Rush

all
     the more.
    • • •
    Gabe was brooding and silent the entire flight from New York to Paris. But then he’d
     been that way ever since Lisa had departed his office. Mia wasn’t certain exactly
     what had transpired between them, but Gabe had made it clear to his staff and to security
     that Lisa was never to be allowed in the building again.
    He’d been curt and short as he and Mia had left for the airport, their bags already
     packed. They’d ridden in silence, and Mia had been only too happy to preserve that
     silence as they’d boarded.
    As soon as she was able, she pulled out her iPod and earphones and leaned back in
     her seat, closing her eyes to listen to her music. It was a long flight, and she was
     exhausted from her weekend with Gabe. If she didn’t sleep now, she was in for a long
     day. They were landing in Paris at eight in the morning local time, which meant it
     would be fourteen hours before she’d be able to sleep.
    She wasn’t certain why she was going. Gabe was meeting with prospective bidders, front-runners
     he expected would be the top three for the new hotel project. If all went according
     to plan, they’d break ground in the spring. Along with the bidders, Gabe was also
     meeting with local investors.
    There was really no reason for her to be here. She certainly couldn’t add anything
     to the mix. The only thing she could come up with was that Gabe didn’t want to be
     without sex for that long.
    Halfway through the flight, she drifted off, music still playing in her ears. The
     seats were heavenly, and being able to fully recline made it easy to give in to fatigue.
    The next thing she knew, Gabe was shaking her awake and motioning for her to right
     her seat. She pulled the earphones from her ears and stared groggily over at him.
    “We’re preparing to land,” he said.
    Had he slept at all? He still wore that brooding, grim expression he’d had when they
     departed New York. This trip was going to suck if his mood didn’t improve.
    They touched down and taxied to the gate. After an hour to get through customs and
     collect their luggage, they got into a car and headed for the hotel.
    It was curious to Mia why they were staying in their biggest competitor’s hotel, but
     Gabe had explained that he liked to keep up with what his competition was doing, and
     the best way to do that was to stay at their facilities.
    The suite was luxurious and took up half of the top floor. The panoramic view was
     absolutely breathtaking with the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe in sight from
     their huge picture window.
    Mia flopped onto the sumptuous couch and sagged. Even though she’d slept half the
     flight, she was still feeling grubby. Traveling did that to her. She needed a hot
     shower and bed, in that order. But she wasn’t certain what Gabe’s plans were.
    Gabe set up his laptop and typed steadily for half an hour before he finally looked
     up to where Mia was wilted all over the sofa.
    “You’re free to rest if you want,” he said. “We don’t have anything planned until
     this afternoon. We’re having dinner, and afterward, we’re having drinks here in the
     suite with a few people. I’ve e-mailed you detailed outlines on each of the individuals
     so be sure to read up before we go out later.”
    His tone was dismissive, and she figured he still hadn’t dugout whatever bug was up his ass, so she got up and left the living area of the suite.
     There was only one bedroom or she would have taken up residence in separate quarters,
     and there was only one bed. Oh well.
    She hit the shower, and spent a full thirty minutes soaking under the heated spray.
     By the time she got out, the chill had left her bones and she was pink all over from
     the hot water.
    She still had hours yet, and she’d already committed to memory every single detail
     Gabe had given her on the people they were meeting. Ironically, of the three who were
     expected to be the top bidders for the construction of the new Paris hotel, only one
     was French. Stéphane Bargeron was a wealthy French developer who was renowned in Europe.
     The other two, Charles Willis and Tyson “Tex” Cartwright, were American developers
     with European presences.
    Charles was younger, handsome. Maybe Gabe’s age or a little older. He’d inherited
     the business from his father when the older Willis had passed away, and he was struggling
     to build his own reputation. He was hungry, and Gabe fully expected