holding an entire chocolate cake in one hand.
"I thought you might like this one to replace the one you bought me." Frita's steely black eyes raked over him.
Before Gabe could dodge, the cake came flying toward him, hitting him in the face.
Gabe yelped, then wiped whipped cream away from his eyes and face, licking away some of the thick goop around his mouth. Howls of laughter erupted from the outer offices. He glanced up through cake splattered lashes to see his cohorts doubled over, enjoying the show. "Thanks, Frita. It's real tasty," Gabe muttered, fingering a piece of icing from his lip. One hand mopped off a hunk of chocolate wedged in his hair, and he dropped it into the trash. Still, hot fudge dribbled down his neck and seeped into the collar of his shirt.
"Another message came for you," Hank said as he shoved a fax of tattoo designs toward him.
Gabe groaned as he read the paper. "Great, a gift certificate for a tattoo from Sandra. Just what I need."
"She included sample drawings of her favorites and suggestions for places to put them, too." Hank hooted with laughter.
A sob broke through the laughter. Gabe wheeled around, instantly recognizing miserable Maureen's cries.
"I thought my ex was bad, but at least he didn't slander me in the newspaper." Maureen rushed forward and started beating him with a rolled-up paper, mashing the cake all over his shirt.
"Listen, I'm sorry, ladies." Gabe covered his face to ward off the blows. Cake crumbs dropped onto the floor. His shoes squished into the gooey mess as he backed away.
Maureen bellowed.
"Maureen, don't cry. He's not worth it." Frita took Maureen in her arms, comforting her.
Gabe dragged his handkerchief out to offer it to Maureen, but recognized Casey's scent and shoved it back in his pocket. Quickly, he retrieved a box of tissues for her instead. "So where's Brenda?" he muttered, checking behind the door.
"I'm right here, sweetheart."
Gabe froze, bracing for another attack, but to his surprise, Brenda rushed forward and kissed him. "Thank you so much."
"What?"
"I've never had publicity like this before." Brenda beamed with excitement. "I've always been the brainiac. Even though what you said about me wasn't flattering, it shook Harry up."
"Harry?" Gabe wiped his ears, wondering if he had a piece of cake stuck inside.
"Harry is my fiancé!" Brenda waved her hand, a diamond glittering. "That is, he is now, because of you! He was so jealous when he read the article and realized I'd gone out with someone else that he ran out and bought me a ring. See!"
Frita and Maureen hugged Brenda, screaming congratulations.
Gabe inched toward the door. Why had he come back here? This place was a madhouse. He certainly wouldn't get any more work done today. And he would never understand the female psyche. These three women had never met, and here they were crying over Brenda's engagement.
Hank chuckled as he made a break for the door. Once outside, Gabe decided he didn't care if he ever figured out the female population.
The memory of Casey's angelic face stopped him short. She was the only woman who mattered.
He had to make Casey McIntyre fall in love with him.
Well, no, maybe not love. He had to make her forgive him.
No. He definitely wanted more than forgiveness.
He wanted her to look up at him with admiration. He wanted her to like him. No.
He wanted more than that.
He wanted her to lust for him.
He wanted her in his bed.
He wanted her arms around him, her naked body writhing beneath his. He wanted her calling his name over and over in a fit of passion until she screamed with pleasure.
At least once.
No, he wanted more than once.
At least a dozen times. Maybe a hundred.
The words Casey said about her own ad sprang to mind. "I think the woman was very clever and creative. She used the alphabet to tell you things she liked." Hmm, the letter "a." Casey liked antiques.
An idea suddenly struck him, and he headed to the car on a mission.
He knew exactly
"I thought you might like this one to replace the one you bought me." Frita's steely black eyes raked over him.
Before Gabe could dodge, the cake came flying toward him, hitting him in the face.
Gabe yelped, then wiped whipped cream away from his eyes and face, licking away some of the thick goop around his mouth. Howls of laughter erupted from the outer offices. He glanced up through cake splattered lashes to see his cohorts doubled over, enjoying the show. "Thanks, Frita. It's real tasty," Gabe muttered, fingering a piece of icing from his lip. One hand mopped off a hunk of chocolate wedged in his hair, and he dropped it into the trash. Still, hot fudge dribbled down his neck and seeped into the collar of his shirt.
"Another message came for you," Hank said as he shoved a fax of tattoo designs toward him.
Gabe groaned as he read the paper. "Great, a gift certificate for a tattoo from Sandra. Just what I need."
"She included sample drawings of her favorites and suggestions for places to put them, too." Hank hooted with laughter.
A sob broke through the laughter. Gabe wheeled around, instantly recognizing miserable Maureen's cries.
"I thought my ex was bad, but at least he didn't slander me in the newspaper." Maureen rushed forward and started beating him with a rolled-up paper, mashing the cake all over his shirt.
"Listen, I'm sorry, ladies." Gabe covered his face to ward off the blows. Cake crumbs dropped onto the floor. His shoes squished into the gooey mess as he backed away.
Maureen bellowed.
"Maureen, don't cry. He's not worth it." Frita took Maureen in her arms, comforting her.
Gabe dragged his handkerchief out to offer it to Maureen, but recognized Casey's scent and shoved it back in his pocket. Quickly, he retrieved a box of tissues for her instead. "So where's Brenda?" he muttered, checking behind the door.
"I'm right here, sweetheart."
Gabe froze, bracing for another attack, but to his surprise, Brenda rushed forward and kissed him. "Thank you so much."
"What?"
"I've never had publicity like this before." Brenda beamed with excitement. "I've always been the brainiac. Even though what you said about me wasn't flattering, it shook Harry up."
"Harry?" Gabe wiped his ears, wondering if he had a piece of cake stuck inside.
"Harry is my fiancé!" Brenda waved her hand, a diamond glittering. "That is, he is now, because of you! He was so jealous when he read the article and realized I'd gone out with someone else that he ran out and bought me a ring. See!"
Frita and Maureen hugged Brenda, screaming congratulations.
Gabe inched toward the door. Why had he come back here? This place was a madhouse. He certainly wouldn't get any more work done today. And he would never understand the female psyche. These three women had never met, and here they were crying over Brenda's engagement.
Hank chuckled as he made a break for the door. Once outside, Gabe decided he didn't care if he ever figured out the female population.
The memory of Casey's angelic face stopped him short. She was the only woman who mattered.
He had to make Casey McIntyre fall in love with him.
Well, no, maybe not love. He had to make her forgive him.
No. He definitely wanted more than forgiveness.
He wanted her to look up at him with admiration. He wanted her to like him. No.
He wanted more than that.
He wanted her to lust for him.
He wanted her in his bed.
He wanted her arms around him, her naked body writhing beneath his. He wanted her calling his name over and over in a fit of passion until she screamed with pleasure.
At least once.
No, he wanted more than once.
At least a dozen times. Maybe a hundred.
The words Casey said about her own ad sprang to mind. "I think the woman was very clever and creative. She used the alphabet to tell you things she liked." Hmm, the letter "a." Casey liked antiques.
An idea suddenly struck him, and he headed to the car on a mission.
He knew exactly
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