Rush (Breathless #1)(33)

What the hell was wrong with her?

She dressed and nearly died when she pulled on the skirt over her bare bottom. It just felt weird not to have underwear on. Not that a thong offered much more protection than a pair of panties, but even having something covering her was better than nothing.

She dried her hair and brushed it out. There wasn’t much hope for it this morning, and she didn’t have time to mess with it, so she twisted it into a knot and put on a large clip to secure it. After applying enough makeup to cover the smudges under her eyes, she took a deep breath and inspected her reflection in the mirror.

She wouldn’t win any beauty pageants, but she’d do.

After brushing her teeth and applying her lip gloss, she left the bathroom to retrieve her shoes from the bed. She stuffed her clothing from the night before in her overnight bag and then left the bedroom in search of Gabe.

He was standing at the bar in the kitchen drinking a glass of juice. When he saw her, he emptied the rest of the contents of the glass and put it in the sink.

“All set?”

She took in a deep breath. “Yes.”

He motioned her toward the door and then reached for her bag. “We’ll leave this here. No need to take it into the office. That would be advertising that we spent the night together and I don’t think that’s what you want. I’ll send it over after work if you like.”

She nodded and handed it over and then waited as he summoned the elevator.

The ride down was quiet, though she noticed that he kept glancing her way, his weighted stare raking over her. She kept her gaze averted, her nerve deserting her. Why she would be nervous now after the night they’d spent together, she had no idea, but she was seized by awkwardness and somehow making small talk seemed way too forced. So she remained silent as they departed the building and got into the waiting car.

“We’ll eat at Rosario’s and then walk to the office,” he said, referring to an eatery just two blocks from his office building.

She was famished. And she was already dragging and the day hadn’t even begun. If Gabe planned more nights like the last, she was going to be a walking zombie at work.

To her surprise, he reached across the seat and curled his hand around hers, lacing their fingers together. He squeezed, almost as if he were reaching into her thoughts and reassuring her.

She turned and smiled at him, warmed by the gesture. He smiled back and said, “There, that’s better. You were so somber. I can’t have everyone thinking on your first day that you’d rather be anywhere else.”

Her smile broadened and she relaxed, allowing some of the tension to ebb from her body. It was going to be all right. She could do this. She was smart and capable. She could think on her feet, even if Gabe reduced her to a blithering idiot at times. This job would be a challenge, but one she would embrace. Yes, she had no illusions that Gabe had hired her for her brains, but there was no reason she couldn’t prove to be a valuable asset outside of the bedroom.

They ate a leisurely breakfast, and at eight thirty, they walked the two blocks to his office building and rode the elevator up to his floor. She experienced a bout of nerves as they stepped off and walked past Eleanor.

“Good morning, Eleanor,” Gabe said in a formal voice. “Mia and I will be behind closed doors until my ten o’clock meeting. I’ll be getting her up to speed on her job duties. See that we aren’t disturbed. When I attend my meeting, I want you to take her around and introduce her to the rest of the staff.”

“Yes, sir,” Eleanor said briskly.

Mia had to stifle her laughter as she was reminded of her conversation with Gabe about master and sir. He sent her a quelling look as he directed her down the hall to his office.

When they went in, she was surprised to see a desk on the opposite wall from where his was situated. Furniture and fixtures had been rearranged to make room for the new desk, and two bookcases had been completely removed.

“This is where you’ll work,” he said. “Since you’ll be working so closely with me, I saw no need to give you your own office.” His voice lowered to a velvety, seductive timbre. “You’ll remain close to me at all times.”

She shivered at the sensual promise in his voice. How the hell was she supposed to get any work done with him sitting across from her and her knowing that at any moment he would get the urge to have sex with her?

And then all trace of innuendo disappeared and he was brisk and businesslike. He went to his desk and pulled out a folder thick with documents. He handed it to her and said, “These are files on investors, business colleagues and other various people important to this business. I want you to read over their profiles and commit them to memory. There are details of their likes, dislikes, their spouses’ names, their children’s names, their hobbies and interests, et cetera. It’s important you retain all of this information and can bring it to mind when you meet them at functions or in a meeting. I’ll expect you to be personable and warm and be knowledgeable of them as individuals. It goes a long way in business to know everything you can and use every advantage. As my assistant, you’ll aid me in charming these people. We want their money and backing. There’s no room for mistakes.”

Her eyes widened and she took the folder, feeling its weight. There was a lot of information here and she swallowed back her panic. She could do this. She could totally do this.