Chapter fourteen

Watching Gabe manage the saleslady was a bewildering experience for Mia. He cut through the selections with amazing precision, quickly vetoing the ones he didn’t like while immediately picking up on the ones he did.

She’d honestly never been on a shopping trip for herself where she didn’t make any of the choices. It was weird, but fascinating all at the same time.

It was obvious that Gabe had a definite eye for what flattered a woman. It was also obvious that he had no desire for her to wear anything remotely revealing. Sexy, yes. He’d picked out several selections that looked to die for and she could hardly wait to try them on. But there was nothing comparable to the dress she’d worn to the grand opening.

And when she did finally try on the dress he’d selected for her to wear tonight, she nearly fainted at the price tag. It was obscene. She tried to block it out as she surveyed her reflection in the mirror, but it was as if there were a neon sign blaring the price on the tag.

Still, she had to hand it to Gabe. The dress fit her like a dream and complemented her body and coloring. It was a red sheath that molded to her hips and then hugged her legs to just a few inches above her knees. It was sleeveless, but the bodice wasn’t low cut, and while it bared her arms, it bared nothing of her front or back.

She never wore red. Maybe she considered it too…brazen. In your face. But the color looked fabulous on her. She looked like a sexy siren without baring her cleavage, though the material hugged her chest and clearly outlined the rounded mounds.

She looked…sophisticated. It was a look she liked. It made her feel like she belonged in Gabe’s world.

“Mia, I’d like to see it.”

Gabe’s impatient voice filtered into the dressing room. She was surprised he hadn’t just stripped her down in the retail area. The saleslady had closed the boutique for Gabe’s visit and Mia and Gabe were the only two customers inside the store. For what Gabe was shelling out, it didn’t surprise Mia that the woman was only too eager to comply with his wishes.

She opened the dressing room door and hesitantly slipped out. Gabe was sitting in one of the comfortable chairs in front of her room and his eyes blazed with immediate appreciation when his gaze settled on her.

“It’s perfect,” he said. “You’ll wear that tonight.”

He turned and motioned for the saleslady, who hurried over.

“Find her shoes to match this dress. You can put together the rest of the items we decided on along with any others you think will suit her and have them delivered to my home.”

The woman beamed. “Yes, sir.” Then she glanced at Mia’s feet. “What size are you, Miss Crestwell?”

“Six,” Mia murmured.

“I think I have the perfect pair of heels. I’ll go get them now.”

A moment later, the saleslady returned with a pair of silver heels that looked to be about five inches high. Before Mia could tell her there was no way in hell she could walk in those, Gabe frowned.

“She’ll kill herself in those. Find something a little more reasonable.”

Undaunted, the saleslady hurried away again and returned shortly with a pair of sleek, sexy black heels that at least didn’t look as though they were held up by toothpicks.

“Those are perfect,” Gabe said.

He glanced at his watch, and Mia could see he was ready to be done. Without a word, she ducked back into the dressing room and slipped out of the dress, careful not to wrinkle it. After she put her clothes back on, she handed the dress out to the saleswoman to wrap along with the shoes.

When she walked out of the dressing room, Gabe was standing, waiting for her. He put his hand on her back as they walked toward the front of the store, and it was like being scalded. Would her reaction to him ever diminish? Would there ever be a time he could touch her without eliciting a bone-deep shiver? It didn’t seem likely given the intensity of the attraction between them. They were like two magnets inexorably pulled together.

After taking care of the purchases with the saleslady, Gabe ushered Mia outside to the waiting car and they began the ride back to his apartment. Knowing Caroline was going to wonder what the hell happened to her, Mia pulled out her phone and texted her friend.

With Gabe. Not sure if I’ll stay over again tonight. Have an event to attend. Just went shopping, OMG. Will catch you up later.

Gabe glanced curiously at her but didn’t comment. She slipped the phone back into her purse but mere seconds later, it rang. It was Jace’s ring tone and she dug through her purse again.

Jace, she mouthed to Gabe.

Gabe nodded.

“Hey, Jace,” Mia said as she answered the phone.

“Mia, how are things going? Everything all right?”

“Yes, of course. What about you? When are you and Ash going to be back?”

It was an answer she dreaded because she knew when Jace returned there was no way for her to hide that she was working for Gabe. And no way to know how much speculation or gossip Jace would hear regarding her and Gabe. She wasn’t prepared to face Jace with this yet. Maybe never.

“Day after tomorrow. Things are going well here. I just wanted to check in on you and make sure you were doing okay.”

In the background, Mia heard the soft laughter of a woman and Ash’s voice. Her eyes widened as she remembered the chatter she’d overheard in the bathroom.

“Where are you?” she asked.

“In the hotel suite. We have one more meeting tomorrow and then we’re attending a social event for potential local investors tomorrow night. We’ll catch an early flight out the next morning and be back in New York by early afternoon.”

If they were in the hotel suite, it was obvious that there was indeed a woman with Jace and Ash. It was clear there was a lot she hadn’t known about her brother. It was weird and kind of icky to suddenly know aspects of her brother’s sex life. No, thank you. She didn’t want to imagine him in some illicit threesome with Ash and another woman.

“Okay, I’ll see you then.”

“Let’s plan dinner together when I get back. I hate that I missed you at the grand opening. I haven’t seen much of you lately.”

“I’d like that.”

“Okay then. It’s a date. I’ll call you when I get in.”

“Love you,” she said, feeling a surge of affection for her older brother. He’d been such a vital component of her life. Not quite a father figure, but definitely a steadying, supportive presence from a very early age. Not many men would have stepped in and taken care of a much younger sister when he himself had been so young when their parents died.

“Love you too, baby girl. See you soon.”

Mia disconnected the call and sat for a moment staring down at the phone, guilt flooding her. There was the argument that she was an adult and fully capable of making her own decisions. But there was also the fact that Jace and Gabe were best friends and business partners. Coming between them wasn’t something she wanted at all. And yet she couldn’t turn away from the uncontrollable pull between her and Gabe.

“Something wrong?” Gabe asked.

She glanced up and offered her best effort at a smile. “No, not at all. Jace wants to have dinner when he gets back in. Then she paused and frowned because Gabe had exclusive rights to her time. “I’m assuming that’s okay?”

Gabe sighed. “I’m not some bastard who’s going to isolate you from your friends and family, Mia. Especially not Jace. I know how close the two of you are. Of course you’re free to go to dinner with him. Afterward, though, you come to me.”

She nodded, relieved at his easy acceptance. Gabe was possessive and controlling. She knew this before the contract had been produced. She had no way of knowing just how far he’d take things or how literally the contract would be interpreted.

“Tell me something, Gabe.”

He looked at her in question.

“This job, as your personal assistant, is it just fluff? I mean I was introduced to everyone as your PA but then Eleanor is ordering in lunch for me and catering to me. It could be awkward for me. There’s already talk—”

He held up his hand, his eyes suddenly fierce. “What talk?”

“I’ll get to that in a minute,” she said impatiently. “What I want to know is if my job is going to have any real substance. You’re paying me a lot of money and I’d rather earn it and not just on my back.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You’re not some whore, Mia. I’ll spank your ass if you ever suggest such a thing again.”

It was a relief to hear him say it even if she never thought that that’s how he viewed her. Perhaps it was more of the way she viewed herself, and she didn’t like how it made her feel.

“As for your question, just because I didn’t overwhelm you on your very first day doesn’t mean that you won’t have plenty to do. I’ll work you into my routine and familiarize you with how best to assist me. You have to remember, this is new territory for me as well. I’m not used to having a personal assistant and it will be an adjustment for me.”

“I just want to earn that salary, Gabe. It’s important to me. You were all about how my talents and education were wasted at La Patisserie. I don’t want to rely solely on my sexual favors to get me through this job.”

“Understood. Now what the hell are you talking about with the gossip? Did anyone say anything to you? I’ll have their asses.”

“Not to me. Just within my hearing. And it wasn’t intentional. I’m sure they would have died if they knew I was within hearing distance. I don’t know who said what. I could barely process all the names and faces when I was introduced and I couldn’t see who was talking because I was in the bathroom hiding in the stall.”

Gabe looked at her incredulously. “Hiding in the bathroom?”

“They came in when I was using the bathroom,” she said in exasperation. “The minute they started talking, I wanted to make sure they didn’t know I was around. Talk about awkward.”

“And what did they say?”

“Nothing that wasn’t expected.”

“Mia,” he growled. “Tell me what was said.”

“They wondered if you were fucking me. They also had quite a bit to say about Jace and Ash, and after the phone call just now, I’m wondering how accurate their speculation was.”

“I am fucking you,” he said matter-of-factly. “That’s not going to change. And they don’t know for sure. We already discussed this. They’ll think what they want to think and we can’t change that. I’m damn sure not going to go out of my way to dissuade them of that notion because if they have their minds made up, nothing you or I do will change that. I don’t give a fuck what they think. But they will be respectful of you and if I hear anything or if anything is said directly to you, I’ll terminate the person responsible immediately.”

There wasn’t much left to say about that.

She purposely left off the part about the person breaking into his office, although she felt a twinge of guilt. Shouldn’t he know that his personal life was being rummaged through? For that matter, shouldn’t he know that this contract issue was now public—or at least office—knowledge?

The whole thing made her uncomfortable. Her loyalty was to Gabe. She didn’t know those other women. She owed them nothing. If Gabe found out she knew and hadn’t told him, he would be furious.

She sighed, hating the position she was in.

“What’s wrong?” Gabe demanded.

She glanced up guiltily and then let out yet another sigh. “There’s something you should know, Gabe.”

“I’m listening.”

“That wasn’t all that was said in the bathroom today.”

His frown intensified.

“There was a group of women, so no, I don’t know who they are. I wouldn’t have a clue. But they were discussing your…contract. There was speculation and then one of the women spoke up and confirmed that she’d seen the contract so she knew it was real.”

“How the hell would she know something like that?”

It was clear Gabe didn’t believe her, and he was going to be seriously pissed when she told him how the woman knew. She just hoped it didn’t ruin the entire evening, because dealing with a pissed-off, brooding Gabe wasn’t on her list of top ten favorite ways to spend the night.

“She says she broke into your office—picked the lock—because she was curious, and she went through your desk.”

“What the fuck?”

The sound was explosive in the car, and she flinched at the whipcord lash of his voice.

“Let me get this straight. She says she picked the lock to my office and went through my desk because she was curious whether gossip about my personal life was true?”

The fury in his voice made her wary. He was seething, his entire body bristling with anger.