Worth the Risk

by Karen Erickson

  “Are you saying I’m not worth some ribbing from your brother?” She mock frowned.

  “Oh, you’re definitely worth it.” Their lips met in a slow, sweet kiss. “More worth it than you’ll ever know.”

  “I think I will,” she whispered. “If it’s anywhere close to how I feel about you.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The wedding was beautiful, the bride positively glowing in an off-white lace and silk gown that clung to her ample belly. The groom was dashing and serious in his dark suit, his eyes glowing with love every time he stole a glance at his bride.

  There hadn’t been a dry eye in the room.

  “Is this how you envisioned your wedding day?” Hunter asked later, after the brief ceremony.

  Gracie leaned into him, the excitement of the day leaving her weary. “I’m not quite sure how I envisioned it. But this—” she glanced about, taking in the pink and orange sky, “—this is perfect.”

  Their lips met in a perfectly synced kiss, earning an agonized groan from his younger brother sitting at the end of the table. “Enough with the smooching,” Rhett yelled.

  Hunter broke away from Gracie and sent Rhett a hard glare. “Your time will come, just you wait.”

  “Hell no, that’ll never happen. Whoops, sorry, Gracie,” Rhett apologized, looking sheepish.

  Her lips twisted, and she tried not to smile, but it was so hard. She adored Rhett. Tried her best to bring the two brothers together and slowly but surely, it was working.

  A family vacation in Maui to celebrate their wedding had been a huge step in bridging the gap between them. Perhaps the birth of their child could also bring the brothers together. Rhett was already enamored of Charlotte, Alex and Tessa’s little girl.

  “It’ll happen,” Alex piped up. He sounded rather authoritative, which was his usual mode. “If it can happen to me and Hunter, it’ll definitely happen to you.”

  Lots of good-natured ribbing passed back and forth, Tessa even tossing out a few comments as she bounced a wiggly Charlotte on her knee. Gracie watched them, thinking of the child preparing to come into the world within the next two months. Would they have a pretty little girl like Charlotte? Or a big strapping boy to carry on the Worth name?

  It didn’t matter, to her or to Hunter. All they wanted was a healthy baby they could love and spoil.

  “I love it here,” she murmured to Hunter a few minutes later, once the servers had cleared their plates. They’d chosen an exclusive restaurant nestled within the resort they stayed at, reserving a private room for the entire night so they could eat and celebrate.

  “I’m glad you like it. Maui is a beautiful island. One of Rhett’s favorite places, actually.”

  “Alex looks relaxed as well.” The suits were long gone. Most days while they’d been on the island, he wore a Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts and flip flops. She’d never heard him laugh more in his life.

  “This vacation is good for all of us. Though your nose is pretty sunburned.” He tapped her on the tip of her nose. “You need more sun block.”

  “I need a better applier of sun block,” she admonished with a grin.

  “You know what I love about this island?”

  They all turned to look at Rhett.

  “I love the way it smells,” he announced once he had their attention. “You get off the plane and it’s the first thing you notice. The heat and the scent.”

  “I noticed that too,” Gracie said.

  “See?” He pointed his empty beer bottle in Gracie’s direction. “That’s what I’m talking about. How can we capture the essence of the island in a bottle? Do you think we can?”

  “What are you getting at, Rhett?” Hunter asked.

  Gracie thought she knew. There had been plenty of strategic planning among the brothers for months over Rhett returning to New York to herald a new project. A huge and very important project Hunter believed his brother wasn’t ready for, but she wasn’t so sure.

  Rhett appeared ready—and eager—for the job.

  “That’s what I want the scent to be for Worth Luxury. Like this island.” He sniffed loudly, and Charlotte giggled. “I want the perfume to smell like Maui.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Alex said slowly, his forehead wrinkled. It appeared he was really contemplating Rhett’s suggestion. “A sophisticated Maui, if you will.”

  “Oh, Alex, do you always have to be such a stuffed shirt?” Tessa smacked him on the shoulder with a grin.

  Gracie smiled. How she adored spending time with this family. They’d embraced her with open arms. Tessa was always so gracious and thankful for another female to spend time with among the Worth males. Alex had taken on an almost fatherly role with her. Protective and full of gentle guidance, while Rhett was the younger playful brother who wanted to involve her in his mischief. Charlotte was getting so big, toddling around, her vocabulary growing with every day that passed.

  How she wished her grandmother had been able to go with them, but she decided to stay home. Not much of a flyer, she was having the time of her life now that she was fully recovered from her heart surgery, volunteering at the local bingo hall and hitting on a particular gentleman who had suddenly picked up an excessive bingo habit.

  Becky hadn’t been able to come either, though Gracie had wanted her there as her maid of honor. The animosity between her and Hunter had been squared away once everything had been explained. Becky had met a man as well—not a bingo player like Grandma—and they’d fallen in love. She was saving her vacation time for her upcoming honeymoon.

  Gracie could never begrudge her friend’s happiness.

  And then there was Hunter. Her sweet, sexy husband. She looked at him, so much love building up within her, she felt like she might explode with it.

  He took care of her, loved her with all his heart and soul. Passionate and sweet, firm and sexy, protective and thoughtful, he was the man she never knew she’d always wanted.

  “Do you think it’s a good idea for the perfume to smell like the Hawaiian islands?” Rhett asked, looking straight at her.

  “Um…” She noticed every single person had turned their attention to her, even Charlotte. “I think it’s a great idea. I’ve smelled lots of tropical-scented perfumes before, but they were always too much.”

  When she didn’t say anything else, both Alex and Rhett nodded, Alex even urging, “Go on.”

  “They were too strong, you know? You either end up smelling like a coconut or a piña colada.”

  “She’s right. There’s not much subtly when it comes to tropical scents,” Tessa added.

  “That’s what I want. Subtle, sophisticated Maui, the scent of the island breeze coming off the ocean.” A dreamy look crossed Rhett’s face. “That’s it.”

  “I know we said we wouldn’t discuss business on this trip, but I have to say this. We’ve been looking into a perfumer. I believe we’ve found someone perfect. A gentleman who’s been in the business for over forty years, his expertise is far above anyone in the field. And he’s available,” Alex said.

  “What are you saying?” Rhett asked.

  “I’m saying you should come back to New York and get started on this as soon as possible.”

  “Alex…” Hunter started, but Gracie rested her hand on her husband’s forearm. He shouldn’t interrupt. This needed to be done. It was time for Rhett to take on more responsibility and prove he was a mature, smart businessman who put Worth first.

  “I won’t let you down.” Rhett looked from Alex to Hunter. “Either of you. I promise.”

  Gracie smiled. Rhett winked at her. She believed him. She only hoped her husband did too.

  “He’s going to do a good job, you know,” Gracie said much later, long after they went back to their hotel suite. She lay cuddled up to his side as best as she could, her belly joining them. Both of them naked, their skin misted with sweat, the fan circling lazily above them cooling their heated flesh.

  Hunter especially loved the moments like this,
when they were relaxed after making love. Usually naked and sated, her head on his shoulder, his arm around her waist, talking into the night until they fell asleep.

  “Who are you talking about?”

  “Your brother. Rhett.” She slapped his chest lightly.

  “Ow.” He rubbed his chest, though it hadn’t really hurt. “I’m not so sure about that.”

  “Why do you doubt him so much? You need to relax. He won’t screw this up. He’s much more mature now. And he’s too afraid to disappoint either of you.”

  “This is a massive project. Something we’ve never even dabbled in and now we’re going to put the biggest screw up of the Worth family in charge of it? When he knows nothing about perfume?”

  “He seemed impassioned tonight. And you shouldn’t call him the biggest screw up. It’s so mean spirited.” She paused. “You’re not perfect either, you know. You’re lucky the thing with Marcus didn’t erupt into a full blown scandal.”

  Leave it to Gracie to remind him of his faults. Namely, his beef with Rhett. Oh, and his legal battle with Marcus, their now former employee. Luckily enough, it had been dropped, after many discussions among their lawyers and a severance package accompanied by a confidentiality agreement that satisfied Marcus enough to accept it. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  She lifted up on one elbow, gazing at him in wonderment. “Did you just say I’m right? And that you’re sorry? Are you okay? Sick? Or did I marry a completely different man?”

  He laughed and hauled her back into his arms. “All your harping has made me realize that I am too hard on Rhett.”

  “Harping?” She sounded offended.

  “You know what I mean.”

  It was so easy, so right between them. How the hell did he get so lucky? Not only did he find the most perfect woman in the world for him, but now he was married to her and she was going to have their baby.

  “I do.” She tilted back her head and he dipped in for a lingering kiss. “Make love to me again, Hunter.”

  He caressed her side, his hand sliding over her belly. “Are you sure? Aren’t you exhausted?”

  “I’m exhausted, but I want you. Again.” She nipped at his lower lip when he chuckled. “And it’s not a laughing matter. When the pregnant woman says she wants something, she wants it now.”

  “Then your every wish is my command,” he whispered as he rolled her onto her back.

  “I wish you to kiss every inch of my body,” she said with a light laugh.

  “As you wish.”

  And he proceeded to make every one of her wishes come true.

  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

  Print Anthologies

  Midsummer Night’s Steam: Hot Summer Nights

  Luck of the Draw

  Playing with Fire

  Tahoe Nights

  Coming Soon:

  Worth the Challenge

  Strictly business? Try telling that to her heart…

  Worth the Scandal

  © 2012 Karen Erickson

  Worth It, Book 1

  Alexander Worth, President and CEO of Worth Luxury Goods, is a man never to be crossed. His unwavering sense of responsibility to the family business requires him to always be in complete and utter control. Until it comes to Tessa Crawford.

  She’s quietly professional, shy, voluptuous…and she works for him. Which means she is the one woman he must never touch, no matter how hard his gut twists with need for her.

  After rising above her disadvantaged childhood, Tessa knows the last thing she should do is risk throwing it all away by falling into bed with her sexy boss. But on an extended European business trip, all self-imposed barriers burn away in the heat of their sizzling chemistry.

  Once back home, though, whispers of corporate espionage turn into full-blown scandal—and Tessa finds out the hard way where Alex’s loyalties lie. Determined to soldier on, she picks herself up and carries on with a secret, yet welcomed burden. Never guessing that Alex will make a reappearance in her life, ready to show her once and for all that family does, indeed, come first.

  Warning: Contains a sweet-yet-strong woman, and a bossy alpha male brought to his knees by the woman he desperately loves. Involves enough begging and groveling that the reader may be tempted to “accidentally” leave it for her significant other to “find”. For instructional purposes only, of course!

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Worth the Scandal:

  Tessa Crawford scanned the e-mail Hunter Worth’s assistant had forwarded her earlier this morning, ticking each item she’d completed off her mental list. Arrangements for the private jet had already been made by changing the passenger’s name from Hunter to Alexander Worth. She was still working on the hotel reservations, having already called two of the four hotels named in the e-mail, she’d made the necessary adjustments.

  He would be gone for ten days, taking his brother’s place on a whirlwind tour relaunching four of the newly remodeled flagship Worth Luxury stores. Ten long days without seeing his handsome face, hearing his deliciously deep voice, admiring his tall, broad form clad in his elegant suits.

  A little sigh escaped her. She would miss him terribly, which was foolish. Her childish crush on her boss could never go farther than her mind, of course. If anyone knew the depth of her feelings for Alexander Worth, she would be the laughing stock of the entire building.

  As if he paid any attention to her. He didn’t know she existed beyond keeping him on task and answering his phone calls.

  So she silently suffered. From the moment she’d first locked eyes on him, her entire body had reacted. Physically he was perfection. As she’d continued to work for him, she’d discovered he was driven, intelligent and excellent at what he did. Nothing stopped him from getting what he wanted.

  Too bad he didn’t want her.

  This was her ideal job. Since her early teens she’d loved fashion. Poring over fashion magazines, she’d dreamed of becoming a designer. But after doodling on the sketchpad she’d saved up for all those years ago, she’d realized her talent didn’t lie in design.

  So she’d taken some fashion retail and design courses in college but eventually had dropped out before receiving her degree due to lack of funds. Had found a job at one retail store in Times Square, then another, then another, until eventually she’d ended up applying for an assistant-manager position at a Worth Luxury store.

 
She got the job. Within two years she found herself working as Alexander Worth’s personal assistant.

  Tessa still couldn’t quite believe it.

  The office door swung open and out strode Hunter Worth, handsome as ever, a giant smile curving his lips. “Did my assistant e-mail you the list for the tour, Tessa?”

  “She did, Mister Worth, thank you. I’ve already started making the necessary arrangements.” She offered him a brief smile. All three of the Worth brothers were handsome, though the other two couldn’t hold a candle to Alex—at least in her eyes.

  “Perfect, considering I got Alex to agree to go only a few minutes ago.” Hunter winked at her and with a chuckle strode toward the elevator. “Have a nice weekend,” he called over his shoulder.

  Tessa swallowed hard. Hunter made her nervous. He was almost too smooth, too flirtatious, and she often wondered if he had ulterior motives.

  And then there was Rhett Worth, who didn’t have a serious bone in his body. He rarely made an appearance at Worth, didn’t even bother pretending he actually worked for his family’s business.

  But Alex…he was so compelling, so powerful. He entered a room and everyone immediately knew he was in command. He ran the company with a ruthless yet fair hand, was so incredibly serious and smart and handsome…

  “Tessa?”

  She blinked and turned in her chair to find Alex standing in front of her desk, a frown marring his face, his dark brows lowered in seeming concern. His stormy blue-gray eyes contemplated her, watched her with an intensity she found unnerving, and she swallowed hard. “Yes, sir?”

  His eyes flickered with thinly veiled annoyance. He hated that she called him sir, had asked her not to do so, but she always forgot. Since when was it a sin to have good manners? He was, after all, her boss. “You’re aware of my having to take Hunter’s place and attend to the relaunch tour, correct?”