by North,Leslie
Gabe set his jaw. The implication in her words was clear. She regretted last night, and she didn’t want to talk about it. That was fine. If she wanted to run right back to Nathan’s arms, he wouldn’t stop her. “Fine,” he said shortly. “It looks like its stopped raining. It might be a little muddy out, but it looks clear. Hopefully we won’t run into any more rain.”
Great. Now he was talking about the weather. Perfect. Angry at himself for letting his desire take control last night, he rifled through the cabinet until he found a jar of peanuts and some granola bars. Stuffing his pockets, he finally turned to her. “Ready?”
“Yeah.”
Now they were only speaking in one-word answers. The walk back to civilization was going to be more strained than his kidnapping. They left the house in silence. Sure enough, a small dirt track led away from the cabin. Taking a moment to thank his lucky stars that hunters existed, he followed behind her at a slow pace. Finally, he couldn’t stand the silence any longer. “What are you going to do once Jordan is arrested?”
“Our deal still stands. I might not be as effective once this section of Restore Eden is disbanded, but I won’t turn my back on what I believe in. Hopefully, if I show that Duncan Enterprises is capable of change, it’ll be enough for me to broaden my influence. Maybe instead of finding an organization that I can work for, I can start my own.”
“One that doesn’t include attacking and kidnapping people?” Gabe quipped lightly.
She turned to look at him over her shoulder, winking. “Well. At least not the way you’ve experienced it.”
He chuckled before rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. “Violence and kidnapping aside, Restore Eden has the right idea. I mean, everyone is responsible for their own carbon footprint, but I suppose bigger companies have to take the main responsibility; especially with the amount of waste we generate. We have to set a good example. Plus, the media attention wouldn’t be all that bad.”
Daisy snorted. “Try to think about the world we’re leaving for our children and not about your reputation.”
Children. Did Daisy want children? Gabe never really thought of himself as a father, but he loved his nephew. Watching Ben and Stephen interact made him wonder about kids, and now it sent a jolt through his system when he thought about having kids with Daisy.
Never going to happen, he reminded himself. Daisy was obviously not over Nathan, and it was already bad enough that Gabe had slept with Daisy. Thinking about a future with her did more than step over the line. It would probably destroy Nathan.
“What do you know about Greenman’s Corp?” she asked suddenly. Her voice sounded odd, somehow strained.
Gabe frowned. “I don’t think I know all that much about it. I know when they first went public with their radical ideas of improving the company, many other businesses got on board. I wasn’t Senior VP at the time, so I didn’t have a whole lot of say in the matter, but I remember some ideas getting tossed around. Duncan grumbled about the change quite a bit. Kept saying Nathan would love it if he were here. But then Greenman’s was exposed, and the talk died down. Why? Did you have something to do with Greenman’s?”
She studied him before finally shrugging. “No. I was too young.”
Gabe narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling there was something that she wasn’t saying, but he didn’t push it. “It’s no secret that Duncan Enterprises hasn’t always been environmentally aware. I think most of the changes that Duncan did make were because he felt guilty about the rift between him and Nathan. They had a huge fight about it while Nathan was in college. Duncan swept his ideas aside as if he was an annoying mosquito. Nathan took it so badly that I wasn’t even sure he’d come back when I called. Now he’s a bigger nuisance than ever, but he’s pushed his ideas through and they’ve been sound. I think Duncan is proud of him.”
“Really? And are you?” Daisy asked suddenly. “Or do you regret having him work for the company again?”
“Before Angie was named CEO, I had my doubts about Nathan. His time with you didn’t help. I’m still stressed about the company. I know everything Angie does reflects on me, but I’m no longer the one who makes the final decisions. So it’s easier for me to listen to Nathan, even when he isn’t making sense. But yeah, I am proud of him. He’s come a long way and not only for his push that Duncan Enterprises becomes more environmentally friendly; he’s a damn good designer.”
“So as a brother, you’re proud of him, but as a businessman, you’re no longer stressed by him?” Daisy shook her head. “Wow.”
“No.” Angry, Gabe reached out and grabbed her arm. “That is not what I said. Daisy, I love my brother. I think he has some great ideas, but sometimes he’s unrealistic about the execution. If I could protect him from the stress and pressure of corporate America, I would in a heartbeat. It was his choice to rejoin Duncan Enterprises, so all the hits that he takes now aren’t only on him, they affect the company as well. I’m proud of what he’s doing, both as his brother and as a colleague. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have concerns. Don’t confuse the two.”
Her features softened and she relaxed. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I guess I’m a little stressed, and I’m taking my anger out on you. Which is totally unfair considering that you are the victim in all of this.”
Gabe snorted. “I’m no victim. I might have been outmaneuvered, but I wasn’t worried.”
“You knew that I was going to save you?”
“Hardly.” Gabe gave her a withering look. “I can save myself. But it doesn’t hurt to have some company.” He stopped himself before he said too much. She didn’t want to talk about last night, so he didn’t push it.
They walked the next few miles in silence, but it was no longer as tense. Finally, he saw her giggling to herself. “See something that was funny?” he asked dryly.
“Just something that I was thinking. Duncan wasn’t quite what I expected. I never thought he’d actually like me.”
“When you were dating Nathan, he hated you. Does that help?”
She cocked her head and stared at him. “But now that I’m actually monitoring the company, he should hate me even more.”
“Duncan’s different, now,” Gabe said softly. Not much had changed with his relationship with his father, but it wasn’t really from lack of trying on Duncan’s part. There were a lot of old wounds that hadn’t quite healed. “He’s trying to make amends for his past.”
“I can understand that,” Daisy said softly.
Gabe felt like a fist squeezed around his heart. She was obviously talking about Nathan. The more he got to know her, the more he realized that she wanted to patch up things between his brother and herself. But last night, there was no hesitation on her part. She had moaned his name. He was the one who made her fall apart.
What did that mean? She loved Nathan but lusted after him? That wouldn’t make things awkward during the holidays at all.
“Gabe! I see the road!” Daisy laughed hysterically and pointed. Sure enough, they walked through the trees and came out on the main highway.
“Careful,” he muttered as he grabbed her elbow. “Jordan might be patrolling this road looking for us. Stay on this side.”
She shrieked a little as he pulled her against him, but then she melted in his arms. It felt so right to have her wrapped around him, and he couldn’t help himself. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head, but she suddenly pushed him back. “Car. Car!” she hissed as she ducked behind a tree.
Tensing, Gabe watched as the car slowly drove past them. It was going well under the speed limit; it was obvious the driver was looking for something or someone. Relief spread through him as he recognized the car. Stepping out to the street, he waved his hands until the car slowed down.
“It’s Nathan!”
Gabe heard the delight in Daisy’s voice and immediately felt tense again. Having Nathan here was like a dose of reality. The dream of having Daisy to himself was over, and it was time to face the consequences.
&
nbsp; “I have been out of my mind with worry,” Nathan shouted as he got out and slammed the door shut. Daisy launched herself into his arms and buried her face in his chest. “You were supposed to call me. I traced your phone to the cabin, but you were gone!”
“I found Gabe there, but when we made our escape, I forgot about my phone. Then I was too scared to go back for it,” she mumbled.
“Christ. Gabe, are you okay? I’ve been looking for you two all night. I figured if Daisy’s crackpot group didn’t kill you, the damn animals would. Stephen flew back in to help, and Angie is stressing everyone out. In three hours, I was about the call the damn police.” The lack of sleep was evident on his face. It was drawn and worn as he looked down at Daisy.
“A little sore from my tumble with them yesterday, but no harm done. Although we should call the police. Jordan is too dangerous for us to let this slide.”
Daisy slowly moved way from Nathan and nodded her head. “He’s right. We should call the police.”
“Really?” Nathan said as he lifted an eyebrow. “It’s not going to look good for us or Restore Eden.”
“For fuck’s sake, I was kidnapped,” Gabe said through gritted teeth. “That should trump your environmental crap.”
“All right.” Nathan nodded. He pulled out the phone, and Daisy turned and looked at Gabe.
“Whatever happens, our deal is still in place.”
Gabe couldn’t help but smile. She’d risked herself to rescue him. She’d dragged him through the woods, and now she was facing some harsh media fallout, but she was still Daisy. A bulldog that wouldn’t let go until she got what she wanted.
As Gabe waited for the police, he couldn’t help but wonder what else Daisy wanted.
Hours later, Daisy was showered and fed. Nathan had wanted to check in on her later that evening, but she told him that it wasn’t necessary. She didn’t want him to see that her living situation was still as crappy as when they were together, and anyway, he wasn’t the Maxfield brother she wanted worrying about her.
Not anymore. Definitely not in a very long time.
Gabe, however, had barely said a word to her since the police showed up and escorted them to the station to take their report while officers headed to both cabins. After several hours of questioning, they released her with the warning that they would contact her to follow up with any questions. Exhausted, she only nodded her head in reply.
She could see Gabe watching her, the entire ride home, and as much as she wanted to lean into him and feel his arms wrapped around her, he didn’t touch her. Things were tense. He obviously regretted sleeping with her, and she couldn’t seem to get it off her mind.
Thankfully, everything was kept quiet, but it didn’t keep the news stations from eventually finding out. As she looked over the files on her computer, she could hear the news anchor speculating about the involvement of Gabe Maxfield and Restore Eden as one of its top men was arrested today. Her name didn’t even come up.
Daisy didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing.
Grabbing the remote, she turned the television off. She already had enough to worry about without the media getting involved. Perusing the company files on her computer, she searched as far back as possible. After talking with Gabe about Greenman’s, Daisy knew one of two things to be true:
Either Gabe was telling the truth and the involvement with Greenman’s was before his time and without his knowledge. Or…Gabe was deliberately lying to her.
And it killed Daisy to think that Gabe had lied to her.
The couple next to her started screaming again, and this time Daisy didn’t even care. She wanted to scream along with them. How had everything gotten so complicated? She was supposed to turn things around at Duncan Enterprises to help the environment and impress the headquarters of Restore Eden. Now she’d gotten one of her own top members arrested and she’d slept with Gabe Maxfield.
None of this was in the Restore Eden manual.
“You are not in over your head,” she reminded herself quietly. “You have this.” Sure, she’d been slowed down by a few bumps, but she was still on a mission.
So when she found several documents with Greenman’s name on them, she felt her heart sink. Glancing through them, she realized that Duncan Enterprises not only bought supplies from Greenman’s but knew of their elaborate pretense to fool the world about going green. Heartbroken, Daisy pressed a hand against her mouth and shook her head. What was to say the same thing wasn’t still going on right now at Duncan Enterprises? How did she know Duncan and the rest of the Maxfields weren’t simply pretending to change in order to boost the company’s public image?
Knowing that she wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight, Daisy shut down the computer and slipped it into her bag. Gabe was going to be pissed, but that wasn’t going to stop her. She wanted answers.
18
Jordan was arrested. Gabe thought he’d feel more smug when he watched the action on television as a cell phone camera showed him in handcuffs being placed in a police cruiser, but soon realized he was only listening for Daisy’s name. He felt a small streak of satisfaction when her name was never brought up. Turning off the television, he got up from the couch and poured himself two fingers of Scotch. Tossing it back, he stared at the empty glass.
How had everything gone wrong? He was supposed to get Daisy and Nathan back together so she could get out of Duncan Enterprises’ business. Instead, he’d slept with her, and now she was literally in bed with Duncan Enterprises.
“I don’t think I’ve ever fucked up this bad,” Gabe murmured with a small chuckle. He picked up the Scotch again, and then there was a soft knock on the door.
If it was the press, he was going to throw a fit that rivaled Alec Baldwin. “Who is it?” he growled.
“It’s Daisy. If you want some peace and quiet, I understand. But there was something that I wanted to talk with you about.”
“And it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” he said when he opened the door. “Where have I heard that before? Come in.”
When she came in, she was carrying an armful of papers. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you the other night when you were in so much pain, but your apartment is very nice.” She gave him a strained smile, and he raised an eyebrow.
“Daisy, I’ve seen your apartment. It could not be any further from mine. A prison cell looks nice compared to your apartment.”
“That’s only because I could not even afford your very expensive coffee maker. Really? All it needs to do is make coffee, Gabe. Why does it have like, fifty buttons on it?” She gestured nervously.
“Instead of talking about my coffee maker, why don’t we talk about why you’re here?”
She set the papers down on the counter and stared at him. For a moment, he saw all the vulnerability in her eyes. “I’m not going to lie, Gabe. I don’t really know what I’m doing here. I don’t know what I’m doing with you at all. I’m supposed to be…I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be doing. All I know is that whenever I’m near you, I forget everything. And I mean everything.”
“Hey.” Seeing the distress on her face, he quickly closed the distance between them and tipped his finger under her chin. “It’s okay. I mean, I feel a little insulted that it upsets you that you feel this way, but it’ll be okay. But, I need you to be clear with what you want.”
“I don’t know what I want,” she confessed
Frustrated, Gabe dropped his arm and shook his head. “God, if you can’t decide between Nathan and me, then you can’t be here, Daisy. I’ll find someone else to work with you. I won’t come between you and my brother.”
“Nathan?” she gave him a confused look. “Are you serious? I thought I made it clear in the beginning that this has nothing to do with him. We’re over. We were over before we broke up, and I realize that now. I love Nathan. I will always love Nathan, but it’s not the kind of love that has any sort of future.”
Gabe shook his head. “You called Nathan to co
me rescue you. You talk about him all the time.”
“Nathan called me to rescue you. And the reason that I talk about Nathan all the time is because Angie said I clearly still liked him because I didn’t talk about him. So I thought if I talked more about him, you’d realize that we’re not a thing anymore.” Daisy shook her head, and he saw that she was near tears.
“Daisy,” Gabe said softly. “After last night, you said you didn’t want to talk about it. You brushed it off like it was nothing.”
She spread her arms out and stared at him. “Are you kidding me? You didn’t say a word all through breakfast. What I said was damage control. Gabe, you are not the kind of man who sleeps with women like me. I could work my entire lifetime and still not make what you make in a year. I couldn’t hold a candle to the women who usually decorate your arm. What I said this morning was to protect myself.”
Without another word, Gabe reached out and drew her close. Bending her back, he did more than taste her. He devoured her. He’d been thinking about her ever since he’d held her during the night. The way she felt was amazing, and the way she moaned his name turned his head, but the way she tasted sealed the deal for him. He wanted to kiss her forever.
“What was that?” she whispered when he righted her.
“That was my response to everything you said,” he murmured with a smile. “What I wanted to tell you this morning was that last night was amazing. Even after being kidnapped and after spending the night in a dirty hunter’s hovel, being with you meant everything to me.”
Daisy closed her eyes and rested her forehead on his chest. “You have no idea how that makes me feel.”
“Putting Nathan, Duncan Enterprises and Restore Eden aside, how do you feel about me, Daisy?” His voice cracked as he spoke. With a single word, she could shatter his world.
