Page 30 of Fierce-Gabe

She shrugged.

She’d made a fool of herself acting that way. The last thing she wanted was it to ever get back to her father what she’d done. She didn’t want her father to think she was a slut. That she was sleeping with random men. None of those things.

But when Gabe said his name to her, she recognized it right away. She’d been working with her father in the offices for a few years. Though the McCarthys didn’t have their business in Durham, it wasn’t that far away in Raleigh. Gabe grew up in Morrisville, which was in between Durham and Raleigh. It’s not like they went to school together. She’d have no idea who he was if she never met him. Or heard his name.

“And then when you sought me out the next day, you’re the one that freaked.”

“I sought you out because I wanted to see if you were okay,” he said.

“And you saw me in jeans and a T-shirt and no makeup on. You heard my roommate laughing that she had to all but beg me to dress up and wished I did it more.”

She was glad she didn’t talk to Sandra anymore. She never thought she’d fall for peer pressure, but she had that night.

In her mind everyone was to blame, including herself.

“What do you want from me?” he said. “I didn’t even think much of it until your roommate said you always were casual. I thought you were just out playing games that night.”

Which she had been, but he didn’t know and wouldn’t understand. It wasn’t anything against him. Or even aimed at him.

It could have been any guy with a sexy voice singing and paying attention to her.

But it happened to be him.

“And then you accused me of all sorts of things,” she said. “You made me feel about an inch tall.”

“I apologized multiple times. Do you know how many girls I’ve had throwing themselves at me between my looks, my family name and my singing?”

“Now you’re just bragging,” she said. Her lips curled into a smirk. She wanted to laugh but tried to hold it back.

He held his finger and thumb up in a pinch. “Maybe a little. But it’s the truth. I told you that.”

“I get it,” she said. “I’ve got a name and family money too.”

“I know you do. I think that was part of why I felt I could relax around you,” he said. “You brought me a beer. You sang with me. I was positive you knew who I was.”

“Well, I didn’t,” she said. “And it’s in the past. We both went our own way. Nothing was going to come out of that night other than what had.”

He snorted. “You made it so,” he said and stood up.

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“It means a guy can only take so much of being knocked down. I tried back then to make amends. I’ve tried for a few years. I get it. We got off on the wrong foot and there is no catching our balance. Maybe rather than hating me for something stupid we did in our youth, you can put it behind you and be mature so that we can at least do business together.”

Her jaw dropped when he said those words.

She’d never seen him lose his temper or patience with her since the next day when he sought her out. That was it.

She nodded her head, glad she was in the shadow because she was positive her eyes were filling with tears.

He was one hundred percent correct, but she couldn’t find her voice to say it.

10

NOTHING IS SIMPLE

Gabe was watching football on New Year’s Day alone.

For a guy that never got mad at much he had the urge to put his fist through the wall.

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