He checked in with Charlotte as he walked to his vehicle, the meeting having taken place away from headquarters so as not to spook the market. “Anything I need to handle?”
“Katherine Newton from Accounts called up to say she needed to check some expense reports with you—”
Gabriel groaned. “Did that idiot Hill micromanage all the stuff he shouldn’t and ignore everything he should’ve handled?”
“—which is why I told Katherine to send the reports to me. I’ve authorized them on your behalf.”
“As long as no one’s charging strippers or Tom Jones CDs, that’s fine,” he said and thought he heard a quickly muffled laugh. Cheeks creasing, he said, “I’m on my way to the Queen Street branch.” The company’s oldest store was now smaller than the Sydney branch, but it had a sense of history about it that nothing could alter. “Don’t interrupt me unless absolutely necessary.”
“I’ll make sure your calls are diverted for the interim.”
“Thank you, Ms. Baird.” God, he loved her voice.
Why the hell had he promoted her instead of firing her? If he’d done the latter, he could’ve pursued her straight into his bed, naked and sweetly curved and with that soft skin he wanted to mark all over with his kisses and his touch.
Scowling because ethics made for a damn cold bed, he headed to the store.
It wasn’t until seven at night that he finally had a chance to check his e-mails. He’d texted Charlotte at five to tell her to take off, so he was alone in the office when he read what she’d written.
Dear Mr. Bishop,
Thank you, but I must decline your new contract terms. I believe the following to be a much more equitable alteration to the terms of my contract:
Charlotte Baird is to get a twenty percent pay raise effective immediately, in consideration of the fact her boss does not sleep and therefore expects her not to need sleep either.
Yours sincerely,
C. Baird
Leaning back in his chair, arms folded behind his head, he grinned. Oh yeah, he liked the woman beneath the shapeless suits and the prim metal-framed glasses. Actually, he liked those cute glasses too. The idea of seeing her with her soft blond curls loose around that face with its pointed chin and golden skin, her glasses on her nose and the rest of her bare…
“Inappropriate, Gabriel,” he groaned, his cock shoving against the zipper of his pants.
He seriously needed to get laid.
Unfortunately, his body was showing a decided preference for the one woman he couldn’t have.
SUNDAY MORNING, CHARLOTTE SMOOTHED her hands over the gray wool shift that was one of her new purchases; she’d jazzed it up with a double string of turquoise beads recommended by the shop assistant.
Her hair was up in a plain bun, but she’d spent last night practicing with bobby pins so her curls didn’t escape. Makeup remained beyond her after so many years of not wearing it—not that she’d ever been anything but an amateur—but according to Molly, her skin didn’t need it.
Carefully putting on the pale pink lip gloss she’d decided to chance, she took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. Okay, she wouldn’t win any fashion prizes, but she looked professional, wouldn’t embarrass Gabriel at the meeting.
Grabbing her purse, she set the alarm and locked up. The cab she was catching directly to the airport arrived seconds later. With it being so early on a Sunday, the drive was a breeze, and she was soon through security and waiting for Gabriel at the gate. He arrived close to takeoff, and from then on, it was all go.
They worked throughout the just under two-hour-long flight, landed, and went straight into unannounced site visits to a number of the boutiques before making their way to the restaurant she’d booked for the lunch meeting. The hotel managers, when they arrived, proved uniformly intelligent and financially savvy, but in the end, Gabriel got exactly what he wanted, his charisma potent.
“Looks like we have two hours to spare,” he said afterward. “Come along, Ms. Baird, you can help me choose a gift for a beautiful woman I know.”
Charlotte couldn’t think of anything worse. “I’m sure you have excellent taste, Mr. Bishop.”
“I insist.”
That was how she found herself traipsing from one high-end jewelry boutique to another. She pointed out items just to end the whole excruciating exercise, but he wasn’t satisfied. In the end, he bought the only piece she’d truly loved. It was her own fault: she’d been sneaking a photo of the delicate, one-of-a-kind bracelet when he’d caught her.
And now, she thought as she collapsed into her bed that night, he’d give the exquisite piece to some woman who probably wouldn’t appreciate the delicate artistry of it. Punching her pillow into shape, she glared her way into sleep. Her mood wasn’t much better the next morning.
Having arrived at the office before Gabriel returned from his run, she’d just made herself a cup of coffee and taken a seat when he came in. He looked as rawly sexy as he always did. He even smelled good, and that should’ve been impossible. The scent of clean sweat over warm skin worked where Gabriel Bishop was concerned. Charlotte didn’t think any woman would push him away if he hauled her close for a kiss right now.
“Morning, Ms. Baird.”
“Morning, Mr. Bishop.” At least she could speak now in his near-naked presence.
Grabbing what he needed for the shower, he pushed a hand through his sweat-damp hair and turned at the glass doors. “Ms. Baird.”