Rush

someshe would do well to heed. But she also knew herself and that she would fret endlessly
     trying to analyze Gabe’s every word, every action and emotion, and make the relationship
     into something it wasn’t.
    She sighed as the words she was trying so hard to concentrate on blurred before her.
     As first days went, she wasn’t setting the world on fire with her work ethic. Unless
     giving the boss great sex on his desk counted.
    “I hope you’ve studied up on those profiles.”
    Gabe’s voice jerked her to awareness and she yanked her head up to see he was off
     the phone and staring across the room at her.
    “We have an event to attend tonight. A cocktail party put on by a potential investor
     for our California resort. Mitch Johnson. He’s in that stack of papers. You need to
     know everything you can about him and his wife, their three children, their interests
     and whatever else I’ve detailed. There will be others there as well, so make sure
     you familiarize yourself with the other names in that folder. But the most important
     is Mitch.”
    It took everything she had not to let her panic show. Talk about jumping straight
     from the frying pan and into the fire!
    “What time? And what should I wear?”
    “What do you have? And I don’t mean that scrap of a dress you wore to the grand opening,”
     he said with a scowl. “I’d prefer something that covered more of you. I’ll be wearing
     a suit.”
    She frowned, mentally going over her wardrobe. It wasn’t as though Jace wouldn’t have
     bought anything she wanted, but other than the apartment he’d purchased for her, she’d
     tried very hard not to run to him with frivolous things. Her wardrobe was modest at
     best, and the dress she’d worn to the grand opening was the only thing suitable for
     a more formal occasion.
    Gabe checked his watch and then leveled another stare in Mia’s direction. “If we leave
     now, we have time to go buy you something appropriate.”
    She shook her head. “That’s not necessary, Gabe. I’m just thinking over what I have
     that’s suitable for a party like this.”
    He rose, ignoring her objection. “That’s part of the deal, Mia. You’re mine. I provide
     generously for what belongs to me. You’ll need more than just one new dress, but that’s
     all we have time for today. Perhaps the saleslady can ascertain your tastes, decide
     what looks good on you and gather other aspects of your wardrobe for us to pick up
     at a later date.”
    She blinked in surprise and when she continued to sit there, Gabe shifted impatiently
     and gave her a look that told her in no uncertain terms to get moving.
    She grabbed her bag, straightened her skirt and hurried toward him, her knees still
     shaking from their earlier explosive fuck on the desk. And that was only the first
     day! She couldn’t begin to imagine that if he were being patient and moving slowly
     what the future would bring.

chapter fourteen
    Watching Gabe manage the saleslady was a bewildering experience for Mia. He cut through
     the selections with amazing precision, quickly vetoing the ones he didn’t like while
     immediately picking up on the ones he did.
    She’d honestly never been on a shopping trip for herself where she didn’t make any
     of the choices. It was weird, but fascinating all at the same time.
    It was obvious that Gabe had a definite eye for what flattered a woman. It was also
     obvious that he had no desire for her to wear anything remotely revealing. Sexy, yes.
     He’d picked out several selections that looked to die for and she could hardly wait
     to try them on. But there was nothing comparable to the dress she’d worn to the grand
     opening.
    And when she did finally try on the dress he’d selected for her to wear tonight, she
     nearly fainted at the price tag. It was obscene. She tried to block it out as she
     surveyed her reflection in the mirror, but it was as if there were a neon sign blaring
     the price on the tag.
    Still, she had to hand it to Gabe. The dress fit her like a dream and complemented
     her body and coloring. It was a red sheath that molded to her hips and then hugged
     her legs to just a few inchesabove her knees. It was sleeveless, but the bodice wasn’t low cut, and while it bared
     her arms, it bared nothing of her front or back.
    She never wore red. Maybe she considered it too…brazen. In your face. But the color
     looked fabulous on her. She looked like a sexy siren without baring her