Worth Everything: Worth It, Book 4

by Karen Erickson

  Stasia lifted her head to study him. “Did you hang up on Alexander Worth?”

  “Sure did.” He kept his eyes closed, his lips curving into a smile. “He deserves it.”

  “Yes. I suppose he does.” She rested her head on his chest, drew her fingers across his still sensitive skin. Her hair tickled his face and he batted it away. “But why? What did he tell you?”

  “That he was wrong.”

  “Wrong about what? Don’t make me pry it out of you, Gavin.”

  He opened his eyes, found her watching him expectantly. “I wanted to go with you today, to Alex’s. But he called and asked me not to. Said that I might interfere with their wishes to talk to you. I think he was afraid I’d lawyer up.”

  “Oh.” Sighing, she pressed her cheek to his pec. “I wish you would’ve been there. But I understand why he did it.”

  “You do?” He was surprised. Figured she would be upset.

  “Yes.” She nodded, her soft hair rubbing against his flesh. Arousal pulsed through him and he pushed it down. Would he ever get enough of her? “He was being protective of me.”

  “True.” He smoothed his hand over her head, his fingers threading through the silky strands.

  “Though I hope Alex understands what you mean to me,” she said, her voice hushed.

  “And what do I mean to you?” His heart stalled in his chest.

  She lifted her head, her expression slumberous, her eyes heated. “You mean everything to me.”

  Lifting his head, he kissed her. She opened to him, her tongue sliding against his and just like that, he wanted her.

  Desperately.

  “You mean everything to me too,” he murmured against her lips when he broke the kiss. “I promise to never take Alex’s advice again.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to go to that extreme.” She laughed. “Just…consult with me first.”

  “As your attorney?”

  “As my partner.” She smiled, gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, right.”

  “Well, in bed, I do.” She sent him a saucy wink.

  “So if I tell you to get on your hands and knees right now, you’d do it?” His cock came to life at the mere suggestion.

  Pulling away from him, she got into position, wagging her heart-shaped ass back and forth, practically in his face. “I’m ready for you.”

  Jesus. Without hesitation he went to his knees, wrapped his hands about her hips and rubbed his erection against her plush backside. “I shouldn’t want to do this. We’ve been at it for hours.”

  “You feel pretty ready.” She brushed against him, his cock sliding between her cheeks. “I’m only doing what you asked me to do.”

  He grabbed the base of his cock and slid inside her easily. She was still wet from their earlier encounter, hot and tight and he groaned as he sank deep. “Damn, you feel good.”

  She moved with him, slowly at first until she became downright frantic, bouncing against him, high-pitched whimpers escaping her with his every thrust. He grabbed her hips tight, holding her still as he pushed inside her again and again, driving them both straight into orgasmic oblivion.

  They collapsed onto the mattress, sweaty skin and limbs tangled, heavy pants and shivery skin. Pushing the damp hair away from her forehead, he kissed her there, letting his lips linger. “Love you,” he murmured.

  She snuggled close. “I love you too. Pervert.”

  “I happen to like perverts.” She’d said that to him not too long ago.

  Smiling, she kissed him. “So do I,” she whispered.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Six months later

  “You certainly know how to throw a party.”

  Stasia turned to find Rhett and Gabriella standing before her, both of them smiling, so beautiful in their evening finery. “I’m so glad you could make it tonight.” She hugged them both.

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Ella said as they drew apart from each other. “So many people are here.”

  “I know.” Nerves bounced in her stomach as she glanced around. “I hope we don’t run out of champagne.”

  “Perish the thought. Especially since we have so much to celebrate tonight.” Rhett grabbed Ella’s left hand and waved it around, the brilliant sparkle unmistakable.

  “Wait a minute.” Stasia grabbed Ella’s hand, gasping when she saw the giant diamond glittering on her ring finger. She looked at Rhett. “Oh my God, you finally asked her.”

  Rhett grinned. “I did.”

  Ella blushed and leaned against him. “He did.”

  “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.”

&nbs
p; 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:

  www.karenerickson.com

  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 thei
r 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.

  Plus it gave him time to think. Muddle over what he was doing, how risky his behavior was. Buying new clothes for Gabriella, spending time with her that had nothing to do with work, it wasn’t smart.

  Yet he didn’t want to stop.

  “I studied the brief,” she suddenly said.

  Glancing in her direction, he watched as she wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. Her slice of pizza was gone—she’d consumed it almost as fast as he’d eaten his. “The brief?”

  She nodded slowly, took a sip of her soda. “The one you gave me?”

  Hell. He looked like an idiot. “So what did you think?” In the industry, “the brief” was a sort of written concept, what they believed the perfume should be about. He’d included notes, thoughts and even a few photos, not really knowing what he was doing.