Rush by Maya Banks Page A

there could be more, but for now, he wants me to be his personal assistant. He thinks I’m wasting my talents working at La Patisserie.”
    Caroline poured them both a glass of wine and slid Mia’s glass across the bar to her. Mia stirred the spaghetti sauce and gave the noodles a quick poke.
    “Well, I agree with him there. You didn’t go to grad school to pour people coffee and offer them a croissant,” Caroline said dryly. “But personal assistant? I think he gives a whole new definition to the word personal .”
    Mia remained silent, not rising to that particular bait.
    “So you must have decided to do it if you quit, right?”
    Mia sighed. “I haven’t decided anything for certain yet. I have until Monday to make my decision.”
    Caroline shrugged. “It’s a no-brainer if you ask me. He’s rich, he’s gorgeous and he wants you. What’s not to love about that setup?”
    “You’re incorrigible,” Mia said in exasperation. “Money isn’t everything, you know.”
    “Said by someone who is indulged by her older brother, who also happens to have more money than God.”
    Mia couldn’t deny that Jace was every bit as wealthy as Gabe, or that he did a lot for her. He’d purchased this apartment for her—though he didn’t like that more often than not she walked the twenty blocks to work. She didn’t need a roommate, but Caroline needed a place to stay and Mia liked the company. But she tried not to rely solely on Jace. She wasn’t extravagant. In fact, she had learned to be quite frugal with her meager earnings.
    “I think I’m more curious than anything,” Mia admitted. “He’s always fascinated me. I’ve had a thing for him for as long as I can remember.”
    “Curiosity is a valid reason for hooking up with a guy,” Caroline said. “How will you know if you’re compatible unless you take the leap?”
    Taking the leap felt appropriate. Only it wasn’t just a short hop. It was a full plunge off a cliff. She itched to take out that damn contract again so she could go over it one more time, but she couldn’t do it in front of Caroline, which meant she’d have to wait until later to review it.
    She forked out a noodle and bit off the end. “It’s ready. Grab a plate and I’ll drain the spaghetti.”
    “I’ll get more wine,” Caroline offered. “You’re such an awesome cook, Mia. I wish I had your skills. Guys love that shit.”
    Mia laughed. “Like you have any problem in the guy department.”
    And it was true. Caroline was gorgeous. Only a little taller than Mia, she was way curvier with a lushness to her figure that attracted men like flies. She had beautiful burnt-auburn hair that had varying shades of red and gold under sunlight. Add rich brown eyes that twinkled with warmth and the result was a beautiful woman with a sunny personality that endeared her to everyone she met.
    “The problem is finding the right guy,” Caroline said wistfully.
    Mia cringed, regretful of her careless words. No, Caroline didn’t have any problems in the guy department as far as attracting them. But the last man she’d attracted had been bad news.
    She held up her wineglass in an effort to smooth over her faux pas and said, “I’ll drink to that.”
    • • •
    Gabe’s office phone rang, but he let it ring and continued typing the memo he was working on. It was after hours. No one should be calling his office.
    The room went silent, and then just a few seconds later, his cell phone rang. A quick glance at the incoming contact and he briefly contemplated letting it go to voice mail. With a sigh, he picked up his phone to hit Receive. He couldn’t ignore his mother even if he already knew why she was calling.
    “Hello,” he said.
    “Gabe. There you are. I thought you might still be at the office. You work such long hours these days. Aren’t you ever going to take a vacation?”
    He had to admit the idea had merit. Even more appealing was the idea of taking Mia with him. Several days away from