by Banks, Maya
“Did you kick the crazy bitch out and tell her to fuck off?” Jace asked with a scowl.
Gabe chuckled, his mood lightening. He could always count on Jace and Ash to shoot straight.
“I made it clear I had absolutely zero interest in rehashing the past.”
“She wants money,” Jace said darkly. “I made a few calls. She’s already gone through most of the settlement, and the alimony payments you fork out every month are barely keeping her head above water.”
Gabe’s eyebrow lifted. “You checked up on her?”
“Hell yeah. Not going to let her fuck you over like she did last time,” Jace bit out. “She’s still living like she’s married to you. Hasn’t downgraded in that department. High-maintenance bitch.”
Gabe grinned. “No worries there, man. I’m not dipping back into those waters.”
“That’s good to hear,” Ash said, relief evident in his voice.
Gabe’s eyes narrowed. Had there been any doubt? Then he realized. Jace and Ash were worried.
“I can handle Lisa,” Gabe said easily. “She’s a manipulative, grasping bitch. Lesson learned.”
Jace and Ash nodded their agreement. The waitresses came back with the drinks and spent several minutes flirting with Jace and Ash. They left Gabe alone. Maybe they sensed he wasn’t in the mood. He had zero interest in these girls when he knew Mia was in his bed waiting.
Drink in hand, Jace turned to Gabe when the waitresses disappeared. “So how are things working out with Mia?”
Gabe was instantly on alert. He’d already had one come-to-Jesus moment with Jace over this. He didn’t want it to be a bone of contention between them. Before he could say anything, Jace continued.
“I know I busted your balls about it, and yeah, I probably overreacted. It just caught me off guard. I didn’t like Mia working in that damn pastry shop, but I figured she just needed time to figure out what she wanted to do. She worked hard in school. She probably just needs a break to sort herself out, and I’m not in a hurry for her to do that. She has me. I’ll provide anything she needs and I don’t want her to feel pressured.”
A huge surge of guilt hit Gabe right in the gut. He’d definitely pressured Mia. No doubt about that. Not that he regretted it. He’d be a damn liar if he said otherwise. But still…
“She’s working out great, Jace,” Gabe said in a casual tone. “She’s smart and she’s motivated. She’s already finding her place. She works her ass off and she has her shit together. She wowed investors at the cocktail party she attended with me. Everyone at work seems to like her and has responded well to her presence. I’m sure many of them figure she got the job because of who she is, but she’s proven she deserves to be there.”
“Well, and who can’t like her?” Ash cut in. “She’s sweet and friendly. Not a mean bone in that girl’s body.”
“If anyone says shit to her I want to know about it,” Jace bit out.
Gabe held his hand up. “I have this, man. And if you think about it, it’s a hell of a lot better for her not to work for you. This way she can prove she deserves the job because she’s not working for her big brother. I’m not going to be a hardass with her but I’ll expect her to do her job. You’d just coddle her and baby her to death.”
Ash burst into laughter. “He totally nailed you with that one, man. If she had so much as a hangnail, you’d be sending her home.”
Jace grinned. “Okay, okay, you both have a good point.” Then he grew more serious. “I just want what’s best for her. I want her to be happy. She’s all I have.”
Gabe and Ash both nodded. “I get it,” Gabe said. “In your position, I’d feel the same. But lighten up. Let her spread her wings a bit. I think you’ll be surprised at just how much she can do without you hovering over her.”
Then in an effort to move the conversation away from Mia so Gabe wasn’t in such an awkward position, he glanced at Jace and Ash with a half grin. “Brunette history or what?”
Ash groaned and Jace just looked pissed.
Gabe raised his eyebrows. “That bad?”
“Batshit crazy,” Ash muttered. “Not one of our better decisions to hook up with her for a few days. Hell, she even knew it was temporary. Very temporary.”
Jace kept silent, his face still dark.
“Let’s just say she didn’t take it too well and she definitely did not get the message. She blew up both our phones for a few days.”
Gabe’s brow furrowed. “You gave her your cell numbers? Are you out of your minds?”
“Fuck no,” Jace exploded, speaking for the first time. “She called the office. Repeatedly. Had to threaten to report her for harassment before she finally chilled out.”
Gabe laughed. “You two sure know how to pick them.”
“Crazy,” Ash muttered again. “I don’t know how much clearer we could have been.”
Gabe lifted his shoulder in a shrug. “Be more discerning next time.”
Jace snorted. “Maybe we should just have contracts like you. Get all that shit sorted out before sex.”
Ash choked on his drink and Gabe scowled at them both.
After an hour of drinks, more joking, and definite babe checking out on the part of Ash and Jace, Gabe glanced at his watch and saw it was close to eleven. Damn. He’d told Mia he wouldn’t be that late. To wait up for him. And he was stuck here bullshitting with Jace and Ash.
He’d give it fifteen more minutes and then make up an excuse.
He was saved when Jace and Ash became riveted by a private performance. Gabe didn’t have any interest. Not when he had something as sweet and gorgeous as Mia waiting for him at home.
And damn if that didn’t give him a huge measure of satisfaction.
She was at home, in his bed. And she was waiting for him.
That was all the motivation he needed to stand and say his good-byes, citing an early morning, and head for the exit. Jace and Ash were distracted, muttered an appropriate “later,” and then turned their attention back to the dancers.
It was a short drive to his apartment building, and he found himself hurrying to the elevator, an itch under his skin he couldn’t alleviate.
He walked into his apartment to find that Mia had left the foyer light on for him. He smiled at her thoughtfulness, his chest tightening at the thought that he didn’t need physical light. She was light. A ray of sunshine on a cold day.
He was already stripping out of his clothing as he entered his bedroom and he stopped, the smile broadening when he saw her curled in the middle of his bed, covers to her chin and her head resting on his pillow.
Sound asleep.
His cock was already rigid and straining, trying to break free from his pants.
“Down boy,” he murmured. “Not tonight.”
His dick didn’t pay attention. It saw what he wanted and it was demanding ease.
Ignoring the urge to awaken her by thrusting deeply into her body, he instead quietly undressed and then carefully pulled the covers back so as not to awaken her.
He slid in next to her, pulling the sheets back up. She didn’t awaken, but as if she sensed his presence, she immediately snuggled into his body, throwing her arm possessively over his side.
He smiled again as he settled more firmly against her and pulled her into his arms. Yeah, he wanted her, but this was…nice.
chapter twenty-three
Mia woke the next morning to a hard body pressing her into the mattress, her thighs firmly spread. And then a cock thrust deep into her body. She gasped and came fully awake, Gabe’s eyes boring into hers.
“Good morning,” he murmured just as his mouth claimed hers.
She couldn’t even form a coherent response. She was on fire, her arousal sharp and rising higher with every single thrust.
He held her hips in his firm grasp, pressing her into the bed so she was pinned, unable to move. All she could do was lie there and take what he gave her.
It was quick. No lazy climb to release. He thrust ha
rd and fast, his hips slapping against hers. He nuzzled her neck and then nipped at her earlobe. Chill bumps danced across her skin and she moaned, already so close to her own orgasm.
“Give me your eyes, baby. And get there.”
The guttural command fueled her arousal into a full-fledged inferno. She locked her gaze to him, her body tense, every muscle coiled tight.
“My name,” he whispered.
“Gabe!”
Eyes locked, his name tumbling from her lips, he leaned down, pressing his body to hers and surged into her, spilling himself deep.
For a long moment, he blanketed her, his body heaving, warm and comforting over hers. Then finally he propped himself up on his forearms and kissed her nose, his eyes warm as he stared down at her.
“Now that’s the way I like to start the day,” he murmured.
Then he rolled off her, patted her hip and said, “Hop into the shower, baby. We have to get to work.”
Damn chipper man.
• • •
As crazy as the previous day had been, Mia was almost afraid to see what today held in store. Despite their bout of hot morning sex, as soon as they got into the office, he inserted another plug.
She never imagined the damn things came in so many sizes! There couldn’t be many more because the one he used today was huge! She felt like she waddled, which only made her more self-conscious about letting anyone see her walk anywhere, so she spent the majority of the day sequestered in Gabe’s office, suffering as she sat and fidgeted in her chair.
And damn if Gabe wasn’t insanely busy. Three conference calls. Two meetings, plus countless other calls he had to return. So there was no crazy-hot office sex to alleviate the burn.
She was back to sulking, even as ridiculous as that made her feel.
By quitting time, she was hugely relieved. She wanted to have this damn thing out of her ass, and she wanted to get the hell out of the office. She was going stir crazy. At least she had dinner with Jace and Ash to look forward to.
Mia rode with Gabe at his insistence. He had his driver take her by her apartment before going on to his. The ride was mostly silent, but he kept hold of her hand the entire time. Almost as if he just needed that contact. And it was true, they’d seen little of each other that day. The only alone time they’d shared was when he inserted the plug in the morning and when he removed it in the afternoon.
His thumb smoothed up and down her palm, rubbing in a pattern as he stared out the window. She wasn’t sure he was that in tune with her or her presence, and yet the one time she’d tried to move her hand, he’d clamped down and curled his fingers tightly around hers.
Maybe he’d missed her as much as she’d missed him. It was a stupid thought, but it didn’t mean it didn’t have a firm hold in her brain.
As they neared her apartment, she realized they hadn’t made plans for after her dinner with Jace. She had no idea what Gabe expected. Would he want her to come to his apartment afterward? Or was she simply to go in to work on her own the next day?
The car pulled to a stop in front of her building, and Mia started to get out, but Gabe halted her.
“Have a good time tonight, Mia,” he said softly.
She smiled. “I will.”
“I’ll see you at work in the morning. The driver will be here for you at eight a.m.”
Well that answered her question. Evidently she’d been dismissed for the evening. And yet, as she got out, Gabe didn’t look happy that she was spending the night away from him.
“See you tomorrow,” she murmured.
She shut the door and watched as the car rolled away, wondering what Gabe was thinking. With a sigh, she went into her building and up to her apartment. She only had an hour to change and get ready before Jace would be there.
When she walked through the door and into the living room, Caroline popped her head out of her bedroom, her eyes wide with surprise.
“You’re home! Holy shit. I was beginning to wonder if you’d moved in with Gabe.”
Mia smiled. “Hello to you too.”
Caroline walked over and grabbed Mia in a hug. “I’ve missed you, girl. All the girls have. Want to grab takeout tonight and watch movies?”
Mia winced. “Sorry, I can’t. Jace is coming over, which is why I didn’t go home with Gabe. Jace and Ash are taking me to eat tonight. Catch-up, because Jace has been out of town. I’m sure he’s going to grill me about Gabe too since he now knows I’m working for Gabe.”
Caroline’s face fell. “Damn. It sucks not seeing much of you anymore. I worry about you getting in over your head on this one. It doesn’t seem like you ever spend any time away from him.”
Discomfort gripped Mia as she stared back at her friend. It was true she hadn’t seen Caroline or the girls since the inception of her relationship with Gabe. Not that it had been forever, but she and her friends spent a lot of time together, and they were used to going out as a group.
“Club. Friday night,” Caroline said firmly. “I’ll round up the girls and we’ll go out and have some fun.”
“I don’t know,” Mia hedged. She had no idea what Gabe’s plans for her were.
Caroline’s gaze sharpened. “Tell me you’re not pondering asking his permission to go out with your girls. He doesn’t own you, Mia.”
Mia barely controlled the guilty flinch. Gabe did own her. He had contractual rights to her body, her time, her everything. Not that she wanted to share that particular bit of knowledge with Caroline. Her friends would never understand.
She sighed, knowing the best thing to do would be to go and spend the evening with them. She didn’t want to shut herself off from her friends because when Gabe moved on, she’d need them. They were going to be the ones who stuck by her through thick and thin, and if she didn’t take care, there would be no one left for her down the road.
She’d simply have to tell Gabe that she had plans Friday night, and hope to hell he was reasonable about it.
“Okay. Friday night,” Mia relented.
Caroline’s face lit up and she danced around Mia. “We are going to have so much fun! I’ve missed you, Mia. It’s not the same without you around.”
Mia felt another surge of guilt. It had been her idea for Caroline to move in. Aside from the fact that Caroline needed a place to stay, Mia had wanted the company. And now she was spending very little time in her apartment or with Caroline.
“I’m going to go call the girls so they don’t make other plans. Will I see you after your dinner tonight?”
Mia nodded. “Yep. I’m spending tonight here.”
“Awesome. Tell you what. Don’t eat dessert. I’ll make fudge and get a movie. We’ll veg on the couch when you get home.”
Mia grinned. “Perfect!”
Caroline made a shooing motion. “Okay, go get ready. I’ll get out of your hair.”
Mia ducked into her room and pulled out her favorite pair of jeans. Holes in the legs, sequined pockets and low-slung hip-hugging. They were her favorite comfort item, and she’d worked diligently to make sure they still fit even after three years of owning them. No better incentive to keep her weight down than to be able to remain in her jeans, right?
She snagged a cami and an off-the shoulder top, and then went into the bathroom to repair her hair and makeup.
She was looking forward to her night out with Jace and Ash. They made her comfortable, and they enjoyed an easy relationship. Instead of one older brother, it was like having two, even if Ash flirted endlessly with her. He was perfectly harmless—to her at least. He was lethal to other women, but he was too firmly entrenched in her mind as a family member. Gabe was a whole different matter…
And the more she thought about it, the more she looked forward to her night out with the girls. Caroline had it right when she’d said that Mia hadn’t been around since she’d taken the job with Gabe. Gabe was…Well, he was an obsession that was all consuming. And there was the matter of the contract she’d signed giving up her time to him t
o do with as he wished.
If the girls knew of that particular caveat, they’d be checking her into an institution.
She brushed on another layer of mascara and touched up her lipstick, a shiny pink that matched her toes, and then she pulled her hair up into a messy bun and secured a large clip to hold it in place.
By the time she made it back into the living room, the decadent smell of chocolate filled the air.
“Oh my God, Caro, that smells divine,” Mia groaned.
Caroline looked up from the stove and grinned. “I’m even sacrificing the nuts just for you.”
“You are too good to me.”
Mia perched on the bar stool across the island from where Caroline was cooking, and rested her arms on the countertop.
“So how is work going?”
Caroline stopped stirring a moment and then reset the temperature before laying the spoon to the side. She wrinkled her nose and made a face.
“Boss is still a dickhead. He spends more time trying to get into my pants than he does actually working. As soon as I have enough money saved up, I’m going to start looking for another job.”
Caroline took a deep breath and glanced up at Mia.
“I met this guy…”
Mia leaned forward. “Oh do tell. Is this someone I should know about?”
“Well, maybe. I’m not sure yet. We’re just talking. Texting. God, I feel like I’m in high school or something. And I’m paranoid. You know, after Ted.”
Mia sighed. Caroline’s last relationship had been a disaster. She’d met Ted, fell instantly in lust and love only to find out after six months of strange meeting times and dates that he was married with two kids. It had made her question herself in a huge way.
“So you think he’s married or something?” Mia asked.
Caroline’s lips turned downward. “I don’t know. Something’s off. Or maybe I’m just screwed up after what happened with Ted. Part of me wants to just walk away before we become involved, but the other part of me wonders if I’m being stupid and if I should give him a chance.”