Loving Gigi by Ruth Cardello Page B

but she couldn’t look away.
    As if sensing her, Kane raised his eyes to her. Gigi’s breath caught in her throat, and she took a step back. She didn’t want to feel the heat that always swept through her beneath his gaze. She cursed herself for wanting a man who was clearly not interested in her. For reading what she wanted into the way he looked at her. Because for just a moment she’d almost convinced herself he wanted nothing more than to walk away from the woman he’d brought and come to her side. Kane had brought a date to her welcome home party. If she was still wondering if he was interested in her, he couldn’t have been clearer.
    He turned away, and Gigi gasped from the physical pain she felt at his rejection.
    Richard studied her expression and shook his head. “Oh, Gigi, there is nothing there for you but trouble.”
    Gigi straightened and started walking. “Where?” she asked, as if she had no idea what he was referring to.
    “L’amour fait les plus grandes douceurs et les plus sensibles infortunes de la vie,” Richard said as he walked beside her. Gigi understood enough to get the gist of what he was saying, but she pretended not to. Richard added, “It’s a very old quote: Love makes life’s sweetest pleasures and worst misfortunes.” Richard glanced over at Kane, who was still standing with the overly affectionate blonde. “Be careful, Gigi.”
    Gigi followed his gaze, then gave herself an inner smack. She refused to spend another moment mooning over a man who couldn’t have been more obvious about how he felt about her. Gigi excused herself from Richard. “It was really nice speaking with you, Richard. But you’re right; I should go hunt down my brothers. They’re the reason I’m here.”
    *     *     *
    “How long do we have to pretend to care about who just had which baby? I’d rather be asking, my place or yours?” Lynn Thistle whispered into Kane’s ear.
    “What did you say?” Kane asked absently, keeping his eyes focused on a plant on the far side of the room because he refused to turn to see if Gigi was still in the room.
    “Earth to Kane. You asked me out not the other way around. The least you can do is pretend to be listening to me.”
    Kane nodded without looking at Lynn. Bringing her had been a mistake. He’d had fun with her in the past. They were friends of sorts. Sometimes more than friends, but never anything serious. “Sorry, I’m horrendously hung over.”
    She knew him too well to accept that. “No, that’s not it. Are you sleeping with someone’s wife?”
    Kane’s attention snapped to Lynn. “Why would you ask that?”
    She tapped him on the chest. “Because you couldn’t care less that I’m with you. I’d be offended if it weren’t sort of sweet. You have that guilty lover look about you. Is it someone who won’t leave her husband for you? Or someone you’d like to make jealous? If so, I bet she’s dying, watching you here with me.”
    Kane shook his head in indulgent amusement at her antics. “Is that why you’re hanging all over me? You’re evil.”
    Her perfectly shaped eyebrows rose. “Me? I’m not the one who wasn’t honest about what he wanted tonight. We’ve known each other a long time, Kane. You could have simply asked me for my help.”
    Kane smiled at how unflappable Lynn was. She had a practical, hold-nothing-back attitude he admired. If he could choose who to have feelings for, Lynn would have made sense for him. Yes, she was a tad more flamboyant than his usual taste, but she was easy to get along with. She deserved better than how he was treating her. “Do you want to leave?”
    Lynn shrugged. “Only if you do. It is not every day I am in a room with so many gorgeous, rich men. Do you know which ones are single?”
    Kane cocked his head to the side. “Won’t it be hard to hook up with someone when you’re obviously with me?”
    Lynn clung to his arm as if he’d just said the sexiest, most romantic thing.