Page 68 of Knot Their Girl
Eventually Gregory and his wife leave us after we’ve been introduced to everyone on the board, and Gideon brings me to a parlor room that thankfully isn’t so packed with people. We sit down on one of the chaise lounges, and he grabs my hand and laces his fingers through mine. “Thank you,” he whispers. “I don’t know that I could’ve done tonight without you.”
I finish off the champagne. “I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. You don’t need me.”
The words are barely out of me before his hand squeezes mine and he urgently whispers, “No, I do. I do need you.” He leans into me, burying his nose in my hair, and though my lotion covers up most, if not all, of my scent, he still breathes me in deeply. “I wasn’t supposed to, but I do. I need you more than anything.”
It’s a very intimate declaration, and I nearly forget we’re not alone here. I want to close my eyes and revel in the way he’s leaning into me, crawl onto his lap and feel his arms envelop me, bury myself in him like he’s currently doing with his nose in my hair.
Alas, we are not alone, and a stranger’s voice breaks through the intimate moment. “Ah, young love. Although, is it really young when one half of the equation is nearly double the age of the other?”
Gideon pulls himself away from me, though he does not release my hand. He stands, pulling me up with him, as he addresses the alpha who approached us: “Bradford Bentley. I was not aware you were going to be here tonight.”
Bradford Bentley gives him a smile. An alpha who’s taller and wider, reminiscent of Pax in size. He wears a maroon suit with a black tie, his blond hair combed back and his eyes blacker than oblivion. Funny he should mention age; he must be near Gideon in that respect, if a few years older if the slight wrinkles around his eyes are any indication.
“I was waiting until you made the rounds,” Bradford says, his eyes slow in shifting to me. Now that we stand before him, he takes me in anew, an almost predatory glint in those black eyes, and I decide right then and there I don’t like him. “Care to introduce me to the beautiful creature you surely don’t deserve, Gideon?”
It takes everything in me to not snap at this alpha. Who does he think he is, talking to Gideon like this? If Pax was here, there’d be a fight, a fight I’d pay to see.
I cock my head at the rude alpha and answer for myself, “Raeka Whittenhall, and I doubt you know what Gideon deserves.”
Apparently I get a little defensive when I feel like Gideon’s being attacked. Strange.
Bradford chuckles. “No, I suppose I don’t. A Whittenhall, huh? And how did you manage that, old friend?”
Based on the way Gideon’s mouth tightens, I can tell he doesn’t appreciate being called that. “A twist of fate.”
“After what you’ve been through, I suppose it was only a matter of time until fate dealt you a good hand. Speaking of, how is that nephew of yours?”
I’ve been around enough rich assholes to know a dick move when I see one. It’s a simple question, but when asked in a certain tone, in a context like this? He’s definitely being an asshole about it.
This guy… I don’t like him at all.
“Good” is all Gideon says.
“Great,” Bradford says with a smile that is nothing short of icy. Once again those black eyes fall on me, and it’s like I’m staring down a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “I hope your addition into his life turns things around for him. It would be just awful if he was forced to step away from Chase Jewels.”
Just awful.Based on the way he said it, I don’t think he’d find it awful at all. It sounds like that’s exactly what this asshole wants.
“On that note, I suppose I’ll leave you two be.” He bows his head at me. “It was good to meet you, Ms. Whittenhall. I do hope we see each other again.” Once he finishes bowing his head atme, he shoots a glare Gideon’s way. “Gideon.” And then he walks off, leaving us alone.
I wait a moment, and I watch to make sure Bradford actually leaves. It’s only when the alpha is a good distance away that I say, “What the hell was that about? Who is that guy?”
“I need… air. Yes, I need some air,” Gideon mumbles under his breath, and he leads me through the house. We pass a server with an empty tray, and I deposit my empty champagne glass as we go. We zigzag through the crowd, through the people, stopping only when we slip out of one of the back patio doors and onto a stamped concrete area, where a beautiful garden sits just beyond the boundary of the concrete. It’s a chilly night, so no one else is outside. It’s just us.
He brings us to the edge of the concrete, never once letting go of my hand. Though there are no lights on outside, there’s plenty of escaping light from the windows to dimly illuminate both of us.
I don’t push him, knowing he will say what he wants as soon as he gathers himself. It takes him a few moments, but eventually he explains, “Bradford Bentley has been trying to buy me out of Chase Jewels ever since the accident. I think he’s gotten into the ears of the board members. I’m worried they’ll force me out.”
“Who the hell is he to try to buy out a family business?” Granted, that family business is huge now; it’s no mom-and-pop shop, but still. I’d be insulted if I was Gideon. Hell, I’m insulted on behalf of him right now.
“He and his brothers run Bentley Enterprises. They have a lot of different arms—one of them being Alpha Life. Alpha Life is probably our biggest competitor. He wants to buy me out and merge Chase Jewels with Alpha Life. I thought he’d give up after a while, but…” He sighs. “As the years went on, he only grew more persistent.”
Wow. I guess it never occurred to me that Gideon has to deal with shit like this. I can’t imagine how stressful it is. And to have to deal with all that on top of everything that happened with his sister and learning to take care of Colter? No wonder he’s lost his mojo when it comes to his designs.
Gideon laughs, but it’s a sad, broken sound, and he turns his face away from mine. “Maybe I should just agree to sell. It’s obvious I’ve been phoning it in with my designs for years. Chase Jewels hasn’t been selling well. The board’s been anxious. Stepping down and selling would probably fix everything—”
“But it’s your family’s company,” I say. “If you sell it, then what?”
“Then… then I don’t need to pretend like I am tonight. Then I can simply be.”
