Worth the Challenge (28 page)

“Go on.” He inclined his head, clasping hold of Ella’s hand. She’d gone stiff at Stasia’s comment and he wondered if Stasia Renaldi’s news had anything to do with Michel Durand.

Ella hadn’t spoken to her father in months, not since that fateful day in Rhett’s office. Rhett hated that their relationship had deteriorated, felt he played a large part in it, but she reassured him she needed time to heal before she would resume communication with her father, which Rhett gave her. He understood family troubles.

And he’d give her everything she could ask for, he loved her so much.

“You really want to discuss this here? In the middle of a party?” Stasia’s voice lowered. “It’s a very private matter.”

“Then let’s take it somewhere else.” Irritated, not wanting to deal with it, he led the women to a more secluded corner where very few people mingled about. “Is this better?”

“It will do,” Stasia retorted, her gaze sparking with fire. “I don’t know quite how to tell you this.”

“Just spit it out,” he suggested. “I’m sure it can’t be that bad.”

“Michael Worth is my real father, which means I am your half-sister,” she blurted. “There. I spit it out.”

Shock washed over him, riveting him in place. He gaped, tried to find the right words but nothing came out.

“We should find Alex and Hunter,” Ella murmured close to his ear. “Don’t you think?”

“Uh, yeah. But not right now.” He glanced at Ella, saw the worry and concern in her eyes and he squeezed her hand. “I don’t want to bring this to them tonight. Not like this.”

“I am so sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you. I only just discovered the news myself. I am in a state of disbelief.” Stasia was rambling, her expression frantic, her hands fluttering about.

Ella went to her, wrapping her arm around the woman’s—his sister’s?—shoulders. “Why did you choose to tell Rhett? I’m surprised you didn’t go to Alex. Or even Hunter.”

“The other Worth brothers, they intimidate me. You have always been friendlier to me, easier to approach.” Stasia pointed at him. “You don’t look so friendly now.”

“You’ve given me the shock of my life. How do you expect me to look?”

Ella glared at him before shooting a sympathetic look at Stasia. “Perhaps you can come to Rhett’s office first thing Monday and fill them in with the details of how you discovered this—shocking news.”

“Yes, yes, that sounds good. Thank you so much for your understanding.” The woman briefly clung to Gabriella, looking lost and…scared.

He was proud yet again of Gabriella in that moment. How she took over, took care of this woman who burst in on his party and declared herself his long-lost half-sister. It made no sense. Yet Ella acted as if this sort of thing was common, as if she knew exactly how to handle it, which she did.

How had he become so lucky to call this woman his?

She told him to mingle while she found the obviously distraught Stasia a cab. He walked about the party, greeting everyone, agreeing the perfume was a marvel, a shocking scent worthy of endless praise. All the while, he missed Gabriella. He believed he was in a state of shock himself. What the hell were they going to do about this new revelation? What would his brothers say? What would this do to the family dynamic? Would Anastasia Renaldi want a piece of the Worth fortune? Was she a complete liar looking to cash in on a fortune? Try and discover their trade secrets? Nothing was sacred in this business. Everyone was cutthroat and he couldn’t put it past her. He didn’t even know her.

Whatever might happen, he knew everything would work out eventually, as long as he had his woman by his side.

Finally, after at least forty-five minutes, Gabriella reappeared at his side, whispering she’d taken care of everything. Hugging her close, he led her to the same private alcove they’d gone to earlier with Stasia.

“What did she say?” he asked when they were alone.

“Nothing much. She rattled on and on and grew very upset and I had to calm her down. She told me she discovered this yesterday, during the reading of her father’s will. Giorgio Renaldi died only a week ago, you know.”

“I know.” The designer’s health had been bad for quite a while, so the news hadn’t been very surprising. “But how the hell could she be my sister?”

“She doesn’t quite understand it either. Her mother is in seclusion somewhere in Italy and won’t speak to her. Claudia Renaldi won’t speak to any of the family.” Ella reached for him, stroking her hand down his chest. “It sounds like a complicated mess.”

“Hell.” Rhett ran a hand through his hair, blew out a frustrated breath. “I need to tell Alex and Hunter.”

“Tomorrow. I think that’s best.” She smiled and drew him in close. “She gave me her phone number. She mentioned she preferred meeting first thing, since she’s leaving for Italy later in the morning.”

“She’s rather bossy,” he muttered.

“Well, that
is
a Worth trait…”

He sighed. “I can’t even joke about that right now.”

“I’m sorry.” She kissed him on the cheek, her hands pressed to his chest. Soothing him, anchoring him as well. “It’s going to be all right.”

“It will be as long as I have you with me.” He pressed a kiss to her lips, lingering, tasting. Savoring her. “I love you, Gabriella,” he murmured, overwhelmed with his love for her.

“I love you, too.” She wound her arms around his neck, nuzzled her cheek against his. “Take me home, Rhett.”

“Gladly.”

About the Author

Karen Erickson has always loved the written word. From being one of the best readers in her kindergarten class to penning romantic stories that never ended about her favorite band members (Duran Duran) in high school, she always wanted to write. It just took her a while to seriously pursue it.

With the birth of her third child came a realization—it’s one thing to talk about writing a book, another thing entirely to actually do it. She’s been published since 2006.

Karen’s a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband, three children, one dog and too many cats.

To learn more about Karen, visit her online:

www.karenerickson.com

Blog:
karenerickson.blogspot.com

Group Blog:
www.smutketeers.com

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/karenericksonwritesromance

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/karenerickson

Look for these titles by Karen Erickson

Now Available:

Spontaneous

Jesse’s Girl

Fortune

Fortune’s Deception

Fortune’s Promise

Fortune’s Chance

Playing with Fire

Forbidden

Tangled

Scandalous

Notorious

Fated

Under My Umbrella

Baby, Don’t Lose My Number

Simple Twist of Fate

Tahoe Nights

My Favorite Mistake

End of Days

Neon Chaos

Worth It

Worth the Scandal

Worth the Risk

Worth the Challenge

Print Anthologies

Midsummer Night’s Steam: Hot Summer Nights

Luck of the Draw

Playing with Fire

Tahoe Nights

Coming Soon:

Worth It

Worth Everything

The Renaldis

Temporary Arrangement

Tempted by Her Boss

How to make a strong man fall hard? Refuse him.

Worth the Risk

© 2012 Karen Erickson

Worth It, Book 2

Hunter Worth lives life to the absolute fullest. As vice president and head of brand marketing for Worth Luxury Goods, he’s brought his family’s business firmly into the twenty-first century.
 
Ruthless yet charming, he’s now set his sights on the sexiest member of the marketing team. First thing on his agenda? Seduction.

Gracie Hayes needs her job at Worth—and she’s not about to let the gorgeous owner and her direct boss distract her—again. Orphaned, and with a rough childhood behind her, she’s worked too hard to compromise everything for a fling, no matter how tempting. Independent, strong and resourceful, she will fight off Hunter. She has to.

Flirting, stolen kisses, a few nights of scorching hot sex…Hunter has all that in mind and more with the delicious Gracie. He never figures he’d fall in love or that she’d deny him. How will Hunter convince Gracie he’s the one for her?

Warning: Contains yet another one of those sexy, bossy Worth brothers, though this one is too full of charm for his own good. Watch as he falls hard—and watch as she tries her hardest to dodge his every attempt at seduction.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Worth the Risk:

“You’re quite the dancer, Hayes.” Amusement filled his voice as usual. He almost always called her by her last name, did so to the entire marketing team.

“Um, thank you.” His compliment surprised her, and she wondered if he was just being nice. Feeling suddenly shy, she thought it best if she kept her gaze trained on his chest. Bet if she tilted her head back and looked into his blue eyes, they would be sparkling with humor.

He was always full of effortless charm, though it had dimmed some temporarily after the events of last year, when he’d found out the vice president of marketing, the man he trusted above all else with the exception of his brothers, had been selling business secrets to Worth Luxury’s direct competitors.

Anyone would have a tough time recovering from that.

Lately though, and especially tonight, he was more like his old self. Smiling and laughing and full of flirtatious banter, drop-dead gorgeous in the tuxedo he wore. He was the perfect best man to stand beside his brother.

She’d never been to such an extravagant reception before. The wedding of the season, the society pages called the marriage between Alex and his former assistant Tessa Crawford.

The ceremony had been lovely. Simple and quiet with sweetly worded vows and the couple shooting each other such heated looks of love, Gracie was surprised the altar hadn’t burst into flame.

They danced in each other’s arms now, Tessa and Alex. Swaying to the music, Tessa’s head resting on her husband’s shoulder, her bare arms looped around his neck. Alex held her just as possessively, his hands splayed across Tessa’s back, his fingers stroking her exposed skin. They looked like they couldn’t get enough of each other.

A wistful thread of longing wound itself around Gracie’s heart yet again, and she sighed. To be loved so completely was something she’d foolishly wished for when she was a young girl. She’d never really had anyone close to her in her life and people always wanted what they couldn’t have.

Now she was too scared to let anyone get close enough.

“Are you all right?” he asked.
 

She wondered if he’d heard her sigh. Great.

Nodding, she finally dared to look up at him. What she saw took her breath away.

It was bad enough working with Hunter day in and day out. That one moment in his arms lingered in her mind, always popping up at the most inappropriate times. Being this close to him again, seeing his cheeks faintly shadowed with stubble, the faded scar on his chin, those firm yet sensuous lips that knew just how to stun her silent, it was too much. His nearness immobilized her.

Which promptly caused him to step directly on her foot.

Wincing, she pressed her lips together and saw the realization dawn across his handsome face. “Shit, I’m sorry, Gracie.”

“It’s all right. No big deal.” She smiled bravely, though it felt more like a gritting of teeth. What else could she do? Curse out her boss for nearly breaking her toes? Her feet were already killing her from the super-high stilettos she wore. From the new Worthwhile line, they were a sparkly gold that her inner girly-princess couldn’t resist. Employee discounts were the best.

Luckily enough, she had some restraint or she’d be flat broke but dressed in style.

Did she wear the shoes to impress him? He was, after all, a leg man. She knew this because he’d confessed it during their brief interlude. One hand buried in her hair, the other halfway up her skirt, his hot breath giving her the shivers as he murmured in her ear.

Your legs drive me wild.

The memory popped up at the most inappropriate times.