Worth the Risk by Karen Erickson

constant self-reassurances that he was being an idiot. She didn’t like Rhett, she liked him .
    Well. She liked him enough to have sex with him a couple of times. Share a few intimate secrets with him too, but that was it.
    And damn it, he wanted more. He wanted the entire package. A committed relationship, the works.
    Swallowing hard, he grabbed the margarita glass in front of him and took a huge gulp, the tequila settling in his belly and setting it on fire. He should watch it. Too much tequila had a way of making him do really stupid things.
    Like maybe tell a woman he was halfway in love with that he never wanted to let her go.
    They munched on chips and salsa and sipped their margaritas, enjoying the gentle, warm breeze that was the complete opposite of the freezing cold they’d just left behind in New York. Not a single cloud marred the velvety twilight sky and the city lights reflected on it, giving it an orangey-pink glow.
    Gracie had showered and changed when they arrived at the hotel and was dressed casually in a white gauzy shirt with bright stitched flowers embroidered around the neck and a pair of cropped dark rinse jeans. The black sandals on her feet exposed the vibrant red polish on her toenails. She fit right in with the California climate.
    She fit right in hanging out with him and his brother too. He wondered if she even noticed.
    “How long have you worked at Worth, Gracie?” Rhett asked.
    “Just a little over a year.”
    “And why haven’t I ever noticed you before? I notice all the pretty women who work at Worth.”
    “Maybe because you were too busy clubbing it up to pay much attention,” Hunter interjected after he’d rolled his eyes.
    Gracie shot him a chastising look, but he ignored it. He saw the way Rhett’s gaze flickered with embarrassment and, complete ass that he was, he liked it.
    The kid needed to be reminded of his past mistakes. They weren’t that long ago.
    Rhett didn’t acknowledge Hunter’s remark. “Have you always worked in marketing at Worth?”
    She nodded. “I’ve always been in marketing, period. Being at Worth Luxury is like a dream job come true. I’ve always wanted to work for a fashion house.”
    “Really? Why’s that?”
    Yeah, why was that? He should’ve been the one asking, but he’d let his brother do the talking instead. For now.
    “I don’t know.” She shrugged, her cheeks coloring a rosy pink. “I’ve always liked fashion. I used to pore over old copies of Vogue I found at the library.”
    “Didn’t buy any on your own?”
    Her lips thinned and she reached for her drink, took a sip before she answered. “I couldn’t afford to buy magazines growing up.”
    That little statement alone blew him away. Even though he’d just learned about her circumstances, he still couldn’t get over it. Hunter didn’t know what it was like, not being able to afford anything he wanted. He couldn’t comprehend not being able to buy a magazine for a few dollars, let alone being shoved around from place to place as a child. With no real family, no parents to care or look after you, never really feeling like you belonged.
    That was Gracie’s reality. And it was so far from his, he couldn’t begin to imagine it.
    “Were you poor?”
    “Jesus, Rhett.” Hunter kicked him under the table.
    “Ow.” Rhett glared at him. “I was just asking.” He sounded like a sulking little kid.
    “I was definitely poor.” She took another sip from her glass, almost draining it before she set it back down on the table. “I was just about as poor as someone can be.”
    “That’s tough.” Rhett sounded completely blown away. Spoiled little bastard probably was. “I can’t imagine.”
    “I’m sure you can’t,” Hunter said with a snort.
    Rhett gave him the finger. “Like you can, jackass. You grew up same as me.”
    Hunter repressed the urge to give him the finger in return. Arguing with Rhett always made him revert to immature ways. “Yeah, but I know what it’s