There was nothing like being made a complete fool of by a woman he’d trusted implicitly to ensure he didn’t travel that path again.
It wasn’t as if he’d sworn off women—he liked them too much. Loved the feel of a submissive woman under his hands and tutelage. But his approach had changed. The way he dealt with them had changed. He hadn’t had a choice.
But Mia…
He couldn’t pretend she wasn’t different from any other woman he’d had. She was. She wasn’t just another female face that he might view with affection, but keep his distance from any messy entanglements. The women he chose to be with knew the score. They knew what was expected of them and what they could expect in return.
Mia was Jace’s baby sister. Beyond that, she’d been a girl he’d watched grow up. Hell, he’d attended her high school graduation. He’d scowled at her prom date when the little prick had come to pick her up. He’d enjoyed watching the jerk’s balls shrivel up when he, Jace and Ash had told him in no uncertain terms what would happen if he disrespected Mia in any way.
He’d seen her when she’d visited Jace at holidays and when she was out of school. He’d even gone to her college graduation.
That had been a hell unto itself, because Mia had blossomed into a stunning young woman. She no longer had the look of a much younger, innocent girl. He didn’t even want to think of how many lovers she’d had. It would just piss him off. He wasn’t concerned with them anyway, because they were in her past and that’s where they were going to stay.
Mia didn’t know it yet, but she was going to be his. He just hadn’t quite settled in his mind how bluntly to put his approach. She was…different. Younger, yes, but she was quieter, more naïve maybe. Or perhaps that was merely his perception. Who really knew what she did away from Jace’s eagle eye?
No matter how he decided to approach her, it had to be done with finesse, and in such a way that he didn’t completely overwhelm her and scare her off before he ever got in the door. Because there was no way in hell he was backing down or taking no for an answer when he’d finally decided to make his move.
And then there was the whole bloody issue of Jace. That was one factor Gabe hadn’t figured out, but there was no sense in addressing it now before he even reeled Mia in. Jace would simply have to be dealt with later.
A noise at his door had him glaring up in annoyance. His instructions to the receptionist for HCM had been explicit. He wasn’t to be disturbed. By anyone. And it wasn’t time for Mia to have arrived. He had over an hour yet.
Jace and Ash sauntered through the door and Gabe’s irritation only grew. What the hell were they doing in the offices today? They were both supposed to be on a plane to California to meet with a contractor to go over plans for a new resort.
All three men traveled extensively, often splitting the duties of overseeing foreign and domestic projects. And they had several in various stages of work at the moment, including a hotel about to break ground in California, one still in the early planning stages in Paris and a potential site in the Caribbean for a luxury resort. Lately, however, Gabe had been stuck in the city overseeing the finishing touches of the Bentley, their newest luxury hotel in Union Square. He was the closer. He was too anal to trust even his best friends with that task.
Jace and Ash were the middlemen, as Gabe referred to them. Though they both had equal partnership in the corporation, Gabe initiated projects, bid them out, got every detail down to his ultimate satisfaction. Then Jace and Ash came in to oversee, get construction off the ground and make sure things went smoothly. Then Gabe came back in to put the polish on.
It was an arrangement that suited the three of them well. And they all dealt with the day-to-day operations and management of the hotels and resorts.
The three had been friends since college. Looking back, he wasn’t even certain what had brought them together other than alcohol and frat parties and plenty of girl chasing. They’d just clicked and hit it off.
Things had gotten difficult for Jace when his parents had been killed in a car accident and he’d had to assume responsibility for a much younger sister, but Gabe and Ash had banded around him, offering their support, and they hadn’t left him to make it on his own.
Later, it had been Jace and Ash banding around him during his very messy and public divorce.
Perhaps, in a way, Mia was very much responsible for the strong bond between the three. Ironic, since she could well mean the end of it if Gabe didn’t handle this just right.
“What’s got your shorts in a knot this morning?” Ash drawled as he slouched into one of the chairs in front of Gabe’s desk.
Jace settled in the other, quieter and slightly less irreverent than Ash.
Yeah, Jace and Ash were the only two people he considered friends in the true sense of the word. He trusted them—the only people he trusted—and they had his loyalty, which was something he didn’t blindly offer to anyone.
Jace was the quiet brooder of the two, while Ash was the charming playboy who attracted women like flies. Gabe was convinced it was the combination of the two that made women a little crazy. They certainly had no shortage of women lining up to have a threesome with them.
Ash was always on the front line. Flirty, outgoing, he made women breathless and fluttery. Gabe had witnessed Ash’s charm and how it affected women firsthand. Jace merely stood back and observed with those dark eyes and that silent demeanor. Women found him a challenge, and maybe they considered Ash an easy enough conquest, but they went after Jace with single-minded determination only to discover that he was unreachable.
All three men had their kinks and were unapologetic about it—another of their discoveries during their college days. They’d made enough money and reached a level of success beyond their wildest imaginations that they had no issue finding willing participants for sex, or even a longer relationship, as long as the women always knew the score.
It was an unspoken agreement among the three of them that they played hard but lived free. Especially after the debacle of Gabe’s marriage.
Just as Gabe and Ash had rallied around Jace when he’d stepped in to raise Mia, Ash and Jace had been an unbending source of support for Gabe when Lisa had divorced him. And they’d been his staunchest defenders when Lisa had made baseless accusations that forever tarnished Gabe’s reputation both personally and professionally. To this day, Gabe still didn’t understand what had made Lisa snap. But he’d always be grateful to Jace and Ash for their unconditional support during some of the worst months of his life.
Had he been the best husband? Maybe not, but he’d damn well given Lisa everything he thought she’d wanted and desired. Their sexual kinks were consensual. He’d never forced her to do anything she didn’t damn well want, and it still made him seethe to remember all she’d accused him of.
He’d been crucified in the media and in divorce court. And Lisa had walked away, the seeming victim of a manipulative, abusive bastard.
Never again had he entered a relationship without full disclosure and legal documents signed by all parties. It may be viewed as extreme—or even ridiculous—by some, but he had too much to lose to ever risk having another Lisa go after him.
“I thought you two were supposed to be on a plane to California,” Gabe said impatiently.
Jace’s eyes narrowed. “We’re leaving in half an hour. Our pilot called and there was a mechanical issue with the jet. Earliest we can take off is eleven when he can get a replacement fueled and flight plans filed.”
Gabe did a mental calculation. They should be gone well before Mia arrived. He just had to hope she wasn’t the superpunctual type who arrived early for everything. As fastidious as he was about time and hating people who weren’t punctual, this was one time he’d be forgiving of tardiness.
Under his desk, his fingers curled into fists and then relaxed as he flexed them back and forth. Mia had been all that had occupied his mind ever since she’d walked into the ballroom the night before. Now that he’d allowed himself to think of her as more than his best friend’s baby sister, he was consumed with an edginess that defied explanation.
He could only describe what he felt as…eagerness. Anticipation. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. She had shaken his carefully ordered world and tilted it on end. He could hardly wait to have her under his hand, his direction. His blood heated just thinking about it.
Christ, he had a hard-on just thinking about her, and he was sitting in front of his two best friends. Awkward didn’t even begin to cover it. He just hoped like hell they stayed where they were and didn’t take notice.
And then because he knew if he didn’t mention it, Jace would only raise more questions about why Gabe hadn’t mentioned it to him, he looked at Jace and said, “You missed Mia at the grand opening celebration last night.”
Jace straightened in his chair, a frown marring his face. “She was there?”
Gabe nodded. “She wanted to surprise you. She arrived shortly after you disappeared with the brunette.”
Jace let out a curse and blew out his breath in disgust. “Damn it. I had no idea she was planning to come. I wished she would’ve let me know. I would have made damn sure I was there. What happened? Did you talk to her? Did she stay long?”
“I took care of her,” Gabe said casually. “Told her you were called away. Danced one dance with her and then sent her home in a car. You would have had a heart attack at what she was wearing anyway.”
One corner of Ash’s mouth twitched upward. “Our little Mia is growing up.”
Jace scowled at him. “Shut the hell up, man.” Then he looked back at Gabe. “Thanks for looking out for her. Not the scene I would have wanted her at, especially if you’re right about what she was wearing. Bunch of old farts all looking to step out on their wives, and Mia would have looked like the Holy Grail. I’ll be damned if she ends up another notch on their bedposts.”
Gabe should have felt guilty. But then he already knew he was consigned to hell for all he planned to do to Mia and for what he had planned for her. She sure as hell wouldn’t be just another notch on his bedpost, so he could put aside any discomfort caused by Jace’s heated retort.
Gabe’s intercom buzzed and then, “Mr. Hamilton, a Miss Houston is here for Mr. Crestwell and Mr. McIntyre.”
Gabe’s eyebrow rose. “Taking the brunette to California with you?”
Ash grinned. “Hell yeah. It’ll make the flight time a lot shorter with her along.”
Gabe shook his head. “Send her in, Eleanor.”
A moment later, the gorgeous brunette Gabe had seen Jace and Ash with the night before walked into his office. Her high heels tapped on the marble floor, then went silent when she stepped onto the carpet.
Ash held out his arm and the woman slid comfortably onto his lap, angling her legs in Jace’s direction. Jace laid his hand over one calf and slid it possessively up to her knee, never once glancing in her direction. It was as though he were simply reminding her that at least for the present, she was his.
Gabe couldn’t help but make comparisons between the woman on Ash’s lap and Mia, which was stupid, given that this woman was far out of Mia’s league. She was older, more experienced, and she damn well knew the score with Jace and Ash. Mia had no idea what Gabe had in mind for her, and he’d be lucky if she didn’t run screaming from his office.
In the past, Gabe wouldn’t have minded the scene in front of him. It wasn’t unusual for Jace and Ash to have a woman in the offices. But today he was anxious for them to leave. He didn’t want Mia to suffer any more discomfort than she had to and he damn well didn’t want Jace privy to what Gabe had in mind for his little sister.
He made a show of checking his watch and then glanced back at Ash, who had a possessive arm around the curvy woman. Hell, they hadn’t even bothered to introduce her, which was sign enough that they didn’t plan for her to be around long.
“Car picking you up here?” Gabe asked.
“Are we keeping you from something?” Jace inquired.
Gabe leaned back in his chair, forcing a bored look to his face. “Just have a lot of e-mails and messages to catch up on. I didn’t get a damn thing done yesterday with all the last-minute details of the reception to take care of.”
Ash snorted. “You sound like you’re trying to make a point that Jace and I were conspicuously absent and you were forced to take care of things all on your own, but we all know what a control freak you are. There was little point in Jace or me trying to step in because you have to have things just so or your universe is tilted.”
“Anal bastard,” Jace said in agreement.
The brunette giggled, the sound annoying Gabe. So she may be older than Mia, and more experienced, but he couldn’t ever recall Mia giggling like some silly teenager.
“Get the hell out of my office,” Gabe said with a scowl. “Unlike you two, I have work to do. Get your asses to California and get the contractor lined up. We need to be damn sure we break ground on time. We don’t want a bunch of pissed-off investors when I spent the last months schmoozing and stroking them to get where we want.”