This Thing of Ours (The Gamblers Spin-off Novel) Page 2

  “Did you finish your essay?” Derek asked, leaning closer to her from his chair.

  She would graduate with a BBA in General Business. Her dream was to open her own trendy clothing boutique. And while Gabby knew her father would set her up in her own shop, she wanted to do it on her own. Wanted it to be hers. Something she worked hard for and achieved with money she earned. The job she would get right out of college would be something she got on her own, too. And it would be from her merit and not her last name.

  Pulling her essay up on her computer, she said, “Not yet, but I got half of it finished last night.” It wasn’t due until Friday, and as it was only Monday, she had plenty of time to get it done.

  Her eyes still on her computer screen, she heard Derek sigh. “I haven’t even started it yet. Hey, you want to get together later today at The Grind and work on it?”

  The Grind was a coffee shop just off campus and a popular place for students to converge. They served trendy coffee and to-die-for pastries. In fact, just thinking about their lemon tarts had her stomach grumbling.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I’ve got um… a family thing to do.” Gabby internally grimaced at just the thought of hanging out in a coffee shop for a few hours with Ricky, in his suit, hovering while she tried—unsuccessfully—to pretend he wasn’t there. It was enough to give a person hives.

  “You’re a hard girl to pin down, Gabby Conti.”

  There was an edge of frustration in his tone she’d never heard before, but when she turned to look at him, his usual happy-go-lucky expression was plastered on his face, and she figured she’d imagined it. She couldn’t blame him if there had been. Six weeks was a long time to pursue someone without a result. Honestly, she wasn’t sure why he hadn’t given up by now. She knew she would have.

  Gabby gave him a small smile and a slight shrug. She didn’t know what to say.

  The professor walked in, and all talking ceased until class was over. Gabby packed her laptop away and stood, ready to leave, but she was waylaid by a gentle hand on her elbow.

  “Wait up a sec.” A small smirk played on Derek’s lips. “I wanna make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

  Gabby’s heart stilled. Was his joke a coincidence or was he cryptically trying to tell her something? He shouldn’t know who her family was unless he was connected somehow. Her heart started beating again, double time, its swishing pulse pounding in her ears.

  “Whoa, are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” His dimple appeared as he smiled. “Was my Brando impersonation that bad?”

  It had been a joke. It took another few seconds for Gabby’s heart rate to calm then she mentally shook herself. Of course, it had been a joke. She gave him a weak smile, shaking her head. “Sorry, I got a little dizzy for a second. Serves me right for skipping breakfast.”

  A frown appeared between his brows, but it cleared away quickly, his smile back in place, dimple winking. “They do say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

  Gabby forced a laugh. “Yeah, that’s what they say. I should listen.”

  “Anyway, back to my offer.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Gabby felt a true smile pull at her lips. “If you agree to go out with me and don’t have a good time, I promise to leave you alone and stop hounding you for any more dates.” He held out his hand. “Deal?”

  Gabby looked down at his outstretched hand, quickly flying through her options. One date to save her from having to come up with countless future excuses. Sounded like a good trade-off. “Deal.”

  His smile turned into a grin. “Friday night?” He pulled out his phone. “What’s your number? We can swap so you can text me your address.”

  Shit. Shit. Shit. She didn’t want him knowing where she lived. “Can I just meet you somewhere?”

  The frown line returned. “Yeah, sure.” He gave her a boyish smirk. “I’d kind of still like your number, though.”

  Slowly shaking her head, she chuckled and rattled off her digits before looking around the deserted classroom. It was getting late, and Ricky would start to worry about her. “I’d better go,” she said, throwing the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

  Derek followed in her wake as she made her way to the door and pulled it open. She ran face first into a solidly muscled, suited chest. Ricky’s hands reached out, grabbing her upper arms to keep her from falling on her ass.

  Tipping her head back, she couldn’t see his eyes through the tinted shades, but his flexed jaw and pursed lips told her he wasn’t a happy camper.

  “Let’s go.” He released one of her arms but kept hold of the other, steering her out the door and positioning her in front of him.

  “Whoa, hey, Gabby do you know this guy?”

  Gabby looked over her shoulder at Derek. He wore a scowl, and his hand was out as if he were about to make a grab for Ricky. “He’s a… friend. I’ll, um, talk to you later.”

  She just barely saw Derek nod as she was escorted down the hall.

  Did you make it home okay?

  Sitting on the couch, feet propped on the coffee table, laptop planted firmly on her lap, Gabby read the text from the unknown number with a frown pulling at her brows.

  Who is this?

  It took a minute to receive a response.

  The guy who, after weeks of begging, finally has a date with you Friday night.

  Gabby felt a small smile pull at her lips.

  Yes, I’m home.

  Derek’s next text came faster.

  Good.

  She tossed her phone down on the cushion beside her and turned her attention back to her computer.

  The summer before she’d started college, wanting to claim a little independence, she’d moved into the guesthouse house on her parents’ property. She’d always loved the quaint one-bedroom cottage, and it hadn’t taken her long to put her stamp on it and make it home.

  But as much as she loved it, she’d already decided after graduating in the summer and finding a job, she would move out. Find her own place. She knew her parents would object. As the baby—and an unexpected yet highly coveted one at that—her parents tended to be a bit overprotective. So much so, at times it was suffocating. And that was before adding Nico to the mix. He’d gotten better since Olivia, and then Angelica, had entered his life, but he still was and always would be the ever watchful, older brother.

  Besides, she was an adult now and wanted the freedom to make her own decisions—good and bad.

  Her phone beeped, and she glanced at the screen surprised to see Derek texting again. She’d thought their conversation had been finished.

  What are you doing now?

  She picked up her phone.

  Homework.

  She’d never been a chatty girl. More than likely because she’d never had close girlfriends to chat with, and she found herself struggling to come up with a better answer or even another topic to talk about. She wasn’t sure why she worried, it wasn’t like she was trying to impress him.

  He solved her lost-for-words dilemma but created a new one with his next text.

  Is it too soon to ask you a personal question?

  Yes. But that’s not what she typed.

  I guess it depends on the question.

  She wasn’t sure what she expected, but definitely not what he ended up asking.

  Who was that guy this afternoon?

  She stared at her phone unsure how to answer. Just because she’d agreed to go on one date with him didn’t mean she was ready to unload her life story. Or that she ever would be. She decided to be evasive while still telling the truth.

  A guy who works for my dad. He was giving me a ride home.

  It took a while for him to reply to that.

  Oh, okay. He just seemed a little handsy. I was worried he was a boyfriend or something.

  Gabby couldn’t hold back the laugh that burst forth. Handsy was Derek’s nice way of saying bossy and aggressive.

  Nah, just late for a meeting. I’d kept hi
m waiting. If I had a boyfriend, I wouldn’t have agreed to a date with you.

  Her thoughts drifted to Marco as they always did when the word boyfriend entered a conversation. She wondered if it would bother him that she agreed to a date. She shook her head at her own ridiculousness. Why would it?

  Derek texted a few more times, and she supplied hesitant replies. She felt a little awkward, but not as much as had they’d been having their conversation on the phone. Texting at least gave her time to think about her responses.

  He’d kept in touch the rest of the week, texting her a couple of times a day. She thought of them as getting-to-know-you texts. She’d learned a lot about him through those texts, and she could happily claim her first instinct had been correct, he really was a nice guy.

  Too bad he didn’t make her heart beat a little faster and her stomach flutter.

  Too bad she couldn’t stop comparing him to the one who did.

  Chapter Three

  Friday night arrived in a blink, and as Gabby stood in front of the mirror applying her makeup, she couldn’t help but wonder what the hell she was doing. The image of a face flashed in her mind, but it wasn’t Derek’s. It was a face with sharp lines and strong features, darkness, and an unyielding fierceness. It was the face she saw in her dreams. The face of the person she’d waited her whole life for. Who she’d saved herself for. Who, she was discovering as she got older, might only stay a dream.

  She decided she wasn’t giving Derek a fair chance, and she made a promise to her reflection—she would do everything in her power to make this date a success. Derek would fail or succeed on his own merit with no self-sabotage from her.

  She took extra care selecting the perfect outfit, wanting to look her best—black skinny jeans and her softest cashmere sweater with a low vee that highlighted her better-than-average cleavage.

  She looked at the time and saw it was a quarter to seven—fifteen minutes until she was supposed to meet Derek. She spent five of those precious minutes debating whether to contact Leo. In the end, she made the call, taking the smart and safe route, though she knew Derek wasn’t a threat.

  She ended up ten minutes late, but if Derek was upset when she finally rushed into the restaurant, he didn’t show it. In fact, the look on his face was half-happy, half-awed and a one-hundred percent confidence booster for her.

  “You look beautiful.” He took her hands giving her a kiss on the cheek before turning to the hostess, letting her know they were ready for their table.

  “I’m sorry I was late,” Gabby said once they’d been seated at an intimate table for two.

  “It was worth the wait.” Derek smiled.

  Gabby fiddled with her napkin, opening it, placing it on her lap, repositioning it, until Derek, calling her name, grabbed her attention.

  She snapped her head up.

  He was still smiling. “Do I make you nervous?”

  She tucked her hands under her thighs, giving him a tight smile. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I don’t go out on dates.”

  He leaned his elbows on the table, his smile turning into a smirk. “Then I guess I should feel special.”

  “Don’t.” At his frown, she quickly backtracked. “I mean… um… it’s just…”

  He started laughing. He had an infectious laugh, and she couldn’t stop her lips from tipping up in response.

  He held up a hand. “Please, say no more. My ego can’t handle it.”

  She found herself giving him a real smile. Maybe the whole dating thing wasn’t such a bad idea, after all. “Well, how’s this for an ego booster. So far, I’m not hating it.”

  She didn’t get an answer. Instead, he flipped open his menu, smirking while he scanned its contents.

  Gabby wasn’t an authority—not by a longshot—but so far as she could tell, the date was going extremely well. She was also forced to admit she was having a good time. Derek was smart and had a quick wit—making her laugh on several occasions—and never let the conversation lag.

  Being smart also meant he was perceptive, so it wasn’t a surprise when halfway through their meal, he leaned forward and said, “There’s a guy, dressed in a suit, standing against the wall, staring at you.”

  Gabby took her time chewing before she swallowed, trying to think up a plausible explanation.

  In that time, Derek continued talking. “At first, I thought he was an employee of the restaurant, but seeing as he’s not mingling with other diners and hasn’t taken his eyes off you since he’s arrived, I’m now thinking, he’s here for you. Add that to the other guy in a suit who picked you up from class, and it makes me wonder.”

  Gabby took a sip of her water, washing down the bite of food that had lodged in her throat. “And what are you wondering?”

  “If I even stand a chance.”

  Gabby set down her fork. That wasn’t what she’d expected him to say. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m just a guy.” He held up his hands, spreading them wide before placing them palms flat to the table. “At college on a free ride because I got good grades. And from the look of things, I’m guessing, you’re more than just a girl. And that makes me wonder what I’ve got to offer someone like you and whether I stand a chance of you falling for someone like me.”

  Gabby blinked, absorbing his words and finding herself not liking them. If not for the fact she was half in love with someone else—someone who more than likely didn’t even remember she was alive most of the time—Derek’s words would be way off base.

  She had no problem sharing that fact with him. “I’m going to let your comment slide because it’s the first stupid thing you’ve ever said to me, and I think everyone deserves a second chance. I’m also going to let it slide because you don’t know me very well yet, and for all you know, I may just be that shallow of a person—which if you did know me, you’d know I’m not. I’m further going to let it slide because after spending a little time with you, I’ve discovered you’re smart and funny, and I’d hate to think you’re either, A, insecure or B, a dick. Please tell me you’re neither.” She picked up her fork, looked down at her plate, and stabbed an asparagus spear, popping it in her mouth and aggressively chewing while glaring at Derek.

  “No, I’m neither of those things, and after hearing that little speech, I hope you’ll allow me to extract the foot from my mouth long enough to apologize.”

  Cutting him some slack, Gabby replied, “We’ll go back in time five minutes and pretend like it never happened.”

  He gave her a probing look. “So, I guess that means I should ignore the guy in the suit and not ask you about him?”

  Gabby gave him a tight smile. “That would probably be for the best.”

  Even though the second half of their date didn’t go as spectacularly as the first. Gabby still agreed to another one, for two reasons. First, their date had some surprisingly good moments that she’d decided she wanted to explore more fully and felt she owed it to herself and to Derek to give it another try.

  And the second, she was tired of waiting for something—or should she say someone—that might never happen. She was tired of wearing her heart on her sleeve and not having her feelings reciprocated. If she could get those feelings from someone else, she was going to give it the old college try—pun intended.

  So, with her newfound resolve in place, it was no surprise to her that…

  After they’d finished their meal and he’d walked her out of the restaurant with her hand clasped in his.

  After he’d escorted her to her car and placed a light kiss on her cheek—studiously ignoring Leo hovering in the background.

  After he’d whispered how much he’d enjoyed their date and asked if they could please do it again on Sunday…

  She’d said yes.

  Doubts are a bitch, though. And as Leo drove her home, she had quite a few. She sat in the back seat—seemingly so far away from Leo in the vast expanse of the Continental—and wondered whether she’d done the right thing by agree
ing to a second date. Wondered if she were leading Derek on, knowing her heart wasn’t fully in it.

  But maybe it could be.

  She’d never know unless she tried.

  Gabby’s pep talk in the car hadn’t lasted long. All day Saturday, she’d debated canceling her second date with Derek. But in the end, she hadn’t. And funnily enough, it had been the object of her desire that had tipped the scales in Derek’s favor.

  To say she’d been surprised to find Marco at her doorstep Saturday morning would’ve been an understatement. In the almost four years she’d been living in the carriage house, not once had Marco come pounding on her door. And pound he had, waking her from a deep sleep. She liked her sleep. A lot. And the weekends were the only time she didn’t have to wake before the birds. Having it disturbed had not put her in the jolliest of moods.

  The carriage house wasn’t small, but it wasn’t large either. Single-story, her bedroom was close to the front door. Even still, she had a feeling the pounding had been going on for a good few minutes as it slowly penetrated her dreams until she was finally jerked awake.

  She groggily kicked at the sheets, disorientated as she rolled from the bed. Hazy sunlight showed through the window, making it impossible to tell what time it was. She stumbled to the door, flipped the lock, and yanked it open. Even with one eye closed, the other only half opened, she instantly knew who stood in front of her. She frowned, wondering if she were still dreaming.

  He stood unmoving, quietly studying her. She didn’t need to look in a mirror to know she looked a fright. Hair a tangled mess, no makeup, more than likely sleep lines from her pillow indenting her cheek, and possibly even dried drool crusting the corner of her mouth. Mornings were not her best look, but as his eyes devoured her, she got the feeling Marco might not agree.