Rush

wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
    And maybe that hadn’t been entirely true before now. She’d be lying if she hadn’t
     had some small fear that she was biting off way more than she could chew. But being
     here, hearing what he had tosay and feeling the intensity and the sincerity of his words…She
did
trust him, and she had to, because she’d be the biggest fool on earth for ever agreeing
     to this kind of arrangement unless she implicitly trusted the man she’d just signed
     her life over to.
    She just hoped she didn’t live to regret her decision.

chapter seven
    The rest of the day was a complete blur for Mia. She spent an hour in human resources
     filling out paperwork and going over benefits and salary. The amount of money offered
     as Gabe’s personal assistant made her eyes go wide. She hadn’t imagined he’d pay her
     much of anything considering they both knew it was a cover for their relationship.
     She wasn’t even sure how much actual work would be accomplished, but maybe he’d surprise
     her.
    But it gave her peace of mind that she wasn’t completely dependent on him—or Jace—to
     provide anything for her. She already had in mind that she needed to save as much
     as possible for the day when Gabe no longer wanted her. She wasn’t fanciful—or stupid—enough
     to believe that their relationship would be any more long-term than his others.
    While she didn’t know the exact details of his prior relationships, she’d heard Jace
     and Ash talk enough to know that one year was Gabe’s max when it came to women, and
     more often than not, six months was normal.
    The one thing she was glad of was that Gabe had made her see that she needed to do
     more than work at La Patisserie. Her education was going to waste because she was
     too softhearted to quitworking for Greg and Louisa. And maybe there was a part of her that was afraid to
     brave the business world.
    What better way to become initiated than to work for Gabe? If nothing else, it would
     give her experience and look good on her resume. It would ease the way to her finding
     another job after he broke things off with her. Whatever job that would be…
    She reminded herself often that her relationship with Gabe wouldn’t be long-term.
     She did so in order to numb herself to the inevitable. So she could accept it when
     the time came.
    She wasn’t a teenager anymore, even if Gabe inspired very teenage-like reactions.
     It was time to grow the hell up and be an adult in an adult relationship.
    After her stint in human resources, she was whisked into a car and taken to a clinic
     several blocks away, where she was given rush VIP treatment. No waiting. No paperwork
     for that matter, which she found odd. She peed in a cup, had blood drawn and then
     answered a host of questions from the doctor, including her preferred method of birth
     control and whether she needed him to take care of the matter.
    While everyone around her had moved with the times and used alternatives to taking
     a pill every single day, Mia hadn’t had much luck with some methods, and she feared
     others. And so she faithfully took her pill.
    By the time she was finished with the doctor’s visit, she was weary and emotionally
     drained from the stress of the day. Oddly enough, Gabe hadn’t ordered her in to work
     the next day. Instead he’d instructed her to take the day off and rest, almost as
     if he’d known how fried she’d be after the eventful day.
    Grateful to have at least one day to ponder the arrangement she’d agreed to, she rode
     home in the car Gabe had assigned to her. The driver had been given instructions to
     pick her up for work the day after next. The driver left her his card withinstructions that if she needed transportation at any time, she was to call him. And
     he hadn’t spoken a word to her since the somewhat curt introduction and his shoving
     his card at her.
    Already it felt as though Gabe was taking over her life. Sliding into every nook and
     crevice. He already occupied her thoughts. Soon he would possess her body.
    A light shiver worked over her skin as she rode the elevator up to her apartment.
     She checked her watch, hoping Caroline wouldn’t be home. Mia needed some time to think.
     She needed quiet, a moment to soak in all that had occurred today. And ponder just
     how much her life was going to change.
    It excited her and scared her to death in equal parts.
    When she let herself into her apartment, her chest