Free Rush by Maya Banks

he’ll be very quick to put out those fires.”
    “I understand. It’s just that if I’m supposed to spend all my time with you, that won’t work. I have my own apartment. I have friends…”
    She trailed off, realizing she was already on the defensive before they’d even embarked on their affair. She hated that word. She wished Gabe hadn’t used it. It sounded so…sordid. Like he was married and she was his mistress on the side. As if she were his dirty secret, and she supposed in a twisted way that it was just the opposite. He was her dirty little secret.
    “You have a choice to make, Mia,” he said, a harder edge to his voice. “I’m not forcing you to agree to this. But if you do, I expect compliance. We’ll work around the obstacles. I’m not saying youwon’t have time for your other interests. Just that my interests will come first.”
    His arrogance should so get her back up. It should annoy the hell out of her, but she found it so sexy and so irresistible that it sent butterflies winging through her belly.
    “You don’t expect me to move in…?”
    “No. I understand you must maintain the appearance of having your own apartment if Jace isn’t to know that we’re lovers. But you will spend a lot of time with me at the place of my choosing. Caroline can cover you with Jace, surely.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “How do you know about Caroline?”
    He smiled then, his eyes gleaming with that predatory light. “There isn’t much I don’t know about you, Mia.”
    She bit the inside of her cheek in consternation. She hadn’t ever imagined that Gabe had paid her much attention at all. Yes, he gave her gifts for special occasions. He’d attended both her graduations. But she hadn’t imagined that he knew any of the personal details of her life. Why would he bother? She was just the little sister of his best friend. A passing acquaintance and someone he saw in conjunction with Jace.
    She was beginning to realize that Gabe had had a much keener interest in her, dating back longer than she could have imagined. She didn’t know whether to be alarmed or triumphant over that fact.
    “So what is your answer?” he prompted. “Do we have an agreement? Have I allayed your fears or do you have other concerns to bring up?”
    She could sense the impatience in his voice. He looked just as he did when wrapping up an important business deal. Hard. Unyielding. And uncompromising. Only he had compromised. He’d made concessions she hadn’t truly thought he’d make, and that comforted her. It made her feel like the balance of power wasn’t quite so out of her favor.
    There was no doubt there would be a distinct inequality and that the power swung more heavily to his side, but she wasn’t without choices. The fact that he’d shown he wasn’t completely inflexible gave her the confidence to forge ahead.
    “We have an agreement,” she said in a quiet tone.
    She reached into her bag and pulled out the contract that already bore her signature. She handed it to him, hating the awkwardness wrought by the fact that her sex life had become a business negotiation.
    “I wasn’t sure what to do about the changes. I mean, the things I wanted changed and also the part about Jace. I thought it was better to make sure everything was in writing so I struck through the clauses and reworded and initialed.”
    He looked a little taken aback and then he laughed, a deep, throaty sound that vibrated over her, sending pleasure up her spine.
    “So were you prepared to walk if you didn’t like my answers?” he asked.
    She glanced up, caught his gaze and held it, and then she nodded.
    He smiled as he took the contract. “Good. In business, the biggest power you have is the willingness to walk away from a deal. You’re not the mouse Jace thinks you are. I think you’re going to do very well as my assistant.”
    He rose and then extended his hand down to help her to her feet. She slid her hand into his, savoring the warmth and