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I crossed my arms over my chest and pursed my lips, waiting for the expected confession. Gabe didn't even look at me. He started the ignition and rolled away from the curb, making a point of driving away from my little café bookstore.
"Where are we going?" I asked stiffly.
"I'm taking you to Jace."
"Oh," I scoffed. "No you aren't."
"Yes, I am."
I felt my fingers curl into fists, my nails biting into he flesh of my palms. Annoyance climbed the rungs of tolerance before bubbling over and claiming me completely. "Gabe, if you don't turn this car around I will never ever get in it with you again."
He raised a brow but didn't look at me. Clearly I wasn't very convincing because he continued to drive.
I tried again. "Gabe, I have work that really needs to be done." Nothing. Not even a brow twitch this time. "Gabe!" I shouted, earning a lip twitch. "You're kidnapping me!"
"You're being dramatic."
"You're fueling his neurotically obsessive need to control every aspect of my life." I roared. "Damn it."
"Olivia, the man worries about you." Gabe said stiffly. "I've worked for him for a really long time and I've never ever seen him this way over a woman."
I was fuming. I wouldn't be surprised if there was steam billowing out of my ears. "What way? Completely irrational?"
"Precisely." Gabe nodded and my mouth dropped.
"You're agreeing with me?" I was stumped. "You think he's irrational?"
"Over you," he nodded. "Yes. I do."
"Have you told him? You should tell him. Maybe he'll listen to you?"
Gabe threw me a look that made my newfound hope plummet. "Have you told him you think he's being overbearing?"
"Yes."
"Did he listen?"
"No." Where was he going with this?
"If he didn't listen to you," he signaled down an unfamiliar street adorned with impossibly tall buildings. I felt small. "Why would you think he would listen to me?"
"Well," I sputtered. "You've known him longer. Surely he respects your opinion."
He laughed. "Oh, he does."
"Then," I started to counter him but he interrupted me.
"But not with you. Jace is blind to all rationality when it comes to you."
"I can't handle his behavior sometimes."
"Get used to it, Olivia." Gabe said, his eyes serious. "He's not planning on going anywhere."
"You know this?" I asked. "Has he told you?"
The vehicle rolled to a stop. "We're here."
I lost my track of thought as I pressed my face to the tinted window. Wow. The building we were parked across the street from was enormous. It was a tall mass of curved concrete and dark, reflective glass. RUSH INDUSTRIES sat atop the expanse of entrance doors in steel gray letters that looked both intimidating and intriguing. My heart thudded. This was the first time I'd seed Jace's workplace in person. I'd been meaning to make a trip to his place of work, but had constantly put it off for one excuse or the other. Now I knew why. I was absolutely petrified of walking into his domain. The people within these walls worked for him. They knew him. Knew about him. The women surely doted on him. I had no interest what-so-ever in walking through one of the many glass doors.
I turned to Gabe. "Why are we here?"
"This is where Jace is." He frowned at my obvious discomfort.
"I'm not going in there."
"Why not?"
"I don't want to."
"Why?"
"Because," I folded my arms over my chest and blurted the first thing I thought of. "I'll get lost."
Gabe chuckled incredulously. "You'll be fine." He assured. "Jace is on the top floor."
"I'm not going."
"You are."
"And why is that?"
Gabe looked at me seriously. "You'll go because Jace is working on a multi-million dollar deal and he cannot leave the office right now, but you know as well as I do that if you don't go to him right now, he will leave. He will throw away the millions he will land in this deal and chase you down. That will ultimately affect the holiday bonuses many of his staff are expecting this year, myself included." He eyed me with hard, determined eyes. "Are you prepared to do that?"
"You don't paly fair." I pouted.
"Why do you think he hired me?"
"Touché."
Chapter 13
I walked into an immaculate lobby and froze. Holy shit! This place was freaking stunning. I felt out of place and worried frantically on my lower lip as I thought of scuffing the cream marble floor with the heel of my shoe. I didn't even want to walk. Instead, I stood still, allowing my racing heart time to ease into its normal rhythm. My wide eyes took in the beige walls and white marble pillars that stood sporadically throughout the space. The pillars were massive, their sharp angles bled into the floor without difficulty. Black leather furniture adorned the space and a white cream marble desk, rounded against the artfully curved wall to my right. Straight ahead, there was a massive staircase that led to offices and elevators. The feel of the space was truly exquisite, but it wasn't Jace. I had to admit I was surprised and mildly disappointed.
