Taking Something (31 page)

Emma didn't offer a reply as she stared down the short hall to the main entrance. Not even a giggle. It was far from my best joke, but she didn’t even crack a smile.

Damn. Tough crowd.

I let my gaze follow the path her wide eyes were casting straight past me and felt my knees go weak when I saw what—make that who—had captured her attention. Wasn't every day a celebrity walked into your office. Shock threatened to split me in two. I didn't think I'd ever see her again. Especially after the way things had ended between us.

What is she doing here?

It was short-lived. As soon I had her standing only few feet from me, she turned on her heels and was gone.

“Was that who I think it was?” Emma asked.

“That's exactly who you think it was,” I confirmed, heading straight out the door she'd just run out of, my heart speeding with my step.
Gia Greyson.

I
CAUGHT
up to her as she was stepping inside the elevator and shaking her head. I had followed on her heels, and by the time she turned around to push the button, I was standing next to her.

“Not even gonna say hello?” I asked. It was the first of many questions I wanted to ask.

“I was really hoping you'd just let me leave,” she answered as the doors closed, keeping her head down to hide the blush on her cheeks.

“Seriously? You know how much fun we have in elevators,” I said, trying to get her to lose the look of embarrassment on her face.

“I shouldn't have come here. I…I should have just called or emailed,” she replied, never looking up at me.

“Gia,” I said, turning to face her. I slipped my hand under her chin and tipped her head up. “Look at me.” Something had made her come see me, and I sure as hell wasn't letting her go without finding out exactly what it was.

“I shouldn't have come here,” she repeated after finally looking at me. I'd missed staring into her brown eyes even more than I’d thought. “I can't keep messing up your life.”

“What are you talking about?” I was confused. In no way had she messed up my life. She'd done a number on my heart, but I wouldn't change a single thing that had happened between us. Well, except for the part where I let her get away. Oh, and the whole Sadie thing. It wouldn't happen again. I wouldn't let her go this time. “Come on.”

I hit the button to open the elevator doors and linked my hand in hers, tugging her back into the lobby she'd failed to escape.

“Hold my calls, Emma,” I said as we walked past her and into my office. I turned to face her once we were inside and waited for her to speak.

There were so many things that I wanted to say—to do—as the door closed behind her, leaving us alone for the first time since that night at the party. She looked incredible, her hair shiny, smooth, and cut a little shorter than before. It wasn’t the wild mess of waves or pulled up how she usually wore it. Dressed in a sleek pair of black pants, a classic white button-up and a pair of heels, she had all kinds of inappropriate images running through my head. Her brown eyes were perfectly lined, her lips slicked in gloss. She looked like she’d just stepped off a magazine cover. I just stared. Like an idiot. All the things I'd told myself I'd say to her if I ever saw her again went right out the window.

“Hello,” she said, nervously tucking her hands in her pockets.

“Hi,” I muttered back. “You look great.”

“You too.” She smiled. “I kind of miss the tattoos though,” she confessed, looking at my long sleeves.

“They're still there.” I chuckled nervously, the tension between us full of the unsaid. I swallowed my insecurities and started asking questions. “Care to explain why you're here?”

“I…I'm here…” She bit at her lip before taking in a deep breath. “I made a mistake just showing up.” If she was here to remind me that she thought us being together was a mistake, she could just turn around and go. I'd had a hard enough time dealing with her telling me that the first time. I didn't need a refresher course. I felt my eyes narrow as I stared at her, trying to figure out what she wanted from me. “I should have considered the fact that you might have moved on.”

“Moved on?” I had no idea what she was talking about. I couldn't have moved on it I’d tried.

“I saw you talking to your receptionist,” she said. It figured that the first time I tried to have a conversation with a woman would bite me in the ass. “It was selfish of me to assume that you wouldn't be seeing other people.”

“A friendly conversation,” I insisted. “It's kind of hard for me to think about seeing someone else when all I can do is think about you,” I confessed. “Why are you here, Gia?” I was optimistic that her showing up wasn't a mistake. In fact, I was pretty sure that, by the way she was acting, she'd been thinking about me as much as I'd been thinking about her.

“I was hoping that I could get a do-over?” she asked, her lips curling into a hopeful grin.

“A do-over?” I was confused. She stepped toward me, reaching out her hand and pushing back a piece of hair from my face. I shook my head, not because I didn't want her to touch me, but because I just couldn't believe she was here.

“Sorry,” she apologized.

“Don't be,” I told her. “I'm just not sure what to think. I thought things were over between us. You told me that you didn't want to be with me.”

“I know, and I was lying. It wasn't that I didn't want to be with you, Nick. I didn't want to be the reason that you walked away from your dream job. Every time you talked about music, you seemed so happy. I didn't want you to regret giving it all up for me.”

“Well, I did walk away from it because of you,” I informed her. “But I don't for one second regret it and it's not for the reasons you think.” This time I moved to stand in front of her. Reaching down and grabbing her hands in mine, I laced my fingers between hers. “I gave it up because you made me realize what was important. What makes me happy.
You.
I love music, but I love you more.”

“Why did things have to get so complicated?” she asked, staring up into my eyes. I wanted to press my lips to hers and show her how uncomplicated things could be between us, but maybe that was not what she’d meant when she said that she wanted a do-over.

“It was my fault,” I assured her. “I made some big mistakes. I regret a lot of things, but I don't regret meeting you.”

“No?”

“Absolutely not,” I confirmed. As soon as I did, she pulled her hands from mine and took a step back.

“Good.” She extended her hand to me. “Hi,” she smiled, “I'm Gia Grayson.”

I pursed my lips and stared at her for second before deciding to just go with it. “Nick Kline.” I reached out and shook her hand.

She continued. “So the reason I'm here today, Mr. Kline,” she snickered, “is because, I'm not sure if you've heard, but I recently signed a deal with Westwood Records and I'm looking for a producer.”

Say what?

I was as surprised by her announcement as I was about her showing up in my office that day.

“It's true. I've been making some changes in my life. Starting with going after some things I’ve wanted but thought I couldn't have—namely a guy that despite my best efforts I fell head over heels in love with.” I wasn't sure if she was talking about her music or me. “Anyway, I've heard you're the best and I'm really interested in working with you.”

“Ahhh, you've heard I'm the best, huh?” I teased, kind of enjoying the little charade. “And who, Miss Grayson, told you that?”

“A little bird,” she claimed. “Same little bird that kept saying you and I deserved a second chance to make it right.”

“Do I know this little bird?” I was intrigued. More than that, I wanted to call up this bird and thank him or her.

“You might. He's at home with his daughter right now so that I could come out here and see you.”

Of course. Landry.
My new best friend.

“He also wanted me to tell you that, if you agreed to work on my album, as soon as we are finished, you're working on his.”

I nodded, taking it all in. I wanted to say yes, but then I remembered where I was. Chicago was my home. My family was here. The idea of going back to LA, even with Gia, scared me. “One condition,” I offered. “What would you say to recording the album here?”

“Didn't I tell you how much I love this city?”

“Now that you mention it, I do recall you saying something about missing the seasons,” I noted. “Miss Grayson, looks like you've got yourself a producer.” I extended my hand back to shake on our agreement.

Tucker was going to kill me when I told him I was leaving a job I'd just started, but then again, he and Lila had been adamant about me getting back out there and finding someone. Except…Gia hadn't said anything about us being together. Just working together. I started to get nervous until I saw her smile and shake my hand.

“So, I know we just agreed to work together…and this might seem fast, but I was wondering when you were going to ask me out.” An ornery little smirk tugged at her lips.

“I don't know… I'm making it a point not to get involved with people I work with,” I teased, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her body to mine. The feel of her curves against me sent my blood pumping in overdrive. Every part of me wanted to hold her tight and never let her go.

“Looks like I'll have to get someone else to produce my record then because, despite my best efforts, I'm kind of in love with you.” She giggled, pressing her lips to mine.

L
EANING OVER
the vanity to get closer in the mirror, I secured the back on one of the gorgeous emerald earrings I was wearing. The jeweler who had dropped them off to me earlier that morning had made me sign a waiver taking complete responsibility if I somehow lost or damaged one. I almost hadn’t signed when I saw the one-hundred-thousand-dollar price value, but I had taken a deep breath and picked up the pen. I was going to the Grammy Awards—as a nominee. I guessed I was going to have to get used to playing the part.

I could hear Audrey's voice coming from the bathroom. She sounded like a little adult. I swore she was eight going on eighteen.

“You're wearing the navy jacket, right?” she asked Nick. “It matches Mom's dress the best. You do not want to end up on the worst dressed list,” she advised. I walked closer to the door to hear his response.

“Of course I'm wearing the blue one. It's not like I have much of a choice,” he replied, referring to the fact that Audrey had become quite the little fashionista as of late. She'd been spending a lot of time with Lila, and her opinions on fashion had been rubbing off on her. It was like living with a mini stylist. “But tonight's about your Mom, not me. They probably won't even look at me.”

It had been two years since I’d shown up at his office and asked him to produce my first album and give our relationship another chance.

Luckily for me, he’d said yes to both. I couldn't believe I'd almost let him go. Looking back on it, I was a little unsure about most things then. Now, I'd figured out what I wanted out of life and I didn't let anything—or anyone—stand in my way.

Nick had said I'd changed him, but it went both ways. Somehow we'd balanced each other’s flaws. He was much more relaxed and let things happen the way they should happen. I was, well… I was a bit more aggressive about getting what I wanted and done letting everyone else dictate the way my life played out.

“Well then, why do you keep fixing your hair?” Audrey asked. I peeked around the corner to see her with her little head tilted to the side and a sassy smirk on her face, her hands adorably placed on each of his shoulders as she sat on the counter in front of him.

“Just in case,” he chuckled, leaning forward to place a kiss on her forehead. “You know, it’s not every day I get to take the hottest woman on the planet out on a date. Can’t be looking like a bum next to her.”

I’d watched Nick and Audrey become closer, and every day I thanked my lucky stars that I'd found someone who loved her—and me—as much as he did.

“Oh, I'm sure they'll be looking at you,” I piped up.

The two of them turned to face me.

“You're really good arm candy and you do have great hair.” I grinned proudly.