by Ciara Cole
From what Gabrielle could gather, they’d attended high school together and now she worked as a director in her father’s financial firm, which Adam happened to know of.
Her hand now rested on his shoulder and Gabrielle looked away, not wanting to notice that contact, or the smile on Adam’s face. She glanced at the wine glass in front of her but decided against trying some. She hadn’t touched alcohol since that insane night she’d let Adam take her hard inside the men’s room of that bar. Besides, this was an official engagement and she wanted to have her senses about her.
But damn, she was tempted to get piss drunk as the evening progressed. That clingy brunette named Kiera snatched Adam’s attention every chance she got. The first hour went with numerous people giving speeches about their life and success. One speech was particularly funny and each time the speaker cracked a joke, Gabrielle wished she didn’t notice the way Kiera laughed and then gently slapped Adam’s shoulder. The man wasn’t that funny, thought Gabrielle in grim disgust at the woman’s antics.
The time for the awards came, and Gabrielle was able to forget her petty feelings for a moment. Adam won two awards, no mean feat considering he was up against some tough competition. Gabrielle was flushed with pride. You go, baby. Then she got angry at herself for feeling any special kind of pride, more than just for her boss but for her man. But Adam wasn’t her man. Get the damn memo, she told her foolish heart.
She knew he wasn’t hers, so why did she hate it so much the way Kiera fawned over him and kissed his cheek each time he went to collect his plaque? Gabrielle watched him give his brief, eloquent speech and her heart twisted. She was close to him every day but it felt like he was so out of her reach it was laughable. Was she crazy for these strange notions she was beginning to nurse? Why were her emotions all over the place of late? She was way more sensible than that.
Yet there was that stupid side, always putting the dumbest ideas in her head, especially when Adam had so far never shown any undue interest in another female. She worked so close with him, so she’d know if he was dating. So far, she hadn’t caught a whiff of him even hooking up with anyone. It was enough to give her hope, one he’d never encouraged in any way, thanks to his ever-aloof stance. All the more reason why she felt so pathetic now, watching Kiera ingratiate herself further with Adam.
Gabrielle had an embarrassed sense of being ignored, but what could she do? It wasn’t as if she was his girlfriend and had any claims on him. But it did feel disrespectful to be brushed aside, when Kiera had to know Adam came here with her.
Gabrielle’s tension kept building. Now she just wanted to leave. The food being served looked and smelled delicious, but Gabrielle could only poke it around with her fork, her appetite nonexistent. She gave a start when Adam turned to her to ask if she was okay.
She wanted to round on him with a, what do you think? “Thanks, I’m good,” she said with a smile. She felt less than good. In fact, she felt downright queasy. Was it something in the food making her hypersensitive?
Catching Adam watching her, she had to force herself to fork some food into her mouth. It was vegetable salad, but as she brought it to her mouth, the whiff of tomato almost made her gag.
She quickly set down the fork and tried to catch her breath. What the hell was wrong?
“Are you sure you’re okay? You look pale, Gabrielle.”
Gabrielle glanced at Adam and saw the look of concern, but just beyond him was Kiera, whose face had a disdainful look – like she was wondering why Adam would even bother with her.
Gabrielle was wondering the same thing. And it made her stomach lurch even more sickeningly. “I’m sure I’ll be fine with some fresh air. Please excuse me.”
With as much dignity as she could muster, Gabrielle rose and walked away without giving Adam the chance for more questions. It was a marvel she made it out of the hall without toppling. She dragged a hand along the wall to steady herself as she stumbled to the side of the exit.
Finally, she was outside and dragged in a few needed breaths. Another five minutes in there and she’d have puked. The scent of the rich food had turned her insides for some reason. She hoped she wasn’t getting a bug. That would be a disaster right now for her job prospects.
Ugh, the job seems to be the center of my whole world right now. Gabrielle hated that everything hung in the balance, and that one wrong step could ruin her chances of keeping her position at A.B. Financial.
Suddenly, the horizon didn’t seem so starry, she thought with a sigh. It was the perfect job and opened the door to so many opportunities. But she also saw a whole stream of heartache ahead if she continued staying around Adam. Why hadn’t she seen all this beforehand?
“Gabrielle, there you are. I’ve been searching all over,” said Adam from behind her.
She forced a smile and turned to him. “I’m sorry for causing you any trouble.”
“Forget about that.” His gentle hand on her shoulder made her face him fully as he examined her features. “You really look unwell. Has the event been that much of a strain?”
Dude, you’d never even guess how much. Gabrielle gave an irreverent inner snort. Seeing him all sympathetic pricked her nerves, especially when he’d all but ignored her existence over the past hour or more.
“It looks like I’ll have to make this an early night,” she said. “But you don’t worry about me, and go ahead back to the party.”
“You can’t expect me to do that,” he said, and frowned when she laughed tightly.
“I’m guessing you can’t be worried about being left alone. Sorry I couldn’t fulfil my duties to the letter, Adam,” she put in pointedly, “But I don’t think you’ll be in any want of company, not with Kiera there to take my place.”
Adam stared at her. “What has Kiera got to do with this?”
“Oh please.” Fighting off her sudden giddiness, she angrily turned away again. She needed a taxi, stat. She had to get away from this whole mess before she keeled over.
Adam’s hand fell on her shoulder again. “Gabrielle, I asked you a question.”
“Well, you might not like the answer.” She jerked his touch away, hating how it sent those shivers through her aching body.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous.”
Gabrielle flashed angry eyes to his and saw the hint of a smile on his lips. The devil was laughing at her pain, she knew it. She wanted to hate him, wanted to lash out but she just felt weak and filled with despair. She realized that everything she’d been running from, and all she’d held herself off from, had been too much to withstand. She was in love with Adam, and now her life had officially hit rock bottom.
Chapter Ten
Adam smiled at the thought that Gabrielle might be jealous. That had to be a sign she wasn’t as immune to him as she’d made known all this time. All evening, he’d had to physically restrain himself from kissing or touching her. Just looking at her made him want her more than ever.
For that reason, he’d possibly taken too much effort in his absorption with Kiera. It almost seemed fortuitous that she’d ended up seated next to them, because she proved a great distraction from the temptation on his other side, in form of his beautiful assistant.
But when his words about her being jealous made her turn to him with such a sad look in her eyes, his chest tightened. Tears bridged the rim of her beautiful eyes and something gave an answering tug deep inside him. He hated to see her hurt, or despondent as she seemed in that moment. Just as he hated the prospect that he might be the one who made her feel that way.
“Gabrielle?”
Adam reached out his hand, but she edged away as if spurning his touch. The sudden movement seemed to unbalance her, and the next second she was stumbling backward into thin air.
Without thinking, Adam moved instantly forward and grabbed her in his arms before she could hit the ground. He felt a rush of alarm as he stared into her ashen face, before her eyes closed and her head fell to his chest, her bod
y going limp in his embrace.
***
Gabrielle came awake and stared uncomprehendingly at the strange ceiling. The soft cocoon of the bed beneath her felt comfier and far bigger than hers had ever been. Wait – why wasn’t she in her own bed? And whose bedroom was this?
She shot upright and blinked her eyes several times, then stared around her in amazement. She could easily have been in a magazine showpiece master bedroom, opulent and vast in size and arrangement. The bed itself was a huge, spreading expanse in purple and white silk, with a mass of pillows against the studded headboard.
Stifling a scream, she jumped out of bed, a move she instantly regretted, since it set her head swimming. She sat quickly back down to rest against the support of the pillows for a moment. Well, if she’d been kidnapped, at least whoever it was had done it in style.
She thought of Adam and remembered going to the awards banquet with him. How had she got here and where was he anyway?
Slowly, her panic subsided but was soon replaced by something else, something cramping her stomach. She ran to the near door and almost didn’t make it on time. Thankfully it was the bathroom and she fell on her knees, doubling over the open toilet as she retched drily for several moments.
It took a few more minutes before she could straighten on her feet again. This stomach flu or whatever it was felt really nasty. She would have to do a checkup and find out what was wrong. Gabrielle unearthed a spare toothbrush still in its pack from a drawer and used it to brush her teeth.
She felt infinitely better after that, though she almost jumped when she saw herself in the mirror. Her makeup was smeared and her hair a mass of half-bound curls. She hastily scrubbed her face clean with the scentless soap she found and then just let her hair fall loose on her shoulders.
Finally, she inched out of the bathroom and eyed the bedroom door. She toyed with the option to escape by any means necessary. But there was no such luck, because the moment she neared the door it shot open. Gabrielle would have screamed, but she saw it was Adam, not some ax murderer.
Flooded with relief, she stared at him, and her thoughts gave way to another pattern entirely – dazed and utter lust. She’d never seen Adam in casual attire, and here he was in an army green sweatshirt and matching sweats, his feet in sneakers. She forgot everything for a moment except the fact that he had way more muscles than she’d ever imagined, and he looked sexier than sex itself.
Thinking of sex and Adam was a total no-no, so she shied from the thought and instead blurted, “Is this your house?”
“Yes. I brought you here after you collapsed,” he said, while setting down what seemed to be her high heels, which he’d just brought in. Gabrielle wanted to laugh at herself, thinking she’d been about to escape without any shoes on, which she hadn’t even noticed.
“You should have just dropped me off home,” she said, fidgeting on her bare feet. Something about being alone with Adam in a bedroom made her jumpy.
“I wanted to be sure you’re okay and didn’t need to be taken to a hospital. What happened, Gabrielle? Did you have too much to drink?”
At those words, her anger snapped. “I didn’t touch the stuff. I can’t stand to drink, not since that day we…”
His lips twisted at her outburst, which she failed to finish. He said drily, “Yes, obviously excess alcohol and good decisions don’t mix. I’m sure we can heave a sigh of relief that the only backlash from that night was nothing more serious than a very awkward work situation. I mean, the fact that you ended up working for me.”
“It could have been a lot worse, I guess,” she admitted.
Adam shrugged. “Safety wise, I know that I’m clean and was able to discover from your health records in your employment files that you are too. And you must be on the pill, so the chance of pregnancy was forestalled. Definitely could have been worse.”
“Yeah. Whew. How lucky were we…” Gabrielle’s voice suddenly petered off as the word pregnancy really sank in. Her mind darted as she tried to remember when she’d last had her period in the last two months. The hectic work schedule, the tension and stressful environment…Oh no.
She stared at Adam and her mouth fell open. All those dizzy spells, the fainting, the stomach cramps…could it mean she was…?
No way. Not freaking likely.
“Gabrielle? Look, I’m sorry I brought you here without your consent. But I was really worried about you. It felt like it was my fault, pushing you hard with all the responsibilities you’ve had to take on.”
“Why apologize? I’m only doing my job. Well, not that it’s my job yet.”
“One thing for sure, I find it admirable that you made it this far. You should feel proud. Not many could have stood to the test.”
“I feel like it’s the first time I really stood for anything,” Gabrielle said soberly. “Or found anything truly worth making a stand for.” Her voice grew husky as she spoke, her eyes lifting to meet Adam’s. He had an intense look in them that made her quiver. To diffuse the atmosphere, she laughed nervously.
“Thanks for making sure I’m okay. I’d better go.”
“It’s Saturday, so you don’t have to worry about work or being late. If you have nowhere else to be, why don’t we have some breakfast?” Adam offered.
Gabrielle couldn’t imagine why he’d want to spend more time around her. She’d embarrassed him by giving him all that attitude last night and then worse, fainting on him. “My best friend Ayana will be worried. We’re roommates,” she explained.
“I know that. So I had Jake call her number. They keep in contact, so she knows you’re with me. You’re safe.”
Gabrielle almost huffed that safe would never be a word she’d use in relation to Adam. Not out of any real fear of him, but just – she simply couldn’t trust herself around him. In the work setting, and while acting as his P.A, there was always that temporary emotional hack she could use to get through the situation. But now, and in her vulnerable state with all her raw emotions and such, she just didn’t know what could happen.
“Adam, you’re my boss. I don’t think this is appropriate. And considering our past…history, we shouldn’t leave anything to chance by prolonging any non-official interaction.” Gabrielle was babbling, she knew. She had no idea what was even coming out of her mouth right then.
“When you say chance, does that mean there’s even a slight possibility you might be…swayed?” His green eyes were hooded, the shade deepening thanks to the matching color he wore. Never had a man in all-green everything look this sinfully attractive.
“Swayed to what?” Gabrielle cocked her head at him, feeling a sinking dread that he could somehow read her every emotion and tell how powerless she really was against this insane chemistry.
“You tell me. All I’m asking is that we share breakfast, not a sex marathon,” Adam said on a dark chuckle, adding huskily, “But then again…”
He took her trim waist in his hands and pulled her closer. He liked that her body seemed unresisting to his gentle touch, which proved to have more influence than if he used brute force.
“Adam, what are you really up to?” she breathed with a frown.
“Truthfully? I’m not sure,” murmured Adam. Her silken brown eyes stared up at him, those plumped lips reminding him of their first sensually explicit encounter. The designer dress hung on her like a second skin, showing every mouthwatering curve. Her big breasts strained against the bodice and he remembered how they’d felt in his hands, in his mouth.
“Then why don’t you just let me go?” Now she glared at him, her lips slightly parted as she spoke.
Adam couldn’t help himself and claimed the mouth that had never been far from his thoughts for the past two months.
He ran his tongue along the rim of her lips and then delved inside when she gasped hotly. The sound had him wanting her to make it even louder. Tearing from her lips, he kissed her jaw, then slid down the length of her arched throat. He nuzzled there for some moments as her scent f
illed his skull like a drug. Then he sucked on her flesh and gave a deep nibble, feeling her body shudder in response. Through the thin silk of her bodice, he could see her nipples perk up and jut out, making him want to take the hard tips into his mouth through the fabric.
Lifting his head, he raised her chin so he could look into her face as his free hand squeezed on her breast. The next second, he’d pulled down the neckline and freed one chocolate tip, taking it between his fingers and giving it a rough tug. She moaned and let her head fall back, letting him slide his hand from her chin and down her quivering stomach to her thighs. From over her dress, he cupped her sex and massaged it with possessive force.
“Adam,” she whimpered, pushing her hips into that teasing hand. He knew the layers of silk and underwear would make the contact more sensitized as they brushed against her hidden flesh.
“I knew you’d be a freak,” he whispered to her while pulling on her swollen tip harder. “So am I. Just like I know I can make you want this as much as I do.”
“Yes,” she moaned against his lips as they plucked on hers sensually. The next moment, he stopped his teasing. His hands moved away from her body, and he saw her little moue of frustration, biting on her kiss-swollen lips seductively.
Adam wanted her just like this – hot and needy for him, aching for his touch. When he’d tried to reach her that whole week after they first met, he couldn’t get over her obvious brush-off. His friends, especially Jake, had laughed at him when they noticed his predicament. A woman actually blowing Adam Bronson off seemed unheard of. Since then, Adam had sworn never to have to deal with that again. It would be the first and last time any female occupied his thoughts for more than even a day.
