Exception to the Rules (17 page)

Gaea trailed her hand down his neck. They turned at the same time to meet in a kiss that reiterated to him just how lucky he was.

“How long do we have to stay at this hoopla?”

“Till the lights come on.”

“Do you think anyone would notice if I, say, hit the fire alarm in a couple of hours?”

“Funny.” Gaea kissed him quickly on the mouth. “Very funny. But I need you to be at your best tonight. Go find my boss and shadow him, okay?”

“With pleasure.”

“I’ll come find you when I can.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

She exhaled softly. He started to walk away but stopped.  “One last thing. You still owe me a dance. I didn’t get the last one you promised. I plan to collect tonight. Especially with Norah Jones performing.

“Okay. You have my word. Now I need to get back to work. I know.”

“Be sure to think of me.”

Touching his chest light, her expression grew serious. “I’m sure I will. That’s all I’ve been doing lately. Which isn’t good at all. This week has to be flawless.”

He leaned closer to her until her gaze met his. “We’re good,” he whispered. “So you don’t have to worry about me right now. I know you need to take care of things. I don’t mind being put away temporarily. I’m here for the duration.”

“Thank you,” she replied, and he could see she meant it. “I’ll do my best. But you’re not easy to put on the shelf until it’s convenient to bring you down.”

“I’m struggling to see how that is a bad thing. No, I’m kidding. I meant it. The place looks sensational, you’re the most gorgeous woman in Texas, and everyone in the world is going to go out and purchase Marcella Girardi clothing. So just relax and go with it, my love. You’ll be impeccable.”

Gaea kissed him one more time, only this time, she dawdled. When she walked away, it was struggle not to follow. Better instead to use his energy to find Arnold. The little stool pigeon.

* * * *

Gaea sat at a table near the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, but her gaze wasn’t on the impressive view as she circled the dance floor, the bar, or the banquet tables as the party goers partook in the festivities. Even she had to admit, this was one hell of a party.

The restaurant, possibly the most chic in Dallas, shimmered. The floors and walls had an elegant finish and tasteful color scheme with full-length mirrors between narrow wall panels covered in mahogany-colored satin. The cherry-red carpets blended perfectly with the tan leather-upholstered chairs. Crystal, especially the magnificent chandelier above the dance floor, made everything and everyone in the space incandescent.

The slide show presentation, running continuously on the wide screen above the performance area, was the best she’d seen of its kind, worth the long hours of hard work she’d put into it.

Marcella Girardi was having one heck of a send-off, and the celebrities were out in full force. From her position, she could see Erykah Badu, Jared Padalecki, Beyonce Knowles, Matthew McConaughey, Loretta Devine, Jensen Ackles, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Usher Raymond, and Renee Zellweger. But none of them held her attention; she only had eyes for one man.

There he was. At the edge of the bar, staring right back at her. The most handsome guy in the room.

He lifted his champagne glass in tribute, took a sip, then put it carefully on the bar behind him. Bas made his way toward her, gracefully dodging models, waiters, drinkers, reporters. The closer he came, the faster her heart raced. Everything about him, the way he looked in his suit, the very way he moved, all finesse and pure sex appeal, made her feel as if this was her first date. It was insane, really, for it to hit her so quickly, so hard, but it was absolutely indubitable. He passed the last barrier to join her at the table. Bas lifted her hand and kissed the back.     

 “I believe you owe me a dance.”

She glanced at the performance area. “What are we going to dance to?”

“You’ll find out in just a moment.”

Gaea made a promise she couldn’t back out of, but she did hope that she wouldn’t make an utter fool of herself. She was sort of lacking when it came to the rhythm department. Gaea could keep the tempo of anything by Mozart, but beyond that, she was totally hopeless. Dancing was an activity to be avoided by her. But tonight, being in his arms would be worth it.

Because Norah Jones had taken a break, they were alone on the dance floor. All around them, the room reverberated with laughter and conversation. None of it really registered with her.

Bas placed his arms around her, pulled her closer to him. Her cheek went to his chest as she snuggled close. They stood stock still while she counted his heartbeats, and in an act of magic, her rhythm became his rhythm, her breath, his.

To consummate the moment, to keep his word...music.

The song was one of her favorites by Norah Jones, one that had yet to be played, “Come Away With Me,” so romantic that it carried her on a cloud. He led, she followed, and together, they were impeccable elegance.

When she lifted her head to look at him, she realized he was singing, very softly. That he knew every word. It didn’t stop there, oh no. Gaea knew that every word was meant as vow from him to her. For this moment. For this hour. For this night. For this week. For...

Chapter Fourteen

Too exhausted to make love when they made it back to the hotel at two-thirty, Gaea did lead Bas into the bedroom with her.

“Are you okay with this?”

He nodded. “Definitely okay.” He kissed her, then brushed her cheek with his fingertips. “You can have the bathroom first,” he said. “I’ll wait.”

It took a huge effort for her to smile, not because she wasn’t grateful for his cavalier-like behavior, but because she was just too tired.

When she returned from the bathroom, Bas had stripped down to his underwear, a nice silk red. She thought about the last time she’d seen him in boxers. They definitely hadn’t fit him that loosely. How was it possible to feel so turned on when she was ready to pass out? Weird, weird.

By the time he made it back to the bedroom, she was comfortable underneath the covers, wearing nothing at all. Usually, she slept in a T-shirt, but she wanted to feel Bas next to her. Oh my, how he’d made her feel tonight. Like a queen. Like the luckiest person on earth.

She’d been very aware of how the women at the party had looked at him. Covetous. Avaricious. Even the most dazzling and famous of the party had envied her.

In one way, it made her feel glamorous and celebrated. But the attention also made her a little uncomfortable. When people stared at them, she wasn’t the one they were watching.

“Gaea,” he said as he slid in beside her. “Did I tell you how much fun I had with you tonight?”

She nodded. “Yes, you did.”

“Did I also mention that you were the most stunning woman there?”

“A few times.”

He rolled onto his side, placing his arm around her waist. “You know I will never forget dancing with you. You made me feel like a superstar tonight.”

“Me? You’re the one who serenaded me, and you can dance, too. I’m just surprised I didn’t step all over your feet.”

“Hogwash. You were light on your feet. As if you were walking on a cloud.”

“And you’re full of it.”

He got that astonished look on his face. “Ouch! That stings.”

“You’ll live.”

His eyes softened as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “I just want you to know that if I had a smidgen of energy left in my body, I’d be ravaging you right now.”

“And you should know that if it wasn’t such a struggle for me to keep my eyes open, I’d allow you to.”

“Good to know.”

Bas kissed her again, but not on the forehead. This one lasted a lot longer, too. But finally, he drew back, she settled in, and they drifted off to sleep, their bodies cuddled close together.

* * * *

Kallie entered the hotel press room to find Gaea talking with the editor-in-chief of
InStyle
magazine. Trying not to look like a snoop, she listened, idolizing Gaea’s poise, her ingenuity, her confidence. Kallie still wanted to be just like her. But before she got started with the serious business side of stuff, she was almost beside herself to tell her boss all of the interesting things that had occurred the past few days. Nope. Not the work stuff, because Gaea knew all about that, but the Dax related stuff.

Meanwhile, Kallie followed up with Olson Keppel, who, with his team, staffed the press booth. They were in charge of the small casual dinner tonight, a press party that would also include live music from a local band. She was going, of course, and so was Dax. Just thinking about him made her sigh.

“Is something wrong?”

Kallie turned around to find Gaea standing right behind her. Hey, I thought you were with the
InStyle
editor-in-chief.”

“We’re finished. Why did you sigh like that? Is everything okay?”

“Uh-huh. I couldn’t be better.”

Gaea smiled. “I sort of came to that conclusion last night.”

“You did? So you saw us? I mean, you saw that we were together? On a date? And he was by my side the entire night?”

“Yes, I saw. Now, we need to go to the bar and have a little girl talk, yes?”

Kallie nodded. “Oh, yes. Of course.”

* * * *

Bas finished checking his voicemails, then turned on his laptop to retrieve his email. He’d have a crap load of it, but most was probably junk mail. As his laptop booted up, he reached for his cell phone and called his mother.

She answered with her usual jubilance.

“Hey, Mom. How’s it going?”

“Your dog chewed up a pair of my shoes.”

“Really? I’ve been training him for months. Be sure and give him an extra treat.”

“Very funny, young man. Now, how are you doing, and how is the big research project going?”

“Excellent and fantastic.”

“Really? I’m shocked. I would have bet money that she’d get tired of you and called off the deal after the first night.”

“Wow. Your faith in me makes me proud to be your son.”

“Only you would think that digging into some strange woman’s personal and intimate thoughts would be a fun thing to do. You have to realize that some concealed thoughts are private for a reason. What if you find out something appalling?”

“For some reason, I don’t think I’ll find anything Gaea does horrifying. Shocking, yes, but not scary.”

“Very interesting.”

Bas realized he couldn’t check his email and talk at the same time, so he brought up his Free Cell game. That he could almost do with his eyes closed. “And what exactly does that mean?”

“You’ve fallen for her. Only a few days into this research plan of yours and you’re in love.”

“Don’t be silly. I haven’t fallen in love.”

“Yes, you have. And she’s going to break your heart.”

“No, she isn’t.”

“See there!”

“Don’t see there me. She’s a very witty, very knowledgeable woman, and she’s clarifying the subject in a way I never expected.”

“So what you’re saying is,” his mother started, her tone lowering in pitch, “that you’ve stopped asking research questions and you are having sex as often as time allows.”

Bas opened his mouth to deny it when he realized his mother was correct. He hadn’t asked Gaea a single question for, what, at least a day? “Damn it.”

“Ah, sweetie. What can I say? Your purpose is always legitimate, but when it comes to women...”

“What?”

“Let’s just say your brilliant mind becomes muddled and you lose your focus.”

The Free Cell game forgotten, Bas leaned forward in his seat. “Usually, I would agree with you. But trust me, Mom, it’s different this time.”

“Uh-huh.”

“No, seriously. Gaea’s doing a hell of a job on this fashion campaign. She’s focused but not excessive, and she’d been completely honest with me. That’s why it seems like everything is moving at warp speed, because we are not dawdling on all of the usual get-to-know-each-other bull crap.”

“I see.”

“And that tone of voice irritates me to infinity,” he said, getting a little pissed off. “You only use it when you’re assuming, the wrong thing in this situation, of course.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line and he wondered if he’d gone too far. Just as he was getting ready to apologize, his mother spoke.

“You’re right, sweetheart. I’m sorry. I have no business being judgmental of you over this, especially when I raised you to be the exact opposite. I hope that she’s everything you’ve ever imagined your perfect woman to be.”

“I’m not saying she’s perfect,” he responded, not liking the uptight tone he head in his voice. “I’m just saying she’s a good person.”

“Great. And when am I going to see you?”

“Once this entire shindig is over and I have time to get settled. I’m guessing next weekend.”

“So your dog will have ample time to destroy a few more pairs of my shoes?”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t worry about that. I also trained Harley to eat women’s underwear.”

“Sebastian!”

“Love you, Mom. See you soon.”

His disconnected the call to the sound of her stammering. His grin didn’t last long, however. Bas stood up, went to the window and looked down at the street below. Was he being too hasty about all of this? Was he making Gaea into something she wasn’t? Or was this enthusiasm that he’d felt since their first meeting actually real, something he could believe in?

So what, he hadn’t asked any questions. That was just a matter of having the opportunity to do so, that’s it. He’d ask her what he needed to know. There was no way he was abandoning his project. Nope. The exact opposite, as a matter of fact. Getting to know her so intimately had been a surprising experience. He’d even guessed correctly about the fear she felt the first time after. By giving her the space she’d needed, Gaea had come back to him the next morning. That proved that he was starting to understand women.

He also knew he didn’t have time to waste if he wanted to make it to Sambuca’s on time. It would give him time to ask Gaea a few questions before the event started. There were a few pressing ones he had for her.