Exception to the Rules (5 page)

Chapter Four

Sebastian focused all of his attention on Arnold Pratt. Not because he wanted to gauge the man’s reaction to his rather spectacular introductory move, but because he didn’t dare think about that kiss.

Damn. He hadn’t expected anything like that. Not that he hadn’t had great kisses before, but this was...he wasn’t sure what the hell it was. Maybe because he knew he was going to be spending a lot of time with her, talking about such intimate things. Or maybe because he’d been thinking so much about her. On the other hand, it might just be that the woman turned him on in a way that no other woman had.

Arnold’s face had shifted from flaming red to a subtle pink, but his eyes were still wide with shock, and his hand, still in Sebastian’s, gripped him so hard it hurt. Sebastian cleared his throat, and that got Arnold to let go. “I’m just glad I get to be around for the big event,” Bas said, all congenial and gracious-like.

“Around?”

“Didn’t Gaea tell you? I’m going to stay for the campaign. Help out when I can. Watch my girl shine brightly in her moment.” He turned his radiant smile on Gaea, who looked as though she was ready to make a run for it. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “It’s going to be fun.”

Arnold looked as if he’d been stabbed repeatedly with a large knife. “You’re staying the entire week?”

“Yes, but don’t worry. I won’t interfere. I’ve been given the rules, which I intend to obey to the fullest extent.”

The pink hue on Arnold’s cheeks got a little darker. “But I, uh...”

“Gaea has told me how great you’ve been, and how much she’d learned from you. I’m impressed.”

Again, Arnold blinked. Owlishly. “Impressed?”

“Of course. She’s so damn brilliant, I never expected her to find a boss who could keep her on her toes. But you most certainly have.”

Now it was Gaea’s turn to clear her throat. “Arnold was just leaving,” she said, “because I have calls to make. You know, uh, business calls.”

“Right,” Sebastian said. “Well, nice meeting you, Arnold.” He picked up his bags. “I’m positive we’ll see a lot of each other. I look forward to it.”

Arnold’s mouth dropped open, but no sound came out.

Sebastian didn’t wait for words. He just held the door open, ushered Arnold out, then closed it behind him.

As for Gaea, she walked straight to a white chair by the window, picked up a glass, and downed the contents.

“Pretty good, eh?” he said, heading toward the closet. “I think he bought it.”

“I think we almost had to call the paramedics.”

Sebastian chuckled. “I figured why not go for it? Lay it on him hard and heavy from the start. Give him something to think about while he sits over in his suite.”

Gaea studied him with a bit more wariness than he liked. “I don’t think he will need another demonstration that is quite so vivid.”

“Probably not. But as you’ve said, he isn’t one to grasp subtle warnings.”

Her eyes widened. “That was about as subtle as an aircraft carrier.”

“And fun, too. How about that?”

Gaea put down her glass and crossed her arms. She looked terrific in her navy-colored jacket and pencil skirt. Those high heels made her appear taller, which he supposed was the point for her, but they made him itch to run his fingers down the long line of her calf.

  She did do a pretty good job of looking stern and no-nonsense; he had to give her credit.

“About the fun part,” she said, her tone matching her scowl. “This is a real job, and I have no intention of letting it get even the slightest bit out of hand. If it becomes necessary for you to put on a show of affection, I insist that you take the minimum step, not the maximum, and that you always keep in mind that it means nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

He nodded, trying to match her seriousness. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made any reference to my enjoyment level. It was unprofessional. I’ve never been a hired escort before, so you’ll have to forgive me. I’ll do better next time.”

He could tell she was trying to figure out if he was mocking her and for a moment, he thought she might really let him have it, but she didn’t. She just unfolded her arms and went to the coffee table, where she removed her phone from her purse. “Feel free to put your things away. The couch opens up into a bed, so you can plan accordingly.”

Then she started punching in a phone number.

He took her up on her offer and unpacked. He’d brought a wide selection of clothes, from casual to black-tie, not knowing what kind of events he’d be expected to attend.

When he put his overnight bag in the bathroom, he thought it important to keep the condoms stashed away at the bottom with his shaving cream and razor.

When all was tucked away, he grabbed himself a bottle of water from the bar, got his notes from his satchel, and sat down at the corner desk.

He listened to Gaea for a few minutes while he pretended to read. And while the conversation about extra compensation for models didn’t interest him at all, the way she conducted herself did.

Cooper had been completely correct when he described her as a force to be reckoned with. She handled business from a position of strength and confidence, and even though he only heard her side of the negotiations, he could tell she was going to get her way. There seemed to be no doubt in her mind, and it was only a matter of time before she’d convinced the model’s rep of the same thing.

Good. His instincts had been right on. This wasn’t a woman who was going to get all shy and giggly when he asked her about what she liked when it came to foreplay. He studied his notes, scanning the outline he’d created the night before. It wasn’t complete, but he figured the dialogue would suggest other topics and ideas.

He wished they could begin right now. Looking at her again, leaning back against the comfortable chair, her dark hair stood out against the white background, her skirt hem resting just at the knee, her ankles crossed, he wondered what he would ask her first. He would start with the most obvious question of all, at least in his notes. “What do you want from a man?” But now that seemed liked the wrong approach. Because if he asked her something like that, she’d give him a quick answer, undoubtedly correct, but limited in thought and perspective. By the time he got around to that question, he wanted her to have been in his presence for a while, with the concepts he was exploring. He wanted an answer that was as complex as the woman before him, nothing less.

So what would start the dialogue? He was hoping that her answers would provoke and startle him, get him thinking in new arenas.

He’d read just about every book that currently existed about understanding women better, but none of them had given him precisely what he was looking for.

When he’d been in the few relationships that had lasted any time at all, there had been something illusive, something “other” about the women he cared for. Something that had doomed them, he was convinced, from the start.

His father had clearly understood his mother, because they had been like two sides of the same coin. They had a shared language, reserved only for the two of them. Unfortunately, he hadn’t thought of asking his dad about his secret while he had the chance. Not that he hadn’t talked to other married men, but they’d all pretty said the same thing—put her first. Listen to her. Don’t try to solve all her problems, just pay attention and only make suggestions when asked. Which was pretty sound advice, but it didn’t get to the core of the mystery. At least not for him.

It had occurred to him that while he might be smart as hell when it came to technical surveillance and advanced special military operations, maybe the missing ingredient was in him, not the information he was lacking. But this experiment was designed to bring that flaw to the forefront, should that be the case. He wouldn’t be pleased if that were the case, but at least he’d stop trying so damn hard.

No, this was worthwhile, and he couldn’t do anything to mess it up. Gaea had all the qualities of a perfect research subject, and he was lucky to have the opportunity. So the best thing to do was forget about any libidinous side trips. This was a field study; no socializing with the subject.

“Just to let you know,” Gaea said, standing and placing her phone back in her purse. “My assistant is on her way up. I’ll introduce you, but she won’t need the sort of convincing Arnold needs. Okay?”

“Sure. I’ll be the perfect gentleman.”

“That’s fine. We’re going to be a while, though, so if you have something else you need to do, don’t feel as though you have to stick around.”

“I don’t have any other plans. So, I’ll stick around if it’s not any bother.”

She headed for the mini fridge and grabbed herself a bottle of juice, filling her glass up with ice. “I don’t think it will be, but please don’t take offense if I ask you to go for a walk or something. This is all very new to me as well.”

“No problem.”

She sipped on some juice, then got a black leather briefcase from the bedroom before she settled once more onto the chair. A moment later, she was taking notes, and had forgotten him.

He studied her for a long time as she worked. He liked her hands, the way they were so small, but so definite in their every move. Her nails, while polished a deep plum color, were short and serviceable. Like everything about her, they were meant to do the job, not to interfere. Unlike so many women he’d known, she wasn’t constantly flipping her hair back, or tossing it aside. Although her rich, dark curls were smooth and silky, and moved along with her head, there were no stray strands in her eyes or on her cheeks.

Her makeup was the same way. Subdued. Practical. He knew very little about that, having lived with Helena. She’d always gone for extravagant makeup, the brighter, the more dramatic, the better. But that was very high maintenance, whereas Gaea looked as if she could get in and out of the bathroom in twenty minutes, tops. Of course, he could be wrong. Maybe looking that natural took hours, but he doubted it. She had things to get done, none of which would happen until she was on her way.

What made her so goal oriented? He wanted to know everything about her background. Only child? That would be his guess. That or the oldest. But he’d put his military career on it. Successful father, someone to live up to. She probably didn’t have a lot of friends, as those were distracting too. No pets. Okay, maybe a cat, but then no. He doubted she’d want to worry about anything like that.

The only other woman he’d known well that was as driven had been Marcie Beckett, a corporate attorney he’d met at a bar one night. They’d played darts and though he was decent, she’d kicked his butt every game. Then she’d taken him to her place where they’d had really kinky sex. She’d wanted to be owned, tied up. Dominated. He’d gone along with it, and in fact, had enjoyed himself a lot, but he hadn’t called her again. The domination thing was fun for a night, but not all the time.

He wondered if Gaea would be like that. Completely in charge when it came to work, and wanting none of that in bed. The idea intrigued him, but maybe that’s because anything to do with sex and Gaea fascinated him.

He jotted down some notes about it, fully intending to ask her.

By the time he finished, there was a knock at the door, and Gaea opened it to reveal another dark-haired woman. This one was younger by several years, probably just out of college. She was attractive, with enormous eyes and a quirky little mouth. The look she gave him was inquisitive and full of questions, but it was nothing compared to the look she gave her boss.

He stood up for the introductions. Kallie shook his hand, but her focus was still on Gaea. Talk about flabbergasted. Okay, so what Cooper said was true—Gaea didn’t have a social life. Or she was really good at keeping her private life private.

“Would you like anything to drink?” he asked, remembering his manners. Even though it wasn’t Arnold, he was still supposed to be the dutiful boyfriend.

“Absolutely.” Kallie responded. “I definitely need one.”

“Juice? Soda? Wine?”

“Juice, please.  Something stronger later. I can’t afford to be all loopy.”

“Loopy?”

She nodded. “Alcohol doesn’t mix with work. There’s too much going on. Tomorrow there are the fashion makeovers, and then all the models and stuff. Busy, busy.”

“So I heard. You must be excited.”

She smiled charmingly, the lovely pink of her cheeks aglow. “I am. I’m learning a lot.”

“She’s saving my butt,” Gaea said. “And I’d love to go on and on about it, but I’m positive that a good night’s sleep is in our best interest, so what do you say we get to it?”

“I agree one hundred percent,” Kallie said, and sank down onto the couch, folding her legs beneath her.

Sebastian poured Kallie a glass of juice, placed it within her reach, then settled himself back at the desk. He intended to take notes, think more about the domination thing, but he became entranced by the dynamic of the two women and didn’t move until 10:00 p.m. when Gaea called it a night. The hours had sped by and he’d learned a thing or two about the subject of his research. Mainly, that he liked her style.

A lot.

* * * *

Gaea closed the door behind Kallie, and fought the temptation to rest her head against the cool wood. She was exhausted. Not just because the big day was drawing near, but because of the man sitting in the corner.

She’d had to use all of her concentration to ignore him. She never got distracted. A damn F5 tornado could be roaring through outside, and she’d never raise an eyebrow. But he’d drawn her to him ever since he’d walked into the room.

Gaea had thought about asking him to leave, but figured she’d get over the awareness with time. It hadn’t happened so far. She was just as interested in him now as she had been, more so now that they were alone.

What had he been writing? And how could he have sat and listened so quietly for all those hours? She couldn’t imagine he was interested in Marcella Girardi’s fashion line.

The entire project of his confused her, and his behavior tonight hadn’t cleared up a thing. He seemed like a very intelligent man. In fact, after doing a little more research on him since their meeting, she’d discovered he was damn brilliant. A very wealthy man, owner of a security consulting firm that designed revolutionary security systems, current in use by the CIA, ATF and the FBI. Not too shabby.