebrow. What was he getting at?
“And I especially don’t like such people looking at confidential information about our company.”
Did he think she was doing something illicit at The Lloyds Development? Or was he just blaming her for Jacob’s mismanagement?
“Gavin.” Ethan’s icy voice cut through her confusion. “A minute of your time.”
*
Ethan took Gavin’s arm and, as casually as possible, steered him away from the main room. If they hadn’t been gathered for the party he would’ve chewed Gavin out on the spot, but he didn’t want to ruin the festivities.
They went out to the back yard. Ethan looked around, then glared at his younger brother. “Cut it out.”
“What?”
“You’re making Kerri uncomfortable. She’s my guest.”
“Viper is more like it. I don’t trust her.”
“Why? Because her grandfather’s Barron Sterling?”
“So you admit I was right about that.”
“You were. But that doesn’t change things between Kerri and I.”
“Did she tell you about the family connection herself?” When Ethan didn’t answer, Gavin snorted. “Of course not. Why would she?”
Ethan suppressed an urge to grab his brother by the shoulders and shake him. “Gavin, listen to me. She’s not involved with Sterling & Wilson. Period.”
“She’s going to inherit the damned company. Of course she’s involved! Who the hell can ignore billions of dollars falling from the sky? Her?”
Ethan recalled the broken expression on Kerri’s face when she’d spoken of her family. “Yes.”
“You’re such a putz. A pretty woman, a pair of sad eyes, and you go all gooey. And don’t look at me like that. We all have our weaknesses.” Gavin’s lips twisted. “Myself included.”
Ethan stepped in close. “Listen to me carefully. Kerri is not Lisa. She’s nothing like Lisa. Lisa was weak. Kerri’s strong. A fighter. Understand? And she has nothing, I repeat, nothing to do with Sterling & Wilson at this point in her life.”
“Don’t let your little head do the thinking here, big brother. She’s not staying because she cares about you. She was talking about getting a job on the west coast back in the house. Doesn’t sound like she’s thinking long-term, does it? Even though you brought her here.”
Don’t let him piss you off. He’s just trying to do what he thinks is right.
Gavin always knew how to analyze everything, breaking large chunks of information into little pieces and compartmentalizing them, which was what made him good at his job. However, that same talent also occasionally made him callous. Not because he didn’t care about others, but because he didn’t take the time or effort to soften the message.
“You deserve someone better than her. Someone who’ll commit to you instead of thinking of getting a job as far away from you as possible and won’t misrepresent herself.”
“It’s my life, Gavin, and I know what I’m doing,” Ethan said between clenched teeth. His molars ached from the pressure.