She let out a sigh. It sounded so much simpler than she knew it was going to be. She was half in love with him already, and that was before sleeping with him. Some crushes just never went away. They built, instead, into something permanent, obsessive and all consuming.
Even though she knew better, she couldn’t control the wash of emotions he evoked within her. Was it love? She wasn’t sure. There were a lot of words she could use to describe her fascination with Gabe. She hadn’t viewed any of her prior relationships as long-term. Nothing close to love entered the picture. They were fun. She mostly viewed her previous lovers with affection. But nothing came close to the way she felt about Gabe, and she had no idea if this was love or simply obsession.
Not that it mattered anyway. Love was just an entanglement she’d do well to veer as far away from as possible because Gabe would never return the sentiment. But the heart didn’t always listen, and this was one thing she might not have any control over whatsoever.
Caroline would tell her to suck it up, enjoy the ride and not worry over the future. Live in the now. It was good advice, some she would do well to heed. But she also knew herself and that she would fret endlessly trying to analyze Gabe’s every word, every action and emotion, and make the relationship into something it wasn’t.
She sighed as the words she was trying so hard to concentrate on blurred before her. As first days went, she wasn’t setting the world on fire with her work ethic. Unless giving the boss great sex on his desk counted.
“I hope you’ve studied up on those profiles.”
Gabe’s voice jerked her to awareness and she yanked her head up to see he was off the phone and staring across the room at her.
“We have an event to attend tonight. A cocktail party put on by a potential investor for our California resort. Mitch Johnson. He’s in that stack of papers. You need to know everything you can about him and his wife, their three children, their interests and whatever else I’ve detailed. There will be others there as well, so make sure you familiarize yourself with the other names in that folder. But the most important is Mitch.”
It took everything she had not to let her panic show. Talk about jumping straight from the frying pan and into the fire!
“What time? And what should I wear?”
“What do you have? And I don’t mean that scrap of a dress you wore to the grand opening,” he said with a scowl. “I’d prefer something that covered more of you. I’ll be wearing a suit.”
She frowned, mentally going over her wardrobe. It wasn’t as though Jace wouldn’t have bought anything she wanted, but other than the apartment he’d purchased for her, she’d tried very hard not to run to him with frivolous things. Her wardrobe was modest at best, and the dress she’d worn to the grand opening was the only thing suitable for a more formal occasion.
Gabe checked his watch and then leveled another stare in Mia’s direction. “If we leave now, we have time to go buy you something appropriate.”
She shook her head. “That’s not necessary, Gabe. I’m just thinking over what I have that’s suitable for a party like this.”
He rose, ignoring her objection. “That’s part of the deal, Mia. You’re mine. I provide generously for what belongs to me. You’ll need more than just one new dress, but that’s all we have time for today. Perhaps the saleslady can ascertain your tastes, decide what looks good on you and gather other aspects of your wardrobe for us to pick up at a later date.”
She blinked in surprise and when she continued to sit there, Gabe shifted impatiently and gave her a look that told her in no uncertain terms to get moving.
She grabbed her bag, straightened her skirt and hurried toward him, her knees still shaking from their earlier explosive fuck on the desk. And that was only the first day! She couldn’t begin to imagine that if he were being patient and moving slowly what the future would bring.
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.