by North,Leslie
Daisy bit her bottom lip and lowered her eyes. It wasn’t that it still hurt to see Nathan. At one time, she had really loved him, but now that it was over, she had come to realize it would never have worked with him. She couldn’t take back those four years, but she would never regret them. “It’s hard to maintain professional boundaries when your ex-boyfriend is involved,” she admitted. “I’d prefer to work with you instead.”
“The ex-boyfriend’s older brother isn’t a boundary you have problems crossing?” Gabe asked, and she heard the displeasure in his voice. He’d obviously thought he was going to pass her over to Nathan. That was not going to happen.
“You called me,” she snapped. “And you signed the contract.”
He regarded her for a few moments, and she stirred uncomfortably under the scrutiny of his intense blue eyes. They were the same shade as Nathan’s, but they were somehow darker and more mature. His face was completely unreadable, and she hated that. She preferred people who were open books. Finally, he folded up the contract and stood. “I’ll have copies made for your records,” he said abruptly. “As I said before, I’ll get in touch with you tomorrow about a schedule. You may see yourself out.”
Her mouth dropped open, and she put her hands on her hips. “Wait one damn minute. I didn’t get up at seven o’clock this morning just to sign a damn paper and be brushed aside.”
“Unfortunately, I have meetings that I can’t put off. Simply because you decided to stage a protest doesn’t mean I’m able to drop all of my work and cater to you,” Gabe said patiently. “I promise that I will fit you into the schedule, but it cannot be done today.”
Daisy rolled her eyes. “Fine. But this is an inconvenience,” she snapped as she marched past him.
“You have no idea,” he murmured. She whirled around to confront him, and she saw his eyes snap back up. Was he checking out her ass? With a devious thought forming in her mind, she kept her mouth closed and swung her hips a bit more as she walked out of the room and down the hall. If he was going to inconvenience her, she was damn sure going to inconvenience him right back.
And maybe she’d help him loosen up in the process.
5
At precisely ten o’clock, Daisy leaned over her bathroom counter to apply her make-up. As she peered into the mirror, it shook when someone began banging on the walls from the other side. “You were sleeping with that hooker again, weren’t you!” Daisy winced at the high-pitched scream. She held the mirror in place.
Her apartment had thin walls, and she’d drawn the cosmic short straw when she’d signed the lease for this place. Located right between the real ghetto and the lower-middle class, it housed mostly drug addicts and hookers. The landlord had claimed that there were no violent incidents, so Daisy, who was up to her eyeballs in student loans, figured she could deal with neighbors getting high and a few new female friends.
Unfortunately, her neighbors were a very unhappy couple who constantly screamed at each other. Always. It happened so often that Daisy was actually able to tune it out but it wasn’t always that way in the beginning. She’d even gone over there once to ask them to quiet down, and what she got was a string of profanities and threats. They’d slammed the door in her face, and then they’d had screaming sex afterwards. Unwilling to repeat the experience, these days, Daisy kept her complaints to herself.
Now their screaming felt like home.
When she finished her make-up, she rolled the top of her linen pants down so that it’d sling low on her hips. A small patch of bare skin peeked out at the bottom of her tank top, and that was the look she was going for tonight. A glance at the clock told her that it was time.
She estimated that Gabe probably got up around five o’clock in the morning. She figured he’d need at least six hours of sleep, which meant that he was due in bed in an hour. And tonight, she was going to make sure that didn’t happen.
With a wicked smile, she pulled out her phone and called Gabe’s number. He hadn’t really thought it through when he’d called her on his personal cellphone.
“Daisy, it’s late,” he growled. “I promise that I’ll give you a tour in the morning.”
“That sounds great, but it’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. I had some ideas that I wanted to run by you if you want to come over and talk about them.”
“We can talk about them in the morning,” he muttered.
“Oh, come on,” she wheedled. “I’m really excited about them. Surely you can take an hour of your time to talk to me.”
“An hour? What kind of ideas are we talking about?”
“I can’t talk about them over the phone. Come over, so we can talk about them in person.”
There was silence on the other end, and she could almost see him rubbing his eyes. “Daisy, it’s late,” he repeated, but without much conviction.
She let out a sigh. “Come on. What kind of relationship are we going to have if there isn’t any give and take? Look, I’m getting ready to head to a friend’s place tonight. Swing by and pick me up, and we can talk on the drive. You’ll never have to leave your car. And I’ll give you another day to give me that tour.”
She knew that last bit would hook him. Daisy had a feeling that Gabe had something big on his mind, and if he could get a whole day to work on it without her, he would take it. It felt like a victory when he finally said, “Fine. Give me your address.” She rattled it off, and he sucked in his breath. “Really? That’s where you live?”
“Not everyone can live in penthouse apartments,” she snapped before wincing. Her motto was never to apologize about any aspect of her life and never to explain herself. Now, here she was, acting defensive.
“I apologize. That came out as a judgment, I’m sorry,” he said in a stilted voice. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
He hung up, and she couldn’t help but do a little dance around the apartment. Gabe was about to have an interesting evening tonight.
Punctuality must have been a thing for him because he rolled into the parking lot in exactly twenty minutes. She let out a low whistle when the silver jaguar pulled up. “Looking for a good time, honey?” she asked mockingly when he rolled his window down.
He didn’t even give her the satisfaction of blushing. “Should you be waiting outside at this time of night?” he asked as she slid into the car.
“Relax, I live here. Besides, based on your reaction to the location, I didn’t think you’d appreciate having to come inside. And you can relax. The party is in the posh side of town.” She tugged on her seatbelt and took a moment to admire the interior of the car. She’d never be able to afford something like this. Of course, what she really wanted was a Prius, but she couldn’t afford that either.
Reaching over, he turned on the navigation system on his dashboard. “Type in the address.” She did as he asked, and they pulled out of the parking lot. “Okay. What are your ideas?”
“I did some research, and I know you primarily work with real estate. My concerns are in construction, and I’d like to know that I’m going to have access to building sites.”
Gabe turned his head to give her an incredulous look. “This is what couldn’t wait until the morning or couldn’t be said over the phone?”
“I was afraid you were going to throw some bullshit at me like how you don’t have access to the sites, and I’m a face-to-face kind of girl. As in, I wanted to see your face when I broached the subject.” The sexy Australian female navigation voice told Gabe to turn right, and he complied. Daisy frowned. Did he choose that voice? Did he have a thing for Australian babes?
“Daisy, I’m Senior Vice President of the company, and other than my father, I own the most amount of shares. I have clearance for all departments,” he said dryly. “So please put to bed these concerns of yours.”
“Great. So you’ll be taking me to a job site this week? I know you’re working on a set of condos in the city. I’d love to see those.”
“I will look at my schedule
and try to fit that in,” he said with a sigh. “Anything else?”
She squirmed a little uncomfortably in her seat. “Jordan is concerned about this arrangement, and he’d like to meet you.”
“Fine. I’ll schedule a meeting with him.”
“Actually, he’s going to be at the party. If you wanted to pop in and have a chat with him, you can get it over with tonight,” she said softly. Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure about her plan. Jordan did want to see him, but she’d really wanted to get revenge on Gabe for pushing her aside. Bringing Gabe to this party had seemed like a fun idea, but now, as she saw his body tense, she wondered if she’d made the wrong move.
“You told me that I didn’t have to get out of the car,” he said through gritted teeth.
“You don’t,” she pointed out. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”
“I don’t like not having all the facts, Daisy,” he said quietly “And I don’t like feeling that someone is holding out on me.”
His voice bordered on dangerous, and she tugged nervously on her braid. “It’s only a party, Gabe. You really need to relax.”
Her words seemed have the opposite to the desired effect. Instead of relaxing, he gripped the steering wheel. His knuckles stood out white on his hands. “I’ll meet with your guy Jordan, but this is the only time that we conduct business affairs outside of office hours. Do you understand me?”
“Crystal clear,” she muttered. There was an uncomfortable silence as they continued the journey. When they finally pulled up to the hotel where her friend was hosting the party, Daisy was very happy to fall out of the vehicle. The air inside was stifling. He moved more slowly, and her eyes widened when she realized that he was still in his dress pants and button-up shirt. All he was missing was the jacket and tie. Was this how he relaxed at night?
“What kind of party is this?” he asked as they entered the lobby.
“Graduation party. My friend is literally blowing all her graduation money on this party,” Daisy responded as she hit the elevator button.
“Unwise,” Gabe said quietly.
Daisy shook her head. “It’s a graduation party. She put a lot of effort into her studies, and this is her one chance to relax before hitting the streets trying to find a job. Trust me, it isn’t easy out there. You only live once, and she deserves a party. It’s not an unwise investment at all.”
As the elevator started to ascend, Gabe cocked his head and stared at her. “Interesting rebuttal. I concede your point. Did you throw a party like this when you graduated?”
That would have required her to have money, which she didn’t. She’d spent her graduation night at the beach getting drunk with a handful of friends. While she was jealous of the idea of a posh party, she wouldn’t change anything about that night. It had been exhilarating being free of the textbooks, staring at the stars, and listening to the crash of waves. “I did my own thing,” she answered shortly.
The hotel suite was already crammed with people. To Daisy, it was another party. She gave out a loud shriek when she saw her friend and immediately went over to hug her. The stench of weed hung in the air, but that was nothing new. It mingled with the alcohol and the raw smell of sweat.
Gabe could not have looked more out of place as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and surveyed the room. “Jordan is over there,” she said as she pointed to the large man in the corner. Jordan was covered in tattoos, but he sported the hipster beard and long hair. When Daisy voiced her concerns about the group’s reputation, Jordan had been the one to answer her questions. He’d taken her hand and told her that he ran things differently, even though she wasn’t sure that was entirely true. But he had been so easy to talk to, she instantly felt at ease with him. Daisy was almost ashamed to admit that she’d fallen for his beautiful eyes. But, unlike Gabe, Jordan liked to play. And she didn’t mix business with pleasure. No matter how many signals he sent her.
Gabe grimaced as he looked around. She saw him move through the crowd, and she couldn’t believe it. He’d managed to make it to Jordan without touching a single individual. The crowd simply parted for him as if he was royalty. Of course, to someone like her, he was royalty.
“Oh my God, Daisy, is that the guy?” Crystal asked. Her friend’s eyes were already glazed over. “You didn’t mention that he was smoking hot!”
“He’s Nathan’s brother,” Daisy hissed. “All three brothers are drop-dead gorgeous. Besides, it’s not like you haven’t seen pictures. His face was plastered all over the news when Duncan Maxfield named Angie Lopez CEO.”
“Yeah, but he didn’t look like that. Can I have him as my graduation present?”
Daisy frowned as a sudden streak of jealousy ran through her. Crystal most certainly could not have him! Then, realizing that she was being absurd, she tried to shrug casually. “He’s not mine. You’re welcome to try.”
As Crystal made her way towards him, Daisy realized her mistake. Crystal was breathtaking. She was tall, blonde, willowy, and she had that sex appeal that Daisy would kill for. And Gabe’s history with women was no secret. He showed up with a different woman on his arm at every big society function.
And hells bells, as Daisy thought it through; she realized that most of Gabe’s women were blonde. And tall. And skinny. What had she done?
Spying the cooler in the corner, she pushed her way through and swiped a cheap bottle of beer. After twisting the cap off, she started to chug.
“Are you spending the night here?”
Spluttering on the liquid, Daisy whirled around at the sound of Gabe’s tight voice. He looked furious. “What? Why?”
“Because I’m leaving. And I thought I should tell you that in case you were hoping that I could be your ride home. You like to leave out important details like that, I notice.”
Wow. Crystal must have really struck out. She saw the fury in his eyes and silently groaned. Obviously, there was something else going on here. What had Jordan said?
“I wasn’t treating you like a damn taxi-driver,” she said hotly. “I do have my own car.”
“Which I’m sure you were not planning on driving while you were under the influence,” he said as he gestured to her beer. “While you work with me, you are affiliated with Duncan Enterprises. You need to watch what you do. Now are you staying here, or am I driving you home?”
“I’ll find my own ride, thanks,” she retorted. “God, you’re such a buzzkill. I bring you to a party to have a little fun, and you don’t even make it fifteen minutes.”
Immediately, he stepped towards her and leaned down. She felt his breath on her ear, and she shuddered. “You don’t think I have fun?” he whispered in her ear. “Honey, I assure you that I can achieve pleasure without the help of cheap beer and narcotics. If you ever lure me into a place like this again, I will put the entire weight of the Duncan Enterprises law team behind me and destroy what little reputation you have. Do I make myself clear?”
Her jaw dropped open as she watched him spin around and stride from the room. After only a moment’s hesitation, she put the bottle down and chased after him. He was already peeling out of the parking lot when she jumped in front of the car. The tires squealed on the asphalt, and her heart hammered in her chest as she slammed her palms down on the hood of his car.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he yelled from inside the car. She clutched her braid and hurried round to the passenger side to slide in. “I could have killed you!”
“You can’t say something like that, and then storm off!” she snapped angrily as she tugged on the seatbelt. It had locked after Gabe had slammed on the breaks, and it took a few tugs before it finally loosened. “What the hell was that?”
“Your friend Jordan was so fucked up that he didn’t even recognize me. He thought I was your new boyfriend, and he wanted to stake a claim on what he thinks is his territory. Everyone in that room was either wasted or stoned, and not all of it was weed.”
“It’s a party.” Dais
y said, exasperated. “People do whatever they need to in order to loosen up!”
He put the car in drive and sped out of the parking lot. Daisy cried out and gripped her seat belt. Gabe had clearly lost control. “Slow down!”
At the terror in her voice, he immediately applied the brakes. When they were moving at the speed limit, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Things were different when I was a kid,” he said softly. “Especially after my mother died. Duncan and Stephen were always fighting, and Nathan was always trying to get in the middle of it. As the middle child, I became invisible. So, I acted out, and I acted out often. I abused too many privileges, I abused too many substances, and I trusted all the wrong people. A friend of mine overdosed at a party, and everyone bailed. Everyone but me. The only reason I didn’t end up in juvenile detention was my father’s money. It was enough to scare me straight, but I still saw that crowd often. My friend died less than a year later under the same circumstances.”
Regret washed over her. She closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her heart. “I’m sorry, Gabe.”
“I’m not telling you this story for your pity,” he said coldly. “I’m explaining my reaction to your friends. I do not like to be around drugs or the people who use them. Ever.”
“Are you afraid you’re going to relapse?” she asked, concerned.
He sent her a chilling look. “I don’t like to be reminded of that time in my life. Besides, my reputation is important. You would do well to remember that next time you decide to pull a stunt like this.”
“Gabe, you can’t push that part of your life aside. It’s what makes you who you are,” she argued. “I’m sorry about tonight, but I think you should take your reaction into consideration.”
“And I think you should stop analyzing me,” he snapped. “I am going to take you home, and we are not going to speak of this again. And Daisy, if I ever catch you using on Duncan Enterprises’ premises that will be the end of our agreement.”
