Worth Everything (27 page)
“I’m so happy for you.” She wrapped her arms around both of them as best she could, squeezing them tight. “Congratulations.”
“Hey now, this is your night.” Rhett extracted himself from Stasia’s grip. “We can properly celebrate our good news later.”
“Tessa is planning a huge engagement party. Considering she believes herself responsible for our getting together and all.” Ella rolled her eyes and laughed.
Stasia smiled, suddenly feeling wistful. They were such a wonderful couple and so perfect for each other. She could almost be jealous of them.
Almost.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Gavin appeared at her side, hooking his arm around her waist and pulling her in close. “You two look a little too happy.”
“They’re officially engaged,” Stasia told him.
“Ah, congrats. That’s awesome.” Reaching out, Gavin shook Rhett’s hand, then released his hold on Stasia so he could give Ella a quick hug. “When’s the date?”
“We haven’t made it yet. One step at a time, you know?” Rhett tugged at his collar, looking a little nervous, which made them all laugh.
“I understand, man,” Gavin said in sympathy, turning to Stasia. “You’re supposed to speak in ten minutes. Let’s get you closer to the stage.”
They said their goodbyes, and she let Gavin lead her to where the stage was set up at the other side of the room. The place was crowded, people stopping her as they walked past, eager to talk about her new jewelry line, exclaiming over particular pieces and offering their general congratulations.
Stasia had never been so excited—or nervous.
“They love you,” Gavin murmured close to her ear when they stopped at the foot of the stage. “I knew they would.”
“They might not love me after I make a fool of myself in front of everyone.” She pulled her hand from his and rubbed her clammy palms together. She was a wreck. It was one thing to play at home and design jewelry for herself and her friends and family or to consult on lines, as she’d been doing when she was with Renaldi.
It was quite another to put all of those pieces on public display and sell them to the world.
Thankfully, Matteo and Rafe helped finance her fine jewelry line, separate from Renaldi Accessories. And Worth Luxury had featured her work with their latest collection, selling limited edition pieces in their stores. Her jewelry was designed in fourteen-karat gold, delicate, fanciful pieces that appeared fragile. Dainty. But they were stronger than they looked.
Much like their creator, Gavin had teased her more than once.
“You’re going to be amazing. Have faith in yourself.” He kissed her. A deep, delicious kiss that made her toes curl, her head spin. When he finally broke away, a satisfied smile curved his lips and the sight of it weakened her knees. “I think Rhett and Ella are on to something.”
She frowned. “What?”
“Their engagement. It’s not a bad idea.”
“What’s not a bad idea?” She was confused, still a little dazed after that delicious kiss.
He rolled his eyes. “Getting married.”
Realization dawned. “If this is your way of asking me to marry you, you’re doing a terrible job of it.”
“That’s because you don’t make it easy.” He shook his head, lifting his gaze to study the stage. “I think they’re ready for you.”
Turning, she found Alex gesturing for her to come up onto the stage. “I guess I should go.” She pointed at Gavin. “But you’re not off the hook.”
He held his hands up in front of him, chuckling when she shoved at his broad shoulder before walking on stage.
Alex waited for her with a smile, looking extraordinarily handsome in his formal suit. Their relationship had healed and was now forging into new territory—working together. She admired Alex’s business acumen, his sharp intelligence and innovative ideas. Fortunately, Alex and Matteo worked well together, though Matt had been distracted lately, what with Lucia’s mysterious illness. No one knew what was wrong with his wife, but thankfully, Alex stepped in where he could.
Slowly but surely, she was forging a bond between both of her families.
She nervously clutched her hands together while Alex introduced her and her jewelry line. Smiled when he said such kind things about her designs, blushed when he took it even more personal and said what a blessing it was to have her in his life. How fortunate he and his brothers were to call her their sister.
If he’d kept talking, she might have cried. Thank goodness, he stopped.
Sniffling discreetly, Stasia took the mic from him and once the crowd stopped applauding, she began to talk.
“I want to thank you all for coming here tonight and celebrating the launch of my new jewelry line with me. I wish my brothers were with me this evening, but Rafael and Vincenzo are in Italy at the moment, and Matteo had a family emergency which prevented him from attending. They are truly missed.
“I want to thank my new brothers Alex, Hunter and Rhett, for their encouraging support.” She smiled when she heard Rhett give a shout of approval. “And I want to thank the women in their lives. Tessa, Gracie and Gabriella, for being such wonderful friends and loving sisters of my heart.”
Pausing, she gazed out at the crowd, saw everyone watching her with smiles on their faces. She was in a room full of support, of love and acceptance and her heart felt incredibly full. She glanced down, saw Gavin standing front and center, his eyes sparkling, his expression full of pride. Love flowed through her, warm and pure, and she suddenly knew what she had to do.
“But most of all, I want to thank Gavin for picking me up when I was down, for encouraging me no matter what and for loving me through the good times and the bad.” His gaze met hers and she choked back the tears that threatened. “You are my everything. I love you so much and I want you to be in my life forever.”
Gavin tilted his head, a little furrow forming between his brows. “Stasia?” he mouthed.
She nodded, a single tear winding a damp path down her cheek. “Will you marry me, Gavin?”
The entire crowd erupted in applause and laughter, more than a few people yelling for an answer, including Rhett, who hollered at the top of his lungs. She stood on the stage, still alone, feeling incredibly vulnerable, waiting for a reaction from Gavin.
Her man appeared more than a little stunned.
“Gavin.” She waved her hand at him, handing the mic to an equally shocked Alex who stood nearby. “Don’t leave me up here alone.”
Snapping out of it, he grinned and ran up to join her on stage, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. “You stole my thunder, baby,” he murmured. “Shouldn’t I be the one who asks you to marry me?”
She laughed, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You were botching it up pretty bad earlier.”
“It was my first go-around. You have to give a guy a break.” Slowly, he pulled her in closer, until she was in his arms, his hand cupping the back of her head as he tilted his face to hers. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“You need to give me an answer.” She pointed at the crowd, who were still clapping and yelling their encouragement. “Don’t embarrass me in front of everyone.”
“Never.” He kissed her. Another one of those bone-melting, brain cell stealing kisses and she wrapped her hands around his neck, held on for dear life until finally he lifted his head and smiled at the crowd. Alex offered the mic, which Gavin took. “My answer is yes.”
The shouts started anew, white and gold balloons falling from a net attached to the ceiling. Stasia laughed and shook her head, clinging to Gavin as if she would never let him go. “Where did the balloons come from?” she asked Alex.
Alex shrugged. “Tessa wanted to do it. Now I’m glad she did.” He turned to the crowd. “This moment calls for champagne.”
The waiters scurried madly, the guests crowded the front of the stage but Stasia didn’t care. She could only stare into the eyes of the man she loved.
“You surprise me on a daily basis,” Gavin whispered close to her ear, then kissed her neck, his lips hot.
She shivered and smiled, nestled her face close to his. “That’s a good thing right?”
Pulling away, he studied her, his mouth curved in that sexy smile she adored, his green eyes glowing. “It’s definitely a good thing.”
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:
Blog:
karenerickson.blogspot.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:
The Renaldis
Temporary Arrangement
Tempted by Her Boss
Kidnapping His Bride
Print Anthologies
Playing With Fire 2
Together, they’re magic. Now to capture it in a bottle…
Worth the Challenge
© 2012 Karen Erickson
Worth It, Book 3
For once in his errant life, Rhett Worth is ready to prove to his older brothers he’s more than good looks and a woman-melting smile. Except he’s screwed up. And it’s about to hit the fan as he prepares to tell them he’s failed to deliver the master perfumer, Michel Durand, to create Worth Luxury’s signature scent.
Then salvation walks through the boardroom door, all wrapped up in a petite, seductive package.
Gabriella Durand is prepared to beg the Worths to give her capricious father another chance. Instead, she finds the devastatingly handsome Rhett Worth offering it to her as if he’d planned it all along. And Gabriella, hungry to emerge from her father’s shadow, jumps at it.
Soon they’re in Maui to hunt for the perfect scent…and find it in the tropical breeze that washes across their entwined bodies. Now the pressure is on to capture that passion in a bottle—before they let love complicate the delicate mix. Before a whiff of betrayal threatens to destroy everything.
Warning: The last of the Worth brothers, he’s the wildest one of all. Expect lots of challenges, much yearning, plenty of vulnerabilities revealed—and lots of macho Alpha behavior on the hero’s part. Don’t worry, though. He’ll be begging for the heroine’s love before the end, we guarantee it.
Enjoy the following excerpt for
Worth the Challenge:
He liked her laugh. She didn’t hold back. Let it burst forth in all of its joyful glory. He’d been stunned when he first saw her, her transformation was that dramatic. New hairstyle, new clothing, she wore makeup…
Studying her a little more closely, he realized the cosmetics were lightly applied, merely emphasizing her beauty rather than making it. The outfit flattered her slender figure and the haircut was a mere trim, controlling what he’d once thought of as unruly.
Tessa had polished a diamond in the rough. And now she shone so bright, Rhett was more than a little dazzled.
They’d gone to a pizza joint close by, each of them ordering a giant slice and a soda. They sat side by side at the crowded counter, too busy eating to talk and besides, the place was too loud, it was so packed with customers.