Rush

her snuggled as close to him as possible.
    “Thank you for dinner,” she said. “I just want you to hold me right now. It’s all
     I need to feel better.”
    Her words spoke to the very heart of him. Said with utter sincerity. How simple she
     made it sound. She’d never asked anything of him. She was very undemanding. She didn’t
     give a shit about his money or what he could buy her. The only things she’d ever truly
     asked him for were so simple. Hold her. Touch her. Comfort her.
    The idea that he held such power over her should have contented him. It was what he
     wanted, wasn’t it? Complete control. Her bending to his will. But instead it made
     him all too aware of the fact that he had the power to destroy her.
    “Want to stay here in front of the fire or do you want to go to bed?” he asked as
     he stroked her hair.
    “Mmmm,” she uttered in a sleepy, contented voice. “Here for a while, I think. It’s
     nice in front of the fire. I wonder if it’s snowing yet.”
    He chuckled. “If it is I imagine it’s only flurries. We never do get much this early
     in the year.”
    “Head hurts,” she murmured as she snuggled further into the crook of his shoulder.
    He frowned. “Why didn’t you say something sooner? How bad is it?”
    She shrugged. “Bad enough. I took some ibuprofen when I got home. I’d hoped that when
     I woke up it would be gone.”
    He pushed her gently to the side and then disentangled himself from her and the blanket
     before rising from the couch. He strode into the kitchen, shook out one of the prescription
     painkillers from the bottle and then returned to Mia.
    She frowned. “Those make me so fuzzy.”
    “Fuzzy is better than you being in pain,” he said patiently. “Take it and I’ll take
     care of you. We’ll sit on the couch until you get sleepy and then we’ll go to bed.
     If you aren’t feeling better in the morning, you’re going to stay home.”
    “Yes, sir,” she said, her dimple flashing in her cheek.
    He gave her the pill and then handed her the half-empty bottle of black cherry soda
     and watched as she swallowed the medicine. Then he sat back down, immediately pulling
     her back into his arms. He settled the blanket over her body and wrapped both his
     arms around her, holding her securely in his embrace.
    She gave a contented sigh as she burrowed her forehead against his neck.
    “I’m glad I’m with you, Gabe. I don’t regret my decision even for a moment.”
    She said the words so softly, he almost didn’t hear. And when he did realize what
     it was she said, he was gripped by a satisfaction so fierce that he couldn’t immediately
     respond. But there was also something odd about her statement. Almost as if it were
     a prelude to a good-bye. He wouldn’t even consider that possibility. He’d do whatever
     it took to ensure she didn’t go anywhere but right back to him.
    “I’m glad you’re here too, Mia,” he returned softly.

chapter thirty-five
    Mia pulled a jacket on over her shirt as she prepared to leave Gabe’s apartment. He
     wouldn’t be happy when she showed up at his office. He’d left this morning with stern
     instructions that she was to stay home in bed and rest.
    He thought she was getting sick, that yesterday had been the prelude to a cold or
     a stomach bug.
    She had spent most of the day numb with shock and fear. She’d been so panicked that
     she hadn’t been able to think about what the best course was for her to take. And
     time was running out. It was Friday and Charles expected her to cough up the information
     by the end of the week.
    Her stomach was in knots. She was a nervous wreck as she walked down to get into the
     car that would take her to Gabe’s office—her office.
    She’d weighed all her options and the only one available to her was to go to Gabe,
     tell him the entire truth, and hope that he could take care of the matter. Betraying
     him wasn’t an option. She had no idea what kind of future they had, but it was time
     they took matters into their own hands and told Jace, effectively taking away any
     power Charles perceived he held.
    The night before, she’d left her long-sleeved pajama top on even after going to bed
     with Gabe, citing that she was cold. Inreality, she hadn’t wanted Gabe to see the bruises on her arm from where Charles had
     grabbed her. Gabe would have most assuredly noticed, and she would have had to explain
     before she’d had time to get things straight in her own