Rush

take on a challenge and
     nail it.
    Now she was back to selling pastries and filling customers’ coffee cups. And while
     before it had never bothered her, now shewas unsettled and she wanted more. More of a challenge. It was time for her to stop
     being afraid and to go out there and make her future. No one else was going to do
     that for her. Already she was perusing her career options. Looking at job openings
     that would fit her level of education and experience—not that she had much.
    Maybe she could talk to Jace. Not about working for him. There was no way in hell
     she’d go back to work at HCM and have to face Gabe on a daily basis. Or God help her,
     whatever woman he replaced her with. That was asking way too much of her.
    But Jace might have ideas or may even know other people that she could reach out to.
     They owned over a dozen hotels in the U.S. alone, not to mention their resorts overseas.
     She could work in any one of them and never have to worry about seeing Gabe.
    That would require moving, and was she ready to do that?
    She was used to living in the city. Being close to Jace. But she’d never made it on
     her own here. Jace had supported her. He’d bought her apartment. When had she ever
     become independent?
    Maybe it was time to move out on her own and take over her own life. Make it or not
     make it, but she’d do it on her own merits.
    As satisfying as the idea was in theory, it made her sad to think of leaving everything
     behind. Caroline. Jace. Ash. Her apartment. Her life.
    Hell no. She wasn’t going to let Gabe drive her out of the city. She’d damn well find
     a better job here, and she’d move on and forget his ass.
    That also sounded nice in theory, but she wasn’t buying the reality.
    When she reached the door of her building, she saw in the reflection of the glass
     Gabe getting out of a car that was parked at the curb. And he was striding in her
     direction.
    Oh
hell
no.
    Without looking back—no matter how tempting it was todrink the sight of him in—she pushed inside and lunged for the elevator. As it opened,
     she got in and punched the Close Door button. As she looked up, she saw Gabe brushing
     by the protesting doorman and hurrying for the elevator, a determined look on his
     face.
    Close, close, close,
she silently begged.
    The doors began to shut and Gabe lunged forward, but he was too late. Thank God. What
     the hell was he doing here anyway?
    She got off the elevator and unlocked her apartment. It was silent inside, and she
     dropped her purse by the door. Caroline wouldn’t be home for a while and then she’d
     likely go to Vibe to see Brandon.
    She jumped when a loud knock sounded at her door. Then she sighed. She’d seen the
     look on Gabe’s face and knew he wouldn’t just walk away because she’d thwarted him
     at the elevator. What the hell did he want anyway?
    She stalked to the door and unlocked it, throwing it open to reveal Gabe standing
     in the hallway. Relief shone in his eyes and he started to step forward, but she blocked
     him with the door.
    “What do you want?” she said bluntly.
    “I need to talk to you, Mia,” he said.
    She shook her head. “We have nothing to talk about.”
    “You’re wrong, goddamn it. Let me in.”
    She stuck her head out the door so he’d see her and know she was dead serious.
    “Let me put it this way then. I don’t have anything to say to
you
,” she said in a quiet tone. “Nothing at all. I said everything I had to say at your
     apartment. It was your decision to let me walk away—hell, you
pushed
me away. I deserve better than that, Gabe, and I’m sure as hell not going to settle
     for less.”
    She slammed the door and locked it again. Not wanting to hear if he knocked, she went
     into her bedroom and closed thedoor. She was exhausted and all she wanted was a hot bath to warm her from the inside
     out.
    But what she feared was that nothing would ever warm the chill caused by Gabe’s absence.
     Nothing except him.
    • • •
    The next day, Mia was serving a regular customer their favorite coffee when Gabe walked
     in and took a seat at the same table he’d occupied all those weeks ago. She couldn’t
believe
him. How was she supposed to work when he was right there in her space?
    Her jaw clenched, she walked over and stared coldly at him.
    “What are you doing here?”
    He let his gaze wander over her, his eyes softening as he took in her features. Did
     he see how tired she was? How