Yvonne Lindsay - Propositioned By The Tycoon - Mr Strictly Business / Bought - His Temporary Fiancée / A Win-Win Proposition

If nothing else, their lovemaking had opened a wide crack in her defenses, allowing him to see all she’d kept buried before. And what he saw was pain and fear and vulnerability. “Why would you expect anything else, Gabe? Do you think I’m some sort of plaything that you can pick up and discard when it suits you? Did you ever wonder what I did while you were off running your empire? Or did you simply stick me on a shelf and forget about me until it was time to come home and pick me up again? I don’t go into hibernation like one of your damn computers.”

“I never said—” He thrust a hand through his hair and blew out his breath, fighting for calm. “Is there a reason we’re dredging all this up again? I know what happened. And I know that you wanted more from our relationship than I could give you before. I’m willing to do that. But I don’t see the point in rehashing the past.”

“If not now, then when?” She tilted her head to one side. “Or were you hoping it no longer matters and move on?”

“You’re good at pointing the finger, Catherine. And I’m being as honest as I know how. I screwed up. I made mistakes. But if we’re going to go there and dig into all that muck, then you have to be honest, too.”

Her eyes widened. “Meaning?”

“Meaning…I’m willing to continue this conversation when you stop lying and tell me what really happened. Why did you really leave me?”

She shook her head in instant denial. “I don’t know what you’re—”

“Bull. Just cut the bull, will you?”

He snatched a deep breath and fought for control. For some reason his gaze landed on the bedside table. A cell phone sat there, not his. He eyed it for a long minute as he considered how and when Catherine had left it there. And then he knew. She hadn’t taken the bedroom at the end of the hallway when she’d moved in the previous day. She’d moved her things in here with him, at least initially. He could make a pretty accurate guess when that had changed and why. Crossing the room, he picked up the phone and tossed it to her.

“Call your partner,” he instructed. “Have her meet us at Piretti’s in an hour.”

“Excuse me? We were in the middle of a—”

“An argument?” he shot at her.

“A discussion.”

Right. “Well, it’s one we’re going to set aside until you come clean. Until then, it’s off the table.”

Indignation shot across her face and reverberated in her voice. “Just like that?”

He inclined his head. “Just like that.” He deliberately changed the subject. “I saw some of your financial records last night. And I did a quick scan of the documents you provided when I returned to the office yesterday. You told me your partner handles the books?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then I want to meet her. Now.” She opened her mouth to argue again, and he cut her off without compunction. “You came to me for help,” he reminded her. “This is how I help.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll call her.”

“I’m going to shower. You’re welcome to join me.”

“Another time, perhaps.”

He managed a smile. “I’ll hold you to that.” He started toward the bathroom, then paused. “The breakup in our relationship? It wasn’t about children or careers, Catherine. There’s something else going on. I just haven’t figured out what, yet. But I will. And when I do, we’ll do more than put it back on the table. We’re going to have this out, once and for all.”

They accomplished the brief ride from the apartment to Piretti’s in silence. Catherine appeared a little paler than Gabe liked, but whether it was the result of the upcoming meeting with her partner, or because of their argument, he wasn’t certain. Perhaps a bit of both.

Roxanne was already at her desk when they arrived, and he watched with interest as the two womene xchanged a long look. Another brewing problem, one he needed to think about before determining how best to resolve it.

They entered his office just as Catherine’s cell phone rang. “Excuse me a minute,” she murmured. After answering the call, she listened at length, her expression growing more and more concerned. “Thanks. I’ll take it from here.”

“Problem?” he asked once she’d disconnected the call.

“I have the Collington wedding scheduled for a week from tomorrow. The bride just called in to cancel our services.”

“At this late date?”

Catherine shook her head. “Obviously, she heard about what happened at the Marconis’ and it’s panicked her. Di—my partner managed to get her to agree to meet with me for lunch.”

“I’ll go with you.”

To his surprise, she didn’t argue. “Normally, I’d be able to handle it. Brides are often in crazy mode by now. I’m used to it.”

“But trying to calm her down after hearing about everything that went wrong with Natalie’s party…”

“Will prove challenging. Fortunately, I have an ace in the hole.” She smiled, the first natural one she’d offered since their argument. “You. You’ve always had a way about you, an ability to smooth ruffled feathers.”

“I’ll do my best.” He checked his watch. “Your partner is late.”

“Maybe she hit traffic.”

“You’re sure she’s coming?”

“She was in the city when she called me just now.”

Right on cue, voices reverberated through the thick wooden door panels, one irritated, clearly Roxanne. Gabe winced. His assistant wasn’t at her best this morning. The other, a voice he’d known for every one of this thirty-three years, snapped back with impatient authority. His office door banged open, and his mother paused with her hand on the knob.

“I know the way into my own son’s office, Roxy,” she informed Gabe’s assistant.

“It’s Roxanne.”

“Well, maybe when you’ve worked here awhile I’ll remember your name.”

Gabe could see his assistant visibly struggling to hang on to her composure. She managed it. Barely. “He has a meeting scheduled, Mrs. Piretti. And just to set the record straight, I’ve worked here for three years, as I’m certain you’re well aware.”

“Huh. Could have sworn you were one of those annoying temps.” With that Dina slammed the door in Roxanne’s face. Turning, she offered a broad, delighted smile. “Gabriel, Catherine. It’s so good to see the two of you together again. Give me a minute to just stand here and enjoy the view.”

Gabe’s lips twitched. “I’m sorry, Mom, but Roxanne was right. We’re waiting for Catherine’s business partner to join us in order to—” He broke off as the connection clicked into place, a connection he would have made long ago if he hadn’t been so distracted by the apprehensive woman standing at his side. “No. Oh, hell, no. You’re not…You can’t be—”

Dina stuck out her hand. “Dina Piretti, co-owner of Elegant Events. So good of you to help us with our small financial crisis.”

The meeting didn’t last long. The minute Dina exited the room, Gabe turned on Catherine. “My mother? You dumped me, and then you went into business with my mother? ”

Catherine struggled not to flinch. “Really, Gabe. I don’t see what one thing has to do with the other.”

“You don’t see—” He forked his fingers through his hair, turning order into all-too-attractive, not to mention distracting, disorder. “You must have suspected I wouldn’t like the idea considering that the two of you have been careful to keep me in the dark for nearly two years now. Why is that, Cate?”

She planted her hands on her hips. “You want logic? Fine. Here’s some logic for you. I didn’t want to see you. If you knew I was in business with your mother, you wouldn’t have been able to stay away. Worse, you might have tried to interfere, or…I don’t know—” She waved a hand through the air. “Tried to protect her from me and stopped us from doing business together.”