Exception to the Rules

by Stephanie Morris

  His grip was gentle, but not wussy. He hesitated for just a few seconds. She knew because she counted every heartbeat. Then he let her go, at least her hand. Not her gaze. That, he held, and she was lost. Lost.

  “Where to?” he asked.

  “What? I don’t… Oh. Um, this way.” She spun around, almost losing her footing, but she didn’t fall, thank goodness, and she somehow walked him past all the photographers and gawkers until he was inside the hotel.

  Vaughn, the lucky man, was going to be Dax’s personal stylist for the event. There were going to be lots of photographers and TV cameras. But he didn’t seem to mind. He just sat down in the stylist chair, grinned and said, “Do with me what you will.”

  Kallie watched as Vaughn put a big cape over his body then ran his fingers through his hair.

  That was it. All Kallie could stand. If she watched for another second, she would die from the sheer grandeur of it all.

  She tore her gaze from the mirror, then from the back of his head. She forced herself to take a step, then another until she was around the corner. She slumped against the wall, desperate to get her breathing under control. She still had a lot of work to do. But for the moment, while she recovered, she could think about the way he’d smiled.

  She exhaled softly. It was going to be a bizarre and wondrous week.

  Chapter Six

  Bas looked at himself in the mirror, and straightened his tie. He like the Versace tux and thought it worth the extravagant priced he paid. The tailoring was so well done he felt completely at ease and ready for the night ahead.

  He expected to find Gaea waiting for him in the living room, but the bedroom door was still closed. She’d arrived back at the room a little over an hour ago, given him a brief report on her day, including Arnold’s insistence that Bas wasn’t really her boyfriend, and then she’d closed herself in to get ready for the opening party.

  Bas started at the door for several moments, aware of the urge to walk in on her, to watch her as she dressed. In his mind’s eye, he’d imagined her sorting out her things, preparing herself layer by layer. Dressed in nothing more than a long silk robe, she’d passed by on her way to her shower. When she reappeared, her hair was fixed in a sensual yet classy up-do and her makeup made her brown eyes seem even more inviting and her full lips moist and ripe as freshly picked fruit.

  She’d disappeared again, leaving him to get dressed, and he’d taken his time. They were to be at the party a full hour before the first guests should arrive so that Gaea could take care of any last minute details. Kallie had called once, and Gaea had taken it in the bedroom. Other than that interruption, he’d been left to his own thoughts, which had gone in one very narrow direction.

  Last night, after Gaea had gone to bed, hadn’t been a restful one. The question he’d asked her had tormented him, giving the green light to image after image of him tying her to his large four-poster bed. In some scenarios, she wore a bustier complete with garter and dark hose, and as he’d tied silk scarves to her delicate wrists, he studied her stilettos. A bra and panties, black lace or white. Sometimes she was naked, but in most, she wore something. Still another version had her in business garb, a slim skirt he’d raised to the juncture of her thighs, the better to spread her legs. Her demure jacket unbuttoned and open, revealing a thick teddy that couldn’t hide the hard buds of her nipples.

  In each of his mental movies, she’d begun with a little hesitation but no fear. As the scene progressed, he’d toyed with her, teased her into a writhing frenzy of lust and desire. In the end, he imagined her cries of release.

  The only way he could get himself to sleep was to vow, quite sincerely, that before he’d said goodbye to Gaea, after this charade had ended, he would have her in his bed. And he would let loose the sensual woman he saw just beneath her cool façade.

  Morning had come too quickly, and with it, her departure. After she’d left, he’d gone over his notes. The questions he’d written just the day before no longer felt probing enough. He was after something fugacious and he wasn’t certain what path to take.

  The frustration had grown until he’d had to escape the suite. He’d gone to the hotel gym and worked himself to the brink of exhaustion on the treadmill and then on free weights. He followed his regular routine, except at his home, his run was on the Breckinridge Trail, and when he did his weights, he didn’t do as many reps. Hs muscles still ached, but pleasantly.

  Back at the room, he showered, dressed, and discovered Gaea had returned to the suite. She had been in the bedroom for over an hour now, but she would have to come out soon if they were going to be on time. Gaea struck him as someone who would be horrified at tardiness. He thought about having a drink, but he wanted to be sharp enough to assess the situation at the party. Later, if things went well, he’d indulged in some wine, but for now, he poured himself a glass of water and settled on the couch.

  He didn’t have to wait long. The bedroom door opened, and he stood before he turned. What he saw made him swallow hard. She looked like the woman from his fantasies, all of them, wrapped into one. Her sleeveless gown, a midnight blue, hugged her bodice, lifting her lush breasts into perfect mounds.

  After tapering at her waist, the material flowed past her hips to swirl around her feet. He could just see the pointed tip of one shoe, the color an exact match to the dress. Simple, elegant, she was everything graceful and enticing about a woman. The long curve of her neck, the perfection of her shoulders…

  “Absolutely stunning,” he said, his voice rough and lower than he intended, the words insufficient by a mile.

  Her mouth curved upward into a slow smile, and the smooth skin above her dress began to flush.

  “Thank you. You look very handsome yourself.”

  He grinned. “This old thing? I wear it when I go grocery shopping.”

  Bas was rewarded with a husky laugh. He like the way her eyes crinkled when she let go like that. He liked that a lot about her.

  “Are you ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.”

  He held his arm out for her. “Your coach awaits, my lady.”

  “Coach, my behind. All I want to do is get through tonight with no major disasters.”

  “It’s going to be a complete success,” he said as she walked up to him. He hadn’t noticed before, but she held a small bag in her right hand, midnight blue, to match her outfit.

  “The only problem you’re going to have is that all the other women will be jealous of your beauty.”

  She touched his arm softly. “I can’t believe you have a difficult time understanding women. You’ve definitely mastered the art of flattery.”

  “You think that was flattery? No. Just stating facts, like the research expert I am.”

  Gaea laughed again. “Just do me a favor. Keep Arnold off my tail tonight. Then I’ll call you any kind of expert you want.”

  He waggled his eyebrows as he led her to the door. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  “That’s fine, hold me.” Her steps faltered. “To it,” she rushed to add.

  Bas didn’t respond, just enjoyed that he could upset her perfect balance. Consideration being the better part of his gallantry, he decided to save Gaea from any further embarrassment. “Tell me more about Arnold. Did he hunt you down today?”

  Her stride evened out as they approached the elevator. “Yes, he did. He laughed a lot, like we were sharing a super colossal joke. He asked if you were that gay friend of mine.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “That you weren’t. I also added that I should have mentioned you before, because things were getting pretty serious, but that I work hard to keep my private life private.”

  “Nice. And his response?”

  “I have no idea. I was saved from further torture. Kallie called and I went outside to talk to her.”

  “Even better. But rest assured. Tonight will end all of his doubts.”

  The elevator arrived and she led him inside. A man i
n an untidy suit rested against the back of the car and the way he looked at Gaea made Bas want to physically rearrange his eyes. Bas positioned himself between Gaea and the sleazebag, putting his arm around her shoulder as the doors closed.

  She looked up at him sharply. “Practicing?”

  He smiled. “You never know who will be on the other side of those doors.”

  Gaea didn’t seem convinced, although she didn’t move away.

  She cleared her throat. “Anyway, about tonight…”

  “Yes?”

  “What do you have planned? The star attraction tonight is Marcella Girardi. We’re going to have a lot of celebrities and A-list people present. I don’t want any of the focus of the evening to be on me. Us.”

  “My only target audience is Arnold.”

  Her furrowed forehead hadn’t smoothed. “Just how convincing is this performance going to be?”

  “Don’t worry. It’s going to be great. I may not have attended a university, but I do know how to act among the haughty and snooty folks.”

  She smiled, and he felt her shoulders relax. “I trust you. I think.”

  “You just focus on your work,” he said. “I’ll take care of rest.”

  When they arrived at the Ghost Bar, Gaea’s gaze automatically checked to make sure the guard ropes were in their proper place to keep the throng of photographers where they should be. The security staff was impeccably dressed in tuxedos, standing attentively. All seemed well, and when Bas took her hand to lead her inside, her nerves eased tremendously. She’d been to lots of events like this—restaurant openings, award banquets, new product launches, but she’d never been in charge of anything this enormous before. She took comfort in the strength of her team and the fact she’d been obsessive in her attention to detail. However, things could still go wrong.

  For some strange reason, Bas enclosing her hand in his made things better. His presence emanated confidence that she was able to draw from. Technically, she should have been more nervous, not less. He sent her thoughts racing into the danger zone, but maybe that was the key. A large part of her fear was channeled off into sexual awareness. Yes. It made sense. And at least for tonight, she felt thankful.

  Inside, the club looked spectacular. Adorned with coral and lavender balloons, customer-made to match Marcella Girardi’s favorite colors. She’d been afraid that it would look like a clash of colors, but the elegance of the flowers, the sheer drapes, and the art work made it appear to be something out of a beautiful dream. The décor worked, and when the dance floor was packed and the music filled the air, the atmosphere would transform into something erotic and sensuous, exactly what she was aiming for.

  Kallie waved from the bar and headed their way. She looked great in her simple red gown. With her hair pinned back by a sparkling diamond clip and the small hanging diamonds in her ears, she seemed to glow.

  “Oh, you’re dazzling!” Kallie walked a complete circle around them. “Just ravishing! Both of you.”

  “And check you out,” Bas said. “You’re going to have every man in this room begging for a few moments of attention from you.”

  Her cheeks flushed and she averted her gaze. “Yeah, right.”

  Bas reached for her hand. “Hey,” he said very softly. Kallie brought her gaze back to his after several heartbeats. “While I was on a mission in Ecuador, deep in the rainforest, I watched a caterpillar turn into a butterfly. The transformation was breathtaking, and later when I tried to tell a friend about the magnificence of the butterfly, I couldn’t find adequate words. Now all I would have to do is point to you, and he would understand.”

  Kallie’s cheeks turned hot pink and her eyes grew moist. “I’m not—”

  Bas leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Knock ‘em dead, beautiful,” he murmured, just loudly enough so that Gaea could hear.

  Her attention drifted from her assistant to this unusual man she’d hired to be her escort. How could he have known that Kallie had been struggling to transition from a somewhat geeky youth into a confident young woman? That the dress, the entire approach to Kallie’s look, was new and untried? That what Kallie needed most was a man, especially a very handsome, self-assured man, to affirm that she was stunning, that she could relax and enjoy this new phase of her life?

  Kallie practically floated away with an indistinguishable promise to check into something, leaving Gaea alone with Bas. Well, as alone as one could be while waiters and team members scurried about adjusting this and straightening that. He smiled at her, but not in a cocky, boastful way, which she had kind of expected. He’d made Kallie’s night, and most men she knew would have worn that success like a trophy.

  “Would you like something to drink?” he asked. “Or maybe there’s some work I can do? I’m pretty good with a screwdriver, or even a food tray.”

  Gaea shook her head. “No, thanks. It looks as though we have everything under control, but if you’d like, you can come with while I do the final check.”

  “I would love to.”

  After a good forty-five minutes of checking with the hired staff, the liquor supply and the DJ, Gaea led Bas back into the main room of the club. Kallie stood at the door, welcoming the first of the party goers. From the distance, Gaea couldn’t see who it was. As they walked across the dance floor, she felt Bas’s hand slip from her shoulder to the base of her neck. His long fingers felt a bit ticklish and very warm. Her first reaction was to cringe, but she pushed it aside quickly.

  She’d never really thought about all the places a man touched a woman that went beyond casual boundaries. An acquaintance could definitely touch a shoulder, a hand, even an arm. But to touch the face or neck carried with it an unspoken message: I’m entering into the land of intimate here. You’re allowing me to. That means were more than friends, and if you let my hand linger, it means you’re ready to allow me into more private areas. Gaea hadn’t let anyone into her personal space in years, and she wondered if she’d been on a date with Bas, would she have cringed? Or would she have welcomed his touch?

  As things were now, she couldn’t shake his touch off. He was simply doing his job. Making it clear to everyone that they were a couple. She didn’t dare to tell him to back off in case Arnold was in sight, because Arnold could be anywhere at any time, watching for just this kind of thing.

  In fact, she slowed her pace, looked up to meet Bas’s gaze, and slipped her hand around his waist.

  “Hey there,” he murmured.

  “You’re good at this,” she whispered.

  “I’ve been on dates before.”

  “This isn’t one.”

  “Not technically, no. But why let a little thing like a perverted, pesky boss get in the way? I’m going to enjoy every minute of tonight, and I hope you are, too.”

  “It’s irrelevant whether I enjoy myself or not. I can’t afford to forget I’m working.”

  “Who said the two have to be exclusive? You can be attentive, take care of business, and still have some fun.”

  She stopped him before he could get carried away. “What planet are you from?”

  He shook his head, his expression perplexed. “Why on earth would you strive for a career that you don’t find enjoyable?”

  “Enjoyable? Enjoyable isn’t the issue.”

  “It isn’t? Are there better criteria?”

  “Of course! Money, power. You know, the things that make the world go round?”

  “So you get off on money and power, do you?”

  “Who doesn’t?”

  “You say that like it’s a given.”

  “It is. Money and power is what it’s all about.”

  “Why?”

  “Come on, Bas. Look around you. Those who have the most money and power win.”

  “Win what? What’s the prize?”

  Gaea looked over at the front door. More people were arriving, and she shouldn’t leave Kallie to greet the crowd on her own. “Can we talk about prizes later? I need to be over there.”

&nb
sp; “Sure. But I’m not going to forget where we were.”

  “I’m positive you won’t.”

  They reached the entrance and Kallie stepped to her side. “Owen Wilson is here, and so is Jessica Simpson. The limos are starting to stack up.”

  “Wonderful. Now do me a favor. Go ask Zoey to start serving the hor d’oeuvres and champagne. Have you seen Arnold?”

  “He arrived some time ago. He asked me where you were.”

  “I’m sure he’s around.”

  Kallie gave Bas a big smile, then headed off for the kitchen. Gaea turned to find Jamie Foxx at the door with his latest girlfriend. She settled in for a long hour of greetings, the entire time aware that Bas was close by.

  Once the bulk of the guests had arrived, Bas lead Gaea away from the door into the heart of the party. The music, a body thumping mix by one of the most popular DJs in the city, was just loud enough to make conversation difficult. Drinks and food flowed freely courtesy of the ever attentive staff, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. He hoped to make that the case for Gaea as well.

  She handled the introductions like a pro, but when he touched her, he could feel the tension in her muscles. Arnold had come by briefly, pretty much ignoring Bas, but the crowd had been such that he had to leave Gaea alone. Now that they were out in the open, so to speak, Bas felt certain Arnold would make his move.

  They were in the middle of a dance floor when an upbeat song with a strong beat came on. Bas grabbed Gaea’s hand and spun her around to face him. “Let’s dance,” he shouted.

  She shook her head no, and tried to turn away, but he stopped her.

  “Come on, one dance. It will help you relax.”

  She closed the distance between them and he bent at the waist so his ear was near her mouth. “I don’t know how.”

  “Ah,” he said. “Then I’ll wait for a slow song.”

  “Bas, I have a lot of work to do.”

  “What work would that be? Everything’s going wonderfully.”