All that it took to make my thick outer walls start to crumble, was to have his body this close to mine, and to be unable to escape it.
“Why do you do that?”
“Do what?” My words are hardly above a croak.
“Why do you act like I never meant anything to you? Like the sight of me doesn’t knock the fucking wind out of you, Gia? How can you play so tough?”
Because the second that my guard falls down, I’m going to set myself up to get hurt all over again. That’s the last thing that I need in my life right now.
“Why do you care so much about how I act?” It’s a fair question. Probably the fairest one that I’ve ever asked. “It’s not like you wanted me back then, Wyatt. You’re just offended that I’m not drooling over you like the rest of the female species.”
“You think that I didn’t want you?” His eyes widen. “Where in the hell did you come up with that?”
I take a step back from him, putting enough distance between us that I’m able to collect my thoughts. It’s almost comical how he can ask that, as though he didn’t completely shut me down all of those years ago, and then move on, as though I meant nothing to him. He didn’t even give me a chance, he just dismissed me. The memory of it still shames me.
“I tried to give you my virginity.” I glare at him. “Did you forget that part of our story?”
His eyes flash, and his hands fist at his sides. A telling sign that he in fact, did not forget that part.
“You had no business trying to give that to me.” As his arms cross, his nostrils flare. “It wasn’t mine to take, and it sure as hell wasn’t right.”
“It felt right.” I glare at him. “At least, for me it did. And anyway, no worries. Cole was happy to take my V-card from me. He wanted me.”
Wyatt’s chest heaves as anger radiates off of him, crashing hard into me. The air between us becomes so thick that I can hardly breathe. Piercing, intense eyes focus on mine. As I return his glare, the rest of the world simply fades away.
“I wanted you too, Gia. More than I’ve ever wanted another woman in this entire fucking world. But I was just a kid back then, without a lot of options for a future. I did what I had to do back then, but shit’s different now. If you’d stop attacking me for five seconds, you’d see that.”
“The only thing I see,” I lean towards him, fluttering my eyelashes up before bringing them back down. “Is a man offended that a woman isn’t falling all over him. Your feelings are hurt because I mentioned that your two best friends are insanely fucking gorgeous, and I didn’t mention the same thing about you. You’re beautiful, Wyatt. A ten all damn day. There.” I shrug. “Better? Now, let me out of this room.”
He takes a step back, allowing me to move past him. I’m almost clear of him, almost out of the room and away from all of the sexual tension that seems to build whenever we’re near each other, when his quiet voice stops me in my tracks.
“Go on a date with me, Princess. Let me show you that I’ve changed.”
“You haven’t changed.” I glance back at him briefly before opening the door. “I may end up kissing another toad at some point, Wyatt, but I can promise you one thing. It sure as hell won’t be you.”
“We’ll see about that,” he mutters, as I storm out of the room and slam the door behind me.
“He wants you.” I put Delilah to bed an hour ago, and about fifteen minutes later, Serena showed up. She’s now laying on my bed with me, aimlessly surfing through social media, and turning her phone around every few minutes to show me a sexy picture of Wyatt. “He is a fucking stud, Gia, and he wants you.”
“Where are you even getting this from?” I wave her off, unwilling to even get into any of this right now. As it is, my heads been a mess since I left Wyatt’s house a few hours ago. Shortly after he cornered me in his study, I snatched Delilah up and headed home, not even letting myself get sidetracked by the two sexy as sin football players who were lounging around his kitchen. I’m not including Wyatt into that equation, by the way.
“The way that he looked at you in the diner made it obvious. You’re just too much of a man hater these days to recognize it. But it was written all over his face. He looked at you like you were the most precious gem on earth.”
I pull the covers up higher and try to block her out. I ignore her when she flips her phone to me, trying to flash me yet another picture of the guy. I love her, I promise that I do. But somedays, she’s just way too much. This is a prime example of one of those days.
“Ok. Give me five good reasons why you shouldn’t have sex with Wyatt Anderson.” She sets her phone down, and scoots up in the bed with me, resting her head against the pillows.
“Only five?” I roll my eyes. “I could give you fifty. He’s arrogant. He is the true definition of a man whore. He is incapable of loving anyone because he loves himself too much. He’s cocky. He thinks that all women are meant to fall at his feet. He’s a player, Serena. He always has been, and he always will be.”
“You don’t know that.” She rolls her eyes. “You’re judging him off of the guy that he was in high school. That’s not fair.”
I snatch her phone off of the bed and open up her Google. Within a few seconds, I’ve produced enough pictures of him toting a different big boobed, blond haired bimbo on his arms to prove my point.
“So, the guy sleeps around.” She shrugs. “That doesn’t mean that he’s playing those women. Maybe he told them that all he wanted was sex. You don’t know how he’s been portraying himself these days.”
“Nor do I care.” I’m a big fat liar, and I know it. That still doesn’t mean that I’m going to admit that. “He may not be a player. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. But that doesn’t change anything. Getting mixed up with Wyatt is like playing Russian roulette. You know it’s probably going to kill you, yet you play anyways, knowing the risk. I know the risk with him. It’s not worth it.”
“Sex isn’t worth it?” Her brows raise. “It’s the exact thing that you need. And besides, who said that you’re going to fall for the guy? Maybe this time, you can win at the game. Why don’t you use him for once? Instead of letting it be the other way around?”
“No.” I hand her back her phone, ignoring the way that my stomach flips over Wyatt’s picture. “I’m not doing that. I’m keeping things professional.”
“Fine. Be boring.”
Our conversation moves past Wyatt, but my mind stays on the guy. It’s getting more than a little annoying.
18
Wyatt
“Have you ever been rejected?” My heads completely fucked up, and I can’t seem to get it straight. Gia’s been on my mind a lot lately, but today I can’t seem to think about anything else.
“Sure.” Jude shrugs, not even looking up from his breakfast. “It sucks, but it is what it is.”
“Ok, but have you ever been rejected by someone that you can’t stop thinking about?” This time, I get his attention. He drops his fork and leans back on his barstool, staring up at me.
“Yes.”
“That fox from the other morning still turning you down?” Benji’s voice cackles across the entire diner, making everyone’s head turn in our direction. “Man, was she ever pretty. Had some spunk in her, too. I knew I liked her. She’s got a good brain on her, not wasting her time on a fool like you.”
“Words hurt, Benji.” I clutch my chest with one hand and flip him off with the other. “I have some good qualities too, you know.”
“You take pictures in your underpants for a living.” He grunts. “That cancels out any good qualities that you have.”
“I play football for a living, and I’m pretty fucking good at it. Might I remind you…” Benji’s hand flies up, stopping me before I can even get started. “I know, I know. First round draft pick, blah blah blah. How many times you gonna tell the same story?”
Benji loves to jerk my chain. Deep down, I know that he really likes me. One of these days I’ll break him down e
nough to admit it.
“You love me, and you know it.” The old geezer’s been bopping around the diner today wearing a navy-blue Saint’s t-shirt with my name and number plastered across the back. “You’re literally my number one fan right now.”
This time, he flips me off.
“My son in law was your number one fan. Now my grandson is. Those are the only reasons that I put up with your sorry ass.”
“This is a family diner.” Shannon comes around the corner and glares at all three of us. “May I remind you that I expect your conversations to be PG, please.”
“PG is lame.” Benji narrows his eyes at his granddaughter. “And Wyatt’s got a crush on a girl that’s way out of his league.”
Luckily, my phone rings, interrupting the rest of the conversation. Willow’s engagement party is in just a few days, and so far, the planning’s gone off without a hitch. With Gia’s finishing touch on the inside, it should be one of the best parties that I’ve ever thrown. At least, one that doesn’t involve a bunch of drunk women partying topless in my house.
I finalize with the DJ and make a note to contact the venue and verify everything. By the time I turn back to the conversation, Jude and Benji have begun arguing about which major league pitcher was the greatest of all time. I hate baseball, so I see my way right back out of the argument.
“Which girl is it?” Shannon nudges me, keeping her voice low.
“Gia. The dark haired one.”
“Ah.” Shannon nods in understanding. “I know her. I mean, I don’t know her well, but I see her sometimes at the school.”
I nod in acknowledgment. “She’s not like the other moms,” Shannon says. I couldn’t agree more.
“She never has been. She’s always been different.”
Shannon’s not like Benji. The old man is rough around the edges, but his granddaughter is one of the kindest humans on the planet. Damien’s been blessed with one hell of a mom. I’m not sure if it’s her kindness or her motherly vibe, but either way, one look from her and my mouth opens. Before I can stop myself, the entire story comes tumbling out. I tell her about transferring to Camden Prep. How Gia was the first person to stand up for me, and most of the time, my only friend. I touch on Cole, because that fuck stick doesn’t deserve to even be mentioned except in passing. And then I pour my heart out, explaining how hard and how fast I fell in love with her. Shannon’s entire face changes, her eyes softening as I talk about my feelings for Gia. But then I get to the worst part of the story-how shit ended. That’s when I realize that she wasn’t the only one listening.
“You turned her down?” Jude’s mouth drops open. “Dude! Huge mistake! She’s never giving you another chance.”
“You’re bullshitting. Even you aren’t that stupid.” Benji shakes his head. “Either way, Jude’s right. A woman like that ain’t used to getting turned down. Move on, son. You don’t stand a chance.”
“You two are idiots.” Shannon casts a disapproving glance at the two goons on the other side of me. “He turned her down because he loved her. I think that you did the right thing.”
“The right thing?” Benji’s eyebrows wrinkle as he stares at his granddaughter. “That woman is gorgeous, and he’s a complete tool. You’re trying to spin this story into you being some kind of a hero. You’re not. You turned her down, broke her heart, and then went on with your life, screwing every woman in every zip code. You lost your chance, Wyatt. Go buy some ice cream, watch the hallmark channel, and get this shit out of your system. She ain’t giving you another chance, son. Girls like her don’t do that.”
“You guys are so helpful.” I glare at them. “Need I remind you; I was just a kid.”
“A dumb one at that,” Benji mutters, to which Jude immediately agrees.
“Eff off, old man.” I mutter, sinking back against my barstool.
“You guys, cut it out.” Shannon frowns at the two of them, before turning back to me. “Listen, I’m not sure what advice to give you here, so I’ll just say this. Think long and hard about why you did what you did. If it was coming from a place of love, then convince her of that. If it wasn’t, then yeah, I’d agree with these guys. Hang it up and move on. You’re the only one who knows what you were feeling.”
“He was feeling, like a pussy.” Benji grumbles, to which I just sigh.
I should have just kept my mouth shut. This is one hell of a tough crowd to get advice from.
19
Gia
I pick up the keys to the ballroom at eight am, and after that, the rest of the morning flies by. Delivery drivers hustle in and out, the DJ arrives and sets up his equipment on the dance floor, and the bar manager makes sure that all of our alcohol is stocked and ready to be served. Since I didn’t have to do much in the form of planning for this event, I offered to be here early and direct traffic.
It’s one of my most favorite things about party planning. I love the prep work and everything that goes into making an event special, but to me, the best part about it is the hustle and bustle of the big day. Of course, this isn’t the big day, but it’s still important, and a good way to dip my toes back into all of this.
The ballroom that Wyatt rented for Willow’s engagement party is located downtown in the historic district. The Cassen estate was one of the original structures in this particular area of Minneapolis. It sat empty for many years, vandalized and forgotten, until the historic committee stepped in at the last minute, right before the entire place was demolished and declared it a historic building.
It took years to renovate, but now it’s one of our own little secrets. It’s not quite as fancy as the Hamlin Hotel, where Willow’s wedding and reception will be held, but I dare say that it’s a close second. The Victorian mansion was restored back to its original glory, and amazingly, all of the ornate carvings in the wood were able to be saved. The ceilings are tall and white, with thick, dark wood beams boasted high above us. Crystal chandeliers hang down, casting a soft glow of light into the room. The floors are the original hardwood that were placed when the home was built, back in the eighteenth century.
I chose to cover the tables in simple white linens, but the centerpieces make the décor seem anything but basic. Thick stems of green rise from the crystal vases sitting in the center of the tables. Gorgeous white hydrangeas take center stage, with pink pansies popping out, giving just enough color to break things up. High above us hang thick, boxwood garlands, covered in a thin wrapping of white tulle and soft white lights. They hang from chandelier to chandelier, giving just enough draw to the eye to bring it up, in order to appreciate the gorgeous design that this place holds.
The vases are filled, the linens are pressed, and I’ve already gone through my clipboard checklist once by the time that Wyatt arrives.
If I wouldn’t have watched him walk into the room with my own eyes, I would have felt the shift in the air. There are at least fifteen people in this room, all working busily to get ready for the party. But the second that he arrives, a hush falls over the crowd, his magnetic energy pulling everyone’s eyes in his direction.
He looks gorgeous, in a pair of gray, chino shorts and a long-sleeved blue shirt. The color makes his already brilliant blue eyes look even bluer. Like two ocean pools basking in the sunlight, they practically pop off of his face, threatening every woman who dare look into them to drown. The second that they land on mine, heat washes over me. His eyes darken, and even though a few hands raise in attempt to gain his attention, he ignores them, moving directly towards me.
“Wow, Gia.” His whistle is low and his eyes wide, as he scans the room. “This place looks almost as amazing as you.”
I’m in ripped jean shorts and a t-shirt, hardly anything close to amazing. But the way that he looks at me makes me feel like the most beautiful woman in the room. It’s one of his talents, an art that he has perfected in all of his years playing with women’s hearts. I force myself to remember that and brush off his comment.
I take a small bow. �
��I dare say, this might be the first time that I agree with you on something. This place does look fantastic.”
The way that his eyes widen makes mine roll. He pulls his phone out and begins typing furiously. In less than a second, my phone chimes.
Wyatt: Saturday, May 16. The first time you ever agreed with me.
I respond immediately, smirking the entire time.
Me: Calm your tits, hot shot. There probably won’t be another.
“Gia.” Serena bursts into the room, her assistant clipboard in hand. When my last assistant starting banging my ex-husband after we split, Serena vowed to help me out when I finally decided to plan weddings again. She held true to her word and has been a godsend. “These bathrooms are not going to work.” The second that her eyes land on Wyatt, she pauses, right before the corners of her lips curve into a wide smile.
“Wyatt. How nice to see you again. Did you come here to check on our progress, or just to check on Gia?”
My eyes narrow, but Wyatt just chuckles.
“Honestly, both. I’m just sorry that I couldn’t get here earlier. I had a mandatory team meeting. It just ended.”
“It’s really fine.” I shrug. “You don’t need to be here. I have this completely under control.”
“I never doubted that. But still, I wanted to see you before the party. I figured that we should coordinate our outfits.”
Serena fights a laugh but loses miserably. I, on the other hand, don’t even smile. I just stare blankly at him, hoping that he reads the confusion on my face.
“I mean, you’re my date tonight, right?” The way that he smiles at me is so damn hot, it could turn even a lesbian on. My panties practically erupt into flames, and the way that I suck in air is anything but lady like. But I have no idea what he’s talking about, and regardless of how charming and gorgeous he is, still. There is no fucking way that I’m his date tonight. The man has lost his mind.
Hard Pass (Saints of Love Book 3) Page 11
