Gabe helped Ellie straighten her dress, and he picked up her purse for her before then escorting her to the staircase. “What’d you think?”
“That was amazing,” she told him. “Thanks for showing me around.”
“No matter how any of this works out, anytime you want to come back, just let me know. I’ll put you on the list.” Back on the main floor, Gabe reached into his breast pocket, pulled out his cell phone and was transfixed by the screen. She knew that she’d lost him when he frowned.
“Everything okay?” she asked him.
“Yeah, it’s fine,” he told her, not looking up, his thumbs moving over the screen. “Excuse me for a minute, would you?”
* * *
Gabe saw the missed call notifications the minute he’d retrieved his phone. He wished that he hadn’t replaced the damn thing after he’d smashed it on Friday night. Charles had called him while he’d been in the playroom with Ellie. Seven times. Left voice mails and several texts for Gabe to call him. He took several steps away from her and dialed his voice mail.
“Gabe, I need you to call me,” Charles said in the first message.
He skipped to the next. “Gabe, where the hell are you?”
The messages got more urgent. “I need you to get your ass over here now.”
“Everything okay?” Ellie asked him.
“Your father,” he told her, dialing his mentor.
“Where the hell have you been?” his boss demanded, when he answered.
He took a look at Ellie. “What is it?” If Charles had any idea where he’d been...
“We need you at the office right now.” Gabe listened as Charles told him how one of the firm’s top clients had initiated a multimillion-dollar takeover of another company.
“What? You need me there now? Aren’t there clerks that can handle that sort of thing?” Frustration had him biting the words at his boss.
Charles was silent for a moment, as if stunned into silence. “He’s your client, and he wants you here now. And as a potential future partner, you’d better get here ASAP.” And there it was, Charles dangling his promotion over his head like a carrot on a string. He sighed and looked at Ellie, not wanting to leave her, but work had to come first. “Fine. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
He slid his phone back in his pocket and saw the look that Ellie gave him. “Ellie, I’m sorry.”
“You have to leave?”
“Yeah. A big client wants me in the office now. Some kind of crisis, apparently.”
Ellie straightened. “Yeah, of course. Well, thanks for that,” she said, gesturing down the stairs. “I’ll talk to my lawyer about the papers and get them back to you.” It felt like Gabe was losing Ellie already. But he didn’t want to let her go. Whatever was between them—he wanted to hold on to it.
She started to move past him, but he held out his hand, stopping her.
“Ellie, wait.”
“Yeah?”
He had no idea what he wanted to say to her. He just wanted her to stay with him. He didn’t want to say goodbye to this aspect of their relationship. “You know, we’ll still have a while before the marriage is officially annulled,” he told her.
“Yeah.”
He huffed out a breath, and took a step to stand right in front of her. “You can’t deny that we have a certain physical connection. But as long as we’re waiting for the annulment to be official, we might as well, I don’t know,” he stammered. “Hell, I’m usually better at this.” Words and presenting his case was his livelihood, and Ellie turned him into a stuttering fool. “Why don’t we keep seeing each other?”
“You want to still play husband and wife?” she asked him. “Like, sexually?”
“Yeah. Let’s give this—whatever this is between us—until then.”
“Gabe, that’s insane.”
She was right. It was insane. “I know it is. But I don’t want to let you go tonight without exploring what there is between us. What’s the worst that could happen?” Both of them could be ruined; that was a pretty heavy worst.
She didn’t say anything for a while. She looked at the staircase as if to leave, and then she turned back to him. He couldn’t read the emotion that was on her face, and he hoped that he hadn’t just laid everything on the line, and made himself look like a jerk, by saying the stupidest thing he’d ever thought.
“What about work?”
“We’ll keep it separate. Keep it secret. Especially if I’m going to be your mentor.”
“That’s still on?”
He should say no. As soon as he’d said the words, he felt guilt punch him in the stomach. But he didn’t want to trust her career to anyone else. He was the best man for the job. “Yeah. It’s still on.”
“But—”
“I like you, Ellie. You’re smart, fiery, strong. I’ll bet you’re a really good lawyer to boot. If I can learn to keep my hands off you at the office, I do think we’ll be a pretty good match. Whatever is between us physically won’t affect either of our careers. What do you say?” he asked her, trying to not let desperation creep into his voice.
“Okay,” she said. “To both.”
“I’m glad.” He wanted nothing more than to go home with his wife. But his boss—his unknowing father-in-law—was waiting for him. For the first time in his life, he didn’t want to jump up and go to work. He turned serious, reached out and cupped her jaw. Her skin was smooth and warm. “I’m sorry I have to go. This is not how I wanted to spend this evening, at the office, working on a takeover.”
“I changed my mind,” she told him. “I do believe that maybe you are the boring one.”
He laughed. “It’s true. Maybe you should have known that about me before you married me,” he told her, winking. He cupped her face with his hands. “I want to see you later, but I really don’t know what time I’ll be done tonight.”
God, he wanted nothing more than to ignore Charles, his client and the millions of dollars at stake, and take Ellie to his house and spend the night exploring her body. For a man who normally held on to control with a firm hold, he felt it start to slip from his grasp.
“That’s okay.” Her casual shrug made him wonder how she was so unaffected. “Thanks again for the tour. I had fun.”
“Me, too,” he assured her. He reached out and cupped her cheek in his palm, before drawing her near and placing a chaste kiss on her lips. He turned away from her while he still could. He had to get to the office.
CHAPTER EIGHT
GABE WAS ON the conference call from hell with Charles and his client, and had been for three hours and counting. The other men were talking, but all Gabe could think about was Ellie. He’d gotten home from the office well after midnight the night before, after saying goodbye to Ellie at Di Terrestres. His quiet, empty house wasn’t the comfort it always was. He’d wished that Ellie was there. He’d almost called her, but he figured that it was too late. Was Ellie a night owl? An early bird? Again, he cursed himself for not knowing anything about her. But he went to bed without calling or texting her, even if he’d had to leave his phone downstairs in the kitchen to stop himself from contacting her from his bed.
Finally, the call ended, all matters of the takeover having been discussed. Gabe knew that Charles had noticed he’d not been an active participant in the conversation, and had made several points of it during the call. It bothered Gabe that he was unable to focus on his client. It bothered him that he couldn’t get Ellie, who was probably in her own office several floors down, off his mind. He’d emailed her earlier with some tasks, and he wondered how she was doing with them. Maybe he’d take a trip down there to see if she needed a hand. But he stopped himself. They’d agreed to keep their work separate, and Gabe knew that the minute he was in her office, he would lock the door and take her.
He needed to cool down. He needed to get out of his
office. He walked to the lunchroom to get a coffee. Sure, he had a machine in his office, and he could have sent Kellen, his assistant, out for a cup, but he preferred to get his own. But when Ian Smith entered the lunchroom, he wished that he’d left the building and gone to the café around the corner.
“Gabe,” he said. “How’s everything?”
“Pretty good,” Gabe responded without much enthusiasm. He’d known Ian since they’d both started at the firm. The man was an ass-kisser, not one genuine bone in his body, and would do anything to get ahead. He was always jealous and resentful of Gabe’s connections within the firm—his father and Charles. “And yourself?” he asked, not because he was interested, but because the social contract between coworkers dictated it.
“I’m good, man, good. I hear you’ve got Burnham’s daughter working under you now.”
Gabe stiffened at the way Ian spoke.
“I’ll tell you what, I wouldn’t mind having her under me.”
Gabe’s hands formed into fists at his sides. “Stay away from her.”
“Or what?” Ian asking, glancing down at Gabe’s clenched hands. “It’s not a good idea to deck a partner.”
“You aren’t a partner,” Gabe reminded him.
“I know they’re looking at one of us to come on board at the top.” Ian leaned in and lowered his voice. “I know you and the old man are pretty tight. But I have my connections, too. The partnership is mine. Stay out of my way.”
The look in his eyes made Gabe understand that Ian was trying to threaten him, but he didn’t succeed. Ian was hungry—for power, money. But so was Gabe, and even though he didn’t need to work—the profits from his stake in the Brotherhood’s businesses was more than enough to live luxuriously—as he looked at Ian, his competitive nature took over. It was never just about the job for Gabe, it was about winning, being the best.
Gabe chuckled. “Here’s the thing, Ian. Everyone knows you’re a snake. There’s no way the other partners will take you seriously enough to vote you as a partner.”
“Is that right? I think you’re going to be sorry for that, Foster. I know you’re a golden boy over here, but you’re done. Don’t cross me.”
Gabe stayed cool, figuring that not visibly reacting would bother Ian more. He was right. Ian glared, before pushing past Gabe and leaving the room.
Gabe had to grab the handle of the nearby fridge to stop himself from stalking after him. But Ian was right, he couldn’t pummel the man—not on company property at least. He could handle himself. But he was angrier on Ellie’s behalf. Ian wasn’t going to get anywhere near Ellie.
He wasn’t sure if the tension roiling through his body was anger or lust. Every time he tried to focus his mind, it just made his body recall the way Ellie had felt underneath him, surrounding him. How she’d kissed him back in the elevator, how it felt to drive into her from behind in the playroom at Di Terrestres. It was barely noon, and he had to get out of the building. He’d always been a workhorse, making him an asset to his employers and clients. Since meeting—and marrying—Ellie, however, his work ethic and productivity had plummeted.
He looked out the window. It was another hot day in Las Vegas, and while his air-conditioned office was a relief, he needed to get outside. He made his way back to his office, changed out of his suit and back into the jeans and T-shirt he’d worn that morning, and made his way to the parking lot.
He jumped on his motorcycle and put on his helmet before starting it up. The motor vibrated, coming to life between his thighs, and he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road. He drove for a while; the wind was cool on his arms, but the sun was hot as he drove away from the city and into the desert. Taking a ride on his bike was normally the thing that cleared his mind and helped him focus.
But this time, it didn’t work. Like always, Ellie dominated his thoughts, and when he managed to push her aside, he thought about the firm and his future. He was so close to attaining his dreams, he couldn’t blow it now. And if word got out that he’d drunkenly married Charles Burnham’s daughter, he’d be finished. There’s no way Charles would forgive him. And there was no way Ellie would see the reconciliation with her father that she’d craved. It had been selfish, asking her to continue their relationship until the annulment was finalized. And he’d put her in jeopardy.
His phone vibrated in his pocket and Gabe pulled over to the dusty shoulder to answer it. It was a text from Alana.
I’m at Thalia, doing some work. Up for late lunch?
At the mention of food, Gabe’s stomach growled, and he realized that he’d skipped breakfast, and had only had coffee so far that morning.
Hell yeah. I can be there in twenty. Of all the members of the Brotherhood, Alana was his best friend, and if there was anyone he could trust to give him brutal honesty and clarity on his current predicament, it was her.
He turned the bike around and headed back to the city, weaving in and out of traffic, expertly gliding his motorcycle over the asphalt. At Thalia, he parked next to Alana’s red vintage Stingray, loosened his helmet and hung it over the handlebars. On his way to the door, he let some well-dressed businessmen go inside ahead of him. They looked him up and down in his jeans and T-shirt. Gabe was definitely underdressed to dine in their restaurant—which had a dress code—but he assumed, with a chuckle, that as one of the restaurant’s owners, management would make an exception for him.
He held the door open for the men, and smiled while they barely regarded him. He followed them to the hostess stand, and Libby, the gorgeous woman standing behind it, broke into a huge smile, much to the surprise of the men. “Gabe,” she greeted him. “Alana is just inside at her usual table. Behave yourself because she isn’t having an easy morning.”
“Thanks for the warning, Libby,” he said gratefully, as he made his way inside. Alana had already been seated. She had her tablet and a stack of papers in front of her, and her phone to her ear.
“That’s completely unacceptable,” she told the unfortunate person on the other end. She looked up at Gabe and winked. “Get back to me in two hours with a better response,” she said, and promptly hung up the phone.
Gabe took a seat and helped himself to her half-filled wineglass. “What was that about?”
“Oh, you know, the usual. We need some work to be done on the hotel. The contractor is trying to dick me around because I don’t have one.” She shrugged and bit back a yawn.
He watched her. She’d been working herself like crazy the past few months, especially since the Brotherhood had opened their latest hotel, in which they’d taken the erotic themes of Di Terrestres and created a full-service hotel around the concept. Alana had taken on most of the management of their hospitality businesses, and he knew that the work must be piling up on her. “Everything okay?”
“Just peachy,” she said with a smile that Gabe knew wasn’t as genuine as she tried to portray. He also knew that pushing Alana on the issue would make her push herself harder, work more, to prove him wrong.
He reached across the table and put his hand over hers. “We know you’re working hard lately. You can reach out, you know. The guys and I can help lighten your load.”
“Yeah, especially now that Brett is off enjoying married life, Alex is also planning a wedding and Rafael is working on the campaign for his senate run, on top of their own workloads. Yeah, they have all the time in the world to help out. Don’t worry, I’m fine,” she told him. Her voice was firm, and told him that she was close to getting angry. “Give me that,” she said, reaching out and plucking the wineglass from his fingers, and drinking from it.
The waiter came by, and Gabe asked for a beer. Alana put away the stacks of paper and the tablet, and the server returned with Gabe’s lager. He tasted it. It was cold and crisp, the bubbles reminding him of the champagne he’d lapped up from Ellie’s body the night they’d married. Jesus, get a grip. He sighed, rubbin
g his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.
“I think the better question is, is everything okay with you?” Alana said.
He didn’t look at her, instead taking another mouthful of his beer. He sighed again.
“Bad day so far at work?”
“It’s fine,” he told her.
Alana clearly wasn’t convinced. “What’s going on? Did you get those annulment papers filed?”
“Yeah. But there’s more.” He took a deep breath and told Alana everything. What had transpired between him and Ellie the night before, and how he’d told her he wanted to keep sleeping with her, at least until their day in court.
Alana was quiet for a minute, and Gabe hated the way she watched him—so critical. “What? Why would you do that?”
“The sex is really good?” he answered, searching for a reason.
“You’ve had good sex, dude. And I’m sure you can find it again with someone who isn’t your boss’s daughter.”
“It’s not only that,” he told her. “Ellie is...” He tried to find the words. “Ellie is special.”
“Well, that’s nice for you. But you married your boss’s daughter when you were drunk. And we both know I hate to be the person to say it, but is she worth destroying your career and everything you’ve worked for? Because that’s what’s going to happen when Burnham finds out.”
That was why he’d gone to Alana. She was the voice of reason. He knew that Alana wasn’t just giving him a hard time. She was helping him talk through his problem. She was good at that. “I know, and I know if I make partner, I’ll be set for the rest of my career. But when I’m with Ellie, Jesus, I don’t know, it’s like I lose all control. I don’t care about anything but being with her again.” Alana smiled, and it annoyed him. He failed to see the humor in something that could seriously fuck up not only his career, but his life.
“What?”
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