He got up, went to Rina’s side and half-sat at the edge of the desk. “But you won’t do that because you want to prove to the stuck-up publishing society your vision is amazing as is, and a good publisher will believe in your story hard enough to spare no effort to bringyourcreation to the world.” He bent a little so that his face was closer to her ear. “That publisher that has absolute faith in your story, that loves every part of the plot, every character, that has been swooning over them for days unable to get them out of her head, that will spare no effort to get your beautiful story to the right readers that will consume and devour your words, Rina, is Gabrielle Brighton.”
Silence occupied the room for long moments, and I was certain they were laced with steamy fantasies about Fabio Zappa. At least, for me. I was having a nipple-gasm while I throbbed and pulsed between my legs the whole time he was speaking. How did he know that much about publishing, and how could he hit the right nerves, using the right words to have me, if not all of us, mesmerized—and ready to spread our legs? If a guy could talk a woman to orgasm without saying anything dirty, it was him. And by the look on Rina’s face, I’d say if a guy could sell anything to any woman, it was Fabio, because that face was a sold face.
She leaned forward, whispering something in her agent’s ear while Fabio, smugly, walked back to my chair. Then before he went over to his, he squeezed my ass.
I slapped a hand over my mouth to mute a gasp as that squeeze contracted between my thighs.
As if there wasn’t enough room behind me, he held my waist and pushed me forward a little, rubbing—his firm erection—against my back, and then he bent his head to my ear. “Excuse me.”
He darted a defiant look at me as he sat back in his chair. When he stretched his knees, I could see he’d grown a third a leg. One my vagina was itching to ride.
His hands reached for the contracts and held them up to hide behind them when he whispered, “Instead of your indecent staring, you should pass them the contracts. We’re at work. Shame on you.”
I couldn’t even begin… Burning with irritation and mind-scattering arousal, I snatched the papers from his hand and moved toward Stacey, who had just finished deliberating with Rina. “Here is the contract to look over. If there’s anything further you’d like to discuss, we’re all ears, but I think it pretty much has everything we agreed on.” I smiled at Rina. “We can’t wait to give the world your masterpiece.”
She stretched a hand. “Thank you, Gabrielle. I’m truly looking forward to working with you. So far everything looks promising. Legal will go over the contract, and if everything goes well, I think we’ll have a very pleasant meeting on Monday.”
CHAPTER32
Fabio
That was the first time I saw Gabriella smile on her own. When she shook hands with Rina, the gesture triumphed over her expression, over her stress, over her anger and fear. And when she did a little happy dance with Zoey, my heart danced with her like an idiot.
I hid my smile as she walked back to the office, her eyes escaping mine. She closed the door, but when smoothed her skirt and rested her palms on top of the desk across from me, I knew she wouldn’t dare come closer. “We need to talk.”
“You think?”
“Look, I have no excuse for what I’ve done. I’m sorry.”
“Wow. Lady Brighton is saying sorry. To someone like me.”
She let out an annoyed breath, as if it was an anger management technique. “And I’d like to say thank you, too, for saving my butt and for how you handled the meeting. You did an impressive job with Rina.”
“I know.”
She rolled her eyes. “The good news is you only have to do it for a week. Then you can go back to—”
“Shut up.”
“Excuse you?”
“You’re not the boss of me. I don’t have to do anything. I’m willingly, generously, helping you out.”
“In exchange for a job,” she reminded me. “Which means I am your boss. For the week.”
Oh I’ll show her who the boss is here. “Six months.”
“What? No. You can’t possibly think we can work together for six months.”
“I can, and we will. I’m not something you’re going to throw away when you’re done.Isay when it’s over, not you.”
“And if I decline?”
“You can kiss the sweet deal you’re about to make, thanks to my help, and your whole career goodbye.”
“Why six months?”
Another challenge. If I couldn’t make this woman fall head over heels for me in six months, I’d shave my head and dance naked on the street, asking people to call me Sally. “My resume needs at least six month of experience in a place like yours for anyone else to start looking at it.”
