Rush(6)

Jace and Ash were the middlemen, as Gabe referred to them. Though they both had equal partnership in the corporation, Gabe initiated projects, bid them out, got every detail down to his ultimate satisfaction. Then Jace and Ash came in to oversee, get construction off the ground and make sure things went smoothly. Then Gabe came back in to put the polish on.

It was an arrangement that suited the three of them well. And they all dealt with the day-to-day operations and management of the hotels and resorts.

The three had been friends since college. Looking back, he wasn’t even certain what had brought them together other than alcohol and frat parties and plenty of girl chasing. They’d just clicked and hit it off.

Things had gotten difficult for Jace when his parents had been killed in a car accident and he’d had to assume responsibility for a much younger sister, but Gabe and Ash had banded around him, offering their support, and they hadn’t left him to make it on his own.

Later, it had been Jace and Ash banding around him during his very messy and public divorce.

Perhaps, in a way, Mia was very much responsible for the strong bond between the three. Ironic, since she could well mean the end of it if Gabe didn’t handle this just right.

“What’s got your shorts in a knot this morning?” Ash drawled as he slouched into one of the chairs in front of Gabe’s desk.

Jace settled in the other, quieter and slightly less irreverent than Ash.

Yeah, Jace and Ash were the only two people he considered friends in the true sense of the word. He trusted them—the only people he trusted—and they had his loyalty, which was something he didn’t blindly offer to anyone.

Jace was the quiet brooder of the two, while Ash was the charming playboy who attracted women like flies. Gabe was convinced it was the combination of the two that made women a little crazy. They certainly had no shortage of women lining up to have a threesome with them.

Ash was always on the front line. Flirty, outgoing, he made women breathless and fluttery. Gabe had witnessed Ash’s charm and how it affected women firsthand. Jace merely stood back and observed with those dark eyes and that silent demeanor. Women found him a challenge, and maybe they considered Ash an easy enough conquest, but they went after Jace with single-minded determination only to discover that he was unreachable.

All three men had their kinks and were unapologetic about it—another of their discoveries during their college days. They’d made enough money and reached a level of success beyond their wildest imaginations that they had no issue finding willing participants for sex, or even a longer relationship, as long as the women always knew the score.

It was an unspoken agreement among the three of them that they played hard but lived free. Especially after the debacle of Gabe’s marriage.

Just as Gabe and Ash had rallied around Jace when he’d stepped in to raise Mia, Ash and Jace had been an unbending source of support for Gabe when Lisa had divorced him. And they’d been his staunchest defenders when Lisa had made baseless accusations that forever tarnished Gabe’s reputation both personally and professionally. To this day, Gabe still didn’t understand what had made Lisa snap. But he’d always be grateful to Jace and Ash for their unconditional support during some of the worst months of his life.

Had he been the best husband? Maybe not, but he’d damn well given Lisa everything he thought she’d wanted and desired. Their sexual kinks were consensual. He’d never forced her to do anything she didn’t damn well want, and it still made him seethe to remember all she’d accused him of.

He’d been crucified in the media and in divorce court. And Lisa had walked away, the seeming victim of a manipulative, abusive bastard.

Never again had he entered a relationship without full disclosure and legal documents signed by all parties. It may be viewed as extreme—or even ridiculous—by some, but he had too much to lose to ever risk having another Lisa go after him.

“I thought you two were supposed to be on a plane to California,” Gabe said impatiently.

Jace’s eyes narrowed. “We’re leaving in half an hour. Our pilot called and there was a mechanical issue with the jet. Earliest we can take off is eleven when he can get a replacement fueled and flight plans filed.”

Gabe did a mental calculation. They should be gone well before Mia arrived. He just had to hope she wasn’t the superpunctual type who arrived early for everything. As fastidious as he was about time and hating people who weren’t punctual, this was one time he’d be forgiving of tardiness.

Under his desk, his fingers curled into fists and then relaxed as he flexed them back and forth. Mia had been all that had occupied his mind ever since she’d walked into the ballroom the night before. Now that he’d allowed himself to think of her as more than his best friend’s baby sister, he was consumed with an edginess that defied explanation.