The Organized Bride (Billionaire Marriage Brokers Book 2) (4 page)

Chapter 6

Monday afternoon, MaKayla arrived at the office of BMB quite out of breath. She’d had one of those mornings where her clients all decided to panic. She, of course, had everything under control, but confident reassurance for the prom queen nearly cost her a bumper as she tried to talk and drive, something she wasn’t very good at.

Once in the building, she barely caught the elevator before the doors shut and practically fell out when they opened on her floor. The receptionist ushered her into Harrison’s office, where she set her signature next to Gabe’s on over a dozen sheets of paper. She examined Gabe’s signature, all blocky with a final swoop at the end. She added this piece of the puzzle to the picture she was building in her head: that swoop was the eccentric side of him that balanced out the corporate image.

As she was leaving, Trish caught her arm and pulled her aside, letting out a hushed squeal. “He got the suit.”

MaKayla’s heart thumped. Anytime she made her first presentation to a client, she got butterflies. She was good at reading people, excelled at it. However, all she’d had was a picture to go off of, and making a decision as personal as clothing had been a risk—a calculated one, but a risk nonetheless. “Did he try it on?” She grabbed Trish’s hand, feeling more like the prom queen and less like a business wife.

“Not here. Pamela gave it to him when he signed the papers.”

“Oh.” MaKayla felt her heart sag. She’d hoped he would be at least a little curious.

“Anyway, did you still need his address for the flowers?”

MaKayla pressed her hand to her heart. In all the rush of prom and meeting with her sister, she’d almost forgotten to have the florist send the boutonniere to Gabe. “Yes, thank you for reminding me.”

“I’ll text it to you as soon as I get back to my office.”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure. I’ll see you Wednesday.”

As she exited the elevator, MaKayla’s phone beeped with the info, and she hurried to send Gabe’s address to the florist as she walked to her car. She settled behind the steering wheel, pausing when she realized she had Gabe’s address. It was the first real personal tidbit of information she’d gained on her fiancé. Tapping her finger on the side of the phone, she contemplated doing a driveby. Just to check out where she would be living.
That wouldn’t be high school at all
. MaKayla shook herself. There was a difference between stalking a crush and previewing her new home.

Her phone beeped again, and she sighed. The text came from her replacement, Tera, wondering who they used for ice sculptures. Apparently she
was
easily replaceable, as her boss had hired a college grad in less than two days. Tara was competent and quick: her ability to pick up on things fast which would make MaKayla’s transition out that much easier. However, she lacked the attention to detail that MaKayla applied to the position. She ached a little to know she was leaving some of her best clients in Tara’s hands. She could only hope that after a year, they’d come running.

She hit the call button and resigned herself to work like a dog for the next forty-eight hours, so she’d have time to meet and marry Gabe on Wednesday morning, before she had to run back to work an evening event.

Chapter 7

Early Wednesday morning, Gabe tucked in his shirt and then knotted the tie MaKayla had picked out. As he slid the jacket on, he admitted that she had good taste. He liked the way the fabric felt: it had movement and didn’t weigh him down like many of his other suits did. When he checked the final product in the mirror, he was surprised to see that he just looked like himself. If he had been the one at the store, he would have bought it. One point for MaKayla.

The doorbell rang while he was slipping on his shoes, and when he went downstairs, the maid handed him a box with a clear window.

His eyes widened in horror at the small floral arrangement. Opening the lid, he smelled the heady flowers and snapped it shut again. There was no way he was going to put that thing on. MaKayla may have hit a home run with the suit—in fact, he could already see himself wearing it on a regular basis, as it wasn’t formal attire—but he was not going to go prancing into BMB with a boutonniere. He needed to set some boundaries if they were going to work together, and this was the perfect time to start drawing those lines. If he didn’t nip her enthusiasm in the bud—no pun intended—MaKayla would run all over him. And he wasn’t going to go through that again—ever.

***

MaKayla waited in Pamela’s office with Harrison and Trish. She was grateful for the wedding bouquet, because it hid her shaking hands. She wished she could have invited Brooke to stand beside her. But inviting her sister felt as unprofessional as bringing a baby to a board meeting. She was “on the clock,” and that meant her personal life had to stay tucked away.

Her early morning appointment at the salon had included a shoulder massage, a pedicure, a manicure, a trim, and a style, which had all gone a long way to make her feel like this wasn’t just a normal day. Even if she was only signing a contract, it was a marriage contract and it was important. Other people married for reasons other than love and they still treated it like it was significant, so she felt that she should too. Pressing her lips to refresh her gloss, she closed her eyes to re-center her thoughts. She pictured her new office with her name and the word “owner” on the door. When she opened her eyes, she was ready to meet her husband.

The rich smell of roses and fresh greens filled the air around her, and she took calming breaths as often as she could without passing out.

From where she stood, she could hear the elevator doors open. Pamela’s deep laugh echoed down the hall, and Harrison said, “That’s the rest of the group.”

Trish gave her hand a squeeze.

Pamela breezed through the door, followed by an older gentleman with wire glasses and heavy jowls, and then, quite suddenly, MaKayla was in the same room as her betrothed.

Gabe was easily a head taller than MaKayla, with broad shoulders and a trim waist that all looked delectable in his wedding suit. MaKayla blinked. She shouldn’t be referring to her new boss as “delectable,” even if he would be her husband. Schooling her thoughts would make all the difference. She’d worked with attractive men many times before and had been able to keep the small flame of attraction under control. Of course, she’d never worked with a man who exuded as much power and confidence as Gabe. That was a little disarming.

MaKayla’s eyes flicked to Gabe’s chest, well-defined even through the layers of fabric, to find the boutonniere she’d sent, but the spot was bare. She wondered if the florist made a mistake. Asking about the gift would put Gabe on the spot. Men who were used to being in charge didn’t like to be challenged, especially in front of a group. His flowers had been an afterthought, a small detail that would have rounded out the afternoon, but they weren’t essential. She opted not to say anything for two reasons. One, she didn’t want to put Gabe on the defensive right off the bat. The situation was awkward enough without adding to it for something as small as a boutonniere. Two, if the flower shop had messed up, Gabe would likely place the blame on her shoulders. However, if she never brought it up, he would never be the wiser. Better to act as if everything were going according to plan than make a scene. Today was about making a good first impression.

Smiling, she took Gabe’s hand as Pamela introduced them. “It’s nice to finally meet you,” she said. His handshake was firm yet gentle, and when they pulled apart she felt the loss of his warmth.

Trish moved them all into place before the justice of the peace. They said “I do,” exchanged rings, and before she had a chance to blink, she was married.

***

The ceremony, if you could call it that, wrapped up, and Gabe checked his watch. He noted that if the parking garage charged by the half hour, he would be out of there with the minimal fee.

He’d also noted that MaKayla was a rare combination of beauty and business. Her dress, a wispy thing the color of milk chocolate, floated around her curves in an alluring yet classy way. Her matching eyes were pools of emotion, intelligence, and wit.

He hadn’t missed her glance at his lapel, and his defenses immediately went up. He said his “I do” through tight lips and didn’t offer MaKayla his arm, as he’d previously planned on doing for their walk to the elevator.

Gabe wasn’t sure what to say to this beautiful stranger who was now his wife. He cleared his throat as they walked to his car and tried desperately to think of something to ease the awkwardness that grew between them like a thorny rosebush. Awkwardness that was completely his fault. He’d put up the wall.

MaKayla had a small smile, but every time their eyes met, she looked quickly away. Gabe sensed the tension rolling off him. He needed to talk himself down before he scared her away. If her resume was any indication, she was a strong investment, and, as with all his investments, he needed to take care of it … her. He needed to take care of her … them? Their marriage.

Scrambling for a way to break the ice, Gabe hurried over to open her door. She slid gracefully in, doing that swivel thing women did in dresses to keep their knees together. Another classy move that said MaKayla was a lady. He liked that.

As he shut his door, Gabe spied the small package he’d placed in the back seat this morning. Stretching, he plucked the gift from its place, held it out, and smiled. “I got you this.”

MaKayla tucked her hair behind her ear. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

Gabe liked the way she wore her hair down. Most of the women he knew pulled their hair back into messy buns or braids to keep their hair out of the way, and while that was fine every once in a while, it was nice to see a woman who wasn’t afraid to be a little more free with her tresses. While she concentrated on opening the box, his eyes quickly took in her graceful movements. He was suddenly grateful Pamela had been picky.

When MaKayla slid the iPad out of the box, she said, “Thanks,” like she wasn’t quite sure about it.

Gabe smiled and plucked the pad from her hands. “I thought this would make things easier for you.” Using his left hand, he tapped the on button, and the screen flashed to life. “It has both your calendar and my calendar here—Pamela’s crew set that up. But then I downloaded all the information you’ll need for the events this year, including a list of contacts and the vendors we’ve used in the past. Here.”

He handed it back to her, and she spent the next few minutes becoming acquainted with the software. They drove to the office in silence. There wasn’t time to ease MaKayla into the business. She was officially hired.

As he turned into his parking spot at the downtown office, she looked up. “Thank you. This will be very helpful in getting organized and finding my feet.”

“No problem. I’m relieved to have you get started.” He couldn’t express how relieved he was. Running his company took forty to sixty hours a week, not to mention the charities, which could take that much and more, especially during the holidays. The past two weeks had been merciless and he knew he was missing things. There simply wasn’t enough of him to spread around, and he knew he was doing subpar work because he hurried.

Gabe jumped out of the car and went around to her side to open her door. Despite his relief, he couldn’t help but worry that turning things over to someone else also meant he had to trust them. MaKayla seemed competent. However, he wasn’t looking for someone who was merely competent; he wanted someone who would care about things the way he did. MaKayla’s background was a mystery. Had she faced hard times? Did she have the compassion it took to drive a person to beg for money for abused children or the elderly? Only time would tell. For now, he planned to keep a close eye on her and see where her loyalties lay. He was prepared to step in if needed. No way would he turn a blind eye again.

As MaKayla exited the car, the smell of blooming lilies assaulted him. She still held the ridiculous bouquet in her hands. What was with her and flowers? They could be a problem. He didn’t want to explain to people that they had driven from the ceremony to work. Nope. That would just not do. The matching outfits were bad enough—though they didn’t match as much as coordinate. His pants were so dark they were almost black, and the jacket was creamy white. Next to her brown, they looked like they could go together, but weren’t set up that way. Besides, her dress was classy and feminine and his suit was kind of bad-A. Not exactly twins, but the two looks complimented one another, like their contrast was part of what made them work.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he asked MaKayla, “Can we leave that in the car?”

MaKayla pursed her lips. “I guess it’s cool enough that the flowers won’t wilt if they’re here for a while.” She placed it carefully on the passenger seat, making sure the leaves weren’t being flattened and that the short ribbon wasn’t kinked.

Her efforts made him wonder if she was offended he didn’t wear the flowers she’d sent. When she’d looked for them, he bristled. However, now that he reflected on the moment, it could have been much worse. Natasha would have pouted until he promised to take her to lunch or shopping to make up for it. Gabe shook his head, he needed to forget about Natasha and move on. If MaKayla was disappointed, she didn’t show it; neither did she hold it over him. Two points for MaKayla.

MaKayla looked around as though she just realized where they were. Perhaps the ceremony was a bit of a shock for her. He’d had months to anticipate getting married, and from what he heard, she’d had only a few days. If she was reeling, she covered it well, with squared shoulders and a determined glint in her eye. That glint took Gabe off guard. Was she enjoying the challenge?

“What’s the plan?” she asked.

Gabe gestured toward the doors. MaKayla walked a couple feet and then stopped so fast that Gabe bumped into her, knocking her forward. He reached out and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her against his chest to keep her from falling.

For just a moment, they both froze, and Gabe could smell her deep scented perfume. A tremor went through her body—or both of theirs, he wasn’t sure—and he released her shoulders.

“Sorry.” She ducked her head as she tucked her hair behind her ear again, and Gabe had the insane desire to reach out and try that himself. “I was startled because that’s my name.” She pointed to the fresh paint on the concrete. “Well, it would be if I was changing my name.” Her cheeks colored slightly.

Gabe hurried to explain. “That’s your parking spot. I should have warned you about the name, but I thought it would be best if my colleagues knew you as MaKayla Russell.”

MaKayla smiled, but it looked more like a beauty-queen-on-a-parade-float smile than the one he’d seen in her photo. “You’re the boss.”

She started toward the doors again, and Gabe fell in step beside her, partially to present a united front when they walked through the door and partially so he wouldn’t run over her again if she stopped. It wasn’t the running over her that bothered him, so much as the holding her close. That had churned up feelings he hadn’t seen in a long time, feelings he needed to keep a lid on, because he was, as she so aptly pointed out, the boss, not someone who could pursue those feelings, even if he wanted to.