Rush (Breathless #1)(45)

“Even if I knew the details of Mr. Hamilton’s personal life, I would most certainly not betray such a confidence.”

Stella rolled her eyes. “Come on, give a girl the inside track. I’d love to get up next to him and if he’s the beast I suspect in bed, bring it on.”

Mia shook her head. “You’re here with his father.”

Stella waved her hand dismissively. “Money. But Gabe has a lot more and he’s younger and more virile. If you can have the younger Hamilton, why wouldn’t you go for it? Got any tips for me? You work for him. Surely you’ve had to deal with his past women at some point.”

Mia shouldn’t have been shocked, but frankly she was befuddled by the straightforward, unapologetic grasping of the other woman. Not knowing how to begin to respond, she simply turned and exited the bathroom. She shook her head as she headed toward the bar. She couldn’t believe the woman’s daring!

She ordered the Scotch and then waited as the bartender poured the drink. After, she turned, seeking Gabe and his father in the crowd. They were still standing where she’d left them, and Gabe looked anything but happy.

His face was cold, his eyes hard. It was as if he were facing an opponent he fully intended to wipe the face of the earth with.

She blew out her breath. She knew it had to suck to have your parents split up after so many years. Gabe had grown up in a healthy, stable home environment while she and Jace had struggled to pull the pieces back together when their parents were killed. In a way, Gabe’s parents’ divorce was much like losing them, even if they were still alive, because nothing would ever be the same again and he’d be forced to view his parents as separate entities now.

She grimaced when she saw Stella return to where Gabe and his father stood. The woman had no hesitancy whatsoever as she looped her arm through Gabe’s, turning up her one-hundred-watt smile as she blatantly flirted.

Her tinkly laughter drifted to Mia as she neared with the drink. To Mia’s surprise, Gabe returned Stella’s smile, one of those seductive, killer smiles that immediately put Mia’s back up. It was a smile Gabe used when he was on the prowl. A smile that told the woman there was no question he was interested.

What the ever-loving hell?

Mia stood a few steps in front of the men, unnoticed, as she attempted to control the vicious jealousy—and anger—that surged through her veins. She wasn’t a jealous person, she reminded herself.

To hell with that. She was insanely jealous and she wanted nothing more than to tear the blonde’s hair out by the roots. Was Gabe out of his mind? Was this the sort of woman who appealed to him? One clearly out for only what she could gain?

But then he preferred no emotional entanglements in his relationships. He demanded it. But over her dead body was he going to flirt with some floozy when he had a contract with Mia. She’d kick both their asses if that’s what it took.

She shoved forward, extending the drink to Gabe’s father.

“Thank you, my dear,” Mr. Hamilton said with a warm smile.

Stella turned a pout up at Gabe. “Dance with me, Gabe. The music’s just going to waste and I’m ready to move.”

Gabe chuckled and it grated on every one of Mia’s nerves.

“If you’ll excuse us,” Gabe said to his father. He didn’t even look at Mia as he guided Stella toward the section marked for dancing.

Mia stared in absolute astonishment as Gabe pulled the blonde into his arms—way too damn close for some casual dance—and he smiled down at her. Smiled! He rarely smiled at anyone.

And he’d left her with his father, which was awkward enough given the fact that Gabe had just walked away with his father’s date. She couldn’t very well escape to the bathroom again. She’d already used up that excuse.

She noticed Mr. Hamilton’s frown as his gaze drifted to where Gabe and Stella were dancing. She was helpless to avert her own gaze, her anger growing by the minute when she saw Gabe’s hand suggestively slide down the woman’s body.

To hell with this. She wasn’t going to stand around while Gabe felt up some other woman—his father’s date no less! She’d done her duty. She’d been nice and personable. She’d schmoozed his investors and rattled off all that useless trivia she’d spent the afternoon memorizing.

She had better things to do. Mainly go home and vent to Caroline.

Chapter sixteen

“What a jerk,” Caroline said. “I can’t believe he let that skank attach herself to him like that. Especially when he has you!”

Mia smiled at the fierce loyalty in her friend’s voice. The two were slouched on the couch after Mia had rid herself of the dress that just stood as a mockery of her entire evening. Fat lot of good it had done to look fabulous when Gabe’s attention was directed elsewhere.

No one knew of her relationship with Gabe, which meant no one knew of her embarrassment, but it hadn’t prevented the heavy cloak of humiliation she suffered.

“Who knows what he’s thinking,” Mia said wearily. “But I wasn’t going to hang around there and watch those two make goo-goo eyes at each other. It was nauseating.”

“And you shouldn’t!” Caroline exclaimed.

Her eyes gleamed with sudden light, and that was a signal to Mia that she should probably run.

“So is he as good as I imagine him to be in the sack?”