Rush

before you and I…”
    It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her
what plans
and to press her further. It was certainly within his right. But she looked so uncomfortable
     that he didn’t want to put her on the defensive, and he damn sure didn’t want her
     to lie to him. And she may well if he cornered her.
    “I assume it’s only Friday night then?” he said in a short tone.
    She nodded.
    “Okay then, be at my apartment Saturday morning. You’ll spend the weekend with me
     and then we’ll leave Monday afternoon for Paris.”
    Relief flashed in her eyes and she smiled that thousand-watt smile again.
    “I can’t wait,” she said. “Paris sounds so exciting! Will we have a chance to see
     anything?”
    He smiled at her enthusiasm. “Probably not, but we’ll see what happens.”
    His phone rang and he checked his watch. Time had slipped away from him and it was
     time for his conference call. He waved his hand for Mia to go back to what she was
     doing, and then he got comfortable in his chair before answering the call.

chapter twenty-five
    “Tell Jace thank you for checking up on Brandon for me,” Caroline said as the two
     rode in a cab to Vibe. “It was really sweet of him. I feel horrible that I even let
     you do this for me, but after Ted, I just have this horrible, sick feeling every time
     I even look at a guy with interest, you know?”
    Mia reached over to squeeze her friend’s hand. “It will get better, sweetie. And hey,
     from everything Jace reported, Brandon sounds like a hardworking, honorable guy. Most
     importantly, he’s single and he lives alone.”
    Relief was evident in Caroline’s face and she twitched eagerly as they approached
     the club.
    “Yeah, that helps a lot. I guess we’ll see what happens, huh?”
    Mia smiled as the cab slowed. It was nine o’clock and she was tired after her day
     at work. She’d rather be with Gabe at his apartment, having a quiet dinner and whatever
     else he had in store for her. She hated that she’d effectively lied to him about what
     her plans were for the night. Not that she’d blatantly told an untruth, but she hadn’t
     been open with him. Somehow telling him she was going clubbing made her worry over
     his reaction. What if he told her
no
?
    It wasn’t that she wouldn’t have gone anyway. Yes, they had a contractual agreement—God,
     she was tired of that word. She wasgetting to the point where she hated the very thought of that piece of paper she’d
     signed. Not because she regretted any part of her relationship with Gabe, but because
     of what that contract represented. Or rather what it didn’t represent.
    She simply hadn’t wanted that confrontation with Gabe. She wasn’t out guy shopping
     tonight. She was going to have fun with her girls and spend time with them—time that
     had been a precious commodity ever since Gabe had taken over her life.
    Yes, she could see why Caroline would be worried. If one of her friends had entered
     a relationship where she spent all her free time with the guy to the point of excluding
     everyone else in her life, Mia would be concerned about the relationship. She’d question
     whether it was healthy for one of her friends.
    And maybe her relationship with Gabe wasn’t healthy. She knew damn well her emotional
     dependence on him wasn’t. She was headed for a serious fall, and when that happened,
     she’d need her friends more than ever, and that was why she couldn’t shut them out
     now.
    But whatever this was between her and Gabe was what she wanted. She craved it. She
     wasn’t in denial of her circumstances. She had a very good idea of what was going
     to eventually happen. But she was going to enjoy every moment—savor every minute—until
     the time he set her free.
    She’d survive. Or maybe that was the part she was in denial over. She wasn’t entirely
     certain she would survive when Gabe walked away.
    “Hey, we’re here,” Caroline said. “Earth to Mia.”
    Mia blinked and looked up to see Caroline already out of the cab. Mia dug into her
     pocket for the cash to pay the cabbie and then she scrambled out after Caroline.
    Chessy, Trish and Gina were waiting outside the club in the Meatpacking District,
     and a long line had already formed down the block. They all ganged up on Mia, hugging
     and exclaimingover her. Mia laughingly fielded their affection and some of her anxiety eased. This
     would be fun. And an evening away from Gabe was probably a good thing. It