Free Threads Of Desire (Creative Hearts Book 3) by K.M. Jackson Page A

and you may have been out the door.” Dono smiled darkly and came up behind her, rubbing a hand over her partially bare shoulder. “You played them perfectly, Gabby. We both did. Like I said over dinner—if you stick with me, we’ll both come out winners in this situation.”
    As Donovan helped her gather her presentation boards and carry them back to her office Gabby had the distinct feeling she’d made some type of unholy fabric alliance with the devil.

Chapter 6

    The sound of the blaring music was the first assault to Nick’s senses as he walked into the apartment. The second was the smell. What in the hell was Gabby cooking? Not cooking, but burning, maybe? Obliterating?
    He walked into the apartment and looked around. There was no sign of smoke and, thankfully, no fire. There was no sign of Gabby either. Or at least, she wasn’t there physically. Signs of her, though, were everywhere. It was as if the living room had exploded in a tornado of fabrics, papers, magazines, and then more fabrics. He looked down, stepping over the piles of chaos as he made his way in, shaking his head at the mess.
    That damned rap music was pounding his already on-edge nerves. He looked over at the old stereo system that had been in the apartment since his aunt had lived there. The bass was hitting him deep in his gut. He snaked his way through the mess and flipped the switch on the attached iPod abruptly cutting the sound. Nick let the silence wash over him and let out a much-needed breath.
    This day had kicked his ass. After his meeting with Elliot, everything had seemed to implode as the market suddenly went haywire with the talk of a new conservation initiative by the president. It had brought a few of his back-burner clients hurtling to the front, and what had looked to be a semi-quiet week was quickly turning into just the opposite. To top things off, he’d had no time to deal with the Sutton account—at least nothing beyond having his assistant set up a meeting with Mrs. Sutton for next week. He’d thought things over and decided to go straight to the source and feel her out. Let the matriarch lead this charge and then get the brothers to fall in line. He was looking forward to a quiet evening just chilling, catching a game while he went over files that he didn’t have time to get to during the day.
    “Was it too loud?”
    Nick whirled around toward Gabby’s voice, and it was as if the stress of the day melted away with just one glance at her. She was dressed far more casually than she had been this morning, but still no less disarming, in some sort of see-through tank top and lacy underthing that did nothing to hide her luscious curves. She wore tight, black leggings and her feet were bare, showing off candy apple red toenails. Staring at those toes stopped him in his tracks. Suddenly, he was near sweating. Damn, this apartment was hot.
    “Nick? The music? Did you have to turn if completely off?” Her voice brought his attention back up to her face. Her brown eyes were wide with the question, and her cheeks were flushed and rosy with a small hint of pink.
    “You were really listening to that tuneless crap? And your ears aren’t bleeding?”
    He watched her lips twist. “Okay, I’ll give you that, but after my day, I sort of welcomed the pain. This seemed better than self-flagellation.” She let out a sigh, the gesture sending her bottom lip blowing out and a few of her loose curls wafting up into the humid air.
    Nick cocked his head to the side, trying hard to push the non-PC erotic image that jumped into his head at her comment right back out. So he wasn’t the only one to have a shit day. “And what’s with the air in here? It’s hot as all hell.”
    “I know.” She went to the window and banged on the ancient air conditioner. “Sorry. It goes in and out.” Gabby gave it a bang on one side then the other, and the contraption—seemingly into a little paddling too—whirled to life. “It’s been on our