“Gwen. I’m so glad you’re here. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

What happened next was the very reason the phrase “fuck my life” had been created, because it was definitely a “fuck my life” kind of moment.

Garrett’s head jerked around just as the man who’d ruined our moment stepped up to the counter. “Who the fuck are you?” he grunted savagely.

Steve turned to Garrett, his upper lip curling derisively as he scanned the tattoos climbing up Garrett’s arms. “I’m Steve,” he answered defensively. “Who the hell are you?”

Garrett’s furious eyes collided with mine. “Steve? Really?”

Fuck my life.

“Um… I—uh…,” I stuttered.

Unfortunately, Gina took my delayed speech as an opening. “Is this him? Is he rump roast guy?”

All eyes went to Gina, and Steve asked, “What?” in confusion.

I jumped into the fray, praying to diffuse the situation. “Gina, can you restock the display case, please?” She didn’t move a muscle, too consumed by what was unfolding in front of her, so I turned my attention to Steve. “Now’s really not a good time—”

“Yeah, Steve,” Garrett bit harshly. “Now’s not a good time. So fuck off.”

The throbbing vein in Steve’s forehead did not say good things as he faced Garrett full-on. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“That’s Garrett Wilder,” Gina offered unhelpfully. “He’s the drummer for Civil Corruption.”

“Civil who?”

Gina looked at me with an are you freaking kidding me face. “Civil Corruption,” she repeated slowly. “Only the most famous rock band in America. Dude, you living under a rock or something?”

He transferred his scowl from Gina to Garrett. “I prefer music with substance.”

Oh sweet merciful hell.

“Bet you do,” Garrett scoffed, taking a pull of his coffee.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Steve unwisely asked.

“Means our music isn’t for tight-assed, limp-dicked fuckers like you. Bet you listen to the Golden Oldies or some shit.”

Obviously deciding that Garrett wasn’t worth his time, Steve’s attention came back to me. “I’ve been texting you for days. I was worried.”

He wasn’t lying. Ever since our date, he’d sent one text message a day. I hadn’t replied because of what was happening between Garrett and me. And keeping secret the fact that Steve was still trying to reach out clearly didn’t sit well with Garrett, because he boomed, “Are you fuckin’ kidding me?”

“Calm down,” I warned. He looked just seconds away from exploding. I held my hands up to stop any more insults before they could be hurled, but Gina jumped in before I could speak.

“He was hitting on Gwen, but she shot him down, saying she was already seeing someone. No offense, dude, but you don’t seem her type.”

Steve’s entire frame went rigid. “Then obviously you don’t know your coworker. I’m more her type than this tattoo-covered, foulmouthed Neanderthal.”

Garrett shot up from his stool and crowded Steve against the counter—which was easily done since he had three inches and at least thirty pounds of muscle on the guy. “I’ll show you Neanderthal, motherfu—”

“All right, enough!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. “Gina, restock the display case. Now,” I ordered, then looked at the two men locked in a stare-down. “Both of you, my office.” I headed for the swinging door that led to the back and held it open, yelling, “Move your asses!” when neither of them followed.

Once both men finally stepped into the small, closet-sized box I used as an office, I slammed the door shut and glared at them both. “What the hell was that?” I screamed, throwing my arms out to my sides.

“He started it!” they both answered simultaneously.

Bringing one hand to my forehead, I started to rub at the headache building behind my eyes.

“I wouldn’t have gotten pissed if this asshole hadn’t stormed in and demanded to talk to you.”

Steve let out a sarcastic snort. “Excuse me, buddy, but I’m dating this woman. I have every right to ask to speak to her. Just who the hell do you think you are?”

“I’m the guy who’s spent the better part of the last week and a half balls-deep inside her!” he thundered in return.

“Garrett!” I shouted furiously. It was a completely unnecessary answer and undeniably inappropriate. It wasn’t his place at all to announce our relationship to anyone without us discussing it first, let alone the guy I’d been ghosting for the past several days.

“Is this true?” Steve asked, his voice low and laced with hurt.

I released a sigh, the frustration and anger building anew in my stomach. “Steve, Garrett is Liddy’s father.” I shot the tall blond rocker a killing look. “I would have preferred you found out a different way, but there it is.”

“Is this…?” His attention went from me to Garrett and back again. “Is this a joke?”

“No joke, jackass—”

My hand shot out, my palm stopping just an inch from Garrett’s face. “Stop talking!” I snapped. “You’ve already done enough. Because of you, I have to fix this and go out and beg Gina not to spread this news far and wide. I told you she was a gossip. Every reporter in the tri-state area would get their hands on this story simply because she likes to talk. This could have all been avoided, but you just had to piss all over your territory, didn’t you?”

“That’s not—”

“Just stop!” I demanded. Then, just as quickly as it came, my fury petered out into heavy exhaustion. “Go home,” I said quietly. “I’ll talk to you later tonight.”

Garrett took a step in my direction but I backed away. “Go. I’m serious. This is my workplace, not the set of a goddamn soap opera.”

He stared at me for several seconds, his green eyes flashing unhappily. When I didn’t say another word, he took his cue and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

I almost forgot Steve was still in the room until he spoke up. “You had a child with that guy?” he asked, his tone twisted with repulsion that set me immediately on edge.

“I did,” I answered rigidly, suddenly defensive of the man in question. It was one thing for me to be angry with him and fly off the rails. It was quite another for someone else to speak badly about him. No way in hell would I tolerate that. “And before you say something that’ll piss me off, you should know he’s a good man.” Then I quickly amended, “No, he’s a great man.”

“He’s a pig! Those tattoos… and that language. Really, Gwen? He talks like that around Liddy?”

He’d officially gone too far. “Don’t you dare question his integrity as a father!” I seethed. “That man treats my daughter like she’s a princess, and she worships him for it. I didn’t keep his existence a secret because I’m ashamed of him. Far from it. I kept it quiet because I didn’t want the media to invade Liddy’s life. I understand that you’re probably upset right now, and I get it if you never want to see me again, but I’m asking you to keep everything you found out today to yourself. If not for me, then for Liddy. She doesn’t deserve to have her picture plastered across magazine covers.”

He kept his gaze firmly on me as he breathed deeply. “Fine,” he said several seconds later. But before I could let out a relieved breath, he continued. “Your secret’s safe with me for no other reason than I don’t want my friends and family to know I went out with someone who’d associate with such a person. But I’m afraid I have to cancel all future playdates your daughter may have with mine. I won’t allow Michelle to surround herself with people like… that. And I honestly have to say I’m appalled that you’d associate with a man like him. I thought you had more sense than that.”

“And I thought you weren’t a stuck-up, judgmental prick. Looks like we were both wrong. I’d take Garrett Wilder over your stuffy, pretentious ass any day of the week.”

He looked at me like I was something gross he’d just stepped in. “I see I made a mistake asking you out. I obviously misjudged you.”

My fists were clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms, but it was either suffer through the pain or get arrested for laying this son of a bitch out… and I didn’t think I could handle jail. “And I see I dodged a bullet by bailing early into date one. Seems your ex-wife had the right idea on sending your ass packing.”

My blow hit its intended target, if the expression on Steve’s face was anything to go by. He stomped past me and yanked the door open, giving me one last scathing glance over his shoulder before disappearing from sight.

I sagged against the wall once I was alone, dropping my head back and giving it a few bangs against the drywall for good measure. The ups and downs I’d been experiencing since Garrett Wilder came into my life were enough to give any person vertigo. He was like a hurricane, wreaking havoc and leaving destruction in his wake when he didn’t get what he wanted… but damn if I didn’t secretly love the ride.

That didn’t mean I wasn’t mad at him. I was. I was livid. I still had to convince Gina that keeping a secret was a good thing, and stress the severity of what would happen to Liddy and me if she didn’t. I could only hope our friendship trumped her need to gossip.

Then I had to deal with Garrett. I might be in love with the guy, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to suffer.

I just had to decide what form of torture I wanted to use.