Collide (Collide #1)(24)

Still, his emotions volleyed back and forth between the lie he had been forced to tell and the upsurge of want for her snaking its way through his mind. Sure, some of it was a sexual attraction. Emily was beyond beautiful, and he couldn't deny that fact. However, that wasn't what fueled his desire for her. He couldn't quite define exactly what it was, but he knew it was unlike any other attraction he'd ever had. He felt a connection to her - a deep pull within his gut that she was supposed to be with him.

Attracting, compelling, colliding, their chemistry - to say the least - was explosive. He felt it the first time he laid eyes on her, the drawing energy that radiated from her eyes as she stared into his. Standing among the empire he had built while the sun cast its rays against the steel giants lining the streets, he fought back the overwhelming urge to pay her another unexpected visit. Shaking his head at the insane thought, Gavin moved across his office. He sat down at his desk, went through some quarterly reports, and tried to rid the woman that could never be his from his mind.

It was then that Gavin's older brother, Colton, walked into the office.

Crossing his arms in annoyance, Gavin glared at his brother with a displeased look on his face. "Where were you? Did you not receive the message I left with Natalie regarding the meeting?"

Colton gave Gavin a wry smile. "I must say you play the roll very well, little man," he answered evenly, striding across the office as a muffled laugh left his lips.

"Stop being a wiseass. Really, what the f*ck happened?"

"Jesus, Gavin, I got hung up on the home front with Melanie and the kids. Theresa and Timothy had a preschool musical."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He frowned, rocking back in his black leather chair. He had a soft spot for his niece and nephew. "I would've gone to see it."

Colton waved a dismissive hand, his green eyes shimmering. "Don't worry about it; they did just fine without Uncle Gavin." He laughed and patted Gavin on his shoulder. "And I'm sure you did just fine without me during the meeting."

Gavin snorted through his nose and muttered, "They're f*cking sharks if the numbers aren't appealing to them."

"That's the business." Colton shrugged and took a seat on the black leather couch. "We have people who invest in our company, and we need to produce the revenue they're looking for in return."

Standing up from his chair, Gavin effectively ignored his brother's words and walked back over to the window.

"So are you ever going to secure an evening out with Alicia?" Colton probed.

Without turning around, Gavin crossed his arms and let out a chuckle. "I can't deny that I don't admire the way you're able to seemingly transition from one topic to the next, Colton."

"There's a true compliment somewhere in that statement. But seriously, man, Melanie's been bothering me about hooking you two up for a while. Just come out with us one night and decide if she'd be someone who would interest you."

"I see you two are on the finding-Gavin-a-secure-relationship mission again."

"Mission - not quite. But I think it's about time you get over her."

Snapping his head in Colton's direction, Gavin's eyes lit up with raw amusement. "Do you think I'm honestly not over her?" He almost laughed. "It's been two years."

"Well, she definitely caused you to draw back from forming other attachments - long-term attachments, that is." Colton rose from the couch. "They're not all the same, little man. She was just in it for all the wrong reasons."