Rush

God, was this really happening? Did she dare to say the words out loud? It was
     like standing on the ledge of a skyscraper and peering over the edge. Wind in your
     face, knowing one misstep and you plummet.
    His mouth moved closer, past her mouth, skimming over her jawline, his lips just brushing
     her skin. He nipped at her earlobe, eliciting a full-body shiver that sent chill bumps
     racing across her flesh.
    “Tell me what I want to know,” he commanded in a husky voice that whispered over the
     shell of her ear.
    “Y-yes,” she croaked.
    “Yes what?”
    “Yes, I want you.”
    The admission escaped with a sigh, reluctantly tugged from her lips. She couldn’t
     even look him in the eye.
    “Mia, look at me.”
    There was something about the calm authority in his voice that registered with her.
     Made her hyperaware of his presence, of him as a man. And it made her want him all
     the more.
    She turned her gaze on him, saw the blaze in his eyes. He caught her hair again, tugging
     slightly as he toyed with the tresses.
    “I have a contract,” he said. “It outlines every nuance of our proposed relationship.
     I want you to read over it very carefully this weekend and then I want your decision
     on Monday.”
    She rapidly blinked, so startled that she didn’t immediately find words. When she
     did, her tongue felt large and unwieldy.
    “A contract? You want us to have a
contract
?”
    “You needn’t sound so horrified,” he said in a level voice. “It’s for your protection.
     And mine.”
    She shook her head in confusion. “I don’t even understand.”
    “My tastes are extreme, Mia. Read the contract and, as I said, read it very carefully.
     And then consider whether you can commit to the kind of relationship I demand.”
    “You’re serious.”
    His brows drew together and his lips tightened. Then he leaned over, putting his arm
     tighter around her waist to prevent her from toppling out of his lap. He reached into
     his desk drawer and pulled out a thick document that was paper clipped together. Then
     he dropped it on her lap.
    “Take the weekend. Read over it. Make sure you understand it. I’d like your answer
     Monday morning. If there are things you need clarification on, we can discuss them
     then.”
    “So that’s it then,” she said, still bewildered by it all. “I go home, read your contract
     and then we meet on Monday to finalize the terms of our relationship?”
    His lips tightened again but he nodded. “In a nutshell, yes, though you make it sound
     far more sterile than it is.”
    “I’m not sure it gets any more sterile,” she said. “You make it sound like a negotiation,
     like it’s one of your hotel or resort deals.”
    “There is no negotiation,” he said softly. “Remember that, Mia.You read the contract. You either sign or don’t sign. But if you do, you’ll adhere
     to those terms.”
    She smoothed her hand over the typed document and then lifted it from her lap. She
     sucked in a deep breath and then slid from Gabe’s lap. She had to put her free hand
     on the top of his desk to steady herself as she made her way back around to the front.
     If only her legs would cooperate.
    “How did you get here?” Gabe asked.
    “I took a cab,” she said faintly.
    He picked up his phone. “I’ll have my driver bring you back to your apartment and
     I’ll arrange your ride here Monday morning.”
    “You’re so sure of yourself,” she murmured. “Of me.”
    He slid the receiver away from his mouth as he fixed his gaze on her. “The only thing
     I’m sure of is that I’ve waited entirely too damn long to have you.”

chapter four
    Instead of having the driver take her back to her apartment where she knew Caroline
     would be waiting to pounce on her, Mia had him drop her off at West 81st Street, just
     two blocks from where she worked on West 83rd Street. There was a small park that
     wasn’t often overcrowded at this hour of the morning. Mostly strollers and nannies,
     young preschool children playing.
    The contract was stuffed into her bag and she clutched it tighter against her side
     as she made her way to an empty bench the farthest distance from the playground where
     she could be afforded some measure of privacy.
    She was supposed to be at work at noon, but somehow she knew she was going to need
     time to process what she was about to read. Gabe’s autocratic demand that she quit
     and come to work for him echoed in her mind.
    No, she’d never