“That’s not it, Dom.” I tried to push past him, but my brother could be a stubborn ass when he wanted to be, and he held his ground.
“That’s exactly it, and you know it. You’ve spent so long trying to make sure you get everything set before you let yourself fall for someone… if the woman’s worth your attention, she’s going to stick with you whether you have all those extra zeros in your bank account or not.”
“You want me to say I like Blakely? Fine, I like her. I like her a lot. But she deserves better.”
“You think someone’s going to be able to love her better than you?”
The question sliced through me like he’d whipped out a knife and stabbed it into my chest. Thinking of Blakely nestled in someone else’s arms, pressing kisses against another man’s lips, or fuck… letting another man take her the same way I had… made me see red.
My fingers curled into fists and my muscles tensed. Even though it was too soon for feelings so deep to develop between us, I couldn’t deny what I felt for her.
“What are you going to do, Kellan?” He studied me, his head cocked to the side, his gaze drilling into mine.
I glared at him, a mixture of anger and relief bubbling through my chest. “The only thing I can.”
13
BLAKELY
Ichecked my coat and made my way to the entrance of the ballroom. Huge, glittery snowflakes hung from the ceiling. They slowly twisted on clear filament, sending dots of light scattering around the room like dozens of rotating disco balls. Gio spotted me from halfway across the room. His eyes lit up, and a sly grin spread across his lips. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other as he said something to the guys standing next to him, then headed my way. I’d hoped to have a drink or two under my belt before I had to face him, but it was like he’d been waiting for me to arrive so he could pounce. I braced myself for his condescending attitude.
“Blakely, so glad you were able to make it after all.” Gio leaned close and air kissed both of my cheeks.
I gritted my teeth while pasting on a patronizing smile. “It’s amazing how easy it is to change plans when you find out your job depends on it.”
Gio ignored the dig. “So, where’s this mystery man you’ve been hiding?”
“He’s hardly a mystery man.” I scoffed, trying to downplay how much Kellan had come to mean to me in such a short time.
“Then where is he?” Gio glanced around, spreading his arms wide and raising his voice. “Is he parking the car or did he have to stop at the little boys’ room on his way in?”
“Stop it, Gio,” I hissed. “We broke up this afternoon.”
“Well, isn’t that convenient?” His lips curled into a smirk.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shook his head. “I never believed you’d find someone to replace me, let alone that fast. Come on, Blakely, admit it.”
“Admit what?” I didn’t like the smug look on his face. Didn’t like his face in general, at least not any more. Before he got caught up in climbing his dad’s version of the corporate ladder, we’d had some good times. Obviously, those were long gone.
Gio took a step toward me. “I know you were crushed when we broke up. You didn’t have to go to the trouble of making up a fake boyfriend, though.”
“That’s not what happened.” I backed away from him, trying not to draw attention.
“Let’s not make a scene here.” Gio reached for my hand but caught my wrist instead. “We need to talk. Somewhere private.”
Before I could react, he tugged me out of the ballroom and toward the coat closet. The staff member who’d been checking coats earlier was gone. Once he pulled me into the closet, he pressed me up against the wall.
“What are you doing?” I wedged my palms between us and tried to push him away.
“If you wanted to make me jealous, it worked.” His breath reeked of whiskey and something full of garlic. “I didn’t know how much I’d miss you until my dad made me end things between us. And I’ve missed you, Blakely.”
My stomach clenched. I’d suspected Gio’s dad was behind our break up. He’d do anything to save the family business, including sacrificing his son’s future to secure a profitable business merger.
“It’s been killing me to pretend I don’t care about you any more.” He brushed the hair away from my cheek.
I turned my head, expecting a sense of victory to settle in my chest since he’d admitted he still had feelings for me, but the only thing I felt for him was pity. “Let go of me.”