Twenty minutes later, her heart wasn’t aching any less but she did know how much she was going to miss Gabriel. It seemed crazy to be in love with a fling she’d known a handful of days. Even worse, learning she was Maddox’s half sister had thrown her for a loop, and her first reaction had been to turn to Gabriel for support and comfort. But if he’d given it, would he have followed that up with a stab in the back? She wanted to trust him—probably more than she should. She simply didn’t know if she dared.
When she emerged from the big shower, she found a whole new cosmetics case on the basin, filled with amazing goodies from Dior and Chanel, all in her colors. Everly was under no illusion; this stuff had been expensive. But putting on some makeup would make her feel more together, and if they did have this press conference to announce that she and Maddox had been siblings, she needed to look her best.
She finished and blinked into the mirror at her polished image, then tightened the belt around the robe she’d borrowed from a nearby hook and emerged into the bedroom, ignoring Gabriel’s stare.
“Your clothes are in the closet,” he said.
Roman had apparently brought them up, along with the cosmetics, while she’d been in the shower. A pretty aqua-colored sheath hung from the rod. A pair of gorgeous beige heels that would likely be hell to wear rested on the hardwoods below. A lacy bra and a pair of matching panties, still with tags, sat folded neatly on a shelf.
Despite being an attorney-turned-political bigwig, Roman knew how to dress a woman. The outfit was chic yet professional and would suit her perfectly. She caught a glimpse of the label. Prada. No wonder it looked so good.
“I hope you don’t expect me to pay you back for this dress. I can’t afford it, especially since I won’t have a job soon.” She took the hanger off the rack, picked up the underwear, and started for the bathroom. She wasn’t about to change in front of Gabriel.
“The dress is yours. Stay here, Everly. I’ve seen it all,” he protested.
She closed the door nearly all the way. The spare inch she left was only so she could hear him. She wanted this conversation over as soon as possible. “You don’t get to see it anymore. Now give me this grand and logical reason why I should face the press with you.”
She caught a glimpse of him moving around the bedroom. He was taking off his shirt, revealing all those pretty muscles. I will not stare. I will not stare.
“Well, first off, telling the press that you’re half Crawford will change the optics of the story. Suddenly you’re not the woman caught between two men. You’re the woman with one man who cares for you very much and you recently lost your brother. It’s infinitely more sympathetic.”
He had a point. Again, the desire to believe what he was saying welled up inside her. She was afraid to trust it. Everything she’d learned about his world scared her. Even if he felt this way today, how could she be sure he would be there tomorrow? He went through women like water. How did she know he didn’t treat them all exactly the way he was treating her, right up to the point when someone newer and shinier came along?
She pulled off her clothes, placing her old skirt aside. Hopefully, the dry cleaner could remove the smoky stench. “Wouldn’t I be more sympathetic if I was facing this tragedy alone?”
“No. Because then you’re the girl who had a crazy weekend fling with a guy she met in a bar, rather than the one having a relationship with her brother’s best friend and bonding with him after the heart-wrenching funeral.”
Damn if he wasn’t right again. If she didn’t reveal her relationship with Mad to the press, they would comment on Gabriel’s sexual antics, but it would be a blip on the public’s radar. Basically, he’d get off scot-free, while she would probably be labeled a slut for the rest of her life.
And as much as she wanted to be angry, Everly had to think about the fact that Sara was having Maddox’s baby. That child would be the only family she had left in the world. Was she willing to drag the family name through the court of public opinion, taking an infant with her, simply to avoid Gabriel and salvage her pride? No. Crap, she hated being backed into a corner.
Everly finished donning the dress, then glanced at herself in the mirror. Other than the fact that she needed some heated implement to tame her hair, she looked pretty damn good. The dress did amazing things for her figure. The color illuminated her skin and made her eyes appear greener than normal.
She was as ready to face reality as she’d ever be. It wasn’t fair that the gossip rags would smear her name if she didn’t go through with this, but no denying that walking out with Gabriel on her arm would go a long way to quelling ugly rumors. If the tabloids thought they were a boring couple, they would lose interest.
“Fine. We’ll do the press conference. I’ll play nice for the camera—but I have conditions.”
“Anything.” He stood at the door, bare-chested, staring at her through the one-inch opening. “Tell me what you need.”
She needed him for more than the tabloid situation, but that wasn’t going to happen. Better to accept that now. “First, I can’t zip this dress by myself.”
With a hungry gaze, he pushed the door between them fully open, and she tried not to gawk at how fine Gabriel truly was. “Turn around and I’ll get it for you.”
She lifted her hair and spun around, grateful for the excuse to avert her eyes. Maybe someday she’d find it easier to look at him. For now, it made her ache so badly she could cry.
“This dress is beautiful on you,” he murmured as he dropped one hand to her waist. The other began to lift her zipper. Slowly. So slowly, as though he was reluctant to cover her bare flesh. “Tell me your other conditions.”
“I want to talk to Sara when this is over. I want a place in my niece’s or nephew’s life.”
He stopped lifting the zipper. When Everly glanced up, she found him staring at her intently in the mirror. They looked like a couple getting ready for another normal day at the office.
“I promise that Sara and I won’t turn our backs on you. I know you don’t believe me, but that was never my plan. I placated her earlier to defuse her anger, so she could be in a good emotional place to accept you later. I wasn’t plotting to shut you out. I don’t think I can. But if the only way I can have contact with you is through the niece or nephew we share, then I’ll take it. Maddox Crawford was a bastard and he was my best friend in the world. He wanted you taken care of. That’s obvious to me. So know that no matter how angry you are, I will take care of you. I would have done it because we were lovers, but I’ll do it because Mad made us family.”
Family. The word filled her with longing. She hadn’t realized how much she missed her father until she learned she’d had a brother—and she’d lost him before she’d ever known all he was to her. She wanted more than anything to belong to a family.
Though she would be smarter to dispel the notion that she would be in Gabriel’s, Everly nodded and stepped away from him. “Thank you. I don’t need anyone to take care of me, but I would like to know the baby.”
“Done. Any other conditions?”
“You’ll keep your hands off me.” He had to. She might be able to have a civil relationship with him in the future, for the sake of Sara’s baby, but nothing more. No matter how much they would both love their niece or nephew, that would be the extent of their connection.
“I can’t promise you that.”
Everly tried to put a lid on both her temper and the inconvenient zip of thrill rolling through her. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure of it. Are you going to shower and finish changing?”
“I showered in Connor’s bathroom while you bathed in here.” Without turning away or giving her a chance to escape, he wriggled out of yesterday’s pants.
Underneath, Gabriel was stark naked.
She sucked in a breath and tried not to look, but that was like giving a junkie a full syringe and telling him to stay away. The hard bulges and sinewy dips of his body displayed the fact that he was all man. The express
ion Gabriel sent her way said that he knew it. Smug bastard.
While she tried to keep her tongue in her mouth, he managed to change into a clean pair of boxer briefs, charcoal slacks, and a snowy white dress shirt. The crisp cotton lay open at the throat, showing off several inches of tanned chest. She could still feel him under her palms, warm and smooth. She itched to touch him again and curled her fingers into a fist so she wouldn’t.
With a deft grace, he stood in front of the mirror above the dresser and donned a red tie. “It would be best if we walked in and out together. Ignore any questions you don’t want to answer.”
“I don’t want to answer any of them.”
“Then leave it to me. Roman called for a limo. He’s going to Crawford with us. Roman Calder being photographed at our side will lend an enormous amount of credence to the seriousness of our relationship.”
“Fake relationship.” Damn. She sounded stubborn even to her own ears but she needed boundaries between them or she would weaken. Gabriel certainly wouldn’t put them up himself. He seemed determined to use every trick to coax her back to his bed.
Why? That was the one thing she couldn’t figure out. Perhaps if she could answer that question, she’d have a better idea how to sort out this whole mess between them.